Chapter 9 — Together

Dust. Mankind's most innovative resource. It was the tool which they harnessed to survive against the Grimm. Dozens of applications for Dust were created every day, whether that be a new weapon, or a new Dust storage unit.

Weiss, as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, had to keep up to date with all the new uses for Dust. It had always been a part of her studies. In those studies, she had seen techniques that sounded ridiculous upon first hearing them. Included in those was a self-destruct trigger on a weapon.

Why destroy your own weapon? It was counterproductive, and downright suicidal. Weapons were an extension of one's self. That wasn't just Ruby's motto, but a guideline for every Huntress. Weiss, while not an expert on weapons, had done hours of research to make sure Myrtenaster was perfect for her.

She could never imagine destroying her weapon. Making it intentionally backfire? That was a possibility. One she had prepared for without her father's knowledge, thanks to a hefty bribe on one of her family's blacksmiths.

As Weiss saw the foot of the Goliath stomping down on her, she knew she was going to die. She had no aura, and Goliaths were among the most powerful Grimm in Vale. Not to mention the enhancements Merlot had given this one.

She had nothing to lose. For even the smallest chance of surviving, she would take a risk.

Her hand slammed down on Myrtenaster, with the specific force and position to activate the hidden trigger.

Weiss didn't even have time to raise her arm before an explosion of fire, lightning, wind, and ice exploded from her weapon. It fell upon her, bringing with it a wave of agony. The little dust she had remaining still contained enough force to blow her away from the Goliath, ravaging her body in the process.

Before she could even begin to think about the searing pain, her consciousness vanished.

"Weiss!"

The shout was familiar, but faint. Weiss wondered if it was in her head.

"Weiss!"

Who's calling me? Where am I?

Her eyes flew open.

"Ugh, finally!" Yang Xiao Long stuck her tongue out. "Since when were you one to daydream, Ice Queen?"

"I . . ." Weiss blinked, then looked around. She was sitting on a bench across from Yang in a cafe. More specifically, Blake's favorite cafe. The girl in question sat next to Yang, her head mostly buried in a book. Though she did peer over it to raise an eyebrow at Weiss.

And next to Weiss—

"Yaaaaang," Ruby whined. "Don't provoke Weiss into another argument."

Yang rolled her eyes. "If I don't teach her how to handle teasing, who will?"

They all looked to Weiss, as though waiting for a snappy retort.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked when it was clear no response was coming. "Are you okay?" She reached a hand toward Weiss' forehead.

Weiss reflexively slapped it away. "I'm fine." She hesitated. "How did we get here?"

Even Blake put down her book to stare at Weiss. "We walked," she said. "After taking a Bullhead from Beacon. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Don't tell me you finally overworked yourself," Yang added.

"N-no." Weiss took a sip of her coffee that she could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago.

"Hang on, Weiss! Stay with me!"

"That voice again," Weiss mumbled. So it hadn't been Yang calling her? She racked her brain in an attempt to figure out why the voice sounded to familiar. Her face contorted in frustration.

There was . . . something. A semblance of urgency. She had somewhere she needed to be. But where?

For a millisecond, she remembered. Pain raced through her, vanishing before she could even register it.

Something happened to me. But what?

Her teammates were definitely concerned now, based on the looks they gave her. Yang parted her lips to speak, but froze as footsteps approached their table.

"There you are," Yang said. She and Blake scooted over, cramping themselves in the two person bench while still making enough room for a third person. "Sit down, Ilia."

Weiss' eyes widened, darting to the chameleon Faunus as she took her seat. Ilia was wearing a black dress. If anyone else had worn it, it would have seemed out of place in a casual setting. Ilia made it look as though dresses like that were her casual wear, and it worked.

"Sorry I'm so late," Ilia said. She grimaced. "A group of anti-Faunus protestors tried to stop me from coming here."

Ruby gasped. "Are you okay?"

Ilia's eyes softened, and she gave a smile that made Weiss' heart flutter. "I am. Less can be said for them. I'm just lucky the closest police officer was a Faunus himself."

"Be more careful in the future," Blake said, putting a hand on Ilia's arm. "Vale is better than most nations, but Faunus are still second-class citizens here."

"I'll be fine," Ilia assured her. Her gaze fell onto Weiss. "After all, I have you guys."

