Maiden

The Maidens are a group of four women capable of using Magic.
==History==
During one of Professor Ozpin's past incarnations, he had fallen into a depression due to his mission against Salem, and hid from the world. Four young women eventually helped him to achieve his optimism again, and in exchange, Oz granted them a fraction of his magical power, allowing them to use this without the need of Dust, like humanity did before it was destroyed by the God of Darkness. These were the first Maidens, and this story is told through the fairy tale, The Four Seasons.
==Power Transference==
At first, it was believed that the power of the Maidens simply transferred from one young woman to another upon death. However, it was later realized that it was far more "intimate." Whoever is in the thoughts of the Maiden at the time of death is who the power transfers to. However, this has some restrictions. The age cut off for gaining the power seems to be somewhere around the 30s, as Raven Branwen who is most likely in her 40s obtained the power about 10 years ago upon killing the previous Maiden when she was incapable of becoming stronger through training. Anyone above the age cut off is not able to get the power, and no men can have the power, either. If the person in the Maiden's thoughts is too old and/or a man, the power will go to someone random.
The power does not act biologically, it acts in regards to a person's soul and identity. Someone born biologically male but identifying as female may obtain the power. While a transgender/transsexual Maiden has yet to happen, this can be implied through Penny Polendina. Biologically, Penny was a robot, and yet the Maiden powers still went to her. In regards to her Aura and soul, Penny's comes from her father's, but due to her identity as a girl, she was able to obtain the power.
Although it has only happened in the case of Cinder taking Amber's power, the Maiden powers can be forcibly split between multiple individuals. Salem's plan for Cinder is to have her become a vessel for the Maiden powers, implying a single person can take on multiple Maiden titles at once.
==Powers==
*The Maidens are capable of using any form of Magic from humanity's first time around on Remnant, without having to utilize Dust, though they still can. When using their powers, the Maidens' eyes create flames that are colored that of their Aura.
*The Maidens each have an ability to open the Vault associated with them: Spring for Haven, Summer for Shade, Fall for Beacon (supposedly), and Winter for Atlas.
==Notable Maidens==
Name 	Season	Predecessor 	Successor
Cinder Fall 	Fall 	Amber 	TBA
Fria 	Winter	N/A 	Winter Schnee (RWBYA)Penny Polendina (The RWBYA Adventures)
Penny Polendina	Winter	Fria 	Winter Schnee
Radiant Sun 	Summer	N/A 	N/A
Raven Branwen 	Spring	N/A 	TBA
Winter Schnee 	Winter	Fria (RWBYA)Penny Polendina (The RWBYA Adventures)	TBA
==Trivia==
*Although Alan had absorbed the Fall Maiden powers from Cinder using Feedback's powers, he would have been unable to use them.
*In RWBYA, Winter was already the Winter Maiden, presumably having already taken Fria's powers in some way.
*Radiant Sun is only canon to RWBYA.