> My Little Schnee
>  by Krieg cormac
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Let's see what the Schnee name really means." 

"I'm more than just a name."

"Hm, then prove it."







Weiss was losing, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. Despite being a part of one of the top first year teams at Beacon Academy, having killed numerous Grimm throughout the school year, reaching the semifinals of the Vytal festival, and surviving the Fall of Beacon, Weiss knew that she was outclassed. Despite her years of training with Myrtenaster, her Multi Action Dust Rapier, Weiss stood no chance against a bandit with years of experience, especially one with the powers of the Spring Maiden. 

Still, that wouldn't stop Weiss from doing her best, fighting till her last breath, despite this ambush.  She was a Schnee after all, as much as she hated what her family stood for, Weiss Schnee was a part of Team RWBY first and foremost. She won't disappoint her teammates, and the remains of Team JNPR. The interior of Haven Academy had turned into a battlefield, Ruby, Yang and the others facing off against their respective opponents. 

Running her finger along her blade, Weiss narrowed her eyes. The Atlesian etchings in Myrtenaster's blade turned orange, the color of the fire dust imbued in her blade's hilt. 

"Hyah!" Weiss swang Myrtenaster, a wave of flames aimed at Vernal, that stupid bandit using the powers of the Spring Maiden for selfish reason. Stupid Branwen bandits, stupid White Fang, stupid Cinder and her followers, stupid Lionheart that traitor! Most of all, stupid Salem for causing so much pain and suffering. 

Vernal simply jumped back, avoiding the flames. She fired a few shots from her crescent blade weapon, forcing Weiss to switch to ice dust. Forming a glyph right in front of her, Weiss stabbed the ground, forming a wall of ice that managed to block Vernal's bullets. 

This was bad, this was really bad. Weiss aimed Myrtenaster at the ground again, forming another glyph, the snowflake having the pattern of a familiar sword. The Arma Gigas could help Weiss turn the tide! It was strong enough to face a Queen Lancer, so it should be strong enough to help her fight a maiden. 

Armored arms pulled themselves out of the glyph, the knightly armor of the Arma Gigas rose from the white snowflake. Suddenly, yellow lasers sliced through the ice wall, decapitating the half formed Arma Gigas in the process. 

"Damn it!" Weiss mumbled under her breath. She barely rose Myrtenaster in time to block a strike from Vernal's crescent blade. 

"Did you think I was going to let you take the easy way out?" The Branwen second in command growled. Weiss only glared in return and formed a black glyph, this one pushing her away from the fallen Spring Maiden. Vernal threw one of her blades towards Weiss, forcing her to use another glyph to deflect the strike. 

Vernal caught her weapon easily and started firing, Myrtenaster easily being able to deflect several of the bullets. Using a glyph to launch herself in the air, Weiss dodged a few of Vernal's bullets, using Myrtenaster to deflect those she couldn't dodge. 

Gracefully landing back on the ground, Weiss stabbed the ground again, forming her summoning glyph. Only an arm was formed when Vernal suddenly struck, both of her crescent blades locking with Myrtenaster's blade. 

"You should have focused on fighting me instead of trying that trick again." Vernal boasted when she unleashed a barrage of lasers straight into Weiss' chest at point blank range. 

Weiss was sent flying through the air and she struck the ground hard, her aura shattering upon impact. Gritting her teeth as her blue aura disappeared, Weiss used Myrtenaster to force herself upon her knees. That was definitely going to leave a bruise, until her aura returned at least. 

"No!" Weiss heard Jaune scream from across the commons. Before she could turn, Weiss gasped, something had pierced her side. Feeling her eyes widen in pain, Weiss struggled to breathe. Looking at the golden spear that had impaled her, Weiss had never felt this much pain before in her life. Not even the training exercise that gained her a scar over her left eye caused her this much pain. 

The golden spear disappeared, leaving a bloody hole in her side, and the last thing Weiss saw as the floor rushed to meet her was darkness. 






Princess Luna was a busy pony. Being the more militant of the two sister's often meant that she was coordinating with the Royal Guard, sending them after reports of monsters, or guarding the border with the Changeling lands. Before her turn as Nightmare Moon, she had been a war hero, leading the finest army on Equus, defending Equestria from the Polar Bears and Penguin raiders from the North. 

Those days were long gone, her thousand year exile ending with her return in a world that was different from the one she remembered. The Griffon Empire had risen and fallen, the remains squabbling to prevent themselves from falling prey to Aquileia and Wingbardy who threatened them in the South. Luna felt for the poor ponies who would be caught in the crossfire of the coming conflict, yet there was nothing she could do. 

Equestria would never intervene with Griffonia and threaten the delicate peace that laid in the balance, so Luna did her duty. She would continue to watch over her little ponies, and ensure that they could sleep well at night. 

Her eyes hardened as they scanned the night sky. Tonight was a peaceful night, the best types of nights in Luna's opinion. After the Changelings invaded Canterlot she ensured that all nightmares were kept at bay, doing the best she could. She wished she could do more. 

Suddenly, Luna's thoughts were interrupted by a bright blue flash of light, coming from the royal gardens! Narrowing her eyes, Luna's horn lit up and she teleported herself to the entrance. 

"Who is there?" Luna said loudly. Speaking in the modern tongue was still a habit she was trying to get used to. She didn't receive a response. Perhaps her eyes played tricks on her? Impossible, she was the mistress of the night. 

Walking in the direction where the light came, Luna lit up her horn with a burst of energy. Should she have called some of her guards? In fact, where were they? She would have to speak to their Captain afterwards for such neglect. Eventually, Luna found herself in the statue garden, filled with heroes and monsters from the past. 

Luna paused after she felt her hoofs touch something wet. Looking down, Luna's eyes widened in shock. Blood? What was this? How did this-

Following the trail of blood, she found a body that looked like a monkey, albeit with white hair and a large whole in her side. Oh no-

"GUARDS!"
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Throughout Luna's long, long life, she had met many creatures that the average pony would consider 'strange.' In her youth she had ventured deep into the heart of Zebrica, had met the kirins and even the precursors of the so-called Storm Kingdom who attempted to invade her home not long ago. Glancing at the hairless minotaur that laid unconscious on a cot in the medical wing of Canterlot castle, there was finally a creature that evaded even Luna's best guesses. 

The creature, with naked, pale skin, and a mane full of long white hair looked like a hybrid monkey and minotaur. The minotaur-monkey mare, their doctors had assured them that the creature waa female, was half dead by the time Luna found her in the gardens and had awoken half the city in the process judging by the glares ponies working the night shift threw in her direction when they thought the Princess of the Night wasn't looking. Hm, maybe she was a hybrid? Luna had been banished to the moon for a thousand years after all, anything could have happened while she was gone. 

"How is she doing, Sister?" Luna angled her head to the side, coming muzzle to muzzle with her older sister, as Celestia yawned into a hoof in an attempt to hide her bad breath. 

"Tia." Luna said softly, turning her muzzle back towards the stabilized creature. It had taken a team of their finest medics, and support from Luna's own magic as well. The whole in the creatures side was rather large, she would not have survived past the night if it wasn't for such timely intervention. "She seems to be doing fine."

Celestia only hummed as she walked towards the other side of the cot, her tired eyes scanning the creature's features. 

"Do you have any idea what sort of creature she is? I have never seen anything like her in all of my travels." Luna asked, speaking carefully, she was still getting used to this modern dialect of Ponglish. 

"Mmm, not personally." Celestia sat her plot on the ground. The creature's clothes were torn, so they had dressed her in the spare clothes they kept for the minotaur diplomats from Asterion. It was ill fitting, but would preserve the creature's modesty. There were plenty of creatures that prefered to not be in the nude, unlike most ponies. "But she does seem like one of those hoomans Twilight has seen through the mirror." 

Ah, the world where Tia's former student Sunset Shimmer had run off to. Luna had personally never met the young unicorn, but the last thing she heard was that young Sunset had returned to Equestria and was now traveling the world, attempting to atone for her many mistakes. 

"You've never mentioned how they looked." Luna said dryly. While she loved her sister very much, Celestia had a long ingrained habit of keeping important details to herself, instead of sharing like a good sister would. 

Celestia only offered her a sheepish smile in return before turning her attention back to the hooman. "I'll send Twilight a letter in the morning, to see if there were any problems with the mirror." 

The hooman stirred slightly, but didn't wake. She must've been a great warrior, the blade Luna had found next to her unconscious body was unlike she had ever seen. The sword along with the crystals she found were locked in a chest in her room, for safekeeping of course. 

"I shall ensure that she sleeps well." Luna declared confidently. Judging by the hoomans movements, she was having a nightmare. Celestia nodded as she stood back up to her full height, towering Luna by a head or so. 

"I'll see you in the morning Lulu." Tia yawned as she slipped away. She would need her sleep dealing with the Day court, which would no doubt be full of ponies complaining about noise at night. 

Luna was no longer paying attention to her sister, instead lighting up her horn with her magical yellow aura as she channeled a familiar spell. 

It was time to scare away the nightmares. 








"Mmm…" Weiss groaned softly as she slowly forced herself onto her knees from her prone position. She winced as she felt a pang of pain surge through her body, coming from her torso up to her arms which ached from her aura exhaustion. "Where am I?" 

Her sapphire blue eyes widened. Haven! Ambush! Bandits! Fall Maiden! 

She heard footsteps coming in her direction. Weiss looked up just in time to receive a kick in the face sending her sprawling on the floor. 

"How pathetic." A cruel voice said. Weiss pushed past the pain and stood back up on her feet. Vernal, the Fall Maiden stood just a few feet away from her, with Myrtenaster on the ground beside her. "I thought you said you were more than just a name." 

Weiss raised her hands into a boxing position, the way she had seen Yang practice back at Beacon. She wasn't the best at hand-to-hand, but she was certainly better than Ruby who was useless without Crescent Rose. 

"I am." Weiss said, gritting her teeth, the pain was unbearable. Where was everyone?! This didn't look like Haven or like that bandit camp! Everything was dark, with no real features to speak off around them. 

"Then why are you so weak?" Vernal kicked Myrtenaster in Weiss' direction. "Pick it up." 

Weiss hesitated, glancing between her beloved sword and the Fall Maiden. Was this some kind of trick? Was she trying to take Weiss off guard the moment she grabbed Myrtenaster? 

"I said pick it up." Vernal growled. "Pick it up and die!" 

If Weiss was going to die, then she'd rather die fighting than as a coward. Using the point of her heels, Weiss kicked Myrtenaster straight up into the air, and caught it with her left hand. The moment the tips of Weiss' fingers touch Myrtenaster's cool metal, Vernal was upon her. 

Weiss was a second too late, she was tired and in pain. Vernal's crescent blade sliced her cheek, while the other buried itself into Weiss' shoulder. Screaming, Weiss felt her body shake.

This was it…

She failed her friends, she failed her team. 

Her breath got caught up in her throat as Vernal pulled her crescent shaped blade out of Weiss shoulder. The former heiress fell to her knees, and would have fallen on her back had the bandit not grabbed her other shoulder. 

"And now, you'll die, a disappointment." The Criminal held their other blade in the air. 

"Ruby…I'm sorry." Weiss' whisper was barely audible, but she refused to close her eyes. Even if her body refused to obey her, Weiss would fight to the bitter end. 

Vernal's crescent blade came swinging. 

"Begone!" An unfamiliar voice shouted, causing Vernal to disintegrate just before her blade pierced Weiss' skin. 

Something soft caught Weiss as she fell forward, her eyes finally starting to close. 

"Rest now. I'll make sure they won't return." The mysterious voice said. Struggling to stay awake, there was little Weiss could do. The voice, it sounded kind, and made her feel safe for some reason. 

And with a strange warmth enveloping her body, Weiss finally went to sleep. 
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weiss groaned softly as her eyelids fluttered open. Her body felt weak, like her aura had been completely drained and had been working overtime in order to keep her body alive. That was understandable, she didn't get a good look at Cinder's glass spear, but it did seem pretty thick and it hurt a lot. She was lucky to have survived. Gritting her teeth and forcing herself to sit up, Weiss felt a warmth envelop her body and an unseen force helped her into position. It was probably somebody's semblance since she didn't feel anyone actually touch her. 

"Careful, you shall reopen your wound if you move too much." An unfamiliar voice to Weiss' left said. Turning her head ever so slightly and brushing her bangs out of the way, her eyes met a pair of kind blue-green ones, more blue than green. 

