Warning! Please read "The Snow Prince" to understand this story! You can find "The Snow Prince" on my profile page!
Author Note: Hello everyone! This is CrimsonHeresey here and I have to say it been a long time since I published anything! To get back into writing I decided to create my own series of AU with our favorite Snow Prince. Each of these are glimpse into what could have been, each these outcomes are not canon to "The Snow Prince" but a look at what would happen with Eis and Weiss if they did things differently. So, here is the first part to "Iron Dreams"!
One-Shot Story: Footprints in the Snow
The Snow Prince AU Collection
Iron Dreams Part One
Summary: Eis Schnee never reconcile with his sister after the attack on White Hall. He refused to bend his knee to her again. Instead they went on their own separate paths in the world. Weiss sought to find her own freedom as a huntress of the four kingdom. Eis, the disgraced scion found himself "drafted" into the Atlesian military. Never in his wildest dreams that he would be trained for the top-secret Charlemagne project; that used battle suit to fight against the enemies of Atlas. This is not a story about huntsman and their conflict against the horde of the darkness. This is not a story about a group of misguided terrorist that seek equal rights for their people. Instead this is a story of soldiers, mechs, and politics. This is the story of Eis "Grudge" Schnee, the pilot of an Atlesian Paladin-290 "Brynhild" and elite fireteam "Valhalla". (Based on Episode 1 of RWBY season three)
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(STORY START)
The 40th Vytal Festival was in full swing as team of rookie huntsman and huntress battle each other for glory. A tournament that these brave souls have been training their whole lives to compete in and if the gods are willing…win.
A celebration of the peace and prosperity of the four kingdoms after the Great War. A war that almost destroyed the soul of humanity and the Faunus. It was only through the action of Julius Arc and his brave team of huntsmen that allowed the Color Rebellion to succeed against the Monochrome regime. Which in turn, allowed the right for self-expression for all mankind's future generations.
The Faunus was not so lucky; even if the Faunus race played a huge part of the Color Rebellion they were meet with distrust in the end. Their animal features were considered to be too beast-like for mankind.
This base mistrust would eventually lead to another war. However, the Vytal Festival is not about the Faunus Rights Revolution nor does it concern itself with the White Fang.
No, the Vytal Festival is something more than a victory parade for the winners of the Great War.
The Vytal Festival celebrates the diversity of the cultures of Remnant; wither it is human…or Faunus.
Yet, this original purpose has been lost to the current generation as a whole. The clash between the future huntsmen and huntress of the world, catches there attention. Why care about the meaning of Amity Colosseum, when you can watch child soldiers fight each other for an artificial glory?
To prove that you are the strongest of future is a prize that many covet and most do not understand the reason behind it.
Yet, do not be bothered by the increasing tension between humanity and the Faunus.
Do not worry about the increasing tension between those in power among the kingdoms.
Fret not about the rise of a more ambitious White Fang and the increase of Grimm among the walls.
Care not about the hard feelings of the huntsmen and huntress that failed to win that coveted prize of being the best among hunters.
For this is not their story.
No, this is a story about when a boy meets a girl.
A story about a brother crossing paths with a sister he sworn to never meet again if the fates allowed.
A bond filled with the conflicts of yesterday memories and yet, the promise of a brighter future.
This is the story of Eis Schnee meeting his twin Weiss Schnee, for the first time in seven years. A chance meeting between a battle-hardened pilot and a rookie huntress.
A meeting that only occurred due to the 40th Vytal Festival, the tournament when history changed and that promise of a bright future threaten by the approaching darkness.
Sometimes not even a torch is bright enough to break the darkness.
But, yet a match might just be enough to light said torch…
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Team RWBY felt victorious, they had just defeated team ABRN in the first round of the 40th Vytal tournament. It was a challenging fight however, team RWBY experience against the White Fang and the now infamous "Vale Breach" gave them the edge they needed to defeat team ABRN.
It was due to said victory that one Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, was willing to pay for lunch for her comrades.
They did run one problem though…
"What do you mean that my card is denied?" The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company screeched. Weiss Schnee could not believe that her credit card was denied! She did not even use any of her allowance this month! Is this the reason why her dad was calling her earlier?
The rest of team RWBY turned to her in worry. Weiss was not one to worry about money and did like to treat her friends once in a while. But she would never overspend and she was quite a scrooge when it came to cash (and Dust).
Frowning deeply, Weiss turned to her leader to ask her to pay for it. She simply did not have the cash right now to pay for their victory lunch. From the look of despair on Ruby's face she did not either.
