AN: Oh, man, have I had a past two weeks! My roommate got COVID and I've had to isolate. Thankfully, I came back negative, but I was rewarded with… bronchitis and a number of other breathing complications -_- Fan-tastic! Also, seems I have a birth defect and I didn't realize the world DOES NOT look like TV static and apparently the god awful tinnitus I've had since birth is part of it O_o The more you know!

Welp, there's a lot going on in today's chapter, so let's get this story moving!

ooOOoo

"You were at a Freak club?!" A tall chiseled man slammed his hands against the desk, causing both Ruby and the headmaster to jump. "What the hell were you girls doing there?"

"Now, calm down, Jim-"

"Oscar, don't you dare tell me to calm down," James Ironwood growled at the darkly dressed man. As soon as Ruby had arrived at school, Ironwood had dragged both of them to Oscar's office. "My daughter is missing and I need to find out where she is! Ruby, if you know-"

"I didn't see her leave," Ruby cried out and looked to the headmaster. It was true. "I got upset and left early. Snow can tell you! We didn't even know it was a Freak club until she told us. She made sure we were safe and then we had a misunderstanding."

"What sort of misunderstanding?" Ironwood glared at Oscar. "Something your demon spawn would come after my daughter for?"

"I sincerely doubt that, Jim," Oscar clasped his hands together with a sigh.

"We mistook her for an Elite and I didn't like being watched," Ruby sagged in her seat. "So I left… and that was when Weiss attacked me. Snow saved me and then we went straight to my house and she watched over me. I-I didn't even know Penny was missing. I've been at the hospital with Yang and staying at Headmaster Pine's. No one told me!"

"You said Weiss?" Ironwood glowered at her and she nodded. "Both Weiss and Snow were at the same place at the same time, fighting each other?"

"Uh, yes?" Ruby gave them a confused look. "Is that weird for some reason?"

"Did you know about this, Oscar?" Ironwood hovered over him dangerously.

"Yes," Oscar leaned back in his seat. "Or I had an idea, at least. There have been sightings of both girls and I had been wondering when their paths would cross again."

"So wait," Ruby cut in. "Snow and Weiss do know each other? Weiss knew her name but she didn't recognize her."

"Of course not," Ironwood muttered to himself in his aggravation. "Snow certainly didn't look the way she does now back then. That's for damn sure. The last time I saw her, I barely recognized her. Everything down to her personality was different, like that woman completely reinvented that monster." He looked at Ruby and asked another question. "What happened when they fought?"

"Snow said that Weiss ran away," Ruby thought hard to recall that night. It was still such a blur. "She didn't kill her."

"Miss Adel said that Miss Polendina left in search of Miss Rose," the headmaster explained calmly. "If they crossed paths, there is a good chance that they are together."

"Then I don't have any god damn time to waste," Ironwood stormed toward the door.

"Jim," Oscar called his name sternly. "Please leave this to Snow and myself. Miss Schnee was rather fond of your daughter and respected you rather highly. If there's any semblance of humanity left inside her, I doubt that she has hurt her. We will find her."

"Then you'd better pray that you find her before I do…"

ooOOoo

"No way," Coco gasped. "Is that what took so long?" Ruby had texted Coco this morning and told her that she wanted to talk to her about something, but she hadn't imagined it would be this. "I was thinking we were gonna' be talking about something spicy, but this works too."

"I, um, that's not why I wanted to talk to you," Ruby fidgeted nervously. "But this seems a bit more important than my problems... Headmaster Pine said you knew and you didn't tell me?"

"Ruby," Coco gave her a reassuring smile. "Penny does things for attention sometimes, and she's also notorious for getting lost. You had a lot going on this weekend and we thought it would be better if we looked around to make sure she was really missing first. We didn't want to add to your stress." Ruby furrowed her eye brows and tears welled up. "See, that's what I'm talking about. You're gonna' shut down and blame yourself, when it's not your fault."

"But if I hadn't left…"

"If I had told her to stay," Coco cut in. "Or if I had just trusted Snow to go after you from the start. See? We can both take blame, but that doesn't change that we didn't know it would happen..."

"He's gonna' kill Weiss though," Ruby sighed and sagged into herself.

"And you care about that why?" Coco's voice was full of disbelief. "She tried to kill you and she's never been nice to you. She's dead and that's where she belongs."

"You don't understand, Coco," Ruby slumped over and buried her face in her arms. "Weiss and I used to be close and then she got hurt. We were inseparable before that and I…"

"You what?"

"…I really liked Weiss…" Ruby's eyes shifted away in shame.

