Traveling at a speed Weiss wasn't accustomed to, holding on to a Grim Reaper's broom's tail and dangling like an old teddy bear in an old car, she had to wonder if this ordeal was even worth it.
Will she succeed in resurrecting her own life or will she permanently be erased from the living world?
Half of her still thinks she was dreaming, but half of her believes this was all true.
Sun didn't explain things. Not really. He merely stated that they were going to the Spirit World. That they will have to talk to someone about the ordeal.
Impatient as ever, Weiss yelled against the air slapping her face, "So, will you explain to me this place we're supposed to be going or will you keep me hanging?"
Glancing at her current situation and suddenly remembering Yang and her stupid puns, Weiss scoffed and reluctantly added, "Quite literally?"
That earned a chuckle from the Grim Reaper. "I told you we are going to the Spirit World!"
"Yeah, we've established that," Weiss deadpanned. "This is where the explaining comes in, you know."
Cackling now, Sun turned to Weiss for a second, his wide grin still present. "Gee, thank you for being patient!"
Turning back around and piloting his broom to a much faster speed than before, he began explaining, "It's the realm where the people outside of the living world exist. Including the person who would explain your ordeal!"
Oh. So this was happening, wasn't it? This wasn't just a dream or a prank. Not like anyone could pull off a prank like this.
"Who is this mystery man?" Weiss inquires. "If someone has to say something, then they should come to me!"
Despite Weiss' haughtiness, Sun responded to her calmly, "His name is King Ozma."
"What? Are we dealing with royalty?"
Sun turned to Weiss again, seriousness, palpable in his countenance. "That's right, Weiss. You'd better not be fouled mouth or impolite around him like you usually are, okay?"
Weiss swallowed.
"He calls the shot!" he added. "And he can send you to oblivion forever if he wants to."
Weiss nodded and Sun focused on flying. That made Weiss silent for a moment. So, she was about to talk to someone very important. Specifically, a very important King to her, she supposed, 'life'.
Not long after, Weiss heard Sun say something like, "Hold on tight!" And before Weiss could do anything but hold tighter, everything went white and soft. If she was still alive then, she would be tempted to sleep.
But she wasn't anymore so she didn't.
When she opened her eyes, a golden, wide land welcomed her sight.
"Wow, it's so vast," she says airily. She looked up at Sun pointing at a long, clear river. "Was that river capable of supporting life? It's so pellucid."
Sun grinned. "Technically, nope! But we're in the Spirit World, remember?"
Weiss merely blinked. He continued, "If I don't pilot this baby for work—" he tapped at the broom he's driving, "I reside with other beings in that river down there!"
Right. The realm where the people outside of the living world exist. Does that mean Sun and the other beings in this world weren't living? Were they dead?
But… they were not inanimate people? Zombies?
Whatever the case, Weiss supposed she was in the same circumstance.
Sun then pointed at a massive castle with a pathway so weird one would think it was from a video game, Weiss' eyes following his finger. "Just up ahead is the Castle of Choice."
The said castle was much more gigantic at close range. Weiss felt like a needle when they arrived. She couldn't see the ending point of the building no matter how hard she look up.
When they neared the massive door, the Grim Reaper then cupped his mouth and yelled, "Sun here! I got a new arrival with me!"
Weiss had to swallow a gasp when the enormous door made of steel in front of them instantly opened. Once inside, though, Weiss failed to swallow another. The 'hallway' of the castle looked like a giant mouth.
Weiss wasn't a scaredy-cat, oh no, but this place gave her the creeps.
The ceiling looked like a giant palate, Weiss truly believed the hall will close any minute and chew her inside. Though, as she quietly studied the place, she saw nothing but gooey things, no teeth around.
Thankfully.
But then again, this place gave Weiss the creeps.
"A-are you sure this castle is safe?" she hesitantly asked.
Sun merely waved his hand and snorted much to Weiss' indignation. "Don't worry," he said and walked on.
Grunting, Weiss followed. As she did that, she wondered some more.
What does this King Ozma look like? If he's running an operation this big, he must be gigantic! Menacing and hideous, too!
