Chương 728: 71
Chapter 71:
Day 1:
Looking at Winter Schnee, Ruby could immediately see the resemblance. She definitely bore many of the same features as Weiss, those ice-blue eyes and white hair. Even her slim, dancer's physique seemed quite akin to Weiss'. Winter's skin, while still fairly pale, had a slightly more tanned and weathered look to it. It appeared that Weiss' sister was no stranger to long periods spent outdoors, especially in the harsh weather of the more northern climes.
Winter's choice of clothing certainly didn't seem to contain all that many concessions to the weather of Solitas though. The jacket she wore over her navy-blue, button-down blouse seemed mainly decorative, being mostly open at the front, only held together at the collar, by a red brooch; and over her stomach with a gray buckle. The sleeves were open along the upper arms, exposing her bare skin to the open air, before closing over her forearms, and being tucked into a pair of black gloves. Her legs were covered by tight-fitting, white pants, which were supported by black garters, the tails of her jacket trailing behind her, with a lighter, lacier section underneath them, almost like the back of a skirt. Once again, Ruby was beset by consternation at the sight of yet another woman who apparently felt the need to fight in heels, her own ankles throbbing at the mere sight of the high-heeled boots Winter wore.
All told, Winter's appearance and posture gave off a conservative bearing, which was only supported by the way her white hair was tied into a tight bun at the back-left part of her head, which had her bangs sweeping down along the right side of her face. She stood with perfect, parade-ground posture, arms folded behind her back.
At the left side of her waist, she wore what appeared to be a saber of some kind, complete with an elegant, sweeping guard along the handle. Near the pommel, there was a window, revealing a section of pale-blue, which stood out against the plain gray of the steel. Ruby's senses could detect the energy that indicated that it was actually a Dust-chamber. Furthermore, though it wasn't readily visible, Ruby could also sense the presence of a second one. It seemed that Winter's weapon was a more conservative version of the principle utilized by Weiss' own sword.
No, that's not right, she thought. Winter is Weiss' older sister, and Weiss probably tried to emulate her style to some extent. That means that Weiss' weapon is probably an elaboration on Winter's.
Ruby reflected on what that might mean then. She remembered Weiss informing them that Winter had been disinherited for her decision to join the military. If Ruby had to guess, Weiss and Winter's father had probably reduced or cut off Winter's access to the SDC's Dust supply as a punitive measure for her defiance, and Winter might have adjusted her style as a result, reducing her reliance on Dust, in order to make better use of what Dust she was able to obtain. In comparison, Weiss' own weapon, with its multiple Dust-chambers and her heavy reliance on their contents, was downright extravagant by comparison.
Ruby's observations were cut short by Winter's voice, snapping briskly through the cold air. "What are you doing, Weiss?" she demanded crisply. "I don't believe I taught you to stand around, gawping like a fish. You're holding up your teammates. Get down here."
"Y-yes," shouted Weiss quickly, lurching into motion again.
Ruby could feel Weiss' embarrassment through her Aura, and even feel the faint increase of heat in her cheeks, which stood out all the more starkly on her wind-cooled skin. Weiss hadn't seen her sister in months, and the very first thing Winter had to say to her was nothing more than a sharp remonstration. She was mortified.
For her part, Ruby felt the hackles rise along the back of her neck. Almost immediately, she was starting to get a sense of dislike for Winter Schnee. Having two older-sister figures of her own had conditioned Ruby to have different expectations of older siblings. The clipped, businesslike tone Winter set contrasted harshly against Sasame's gentle affirmation; and Yang's somewhat overenthusiastic, but genuinely warm, affection.
Rationally, Ruby realized that, as someone in the military, Winter probably kept her demeanor under strict control, keeping her personal feelings separate for more private and intimate moments. Despite that, it was hard to suppress the visceral irritation she felt, seeing Winter's first interactions with Weiss, which made her seem as cold and pitiless as the season she was named for.
The four of them quickly made their way down the steps, assembling before Winter in a line. Winter let her gaze drift over them for a moment, before returning it to Weiss. "And...how have you been?" she asked.
"I've been doing quite well," said Weiss, speaking quickly, the words almost seeming to tumble out of her mouth. "I am at the top of my class, academically, and am regularly within the top-five in combat scores, and-!"
Weiss' voice terminated in a pained yelp as Winter abruptly chopped the top of her head, cutting her off, before speaking in the same remonstrating tone as earlier. "Silence, you boob!" she scolded sharply. "I don't recall asking your ranking. I'm asking how you've been. Have you been eating properly? Have you picked up any hobbies? Have you made any new friends?"
