Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-4141313-20181110034633/@comment-10390252-20181111081832

I'm pretty sure that first reincarnation we see at 24:10 is the Wizard in the Hut who created the maidens.

I've got a few ideas about the origin of the maidens but nothing that's supported on-screen yet. I suspect that Osma empowered Spring, Autumn, Summer and Winter with magic because, in some way, they reminded him of his dead daughters. At this point, this is just wild speculation but I won't be surprised if it turns out they were reincarnations of the girls that resulted possibly from the manner of their deaths and the fact that they were the last ever magical humans born on Remnant. Alternately, was Salem playing around with necromancy? It might explain the Dark Altar in the meeting room in The Next Step.

The reincarnation theory is somewhat supported by Salem's creepy tenderness and intimacy towards Cinder that goes beyond anything needed to manipulate the villain. It's possible that she recognises that, through the maiden magic, there is a tiny bit of one of her little girls in that body and she still has maternal feelings towards them.

Regarding the Moon, back during volume 1 or 2, I speculated that the Moon might be the source of Dust and I suspect that this episode confirms this. I have also speculated that Dust contamination caused the mutations that led to the Faunus. I'm wondering if that is why the Dark Brother fragmented the Moon: He knew that the Dust would fall to Remnant's surface with such a high initial concentrations in atmosphere, water and earth that it would trigger evolutionary bursts, creating a new human race. Only Salem would know for sure as she lived through it (although the likelihood that she was sane enough at that point to process what she was seeing is low).

HerzogVonZwerge wrote: 1. Pause chapter at 24:27

2. Look really close at the two kids

3. LOSE YOUR SHIT!

Basically, the implication is that Ruby may be that incarnation's distant blood descendent.