Chapter 48: Fragile peace

"Ahh!" Amber exclaimed as she sat on the bed in the guest room. In front of her, Howard stitched the last cut on her face shut, his large hands moving with surprising precision. He clearly was used to doing stuff like this, which made sense. He must have had to patch up countless others during the war. So doing this in a brightly lit area must feel like child's play in comparison to some other places he had been forced to do it.

"And…done." Howard said, taking a step back and wiping some of the blood off his equipment with a handy wipe. "You shouldn't move around too much, or make any fast or sudden movements. Wait until your aura heals it completely before resuming training. Do that, all you'll be back to your normal self with little scarring."

Amber let out a dry chuckle as she turned away. "Yeah, don't worry. I don't think Beacon's going to be putting me through much more training anytime soon."

"Right. Sorry about that. I forgot. That was tasteless." Howard said awkwardly, his face and tone displaying his guilt.

During her treatment, she didn't know why, but she had opened up to him about the deal with Professor Goodwitch, and how after a fuck up this bad, she was pretty sure her future as a huntress was pretty much over.

An awkward silence fell between the two, only broken by the sound of Howard packing up his first aid kit and the occasional boom of lightning. And after a few minutes of fumbling, the old man finally put away the kit and with nothing else to distract him, he turned to Amber and tried to strike up a conversation.

"So…Umm…for what it's worth, you did wonderful out there." He said, trying very hard not to look at her. "There are other ways to become a huntress beyond Beacon. Classes you could take, an apprenticeship, if you'd like, I know a few good ones who happened to be looking to make an extra buck. I could call in a favor for you if you-."

"Stop. Please just stop" Amber said, her voice still completely exhausted. Even the inner turmoil had seemed to become too tired to torment her with a hailstorm of confusion and fear. Either that or she had finally built an immunity to it. Something she honestly wouldn't even put past her anymore.

"I don't understand. Why are you siding with the Enlighten Seraphim?" Amber said, although she almost didn't even care if she got an answer. "Why work with people who want to start another war? Why put your own grandson at risk of being drafted? You know the horror of battle better than anyone. So just…why?"

Howard stared down at Amber for a second, then let out a heavy sigh and slumped down on a nearby chair, spinning it so he could face the dark skinned girl. Raising his hand, he used his semblance to close the door to make sure his grandson couldn't hear this conversation.

"I'm afraid you'll find my reason both incredibly selfish and petty." He said with a half smile as he stared at his hands, thumbs ideally twitching as he spoke. "I wanted to protect what remains of my family, plain and simple. And unfortunately, if I have to sacrifice others for that goal, I'll live with that sin. Even if it is something that keeps me awake at night."

"But-!" Amber began, only for Howard to silence her by raising his hand. "I know what you're going to say, but please, hear me out before you judge." He said calmly, making Amber slump back down onto the bed, waiting for him to continue.

"Thank you." The old man said before letting out a sigh, his gaze falling back to the floor. "If you don't remember, my son was killed at the end of the war, when Atlas had all but surrendered. He wasn't a huntsman, he was a carpenter and was helping build housing for those who had lost their homes due to the war. The royal family had decided that if they were going down, they would take all their subjects with them. And well…I'm sure you can guess what happened next."

Howard sounded so tired. This had clearly been weighing on him for years, maybe ever since his loss, Amber had no idea. But she did understand how tiring it was to have to carry something like that for years with nobody to talk to. Nobody could really understand that loss.

Most parents his age bragged about how their sons and daughters had earned accolades and medals during the war, but Howard clearly was just tired of it. Probably because unlike the other parents, he not only fought in the war, but knew the horror that awaited any who dared set foot in hell.

War was the only pure evil in the world. And both of them knew that.

"Don't get me wrong, I understand the people who did it were just following orders. That if they didn't, it would be them and their families in the ground. But try as I might, I couldn't bring myself to forgive them for taking my son before he could meet his own child. A child he had always wanted." Howard let out a sentimental chuckle as he reminisced.

"You know, he used to always brag about how his kid would grow up in a world without war, without strife. He would be one of the next greatest generation who would build a world of peace on the ashes of war. How beautiful he would be because of his mother's looks. Hehe. He was always a talker. Yet he never got a chance to meet him, and left his son to live in a world without his father because he chose to help Atlas refugees."

"And so you founded the Enlighten Seraphim." Amber added, making the old man nod.

"The original idea was to have an auxiliary force that the government wouldn't need to fund. Effectively ensuring Vale would always be ready incase Atlas returned to their waring ways." Howard explained, his face looking more tired with each word. "Adelaide founded it, and I helped fund her through various charity donations. All under different aliases, of course. At that point, I technically didn't have much say in what went on, and most of the violent assaults were from younger members who took out their hatred on innocent bystanders. And they were always punished back then, but times changed, and as the threat of war grew, so to Did Adelaide's need for more power."

At this, a dark look crept into Howard's eyes. One akin to when he faced down Igor, completely disgusted at whatever was in front of him. But now even though he was looking at her, his gaze was fixed on the real spruce of his fury.

"The Eternal Dynasty." He said, venom dripping in his voice. A fire burning in his eyes as he tightly clasped his hands as if he could wring the air so hard, he could alter reality. Pure hatred was etched on his face, something that almost seemed out of character for the normally kind old man. But after the last two days, Amber had learned just how much was hidden beneath the man's surface.

However, the dark skinned girl found herself confused.

"The Eternal Dynasty? The terrorist organization that believed Atlas should be ruled by the king's bloodline and nobody else? That Eternal Dynasty?" Amber asked, her confusion clear in her voice. "What are you talking about? They have been beaten back on every front by the forces of every kingdom. The last time they did anything even meaningful was four years ago when they attacked the White Fang's peaceful protest march. Since then, the only times there have ever been sightings have been along the coast of Solitas and Sanus." (AN the continent Vale sits on.)

Howard nodded, though his expression remained grave.

"That's the public story. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that things are happening in the shadows that the people of our kingdom are completely unaware of." He said, standing up and walking to the window where he looked out at the rain, a heaviness in his eyes visible even through his reflection.

"See, what made the Eternal Dynasty not a threat in their early years was how divided they were. See the leaders were made up of two groups. The escaped nobles with little combat expression, and the escaped generals, who lacked the influence to get new members, or keep the ones that joined. As a result, they often would quarrel internally, making any coordination impossible. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case."

