Sweaty palms. No matter how vigorously or frequently Weiss wiped them on her sleeves, or her skirt, they wouldn't stay dry. Keep it together, Weiss. She stood on one of the landing pads at Haven, fidgeting. There was a speck in the clear, blue sky, way off in the distance, but approaching fast.
Try as she might to watch the approaching airship, the afternoon sun was positioned almost directly behind it. Weiss closed her eyes and waited for the burned in circles to fade away before opening them again with a sigh.
She'd been waiting at the airfield for nearly an hour now, and Ruby still wouldn't land for another thirty minutes at least. Sitting in Neptune's apartment waiting had proved maddening. The Huntsmen had left that morning, to keep an eye on the warehouse, and Weiss had spent hours pacing the apartment, unable to sit still for more than five seconds.
Eventually, once she'd reached her breaking point, she'd left. The taxi had taken ten minutes to reach the apartment building—ten minutes too long—and then another twenty minutes to reach Haven. By the time she arrived, Weiss was almost tearing her hair out. The waiting, and the anxiety that came with it, was killing her..
It had been a year since she'd last seen Ruby, and that hadn't been a pleasant parting. Now that the chance to make up for it was presenting itself, Weiss could barely contain her impatience. Just a chance, a pessimistic voice jibed. It was true, there was no guarantee that she and Ruby would be able to reconcile. Damned if I'm not going to try though. Weiss told the voice as she wiped her hands once again.
The speck had grown a little; it's wings were visible now—though only just. Weiss looked away before the sun burnt itself into her retinas again and walked back inside, to a nearby vending machine. The iced tea she purchased did nothing to soothe her nerves, and, a few seconds later, Weiss was outside again, watching the airship's approach.
A gaping hole opened up in her stomach, and she nearly threw the tea back up. Forcing down another mouthful, if only to wash down the bile, Weiss took a deep breath through her nose and tried to relax. It had been years since she'd felt this nervous about anything. Her skin tingled with a sudden sensitivity; she could feel every strand of thread that touched her bare skin. The hole in her stomach gaped wider; Weiss put the iced tea on the ground.
No amount of breathing could calm her down, but she tried nonetheless. So focused was she on trying to stop her heart from racing that she almost missed her scroll ringing. Fumbling like a madwoman, she snatched it from her belt and slid it open.
"Hello? Ruby?" she asked in a rush.
"Not quite," Neptune's voice replied. "I'm the one with the blue hair."
"Neptune," Weiss said dryly. Her tone carried enough of an implication of 'shut up' that she didn't even need to say it.
The Huntsmen sighed. The severity of it made Weiss frown. "Got some bad news, Weiss," he said sadly.
A cold wind blew past, whipping Weiss' hair about and making her shiver as the cold caressed her thighs under the skirt. Some feeling of dread foreboding crept up her spine. "What?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
"They just went in. We need to go now."
The airship was still barely more than a speck on the horizon. Weiss swore under her breath.
"I know," Neptune said. "I'm sorry. I've already made the call. The airship will be ready to take off in ten minutes."
Weiss wanted to wait. Every part of her screamed to wait. They were in there for more than an hour last time; there's time to wait for Ruby! But there was no guarantee they'd be there that long this time. She knew she needed to move now. The was one part of her—the Huntress—that was telling her to go.
"Alright," she sighed. "I'm on my way. How quickly can you get here?"
"Half an hour if I leave now."
"Do it," Weiss said. "Ruby's supposed to land in half an hour. Can you ready another small airship in that time?"
"Sure."
"Good. You two fly in after me. Ruby can drop in and be my back-up."
"Okay. We won't be able to get there until at least twenty minutes after you, though. Be careful."
"Of course."
Weiss ended the call, slipped her scroll away and glanced at the oncoming airship once more. "Damn it."
She turned away, and ran to the landing pad that Neptune had booked for their airship.
The pilot was doing some last minute checks when Weiss arrived five minutes later. The man looked up as he heard her approach and raised a hand in greeting. Weiss waved back as she stopped to catch her breath. She looked up at the sky once again, but the effort proved futile; she'd lost track of Ruby's airship.
"We'll be ready in a couple of minutes, Ma'am," the pilot called. "Feel free to hop on board and get yourself ready while you wait.
Weiss turned back with a sigh and nodded. "Thank you."
As she boarded the airship, Weiss pushed away all thoughts of Ruby. It was difficult, but necessary. She couldn't afford any distractions now. This was too important. This was the end of their search, she kept reminding herself. She'd been working on this with Neptune for weeks now. Now they were finally going to get to the bottom of it. She set Myrtenaster on a weapon rack and strapped herself into a seat. Closing her eyes, she took a deep, calming breath of the cold air.
Slowly, but surely, her heart hardened. She turned cold. The Ice Queen, they'd called her. It had begun as a joke about her abrasive and direct personality, but it had stuck for a different reason. Cold, uncaring, lethal. Weiss Schnee, the cold-hearted bitch.
When her eyes opened, they were devoid of all emotion. The eyes of a warrior, a killer, ready for war.
The pilot came in a minute later, wiping his hands on his trousers. "Alright," he said. "Ready for take-off. As soon as I know where we're going."
In a monotone voice, Weiss gave him the coordinates and his instructions. The man frowned slightly when she told him to merely fly over the destination, but by how quickly he nodded it was clear that he'd been working with Huntsmen and Huntresses for a long time. Within minutes, they were in the air.
As they flew, Weiss worked to maintain her cold. Ruby's face popped into her head from time to time, melting the armour of ice she'd forged around her heart in preparation for what was ahead, but Weiss forced it away.
