After a pause, Cinder said, "Aren't you going to say anything about what I did?"

"What do I need to say? You told it pretty well." Royal gave her an odd look.

"There it is again." Cinder sat back. She'd finally gone from just freaking out to having more of a wry and yet annoyed attitude about it. "I just don't get it. Any normal person would be disgusted."

"Are you?"

That hit right between the eyes.

"I--well, if I was normal, I would be," Cinder said. "I...I don't know."

"Sounds like it," Royal observed. "Sounds like you always knew it was wrong. But that didn't stop you."

"I was off in the head even as a kid," Cinder said. "What child is willing to do things like that?"

"I'm not so sure it's that unusual, actually. Kids don't handle injustice so well," Royal mused. "It's usually teens who are the worst punk vandals and who join those rioting groups, the White Fang in part. I think older people are a little more cautious. And didn't Mercury...well, with his dad?"

"Marcus Black had that coming," Cinder said. "He was a monster."

"I'm not arguing," Royal said. "I'd say he deserved to die, just that it's messed up for family--still, someone had to. I can't even say if I think it's murder when it's someone who deserved it that much--and let's be real, we all were thinking he probably started the fight."

"I've suspected as much, but it's not something I cared to ask," Cinder said.

"I wouldn't ask either," Royal said. "As for your...uh...mistress and her kids...I'm not going to say I think revenge is a good thing...but, over years, I'm not sure anyone wouldn't have snapped. I know I would have."

"To that point?" Cinder was skeptical.

"I don't know." Royal lowered his voice. "To be honest, Cinder, I've wondered what we're all really capable of. I don't think I've ever hated anyone enough to want that, but if I did? I can't say I had a really huge moral compass when I was that age. I was also probably a pretty selfish kid, just didn't have anyone to compare myself too. I'm not sure I've been tested that much, actually...and you saw, with Watts, it's not like it's not...tempting to resort to violence. So I don't know. Maybe I'd have done that.... I've never been treated that way long enough to hit a breaking point. But I saw what that pressure did to people like Ironwood, people who did know better...so, who's to say?"

Cinder was stunned.

"Also people who torture kids deserve hell. Even your super forgiving mentors admitted that," Royal said. "If they were there, do you think they would have taken a stick to those women?"

"I'm sure Shine would have," Cinder said. "But not killed them."

"Good, they can control themselves," Royal said. "But even good people have a hard time when people are cruel, not retaliating. It can't be easy. If I saw it now, I think I'd get pretty angry. What would you do?"

"If I saw someone hurting a child, you mean?" Cinder asked.

"Sure."

Cinder had to try to think of it.

"I suppose I would do something," she said. "I don't know if I would kill them now. But they might wish I did." With an odd look that was either smugness or just determination.

"See, that right there, I'm not sure that's such a bad instinct," Royal said. "If more people had it, less people would be at the mercy of cruel tyrants. And...what if you'd just left? Wouldn't they have found someone else? I don't mean I think murder is all right--I think that huntsman should have done something else. Just leaving doesn't fix anything. They're still doing evil.... That's why I think you shouldn't just let evil people walk away. But there are good reasons to stop them, and there are bad ones. I'm not an expert on either, but I know there's a difference between revenge and justice."

Cinder was astonished to realize that even Shine had never given her this kind of perspective on it...and more astonished that it made perfect sense to her.

"But it was revenge," she said.

"Then," Royal said. "But it still pisses you off, right? Is it still revenge? Or is it that it was unfair?"

"Of course it was unfair," Cinder said.

"Well, I don't see the problem with being angry about that," Royal said. "Just, letting it control you, I'm still working on that. I think Watts got off easy for what he did to Atlas. I understand that punishing him is probably useless now...but there's a part of me that still wants it."

He leaned on his hand for a moment. "And there are always going to be people who want to punish you for Vale and Mistral.... You have to admit, their anger is valid. But it's not doing them any good now. You can't punish someone who's already realized the problem. That's just doing the same thing all over again. I think we have to be fair...but anger isn't as simple as that. That's just from my own experience."

