Note: Thank you to everyone for your support. Seriously. If you've managed to read this far, thank you for everything. You have no idea your kindness means to us.
For those who enjoyed the last chapter, we're glad you liked it. For those who didn't, sorry. I mean, it's not like we couldn't do it. Once in a lifetime chance. We're totally leaving that chapter up by the way, even though it totally interrupts the flow of the story. We don't care. Really, we just wanted to end this arc on Chapter 70, a nice, even clean number. Speaking of which: yay! The arc is over! Mostly. We still have like a bunch of chapters to follow up the happenings from this arc, but uh, yeah... this is the end of this horribly controversial arc of LUBYP. Please, let us know what you thought. As if you haven't already. We're probably going to take a little writing break so we can finish up our studies at college, and then hopefully, we'll be back real soon. We promise. Thank you again to everyone, and enjoy.
The first thing Ruby felt was the floor. Her fingers twitched and she struggled to open her eyes as she heard groaning all around her.
"What the… I was only out of the room for five minutes."
Bright lights. Everywhere. Was she dead? No. She didn't feel dead. Her skull wouldn't have been throbbing as much if she was actually dead.
"I knew these Trials were a bad idea. Well, I mean, I didn't say it, but…"
Ruby lifted her head off the ground. The void was gone, and the world around her was instead familiar, to a degree. A raised platform in the center, on which crystalline structures and basins of snow and Dust rested, surrounded by mostly unlit candles. A skylight shone down moonlight onto her, and as her gaze lingered around the room she saw the viewing booth above her, its glass blown out and two cloaked figures lying unconscious inside. They were hardly the only bodies strewn about, as Ruby soon came to realize. Eight of them in total were scattered around her, and they too were slowly coming to their senses, rising to their feet, trying to figure out what had just happened to them. The only one standing, straight in the middle of the pack, was Professor Glynda Goodwitch, a mug of hot coffee in her hand which bore the inscription of "World's Greatest Huntress" on its pristine white surface. She sniffed and quietly scratched her nose as she looked around the broken bodies in the room.
"God, I'm totally getting fired, aren't I?"
Ruby groaned, rising to her feet. She massaged her scalp as she tried to regain her balance. The Reveler… it was dead, wasn't it? An Aspect of Decum Luna slaughtered right before her very eyes. Or, was it even as Aspect to begin with? Was it even real? Was any of it real? It was so hard to tell. It felt almost like a dream, but there was no way that it couldn't have been real. The others seemed to be having the same experience as she was. Wait. Others. Her eyes scanned the room. Yang. Dammit, Yang.
Yang barely managed to stand up before Ruby crashed into her, tackling her to the ground.
"Oh, my God, Yang!" Ruby said. Emotions that she couldn't find a source for suddenly poured out of her, and she was nearly reduced to tears as she squeezed her big sister in her arms. "Thank God, you're okay! I was so worried about you!"
Yang was taken aback, so much so that it took her a few seconds to return the hug, smiling breathlessly as she did. "Whoa, easy there, kid. I'm glad you're safe, too, but you're crushing me."
"Sorry. Just…" Ruby did not loosen her grip. "I thought you were dead. That thing was so awful and I'm so happy you're all right."
"Yeah, well, same here," Yang stated with a nervous laugh; something Ruby was too emotional to notice. "I was looking for you all over. What the hell happened? Are you okay?"
"I mean… yeah," Ruby sighed, pushing her head off her sister's lap. "As well as I can be."
"Did that thing do anything to hurt you?" Yang asked. And that question made no sense. Ruby stared at Yang like she was insane. Did it do anything? Of course, it did. Was she blind? Even flat on the ground, Yang was able to see her back. That word permanently etched into her spine, it should have been clearly visible. Ruby reached behind her and touched her skin, but once her fingers made contact, she froze in disbelief.
Nothing. She felt nothing at all. No cut, no edge, no blood… just her normal, boring skin. She rolled off of Yang and stumbled to her feet, feeling for any indication of the scar the God left on her. She hadn't even noticed that the pain had disappeared once she woke up, but it was truly gone. A smile broke out on her face, and she could hardly stop the tears from flowing in joy. The others in the room were noticing the changes as well, not just with her, but with themselves. Blake sat upright, carefully massaging the leg that had been pierced by one of the Reveler's chains. She flexed it, and not only was there no entry point for where the spike hit her, but she had complete control over her limb as well. Velvet could easily rise to her feet and shifted her balance between her legs to make sure she was still nimble. Pyrrha helped Nora stand up, and the redhead began bouncing up in down in victory. Yang casually climbed to her feet as well, and without Ruby's permission or input, quickly zipped up the back of her younger sister's dress, which started to slink off her shoulders. Ruby thanked her silently as she heard Blake speak up.
"Is… is it over?" she asked worriedly. "Is that thing dead?"
