.
Fairest of Them All
.
Sometimes, we don't choose who stand by us.
But in the face of the growing pieces across the chessboard,
We can be glad to have them…
Than not.
.
.
"…It seems Atlas doesn't intend to take this summit very seriously, now do they?" Straw commented at the sight.
"No," Glynda Goodwitch grimaced. "No, they do not."
On the pacifist isle of Vytal, the Kingdoms' various leaders were set to meet and discuss the state of the war over the next few days. At least that was the plan…
But, as if taking exception to that, Glynda and Straw watched the steady march of figureheads step off the Atlas aircraft touching down. None of whom were members of the Board of Directors, who exerted the most authority in their nation. Still, that fact did not dampen the pompousness the representatives flaunted, as they acted better than those around. Most likely, Atlas sent the least essential personnel as mere formality than anything.
"They have no clue the position they are in," Straw muttered. He would have added a chuckle, if the situation wasn't so dire.
"On the other hand, I'm not sure what to make of this," Glynda stared at another landing pad, where a different airship was docking. "Is Vacuo actually choosing to take this seriously?"
As Glynda's curiosity hung in the air, a prominent Faunus figure flanked by bodyguards, marched towards them.
"Headmaster," Minerva Calico gave a slight bow.
"Headmaster," Glynda returned the gesture. "I have to be honest, we weren't expecting you to be Vacuo's representative."
"Yes. Neither was I." A slight tone of annoyance rung at the end. "In spite of best efforts, Temujin has vehemently refused to attend. But of course, had no problems naming me key representative of Vacuo's interests."
"So, it appears Vacuo chooses to take this summit lightly as well," Straw commented.
"Should a politician's speech be so blatant?"
"I've found it better not to mince words on such occasions. Especially with those, who dislike diplomatic pabulum."
"An accurate assessment."
Just then, a dreadnought brandishing the colored banners of Mistral's Four Houses, descended from the clouds. When the craft completed its anchoring procedures, whole squadrons of sharp-looking soldiers filed out. Following in their wake, was Prime Minister Argent.
"The Head of Mistral himself has arrived. If that doesn't communicate their true intentions…" Straw trailed off.
Glynda shook her head in dismay.
"Straw."
"I am sure I know exactly what you are about to say."
"And I'll say it anyway. You cannot allow the council to ally itself with Mistral."
"A task easier spoken than carried, I'm afraid."
"I don't care if you have to strongarm them, blackmail them, or whatever it takes. You know as well as I do, if Vale allies itself with Mistral, that in essence means it joins sides with Salem."
"Ah, yes. A fate I'd rather not entertain. Minerva?" he then addressed Shade Academy's Headmaster. "I wouldn't suppose Vacuo would entertain the idea of allying itself with Vale, would they?"
"Unfortunately, I think not," the other answered.
"There you have it, Glynda. I tried, but it seems our fates are simply sealed."
"—This is no time to joke, Straw."
"I wish I was," the man sighed. "I suppose I should go play the gracious diplomat for now. Rub elbows with our would-be destroyers, conquerors, and such."
As Straw went to exchange greetings with Argent and the representatives of Atlas, Glynda and Minerva could only watch the scene with resignation. It wasn't long until the highest of Vale's leadership rushed to shake the Prime Minister's hands. The way their expressions lit up, all but communicated their future intentions.
"Do you believe Straw will be able to persuade your council?" Minerva asked.
"To be completely honest, I'm not so sure. If he can't, he'll at least stall the council's decision. If we buy enough time, maybe some new development will change the landscape of this war."
"That is a desperate hope, Glynda."
"It's not like we have another choice in the matter. Unless, you happen to have some enlightening advice?"
"…Shall I prepare you a visa for Vacuo? I'd love to have a professor of your caliber teach at Shade."
Glynda threw her fellow Headmaster a gloomy look.
"Is it terrible that I'm actually considering that?"
.
X
.
"Ugggg~" Yang groaned, while massaging her temples.
As Neo helped her slog to the mansion's kitchen and into a seat at the dining table, a large bowl of steaming pho was set loudly in front of her.
