The Burning Rose

by King of the unknowns

In an alternate universe, Summer lives and finds Cinder in Atlas. She decided to bring her back to Patch. Due to her traumatic past, Cinder is hesitant to trust the family, but after a close brush with death, she opens up to them and is eventually adopted by the loving family. After a few years of training, she heads off to Beacon to train to become a huntress!

49. A pain filled past

WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DARK MATERIAL INCLUDING HEAVY VIOLENCE, AND ATTEMPTED CHILD RAPE!

READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

---

A young, seven year old Amber laughed happily as she chased a young boy around the forest in the dim light of the setting sun, laughing happily as they went.

"I'm going to catch you!" She called as she ran, making the boy laugh as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Not if I get home first!" He yelled back, breaking through the trees and into a larger clearing dominated by a huge wooden wall. The two children both ran towards a larger gate on the far side of the wall where two guards stood vigilant.

Racing through the gate, they ran to a two story house just off the main road. It was close to the gate which was the sole entrance and exit to the sleepy town. Meaning the occupants were often allowed to wander in the forest without adult supervision.

"I win!" The young girl cried as she pushed her way through the door, firmly planting her feet in the entrance as the boy ran up behind her, panting and out of breath.

"No fair!" He whined, coming to a stop next to her, doubling over, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. "You got huntress training! I don't! You have an advantage!"

"I gave you a head start." Amber teased, sticking out her tongue. "I won fair and square! Stop being such a baby, Winny."

"My name is Edwin!" The boy, Edwin yelled, his face bright red. "Stop calling me that! You know I hate it! It sounds like I'm some kind of teddy bear! I'm a year older than you! Treat me with respect! And besides, you still own me for that broach I got you! Keep being mean and as the man of the house, I can make you give it back!

"Sure, once you can beat me at anything and prove yourself the man of the house." Amber said, taking off her shoes and stepping inside, her hand moving up to touch the pendant she was wearing on her shirt. "Until then, you're just going to be little Winny. And the pendent stays with me! Besides, if you wore it, I bet you'd be bullied even more! This is a girl's accessory, after all. Those I must say, you definitely have a better eye for fashion than me. You sure you're not really a girl underneath all that? Because if you are, that's definitely going to get you picked on more than a nickname. But don't worry, I'll protect you from the bullies who make fun of you. After all, that's what huntresses do!"

"Or you could just stop calling me that." Edwin grumbled, taking off his shoes and following Amber inside. "You know, you're just like my brother, always making fun of me. At least he's off with your parents and daddy saving the world from Atlas. That way I don't have to deal with both of you at once."

"Aww! Are you missing your big bro?" Amber teased, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Well, seeing as I'm living with you, I could be your stand-in older sister until he gets back. That way you won't have to be lonely and I get an adorable baby brother who's hair I can braid and dress up in dresses! It's a win-win!"

"But I'm the older one." Edwin grumbled as they headed to the kitchen for dinner. "And as if I'd ever let you braid my hair! That's a girl thing! Not that a ton boy like you would know anything about-!"

Suddenly, Edwin broke off as he came to a stop at the doorway, freezing mid step, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"What is it?" Amber asked, peeking into the kitchen to see what had stunned her best friend. And immediately she felt her heart stop at the sight before her.

Edwin's mother was lying on the table, sobbing openly into her arms as all around her dishes lay broken or destroyed. Chairs had been tipped over and food lay all over the room having been thrown from the shelves and fridge. Blood could be seen all over the woman's arms and legs, open wounds from the glass that littered the floor and maybe the knives that had also been thrown from their proper place.

"W-what happened?" Edwin asked, fear clear in his voice. He had never seen his mother act this way before, neither of them had. His mother was normally a kind and compassionate soul, even agreeing to take Amber under her wing until her parents returned from the war.

Scanning the mess of the room, Amber's eyes quickly fell upon a letter laying on the counter top. It was crumpled, as if crushed by something, yet there was no visible object that was close enough to have done it. What's more, it almost looked like the woman had crushed it with her bare hands, something extremely out of character for her.

"Stay here." The dark skinned girl whispered to her partner. Then, activating her aura, took a step into the room.

Broken glass and china crunched under her feet, but they were protected by the aura shield the young girl could generate, letting her approach the woman in the room.

"Mrs. Turku?" Amber called, her voice carrying her fear clear even to her own tiny frame. "What's wrong? Was there a robbery or something? Can I help in any way?" Her questions were met with more crying. The woman was so distressed she was oblivious to everything around her, even when Amber reached out and tapped her shoulder, she didn't respond or acknowledge the girl at all."

Well, seeing as talking wasn't going to work…

Amber took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had awakened her semblance at a shockingly young age, and while not combat oriented, she absolutely loved it. Training with it so much that now she could do it with only a margin of effort! Hell, she had gotten so good that she and Edwin had won so many games with it, the other kids wouldn't let them play on the same teams anymore.

Focusing her mind, she formed a link with Mrs. Turku, creating an invisible bond between the two that connected them both in mind and body. And from that link, anything, emotions, feeling, sight, hearing, smells, literally everything one person felt or interacted with, it was transferred across the link to the other. The sheer amount of data that was sent had been so impressive, even some traveling huntsmen had praised her abilities. Something the girl took great pride in.

But today, today was different. The second the link was formed, the young girl was blasted off her feet by the sheer amount of emotions that came crashing through it!

/Anger, fear, hatred, loneliness, and unbelievable pain. How could they take him from her!? Why didn't they pull back!? What was she supposed to do?! Why?! Why did this have to happen to her!? It wasn't fair!? He was so young! Why did-!/

But that was as far as the girl got. Immediately she broke the link, falling to the ground with a cry of pain as her hands flew to her chest above her heart, clutching at it as if to tear it out!

"Amber!" Edwin cried, rushing to the girl, ignoring the glass shared that implied his feet as he could to a stop next to the girl.

But Amber didn't even notice. Her heart was hammering against her chest as tears started to leak from her eyes. It couldn't be! No way! It-! This wasn't right! It couldn't be right! How could someone just-!

Immediately Amber felt vomit rising in her throat. Swallowing hard, immediately knew there was no way she could keep this down. Taking several raspy, uneven breaths, she turned to Edwin to tell him the news before she threw up.

But before she could.

"Amber!"

Immediately Mis. Turku screamed, rising from the table and advancing towards the girl where she grabbed her shoulders and stuck her across the face!

"What have I told you about using your semblance without consent?!" She screamed, shaking the girl before striking her again. "You horrible child! Bad, bad girl! No dinner for you tonight!"

The historic raving of the woman caused a horrible feeling to take root in the young girl's gut. One of both shame and confusion as the woman who had looked after her for a few years now raised her hand to strike her for a third time. She had never seen the woman act this way before and even though her aura protected her, all the feeling had left her legs after the first strike.

"Please stop!" Amber cried, throwing up her hands to defend herself as she smirked up in a ball, tears already forming in her eyes from both the information she had absorbed and from the sudden beating. She didn't understand why this was happening! Before when she had used her semblance without permission, it had only resulted in a strict telling off and some extra chores. Never anything like this!

And she clearly wasn't the only one confused.

"Mom! What are you doing?!" Edwin yelled, grabbing her raised hand. "Amber didn't do anything wrong! Stop hitting her! She was with me the whole day! She didn't do whatever it is that made you so angry! She's innocent!"

Despite the two screaming kids, the woman would hear none of it. She wrenched her arm free and struck Amber across the face once more before reaching down and grabbing her by her hair.

"You wretched girl! To your room! NOW! You're grounded for a week! Maybe more!" She screeched, then, without a single ounce of sympathy, proceeded to drag the girl by the hair across the glass ridden floor and back into the hall, quickly reaching the guessed room she had been using for the past couple years.

There, she threw the door open and hurled Amber inside, not even bothering to look as she fell to the floor in the center of the room, her weak aura flickering.

And as the girl looked up at the furious silhouette in the door, Mrs. Turku gave her one last glare as her son helplessly tugged at her skirt before slamming the door shut and locking it from the outside, leaving Amber in the dark room.

