30 Chapter 30: The scars we bare

It was a noisy day for the Beacon students as they were summoned to an important announcement in the great hall. Even though it was a Saturday, this was mandatory and every student who wasn't present would be counted as a no-show.

As team AACE made their way into the crowded hall, they noticed it wasn't just their year who had been called, but students from every year as well. On top of that, every teacher in the school was also in attendance as were all faculty members.

"Look at everyone. I don't think I've ever seen this many students all gathered together like this!" Eric said as he turned to Cinder. "What the hell did you do last night to get everyone so riled up?"

With a sharp glare, the dark haired girl drove her elbow into Eric's stomach, causing him to double over.

"I didn't do anything, genius." She snapped as she rubbed her elbow. What the hell was this guy made of?! Even without his armor, he was rock solid!

"Then how about you explain where you were last night." Adam added, stepping next to her. "You got back after midnight and there was blood all over your hands. Yes, I saw you. And no I'm not mistaken. So it kinda seems like something we should know about."

Cinder muttered a curse under her breath. Stupid Faunus and his stupid night vision. Of course he'd see the blood.

"It's nothing to worry about." She assured Adam, raising her hands to show him her still slightly damaged palms. "I wasn't being careful and actually cut myself. The blood was mine, I didn't kill somebody and bury their body if that's what you're thinking."

Cinder turned away and tried to ignore the piercing gaze on her. She hadn't planned on keeping this a secret, but on their way back, Fang had asked her not to mention that he used to work for a crime lord to get by. He didn't want people to think less of him and he certainly didn't want to be expelled for doing what he had to do to survive.

And as much as Cinder had grown attached to her dark skinned leader, the goody-two-shoes would probably not understand. Sometimes people had to do questionable things to get by and sometimes that meant hurting others. Something Amber was very against.

Fortunately, before she could be questioned more, Professor Ozpin stepped onto the stage, his cane banging loudly against the wood drawing all eyes to him.

"Good morning everyone. I'm sorry for calling everyone here on a Saturday, but I hope what I have to say will make it worth your time." He said, looking across all his students. "As many of you know, last year we started a tournament called the Vytal Festival to celebrate the peace between the four kingdoms. Back then I announced that it would be an annual event, and I'm happy to say that this year will host the second ever Vytal Festival!"

Immediately the atmosphere in the room changed as people began excitedly chattering to one another. After last year's tournament had sparked a massive increase in gang violence in Vale, several new outlets and talk shows all said that it should be shut down. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.

Among the crowd, Cinder clenched her hands into fists. This was it! Her big chances to win all the fame and glory she'd ever want! She could already picture stepping onto the podium to accept her trophy.

She glanced through the crow of students and immediately found Fang, standing with his team a ways away. She wanted to shoot him a grin, but he was look at Ozpin and couldn't see her. But she just shrugged it off. She had plenty of time to talk with him later.

"After last years tourney, I know many wanted to see this event canceled." Ozpin said over the din of the students. "But the counsel decided that they wouldn't bow to either terrorist or gangs. This is a symbol that even after the war, the kingdoms are strong. So when you all go to Atlas to complete, I expected you all to do your absolute best."

Immediately the room went deathly quiet at his words. Cinder found herself staring blankly up at the teacher's mouth hanging open. Surely she had misheard him.

"As for the schedule, you will all be allowed to go home for winter break. Then, as soon as you get back, you'll be boarding airships to Atlas where you'll continue your studies until the tourney which will be held at the end of the school year. During this time, you'll be representing Beacon academy, so I expect you to be on your best-."

"What do you mean in Atlas!" A student shot from the back. "Those backstabbing bastards shouldn't even be able to compete, let alone host it! What kind of sick joke is this that we're expected to be around a bunch of warmongering traitors!"

Ozpin let out a sigh at the burst before speaking. "Last year, there were a disturbing number of incidents where an Atlas student was attacked or harassed. As such, to remind everyone that suffering during a war is mutual, we decided to let Atlas host this year. As an act of good will to-."

"So we are expected to humor those murdering vermin?! You've got to be kidding! I don't want to be out in a building filled with those warmongers!" A Faunus yelled angrily. "How about they go a fuck themselves! I'll eat my hat before I show those vermin a shred of dignity!

