Cinder Fall, the most prominent antagonist in the majority of the RWBY series thus far, has little/no story of her own. Though this ambiguity adds to her enigmatic image, I got bored :). Please note that though I intend to include as few/no spoilers to the main RWBY plot (in fact, much of this story will occur before first season), I will definitely allude to/parallel the canon timeline. One particular episode in the main story provides more insight to Cinder's team than people give credit for, and I intend to expand upon it in great detail—with my own twists, of course.

That said, please enjoy this interpretation of events untold in the canon plot from the perspective of RWBY's fiery femme fatale, Cinder Fall.

Introduction

Shortly before the 40th international Vytal Festival

"I forgive you." It took years to get those haunting words out of her head, but Salem was right, as always. I just wasn't strong enough yet, the young woman tells herself. She walks to the edge of the cliffside, her dress fluttering like fire over the horizon. In the valley below, her mentor's pawns march towards the distant forest. Memories belong in the past, she assures herself. Beneath the burning sunlight, the black figures seem to melt into their own shadows.

This is the last time she'll come to this part of Mistral. Seeing it, she almost instinctively lifts a hand to her neck, reaching for something now long gone. Smiling at the traces of her former self, she decides it's time to tie up loose ends and finally close this chapter of her life. The young woman turns around, placing her past behind her. She muses over a metaphor. She didn't bury him back then, but she can bury his ghost now. It's not the same, but it's good enough to release the shackles on her mind. Nonetheless, part of her still wishes she had something to burn. Vale will have to do. The fire in her eyes ignite in anticipation, challenging the sunlight overhead.

Behind her, the shadows of the grimm ooze into the forest as the green is overwhelmed by black.

Brutality and betrayal, beneath a veil of beauty. This is the story of Cinder Fall.

Present

Emerald Sustrai.

An illusionist. A thief. And a lying bitch. At least when she dies, I won't have any ghosts to bury. She made this easy for me. I notice light from my scroll, followed by the sound of my mentor's voice. "An interesting choice, Cinder. Even I didn't expect this from you. I'd like you to tell me the results once your mind is ready." When my mind is ready? It's not often that Salem doubts me. Challenge, yes. Doubt? No. I put the scroll away and clear my thoughts of Salem's words.

I have time for tea. Emerald's distress call won't come for another couple hours, and I do like the atmosphere of the cafe nearby. It will do. As for Emerald, the girl is certainly skilled, but even this job is beyond her.

As I open the door, I feel the sunlight glowing against my skin. Did I blind him? I swear that man almost crashed into the pole as he ran past me. The cafe isn't too far from here. It's comfortable, and the staff isn't entirely useless. It's a quiet celebration, but I want Emerald to see my leisure and indifference when she calls. The problem is that the sound of my footsteps just doubled. At first, we were walking in different directions, but that guy from earlier is now following me.

I find a good place with an alley nearby and slow my pace. Three, two, one...

"Hey, baby! I gotta say, you really surprised me back there. I probably looked stupid, I know. Tell you what," and he glances towards my destination, "I know this great cafe on the way down. How about lunch on me? I'd like a chance to make up for, you know! C'mon, I'll drive us the rest of the way there." He says, pointing to, interestingly enough, the most luxurious car on this block. I stopped in front of this shaded alley for other reasons, but this is just too perfect. I look at the car, back at him, and smile.

"Actually, my car's not too far from here, thanks." I lie. Before he can try to convince me, I teasingly add, "But, I do know this nice place just downtown. You know the place with the big red sign on top of it?" I take a step closer and tilt my head. This is too easy. "I wouldn't mind meeting there later." I add a wink to the tone of my voice, as if to clarify the hint. "Stay by the downstairs lounge. I'll be there in two hours. Wait for me. I'll make it worth your time." I swear, his eyes almost popped out of his head when I gave the description of the most luxurious hotel in the city. I let him call my scroll for assurance—and so I can track him down later, if I need to. He doesn't even question the flick of my wrist against his car as I lean on it. It probably turned him on. Did he just call me hot? Ironic.

Eagerly, he agrees. I lift my body off of his coffin and make my way to the cafe. Listen to my heels, boy. That's the clock ticking. He eventually drives off after staring at me. That hotel is on the other side of town, far away from me. I'll detonate the flame I planted in a few minutes. Probably after this staff finally brings my tea. Today was supposed to be simple, but it's one annoyance after another. First, the soon to be corpse. Now this obviously new and frustratingly slow employee in the cafe. To top it off, Emerald is making surprisingly good progress. She was capable of stealing from me, so it's to be expected. The sudden news about a vehicle exploding in the streets was at least well timed.

An hour passes. What's taking so long? Emerald hasn't been found yet, so I expect she wasn't killed. The museum I sent Emerald to rob normally has high security to begin with, but it's been heightened even more after my anonymous hint and suggestive trail of incriminating evidence. Theft and an assassination in one night. Atlas mechs and a new contract with a high profile security firm should only be the start of her troubles.

