A loud explosion tore through the castle, echoing down the hallways. Emerald winced beside him, but he simply braced himself, pressing on. They had made their bed, and now they got to lie in it.

Seven months since Beacon fell, and Mercury wasn't sure what their job was anymore. Before, they had a plan. Help Cinder kill some girl, for some magic powers, infiltrate a Huntsman Academy, and topple the infrastructure of an entire kingdom. Personally, he found the whole thing just not worth it for how much trouble it'd be, but hey, at least it was a plan. It even worked!

But something happened during the fall. The silver eyed girl had used some kind of power of her own, and hurt Cinder. Bad. She was down an arm, an eye, and couldn't speak in more than a raspy whisper.

Which would have suited him just fine. He'd tagged along with Cinder because the only other option was being left to die on a mountain, and the idea of dying alongside his old man wasn't exactly appealing. He was never the most loyal to Cinder's cause, and he never claimed to be.

Emerald, however, was. She looked at Cinder like a saint. Which he understood, kinda. From what he gathered, before he joined up with them, she was just some homeless rat living on the streets, who Cinder decided to give a life thanks to her useful semblance. This had the side effect of making Emerald want nothing more than to please Cinder. After Beacon, Emerald must have seen it as a chance to do for Cinder what she had done for her, saving her life and convincing Mercury to help get her out of Vale.

Cinder, unfortunately, didn't quite see it the same way. All Emerald had done by saving their ungrateful boss, was to remind her that she needed help. That she was weak. And it was only made worse when the man who gave Mercury his legs showed up. Watts. He took them on a bullhead, and brought them here, to the castle, where Mercury learned just how deep of a hole he had dug himself.

Up until then, he wasn't exactly sure why they were working to topple Vale, mainly because he didn't really care. He was under the vague impression Cinder may have been working for another kingdom, or some other extremist group, but he hadn't put much thought into it. Which, in hindsight, he really should have. I mean, they were dealing with ACTUAL MAGIC, and Cinder had a Grimm parasite implanted in her arm, he should have at least wondered a bit about how that came to be.

He hadn't, though, which meant he had been completely unprepared for meeting Her. He and Emerald both were.

Mercury still wasn't sure exactly what She was, and he sure as hell wasn't gonna ask any time soon. She was horrifying, she was powerful, she controlled the Grimm somehow, and even Cinder was terrified of her. That was all he needed to know about her, and frankly even that was too much.

Other than Watts, who was delighted to see Cinder's injuries, the others in the castle weren't much better. Hazel was alright, Mercury supposed, but everytime he spoke to the guy, he just came off as a massive hypocrite. Apparently the only reason he was there, was because he had a grudge with Ozpin, for getting his sister killed.

While training to become a huntress. So, naturally, the next logical step would be to help the lady responsible for the Grimm in the first place.

Whatever worked for him. Mercury really didn't care what bullshit the guy fed himself, he was still better than Tyrian. Now there was a psycho. He worshipped the ground Salem walked on, and acted like he was just sprung from a loony bin. Hell, he might've been. Whatever was wrong with the guy, he managed to unsettle Mercury, which was an accomplishment in and of itself.

Weirdly, Salem didn't seem all that pissed with Cinder. She had been terrified, terrified, on the way here, and Watts had certainly expected some kind of reprimand, but Salem had simply instructed him to treat her injuries, and congratulated Cinder on her accomplishments. Not a word was said about failure.

Which, to be fair, it wasn't much of one. She got her magic powers, Vale was in ruin, the CCT was down worldwide, and they even managed to kill Ozpin in the process. Apparently, he'd be back somehow, but still, Mercury would call that a win. The only things that went wrong were not finding some Relic, and, of course, the fight at the top of the tower.

But Cinder wasn't satisfied with that. Salem hadn't said a word, but Cinder got it in her head that she had to master her powers, and recover from her injuries, as fast as possible. Faster, probably. Only, she got angry, when progress was slow, and she took it out on everything around her. People included, if he or Emerald ever got in her way during one of her little tantrums. It strained her, which made recovery even slower, which pissed her off even more.

It was stupid. Childish, too. Mercury had figured out a while ago it was usually best to stay out of her way. Even Emerald had gotten more wary of Cinder. But here they were, on their way to interrupt one of her little fits. Not like they had a choice. Salem had summoned her.

