Well, the development of the magic getting stronger proved to be more than a slight hiccup.

Qrow didn't turn back to a human. They waited for hours, during which Winter got her magic to turn off for a short amount of time, and then it turned back on.

Raven had less success than her, only getting it to dampen, and Vara couldn't get hers to stop at all.

Cinder didn't try.

Shine even tried to turn Qrow back, and it lasted for one second before he went back to bird.

"Perhaps this is something he needs to do himself," she said, shaking her head. "I can't force you to give it up."

"We haven't given it up yet," Raven said.

"But you've tried to take that step," Shine said. "Qrow had hardly begun to even question if this was a bad thing... I don't know. Not everyone is the same, but if he keeps building up resistance, perhaps he can turn back with help from above. It may be I can't do this without taking the magic out, and we're not doing that yet. Unless you want us to, I suppose."

"Speaking of taking magic things out, what happened to Cinder's Grimm arm?" Jaune asked.

"She gave it up," Shine said--nonchalantly, considering.

"Why?" Jaune asked.

"Ask her." Shine waved it off.

Jaune didn't want to ask Cinder anything like that.

Everyone had wondered about it but been too scared to ask her why.

Yet Cinder had been pretty much silent since the earlier conversation and hadn't looked anyone in the eye.

Most of them didn't believe for one second she was ashamed of herself, but they assumed she was wary of them now, and they were fine with that.

The few who thought she might be ashamed didn't know what to say to her.

Shine pulled Wally aside while they were having their meager breakfast.

"Are you still sticking with your plan?" Wally asked her. "She has a hostage."

"I know, and we should have seen that card coming," Shine said. "In fact, we did. Just thought it'd be Oscar. She'd like to get him too, but she knew we'd protect him more, probably. My plan is still essentially the same because the reasons it would work have not changed. But we will have to adjust it."

"I hope that adjustment includes me."

"Of course." Shine smiled but looked tired. "You'll have to get him out. But she'll expect that. However, I hope she might expect just you to, not more than one person. Or she'll expect us all to try it, but not to do what we're going to do anyway. I'm not going to try to convince her to give Mercury up--that's what she wants. If you could take Emerald and Neo and sneak around her Grimm and Callows, she might not have a way to stop you. Ren also. And Jaune. Your speed should be enough to get them in and out, but, depending on how she's containing Mercury, it doesn't hurt to have extra cover. I want you to get him out and then send me a message when you have--but don't send me one before that. It's essential that we don't blow cover, so whatever happens, you'll have to figure it out without my help. I'm sure you can, though. Rescuing people is your thing."

"It's like somehow you knew this would happen, so you purposely planned to make sure I wouldn't be going with you anyway," Wally said.

Shine shrugged. "It's astonishing to me how God has a way of anticipating these things for us and providing the according inspiration. No strategy survives a first brush with the enemy. That's a famous quote from someone." [I think it was Churchill, but I'm not sure.]

"I think we can get him out," Wally said. "But if Tyrian knows that we did and reports it to her, that could throw you."

"Then keeping him out of the way would also be important, unless she has him around her for support, but I can't see that doing much good after the way I scared him before. He's dangerous, but as long as they all stick together, he couldn't win against that many of them. We must use our numbers to keep her guessing. It's the one thing we can do that she can't."

"What about Cinder?" Wally said. "She's going to just stand there? Salem could still be controlling her, even without the arm."

"Cinder is a coward, but she may not be that big of one. I suppose, if she does make a move, we'll have to knock her out. Should be easy for you."

"I hate to hit a woman, but I will if it's life or death." Wally rubbed his hand.

"Why don't you just give me a different task then?" Cinder interrupted them.

They hadn't seen her only because her black clothing blended in with the landscape and her magic was so familiar that Shine didn't notice any slight changes with her moving.

"Eavesdrop much?" Wally said.

"I figured you had some plan," Cinder said. "And if you're so worried about what Salem will make me do, why not just put me on the rescue team?"

"You want to... help us rescue the kid?" Wally said.

"That's the only leverage Salem has against you, correct?" Cinder replied. "Without it, you can do to her what you did to me--in spades. Or whatever it is you plan to do. I'd be helping myself. Besides, it was partially my fault."