There was a buzz and the pilot told her they were approaching the warehouse. Weiss was out of her seat in a flash, and slipping Myrtenaster back into its sheath. The back door of the airship opened and wind tore through the cabin. Weiss held her hair back so she could see clearly, and walked to the edge.
The city sped by underneath her. Cars, people and buildings flashed by before she even had a chance to focus on them, turning everything into a blurred mosaic. There was another buzz over the intercom and the airship started to slow down marginally.
"We're coming up now, Ma'am," the pilot announced. "Jump in five."
Four.
Weiss took a breath.
Three.
She checked Myrtenaster was in its sheath.
Two.
Spun the cylinder.
One.
Patted her Dust pouch.
Jumped.
The wind hit her like a freight train, tearing at her hair, clothes, and spinning her around. The warehouse was visible below, almost indistinguishable amidst the rest of the buildings. Only the presence of the guards pointed it out to her. Weiss straightened herself into a human arrow and rocketed towards the roof. Once she was close enough, she stuck out her arms, slowing her decent slightly and stopping the spinning.
A glyph appeared ten metres below her. She reached it almost instantly and was flipped upright. Another glyph appeared, and she landed on this one feet first. It carried her down, straining to slow her descent. It shattered from the pressure—Weiss gasped at the strain on her aura—and she conjured another one.
Too soon, the roof was just below her. She was still moving too quickly. Pouring everything she had into it, Weiss summoned one last glyph. It appeared not five metres above the roof. She hit it and sank towards the roof. The glyph expanded as she poured more and more energy into it, spreading over the warehouse's rooftop.
Just as Weiss was about to black out from the over-exertion of her semblance, she touched lightly down on the roof. With a gasp, she let the glyph go. It shattered into a cloud of luminous dust and faded away.
Sucking in a deep breath, Weiss looked around. The guards at each end of the warehouse both had their backs to her. Weiss smiled to herself. Fatigue threatened to wash over her after such an extreme use of her semblance, but Weiss forced herself upright and pushed on. She approached the edge of the roof and glanced over the side.
By some miracle, there was a window open near the end of the building. It was close to one of the guards, but it was better than having to find away in while avoiding all the extra guards below. She crept along the roof, praying that the guard kept his back to her.
With a glance towards the open window, Weiss planned out her next move. Sneak straight in? Or take out the guard, just in case? Unwilling to risk being seen, she crept behind the guard, who stood ten metres from the window she wanted to use.
Clapping a hand over his mouth, Weiss swept the man's legs out from under him. He hit the ground with a grunt, and Weiss slammed a fist into the side of his head, just behind the ear. The man was unconscious before he had time to realise what was happening.
Having cleared this end of the roof, Weiss glanced at the far end. The other guard was still oblivious to her presence, so she hurried to the open window. The glass pane opened upwards and outwards, so the glass itself acted as a barrier to her entry from the roof. Weiss lowered herself over the edge of the roof, planting her feet on the next window along. The glass creaked in its setting, but held.
She grabbed the open window pane with one hand and used it to swing herself forward and through the hole, slamming the window shut behind her. A maze of support beams greeted her. The Huntress slammed into one and gasped in pain, but grabbed onto it. There was another dizzying drop to the ground below her, but she had a clear vantage of the entire ground floor of the warehouse. She reached out to another beam and used it to pull herself upright and stepped on the one that had so warmly greeted her. Clinging to the nearby beams, Weiss slowly walked along it and examined the room.
It was empty. Utterly empty. No one was in sight. No storage crates. Not even a rat.
So they're in the basement. Weiss grimaced. The thought of having to go down there wasn't pleasant. Limited entrances and exits, and easy to guard. But there wasn't really another option. She needed to find out who was behind this.
With a resigned sigh, Weiss toppled forward. The ground rushed up to meet her, but a glyph got there first. Her aura was still recovering from her air-drop, so the landing was harder than she'd have liked, but she landed without injury.
The stairway to the basement was sure to be guarded, so Weiss headed to the freight elevator. Opening the small maintenance hatch, she slipped into the darkness of the elevator shaft. As she climbed down, she heard muted voices. The door at the bottom of the shaft blocked the sound, so she couldn't make out what they were saying, but there were definitely people below.
With a grin, Weiss hurried her climb. This was it. She'd found the ringleader.
The door at the bottom of the shaft slid open easily and—thankfully—silently. Weiss levered herself up and slid into the shadow of a nearby pillar. Once the door closed behind her, she took a chance to examine the room.
There were two rows of concrete pillars running the length of the room, splitting the room into three rows of empty space. A line of fluorescent lights was turned on, reaching from the stairs to the far wall, down the central row. The lights along the sides of the room were turned off, so while the light from the centre did cast light across the rest of the cavernous basement, there were deep shadows cast by the pillars. It was these shadows that Weiss tried to stick to as she approached the source of the voices.
"We've more than enough Dust now. You and yours have my thanks," A female voice said. Weiss frowned. She recognised that voice, but couldn't say from where. She caught a glimpse of blue as she crossed to the next pillar, which only made the forgetfulness more painful.
"Of course, Ma'am." Now that voice, Weiss knew. The leader of Mistral's Schnee Dust Company branch. "We hope to continue our… lucrative partnership into the future."
"As do we, Randall. As do we." The woman replied. Argh, where do I know that voice from? "No doubt we will have a place in our midst and tasks for you and your people once we take power."
Weiss came to a stop behind another pillar and peeked around. The leader of the board—Randall—was in the middle of bowing graciously to a woman that Weiss could just see the edge of. The Huntress pulled her head back around the pillar and took a breath.