They came to a stop outside her door. Mercury couldn't hear anything, and the last explosion had been, what a minute or two ago? Maybe she wore herself out. Now isn't that a familiar thought. Afraid to open a door, hoping and praying that whoever behind it was too exhausted to take it out on you? Mercury frowned. This was familiar, and he didn't like it. Get over yourself. You were never lucky then, and you won't be now, just go in and get it over with.

He glanced over at Emerald. She seemed almost as hesitant as him to open the door, which was unusual to say the least. Stupid girl was obsessed with wanted nothing more than to please her. Even when it hurt her.

Mercury shoved the unpleasant thought out of his mind, shaking his head. He had more important things to worry about now.

With one last look at Emerald, he opened the door.

Emerald wasn't really sure what she was expecting. Nothing, really, she thought. She didn't care what was behind the door, all she knew was that Cinder needed her help, even if she didn't know it. Even if she didn't want it.

The door creaked open, and she was treated to the sight of Cinder, hunched over the floor, panting. She stepped forward without thinking, but was stopped by an arm on her shoulder. She spun around, ready to hit Mercury, but he held a finger to his lips. Slowly, he pointed behind her.

Emerald turned again, taking the time to look before rushing in. Steam was coming off of Cinder, in thin, wispy curls of smoke. A jolt of pain ran through her chest at the sight. Let me help you, she begged to herself, but remained where she was. If she tried to help her stand now, all she'd get would be burn marks for her troubles.

Mercury spoke up, sparing her the anticipation of waiting. "Cinder?"

She whipped her head back, and it was clear they caught her off guard. Her eyes were red, tears streaming down her face. She looked furious. Emerald felt her stomach drop. This is bad, she thought. Cinder hated being seen as weak, and they had clearly caught her in a vulnerable moment.

Cinder stumbled to her feet, and began walking over. Emerald instinctively took a step back, but Mercury stopped Cinder in her tracks. "Salem sent us. She asked to see you."

The fury on her face was replaced for a moment with fear. Cinder opened her mouth, and it took Emerald a moment to realize she was struggling to communicate. Now?, she mouthed. Emerald nodded. "She said to come immediately." Cinder seemed to process what she said, and soon the familiar mask of confidence appeared. "Very well" she croaked, coming out as more of a hoarse whisper.

Cinder strode past them, clearly trying not to limp. Emerald made to follow but Cinde held up a hand. No, she mouthed. Stay.

"But-" Emerald protested.

Cinder shot her down with a glare, and Emerald looked away, grabbing her arm. "Yes ma'am."

Cinder nodded, apparently satisfied, and left, closing the door behind her. Did she want us to stay here? Or just wait long enough to not see her struggle to walk through the castle?

Emerald didn't know, and she wasn't gonna risk failing to interpret what Cinder wanted. She'd stay here, and wait for her to return, and do the best she could attend to her needs.

"This is getting ridiculous." Mercury finally spoke, after a few minutes had passed.

Emerald glared. If he was so bored, why did he stay in the first place? "It's been five minutes, asshole, be patient."

Mercury shook his head. "Not that. I mean all of it. The being left in the dark, the constant temper tantrums, the giant freaky Grimm lady with magic powers. All of it."

Her eyes widened. "Don't talk like that, moron!" She hissed. "There are seers everywhere"

He rolled his eyes. "Then use your semblance to keep us quiet if you're so concerned." He leaned in closer. "But I think Salem's a little preoccupied at the moment, don't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She growled.

"It means Cinder's in hot water right now." He answered bluntly. "Sure, Salem's acted nice this whole time, but you saw how Cinder reacted. I think she's angry. And I think she wants to be sure Cinder recovers soon, so everything can get back on track. But Cinder's trying too hard, she's straining herself. It's making her recovery slower, and sooner or later Salem's patience is gonna run out. Or maybe Cinder's will. Either way, I don't intend to be here to see it through."

She felt another jolt run up her spine. "You can't leave!"

"Why not?" He snorted. "This is Cinder's mess she got herself into, not mine"

Emerald took a deep breath. He was getting on her nerves. He couldn't be serious about leaving, could he? This must be some kind of sick joke. "We owe her." She answered.

"I don't owe her a damn thing," He told her. "And neither do you." He added.

"She saved us, Mercury." Emerald reminded him.

