Shadowed Reflection: Chapter 1 (Rwby/Bleach)

Just got back from a short vacation so I'm very sorry for the lack of updates! While I was there, I finished up the first chapter of an idea I've been working on for a little bit between other fics. Only a couple chapters are planned so far but depending on reception, that might change!

Please enjoy! We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming shortly!

~~~

From the moment she was born, Weiss Schnee’s life was one of expectations. From her first breath, people had her life planned out and expected her to follow it to the letter no matter what she said or how she felt, and she quickly became used to putting other people's whims before her own desire.

And yet, as the years went by and the pressure of being the heiress to the SDC began to weigh on her young shoulders, she never once complained. After all, it wasn't her place, was it? Not when she had failed so inextricably right out of the gate.

It was apparent from the start that something was missing inside of Weiss, or maybe it was broken. For you see, though Weiss Schnee had managed to do everything that was commanded to her since birth, she still failed in the one thing that mattered. Acquiring aura. She had been brought to dozens of doctors and the best aura users all across the kingdoms and still there was nothing.

Most parents would take pity on their child. They would empathize with the fact that they didn't have the one thing that united all of human and faunus kind, and maybe they would even reign in their stick ways and start acting like actual parents. 

Weiss wouldn't know what most parents would do. She only had her own and as always, her father expected the best of her even if she couldn’t provide it and her mother was never there.

You would be surprised how flexible a ten year old’s bones could be. Where adult bones would shatter, theirs would be, and that was the only reason Weiss's arms didn't as she blocked the conjured grimm’s massive claw with her tiny rapier.

She flew backwards, landing on the ground in a heap as her weapon fell from her fingers to clatter along the ground. Her tiny hands came to her chest as she tried to breath through the shock of the impact and something wet and warm slid down her arm, soaking into her white dress as she laid there.

“Up, Weiss! Don't be idle!” A voice broke through the haze of pain and spurred the child into action. She climbed to her feet, fighting through the exhaustion and pain as she reached to pick up her fallen weapon.

Her eyes dropped in exhaustion as she held it in front of her, taking the stance that she had practiced all year as she faced the artificial beowolf head on. It roared at her, undaunted at the sight of her weapon, but it didn't attack. It wouldn't do so unless it was commanded to.

On the sidelines, a slight frown broke through Winter's stoic continence as she watched her sister struggle to her feet. But as Weiss took her stance, pointing her rapier at the beowolf with determination in her eyes, she closed her eyes and swiped her sword through the air.

The beowolf roared and Weiss withheld a flinch as it charged towards her, rushing forward on all fours. The twelve-year-old flinched but narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on her weapon as she met its charge on her own.

Thrusts, parries, and the occasional slash when she found an opening. The rapier felt at home in Weiss's hands, practically molded into her soul from years of practice and hard work. She danced with the beowolf, a deadly and elegant dance that teetered on the edge of life and death with every dodge and tentative parry, and Weiss slowly drove the beowolf back as she put every bit of her training to use.

Unfortunately, for as skilled as Weiss was, she was still a child without aura. She didn’t have the benefits of augmented strength or defence, or even the increased stamina that someone her age normally would. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong, just like it always did.

Her mistake came in the form of an overenthusiastic thrust towards the beowolf’s unguarded middle. The grimm stemmed to the side, dodging her attack and leaving the girl stumbling as the surety of flesh that she was relying on to stop her forward momentum suddenly disappeared from underneath her. 

She recovered just enough to bring her weapon up in defense so that the beowolf's claws scraped her sword instead of her face. Her grip faltered and the weapon clattered out of her grip, falling on the ground and leaving her defenseless. The grimm was already halfway through another strike, moving too fast for her to do anything about it but flee.

As Weiss stumbled backwards and the beowolf's claws approached her face, time seemed to slow down for her. She stared at the snarling mask of the grimm just a foot away, before her eyes moved past it to focus on the white haired teenager standing just off to the side and her heart clenched at the stoic look on her face.

Winter was everything that Weiss wanted to be. She was strong, confident, and well on her way to becoming a full-fledged huntress despite her age. Weiss looked up to her, adored her even, but more than anything, she wanted to be better than her. 

Because it was always Winter's name that Weiss heard when she was told she hadn't done good enough. She was the one that their father compared Weiss to constantly, the one who made Whitley’s face light up when she visited, and even managed to pull her mother out of her self-induced solitude on occasion.

Weiss hadn't seen her mother outside of family dinners in years and it wasn't for lack of trying.

Constantly being compared to the crown jewel of the family understandably left Weiss with a bit of a complex, even at her young age. Every time she heard Winter's name, it only further added fuel to the fire inside her, that burning desire inside of her that cringed back every time she was told she wasn't good enough.

She refused to be second best all of her life. She refused to fade into the long history of her family as just another woman who was born and died with the Schnee name. She wanted to surpass Winter in every way that mattered so that she could prove she was someone worth remembering. 

And that meant that she couldn't lose here. If she lost here, then everything would have been for nothing!

As the fire burning inside of the child reached its peak, something deep within her surged. It was a swelling of power erupting from her very soul, bringing with it a chill that cooled the very air around her and turned the sweat on her skin to steam in the air.

Light coalesced in her hands, lengthening and becoming a solid mass. A loud clag rang through the hall as the beowolf's claws were stopped in their tracks by a chilled length of steel.

And as Weiss's fingers clenched around soft fabric and a weight unlike any other settled comfortably in her hand, the child's heart and soul sang in unison as something missing finally clicked into place.

