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.

49. Chapter 49

Quick note: hey everyone, hope you're doing good. Sorry it took me a while to make this chapter, but it's ready now. Before I begin, I just want to say that I was inspired by another work of fiction you might know to develop some character and explore certain concepts in RWBY. I'm not trying to steal ideas or be unoriginal, I just wanted to see how it could work in RWBY. You'll know it when you see it.

So without further ado, here's the latest chapter of The Way of the Maiden. Enjoy!

Chapter 49: The Soul

The sands of Vacuo were as unpredictable as they were long and arduous. When one day would offer a tranquil environment with the only burden being a scorching sun, the next would produce sandstorms strong enough to make the ground swallow people and villages alike.

The nights were often the most unpredictable, mostly due to the change in temperature. Where one night could be just as hot as the day, the next could also be cold enough to rival the climate of Argus. Tonight proved itself to be rather moderate and safe enough to travel, which was what one man was doing.

From the city of Vacuo, one man traveled alone with nothing but a black case and a brown trench coat for protection. He traveled across a well known path, one that was commonly used by the people of the capital city and one that was safe from bandits or Grimm.

The man wouldn't normally make trips outside Vacuo at this hour, but he knew his services were needed somewhere else.

As he came across a fork in the road he was traveling, the man turned left towards a building that stood out amongst the sand. Unlike most villages outside the capital, this building appeared to be in a more solid condition. Its main purpose was to give shelter for the weary traveler, but the man's visit would be a short one. After he shook the sand off his coat and shoes, the man opened the door to hear a bell jingle above his head.

"Be right there!" a voice called out.

The man removed his jacket and waited beside a counter for the owner of the voice. And soon enough, a woman with graying brown hair emerged from another door and welcomed her guest with a friendly smile.

"May I help you, sir?" she asked politely.

"Yes," the man replied. "I'm Doctor Ball, from the capital. I was told about a patient here."

"Oh, yes." The woman pointed her finger towards the stairs behind her. "First door on the left. You'll see her with Professor Ozpin."

"Thank you."

The doctor moved away from the desk without hesitation and climbed each wooden step until he came across the first door on the left side of the hall. Since he heard that the patient he came to see had company inside, the doctor gently tapped on the door rather than walking inside.

"Come in," a man's voice said from the other side.

The doctor gently opened the door and saw an older man with gray hair and tinted eyeglasses right beside a young woman in a bed. He had been told the identities of these people before coming here, and he was aware that the girl wasn't simply sleeping.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Ball," the man said as he put down the black bag he was carrying and extended his hand.

"Good evening," said Professor Ozpin as he shook the doctor's hand. "I'm Professor Ozpin." When he stopped shaking, Ozpin gestured towards the teenager in the bed. "And this is Cinder."

"Very good." The doctor opened his medical bag and began to remove a series of tools from it. "Are you her father?"

"No, her father's not here." Ozpin looked back towards Cinder. "I was just about to tell her, actually. I got here just before you did."

Talking to comatose patients was a common thing for people to do, so the doctor understood that Ozpin might have done the same with Cinder. "No matter," he said as he took out a small flashlight and stethoscope. "We can still get started."

Ozpin moved aside so the man could do his work. The first thing he did when he came to Cinder's side was examine the medical machine she was connected to. Despite the fact that the machine appeared to be working as intended, the doctor chose to rely on his own equipment to give Cinder a proper checkup.

The first thing he did was check her heartbeat.

"Hmm..." the man hummed as he listened to Cinder's heart and looked at the machine. He then looked at a watch he was wearing on his left hand. "Heartbeat sounds normal," he said as he moved the stethoscope across Cinder's chest. He then paused as he listened to her lungs. "Breathing as well as one can expect."

"..."

Ozpin chose to watch in silence as the man conducted his work. But he had to answer a question the doctor asked.

"Um, Professor... are you aware that there appears to be a Grimm on her hand?" the doctor inquired.

"I am," said Professor Ozpin. "There was an earlier incident with this. The last doctor said it wasn't hurting her, however."

"..."

The next thing the doctor did was open Cinder's eyes, one at a time, while he shined his flashlight directly into her pupils. "No reaction," he said as he closed Cinder's eyes. He then used his stethoscope again and placed it on both of her wrists. "Moderate pulse."

"..."

The doctor then moved back to his bag to take out a device that tested blood pressure. He had to assemble part of it, given the size of the machine, but he was able to use it to check Cinder's blood pressure. Once he saw that there were no irregularities, he then moved Cinder's arms and legs. The last thing he did was look at Cinder's back.

"When he returns, you should tell Cinder's father to be more careful about moving her," the doctor said as he moved away from Cinder. "There are some early signs of bed sores on her back."

"Understood," said Ozpin. "Is there anything else you require?"

"Just one thing." The man began to disassemble his blood-pressure device and place it back into his medical bag. "When I agreed to come here, I was told that Cinder's previous doctor had left some notes about her vitals."

"Ah, yes." Ozpin moved towards a small desk in the room. He then took a piece of paper that was left directly on the center of the desk and handed it to the doctor. "I believe these results were mostly positive."

"Let's see now," said the doctor. He examined the paper carefully and compared it to the results of the tests he had just run on Cinder. "Her vitals appear to be normal. More or less the same as what this says here."

"Are there any improvements at all?"

The doctor hummed once again as he reflected on what he observed with Cinder. "Some. I can assure you that she's not getting any worse. In terms of getting better... it seems this is rather slow." He then put down the paper and looked at Ozpin. "How long did you say she's been like this?"

"Over a month, sadly. About... five weeks, I believe."

"Five weeks..." The man looked back towards Cinder as he pondered this information. "Just about the same time as this Mandalorian war started, I believe."

"Oh, yes. She actually fought at the Fall of Beacon."

"My word..." The doctor couldn't help but look back at Cinder with a different point of view. "She must have been very brave. Is that how she became comatose?"

"It is." Ozpin had hoped for an opportunity where he could hide the truth about Cinder's coma since it happened. "And you're correct about her bravery. If she were awake now, I have no doubt she would be right at her father's side."

The good doctor hadn't exactly heard what happened to Djarin, and Ozpin's sentiment had piqued his curiosity. "Meaning?" he asked calmly.

"He recently decided to return to the front line of the war," Ozpin explained. "He believed his skills could be put to more use fighting as opposed to teaching here at Vacuo."

"Oh, dear. I hope he doesn't mistake bravery for foolishness."

"As do I."

When the doctor realized that he may have overstayed his welcome, he finished up packing his equipment and moved towards the door. "Here's my card," he said as he gave a small card with a name and phone number to Ozpin. "In the meantime, I'd like to prescribe an ointment for Cinder, should the bed sores on her back grow larger. I'll come back in another week."

"Thank you, sir. Good night."

Ozpin chose to stay behind as the doctor took his leave. As he looked at the card and the prescription he had been given, Ozpin made a mental note to pick up anything Cinder would need in the morning.

Right now, he simply chose to reflect on recent events.

"I must apologize, Cinder, for this change," Ozpin began calmly. "While Djarin is away, I'll be looking after you. Sadly, I don't know when he will return. But I hope you can take comfort in knowing that he left to help you."

"..."

The silence was as disheartening as always, but Ozpin continued to speak. "Try as I did, I couldn't stop your father from going after Aurora," he said. "He believes killing her is the key to restoring your power. I can't say that I disagree."

"..."

"But whatever happens, Cinder, know that I'll be here for you." Ozpin gently took Cinder's hand in his as he made his sincere promise. "We'll... I'll... find a way to help you. You have my word."

"..."

The saddened professor let go of Cinder's hand and sighed. "I just wish you could hear me, is all."

"..."

Ozpin had no idea that his wish had come true the moment he walked inside the room.

---

In the void, Cinder had been hard at work rebuilding herself from the ground up. She had been told about the possibility of reconnecting with the power of the Fall Maiden, and how that possibility could only be achieved through a connection with her body, mind, and soul. Cinder was now focusing on her body and repeating a feat she had learned from the original Fall Maiden.

By focusing on what power she had, Cinder had been able to partially reconnect her body and soul together. She had mainly used it to listen to the world around her, and she had heard a lot. She had heard every conversation Djarin had started whenever he walked into the room, heard every blast of wind strike the windows, and now she had just finished hearing Ozpin and a doctor he was with.

More importantly, she had just heard that Djarin had left to find Aurora.

Cinder opened her eyes quickly when silence reached her ears. "Dad," she said nervously. Fear and concern grew within her as she stood up and processed everything she heard from Ozpin and the doctor. The spark within her died down and cut the connection to her body, but that was the last thing on her mind.

As soon as she learned what her father planned to do, Cinder knew that only disaster could follow. Even if Aurora had a fragment of the Maiden powers, she still posed a great threat. It would probably be difficult to find her, but it would be close to impossible to beat her alone.

Cinder knew that she had to help her father before he hurt himself. After all, she knew it was the least she could do ever since she had pushed him away for her own beliefs and self-interests. But in order to help him, there was only one thing to do.

Cinder had to leave the void.

"Fall!" Cinder called out into the blank environment. "Fall, where are you?! I need your help, please!"

"Hey, hey, no need to shout," a calming voice said from behind. Cinder turned around fast to see a glowing woman behind her. And sure enough, it was Fall; Cinder's mentor in the void. "I'm right here. What's wrong?"

"It's my dad," Cinder began. "He's going after Aurora, alone. He thinks it'll help me, but it's going to get him killed! I have to help him!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down!" Fall waited a minute for Cinder to relax and catch her breath. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I... I heard it from Ozpin. I was meditating and focusing on the power I still have, just like you taught me. I used it connect back to my body, and I heard Ozpin mention that my dad's trying to find Aurora. But if he does that, who knows what she'll do to him with my powers?"

Fall understood Cinder's fear and she was prepared to help. But she needed to know what she needed. "You're right. How can I help?"

"I need to get out of here."

"..."

Cinder could see that Fall was about to protest, so she decided to explain herself further. "I know, I know I still need to do a few things. Connecting to my body, my mind, and my soul. All of them should be able to help me get my powers back, right?"

"That's right. But Cinder, this isn't something we can just rush. You've done a great job connecting your mind and soul together, and you're still working on your body and soul. But the connections you've made aren't strong enough to help you regain your powers. There's still a lot of work to do."