"We look forward to it, Ma'am." Randall said.
"Randall, please," the woman said in a light-hearted tone. "We're partners now. Call me Ao."
The recognition, and all the implications that followed, hit Weiss like a charging Goliath to the chest. Shinu Ao… Weiss had seen the woman once before. Five years ago, in an underground hideout beneath the walls of Vale. If she was here, then it was obvious who was behind everything.
And that meant that, without a doubt, Vale was somehow the target. Myrka Vald's hatred of Ozpin and Beacon was the driving force behind his last attack, five years ago. If he was planning another, with Dust smuggled in from Mistral, and five years of planning… Only the gods knew what kind of chaos he could unleash.
"Now, Randall, I think it's time for you to go," Ao said. "I've a busy schedule and other matters that need tending to."
"Of course, Miss Ao," Randall replied. He withdrew, taking two bodyguards with him and, unless Weiss had missed something, leaving Ao alone.
Weiss froze in the shadow of the pillar, torn, unsure of how to proceed. Having uncovered the ringleader of this plot and finding overwhelming evidence of an attack on Vale, she wanted to leave. If she could get out, she could warn Ruby, or Blake, and get the defences prepared before the attack. Vale—Beacon—needed to be warned.
But at the same time, who knew when she'd get a chance to face Ao alone again? If Weiss could take her out now, then they would have Myrka's right-hand man and closest friend in custody. Maybe a deal could be brokered. Maybe the attack could be averted all together.
Damn it! What do I do? Weiss wrapped her fingers around Myrtenaster's grip and slid it a few inches out of its sheath before slowly sliding it back. She jostled her Dust pouch, making sure it was full. She made all the preparations she needed to attack, but couldn't convince herself to commit.
Story of my life, she thought bitterly. I couldn't bring myself to commit to Ruby, and now I'm hiding here, like a deer caught in a spotlight. Damn it, Weiss! For once in your life, make a decision!
Ao made it for her. "Come on out, Little Schnee. I know you're hiding there."
Weiss flinched. How the… She shook her head. It didn't matter. There was no choice now but to attack. If Ao knew she was here, then there'd be no quiet retreat.
The air felt cold as Weiss sucked in a breath. The heels of her shoes clacked against the concrete floor as she stood and rounded the pillar, stepping into the light. Their eyes locked immediately and Weiss almost flinched again. Ao had changed in the last five years. No flashy, blue dress this time. She wore combat gear. The blades at her hips looked vicious, ready for use—though the gaping hole at each pommel that seemed to run the length of the hilt of each blade confused her.
"Well, well, well," Ao said with a smile. A cold smile. Her lips said she was amused, while her eyes said she was ready to kill. "Aren't you the clever detective?"
Weiss didn't respond. She sucked in another cold breath and felt it settle in her lungs. She willed the cold to fill her. It was time for emptiness, time for heartlessness. Time for the Ice Queen.
"Unfortunately," Ao continued. "I can't let you leave now, Little Schnee. I've got orders from up high, and you… need to die."
Weiss raised an eyebrow. Orders from Myrka? About me? Why would he want me dead?
Ao smirked again as she read the questions in Weiss' eyes. "Did you think we wouldn't find out who the four were who foiled our plans last time? Or your other four friends?"
Weiss glowered, still silent.
"Yes indeed," Ao laughed. The sound was like shattering ice. No joy in that laugh, only cruelty. Ao smirked as she counted off on her fingers. "You, Xiao Long, Belladonna, Arc, Nikos, Valkyrie, Lie, and… what was the last one… Ah yes, Ruby Rose."
A rising anger threatened to break through the ice that was wrapped around her heart. She opened her mouth, almost spoke, but held the rage back. You would threaten Ruby? she shrieked silently.
Myrtenaster sang as it cleared its sheath. The cylinder of Dust spun until the Freeze Dust was lined up with the barrel. Ao sneered and reached for her belt. Weiss saw the canisters of Dust running around it and watched Ao pull out two—one Burn Dust and one Freeze Dust—and slide them into the hilts of her short swords.
Ah, Weiss thought. Ao's weapon was similar to Myrtenaster, but it would only hold one type of Dust at a time; she didn't have Weiss' revolving cylinder. It had been a while since Weiss had fought a Dust user.
All traces of cruelty vanished from Ao's face as she drew her swords. The woman looked… sad. "I am sorry for this, Little Schnee."
The Ice Queen sneered.
Ao sighed. "So be it." She raised her blades.
The room was utterly silent as they watched each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. The only sound that Weiss could hear was her own breathing.
They moved at the same time.
Weiss conjured a glyph at her feet and propelled herself towards the woman.
Ao swung her right-hand sword, sending a scythe-blade of ice rocketing towards the Huntress.
Weiss ducked under the flying ice, sliding along the concrete. Another glyph knocked her upright. She toppled forward—the glyph's launch was too powerful—and cartwheeled towards Ao with one hand. As she finished a full rotation and stood on her feet once more, their blades clashed.
Ao blocked Weiss' strike with crossed blades. She maintained the block with her right-hand blade, while pulling back and lashing out with the left. A gout of fire exploded around Weiss' knees. The Huntress jumped upwards, pushing against Ao's right-hand sword with Myrtenaster to propel herself up and over the woman.
Ao spun as Weiss landed and swung both blades. A cross of fire and ice slammed into Huntress. She blocked the damage with Myrtenaster and her aura, but was still knocked back a few metres.