Ruby blinked furiously, thrown off by Winter's line of questioning. Her thoughts about Winter's inquiry had been more along Weiss', expecting the harsh woman to be asking about Weiss' performance at Beacon. So it was a shock to learn that she was actually asking about her sister's wellbeing. Inspecting Winter more closely, Ruby could sense it, beneath the layer of cold professionalism she cloaked her personality with like plates of armor, a surprisingly powerful love for her younger sister. Maybe I had her wrong, Ruby thought.
"Y-yes," stammered Weiss. "W-well...I've made friends with all my teammates, and our sister-team."
"Is that so?" said Winter, raising an eyebrow, her eyes glancing across the other three people lined up with Weiss once more. "Introductions, please."
"Of course," said Weiss, gesturing to Pyrrha. "This is Pyrrha Nikos, my partner."
"Ms. Nikos, your reputation precedes you," said Winter, inclining her head formally towards Pyrrha.
"Thank you...I think," said Pyrrha uncertainly, reflecting that her reputation was not so sterling anymore, now that the revelation of her Semblance had met with such a mixed reception.
"Next to her is Jaune Arc," said Weiss.
Winter's gaze went to Jaune, who quailed slightly. Offering her a nervous grin, he raised a hand in greeting. "Uh...Hi."
The silence after that stretched on uncomfortably, before Weiss realized that Winter apparently had nothing to say to Jaune. "A-and this is Ruby Rose, our team leader," said Weiss, gesturing to Ruby, standing at the end of the line.
Placing her hands together, Ruby bowed slightly in greeting. "Hello," she said, deciding to put her best foot forward, mostly for Weiss' sake.
"I see," said Winter, fixing Ruby with a gaze that made her feel uncomfortably like an insect, pinned for display. "So this is the team leader you wrote of. How...underwhelming."
Ruby felt her cheeks heat up, able to viscerally feel the disappointment Winter was subtly expressing through her Aura. Knowing it was private correspondence, Ruby had no idea what Weiss had been saying about her. But it had apparently given Winter expectations, which she now seemed to think Ruby fell short of.
Winter drew back slightly, looking at the three of them as a whole. "In any case, I must thank the three of you for taking an interest in my sister."
"Uh...you're welcome," said Jaune awkwardly.
Another awkward silence descended. Since it seemed that introductions wouldn't be going any further, Ruby decided to get down to business. "So then...the mission...?" she prompted.
"Yes," said Winter stiffly, a certain degree of irritation in her bearing now, though Ruby was relieved to feel that it wasn't directed at her specifically. "The Bulwark is scheduled for departure at O-five-hundred, tomorrow morning. We must be aboard no later than O-four-thirty. Due to limitations on crew space, you will be permitted to bring along only the bare minimum of luggage, one mid-sized suitcase each. I will review your selections to ensure that only the most necessary items are brought. Anything extra will be sent back to Beacon."
"Understood," said Ruby, not feeling overly worried. Even now, she was only carrying the small haversack she needed for her usual belongings. Winter's provisions were certainly more forgiving than Ruby was used to, Ruby being accustomed to traveling by foot, with only what she could carry.
Winter flashed a look Ruby's way, accompanied by the tiniest nod of acknowledgement, before she continued. "For tonight, I have booked quarters for all of you at the Atlas Imperial. Enjoy their amenities while you can. Conditions onboard the Bulwark will be much more spartan."
"Thank you very much!" said Weiss with breathless earnestness. From the excitement in her voice, Ruby figured that the Atlas Imperial was a fairly exclusive hotel, perhaps overly luxurious for their needs.
"Please save your thanks for General Ironwood," said Winter firmly. "It was he who insisted upon this particular choice in lodgings. The SDC will be paying for everything." Ruby could have sworn she saw a faint smile flash across Winter's face at the notion.
Oh... thought Ruby, once again finding reason to be grateful to Ironwood. She was beginning to get the feeling that all this favored treatment for them was being insisted on, not out of regard for them, but out of a desire to make this endeavor as costly to the SDC as possible, a preemptive punishment to Jacques for daring to use his clout to basically hold Vale hostage, in order to force Beacon to send them on this mission. Ruby couldn't really fault Ironwood for that.
"Now then, I will see you to the hotel," said Winter. "Your luggage will be seen to, so feel free to leave it here."
Ruby didn't see the point in it, already plenty comfortable with carrying her haversack. Jaune and Pyrrha had also packed light, each holding a suitcase that they could easily carry. Weiss had the largest one, which Ruby knew to be packed with extra Dust.
Still, they did as they were told, falling in behind Winter as she led the way to their residence for the night. As they did, Ruby enfolded her cloak around herself to ward off the chill of Solitas' winds. It was summer, yet the temperatures here were barely a step above the dead of winter in Sanus. It made Ruby shiver at the mere idea of what things must have been like during that season up north.
