Regardless of what she felt earlier, Winter didn't know what exactly awaited her atop this castle that represented a beacon of hope for the world... just like Uchiha Sasuke did.
At least, that was how she came to see him after his deeds that would benefit humanity immensely, as well as changing her little sister for the better, where that characteristic arrogance of their father had almost disappeared; maybe even from her, after reflecting on her life and choices, something that unfortunately her General seemed unable to see and only expected the worst coming from this hero.
To some extent, it was comprehensible, she would say.
Not only was Sasuke's power simply absurd and surpassed everything known in this world, be it technological or magical and that meant a lot, but he attracted a horde of Grimm capable of destroying a Kingdom with his negativity alone.
Still, Winter believed he deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Not just because of how she felt every time she thought of him; his heroic actions alone deserved that much consideration.
That and the fact that nothing of the sort had occurred before he appeared in Vale.
At least, there were no records of similar activity in the past seventeen or eighteen years, Sasuke's approximate age.
Somewhat justifiable if he really was some kind of deity thousands of years old who had only recently awakened from his slumber.
Highly unlikely, especially when there should only be two gods in this world, but it was still one of the many theories circulating on the Internet.
Winter would know, having searched about him thoroughly to try to satiate what seemed to be an obsession, get her head on straight, and fail by wishing to know even more.
After all, the images her mind had formed about Uchiha Sasuke were about someone imposing and beautiful like the god people believed him to be, then shy and embarrassed like a little boy who brought to life the confusing feelings inside her, and lastly, there was that gentle soul with a loving side shown by comforting a sad little girl when no one else did.
Because of this, Winter couldn't imagine what was in front of her; the boy always present in her heart for the last few days, about to crumble at any moment just like the damaged structure next to him, in a way that she didn't know but was familiar and made her think of her mother again.
Sasuke was clearly having a panic attack given how he clutched his chest and then his shoulder after completely taking his obi off and was breathing heavily, or at worst, being possessed by a Nightmare, if those black marks spreading like fire on his exposed upper body meant that much.
The prelude to disaster.
The mere thought of someone like him, whose power no one knew the exact limit of, being used to feed a Grimm was frightening in a way that could very well mean the end of the world.
For a moment, Winter could see another reason behind the General's concern that didn't include the possible ability to seduce women and felt the conflict within her resurface to leave her without action.
Maybe Uchiha Sasuke wasn't someone bad and dangerous, but what about his power?
Power was exactly that: power, a tool to give life to the ambition of the one who possessed it.
To help and save or simply to destroy.
What do I do then? was the question Winter had echoing in her shaken mind, and with reason. Should I report this?
It would be the most logical course of action to take, especially considering that she was no expert on Nightmares, only knew a little about them, and was assuming that to be the case when in fact it could be something completely different.
Furthermore, the result of disregarding the chances, however small, of it being a Nightmare, could have unimaginable consequences.
Unfortunately, the same could be said if she went ahead and reported this to the General.
While Ozpin shared most of the world's view, even if in his own twisted way, and saw a powerful ally/pawn in this boy, James wasn't so naive and his skepticism would never risk trusting someone he couldn't contain/control by believing more in the chances of Uchiha Sasuke being a dangerous threat/enemy than anything.
In that case, the fate that awaited this boy in his state of vulnerability was grim in every possible scenario.
If an internal dispute, possibly a war between Ozpin and James, did not happen to prevent Sasuke's immediate execution, he would be forced into stasis to be imprisoned and used as a guinea pig in experimentation before being killed anyway, as well as being dissected to aid in the attempt to find and replicate the source of his abnormal power.
Even those eyes of his, something everyone believed to hold great power, would be transplanted into someone else, perhaps the only person James really trusted: himself.
A part of Winter wanted to deny these possibilities, but that was the cruel reality of this world and those consumed by their ambitions.
After all, she was like that too.
Specialist Winter Schnee, a lieutenant in the Atlas army, who was trained to freeze her emotions and act based on logic alone.
The perfect weapon waiting to fulfill her destiny as the future Winter Maiden.
However, just by seeing this boy show unparalleled pain and suffering as he lost his balance and collapsed, that cold and calculating woman disappeared, leaving only a naive girl who still believed in the non-existent hearts of people like her father; a girl that should have ceased to exist when she left everything behind along with the irrationality of her emotions in that prison of ice called home.
"S-Sasuke!" Winter moved before she was even aware of it, reaching out her arms to stop him from hurting himself or even dying from the fall and freezing in place as she felt a shiver run up her spine. W-what is this?!
Suddenly, all her confusion was gone to give way to pain, hatred, conflict, and...the desire to destroy the world itself, followed close by denial and fear, in a way that seemed almost unbearable; reminiscent of an unknown sense of despair.
All this coming from the boy in her hands.
While Winter knew how...broken Sasuke was, what she felt coming from his Aura before it was suppressed was nothing compared to what was contained within him right now, being one step away from exploding and drowning the entire world in this inferno that consumed him.
That couldn't happen.
Nobody deserved to go through something like that.