Eyes that belonged to some weirdly shaped blue pony with a horn and wings instead of a nurse or doctor wearing a silver crown. 

"I must still be dreaming." Weiss murmured to herself. Whatever drugs the doctors had flowing through her veins must've been pretty strong to be able cause hallucinations that were this realistic. Its floating mane looked like the reflection of the night sky, complete with twinkle like stars. 

Reaching out with her left hand, Weiss touched the weird horse's muzzle, poking its adorable nose which was soft and a bit wet if she was being honest. 

Wait a minute…

She touched it! 

"I would appreciate it if you stopped touching my snout, however injured you are." The horse spoke, causing Weiss to freeze, her arm locking up. 

The horn-wing-horse actually spoke. Weiss' eyes widened in shock, and she screamed. T-That wasn't possible! The last thing Weiss saw before the darkness overtook her was the concerned horse's muzzle. 

And she passed out. 








"Mmm." Weiss was hungry, and tired, but mostly hungry. Despite many benefits, aura took up a lot of energy, so huntsmen and huntresses often had to eat larger portions than the average person. This time, she was alone in the strange, yet rather childish room she was lying in. Weiss' eyes darted towards the door and the window, finally being able to sit up without any major pain. 

This didn't look like Haven academy, or any place in Mistral, and Weiss had visited many parts of Remnant in her youth. 

"At least I'm not dreaming of ponies anymore." Weiss said to herself. That was the weirdest hallucination she ever had, not that she injured herself so often and bad enough to require strong medicine to have many of them. "Ruby? Yang?" 

How rude, their teammate was injured and they weren't by her side? That…

…didn't sound like those two idiots. 

What happened? Did they lose at Haven? Did they win? Where was everyone?! Did they leave her behind because she failed them? Where was Myrtenaster?! 

Narrowing her eyes, Weiss threw the blankets covering her off, revealing an oversized shirt and shorts preserving her modesty that were at least three sizes larger than her actual size. Her bare feet touched the cool floor, sending a slight shiver up Weiss' spine. Holding her right hand out, she willed a glyph to life. 

A small snowflake-like glyph formed in her hand. Good, that meant that her aura was active at the very least. If Weiss had her scroll she could check how much aura, but with her injury she was going to have to play it safe if she had been captured. The glyph disappeared as quickly as it came. Time to find out what waa going on here! 

And to give the others a piece of her mind if they decided to leave her here after she escaped Atlas just to be with them again, especially Ruby. Scanning the room for a potential temporary weapon in case Weiss had been captured, the lone door to her makeshift prison creaked open. 

Placing one foot in front of the other and raising her left hand as she formed the glyph of the Arma Gigas' sword, Weiss was caught off guard by the…pony that stuck her head in? 

"Greetings! I am most pleased that you are healed and awake!" The blue pony from Weiss' hallucination spoke. 

Something inside of Weiss' mind snapped. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The horse-pony thing screamed. 

"AHHHHHHHH!" 








Luna was confused. Normally when somepony saved the life of another, the one that was saved would usually be grateful. Especially if their savior stayed up past their bedtime to ensure that they could rest without having a nightmare. They usually didn't scream hysterically while wielding a glowing white sword made of magic. 

Unless that's changed in the thousand years Luna had been gone. 

"Please calm down and take a deep breath." Luna said as the hooman, Weiss Schnee, if the information Luna had gleaned from her dreams were correct, held the magic blade menacingly. "You shall reopen your stitches if you keep swinging that around." 

Thankfully, Luna had placed a soundproofing spell just before she decided to check in on their patient, just in case one of the Royal guards decided to be a bit hasty and accidentally murder Luna's guest. Their failure at the Canterlot wedding and during the Winter Revolution of Stalliongrad, which happened a few years before Luna's return, had turned the Equestrian soldiers paranoid from their complacency. 

"What are you and where am I?!" Miss Schnee was a great warrior, again from what Luna had gleaned through the hoomans dreams. Nothing invasive of course, Luna had simply observed whatever peaceful dream Schnee had, just in case she would be a threat to her little ponies. 

Just in case, the last time they took a visitor at face value, they had to imprison them in Tartarus since they tried stealing everypony's magic. Miss Schnee on the other hand, was like a wounded animal, in need of care to calm down. 

"Good! You are talking now." Luna remained standing unfazed. Weiss Schnee would not be a threat, she could feel it in her flank. "I am Princess Luna of Equestria." 

That made Miss Schnee pause, but did little to help lower her guard. Her confused look was met with an awkward smile from Luna. Celestia was the diplomat in the family, but that didn't mean Luna couldn't handle this without help. 

"What?" Weiss tilted her head ever so slightly. 

Luna sat on the ground, planting her flank to seem more approachable and slowly extended one of her hooves, like the diagram from the Modern Habits book Cadance had recommended.  

"A pleasure to meet you! May I ask you for your name?" Revealing that Luna had been in her dreams would be detrimental during this phase of the negotiations. 

"Uhhh…Weiss Schnee." Weiss said softly, her confusion even more evident in her voice. 

Huzzah! Success so far! 
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This wasn't a dream, or a hallucination brought on by a cocktail of painkillers meant to keep Weiss' body numb from pain. The adorable horsey-pony princess gave Weiss what she could only assume was a smile, one that seemed to hurt a lot judging by how wide it was. Keeping the copy of the Arma Gigas' sword in hand, a thousand thoughts raced through Weiss' mind. Princess Luna, seemed nice enough at a glance, but that didn't indicate what part of Remnant Weiss was now stuck in. 

"It's so wonderful meeting you Weiss Schnee!" Princess Luna said, keeping her awkward large smile. "Especially now that you are awake and not covering my garden in your blood." 

Weiss had never been this confused before. Princess Luna? Equestria? Bleeding to death in a garden? As beautiful as Haven Academy was, there wasn't any garden on campus that Weiss was aware of. 

"Thanks? I guess." Weiss refused to lower her construct. What if this was all a ploy to get her to lower her guard? What if this was the result of Emerald's semblance? "Where on Remnant am I?" 

The horsey Princess tilted her head to the side, her smile dropping as she held a hoof to her uh, chin? It took all of Weiss' willpower to not squeal at how adorable the princess was! Still, she had to put her survival first. 

"I have never heard of this Remnant." Princess Luna admitted, her voice formal and a bit slow. Never heard of Remnant? Weiss felt her grip on her sword tighten. "However! We have an expert on hoomans arriving soon!" 

Hoomans? This was honestly one of the weirdest conversations Weiss had ever had, and that was saying something considering Nora's personality, and Ruby whenever she had one of her sugar highs. 

"Please, lower your blade. I swear upon my cutie mark that no harm shall come to you." Princess Luna continued speaking. Even with the cute pony sitting down, Weiss could tell that she was at least a whole head taller than her, and that was without her heels. "I shall send for the doctors to ensure that your wound hasn't reopened. Would that be okay?" 

Weiss' stomach growled before she could answer, causing her pale cheeks to heat up. She felt her body grow numb. 

"Oh my, I have been a poor host so far." Princess Luna stood up, the long horn on her head easily making her seem much taller. "I shall also send for our chefs to make you a meal." 

"Y-Yes, that would be fine." Weiss said, her voice cracking for just a second. She allowed her sword to dissipate without another word. 

"Wonderful!" The pony princess beamed. How was that even possible?! Every logical bone in Weiss' body told her that this very interaction was impossible! 

But this was real, it felt too real, it smelled too real. Weiss took a deep breath, forming one of her 'Heiress' smiles she used when dealing with Father's business associates. 

"Could I see a map?" Weiss asked. She would figure out whatever deception was going on here and find a way back to Ruby. She wasn't going to be aggressive if it turned out that it wasn't these uh, ponies fault.  

"Of course." Princess Luna finished entering the room, her eyes drawn to Weiss' hand. "My sister will be joining us. She has been waiting for you to reawaken as well." 

Sister? Was she also going to be a cute pony? Something inside Weiss really hoped she was. 

Now if she could only figure out what was going on here. 





After ensuring that Weiss was comfortable with the doctors, along with leaving a squad of guards in the hallway with specific orders to be extra careful with their new guest, Luna trotted into Celestia's smile with a large grin on her face, a real one not the ones she practiced in the mirror when she thought no one was looking. 

"Sister! She's alive!" Luna said before Celestia could even look up from her plate of cake, she was in the middle of stuffing her muzzle when Luna walked in. Dear Sister usually came in here to relax after the first half of Day Court during the lunch break. 

"I'm well aware." Celestia wiped her muzzle carefully with a napkin. "I also read the doctor report, and Nurse Bandage told me that you caused her to lose consciousness after waking up the first time."

Luna smiled sheepishly in return. "That was not my intention. She was still delirious from the healing spells and herbs."  

Another reminder that the ponies of the palace still didn't trust Luna to handle matters. It stung, but there was little she could do to change their minds quickly. Her actions would have to speak louder than words, 

Celestia nodded, with her usual smile gracing her pure white muzzle, and caused her stopwatch to levitate in the air, bringing it to her eye level. "I know Lulu. Twilight will be here within the hour, I'll be leaving the issue with our new guest to the two of you." 

"You trust me enough to handle it?" Luna's words escaped her throat before she could stop them. Everypony usually second guessed her orders, often going to Celestia for confirmation before doing it. That was annoying. 

"More than anything." Celestia stood up and clopped around her desk to place a wing on Luna's head. "We rule together Sister, my word is yours, and yours mine." 

That made Luna's insides warm up, and caused the fur on her cheeks to darken in a blush. It felt good, having someone believe in her, even if it was her sister. 

"I won't let you down Tia." Luna declared confidently. First contact with a new race was so exciting! Luna hadn't felt this excited since her Siege of Yakyakistan over a thousand years ago.

"You never do." Celestia hummed as she floated her cake back to her muzzle. That was a lie, Luna's banishment to the moon was clear evidence of that, but she remained silent.

With another smile, Luna turned to exit, when Celestia spoke again. "Oh, and Luna?" 

Luna paused, and angled head to look at her sister with one eye. "Yes Tia?" 

"Get some sleep soon. Too much coffee isn't good for your health." Celestia said in between bites of her cake, her lunch break was going to be over soon. 

"I'll stop drinking my coffee the day you stop eating sweets." Luna teased as she finally walked out. She was never going to give up her dragon roast. 

Now to see whatever knowledge of these hoomans young Twilight brought with her. 
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Does it hurt here?" The adorable pony doctor, a unicorn apparently, arrived a few minutes after Princess Luna had left, along with another pony wearing a nurse's hat. It took all of Weiss' self restraint to not squeal at how adorable they all looked! They were smaller than the Princess, the top of their ears barely being able to reach Weiss' collarbone, with the Doctor's horn being about the same height as her nose. 

Doctor Fixed Bones, with his baby blue fur and lab coat, looked like one of the toys that Winter would buy for her whenever it was Weiss' birthday, or if she did well during one of her ballet recitals. Lifting her oversized just enough to reveal her wound, the Doctor examined Weiss' torso. Nurse Bandage, hehehe they had such funny names, stood next to him with a clipboard in her hooves taking notes. 

"No." Weiss answered. With her aura back the wound would heal in a matter of hours, leaving her skin unblemished unless she allowed it to scar, like the one over her left eye. 

"Hmmm." He raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Very well then. Try not to do any strenuous activities and you should heal nicely. I'm not a veterinarian so I don't know much about hairless monkeys." 

The unicorn just made himself a whole lot less cuter, but he did manage to earn himself a glare. Nurse Bandage, with her baby pink fur, absorbed his portion of cuteness. Cooing at how cute they were helped keep Weiss' mind off of darker matters. 

Such as wondering where in the two hells she was? And the others, if they were okay. Weiss clenched her hands into fist. W-What if she was stuck in another world? How was that even possible?! 

Atlas with the largest fleet on Remnant had mapped out the entire planet, and talking ponies didn't exist anywhere! Being stuck in another world was the only explanation that made sense, and even then the logical part of Weiss' brain knew that it was impossible. If it didn't feel so real Weiss was sure she would have been locked up in some asylum somewhere, or sent to some penal battalion to die against some horde Grimm. 

S-She was never going to see the others again. Yang, who always managed to lighten up even the heaviest and darkest of moments with her bad jokes. Blake, her presence was always comforting even when she didn't speak. And Ruby, beautiful, sweet Ruby. Weiss was sure if she had never met the scythe wielder, she would have been a completely different person, one that was still under Father's thumb. 

