Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

Chapter 1: Dark Prelude

Salem's world was empty, filled with nothing but dark stones and even darker crystals; the only bright light coming from the shattered moon. It was gloomy, oppressive and the closest physical thing to hell one could find in the world.

And Salem loved it, for it represented what she wanted most in life; the utter desolation of the world and the extinction of mankind. When her plans came to fruition, and they would, then all of Remnant would be returned to this beautiful, empty state.

Salem couldn't wait for that day, when she finally defeated that arrogant Ozpin. He never truly had a chance at stopping her plan; it was as futile as trying to stop the sun from setting. But that old wizard had proven himself to be very crafty and resourceful during their long conflict and had managed to…delay her ultimate victory on multiple occasions. She had to be patient and devise a plan that would destroy Ozpin's power from within.

It gave Salem endless pleasure and amusement that that key to destroying Ozpin lay in the very species he was fighting to protect. While humans could be quite strong when united together, all it would take was a little push to send them into a spiral of mistrust and infighting. She had used this tactic before, sending the Kingdoms of Remnant into what they now call the Great War.

She had come close to having the humans fatally weaken themselves by fighting each other and make it impossible to resist her Grimm hordes. But the humans had proven once again their resiliency and emerged from the war more united and stronger than ever. Salem had to refine her plan, to fully exploit all of humanity's weaknesses.

Salem's influence during the Great War had been fairly minimal, some subtle touches in the minds of influential people that stoked the fire of a conflict that was already beginning to brew. She had taken an opportunity that had presented itself and made the humans fight one another, but once the fighting started, she couldn't control which direction it took. Thus the war ended too soon and without enough damaged done to the fighting strength of the Kingdoms.

That had been a…miscalculation. One she was not going to repeat.

Salem needed a direct hand, an agent to both start the next conflict and to ensure that events transpired exactly as Salem wanted them to. She also needed someone to reclaim the powers of the Maidens, powers that were rightfully hers. That agent would need to be skilled enough to infiltrate the Kingdoms, clever enough to manipulate others and powerful enough to defeat any who would stand in their way.

This was a truly tall order to fill for a mere human. Salem knew this and thus she had spent the last several decades scouring the world for the perfect candidate, not willing to settle for anything less.

And she had found that perfect servant, in the form of one Cinder Fall. The girl was young, had no education or training and was powerless to control her own fate. At a glance, not what Salem was looking for, yet the Queen of the Grimm had fought humanity for countless generations and could read them like a book. While the young Mistralian had the outward appearance of just another orphan living on the streets, a symptom of that Kingdom's many unacknowledged problems, but inside she was so much more.

To survive as long as she had, Cinder had shown a great deal of both resourcefulness and ruthlessness. If she had possessed neither of these, she would have end up dead in a gutter like so many other children had before. This was especially apparent due to Cinder chosen line of survival.

Instead of simply begging or resorting to petty theft, Cinder had managed to get jobs running with various gangs and cartels. These jobs were inherently more dangerous than simply stealing what she needed to live, but they offered both greater rewards and their own form of security. The child had managed to convince several harden criminals that she was far more useful working for them and not being sold like so many other pretty girls. This protected her from many other underlings who may have thought taking Cinder for their own amusement.

Cinder Falls, just a teenager, had managed to not only survive in a very violent and hostile environment, but in a way thrive. She had made herself indispensable to several different groups without committing her loyalty to a single one. A sharp mind and a sharp tongue allowed her to manipulate those around her to keep herself safe while also amassing a small fortune. Her skills of infiltration were sound as well, as she had never failed any job or theft. She was quickly acquiring a reputation as one of the best thieves in the Kingdom.

And while Cinder was not the strongest physically, the many dead and broken people she had left over the years told of precise planning coupled with brutal execution. The violent life she had chosen was all due to a massive ambition that she held, wanting to have as much power as possible. She wouldn't settle for anything less than becoming the best.

