Thank you everyone for the massive support you showed last upload! Seriously it was amazing to see how many people really enjoyed this fic!

This chapter is a bit different from the other chapters, seeing as it's completely from one perspective! I hope you enjoy it, and if not let me know in the reviews!

Feel free to leave any concerns or criticisms you may have, i will take anything you guys have to say into consideration!

See everyone next time, Mayo out.

Scrub Scrub…
Cinder for the first time since coming into the service of the glass unicorn felt somewhat content, returning with the cold medicine has brighten up the Madame spirit most unusually, she even rewarded Cinder! Instead of just leftover bread that the Madame usually serves Cinder for her dinner, she was given two slices and some fruit! Cinder couldn't remember the last time she ever bit into an apple, the soft juicy fruit nearly made her cry from how delicious it was, People could eat these every day?
Her stomach was starting to hurt from the massive amount of intake, but Cinder didn't care, she was happy-
Cinder stop scrubbing, leaving the brush to fester in its soapy bubbles it created.

Was this what her life has turned into? Being this ecstatic for leftover bread and fruit? Is this what the gods above had it out for her?

Everything in her life, leading up to this?

Cinder felt like she wanted to cry and checking all around her for the signs of the Madame, she did begin to cry, her fallen tears being swept up by the brush as she continued to
Scrub Scrub…
What a pathetic existence she found herself in, while her 'sisters' got the easiest jobs, main the front desk, collect payment, sometimes carry out deserts for the glass unicorn esteemed guest.
Meanwhile, Cinder with her starving and malnourished body was forced to clean the dishes, sweep, and scrub all four giant floors of the esteemed hotel.

Is this just her fate? Is it her destiny to be nothing more then a slave to such a cruel Madame.

Maybe she should kill them all… She kept one of Rhodes swords so she could practice her swordplay, it would be so pathetically easy. The madame and her sisters have no aura, she only had hers because Madame paid off a traveling huntsman to unlocks Cinders so she would have a bigger endurance for whatever set of chores the Madame force her to do that day.
Her own soul, being completely meddled with, just for the benefit of her own slaver. How pathetic.
Cinder stood up, leaving the brush and the mop bucket behind, and stormed off to her room, a clear goal in her mind. She knew that no one was going to help her from this point out, she was stuck, alone and simply just waiting for the day that Madame goes a bit too far and kills her, her aura can only protect a person so much.
The plan is simple, so incredibly simple that Cinder was wondering how in the world she hadn't thought of doing it before? Just grab the sword and slice the Madame down. Give her a taste of all the pain and torment that she had inflicted on Cinder for so many years! Ever since she was able to remember and think from her time in that orphanage, Cinder was forever abused, the packing mule for the lazy elites and those in power who wouldn't do their own damned chores.
Cinder opened her door loudly, probably alerting the madam, but she didn't care anymore, let her come! She grabbed the sword from her hiding place and turn-

Rhodes was there.

Cinder dropped her sword, the blade clattering on the floor, she felt like rushing over to the man and hugging him but felt hesitant to do so. Why was he here? Was he going to stop her.
"Hey kid." Rhodes said, a small smile accompanied his tired eyes, he glanced behind him, the loud clicking of Madame heels echoed in the empty hall. He grabbed the sword from the floor and quickly sheathe the sword
"We'll talk later kid." Was all he said before the face of The Madame appeared, with her daughter, who Cinder usually called her Devil 1 right behind her, fortunately the other sister was still recovering from her sickness, but that didn't stop her twin from coming right behind her mother, her perpetual smirk and evil eyes landing right at Cinder, sensing the trouble she was about to be in.
"What is the meaning of this!?" The madame shrieked, causing Cinder ear drums to feel like they'll rupture any minute now. The madame stared at cinder, giving her a look of pure malice, her eyes as cold as ice chips before turning towards Rhodes. "Sir! This is an employee only section of this establishment, why are you here?" The madame eyes drifted to Cinder, who began to cower behind Rhodes. Rhodes could so easily end her here if he wishes. She had it happen to all the other guests who made mistakes, always having Cinder as their scapegoat. She can still remember the torture that she went through every time.

