Outside, after starting a new search, not to say investigation, and finding nothing significant, except for a heavily armed security team from the General's guarding the outside of one of Beacon's towers, Weiss found herself in the moonlight of a familiar place not knowing what to do next.
This doubt, lack of results, and growing apprehension were more than enough to squeeze her heart again.
Deep down, she should have known that she wouldn't find anything, especially considering the obsession of General Ironwood who must have moved his entire army stationed around Beacon to achieve the same result.
Theoretically speaking.
Weiss wasn't sure if they really hadn't found anything, especially with the insinuations that Sasuke had done something against Winter.
Like, how did the General even know about that? What was the basis behind these allegations? Was there any proof?
...Maybe it has something to do with the "rest" he talked about? Her eyes fell on the peaks of the Academy, and the incessant movement there was suspicious. If so, what exactly had Winter left behind?
Imagining possibilities, which could be as red as blood, did nothing to soothe her heart.
On the contrary, it only made it worse and perhaps that was why Weiss preferred not to think about it.
It could just be her trying to escape reality and live in denial, as many would probably say, but it didn't matter.
Weiss couldn't let herself despair on the basis of uncertainty alone.
Besides, for all she knew, that resentful general could be imprisoning both Sasuke and her sister inside one of those ships.
If it weren't for the immeasurable power that her beloved possessed even in a state of emotional vulnerability, Weiss would have already done the crazy thing of trying to invade the main ship and she was sure that Blake and Yang would follow her without hesitation.
Their feelings for Sasuke were that big.
As for Pyrrha and the blonde boy who had unexpectedly joined the quest, she wasn't sure what to think about them exactly.
The Mistral champion was halfway between the perfection that Winter represented; someone who had managed to make a name for herself and Weiss respected her immensely for it. What she couldn't understand, however, was the motive behind her helping hand... probably.
Just thinking about Sasuke, his beauty and literally out-of-this-world perfection seemed to be enough to motivate even the invincible girl to help.
A rival as powerful as she was beautiful but one that Weiss didn't have time to consider when Winter was so much more.
Then there was the blond boy who tried to woo her, Jaune something.
Someone Weiss couldn't help but hate.
While he wasn't to blame for what had happened earlier, as it had been the result of so many things happening at once and the interference of several people, it didn't change the fact that this boy and his loose tongue had fueled the chaos.
Now, he was trying to redeem himself or something, where his efforts could only be described as stupid.
Like, how exactly would lifting a few decorative stones help find Sasuke?
This logic was beyond her and even Pyrrha, who had the bright idea of bringing him along, seemed ashamed of this display of limited intelligence.
At least he was helping, in his own way, which was more than the last person who had joined them at the last second and only kept her distance while observing in contemplative silence.
Glynda Goodwitch, Beacon's deputy Headmaster, the strongest Huntress in Vale and possibly in the world.
A woman who had it all, be it good looks, knowledge, power, respect, and authority.
Even those who didn't like her for all her severity and seriousness couldn't help but admire her for her achievements.
In short, Glynda Goodwitch was a role model for any girl who wanted to be a Huntress in this world.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Weiss couldn't feel anything positive about this woman. Not only because she wasn't helping at such a critical moment, but because in the end, even the pinnacle of female power was subject to the rules and laws of someone else's power.
This woman knew what had happened to Winter and even as she showed guilt on her normally stoic face, she refused to talk about it.
Deep down, however, Weiss couldn't blame her for ending up like that.
If she hadn't met Sasuke and fallen in love, Weiss was sure she would have grown up to be just like this woman; someone who only knew duty...almost like Winter.
Fortunately, her older sister saw Sasuke's contradictory light and began to change.
Now, all that remained was to make sure that Winter had the chance to at least understand those feelings.
For that to happen, I need to find her! Weiss took a deep breath, ignored everything else, and closed her eyes to concentrate again. But Sasuke first.
For only by finding him could she get to Winter and understand what had happened.
Considering that her search had resulted in nothing so far, the only way to find Sasuke was through his Aura.
