The Way of the Maiden

by The Court of Talons

The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It is also notable for the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious and nomadic warriors just as ruthless as the Grimm. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: The Void

One month ago

"I'm quite sure you're a Fall Maiden, Cinder. But I..."

*WHOOSH*

"Am the Fall Maiden. The original, you see."

The declaration and the sight of another woman using Maiden powers was too much for Cinder at the present moment. All she could do was stare at the miracle before her, given that she lost her voice. Her mind, too, had also become silent.

Cinder was too amazed by the idea of standing in the presence of another Maiden, something she had never done in her life. Despite knowing one of the Maidens was named Fria, Cinder knew nothing else about other Maidens. Especially ones who claimed to be the original.

Cinder finally regained her senses when the woman before her finally lowered herself to the ground. "Forgive the theatrics," she implored. "I always told my sisters that actions have a habit of speaking louder than words."

"..."

Despite her silence, Cinder began to smile at what she had just seen and heard. The woman before her took the smile as a good thing and continued to talk.

"Now, as I was saying, my name is-"

"Fall," Cinder blurted out. She then pointed at the woman. "You... You're Fall! You're one of the sisters that became Maidens!"

The woman smiled at the sound of her name. "Yes, I am!" she exclaimed. "And it seems you're my current replacement."

Cinder couldn't help but focus on the first part of what Fall had just said. She also couldn't help but pace the floor while grabbing the sides of her head in excitement. "I, I, I don't believe it!" she began without looking at the woman. "I can't believe it's you! I read your story every night when I was a kid! I don't know what to say, I have so many questions! I don't know where to start, I-!" Cinder was forced to stop talking as she ran out of breath surprisingly fast.

Fall placed a hand on Cinder's shoulder and remained completely calm. "Deep breaths, young lady," she said almost sternly. She gently pushed down on Cinder's shoulder and began to sit on the empty ground, silently telling Cinder to follow her movements. "I think we have some time to get acquainted, Cinder. But first, you should probably know where you are."

Cinder looked at the white space around her and easily remembered how she woke up here. "Oh, right," she said, much more calmly this time. "So, uh... I know you said it earlier, but are you sure I'm not dead? I mean, you're here, and I-"

"Don't worry," Fall said calmly. "You're still very much alive, Cinder. Trust me."

Cinder couldn't help but look at her abnormal surroundings once again. "So... what is this place? Where am I?"

Fall slightly spread her arms in the empty space. "Think of this void as a nexus; a meeting place, in a way. This is where all Maidens come when their power is transferred to another."

Cinder quickly looked back at Fall. "What? What do you mean?"

Fall sighed as she lowered her arms. "We Maidens are special, Cinder," she began. "Our power give us extraordinary abilities. We all use it differently, but some of us never realize how that power affects us. Our bodies, our minds, our very souls become one with the power of the Maidens. So when the power goes to another... we go with it."

Cinder did her best to comprehend what Fall was saying. It seemed that whenever the power was transferred from one girl to another, it wasn't just the power that was being sent.

"So what you're saying is..." Cinder began. "The power forms a connection to us." Cinder looked at her hands, thinking about all the times she used the Fall Maiden's powers. "Mind and soul, not just body. And when a previous Maiden... goes..."

"She doesn't really go," Fall explained. "No Maiden is every truly gone." She reached for Cinder's hands. "Right now... I'm a part of you, Cinder. And so is every Maiden that came after me. I can even see into the memories of those Maidens; including you."

"..."

As the truth began to sink in, Cinder found herself at a loss for words. If the connection Fall spoke of really existed, then that was where she and Cinder were right now. And not only that, but Cinder was playing host to... a multitude of Maidens. She didn't know what to make of the idea, which was why she couldn't say a word.

"I know," Fall said with sympathy. "I know how overwhelming this must be for you. I can only guess what you're thinking and how you're feeling; I've been there too. But listen." Fall took Cinder's hands again. "I was here, alone, when my time came. I didn't have anyone to help me or comfort me when I almost lost my mind." Fall tightened her grasp. "But you do, Cinder. I can help you with anything you need, and-"

"I have to go."

Cinder quickly stood up and looked around the void again. "I, I, I have to get out of here!" she said in a panic. "How, how do I get out?!" Cinder looked upwards. "Let me out! Someone! Anyone! Let me out of here!"

Fall slowly stood up and followed her new acquaintance. "Cinder, please-"

"I can't stay here!" Cinder screamed as tears fell down her eyes. "This doesn't make sense, you said I was still alive! Am I going to die if I stay here?!" Cinder gasped through her sobs as a dark thought entered her mind. "Am I going to be stuck here when I die?!"

"Cinder, I can explain-"

"I can't be here!" Cinder began to run in different directions, turning around whenever she saw more whiteness. "I don't want to be here! I can't do this right now!" The panic attack Cinder was experiencing made any attempt of rational thinking nonexistent.

Fall, however, remained calm and tried to make Cinder do the same. "Cinder-"

"Ozpin!" Cinder shouted above. "Ozpin, help me! You made the Maidens, you have to get me out of here!"