Cinder had trusted and followed Fall's advice and wisdom for quite some time. So she knew what the woman was saying was true, but that didn't set her worries at ease. "So let's get to work again," she said. "I can work on my body and soul. Just tell me what to do."

"Cinder, it's not that simple. And rushing into this could lead to more harm than good. We need time."

Cinder felt a tear fall down her cheek as she listened to her mentor. While she wasn't willing to argue with this idea, Cinder hated the idea of her father risking his life for her. "Fall, please. There has to be something I can do. I... I don't want my dad to get hurt because of me."

Once again, Fall understood how Cinder was feeling. The fear of losing a family member was very familiar to her, since she knew the dangers her sisters faced when they were still alive. She wished that she could help Cinder, but the ability to reclaim her powers and make certain connections wasn't something to take lightly or finish right now.

However, that didn't necessarily mean that Fall didn't know a way to help Cinder.

"There might be a way to help you," Fall finally answered. "A way to make your inner connections stronger than they ever were. And maybe, just maybe, they can help you reconnect with your powers."

"Really?" Cinder asked optimistically. "Where do we start?"

"I know another Maiden who can help you, someone who understands this better than me." Fall began to walk away from Cinder, but gestured for her to come along. But rather than walk, Cinder practically sprinted over to her mentor.

"Are you sure about this?" Cinder asked. "I'm sure you can teach me about this, or maybe Lila. Everything you two did has helped, I can feel it."

"Thanks for the compliment," Fall said with a smile. "But like I said, the Maiden we're meeting has more experience and a better understanding with what I want to show you. And we're all unique, you can still learn something from all of us."

"But what are we doing, exactly?"

"I'll let her explain that."

"..."

Cinder couldn't explain it, but there was something about Fall and her presence that would always make her feel better. When she first arrived in the void, Fall helped Cinder see that she would be fine. And then, when she was on the verge of a panic attack after finding out what the void was, Fall once again calmed her down. And now, when her father was in imminent danger and Cinder couldn't do anything about it, Fall went out of her way to help her see things differently; to see a new kind of hope, to be exact.

Cinder didn't know how long she had been in the void for, since there didn't really seem to be any concept of time here. In fact, she didn't even need to sleep or eat anything since she arrived. But Cinder believed that the time she had gotten to know Fall felt like an eternity, that she had known her practically her whole life.

It was almost like Fall was the mother Cinder never had.

After about a minute of walking, Cinder and Fall were greeted by the sight of another woman. And one look at her told Cinder that she wasn't like the other Maidens she had met. Unlike them, this woman appeared to be much older. Her face showed signs of extreme age, as did the gray streaks in her hair. She also appeared to be shorter as well, despite the fact that she was sitting in a meditative state on the invisible floor. She was wearing a white robe tied with a purple sash, one that appeared to be very long in both the arms and legs. At her feet rested a simple walking stick.

When she opened her eyes, it was revealed that the woman was also blind. But she didn't appear to be mute.

"Ah, there you are," the woman said as she stood up with the stick. She was indeed shorter than Cinder and Fall, but nobody pointed this out. "I was wondering if I would ever meet the new Fall Maiden." Before Cinder could introduce herself, the woman moved her head up and down. "Hmm... very young, I see. Such a striking appearance too."

Cinder looked at the woman's face again and saw that her eyes were completely gray. And yet she seemed to be looking right at her and describing what she was "seeing." Cinder was profoundly confused by this, so she looked over to Fall. "Is... she blind?" she asked. "Can she see-?"

*WHACK*

"Ow!"

Cinder grabbed her arm after the woman's walking stick had just struck her. "Blind, yes," she confirmed. "Deaf? Not even close. You'd do well to respect your elders, young lady."

Cinder looked back to Fall, who simply shrugged. "Don't look at me," she said. "I didn't say anything."

This was true, so Cinder decided to make up for the insult she inadvertently made towards the woman. "Um, I'm sorry," she said as she let go of her arm. "I didn't mean to offend, I just-"

"You have a lot to learn," the woman said. "I agree." She took a few steps back while looking at Cinder. "Appearances can be deceiving, my young friend. As for what I can or can't see..."

"I'm sorry, I-" Cinder gasped when she suddenly saw something unexpected. "Oh, my Gods!"

On top of the woman's forehead, right in the center, was a third eye. It seemed to have opened like a sideways eyelid, but the eye was glowing brightly. And it was staring right at Cinder.

"There's more than one way to see things, Cinder," said the woman. "You'll realize that soon enough."

"..."

Cinder was beginning to recover from the shock she had just received, so Fall took this chance to introduce her to the woman. "Cinder, this is Karma," she explained. "Out of all the Fall Maidens, she's had our powers practically all of her life. And she lived for quite a long time."

Cinder looked back at Karma, whose age showed that Fall was telling the truth.

"Her Semblance allows her not only to see what's around her, but also see on another level of perception. Namely, into our very souls."

The last part immediately caught Cinder's attention. "Our souls?" she repeated. "That's..." Cinder was immediately reminded that appearances could be deceiving. She would have said that such a thing would be impossible, but the third eye on Karma's head was already defying what was possible.

"Yes," said Karma. "In your case, dear, I can see that you're very worried about your father. Perhaps I can be of assistance."

"How did-?"

"..."

Cinder chose to cast aside any doubt that she had at the moment. Instead, she cleared her throat and spoke calmly. "I'd be very grateful, ma'am," she said sincerely.

"Of course." Karma's third eye closed, as she didn't need it at the moment. "Fall, dear, I'll take it from here."

"Thank you, Karma," said Fall. "But could you do me a favor? I'd like to talk to Cinder before you do too much."

"Very well. Off you go."

Fall nodded and smiled at Cinder. "I'll be right where I found you earlier. We'll have a talk." With that, she walked away into the whiteness of the void and faded from sight. Cinder stopped looking towards Fall at this point and turned to her new teacher.

"Now, then," Karma began. "Do you know why you're here, Cinder?"

"Um... not exactly," Cinder explained as she moved downwards. "But Fall said that-"

"Don't sit!"

Cinder practically jumped back on her feet as she obeyed the loud command.

"Not just yet," said Karma. "Now, you were saying?"

It seemed that Karma was a very strict person, given that she chose a time for sitting and standing. All Cinder could do at the moment was respect her wishes and explain herself further.

"Well, Fall said that you might help me connect back with my powers," she said. "So far, I've been making new connections between my body, mind, and soul."

"Ah, yes. A very wise decision. And have you succeeded in this matter?"

"I, uh... I've made some connections, yeah. My mind and soul worked really well, actually. I managed to find out what power I have and make it connect my soul to my body."

"Hm. Are you sure about that?"

"...What?"

"You said you found out how much power you have. Please, show me."

"Um... okay."

Cinder closed her eyes and focused on the portion of the Maiden powers she had left. Normally, she used them to listen to the world around her. But now, she decided to see how well they worked in the void. Her eyes began to burn just as they always did, and Cinder lifted her hands forwards. As she did, a series of sparks formed in each hand and soon died down.

But she could have sworn that the last spark almost made a fire.

Cinder found this process to be both distressing and a step in the right direction, given that she could only make sparks when she first came to the void. She still wanted to make fire, but Cinder was forced to stop and take deep breaths when pain began to arise.

"That's... all I have right now," she said. "It's not much, I know. But Aurora doesn't have everything."

"..."

Much to Cinder's discomfort, Karma's third eye had opened again to see the sparks. When they were gone, the eye moved up and down to look at Cinder. It then glowed a different color before it shut.

"You have more power than you think, Cinder," said Karma. "If you didn't... would I not be able to do this?"

All of a sudden, Karma's blind eyes began to burn a blue flame. As they did, Karma's hands erupted in flame and created a circle around her and Cinder. The elderly woman then floated above the ground, seemingly with air instead of fire. And for her final act, Karma created a halo of ice that fell and extinguished the fire around her.

"..."

Cinder watched in awe and shock at each of the three miracles and found herself at a loss for words when Karma lowered herself to the ground and smiled.

"Cat got your tongue, dear?" she jokingly asked.

Cinder found her voice again, but she wasn't able to form a complete sentence. "You... How did... But... I can't-"

"Appearances can be deceiving, Cinder. Not just in my case, but yours as well." Karma raised her stick and gently tapped Cinder's chest. "We all share the same amount of power you have right now. But in your case, your body and soul don't have the energy to use it. That will all change once we finish your next lesson."

Cinder began to grow hopeful once again. It seemed that Fall was right about Karma helping her in this case. As for what this next lesson was, Cinder had no idea. "...Which is?" she asked.

"We will be unlocking all seven of your chakras."

Hope turned into confusion for the young Maiden. "Uh... my what?"

Karma slightly frowned at the question. "They never taught you this at school?" she asked.

"If you mean the Huntsmen Academies, no," Cinder replied.

Karma sighed and muttered to herself. "Such a wasted opportunity." She then cleared her throat and spoke normally. "Let me explain." The old woman used her Maiden powers again, but all she did was make a small ice cube. "Imagine this ice cube represents your body. The water inside is all your energy, which is manifested through your Aura."

Cinder silently paid attention and followed along with the example.

"A chakra is a specific spot in your body where a vast amount of energy resides." Karma placed her second hand under the hand with the ice cube. "In its current state, the energy is locked in your body and restricted from your soul. Just like the water in this cube. But when it's unlocked..." Karma used her powers again to melt the ice cube and let the water flow to her second hand.

"The energy flows!" Cinder realized as she watched the water move freely from one hand to the other.

"Very good. You're a smart one." Karma let the water fall to the invisible ground as she dried her hands. "Now, we'll be unlocking all of your chakras, to let all your energy flow freely through your body and soul. Only then can you, the living Fall Maiden, reconnect with your powers and send yourself back home. But first, I'd like to take a moment to see how much energy you have."

"Okay. How do we do that?"

"Just stay still. And take a deep breath."

Cinder complied with the woman's request.

Karma raised her hands above her head and slowly moved them downwards. Her Semblance unlocked her third eye yet again, which now glowed a shade of violet. As her hands moved downwards, the third eye moved with them and allowed Karma to see directly into Cinder's soul.

What she found was enough to leave her somewhat puzzled.