Cinder had to chew on that.

"I can understand the anger," she said. "Actually...it's the lack of it that puzzles me."

"There are some people who just don't want to keep the hatred going," Royal said. "And, I think it's in that book that you all read (fascinating stuff, by the way), that returning evil for evil is a bad thing...but there is an awful lot of punishment in that book also. There's a time and place for that, but I think if it's just out of hatred, it doesn't really help you any more than anyone else."

Cinder, who was far more at ease now than she'd ever have believed starting this conversation, forgot some of her hesitancy.

"My mentor told me that after I did that, running was all I would ever do," she said. "I thought if I killed him I could hide...but I did only run. Until we faced the gods. That was when I finally stopped running--there was nowhere to run then. They did piss me off. But for once, there was no way to take it too far."

"Or with the Grimm," Royal remarked. "I guess it comes down to who you really blame for all this. People are messed up, but we sure get a lot of help from evil gods and Grimm."

"I did blame the gods," Cinder said. "But now we're left to remake the world without them. I never prepared for that...so I left. The others were ready for it."

"That I can understand perfectly," Royal said, shaking his head.

A pause ensued that wasn't actually uncomfortable, but they were both lost in thought.

Cinder wasn't sure how this had gone this way. For some reason she wasn't really embarrassed anymore.

And she thought she understood what Royal was really saying: That injustice was infuriating. For some reason that was a huge relief to hear.

Like...maybe the one thing the others would never say or admit to, and that was why she was just so uncomfortable around them. She felt like it bothering her still made her just inherently most messed up.

Granted, she'd done horrible things, and she knew it--now. But somehow she'd never been able to change her mind about what had happened to her being enough to drive her crazy...but... maybe she didn't need to change that.

Maybe it had, but, coming back out of it, she could see it more clearly now.

She wondered if that was what that old mentor had really meant by another way to handle it. That the unfairness didn't go away if she became part of it (what Shine had tried to teach her), but that if she'd learned to fight it within the law, she'd have found more peace.

Still, she thought to herself, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been part of stopping Salem and the gods...just as they've pointed out. I can't say I did any of that deliberately, but in the end, it was a bigger accomplishment to do that than just being a small huntress would have been. Who can really say what was destiny?

It was odd, because Pyrrha had said the same about dying and coming back to life maybe not really changing her idea of destiny, but just expanding it.

Finding Salem might have been destiny of a sort...just not the sort she thought.

But Cinder might finally be learning to see this a bit more objectively than she had before, and less focused on just the shameful aspects of it.

Royal appeared lost in his own reflections.

Cinder finally cleared her throat.

"This conversation got heavy," she observed.

Royal chuckled half-heartedly. "Sorry...I guess I was thinking how weird it is that all this leads to right here, right now. I never would have thought this is where I'd be five years ago."

"Neither would I," Cinder agreed. "But I don't want to think about what I thought I'd be doing."

"Maybe we should change the subject--for example, what should you be doing now?" Royal said.

"What?"

"Well, it's been over an hour." Royal checked his scroll. "Sure you don't want to go back there and check on them?"

"After all that, this is what you come back to?" Cinder was incredulous.

"As fun as it is, rehashing the past--except when it's sobering," Royal said, "I think the present is more important. Isn't the point now that instead of threatening their lives, you're more into protecting them?"

"Protection has never been my strong point." Cinder shook her head. "I can't do anything anyway."

"Not sure you'd know that unless you were there," Royal shrugged. "Do you really have anything better to do?"

Pause again.

"No." Cinder said that very begrudgingly.

"Well, I'm gonna go check up on them," Royal said. "I've been thinking while we've been talking, maybe I should just practice what I preach. I guess I keep waiting for an invitation, but...if you do care about people, maybe you should just act like it instead of waiting for them to expect it of you.... Come to think of it, we're good at doing that in Atlas too."