"Miss Schnee, are you okay?" Nurse Bandage spoke up, tearing Weiss away from her thoughts. The clipboard that was in her hooves were replaced by a box of tissues. Oh, that explained why Weiss' cheeks felt moist. 

"I'm fine, thank you." Weiss grabbed the pony sized tissue box despite her answer. She quickly pulled a tissue out and pressed it against her left cheek first. 

Nurse Bandage looked like she was about to continue speaking, when Doctor Fixed Bones looked up from the clipboard. "It seems that I'm done here. If you have any more pain or discomfort, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Let's go Bandage." 

The two left soon after, with Nurse Bandage giving Weiss one last look. This left Weiss alone with her thoughts once again. Her body and mind felt numb, like she was going through the motions, surviving rather than living. Heh, Weiss wished she could see Ruby and Yang's reaction to the cute ponies. She was sure they would've loved it here. 

Her stomach growled as she finished cleaning her face of tear stains. The door reopened, causing Weiss to straighten her back into a proper sitting position. She hadn't realized she was slumping. 

"Huzzah! The food has arrived." Princess Luna pushed the long cart that held several plates covered by a steel dome. "I didn't know if you were herbivore, a carnivore, or an omnivore so I had the chef make a bit of everything." 

"That was very kind of you." Weiss said softly. A blueish energy surrounded the domed tops, lifting them in the air, revealing a variety of dishes. Weiss' eyes widened. What was that? Some kind of semblance? "H-How are you doing that?" 

"This?" Princess Luna grinned as she levitated the tops in the air, forming a circle above her head. "A simple levitation spell, even a foal should be able to do it. Why?"

Magic, of course it was. 

"It's a long story." Weiss sighed after a few seconds. 

"Then you must eat first!" Princess Luna rolled the cart in front of Weiss. "And I shall join you." Her muzzle turned pinkish. "I may have skipped my lunch." 

These ponies were way too cute. 








Twilight galloped as fast she could, with Spike holding on for dear life, clinging to her saddlebags. She rushed through the streets of lower Canterlot, having just jumped off the several hour long train ride. A human in Equestria! 

"Sssssllooow down Twilight!" Spike yelled just as Twilight used her wings to glide over a group of nobles who were bowing in her direction. While usually one of the many cons of being a princess, having people bow down all the time got annoying real fast, today it seemed to be working in her favor.  

"I can't Spike! Do you know how big this discovery could be!?" This could change everything! Another portal to the human world! A human here in Equestria! How did they manage to cross whatever portal they used without turning into a pony? Did they use the portal at Canterlot High? Is there a second portal? Thousands of questions sped through Twilight's mind. 

She brought all of the notes she made about the human world, even the journal she used to communicate with Sunset, who was on a journey in Northern Zebrica. The fiery haired unicorn had stepped through the portal one day with a downcast look, and while she didn't say much, Twilight knew that it had to do with her pony friends' counterparts. Sunset had stayed in the Castle of Friendship only for a few weeks before she departed on the journey to find herself again after her painful experience. 

Twilight should have known better, all of her friends were adults, full grown mares, and their counterparts in the human world were still immature teenagers. What if the human was one of them! Princess Celestia wasn't very specific in her letter, only stating to come to Canterlot because of the human. 

"-ilight! We're here!" Spike shouting in her ear pulled Twilight out of her stupor. Shaking her head violently, Twilight got a good look at her surroundings. 

"Hello Twilight." Princess Celestia's warm voice said from atop her throne. Dozens of other eyes were staring at her, mostly the petitioners who were waiting in line to have their issues heard, a line that Twilight had skipped. Oops! Her muscle memory must've taken over in the middle of her mental rant. 

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight instinctively bowed. 

"Please rise, you're my fellow Princess." Princess Celestia slowly stepped down from her throne. That did little to prevent the lavender alicorn's blush, she still wasn't to her title, or living in hee castle in Ponyville. "Day court shall be concluded for today, due to other matters. If your issue is time sensitive please see Chancellor Neighsay or Prince Blueblood." 

"Awww." Many of the petitioners seemed disappointed, especially the green noble that stood next in line. 

"Come Twilight, I'm sure you have much to discuss with my sister." Princess Celestia unfurled one of her wings, pointing towards the side door. Her motherly smile never strayed from her face. "And I'm sure you're going to want to meet our guest, Luna tells me that she's very sweet." 

"Of course!" Twilight couldn't wait to meet the human whoever it was! 

Maybe this could convince Sunset to return to Equestria? 
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To say that Twilight was nervous would be the understatement of the year. First contact with a human in Equestria! Granted Princess Luna had been the one who initially met the human, but that could also be rectified in Twilight's notes later on. Good thing she brought several blank notebooks, and she had Spike bring plenty of quills and pencils. Knowing herself, Twilight was going to have to make Spike go on a supply run within a few hours to get more. 
 
"You're overthinking things again." Spike said as he wobbled alongside the Princess of Friendship. "Mmm, I wonder if the human has any of those biscuits with them. I've been dreaming about making a gem cheesecake with them." 

That earned him a light chuckle from Princess Celestia, who was leading the way. They had gone deep into Canterlot castle, with less servants and guards scurrying about the more corridors and hallways they passed. 

"Only a hoof-full of ponies know about our guests' existence at the moment." Princess Celestia explained. "The medical staff, a few trusted maids and picked members of the Royal and Night Guards." 

That was understandable, ponies were fickle creatures after all, afraid of the unknown and confrontation against non ponies. It's why nopony ventured into the Everfree forest, or had dealings with anypony beyond Equestria, with the River Federation in Griffonia. Revealing the human to the public would have to be done carefully. 

"Here we are." Princess Celestia stopped in front of a door in an isolated hallway. Twilight could sense the wards and spells that had been placed, some kind of muffling spell? Yeah, it felt like one. Opening the door, Twilight's ears twitched as the sound of laughter and chewing escaped the room.

"Ah! Tia! Twilight!" Princess Luna exclaimed. She was sitting on the ground, with a delicious smelling hayburger levitating near her muzzle.

"Princess Luna." Twilight said in greeting, when her lavender eyes landed on the Princess' companion. With long hair as white as Rarity's fur, and peach skin so light that it was almost as white as her hair, the human munched on a nice salmon with her fork. Her most noticeable feature however, was the scar that went over one of her sapphire blue eyes. 

Hearing about the human was one thing, actually seeing her in person was an entirely different matter. A human in Equestria. Twilight's eyes widened as they scanned the human girl wearing oversized clothes. 

The human spoke. "Hello-" 

Something inside Twilight finally snapped. 

"OH MY CELESTIA!" 

She really should have prepared herself better mentally..







Weiss had decided that she liked Luna, for the moment. Her opinion would turn permanent if it turned out that Luna wanting to help her was genuine, and not an attempt to manipulate Weiss into helping Salem in some way. And the salmon was perfectly cooked, which also helped Weiss' mood. A mood that a shorter purple alicorn, the race Princess Luna had identified herself as, was definitely trying to push to its limits with her screaming. 

"A HUMAN!" The purple alicorn's wide eyes looked like they wanted to peer straight into Weiss' soul. "AHHH!" 

"An alicorn." Weiss said dryly. She was supposed to be their expert on humans? The other visitor, a white alicorn that was taller than Luna with the sun on her butt watched in amusement. 

"You have alicorns in your world?! Or are they myths and legends." Twilight, Luna had already mentioned that her sister's name was Celestia, started to rant. She levitated a book and pencil that made Weiss bring her guard back up. 

"No, Princess Luna told me what you three are." Weiss continued eating her food. While impolite, she was also starving and needed the food to replenish her aura fully. Summoning the sword of the Arma Gigas had been a bit of a mistake, especially since she hadn't fully healed, but she didn't regret it. 

These adorable cutie patootie ponies could be up to something. 

"Hello." The white alicorn said briefly, her voice sounded like a refreshing breeze on a hot day.  A refreshing breeze that was interrupted by a gale. 

"Twilight! Introduce yourself before asking so many questions." Luna admonished the purple pony, who was still asking several dozen questions. Weiss was pretty sure that the alicorn wasn't breathing at this point..

"Yeah!" The cutest lizard Weiss had ever seen spoke up from his spot behind Twilight. 

Wait a minute…THEY HAD TALKING LIZARDS!?

Nearly biting her tongue as she chewed, Weiss felt her self control slowly slipping away. No! Don't let the cute creatures win! Weiss did her best to keep her 'heiress'  expression carved onto her face. 

"Sorry!" Twilight's ears folded down cutely with a sheepish smile. She turned her attention back to Weiss. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship!" 

The Princess of Friendship. That washed away the last of Weiss' self control. Sadly, the result may have caused an interdimensional incident. 

Weiss bursted out laughing. 








After a few minutes, Weiss' laughter finally started to run out of steam as the three alicorns and lizard stared at her awkwardly. Wiping a tear that had formed in the corner of her unblemished eye, she sighed. "I'm going insane aren't I." 

"Nope! We're all real." The lizard with the chubby baby cheeks said. Discreetly pinching herself, Weiss straightened her back. 

"I apologize for my rudeness." Weiss said politely. Hopefully they weren't too offended, and if they were, she was pretty sure she could easily escape or survive if she was thrown out. 

"Don't worry about it." Twilight waved her off. She also sat on the ground. "You should've seen the ambassador from Colthage. And I'm sure you're still adjusting to everything." 

Giving Luna a side glance, Weiss nodded slowly. Before another awkward silence could settle, Celestia spoke. 

"I'm Princesa Celestia." The tallest of the group said. Easily towering over Princess Luna, it somehow didn't result in her appearing to be intimidating. Twilight Sparkle on the other hand only reached her bosom, with her horn adding a few extra inches, reaching Weiss' chin. "I'm sorry I couldn't come meet you in person earlier. Running a nation makes sure that my schedule remains filled." 

"Weiss Schnee." She would say that it was a pleasure to meet them, but given the circumstances, Weiss didn't want to be a liar. 

"Good! Now we're all acquainted with each other we can begin." Luna, she had told Weiss to drop the title for some reason, spoke up taking one last bite of her farmlike smelling burger. 

"Uhuh." Someone coughed. Everyone's head turned towards the light lavender and green lizard who had his hands on his hips. 

So cute!

"Oh yeah, and this is Spike, my personal assistant." Twilight rubbed the back with one of her hoofs. Spike did a little bow before jumping on one of the spare chairs Luna had provided. "Was that Herzlander?!" 

This time everyone's attention turned to the Huntress, who simply took another bite of her salmon, her body still numb. Herzlander? Did she mean Weiss' name? Swallowing another bite of the delectable salmon, Weiss placed her plate to the side. 

"What's Herzlander?" 

Little did Weiss know, she would regret asking such a question. 
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh no." Spike muttered under his breath, which did little to cure Weiss' unease as Twilight's grin started to grow a bit too large for the Huntress' comfort. 

"What's Herzlander you ask?" Twilight said, scooting a bit closer towards Weiss. Giving her other visitors a glance, every fiber in Weiss' being told her not to continue, mostly Spike and Luna bobbing their heads no violently as Princess Celestia slowly made her way out of the room. 

Still, Weiss needed to know more about this world, even if the process was tedious and rather annoying. It would be like ripping off a bandaid in one motion, instead of doing it slowly and only causing more pain. 

"Yeah." Weiss shrugged her shoulders. It should have been obvious by her question in all honesty. 

"Glad you asked! You see, Herzlander is the primary language of, as you may have guessed, the Herzland!" Twilight Sparkle started ranting. The cute dragon flashed her a betrayed look before settling in on his chair, while Luna sighed, but remained seated. "The Herzland also happens to be the heartland of the Griffonian Empire, ruled by the line of Grover. Grover the First founded the empire by defeating the neighboring kingdoms of Wingbardy and Aquileia, and went on a warpath with its surrounding nations."  

"I see." Weiss forced a smile on her face as she nodded along. She did ask for it after all. 

"By the way, did you know that your name means White Snow in Herzlander?!" Twilight continued. She started scribbling in her notebook before levitating it over to Weiss' hands. Grabbing it hesitantly, Weiss still didn't trust magic, her eyes started to scan the page. Twilight had written her name in Atlesian. "Isn't that so interesting? And it's the same language as German from the human world!" 

