The two-day trip to Atlas had been both the shortest and longest two days Weiss had ever experienced. After his small breakdown the day before, Weiss had spent the majority of the afternoon holed up in Team RWBY's bunk, scribbling his thoughts and feelings on several pieces of paper as he tried to practice what he was going to say to Winter once they finally came face-to-face. Yang had been by his side through most of it, asking Weiss questions she thought Winter might have, but after some less-than-pleasant inquiries that Weiss wasn't sure how to answer, he had given up, and shooed Yang out of the room so he could be alone.

For some reason, Weiss's mind always seemed to wander back to that one question he detested most; if he was a guy, now, what did that mean about his sexuality? As many times as he'd told Yang he didn't have the time to worry about such trivial subjects, he knew that eventually, he would have to address it, and eventually, he would have to deal with the realization that he may never be enough for whomever he might pursue in the future. He had sullenly wondered to himself if there was any point in trying to explore his sexuality at all, if it meant that whatever relationship he ended up in would never truly be complete.

He didn't even know why he was thinking about this. There were so many more pressing matters he and the rest of his friends had to deal with, so many of his own family issues that needed to be resolved, before he could even consider dating an option again. But as much as Weiss tried to pretend that there was no place for romance in the field of a Huntsman, he couldn't deny that Nora and Ren certainly seemed to be defying those odds. Even Blake and Sun seemed to have… something going on, though as much as Weiss and his teammates tried to push her for answers, she never seemed to give them a straight response.

This is hopeless, Weiss often found himself thinking, though he wouldn't dare vocalize the words as he feared he'd already put enough strain on his friends since coming to terms with his identity. And, well, Weiss wasn't even sure if he had fully come to terms with his identity, as it seemed he had even more questions about himself than ever before. The only thing he was certain of was that this, being male, felt right. But his body looked no different, felt no different, although, for the first time ever, he was quite grateful to be flat-chested, because he didn't have to worry about that part of his body giving him away. So long as he never found himself topless in public for any given reason, he wouldn't have to worry about drastically changing that part of himself.

Unless I get a partner. Or go to the beach… Or have to start changing in the men's locker rooms…

Weiss sat up in bed, a pit suddenly forming in his stomach. He walked over to the mirror that he seemed to have a love-hate relationship with as of late, and removed his new leather jacket, letting it fall to his feet. He turned to the side, pulling his baggy tunic tightly to his torso, and examined his chest, narrowing his eyes at the slight dip that gave way to the smallest hint of breasts. They were barely noticeable, unless the person who was looking at Weiss was specifically trying to notice. As he released the fabric and let it fall loosely around him, the breasts disappeared, as did his more definable curves. As long as he continued to wear loose clothing, his identity was safe.

But…

He took a deep breath and swallowed hard, reaching for the hem of his shirt once more. This time, he hiked it up above his stomach, past his upper torso, and all the way up to his neck. There was no mistaking the fatty tissue, no matter how small, for what it was. Anyone who saw would not be easily fooled. The image made him feel sick.

Just as quickly as he'd lifted the fabric, Weiss threw it back down, hurriedly reaching for his coat and pulling it on. He zipped it up firmly to his collar, and hugged his arms around his torso, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to erase the reflection of his body from his mind.

"Such an idiot," he muttered to himself as he moved back to his bed, kicking off his boots and crawling underneath the covers until they completely encompassed his body. There was absolutely no way anyone would want to be with him when he looked like that.

It was useless thinking like this. Weiss had spent much too long already over the past few days degrading and second-guessing himself. He needed to be stronger, to have a clearer mind if he was going to be of any use to his team once they arrived to Atlas. Salem would no doubt be on their tails now that they were in possession of the Relic, and Weiss needed to calm down before his jumble of emotions drew even more unwanted attention to himself and their allies.

Maybe if I just sleep for the rest of the trip…

But before he had the chance to actually make himself comfortable, the door to the room flew open, and three pairs of footsteps came tumbling in his direction.