A flash of lightning illuminated the man's grave expression, eyes narrowed, mouth a hard line. Everything about him has an air of concern and worry, something Amber never thought she'd see on the face of an old war hero like Howard.

"Five years ago, the Dynasty's leadership changed. One man railed all of its members to his side. Both from the military side and the nobility side, gathering them together into one massive army where they began gathering their power. And those who opposed were thrown to the wolves. Left for the kingdoms to pick up and execute ensuring he had no opposition. And I suspect that White Fang attack got rid of the last of them. I have no doubt they will make their move soon. And when they do, the kingdom needs to be ready."

"Move? What move?" Amber asked immediately, practically jumping to her feet. "And how do you know that they're planning to make a move now? In order to move against ANY kingdom, they'd need both a large amount of people and firepower. Neither of which would be easy to come by."

Howard chuckled as he turned back to face Amber. "Correct. I can see why you were named leader." He said gently, to which Amber shot a glare at him making him flinch. She was making it clear she hadn't forgotten his betrayal, and probably never would.

"According to the kingdom's scouts, they've recently been large shipments of weapons and other munitions somewhere." He said somewhat awkwardly. "Unfortunately we haven't been able to track them, but regardless, they've gathered a considerable amount of weapons to work with. Luckily, they still don't have the manpower to do anything rash. But they have been doing more and more recruitment runs, meaning it's only a matter of time. They need to be stopped before they are ready. Unfortunately, just when we were ready to launch a counter attack, a new complication was thrown into the mix. And this one might be more common knowledge to the public. After all, I think a lot of people are talking about him."

Immediately Amber felt a shiver run up her spine. A thin bead of sweat ran down her face as she gulped so hard you could see movement in her next. She had a good who Howard was talking about.

"The Phantom."

"The Phantom." Howard nodded, walking to the bed and sitting down on it. "A few months ago, this psycho suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started hitting our biggest depose, killing our members and their families. And after just a few months, we had been effectively completely declawed. And that means-."

"You can't go after the Dynasty." Amber finished, her breath hitching as the reality of the situation fully dawned on her.

It was no secret the kingdoms were on a record shortage of huntsmen and huntresses, they didn't have the resources to go chasing down a group of terrorists who were hidden in the deep forests out of the main territories. They could barely defend the numerous towns that dotted the countryside. And with the Seraphim numbers being so severely cut…

"Vale is vulnerable." She murmured in repressed horror.

"Yes, we are." Howard said, his gaze turning to the ground once more. "If the Eternal Dynasty makes a move before our kingdom can recover, it would be devastating. And if they do strike, the fragile peace we've had would be shattered. Nobody would see them as an independent group, they'd see it as an attack by Atlas. And with people like councilman Anodeser in positions of power, you know they'd spark another war just to ensure they can keep their power."

Amber felt her mouth run dry, her gaze following Howard's to the floor. She knew the peace the kingdoms were enjoying was fragile, but she never imagined it was this bad. They teetered on the brink of another war, one that would see all the sacrifices of those who had fought, including her parents, as meaningless! And even worse, it would be her generation who would be made to fight. Her's and the one that followed.

This included not only her entire class and team, but Cinder's sisters, Ruby and Yang, as well as Mr. Arc's children and the kids in the White Fang. They would all be forced to grow up on the battlefield, fighting for a cause they couldn't understand, while people like Anodeser sat in their ivory towers reaping the benefits.

People had always called her generation the hope for the future, as due to their parents' sacrifice, it was up to them to try to make the world a better place. But if what Howard was saying was true, then if something wasn't done, they'd be right back to square one!

But even as this horrible revolution happened in Amber's head, one thing still didn't quite add up.

"So what do you need Jiao for?" She asked, looking back up at the old man. "He's not a fighter, nor has any influence in the criminal underworld and one person isn't enough to fund an operation like what you're talking about. So what on Remnant could you need a spoiled rotten singer for?"

Howard stared at her for a second, then, with a sigh, he stood up and walked to the door, stopping right in front of it, back facing the girl.

"It's unfortunate. Call it a one in a million chance, but his semblance is something we need for not only this mission, but for the future of our kingdom." His tone carried sadness and regret, but also a firm determination. And while Amber couldn't see his face, she did see his hand tighten into a fist. He clearly didn't enjoy this.

But that wasn't enough for the dark skinned girl.

"Then why not ask him." She said, standing up as well and taking several steps towards him. "Why go through all the trouble kidnapping him if you just need him to use his semblance? If you explained the situation, I'm sure he'd-."

"I wish we could, but unfortunately, that's not an option."

Howard cut in, his tone dead serious, stopping the girl in her tracks.

"Not only does his semblance have its limitations, but the boy's a liability. He runs his mouth non-stop and seeing as for some reason, Lil Miss has stopped being cooperative. And if we can't rely on her to protect him while we work, he'd be dead before our work is done. And that's assuming he'd go into hiding willingly, which I doubt. Besides, would you trust him with sensitive information that means the difference between war and peace?"

Amber, despite really wanting to, found herself unable to counter that point. As much as she hated to admit it, Howard was right. She would never trust someone like Jiao with sensitive information like that. She might be trusting, but even she knew there was a fine line between trust and stupidity. And that was very much on the far end of stupidity.

"So then what? You just keep him in captivity until your plans are done?" She asked, setting the old man with a hard glare. "You must know if the cops catch wind of this, they will get huntsmen involved. And when they catch you, you'll all be thrown in jail. How will you defend the kingdom from behind bars?"

Howard let out a sigh as he turned to face Amber, a serious expression on his face.

"He won't be reported missing, not for some time anyway." He said confidently, so confidently that even the greatest tacticians wouldn't use it without a well thought-out plan. "And by the time his disappearance has been noticed, I imagine his popularity will have dropped so dramatically the police won't feel that much pressure. So if at that point his body just turned up in a river somewhere, I think everyone will know all that it was an honest accident."

Immediately Amber's eyes narrowed to slits, her hands tightening into fists as she glared at the old man.

"So that's it, huh?" She said in a dark tone. "You're just going to kill him and be done? I thought huntsmen were supposed to protect the innocent, not use them as objects! What happened to honor and mercy? What happened to Innocent lives shouldn't be paid because of a huntsman's decisions?! What about all that, huh?!"

