Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 4 or RWBY they are the property of their respective owners, any resemblance to any other Persona 4 or RWBY fan fiction is coincidental and plagiarism is not intended. No flames please constructive criticism only.
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When Combat Class ended Weiss had been approached by Professor Narukami. He'd offered to take her away from Beacon for the rest of the day. Normally she wouldn't have accepted but this time she did. She just needed to some room to breathe and she couldn't do that at Beacon or with her team right now.
They meant well but could see the doubt in their eyes. Strangely or perhaps not, she could see that Ruby wholeheartedly believed in her. But Blake and Yang's doubts made her uncomfortable. While Yang had said she'd keep an open mind, Blake, as usual, had been quieter and rather reluctant to keep such an open mind. Not a surprise since she'd been hostile to Weiss since day one and she had no idea why. Even after Weiss had spoken to Ruby and resolved to be better and act much less entitled.
Weiss was disturbed from her thoughts as the golden serpentine dragon she and the professor were riding on went through a cloud and began to descend. It circled downward before, the tree's and scenery below getting closer and closer, the sight and feeling making her slightly dizzy before finally touching down.
She slid off of the beast which faded away as Yu joined her. She gasped in amazement as she saw the scene before her. Large walls of rock enclosed a beautiful area of ethereal yellow flowers which surrounded a slightly raised fountain of water with a tree in the centre.
"Where, is this place?" She asked as she looked around the place.
"Somewhere in western Anima, I think?" Yu answered as Kohryu vanished.
"Anima! We're on another continent?!" She shrieked in disbelief. "But we weren't even flying for that long."
"Kohryu is a fast flyer," Yu replied. "Horus found out about this place, his eyes are the sun and the moon, apparently no ever comes here and it's far away from everything. I figured you could use the peace."
Weiss didn't say anything and slowly looked around before decided to approach the large fountain.
'This place is special.' Merlin stated as he looked around.
'Indeed' Vivian agreed 'This place, the boundary between this world and the Sea of Souls is especially thin here.'
'This place was the domain of a deity.' Scathach declared after looking around and sniffing the air.
This had been the home of a god? That explained the strange feeling in the air. Yu made sure to keep an extra close eye on Weiss who had gotten to the fountain and had taken a seat on side of it. So Remnant had gods too. An interesting fact were they still around? or had they receded like the gods on Earth had.
'I wouldn't worry too much, whatever god used to inhabit this place is long gone, but their blessing upon this place remains, I would make sure she doesn't take a drink or go for a swim in the water.' Scathach advised.
Yu noted that the place was very peaceful, the smell and the gentle breeze of air, the colour of the plant's plant's everything just seemed tranquil.
"It looks so clear and calm, the water is cleaner than any I've ever seen," Weiss stated as he came to stand next to her.
"I wouldn't drink any of it or go a swim, apparently this place used to be the home of a god," Yu said to her casually.
"A god? Gods are real?" Weiss asked whipping her head to look at him. "But if that's true then, the grimm? the White Fang? Why?!"
She seemed to stammer off, her words becoming incomprehensible before falling silent again.
"Why would gods allow all this pain and misery? Why would they create the Grimm?"
"You can't think of gods in the same way as humans," Yu explained. "Mortal sensibilities like our sense morality are foreign to them, they have their own logic and laws, they also know that they are above humans and have no reason to conform to our rules or even care about our feelings. If want answers you could seek out the gods and ask them but like I said you probably won't like or even understand their answer."
Weiss sighed sadly before turning to look back at her reflection in the calm surface of the water.
"Do you think they could answer what happened to me?" Weiss inquired sadly.
"It depends on what kind of authorities they have, but it's entirely possible."
"I don't know what to think anymore, I didn't...did I? Whitley!"
"Who cares?" A familiar yet watery voice asked.
Both Yu and Weiss sat straight up at hearing this. Suddenly a watery giggle echoed through the area.
"Whose there?" Weiss demanded, jumping to her feet, standing on the stone edge of the fountain. "Show yourself."