"And I helped with her little plan. Played nice with the brats at Beacon, did what she said, when she said it, threw the fight against blondie. I paid her back, and then some." He held out his arms. "And look where it got us."

He was serious, wasn't he? Idiot, he was gonna get himself killed. Did he think he could just walk away, no questions asked? "Cinder has a plan…" She began.

"She had a plan at Beacon!" Mercury interrupted, shouting now. Emerald winced, using her semblance to mask the noise. "In case you forgot, things went pretty much exactly according to plan, and she still screwed it up!"

"She couldn't have known about the girl!" Emerald defended.

"Oh really?" Mercury asked. "I think she could've. She knew about the Maiden, and Salem, and whatever the relic we were supposed to find was. And she already had the girl on her radar. I think she knew what she could do, she just got arrogant. So now she gets to pay the price for it."

"You'll leave her to fend for herself?" She accused.

Mercury pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you hear yourself right now? She's not some innocent little bystander, she's the one who brought this on herself! And the two of us are gonna be the ones left to pay for it!."

Emerald was panicking. This was real, this was actually happening. What if he left, what if she had to help Cinder, alone? It made her sick, to think that he was right. What would they do if something happened to Cinder? Salem wouldn't need them. What if even Cinder decided she didn't need them?

"Even…even if you have a point, I can't just leave. Cinder's done too much for me. She needs my help, now is the time I can prove myself." She had to stay. She had to.

Mercury sighed. "The last thing she needs is your help. You saw how she was when you went to follow her. She doesn't want it. Besides, don't you think you already proved yourself, at Beacon?" He stretched his arms. "Look, I don't care what you do. Stay, or come with me. Choice is yours. I'm leaving tonight, with or without you. Just figured I'd give you a heads up."

He began to walk over to the door, and Emerald desperately tried to think of something, anything to change his mind. But nothing came.

He did, however, pause when he opened the door. He took a moment to find the words he wanted to say. "Whatever you do, Em, it'll never be enough. Cinder will always find something wrong. And she will never be whatever it is you want her to be. People like her, they can only care about themselves. And if you stay, it'll get you killed, sooner or later. It already gets you hurt."

He shut the door, leaving Emerald alone in Cinder's room. She went over the conversation again and again, picking apart every word in her mind. He's right, she thought. We can't keep doing this.

It was the smart thing to do, leave while Cinder's still recovering. But how could she leave? Cinder was helpless, she needed her. Cinder had only hurt her out of anger. Out of fear, for what Salem might do to her. She couldn't just leave her here, and prove her fears right. She had to stay. She had to.

But it still hurt her. Knowing he was right, that staying might get her killed. And, for some reason, it hurt knowing he was going to leave without her.

"Do you wish to make a habit of disobeying me, Cinder?" Salem asked calmly.

She quickly shook her head.

"Then are you simply a fool?"

Again, she shook her head.

Salem laid her hands on the table, one on top of the other. "Then why do you refuse to listen? I specifically told you to rest, to recover. And yet, you work yourself to exhaustion, to the verge of unconsciousness, in the foolish hope that you're helping to speed along the process." Salem narrowed her eyes. "You are not. All you achieve by this, is drawing your recovery out for as long as possible, further delaying our plans. And by extension, your revenge."

Cinder failed to meet her eyes. She knew as soon as Mercury and Emerald came to her door what this meeting would be about. She knew Salem would be displeased.

But what else could she have done? She had been humiliated, mutilated, in her moment of victory. Her ultimate triumph, brought short by a stupid little girl with a power she hadn't even known that she had possessed.

She had been brought back to Evernight, successful, and yet, defeated as well. She was forced to let Emerald, Mercury, even Watts see her, injured and barely able to help herself. It disgusted her. She couldn't just sit around, accomplishing nothing. She had to do something.

Only, that something took its toll on her. Her body wasn't ready for such high intensity practice, no matter how much she yearned to be back on her feet. She was sick, and now, she was paying the price for her arrogance.

Salem sighed. "I'm disappointed, Cinder. I chose you, to wield the power of the Maidens. That comes with a certain responsibility. A responsibility you seem desperate to throw away."

Cinder kept her head bowed, terrified to make any movement, any sound. The silence held, for a few moments, before Salem spoke up again. "This will stop. Immediately. I cannot have my Maiden kill herself in some pathetic attempt to please me."