"Cinder-"

"Ozpin! Qrow! Dad! Dad, I'm sorry I pushed you away! I'm sorry I was being stubborn! I'm sorry, and I need you! I need you now, please!"

"Cinder!"

Fall grabbed Cinder by the shoulders and turned her around. "Listen to me!" she demanded as she shook the child's shoulders. When Cinder stopped screaming and looked at the glowing woman, Fall became sympathetic once again. "They can't hear you."

"..."

Cinder was at a loss for words again, but she continued to weep. She fell to the ground once again as tears flowed down her cheeks. She cried and cried because she knew she was beyond any kind of help at the moment.

But the embrace Fall was generously giving helped a little. And the original Fall Maiden had much more help to give when Cinder calmed down.

After she began to recover from the traumatic experience, Cinder gave Fall her undivided attention as she explained the rest of the void. And the more she explained it, the less scary it seemed.

Fall reiterated that the void was a connecting place between each and every Fall Maiden that existed. Sometimes, new Maiden candidates would be brought to this nexus when the previous Maiden decided to transfer her powers. Other times, the power would go to the first person that Maiden had in their final thoughts.

Instead of a sort of Limbo, the nexus served as a sort of resting place for the previous Maidens. It wasn't exactly the afterlife, but the souls of the Maidens eventually found peace and comfort when their service to the world came to an end. And although Cinder couldn't see it, the previous Maidens indeed inhabited the nexus. Fall simply chose to reveal herself to break the news and comfort Cinder from her ordeal.

When Fall was finally finished, Cinder took it upon herself to explain how she found herself to be in this place. She explained how she tried to defend Beacon from the Grimm, and how part of the Maiden powers were stolen. Cinder was confident she still retained a piece, but not like before.

"So... it was this 'Aurora' who did this to you," Fall understood. "She stole our power for herself."

"Not all of it," Cinder repeated. "But enough to make her stronger. And make me weaker, apparently." Cinder suddenly realized that Aurora may be able to do more with the power. "Wait, can she find us here?" She began to look around the area. "If she has the power, then she's connected to us? Right?"

"I'm not sure." Fall repeated Cinder's movements. "But I wouldn't be worried just yet. This nexus is meant for Maidens who are giving their powers or who have already passed on. If Aurora is still alive and isn't a full Maiden, it'll be hard for her to come here."

"But I'm not trying to give her my powers! I need to get them back!"

"That may be possible, if you still retain a piece of it. But we don't have much time. Two women tried sharing the power as well; without the full effect, the first Maiden died within months."

The idea scared Cinder to the core. She was the first Maiden in the case of her and Aurora sharing power. If she didn't reclaim it soon, Aurora would take the rest easily.

"But there may be a way to make sure that won't happen again," Fall said as she stood up. She then lowered a hand to Cinder. "Come with me."

---

Present

Cinder wasn't sure how much time had passed since she first woke up in the void. She didn't even know what was going on outside the void. All that she did know was how much hard work she had to put into surviving in the new place. When she heard Fall's full story, Cinder decided the necessary work now was exercise.

It took some time to understand completely, but Cinder learned from Fall that her body wasn't really her body. More specifically, her current state of being was her soul manifesting itself in the nexus of Maidens. Apparently, this happened to everyone who came here. Fall also explained that her time here developed an insight about the building blocks of a Maiden; from her point of view, these pillars were body, mind, and soul.

"All three of them are touched by the power of the Maidens," she told Cinder. "With part of the power gone, I wouldn't be surprised if your connection to all three was hurt too. We need to work from the bottom up."

Cinder easily decided that the best way to do that was through physical exercise. The young girl had felt weaker since she first woke up, so she became convinced that exercise could help with that. While she could feel part of her strength returning, pain such as headaches came on a whim; Cinder learned this was a sign that her time was running out.

The pain wasn't necessarily all bad, however. Fall knew that the pain she felt was the only connection Cinder had to her own body. The random nature of its arrival and departure were signs that the connection to her body needed to be healed.

Now that Cinder understood the nature of her predicament, and that she finished her exercises for today, Fall decided that Cinder was ready to move on to the next part of her healing.

"Your exercise was impressive," said Fall, who was currently walking in the void. "Now it's time to see how its helped you so far."

"Sounds good to me," said Cinder. She was currently walking in the void as well. She understood that Fall had no destination in mind; walking around was simply better than staying in one spot and doing nothing. "Where do we start?"

"A simple task. One that you might be familiar with." Fall stopped walking. "I know this may sound strange, but I'm aware of the trials you've gone through, Cinder. I've seen every up and down that's led you to this very spot."

Cinder couldn't help but rub the back of her head awkwardly as she began to feel a loss of security. "Right," she said slowly. "You still have all my memories, huh?"

"...I do," Fall said hesitantly. She could see why Cinder was so uncomfortable with the idea; she wouldn't want someone having every detail of her life completely memorized either. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to invade your privacy. It's... not really something I control. It just happens."

