29. Osmond/Ositha:
Mending Things
Have you ever tried to forget someone and you ended up actually forgetting them, then you forgot the reasons why you wanted to forget them?
Yup, that's me.
Worse, they remembered. And rather well, I should say. Too well, even.
~-x-~
This is a bad idea.
I ducked underneath another yet icicle that was flying toward my face. It shattered against the glowing tiled wall behind me with a crunch. Few more crashed into either my Aura or Kvithr's blade, showering me with tiny fragments of sharp ice. I'm pretty sure I didn't sign up for a dart game using my face as a target. Or, should I say, 'dodge-the-angry-heiress' game?
Weiss not speaking any word meant imminent doom. She was dead serious, dead-set to a least carve something on me once. The white-haired glyph user was in front of me, and the next time I blinked, she's already airborne, her rapier poised for a downward strike. Whish! I would've gotten a fancy ice horn on my head.
Chalk up one more lucky moment of my life.
This whole thing was a bad idea that I soon realized the moment my feet touched the glowing tiled floor; the lines emitted light like any fighting game arena. Yes, it's like playing the Ultimate Grimm Combat, except you're the combatant here, not the player. Once you're out, you are out.
A shimmering glyph appeared in front of me, which I immediately jumped away from, already expecting what's coming. Diagonal on my chest, Kvithr blocked a slash that came even earlier than my expectation. Weiss' smirking face hovered, then gone before I could retaliate. Just how fast is she?!
I threw my gaze around, seeing nothing but a dozen glyphs floating and whizzing, making a circle of a dead zone with me in the middle. Gulp.
I've lost count how many times I tried to swallow the bile down, only to have it filling my mouth again in no time. Deep down, I'm cursing my overreacting self. I mean, it's just one mean girl with an oversized toothpick. And a bunch of killer glyphs. And a lot of Dust types in her arsenal...
Okay, nevermind.
But one thing I need to tell you, murderous eyes I thought only exists in horror stories, does exist. And Weiss has them. Cold, murderous blue eyes with killing intent as clear as day staring down on me. Why do girls get all the killer looks? So unfair.
So, here I am, stuck in the grand ring of Atlas Academy's combat class. With a crowd of Atlas students spectating the death battle between me and the Weiss Schnee.
The girl in white resumed her stance, her rapier in her left hand. She is ambidextrous; I realized. One thing about being left-handed; it can make the fight a bit awkward against inexperienced right-handed opponents. That means me because so far, I've yet to meet left-handed people.
Multiple 'zing' sounded, coming from dozen of glowing white glyphs that appeared out of nowhere on the floor, making a line toward me. Again, seriously? I stumbled back several steps from the surprise. Rule of thumb, don't ever let your eyes stray away from your opponent. Especially, when they're zooming toward you. That girl is a human rocket, I'll tell you.
"Hyah!"
My eyes widened. Halfway already?!
She went for a frontal stab, I blocked it. Our blades met with a high-pitched ring; a usual thing when light metal meets another. I staggered. Her entire weight plus momentum was heavier than even Ositha's during our spar. It's enough to drive my ground back.
Feeling the icy blast rustle against my skin, I once again cursed Josh's idea. Weiss was already using her semblance since the beginning, showing how determined she was to end this as soon as possible. The bad news; she is as fast as Blake and able to strike stronger whilst empowered by her glyphs.
Dodge, go for her right! Ositha relayed. I'm analyzing her.
Weiss' right. It should take her time to block since her weapon is in her left hand. I swung Kvithr.
To our surprise, however, it clashed against a black glyph. Weiss anticipated that with ease. How even… she made a shield using her semblance!
My opponent smirked, "That's not going to work against me, Osmond."
She knew.
The girl in white twirled like a ballerina. Out of instinct, I leaned away. Not in a very cool way. The pointy end of her rapier missed me by several hair's breadths. By now, most students here knew I'm no match for her. I could hear the snickers around us. Weiss paid them no attention, but those were enough to send my confidence tumbling down.
In my head, Ositha yelled; Os, focus!
Thanks to her, I dodged another attack just in time. My other half understood my predicament. Even after the intense sparring for a week, it's still not enough to get my body's peak performance to rival Ositha's. It's simple, there's just not enough time for me to recover to my fullest.
It's not working. My other half urged me; Let's use our semblance.
No; I rejected the idea. It's better to give up.
Wait, why? She sounded incredulous. You don't even want to try?
You're going to do it, I said. We came here to test Kvithr. Right now, you're in better shape than I am to push it to the fullest.
Riiight.
"I forfeit!" I exclaimed, stopping Weiss who was about to stab my Adam's apple. She seemed disappointed not able to finish that.
She raised her eyebrow at me and mocked, "Is that all you've got?"
"It's pretty clear that I'm no match against your incredible swordsmanship, Weiss." I bowed a little, just for the sake of being humble and polite. To serve her Schnee ego. It worked. Gotcha.
Her eye twitched. "It was… a good fight."
A good one-sided sparring match, it is.
Thump. Ositha leaped all the way from the audience stand to my side, making me jump. She rose up from her kneeling position, her long hair making a waterfall of black, accentuating her pale complexion and crimson eyes. I heard hushed whispers around the arena. She stared Weiss down and spoke up, clear enough for everyone to hear:
"May I have the honor to test myself against your radiance, Miss Schnee?"