"Okay, Weiss, time for you to get up!" his partner's voice sounded at the foot of the bed. "You've been cooped up in here since yesterday and we only have a few hours left to train before we arrive!"

He let out a groan too quiet for anyone else to hear, and poked his head out of the blanket to find Ruby standing above him, Blake and Yang waiting just a few feet behind their bubbly leader. "What do you mean a few hours? We're not supposed to reach Atlas until tomorrow morning."

Ruby gave him an affirmative nod. "Right, but the training room is only available until ten. So we kinda gotta make the most of it now, or end up rusty."

Weiss pushed aside his covers, and sat back up in bed, narrowing his eyes at his teammates. "I don't know who you're calling rusty, we just took down several Alphas a few nights ago before we made camp in the woods."

"Yeah, but you've had no one-on-one practice with anyone since we left Haven," she pointed out. "And, well, your last one-on-one didn't really end well…"

"Ruby!" Yang hissed from behind her, shooting Weiss an apologetic look over her sister's shoulder.

Weiss just sighed. "I… I know, Ruby." He pulled his knees up to his chest, averting his gaze from his teammates. "I just… My head isn't really in it right now."

"Oh." Ruby let out a disappointed hum, but much to Weiss's surprise, instead of retreating like she usually did whenever her plans didn't exactly go the way she wanted them to, Ruby moved closer, walking around the foot of Weiss's bed until she was merely inches away. She lowered herself beside him, and rested a hand on his knee. "Well, if you don't want to train, maybe we can talk. All four of us. Get to know the new Weiss a little more."

He blinked, glancing up at Ruby, who was smiling down at him with a genuine twinkle in her silver eyes. "Are you sure?"

Both Blake and Yang stepped forward, walking around to the opposite side of Weiss's bed and sitting down, all three girls now surrounding Weiss from all sides. They met him with smiles that mirrored their leader's, and something about having them all there, so close and attentive, made Weiss feel like he could tell them anything.

So he did.

"I suppose… I suppose I could use some more opinions."

Yang, of course, was the first to respond. It always seemed like she was the first to address Weiss's concerns, lately. "What about?"

And, naturally, Yang was the one Weiss felt himself gravitating toward as he spoke. "I… It's stupid, but… I was thinking, will anyone ever actually be able to accept me in this body?"

All of his teammates frowned. "Of course we do!" Ruby replied quickly, giving his knee a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

He shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant…" He glanced from Ruby to Blake, and back to Yang, holding her gaze for a moment before lowering it to the hand on his knee. "I mean… will anyone be able to accept me romantically like that."

"Um…" Ruby let out an awkward squeak, and Weiss couldn't help but feel his face flush. This definitely wasn't something he'd ever planned to talk about with Ruby, of all people. But if he didn't address this, he was sure these thoughts would eat him alive.

"Weiss, you're not the first person to ever identify as a different gender than the one you were assigned," Blake, ever the realist, reminded him. "There are many people out there like you who have found a suitable partner."

This is so stupid, he thought to himself again, biting his bottom lip as he considered Blake's words. Of course he wasn't the only person like this in Remnant, of course there were many other people like himself who were already happy. But… but it still didn't help. He still wasn't convinced that it was a possibility for him.

"Where is this coming from?" Yang asked, her brows furrowed in concern, though a certain caution in her eyes seemed to suggest that she already knew.

Weiss drew his knees in closer, his grip tightening around his shins. "I can't… I can't do the same things I'm used to anymore," he explained. "I can't use the women's restroom or locker room, but is it really okay for me to use the men's when I still look like this? When people realize I'm… I'm not sufficient, are they going to make fun of me? How could someone ever want me, or ever take me seriously, when my body still looks differently than how I feel?"

Blake started again. "They have procedures to match your outside to your inside, Weiss. And even if you don't want those procedures, there are ways to make do with what you have."

He drew in a deep breath, still keeping his gaze low. "Yeah, I guess… But they'll still know. They'll always know I'm different, now. I'm Weiss Schnee, a name that's forever going to be associated with a female body because that's how I was raised, and that's how the public has always seen me."