"And you're admitting that--" Wally began, and Shine elbowed him.

"Forgive me for saying this," she said, "but how can we trust you not to sabotage them once you're inside?"

"What could I do that he couldn't stop me from doing?" Cinder nodded at Wally. "Unless you're the only one who can deflect magic."

"Well, the trouble with that, Cindy, is even if I bought you wanting to help, you're kind of radiating magic right now," Wally said. "And the Grimm will come right for you."

"No, they won't," Cinder said. "They're used to seeing me there. They'll think nothing of it. I had magic before, and they just ignored it. Just scare them away."

Shine rubbed her chin. "Well, it's not a bad idea to have someone who won't register as a threat to the Grimm if we needed a distraction--but on the other hand, you're too eager to help. You must have something up your sleeve."

Cinder gave her an angry glance and then walked away.

"That was weird," Wally said.

"She didn't try to convince me otherwise," Shine said.

"So she was planning something then?" Wally said.

"No. She wasn't," Shine said. "If she wasn't, she'd have kept trying to convince me. She's not that subtle."

"Oh... so that was a test," Wally said. "How do you do that?"

"Just have to know how people work... I'd better talk to her," Shine sighed. "If she's serious about this, it could still be dangerous, but she's right in one way: Her going with the others is safer. Because the less Salem knows about what we know, the better. For Cinder, that's actually pretty clever."

"Okay, but if she does come with us, I'm going to be watching her really closely," Wally said. "I guess we could just ditch her inside, though. There's nowhere she can really run now. As long as she doesn't have the Relics."

"Which is why keeping her away from the group who will have them is smarter. Maybe she figured we'd think so and is trying to take control of the situation," Shine mused. "Well, get the others ready but don't tell anyone else what I'm going to do. I think they'd be easier for Salem to exploit if they knew what I was doing."

She walked after Cinder.

"Well, you better be right," Wally said, too low for her to hear. "This is my least favorite risk so far."

[Poor Wally. I love Shine and all, but I wouldn't want to date someone like her. It'd be too nerve wracking.]

* * *

"What's really going on?" Shine demanded of Cinder, aside from the group.

Cinder scowled at her. "Nothing."

"If you can't answer that then how can I decide whether to trust you or not?" Shine said. "Twenty-four hours ago you stabbed us in the back."

Cinder put her one hand on her other shoulder.

"You wouldn't understand anyway," she said.

"Try me."

"I'm not like these people." Cinder gestured around. "Never have been. Never will be."

"Depends on what you mean by that."

"Being here has taught me only one thing," Cinder said.

Shine did not say "it taught you something?!" in a tone of surprise.

"What?" she said more seriously.

"It's not enough to just be powerful," Cinder said, "if you can't use it. Or if it's just another weakness to be powerful. I wanted freedom, not this--this dependence on Grimm. Well, I thought it was the only way to get what I wanted, but it was a dead end. If I don't have any other choice, doing this your way is the only thing left."

"That remark smacks strongly of coming to your senses, Cinder," Shine said. "I won't mock you if you have, but if this is a trick, I will mock you mercilessly."

"Oh, shut up," Cinder snapped at her. "You can pretend all you want, but you still look at me as a villain. You don't think I'm worthy to be here--or of trust."

"Would you really blame me after yesterday?" Shine asked her candidly.

Pause.

"No." Cinder practically growled the word, she was so hesitant to say it.

Shine looked surprised now.

"I thought being strong was enough," Cinder said, looking down now. "And determined. That was all Salem ever cared about anyway. But working for her, I never had much choice about what I could and couldn't do. I always thought I'd just beat her in the end and be free finally. But that arm... She made sure I wouldn't be able to do that, and I just didn't see it. Now that it's gone, I can't fight as well either. On the other hand, you could have killed me and you didn't."

"Because we're merciful."

"Which is weak," Cinder said automatically.

"You know, Cinder, you are right about that."

Cinder blinked. "Huh?"

