Alive but Alone
When a mirror is shattered it does not destroy an image, merely gives the viewer thousands of new perspectives to see the world.
While flames forge the strongest steel fires form fractures and fissures that with enough pressure, shatter.
Chapter 1
Running. Evading. The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, trying to remain once step ahead of the shadows. Crimson eyes with that horrifying stare lurked just a few paces behind, materializing out of the trees and rocks in an endless pursuit. Looking forward a single door stood in the distance, just out of reach. Summoning all the strength her body could possess she made the final dash across the leaves for an exit, reaching the door only to find it locked she looked back to see the horde of creatures ferociously consuming the last of the distance between them. Raising her weapon she prepared to fight but was swallowed whole by the black emptiness.
Shimmering blue eyes shot open and saw slats, a wooden frame and a box spring. Ruby's bed Weiss rationalized, she was safe in bed at Beacon with her team around her nobody could hurt her here. Her heart was pounding and Weiss took a couple deep breaths to calm herself down, once the thumping receded from her hearing she took a moment to listen to the room. All else was peaceful, Ruby was silent above her and Yang was softly snoring across the room with Zwei cuddled up next to her. Weiss shifted to look across the room to see Blake asleep on her side, her face illuminated by the moonlight that filtered through the sheer blinds and provided a dim glow to the room.
It was fascinating to see her like this, in the realm of sleep unburdened by the hardships of daily life. Blake's face looked soft and at peace, this was the only time Weiss knew she could see Blake like this. During the day she wore a mask, there was a tenseness to her face they nobody else would have noticed and the only reason Weiss could see it was because she wore the same mask most of her life.
There was a cold comfort to that mask, being able to take the worst phrases and insults to her family name that she knew deep down were true and still carry on unaffected. Or so it seemed, in truth every sly remark cut her deeply, leaving Weiss to lie to herself every night. She told herself that they were wrong and she was better than what they claimed, for a while this took the sting away and she could get through the day.
After a while though, no matter what reassuring things Weiss conjured up the pain was still there, a dull throb that engulfed her whole body. By the time she had arrived at Beacon all Weiss felt was a numbness that deadened her senses, she vowed never to let anyone inside where they could hurt her. The rumors and insults had made a wall for her emotions that kept the hatred out. It also kept Weiss in. Everything she once was is still trapped inside, searching for some way to escape this cage. Let the sadness escape, the loneliness, the pure innocent little girl that still resided in her soul be free and find someone to take her and protect Weiss from all the evils.
She saw it in Blake too, that there was sadness and hardship hidden just behind those golden eyes. While Weiss had been made fragile on the inside Blake had been hardened, she acted as though she truly was better off without anyone to hold her back and perhaps that was the case. Weiss rolled over and drifted back into sleep thinking about those incredible eyes.
Sunrise came just as it had any other day and before long all of team RWBY was starting their day, Ruby was zipping around the room excitedly describing her dream of having to eat her way out of a forest of cotton candy while Yang poured her a bowl of cereal.
"Ah the innocence of youth." Weiss thought as she hugged her mug of coffee, letting the aroma tickle her nose and pull her head out of the fog of sleep. Zwei poked his head out from under Blake's bed as hurricane Ruby finally settled at the table to eat. The kettle on the stove started to scream as Blake lifted it off to make her morning tea, reaching for the bottle of honey sitting on the counter. Without words Weiss passed her the creamer and their hands brushed in the exchange, while the contact only lasted a moment Weiss felt a warmth travelling up her fingertips to her chest that caused goosebumps to form on her arm.
The quartet of friends departed for classes and returned that afternoon, all had been a normal day and the team decided to go practice in the gym for a while. Ruby decided she wanted to spar with Blake so Weiss was left blocking shots from Yang while trying to get in a few jabs of her own. Yang was strong and it took all of the focus Weiss could summon to dodge her strikes and maneuver around to take a quick thrust at the blonde's side.
While Yang took a moment to get a drink Weiss looked over at Blake, watching her fight when Weiss didn't have to focus on anything else was quite interesting. Her style was unmatched, Blake seemed to write and break rules with every motion, combining short powerful strikes with elaborate distancing moves. She ruled every second of the fight, even moments when Ruby connected there wasn't even a look of hesitation as Blake adjusted and prepared for her next engagement. Weiss could feel her pulse quicken as she watched Blake dart about the ring until Yang arrived to start the next round.
Once both pairs had finished up their matches they gathered up their things and walked back to the dorm.
"Hey Blake your moves were amazing today." Weiss complimented as they walked.
"Thanks, it was nice to rely on my hands instead of Gambol Shroud."