Now Cinder was not the first candidate that Salem had looked at that seemed to fit what she needed. There had been many young children who had been raised in harsh conditions but had risen to the challenge, showing great skill and intelligence. But what set Cinder apart, the thing that drove her immense ambition and greed, was an absolute burning hatred for all of humanity.

Cinder knew violence because she had suffered from the violence of others. She knew manipulation because she had been manipulated and betrayed many times before. And she was a master of instilling fear because she herself was deeply afraid of falling back into being just a helpless little girl, abused by all those around her.

Yes, Cinder hated her fellow humans with a passion and was finding it increasingly pleasing to bring pain and suffering upon them. All of it was justice for what she had been forced to suffer through, in her mind. If left to her own devices, Salem was sure she would come dominate the criminal underworld of Mistral. She would allow her hatred to lead her on a self-destructive path and use her powers against the Kingdom and its people. This could to enough damage that all or part of Mistral fell, repeating what had happened to Mantle.

But Salem was no longer willing to gamble on merely possibilities, even ones that seemed certain. The collapse of Mantle had seemed like a victory at first, but its successor, Atlas, had risen to be even stronger and even more driven to destroy the Grimm. Picking the Kingdoms off one by one was not good enough for Salem anymore. Those plans were too prone to interference by Ozpin and served more to rally the humans rather than weaken them. What Salem wanted was a grand plan that would create an unstoppable domino effect, dividing humanity and leaving them weak enough to fully crush once and for all.

And cruel, violent and ambitious Cinder would be the key to this victory. Already Salem had touched the girl's mind during her sleeping hours, giving her glimpses of a different life, of what she could become. No plans or details, just a feeling that something out there could make Cinder stronger.

And like a piece of fine meat in front of a hungry predator, Cinder would jump at the chance no matter how slim it seemed. She would start looking for clues, answers for the images from her dreams. With a little help from Salem, she would find her way to one of the location outside the Kingdoms were she could contact her directly. It wouldn't take much to convince Cinder to aid her in her plans, not with the amount of power she was offering. From there, it was only a matter of training Cinder to the level necessary to enact her plans.

Soon, Salem would have her perfect tool; A human that hated other humans. It was the perfect irony that the downfall of Ozpin's favored race would come not from without, but from within. It was all perfect with no flaws.

Except….

Salem paused in her walking. Trekking through the endless wastes of her domain was the only physical activity she could indulge in and often did so during the long periods of planning her next move. The Queen of the Grimm mulled her current thought for a short time before setting off again, in a different direction.

She headed towards the very heart of her realm, the Nexus of all her powers and where she could influence the human world. It was several hours away from her current location, but such trivial things mattered not to Salam. She had all the time in the world to think and plan.

And she used that time to properly examine the new problem and think of possible solutions.

The central Nexus was a giant pit filled with immense black crystals, pulsating with a dark energy. Salem climbed the stones steps and stood at the edge of the natural platform that overlooked the pit. Like so many times before, she harnessed the dark energy within the crystal and used it to project a large image of the world of Remnant. The landmasses were pitch-black with a multitude of small, white specks scattered all over them. There were four points on the globe that were larger and burned brighter than the rest.

Salem looked at the map as she again pondered what to do. Her whole plan hinged on Cinder and, to an extent, on the essence of human nature. She planned to use both extensively to wipe out humanity. But after the many battles with the humans, Salem had learned that they could be both predictable and unpredictable in equal measures. It was the most infuriating thing about them, but also a key element in their continued survival. Salem would not suffer another set-back and so she needed to fully take this aspect of humans into consideration.

Cinder was the perfect tool, with her desire to be powerful and feared making her easy to control. As long as Salem provided her with the means to grow in strength while keeping her afraid of her wrath, she would stay in line.

Indeed, Salem was the very idol that Cinder herself wished to become and so would serve her in the hopes of becoming like her. The idea that a mere human could ever reach the same position as she, to be the one that would determine the fate of the world and all those who lived in it, was absolutely absurd.

The dream and hope that it was possible would still drive Cinder into her arms and ensure her loyalty until the plan was complete. The chances of Cinder turning her against were so small that it was hardly worth worrying about.