From outside, the sounds of screaming could still be heard, but it quickly moved away, back in the direction of the kitchen, letting the dark skinned girl finally focus on her confusing and painful thoughts.

Winny's brother was dead. Killed in action fighting against Atlas. That was all the information she could glean from her short time linked with the woman's mind, but it was more than enough for her to understand, he was gone. And he wasn't coming backs

A horrible emptiness filled Amber's stomach upon letting this sink in. And immediately she felt her stomach lurch violently. Clamping one hand over her mouth, she waste any time, rushing to her window and throwing it open before puking up her insides.

But despite that, the horrible empty feeling didn't leave with the vomit. In fact, it only seemed to intensify and she almost wished Mrs. Turku would come back inside to beat her more. Because that gave her something else to focus on.

Fear, pain, it didn't matter. Anything was better than this sensation of hopelessness that now threatened to engulf her completely. It felt like a hole had been ripped into her heart, a hole that would never close. And with each rapid beat, that hole became more and more pronounced.

The small girl pressed both hands to her chest, trying to do something, anything to ease this pain. It was just too much! She couldn't keep it all inside.

Curling up into a ball, Amber felt her heart hammering and her breaths were rapid and uneven. Her tiny lungs were expanding and deflating so quickly, it hurt! She couldn't understand what was happening! How could this happen?! Why did this happen?! She couldn't understand! She wouldn't understand it!

Her mind was racing and her eyes were beginning to bulge out of her head, yet she couldn't perceive anything around her. This wasn't supposed to happen! It wasn't! Her family was supposed to come back alive! That was how it was supposed to go! This wasn't-! It couldn't-! No. No! This wasn't real!

A deafening roar filled her ears and the entire room began spinning. Amber's young mind couldn't understand the concept of death, and quite frankly, she didn't want to! This was-! She wasn't supposed to! How could she?! These emotions were far too complicated for her! We're these the feelings of Mrs. Turku's feeling? Was that why her brain felt like it had split in two? She didn't know! She was just scared. Scared and in pain.

Darkness began creeping into the corner of her vision as the young girl started to hyperventilate. Her entire body shaking violently and her lungs burning for air. She wanted someone to talk to, to confide in. But trapped in her room, she was utterly alone. Alone, just like always.

And as the darkness closed in around her, she welcomed it with open arms, letting her swallow her whole. Because even if it was only for a moment, anything that spared her this pain was well worth it.

---

Later that night.

Amber lay on the floor, staring up at the half broken moon. Upon coming to, she had almost thought it had been nothing but a dream. But the bruise on her face and locked door told her it had been very real.

Turning onto her side, the little girl wondered why. Why did this have to happen to them? Why her family and friends? Why couldn't it have been someone else? Someone who had nothing to lose, or someone who could be content with their own death. Why did it have to be someone so young, with their whole life still ahead of them? And if it did, why couldn't it-?

Immediately Amber shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. She shouldn't be wishing this pain on someone else. It wasn't their fault she had lost a friend and Edwin had lost a brother. It had been a one in a million chance, they just drew the short straw. As painful as it was, the girl knew she had to be strong, just like her parents.

"Smile at everyone you meet, it brightens their day. Because no matter how hard life is, you never know who might be suffering more." She said quietly to herself, mimicking her mother's words. Those words had always been something precious to her, a reminder of how her parents wanted to live their lives, creating a better world for everyone, one smile at a time.

But a part of the young girl refused to listen to it. After today, she knew she couldn't live like them, not with this pain in her chest. Not after this injustice!

No, she had found a new path, her own path. Just like her parents had always encouraged her to try to find. And that she had, she had become even more determined to train and become a huntress.

Because when she was bigger and stronger, she'd find the person who killed her friend and make them pay! That was her new goal, and one she vowed to uphold. She'd avenge this injustice and make sure it wouldn't happen ever again! And while she wasn't sure how to accommodate the latter part, she knew she'd have to try! After all, she had an-.

Before she could continue with this line of thought, the sound of her door being unlocked caught her attention.

Quick as she could, Amber set up facing the door. She knew who it was without needing to see or hear them. After all, there was only one person who'd be sneaking into her room at this hour.

And sure enough, as the lock clicked and the door swung open, she saw Edwin poking his head in.

"You awake?" He asked, and even in the dim light, she could see his eyes were as red as her's.

So he knew.

"Yeah." She said quietly, straightening slightly. "I'm sorry. I…he…this isn't fair. He didn't do anything-."

Before she could finish her sentence, with even shut the door, Edwin ran forward, burying his face in her stomach as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

The dark skinned girl sat there, frozen in shock for a second, then she hugged him back, lowering her head so that it touched him. And as the tears started to leak from both their eyes, Amber activated her semblance, creating a link between the two.

Immediately they could both feel it. The others' pain, their sadness, their suffering. For just as the girl had named it, her semblance, Enteral Ties, bound one person to another in both body and soul. Sharing both the good and the bad with whomever she linked with. And in this shared reality, they took comfort in knowing they weren't alone. For at that moment, the two were practically one.

And as they might grow longer, as Amber felt her aura begin to wane, she knew that from this point on, she'd never break this bound again. Not when she gave Edwin both warmth and comfort he needed. Or rather, the comfort they both needed. And as this thought passed through their link, the young boy sent his consent back.

Neither wanted to let this feeling of pure love and trust go. And if they had their way, neither would. Both were as good as family, and while they might not be bound by blood, their bond was just as thick. It would be something they would cherish for the rest of their lives. Always.

Unfortunately, that meant only a couple years for the two. As tragically, the bond that bound would be their undoing.

---

"So, that woman was watching you?" Cinder asked Amber in an uncharacteristically gentle tone. The two were still sitting on the roof of the hotel, backs pressed against each other. Neither was looking at the other as neither really wanted to see the other's expression as they spoke about the trauma of their past.

And during that time, Cinder had never felt quite so nervous.

She had told Amber everything, everything except what had actually transpired during her flight of the Glass Unicorn. That part she had altered to fit what was on her papers. And while she definitely didn't feel good about it, she couldn't risk being sent back to Atlas. And as much as she wanted to, she still couldn't bring herself to completely trust Amber to stay quiet.

Although it might not matter. When she had been telling that part, she felt Amber shifting slightly and her heart rate changed slightly. And she knew if she could feel that, so could her partner.

And while the girl was no expert on identifying what was going on in someone's head by their body language, she had a good guess Amber knew she was lying, but chose not to comment. And somehow, that made the girl feel even worse.

"Yep." Amber replied, slumping against Cinder with her full weight. "She was a friend of my mom's. I remember her always being so kind and compassionate. But that was the day where she completely fell apart. And I don't really blame her. She just lost her son, of course she'd snap."

"But that wasn't your fault." Cinder pushed carefully. She didn't know where their boundaries were set after their fight. And given how horribly she had screwed up, she didn't want to over step again.

And at the same time, she didn't want Amber to suffer like this. It was just…so cruel. And given what she had heard so far, completely unwarranted. she couldn't blame herself for not being able to do something when she had been miles away at the time.

"Maybe." Amber replied, her words making Cinder shift. "But like I said, I don't blame her. She apologized to me the next day and even gave me some candies. But after that, I could tell she was just…gone. Lost in the grieving process while trying to take care of two kids. Healing like that would be hard at the best of times. And less than a month later, she got news her husband died as well. That…well let's just say she took that one surprisingly well given her mental condition."

Cinder rolled her eyes at that. Amber was so nice. She should stop trying to emphasize with everyone. That fact she needed to pick up that excuse told her just how horribly it had gone and she guessed it hadn't resolved itself the following day like the first one.

"Well, what about Edwin? Did the two of you manage to find and kill the bastard who took his brother?" Cinder asked, trying to steer the conversation into something that might make her partner feel a little better. Unfortunately it seemed to have the opposite effect as she felt Amber slump forward again, her breaths becoming uneven.