"I mean, I get that. It takes a special person to even- wait," the fashionista's eyes grew to the size of saucer plates as she was metaphorically slapped with a realization. "You… liked Weiss? Probably-asexual-definitely-not-lesbian-but-has-the-hots-for-one-Ruby Rose like-liked Weiss Schnee?"

The resulting sound was a long whine, as Ruby tried to meld herself into her surroundings. This was why she'd never told anyone about it. Yeah, they'd been young back then, but Ruby thought she had enough of an understanding to know if her feelings were different from just being friends. Over time, she'd come to realize that they were exactly what she'd thought, but with how things had turned out, it never would have happened. Ruby had liked the Weiss she met – not the one she became, so she would forever treasure those memories.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Ruby sighed to herself once more.

"I mean, of course it does," Coco scoffed at her. "You clearly have a type."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The crimson-coalette growled back. "Weiss and Snow are nothing alike!"

"What about the Weiss from back then?" Coco raised a brow and crossed her arms smugly. "Any similarities there? I almost guarantee there are."

"…"

"So there are," Coco grinned triumphantly. "Care to elaborate?"

"No, not really," Ruby tried to ignore her, but she could feel her friend's eyes weighing down on her. "Weiss' eyes were always so captivating. I always knew I was the only one she was looking at and I felt… not trapped, but like I belonged there... I could always tell what she was thinking, or at least feeling. She was never good at hiding her emotions, which was weird because everyone else said she was emotionally dead… and she'd get shy whenever I said something nice or complimented her. It was like no one else's opinion mattered."

"Aw, that's so cute!"

"…and then there's the gloves thing…"

"Gloves?" Now that Coco thought about it, she hadn't seen either girl with them off before. Even hand washing had been a private affair for Weiss – something about not wanting to touch filth. Was Snow a germaphobe too?

"Snow told me that she wasn't allowed to touch people when she was growing up," Ruby explained calmly. "It's a force of habit for her, but she takes them off when we're alone. Weiss used to do that and I know that Snow knows her. I was wondering if they were taught that together. It's a really strange habit to form, especially with the same conditions."

"And what are those terms?" Coco was intrigued. The Schnee family, itself, were the only Atlesians in Vale. She'd heard about the strange quirks of the Atlesians, so it was interesting to learn about the aspects of both the Schnee's practices and those outside them.

"Weiss said family and lovers," Ruby looked off distantly. "And I'm not sure where I fall."

"You've got to be kidding me," Coco deadpanned at her. "She's been having a really hard time keeping her hands, let alone her eyes, to herself when it comes to you. Frankly, I'm surprised she hasn't actually made a move on you yet."

"…" There was a strange lack of verbal reaction from Ruby, typically brought on when Coco teased her. Instead, the girl turned a shade of red resembling her namesake and tried to avoid meeting Coco's eyes. There'd been something else bothering Coco since Ruby had arrived. Something very distinct and very new.

"Ruby," the girl jumped at the sound of her name.

" Y-yes?"

"What's with that bandage on your neck?" Coco motioned to the gauze square taped suspiciously around one side of her neck.

"Bandage? Hahaha, what bandage? I don't feel a bandage!" Ruby laughed nervously and waved her off. "You're crazy!"

"Oh, really? Then you won't mind if I just," the older girl reached over the table toward her neck and Ruby leaned away. "Stop moving and let me see what's underneath!"

"It's nothing!"

"Nothing, my ass," Coco growled, excited by the prospect of something juicy hidden beneath the cloth confines. "Either you let me see or I'll video call your sister!"

"You wouldn't dare," Ruby stopped flailing around and they both glared at each other. To prove how serious she was, Coco took her phone out and brought Yang's name up without looking… Just how many times had she practiced this exact threat to be able to do that?! Coco's finger hovered above the video call button and Ruby caved. "Fine!"

"Yes!" Putting her phone away, Coco walked briskly around the table with a new sense of purpose. She sat beside her and started to strip the medical tape away gently. As it peeled away, Ruby buried her face in her hands when Coco made a sound somewhere between a gasp and a giggle. "Oh, my!"

"Don't laugh," Ruby whined in response. She'd tried so hard to make it through the day without it being a big deal and she'd only just started.

"My advice?" Coco ran her fingers along the tape to reseal it. "Invest in some concealer. You're pale, but not that pale!" Ruby dared to look at her for a moment and rolled her eyes at the grin plastered across her face. "Sooo? Details?"

"You're not gonna' let me live this down, are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Coco said sarcastically. "I'm not the one who became a hot girl's chew toy overnight and still has the audacity to question the nature of the relationship!"

"Because she hasn't been clear," Ruby groaned out loud. "I thought maybe it was gonna' happen, but then she bit me and freaked out really bad! I tried to tell her it was okay, but she ran and I haven't seen her since last night!"