"Are you sure you want me to do that?" The voice asked with that watery tone.
Then Yu noticed, Weiss had stood up. So why was her reflection still looking up at her? Then he saw that her reflection's eyes were a familiar shade of yellow. He reacted quickly and yanked Weiss off of the fountain and onto the ground just in time as a dainty hand swiped at her leg. When it couldn't find its mark it suddenly grabbed the edge of the fountain. Another hand joined it. Then like a scene out of a horror movie a figure pulled itself up and out of the water, rising to stand upon the wall of the fountain, strangely they were bone dry despite having come up from out the water.
"What is that?!" Weiss asked in horror.
The figure looked exactly like Weiss, save for the yellow eyes and very un-Weiss like smile on her face. She looked down at her counterpart, her smile becoming a rather haughty expression.
"oh-hohohohoho" She laughed in a rather haughty and annoying manner "It should be obvious, I am Weiss Schnee of course."
"T-that's impossible, I am Weiss Schnee!" Weiss objected loudly.
"And so am I." The reflection chirped "I am you and you are me."
"Weiss, that's your shadow." Yu told her loudly ready summon a persona in case things became violent. "Remember don't reject it, listen to it!"
"But, I thought you said we weren't ready for this." She cried out backing off causing her shadow to step forwards
"I didn't summon it here, it must be this place," Yu said thinking about what he'd been told, this place was close to the Sea of Souls, so had it been able to materialise on its own. But how?
"You don't need to be afraid." The shadow stated placing a hand upon Weiss's cheek. "I only want what's best for us after all."
"What's best? What do you mean?" Weiss inquired warily.
"Think back to what happened. What do you remember about attacking Whitley?" The shadow asked.
"I don't remember anything, one minute Whitley was taunting me and the next the professor was restraining me," Weiss answered angrily
"That's not true and you know it." The shadow snapped with annoyance. "Focus, you did feel something it just scares you to admit it or even think about, saying you don't remember is just a lie to avoid the truth."
"T-the truth?" Weiss grabbed her head a dull pain began throbbing in her skull.
"You wanted to hit Whitley at that moment didn't you?"
"I-I"
"DIDN'T YOU?!" The shadow bellowed causing Yu to fall into a stance, ready to defend Weiss if necessary.
"YES!" Weiss screamed the admission causing the shadow to grin.
"When he offered me that card and said those words I wanted to punch him, but I didn't! I held it in."
"So why did pretend that you didn't remember what happened?"
"I was disgusted and ashamed because I felt something got inside me and controlled me, I hated feeling so powerless," Weiss confessed tears falling from eyes.
"Why would they want to control you?" The shadow asked pressing further.
"They-they wanted to make Whitley the heir," Weiss said her eyes widening in realisation.
"Because?"
"Because they could control him too, and it would be easier than controlling me," Weiss said wiping away her tears.
"We were going to reform the SDC into something out grandfather could be proud of. They took our future from us, we're one disownment away from losing everything. Are you just going to sit down and accept this fate that's been given to you?" The shadow asked its grin becoming a full-blown smile.
"NO!" Weiss yelled with determination stomping her foot upon the grass which began to frost over, "I refuse to just accept this. If they want my grandfather's company I won't let it be so easy. Mother crawled into the bottle, Winter ran off to the military, Father and Whitley are always be distant, but I will not let some stranger use my grandfather's company for anything they want. I have a team now, friends."
"So shall we make a pact?" The shadow asked as an icy cold window picked up and began to blow around Weiss and her shadow. "I am thou and thou art I, let us use the ice of winter to freeze our enemies and their desires solid!"
"Help me rebel and find the truth ANASTASIA!" When she cried out Weiss's shadow erupted into a bright white light, blue flames swirled around it as the light died down. Now standing there in place of her shadow was a girl with long white hair and a fringe covering her icy blue eyes. She wore an ornate white gown and a white fur cape with gold designs and blue lining. Both her hands were held out a cold mist falling off each, both of which held a pale blue orb of light.