"I don't know why you think you need an invitation anyway," Cinder said. "They're dying for more people to listen to them and be part of their 'group'. They all always liked to be so welcoming in Beacon, it made me sick."

"Sick with envy." Royal didn't miss a beat.

"Not really. They were so trusting, it was annoying."

"Well...not gonna comment on that." Royal got up and stretched. "I just realized I forgot about the dry cleaning. I bet they're closed now."

* * *

Pyrrha was sitting in the lobby, holding a magazine that she wasn't really reading, when the pilot and Cinder walked back in.

"You're back?" She looked up.

Cinder wasn't making eye contact.

"Came to see how it was going," Royal said. "Why are you out here?"

"They said I wasn't really ready to check in yet," Pyrrha said, then she winced. "It seems worse to me than it should be if that's true. But they said it has to be closer together."

"Where is everyone else?" Cinder noticed that the lobby was oddly devoid of people, considering how many had shown up for Winter.

"They've texted, but after last time, no one wanted to show up too early," Pyrrha shrugged. "I'm sure they'll come by tomorrow.... It'll probably take all night. I just checked in with Ren. Nora's doing fine. She says it doesn't even hurt that much."

"Seriously?" Royal said.

"Is it bad if part of me wants to slap her really bad?" Pyrrha said in a small but annoyed voice.

Cinder almost laughed.

"It doesn't seem like you should be sitting out here alone," Royal mused. "Do you mind company?"

"I wouldn't want you to have to wait here. I'm sure you have other things to do," Pyrrha said.

"Oh, nonsense, it's the polite thing to do," Royal said.

Pyrrha didn't seem that reassured.

"He doesn't have a life," Cinder said flatly.

"Actually I got uninvited from my plans tonight, so my evening freed up," Royal said.

"Uninvited?" Pyrrha said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Cinder turned red, Pyrrha wasn't sure why.

"Oh, don't be. They were kind of pricks about it," Royal said offhandedly. "Maybe I need better party buddies."

"Surely you have closer friends?" Pyrrha said.

Royal winced. "Uh, not really. You know, people can be a little weird about it if they think your standards are super high because of your situation."

Pyrrha gave him a very knowing look. "I know all about that," she said vehemently.

"Not that it matters anymore, but I guess they're in the habit," Royal mused. "I did have some closer friends while I was flying for Atlas."

"Where are they now?" Pyrrha asked.

"One of them moved to Vacuo because the work was better, don't know what's been going on with him since. And one of them went down while the Grimm were attacking it by that Zeppelin thing," Royal said somberly.

"Oh...I'm...really sorry," Pyrrha said more quietly.

"Well...it's war, right?" Royal said. "We all knew it could happen. You understand--you're a huntress."

"But you know, you don't have to make light of it. Not with me. I understand." Pyrrha smiled kindly.

Cinder thought to herself that Pyrrha was infuriatingly good at this. But it angered her less than it made her feel small these days.

She wished someone else would get there to wait.

A lot of time seemed to drag by, with Pyrrha wincing every now and then.

A nurse did come to check on them--and to ask for Pyrrha's autograph.

"How often does that happen?" Royal asked.

"For a while, not that often, but as more people learn who I am, it does happen," Pyrrha said wryly. "It happens to all of us."

Not Cinder, but she made no comment.

Pyrrha suddenly gripped the edge of her chair.

"Maybe you should go back in there." Royal had been watching her do this for a while.

"I'm sure it's not soon enough yet," she said faintly. "It just hurts more than I expected..."

The woman at the desk looked up. "Maybe you should check back in," she said, "if you have any concerns."

"You should just go," Royal urged Pyrrha. "And if they send you out, I could take you back home. These chairs aren't very comfortable. You can wait for Jaune then."

"Okay." Pyrrha didn't sound nearly as upbeat as usual. "I know they're going to tell me to do that." She tried to smile and went to the desk. One of the orderlies took her back.

"I wish someone else was here," Royal remarked. "This place is awful empty today."