"Yeah, about that. Let's just say things didn't quite pan out that way." Amber said in an exhausted tone. "See… two years after that incident…Edwin died. Or more actually, was killed."

Another heavy silence fell between the two. One filled with tension and sadness. One that lasted several minutes as Amber took several deep breaths to calm herself down and be able to continue.

"See, that was the day when I realized what I was and who my power did." Amber explained, her head dropping as she spoke. "That day, two years after his brother, Edwin…he left the village because of me and what I did to him."

---

Two years later.

Amber stood at the front of the town's small hospital. There, being rushed instead was Edwin, his mangled body bleeding profusely on the noble bed, staining the white sheets red. A little ways away stood his mother, her hands clasped tightly over her mouth. Standing next to her, offering what little comfort he could was Robbin, one the town's most promising young huntsmen.

"W-what happened?!" She cried, rushing to the woman who was so in shock she couldn't even cry. "What's going on?! What happened to Edwin?!" But despite her screams, the woman didn't reply, simply staring blankly as her son disappeared into the hospital, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.

Seeing Amber's distress and understanding the woman wasn't in any condition to talk, Robbin stepped forward, answering the young girl's question.

"He wanted to go on an adventure. Said he was looking for something." The young huntsmen explained. Speaking low so the mother couldn't hear. "None of the huntsmen could spare the time, so he went on his own. He got attacked by an Ursa, if I hadn't been patrolling the area, I wouldn't have found him in time. Poor boy didn't stand a chance without an active aura, it was pure luck he's still alive."

Amber felt a horrible sensation fill her gut as she took a step back, her breath becoming ragged and uneven. Edwin was a lot of things, but a fighter wasn't one. And going up against a Grimm like that would be something she'd struggle against even with all her training.

Yet something felt off about this. Edwin wasn't the type to run off into the forest like that. Nor be stupid enough to get close to any known areas of infestation. And even if one had snuck up on him, he always kept some irritation smoke bombs on his person. And they were specifically designed to repel Grimm! So how on Remnant did-?!

Wait…how did she know what he was carrying with him today? She had been out training with her father. She hadn't seen him all day. So how did she-?!

Then, as waves of despair came crashing down on her, she realized her feelings weren't entirely her own. Somehow, she had accidentally linked herself with Mrs. Turku and were now sharing her feelings again!

"I'm so sorry!" The girl cried, immediately breaking off the link. Her semblance shared a person's feelings and emotions and she knew there was no way she hadn't noticed. And even though the women had apologized the following day, the girl was still scared after the trauma of having the woman snap.

But right before she broke the link, a different feeling shot through the link. One not of grief but of realization and of disbelief. And while she had only felt it for a second, Amber knew, as the woman turned to look at her, those same expressions now clearly echoed on her face, they both knew what must have just happened.

"It was you." The woman breathed, her words echoing the thoughts running through Amber's head. "You're the reason he was out there. That horrid power of your changes people. You made him do this."

These words made the young girl stagger back, her hands flying to her mouth. Immediately she felt bile rising in her stomach as her legs began to shake.

Mrs. Turku was right. She had done this! Her semblance had influenced him into going into that forest! She had been linking with him every day since when they had found out about his brother! And that constant shared mind had changed his own thought pattern! Or maybe because she had an active aura, he thought he had one too!

All the strength left the girl had immediately fled her body and she sunk to the ground, tears now steaming down her face as she stared at the hospital.

What kind of freak was she?! To do something like this to her best friend, it was so wrong! Her semblance was supposed to protect people, not send them to their death! Why was this happening?! What had she done?! H-Had she really just killed her best friend!?

"You killed him." Mrs. Turku answered, as if she had read the girl's mind. "You killed him you sick freak! I know I should never have let you be around him! Give me my son back you MONSTER!"

With that blood cudgeling scream, she flew at the stunned dark haired girl, arms outstretched to throttle her alive. And despite seeing this, Amber just sat there in stunned silence, in too much pain to even react to anything her death shot towards her.

But before the woman could wrap her fingers around the girl's neck, someone shot out of the building, placing herself between Mrs. Turku and Amber, grabbing the woman's hands and stopping her in her tracks.

"Catherine! Calm down!" Silver screamed as she wrestled the woman back. "I know you're upset, but please calm down! We can still save your son! So don't you think of laying a finger on my daughter!"

Despite the calming words of the huntress, the now hysteric woman didn't let up. Instead throwing her head back with a laugh.

"You're daughter? Your daughter?!" She laughed as if she had just heard a funny joke. "That thing is no daughter! It's a demon! A monster! A Grimm in human's clothing! She'll bring nothing but ruin to this place! Something like that shouldn't have ever been born!"

"Watch your mouth!" Sliver snapped immediately, shifting her weight and throwing the woman back, right into Robbin who warped his arms around her to hold her back as his superior turned and scooped her daughter into her arms.

But even with two huntsmen right there, Mrs. Turku refused to give up. Struggling like a wild animal in the huntsman's arms. Her ranting now becoming unhinged and drawing a large crowd from her shrill screaming.

"That thing is a curse! A curse I tell you!" She bellowed after Amber as her mother carried her towards the hospital. "She'll bring us death and ruin! She should be driven out now, while we have a chance! Before she kills us all! She's the devil, I tell you! The devil! The bringing of the end is here and living alone side us! That thing must be destroyed before that-!"

"Catherine!" Sliver cut in, turning at the step of the hospital to glare at the woman struggling in the huntsman's grasp. Amber still in her arms. "I understand your upset, and I will do everything in my power to save your son. But do not speak like that about my daughter. She hasn't done anything wrong and these baseless accusations are something I will not tolerate! She had nothing to do with this incident and if you continued to slander her, you and I will have to go our separate ways!"

Sliver's normally calm and polite tone now carried a sharp edge. The kind that only a true huntress could pull off. One that had a barely restrained threat. Amber had actually never heard her mother talk like this before, and while she didn't want to admit it, it actually scared her a bit.

Yet, Mrs. Turku laughed openly at Sliver. Her guffawing loudly and openly, inviting a challenge from anyone who might try to defend Amber.

"Go our separate ways?! Oh don't give me that crap!" She screeched, spitting in Sliver's direction. "Where were you when my eldest son died?! Where were you when my husband was killed by Grimm?! Where were you when I was in my darkest hour and had two children to look after?! Go out separate ways? Like we didn't years ago! You don't get to talk about going out separate ways like you still have the high ground! You weren't there when it mattered, just like always!"

Sliver stood there on the step, staring at the woman who had now broken down into tears, clutching at the man who had been holding her back. She looked so broken to Amber, completely lost in her despair. The young girl couldn't help but have her heart go out to the woman, even after everything she had just said, and tried to do.

Her mother seemed to share the same sentiment, as while not visible, she did give her daughter a tighter squeeze before she spoke.

"I'm sorry."

That was it, all the woman said. And in all honesty, it was probably all she could say. As while Amber didn't know this at the time, sometimes kind words or actions only worsen pain. Sometimes, it was just easier to be the scapegoat then force someone to face harsh reality.

And right now, both Amber and Silver knew they could do nothing for their now former friend.

---

"To this day, I'm not sure if it was me who realized what had happened to Edwin or if it was Mrs. Kurku. Either way, not long after that, I decided never to use my semblance to its fullest." Amber confessed, her head now resting in her hands. "See, my power is actually creating a hive mind between myself and up to two others. Through that link, I can share my thoughts, feelings, ideas, perception of the world etc. And of course, the same goes from them to me. It basically makes two people one for as long as it's active. And well, let's just say doing it all day, every day for two years in a row isn't good for a person's individuality."

The dark skinned girl let out a chuckle at her own terrible joke, her gaze cast down to the city. Hands trembling even as she peered through her fingers. Her legs were also shaking uncontrollably and Cinder could feel the uneven breaths as she pressed her back against her partner's.

"Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw Mrs. Kurku." Amber continued, not bothering to check if Cinder was still with her or not. "Edwin didn't survive that day. She took her own life not long after. And that made me feel even worse."