Amber's voice was rapidly rising and her breathing was becoming uneven. Her hands were now clenched so tight, her nails were digging into her palms.

"Was it all a lie?!" She demanded, now screaming at the old man. "Did you just want my trust to ensure the completion of your own plans!? Was that all I ever was?! Just another pawn to be moved and then discarded once you were done?! What's the truth?! What do you actually believe!?"

Amber was panting after her rant, angry gasps now escaping her as she glared at the old man, who looked down at her. But to her surprise, there was no anger, no irritation in his eyes. No, what she saw was sadness behind them as a tear slowly began to slide down his face.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice slightly choked. "I didn't want it to be you. But time was running out. I couldn't afford to please believe me when I say that what I told you that night wasn't a lie. It is what I wish for huntsmen to become. What I wish you to become. Someone better than me!"

Immediately all the anger flooded out of Amber's body at the old man's confession. Better than him? Something like her? Why?! What could he possibly see in a monster like her?! All she ever did was cause pain and death to those around her. She didn't have anything good, or helpful inside her. Not a single thing!

"It takes a strong will not to break under the pressure of war, a will far stronger than mine. I couldn't hold myself to my convictions and so became just as corrupted, just as evil as any other huntsman who strayed. I have no right to bear that title, I know that." He paused for a second, collecting himself before he continued. "But you, you're different. Your entire generation has the potential to become what mine couldn't. A chance to set the record straight and become what huntsmen are supposed to be! Noble, honest, merciful! All things my generation has long since forgotten. Something more than lowlife thugs from a bygone era."

Amber looked up at the man, mouth hanging open as she struggled to speak. Everything was happening so fast, she couldn't keep up. Her emotions were on such a wild ride she couldn't tell if she was happy, sad, angry, scared, ashamed, hopeful, or all of them at once. So she latched onto the one thing she didn't have to think too hard about.

"A bygone era? You mean…"

Howard let out a sigh as he nodded his head. "I'm no fool. I know my generation has a reputation for being the toughest around, but I've long since learned that there's a difference between tough and stubborn." He said with a dry chuckle, a softness filling his eyes as he looked down at Amber. "Our time is over. And anyone who says otherwise is in denial. Now it's up to you and your generation to surpass us and make the future so glorious that we simply fade into the background. I want to live in a world where my triumphs will be long forgotten, where the war is something taught in history books. A world without war, and I know something like that is beyond me, who's life is all but spent. You are the future, and one day, when you pass it down to the generation after you, I truly hope it's in better shape than I left it for you."

A long silence followed Howard's speech, letting both sit in silence contemplating their emotions.

Amber's head was even more confused than before. She felt happy to receive such high praise from someone like Mr. Howard, but at the same time, she didn't want to forgive the man. And that was just the tip of the iceberg! All her past emotions were still swirling in complete confusion and she didn't know what to do, what to say. She didn't even know what was right or wrong anymore. Everything in her world had been tipped in it's head in the last twenty-four hours. And now she had nothing but a cacophony of emotions in her head she couldn't keep straight.

But there was one thing she did know, she needed space.

"I-i think I should go." Amber finally said, slowly turning her head to the ground. "I…i have things to do for…I can't be here right now."

Despite her complete lack of any urgency as her mission was effectively on hold, Howard nodded, understanding her more completely than she wanted him to.

"I get it." He said, stepping to the side and opening the door for her. "Let me drive you to a hotel nearby as soon as I get dinner ready for Aden. I'll book you for a night, let you get your head sorted. After that, well…"

The old man paused for a second, then looked Amber in the eyes, his own filled with sincerity. "Once the Phantom is dead, I'll turn myself in. Let the police know who you were up against. No way they could blame you for not completing your first mission with an old warrior as your opponent. Beacon will let you back in, I promise."

Howard's words added another layer to the confusion Amber already felt. But the young girl was just too tired to think about, forcing her all her remaining strength to a familiar face smile, she gave the old man a nod.

"Thank you."

Summer calmly picked through the closets of her hotel room, letting out an aha, as she finally found the towels and picked them up and put them onto a spare set of her clothes.

After letting her daughter in, Cinder had refused to talk to her about what had happened, asking instead if she could use the shower. To which Summer gave a quick yes. Since then, she had disappeared into the bathroom without a change of clothes and before Summer could confront her about it, the water had been turned on, drowning out her voice from the other side of the door.

Returning to the bathroom, she thought about knocking to try to let the girl know she had brought her what she needed, but decided to instead just go in and leave the clothes and towel on the floor so she could grab them when she was ready.

Carefully, she opened the door and stepped inside.

To her surprise, the lights were out and there was no sign of her daughter's wet clothes. Normally, Cinder just left them on the floor in a heap until she was finished, and she definitely never showered with the lights off. And while something was obviously wrong, she had no idea what could make the girl so distraught that she forgot the lights!

Due to her missing eye, Summer's night vision was seriously limited, forcing her to feel around the edge of the door for the switch. However, when the woman turned on the lights, she saw exactly what was happening, and it was almost even more disturbing.

Cinder wasn't in the shower, she was sitting on the floor, still in her dripping wet clothes as the empty shower poured water onto the bathtub, which the girl was leaning up against. She was hugging her knees to her chest, head resting on her arms as she shook slightly.

And while it didn't appear Cinder was crying, it was very obvious how much pain she was in.

Immediately, the older woman moved to her daughter's side, stopping when she was standing right over her. Even in this state, no way Cinder didn't notice her turn the lights on, she must just be so upset she didn't care anymore.

"Cinder, I'm going to put a towel on you, is that okay?" Summer asked, kneeling next to the girl. And when she didn't receive any reaction, the mother draped a towel onto the girl, wrapping it around her like a blanket, making sure to give her daughter a squeeze as she did.

"Cinder, I know you know if you're ever hurt, you can rely on me." Summer said gently, watching Cinder intently, "I know you are strong and independent, but there's nothing wrong with needing to lean on someone else now and then. If you want, I'd be more than willing to listen."

Despite the reassurance, Cinder didn't react. She stayed in that right ball head pressed against her arms refusing to talk, making the older woman frown in concern.

Summer knew Cinder wasn't the type to openly show what she believed to be weakness, preferring to keep everything bottled up until it all spilled out onto some poor, unlucky person who slighted her just so slightly. But that wasn't Healthy. And it certainly didn't help others get close to her. Oftentimes, the dark haired girl made her family worried by just how closed off she could be.

