Chapter 38: Teachings

Weiss took a deep breath. Even in normal circumstances she would not be comfortable with what she was about to do, but now they were more dire than they ever had been before. The last time she had done this, she had to fight for her life. She highly doubted it would be different this time, but she still moved forward nonetheless. She had no intentions of dying today.

The doors creaked open and she exhaled before stepping inside. She barely walked into the chamber before they closed behind her, clicking loudly. She could not see anyone operating them, and figured Lord Ozpin was controlling them remotely.

The chamber was darker than she remembered. She had only seen Lord Ozpin's personal chambers once or twice before, but even then she remembered the faint sunlight and dim green lanterns. Now, the lanterns were off and the night sky acted like a curtain over the window. There was only a bit of light from what looked like some screens and devices at the desk at the far center of the room, just in front of the window. As soon as she saw his face illuminated in the pale blue light, she kneeled.

"My Lord," she said.

"Schnee," Lord Ozpin replied. Instead of his usual venomous tone, it sounded more relaxed now. More indifferent. Weiss did not like it. "You have returned from Haven. You have returned from your… failure… at Haven."

"My Lord," Weiss began, "it…"

"The whole thing came down, I heard," Lord Ozpin interrupted, still maintaining his monotone speech. "It turns out there was more deception going on there than I would have cared. More people that had to die. More people… you failed to kill."

"With all due respect, my Lord," Weiss said, glancing up. "It was your Huntsman who called the tanks in. If he had just followed me and done as I said…"

"The result would have been different?" Ozpin said, interrupting again. It also disturbed Weiss that, aside from his mouth, he had not moved since she entered. She was admittedly intimidated, but at the same time growing ever more frustrated with his constant interrupting.

"Maybe," Ozpin continued. "But that's neither here nor there. The point is that things happened the way they did. And that was your failure. Another failure from a Schnee, who…"

Hearing Lord Ozpin chastise her family name rose the Ice Queen's temperature. It was not just her name. It was also her sister's name. Her dear sister, who was not a failure. Who she would not be allowed to be called a failure.

"The failure was not mine!" Weiss suddenly interrupted, her voice raised. Only after hearing the echoes of her remark in the dark chamber did she realize what she had done.

Lord Ozpin was quiet. Then, after what seemed like hours of him just staring at her coldly, he leaned forward.

"It seems you have forgotten your place," he said, his tone returning to its wicked inflections. "My own Huntsmen and Huntresses don't get that luxury. And it will not be afforded to you, either."

Weiss locked eyes with him. Almost every fiber of her being was telling her to stay quiet, not to continue. But one voice, a voice she had silenced ever since Winter died, said something to her. It had her sister's voice.

"Then kill me," she said. It was defiant.

Lord Ozpin leaned back in his chair. He exhaled slowly. "That… would be too easy, Miss Schnee," he replied slowly. "What you value is not your life. And your statement just then proves it, if you are so willing to offer that suggestion. No, Miss Schnee, I will not kill you. But I will hurt you. I will hurt you because I know what you value."

Weiss shuddered quietly. Her defiance was quickly draining. Her pale skin was growing whiter.

"You value your legacy," Ozpin continued, pressing his fingers together. "More specifically, your family's legacy. Your name. Your status. Everything generations of Schnees have worked so hard to build. What if that was all… taken away?"

Weiss' eyes widened. Her bent knees began to tremble. What was he saying?

"As of tonight," Ozpin hissed, "the Schnee Dust Company and all of its subsidiaries belong to me. All of your mines, factories, offices, and stores are my property. They were fairly easy to seize. You worked for me already anyway, so now I have simply cut out the middleman. You. And everything I have acquired? I will make sure that the name 'Schnee' is scrubbed from every building. Every uniform. Every document. Any slaves with your brand will have it removed, regardless of which body part it's on. There will be no Schnee legacy. You and your family's name will die. And you… will be the leader of nothing."

"No…" Weiss whispered. Her status and wealth were not what concerned her. It was the fact that everything she and her family had worked for up to this point was now gone. Winter had died for nothing.

Weiss began to shake, and soon she could not keep her balance. She dropped her other knee, and placed both hands on the ground. She began to hyperventilate. Her breathing grew louder as her heart raced. It was bad enough that she was now nothing. She could not bear knowing her family, her sister, was nothing now too.

"Please…" Weiss managed to gasp out. A single, solitary plea.

