Chapter 5 — Fighting For You

I'm doomed.

The thought flashed through Weiss' mind, which she stubbornly squashed. Schnees didn't accept defeat. Neither did Huntresses. They fought until their last breath, and Weiss would do just that.

Her eyes drifted toward Myrtenaster, which was being held by one of the White Fang. Weiss scowled at how he was holding it, while also feeling hope rise in her chest.

Weiss wasn't Pyrrha. She couldn't disarm an enemy with a thought. But the Schnee semblance was one of the most versatile semblances on Remnant. If the user was creative enough, they would never run out of new tricks.

Without dust, Weiss could only use her most basic glyphs. If she could just use one to push Myrtenaster forward . . .

Her vision of the blade was cut off, on account of the spinning drill shoved in front of her face. The lieutenant brought it closer, sneering. The weapon was attached to a gauntlet, with the drill itself extending out. That was all Weiss could tell from a glance.

"Nothing to say?" the lieutenant asked. "Tch. Very well, then."

Weiss held her breath, even as the drill came closer to her face. Any closer, and it would pull out her eye.

Now!

Weiss yanked her elbow back, forcing it into the chest of one of the grunts holding her. He was forced back a step, into the glyph Weiss had formed beneath him. It pushed him back, just enough for Weiss to yank her arm free of his grip.

The moment she could move, she slammed her fist into the other grunt's stomach. He gasped, releasing her.

"You bitch!" the lieutenant yelled, stabbing his drill forward. Weiss ducked under it, forming another glyph on the hilt of Myrtenaster.

As she had seen, the man holding her weapon hadn't gripped it properly. The push forward from Weiss' glyph was all it needed to fall from his grasp.

Weiss rolled under a sword from a charging White Fang member. The roll carried her to her sword, which she re-claimed on her way up.

It was barely enough. Her sword snapped up just in time to block the lieutenant's drill. The noise of metal clanging against metal was enough to spur the remaining White Fang into action. They charged at Weiss, swords rasping against their sheathes.

Given no other option, Weiss moved to meet them. Her feet lurched as she did so, reminding her just how exhausted she was. On a normal day, she could take on a crowd of White Fang soldiers without a problem. Now, though, and with a lieutenant supporting them?

This would be a challenge.

Fire burst from Myrtenaster, catching a clutter of White Fang members and throwing them off their feet. In the same motion, Weiss spun, swinging at a soldier that had approached her. When she heard the lieutenant's drill behind her, she summoned a glyph to raise her into the air.

She jumped from the glyph, hitting the lieutenant with a barrage of strikes on her way down. His drill bounced from spot to spot, blocking each hit.

When Weiss landed, that drill came straight for her, too fast to block. Instead, she slammed Myrtenaster down.

The ice wall that formed blocked off the White Fang members that had gotten near, along with freezing the lieutenant's legs. The snare slowed him long enough for Weiss to lean away from his weapon. He shouted, swinging the drill at her.

When Weiss blocked, her weapon nearly flung out of her grasp. She gasped, stepping back until she realized the ice wall was already disappearing. A White Fang member charged from directly behind her, while another came from her right side. She made to swing at both, but while she struck the first one, the second's sword reached her back before she could stop him. She was knocked off her feet, sprawling onto her hands and knees.

That drill was descending on her again. Weiss dropped from her knees, rolling onto her back in the same movement. The position let her block the drill, but forcing it back with Myrtenaster took all her energy, leaving her helpless. The White Fang took advantage at that, charging at her once more.

It left them in the perfect position for Weiss' next move. She summoned a glyph at her feet, which launched her prone form at them. She slid under their legs, ice expelling out of her sword to trip them. She finally stopped when she collided with a crate, shaking it and causing growls to come from the inside.

Being a human missile wasn't exactly fun, especially in her state. She made to hold her head, but jerked away with a gasp, barely dodging the White Fang member's bullet. She sent an icicle to spear through his face, taking him out of the fight.

With no one else near, Weiss' attention fell on the lieutenant. His drill had shot out of the gauntlet, propelled by gravity dust to pierce the crate next to Weiss. More use of gravity dust pulled him to her in an instant. She had to drop to avoid his punch.

He must have a semblance to handle such motions. If I run, he won't have any trouble chasing after me.

On the ground, she stabbed Myrtenaster upward, hoping to catch him mid flight, but he twisted out of the way before her attack could connect. His drill snapped of the crate, returning to its gauntlet. He stabbed at her the moment he could, only missing because Weiss blew ice in his face. She took the chance to roll away.

It was too much. Even if she could beat the lieutenant, she still had a dozen White Fang members left to fight. They had adapted, spreading out to she couldn't hit them all at once. Those who had guns adjusted their aim, cautious of hitting their leader.

She shifted the dust cartridge in Myrtenaster. Would her body, as it was now, be able to handle the glyph she planned to use?

There was only one way to find out.

Time slowed, the soldiers brave enough to run toward her moving at a snail's pace. More glyphs filled the air, surrounding the circle they had formed.