"Ah! Merc?"
"Eat," the young man said with a testiness. "It's good for hangovers."
"…Thanks. Sorry."
"Yeah, yeah."
Yang eyed the bowl with some suspicion, but decided to not shun Mercury's rare goodwill. The young man had his deep-seated issues regarding drinking. His team knew it well. In spite of that, he wasn't giving Yang a hard time—much.
"Was I that bad yesterday?" she asked.
"I can let it go. Your old team and all that."
"….Thanks, Merc. I know how much you hate the whole—"
"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't. Besides, compared to your Uncle, you drinking all day and crying in your room is nothing."
"'Ozpin finally told him, huh?"
"And he's been crazy emo ever since."
"Cool. Glad there's plenty of that shit to go around." Yang dumped a generous amount of sriracha into the broth, and began eating. "Oh, my god! Merc! I was planning on humoring you…"
"Uh huh."
"But this is awesome! You need to cook more often."
"This was special, so don't count on it."
Yang's mood raised at that.
It was an odd experience to be sure, but it did reaffirm a confidence she held. Just as before, she thought the way she could bear the loss of her old team was through relying on her new one.
And she was right.
In her roughest patch, Team ENMY had her back.
Since bidding goodbye to Ruby and the rest the day before, Neo had barely left her side. And after discussing with Mercury, Emerald brought her some booze to help her drink some of the sorrow away. She even played conversation partner for at least a little while. Though, mostly making snarky remarks about Yang's past, and how she hated her happy-go-lucky team. She even managed to get a few painful laughs out of her.
"Y'know, I always hated Weiss the most," Emerald said to her yesterday.
"I thought you hated me the most."
"Shsh. I hated Weiss the most. Tried to fleece her once, too."
"Yeah? *Hic* How'd that go?"
"Nothin'. Could not for the life of me find that silver spoon has she stuck up her ass."
"Pft! Hahe! Em!"
"Must've been waaay up there, if I—"
"Stop! Stop—I can't…! Hahaha…"
"Good. If you can laugh about it, you can get over it."
…
"…It still hurts."
"That's why you laugh—so it hurts less inside."
…
"Hehe," Yang chuckled aloud.
"You good?" Mercury checked.
"Enough," she shrugged. "If our team wasn't named Enemy, we'd probably call it, team getting-on-with-it, right?"
Mercury handed her a mug of coffee and clinked it with his own.
"Damn right."
As Yang took a sip, she felt the concentrated caffeine take some of the edge off.
Being part of Team ENMY did a lot to strengthen her head. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say her ability to dunk herself into her problems and then move on, wasn't in some way owed to them. Yang may have taught herself to take the hits and keep on fighting in the physical department. But it was her team who taught her to do it on the mental and the emotional.
Mercury handed Neo a bowl of coffee-flavored ice cream.
"'Kay, I'm heading to bed," he yawned.
"What? This early?" Yang looked out the window and saw it was night. The clock nearby read 9:00 pm.
"Well, yeah. Besides you and Em's little heart to heart, you and Neo went at it pretty hard yesterday."
"Oh…"
"I mean, I had earplugs and everything, but still—"
"I get it."
"Sounded like you two were trying to row a boat through quicksand."
"Got it. Mercury. Thanks."
"While trying to chop down a tree."
"You done?"
"…Super loud sex, is what I'm getting at."
Yang socked him hard in the arm, on his way out. And as if to trade places, Emerald and Cinder entered.
"Oh, good. You're done binge drinking feeling sorry for yourself and fucking Neo," Emerald greeted.
"Were we that loud?!"
"You were, anyway," her leader snickered. "You guys are such freaks."
"—Am I to assume a replacement bed is required?" Cinder joined.
While Yang didn't answer, Neo nodded cheerfully.
"So, where are you two off to?" Yang tried changing the subject, seeing as Emerald and Cinder were both dressed in business suit attire.
"While you were 'processing' your issues, Cinder and I have been taking over Atlas' economy. We're on our way to hustle another CEO out of his company right now."
"Sounds like fun."