"I think so," Ruby agreed, striding over and helping her teammate to her feet.
"What even happened?" Jaune asked. "We were surrounded by frogs one second, and the next—"
"Blam!" Nora shouted intensely. "Blinding white light! And then we were here."
"We solved the Reveler's last Trial," Ruby explained carefully. "And then Weiss—"
Weiss.
Wait. Where was Weiss at? She was consumed by those cracks, and then she was at the center when the light went off. Was she okay? Ruby scanned the room, all of her happy, relieved thoughts quickly burning out.
Then she saw her.
The girl in white wasn't moving near the base of the stage. Not at all. She had not been spared, at least not like the others. Her back turned to them and lying on her side, Ruby could see that the massive bite on her shoulder was still there. Still bleeding. Ruby took one step forward, then another, and then as her heart sank, she sprinted over to Weiss's side as fast as she could. She slid to her knees, her hands hovering just over Weiss's body, shaking as she panicked over what to do.
"Weiss? Weiss, can you hear me?" she asked hurriedly. She turned Weiss onto her back and instantly went numb. The fresh slice down the center of her face that the Reveler gave her was missing, but there was no reason for Ruby to be relieved. Weiss's eyes were closed. Her face: expressionless. Unmoving.
The commotion attracted the others, and Yang and Blake ran to be by Ruby's side as the young Huntress started to scream.
"Ruby, wait!" Blake shouted. Ruby grabbed Weiss by the shoulders and shook her.
"Weiss! Weiss, get up!" she screamed frantically. Yang stepped in, pushing her away.
"Hold on, Ruby. Let's see if she's actually dead first," she instructed, lifting two fingers and bringing them to Weiss's neck. "You have to make sure you put your fingers in the right place to feel a pulse. Otherwise, you'd—"
Weiss's eyes shot open, and Yang nearly jumped out of her skin, falling back onto her rear. Weiss gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling like a pounding tide as the others relaxed around her.
"Holy fuck. Holy fuck," Weiss said desperately, clutching her chest hard. "Holy fucking, fucking fuck."
Ruby, not understanding how the concept of personal space worked, immediately wrapped her arms around Weiss's shoulders and pulled her into her chest. "Oh, thank goodness, you're alive!"
"What the hell happened?" Weiss asked worriedly, trying to shove Ruby off of her. "Where am I? Is it—"
"It's okay," Ruby promised, sighing sweetly into Weiss's hair. "You did it, Weiss. You did it. Everything's going to be okay." The girl was covered in sweat and blood, and with every passing second, she tried more and more violently to free herself from Ruby's grasp. But, somehow, having that horrible person safe in her arms, away from the things that were trying to hurt her—it felt right. Like an incredible weight was lifted off her shoulders, or more accurately, like falling back into a perfectly fitting bed. Soft and comfortable. Familiar. Relaxing.
Weiss settled into it after a long moment. She… she did it. It had all happened so fast her brain could barely process it, but it was true. She completed the Trial, all by herself. She saved the lives of her friends. She knocked the Reveler off its perch, and when it was down, she drove a blade straight into its skull. She—Weiss Schnee, the Auraless nobody who disgraced everything she touched—killed one of the Aspects of Decum Luna.
Holy shit, she killed one of the Aspects of Decum Luna.
That… that was bad, right? Horrible, even? Her heart only pounded faster in her chest. She had openly defied the Will of the Gods. Literal fucking Gods. Was she going to be punished? Fall ill to a plague? Have the ground open up beneath her feet and have hellfire consume her? There were so many horrendous consequences to such treachery. There had to be. She started to panic, worry even deeper about everything until she suddenly felt a hand place itself on her shoulder. It was Blake's, and maybe the shadow girl didn't fully know just how terrified she was. Then again, maybe she did. Blake had this incredible way of understanding all of Weiss's insecurities; it was how she could exploit her so effectively whenever she felt like screwing with her. But Blake didn't say anything to mock her. She didn't laugh at her. She seemed rather discontent, in fact, her face pulled back like she had a funny taste in her mouth and was trying to keep it down. She looked at the floor when she talked, rolling her tongue across the roof of her mouth before choosing her words carefully.
"I'm, uh… I'm really glad you're safe, Weiss."
Safe?
Safe.
She was safe. Yeah. That… that was right, wasn't it? It didn't matter what the Gods could do to her. She had faced their Trials, fought against their rebellion, and after fighting through their nightmare with teeth and bone and blood, she was safe. She touched her face, feeling the intact skin where her features had previously been sliced open. The sins of the Trial had been washed away, leaving her clean. She wasn't entirely sure why it happened. A part of her came up with a theory that only slightly satisfied her. The Reveler was an actor, and it had put on its show for them, one of danger and amusement. And when a show was over, the actors would take their final bow and then remove their costumes, and go on with life as normal. Again, only slightly satisfying. But it was the best she came up with, and it was enough to allow her thoughts to move on to something else.
