Here we go with part 2 of the V3 Epilogue. Just as a little reminder to you all, I am still going on with the plan to write shorter chapters a little more frequently until chapter 100. It's just to wrap everything up for Volume 3 and end it all in a little bundle of shorter chapters. So I hope that I explain why they are a lot less wordy than usual. It actually helps me out a lot since I have other things I want to do at the same time, which just perfectly coincides with what I'm doing here.

Beta: CrowSkull

The Blind Huntsman

Chapter 97

Volume 3, Episode 16

Cinder Fall

Cinder Fall stood at the top of the formerly named CCT tower of Vale. She stared out the shattered window of an office that belonged to the former headmaster of Beacon. Her Grimm hand reached up to her face, stroking half of her now white hair out of her face. There was no need to hide the Grimm infected side anymore, not when she was in the position she was in now.

She breathed in a single, long breath of air. It smelled of smoke, ash, blood, and Grimm. It was a wonderful fragrance. Not exactly a good one, but it was something that told her that she had won. She was victorious. She'd beaten Ozpin, beaten Little Kai, killed Malikai Matsuoka, killed the fall maiden twice, and now had even more power than she came to Beacon for in the first place. The very thought of it allowed an excited and genuine smile to stretch across her features. She could almost shed a tear over it, the knowledge that she had done it.

"M-Mam?"

"Not yet," Cinder whispered to herself, turning slowly to see Emerald already knelt down before her while Mercury stood behind her some feet, wide-eyed and fearful. "Emerald," She greeted her servant snidely. "Mercury," She greeted the other. "Rise, look upon my achievements. If it weren't for you two, this would have... taken an annoyingly long amount of time."

"Of course, Cinder," Emerald said, bowing even lower. "It was our pleasure."

"Is that so?" Cinder raised an eyebrow, stepping forward and closer to them. Mercury tried to take a step back away from her, but he was already next to a wall and all he did was bump into it and attract attention to himself. When he looked Cinder in her miscolored eyes, one the usual orange and the other a dark red like Salem's, he couldn't help but swallow a nervous lump. "I can't help but recall that I didn't see you in the attack on Beacon."

"Mam, we were-"

"Silence," Cinder snapped suddenly but calmed herself down just as quickly. "I asked Mercury a question, not you."

Her eyes never left Mercury's as she said so. She could tell that he was afraid, good, for a man whose loyalties she knew she could never truly win, fear was the best way to take control of him. He must have dreaded her so much that he couldn't look away even if he wanted to. That burn scar on his left arm must have been aching him now. Cinder liked that form of power the most, she thought. Just by being present and calling the name of one of her playthings she demanded the utmost respect and attention. It made that warm feeling in her stomach all the more enticing.

"I was streaming what was happening in Amity the entire time," Mercury explained, albeit nervously. "Like you ordered me too… I never put the scroll down, not even for a second."

"Than I can safely presume that the entire world has seen what has happened today?" Cinder asked next, tilting her head as she did so.

"Yes," Mercury said with no doubt on his mind. "And Emerald was with me just in case anyone came up to stop me. We only had to stop and get off when Amity started moving again. I don't know what did it, but we had only just gotten off in time before it could fully leave the city. From there… we just had to make our way here."

"I see," Cinder smiled, trusting her own judgment in the way Mercury's eyes shook as he mentally begged for her not to burn him. She wasn't, of course. Instilling pain when never necessary always lead to problems, problems that she couldn't afford right now. "Then I applaud you both for a successful mission. Now the world will know what is coming, and they won't be able to do anything about it. Tell me, were you able to get any footage of Salem herself?"

"Once the CCT was down, I lost the connection," Mercury replied. "Which was around the time Amity started moving again."

"Hm, understandable." Cinder allowed. "Then I suppose that you two have done what I asked of you. Tell me, what do you think of this?" Boasting, Cinder showed off her maiden powers in one hand. A fire that was hotter than she had ever emitted before burst out of her right hand. It was just a mere flame, but she could tell that it was so bright and hot that it made Mercury and Emerald have to squint in order to get a good look at it. In her left hand, a different kind of flame burst out. A red one, laced with black color and emitting a cold, disturbing aura. She was never one to show off or boast before, but she was in an especially good mood after what had just transpired the day before.

"It's…" Mercury trailed off.