Even though Cinder understood that her new mentor was doing no harm, she wasn't ready to talk about something like this. "It's fine. What do I need to do?"

Fall mentally cursed herself before she began to instruct Cinder. "Ozpin taught you that the Maiden powers are fused to your soul. That you can feel the elements swirl inside of you. Did you ever feel that?"

"Yeah. Especially when I used fire. I could feel it... warming me. Not just outside, but inside too."

"Well, we want to feel that again. Fire was always the element you were the most connected to."

"Was it the same for you?"

"No, I liked wind better. But that's not important." Fall gestured to the ground. "Sit down." When Cinder complied, Fall guided Cinder through the steps. "When I used wind, I would always feel goosebumps on my skin. Even before the wind appeared. So tell me, what do you first feel when you use fire?"

"...A spark."

The answer made Fall believe that she had asked a silly question. "Ah, of course. Close your eyes, Cinder." The young girl complied again, leaving Fall to continue the lesson. "I want you to try and make that spark. Here and now. I understand it won't be easy, but we need to see how strong your connection is. How long it takes this spark to form."

Cinder decided to change the way she was sitting, to make herself appear that she was meditating. She then remembered how she used fire each and every time she activated her Maiden powers. She remembered the first day she used them, she remembered the times she trained with Ozpin, and she remembered how she used them recently.

Especially recently.

"The 'Way of the Maiden' my ass."

"Look at everyone's Maiden now!"

"I told you this would happen, didn't I?!"

"I'm gonna take good care of your friends back there."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

The memories were too much for Cinder to bear. She suppressed a scream as she opened her eyes and leaned forward. As she hid her face from Fall, Cinder took deep breaths as she tried to forget the visions of Aurora she had just suffered from.

But despite not seeing her now, Cinder could still hear her voice.

Fall decided to give Cinder some space at first, but now she was kneeling down and trying to comfort Cinder. "Breathe, Cinder," she said. "It's okay. You're safe."

Cinder took one last breath before she looked up at Fall. "Fall, I... I can't do this," she said as she stood up. "I couldn't feel anything. I did everything you said, and all I could feel was everything that happened that night. I... I can't do that again." Cinder turned away. "It's pointless. I... I have nothing left. No power, no strength... nothing."

"..."

Despite Cinder not wanting to see Aurora again, she honestly believed that there was nothing left inside of her. Whatever pieces of the power remained, it seemed obvious that it wasn't enough to form any connection to her mind, body, or whatever she was trying to do.

This caused her to build a wall between her and Fall. Whatever kind of encouragement she was planning to give wasn't going to be enough, so Cinder wasn't going to listen.

But she did listen to a soft laughter.

When she heard her acquaintance giggling, Cinder immediately became annoyed and somewhat insulted. "Is something funny?" she asked, displaying her anger as clear as day.

"Not at all," Fall insisted. "It's just that you remind me of someone I met. A long, long time ago."

"What? You mean... one of the other Maidens?"

"Oh, no. This was an old man. Someone I met with my sisters, who also thought he didn't have too much to offer."

Cinder opened her mouth and was ready to ask who that man was. But she stopped herself when Fall's description sounded... familiar. When she thought about it more, Cinder realized who Fall could be mentioning. Someone who was old and frail, and in need of finding a new meaning to life. Fall and her sisters indeed helped this man, just as this man did his best to help Cinder. His name at this point was obvious.

"Ozpin," Cinder confidently guessed.

"That's right," Fall confirmed. "You remember. After all, you did, and I quote, read my story every night when you were a child." After the duo shared a brief laugh, Fall concluded her thought with a question. "Do you remember what I said to him? When he claimed to have no one to love, and nothing to his name?"

"Yes." Cinder thought back to all the times she heard the story. Whether she read it or Djarin did, Cinder remembered every word. "You said... he had so much."

"Indeed he did." Fall walked closer to Cinder as she continued to talk. "To this day, I still don't know how Ozpin couldn't see what he had. I was the last to come to him and I was only there for a moment. Yet it was clear he had a home, a beautiful garden, a bountiful harvest, and he had my sisters as friends." Fall put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "I know you have just as much as he did, Cinder. You have spirit, passion, strength, and most of all... something to fight for. Not just to get your power back, but to see your friends and father again. It's like I said, Cinder; you have so much."

Cinder's thoughts immediately turned to everything that Fall had just listed for her. She thought about all the times she had all those qualities, and it became clear that Fall was telling the truth. Along with that, Cinder was able to think about all of the people she wanted to see and help again.

But one of them was... debatable.

"Well... I don't have all of that," Cinder said as she looked away from Fall. "Not anymore, at least."

Fall, who was certain that her talk had helped, became confused with Cinder's belief. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, I like to think have all those traits, and I hope I can see my friends again. But my dad?" Cinder sat down as she began to lament. "If what you said about seeing my memories is true, then you know what I did to him. I shouted at him, argued with him, and started to push him away. All because I wanted to find out more about a mother that wasn't even real."

