Midnight

Space…

"Something is troubling Jared." The Law of Cycles said, closing her eyes to think. "He knows about Trenzalore. But he has a grudge against a woman called Cinder Fall. Why?"

Mistral...

Years ago, in her childhood, Cinder Fall scrubbed the floor of an orphanage in Mistral and was bullied by other children. She attempted to fight back but was tossed aside. One day, a woman known as the Madame came and adopted her.

"I'll take her." Madame said.

Glass Unicorn Hotel...

Some time later, Cinder found herself standing in front of the Glass Unicorn hotel in the City of Atlas. She peered up at the building and looked around at bystanders down the street.

"Come now." Madame said, opening the front door of the hotel, and Cinder followed her through the lobby, taking in the sights of the high-class establishment.

Space...

"What fairy tale is this?" The Law of Cycles asked, looking at the starry image right in front of her.

Glass Unicorn Hotel...

Madame led her through a door behind the front desk, into an employee room, where she cleared her throat to get Cinder's attention. Nearby stood the Madame's daughters. Cinder was quickly distracted by a basket of freshly-baked rolls.

"You're to make sure the laundry is folded, the dishes are spotless, and the floors are clean enough to eat off of." Madame said, as she began walking away.

Cinder reached toward the Madame, "F-food?"

Cinder's new step sisters gasped in surprise. The straight-haired one raised an eyebrow at her, and the curly-haired one giggled. Despite the step sisters judgmental reactions, Madame picked up a roll and tossed it onto the floor in front of Cinder.

"Now hurry and get to your chores. The floor looks filthy." Madame said, while she exited the room with a smirk as Cinder dropped to her knees and picked up the roll.

Space...

"Cinderella…" The Law of Cycles said, frowning. "That's who Cinder Fall is based off of. Is this like the Disney Cinderella?"

Glass Unicorn Hotel...

The step sisters soon followed their mother, laughing to each other.

Time went by, with Cinder spending her life working in the hotel, cleaning, delivering food to guests' rooms, decorating cakes, doing the laundry, unclogging toilets and dusting the glass Grimm statues. She had also begun wearing a metal necklace with a yellow crystal laid in the pendant.

One day, she tried to eat a strawberry from a cake but was stopped by the curly-haired step sister who then let the straight-haired step-sister eat the strawberry. Cinder later ate leftover toast crusts from a guest's discarded tray.

A day came where Cinder tripped in the lobby while carrying a tray of dirty dishes, some of which broke upon hitting the floor. Rhodes looked on as the step-sisters laughed and Madame looked angrily at Cinder. Later, Cinder angrily scrubbed the carpet of one of the second floor walkways. While taking a moment's break, she heard people talking in the lobby and looked through the gaps in the railing to see Rhodes showing off his sword. She watched in admiration until a squishing noise distracted her. When she turned her head to look, she found the step sisters had approached her with muddy shoes, leaving large clumps of mud in their wake.

The straight-haired step sister stomped her left foot onto the floor and ground the mud into the carpet, "You missed a spot."

The step sisters began laughing, and Cinder gripped the wet scrub brush tightly. Steam began to come from the brush as her palm glowed hot. Cinder angrily threw down the brush, creating a cloud of steam that caught everyone's attention.

Space…

"That's horrible!" The Law of Cycles said, letting out some tears. "I thought the story of Cinderella was sad. But this is just…"

Glass Unicorn Hotel…

Shortly after, Madame took Cinder to the employee area and began using a remote to make the necklace electrocute Cinder, who cried out in pain.

"Now that wasn't very ladylike, was it? I suggest you remember your place." Madame said, while Cinder sat on her hands and knees, panting. "Say it!"

Madame pressed the button, electrocuting Cinder again. Once the electricity stopped,

Cinder hanged her head, "Without you, I am nothing."

Space…

"Okay, Cinder's life is pretty sad at this point in time." The Law of Cycles said, closing her eyes to see. "Where does it change? The turning point?"

She noticed the change and decided to see how it will unfold next.

Glass Unicorn Hotel...

One night, there was a commotion as Cinder crawled through the vents.

"Alright, what gives? Someone took my damn sword." Rhodes said.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. We'll help you look for it." The step sister said.

Cinder came out of a vent in the abandoned storage room that served as her bedroom, carrying a bundle of fabric. She laid the bundle onto the blanket with which she slept on the floor and then unwrapped the bundle to reveal Rhodes' missing sword. She picked up the sword, smiling to herself, only to be frightened by a voice behind her.

