The next day came with no decision for Cinder.

Oddly, no one else was dropping by the Arcs'. She went back to her own apartment briefly to get more clothes, but it was too quiet and too easy to think about unpleasant things, so she went back to hang out with Esmeralda more.

That day Esmeralda wanted to see more of the edge of the city.

Shine kindly came with them this time, leaving Grace in Wally's care. Wally said he was okay with resting, since they'd be going to a party the next day.

Pyrrha was convinced to take the day off by Jaune, but she elected to visit Nora.

Libby was still in Argus also, and she'd dropped by to see Whitley--as well as Kline and Willow, with Weiss in tow.

Whitley, who had not seen Libby since break and had been surprised then at how much taller she was, became kind of flustered when she was even taller now and also had matured more. She'd been growing kind of slow compared to the other girls in her age range, probably because of poor nutrition for so many years and bad health, but the change had finally seemed to catch up with her, and she'd gone from a skinny girl to nearly a grown woman in the last few months.

Whitley himself, as Weiss complained about, was as tall as his father now and had filled out finally to almost looking full grown, dwarfing both his sisters, though Winter said she could still beat him easily in any show of strength.

Libby seemed a little surprised to notice this also.

"I forget that technically we're both adults," she remarked.

"Your accent is less," Whitley noticed.

"I suppose I've finally picked up the ghastly way of speaking that Vale has," Libby said. "You don't sound so posh."

"It's Argus," Whitley said. "They're far less couth than Atlas was."

Libby rolled her eyes. "Well, you could do with a bit less polish."

"You could do with a bit more," Whitley shot back, warming to the usual banter.

"Maybe both of you are just reaching an equal point," Weiss said.

"My word, Weiss, to hear that from the one who's gone Vacuo," Libby said. "Do you swear now?"

"Only when it's really deserved," Weiss huffed. "I'm sure it's because all of them swear like it's nothing. You stop hearing it."

"You've grown up nicely, Liberty," Willow said. "And you're quite pretty now."

"Oh, go on," Libby said, bashfully. "I don't suppose I'll ever be prim and proper enough to be a lady, but I do all right. They aren't so partial over there. I admit, though, it's a little dull after the...temperamental nature of the Schnees."

"You'll be graduating soon, right?" Weiss said.

"Spring." Libby had started a little ahead thanks to her prior experience.

"I hope you'll come back here when you have," Klein said kindly. "I miss your repartee, Miss Broom."

"Oh, can't let you have all the fun," Libby said. "That is, if Master Whiteley actually still has an opening."

Whitley pretended to look annoyed. "I suppose we might find one for you, if we dig around."

They also dropped by to visit Winter so Libby could see the twins; she'd hardly seen them at all on her last visit. They were getting a little more mobile now...and causing more trouble because of it.

While they all were doing this, Shine insisted that she and Cinder take Esmeralda to the sea.

"If you have never seen it, you haven't really lived, in my mind," she said. "True California girl there."

"I thought you said California was a warm place," Cinder said.

"It is...mostly. Northern CA isn't so much," Shine said. "But still, ocean is ocean."

She was right about that, because while Cinder didn't see anything that impressive about a body of water and a spot of land in front of it, Esmeralda stared at it like it was the gates of heaven.

She then took her shoes off and ran into the surf to see if it was cold--which it was, painfully so at this time of year.

Shine, however, joined her, laughing.

Cinder didn't. She just watched them, wondering why they thought it was so fun to get cold and soaked when it was hardly more than 50 degrees in full sunlight, sometimes colder. [That's in Fahrenheit. It's 10 degrees Celsius for those who live outside the US.]

"It's better when it's hot," Shine told Esmeralda, after they couldn't stand the cold anymore.

Esmeralda put her socks back on and rubbed her feet, but she was grinning. "Still, that was exhilarating...the crashing and the smell... I've never seen anything like that. I see why this is your favorite place."

"You have to go to Menagerie. It's tropical there, even better," Shine said.

"And hot," Cinder said.

"If you don't like snow," Esmeralda said, "and you don't like the ocean, what do you like? Trees?"

"I don't have a favorite place," Cinder said.

"I thought you would say you like the air," Shine said. "You like to be high. A mountain would be your favorite."

Cinder frowned at her...and then slowly realized she was actually correct. "How could you know that? I didn't even know that."

"I thought back to every time you seemed to feel the most confident. It's when you're looking down from somewhere," Shine said. "And you like flying, so it adds up. Personally, I hate heights, so being at sea level makes perfect sense for me."