"Wake up Weiss!" It was Ilia's voice. A ragged, desperate sound. It was a complete contrast to the soft tone of the Ilia in front of her.

"Are you really okay?" Weiss couldn't help but ask at the contrast.

Ilia giggled. "I should be asking you that. You've gotten careless."

Weiss leaned back, frowning. "Excuse me?"

"You aren't concerned?" Ilia asked. "We're fighting for our lives, you know."

The memories re-surfaced in a barrage. Weiss fell forward, clutching her head in her hands. Fighting Ilia, getting stranded underground, gaining compassion for her Faunus companion, fighting the White Fang, surfacing at Mountain Glenn, Merlot.

The Goliath.

Weiss gasped. The pain finally struck, making her scream.

"Weiss!"

"Weiss!" Ilia echoed herself, leaping over the table and jumping to the floor where Weiss had fallen. Ruby, Blake, and Yang were frozen, not even reacting to Weiss writhing on the floor. They weren't even breathing.

The moment Ilia touched Weiss, the pain vanished. Weiss gasped for a long thirty seconds, until her breath finally came back.

"You're more injured than I thought, if nearly waking up did that to you," Ilia whispered.

Weiss, still on her back, her closest friend kneeling above her, looked at her frozen teammates. Then, she turned back to Ilia. "I'm dreaming."

Ilia moreso dipped her head than nodded. "Do you want to wake up?"

Moving suddenly felt like a gargantuan effort. "No. This is . . . nice. The five of us, here. I like it."

Ilia snickered. "Spoken like a true heiress."

"Hey!" Weiss couldn't help but giggle alongside her. She should have been panicking, but instead, she couldn't keep a smile off her face. That was, until Ilia spoke.

"Why?"

Weiss frowned. "Ilia?"

"Why do you want this? Aren't I your enemy? Why don't you hate me? They call you the Ice Queen, don't they?"

Weiss winced. There was something about Ilia using that title that hurt far more than when her teammates did.

"That's not who I am," Weiss sighed. "It's—" She cut herself off, forcing her body to move. It took almost a whole minute, but she made it back into her seat. Despite having kneeled next to Weiss, Ilia was already sitting down again when Weiss looked up.

"It was my father," Weiss whispered. "He made me into that person."

Ilia met Weiss' eyes, and Weiss knew that Ilia had already known the answer.

"You didn't answer my question, Weiss." Ilia's gaze bore into her. "Why do you want this?"

Weiss looked down in shame. Why? What am I searching for?

"I couldn't trust the Faunus." Weiss' tone was too quiet to be heard, yet Ilia listened. "There's always been a target on my back. All because I'm a Schnee. I've been taught to take pride in my name, and I do, but . . ."

She looked at Blake. The soft smile on her face, Yang's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Ruby was still staring at Ilia, her eyes full of earnestness.

"I didn't know how much I was missing," Weiss said. Tears flooded her eyes. "You're right, I am the Ice Queen. That's what I was taught to be. But it's not what my heart wants. My mind was twisted by my father, and I don't know how to fix it."

"You want our help in that." Ilia's voice was soft, but not with weakness like Weiss'. Ilia's gentle tone washed over Weiss, calming her despite the torment of emotions that threatened to flood her.

Suddenly, they were no longer in the cafe. They were standing in the middle of Vale. Ilia's arms wrapped around Weiss.

"You already have it," Ilia whispered. "We're here for you, Weiss."

That was all Weiss needed to hear. She clutched Ilia, burying her head in her shoulder. Even then, she could feel Ilia shake her head, attempting to push Weiss away.

Weiss let go. When she pulled back, she saw Ilia's eyes glistening.

"Ilia?"

"We have to stop this, Weiss," Ilia whispered, looking over Weiss' shoulder. Weiss turned that way and gasped.

The streets of Vale were burning. Citizens ran, their mouths open in silent screams. They barely made it a step before the Grimm fell upon them. Green tipped Nevermores devoured them, while Beowolves with the same color fell upon them, too fast to track. Limbs were torn off innocents and Huntsmen alike, as carnage pillaged the city.

Weiss jumped when Ilia's hand fell on her shoulder. "You do want to stop this, right?" Ilia asked.

"Of course!" Weiss blurted, facing her with wide eyes.