~~~

Years later, an older Weiss breathed in deeply, doing her best to remain calm as she adjusted herself in her plush leather seat. Around her, people were chatting or sitting silently, and the entire area was abuzz with nervous excitement as the bullhead slowly drifted through the sky towards their destination.

She couldn't believe she was finally here. After years of gruelling work, and despite her father's wishes against it, she had been accepted into Beacon. It felt like a dream, one that she had no interest whatsoever in waking up from.

A feeling of excitement that wasn't her own bubbled up inside of her, and she gently rubbed her fingers across the weapon laying in her lap, smiling softly, “I know, Myrtenaster. I'm excited too. This is finally it.”

In her lap, the beautiful white katana that had been her constant companion for the past several years seemed to vibrate in anticipation undercut by great annoyance. Weiss ignored the latter, more than used to it as she focused on the anticipation that her weapon shared with herself.

She had been waiting for this day for as long as she could remember, a day that she could finally break free from the chains her father had put on her and blaze her own path in the world. She would be free to flourish or fail on her own merit, and that was what she wanted more than anything.

It was clear that the people around her shared her excitement, though apparently not all of them could handle it quite as well as she could. Weiss watched as a blond-haired boy ran down the aisle, holding his mouth as his cheeks bloated with vomit, and she winced in sympathy as he failed to find a trashcan in time and ended up puking all over the floor.

“My shoes!” A girl with golden blonde hair shouted as vomit splashed on her shoes. She stepped away from the sick boy in horror as he continued to spew, and Weiss looked in in disgust.

Luckily they weren't trapped with the smell of vomit for very long as the bullhead touched down soon after. Those inside practically stampeded their way out, eager to escape the puddle of puke on the floor just as much as they were to finally be at Beacon.

As Weiss stepped off the bullhead and onto the grounds of Beacon, she breathed in deeply, inhaling the fresh air that smelled and felt so different to the frozen air  that she had become used to back in Atlas. A small smile grew on her face as the wind caressed her skin, physical proof that this wasn’t a dream. She was finally here.

She took a moment to examine her surroundings, taking in the shining sun and green foliage, before moving on. Her heels clicked against concrete as she followed the flow of traffic towards the looming building ahead. On her hip, her weapon swung freely, the katana’s elegant white saiya drawing just as many eyes as the rest of the exotic weapons around her.

Though the weapons were second place in Weiss's mind to the sheer variety of people surrounding her. They were so different compared to the aristocracy that she had been surrounded with in Atlas. So many people from different places and even races surrounded her. More than a few faunus were walking around with their features proudly on display instead of hiding it away like they did back home

She tried not to stare blatantly, but it was a little difficult. The last time Weiss had seen a faunus in person had ended in blood and screams and a room in the manor that would likely never be used again, and she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if these faunus found out who walked among them right now?

She reached a hand down towards her blade, holding onto it for comfort as she slowed her pace, falling behind the crowd and letting the throng of people pass her by as she was immersed in her memories. She was so immersed in fact, that she didn't notice the person she was walking towards until she was practically on top of her.

“Oof!”

“Ow!”

Weiss stumbled as she collided with someone else, nearly sending both of them to the floor. Her quick reflexes saved the unfortunate person from landing on the hard concrete as she reached out and snatched their wrist before they could fall, suspending them above the ground.

Shaking off the confusion, Weiss looked down and was met with befuddled silver eyes staring up at her. The girl she ran into was short, with black hair and eyes like mirrors, and Weiss's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she helped her stand upright once more.