Fall indeed knew what Cinder was talking about. It was yet another reason she felt bad for the young Maiden; nobody deserved to be manipulated and tricked in such a manner. It was needlessly cruel, to use someone's desires against them. But even though both girls knew what Cinder had done, Fall wasn't entirely convinced of what Cinder believed.

"You want to know what I think?" she asked calmly. "You may have done those things, sure. But I think you're blowing all of it out of proportion."

"No, I'm not," Cinder argued. "I was being a terrible daughter. And a terrible friend. Before Dad and I were a family, he said I was a good friend to him, whenever we had to travel and fight for our lives. What I did wasn't how friends should treat each other. He has every right to be mad at me."

"Did he ever tell you that he was?"

"Well, he-"

"Did he ever tell you that you were being terrible?"

"No... but he didn't need to."

"..."

Cinder was beginning to wonder if that was true, given that Fall was staring at her without saying a word. "...Right?" she asked.

Fall sat down with Cinder again. "I understand your feelings of self-doubt and self-loathing, Cinder," she said. "There was once a time when I thought that I was being terrible to my sisters. And you know what?"

"...What?"

"No matter what they say... I know I really was."

Cinder's eyes widened in surprise when she heard Fall's confession. She immediately began to think that it wasn't true, since that was the opposite of what she read in the Story of the Seasons.

"But... that's not true," Cinder began. "You loved your sisters. You always met once a year to be with them."

"I did, you're right," Fall confirmed. "I love my sisters, each and every one of them. But when I was about your age, our relationship wasn't, well... not really the best."

"..."

Fall cleared her throat before speaking again. "Cinder, did you know that out of the four of us, I was the oldest?" Cinder silently nodded. "As soon as Summer was born, my parents told me that I had to help them look after her and my other sisters. It was fine, at first. Winter usually kept to herself, so all I had to do was check in on her every now and then. But Spring and Summer were... lively. Every chance they got, they would come to me and insist that I spend time with them. Now I was like Winter, I liked my time to myself. So whenever my sisters came to me, I was always annoyed."

"I, uh... don't have any siblings," Cinder confessed. "But I think I kind of bugged Dad from time to time."

"Don't feel bad. It took me some time to learn that all children were like that. Anyways, my parents would sometimes help me, but they would almost always insist that I look after my sisters. And whenever I complained to them, they said the same thing. 'You have responsibility now, Fall. We're only expecting what's fair.'" Fall stopped mimicking her mother and father quickly. "They were right, of course, but I didn't understand it at the time. One day, it got so bad that I pushed Spring away. Literally."

"..."

Cinder couldn't help but gasp at the idea. It almost reminded her of her time in Atlas, when she was pushed around by the people who were supposed to look after her.

Fall saw the look on Cinder's face and sighed. "That should have been my first reaction too," she admitted. "I didn't hurt her, though. Not physically, at least. For a while, she left me alone. And I thought to myself that I finally got what I wanted. But a few days later, Spring got into some kind of argument with Summer. Our parents were running some errands, so I had to take care of it again. When I opened the door, I stopped dead in my tracks when the fight turned physical. Spring was only a child at the time, so she didn't really understand what she was doing."

"What do you mean?" Cinder asked.

"Well... Spring, she... she did what I did to her. The only difference was that... Spring pushed Summer down the stairs."

Cinder gasped again, much louder this time. Fall simply looked down in shame.

"Now that was my reaction," Fall continued. "I practically jumped off the railing to see if Summer was okay. She had a few bruises, and a bad cut on her forehead. Winter came down to help, but Spring was too surprised to do anything. When our parents came home, I had to tell them what happened. And I also told them how I started it the day I pushed Spring."

"..."

"To make a long story short, my parents scolded me and told me to apologize to my sisters. I didn't need to be told twice; I felt horrible. Summer could have been really hurt, and I realized I could have hurt Spring too." Fall had to wipe her eyes before she continued her story. "I think my parents knew how ashamed I was, they were listening to everything I was telling my sisters. But Spring and Summer, they were just children. Don't ask me why... but they forgave me that day."

"They did?"

Fall nodded. "I couldn't understand why they didn't lash out at me, or refuse to speak to me ever again. After all, I deserved it. But they still forgave me."

Cinder began to smile. "That's... amazing," she said.

"I know. Spring and Summer weren't the smartest members of our family, but they were certainly the sweetest. And after talking to my mother, I learned just how precious family is. And how I can be a better role model for all my sisters. Friends can come and go, Cinder. But family is forever."

Cinder began to think about the final part of Fall's story. Even though she still wasn't sure if Djarin could forgive her for everything she did, it was easy to see how her situation was similar to Fall's. And it only became clearer when Fall asked Cinder a question.

"I still have your memories, Cinder," Fall began. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the Mandalorian's idea for him to adopt you?"

"..."

Fall continued to build up this point. "He did something that people rarely do; like he chose his friends, he also chose his family. It must have been wonderful, knowing he wanted you as a daughter."

