Cinder Fall/History

Events

 * Dust Store Robbery
 * Beacon Dance
 * 40th Vytal Festival
 * Battle of Beacon
 * Battle of Haven

Background


Before the events of RWBY, Cinder began recruiting members for her cause. She first enlists Emerald Sustrai, at the time a petty thief, after seeing her use her Semblance to steal a ring.

She later attempts to recruit the skilled assassin Marcus Black, but as she heads to his home in the mountains, he is killed by his son, Mercury Black. Cinder instead recruits Mercury to her cause after witnessing the fight. At Mercury's suggestion, Cinder enlists Roman Torchwick, a criminal in Vale.

Cinder, Emerald and Mercury then meet with the White Fang leader, Adam Taurus, and attempt to recruit him as well. However, Adam denies their offer on the grounds that they fight for a human cause for which he is unwilling to sacrifice his men.

Cinder's group then plots an attack on Amber, the Fall Maiden at the time, in an attempt to steal her power. After a fierce and protracted battle, Amber is defeated. Cinder uses a mysterious glove to steal Amber's Maiden powers but is interrupted by Qrow Branwen, who severs the connection between Amber and Cinder before Cinder is able to steal all of Amber's power.

Later, Cinder returns to the White Fang camp with Emerald and Mercury. This time, Cinder secures the support of Adam and the White Fang with the threat of violence with her stolen powers, as well as the offer of Dust and large amounts of cash.

Raven suspects her surname can not be a coincidence and that she likely renamed herself as a result of her ambitions to steal the Fall Maiden's power, as well as egomania. An offhand comment by Arthur Watts all but confirms this.

Dust Shop Robbery


Cinder is first seen in "Ruby Rose" piloting the Bullhead that serves as Roman's getaway vehicle following the attempted robbery of the Dust shop, From Dust Till Dawn. Shortly after Roman gets onto the ship to escape Ruby Rose, Glynda Goodwitch appears and attacks the ship. Roman tells Cinder that a Huntress has appeared and Cinder steps out of the pilot's chair to confront Glynda in battle.

Cinder uses the Dust embedded in her dress to cause a series of fiery explosions all around Glynda, stopping her attack on the Bullhead. However, Glynda counters by using the debris from the blast to try and attack Cinder. However, Cinder deflects the attack with several blasts before Glynda instead attacks the ship.

Cinder is knocked around but unleashes a large blast that turns all the debris to ash. Ruby uses Crescent Rose to fire at Cinder, but Cinder easily deflects the attacks. Cinder then creates a group of explosions under Ruby and Glynda, forcing them to jump away, giving her and Roman time to escape.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Ruby Rose"

Vale Port Heist
She appears with Mercury and Emerald to reprimand Roman for his recent failure at the docks. After he complains about having to work with the "mutts" from the White Fang, she tells him to continue working with them and states that she and her associates have big plans for him.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Black and White"

Phase Two


When Mercury and Emerald return to Roman's hideout, Roman comments that Cinder sent "the kids again" and deduces that they killed Tukson, a Faunus Cinder had told him to eliminate. This upsets Roman, but just as he is about to threaten the two, Cinder appears, causing Roman to back down and Emerald to appear happy.

Cinder berates both Roman and her associates; Roman for not completing his mission like she had asked and her associates for going against her orders to keep their hands clean while in Vale. Emerald tried to apologize by saying that she did not think it was a bad idea, but Cinder tells her it isn't her job to think and only to obey, as Emerald responds with an understanding "Yes Ma'am." Cinder then turns her attention to Roman and asks why his mission was not completed, but he simply motions to all the Dust he has been busy collecting.

Roman asks for information on the "grand master plan" to make his next string of robberies easier, but Cinder intimidates him into dropping the subject. She does, however, inform Roman that the first phase of the plan is over and he will no longer need to collect any more Dust, as they are entering the second phase of the plan. Before she leaves, she tells Roman to have the White Fang move the Dust to a new location that she will inform him of later that night.

Sometime later, Cinder is seen alongside Mercury and Emerald within Beacon Academy, having infiltrated the school acting as students. The latter bumps into Ruby and Cinder informs her that the three of them are visiting from Haven Academy. After Ruby redirects them to where they are supposed to go, Cinder thanks her and the trio walk away.

Later in the semester, Cinder is seen sewing an outfit while talking to Mercury and Emerald about students the latter two had studied, the last on their list being Pyrrha Nikos. After the two of them explain that Pyrrha generally only uses her Semblance to a small degree, Cinder approves of Pyrrha taking fate into her own hands. Mercury states that Cinder could easily take her on, but Cinder responds that she does not want to overpower the enemy, but to take their power away. Cinder orders Emerald to add Pyrrha to an unknown list. When Mercury says that he is tired of waiting, Cinder simply states that they have a fun weekend ahead of them as she holds a needle in front of her.

