The bruise on the side of her face faded, leaving only a thin white scar where Adam's blade grazed her cheek, but it was nothing compared to the scars left by her family.
Weiss spent the next few days either alone indoors or out in the forest with Violet. Weiss could never shake the feeling of eyes on her whenever she went out – and it wasn't because of the villagers.
Whenever she went out, she'd sometimes catch Adam out of the corner of her eye, standing out from the green foliage like a red rose. He never made another attempt to attack but he also did little to conceal his presence.
When she wasn't helping Violet with outdoor work, she spent her day watching the village from the window. She'd memorised the village's quiet routine without realizing it.
Every morning the villagers went into the forest to complete the day's tasks. Ash led the loggers out first, then the hunters followed, and finally, the foraging team. The elderly and pregnant stayed behind, along with a few armed guards, helping each other with errands and looking after kids. Those foraging usually trickled back at around noon, sometimes dividing their goods with each other.
On warm nights, they gathered outside after dark for a community bonfire. Songs, dances, and food were shared amongst the group. Violet and Ash took turns staying inside with her during evening events.
Weiss once read that the Faunus were unable to function as a community before Human intervention. Their animalistic tendencies made coexistence impossible unless they shared the same animal genes—
It was all bullshit. Every last word was baked in lies.
Everything Adam said about her family was true. Even the accusations Blake threw at her were valid. How could she have been so blind when two of her closest friends were Faunus?
Weiss wondered how old the villagers were when they got branded. Were they kids? Parents?
Was he scared when it happened?
The night he struggled to rest his back against the wall came back to her in vivid detail. She never found out what caused him so much pain, but now she had a sickening idea of what it could be.
He was only seven.
Was there anything she could've done to keep him from losing his heart? If she was a bit more clever; asked a bit more questions, would she have been able to help him?
It was pointless to think of what-ifs. No matter how badly she felt about the abuse her family inflicted on him, she couldn't mix who he was now with the person he once was.
Adam was still the person that hurt Yang and attacked Beacon. It didn't matter how kind he was in the past. She couldn't let that cursed journal entry skew how she saw him today.
Today, he was a monster.
The cold hard truth broke her heart every time.
"You're going to attract the Grimm if you keep sulking like that." Violet would often say whenever she found Weiss gazing out the window.
"I'm sorry." Weiss' response was always the same before she took her sulking to her bedroom.
Weiss didn't know what compelled her to leave the house that day. Violet and Ash invited her to go out with them, but she declined. She could barely crawl out of bed that morning, let alone go outside.
She was staring out the window as usual when she saw one of the villagers drop a crate of apples. A man with rabbit ears collected the fruits as fast as he could, profusely apologising to anyone who stumbled over his mess.
He dropped more apples along the way as he struggled to carry them all back to his crate. Weiss was out of the house before she could think over the situation.
She was aware of the eyes and soft gasps that followed her, but it didn't stop her from picking up a handful of apples the man lost. The man had his back to her, carefully unloading his armful of apples into the small crate. She waited for him to finish before adding hers to the pile.
"Thanks, I–" The man recoiled back when he turned to face her.
"You looked like you could use some help," she explained shyly.
He didn't respond to her right away, continuing to gawk at her with his mouth wide open.
"I'll leave you alone if you–"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" A short, plump woman stormed towards her. Like the man, she too had a pair of long bunny ears.
"I was just leaving—"
"I swear to gods, if you did anything to my husband, I'll kill you!" The woman shoved Weiss so hard that she almost fell backwards.
"Honey, it's not worth it." The man tried to pull his wife back, but she swatted his hand away.
"No! I'm not going to watch another Schnee destroy my family!"
The villagers all recoiled at the mention of her family name.
Although Weiss never did anything to hurt the woman, she didn't feel it was right for her to defend herself. She was still the descendant of the Schnees. It was her guilt to bear.
She deserved this.
"Violet might be stupid enough to trust you, but you can't fool me!" The woman went on. "I don't know what you're planning, but I'll fucking kill you if you try to enslave us again!"
"H-honey, let's not provoke–"
"You can stop pretending you're hurt, by the way. Did you think the rest of us are stupid enough to pity a spoiled little princess?! Guess again, little girl, you don't own us anymore, and we won't bend to your every whim!"
"I-I seriously think we shouldn't try to insult–"
"I don't know what hell hole you crawled out of to get here, but you're delusional if you think we'll welcome you! Get the fuck out of my community and stay the fuck away!"
"C-calm down now–"
"She's right," Weiss whispered.
Even as the spectators stood silent, Weiss could tell the woman was speaking a sentiment shared by everyone. It was the way they nodded along and rallied closer to the woman as if readying themselves to protect her from Weiss.
They all hated her.
