Tell Me Who's The Loneliest Of All
"Weiss. Weiss! Don't leave me! NOOOOOOOO!"(Ruby)
"Um… Ruby, she's only kidnapped. Not dead."(Yang)
"You don't know that!"(Ruby)
"Um…" Yang murmurs as she points to Weiss.
"Oh. Yeah. I knew that. I just get really into stories sometimes."(Ruby)
"So, let me make sure I got this right. Before a ballet number, you got your shoes stolen. Then your older sister practically forced you into an even crazier singing thing. Changed the tempo to your composition, made you cry, and almost humiliated you in front of a whole bunch of people?"(Yang)
"And made her throw up hehe~"(Ruby)
"And if that wasn't bad enough, you got kidnapped by the White Fang?"(Yang)
"...Yes. That's about right up to this point."(Weiss)
"But they saved you in the end…right?"(Yang)
"….No. No they didn't."(Weiss)
"I knew it! It's not a happy ending! NOOOO! WEISS!"(Ruby)
"So there's more to the worse day ever?"(Yang)
Weiss sighed.
"Yes…" She pauses and furrows her brow. "'The only one who can save you is you'." Weiss said softly to herself.
While Weiss was reminiscing, out in the courtyard, Winter faced Blake cheerfully.
"So, what do you plan to do with my sister? Do you plan to finish what you started?"(Winter)
"… No. She's my friend."(Blake)
Her hand, which had been clenching her sword tightly, loosened and released.
"I'm no longer part of the White Fang. And whether it makes a difference or not, I never supported anything that happened that night."(Blake)
"Mhmmm.." Winter nodded patiently.
Suddenly, Blake went for her blade and released it from her sheathe. A purple light flew threw the air and soared towards Winter.
*PANG*
Winter brought her lance to block the blow. A slight cut appeared near her eye.
"But that doesn't mean I'll forgive you for the lives you took that night!"(Blake)
Winter's grin grew menacingly wider. She curtsied politely, one hand on her dress and the other holding her body length lance.
"Remember little black cat, it's my habit to make sure that those looking to pick a fight with me, find exactly that."(Winter)
Their battle began.
Under the somber moon light, a black and white figure danced in the school's courtyard.
(In the past)
An unconscious child Weiss was carried into the room of a stone ruin.
The "buildings" stood in the middle of a great forest. Once a great castle, the complex was now an open air maze that was used by the White Fang. While the walls were relatively intact and had a fair amount of height, no roof sheltered the inhabitants.
On a pile of hay, the young heiress was laid down. White Fang members looked at her small sleeping body, including a certain young Faunus who refused to wear a mask.
"She's my age."(Young Blake)
"And a Schnee. There's no reason to pity her." Spoke a large White Fang Lieutenant. "We should just kill her and be done with it."
"We were only supposed to attack the Atlas higher ups! Why are we involving a little girl?!"(Blake)
"Hmph. She's not just any little girl, Blake. She's a direct heir."(Lieutenant)
All the members looked hard at the sleeping princess. They had all lost something or someone, damaged in some way due to her family's work. Especially the White Fang Lieutenant, who specifically made it his mission in life to kill as many Schnees as possible. A mission he had success in, earning him the title "Schnee Killer".
He suddenly hefted his large sword on his shoulder and looked at all of them.
"You smell that?"(Lieutenant)
The White Fang members looked up, sharpening their senses.
"Blood." one of them muttered.
"Someone's trying to breach the security." The lieutenant looked at five of them. "You guys stay here. If anything happens, kill her."
They nodded with a grim resolve.
"Everyone else, come with me to the defense line."(Lieutenant)
"Even me?"(Blake)
"You barely carried your weight at the theatre. Time to make up for that. Besides, it's a good opportunity to scrape off some of that squeamishness in you."(Lieutenant)
The members assigned to guard Weiss, took up their positions. One would stand watch outside the gate, while the others monitored the ruin's vicinity.
Blake looked at the sleeping girl one more time, before throwing a blanket over her. She quickly followed the rest of the party to the front line.