"I just noticed that tonight is the Equinox." Cinder was looking at her scroll in a bored way--though she sounded nervous. "How appropriate."

"They made it just in time for fall," Royal said. "I mean autumn.... That's kind of confusing."

"Hmm, you know I picked that last name, but Winter and Vara didn't choose theirs," Cinder remarked.

"I get Winter, but what does Vara's have to do with Summer?"

"Vara Sol? It means Summer Sun. Shine told us that--she knows all these different names."

"No way." Royal shook his head. "That's...creepy."

"Yeah." Cinder thought so also.

One of the nurses came back out.

"Were you here for Mrs. Arc?" she said.

"Yeah?" Royal stood up. "Why, is something wrong?"

"Oh...well, not wrong exactly," the nurse said. "The doctor just checked on her and she asked if one of you would come back and take a message for her."

"Which one?" Royal asked.

"She didn't specify.... Are you family?" the nurse asked.

"I guess in one way," Royal said.

"You'd better hurry then. I think they're going to do some more tests.... Mr. Arc still isn't here?" The nurse pursed her lips.

"He's on his way," Royal explained.

Cinder didn't want to go, but she was too curious not to, so they both went back.

Pyrrha was now in a hospital gown. She looked pale.

"What's going on?" Royal asked her, much more calmly than you'd think.

"It might be a small thing," Pyrrha said. "But the doctor just told me the baby seems to have moved into a poor position for birth. Apparently it happens from time to time. Usually it's all right...just...you can lose a lot of blood..." She bit her lip.

"Oh, he said that?" Royal said.

"I read about this. I did all kinds of research," Pyrrha said, shaking her head. "I'm sure he didn't wish to alarm me."

"Maybe it's just not that serious. You want us to call Jaune?" Royal asked.

"I really don't want him to worry more when he's not here yet," Pyrrha said. "My mother stopped to pick up my things for me. I'm sure she'll be here soon. She probably just started chatting with Yang.... I just thought maybe you could let her know when she arrives. I know you don't want to stay here all night."

"Are you in any danger?" Cinder blurted out.

Royal gave her a warning look.

Pyrrha rubbed her arm. "Probably not," she said slowly. "It's just a complication. It happens all the time."

"It's going to be fine," Royal said. "I'll tell your mom what's going on. She'll be here any minute. You'll do great."

Pyrrha nodded, but Cinder didn't think she felt that much better.

The doctor came in and asked them again about Jaune.

Then he stepped in the hall with them.

"She's okay?" Royal asked.

"She should be," the doctor said.

Cinder didn't like the word "should" being in there.

"It happens once in a while," the doctor said. "There's a few things we can try to fix it. She's still early in the labor...but if she gets closer and it's still not in position, we might have to do it surgically. It's a bit riskier, but I've done it before with no trouble. She's young and she's healthy. I think it'll be good. But we do prefer to have the father or some other close family here, just in case we need some paperwork signed off on."

"They're on their way." Royal didn't have Thetis' number, or he'd have let her know she should stop chit chatting and get over here.

Isa probably had gotten stuck in Argus traffic.

"Is there any risk?" Cinder broke in.

The doctor didn't seem to like her asking that.

"Well, with any operation there's a slight risk, but like I said, I think it's pretty slight. She should have her baby tomorrow, no problem, if all goes well."

"Mind if I ask how Miss Valkerie is doing?" Royal said.

"Oh, her? She's doing great. Faster than we expected, actually," the doctor said. "She says she can take the pain for now.... I'm not as sure her...boyfriend? fiancé? can."

"He's one of those," Royal said.

"He wanted to go natural--you know, I think the fathers sometimes regret that just as much," the doctor chuckled. "You know, I've heard some things in the delivery room that are just fit to kill. One time--"

"But what are you going to do about Pyrrha?" Cinder cut in.

"Just a closer look so we can be sure we need to do anything," the doctor said. "We noticed this problem months ago, but sometimes it corrects itself. This time around so far it hasn't."

He seemed to think Cinder was being difficult.