"It is." Weiss murmured as she ran a finger over the freshly written words. After the Great War, the Schnee family had made it a habit to name their members with words related to snow, after their family name. "Atlesian has the same alphabet, and language." 

"Atlesian?" This time it was Luna who had spoken. 

"It's one of the four languages where I'm from." Weiss explained. She was fluent in all four of them, Valish, Atlesian, Mistralian and Vacuan. One of the many benefits of not having any friends when she was younger. "What language are we speaking in right now?" She held out the notebook again. 

"Ponish, you might know it as English." Twilight took the notebook, her face scrunched up in thought. 

Weiss shook her head. "Valish." It looked like they had something in common at least. What was with the alicorn and assuming the names of the languages Weiss spoke? Sure she was the so-called expert on humans, but that was still a bit too assuming. 

"Oh." Twilight turned her head towards Spike so fast she almost broke her neck. "I'm going to need you to bring more notebooks, Spike, and bring some coffee while you're at it." 

Coffee did sound nice, and it made Luna perk up from her spot, but it did little to ease the discomfort Weiss was starting to feel in her stomach. It wasn't the fish, she knew that much. As nice and cute as these ponies were, Weiss just wanted to go home. 

She missed Ruby. 








Weiss Schnee was not from the human world that Twilight had been to several times, that much was extremely obvious. Especially when she started to explain the Grimm, and a brief history of Remnant, Twilight was definitely to ask more questions about that later. 

"So this 'Dust' allowed humanity to fight back?" Twilight had gone through several pens at this point. She would have gone through more, had Princess Luna not been there to hold her barrage of questions back. Princess Celestia was long gone, which was understandable. 

"Yes, along with our aura." Weiss said a bit distracted, but that should be normal given the circumstances. She was definitely from another world, unless her world was the future of Sunset's old friends! That could help explain the similarities in their languages, and time did pass differently in both worlds. 

It was just a theory of course, and not even a fully thought out one. 

Weiss spoke again before Twilight could ask another question. "When you found me, was there anything else?" 

"A sword and a few gems." Princess Luna answered. "I kept them in a chest in my room, just in case." 

That helped Weiss feel relieved, judging by her facial expressions, or at least Twilight thought so. It's been a while since she had seen a human, and their customs were foreign to anypony. In all honesty, Sunset would have been better suited to handling this, but that didn't mean Twilight wasn't going to do her best! She still had a lot of notes from her experiences at Canterlot High. 

These 'Huntsmen' and 'Huntresses' sounded so interesting! Was their aura related to magic? How did Dust change the way their civilizations formed? Sunset's human world had dopplegangers of Twilight's friends from Ponyville, did Weiss' world have the same? If so, that meant that there was somecreature on the planet that also held the name of Weiss Schnee, with a similar personality. 

"I'd appreciate it if they were returned to me." Weiss also mentioned that she was the heiress, former heiress now that Twilight remembered, of a large company that handled Dust, which was perfect! That meant that there was more for Twilight to learn. 

"Of course." Princess Luna smiled. "I was merely holding onto them until you woke up." 

"And these Grimm, what did they look like? Where did they come from? How many variants of them are there? How dangerous are they?" Twilight asked as soon as there was a lull in the conversation. Weiss had only mentioned the Grimm briefly, monsters that had pushed her world to the edge of extinction. "Did they all originate with a common ancestor? Are they also able to use Dust or aura? And what about magic, you mentioned that it's rare in your world." 

It worried Princess Luna, even Twilight could notice that. If Weiss could somehow end up in their world, what was stopping the creatures of Grimm? Would the Royal Guard be able to stop such a horde of creatures? And their standing army was even smaller, half the size of the Guard! 

"Uh, one at a time please." Weiss' grimace went unnoticed by the Princess of Friendship. "And I think it's my turn to ask a few questions." 

Twilight nodded. "Yes?" This was so exciting! 

Weiss took a deep breath. "Is there a way to send me back home?" 

"Possibly, but there isn't a guarantee that it would work." Twilight didn't want to offer any false hope. The mirror that connected to the human world wouldn't activate again for several moons, especially since Sunset and her journal were now on this side. And since the human world that was connected by the mirror was of a different reality, that would just be another deadend, unless Weiss' world was from the dystopian future, which again, was just a wild guess. 

That seemed to have crushed Weiss' spirits, but she nodded anyway. 

"I want to try." 
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I want to try." Those few words escaped Weiss' lips easily. If there was a way back home, a way back to her team, Weiss was going to take it. No offense to any of the ponies she had met, they were pretty nice from what little she knew of them, but this wasn't Weiss' home. Her family, her team wasn't here, Ruby wasn't here. Weiss didn't belong here. 

"We would love to help you!" Twilight said, her voice a bit hesitant. Weiss narrowed her eyes as the smallest of the three alicorns spoke. "But the magic mirror in my castle can only open every thirty moons, and even then we don't know for sure if it'll lead to your world." 

"It's worth a shot." Weiss sighed. Even if she didn't want to admit it, that was still a big possibility. She would do anything to find a way back home. Well, almost anything. 

"We shall help you, Weiss Schnee." Luna declared. She stood up from her seat, using her magical aura to levitate a napkin to her mouth, wiping away the crumbs of her hayburger. "And you can remain here for as long as you wish, as my personal guest." 

Princess Luna was a very generous pony, Weiss hadn't even known her a full day. 

"Sunset Shimmer was the last pony to come from the mirror, about twenty-six moons ago." Twilight Sparkle continued speaking. "Which means we have about four more moons before the portal opens." 

Weiss had no idea what any of that meant, but she took this moment to finish the last of her third perfectly cooked salmon. She was still a bit hungry, but Weiss didn't want to take advantage of the Princess' generosity, at least without a way to pay them back. 

"We call our month's moons here." Twilight said at the end of her rant. Her cute lizard had fallen asleep by this point, snoring in his own seat. 

"So I'm going to be stuck here for four months." Weiss' face felt tight, and her hands felt heavy. "Is there a way to make the portal open faster?" 

"There is, but that would require a magical connection between our world and your world." Twilight spoke honestly. "Like a pair of enchanted journals, but then again, we have no idea if the human world the portal leads to is your world. And time does move differently between our worlds." 

That meant that Weiss was most likely stuck here, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try, with or without these ponies' help, if they decided not to help her. 

"We shall do our best to return you to your home." Luna interrupted Princess Twilight before she could start another rant. "I know what it's like, longing to return home, to return your loved ones." She said that last part sadly, despite the smile on her face. 

"Thank you." Weiss said quietly. Her mind was racing, hundreds if not thousands of thoughts rushed through her brain. While she hoped for the best, the huntress in her also had to prepare for the worst. But above all else, Weiss was going to survive. 

Schnee's were survivors after all. 









"We have asked more than enough questions for today." Princess Luna said out loud, carefully stretching her wings as Twilight finished the last page of her tenth journal. Spike was long gone, having left the room after his second nap to annoy the baker in the kitchen. "Weiss needs her rest, she must have a lot to think about." 

"Of course, Princess Luna." Twilight said sheepishly. She turned her attention back to the sole human in the room, her intelligent eyes scanning the map Princess Luna had brought in. "It was nice meeting you Weiss Schnee! Though I wish it could have been under better circumstances." 

Weiss looked up from the map. "Same here, your highness. Thank you for your time and answering my questions." Her defensive tone was long gone by this point, replaced by the politeness and manners that Twilight often saw in Canterlot's upper class. It made sense, given Weiss' position as the former heiress to the Schnee Dust Company back in her world. 

Twilight smiled in return. She wished she could've asked more, there was so much she had to learn! But she also didn't want to annoy Princess Luna too much. 

"I shall return with your sword and Dust." Princess Luna gave Weiss a warm smile. "Until we announce your arrival, I must implore you to stay in this wing of the palace, ponies get frightened easily." 

"Of course." Weiss nodded, her long, loose mane framing her sharp face like a picture. "Thank you." 

Gathering her belongings, the lavender alicorn followed the Princess of the Night out the room, closing the door behind her with her magical aura. 

"We must do our best to return our guest to her home, Young Sparkle." Princess Luna paused in the middle of the hallway. She gave Twilight a smile. "I know that you can do it."

"I hope so." Twilight beamed. She was going to need help of course. Her friends back in Ponyville, in all honesty, wouldn't be able to do much to help, aside from keeping Weiss company. But there was somepony she could ask for help, beside the two princesses. A certain somepony who was exploring Zebrica. 

It was time to use her magic journal! 








Sunset Shimmer, despite what her name may have implied, did not like the heat, Zebrica's heat more specifically. The heat in Equestria was bearable, enjoyable even on a nice day. Celestia's sun bore down on Zebrica harshly, as if she was punishing Sunset for the mistakes she made long ago. She deserved it. 

"Hold!" Sunset barked loudly. The soldiers under her command paused as she clopped past their ranks. Calling them soldiers was a bit of a stretch, most of them were former farmers, both young and old trying their hand at becoming mercenaries, or freedom fighters in many of their cases. Tobuck was full of warlords that had deep pockets, and that often meant crimes that not even Princess Celestia could forgive. 

With her field cap protecting her eyes from the sun's glare, and her uniform shielding Sunset's body from the harsh desert wind, Princess Celestia's former pupil had found her place, using the skills she had learned back at Equestria's now defunct military academy, supporting the followers of harmony where they were oppressed. Heh, if only Blueblood could see her now. 

Sunset stopped in front of a young zebra, inspecting her uniform. Her new job paid well, and it helped to distract Sunset from what happened in the human world. The zebra's uniform was covered in mud, despite there being no rain for several weeks. 

"Why is your uniform dirty?" Sunset asked, hardening her eyes. Presentation was just as important as abilities. 

"I uh-" The mare stuttered under Sunset's glare. "I forgot." 

Sunset was going to have to speak to her sergeant later about keeping his squad in line. 

"I want you and your squad to run ten laps around the training camp." Sunset sighed as she turned around. "And you better hope that I don't forget how many you've done, otherwise you're going to have to do them all over again." 

"Y-Yes Captain!" She saluted and ran off, her squad members groaning as they followed her. 

"The rest of you are dismissed." Sunset shouted, twisting her neck to stare at the rest of the company. A pony standing close to her flinched. "We're moving out tomorrow, so have the rest of the day to yourselves." 

A few creatures cheered, and they all went their own way after saluting their commander. Sunset decided to stay behind, keeping an eye on the troublemaker. Her left ear twitched at the sound of somepony walking up to her. 

"I would've had them whipped." A thick Stalliongrad accent easily identified the mare without having to look at her blue-green fur and dark blue mane. Alesia Snezhnaya was the closest thing to a friend that Sunset had. 

"Good thing I'm not you." Sunset scoffed under the shade of her tent. Her fellow Equestrian was a bit rough around the edges, hating Princess Celestia with a passion that rivaled her hatred of communist, but she was decent company, especially on cold nights. How ironic..

Alesia shrugged and sat next to the fiery colored pony. "I'm not going to tell you how to run your company, but I will say that they better impress Pea Shooter if we're going to get the contract." 

"Don't worry." Sunset smirked as she turned her attention back to the running squad. "They'll handle it." 

The best way to take down a tyrant was from the inside. 

"Hm, if you say so." Alesia grumbled as she scooted closer. The older mare's battalion did the most of their actual fighting, while Sunset's company was mostly used as makeshift engineers, thanks to her expertise. 

"I do say so." Sunset grinned as the squad slowed down, finishing their last lap. "Ten more laps! I lost count." 

She missed Equestria. 
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Myrtenaster looked as perfect as always, with its shiny metal reflecting the sunlight into Weiss' eyes, and the ancient Atlesian runes that she had painstakingly carved into the blade herself. It was a reflection of its owner, perfectly optimized for Weiss' use. The blade was made just for one single purpose, to serve as an extension of her body as she worked to defend humanity from the creatures of Grimm.

Weiss' lips pressed themselves into a thin line. What was a huntress supposed to do in a world without Grimm? Granted, Weiss wasn't planning on staying here long if the magic portal that Princess Luna and Twilight worked as they hypothesized, but what if it didn't? As much as Weiss hoped it would, she was also a realist. Twilight didn't seem particularly confident that the portal could send her home, despite the smile she forced onto her muzzle. Twilight's eyes betrayed her, eyes were the window to the soul, Father had made sure Weiss learned that lesson at a young age to ensure the Schnee legacy would continue to rule Atlas through the SDC. 

