Cinder was waiting outside on the street that led to Shade.

She was thinking over what happened and wondering what had made her think to try that kind of mind trick on Watts...and why it had worked.

She felt as if she'd projected Shine's method there. But maybe a little less savage and a little more mocking. Shine might have some notes for her when she wrote about this (because of course she was going to brag about it if it worked).

Royal finally caught up to her.

"Robyn's following the escort back to the school," he explained. "Told me to come get you. Theo's going to want to hear this right from the source."

"Fine." Cinder wasn't in the mood to be snippy after that.

"How did you know that would work?" Royal said, with undisguised admiration.

"I know Watts." Cinder attempted to sound cool...but then the truth came out. "I really didn't know. I don't know what made me try that. I guess I learned from the others. I can't believe it worked."

"I can. It was awesome." Royal sounded like a kid. "Kind of scary, but still. I thought he was going to burst a blood vessel, not that it didn't serve him right, the rat. Some people cannot learn from their mistakes, I guess. But still...do you think he'll follow through?"

"I think if he doesn't I have license to mock him for the rest of his likely short life once Vara hears about this," Cinder said. "But you never know with Watts. He might try to weasel out of it."

"Lowkey, I was surprised you didn't blow up at him when he insulted you. I would have."

Cinder would never have believed that if she hadn't seen him do it before.

"Oh..." she said uncomfortably. "Well, I would usually, but I realized it doesn't really work, not with him. He'd just like to get under my skin."

"Why does he hate you so much? What did you do to him?" Royal said.

"I almost killed him."

"Before that."

"I really don't know." Cinder felt they'd had this conversation before. "I think it started when I joined Salem. He didn't like competition. I suppose Tyrian wasn't really competition, and Hazel was too intimidating for him to mess with, but it was a little easier for me, when I wasn't that powerful. Later he just kept at it because I lost at Beacon. And now that I've left the crime thing altogether, I guess he thinks I just gave up."

"I think he's afraid that that proves you're smarter than he is," Royal objected. "Which it does."

Cinder didn't like this kind of flattery--it made her feel weird.

"Or I just can't afford the risk now."

"Can he? This is going to blow up in his face if we don't stop it. I just hope he's wrong about getting off easy." Royal sniffed indignantly. "I think we should sue."

"That is such a rich person thing to say."

"What would you do? Cut his fingers off?"

"Ew. No, I would do something more lethal than that."

"I just think he'd hate it if he lost his rep," Royal mused.

"Revenge isn't very Christian," Cinder said dryly. "But I believe Shine would probably just say to demote him and let everyone know about it."

"Right for the jugular, huh? She's not as nice as she seems."

"Not with things like this. She hates liars. I just think she'd have thought of this ages ago, probably how to solve this entire case." Cinder frowned to herself. "Things go slower without them."

"I'm surprised that, after hitting a big break like that single-handedly, you're saying that. They didn't think of it before, did they?"

True.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. When we ask about this, he knows nothing." Theo was really mad when they had joined him. "But you come and force him to explain and suddenly he's part of the beginning of the whole freaking thing!?"

"That would be the order of events," Cinder said flatly.

"I should have just tested him from the start," Theo said.

"I know, right? I was available," Robyn said.

"We'll make him follow through on this," Theo said. "If he doesn't want me to take a screwdriver and pry his fingernails off and then jam them down his throat."

Watts turned green.

"And that's mild compared to what my wife will do," Theo said. "If she wasn't pregnant right now, she'd be here to flay him alive."

"How is she doing?" Robyn asked politely.

"Oh, she's got the rage, but other than that mostly she's fine. She's a little more sensitive, but we're keeping her out of trouble." Theo shrugged. "Still arguing about what to name it though. If it's a boy, I want to name him after my uncle, but she seemed to think that didn't fit. If it's a girl, I have no idea. Something tough."

"I pity that poor child," Robyn said. "You two as parents are worse than you two as teachers. They'll have to have a nerve of steel."

"What do you expect from my offspring?" Theo said, offended.

"I don't want to hear this," Cinder said.

"Oh, you'll get there, Fall," Theo said. "Though the only person I think people would trust less with a kid than me is you."