"Yeah, I can imagine." Cinder replied, leaning harder against the girl. "Not much reason left to live after losing everything that ever meant something to you. Still, I'm sure you've heard it before, that you shouldn't blame yourself for that one. But I'm assuming that you're thinking something along the lines of ``if you had done something, you might have been able to save your friend."

Amber nodded quietly at Cinder's words. Her hands dropped to her lap as she now leaned back against the dark haired girl, who immediately let her get into a comfortable position as she gazed up at the sky.

"I know there's no point in the Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda's. But ever since that day, ever since I was first told I shouldn't have been born, I just can't stop thinking. What would life have been like without me? And who would still be alive because of that."

Cinder's attention turned to the ground below her as she shifted slightly. She had no idea how to deal with these kinds of things. Normally she just smothered her them with rage. And on the few occasions where she had to help Ruby or Yang with this kinda stuff, it had normally been childish enough and easy to understand. Or in the case of the Werewolf incident, she could actually relate to the girl.

But this was completely new to her. She couldn't really understand Amber's pain because unlike the girl, she barely didn't have family she had lost, nor friends she had gotten killed. Up till her arrival at Beacon, she had used her incredible strength and power to push her way through any problems. And I was more than happy to do so.

Now however? She was handling a delicate situation that would break if she pushed but couldn't be fixed by doing nothing. Here, she would have to use her nonexistent people skills to try to understand Amber's feelings, and why she viewed the world the way she did, which needless to say, wasn't her strong suit.

Yet deep down she knew this would be worth it. She wanted to be close to Amber, not just to make up for her screw ups, nor because she felt inferior to the girl, but because she wanted to see Amber happy again. Because as much as it annoyed her, she wanted her partner to go back to being so happy and cheerful that she thought about punching her in the face. She hadn't seen that Amber since very early on in this stupid festival and while she'd never say it out loud, she missed that part of her.

And so, she pushed on.

"So, that's why you hate your semblance? Because it may have contributed to the death of your friend?" Cinder asked, looking up at the sky as well. The top of her head tapping against Amber's. "I'm not really in a position to give an opinion as I've never seen it running at full blast, but from what I've experienced, I don't think it could take away my individuality. And even then, regardless of who came up with that idea, remember it was just a theory backup with very circumstantial evidence. You can't put much stock in something like that."

"Well look at you! Actually using that noggin of yours. Turns out you can make sense when you want to." Amber half joked, receiving a light of an elbow to her ribs, drawing out a weak laugh. Before her voice returned to its more serious tone. "You're not completely wrong. Just going off a single incident is hardly proof. But that moment was the catalyst for what happened next. And the main reason I never will use my semblance to its full existence."

Another pause as the dark skinned girl took a deep breath, steeling herself before continuing.

"You see, my semblance is linked to my emotions. Sometimes when I think of someone I'm close to with a strong desire, I can actually form a link with them completely accidentally. And while I've trained myself to keep it in check now, as a chin, I would often bond with someone without their consent. That usually made them angry and scared me. And because we share emotions…"

"Both of you became angry and scared. Emotions that don't go away after you sever your link." Cinder finished.

A short silence fell between them. They both knew what having a horde of people brought. And it was never pretty.

"But before that, my mom and I sat down and started to have a talk. One of our last ones actually. It was two years after Edwin died and at that point, everyone knew what my semblance did and were actively avoiding me. I don't blame them, but when they started throwing words at me, I eventually snapped. And it was there, when I was crying myself to sleep one night, my mom came in and we had a talk I'll never forget."

---

Two years later.

Amber sobbed into her pillow as she lay on her bed. Today, she had accidentally linked with one of the town grocer when he had been out hunting. And because of her sadness, she had drawn Grimm to the man, which had torn him to pieces.

She still remembered his wife's face when she got the news. Her sobs as she collapsed onto the ground, the huntsman who had retrieved the body, placing a hand on her shoulder, offering what little support he could.

And once the reason behind his death was revealed, the screams that came next were unbearable.

Now Amber lay on her bed, all hope for her future completely gone. Each and every word the villagers hurled at her felt like getting stabbed in the chest repeatedly. And each stab reached her heart adding a fresh wound that wouldn't never heal.

But what hurt her the most, wasn't what they said, it was that they were right. She was nothing but a curse on this village from the moment she had been born, and only now was it becoming obvious.

For the past two years, she had repeatedly raised the number of Grimm attacks dramatically. And no matter how much she trained, she never seemed to be able to get her semblance under control. Now it had gotten so bad that there was talk of moving back into the kingdom. The unfortunate truth was that they didn't have to e manpower to fed off this many attacks, something they'd have to do until she learned to stop linking with people.

This however opened up a new question, why not just Amber leave? She was the problem, not them. So if she left, then everything would go back to normal. That was the argument some of the villagers made. But both her parents had quickly shut that down.

Unfortunately, the situation wasn't getting any better and it was clear to everyone, even Amber, that something needed to be done soon. And the longer they waited, the worse things would get. And while a few were definitely in favor of going to Vale, many of the elders, the ones with the most power in their settlement, had put their foot down. Refusing to surrender a single inch of ground to either the kingdom, or the Grimm.

And as Amber lay on her bed, a new thought passed through her head. Why was she still here?

If she just left, she'd be saving the entire village from this tough decision. And she had always said she wanted to go on an adventure as a huntress, so wouldn't that be two birds one stone? She knew full well she was the problem, so if she went off on her own, maybe head to Vale, she'd not only save her friends and family but also start her grand adventure as a huntress!

Sure, she was eleven and while trained, lacked any real experience. But what other choice did she have? After all, as long as she was in the area, the villagers were at risk.

Before she could go any farther down this rabbit hole, Amber heard a knock at her door, then someone pushed it open and stepped into her room.

Turning her head, she saw her mother standing in the frame looking at her with that knowing look. She must have already guessed what was going through the girl's head. Though that wasn't too hard given how red her eyes were and her sons hadn't been very quiet either.

"Amber, sweetie. Can I brush your hair?" Silver asked, gently smiling at her daughter. Asking to brush her hair might seem weird to some, but to the Alsprings household, it meant it's time we talked about heavy stuff.

Amber stared at her mother for a second, then nodded as she slowly sat up on her bed and hugged her knees to her chest, her back facing the woman.

But even with this less than respectful response, Sliver just smiled and made her way over, picking up the brush on the girl's nightstand and sitting down behind her daughter. There, she carefully reached up and began gently working it through the girl's hair, making extra sure she didn't accidentally hurt her.

"Your hair is so beautiful." Sliver mused as she ran her hand through it to remove a snarl. "It's softer and smoother than mine way back when I was your age. You must get it from your father. He was always a looker even as a child."

Amber didn't reply. She simply stared out the window instead. Her puffy, red eyes reflected in the glass.

Upon seeing this, the woman leaned forward and gently kissed her daughter on her head.

"Oh Amber. You shouldn't let those words get to you. I know it hurts, but remember what your father told you? People will always find a reason to hate you, so that shouldn't make you hate yourself. So don't listen to them, listen to the people who love and cherish you. It's not your fault."

"But I was the one who formed the link." Amber mumbled, not raising her head. "I was the one who changed Edwin. I'm the one drawing Grimm. It's my fault everything is happening right now. It's been my fault for years. They ARE right. I am a-."

"Don't say that about yourself."

Amber froze at her mother's harsh words. She almost never snapped at her. And even then, it was only after doing something really bad. And while this normally meant she was a lot of trouble, today, she could hear a new emotion mixed into her voice. One of pain rather than anger.

"Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, no matter what kind." Silver explained in a gentler tone, but one that still held a bit more force than normal. "Sadness and fear are just two. They will also be drawn by anger, prejudiced, and blame placing. The people who say you are a curse are far more likely the ones drawing the Grimm, and given how many there are and how much easier it is to believe someone is at fault, people just jump onto the bandwagon and throw the blame onto a convenient scapegoat. You.

