Winter wasn't happy.
In fact, she was until a few seconds ago.
Recently, however, since Sasuke had appeared, emotions of all kinds were plaguing her.
An emergency call with unimaginable consequences had been triggered the day before and there was fear for Weiss' fate.
Something that was replaced by anger when she discovered that her inconsequential little sister was well and in the dangerous company of a faunus, as well as in that of a handsome teenager who turned out to be Sasuke, the acclaimed and feared Moonlight Shadow.
Again, being plagued by a wave of emotions that she couldn't keep under control with the possibilities that his unexpected presence brought, but only until she saw this boy show an innocent side capable of piercing her heart like a flaming arrow and bringing to life something unknown until then inside her.
At that point, the wave of emotions turned into a storm that didn't let her think straight; one that her General easily identified before deciding to push her away because of his distrust.
Disappointment, confusion, and even anger were there to leave her without action for what seemed like an eternity in contemplation.
Meeting Sasuke on this roof didn't help appease the intensity of those feelings, but it definitely helped Winter find clarity in them.
Reluctantly, she accepted what she rejected; the emotions that Jacques Schnee and James Ironwood wanted her to discard, remembered the forgotten promise to her mother and found a new purpose to pursue in the form of a broken boy.
One that she wanted to help fix just like he did with her.
As well as protect him in this moment of vulnerability.
So she was angry, almost livid, in a way she never let herself get to.
Seeing the incompatible eyes of this unknown girl, one who smiled like a psychopath in delight at how close she came to killing Sasuke, made Winter let her restraints go and raise her nameless weapon...
No, that needs to change too, she moved her wrist just enough to see the polished edge of her blade reflect the moonlight above in something so beautiful it reminded her of Sasuke and smiled at the thought. How about... White Moon?
That seemed more than adequate and suddenly her mood had changed again.
She wasn't the only one.
Neo was ecstatic, having come so close to killing a god just now!
Far more than she had thought possible at any other time without having to do degrading things, and that was what gave life to the psychotic smile on her face.
Obviously, Winter Schnee was a monster, just as she imagined to be the case, living up to her reputation for being able to react to her attack within inches of piercing this shitty god's throat and saving him from certain death.
The reaction this bitch in white had also made her excited, being all riled up and that could result in openings if Neo played her cards right.
Too bad she didn't get a chance to take advantage of that.
That hatred vanished just like that, and there was a smile on that arrogant face that made her own disappear.
This wasn't a good sign.
It doesn't matter. Neo took a deep breath to calm herself and tightened the grip on both her blade and the parasol resting on her shoulder, knowing full well that she couldn't afford to get emotional. Besides, I still have the advantage here.
As long as Sasuke was passed out; vulnerable, victory would be hers!
Breaking into pieces before Winter could say or do anything, Neo was already moving; falling directly on Sasuke with her blade aiming for a killing blow and being bared by one of those Glyphs.
A symbol that seemed to be made of metal, where her efforts to get through resulted in nothing!
Worse yet, it wasn't just one. There were at least six of these Glyphs forming a small barrier around Sasuke, protecting him.
Soon after that, there was danger.
Shit! Neo was the one to act fast and avoid the edge of a sword dangerously close to her throat; a clear response to her deadly attack from earlier. I need to take some distance and...
Another Glyph lit up and Winter was on top of her in the blink of an eye!
"No, you're not going anywhere!" Her White Moon met that Aura-enforced parasol, one of the most unusual weapons she had ever seen, and the impact made sparks fly before the sound of shattering glass echoed with the disappearance of this unknown girl. Again?!
This Semblance was a nuisance!
Mainly because she didn't understand exactly how it worked; whether it was teleportation or some kind of time manipulation where an image was frozen while this girl moved away.
At least Winter knew what this girl's target was.
As long as she had Sasuke inside a barrier, he would be...
Her eyes widened as she looked in the direction of her Glyphs and didn't see Sasuke there!
