Emerald is Cinder's first known recruit. Cinder happens to notice Emerald use her Semblance in order to steal, and corners her in an alley while the police are giving chase. Cinder tempts Emerald to join her by promising that she'll never go hungry again. It is also suggested in "Beginning of the End" that Cinder demonstrated a power Emerald previously believed impossible, and thus kept her in line as a subordinate.