~-x-~
Weiss Schnee nodded after considering and studying me for a moment. "Yes."
Radiance, huh? Os quipped, handing Kvithr to me.
Sh, I'm just following your lead; I told him.
Alrighty; he said, hiding his amusement. I'm ready for the semblance anytime you want.
Now, that sounds like a plan.
The Schnee was more than eager to drill my partner into the wall as quick as she can. That's why she was so relentless against poor Os. Against me, however, she looked more cautious. Well, it seems she's not that frontal at all. If she is going to bulldoze her through as Yang did, I might be in for trouble.
A rapier, as far as I know, is a difficult weapon to master. Unlike a sword or katana, or any other blade weapon that can slash or hack their way through brutally, it emphasizes precision for stabbing and exploiting the chinks in the opponent's defense. Now that I think about it, that goes well with her elegant fighting style.
In my hand, Kvithr weighed as much as Adam's Wilt, despite the difference of broader blade width. It weighs just a little more from my own dagger, thanks to the anti-gravity system. Now, let's see how well it par against a rapier probably worth a thousand Liens of the Schnee Dust Company.
Wait a minute, how much did Josh invest on Kvithr, again?
"Begin!"
Weiss, unlike the previous fight, didn't take the initiative. Rather than striking headfirst, she opted to encircle me, leaving no choice but to follow her. She kept her eyes fixated on mine and my movements. My footsteps…?
In turn, I skimmed over my analysis from earlier. Against an underprepared opponent such as Os, Weiss seemed confident relying on her speed. She didn't waste any time raking the tempo up to gain the advantage. However, the way she used her semblance… ah, I get it, now. Her glyphs not only boost her offense but also to make up for the poor defense of her rapier.
Judging from the two varieties of glyph I saw, that's not all. Her semblance is pretty versatile compared to mine. I don't like the possibilities; my semblance(with Os' help) can teleport me anywhere, but it's quite taxing our Aura. Meanwhile, Weiss didn't look exhausted even after two fights(and the last one was a mixed intense usage her glyphs and Dust). I can't waste my semblance here.
Finally, the wait is over. Weiss slid down two fingers down the length of her rapier, producing a blue glow. Ice Dust. Before I knew it, several icicles flung toward me like bullets. My hand automatically spun Kvithr, turning it into a circular blur. It did block them, but the icicles shattered on each impact and sent shards to graze me. Guess I had Adam to thank for this.
So, the bad news: Weiss has ranged options. While she wasn't attacking me in close range, she won't sit idly either to give me any room. I can see why she is on top of her class. Her versatility. I know it's also her weakness. Being versatile means you're balanced between offense and defense. She can't hit hard as Blake did, or Adam did. I had to take the initiative.
I dashed toward her as she's about to use more Dust. The simple surprise wasn't going to work against someone of her caliber. I was right. Weiss pushed herself away from my swing with another annoying glyph, then struck me fast when she thought I was recovering. None of her strikes went through my blocks, but I learned another thing: she wanted her opponent to overextend.
Clever.
I somersaulted backward several times. Now, she gave chase to me, sensing she'd gained an upper hand and tried to press on me. She was almost right. My eyes widened. The tip of her rapier nearly grazed my forehead. Only reflex saved me and I sacrificed several strands of my hair instead.
Weiss still spun and I wasn't in the optimal position to block. That was until she sunk her rapier to the floor. Spikes of ice erupted up from the previously normal tile, racing toward me. Uh, oh. That's so going to hurt like hell if it finds the mark. I jumped with my Aura flaring up—sending signals to Kvithr's anti-gravity propulsion.
My sword sank into the spikes of ice at the same time I landed on it. The sharp edge felt awkward underneath me, even with the combat boots I'm wearing. It dug into my skin. I grunted, struggling to hold this vulnerable position. This wasn't how I imagined it would go. It should've been… cooler, as Yang would put it.
Dang it, how did I make a pun in a fight?
Meanwhile, Weiss struck again, mid-air. I had to let go of Kvithr, lest taking the whole brunt of the attack. My feet touched the even ground once again, and Weiss–curse her semblance–, glided down with ease to chase me. She tried to put herself between me and Kvithr. Heh, if she thinks I'm an easy prey weaponless, she's dead wrong.
Kvithr's gravity Dust glowed, cracking the ice it had sunk in. Weiss apparently heard it. Bingo. She turned to block the incoming sword. And left her side exposed. I rushed in and swung my fist, putting my Aura into the simple attack. This time, there's no glyph to stop me.
Weiss crashed on the ground rather disgracefully and rolled twice thanks to her velocity before she stopped herself. I felt the urge to wince in sympathy. That must be what the bullies back in Patch felt when Yang went on full rage. Yikes.
I glanced at the screen above the spectators' heads. The reassuring grip of Kvithr's hilt landed in my grip. My Aura; 89% percent. Hers; 60%. Even from start, her Aura was already lower than mine thanks to her previous fights. It wasn't a fair fight–
Left!
