Weiter
The rules set for the bout were simple enough, but Yang would be lying to herself if she also didn't think Blake and Weiss were being a bit… weird, about the whole thing.
No Dust. No semblance. No guns. Nothing but hardened steel and honed edges between her two teammates. Could either of them really fight like that? It was almost impossible to imagine Blake fighting without her shadows, or Weiss without her glyphs and Dust.
The stipulations kind of made sense for Blake. Her fighting style wasn't great for head-on fights like hers. When fighting someone like Weiss, who was kinda like a form of mobile artillery, it made sense to try and limit her.
On the other hand, Weiss had clearly been training with her sword for a very long time, and she was damn good from what Yang had seen, so would it even really give any advantage to her partner?
Yang shrugged at her own thoughts. It really didn't matter much anyways, because what annoyed her most was that they were trying to be as dramatic as possible. She could feel the tension running rampant through the room as her teammates reached the arena. Most people didn't openly challenge their teammates in front of everybody. It was kind of an unspoken rule, and frankly common sense that airing your dirty laundry in front of an audience didn't help any team dynamic.
Everyone watching probably thought this was some kind of rematch after the whole cafeteria argument. Obviously, Yang knew better…
Hopefully knew better...
If this was some petty grudge match, she was going to have to knock some sense into them later…
"They're gonna be okay." Ruby's voice was tight, and her eyes were practically glued to the arena as their teammates took their fighting stances across from each other. "Right?"
Despite knowing it would likely go unnoticed, Yang shot her the brightest smile she could before they both focused on the arena again as the starting buzzer sounded. "Of course they will! I doubt they will even go too hard. You know, with Weiss' shoulder and stuff."
Bzzzz
Weiss shot forward the moment she heard the opening buzzer. She was way slower without her glyphs, but she was still fast enough to quickly close the distance. Surprisingly, Blake met her charge head on. In an instant the two collided in a flurry of blows that Yang could barely follow.
"I think Weiss heard you," Ruby whispered beside her as Weiss flipped away from Blake's onslaught. The two paused for a single breath before Weiss brought her rapier to her cheek and charged Blake once more.
Yang silently nodded in agreement as the room filled with the ringing of metal on metal once more.
It was like watching an intricate dance. The two flowed around each other like water and traded blows from angles that made Yang dizzy just from watching.
Yang had always thought that Blake was incredibly skilled with Gambol Shroud. The way she flowed from one strike to the next, constantly applying pressure with her sheath and sword, made her feel impossible to track. By the time her opponents would manage to prepare a counterattack, Blake would already be attacking from another angle, forcing them to start from scratch all over again.
But Weiss? Weiss was damn well breathtaking.
This was the Weiss that they had come to know over the past months. Confident, poised, and never missing a strike. Her hours spent training every day were on full display for the class to see as she wove jabs and slashes seamlessly between Blake's strikes, deflecting blows without looking, and spinning at speeds that Yang barely saw Ruby operate at.
It was elegant, deadly and, if Yang was being honest, incredibly beautiful to watch.
A powerful jab from Weiss echoed out through the room, snapping Yang back to reality as Blake was driven back. Before Blake could recollect herself, Weiss dashed forward, pirouetting around Blake's wild slash and driving her back further with a rapid series of strikes, forcing Blake onto the defensive for the first time in the match.
It was easy to see both girls were exhausted. They were breathing hard and sweat dripped down their brows. Their auras had been chipped down significantly, though Weiss had a small lead.
What Yang noticed more than anything else though was the absolutely brilliant smiles that stretched across both their faces.
Maybe she wasn't going to have to knock some sense into them after all.
Myrtenaster sang as Weiss spun once more, grinning as she slipped the thin blade between Blake's guard, driving her back again and again with each thrust.
It was frustrating. She genuinely didn't understand why she couldn't keep a smile off her face. She could simply write it off as losing herself in the fight despite her best efforts. It did feel incredibly cathartic, to be crossing swords with… whatever Blake was to her. However, something about that didn't feel entirely correct.
Weiss' flipped back, allowing Blake's katana to whistle dangerously past her cheek. Landing, she lunged forward, catching and redirecting Blake's follow up strike into the ground. She flipped over the cleaver to avoid another strike before jabbing up with Myrtenaster as she landed, breaking Blake's guard once more, leaving her vulnerable to a flurry of quick jabs.