Running fingers through her ivory bangs, Weiss hummed. How could she fight a bloke like that? She could pummel him in the nose and while he's stunned, she'll attack his eyeballs.
Yeah, she could do that.
But she won't attack unless the king or his subjects attack her first. That was always her brawling street rule.
"We're almost there," Sun informed her. This time, Weiss visibly swallowed.
When they arrived… somewhere, Sun pressed something on the massive wall and said, "Sun again. Will you let them know I got Weiss Schnee here?"
A voice from a speaker that seemed to be echoing every corner then responded, "We're opening the gate!"
Weiss braced for something so gruesome, something her insides couldn't moderate. If her soul still had a beating heart, she sure would hear its violent banging.
And then, "I need certification on Mr. Garren! Pronto!" said the raven-haired woman in a red strapless dress.
"Go get it yourself, I'm so behind schedule," responded the other raven-haired woman that shared an identical visage with the one in red.
Only, this woman is in an off-white strapless dress a little bit similar to Weiss' combat skirt. Weiss believed hers was more stylish, though, with the bolero and everything.
Both harrumphed but did not cease whatever they were doing. They were busy… with office work? Weiss blinked yet again as she observed the inside of the menacing castle.
More staff were seen occupied with their different responsibilities. Milling around like they're chasing some deadline.
Ha! Yang would be proud of her, and Weiss would not hesitate to high-five the brute right now.
Some were talking on the phone, the others were encoding in their computers, printing documents, others were running, bringing more papers; more documents.
Sun led the way as Weiss noted how these non-living yet living beings were absorbed in the living people's affairs, or more like former living people. Like her.
Much like Sun, others were human-looking people but with some added animal features. Some were dog ears, scales, and was that a… snake tongue?
"What is this?" she mindlessly mused. The place felt like an office with cosplayers as workers.
They continued walking until they arrived at another humongous door. This time, though, the door didn't seem to be made of steel. Just wood, however, it operated as if it were an elevator door.
When it sensed their presence, at least Weiss believed so, it slowly glided.
Sun silently went inside and Weiss followed. It's not like she had another choice.
When Sun situated himself in the small box, Weiss realized, it was an elevator. They were slowly being transported upwards.
It stopped moving a moment later and the door glided once again. "Boss," Sun began when he walked outside. "I brought you the girl you requested to see."
The said girl immediately looked around, again, bracing herself for something so menacing and powerful.
"Where is he?" Weiss nervously clutched the hilt of her wooden sword. "Is he… invisible?"
Just like a normal office, the room had a table with countless documents on it, but it was semi-circled. Weiss noted the brownish, greenish large clock behind the office's chair as also the main room window.
Some creatures with wings were seen through it; peacefully flying outside the castle as the clouds floated like there was nothing to worry about.
However, to Weiss' indignation, nobody was inside the office except her and Sun.
"Yeah, sorry, I'm here," a voice said. It sounded so young.
When Weiss looked down, a boy with hazel eyes was looking up at her. His main iris was forest green with accents of burnt orange and yellow around the pupil.
She noted his tanned skin with a faint, perdurable blush and freckles on his cheeks.
"Hello," he abashedly waved as his other hand clutched at the thick documents in his chest. He seemed to have fallen and was about to stand up after picking up the papers when they came in.
"I'm Ozma, well, originally." When Weiss merely raised an eyebrow, he cleared his throat and stood up. "But for now, you may refer to me as Oscar."
Weiss furrowed, and from that, she could see a nervous grin from the boy. He eventually returned to his table to rest the papers.
"Welcome," he said as he took a seat.
Sun moved closer, grinning at the man he was serving, Weiss following close by. "This is Weiss Schnee, boss." When Weiss didn't do anything, he added, "She's honored to meet you."
Oscar nodded, but Sun repugnantly glanced at Weiss. He eventually facepalmed when she started cackling, doubling over.
"Oh my god!" she said between her ha-ha's. "That's a good one!" She clutched at her abdomen and guffawed some more. "I –I haven't laughed like this in a while! Come on, Sun, let's not waste any more time. Where is King Ozma?"