Ugh! I dodged, thankful for my trustful partner watching over me when I wasn't paying attention. Immediately, we got locked in a fierce trade of blows. I saw the determination in Weiss' eyes. She was giving her all, even more than she did to Os. I started to struggle to keep up the quick pace of her stabs. Each one kept getting closer to meet its target. But if I use my semblance now…
A strong blast threw me off my feet. Somehow, she managed to sneak the wind Dust in her glyph. I landed on something a bit different from the arena's floor. Looking down; it's a large black glyph, holding me in place. I looked up. Weiss just pushed herself from a white glyph and dashed toward me with incredible speed.
I held Kvithr diagonally in front of me but didn't feel so sure about it. She couldn't be this reckless, directly attacking me whereas she knew her previous strategy was more promising. I failed to notice it in time: two fingers of her right hand flicked. Zing. An invisible force tore Kvithr off my grip. I exhaled in surprise.
It went on in slow motion. Weiss' rapier was within an arm's length from me. Kvithr was farther; there won't be enough time to return it to me using the Dust propulsion. I poured my Aura into my left hand, which is now held up between Weiss and me like a meatshield. I barely registered the loud ring that echoed around us. Or the drop in my Aura. But I did remember, the rapier's pointy end pierced through my Aura with a stab of pain.
Almost.
As my Aura broke, I gripped the blade. My now free right hand swung toward Weiss's face, who was still carried by her momentum. Skin met skin. I slapped her. No, not a slap. It's more like I grabbed her head and tossed her aside with my remaining strength. Twice she hit the ground with a thud and came to rest, her rapier missing.
The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of our match. Weiss appeared shocked when she tried to prop herself, staring up at me with her weapon in my hand. Our eyes met. I gave her the tiniest of a smirk.
"The match is concluded. Weiss Schnee wins by Aura level!" the instructor said.
Oh? I looked at the screen. No surprise, considering I took most of her attacks straight-on.
Several murmurs and protests came from the spectators' row, disagreeing.
He explained, "As we've seen, Miss Branwen has managed to disarm her, but in a tournament match, she would lose because of the Aura level."
That's right. Her Aura was still hovering at 40% whereas mine had been reduced to 13%, just two percent below the bare minimum. But was it really a victory to Weiss? No, I knew it wasn't.
We tried; said Os. Maybe you should've teleported away instead of blocking head-on.
No, I did it.
Huh?
This is not a victory. It's a humiliation and a crushing defeat for her. Watch me.
I approached Weiss and offered my hand to her. She hesitated but reluctantly accepted.
"As expected from an Atlas' Academy star student, your prowess is truly incredible, Miss Schnee," I offered with a smug smile. Rubbing the salt on the wound. Heh, look at that face.
Os sounded horrified; You're evil!
Weiss was as stiff as cardboard. "...well fought." She looked away and added, "Branwen."
I handed her rapier over, still with a smile. "Oh, and Miss Schnee?"
She glanced up from rapier. "Yes?"
Blocking Os out from my mind, I spoke in a low voice, only enough for Weiss to hear, "If I may ask a small favor; please don't be too hard on my brother. We have been through a lot of…" I flashed a dangerous smile. "...unpleasant experience. More than you think you know."
Weiss' lips parted.
"I'm sure you would understand. I only want the best for my dear little brother, after all." I winked. "It would be a shame if your betrothal gets canceled over some... petty reasons."
The threat was clear as day. Have I made an enemy?
She mutely nodded. Good, I guess not.
Kvithr flew into my hand with a low hum. As I leave the arena, I felt Os' Aura trickling into me, restoring my exhausted one. I sent him my gratitude and found myself… surrounded by the students. I couldn't hear which one was talking as they ganged on me, but they're all saying either 'That's awesome!' or 'What's your secret?'
Then, some less than nice comments directed toward my opponent;
"Finally, someone put her in place."
"Yeah, serves her ego right."
The source was from two boys wearing an identical outfit. They seemed so satisfied with the outcome of the match. I didn't know why, but it got on my nerve. Sure, Weiss is a very proud person and might be pretty cold(understatement of the year), but…
"Have you ever won against her?" I asked out to them.
"Oh, we would've!" One of them stuck up his chest. "Her annoying glyphs are all she's got. Without them, she would've stayed at the bottom."
"You're wrong."
"Eh?"
I love Blake for teaching me her signature glare. "Weiss Schnee is at the top because she didn't waste her time talking crap and see others do the job for her." I held my hands akimbo. "Here is a tip; if you want to get to the top, then stop whining or complaining. Start doing it yourselves."
And, ah, those flustered faces were so satisfying. The two took off quickly with their tails between their legs. I looked at them, wondering if anyone in the swarm would challenge my opinion. There's none. They simply became silent after hearing me. Few retreated from my space. Yeah, I know; I'm an alpha bitch.
Maybe they've realized, I'm a colder Ice Queen than Weiss?
"Sis! You did awesome!" Os with a large goofy grin–thank his intervention– broke into the fray and pulled my hand, helping me escape from the crowd.
Once we're away, he hissed; "Why did you block me from your thoughts?! What did you tell her?"
"Nothing important," I answered, glancing away and caught Weiss stepping out from the arena with less than a proud posture. "But I do regret rubbing it on her face. She's not that bad, but some people here seem not very keen of her."