Great, she just wanted to treat her team once!
The old man that owned the stand frowns in disappointment. Even if the little red riding hood saved his old Dust shop from that Torchwick fella; a guy has to make a living somehow.
Seeing that her meal could be taken from her, one Blake Belladonna, started to slowly bring the bowl of tuna closer to her body. Seeing this the old man reached out with speed, surprising for his age, and snatched the bowl out of the cat Faunus' hands.
"Noooo" Blake groaned out in despair, as she hit head against the counter of the noddle stand. She was so close in getting her beloved tuna!
Why did Weiss have to run out of money now!
"Geez this blows, to think that Weiss queen was out of money." The blond bruiser of team RWBY, Yang Xiao Long, joined her partner in groaning. She was actually looking forward to trying out A Simple Wok, she heard from Neptune and Sun that this place made the "meanest" Lo mein in Vale.
"Xiao Long, don't even get me started with that blasted nickname." Weiss rubbed her forehead to calm herself down. "It seems that my father made some mistake with my allowance for this month."
"Maybe you should call him?"
Weiss turned to her team leader, Ruby Rose, who looked at the ice princess in confusion. Weiss face contorted into a grimace and quickly shifted into a frown.
"Ruby my father is a…unpleasant man to talk to."
"That's an understatement…" Blake mumbled to herself, Weiss shoot her a quick glare before facing the majority of her team.
"Do any of you have any money left?"
"Well…" Ruby started to rub the back of her head in guilt. "I kind of spent my allowance on upgrades for my baby and cookies."
Weiss simply stared at her leader and sighed in frustration. Why was she simply not surprised anymore to hear these things?
"It seems that we might have to skip lunch today." Weiss said in disappointment.
Yang dramatically pointed a finger at Weiss "Why didn't you asked me if I had any money?"
"Sis…' Ruby turned to her sister "don't you remember telling us that you used your money to buy nitrous for Bumblebee?"
The girl who could be called Goldilocks gave out a nervous chuckle.
"Oops! Thanks for reminding me about that Rubes!"
"Are any of you going to pay for your lunch then?" Team RWBY felt a chill go down their spin as they looked up to see the old man glaring at them. He was very displeased that these girls made him waste food for other customers!
Ruby gulped and nervous looked at her team for support.
They refused to look at the fifteen year old in the eye and started whistling.
The old man face turned into a sharp glare as he stare Ruby in the eyes. "So, how are you going to pay for this miss?"
"I got it." An unknown voice said, it was male in nature and felt familiar to the girl in white.
"Where have I heard that voice before?" Weiss wondered, her mutterings catching the ears of her team.
Team RWBY and the owner of A Simple Wok, turned to see a man about the age of seventeen walking towards the noddle stand. His white mangy hair swayed in the wind and his face was shaped rather nicely. His outfit consisted of a brown bomber jacket with a couple of military style patches attached to the shelves, under the jacket was a white t-shirt, and he was wearing brown work pants.
The most startling thing about the man was how he looked like a male version of Weiss. But how can that be? The Schnee heiress only talked about an older sister and her father. No mention of her mother or even a hint to an existence of a brother.
It was unsurprising that Ruby broke the awkward silence between the two parties.
"Weiss, why does that guy look like you?" The rose gasped out in shocked; the man's face was very similar to her best friend in shape and design. Other than a prominent Adam's apple and angular leathery checks, the man looked like a carbon copy of Weiss.
Weiss stared at the man in shock, could it be him? The one regret she had all those years ago? The one thing she failed to protect and keep by her side forever?
Even when she was the cause?
For the first time in ten years, cobalt meet cobalt, and Weiss was surprised by the male's gaze. There was no feeling of the anger that marred their departure nor was there empty remorse. Instead it felt like a calm sense of acceptance and bygones.
It was like she was staring at the sea during low tide, calm and caring.
It was alien to the Schnee heiress. She remembered the anger, that fiery passion of hate that filled his being during that fated meeting. She remembered the dragon he used to be and to see him transformed into some smooth and collective…
To be honesty, Weiss did not know to be disturbed or glad by the change of personality.
Seven years was too long to see him again.
"Weiss?" Weiss snapped back to reality to see her leader rubbing her shoulder lightly, Ruby's silver eyes filled with worry for her.
Blake and Yang regraded the scene with curiosity and protectiveness. Their where curious about the male stranger and yet at the same time they would beat him to a pulp if he dared harm their family.