"It's her first time," Royal explained. "I mean for Mrs. Arc, so we're just a little nervous."

"Are you family friends?" the doctor said.

"I'm sort of a friend. I drove them here. I'm just waiting for other people to get here so they won't be alone," Royal said.

"Well, that's very nice of you," the doctor said. "Not enough people have folks they can rely on these days. It's just tragic. You know, I've had some new mothers just leave their babies here and disappear afterwards. We have to send them to the orphanage, but I think they're over crowded.... If more people supported each other, it wouldn't be the way it is."

He seemed too eager to talk about depressing facts for a doctor, Cinder thought moodily.

"We should just go wait for Mrs. Nikos," Royal reminded her.

"Thanks," the doctor said, going back in the room.

They went back to the lobby.

"She's going to be fine," Royal said. "You heard him, this is normal."

"No, it's just common. That doesn't make it normal." Cinder rubbed her face.

"Okay...but it sounds like they know what to do. No reason to get too stressed," Royal said. "I just wish the family would arrive. I don't feel qualified to hear all this."

Mrs. Arc walked in right then.

"I cannot believe how long it took me to get through that jam in town square," she said, impatiently. "Well, Jaune tells me he's going to be late. That boy would be out of town at a time like this.... Oh, hello, Miss...uh...?"

Cinder looked at her blankly.

"Scon," Royal said roundly. "Remember me, Ma'am? I was around one of the gatherings with Sustrai."

"Oh...oh, you're the pilot friend," Mrs. Arc said. "Yes, you drove her here, right? And that nice Nora girl is here too. Funny, both on the same day."

"It's odd, yeah, but you should know, the doctor is doing some extra tests," Royal said. "We're waiting for Mrs. Nikos to get here."

"Oh, Thea, she's so sweet. You can really tell where Pyrrha gets it from," Isa said amiably. "Wait, what tests? Just the regular tests?"

"No, just a little problem. The doctor can explain it better. Just stay calm when you go in there," Royal said. "Mrs. Nikos-Arc did seem a little stressed."

"What? Our angel is having trouble?" Isa said, unhappily. "No...but I'm sure she'll be all right.... Did anyone let Jaune know yet?"

"She didn't want to yet. It might not be a real problem," Royal said.

"Hmm, he is kind of excitable, though I love him," Isa noted. "He gets it from his father. I left him manning the fort at home. I'll have to call him soon to make sure he didn't burn dinner."

"You know, Jaune makes more sense all the time when you talk to his family," Royal remarked to Cinder in a lower tone.

"He has 7 sisters," Cinder said. "That makes so much make sense, it's unreal."

"Oh, wow...that's a lot." Royal looked freaked. "So, Mrs. ARc, you really have done this a lot?"

"I've popped out 8," Isa said proudly. "Now Jack, he always said we could go for 10, but after the 8th, I decided it was just too expensive. You have to find a cheaper hobby. Though who knows? We're still young."

Cinder almost choked.

"I bet you're not stressed at all, then," Royal hurried to change the subject.

"Well, I was terrified when it was Saph, my oldest," Isa shrugged. "She put up a fight, too. But by the time Jaune rolled around, I barely even had to go to the hospital. What about you two? Are you planning on kids?"

"What?" Royal didn't get it for a second.

"We're not together!" Cinder said way too loudly. "I just carpooled here!"

"Oh...Oh, I'm sorry." Isa didn't sound that sorry. "I just assumed because you were waiting together--I mean, all their other friends are nicely paired off, it's so cute.... And you two would make a cute couple, just saying."

"Um..." Royal didn't seem to have a smooth response to this. Isa was...kind of one of those people with no filter and had this effect on most of Jaune's friends.

Cinder hadn't really met her but decided already that she wouldn't like her.

"Oh, did I make it awkward? Sorry." Isa held up her hands.

Thankfully, Thetis came in right then with an overnight bag, saving them from having to answer.

She went right in.

"I guess we can leave now." Royal decided to put the whole thing behind him. "I can still drop you off."