Weiss cleared her throat, starting nervously. "T-thank you, you guys. For helping me. I'm sorry it ever had to come to that."
"Yeah, well," Blake whistled, "don't do it again, okay? If I never have to hear about Decum Luna again in my lifetime, it'd still be too soon."
"Right. Still," Weiss sighed, "I wish that you all didn't have to suffer for my mistakes."
Ruby pulled away from her, holding the ex-heiress's face her in her hands. "Weiss, don't talk like that. We're going to help you however we can. No matter what."
"Totally," Yang groaned, brushing off her pants and kneeling beside the rest of them, recovered from her shock. "But like, seriously, let's never do anything like that ever again. I've almost been eaten too many freaking times this semester."
"Well, to be fair," Weiss said, frowning slightly, "if you didn't come to the Trial against my wishes, you wouldn't have been in danger."
That comment. Now? Yang scowled. "Hey, are you really—"
Blake, of all people, cut her off with a raised finger. Yang held her tongue, even as the voice in her mind told her to speak her mind. Blake's pride was bitterly swallowed by that point, and she talked knowing full well that Weiss was in her right to complain about everything she had done.
"Weiss, I am so sorry that we didn't respect your wishes," Blake stated. Her voice was groggy and monotone, but Weiss could tell that there was some sincerity behind those words. Blake spoke with all the pain of getting stabbed in the throat, but the words eventually bubbled out of her. "I fucked up, and I promise that it won't happen again. And also," she sighed, "I'm sorry for… I guess, literally everything. All of the general—I don't know—asshole behaviors. If you don't want me to bother you again, I'll keep my mouth shut around you. Even though I saved your stupid ass, technically… to be fair…"
"Blake," Ruby said bluntly. "Watch it."
"You've kind of dealt with enough shit to have to keep putting up with me," Blake spat out as fast as she could. "Say the word, and aside from all of our training and studies, I'll be done with you. Got it?"
Weiss didn't say anything. That final mannequin from the Trial. Blake had heard her shout her name and the riddle together, but did she know what was going on? Did she have any inclination that Weiss knew her dirty, little secret? She didn't seem to let on if she did, and if Weiss wasn't aware of the truth beforehand, she never would have guessed it. Blake appeared to her to be just as self-centered and bitchy as always, but like her embrace in Ruby's arms, there was a comfort to be had in that. That girl was likely to never change once in her entire life. It would clearly read on her tombstone: "Blake Belladonna: World's Worst Person." She was offering a treaty of sorts, but Weiss knew there was no guarantee she was going to keep to her word. She shouldn't have. Blake kept to nothing. If the opportunity for an insult ever arose, was Weiss honestly supposed to believe that Blake wouldn't make some snide remark? The offer was hollow.
Or was it? Because maybe she did mean it. She thought Weiss was better than her, after all. Did Blake Belladonna feel guilt? It was truly one of life's greatest mysteries—one she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to just yet.
She didn't have the ability to think about it. A sharp gasp suddenly struck her ear, and her attention was immediately diverted to the stage, toward a person she could not see, but whose presence was undoubtedly felt.
"Winter!" Whatever residual pain Weiss was feeling was quickly thrown aside. She forced Ruby off of her, and the younger Huntress relented, understanding without another word the desire Weiss had to see her family. Weiss ran toward the stage on shaky legs, and when she reached the chest-high structure, instead of taking the extra few seconds to run around to the stairs on the side, she simply threw herself onto it, climbing up with a pained huff and crawling onto the wood paneling. She glanced up and saw her sister as far back as she could go, seated and leaning against the far wall of the stage in shambles. Her white suit was dirtied and scratched, her hair released from its bun and falling down her face, and two thin trickles of blood ran down her nose and dripped past her parted lips onto her chest. Her eyes were closed and one fist rested over her heart, and as Weiss sprinted to be beside her, she instinctively feared the worst. "Winter! Are you okay? Winter!"
Winter moaned, her breaths quick but even as she struggled to speak. "I… ugh…"
Weiss took her free hand and gently squeezed it, bringing it to her heart. She was beside herself in worry. Was she dying? She had used her summoning power far longer than she should have. Most people could barely maintain a summon for more than ten minutes, but Winter—time itself seemed to warp when she was in the Reveler's world, but Winter had to spend at least an hour under its control.
"Winter, what do you need?" Weiss asked passionately. "I can tell Goodwitch to bring in the medics. We can help you."
"No, it's…" Winter gasped sharply, waving away Weiss's concerns. "I'm fine. I… I think I'm just having a heart attack."
Weiss leaned forward, stammering. "I… I can't tell if you're joking or not. Winter, please—"
"I'm fine," Winter insisted. Her tone came off far more clear than before, and that was enough to put something of a damper on Weiss's fears. "Seriously, I… I just need a minute. A really long minute."