"Incredible," Emerald finished for him. Poor girl, looking up to her as a mother figure even now. Cinder couldn't help but grin. She felt good, she really did. "But um… Mam, can I ask you a question?"

Cinder raised an eyebrow at that, but she supposed that it couldn't hurt. Emerald and Mercury had been doing their jobs, after all. A question or two wouldn't be an issue.

"Go on," She waved her approval.

"I thought you would have wanted to capture the Matsuoka kid…" Emerald continued. "For months and years before, you always went on how you wanted to destroy his world, and capture him, and do all of these things to him once you had your hands on him. But… you didn't even bother to go after him? It's just confusing to me, I apologize if I caused you any offense."

"No offense was taken, my dear," Cinder chuckled. "If anything I am amused. I would have been offended if neither of you picked that up. I suppose I'll explain to you my reasoning for that, you two deserve to know that truth after I sent you two on tasks that specifically involved Little Kai."

"I hate him, I still do. I have for a long time, ever since I met him. That much is no secret. I spent resources on trying to find him, hurt him, or ruin him, and I wanted him to know that I was the one who did it. For the longest time, I wanted to kill him. I thought he was too dangerous, you see. His potential, his semblance, his silver eyes, and his raw adaptability scared me." Admitting that at last, in front of Emerald and Mercury of all people? Somehow, it just made her feel better about what she had accomplished. "However, once the headmaster of Signal acquired all my plans with his semblance, I realized something. Out of everything that has happened in our crusade for Beacon, Little Kai has done scarcely little to cause problems for me. Sure, he tried going around as a simple vigilante in an effort to at least slow me down," As she said that, she stared directly at Mercury, who suddenly looked nauseous all of a sudden. He must have thought that she'd punish him for not telling him that crucial truth. But in all honesty, he was lucky. She was just in a good enough mood to let it slide just this one.

"Stone Face, hmph, he certainly slowed me down, but only in one aspect. He tunnel-visioned the White Fang, and he became more of Adam's problem than mine. Sure, he tried to kill me once or twice and failed. But aside from plugging the breach, he ultimately did nothing to truly put a stop to me. It was Salem who pointed that out to me, once I was broken and once again afraid during a time where I thought that I had truly lost. The breach had failed, the Grimm pushed back, and I was still half a maiden. Ozpin had won."

"However, their luck would not last. Salem helped me, she graced me with just a fragment of her own power. The very power developed purely to counter Ozpin and his paltry seasonal maidens. I suppose if you wish you can call this the fifth maiden power, but with it came an understanding. If I just let go of my hate for Kai Matsuoka, I could think more clearly, plan more thoroughly, and stop brute-forcing through everything that stood in my way. While at the same time, doing more damage to him than I could ever do with my flames, sword, or arrows. I ruined him, his mother is dead, his little sister lost, most of his friends had been killed, and now the world sees him not as a hero to look up to, but a maniac who had brutally killed another student. While also revealing her to not even be human. As far as they know, he's working with us now. Hah, it's poetic, don't you think? He has sacrificed so much to try and stop me, stop all of us! And now the very people he has sworn to protect now label him as just another monster."

"I may have not been able to kill him, nor will I ever as long as Salem wishes to draw him to our side, but that is enough for me." Cinder placed her Grimm hand over her heart, she was smiling. Oh dear, she didn't know the last time she felt well and truly happy. It nearly brought her to tears.

"I see…" Emerald said slowly, and understandingly. Good little girl, doing whatever she was told. Believing everything she was told.

"Wait," At least Mercury wasn't so blindly fallible. "Salem wants to recruit Kai? Why?"

"Mm, don't you know?" Cinder took special pleasure in watching his eyes slowly narrow at her. As if he could do anything but escape her. "Salem is his ancestor, he is her long descended grandson. She may as well be his last remaining family."

"What!?" Mercury exclaimed, but caught himself before he could get too loud. "That's… shit, you're telling the truth, aren't you?"

"Of course she is," Emerald said. "She never lies to us, and she always tells us what we need to know when we need to know."

"Of course," Cinder rolled her eyes subtly. "And now is a good time for you to know. Salem had given me the order as well. Everyone working under her now has been ordered to leave Kai be, and only to engage with him if forced to or absolutely necessary. For she will work personally on bringing him to our side. That goes for all of us, as well. Now, enough about Kai Matsuoka, he has had enough attention to last another ten years. What of Adam Taurus? Do either of you know where he could have possibly gone?"

