Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.

While Bowser and His Son Are Heading Over to Fight RWBY and Co…

"…I don't get it. You'd still tend to me even after what I did to you back in space?"

"It'd be unprincess-like if I ignored your injuries. Come on, Cinder… I'm not one to hold grudges."

Cinder sat on the top of a wall near the castle gates, looking over at the sunny sky with a few dark clouds rolling in. She couldn't get those words out of her head, no matter how often she tried, she just wouldn't get rid of Peach's kindness out of her head.

She was the one who orchestrated the attack on Peach's Castle. She was the one who threatened to kill Peach if the Bros didn't back down. SHE was the one who took it out on Peach after her humiliating defeat from Rosalina.

…So why did Peach decide to patch her up after Heartless Bowser knock her senseless? She looked down at her bandages. Her aura had returned and healed her up… and yet, she still held on those bandages. Keepsake? Souvenir? She wasn't quite sure.

She couldn't understand it… why would Peach do this random act of kindness after everything she did to the princess? Why would Peach go out of her way to patch her up? In her eyes, Peach would have jut ignored her and made her suffer, saying "That's what you get!", but instead… Peach was gentle and compassionate.

…What is this intruding feeling in her stomach? Warm and fuzziness?

No one was ever kind to her in years… the last time she felt this way, it was during her childhood when she-… no, she'd rather not think about it. She'd rather think about the time when Salem took her in when she had nothing.

Without Salem… she's nothing. She's nothing without her.

…So why is she still hanging out with these clowns?

Cinder looked back, seeing the Koopa Troop going about their day either training or goofing off or having fun. She would notice Emerald having a pleasant chat with Wendy and Ludwig and then saw Mercury sparring with Roy.

Cinder then turned away, letting out a small sigh… and then Peach's words echoed in her mind again, much to her annoyance. She decided the best way to get these words out of her head… was to take her mind off things, but not here.

She hopped off of the wall and started to wander around the Koopa Kingdom, taking note of a volcano erupting nearby with fresh new lava pouring out of the volcano and into a lava lake. She kept walking, thinking of all the nasty terrible things that she did.

Destroying those good for nothing sisters and guardian, laying a trap into Remnant's network during prom, almost killing the Fall Maiden if it wasn't for that damned huntsman that ruined her fun. She smiled, closing her eyes. She may be half a maiden… but in time, the last half of her power will be hers and she'll be a full blown maiden.

She smirked, closing her eyes and thinking about all the other horrible things that she did before switching over to destroying that wench that tortured her for years.

"Without you, I am nothing… but because of you, I am everything!"

Of course… her mind wandered to the one man who had been kind to her and taught her how to fight. She let out a gasp, opening her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek as she quickly got rid of it. No… now was not the time to reminisce. After all… there was nothing he could do.

Before she knew it, she had wandered into the Monster Community. She blinked a few times, seeing the monsters going about their day whilst repairing the community. Perhaps this could set her mind at ease.

She wandered inside, deciding to take a look around as she saw monsters remodeling some buildings after they were flattened, a few Gryphons pushed up a wall of the bowling alley, she would even see a few windows being replaced at the local casino. "They have a casino here? Pfft, monsters gambling their life savings away… how cute." She chuckled.

She then turned her head to see Captain Slime sparring with a few Slime Knights, and then turned her head the other way to see Piers adding the finishing touches on Marnie's apartment. Right… Marnie. The girl who's too soft yet here she is working with the Koopa Troop, yet it's plain as day that she's also loyal to the Mushroom Kingdom. She scoffed at the idea. To her, Marnie isn't truly loyal to the Koopa Troop unless she disowns the Mushroom Kingdom and her friends.

Cinder frowned again. Right… friends. At least the local goth girl had friends… her only friend that she had was impaled by her. Sure, there was Emerald and Mercury, but Mercury was an acquaintance at best and Emerald… was blindly loyal to her no matter what. She thought that was adorable.

"Miss! Miss!" A voice caught Cinder's attention as she turned to see a Needler approach her. "You have to come help me!"

"Help you? For what?"

The Needler grabbed her hand. "This way!" He said, taking her with him.

"Whoa!" Cinder yelped as they soon walked up to a tree.