Weiss didn't normally care for the opinions of strangers, but this time she crumbled under the weight of the shared hostility. This time they had every right reason to justify their hatred of her.
How could she call herself a Huntress when she failed to notice the awful crimes committed right beneath her nose?
How could she defend herself when she let her friend suffer for years without batting an eye?
This was her punishment. She deserved every minute of it.
"Wow, what's going on here?"
Waiss' face burned when Ash returned to the village with chopped wood in both arms. His team of loggers murmured anxiously amongst each other once they noticed Weiss.
"We were having a chat," the woman replied. "Your guest wandered far from your house."
"I'm sorry," Weiss breathed. Her apology only deepened the scowl on the woman's face.
"Ah, well, I'm sure she was a bit tired from staying inside all day!" Ash laughed a bit too loudly. "C'mon, kiddo, let's get back home and sort this firewood out!"
Weiss followed Ash without another word. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of red. When she turned to look, there was nothing but trees.
"Can you hold some of these for me?" Ash asked once they were inside the house.
Weiss nodded and helped Ash carry some of the firewood as he piled the rest neatly by the hearth.
"You shouldn't let them get to you, kiddo," Ash said. "They've got reasons to be bitter, but it ain't fair to take it out on you."
"I-I know," she lied.
Ash looked over at her with a frown.
"It's not your job to shoulder the guilt of other people, Weiss."
"It was my family that hurt them," she spat. "I trained all my life to take over the business, Ash. It's my burden to bear too!"
She instantly regretted losing her temper with him and took a keen interest in the floor.
"Sorry. I need some time to think."
Ash sighed and offloaded the wooden blocks she was holding.
"Call if you need anything, kiddo."
She nodded before running straight to the privacy of her room. Weiss didn't emerge from her bed until Ash gently informed her it was time for dinner.
The next day, Weiss woke up to the sound of rainwater pelting her window and muffled singing outside her door. She had every intention to use the miserable weather to fuel her self-loathing, but the music outside ruined all attempts to savour the gloomy weather. Curious about the commotion, she rolled out of bed and cracked open her door.
The radio was playing a song she couldn't recognise. Violet sang along to the broadcast as she cooked, and Ash sang (off-key) with her while dusting. Sometimes he'd dramatically hit the high notes to make Violet laugh.
It was entrancing to see a couple enjoy each other's presence so much. Her parents never showed this level of enthusiasm even before their big falling out.
Weiss was an intruder to their private moment together. She should've retreated to her room and left them alone, but she couldn't look away. Something about the scene kept her rooted, hypnotised by how well they worked together. The longer she watched Violet and Ash, the more her chest ached.
"I'm making roasted boar and desserts!" Violet said when she noticed Weiss' presence. "You're welcome to join me, dear."
"I don't know how to cook." She blushed.
"Then it's a perfect time to learn! Come on, it's very easy!"
"I don't want to intrude…"
"You're not intruding, kiddo!" Ash exclaimed. "Come on, the more, the merrier!"
"He's right. It's not every day we have so many people at home!"
They both waited for her response with welcoming grins. Weiss wanted to hide away in her room, but it felt selfish to ruin their day with her terrible mood. With great reluctance, she crashed their private party.
Ash welcomed her with a firm pat on the back while Violet excitedly beckoned her to the open binder. Their routine of singing and working continued as if nothing had interrupted it.
Weiss' bitter mood weakened the longer she immersed herself in Violet and Ash's stay-at-home routine. Violet kept a close eye on her around the stove, encouraging her through every step of the recipe. Ash's enthusiasm grew as the scent of breakfast mixed perfectly with that of burning wood. His energy made it difficult for her to remember why she wanted to sulk in bed all day.
The hearth's warmth completely melted the weight in her chest when they settled down to eat. Music and catchy melodies quieted her guilty conscious. Before she knew it, she was singing along to all their favourite songs. They taught her famous Anima folksongs, going as far as to lend her lyrical books so she could more easily follow along.
Weiss forgot about everything she learned the past few days - forgot about who she was and where she came from. For a couple of hours, she was just an ordinary girl singing her heart out in front of a cosy fireplace.
Her happy illusion of normalcy ended with terrified screams outside the house. Ash was in the middle of showing her an old card game when they first heard the noise. It brought their carefree day to a screeching halt.
"I'll be right back," Ash said to them, grabbing his axe before heading out.
Weiss and Violet hurried towards the window. Her heart quickened at the pack of Beowolves tearing through the village. It was eerily reminiscent of the attack on Beacon, but this time it was a bunch of civilians facing the monsters, not trained students.
"I need to help." She hurried into her room without waiting for Violet to respond.
Weiss emerged seconds later with her rapier in hand.
"Don't worry about me," she assured Violet. "I've had some formal training at Beacon. I know what I'm doing."
"Fine. But be careful, and don't get yourself killed out there."
