This took me an eternity to update and I know it but I appreciate your patience. I know this is not the best day for an update after what just happened but I had to take my mind off of it and with that I was able to write this chapter.

There was a review there that caught my attention and it was a question; is this a fanfiction or a biblical reading? Well, it is a fic of angels and demons and yeah, I got some inspiration from it with Cinder's parents being Lucifer and Lilith at least in my head but I'm trying to drive away from it since I don't want to enter religion and offend anyone in any sense. I just took what I needed to create this and start somewhere since I'm not using the canonical RWBY universe so there's that. However there's no God in here and therefore no devil. This is something that I write for fun so don't take it too seriously when it comes to religion, I have some ideas that help me write better but that I don't intend on portraying in this story. And thankfully I don't have a dick so I think I'm safe from whatever microwave is around.

This is just a fic, guys. Something I write because there's no many AU's for RWBY and because there's almost nothing of my OTP (yeah, Cinder/Pyrrha) out there so I decided that I would change that. That's all.

Being in Hell was overwhelming by several reasons but when Pyrrha stood in the middle of the Meadow once day was completely replaced by night, she actually found some peace. Perhaps for the first time in her life she felt free and she ignored the fact that she was there like a prisoner of war; a simple or exchange or in other words: a gift for peace.

Pyrrha was thrown off by the Meadow when the Sun still bathed the forest and the air was nicely warm. However, she wasn't ready for the image of the dark sky covered with bright lights. She wasn't ready to admire all the lights that were so far away even when she was on Heaven. She let out a soft gasp of amazement because that was the first time she got to see the stars out from the dusty old pages of a book and the first time that she experienced night not just with her eyes but with every other feeling.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Cinder asked following Pyrrha's gaze.

"It's wonderful."

Pyrrha shivered when the cold air kissed her skin but she was far too focused in the night sky to really notice the change of temperature but Cinder did and she caught the reaction to the weather. The slight tremble of the angel made the Queen curious. Pyrrha was completely different from Yang despite both of them being angels and her apparent innocence was something that intrigued Cinder.

The redhead was gentle, shy, kind and curious about her surroundings. She was everything an angel was supposed to be and yet she was aching to change. Cinder was able to see that on emerald eyes. Pyrrha was limited to exist in Heaven and she had a chance to live in Hell. She was starting to spread her wings and take fly but not with the fluffy wings on her back.

"Did you never see the stars before?" Cinder asked even if she knew the answer already.

"No. Heaven is a warm place but doesn't have a lot to see. It's a place to feel comfortable and you can't really appreciate a lot of things when you are only allowed to stare down. We were made to believe that there were no higher heights than Paradise and that the rest of the universe and realms were down below."

Cinder hummed in consideration. There was more truth in those words than the angel knew about because to learn about something or someone you have to be on the same level and maybe the only way to make the guardians understand that was to turn Heaven into Hell.

"This place is a new chance Pyrrha. When this place was created it was unforgiving, uncaring, cold and dark. This was meant to be a prison and its prisoners were condemned to be forgotten. Changing this wasn't easy, neither was to leave a scratch on history. But there's something you must remember no matter what; the only thing that can be seen in darkness is...light. If you can ignite it then hope will follow suit and after that the change begins."

Pyrrha knew that Cinder wasn't just talking about the Meadow but about Hell as well. She knew what Hell was supposed to be because the guardians let her know and yet that kingdom was so different. Everything felt right and Pyrrha could only imagine the amount of effort it took to turn a dark hole into a paradise.

"I created the Meadow like an experience for my people. This way they can remember the best parts of living. They can do so through food, books, music, art and the four seasons of the human world. I gave them small things and I can only hope they're enough to inspire everyone to try again and find little sparks in everything they did and can do again."

Pyrrha nodded politely and kept listening carefully while they walked on winter. The soft snow was crunching beneath their feet and the chilly air made the angel shiver again.

"But no matter how powerful I might be, there's things I cannot grant them. I can't give them love or give them back he family that is no longer with them. I've seen hundreds of families torn and all I can do is send them back with another family that hopefully will love them as much as the last."

"You give them everything they want, then?"

"No." Cinder replied. "I give them what they need. How can someone achieve their dream of being a doctor or a healer in a place where no one suffers? How can someone be a warrior where there's nothing to fight? I only give them a chance to achieve their goals. The rest is up to them. If they decide to keep pushing through or give up it's their choice."

Cinder turned around to face Pyrrha and her eyes glow golden making the angel anxious. Pyrrha is afraid for a moment that the Queen has decided to end her life in that moment but what's not what happens at all. What she did was send a soft wave of energy towards Pyrrha and after the initial shock at the display, Pyrrha feels warm and the chilly air of winter doesn't make her shiver anymore. She feels heat warming her entire body and she sighs softly at the comfort it offers.

"This is called Aura," the Queen explains talking about the golden glow around her entire body "I'm sure you know about it but I can feel how yours is still locked. At some point we could fix that but meanwhile, I don't mind using mine to keep you safe from the weather."

"Why?"

That question goes deeper than that little simple word and Cinder has no trouble understanding what the angel is really trying to ask.