As the shards of Dust tinkled out of existence, the room returned to silence. Weiss couldn't help but smile. Ao was good. The woman didn't share Weiss' good cheer; she still gazed at Weiss with melancholic, but determined, eyes, saying nothing.
Weiss spun to the right and swung her rapier. Three razor sharp crystals of ice appeared in the wake of her blade and rocketed towards Ao. The woman swung her left-hand sword down and a wall of flame flared up, melting the ice. A spear of fire lanced towards the Huntress as the wall faded. She grimaced and dodged behind a pillar. The fire exploded against the concrete, and Weiss felt the heat wash over her arms.
She dashed forward, and just in time. There was a loud crack and as she spun, Weiss saw a vicious-looking chunk of ice stabbed through the pillar. Ao appeared in a cloak of flame on the right, and Weiss stabbed at the ground. A thick wall of ice appeared between them, right in Ao's path.
The Huntress spun around the wall, spinning Myrtenaster's cylinder. Ao crashed into the ice and a cloud of steam shielded her from view. Weiss swung her rapier upwards, sending a gust of wind into the steam. The cloud cleared and revealed Ao, charging towards her with a lance of ice leading the way.
Another spin and a gust of wind knocked the ice aside, and Weiss met Ao's attack with Myrtenaster. Fighting a dual-wielder with one blade was not an easy task, as Weiss soon remembered. Ao's swords were a blur of steel, fire and ice. Weiss barely managed to get Myrtenaster in the way each time.
She fell back beneath the woman's onslaught. Unable to press forward, Weiss conjured a glyph at her feet and flipped backwards. As she landed, she swung Myrtenaster in a vicious arc. The typhoon that erupted from her blade sent Ao careening backwards.
Silence fell once more.
The only sound was the two of them panting. Ao looked at her with a measure of respect added to the melancholy. The woman glanced at her blades for an instant, and Weiss noticed two clear windows in the grips that showed each Dust canister was a bit more than half-full. They met each other's gaze once again and eyed one another. Weiss realised something else as she looked into the woman's eyes. There would be no taking Ao into custody after this fight. Only one of them was making it out of this room alive.
Neptune tapped his foot impatiently on the tarmac as the airship settled down. The sun was beginning to drift towards the horizon now; with every millimetre it sank, his stomach sank a mile. The longer they took to get to Weiss, the more likely it was that something was going to go wrong.
Damn it, he thought with a grimace. Come on… hurry up!
After a century, the back door to the airship folded down and Ruby tottered down it, rubbing at her eyes. She gasped in shock when Neptune appeared in front of her.
"Neptune! What are you—"
"Weiss has already gone in. She needs back up. We have to go. Now!"
Ruby was alert and serious in an instant. "Alright. Lead the way." She nodded for him to go on.
He smiled at her composure and took off at a run. They cut through the terminal and came out on another landing platform, where his airship was ready and waiting. It was smaller than the one Ruby had come in on, meant for use around the city rather than intercontinental travel. The door was open and waiting for them. Ruby dashed ahead of him as they approached and leapt onto the ship. Neptune jumped up after her and slammed the door shut behind him.
"Ready to go!" he shouted at the pilot. He got a thumbs up in return and settled down in a seat as the airship rocked. It rose steadily off the ground and shot out over Haven and into the airspace above Mistral.
"How long?" Ruby asked.
Unsure of what she was asking, Neptune floundered for a response. "It'll take us about five minutes to get there, and Weiss would have gone in ten minutes ago."
Ruby frowned and nodded. Her right foot was tapping frantically as she tried to keep herself calm. Neptune wanted to say something to calm her down, but had nothing. He hadn't seen Ruby in years, and they'd never exactly been the closest even when he was around. He'd gotten along with Weiss right off the bat, but whenever Ruby was around, the red-haired girl had only wanted Weiss' attention. So he opened his mouth, found he had nothing to say, closed it again, and then wished that Sun was around. He'd have known what to say. He always did.
Neptune closed his eyes and mentally kicked himself. Stop it, Nep. More important things to worry about now. When he opened his eyes, they were full of determination. He'd gotten Weiss stuck in this mess, and he'd be damned if he couldn't get her out of it.
He glanced out the window at the city speeding past. Come on… Faster!
They danced in the near-silence of combat. A pirouette. A lunge. A vault. Twisting and turning like a bough in the wind. They danced to the rhythm of footsteps, the clash of steel, the roar of Dust. The drumbeats of footsteps echoed off the concrete walls, and both fought the distraction that presented. The clang of cymbals as blade struck blade was like a thunderclap. Lights flickered as they danced to and fro. The shadows strewn about the sides of the room danced with them.
Caught in the furious dance, all Weiss could do was keep up. She lost herself in the flurry of combat. She didn't think, didn't plan. Not anymore. Now she just attacked, defended, dodged and desperately tried to keep her lungs full. With barely a moment to breathe before the next blow was struck, the latter was proving difficult.
Not to say that Ao was doing any better. The woman's black hair was sticking to her face, glued in place by the sweat that ran from her forehead and threatened to blind her. Her breath came out in ragged gasps, much like Weiss'. The canisters of Dust she had loaded into her blades had been exhausted mere moments ago and she'd not found a chance to reload.
That was the only goal Weiss was clinging to. She needed to keep Ao from reloading. The woman was an excellent Dust user; whoever had trained her was clearly a master. Not even the instructors at Beacon would be able to train anyone that skilful. But there was something… unnatural about it. Weiss had sparred with, and earnestly fought against, true Dust-wielding masters, and none of them had the level of control and finesse that Ao had.