"You get that with popularity," Os huffed. "The White Fang wasn't either, toward us."
"That's different, dummy." I held myself back from smacking his head. Remember, Ositha, we're out in the public.
"Still, you did well out there." My other half led us toward Winter and Josh, who are waiting. "I think even she is impressed." He gave a mental direction toward the specialist.
I shrugged with a smug face. "What can I say? I'm good at impressing people."
A picture of him blowing the cherry appeared in my mind. Bleh.
"Well fought, both of you," Winter praised flatly. She directed it to me and Weiss, whom I noticed late, was already standing by her sister's side.
"That's my lil' sis!" Josh ruffled my hair affectionately, ignoring my 'stop it!' protests.
"Now, I believe we should carry on to the next business." Winter nodded toward him, ignoring Weiss's presence. So cold. It's as if her sister's fight was nothing biggie.
I suddenly felt so grateful and missed Josh's hand ruffling my hair. I didn't realize I'd took a step closer to my older brother until his hand patted on my shoulder. He smiled lightly. "Shall we be off, Winter?"
Weiss stepped back and politely ask, "If I may excuse myself? I'd like to go to the library; there's something I left there."
"Of course." The older sister nodded.
And… she's gone before I know it.
"Let us be off." Winter strolled away without looking back. Leaving us befuddled.
Finally, my other half muttered under his breath; "Ice Queens."
Pfft.
"Snrrrkk." Josh politely hid his own snicker with a snort.
~-x-~
While Ositha and Josh took off with Winter, I departed to look for Weiss after a brief excuse. Nobody complained. They–even Winter– seem to know it's my main agenda for today. What the heck.
People gave me looks. Here and there I heard the mention of 'Burlywood', plus an occasional 'his sister is a monster'. Eh? What's up with that?
"Ossy!" A familiar face appeared out of nowhere as the owner grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me up and down.
"Gah!" I screamed. From the shaking. "Oh, it's you, Neon!"
The girl with pink pigtails giggled, "Nice, you remembered! If you didn't..."
"We just met yesterday," I deadpanned. "If I can't remember, I need to get my brain checked."
"Ha!" she guffawed. "Good one." Then, she glanced around, looking for someone. "Hey, where is your girlfriend?"
…?
"Which girlfriend?" I asked dumbly. Wrong. I should've used 'what' instead of 'which'.
The fancy-dressed Faunus gasped, "Omygosh, I forgot you got two!"
"Neon!" I hissed with my burning cheeks, clamping my hand over her mouth. "Keep it down!"
She nodded mutely–yet her eyes still glinting mischievously.
I knew it. Once I let her go, she instantly went to her bubbly attitude again. Sigh. Someone really needs to keep her in check. Fortunately, that someone just happened to be close by. Flynt approached us with a small, amused smile. He's heard everything.
"Flynt, look who's visiting us!" she gushed.
He shook his head, still amused. "I don't think he is visiting us, Neon." To me, he winked. "Got any business with the Ice Queen, Burlywood?"
Ignoring the whining sound Neon made, I shrugged. "Yep, you guess it."
Flynt tipped his fedora in a smug show. "I saw your fight, by the way."
I fought the urge to groan, but ended up awkwardly stuffing myself. "Yeah… not my proudest moment."
"Don't worry, Ossy," Neon tried to cheer me up. "Everyone's like that when they fight Weiss."
"You're fighting against, like, the valedictorian of Atlas combat school. Consider yourself lucky she didn't mop the floor with you." Flynt pointed out. "But ey, that's why we're training hard here. To beat her next time."
"Guess so, but… I forfeited."
"Smart choice, though." He nodded approvingly. "I'd do the same if I were you."
Again, I winced. "I know I don't look that much…"
...but please, spare my ego. It's already crushed to dust.
"Are you sure you wanna see Weiss? Knowing, she's gonna be in lockdown after she's got a defeat."
"Wait, what?" I thought I heard him wrong. "Lockdown?"
~-x-~
"See?"
I swallowed. Hard.
There's a massacre down there in the humongous training room. Metals and wires were strewn everywhere, some still eliciting sparks. They were once the training androids serving as living dummies for every trainee here to spar against. I think I'd replace the words 'spar against' with 'annihilate' for Weiss.
The heiress was unleashing her fury. She was practically invisible. Only the sound of her rapier clashing against the bots hinted where she had struck. The white glowing glyphs were everywhere, appearing and vanishing within an eyeblink. Once a while, I saw her form, zooming around and weaving her way through the mob of androids.
Where'd she got an endless supply of energy?
"Nobody ever dares to interrupt her," Flynt said, before retreating. "I'll see myself out."
"Me too," followed Neon in a hushed voice.
"Guess I'll be the first," I said to no one in particular, not keeping my eyes off her rapid movements. She won't kill her future fiancé, right? That'd be too cruel.
"Yup, good luck with that, Ossy." I glanced back. Neon gave me two gun fingers, before sashaying her way out. "We'll remember you."
Friends, eh?
I approached Weiss. Keyword; tried to. With the metals littering almost all over the place, I had to mind my steps lest I'd trip over them. She didn't notice me at first, so I put up my Aura defense just in case she thought I was another android. Lucky me. She thought so.