"So it's safe to say you've got hand to hand fighting firmly in your grasp Blake?" Yang remarked, drawing a collective groan from the other members of the team. They continued Walking and Weiss noticed Blake staring at her, their eyes briefly met and Blake adjusted her gaze to look off at something in the distance. Weiss looked at her shoes and felt her a warmth rising in her cheeks.
That night Weiss drifted off into sleep thinking about the intensity and passion she saw within those shimmering eyes.
Chapter 2
The next day after classes Weiss decided to study by herself in the library. The heavy silence and intellectual atmosphere reminded her of her childhood and allowed her to concentrate without distractions. Instead of reading her textbooks though, Weiss kept zoning out and staring at the spaces between the pages, every time she caught it she mentally chided herself. Weiss would remind herself of what her father would do if he had caught her dozing off instead of working diligently, the insults and remarks about how she would be a better wife and mother than a huntress and that she wasn't fit for intense deeper thought. At one point Weiss sat her pencil down and traced the line that ran up her cheek over her eye. The action caused her to shudder slightly remembering what she had done to cause such a scar, it was the night she found out she had been accepted to Beacon.
After having applied months before in secret the letter had arrived and Weiss couldn't contain her excitement, her father was stressed out from a difficult day at work and wasn't happy to hear his daughter had gone behind his back and had been lying to him for months. Weiss remembered him shouting something about loyalty and respect and then all she could remember was waking in the hospital with her sister holding her hand and telling her everything was going to be alright. After having spent an hour in the library, Weiss packed her things and left in frustration at her inability to focus.
Once she returned Weiss found the room empty and a note had been left on her bed, Yang and Ruby were taking Zwei to get groomed and Blake had gone into the city. Ordinarily Weiss would have been excited to have the room to herself, some peace and quiet where she could work without Ruby constantly shouting and pestering her. Having already failed at getting any studying done Weiss connected her scroll to the speaker by her desk and put on some music, soft orchestral chords soon filled the air of the room and helped Weiss relax. This was one of the few times she allowed her mind to wander just to see where it would take her. She was always under so much pressure from her father and herself that Weiss felt like a coiled spring, if she didn't allow these moments of reflection she feared she would snap and shoot off uncontrollably.
Today Weiss thought about Blake. She was intrigued by her Faunus teammate, as a child she had been told how horrible the Faunus were and how they were an inferior species that was trying to breed with humans to raise their social standing. Blake wasn't evil, she was a girl who was training to help protect the kingdoms, Faunus and humans alike. Weiss thought about Blake's life or what little she knew about it, she wasn't exactly one for telling stories about her childhood but Weiss knew there was something more to her. Thin lines of anxiety etched Blake's face very finely, Weiss was probably the only person to notice them and she wanted to know what it was that Blake was hiding from. The door opened and Weiss silenced the music, Zwei ran up to her and jumped into her lap while Ruby shouted on about their trip to the groomer and how she stopped to get ice cream on the way back with Yang.
Weiss was thankful that she didn't have a test that week because she could study if her life depended on it. Every single day she was unable to concentrate and every time that Weiss was alone she found herself thinking about Blake. Everything about Blake was dark, mysterious and dangerous, and Weiss found all of it very exciting.
What was going on? She was losing control, the thought of sparring with Blake left Weiss's heart pounding and flooded her head with so many questions and comments that Weiss kept forgetting to avoid her strikes. At dinner if Blake sat next to Weiss at the table she would get so nervous that she would choke on her food, which only made Blake get closer to make sure that Weiss was okay. Even when she was alone if Weiss began thinking about Blake's cute outfit or her perfect eye shadow that complimented her eyes just right and make her look so amazing her hands would start to tremble.
It was only on Friday evening after seeing Blake's shimmering eyes that were more intense than even the setting sun that Weiss admitted to herself that she liked her. A pang of fear ran through her body when she considered the entirety of her thinking. Weiss liked Blake, a Faunus that a year ago would have been a disgusting subspecies not much higher than a Grimm, not only that but a former member of the White Fang. The same group that had made multiple threats on Weiss's life and attacked several of her father's Dust shipments that caused him to be short-tempered and rather difficult to live with.
Weiss was trying to rationalize her thinking and came to the conclusion that Blake was the worst creature she had ever been forced to associate with and should take her to father so he could enact some form of personal vengeance. But completing that thought made Weiss feel sick, there was another voice inside her head telling her the truth.
The truth was that she wanted nothing more than to hold Blake, to be there next to her every sunrise and sunset. Weiss wanted to watch the stars with the raven haired goddess and see her face bathed in the soft light from the shattered moon. She wanted to wake up cuddled in Blake's arms and be right there beside her in the midst of battle. Weiss wanted to know that despite everything else if her back was to the wall she could trust that Blake would swoop in at the last moment and save her because Weiss would have done the same.
