a mother's protection spell

A beacon of hope? Or despair?

Qrow smiled a bit and said. "Facing fear and saying fuck it! Is what makes us huntsman so you tell them that." He said not taking the cloak and he motioned to the doorway to a blond man in a sleeveless top and a little blond girl with crazy hair for a four year old. "Um hi my name is taiyang this is my daughter yang, are you miss fall?" She screamed to run away internally but as qrow put it said fuck it! "Yes sir, my name is cinder and i'm the one-" He then finished for her. "Who found and cremated my wife and baby then stole her belongings and identity. Yeah i know who you are miss fall." Cinder only stood up straight and wider to appear more intimidating to give her a confidence boost. "Uhmmm yeah, i'm sorry i wanted to give her some kind of burial but there were beowolves everywhere. And i had my own baby to take care of."

He didn't seem to know that. "what? But you can't be older then 16 how old's your baby?" She told him. "1 year and 5 months." Tai appeared shocked beyond words. "You were pregnant at thirteen!?!" She nodded silently 'honestly fits pretty well into my trauma bucket i call life' Tai then said. "My gods kid i'm sorry, but what were you doing in a grim infested forest at 15?... no don't tell me you're a runaway too?" She nodded again adding. "My mother tried to kill my baby so i umm... hurt her badly and ran with my little ruby." Tai and yang looked both completely taken aback by what she just said.

"What!? Your baby's name is ruby as well?" Miss Goodbitch informed him. "Yes she just informed us that having to lay summer and ruby rose to rest was harder then almost anything, knowing that it could have easily been her and her daughter in summer and ruby's place." Cinder then took her chance. "Um sir i wanted to return this to her family, it kept me and my daughter safe and out of the elements. And her license gave me discounts on almost all the stuff we needed to get here. So in a way summer and ruby saved my life."

Tai held the items with reverence, and looked back at cinder as she told him. "Without her fighting valiantly to the bitter end i never would have noticed and me and my daughter would probably have frozen to death." Tai replied. "Yeah that's summer always saving everyone she could even in death. This may sound strange but could i meet your daughter? Miss fall. For closure purposes." Cinder understood refusing him would hurt her image here so she faked a sympathetic smile and said. "Yes of course you and your daughter can." After Tai and yang thanked her they went back towards her room.

'stupid taiyang and yang leave me alone! she's mine not yours anymore!' Cinder bitterly thought while ariving and knocking in a specific way that was code for neo to use her semblance to disguise ruby's eyes. Then she opened the door. Neo actually ran up to hug Cinder with one arm while holding an orange eyed ruby. Who said. "Mama!" Cinder internally screamed 'Yes! Take that sis ne!' But said. "Hey girls! We have visitors, this is Tai and his daughter yang they were summer and ruby rose's family." Neo gave ruby to cinder, then approached and introduced herself. [hi my name is neo i'm ruby's big sister, i like your hair let's be friends.]

The little blond completely bewildered by the way neo was communicating. "Uh dad what's she doing with her hands?" Tai then informed her "It's called sign language it's for people who can't speak or hear right." Yang then asked in a manner that irritated Cinder whenever someone used it on the girl. "CAN YOU HEAR?" Neo covered her ears a little miffed at yang for yelling and for treating her like she was broken.

Tai then said. "Yang! Don't yell or treat people like that. I'm so sorry miss fall!" Cinder waved off these equally loud blonds pretending it was fine for the sake of getting them to leave sooner. "She's mute and can hear just fine. But this little girl is ruby fall!" Tai then said. "Well hi there little ruby you got some pretty cool eyes, just like your mama!"

He then said. "Not gonna lie a part of me held out hope that it would be my ruby. But all the same thanks for being good enough to introduce us and to bring back summer's cloak. We're going to go home now. Yangs mom will be waiting for us." That piqued Cinders curiosity. "Oh she has a different mom?" Tai scratched his cheek saying. "Yeah we've always had a rocky relationship but once we lost summer and ruby together, we started working through our problems and are giving it another shot for our sake and yangs." Cinder smiled and said. "Well good luck relationships are hard!" He laughed. "You ain't very good at social interaction are ya miss fall! No matter you'll get plenty of practice once school starts next month good luck!" He said departing with yang and closing the door.

