Prompt - Eye-Contact
Weiss Schnee was not one for keeping the company of others. No, in her century long life, she had come to realize she much preferred the company of her statues over that of the humans and demigods that had managed to find her abode. Her lonely little cave which she had found in the early days of her youth, driven to the forested mountainside to escape from those mean villagers and their fire and pitchforks. But since those days long gone, she had turned this place into a wonderful home for herself. Her cave was spacious, decked with fine jewelry and purple coloured silk drapes, woven in amusing spirals and geometric patterns in the way she loved. Her bed was soft and long, and her blanket was made from warm feather down. She had a near endless supply of candles to brighten up her quarters, thanks to the one skill she had managed to properly master, as well as a nice fireplace in the far side of the cave to keep her space warm and dry throughout the cold nights and long winter months.
Her cave was surrounded by tall trees and dense underbrush, only cleared away in a single straight line to give the impression of a welcoming entrance. Of course, it was no welcoming entrance to others, because she hated when people tried to welcome themselves without a request. Suffice it to say, it was her surrounding forest which held the largest number of her statues. Weiss had a small garden out front of her cave which she tended to with expert precision, even if the flowers continued to die. If she was completely honest with herself, she would say that she was sorely lacking in a green thumb But, for those few weeks where the flowers budded and bloomed, it was well worth seeing their eventual decay.
If only she could say the same about her horrid cooking skills. For someone who had lived for so long, cooking herself three meals a day plus snacks, one would think that she would have mastered the basics of cooking a meal. But over multiple thousands of meals, she was assured that she had not had an overcooked or undercooked meal in all that time. How she wished she could have one bit of fish that didn't taste wet and scaly, or burnt to a crisp.
But she was happier alone, in her cave and forest It was better for her. Safer.
And safer for everyone else too.
She enjoyed wandering through her forest, a piece of land which she referred to as her statue garden. It was true that around her there were dozens, possibly even hundreds of stone or faded marble statues. Scenes of fear, shock and unease were painted on the majority of them. Most of these ones were lighter stones, some even faded marble. Weiss always teared up when looking at them. Often it was by shear accident that they came to her statue garden. Some were of men, weapons drawn, and swords wielded high as if about to come down on someone much smaller than them with a fatal blow. Those ones were often the darkest stones, some chipped, others with dark horrid vines growing over them. Weiss could only smile gleefully at those statues, for they had gotten what they deserved.
There were also statues of animals. Squirrels, foxes, deer and even a coyote or two. Those were often the most faded marbles. Bright and clear and fully innocent in their actions. Animals who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She loved looking at those statues, silently hoping at their souls weren't trapped in stone and able to visit the gods up in Olympus or spend their time frolicking in the good lands down in Hades' realm. Not trapped in her stone prisons like she was sure the humans were.
There were no mirrors in her cave, nor anywhere else in her forest. All the ponds and rivers which had once been pure and clean many decades ago were no filled with soot and dust, ruining their mirror-esque gleam. It would not do well to have anyone see her reflection, else fear and hatred harden their hearts to her. But more than that, it was so she herself would not be forced to look upon herself and weep as she so often did in her youth.
Because there was not a creature in the land that was as ugly and horrifying as she. Her, with the small, petite body akin to a child, or the large, ugly scar which descended from forehead to chin, running through a single eye, leaving it blind. Unseeing to the wicked world which surrounded her. But above all, what she hated most about herself, was her hair. That long, unconquerable beast which plagued her very being. Thin and white, descending past the small of her back, writhing and whirling, great tormenting snakes which clung to her head and whispered sweet pain into her ears at all times of the day.
She called herself Weiss, a reflection of the white purity she felt was real; at least inside. But the rest of Greece, they had come to refer to her as a different name. An evil name-
"Medusa."
Weiss spun around quickly, eyes alight with flame, angry for having missed the telltale signs of someone venturing into her domain. In an instant, that once brave, foolish knight, clad in armour of gleaming steel with a mop of blonde hair on his head, turned to ashen stone. His face was that of sudden, all-encompassing fear. Weiss sighed. He was like so many other adventurers and heroes tasked with killing her. In his last moments, he showed his true self. He was a coward, nothing more. At least his stone was light grey. His heart was kinder than most, but still filled with evil thoughts. Nothing like the marbles of her animals.
How she missed seeing live animals in her statue garden. But no, after a time they had realized the risks associated with her territory and gave it a wide berth. All life wished to remain so. No that she could blame them. It was a wistful thought, nothing more.
Weiss always felt bad after turning a human to stone. They oft had so much of their life left to live. And yet, there they were. Trapped forever in her garden. It was not their fault that they could not take her head before she saw them. A noble soldier, a hero, always stared his enemy in the eyes before striking the killing blow. It was how they were all raised. It saddened her to think that she was the direct antithesis to everything they thought was noble and good to do.