"If by fun, you mean boring as hell, then sure."
"I thought you lived for the con game."
"Yeah, but there's no thrill in it with these more-money-then-brains assholes, y'know?" Emerald groaned.
"You're saying there's no thrill in conning someone out of millions of lien?"
"After Venetus, the rest are about as hard to steal from as pistol-whipping a child for their lunch money."
"There's an image. Why don't you try the S.D.C.? Pretty sure they have least one person that's not a pushover. Plus, I'm ready to go anytime."
Taking the meaning behind Yang's words brought a curl to Emerald's lips.
"Tempting thought, but we're already close to getting a seat on the Board. At this rate, we might actually take over the S.D.C. legally."
"You're right. That does sound boring."
"Right?! Anywho, if you're ready to pull your weight again, finally…"
"I took two days off."
"Go talk with your Uncle. He's having depression issues."
"Joy."
Emerald paused for a moment.
"…Glad to see you're on your feet again, punchy."
"…Thanks, Em."
"I was getting tired of babysitting your drunk ass, and listening to you and Neo bang it all night."
"Thanks. Love you, too."
"—Hm," Cinder nodded. "I am also glad to see you out of your room. I would have hated to proceed with our set of plans without you."
"Why did that actually sound like you meant it?" Yang cocked her head.
"Because the one I was addressing was Neo."
"There it is."
Neo nodded to Cinder, while inhaling spoonfuls of ice cream. The other rubbed her head fondly on the way out.
As Emerald was going to follow, Yang stopped her to ask,
"Where's Maz and Penny?"
"Freckles went to visit Ruby. The immortals are having it out in the garden. By the way," Emerald took out her scroll and set it on the table. A projection of Cerberus Tower spun and levitated. "Study up. Call time for Atlas' final act is coming."
"Got it, mom."
"Mercury made more food in the fridge. Just microwave it to four. And make sure your homework's done by the time I get back, young lady."
"Yeah. Have fun at work."
Emerald gave Yang a flick on the forehead, before leaving the mansion with Cinder.
When the remaining two finished their breakfast, they went into the estate's garden.
True to form, Yang and Neo could picture how grand the backyard had been once upon a time. A wide-open space with short shrubbery planted in symmetrical design. There were statues and fountains, now overgrown with vines left unchecked. And at the edge of the garden was a gazebo the size of a small house. Upon closer approach, they found two figures locked in a contest of intellects.
"Checkmate, this one declares."
"I swear, Maz. If you're using that alpha go program thing again…"
"Would you even know it?"
Qrow gave a tired sigh and took a swig of his flask. At the same time, Masa began rearranging the chess pieces in their starting order. The two noticed Yang and Neo arrive, and with an air of dread, Qrow slowly turned to his niece.
"Hey, kiddo."
"Qrow."
"…"
"You need to leave."
"I know what you might be feeling, but—"
"No, I mean, loser always leaves the seat," Yang made clearer.
"Huh?"
Neo stepped between them with a bright, but patient look.
"A new challenger, this one acknowledges," Masa nodded.
Taking the hint, Qrow vacated his seat, allowing Neo to sit down.
"Little squirt won't stand a chance."
"In my experience, it's better not to underestimate Neo," Yang grinned. "…So, Ozpin tell you everything."
"…Yeah."
"So?"
"We have bigger issues to worry about right now," he answered with a certain reluctance. "The other …thing isn't going anywhere."
Yang tried to get a read on Qrow.
From what she could tell, her uncle was extremely ragged and shaken. There was a pain in his tone and a sorrow lurking behind his features. It was what Yang expected.
But they both understood the issue with Atlas superseded everything at the moment. Anything else could wait till later. For now, the fate of the Kingdom, and more broadly, Remnant hung in the balance.
"So? Wanna give me the rundown on the Tower?" Yang started.
"The Tower of Meer, or what's now called Cerberus Tower, is very different from the others. Though, it was initially built by Ozp—the Old One, it's been drastically changed."
"Yeah? In what way?" Yang set down her scroll and brought up the Tower's holographic image.