Weiss spun Myrtenaster's cylinder and pulled the trigger. Time slowed. Weiss could pick out every strand of flying hair as Ao dashed toward her; they seemed to drag through the air with all the speed of a turtle in sand. A hint of surprise began to show on the woman's face—the only expression she had shown besides sadness since their duel had begun—and Weiss struck.
One of Ao's blades managed to deflect the blow upwards and to the side. The tip of the rapier sliced across her cheek rather than impaling her. Even with Weiss' distortion of time, the wound was healed before Myrtenaster had finished the cut. Ao's aura was still working perfectly, unlike Weiss: her aura was still recovering from the exertion of her landing. It was working, but nowhere near as efficiently.
There was a cut across her ribs—a lucky strike that Ao had slipped around her guard—and it was making it hard to move as she should. The wrong twist in her torso sent a spasm of pain down her side, and tore the half-healed wound open once again. Her aura had been trying to heal it for the last couple of minutes, and whenever it was almost done, it tore open anew.
Weiss struck again, with less success. Ao reacted quicker this time, and knocked the thrust cleanly to the side. The Huntress nearly stumbled forward as her blade met no resistance, but turned it into a tight spin and lashed out once again in an upwards slash.
Somehow, Ao moved at almost the same speed. She stopped the strike dead with the base of one sword, and swung at Weiss' head with the other. The Huntress, caught by surprise, was forced the dance backwards, giving Ao space—the last thing she wanted to do.
The woman danced away as well, creating even more space, and reached for her belt. Weiss muttered a sharp curse and strained her aura once again. A glyph appeared at her feet as she spun the cylinder of her weapon. She was launched forward and upward, lashing out with Myrtenaster. Blades of licking flame flashed downwards, engulfing Ao. Weiss held no hope that the fires had harmed the woman: she was merely trying to distract her.
Ao lunged, wreathed in flame, and a chunk of ice flew towards the falling Huntress. Weiss swore. With nowhere to go, the ice hit her. Though she blocked it with Myrtenaster, she was sent flying backwards and crashed into a pillar. With a groan, she forced herself to her feet and looked up.
She expected a monologue, gloating words of victory, or at least a maniacal grin. Instead, Ao checked to make sure her blades had been reloaded properly and looked at Weiss with those cold, emotionless eyes, waiting.
The Huntress gritted her teeth and readied her blade once more. A glyph propelled her along the floor in a rapid, long-distance lunge. Ao showed no reaction as Weiss bore down on her. At the last second, the woman stepped forward and to the left. With a flick of her right hand, she knocked Myrtenaster upwards. Then she spun, holding out her left-hand blade in a reverse grip. It was only Weiss' instinctual dodge that saved her life. Rather than the blade slicing into her side and tearing into a lung, it sliced across her ribs.
The Huntress cried out in pain as she felt blood flow down her side. Ao didn't give her time to dwell on it. In a flash, the woman was attacking again. This time, the flashing blades were accompanied by burst of flame and shards of ice. Weiss felt the burns blistering her skin and the ice cutting into her arms, but she focused on blocking the blades. Those were what would kill her.
Ice appeared on the floor beneath her feet, and Weiss stumbled. As Ao lunged forward to make the most of the opening, the Huntress plunged the razor sharp point of Myrtenaster through the ice and into the concrete. It held her upright, and she used it as a lever to flip herself up and to the left. Ao's lunged flashed by, barely missing, and the woman slipped away on her own ice.
Weiss tore Myrtenaster free as she spiralled upwards and spun the cylinder. As she began to fall, she unleashed another typhoon. Ao struggled to stay in one place this time, fighting back against the wind. Weiss dashed forward as she landed, still sending a gale ahead of her advance. The winds died as the Huntress jumped over the ice. Ao straightened and tried to bring up her weapons, but Weiss' feet slammed into her chest before she had a chance.
The woman was knocked backwards and slammed into the concrete. Weiss lunged forwards once again, and the woman flipped upwards to avoid it. Unable to ready herself before Weiss struck, Ao's attempt at blocking the blow only resulted in her left-hand blade being knocked out of her hand. Baring her teeth, Weiss pressed hard. She swung at the remaining weapon and, when Myrtenaster was deflected to the right, used the momentum of the swing to spin herself around. She lashed out with both feet. One hit the woman in the forearm, loosening her grip, and the other knocked the sword from her grasp.
Weiss didn't rest, even though her opponent was disarmed; there was no way Ao would give up. As she landed, she slammed a shoulder into Ao's chest and knocked the woman into a wall. The Huntress spun the cylinder and swung her blade. A long, jagged spear of ice appeared in the air and flashed towards the woman. The Huntress bared her teeth again.
Everything seemed to slow as the lethal shard of ice rocketed towards the unarmed woman's chest. Ao raised a hand as if to protect herself, and Weiss closed her eyes, waiting for the sickening crunch that was about to come as the ice shattered the woman's arm and impaled her.
But there was no sound. Weiss opened her eyes again and took a step back as a mix of shock and horror passed through her.
Ao's eyes were locked onto hers, filled with sorrow and mourning. Never had Weiss seen eyes as saddened as Ao's seemed right now. "I am sorry for this, Little Schnee." Weiss had taken her words as a taunt—a cocky boast—but now she believed it.
The lance of ice was hovering in the air, inches from Ao's palm. A mist of vapour fell around it as it hung unmoving.
Weiss' mouth fell open. "H-h-how…" she breathed. Ao made no response.