But Summer knew that trying to force your way in could be just as dangerous if not more so. Reopening a wound could sometimes lead to trauma that was far from necessary and even send people spiraling back into a worse state than if they just kept it buried.

"Okay I understand." Sumer said, standing up to leave. "But if you ever change your mind, don't hesitate to ask. I'm always going to be here if you need me. And remember, I love you, no matter what happens, I always will."

With that, she leaned forward and kissed the top of the dark haired girl's head before turning and heading towards the door, coming to a stop next to it, wondering if she should turn the light off or not.

But before she could decide, a weak, tired voice broke the silence, making the mother turn in surprise.

"Do you think I'm a horrible person?"

Summer stared at the dark haired girl, her eye wide. Since when had Cinder cared about what other people thought about her? Normally, she just acted however she wanted, even if it made others think less of her.

"No, Cinder. I don't think you're a horrible person." Summer said immediately. "You might be a bit rough around the edges, but that doesn't make someone a-."

"Name one good thing about me, right now!" Cinder snapped in a shaky voice. Immediately her head shot up, shot up, looking right at her mother, catching the woman off guard, making her take a step back.

What on Remnant had happened? Cinder sounded so wrong. Sure, she sounded angry, nothing new. But it sounded like she was barely representing her pain. Like she had finally reached her limit of what she could endure and was on the verge of finally cracking.

Summer was about to try reassuring the girl she had many qualities that made her a good person, but then she paused. This kind of question was very out of character for the girl. And while she wanted to console her daughter, it might be better to try to get to the bottom of the problem instead of letting it slip by. Something she was VERY guilty of doing while she had been growing up.

"Cinder, did something happen during your mission?"

Immediately Cinder's head fell back into her arms, answering the older woman's question.

Carefully, Summer made her way to the girl and sat down across from her as Cinder pulled the towel farther around her, wrapping herself completely in it.

"Cinder, if you want to talk, you can talk." Summer said gently, reaching out to brush the girl's head. "It's okay not to be okay. Nobody's going to think less of you for it. Getting scared after a fight or after getting injured is natural. It happens to everyone. Me, your father, Qrow, even Professor Ozpin must have been scared once when we were all starting. I understand what you're going through, every huntress today has had to start somewhere. And I'm sure they were petrified when first facing something that seems insurmountable ."

There was a short pause, then, without looking up, Cinder replied in a mumble.

"Have you ever screwed up a mission?"

At this question, Summer couldn't repress a snort escaping her. "More times than I can count! My first mission, escorting a money truck from one end of the city to the other got screwed up when I accidentally hit the panic button in the passenger seat. The client nearly fired us there and then. And ask anyone, they'll tell you it didn't get any better from there."

Summer chuckled, hoping Cinder would reciprocate, but when that didn't happen, she pressed on, though now she had a direction to steer the conversation.

"Cinder, what happened at Music Fest? I don't mean to point fingers, but if you made your client mad and he's threatening to fire you, you should apologize, even if you aren't in the wrong. Whatever you did, given that you're less than a few days away from completing your mission, I'm sure they'll-."

"It's not the client that I upset."

Summer froze mid sentence, her eye wide in surprise, but they quickly softened as she realized what must have happened.

"You had a fight with your team leader." It wasn't a question, but Cinder nodded anyway, confirming her theory.

"I messed up, made Amber angry, we…fought. Literally." Cinder's words were now tumbling out of her mouth, as if she was unable to stop them. She was clearly so badly hurt by this event if she was okay with being this volley. After all, in the four years Summer had raised the girl as her own, she had only opened up like this once, when she had first lost her eye.

"She said something and I lashed out. Said some hurtful things back, threw a knife at the places I knew would land home. And when they landed, I felt…Joy, happiness that I had hurt her in that way. Like I was actually able to stand up with her on…something. I don't know, I just-. I guess they were right about me."

Cinder tightened her grip, curling herself into a tight ball as she buried her head deeper into her arms.

"I'm selfish, self-centered, a narcissistic, reckless, and power-hungry girl, who only cares about herself and her ego who's perfectly happy to throw anyone and anything under the bus just so I can get my way. A truly horrible and awful human degenerate who can't be trusted by anyone."

Summer found herself frozen at Cinder's outburst. Whatever had happened must have truly broken the girl. Shattering her confidence so completely, that she couldn't pick the pieces back up. Right now, the dark haired girl saw no hope, no future. She had been hurt so badly, she had even forgotten her dreams.

Slowly, Summer reached up to touch the dark haired girl's shoulder, but paused for a second, unsure of how to approach the situation. She knew Cinder hated when people took pity on her or tried to emphasize with her. Trying that now might only worsen the situation.

Carefully, the older woman began weighing her options in her head. If empathy wouldn't work, she doubted kind words or actions would help either. And given her mental state, logic was also off the table.

Cinder needed to know she wasn't alone. That all she had done was make some bad decisions, and that alone didn't define her. She needed to know about THAT day.

Swallowing, Summer took a deep breath, steadying herself. She didn't like to revisit that day, in fact, refused to speak about it. The shame and guilt of that day was too much for her to bear, she wished it had never happened, but at the same time, she knew she wouldn't be the same person without out.

And if she wasn't the current Summer, she would have NEVER picked up Cinder on that fateful day all those years ago.

Slowly, Summer sat down across from Cinder, gently placing her hands in the girl's, making her look up, letting the mother lock eyes with her daughter.

"Cinder." She asked in a serious, yet kind tone. "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Immediately Cinder jumped to her feet, eyes wide in surprise. "No! Of course not!" She practically yelled, her own words spilling out so fast, she was tripping over them. "Why would anyone think that?! You are amazing! You raised the daughter of your former teammate, go out to selflessly defend others from the Grimm! You always put your children first! And you took me in and gave me more chances than I deserved! You are a wonderful person and mother! Who would dare-?!"

"What if I told you I wasn't always like this?"

Summer's question made Cinder freeze in her tracks. Wasn't it always like this? What was she talking about? The dark haired girl had always assumed that she was bright, cheery and innocent just like Ruby. Sure, Summer was slightly more mature, but she had assumed that had come from her being older and seeing more of this cruel world than her daughter.

