"Celia Starwright," Ozpin lectured as the elevator descended, "a former Winter Maiden, was also a former assassin. That was how she originally gained the Maiden's power, but once she had done so, she realized that what she had taken came with an incredible responsibility. And so she reached out to me, and served the people of Remnant for years as a hero in the shadows."

"I've never even heard of her," she said, surprised. She didn't know every assassin in the world, but she made it a point to know the major ones, particularly those that would be skilled enough to kill a Maiden and especially if they were a former associate of Ozpin.

"It was well before your time." She looked to him for explanation, but, of course, there was none forthcoming. "In her example, I see a chance for you to do the right thing. I don't know if she ever found peace or forgiveness, but I do know that a great number of people would have perished if not for her choice."

The doors opened, and Cin stepped into the darkness of a laboratory. Deep in the basement of the Academy, lurking beneath the notice of the students and the world, there was this strange assortment of nightmarish machines. She knew, vaguely, what they were and how they worked, Watts had, after all, pieced together intercepted Atlesian intelligence and his own technical intuition into a description of what these machines were and how they functioned, but she knew that none of those details really mattered. Here and now, it wasn't a machine of aura transfer, but life support for a woman. A woman she knew all too well. A woman whom she was about to kill.

She was drawn to her, unable to look away from her peaceful form lying in the machine. One could even think she was sleeping. But Cinder knew the truth. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the body, futile as it may be. Even if she could somehow hear her, Cin knew her apologies meant nothing. But it had to be said. She would spend the rest of her life atoning for what she had done, for more deaths than just this one, but she had to begin here.

She was dimly aware of Ozpin behind her, readying some kind of control panel. "The system was designed around transferring her aura in a way that kept you from having it, but with you being the recipient…" he trailed off. She wondered if Pyrrha would have accepted the offer, to enter a strange machine and take on the unending burden as Vale's guardian. She would have, wouldn't she? She was a good person. She probably wouldn't have even hesitated, a chance to give her life to hold back the Grimm. But then Ozpin spoke and brought her back to reality. "So all we have to do is keep you proximate as we switch off life support."

Proximate. She only had to be nearby. And yet, she felt compelled to rest her hand on Amber's. She shouldn't have died like this, in a dark forgotten cave, tied up in wires and strange machines, with only these two around to witness her passing. She shouldn't have died at all, and not to satisfy some cruel, petty greed. But Cin knew what she could not take back. At the least, she could ensure that someone was holding her hand at the end. At the least, she could give her that small measure of compassion.

A switch was flipped, she felt a sharp, electric jolt in her hand, and then-

Things seemed clearer, now.

For the first time since she had attacked Amber, her soul was calm. No, that wasn't true. For the first time since her childhood, her soul felt calm. She felt a presence swirling inside her, familiar, but not like the clamor of the half-soul, more like… well, she knew who it was.

She let go of the hand she was holding and clutched her arms to her chest. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "I am so, so sorry." She felt something she couldn't describe, something in her soul. A wordless voice swirled in her mind, a charge, but… It wasn't forgiveness, she was certain of that, but it had the feeling of possibility, of the example of a better woman. The one she would have to live up to.

She would have a lifetime to do that.

She looked to Ozpin, who gave her a slow, sad look. What did he see when he looked at her? A Maiden? A killer? A tool? "I take it you are now our Maiden?"

She nodded. "I… I am."

Ozpin offered his hand to her. "If you think you're ready, then I think it's time to leave."

"It will be a hard road ahead of you, but… you won't face it alone. It took some work on my part, but my colleagues have agreed to some of your demands."

Those had been the only words Ozpin had said to her on the elevator. She didn't ask which demands—she didn't want to get her hopes up—but she believed it to be a gesture of good will and took it as such. They had completed the rest of the ride in silence as she adapted to the feel of having this new power flowing through her. It was tremendous, as extraordinary a strength as she had so long hoped for, and yet… she had never felt smaller, more vulnerable. She supposed she ought to get used to it, as the elevator dinged and the mechanism of the doors whirred into action.

She stepped out, into the light, where she found a small crowd waiting for her. Immediately, she saw, as she had asked, that Jaune was there. And Emerald, both hands clutching Ruby's arm and clearly so nervous, she practically squeaked when she saw them. And she saw Mercury, as surprised as she was that he'd stayed, she was happy to see him. He stood next to General Ironwood, and she had apparently interrupted a discussion between the two. An odd pairing, that. What did they have to discuss: their prosthetic limbs? But then she realized: how much did she really know about Mercury? About any of them there? She considered herself a careful analyst, but... how much had she realized in the past weeks that she simply did not know about those closest to her? She knew strengths, fears, patterns of behavior—but what did she know about their hopes? Their inner lives? They were strangers to her. As if to prove her point, she notice how the General seemed oddly at ease for a military man. She would have thought him to have an objection to this plan, but… then she noticed that, of Ozpin's group, Qrow was the only one not present.

