From Ashes, A new Story (2)

"He was a father. That's what a father does. Eases the burdens of those he loves. Saves the ones he loves from painful last images that might endure for a lifetime." – George Saunders

The return of both Cinder and Emerald was received positively and celebrated for a few hours. Both girls were keen to accept the comments that happily expressed many of their friends' interest at their arrival, while they were less so regarding those asking questions about their current situation in Vale.

May them be about insignificant like how it's the weather there compared to Menagerie or something a little more spicy about the White Fang situation in the area, I deemed it more than correct in their regards to put a personal block to this very topic for a while. Some were confused by this request, but I could tell both girls were relieved of this little reprieve as they were granted the chance of enjoying the return home rather than being put through an interrogation after another.

What took most of their attention immediately after the hugging was over came to be the little boy that was equally excited to meet his big sisters. Damian squeaked and reached out for Cinder as he saw her approach, a giddy smile on his face that was slowly matched by the young woman as Sienna allowed her to pick the toddler off her hold.

It was a cute sight, especially when Emerald herself tried to get hold of the child, ending up in a quiet bickering with Cinder herself. It was rare to see these two arguing so divisively and kind of amusing due to the context of the circumstance. The two still paid equal affection to Damian, and the little Faunus didn't seem to mind the rapid exchange of hands between his two old siblings.

Who minded was Nora herself as she tried to jump at the situation and 'bring her baby brother out of that stupid tug of war'. While the reasoning had merits, the same wasn't the way she was trying to actually keep her brother to herself.

[Look at them. Having their first siblings' problem.]

I thought they had some already.

[But not one that was as deeply amusing or entertaining.]

And it's the first time I see Nora being this annoyed towards her sisters.

After we were done with the first minutes of speaking at the landing zone, the next stop was home where others were waiting to greet the arriving duo. Adam was rather tight-lipped about speaking with Cinder, mostly because both had been going for a rivalry for some time. Nothing truly well-defined or really important in their friendship, but regardless fairly modest within their relationship.

I could already tell that the reason why he was holding himself so much was about his restraint to not instantly demand a fight with her. He wasn't that driven into fighting out of nowhere, but he was definitely going to ask her to a spar. And that spar was going to be as vicious as the ones I remember assisting from the sidelines.

Ilia was next as she was done with her few hours of work with Ren. Both greeted Emerald at the same time, since both were more close to the green-haired girl than with Cinder. Not that they disliked the older daughter, but they were keen to be closer to those around their age. Cinder was 'one step a little too old', which was normal to hear as a reason from some teenagers nowadays.

Nonetheless, the return home was pleasant. Cinder and Emerald took their time trying to get to rest by their rooms before joining the rest of the family for some time together. It was a pleasant day for sure, but… then something came up just after lunch. I was mostly done with cleaning the plates when the two came up to me.

"Dad, can we… talk in private? I think there is something important we need to tell you. About Vale."

I calmly nodded. "I'm almost done here. If you wait a little bit by the office, I will be there in just a moment."

They accepted this and went on to check that very room. The office section was one of the most recent aspects of the latest renovation. Particularly small, but modestly big to house some shelves by the side with books regarding the old registry from Menagerie's bank, a tiny desk, a few chairs and some holographic system to talk from home to the workplace in case I was sick and I had to skip being around at the page.

I was done with the chore ten minutes later, slowly making my way to the room and taking my seat behind my terminal. I spared a quick glance at both girls, and I couldn't help but notice that they looked fairly serious about it.

Torchwick?

[It sounds the simplest thing that could get them this annoyed.]

Or maybe there is something else we have to worry about.

"So, what did you two want to talk about? Anything I should be worried about? Concerned too?"

"Not… really," Emerald admitted, picking up her ASHE device and tinkering with it. "One moment, I'm sending you a folder."

I blinked, waiting for the operation to be done and soon I opened the folder that was uploaded in my terminal. The screen lit up, showing the mainframe of the terminal and gave me the chance I studied the files in it.