Seeing the bewilderment on her daughter's face, Summer let out a chuckle as she gently pulled Cinder back down, helping her sit as she pulled a first aid kit from under her cloak and set it on the ground next to them.

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, but nobody is perfect, nothing in this world is. And i have made more than my share of stupid mistakes." Summer spoke gently as she took Cinder's bruised knuckles and began gently disinfecting them. "A few years ago, during the war, I ran with a dangerous crowd. Tai didn't know about it, and I've never told him for a reason I'll explain shortly. But to make a long story short, at that time, I was young, and angry at the world. All because of some stupid reason that I was so embarrassed about, I didn't want to anyone to know. So I shut everyone out and ran with some people I knew were bad news, but let me work out my frustration."

Summer let out a humorless chuckle as she began wrapping Cinder's hands in warm, clean cloth.

"Basically, I had fallen in love with Tai long before we got married. And when he married Raven, I…well I should have taken it better. But for me, the straw that broke the camel's back was when a good friend of mine was killed." She paused for a second, both in the story and in her treatment of her daughter. And when she continued, her voice had a noticeable shake in it.

"See, it was at the tail end of the war, not long after Raven left. And well, I was in the process of getting out of that crowd. Then when I received the news of his passing, my anger flared up once again. See, he wasn't a fighter, he was helping refugees when he was attacked and killed by the Atlas military. And well, if I wasn't Ruby, I'm pretty sure I would have done something rash."

Immediately Cinder's head shot up, her mouth falling open. Surely she wasn't-!

"Yep. I used to be a member of the Enlightened Seraphim. Or I guess the group that would become them. And back then, their views weren't as radical, so no. I didn't go around killing civilians. Back then, even Adelaide didn't stand by that. And while I didn't know her well personally, I knew her husband as he was the friend I lost. However, I did believe that all Atlesian weren't worth saving."

Cinder stared at Summer as the older woman fell quiet. She would have never guessed her mother, the sweet innocent woman who had taken her in out of kindness alone, used to be part of a radical organization of racists. In fact, if someone had told her, she would have broken their nose for slandering her mother's name! Hell, a part of her still didn't believe it!

But one look at the serious expression on her mother's face told her this was no joke, nor some lie she had come up with to try to make her feel better. This was real! And somehow, someway, Summer had chosen to fight alongside these idiots!

"I hated Atlas back then. Many times I thought about watching the kingdom burn. And so, when Professor Ozpin showed up at my door with an invitation to end the war once and for all, you bet I agreed without a second's thought about Tai, Ruby or Yang. All I could think about was the mission, killing the royal family." Once again Summer paused, letting Cinder take in the reality of the situation. She was about to learn what happened at the battle of Herakles peak.

"That day, Mr. Beige had given us a straight route into the heart of the fortress. He knew of a secret emergency exit that the royal family planned to use in the event of the walls being sieged. So by entering this way, they'd be trapped beyond our main army and the team I was leading." Summer had now finished bandaging Cinder's hands, but the girl barely noticed as all her attention was fixed on her mother, not daring to move for even a second incase she missed any details!

It felt weird. For most of her time with the Rose family, she had always wondered what had happened that day. Now, the moment she was learning, she almost was scared to find out what happened. Like tasting some forbidden fruit, she knew it was wrong, but didn't want to stop. Yet was terrified of the fact that once she had learned, she knew she couldn't never view the world in the same way as before.

"During our raid, I became reckless, and my actions got Qrow separated from the team. If it wasn't for Mr. Ebi, I don't know if he would have survived." Summer paused for what must be the umpteenth time, taking another deep breath. And even as impatient as Cinder normally was, she didn't dare interrupt, letting the woman continue at her own pace. "Howard was almost as bloodthirsty as I was. He was tearing through everything in his path, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Ultimately, he fought so hard his aura broke and he got injured from a sniper shot through his leg. But instead of backing down, he told me to leave him to hide while I continued with my mission. Said that he would be fine and to make sure the royal family paid for killing his son, and my friend. And in my haste, I did end up leaving him. Thinking back, it's honestly a miracle he survived at all."

Cinder fought back a snort. She didn't think it was lucky he survived given the hell he had just put them through. But Amber had ordered her to keep quiet on that until they had some proof he was working with the Seraphim.

Fortunately, Summer didn't notice and continued with her story. "After a lot of fighting, I finally reached the bedchambers of the royal family, and there I made the decision that will haunt me for the rest of my life." The huntress hands were trembling now, shaking with uncontrollable emotions even as they tightened into fists.

"I fought the king, the queen and their two bodyguards." She said in a shaky voice that matched her hands. "I killed them, all of them. And then I went into the back room to finish the job. I thought it would bring me peace. That it would bring world peace! But in reality, I was just enacting my vengeance upon them. Killing them because I wanted to. And when I got into the back room, I found the young princess, still in a crib crying about the ruckus from the fight in the other room. And I'll never forget what I did."

Summer stopped once more, this time gasping like she had run miles. Immediately Cinder reached out to touch her mother, but stopped when the woman raised her hand as she recomposed herself. Taking several more gasps before continuing a few minutes later.

"Right as I was about to strike down the princess, her brother, the young prince Shiroi, leapt onto me, repeatedly trying to stab me in the throat, screaming to get away from his sister. But as you might remember, I know how to get kids off me when needed." The woman forced a smile at her horrible joke, though neither of them laughed.

"I threw him to the corner of the room, and as he got to his feet, I felt something that I never want to feel again come over. Joy at another's pain. I was happy that I could inflict some of my pain onto somebody else, somebody who I could pin the responsibility on. And so I began to taunt him, telling him if he didn't kill my fast, I'd kill his sister. I even cut her cheeks just to get a reaction from him."

Cinder felt like she was listening to a car wreck. Something that was absolutely horrible, yet something about it transfixed her, making it impossible to turn her attention away. Like a black dot on a white sheet, her attention was pulled to it, impossible to resist. And with every word Summer added to the growing story, the girl's stomach began to churn and writhe. She had no idea her mother was capable of something like this.

"We fought. Though maybe that's not the right word for it. He couldn't have been older than twelve. He ran at me over and over again. Each time trying to kill me to protect his sister, each time I knocked him away, taunting him that I was going to do it. And finally, after his aura was broken and he couldn't even stand anymore, I made him watch as I ran my blade through his sister's stomach, killing her instantly."

A long silence fell between the two Roses. Neither speaking, nor breathing. And for once in her life, Cinder found herself speechless.