"Well, screw the public," Yang muttered emphatically, reaching for one of Weiss's hands. He finally glanced up at his teammate, only to find her lilac eyes full of intense sincerity. "I don't know how many times I have to keep telling you, this, Weiss, but I'll continue to until it finally clicks. You're perfect just the way you are, and if anyone has a problem with you or your body, then they are the ones who need to seriously take a second look at themselves. You are sufficient, you are a good guy, and I'm pretty sure I speak for all of us when I say we don't care what anyone else thinks."

Ruby and Blake both nodded in agreement with Yang, and Weiss once again couldn't believe how truly blessed he was to have such great teammates and friends. But something in the way Yang spoke, in the way she seemed to almost plead with him, made Weiss feel that there was more to than what she was saying, a deeper emotion that felt different—more intimate—than the way it did when coming from the other two girls.

Did she truly think he was perfect?

"I know this is a huge change for you right now," she continued with a smile. "But it's going to get better, easier, with time. Tomorrow, you're going to see your sister, and you're going to have one more person on your side."

Weiss felt the tiniest of smiles twitch at the corners of his lips. "Yeah… you're right."

Yang held Weiss's smile for a moment longer before she finally let go of his hand, and sat forward on the edge of the bed. "So, Atlas… it's going to be pretty cold, huh?"

"You're definitely going to want to cover up your midriff," Weiss joked, making a point to glance at Blake, too. "And gloves may come in handy."

"Ha!" Yang barked, a grin splitting across her face. "That's funny!"

Ruby and Blake narrowed their eyes at her while Weiss simply raised an eyebrow, not understanding what his teammate was getting at.

"'Handy!'" she repeated Weiss's comment. "Because they're gloves… They go on your hands… Did you really not mean to make that joke?"

Weiss rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide the light blush that rose to his cheeks. "O-of course I did!"

"Please don't encourage her," Blake hummed. "You know how she gets once she starts."

"What's the matter, Blake, can't handle a little fun?" Yang jabbed, nudging her elbow toward her partner, who slapped a palm to her forehead in response.

And that was how the rest of their night went, Team RWBY sat around Weiss's bed, telling jokes and stories as time passed, and the moon began to rise in the sky. By the time they were all finally ready to sleep, Weiss was in much better spirits, the weight on his shoulders considerably lighter with his friends by his side. No matter what the next day would bring, he knew he would not have to face it alone, and that made him feel like he was ready to conquer the world.

When morning did finally come, and the ship finally pulled into the Atlesian coast, Weiss and his friends stood together, tall and strong, taking in the looming glacial structures and large, fancy buildings that awaited them past the border. Atlesian soldiers greeted them from the docks, having received Qrow's warning, and making sure all of their group had been accounted for.

After making it through the first gate, the group traveled by foot, escorted by several soldiers, at least half a mile before they came upon another wall, this one guarded by twice the amount of military officials, at least three times the rank. Even from the back of the group, Weiss could spot his sister several yards away, her posture poised and stoic as she stood at the front of the gate.

"This is it," he murmured to Yang, who had been walking closely beside him, making sure none of their escorts gave Weiss a hard time. So far, everything had gone without incident.

Yang glanced over at him with a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay."

Their group stopped at the gate, Oscar allowing Ozpin to take over to address Winter. He explained that they were to meet with General Ironwood, gesturing to the lamp that he had clipped to his waist. Winter nodded firmly, her expression never showing any falter as she stepped past Ozpin, and began to examine the rest of their group.

She stopped just before Blake, Sun, and Ilia, her gaze immediately falling on their newest ally. "You," she stated firmly, pulling a Scroll from her long coat pocket, and glancing at the screen. "Ilia Amitola, wanted for the assault and battery of several Atlesian Prep students six years ago. You are under very close watch by our soldiers, make no wrong steps or you will be immediately expelled from the borders."