Oh? Oh.

That's not good.

[It could be good depending on why they searched this matter thoroughly.]

In front of me, numerous pictures of the same person, a couple of illustrations, and some excerpts from old texts connected by the same subject which I could only perceive as the reason why they were asking for my assistance. An incomplete study about the Maidens.

I was surprised, but nonetheless confused by the fact that they were actually studying this specific topic. Not only was it so sudden and unexpected, but I was immensely fascinated by why they were seeking my guidance in this very situation. I looked at them, then back at the terminal, and finally back at them.

"I see that you've gone for a deep research on this curious argument. May I ask what drove you to go through such great lengths?"

Cinder sighed, clearly ready to tell the truth. "Two months ago, while we were patrolling a street where a couple of our members had been harassed, we ended up rescuing this young woman from a group of people that were trying to pass as part of the White Fang," She began explaining. "This isn't the first time we reported this, and while we received support from some agents sent to handle this unfortunate case, the problem isn't going away. Nonetheless, the important bit is-"

"The young woman. This… Amber?"

"Yes," Emerald answered. "That's the name she gave us, and the one which helped us find out more about her."

That's quite odd. I remember having made sure to remove all info available about Amber when I first found her.

Are you sure of this?

Quite. I was rather convinced that anything could have been used by Salem to upset the play I was trying to get through and… maybe my counterpart didn't have that actual worry.

[With the defeat of so many of her pawns, perhaps you went for a lesser security about it.]

And maybe these mysterious 'White Fang members' are actually part of Salem's new circle.

We never thought about that possibility and we definitely needed to get someone trustworthy to check on this matter and solve it at once. If that was really the case… then we had to check up our current ranks and see if we can spot any possible traitors.

But how do we do this without turning into Stalin and pulling a Great Purge but in Remnant?

I'm not familiar with these references.

[Horrible dictator, killed anyone or anything he thought was plotting against him.]

Oh.

You really dug in my head, didn't you?

[It's been six years now, I think I know you well enough to know what you would want for dinner tonight.]

...Sounds fair.

"I suppose there were some minders around this girl. People that were entrusted to keep her sake."

"We know those men and women are tied to Ozpin," Cinder said while nodding. "But we don't know exactly why they are guarding her and why they were so quick to get her off our custody by showing orders from the council."

Falsified.

That would make some sense.

"But you have to reason to me

Emerald spared a quick look towards Cinder, noting how the older girl wasn't actually answering that question and… decided to be the one to speak up.

"That's because Amber didn't want to leave. She said that she trusted Cinder the most."

And I actually frowned at that comment.

"Can you please elaborate on that?" I questioned with a confused look. "And I'm asking this to you, Cinder."

…

"When I was fighting to fend off the attackers, I felt my Semblance growing stronger for a time. My glass constructs were enchanted with fire and my speed and general might increased while I was around Amber," The young woman explained. "And, just like Amber, I felt like I had to trust her because… I felt a connection. Not emotional, not physical- it felt more like-"

"Something tied to your soul?"

She blinked. "S-Something like that."

Curious stutter, it was rare for her to react in such a way. For her to be influenced heavily by something like this. And I knew that I was missing something big about it.

"Did Amber try to argue staying with you?"

…

"Yes."

I sighed, slowly coming to terms with the fact that something interesting had happened and… I really didn't know what it was all about.

Any clues?

[It's tied to their souls.]

It could be that this Cinder actually fits as a successor to Amber. Since she doesn't have a child and since Cinder might have a soul fitting to become the next host of her powers, she might feel pulled to her.

That's actually possible?

There have been rare circumstances of this happening, but due to the fact of how sheltered some Maidens are, it's only recorded that this kind of 'pull' is felt when around their daughters.

[Since Cinder wasn't taken in by my counterpart and since her soul wasn't tarnished by the Grimm parasite, there is a chance she is actually more prepared to be Amber's successor if she died.]

Which means I have to tell some of the truth now or things will go and explode in our faces.