Zing. The gust of her augmented speed stopped just before me. Her rapier was a mere inch away from my throat. Gulp. This was closer than my expectations.
I gave her a sheepish grin. "Hi?"
"You!" she yelled, infuriated by my interruption. The heiress didn't move her weapon away, rather nearly jabbed me instead. "Do you have any idea how much damage I could've caused?!"
"I have my Aura up, just in case."
"Are you out of your mind? I could've seriously injured you!" She still went on, seething in anger.
I held my hands up, a motion of resignation. "I know, but I also know you're skilled enough not to do that."
"You moronic, idiot fool. Don't ever try to test me," she capitalized her point, to which I nodded, eventually made her move her weapon away. "What do you want, now?"
"I came with no ill intent. I just wanted to check on you."
Weiss rolled her eyes and blew her bangs away, revealing a sheen of sweat covering her forehead. "Well, you just did. Go on," she turned her back on me. "Gloat all you want, Burlywood."
The training room readied another batch of androids while Weiss continued fixing her stance. Her knees wobbled once, but she quickly hid it. I frowned, realizing how hard-headed she is. Kind of reminded me of myself and Ositha. There's something about Weiss that felt so familiar to me. I think I should know, but for some reason, I couldn't bring up any memories related to her. It was a blank slate.
My body moved before I knew it. I grabbed her the rapier by its blade, prompting a surprised noise from Weiss. She protested, "What are you doing?!"
I calmly looked straight at her. "There's a difference between pushing your limit and running yourself to the ground, Weiss."
"What do you know about me?" she spat. "Hands off or I'll make you regret ever interrupting."
Wait, what? I stared. No, I wasn't imagining it. I saw liquid at the corner of her eyes. Was she… crying?
She apparently realized that as well, for she glanced away and quickly wept her eyes.
"Weiss, are you okay?"
After a few seconds, she replied with a low voice, "...yes."
I put my hand on her shoulder. The white-haired girl stiffened at the unexpected touch.
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern," she answered bitterly.
Huh, I thought she'd lash out again for a bit. Go figure. But then, I remembered Ositha blocking me earlier. Yep, I knew it. She was roasting Weiss. A little bit too far on that.
"What did my sister tell you? I mean–whatever it was, I'm sorry on her behalf. She didn't mean her words." I tried to lighten the mood, "Just so you know, even that brat used to give my father all the middle fingers."
It didn't work. My forced smile met the floor. Wait, is it me? Gosh, I almost forgot that she was probably still upset over the stunt I did yesterday.
"Err, if it's me, I'm sorry too. I admit I was wrong and I said ignorant words to you." I winced at the memory of the other day.
"It's okay."
Strange. She keeps brushing it off as if she wants to get this conversation over with as soon as possible. What should I do? She's not Blake that I can distract with other things. Plus, if I try it, she'd probably play along and I ended up straying from my point.
"You did… great against Ositha," I tried to go with a praise, praying it'd work. "Not many can rival her adept Aura manipulation."
The heiress flinched, stung by my words. Good grief. Another wrong step. This is going nowhere. I need to think of something else. Is it… her sister?
Weiss turned to face me, her expression was devoid of emotion. "If this is about the betrothal, then you have nothing to worry about." She nodded. "I will still do it."
"That... doesn't sound like you at all," I observed.
The heiress stuck her chin up to challenge my height. Defiance clearly shown in her ice-blue eyes. "Do you even remember me to tell the difference, Osmond?"
Checkmate. And that's the first time she addressed me by my first name ever since our encounter today. I swallowed, out of words.
Weiss scoffed. "I thought so."
Think, Os. Think. And be quick. There has to be something. Everything about Weiss Schnee that I know. Her trait. Her heritage. Her likes and dislikes(me?). Anything. Why is she so hostile toward me?
Then, I remembered something. Her songs. She got two of them out–those I usually listened when I was on a whim–, but never knew the exact reason why I picked them on my playlist. Now, I think I know why.
The girl let out an exhausted sigh. "I have more pressing matters to deal with, so I suppose we should conclude our little chat here." She tapped something into her scroll, canceling the training progress. "Farewell, Osmond."
"Wait," I blurted out suddenly, "How is your second song coming?"
She halted her steps. Her white ponytail swished from side to side as she glanced back. "Come again?"
"I… always listen to your song. I even bought the single back in Vale," I told her.
The girl in white pondered over my words.
Maybe... there's still hope?
"I see."
…
I blinked. Wait, that's it? That's all? Okay, good, I need to keep it going. Maybe... talk about the lyrics? All I remember was bits here and there and the whole meaning of being lonely. Heck, I barely remember the song's title.
Was it 'Mirror Mirror' or 'Mirage Mirage'? I instantly cringed. Not the latter. Obviously.
"Surprisingly, I can relate well to the lyrics."
Being alone sucks. Especially, when no one got your back. Lucky me, I got Josh and Ositha. But Weiss? Her sister? Duh, I saw what happened.
Weiss asked cautiously, "You do?"
"Yup," I replied. "What's with that look?"
"Nothing," came her quick, clipped answer. "I–I'm glad you think so."
Uh, okay?
"Thank you," she added hastily.
Alright, this is getting weird. Suddenly, she softened just like that? Where'd the 'Ice Queen' Weiss go?