"At least you're here with me." Weiss murmured softly, running her aura protected finger against Myrtenaster's blade. Without Ruby, Blake, or Yang, Mrytenaster would be her only friend here, for now at least. Her eyes drifted to the handful of Dust canisters and crystals that Princess Luna had returned. 

She had them spread out on her bed, far apart from each other. The raw crystals, like the ones she used for her earrings, would explode if they weren't treated properly. Her aura should be able to protect her, but it was drained from healing her wounds so the former heiress didn't feel like taking any chances. Growing more would take time, a long time even with help from her Schnee glyphs, but it wasn't like Weiss was planning on fighting anyone at the moment. Not in these ugly clothes at least. 

Weiss wasn't Yang. 







Surprisingly, sleep came to Weiss much easier than she thought it would. She didn't have any nightmares, and from what she remembered about her dreams, they were about her happier days, before the Vytal Festival. It felt…nice. 

The ponies had brought her another change of oversized clothes to sleep in, which while uncomfortable, were better than nothing. Weiss didn't want to be a bother. 

"Good morning Weiss!" Princess Luna sauntered into the room just as Weiss was in the middle of fixing her bed. 

"Good morning Luna." Weiss said softly, adjusting the two pillows. The Princess had convinced the former heiress into dropping her titles, at least whenever the two of them were alone. 

"Would you like to have dinn-uh-breakfast I mean, with my sister and I?" Luna was levitating a mug of steaming hot coffee with her magic, lifting up to her muzzle to take a long sip after she finished speaking. "I'll give you a tour of this wing of the castle, so you won't be confined to your room all day." 

That was polite of her. 

"That sounds lovely." Weiss smiled. Her oversized shirt and shorts looked ridiculous on her, and were certainly not for meetings with royalty. "I hope this request isn't too presumptuous, but would it be possible to have my dress repaired?" 

"Of course!" Luna levitated the coffee to her side. Her eyes looked tired, as if she had stayed awake the entire night. "I'll have one of the Royal Tailors handle it. You're smaller than a minotaur, but I'm sure that they'll be able to handle it." 

Perfect. Being in clothes that actually fit would help make her stay here bearable. 

"Now let's eat! I'm hungry." Luna's grin was infectious as she all but dragged Weiss out of the room, using her muzzle to push the huntress' back. 

Ruby would have loved her. 








Luna was exhausted, having stayed up the entire night to handle court and to discuss her guest with Celestia. Weiss' dreams were vivid, and if they were accurate, was extremely skilled when it came to combat. Luna remained hidden of course, she didn't want to lose the humans trust. 

"This wing of the castle has been completely closed off to visitors, so feel free to wander as you please." Luna smiled as she spoke. Being a guide, and first point of contact for a visitor from another world was a serious job, one that Celestia had entrusted to her. It was nice, being trusted to handle things on her own for once. Most ponies still didn't trust her, with some even going as far to ask Celestia the same question they had asked Luna during the Night Court. "All of the guards and maids have been sworn to secrecy until we reveal you to the public. If you need anything, please feel free to ask!" 

"It's lovely." Weiss' eyes were wide, staring at everypony and everything. A few maids were scurrying around, quickly bowing their heads as Luna walked past them. The guards remained silent, with their spears at attention. 

Breakfast, and Luna's dinner, were set up in a spare room which was decorated to help the lost human feel at home. Luna had specifically ordered the royal kitchen to cook several varieties of fish in different styles. It had earned her a few uneasy glances, but her subjects followed her command. 

"Twilight won't be joining us, unfortunately." Luna continued. "She spent most of the night poring through the library and reviewing her notes from yesterday."

Remnant sounded like such a fascinating place! Dangerous too, which intrigued the Princess of the Night. Equestria had been a land of war before Luna's banishment to the moon, having taken several decades to unite the Three Tribes and solidify pony control over much of Equus. The ponies of today could not even imagine such a conflict with their thousand years of, overall, peace. 

"I see." Weiss murmured under her breath. Luna's ears were sharp enough to catch it, only twitching ever so slightly. 

She looked like she wanted to say something else, when they finally reached their makeshift dining room. The two Night Guards in front of the door opened them silently, allowing the duo to pass. The smell of mushroom steaks and fresh jam slithered its way into Luna's muzzle, causing her mouth to water. 

Mmm, dinner smelled delicious. 








"My apologies if it looks like I have been ignoring you." Princess Celestia, the cute white alicorn, said while she floated a lone grape up to her muzzle. "We didn't have a chance to talk much yesterday." She was seated at the head of the long table, with Luna sitting on her right across from Weiss. 

Who was in the middle of stuffing her face with the dozen types of fish laid out before her, in the most polite way possible of course. She wasn't a savage that would smush half of her food onto her cheeks. Daintily wiping her lips with a handkerchief provided by another cute maid, Weiss gave the Princess a well practiced smile. 

"I understand, running a country must take most of your time." Weiss was used to it. She wouldn't see Father or Mother for months at a time when she was younger. 

"It does." Princess Celestia's smile looked exactly like Luna's. It didn't look as genuine as the blue alicorn's, as if she spent hours staring at a mirror in order to perfect it. "Yesterday you mentioned that you were a monster hunter. Did I hear correctly?" 

"You did." Weiss said, swallowing another bite of fish, this one was a salmon similar to the one she had the day before. "Technically I'm a Huntress-in-training." 

S-She was too weak to be able to call herself a true huntress. 

Princess Celestia nodded slowly. "I see. The Royal Guard generally performs those duties here, but such events are rare." 

"Equeshtria doeshn't hash a shtanding army." Luna spoke up, her mouth full of mushrooms. She swallowed, ignored a subtle glare from Celestia, and took another sip from her bottomless mug of coffee. "The Royal Guard is too small, and inexperienced." Their world really was peaceful. 

But, why were they telling her all of this? This was a pretty weird conversation to have first thing in the morning. Princess Celestia cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Weiss. 

"A few months ago Equestria was invaded by an army of changelings." Her soft voice suddenly turned hard. "Canterlot was captured in less than an hour, the Royal Guard failed." 

She paused and lowered her gaze, staring at the fruit salad in front of her. 

"I failed." 

That sounded bad. Weiss remained silent and sliced into a trout. Speaking now without more information would be foolish.

"We will do anything to protect our little ponies." Luna added. Hm, they were leading up to something, Weiss could feel it. 

"So, you want my help to hunt them down?" A probing question. Weiss placed her utensils on her plate. It sounded easy enough. 

"No, no." Princess Celestia shook her head. "Queen Chrysalis and her army were thrown back to the Badlands with the help of Twilight and her friends." 

"There's a forest an hour or two away by train near Ponyville, one that remains untamed and is filled with monsters." Luna rubbed her hooves together.  "If you agree, we would like for you to lead an expedition into the Everfree Forest, to test the capabilities of the Guard." 

There it was. Did they already trust her that much to lead their men, uh, ponies into some dangerous forest? Weiss pressed her lips together. After everything the ponies had done for her, there was no reason for her to refuse. What should she do? This was a setup, one that she had fallen for. 

Weiss took another bite of the trout, it was meatier than the salmon. She would play along for now. 

"Very well." 
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

These ponies were weird, but that was honestly something Weiss should have expected. They had completely different cultures, and were a different species, so of course they were going to think differently. The Princess' deciding to hide Weiss' existence from the public, and then deciding to send her on an expedition was just stupid, no matter the angle she approached the matter. Weiss continued chewing her fried fish, it's sweet yet salty meat assaulting her taste buds. 

"I thought you said I was going to be hidden from the public, until you do some press conference." Weiss said, wiping her pale lips with a handkerchief that an adorable earth pony in a black bowtie offered her. She ignored the weird look he gave her. 

"You would lead the expedition some time after we announce you to the public." Princess Celestia answered easily. It felt like she had already anticipated that question. "My little ponies are very frightful creatures, and we wouldn't want to cause a panic, sending in a contingent of the Royal Guard with an unknown creature." 

That made sense, at least it would give Weiss something to do while Twilight worked on finding a way to send her home. She nodded slowly, and picked at the bunch of grapes that sat on a platter that looked like it was made for her palate. Weiss stuffed a handful of them in her mouth as ladylike as possible. At least they weren't planning on sending the former Heiress in her current condition. Her aura was still hard at work healing her body, and she had no doubt that it would be depleted for the next day or so. Summoning the sword of the Arma Gigas certainly didn't help. 

"I will attend as well." Luna added. She had gone through several mugs of coffee at this point, each batch stronger than the last judging by the smell. "I am interested in this magic that you humans are able to use." 

"Semblance." Weiss corrected politely. She didn't trust Luna as much anymore, but that didn't mean Weiss was going to burn the only bridge she had built in this world. "I'm not a Maiden."

"Semblance, yes, my apologies." The fur around Luna's muzzle turned pinkish, making her look even cuter. All of these ponies were so cute, Weiss was sure she was going to go blind eventually. Were the other creatures of this world just as adorable? 

Weiss washed down the fruits with a glass of cold water, small sips at a time. She wasn't a savage like the rest of her team could be at times. The two Princess' stared at her as they silently ate their meals, though Luna looked like she remained silent out of embarrassment due to her earlier outburst. The doors to their private room opened, and a pony with light blue fur trotted in, quickly heading towards Princess Celestia's side, after giving Luna a brief bow. The older Princess lowered her head, allowing the maid to whisper into her ear before retreating several steps. 

"Ah, my apologies, it looks like I lost track of time and Day Court will begin soon." Princess Celestia said with her usual smile. "Please finish eating. I will see the two of you later." 

She got up from her spot at the head of the table, and followed the maid out of the room, her gorgeous rainbow mane flowing as if there was a breeze. Weiss and Luna were the only ones left now, aside from a handful of servants at their beck and call. Well, more Luna's to be exact, Weiss was just a guest here. Luna remained focused on her meal, a large mushroom with grill marks and a side of toast. 

"I like your hair." Weiss said, finishing the last of her water. She really hated it when aura made her hungrier than usual. The Princess looked up, and swallowed her food. 

Luna's eyes widened ever so slightly as she formed a large smile on her face. "Thank you!" 

Too cute. 








Luna was exhausted, and that was putting it mildly. She was used to going to sleep during the day, and during special occasions, would plan around going to sleep early to ensure that she was fully rested. The Princess of the Night had only slept a few hours since her new guest, and friend hopefully, arrived. 

"This is pretty good." Weiss said as Luna led her down the hallway, a matching mug of steaming hot coffee in her hands while Luna's floated in the air. It was brewed from beans that were imported from the Dragon Isles, their volcanic soil made their dark beans much stronger and tastier. The dragonfire roasting the beans also helped. "I like the smoky taste." 

Luna puffed her chest out, impressing her guest was a good start. "I only drink the best of beans. I enjoy the energy that it sends through my veins." 

Another room in the wing has been requisitioned for the Royal Tailor, to take Weiss' measurements to repair her beautiful dress, and make a few more as a gift. There was always a chance that Twilight's plan to return the human to her world would fail. Luna wanted to be optimistic, but her long life had always taught her that magic could be fickle whenever it wanted to. 

Weiss nodded with a smile, and took a small sip, remaining silent. She held the mug casually, as if she didn't feel the heat. The white haired human was quieter after Celestia's request, subdued even. 

"I'm sorry, for springing the request to lead an expedition on you without warning." Luna paused midstep. Weiss followed in her footsteps. "It was Tia's idea, but I know that's not a real excuse. You're still adjusting to our world." Celestia loved her little ponies, and at times, Luna felt that she loved them more than she did her own sister. 

"It's fine." Weiss answered with a slight shrug. "I've spent most of my life training to fight the creatures of Grimm, and you did save my life. It's the least I could do." 

That did make Luna feel a bit better, but she still felt bad. Weiss hadn't even been here a week and they sprung a request on her unexpectedly. She didn't like that Celestia had intruded upon Luna's duties. 

The Princess was pulled from her thoughts when she felt something rub against her coat. It sent a shiver down her spine, a good one. Weiss had run her hands through Luna's fur. 

"I'm sorry!" Weiss quickly withdrew her free hand. Her pale skin turned a light shade of pink. "It's just, your fur looks so soft…" 

"Retract your apology!" Luna said loudly. "Do it again, your fingers feel nice." 

"Really?" Weiss' face lit up for the first time since their meal. Luna nodded and formed a small grin. 