With their animalistic traits, maneuvering through the forest was easy, despite it being almost pitch dark. The defense line was about a mile away from where they had kept their hostage, but they crossed that distance in almost no time at all.
There, they stood thunderstruck as the ground was littered with the dead bodies of their comrades. What was disturbing was the manner in which the limbs were dismembered. They didn't look torn or ripped apart, but rather neatly cut like a butcher's work.
The party heard a high pitch sound echo through the forest. They looked ahead and saw that the sharp ringing was caused by a twirling lance.
Winter moved it, as if it were light as a feather; spinning it at a speed that couldn't be tracked with the naked eye. The wielder's long white dress, which had heavy armor sown into the legs and torso, were stained with blood.
The Ice Queen looked up at them with a horrifying smile.
"Oh? I feel like I've seen that face before?"(Winter)
The whole White Fang group felt needles prickle down their spines as they took an involuntary step back.
All of them… except one.
"Hmph. You should have."(Lieutenant)
"Ah… It was on a wanted poster."(Winter)
And with that sentence, Winter stopped spinning her lance and went into an extremely deep curtsey.
"I've heard you're fond of killing Schnees. I must regretfully inform you…" She uncurtseyed. "… that you will not be killing this one."
Her victims' blood trickles down her face from her bow. Winter's vicious smile made an appearance again.
"Don't let her intimidate you!"(Lieutenant)
The rest of the group jumped at the scolding and immediately drew their weapons.
The Lieutenant brandished his large sword, which was roughly a third size of his body, and swung it towards Winter.
Without making a sound, the Winter stabbed the ground, and launched herself gracefully into the air and out of harm's way. She landed gently before the other unmoved White Fang members, and with a slight snicker, she twirled her long reaching lance. The strikes hit her enemies at blinding speed, instantly turning them into bloody ribbons.
"You—!"(Lieutenant)
"I make it habit to repay those who point their weapons at me in kind, no matter how weak. Hm?" Winter's eye catches something. "But it appears I missed one…"
She stares at the young Blake, who had fallen backwards, covered in her comrades' gore.
"Maybe you were too short?"(Winter)
While Winter was distracted, the Lieutenant decided to make use of the opening. He leapt high and unleashed a downward slash that could shatter rock.
Winter held up her lance horizontally to block the strike. The blow made contact with the exact middle and looked like it was going to break the staff in half.
The Lieutenant tensed his bulging arm and back muscles, adding more force to his blade.
There was a sudden give, and the sword fell through the defenses. Although it should have met flesh, Winter moved back out of the sword path instantly.
She held her twin lances firmly and began striking her opponent with alternating hands. A six hit onslaught was quickly loosed, ending with a double stab.
The Lieutenant was knocked a fair distance back.
"That weapon—!"(Lieutenant)
"Was a twin lance in the first place." Winter said with delight.
She twirled the first half in her left hand while posing a stabbing stance with her right. She walked patiently towards the Lieutenant with a gait that radiated bloodlust.
The giant White Fang member stood his ground for the coming attack.
He was nearly punched full of holes.
Winter's spear thrusts darted towards him with enough force to push the man back, even while blocking. When he tried to counter with a strike of his own, the Ice Queen's twirling left lance would parry the attacks cleanly.
Spark flew as the opposing weapons clashed. Loudly they sounded through the silent forest, as all the animals had evacuated the immediate vicinity. Only Blake sat there, watching the battle in a captivated trance.
Her focus was interrupted at the combatants suddenly separating.
"Your speed isn't poor for such bulky physique."(Winter)
"Save your words!"(Lieutenant)
"Huhu~ As you wish~"(Winter)
Winter began twirling both lances, giving them the appearance of two razor sharp propellers. While her fingers moved with a dexterity that couldn't be seen, the rest of her body looked eternally graceful and calm.
The Lieutenant was no fool.
He knew this was the final clash, and if things kept moving the way they were, he was going to be on the losing end of it. He made his resolve and took a piercing stance, pointing his sword's tip at his enemy.
I'll at least take her down with me.
And with that, the Lieutenant rushed forward. Winter stepped forth as well, her weapons humming at her sides.
