Terror wasn't something you were supposed to feel on a summer day. Hell, genuine terror can only be felt a handful of times on your life. And yet, nothing could prepare Weiss for the news she received.
It was ironic, really. The media said she was killed by Dust. In fact, it was white Dust, the one that makes ice. Coming from a family in which it's sole essence as itself is based on ice, they had arguably way too much experience with ice Dust. But the picture clearly showed; Winter Schnee's body lay lifeless in the ground, with a gash on her neck covered by ice crystals..pristine ice crystals. On any other day, Weiss would have been amazed by their beauty.
She hated herself for that.
The media had quickly blamed the White Fang, but the organization publicly denied being involved in any current assassination plots directed at the Schnee family.
" 'Current'," Weiss said to herself, but she brushed that thought aside, just like every other thought she had had that day.
Winter.
Granted, she had never been on really good terms with her sister, especially after she left to become a huntress, but she was still her sibling. Her younger sibling, at that; she still had a whole life to live. Normally, one can only begin to imagine what sick and twisted being would do such a thing to a girl of such young age (of any age, really), but unfortunately, Weiss had one too many of an experience of people like such. She knew how they were; their auras were as dark as Grimm.
Weiss was so entranced in her melancholy that she did not notice her red teammate enter the dormitory. She watched Weiss from the door, with a clear angst on her face, fearing for her friend. She then slowly made her way to her bunk bed, where Weiss was lying.
"Weiss..." Ruby's sweet voice had no effect on Weiss, which still lay burrowed in her blankets. Again, Ruby called her name, but nothing happened.
Ruby felt useless. She knew she had no way of comforting Weiss, and that angered her. She couldn't bear seeing her friend like this, but all she could do was stand there beside Weiss, quite possibly being a nuisance.
"Ruby..."
The crimson huntress jumped up when she heard the brunette mention her name.
"Yes, Weiss?"
"I'm scared, Ruby."
The words resounded off of Ruby's ears and she could feel nothing but pity. Weiss was broken. Weiss was never broken. Even at her worst moments, Weiss always had her air around the team and motivated anybody (how it always worked, they never understood). She had her standards, and she tried her best to never show weakness. Sure, Weiss had never said anything to her about this, but she was easy to read. Yet now...
"Ruby..."
"What's wrong, Weiss?"
"Could you...stand still for a moment?"
Ruby didn't even have time to reply when the white brunette extended her arms, firmly pulling Ruby against her body.
And she wailed. Ruby was caught completely off-guard by Weiss's sudden surge of tears, but she stayed firm by her teammate, comforting and sullen.
It was true. Nothing ever existing could have prepared Weiss for the news she received that morning, and for the first time in her life, she felt true fear.
Yang was conflicted. She and Blake had been sitting in the cafeteria for about 15 minutes already, and she still couldn't take her mind off of the heiress.
"Hey...Blake?"
Blake didn't return the message just yet, but Yang knew that she had taken taken her attention off the book she was reading and sterted to listen.
"Can I ask you somethi-"
Blake suddenly closed her book, cutting off Yang's remark.
"Look, if what you're gonna ask me is what I think you're gonna ask me, then yes. I am a bit scared. Things like this are happening in the world ever more often and it's bound to get everyone nervous but you have to-"
"I was actually gonna ask if there was a way to help."
Blake eyed Yang blankly, discovering she had gone off rambling for no reason. "Oh. Um... I don't really know, to be honest. I guess it all boils down to what Weiss is going to do next."
As if on cue, Weiss went through the doors entering the cafeteria, rendering it almost completely silent immediately. If the students had planned to not disturb Weiss about what had happened, it clearly was not working.
Ruby followed Weiss slightly behind her, and they both awkwardly sat in the table where the rest of their team was sitting. Blake buried her face into her book and Yang had a sudden interest in the food she was eating, but Weiss didn't point any of the girls out. Well, at least until Weiss decided she had enough of the silence and stood up angrily.
"SO!? Is every one of you going to keep looking at me as if I had a Nevermore coming out of my cleavage, or are you going to actually finish what you're eating!?"
And as quick as that, the cafeteria instantly went back to normal, much to the amazement of Team RBY who sat dazed at the spectacle her cold teammate had just put out.
Weiss plopped down on her seat not very gracefully and began to violently type on her scroll's screen.
"Aren't you gonna eat something, Weiss?" Ruby softly asked before Weiss put her scroll down on the table in front of her.
"I'm going to Atlas tomorrow."
"And...we're going with you," Yang added, making Blake choke on her potatoes before banging her fist on the table.
"We...are?"
"That's actually not a bad idea, Yang,"
Blake gave up on her food, deciding today was not a good day to die of suffocation.
"...if, of course, Weiss agrees to let us go."
Weiss slipped out of her chair and started walking to the cafeteria exit.
"Whatever. Do what you want."
And with that, she had left the building.
Author's Notes
First of all, thank you for taking your time to read this small chapter and what will come. I really, really, really appreciate it. Now, a few things. I know the writing is a bit...ehhhh, but I want this book to be a learning experience for when I embark on bigger projects. So, if you may, please review. Point out all the flows, help me improve.
Second of all, I don't have a specific upload schedule for this story, so please, don't be disappointed if I haven't uploaded another chapter yet. I do plan to finish this story, though, so don't you worry.
Well, I guess this it it! Again, thank you for taking your time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. With that said, dukebop out!