She almost wished that she could let them lop off her head. To finally strike that killing blow which ended her wretched existence and brought peace to the greater world which feared her so. To the Gods on Olympus which had forced her to be born such that she is. To be hated by all. To be feared by all.
No, that wasn't quite right.
Weiss let out a happy hum, walking away from her newest statue. There was one to not hate her. Yes, she did fear her, but all creatures feared her. Whether they did so rightly or not, was not for her to decide. But yes, there was a single one who did not hold hate in their heart.
As Weiss saw the lime green flash of light, signalling her closest compatriot's arrival, she darted away, hiding in between the bushes and rocks.
"Weiss?" Came that sweet, innocent voice attached to the adorable wood nymph. Like so many of her kind, the wood nymph wore shades of dark green and red. It made her look very much like a rose bush, which made sense as that was the home she often inhabited.
"Ruby! I'm over here." Weiss could see her delightful smile as Ruby skipped her way over to the outcroppings were she was.
Along the way, wherever her feet touched grass, was alit with flowers and the beginning signs of rose bushes. Weiss knew she would need to prune and preen the landscape back to how it once was, to keep it clean, but it delighted her to no end to see Ruby of Roses happy enough in her presence to sprout flowers.
"How are you Weiss? I've missed you so much!" Ruby gushed, relaxing into a cross-legged seat on the forest floor, in no way discomforted by her position. Weiss loved how gracefully her closest friend moved.
"I've missed you too, Ruby. It had been much too long."
Ruby sighed loudly, "I know, right? I was with my sister Yang and Yang was with Blake, because of course she was. And the two were telling me about how they had decided to work together to escape their tormentors, right? Wait, did I tell you that Zeus has been trying to sleep with Yang and-"
"-And Apollo with Blake, yes Ruby, you've told me that story before," Weiss said with an exasperated giggle, making sure the bush she was in did not quake too much, less Ruby spot her among the branches.
"Oh, good. So I don't have to catch you up on that much." Ruby was so delightful and cheerful. It made Weiss blush, "Anyways, where was I? Ya, so Blake and Yang decided that the best way to get them both of their backs was to be seen by both of them… ahem… together. Like, together-together. But-but now?"
Ruby was already starting to giggle. "But now they want both of them! So Blake and Yang both now need to fend off too Gods instead of one!" Ruby erupted into a fit of giggles and laughter doubling over at the plight of her sister and sister's friend.
Weiss could only join in on Ruby's laughter. The sounds Ruby made were just so catchy, there was no way Weiss's heart or mind could refuse to join in.
Ruby finally sighed, wiping away a tear of amusement from her eye. "But ya, that's the main thing I wanted to tell you about. And it's always nice to hear you laugh. You have the cutest laugh ever Weiss."
Weiss blushed brightly beneath the foliage. "Thank you Ruby. So do you. Your hair is also breathtaking."
"You think so? Do you like how I shortened it? I didn't know my hair could be red at the tips! It just changed to red when I cut it. Scared Yang, who thought my hair was bleeding or something, but no. Everything's alright with that. I'm kinda sad that I waited until Autumn to do it. I'm wondering what my mom, Summer thinks of it. I miss her, you know? It's hard to only see her a few months of the year."
"I think I understand," Weiss commented. "It's how I feel when you need to leave."
"Aww! That's so sweet, Weiss. I feel the same way. I just wish I could hug you right now. A big one! Bigger than the almighty Yang, Goddess of Hugs!"
Weiss huffed out, letting Ruby know she was smirking, even if Ruby couldn't see her.
"Oh, Weiss! Did you carve a new statue? It's amazing!" Ruby squealed with delight. Weiss watch her stand up, in a manner that somehow looked simultaneously graceful as clumsy. Ruby rushed over to her new statue. Of the scared once-blond who had entered into her home so recently. "I don't really know why you like to carve so many sad or scared faces, but you do them so good."
"So well, Ruby," Weiss couldn't help but to correct.
"So well!" Ruby confirmed. "I wish you made some more happy faces. You deserve to be surrounded by happiness. And me giving you hugs! When can I see you?"
It was starting to become a more recurring question when they spoke. Weiss understood had know each other for close to a decade, spending a great deal of time in each other's company, just talking. But while Weiss was privileged to see Ruby and her cute dress and adorable features, even if it was through branches and leaves, Ruby could never see her own. It was too much of a risk and not one she was willing to take.
"You know why Ruby," Weiss sighed. "You would be scared of me. My face is ugly, horrifying, putrid. It's why I'm in this forest."