"Weiss, is there something I need to know?" I pressed on. "I'll be honest, I forgot a lot of things. So, please, just tell me." I heaved a sigh. "I can't stand seeing you acting like this. What have I done you wrong?"
"It's…" the heiress paused. She tore her gaze away the moment our eyes met. "I'm sorry, I've been behaving to you as if you're the same person you were. I shouldn't have."
This keeps getting weirder.
"Weiss, I may have changed a lot, but I'm still the person I've always known." I grabbed her hand. "Please, stop treating me otherwise."
As soon as my last sentence finished, the arena became silent. Nobody moved. Weiss and I still had our eyes clashing against each other. I maintained my gaze. Trying to figure out what's hidden behind those icy eyes. Neither of us was willing to speak.
"Tell me," I said, "What were we?"
Her lips parted, trying to form some words. The heiress glanced at her wrist, that I just realized was still trapped in my tight grip. I let it go. The owner rubbed it as she cautiously eyed me.
"That second song…" Weiss swallowed hard as if the word was bile in her throat. "You helped me with the lyrics. That was it."
Helping? How even…
"Someone used to call me 'Ice Queen' in Alsius," Weiss started. "That was until I chased him off. I tried to put him down but instead, we ended up chatting about the new song I just released. I still don't know how he smoothly changed the topic."
Um..?
"He wanted to study together with me and learn from me–how I came on the top of the classes." She snorted, "Not the purest intention I've ever seen, but at least, he was being honest. That's the first time someone asked me so nicely without any faux attitude."
"And then?"
Weiss sighed. "I guess I was still soft-hearted, so I agreed. That was when we were twelve. His father's company hadn't grown so big back then."
I said nothing but urged her to continue.
"I thought it's my loss, but it turns out, I learned a lot more from him. He taught me how to follow the rules we're both trapped in… but still have the time for ourselves." She hesitated for a moment, then continued, "He taught me how to not forget myself and keep pursuing my dreams. That boy was extraordinary, despite his annoying nature."
"Wow," I shrugged. "Not gonna lie. Sounds like a great guy to hang out with."
She glared at me. "I was talking about you, dummy."
"Oh." Wait. It sunk in. I gasped, "Ooooh! Now, I get it."
Weiss facepalmed. "You're hopeless."
"But hey, that's cool!" I told her. "If we were friends, why so hostile now?"
"Excuse me?!" she appeared insulted.
"Eh?"
She stomped forward and jabbed a finger on my chest. Her face–looking cute with colored cheeks– morphed into a pouting-slash-angry expression. "It's you who started it! Suddenly–," a jab, "–you put me at an arm's length without any explanation! Then, you–," one more jab, "–disappeared!"
"I don't-"
"The last thing I knew, you're already on your way to Vale. After everything you did to gain my trust and make me feel special… you-," Weiss's voice wavered, making me feel one hundred percent guilty. "How could you, Osmond? How could you leave me alone here?"
"Weiss, I'm sure-"
"When I heard you went missing, I thought that was it. I've lost one of a few friends I had."
The heiress nodded her head down, not letting me see her face. She leaned forward. Resting her forehead on my chest. My chin brushed against her colorless pony. Poor girl. It looks like she needs some comfort. I slowly moved my arms to wrap her around-
"Don't touch me. I'm still upset," she half-threatened, half-mumbled into my chest.
Awkwardly, I dropped them. "S-sorry."
Geez, this one Ice Queen.
I spoke up, "Weiss, I know I'm at wrong. So, how about I let you pummel me to your heart's content, then you forgive me? Deal?"
No response–THWACK!
"Ow!"
I fell onto my knees, rubbing the side of my head. Dang, that was one kind of knuckle. And how couldn't I see it coming?
"Dunce!" She said, "Get up."
I swear, I could never understand girls. Except for Ositha–and she isn't completely a girl.
(Don't tell her I said that.)
Wincing, I faced her. "So…"
"You're forgiven."
I scrunched my brows, doubting she's finished right there. I was correct.
The heiress went on again, "Even though you didn't come to me after you recovered and instead went out to hang out with your other friends," she paused, probably thinking of how to give me the most guilty effect by words. "I suppose I can forgive that, too, on the excuse of your amnesia."
I rolled my eyes. "You can just say 'I'm jealous cause you prioritized them', y'know. And yes, I'm guilty."
Blue eyes widened. "Ah, uh, I didn't mean to imply that!" She turned away and huffed, but I saw the blush. "Don't get any ideas, Burlywood."
"Really?" Being a good foot taller than her, I could easily pat her head. I wrapped my left arm around her shoulder. "Sounds like someone needs my undivided attention, then. I think I remember this one."
"W-what are you doing?!" Weiss hissed, "People can see us, dolt!"
"So, what? We're about to get betrothed anyway. No need to be awkward around me."
"I… you-ugh..."
I sensed her stiffening. Maybe, she is as anxious as I was. Or worse, she doesn't want this either. All my Lien on the last one. No, that's cool, 'cause I could share her sentiment.
"I know what you're thinking, Weiss." I rested my hand on her shoulder. "We'll talk about it, too, if you want. I'm not forcing you, but I think co-operating with each other is our best bet for now."