As soon as the White Fang member felt he was within range, he thrust his sword into the Ice Queen's center mass. He reinforced his heart, willing that the stab must go through no matter what.
*PANG!*
For a brief moment, the dark forest illuminated brightly with the sparks caused by the impact.
At the climax of the collision, both weapons went flying in opposite directions. The lances and sword went soaring into the shadows and the two combatants recoiled.
Winter had read the Lieutenant's intentions, and focused all effort on parrying the weapon than going for the wielder.
Though surprised, the White Fang member quickly regained his composure.
"Hahaha! You've doomed yourself! If it comes down to a simple fist fight, I won't-!"(Lieutenant)
But the Lieutenant would never finish gloating about his good fortune.
A thin blade had sunk into the man's heart.
He looked down perplexedly.
The sword withdrew, and blood spurted out from the wound.
He was about to step forward, still willing himself to fight, before he was stabbed again.
*Cough*
The Lieutenant coughed up blood.
A cold howl moved through the air as two more stabs struck true.
Four holes were grouped over his heart and finally, his body gave out.
Without any afterthought, Winter began wiping the blood from Weiss's Myrtenaster.
"I brought it along without a second thought. Never imagined it would actually be useful."(Winter)
She looked down at her opponent's dead corpse.
"But if you did kill her. I suppose there's some sort of poetic justice in it…"(Winter)
After a few moments at the cleaning labor, she suddenly looked up.
"I thought I forgot something."(Winter)
She stared smilingly at the child Blake.
The cat girl was holding her sword, shivering with tears in her eyes. What willed her to move was anyone's guess. Though fear had nestled its way into her very core, she shakily maneuvered her body into a fighting stance.
Winter had finished cleaning Myrtenaster and turned her full attention towards Blake.
"I have a fondness for black cats, you know."(Winter)
"…"(Blake)
"And being able to bring your sword up against me, after witnessing all that, you're actually my kind of person. It's commendable."(Winter)
Blake hissed.
"But not cute at all."(Winter)
With a swift and nimble stab, the Ice Queen knocked Blake's sword out of her hands.
"Pick it up again and you will receive no second chance," Winter said with a deathly low voice.
Blake looked at her fallen weapon and then back at the Schnee.
"Now… Where. Is. My. Sister?"(Winter)
The voice questioned with slow emphasis. Blake felt the words form shards of ice in her heart.
"She's… in the ruins… a mile… that way…" Blake pointed with a shaking hand.
Winter's eyes still locked into the young girl's.
"Is she still alive?"(Winter)
Blake's mind went to the little sleeping girl atop a short pile of hay.
"Y—yes…"(Blake)
Then something strange happened.
Winter gently brushed the side of Blake's face with extreme fondness. A warm smile appeared on the Ice Queen's expression and she spoke with a caressing voice.
"Thank you, little kitty cat."(Winter)
The elder Schnee began walking in the direction of the ruin.
"Wait!" Blake yelled without much forethought.
She wasn't sure what she could accomplish, but she had to try. Her stomach twisted with the conflicting emotions she was harboring.
Winter had halted her walk, but didn't turn around.
"There are guards there."(Blake)
"…And?"(Winter)
"Please…please… don't kill them…"(Blake)
Blake was betting that the blood lust Winter displayed was due to thinking she had lost Weiss. That seeing the "Schnee Killer" was like a confirmation of her little sister's death.
She wanted to believe that there was actual kindness behind that warm smile just now.
An eternity of tense silence had passed before Winter answered.
"I promise I won't kill them."(Winter)
Winter resumed walking.
Blake watched her back disappear into the darkness.
As soon as she was out of sight, the little girl began sobbing uncontrollably.
Winter came upon the stone ruins and quickly located her little sister. Without anyone's notice, making sure to stay downwind from the guards, she looked at Weiss from atop a wall.
"She's sleeping so soundly, hm?"(Winter)
Winter looked at the guards.
"Petty minions of low combat level…
Gives me an idea…" (Winter)
Winter thought back to her promise with the young Blake.
I only promised I wouldn't kill them.
She dropped Myrtenaster silently into the hay, next to her sleeping sister.
"Remember, Weiss. The only one that can save you is you."