"She awakened to her Persona without fighting her shadow, they established a contract so easily," Merlin commented with fascination.
"It seems there is more than one way to awaken a Persona, we should discuss this with Margaret later," Scathach stated.
"Anastasia." A voice whispered in disbelief, causing the billowing wind to abruptly die down.
Weiss's persona's eyes widened as a man materialised before Yu, he had black hair and beard and moustache with cold yet sunken blue eyes, dressed in a black overcoat, trousers and pair of sandals upon his feet.
"Rasputin." She gasped clutching an amulet which dangled around her neck "My friend."
She ran to Rasputin and hugged him. As this happened Weiss looked to Yu who walked to her side.
"W-whats happening?" She asked surprised at what was happening her Persona talking to one his.
"Your persona is Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova Youngest daughter of the Romanov Empire's last Tsar, Nicholas the second, she was caught amidst the upheaval of the Russian Revolution, she was executed at Ipatiev House alongside her family, servants and pets," Yu explained.
"Russia? The Romanovs? I've never heard those names before." Weiss said raising an eyebrow.
"You wouldn't the revolution attracted grimm and the kingdom was destroyed long ago." Yu lied smoothly. "The ruins were covered in ice and snow and what would become Mantle and eventually Atlas was unknowingly built on top of it. Margaret told me about it back when Inaba was still standing."
Weiss seemed to accept the explanation before clenching her fists.
"So can we have a spar?" She asked eagerly "I want to test out this new powe-ugh." Weiss passed out before she could even finish the sentence; luckily Yu caught her before she fell to the ground. With her loss of consciousness, Anastasia vanished as well, returning to her soul.
"Did talking to her again help?" Yu inquired of Rasputin who approached him, with a small smile on his face.
"Yes, I still have many regrets about what happened especially after I was murdered." He drifted into thought before continuing "She has agreed to keep the truth a secret from the girl until they are all ready to know the truth."
"That's good." Yu nodded. "This whole thing was unexpected, it's too soon but it can't be helped. As soon as she's recovered I'll start training her."
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Far away on the northern continent Solitas at the SDC Dust mine near the former capital city of Mantle, work in a small but vital sector of the mine had stopped. Miners watched as one of their most senior miners a donkey faunus argued with the human foreman whose face was purple with outrage at how a mere faunus dared talk to him like this.
"Listen you damn animal just get back to work!" The foreman yelled furiously. "We have a deadline to meet, so hurry up."
"Sir, it's unsafe the equipment-"
"Isn't for you worthless animals, it's for decent hardworking human miners." The Foreman sneered and cut off the miner before he could continue. "As for the new 'safety protocol's they're just a PR stunt, we aren't actually implementing them, it would cost too much money, besides new faunus workers are a lien a dozen."
The miner looked ready to argue but froze, his eyes widening. The Foreman looked smug but was surprised by a voice coming from behind him.
"I think you'll find that a foreman with a mere two years experience on the job is just as easily replaced don't you agree
Ruddy Harlow?" A young voice inquired.
The foreman whipped around to see Whitley Schnee standing there with his butler Mycroft, his arms folded behind his back.
"Wait-what?!" The foreman yelled upon realized what had been said. "You can't-"
"I can, am and will," Whitley replied dismissively as Mycroft handed the foreman a pink slip of paper.
"But who are you gonna replace with?!" he screamed. "I went to college; you can't replace me so fast!"
"Actually, I can," Whitley said walking past him and to Ruddy, the miner. "Mr Harlow, you have been working in these mines for twenty years, and haven't had a raise or even proper time off in about ten. Therefore as part of the changes, I am promoting you to Foreman of sector seven G."
"Mr Schnee I-"
"YOU CAN'T REPLACE ME WITH SOME ANIMAL I HAVE A DEGREE, I WENT TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY!" The foreman screamed before being cut off as a pair of mannequin soldiers approached him from either side.