The rest of the world didn't matter at that moment. Her back ached with each move, her shoulders burned, her wings screamed, but none of it reached her. Her eyes locked on Blake's katana as it cut through the air where Weiss had been just a moment prior.
She should have ended the fight many moves ago. Every one of her lessons demanded that she end this quarrel as quickly as possible. Blake was good, far better than she had expected, but this kind of duel was not suited to her, and Weiss could see she was just barely keeping up with the speeds they were fighting at.
But she couldn't. Not yet. It was intoxicating. It was raw and pure. There was so much frustration, so much left unsaid that was being traded between them with every exchange. They should have been enemies, but instead they were… This. Whatever this was. It upended everything she thought she knew. Her world was shifting beneath her feet while she desperately scrambled to find her footing once more.
She smiled as she slid in between Blake's strikes, the two blades impacting the ground on either side of her before she flipped over Blake to strike at her exposed back.
This fight was so far removed from their past selves that it was impossible to put into words. Rather than a fight for blood, this was simply a fight to bury the hatchet and maybe move on some day. A fight over things that may have been, but would never come to pass. It was almost a farewell of sorts, and Weiss was loving every single moment.
In a way, it felt like she was fulfilling her dream of facing down the White Fang. A Schnee personally defending herself, her family, her future company's property, and banishing those who sought to destroy her back into the shadows. Those dreams had driven her to get up on more than one occasion.
Did Blake have similar dreams at one time?
A year ago, Blake would have been incredibly eager for a chance like this. A chance to cross blades with a Schnee, to personally remind them that the Faunus were not to be trifled with so easily. Now here she was, grinning as she desperately danced around the arena with Weiss. The heiress's smile shone through clear as day as they fought.
Blake darted forward with a feral grin as Weiss flipped back, watching her blade cut through a few small strands of Weiss' stupid off-center ponytail. Her follow up strike was significantly less successful as Weiss easily pirouetted around the slash, deflecting her cleaver into the ground again.
In all likelihood, most of their classmates wouldn't understand why she and Weiss were fighting. With how quick they moved, she also doubted anyone was able to keep up well enough to understand that Weiss was taking it easy on her. Not too easy, of course. The thrusts and slashes she wove past Gambol Shroud stung at her aura, but she only struck when it was too obvious an opening to pass up, something Blake had quickly picked up and shamelessly copied. It was a brilliant smoke screen after all.
Reality really was so much stranger than fiction sometimes. Blake didn't know what was going to happen between the two of them when this little duel of theirs was over. Weiss had so many complications that Blake would have never anticipated. So many worrying signs that she probably would have scoffed at a year ago, written them off as Weiss being weak from her upbringing.
She was also much more open than Blake would have ever expected. Her willingness to listen, make deals, to treat Blake as an equal even when she should have seen her as nothing but an enemy, did initially see as her enemy, was more than enough to convince Blake to give her a chance. It was clear that both of them were clearly far different from what the other had expected, and just as clearly, neither of them had been prepared to face that reality so quickly. To face how wrong their own perceptions of the world and each other had been.
So they would fight. Fight like they might have if they had met even a year ago, and get whatever animosity, anger, hate, whatever had built up between them out of their systems. Fight so they could move forwards in whatever this strange new world they had unknowingly walked into was. That was what Blake hoped they were doing, at least.
The fact she was enjoying it so much though… Well, she didn't really know what to make of that…
Ruby leaned forward in her seat, anxiously watching as Weiss continued to push Blake back. Myrtenaster cut through the air to parry Blake's katana, leaving her weapon way too high to block Blake's other attack. The sheath of Gambol Shroud swung down towards Weiss, forcing her to flip back, taking some of the pressure off Blake.
Ruby was quite happy to see her teammates bonding. This counted as bonding right? She and Yang fought all the time growing up and that was bonding, so this must be bonding…right?
Despite the smiles on their faces, it didn't really feel like bonding to Ruby. Yang and her had fought a lot, because they were either sparring or just angry at each other, so maybe this was similar. But there was always that sibling…ness… to their fights. An understanding felt deep in their gut that neither of them wanted to actually hurt the other. But this? This didn't really have that.