Cinder thought back to the day Djarin asked to adopt her. And how he was accepting her for who she was, and despite the hardships they faced on their quest to find Ozma. A smile on her face and a teardrop answered Fall's question, as well as what Cinder said next.

"...It was."

Fall smiled and put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "I'm sure it was just as wonderful for him too," she said. "He wouldn't want to take back his wish. I think what he wants now is to see his daughter again. Do you think so?"

"...Yes," Cinder replied. "Yes, I do." Without waiting for Fall to tell her what to do, Cinder moved back into place and began to concentrate.

"Remember what you have, Cinder," Fall reminded her. This time, she wasn't just talking about the power of the Maidens. Cinder knew it well, and focused on everything else she had, every blessing that fate was kind enough to give her.

To Cinder, it felt like hours before she began to feel a spark in herself. If she still had all of her powers, feeling a spark would have been child's play. But now, Cinder had to focus on that spark and see how it was acting. Right now, it felt like it was just sitting in the middle of her body.

"No, this isn't my body," Cinder reminded herself. "Fall said what I'm seeing right now is my soul incarnate. But... does that mean I can connect to my body? Is the spark connecting my soul to my body?"

Cinder decided to answer this question by focusing on the spark's location. It felt like it was in the center of her chest before it began to move freely. Cinder's eyes strained as she tried to follow the only connection to her powers she had.

After a few minutes, Cinder felt that the spark had travelled to her ears, where she heard something unexpected.

"Hey, kid."

Cinder opened her eyes when she heard a voice. She looked around and saw that her present company was still the original Fall Maiden. "What did you say?" Cinder asked.

"Me?" Fall asked. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, you did." Cinder stood up. "I heard you say-"

"Hope you don't mind me barging in, just need to take a load off."

Cinder stopped talking when she heard the voice again. Since Fall was silent when the voice sounded, Cinder looked away from Fall. She then raised her hands towards her ears as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Cinder, what is it?" Fall asked.

"I... I don't know," Cinder confessed. "I can hear a voice."

"A voice?"

"Yeah. Someone's talking to me." Cinder closed her eyes. "They're... really quiet."

Fall began to step away from Cinder. "Pay attention, Cinder," she ordered as she began to understand what it meant. "Pretend I'm not here."

Cinder obeyed and sat down on the ground. As she repeated the meditation cycle Fall described, Cinder heard the voice again. It took some time, but the voice became louder and more clearer.

It belonged to Cara Dune, an old friend.

"You're probably expecting Mando," said Cara. "I mean, I dunno if you can hear me or if you could've heard him, with all the times he sat in here and talked to you."

Cara's voice was indeed a surprise, but it was the news of her father being with her through this tremendous ordeal that warmed Cinder's heart. She hadn't been able to see or hear him ever since she came to the void, even though she thought about him through every waking moment. She had a million questions about him, mainly with how he was doing. But since it seemed unlikely that Cara couldn't hear her, Cinder sat and listened.

"He had to step out for a few hours," Cara continued. "He'll be back soon, don't worry. It's probably a good thing he left, things got... things kinda got outta hand real fast. Long story short, he saved your life."

Cinder's heart almost jumped out her chest when Cara finished her thought. Her father, despite everything that she said and did to him at Beacon, took it upon himself to save her once again.

"Dad..." Cinder happily thought to herself. "Always there, even when I don't deserve it." Cinder put these thoughts aside when she sensed Cara's voice getting weak again. However, it soon became obvious that it wasn't Cara getting weaker; it was Cinder. Whatever she was doing, she was creating the link Fall was telling her to make; one with her body and soul. If she wanted to keep that link, she had to concentrate.

"But it's over now," said Cara. "We're safe. I just wanted to check in on you. And, uh... I just wanted to make sure you're all good."

"..."

Cinder knew that Cara was never an emotional person, but she understood the kind gesture. So she continued to sit and listen with a grateful ear.

"Aw, who are we kidding?" Cara asked. "You're a tough kid, you're gonna pull through this." Cara remained silent for a few seconds before she let out a sigh. "You know, kid... I didn't think about it before, but we're not that different."

"..."

"We've both had our fair share of brawls, no arguments there. But hey, anyone can lose one fight. I can probably count my losses on a single hand, but they're still losses." Cinder couldn't help but laugh softly at the sound of Cara's boxing ego as she continued to listen. "And I've been where you are now; in a hospital bed."

"..."

"Some of it was from the fights, yeah. But, uh... there was this one really bad time. Kinda like you right now."

"..."

"You know how I was a shock trooper? Up in Atlas?" Cara was being rhetorical, but Cinder already knew that. "They say no soldier thinks they'll live forever. I mean, that's what a soldier does. They train, they fight, they die. I must have heard that a hundred times when I was in basic training. My Sarge practically drilled it in my skull. Well, that and the goal to repaint the blue on our suits with the blood of whoever we were fighting. He always hated blue, I never knew why. But I wear it now just to spite him."

"..."

"Aw, shit. Sorry, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, I always heard the same thing about soldiers. But I always played it off, it sounded pretty cowardly. But then... then I took a bad hit with my squad."