Humans were such a nice species. 
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the impromptu petting session, Weiss found herself pulled into a rather large room by Princess Luna, one filled with rolls of different kinds of cloth and other materials. A pastel green unicorn wearing a white dress was already waiting for them inside. She stood by one of the many tables, levitating a very familiar dress in the air with her magic. It looked like she had cleaned Weiss' blue dress of her blood, and was in the middle of repairing the gaping hole. 

"Ah, Princess Luna! It's always a pleasure to fulfill whatever request you make of me." The green unicorn curtsied and gave Weiss a strange look. "And a hairless monkey?" The pony immediately covered her mouth with a free hoof, realizing her mistake. 

"Human." Luna corrected before Weiss could say something that would undoubtedly hurt the small, cute pony's feelings. Weiss crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, she was doing that a lot recently. "Weiss is my personal guest, and my friend."

"Yes, of course." The green unicorn smiled sheepishly. She turned her head in Weiss' direction. "My apologies, my name is Emerald Weave, the Royal Tailor." 

"Apology accepted." Weiss placed a hand on her hip, which was hidden by how baggy her current clothing was. "Weiss Schnee." She was pretty sure the not-so-cute-now pony only apologized because her Princess was here. Being raised as a Schnee gave her a sixth sense when it came to dealing with high society. As a foreigner, and a creature that these ponies have never seen before, Weiss would be at the very bottom of any social totem pole. 

The Princesses would be the only reason most of these ponies would even try to help her. 

Emerald Weave gave Weiss a stiff nod and turned her attention back to Luna. "I have finished cleaning the dress and have started on its repairs, your highness." 

"Good!" Luna smiled. She walked further into the room, heading towards one of the many tables covered in cloth. She lifted a delicate piece of purple lace. "I would like you to take Weiss' measurements to commission more clothes."

"Of course, Princess Luna." Emerald Weave bowed deeply. She returned Weiss' repaired dress back to the table she had been working on and grabbed a roll of measurement tape with her magical aura. 

"That's really not necessary!" Weiss held her hands in front of her chest dismissively. She didn't like accepting gifts, especially ones that might have any strings attached. And it made her feel back, not being able to pay back the adorable Princess. 

"Nonsense! No friend of mine will wander with such a limited wardrobe!" Luna waved Weiss off with a single hoof. The cute alicorn turned her attention back towards the Royal Tailor. "I believe that six dresses should suffice for now, along with any other garments that Weiss will need." 

Weiss bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying something that might accidentally offend the Princess. She could tell that Luna was hard headed from the little time they spent together, and from what Weiss observed during breakfast. This would just be more debt she owed these ponies, despite the excuses that Luna gave her. It made the large breakfast that Weiss ate feel heavy in her stomach. She really wasn't used to receiving things from others. 

"Thank you." Weiss sighed. At least her new clothes wouldn't be as big as the ones she wore now. She looked like a five year old Whitley trying on one of Father's suits. That wasn't an attractive picture, but it did bring a small smile to Weiss' lips, however brief. 

"Good!" Luna threw the purple lace back onto the table and made her way to the seat that was on the floor a few feet away. "Emerald Weave is one of the best tailors in Equestria, and has been sworn to secrecy regarding your existence, for the moment." Luna's horn lit up, and with a pop, a magazine was summoned into her waiting hooves. 

"Thank you so much for such words, Princess Luna." Emerald Weave dipped her head, her horn still glowing as the measurement tape floated in the air. "It's always an honor to receive such compliments." 

Weiss rolled her eyes. At least some things never changed, like people, or ponies, kissing up to those that were higher than them socially. Emerald Weave's first impression left much to be desired. Weiss had a feeling that this wouldn't be the first time someone would call her a 'hairless monkey'. 

"Note to self, apologize to Sun again." Weiss mumbled under her breath, below a whisper. If the two ponies had heard, they didn't make any mention of it. 

"Please keep your arms by your side to begin with." Emerald Weave circled around Weiss, her blue eyes most likely analyzing the human's body. The measurement tape grew closer. 

Well, this was a familiar feeling at least. 








After having her measurements taken by Emerald Weave, Weiss found herself seated next to Luna as the tailor drew up designs for clothes for her. It was kinda fun, and the nice cup of coffee that sat in her mug that Luna summoned was strong enough to make the tips of Weiss' fingers tickle. Dragon's brew or something like that. 

"How about this one?" Emerald Weave revealed her new sketch. Weiss looked up from the gossip magazine that Luna had finished. She had already approved of four dresses, which was more than enough to keep in rotation, but Luna still demanded more unique ones. 

Emerald Weave's latest creation was a dress thar looked like it was made entirely out of roses, from the bodice and sleeves to the skirt that would fall right above Weiss' knees. Weiss' breath was caught in her throat. 

Roses, red roses. 

"Hmm, the red would make a fine contrast with your skin." Luna commented, finishing up her new gossip magazine. The cover had the picture of a white unicorn stallion with pretty blonde hair. "What do you think, Weiss?" 

Weiss licked her suddenly dry lips, being pulled from her thoughts. 

"It's beautiful." 
> Remnant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weiss lost track of how long she spent trying on dresses and approving designs with Luna. As expected of someone of her rank, the Princess had an excellent eye when it came to clothing, despite not really wearing any herself aside from her royal chest piece and tiara. That thought suddenly made Weiss wish she could see the Princess in a pretty dress. That’d be so cute, Weiss would finally be able to die happy in this world, if she didn’t manage to find a way back home. The thought of being stranded here did send a shiver down Weiss’ spine though. 

Luna tilted her head slightly in Weiss’ direction, a bit confused. They were walking back to Weiss’ room, the hallways void of any people, or ponies. "What's so amusing, Weiss?" 

Weiss immediately wiped the small smile she had unconsciously formed on her lips. “Nothing!” 

Luna didn’t need to know that she was daydreaming about ponies wearing pretty clothes. That was a bit too embarrassing in Weiss’ opinion. No, that would remain a secret for now. 

“Most ponies in Equestria don’t wear clothes often, unlike the ponies across the sea in Griffonia.” Luna nodded slowly, starting another conversation. “Clothing is usually reserved for special events, such as the Grand Galloping Gala which is held once a year here in Canterlot. Everypony comes with the best dress or suits they have!” 

“That sounds fun.” The last time Weiss got to dress up was at Father’s ‘Charity’ party for the rest of the Atlesian elites. She always loved seeing the latest in fashion, the people wearing them, not so much. The rich and powerful only cared about helping themselves, including her own family. Even Weiss at one point…

She missed her Team. 

“It is a lot of fun!” Luna grinned. They paused in front of the doors that guarded Weiss’ room. Luna’s grin disappeared, replaced by a more serious expression. “I shall speak with my sister to arrange your debut to the public as soon as possible, so you won’t be caged in the castle.” 

“It’s okay.” Weiss formed a small, reserved smile that she used in Father’s company meetings. “I need to learn as much as I can about this place before I leave.” Before she left for her world that is. The others weren’t going to believe her, and Weiss was going to have to get as much information as possible! This was a new world with its own long history and countless cultures! 

“I’ll have a trusted maid assigned to bring you books from our library.” Luna relaxed the muscles in her muzzle. She was a nice pony, despite that awkward dinner with her sister. Leading an expedition to some forest with Royal Guard ponies was still a weird request. Winter was the militant of the family, even if she had given Weiss some lessons whenever she was on leave, and arranged several veteran tutors in an attempt to convince the younger Schnee to attend Atlas Academy. 

Weiss pushed her memories of home to the back of her mind. 

“Thank you!” Hopefully their Valish alphabet was still the same as the one back in Remnant, otherwise Weiss was going to have to go back to reading picture books, like Jaune who always had them confiscated by Pyrrha. Weiss grew out of them by the time she was five. Luna’s smile returned in full force. Weiss was kinda going to miss her once she returned home. 

She missed Ruby even more. 








“I have no idea how to send Weiss home.” Twilight’s head drooped from the weight of her heavy eyebags. Not even her tenth mug of coffee was strong enough to keep her propped up at this point. She hadn’t slept since the night she left Ponyville a day or two ago, Twilight lost count. She had poured over every passage by Star Swirl the Bearded, and other great unicorns from the past. There was nothing about humans, which she had expected since the only new books written about humans were done by Twilight herself after her visit to the human world. 

None of that was useful here. Weiss was from a completely different human world! And if two existed, who knew how many more were out there! It would be a miracle to even be able to find the correct way to change the portal's destination from Sunset Shimmer’s old human world, to Weiss’ Remnant. Remnant was honestly such a weird name to call one’s world. What was Remnant a Remnant of? How did humans from Remnant develop their own magic? What else was different in their world that Weiss hadn’t mentioned? What- 

“You should tell her that before getting her hopes up.” Spike’s yawn pulled Twilight out of her thoughts, stretching his tiny arms. He had been asleep on a pile of comic books that he had already read. Princess Celestia added them to the library back when Twilight was a filly, to keep him entertained while she studied for her lessons. 

“I still have a few moons to figure it out!” Twilight said loudly, throwing her head back in an attempt to stay awake. It’s been a while since she had such an intense study with much at stake, the Princess of Friendship was out of practice. “We may have just met, but I don’t want to let her down.” 

It must’ve been scary, being stuck in another world that wasn’t her own. Twilight knew exactly how Weiss must’ve been feeling, she’d been through it when she chased Sunset through the portal. 

“At least tell her it's harder than you expected.” Spike mumbled loudly. “She’ll be sadder if you don’t let her down slowly.” He started scratching his lower back and turned on his side. Sometimes, Spike was wiser than he looked. 

“You’re right, Spike.” Twilight sighed, taking a long sip from her now cold mug of dragon brew. Spike had roasted the beans himself. “But I’ll still do my best!” The lavender alicorn formed a sheepish and tired smile. “Bring me another fresh pot, Spike!” 

“Princess Celestia said not to make you anymore, and Princess Luna hid her beans.” Spike responded lazily. His light snoring resumed not even a few seconds later. 

Now that was definitely going to slow down Twilight’s progress. 
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Running an aura protected finger along Myrtenaster's blade, Weiss inspected her beloved sword for any imperfections. There weren't any of course, neither old or new. Not even the old Mantle Runes had been scratched. Myrtenaster was designed by Weiss, and she helped in its creation physically. It took dozens of tries and failed attempts, but in the end, she succeeded.  Myrtenaster was an extension of her very being, an extension of her very soul. Without Myrtenaster, Weiss would be incomplete, like a puzzle missing a piece in the middle. Her body was trained to be able to use Myrtenaster to its fullest potential, using the ice-skating and ballet skills she perfected when she was younger, and combining them with the more traditional style of fencing. In Weiss' hands, Myrtenaster was the perfect weapon. 

Holding the sword in her dominant left hand, Weiss struck a pose, with her right hand hovering where the Dust chamber met the blade. Sadly, Myrtenaster was dependent on her supply of Dust, which would be severely limited in this world. Some of the crystals these ponies had looked similar to Dust, but they didn’t hold the same properties and couldn’t be used as a replacement. Weiss had already tried in the two weeks she had spent cooped up in the Princess’ castle. Those crystals, which apparently were  snacks confiscated by Twilight that used to belong to Spike, the cutesy wootsy dragon that worked as her assistant. 

Growing more Dust with the old Schnee techniques and her limited supply would take a while, but it was possible. Even if her stay here was going to be short, having a larger amount of Dust would still be useful. She already emptied the Dust vials in Myrtenaster’s chamber, hiding them in a box under her bed. Her Dust earrings joined the vials, replaced by a set of red crystals that Luna had carved to imitate her original pair. 

She formed a glyph beneath her feet which Weiss used as a launchpad, throwing herself to the far side of the empty ballroom, spinning midair. It was located in the section of the palace she’d be stuck in until the Princess’ were ready to announce her to the public, and was converted into Weiss’ practice room, for the moment. 

Mrytenaster sliced through the air with ease as she caught herself with another glyph, and allowed herself to drop onto the ground gracefully. Her new pony-made heels were as comfortable as her pair from Remnant, and they looked cute, at least in Weiss’ opinion. They were black, which contrasted well against the simple white dress she wore, which was modeled after the blue one she was wearing on her way to Mistral. It reminded her of home. One of the large double doors creaked open, and a white head with a dark brown mane appeared through the gap.

“The stylist is ready to prepare you for the press conference.” Raven Inkwell, Princess Celestia’s personal assistant, said. She was a unicorn of few words. 