"That's so interesting how you could tell that about her just by knowing those things," Esmeralda said. "I wish I could know people that well."

"You'll learn to pick up on it," Shine said.

"No, only you can do that," Cinder said.

"No, other people can, they just don't put in the effort," Shine shrugged. "Esmeralda, what's your favorite so far?"

"I can't choose," Esmeralda said. "The snow was lovely, but this is too, in a different way... I like the view of the air too. Somehow though, this is so...huge." She stared at the horizon. "It makes me realize how big the world out here is. It's...frightening but also exciting. It's both. Is that odd?"

"Not at all," Shine said. "I feel the same when Iooking into outer space. I've been to space, actually...in Wally's world. It's terrifying, but somehow it's also exhilarating. It feels like your soul opens up a little too when you see so much room. But it's lonely. Better not to look at it alone. Hmm...I wish Wally had come now."

"He is your special person," Esmeralda mused. "I wonder if I will ever have one of those."

"Maybe," Shine said. "I'm sure they'd be lucky to have you if you did."

"Oh..." Esmeralda looked red. "I don't think so. I suppose I'm useless... No one would ever want to be chained to me for their whole life."

"What a thing to say about yourself," Shine reproved her, but gently. "Listen to me, Esmeralda, you have been very useful--which is not the only way to earn worth--but you're treating it as just strength. You know, that is not how God sees worth. Worth is determined by love. Anyone can love. Anyone can be loved. Everyone is loved, by God. Everyone has worth."

"That's beautiful," Esmeralda said. "No wonder your name is Shine--you glow when you speak."

Cinder would have been mortified by that comment, but Shine took it in stride. She was just so weird.

Then again, people said things like that to Shine so often, she was used to it.

"Thanks," she said.

Esmeralda didn't notice it had been an odd thing to say, but then, seeing Cinder give her a weird look, she said, "Was that wrong?"

"Not at all," Shine said. "Cinder is just a very literal person. Not one for flowery words. I'm more used to it. I read a lot."

"She said I talk like you," Esmeralda said.

Shine shrugged. "I hope that was a compliment."

"It just is. It's not good or bad," Cinder said.

"Well, I hate to cut this short," Shine said, "but Emerald asked us if we wanted to get lunch with her and Mercury, and there is this one coffee shop I like to go to whenever we visit, for old time's sake. And it's really good food. I suppose they'll be joining us tomorrow also. I hope the dancing is as good as it was 5 years ago. I had a blast at that festival."

"I heard that you snuck away from it in the middle," Cinder said.

"You're one to talk, Cinderella," Shine said, picking up her shoes off the sand.

"Cinderella. Why did you tack that sound to her name?" Esmeralda asked.

"Oh...inside joke," Shine said.

"I don't get it," Cinder said.

"You know how all of you have names that relate to legends in other worlds?" Shine said, as they walked back up to the mainland. "Some remnant from when the people first came here, no doubt. They must have been from an airplane flight or a cruise, I think, to have so many different cultures already with them...but who knows...? Anyway, there's one legend of a woman who wore glass shoes and liked dancing, and she was called Cinderella. I've heard it means 'ash girl' or 'ash baby', depending on who you ask." [Or "little ashes", if you take it more literally.]

"A derogatory name," Cinder said. "All that was left of her was 'ash', is that right?"

"No. It was because she was dirty," Shine said. "She worked all the time and had ashes on her from lying next to the fire. Not as interesting as yours, I guess. But really, Cinder isn't such a bad name if you consider it more closely."

"It means 'ash' though," Esmeralda said. "As a name, it's all right, but ashes aren't...well..." She paused. "I shouldn't be cruel."

"Ash is what's left of things when you burn them," Shine said. "But the thing is, ash is a great fertilizer. Ashen soil is the most fertile in the world. Ash makes new things grow by taking the old things and basically recycling them into a form the earth can absorb easily. Ash isn't bad, it's good...as long as you aren't breathing it. Good outside your body, and it's good for your skin...but not to inhale. It's also used to be how you made soap. You need the dirty stuff to make the clean stuff, sometimes. It's an interesting substance. You have to be careful with it, but, used properly, it's very helpful."

"My mother saw a significance in names," Esmeralda said, not finding this an odd conversation in the least. "She named my sister and me after jewelry pieces because she thought a beautiful name would bring us more luck...or inspire us. I'm afraid that didn't work with my sister."