This ability was what gave Weiss hope and made her believe that she could find him when no one else could. In fact, Blake, Yang, and Ruby, if this girl was awake, should also be more than capable of sensing and identifying Sasuke's Aura.
An ability gained thanks to the prolonged exposure each of them had to him and his power, both individually and as a group.
That and their feelings, which made their souls resonate louder, helped to reinforce this connection.
A spark of Sasuke's power was all they needed, and it would be almost like a beacon being lit in the distance to guide them to him.
The lack of response received with each passing second was disheartening, not to say heartbreaking.
The possibility that even this advantage wouldn't be enough was what brought Weiss' fear to life.
After all, she was standing in the exact spot where she had last seen her sister, constantly struck by the pessimistic thoughts that it might have been the last time.
Inevitably, it was this kind of mentality that made the mere act of focusing more difficult than it should have been and her breathing heaved accordingly.
Weiss didn't want to feel this way or think the worst, but inevitably she did it more and more without being able to stop and it hurt, so much so that she couldn't think straight.
However, before she could drown in this feeling, a hand rested on her shoulder to bring her back to reality and she was surprised by a pair of worried lilac eyes that had once been red with hatred.
"Calm down and breathe slowly," Yang instructed and, fortunately, the shock of having been her of all people to offer help was enough to bring this little princess back. "Otherwise, you'll end up sharing a bed with my little sister in the infirmary."
As much as Yang didn't want to admit it, she needed help to find that bastard and deal with whatever might come of this encounter.
"Don't let that crazy General's words get to you," she continued, hardly able to believe what she was about to say, but which she knew to be the purest truth based on her own experience, "You know Sasuke isn't like that."
At least, that's what Yang wanted to believe and she was sure she wasn't the only one.
"She's right, Weiss," Blake said as she approached, almost as surprised as her friend by this unexpected help. "Accusations without proof coming from an emotionally unstable and biased man shouldn't be taken seriously." Even though her search had ended with the same result and her frustration was no less, she couldn't let Weiss suffer the same fate as Ruby Rose. "We know Sasuke much better and he would never do anything to hurt your sister."
Yang couldn't agree more, because she really got under his skin when they were alone in the locker room and everything that happened was...complicated, to the point where she had her hands on the rope tied around her waist and pressed her lips together with the memory of the kisses they shared; that moment of passion that she couldn't stop reliving.
With that in mind, in the worst-case scenario, Sasuke had done the same with Winter and somehow, that didn't please her at all, but not out of jealousy...probably, but because of Ruby.
If Yang found out that this bastard was out there making out with Weiss's extremely hot older sister while her little sister was passed out on a bed, after having a panic attack because of this same bastard, she would castrate him!
No matter how hypocritical it was of her, especially after she had done exactly what she was abhorring, there had to be limits!
"Thank you," Weiss managed to smile even a little and feel grateful. "I was wrong about two of you." For having judged without knowing them, regardless of the reason. "Especially you," she said as she focused on Yang who was completely surprised by her unexpected confession. "Now I know why you were acting like a crazy bitch earlier."
To protect someone she loved, her sister, and that was something they had in common.
In response, Yang had a vein popping in her forehead, a dangerous smile adorning her lips and red eyes.
"Well," Blake had a smile of her own, unable to avoid the clear change in tension in the air that Weiss's crude comment had caused. "She's not wrong."
This girl definitely had some anger issues and was overprotective to the extreme, to the point that Ruby Rose had brought it up during the brief conversation they'd had in the cafeteria when they were getting to know each other better.
"As if you two were that much better!" Now Yang was red with anger and shame! "Especially after you two pointed swords at me!"
Heck, the little princess had gone further and actually attacked, to the point of slashing her face when they were inside the Bullhead!
If it hadn't been for her Aura, Yang would have had a scar marking her perfect skin!
...Just like her. She had her eyes returning to normal as she focused on the mark over Weiss' left eye. Proof that even this princess must have experienced difficulties in her life.
In that case, could Yang really blame her for reacting in such an extreme way, especially after being the one to provoke her?
Deep down, maybe she deserved what happened.