"Put a sock in it!" A different student yelled before Ozpin could deescalate the situation. "How about you be respectful to the great General Ironwood! Because if it wasn't for him, we'd still be at war! Atlas is now in the up and up! But I guess I shouldn't expect a stupid animal like you to see that!"

The room devolved into chaos at the (presumably.) Atlesian student's comments. Everyone shouting insults or hurling abuse at each other. Some even began to grapple with someone on the other side of the argument.

Beside her, Cinder saw Adam move to grab another student, only to be stopped by Eric placing his arm between them.

On her other side, she saw Amber pulling two third years apart as they tried to choke the other. But as the dark skinned girl wrestled with one of the two. The other, a Faunus, pulled a counseled knife from his uniform and lunged at his opponent.

"Look out!" Cinder yelled, diving forward and pushing the assailant's arm making him miss her partner and sending both crashing to the floor with the girl on top. There, she raised her fist and made to smash his skull against the hard marble floor! But before she could.

"ENOUGH!" A voice boomed over the chaos.

Immediately, all eyes turned to the stage to see Professor Goodwitch stepping forward, riding crop raised threateningly.

"I told you before that no fighting would be tolerated at this school! What's more, the Vytal Festival is a celebration of peace and forgiveness between kingdoms and their people. Not an excuse to rip each other to pieces!" Her yell carried her fury for all to hear and immediately anyone still being hostile back down.

"If you don't want to compete, nobody is going to make you. You can choose to stay at Beacon and continue your studies." Professor Goodwitch eyed the students as she spoke. Reading their every expression. "But for those who do want to take part, remember this. Anyone incapable of leaving the past in the past doesn't have the right to participate in this celebration. For better or worse, the war is over. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner the scars can fade. Both the ones on Remnant, and the ones on your souls."

Slowly, Cinder's hand moved to her neck where the pendent Ruby had given her was. She gripped it tightly as she remembered her time at the Glass Unicorn.

Forgiveness? It's over? Never! She had been a slave in both the old dynasty and the new republic! They didn't change! Only swapped one dogma for another. After all the suffering and abuse SHE had endured at their hands, they could go stuff their peace up a donkey's ass! She would NEVER forgive them! Not so long as there was breath in her body! She would show that sorry kingdom it had made a poor choice the day it had left her to suffer! Because that had made her EVERYTHING! And when she finally got her chance, she would show them what suffering was!

And as she made this promise, a shadowy figure with dual maces stood up from behind the teachers and walked towards her before disappearing once again into the crowd.

"What a load!" Cinder grumbled as she walked with Amber down the streets of Vale. "I can't believe we're going all the way to a frozen wasteland for something as stupid as a act of good faith! Who even though of that stupid stuff anyway?!"

Behind her, Amber let out a chuckle. "Well, just because you find world peace a bore doesn't mean it's not important. And I for one am looking forward to the trip. I've never been to Atlas before. And just thinking about all the pretty snow that Solitas is known for makes me all giddy!"

"Snow's overrated." Cinder said bluntly, ignoring the fact Amber was always giddy. "Anyway, I've got to get to the CCT tower to call my family. What are you going to do?"

"Oh! Seeing as Adam's off doing some protesting and Eric's working on his shield, I figured I'd use some me time and head to the library." She said cheerfully. "I heard that recently a book on an old kingdom that once almost conquered the world was donated by a rich benefactor. Apparently, he was a history nerd just like myself and his sons lacked his appreciation for it."

"A kingdom that almost conquered the world? I never heard of this." Cinder said as she glanced over at Amber. "What was it called? And how the hell did they fall if they were that powerful?"

"Well, that's the thing, nobody knows." The dark skinned girl replied. "One night the castle was destroyed seemingly and all the servants and guards were killed along with the four princesses. And while the king's sword was found, nobody could find either him or the queen. And without their leadership, the kingdom fell into disarray."

"Huh. Well what do ya know. I never guessed history could be interesting." Cinder commented. "All I remember for my history class was how stupid the professor's wig was." She paused for a moment as she thought about her old classes. History and teamwork were the only two classes she hadn't really paid much mind to. After all, she had already been reading a lot of history on her own.

And on that note.

"Hey Amber. Have you ever heard the name Salem before?"