"Mala means 'evil' in some languages," Shine said. "I suppose a name is what you make of it. My name is no different. A 'light' can be good or bad, depending on the context. It can hurt your eyes, or it can save them. I hurt and I heal... I'm a human being, in other words. And also, truth both hurts and heals us. I've always thought my name fit my calling. Your name fits you--you're a jewel of a person...and one in the rough, from the sound of it. But all jewels are rough until they're refined into the right form."

"You and my mother would have gotten along," Esmeralda said. "I only wish she was still alive... When Gene killed her he made everyone watch, as a warning. I hid behind one of my brothers, but, I heard..."

She was downcast suddenly. "I've had nightmares about that ever since it happened..."

Shine gave her a somber look. "I know something of what it's like to see someone you care about die... I have before. I know it will always hurt, but, eventually, there is a way to make peace with it. Pain is not the enemy. Pain lets us know we have real feelings... Pain and joy go together when we love someone. But I hope the fear will go out of the memory for you."

Esmeralda wiped a tear away. "I haven't cried about that in so long... I think I was too afraid to... It's not the same as it was then. But being out here...I wanted her to see this, if I ever did. I can put a name to the stories she told me now. It's just not fair...but then, life is not fair. I know that already."

"It's not fair," Shine said. "But it's not bad either. Bad and good war in our lives... One side seems to get the upper hand by turns. I am hoping, for you, that good has gotten it now. But I am sorry about the bad. I won't try to explain it to you, but I know there are purposes behind things that we can't grasp yet. Someday we will."

"I never really expected to get an explanation for it," Esmeralda said. "I know cruelty is senseless, Miss Likstar. I saw how senseless it was. There is no reason for it. I'm not that naive. But...now that I have met all of you, and have seen how all you do is to help others, even someone like me who can't repay you for it, or like those other children...then I think maybe, if there is kindness that people do for free and for no other reason than they think they should do it, it's better to think of that. I suppose you think that I will always be tainted by the tribe."

No one had said this to her, which made Cinder wonder if she'd overheard them...or if she was just smart enough to know that.

Then again, her mother likely had voiced thoughts like that. It didn't take a lot of imagination to assume she or any of the other victims would have been traumatized by the tribe enough to think so.

"I don't think that," Shine said. "I believe that we can recover from things like that. Good is stronger than evil--that's my conviction. I do know that not everyone will accept that."

"I think that's true," Esmeralda said. "I know many people in the tribe gave up. But there were some who did not. Maybe they died, but that's not becoming evil. Evil was done to them, maybe, but it's what evil is inside people that was the worst to see, for me. I always vowed I would never become like that, if I ever got out of there. But everyone else was twisted, and I thought that maybe it was only a matter of time before it got to me too. Even my mother...she changed over time, though I try not to think of it. You think it's fate that things happened the way they did? Maybe it is. I don't know what that means for me, but I know that nothing is the same now. I would rather know what's possible now than get any explanation for the past that would just be more of the same."

Shine nodded. "That is a wise thing to think," she said. "If only I had an easier time thinking that. I like answers...but not everything has answers that we can understand. We're like children when adults tell them about complex mathematical concepts... We deny that it's real because it's above our heads...and for many of us, it always will be. I've gained insight over time, but I don't know if I'll ever really have all the questions answered, but I don't think I need to. I know there is a solution to this equation, and that's enough."

"It should be enough," Esmeralda agreed with her. "I'm not very clever, so I probably wouldn't understand even if someone told me. I'd rather just know."

"I wouldn't say you're not clever," Shine said. "But merely in the mortal way. From what I've heard, you're clearly not stupid."

"I wonder if that is true," Esmeralda mused. "I guess it could be true that they all just said that to me to make me feel bad. I always thought that I must be deplorable if everyone really saw me the same."

"No," Shine said. "There are circumstances that everyone's opinion might be right, but with that psycho tribe, they mostly hated you because they treated you badly to begin with, under Mala's control. People hate those more whom they treat badly. Guilt twists us in that way. If we're nicer to people, usually we like them more."

Esmeralda nodded.

When they got on the tram to go to the cafe, Cinder remarked to Shine, "I guess you get along with oddballs, as usual."

"I like her," Shien said. "She's unique. And she's not stupid. She's not nearly as naive as you all think she is, either. Lacking experience is not the same as being naive. She's got a good head, I can tell. She'll outgrow the other stuff--I hope not her wonder, however. It's so rare to find anyone who's an adult and retains their sense of wonder, in my world. We think everything can be broken down to bite-sized parts, which is ridiculous, but it's a powerful delusion--makes people arrogant. I often enjoy more primitive worlds--which this is not one of them--because people there appreciate things more. Knowledge puffs up, as the Word says."