"Please escort the former foreman out," Mycroft ordered.
The two soldiers wordlessly did just that, hauling him by his shoulders and dragging him away, as he screamed and ranted all the while.
"Now that's out of the way, what say you, Mr Harlow?" Whitley inquired of the donkey faunus. "Naturally you'll be getting your former boss's wages, plus you know all of these people and these mines better than anyone else. So I'm sure your fellows will be in much better and safer hands."
"Y-yes Sir, thank you. B-but the deadline and the quota."
"Worry, not, we're in the middle of overhauling those so they are much more reasonable, no more soul-destroying labour, reasonable working hours and quotas. You'll receive an email with the details, for now, you all the other miners should go home, you are needed to help the men move your things."
"Our things? I don't understand." Ruddy was confused.
"Yes, some temporary accommodations have been built outside of the mining town to hold everybody, while the construction workers overhaul the entire town, frankly it was disgusting, no more will you live in slums, but in proper houses, with warm beds, clean water and proper hygienic facilities. It will take time to finish but will be worth it, this I promise you all."
All of the workers began to talk amongst each other with astonishment. They could scarcely believe what was being said. Better housing, better facilities and food. It seemed unreal after the poor treatment they gotten for so many years.
"Ah, I almost forgot, you'll all be having a paid time off for the next couple of weeks," Whitley announced. "This so the new and safer equipment can arrive and you can be trained to use it, at the companies expense of course."
"Time off, sir we-"
"Speaking of pay I almost forgot the most important part." Whitley continued holding his arms out wide. "As of now, all employees in the dust mines will be receiving a pay rise, from thirty lien a day to two hundred and twenty-five lien per day."
"T-that's..." Ruddy didn't know what to say, he noticed more than a few of his fellow Faunus tearing up and some he heard cheering with Joy. The human miners who had against odds become friends with their Faunus compatriots in the mines all looked happy for them, some nodding in approval.
"Now, Ruddy if you wouldn't mind please walk with me." Whitley requested.
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The sun had finally begun to set upon Vale. Entering a room in one of his hideouts in Vale's industrial district Roman Torchwick spotted Adachi sitting on a sofa resting his eyes. He wandered over and took the spot next to the man. On the TV was Lisa Lavender explaining a news story that was driving the cops crazy alongside his robberies. He turned it up to listen.
"-ysterious disappearances continue despite the best efforts of the police department to solve them." Lisa Lavender said into her mic. "It has been three months since it all began and still no word from the kidnappers, no ransom demands have been made and there appears to be no clear pattern either, both humans and faunus alike have been taken which some say rule out the White Fang as culprits. However, the police say they are continuing to explore every possiblit-"
"Roman." Cinder's voice cut in as she entered the room used the remote to turn the TV off. "Have you finished what we needed?"
"Yup, all of our 'special' TV's have been delivered multiple sets into each kingdom just in case any get...disabled," Roman answered.
"So does it work?" She asked looking at Adachi.
"Yeah, it works fine," Adachi sighed opening his eyes and stretching. "Now we have a nice little shortcut to all four kingdoms, without the need for border security or any of that crap. Took a stroll in Vacuo, don't know why anyone would live in that sandy shithole."
"That'll make smuggling and going between the kingdoms way easier." Mercury said, "But do you have enough 'batteries' to make it last?"
"I'm gonna get one more civilian, then I need a hunter or a huntress and it'll be self-sustaining at that point," Adachi replied tiredly.
"Why a hunter?" Emerald demanded crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him. She hadn't liked nor trusted him since he arrived, not that he cared.
"Because people with awakened Aura give more power than regular people," Adachi replied as if speaking to a child. "It feeds off Aura after all. And it needs to be someone noteworthy because if a famous hunter or huntress vanishes it'll help create that negativity you want for your plans so badly."
"Someone famous, that'll be hard," Mercury complained. "Your kidnappings have made the news and I imagine the famous 'll be extra careful about security."