Where did he go?! Her heart sank with fear, and she desperately looked around to see that psychopathic girl holding him in her hands! She can really teleport?!
Neo smiled even more as she saw the fear in this woman's eyes overlapping her confusion and dragged Sasuke's "body" to the edge of the roof before dropping him from there.
Then there was a desperate scream that sounded like music to her ears and not more than a second later white passed before her eyes in the form of a blur, but all that mattered was knowing that a certain barrier she camouflaged with her Semblance was gone!
Now Neo was free to do whatever she wanted!
"No!" Winter didn't hesitate to throw herself off the tower after her beloved, using her Semblance to move through the air and reach him before hitting the ground! "Sasuke!"
She reached out to pick him up mere feet from the ground, and his image broke into a thousand pieces at the mere touch of her fingers!
W-what in the world?! Winter couldn't understand what just happened, but only until she made use of her Semblance to avoid hitting the ground and looked at that damned girl who was still on the edge of the roof, showing her tongue in disdain before running in the direction where Sasuke was, causing her eyes to open wide in realization. Illusion! That's her Semblance!
That girl has completely fooled her!
Even worse, now Sasuke was alone and unprotected!
Winter felt real fear and a Dust crystal was in her hands in a desperate attempt to correct her mistake.
This was all or nothing and she didn't intend to let the first boy who entered her heart die!
On the side above, Neo did her best to ignore the burden of using a serious amount of Aura to sustain two distinct illusions far apart, but it was worth it.
Sasuke was completely vulnerable now and Winter was no longer in her way!
Neo won the war without having to win the battle!
With this, she grinned from ear to ear in barely contained anticipation as she grabbed the hair of this cursed god, someone the world thought was untouchable, and almost tasted her sweet revenge as she lifted his head and aimed her blade directly at this perfect face she was about to ruin, just as promised. Your life is mine!
Her blade came down with the weight of all her strength and the sickening expectation of seeing the blood of a god gushing out to... nothing happen?
What?! Neo only had strands of hair in her hand, her blade buried in the wall for the second time, and Sasuke was gone! Where the fuck is he?!
Before she could look up and understand the situation, there was the impact of a fist the size of her head on her face, hitting her hard enough to send her rolling across the roof all the way to the edge where she had thrown that illusion of Sasuke earlier and almost being the one to fall this time!
W-what in the hell was that?! Neo felt her head spin, getting up with difficulty as she stroked her sore face in a way that made her feel afraid as she imagined what it would be like to receive such a blow without Aura to protect her and see who... or rather, what had hit her. A Grimm?
A Beringel to be precise, but this one was completely white instead of black, and understand what this was all about.
Summoning defeated enemies, one of the many derived abilities that made the hereditary Semblance of the Schnee family so powerful and envied around the world by more than just the faunus, as well as feared.
Right behind this thing was a tired Winter with Sasuke in her arms, looking at her in a way that made her icy blue eyes glow with hatred under the moonlight.
If Winter hadn't made use of her Semblance with Lightning Dust to activate time dilation, one of the many abilities she had, Sasuke would have had his head nailed to the wall!
That only didn't happen because this girl took her time in making Sasuke look at her before trying to kill him!
Those mere seconds of pure arrogance were what allowed her to save him from certain death.
The second time he almost died under her protection and Winter had enough!
"When I'm done with you," she let her summoning disappear and Sasuke rest with all the care in the world against a wall before using another absurd chunk of her Aura to create another barrier of Gliphs; one that would only fall if she died this time, and stand as she pointed her sword forward after retrieving the small rapier attached to her White Moon, changing to a dual wield, "You'll be begging for mercy!"
Perhaps Trivia Vanille would do just that, cringing in fear at the presence and threat this powerful woman was passing; an aspect Neo hated to admit still existed within her even now.
Neopolitan, the true manifestation of her rebellious, repressed, and definitely psychotic side, however, would never back down, not even in the face of death, and it was that determination bordering on the madness that she needed to keep fighting.