"Both of you are weird, " Cinder said. "You act like things are a big deal when they're just ordinary things."

"And what makes things ordinary, Cinder?" Shine shot back. "Is it them being common? The ocean is not common in the desert. Clean air is not common in a dusty, smoky place. Food is not common in a famine. Light is not common when you're underground. When you say ordinary, you mean something that you've been privileged enough to never notice the lack of. Ordinary is the most extraordinary thing about the world, that anything can be commonplace for us to forget it's special. Familiarity with mystery is the fastest way to kill our awareness of it, but the mystery itself remains, whether we notice it or not."

"Do you listen to yourself when you talk like that?" Cinder said.

"I'm making more sense than you are, you silly woman," Shine said, with a gesture. "All of what I said was true. You may choose to ignore it, but you're only making yourself more miserable."

"How is that someone who's been treated like a slave for 20 years, and someone who travels world, can be so glad about water and snow?" Cinder said.

"They are luxuries to someone who's lived in a cave her whole life," Shine said. "And I feel the same way about them when I can't see them all the time. It's all in your attitude whether something is special or not, you know."

Cinder leaned on her hand and looked out the tram window. "I've never in my life taken the time to care about any of this stuff."

"I don't believe anyone ever is oblivious to it for their whole life. Beauty finds us all... That's one of the ways God calls us," Shine insisted. "There must have been something you liked."

Cinder thought. It had been many years since she'd tried to remember.

"I guess...when I was much younger...I used to like it when the trees changed color," she said, which felt weird to say...like she was being sappy. "Not that it was a big deal, just it was interesting. It's stupid."

"Why? It's quite beautiful," Shine said. 

"I forgot about it later," Cinder said. "I didn't know if I have any kind of appreciation like you seem to have. I would have thought it was a waste of time."

"You like pretty clothes--that's something," Shine shrugged.

"More about status than appreciation."

"If you say so," Shine shrugged. "Why does it matter to you now?"

"It doesn't... I just can't get over how vastly different Paris and I are," Cinder said. "Nature versus nurture must have more on the side of nature than I used to think."

"Is that a thing here too?" Shine said. "Interesting... Well, yes and no. Perhaps her mother had some play in this also. But she chose to listen. Nature and nurture combine in us all. But don't feel bad. There are good and bad sides to every personality. You won't make yours better by wishing it was something it's not. But if you can learn from someone else, you should. That's my motto."

They reached the right stop right after that.

Emerald and Mercury were waiting for them already and chatting with each other.

"Oh, you brought her," Mercury said when he saw Esmeralda.

He hoped sincerely that Esmeralda would not have any more awkward remarks about him.

Esmeralda didn't say anything about it, but she did look at them in some awe.

Emerald, seeing Mercury's look, got a mischievous smile.

"Well, Pretty Eyes here and I were just talking about how the festival is going to go," she said. "And the trials will be after it... I actually stopped by to visit Hypnosia. Figured I should check in. She's okay. Mino is going stir crazy being locked up again. I saw that Shep guy I scared, too. He begged me to help him. But I don't know if I can. He didn't do anything to help us on purpose."

"He doesn't deserve it," Mercury said, ignoring her remark about the eyes.

"I was happy to hear you're together again," Shine said, noting that they were holding hands under the table. "But the endearment of Pretty Eyes is a little more than I was expecting."

"Shut up," Mercury said. "She's just trying to annoy me."

"I think it fits," Esmeralda said helpfully.

"Ugh..." Mercury sighed.

Cinder choked on a laugh at the look on his face. She didn't want to act amused by something so stupid, but...

"On a different subject--" Mercury pointed at Cinder with a menu. "--what did you do to piss off Fly Boy?"

Cinder pretended to be staring at her own menu. "Do you mean Royal? I didn't do anything to him. Why would you say that?"

Even if he had left without saying goodbye the day before, it didn't mean anything to her.

"I'll tell you why," Mercury said. "We asked him if he'd join us for this little get together. I wanted to trade notes about what happened back in that hideout, but he asked us if you'd be here, and we said we were going to ask, and he said no thanks."

Cinder frowned, in spite of her desire to not react. "I didn't do anything," she repeated. "So stop asking."

"I told you not to bring it up," Emerald said, kicking Mercury. "She doesn't want to talk about it."

"There is nothing to talk about!" Cinder said way too sharply. "I'm serious."

"Well, maybe you don't remember it, but there's something clearly crossing some wires," Mercury said.