"What? I'm not planning to have children," Cinder said.

"Let's hope," Watts muttered.

"Huh? Oh...well, sometimes it just happens," Theo said.

"I'm--not talking about this with you either," Cinder bristled.

"She's above that, you know," Robyn said, winking at Theo. "Too busy doing whatever it is she does with all that free time to worry about relationships or family."

"Stay out of it!" Cinder said.

"Back to the matter at hand." Theo cleared his throat. "Watts, we'll monitor to make sure you do this right this time. Maybe you'll get off lighter if you cooperate, but I don't trust you as far as tomorrow now. And don't think you're not losing your lab access after this."

"But how will I create anything to counter those devices without it?" Watts asked innocently.

"We can't be sure you'd make anything that wouldn't backfire," Theo said.

"I can test that," Robyn said.

"I don't know. I think he'd find a way to lie somehow even with your Semblance," Theo said. "I don't trust him. I thought we were done with it.... Well, anyway, you both can go back to Argus. We'll let you know once we've got something. I promise."

Theo was really serious about it when he said that.

Cinder would have liked to watch Watts be humiliated further, but she was sure he'd be less likely to cooperate nicely if she was there to see it.

Royal was ready to get back before Raven killed him for being gone this long.

But he wasn't quite in time for that. Robyn waved them off when they went to try to find a ride back--and Raven called him just at dawn.

"I just heard that you left Argus without authorization last night!" she said. "Care to explain?!"

"It was for a good reason," Royal said. "Cinder cracked something on the case."

Raven's angry reprove died on her lips. "What?" she said instead.

"Watts," Royal said. "He had something to do with this.... We should have known he would lie to us. He's slick as butter."

"Please never say that again." Raven grimaced. "That SOB!... We should have investigated him before. I thought that he'd not get his nose dirty again...but of course, he's not satisfied. Maybe Shine was wrong to let him off."

"You can't blame her," Cinder spoke, appearing in frame. "What we did with him was left up to us--she made that clear. We let him keep working--more accurately, Vacuo's council did. It's their own fault."

"Good point," Raven conceded. "I wish I could throttle them, but good luck trying to get an idea through their thick heads!... You still should have asked."

"It was spur of the moment," Royal said. "Trying to get a ride back now.... Sorry."

"How did you figure it out though?" Raven was more interested.

"It just came to my mind while we were talking," Cinder said. "Everything linked up with him. Who had access to Victoria's devices? I don't know why I didn't think of that before."

"You not thinking of it is one thing, but me not thinking of it is another. Am I getting old?" Raven was horrified. "The connection was there. How did we miss it?"

Royal nodded.

Raven sighed. "How could I be so naive? How could Theo? Well, it's a rare day I get to say you showed us up, Fall. How does it feel?"

"Less good than you'd think when I consider how much time we could have saved if I thought of it sooner," Cinder said.

"Humility is an odd color on you, but I'll take it," Raven said. "Even so, catching Dawkins will probably prove useful one way or the other, so I'm not sorry we did that, but we could have caught them later and still had Watts--but I'll take any progress.... So what did he tell you?"

They explained briefly, though they didn't say it all outright--people could have been listening.

"Well, if he pulls off getting in touch with them, we could get the big break we need finally," Raven said cautiously. "Much as I enjoy playing detective, I can't wait for this to be over....  Another town was hit a few hours ago."

"What?" Royal said, deflating all over again.

"Yeah, I only just got the message. Not sure yet if they had a contact like before. I need someone to go check it out...but you're there." Raven looked annoyed.

"If we had a ride we could go now," Royal said.

"Let me put in a request. The rest of the team can meet you there.... If you find anyone, just bring them in. I think the town's already toast and the Grimm are gone, so there's not much else to do...but actually with Watts' confession, we might be able to use this. I need to call Theo and see what we can work out. Just get a ship.... You know what? Maybe see if anyone in Shade can join you. Two people aren't enough insurance if there's trouble along the way."

"On this short notice?" Royal said. "I don't know--"

"Cinder?" a female voice said.

They turned.

Weiss was walking up to them from where one of the ships was.