There was the problem of it, Weiss couldn't see beyond the surface of those incredible eyes. Even though Weiss was used to seeing people who were hiding their true feelings she had never seen a mask as deep and complete as Blake's. A whole new volley of thoughts filled her head. Does she like me? Does she dislike me? Does she like Sun? What should I do?
Weiss spent the rest of her weekend trying to recall a time that would give her some hint as to Blake's true feelings. Some tell that would show despite her attempts to hide emotions.
"Oh what's the use? I'm a Schnee, a member of the family that has oppressed her people. She probably hates me deep down." She berated herself while she was alone. "After the things I had said to her, after the things I said about the Faunus." Burning tears welled up in her eyes but Weiss refused to let them fall, she was still too proud to let herself cry for such a thing as loneliness. This was something more, this was a stinging pain that shot deep into her chest unlike anything she had felt in a long while.
There was a crack in the wall, and while the first thing through had been sadness it showed that something was still capable of getting through her defenses, that somewhere a single beam of hope still existed and was looking to get out.
Weiss forced herself to take a breath and push on, with a clear head she created a plan to see if the Faunus girl had a tell that would help Weiss determine Blake's attitude towards her.
Chapter 3
Waiting for the right moment was agony, every day seemed to drag by as Weiss waited for the opportune moment. She was surrounded by a tense excitement that make her hands twitch in the morning and made it difficult for her to fall asleep at night.
At long last came the moment she had been waiting for. Yang and Ruby were going into the city to get more food for Zwei who they were taking along so he could meet other dogs at the pet store. Meanwhile Blake was staying back so she could finish reading her book before she went to the library to pick up the new volume that was coming out later that week. Weiss forced herself to breath as she sat idly on her bed, her heart was pounding in her ears and every sense seemed heightened. The room seemed brighter than normal, gentle sounds of footsteps in the hallway were magnified but still barely audible over the pounding in her head. Even the soft fabric of her comforter felt different against the back of her knees.
"This is the moment." Weiss thought before pushing herself off the bed. She walked over to the corner where her suitcases were stacked and pulled one out and sat it on her bed.
"Hey Blake." Weiss broke the thundering silence, forcing the words out and trying not to let her voice break.
"Yeah?" The Faunus girl replied closing her book and setting it on the bedside table.
"I was thinking that while Ruby and Yang were out I would hang up a couple portraits I have and was wondering if you would help me pick the ones that look best."
"Sure." Blake replied sliding off her bed and walking over to the edge of Weiss's bed. Weiss popped the latch on her luggage and folded back the top, revealing a large collection of prints sealed in black frames. Each one was pulled out and spread across her bed; there were portraits of people, panoramic landscapes, photographs of old buildings, and even some sketches of Faunus done in charcoal. Blake took in each one and Weiss watched her intently, the raise of an eyebrow, a subtle pursing of her lips, a light twitch of her bow. Any motion made by Blake's face Weiss noticed, she was looking for some sign to indicate when she liked something.
"They're all in black and white." Blake finally said, her gaze never leaving the artwork. Weiss came around to her side of the bed and stood next to Blake, close enough to catch the subtle Jasmin aroma that surrounded the Raven haired warrior.
"I think they look better without color." Weiss said staring at the works within the frames.
"It's not that they don't have color, they've just been reduced to the most extremes of color." Blake answered running her fingers over the canvas "Nothing between them, black and white just the rawest expressions of image without anything to diffuse the intensity."
"They're the same really, pure colors absolute in both spectrums and both are so alone." Weiss said softly staring at Blake's beautiful soft features.
"Very alone." Blake whispered turning to face Weiss.
"This is it." Weiss thought and took one last breath, rocking forward onto the tips of her toes Weiss met Blake's gaze and closed the distance between them. Their lips met and time stopped. Weiss couldn't feel her heart, couldn't feel anything at all except for the soft embrace of Blake's lips. She pulled away and opened her eyes, for the first time she could see Blake's eyes without their mask.
They were wide open and terrified, panic shot through Weiss's body and she attempted to speak, but all her words caught in her throat. Blake just stared for a moment, frozen in place.
"Blake" Weiss finally choked out, hearing her name was the trigger that snapped Blake's body into motion and she vanished out of the room, a black mist that flew out of the dorm. Weiss gave chase but by the time she had reached the door Blake was gone.
There is more to come, have faith all who want this to work. Many thanks to the people who read my work, it's greatly appreciated to know there are people who may enjoy what I have to offer. Please let me know what you think and how I can become a better writer, also anything you would like to see I would love to hear. White Knight coming up next and perhaps something involving Blake and Cinder.