Salem bit her lip in a very human expression of worry, looking at the black projection as her great mind pondered the major issue with her plan.

Cinder was ambitious, power-hungry and only cared for herself. Those qualities were an asset for Salem's plan, but could also prove a liability. If Cinder ever thought she had the smallest chance of defeating Salem and taking her place, she may take it. It was preposterous that Cinder could even defeat Salem, but a betrayal at the wrong moment could ruin everything.

Striking against Salem would result in certain death and only madwomen would even consider it. But those who knew Cinder, witnessed what she did on a regular basis, would know that she wasn't completely sane by most standards.

The risk was small, almost insignificant, but any risk was too much for Salem. She would not be denied her victory and her vengeance. Not again.

But what alternative was there? She had spent decades searching for the perfect candidate to fulfill her plans. There was no time to find another. Beside, anyone else may be just as willing to betray her or may not be strong enough to do what needed to be done.

Cinder, despite the now uncovered risk, was indispensable to her plans. And while she could be manipulated to a degree, there was nothing she could do the seal her loyalty; not without compromising her abilities.

Salem waved her hand and the image of the globe was replaced with a detailed impression of the Kingdom of Mistral. Thousands of white dots littered the map, representing all the powerful souls that lived within those walls. She didn't bother having it show every person; only those who could aid or hinder her plans.

Everyone else was simply lambs waiting for the slaughter.

One of those white points was different from the rest, a swirling line of black mixing in with the pure white. That was Cinder's soul, the darkness of her heart being clearly visible. If Salem focused on each individual soul, she could pick out traces of darkness in many of them, but only in Cinder did it burn so brightly, so beautifully.

It had been that clear marking on her soul that led her to being noticed by Salem in the first place. She had been surprised to find a human, a young one at that, with such darkness in her heart. She was had been delighted, of course, that the society that Ozpin fought so hard to protect had produced someone so predisposed to aid her grand plan.

The delight was now turning into a grave concern. The key element to her plan could potentially become the thing the undermine it. And Ozpin would only need the smallest hole, the tiniest chink, to completely undo her plans.

Salem brought her right hand to her face, biting her finger in yet another very human gesture. This was the main problem of thinking up plans to eliminate an entire race of flawed yet still quite intelligent creatures. She was doing it all alone, with no one to go over plans with to see if there were any kind of flaws, such as the issue with Cinder she had just discovered.

The creatures of Grimm, while fierce and deadly, were not the best to have discussions about the minutia of complex strategies to conquer the world. In that one area, Salem admitted begrudgingly, the humans had the advantage over her creations.

In truth, Salem had planned for Cinder to provide that crucial element, to review Salem plans and adapt them to the situation on the ground. She would gather various other humans, dangerous and violent ones, and use their skills and knowledge to ensure the plans success. In essence, she would create a counterpart to the little 'brotherhood' that Ozpin used. None of these cohorts would know the entire plan, she wasn't as trusting as Ozpin, but they would still prove a greater threat to Ozpin's organization then her fiercest Grimm breeds.

But on the other hand, she was effectively giving Cinder the means to build her own separate powerbase. This powerbase would be used to topple the Kingdoms, but it could also be used against Salem, if Cinder's ambition overcame her judgement.

Salem's frustration began to build and the world responded to its mistress's mood. The sky grew even darker and air become more oppressive, suffocating if any human had been there. The floating map began to fluctuate as the energy within the crystals started to overload. This didn't happen often, Salem could control her emotions better than any human, but when her temper was let loose her realm would shatter in a violent tempest before reforming.

Why did this always happen? Salem knew that fate and destiny were on her side, there could be no other outcome for anyone who opposed her. The humans were doomed; there was no hope for them whatsoever. Yet still they persisted, somehow defying their fate again and again. There was always some loophole; some critical element overlooked that in turn would cause her plans to be undone.