"Hi," she said oddly. "What are you doing here again? Did you find something out?"

"I don't suppose your pilot is down to loan their ship to someone?" Royal asked.

"You mean me?" Meridian followed Weiss.

"You?" Cinder said.

"He just got certified a few weeks ago," Weiss said, tugging her ponytail. "Wanted to save time--and we don't have enough flyers here anyway."

"I'd have to request using it longer, but that shouldn't be any issue," Meridian said. "Is this about the big one?"

"It is," Royal said.

"Then sign me up. I've been dying to help with this one in person," Meridian said.

"Aren't you tired?" Cinder asked.

"Well, thanks for asking," Weiss said wryly, because she didn't believe for a second it was out of real concern. "But it was a pretty small incident. Just some Grimm attacking this one tiny outpost along the coast that's been built. We only needed to help because there was a shortage of fighters thanks to an accident that happened along the way.... It's okay now. And they're in high spirits after Meridian being there...and I'm not really that tired."

"Being married to me is great, isn't it?" Meridian said. "But you might ask if I'm tired, after all the hyping up."

"Are you?" Weiss said.

"Not tired enough to let you do this alone," Meridian said. "Anyway, I can rest on the plane. Royal will fly it, won't ya, mate?"

"I can, or Cinder can," Royal said.

Cinder folded her arms.

"Uh..." Weiss said uneasily. "Well, she's not certified, so...for insurance reasons, you really should do it."

"Fine," Royal said. "I guess that means I shouldn't have let her fly mine either."

"Well, you know what they say about letting a strange woman drive--" Meridian began, and Weiss kicked him in the shin.

"Mer!"

"What? I was just going to say you should be careful," Meridian said innocently.

"Shut up," Cinder said.

"Do I like him because he's likeable or because of his Semblance?" Royal asked her.

"Who knows? I don't like him," she said.

"I'll grow on you," Meridian said, grating on her nerves. "I always do."

"Pretty sure that's the only way anyone does," Royal said.

"I need to refill on dust if we're going back out there. I'll be right back." Weiss headed toward one of the places you could get dust near the landing strip.

"So what are we doing?" Meridian asked.

* * *

Yet another long flight ensued.

Meridian fell asleep on it, while Weiss used her scroll to check messages, play games, or read by turns.

Cinder had nothing to do but stare out the window at the dawn turning into day for a while, till suddenly a letter fell into her lap.

She had wondered why Shine hadn't answered her yet--it had been two or three days now--so she tore it open.

Weiss looked up, knowing what it was of course, but you didn't just ask about it. Shine and Wally's advice was very personal.

Dear Cinder,

I realize that by now this may be late. I'm so sorry. The house has been a little chaotic. We just had some new mutant students arrive, and your letter somehow fell under the couch when I first got it and got distracted--someone got stuck in a wall, long story.

When I finally found it again, I realized it might have been days for you, but I hope that none of the problems you mentioned are ones that are too late to address.

(Wally says hi, by the way.)

You wrote about the mission that went wrong, and I'm sure that was difficult to deal with, though I know you don't want my pity. I think you all handled it about as well as could be expected. I agree that you and Neo should not be fighting, but I know very well how infuriating she can be, and she hardly ever returns my letters, so it's hard to know what goes on in her mind. I believe she may just not understand us still.

I will not lie to you and say I don't think you were at fault somewhat, or that you aren't, in fact, rather clueless about what our idea of love is supposed to be.

I said you're clueless, and that's true. I believe all of us start off that way. You have never put much value in learning to love, in any form. If you are now finding that is not only bad for your relationships but bad for your health, it's nothing that's news to me. It always is, eventually.

That said, it's never too late to start.

There's no blueprint for how this process will go for you, but try to focus on quality over quantity of knowledge. How it has always been for me is that I will discover new things about love in stages or levels, then I work on building that skill for a while, and something new unlocks in my mind. I never thought about things when I was younger that I do all the time now. Something as simple as starting to ask people how they are doing, to ask them what's going on in their life, to see if they need anything like food or clothes, to listen to them when they need it, to give them tough love when they need that--it's all something I had to practice and I still have to work at. You'll develop skills for a while, till you at least have some idea of it, and then get better at it more and more over time. But you never stop growing. 