Amber paused for a second as she rested her hand on her chin, staring at the sky as she thought. "Salem…Salem….No, that name doesn't ring a bell." She said after a few seconds. "I've heard of Selena, a huntress from the war, but I've never heard of Salem before. What was she famous for? Maybe that'll jog my memory."

Cinder shook her head. "It's nothing. Never mind." She said quickly, trying to hide her frustration. Why couldn't anyone find information on this Salem person? There was no way someone who employed the scariest huntsman around could just exist off the books completely. Someone must be covering her up, but who?

"Okay, if you say so." Amber said unconvinced. "Anyway, I should be going. Don't want to pass out waiting in line for the book again! You have fun with your family! Talk to you tonight! Hopefully. Bye!"

Amber waved as she ran off, leaving Cinder returning the gesture until the girl disappeared from sight. A small smile on her face. The girl's dorky attitude was starting to grow on her. Something she thought would never happen.

With a new skip in her step, Cinder made her way to the CCT tower, crossing her fingers that dark skinned girl had been joking about passing out waiting for a book.

Cinder stared at the screen as she waited for someone to pick up. It normally didn't take Summer too long, if she remembered their normal schedule, the rest of her family should be just finishing cleaning up lunch right now. There shouldn't be a long wa-.

Suddenly the screen popped up showing a tufted of black hair just below the desk top. Cinder could see the wire of the keyboard had been pulled down and she could hear muttering as the little girl tried to answer despite not being tall enough to properly see.

"It's the enter key, Ruby." Cinder call with a smug smile as the hair jump slightly before the rest of the girl appeared on screen as she pulled herself into the chair.

"Cinder!" Ruby cried happily. "You said you'd call as soon as you got in! You big lier!" She put on a big pouting face making her older sister laugh.

"Sorry, I got caught up in some stuff and didn't have time. How have you been?" She asked the little girl who immediately forgot her forced grumpiness.

"Great! School's not much fun, but besides that, everything's going well! Mom is busy as usual, and Yang's been trying something new recently too! She seems much happier as well!" Ruby was practically bouncing in her seat, her excitement for everything still amazed Cinder even after living with it for years.

"And guess what happened while you were staying with dad! Uncle Qrow offered to train me! He said I might be better with bigger weapons! Once he gets back to Patch, he promised to start my training right away!"

"Qrow did?" Cinder asked sarcastically. "How drunk did you have to get him before he agreed? He hates kids."

Ruby stuck out her tongue at Cinder's comment. "He hates you! And that's because the first time you met, you turned his bottle into a Molotov! But I've been nothing but a good kid all year and just asked him when he came to visit!" The little girl put her hands on her hips and raised her head proudly. She must have honestly thought that made some difference.

"Oh! Cinder! You finally called!" Both girls looked up as Summer entered the room. Her usual warm smile spread across her face.

"Hey mom!" Cinder said happily. "How have you been doing? Ruby said you've been busy. Grimm migrations causing any problems? I still remember when you got that emergency call from the mayor. He sounded like he was going to sh- pop his pants!"

Summer let out a chuckle as she smiled at her daughter. "Yep. Thankfully nothing quite as dire, but migrations are always a headache. You'd think people would learn to leave their homes when Grimm are passing by, but every year someone is captured off guard when a Beowolf is knocking down his fence. At least huntsmen are always nearby when it happens."

Summer finished reminiscing and smiled as her eyes lit up. "But enough about us, how have you been doing? First week at Beacon cane be pretty stressful. Professor Ozpin told me you got in but didn't go into details. So you have to tell us about you entrance exam."

Cinder opened her mouth, but before she could start on her story, a yellow ball of energy shot into the room.

"Cinder!" Yang said happily. "How've you been?! I thought you were going to call as soon as you finished your exam! Liar!" Both sisters shared a laugh at the girl's empty accusation. They hadn't seen each other since their run in with the Phantom.

"Sorry, got caught up in something. And the exam was a bit chaotic as well. Had to put a couple of egomaniacs in there place, but I guess it worked out in the end. Made a new friend because of it."

Yang gasped in mock surprise. "You? Making friends? Recognizing Egomania? No way! Who are you and what have you done with Cinder?!" Said girl shot a hard glare at her blonde sister as the other two family members laughed. Clearly the girl was as sassy as ever.