Before Weiss could say anything else, the woman pushed. The spear tore across the space between them, and Weiss barely managed to get Myrtenaster in the way. The ice shattered around her. Before Weiss could react, Ao was leaping at her. The Huntress dove to the side and unthinkingly lashed out with Myrtenaster, sending another chunk of ice at the woman.
Ao raised a hand and the ice swung around her and snapped in two; each shard hovered above her shoulders as she waited for Weiss to get back to her feet. Weiss swore silently. She didn't know how Ao was doing what she was doing, but it wasn't good. Weiss had fought with Dust for her entire life; it had become a habit—an instinct. Trying to stop now would make this fight much more difficult.
The spears flashed forward. The Huntress back-flipped away and heard the ice shatter on the floor below her. As she righted herself, she caught a glimpse of Ao dashing towards her fallen swords. Weiss bared her teeth and spun Myrtenaster's cylinder. A burst of fire tore towards Ao. The woman barely looked as she waved a hand; the flame bounced off nothing and exploded against a pillar.
Weiss swore. A glyph sent her rocketing after Ao, but too slow. The woman scooped up her weapons, and spun to face Weiss' attack. No dodging this time. Ao swung her right-hand blade at the ground and a wall of ice sprouted up just in time to catch Myrtenaster. The Huntress jerked to a halt and cried out in pain as the wounds on her side tore open again.
Something sheared through the wall of ice at the bottom, and it toppled over. Weiss was pulled forward by her grip on Myrtenaster. She let the rapier go and was flung forward. She tried to spin as she flew and landed facing Ao, her shoes sliding a metre or two on the concrete.
Ao's expression still hadn't changed. A cloud of blue drifted around her, catching Weiss' eye. The blue dust drifted towards her swords and wrapped around the blades. For an instant, her grip tightened on the swords, and she winced slightly with effort; the cloud of Freeze Dust suddenly became ice. Ao's two short swords were now a pair of two-metre-long broadswords, forged almost entirely of ice.
Weiss glanced towards her fallen sword. Too far away. She'd never make it to the rapier before the blades of ice sliced her in two. Her aura was too exhausted at this point; she'd never survive another serious blow. Defying her determination to win, Weiss' eyes glanced towards the door.
"No, Little Schnee." Ao said. Weiss had thought the woman's eyes to be melancholic; her voice bespoke an even greater sorrow than eyes could ever convey. The last time Weiss had heard a voice like that was… when she'd left Ruby.
Remembering her betrayal of the love of her life wasn't an encouraging thought, but thinking Ruby's name was enough to stiffen her resolve. Ruby wouldn't run. Ruby would fight on, no matter what. And so will I. She was a Huntress after all.
A shadow of a smile flickered across Ao's face, and Weiss saw the same hint of respect as before appear amidst the sadness in her eyes. The Huntress grinned back; a joyless smile, filled with naught but determination.
Ao lunged then, and the ice seemed to sing. A cry to match Ao's sorrow filled the room as the blades came. Weiss danced back, but the blades seemed to grow, chasing her. She threw herself backwards and slid along the concrete on her side. The Huntress picked herself up and half-crawled, half-ran behind a nearby pillar. Ice hewed it almost in two; the blade that had cut into the stone stopped almost three quarters of the way through the pillar. The concrete creaked in pain and the ice snapped as Ao tore the blade free.
Weiss dove behind the next pillar, hoping to make her way gradually to her fallen weapon. Ao saw through the ruse immediately: a wall of flame appeared in Weiss' way. Weiss slid to a stop and dove back behind the near-destroyed pillar. She glanced at the wall of flame with no small hint of fear. She needed to move, needed to get Myrtenaster, needed to fight. Ice sang again, and Weiss knew that this time the pillar would prove no protection. Gritting her teeth, knowing that she was about to do one of the stupidest things she'd ever done, the Huntress threw herself through the wall of flame.
Pain covered her entire body, and she shrieked. When she came out the other side, her senses were overpowered by the piercing agony and the scent of burning hair. The world had turned white, and Weiss wasn't sure if she'd gone blind, or if she couldn't see through the pain. Regardless, the Huntress threw herself towards the weapon she knew was nearby. Her determination broke through the pain and the world shifted back into focus. Myrtenaster's grip appeared right in front of her hand, and she grasped it.
The feel of steel in her hand once again was like a salve for fears, pains, and doubt. With a weapon in hand, she could fight back. And fight back she did. She spun the cylinder and blew a gale through the room. The flames went out, and Ao was buffeted back by the wind.
Weiss' grin was wiped from her face before it even had a chance to really appear. A second after the wind began, Ao continued her advance. Her hair was flicked about by the hurricane, but the wind seemed to bend around her body and offered no resistance to her approach. Weiss swore. Whatever control this woman had over Dust, it was proving very problematic.
Spinning her cylinder once again, Weiss charged through the wind and swung her rapier. A massive chunk of ice cut a swath through the winds, and Weiss met it with all the strength she had left. For an instant, she thought the ice would hold, but a burst of Burn Dust weakened it enough that Myrtenaster smashed through. The flames vanished before Ao had a chance to control them, and Weiss prepared to do the same for the other ice-blade.
The second blade swung toward her, and Weiss raised Myrtenaster to meet it. But before she could release the burst of fire, the ice shattered. Blinded by the sudden cloud of Dust and ice crystals sharp as glass, Weiss swung her rapier at the ground and released the flames, in an attempt to buy a moment to gather herself.
The flames exploded as soon as they left Myrtenaster's barrel, and engulfed the Huntress. She screamed in pain as she staggered, but tried her best to stay upright. They say that already burned skin feels the touch of flame worse the second time around, and that moment proved it true. Every place the flames had licked her before shrieked at her, and she almost lost her grip on her sword.