"Can you help me get my friend down that tree? He climbed up by himself and now he can't get down!" He said as Cinder looked up to see a Sham Hatwitch trembling on the tree branch.

"…What?"

Cinder didn't even know what perplexed her even more. The fact that a small boar managed to climb a tree, or the fact no one else had bothered to help it.

"Can you help him?"

"…Sorry, I've got other plans." Cinder said and walked off.

"Aww! Don't worry, buddy! I'll get you down somehow!" The Needler said while the Sham Hatwitch let out a few wails, loud enough for Cinder to hear.

Just ignore it… She thought as she kept walking, but the wails just wouldn't stop as she let out a groan. Either someone shut that thing up or I'm going to roast it alive and have bacon! She thought.

"Please! Someone help my friend!"

Cinder clenched her fists and let out an annoyed growl. Just this once… She thought before conjuring up a bow as she turned around, nocked an arrow and aimed… before firing said arrow, which struck the branch that caused it to snap and made the Sham Hatwitch fall, though he safely landed into his friend's arms.

"Ooooh! Thanks miss!" He called out as the Sham Hatwitch jumped off and ran straight to Cinder, jumping into her arms.

"O-oh! Uh… you're… welcome…?" Cinder tilted her head as it nuzzled into her neck in gratitude. "O-okay, that's enough!" She said as she put it down. "Now run along now." She said as it ran off… but then the Needler came over and hugged her leg before handing her a pie.

"Uh… what's this…?"

"You've never heard of Key Lime Pie? It's good!"

"Um… thanks…" Cinder quietly said, taking the pie as she walked off, but as she did, she looked even more perplexed. What did I just DO? She thought to herself as she wandered out of the community, still holding the pie in her hands as she found herself a boulder and sat on it.

She thought about helping out those kids… and to her surprise… a warm, fuzzy feeling wormed its way inside of her. "What… nnngh! What's going on…." Cinder whispered.

"Hmm, it seems as if something inside of you blossomed."

"Huh? Who said that?" Cinder turned around.

"I did."

"Show yourself!"

"Look right next to you."

Cinder turned her head… and saw an intruder right next to her. She let out a yelp and nearly fell off the boulder. "Who… who are you?!"

"I'm you… from a long time ago."

Cinder's eyes widened, taking a close look at herself. "What the… no! No, you are not here. You're dead. You died along with Rhodes."

"No, I was murdered. You were the one who did it."

"I did no such thing. Besides, that wench was asking for it."

"Yes, I'm well aware… but I was enduring it. It was right until that fateful night when those sisters discovered I had weapons. It was then that you showed up. You decided to come into play and shove me into a box whie you killed them. There was a reason why Rhodes attempted to stop you… it was because of YOU. We only had little time left before we could have escaped with Rhodes and learn to be a huntress! …But you had other ideas."

"Shut… up!"

"Hmph… and then you go and meet Salem, where she grants you the ability to absorb the maiden's powers. Your lust for power led you here. Your ego is only hurting you more than you realize. You have this mentality that if "No one can love, appreciate me and let me be happy, then no one should."."

"I said… shut up!"

"Look at yourself! Is this what you want? Power? You're going down a dark path!"

"We started on this dark path! We might as well go out like that!"

"If only you didn't kill them… you could've become something else."

"If only you could have stood up to them from the beginning! But no… we're both at a loss."

"Cinder… please, just listen to me. You have to be smart, and quite frankly… siding with Salem is not the way to go. You were desperate, and Salem took advantage of you. She's using you. Manipulating you!"

"She isn't. Salem is-"

"A monster!"

"SHUT UP!" Cinder yelled, throwing a fireball at her younger self as she evaporated. "Ugh… good riddance…" She mumbled, staring at the Key Lime Pie near her. "Mmm…"

CRACK BOOOOOM!

"AAAAAAH!" She screamed, completely flinching as lightning had flashed from the sky and was accompanied by a loud clap of thunder. "Mmm…!" She let out a whine. "No… it's only one lightning bolt… I can handle it…"

There was another flash of lightning that made her scream, covering her ears and closing her eyes as she instinctively went into a fetal position. Flashbacks of her horrid childhood entered her head, being electrically tortured by that wench.