Some people's natural love (of which I know you've never had a whole lot) caps off at a certain point. They seem to have some kind of emotional capacity limit, only so many people. And I think it's normal to have different comfort levels, so if you find you're not exactly comfortable with everyone, I wouldn't worry about it. Your tolerance will grow over time if you make it a point to work just on the people you're close to now. If you're never Miss Social Butterfly, that's fine. Being friendly and being loving are not necessarily the same thing.

My best advice about love is find what is love for you and do that as much as you can--and add to it as you grow comfortable in that. And always pray and study. I'm still expanding my library of texts about this subject and others.

And doing the right thing and doing the loving thing are always the same. So if it helps not thinking of it as a sentimental act, but as simply being fair or being pure, then do that.

Most of all do not let the high examples of love we have in the scriptures and in our own history intimidate you into thinking that it's not something anyone can do. Anyone can achieve it, with the grace of God, but few people really want to work hard enough to get there.

It's a choice to pursue it, and the desire to get better at it comes with that choice, with time.

I don't feel it 100% of the time, maybe not even half that. Tender feelings come and go, especially if you're a woman and one who has a high pressure job or lifestyle. That's not what love is. Love is doing what you should, even when you feel like doing anything else but that.

And because that's the truth, I want to make it clear that I don't think you're really any worse off than anyone else. It may be harder for you in some ways, but there's a clarity in starting off from nothing--it means it's less easy to confuse affection for genuine love. They are not the same thing, though they can be joined.

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do this if you want to. And don't let some failures convince you that it's not going to work. You got this far by defying people's expectations, one way or another.

Once, I never thought we would be friends, let alone that I could talk to you about this--so even I have huge blind spots and biases. I hope you forgive me for that...and take that as a reason to think that no one can tell you who you'll be and no one can decide that except you.

Don't expect life to be easier if you walk this path, though. The world and the devil are against our lifestyle because it threatens the selfish ways that the world wants to govern what is considered normal. Revenge, ambition without compassion, justice without mercy, those are all the ideals the world tends to praise, any world I've been to. I recently got back from one where the idea of mercy was almost entirely nonexistent and was even seen as a weakness by most people.

So people will tell you you're wasting your time, that you're not worthy to do any different, and that no one like you could ever amount to anything good. That is because they envy us. They want our freedom but will not pay the price of self sacrifice to get it, usually. And you can't have one without the other.

I was wrong about you, initially. And I no longer look down on you. The others are not better; they're not worse. I see you all as equals, and I know what all of you are dealing with...so trust me, you're not the only one who worries they're failing at this life. You'd be surprised, likely, by who's asked me that the most. It's usually the people who are doing the best at it who see the most where they fail. So perhaps your growing awareness of your shortcomings is a good sign.

Sometimes I wish I could introduce some of you to each other more often. Your problem is a lot like what some of my other world students have been writing about, and all I can tell them is what I'm telling you: I can't give you all the answers, but I know Who can. Follow that way and you'll find your footing, sooner or later.

And...remember that to give love, you have to receive it. Sometimes humility is just letting other people do their best, even if they don't do it exactly right. They'll push buttons and step on your toes and make it awkward...because they don't know either. But if you accept that as it is, you'll find soon it doesn't matter that much. You could learn from them too. And maybe they can learn from you.

I can't say I don't think your banishment to Argus might have been a good thing for you. I've sensed more change just from your account of this time than I did in the years before that.

Well, I can try to help more if you update me after this. You might try talking it out with Neo--so to speak. And...try to understand her. It's not as if she's better off the way she is than if she was kinder, but her mind wouldn't change because of harsh words. I know her better than that.

As for Royal, it seems to me that he has problems with believing in his own capabilities. My sense of him was that he's very much someone who likes to admire other people and be included in their circle...but not so much sees that he has anything to contribute to it. I don't know the reason for this, fully, but I'm sure it goes back to how he was raised. I know that Wally has often felt like his friend groups in his home world did not take him seriously, and he often struggles to take himself as seriously...