Slowly, Silver stood and made her way around to the other side of the bed where she could be face-to-face with her daughter. And there, she pulled her head forward and rested their foreheads together.

"You aren't to blame, Amber. You never were." She whispered softly, closing her eyes. "You are a wonderful person who has a bright future ahead of you. So don't let those naysayers drag you down. One day, you'll be off to Beacon, or Shade, or wherever you want, and when you come back, you'll show them all your power and compassion. And then, they will see how wrong they were."

At the feeling of her mother's warm head, and the comfort of being wrapped in her arms, Amber felt the dark abyss in her gut begin to close. Without hesitation, she reached and wrapped her own arms around the woman and pulled her close as she could, relishing the warmth.

How she needed this. Finally a rock in the ocean of the sea of fear and self loathing. Someone who both believed in her and saw goodness inside her. Someone to support her dreams and show her she was loved and that she was worth being loved. Something that, with her parents constantly out dealing with the Grimm, she had almost forgotten as she always tried to stay out of their way when they were home.

But now she remembered how much they loved her, and how much she loved them. They would stick by her side come what may because they wanted her to remember she could be happy. And was worthy of being happy.

And while it might be a bit before she could believe in herself again, she knew she had made the first steps towards healing her broken-

Crash!

Suddenly the sound of shattering glass broke the family out of the moment as rocks were thrown through the windows of the building, causing Amber to scream in surprise.

Reacting immediately, Silver, with her daughter still in her arms, dove away from the window, landing a safe distance away as more stones were hurled through the window.

"Are you two okay!" Amber's father yelled as he rushed through the door, his weapon already in hand. "Oh thank goodness! You're both okay. Silver! We need to get out of here. It's the villagers! They've gone completely insane! They-!"

But before he could finish, a voice yelled from outside, telling the entire family what her father had discovered.

"Silver! Bring that monster out right now!" The voice of the next door farmer yelled. "We've had enough! That thing has to go before any more of us do! This is no place for a freak like that!"

His words were followed by a mass of other voices, all cheering his words. And as her father ran to the window, Amber activated her semblance, linking both herself and her parents.

And through his eyes, they saw something that made their stomachs drop.

Outside their house, the entire village had gathered in an angry mod, all armed with weapons both impressive and not. Everything from pitchforks and rocks, to proper huntsmen weapons with both blades and guns!

Even the local huntsmen were in attendance! Meaning this was about to go down one way or another!

But despite the dire situation, Amber's father kept the fear bubbling up in his gut under control, and with a very short mental talk to his wife through their link, a decision was made in a split second.

"Stand down!" He yelled out the window, his voice not giving away how scared he actually was. "No need for violence! If you want our daughter gone that badly, then we'll all leave! Just-! Just give us tonight to gather food and supplies and we will be out of here before sunrise and you'll never have to hear from us again!"

"Let you go? Ha! Whoever said that was on the table!" One of the huntsmen yelled. "That thing killed our people for far too long! We aren't going to let it go! We will have our revenge! Your only options are if you stand with us, or that monster you birthed!"

Another cheer of agreement followed his words, sending a chill down the family's spine. They had completely lost their minds! Threatening a child, their Child! With death for something she couldn't control was madness! And with this many, they had no doubt mob psychology had probably already set in. So reasoning was also off the table.

Slowly, Amber's father glanced outside one more time, his gaze scanning across the area. The house was completely surrounded with no hope for escape. And even then, the gate was sealed since night fall and travel through Grimm infested territory at night was suicide, there really wasn't a choice to make.

Gripping their weapons tightly in their hands, the three family members huddled together and shared one final moment, sending their unspeakable love to each other through the link as they steadied themselves for the coming storm.

Tears formed in their eyes before falling to the floor, a gunshot was heard outside, followed by the deafening bang as a makeshift battering ram was slammed against the door, smashing straight through on the first hit as the mob had gone completely overkill from their bloodlust.

And as the first few people stormed up the stairs, a loud gunshots rang out from Silver weapon, prompting screams of pain and rage as the first aggressor's lifeless body fell, tumbling down the stairs.

And the next second, the sounds of gunfire and clashing steel shattered the once tranquil night.

---

"Mom and dad were the best huntsman and huntresses in our village. But under the weight of that many, they never stood a chance. That was actually the first time I ever took a human life." Amber let out a dry chuckle as her gaze fixed to the ground. "It was actually the school teacher, someone who taught me my ABC's. I can still remember the horrific look on her face when she found my spear through her chest. The way she looked at me like I was some kind of monster. But I guess she wasn't too far off, so she was pretty good at her job."

Cinder said nothing, as she couldn't find the words. Each detail of the girl's life read like a bad soap opera, each one getting worse and worse as she went. Cinder had never known the love of a parent before she met Summer, and she had even begun to fathom the idea of forming connections outside her family until she had been placed on team AACE. So knowing that Amber had not only had all of that, but lost it? She couldn't even begin to understand the girl. And quite frankly, she didn't want to.

"I know this sounds like one of those terrible animes. Where the protagonist goes through trauma after trauma that makes them unbelievably powerful. But this is real life, and this world is far less kind." Amber slumped over once again, a bitterness taking over her tone, one that Cinder was now realizing wasn't so much out of character as it was just sheer frustration. For all her pretty words and speeches, she was just as sick of the world as Cinder herself was.

No. That wasn't it. More like she was just sick of her having to live in a world full of people that pretended to understand her. That actually thought they knew anything about her. How many times did she have to put on that stupid fake smile? Express the same fake gratitude whenever someone offered sympathy? How many times did she have to act like she was okay just because that was what this sick world demanded?!

Cinder felt rage boiling up inside her for her partner's sake. How dare this world force her to silently endure all this pain, all this suffering! She knew full well there was no system in place for helping orphans or those with no means to support themselves. People like Amber had no way of getting the counseling they needed, let alone the ability to properly grieve. Something that for all the speeches the politicians spat out, they seemed incapable of actually doing.

"They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Hehe. What a load of Wyvern crap." Amber chuckled humorlessly. "I don't feel even a little bit stronger having gone through all that. If anything, I feel broken. Shattered beyond repair. I don't feel like I'm ever going to be whole again. And I don't know what to do."

Amber let out another weak chuckle, though this one sounded much more like a sob. And that was all but confirmed when her body started to shake uncontrollably. She wasn't at her breaking point, she was long past it. It amazed the young Rose she was still able to function through all that pain without lashing out. She knew she'd never be able to do that.

They sat there for a few seconds before Amber stopped shaking. She actually hadn't shed a single tear, not because she had held herself back, but because she was already in so much pain that crying wouldn't even begin to relieve it. It never had, and probably never would. This gaping hole in her chest continued to expand, devouring her bit by bit, and she knew she didn't have much left to give.

"Not long after the fighting began, the Grimm showed up. Unfortunately by the time anyone noticed, it was too late. We were already overrun." Amber said her tone was now completely defeated. "My parents tried to use the chaos to escape. But unfortunately it was too late. As a last ditch effort, they broke my link and ran in the other direction, drawing the Grimm to them while I hid. They died trying to protect me. And I was too weak to even try to help them. And at that point, I wished for my end to find me. So if nothing else, I'd be able to be with them once again."

Amber paused for a second, her breathing slowing as if she was becoming calmer, more at ease. Which to most might have seemed like a good thing, but to Cinder? She knew better. She knew how horrible it was to nothing, and how quickly someone would grasp at anything to fill that void.

"I don't know how, but the Grimm never found me. I think I had gone numb after my parents died. Which ironically enough saved my life. And while a few others survived, our suffering was far from over." Amber glacéd over her shoulder at Cinder, who sat in silence staring at the other side of the roof. They both knew what came after a Grimm attack.

"Bandits." The dark haired girl said without hesitation, making her partner smile as she turned back around.

"Yep." She exhaled. "Bandits. They came looting and when they saw some of us had survived, they took us as prisoners. They intended to sale us as slaves or something, but I guess they just couldn't help themselves. They tortured us everyday in unthinkable ways. Many of us broke, never to be healed. But it was in that pitch black hell that I realized why my life had been spared."