"Why would she freak out?" It was a genuine question. "It doesn't even look like she bit you that hard. It's like… sexy biting!"

"Ooooh my god, could you not call it that?" If she could just disappear into nothingness right now, that would be great.

"I'm calling it what it is," Coco deadpanned. "And you can't convince me otherwise. So?... How was it?"

"Ugh," she just wasn't going to let her past this. She considered trying to run, but that would almost guarantee Coco would get the others to gang up on her when she saw them again… so she answered. "I may…ik… it..ng…"

"Come again?"

"…I think I like biting because it felt really good and I made a noise and scared her and she ran away and I think she thinks she hurt me and now I'm panicking because she panicked and what if it I ruined it!" The redhead word-vomited all her fears in a single breathless sense, then took a deep breath. "God, I wanted her to do terrible things to me!"

And now it was even worse hearing those words come out of her own mouth! Coco was definitely never going to let her live this down. In fact, she could almost envision her own funeral – her friends gathered before her… and then there would be Coco. Regaling the tale of Ruby's "First Horny", as she would most likely call it, at her expense and her memorial would be filled with judging stares.

"Aw! How adorable," Coco latched onto her with a hug and greeted her with a shit-eating grin even rivaled Yang's more impish nature. "Now you finally get to enjoy the blessing of being horny!"

"It sucks!"

"Well, hunny, that's what you're supposed to do…"

"I'm being serious, Coco!" Ruby swatted at her arm as Coco laughed. "She freaked out and now she won't talk to me! I don't even know when she left. She was already being weird about being close to me before bed, but this isn't anywhere near the same. She reads my messages, but she won't respond to them."

"Have you figured out what she is yet?" The sudden switch in tone caught Ruby off-guard. She'd been giving it a lot of thought, but she wasn't any closer to where she'd started.

"She avoided it when I asked," Ruby shifted uneasily.

"Well, I'm gonna' go with Werebeast," a voice came from above them and suddenly Nora was hanging upside down from the tree above their picnic table. She shoved a bunch of chips into her mouth and crunched away at them, swinging herself by her legs.

"Uuuh, when, exactly, did you get here?" Coco even paled at her sudden presence. Nora just had a habit of showing up out of nowhere sometimes, which tended to throw people off. Ren was the group's designated ninja-friend, not the over-the-top Faunus… Side note: People were often very surprised to learn that Nora Valkyrie wasn't human. If only humans knew the pain-staking amount of time she put into her appearance.

"Ummm, we got here somewhere around I think I like biting," Nora stopped to shoot a wink at Ruby and Ruby buried her face again. "Nice, by the way, Ruby! Nice! You'll make your wolf very happy, one day!"

"Ugh!"

"So why a Werebeast?" Coco chuckled at the exchange between the two. It wasn't anything the silver-eyed girl couldn't handle – just a little fun at her expense.

"Well, why else would she be worried about biting her?" The Venetian blonde popped a single chip into her mouth to emphasize her point. "Vamps can't run around in the daytime, like her, and we can't turn people."

"Can verify!" Velvet's voice came from higher up in the tree and they all honed in on the rabbit girl. How had they not noticed either of them?

"Oh my God, can this get any worse?!" Ruby groaned to herself. "Is anyone else here?!"

"Wait…" It sank in on Coco what her childhood best friend had just said. "What do you mean can verify?"

"No, we figured it was Girl Talk since it was just you and Coco," Velvet called down with a grin, ignoring Coco's distressed question. "Nora sent Ren on a mission to distract Jaune."

"And that was?" Ruby let the question hang, waiting for them to fill her in.

"No, seriously," Coco tried once more, though it seemed everyone was tuning her out at the moment. "Velvet, do you just go around biting people?"

"To grab the purple folder from my locker," Nora said excitedly and Ruby froze.

"And why wasn't I arou- stop ignoring me…"

"You know they're both colorblind, right?" Ruby started to panic internally at the thought of both boys tearing apart Nora's locker. "Like, literally diagnosed."

"I know," Nora let out a series of low and menacing laughs. "That's what makes it so… evil!"

"That's so messed up," Velvet giggled, further adding to Coco's evidence of this new sadistic side that somehow gone under her radar. She was Velvet! Velvet was the soft bunny! What was even! "They're gonna' be a while."

"That's the point."

"Hold up! Rewind! Are you guys just seriously gonna' slide past that?!" Coco shrieked. How could they ignore the fact Velvet had actively tried to turn someone at some point?!

"They'll be fine. Ren realized what was going on," Velvet brushed off what she assumed to be Coco's concern. "Nora marks them in a special way for Ren. He'll probably just play along for a while and then suddenly remember how to tell them apart."