Fortunately, it wasn't a long walk, mainly because Winter merely escorted them to the edge of the landing pad, where a white limousine awaited. Once again, Ruby got the distinct impression that this was another expenditure being forced upon the SDC. The chauffeur opened the door for them, the quartet and Winter ducking their heads and settling into the plush, leather seats that lined the left side of the vehicle's interior.
It was definitely a luxurious way to travel. The seats were more like a set of small couches, with plenty of room for the five of them to stretch out. The right side of the cabin was dominated by a minibar, carved from dark-colored wood. The cabinets below were filled with bottles, containing various drinks, while there were glasses set atop it, held in place by micro-gravity-Dust fields to keep them from sliding or tilting while the vehicle was in motion. It was a level of luxury beyond what any of them, except maybe Weiss, were accustomed to. The rear end of the cabin was dominated by the back window, which could be cut off by an image projected from the high-definition holoscreen situated directly below it. The opposite end was cut off by the partition between the passenger-cabin and the driver's compartment, closed off by a barrier of opaque, hard-light-Dust.
Despite the luxury of the accommodations, the members of RASP sat stiffly, made nervous by the sheer extravagance of their surroundings, even Weiss. None of them made a move towards the drinks stored beneath the minibar. Winter appeared more comfortable, but maintained a mostly rigid posture, as befitted someone of her occupation.
They barely even felt it, when the car went into motion. Ruby glanced sidelong at Winter, wondering if there was anything expected of them right now. "So...do you know anything about these pirates?" she asked warily.
Winter inclined her head slightly, her tone still professional as she spoke. "We know very little. From what little of the ships' distress calls make it through, they apparently have some impressive means of stealth, as their appearance is always completely unexpected. The manner in which their transmissions are cut off suggest that the pirates are in possession of jamming technology, though that is not unexpected. However, their raids are remarkably fast, and the pirates have always departed before any of our vessels can reach the scene."
"How?" wondered Pyrrha. "You'd expect the ship's crew to be wary of any vessel approaching them."
"At this point, we can only surmise," said Winter. "Our best guess is that the pirates are in possession of a submersible vehicle."
"That's insane!" gasped Weiss, unable to maintain her manners at the idea.
Ruby frowned, finding herself in agreement with Weiss. Submarines were rare in the seas of Remnant. According to what they had learned in Oobleck's class, Mantle had tried to deploy some during the Great War, in order to harass the shipping efforts of Vale and Vacuo. But they saw little success, mostly because said submarines almost never lasted long enough to find a target. Attacks by aquatic Grimm were difficult enough to fend off, when Huntsmen had the deck of a ship to use as a foothold. Underwater, there was no way to deploy Huntsmen effectively, or any means for them to fight all that well, which meant that Grimm would have to be held off entirely by ship-board armaments, or the submersible in question would have to surface to fight off the monster, which ran the risk of exposing them to enemy surface vessels. Otherwise, their only other hope was going unnoticed by the Grimm, which was difficult at the best of times, considering the nature of their missions.
Winter nodded. "However, at this point, it is the only feasible way in which these pirates could get close enough to mount such a swift attack, then disappear before reinforcements can arrive. Normally, a submersible vessel would still be picked up on sonar, long before it came into attack range. But we cannot rule out the possibility of some unknown stealth technology...though how seafaring marauders would have gotten their hands on such technology is unknown."
That was a perplexing conundrum indeed. Ruby remembered, all too well, the pirates she'd encountered, back during her first trip to Leng. The pirates she and her siblings had encountered had been a miniature fleet, consisting of a variety of vessels, with the only commonality between them being that they had been stolen by the pirates that used them. Given the scarcity of functional submersibles in this day and age, how a group of thieves had managed to acquire one was a mystery.
"Have there been Huntsmen accompanying the ships?" asked Pyrrha. It wasn't an uncommon mission for Huntsmen to take, after all. Even with the impressive armaments ships these days sported to deal with the Grimm, it was still best to have at least one or two professional Huntsmen on hand to take the fight to the Grimm themselves.
"I'm afraid not, most of the time," said Winter, a scowl flickering across her face, for all of a second. "Father is cheap like that. He has more confidence in the armaments on the SDC's freighters than he does in unaffiliated Huntsmen. He did hire a few to protect the latest shipments. But they were bottom-of-the-barrel garbage, who barely passed the licensing exam, the cheapest he could find. Naturally, they didn't seem to accomplish much."
"But he thinks that we'll be better?" asked Jaune. "I mean, even if they weren't the best, they still were actual Huntsmen, right?"
Winter turned a critical eye on Jaune, who quailed away from her gaze. "Weiss mentioned you," she said. "You forged your transcripts, in order to get accepted into Beacon."
Jaune turned a wide-eyed look on Weiss, not sure how to feel, other than surprised and upset, that she had told her sister on him. Weiss shook her head.
"It was in your student profile," said Winter casually. "That particular information is not available to the general public, but I have the clearance to see it, when the lives of the people under our protection may depend on your level of ability." Her eyes narrowed. "Your instructors have noted that your growth has been impressive, meteoric even."
