Weiss tended to avoid the gardens throughout her childhood, on account of her mother spending so much time within the enclosure. Hidden between the walls of several corridors in the mansion that formed a long rectangle was a collection of exotic flowers, trees, vines, hedges, and bushes that few knew existed and fewer still had the opportunity to visit. A tall glass ceiling allowed light into the gardens while several heating bars embedded into the soil helped to keep the plant life from freezing in the harsh environs of Solitas. Looking around herself, Weiss could almost understand Willow Schnee's choice to simply hide amongst the blooms and pretend all was right with the world.
It would be very easy to simply lose oneself in the space for hours- almost as easy as losing oneself in a bottle.
Weiss wasn't entirely sure how long she had spent wandering the plant life and listening to the birds overheard. She had intended to enter the space to try to at least get some perspective from her mother's viewpoint before the inevitable confrontation, but deep down, she knew that it was all a lie. Stalling and running away was so much easier, especially while she was alone.
A sudden vibration in her pocket reminded Weiss that she wasn't.
Weiss drew her scroll and looked at the screen with mixed feelings. The call was both what she wanted and needed, and yet, she couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty that it had been made. She was supposed to be motivated and fighting for a righteous cause all on her own, and yet, some battles still seemed too difficult to face. The stakes couldn't possibly have been higher… but even knowing that truth, Weiss couldn't bring herself to rally and march forward. Playing her part was impossible, or at least, it would be without him.
"Marrow?" Weiss asked into the receiver as she held the scroll up to the side of her face. "I thought you were going to be busy all day…"
"I was, and I am," Marrow confirmed. "But I'm never too busy to make sure you're alright. So… are you alright? Did you find your mother yet?"
"I…" Weiss began, slowly sinking into a nearby bench. "…no. To both of those questions. I know where she is, I just haven't…"
There was a momentary pause before Marrow spoke again, his voice calm and steady.
"…I can be there in half an hour if you need me to be, but I know you want to do this on your own. It's okay to need help, Weiss…"
"No, I… I can't ask that of you," Weiss reasoned as she put her forehead into her free hand. "I need to just … step up. Everyone else is dealing with so much more than a simple family confrontation…"
"Don't downplay it like that," Marrow advised. "If doing this is hitting you this hard, then it's entirely understandable why you're having so much trouble. Stop blaming yourself, and just try to clear your head. I'll be here for you as soon as you're done, and we can work through the aftermath together. Just tell me what you need right now."
Weiss paused to consider the question. The answer came easily, but also seemed far too nebulous to be correct. Even so, she couldn't think of anything to do but share it.
"…tell me I can do it," Weiss replied. "I know you already have more than once, but I just… I need to hear it from you. I need to hear it in your voice again."
"You're the only one who can do it," Marrow offered. "I mean that. You know her, and you know the paths that both of you chose. If anyone can convince her to get out of the way and let you take charge, it's you. You've seen what we're up against, you've seen what your family has done and can do. Use that against her. You're in the right here, Weiss, and you know it. There's no doubt in my mind that you're going to come out of this successful, and that you can change everything for the better."
"…I can change everything," Weiss repeated as she removed her hand from her forehead and stood up from the bench. "I know what… I have to go. You're right. I know what I need to do, now. Marrow, you're brilliant."
"I am?" Marrow asked, not quite following.
"You are," Weiss confirmed. "Brilliant, and the only one in my thoughts for most of today. I'll be back in a few hours, and then we need to… I don't know, but I need you."
"And I'll be here. Good luck. You've got this."
"I do," Weiss agreed. "See you soon."
With the push of a digital button, Weiss ended the call and began to stride through the hedges ahead. She walked with purpose, heading straight for the nearest door leading back into the mansion. A connection in her mind had been made that was missing before- her approach would be different. Not pleasant, but not at all what she had planned. Entering the garden had afforded her a new perspective after all.
An attendant gave Weiss a strange look as she passed, but she barely even noticed. The door to the office was in sight, and for a moment, her resolve wavered. With a grunt of annoyance, Weiss forced herself to walk forward. She had already wasted too much time. Too much was at stake to hesitate again… and not just when it came to saving Remnant.
Weiss threw open the door to the office with a bit more force than necessary, causing the room's sole occupant to jump and almost drop the bottle in her hand. Willow Schnee sat behind her husband's desk, a small tumbler on the table before her as she prepared to pour a drink. The arrival of Weiss had stopped her just before tilting the bottle, and she simply stared at the young huntress with glassy eyes. It was then that Weiss realized she didn't know when the last time she had physically seen her mother had been.
