Reflection

-Schnee Manor, 8 years ago-

Nicholas was bedridden after the illness caught up to him. Winter enters the room to see Weiss holding his hand, worried for his health. "Winter, what a surprise for you to visit us. But I am glad you're here."

"Winter." Weiss greets her, happy to see her sister. "I'm relieved to see you, sister." Said Weiss. Winter caressed Weiss by her hair. "I'm happy to see you too, Weiss. Why don't you wait outside for a bit. I need tk have a talk alone with Grandfather." Winter said.

Weiss didn't want to leave her grandfather's side. But she knew it was important to her sister, so she relents. "Okay," Weiss said. As she apprached the door, she took one last look at her grandfather and sister. And left the room.

Winter thna sat next to her grandfather. "You wish to see me, Grandfather? Don't strain yourself too much. It won't do you any good." Said Winter. Placing her hand onto his. It terrifies Winter to see him in this state. Paller skin, his eyes no longer in ice blue color, only grey. His body feeling numb. But his hands are all he could move while attached to an IV bag. "I'm here too." Assured Winter.

"I'm sorry...that you have to be absent..." Nicholas paused as he began to cough. "From school for today..." He said it between his coughs, Winter knew things are going to get worst. Winter then takes a tea she bought from her dorm and made sure it was warm enough. "Here, it should help your throat." Winter said giving him tea. "No need to apologize, Grandfather. I already notified the General just to see how you're doing. But I have to return to the Academy tomorrow." Winter told him.

Nicholas took a sip of it and his throat began to clear a little. "Thank you, Winter." He daid to her. Then he tirned to her and took her hand. "My eldest grandchild. What I'm about to tell you is very important. And this is something you will have to face in the future. However, I entrust you with this. This is between you and me. But if you choose to trust someone with the secret, it should be up to you." Advised Nicholas.

Nicholas gave Winter one last present, the one gift Winter had received before his passing. A white-clear teardop necklace. It may be a small pendant, but it holds a meaning to it. "Another pendant?"

"Not just any pendant. But the true heirloom that I held years ago. Carved by an old friend, who became my enemy. And that former friend swore reveneg on our family. Before your mother was born, it was during the first rebellion on Atlas after I founded the Schnee Dust Company."

After Nicholas told Winter his story from the past. He fell asleep, Winter left his room to let him rest before she can head back to the academy. From what Nicholas told her about the enemy who may be planning long beforehand. Winter vowed to keep her guard up.

Staring at the necklace that her grandfather gave her. She was walking through the hallways processing it the long way. But then she unknowingly bumped into Whitley, her youngest brother. "Surprised to see me again, Sister?" He smugged.

Though not bothered by his snarky behavior, Winter knew her father is a bad influence on him. Still, she felt bad for her brother as she has to leave both her siblings behind. She knew both Weiss and Whitley were never on good terms after their elder sister left.

"Whitley." Winter said coldly, but not in a rude tone.

"Not, "Oh, how happy to see you again, little brother?" Cause that's what I am expecting." Whitley said coldly.

"Actually. I am asking how have you been?" Winter asked in a mix of concern for her brother.

"The usual, piano practice, busy meetings and studies. Meanwhile, sister had been moping about Grandfather being bedridden. Mother being a heavy drinker she was. Father...well you know how things go for him." Whitley replied.

Winter shook her head. "Still a child you are, Whitley." She sighs. Whitley raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"All I am saying is that you used to be such a happy child. But all I am seeing now is an allusion to ice. Where are you heading to?"

"Just seeing Grandfather. Wanted to see if he can give me advise of running the business." Whitley said. But Winter looked into his eyes, she could tell that Whitley was just hiding the fact that he was worrying about his grandfather as Weiss was. Deep down, he does care. Something he always hides every time.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Asked Winter. Whitley blushed, embarrassed that she had him figured out. Maybe he wasn't as smug as their father. "Absolutely...not!" He denied. "I just...thought he needed medical attention! That's it!" He changed the subject.