Slowly, Amber rises her head, looking towards the sun as if it showed her something majestic. And As Cinder turned to look over her shoulder and saw the girl's face, she once again noticed how even now, it looked radiant, beautiful even. In a dark and twisted way, but still beautiful nonetheless.

"I was to be punished." Amber said in an almost revelrous tone, making Cinder's insides squirm. "Punished for my sins, for the lives I took. That was why I was still alive, why I was trapped in the forsaken place. And it wasn't until the day I escaped that I realized it."

[Rape warning! Do not progress if you are triggered by it!]

---

Amber lay starving in a dog kennel. Her body had become so thin that even though she was eleven, she was now able to fit snuggly into her prison as she was all skin and bones. Her injuries had been treated and healed to ensure she wasn't going to die from an infection, but she had been denied food and now her stomach was starting to eat itself, rendering her even weaker than she had been when she had first been captured…however long ago that was.

She had no idea how long she had been kept in here. She was in a dark room with no windows somewhere near the top of the fortress the bandits called home. All she knew was it was dark and cold.

All along the wall were other cages. Cages that once held the other survived, but were now empty as they had either died or been sold, she didn't know which, but she knew it would be her turn soon. But before they did either, they'd have their way with her in the most horrible way one could imagine. Just as they had done with everyone else.

As she lay there, waiting for her end to come, a single thought passed through her head. Why? Why did she have to go through all this? What had she done to deserve this pain? Was it because of all the things she took for granted? Or because of the people she had hurt? But her parents had said that she wasn't to blame. So why was she being forced to endure this hell? Why did she have to watch everyone in her village die? And why did her parents leave her all alone in this place no light reached?

Suddenly, the girl was ripped from her thoughts as the door to her cell was ripped open with a loud, horrible screech. Immediately Amber tried to curl up into a ball to protect herself as the sounds of heavy footsteps came towards her, stopping just above her cage.

The room was too dark to cast a shadow, but she could feel the presence of the man above her. Imagine his horrible grinning face.

"Times up little lady. Someone's interested in buying you. They'll be here to pick you up this very night! So it's time for your goodbye party!" He laughed as he undid the lock on the top of the cage before effortlessly dragging her out.

"P-please. Don't." Amber gasped as she was dragged across the room by her hair and out the door. She knew what a goodbye party meant to these people. And she wanted no part in it.

"Haha! Now, now, you know that wouldn't be fair." He laughed as he walked into a cold cordor before heading towards a spiral staircase. "All your friends got a party for them, they wouldn't be too happy if I didn't give you one! Want to know which ones moaned like whores at the end? I may not know their names, but I'm pretty good with faces!"

Amber felt her stomach flip at the disgusting statement as she reached the stairs, as she was pulled down them, her badly banging painfully on each step, she was actually glad she hadn't eaten anything because otherwise she'd have thrown it back up.

As they reached the bottom and continued a little ways farther, Amber found herself inside what looked like some kind of scrap yard with an assortment of scraped Atlas military equipment. From Knights to Palladian prototypes, they were well founded for a bunch of low life thieves.

"Aahh!" She screamed as she was thrown into the room, the bandit leaving the door open as he pulled his belt from his waist, advancing towards her shaking form with it outstretched.

"No!" Amber sobbed, crawling away backwards as fast as she could. The amount of junk in the room slowed her progress and would have cut her to pieces if she didn't have a tiny amount of aura protecting her.

Her slow stumbling process amused the bandit greatly. Making him chuckle as reached her, grabbing her arms and binding them together with his belt.

"Oh come on kiddo, don't be so selfish." He laughed as he pulled it tight before hauling her now bound hands over her head, attaching them to a metal rod that was stuck fast in a large pile of junk.

Now she was completely trapped, her arms firmly secure above her head and unable to defend herself in any way. Licking his lips hungrily, the man let his pants drop as he grabbed her leg and pulled her towards him across the hard ground.

"No! Don't! Please! PLEASE!" Amber sobbed hysterically, frantically tugging at her arms, desperately trying to pull them free, or herself away from this disgusting man. "I don't want this! Please stop! I don't! I-! I-! Help! Somebody! Anybody help me!"

The bandit let out an annoyed snarl, immediately reaching up and grabbing her by the neck, turning her scream into a choke as he pressed his thumb deep against her windpipe.

"Shut up you brat or I'll gag you!" He snarled as Amber began spluttering, her face already starting to change color. "You don't get rights! Or opinions! I may not be good at remembering any of your friends' names, but I do remember what they were screaming about when I had my fun with them! And what they told me was quite interesting."

An evil grin spread across the man's face. Slowly, he lifted his thumb, letting the girl get a few choked gasps in before she passed out. His hand was still clamped over her neck, not enough to suffocate her, but tight enough that she couldn't talk.

Slowly, the man repositioned himself so he was right on top of her. Letting him get a good look at her pained face, feel her weak gasps, letting him relish her pain and suffering. Slowly, he leaned in, close enough to whisper in her ear, his breath alone causing her to gag.

"You know, they told me you were a naughty girl." He purred, making the girl stiffen. "They told me how you killed not only your closest friend, but also anyone who simply looked at you the wrong way. That you even decided to murder your own parents for your own sake. Now that's cold, even for me."

"N-no! I di-! Gah!" Amber's protests were silenced as the bandit pressed down on the throat with more force. Stopping from defending herself.

"They said you enjoyed killing, that you were a curse. So many different words to describe the things you did. So many I could hardly believe it. But they all swore on their souls they weren't lying." He hissed, becoming more erotic at her suffering. "That you were a monster without a heart. A fiend without a soul. And now that I see you this close, I see just how right they were."

He leaned in even closer, his mouth now touching her ear. His tone becoming even more gleeful as he felt the girl's shaking worsen with each word.

"You did this." He murmured. "You destroyed your village. You brought your friends into this situation. And yet, you refuse to take responsibility for this. Insisting you get special treatment. That you get speared while none of the other people you brought here got that mercy. Don't you know basic human desiccant? It's only far for a criminal to face a punishment befitting their crime. That's only fair, don't you think?"

With that, the man leaned back, grinning down at her as tears poured from the young girl. He was wrong! She didn't want any of this to happen! She didn't want this disgusting thing to hurt them! She hadn't wanted the village to attack her family! She did want her parents to die! She didn't want any of this!

But what people want and what they did were two very different things, weren't they? What about all the soldiers who had committed atrocities in the name of their kingdom? Weren't they held accountable for their war crimes? Even though they were just trying to survive? Was it fair to let them get away with torching civilians because it was in wartime?

And what about the theIf who stole from the poor? Didn't they take lives just by those actions? Intentional or not? Was it fair to let them go? To let them rob again? No, so why was she any different?

Rather intentional or not, she had killed so many people. Torn families apart. Stolen child away or taken parents. How was this any different from the other two? Hell, how won inaction had even forced her own parents into an impossible decision, one that they made because of her! If she hadn't been born, they would have been able to continue living in peace!

Slowly, the fight drained out of the girl's body. Staring up at the leering face, a sudden calmness and clarity in her mind that was just moments ago been a raging storm.

If he was right, that would explain everything. She had to repent for her sins. Suffer for all the people she hurt, all the pain she inflicted. That's why she was still alive, to live and suffer until she had made amends.

After everything she had gone through, where she had once feared it, she now saw the truth of the matter. Death wasn't something to be feared, life was. Life was pain, suffering, loneliness and torment. In death, one was free from all that. No pain, or any discomfort life brought with it.

With that said, she did understand life was sacred, but for someone who had lost everything? No, death was a reward. The people she had hurt, had tormented with her existence, they had lost everything because of her. A swift death had put them to peace, taken them from the world that had nothing left to offer them. Rewarded them for the misfortune she had brought, the only reward this cruel world could offer.

And she had yet to earn such a reward.