"No," Lord Ozpin said, standing up so quickly and so suddenly that it made Weiss jump. "The time for pleasantries has ended. But carry with you this knowledge: you are not nobody. You are my slave. You are my servant. Despite your recent failures, your past successes are enough to make me consider you still potentially useful. Potentially. But that is all you are now. My errand girl. My soldier. You will obey me and you will not fail again. If that happens, I will ensure you remain in a cell for the rest of your life, always with the knowledge of how you let your family down."

Weiss hung her head low. She trembled as he began walking around his desk and towards her. She began to panic, silently sobbing. To her surprise, he passed by her, walking to the doors. He grabbed one of the handles and opened it slightly, allowing faint green light into the room.

"All that said…" he growled, turning to look back at her, "I also intend physical hurt as well."

There was a blur. Weiss did not see it coming before it reached her, but even in the darkness it looked like a streak of red in her peripheral vision. Weiss felt a hard blow to her ribs, so hard it knocked her off of her knees and onto her side. She reached for her rapier, grabbing the hilt and yanking it out. However, with a flick of his wrist, Lord Ozpin shot what appeared to be small bolts of lightning from his hand. They struck at Weiss' hand and made her release her weapon, and something else knocked it away. An alarmed and unprepared Weiss shot her glance over to Lord Ozpin, shocked by the display. Had he just used some sort of power on her?

Weiss rubbed her burned and irritated hand and looked up at her attacker. Her heart sunk more than it already had.

"You…" she muttered, staring up at the tattered red cape and hood. The grinning face underneath was familiar, but now silver glows were emanating from the evil eyes.

"Hiya, Weiss," Ruby said. She propped her scythe up on her shoulder.

Lord Ozpin huffed. "Remember, Miss Rose, don't kill her, and make sure she can still function afterwards. I know that might be… difficult for you, but rest assured she'll suffer more by being alive and used."

Weiss trembled. All of her defiance, all of her pride, and all of her self-respect vanished in that moment. She squirmed and kicked on the ground, trying to push herself away. She hoped she was headed in the direction of her rapier, but anywhere would be better than here.

"No!" she screamed. "Get away!"

Lord Ozpin shrugged slightly. A look of confidence appeared on his face. "Have fun, you three," he said. Then he shut the door, leaving them all in darkness save for the distant screens and the glow of the Reaper's eyes.

"Three?" thought Weiss.

Suddenly, she heard a deep breath behind her. She had been panicking so much she did not notice the armless, eyeless monstrosity in the room as well. She screamed in fear and tried to stand, tried to run for the window. She hoped she could smash through it. She never made it there. The blunt end of a scythe rammed into her side, knocking her off-balance and onto the ground. She fell on her face, then sat up and began clawing forward. She suddenly felt a massive pressure crush the air out of her as Ruby jumped on top of her, her boots digging into her back. Ruby, still on top of Weiss and pinning her down, leaned down and put her face right next to hers. Weiss saw that she was burned and had bandages and pads on her skin.

"Why?" Weiss managed to stutter.

"Ozzy prefers my company to yours now," Ruby mocked. "I hope you're ready, Ice Queen. You and I are gonna have a long night."

Ruby jumped off of Weiss' back, allowing her to gasp for air. Weiss leapt up and threw a kick in Ruby's direction. Ruby jumped back to avoid it, and Weiss scanned the floor for her weapon. She saw it in a far corner, at the feet of Yang. She ran for it, but Ruby was faster. Ruby swung her scythe and slashed Weiss across her back. Weiss cried out in pain as she felt the blade slash through her clothes and skin. She immediately felt blood pouring down her back. Ruby slammed the blunt edge of the scythe into the same spot, making a stinging pain arc through Weiss' body. She fell to her knees and heard Ruby approach.

