"Mirror, what's this thing I see? Who is staring back at me?"

The cold sunlight of the Atlesian midday streamed in through her window. Between the light reflecting off the snow outside and the blues and whites of her own room, the light almost made it seem like a snowstorm had entered through her window and left its contents on her floor and everything she owned. Given that it was an unusually cold day even by Atlas standards, she wouldn't be surprised if that did actually happen. Besides, it would be fitting…preferred even at this point. A snowstorm inside was nothing compared to the storm raging within the walls of the Schnee mansion.

Weiss sat on her bed, jaw clenched and eyes dead set on the wall in front of her as she listened to her father's voice booming through the echoing halls of their home. He was yelling at everyone, General Ironwood, the military, her sister, even Klein when he became so bold as to speak a word. General Ironwood was just as loud, countering her father's words and dismissing his remarks regarding the military. But she could tell there was a difference between the two. Where her father's yelling was cold and with the intent to pierce and freeze a person, Ironwood's was hot. He was just as loud, but his passion and belief in what he was saying was clear and the icy malice was not present.

And then, there was Winter. She was not without a voice in this, just as she never had been. And when she spoke her voice was firm, unwavering. It was filled to the brim with confidence that this was what she wanted no matter what the consequences were. There would be consequences…for the both of them. But she couldn't blame her sister. Winter and their father had been in contention for a long time. It was never said, but she knew Winter was happier with the military, and though she couldn't follow all of the logistics of the conversation, if what Ironwood said was true then Winter was good at her job. If she was good and she was happy, why wouldn't she want to leave?

Weiss wouldn't cry for that. There was no sadness in it. But between her clenched jaw and set stare, the fear of what would happen next clawed at her throat.

Winter had always been there. Winter had always been the one to take up fights with their father, whether it was for herself or it was for Weiss. Winter stood up for her, Winter trained with her, Winter believed in her and listened and encouraged her wants. Yes she was strict, but it wasn't in the same way as their father. Their father was strict to control, Winter was strict because she knew Weiss could do better even when she doubted herself. And because she wanted Weiss to survive. If Winter was gone, who would she have left?

Their grandfather was dead. Their father wanted nothing but the perfect image and cheapest rates. Their mother was about as absent as could be without leaving, and Whitley was too young and so obviously their father's favorite that it didn't matter. She would have Klein she supposed, but he was about as powerless as she was in this situation. Part of her wanted to go with her sister and be free of it before it even began. She didn't want to be alone. But there were too many obstacles for that. Winter was an adult, Weiss was not. And the family business was still in question. Both she and Winter wanted better for the business, they both wanted to see it go back to the way their grandfather ran it. For so long, it had always been known that Winter would do that. But now…

"If you are so against this decision and the image it could portray for the Schnee family, then do it."

The fight reached a crescendo, created by her sister of course, followed by a tense silence.

Weiss swallowed and closed her eyes. She knew what was coming next.

"Then you are no longer the Schnee heir! And beyond that, consider yourself completely disinherited!"

"Very well."

Her father's voice was as harsh as the biting winds on the mountains. Winter stood tall and unwavering despite it. And Weiss, alone in her room, an unknown audience, did not make a sound.

"Let's go, Winter."

Ironwood's voice was calmer than before, but it was evident there was something stirring underneath. Nothing more was said though, and she listened as two sets of footsteps walked through the halls and out the main entrance of the manor. The door closing only punctuated the finality of what had happened. Her father's heavy footsteps carried him back to his study, and the slamming of his office door solidified his fury.

The silence that followed was eerie and uncomfortable. Like the calm after a storm just waiting for its victims to come and assess the damage. All that could be done was to assess the damage and determine how to rebuild. Winter was gone. Winter was not coming back and yet the only thing Weiss could truly think about was what she had been told the night before.

"I'm not always going to be around to save you, Weiss."

At the time, she had thought her sister had been talking about her desire to become a Huntress. She supposed Winter had meant that too, but with this storm today she understood it to mean so much more. Winter would not always be around to stand up for her against their father. She would not always be around to take their father's wrath or their mother's drunkenness or business partners' inquiries or…the family business at all. She knew the line of succession. The future of the Schnee Dust Company would be in her hands now.

She would have to get better. Not just at fighting, but at handling her father, at handling the business, at handling all the expectations that were sure to follow, and at believing in her own capabilities. She now had to survive this, whether she was prepared for it or not. She had no choice, this was happening.

Weiss let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and opened her eyes. She caught a glimpse of herself in her mirror and found herself drawn to the stranger staring back at her. She had her face, her white hair and blue eyes, but there was a difference. The stranger in the mirror was colder; she showed no emotion and she had a confidence about herself that was bordering arrogance.

Well, at least she knew how to pretend, because the face staring back at her reflected nothing of what was going on inside. She knew and lived all the thoughts she had without any of the emotion. But she wouldn't cry over this. She couldn't cry over this, not if she wanted to survive what came next. No, this was who she needed to be and what would be expected of her. She didn't have to like it, she simply had to do it.

So she would. Later that evening when her father called her to his study, she went readily and stood at attention in front of his desk. She didn't flinch as he came towards her from behind his desk, his anger from the day's events still glaringly evident. Her eyes didn't waver or back down as he looked her over, as if assessing her and her capabilities from a single glance

"By now you have heard of your sister's departure?"

And she bit her tongue when asked, swallowing all the words she would have liked to say. "Yes, father."

"And by now you have heard of her disinheriting?"

She nodded, "Yes."

He gave her another critical eye and then continued, "Then surely you know the line of succession and what this means."

"Yes, father."

He stared at her again and she resisted the urge to squirm or bristle under his gaze. She didn't want to know what he was thinking, but she knew she was going to find out. "I have my concerns you will turn out like Winter," her father said, and she had to wonder if that was such a bad thing, "Especially with your silly desire to train as a Huntress."

Weiss wanted to shout it wasn't silly. She wanted to scream that becoming a Huntress would restore the honor to their family name. The honor that he had lost. Instead, she actually smiled, "I will do everything in my power to uphold and bring prestige to the Schnee family name." In many ways, she did mean that, so it wasn't a total lie.

Perhaps, because it wasn't a lie he didn't see through it. Instead of the ridicule and condescending speech she expected, her father seemed pleased by this. It was the only time he was pleased, when she acquiesced to everything he wanted. "Very well. I will start the paperwork and make the announcement of your succession in the morning. There is nothing else."

"Thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to proving myself worthy of the position. Good night, father."

As she left her father's study, the smile fell from her face. But she could do this, and if she kept doing it, it would get easier. That was what practice did. All she had to do was get used to denying herself and accept that stranger in the mirror.

Woof, it's been a long time since I've been in these parts. 5 years or so. Anyways, hi all! I've been relatively quiet in the fandom, but I've been here since the beginning. It's clearly been a while since I've written anything fanfiction-y, but this idea's been bouncing around and I figured with vol. 5 fast approaching, why not. So you know, let me know what you think and we'll see where this goes.

-Stormy