"You came all the way from Heaven thinking that your life was perfect and yet you knew nothing. You never truly lived and it can be scary to breath for the first time. There's a lot for you to learn and you have to understand that there's more to life than a battlefield or the stoic knowledge that a guardian can offer. You're here because that's what they wrote as your destiny but perhaps...perhaps you deserve a chance to write your own too."

Cinder looks at Pyrrha and for the first time golden eyes aren't filled with rage or anger. They are gentler but not completely trusting. The Queen has learned that she can't give her trust to everyone or do so carelessly. Cinder is a smart woman and she knows the risks of every decision but still she's willing to give Pyrrha a chance to discover not only the Meadow or Hell but herself.

Pyrrha Nikos is much more than a pure angel or a skilled fighter. She's more than the fifth guardian or the savior of Heaven. Pyrrha is a being on her own but filled with the aspirations and dreams of those behind her so she deserves a chance to learn and discover her true dreams and goals and later on, how to turn them into a reality.

"It would be easier to understand once you learn about the Meadow. The way it works it's quite simple. It all starts here; with soft snow and an isolated landscape so everyone can feel at peace. Winter is a place for meditation. It's a place to deeply explore the beauty of life and the imminence of death. We all live but we all die as well and there's no way to stop the cycle."

Pyrrha let the information sink and nodded once before letting Cinder continue.

"Then we have spring. It is the season that signals the beginning. New life rises from beneath the heavy snow. The Sun makes its way through grey clouds to clear the air and a new cycle begins. That's why they're here, my people, to leave the past behind and start again. Every life is an experience that helps them grow and gives them whatever kind of strength they need to face another life."

The angel felt like something was off at the moment. She looked up at the stars again while trying to figure it out. She was alone with the Queen but Cinder didn't look pissed and she haven't tried to rip her soul apart yet but Pyrrha wasn't able to shake off the feeling that something was wrong with the Queen of the underworld.

"What do they do here?" Pyrrha asked after a few seconds. "If Winter is a place of meditation and forgiveness, what is Spring?"

Cinder flashed another smirk and her eyes showed that she was somehow impressed. The girl was smart and she was actually paying attention to her words.

"Spring is a place for exploration and discovery. You can discover new things about the past and its battles. You can discover all the mysteries of present or the dancing shadows of future. Spring is a place to explore your own ideals, your bonds and flaws. No one can achieve perfection but you can improve. Once that's settled you can grow because like a flower, you know your roots."

"Wait...how can you know about future?"

This time Cinder chuckled in mild amusement before answering.

"Time is not a straight line. Of course it has its own pace but it's not impossible to jump back and forth. I've seen businessmen become Kings or Queens turn into feral warriors. There's only a part of future I can see but it's enough to let my people choose."

"So you send them to the eras they want to live on?"

"You could say so. However, I can't make them fall on the right places or with the right people. Whatever they do and achieve is up to them. History doesn't write itself, they do. They fight and give up. They learn and move on. In the end, their destiny is what they fight for. Those rules are not mine or the guardians'. Those are rules of existence."

There were several seconds of silence where Pyrrha tried to process everything while Cinder watched the girl with deep interest. They were from different realms and yet looking at each other felt like staring through a mirror.

"What comes after Spring?"

"Summer." Cinder replied with no hurry. "There they learn, grow and nurture. Summer extends beyond the Meadow since my whole Kingdom serves the same purpose. They get the chance to read, acquire knowledge and new goals that will help them into their next journey to the mortal realm. They won't develop skills here since the Meadow is not a place for the body but for the mind and soul. However, only time will tell how determined they are to change and improve. Some of them forget almost everything they learn while others never stop moving forward."

"How can they remember what they learn here?"

"It depends of each person and the chains they still have. Fear. Hate. Pain. Those are just some of the things that grip a person's soul and sometimes there's a person capable of breaking them with courage, love and forgiveness. Not two souls are alike; some are born to be free and others have never tasted the sweetness of freedom."

Another silence fell upon them while the world sang a soft lullaby. It was just another moment for Pyrrha to learn about that Kingdom. It was another moment to learn how little she actually knew about everything and how much there was to learn.

"So we have Winter, Spring and Summer. What is the last one?"

"Fall."

"It seems like the end of the journey."

Cinder's lips curled up slightly into a barely noticeable smile.

"Fall is not really the end but the beginning of a new journey. Fall is the place where the weathered leaves cover the ground to leave space for the new ones. But Fall is also a change of skin. It's the moment when green forests turn red and gold. It's a place of beauty and self appreciation and kindness. It is a place of gratefulness and the moment to give a little thing in return. Fall is the moment before taking the last step or the first one, and thank everything around you because every experience has taken you to the place where you stand. This is the place where you take everything you can take from others while offering them everything you are."

The Queen lets out a soft sigh while she looks back at the sky.

The pieces fall slowly in place and Pyrrha discovers what is the thing that feels so odd. It's the way Cinder looks at the stars and her kingdom with the same longing of someone who has never lived before. Even if the Queen has lived in Hell her whole life she seems to be amazed by her own creations and maybe it is because their not really made by her.

"You're a pure demon." Pyrrha said suddenly.