Shine was carefully not making eye contact with them.

"Do you mean the handsome, brave man?" Esmeralda asked. "He is a flyer, right?"

"Yeah, Royal," Emerald said. "He was getting tortured with us."

"I see... Do he and Cinder have a special connection?" Esmeralda persisted in calling romantic feelings this.

"Don't answer that," Cinder said quickly.

"Why not? We can say what we want," Mercury said, "and that is, no one knows. We all thought they did, but now he's not interested anymore, clearly, so I guess not."

"That's jumping to conclusions," Emerald said. "And we of all people would know that. Stop embarrassing me. Honestly, I can't take you anywhere."

"I'm just saying the truth," Mercury said. "I really thought if you were lost together in the cave, you'd sort some stuff out. I guess the Nirvana room would ruin that though."

Cinder was glaring at him but had no response that wouldn't incriminate herself further.

"Perhaps you should leave it alone," Shine said and pretended as if she didn't know exactly why Royal was doing this, and she had no intention of saying anything to clear things up. "It's their business, not yours."

"Shine, you have no right to say that when you're always in everyone's business," Mercury said.

Shine blinked at him, since that was true. "Well, I guess not." She held up her own menu. "But the difference between you and me is people actually listen to my advice."

Emerald started to snicker.

Mercury looked miffed at her.

"I like Royal," Esmeralda said, not sure what they were talking about still. "He's a brave person. He was even that in front of my...sister. I hope he's okay."

"You can ask him tomorrow," Shine said. "All of us are going to Vacuo together. Esmeralda, are you coming?"

"I...I've never been to a festival..." Esmeralda said.

"It won't be like the Feast of Fools," Shine said.

Only she got that joke.

"Huh?" Mercury said.

"Nevermind. My point is, you should come...just don't go off alone. Vacuo is pretty crazy," Shine prodded. "But for once, it's a cool thing to witness. Fireworks, dancing, and stuff."

"I've never seen fireworks," Esmeralda said. "And dancing...well, the tribe stopped doing that years ago. I'd like to see it, for once. You're all going to be there?" With a cautious look at Cinder.

"I was invited," Cinder said dryly. "And apparently I have to 'be there for PR.'" She imitated Pyrrha's voice, not very well.

"Pyrrha finally has figured you out," Mercury noted. "I'm impressed."

"Shut up," Cinder growled.

"I suppose," Shine said, "I should drop in on Watts. I doubt I'll have time after the festival, and I've put it off this long."

"I thought you weren't gonna," Emerald said. "You must be mad at him."

"Worse, I'm disappointed," Shine said. "But, I did let him live. I suppose I should see what became of it."

"I suppose now is as good a time as any." Shine got up. "I'll ask Raven to let me in. I'll meet you back at the Arcs', Esmeralda."

She walked away.

"I'm going to the...restroom?" Esmeralda said. She'd seen the sign for it.

"Yeah?" Emerald said, not sure why she told them.

Esmeralda got up and walked toward it, looking curious.

"What an oddball," Mercury said.

"Oh, shut up, you're one to talk," Cinder said.

"It takes one to know one," Mercury said. "But I guess she's taken a real liking to you, for some reason I can't fathom. What was that with the festival? She looked at you like she wouldn't go unless you did."

"I suppose she's known me the longest, if 2 days means that much," Cinder said.

"That's so cute." Emerald laced her fingers together now. "She's like a puppy. You have to go with her. I mean, she's depending on you, it looks like."

"What is with you and girls whose names mean 'emerald'?" Mercury said. "Is it like a spiritual thing?"

"I don't think I'm that much like Esmeralda," Emerald said. "It's just a weird coincidence. I don't  even know how I got the name Emerald. My hair maybe... I just always called myself that. Maybe my parents gave me the name and I forgot them later but not it..."

"Great for you. My dad named me after a poisonous substance," Mercury said. "Never did understand why. Though Shine's said that it has to do with speed too. Wally said it has to do with insurance."

"Well, you are kinda like insurance against Grimm," Emerald said.

Mercury shrugged and smiled.

"Stop that," Cinder said. "I can't take you two acting like this in front of me all the time. At least before you were more private about it."

"It's hard to hide it after all we've been through," Emerald said, pulling her puppy-dog eyes face. "Why is it a bad thing?"

Cinder rolled her eyes.

"She's just jealous," Mercury said. "Zapato hasn't had the spine to step up and tell you how he feels, and you're salty about it."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Cinder glared at him.

