Red
Not so long ago.
Weiss was on the verge of falling asleep when a knock at the door interrupted her. After a long journey from Atlas, which included crash landing after dealing with a swarm of Lancers, and being held for ransom by a wandering group of bandits, whose leader just happened to be Yang's Mom, Weiss was exhausted. Sliding off of the bed in the rented house that Qrow managed to obtain, Weiss slowly walked over to the door. Whoever it was must have a good reason for waking her up in the middle of the night! They were going to Haven Academy tomorrow and put an end to whatever plot Cinder had in motion.
Opening the door slightly, Weiss was greeted to the sight of beautiful silver eyes, ones that she delighted to stare into.
"Hey." Ruby gave her a smile, one that Weiss easily returned. It had been close to a year since they had last seen each other, and they were now different people. That much was obvious by Ruby's physical growth. Weiss could see how she was related to Yang, especially with the pajamas and tank-top she currently wore.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping with Yang. I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on." Weiss smirked as she leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms which caused the sleeping shirt she borrowed from Ruby to expose part of her stomach, exposing her pale skin to the artificial breeze from the air conditioner. The pajama pants were Yang's, and were a few sizes too big and long for Weiss, but they were comfortable.
"Yeah, but she's snoooring so I won't be able to get any sleep." Ruby complained softly, careful enough to not wake anyone. Blake would have been able to catch every syllable with her superior hearing. "Plus you're a better cuddler!"
Weiss smiled and started to close the door. "Good night Ruby."
The dark haired girl stuck her leg in the gap, her aura protecting her from any bruising. "Wait!" Weiss opened the door again with a raised eyebrow. Ruby held a pillow she had brought out from behind her back and stared at the ground with a slight blush on her face.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Ruby squeaked as she held the pillow even closer. She was so cute.
"Of course, though I wasn't expecting the great Ruby Rose to be so straightforward. You should've brought me a bouquet of flowers." Weiss' teasing made Ruby's face and ears turn the same shade as her namesake.
"Weiiiiiissss!" Ruby whispered scandalously.
"All you had to do was ask." Weiss opened the door enough to allow Ruby to enter. Closing the door behind the dark haired girl, Weiss walked back to her borrowed bed and laid on it. She gave Ruby, who was still standing by the door, a head tilt. "What are you doing over there?" She patted the empty space to her side.
"Yay!" In a blur of roses, Ruby basically jumped onto the bed, and not even a few seconds later, the two were holding each other close, Ruby's head in the crook of Weiss' neck. She mumbled something under her breath.
"Hm? What did you say?" Weiss said with a small blush forming on her face, her arms wrapped around the scythe wielder.
"Are you worried about tomorrow?" Ruby said softly.
"Of course not. I'm sure everything will be fine." Weiss brushed a bang that blocked Ruby's eyes. "We're Team RWBY after all." More like RWY since Blake was still missing, but that was still more than half of the team. "With you as our fearless leader, anything is possible."
"Hehe you're so silly Weiss." Ruby sounded tired. "Can you sing me a lullaby? Like you used to?"
"Mhm." Weiss hummed. "I have a new one for you." Ruby enjoyed Weiss' singing, even back at Beacon, back when they were happy and life was normal as can be.
Ruby mumbled something that sounded like a yay. Weiss started to sing softly, just loud enough for Ruby to hear.
"There's a garden, where I go, if you meet me there no one will know…"
Everything would be just fine. They had each other after all.
"In the springtime, in the sun, we can be alone without anyone…"
Weiss formed a small smile at the sound of Ruby's light snores. Humming softly as she pressed her lips against the scythe-wielders forehead, Weiss felt her body relax.
This was all she needed in life.
The sound of feet falling through freshly fallen snow was easy to hear, since it happened whenever she took a step, and when a certain someone always tried sneaking up on her. Ruby angled her head slightly, the red tips of her bangs doing their best to block her view.
Lilac eyes stared back at her, with worry deeply ingrained in them.