What was she supposed to say? Hell, what could she even say to something like that? She knew the world was cold, heartless and unfeeling. But to hear that her own mother had been so cruel to someone else was unbelievable. It almost felt like a dream, like it couldn't be real. But the dull pain in her hands and the hammering of her heart made it clear this was no dream. It was reality.

And as that set in, Cinder, unable to truly understand what had just been said, just lamely said the first thing that came into her near empty mind.

"What happened next?"

Summer let out another weak chuckle, her head lowering so she didn't have to face her daughter as she continued.

"I'll never forget the scream that came from the prince. I never heard anything like it before that day or ever since. And I hope I never do. At the time, I thought doing the act would end it all, make us even, if you will. But it was the shock of that scream snapped me back to reality for a second. And in that one second, I finally understood what I had just done."

"I hated Atlas for killing my friend, despite him being an innocent civilian. And in my rage, I had just killed an innocent baby, who's only sin was being that of her blood. She didn't kill hundreds of people in the war, she didn't order the execution of enemy soldiers, and she certainly didn't kill my friend for the sake of war. I, on the other hand, had acted with clear and purposeful intent. Something much less easy to forgive."

"I remember feeling sick. Like I was going to throw up right then and there. I don't really remember what happened right after that, just that it felt like I was standing there for an eternity, blood dripping from my blades as I felt my legs start to give out. I only snapped out of my daze when the young prince screamed. He was charging at me, proclaiming he'd kill me. I acted on instinct and I-!"

Summer broke off, unable to finish her story. But Cinder could piece the rest together. And it didn't leave a pleasant taste in her mouth. She wasn't really one to normally like kids nor Atlesians, but even that was just so horrible that she wouldn't wish it upon anyone, not even the royal family.

"When I left that castle that day, I swore to myself I'd never raise my blade to children again." Summer said, still unable to take her gaze off her hands. "No more killing them, not for the future, not for peace of mind, not for Ozpin. I was done taking their lives for the greater good. And nobody was going to change my mind on that." She paused again, slowly raising her head to look at Cinder. And as she did, her gaze softened and when she spoke, her voice carried a different tone. One of peace and acceptance instead of guilt, yet still bore all the weight of the knowledge of what she had done.

"And because of that decision, when I came across a starving young girl in the Atlesian tundra, a part of me saw this as a chance at redemption for the children whose lives I took just a few years ago. And so I made the choice to save her, to save her and try to give her a better life. And then, eventually, she became my daughter." Gently, Summer took Cinder's hands into her own, and being careful not to cause her pain, began tracing her thumbs across the back of her daughter's hands. Drawing circles to soothe both women.

"And now that you know my ultimate guilt, tell me. Am I a bad person?"

Cinder stared at Summer, their eyes locked in uncomfortable silence as they both waited. Those neither really know for what.

Cinder didn't know what to say. On one hand, she knew Summer wasn't a bad person, but didn't know how to put it into words.

In fact, now that she thought about it, she wasn't even sure what defined a bad person. After all, Fang was a criminal, yet he was one of the nicest people at school as well as going out of his way to help others. And while it was nowhere near as often as Amber. He was still up there.

So what about Summer? She had made a mistake and paid for it? No. She knew what she had been doing, and just couldn't stop herself. Did that make her a bad person? No. She had still chosen to take Cinder in, with no other motive other than maybe trying to make amends for her past actions. That wasn't the behavior of someone who enjoyed killing, it was one of an injured woman, desperately trying to atone for her decisions. Something most people never did.

A hurricane of emotions was whipping through her head and she didn't know what to feel. She knew she was still scared and angry at herself, but Summer had given her so much more to think about. And that was making her head hurt even more.

But even through the cacophony of emotions and pain, the answer was clear as crystal to the dark haired girl.

"No." Cinder whispered. "I don't think you're a bad person. I think you made some mistakes. You're trying to make things right. So I believe you are still a good person."

At these words, Summer smiled at the girl, gently easing herself back up so she could kiss her daughter's on the top of her head again. Then, she reached down, cupping her chin and making the girl look up at her.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence. That means a lot to me." She said, pressing her forehead against Cinder's for a few seconds before pulling away again, looking at her eye filled with pride.

"Now, what about you, Cinder? Are you going to be a bad person?"

"Yes." Cinder said without batting an eye. "I get what you were trying to do, but I'm not like you. I don't regret my actions. Nor do I feel bad for inflicting pain on others. And I don't want to change. So yeah, I'm a horrible person."

Summer let out a weak smile, gently pressed her head against her daughter's.

"Everyone has a different opinion of what a bad person is. There's no definitive answer." She said calmly. "And those options are based on how we precise the world from our experiences. Which normally means we think of ourselves as either a good person if we swing more to the just side of our beliefs, and a bad person if we swing to other. But one thing I know, we can either be hard or as soft on ourselves as we want. And that decision isn't healthy for anyone. If you don't give yourself any slack, you have no hope of changing. And how can you be happy with yourself if you don't allow yourself to change?"

Immediately something in the back of Cinder's head began twitching. Something she had thought about for a while.

Months ago, right after they had saved the boys, Amber had asked her something that at the time had felt mundane, but now that she thought about it in a new light, it added something she hadn't noticed until around Music Fest.

"Sometimes, no matter how much we wish it wasn't so, our past can chain us, making us willing to throw away our future. Logic and facts tell us it's not worth it, but that doesn't always matter. Sometimes, the past will haunt us till the day we die. And no amount of trying to forget will ever make us whole again."

Back then, she had assumed this was in the context of Fang, but now that she thought about it, that didn't make sense.

Amber had no way of knowing Fang's past. She must know about Atlas hunting nobles, but she couldn't have known about his desire for revenge, or what he had gone through and the constant rejection of his beliefs.

But in retrospect, if she had been talking about herself, then that made a monochrome of sense. This entire mission, strange things about her partner just kept adding up and while she'd always push it to the back of her mind to focus on her job, when she stopped and put all the prices together, it painted a pretty obvious picture.

The blood on her hands that didn't exist, the weird emotions that came flooding through her semblance, they all added up to a very likely guess at what was going through Amber's head.

For whatever reason, Amber hated herself. And instead of helping her, Cinder had pushed her over the edge.