(He just told me I helped him with that because I never acted like that with him. His advice is to cut people some slack because they usually don't realize how much what they say or do bothers you. He's right about that. Even when we know we're hurting someone, it's very hard for us to know just how much. Empathy is a learned skill that you have to build up like a muscle. This I know.)

I hope this helps. We'll visit as soon as we can, though it may be a while for us till we can, since I'm...well, actually going to be in Winter's, Pyrrha's, and Nora's situation pretty soon. So much to do here. Prayers and love--Shine.

P.S. (If you do talk to Neo, can you tell her to please answer my letter about what happened? I might be able to help her. She's so stubborn about not asking for it.)

Cinder shook her head. At one time she would have found Shine unbelievably sentimental or else foolishly optimistic or annoyingly preachy.

It was weird that now it just sounded like her being herself, nothing else.

"What did she say?" Weiss asked.  Then, "Uh, not the personal stuff. Just...any news? She hasn't written me in weeks. I know for them it's probably hours."

"I think it's been more than that," Cinder said, "based on the last thing she told me. Well, almost the last."

"What? What's going on?" Weiss demanded. "Did one of their new students get kidnapped again?"

"They sure have a lot of fun," Meridian remarked.

"See for yourself," Cinder said, covering the rest of the letter except for that part. 

Weiss leaned forward and ran her eyes over it. "I don't understand--oh!" Her eyes got huge. "Oh...wow! Her too? Oh my gosh, I'm kind of jealous! But I'm also so excited...but awww, they won't be able to visit us."

"Just for 9 months," Cinder said before she thought better of it.

"9?" Meridian said. "Oh...oh, what do you know? Someone else has a bun in the oven."

"Must you use such sophomoric terminology?" Cinder made a face.

"It's not considered polite to talk about things like that openly in some circles, y'know," Meridian said. "So you're jealous, eh, Snow Tiger?"

"Yeah," Weiss whined. "Everyone's having babies but me! What's wrong with me?"

"Don't talk about your personal problems in front of me!" Cinder said.

"What? No, that's not what I meant--" Weiss began.

"If you're that set on it, we can try harder," Meridian made it worse by saying with an impish smirk. "I'm down."

"Meridian!" Weiss smacked him. "That's so crass!"

"You started it."

"I did not!"

"Hey, what's going on back there?" Royal asked over the intercom. "I said no fighting on my flights, all right?"

Cinder pressed the intercom button before Weiss could do anything to stop her.

"They're just arguing about why they haven't had kids yet," she said, with an evil smirk.

"Cinder, get away from that button!" Weiss formed a glyph and flung it towards her hand.

"Uh...nevermind," Royal replied. "Don't want to know."

Cinder ducked the glyph, but it was too late anyway.

"You're the worst," Weiss grumbled.

"I know," Cinder said.

"Shut up!" uptightly.

"Oh, she's just jealous," Meridian said, putting his arms around her waist playfully. "It's because we're so close and she's single and bitter. Don't pay her any mind, Love."

"Oh, you're so lucky you're cute..." Weiss pretended to push his head in annoyance, but it wasn't that hard.

"You're telling me. I tell myself that everyday," Meridian replied.

Cinder covered her ears.

* * *

The rest of the not-short-enough flight passed, and they finally arrived.

Despite the teasing on the ship, the mood was anything but light when they did get there. The town was ravaged like the others--but it had been very recent. Some buildings were still smoking.

"It took hours to get here," Weiss said in a subdued voice. "Didn't they leave before we were called?"

"You'd think so, but maybe not." Meridian had a hand on his bow. "This looks fresh to me."

"There you are." Someone came hurrying from behind some houses to where they'd landed. "The Argus...right? Please tell me you're from Argus."

"That's us," Meridian said.

"Thank the go--that is...uh...wait.... Don't I know you?" the woman paused and stared at Royal.

Cinder gave him a weird look.

"I don't remember--oh, wait.... Yeah, you do look familiar," Royal said. "But I can't put a place to it."

"I know. It was when that team picked us up from the wrecked caravan," the woman said. "Remember me? Jasmine?"

"Oh yeah, I remember flying you all back." Royal snapped his fingers. "They said you took charge."

"I tried." She shrugged. "My boyfriend--now husband--was with us too."