"Apologies Madame, you see I got a little drunk today, celebrating return of a friend from a hunt, and I accidentally wandered into here, your daughter here helped me, she must've heard me slam the door like a dunce, again my deepest apologizes madam."
The madame eyes narrowed at Rhodes, the huntsman did not falter from her gaze. It shifted toward Cinder, causing the young girl to stumble a bit but she held her gaze high. Please fall for it, please fall for it.

The madame turned away from the two and focused her attention on her daughter. "Anni, you will help this gentleman find his room, then you shall check on Drizel if she requires anything, then you may depart to your room for the evening."
"Of course, mother." Devil 1 knew better then to talk back to her mother, even with Cinder in a prime torment scenario, she simply pushed her curly hair away from her head and talked professionally to Rhodes. "If you would follow me sir…" and soon Cinder was left with Madame.
She couldn't believe that worked! She felt so relieved that her Madame-

Cinder couldn't breathe, the shock of the collar pulsating all throughout her body. Her vision began to close, but not before seeing the Madame, her eyes burning with the fury of a thousand suns, and she was pressing the shock collar button so hard it might crack.
"I cannot begin to imagine how you manage to convince that brute to lie for you Do you seriously take me for such a fool, girl that I wouldn't notice? Consider yourself lucky for your performance earlier today, for it must've very well saved you're life, now quick your crying and clear the floor in this room, it's filthy in here." The clicking of the Madame heels drowned out the sobs that came out of Cinder, a satisfied smirk plastered on her face.

When Rhodes found her later that night, Cinder was curled up on her cot, her neck still felt like it was burning, but the pain had dialed down some, however her tears didn't. It ran trails down her checks and stained the front of her shirt. Nothing is going to get better; nothing has or ever will get better.
"Rhodes…" Cinder sat up, placing her head on her knees. "Nothing is going to get better." She confirmed for him.

Rhodes didn't say anything for the longest of time. Cinder expected him not to begin with. Everything was crumbling further and further around her. "Kid, you won't be stuck here for that much longer." Rhodes tried to cheer her up which only caused Cinder to sour further. Five years it will take. Five eternal years. Each of them filled with more shocks, further scrubbing the floors, forever starving because of her.
"What if I fail?" Cinder finally brought up. Rhodes couldn't train her for much, but when he did, he basically put her through hell. Honestly that type of hell was okay with Cinder, it made her feel stronger bit by bit. Her and Rhodes, with his time so limited, would train from night until nearly dawn, as he crammed down every bit of knowledge, he had into her. She remembered him saying that she was near the strength of a first-year prep school student. Such knowledge made her feel proud, but now? It just brought her dread. Would she be good enough?
"What if the small bout of training we don't won't be enough?" she asked Rhodes, tears in her eyes starting to spill. "What if I can't become a huntress? What if they send me back to live here forever? What if- "Cinder yelped as the sound of a sword being thrown in her direction, the blade landing directly in front of her.
"Now." Rhodes said, unsheathing his dual maces, the wedges of the mace extending outwards. "Do you want to spend the rest of the night moping, or you want to get better?"
Moping? Really? Can't a girl vent her frustrations? But still, it made her smile a tiny bit. Cinder picked up the sword and found herself slipping into a standard Stance.
"Alright kid, you got pretty good on offense with one blade, you think you can take on this old man attacks?"
Cinder smirked, Forcing her blade into a defensive position. The two begin to circle one enough, then out of nowhere, Rhodes landed the first strike, it was a simple overhead strike, so predictable and slow a baby could catch it. She and Rhodes trained for nearly months of training swords brought over, Cinder quickly learned how Rhodes likes to attack, slow but powerful, something she can deal with. Cinder smirked as her blade caught the mace, just as she predicted she would, however it was immediately wiped off her face as the sheer power nearly brought Cinder down to her knees. She saw that Rhodes had a big smug smirk, his other mace was already swinging right for her head, Causing Cinder to drop the first mace from her grasp to block the other one. However, Cinder now saw the trap she was in, and Rhodes did too.
Cinder was constantly blocking Rhodes maces, the sheer power of those swings caused her to nearly buckle each time, the vibration shook her to her core. However, she refuses to simply stop and get hit. She needed to get better, she wanted to get better. She will no longer be stuck in hell.
Instead of just matching Rhodes, she weaved under his strike, and responded with her own, her sword striking him at his knees.