Ilia smiled. "You are Weiss before you are a Schnee. You don't have to listen to your father."

"But the SDC—"

"Isn't the only path to change." Ilia's smile widened. "We can stop this, and so much more, if we do it together. Don't you agree?"

Weiss, surprisingly, didn't need to think about it. "You're right."

Ilia squeezed Weiss' shoulder. "We need to hurry. You have to wake up."

"Right," Weiss fell into a rigid posture befitting of an heir—of her. "I'm ready."

Ilia nodded. "Weiss?"

"Yeah?"

"When this is all over . . . let's go back to the cafe. All five of us. We'll focus on lighter subject, enjoy the coffee."

Weiss smiled. "I'd like that."

Ilia, along with the rest of the world, faded.

When Weiss awoke, she was expecting excruciating pain. Yet, while she felt too weak to open her eyes, there was a numbness throughout her entire body, dulling any pain she might have felt.

My aura must have come back. How long was I out?

"Weiss?" Ilia's voice came from above her. "Are you . . . awake?"

Weiss sighed in exhaustion. She couldn't find the energy to nod, or to say yes. She could only grunt.

"Thank God," Ilia choked. Her voice was wet. "You're alive."

It took five minutes for Weiss to gain enough energy to speak, during which she could feel Ilia's presence at her side. When she finally opened her eyes, she could tell they were in an underground hole on the island. It was large enough for them, yet too small for any Grimm to have made a home of it.

Just like in the dream, Ilia kneeled over her.

"What happened?" Weiss asked.

Ilia responded by lifting Weiss' back, cradling her in her arms. Then, she hugged Weiss. "You saved me. Thank you."

Weiss blinked. "Saved you? What about the Goliath?"

"When your weapon backfired, it brought you closer to me. I got us away."

Weiss smiled at that, spotting Myrtenaster in the corner of her vision. "Then it sounds like you save me."

Ilia released Weiss, then leaned her against the wall. When Ilia sat next to her, Weiss scooted closer so their arms were touching.

Ilia's eyes turned pink at the contact. "We save each other."

Weiss nodded. Maybe her dream was still on her mind, or maybe it was her father's influence being further then ever, but she didn't hesitate to speak. "We need each other, don't we?"

Ilia jolted, then spoke. "Yeah."

This time, Weiss did hesitate before leaning her head on Ilia's shoulder. After all they had been through together, it felt right.

Ilia must have felt the same, because she wrapped an arm around Weiss. "I thought you were going to die," she whispered.

"I'm sorry."

Ilia shook her head. "You were amazing. What was that Beowolf you summoned?"

Weiss grinned at the memory. "I can summon defeated foes. Or at least, I should be able to. That was my first success."

"Convenient."

"I don't think it was," Weiss said. "Semblances are fueled by emotion, aren't they?"

The pinkness that crept over Ilia's freckles matched her eyes. She made a choked noise as though to speak, only to nod instead.

Weiss couldn't help but snicker. Look at us. We're a mess.

"I've decided," Weiss said.

"Hm?" Ilia perked up at Weiss' statement.

"From now on, my life is mine to control. I won't let my father rule over me any longer. After we save Beacon, I'll spend my time there not just as a Schnee, but as my own person."

Ilia was silent for a minute. When she did speak, it was at a near whisper. "You really want that?"

"More than anything."

Ilia inhaled sharply, then let it out in a sigh. "Then I hope you let me have what I want."

Before Weiss could question what she meant, Ilia pressed her lips against Weiss'. Weiss jolted, wide eyed. Heat crept up her face, and her mind dissolved into static noise. If she had been in a better state of mind, she would have realized how close they had been getting before then. As she was, the kiss had come out of nowhere.

Ilia pulled back, flinching when she saw Weiss' face. "Sorr—"

Weiss cut her off. Not with words, but with her own kiss. She cupped Ilia's face, leaning into the kiss with a contented sigh. Ilia closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Weiss, returning the gesture.

They collapsed into each other as electricity raced through their bodies. Any other thought Weiss might have had vanished. All her focus was centered on the fire she felt. It was better than winning a spar, better than acing a test. It was . . . incredible.

Time was running out. Beacon would soon fall. But in that moment, sharing her love with Ilia, Weiss knew they could handle what was to come.

Together.