"No clue," Mercury said. "Last we saw him was when we took out those two professors and tied them up. Didn't he call the White Fang to retreat as well? It would make sense, given that there had to be a point where everyone knew Beacon and Vale was done."

"Menagerie, I would guess." Cinder said instead. "He would have nowhere else left to run anyhow. It makes sense, for his friend Sienna had to be dead in his mind. Either in prison on the other side of the world, or during the fall of the kingdom. No matter, he is never going to be outside our reach of influence. Especially not after this."

"Well…" Emerald looked down, up at Mercury then back to Cinder. "What are we going to do now?"

"I am going to continue working on my next plan," Cinder said, turning her back to her two servants and walking up and past Ozpin's old desk. She stared out the window and over the now Grimm infested city. One or two of the Wyverns had been killed, but just as Salem planned, they did not evaporate on death but instead let out a massive pool of Grimm which spawned hundreds upon thousands more Grimm to help with the siege. It was to serve as a deterrent for those silly silver-eyed warriors. Even if they managed to kill one, which they did, all it would serve was create a new spawning pool. "Haven Academy. Mistral. With Leonardo still wrapped around my finger, it should be a much easier endeavor than Beacon ever was. Still, it would serve me well not to underestimate a school for huntsmen and huntresses."

"As for you two," Cinder let the suspenseful silence hang for a good ten seconds before she continued. "Hm, you two will go to Menagerie. I have no use for you to be with me, but you would do well in ensuring Adam remains an asset to our cause."

"With all due respect, mam," Emerald said. "We'd be vulnerable if we were left alone with Adam. He's not loyal to us, and he might try to kill us if we give him the chance."

"That shouldn't be an issue."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Mercury, you have good relations with the new Supreme Leader of the White Fang, do you not?" Cinder asked suddenly.

Mercury was suddenly put on the spot, even Emerald was looking at him funny, clearly not able to believe that he of all people would be able to make any substantial friends. "We don't hate each other if that's what you're asking…" Mercury said, feeling the very ironic itch on his chest where Adam nearly killed him and blamed it on the kid. "If you're asking that he would just kill us outright on sight. Then no, I don't think he would."

"Then there you have it," Cinder looked over her shoulder, smugly grinning at them. "Now, have the rest of the day off. It is a long flight over to Menagerie, or a long boat ride. Whichever you prefer. Just make it there and do what you know is necessary."

She was just trying to get rid of them, Mercury knew that. Adam knew better than to try and betray her when she was at her strongest. She didn't trust them, or more specifically, she didn't trust him. Emerald would do whatever she said, and Mercury was only there because Emerald was still there. It was cruel, definitely, since he wouldn't be able to kill Emerald if it came down to a battle to the death which he knew would come if he tried to go betray Cinder. Smart though, he had to give it to her.

"Okay," Mercury said with a sigh, gesturing for Emerald to follow him as he made his way back to the stairwell. The elevator wasn't an option since, well, it wasn't there anymore. "We'll leave as soon as we can."

Cinder didn't even bother to reply. Instead, she waved dismissively at them until they left. Then with them gone, she adjusted the seat that Ozpin had left behind and kicked off the computer that was still there, replacing it with her feet as she leaned back in the strangely shaped chair. She let out a long sigh, finally letting herself rest after a job well done. She just knew that when she went to sleep finally, it would be the best sleep of her life.

Not ten minutes later a Seer made its way up the tower and floated down in front of her. It caught her attention and spoke in a way only Salem and her underlings would understand. Again, Cinder let out another sigh which was much less relaxed, and got up from her seat.

"Fine, I'm on my way." She told the Seer. "You don't need to keep repeating the same message."

It seemed that even for her, work was never quite done enough to the point where she could just sit back and relax for more than a moment. Salem had called a meeting, and she of course had to be there. Along with Hazel and Tyrian. Watts was still at the castle in the Grimmlands, but he would be on his way to Vale shortly to take his place in the new council.

She could rest after she answered the call. There was still much work to be done, and another kingdom to topple.

And there we have it. Cinder's POV after everything. Or at least the first part of it. Salem is of course going to get one herself and Cinder will be a part of that. So that will be the last time we see of her until certain events in V4 and V5. It's still strange to me, I think this is going to be the first time I get to Volume 4 of RWBY in any of my fanfics. Huh, I wonder how I'll be able to handle it!