"..."

As Cinder listened to the story, she found herself unable to find words that could express the surprise and pity she was feeling for Cara. She had seen and heard of the things she had done, the things she was capable of. But she never heard any stories of her being hurt. A mixture of sympathy and curiosity came to Cinder as she began to listen more.

"I still don't remember everything that happened," Cara continued. "One minute, we were outside Mantle's walls. Next minute, there was an explosion and darkness. I woke up in a... I guess you could call it a bodycast. The only thing I could move was my head."

"..."

"God, I must have been in that bed for months. I almost spent a whole year in it before I got out of that cast. After that, it didn't get much better. I had to teach myself how to walk again, pick up a pencil... I couldn't even go to the bathroom without someone helping me."

"..."

"I don't exactly know how comas work, but I got a hunch you'll need some time to get back to fighting speed. And, uh, hopefully get that Grimm off your arm."

Cinder couldn't help but open her eyes again when she heard the mention of a Grimm. She instinctively looked at both of her arms, but couldn't see any signs of a Grimm. So what was Cara talking about?

When she realized that Cara was getting quiet once again, Cinder quickly moved back into her meditative state and focused on the spark close to her ear, hoping to hear her friend once again.

"-important thing is, don't think that it's going to be impossible," Cara said. "All you can do when this is over is get back up. I don't know how you feel about Beacon falling, but feeling sorry for yourself won't make any progress. Trust me, I know."

"..."

Cinder couldn't help but feel sad when she was reminded that she didn't have a home anymore. But that didn't stop her from listening to Cara.

"Besides, you shouldn't have to feel sorry for yourself. I've spent a lotta time getting to know the other Foundlings here, but there's no denying that you're the strongest one. Power or no power, you'll always be the toughest kid I've met, Cinder. Don't ever think otherwise. If I can work my way up from the ground, so can you. Take care, kiddo."

---

The test of Cinder's connection between her soul and body was definitely a success. All she had to do now was work harder to increase that connection. But now, Cinder was resting by sitting with her eyes closed.

Given that she didn't have too much to do, unlike when she was in the real world, Cinder decided to meditate once again. However, this meditation was the kind that Obi-Wan Kenobi taught her. Instead of focusing on her powers, Cinder was focusing on attaining a specific state of mind. A state of mind that would leave her calm and at peace with herself, the goal she wanted to obtain when she first went to Haven Academy.

She didn't know if this could help improve her connection between her soul and mind, but Cinder was going to give it a try. She focused on the surrounding silence, and then began to focus on herself. Her time with Obi-Wan was meant to be a trip of self-improvement, which was what Cinder needed right now. So her thoughts turned to how she could possibly repeat the experiment and regain her connection to the three pillars of the Maiden powers.

And Fall had definitely been a great help today. Her guidance and attempts to build confidence had beneficial results, which left Cinder to feel inspired by the woman. It was possible that even without her powers, Fall was still a great Maiden. Perhaps even one of the best.

"I'll be the best Maiden there ever was. No matter what."

Cinder opened her eyes as she heard those words.

"Whoa... I haven't thought about that in a while," she said to herself.

The words she just heard were from an old memory, when she was beginning to train with Ozpin and become accustomed to the role of the Fall Maiden. Cinder had been training hard that day and inadvertently used her powers in his office. And then she spoke to her father about her wish to be greater, to be the best Maiden in the world. Looking back on it, the promise could easily be seen as a child's fantasy.

Then again... Cinder was in the presence of the first Fall Maiden. Despite the present situation, this was a rare opportunity to learn more about being a Maiden.

"Fall, can I ask you something?" Cinder asked calmly as she turned to the glowing woman.

"Of course," the glowing woman replied with a smile. "What is it?"

Cinder cleared her throat before speaking again. "Well, I actually want to thank you for your help. Everything you showed and told me was really eye-opening."

Fall's soft smile turned into a friendly grin. "I'm glad to hear that," she confessed. A red color began to form on her cheeks. "I can't remember the last time I actually taught someone something."

Cinder chuckled for a brief moment. "Well, you haven't really lost your touch," she said. "I'm sure the training you gave me will help, but there's something I actually want to know about you."

Fall stopped smiling. "About me?" she repeated curiously.

"Yeah. When I leave this place, I don't want to just be the Fall Maiden. I think you may have heard this, but..." Cinder began to feel slightly embarrassed. "I once said I wanted to be the best Maiden on Remnant."

Fall remained silent for a moment. "Oh, yes! I remember that now. Yes, you did want to do that." Fall began to laugh at the memory. "I don't think I can remember a time when one of the previous Maidens said that."

The embarrassment of Cinder's childhood dream increased tenfold. Not only was she still not used to Fall easily seeing all of her memories, but Cinder wasn't sure she could live up to the Maiden that Fall used to be. Nevertheless, she asked her question.

"I feel like there's a lot more I can learn about that," Cinder began. "And I wanted to ask you... what does it mean to be a Maiden?"

"..."

