The day was ending and the night was slowly setting in as the sun set on the horizon for the broken moon to shine brighter in the sky above.
Watching this change in contemplation for the past few hours, was Winter who was still conflicted as to what to do next.
There was certainly Uchiha Sasuke to consider, someone she intended to confront and have a conversation with to try and clarify these unexpected feelings and the possible intentions he had, but that wasn't all.
There was her career in the Atlas army as well.
Having been pushed aside by the man she had admired and come to trust after serving for so many years, only added weight to the reason behind her current questioning.
All this for simply showing feelings.
Regardless of that boy being a possible threat, it was a shock that made her begin to question her loyalty; to give a real reason for the concern the General was having.
Likewise, it raised the question as to her own choices; whether the most crucial decision she made in life was even the right one.
To run away from the manipulative hands of Jacques Schnee.
Even more so when, apparently, she did it only to end up in someone else's.
In that case, all she could do was to look for justifications; to tell herself that she did it for her little sister...but maybe that wasn't so.
The fact was if she had become the heiress as she should have, Weiss would never have been left with this burden, which now surely belonged to Whitley, her younger brother, and would have been free to pursue her own path.
Actually, she could have gotten rid of Jacques after creating enough contacts within the company and coming of age, thus guaranteeing a more prosperous future for her entire family and even the world, considering all the controversies with slave labor with faunus and monopoly.
But she was weak, just like her mother.
While Winter didn't fall into an addiction, which didn't include an almost endless quest for more power to compensate for her choice and consequences, she wouldn't brag about it either.
After all, they both ran away from reality in their own ways.
Like mother like daughter, as they say.
So the mere thought; the notion of having been used all her life to satisfy someone else's ambitions, in a similar way that sealed the similarities between mother and daughter, seemed to create an endless hole inside her and an almost unknown sense of despair.
Probably the same as her mother had experienced.
In that case, what would happen now?
Would she also give up everything and start drinking?
Was this the fate of the women in the Schnee family?
To be a mere robot programmed to obey at all costs a man who believed to have the world in his hands and when she didn't, to be discarded like a defective object?
That's what her father did, disowning her as soon as she entered the army after disobeying him.
Now it was James, her supposed savior, who discarded her without apparent hesitation.
The pattern was there, repeating itself to build anger and resentment within her with that truth.
Especially when Weiss came to her mind.
Winter didn't want her little sister to go through the same thing and so she needed to confront Uchiha Sasuke, not just for her and her confused feelings, but to make sure that Weiss wouldn't have her heart broken for trusting the wrong person...as she had done, apparently.
This was what brought to life these emotions and feelings that would previously be ignored and suppressed for being more work than it was worth.
A line of thought that perhaps applied to her own being from the perspective of those who tried to mold her into a soulless machine.
Then, what should she do next?
That was the question that kept her thoughtful and conflicted in a way that almost ignored the passage of time, including what happened to that violent Aura surge from when Weiss was with her.
The lack of commotion and the fact that her Scroll hadn't even received a notification meant that the whole thing hadn't resulted in anything bad.
That or she had already been excluded from the army's communication channels.
However, her point remained.
Uchiha Sasuke, even as he was consumed by emotion, once again, even if only for a moment, had not committed a single act of violence that warranted retaliation.
Good news that helped calm her turbulent heart, even if only a little, and created grounds for what she possibly felt for him.
Unfortunately, Uchiha Sasuke was not willing to make it any easier if the inconstant Aura she was feeling meant that much.
This power emanating from him like waves wasn't different from the moon shining in the sky:
An immeasurable enigma, distant, cold, and...
"Broken..." Winter had her hand on her chest to feel her heart squeeze. "Looks like I'm not the only one in conflict."
Even this god in human form was and that made her...happy.
Why?
Especially when this should be a bad thing?
Yet there she was, happy...to have something in common with this boy.
Or maybe because he had helped her think of something different when she needed it most.
It was almost amazing the effect he had on her, raising a different kind of question; the same one the General had to justify his distrust against her.
Could Uchiha Sasuke have some kind of unnatural effect on the opposite sex? Like a Semblance of mental manipulation?
Honestly, she didn't doubt it.
After all, one couldn't know for sure the limit of his ability after what he had done in exterminating those Grimm.
However, if he had, whatever this cursed gift was, shouldn't the effect have been broken in this moment of emotional instability, just like any other Semblance?
So why did she keep feeling her heart beating harder at the thought of him?
Except that this time it was different.
It was no longer out of some almost unknown sense of happiness but out of...worry as the conflict present in Sasuke's Aura continued to escalate.
What's going on in there? Winter had anxiety taking over her, for hating being in the dark after learning how vital information was. Should I...
The idea of going to him to check on his well-being was there in her mind, but so was her little sister to remind her that Sasuke was not alone.
There were more people than just Weiss there with him, certainly those other pretty girls.
He didn't need her.