"Now that's not yours, is it?" Rhodes asked.

Cinder turned and threw the sword at Rhodes, who deflected it into a wooden beam with his dual maces.

"I'm not here to hurt you." Rhodes said, rolling his maces over to Cinder, who picked one of them up.

Cinder ran forward and swung the mace at Rhodes, but he caught it in his hand, using his Semblance to coat his hand in metal.

"I've seen you around, and I think it's safe to say you're not getting the most fair treatment. Yeah? I can't really blame you for what you're thinking." Rhodes said.

"You don't know what I'm…" Cinder said.

"But hurting them isn't going to make your life any better. You can run, but you're going to be running for the rest of your life. Or you could find another way to handle it."

Cinder hanged her head and lowered the mace, letting it rest on the floor.

Cinder began crying, "Like you? You can do whatever you want, go wherever you want."

"Ah, how old are you?" Rhodes asked.

"Ten." Cinder said.

"And you want to be like us? You want to be a Huntress?" Rhodes asked, as Cinder nodded. "Then we've got about seven years."

Rhodes walked over to the sword that was still stuck in a beam.

"For what?" Cinder asked.

Rhodes pulled the sword from the beam and tossed it to Cinder, "To train you for the Huntsman exam."

Space…

"Cinder is heading to the right path…" The Law of Cycles said, frowning. "But what happened during those seven years? To make her power hungry."

Glass Unicorn Hotel...

Years went by with Rhodes coming and going from the hotel, training Cinder in hand-to-hand and dual wielding at night. Cinder continued working at the hotel and endured being electrocuted by Madame for even the smallest of things. Eventually, the time came where Rhodes gave Cinder one of his swords.

"Just a few more years and you won't need your guardian's permission. You'll be free." Rhodes said.

Time went by, and at around 11:39 one night, the step sisters ran to their mother. The curly-haired one grinned excitedly while the straight-haired one spoke.

"Mom, come quick, we found something. It's Cinder! She has a weapon!" A step sister said, terrified.

Madame followed the step sisters to Cinder's room. At about 11:57, Rhodes entered the hotel to find that no one was at the front desk.

"Hello? Anyone?" Rhodes asked.

A door leading into the employee part of the hotel was still open, and he heard a noise from somewhere within. He hurried through the door and made his way to Cinder's room to find the step sisters dead on the floor, just as the 12:00 bell began to ring. Cinder had lifted Madame into the air by her neck and was strangling her, while Madame continuously electrocuted her harshly enough for the necklace's pendant to float.

"You're right. Without you I am nothing. But because of you, I am everything." Cinder said, tightening her grip, finishing off Madame.

Cinder dropped the corpse on the floor.

"Cinder." Rhodes said.

Cinder looked at Rhodes with a wide-eyed broken smile, "I won't have to run now."

Rhodes looked at Cinder sadly.

"That's all you'll ever do." Rhodes said, drawing his dual maces.

Cinder's wide-eyed smile turned to a look of disbelief and betrayal, before finally shifting to anger.

Rhodes deployed his maces, and Cinder charged forward, beginning the fight. The two traded blows and blocked and dodged attacks. Cinder hopped onto Rhodes' back and tried to bring the sword to his throat, only for him to block it with his mace. He used his Semblance to turn his neck to metal, but Cinder used her own Semblance to super heat the metal, causing him pain. He pulled her off his back and threw her at a shelf, knocking down a small bag, which she picked up.

While Rhodes used his maces to shoot at her, Cinder ran toward him, dodging and blocking the shots. She then threw the bag at him, creating a cloud of powder, which allowed her to steal his other sword from him. Both now dual wielding, the two continued fighting. Cinder broke Rhodes' Aura, and he broke hers.

Believing Cinder to be unconscious, Rhodes dropped his maces, walked over to her and reached his hand out. She then suddenly picked the swords back up and stabbed them straight through him. He placed his hand on her head and looked at her sadly, before she pulled the swords from him. He fell to the floor. Cinder broke her necklace off, looked up at the moon through the window and shed a tear with a small smile.

Space…

"So, Cinder lived the life of Cinderella. She killed her step mother, step sisters, and the master that would have taught her the ways of being a hero." The Law of Cycles said, letting out a sigh. "Now the question is. Do I want to implore this information into Jared's head?"

Monstra...

In present day, Cinder wakes on a bed somewhere within Monstra and sits up.