I leaned back on the chair, offering the most serious stare I could offer to both.

"This story isn't exactly one that many can know. So I don't want to hear you two trying to spread it because it can and will create a massive hysteria if the public learned of this," I warned with a stern voice. "I want you two to swear to me, by your own ideals and beliefs, that you will not do this."

…

"Dad-"

"I'm not joking, Cinder. This is the kind of information that can destroy society as a whole if it ends up reaching everyone," I interrupted and I waited for them both to give out their promise they weren't going to do so.

"Is this really that terrible?" Cinder had to ask with a concerned look. "How many knows about it?"

"Just a handful of people. Good people," I elaborated. "And the reason why this is something that is restricted is tied to two major topics. The first is… the Maidens, while the other is more tied to the Grimm."

"The Maidens are real?" Emerald asked, sounding surprised and I nodded. "B-But that's not- I mean, we have evidence to believe that it's the case since, Amber's powers-"

"Are the ones owned by the current Fall Maiden. Because she is the Fall Maiden."

"But why do I feel attracted to her? In the sense of our powers-"

"I know you don't mean it the other way, dear," I interrupted while smiling kindly, feeling rather amused at the little blush on her face at the tiny hint of tease I employed with that response. "I can't answer with utter certainty the reason why you two are connected beyond the fact you might be a possible inheritor to her powers the moment she passes away."

That answer had her tense up and almost stand up at my response.

"W-What?"

"And by that I don't mean she is going to die soon or anything like that. What I was referring to… is that her powers will go to another individual, a maiden to be more precise, when she will die."

"And I'm a candidate."

I nodded. "That sounds about right."

"How do you… know this is actually true?" Emerald quipped with a perplexed expression. "How do you know that Maidens truly exist?"

I smiled at that comment. "That's because we all know one that is frequently around the house."

They both looked shocked by this and yet Cinder seemed to realize fairly quickly.

"Raven is a Maiden?"

"I know, kind of surprising considering how old she is- I mean, also how unexpected of a situation it is too."

Emerald snorted, but it was just a brief noise of amusement considering how serious the situation was. A little entertaining note before we entered the real grim explanations.

"Still, yes, Raven is the Spring Maiden after failing to save the previous one."

"Which means that she is being guarded by us or-"

"It's Raven, Emerald," Cinder rebuked. "Of course there is no need for protection, that woman knows how to disappear when she needs to."

I shrugged. "That's her alright."

I took a moment to allow them to digest the new info before moving on to the next topic.

"And now it's time you also learn about why there are people interested in capturing the Maidens. Because what you were involved in wasn't just a simple group that is going to stop just by dealing with these rogue members. Someone is aiming to capture the Maidens."

"Is this tied to the Grimm topic? The one you brought earlier?"

I nodded at Cinder's good questions. "This is perhaps bigger than the previous question, and now I want you to be careful with what will happen next and keep an eye out for any suspicious happenings about the safety of the Maidens and Vale in general."

…

"The Grimm have a queen."

…

"What? A queen as in-"

"A controller," Cinder interrupted with that guess. "Someone that creates them, leads them and… is behind many horrible events in human history."

"That's correct," I confirmed, and I saw them give me confused looks despite the oldest having understood a great part of it. "When I was in Atlas, when Sienna got hurt- it was about some time before I took Cinder in, I ended up taking part in an operation to capture the attackers behind Sienna's comatose state."

"Wait, really? You actually-"

"Fought my way through a Grimm-infested Mantle together with some other agents and a good part of Atlas' army? Yep. Your dad is still a badass when he wants to."

"Never doubted that," Cinder mirthfully added, but sobered up rather quickly. "Still, how is this tied to the Queen being real."

"Because I personally met her there."

…

"W-Wait, really?" Emerald inquired in pure shock, at this point the poor girl was listening and seeing a bigger world than before. "You met her and-"

"You fought her," The older girl muttered quietly. "Which is why you were injured when you returned back."

…

"Yes, I fought her."