"Hmm..." Karma hummed as she repeated the motion once again. "Curious."

Cinder's first feeling evoked from the experience was confusion. "What?" she asked nervously.

Karma lowered her hands and stopped using her own Semblance. "It would seem you have already opened one of your chakras," she said. "Impressive."

"I have?" Cinder looked down at the rest of her body, but didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. "Are you sure? I don't feel any different."

"I wouldn't expect you to." Karma walked up to Cinder and firmly poked her chest. "Need I remind you that appearances can be deceiving?"

Cinder recovered from the pain instantly. "Sorry!" she said. "I just... wasn't expecting to do something like this already."

"Neither was I." Karma calmed down as she moved her blind eyes downward. "It would seem you have unlocked your root chakra, right at the base of your spine." Karma hummed again. "Do you think you can explain how you may have done this?"

"Um..." Cinder looked down where her new teacher was looking. "I... I don't know," she admitted. "How is it... unlocked?"

"The root chakra deals with survival, and it is blocked by fear. Was there ever a time when you needed to conquer a certain fear? This would need to be an extraordinary amount."

"..."

Cinder paused to think of a time when she was incredibly afraid. The most recent time was when she learned what the void was, and how she was stuck here now. But that fear died down with Fall's help, and Cinder wasn't as scared anymore.

She then thought about the time when Beacon was attacked, how she learned the truth about her teammates and how her power had been stolen. But this evoked more anger and determination than fear.

Cinder decided to think further back this time; back to when she was a little girl. There were many times when she was afraid for her life, whether it was from bounty hunters, Mandalorians, and Salem herself.

And then there was the time she went to train with Obi-Wan, when she had to face all of her fears in the strange cave.

"I can't be sure," Cinder replied honestly. "But it might have happened when I was ten. I had to do something in Mistral that involved me confronting... basically all of my fears at once."

"Did you succeed?" Karma asked curiously.

"...Yeah." Cinder remembered the three trials she had to pass, and how she had managed to let go of her greatest fears. "Yeah, I did."

"Well done, then." Karma walked away from her student and sat in front of her. "Now... shall we begin?"

Cinder sat down in the same manner and began to listen carefully. She began to feel calmer than before, given that she now understood chakras and had already unlocked one of them.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

"This next chakra, Cinder, is called the sacral chakra," Karma began. "Located at the abdomen. It focuses on pleasure, and is blocked by guilt. Tell me, what have you done that you feel guilty about?"

"..."

Cinder took a second to think of a response. "Well, I-"

"Don't be so quick. Meditate, and explain when you're ready."

Cinder obeyed and began to think deeply about anything she felt ashamed of. Recent events made this easy for the young girl, and she began to speak from her heart.

"I think... I'm ashamed of the times that I failed as a Maiden," Cinder began. "I still don't know if I saved anyone at Beacon. The people at the arena, my friends, or even... my dad." Cinder took a breath as she thought of something else she was ashamed of. "I've been looking for my birth-parents for a long time. When I thought I caught a break, that I finally found my real mother, I neglected everything else. I ignored my dad, shouted at him, and I think I was ready to focus less on my ties with him. But he didn't deserve that, he didn't-"

*WHACK*

"Ow!" Cinder yelled as she rubbed her head. Once again, Karma relied on physical pain to teach Cinder. Only now, the young girl couldn't explain what she did wrong. "What was that for?!"

"Too many words!" Karma replied. "Explain... simply."

Cinder calmed down and came up with a better way to express her feelings. "I just... wasn't focusing on what I already had. And now, I feel that I lost it."

Karma nodded. "There. Much better." After sharing the compliment, the old woman guided Cinder into unlocking her sacral chakra. "Cinder, whether this idea is true or not, you must accept the fact that this thing happened. Take responsibility, and forgive yourself. If you can't, how do you expect to seek forgiveness from others?"

"..."

The wisdom was greatly appreciated by Cinder. Ever since she found herself in the void, all she ever wanted was her father's forgiveness for being so blind. And yet, Cinder never actually tried to forgive herself. She regretted what happened, but she never believed that she could be worthy of forgiveness.

But now, Cinder knew that forgiveness was necessary. For every mistake she made as the Fall Maiden, as a friend, and as a daughter, Cinder knew that she had to do better. That she had to be better.

And the first step was to be better at forgiveness.

"It's okay," Cinder told herself as she focused on her guilt. "It's going to be okay. You'll be okay."

"..."

As Cinder assured herself that everything would be okay in the future, with the mistakes she made along the way, something happened. Cinder was being overcome with a feeling of warmth, as if she had been freed of any coldness life could throw at her. All of a sudden, she began to feel stronger as well; it was almost as if she had been granted a new life.

But that wasn't all.

When she opened her eyes, Cinder saw her hands had been engulfed in a small but noticeable orange light. While she wasn't sure what this meant, Cinder wasn't afraid of the light. It was warm, and it was around her entire body as well. It also seemed that it shined the brightest at her abdomen.

"Well done, Cinder," Karma said proudly. "You've unlocked your sacral chakra."

"..."

Cinder prided herself in her ability to open the chakra, and now she could see how helpful it was. She felt warm and strong, and she felt happy as well. Perhaps it was due to the energy of the sacral chakra, but Cinder was glad she did what she did. And now she was ready to open another one. Karma seemed to sense this, so she explained the next task.

"The third chakra is called the solar-plexus chakra," she explained. "Located directly at the stomach. The energy of this chakra focuses on willpower, but it's blocked by shame. When have you ever felt ashamed of yourself?"

"..."

Once again, Cinder closed her eyes and meditated on something she felt ashamed about. Of course, it was easy to compare her shame to her guilt, given that she felt ashamed of herself when she thought about her last encounter with her father. But even still, there was something that made her feel ashamed of herself. More than casting her father aside, Cinder felt that she had made a mistake that was worthy of shame.

"I trusted them," Cinder finally answered as she opened her eyes. "I opened myself up to them, let them know what I was trying to do... and they used it all for Salem."

"Who?" Karma asked.

"The Blair sisters. My teammates at Beacon."

"Ah... I see."

Cinder let out a heavy sigh as the shame of her misguided trust weighed down on her. "I just feel that a lot could have been different if we never met."

"Perhaps. But we can't focus on the 'what-ifs' for a situation such as this." When Cinder nodded in understanding, the old woman offered more of her exquisite wisdom. "Cinder, there will always be things in life beyond your control. What these sisters did to you was reprehensible, and they're the ones responsible for manipulating you. The actions with your father may have been your own accord, but you don't have to blame yourself for what they did to you or the people around you."

"So... what should I do? Accept that this all happened? Forgive myself again?"

"Indeed. But also, don't burden yourself with the actions of your enemies. Focus on your actions, and promise yourself to do better in the future."

Cinder closed her eyes and did her best to let go of her negativity. It was hard, given that the weight of it all was heavy. But when she remembered Karma's advice, the weight began to disappear. Cinder accepted the reality that what the Blairs did wasn't her fault, and she was able to promise herself that she would do everything she could to make sure they wouldn't hurt anyone else again.

As she made this promise, Cinder's body began to shine even brighter as another surge of energy from within warmed her. This time, it seemed to shine brighter at her stomach. When both of the women saw this, Karma congratulated Cinder for unlocking yet another chakra.

"Now then, I have one more chakra for you to unlock," the old woman continued. "Once you do, we're going to take a break."

"We are?" Cinder asked. "But this isn't so bad. I can do the rest now."

"No! You've merely unlocked the basic chakras in your body! The next ones will be harder. Much harder. We will rest after one more."

Cinder's gut was telling her not to question the woman again, so she reluctantly complied with the request. Maybe a brief rest would be better, as well as not rushing though a task as important as this.

"Which chakra?" Cinder asked.

"The heart chakra," Karma replied. "The energy in this one deals with love, but it's blocked by grief. Lay all your grief out in front of you."

Cinder closed her eyes and reflected on what Karma said. "Okay... grief."

"..."

"Grief..."

"..."

Cinder was starting to see what Karma was saying, about how hard the next chakras would be. She couldn't explain it, but Cinder was having a hard time thinking of anything in her life that dealt with grief. This was because Cinder couldn't think of anyone in her life that died. Djarin, Qrow, Ozpin, and Winter were all alive and well, despite what happened at Beacon. Even Penny had been rebuilt after she was cruelly torn apart.

Then again... that didn't necessarily mean she never lost anything.

Cinder felt somewhat guilty about this, but she came to believe that her greatest loss was Beacon Academy itself rather than a person. She had seen the Atlas air fleet destroy it in the hopes of eradicating any Grimm there and protecting the people in Vale. And right now, Cinder realized how much she really missed Beacon.

To her, Beacon wasn't a school, or a Huntsmen base, or even a place rich with opportunities to learn. To Cinder, Beacon Academy was her home. She had lived there for five years, training and growing alongside Ozpin and her father. Her best memories came from Beacon, and it was perhaps one of the only places on Remnant where she felt safe.

But now, Cinder was sure that Beacon was a pile of ash. Now, Cinder had no home to call her own.

"Before I came here... I saw Beacon Academy destroyed," Cinder explained. "I lived there for five years, it was my home. And now it's just... gone."

"Ah," said Karma. "Your home." The old woman was expecting an answer involving specific people in Cinder's life, but she understood how such an event could cause Cinder grief. "It's not easy to lose something like that within the blink of an eye. Tell me, did anyone else make it out like you did? Did they see Beacon Academy destroyed?"

Cinder took a moment to think about this. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, there were a bunch of people who saw it. Students, mostly."

"Then I'm sure they feel the same way as you. It's been a while since I saw the Huntsmen Academies, but students still live there, don't they?"

"Oh, yeah. I was just... different. Dad was a teacher there, so we lived at Beacon together." Cinder decided to express another feeling involved with her grief. "Karma... should I feel guilty about this? Grieving a home instead of people? It's just that... I can't think of a time when someone I cared about died."

The blind woman shook her head. "Loss and grief come in many shapes and forms, Cinder. Some lose people, others lose homes."

"..."

"Now that we know about your grief, your loss, I'd like you to think about something. I'd like you to think about the love you had for your home."

"..."