Jaune might have puffed up his chest a little, had he not still been quailing from Winter's gaze. "Still," she continued, "I have my doubts."
"Even if I vouch for him?" asked Weiss, surprising Jaune, prompting another wide-eyed look from him.
"You do?" asked Winter, giving Weiss a look that only partly managed to mask her own surprise.
"I can easily say that Jaune definitely has a long ways to go," said Weiss firmly, prompting Jaune to sag slightly. "However, compared to his level, when he entered Beacon, his growth has been exceptional, and he is closing the gap between us quite quickly. He also has an exceptional reserve of Aura, and will be an asset to our mission."
Now Jaune was blushing furiously at having Weiss, of all people, talk him up like this.
"Well then..." said Winter, inclining her head towards Weiss, now with a neutral expression. "...I suppose I have little choice but to accept that for now. We work with what we're given."
She turned to regard Jaune again. "An aspiring Huntsman does not necessarily have to attend and graduate from an Academy in order to get their license. If one has been trained independently, they can choose to take the licensing exam directly. Unfortunately, the requirements for graduation from an Academy are a good bit more stringent than the exam itself."
"Huh...really?" Jaune wilted at the idea that he hadn't actually needed to lie his way into Beacon to become a Huntsman.
"You wouldn't have made it," Weiss told him frankly. "Without any training at all, you wouldn't have even met the more-lax requirements of the exam, no matter how hard you tried."
That's true, Jaune admitted to himself, slumping again.
"Graduating from an Academy also has greater benefits," added Pyrrha. "In addition to the extra dedicated training you receive, graduates have access to higher-tier missions, without needing to build up their records first. Meeting the graduation requirements is its own licensing exam, so you don't have to take an extra exam afterwards."
"And now...you will actually be able to say that you were trained," finished Weiss. "So, yes, as foolish as your decision was, getting into Beacon was the right choice for you."
"Thanks," said Jaune, sighing in relief.
Then Ruby's hand found his own. Looking over, his eyes met hers, a silent look of reassurance passing from her to him. And, if you hadn't come to Beacon, we wouldn't have met. Ruby didn't need to say that out loud to her new boyfriend...especially not in front of Winter.
Winter coughed, before getting the conversation back on track. "In any case, as we've said, the conditions for passing the licensing exam are considerably more lax than Academy standards, so passing the exam does not necessarily make a Huntsman better than an Academy student, even if they are licensed."
"But why would they lower their standards like that?" asked Jaune.
Winter sighed. "Academy standards are stringent by necessity. They seek to cultivate the best possible Huntsmen and Huntresses. Sadly...only a few can meet those standards. Beyond getting accepted, and surviving the Initiation, making it through all four years of training is an arduous task; a long and difficult road that few reach the end of.
"On the other hand, the need for Huntsmen is substantial, and demand is widespread across a wealth of territories and settlements. So, even if the Academies assure quality, quantity is still needed as well, even if many of those who make up the latter are lacking in the former."
"Oh..." said Jaune softly.
"Ultimately, what that means is that Father's choice of protection for his ships is well below the standard you have been held to," finished Winter. "So, yes, there is every reason to believe that you will do a better job of protecting this vessel than any of the peons he has hired in the past."
"That's...reassuring to know," said Ruby.
"Of course, whether or not that is still good enough remains to be seen," added Winter, somewhat unnecessarily.
Their ride slowed down and came to a stop. A moment later, they heard the driver's door open, then shut, followed by the chauffeur opening the passenger door for them to get out. RASP and Winter stepped out, finding themselves standing at the entrance of a palatial building. Team RASP, with the exception of Weiss, were unable to keep their jaws from hanging slack as they stared up at the magnificent structure.
"We're actually staying here?" gasped Jaune.
"Correct," said Winter, matter-of-factly.
"You're a celebrity, Pyrrha," said Ruby, looking to the girl in question, "you must've stayed in places like this before."
Her eyes still bulging, Pyrrha shook her head vigorously. "My manager was always insistent on cutting costs, whenever possible. I've stayed in some lovely places, but never anywhere this grand." Her parents, on the other hand, had always been keen to stay in the lap of luxury, whenever they went on vacation. However, Pyrrha had almost never joined them, and had certainly never stayed in accommodations like this.
"This hotel is meant to host SDC executives, or even Father, when he needs to see to business in Soyuz," said Weiss, sounding rather irritated. "Only the best for him and his lackeys, after all..."
"Very true," agreed Winter. "I'm afraid that you'll only have the night to spend here, so make the most of it while you can. That having been said, let's go get you checked in."