"I've thought about your points," Shine said. "Maybe you're right. I mean, Lewis said: 'To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.' "

She shrugged. "People who deny love is a vulnerability are trying to make light of the pain it causes. But it is also a strength. It's all about how you want to be strong. I've told you, your strength is a brittle kind. But it's true that love is a weakness. Salem will exploit it, as she refused to let it ever be her own. People who brush it off will have an advantage, by the rules of this world. But I choose love anyway, because I wouldn't want to win by the rules of this little, dark world. I want to win by the universal law--the one that governs the entire universe, and that is Love. Because Love is creative, and you see creativity in everything around us... so to me, in the long run, it pays off. But you were right that it is a weakness, sometimes, one I'd rather have than all the strength in the world. And God seems to agree. He made a weakness when he made Man, a way for him to be hurt. But if God could not be hurt, God could not risk anything on us, and without risk, we don't know what we really are. Perhaps even God cannot prove what He is to us without risk. But this is not what you want to talk about. I just thought I'd let you know I have given it due consideration."

She was so weird!

Cinder wanted to slap her.

Or... cry. One of those things. Cinder could feel both sensations at the same time. [As a woman, yes.]

"The point is," she said with difficulty, "it's a better deal this way. Isn't that what you wanted to prove to me anyway?"

"I don't know what I wanted," Shine said. "I play it by ear. But if that's what you think now, fine."

Cinder shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know what I think now."

She turned away, staring at the rocks, and she felt very... alone for some reason.

She wondered why Shine was accepting this so easily... Why would anyone?

"You know, I didn't set out to be evil," she said after a long pause.

"I figured. I mean, not many people do."

"But I didn't mind it either," Cinder said, "as long as it wasn't weak. It took all this time for me to get it. I'm... not worthy."

Somehow saying those words was what finally broke the dam.

Cinder had been bottling up that realization for so long, because she was so afraid of confessing it, like she thought she'd break if she did, that actually speaking it was worse than Watts saying it to her.

In spite of struggling frantically not to cry, she cracked and began to do so.

Though it wasn't really repentance. It was shame.

And partly anger, though at what she couldn't identify, maybe herself.

[So funny story: My sister told me after reading the previous chapter that she'd heard a real life testimony from a psychopath that was quite similar to Cinder's mentality and how I had written her arc in the book. I had never heard the story, though I knew the man because he's a close friend of the author of Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, which I read. I had no idea what his story was though. But his journey was very like Cinder's, and I was just going by guess-work when I wrote hers.

Needless to say, I felt vindicated if anyone thinks redemption is impossible for people like her.

You can watch the testimony at this Youtube link if you're interested, and there's other, shorter videos about it also. Search up David Wood:

I would add there's a similar story in The Cross and the Switchblade about Nicky Cruz, if you like books, and it's also a movie.]

Oh, it was humiliating to do this in front of anyone, especially Shine!

But Shine, despite being surprised, didn't do much to react.

Cinder got it under control as fast as she could, taking a few minutes to do so, but finally she stopped and wiped the tears away, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

Shine waited for this, then finally she said, "Perhaps you feel ashamed of that, but would it anger you to know that is the most I've ever respected anything you've said?"

Cinder gave her a strange look. "Why? I'm humiliated!"

"Exactly. But you're not trying to kill me. I would have thought if you broke in front of me, you would have. I think you know that's because it wasn't my goal. And that wasn't enough to stop you before, but something changed, didn't it? Maybe you see more than you did--oh, that wasn't a jab about the eye, sorry."

"I want to be worthy!" Cinder said, almost frantically. "I was! I thought! I don't know what went wrong. Even this power has proven to be a curse. I don't know how I could have missed so much when it's all I've thought about for years. Stop looking so smug."

"I don't actually look smug right now. I think I'd know. Look, Cinder, whatever crisis you're having, you're sensible to have it. You would only be the last in the list of people in the group who have. Everyone else had questioned their entire lives already. Some of them have done worse than you to people who trust them. I am not going to judge you, believe that. But I must try to make wise decisions. I think you're telling the truth, since I can't imagine you crying even as part of an act if this was one. But my confidence in you is not the problem. Would the others trust you to do anything for them?"

"No," Cinder said. "But if I don't do this, it's going to end the same as before, isn't it? I can never get ahead... not by doing what Salem wants."