When Fall heard this question, she put a hand to her chin and pondered what Cinder had said. Fearing that she might be confused, Cinder decided to explain further.

"What I mean is, I know Maidens have a piece of Ozpin's Magic. That they can use it to connect to the elements of nature around them. But... how would you say those powers should be used? I mean, in what ways would someone be able to call themselves a Maiden?"

Fall began to nod after Cinder stopped talking. "You mean... you want to know what it is that makes someone a Maiden?" she asked in understanding. "How you should wear that title?"

"Exactly," Cinder confirmed. "What would you say, in your experience, made you a Maiden?"

Fall looked puzzled for a second, but it wasn't because she didn't understand what Cinder was asking. It came as a surprise, that Fall was never asked something like this before.

"That's a good question," she admitted. "A really good question." Her puzzled look didn't disappear. "Actually, that's really hard to answer."

Cinder immediately regretted asking when she heard that confession. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to-"

Fall immediately stood up. "Don't apologize, Cinder. You want to know how to be a Maiden, right?"

"That's right." Cinder stood up. "I thought, since you were the first, you had the chance to decide for yourself."

"That's a good point." Fall began to have a good idea as to how she could best explain herself to Cinder. "I can tell you how I used my powers when I was alive, if you'd like."

For the first time, in a long time, Cinder became excited. The idea could be compared to history coming to life before her eyes. "Absolutely!" she exclaimed. "But first... maybe I should know more about you, first."

"Such as?"

"...Who exactly are you?"

Fall paused for a few moments before her face showed a soft smile. "Who am I?" she asked with a giggle. "Just a simple girl from simple beginnings."

The look on Cinder's face showed Fall that the young girl wanted to hear more, so Fall decided to grant this wish. Not because she felt her past was special, but because Cinder asked so nicely; and Fall knew she was able to do this for her new friend.

"I suppose I can start at the beginning," Fall said as she began to walk around in the void. "My father's name was Ciel. He was the son of a wealthy landlord, someone who always had his head in the clouds. My mother's name was Terra. She was more down to earth, quite literally. Her family were farmers who lived on the land my grandfather owned."

"How did they meet?" Cinder asked as she followed Fall.

"By chance, actually. My father was helping collect the taxes from everyone who lived on his family's land. When he came to my mother's house, she was alone while her parents were selling the harvest of their farm. So she answered the door and met him for the first time."

"Really? That's interesting."

Fall softly laughed. "Not as interesting as what happened next; when my father offered to come back later, my mother invited him inside to wait. Her parents came home hours later and found the two of them talking and getting to know each other. When they saw what was going on, they already knew the two of them had fallen in love."

"Fallen in love? But they seemed like..."

"Complete opposites?" Fall laughed again. "They definitely were. And yet, they practically spent every day together, doing everything together. Two years later, they were married. One year after that, they had me."

"..."

Cinder decided to hold off her questions until the end of the story. Until then, she listened as Fall shared the story of her life.

"Winter, Spring, and Summer came later on. Spring was born premature, so she was the shortest of all of us. We all had our faults, but our parents loved us all the same. We rarely left the land Father inherited when we were children. It was he who told us why it was so special; his father bought the land and made it into a sort of safe haven from the Grimm. He wanted to take in those who had no place to go, to help those who only wanted to live in peace. Father passed this idea onto us, and Mother taught us how to treat everyone like we should treat the earth; with respect and care."

Cinder thought about how she was raised to do the same thing. Djarin had taught her always to keep any promise she would make, to show respect to the people who enlisted her services. She was also taught how to treat the Mandalorians, specifically the Children of the Watch, with respect. And as she made friends and learned to become a Maiden, Cinder began to see the bigger picture. It seemed that Fall saw this bigger picture at a young age.

"When we grew up, Mother and Father told us it was time to take what we learned and let us out into the world," Fall continued. "We all knew it was time to decide what we wanted to do with our lives. Summer and I even believed we could do some more good outside our home. So after we decided to reunite and return home after one year, we went our separate ways. I think you know how the rest of the story goes."

Cinder broke her silence with a new insight. "That was when you met Ozpin," she said.

"Yes," Fall confirmed. "When he gave us our gifts, we were amazed. We all knew we had to go and tell our parents what happened. So we left one by one and reunited back home."

"What happened?" Cinder asked. "Were they scared?"

"At first," Fall replied honesty. "But we showed them how we could use our powers. Winter approached a child with a heavy fever and cooled his body to aid his illness. Spring covered every house on the land with flowers. Summer warmed those houses with a strong fire in their fireplaces. And I pushed away an incoming storm that was strong enough to raze many homes."

The feats Fall described amazed Cinder, but they also confused her. "You... showed off your powers?" she asked. "To the whole village?"

"That's right."

"But weren't you afraid? Shouldn't you have hid them?"

Now it was Fall's turn to be perplexed. "Hide them?" she asked. "Why would I do that?"

"Because of the people who would be after the power. Because of Salem." Cinder stopped walking. "I mean, look at me! I'm here because someone took what wasn't hers! Because she knew what I had and what I could do with it!"