"Oh stuff it Yang!" She shot back. "The people at Signal were just beneath me. That's all. I'm perfectly capable of making friends anytime I want! I just-!" She broke off at the expressions on her family's face. They knew her better than anyone. And that unfortunately, included her social skills, or lack thereof.

"Sigh. Anyway, I should probably begin at my first day. And since you've all decided to be smart asses, I won't be answering any questions." Despite her words, the rest of the family became quiet to allow her to speak. They were already invested in the story.

"As soon as I got off the airships, some dumbass named Callum ran me over…"

"And after that, Fang and I agreed to stay in contact to help each other out." Cinder said as she finished her story. She had left a few things out, like Adam and Eric fight in the night and Fang's connections to the criminal underworld and what they had agreed to do together. She wasn't going to scar her sisters with stuff like that.

During the story, she had noticed Summer's face twitch slightly at parts that had been altered, but thankfully she was smart enough to know Cinder was hiding them for a reason.

And thankfully, Ruby and Yang didn't seem to notice a thing.

"Wow!" Yang gasped her eyes as big as dinner plates. "You're really on a team with Adam Taurus? That's amazing! Is he as cool in person as he is on TV? I bet you see a lot of White Fang stuff too. Man I wish I could be on a team with someone like that!"

Cinder rolled her eyes at Yang's fangirling. "Let's see, if I had to describe him in words, I'd pick arrogant, self-centered, bullheaded, completely obsessive, blind to any problems that doesn't directly affect the Faunus, a terrible attitude, a narcissist, doesn't know when to shut up, and a overall insurable pest who I have to put up with."

On the other end of the screen, Yang's mouth fell open. Her image of some picture perfect hero shattered with each word. And Cinder wasn't done yet.

"The idiot acts without thinking and is reckless beyond all compare. He's a terrible leader, but still insists that he's got the skill. The only real positive thing I can say is he has some skill in battle, but even then it's just raw brute force. Definitely nothing to write home about. Oh! And he's way shorter in person than on TV.

Cinder smirked at Yang's face when she had finished describing Adam. Needless to say, that wasn't the rising star of the White Fang she had in her mind.

"Yeah right!" Yang protested, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks in a pout. "I bet you're just exaggerating things! No way he's anything like that!"

"Hey not my problem if you can't get past your animal fetish to see how people really are." Cinder said with a smirk as Yang immediately turned red all the way down to her hair, eyes bulging at what had just been revealed.

"That was told to you in confidence!"

Summer smiled as she watched her daughters bicker. Despite her harsh criticism, she knew Adam would get along just fine with Cinder as…well, most people used the exact same words to describe her. And even Summer sometimes found it hard to argue.

As for her other teammates, Eric seemed easy enough to get along with. Laidback and a bit of a joker, but loyal and smart enough to know when to defuse the situation. Something that, unfortunately, was getting harder and harder to find.

Her last teammate on the other hand…

"So Cinder, what can you tell us about Amber? Is she a good leader? What's she like? You have told us..well anything really!"

Cinder paused in her argument with Yang and seemed to go deep into her thoughts.

After a few seconds, The dark haired student began to speak very slowly. Which was a surprise for the family. Usually Cinder loved to speak the loudest and the fastest as she always wanted to be the center of attention.

"She's weird. Nice, but weird." Cinder murmured. "She's insufferably upbeat and so nice that she comes off as naïve. But when the chips are down, she's surprisingly passionate. She's an amazing fighter, not as good as me of course, but definitely better then most of my other classmates. On top of that, she has the potential of being a great tactician, but due to shyness or insecurities, she doesn't seem to have much confidence in herself. Back when Professor Ozpin named her team leader, she tried to get him to give it to me."

Cinder stopped yet again, her gaze off the screen. And when she started again, it sounded more like she was talking to herself then them.

"She has a very open mind. Always trying to see both sides of a situation and is surprisingly deep for her weird personality. And despite that, she still has her own opinions and isn't afraid to show them as long as it doesn't cause conflict. She's a complete history nerd and has no shame admitting it. And even though her excitable personality might get annoying at times, I'm glad I got her as my partner. In the short time I've known her, she's given me a lot to think about."