Oscar for his part, deepened his natural blush, scratching at the back of his head. "This is not the reception I was expecting, but—"
A choking noise made him look up. Sun, red in the face was head locking the now chuckling Weiss Schnee. "Why would I joke about something like this, you idiot! He's King Ozma!"
"But—" Weiss began again, attempting to catch her breath. At least, she wasn't frowning or trembling in anger, Oscar thought. "Why would this massive castle and the whole Spirit world be run by a toddler?"
Sun gasped, "A toddler?"
"Um—" Oscar tried, but then Weiss seemed to not be finished yet.
"And to think I was so ready to piss on my skirt!" she said between breaths.
"Okay, that was gross," Sun replied in distaste.
King Ozma or as he would like to be referred to as Oscar cleared his throat, gaining Sun and Weiss' attention. The latter widened her eyes when she discerned Oscar's hazel pools glow for a second.
With that, Oscar's demeanor immediately changed. He walked around the table and even the way he took steps was so different from before. He then looked at Weiss and she felt as though these hazel pools were looking, really looking, at her.
Were there two different souls in this small body?
Personality disorder?
Either of the two was alarming to Weiss, to say the least.
"I will keep this brief," he said in a serious tone, never leaving Weiss' icy blue. Weiss could feel the hairs at the back of her neck stand. "You're here, Weiss Gelé Schnee, in hopes of resurrection, correct?"
Weiss nodded as Sun's arm let her go.
"Very well," King Ozma responded. He opened his palm and with it was something that appeared to be a golden egg. "I present you your ordeal."
It was a golden egg alright, which was bizarre in the first place, however, the way it glowed was what made Weiss curious.
"My ordeal is a golden… chicken egg?"
Without changing his expression, Oscar or Weiss supposed, King Ozma at the moment—which was another weird thing and needs to be inquired about soon, she noted—held the thing in front of her.
"Not quite, Miss Schnee. Your ordeal will be what's inside of it and I assure you, it would not be a chicken. Hatch this egg and face what comes out."
Weiss was not about to grab some eldritch golden egg that will potentially harm her soul! The only 'her' that's functioning right now! So, she asked instead, "Do I do something to hatch it?"
"No, not at all." King Ozma walked to his main window, his back facing them. "You only have to keep this with you.
"This… this is a Spirit Beast. It feeds off the energy emitted from your soul," he then turned to look back at Weiss holding out the egg.
Weiss walked closer to him, staring at the item.
"This will be a true and constant test of your character. The things you do and feel will change the monster inside, for better or for worse."
Weiss swallowed and King Ozma continued, "If what your file says is true, that you are wicked and cruel, the beast that hatches will be the same way. It will devour you and you will be lost forever."
Sensing the girl's unease, King Ozma then added, "However, if the energy you emit is good and true, then so will be the Spirit Beast. It will take care of you and guide you back into your living body."
When King Ozma finished explaining, silence took over.
Only the sound of the large clock ticking could be perceived inside the room.
"Of course, if it sounds too risky," King Ozma provided after a brief silence, "You can always abstain and remain as a ghost. There is no shame in it, Miss Schnee. I leave you the choice."
Still reeling from the fact that this was the biggest risk Weiss would ever take in her, well, non-living life yet, she had taken no action still and was merely gazing at the golden thing.
Weiss then took a deep breath after the second roll of silence and held it for a few seconds before releasing it.
Now or never. She nodded at the king and carefully took the golden egg.
"Very well," she heard King Ozma say.
"Um—" Weiss hesitantly looked up at him. He nodded in invitation and she cleared her throat before asking, "I have to ask, is—is he—"
To Weiss' surprise, King Ozma offered her a gentle knowing smile. "He is in a better place."
Hearing this, Weiss instantly returned in kind.
King Ozma then added, "Good luck." Oscar's sheepish twinkle returned then after his eyes yet again glowed.
Weiss couldn't help herself. Upon seeing his young demeanor back, she ruffled his hair and that earned a surprised "Hey!" from him.
Looking up, Oscar could only see fondness in the usually indignant icy blue. He could much guess as to why.
Perhaps Weiss Schnee will be triumphant in this challenge, after all.