Weiss sighed, thankful to whatever it was above that was keeping her sister with her. She didn't think she could handle a loss like that. Not on that day. "Whatever you need. I'm right here for you."
Winter let out a broken laugh. "You're here for me?" she chuckled, forcing down her spit. "How did I manage to screw that one up?"
"Winter…"
Weiss didn't react as Winter brought her hand to Weiss's cheek, gently caressing her scar. Winter continued to laugh, but after a few moments, the sound turned bitter. Winter just smiled dully, turning away so she didn't have to see Weiss judging her.
"I tried. I tried to fight it," Winter admitted blankly. "I… I tried so damn hard, Weiss. I saw every… everything it did to you. To them. I tried to stop it, I promise, I pulled back so much but I—"
"Winter, you don't have to explain anything," Weiss stated, but Winter gritted her teeth and shut her eyes tightly.
"I should have fought harder." Weiss saw tears start to form in Winter's eyes. It was all so much at once. So much she could finally let out. "Every second I watched it almost kill you and I couldn't stop it. All of my training and I was completely powerless. I told myself before these Trials: that no matter what happened to me, what they did, I would always be strong enough to fight against it. I could still keep you safe. I'm such a goddamn failure."
"You're not," Weiss begged. The tears were contagious, and seeing her sister break was enough to send her over the edge as well. "It's… it's not your fault. None of this is."
Winter slammed her fist into her ground, pounding her knuckles into the wood. "I hate this. I hate how powerless I feel. I know… I know that something is wrong with me. I can feel the parts of my mind that are supposed to be there. I know that I'm supposed to be stronger than I am, that I should be able to resist, but… it's like every time I try to use that part of me, it's just… it's just missing. And I know that it's wrong. I keep telling myself that going along with it is wrong, but I still do it, and I hate myself so much for it."
Winter never cried in front of Weiss before. She had only shed tears only maybe a handful of times in her entire life, mostly when she was a child and didn't know how to control herself any better. The one time she cried as an adult, she was tucked inside of her room and kept her sobs quiet so no one else could hear them. She was the oldest among the Schnee children, and that meant her father had personally selected her to be the responsible one. She had to be the rock. Keep order. Never let the others get out of hand. She had failed at that, time and time again, but she still forced herself to remain strong. But now, emotionally and physically exhausted, her brain tampered with and rewritten, her Soul drained away from her… she couldn't hold onto it any longer. Her entire face bunched up in pain, and she pulled her knees toward her chest as she dug the meat of her thumbs just beneath her eyes.
Weiss timidly reached toward her sister's wrists. She resisted it, but after a small, almost pathetic struggle, Weiss was able to pull Winter's arms away, placing them gently at her sides. Winter tried to pull away, but Weiss didn't let her; she leaned against her, resting her head against her shoulder, and for a long while the two of them just lay there, not necessarily hugging, but just staying with each other, quietly forgetting about the rest of the world around them. All of the years they spent under his watch, the pain they inflicted upon one another in the name of their family flowed away with the tears. Weiss didn't need to tell Winter that she forgave her, that she didn't hold her responsible for what happened. It was apparent enough for the both of them, and speaking of it would have just rendered it sour. For all Weiss knew, it may have been the last true moment of comfort she ever spent with her sister. She didn't know what was going to happen with the rest of her training, or what would come… well, after that. Their father could decide to punish Winter for losing control, send her far away. He was able to force her, an active and high-ranking military officer, into a set of Trials that was usually only undertaken by those with nothing else to give in their lives. He could easily ruin her with the snap of his fingers. That made it all the more important to spend that time together. As family.
"You know what has to happen next," Winter said painfully. Weiss pulled away from her, nodding.
"Yeah," Weiss sighed. "Just take your time. I'll be ready."
Weiss gave Winter one final squeeze and then slowly descended from the stage. She tried her best to keep her head up, taking deep breaths as she made her way back to the others. It was expected that she would return to her team, or apologize to her Witnesses for dragging them through hell, or maybe even just leave the theatre altogether. She did not. Weiss went to her weapon. Myrtenaster lied on the floor, left from when the Reveler had summoned her into its world. She picked it up casually and examined it, holding the blade in front of her face. Like being reunited with an old friend. She fixed her grip, and then walked to Professor Goodwitch, who was undoubtedly thinking of how intact her job security was. Weiss disregarded all of that, and she ignored the curious questions from the other Huntresses as she made her intentions clear.
"Professor," Weiss stated, "start the Third Trial."
And the world cracked open.
"What?" Ruby's voice broke. The fear that consumed her face was enough to turn fire cold. "Are… you can't!"
Goodwitch followed her orders. She returned to the stage.
"Weiss, are you nuts?" Yang shouted.
Goodwitch lit the third candle and proceeded to help Winter to her feet.