Salem's anger was mounting and she directed toward the main object of hate in her life; Ozpin. If she found out about Cinder and her less than certain loyalties, she had no doubt he would use that against her. It didn't even need to be Ozpin himself; one of those lackeys of his could discover this fault and either inform their master or take advantage of it on behalf of him. For all of his arrogance, Ozpin could count on the loyalty of a number of competent people. The chance that one would betray him was almost non-existent and they were always on hand to help Ozpin in his plans to counter Salem. There was never too many of them, but Ozpin was able to always have more than two followers to help him…

Salem's thoughts stopped in their tracks as she processed that thought and that number, two. The world stopped it collapse as he emotions stabilized and her thoughts whirled. She ceased the biting of her right hand, bringing it up to look at her palm. She then raised her left hand and did the same, looking back and forth between the two.

An hour of human time passed as the all-mighty Queen of the Grimm stared at her hands, thinking deeply. If it were anyone else, the scene might have looked comedic, both nothing of what was going on inside of Salem was funny. Not for the human race at least.

Her idea fully analyzed within her mind, Salem closed her hands and smiled wickedly. If Cinder was to be her Right-Hand, her sword to slay the abomination that was humanity, then why not have a Left-Hand as well. A person who would protect her plans and ensure Cinder stayed on course.

Salem waved her hands and the map of Mistral was brought back into focus. Her eyes scanned the dots of light, this time looking at them with different parameters in mind.

Her Left-Hand would have to be strong, very strong, to fight against Cinder if the need arose. Not strong enough to defeat her, just enough to hold her off so the grand plan wasn't jeopardized. Infiltration and manipulation skills were secondary for this job; they weren't to execute any part of her plan, just keep the pieces in line.

Loyalty was the second critical component. She needed someone whose loyalty to her would be unquestioned. If not, either Cinder or Ozpin could turn them against her. But loyalty was not an easy thing to instill into people. They person needed to trust, respect and even love Salem and her ambitions enough to lay down their life for her.

The candidate would have to be young, as an adult would be too attached to the world and unlikely to aid in its destruction. On the other hand, they couldn't be too young, as events were going to be coming to a boil in only a couple of years. She had considered kidnapping an infant and raising it to be the perfect agent of her will, but that bought a host of problems of its own, the biggest being that a baby couldn't survive in the Grimmlands or in her dark dimension. They needed to be young, but still capable of surviving on their own.

Strong, loyal and a natural survivor… that was tall order for a mere human. Almost as tall as what was needed for her Right-Hand. But Salem didn't let that stop her as she scanned the map and looked at each soul represented on it.

She quickly decided not to choose someone from Mistral. The chances of Cinder finding out were too great; the Left-Hand had to be kept a secret from her at all costs. There was one very promising child though, a young girl who had the potential to surpass even Cinder in combat ability. But her heart was too pure and innocent; she needed someone with at least some amount of darkness inside their soul, something that she could nurture into what she needed.

She dissolved the map of Mistral and brought up ones of Atlas, Vacuo and Vale. It was difficult; like with Cinder, there were several people who looked like they could work, but didn't quite fit in her mind. There was plenty of darkness in Atlas, the snow-white military nation of the north. It existed in both the highest and lowest points of society, but all people of that kingdom were imbued with a strong sense of duty. Turning any of them, even a child, would be difficult.

There was darkness aplenty in the hearts of the Faunus. Decades of abuse and oppression by the hands of humans left a great deal of hatred that could be exploited. Few Faunus would cry over the destruction of mankind, but they would be opposed to the deaths of their own kind. Salem planned to wipe all life from Remnant with no exceptions. Despite the hatred, most Faunus had close-tied with each other and would be unwilling to do anything that would harm their people more.

Salem continued her search, looking at the areas outside of Vale. Taking someone so close to Ozpin's base of power was risky, but she couldn't leave any stone unturned. She noticed two powerful souls on the island off the coast of Vale, sisters from what she could tell. They both had great potential and a great sense of loss within them. That could be used to her advantage, but the bond between the two seemed very strong. Convincing one to leave without the other would be impossible and trying to take two would be too much of a risk. Plus, looking at the smaller soul, something about it seemed wrong to Salem.