The light in her soul darkened at that, and she felt a new sorrow. The first of many, she supposed. He was right to hate her, to hate what she took from him. She didn't know what relationship he and Amber had, but from the pain she felt, they had clearly been close. Lovers? Friends? Comrades-in-arms? Whatever they had, she had been the one to end it. There were some debts she would never repay, that she'd have to live with for the rest of her life.

Ozpin looked around the room as well, though far less concerned, before addressing his allies. "The procedure was a success. Cinder Fall will serve as Vale's Maiden, as Amber did before her. We will assist her in her efforts to protect the innocent from the threat of the Grimm. For what she was before… she is now our ally in the fight for all the people of Remnant."

His words were sober; he was issuing instructions, not trying to redeem her in their eyes. After he finished, Glynda Goodwitch approached her, with a severe look on her face. "Earn this," she said, curtly, and then turned her back on her and walked away. General Ironwood merely nodded and followed. They might have acquiesced to the plan, but it was clear that they had little illusion about who she was.

But with Ozpin's group out of the way, before she could let their rejection set in, Jaune and Emerald had already raced over to her, Ruby and Pyrrha only slightly behind them. Jaune was the first to speak, his voice full of trepidation. "Are you…" She guessed his question and nodded. She was Cin still, or perhaps, she was now. Either way, she nodded as a wave of relief washed over his face.

Before he had a chance to say anything more, Emerald was already next to her with her scroll out. "I've got everything prepared for the next step, ma'am, starting by checking with some of our old contingencies and seeing if we can catch some of former allies before they've realized we're turncoats. Roman went to ground fast, so I think he saw this coming, but I've got leads on some of our old informants. I've also coordinated with Ozpin's group that-"

She stopped speaking as Cin rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Em. I know you've figured things out for us."

Emerald paused, momentarily surprised by the gentleness of her touch, before she crushed Cin in a tight hug. "I told you," she whispered into Cin's shoulder, "I'm loyal to you. No one else."

She looked up from the hug to a pair of silver eyes staring at her. In her meekness, Ruby was hard to read, but she saw notes of sympathy, of hope… and of a soft, persistent jealousy. She had risked herself enormously in order to save her life, even though Cin had done nothing but use and betray her. "And, Ruby… I'm sorry." The girl was a mystery to her, but the warmth in her soul recognized her immediately. She was young, but... she was a true hero. Like Amber was.

"It's okay," she said, eyes shifting to the ground. "Emerald and I had a long talk, and it's just…" she trailed off, looking back up to Emerald.

"It just wasn't meant to be," Emerald finished. There was real pain in her voice, pain she concealed from everyone, but… Cin could see it there. Another crime to add to her tally. Lesser than the others, but… it would hurt, knowing what she'd done to the both of them.

"I'm gonna be honest," Mercury cut in with his airy bravado, "Really not feeling it as a hero, you know? Kind of liked the whole outlaw thing we had going, but I swore an oath to keep Emerald's ego in check, and so I guess I'm in too."

"And this way you don't go to prison," Emerald corrected.

He threw up his hands. "There can be multiple reasons for why I do things!" She'd have to ask him—later, of course, but eventually—what brought about his change of heart. Or perhaps… maybe there had never been a change, just a resolute heroism inside him that neither she nor his father could truly stamp out. Stranger things were true in this world, and she was living proof of that.

As weak as she felt, she still smiled at them both. They were going to war against a monster beyond imagination, a woman of almost infinite patience and cruelty and… she felt they could manage. They were skilled, two of the best assistants she could ask for this, but moreso, she knew they would support her. They would be her strength, against the insurmountable power before them. With them, she knew it was possible.

But that thought, of where they were going and how soon they were leaving, reminded her that she had a painful task already in front of her.

She looked to Jaune, and tried to ready herself to say goodbye.

Their eyes met, a shared pain sparked between the two, and he took the initiative to speak. "Cin, it's- oof!"

She pulled him into her own tight hug, strong enough to knock the wind out of him. Big Sister's prerogative, and he was, after all, her only brother in this world. "If it wasn't for you…" she started, struggling to hold back tears, "You've changed everything, Jaune. Never forget that. Things would be so much different if it wasn't for you." Then she simply held him, just for a little longer. "And be good to Pyrrha," she choked.

The girl, quiet until now, looked over to her, ashen faced and ashamed. "Cin, I- I'm-"

She cut off her apology. It was the least she could do. "You did what you had to," she soothed the younger woman, "you have nothing to apologize for. None of you do." Pyrrha blinked back tears. It seems that words would fail her, so Cin took the initiative. "Look after Jaune. He needs you as much as you need him," she murmured.