"I want it," she said softly, stopping the time for me.
What?
Weiss coughed. "I'm just–ah, I think I'm not ready. But it's coming, so what choice do I have?"
"Wait, wait. Hold on," I interrupted. "You want it? As in… want it?"
She glared at me, the pink blush was prominent on her cheeks. "Yes, dolt. I think it's time I return your feelings, Osmond. Even if this one is a bit... hasty."
Wait, what?
I blinked. My hand slid down off her shoulder. Am I hearing that correct? What the heck?
The heiress scrunched her eyebrows. "For someone who's been pursuing me relentlessly back then, you gave me quite a different reaction from what I expected. Is something wrong, Os?"
Yes. This is wrong. This whole thing is totally wrong.
"Weiss, I…"
~-x-~
...I think I messed up again; Os's voice echoed through our link.
Again? Tsk, why am I not surprised at all? I glanced from my spot, an ear-shot away from the important people doing their important business. They seemed to be still in the middle of their conversation. I sighed.
What gives? I asked him.
Instead of words, Os told his story using the memories. A brief summary of his encounter with the heiress later, I found myself speechless.
Really?
Yah, really. Do you think an heiress suddenly goes head over heels for me after being upset? He made a mental equivalent of 'duh'.
Bummer. I asked more, What are you going to do now?
Sheesh, I was actually hoping you could answer that one for me—forget it. I felt his frustration.
Sheepishly, I offered; Sorry, can't help.
That's fine; Os groaned. No, it's not fine. He added sarcastically; If you don't hear from me within an hour, search for my body. With that, he left our link.
I laughed, Aye, aye, capt'.
Josh waved from afar, signaling me to come. What is it, now? I exhaled long enough, before gathering my wits to put another facade. Ol' Mr. Schnee wasn't the nicest thing–sorry, person–, to be around with. Especially after hearing my 'unique' adoption case–turns out it means I wasn't my father's legitimate child. I immediately saw it in his eyes:
Bastard.
Ignored and treated like an outcast–no, he didn't even acknowledge my presence–, since the start, was more than a good reason for me to see myself out. Father did nothing to stop me. He only nodded without paying attention. Tch. If my own dad didn't regard me, who else would?
Winter, who decided to stand by General Ironwood's side instead of her father, gave me a polite nod with an apologetic look. Well, at least we both could relate. I'm starting to get used to this, neglected. Heck, I think I'm already used to it.
Last night…
"Ositha," Father called my name when I was about to take my leave. Josh hovered by the door, waiting for us expectantly.
The bald man glanced at my older brother, then added, "Alone?"
Josh hesitated, but eventually bowed stiffly and departed, closing the door with a click.
Once we're alone, he motioned with his hand. "Come closer."
Mutely, I obeyed. The man clasped his hands on the wooden desk, studying me through his onyx eyes carefully. "I have a small request for you."
"And that would be...?" I asked, arms crossed just below my bust–a small show of defiance. Sorry, but don't expect me to obey him like a good little girl.
"First, I have to make sure this is just between us. Can I have your word on that?" He narrowed his eyes on the last part, emphasizing the point.
Albeit unsure, I slowly nodded and severed the connection to Os. "You have my word."
"Good."
I raised an eyebrow. "What is this about?"
"Osmond," he hinted. One word that was enough to make me stiffen. "I'm sure you would understand."
My lips kept shut.
"He is important, would you agree?" he asked.
"Yes," I inhaled. "But enough of that, let's just get straight to the point, Father."
"Losing him would be catastrophic, not just for you, but for this company as well." Father paused. "So, therefore, should anything goes amiss in the betrothal, I want you to make sure Osmond gets out of there at all cost."
"Even if it costs my life?" I cynically asked back, interested to see his reaction. Would he ask me to die for my other half?
He chuckled coldly. "You know which one is more important, Ositha." Onyx eyes daring me to say otherwise. "I don't want to lose Os again like back then when he tried to protect you."
The words slapped me. It stung.
If it wasn't for—I held myself back from lashing out. Teeth gritted against each other while my hands trembled, trying not to curl into fists.
You...
On his chair, Father smirked. "What's the matter? Am I wrong, Ositha?"
No. He is right.
After a moment of struggling with my temper, I succeeded nodding with a flat expression. "No, I understand. I shall see to it, Father."
"Very well." Still with that sickening smile on his face, the old man waved me off. "You are dismissed. And don't forget; keep this between ourselves."
…
I should say this is the Big Three meeting. Three important figures of Atlas plus Winter and Josh stood encircling what looked like a round table with a light blue holoscreen on its surface.
Everyone's eyes are on me; something that made me fidget earlier. That is the first time I see the leader of Atlas Military, the head of SDC, and the head of Burlywood in a room together. And none of them liked my presence–an unknown bastard girl that the Josh Burlwood calls as his sister.
"Ositha here, " said Josh while clasping my shoulder, "She went on a reconnaissance mission in the White Fang to gather intel on their ground. She saved my life and almost saved my brother's, had it not been for… an external interference."
If Father feels the insult, he surprisingly didn't show it. However, I saw the General regarding me a bit differently. There's a trace of respect in his eyes. I straightened my shoulder. Show no weakness.