“I'm very sorry about that. I was lost in thought.” She said sheepishly as she let go of the girl's hand and stepped away. Said girl didn't seem to take it badly at least.

“Oh, it's fine! I mean, I'm so lost right now that I probably would have ran into someone if I was walking too. My sister left me behind and I'm not really sure where we're supposed to be going.” The girl said sheepishly, and Weiss was slightly taken aback.

“You're attending?” She asked, and the girl nodded her head happily, “You look a little young to be attending Beacon. How did you get accepted?”

The girl rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, “It's a long story. I can tell you later if you want-”

She suddenly paused, and Weiss watched as her eyes went wide as she stared at a spot off to the heiress's right, “Oh my gosh! That's a beautiful sword!” She said, making Weiss blink as she suddenly zipped to the girl’s side, kneeling down to stare at Myrtenaster as it rested on her hip. She had sparkles in her eyes as she stared at its elegant white saiya, simple but clearly well-crafted, “It's Mistralian, right? I don’t remember anybody using a katana back at Signal, this might be the first one I’ve seen!”

She reached a hand out, but Weiss reached down and snatched her arm before she could lay her hands on her weapon. Ruby blinked, coming out of her excited fervor as the heiress squeezed her wrist in a firm grip. She looked up to find Weiss staring down at her with narrowed eyes, and she smiled sheepishly as she backed away.

“Sorry, I get sort of carried away when I see interesting weapons.” She apologized sincerely, and Weiss’s expression became a little less severe as she let go of the girl’s wrist.

“It’s alright.” Weiss said, though she took another step back in case the girl tried something else, “It’s just a little rude to get in each other’s personal space before even introducing yourself.”

The girl looked extremely sheepish as she realized that she hadn’t even given Weiss her name before trying to feel up her weapon, “Heh, sorry, you’re right. I’m Ruby Rose, what’s your name?”

Weiss curtsied, opening her mouth to give a proper introduction, only to have it stolen from her by a third voice joining the conversation, “She's Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SDC and daughter of Jacques Schnee.”

The two girls looked over to find another girl walking up behind them. She had yellow eyes and dark hair topped by a pretty black bow. She was also glaring at Weiss like she had done something unspeakable to her even though Weiss herself was certain she had never met this girl in her life 

Nevertheless, Weiss nodded at her words, “Yes, I am Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet you…?”

“That’s none of your business.” Weiss was taken aback at the anger in the girl’s voice, before anger smoldered in her chest at her rudeness.

“Well I’m sorry for trying to be polite!” She huffed, crossing her arms angrily.

“I doubt you have a polite bone in your body considering the family you come from. I don't want a single bit of your false sincerity.” 

Weiss’s eyes narrowed angrily, “Excuse me? And who are you exactly?”

“Someone who sees through the PR crap that your company likes to use to hide their sins.” The girl responded, glaring right back at Weiss, “You can donate to charities and build orphanages all you want, but that won’t hide everything that the SDC has done. You should have just stayed in Atlas where you belong. You’re scum.”

Who did this girl think she was? Weiss’s hand came to her weapon and the air around her seemed to drop a few degrees as the heiress’s icy eyes stared angrily at the black-haired girl, “I don’t know what you heard or believe, but I will not let you stand there and insult my family. You better walk away or apologize right now.”

Yellow eyes narrowed as the girl reached behind her back, “I’m not scared of you.”

The tension rose another notch as the two stared at one another and that was when Ruby intervened. She stepped between the two of them, putting her hands out to stop the impending fight, "Uhh, guys? I don’t think you should be doing this. You’re making a scene.” 

Looking around, both of them realized that she was right. Their argument had drawn quite a few eyes from the people around them as everyone stopped to witness what was going on, likely eager to see if there really was going to be a fight on the first day, and though Weiss burned with the desire to make this girl take her words back, she wasn’t willing to get kicked out of Beacon before she was officially in.

She stepped back, swallowing her anger as the other girl did the same, “You're right, Ruby. I'm sorry, I just tend to get a little angry when someone blatantly insults my family directly to my face.”

“They deserve it. Your entire company is run by monsters.” The black-haired girl hissed as she backed away as well. She turned to walk away but before she did so, she turned back to look at Ruby, “You should choose better friends, Ruby. Maybe someone who isn't a bigot.”

“Bigot!?” Weiss sputtered as the girl walked away, “I'm not a bigot! Where does she get off making baseless accusations like that!?”