Weiss grit his teeth at the harsh tone of his sister's voice, but he kept his mouth shut as he watched Ilia nod in understanding, Blake's hand coming up to meet hers in comfort. Winter scanned each of their Scrolls before continuing past, and paused to check the Scrolls of Team JNR.

As she came closer, Weiss's heart began to beat faster against his ribcage, threatening to burst right out of his chest as he awaited his sister's recognition. The sound of Winter's Scroll beeping as she scanned both Ruby's and Yang's identifications rang loudly in Weiss's ears, and he silently cursed himself, wishing he had taken the time to update the ID on his own Scroll. He had anticipated tight security upon entering the Atlesian border, but he certainly hadn't expected this much. Even with Ozpin leading their group, it still hadn't been enough for Ironwood to trust the rest of them. Authority really had taken quite the shift since Weiss had fled Atlas, and it made him worry even more what kind of trouble they'd all face once they gained entrance to the other side of the kingdom's walls.

Winter stopped last at Weiss, but didn't seem to notice him as her gaze remained glued to her Scroll. She reached her free hand down to Weiss, gesturing for his identification device.

Weiss looked away, a lump rising in his throat as he reached for the Scroll tucked away in the Dust pouch on his hip. But before he could remove the device, a short gasp brought his attention back up to his sister, her bright eyes round with surprise.

"Weiss?"

He swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that that threatened to form as he straightened his posture, and cleared his throat. "My name is Skye," he announced in the deepest, most confident voice he could muster.

"Slate," Yang whispered, her expression worried.

Shit, Weiss mentally reprimanded himself, already having forgotten his own alias. Well, he was going to somehow have to make this work.

Winter shook her head, her eyes narrowed as she leaned down for a better look. "Don't be ridiculous, I know my own sister when I see her."

"I'm not your sister," Weiss replied, his voice beginning to tremble as his nerves danced around inside him. How was he going to possibly make her understand?

The older woman recoiled, her expression softening as Weiss caught a glimpse of hurt. "Weiss, you don't have to pretend with me… I understand you left Atlas on bad terms—"

"I'm not pretending!" he shouted abruptly, his charade starting to crumble. He couldn't do this, not with Winter, not with the only family member who had ever had his back. "I am not your sister."

This time, Winter stiffened, recovering her professional demeanor. This was not the place for unnecessary drama, as frustrating as their reunion had been. "Your Scroll."

Weiss's grip tightened around his Scroll, his eyes clenching shut as he lowered his head, and finally allowed the tears to fall. He handed his sister his Scroll, knowing he had been defeated.

"Mhmm, just as I thought," she quipped, shoving the device back into Weiss's palm. "Weiss Schnee. Why lie?"

"He's not lying."

Weiss sniffled quietly, not daring to look up as Yang moved closer to his side, and reached down for his hand. He couldn't believe he was having an emotional meltdown at the Atlesian border, in front of dozens of soldiers and most of the people he knew. This was even worse than any of the nightmares or awful fantasies he'd had since Ozpin first announced their departure to Atlas a couple weeks earlier.

Winter let out a grunt, clearly not amused with Yang's interjection. "Do you think I'm stupid, Miss Xiao Long?"

"No, ma'am," she responded, her tone confident as ever. "I just think you should hear him out."

"And who is this 'he' you're referring to?"

"Weiss."

"Weiss," Winter repeated slowly, trivially, as though she had caught Yang in a trap. "Weiss Schnee?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Dust, he wanted to disappear right now. But so long as this continued, so long as Weiss didn't come clean, they would all be stuck here, standing outside in the cold, with no way inside and no guarantee for the safety of the Relic. "Winter, please."

Finally, Winter sighed, and turned her attention back to Weiss. She lifted a gloved hand to his chin, forcing Weiss to meet her gaze, to reveal the streams of tears that continued to flood down his cheeks. Upon seeing his distress, however, Winter's frown deepened, her expression softening again as she gently swiped her thumb across Weiss's tear-stained cheek. "What's going on with you?"

"Just let me in," he pleaded. "Let us in, and I'll explain everything."