I lifted that girl off of the streets. I gave her life meaning. I saved her from certain destruction. And still she has the audacity to steal one of the few possessions I hold dear. Just because I don't wear it doesn't mean I don't want it, Emerald. It's true, I hated that necklace more than I loved it. But it was a reminder. The man that gifted it to me said he loved me, ultimately before choosing to kill me. The bastard stayed self righteous to the end, too. At the time, I was too scared to put him out of his misery. I panicked at the sight of his blood. Now, though, I'm glad he bled slowly. He deserved it.

And here it is. The call I've been waiting for. I immediately put it on mute. I don't need to hear her—nor does the rest of the cafe. I just need her to see where I am, and that I don't care. The look in her eyes shift from focus to confusion as she realizes what's happening. How does my smile look? I wish I could see. The reaction from her face is good enough, though. She knows she's guilty, and this is her sentence. It's a pity, really. I expected her to start begging and pleading. I wouldn't hear it, but I at least wanted to see what she looked like. Instead, her eyes narrowed and returned to serious focus. Still, she held out long and was even dodging shots when calling me. At least you can die gloriously, Emerald. I'll give you that much.

I decide it's time to tell Salem what I think, but she won't answer. I return my eyes to the news, to enjoy my recent work. I only intended to plant a small bomb, but he took it too far. Filth like that man are the reason the world needs a kick. He was proud, but lacked strength. This world is far too comfortable. The reporter is wrong. The pedestrians weren't innocent. Bystanders are the guiltiest of all. Everyone in this city is guilty, as I'll have the White Fang prove in due time.

I take my time with dinner before making my way back to our—or rather, my—makeshift hideout. The former residents had good taste. I wouldn't mind staying there a little longer. I still have time before I have to contact my client to inform him the job was a failure. It's going to be a mark on my history with this contact, but I never intended to collect payment, anyway. Money has never been the goal.

It's said that some people just want to watch the world burn. Others would rather start the flames themselves. Like right now, with this bitch sitting contently on the couch as I walk in. Emerald Sustrai. I could melt her face off. She throws me the gem, her supposed objective—and for a moment, I am truly impressed. The feeling fades when she throws me a second object. It's the necklace. She actually has the nerve to...

I stop my thought as the necklace disappears into air. I lift my eyes and see Emerald before me, bowing on one knee. "I'm sorry. I should have told you. I'm sorry." I tell her that her apology is a waste of breath. Then, she looks at me with sad, pathetic eyes. "Cinder. There is no necklace. When our last hideout was raided, it was destroyed during the fight."

"Then, why..." Before I can finish my question, I realize where I had gone wrong. All those times I caught her sneaking into my belongings, she wasn't planning—she was planting. She's an illusionist. There was never anything in the glass box to begin with. When she starts to talk again, her voice is still filled with regret, but no blame. No bitterness. "I know how much it meant to you. Yeah, I figured it all out when I sent you that distress call. I already know that you caught me sneaking, but I'd rather have you suspicious of me than to see you lose something so precious to you. It must have really meant a lot for you to go this far." She gave a pained smile at the end.

Before I can offer any words, she looks up into my eyes and speaks first. "I would never steal from you. I owe my life to you, Cinder. Not even this can change that. Because I understand. Again, I'm sorry. I should have told you." And she waits for my answer. My judgment. Despite the circumstances, she bows her head and waits.

After a momentary pause, I speak. "It's been a very long time since I've felt regret." I say this sincerely. Warmly, even. I intend to let her keep all of the pay from the client, but that won't be enough. The least I can do is tell her, "I want you to know: You have now earned my absolute trust. Don't let me down, Emerald."

That last bit lifted her spirits, it seems. It's touching, really. It was especially obvious in her voice when I had her explain her success to the client. Charming.

And then Salem calls, with perfect timing—as usual. "I can that our Miss Sustrai is quite content behind you. So, are you ready to speak?"

"I don't need to. Through this, Emerald has spoken for me. My allies are powerful. As am I." Of course, I'm speaking not for Emerald's success in the operation, but for her loyalty. Salem's smile approves of my answer.

"You have grown, Cinder. In recognition of your effective leadership, I have an interesting prospect to bring to your attention. Esteemed assassin, Marcus Black. His name is only known in the most extreme of circles. Reign him in and add his skills to your own." Like a chessmaster. It's as if Salem already knew how this would all turn out. It's not the first time she's played me like this and followed up with a challenge to overcome. This one certainly won't be easy. Nonetheless...

"We're ready." Emerald Sustrai nods behind me.

As you can see, the canon events regarding Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black are included, plus another subtle reference to Volume 3 that will remain unnamed. Hopefully it was presented in such a way that doesn't violate or spoil much of the true plot. There will certainly be more references to the main story—this is intended to parallel and supplement the main plot, after all. I opted to skip the exact circumstances of Emerald and instead focus on her unquestionable—and unhealthy—loyalty to Cinder. I intend to include an explanation for Cinder's desire for power and personal philosophy in the next chapter(s).

Feedback would be much appreciated (and motivate me to continue this story).

Edit: I've cleaned up the opening introduction a little, hopefully clarifying the timeline (Intro is Vol 3, "present" is before Vol 1). Also, the number of views/visitors this has received in such short time surprised me. Thanks for your interest, everyone! As of writing this, I'm now including more detailed action (Ch5+) to supplement the drama. I hope you all can enjoy it.