There was no turning back now!
To kill Winter Schnee and have Uchiha Sasuke's life, possibly saving Roman in the process by eliminating the source of what was keeping him from waking up, Neo responded accordingly and moved forward with everything to get her revenge or die trying!
Winter met this girl halfway, their swords clashing with the weight of their determination under this shattering full moon to decide the fate of a boy who lived in their hearts with love and hate!
There were no more tricks, only pure fighting skills.
Something they both excelled at, they would admit that much.
Neo may be small, but she was more agile and flexible in a way that was almost envious, being able to respond to everything that came her way while keeping a watchful eye on Sasuke; waiting for that barrier to come down.
Winter, on the other hand, was bigger and stronger, making use of that advantage to pressure her opponent and dictate the pace of the fight while maintaining a never before demonstrated focus on keeping Sasuke safe.
The disadvantage of one was the advantage of the other.
Except that, despite everything, Winter was still stronger than Neo in more than mere physical ability; much stronger.
The result of half a lifetime of training under the best with unwavering dedication for the sake of her little sister far outweighed the few months of formal training Neo had under a Huntress and a few more years living on the streets as a criminal torturing wimp.
Neo was going to lose this fight, she could feel it in the constant drain on her Aura and stamina; being far more than Winter spent with her barrier on Sasuke as she was forced to fend off blow after blow that was capable of shaking even her bones.
This woman really was a monster, perhaps one even greater than Cinder.
Not only that, if it continued like this, she would lose her opportunity for revenge and possibly her life, either by dying or by being sent to a prison where she would never see the light of day again.
This couldn't happen.
Roman needed her!
Thinking about him reminded Neo of one crucial difference between Winter and her that could dictate the course of this fight.
Honor.
This wasn't an official duel like the ones at the Vytal Festival.
This was a fight to the death!
Anything for victory!
Neo spun with her parasol to deflect that saber with deadly precision, repeating a defensive pattern that Winter must have memorized by this point, and when she finished, her guard was open on an opportunity that this woman would not waste.
Except that she couldn't.
Or better said: she wasn't able to.
The reason was that the one who stood before her was no longer the multicolored girl she had come to hate in these past few minutes, but the little sister she loved so much.
"Weiss?" Winter was caught off guard by this change in the heat of the moment and stopped her rapier inches away from gaining an advantage that could decide this fight, then fear and anger returned with everything as she realized her mistake and what just happened. "You little..."
A kick to the chin stopped her from finishing, nearly biting her tongue as she had her feet knocked off the ground and in the next moment her stomach was hit hard enough to send her flying back; her Aura flashing on the verge of collapse.
There was no time to think and breathe.
From above, that damned girl, who was still using her sister's appearance, came down with her sword and Winter crossed her own at the last second before her to feel the roof beneath her back shatter with the impact capable of making her arms shake!
Neo put everything she had and then some into this attack, pushing for the victory that was mere inches away!
For Winter, this moment represented more than a life-or-death situation.
Seeing Weiss, even if it was only an illusion, holding that sword close to her face while smiling in anticipation for her death caused a mix of emotions within her.
Could it be that at some point in the past, Weiss had felt this way about her?
Did she hate her for being abandoned?
Because Winter was sure she hated herself for doing that and probably deserved it.
Yet...
This was not her little sister but a resentful bitch taking advantage of this connection to mess with her mind.
Even if it was her, Weiss wouldn't smile like that while trying to kill her.
No, Winter knew her little sister; one who would be crying should this unlikely scenario come to pass.
That was all she needed to know.
With her superior strength, Winter was able to pull that sword away from her face and do the unthinkable at any other time by landing a headbutt capable of breaking the illusion that used her little sister's image and revealing the girl she hated most at this moment.
Neo hadn't expected any of this, almost losing her advantage before pulling herself together, trying again but with little success and feeling her hatred grow even more because of it; this persistence.