Cinder cringed, but was steadied by a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Cinder. You have not failed me. Your mission was a complete success. The power of the Fall Maiden is secure, Beacon has fallen, the CCT is offline, Vale is in chaos and Ozma is dead, for the moment. Complications arose, certainly, but now we know the identity of Ozma's champion. And I assure you, Ruby Rose will die. Take pride in your accomplishments, Cinder, and be patient. In time, you shall have all you desire."

She nodded her understanding. That was the end of it, then. Salem has spoken, and if Cinder wanted to survive long enough to see her revenge, she would obey. Perhaps this is for the best, she reasoned with herself. Perhaps this will afford me the opportunity to heal, as she said.

Cinder held a hand out to the door, asking permission to leave. Salem shook her head. "There is another matter that must be discussed first." Cinder frowned. "The Grimm I placed within you. It is at odds with the Maiden powers. Symbiosis is proving…difficult, I can tell. That is the source of your sickness, and one of the other reasons stressing yourself would not prove wise just yet."

Her eyes widened. She thought her sickness was just because of her forcing herself to train. But, then again…she had been feeling burning sensations run along her nerves, her veins. And in her heart.

"You will have to stay a while longer. I will examine the Grimm, and make adjustments as necessary to ensure you remain capable. It may be painful. Remain still."

Cinder froze, as Salem ran a hand over her back. A tingling sensation danced over her skin, which turned into an unimaginable burning pain. She kept as still as she could, not daring to disobey Salem.

She did not scream. She wouldn't dare. Salem had told her not to strain herself, and she could not speak as it was.

Cinder knew better to disobey.

Emerald was still there, hours later, waiting for Cinder in her room, when she returned.

She was lost in thought, mulling over everything that had happened today. Everything that had happened since meeting Cinder, really. She still wasn't sure what she would do. Would she tell Cinder what Mercury was planning? Would she tell Salem? Maybe she could try to find Mercury, convince him to stay. He was annoying, but he was helpful. And she didn't want to deal with Cinder alone.

Her eyes snapped wide open, when Cinder came barreling through the door. For a moment, she hid herself with her semblance, on instinct, but dropped the shield once she saw who it was. The only thing she had managed to decide was that she would stay.

Cinder's eyes frantically raced around the room until they settled on her. She seemed to relax, and Emerald's heart fluttered. Me, I caused that. I got her to relax, just from being here with her. She couldn't leave. Cinder needed her.

Cinder beckoned her over, with a wave of her hand. Emerald rushed to her side, scanning for any injury. There didn't appear to be any, but she was clearly exhausted. Why? Why did she keep pushing herself to the brink of passing out? All it did was prolong her recovery. She wanted desperately for Cinder to get better, but it seemed she wouldn't let herself heal.

Which is why she needs me, she thought. She said it over, and over again in her mind. She needs me, I can't just leave her. Who'll be here for her then, Watts? It has to be me, No one else cares enough.

Cinder pushed her away, annoyed with her inspection. She held out her hand, revealing a crumpled note. Oh, she thought, She just wanted me to see this. She felt silly, fussing over Cinder like she did. She took the paper, unraveling it to see what was written.

Salem is displeased with the progress of my recovery. As such, she has…recommended that

I temper my eagerness to recover. She wishes that I rest for some time, before resuming my attempts at gaining mastery over the maidens powers. She has decided to personally assist me, when the time comes. Until then, the two of you may do as you will. I have no need of you at the moment.

Emerald closed her fist, crumpling the note once again. It was good that Cinder was finally resting, even if Salem had to order her to, but she couldn't seriously think she didn't need assistance? Even now, she had trouble stumbling to her bed. No, she needed Emerald, no matter what she says.

Cinder's foot gave out, and Emerald rushed in to catch her before she fell. That was a mistake, a very bad mistake, and she realized it almost immediately. Too late, she thought. In an instant, Cinder's hand was clawing at her arm, biting into her flesh, burning her.

"Gaaah!" She shrieked, pulling back and clutching her arm. Blood dripped down from where Cinder's nails dug into her, but the wound itself had already closed, cauterized when she was grabbed. Cinder's eyes were wide as she looked at Emerald's arm. She didn't mean to, it was instinct. But the look of shock shifted once more to anger.