"Actually." Roman cut in pulling out a cigar and putting it between his lips, Neo dutifully lit it. "I think I know just the little red for the job."
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"Ruby you need to chill out she'll be back soon," Yang called to her sister from her bunk bed.
Ruby had been pacing rapidly around the room waiting for her partner to return from the trip the professor had taken her on for a while. She was concerned for her partner. She'd been rather despondent for days ever since the incident that happened with her brother. Even when the team had voiced their support for her she still seemed rather distant and closed off.
"I know, but I can't help it, I'm worried about Weiss," Ruby replied waving her arms energetically. "What if something happened-"
She was cut off by a knocking at the door which she immediately zoomed over to answer.
"Wei-oh Professor." Ruby's joy fizzled out when she saw not her partner but her professor standing at the door.
"Good evening Ruby, can I come in?" He asked. "I need to talk to you for a moment."
She stepped aside and he entered using his scroll to shut the door behind him. The three girls all noticed a distinct lack of their fourth member. Naturally Ruby was the first talk.
"Professor, where is Weiss?" She asked apprehensively.
"She's resting in the infirmary," he replied bluntly, causing Blake to close her book and Yang to hope off of the bed.
"The Infirmary!" Ruby cried now fully worried for her partner.
"Is she hurt?" Yang asked with concern.
"No, but she is exhausted, she'll be resting for at least a week before she's able to resume attending classes again," Yu explained not missing a.
"What happened?" Ruby asked
"Did you get attacked by grimm?" Yang added.
"No, her shadow appeared," Yu responded eliciting gasps and more than few shocked looks.
"Wait, I thought you said we weren't ready, so why did you summon here without us there?" Blake asked accusingly causing both Ruby and Yang to look at him the later with an angry expression.
"I didn't." Yu began to explain. "The place we visit had a thin membrane between our world and the sea of souls. Combine that with Weiss's emotional turmoil and I suspect that the conditions were right for her shadow to materialise on its own."
"So, you fought it?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, I didn't have to, she accepted it instead of rejecting it," Yu told them still rather surprised himself. "So it didn't go berserk and try to kill her."
"So she has a persona now!" Ruby asked her eyes glittering with excitement. "What's it like? Is it cool looking? Does it have awesome powers?"
"Easy there Rubes let the prof get a word in," Yang said putting her sister into a headlock and messing up her hair even as she tried to break free.
"All I know is that it like has an ice affinity," Yu replied with a shrug. "I'll train Weiss with it after she's recovered. It'll take time before she's ready to fight with it. Summoning your Persona at first and using it to battle take a mental toll, but like exercising a muscle it gets stronger and easier with constant use."
"You said that Persona's are based off myths and legends." Blake pointed out. "So who or what is Weiss's persona?"
Yu thought for a moment before answering the question. "I personally believe that the identity of a persona is rather personal, so I think its best that Weiss tell you that herself." Ruby opened her mouth "After she is ready to receive visitors." Yu reminded Ruby which caused the silver eyed girl's mouth to close.
"So when do you think we'll be able to visit her?" Ruby asked quickly.
"Check in with Margaret tomorrow morning. If she agrees then it should be fine, but if not make sure to have patience." He said before taking on a reassuring tone. "Remember Weiss will recover."
"Ok, thank you professor." Ruby said a little disheartened but still understanding.
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Yu finally was on his way down the hall and heading back to his own room. Passing by room after room as he did so. The voices of Ruby, Yang and Blake fading as he got further away from their now shut door.
"Well that could've gone worse." Loki commented with a relaxed tone of voice that sounded like he was relaxing in a hammock.
"For once I agree with the trickster." Thor boomed. "They took the news much better than expected."
"That does not mean we should not keep an eye on them." Chiron chimed in. "I suspect that team RWBY will be rather troublesome in the future if Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long are anything to go by."
"The fact that Weiss's arcana is The Moon as we determined in class, could spell interesting times ahead." Loki chuckled.