"Okay," Cinder agreed.

But she stopped literally on the sidewalk.

"Crap," she said in a low voice.

Royal paused. "You're not gonna be able to relax, right?" he guessed.

"I..." Cinder shrugged helplessly.

"I have an idea. I'm sure Emerald would want to be here," Royal said. "I can go pick her up.... Honestly, I'm a little nervous too. I'm not that involved here, but...well, I feel bad. Kind of feel bad for Jaune too."

"He'll have a fit," Cinder agreed.

"If you want to tag along..." Royal offered. "Beats sitting at home."

"Fine." Cinder felt stupid just going back in the lobby again--but if she went home, she knew she wasn't going to sleep a wink or be able to focus on anything.

She couldn't understand why she was stressing out this much. Normally nothing ever bothered her like that.

Emerald was probably either still out, or just about to leave to go home, when Royal called her and she finally picked up.

"S'up? Why are you calling me? Is it that big mission?" she asked, covering her other ear.

"Actually it's not. Didn't anyone let you know yet?" Royal said.

"I do have some missed calls.... Oh...a lot from Pyrrha and Yang.... Crap! It's time, isn't it?" Emerald said.

"Yeah, she checked in hours ago."

"And you didn't come get me!!!" Emerald exploded. "Frick! I'm like her best friend, and you all didn't make sure I knew! I've already missed hours! I'm going to kill you."

"If you do that, I can't give you a ride, which is faster than the tram," Royal said.

"I'll kill you after that. Are you gonna pick me up or what?" Emerald said. "How come you are anyway?"

"Crazy coincidence with giving Ren a life home from work because Nora also is in the hospital," Royal said.

"WHAT?!" Emerald yelled again. "Both of them? You should have literally just come got me right away! I'm so pissed off right now."

"What's going on?" someone asked her on the other end.

"I've gotta go. Friends in hospital," Emerald shouted at them. Then she seemed to be running. "I'm going to be outside."

* * *

Getting Emerald back to the clinic involved answering a lot of questions, and she was upset.

"Pyrrha had better be okay," she said. "She's been so excited for this. It has to go right."

"It's not like that's a guarantee," Cinder said gloomily.

"Don't say that!" Emerald swatted at her nervously.

When they got there, though, they were hugely relieved to find Shine and Wally were waiting for them.

"Got the letter a few minutes ago," Wally waved one. "Whew, feels like we were just here."

"We just were," Shine said. "You guys are going to give me grey hairs before I'm 30 with all these back to back crises.... But this is exciting."

"Did they tell you the rest of it?" Emerald asked.

"Hmm?" Shine said.

Emerald filled them in.

"Tell me it's going to be fine." She grabbed Shine's arm.

"It will be," Wally said.

"It's pretty standard now to know how to fix it," Shine said reassuringly. "I'm sure they know what they're doing here, if they said it's happened before. Don't worry too much."

"Yeah...it just doesn't seem fair," Emerald said. "Winter was fine--Nora's doing great.... Pyrrha really wants this, so...and Jaune not even being able to be here yet."

"We could help with that now that we're here, if he's in a good place for it," Shine suggested. "But, sometimes the people who want things the most have to fight the hardest for them, Emerald. Life has a way of doing that. Perhaps because it's a fight to be happy."

"You know, we were just talking about that a few hours ago," Royal said, gesturing between himself and Cinder.

"Were you?" Wally said. "Huh...wait, you guys were hanging out outside of work?"

"Oh...no, more just waiting for news about this. We just grabbed coffee," Royal explained.

"Sounds good to me. Where's the place? I didn't care for the hospital brand," Shine said.

"Just down the block. I can show you," Royal offered.

"Are you staying?" Wally asked.

"I wasn't going to, though I guess I could chauffeur Jaune here if it turns out he has to fly all the way," Royal said. "That seems to be my lot in life."

"Hey, don't underestimate someone who can get you where you need to go," Shine said. "That's, like, my main job with the portals."