"Don't…try…help." She rasped, almost snarling. "Don't…need…help." Cinder finally reached her bed, pulling herself into it with some effort.

Emerald just gave a shaky nod, before rushing out of her room. It was an accident, she thought, walking as fast as she could, as far as she could, unsure of where she was going. It was an accident, but she didn't regret it. Or, she regretted letting her emotions get out of control. She didn't care about hurting me.

Mercury was right, the annoying bastard. She knew he was, She'd known since their conversation earlier, and maybe even before then. But Cinder had saved her. Had pulled her out of the gutters, and given her a life, something to strive for.

But hadn't Emerald done everything she could for her? And for what, to serve as a punching bag whenever she was angry? No, she amended. Calm down. Cinder doesn't hate me. She just…She's under too much stress right now. Too much pain. And…maybe she does need me, but she won't accept my help.

Yeah, that was it. It wouldn't do either of them any good if Emerald just kept trying to hopelessly get Cinder to accept some kind of aid. It'd just put more stress on her, and put Emerald in more pain.

So maybe…maybe Mercury had a point. Maybe she should leave. Let Cinder heal, give her time to regain strength, while she left with Mercury. Just for a little while, though! She'd come back! And once Mercury realizes Cinder is back to her old self, he'd come back with her. That's why he left, he didn't think Cinder could hack it in the castle. Cinder would prove him wrong, and everything would go back to how they were. But first, they would leave.

She pushed the door to her room open, immediately heading for the first aid kit. Brothers, she was really doing this, wasn't she? She shook her head, wrapping the bandages around her arm. It was the only option. Cinder would understand. She's reasonable, when she's calm.

Emerald finished tightly securing the wrappings on her arm, and stood, wincing. Now, she just had to find Mercury before he left. And hope Cinder will forgive her when all is said and done.

She'll understand. She has to.

Cinder laid back in her bed, sweating from the effort exerted throughout the day.

She shouldn't have burnt the girl. She had terrified her, and now she's run off, and she would probably find some way to blame herself somehow. She frowned. That was a tiresome habit of hers. Both of them were tiresome. Mercury never took accountability for his mistakes, and Emerald seemed to only take accountability. It was annoying.

The girl had surprised her, trying to help her up. Cinder had told her a thousand times, she didn't need her help, but no matter what she said, the girl never seemed to listen. She seemed to have gotten it in her head that this was her chance to repay her for saving her.

She held some of the blame, of course. She had, in Emerald's eyes, all but rescued the girl from an undignified life of homelessness, starvation, and petty thievery. It was only natural she would attach herself to Cinder. She really should have foreseen the consequences.

If she wanted to repay her, she could leave her be, in peace, until she recovered.

Cinder scowled. Salem had all but ordered her to rest. And she supposed she saw the sense in it. She was trying, and trying, to master the maiden powers as fast as possible, but it was taking a toll on her body. It couldn't keep up. She had burnt herself out, and now she was forced to relax.

It put her plans on hold, sure, but she could come back from this. She's come back from worse. Haven would be next. And no doubt the little bitch who put her in this state knew it. So she would make her way there, once she recovered, and have her revenge. She was sure Salem would have Watts and her other agents already putting things in motion.

It would take time, yes. But she had time. And once she was recovered, nothing would stop her from having her revenge. Nothing.

Alright, second fic let's go! First things first, this is going to be a good deal longer than Good for nothing, although the chapters will also be shorter. The first five chapters are all completely written, and all of them are around 4.3-5k. Also, the entirety of the fic is plotted out, so no delays while I try to figure out what to do with the story.

Shockingly enough, having a plan does make things easier. Who would've thought?

Updates will be once a week, on tuesday, around 7am est, or if I forget, sometime after 3pm est. If I do miss an update, check my profile to see if there's a reason. If there's nothing there, assume I lost Internet access, and will update either my profile or the fic as soon as I can.

I'm really excited about this, and I hope you are too. It's not some grand masterpiece or anything, but it's mine goddamnit, and I'm happy.

Reviews and comments are more than welcome. This is literally the second thing I've ever written not for a school project, so advice is definitely something I won't be turning away. I learned a lot from my first fic, and things are definitely coming along a lot smoother now, but by no means does that mean I have it all figured out.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Next Chapter: Tuesday, February 27th.