"Are you ok, Ruby?" Yang asked, her voice cracking near the end of her question. The answer should have been obvious, especially with the bags that had formed under Ruby's own silver eyes.
"No, Yang." Ruby croaked as she finally turned her body. Wrapped around her neck was one of the few possessions Weiss had left behind at their rented home back when they were in Mistral.
A red scarf, with a rose and a snowflake intertwined.
"I miss her." Ruby grumbled, holding the scarf even closer.
"I do too." Yang wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulder. "But we need to keep moving if we want to make sure Weiss' sacrifice was not in vain."
Each word sent a golden spear through Ruby's heart.
"She's alive." Ruby suddenly said harshly. Yang, Blake and the others didn't agree with her.
"Ruby-" Yang started, only to be silenced by Ruby's ugly glare. She hated each time they had this conversation, it always led to an argument, and Blake having to defuse it. It took all of Ruby's self control to stop herself from screaming.
This was all Jaune's fault.
White
Years ago
"Straighten your back." A wooden stick smacked Weiss' back, causing her to stand straight, a sting causing pain to lance through her body.
"Your legs are too far apart." Another slight smack to her legs forced her to change her stance, Weiss' fencing pants protecting her just a little bit. Her aura hadn't been unlocked yet, so she felt the full brunt of each hit.
"You are gripping the handle too tightly. You'll just damage your hands at that rate and you'll lose control of the blade." This time, Winter didn't smack her arm or hands, much to Weiss' relief.
"I'm sorry." Weiss whispered. Her legs were tired from ballet practice, and she had ice skating once she was done with Winter, who decided to take over for her fencing instructor for today. She was hungry, her stomach sending pangs of pain throughout her body, but her ballet instructor said she was too fat. Father agreed as well, not verbally, but Weiss could see it in his eyes. She needed to be perfect if she was to be his successor.
"Don't apologize, you're a Schnee." Winter said sharply, dressed in the Atlesian Military Academies uniform. This was the first time she returned home since she left, and Weiss had to beg her to stay. "What has your fencing instructor been teaching you? Am I going to need to talk to them?" Winter's face was harsher, no longer the sister that Weiss used to know, but that wouldn't stop Weiss from loving her. Big Sister was amazing! Weiss wished she could be like her one day.
"No!" Weiss held her hands behind her back. "I'll practice more." She would have to fit that in between ballet, ice skating, and singing practice. That wasn't even mentioning the lessons Father was giving her on running the company. There would be no rest for the eleven year old.
Winter's face softened just a little before holding up a simple practice saber, made for slashing, the opposite of the practice rapier that Weiss held in her left hand. The portrait of Grandfather felt like it was staring at the Schnee sisters in the middle of their mansion's gym. Suits of armor similar to the one Grandfather wore were decorated around the room.
"Let's see how much you've learned in a year." Winter said, entering a simple stance with the saber aimed at Weiss, it wasn't a fencing stance. That must've been the one she was practicing at the Academy!
Entering her own unsteady stance, Weiss took a deep breath as Winter spoke in the old Mantle dialect. Weiss hardened her gaze. She would do her best to make Winter proud.
"En Garde, prêtes, allez!"
"You want to become a huntress?" Father said coldly, his eyes harsh and full of disgust. Weiss nodded slowly, her eyes meeting the ground. "First Winter and now you? Do you think I've been teaching you how to run the company just so you can go off and kill monsters?" Father's voice was bitter.
"I wish to bring honor to the family, Father. Just as Grandfather did when he went out to hunt the Grimm." Weiss said carefully. She had been practicing for this moment for weeks now, waiting for Father to be in a good mood. It seemed that she miscalculated.
"Yes, yes, I'm quite aware of your Grandfather's eccentricities." Father's hands were closed. "At least you're not thinking of applying to Atlas Academy. I don't need another second Winter that's under Ironwood's thumb, but at least there you would be able to create connections."