During the Beacon Dance, Cinder uses the distraction of everyone being in the ballroom to sneak into the Cross Continental Transmit System.



She quickly overcomes the Atlas Soldiers guarding the facility and then proceeds to upload into the Tower's systems something that makes a black queen chess-piece appear on all the terminal screens. Just before leaving, Cinder gets interrupted by Ruby. The two have a brief fight which is interrupted by the arrival of James Ironwood. Cinder uses the distraction to escape, leaving Ruby alone. She quickly returns to the academy, transforming her fighting gear into a ballgown as she does so and thus evades Ironwood's troops by vanishing into the crowd in the ballroom. She then dances with Mercury.

Sometime later, during an attack on Vale, alarms are heard in the distance. Cinder is with Mercury and Emerald at the school, where the three of them realize this means a part of the plan started early. Cinder signals for the other two to head on to confront the incoming Grimm. Shortly after the fight, the three of them are seen overlooking the city as Cinder remarks the day to have been successful. When Mercury brings up how they lost many Faunus within the caves, he wonders if the White Fang will ever listen to them, but then, Adam appears and reassures the group that they will listen to him.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Best Day Ever"
 * "Welcome to Beacon"
 * "Extracurricular"
 * "Dance Dance Infiltration"
 * "Breach"

Vytal Festival Tournament
Cinder is fighting on a team with Mercury, Emerald, and Neo in the Vytal Festival Tournament. They performed well in their first match and sent Emerald and Mercury to the second round. Cinder joins Emerald and Mercury in the stands before watching Team JNPR and Team BRNZ fight, saying that even if you know how a fight ends, that does not make it any less fun to watch. As she says this, she pops a popcorn kernel with only her fingers.

After she learns that Qrow is at Beacon, she decides that he is not a large enough threat to warrant a change in her plans. She then uses the virus she put into the CCT to access Ironwood's clearance. She changes the tournament randomizer to match Mercury and Emerald against Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi of Team CFVY.



After gaining access to Ironwood's information privileges, she looks through his files and finds blueprints revealing Penny Polendina's robotic nature.

She later leaves before Yang Xiao Long and Mercury start their match and appears disguised as a paramedic after their plan to frame Yang is initiated. She, along with Neo, whisk Mercury and Emerald away in an Air Bus to an unknown location, instructing Mercury to keep himself hidden so as to not jeopardize their plan.

The next rigged match-up is between the robotic Penny and Pyrrha, whose Semblance is polarity. In the subsequent match, Emerald tricks Pyrrha into violently destroying Penny in front of a worldwide audience. Cinder then hijacks the tournament broadcast and gives a speech that reaches across Remnant.

Cinder places the blame for the incident on the headmasters of the academies. She pointedly asks what purpose Penny, a synthetic soldier disguised as an innocent little girl, could possibly serve against the indiscriminate killers of the Grimm. She calls the students of Beacon Academy lacking in both honor and mercy, citing Yang's unprovoked attack on Mercury and Pyrrha ruthlessly killing Penny. Cinder concludes that peace is fragile and claims that the Kingdoms are at the brink of war while their citizens are left unaware.

The Grimm, drawn to the negative emotion in the city caused by Penny's death and Cinder's speech, breach the defenses of Vale undetected and begin attacking the city, joined by White Fang soldiers led by Adam Taurus.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Round One "
 * "It's Brawl in the Family"
 * "Never Miss a Beat"
 * "Fall"
 * "Beginning of the End"
 * "PvP"

Attack on Beacon
From a rooftop in Beacon, Cinder relishes in the destruction alongside Mercury and Emerald. Mercury films the unfolding violence on his Scroll, focusing on rogue Atlesian Knight-200 androids which have been re-programmed by Cinder's computer virus, broadcasting the carnage throughout the world. When Emerald expresses her horror at what they have caused, Cinder remorselessly agrees that the destruction is "horrendous".

The ground below Vale begins to tremble. An enormous Grimm Dragon awakens and erupts from beneath a mountaintop near Mountain Glenn, taking flight and heading toward Vale, spawning lesser Grimm as it approaches.

From the rooftop, Cinder sees Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc following Professor Ozpin into a Vault beneath Beacon, where she finds that Amber is still alive and being kept on life support. Under Ozpin's guidance, Pyrrha is in a machine with Amber's Fall Maiden powers beginning to pass directly to her. However, Cinder finishes what she started, killing Amber with an arrow to the chest. As Amber dies, the Fall Maiden powers instead pass to Cinder. Now imbued with the full powers of the Fall Maiden, Cinder, at last, confronts Ozpin face-to-face. As the two of them prepare for battle, Cinder notes that Salem was right about Ozpin's arrogance.