It was violent and emotional. The two were lost in their own world as they fought. They seemed happy to dance as close to deadly as they could within the confines of the class' rules. But there was also something else there. Something that Ruby was struggling to put into words.
Watching Weiss and Blake twirl and leap around the stage reminded her of the festivals they used to go to when she was little. Of the dancers and colors and music, and warm hugs. She missed those days… Missed her so much…
…Oh…
Maybe that was why she felt like she knew. Because she understood that feeling of loss. Maybe not the same way they felt it, but… close enough.
A small smile crept onto her face as she watched the two with new understanding.
Blake grinned as she pushed back against Weiss, Gambol Shroud blurring faster and faster until Weiss finally stumbled, pain visibly lancing through her as she was stretched just a little too far in her parry. Blake dove forwards, tackling Weiss, both their weapons flying out of reach as they tumbled back. When they came to a stop, Blake had Weiss firmly pinned beneath her and a fist raised high above her head ready to strike.
BRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
The buzzer sounded the instant it looked like Blake might bring her fist down.
If Ruby thought she had been stressed before, seeing Blake go for Weiss in such a feral manner was nearly enough to break her.
Feral amber eyes bored into Weiss as Blake landed on top of her, tearing Myrtenaster free from her hand. Weiss inhaled a sharp breath as Blake raised curled hand, her eyes latching onto the sharp points of claws emerging from her fingers. For the first time since the fight had begun, doubt began creeping into her mind as she felt Blake tense up, ready to strike.
Pain ripped its way down her back, forcing her back to reality as the muffled cry she let out was drowned out by the sudden cheers of her classmates. Applause echoed around them, thankfully tearing Blake's eyes away from her as Weiss flinched.
"That's time ladies." Glynda's clipped voice cut through the haze of emotion that surrounded Weiss' mind. "As Miss Schnee has more Aura remaining, she is the victor."
The swell of elation that usually accompanied victory was instead overshadowed by the unease of having Blake's claw still looming over her and the added weight on her chest. Coupled with the binding, it made breathing next to impossible.
"Ahem.." Weiss cleared her throat loudly. Blake's eyes snapped down at the sound as she finally took notice of Weiss' discomfort and quickly clambered off her. With Blake's weight off of her, the burning pain on her back began to slowly ebb away enough for her to finally breathe a little better and take stock of the duel's end.
Weiss was pleased when she glanced at the score screen and saw that she had a sizable Aura lead over Blake, though that victory was quite marred by the fact that she'd been quite literally saved by the bell. It gave real weight to what the actual outcome may well have been. If there was a more poetic end to their fight Weiss couldn't think of one.
And of course it was her wings that had gotten her killed in the end. It was always her wings, the bound pieces of trash they were. They had ruined what would have been yet another otherwise perfect performance; the wave of cramped muscles and joints that had ripped up her spine was so agonizing she had not been able to dodge Blake's tackle. It was like the Arma Gigas all over again.
A deep sigh escaped her as a familiar pale hand reached down to help her up. Weiss glanced up and took in the much softer amber eyes behind the hand. Accepting the proverbial olive branch Blake was offering, Weiss allowed herself to be helped to her feet, gritting her teeth as the exertion strained her wings once more. Blake easily pulled Weiss to her feet and gave her a small frown.
"Most people would talk things out you know," Weiss said as she dusted her skirt off and winced at the pain that feverishly lashed at her. Hiding the grimace and pained whines by walking to retrieve their lost weapons. She quickly slipped Myrtenaster through her sash before holding Gambol Shroud out for Blake.
"We aren't most people Weiss." Blake nodded her thanks, clipping the weapon to the small plate on her back as they walked off the stage. "And …I think I needed that as much as you did..."
Weiss nodded, glancing toward her sister who had the smallest of smiles gracing her face as she nodded her assent to the performance she had just watched.
"You know this doesn't actually change much though, right?" Weiss felt the bitterness in her own voice.
It was so tempting to pretend that their little fight would be like those in the films or books. A single act that changed everything, and fundamentally rewrote the future of the two characters. They would forgive each other for their pasts and move on, growing closer as friends and not enemies, but in truth those moments always felt cheap and unearned.