Well Weiss was not going to be like Ai Ebihara so that was a plus. Ai certainly had her own personal issues, but it still didn't make interacting with her any less difficult. That whole episode was a story all on its own.
The exit to the dorms was nearing, but Yu paused as he heard some loud banging coming from a room with an open door. Putting on his stern teacher face he approached and saw that it was Team CRDL's room.
"Damn it!" Russel cursed as Yu came into to see him paying some Lien to a smug looking Dove.
"See man," Dove said waving a scroll in Russel's face. "I told you that these new models are huntsman grade tough. I stomped it and it still works."
"Oh, hey Professor." Sky greeted him nervously causing Cardin to look over from his position near his window.
"What was that loud bang?" Yu demanded.
"Sorry, that was me I put aura into my stomp when I was trying to prove to Russel how tough our new scrolls are." Dove explained sheepishly.
"Well, try to keep it down and-" Yu paused when he heard a voice coming in from the window that Cardin was standing near, he walked up to it hear better.
"You're wrong. I-I don't belong here" That was Jaune's voice. But what did that mean?
"That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!" Pyrrha's voice said in a reassuring tone.
"No, I don't!"Jaune sounded angry and let out a sigh "I wasn't really accepted into Beacon..."
…What?
"Wh-what do you mean?" Pyrrha inquired, asking the question that Yu himself wished to know the answer to.
"I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy!" Jaune's voice got higher as he continued his confession. "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied!"
"He did what?!" Sir Gawain yelled furiously unheard to all save for Yu and his other Persona's.
"What? But... why?"
"'Cause this is always what I've wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough."
"Then let me help you!" Pyrrha tried to reach out.
"I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!" Jaune yelled angry with frustration.
"Jaune, I-" The champion tried to talk, to console her partner but he cut her off still angry.
"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own... then what good am I?" There was brief pause, clearly Nikos tried to reach out to him but was rebuffed. "Just... leave me alone. Okay?"
"If that's what you think is best..." She said sadly as Jaune stormed inside slamming the door behind himself.
A few seconds passed before she went inside as well closing the door behind herself, albeit more gently than he had. The silence was deafening, broken only by the wind and the sounds of insects chirping outside, until Cardin finally spoke up.
"Hey, Professor are you ok?" he asked nervously, Yu noticed her glancing downwards towards Yu's hand which he had unconsciously clenched tightly.
He felt furious, but calmed himself before talking.
"I'm fine, I'm going to have a talk with the Headmaster, in the mean time you all keep your heads down and your mouths shut, I will deal with this, do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal sir" Cardin said with a nervous smile, his team all giving mumbles of agreement.
Satisfied, Yu walked out closing the door behind him. His feelings of anger, disbelief and slight sadness washing out of him though he didn't let them show. He was angry because Jaune had lied, cheated his way into Beacon. Disbelieving because he had gotten lucky enough to make this far without being killed, and Sad because while Jaune was not a bad a person and did indeed have the potential to be strong Persona user, Yu couldn't in good conscience let this go without consequence. Being a huntsman was a dangerous professsion. Yu had only gotten this far because of his various Personae and the one on one training sessions he had with Ozpin.
Jaune on the other hand had literally no training, nor real combat experience prior to entering Beacon. It was a miracle he wasn't killed in the Emerald Forest during the initiation. If not for Pyrrha unlocking his Aura he probably would be dead. If the fact that he walked into a Deathstalkers den was any indication had no prior knowledge of how to fight the grimm either.
That was why Yu had to go to Ozpin, some of his anger also directed towards the headmaster. From what he had observed Ozpin was a man of many secrets and knew much more than he let on. While he was human and not omniscient, Yu could not believe that he didn't know about this, but there was only one way to be sure.
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AN: Ok just to head anything off, no I do not dislike Jaune and am not going to bash him. He's actually one of my favourite characters. But it's just not realistic for a teacher like Yu to just overlook this especially considering how serious and important a profession being huntsman is to the world of Remant.