Winter led them into the lobby, which looked even more posh and spectacular than the exterior. Their shoes clicked against a marble floor that was polished to a mirror-shine. All around them, seats upholstered in the highest-quality leather were arranged around tables of varying types. Some were more ornamental, clearly carved from expensive woods, while others were technological marvels, sporting holographic interfaces, like the kind found in Ozpin's desk.
There were few occupants visible. A couple of men in immaculate suits discussed something, seated across from one another, looking at a spreadsheet that was projected in the air between them. Another executive quickly marched past the incoming students, heading out the door, not even glancing their way.
Winter led them up to the desk, and began to speak to the receptionist, who immediately sat up a little straighter and used her finest manners, as soon as she realized she was addressing a group that contained no fewer than two daughters of the Schnee patriarch. Even disinherited, it was clear that Winter's surname still carried quite a bit of clout, all on its own, which Weiss' presence only enhanced.
From there, getting their rooms was a simple matter, particularly because Winter did all the talking. After a few minutes, the receptionist asked for their scrolls. Ruby and the others dutifully placed the devices on the counter, itself a disguised interface, and the information on their rooms, along with the keys, was wired directly into the scrolls themselves.
Their business concluded, Winter led them away. "You have been assigned to a group suite," she said. "I tried for individual rooms, but it was not to be."
She sounded disappointed at that. Ruby wondered if it was because Winter counted it as a missed opportunity to continue milking her father for all he was worth.
Winter continued. "However, you shall each have your own bedrooms."
"It's probably better this way," said Pyrrha, exchanging smiles with Ruby, Jaune, and Weiss. "We're used to rooming together, so sharing a common space feels more normal to us."
"I suppose it does," conceded Winter. "Your luggage shall be sent to your suite directly, and you can get it sorted out when you get there. From now until tomorrow morning, your time is your own. You have full access to the hotel's amenities, including restaurants and room-service. The SDC shall be covering all expenses, so do not worry about the price of anything."
In other words, she was encouraging them to run up the biggest bill they could as continued punishment for Jacques' underhanded tactics.
Still, considering how amazing this place seemed, Ruby and the others weren't all that concerned about holding back.
Winter had expressed disappointment that she'd only managed to get a suite with four bedrooms. But Ruby couldn't find it in herself to be disappointed. One glance at the magnificently-furnished common area; itself large enough that the Forrest Family's entire apartment could have fit inside of it, with room to spare; was enough for Ruby to realize that this was a level of luxury beyond anything she had experienced on the road. Even as an adopted member of the Mibu Royal Family, this was a level of luxury above her experience. Her family's quarters within the palace were much humbler than this hotel suite.
Jaune, Ruby, and Pyrrha explored the common room, their postures tight, arms held close to their bodies, almost afraid to touch anything. A single cushion on one of the couches was probably worth more than they'd see from their student stipends for a whole year...or at least, that was how it seemed.
Ruby wished Weiss was still with them, certain that the heiress would probably look at the furnishings and declare them "passable," compared to what she enjoyed in her own home. However, Weiss and Winter had gone off on their own, the sisters apparently seeking to reconnect in private.
Ruby didn't begrudge them that. She hoped that a more private setting would strip away Winter's frigid exterior, and prompt her to show Weiss more open affection. However, she wouldn't pry. However she might have felt personally about Winter's manner, it wasn't her place to criticize how the Schnee sisters did things, so long as there was no sign that Weiss was actually hurt by the way she'd been treated.
"So...now what?" asked Jaune, finally deciding to take the plunge, and seating himself on one of the couches, arrayed before the biggest holoscreen projector any of them had seen.
"I guess whatever we feel like," said Pyrrha, settling into a plush chair, and tapping its arm to reveal another holographic interface. Soon, she was paging through the room-service options. "I am feeling rather peckish after our flight."
Ruby and Jaune nodded, Jaune in particular. While his Aura had mitigated his tendency to motion sickness, so that he hadn't been perpetually on the verge of throwing up throughout the trip, he still hadn't had much of an appetite. Ruby, Pyrrha, and Weiss had forgone eating more than a light snack out of sympathy.
"So...what is there to do, actually?" wondered Jaune. "I can't imagine a place like this having video games."
"They do, actually," said Pyrrha, bringing the option up on the screen. "Oftentimes, executives travel with their families, including their children, who need their own entertainment."
"Tough for me to picture Weiss playing video games on a trip," mused Jaune.
"Not all such families are so...stringent...with their children," said Pyrrha. She pulled up a menu of their options. "Shall we play, while we wait? The hotel charges by the hour."
"I think Winter would probably like that," said Ruby with a giggle.
Weiss took a sip from the teacup, then selected one of the finger-sandwiches on the plate before her. She had to admit that, while she preferred coffee, she enjoyed afternoon tea with her sister. It helped that she'd been feeling more than a little hungry, after not eating more than a light snack on the flight over, out of sympathy for Jaune.