The pair fight in a tremendous display of power, but the outcome of the fight is not known. Cinder leaves the Vault alone, with Ozpin's fate uncertain.

She makes her way to the top of Beacon Tower, where she begins communicating with the Grimm Dragon. She makes eye contact with it and says that Beacon is its home now. However, she is interrupted by Pyrrha, who attempts to stop her.

After a fierce battle, Cinder defeats Pyrrha with an arrow through the heel. She briefly tells Pyrrha that she had no right to the powers of the Fall Maiden and that she'll use them in ways Pyrrha never could imagine. When Pyrrha asks Cinder if she believes in destiny, she pauses momentarily, before answering that she does. She executes Pyrrha with an arrow through the chest and ignites Pyrrha's remains, scattering her ashes to the wind.

However, Ruby Rose witnesses the event after arriving too late to save Pyrrha. In grief, Ruby unleashes an unheralded power which envelops everything in a blinding white light, much to Cinder's shock and outrage.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Battle of Beacon"
 * "Heroes and Monsters"
 * "End of the Beginning"

At Salem's Domain


Cinder survives the encounter, but she is scarred, losing her left eye and the ability to speak clearly, ultimately relying on Emerald to communicate for her.

Cinder attends a meeting in Salem's Domain, bringing Mercury and Emerald with her. There, she meets with Watts, Tyrian and Hazel. Watts comments on Cinder's condition, saying her attack on Beacon was a failure. Tyrian suggests she get retribution on Ruby by removing one of her eyes. After Salem enters, she criticizes Watts' "malignance", saying Cinder's efforts - destroying Beacon, the CCT and killing Ozpin - were successful. Salem says Cinder's weakness to Ruby is due to her attainment of the Fall Maiden powers. Salem removes Cinder from her previous responsibilities to the group and has her stay behind with Salem for "treatment".

While being "treated" by Salem, she is told to make an unknown being dread her. A Seer comes in to report on their lack of success in finding Ozpin's relic at the ruins of Beacon. This prompts Salem to ask Cinder if she really killed Ozpin. After some hesitation, Cinder signals for Emerald to help her respond, but Salem demands she say it with her own words. With some difficulty, Cinder manages to reply with a throaty "Yes." Though not satisfied with this answer, Salem takes this as a sign for her Grimm messenger to keep looking for the Relic.

Sometime later, Cinder trains to control her new powers by battling several Grimm. She manages to defeat them but collapses in exhaustion. Salem heavily criticizes her for holding back, reminding her that she wanted to be powerful. Afterwards, Tyrian appears and reports about his defeat by Ruby. When Salem leaves disappointed, Cinder watches in horror as Tyrian vents out his anger and grief on a Beowolf.

Cinder continues her training using Emerald's ability to create hallucinations, in order to fantasize herself killing Ruby. By "Dread in the Air" she has recovered her voice and expresses her dissatisfaction to Salem that they are not using their strength to take what they want, but are instead working with bandits and leaving Ruby alive. Salem cautions Cinder not to underestimate the usefulness of others and repeats her promise of granting Cinder more power when the time is right.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "The Next Step"
 * "Of Runaways and Stowaways"
 * "Taking Control"
 * "No Safe Haven"
 * "Dread in the Air"

Attack on Haven
Following Salem's orders, Cinder travels to the bandit camp with Mercury, Emerald, and Watts. Meeting Raven Branwen, she keeps her cool even when Raven points out the flaws in the group. But Cinder and Watts back her to a corner with the revelation that the headmaster of Haven Academy, Leonardo Lionheart, works for Salem now and the White Fang will launch an attack on Haven Academy in a few days. Raven then demands the death of her brother Qrow in exchange for having Vernal lead them to the Relic of Knowledge. Despite Watts protesting about their covers being blown with this plan, Cinder pays no heed to his warnings and seals the deal with a handshake from Raven.



On the night of the full moon, Cinder, Raven and Lionheart carry out the ambush with Hazel entrapping the heroes from behind, using Raven's portal to travel from the camp directly into Haven. The Fall Maiden then reveals that Raven and Lionheart are working for Salem, mocking the heroes with the death of the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral. Then she is confronted by Jaune, who is enraged at her for all of the murders she has committed with no regrets. Cinder then mockingly asks who he is and he attacks her in response, causing a battle to ensue. She easily overpowers and toys with Jaune, but starts getting serious upon his demand. However, when they charge at each other, they stop when Ruby unleashes the power of her silver eyes, causing Cinder to fall to her knees while holding her left arm in pain. She barely dodges Jaune's attack and a small piece of her mask chipped by his sword. In retaliation and fury, Cinder stomps on Jaune and angrily asks if he thought that he really had a chance at defeating her. Calling him a failure, she learns that he is willing to sacrifice his life to save his comrades. To prove him wrong, Cinders conjures a spear and impales a weakened Weiss, who is unable to block the attack.