Weiss nodded and charged outside. Some villagers confronted Grimm directly, while others focused on protecting the unarmed. Weiss hurried to Ash's side, disposing of the pack of Grimm overwhelming his group with a flurry of ice.
"Your shoulder alright, kiddo?" Ash grunted as he blocked a Beowolf from lunging at his face.
"I'll be fine," she said. In truth, her shoulder was still sore, but it was much easier to manoeuvre now.
"I'll take the left side, and you take the right!"
They fought together back to back. Weiss caught the surprised looks from the villagers fighting alongside them, but the threat of being mauled forced them to overlook their feud with her.
"Oi! The Alpha's here!" someone shouted.
A colossal Beowolf Grimm approached from the South end of the village. It was as tall as the wooden houses, its body protected in thick plates of bone-like armour. Despite its size, the creature was fast. Within a few strides, it was halfway into the village.
"Shit! We need to concentrate our forces on that thing!" Ash commanded. "Get your guns out and start firing! Swordsmen, keep the smaller Grimms off our backs!"
Bullets fired, but the monster shrugged off their attacks like they were small bug bites. They ceased firing as the Grimm advanced further into the village, snapping its jaws at nearby fighters.
They needed something big to rival it. Weiss cursed, frustrated with her lacklustre ability to summon. But she still had to try. Lives were at stake.
"Ash, cover me! I'm going to summon something to deal with that Grimm!"
He nodded and beckoned some other villagers to help him shield her from the smaller Grimm.
Weiss focused all her energy on summoning Armas Gigas. Even if she could only summon its arm, that would be enough to rival the colossal Grimm. A White Glyph formed beneath the Grimm's underbelly, allowing her Knight's blade to pass through and into the giant's chest.
The Grimm howled in pain. Bullets flew into the beast once more, but this time they finally caused the monster distress.
As if sensing its near demise, the monster charged at them with reckless abandon.
"Fall back!" Ash ordered.
All at once, the warriors made their retreat. Weiss followed the panicked crowd until she heard a distinct cry for help.
A familiar bunny-eared man lay crumbled on the ground. His leg lay bent in a funny position. He struggled to pull himself away from the fast-approaching Grimm. The front of his shirt was torn, revealing that ugly SDC scar on his damaged skin.
She summoned a line of Glyphs to the man. Ash called out her name, but it was too late, she was already closing in on her target.
The Beowolf raised its paw, white claws protruding out like jagged blades. Weiss held her breath and threw herself in front of the man.
Weiss didn't feel the hit at all. Time slowed to a crawl as she flew across the grass. She thought the Grimm had missed at first, but then her torso started burning. It grew worse and worse until she thought her body was on fire.
Weiss stared at the dark streak on the grass in a daze. It was so much like the puddle of Red Father left her in that night. Her breath caught in her throat. The storm from that night roared so loudly in her head that she no longer heard the panicked screams around her.
The ground trembled, drawing her attention back to the present.
The Grimm stalked towards her, licking its lips with a sinister grin. She couldn't bring herself to move or scream. It felt like some bizarre dream.
So this was what it was like to die.
It wasn't as scary as she'd imagined it to be, despite the monster staring down at her. It was almost peaceful. The incessant ringing in her ear made it easier to ignore the panicked voices in the background.
The last thing she remembered was a flash of red flying towards the Grimm, cutting it cleanly in half.
Weiss woke up to a dull ache across her midsection.
She was back in her bedroom with a cloth on her forehead and a bundle of blankets keeping her warm. It took her a second to remember all that had happened beforehand.
She gingerly rested an arm around her stomach, coming in contact with bandages.
Did the man survive? She would never forgive herself if he got mauled while she survived the ordeal. It wouldn't be fair. Not after what he endured at the hands of her family.
Violet entered the room with a soft gasp, cutting her thoughts short. She embraced Weiss, muttering soft thanks to gods she'd never heard of.
"I thought you were going to die," Violet breathed. "Don't ever do that again, Weiss."
"Is that guy alright?" she asked.
Violet looked as if Weiss had just insulted her. She shook her head and took the damp cloth off Weiss' forehead.
"You almost die, and the first thing you ask is about another person's well-being," Violet chided. "To answer your question, yes. He's perfectly fine…aside from a broken leg."
Weiss breathed a sigh of relief.
A sharp knock at the front door made Violet's ears perk up.
"I'll be right back. If you take a step out of this bed, I'm going to tie you down until your wounds are completely healed."
Weiss nodded. She wouldn't put it past her to go through with her threat.
Violet hurried out of the room and answered the door. Even from the confines of the guest room, Weiss still heard the heated conversation.
"We told you to kick that Human out!" an unfamiliar voice snapped.
"She is my guest. I will allow her to stay for as long as she pleases."