"What kind of monster do you take me for?" Forgetting to wipe the chip dust from her fingers, Nora pressed her hand to her chest in mock offense. "I'd never put my Renny through that!... At least, not willingly."

"You guys are so mean to Jaune," Ruby sighed. "…and me…"

"So," Nora clapped her hands together. "Ruby. Horny. Girlfriend. Horny Were…wolf?"

"Why are we back on this?" Ruby threw her hands up. "I thought we moved on from this!"

"One," Coco held up a single finger and took control of the conversation. "You came to me for advice and you know how nosy Nora can be," Coco held up a second finger. "And two, you know none of us know how to move on, and while were on that subject: Velvet! For the love of the Gods, you can't just say you tried to turn someone and think I'm going to just let that slide!"

"Ooooo, Velvet's in troubleeee," Nora sang out, instigating things further. Sometimes, she gave Yang a run for her money when it came to fueling the fire, but Ruby knew better. They all did. Yang was the queen of that castle and Nora had relinquished the title a long time ago, though not without dispute. "Doing things with people other than Cocoooo!"

"It's not like that between us and you know it, Nora!" The rabbit-girl huffed, catching Coco's hurt expression. "Oh, don't give me that look," Velvet crossed her arms in her own irritation. "I should be the one that's upset at you for forgetting! What if I had been a Were and you forgot!"

"I highly doubt that I'd forget something like that… but you've never bitten me."

"We were like seven or eight and we were playing Cats & Dogs! You were the cat and I took it too far," Velvet frowned, especially when Nora let out a snicker. Truth be told, even Ruby found the mental image of a little Velvet and Coco running around on all-fours silly, let alone Velvet being rough with anyone. She was a cream puff and she hit about as hard as one! "I was upset for days! I thought I turned my best friend into a monster and you just shrugged it off like it was nothing!"

"I've never thought that..." The light-hearted tone of the entire conversation changed in that moment and Coco spoke quietly. They held each other's eyes for a moment – a conversation between them only they understood. "Never about you…"

"A-anyway," Velvet shrank away from the awkwardness between them and pulled nervously at one of her ears. It was a habit she'd had ever since she was a child and one of her biggest tells when she was uncomfortable with something. This was obviously a conversation meant for them in private and even Nosy Nora decided to steer clear of it. "I don't think Snow is a Were."

"I'm sticking to Ruby's girlfriend being a Werewolf and she's probably afraid she'll turn you," Nora took the hint and came to Velvet's rescue, offering everyone the much need escape from the thick tension. "So this sound you made…"

"Oh my god, not important!" Ruby was almost certain she would look like a tomato through the rest of school today. "All that matters is that she thought she hurt me… and she is not my girlfriend!"

"Not yet…" Velvet made a distant comment - the last few minutes of conversation still weighing on her.

"Not you, too!"

"Ruby, if you want some real advice, without the teasing," the rabbit sent a glare at the other two to emphasize her seriousness. "Then talk to Snow about it. Corner her if you have to."

"…Should I be concerned that your advice is starting to sound a lot like Coco or Nora's?"

"Sometimes, and that's a big sometimes," Velvet emphasized the word heavily. "They give the right advice!"

"But she's going to keep avoiding me because she thinks she hurt me."

"Did she?"

"Not even close," the teen blushed as she recalled how it felt. Surprising? Sure. But enthralling? Gods, yes!

"Then tell her that." The advice was simple enough and made sense. "If you already know the problem, the best way to get her to talk to you is to let her know. Between the four of us, none of us will ever know what it's like to have a human partner and potentially turn them just by doing perfectly normal things."

"But what if she still doesn't talk to me?"

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzz!"

"Nora," Velvet shouted. "You're being very rude and Ruby's coming to us for advice!"

"No, she went to Coco for advice and that was exciting," Nora yawned. "And I'm sorry, but you guys were starting to sound like this new ambient soundtrack I've been falling asleep to. It's called The Sounds of Useless Lesbians."

"I'm not useless!" Ruby defended herself.

"But you are a lesbian now?" Coco chuckled in amusement.

"Ugh! Why do you guys have to make everything so difficult?!"

"Why haven't you just thought about the obvious?" Nora shrugged. "You're having a meltdown over Snow not responding to some text messages, when she might just be busy… She had a life before you, you know."

…Did she?...

ooOOoo

"I had to see it for myself," Ironwood leered at Snow, who sighed in irritation. "Miss Rose said you were in town."

"My intention was not to stay for long," Snow fidgeted with the rim of the tumbler sitting on the bar. Originally, she'd come back to Junior's to distance herself from the situation at home. "But fate seems to have other plans for me, I see." She downed the last of it – something dark and nameless with a cheap burn…

"Your sister has my daughter," Ironwood snatched her by her collar and lifted her up, alarming Junior's staff. "She disappeared while looking for Ruby at this Freak bar!"The bartender from the other night had been serving her again and she hoped that one of these days, she'd be able to walk through Junior's door under less exciting circumstances… She'd have to leave him a really good tip for all his troubles… He'd even learned Atlesian for her!