"You seem to be doing well for yourself," said Winter.
"Thank you," said Weiss, unconsciously puffing up at Winter's praise.
"You certainly seem to have interesting taste in teammates," said Winter.
"W-well...given the format of the Initiation, it wasn't much of a choice," said Weiss.
"So I heard," said Winter. "However...to have a Mibu on your team..."
Weiss frowned. "You know?"
"The General briefed me about your teammates, Ms. Rose in particular," said Winter, taking a sip from her own cup, before refilling it from the pot. "He seems to think quite highly of her, which surprised me."
"You doubt her accomplishments?" asked Weiss.
"And what has she accomplished?" asked Winter.
"I saw her cut an elder Deathstalker in two, during the Initiation," said Weiss firmly. "She can create lightning and wind-attacks without a speck of Dust. She officially fought Pyrrha to a draw, and they've sparred many times since, though neither of them will tell anyone who won or lost. She's fought and bested Adam Taurus himself...twice. And she once carved up an Atlesian Paladin like a Yuletide turkey."
Winter's eyes widened with each deed Weiss attributed to Ruby. While she knew better than to doubt Ironwood's assessments, the fact of the matter was that Winter had a hard time believing that someone hailing from a culture that many, amongst the few who knew of them, deemed primitive would be capable of such things. The Mibu were a backwards people, foolishly eschewing the opportunities created by modern technological advances, in exchange for placing their faith in esoteric arts that were little more than blind superstition.
Granted, Winter didn't believe the rumors to that extent, unlike Jacques, who happily championed the cause of another "expedition" to Leng to bring the Mibu to heel, and grant the SDC access to new, untapped sources of Dust. According to him, the disastrous defeat of the previous expedition had been nothing more than a fluke, a lucky break for the Mibu. Since then, Atlesian technology had advanced by leaps and bounds, and the Mibu couldn't possibly hope to offer any resistance to the power that Atlas could bring to bear now.
And, as much as she despised her father, Winter couldn't quite disagree. Whatever advantage the Mibu had had, the last time the Kingdoms had intruded on their territory, they were surely unprepared for the new technology the Atlesian military had at its disposal. Winter didn't think that justified another "expedition", but she did believe that the Mibu needed to be willing to accept their limitations, and stop being so stubborn.
And then Ruby Rose had appeared at Beacon, performing feats that were shocking, to say the least. This fifteen-year-old child was competing equally, or even above the level of her peers, all of whom were at least two years older than her. She'd been invited in early, and acknowledged as the leader of her team, even by Weiss. It was a startling development that left Winter struggling what to think, at least so far as Ruby Rose remained nothing more than a dossier.
Meeting her in person had left Winter wondering. She honestly couldn't see just what it was about Ruby Rose that had gained the respect of Ironwood and Weiss. She seemed capable. But there just didn't seem to be that much to her. All she had was a single sword, not even one equipped with Dust. Given her lifetime of training and experience, Winter could hardly imagine such a basic weapon being capable of the feats attributed to its wielder.
But Weiss' impassioned defense of Ruby had left Winter wondering again.
"So...it would seem you respect her a great deal," she said.
Weiss nodded. "She's even been helping us learn how to control our Auras better. It seems the Mibu have studied that, more than anything else."
"And has it helped you in any meaningful fashion?" asked Winter.
Weiss looked down at herself, holding up her hands as though she was inspecting them. "I think so," she said. "My Aura-guard is more solid now, so I lose less, if I take a hit. My reserve has been increasing steadily. And...using my Semblance has become easier and more efficient."
"So...you've been improving, have you?" asked Winter.
Weiss nodded. "I've been perfecting my Glyphs. I've even started working on Time Dilation."
"Oh...and what about your Summoning?" asked Winter.
Cheeks flushing with shame, Weiss lowered her gaze to the table. "Not so much..." she said.
"And why not?" asked Winter.
"You know I can't," countered Weiss.
"You can," Winter assured her. "All Schnees are capable of summoning. It's simply a matter of effort...and will. Unlike most Semblances, ours is hereditary. After our meal, I would like to see the fruits of your effort for myself."
"Okay..." said Weiss, her appetite diminishing at the prospect.
Dinner had come and gone. After playing games a little longer, they'd decided to settle in for the night. They had an early morning awaiting them, after all. However, they'd noticed that Weiss still hadn't come back from her meeting with Winter. It was getting late, and Weiss' teammates were getting worried. Considering how much Weiss was a stickler for sticking to a schedule, it was unusual for her to fall behind like this.
Ruby stood up. "I'll go get her."
Going out into the hallway, Ruby took a deep breath, then Extended her Aura, allowing to spread out around her, almost like an expansion of her cloak, which billowed with the action. Through it, she could sense her way through the hallways and rooms around her, feeling the presences of the people who were currently in the hotel. She could sense other people in their own rooms, but paid no mind to what they were doing, not wanting to invade their privacy. Staff moved through the hallways on whatever jobs they were assigned. Furthermore, she could sense the pulsing Auras of Weiss and Winter.