So much so that Winter regretted being there, almost trembling with fear as she was forced to relive her regrets and insecurities that she preferred to pretend didn't exist; memories that should simply be forgotten forever, of bad moments from her troubled childhood and cold adolescence.
At the same time, however...
There was also a growing warmth on her skin that warmed her heart to remember what made her be there in the first place; the feelings she never had before, something that went far beyond mere admiration and respect, especially as she realized one of the reasons this boy was suffering like this.
Even though he was in this state, Sasuke was holding all these emotions inside of him when letting it all out would be the easiest...and most destructive choice.
He was enduring all this pain; fighting rather than giving up.
That made Winter feel weak in comparison.
Not only was he stronger than her in power, but he wasn't afraid to show his emotions and would rather suffer alone if it meant no one else would.
If he wasn't running away, then why should Winter?
Even more, make the same mistake as when she was younger?
Not this time!
Taking a deep breath, she bit her lip until she tasted blood, and used this pain to keep herself from being influenced, for only then could she help by putting her hands on the back of this boy immersed in darkness to squeeze him into the embrace he so desperately needed; that they both needed.
The first hug Winter had in years.
A simple gesture of affection usually shared with her little sister before she began to consider it a weakness.
Or being influenced by her father to think that way and push away the only remaining source of warmth in her life, present until the day she decided to run away without looking back.
A decision that Winter still questioned whether it was the right one, but that seemed to be the only option when consumed by the fear of remaining in her father's hands and suffering the same fate as her mother.
Likewise, she wondered if she was making the same mistake at this moment; letting her emotions dictate her choices.
Fortunately, as soon as she felt the results of her impulsive and sentimental action, a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
The impact that Winter had caused was far greater than she could have remotely expected, where this boy's entire body trembled under her clumsy touch before returning the gesture in an almost desperate way.
Sasuke's hands squeezed her closer and her shoulder was wetted by tears of a silent cry that slowly pushed away the cold present to make her icy blue eyes open to the limit and almost melt.
That rejection and denial gave way to something more, and what she felt harkened back to a long-forgotten memory, of her childhood, long before her mother broke down and Weiss was nothing more than a baby that she was jealous of for having all the attention that once belonged to her.
As well as remembering why she cared so much about Weiss; much more than Whitley, who was not really influenced by her running away to join Atlas' army and the consequence of doing so in the first place.
It was a promise.
"Don't be like that, Winter," Willow Schnee, her mother, said with her loving smile as she held a small Weiss in her arms and brought her closer too. "While it's okay to feel jealous, you are the big sister and you need to understand what that means."
Winter remembers listening intently to the woman who used to represent her world, one she believed she had lost to this new intruder.
How wrong she was.
"When I'm not around, it's your responsibility to take care of your little sister," Willow didn't even quote Jacques, for he was never around anyway before doing the unthinkable and giving the baby to her to hold. "Do you think you can do that?"
It was like magic.
The rival she envied for believing that had stolen her mommy from her had suddenly become the cutest thing in the world, like a doll or a little fairy sleeping peacefully in her arms.
Weiss was not an intruder who was taking away what she loved.
No, this little girl was the newest part of her world; her family.
It was at that moment that she decided that she would be a big sister, the best in the whole world, and would take care of her little sister!
But that wasn't all.
"Yes!" Winter remembers saying with all the enthusiasm and confidence her naiveté could provide, each word accompanied by a bright smile. "I'm going to take care of Mommy too!"
A promise that made the woman before her smile in a way that only existed in her memories.
A promise she was unable to keep, giving up on her mother when she gave up on herself.
W-what have I done? Winter was the one trembling now as her smile faded, remembering yet another memory; the supreme act of weakness rebuked by her father and accompanying this boy as she shed her own tears. How could I forget this?
That was not all of what she forgot.
There were other tender moments in that place that she considered a nightmare, including the birth of her little brother to witness Weiss repeating her display of jealousy with a little intruder.
She also had Klein, the butler with his bipolarity who had become a father figure, something considered non-existent in that house.
Or so she thought.
Jacques Schnee, that man, he wasn't always the way he was now, cold and distant.
In the beginning, even if very little, he was a father in his own way...
At least, to her, he was.
"Winter, you will become my pride and joy," he used to say in the few moments he was present and in a good mood. "Someone destined to be better than me." There was a rare smile on his face along with a look that resembled her mother's, reflecting affection that was not expressed to anyone else but her, and that, regardless of how selfish it might be, made her happy. "I'll make sure of it."
A shame that didn't last long before it became a memory to be forgotten.
All because of what broke and a fate forced upon her; one she rejected out of fear before finding herself running towards another in the form of a Maiden.
A desperate attempt to gain some sense of freedom and not getting any, only more responsibility to chain her; trading one prison for another.
Nevertheless, at this moment, after remembering the light that existed in her early childhood and a promise to be kept in the intention to help her mother recover, nothing else seemed to matter.
The reasons why her father had done what he did and become the way he was.
The plans General James Ironwood had for her or stopped having after this day.
All the choices and consequences...
Winter, for the first time in years, felt...truly free.
Free from the name her family carried and the burden of being a perfect weapon.