"No." Blake agreed, glancing over at Winter as well, as they both left the stage and walked back towards Ruby and Yang. Glynda announced the next match as they walked, with Cardin challenging Penny of all people. "But even changing things a little is better than leaving them as they were."
There was a deeper truth to that statement that Weiss poignantly chose to ignore.
Both Ruby and Yang were waiting patiently for them as they arrived back at their seats. Ruby was barely able to contain herself as Blake collapsed into her chair while Weiss tried her best to remain composed as she took her own seat.
"Soooooooo…" Yang drolled, awkwardly gesturing between the two of them. "Something you two wanna tell us about?"
"No." Weiss hesitated for a second. "We talked it out."
When Weiss glanced over, she was pleased to see Blake roll her eyes in response.
It was like initiation all over again. Absolutely, certifiably insane, and yet she found herself smiling. They had a long way to go, but maybe someday she would be able to tru-
'I do, however, still worry you may end up like your sister. Influenced by your teammates. By those beneath you'
Her fathers words were like a bucket of ice water, and after reviewing her own thoughts, it was very, very much needed.
It was early in the morning, with sleep eluding her, and the duel with Blake still fresh in her mind when Weiss caved, and sent a simple seven word message to her sister's programmed number.
Meet me in the courtyard at seven.
She could feel the storm that had been brewing between the two of them for years, the tension in the air every time their eyes met, and she didn't like it. So she would do what she had been trained to do since she was old enough to read: face the coming storm head-on.
When the clock struck precisely six fifty, Weiss left the quiet comfort of her dorm room and strode through the halls to the small gazebo in the school's secluded courtyard, only stopping long enough to fetch two steaming cups of freshly brewed coffee. It wasn't Atlas Black by any stretch, but it would do. The drinks were hardly the point of meeting regardless.
The clipped sound of her shoes cut through the oppressive silence of the courtyard as she approached her sister, who sat expectantly under the small roof of the gazebo. Winter's pristine white specialist uniform stood out in stark contrast to the lush greenery of Beacon's gardens in the early morning sun.
"Guten morgen schwester," Winter said in their native tongue as she arrived, motioning for Weiss to take a seat.
"Guten Morgen," Weiss replied as she took a seat opposite her sister. She watched wordlessly as Winter pulled a small, familiar egg-shaped device from her coat pocket and placed it on the table between them. At the press of a button, several small vents opened on the sides, radiating a soft blue glow.
"I trust you took the appropriate precautions in finding us a secluded spot," Winter chided.
"Of course," Weiss scoffed indignantly as she examined the familiar device. "Once was enough."
Weiss felt as if she were a child again, listening from the hallway as their father tore into Winter over an article in the morning paper. His mood only worsened when Winter had returned the following day, tens of thousands of Lien lighter and an EDE in her pocket.
Yet, despite its considerable cost and excessive dust consumption, the electric dust emitter had proven to be quite effective in deterring electronic eavesdroppers. Weiss didn't think electronic surveillance was very likely at Beacon, but one could never be too careful.
Now that the EDE was active, Winter yawned loudly before she finally reached for one of the steaming porcelain cups, and took a long sip of the beverage. She sighed contentedly as she sat back in her chair.
To anyone else, her behavior would have been quite abnormal. To others, Winter Schnee was always the pinnacle of professionalism and poise. However, to Weiss, this was as close as she'd ever get to seeing the relaxed, overprotective sister that she once knew.
It was nice to know that despite all that had happened between them, at least something hadn't changed. A small chuckle escaped Weiss as she quietly sipped her own coffee before she spoke, allowing Winter a moment to fully awaken. "The beds here do not agree with you, I take it?"
Winter chuckled in response as she sat up a bit straighter in her seat. Downing another large sip from her coffee before saying, "The beds are just wunderbar, thank you for asking.The company however…"
Weiss raised her own cup of coffee to her face to cover her smile as she thought back to Penny's boundless energy at the festival. She had grown quite used to Ruby's antics after dealing with them for over a month. Winter, however…
"Harriet may as well be a sloth compared to her," Winter groused, draining her mug and leaning forwards in her seat. "You didn't drag me out here to talk about Penny though."