"Almost, you say?" Mr. Schnee asked with a twist of his pale mustache. The man shook his head. "How tragic but at least, Osmond survived."
One more person added to my list of 'Top Worst Daddies of the Year'.
"Jacques," the General said warningly with a hardening expression.
I looked at Mr. Schnee's smug face. No, no way I'll someone step on me like this. I spoke up with a clear voice, "I shall let that one pass, for now. There's a more pressing matter over petty arguments,–" He glared at me. "–that would be my brother's betrothal and the safety of all party involved."
Yes, I'm an intellectual and educated fellow. Bring it on, Schnee. I glanced at the head of SDC and more than pleased seeing him fix the red handkerchief in his chest pocket to save his composure.
The General nodded a small amused smile present. "Indeed, that is our goal, Miss…"
Winter whispered something to him. His face looked like he just swallowed something acid. "...Branwen."
Heh, now you see the resemblance.
I started explaining; "I've been with the White Fang long enough to see how they plan their attack. This time, it'll be a combined force from Mistral and Vale, led by their leader Sienna Khan and Adam Taurus."
"Such a big force would be too noticeable by my men." General Ironwood rubbed his chin. "At least, until–"
"Until Vytal comes to play," I cut him off, earning a glare from my Father. "It's perfect timing."
Mr. Schnee barked a burst of laughter. "With the might of Atlas standing here? How can you be so sure about that, girl?" He smirked, challenging me.
"I've seen them with my own eyes." I took a step forward. "They. Are. Here."
"Pffft." Mr. Schnee waved me off and turned away, mocking my presence. "They might as well sign a death wish if they want to storm us. The Atlas Military will be everywhere." The man glanced through his shoulder and said dangerously, "Rather than that, I'm more interested in how reliable your source is."
My eyes narrowed. "What was that supposed to mean?"
"No offense, but I'm skeptical about your 'vast' knowledge of the White Fang. How could such a young fellow gather so much in a short time?"
I clenched my fists. This old fart…
"You were there when the White Fang captures Osmond, weren't you?" He offered no smile, but his malicious eyes sneered at me. "However, I've never seen your presence once until Osmond woke up from his comma. For me, that sounds-"
A hand clasped my shoulder, pulling me closer toward its owner. Josh's has a hard look on his face as he spoke in a controlled voice. "Sir, that's enough. I will not tolerate your ill implications toward Ositha." My brother squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. "She fought the hardest out of us all. The reason she got so much intel is because some of her Faunus friends joined the White Fang."
"Ah!" The look on Mr. Schnee looked like he just caught a big fish with his bait. He clicked his tongue. "Dreadful! We shouldn't be sharing this crucial information with other parties, especially those involved with the White Fang."
"But-"
"Josh," Father stopped my brother. Then, he looked at me and said, "You are dismissed."
…
That moment, I've never felt so betrayed in my life. I realized, that being Ositha–a nobody–, no one would hear me out. The look in their eyes–as if they're seeing a hideous-shaped Faunus. In a power play, being nameless means you're nothing. Even in my father's eyes, I'm just a meatshield for Os.
Nothing more.
I bit back my remark and bowed instead, "Very well. My apologies for the disturbance I've caused."
As I turned to the exit, I throw my father one last look. Our eyes met. I mouthed; "If anything happens, you will pay."
I ignored Josh calling out my name and stormed outside, tears threatening to fall.
~-x-~
A/N:
Uh-oh. Trying to mend things actually break more things. Anyone wanna give poor Ositha a hug?
So, we have a bit of OsmondxWeiss going on, but that's only because of the past they had. Don't worry, I won't pair them both and turn this FanFic into a stupid harem crap. No, just no. That's enough cancer already. Let's just put this as another of Ossy's interaction with canon characters.
I know, I know, it's very vague, but I will explain more in the next chapter. (Actually, I wanted to finish it here, but we already reached almost 8k words, the heck?)
Writing this chapter has been a roller-coaster for me. I struggled to find the right words and of course, actions that would suit Weiss, our tsundere Ice Queen. I noticed that the 'Weiss having feelings' part sounds a bit rushed, but considering Ossy had lost a lot of his memories–including those he didn't want to remember, I think it's only fitting.
Moving on, sorry for the late update but I've been in hard times typing this whole chapter on my phone(yes, deal with it) while having a finger strain on my left forefinger. I was also busy editing videos for my new channel. Spoiler: it's not another RWBY crack channel. But if you do appreciate nightcore songs, you're welcome to give this one a try:
*puts link and runs off before people burn me for self-promoting*
In Tai's voice: PLEASE COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE!
youtu . be / galyiGxruAk
– Karvost
~-x-~
Review Reply:
Guest:
I agree, Weiss and Ositha(while not really friendly), they'd be good rivals with respect toward each other. But of course, Weiss act toward Ossy would twist that a little. And yes, maybe Ositha would be there to explain things.
Uh, that would be a great smut, except Adam wouldn't be that dumb to sneak into the Burlywood's Manor just to take his katana back and have a 'quickie' with Ositha unless he wants all the androids and security on him, effectively alerting Atlas Military and Irondaddy:
'Hey, I'm here for my ex-girlfriend who ditched me!'
Thanks for your review, and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter as the answer to your questions!