"That husband of yours was the exception, Violet! We will not tolerate any more Humans in this village—especially not a Schnee!"
"If I recall correctly, Weiss saved your grandson's life."
"We've never experienced a Grimm attack like that until that Human came to our village! Either you dispose of the scumbag, or we'll kick you and that filthy Human of yours out!"
"I'd like to see you try."
"Whoa! Ladies, let's take it easy!" Ash's voice cut through the tension like a knife.
Weiss didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversation. She'd already heard enough.
It was all her fault.
As a Huntress, she should've known better than to spend so many hours of the day sulking. It was only a matter of time before it attracted the Grimm.
Once again, a Schnee caused the Faunus community pain.
She was no different from Father.
Weiss curled her fingers into the sheets beneath her, glaring at the ceiling. The house fell back into silence once Ash and Violet managed to drive the angry villagers away.
"How are you holding up, kiddo?" Ash popped into the room with a warm grin.
"I need to leave," she said weakly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause everyone so much trouble—"
"It's foolish to blame a single girl for the Grimm attack," Violet piped in heatedly. "They are also to blame for the bitterness these past few days."
"They'd be happier if I wasn't here. For the safety of everyone–"
"And what good will it do to send you out in the wilderness half-dead?" Violet challenged. "It will not change the fact that the Grimm attacked us."
"But the villagers will feel safe again! They're terrified of me, Violet. I can see that now...I don't deserve to stay here. I don't deserve your help. Not after everything the SDC has done."
She didn't mean to say so much, but the damage was already done. Weiss turned her head to avoid looking at either Ash or Violet.
"When I told you the truth about this village, I wasn't doing it so you could wallow in guilt," Violet said gently. "I wanted you to understand why so many Faunus act hostile to Humans.
"You're in a unique position where your status as a Schnee and Huntress lets you directly confront groups like the White Fang and SDC. The villagers may be happier with you gone, but I think it'd be tragic if you died from your injuries.
"What good can a dead Huntress do?"
"You're overestimating how strong I am. I'm no hero," Weiss protested.
She wasn't strong or fearless like Winter. No matter how hard she tried, she could never be like her sister. Winter was a true hero. She was a fraud.
"I disagree, kiddo. You did a pretty amazing job weakening that massive Grimm," Ash consoled. "You might not feel like a hero, but the kids will be talking about what you did for days. That's not to mention the life you saved today. Give yourself more credit."
"He's right. The fact you care so much about us shows me you can help build a better future. How do you expect to help anyone by dying?"
Weiss hated the tears welling in her eyes. Back in Atlas, she'd learned to control her emotions even as Father threw insult after insult at her face. But now, bundled in a comfortable bed and receiving comfort she didn't deserve, Weiss couldn't hold it in anymore.
Why was she crying like a child when they were so nice to her?
"I'm sorry," she cried. Weiss wiped her face with the back of her hands, but no matter what she did, her face remained wet with fresh tears. "I-I've been so selfish. I never even considered what I could do to help make things better. I'm so sorry. I-"
Weiss didn't expect them both to embrace her. A light, fuzzy feeling welled up in her chest like a balloon. She had only felt this warmth a couple of times in her life – when Winter was still at home, when Mama still loved her, when Whitley was still her cheerful baby brother; when Father had showered them all in kindness.
She desperately hugged them back, holding onto them and the warmth in her chest as long as she could.
"Stay. You need the time to recover," Violet said when they finally broke away.
"Okay." Weiss finally caved. "Thank you for the hospitality. I owe you two everything."
"I think risking your life to save one of us is more than enough to get even." Violet consoled.
"As heroic as that was, never try that again. I'm too young to deal with high blood pressure," Ash said half-jokingly.
"I couldn't let him die."
"There's a fine line between heroism and stupidity, kiddo. If your friend hadn't stepped in to save you, I don't think you'd still be with us."
"My…friend?"
"It was Adam." Violet's answer made her heart stop. If it weren't for the seriousness on Violet's face, she would've never believed her. "He destroyed the Grimm before it could touch you."
"That's quite some friend you got there! Wish he could've stayed for a meal at least!" Ash added cheerfully, oblivious to the weight of Violet's words.
Big thanks to Yeet, LiteralTrash, Gleaming Onyx, Eramis8, A. 0001, and a guest reader for the reviews!
Another special thanks o Yeet for such a kind review! I'm very happy to see the last chapter did so well! It was one of the "big chapters" I was excited (and nervous) to share. This week's stuff is tamer compared to the previous chapter (I can't just hit you guys with continuous angst lol). Rest assured there are a few more "big chapters" coming up that I'm very eager to release!
To answer LiteralTrash's question about only uploading on weekends…it's simply because I like to make my readers wait LOL. (also I reread everything I'm about to publish a couple of days beforehand to make some finishing touches here and there).