Winter, to Ruby's surprise, was already in one of the rooms. In contrast, Weiss was standing in the middle of a larger, open room. Her Aura was flaring brightly, a sign that she was putting it into action. A blossom of her Aura marked the floor in front of her, but it felt off to Ruby, not matching any of the Glyphs Weiss had used before.
Frowning, Ruby made her way down the hall, taking an elevator to the floor Weiss was on. Arriving there, Ruby could see that the entire level consisted of conference rooms of varying sizes, ranging from ones that were smaller than the suite she was sharing with her team, to a full-sized ballroom, even bigger than the one the Beacon Dance had taken place in. It was in this largest room that Weiss was practicing.
Opening the door, Ruby slipped into the room. The lights had been dimmed, so it made the light of Weiss' Glyph stand out all the more starkly on the floor below her. True to the impression she'd gotten through her Extension, the Glyph was different from the other ones Ruby had seen. She was accustomed to the snowflake-sigil of Weiss' Propulsion Glyph. She'd also seen the clock-face of the Time Dilation Glyph. But this one was different.
From within the center of the Glyph's concentric circles, a quartet of swords extended, their points angled out, like those of a compass, a sword-wheel. It rotated on the floor before Weiss, flashing, flickering, then fading, before flaring again. For her part, Weiss stood straight, her posture rigid, her sword pointed at the Glyph, almost as though she were trying to threaten it into doing her bidding. Her eyes were closed, face scrunched in furious concentration.
Looking on worriedly, Ruby monitored Weiss' condition. Weiss' Aura was throbbing with the force of her effort. She had poured a great deal of it into the Glyph, but to no end, it seemed. For its part, the Glyph was just barely holding itself together. But whatever it was supposed to do...it wasn't doing. Ruby frowned, wondering what Weiss was trying, why she was staying up so late, when she should be in bed, resting for the day to come.
Finally, unable to keep her silence any longer, Ruby took a step forward. "Weiss..." she said softly.
Weiss' eyes snapped open with a gasp. The Glyph shattered, scattering into motes of light that danced through the air, before fading from view. Weiss bent forward, her legs buckling. At the last second, she planted Myrtenaster's tip, using it to hold herself up. For a moment, she stayed like that, catching her breath, before looking up and glaring at Ruby. "What do you think you're doing, you dunce?" she snapped. "I almost had it!"
It was a startling change. Ruby hadn't seen Weiss like this in a long while, especially not after Weiss had overcome her initial issues with not being named the leader of their team. It had certainly been quite some time since Weiss had used the term, "dunce," in anything other than a playful parlance.
"It's getting late," said Ruby. "You need to get some sleep, Weiss. We have to leave early, tomorrow."
"I'll be up in a little bit," said Weiss firmly. "I just need to try this again."
"What are you trying?" asked Ruby.
"None of your-!" Weiss stopped herself, her jaw snapping shut. Then she took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Ruby could sense Weiss tension bleeding away with her breath, the disturbance in the Temper of her Aura calming with the action.
"Better?" asked Ruby cautiously.
"Yes," said Weiss, her tone resigned. "I was lying. I don't almost have it. I've never had it...not the way Winter does."
"What is it?" asked Ruby.
Weiss sighed, then allowed herself to sag down to the floor. She set Myrtenaster off to the side, hugging her legs to her chest. Ruby sat down next to her, crossing her own legs.
"There are three main applications of the Schnee Family Semblance," said Weiss. "The first is Propulsion; the second, Time Dilation; and, finally...Summoning."
"What is Summoning?" asked Ruby, canting her head curiously. "It sounds cool."
"A Schnee is supposed to be able to Summon avatars of the foes they've defeated to fight by their side," said Weiss, averting her eyes and resting her cheek against her raised knees. "Concentrate on the image of the foes you've defeated, the enemies who forced you to push past who you were, to become who you are...and call them forth."
"That's...cool," said Ruby.
"It would be," said Weiss, a sob rising in her throat, "if I could do it."
"You can't?" asked Ruby.
"Have you ever seen me do it?" asked Weiss sardonically.
"Uh...no," said Ruby.
Weiss scowled. "Believe me, considering some of the situations we've been in, if I could Summon, I damn well would. But I can't! I've tried and tried and tried...and I just can't, no matter how much I try not to doubt myself, like Winter says."
"She tells you not to doubt yourself?" asked Ruby.
"She tells me to stop doubting myself," Weiss clarified. "I wish I could, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to do it."
Ruby frowned, staring down at her own crossed legs for a moment. As she did, she began to speak. "You know...when I think about it, the Schnee Semblance is kinda...strange."