She continued looking, becoming more and more frustrated. She didn't have decades to wait around for the perfect candidate to show up. Events would be set into motion very soon and she needed to find and prepare her quickly. She was beginning to doubt she could find the ideal child and would have to settle for a less then optimal candidate when she saw it.

It was right at the edge of the map-depiction of Vale, almost cut off from view. A single dot of light; surrounded by sea of blackness and far from the safety of the Vale's walls. One of many outlaying village most likely. The child who soul was represented was strong, she could tell, very strong. A layer of darkness was hidden within, loneliness, pain and a hint of hatred towards others. Nowhere near as much as Cinder's soul, but enough to work with. Beyond that, the child was innocent and good-natured, traits that could easily be turned to Salem's purpose.

But most of all, the child was absolutely desperate for love, for purpose. She needed someone to want her, to be of at least some use to another person. Salem could give her that, purpose and a place to belong. She would have to be careful that this child more good-natured and noble instincts didn't affect their loyalty or effectiveness.

It could be a lot of work with substantial risk, but looking at this young soul, Salem could just feel that this was the right one. True, that same feeling had led her to picking Cinder, but she was going to be more careful this time. She reached out to grasp the white light and begin the lengthy process of entering her dreams so as to lead her to Salem.

Salem retracted her hand faster than a King Taijutsu could strike, eyes widening in shock. The orb representing the child's soul was still floating in front of her. It was not pain that had caused her to pull back, but a sudden premonition. Salem could not see into the future per se, but could get a general idea how where an individual's fate was going. She could tell if a person was going to have a good or a bad life, or if they were about to have a life-changing moment.

And the child was about to have her life change very soon; for the better. Salem could see the loneliness and sadness of the child vanishing, the darkness of her heart being replaced by a brilliant light. They would become a champion of the weak and would certainly stand directly against Salem's plan.

The shift in the child's fate would happen soon, perhaps in days, and once it did and they experience true happiness for the first time, it would be impossible for Salem to have any kind of influence. The Queen of the Grimm, who routinely took decades if not centuries to formulate her plans, had to make a quick decision.

Salem stared at the orb with a burning intensity as her mind raced. If she waited, this opportunity would be lost. If she seized it without thinking of all the variables first, she could end up with an unreliable agent like Cinder.

Salem thought hard on the decision, thinking about what would be best. Those thoughts turned to why she needed this child and what she ultimately wanted. She wanted humanity destroyed, obliterated and this child may be the key for that to happen. What was she willing to risk making her ambition come true?

She made her decision.

Salem spread her arms wide and summoned the dark energy from the many crystals with her domain. Black tendrils emerged from those crystals and gathered around Salem's hands. Those hands were soon covered in oily, inhuman power and they reached out towards the small white orb. Those hands and the darkness around them enveloped the light and, grasping tightly, smothered it completely.

The girl was all alone in the darkness. She couldn't see anything, not even her own hands and there was hardly any room for her to move.

But that's what you would expect inside of a locked cupboard.

She had cried and screamed and begged to be let out for the few hours or so, but stopped when it was clear they weren't going to. They were going to make her stay inside for a long this for what she did. She had been in this cupboard several times before, every kid in the orphanage had, but never for more than a couple of hours.

For the pain coming from her stomach, she must have been inside for almost a whole day. She was so hungry it hurt to breathe. She was also tired; there was no room to lie down and all she could do was curl up with her knees to her chest.

But the worse was the darkness. She had believed that she could endure it, even beat it. But each time it she had to face it, she was left completely terrified. It was different from the darkness of night; that darkness was just there. The darkness of the Cupboard seemed alive almost; alive and filled with the same cruelty as the people who ran the orphanage.

Why did they put her in here? All she wanted was for her only friend to not leave. She didn't mean to throw such a big fit and she certainly didn't mean to hit the Matron. She was just so upset and sad. The Matron didn't have to hit her; her cheek still hurt even after a day. And they didn't have to drag her painfully through the orphanage and shove her into the Cupboard.

