The cold night air blew around her face, her dark violet hair whipping about within the caress of the wind. She opened her eyes, bright silver-white orbs piercing the black daze of the night. She looked down on her hands as the strange sigils glowed with an eerie blackish red glow. She closed her eyes again as she remembered what she had done.
"Scarlett?" Came a voice. Her eyes opened again. She knew she would find her. She always did.
She didn't need to turn, she could already imagine her entire frame, even her face. A look of surprise and shock upon her visage as she spotted her, the huge white cloak whipping about in the wind, one arm outstretched while the other reached for her weapon. Light steps came as she neared, approaching her. Only when the woman was a few feet away did she start to speak.
"You've come to kill me, haven't you?" Scarlett said. Scarlett could imagine the shock on her face for such a dark thought.
The footfalls stopped. The woman spoke once more. "You are to be punished for your crimes against Vale and for cooperation with the White Fang." Scarlett breathed in. She noted the confidence in the woman's voice and how much pain she must have been going through as she said it. She stared at her hands, hands that were stained with the blood of her fellow hunters and huntresses.
"You know, some time ago, I would have been glad." Scarlett said with an unsettling calm, knowing this merely brought more shock into the woman's face. "Dying... that's all I ever wanted. But right now I can't do that, not after what is happening."
"What do you mean?" Came the woman's voice.
Scarlett breathed, fingering her black hair. "They want to kill Ozpin and uncle Qrow, but not before getting their hands on the information of a legendary Grimm. Some kind of strange Ursa Major or something. That's all they said to me." The woman just stood frozen on the spot as Scarlett explained it all. "I was ordered to do it, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or too heartless to care about the consequences, but I didn't care, if it meant protecting my family and the people I love, I'd kill a thousand more..."
"Why would they want such information?" The woman asked. "It's just a legend."
"Maybe to most." Scarlett nodded. "But to others its very real...
The woman blinked. So, you sacrificed your own freedom, your very innocence for others... It was all a trick after all...
She didn't know why, but a very soft chuckle escaped her lips. She knew what was about to happen next. On cue, Scarlett spun, a very sharp katana now pointed in her direction.
"I'm sorry mom, but now that you're in the way, I need to kill you..." Scarlett said it with a very still tone, but even she couldn't hide the dreadful pain eating away at her very soul. The woman smiled, knowing her daughter's reasons for her recent actions. She walked forward, ignoring the searing pain that pierced her chest along with the katana's blade.
"Wha-?" Scarlett's eyes now went wide as her mother neared her and gave her a hug. Scarlett felt her tight embrace as every drop of blood spilled out from her body. Turning her head as much as she could, she now saw tears falling from her mother's face.
"You've grown so much , you've made me so proud and you continue to do so." Her mother spoke well despite the pain and blood loss. "Scarlett I love you so much and no matter what path you take I will always be there supporting you..." Her voice now started to grow weaker and weaker. Blood pooled on the crisp snow around the two of them.
Scarlett couldn't help but shiver. "Mom..."
"Scarlett promise me something," She said, refusing to let go. "To save the ones you love ,you must do all you can...even if you bleed or cry, remember this promise... I will give my strength, my blood and soul...if I am to die, I must show the light to this dark world. I must tell them , tell my dream and darkest secret..."
"Before all is lost I have one request." She said as she brushed a lock of Scarlett's dark hair out of her face. "My dear daughter... please... fight for your freedom! " She spoke into her daughter's ear as her body went limp.
"Mom!" Scarlett nearly yelled as her mother's body fell back into the snow, the katana slipping out her arms as she collapsed to her knees.
"Take care of your sisters..." Her mother said. "Tell them I love them..." And with that, she passed.
Scarlett gritted her teeth as she bowed her head in painful remorse. Her hands clenched, gripping the blood-stained snow. Something warm splashed on her hand. She opened her eyes and realized that for the first time in fourteen years, she was actually crying. Why? She blinked as sobs continued to rack her body.
"Scarlett?" Came a voice. She turned to see two girls, an eight year old and a six year old standing in the snow. The older had long blonde hair travelling to her waist. The other girl had short red hair and she wore a small red cloak. They stared at her first, and then at the lifeless body beneath.
"M-mom?" Came the smaller girl, tears gathering at her eyes. The snow came hard as Scarlett stared back down, her body still shaking with sobs. The older girl now grabbed the younger one, doing her best to shield her from the cold.
"Scarlett..." She said, rage filling her eyes as more tears streamed down. "Did you..."
Scarlett nodded, doing her best to keep the sorrow and pain out of her voice. "Yes. Hehe... I did..."
"You monster , I swear I'll KILL YOU!" The eight year old yelled as she hugged her little sister protectively.
Scarlett looked amused as she saw the two little girls cry over their mother. "You're pathetic, both of you. You say you want to become huntresses but you couldn't even save your mother. How pitiful." She said as she looked at the two girls with an emotionless face.
"SHE WAS YOUR MOTHER TOO! ALL YOU DID WAS DISHONOR THE NAME OF A HUNTRESS!" She yelled as her eyes turned red and her hair flared like fire. The younger girl stared at her older sister with shock. Scarlett was taken back at the sudden use of the girl's semblance , normally kids activate there semblance at age 10 , this interested her.
"So this is your semblance, just like fathers. It's such a waste that you bare it. A weakling like you would just put it to shame." Scarlett said mockingly.
" I'LL KILL YOU " The girl yelled as she ran towards her.
"YANG! NO! STOP!" Ruby screamed at her sister, but it was too late. Scarlett grabbed Yang's neck and lifted her to make eye contact.
"Listen to me closely you pathetic brats." Scarlett said as she stared into Yang's crimson eyes. "If you truly want to kill me, turn your hatred and sorrow into strength. They are the only emotions in your beings that is able to take control and give you power. Once you harness that power let it take control and use it to destroy all in your path. Then come face your big sister with the exact same hatred. I'll be waiting..."
With that, she threw Yang down into the snow before jumping off the cliff and into the valley below.
Yang merely ran to where she once stood as Ruby crawled closer to her mother's body. "No..." She moaned.
As Scarlett tumbled through the trees, she could already make out the scene, Yang swearing her vengeance while Ruby threw her head back and let out a piercing wail.