With a sadistic giggle, Ruby reached down and grabbed the now-loose fabric and pulled, tearing it away. When there was resistance, Ruby would slash at the cloth, cutting it and the skin beneath. Weiss' eyes filled with tears as she was racked with pain. Ruby ripped Weiss' jacket and shirt off, making her feel even more exposed. Weiss tried to cover herself, but Ruby grabbed her by the nape of her neck and hoisted her up. She turned the Schnee to face her, forcing Weiss to look into her silver eyes. Then she slammed her head forward, breaking Weiss' nose with a single powerful headbutt. Weiss gasped for air as agony spread across her face and blood splattered on her pale skin. Ruby had done this before, at the communication tower. It hurt even more now. Ruby released Weiss, but instantly cocked a fist with her newly freed hand and punched Weiss right in the eye, making sure it was the one with the scar across it. Weiss collapsed to the ground, holding herself with only her shaking arms, each breath from her nose spilling blood on the floor. Ruby casually walked up and slashed at her arms and legs with her scythe blade, cutting deep. She raised a boot and kicked Weiss in the back of the head, splattering mud from the bottom into her victim's snow white hair. Weiss fell on her face, struggling to comprehend what was happening.

"Don't think I'm doing this just because Ozpin wants me to," Ruby growled. "I'm getting a little revenge for our little squabble at the tower. Remember what you said to me? You said you couldn't fall to someone like me. That you were leagues better than me."

Ruby leaned down. She raised her scythe and stabbed the pointed tip through one of Weiss' hands. Weiss screamed and sobbed as the blade pierced flesh and muscle, poking through to the other side and digging into the floor.

"Well I'm in a league of my own now, Ice Queen," Ruby said. "And you're my bitch for the next couple of hours."

Ruby glanced up at Yang, who was still delirious and hurting from the injuries she sustained only a short while ago.

"Sic 'em," Ruby said.

Yang inhaled sharply, but something happened. She did not move immediately. She had not the understanding to know what happened or why it did, but she had hesitated. Ruby was the only one that noticed. She rolled her eyes, just assuming Yang had not heard her.

"Yang!" she shouted. "Sic. 'Em."

This time, the trigger took effect. Yang screamed and howled, gnashing her teeth. Ruby stomped her feet to indicate to her slave where she wanted her, and Yang pounced in to attack. Weiss screamed as Yang charged, chomping her teeth at her.

"NO!"

For the next few hours, the soldiers, guards, workers, Huntsmen and Huntresses in Beacon could have sworn they heard a woman screaming from Lord Ozpin's chambers on the other side of the fortress.

"Okay," Cinder said, taking a deep breath. "How do I start?"

Salem raised an eyebrow. "So eager already?"

Cinder nodded. "We don't have time to rest and relax." She smiled a bit. "Besides, I'm… what's the word…"

"Excited?" Salem asked.

Cinder chuckled. "I'd go with 'intrigued'." They had gone outside into the quiet evening, the clouds above keeping the field where they were training cool.

Salem smiled back. "I know you feel you have to be the stoic no-nonsense leader, but you just learned you can do magic. It's okay to be excited about that."

Cinder shrugged. "I guess. I would feel better if I knew that using it didn't risk getting Ozpin's attention."

Salem nodded. "I understand your concern. But that is why we will start small. Small spells will not have as much power behind them, and therefore there will be less to notice."

"So… what first?" Cinder asked.

Salem smiled down at Cinder. She could see the echoes of the little girl she once knew, eager and excited about learning archery or how to throw a punch. Her little girl.

"Let's start with a basic projectile, hmm?"

Meanwhile, Adam and Emerald were sparring. Adam swung his blade down, and Emerald blocked by crossing her guns' blades in front of her. There as a metallic clang as their weapons connected.

"You really think Cinder will be alright?" Adam asked, pulling his sword back and readying another swing.

"Yes," Emerald replied. "I know her well. She gets shaken easily, but she always pulls through."

Adam blocked a stab from Emerald, who attacked with her other blade. He spun his sword into his other hand, pushing off her first attack and blocking her second.

"Still," Adam sighed, "I worry about her. The biggest fight of our lives is coming, and the result will change the world. Forever. I just hope she's ready for what's going to happen."

Emerald broke off from her attack and lowered her weapons. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Adam returned his sword to his dominant hand. "Well, of course."

Emerald narrowed her eyes. "More than just an ally?"

Adam paused for a moment before responding. "No, not in that way. But I do feel that she's more than a friend, and more than a leader. It's almost like… she was the beacon of hope I had been looking for my whole life." He huffed and looked at the ground. "To think," he said quietly, "I would find so much camaraderie with humans."

Emerald shrugged. "You don't think we're all that bad, do you?"