Ruby grabbed onto Weiss's hand. "Weiss, you already won! What else do you have to prove?"
"Three Trials," Weiss said simply. She didn't meet Ruby's eyes. "That was the deal. Three Trials."
The others started to swarm her. Judging her. Winter staggered upright.
"Weiss, that's suicide," Velvet pleaded. "You're still injured."
"Injured? You can barely stand!" Ruby noted. "You can't keep fighting!"
Winter approached one of the bowls, spooning out a handful of Dust powder.
"Weiss," Yang stated, putting herself right in front of Weiss's face, trying to get her attention. "I understand you've made a lot of stupid decisions in your life, but this is insane. That last god almost killed all of us, and now you want to fight a stronger one? You are literally going to die. You get that, right?"
Winter breathed the Dust in and shuddered, her strength returning to her.
"Weiss, please," Ruby begged her, on the verge of tears. "You don't have to do this. I know it's what your father demanded, but we can find a way around this. We can make them postpone the Trial. We can cite outside circumstances. We can do anything. Please, Weiss, you can't have put yourself through all of this and then still die on me. You let them take this from you. It's not fair. Don't let them win. Please."
It was Blake that pushed herself forward, cutting through the crowd and gently pushing away. It was Blake that Weiss was willing to meet, eye-to-eye, as Winter jumped down from the stage, ready to complete her mission.
"Weiss," Blake asked quietly. "Can you beat whatever she throws at you?"
Weiss paused momentarily. Then, she nodded. "Yes."
Blake contemplated that for a moment. "Then try not to get yourself killed."
That was all Weiss could ever hope for, wasn't it?
Blake grabbed ahold of Ruby's arm and gave her a look of confidence that was enough to stifle her protests. Ruby didn't think Weiss had a chance, but her friend's life was out of her hands. The others followed suit as Blake led Ruby away from the battlefield, breaking out the door and making their way around to the damaged viewing booth. Weiss found peace within herself as she watched them leave, and turned back to face her sister, who gritted her teeth and concentrated. Winter bundled all of the remaining energy she had left, and with a ferocious cry, allowed herself to be consumed by the blinding, all-powerful light. In a flash, Winter was gone, but Weiss did not flinch or falter. When the Knight appeared, clad in its turtle-like armor, resting its hands upon the hilt of a blade that was larger than Weiss's entire body, she faced it was quiet, reformed dignity. It was one of her Gods, and for seventeen years she had begged and prayed for its respect. She was through with that bullshit; from that point on, she was going to demand it.
"Weiss Schnee."
Its voice was ancient and great. Slow. The other students arrived in the viewing booth, and immediately rushed to the broken glass, leaning out as far as they could to see Weiss stare down yet another Aspect of Decum Luna.
"My Lord," Weiss said with a sneer. "It's been a while… hasn't it?"
"You have once again progressed through the God's Arm," it claimed. "You have earned the right to Witness me."
"No thanks to your friend," Weiss said coldly. "Were you watching us? Did you see what another Aspect tried to do with me? People I care about?"
The Knight groaned. "Yes. We saw together its fury. The Reveler was always the most spoiled of us. Its actions were unforgivable."
"And do you know what happened to it?" Weiss asked sharply. Neither she nor the God moved from their positions across from each other, frozen entirely except for the expressions on Weiss's face.
"If you fear reprisal, you shall find none," it said truthfully. "Those that violate the will of the Aspects shall be punished. Such is the Law of the Gods."
"And yet, you didn't feel the need to stop it," Weiss said angrily. "You're supposed to be all-powerful, yet it threatened to take over the world and you sat idly by… waiting."
The Knight's voice was unchanged, still calm and in control. "It was not our place to intervene at that time. That is all."
"Not your place?" Weiss said, incredulous. "Of course… when my life is in danger, it's not your place. When its torturing people, you have to stand back and do nothing. But when someone summons you, placates your ego—when someone needs you to tear my sister's arm off, or break my ribs, that's when you decide to step in."
The Knight's shoulders shifted ever so slightly. "Have you grown unfavorable towards us, Weiss? You were always so kind to us."
Weiss couldn't help but laugh. "Kind? That's how you describe it? I gave everything to you. My entire life was devoted to making you happy. You and him. I prayed every night, followed the texts to the letter, all to be your perfect follower. Even through all the ridicule and scorn, I kept to you, and what did I ever get? Rejection. Violence. He… you ruined me. Together."
"Did we?" the Knight sighed. "I do not recall ruin. You are Soulless, but look at you. You are a proud Huntress. Your father—my follower—gave you bones of indestructible fortitude, thicker than any armor. He gave you opportunities under my Will. We crafted the road to the rebirth of Weiss Abailess Schnee-Saeva. You lack faith in our conviction, but the world has turned as it always should. You are strong. Your father was stronger for testing you. We are stronger than all. That is the true might of Decum Luna. There is no ruin except for that of your own design."
