Chapter 3: First True Mission

A 3-year-old Ruby and 5-year-old Yang walk into their big sister's room. The kids like coming here because of all the cool stuff Cinder has, like model kits, posters of knights, every drawing Ruby and Yang did hanging on the walls, and the Katana Caliburn. The first thing little Ruby noticed. It had a table all to itself. The only things near it are cleaning supplies for it.

Baby Ruby waves at it. "Coming on Ruby! Let's wake up, big sister!" Yang said and pointed at a sleeping Cinder. Cinder is sleeping in the same position a lion would. Yang leads Ruby to Cinder's bed and helps her up, "Up you go!"

Once on Cinder's bed, Ruby helps Yang up, "Thanks," Yang smiles and pats Ruby's head. Baby Ruby smiles, too, and claps her hands. "I'll start!" Yang said and climbed on Cinder's back. She then says in Cinder's lion ears, "Cinder! Cinder! Cinder! Cinder! Wake up, Cinder!"

"Hello, Yang," Cinder mumbles. Suddenly, baby Ruby headbutts Cinder. Ruby's action makes Yang laugh. Cinder opens one eye, "Hello, Ruby," Cinder smiles. Cinder gets up, and Yang hops off Cinder's back. "Good morning, you two," Cinder said and let out a tired roar. Yang and Ruby were not scared. Instead, they clapped.

Cinder smiles and head pats Yang and Ruby.

Summer walks into Cinder's room, "Mom!" Yang smiles. She hops off Cinder's bed, runs to Summer, and hugs her. "You and Ruby did a great job waking up your big sister," Sumer smiles and hugs Yang back. She sees baby Ruby reaching out to her. Walking up to Cinder's bed, Summer picks up Ruby, "Where did you learn how to headbutt like that?" Summer smiles and playfully taps Ruby's head.

Baby Ruby giggles and nuzzles under Summer's chin. Summer smiles and looks at Cinder, "Good morning, dear,"

"Good morning, Mother," Cinder yawns again and stretches her back.

"They are clean clothes ready for you in the bathroom. Want to be refreshed before going out to train," Summer said.

"How did you know I want to get some training first thing in the morning," Cinder smiles.

"It's what I did when I was your age," Summer smiles. "But eat breakfast before you go,"

"Can I help?" Yang asked and held Summer's hand.

"Sure you can," Summer smiles.

"Yay! I love cooking with mommy!" Yang smiles and jumps with joy.

Baby Ruby sucks on her thumb and raises her hand. Summer giggles, "You can help too,"

Once Cinder finishes her morning routine, she comes down the stairs wearing her training outfit.

"You look like a ninja, Cinder!" Yang gasped with a starry look in her eyes.

"Well, it is from Mistral," Cinder smiles. She sits next to Yang.

Ruby is sitting next to Summer, who is feeding, "It was nice of that man to invite you to that festival in Twilight City,"

"Thanks, Mother. I don't know why I got invited," Cinder said and ate her breakfast.

"From what I can gather, a prince is hosting the festival, only inviting the prettiest and strongest people from around the world," Summer said as she fed Ruby.

"Oh great," Cinder sighs.

"Like that one fairy tale Mommy read me and Ruby!" Yang gasped.

Cinder smiles and pats Yang's head, "Yeah, but I have no intentions of marrying this prince,"

"Yeah, you're too boyish to be a Queen," Yang smiles.

"Hey!" Cinder giggled and playfully ruffled Yang's head.

"By the way, your uncle got you a golden dress," Summer said casually.

"HUH?!" Cinder gasped and stood up.

Yang gasped. "I want to see it!"

Summer smiles, "You will once Cinder finishes her morning training,"

Cinder gets an urge to do her morning training slowly today.

As she did her training, Cinder spotted a familiar black-haired woman standing by a tree. She glares at her, "I thought you and brother were not on talking terms, Master Raven,"

"There are some days where we made an expectation," Raven said, trying not to laugh.

Cinder lets out a long sigh and continues her training. Raven continues to watch and gives some advice. "Your time at Beacon was not a waste of time. Your moves are much smoother and cleaner," Raven said.

"The headmaster did hire a few sword masters," Cinder said as she continued her sword practice.

"Is that right?" Raven asked

Cinder nodded, "But only the best can learn from them,"

"I take it it's thanks to them you've improved so much?" Raven asked.

"Maybe," Cinder smiles.

"Do you trust Ozpin?" Raven asked with a serious tone.

Cinder stops a sword swing, "No, as you said, he gives a vibe that he's hiding something,"

"Told you," Raven said, "Training over, you should head back home," Raven smiled and walked beside Cinder. "I found out who's coming to the festival you're going to, and you're going to thank me for getting you that golden dress,"

"I will?" Cinder asked.