Cinder obeyed the command and thought about how much she loved Beacon Academy. She thought about the things she loved about it and the things she did there. These thoughts soon moved towards the people she was always with at Beacon, namely Ozpin and her father. Her feelings towards Beacon were connected greatly with how she felt about the two, and how well she displayed these feelings to them.

"There, you see?" Karma asked. "Your love for Beacon has helped you reaffirm your love for the people around you. Your friends, colleagues, and especially your family. This love swirls all around you, as well as them. And while Beacon may be gone, the love you have is in your heart. I'm sure it will be there forever."

As she pondered the idea, Cinder smiled when she realized that Karma was right. Beacon Academy was gone, but the impact it had left on Cinder wasn't going to leave any time soon. Thanks to Karma, Cinder could see that her grief couldn't stop her from sharing the love that she felt. Instead, she chose to let it out.

And once again, warmth and energy engulfed Cinder as her heart began to shine as bright as the sun.

"Very good, Cinder," said Karma, who had stood up and looked down at Cinder with her third eye. "That's another chakra opened. How do you feel?"

"...Better," Cinder honestly replied as she stood up. She then flexed her arms for a couple of seconds as she felt the strength in her body. "Much better. I think I see where this is going now. So once I unlock all my chakras, I'll wake up?"

"You'll have the strength to reconnect with your powers, yes. Back in my day, opening chakras helped strengthen your Aura. They still do, but the new connections in your body will help you find your powers. Once you make this connection, once you take back what was stolen, then you'll return to the world." Karma pointed towards the white void beyond her. "Right now, I think you should go talk to Fall."

"..."

"Go on, no dilly dallying!"

Cinder quickly understood and moved quickly towards the void to find Fall. "I'll be right back!" she promised. "I'll unlock the rest of my chakras!" She then smiled and waved at the blind woman before she went away.

But Karma didn't smile back.

"We'll see," the old woman sadly whispered when she saw that her student was gone. "Be strong, Cinder."

---

After Cinder left the company of her new teacher, she eventually found herself back with Fall. The woman's smile and waving arm were extraordinarily comforting, given that the same kind of positivity couldn't be seen with Karma.

"Welcome back," Fall said as she stopped waving. "How'd it go?"

"Uh... pretty good," Cinder replied slowly. She was proud to have unlocked four of her chakras, and she had witnessed the potential of unlocking all of them. But there were times when she found her teacher to be a little... uptight.

Fall had known Karma long enough to realize this was true, but she also knew that the woman meant well. "She's very wise, isn't she?" Fall asked in an act of encouragement. "I know she runs a tight ship, but she means well."

"Oh, I know," Cinder said with a smile. "And you're right, she's really smart. A little weird, but smart."

"She made you unlock your chakras, is that right?"

"Uh-huh. Apparently, an Aura has concentrated energy in the body that's just waiting to be spread out."

"Yes, I heard. The other Maidens and I remember when she unlocked all of hers. Did you just unlock all of yours?"

"No, I've gotten up to four right now. She wanted me to take a break after I unlocked the heart chakra."

Fall thought back on the time Karma went through the process of unlocking her own chakras. As she did, she remembered what came after the heart chakra. "That's probably for the best. The other ones weren't so easy for Karma to unlock." She began to look worried. "I don't think they'll be easy for you either."

"Yeah, Karma was saying the same thing, but I'm sure I can-" Cinder stopped talking when she saw how Fall expressed her thoughts. It almost seemed like the task was... impossible. "Wait... why not?"

"Well... the next ones aren't really as personal as the other ones were," Fall explained. "They require insight, an extraordinarily open mind, and above all else... truth."

"..."

The mere mention of these qualities made Fall let out a heavy sigh. The look on her face told Cinder that she appeared to be burdened by something, and that burden was making her depressed. Cinder had never seen Fall look so sad before, so she was immediately concerned.

"Are you okay?" Cinder asked. "What's wrong?"

Fall took a deep breath before she answered the young Maiden. "Cinder... there's something we have to talk about," she said as she slowly moved to the invisible floor. "You might want to sit down."

"Um... okay." Cinder joined Fall on the ground and gave her first teacher her undivided attention.

With that, Fall prepared to share a terrible truth with Cinder.

"Cinder... the other Maidens and I have seen a lot of things in our lives," she began. "We've seen everything and everyone we've lived with and fought against, and we've seen the world change countless times. I think for me, the biggest change was when Ozpin found all four Maidens and shared the truth for the first time. About his origins, the Gods, the Relics, and... Salem."

"..."

Cinder couldn't remember the last time Fall had mentioned Salem or anything else regarding her current mission. In fact, this may have been the first time Fall had even said Salem's name. Cinder wondered what was so important about her that Fall needed to say, so she continued to listen carefully.

"The fight against Salem was after my time, after the power had been passed down... about two or three times, I think. After that, each Maiden, one way or another, found themselves fighting against Salem and whatever she sent after Ozpin. And for a while, it worked. The Maidens that started fighting, and every Maiden after them, all believed that they could beat her, no matter what happened." Fall was smiling as she recollected these memories, since she found them so inspiring and wished she could have done something before she passed away.

But she stopped smiling very quickly.

"But then... one day, a Maiden found out something she... she probably shouldn't have discovered," Fall continued. "And when she learned it, we all learned it too."

The look on Fall's face began to worry Cinder. "What?" she asked. "What did she learn?"

"..."

"Fall, what is it?"

The first Fall Maiden let out a deep breath. "Cinder... what do you expect to happen when you fight Salem? After you wake up?"

Cinder needed a second to think about an answer to that question. "Well... I expect to be with my dad and Ozpin," she began. "I haven't really thought about how we'll retaliate, but I'm expecting when we meet face to face, we just... fight. And honestly, it'll end with one of us still standing." Cinder clenched her fists. "I'll kill Salem if I have to."

"..."

The look on her mentor's face made Cinder regret that she had to hear the last part. "I'm sorry, I know that's probably not what you'd expect from a Maiden," she began. "But I-"

"No, it's not that," Fall interrupted. "You're not the first person, let alone Maiden, to think that killing Salem is the only way to stop all of this." Cinder was a little relieved to hear this, so she let Fall continue. "Even I think Salem needs to go to fully stop her. So... I need you to listen carefully."

"..."

Fall was still unsure how she wanted to share the news with Cinder, but she managed to do it regardless.

"There is no killing Salem."

The statement was very blunt, and also a little strange to hear. Cinder couldn't help but briefly chuckle for a second. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that Salem can't be beaten in a fight," Fall explained. "She can't be stopped, she can't be beaten, and she can't be killed. Not by any power on Remnant, at least." Fall took a breath again as she finished her point. "Cinder... Salem's immortal."

Cinder stopped smiling when she saw how serious Fall was being. "Im... Immortal?" she repeated. "Bu... But how?"

"Do you recall what Ozpin told you about the Gods? The two Brothers?" Fall didn't wait for Cinder to respond. "They met Salem before they left Remnant. As punishment for defying them, the Gods cursed Salem with immortality."

"You mean... like Ozpin?"

Fall shook her head. "Ozpin can reincarnate, but he can still die. Salem can't. She can't age, she can't be killed, she... she just can't die."

"..."

Fall couldn't tell if Cinder was paying attention or if she was too dumbfounded to speak. She expected the young girl to ask how she knew all this or insist that she was lying. In order to deal with both possibilities, Fall continued to explain.

"One of the Maidens met Salem personally. She allowed her to do everything in her power to kill her. When everything failed, Salem told her the truth. It was all an attempt to win her over, but it didn't work. After she heard and saw everything about Salem... that Maiden took her own life."

"..."

Cinder couldn't explain it, but hearing this terrible truth made her feel incredibly weak. She was feeling dizzy, and was even having a hard time hearing Fall talk to her.

"Cinder? Cinder?!"

For the young Maiden, everything had gone completely black.

---

"-the only way she could unlock the rest of her chakras. And we both knew something like this would happen."

"I'm not doubting your logic, Fall. But I'm unsure of what path she will choose now."

"We can't just stop now! We need her, and she needs us more than ever."

These were the first few words that Cinder heard as she began to open her eyes. Rather than sitting on the ground like she was earlier, Cinder was now laying on her back. It seemed that someone had moved her to be more comfortable after everything went black.

As she lifted herself off the ground and rubbed her head, Cinder saw that she was still in Fall's company. However, she saw that Karma had rejoined them as well.

"Cinder!" Fall exclaimed, who was the first to see that the young girl was recovering from her ordeal. "Are you alright?"

"I... I think so," said Cinder.

"..."

But she wasn't.

Cinder may have been able to recover from passing out, but she still remembered what she had learned. The truth about Salem, something that she wasn't expecting to hear, weighed heavily on the young girl. She couldn't believe that it was true, that she had been fighting against an unstoppable force ever since she met Salem.

"So... it's true?" Cinder asked as she looked at both women. "Salem... can't be killed?"

Fall nodded. "Yes," she said. "It's true."

Cinder looked up at Karma next. "You knew about this?"

"I've known for a while," said the old woman. "In here... we all know. Each Maiden found out one way or another."

"..."

As she grabbed the sides of her head, Cinder felt like she was about to pull her own hair out. She was angry, confused, depressed; she felt every negative emotion known to man. All of these emotions were focused on the Maidens she had met, Ozpin, but most of all, herself.

"I should have known," she said. "I should have seen it."

"Cinder, no," said Fall, who put a hand on the child's shoulder. "This isn't your fault. You didn't-"

"No!" Cinder shot up from the ground and began to pace around. "I knew something was going on, I knew it! But why didn't he tell me?! I... I... I-"

"Cinder, wait a minute!" Fall stood up and grabbed Cinder so she could stay in one spot. "Just talk to us! What are you saying?"

Cinder was nowhere near being calm, but she complied with the request. "Five years ago, I talked to Ozpin about Salem," she began. "I told him how I figured that Salem must have been around for a while, ever since I found out about the fairy tale she wrote!"

"What? When?"

Cinder began to tear up, but she wiped them away before they could fall down her cheeks. "That was the day she and I first met! When Major Gideon kidnapped me! Salem told me that she wrote a really old story, so I knew she must have been alive for a while!" Cinder smacked her forehead in frustration. "I knew it! But I never imagined..."

"..."