Willow Schnee, despite being the acting president of the largest dust company on the planet, looked like a mess. Her snow-white hair was clearly unwashed and tied in a lose side ponytail that hung limply around her neck, and her eyes held seemingly no life within them. The woman hadn't bothered applying makeup or keeping her clothing neat- her blue, frill-collared jacket was slightly wrinkled and faded. She wore far too much jewelry in an attempt to appear sophisticated, though several of her rings were lopsided with the gems facing off to the side. All in all, she barely looked as though she cared that she was awake, let alone supposed to be representing a family legacy. The sight filled Weiss with rage and surfaced several painful memories that she worked to block out as quickly as she could.
"Drop it."
The sheer venom in Weiss' voice surprised even her… as did the fact that Willow did slowly set the bottle down. A tired sigh escaped the elder Schnee as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, seemingly already bored with the conversation.
"…I keep telling you people, everything is under control…"
"I'm not you people, I am your daughter," Weiss spat as she threw the office door closed behind herself and began to make her way across the room. "And nothing is under control. I've come home to take the company back and put it on the right track for the current situation."
"The current situation?" Willow asked, squinting her eyes as she looked up at Weiss. "Jacques will be back from his trip in a few days, and then I'll go back to working behind the scenes. Calm down, and just let me handle things. Go back to your school and stop worrying about the company. It's all under control."
Realization hit Weiss with enough impact to almost shatter her aura. She opened her mouth to speak, only to pause and make sure that she had heard correctly. It seemed almost impossible… until she reasoned through why the situation was what it was.
"You… don't even know, do you?"
"Know what?" Willow asked as she eyed the bottle standing alone atop the desk. "I've been far more involved in keeping this company afloat than you realize. You and Whitley have no reason t-"
"About Salem," Weiss said angrily. "Ironwood. Mantle. Everything that's going on, you haven't even… you haven't seen the news? No one has told you what's going on?"
Willow only stared blankly for a moment before picking the bottle back up once again.
"What would it matter if I knew? All anyone here cares about is the company's well-being."
"Mantle is on fire," Weiss seethed as she watched a stream of amber liquid pour into the waiting glass.
"Let it burn," Willow answered without a hint of concern.
Something sudden and primal spurred Weiss into action as she watched her mother reach for the glass. Without a second's hesitation, Weiss seized the crystal and flung it to the side as hard as she could, aiming for the nearby bookshelf without looking. The sound of shattering glass and sloshing liquid never came, however, and when Weiss looked to the side to see what had happened, her anger only grew.
There around the tumbler, which was suspended in midair, was a familiar black glyph rotating slowly. The magical symbol was small and unstable, barely holding the glass in place as it jittered and blinked in and out of existence. Weiss looked back to her mother to see the woman's arm outstretched and shaking, as though it was taking tremendous effort to simply keep the small object from falling. With clenched teeth, Weiss drew her sidearm from the holster at her belt and fired a single round into the glass, shattering it and causing Willow to raise her hands up beside her face as she cowered behind the desk.
"What are you doing!?"
" You are pathetic!" Weiss roared as she slammed the firearm back into place and approached the desk. She thrust her palms down into the surface of the furniture and leaned forward, putting her face close to her mother's as she leaned in. "I care about more than profits and statistics, and so does Winter! So does Whitley! You've been cowering behind the only thing you care about for so long that you've allowed yourself to become jaded and impotent, staring up at the world from the bottom of that fucking bottle and accepting your role as a helpless accountant! We are the most powerful and influential family in Solitas, and you've squandered all of that opportunity for greatness by letting Jacques control you!"
"It isn't that simple!" Willow insisted, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. The woman continued to quake in fear under her daughter's gaze. "Y-you don't understand what he did to me…"
"And you don't understand what you've done to the three of us!" Weiss returned, slamming a hand into the desk. "Winter practically raised me in your inebriated absence and I had to learn to grow strong on my own. Strong enough to stand against odds that seem impossible and rally myself and my friends against all comers. All of Remnant is now at war, and all of Solitas is looking to our family to step up and lead while you occupy that seat and drink yourself to death. I won't stand for it. I'm taking over the company, effective immediately, and I will not let you stand in my way. Join me, or go back to your walled garden and stay there, hiding away from the rest of the world. Choose now."
"Join you?" Willow questioned as she lowered her hands ever so slightly. "Why would I… you've always hated me…"
The door to the office burst open, though Weiss didn't bother to turn and see who was responsible. She kept her eyes on Willow's, unblinking and cold.
"Heiress!" Klein called from the doorway. "I heard gunfire! What is going on!?"
"There is time enough to change that," Weiss seethed as she thrust out a hand. "Your Semblance hasn't completely atrophied. A shred of the woman you claim to be by holding on to our family name is still alive somewhere inside of you, and Remnant needs her. My friends have shown me that no one is beyond a second chance… though that offer comes only once. Take my hand… or get out of my way."
Willow's breathing quickened and she licked her lips, finding them cracked and dry. She couldn't quite understand what was going on, and the haze brought on by her addled state wasn't helping. With a small sniffle, Willow Schnee looked up to her daughter's eyes and then immediately away before making her choice.
Author's Note:
Fambly
-RD