"It was remade by the Mantle Monarchy's Fall Maiden to act as a central control hub for the city." Qrow tapped on the floating image, showing leylines from the underground facility linking to various points in the capital. They looked almost like roots or circuits. "Basically, she managed to weaponize the whole damn Kingdom."
"Is that even possible?"
"What defines possible, Yang? You're a Maiden yourself. What do you think is possible?"
"…Everything," she admitted. "Why did the Fall Maiden do it?"
"The immortal says it happened during the First Great War. The Fall Maiden of that time sided with the Witch. She taught her how to do it."
"Makes sense."
"Then…" Qrow took a moment to down a large sip of his flask. "Some years back, the Mantle Monarchy was dissolved. I think you've heard, but our old team played its part in it. In place of the Fall Maiden, the Winter Maiden took over. Converted the Tower, and in essence, the Kingdom to her own—with a little help from Hades and Professor Polendina."
"The Aegis System."
"Bingo. Big giant forcefield protecting the entire city. At least, it was until a while ago. Something happened to the Winter Maiden. Salem's handiwork, no doubt."
"So, the Kingdom's basically defenseless?"
"Not completely, but you saw the Grimm attack before. People get complacent if they think they have an invincible wall to hide behind if things get too hairy. I want to say they'll be ready for the next attack whenever it comes, but they need that shield."
"Penny mentioned before that the current Winter Maiden is 'incapacitated'."
"Yeah, whatever that means. She's not in any condition to power the Aegis System at least. Still has the emergency systems going, though. Otherwise, me or Raven would've busted our way into Cerberus a long time ago."
The two hit a pause in their conversation. Only the quiet sounds of chess pieces being lifted and placed on marble stone filled the silence for a while. A game always played. A piece taken, a piece gained, victory, defeat, just to start all over again. It was a tiring cycle.
"Anything else about the Tower I should know?" Yang continued.
"Not too much you won't without a little studying. You saw the one at the Windpath and at Beacon. As you can guess, they were originally meant to be training installations, institutes to impart wisdom. The Tower of Meer was especially a place of meditation and contemplation. Key memories of history's monumental turning points are stored there."
"I heard about that. Cinder told me."
"…I see," Qrow's expression turned downcast. "You know what it means for Cinder to have control of the Tower, don't you?"
"Yeah. She gets her Kingdom."
"It's more than that. The last Fall Maiden of the Mantle Monarchy held the Kingdom hostage. Their citizens lived in fear of her. The Tower didn't just allow its ruler to weaponize the city against invading armies, but also against its own people."
"Cinder's not her grandmother."
"Are you willing to take that chance?"
"…I need Cinder to take over the Tower. Whatever happens after that is fair game."
"Damn, kiddo," Qrow shook his head. "Didn't think you'd gone so cold."
"And what about you? You don't care if Cinder gets the Tower, as long as you finish synchronizing with the immortal. Isn't that right?"
"I know there's a greater war to be won. And in all truth, placing a tyrant on Atlas' throne is a small and temporary price to pay. From what I've seen, it can't do much worse."
"Yeah, guess that's about the brass of it."
"…"
"…"
"…You know. When I thought of you and I teaming up one day, I wasn't picturing this," Qrow admitted.
"No. Me, neither," Yang agreed.
"Always figured it'd be to go after Raven. Then you went and did it on your own. And now, look at us."
"Yup…"
The two sunk into their melancholy briefly. They both suffered the loss of their original teams before. Both shared a secret that shook them to their cores. Perhaps with that in mind, they made a connection to smooth over the differences they had leading up to now.
"(Checkmate!)"
"This one yields."
The sound of Masa admitting defeat, brought the uncle and niece out of their thoughts.
Qrow spat out his whiskey, while eyeing the chess board in disbelief.
"How the hell did she—?!"
"Wait your turn, old man. I got winners."
.
X
.
To my dearest cousin,
.
If you are reading this letter, then I have fallen or some event has prevented me from carrying out my duty.
I have no doubt the powers that be in our Kingdom will seek to produce their own suitable replacement, who would act only according to their own interests.