"I... You're right." Weiss couldn't deny it, feeling ashamed for having acted so emotionally and irrationally. "I apologize for that."
Because she should be better than that.
"Urgh..." Yang grunted and looked away, her hand resting on her face soon after. "Now it looks like I'm the villain here."
At least with that, they had settled their differences and were one step closer to considering themselves...friends?
Until a few hours ago, such a prospect would have been considered an impossibility. However, it was enough to think of Sasuke, of the absurdity of his existence, that suddenly the chances of a friendship forming between them became more realistic.
Even when he wasn't around, that divine boy continued to influence them and cause unexpected changes.
Then, as if in response to their thoughts, all three felt the sudden surge of the immeasurable, frightening, and familiar power that Sasuke possessed.
"It's him!" Weiss couldn't help but have tears forming in her eyes and a smile on her face. "He's in Vale!"
Explaining why they hadn't found anything in Beacon.
Only, how did he get there so fast?!
This was just another demonstration of his power!
"And he's not happy... again." Blake didn't have a good memory of that dark feeling currently present in Sasuke's power. Did that really affect him this much?
Could being the target of admiration and denial really have made him feel that way?
"Is there something going on out there?" Yang tried not to think about the negative side of it, as she normally would. "This hatred... it has to come from something else."
What had happened earlier hadn't elicited that kind of reaction.
Whatever was going on, it was something else.
"We need to get there, now!" Weiss said and started moving towards the access area of the school where the Bullheads were. "Only then can we find out what's going on and help!"
No matter what!
"Okay Weiss, good initiative and all," Yang began, even using this girl's name without realizing it to point out what should be obvious. "But how do you suggest we do that with all the prohibitions imposed?"
There were even guards stationed in front of the navigation station, which by the way was the only way to get to Vale.
"Yang's right, Weiss." Blake held the hand of this girl who had all the reason in the world to act this way but wasn't thinking straight. "We need to think a bit more before we act."
Otherwise, they would have a chase on their hands, where a mere Bullhead would be intercepted or even shot down by the ships of the Atlas army before they got anywhere near Vale.
"But we don't have time!" Weiss almost shouted as she pushed away Blake's helping hand, which until then had only comforted her. "Sasuke only needs a second to disappear again!" If that happened, she'd never find out what happened to Winter! "I need to get there!"
"Weiss, I understand and you know it," this time it was Yang who tried to be the rare voice of reason. "If it had been my sister instead of yours, I would have gone crazy and attacked that asshole General the moment he opened his mouth to talk that nonsense... And I'd have been arrested for it, unable to do anything to help." Hardly something could be worse than that and Weiss understood if the tears forming in her eyes meant that much. "You've made it this far, so don't let anxiety get the better of you now." She used her fingers to wipe away the tears streaming down the girl's porcelain face and smiled. "Besides, Sasuke hasn't left yet."
That could only mean that he didn't intend to move and was perhaps even calling for them.
"A-all right," Weiss took a deep breath to collect herself, dried her face, and acknowledged her mistake. "What do we do now?"
That was the question that could decide the course between meeting Sasuke or spending the night in a prison cell.
"Stealing a Bullhead is easy, I've done it several times," Blake wasn't proud of it, but it was still a quality...however questionable. "The problem is avoiding a violent response from the General."
The last thing she wanted was to be arrested and have her past brought to light.
If that happened, Blake would see the sunrise square for a long time and that couldn't happen.
"Ohh," Yang had a grin on her face, for recognizing a equal. "So you're a bad girl? I can respect that."
Especially with how hot this cat girl was.
Really, if Yang cut the other way, she'd be more than interested.
Unfortunately, there was a supreme bad boy invading her heart and mind in the worst way.
"Thanks, I guess?" Blake didn't know what else to say about it, deciding to focus on the problem at hand. "As I was saying, stealing the Bullhead isn't the problem, it's James Ironwood and his blind hatred for Sasuke and those close to him."
If they could get around that madman, the rest would be like taking candy from a child.
Weiss didn't say anything right away, weighing up the options to finally understand the gravity of the situation.