"No." Weiss admitted, sighing as the pleasantly nostalgic moment dissipated right before her eyes. "I did not."
A small slip of a frown curled across Winter's lips. "I assume this has something to do with Blake Belladonna?"
"In part. She has been a popular topic in our dorm as of late." Weiss' eyes narrowed at the abrupt manner in which Winter directed the conversation away from pleasantries.
"I suppose I'm to blame for that." Winter chuckled, clearly enjoying how wound up Weiss felt herself becoming.
"You may have played a part," Weiss said dryly, "It would be remiss of me if I refused to admit that the confrontation had been brewing long before you arrived."
"How rude of me. Had I known you two were already coming to blows, I would never have been so bold as to interrupt your intimate quarrel."
Weiss restrained the urge to glare at her sister after her sarcastic comment. "Hardly. All you did was expedite the process."
Winter raised an eyebrow. "Well I do hope you two can come to terms. Not that your little stage fight did much to convince me the proverbial dagger has been sheathed."
"You do seem to be the expert on her," Weiss bit back. "Perhaps you could regale me with all that you know and we can compare notes."
"I am not privy to anything the general public does not already know. I am surprised you didn't realize it yourself though. You're typically much more aware of such things," Winter chided.
"My apologies, Specialist. Between securing a leadership role on my team, studying for classes, and Blake hiding that she was a Faunus, it seems to have slipped past me."
Winter hummed thoughtfully and clasped her hands while Weiss used the pause to take a long drought from her cup. She allowed the warm beverage to soothe some of the anger that Winter had stoked within her.
"I suppose I should apologize." Weiss sighed. "I didn't call you out here just to bicker. There is actually something I'd like to talk about."
Winter gave her a small smirk and gestured for her to continue. "By all means."
"I am genuinely concerned about Blake. Her past is… complicated… to say the least."
Winter cocked her head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were insinuating that I'd allow you to stay in the company of those who might wish you ill."
"You left me alone with Father, didn't you?"
Weiss felt a rush of vindictive glee when she saw Winter's expression darken.
Winter ran a thumb along the rim of her empty cup as she mulled over Weiss' words. "It seems Whitley isn't the only one who doesn't play fair anymore, so I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Everyone in this family has a role to play. Father made that fact very clear the one time I opposed him."
"Oh spare me your excuses. You are my sister Winter. You were the one person who cared in my life, yet you left me behind without a second thought, just like all the rest." Weiss paused, "It has been seven years, Winter. Seven years of pathetic, once-in-a-blue-moon visits filled with nothing but cheap talk and catch up. Seven years of presents delivered by Klein, with nothing but his word that you were involved in its purchase. Seven years and you still haven't told me why!"
"Do you think I don't want to?!" Winter snapped with an ugly snarl. "Even with the EDE, I can't help but worry I'll be receiving a call from Father later just for speaking with you. Do you think you're the only one he has leverage against? Grow up, Weiss. He's been threatening to ruin all that I have worked for, everything that I have clawed from him since your tenth birthday. You of all people should know what he's like when he has something you care about in his clutches."
Weiss' blood boiled as her wings strained against their bindings. "What ever happened to 'blood is thicker than lien' Winter? Did your career suddenly become a Schnee as well? Or perhaps your new teammates are easier to deal with than your own sister?"
Winter glared down at Weiss from her chair. "You think I'm worried about my career or my team?! For all your time in the manor you clearly haven't learned a thing. The Ace Ops and Ironwood wouldn't allow Jaques to touch me even if he tried."
Confusion and anger roiled in her mind as Winter's words brought the conversation to a screeching halt.
"My apologies. I shouldn't have allowed my emotions to get the better of me," Winter said, before letting out a deep sigh as she allowed herself to sit back a little further in her seat. "Perhaps I will be able to tell you everything one day, but for now my hands are tied. I'm sorry, Weiss."
Frustration ate away at Weiss' restraint as she struggled to form a response. There was still so much she wanted to say, and yet Winter had put an end to the topic so thoroughly that she couldn't find the words to reignite it. It was unsatisfying, unfinished and yet… Was there really anything more that could be said?
The anger that their conversation had sparked petered out, only to be replaced by annoyance as Winter gestured for her to speak. She instead sighed deeply and refocused on the other reason she needed Winter.