Weiss flew. The trail of glyphs let her soar in an arc, like Yang during Bumblebee. She was once again a missile, but with her sword held above her horizontal body, she was far more deadly.

They didn't even stand a chance. To them, they would have been fine one moment. The next, each would have a cut as Weiss completed her first circle around them. They would just begin to react as she completed her second circle, hitting them all once more. Her third circle was enough to put them down.

Now would be the hard part. Pain shot through her body, enough for her to scream. Every glyph vanished, causing her to land face first on the floor. She skidded along the ground, cuts digging into her skin.

That used up my entire aura reserve.

She groaned in pain. Any attempts to move made her body shake and tears well up in her eyes. She tried finding one last burst of aura, knowing the effort was pointless. If she was lucky, she would be able to move within the next hour.

A chuckle came from behind her. "Thanks for making this easy, princess. I'm going to enjoy what comes next."

No! Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, feeling sweat drip down her forehead. Most of the White Fang had fallen to her attack, but the lieutenant had aura, and more than Weiss had counted on. Her strikes would have hurt, but he would have had no trouble tanking them until she collapsed from exhaustion.

The drill spun behind her, and she could feel it getting closer. Did he mean to stab it through her back while she lay helpless?

Weiss tried to roll, or even just turn around. But time dilation wasn't always kind on its user, and her body had to recover from the strain she had put on it. She was effectively paralyzed.

"Goodnight, Schnee," the lieutenant growled, and Weiss braced herself for the agony to come.

It never did. The lieutenant shrieked, before a thud sounded behind Weiss.

Even then, Weiss held her breath in anticipation. When it was clear she wasn't dead, she slowly creaked an eye open.

Ilia was crouched before her, eyes meeting Weiss'.

"I-Ilia?" Weiss managed. She made to say more, but Ilia spoke before she could find her breath.

"I'm sorry," Ilia said. With that, any words Weiss' might have had were gone. "You were right. I thought I was doing the right thing, but—"

She was cut off by a howl, coming from one of the crates. It wasn't the howl of a Beowolf. It sounded more like the sound a Deathstalker would make if it had the lung capacity to howl in the first place.

"I can't do this," Ilia croaked. A tear dropped in front of Weiss. "I don't know how I missed it, but the White Fang isn't fighting for the same thing as I am anymore. The White Fang I knew would never give more power to the Grimm."

"I-Ilia," Weiss whispered. Why couldn't she say anything else? The urge to tell Ilia she didn't have to explain herself, and for Weiss to apologize herself, came over her. The words to do so wouldn't come, especially when Ilia lifted Weiss' head, putting it in her lap.

"We're in this together," Ilia said. "You and I, we can only make it out of here as a team. From what I've heard, we're not far from Mountain Glenn. Some of the White Fang were talking about a lab that had been there. This Merlot guy they're allied with did his work there."

It took a minute for the words, and their implication, to register to Weiss. That was probably due to the exhaustion, and not the feeling of how warm, soft, and safe Ilia's lap felt.

I need rest, Weiss mentally groaned. I've never had such ridiculous thoughts before.

What Ilia was saying. Did she . . .?

"I want to take down Merlot," Ilia announced, confirming Weiss' thoughts. "I don't know what I'll do without the White Fang, but I could never live with myself if they released those monsters into Vale."

Ilia's sigh sounded so lost, so defeated, that it made Weiss wince.

"I'm scared," Ilia sobbed. "I don't even know if you'll forgive me, and I'll have to face people I still consider brethren. I can't do that alone. I'm sorry, Weiss! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I thought of you as any other Schnee. I'm sorry I committed atrocities that directly affected you. I'm sorry for what I said. Please, give me a chance. I know I don't deserve another one, but . . ." Ilia trailed off, an anguished expression on her face.

Seeing that, Weiss felt a spark of energy return to her. She pushed herself off the girl's lap, albeit with far more reluctance than she would have liked. Her next action was the only reason she moved.

Weiss hugged Ilia.

Weiss had never been a hugger. Even now, she had to resist the urge to squirm when Ilia slowly wrapped her arms around Weiss. In her state, she was more collapsed onto Ilia than anything, relying on her strength to stay upright.

It was . . . nice. Far nicer than the hugs from Ruby that Weiss wouldn't admit she liked. In Ilia's embrace, Weiss felt more connected to the girl than anyone else on Remnant.

It made Weiss' next words come easily, despite the years of upbringing that warned her against them.

"I'm sorry, too."

Ilia jolted, but afterward, Weiss could feel the tension leak out of her grip. Weiss didn't need to say anything else, because Ilia understood.

Ilia understood her.

Weiss should have been angry. Ilia had kept the Fall of Beacon a secret. But it wasn't like Weiss was a stranger to secrets. This one had been on a much larger and much more horrifying scale, but it wasn't as though Ilia was leading the Fall.

Besides, Ilia had come back. She had saved Weiss, a Schnee, from a member of the same organization Weiss had gotten so worked up about. Ruby had shown her that actions speak far louder than words. If there was one thing Weiss could do now, it was trust in that lesson.