"That is true," Shine said. "So I will send you with the rescue team, if only because it's far safer than having you anywhere near the Relics. But Salem may still threaten you. The arm is gone, but you still have magic."

"I can't get rid of the Maiden magic without you doing it for them all," Cinder said.

"No, not that magic--it's transferable. But you have something else." Shine pointed to her. "Salem gave other powers to you."

"Did Emerald tell you that?" Cinder asked.

"No, I knew from context. You channel her magic, right? Didn't we talk about this before?"

Maybe they had.

"And you want this gone also?" Cinder held up her hand.

"Not your hand, the power," Shine said, "I can take it out. You will not be able to use any magic but the Maiden's if I do. No screaming portals or Grimm. You might be less safe from the monsters, but, besides the arm, it might convince the others that it's all right to bring you along."

Cinder was more hesitant because she was loathe to give up any other advantage--even one she'd not used in a long time.

But...

 Salem might be gone by the end of tomorrow... It's not like it would matter then anyway. Why not just beat her to it?

Besides, Cinder wanted to piss Salem off, and giving up her share of Salem's powers would do that.

Perhaps that was not the most noble reason, but for Cinder it was still new to care about anything more than power.

"Fine." She held out her hand. "Do it."

Shine didn't wait this time.

She put the blade of her sword onto it and said a few words in a low voice.

The sword gleamed, and the skin burned under it, making tears come to Cinder's eyes from the smarting itself.

But she gritted her teeth and did not scream.

It got worse and worse.. .and then it stopped.

Cinder could feel the magic had gone. She felt weaker--and cleared also. Some of the gnawing feeling she always had at some level was less.

Shine lifted her sword.

"Salem's power may leave you," she said soberly, "because she is just a human, whatever Grimm is inside her. But I warn you again, magic is trickier than this. If you don't replace it with something else, it's not likely to give up its claim on you completely. You might want to think about that. For now this should do it, but you may live a long time after this. If you really want to be free, you'll need to be free inside. But I won't push further right now--this is hard as it is. Still, waiting can be a mistake. Just saying."

Cinder clenched her fist. "Whatever I decide about that, it won't be because you told me to," she said with a frown. "I'd have to be sure."

"If it helps, you really sound much less crazy than before. Who knows? Getting all that magic out of your head might bring your mind back to you. I doubt your reflections will be pleasant ones, but clarity is a relief in its own way--I think you'll realize that. Now, I must go. Don't tell anyone what you heard. It's important."

"If you want to risk it, that's your business," Cinder said. "But you should be aware that Salem won't let you get away if she can do anything to get an advantage. She doesn't like to be beaten. I wouldn't expect her to not anticipate you either."

"I appreciate it, but I don't think Salem anticipates what she can't understand," Shine said. "I'm counting on that. Perhaps you'd better also. You just did something she will never understand unless I succeed."

She walked away.

Cinder glanced at her hand.

Well, that much was true. She hoped she didn't regret that choice.

[Shocking, isn't it? But Cinder would have to be even stupider than she has been in the past to not realize what's going on. Still, I was a little surprised that she came around. I write this as it comes to me, and I'm not always sure what ways a character will react until I try to feel it in my mind. Other writers would confirm this is a problem we all have when we write something that we feel strongly about.]

* * *

Shine murmured a song to herself as she tried to mentally prepare for going for with her plan.

"'All sufficient sacrifice, so freely given, such a price. Bought our redemption. Heaven's gates swing wide.'"

[Line is from full version of this song, though most people only remember the chorus: "Break Every Chain", Jesus Culture.]

Wally grabbed the other members of the group and told them that they had a plan for getting Mercury back.

"So before we face Salem?" Jaune said.

"Before we do, yes," Wally said. No one caught the loophole in that.

"You think you can get him out without her knowing it?" Raven said.

"I think so," Wally said. "If only the people good at stealth, and Jaune, go. So Emerald, Neo, Ren, and me... and Cinder is going too."

"What?!" everyone said.

"Just hear us out." Wally had the 411 from Shine now. "Shine and I think she's not safe by the Relics, and Salem will be watching you all more closely than us. She could be now, for crying out loud. So we need to make sure she can't force anyone to do anything. At least if she's with us, the only thing she can screw up is the rescue, and that's just a small part of the group. We can still bust out anyway. It'll just make Salem mad... but we can deal with that."