Emerald Sustrai hurries over, kneels in front of her and takes Cinder's Grimm hand into hers, "You're awake. I was so worried. How are you feeling?"

"You…you brought me back here." Cinder said, pulling Emerald's hand away and looking to the side, upset. "We failed."

"Cinder, you were hurt. I was just trying to help." Emerald said.

They hear Mercury Black's voice as he enters the room.

"I think she's had enough help. Besides, she went against our queen. I'd be careful who you back." Mercury said.

"Cinder's hunch was right. If we'd had support then maybe we would've…" Emerald said.

"Would you stop trying to protect her already? She doesn't care about you."

Cinder becomes annoyed, and her eye manifests the Maiden flame, "Both of you, get out. I'll let you know when you're needed next."

Emerald sadly looks away from Cinder, then looks at Mercury as he starts speaking.

"Yeah about that, Salem's got other plans for me. I'm not gonna be taking orders from you anymore." Mercury said, as Cinder's Maiden eye flame disappears and she looks surprised and saddened. "She wants everyone on the bridge. Something big is about to happen."

Emerald looks at Cinder while Mercury heads for the door. Emerald then sighs, gets up and follows Mercury. On their way out the door, Mercury is smirking and Emerald is sad.

The torture room…

Oscar Pine is left alone.

"I'd like to express again that this is my burden to bear, not yours. His grudge is with me." Ozpin said, in Oscar's mind.

"No, it'll be even worse. He's holding back with me. I can tell." Oscar said.

Oscar is now bruised, has a black eye and has blood smudged under his nose and by the corner of his mouth.

"I understand. I do. But you've done so much already. The least I can do is give you a break and try to get us out of here." Ozpin said.

"We can't leave yet. This is our chance." Oscar said.

"Hmm, maybe you've taken one too many hits."

"Salem, she knows she can't take on the whole world at once. So she doesn't. She has her followers work their way in sabotaging us from the inside out."

"Maybe we should do the same." Oscar and Ozpin said, at the same time.

"We certainly are similar, you and I. Maybe we have been presented with an opportunity." Ozpin said, in Oscar's mind.

The membrane door squelches open, and Hazel Rainart enters the room.

"Great." Oscar said.

"Oscar, please." Ozpin said, in Oscar's mind.

Hazel picks up Oscar and slams him against a bone spike, "You don't need to fight this war, kid. Tell me what I need and we can be done."

"Hello Hazel." Ozpin said.

Oscar's eyes glow yellow momentarily, revealing that Ozpin has taken control. Hazel quickly becomes angered.

"Coward! All this time, it could have been you, but you let him suffer." Hazel said, tossing Ozpin to the floor. "Now tell us how this damned Lamp works. The boy has suffered enough."

Ozpin stands up, "Why do you follow her?"

Hazel walks over and kicks Ozpin hard enough to knock him down.

"I know…" Ozpin said, coughing. "I know how you see me. But her? Look at what she does. How is she the answer? Why not stop her!?"

Hazel stops and looks away. He then walks across the room to a bone spike.

"Salem can't be stopped. She's a force of nature. I've seen it first hand. But you…" Hazel said, while he breaks the tip of the bone spike off and starts walking toward Ozpin, sharpening the spike on the metal plate on the back of his hand. "You send children to their deaths for a cause that you know has no victory, no end."

"Someone has to try. Salem isn't a force of nature because Salem can be fought! Unless she brings the Relics together. If that happens…" Ozpin said, while he is interrupted by Salem, who is standing in the doorway.

"Ozma. You have wonderful timing. The show is about to begin." Salem said.

Monstra...

A short time later, Salem is sitting on her throne with The Hound next to it. Lined up kneeling in front of her are Oscar, Hazel, Tyrian Callows, Cinder and Mercury. Kneeling off to the side are Emerald and Neopolitan. Salem stands up and walks over in front of Cinder, before moving to stand in front of Tyrian.

"We have good news. Tyrian has heard from our dear colleague Watts. Although he remains in captivity, it seems that he has worked with Ironwood to gain some control over the puppet masquerading as the Winter Maiden. I suppose he remains useful after all." Salem said, while she gently sets her hand on Tyrian's head, as he holds up a Scroll.

Salem then turns her attention to Cinder, losing her smile.

"Speaking of which…Cinder." Salem said, and Cinder's Shadow Hand begins hissing and smoking, and she grunts and cries out in pain, trying to hold the writhing arm still. "You chose to disobey my specific instructions just to fail again."