"It's alright guys," Snow waved down the bouncer the bartender had called over. Ironwood was notoriously powerful Elite and wielded some of the most powerful Lightforge weaponry. There was a reason he had been chosen to mentor Winter when they were separated and Snow didn't want to risk an all-out war in the middle of Junior's.

To the local Inhumans, Junior's wasn't just some Freak bar that popped up overnight. It was so much more than that. Even if Snow wasn't overly fond of Inhumans, its patrons were those who sought to reconnect with humans in a positive light and proved that it was possible. It gave her a little bit of hope in an otherwise hopeless world. Even the least well-behaved Child of Night respected Junior's No-Nonsense policy.

"What proof do you have that Winter has her? Other than Winter, there was no one else with Ruby when I found her."

"Your sister has done nothing but harass Miss Rose since you conveniently went off-grid," Ironwood threw her back into her chair and Snow readjusted her collar. "I'm not sure how she's come back. I saw her cremated with my own eyes, yet we have reports, videos, images, and a number of sightings all over the place! Left unchecked, that girl will go after whatever is important to Ruby… and my daughter is very important to that girl." He cast a look at everyone, including Junior. "I will tear this city apart if I have to, but I will find my daughter… and I will take her back by any means necessary."

Snow's phone buzzed at that moment and she checked it as Ironwood delivered his speech. This wasn't good at all. James Ironwood was normally a very rational, clear-headed man, but considering his circumstances, she supposed he had every right to be upset. Someone had dared to kidnap the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Vale, but sightings weren't enough proof… Winter wasn't that far gone, was she? Snow opened her messages and her heart sank.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you about last night." Snow bit her lip and looked away, but it vibrated in her fingers again. "Please don't run from me… I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry."

"Are you even listening?"

"Yes," Snow sighed and shoved the device back into the inside pocket of her jacket. "I can go back and try to retrace her steps – see what Zwei can pick up. In the very least, I will be able to determine whether or not Winter is responsible."

"I don't care who is responsible," Ironwood slammed his hand on the counter and Snow mentally sighed at the display of aggression. "I care that she gets found and those responsible are held accountable for, and right now, that looks like your sister! Fix this… or I will!"

"Right…" Watching as he stormed out of the bar, Snow replayed the previous nights events. Today was already off to a fine start and Oscar had even asked her to keep a low profile, which meant abstaining from feeding Zwei... Which meant she was weaker… On the bright side, Winter had been astoundingly weak the other night, which meant she was most likely aware she was being watched.

"I can't have you out in the open, especially with Zwei. People are looking for you. Not good people either."

Heh, Oscar didn't have to tell her twice. The Schnee always had tabs on her, even if she managed to slip under the radar. Ironwood finding her here was proof enough, which made her wonder just how long it would be until her family came knocking… She had a lot to get done in a very short amount of time if she wanted to get out of here before they started holding Ruby above her head again. It was funny how something she loved so much was her biggest crutch… and then there was Zwei…

The strange entity had attached itself her due to her own selfishness and it had taken so much time and effort to learn how to make him manageable. Even now, he still often disobeyed her, but it wasn't her that he was obeying. The creature adored Ruby… and Ruby had saved her from him. Ruby just didn't remember her that way and Snow was so thankful for it. A terrified and weak Schnee, haunted by a monster and plagued with disability? Zwei had been the answer to all her problems, but he'd also been more than she bargained for… The Master had seen to it that she learned to manage it, and the price?

"You will never be a part of Ruby Rose's life again. Not as yourself and not as who you will become."

"White, follow," Junior's gruff voice interrupted her thoughts and she followed him into the back.

The back area was a series of corridors and rooms. Some were the spare bedrooms, others included the kitchen, a storage area, and a staircase that led to his office. As they climbed the staircase, the décor changed to something of foreign colors – red and gold against plaster white backgrounds and oblong columns.

"Something I should be aware of?"

"The last time I was here, Ruby Rose was in the building with friends."

"Yes," he nodded. "I recall."

"It seems that James Ironwood's daughter vanished and they suspect the Ice Queen is responsible," Snow sighed. "I did have an altercation with her over Miss Rose that night."

"I see," Junior hummed in thought. "There were some reports of her being in the area at the time and a strange phenomenon occurred where an entire block was frozen over in mere minutes. Was that a result of your fight?"