If she had lost her temper just now, not only was imprisonment a very real option, but it could also mean the end of her brief stay in Beacon and hard-earned freedom.
In fact, as soon as her father found out about Sasuke, it was very likely that everything would change, and hardly for the better.
In the best-case scenario, he would try to buy Sasuke, perhaps even...offering her or Winter's hand in marriage as a bargaining chip.
As detestable as this possibility might have been before, now it didn't seem so bad... Except if Winter was the one chosen. In that case, Weiss would never forgive her father... if forgiveness were still possible, especially after everything that man had done by abusing his authority.
Then something struck her.
"That's it!" Weiss had an idea and her eyes fell on the woman who was only watching from a distance. "What if we had someone who has the authority to come and go as she pleased?"
Blake and Yang followed Weiss' line of sight and came across none other than Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy Headmaster staring back at them as if trying to figure out what they were up to.
"You mean Miss Rules and Law?" Yang couldn't help but mock. "It would be easier to have a member of the White Fang helping humans."
This woman had taken her, her little sister, and even Sasuke to the police station to lecture them for what felt like an eternity.
At least Yang would admit that this woman had the balls, metaphorically speaking, to treat Sasuke like that.
As for her comment about the White Fang, Weiss and Blake exchanged a meaningful look and even smiled at the irony.
"Then we have a chance," Weiss didn't elaborate any further than that despite Yang's look of confusion. "Let's talk to her."
For there wasn't much else they could do.
"If it doesn't work, we can use that stupid kid who's still looking for Sasuke under rocks as a hostage and force her to help us." Blake preferred to use Pyrrha, but she wasn't sure if she could defeat that girl, let alone without making a commotion in the process. Hmm? The silence she had received in response from the other two and the impassive stare almost made her blush. "What? It's just an idea..."
A rather extreme one, but one that has already proven to be effective.
"Well, if it was a man, I'd suggest seduction," Yang shrugged, not being much better than Blake as to the direction in which her mind went with her ideas. "I mean, who in the world can resist even one of us?"
Because they were so much that they could break anyone's heart.
"Hmm, Sasuke?" Despite the indirect compliment coming from someone who had offended her appearance before, Weiss couldn't help but point it out. He even saw me in my bathrobe with Blake and did nothing but stare at us for a mere second...
Reason enough to bring the insecurity inside a girl to life.
"Right," Yang didn't know what else to say about it, especially when she'd almost had her way with Sasuke earlier...or was it him who'd almost had his way with her? Complicated. That and it would be better if no one knew about this secret. "I just don't think Sasuke counts, since he's not from this world and all."
An important detail that couldn't be forgotten... no matter how crazy it still was.
"All right, we're hot and Sasuke seems immune to it." Blake didn't like to be reminded of her unsuccessful attempts at seduction, only that this resistance made Sasuke all the more desirable. "Can we focus?"
On convincing Professor Glynda to help.
"Yeah." Yang was grateful for that, so she wouldn't have to think about her hot moments with Sasuke anymore... as difficult as that was. "Let's get this over with."
Just so she could come face-to-face with the person who was messing with her in the worst way.
Weiss didn't have anything else to add either and followed these two to the woman who didn't seem surprised by their arrival.
"Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long," Glynda acknowledged the presence of these troublesome girls. "What do you want now?"
She could imagine what Weiss wanted and her heart was heavy with guilt for having refused to share the information she knew about Winter.
Even now, she wasn't sure what was right or wrong; what she should really be doing.
"Professor Goodwitch, we need your help," Weiss cut to the chase, not sure how much longer Sasuke's Aura would remain in place. "Help to leave Beacon and get to Vale without General Ironwood's intervention."
For nothing good would come of that man deciding to follow them and confront Sasuke, especially in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world.
"I assume Uchiha Sasuke is there?" Glynda asked just for the sake of asking, where the reaction of these girls was answer enough despite the silence received. "Very well then."
Curiously, although these three had different colored eyes, the feeling of confusion they showed was the same.
"That easy?" Blake couldn't contain the distrust and doubt in the tone of her voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe you."
There must be something else behind this change of heart.