But that must not be allowed. Not any longer.
As you know, my sister was one of their pawns. I think I've gained enough strength to admit that now. But I believe, in her last moments as Maiden, she held the same beliefs as I do now.
The next Maiden of Winter must not be corrupted. She must be strong and fair. A champion that carries the well-being of her people in mind. One, who dispenses equality and justice, for that is what the First Maiden of Winter exemplified.
I know this may sound foolish coming from me. But if my weak disposition has granted me anything, it is the clarity that people are so very fragile. More often than not, the weak do not find strength in themselves, so they must look for it in others. And the strong are too few willing to share what they have.
There is so much wrong in the world, much less in our tiny, fledgling Kingdom.
I never possessed the strength to change it. The only power I truly possessed, was to keep this inheritance out of the hands of others.
Until I found someone truly worthy of it.
You've always had a strong sense of justice, Weiss. I saw it when we were young, and your sister saw it when your adolescent self stood between her and your father's rage.
Still, I could not be sure. Along with your assertion for justice, you also possessed the folly of self-righteousness. And that led to the fall of many Winter Maidens in the past.
…
My worries dissipated upon your return from Beacon Academy. The arrogance you once carried, lessened. To my surprise, you sought justice for the Faunus, whom you strongly held such prejudice.
You are still so young. I did not want to burden you with this letter until you were ready. You may not be ready now…
Even so,
I know you will rise to the occasion, and face this challenge with the same tremendous dedication and courage you have demonstrated so many times before.
As I write this letter, I still hear them cheering your name in the streets.
"Weiss Schnee. Fairest of them all."
Our people need you to guide them. It is all too easy for them to be led astray…
I know you can be the champion this Kingdom so truly needs.
A bringer of Fairness and justice.
I believe you are worthy.
.
With all my love,
Kori Schnee
.
.
Weiss lost track of how many times she read the letter. Sitting beside her cousin's stasis pod, she dwelled on the thoughts in silence.
Upon waking from her coma, Ironwood informed her that Kori made arrangements to have her succeed the Maiden's Inheritance. That news alone sent ripples through her heart and questions to every corner.
And so soon after, Weiss met Yang again. She saw the power her former teammate wielded. How could she ever hope to contest such inhuman might?
With that desire to match, Weiss made her way back to the Tower with the intention of accepting the Winter Maiden's Inheritance.
…
That was when Weiss received Kori's letter. A last will, speaking to her character and integrity of principle. Words that touted her willingness to administer justice in the betterment of the downtrodden and her Kingdom.
But it wasn't what she wanted to use the inheritance for. She wanted it for revenge.
And that thought destroyed her.
The letter crinkled in Wiess' hands as she anguished, burying her face in it.
"I'm so sorry, Kori. You're wrong. I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy at all!"
…
"—I think you are."
Weiss lifted her face, and saw Ruby walking towards her.
"What are you doing…? I said I wanted to be alone."
"I know. I didn't listen." Ruby glanced at her cousin, then back at her. "I didn't know Kori, but I bet she knew what she was talking about."
"You don't understand, Ruby. You don't know—!"
Her partner kneeled down and rested on her knees.
"I do know, Weiss. Anyone who's ever met you for five seconds knows who you are. Someone who's tough but fair, and who ultimately wants what's best for others. It's part of what makes you, you."
"…"
"I know you just wanted the Maiden's Inheritance to fight Yang before, and if it went that far, I would've stopped you. But that's not how it is right now, is it?"
"…"
"I can't think of anyone more worthy of holding a Maiden's power than you." Ruby paused in thought. "And you know what? I bet you anything Pyrrha would agree."
Weiss collapsed her arms around Ruby at that. Her shoulders shivered with the emotional outburst she was unaccustomed to. Her throat went dry and hoarse, but it did not stop her from speaking the next words with conviction.
"I'm ready."
.
X
.
"I was not expecting this," Minerva murmured, as she turned to the woman next to her.
"How could he…?!" Glynda trembled with unfiltered rage. "HOW COULD HE DO THIS?!"