But this made Winter smile at her brother's hidden personality. She knew that there was something her brother hides his caring aide for a very long time. She simply pats him on the head.

"Whitley, there's no wrong of feeling worried. You should go see him while he is here." Winter advised. Not wanting her brother to feel guilty for not showing too much emotion. "You can be who you choose to be, Whitley. Not what others tried to make you. Don't let Father mold you into what you didn't want to be." Winter advised him. "Schnee or not, you're just like everyone else, even outside of Atlas."

"But we're-"

"Just think about what I said, brother." Winter cuts him off to repeat her words.

Winter was about to make her leave to see her mother. Whitley watched as she goes to the gardens. Winter knew that Whitley is still a child that needed to see through to not let Jacques take control of either offsprings.

Winter looks at her new necklace that her grandfather had for years. The secret that he tokd her was a burden she vowed to carry. Regardless of her family's dark past. A friend-turned-enemy is also one of those things Winter might face someday.

-Anima, Present Day-

Jaune was in the balcolny of the inn lamenting about failing to find answers of Cinder's whereabouts. Angry at his team for stopping him from interrogating Emerald. But for his other reasons was that he let his inner darkness consume him.

Was it truly him? Was he still himself? Or was he truly a fraud destine to fail? What was he trying to do?

He looks at his shield. The symbol of his family legacy. He then looks at the moon, the shattered moon that can never be fixed, yet it was a thing that reminded him of Pyrrha. The nights they trained together, those were the most beautiful monents as its glow was all that mattered. Not the pieces of the moon before them.

Memories of her, the red-haired warrior that loved him for who he truly was, not his name, not his pretension. Only for him. His friends also loved him for who he was. But where does this led him now?

Ruby then came into the balcolny as she and Jaune cannot sleep through the nightmares. "Ruby?"

"Can't sleep either?" Asked Ruby. Rubbing her eye as she yawned. Jaune was also tired but cannot sleep. He shook his head in response. "Not really. You wanna hang here a bit?" Jaune asked.

Ruby nods and sat next to him in the balcolny. Looking at the moon, it was still beautiful regarless of it's state. To them, it reminded them how hope can be broken, but renewed again. "The moon looks pretty, right? Dad always told me that the light matters and not the pieces." Ruby commented.

"Yeah, it was. I cannot help but wonder how the moon ended up like this." Said Jaune. Questions pondered in his mind. The moon can be full of mystery. Remembering the events that Sage had tomd Ruby, she decided to keep him company for a little before going back to sleep.

This position felt like before in Beacon. The silence, yet peaceful moment when Jaune and Runy lament themselves. The moon is the only serenity that can calm them down. From their self-doubts, low self-esteem, and failures theu cannot accept. The burdens that felt like a heavy luggage to them.

"Remind me again, why you wanted to become a huntress?" Asked Jaune, wanting to hear from Ruby to at least get clarity in his mind again.

"I guess hearing my mom reading stories to me and Yang. It felt like it was something I wanted to do in the beginning. To keep others safe and happy. Do you ever thought you were being delusional about what you wanted to become?" Asked Ruby.

"I guess sometimes. Everywhere I went, I felt eyes on me, like they expect me to do much. In my head, I'm not Jaune the huntsmen, it's alwasy Jaune the joke. I had no one training me. One of my elder sisters was a huntress. Then comes Sapprhon, who looked after me like a mother."

Unbeknownst to them, Scarlet was listening to them mentioning one of Jaune's sisters. It takes him back when Rouge was a mother more than a sister. But to him, Rouge is both. A mother and a sister. She would told him all the missions she deemed aamzing. It was all flying colors, until everything comes crashing down. He always waited for her to come home, but he was left alone when Rouge did not return. It's like a piece of him missing forever.

Scarlet then hugged his knees, silently as he sniffled. A tear fell from his eye, missing his sister. Knowing he will never see her again. The only times he sees her was his dreams and nightmare. Like Ruby and Yang, Scarlet and Rouge are also half-siblings with the same father. But he never met his parents since Rouge took him from them as a baby. But was aware that Rouge saved him from their fates. To him, Rouge is a hero.