"Exactly," Yang was along for the ride, smelling something fishy in the air. "Even more so when you're Ozpin's lapdog."
That got a reaction out of this stoic woman and not the good type, making them all instinctively take a step back.
"Watch your mouth, Xiao Long," Glynda had to stop herself from shouting at this unruly girl, her Aura reflecting her displeasure by having her Semblance stirring the air around her. "I'm not a lapdog and I certainly don't belong to someone else." At least, not anymore, and perhaps that's why she couldn't help but let her frustration show in her next words, "But I suppose I shouldn't expect any less from you."
As the girl's lilac eyes reddened, she could almost see the image of that woman overlapping with perfection.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang ignored everything else, focusing only on this bitch in front of her. She wouldn't dare, would she?
To cross the line.
It didn't take Yang long to discover that she wasn't the only woman in the world unafraid to speak her mind.
"That the apple didn't fall far from the tree," Glynda followed this girl's example and didn't mince her words. "You're just like your mother."
It was like seeing something break, then there was a violent explosion of hate-fueled flames.
"Take that back!" Yang didn't hesitate to fly at the throat of this stuck-up bitch and hit some kind of invisible barrier. "I'm nothing like that woman and I never will be!"
Because she protected and valued her family above all else!
Very different from that bitch who only thought about herself!
Glynda just watched this girl who, despite her words, was still the living image of the Raven she had the displeasure of meeting, where the only difference was the color of her hair.
However, it was enough to remember the scene at the police station, where Yang confronted Sasuke to protect her little sister, to have at least one trait that differentiated the daughter from the mother.
Love for a loved one.
Raven was almost a monster who abandoned her newborn daughter.
Comparing the two so arbitrarily wasn't right and it was too late to realize her mistake.
"That's enough!" Weiss almost shouted as she struggled to hold Yang back alongside Blake, hardly able to believe the absurd she had just heard from Glynda! "You, as a teacher and Huntress, should be better than that!"
To be a role model for a whole generation of girls who didn't have an older sister to look up to!
Instead, she was stooping so low as to match a teenager's teasing with words that could hurt!
The woman Winter admired shouldn't be like that!
"I... suppose you're right, Miss Schnee." Glynda straightened her glasses and looked away, never expecting to be scolded by a girl who could become one of her students. "Miss Xiao Long, I apologize for my words."
It wasn't her place to make destructive criticisms like that, regardless of everything that had been happening recently.
Yang only stared at this woman with her red eyes, looking for a hint of a lie behind her words to find none.
It seemed that Glynda had only responded to her provocation out of pure impulse and she regretted it.
In other words, if Yang hadn't said something, she wouldn't have heard something in return.
Shit... It seemed she was paying the price for her thoughtless actions and creating problems unnecessarily. "It's okay," Yang calmed down, her hair and eyes returning to normal. "I shouldn't have said anything either."
That was on her.
Glynda's immediate response was to smile, confusing these girls.
"Well, you just proved me wrong," she would admit to the unexpected defeat at the hands of a younger girl. "The Raven I know would never have done what you just did."
Step back, share the blame, and apologize.
For that woman, only weaklings did that, completely ignoring the strength needed to recognize one's mistake.
Yang didn't have an answer for this, only that somehow she was happy; almost as if she had been waiting her whole life to hear these words from someone outside her family that also knew that woman.
The wait was worth it.
"Here, take this with you." Glynda wasted no time and handed her Scroll to Weiss. "With this, you can access the CCT and use the Bullheads, all of them."
The insinuation was as clear as it was dangerous but necessary to confuse the enemy.
"What about the guards?" Yang recovered quickly, deciding to put everything to do with her mother aside to focus on what really mattered. "We won't have to seduce them, right?"
Somehow, the idea of having to do that with someone other than Sasuke bothered her more than it should have.
"Just knock them down." Glynda had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, again seeing another difference between mother and daughter. "They're weak like that."
Otherwise, they wouldn't be working as mere guards.
"Okay, but what about the General?" Blake couldn't forget the man who was the real problem. "Even after using all the Bullheads, he could still take us out in a matter of minutes."
Then it would all be for nothing.