One could see from afar that Winter's Aura was flashing, practically at its limit!
So how did she still have all that strength to fight back in such a situation and still keep the barrier on Sasuke?!
What motivated this woman to fight like that even against the image of her own sister?!
The answer was clearer than the day and more beautiful than the night.
The man Neo had come to hate more than anything in the world.
Uchiha Sasuke, the god who threatened to take Roman away from her; the only person she still had in this world, someone who recognized her as an equal, praised her efforts, and achievements, and treated her like a normal human being by ignoring her flaws, something even her own parents refused to do...
In that case, if Winter could get stronger and keep fighting like this for someone special to her, then Neo could too!
Dropping her weapon, to the confusion and fear of Winter who opened her arms and her defense as she lost the weight she was struggling against suddenly, Neo grabbed her clothes in that gap and pulled her up before she could react, returning that headbutt from earlier; one that finally broke her Aura and drew blood from this princess!
"Why you!" Winter felt the taste of blood coming from her open lip along with the pain and had enough! "I will finish you off!"
Letting her weapons fall, she responded in the same coin and her elbow hit this girl's nose, breaking what was left of her Aura and making her bleed as well!
So it began, a fight that put aside everything else in favor of the savagery fueled by their raw emotions!
They rolled across the roof of Beacon tearing each other's hair and blood with nothing but their hands; all for the victory that represented their ideals and goals!
Protect and save.
Kill and avenge.
Neo saw doubled over after taking another punch that seemed to come from that Grimm from earlier, spitting blood that dripped down her face as she nearly passed out and only then remembering what she really had to do when her eyes regained focus on Sasuke's lone figure; a helpless one no more than a few feet away.
Without Aura, Winter had no more way to protect him like she had before!
Hitting a well-placed elbow as Winter grabbed her shoulder, Neo made her be the one to spit blood this time before she managed to get far enough away to grab Hush, both the parasol and the hidden blade, and try once more!
"No, you won't!" Winter didn't go down with that last blow, no matter how much it hurt and it was a lot, managing to reach this girl and knock her right down next to Sasuke, bringing the fight back to the ground and trapping her neck in her arms before she started to squeeze! "This ends now!"
Neo choked with difficulty in breathing and dropped her parasol, but ignored the dangerous position she was in by focusing only on the prize just ahead!
Damn it! Why is this girl so persistent?! Although curious about the reason behind this absurd hatred, Winter preferred to focus on protecting Sasuke and used her legs to trap this girl, forcing both of them to roll away in time to prevent the attack from hitting its target. "Just give up already!"
Neo would have screamed if she wasn't being choked and for her disability; narrowly missing Sasuke for the third time!
But no matter, she didn't intend to give up!
Giving up was something only the weak did!
Otherwise, Winter wouldn't be putting her life on the line like this.
In this aspect, Neo would admit that the two were equal: in the persistence to keep trying!
So why?! She was feeling her vision blurring, not knowing whether it was from lack of oxygen or tears of frustration forming in her eyes; a pathetic reflection of her past resurfacing with the weakening of her body with each passing second. Why can't I do anything?!
It must be because there was always an obstacle in her way; limiting her.
Be it her parents, Lady Beat, Cinder, Sasuke, and now this Winter bitch.
Hence why she wanted to be stronger!
Stronger than anyone to be able to break these chains made of fear and gain true freedom!
Clenching her teeth, Neo regained some of her strength with nothing but pure hatred and stopped trying to use her hands to free herself.
If she couldn't kill Sasuke, she would go with plan B and kill a person close to him!
While Neo wasn't sure if Winter was part of that evil god's harem or if she was just playing hero, it didn't matter.
Neo would give her hell until she was released or killed!
Hush's hidden blade was still in her hand and Neo buried it in this bitch's leg to elicit a sharp cry of pain that at any other time would be enough to make her smile.
Not this time.