She needed to suffer more. Cry and bleed more! She had to make amends for her crimes and repent over and over again until she had earned that forgiveness, that reward. Her life, it was no longer her's. It was now tied inexorably by lives she had ruined and the people she had killed.

She would give everything, sacrifice her entire being, for others. She would dedicate what remained of her life to make up for the lives she had taken. Each drop of blood would be her atonement, every shatter bone recompense. She would suffer for as long as it took to ensure she made up for her sins, slaving away never seeking happiness for herself as she didn't deserve it. Working tirelessly until she put her village's souls to rest!

And when she had finally finished her long journey of pain and anguish, she returned to her parents' side, where she'd finally rested.

And even as her resolve to suffer strengthened, one final thought came to her mind. She might be willing to spend the rest of her life suffering from making up for her mistakes, but not here. And definitely not by the hand of a sniveling bastard like this bandit!

Without a moment's warning or hesitation, Amber's leg lashed out, kicking the man with all the strength she could muster right in the groin!

"Gah!" He screamed in a high pitched tone, immediately falling off the girl, his hand clamped over his crotch. Without a second to lose, Amber leapt to her feet, planing one on the mound of scrap as she seized the metal pole with both hands and pulled on it with all her strength, freeing it was a loud screech as it heavily racked against the metal.

There, just as the man looked up, she swung it with all her strength, catching him right in the jaw with a satisfying crack!

"Aaahhhh!" The man screamed, falling to the ground as blood and teeth flew from his mouth. His jaw immediately dropped open and swung limply as bone fragments joined the teeth on the floor.

With a choked cry of pain, the man plunged his hand into his coat, pulling out a revolver in an attempt to defend himself. But Amber was ready.

Timing her attack perfectly, Amber's next swing caught the man right above this elbow, immediately causing the bone to snap! Which not only caused him to drop the gun, but also made his arm bend in a way it definitely wasn't supposed to.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" The man screamed, collapsing onto the ground, writhing in agony as he clutched his arm which now had a bone sticking out of his skin.

The man stared stunned at his injury, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened to him. And it was this inability to accept reality that cost him everything. By the time he recovered his senses, it was too late.

There, standing over him was Amber. The pole raised high over her head, the end dripping his own blood back onto his face. And as the two locked eyes, he saw his fate right before him and as she brought the metal down, he let out one final scream that echoed through the whole room.

"M-Monster!"

Crack!

Silence filled the room as blood sprayed out of the man's now spilt open head, splattering Amber's arms and legs as she stood panting, barely able to truly comprehend what she had just done.

In that moment, she had killed someone out of hatred, out of rage. She had just taken vengeance for the suffering he had inflicted to the people she once called friends. And as she stood there a new feeling washed over her, one very different from when she had killed before.

This wasn't disgust at herself or guilt like before. She felt…happy. Ecstatic even! She had taken a life and instead of remorse, she felt empowered by it! She felt good, like it was something she was always meant to do!

Bile rose up in her gut as she stared down at the corpse. Try as she might, she couldn't summon up a shred of remorse or sorrow for the man, and quite frankly, she didn't feel all that inclined to really try. She had never felt so conflicted before. She knew what she had done was wrong, so why did everything inside her tell her it was right? Killing shouldn't feel like this! So why did she-?!

Then, in the pool of blood gathering at her feet, she saw her answer. Standing there where her reflection should be, was a hideous black creature. And while she couldn't see it clearly in the murky blood, she could make out its face. Or more actually it's mouth.

There sat a horrible, wide grin. The creature was smiling back at her, its hideous mouth spread wide showing several rows of serrated teeth, each and everyone dripping with blood. And at that moment, disgust washed over her, nearly drowning the young girl out in its unstoppable force.

The creature staring back up at her was the monster that lived under her skin. The one she had tried to keep hidden for years now had finally come out to play. Or more actually, she was finally able to see her true self now. A monster that lives off pain and suffering. A creature so evil and vile that it relished killing.

This was her true form, she wasn't a little girl, she was a monster no different from the Grimm. She had never been a person, just a thing that's whole reason to exist was to make others miserable.

Just as that revolution dawned on the little monster, it heard the sounds of hurried footsteps coming from outside the room. Acting quietly, she ran over to where the gun lay, scooping it up with one hand, still holding the pole with the other.

Immediately she spun around and aimed it at the door, holding her breath to steady her hand. And as the second a man's head appeared in the frame, she pulled the trigger, and launched a bullet straight through his head.

---

"Sometime during the fight, my aura broke and I got stabbed in the stomach. Of course, I didn't realize it until after the adrenaline wore off and I couldn't stay on my feet. I passed out right at the gate to their lair and when I came too, I was in a hospital tent. Apparently the military was in the area and discovered my village. From there they tracked the bandits back to their camp where they found me. And from there…well, let's just say my resolve didn't weaken."

Amber's head was now dropping, her arms as well. She was completely exhausted from having to relive these moments for probably the first time ever. And given how horrible it must have been, Cinder couldn't blame her. Had she gone through that, even just the smallest part, she doubted very much she'd come out anywhere near as well as Amber was handling it. Hell, she'd probably shut herself off from the world completely and just do whatever she wanted as her recompense.

And yet, even after hearing her entire story, Cinder still found herself struggling to understand the girl. How could she blame herself for any of that? It wasn't her fault that the woman had lost her son to war, nor could it be proven that it had been her semblance that drew Grimm. And as for the destruction of her village? That was one hundred percent their fault for attacking two trained huntsmen. What did they expect would happen? Huntsmen could easily take on a small army by themselves. And a group of untrained idiots and a couple of amateur huntsmen would never stand a chance.

But then, maybe it wasn't about the logic behind it. Amber had been young, scared. At that point in her life, there was no way she could think rationally about the situation and just latched onto the first scapegoat that was offered, herself.

Slowly, carefully, Cinder began rolling her next words over in her head. Trying to pick the ones only after thinking how it might affect her partner. She had already hurt her enough as it was, she refused to do that to her again.

"I'm not going to pretend I know what your pain is, I don't. But I kinda get how you feel about them." She said carefully, feeling for any indication she had hurt Amber again. "You hate yourself because of what happened, and you're angry because you think there's nothing you can do to make amends. Am I wrong?"

There was a pause, then the dark skinned girl nodded slowly, prompting her partner to continue.

"You're in the right ballpark." Amber said with a hollow smile, her body slumped forward. "Look Cinder, I know this isn't really your problem, you don't need to force yourself to be nice to me. We both know that's not really you. Just having you here to listen to me vent is more than enough. It was painful, I'm not going to pretend otherwise, but I do feel somewhat better after talking with you about it. So thanks, and don't worry about me, I'll bounce back and-."

"Yeah well , I'm one who asked. So shut up and let me be nice to you." Cinder joked as she stood up and began walking around the pipe to kneel in front of her partner. "Look, I'm sure you've heard this before, but what happened to your village and its people wasn't your fault. You've been told for years now that you were the reason, but they were just using you as a scapegoat, and you were just the most convinced."

Cinder paused for a second, wondering if she should continue. What she was about to say next would undoubtedly upset the girl and probably even piss her off to the point she may not want to talk with her again. But this was something she needed to hear, and so even if it strained their relationship even more, it was worth it if it got the girl to heal her self-inflicted wounds.

"I know you hold the people who died in some form of reverence, but they didn't sound like very good people. Anyone who's willing to kill a child because of a superstition isn't as pure as they might first appear. Trust me. I've seen more than enough two faced Atlas elites to know despite all their charities actually mean. Those villagers were cut from the same cloth. Only difference was they didn't have gobs of money to spend on frivolous shit ." Cinder paused here once again, trying to read the dark skinned girl's face. She had expected anger or for her to jump to their defense. But she saw nothing in her eyes, even as they locked gaze's, there was no emotion being drawn out by the dark haired girl's harsh words.