Jaune rested a comforting hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, then looked to Cin. "We're part of this now," he said, resolved, a Huntsman in every way, "We will meet again."

"I- I hope so," she choked, "Goodbye, Jaune."

He fought to keep a brave face. "It's not goodbye. Not forever." She wanted to believe him. She clung to the belief, knowing that it would stay with her in the journey ahead. Then he pulled her into one last hug, his tears now flowing freely as he released her.

"If you're ready," Ozpin said, leading her to her future, "your duties lie ahead of you now. But remember: you have allies here. More allies than even you might realize."

She nodded, doing all she could to maintain her composure in front of her companions and the Beacon students. Ozpin and Emerald were giving her the basics of how they planned her first mission, but the details weren't that important. The light breaking through the window told her it was already noon if not later, and she hadn't slept in more than a day. And yet, as tired as her body was, there was something within her that surged as she pondered her next move. She could feel that pulse of warmth in her soul, a strange familiarity from experiences that were not hers. The part of her that wasn't her before knew this routine full well as she steadied herself and stepped out of the room.

She had a duty to attend to, after all.

EPILOGUE

Snow crunched under hooves. A few birds chirped in the early dawn. Her horse whined in annoyance as it continued down the path. She patted it with a quick, "Easy, girl," and sighed, thinking that she was just as annoyed as the horse.

They were travelling further than they ought to. They'd just finished driving Tyrian out of the region—unfortunately, they hadn't been able to finish him off, she had been looking forward to repaying him for the scar he'd left her—but in chasing him out of Vale, they'd gone a far ways away from where they were scheduled to rendezvous with their contact and resupply with Ozpin's group. She could have, in theory, rescheduled, had Mercury deliver a message for them while he was gathering intelligence for their contacts in Vale, but she knew that, no matter what she had accomplished in the past three years, she was still under suspicion. She would always be under suspicion.

Finally, she broke the early morning quiet. "Have you heard who our contact is yet?" It was unusual that Ozpin was leaving them in the dark for so long, though she figured it might just be due to caution. Salem's reach was long, and Cin knew all too well how good she was at turning a defeat around. But Emerald looked at her uneasily, which only annoyed her. "Oh, just tell me, it can't be as bad as you're thinking."

"Um, well," she mumbled, "It's kind of a-"

She cut her off, exasperated. "If it's Qrow, I'll live. It won't be the first time he's left our supplies in a creek and told us-"

"It's Team JNPR."

She was silent at that. The sort of silence that seemed to draw all sound out of the world surrounding her. It should have been good news. She should have been delighted, over the broken moon with joy. Jaune had… she hadn't been able to follow his career closely, but what few scraps she'd been able to learn she hoarded greedily. He was starting to gain notice, along with his team. Successful missions, daring strategies, the sort of heroism they'd heard stories about, when they were children. He was…

He was growing up in the image of his father.

She wasn't unaware, but at the same time, it was still hard to imagine that he was experienced enough, or even old enough, to be entrusted with a mission like this. But he was a fourth year student, now, wasn't he? She hadn't seen Jaune in person, or even had any direct contact with him, since she left Beacon with her new power and commission. Just as Ozpin had told her, she had expected she would never see him again. Officially speaking, she did not exist. She was a ghost that lived in the shadows of civilization, her exact location being a closely guarded secret known only to a few. She had used Mercury and Emerald to keep her informed of any word they might hear about him and his team, but that was as close as she could get. As close as she was allowed to get.

She realized there was a woman on a horse ahead of them. Wrapped in a dark, heavy cloak, but immediately recognizable to Cin, even from this distance. She'd certainly seen her enough in the intervening years, in advertisements and news stories, her celebrity reaching even to the provincial backwaters she lurked. She wore her hair short now, but it's brilliant crimson still stood out like a flame.

Cin approached warily—as bright and chipper as the girl looked now, she hadn't forgotten their last encounter, or the look of bloody wrath she wore as she nearly beat her to death with her bare hands. "Pyrrha," she started curtly.

Her voice, in contrast, was warm and kind. "Cin. It's good to see you again." Mature. She wasn't a teenager anymore, that was for sure. She made a quick glance to Pyrrha's left hand, but quickly noticed her finger was bare. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed to see that.

It fell to Emerald to break the silence. "Uh, where's Jaune?"

Pyrrha laughed, the sort of kind, disarming sound Cin didn't hear much. "He should be here, but, of course, he's freaking out about making sure everything's perfect at camp." Even with her wariness, she couldn't help but smile at that. It was good to know he was still her Jaune. "He's missed you. A lot. And I swear I must have talked him down from a panic attack every week. But I'm sure you'll get to see him have one personally once you make it to camp. Oh! And we'll, I mean, the rest of JNPR, we'll be sure to give you some space. Ren and Nora are already out with Professor Goodwitch establishing our perimeter, so we're certain the area will be secure. Jaune really wanted you to have a chance to relax."