Tightening her hands into fists, the dark haired girl cursed herself silently. She was so stupid, so blind. How could she not see it? It was so obvious and only became more transparent as the mission progressed, but she was too busy trying to prove herself to notice her own partner suffering.

Brothers, could she do anything right? First she failed Yang all those years ago, then she had made both her sisters feel insecure as she rambled about her own skill, and now she had not only put Amber through hell, she had ignored her needs for the sake of her own. She couldn't do anything right. Everywhere she went, she hurt the people closest to her, and was to stupid to notice. She was still that same little brat from the Glass Unicorn. Still too weak to do anything, still completely helpless despite all her training, still unable to do right with her loved one.

She wished it wasn't the case. She wished she could be a good friend and a good sister, but it just wasn't an option for her. She felt no remorse for killing, no empathy for others, and no ability to understand or think about the feelings of others. She just-! She wanted to change, but she had no idea where to start!

Wait…

She wanted to change? Since when? Before now she had been completely comfortable with who she was. What changed to make her think she wanted to be different? And why? After all the hell she had been through, why should she change for a world that only defining principle was power? Why did she have to make that sacrifice?

But before she could wave the thought away, or smother it with rage, the answer came to her. Unbidden and without conscious thought. And it was as clear as day with not only the moment she knew she wanted to change, but the reason behind it.

It was so simple, she HAD to change. The way she was in her current state wasn't good enough for her anymore. The night Mr. Beige was killed had proven that. She hadn't been strong enough to stop his death, hadn't been strong enough to protect Yang. And while she hadn't realized it then, it was as much her own immaturity as much as physical weakness, Fang had shown her that.

His strength came from his convictions, his belief in making this sick world a better place, his desire for vengeance. And once again, she hadn't realized it at the time, but his words, his ideology, it had more than earned her respect. After all, not everyone could turn beliefs into power.

And if he could try to make the world a better place while still being a criminal, what was stopping her from something as simple as trying to be a better person for her team and family? If he could get his revenge while helping others,

Immediately, Cinder's eyes went wide. That's right, Summer was still being tormented by that day. Yet she was still trying to make things right! She wasn't wallowing in self-pity. She wasn't letting her mistakes drive her life! She was fixing them, one life at a time!

Reaching up, Cinder took Summer's hands and gently pulled them off as she stood. If Summer was a good person because she was trying to undo her mistakes, then if she tried, she could also…start to become a person who people could trust. A person who Amber could truly call a friend!

Up till now, she hasn't bothered trying to fix the root cause of her mistakes, choosing to ignore it or cover it in arrogance instead. As a result, she never learned!

But she needed to change. No! She wanted to change! She wanted to become someone worthy of her teammate's trust, of the love her family gave her, and of the second chance she had been blessed with!

"Yes, I am." Cinder said quietly. And while this might have caught others off guard, Summer saw her eyes were now burning with determination. "But I'm not going to be anymore. I'm going to start making things right. I'm going to fix this."

With that, Cinder turned and ran for the door, slowing down only to force her shoes back on before running out into the hall.

"Thanks mom!" She called back as she pelleted towards the exit. "I'll explain later, but until then, just try to keep Ruby and Yang here for a few days! Right now, I need to find my partner!"

Summer smiled as she watched her daughter run off from the doorway. Cinder was finally starting to learn what being a huntress truly was. As well her role as the partner to the leader. For while the leader leads, they are still only mortal. And without someone to lean on, they will crumble into dust.

That was their partner's duty, to be the support the leader needed. Tai's old role on team STRQ, and what made her fall in love in the first place.

And now Cinder was finally starting to see what her role truly was. It may not be as glorious, but far more important than one could imagine. She knew far too many people who tried to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, and fell to either their enemy, the Grimm, or their own mental health. And for a while, she had been afraid team AACE would follow suit.

But now, it looks like those worries were unfounded. They definitely had more than a few loose ends to tie up, but Cinder at least was well on her way to becoming a true huntress.

And who knows, maybe Cinder would come to find the pleasure of watching her friends grow instead of always trying to hog the spotlight.

_________________________

Amber sat on a ventilation pipe on the roof of the hotel she had been dropped off at. There, she could see the sunrise just bringing to peek over the clouds. The rain had stopped and her aura had recovered, so she knew by this time tomorrow, she should be at full strength. Unfortunately by then, it would almost certainly be too late.

Howard hadn't revealed any clues to where he might be keeping Jiao. Nor what they had planned. Which meant she had wasted the entire night with that conversation. She still had no leads, no plan, and no backup, meaning she had no hope of finding and rescuing Jiao. And even if she did, was that the right thing?

She wasn't stupid, she knew questioning something like this would get her expelled from Beacon immediately, but seeing as that ship had all but sailed, she had time to reflect on it without the huntsman dogma she surrendered herself with.

As much as she hated to say it, Howard had a point. Vale just didn't have the resources to go and stop the Eternal Dynasty. And if they invaded, if everything Howard said was right, then even if Vale drove them back, they might not be able to recover.

"If you could save five people by killing one person, would you still be morally right?" That was a question asked in her basic psychology class at Sanctum academy. In fact, her teacher had said it was the most important lesson she'd learn there, as well as half her grade. So it was no surprise when the whole class had to write an essay on it to get his recommendations after graduation.

Back then, it seemed so simple. She remembered even having a hard time coming up with enough material to submit it. She had finally finished her conclusion by stating that it was a huntress' duty to be the one to the one to die for others, not take the life of an innocent, no matter the reason. For if a huntress took an innocent life, what stopped them from taking another?

She laughed quietly to herself at the memory. Back then, she had received top marks for that comment, her teacher even going so far as to praise her for it and requesting she come to a first year class to help show them how to behave, and she truly believed she was well on track to becoming a huntress and washing her hands of her crimes.

But the real world wasn't so cut and dry. Sure, if she had a choice, she'd choose to offer herself up to keep Jiao alive. That was her job and her duty. The world wouldn't miss something like her, and she'd gladly give up her worthless life to save another. And while Jiao wasn't her first choice, he was still more important than she was. And who knows? Maybe her sacrificing herself might leave something behind that was more then the stupid girl who killed hundreds. If it was even something as simple as her no longer being around to hurt others, well that was more than she accomplished in her life anyway.

But this wasn't a situation where that would work.

This wasn't something she could compromise on, something she could fight. One way or another, people were going to die. And it was up to her to choose who it was.