She had learned her lesson; she would be a good girl. She would be good and not complain about the food or the cold or the beatings or anything anymore. She wouldn't steal anymore food, no matter how hungry she got. She would do anything to be let out. She would do anything to make the pain of it all go away.

Anything?

The voice came out of nowhere and caused the girl to jump up, hitting her head against the Cupboard's ceiling. She looked around the darkness frantically; there was no way that voice came from the outside. The Cupboard muffled all sound from the inside and out.

That meant the voice had come from inside of the Cupboard. Something was in there with her. She couldn't see anything; all was just black before her. But she could feel something, something that shouldn't be there.

The girl shut her eyes tight, for all the good it did. Even with her eyes closed the Darkness still seeped in. Had the Darkness come to life? Had it come to take her away, like the Grimm would do to children who misbehaved? She started to cry again as the fear overcame her young mind.

Hush child. Do not cry. There is no reason to be afraid.

The girl stopped her crying as she heard the soft voice. It sounded like a women, speaking very gently to her. She had an image, a memory, of a women speaking in the same way to calm her down.

Was that how a mother talked to their child? She really didn't know, but she thought that how it was. It would different from how the orphanage staff treated her, with their harsh words and cold looks.

She opened her eyes and saw that a section of the Darkness seemed…different. She couldn't explain how it was; it just was different from the blackness around it. Still frightening and unnatural, but there was no hatred or anger directed toward her. Looking at it, she could feel herself calm down and almost felt safe with it.

Do you want to leave this place child?

She looked round the tiny space again, confirming to herself that the voice was coming from this new type of blackness. She didn't know what to, one lesson she had learned in her young life was to never trust anyone or anything. No matter what it always ended up hurting her in the end. This thing would probably be no different.

Probably

Do you wish to leave?

The girl laughed at the question, a pitiful laugh devoid of humor. It was the only laugh she knew of and even then it had been a long time since she last did it. It was just that the question was so funny; of course she wanted to leave. She hated this place with all the force she could muster. She dreamed of leaving this place almost every night, but she knew it was impossible. The adults who ran the orphanage would never let any of the kids leave without their say so. The only ones who left were kids who were transferred to another orphanage that was run by the same people. She had never been outside of this one, but she knew that they were all the same; poor food, uncomfortable bedding and mean staff.

They only ones who really left were those who ran away, but they had little hope of getting anywhere before the Grimm got them. There weren't a lot around the village itself, but she had been told that they would hunt any child who tried to run away. She had never seen any of the kids who did try to run ever again, so she guessed what they said was true.

She didn't know if the outside world was any better than the orphanage, but hope and dreamed it was.

I can take you away from this place.

The girl tried to move away from the voice, a futile effort in such a cramped space. As nice as the voice sound, she just couldn't trust what it was saying. It was too good to be true and that meant something bad would happen to her. It always did.

I need you child. You're important to me.

She was shocked still at this statement, tears welling up in her eyes. That couldn't be. The Matron had said that no one would ever want her, that she was worthless. But this this gentle voice had said that she was needed. A feeling she had never felt before began to fill her chest, actually replacing the gnawing pains from her stomach.

Was this what it felt like to be happy?

The girl reached out her hand, desperate for more of this feeling, this feeling of being wanted by another person. She didn't care if something bad happened to her. She needed more of this feeling, this feeling that filled the emptiness inside of her. She didn't care for anything or anyone in this orphanage.

Except…

She paused, thinking about the one person in the world she cared about.

"What…" the words hurt her throat; it had been a day since she had had any water to drink. "What about my friend?" As much as she wanted to leave this horrible place, she didn't want to leave her only friend behind. He had been the only one who talked to her, play with her and could make her smile. She did the same for him, doing her best to make their days just a little bit brighter.

The Matron had apparently noticed this and had her friend transferred to another orphanage all the way in Mistral. He was going to be literally half a world away, in another horrible place without her. She couldn't leave him to that fate.

The voice didn't reply at first, leaving the Cupboard in silence. She began to fear that she had angered the voice and it had left. She was relief beyond measure when the soft, voice returned.