"And if she just tries to kill you while you're in there?" Yang said.

"It'll be hard for her to do that with all of us," Wally said. "Still better than her being close to the Relics."

"For once I agree with him," Ozpin said. "Keep all of Salem's minions as far from the Relics as possible. I'm surprised, Mr. West. I didn't think you'd actually take any kind of precautions at this stage."

The insult implied by that did not go unnoticed, but Wally brushed it off.

"I suppose it's up to the other people who are going," Pyrrha said.

"I'm okay with it," Emerald said.

"You trust her?" Ren said.

"No, but I trust her less around the Relics," Emerald muttered.

Ren sighed. "In light of that, fine. If she attacks, though, I won't hold back."

Ren didn't have much chance against Cinder alone, but Jaune and Wally would have helped him.

Neo shrugged and just made motions to the effect that Cinder had better behave herself or she'd stab her again, on purpose.

"So, Shine will stay with us then?" Winter said.

Qrow was perched on her shoulder, and he cawed.

"I don't speak bird," Raven said, "but I think that his 'this is a bad idea' caw."

"He has one of those?" Sun said.

"I guess," she shrugged.

"We've gotta try," Wally said.

"I just think Salem will expect this," Winter said.

"Don't worry, we've got some tricks up our sleeves," Wally said.

He'd hadn't answered what Winter said about Shine, but she didn't notice that.

"There are Grimm watching us already," Hazel said.

"Then, Ren, you're up," Wally said.

Ren nodded and put his hand out.

Nora hugged him. "Be careful."

He nodded.

Jaune kissed Pyrrha. "We'll be fine." He tried to sound confident.

"I know." Pyrrha tried to sound equally confident.

Neo shook hands with Torchwick.

Cinder had no one to say goodbye to and looked bored.

Wally hugged Shine and said in a low voice, "So how long?"

"I'll give you a few minutes to get close, and then I'll go," Shine said. "I'll go straight. You go around the side. Hopefully that'll give me enough time to start talking to her. If I flash my sword, something went wrong, okay?"

"Okay, but if the others watch the horizon, they'll know either way," Wally said. "Shouldn't someone know what you're doing?"

"Yes... I'll let Pyrrha know. She'll keep it undercover unless we need help."

* * *

Pyrrha was not happy at all to hear this plan.

"Are you sure you should do this? I could go with you."

"If this goes well, you'll see Salem soon enough," Shine said. "She'd want to see proof that we can do what the gods can't. You and Roman are that. But it's all about dramatic timing. Let me at least figure out how receptive she'd be to hearing it. I need you to trust me."

"I just think, after all the pride of the last day or so, doing anything alone is a bad idea," Pyrrha said.

"I know, but I had this plan before the Grimm," Shine said. "I can't let them shake my confidence that this is the best plan just in fear of my own ego. That's hardly less prideful, is it? I know you will do as I ask--that's why I'm telling you. If it takes too long, you'll have to go on in after us and tell her yourself. I think by now you know what I want to say. Can I count on this?"

"If you try persuading her and she won't have it, what could we do?" Pyrrha said.

"Let's try not to focus on that, but if it does happen, who knows? There may be someone who she will listen to." She shrugged. "It's all in if you guys stay in the right mindset. No anger, no fear. I know it's asking a lot. But this is what we've been getting ready for. Here."

She held out her hand, and a portable battery radio appeared in them with a CD.

"To keep the Grimm away," she explained, "while you're waiting. Don't believe anything Salem tells you if she makes contact. It's bound to be a trick. Even if she says she killed me, I wouldn't believe her. It could be a test."

"If you did... die... would we know?"

"I think so. A door would shut. Oscar would feel that. Ah... Oscar... poor baby," she sighed. "He will not be happy with this plan. I know he wanted to talk to her himself, and I hope he will get the chance, but for the first, I can't let him. She'd eat him alive."