Cinder fell to the floor as she refused to hold back her tears. It was true that she had her suspicions about Salem ever since she learned that her enemy was the author of The Girl in the Lonely Tower. These suspicions grew stronger when she learned about Ozpin's curse. However, she never imagined that immortality and invincibility were at play as well. She never imagined that the source of all evil on Remnant could never be destroyed.

She never imagined that Remnant was doomed from the start.

"Ozpin... why didn't you tell me?" Cinder whispered as her tears hit the invisible ground.

"He was afraid you'd lose hope," said Fall, who could hear what Cinder had said. "I'm not saying what he did was right, but he-"

"Right? Right?!" Cinder backed away from Fall. "He knew all of it! He knew how badly I wanted to fight, and he still kept all this from me! And what about my dad?! He's out there now, putting his life on the line so Salem can just bounce right back and wait another five years to get what she wants!"

"..."

Cinder had stopped crying at this point, but she grabbed her head again as the stress of her situation came down on her like a hurricane. "What... What am I supposed to do?"

"..."

"You tell us."

Cinder and Fall looked back to Karma, who was slowly walking over to her fellow Maidens while speaking. "You know the truth now, Cinder," she began. "And you also have a choice. You can continue your training and leave this place, be the Fall Maiden once again." Karma stopped right in front of Cinder as she presented the second option. "Or you can sit here and cry like a baby just because you think you've already lost!"

Cinder was immediately hurt by the blunt attitude of Karma, and so was Fall. After a gasp escaped her throat, Fall began to scold the old woman. "Karma, what's gotten into you?!" she asked in shock. "There's no need to upset her more than she already is!"

"Why not? We all learned the same thing about Salem, didn't we?" Karma turned back towards Cinder. "Well, now it's her turn! Now we need to know if she has what it takes to be like the rest of us, or if she'll give up and let us start all over again!" Karma raised two of her fingers. "She needs to see that it's one or the other, Fall! We all did, didn't we?"

"Not like this! I don't care how you're trying to spin it, but you're not helping!" Fall pointed at Karma as she made her declaration. "I know how much all of this means to you, but that's no excuse for-!"

"Give up?"

Fall and Karma stopped arguing when they saw that Cinder was staring right back at them. "...Who said anything about giving up?" she asked slowly and bitterly.

Fall didn't like where this was going, so she attempted to restore order between her fellow Maidens. "Cinder-"

"I don't know what it is you doubt about me," Cinder accused the old woman. "You've doubted me ever since you met me, I know." The negative words Karma had said to Cinder earlier rang through her head, and now she decided that she had her fill of it. "I don't know what it is you don't like about me, but I don't care. If you think I'm just gonna sit here and die because I have no idea how to stop Salem, here's a news flash." She immediately pointed at the blind woman. "This isn't how I'm going to die! Doubt me all you want, but this isn't how I die! I know how I'm going to die, and you better believe me when I say it's not gonna be from being patronized by some old crone who thinks she knows me! You got it?!"

"..."

Neither Fall or Karma were expecting such a reaction and response from Cinder, especially after what she had learned. Both of them had seen such resolve from a Maiden come much later after they discovered the truth about Salem, never this early. Between the two, however, Fall was more concerned about Cinder. She didn't want to see Cinder rely on anger like this, to keep fighting for the wrong reasons instead of the right ones.

Karma, however, felt nothing but pride as she listened to Cinder.

It was true that the wise Maiden had her doubts about Cinder, given her age and loss of powers. However, that didn't mean that Karma didn't have any hope for Cinder. When she first used her Semblance to see into Cinder's soul, she saw more than just memories and emotions. Deep inside Cinder, there seemed to be something else about her. Something... special.

Cinder had this... flame inside her soul. Something that had been weakened since she arrived in the void, but something that refused to be extinguished altogether. It seemed to be a strong-willed fighting spirit, something that Cinder may have had her entire life.

Ever since she saw it, Karma decided to make it her mission to make this flame burn as bright as possible. It was connected to many things in Cinder's life, namely friends and family. And if she was going to be the next Fall Maiden, Karma knew that Cinder would need it for the rest of her life.

Unfortunately, the greatest risk to this flame's existence was Salem's immortality.

Fortunately, Karma was ready to make Cinder continue her current course. She understood that her strict disciplinary methods and cruel words would result in Cinder having a negative opinion of her, but Karma knew that this didn't matter in the long run. What mattered was Cinder returning to the real world, reuniting with her father, and continuing to fight the good fight while protecting as many people as possible.

And now, thanks to these methods, Karma could see the flame in Cinder's soul was strong enough to melt any opposition in its path.

"...Very well," Karma said calmly as she sat down. "Sit down, Cinder. Let us continue."

"..."

Cinder and Fall were surprised to see that Karma had taken the outburst remarkably well. Cinder was surprised most of all, especially since she had just insulted the woman right to her face. While she was still angry about Salem, Cinder had calmed down enough to see that Karma didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of that anger.

"Karma, I-"

Karma raised her hand and pointed at the ground. "No dilly dallying!" she said. "Sit down."

Cinder looked at Fall, who also seemed unsure as to why Karma was willing to continue Cinder's lesson. However, she simply gestured to the ground to show that continuing would be the best course of action in this case.

So Cinder sat down and listened carefully to the old woman.

"There are three chakras you have yet to unlock, Cinder," Karma began. "The first of which is located in your throat. This chakra represents truth and is blocked by lies."

"Lies?" Cinder asked.

"Yes. More specifically, the lies we tell ourselves. In order to unlock it, we must stop lying to ourselves."

Cinder gasped as she looked back to Fall. "That's why you told me about Salem." She then turned to Karma. "You want me to see if I can stop Salem."

Karma briefly hummed at the idea. "Not quite," she said. "We know how hearing all of that felt, Cinder. Now that Fall shared the truth with you, we both need to know what you're going to do. You said you wouldn't give up, but be honest. What will you do when you return? Will you still oppose Salem and everything she stands for? Or will you concede?"

"..."

Cinder now understood what Karma was saying. It wasn't simply a matter of stopping Salem, it was a matter of what she planned to do with this knowledge, what she truly meant to do. Anyone could say that they would keep fighting, but this could easily be a lie.

More specifically, a lie Cinder would be telling herself.

"..."

Both of the older Maidens weren't exactly sure how much time had passed, but they knew that they had been in the same spot for a while. Fortunately, they were patient enough to know that Cinder needed a while to figure out the truth about herself.

And ultimately, she did.

"I... I don't know about Salem," Cinder confessed. "I might never know."

"..."

"But I do know this." Cinder stared firmly at Karma as she made a promise. "Whatever happens out there, there's only one thing to do. I... will keep moving forward. Until everyone I care about is safe. If Dad can do it, so can I."

Suddenly, the feeling of warmth and strength came back to Cinder. She welcomed it with open arms and felt much better as the energy of her chakra spread throughout her body. And once again, the light around her continued to shine brighter.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Fall, who could see that Cinder had unlocked another part of her soul and body.

"Nor would I," said Karma. "That's five down, and only two to go. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Cinder stated firmly.

"Now, the next chakra is located at the forehead. The energy inside deals with insight, but it's blocked by illusion." Karma opened her third eye again and looked at Cinder. "I don't see any illusion specifically blocking anything in your life, so I'd like to share another secret with you."

"About Salem?"

Karma slowly shook her head. "About the world."

"..."

"Cinder, there is another reason why Ozpin was prevented from ascending into the afterlife. While stopping Salem remains his top priority, he has another mission. All of mankind lives under the illusion that they are separate by nature. Humanity and the Faunus share this illusion more than anyone. Some have pushed for unity, others embrace this separation. Whether it be by race, Kingdom, or power, all of mankind tell themselves it is better this way."

The young girl had a good idea as to where this was going. "But it's not?" she asked.

"No, it's not."

Despite being aware that this lesson was far beyond her knowledge and power, Fall decided to share something with Cinder. "Ozpin wants to change that, Cinder," she said calmly. "He wants to show the people of Remnant that they belong together."

Cinder believed her teachers, but she didn't understand the purpose behind this goal. "But... why?" she asked. "That sounds... challenging."

"Oh, it is," said Karma. "Ozpin's spent all of his lives pushing for unity. What the world has right now is perhaps the closest thing to it."

Cinder thought about the state of the world right now, and how people still chose to separate themselves. If the current state of Remnant was the closest Ozpin had ever been to unity, then he still had much to do.

"So why does he want to change that?" Cinder asked again.

"I'd suggest you ask him yourself," said Karma. "Right now, to unlock your soul even further, ask yourself another question. Do you accept the reality that mankind belong together? Do you wish to see our world united?"

"..."

"Or do you believe that this separation is for the best?"

"..."

Cinder understood that the separation of mankind was the illusion Karma was referring to, but she had to admit that this was a good question. Did mankind belong together or not?

Cinder hadn't thought of it before, but she could see how the separation of Kingdoms and people had shaped most of the world. There was peace before the Vytal Festival attack, but there was still conflict among the people. Cinder had heard all about the division between humans and Faunus from people like Mary, and she had seen this first hand as well.

One of the greatest divisions, however, was between the people of Remnant and the Mandalorians.

Cinder had seen and learned how this division existed between the two factions. The Mandalorians may have been on the right side during the Great War, but she had learned how they were considered to be a black sheep of the allies. How they were never fully trusted by the majority of the people.

Now that division still existed today. There was hardly any welcome for Mandalorians anywhere, even though it was never a crime for them to wear their armor in public. Cinder recalled many times when people gave her father dirty glares simply because he refused to remove his armor. The descendants of Mandalore were never recognized or respected by anyone.

Perhaps that was why some declared a war on the world.

Cinder began to see how this new war was caused by illusion, how one side believed they were better than the other. The Mandalorians believed they had the right to conquer the world because mankind believed that the Mandalorians weren't worthy of respect. And now, Ozpin's work was becoming undone right before his eyes.

There was only one way to change that.

"Mankind belongs together," said Cinder. "Human, Faunus, Mandalorian... everyone belongs together."

Karma and Fall witnessed Cinder shine once again as her sixth chakra had been unlocked. Both of them were proud to see how far their student had progressed since coming here. First it was the ability to hear the world around her, then it was connecting to her mind, and now the task of making new connections to her body and soul was almost complete.

Almost.