"Oh, you will," Raven said. She walked back into the woods when Cinder got close to her home, "She does that every time," Cinder sighed. As soon as Cinder enters the house, Yang hugs her. "Can I see you in that dress now?"

Cinder quickly thought of a way to distract Yang when suddenly, her scroll started beeping. "Who's texting me?" Cinder asked and pulled out her scroll. Her face became serious when she saw who it was and what the text said.

"What's wrong?" Summer asked worryingly.

"The mission…they moved it to today," Cinder said.

"Why?!" Summer gasped.

"Mt. Glenn was attacked sooner than expected. Some weird-looking Grimm showed up, and they were stronger than usual. If that wasn't bad enough, someone with an umbrella took out a lot of strong huntsmen. So, the mission has changed me, and my team is to look for survivors and deal with the person with the umbrella,"

"Can't Ozpin ask for another huntsman to do this? Instead of second years?" Summer asked.

"According to Ozpin, this umbrella person knows the ins and outs of huntsman tactics. So the headmaster is hoping our unique fighting style will take them off guard," Cinder said with a reassuring smile, "Don't forget, we are the strongest team in school,"

Summer chuckles softly, "I know, but I can't help being worried. You girls are on your own,"

"If it makes you feel better, we're going to have the military backing us up, and Ozpin himself will be tagging along," Cinder smiles.

"He is?! Why didn't he ask me to help?" Summer asked herself.

"Huh?" Cinder asked.

Summer shakes her head, "It's nothing. Just be careful, and don't let your guard down,"

Cinder smiles, "I won't. This is our first mission, after all,"

Yang looks confused, "Didn't you already go on a mission?"

"That was a fake mission. Something to give us an idea of what a mission would be like," Cinder explains. She then pats Yang's head, "That dress has to wait, so my new combat outfit will have to do,"

"That's better than a dress!" Yang said happily and jumped up and down.

Cinder chuckles, "I'll be right back," Cinder says and heads to her room. After a few minutes, Cinder comes down wearing her new combat outfit. Cinder is now wearing a black and white sports bra, black pants tied with a white belt, black fingerless gloves, and brown knee-high boots with high heels. Cinder carries her katana with one hand and her blue leather jacket with a red interior over her shoulder with the other hand.

"You got a leather jacket!" Yang gasped happily.

"That I do," Cinder smiles. She hooks her katana onto her belt and puts on the leather jacket. Showing to her family a golden rose pendant pinned onto the left side.

"It looks just like mine," Summer smiles. "Going to use that as your symbol instead of the other one?"

Cinder nods, "Yeah, I like this one better. That other one was starting to get on my nerves,"

"Fair enough. Your dad is not going to like that sports bra you're wearing. It shows quite a bit of your cleavage," Summer chuckles.

"I'm 18, mom. I can afford to wear something more adult," Cinder smiles.

Summer laughs, "That you are, sweetheart. Believe it or not, I wore an outfit like yours when I was your age,"

Cinder is shocked, "You did?!"

Summer nods, "That I did. I'll show you the pictures,"

"I'd love to see them, but I'm needed somewhere right now," Cinder said.

"Be safe, please," Summer said, then got an idea, "But before you go, that's something I want to give you. Think of it as a lucky charm. Hold Ruby for a moment, please," Summer said and gave baby Ruby to Cinder.

"Okay?" Cinder asked, confused. She holds Ruby in her arms. Cinder smiles when she sees her baby sister smile and touches the golden rose. She becomes shocked when Summer removes her white cloak and puts it on Cinder, "Are you sure?"

"I am," Summer smiles, "I have a spare, so don't worry about it. When I get this back, I want it from you and nobody else. Can you promise me that?"

"I promise," Cinder nods and hands Ruby back to Summer.

"Good, now go and good luck," Summer smiles. She takes Ruby back into her arms and kisses Cinder on the forehead.

Summer, Yang, and Ruby see Cinder off, who gets on her motorcycle. Cinder waved at her family, and they waved back.

Turning the ignition, Cinder's motorcycle roars to life. With a smile, Cinder drives to where she's getting picked up. It wasn't hard to find because all she needed to look for was an Atlesian Airship. This airship is unique because it's not with the Atlas' military because the one commanding it was exiled, which is a shame. After all, James Ironwood was the heart of the Atlas military.

A/N: I got three sources of inspiration for Cinder's new battle outfit: Vergil from Devil May Cry, Alpha from Punishing Gray Raven and Red Hood from Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.