"And you lost-"

"There isn't exactly a chance to win against something that can regenerate from the worst injuries," I remarked calmly, staring annoyingly at my oldest daughter. "I tried to kill her, she was annoyed by it and returned the shotgun blast back to my arm."

…

"Her name is Salem. She is a being of darkness, filled with malicious intentions and driven by the simple goal of killing one person," I further explained. "A manipulator that weaves her web in a way to entice those that are interested in power, money, revenge and much more to join her to see their dreams attained."

Cinder sneered. "What's the catch?"

And that's my daughter!

Gah, you don't need to remind me-

You were wrong, I was right- again and again.

Cease with the childishness.

[Nah, he is right. For once, take the loss with style.]

Oh, quiet you!

"The catch is that it's all words and no real intention to grant anyone anything. Power? She will just give directions to attain power while also tying these individuals to her so that power can't be used against her. Same for money and revenge."

"B-But why would anyone join her?"

"She is quite known to appear… motherly. A fragment of what she once was, a normal good person that was wronged by the Gods."

…

"Wait, the Gods are real?!"

That I count as a win.

[And I'm… glad you think highly of me.]

As you said, it's been six years now. You might know me well, but I reckon I know you well enough.

I heard Sally smirk from within my head, but I kept on speaking with the girls as I went on to answer more of their questions. A lengthy conversation but a relieving one that freed me from some of the weight I had held for a long time now. I could trust these two to not reveal this to anyone else, and I knew they needed this information to avoid getting caught in Ozpin's plays.

Nonetheless, one thing was clear to me as the discussion came to an end just as Dinner was meant to be prepared.

The big game, the one between Ozzie, me and Mami Salami, has resumed. And the Queen got her first piece in.

After the private conversation, I ended up spending some time with the girls by the living room. Damian was sleepy and, as usual, he was put back in his crib by Sienna while I handled the rest of the family as… a certain someone was finally interested in pressing for something important with her big sister.

"So, is it true that you've been stuck with paperwork all day long in the last months?" Nora asked, giving her older sister somewhat of a fascinated look.

"On most occasions, yes. The rest I was to spend handling the recruits' tasks, make sure nothing bad happened and-"

"What about training?" The younger girl pressed, giving a fair inkling of what she was trying to go for on that very occasion.

"I've taken as much free time as possible out of my role to train," Cinder replied, taking a calmer approach compared last time she was challenged this subtly. "But I think you're not asking me if I kept training."

Nora could only grin. "I bet I can beat you."

"That's some funny comment you just said, Nora. But it lacks the usual amusement you pick, I can only assume you were acting to appear it wasn't a joke."

That had her actually frown. "I can totally kick your butt."

"Ah, if only you took my advice to become a comedian. Those jokes could give you a wonderful revenue without having to rely on dad's pocket money," The young woman added mirthfully, drawing a scowl from her sister.

Emerald could only stare, actually as calm as I was since this wasn't the first time they handled this situation like this. It wasn't the first time their personalities clashed for a brief moment before a solution appeared out of thin air.

The girl looked at me and we shared a sympathetic nod as we both looked at the two sort things out in their own way.

"I will start working for the Militia soon. I'm no longer a kid-"

"And yet you still have trouble accepting help when given it to you," Cinder remarked flatly, stopping the annoyed rant from happening. There was a hint of surprise appearing on Nora's face, but the young woman was far from over. "I've heard a fair lot from my old contacts in the Militia. You're strong, you listen to orders during exercises to train and prepare for live missions, but you still refuse to listen up to any advice they provide you regarding your fighting style."

"I-It's not true-"

"Did you work on the little problem regarding your inability to properly dodge while using Magnhild when attacked from in front? Did you take precautions about the timing to get the weapon to switch to other functions?"

…

"Nora, I understand you are unwilling to be called out on these mistakes, but those comments aren't meant to be condescending," Cinder pushed onward. "Did dad wait for your return when you first left for the preparatory mission? The one where you actually fought some Grimm?"

…

"Yes? What's about that?"