"Then there is only one chakra left," said Karma. "This one is unique among the rest, Cinder. Unlike the others, unlocking this one... comes at a price."

"A price?" Cinder asked cautiously. She knew unlocking the chakras in her body required hard work and concentration, she was living proof of that. But this was the first time she ever heard of a chakra being unlocked by paying a price. "What kind of price?"

"The crown chakra, located at the very top of your head, is perhaps the most powerful and important," Karma explained. "The energy there is said to be purely cosmological, meaning it's existed since before you were born. In the case of the Maidens, unlocking this makes us even stronger and powerful than we once thought possible. In some cases, it makes us Fully-Realized Maidens."

Cinder gasped at the sound. She had heard what it meant to be a Fully-Realized Maiden, someone whose powers and abilities transcended anyone or anything on Remnant. It was perhaps the closest thing to obtaining real Magic. Ozpin and some of the other Maidens Cinder had met emphasized what it meant to be a Fully-Realized Maiden, and they all knew that Cinder was close to making this dream a reality.

Cinder remembered what it was like to tap into the power of the Fully-Realized Maiden at Beacon. And now she was sure she was ready to obtain it once again.

"Yes, it can help you on your way, Cinder," Karma confirmed, even though Cinder never put her thoughts into words. "However, you must make a choice."

Cinder had to remind herself what Karma had said about the chakra requiring a price. "What do I have to do?" she asked.

"As I said, the crown chakra possesses cosmological energy. However, it is blocked by earthly attachments."

Cinder's brow furrowed as she attempted to make sense of this factor. Her mind, however, came to a blank. "I don't understand," she confessed.

"Everyone attaches themselves to something on Remnant during their lives," Karma explained. "Objects, places... people. Am I correct that you are attached to your friends? To the people you've met and lived with throughout the years?"

"Um... yes. I mean, of course I am." Cinder thought back on all of her friends and her father as she answered Karma's question. "I mean, the whole reason I started this was to help my dad. Is that... blocking me?"

"It is. The attachments you have to the physical world leave you incapable of reaching your true potential."

As Karma was explaining this, Cinder closed her eyes and awaited instruction.

"In order to fully unlock your Aura, to regain the strength you need to connect with your powers, you must let those attachments go. They have to be free, they have to be separated. But most of all, they have to be forgotten."

The last word was strong enough to break Cinder's concentration. "Wait, what?" she asked as she opened her eyes. "What do you mean forgotten?"

"I mean you can't let them hold you back anymore. You have to let them go."

"Hold me back? They're not holding me back! They're the reason I'm moving forward!" Cinder looked towards Fall and hoped that she could be of some assistance. "Fall, tell her she's wrong!"

Fall had been a passive observer for this lesson, given that she had never gone though the process of unlocking her own chakras while she was alive. While the wisdom behind them was out of her jurisdiction, she had seen what unlocking each of them required.

And she knew that Karma was right.

"I'm sorry, Cinder," Fall said calmly and sincerely. "But Karma's right. The only way to unlock this chakra is to give up what keeps you connected to Remnant."

Cinder couldn't believe what she was hearing. About two chakras ago, she had said that it was her connection to her friends and family that made her keep moving forward. Now they just expected her to let it all go?

"Can I get back home without it?" Cinder asked hopefully. "With the chakras I've unlocked? Their powers should've helped me!"

Karma couldn't deny that Cinder had grown stronger with the six chakras she had unlocked. "Your Aura has gotten stronger, you're right," she admitted. "But you have to understand that the crown chakra won't just help you get home faster, but it will also help you on your path to becoming a Fully-Realized Maiden."

"..."

"The Maidens you met who became Fully-Realized took years to master their powers, to be strong enough to control it. The cosmic energy in the crown chakra will make obtaining this power and control easier and faster. Cinder... it's for your own good."

"..."

Fall could see that Cinder still wasn't sure about this course of action, and she could tell that Karma was expecting Cinder to put in the same amount of effort she did with the other chakras. And so, rather than wait for the teacher in Karma to reveal itself on an unappealing level, Fall decided to step in and try to reason with Cinder.

"We're not trying to be cruel, Cinder," said Fall. "And we wouldn't be asking this if we didn't think it would help you get home. Can you at least try?"

"..."

Cinder still had mixed feelings about this part of her lesson. While she wanted to get back home now, the young Maiden wasn't sure if she could pay the price Karma demanded. Nevertheless, Cinder decided to humor both Maidens by closing her eyes and concentrating.

When she envisioned the attachments she had to Remnant, Cinder pictured everyone important to her, the people who had the most impact in her life. Each of them had their significance, whether it was big or small. And right away, Cinder could tell this would be hard.

Professor Ozpin may have been keeping a big secret from her, but Cinder knew that she wouldn't have learned anything about being a Maiden without his help.

Seeing Qrow Branwen may have been a rare occurrence, given how often he left for missions. But he had been a friend to Cinder's family for a long time.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was also someone Cinder didn't see often, but he had put aside his own time to help Cinder control her emotions. Forgetting him wouldn't be fair.

Winter Schnee wasn't only Cinder's best friend, but she was also her first friend. And Penny Polendina still wanted to be friends with her too. What good was life without friends?

Each time Cinder thought about these connections, she tried to let them go. However, each reason she had for doing the opposite made Cinder stop and move on to someone else. The last person she tried to let go of was her own father, who perhaps gave Cinder the strongest attachment to the world.

"If this is where you feel your place is, then this is where you belong."

"Have faith in the Way of the Mandalore. Have faith in me."

"I can be your father, Cinder. Would you like that?"

"Wherever she goes, I go."

When her most cherished memories of her father came to her tenfold, Cinder opened her eyes and felt them tearing up once again. As she looked to Fall and Karma, she made a decision.

"I can't."

Karma slowly opened her third eye again to look into Cinder's soul. There, she saw why Cinder decided to refuse to unlock her crown chakra. "You mean you won't?" she asked.

"No, I..." Cinder sighed as she stood up. "I mean yes," she said. "I won't do it. I'm sorry."

"..."

Seeing that her lesson was over, for better or worse, Cinder turned heel and took her leave. Neither Fall or Karma chose to stop her, since they figured some time alone after such an effort was something she deserved.

Fall immediately felt a sense of pity towards Cinder. She knew how desperately she wanted to get home, and yet there were some lines that she wasn't willing to cross. Fall had seen Cinder struggle on her path to becoming the Fall Maiden, as well as how she reacted to those struggles. But deep down, Fall knew that Cinder had done the best she could. And that had to count for something.

Shouldn't it?

"That girl is going to be the best of us."

Fall escaped her thoughts as Karma's voice rang through her ears. To her surprise, Fall looked down to see that Karma was smiling as she looked in the direction that Cinder had left in.

"I'm sorry?" Fall asked out of confusion.

"I said she's going to be the best of us," Karma repeated as she stood up. "I'm proud of her, Fall."

The first Fall Maiden looked back towards the void and wondered if she misremembered something from a few seconds ago. "Why are you saying that?" Fall asked. "I'm sorry, I just... I thought you'd be upset."

"It is a shame she didn't unlock the crown chakra," replied Karma. "But didn't you see why she chose not to do so? Didn't you hear her earlier?" Karma looked back towards the direction Cinder ran off in. "I did. Do you know what I saw?"

"..."

"I saw that, according to Cinder, there's more to life than simply obtaining power. Perhaps even more to being a Maiden than obtaining power." Karma's smile grew wider at the mere idea. It was true that the teacher in her would be more strict and demanding of Cinder unlocking the crown chakra, but the Maiden in her could see the true measure of the child's soul.

And to her, that measure looked beautiful.

Fall was glad to see that Karma held Cinder in such high regard all of a sudden. Hope for the immediate future, namely Cinder's life on Remnant, had been restored to a degree. And she could see that the wise woman was right; Cinder cared more about life and Maiden-hood than simply obtaining more power.

Such a way could be opposed to what a Sith valued.

However, there was one part of it all that Fall remained unsure about. "Do you think they should help?" she asked. "The chakras?"

"Only one way to find out," Karma replied as she pointed outwards.

Fall understood and began to walk away from the wise Maiden. "Whatever happens next, Karma, I'm glad you were here to help." With that, Fall walked back towards the rest of the void to find Cinder.

"So was I."

---

Finding Cinder wasn't as hard as Fall initially expected. The only thing she was having trouble with was figuring out what she would be saying to her after what happened.

Fall knew that Karma had been hard on Cinder from time to time, but Fall was wondering if she had also been hard on Cinder. She was beginning to feel ashamed of herself for asking Cinder to give up something she clearly valued more than the Maiden powers.

If it had been her who was asked to give up what attached her to Remnant, Fall knew that she could never forgive herself if she had to forget about her sisters.

When she saw that this would be a good point to bring up, as well as an apology for what happened, Fall walked over to Cinder. She was currently sitting on the invisible floor, doing absolutely nothing but stare at the empty ground before her.

"Can I sit here?" Fall asked cautiously.

"..."

Cinder said nothing, but she replied with a simple nod. Thankful that she didn't seem angry with her, Fall took a seat at the spot Cinder was generously providing. Once she did, Cinder opened her heart to Fall.

"I listened to you ever since I came here," Cinder began. "You've been helping me get better and stronger for a while now. And I know you weren't trying to hurt me back there, but... it's not worth it, Fall. It's just not worth it."

"It's okay," Fall insisted. "I understand. If it were me back there, I'm sure I would have said the same thing."

Cinder had heard Fall talk about her sisters countless times, so she believed her when she said this. "But it's not okay." Cinder clenched her fists around the dress she was wearing. "You and Karma gave me a chance to be stronger, to be one of the Fully-Realized Maidens. And I said no." The young girl let out a sigh. "I'm not good enough. And I never will be."

"But that's not true."

"..."

"Cinder, look at me."

When Cinder obeyed, Fall spoke again. "Do you have the slightest idea of how proud I am of you?" she asked calmly. "Karma was the one who put it in perspective, but she showed me that you had good reason not to open the crown chakra. She showed me that you think there's more to life than obtaining power, and you're right. And that was after you unlocked all the other energies in your body and Aura."

Cinder's eyes widened at the idea. "She... She said that?" she asked. When she saw Fall nod, Cinder couldn't help but feel better about herself. "But... I was just thinking about going home."