The dark haired girl paused for a moment to rub the back of her head as she looked off screen, a surprisingly gentle smile on her face. "Honestly, I'm glad I met her. I kinda want to get to know her better and do stuff together. And while I'm not sure if I'd call us friends yet, I'd definitely like to get there."

Summer smiled at her daughter. In only one week, she had already started to grow as a person. And it sounded like this Amber played a large part in it. A part of her had been worried that whoever Cinder got as a partner would just give up on the girl. It was a weight off her shoulders that it hadn't happened.

"Now Cinder. She might be your leader, but she's still your partner. Remember while she leads the team, it's your job to support her. That is your role. And judging by how you describe your team, the girl's going to need all the support she can't get."

Cinder rolled her eyes at her mother. "Yeah, like I need to be told. Don't worry, I'm the strongest of my year! I'll protect her while she strategizes. Oh! That remains me!"

Summer watched Cinder pull on the string around her neck and repressed a sigh. She still didn't quite get it, not the point of teamwork or her role as her team's leader's partner. Something that was never healthy, but she decided not to say anything. Cinder would learn in time just how big her responsibility was in due time.

"Ruby, you went through a lot of trouble to get this, didn't you?" Cinder said, holding up the pendent. "Thanks. I can't describe how much that means to me. You are the best baby sister a girl could ask for. And I'm going to give you such a tight hug next time I see you your eyes will pop out of your head!"

Ruby smiled as she laughed, blushing at her older sister's words. "Well, that might be sooner than you thought." She said happily.

"What do you mean?" The older girl asked. "Are you coming to Vale soon? Yang doesn't start Signal for another two years."

Both younger sisters grinned, then Yang disappeared under the desk for a few seconds before piping back up with a poster of several rock bands.

"Take a look at this year's music fest!" Yang said proudly. "It's going to be held in Vale this year and Dad was able to get tickets from an old friend who is a sponsor of the event! Five tickets in fact. So we're all going!"

Cinder's eyes widened at the news. Music fest was a big event that was established after the war to celebrate the art of song. It was there that many young celebrities made a name for themselves or even started a career in music as it wasn't uncommon for sponsors to frequent it.

Of course, tickets were ridiculously expensive and hard to come by. No wonder Yang and Ruby were in such good moods. Five tickets was more than both Tai and Summer made in a year collectively!

And even better, it started two days before her class was scheduled to go on their first missions! Meaning she could spend two full days with her family! Talk about luck!

"That amazing!" Cinder said ecstatically. "Damn! Talk about hitting the Jackpot! Who is the guy who can burn this much cash! And why the hell haven't I met them before!?"

"His name is Isaac Howard. He is not only a friend I made in the war, but also the owner of a large shipping company that makes him one of the richest men in Vale. And while I don't mean to dampen the mood, the only reason he gave us the tickets was because his daughter in law and her son couldn't make it. So he had three tickets he had already bought. The other two came from sponsors that, well, lost their jobs. So it's not quite a happy circumstance."

Summer paused for a moment, her face slipping slightly as if something had saddened her. But then put on her happy expression and continued like nothing had happened.

"As for why he hasn't visited. It's because he doesn't like Oz. Kept his distance as he didn't want to force us to choose between our friendship and our jobs. Last time we saw him, Ruby was still being formed." Ruby poured at the comment. When she had finally learned where babies came from. It had resulted in her having an identity crisis as she tried to wrap her young head around it.

"But don't worry, I plan to remedy that this year!" Summer said excitedly. "Because as soon as we get to Vale, we're going straight to meet Isaac to thank him in person! Then, I can probably introduce all of you to him. Something I know he'll enjoy given how much he loves kids. And yes Cinder, you're still very much a kid to him."

Cinder let out a huff making her family laugh.

The conversation continued normally with them talking about what Beacon was like and the Music fest. Cinder was just in the middle of talking about how jealous the rest of her class was going to be about her going to Music fest when Yang said something that caught Cinder completely off guard.

"Hey mom! Do you think we can meet some of the band members?" Yang asked excitedly. Bouncing on the balls of her feet as she spoke. "I wanna get tips on how to play an instrument myself! That'll definitely kick off my music career for sure!"