Emerald watches wide-eyed, and Cinder has flashbacks to the times she was electrocuted by Madame.

"And I've realized, it's all my fault." Salem said.

The pain stops, and Cinder looks up in fear as Salem walks over to stand in front of her.

"You've fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want and here I am holding you back instead of lifting you up." Salem said, while she holds her hand out, and Cinder hesitantly rests her Grimm hand in it. The Hound goes to Neo and then Emerald, sniffing them. "You deserve so much more than I've given you. Go to Atlas, recover Watts. He can lead you to the girl."

The Hound approaches Cinder and sniffs her, and Cinder looks at it, tensing her shoulders up.

"Whether you or my Hound get to her first, you will finally have the Winter Maiden's power, and I will have my Staff." Salem said.

"You'll only be helping her bring about the end, for all of you!" Ozpin said.

Hazel slams Ozpin against the ground and then holds him up as Salem approaches.

Salem leans to Ozpin's face, smiling, "You're too late."

Atlesian Airship…

An airship is flying through the air somewhere above the tundra. Inside, Elm Ederne and Vine Zeki discuss Penny, while Winter Schnee listens from one of the pilot's seats.

"Did the hack just not work? How do we even know we can trust Watts?" Elm asked.

"We have confirmed visual of her leaving Amity. She appeared to be malfunctioning." Vine said.

"This is why I don't trust technology. Now we're wasting our time searching for broken junk."

Winter becomes annoyed and turns in her seat to look at them, "Enough! You're Atlas elite, act like it."

Marrow Amin, who is piloting the ship, puts his finger to the communicator in his ear. He then addresses Winter.

"Um, ma'am, we're picking up an open comms broadcast." Marrow said.

"Play it." Winter said.

Marrow presses a button. There is static as the console plays a communication from Jaune Arc.

"It's headed straight for Mantle. I repeat, a large mass of Grimm is headed straight for Mantle. Please, anyone." Jaune said, over comms.

Winter and Marrow look concerned, while Elm, Vine and Harriet Bree walk forward with interest.

Solitas...

Soon after, the airship lands in the tundra in front of Jaune, Yang Xiao Long and Lie Ren, who are riding the now repaired HVB Rhino hoverbike. Winter and Harriet hop out of the airship, while Jaune and Ren get off the bike.

"Great, you guys." Yang said, sarcastically.

"Did you hear our message? It's right there. We need to hurry." Jaune said, gesturing to the river of Grimm Liquid to his right.

Harriet looks at Winter, then at Jaune, "Where's Penny?"

"Are you serious right now!? There are people in danger." Jaune said.

"There are people in danger because you kids are acting selfish and…" Harriet said.

The ground suddenly begins shaking with a series of earthquakes, which frighten people in Mantle and in the Mantle crater. The fear draws attention from Grimm.

Suddenly, the Grimm river forms a geyser that shoots up high enough to hit the City of Atlas. The geyser continues until it forces its way through the city's Hard-Light shield. Centinels spawn from the liquid. The Ace Operatives, Winter, Jaune, Yang and Ren look on wide-eyed, while Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, May Marigold, Jared Shay and James Ironwood watch in horror through a broadcast.

Schnee Mansion…

The Law of Cycles appeared in front of Jared and she placed her hands on his forehead, implanting information about Cinder in his head.

"Madoka…" Jared said, looking at the goddess. "What's wrong?"

"Cinder's past…" The Law of Cycles said, sadly. "She's based off of Cinderella. You know that fairy tale. And there's a lot of Grimm around Atlas. Only you can see me."

"Right. What can I do?"

"Wait until Nora is healed." The Law of Cycles said, before disappearing in front of Jared. "I'll always be here with you. In your heart."

Solitas…

The Centinels begin burrowing into the earth, while a military airship tries to shoot them. The Grimm then make their way through the ground and dislodge two of the shield's pylons, causing them to fall to the ground beneath Atlas. With the two pylons gone, the entire shield is disabled.

Monstra...

Inside Monstra, Salem smiles, and her eyes glow.

"It's time." Salem said.

Monstra flies over to the City of Atlas and crash lands on one of its farms. The whale opens its mouth, and Grimm Liquid comes flooding out. A variety of Grimm spawn, including Manticores, Teryxes, Megoliaths, Boarbatusks, Apathy, Ursai, Beowolves and winged Beringels.