"You're so sure this will work...?" Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha--" Shine put a hand on her shoulder "--we've had faith this far. But this has not been personal for Wally or I except in what we do to guide or protect you. This is the first time I've felt that I need to do something not just for you all, but because I must do it myself-- it's my job. Even for Salem. But also, I would stand in the gap for you all and show that I will take the same risks I ask you to take. Then it will be for you. As a DJ, I can do this. Just like Wally can help you rescue Mercury. Let us be not just guides--but part of this. That would be worth a lot."

Pyrrha sighed. "You know I will do whatever you say because it works, but I will keep an eye out. With you, Jaune, and Ren all going, my oldest friends on the team are mostly in danger. I hate having to wait here."

"It may not be safe here either. That's why I want you watching," Shine said. "Callows may try something. He must not get Oscar or one of the Maidens or Ruby. The consequences of that would be disastrous. Watch him."

"I will." Pyrrha hugged her. "And you watch your back."

"I know... Goodbye. God bless you." Shine held up a hand, and then she slipped away around the rocks.

Pyrrha had an uneasy feeling that Shine had added that last part just in case she didn't come back.

But she had to hide her fears so the others would suspect nothing.

"What was that?" Yang asked.

"Shine's going to be away from us and on guard," Pyrrha said, what wasn't exactly a lie but not the full truth. "She wants us to stay here together and watch from this point."

"She shouldn't be alone," Raven said.

"It's her instructions. We need to follow them," Pyrrha said. "She has her reasons, I'm sure."

"I suppose we must just make sure to watch all points then," Winter said. "Some of us take each direction."

Qrow cawed.

"No use complaining now," Raven said. "What are you going to do anyway? You're a bird."

He shot her what looked like an annoyed look even in bird form.

"Oh, Uncle Qrow," Ruby sighed. "I really hoped he'd be able to turn back by now. This is kind of awful."

"I'm sure he'll figure it out." Yang put a hand on her shoulder and tried to sound convincing. "He just needs more time."

Qrow looked down sadly.

"It'll be all right." Winter used a finger to pat his head awkwardly since she couldn't really pat his shoulder.

"It's weird that she's technically in love with a bird right now," Vara noted.

"You in love with a Theo." Raven took offense to the bird part.

Weiss sighed. "Still getting used to that."

"I agree, the feathers are just not a good look for him," Meridian remarked.

"Why don't you go to your post?" Winter said to him sharply.

"Sure, Vara makes a snide remark, but I'm the one you reprimand," he said roundly.

He moved away.

Winter mostly ignored Vara because it looked like she might faint at any second. The magic still hadn't turned off, and it was taking its toll on her. She was looking paler and paler.

In fact, how long could she sustain this?

Pyrrha took out the last cake into little pieces and gave one piece to each of the three Maidens.

"In case it gets to be too much," she said. "But this is our last help from Alicia... From now on we must use what we've learned ourselves. I pray that's enough."

Oscar, inside Ozpin's mind still, hoped that also.

* * *

"Any sign for a rescue party for that brat yet?" Tyrian asked Salem.

She checked her Seer.

"They're still camping about 2 miles from here," she said. "I would have thought they'd have rushed to save him by now. Perhaps it's time I make contact. How is the prisoner?"

"He'll live, for now," Tyrian said. "Regrettably. Are you sure we shouldn't just kill him and tell them we didn't?"

"While that would be preferable, I think they can tell when people are alive. So it would do us little good."

"If they give us the Relics, he's of no use to us."

"Oh, I'm a person of my word," Salem said. "Why should we not let them have him only to watch the world burn? They'll glean little comfort out of that victory."

Tyrian pouted. "Still, doing it myself is--"

But Salem didn't want to hear that. "Just stand guard and be ready. I may need you if I require a distraction."

Tyrian left the room.

Salem got busy preparing another Seer.

But she'd barely even sent it off when the Grimm who guarded her doors suddenly began to howl.

Turning to her Seer that kept a watch on the door of the castle, Salem was shocked and not at all pleased to see that Shine was standing on her doorstep.

Then Shine knocked on it, three sharp taps, then two slow ones. [Which is the knock from "Do You Want to build a Snowman?" I can just see Shine singing, "Do You want to discuss taking down gods? Come on let's go and plan. You'd never see them anymore. Come out the door, so they can go away..." Okay, I'll stop. This is cringe.]

Salem froze for a moment.