"Beacon Academy is known for producing the best huntsman." Weiss insisted. "And I can use what I learn to hunt down the filthy faunus that keep attacking our properties!"
Father's white mustache twitched, he then formed a smirk. Weiss didn't like the look of that.
"Very well, I shall allow you to attend on one condition." Father's demeanor changed, but Weiss could tell that his smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Yes?" Weiss lifted her head sharply. Father was going to let her go?! Would she finally be able to escape his grasp?!
"As I'm sure you're aware, the SDC has been experimenting with suits of armor with the Atlesian Military in a collaboration with Merlot Industries." Father stood up from his desk and walked over to an armor stand that held Grandfather's ancient armor. "We just recently had a breakthrough, by using possession Grimm that were recently found in a cave far from Mantle."
Weiss' eyes widened in shock. They were experimenting with Grimm? The very creatures that wanted to exterminate all of humankind?!
"By using it to control a mech suit that's vastly stronger than the suit of armor in the Schnee Family museum, it will change the future of warfare forever once its trials are complete." Father continued.
"Why are you telling me this, Father?" Weiss said, holding her hands together. Even as the heiress, there were many projects that Weiss wasn't privy to knowing.
"I want you to fight it."
What?
"Father?" Weiss started before she was cut off.
"Defeat the mech and I shall allow you to attend Beacon Academy." Father turned back towards her, his smirk still on his face. "That is, unless you wish to give up on this insane idea of yours."
Weiss shook her head. "No! I'll do it, I'll fight." She swallowed the saliva that had built up in her throat.
"Excellent. You shall be its first combat subject. I shall schedule it for tomorrow." Father walked back towards his desk and stared at her. "Just let me know when you want to give up."
Weiss took a deep breath and nodded, staring back without flinching. She hated him, but she loved him at the same time. Weiss hated herself, what kind of daughter didn't love their Father? The hate was starting to outgrow the love she once had for him. "I won't give up."
Father shrugged and spun around in his seat. "You are dismissed."
Weiss bowed respectfully and started walking towards the exit, when Father suddenly spoke again.
"By the way, just so you know, it's called the Arma Gigas."
Winter felt a grimace form on her face as Weiss hissed in pain. She didn't like seeing her sister in pain, but life was cruel. Her training would prepare her for life.
"My apologies." The elder Schnee said, lightly pressing the disinfectant wipe against Weiss' newly formed scar. She had refused treatment for it, claiming that it would be a symbol of future battles to come. Winter pressed her lips into a thin line as she finished wiping away the blood.
"You should have ended the fight the moment you took that hit." Winter whispered, placing a pad on top of Weiss' eye, it would have to remain there until it was healed. "Why did you act so foolishly?"
"And let Father win?" Weiss spat before regaining her composure. Her eyes met Winter's own. "I want to go to Beacon, somewhere where I can choose my own path, and restore our family name, Grandfather's name."
"There's nothing I can do to convince you to attend Atlas Academy?" The instructors there were the best in all the Four Kingdoms, and General Ironwood would no doubt take care to ensure Weiss' comfort, she was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company after all.
And that would keep Winter close to her, ensuring Weiss' instructions were the best that were available to her.
"Nothing." Weiss whispered as a silence filled the room. Winter stared at her, and sighed, pulling her sister into an awkward hug.
"Then make sure you behave, and remember to eat your meals, no skipping or purging them like you used to." Winter said firmly. "And make sure to always show the utmost caution, not like the risks you took today."
Weiss only smiled in response.
"No promises, Winter."
Not so long ago
"Specialist Schnee?"
Winter turned her head slightly, a nervous private standing at attention behind her. What did he want? General Ironwood would have called for her directly through military channels, and Father, though he called rarely, would have gone straight to her scroll. Father had started calling more often after Weiss' disappearance from Schnee Manor.
"At ease, Private. What is it?" Winter turned her attention back to the skies. Today it was her cruiser's rotation to keep an eye out for smugglers.
"W-We have received word from our operatives in Haven."