"Wait, what?!" Cinder said doing a double take. Surely she had misheard Yang.

"What do you mean career?! I thought you were going to become a huntress?! That's been your dream for your life! Why are you suddenly interested in music?!" Cinder demanded, not caring how harsh she sounded.

"What's your problem? Just because I wanted it when I was a kid doesn't mean that's always what I'm going to want." Yang said dismissively. "Besides, what I wanted was to travel the world, not have the same routine everyday. I can still get that if I'm traveling the world for concerts and stuff. Besides, Mom said that a huntress is supposed to protect people no matter what. If I just keep doing that, it'll get boring."

Cinder stared, mouth hanging open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no way Yang was serious about giving up her dream. She had fought tooth and nail to get herself ready for Signal and eventually, Beacon! To just throw that away didn't sound like Yang at all! It sounded like a scared little girl who was running away!

Wait…

"Yang, is this about what happened with Mr. Beige?"

Immediately Yang's head shot up, eyes burning with both tears and anger as she glared at Cinder through the screen.

"No it's not!" She yelled. "It has nothing to do with that! Stop assuming you're the center of the world all the time! I just want to try something new! Why do you always have to think it has something to do with what happened all through years ago! I'm over it! I've moved on! You're the one who's still hung up on that!"

Cinder felt her anger melt away as her hand unconsciously began to trace the scars on her stomach up to her chest. Of course this is what that was about. Yang had been fighting an uphill battle ever since that night. She couldn't get back her confidence and as a result, she struggled with even the most basic training.

"Yang, I'm sorry." Cinder apologized. "I get it. You're frustrated at your lack of power. I know what that's like, but that's no excuse to just giv-.

"Shut up! You have no idea what I feel!"

Cinder gave a start at Yang's words. She had yelled with that much venom since she first moved in with the family.

"Yang!" Summer chastised. "I know you're angry, but that's no excuse to take it out on Cinder who-!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! None of you get it!" Yang screamed as she fought back tears. With a great push, she shoved Summer away as she staggered back from the computer. "You got the top scores at Signal! You've survived on your own in a frozen wasteland before mom found you! You got into Beacon without breaking a sweat! You have an amazing semblance that is completely combat orientated! You faced a legend at the age of fourteen and got out with only a handful of scars! You've always been able to do everything on your own! You are Perfect!"

Cinder recoiled at Yang's accusations. The two young girls hadn't been told what she had gone through in Atlas. They had enough to get a picture, but the details were light. They didn't know about the shock collar or torture.

Both Summer and Tai had promised to explain things when they were older, but even then it wouldn't be the full truth. After all, the only ones who know it besides Cinder herself were all dead. And there was no way she was telling them what actually happened down in that basement.

Unfortunately now, Cinder almost wished the two of them knew.

"You've been strong since forever! You have no idea what it feels like to be unable to do anything when having a panic attack!" Yang was screaming so loud now it was catching the attention of some of the other people in the lobby.

"You are the strongest person to attend from Patch and you know it! All your constantly booting and bragging makes that so clear! You have the strength to overcome anything!" Yang's voice cracked and she was now fighting to keep herself clear. "So don't you dare tell me you know what I'm going through! You don't! I'm the one who can't kick a ball without seeing a nightmare from four years ago! I'm the one who has the worthless semblance! You have no idea what this feels like at ALL!"

With that, Yang sprinted from the room. The familiar sound of the main door slamming shut quickly followed as the family sat in stunned disbelief at what had just happened.

Summer was the first to recover and she quickly ran after her daughter. "Yang! Don't go out there! Grimm are migrating through the area remember! You can't go far from the hou-!"

She was cut off as the door closed once again. Now it was just the dark haired girls left in the room.

After a few hard seconds, Cinder shocks her head in an attempt to clear it.

She had no idea Yang felt that way about her bragging. She had always just assumed she found it somewhat annoying like the rest of the family. If she had known that her words were rubbing her PTSD in her face, Cinder would have shut her mouth years ago!

Why hadn't the blonde told her?! If it had gotten to her, then she should have said something! Cinder couldn't read minds! How was she supposed to know it was bothering her! Had there been signs? No, surely she would have noticed them, right? They had lived together for four years! She couldn't be that blind to have missed that, right?