"It can't be that bad, Weiss. You're no Medusa."
Right, that was why. Ruby did know who she really was. To Ruby, she was Weiss and only Weiss. Not Medusa, the snake woman. Not the person who could turn people to stone with just one look at her disgusting face. No wonder Ruby did not fear her. To Ruby, she was just a simple stone carver. An ugly one, by Weiss's own admission, but a regular human, nonetheless.
Not a great demon to be feared and attacked.
"You know that can't be true," Ruby said, breaking Weiss away from her self-deprecating thoughts. "Your voice is too sweet, too gentle to be anything but the most beautiful girl in the world."
Weiss's heart flickered at that. There was little doubt in her mind how much she wanted to be with Ruby. To be with her perfect wood nymph, forever. And she had little doubt that Ruby felt the same, or close to it. But there was one thing stopping them.
Weiss brushed her writhing hair down, trying to silence the white snakes which adorned her head.
Weiss watched happily as Ruby bounced around her new statues, looking at it from every angle to see if she could finally spot a mistake in her 'carving skills'. Weiss giggled every time looked like she was about to find something, only to lose it at second glance. She loved to see Ruby look over her statues with such delight. Even though she did not know that said statues had once been human. She wished that Ruby could look at her in that same way.
She frowned as she saw Ruby pause, her eyes wide, as if stunned by some unseen thing.
"Ruby, are you alright?" Weiss asked carefully.
"Wh-what? Oh, um… ya. I-I think I'm alright. I just felt something warm. No, hot. It was a rose bush, maybe half a mile that way?" She pointed to her left, not even bothering to look where she was pointing. It made sense. As Ruby was a wood nymph most attuned to roses, she had a natural talent for feeling and seeing though every rose bush in her near vicinity. "There are humans coming by. A lot of them. Do you know any of the humans? They all look like soldiers. Oh! It's Ren and Nora! Their both world-famous heroes! Everyone all over Greece knows those two. The son of Nike and the daughter of Zeus himself!"
Weiss froze. She was scared, no petrified. But, surprisingly not of the heroes or their retinue which would soon befall her. She was scared of Ruby. Of what Ruby would see if she were to stay.
"Ruby, you need to leave." Weiss spat out.
"What? Why? Can I meet them with you?"
"No!" Weiss all but shouted, panic clear in her voice. "You need to leave. Promise me you will leave."
"Weis, are you alright? Do you need me to-"
"Promise me Ruby! Promise me on everything you hold dear in this life that you will leave."
"I-I promise. Weiss? Are you okay?"
"No leave!" Weiss shouted, throwing a hand out of her hiding space to point where Ruby should go.
She saw Ruby blush, seeing just her hand for the first time, but finally did as commanded, turning back often to try and catch one last glimpse of her to no avail. Finally out of sight, Weiss sighed, standing from her cover and removing twigs and branches from her hair.
And all too soon, she spotted the first gleams of armour. Of swords and shields and spears of those who were hoping to vanquish her.
"Look Rennie! It's Medusa's lair! Let's go kill her! And break her legs!" Shouted the clear voice of Nora the Valkyrie, her words sparking like lightning.
"Be careful," came a reply that was clearly the hero Lie Ren. "One look at her and you wil see the most horrible of sights. Stay strong everyone. This will be a hard-fought battle, but if we are victorious, our names will live on forever."
"Forever I tells you!" Nora shouted, "and we shall bathe in pancakes and olive oil come dinner time!"
There was a cheer erupting from the rest of their followers as they moved once more into Weiss's statue garden. Weiss glared. Her snakes moved constantly around her head, whispering to her. Telling her to slay them all. To turn them to stone and break their statues until nothing bust dust remained.
Often she hated their voices, their evil whispers in her ears. A constant voice of pain and anguish which nothing but her rock-hard will could overcome. But those heroes had interrupted her time with Ruby. There was no pain or punishment she could give them that would be great enough to make up for their misdeed. No, they would all suffer for eternity as stone statues.
"You will get no pancakes, nor olive oil after this battle," she sing-songed, stepping out from her hiding spot.
"Avert your eyes!" Shouted one man, just before her turned to dark, chipped stone, his arm just about to close over his eyes.
There was screams as three others turned to stone in an instant. Unfortunately, neither of them were the heroes.
Quickly, Weiss ran away, darting behind a tree and falling to the ground, using her knowledge of the forest to her expert advantage. To slink away from them and attack from another angle. To defend herself from those heroes who longed for her head. It was said that her head could still function without her body. They just wished to use her for her power. She was an evil beast to them. Something with which to kill for glory, then turn her desecrated remains into a tool of their continued victories.