Did he stop the people from hurting you? Did he prevent you from feeling pain?

The girl tried to come up with a response, wanting to say that he had helped her. But that wasn't true.

"He tried…" He did try, the one only one who did. He had stood up for her and had received many beatings for his efforts. That was more than anyone had done for her.

But still…

Did he stop the pain?

The voice wanted the real answer and the girl had to give it.

"No…"

I can child. I can take always all this pain .I will make you into someone better. I will make it so that no one can ever hurt you again.

The blackness that the voice was coming from seemed to gaze at the girl intensely.

But you need to leave now. I can keep the way open only for a short time. If you refuse now, I can never come back.

The girl could almost hear the strain in the voice now. Whoever it was they working hard to reach her, to help her leave this place. But was she willing to abandon her only friend in the whole world?

A though entered in mind, one that had never been there before. What was she willing to risk, to give up, for the sake of finally stopping the pain and loneliness?

The girl made her decision.

She reached out with her small hand, reaching into the darkness. And within that darkness, she felt a cold hand grab onto hers.

It was many hours later when the Matron finally decided that the girl had learned her lesson and unlocked the Cupboard. Her surprise and rage was something to behold when she found the small wooden space to be completely empty.

The realm of Salem was still dark and oppressive, but now contained an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. Many of the dark crystal surrounding the ruined land were dull, almost completely drained of their power.

Salem herself was resting on a throne craved from the rock face near the Nexus. Her eyes were closed as she rested from her ordeal. Opening a direct portal to the human world took a lot of her energy; it would take years to fully replenish her reserve.

The product of that labour was currently on her lap, clinging to her robes and snuggling as close to her as she could. She soft breathing indicated that she was sleeping peacefully, probably the most peaceful sleep she had ever had.

Salem opened her eyes and examined that girl who would be her Left-Hand.

On the surface, she wasn't much to look at. Even before being stuffed into that cupboard for a day with no food, she had been underfed. The signs of malnourishment were clear, from her visible ribs that could be seen under the rags she wore for clothes, to her thin boney limbs to the overall unhealthy pallor of her skin.

The immediate expression was that Salem had made a mistake; that this child couldn't possibly be the one she was looking for, the one how could stand up to Cinder. But holding her in her arms, Salem was more certain than ever. Being this close, she could feel the girl's soul burning bright and within that brilliance laid her potential.

Salem wondered what Ozpin would say if he saw what his precious humans had done to one of their young, at what greatness that they were willing to just throw away. He probably knew, and had a hundred excuses at the ready. Watching him burn would truly be a pleasure.

But first things first, she couldn't have the girl starve to death on her. There was no food or water in Salem's barren domain, so she would have to be sent back to Remnant soon. Luckily, she already had the perfect location pick out; it was isolated, had everything she needed and was close to a special monolith that would make communicating with her easier. That would be needed as beyond physical conditioning, the girl would need to be properly educated to perform her duty.

It would be a lot of work, getting her into an acceptable condition before the real training started. But it was all fine. It was all to further her goal of destroying humanity. The commitment to teaching and raising a child was only a small sacrifice when compared to her ambitions. And her ambition would come to past. And the key to it had will be a little girl that humanity had abused and abandoned.

Salem gently stroked the girl's short, orange hair as she chuckled softly, envisioning the destruction of mankind in her mind's eye.

The decision had been made. The course of destiny shifted and the fate of the world changed forever in that moment.

And while this monumental moment was passing by, 9-year old Nora Valkyrie simply slept, dreaming the happiest dreams that she could remember.

That's it for the first chapter of my new story for RWBY. I hope to get the next few chapters out in a reasonable amount of time, but I make no promises.

This story will be focusing on Nora, how different she will become thanks to Salem and how this affects her relationships with the other characters. Partners and Teams will be the same as in canon, but Nora will be the leader of Team JNPR. Because of this, I would like suggestions on what the new Team name should be, as it has to start with either an N or V.

Read, review, leave your suggestions and tell me what you think.