As the flames began to fade, and Weiss managed to contain herself, she turned towards Ao and raised Myrtenaster.
She felt a sudden jolt, heard a cruel snick, and then cold filled her veins.
The flames vanished in a whirl of heat, and Weiss was left standing in place, numb. She tried to breathe out, but something stopped her. The muscles just didn't want to move. Something warm touched her stomach. She raised a hand to her chest, unsure of what had gone wrong, and felt the heartless cold of steel.
Looking down, Weiss saw one of Shinu Ao's short swords buried to the hilt in her chest, right between her breasts. Her instinct was to gasp in shock, but something stopped her from doing that. The air wouldn't flow. The muscles still refused to move. There was a distant clatter as Myrtenaster fell from her hand, now gone numb.
Ao was standing chest-to-chest with Weiss, looking stoically at something—or nothing—behind the Huntress. The sorrow that she'd borne for the entire fight had never seemed more sincere, or less comforting. Weiss looked towards the woman's eyes, but Ao firmly kept her gaze averted.
"Know that I take no pleasure in this, Schnee." Ao said quietly, her voice as gentle as a lover's kiss. With a sigh, she twisted the blade.
Weiss felt something shift and tear inside her, and her eyes widened in the sudden blast of agony. It was too much to bear; her knees buckled, and she fell. The sound of Ao's blade sliding out of her chest, grating against the bone, was sickening. It wasn't until that moment, when the blood was let loose—like a cork pulled from a bottle of wine—that Weiss realised she was dying.
She toppled forward. The concrete didn't even hurt as she thumped into it, so numb was her body. Hands grabbed her and rolled her on to her back. Weiss looked up into the eyes of her killer and hadn't the strength to spit in her face. Ao held Myrtenaster in one hand, and grabbed Weiss' left hand with the other.
The killer pressed the grip of the rapier in Weiss' left hand, and rested the Huntress's right hand atop the left before straightening. "You fought well, Schnee. Let that be a comfort to you. A warrior of your calibre should die with their sword in hand." She frowned, as if wanting to say more, but turned away. "I'll leave you in peace," she sighed, with her back to Weiss. "It may be only a small comfort, or no comfort at all, but know that I am sorry it came to this." And with that, the killer was gone.
The fingers of Weiss' right hand traced Myrtenaster's pommel, the sword she'd carried with the utmost pride for so many years. The weapon of a true warrior. A protector of the people. A Huntress.
She cast it aside.
The sword slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor next to her. She didn't want to die a Huntress. She bared her teeth as she tried to suck in a breath, but still she couldn't. Her lungs cried out in pain, and black spots appeared before her eyes.
Weiss put all her remaining effort into raising her left hand to her throat. Her fingers—all feeling gone from them now—fumbled at the delicate chain that hung there. With an effort, she tugged it free and grasped the pendant in her fist. She raised the hand and gazed at the crimson rose that dangled free; the once unstained silver now painted red.
No.
She had lived as a Huntress; she wouldn't die as one.
She would die as Weiss Schnee: lover and—had she been given the chance—wife of Ruby Rose.
A tear ran down her face at the thought. She tried to sob, but whatever was stopping her breathing stopped that too. At the very last, even that was denied her.
Weiss didn't cry for herself. She'd been a Huntress for too long to fear death. She'd been ready for it ever since she'd been admitted to Beacon. But now, even having shed that cloak, she cried not for herself, but for Ruby. The little, red-haired girl who had tagged along after her ever since their first day at Beacon. The girl who had—ever so gradually—won Weiss' heart. The woman who would be shaken and broken to her very core because of this.
Right as we were about to see each other again too, Weiss thought bitterly. She laughed—tried to at least, all she could manage was a small shrug—and winced at the pain that broke through the cold. Just my luck.
Weiss Schnee pressed the rose—the only symbol she had of her Ruby—to her chest and closed her eyes. There was nothing left to see anyway; her vision had faded to black. Her body felt light as a fallen feather in a summer breeze.
An image of Vale appeared before her. The grass blowing back and forth in the wind that rolled in from the harbour. Weiss looked out at the bay from halfway up the hill she and Ruby had used for picnics. The city stretched out below her, and the light of the sun danced on the water.
A voice called her name.
Weiss turned to see Ruby at the top of the hill, with a smile on her face and her hand outstretched. Weiss took a step towards her love, a smile tugging at her lips. Ruby's smile widened.
"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby called, reaching further down the hill. "We're going to be late."
Weiss glanced over her shoulder once more, at the bay, and then reached for Ruby's hand. She opened her mouth to speak.
"I love you, Ruby" She couldn't say the words, something stopped her, but they rang through the air nonetheless.
Ruby blushed and her grin widened until her teeth showed. "Come on!" She shoved Weiss playfully on the shoulder. "Everyone's waiting."
Weiss laughed as Ruby grabbed her hand and dragged her up the hill.
Weiss Schnee, the woman lying broken and bleeding on a concrete floor in a warehouse in Mistral, smiled. A drop of blood ran from her mouth and down her cheek. She squeezed the rose once more, for luck.
Her hand went limp.
Ruby and Neptune stepped of the airship and onto the roof of the warehouse looking around in confusion. There wasn't a single guard in sight.
"I thought you said this place was well-guarded," Ruby said over her shoulder.
Neptune shrugged at her back before peeking over the roof. "It was. I don't know why they're gone now."
"Well it can't be good. Come on. Let's find Weiss."