"Very well then. I suppose you can at least help me with something else then. How long are you here for?"
If Winter was confused by the sudden shift, she didn't show it as she quickly pulled out her scroll. "I will be staying to watch over Penny until the General arrives for the Vytal Festival. Is this your way of saying you would like to speak more than just this once?"
"I would like to. It has been some time since we actually spoke," Weiss muttered before hiding her frustrations behind her coffee.
Winter hummed quietly in agreement and glanced at her long-since emptied cup. Following her sister's queue, Weiss took another sip of her coffee with content sigh, before sliding the cup towards her sister. Winter smiled gratefully as she took a long sip, allowing the quiet sounds of nature to fill the area.
It was nice. Nostalgic even. It harkened back to when they would spend time together in the manor garden. Before things got so much more… complicated. Weiss almost considered it a pity when Winter's voice cut through the quiet once more.
"I noticed your sword skills have improved tremendously since I last saw you. Professor Goodwitch has also informed me that your grades place you in the top three of your class. Tell me, have you also been as diligent in taking care of yourself?"
"I will have you know I'm holding up just fine, thank you very much," Weiss sniped back. "I didn't stop growing after you left. I do what I must to keep our father appeased and my position here secured. No different from you and father, or Ironwood really."
Winter rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ironwood and our father. Truly men cut from the same cloth..."
The sarcastic comment had Weiss cocking her head as a stray thought brushed up against her mind. "Why exactly did he send you to look after Penny anyways? Social skills aside, she seems quite capable."
"That…" Winter frowned as she tapped her fingers on the table, biting her lip as she thought. "Is not something I can share with you Weiss. Suffice to say, Penny is not your average Huntress in training. Even by Atlas standards."
"You could have just said it was classified," Weiss grumbled. "I suppose I will just have to wait until Ruby drags it out of her then. She's good at that sort of thing."
"Like how she no doubt dragged Blake's past from her last night?"
"Not exactly…" Weiss bit her lip as the events of the previous evening flooded her mind. "Ruby is far too naive and nice for that."
A deep sigh escaped Winter as she shook her head. "It's also naive to think that the amount of secrets you are all keeping won't hurt your ability to trust one another."
Weiss' laugh was as bitter as thyme, bouncing off the alcoves' ceiling. "Easy for you to say. Your secrets won't collapse a whole company."
If the words hurt, Winter didn't show it. Instead, she simply sipped her drink as she let the bitter laugh and barbed words go unanswered. It was a very old argument, and clearly neither of their opinions had changed since they last spoke.
Typical.
"This is getting us nowhere," Weiss huffed. The silence lingered for just a moment too long as she worked up the nerve to finally broach the topic she had been putting off since the start of their conversation. "Winter… As much as it pains me to admit it… I would like to ask for your help with something."
"Oh? And what might you need my help for?"
"I need to master summoning before the end of the semester, or my spot here is forfeit."
Winter slowly placed the mug on the table as she nodded thoughtfully. "So, that's how you convinced Father to let you attend Beacon. Rules upon rules. Chains upon chains. I have no doubt he would have never let you out of his sight under normal circumstances."
"It is not the most pleasant, but I make it work."
"I can tell…"
"You could consider it our way of bonding again. Despite everything, I do wish things between us could return to how it used to be. If that's even possible…"
The small waver Weiss put in her voice may well have been overkill if she was dealing with anyone else, but the reaction it elicited from Winter was more than enough to convince her it was the right move. The small sigh and frown that Winter always wore when conceding brought a distinct feeling of satisfaction to her. She had won in some way, if not the way she had been hoping for.
Winter reached across the table to the EDE and turned the device off once more, pocketing the device as she stood. With a nod, she fluidly drew her saber and readied herself. "Fine. But only if you promise to take better care of yourself."
"I volunteered to help plan the dance since Team CFVY got pulled away for a mission, but I will try to relax when I can spare the time," Weiss replied as she followed suit. Despite the considerable hours she had spent practicing the motions, it was frustrating that she still felt far less graceful than her sister.
Winter nodded and gave Weiss a small smirk. "That's all I ask. Now, why don't you show me how much you have grown."