Neo wasn't finished yet!
So she began to slash and pierce everything she could, whether it was the legs that held hers in submission, the arms around her neck, or the torso she was lying on.
Within seconds, her sword was covered in blood and glowing red under the moonlight!
Neo even tried to hit the head that was right behind her but failed every time to get a decisive blow.
All to make the damned woman suffer and let her go.
Unfortunately, Winter wasn't having any of it.
Ignoring the excruciating pain of being cut repeatedly, even on her face and ear that almost resulted in her immediate death, Winter squeezed harder and harder!
It wasn't long before her effort and perseverance began to have results.
It was gradual, but the girl in her arms didn't take long to decrease her aggressiveness along with her heartbeat.
After all, willpower and hatred could only take someone so far.
Winter would know, being at her limit too.
Before long, Neo no longer had the strength to even hold her weapon, and all her remaining effort was directed at not choking to death; fear returning as cold and darkness took over her mind in the form of a nightmare called loneliness where not even Neopolitan's voice could be heard.
At that moment, a little Trivia Vanille was locked alone in the dark of her room all over again.
As for Winter, she didn't even notice that the girl in her arms had stopped moving, her adrenaline on edge to keep squeezing harder and harder; almost wishing she could feel the snap of bones!
Instead, what she felt was the soft, icy touch contrary to the heat of her blood from her clothes being wet with tears to remind her that, despite everything, in her hands was a human being; a little girl who looked no older than sixteen.
If she doesn't stop, Winter would become a murderer.
It would make her the same as this girl consumed by hatred.
A vicious cycle.
So, in that moment of clarity, Winter finally let go to hear the faint breathing return to this unconscious girl before she could breathe too.
Dammit... she was trembling as she looked down at her blood-stained hands; the blood that she had drawn from this girl during the fight earlier. Why did I do all that? To the point of almost...crossing the line. All she had to do was look to the side, where Sasuke was resting peacefully and completely fine, without so much as a scratch, and she had her answer. Because I...love him?
Her heart fluttered as she considered something that made almost no sense!
Winter didn't even know this boy, so how could she love him?!
But she probably did, not only love him but know him.
At least, through that emotional connection they had earlier, she learned a lot about Sasuke and herself, hence the reason she risked so much for him, to the point of having her white uniform stained red by her blood.
Thinking of that, about her wounds and the pain that only grew as her body cooled, reminded her of the situation she was currently in.
Of the danger that could arise at any moment in the form of Ozpin, James, or someone else like this multicolored girl to threaten Sasuke's life.
Winter needed to get him out of there and away as soon as possible.
Doing her best to Ignore a serious amount of cuts and lacerations on her body, Winter left a trail of blood in her path until she reached the boy she gave her all to protect.
Never before did mere meters seem like kilometers, speaking volumes of her present condition.
With each step, her vision blurred as the weakness in her body grew stronger.
This wasn't a good sign.
When Winter managed to reach the wall where Sasuke was leaning, her legs gave way and she fell sitting right next to him.
There was fear in her heart knowing that she couldn't quite get up again much less keep protecting him.
In fact, considering the amount of blood she was losing, Winter didn't know if she would wake up after she passed out.
Still, she had to do something, anything that could get them both out of this situation.
While calling Weiss crossed her mind, she didn't want to involve her little sister and decided to turn to the strongest person in the world.
"Sasuke..." she whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder using what little she still had of her strength to stroke his face with the tips of her fingers soiled with blood. "Please..." her plea sounded softly, her mind wandering away. "You need to...wake up..."
With that, her icy blue eyes glowed like crystals closed as she fell to lying on the lap of the boy who stole her heart.
Seconds later, a pair of red and purple eyes opened to reflect much more than just the moonlight.
On them contained the image of yet another girl from this world whose gentle touch had helped mend a little bit more of his broken heart.
I hope it was an acceptable fight, as I don't have much experience writing this kind of stuff.
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.