"So where is he?" Royal asked.

Jasmine looked somber. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure...?" Weiss repeated.

"They came." Jasmine pointed at the town. "Al and I moved here after we decided Argus was a little too crowded for us. And too cold. This place seemed peaceful enough...but they've been attacking other towns, and we figured this would be it soon enough. Al didn't want to run, so we tried to make defenses...but it was no good. I think they had a rat on the inside. They knew all our tricks. The bandits showed up. We fought them. We didn't do so bad at first, even so, but they used things that zapped the Aura of our best fighters, and then it was over. Even our guard animals ran from them. And the Grimm..." She shuddered.

"I'm so sorry," Weiss said sadly. "But you're alive...so they left you, right?"

"Well, I'm mostly intact..." Jasmine said.

She held up a hand, and they saw to their surprise that part of it was bandaged.

"One of those b-----ds took my finger off. Said it was a warning what would happen to anyone who tried to be too clever for them. I...well, I retaliated. The SOB decided to take other liberties."

She bit her lip. "Al stepped in--he was magnificent, really, but then they realized he was the one who came up with those tricks. Their leader stepped up...terrible woman. You remember her?"

"I don't think I ever saw her, but I heard she was pretty bad," Royal said.

"Yes, Mala," Jasmine said. "The Baba tribe leader and the one its named after, I take it. She's got the eyes of a dead snake. I think she'd scare anyone spitless.... She said that Al could be useful, with some 'persuasion'. Then they took him." She suddenly started to cry.

Not wimpy crying--you could tell she was trying not to, but she couldn't help it, and that just made it worse.

Weiss stepped up and took her shoulder. "That's so awful.... I'm sorry.... Maybe we can get him back. Where did they take him?"

"They just vanished into the trees," Jasmine said, trying to get herself under control. "Not just Al. Those sick, demented psychos grabbed some women too--hardly more than girls, some of them. They dragged them away also. All we heard were their screams--and those blasted cowards in the town didn't even try to fight anymore. Once the Grimm had razed their homes, they just accepted it. They'd heard what happened to other towns. They had no spine. They make me sick."

"Maybe you should have stayed in Argus," Cinder said.

They all glared at her furiously.

She looked at all of them uncertainly and then at the ground instead.

"That's real helpful," Jasmine snapped but beyond that seemed to not have enough energy to get offended. "Anyway...that was hours ago. I hoped you would show up in time to go after them. I've been watching this area ever since I got out of the infirmary..."

"We came as soon as we could." Weiss felt miserably guilty. "I'm sorry. We thought they were already gone."

"That was also our fault," Jasmine sighed. "Cursed misunderstanding. We thought they had gone when we contacted Argus. But it turned out that wave of Grimm was just to weaken us. The tribe didn't come in full force till later, once their scouts had already had their fun. I've heard bandit tribes are ruthless, but something is truly just demented about that one. It surpasses the range of human cruelty. I think they're half Grimm."

She was closer than she knew.

"Maybe it's not just them. There's been Mind Grimm eating away at people's souls," Meridian said. "It could be it's making them worse than they were before."

"I don't know about that. Either they had them before, or they're just that evil to begin with." Jasmine wasn't relenting. "Anyone who'd be so close to Mind Grimm and not know it must be demented. I've heard of your reports. I keep up with them on purpose because of what happened. They must have some inclination to it already, right? Anyone who'd let a Grimm near them like that has to be entirely crazy and past the point of recovery."

Cinder shivered slightly.

"We can still see if they left a trail," Meridian said. "It might not be hopeless. Where's the last place you saw them?"

"And are you the only one out here?" Royal asked, angered.

Jasmine gave him a bitter look. "Oh, no, you can see the huge crowds of people who decided to wait with me..." She gestured at the empty street.

"Oh, that does it," Royal said, heatedly. "I'm so sick of this!"

He walked toward the town.

"What's he doing?" Meridian asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Cinder said.

"We need to see if they left a trail," Weiss said. "Jasmine, right? Can you show me?"

"I can try." Jasmine sounded dejected, with good reason.

"All right, I'll just go with you," Meridian agreed.