Shaking her head to calm Ruby down, Weiss gave the girl a little smile. Seeing this Ruby relaxed her worries.
Even the boy that started this whole scene gave a faint smile of approval to the heiress.
"I have to admit this was a reaction…I was not expecting from you Weiss." The boy voice filled the air once more since his entry. Weiss looked at him curiously, the voice lacked the warmth that she once remember it had. But the interested undertone it carried was a different beast.
For some reason it reminded her of someone else.
"It been a long time since I last seen you…brother." Weiss ignored the gasp that came from Ruby and Yang. Blake's eyes tighten as she stared at the man before her.
Weiss had a brother?
"Oh come now dear sister, I used to remember you wit and sharp tongue."
Weiss gave an unconscious grin as her brother started to talk in a familiar way.
"Dear me Eis, how could I forget your love of abuse? Then again you were also so eager to annoy me."
Eis gave a youthful laugh as he sat down at the bar on the opposite side of team RWBY. He was at a distance to suggest he knew them but far enough to be not protruding on their personal space.
"How could I not help but to tease you? You would also act like an ice queen, so cold and frigid." His smile defaulted into a small smirk as he paid the owner of A Simple Wok his dues and ordered a simple bowel for himself. "The sight you being so fluster by my pranks and humor was a reward upon itself."
The scowl on Weiss face scared her time, they knew not to call her by that name and yet this man/brother/friend (?) used it without a care. Yet, the way that Weiss and this "Eis" talked to each was remarkable friendly and comfortable.
Ruby was amazed by the scene in all honesty. To see this so called brother teasing Weiss so casually was a sight. Even with her deepest Schnee scowl, as freezing as a snowstorm in Atlas, was useless against the warmth of the smile that was Eis' face.
Who was this guy really?
What Weiss did next shocked her adoptive family.
"Damn you Eis! It was you that created the rumor about that name! I should hang you by the rope!"
Weiss explode in a way that Ruby had never seen before; the winter's incarnate face was flushed completely red in anger, embarrassment, and happiness? It was a strange sight to see Weiss so fluster and so uncomposed. It felt that Eis was able to do something that Ruby herself had yet mange to accomplish.
To take off Weiss' mask of being a Schnee heiress, to see her not as the frigid ice princess of the north. But instead as a regular girl who care not in hiding her emotions from her fellows.
Lifting both of his hands up as if he was shielding himself from Weiss' fury, the snow prince continued.
"Now, now, Ice Queen, maybe you should calm down a bit? I mean there no need for death threats you know?" Eis smirk grew in length as he noticed Weiss' glare.
His twin did not change in the slightest.
No, that statement was wrong.
His sister was different as a person, she was…kinder.
She was still pompous, bratty, elitist Weiss he knew as a kid…but from the looks of her companions.
She has become a better person over their separation from each other.
It made him glad that he took this chance to talk to his sister again.
Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he grin at the rest of Weiss' team.
"How about we take a chill pill" Hearing his pun Yang gave out a small chuckle among the rest of the team groans, the pun so bad that it even made the annoyed Weiss sink in angst. "And chow down on our food? We can chat after a full belly." Eis finished as his bowel was placed in front of him.
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"So, you joined the military after Father kicked you out?" Weiss asked her bother as he finished what happen to him after their separation as a child.
The rest of team RWBY was quiet, they did not want to interrupt this conversation. It was eye opening to them to be honest, Weiss did not talk a lot about her past or about her family life.
Yet, the half-hour since Eis joined them was a telling of how much they did not know of Weiss Schnee.
Who knew that Weiss was a fan of sappy romance movies or enjoyed mecha cartoons as a child?
It was amusing to see Weiss flip out when Eis mention how she used to make sound effects during said cartoons.
"Yes, General Ironwood took me in as one of his own. He has taught me a lot and showed me the world." Eis paused as he pondered what to say next "I actually enjoyed growing up as a military brat, it was something to interact with the soldiers and huntsmen in the military."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I remember this one time when this corporal named Simmons played a prank on this guy named Griff that lead to a huge fun fight in the cafeteria. Even father, I mean Ironwood took a part in it." Eis slipped out, the whole of team RWBY heard him though.
Weiss was silent when she heard Eis call the general "father". It was not that much of a surprise, Hagel Schnee was not a kind man and a worse father. Weiss was in fact glad that her brother was able to find someone to fill that spot in.