"I think I do, unless he did," Mercury said. "But he didn't, right?"

Silence.

"Holy crap, did he?" Emerald leaned forward. "Oh my gosh! What did you say?"

"I see no reason why I need to tell you anything about it," Cinder replied. "Or if it happened or not."

"D---, I'm stunned," Mercury said. "But now I know why he's not here. Clearly, you shot him down. Well, I always knew it would happen, but I feel almost sorry for him. I did warn him though."

"You're presuming a lot," Cinder said, before she realized it was a stupid thing to say.

"Am I?" Mercury said, lazily.

"Stop it." Emerald nudged him. "He's just messing with you," she said to Cinder. "I'm sure you didn't do that. I didn't think he was acting like he was upset before. But it's none of our business... Though you do always pry into our personal lives, so it would be nice if you'd share, but we can't make you."

Her tone implied she expected this to work.

"You're right. You can't." Cinder didn't take the bait.

"Worth a shot," Emerald muttered.

"Whether you shut him down or not," Mercury said, "it's going to be awkward if you're not speaking to each other, so I wish you'd make up. The last thing I need is to see you giving each other side eye like you used to do all the time. It's annoying."

"Don't worry about it," Cinder said. "Anyway, if he doesn't want to be around me, I don't want to be around him either."

"That's a little dumb," Emerald said bluntly. "He's probably just waiting for you to make a move now. You can't just not do it. That could drag out for months, take it from someone who knows."

"And you'll go nuts about it," Mercury said. "And then it all comes out, and you'll be saying crazy stuff, and it's embarrassing. Better to just skip the drama."

"I'm not like you two," Cinder said.

"No, you're way more emotional than either of us," Mercury said. "So it'll be worse for you."

Emerald choked on a laugh again but then shook his shoulder. "I said stop, come on... You're not making it easier for her."

"I'm not trying to. She should suffer the same way she made me suffer with all those snide remarks." Mercury crossed his arms, though he was faking being mad. "Squirm, Fall, squirm."

"You're a piece of work, Black," Cinder said.

"If you need a peacemaker, I could always talk to him," Emerald said.

"No, I don't need your help," Cinder said.

They paused, dubiously.

Cinder frowned, but then she sighed. "I really don't think it would help, this time. I don't know why he's avoiding me. Last we even spoke was on the plane, and that wasn't privately. I spoke to Shine about things, but--" Suddenly she stopped.

"What? Do you think she told him?" Mercury said.

Cinder thought. "Shine would never tell anyone not to talk to anyone else--that's not like her. If she did say something it must have been something to convince him to avoid me."

She was so close to being right, it was a shame she missed the obvious by underestimating Shine's ability to surprise her.

"Maybe she told him you're not ready yet," Emerald said. 

"That wouldn't match what she told me," Cinder said. "I'm tired of everyone being in this, though. It's my life, isn't it?"

"It might be your life, but all of us will be affected by it," Emerald said. "I like Royal, and if you go away and ditch us all, again, he won't be the only one who's upset, but it will make it harder to watch." She gripped her napkin suddenly. "I hope you're not just going to disappear like that before."

Cinder frowned. "I have no reason to stay here now. Why should I have to?"

"I guess if nothing in the last several months has made any difference in this idea of yours that you don't need this team," Mercury said roundly.

"From you, Mercury? Really?" Cinder said.

"Yeah, I had to learn it the hard way," Mercury said. "I may not like needing them, but I do. Obviously. My pride is hurt, but reality is reality. But whatever. If you want to go back to Eurus,  do it. Just don't sneak out this time. I think, after all these people did to get you back safely, you owe them a bit more gratitude than that."

"I didn't think you'd say so." She shook her head.

"Well, they rescued me once too," Mercury said. "I've had to acknowledge that. It was a similar situation, if you remember."

"All of you need to stop doing this," Emerald said. "Can we just figure things out together and you not throw yourself into danger...? Seriously, Cinder, I was worried sick about you. And Royal, when he made me go in without him."

"I did what I had to," Cinder said. "But if it helps, I never plan to do it ever again."

"Well, it's something," Emerald said. "I guess...we'll see you in Vacuo then? And Esmeralda. She's nice. I kinda like how she thinks everything is so cool. Though I guess she has a bit of a fangirl crush on Mercury here."

"Ugh, don't ever say that again," Mercury shuddered. "I can only handle one starry-eyed girl who's obsessed with me."

"You know a girl like that?" Emerald shot back archly.

[Lol. I like their dynamic better since they got back together. I liked it before, but it's even sassier now.]