Weiss didn’t even manage to work up a sweat, but she still wiped her forehead with a handkerchief from a hidden pocket, one of her many requests to Emerald Weave. She aimed Myrtenaster towards the ground, its tip hovering just a few inches from the hand carved marble. 

“Thank you.” Weiss sighed internally. The stylist was Luna’s idea, who refused to back down despite Weiss’ protests. She could easily get herself ready. The Princess of the Moon must've still felt guilty after being a part of her sister’s plan to get Weiss to lead a company of their Royal Guard to the Everfree Forest. Based on what Weiss had read during her stay here, it sounded just like home, a little tame even. Weiss had been in worse situations before. “I’ll be there shortly.” 

Raven nodded and disappeared, closing the doors behind her with a loud thud, leaving Weiss alone with Myrtenaster and her thoughts. It was comforting in a Blake sort of way. 

“Time to finally be able to walk around outside.” Weiss mumbled under her breath, sheathing Myrtenaster into the aura reinforced ribbon that wrapped around her waist. At least she had ponies to talk to so she wouldn’t go insane from being inside a castle that was built off the side of a mountain. 

Yang was never going to believe her. 








Canterlot Castle was crowded by the time Rainbow Dash and her friends arrived, trotting towards the main gate. The Royal Guard allowed them past without a word, but blocked a few other ponies that had tried sneaking in with them. It wasn’t everyday that the two Princesses, plus Twilight who was a princess now, announced that they were throwing some weird press conference.  

“Do you think Twilight’s invitation has something to do with her disappearance?” Fluttershy asked shyly, her voice a little more than a whisper. Pinkie Pie was practically bouncing beside her. 

“Of course darling.” Rarity said with a small flourish. “Something important must’ve happened for her not to come home for two weeks.” They followed the small crowd of ponies, with most of them having a press lanyard wrapped around their necks. 

“Or write any letters.” Applejack added, nodding along slowly. “Spike was the one responding to everyone.” 

“This better be important.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. She didn’t like being left in the dark, especially if one of her friends was the one who wasn’t saying anything. Twilight had never let them down before, so Rainbow was willing to ignore that, for now. 

But, if this was some nerd thing about Twilight discovering a new species of butterflies, Rainbow Dash was going to be pretty mad. The weather pegasi had made an awesome day for flying back in Ponyville! 

“Twilight probably discovered another species that’s never been seen here.” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing past all of them with a carefree grin. “I wonder what kind of deserts they like?!” 

Rainbow Dash could do little to stop her groan, not that she wanted to in the first place. 

“This is going to be so not awesome.” 









The press conference was set up in one of the palace’s larger wings, with the three princesses seated on three mobile thrones. Celestia sat on the tallest seat, with Luna to her right and Twilight to her left. All three wore their royal regalia, which mostly consisted of their tiaras, and the golden and silver chest pieces in Celestia and Luna’s case. 

Weiss stood out of view, hidden by the bright red heavy drapes that framed the sides of the stage. She peaked out into the crowd discreetly. It was full of earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi, only a handful wore any type of clothing. Most just wore a simple fedora, which was one of the ugliest hats in existence, in Weiss’ opinion. She told Flynt Coal that after their match during the Vyal Festival. Surprisingly, his partner Neon Katt agreed with her. 

Weiss hardened her eyes as she took a deep breath, her usual expression when dealing with the Atlesian Elite. Raven stood beside her, with one of her hooves holding onto a clipboard. 

Princess Celestia’s horn lit up briefly and made a short cough. Her voice sounded like it was being amplified by a speaker. 

“My little ponies, thank you for gathering here today.” Princess Celestia started to speak. “Today, I, along with my fellow princesses, stand before you to introduce a remarkable individual who has made Equestria her home.” 

A diplomatic way of saying that Weiss was stuck here without saying exactly that. 

“I am well aware that my little ponies are often afraid of the unknown.” Princess Celestia continued. “Which is why we are holding this meeting to formally announce her to the public, to avoid giving my beloved subjects a fright.” 

And that was Weiss’ cue. She walked out onto the stage, the red dress that appeared to be made out of roses clinging to her body, with matching red heels. Camera flashes and whispers started the moment she stepped into view. 

Weiss gave a slightly bow and kept her expression neutral, but with a slight smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. All calculated of course. A pegasus in the front row passed out. 

“Weiss Schnee is a human, and she comes from a land far from our own, farther than even Griffonia.” Princess Celestia smiled, which contrasted against Luna’s more serious expression. 

Twilight on the other hand, looked extremely nervous as if she didn’t want to be there, and would rather be somewhere else. She needed more practice with her masks, that was one of the first lessons Weiss had learned from Father. 

“Equestria has always valued harmony and friendship, regardless of the differences that may exist among us, racial or otherwise.” It was Luna’s time to speak up. “The night brings forth stars of diverse origins, yet they share the same sky.” 

Weiss was pretty sure Luna added that last part to her speech at the last minute. It was still an exaggeration though. There was another pony tribe that was excluded from society at large. The treatment of the thestrals here reminded Weiss of the faunus back home, but at least they were treated better overall. 

Luna liked to rant about that topic when she couldn’t sleep and was practicing her part of the speech. 

“In her homeland, Weiss was known as a hunter of monsters, and as such, we have decided to designate her as the Royal Huntress, so that she will be able to fulfill similar duties here to protect Equestria.” Princess Celestia took over again. Weiss’ ice blue eyes drifted amongst the crowd of news reporter ponies, but noticed Luna glaring at her sister for just a brief second for taking her line. “I ask every citizen of Equestria to embrace Weiss Schnee as one of our own. Let the magic of friendship transcend the boundaries that may separate us.” 

They had discussed the Royal Huntress title in detail a few days ago, since it’ll help calm ponies once they knew that she hunted monsters, and was not one herself. 

“N-Now then!” Twilight finally spoke up. “Are there any questions?” 

Everyone's hooves shot up in the air. 


 
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weiss lost track of how many questions she had been barraged with. Their shyness disappeared after the initial shock wore out, which led to a few questions that were pretty redundant in Weiss’ opinion. Why did it matter that she prefered white chocolate over regular chocolate? That had earned more than a few scandalous gasps, which was weird. Still, it did go way better than Weiss had expected, even if she still got called a hairless monkey by a few ponies, despite Princess Celestia’s best attempts to correct that. At least she knew how the faunus felt. 

“You were a natural back there!” Twilight returned to normal the moment they were off the stage, and out of the public’s view. The entrance to this wing of the palace was blocked off by a squad of the Royal Guard, who made sure the reporters couldn’t sneak past to take more pictures. The two older princesses had stayed behind to handle the closing. 

“I’m used to being the center of attention.” Weiss shrugged. She’d be thrust into the spotlight from the moment she was born, as were her siblings. The Schnee’s were the most famous, and richest, family in all of Atlas, and the world at one point. Father enlarged Grandfather’s legacy, and made it profitable. Winter renouncing her position as heiress to join the army live on television had made all of the Atlesian news companies, the ones Father didn’t own at least, surround the Schnee mansion for weeks. “My tutors taught me public speaking, and how to handle reporters.” 

Twilight looked like she was writing that down mentally, judging by the way she bobbed her head up and down. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak to the purple alicorn too often, the Princess of Friendship was trying to find Weiss way back home, so she was busy. Weiss spent her days with Luna, whenever she wasn’t sleeping or busy with her royal duties. 

“It sounds like you were considered a princess back home.” Twilight said cheerfully. They were going to meet some of her friends from Ponyville for a light lunch. Apparently, Twilight  wanted Weiss to meet them for some reason. 

Weiss frowned. She always disliked it whenever someone back home called her princess, it always sounded more like an insult than a compliment. Now that she thought about it, yeah, it was an insult. “Not really. I’m one of the last people that should be considered a princess.” 

In most people's eyes, she’d probably been compared to the creatures of Grimm, especially by the faunus who cursed the Schnee name whenever they had a chance. It was well deserved, especially after everything Father had done after he took control of the company after Grandfather died. She still missed Grandfather Nicolas, and his smile. He always gave her the best gifts, even if they may not have been what she wanted at the time. 

“I’m sorry if I brought up any unpleasant memories.” Twilight quickly apologized. She looked nervous, with her eyes giving Weiss side glances when she thought the lone human wasn’t looking. The purple alicorn wasn’t as discreet as she thought she was. Her ears pressed themselves downwards, flattening against her mane. She was cute, and it took all of Weiss’ self restraint to not pat her on her wittle head. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Weiss gave her a practiced smile. The few guards that accompanied them stayed at a respectful distance as they continued to walk through the corridors of the palace. It felt liberating, finally being able to explore the palace, and Canterlot now that she wasn’t restricted to her lone wing. “I just have to keep moving forward, otherwise I’d trip and fall if I keep looking back.” 

Staying in her room wishing she was back home would result in nothing happening, other than an early death perhaps. If she was going to find a way back home, then Weiss was going to have to keep moving forward, and survive. 

“If you do fall, you’ll always have friends to help you back up.” Twilight smiled back. She was a nice pony. Weiss had no doubt that the Princess of Friendship would be able to find her a way back home. 

She felt it in her soul. 

“Thank you.” 







They reached a familiar pair of beautifully adorned double doors, which was starting to be a common sight in Canterlot palace. The two guards with them quickly trotted to open the doors for Weiss and Twilight. Five ponies, and a dragon, were already waiting for them inside. 

“Weiss, meet my friends!” Twilight’s smile grew as she pointed a hoof at the table once they walked in. The group of ponies, and Spike at the table waved as they greeted their friend. 

Weiss counted one unicorn, two pegasi, and two Earth ponies, each with a completely different fur and mane color from the last. 

“Rainbow Dash.” Twilight pointed at the pegasus with cyan fur and a rainbow colored mane. She looked like the type to cut her own hair. 

“Sup.” Rainbow Dash leaned against the table, using her hoof to hold her head up. 

“Applejack.” Twilight pointed at the orange Earth pony wearing a cowboy hat. She looked like she’d be related to Jaune somehow. 

“Howdy!” Applejack said, tipping her hat. That felt like a stereotype, and not in a good way in Weiss’ opinion. She didn’t need Blake complaining about her regressing to her older ways of judging people by how they looked. 

“Rarity.” Twilight moved onto the lone unicorn, who had fur as white as Weiss’ hair, with a purple mane styled into a curl. She looked the most Atlesian of the five. 

“Why hello darling.” Rarity gave her a polite smile, her accent the exact opposite of Applejack’s. She certainly did sound like she’d belong amongst the Atlesian Elite.

“Fluttershy.” Was the slightly smaller of the two pegasi, with yellow fur and a baby pink mane. 

“H-Hi!” She whispered shyly, hiding her muzzle behind her long mane. Well, she certainly did live up to her name Weiss supposed. 

“And-” Twilight was cut off by a blur of pink that plopped itself right in front of them. The last Earth pony was pink, that was really all Weiss could say. Her fur and mane were pink, and her bright blue eyes made Weiss a bit uncomfortable. 

It was the pony who kept asking questions about chocolate chips. 

“Hiya! I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie Pie said with the largest grin Weiss had ever seen. It looked unnatural. “It’s so nice to meet you! So you’re the reason why Twilight disappeared suddenly. Wow! I’ve never met a human before.” The pink pony started to ramble. Her friends seated at the table started to groan. 

Blinking slowly several times, Weiss tore her eyes away from the strange pony and gave everyone else a large smile. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” Weiss said with a curtsey, she didn’t know how high ranking they were in society if they were Princess Twilight’s friends. “My name is Weiss Schnee.” 

The others were interrupted by the end of Pinkie’s long ramble. “White chocolate and carrot cake just don’t mix!” 

Great, another Nora….
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weiss sighed softly as she sat in a chair that was just a tad too small for her, and that was saying something with how short she was, not that she’d ever admit it publicly. The cafe she had chosen to have lunch at today had a nice outside patio, which made it easier to pony-gaze. Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi came in every color and combination imaginable, and every once in a while, Weiss caught glimpses of other creatures such as griffons, and the rare yak or two. After staring at ponies for an entire week since her reveal to the public, Weiss enjoyed the variety. Most of the griffons were merchants or diplomats from Griffonia, the continent across the ocean. 