Coming to this conclusion made Winter understand why so many people adored this boy around the world and...confirmed what she felt; the existence of a loving heart that also dwelled within her, just as Weiss had said would happen.
In this way, any and all inhibitions that still remained inside her vanished to let her immerse herself in the warmth of this boy and his feelings that made her smile tenderly; showing this by tilting her head closer to let her face touch Sasuke's and caress those night-black hair with affection never before shown to anyone.
A gesture rewarded when those black marks burned again and began to recede into a tattoo over his shoulder with six black commas normally present in that right eye, surrounded by red letters written in an ancient Mistral language.
Seeing this ruled out the possibility of possession by a Nightmare and eliminated any immediate concern.
Or so she thought until this tender moment almost ended with the tears falling on her shoulder and the steadying of this boy's breathing, where those strong arms she loved to have around her body suddenly loosened.
Winter felt her heart skip a beat and sudden nervousness take over her at the thought of talking to Sasuke face to face!
After all that had happened, how could she?!
She was literally crying in his arms just now!
Of course, he was crying too, but that was beside the point, rather that she was now sure of her feelings and had no idea what to do next!
Especially since they barely knew each other!
And-and if he gets the wrong idea?! Winter had her mind going into chaos again, even if it was for a very different reason this time; because of her sudden boldness. I-I don't want him to think I'm the kind of girl who hugs just every boy I meet!
After all, even if everything that happened so far was just an innocent hug, an extremely affectionate one, it was the farthest she had ever gone with a boy, and only because of an emotional impulse, shared by both of them.
Otherwise, none of this would have happened!
Probably.
There were some foreign thoughts, the kind she never had before and which were not modest at all, arising to make her self-conscious and start panicking!
However, just as she was about to overreact and do or say something she would regret later, Sasuke fell off her and Winter moved on pure instinct, holding him a second time so he wouldn't get hurt.
"W-what happened?!" she asked, concerned as she supported him and finally understood what was happening. "Is he...asleep?"
While a more worried and skeptical part of her wanted to believe that Sasuke had passed out, his soft breathing and calm expression indicated otherwise.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion of what he had done in exterminating those Grimm finally taking its toll, but all that mattered to her was that Uchiha Sasuke had fallen asleep in her arms!
I had such an effect on him?! Winter had her heart beating faster as her face reddened, forming an absurdly large and satisfied smile at this achievement. Well, I guess we have that in common.
For it was undeniable how much he affected her, something that was proven in the way she was acting just by looking at him.
He is so cute... Normally, he was already absurdly beautiful, sleeping like this, so deeply that not even moving him to the nearest wall was enough to wake him up, reminded her of a pure and innocent baby, just like her little sister used to be. "A precious memory recovered thanks to you."
Under the moonlight, she admired the perfection before her, involuntarily having her hands pull a few strands of black hair away from his face and caress his skin.
So helpless... Winter couldn't help but lean closer after she knelt before him, her heart fluttering as her body warmed accordingly. So much so that if I wanted to, I could... she swallowed dryly as she drew closer and closer, to the point where she could feel his breath and almost melt with the anticipation of having those lips on hers. Do whatever I wanted.
It didn't matter what it was.
Then she stopped in her advances, inches from kissing him, her eyes opening to the limit in realization.
Sasuke can't defend himself right now, Winter remembered the possibilities that this state of vulnerability represented to those who wanted to harm him, and her heart stirred for a different reason; out of concern. I need to get him out of here!
If she was able to sense his Aura earlier, there was no way Ozpin and James couldn't have felt it too. Even more, caught something on the surveillance cameras and being aware of his condition.
In that case, if they weren't already looking for Sasuke, it wouldn't be long before they had troops or other malicious people scouring the Academy from top to bottom after him.
Unfortunately, she had realized this too late.
The sound of breaking glass sounded and Winter felt a shiver run up her spine with absurd bloodlust coming out of the blue, having all her instincts screaming danger!
Winter reacted accordingly, putting all her training and experience into forcing her body to move in time to make metal echo loudly and sparks fly through the air, managing to use her sword to redirect the point of another, inches away from piercing Sasuke's throat!
The blade buried itself in the wall just beside the unconscious boy's neck and strands of hair fell out to make Winter feel her blood boil!
If she had been a second slower in reacting, Sasuke could have been killed just now!
"Who dares?!" Winter clenched her teeth in anger and slashed with her sword with the same level of hostility, causing this little coward to back away with a few acrobatics and fall perfectly upright a few feet away, her back to her as pink and brown hair with white streaks fluttered in the night wind. "Identify yourself!"
As if scornful of her reaction and authoritative demand, a small girl whose clothes followed a similar color scheme as her hair, opened a colorful parasol over her shoulder, with her back to the broken moon; one that seemed less broken than the smile adorning a youthful face with heterochromatic eyes full of murderous intent.
Hostility directed at Sasuke and Sasuke alone.
That was all Winter needed to know to have her sword raised, ready to protect and save her beloved from anyone who tried to hurt him.
No matter who it was.
It seems that contrary to my pessimistic expectation, most of you enjoyed the previous chapter and I hope the same goes with this one (laugh nervously while writing).
That's all for now, so don't forget to 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 by the end of the month.