Instead of grunting out of pain, Rhodes let out a hearty chuckle. "Good kid, you're finally getting it."
Cinder stopped for a moment, lowering her sword, and looking at Rhodes in confusion. "Getting what?"
"Defense isn't just blocking strike after strike, is using whatever tool you have to your advantage to keep your momentum, remember that lesson?"
Cinder nodded, remembering those first couple of sessions with those cheap swords he brought.
"One thing you should also learn Cinder, is that there no reason to not fight dirty?"
"Fight dirty?" Cinder questioned.
"Using whatever it takes to win. You're going to be a huntress, not a tournament fighter, use every tactic and plan you have on you."
Cinder nodded; she remembered the few brawls she partook back in the orphanage. Usually, just boys trying to throw what little masculinity they have and picking on the girls there. Cinder always enjoyed kicking their kneecaps in and watching them cry out in pain, even if it means she'll get jump and beat up later.
Fighting dirty? She can certainly do that.
Cinder nodded, and so they went at it again for hours. Cinder felt her muscles scream out in pain as she weaved and duck his strikes, learned how to block better so he wouldn't keep his momentum, and begin to even counterattack, using her sword to strike low where Rhodes couldn't block easily, his knees and feet being prime targets for her sword.

Soon Rhodes put her to the test, refusing to hold back his swings. Cinder felt proud that she was able to dodge and block roughly around fifty percent of them, and even those that did hit her, did not do as much to her aura as they used too. Eventually she heard the lobby clock hit twelve and rang out. Rhodes did as well, sheathing his maces and sat down on the storage room floor with Cinder followed suite.
Training was hell. Her muscles were probably planning her assassination and by the morning she knew tomorrow's chores were going to be pure and true agony like never before, but everything she was learning, everything she was doing.
It excited her.

It excited her so much that she was getting closer to leaving this damn hotel.

"You did good kid; you're getting the hang of this way better then I thought."
"Really?!" Cinder exclaimed, proud shining in her eyes.
"Heh. Yeah, you able to do shit that it would probably take prep students a couple of months to do, and you a year younger then most of them. Honestly, if the possibility of getting you into an academy was there, you would probably be one of the finest students."
Cinder didn't know how to feel. She felt… powerful, but also scared. Would Madame notice her training? Would she punish her? What was she saying of course she would. She would see Cinder as a major threat against her rule.
The thought excited Cinder more then she could've had known.

"Alright Kid, I think that's a good place to stop for the night, don't want your guardian to get more suspicious." Rhodes said, standing up, rubbing her hair, and started walking towards the door.
"We'll we train again tomorrow?!" Cinder asked excitedly, causing Rhodes to stop in place. Oh, how much she wanted to get stronger! Every session, every lesson, she felt a tiny bit more powerful than before.
"Ah… well." Rhodes rubbed his head awkwardly; his gaze wouldn't meet Cinder. "I won't be here tomorrow… I'm expected to be in a hunt for Mistral, I'll probably be gone for a couple weeks, kid."

"Oh, I see…" Cinder felt… disappointed? Angry? She didn't know, perhaps dread was the right emotion. Dread that she must deal with Madame again alone. "Rhodes?"
"Yeah kid?"
"Why don't you take me with you?"

She had been wanting to know the answer to that question for years now. Rhodes saw how she was treated, what stopping him from just taking her under his wing?
"Cinder… That's a complicated question." Rhodes sighed and sat back down, rubbing his face as he tried to think of a way to explain this scenario to her.
"Cinder your… Mother." Rhodes stressed out. "Is not exactly the nicest person."
"That's an understatement…" Cinder growled.
"But she is undeniably rich. You don't exactly run a giant hotel in the middle of the city of Atlas without being so."

Cinder agreed. Cinder didn't exactly know what it was like to have money, seeing as she moved from a broken-down orphanage in the middle of Mistral straight to being a service girl, currency and economic never influenced her.
But the moment she saw the Glass Unicorn, she thought it was a mansion like the fairy-tales she listened too during her orphan days, in fact she thought the entire kingdom of Atlas, with its floating City and technology was from a fairy-tale.
"Well… What does her being rich have to do with me going with you?" She questioned again, not exactly getting his point.
"Her influence." Rhodes immediately responded. His eyes closed as he placed a palm on his face. "The Madame of this hotel… she is extremely influential, and probably dealt with some criminal family, swore I saw high members of the spiders around me…" Cinder didn't know what Rhodes was talking about, but the mention of criminals brought up her next question. "Why cant you just… arrest her?"