"No." Fall gently tapped Cinder's chest when she pointed at her. "You were thinking like a Maiden. If you only cared about power, you would have been less than that. You would have been like... like a Sith."

"I... hadn't thought of it like that," Cinder said as she agreed with Fall. "Do you know about the Sith?"

"Only what Headmaster Kenobi told you. But it think it's enough to know that you're their complete opposite." Fall was starting to see that she was getting through to Cinder, so she had an idea. "And let's not forget why you unlocked the other chakras in the first place." She immediately stood up and offered a hand to Cinder. "The energy should help you tap in to your remaining power."

"..."

Cinder had indeed forgotten what set her on the path to unlock the power within her body and soul in the first place. As she took Fall's hand and stood up, Cinder considered the possibility of seeing her current potential. She couldn't remember the last time she had used her Maiden powers to a full extent, and she began to see how good it would be to have them back. It would be like welcoming an old friend she hadn't seen for ages.

Cinder imagined the possibilities before her. Instead of a simple spark, it was possible that she could make a warm fire around her, summon a cooling breeze to ease her troubled mind, or maybe she could make the invisible sky produce rain; all of which she hadn't seen in a very long time.

Perhaps she would be just like Karma and Fall when they showed her the power they still had.

Or maybe... the energy wouldn't be enough.

Cinder stopped smiling as she saw that the this was definitely possible. Whatever power she unlocked in herself might not be enough to reconnect with what she lost, to get back home. She could be stuck here.

Forever.

"I... I don't know," Cinder said as she let go of Fall's hand. "It might not be a good idea."

"Why not?" Fall asked.

"..."

Cinder was confident that she could make up a lie or claim that she was tired after spending all that time unlocking the energy within herself. But instead, she decided to be honest and upfront.

"I'm scared it won't be enough to get home."

Fall was sad to hear this, but she was also a little relieved. "Oh, okay," she said reassuringly. "We can work on that. I'm sorry, I was just expecting an answer involving Salem. I mean, after what I told you."

Cinder mentally sighed as she remember what Fall told her about Salem. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm stuck in here, but I don't feel as scared as I should be about that. Her being immortal, I mean. I just... want to get home. Salem can wait another day."

"I understand. But you're being braver than you might think. The other Maidens and I have seen people give up completely when they heard the truth. That's why Karma was so hard on you; she didn't want you to give up."

"I see that now. She was right to be hard on me." Cinder began to see how everything her new teacher had done, strange or not, was because she saw a bigger picture. "Do you really think I'm being brave?"

"Of course I do." Fall offered another one of her friendly smiles to show that she was telling the truth. "Especially after standing up to Karma like you did." She and Cinder shared a small laugh as they recalled the event. "Actually... there was something I wanted to ask you about that."

"You do? What?"

"What exactly did you mean back there? When you said you knew how you were going to die?"

"..."

Cinder stopped smiling as she remembered saying that. It was mostly an impulse, something that she said out of anger. However, she did have a reason for saying it.

Back then, she actually meant what she said.

"No, it's nothing," Cinder insisted. "I mean, it's stupid. You don't have to worry about it."

"No, it's not stupid," Fall replied. No matter what it was, she was willing to listen. "If it's about Salem, we can talk-"

"It's not that."

Cinder was beginning to see that Fall wouldn't be satisfied unless she got some semblance of an answer. But instead of leaving it at that, given how much Fall had done already, Cinder decided to share the truth with someone who deserved it.

"Fall... do you still sleep?" Cinder asked as she sat down to be more comfortable. "I mean, after you..."

"After I died?" Fall responded as she joined her friend. "No, not really. Sleep's not really something I need anymore."

Cinder understood this idea, even though she didn't know what death could do to a soul. "Well, before that, did you dream? I mean, a lot?"

"...Not really. But I still dreamed, on occasion." Fall didn't really see any sense in answering these questions. "What exactly are you getting at?"

"Well... I don't dream frequently either," Cinder admitted. "But there was this one dream that I had when I was a kid. One that, back there with Karma, just seemed... relevant."

"..."

---

Years ago

Words couldn't describe how happy Cinder was feeling right now.

Hours ago, she and Obi-Wan Kenobi had returned from the cave that had once meant nothing but fear and failure for the young girl. But now, she had emerged from the cave victorious and transformed. She felt braver, stronger, and much happier than when she had come to Mistral.

And now, after one more night's rest, she would be returning to Beacon Academy. Cinder would be going home.

Cinder was so happy about this that she actually couldn't get herself to sleep. She had brushed her hair, brushed her teeth, changed for bed, and carefully put away a gift she planned to give her father when she returned home. Now all Cinder had to do was calm down and fall asleep. But she was too happy and excited to go to sleep.

To resolve this issue, Cinder decided to make herself tired by counting sheep. It was a trick she once thought was silly, but she couldn't think of any other way to fall asleep. Despite the concept being a strange one, Cinder started to grow tired after she counted about fifty sheep.

Not only had Cinder fallen asleep, but she had also begun to dream.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

Cinder awoke with a jerk as the sound of explosions reached her ears. As she moved up, Cinder saw that she was no longer at Haven Academy. In fact, she didn't know where she was.

All around her were stars, but it didn't exactly look like the night sky of Remnant. It looked like something new. And across the sky, there appeared to be some kind of glowing bridges that led to glowing platforms.

And just below her, there appeared to be a larger platform with a large portal in the center.

Cinder stood up as she tried to make sense of this change, but then she saw that she had changed as well. Instead of her regular clothes, Cinder saw that she was covered from head to toe in armor. It looked just like her father's armor, but it was sleeker and colored in red, black, and orange.

*BAM*

Cinder fell down to the ground again as something crashed into her. When she looked back to see what had knocked her down, Cinder saw that it was a person. And instead of apologizing, the person got off the ground and ran towards the platform with the portal. And they were followed by a large crowd of people who were screaming and appeared to be in a panic.

Cinder looked around her to see that dozens of people were running and screaming. All across the bridges, they appeared to share a common goal of getting to the platform with the portal, seemingly to reach safety.

But safety from what?

"There she is!"

Cinder turned around again to see two people who weren't running. Unlike the rest of the people, who were wearing casual clothing, these people were covered in an armor of their own. It was mostly white, save for the black eyes and mouthpieces on their helmets. Both of them were pushing past the running crowd as they moved closer to Cinder, and they suddenly raised two objects that looked like guns.

"Blast her!"

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Red bolts, very similar to the blasts a Mandalorian gun could make, fired from the soldiers' weapons and flew right at Cinder. Her armor protected her from being hurt, but they succeeded in making her take a few steps back. Suddenly, Cinder felt that she had lost control of her actions; she leapt into the air and raised her right hand at the soldiers, where a wave of fire engulfed them both.

Cinder's actions became involuntary as she saw the bodies hit the floor. It was almost as if she was in a movie, that her actions were preordained. This was proven when Cinder saw herself fighting more white-armored soldiers who were trying to shoot at her. And just as she was about to stop the last one in the squad, a blue Mandalorian appeared from underneath the bridge and shot the soldier right where he stood.

"There you are!" the Mandalorian said as he landed next to Cinder. "Come on, we have to go!" He began to run towards the platform that connected to the large portal.

"No, wait!" Cinder protested as she stopped running. It seemed that her own words were involuntary as well. "What are you doing here?! I told you to stay with -!"

"She went back for her friends! I couldn't stop her, I'm sorry!" The Mandalorian pointed down towards the portal. "But I can still get you out! We have to go, now!"

Cinder stayed right where she was. "No, you go! Protect the people! I have to go back for her! Which way did she go?!"

"She went-!"

The Mandalorian suddenly lost his voice as he was in the middle of talking. His hands immediately grabbed his throat, as if he was trying to break a grip around his neck.

But there was nothing there.

*CRACK*

It was almost like Magic, but the Mandalorian's neck let out a painful snapping noise before his body fell sideways. Cinder ran towards the Mandalorian to help him, but he fell off the bridge and disappeared into a void down below the bridge.

As to what caused this to happen, the answer revealed itself with another noise.

*KOOOOHHHH*

*PEEEEHHHH*

Cinder turned around slowly to face the source of the intimidating noise. There, she met a tall, humanoid figure dressed in black from head to toe. The figure possessed black gloves, black metal boots, a black cape, and a striking black helmet over its face. It was this helmet and the panel on the figure's chest that gave the impression that it was more machine than man.

As did the modulated voice that it spoke in.

"Will you run away once more... Maiden?"

"..."

All Cinder could do was stare at the man before her as fear completely surrounded her. And yet, this ended when an apparent sense of resolve caused Cinder to involuntarily speak again. "Where is she?!" she yelled as she reached for her belt and took a metal hilt in hand.

The man before her removed a piece of metal from his side as well, one that created a red blade. "Surrender, or she dies," he ordered as he held the lightsaber in both hands.

Rather than comply with the order, Cinder activated her own weapon, which was revealed to be the Darksaber. "...No," she refused. "If I know her, she's doing everything in her power to stop you." She then raised the sword up towards her head. "Now it's my turn."

The figure didn't show any signs of fear or surrender; it seemed that he was just as brave as Cinder was. "Then now you will share her fate."

With an unwavering yell, Cinder used the power of the Fall Maiden to launch herself forward and swing the Darksaber at the man's head. The strike was effortlessly blocked by the lightsaber, but that didn't stop Cinder from trying again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

But after the fifth strike, Cinder's opponent chose to go on the offensive and strike her chest. Her Beskar armor prevented any lethal damage, and she decided to retaliate with a wave of fire from her hand. The man before her didn't move out of the way, but instead emerged from the flames and continued to swing his red lightsaber. He was burning, but he didn't appear to be in any pain.

Cinder blocked each strike with the Darksaber, despite the fact that the man's physical strength surpassed her own. She went on the offensive once again by using her powers to make the wind knock her opponent off balance. When she saw her opening, Cinder cut the man's side with a proud yell.

The man grunted in pain, given that his Aura appeared to be contained in the lightsaber he held. But he was still able to fight, given that he had swung his blade in anger.

Cinder was able to evade this swing by taking to the sky, but she felt herself trapped in one spot.