“She was kind of mean.” Ruby agreed, staring after the girl as she disappeared from sight. She then looked at Weiss with a curious expression on her face, “So you’re a Schnee? That means you’re from Atlas, right? Why did you want to come to Beacon instead of staying there?”

Weiss hesitated, a little put off by the earlier confrontation, “That’s… a more complicated question than you realize.” She said, “I guess you could say I came here out of spite. People seem to think they know better than I do so I am here to prove them wrong. And that’s all I’ll say about that.”

Ruby blinked, unsure of what to say about that, “Oh. Okay. Uh…” She looked around, desperate for a subject change before the conversation completely crashed and burned. This was the first real conversation she’d had with a person besides her family for a long time.

Her eyes eventually locked onto the katana at Weiss’s hip, and her earlier enthusiasm reemerged as she was reminded that she had such a beautifully crafted weapon right in front of her, “Hey, so what can your weapon do? You did a really good job hiding all the mechashift components because I can’t see any at all!”

“That's because there isn't any. Myrtenaster is all natural.” Weiss said, making Ruby's eyes widen. She smirked, reaching towards her blade and unsheathing it in one smooth motion. Myrtenaster sang as she was exposed to fresh air, and steam drifted from all four feet of gleaming steel.

“Woah…” Ruby said as she stared at the weapon. Just as she had said, the weapon was beautifully crafted. There wasn’t a single flaw or imperfection to be found in its smooth surface, and even from a foot away, Ruby could tell that it was sharp as a razor.

She examined it from every angle and Weiss allowed her, reluctantly amused by the redhead’s antics. Ruby brought a hand up, hovering it a few inches from the weapon as she felt the cold air wafting off of it. She looked up at Weiss, “It’s freezing! Do you have ice dust in your saiya?”

Weiss shook her head, “No, the cold is a byproduct of my semblance, I suppose you could say. Dust has nothing to do with it.”

“That’s so cool! I wish my semblance affected my weapon like that!” Ruby said, pouting slightly.

Pride welled up inside of Weiss at the girl's words as she sheathed her weapon,, “Maybe after initiation we can spar and you can see it in action. I’d like to see what made you special enough to manage to attend Beacon early when I’ve been working towards getting her practically all of my life.”

Was Weiss jealous? Maybe a little, but she wasn’t lying when she said she was curious. If Ruby had managed to circumnavigate the prerequisites set by the headmaster himself to enter his school, then she must really be something special.

“That sounds great! I love sparring against people with cool weapons!**You can tell a lot about a person by how they use them; they're like an extension of a person's soul!” Ruby said, and Weiss couldn't help the laugh that escaped her at the girl's words, “What?”

Weiss shook her head, “It's nothing. I've just never met someone who thinks so similarly to me. Most people just think that our weapons are tools we use to fight the grimm, but they're really so much more. They aren't easily replaced.”

“Right!?” Ruby’s enthusiasm doubled, “I couldn't imagine what I would do if something happened to my baby!”

She reached behind her, pulling out a red box that quickly unfurled and became a deadly sharp scythe. She slammed it on the ground, presenting it like a proud parent, “I put all of my heart and soul into making Crescent Rose and it shows! Nobody can use her like I can!”

“You made that?” Weiss looked over the complex mechashift. She had seen veteran hunters with simpler weapons than this, “That's very impressive, Ruby.”

“Thanks! I’ve put so much work into making my baby the best she can be! I can probably disassemble and re-assemble her in my sleep at this point.” She said as she folded the weapon away.

Weiss went to say something, but they were interrupted by another voice suddenly inserting itself into their conversation.

“Uh, do you guys know where we’re supposed to be going?”  A tall, skinny blonde with white and gold armor asked as he walked over to them.

Weiss thought he looked vaguely familiar, but Ruby had a much different reaction. She gasped, pointing at the boy who flinched at the attention, “You're the guy who vomited on Yang's shoes!” 

Weiss blinked as the boy groaned, looking him over once again. She was right, this was the same guy who had run past her on the bullhead as he tried and failed to get to the trashcan in time.

“I didn't mean to! I just got airsick and I couldn't find a trashcan.” The boy sighed, looking extremely apologetic, “Could you tell her I'm sorry about that?”

Ruby looked uncertain, “I don't know… She's still pretty mad about it. Yang just bought those boots.”

He groaned again, “Great. Not even my first day here and I'm going to be remembered as the guy who ruined a pretty girl's shoes.”