"Umm? Cinder?" Ruby asked, snapping the older girl out of her daze. Blinking, she looked back at the screen to find her youngest sister looking very uncomfortable.

"It was nice talking to you, but I think I'm going to have to go. Mom probably wants some help getting Yang. So…see ya?" The small girl asked and immediately her older sister gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah. Of course. I'll see you soon." Cinder said with a forced smile. "Go on and help Mom. She'll need you to get Yang back home. Then just fill her up with cookies and she'll be as good as new!"

With a weak smile, Ruby ended the call, letting Cinder stare at her own reflection as her smile slipped from her face and was replaced with one of pain and anguish. Why did this have to happen?! Why was it no matter how strong she got or how older she got, this feeling of pain would leave her alone?!

With a scream of frustration, Cinder drove her fist into her monitor, sending cracks splitting all across its surface. Warm wet blood trickled down her knuckles, she had turned off her aura so she could try to focus on the pain in her hand instead of her chest. And when that didn't help, she punched it again with her other hand, this time striking straight through.

After all these years, why did she still feel so helpless!?

"Welcome back!" Amber said cheerfully as Cinder returned to their room. "Adam and Eric are still out, so for once we still have hot water if you want to shower. Although, I will say I did use some of it myself, so don't go overboard. We don't want Professor Goodwitch blasting down our door."

Cinder said nothing and stormed towards the bathroom, completely ignoring Amber as she sat on her bed with an old book in her lap. She didn't want to deal with her right now and would give just about anything to be left alone so she could properly sulk.

Upon being ignored, Amber simply turned her attention back to her book (not that it had ever left) and began trying to make small talk. And unfortunately she chose the worst one to start with.

"How was your family?"

"None of your business!" Cinder yelled, spinning around to glare at Amber who dropped her book in surprise. The dark haired girl's nostrils were flared and her teeth bared. Her eyes bored holes into the dark skinned girl's head.

But upon seeing Amber's surprised and a little hurt expression, Cinder felt her rage slid into guilt. Amber hadn't known what had happened. It wasn't her fault Yang was suffering and she couldn't do a thing about it. She was just trying to get along, something Cinder admittedly didn't do very often.

And given how much Amber remembered her of Ruby certainly didn't help.

Taking a deep breath, Cinder calmed herself before opening her eyes to speak to Amber.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." She said somewhat forcefully. "I didn't mean to lash out at you. But just tonight, can you give me some space? I got some bad news from home and need some time to process it."

Amber expressions change from shock to understanding.

"No problem!" She said with a smile. "I didn't know you were having family drama. I'll leave you be and go hit the library. Sorry for bringing up anything unpleasant. Although if you want to talk about it, I'll be happy to lend an ear."

"Huh, yeah right." Cinder said as she turned back to the bathroom. "Sorry Amber, but it's just… something really personal happened to one of my sisters and I can't do anything about it. Now she's suffering and I don't know how to help. I just-!" Cinder stopped herself before she continued. Then just shook her head.

"Never mind. You wouldn't get it." She said as she stepped into the bathroom. "You have no idea how hard it is watching someone you love suffering and not being able to do anything about it. Or even knowing if they want your help. I… whatever. I'm rambling now. I'm going to shower then hit the hay. Night."

"Good night." Amber called as Cinder closed the bathroom door. Then placing the book carefully onto her bed, she stood up and slunk out the door.

Once outside, she leaned against the door and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the ground.

"I wouldn't understand? Oh yeah, you're SSOOO right. I'm just the happy go lucky girl who's got it all." Amber said in an uncharacteristically bitter tone. "Like my life is anything you'd trade for. Which you'd know if you ever asked!" With a deep sigh Amber looked up at the ceiling and let the river of emotions finally free from her eyes.

"But I guess I deserve this. After all, who would ever give a shit about something like me?"

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Okay, a lot happened this chapter, but let me address the elephant in the room. I didn't change Yang's semblance.

The reason she calls it weak is because she's been using it incorrectly all this time. Have you noticed? She's only uses it at the beginning of the fight, not at the end. As such, she thinks it's a random power boots ranging from nothing to a very small increase.

As for the stuff with Amber, that will play a big part next arc, so stay tuned for that.

Hope to see you next chapter, bye!