Her tone was light, humorous, but her words just put Cin more on edge. If Ozpin was feeling sentimental, if he wanted to reward her, he could have sent Jaune with one of his agents. Sending five for a rendezvous… it just made no sense! It was too noisy, too large an operation. Even with Tyrian routed, she wasn't arrogant enough to assume she'd fully driven Salem's influence from Vale. She didn't like it one bit. Something else was up, and the fact that Ozpin was giving her something she wanted raised the hairs on the back of her neck. All she could think as the three of them rode onwards, Emerald peppering Pyrrha with questions, was what he could want in exchange. What demands would he have that he would feel the need to offer her this in exchange?

She'd learn soon enough. They broke out of the trees and suddenly, she was looking down a hill to where a campsite had been set up, a small curl of smoke rising from a campfire. And of course, hovering over it, she saw him.

She didn't have words. They rode down the hill, the camp getting larger, more real, as they drew closer. Pyrrha whistled to get his attention, and he leapt up from the fire, waving at them with wild excitement. She could smell breakfast cooking over the fire. What was the last truly good meal she had? Probably not since she last saw Jaune. In spite of her desire to maintain composure, she couldn't help herself as she spurred her horse onwards and broke from her companions.

His smile could have killed her. "Cin! I can't believe- It's so good to see you!"

She tried to speak as she dismounted, but words froze in the winter air. It was painful to see him. Emotion, she reminded herself, would only lead to further pain. So she kept her voice clipped, businesslike, as she dismounted and approached him. "Jaune. What does Ozpin-"

But then she was interrupted as, of all things, a small child bursting out of one of the tents, followed by his harried-

No.

It wasn't… possible.

For the first time in over a decade, she stood, face-to-face, with her best friend. Cin Fall stared, amazed, at an equally stunned Saphron Cotta-Arc.

She was vaguely aware that Jaune was still standing right in front of her. "I, um, I kind of might have told Ozpin that we had some demands. And I might have, um, wanted it to be a surprise? And if somebody could stay patient for fifteen minutes…"

Another woman emerged from the tent with a chuckle. Terra, Cin realized, it had to be Terra. She walked over to her wife and son. "Sorry, he's been all cooped up in the tent and really impatient to meet his famous Aunt Cinnamon." Then she waved to the stunned Cin. "Hi, I'm Terra! And you must be the magical warrior who protects the world as part of a secret global conspiracy and also gets to decide whether or not I get to stay married to Saph!"

"H-hi," she stammered.

"And this," she gently pushed a suddenly timid looking boy forward, "is our son, Adrian."

The boy stared at her—expectant, but… a little frightened. Cin realized that, in his eyes, she was a stranger, one with a terrible scar across her face. And what stories had he heard of her? The woman who lived in the woods, the mythical witch, who they could only meet in secret? But then… he broke into a broad smile and waved to her with childlike enthusiasm. "Hi!"

She was one of the most powerful beings on Remnant. All the powers of a Maiden, pushed to the greatest mastery of those powers in living memory, backed by a massive intelligence network and her own strategic mind. She could best anyone alive, save one, in direct combat, and she had done more to push the frontier back against the Grimm than any other single person.

And yet a small boy's smile utterly unmade her.

"It's alright," Saph's voice, warm, comforting, familiar, came to her aid, "he won't bite."

"He's finally out of that phase," joked Terra. But Cin wasn't listening. She was crouched down, almost at eye level with the boy. She knew she looked like hell; she'd cultivated that look to show Salem's forces that she was no weaker for her defection. And yet, the only thing she saw in those eyes across from her was that childish mix of shy curiosity and friendly excitement. In his eyes, she was just another one of his many, many aunts, just one he hadn't met before.

His mother whispered something to him, and, steeling his courage, he suddenly raced over on stubby child's legs. Before Cin could react, he was upon her, arms thrown around her neck. She almost fell over, before reaching back in her own embrace.

"Hi there," she whispered, "you must be Adrian." The boy nodded, excitedly. She thought of a call from years ago, when she first learned her best friend was a mother. "Your mother… she's told me so much about you."

Saph inched closer, whispering to her son, "Okay, honey, now give her her gift."

She released him from her hug, as the boy nervously, hesitantly, held out his closed hand, and then opened it.

A small glass figurine. Shaped something like a dolphin.

"I saved it," Saph murmured, as Cin's sight blurred with tears, "this whole time, I've kept it safe."

She knelt there, with Saph and Jaune and Adrian and Emerald and Terra and Pyrrha. With the people she loved most in the world. With her family. And she was… she was happy. She was alive and she was happy and she was at peace.