“I mean, I can tell her but I’m not sure she’s gonna forgive you. Yang can get really mean when it comes to her clothes.” Ruby said, “What’s your name?”

Weiss watched as the boy’s posture immediately straightened at the question, as if he had been waiting for it all day. He gave them both a suave smile, or at least his closest approximation of one, and Weiss’s eye twitched as he winked, “I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue and ladies love it.” 

There was a beat of silence as both girls processed what they had both heard, before Ruby tilted her head in confusion.

“Do they?” The redhead asked genuinely and Jaune's smile immediately disappeared. His shoulders fell and he sighed, looking embarrassed and much more sincere.

“No. Not really.” He said , “My sisters said all you need to impress the ladies is confidence but I'm starting to wonder if they were just messing with me.”

“They were definitely lying to you.” Weiss sniffed as she tried her best to purge the image of the smirking blonde from her mind, “Confidence is all well and good, but you need more than that to impress us.”

“Yeah? And uh, what would impress you, snow angel?” Jaune asked, leaning in close with a shaky smirk on his face. It seemed like he wanted to give it one more try.

Weiss’s nose wrinkled and she put a hand on his chestplate, “Getting away from me would suffice greatly.” She said, pushing him away in disgust. Jaune stumbled backwards, just barely catching himself on the nearby fountain, and Weiss blinked in surprise. She didn’t push him that hard, did she?

“Uh, maybe we should go to the initiation.” Ruby said, looking around at the empty courtyard surrounding them, “We’re probably the only ones who aren't there yet.”

Weiss and Jaune realized she was right, there was nobody else still outside except for them, “That's probably a good idea.” Weiss agreed.

“Yeah, I don't want to get kicked out because I missed orientation.” Jaune seconded. He looked around, searching for something, before he turned back to the two of them, laughing nervously, “Uh… do you guys know where we're supposed to be going?”

Weiss and Ruby shared an uncertain look, before Ruby shrugged, “I’m sure it can't be too hard to find, right?”

“Probably not.” Weiss shook her head, “ We just have to find the building with the most noise coming out of it. That's where the rest of the students will be.”