Oh, the ones that Father convinced General Ironwood to send in return for cheaper androids for a month? But why was he bringing this up to her instead of the General? Winter bit the inside of her cheek and waited for him to continue.
"They have reported that Weiss Schnee has been killed in action."
Time slowed to a halt as Winter's heart stopped. Tightening her fist, she marched off of the bridge, ignoring the surprised looks of her subordinates. It was only in the safety of her quarters that she allowed herself to scream.
H-Her sister was dead.
Black
When Blake was accepted into Beacon, she knew that her life was going to change drastically. With dozens of experienced huntsmen and huntresses serving as their teachers, and hundreds of skilled students, Beacon was the safest place to be for a former White Fang terrorist. Blake was a coward after all, so she ran straight into the belly of the beast to hide from another, and nobody ever expected it. They would never imagine it, that someone like her would ever step foot inside their academy, walk their floors, and learn from the best. All it took was a little plain, black bow to hide her ears.
Still, even with all of that, Blake never expected to become friends with a Schnee. It was unheard of, a Schnee and a faunus, an oppressor and a terrorist, it was ironic.
"If you're going to say something, say it." Blake said dryly. The Heiress had been staring at her for the past hour, as if she was trying to burn a hole in the back of the Faunus' head. She was seated near their lone desk at the other side of the cramped room.
"What makes you think I was planning on saying anything?" Weiss fired back, her tongue as sharp as alway, which she hadn't been recently. Weiss had been more subdued recently, nice even after the rest of team RWBY delved into her mind to fight off the Grimm that had buried itself in her heart. The food fight against team JNPR helped to cheer her up a bit.
"I can literally hear your heart beat faster." Blake smirked and wiggled the ears on top of her head. Ever since she revealed her secret, she started taking off her bow more often, while in the safety of their dorm. Blake still wasn't ready to reveal herself to the rest of the school.
Weiss looked like she bit her tongue, probably to stop herself from saying something racist, even unintentionally. Old habits die hard, but she was doing her best, which was all that mattered to Blake.
"Great." Weiss croaked. She coughed into her fist and cleared her throat. "Then I guess you can read minds now too, huh?"
"Only when I have a nice cup of coffee." Blake hummed as she continued reading her book from the comforts of her bed. She hated coffee, everyone knew that, which just so happened to be the Schnee's favorite drink. "Then I can tell the future too. Do you want to know your fortune?"
"Ha, ha, ha." Weiss' fake laugh made Blake's smirk grow. "Then I guess you're not going to want this tea set, complete with longjing from Vacuo, and maude from Mistral."
That made Blake freeze. Those were her favorites! It was Weiss' turn to grin, as she pulled a box from under their desk, which Blake had honestly assumed to be a box of cookies Ruby was hiding from Yang. Weiss stood up, the decent sized box in her hands held outwards. She had a large smile on her face.
"Weiss! That's too expensive!" Blake sat up, and stood up as well, her book forgotten. The tea alone was expensive, having to be imported, and the brand that Weiss chose cost more than the average family made in a year.
"And I have plenty of money. What's the point in keeping it in a bank and saving it, when I'd rather spend it on the people I care about." Weiss said confidently. She held the box out again, which Blake carefully took. It made her stomach hurt, in a good way.
Carefully placing the set on her bed, Blake threw her arms around the shorter girl. Weiss was such a dummy when she wanted to be but she was their dummy. Weiss hugged back, albeit a bit hesitant. She still wasn't used to having consistent physical contact with others, but Yang and Ruby were quickly breaking down her walls. Blake's too.
"You're smearing your makeup all over me now, Blake." Weiss complained as patted Blake's back softly. She wasn't wearing her heels, which allowed the dark haired girl to easily tower over her.
"You're the one that's crying, not me."
Who would've thought that a Schnee would be one of this Faunus' best friends?
The sound of gunfire was a constant in Blake's life, whether it was during her time in the White Fang, or as a huntress-in-training. Wherever Blake went, violence and death was sure to follow.