"I used to," Adam said. "I'll spare you the gruesome details, but I once thought all humans were monsters. Because, at least in my life, every human I had ever met was one. It was only after becoming part of the White Fang, after the protests, that I saw humans in our crowds, demanding Faunus rights alongside us. I realized that not all humans are evil, but I hadn't realized yet that not all Faunus were good. Even when protests turned violent, I always assumed a bad Human had stirred things up. Not that a Faunus would have been the one to lash out. Even when I saw a Faunus do something radical, I would just think to myself 'Well, they have good reason to', or 'A human probably provoked them'. It wasn't until… until the one Faunus I cared about more than any other hurt me that I realized how wrong I had been. There were monsters and heroes on both sides. And up until then… I might as well have been the monster."

Emerald nodded. "Belladonna?"

Adam nodded slowly. "She was the one… the one that was always more than an ally. But now… she is an enemy, and I hate to say it, but she will always be more than an enemy."

"Try again," Salem reaffirmed.

Cinder sighed deeply. She mirrored the motions Salem was performing. She cupped both of her hands and placed one above the other. She tensed the muscles in her hands and tried concentrating hard. In Salem's hands, a small orb of purple-tinted light formed. In Cinder's, nothing.

Cinder sighed and lowered her hands. "I'm sorry," she sighed.

"Keep going," Salem instructed, lowing her hands and letting her orb fade away. "You're only a few attempts in on something you've never tried before. I don't expect you to master it right away."

"But isn't that the point of being a Maiden?" Cinder asked. "That I'm a conduit for magic? Shouldn't I be a natural?"

"Yes, but you forget that magic is very deep within you," Salem explained. "The powers of the Maidens haven't manifested in their hosts for centuries. They're there, but buried. Imagine hidden treasure from the stories I used to read you. There is great value there, but first you need to know where to look, and how deep to dig. I've lead you to the hiding place. But it is on you to dig. Every attempt you make is just another swing of the shovel. You're not there yet, but when you finally reach it, you have access to a wealth of riches."

Cinder nodded. It was a simple and almost childish analogy, but it did help her picture things better. "I have to admit, though, I do feel a bit silly."

Salem smiled. "Not long ago, magic was just from those stories. Now it's real. You need to convince yourself it's real. There's no sense digging if you don't believe the treasure exists."

Cinder chuckled, then closed her eye and tried the motion again. She pictured what she had seen Salem doing in her fight against Qrow. Bolts of lighting. Walls of fire. Beams of energy. Superhuman speed and strength. She had seen all of those with her own eye. They were real. They had to be real. Cinder thought back to growing up, completely unaware just how powerful that woman raising her was. She remembered hearing fairy tales and ghost stories from Salem as she taught her how to read. As a girl, Cinder wanted to be just like the heroes in those books. Someone who fought for what was right and protected people who couldn't protect themselves. And now she had the means to do it.

Magic was real.

"Cinder…" Salem's voice came.

"Hold on," Cinder muttered. "I think I'm beginning to understand."

"Cinder…" Salem's voice continued.

"Wait a moment!" Cinder replied, focusing on her breathing.

"Cinder!" Salem called, a bit more authoritatively.

Cinder's eye opened, afraid she had done something wrong. "What?" she said with a twinge of panic in her voice. She glanced to Salem, who she did not expect to be smiling.

"Look," Salem said, motioning her head towards Cinder's hands.

Cinder glanced down. In her hands pulsed an orb of glowing light. It had an orange-red tint to it. What looked like sparks flickered on its edges.

"Oh my gods…" Cinder whispered. She could not help but smile. She glanced at Salem, and at that moment, was as giddy as a child again. "I did it!" she cheered. She looked at it again, then back at Salem. "What… what do I do with it?"

Salem looked past Cinder and pointed. "Throw it at that tree there."

Cinder turned to look at the tree, a scrawny, shriveled twig about a hundred feet away. She slowly removed her hand from the top of the orb, then readied her hand like she was throwing a grenade. If there was anything archery had taught her, it was accuracy in her aim. She glared at the tree, then cocked back her arm and threw. To her surprise, the magic orb did not lob like a bomb, but rather shot forward. It travelled like a missile over the dead grass until it stuck the dark bark of the tree, bursting in a small explosion of orange-red energy. The tree crackled and tipped over, crashing onto the field.

Cinder stood staring proud at what she had done. she was still working on believing that she had just cast a magic spell. Salem walked over and placed her hand on Cinder's shoulder.

"You've taken your first step," she said proudly. "Are you ready to take the next?"