"I'll cause a distraction." Glynda pondered for a second. "I think taking out one of his ships should be enough."
Once again, the girls felt a shiver run up their backs, especially at the causal way this woman was suggesting taking down a military ship.
"That should be enough." A bit extreme, Weiss wanted to say but chose to refrain for obvious reasons. "What about those two?"
Pyrrha and Jaune.
"Leave them." Blake didn't like that girl very much and the boy seemed useless to them. "Better not drag other people into this unnecessarily."
Especially when they didn't know what awaited them where Sasuke was, and if his aura was any indication, it wasn't something good.
"Before we go," Weiss decided to try asking Glynda again, "can you please tell me what happened to my sister?"
Even knowing where Sasuke was and that she would soon be reunited with him, Weiss needed something, anything that could prepare her for what was to come, no matter what it was.
"I...wish I could, but I really don't know," Glynda wasn't lying, being in the dark as to what went on at the top of that tower. "All I can say is that three DNA samples were found, one belonging to Sasuke, another to Winter and the last one probably belonging to a girl who disappeared at the last moment, Yami Hitomi."
A name more than familiar to all of them.
The girl who hates Sasuke! She really did try to take advantage of his state of emotional vulnerability and attacked!
This confirmation was enough to make all three come to a consensus again; about wanting this girl's blood. But, above all, about seeing Sasuke and confirming his well-being.
For Weiss, however, this information meant even more.
"Thank you." Although it wasn't enough to calm her heart, what was said served to remove that biased opinion the General had of Sasuke; the accusation that he was absolutely to blame for whatever had happened, and opened up new possibilities. "You're stronger and freer than I imagined."
To the point where Weiss understood why this woman was the object of admiration for so many.
What's more, her remark managed to earn a smile from this woman, and that only accentuated her natural beauty.
"No, I thank you," Glynda said genuinely, the words that were spoken carrying much more meaning than this girl could have imagined. "And good luck out there."
They were going to need it.
Before they could leave, Glynda had one more thing to say.
"Yang, as far as I know, there's only one woman in this world whose strength I'm not sure if it's less or greater than mine." In this possibly arrogant statement, she would disregard Salem and the Maidens, since they were anomalies. "At least in that aspect, I hope you're like your mother or even better."
Yang had no words for it, only conflicting thoughts as she walked away with Blake and Weiss.
If Raven was so strong as to potentially be the strongest woman in the world, why on earth had she left her family behind?
How could someone so strong be such a coward!?
Yang would really have to find this woman one day and confront her for answers.
Until then, one thing remained unchanged in her mind.
No matter how strong Raven supposedly was, she would never be more than Summer Rose used to be; a mother, a friend, and a hero.
As for Weiss and Blake, although curious about Yang and her circumstances, they decided not to touch on the subject for obvious reasons.
After all, they both had their own family problems, albeit on different levels, and would only talk about it when they felt comfortable sharing their life experiences.
One thing they couldn't contain, however, was their curiosity about Yang's mother.
Who in the world was this Raven?
For Glynda Goodwitch of all people to have doubts about which of the two was stronger, she should have been someone whose name was known worldwide; perhaps even the Headmistress of one of the four academies.
Instead, this woman was an enigma.
Only Blake felt as if she had heard this name before during her time in the White Fang, but couldn't remember where exactly.
That aside, they no longer had time to think about it, especially when it was none of their business and there were Sasuke and Winter as priorities.
With that in mind, they made quick work of getting past the guards, much easier than expected.
The hard part was yet to come.
It wasn't long before an explosion sounded in the distance, signaling the distraction provided by Glynda.
"Time to go," Weiss used the Scroll received and set off after giving the same command to all the other Bullheads with different destinations. "Next stop, Vale."
Where they would meet Sasuke again and finally get answers to both their questions and their feelings.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'd like to take a moment to recommend a good ongoing Sasuke/DxD fic that caught my eye recently: "Exile's World" by Relo.
Sasuke fanfics are a rarity these days, and even more so when they're good, so check it out if you're interested.
That's all for now, so don't forget to leave a 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.
Until then.