"That's... a fair point, Cinder. But didn't you say you wanted to do more as a Fall Maiden? Weren't you tired of hiding?"

"Well... I was. There were times when I did more instead of guarding a Relic. And times when I really thought I could do even more than that. But that was before I found out my powers could be stolen like they were. If I knew that, I would have been more careful than I was."

"Cinder, we both know there's more you can do instead of hiding. Consider this; my grandparents had enough wealth to buy acres of land outside the Kingdoms. They didn't hide what they had, they shared it with the world. If they didn't do that, my parents might not have met. My sisters and I may have never been born."

"True... but that's not the same thing."

"Sure, it is. When you have a gift, something you know can help others around you, it's not something you should hide. Something you shouldn't be ashamed of. You have a right to show it, and a responsibility to use it for the betterment of others' lives. Especially in a world where the Grimm walk the earth."

"..."

Fall could see that she was getting through to Cinder, so she decided to finish her story on a high note. "After we received our Maiden powers, my sisters and I each had different ideas how we could use them," she began. "Summer ended up staying with our parents, and she eventually inherited the land we lived on. The rest of us went abroad, seeing Ozpin and each other every year. I never really liked the capital cities, they were always crowded. And they didn't need the same kind of help people living outside did."

"..."

"I spent my days in the outskirts, helping whoever I could whenever I could. At first, I used my powers to bend nature however people needed it. A splash of rain here, a warm fire there. As I grew older, I began to build my confidence against the Grimm. So I helped villages drive them away too."

"...You're right." Cinder awkwardly laughed as she moved her hair. "I'm sorry. I was being silly."

"Don't be sorry." Fall smiled at the young girl. "You knew all of this too. A friendly reminder never hurts anyone."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Cinder, we all get scared sometimes. There's nothing wrong with getting a nudge in the right direction. All that matters is you never stop learning. Whether it's from experience or from a mistake, never stop learning."

"About what?"

"Anything. The world, our powers, even things about yourself." Fall suddenly had an idea. "You know, the other Maidens can help you learn too."

Cinder immediately thought about the possibility. When she was strong enough to return to the real world, she could see everyone she cared about again. Not only that, but she could meet the other Maidens as well. Ozpin was planning to introduce her to the Winter Maiden, but there was no reason not to look for Spring and Summer as well.

If Fall could open Cinder's eyes and tell her not to be afraid of revealing her true potential, there were other important lessons the other Maidens could teach her. Cinder could indeed become the best Maiden on Remnant.

"I'll do it," Cinder said proudly and confidently. "When I leave, I'll find the other Maidens. I'll find a way to reach out to your sisters and learn what it takes to be a great Maiden. I promise."

Fall softly gasped when Cinder made her promise. Not only because she was surprised by the young girl's determination and passionate spirit, but also because of the mention of her sisters.

"Of... Of course," Fall whispered. "That should be possible. If you find the other Maidens, there may be a way to reach out to my sisters!" Fall began to laugh again. "That's a great idea, Cinder! I never even thought of that!"

Cinder looked at Fall in a perplexed manner. "Wait, isn't that what you were saying?"

"Oh, no. I was talking about the other Fall Maidens."

Cinder's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, that's right! They're all here too, aren't they?"

"Right! I think they can help you pick up where we left off. And I think they're ready to meet you too." Fall gestured for Cinder to follow her. "Would you like to meet them?"

Cinder immediately smiled. "Of course I would!"

"Better not keep them waiting, then."

---

Author's notes: hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments, I'm glad you like the new arc so far. Hope you all enjoyed a chapter with a change of pace. Hope I didn't confuse you with what Fall was trying to teach Cinder about the Maiden powers and the void they're both in right now. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.

To Rider126, not as chaotic as what's going to happen next. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Servos New Head, you'll have an answer about our mystery guest next time. Glad you liked everything else, especially Djarin's disguise. You can compare it to a holo-shroud, but Djarin is using a piece of Ozpin's magic to disguise himself. Like how Qrow can turn into a bird. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To GojiraFan455516, the Blairs are indeed the children Ozpin and Salem had (clones, to be more precise). Yes, Winter did lose an eye. Not everyone can walk away from the Fall of Beacon unscratched. As for your idea about our mystery guest, you'll have an answer next chapter. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To CT7567Rules, I based Aurora and the Blairs off of characters from Sleeping Beauty, you're right. The war has indeed been kicked off, and you'll see more clans very soon. You're right about the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral, there are definitely more since Obi-Wan didn't give anything to Salem. I can't say anything about the White Fang at the moment, but Willow is definitely focusing more on the people. You indeed saw Luke and you'll see who this new person is next chapter. I won't be doing any more Resident Evil stuff now, but I'm glad you liked what I did for Cinder. I'm sure I'll like your story, I can't wait to check it out. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

That's all I have right now. I'd really like to hear your thoughts about the chapter and the story so far, so please leave your thoughts in the comments. I'll be happy to hear what you have to say.

Until then, the Court of Talons is adjourned. See you next time!