Cinder is later shocked to find that Oscar Pine is Ozpin's reincarnation but decides to not waste their advantage and orders Lionheart to open the way to the Vault. Traveling down with Raven and Vernal, Cinder mockingly asks Vernal if she is honored to be the first Maiden to open a Vault, but is surprised that the bandit feels that the task is nothing but a burden. Upon reaching the Vault, Cinder instructs Vernal to open the door with the Spring Maiden's powers. Before Vernal can do so, however, Cinder freezes Raven, impales Vernal with her Grimm arm and claims the Spring Maiden's power is rightfully hers.

As Vernal succumbs to her wounds, however, Cinder is shocked to receive no power from her, prompting Raven to reveal herself as the true Spring Maiden. Realizing Vernal had been a decoy the entire time, Cinder figures out that Raven killed the previous Maiden and taunts Raven for having tricked the girl into trusting her, goading Raven into starting a duel. Though Cinder at first shows her usual confidence in the fight, she loses it when a piece of her dust weapon lodges itself in her Grimm arm, which Raven surmises is because her Aura cannot protect it. Raven accuses Cinder of turning herself into a monster in the name of power. Cinder retorts that Raven is guilty of the same before the two Maidens engage in a destructive battle that nearly destroys the Vault.



Though Raven and Cinder initially prove evenly matched, Raven manages to gain the upper hand because of her experience with Maiden powers, with Cinder finding it more and more difficult to hold her own against the Spring Maiden. Exhausted from the fight and with her Aura severely weakened, Cinder is momentarily distracted when a dying Vernal musters enough strength to fire one last shot, which gives Raven an opening to launch a final devastating attack that disintegrates Cinder's eye mask and sends her flying over the Vault floor's edge. Raven freezes Cinder's body with her Maiden powers and watches her fall into the abyss.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "A Perfect Storm"
 * "The More the Merrier"
 * "Vault of the Spring Maiden"
 * "Downfall"

Vengeance After Haven


Cinder regains consciousness in a body of water after her battle with Raven. Panicking, she manages to get to the surface and drags herself onto the shore, her Maiden powers weak. Frustrated, she pounds the ground with her Grimm arm, unexpectedly caving some rocks and revealing an opening with natural light.

Cinder hobbles out of the cave and falls to the ground again, and a woman notices her. Cinder fiendishly looks up to the woman as she notices Cinder's Grimm arm. Cinder activates her Maiden powers, kills the woman and takes her cloak as a disguise. A month later, Cinder walks the streets of lower Mistral, noticing a broadcast warning of the Battle of Haven's perpetrators, which includes herself. Scowling, she puts up her hood, walks through the rain and notices a spider insignia etched into a post.

Cinder walks into a bar and finds a table with Lil' Miss Malachite, who she had heard of before. She offers Lil' Miss the dead woman's money, which earns spy leader's respect. She allows Cinder to sit. Cinder shows her pictures of Team RWBY and the remaining members of Team JNPR, saying she is looking for them. A regular patron enters the bar, causing loud stirs that startle Cinder. Lil' Miss notices her jumpiness and offers insight on how she overcame her arachnophobia – she made the spiders work for her. Cinder realizes everyone in the bar has a spider tattoo, and she leaves when Lil' Miss says she will fulfill Cinder's request in a week.



A week later, Cinder returns to Lil' Miss, who tells her that her targets have boarded a train heading for Argus. From this information, the Maiden deduces that they are headed for Atlas and begins to leave the bar, but is stopped when Lil' Miss refers to her by name and is further surprised when Neo appears behind her and attacks her. The two women fight each other until Lil' Miss directs them to take it outside. From there, the Maiden surmises that Neo has gotten stronger and shows that she has as well. Upon seeing her opponent wearing Torchwick's hat, Cinder denies responsibility for his death and instead pins it on Ruby. However, an undaunted Neo continues to fight, which forces Cinder to fight more seriously, but when she gets jabbed in the eye by Neo's umbrella, Cinder manifests her Maiden powers to stop the fight. Claiming that they both want Ruby dead, Cinder proposes that they work together to fulfill their common goal.


 * Episodes Covering These Events
 * "Uncovered"
 * "The Coming Storm"