"Yes…"

"I see," he tapped his fingers against his desk. "You should be more careful. Human remains were found a few blocks away from there – wounds consistent with a vampire feeding. It's put us on the radar, so I expect we'll be getting more unpleasant visits soon. If you're trying to stay off the grid, this may not be the best place for you to hang around. No doubt the White Fang and Fire Empress will start snooping around too."

"Yeeeah, I was afraid of that," Snow let out an aggravated sigh. "Can you point me to where the body was found? I'd like to at least scan the area for her unique energy trail. Maybe see if they did run into each other. Paint a picture of what happened."

"Very well," he began to write some directions down on a sheet of paper and passed it to her. At least, it was a familiar street name. It really wasn't far from where she'd fought Winter, which made things seem far more bleak. "Take your time and stay out of sight. They're tightening up security in the area and I'm hearing that Elites will be watching over different sectors… Ironwood's right hand man has been put in charge of ours..."

"Clover?... Wonderful…" As if she needed another headache. If he was around, that meant the rest of his crew wouldn't be far off either.

Several years ago, Oscar Pine had worked alongside the Schnee to come up with alternative methods to protect his students. Among them, UV lights had become a very popular method. Since Lightforge's power came from the sun, it had been thought that they could apply UV rays directly to achieve similar results and it worked fairly well. It acted very well as a barrier and had an incredibly debilitating on those infected with Darkforge – the vampires being affected the most, since their bodies were almost pure Darkforge.

The overwhelming success of the project impressed Vale and they entrusted the Schnee with converting the city over to the UV lights, but that's where it got problematic. The Schnee persecuted Inhumans and poorer sectors. They used false promises of protection and extorted entire sectors, placing mandates over them. If the Sector Chiefs did no bend to their will, they were left without protections until martial law was declared in an area, at which point, the Schnee Corps would force their hands… and what was all of this for? To herd Freaks all into one area – most likely Freak Haven, the sector Junior's was in. But what did the safe haven matter if the entire sector was surrounded was surrounded by those that wanted their existences erased?

The whole thing was a nightmare and she couldn't believe things had gotten so much worse since she'd left. Having Zwei as a part of her was probably what made her own family question her loyalty. What made it worse was that she'd even been trained by someone who used Darkforge and her father had claimed she was deviating from the path she had been born to follow… but what sort of path was that when no one had a common enemy. Everyone was fighting everyone, instead of focusing on a single goal. The Covens and the White Fang, the Schnee and its Elites, the Puritans and the other Faythful - there were even some lesser-knowns in play that were far bigger problems, but no one wanted to look at that. They were too busy at each other's throats to see the big picture… and that's where she came into play.

Reaching her destination, she sighed at the sight before her. Sure enough, there was still a huge bloodstain painting the sidewalk where the body been discarded. The City would be along sometime to clean things up, though she suspected Oscar had some sort of pull in preserving the crime scene the last few days. This sort of thing would have normally been power washed away by now to maintain the false sense of order the Schnee Corps had lulled Vale into.

"Zwei," Snow spoke her familiar's name quietly and waited. The sun setting, her shadow warped around her – two crimson eyes glowing from the darkness. "You picking anything up?"

"It feels as if I am encased in ice. This Piress' emotions are erratic. We should end this before she becomes too dangerous…"

"I know, Zwei," Snow left out a dejected sigh. She'd come here with a purpose. Having heard that a vampire with freezing powers had appeared, she thought she'd be a useful tool in combating the Fire Empress' coven. What she hadn't expected was to find out that this vampiress was her own flesh and blood and that she had gone mad.

"The girl that the Elite seeks… her scent is here, as well," the shadowy wolf leapt from her shadow and sniffed around the area. "They disappear together."

"Shit…" Maybe she could handle this before Ironwood got word that it was true. She'd have to figure out if there was a way to alter memories too. Actually, her partner might have a friend that could do that. True Inhumans were such strange and impressive beings when it came to their natural abilities. Vampires seemed to control the elements, while the beastbornes had more physical adaptations… and then there was whatever she was considered now.

In all honesty, she wanted to be able to give Ruby an answer – to tell her everything. There was nothing she wanted more than to live in the warmth and acceptance she had found in her all those year ago. However, she couldn't give her answers that she didn't even have. The simple fact was that every Schnee was born with their own unique curse, and in an effort to fix hers, Weiss Schnee had wrecked everything that had been going for her… along with Ruby's own life.

The truth was that she had stolen the power that once slept within Ruby in order to find her own salvation and seeing Ruby struggle was a painful reminder that she'd stripped her of any form of greatness she would have ever achieved… and yet she still looked at her with the same affection she had all those years ago. It had only taken moments to reignite the spark that had drawn them together and she found herself addicted to Ruby's presence again.