She did appreciate being able to talk to more people, such as Twilight’s friends who stayed in the palace for a day or two before returning to Ponyville. Most of them were nice, though Pinkie Pie could get a bit annoying sometimes, and Rainbow Dash asked some of the dumbest questions imaginable. Nobody was able to shoot lasers out of their nostrils. 

“Your Neighsar salad.” Weiss’ Waiter, a white unicorn with a green mane, left a large bowl on the table, wearing a fancy button up shirt that went well with his handlebar mustache. “And your Prench fries.” He placed a smaller plate next to her salad. The Waiter didn’t bat an eye when she arrived earlier, having grown used to her presence throughout the week. He did give Myrtenaster, which sat in the chair across from her, a second look. 

“Thank you.” Weiss said politely, tearing her eyes away from the busy street. Ponies often stopped to get a glimpse of her, with a few even snapping pictures with cameras in the shape of a cube. They weren’t discreet, despite their best attempts. 

The Waiter gave her a short bow and scurried away back into the building. Her title as Royal Huntress, while a ceremonial and a largely made up job, ensured that nopony would disrespect Weiss to her face, unless they happened to be a noble. Canterlot just so happened to have hundreds if not thousands of them. 

Adjusting the handkerchief that sat in her lap, Weiss smoothed the white skirt she had decided to wear today, and grabbed the fork that sat beside the salad bowl. She stabbed a lone fry and lifted it to her lips, taking a small nibble. Some meat would be nice right about now, but the griffon restaurants wouldn’t open until the weekend came. At least the food was still delicious, even if this was her third portion already. She’d have to return to the palace soon, to start preparing for her expedition to the Everfree Forest. 

“How tedious.” Weiss murmured as she finally jammed her fork into her salad bowl, stabbing a small tomato and a piece of lettuce. The juices from the tomato leaked onto the vegetables that laid underneath it, dyeing it red. However tedious it may be, the expedition would be a way to repay Luna for her kindness, and kill Weiss’ boredom at the same time. Canterlot reminded her of Vale, before the Fall of Beacon, before Weiss’ life was ruined. Her eyes drifted towards the ponies on the main street, laughing and talking happily. 

The sweet tomato tasted bitter. 







Canterlot Castle was cute, and looked like a toy came to life. Weiss’ eyes stared at each brick and piece and marble, walking past two guards in shining gold armor without a word. She was the only human in this world, which made sense at a glance, and Equestria was still at peace, but it was still bad form for this country's protectors. 

Weiss’ inspection of the guard was in an hour, the members of her expedition chosen by Celestia and Luna themselves, forty guardponies in total. They’d leave in a week, after Weiss was done preparing her notes on the Everfree Forest. No huntress would jump into action without at least some form of preparation. 

The palace was silent, with only the sound of Weiss’ custom made heels clacking against the floor, echoing through the hallway. She was wearing the blue dress she had arrived, now repaired thanks to the Royal Seamstress. A shiver went down the huntress’ spine as she placed a hand on Myrtenaster’s hilt. 

Rarity, Twilight’s unicorn friend from Ponyville, was the most intimidating of the purple alicorn’s friends, especially after Weiss refused an offer by her to make a new set of dresses. It was a generous offer, but Weiss didn’t need anymore clothes, she wasn’t going to be in this world for long. That still didn’t stop the white unicorn from harassing Weiss into revealing her measurements. 

That got annoying real fast, Rarity was lucky she was such a cutie, otherwise, Weiss would’ve used language that would’ve made Yang blush. 

“Miss Schnee” A familiar, masculine voice called out from behind her, making her pause midstep. There were only a few ponies that were brave enough to directly address her in the palace. Having a title such as Royal Huntress, which guaranteed violence would do that to a people used to pacifism. 

“Prince Blueblood.” Weiss answered neutrally, turning around to deal with Celestia’s and Luna's nephew. Luna had offered an explanation on how the three were related, but it was so complicated that not even someone as educated as Weiss could understand. The young prince was standing behind her with his earth pony attendant. 

“I did not see you at breakfast today. Did you finally come to realize that you don’t belong here?” Prince Blueblood said with a lazy smirk. He was a white unicorn with a long blond mane, and stood just a few inches shorter than Weiss. It felt nice, not being the shortest person in the room for once. 

“I’m sorry if I disappointed you.” Weiss tilted her head to meet his eyes. He reminded her of Whitley, just a little more harmless. “I was getting a breath of fresh air before my inspection of the Royal Guard.” She knew how to deal with people, uh, ponies like him. He was arrogant, rich, and had plenty of influence in the government. For some reason, he liked Weiss enough to make bad jokes like the one he just said. It was a part of his personality, which would rub anyone the wrong way. 

“You won’t find finer ponies anywhere else.” Prince Blueblood boasted, puffing up his chest. According to Luna, he served a few tours with the Royal Guard, stationed near Las Pegasus as the local captain after graduating from the Equestrian Royal Military Academy. Celestia signed Blueblood up against his will, in order to teach him some humility. 

Clearly, that idea didn’t work.  

“Though, if you do find any fault in them, it must be from the training the previous Captain of the Guard provided.” The Prince added. “My cousin-in-law, Shining Armor.” He said the name with disgust. 

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Weiss said with a cold smile. Even if all the ponies were cute, she still had to be on guard with politicians. She bowed her head slightly. “I’ll be sure to whip them into shape if they’re not up to my standards.” Weiss wouldn’t literally whip them, that’d be a tad too racist. Prince Blueblood's smirk turned into a pleased smile. “Figuratively of course.” Weiss added quickly. His smile disappeared as easily as it came. 

What a sicko. 
> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The courtyard where the Royal Guard had gathered was located at the far end of Canterlot Castle, far away from any wandering eyes of visitors from the public. Luna was already there in her royal regalia, with her ever present cup of boiling hot coffee floating in the air beside her, standing in the shade of a marble column. She arrived early since Celestia wasn’t there yet. Weiss formed a small smile as she approached the Princess of the Night, who was observing the members of the Royal Guard that had already gathered.  

Luna’s ears twitched in her direction, causing the cute alicorn to swivel her head. “Weiss! You are early.” 

“Not as early as you.” Weiss paused once she reached Luna’s side, accepting the second cup of coffee that Luna pulled out of thin air, likely a spell that she had created or adapted. She turned her attention towards the gathered Guards. 

Weiss counted at least forty, ten from each race of ponies, including the thestrals with their bat-like features from the Night Guard, their armor a dark silver instead of the bright and shiny gold of the Royal Guard. The gold didn’t look as practical as the silver armor that Luna’s guards wore. They all stood at attention, standing like statues made out of the same marble as the rest of Canterlot Castle. Every member of the Royal Guard appeared to be identical, aside from the characteristics of their race, with a coat of pristine white fur and a blue mane. The Thestrals stood out more, with their fur and manes being varying shades of purple and other minor characteristics. 

“Do they dye their fur?” Weiss asked, lifting the cup to her lips. Another unicorn in gold armor was inspecting them, marching in between their rows. 

“The armor of the Royal Guard is enchanted.” Luna explained. “It’s superior to the armor used by my Night Guard, but much more expensive to produce. Only the Canterlot Royal Guard can afford it, it helps them to remain anonymous when deployed.” She mentioned the Canterlot Royal Guard bitterly. 

If they didn’t want their identities revealed, then maybe they shouldn’t wear shiny gold armor. Weiss kept those words to herself of course, she was here to lead an expedition, not reform their Guard. The pegasi and thestral’s were armed with long rifles, which were slung by their side, while the earth ponies wielded spears. Weiss didn’t spy any weapons on the unicorns. 

“How many of them have combat experience?” Weiss finished the last of her coffee, her mug disappearing in a flash when she crossed her arms. 

Luna hesitated, wincing softly as she tried to avoid Weiss’ gaze. “I am unsure. I regularly have the Night Guard drill and train since my return, but they have been disbanded for over a thousand years.” That had been a long story, one that Luna had mentioned a few times during Weiss’ stay. It looked like a painful topic to talk about, so Weiss didn’t pressure her to reveal much. 

The dark alicorn angled her head in the direction of the thestrals with a sad expression. “They are still treated differently by the other three tribes because of my actions.” 

That was a hotly debated topic in Canterlot apparently, Luna often visited Weiss' room to discuss her struggles to get the three pony tribes to accept the thestrals as their own. They reminded Weiss of the faunus, and how they had been treated back in the Four Kingdoms. 

“I see.” Weiss said neutrally. Even if she did feel for the thestrals, this wasn’t Weiss' world, and getting involved in its political issues would just bring her issues that she likely wouldn’t be able to fix before she returned home. And it’d make her feel guilty to leave that behind. “And the Royal Guard?” 

“They were hoofpicked by Captain Spear and my sister.” Luna said. Green Spear was the newest Captain of the Royal Guard, which happened to be the highest rank that was equivalent to a colonel back home, as other captain’s served under him. It was a different system, one that Weiss wasn’t familiar with. “A few might have experience from the fighting in Severnaya a few decades ago, but that happened before my return, and I am not familiar with all the guards.” She didn’t mention the disaster that was the Siege of Canterlot, when the Changelings almost took over their capital. It was a nasty mark in a period of peace. 

In the end, all Weiss had at her disposal were ponies that were greener than the lettuce she had eaten for breakfast. She pressed her lips into a thin line, keeping her focus on the unicorn officer that inspected the Guard. 

“I’ll need to see them in action before coming up with a thorough plan for the expedition.” Weiss rested a hand on Myrtenaster’s hilt. Without knowing their capabilities, she could not guarantee that all of them would make it back safely, especially if the Everfree Forest was as dangerous as everyone made it out to be. 

Fluttershy nearly passed out at the mere mention of the name, and according to Rainbow Dash, she lived not even ten minutes away from the treeline of the forest. Weiss would have to pay Twilight’s friends a visit when she stopped by Ponyville, it’d be rude not to. 

“I’m sure my sister and Captain Green Spear could arrange for a demonstration of their skills.” Luna gave her a sheepish smile, which did manage to lift Weiss’ spirits some with how cute she was. “The Night Guard are at your service either way.” 

“Thank you.” Weiss smiled. They stood there for a few more minutes, when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She didn’t need Blake’s superior hearing to know that it would be Princess Celestia and Captain Green Spear approaching, just on time. 

“Hello Sister, Weiss.” Princess Celestia said, coming to a stop right a foot away from the white haired human. Captain Green Spear remained behind her. 

“Princess Celestia.” Weiss turned, and offered the white alicorn a practiced curtsied. She gave the Captain, a green unicorn with a purple mane, a short nod. “Captain Green Spear, a pleasure to meet you.” 

Equestria’s strength was in its navy, to protect the interest of ponies from around Equus from pirates and others that would do them harm on the high seas. The rest of their military had fallen behind, with Green Spear, Captain of the Royal Guard, being the de facto head of the army. According to Blueblood, he had recently been promoted since the last Captain married Luna and Celestia’s niece, and became the regent of the Crystal Empire in the north. 

“Princess Luna.” Captain Green Spear greeted his princess first with a bow before turning to Weiss with a curt nod. “Royal Huntress.” 

“Sister.” Luna trotted towards her sister’s side. They exchanged a glance before turning to the Captain. “You arrived just in time.” 

Celestia gave her a practiced smile, it was perfect after centuries of use. Weiss wished she had a poker face like the Princess of the Sun. “Of course.” 

“We are ready to begin, your highnesses.” Captain Green Spear spoke to both of the sisters, yet his eyes remained on Celestia, waiting for her orders. Weiss wasn’t the best when it came to relationships with siblings, but even she could tell that that wouldn’t end well, especially with their positions of authority. 

“We shall begin when the Royal Huntress says so. She is in command of this expedition, is she not?” Luna was the one that spoke up instead. Celestia nodded along slowly. 

“My sister is correct. Weiss is in command here, please obey her as you would me.” Celestia added in a kind manner. Captain Green Spear bowed again and turned to Weiss. He looked annoyed, with his dark green eyes. 

“Thank you.” Weiss gave the two princesses a smile and took a few steps in the direction of the row of guards, with the Captain following behind her. “I wish to see the capabilities of the Guard, can you arrange for them to spar against one another to start with?” She said that last part politely, there wasn’t any need to antagonize the unicorn, yet. 

“Of course.” Captain Green Spear saluted, his golden armor shining brightly in the sun, it nearly blinded Weiss, but she didn’t let any discomfort show. He started yelling at the nearest guard. “Form up to spar!” 

Time to see if they lived up to Weiss’ standards.