It disgusted her. And for that, they all had to perish.
She let out a shrieking laugh, letting out as much horrid disgust as she could. "Are you trying to kill me, little heroes?"
She hopped out, instantly freezing another one in place. He was dark stone, slightly cracked at the base. Weiss hid back down once more.
"Are you hoping that I would let you use me for your own ends? That I would come quietly and let you kill me? As if I had no worth?"
"You have no worth, foul beast!" Shouted Nora, averting her eyes just a moment too soon for Weiss to effect her. But it did effect that four soldiers nearest to her.
Weiss smiled; their numbers were so quickly diminishing. Now, if only she could take out the heroes.
"Medusa, I will take your head and present it to the King Odysseus! You are nothing more than a trophy!" Ren shouted, swinging his blade at nothing.
"A trophy am I?" Weiss was angry. "Then that is what I will make of you!" Weiss jumped out, only to be smacked by Ren's large mirrored shield.
"You have no power over me, demon! Your reflective gaze cannot affect me!" He stared into his mirrored shield, trying to get a good look at her.
Weiss smirked, standing up tall and allowing his gaze to linger on her. "Are you so sure of that, noble Lie Ren? Do you truly believe that you are the first to think that a mirror can withstand me?"
"B-but, it's said that your truth can be seen through eyes of silver." Ren expression was that of shock, as he finally turned into stone. It was a dull grey. He was no noble hero in the end. His heart was no purer than that of a common thief.
"No!" Came a loud shriek. It was Nora. Weiss jumped away, just as lightning flew by, striking where she once was "You monster! You evil creature! How could you kill Ren! He was the bravest. Kindest. Most noble man I have ever met! And you killed him like it was nothing!"
Nora accentuated every statement with a bolt of lightning, ricocheting from the heavens off her hammer and in whichever direction she was aiming.
Weiss jumped up, staring Nora the Valkyrie down. Nora's face was contorted into that of rage and pain. "I will kill you!" were her final words before she was engulfed in rock.
The rest of the men at the heroes' command ran in fear, escaping the stony infliction which had befallen their comrades.
And Weiss finally let out a tense breath. It was over. She had survived another day. One more fight against those humans who hated her, just because she was what she was. One more day to see-
"W-Weiss?" Ruby's voice was small, a faint hint of fear in it.
No. Weiss spun around, darting behind a wall before Ruby could get a clear view of her face.
"What are you doing here?" Weiss finally asked, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
"I had to make sure you were safe." Ruby's voice was so small. So timid.
"But you promised! You promised to leave me," Weiss spat out, tears littering her cheeks. Ruby had seen her act. Ruby knew who she was. What she was.
"I did. I'm so, so sorry I broke it. But you made me promise on what I held most dear. And You should know by now that I could never leave behind what I held most dear. I had to see you. Make sure you were okay. Make sure you were safe."
"Are you happy now!?" Weiss cried out. "Are you happy now, knowing that your dearest Weiss is nothing more than a monster? Than Medusa?"
Weiss felt a hand clasp on her wrist pulling her out into the open.
Weiss was too stunned to react. In front of her. Just a step away, so close that she could feel Ruby's sweet breath on her lips, was Ruby. Her bright silver eyes were gentle and so kind.
So filled with unabashed love.
"Weiss, you are the most beautiful creature I had ever had the honour of gazing upon."
Ruby let go of Weiss's wrist and turned to marble.
Weiss fell to her knees, staring up at the statue of the girl she had loved. Ruby was standing in front of her, hands by her side, no clenched fists, or foul expressions. But a faint smile and eyes which shined of pure love. Ruby was encompassed in the purest white marble she had ever seen. Of course she was. Ruby had never had a mean word for anyone. She would always be the purest soul Weiss had ever met.
As Weiss clung to the statue of Ruby, she sobbed and cried, finally wishing for an end to her power. To allow those entombed in her power to be freed. Just so she could look upon her love and tell her that she felt the same way.
But that was not the path for Weiss the Medusa.
But in that one moment, their single instance of eye contact was enough for Weiss to feel for once, not like a monster, but a young woman in love.
And this is it. The final story I have written for Whiterose Week. It's been a blast and I'm sorry to end it on such a sad note. But when I read the prompt, as well as saw two picture (the crying blue eye and the rose in a broken mirror), I knew exactly what I wanted to do for this one-shot. Weiss is Medusa. Will there be more chapters/one-shots in this fic? Yes, though what they will be and when will be copletely random. At least until next year's Whiterose Week, which will again be posted in this fic. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed!
PS. I posted a chapter to this yesterday, but since I did it at the same time as Reaper in Red, it may not have shown up. So be sure to read that one too.