"I'll do it," Weiss announced, pulling herself away from Ilia. When she started to fall, Ilia caught her, and let Weiss lean against her shoulder. "Thanks," Weiss murmured.

"You'll help me?" Ilia asked.

Nodding took too much effort. "Yes," Weiss said instead. "In exchange, I want something." At the look Ilia gave her, she elaborated. "No more secrets. If we're going to work together, our trust has to be mutual. I can't go on wondering if you're hiding something from me. If you even slightly think I'll want to know something, tell me it. Got it?"

Ilia nodded.

"Good," Weiss said. "Then you can start by telling me about your past."

Ilia blinked. "My past?

"I told you about my past. Now, I want to hear about yours. I . . . I want to understand why Faunus would join the White Fang. I know of my company's . . . morally gray practices."

Weiss ignored Ilia's snort and kept speaking. "What I said earlier, I treated you like any other White Fang member." Weiss chose not to point out that betrayed trust had also played a part in her words. "You're more than that. I don't want to make the same mistake again. Please, tell me. It's not like we'll be going anywhere any time soon."

And wasn't that a thought. Would she have to spent the next hour with her head on Ilia's shoulder? The lack of control should have frustrated her, but she found herself smiling. Ilia's shoulder was the perfect size for Weiss to rest her head against, and the warm presence made her feel nothing but at ease.

Her thoughts finally caught up to the sensible part of her brain, and red crep across her face.

Fortunately, Ilia either didn't notice, or chose to ignore it. "I'll tell you," Ilia said. "I owe you that much."

And so, Weiss heard the tale of how Ilia joined the White Fang.

Ruby's scythe clipped her opponent. No matter how fast she swung it, the brown skinned, yellow haired girl dodged almost every time.

It was just the two of them now, the remainder of their teams out of the match. Ruby versus Arslan, to determine which team made it to the doubles round.

Ruby burst into rose petals, flying away from the string that had been aimed at her leg. Using her gun's recoil, she shot herself back at Arslan, scythe swinging again.

Arslan dodged, but Ruby had expected that. She slammed Crescent Rose against the icy floor. She shot more bullets from the weapon, sending her skidding backward as she rode it.

The ice that sprung up made a small barrier between them. Arslan could try to skate over it, but there was a chance of her slipping. It would have only slowed her down, had Ruby not launched herself over the barrier. She landed halfway between it and Arslan, switching her weapon to sniper mode.

As expected, Arslan charged at her, hoping to get in a hit that would end the fight. Ruby waited until she was close enough, before firing a fire bullet from Crescent Rose.

A small part of the ice melted, barely enough to be noticed. It still slowed Arslan's movement slightly, putting her off just enough for Ruby's next move.

She appeared behind the girl in an instant thanks to her semblance. Rather than attempt an attack that might miss, Ruby ran forward, into Arslan.

Ruby sucked at hand to hand, but her semblance did her job forward. It caught Arslan, throwing her onto the ice below. Or, more specifically, the ice Ruby had raised to form a barrier.

It was only an extra second for Arslan to pick herself up, the uneven ground making her stumble a bit. It was enough. Ruby's scythe slammed into the her, causing her to go flying, and her aura to go into the red.

"And that's the match!" Professor Port called over the speakers. "Team RWBY are this round's victors!"

I . . . did it?

Ruby leaned on her scythe, too exhausted to jump and cheer.

I did it!

Her gaze found her teammates. Yang was glowing, and Ruby almost wondered if she would have to run to avoid being crushed by a bear hug. As for Blake . . .

Blake had a soft, knowing smile on her face. She nodded in approval, which for her, was plenty.

It had been during one of Ruby's breakdowns that Blake had demanded they all train. Ruby had screamed at her, an action she regretted now, but Blake bore through it. Even Yang joined her side, and the two of them together were more stubborn than Ruby.

None of them failed to notice the lack of droning about improper form, or that there was less dust littering the training grounds after their sessions than they were used to. Ruby hadn't even tried to fight because of it at first, a concept she hadn't even thought of at Signal.

With time, that changed. When Blake had pointed out that they had to win Vytal Festival in Weiss' name, Ruby latched onto that thought like a child (or her) would a cookie. The hole in her chest was still present every waking second, but by using her grief to fuel her resolve, she, and her team, had won. It had been three on four, and they still won.

The sight of the arena made Ruby close her eyes. They had won, but how would the bout had gone if Weiss had fought? She could have manipulated the arena to trap the opponents and set up team combos. They could have had a team knockout.

We still won, Ruby told herself. We won't be outnumbered in the doubles or singles.

Not that the thought helped.

At the very least, it was enough for her to put a smile on her face. She laughed at Yang's dramatic reenactment of the fight, while Blake rolled her eyes beside her.

We're still a team, Ruby thought. I needed Blake's help to keep going, but I won't force her to look after me again. I'm the leader. I'll keep us together.

I hope you're proud, Weiss. Even after the Festival ends, I'll never stop fighting for you.