"Amber, you're too good to take advice from horrible people like the bandit or the people from your village. So stop putting their opinions on a pedestal and acting like you did something wrong. You didn't. You're-. You're a wonderful person that everyone sees as a hard worker and an amazing leader. Many people look up at you in envy and try to one up you because of their own insecurities and egos. They think if they could beat you, prove they were just as good as you. So please, stop living in the past and try to love yourself again. Because it's not you who doesn't deserve the world, it's the world that doesn't deserve you."

Slowly, a small smile spread across Amber's face. The girl placed her hand on her chest, over her heart as she looked up at Cinder, her face shining radiantly in the early morning sun that reflected off her skin.

"Thank you." She murmured and immediately Cinder felt butterflies shot from her stomach through her entire body. Seeing Amber smile, truly smile, was a majestic and beautiful thing. And every time it shown through, it became a moment she knew she'd remember for her entire life.

"Yeah well, I did promise I'd give you a pep talk when you needed it." Cinder stood and crossed her arms, turning away with her eyes closed as a deep blush made her cheeks glow in the light. "But this mushy stuff isn't my strong suit. So don't expect it too often. And don't tell the boys! I don't want them to know about this."

Amber chuckled at Cinder's words, her face becoming even more radiant now as she had unloaded some of her baggage. "My lips are sealed." She said with a wink, a cheeky grin spread across her face. "I'll just tell Fang how much of a sap you really are. I'm sure he'll be surprised what a soft core lays underneath all those layers of bluster and toughness."

"Don't you dare!" Cinder snapped, spinning around her face now as red as her dress. "You so much as tell him a thing about this and by the end of the day, you'll have gone through so much pain that you'll definitely feel like you've made up for-!"

Cinder broke off mid sentence as she saw Amber throwing her head back and laughing with pure and unburdened emotions. Immediately a warm feeling filled her chest and she found herself smiling as well. She had no idea being this close to someone, sharing their pain, could feel this nice. Especially with someone like Amber. This girl deserved the world, and for some reason, she wanted to give it to her on a silver platter.

Was this what it felt like to have friends? If so, maybe, just maybe, she could get behind this thing after all.

"Hey."

The voice of her partner broke Amber out of her laughing fit. Looking up, she saw Cinder offering her hand, a gentle smile on her face. The sun behind her head casting her face into a light shadow revealing the dark haired girl's true beauty.

"What do you say we go get something to eat? I'm sure we'll be able to fix my mistakes on a full stomach. What do you say, partner?"

Seeing this simple gesture filled Amber up with a warm feeling she had almost forgotten in the sea of pain she had been left to suffer in. It was safety and acceptance, things that had been torn away from her years ago. Something she had longed for and had never truly seen until today.

In that instant, she wanted nothing more than to let herself be carried away by her partner. To spend her days in that safety where she didn't have to constantly fight to make up for her mistakes. Just to feel loved once again was something the girl would give ANYTHING for. And now with it being offered so simply and plainly like this, it felt like a dream she didn't want to wake from.

And as she slowly reached up to take the girl's hand, her monstrous claws trusting not to take the other girl's arm off, she wanted nothing more than to grab it.

But then the weight of her sins slowed her arm, eventually stopping it before she could take the girl's hand. She wanted this more than anything, but she also knew that for all Cinder's kind words, that didn't absolve her guilt, her burdens. And even then, she already knew one harsh fact that haunted her at the forefront of her mind.

She didn't deserve this.

But this time her hesitation didn't go unnoticed.

Seeing her arm slow, Cinder immediately saw that same darkness fill the girl's eyes once more. The demons of her past resting their ugly heads again, holding her back from moving on. Keeping her chained to sins that weren't her's.

At that moment, every part of the dark haired girl wanted to reach out and grab Amber. Pull her away from all that pain and suffering she had been trapped in for years. But the fear of overstepping again slowed her action as she wondered what would be better. Try to force her out of this self made hell, or try to ease her out instead. She honestly had no idea what was batter. She had never had to deal with something like this before, or at least she'd never tried to help someone going through this kind of trauma.

But as she stood there, seeing Amber sinking back down into her self loathing, she knew inaction was probably worse than making the wrong action. And so, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak.

"Hey Amber? I wanted to tell you I-."

Buzz!

The sudden sound broke the two out of their trance. Immediately, Amber's hand was down in her pocket, fishing out her Scroll to check the messages on instinct, leaving Cinder's hand just hanging there awkwardly

"It's Adam." Amber reported as she looked at the text she had received. This distraction completely shattered the moment. And as Cinder's hand fell back to her side, irruption rose in her stomach. Couldn't that stupid bullheaded idiot wait another five minutes?!

"He says that, oh thank goodness! It's Eric. He's awake and the doctors say his life is no longer at risk." Amber's tone rose happily as she read. "He also says…he wants us to swing by the hospital. Something about regrouping and reassessing our situation? Not sure what he means, he has really bad typing skills. Still we should go check on them, find out exactly what he's talking about."

With that, Amber jumped to her feet and quickly began making her way towards the stairs, leaving Cinder staring after her, a slightly annoyed feeling bubbling up in her gut.

"Amber, you don't have to-." She began, but before she could finish, her partner turned to face her with a small smile. One that actually did reach her eyes.

"I'm okay, really." She said softly. To softly, something that didn't go unnoticed by Cinder. "I understand you care about my well-being and I'm grateful for that. But we'll have plenty of time to unpack my problems After the mission. I promise I'll go into depth on everything then. But right now, can we just go check on our teammate?"

Cinder took a step forward, but then stopped. She didn't want this issue to just be swept under the rug. Not when she was this close to making progress! Not when she was finally starting to actually bond with Amber.

But then again, maybe the girl wasn't ready to delve any deeper than she already had. This kinda stuff took time, and if pushed, could have the opposite intended effect. And she was in no position to overstep that boundary. After all, a good part of her meltdown was because of Cinder herself. Or more actually she was the straw that broke the camel's back, something she didn't want to do again.

"Okay, we can wait." The dark haired said as she made her way towards her partner. "And Amber, if there's anything you want to talk about, anything at all, just let me know. We both know I'm not the most…supportive person out there, but I'm trying to change, to be better. So please, don't try to bear everything alone, okay? I…I want to be someone worthy of being your partner."

Amber gave the girl a smile as they made their way towards the door to the stairs. The dark skinned girl leading the way with her partner trailing behind, casting a dark silhouette over her.

"Okay, I promise." She replied cheerfully, not looking back at her Cinder. "But that goes both ways, alright? If you have anything on your mind, or get off your chest, let me know okay? I'm well aware that this isn't your fault alone and I'm very much to blame for causing you some unnecessary stress and pain. Oh! And don't don't feel like you need to push yourself on my behalf. Worthy, not worthy, that doesn't matter that much to me. We are partners, and for better or worse, that's the way it is. So just keep trying your best and I'll do the same. That way, we're both worthy of each other."

Silently, Cinder bit into her lip at Amber's words as she felt her inside squirm. And while she did give an affirmation answer, she still felt frustration growing in the pit of her stomach. But not at Amber, at herself.

After all, this one little lie had sounded so normal, so real. It made her wonder how many other lies just like it she had missed.

---

So, that was quite a ride wasn't it?

Before I sign off, I actually wanted to address a couple things this chapter.

First, if you were paying close attention, you'd probably notice it's implied Amber awoke her semblance sometime before her 7th birthday. Meaning she's technically awake it before Adam, the supposed savior of the Faunus. And this isn't a mistake either.

This is what's called romanticized news. Over 70 percent of most media's income comes from advertising these days, so the need to report the truth is no longer as important as it was in the past. Now it's all flashy headlines or glorified and exaggerated articles while just pushing any contradictions, true or otherwise, under the rug or trying to hide it.

And let's be honest here, the title of Faunus hero is a genius is much more interesting some no name county girl unlocks her semblance first. And if I want to split some hairs here, I'm pretty sure Ren awoke his semblances before he was 7. I'm not sure given how all asians look the same, even kids look exactly like the adults. (I'm asian. I can say that.)

Second, no. Amber isn't over her trauma. She's just pushed it aside for the time being allowing to function somewhat normally.

Until next time. Bye!