Third POV

A couple weeks had passed since Cinder had received her Grimm arm from Salem. But now she had an entirely new problem to deal with. The Grimm queen wanted to make sure that Cinder's fall maiden powers were still going to be able to be used even with a Grimm part grafted to her body. Because of this Salem had had the young woman train every day or so against hoards of Grimm. There wasn't any need to make any extra negative emotions to lure the creatures to Cinder though. The fall maiden radiated enough anxiety and fear to lure in probably even the frozen Wyvern from Beacon.

Today was one of those training days and it was by far the most brutal that Cinder had done. Rei and Jenni watched as four beowolves stalked toward their friend.

Cinder swung her left arm at the Grimm sending slash of fire. It cut through the middle of all four Grimm and they disintegrated away.

Cinder began to pant from exhaustion, she paused for a second to take a breather. She didn't get long though, as heavy footsteps approached from her left.

"Cinder watch out!" Rei shouted.

Cinder gasped and looked in their direction. A Beringel leaped into the air, ready to deliver a blow to her with its fist. The young woman, however, pulled back her right arm and pushed a ball of flame right at it. It, too, disintegrated.

Jenni and Rei sighed in relief.

Except that final attack drained the last amount of stamina Cinder had and she fell to her knees.

Jenni was about to go to her side when Salem cut her off.

"Enough," the villainess said gliding past Jenni and toward the exhausted fall maiden.

She stared down at Cinder with her red eyes, "I thought you were the girl who wanted power. Did you lie to me?"

Cinder winced on the force of Salem's question before looking upward. Turning to face Salem, she clearly shook her head no.

"Then stop holding back," Salem commanded.

Rei clenched his fist, couldn't Salem see how hard she had been training Cinder? Couldn't she understand why the fall maiden wasn't using her powers to the fullest extent? She had killed someone for those powers no wonder she didn't want to use them, she hated them.

Salem leaned in closer to the young woman, "If you wish to master your new powers, you must -" but she was cut off by the sound of someone opening a loud door.

Tyrian stumbled into the room practically crawling on his hands and knees. Even from the other side of the room Jenni could hear that he was muttering asking Salem for forgiveness.

Thankfully that distracted the Grimm queen enough that she left Cinder alone.

"Tyrian! Your task? Were you successful?"

"N-no," the scorpion faunus admitted.

Jenni's eyes widened but she wasn't surprised. She knew there was no way he could take out Ruby, that little huntress was stronger then she looked.

Salem looked down at him in disgust and began to walk away.

Tyrian turned his body to remain facing Salem, "But-but hope is not lost! My tail, my stinger... I-I poisoned him, Qrow! He will not be a nuisance to you any longer, no... no longer! I've done that... have I done well? Have I pleased you?"

The villainess slowly walked past him, "the last eye is blinded. You disappoint me."

As Salem left, Tyrian fell forward, wailing. A Beowolf approached, all focused on Tyrian's negative emotions. It thankfully ignored Cinder and leapt upon him. The mad man sent it away with a single blow and the Grimm landed on its back. Still wailing, Tyrian opened his weapons and leapt atop the Beowolf. He slashed at it repeatedly, tears streaming down his face. His wails gradually turned into laughter as he vented his grief into the butchering of the Grimm. Cinder couldn't help but watch but she was horrified.

Jenni ran to her side and kneeled down next to her before placing her hand on her shoulder.

Cinder began to silently cry in fear and Jenni pulled her into her arms.

"What are you looking at ugly?!" Tyrian snapped.

The fall maiden burrowed her face in Jenni's chest and clung to her.

Jenni ran her fingers through her hair and she felt Cinder squeeze her hand, "what is it?"

Cinder gave her a look indicating that she wanted to go back to her room.

The blue haired girl nodded and began to walk with Cinder back to her bedroom.

Once there Jenni set Cinder on the bed and she removed her black mask before pinning back her choppy bangs with a barrette.

The raven haired young woman reached up and touched the rough skin around her empty eye socket.

Jenni clasped her friends hands in her own and gave them a tight squeeze.

"Can I have my mask back?" Cinder mouthed, "I don't want you to see how ugly I am."

Jenni placed her hand on Cinder's left cheek, "now that's not true. You're beautiful."

"I look like I face planted in a fire pit," Cinder mouthed sadly.

Jenni didn't seem to notice that she spoke, she seemed very distracted.

The fall maiden tapped her shoulder, "Jen?" She mouthed.

"Cinder I-I have to leave for a few days..." Jenni said sadly.

Cinder looked horrified and tears began to run from her right eye down her face.

"Salem wants me to go to Mistral with Hazel," the wolf faunus explained, "she doesn't think that the meeting with the High Leader of the White Fang is going to go well unless there's another faunus there."

Cinder grabbed her hand and shook her head vigorously. She didn't want Jenni to leave her alone.

"Cinder if I don't go. If I disobey Salem-"

Jenni didn't even have to finish her sentence, both girls knew of the consequences that came with defying the Grimm queen.

"Believe me if I could I would stuff you in my suitcase in an instant, but that wouldn't work. I'll be with Hazel though. You trust Hazel don't you?" Jenni asked.

Cinder nodded but then she placed her pointer fingers on either side of her head like horns.

Jenni was confused, "what?" Then her eyes widened, "oh Adam. You're saying you don't trust Adam?"

Cinder nodded.

The wolf faunus rolled her bright yellow eyes, "me either. But I seriously doubt he'd hurt one of his own kind."

Her friend didn't seem so sure though.

"Besides this is a diplomatic mission, if Salem really wanted a violent approach to this meeting she would've sent Tyrian. I'm just there as an extra motivator and all Adam has to do is talk. We both know how good he is at that," Jenni scoffed

Cinder rolled her one amber eye.

Jenni wrapped her best friend in a hug, "I gotta go now. But I promise I'll stay safe. I love you."

The fall maiden began to sob and she burrowed her face into Jenni's chest.

"Stay with Emerald and Mercury until I get back. They'll keep you safe."

Jenni then pulled away and left the room. She then went to her own quarters and packed a small bag up before going to the meeting room. When she got there she saw Hazel already waiting for her.

Salem was there as well and as soon as she saw Jenni she summoned a black swirling portal with her magic.

Slowly Jenni and Hazel stepped into it and they ended up in the pouring rain outside a train station.

Jenni went to buy their tickets to the closest stop to the white fang stronghold when something caught her eye. It was a boy who looked barely younger then she did attempting to get a ticket out of a machine.

Hazel walked over and punched the top of the machine, "here." The machine spit out a train ticket, "don't let such a small obstacle block your path."

The boy seemed visibly shaken but he reached down to grab his ticket before walking away.

Jenni, thankfully, had a much easier time getting her two tickets and she held one out to Hazel, "I got our tickets. Are you sure this is where we're supposed to be going?"

Hazel nodded, "Salem said that this is the town we should go to. Once there the stronghold should be somewhere in the woods. That is unless Adam lied."

"How did she communicate with him anyway? I mean he doesn't live at the castle with us." Jenni said

The older man took the ticket from Jenni's hand, "Seer Grimm. Salem gave Adam one. It goes where he goes so he can communicate with Salem at a moments notice."

Jenni nodded, that made sense.

Soon they heard the telltale sound of a train approaching. They both got on board and they were off to Mistral.