No one did and suddenly that bad feeling of rejection and loneliness, ever present in her teenage years as she trained desperately in the army to get stronger and obtain a position of power so she could see her little sister again, returned to haunt her along with Sasuke's Aura, reaching an emotional peak that could only be described as denial and heartbreaking sadness before disappearing from where it was, reappearing...
"Right there?" Winter opened her eyes wide as she looked up where the peaks of Beacon Castle were to see green leaves falling like snow from the sunset-orange sky. "So close..."
But it felt so far away.
Even more so when his Aura disappeared completely, again raising concerns about the reason behind it... But deep down, in her irrational heart, she was sure that Sasuke was still there and didn't want to be disturbed, hiding his Aura to ensure that.
She understood the feeling.
At the same time, though...
Being alone made the mind take unexpected turns, and that could be a problem.
Even more so when one was going through such distress.
Yes, it would be bad if this turmoil of emotions resulted in the anger seen last time. Although Winter was not in Vale when it happened, she had read all the reports about the incident more times than she could say. Then...there was love, the kind that everyone identified as toward his mother or someone he saw as such.
After all, it was still debatable whether Sasuke was even a human and had anything like a biological mother.
A more than reasonable doubt, considering there was nothing about him in any database, either about his name, appearance, abilities, or those unique eyes.
However, if that viral video about Uchiha Sasuke's actions in helping that little girl, one of the few pieces of evidence about his existence in this world, served as proof, then he was a much better person than most out there...including herself.
I think I will learn more soon, not only about him. Winter took a deep breath as she made her decision, opting to no longer whine about something beyond her control and to exercise her role as a protector to help prevent another incident. Exactly, this is not for me...It never was. And maybe I should start changing that.
Her choices and destiny.
On the highest peak of this castle-like school, leaves circled in a whirlwind to reveal the shaken form of Sasuke, losing his balance as soon as his feet touched the roof and needing to lean on the nearest wall as he clutched his chest in a desperate attempt to calm himself.
Considering the burning in his lungs from the constant heavy breathing that blurred his vision from the excess oxygen, the sweat covering his exposed skin as he removed the obi that seemed to suffocate him, and the tears that insisted on remaining in his eyes, Sasuke was sure he was doing a terrible job.
The state of chaos his mind was in definitely didn't help, not to mention the fear of losing control of his emotions that managed to feed the Mark on his neck, manifesting itself for the second time as it burned his skin and slowly spread over his body against his weakened willpower, worsening everything he felt to indescribable levels.
Reason?
Knowing that the whole world was looking directly at him, Uchiha Sasuke, and not at a hooded figure whose identity was unknown.
To hear his name revered instead of repudiated;
Receiving looks of acceptance where there should be rejection;
Smiling expressions instead of distrust...
All while being thanked for his minute show of benevolence to a child ignored by her parents during that celebration yesterday.
These reactions were what resulted in the chaos inside him, threatening to shatter for good the remaining stability in his heart.
Why?!
He didn't understand!
Even the explanation of that boy named Ren didn't help.
His actions helped people to create different perspectives?
To remember that there was still goodness in people's hearts?
Sasuke wasn't even sure of the goodness within himself, so how could he have that kind of effect on others?!
That didn't even make any sense!
While obtaining eternal peace as a result of his choices could be considered something noble despite how twisted it really was, he only intended to do so because of his obsession with validating his family's sacrifice and the need to justify his existence.
Otherwise, Sasuke would let the world burn if he didn't end up doing it with his own hands.
That's why he didn't consider himself someone who was good or deserved to be adored... to be loved.
No one with that kind of dangerous mentality deserved it.
Even when there was a distant voice in his mind saying; reminding him that something had changed recently about his end goal after being trapped in Remnant, and the fact that these people calling out his name didn't know anything about him, it didn't matter.
Sasuke knew the truth about himself and...it hurt.
Not only realizing how broken he really was, but that he would always be as long as he lived.
The weight behind the truth might be different than when Obito told him about Itachi, but the pain felt the same and Sasuke wanted to get rid of it, even if it meant sinking into hatred once again and destroying everything in his path until there was nothing left!
A sudden line of thought that hatefully gave reason to the words that Danzou trash had to say, serving to fuel the chaos within him.
Responding accordingly, as always, was his eyes; the curse of his clan that he was proud to carry, changing patterns as the hatred that constituted his very being inflated in a way that could create a pillar of purple energy and pierce the heavens!
Power so dark and sinister that it would make all those ignorant fools around this world, and possibly beyond, change their minds about him in two seconds!
As well as scaring the hell out of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and especially Yang.
No! Sasuke recovered some of his reasoning and slammed his head against the wall he was leaning on hard enough to send cracks that threatened to collapse the entire structure! I refuse!
To keep making the same mistakes as in the past!
To prove that nothing could change!
No matter how much he wanted to kill and destroy to get rid of this cursed pain, he couldn't do it!
Becoming the monster that fate wanted him to be!
Especially for those four!
However, despite his desire to go against the intoxicating darkness inside him, something wasn't right.
His Chakra was still bubbling and burning against his will; trying to force itself out of his body.