"Why do people keep saying that to me!" Cinder complained but said. "You can stop now neo." With a *CRASH* her illusion broke. "Say how about me training you to fight while we live here?" The girl signed. [really! Like you'll teach me how to kick ass like you do! sign me up mom!] Cinder smiled liking how that word was warming up to her. "You won't be doing fire stuff. But yes you have an amazing semblance so you can use as much training as possible. When we're through, when you attend this academy you will be able to wipe the floor with anyone or my name isn't fall!"

The next month went by pretty quickly then cinder found herself in an auditorium amidst all the other students. She heard one say. "Who let the ugly girl in red inside?" Part of her screamed to kill them. But she was stronger than these people because nobody here is already a parent. After the headmaster made his speech she decided to mingle. "Um, hi my name is cinder what's yours?" The young lady in question glanced at her up and down and said. "Scram you're going to make the guys feel like they have a shot with me if we're talking." Cinder walked away 'okay rough start. wish i knew someone here!' Like an answer from heaven two hands coverd her eyes. "What's up firework missed me?" She spun around and said. "Roman!" Then hugged the makeup and bowler hat wearing man, albeit very quickly but still progress.

"Woah someone's more affectionate since the last time we last saw each other, oh no you're Cinders evil twin sister ash! Aren't you!" She rolled her eyes at her best friends antics, punched his arm lightly smoking her fist for effect. "Shut up, the girls missed you, where were you?" He spun on his toes then produced a cane?

"Um roman you didn't get hurt or anything did you?" He chuckled and said "This baby is my huntsman weapon! Melodic cudgel! I figured i needed something to make my opponents underestimate me, then i use the explosive barrel to hit'em with a rocket! Pretty sly huh?" She smirked before mimicking his spin and making her own weapon a glowing hot knife. And said "I don't know it lacks the classic elegance of a knife, you know like, re re re re dun dun! dun dun!" Said cinder recreating a famous bathroom stabing scene from a film they both loved "HAHA! Oh never change firework, but how are the girls doing?" She smiled and said "Fine i nearly killed the headmistress glynda for trying to take ruby, apparently she knew her mom, then i black mailed the headmaster into getting me legal documents proving i am her genetic mother! She's now ruby fall!"

"Woah crafty and crazy! It's what i love about you firework, congratulations sorry i wasn't in the operating room going push! push!" She socked him again saying. "I've also got full custody of Neopolitan Torchwick-Fall!" He looked shocked at that and she continued. "Never worry roman i got it approved that you're both the girl's legal father and have all the rights i do. We are now proud legal parents to two adorable little girls." He then said. "Well damn i'm speechless cinder thank you!" She said. "You really must have meant it for you to call me cinder and not that dumb nickname!" They talked a bit more before they decided to split and scout the competition with cinder giving him the parting words. "Oh and roman!" He looked back at her, and she said. "Keep calling me firework i like it!"

He actually blushed a bit but nodded stoicly and melted into the crowd. Both ready for their new lives as parents and hunters. Roman voiced one last thought before he could focus "Is she getting taller?"

Author's notes
Hello dear readers! Finally we get into the huntress in training arc for cinder the first practical test awaits before she's ready for her one on one magic lessons with ozpin who believes her to be the fall maiden, and a side note for cinder fall in this story she still looks like the volume 8 flashback cinder, she is getting taller but imagine that at halfway through age 17 she just starts developing her iconic volume one look but obviously younger she's a late bloomer. I kinda feel like the story started a few months after she killed Rhodes and the Madame. That appearance is just so soft looking that i wanted it to be the start of mama cinder a cute looking ball of ptsd and rage into the scarlet archer of volume 3.
But again this is an au and i feel like this version of cinder will never be the straight up manipulate temptress she is at the start of canon she still is slightly psychotic, a part of her that will probably never go away but she's learning how to deal with the voices.
Join us in the next chapter In the heat of battle! Untill then true believers excelsior!