"That moon, it reminds me of Pyrrha, everytime I looked at it. It reminded me all those nights of training. And now, it's all gone." Said Jaune, lamenting of the losses he had to live with for the rest of his life. Ruby also feels what Jaune feels looking at the moon. The moon is like the seal that breaks the bubble.

A piece of him was gone. Ruby also lost a piece of herself, her own mother. They missed Pyrrha's presence. Her smile, her laughter, and her encouragement. That is her. Not Pyrrha the Invincible Girl. Just Pyrrha.

"I hope Pyrrha is in that moon too. Maybe watching us." Ruby assured. Jaune wasn't sure, still. It would feel as if Pyrrha was watching him. And Ruby migjt be right.

"I cannot save her. And here I am. Just a loser with the family sword. What kind of warrior am I?" Jaune asked. But it was supposed to be rhetorical. Seeing Ruby's silver eyes shining through the moonlight. It somehow sparked his. Ruby then looks at him.

"I think you'll be, an awesome huntsman." Ruby replied, even if it can't be true to either of them. Jaune decided to take Ruby's words to heart. "Thanks, Ruby." Jaune then scooted closer to Ruby just to feel a bit safe. He even ruffled her hair, making Ruby laughed.

After the hasty events in the Mist Hollows, it was the thing they rather forget. But Jaune wasn't sure if he was ready to let go of his grudge. Considering how dangerous Cinder was judging by her semblance and powers.

He knew she is too dangerous to be around. And punish her, he will have to to not let Cinder take an innocent life. But thinking back to what Ruby says, he wasn't sure anymore. He was just amgry wutb himself for not saving Pyrrha. Angry at Cinder for her death, angry at the world for a precious life being taken too soon.

-Mistral, 15 years ago-

Sage hears his father read the story, the ending came to the suspense. Sitting on his lap. This story will unravel the mystery in the future.

"She held his hand, one last time. As her love had taken their last breath. The warrior she loved closed his eyes. And as she weeps, the princess asked herself, "Why did the gods do this to us?" Not only she gained the freedom from the tower she was locked in, but she will never gain back for what is lost. It was a love never meant to be."

Tamaku closed the book. "Why do the endings have to be sad?" Sage asked. A bit emotional as hr hears the last words.

"Not every story has a happy ending. But know this, everyone has their own story to write in their lives. But fate can be hard to escape." Tamaku replied. Sage yawned as Tamaku carried him to bed. Shoji, who was a puppy at the time, follows and jumps onto Sage's bed and cuddled against him. Sage wrapped his arms around his pet and best friend as Tamaku tucked him in.

-Mist Hollows, Present-

Winter was wandering around the forest. The eerie of the forest and the moist of the fog. Winter forgot how it feels to be in the wild life during her academic days as a student at the time. It reminded her of a frenemy-turned-arch-enemy. Remebering her grandfather's words that any friend can turn into an enemy.

She saw footprints that can lead her to Tyrian Callows. Or any of the Vipers. She can feel the moist in the fog. The rain begins to fall once more in the forest.

I forgot how fresh the forest was. It was part of the test when I was Shadowing in Beacon. The point of survival had given me new perspective.

Winter kept going while not wasting time to search for the assassin that was still on the loose. But unknown to her, Jupiter was soying on her from the top of the trees. How the sight of her eludes her to ghe point that now is the time he takes out the pride of the Schnee Family, for taking a life of a brother he never saw again.

"Atlesian soldiers and huntsmen alike? I'll be their judgement." Jupiter said while watching her.

Author's note: Sorry for the short chapter again. But I thought we should see more insights of the characters. I know I might've took it too far tk make the chapters a but too violent seeing when I was writing Jaune's development.

But if you see him looking at the moon with Ruby, it was as if she allowed him to be vulnerable around him when he reflects, bit still wasn't sure for what needed to be done.

Meanwhile, Scarlet was holding down for tbe fact that he lost his sister for unknown means, but this version in tbe fanfics, they both have different mothers, but the same father.