"Danger…"

"Well, well, well," an ominous presence called from the rooftop of a nearby store. "I thought I sensed something familiar. You'll have to excuse me, but I'm not sure if I've gotten stronger or you're so pitiful that you're already fading away."

"I see you're more coherent tonight…"

"Why yes," the Ice Queen grinned, her teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "I'm flattered that you noticed. Word is that you're looking for me."

"I see word gets around fast," Snow stared at her straight on. "But it's more that I'm looking for someone that you have."

"How rude," Winter scoffed in mock offense. "There's a certain decorum to be followed when approaching a lady about her companions, but I see etiquette is something they fall short on in whatever crude hole you slithered out of." …the irony here…

"You and I seem to have a different idea of what companionship entails," Snow grimaced at the statement and Zwei stepped in front of her protectively. "I don't typically find myself kidnapping and forcing them into submission. I also try not to eat them…"

"But you do eat them, don't you?" Winter's grin grew as Snow glared at her. She was already in a foul mood and Winter was really trying her patience. "Trying implies that you have. Tell me, how do you prefer them? Cold? I can assist you with that!"

"Winter," Snow called seriously, jarring the vampire from her teasing. "Is she still alive?"

"That's the second time you've called me that," Winter matched her seriousness. "Where did you hear that name?" There was no reply from Snow, only the silence of the city. "An answer for an answer, Bandersnatch."

"And that's the second time you've called me that," Snow neither confirmed or denied her rumored alias. "You first."

"Very well," the vampire sighed. "If you mean Miss Polendina, I find that she makes a fine pet. Excellent company and she can actually hold a semi-intelligent conversation, unlike the other useless freaks of nature that seem to surround me."

"You do know that you're one of them, right?"

"Hah! Oh no, my Stygian Stray," the vampire laughed hard. "I'm something far better than those mindless nulls… I have a purpose, and for that, maybe I'm willing to make a trade?"

"What sort of trade?"

"A life for a life," Winter grinned and hot puffs of mist marked their breathes as the air grew colder around them. "Your pet for mine! It's win-win!"

"No chance." Zwei's fur rustled to emphasized her displeasure. He set back on his haunches and let out a low, warning growl.

"You know, I've been trying to wrap my head around why you're so attached to her," the icy piress tapped her forehead a few times as if to jog her memory. "But we go way back and I just don't recall seeing you around her. You though," Winter's eyes honed in on the wolf. "Are a sight for sore eyes…"

"I don't think my relationship to her matters much, if this is all going to play out the same no matter what. Why do you want her?"

"You know she's a Druid, right? What the Puritans call Witches," Winter stated in an informative manner. "They hunted them to the brink of extinction because their blood can turn vampires into daywalkers… and I, for one, find myself having the worst allergic reaction to sunlight, so I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this."

"That doesn't strike me as something you would need to kill her for or am I missing something?"

"Are you saying you might be willing to work something out with me?" The vampire gave her an amused smile. "You do like to live dangerously, don't you? But alas, we don't need any other vampires with that sort of power."

"But you deserve it?"

"I deserve the world," Winter's eyes flared a sharp red as she shouted. "That girl took mine away, so I'll take hers the only way I know how!"

"Winter…" Why did her name sound so painful coming from this girl? It somehow tore into her, but she couldn't allow this to stand in her way – not when she'd come so far. "I can't allow you to have Ruby's blood… and I most definitely cannot allow you to kill her… Of that, I am certain."

"What did you say?" Winter paled at the iconic phrase. There was no way… Everything was far too coincidental. In a blur, Snow disappeared, closing the gap between them. A bright glyph appeared in front of the dark clad girl and a blade that mirrored Winter's own was dragged from within it. What was happening?!

"I only ever failed you before," Snow loomed over her and Winter's eyes grew wide. Had her eyes glowed with such a radiant blue last time? "But this is the only way I know how to honor you... Auf Wiedersehen... Mein Schwester."

"Winter!" As Snow's blade closed in, a familiar figure appeared, using their body to shield the stark white vampire.

At the last moment, Snow diverted her blade, narrowly missing Penny in the process. The distraction afford Winter enough time to summon her own sword and she parried the attack, sending ice spikes into Snow's stomach and shoulder with her free hand. Snow jumped back, deflecting several more and coughed hard, spraying blood into her hand. She'd made such a grave mistake.

Winter looked back and forth between Snow and the sword in her hand. Why hadn't she noticed the strange glow of this girl's eyes beneath the moonlight before? This girl possessed both Forges, but how?!... but even more pressing was another question that raged inside of her.

"Why do you have her sword?" Winter screamed in a bloody rage, ice spreading around her in a rage. "Why do you have my sister's sword?! Answer me, you vile mongrel!"