"There is no escape," the robotic man declared as he held out his free hand towards Cinder. It was clear now that he was using the Force; first it was with the previous Mandalorian, and now he was using it to keep Cinder right where she was.

But Cinder didn't allow herself to be caught in this trap anymore. Instead, she focused on all her power to summon fire, wind, and even lightning to break the hold the Force had on her. When one bolt of lightning hit the armored man, he was forced to let Cinder go and let the elemental power explode from where she stood.

*BOOM*

Cinder was free, and her first instinct was to flee instead of fight. Not because she was afraid, but because out of all the people who were trying to run, there was one person she wished to save.

But as soon as she flew across the bridge, Cinder felt herself caught in a strong grip once again.

"Still running, Maiden?" the fearsome man asked as he got back to his feet. He had the ability to crush her if he pleased, but he had another idea. "If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny!"

The last thing Cinder saw before she woke up was a flash of red coming right for her.

---

Present day

"That was when I woke up," said Cinder. "And that's about everything I remember."

"..."

Cinder hadn't noticed that she wasn't looking at Fall when she described her dream to her; she had gotten so wrapped up in the story that she had turned towards the void instead. So Cinder turned around to see that Fall was silently giving her full attention. Realizing that she didn't have anything left to describe, Cinder decided to bring the conversation back to the present.

"So... does that make sense?" she asked calmly.

Fall took a second to process everything she had just heard. In order to rationalize this dream, she decided to ask Cinder a few questions. "Who was he?" she began. "The man in black?"

"I... I don't know," Cinder replied honestly. "I never saw him before that night. But I'm sure he was a Sith. Like the one I met in Mistral."

Fall had seen this memory of Cinder's, the day she helped Obi-Wan kill Nihilus. But based on what Cinder saw in her dream, the second Sith was different. "And you think it's true?" Fall asked. "That the dream was showing you... how you died?"

Cinder heavily sighed. "Not at first," she replied. "I mean, it's been at the back of my mind for a while. I almost forgot about it, actually. But ever since I came here, since I learned that this is what happens when a Maiden dies... I've been thinking about it. I mean, I've had dreams before. But this one felt... real."

"..."

"But like I said, it's stupid." Cinder stood up again. "I know dreams can't tell the future, that's not how they work."

Fall stood up as well. "Perhaps," she said as she joined Cinder again. "But I understand how you're still worried about the future. Am I right?"

"..."

This was indeed the case for Cinder, but she couldn't find the right words to describe how she was feeling. So she decided to simply nod instead.

But this was enough for Fall to help.

"A wise man once told me how we react to certain times," Fall began. "And how we should try to live. He said if you're sad or heartbroken, you're living in the past. But if you're afraid or worried, you're living in the future. Do you know how he said we can be at peace?"

"..."

"We have to live in the present." Fall took Cinder's hands in hers as she hoped that her pupil was listening. "Let's just live in the present right now, Cinder. Let's see how strong you've gotten today."

Cinder understood the idea this man had told Fall, and she could see that she was living in the future rather than the present. However, she couldn't help but feel that there was one thing holding her back.

"I want to see," Cinder began. "I really do. But it's like... a flame. All this time, I've been able to create and control fire. Even my Semblance helps me make fire of any size. And none of it ever hurt me. Not even once."

"..."

Cinder looked at her hands as she imagined making fire once again. "But I feel like this is different. For the first time in my life... I'm scared that I'll burn."

"..."

The analogy was strangely beautiful, according to Fall. Describing a fear such as this was very well done, and something that the first Fall Maiden could easily understand. Of course, wind was always her natural element. But she had watched and learned how Cinder used the element of fire, and to say that it was her expertise was an understatement.

And the idea of one's own expertise being turned against them was a horrible thing to think about. If such a thing would happen, only disaster could follow.

If Cinder defined herself by what she had, and then lost what she had... who, then, was she?

"Cinder, I see why you're afraid," Fall replied honestly. "But you've never let your fear control what you do. Not since you came out of that cave so long ago."

"..."

"And maybe you're right. Where there's a flame, someone's bound to get burned." Fall gently squeezed the child's hands. "But just because it burns, it doesn't mean you're going to die. You just have to... try."

"..."

Cinder couldn't tell what it was that made her let go of Fall's embrace. Maybe it was because she got all of her fears out in the open, or maybe it was because something about her mentor's words made her see things from a different angle. But now, Cinder knew there wasn't anything else she wanted to say or anything else she wanted to do at the moment.

Anything else but try.

"You better stand back," Cinder said as she began to walk backwards herself. When she saw the woman before her heed this warning, Cinder saw that she had put enough distance between herself and Fall. And so, Cinder knew there was only one thing left to do.

Cinder closed her eyes and remembered what it was like to use her powers. Whether she learned it from Fall, Ozpin, or herself, Cinder focused on what it was like to use her power over fire. And so, she spread her arms out and waited for the warming flame to come.

*FLICK*

*FLICK*

*FLICK*

The young girl didn't need to open her eyes to see what was happening. Instead of fire, Cinder was creating small sparks. This was just like what she could do ever since she came to the void.

Frustration came easily from this failure, as did self-loathing. Failure wasn't something Cinder learned to live easily with. She had failed many times in her life, whether it was as a Maiden or a person. And now this failure, after everything she had done in the void, felt like a stab to the heart.

And yet, Cinder didn't show any sign of resignation in her attempts.

Cinder knew she had failed before, and the times when this happened frequently were when she was a student; when she trained to use her powers with Ozpin. She had slipped and fallen many times, but she always got back up. She always tried again and again to get every lesson he taught right, and Cinder promised herself that this time wouldn't be any different.

And despite the fact that she had been lied to, Cinder used Ozpin's last lesson to guide her through this time.

"You've become a worthy Fall Maiden, not Aurora. These powers belong to you, not Aurora. You have to fight for them, Cinder."

Cinder continued to fight, each time she created more and more sparks.

*FLICK*

*FLICK*

*FLICK*

Each time she heard the sparks strike against her body, Cinder did nothing but try again and again. Nothing was going to stop her until she got it right.

Not Aurora.

*FLICK*

Not Salem.

*FLICK*

Not even the nightmare she described.

*FLICK*

The one thing Cinder allowed to stay with her as she tried again and again was Ozpin's final lesson. And with that came a father's promise.

"You're stronger than her, you're stronger than either of us. And if there's any hope of us winning against Salem, it's with you. Trust me, Cinder. Trust yourself. You can do this."

*FLICK*

*FLICK*

*FLICK*

*WHOOSH*

And just like that, there was fire.

Fire surrounded Cinder in a bright halo, one that made her open her amber eyes and examine her handiwork. When she saw what she had done, Cinder began to swell with pride. With that pride came a new resolve; a resolve to see what else she could do.

As another fire began to burn around Cinder's eyes, the girl pushed her hands to create a wind strong enough to extinguish the fire. She then lifted her hands again to make the fire return in the form of whips, which she crashed on the ground while being careful not to hit Fall.

When she saw the fire continue to burn, Cinder had the idea to put it out once again. But this time, Cinder lifted her hands to create a small cloud above her to let lightning and rain fall from it. When the rain touched her skin, Cinder couldn't help but spin and dance in the falling water as she welcomed her powers back with open arms.

And for her final trick, Cinder allowed a mixture of fire and wind to form at her feet so she could take to the air in a fiery tornado. As she hovered above the invisible ground, Cinder began to relax as she realized that she had a stronger connection to her powers after all.

Now all that remained was taking back what Aurora had stolen.

"Cinder?"

The young girl looked down to see Fall proudly looking up and smiling at her. "...You're ready."

---

Author's notes: hello again, everyone. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and sorry it took so long. Again, my goal for including the concept of chakras wasn't to be unoriginal or steal another idea, but I thought it would be interesting to explore how they could influence Aura in RWBY. And I think I really liked what I saw when I explored the idea. I hope you did too.

In other news, I hope you've all been keeping up with Star Wars since I last talked to you. I think Mando Season 3 is going alright; nothing spectacular, but alright. I think I may have some ideas on how to incorporate some elements of the show into The Way of the Maiden, but I'm not changing the plot I made. I have the plot all mapped out and I think you'll like what you see.

Also, the Star Wars Celebration was pretty cool. Looks like we got a lot of good stuff incoming. I'm super excited for Ashoka, I have to admit. What are you looking forward to the most? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Oh, and let's not forget about RWBY Volume 9. Man, this stuff has been intense. I've been able to keep up, but I promise not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't. But I gotta say, I'm impressed with how the writing's stepped up here. I'm pretty curious as to what happens next. How about you? Feel free to leave your (spoiler free) thoughts in the comments.

To The Avenging Titan, glad you liked the idea of Din and the students fighting together. I got the idea from RWBY: After the Fall. I heard that Shade was very unwelcoming of Beacon students after the Fall of Beacon, so I decided to explore this idea myself. I liked what I wrote, and I'm glad you did too. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Don Cheeto, long time no see! Hope you've been good, man. And yes, the students of Vacuo did need a wake up call. I do have plans for Atlas and Thrawn down the line, you'll see them soon. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To GojiraFan455516, I heard you got your old account back. Good for you, man. Glad you liked the turn of events, and I'm glad last chapter served as a canon reminder for how Shade hated Beacon students. It was mostly my interpretation, but the concept remains the same. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Dasgun, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To ArguableReader, glad you liked the cameo I had in there, thanks for the feedback. Sorry you didn't like Revan too much, but I agree that Vacuo respects strength. That was why I had Beacon fight them. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To CT7567, I see you're a man of culture, haha. Yes, some of the dialogue was borrowed from MKX. As for the students from Shade, I agree that their behavior was horrible. Like I said, I used the concept established in RWBY canon and decided to see how it could play out in my story. As for Din and Aurora, I can't say too much. You'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To an unknown guest, gracias para sus palabras amables. You comprendo que todo no es perfecto a usted, pero estoy feliz que usted esta disfrutando la historia. Gracias por leer, espero que hayan disfrutado este capitulo.

I think that's all I have for now. Once again, thank you all so much for reading and being so patient with me. Life just got in the way and it's kinda hard to balance it with fanfic. If you're enjoying the story, please consider favoriting/following if you're not already, and don't forget to leave a comment before you go.

The Court of Talons is adjourned. See you next time!