This is a story I've been planning for a long time now, it's been in my head for two years at the most and I've taken things from this story to include in my other fanfics.

I never believed I would ever write this... 'White Instinct' has a special place in my heart as it was one of my first story ideas. So I really want to thank everybody who helped me complete the planning of WI, it means a lot and I greatly appreciate it. This is going to be a very bumpy ride, but I promise that it will have a happy ending.

~Dixie

IMPORTANT TAGS:
-Alternate Universe (aged up AU)
-Lost family/Semi-Slowburn
-Traveling/Action/Adventure
-Emotional Angst

Full Summary:

"Weiss Schnee was last seen in Vale, where she was later pronounced dead. No body has been recovered as of yet, but they are still searching."

She didn't even recognize the person staring back at her through the reflection of the mirror. She wasn't even spared a single glance, it was like she wasn't even there. She could walk freely without being recognized.

"You have your mother's eyes."

It was too late to turn back now. She has nowhere to go and she has a little girl depending on her for survival, because of her own foolishness.

"She's alive."

The woman tenses beneath her touch, having regained a little bit of consciousness, and Ruby glances over to her, silver eyes meeting with a puzzled, yet disoriented pair of foggy blue. She was still responsive.

"Everything that I was afraid would happen, actually happened."


She sits in her new bedroom, blue eyes quietly staring off into the wide open space. In her mind, there were toys littered across the floor and tucked into every nook and cranny, bringing life to the cold, isolated room. She didn't even have a toy box in the corner. Instead, her room was filled with furniture that she was too little to sit in and a piano she had yet to learn how to play.

She'd become too old to share a room with her sister, according to her father. Her mother insisted that Winter was becoming an adult, saying she'll understand when she was her age.

Their father ordered for all of her toys to be thrown away, his excuse being that she was 'too old for toys'. He'd even thrown out her brand new dollhouse she hadn't even played with yet…

The door creaks open and the child lifts her head, tiredly greeting her sister as the white-haired girl cautiously steps inside, holding a bag close to her. Weiss slides off the bed, curious to see what Winter had in the bag. "Is this what you wanted?" The older girl murmurs as she places the dollhouse down next to her little sister, whose eyes widen in awe, "I hid it before Father could see it…"

Weiss looks up at her, "Where are my dollies?" She asks, confused as to why they weren't in the bag. Winter chuckles and removes the plastic, opening the dollhouse up to reveal three dolls neatly tucked inside. Weiss giggles, "That was cool!"

She reaches in to remove the dolls as Winter readjusts the house for her, "Wanna play?" She asks happily, holding up both dolls to her sister. Winter smiles and shakes her head, getting herself comfortable behind the younger girl as she places them in the house. "They're a family!" Weiss informs her sister, whose brows scrunch up in bewilderment.

"What are their names, then?" Winter asks.

Weiss giggles and holds up the two big dolls, "This is Violet and Scarlet!" She announces, "They're in love and have been for years, Violet's daddy doesn't like it, but they don't care. So they get married and have a baby!"

Winter lets out a scoff of amusement, "Well, you don't have any male dolls… Alright, what is the-"

"Winter." A masculine voice says from the doorway, sounding eerily calm.

Her sister turns to face the tall, lanky man standing formally at the door, she rises to her feet and Weiss quietly ducks behind her, holding two of the dolls tightly in her hands. Unbeknownst to her, the third one is kicked underneath her bed and out of sight.

"She's six years old, Father…" Winter says calmly as their father enters and comes to stand over them. Winter didn't budge, meeting his cold gaze with an unreadable expression on her face. "You can at least allow her to have one toy to play with..." Their father's eyes flicker with rage and he glances down at Weiss, he lifts his hand and Winter's entire body stiffens as she is harshly brushed aside. Weiss' small frame trembles and she mimics her sister's previous stance, trying to show confidence and not cower beneath his gaze.

She lets out a muffled yelp when the dolls were snatched out of her hands. Weiss reaches for her sister, who moves back protectively to her side. Without saying anything, the man makes to leave and Weiss jerks away from Winter, "H-hey! That's mine! You can't-" A hand sharply snatches her back as their father quickly turns around, his eyes ignited with fury.

Time speeds up and Weiss flinches away as a loud smack reverberates through the room, she opens her eyes to find herself safely tucked behind her sister, who stands in front of her to shield her from their father, her cheek red and her body trembling.

Their father's voice is cold and harsh.

"Do not disobey me again."


One doll and a house was all she had left. She'd found Violet underneath her bed and placed her inside the house, whispering that they were both alone now. Well, she at least has something to play with.

Weiss breathes a sigh and closes the dollhouse, sliding it under her bed as an attempt to hide it from her father in case he returns. As she hoists herself up onto the bed, the door opens and the blood drains from her face. Her heart begins pounding and she quickly situates herself, trying not to seem suspicious by snatching the blankets up over her head.

Now enveloped in the darkness, footsteps quietly approach her bed and she tenses, not even daring to breathe.

Something light is placed at her side and the person walks away. Puzzled, she slides the blanket off her head and her eyes widen upon seeing her mother looking back at her with a tired smile, Weiss looks to see what was set on her bed and a smile tugs at her lips. Her other two dolls were returned completely unharmed.

As her bedroom door closes, she scrambles off her bed to pull the dollhouse out from underneath her bed. Opening the doors and setting the other two inside next to Violet, she smiles.

"You're not alone anymore."


The prologue references heavily to the story, so if you have any theories... I'd love to hear them! ^^

~Dixie