"Are you implying I am pure evil?" Cinder asked with a hard glare.

"No, no!" Pyrrha took a step back while trying to clear the air and explain herself better. "What I'm trying to say is that you were born here and you live through Fall and through all the souls that get in here. You give them comfort with their memories and the wonders you recreate in this realm and they give you the chance to witness and explore the world you never knew...just like me."

"Everyone deserves a chance," the Queen says coldly, her arms crossed upon her chest "and nothing is just white or black. If I can help someone in here; give them the chance I was denied, then I will. I never said this wasn't beneficial for all parts."

It was clear that the topic was sensitive for Cinder and that she did not wish to talk about it. Her body tensed up, her shoulders squared up and her chin was raised high. It was almost like a defense mechanism to avoid being hurt by keeping the rest of the world out of her barriers. Cinder showed power to hide fear and hurt. No one dared to outspeak the Queen because her power was very much real and Cinder was the Queen of Hell; a woman without weaknesses.

"This conversation is over." She said with a cold edge on her voice that was soon followed by the look on her eyes. "Follow me and don't get behind."

Pyrrha did so silently, sparing a last glance to the Meadow until they got back into the castle that was still so dark and unexplored but somehow was like the place where light found its way through darkness.

They took a different turn and the hallways changed almost completely. There were windows every few feet along with many candles and torches lighting the way to Cinder's chambers. It was like an ascension even if the stairs were almost non existent. That path was like entering a whole new dimension hidden behind closed doors that only the Queen could open and she was the only one that could or would allow someone in.

Cinder's chamber was almost a kingdom on itself. Light and shadow played with each other making that room a masterpiece. It had a high ceiling that gave the sensation of freedom. There were many paintings decorating the walls with images of the mortal realm. The beauty of nudity was displayed in the form of Venus and it made Pyrrha blush even if she knew it was only natural.

That place was the perfect representation of Cinder since it was the point where two opposites collided with force to create something different and unknown. Cinder was a demon by nature, because her parents were labeled as such but she was the light in the middle of the darkness even when she was condemned to extinguish.

"This place is beautiful."

It was hard to tell if Pyrrha was talking about the large room or the whole Kingdom, perhaps she was talking about Cinder even if the Queen wasn't a place at all.

Pyrrha was uncertain about everything but, she was no longer afraid of Cinder. She was intrigued and felt something like a magnetic pulse pushing her towards the Queen. Maybe it was her constant need for knowledge or the fact that Cinder was so different from everyone she ever met. Maybe if she was patient she could get to know the Queen. Not only who she was and what all that meant to her people or the realms or even history. Pyrrha wanted to know the woman behind the golden eyes and the teasing smirks. She wanted to know Cinder and understand her in a better way, in a way that no one dared to do before.

Of course that would be hard to achieve since the Queen was strong and she was cold despite being some sort of fire creature. No one could be sure, at least not Pyrrha, if the walls that Cinder built around her were breakable. However, the angel understood the feeling of being surrounded by many and feel alone nonetheless.

Maybe they weren't that different; both were pure creatures destined to follow the paths made for them. One was destined to Heaven and the other to Hell and yet they had a new chance this time and Pyrrha really believed in Cinder's words about destiny being what they fight for. Perhaps they weren't mean to meet or maybe they were meant to fight but they always had a chance to create a different way and change things once again.

"Thank you." Pyrrha said when the door of Cinder's room closed behind them.

"I doubt that's fitting." The Queen replied without a second thought. "But do tell, for what, exactly, are you so thankful?"

The angel shrugged, her wings fluttering slightly behind her, before she brushed a strand of fiery red hair from her face tucking it behind her ear. She wasn't afraid of Cinder but there was a thing about the way Cinder looked at her and whatever it was made her feel vulnerable.

"For breaking me out of Heaven even if you were expecting some other pure angel. I'm not sure what will happen next but I feel like that's a good thing." Pyrrha crossed her arms upon her chest and turned around to escape Cinder's gaze. "I guess I could thank you for showing me what freedom can be and the difference between existence and life. I could thank you for making me free."

"Now, freedom in a prison is not possible Pyrrha, but perhaps one day you'll get the chance to experience it. There's a lot you must learn before but one day, one day you'll be ready."

The Queen sat at her desk, her attention focused on some papers and that let the angel regain a little of her calm.

"What happens now?"

"You had a long day so you better have some rest and prepare yourself for another day in Hell." Cinder motioned to the bed with one hand without really taking her attention from whatever document laying on the table. "I can assure you that you will not find a more comfortable bed in this entire place so use it as you wish."

"I couldn't..."Pyrrha looked at Cinder once. "I can't take your bed."

"Why not?" Cinder replied with a smirk and a raised eyebrow that Pyrrha wasn't able to see.

"If I do then what would happen with you?"

"With me?"

"Yes! Where are you going to sleep?"

"I won't. It doesn't matter if you take it or not, I don't sleep so I suggest you take the best of the situation." Cinder took her quill and started to sign the papers. "Good night, Pyrrha."

I hope you enjoyed it and I'm so sorry for the delay! I just lost myself in the way. See you soon!