However, that ugly emotion of jealous started to seep into her heart again. She crushed that feeling without remorse, she would not allow her emotions to ruin this chance.
Not after the first time
"How about you sister? I heard from Winter that you made it into Beacon."
A fine eyebrow rose from that statement. "She told you that? I am surprised to hear that actually, she was never a fan of you in the first place."
"Only you liked me in the first place Weiss…" Eis sighed as he took a slip from his glass of water "She contacted me two years ago and I am not ashamed to admit that I was rather…crass to her. But we worked it out after a while."
"You crass?"
"Haha, but yes I was extremely unpleasant towards her and she admitted that she deserved it."
Weiss chuckled in disbelief at Eis' statement; Winter actually saying she messed up? What was next? Winter actually coming down from Atlas to visit her?
Yeah right, not without a motive.
"Uh sorry for interrupting" The Schnee twins looked at the leader of team RWBY. "But why is that funny?"
Eis snorted and surprising Weiss copied his actions. Cobalt meet cobalt and Eis shrugged his shoulders to Weiss, telling her to explain.
Weiss sighed at his actions and went on to answer Ruby's questions.
"Winter is…a workaholic in nature and a person that always has a reason to talk to someone. Most of the time her motives are questionable in nature."
"Like your father?" Blake interpreted, she was curious to know more about the family that control the supply of Dust. Even if the Schnee Dust Company was racist against her species and to hear that the older family members were horrible to their own blood.
Well, it does explain a lot about Weiss' personality in the beginning and the immoral business actions that the Schnee Dust Company was a part of.
"That's an understatement; to be honest Winter…is worst in some aspects compared to Hagel." This time Eis decided to enter the fray, however he confused Blake and Ruby with this Hagel character. Yang on the other hand was watching the conversation like a hawk and she seemed to be understanding of the whole situation.
After all in her earliest years her father…was not the best at his job.
However, Blake and Ruby did not get the connection.
Eis continued, "Yes Hagel is…the man that helped to create Weiss and me."
"He's your dad?"
"Ruby was it? As long as I breathe I will never call that man with anything that suggest parental warmth."
"Oh…"
The little red riding hood did not know how to take that statement. Eis seemed to be a nice person but the heat of his retort to her question surprised her. The sheer feeling of anger he had towards this 'Hagel' was intense like a dragon's flame. It was similar to the reaper though.
It honestly reminded her of Yang's episodes of rage during childhood.
A ring tone interrupted the awkward slickness that Ruby's question created.
Sighing, Eis reached into his bomber jacket to pull out a red scroll.
"This is Captain Eis Schnee reporting, what is going on?
Weiss mouthed the words captain in disbelief, what was her brother up to in the military?
"What do you mean Amarillo got her hands on C4? I thought Fredrick was watching her?" Eis started to rub his forehead in a similar manner to Weiss when she was angry.
"Fine, I will return to base then…Vert please hold the fort till I can arrive." Hanging up after the person on the phone said good bye, Eis grabbed a paper napkin and wrote something on it.
"Here sister, if you want to chat later give me a text." Handing the napkin to Weiss, it appeared to how a scroll number on it.
"Well it was fun, but duty calls! It was nice meeting you!"
"Yeah" Ruby chirped, maybe she could help Weiss and Eis relationship?
"Yep!" Blake stated…this Eis character was different from a regular Schnee.
"Later!" Yang friendly waved at Weiss' brother. He was an interesting character.
"It was nice seeing you again brother, I will make sure to text you."
Eis smiled at team RWBY and got up and left.
Blake narrowed her eyes as she saw something thing strange on the back of his jacket.
1st HSR, Third Company, Fireteam Valhalla
Call sign "GRUDGE"
"Grudge?"
Looking at her partner Yang asked. "Did you say something kitty cat?"
"No, it was nothing." HSR? Why did that seem familiar to Blake?
"So, ice princess I didn't know you had a brother."
"Yang, I am in a good mood right now. Don't make me destroy you."
"Feisty! Come one don't be such a-"
"Yang, just no." Ruby decided to end the argument between her sister and her partner before it could begin.
She had much to think about.
(1st Part of Iron Dreams END)
(NEXT TIME: Red Echo)
Note:
Well, that was fun! I had a very enjoyable time writing this little AU and I think I like how Eis came out calmer than his "canon" counterpart. But what do you guys think? It been a long time since I have written anything so...yeah.
Thoughts?
Also I should have the next chapter of the Snow Prince out by the end of this month!
Later!