Her own design. Weiss smiled to herself. That sounded so familiar, and it only took her a moment to remember why. That event felt like so long ago, but it had been what? A few weeks at most? Time was crueler than the Gods.
"I wish Coco was here. You sound just like her," Weiss explained. "We had this conversation once… she could never shut up about good I had it. How everything I ever had was handed to me on a silver platter. That I was ruled by my privilege."
The Knight seemed perplexed. "Privilege?"
Weiss shrugged. "A bullshit term made up by poor people."
The Knight gave a subtle nod of understanding.
"She was so confident that she was right," Weiss said fondly. "And I fought against her so hard, as hard as I could, on every possible front. Because I think a part of me realized that, no matter what I was saying to her… she was right." Weiss looked down at her hand, flexing her fingers, feeling the augmented bone shifting just beneath her skin. "I was propelled to this school because of my father's influence. This body was made to keep his legacy intact. And part of the reason I was so scared to admit that to her, to myself, was because that would just mean that everything he ever said about me—what you thought of me—was true. That I meant nothing. That the only thing I ever had of value was my heritage. That fulfilling my purpose in life meant carrying that legacy onward."
She closed her eyes, sighing. Her fingers clenched into a fist. "What a load of bullshit that was. You tried to destroy my mind. You dolled me up, did so much to make me strong, yet every time I looked in the mirror, I hated everything I saw more and more. You, him… you just wanted to make me your slave. And as long as I thought I meant nothing on my own, then I would come crawling to you, desperate to find comfort under your power." She felt Ruby's eyes on her. She swallowed her resentments, focusing her breaths, in and out. "But none of that matters. I am not his toy, or his puppet. He built me, but he doesn't own me. I thought that I owed him everything in my life, but I am worth more than being the bearer of his damned name. I am the greatest Huntress in this school; I'm the greatest Huntress in this Kingdom. They put me into Beacon, but I climbed to the top. Unbought."
The Knight groaned thoughtfully. "And yet… here you are. You claim to carve your own path, yet remain firmly in our shadow. Following our Will."
"I'm not following anyone anymore!" Weiss declared. She took a step forward, thrusting her sword by her side. "I am through doing what any of you tell me. I am going to defeat you, I am going to become a Huntress… and then I am going to take it back. All of it. My sister. My company. My name. I am going to take every gift he ever gave me, and use it to tear apart everything he stands for! From this point on, I am on a mission to reclaim my Soul. And I won't let him—or the rest of you—ever break down again!"
The Knight rolled its head to its side, and slowly lifted its blade, slinging the massive slab of metal over its shoulder. "Then, child, a simple question. If you do not fight for him, and you do not fight for us… why run the God's Arm? Why complete the Third Trial?"
Weiss smirked. "Easy. I am Weiss Abailess Schnee-Saeva, member of Team RWBY, and Slayer of False Gods." She raised her arm, directing the tip of Myrtenaster toward the God's head. "And you owe me an eye."
The God bowed its head. It did not speak another word. It drew up its sword, and a massive glyph, intricately designed, materialized on the ground in front of it. A silver, armored hand burst from the symbol, and from the space unknown, the Gigas climbed out. From their safety in the viewing chamber, the others stared in horror at the armored monstrosity, bigger than any of them could have comprehended. Standing tall, it was almost as large as the theatre itself, and the sword it carried could cleave through the world at large. Weiss, however, was unphased. She squared her feet, took a deep breath, and drew back her sword. Her thoughts were calm.
Winter, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you.
The Arma Gigas's skull-like face locked onto her.
I'm sorry that I let all of these things happen for so long.
The monster charged, and Weiss's body tensed.
But I promise… I'm going to make everything right. I'm going to save you. I promise I'll make you proud.
The chamber on her blade whirred, spinning into place. Her stance straightened. She gritted her teeth. The Gigas's sword raised above his head. The God spoke.
"Let the Trial of the Knight commence."
The monster approached her, and Weiss screamed, the eyes of the world upon her. She had been waiting months for her second chance, studying, practicing, all to take that damned thing down a peg. She was prepared to die in order to win, but now she knew that was not an option. She had to live long enough to prove them wrong. She was going to live, no matter what it cost. The Gigas's arm came down, and she prepared to dodge.
Then, there was a blinding flash of white light behind her. She felt a gust of wind strike her back, and the Arma Gigas hesitated. Her head snapped back, and those in the viewing booth froze, eyes all transfixed on the thing that materialized behind her.
A royal toad stood there, its skin sleek and dark blue, its massive legs a deep red and curled up beneath it. It did not look at her, and she thought about running, but her legs were frozen to the spot. She didn't understand. None of them did. It just sat there, staring out ahead at nothing, no sign of its master anywhere. The Arma Gigas paused, seemingly confused, but when it noticed that its prey was looking away from it, it quickly took action. It stepped back, readjusting its position, and as Ruby screamed at Weiss to turn around, it shot its blade forward at the woman who noticed its attack far too late.