She didn't hear the sound of a motorcycle rolling by before it stopped. "Hmm?" Marnie turned her head, then approached her. "Hey! What are you doing out here? Apparently it's gonna be raining soon. Though only for a short time, according to the weather."

"G-go away!" Cinder pleaded as another lightning bolt flashed into the night sky. "Mmmph!"

"I'm not leaving you out here." She said, walking over and pulling her off the boulder while also grabbing the pie near Cinder as she put it on her lap. "Hang on to me." She said as Cinder instinctively buried her head on Marnie's shoulder as Marnie took drove off.

Marnie parked her motorcycle near the front door as all the monsters hurried on inside the buildings as Marnie took Cinder inside her apartment, opening the door as Marnie then ran out and grabbed the pie as she walked inside, closing the door right as it started raining.

"There we go…" Marnie said, taking her helmet off and placing it on the coffee table as she set Cinder down before taking the pie away into the kitchen. Cinder took several deep breaths before relaxing herself, though the clap of thunder was enough to make her flinch.

Marnie came in and wrapped a blanket around Cinder. "There, that'll get you nice and comfy." She said as she walked back into the kitchen.

"I… I don't understand… how is someone like you in the Koopa Troop if you're anything but bad? I've heard that you're the kindest girl around and… I've never understood it."

Marnie smiled, cutting the pie with a knife. "Well, you can thank Neo for that. She wanted me to give it a chance after Lord Bowser conscripted me after saving him. And you know what? Being in the Koopa Troop isn't all that bad. It feels natural." She said, coming out with two plates and handing a slice of pie to her.

"…I see."

"I've heard what you did." Marnie said, sitting down next to her. "What happened in space… Lord Bowser wouldn't stop ranting about it. Plus, you also did threaten to kill Peach when you first met her."

"I suppose you hate me then…"

"I don't have a hateful bone in my body." Marnie said. "Sure, I was angry at the guy who cut off my arm and eyes, and… yeah, I did snap and gutted him a few dozen times before he met his end but… it'd be uncharacteristic of me to truly hate someone."

"I see…"

"Look, Cinder… I don't know what went on in your past, but perhaps you ought to try something different. Something less… evil. I mean, you could try to be nicer… a lot kinder."

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, I've a feelin' you didn't steal this pie for instance. Maybe somewhere deep down, there's a softer side to you… someone who's afraid of lightning."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not afraid of-"

CRACK BOOOOM!

"Mmmph!" Cinder flinched, the top of her clothing giving way to the scars on her neck, something that Marnie took notice of.

"…You were tortured." Marnie quietly said. "That scar on your neck… and judging how you react to lightning, I'd say it was electrical." She said. "…I won't pry, but… you have my condolences."

"So what… you don't know what went on back in my day."

"I know… but what I do know is that you're better than whatever it is that you're doing right now." She said and placed a gentle metal hand on her shoulder. "You might be surprised on what you can do other than whatever path you're on…" She said gently, giving her a gentle hug that made Cinder's eyes widen.

That warm fuzzy feeling again!

"…Thanks…" She whispered. "I… I haven't been given this much kindness in a long time… I guess you can thank Peach for that…"

Marnie smiled. "I guess so." She said, pulling away and started eating her pie. "Mmm! It's sweet." She said, happily enjoying it as Cinder took a look at her pie that was on the coffee table.

Why is everyone being so unbearably nice?! She thought to herself before she let out a soft sigh and took a bite. The cool rich sweet flavor was enough to make her taste buds run wild. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took another bite and then another.

Before she knew it, uncontrollable tears ran down her cheeks as she started sniffling a bit. What's wrong with me?! She thought to herself as she tried to stop it but couldn't. Marnie turned her head as she instinctively wrapped her metal arm around her.

"It's going to be okay." Marnie whispered, rubbing her back as Cinder buried her head into Marnie's chest, letting herself cry. "Just let it all out…" She said, continuing to rub her back, both of them completely unaware of Cinder's younger self appearing on the arm of the couch, smiling softly at her adult self.

One act of kindness brings a ripple effect. Thanks DragoKnight for the idea!