"It isn't that simple."
It seemed simple enough to her. Madame was evil, a devil like those from the fairy-tales. Evil people and troublemakers get punished. The first lesson she remembered was from the orphanage.
"Your mother probably has someone on the council wrapped around her finger, it's probably how you got her with no fuse or regulations from the government." Rhodes sighed.
Cinder remembered a bit about her trip from her orphanage to Atlas. The guards when she stepped off Madame private bullhead simply didn't pay Cinder any attention, nor ask her any questions. They just talked to Madame and carried on.

Did… Did that mean that everyone knows what's she going through? And they just don't care!? Why!? She did nothing to deserve this!? She just existed, she just wanted to live a life that was her own.
Rage started to build in her, her knuckles turning white as she clutched her sword in anger. No one cared. All those opportunities where she wished she called the police or find someone to help, it would have ended with her being right back here… Alone. She was so alone.
"Cinder." Rhodes' voice jolted her from her haze. She looked down and saw that the sword was now a gooey red molten mess. She sighed and used her semblance to re-fix the sword as best as she could.
"You're angry."
Of course, idiot. She thought but manage to hold it in.
"I understand your frustration.'
You never will

"But remember what I said. You can run, but you will run for the rest of your life."

"I already don't have a life." Cinder growled out, dropping the sword on the ground, and laying on her cot. The once excitement of the training evaporated from her instantaneously, she started to close her eyes and just pretend her world didn't exist anymore.

Rhodes stood there for a moment, wondering if he should say something to the obviously crushed girl. Me and my stupid mouth. He thought how quickly he saw Cinder turn from an excited kid he knows she should be, back to the distant and destroyed girl that the Madame wanted.
"I'll be leaving midday tomorrow if you want to say goodbye." Rhodes offered and waited for her response.

She never gave it up. She just ignored him and continued to pretend to be asleep.
Rhodes, knowing that no words could heal her heart, decided to let her be. In five years, she'll be free from all this. Not even a madame could keep a huntsman in servitude without repercussions.

Cinder awoke the next morning at the ripe hours of five AM, her internal clock refusing to go any further than that. Her muscles were sore, her spirit was broken, and the first thing on her mind was the long list of chores that the Madame expected her to complete before the breakfast bar would open in an hour. With a heavy sigh she moved her tired body to the kitchen to begin her day. One of many…

One thing the Madame does is provide some breakfast. Well, if one could consider a small slice of bread for breakfast, usually stale as well. Cinder didn't care, it was food, rather to eat stale bread then go hungry.
Cinder ignored the way her stomach rumbled for more food, as she had done in the past two years since the start of her service.
She mopped the kitchen, making it spotless for the Madame.
She scrubbed the four flours of the hotel, making them gleam under the light of the hotel, all for the Madame.

She prepared all the plates for the breakfast rush, organizing food and cups of water for the guest who are waking up eat, she did it all for the Madame.
She does everything for the Madame. Because without her, Cinder is nothing, but with her, Cinder is everything.

When the Madame woke that morning, she didn't even give Cinder a second glance, pushing past the child to take care of her own services for the day. Madame either treated Cinder in two ways, as an annoyance that needed to be punished, or a ghost that didn't exist. Cinder would rather be the ghost, her neck already hurting from just looking at Madame. From the madame came her daughters, Anni and Drizzle, who took one look at Cinder, before letting out their standard torrent of giggles before falling Madame.
If cinder could kill anyone it would be them first.

Cinder was dusting the Grimm statues, making sure the Madame wouldn't punish her for leaving them dirty, and as she turned around to dust off the other one, she accidentally bumped into a guest.
"Ah my apologizes sir!" Cinder said, gazing up at the man, however the sight made her freeze.
It was a blonde-haired man, wrapped in a tight wolf tail with some graying on his bangs. His armor was completely rusted over and dirty enough that it would make the Madame faint from seeing such a sight. However, what scared her was his eyes. Ice blue and as she looked up at them, she could see that they are fill with fury, pure bitter rage.
Aimed directly at her.

See you back at 2pm est next Sunday!
Also on Monday, at 2pm I'll be releasing the first chapter of my next fic, Grief In Silence. Which if you could see from the title, is about everyone favorite Ice cream munchkin, Neo Politan.
See everyone this Monday and Next Sunday!