Ruby nodded, smiling happily, “Then let's go! Adventure awaits!” 

~~~

As luck would have it, it wasn't that hard to find where they were supposed to be going. Following the noise of their fellow students brought them to a large auditorium filled to the brim with people. They walked inside, each of them similarly in awe of the beautiful architecture around them. Weiss herself was surprised that a school could be so elegantly constructed. It was clear that a lot of passion had gone into placing every stone in the building around them.

They walked inside, each of them similarly in awe of the beautiful architecture around them. Weiss turned to the other two, giving them a short bow, “I suppose this is where we part ways. I'd continue to accompany you but I need to prepare for the initiation.”

“It was nice meeting you, Weiss!”  Ruby said happily, while Jaune just gave her an awkward wave, and Weiss departed their company with one last bow.

Weiss enjoyed Ruby’s company and perhaps Jaune’s a little less so, but she couldn’t be distracted right now. This was the most important day of her life, and she couldn’t afford anything distracting her from achieving her goal of getting into Beacon.

She found herself a nice, quiet spot in the auditorium so she could think up possible plans for the upcoming initiation. True, they didn't know what it would be just yet, but it couldn’t hurt to get in the right headspace to prepare herself for anything that might happen.

After a few minutes of running through possible scenarios in her head, her attention was stolen by movement on the stage at the front of the room. She looked up and her eyes widened as a man with a cane and stark white hair walked across the stage at a leisurely pace, followed by a blonde woman in a skirt. The auditorium slowly grew quiet as more and more people noticed his presence, and soon enough it was almost completely silent as each and every student present gave the man their undivided attention.

Headmaster Ozpin, leader of Beacon and the reason most of them were even here today, waited for another moment for the room to well and truly become quiet before speaking into the microphone directly in front of him.

“I'll… keep this brief.” His voice silenced the students still speaking when he walked up on stage, allowing his voice to echo uninterrupted through the entire auditorium. “You have traveled here today in search of knowledge–to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people.”

His eyes moved over each of them until he met Weiss’s. He seemed to pause for a single moment, as if he was confused at what he was seeing, but it was such a tiny moment that even Weiss herself wasn’t sure whether or not she had imagined it.

“But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose – direction.” He continued,  “You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far.It is up to you to take the first step.”

With his speech seemingly concluded, the man walked off the stage with little fanfare. Weiss’s gaze followed him as he walked away, wondering if she had really imagined what had happened moments before, before her attention was stolen by the woman who took the podium after him.

Glynda Goodwitch was a name Weiss had long since been acquainted with thanks to the woman’s usage of dust in all areas of combat. The woman looked over them all with a severe expression on her face, speaking into the microphone, “You will gather here for tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready.”

And then, just like the headmaster, she simply walked off stage and disappeared from sight. It took a moment for everyone to realize that they had just been dismissed, before the auditorium burst into motion as they realized that they were being forced to sleep here tonight instead of in the building itself. A few of them grumbled about it, but everyone seemed prepared enough to know that this could have been an option, including Weiss herself.”

Some chose to simply sleep where they were standing in the middle of the room, others chose places by the wall or stage, and some even walked outside to sleep underneath the stars. Weiss could see the appeal, but she also knew that a tough day lay ahead tomorrow so she wanted to sleep as comfortably as she possibly could tonight.

With that thought in mind, she left the crowd behind to set her things up in a nice dark corner of the auditorium. There weren't many people in this area yet, so she didn't have to fight for a place to put her things.

As she patted down her makeshift cot, making sure there were no lumps in the soft blanket she was going to be resting on, someone walked up to her, “Hey there! Can we sleep here?”

Weiss looked up to find a girl with bright orange hair grinning down at her. A boy dressed in dark green was standing silently behind her, also looking at her in askance. Weiss didn't see an issue with it so she nodded, “Of course, help yourself to whatever spot you find.”

The girl smiled brightly, “Thanks! I'm Nora and this is Ren!” She pulled the boy behind her into her side, slinging an arm around his neck, “We're her together but we're not like together-together, you know? People always think we’re together-together when they see us but we’re not, we’re just really good friends! Like the best!”

While Weiss was left foundering in the wake of the girl’s barrage of words, Ren stepped forward, his face telling her that he was more than used to dealing with his friend’s mannerisms. He put a hand on Nora’s shoulder, gently pulling her along as he stepped away, “Thank you. We’ll try not to make too much noise.”

As they wandered away to get their things, Weiss finished setting her spot up. She placed Myrtenaster against the wall, directly next to her so that she could grab the weapon at a moment’s notice, before laying her sleeping bag down on the blanket she had used to cover the ground. She slipped inside, fluffing her pillow before laying her head down and closing her eyes. The clamor of students getting ready for bed fell into the background as she focused on her breathing and the softness of the blanket underneath her. 

She could stay up a little while, they had plenty of time until it was well and truly night after all, but Weiss wanted to be as prepared as she possibly could for the initiation tomorrow. There were so many variables that she couldn’t possibly prepare for but her own preparedness was the one thing she had absolute control over and she was going to take every advantage that she could get.

~~~

That night, as Weiss drifted through the land of dreams, the swirl of colors and sound that her mind conjured for her were interrupted by a familiar voice.

You're not making this easy for me, you know? I've tried to help you as much as I can, but that doesn't mean anything if you won't even listen to me. At this rate, you aren’t gonna get much stronger.

Swirls of ice and snow passed through her mind, alongside an image of a dark forest with trees capped in white.

You're so stubborn. You even gave me the wrong name. I'm pretty sure that's a big no-no. You're lucky I don't just go to sleep and let you figure out a way here by yourself. We both know you wouldn't be anything without me… Just like I wouldn't exist without you.

A black-haired woman with eyes like mirrors. She was glaring at Weiss but she wasn't angry. The look on her face was more disappointed than enraged.

I don't know why you haven't come to see me yet. Do you just not know? I can't pull you here, you have to come by yourself… But you can't hear me outside of your dreams, can you? You don't even know I exist.

Even unconscious, Weisa felt a connection to this woman that was stronger than any other. She wanted to reach out and grab hold of that tenuous thread that kept them connected, but she couldn't. All she could do was continue to drift aimlessly through the void in her mind.

I'm going to try this one more time and I want you to remember. Maybe it will help you get here. My name, it's not Myrtinester or whatever you think it is, it's ********!

The dream was fading, turning into wisps of swirling memory that would fade into the back of Weiss's mind like they always did. As Weiss’s consciousness drifted away, the presence became more urgent.

Aaargh! You idiot, why can't you hear me!? Why are you so damn stubborn, just listen and let me help you out! My name is ********! Got it!? It’s–

The dream drifted away, disappearing like wisps of wind through a valley. Already, Weiss could feel the memory fading away, and she didn't resist as she was dragged into another dream even as the presence tried to call her back.