A vicious icy wind whipped around them, smashing ice crystals into the buildings. Winter began to slowly approach Snow, who continued to expel blood. This wasn't a good situation for her to be in. She'd sorely miscalculated Winter's power based off of the other night and not taken into account that she may have been weakened… Just how many souls were inside of her? Winter loomed over her, eyes filled with disgust and lifted her chin with the end of her blade.

"Answer me," her words with envenomed with hate. "Did you desecrate my sister's grave?"

"Heh, desecrate?" Snow looked at her wearily. "I thought I was the blind one…" Zwei lashed out as Snow lost consciousness and fell forward. Suddenly, an explosion shook the area and flames billowed in their surroundings. Zwei caught her and took advantage of the commotion to make an escape.

"Not so fast!" Winter called out and pointed her sword toward them. Spikes of ice gathered around her, lining up with her aim. When she locked on, she released the energy holding them back, but something shattered them.

"Fancy seeing you here again, Frosty," a smooth, low voice rang out above the roar of the flames. "I thought we felt something familiar."

Winter turned around, shielding Penny behind her, and found the bull Faunus who had recently come into leadership in the White Fang. He was the one that often accompanied the Fire Empress and he wasn't alone. On either side of him, a female Faunus stood just behind him, and several others began to gather around him. The one with feline ears cast a look in the direction that the shadow wolf had run in and Adam spoke to her.

"You see that, my darling?" He grinned and she nodded. "I guess the rumors are true, but we'll have to save that for later." He turned his attention back to the irritated vampiress. "So, how do we do this? Quick and easy?... Or slow and painful? I really do wish I'd taken my time, last time."

"Heh," Winter chuckled darkly to herself. As much as she'd love to entertain this, there was something else more important. "I'm afraid I don't have time to play with you, tonight. I'm on a bit of a witch hunt, right now."

"Are you, now?"

"Well, it's really been more of a wild good chase," Winter smirked as a frost covered the ground. "But you understand, right?"

"Don't let her out of your sight," Adam said lowly to his henchmen. "This one's got a real nasty frostbite to her."

"I prefer ice to fire anyway," the Faunus with long hair tied behind her said and everyone aimed their guns.

"W-Winter," Penny whispered and the feline Faunus' ears twitched. Winter noted the peculiar reaction, but spoke quietly to Penny.

"Quiet, now," Winter said as Penny drew closer to her. "The cat can hear you… Don't worry. I still have this under control."

"White Fang!" A lone man in white stood in the direction that Snow had fled. Several thudding sounds romped across the ground and several Schnee Corpsmen lined up behind him. "Cease all unlawful actions and lay down your weapons, immediately! You are being detained!"

"Heh, not a chance!" Adam snickered.

"Winter…" Penny pulled at the vampire's sleeve.

"Still under control," Winter mumbled.

"Fire!" Adam called out and his henchmen opened fire. Bullets started whizzing past them and Winter lifted an arm up. The frost on the ground suddenly jumped into the air, forming into a crystal-like snake that lunged at Adam and his henchmen. Many dodged out of the way, disappearing as a sea of mist washed over them, and suddenly Penny was alone.

Blinded by white coldness that prickled against her skin, Penny slipped along the slick road. Bullets fired around her and she tried to duck behind the first thing she could find. The groans of men rang out as they were slaughtered and something wet and red slapped across the ground in front of her. She jumped back and bumped into someone… the feline.

"Ah-hnnrgmmm!" The Faunus quickly covered her mouth and pulled her away, behind a blue mailbox. She positioned herself in front of Penny and held a finger in front of her mask, where her mouth would normally be. Without removing her hand, the Faunus looked around the box to see if she could make anything out around them. When it seemed the coast was clear, she dragged Penny with her until suddenly, the Faunus was struck with a familiar blade.

The Faunus jarred, freezing in pain and Penny gasped. The Ice Queen tore Penny away from her and pushed her behind her. There was something strange about the Faunus though. She seemed off… Winter grabbed the mask on her face and pulled it, but the face behind it was completely featureless. The figure turned dark and crumbled into a fine, dark powder that fell heavily to the ground. As the pile of ashes hit, it dissipated like a thin smoke…

Whose side was she on?

ooOOoo

AN: Lot to unpack here. Kinda' wanted to flesh some characters out and get more into the action. Hopefully, you guys are beginning to see how the world is fitting together. The next few chapters will start to open up what happened in the past and Ruby will start coming into her own. Not sure about you guys, but I kinda' enjoy the Winter/Penny dynamic as I write it. I have interesting plans for Blake too. She'll definitely have more… personality… Anyway, see you guys soon! As always, let me know what you think!

German to English Translation

Auf Wiedersehen... Mein Schwester = Goodbye… My sister.