W-what's going on? Sasuke was trembling as he found himself fighting his own growing power, feeling increasing physical pain, almost as if he was using Susano'o for the first time, and only then identifying the source of the problem with a violent pulsing in his neck. The Six Path Mark?!
That shouldn't be possible!
As if to refute his beliefs, the memory of what happened between Yang and him was there to sink his heart.
It shouldn't be possible but it was.
How?!
Orochimaru's corrupted Chakra was replaced with that of the Yin Chakra of the Six Paths that now belonged to him permanently, and the cells used as a base were those of Hashirama instead of Juugo to get rid of any instability and side effects, thus increasing its latent capacity to store and absorb Natural Energy...
Sasuke's eyes opened wide as he realized what the problem was.
The Grimm!
Creatures of darkness formed by corrupted Natural Energy that fed on the negativity exhaled by people.
In death, those Grimm dissipate into black smoke and return to nature.
A common occurrence that hardly had any effect on the local atmosphere.
Except that Sasuke had exterminated an absurd amount of these things the day before, almost everything that existed in this kingdom.
In that case, the Natural Energy that circulated Vale was anything but pure.
That must be why the new Six Path Mark was responding according to the level of his negative emotions and intensifying them.
Otherwise, he would hardly have touched, much less laid a finger on Yang earlier!
How did I not notice this before?! Sasuke grabbed the shoulder that was burning like the living heart of a black flame that existed for the sole purpose of destroying everything that existed and realized the more than obvious reason. Because my own power is not much different...
After all, this level of negativity, capable of driving most people crazy, was normal to him; always present in his life since when he was a child.
No matter how corrupted the Natural Energy that was now polluting the kingdom of Vale was, Sasuke wouldn't have noticed.
Not only was he not a Sage, but Sasuke was no different from these creatures of darkness whose essence was now coursing through his veins like fire.
Nothing else could explain why he was being affected in this way.
The darkness in his heart and the one present in the Mark were resonating together.
Dammit, dammit, dammit! Sasuke could feel the little control over his power slipping through his fingers with each passing second. If this kept up...
He would really end up losing his mind, thus becoming a monster that would not only destroy the school with everyone inside but the whole world as well!
Weiss, Blake, Ruby, and Yang...
They would all die!
That's not going to happen! Sasuke refused to allow it, even more so by his own hand! I-I need to clear my mind of this negativity!
He needed happy memories!
Just like when he destroyed those Grimm!
Closing his eyes, Sasuke tried to focus to bring up the memories of his mother; the only true light in his life.
Instead, what came to him were screams of pain and fear, images painted in blood with cold bodies from the night of the massacre to make his eyes snap open, reflecting his confusion in them.
Again, this should not have happened.
However, it seemed that it wasn't just his power that he was losing control over, but his mind too, and that was enough to scare him.
No matter how hard Sasuke tried to rid himself of these bad memories, there was some kind of black fog clouding his mind that only allowed; forced bad things to emerge within him, as if it was feeding on that and weakening him in the process.
His breathing worsened along with the growing pain, able to ignore his efforts and make his mind wander away, where only one thought remained as he was about to fall to his knees and be consumed by the madness of his power:
I don't want to be a monster anymore...
As if in response to his plea, there was a sudden touch from the arms of someone with blue eyes, gentle, and full of concern that managed to ignite a spark of light amidst the darkness of his heart.
To remind him of the goodness within; of those who believed in him and the one he loved the most.
"Yoshi, Yoshi, it's okay, Sasuke." There was a gentle smile on the face of the woman who raised him as she held him closer to comfort him with her unconditional love. "Mom is here with you and always will be."
A promise that didn't last long after that day when he woke up in the middle of the night with a nightmare, but one that has undeniably remained within him ever since.
Just as his mother said she would.
His arms moved on their own accord to return this long-forgotten caress and feel his heart flutter at the sensation of having his back caressed right away, in a very similar way to his mom.
Then there was the warmth of this cozy touch that seemed to burn but in a good way, just like...
The embrace that Blake, Ruby, Weiss, and even Yang had shared with him earlier.
Sasuke was not alone.
Even in a completely different world, there were girls who accepted and cared for him; loved him, regardless of the darkness they surely knew dwelled in his soul.
Thanks to this warmth, the light inside him shone brighter with memories that he needed so badly to help fight off the darkness and regain his lost control.
His eyes returned to their previous state and the power inside him stopped trying to overflow as the Six Path Mark receded accordingly to give way to a smile on his lips as he allowed himself to be comforted in the arms of someone who was not his mother but felt like her.
For the first time in a long time, Sasuke let his guard down completely, even allowing the cost of this internal battle to get the better of him and losing consciousness; falling asleep in a way he hadn't done in years without being tormented by the nightmares that were part of his life and dreaming of white, red, yellow, black and blue flowers under the moonlight.
This is one of those chapters I'm afraid to post for not knowing the type of reception it will have, but I have to post anyway, so...
I won't say anything else, so review, and if you want to support me and read ahead, take a look at my P t r & on (slash) Bertoti
The next one comes out on the 15th.