Ruby jumped off the roof and landed near the door to the warehouse. Neptune watched for a second before following suit. He was content to let her take the lead now. Ruby had always been the more accomplished fighter, and if it came down to saving Weiss, no one would fight harder than her.
By the time he reached the ground, she was already inside. The room was utterly empty. Not a soul in sight. The Huntsman frowned and looked around. The freight elevator—the first place Weiss would have gone after finding no one on the ground floor—was in the corner.
He and Ruby climbed down the ladder and came out in the basement. They glanced around, but the lights were only on in the centre of the room, making it difficult to make out any shapes near them.
It was eerily quiet. Neptune remembered that, even months afterwards. It was so quiet. Like a tomb. He couldn't help but make the comparison, and regretted it forever after. As they stepped into the middle of the room, into the light, Ruby's scythe clattered to the ground.
Neptune glanced at her and saw the moment when the colour left her face. Her skin turned as white as Weiss' hair and her mouth opened and closed frantically, like she was gasping for breath.
"No…" she breathed. "No no no no no no no." Terror crept into her voice.
Neptune followed her gaze and felt a sucker punch to the gut.
Weiss was lying underneath a fluorescent light, utterly still. The light glinted off the pool of blood that spread around her. Her hands were clasped at her chest, and—the most heartbreaking detail—she was smiling.
Ruby was next to her in a flash of rose petals. The Huntress came to a stop at the edge of the puddle of blood, as if unsure of how to proceed. Before Neptune had a chance to follow, she stepped in the scarlet pool, whimpering as the blood stained her boot.
She knelt down—her jacket dragged in the blood, but she didn't seem to care anymore—and touched a hand to Weiss' face.
"No… No no no. Come on, Weiss, wake up." Neptune heard her pleading as he approached with his heart in his throat. "Weiss… Please. Not now. You can't do this to me now."
"Ruby…" Neptune called out to her, but she didn't seem to hear him.
She shook Weiss' shoulder and Neptune caught a glimpse of the back of his old friend's white clothes, stained red. Ruby let out a sob as she said Weiss' name again. Neptune took another step closer, his shoe almost touching the pool of red, and half-raised his hand, but another whimper from Ruby stopped him in his tracks.
The Huntress wrapped her arms around Weiss and lifted the pale woman into her lap. A hand caressed Weiss' face, gently brushing a loose hair behind her ear.
Ruby rocked gently back and forth. "Come on, Weiss, wake up," she whispered, just on the edge of Neptune's hearing. "Come on. We were just about to become friends again… Don't do this to me, Weiss. Not now. Not after so long. Not when were so… close." The sound of Ruby's voice breaking was the most miserable, sorrowful thing that Neptune had ever heard. He felt his heart break at the sound.
"Weiss!" A hint of anger worked its way in Ruby's still-breaking voice. "Wake up! Don't do this!" She shook the unmoving woman. Weiss' hands came apart and something small and silver fell free.
Neptune stepped into the ring of red and grabbed Ruby's shoulders. "Ruby! Stop!"
Ruby lashed out, and Neptune grabbed her wrists, dragging her away. Weiss slumped back onto the ground, as if she didn't even notice all the blood she was lying in.
Ruby punched Neptune, sobbed, and punched him again. "She can't be gone, Nep. She can't be gone!"
Not knowing what to do, Neptune wrapped his arms around Ruby. For a moment, the girl—for in that moment, that was all she was—fought back, but soon gave in and sobbed into his chest. Neptune held her, saying nothing, just watching Weiss.
Grief struck him then. She really was gone. The only consolation he felt was the peaceful smile she wore. At least she was at peace when she left. Though the tear that still clung to her cheek made him wonder what had been going through her mind at the end.
Ruby peeked out of his arms, towards Weiss, sniffling. As soon as she caught sight of the fallen Huntress, she wailed. She sank to her knees, her face buried in her hands, and wailed once more, her voice a mournful dirge to break the silence of the room.
Neptune didn't know how long he stood with Ruby at his feet, crying her grief. It felt like a year, maybe two. A lifetime. But eventually, Ruby's sobs subsided. Neptune looked away from the body of his friend and down at the red-haired girl.
She got to her feet, a fierce determination on her face. Her lips moved as she looked down at Weiss. "One for all; all or nothing." What the hell is she talking about? Whatever it was, a strength appeared in Ruby's eyes. One he hadn't seen in anyone before. She looked down at the body of the one she loved, and Neptune saw the instant where she stopped the tears, and hardened her heart.
Wiping away the tears that still rested on her cheeks, Ruby knelt next to Weiss once more.
"One for all, and all or nothing," she repeated. "I'm sorry, Weiss. Sorry I couldn't make it in time. If only…" Ruby shook her head as she trailed off. "Doesn't matter now, does it?" The girl let out a bitter laugh and stroked Weiss' cheek. She glanced at Weiss' chest, and reached out to touch the pendant that hung there.
"You kept it all this time…" she whispered as she picked up the rose and gently stroked with her thumb.
Ruby leaned over and gently pressed her lips to Weiss'. "I love you, Weiss."
The Huntress got to her feet, and Neptune saw a fire smouldering behind her eyes. There was grief there as well, but the strength in that fire held it at bay.
"I'm going to find who did this, Weiss. I promise you that." Taking a deep breath, Ruby tore her gaze away from Weiss' fallen body. The Huntress was a terrifying figure: blood soaked into her jacket, her boots, her pants, and was spattered across her shirt like a deathly mosaic. She looked down at her hands—not a speck of white skin was left visible—and clenched them into fists.
Ruby sent one last glance towards what was once Weiss Schnee.
"And then I'm going to make them pay."