The toad suddenly reacted and pounced. Before the sword could hit her, the toad launched forward like a rocket and crashed into the Arma Gigas, tackling it to the floor. The frog rested upon it as the Gigas struggled beneath its weight, and then its jaw unhinged and fell open, dousing the Gigas's torso in a spray of acid. Weiss watched, wide-eyed, as the Gigas reached up to swat it away only for the toad to latch its mouth onto the Gigas's arm and violently shake it.
A toad… fighting the Gigas. She didn't get it. Why? Why? How could it? Where did—wait. Her memories. The Reveler. The cracks in its skin. Its death. The cracks—spreading to her. The pain. The rush. Wait. No. It couldn't be. Its power. No. She stammered in disbelief, eyes locked onto the clash of titans, and the words came out not even in surprise, but terror.
"Did… did I…"
The toad cranked back its head, and the Gigas's arm was torn from its body.
"…summon that!?"
The toad released its grasp on the Gigas's forearm, sending it flying across the room. It crashed behind Weiss, and that was enough to break her out of her stupor. The Gigas was able to maneuver its sword with its free hand and sliced at the toad, but the creature jumped away and retreated to Weiss's side. She couldn't help but stare up at it in wonder. She worried for a moment that it might try to hurt her, but it only bowed in her presence. She slowly came to understand—it belonged to her. She looked down at her hand in shock. She didn't feel any different. She couldn't generate an Aura. Even if she could, she had no idea how she was supposed to anyway. But she had that toad by her side, ready to protect her at all costs. She didn't have the slightest clue as to how she summoned it. But it was there to help her.
"Okay," she said with a breathless smile. "Let's do this."
Together, they charged. Weiss propelled herself forward on a glyph as the toad launched itself in the air. The Gigas's attention split between them, and it focused on the toad soaring through the air. Weiss dipped between its legs, slashing up at the back of its legs. The Gigas recoiled, and the toad smashed into it again. It stumbled, remaining upright, but Weiss moved quickly, her body resisting its injuries. She slashed again behind its knees, then its heels, keeping as close to it as physically possible. Her mistake the first time was trying to maintain her distance. That was what common sense determined when facing such a large adversary. But she had underestimated its quickness and its reach. No more. She was sticking close. She targeted the joints between its armor. They were tough, tougher than the rest of it. But she was going to bring it down.
Ruby watched intensely from the viewing booth. They all did, each watching in their own way. Pyrrha studied the bout carefully, immobile, her eyes flickering back and forth across the theater has her mind worked in incomprehensible ways. Nora was clinging to Ren's arm, jumping up and down in worry. Jaune stood with his head firmly clasped in his hands, watching through a small gap between his fingers. Velvet couldn't look at all, and she was facing the back of the room as the fight continued. Yang was on all fours, leaning out over the broken glass, her hands clasped tightly on a safe edge. Ruby just watched quietly, her hand was clasped firmly over her mouth. Weiss was insane, she thought. Worse than insane. She was risking throwing everything away. But Ruby had to root for her. She was terrified, but she saw the confidence Weiss was exuding. That toad's presence was indescribable, but it was the edge they needed to pull through. She needed their support. Ruby opened her mouth to shout.
"Come on, Wei—"
A hand forced her out of the way, and Blake shoved past her, throwing her fist into the air.
"Kick that fucking thing's ass, Weiss!" she screamed as loud as she could. "Break its goddamn legs off!"
Weiss was barely able to hear Blake's words over the sounds of the Gigas's sword slamming against the hard floor, or the sound of her own heartbeat, but it was able to register with her enough for her to push forward harder. The toad's tongue shot out from its mouth, latching onto the sword. It pulled hard, and the Gigas struggled to maintain its grasp on its weapon. Weiss summoned a glyph beneath herself and propelled herself upward, landing gracefully on the Gigas's outstretched arm, and with the beast no longer able to defend itself, she sprinted toward its head on its outstretched limb. She aimed for the gaps in its face, the only place on its armor she was confident her sword could pierce. The Gigas, seeing her coming, took a step back, and then violently thrust its shoulder downward, knocking away the ground beneath her feet and sending her plummeting twenty feet to the floor. She was just able to pull the trigger on Myrtenaster and summon a slope of glyphs beneath her, which she tumbled down roughly, depositing her on the ground wounded, but alive. The Gigas released its grasp on its weapon, allowing the toad to pull the weapon free, but granting the Gigas freedom. Sensing an opening, the giant suit of armor sprinted toward the vulnerable toad. Weiss, still recovering, tried her best to hurry to her feet, but the Gigas closed the distance faster than she could recover.