"Did he stay up and worry while you were out on the field?"

"I… yes?"

[I see where she is going with this.]

Me too.

Yes…

"Yes?"

"When I had my first real mission, he did the same. I didn't try training with the other Militia members until I was old and ready enough to join the group. I was really surprised by a couple of things myself when I started, and I would be lying to say I was perfectly confident at the time to know things would have gone smoothly. You know what I did after I went back home and sat with dad until dinner?"

Nora shook her head and the older sibling hummed.

"I thought of all the mistakes I made and how many bad things have happened during that very mission. How those could have turned for the worst if things had gone differently," She admitted, gaining my surprise and worry with just those words. "I was unhappy with myself, upset that I had gone out for something this important with just a sliver of being unprepared for everything. Of course, it's impossible to be prepared for all possible cases, but one can always take precautions by having their own flaws handled and worked on to become strengths before those events."

…

"You want me to work on my flaws-"

"So those don't leave you in an unpleasant situation that can hurt you. Mine isn't an effort to make you feel weak, mine is an appeal to have you be stronger and more ready for what is going to come eventually," She interrupted again. "So, how about we go and take a spar? I spot any issues with your combat style and give you something to do to fix those? You might not like listening to others, but I hope you are not going to ignore your sister too."

"O-Of course not!" Nora remarked. "Still, I will try to kick your butt."

"Bring it."

I sighed, shaking my head as I saw them both quickly leave from the main door. I slowly went to retrieve the first aid, while Emerald waited for me by the front door so we could follow them together. While I was mostly calm about this, the girl seemed to pick up something I had kept quiet about.

"Is there a reason why Nora is unwilling to listen to other trainers? She didn't seem to have that kind of problem when we were around."

I blinked, granting her a nod but holding onto the truth for a little longer.

"In two months from now, there should be a tournament in Mistral. One of those competitions to try and win a big trophy to show how 'amazing' kids are," I started to explain. "Nora wants to take part in it."

"Wait, really?" The girl asked, surprised by what this situation was since Nora wasn't exactly someone that wanted to compete in this kind of stuff. A fighter she might be, but she wasn't out for publicity. "I mean, shouldn't she be more concerned about preparing to enter the Militia? She said that she wanted to be prepared for it."

"That's because she isn't planning to just get the trophy for the sake of it. She is planning to give the victory to someone that will be there."

Emerald paused at that, a confused look sticking by her face as she thought about the case and… she blinked.

"Will Weiss be there?"

Sighing, I gave her a nod, confirming her suspicions. "The Schnee family will attend the event since they were invited by Mistral's council. All for the sake of boosting the presence of people."

"And now Nora wants to be there to make a show of... something."

"I already know what is going on," I pointed out, drawing a frown out of her. "I've noticed, there is no need to cover for them."

…

"You don't mind that they are-"

"I wouldn't mind if it was real love. I doubt things are that easy to understand at the age they are. Hormones can be fairly difficult to keep in check and I really can't say if Weiss returns this much affection," I replied without hesitation. "I know they will just ignore the publicity, but by going this far Nora will just put the spotlight on her, Weiss, and our families. And gossip journalists will have reasons to make hell for all of us."

"So… it's all about the image?"

"No. It's about the way they approach it. By going this suddenly and without planning out how to handle it, if they end up messing things up… they will suffer. Not for me, not for Willow or Nicholas- it will all be from the people they are trying to find confirmation from," I explained with a serious tone. "It will happen, but slamming this fact on everyone's face will not gain them any favor. Only condemnation."

…

"It sounds tough."

"This is what happens when you are a parent, Emerald. When you will be in my situation, things sure will make sense-"

"But for now I will keep being young, amazing and not old."

I snorted, making her giggle at my faux annoyed reaction. "Let's get going. At this point they have to be at least a tiny bit bruised."

Meanwhile, I wondered what to do about Nora's own stubbornness to let go of this matter. I wasn't definitely budging from that position but… I wonder if there is another way to deal with this without being too stern about it.