As the meeting adjourned and some were leaving the conference chamber, many of its attendees were still glued to their seats. Besides the ignorant representatives of Atlas, the leadership of Vale were astounded with the same shock Glynda had. Nothing prior to this could have eluded to what transpired.
As Argent and Straw were proceeding towards the exit, Glynda rushed in front of them.
*SMACK*
…
The sound of Glynda's backhand landing square with Straw's cheek echoed so loudly, it was a surprise it wasn't accompanied by lightning.
"How could you do this?!" Glynda shrieked.
"The 'how' was rather easy, my dear," Straw replied unamused. "The Prime Minister and I have been in communications for quite some time. He sympathized with my opinions concerning the ineptitude of our current leadership—opinions you also shared I might add. And so, we came to a mutually benefitting arrangement."
"You handed our Kingdom over to Salem on a silver platter!"
"Lesser evils, to play to a tired cliché. Not all of us share the same noble vision you do. To die, our Kingdom in ruins, a dying song on our lips, rather than surrender to the Witch. I'm sure it's what Ozpin would've wanted."
"You despicable, little…!"
"I never much liked that vision. I like prosperity more. And happy endings. I know the rest of Vale prefers the same."
"You think this will end well?! No good can come from this, Straw! You know as well as I do! You've seen what she's capable of firsthand. SO, WHY?!"
"Hah. I see you've become rather delirious. Shall I arrange a doctor to come look at you?"
As another slap was incoming, the Prime Minister caught it.
"—Do not make this harder on yourself than it already is," Argent spoke with a surprisingly consoling voice. "No acts of violence are permitted on Vytal grounds. And you must also keep in mind this man is now Vale's King."
"He's not my king…!"
"Then, that is your prerogative. But, as Mistral is now overseer to Vale, I cannot allow any further harm to come to this man."
To prevent another opportunity for Glynda to attack Straw, the allied officials of Mistral and Vale's king left. The rest of the nearly full conference hall was still stuck to their seats, wallowing in the political maneuver.
In the wake of Minerva comforting Glynda, the other turned to her.
"About that visa to Vacuo. I'm going to need more than one."
.
X
.
…
I think you're right, Kori.
People can be so weak and fragile.
They can make such poor decisions.
They can march to their own destruction at the slightest misleading word.
…
The world is so imbalanced.
And we can be crushed so easily by the weight of it all.
But if I can help, even just a little bit…
…
What does it mean to be worthy?
How do I know if I'm worthy?
…
And from the depths of her cousin's consciousness, whispered a single word.
(( Fairness ))
As the stasis pod hissed open, Weiss woke from her dream-like state.
To her surprise, she felt light and distant. Almost like she wasn't in the present, but watching everything from afar, or in the past. If she had to put it into words, it was like scanning a vast horizon from atop a mountain peak. The scenery stretched before her. It was so much to take in, but at the same time, she knew the smallest detail intuitively.
As Weiss stepped out of the glass and metal coffin, Ruby held her hand, not knowing if her footing would be sure.
To her relief, the girl seemed graceful in her movement—maybe even more so before she entered the pod.
Weiss reached her arm out. Energy coursed beneath her palm and between her wrapped fingers. Her mind visualized the construct, as it was brought forth to her will.
An intricate rapier similar to Myrtenaster was traced into existence. In truth, the weapon appeared more ceremonial than for combat. Still, it did not diminish the divine strength pouring from the Regalia.
Weiss felt Aura flow through her veins like smooth river run. Nothing like the huge surge of energy she came to expect, but a measured kind of power—sharp and precise.
With a fluid motion, she brought her blade across the space in front of her.
Glyphs instantly formed around Weiss' perimeter. With a frost shattering crack, unique knights spawned from each. They burst through their summoning circles, like erupting from a frozen surface. Their figures hummed with boundless energy.
As she intimately felt the way her Semblance took shape, crystallized Aura drifted from her visage.
Ethereal snowflakes of light-blue trailed her silhouette. The materialization of her Aura marked the success of her Inheritance.
Weiss had become the new Winter Maiden.