But she didn't need to. Before the Arma Gigas could strike, three golden chains burst from the ground, piercing directly through the Gigas's legs. It staggered, unable to move, leaving it open as the toad pulled back on the sword that the Gigas left stuck in the ground; it collided with its armored back, nearly knocking it to the floor if not for the chains stuck through its legs, keeping it in place. The chains, seemingly motivated by Weiss's will alone, pulled back hard, trapping it further, and the toad relinquished its grasp on the weapon, throwing the sword far away, before latching its tongue onto the Gigas's remaining arm. Weiss's eyes jumped back and forth amongst its trapped limbs. It was still struggling, still able to break free. But she had her chance, maybe the best chance she would ever have.
Weiss readjusted her grasp on her sword. A glyph appeared beneath her feet. She cracked her neck, then launched forward.
The other Huntsmen and Huntresses watched in awe as Weiss shot forward, speeding towards the Gigas's feet, but then, just before she arrived, another glyph appeared before her, launching her directly up in the air. She hovered, just above the burn marks covering the Gigas's chest, and then with another flick of her wrist, a glyph materialized behind her. She kicked back her feet to meet it in midair, and it launched her toward the Gigas's waist. She flew just past it, her sword scraping through the crack just above its hip, and before she collided with the ground, another glyph materialized. Weiss adjusted herself in midair and landed feet first against it, and then launched herself again toward the Gigas's shoulder. She sailed over it, her blade cutting just deep enough into the Gigas's flesh to wound the helpless thing. Its struggle weakened, and again, a glyph appeared, and again, Weiss launched herself toward another part of its body.
Ruby was in shock. That move. She recognized it. From that night where everything went wrong. Both of them in their pajamas, sitting on her bed beneath the moonlight, Ruby overly eager about her dumb attack moves, and Weiss wearing a blush that she thought Ruby did not notice. She was told that move would be too impossible, too useless. They were both proven wrong.
Weiss slashed again at its knees, and let out a growl. "Endless Ricochet!"
Ruby gasped. Weiss… Weiss just screamed out an attack name. Ruby was so damn proud of her.
Weiss launched herself again, and Ruby cried out in joy.
"Come on, Weiss! You can do it!"
Weiss attacked again. And again. And again.
"You got this, Weiss!" Blake called out. "Show that thing who's boss!"
The ricochet continued. Strike after strike, cutting the Gigas down piece-by-piece. The energy became infectious, and soon the other Huntresses were on their feet, cheering, calling to her, giving her their passion, their everything.
"You've almost got this, Weiss!"
"Take it down!"
"Keep fighting!"
"Weiss, do it!"
Weiss moved faster, as fast as she could. The Arma Gigas groaned, and after every blow, its strength diminished. It fell to one knee, and then to both knees, its resolve draining. It tried to swipe at her as she passed, but the toad's tongue kept its arm mostly in place, and she sailed past it without injury. The world blurred around her. The pain fell to the wayside. Her mind became ultra-focused. Attack. Move. Attack. Move. Don't stop. Never stop. Fight harder. Fight for them. She didn't hear their cheers for her, but she felt them, coursing through her. She wasn't giving up. Not again. Never again. Take it down.
She landed in front of the Gigas, down to its most broken state, and for just a moment, she stopped and looked around. She saw her teammates calling to her. She saw the chains breaking through the armored legs, the toad holding its one, useless limb at bay. Both of them, the move she was using, the mechanical pieces inside of her, her training. All of them gifts. From the Reveler, Ruby, her father, Winter. They gave them to her. But that didn't matter. They were hers. And it was how she used them that mattered from that point on.
And she looked at the Knight. She could only wonder what expression was crafted onto its face. Did it hate her? Was it proud that she had finally started fighting back, taking up her honor for her own sake? Was life really that cruel to hand her that one final ironic twist? She didn't know, and it was likely she never would. She could only react in the moment, and in that moment, all she had to base her actions on was her own thoughts, and the hidden face that judged her in silence.
So, Weiss looked straight at it, placed two locked fingers beneath her chin, and she flicked it forward with her wrist. An Atlasian fuck-you. It did not respond.
Weiss launched forward, one final time. She sped through the air, traveling upwards, faster, headed toward her target. The Arma Gigas could do nothing but watch as the girl it had defeated so easily moved toward it, and Weiss pulled back her sword as her teammates' screams reached her loud and clear. At the last possible moment, she thrust her sword forward—directly into the eye of the beast. She twisted it in deep, and heard the monster give a final sputter, before all at once, the Arma Gigas fell, and turned to dust. Weiss fell to the floor, and landed on her feet, rising up tall. Standing.
It all seemed to fall still after that. She heard the cheers explode. The toad and the chain faded away into nothingness. The Knight bowed its head once more, and then there was a flash of light. And in one final moment of triumph, it was done. Weiss Schnee had completed the Third Trial.
She smiled.
Then, she collapsed.