Burying her head in her hands, Amber fought back tears.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should save the singer or not. She didn't know what to do anymore. She had come to Beacon to atone for her sins, not make more! Why was it no matter where she went, people died because of her?! All she ever did was cause pain to others! She was a curse upon the world and that clearly wasn't changing anytime soon.

For what must be the millionth time, she found herself wondering why did she have to be born? If she hadn't, so many people's lives would be so much better. Or they would still be alive. Either way, they were cursed the moment they came into contact with her. Friend, foe, it didn't matter, even just being in the same area as her had resulted in the dying or dismemberment. Or maybe even both. She hadn't really stayed around after the bodies were brought in.

Suddenly, footsteps broke the dark skinned girl out of her thoughts before she could fall any deeper. Looking over her shoulder, Amber bit back an exasperated sigh as she saw Cinder making her way towards her.

"Hey, I've been looking all over for you." The dark haired girl said. But Amber ignored her and turned back out to face the sunrise.

Noticing her cold hospitality, Cinder felt her heart waver. She knew she had to do this, but she was so scared of what Amber might say to her, afraid of how much it would hurt.

But she bit her lip and continued walking towards her partner, biting her lip to try to calm herself. She wasn't going to ruin things this time. Not again. She had made life hard enough for Amber as it was, and she refused to make it any harder.

She was going to fix this, no matter what!

"So…I see you got your injury treated. That's good." She said, awkwardly coming to a stop behind her partner. "I…umm. I wanted to apologize for…earlier…and…you know…make it up to you. If you don't mind."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Amber said without looking back. "We're good. Now if you could please go? I have enough to think about without you making another mess."

Cinder flinched at the cold words from her normally sweet leader. She knew this was going to hurt, but she hadn't expected to be shut down right out the gate. Clearly, this was going to be harder than she had ever thought. And that was saying something!

"Right…yeah that sounds like me. Cinder the screw up. Hehe. I should put that on a shirt and wear it." She joked, hoping to get a reaction out of the other girl. She didn't.

"Umm. Actually…I was kinda hoping to…actually make things right. You know, not just…being begrudgingly accepted back. I wanted to…help you. Any want I can. So if you want to talk about what's on your mind, I'd be willing to listen. You know, I'm aware you have a lot of baggage…and my mom always says it helps…so I kinda thought maybe, if you wanted, you could bounce thoughts off me to make you feel better? You know, if you wan-."

"What are you playing at?" Amber cut in, still not looking back. "Look, if you want to laugh at my life, just go ahead and pick something. I don't care. At this point, you've already seen my whole life, so what does it matter if you know about my childhood? It's nothing special."

"It is special."

Amber froze at the conviction in her tone. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Cinder staring at her with an intense look in her eyes, eyes that looked on the verge of tears.

"It's causing you pain, I know that much." She said, stepping forward, now practically touching the pipe. "I know I'm blind as a bat and a moron as well, but I want to start over. Truly try to get to know you and be a supportive partner! And yes, I'm well aware that it's probably too late. I know how much I hurt you, but I-! I guess I don't want to lose you. Your…your the best person I've ever met. And I just want to know why your so hard on yourself."

Amber fell silent at Cinder's words. She hadn't expected this from the hotheaded girl. She actually expected her to come here to pick a fight. But seeing the girl, hands shaking and eyes brimming with tears, this looked sincere. As if there was actually emotion behind it, not just her usual bluster and bravado.

And while that wasn't saying much, Amber was so tired. She didn't have the energy to be angry, or guarded. And honestly, the thought of unburdening herself was very tempting.

So tempting it didn't feel real.

Turning away, Amber slumped back down, watching the sunrise with no farther acknowledgment of Cinder.

Upon seeing this, Cinder felt her stomach drop and an empty hollow feeling fill the void.

She should have expected this. Amber had already given her enough chances. And she wasted each and every one. Slowly, the girl turned back to the door, now using every ounce of willpower not to start crying.

"Right, I get. Stupid idea." She said as her voice started to crack and shake. Her hands were balled into fists and she couldn't bring herself to look back at her former partner. "Well, if you need me for anything, anything at all, just let me know. I'll come running. Just…take care of yourself, okay? I…I don't want you to get hurt anymore then I already have."

Unable to keep herself together any longer, Cinder quickly began maki by her way towards the exit, not looking back. She blew it, she knew that. And she had no right to ask for another chance. Not after all her screw ups. Not after practically single handedly failing such an important mission.

But even if Amber wouldn't give her another chance, she'd still be her partner and watch over her from afar. Even if she hated her, even if she would throw hurtful words at her every single day, she owed it to the kind girl.

After all, she might not think of her as one anymore, but to Cinder, Amber was her friend. One very much worth fig-.

"You first."

Cinder stopped mid step, almost not believing what she had just heard. Slowly, she turned to see Amber still just sitting there, not looking at her, not moving. In fact, the dark haired girl might have thought she had imagined it if the dark skinned girl didn't speak once more.

"Tell me your baggage first. All of it. Then, I'll tell you mine. It's only fair."

Cinder said nothing at first, but as a warm feeling spread through her body, making every inch of it tingle. With a quick shake of her head, she quickly made her way back to her partner, tears now slipping from her eyes. But these felt different, they felt warm, kind, good.

Carefully, Cinder made her way back and sat on the pipe, back pressed against Amber's. And after wiping away a few tears, she turned her head to the now brightening sky, and with no rush, she began to speak.

///////////////////////////////////////////

So, I'm actually going to talk a little bit about the concept of good and bad people.

Everyone has their own definition of what that means. To some, it means helping others, to others, it means helping just that person. And of course some just don't care.

Now I'm not going to say this is what I think, just ask a single question. If someone is trying to become a better person, even if they've done some immoral things such as Cinder. (in this story.) at what point are they absolved of those sins? I know some people will say that everyone should get a second chance, and I know others think redemption is for fiction. Either way, I'm very interested in philosophical questions like this.

Now, the point I'm trying to bring up is that moving forward, because you can bet this is going to be coming up again, is when another character talks about redemption or what not, please understand that's just their personal opinion. It's not fact and it's not me inserting my own opinions and saying, "here's what I believe. This is fact and that isn't up for debate."

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to just ignore my rant. I'm not covered for a therapist so this happens sometimes. But until then, I hope to see you next time. Bye!