"Right behind you!" Blake called out as she raised Gambol Shroud, firing off a bullet or two, which distracted a beowolf from tearing off Oscar's head. The bullets bounced off the Grimm's bone mask, cracking it. A wave of roses flew past it, decapitating its head from its body. Ruby reformed her body, and disappeared again into the small pack that was attracted to the relic Qrow held.
"Blake!" Yang shouted. Her cat ears twitched, and instinctively jumped to the right, just as another beowolf tried swiping at her. Grabbing Gambol Shourd's sheath and transforming the main body into its sickle form, Blake threw it, holding onto its ribbon. She aimed it at the beowolf, wrapping her beloved weapon around its neck. Pulling hard, Blake launched herself back at the monster, using her sheath as a cleaver to finish slicing off its neck.
"Thanks!" Blake shouted back. Yang was busy defending Bumblebee, and the cart where Ruby's wounded uncle and Maria were. The snow was slowing down their progress, and the Grimm certainly didn't help. T-Too bad Weiss wasn't here, they would've been able to use her glyphs to funnel the Grimm into killzones. Blake charged back into the fray, covering Ruby's back who was leaving a trail of black dust. She wouldn't run away, not again.
Blake already lost one friend.
They made camp a few hours later, their small group crowding around a small fire that Maria had built. The short old lady was silently rewrapping Qrow's wound with Oscar's help as they relaxed by the cart.
Blake didn't like the snow, it was cold and rough and it got everywhere. She did appreciate Yang who was sharing a blanket with her. Their hands touched briefly, causing her cheeks to heat up. Pushing any inappropriate thoughts out of her head, Blake turned her attention to Ruby, who was staring into the flames blankly.
"How are you feeling today Ruby?" Blake asked, doing her best to smile. When Weiss died, a part of Ruby did as well. She was more sensitive now, and prone to outburst of anger, just like Yang.
"I'm fine." Ruby grumbled as she pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her cape around her body to stay warm. The red scarf Weiss had given her remained around her neck.
"'If you want to talk about it, we're here." Blake continued. Weiss' death had affected all of them, even the remains of team JNPR. Jaune had taken it particularly hard, Weiss had disappeared in his hands after all. Cinder didn't even leave a body for them to bury.
"We love you Ruby." Yang spoke up this time, her voice tired. "Weiss knew the risk-"
"I don't want to talk about it." Ruby interrupted rudely. She hardened her eyes and stood up, a hand on Crescent Rose. "I'll take the first watch." She stomped off into the darkness.
At least she didn't have an outburst, like the one that caused their split from Jaune, Nora and Ren. They could've really used their help about now.
"I still can't believe she's gone." Yang said after what felt like an eternity of staring at the fire. "She was the most stubborn out of all of us. Fuck, she even escaped Atlas and Daddy Schnee's claws to be with us."
"I know." Blake placed her hand on Yang's own, nodding slowly. This was her fault. What if she didn't run away to Menagerie? What would've happened if she was with the rest of her team when they arrived at Haven? She shook those thoughts out of her head. It all worked out in the end, with the militia from Menagerie they saved Haven, but at a great cost. Either Haven falls, or Weiss' death.
What a horrible decision that would hurt no matter the choice. Not being able to decide hurt even more, and what was done was done. She was pulled from her thoughts when Yang wiped a tear from Blake's cheek with her prosthetic hand.
Blake stared into Yang's lilac eyes. She gave the faunus a weak smile, one that she returned. Life was so short, Pyrrha and Weiss' death proved that anything could happen. Adam was still after her, even with his supporters in jail. Was Blake going to run away again? Was she going to abandon her team again? No, Blake was tired of running away, and if she was going to die, whether by Adam's hand or any other force, she wanted to die without any regrets.
Blake leaned in slowly, a movement that Yang imitated until their lips touched. She wasn't going to fail her team again. They were going to take the relic to Atlas and defeat Salem.
For Weiss.