"Why?" asked Weiss, her head perking up.
"Well, for starters, your Semblance is hereditary, right?" Ruby thought she remembered Weiss saying that before. Glancing at Weiss, she saw the white-haired girl nodding her head in confirmation. "That's...odd. I mean, a Semblance is born from your soul, right? So why would it always have the same shape as the people before you?" Her frown deepened. "How did you learn about your Semblance?"
"Winter unlocked my Aura," said Weiss. "After that, she began to teach me about our Semblance."
Weiss laid it out, the stories of copying down the particular Glyphs, memorizing their features, learning what each one did. She described the practice regimen; first creating the Glyphs at will, then learning to invoke their effects. With each word, the furrows on Ruby's forehead grew deeper and deeper.
"Weiss..." said Ruby suddenly, cutting Weiss off, right as she was getting back into another diatribe about all her failed attempts to invoke her Summoning Glyph.
"What?" asked Weiss, glancing curiously at Ruby.
"I...I think I know what's going on," said Ruby, her eyes widening. "Weiss, what you're describing isn't a Semblance."
"What are you talking about?" scoffed Weiss. "Of course it is-"
"It's not!" blurted Ruby sharply, cutting her friend off. "Don't you see it, Weiss? You didn't discover your Semblance? Those Glyphs didn't just appear out of your soul. You were taught them, taught their shape, taught what they were supposed to do, and made to create them and produce those effects themselves. Don't you see? That's not a Semblance...it's a Manifestation!"
"What!?" Weiss exclaimed. "There's no way! That's impossible! That isn't remotely like anything you do!"
"Of course it isn't," said Ruby. "There are dozens of different Manifestations. I even went and created my own. In the Mibu, I've seen people use fire, water, earth, metal, light, and a bunch of others. It's amazing what Aura is capable of."
"But our Semblance can't be a Manifestation," declared Weiss. "I mean...wouldn't we have known."
"Not necessarily," said Ruby. "I mean, I call it a Manifestation, because that's the term we use in the Mibu. But if somebody who wasn't a Mibu came up with the same thing, then they wouldn't necessarily call it the same thing. Whoever started this Schnee Semblance of yours, they probably only knew of things like that as Semblances, so they just called it a Semblance too. But the way it's passed down, the fact that you have to be taught how to do it. That really means it's a Manifestation."
"Okay..." said Weiss, blinking slowly. "So...it's a Manifestation then...How does that help me...exactly?"
Ruby smiled. "It means you can use what you already know to make it work," she said. "You already have a Manifestation, but you learned it without first learning the most basic skills of Aura-control. But now...you've been practicing those skills for months. So...if we put everything together...then you might just be able to do it."
Weiss was skeptical. But, then again, what Ruby was saying did make a certain amount of sense, though Weiss couldn't imagine how somebody could create a Manifestation, and still call it a Semblance, if it was really something so different.
But then, Ruby and Sasame did say that Manifestation basically is a Semblance, thought Weiss. The only difference is that a Semblance is raw, while a Manifestation is something you shape and create for yourself.
"Okay," she said. "What do I do?"
"Here, stand up," said Ruby, getting to her feet and offering Weiss her hand.
Weiss took it, allowing Ruby to pull it to her feet.
"Let's go in order," said Ruby, moving to stand behind Weiss, resting her hands on Weiss' shoulders. "Start with your Temper."
Weiss didn't even need to actually "start". After months of practice, holding her Temper was as natural as breathing. Even when she'd been exerting herself to try and force her Summoning Glyph to work, it had remained in place, albeit agitated.
"Now...Suppression," said Ruby.
Weiss turned her Aura off.
"Feel it building inside of you," said Ruby, almost whispering in Weiss' ear. "Now...open it up again."
Weiss did so.
"Create your Glyph," said Ruby.
The Glyph shimmered into being. For some reason, the shape felt much more natural, though Weiss couldn't quite articulate why.
"Now...what are you trying to Summon?" asked Ruby.
"A knight," said Weiss, her voice soft, "an Arma Gigas. My Father made me fight an augmented one, in order to get to go to Beacon."
"Think about it," said Ruby. "Picture it in your mind. Make it the only thing you think about."
Weiss did so. Surprisingly, the image came readily. She knew the Knight's image well. Facing it had been her greatest triumph, her first true act of defiance against her Father, which he hadn't immediately slapped down. It had also been a traumatic moment, when she'd taken the hit that had left her with the scar over her left eye, an imperfection that would mar her face for the rest of her life. Weiss had seen it in her dreams…and her nightmares. She'd been reminded with memories of her victory, and taunted with how terrible it might have been, had she failed. It took no effort at all to bring up its image.
"Now," said Ruby, "Holding that image in your mind, Project your Aura through the Glyph. Make the image...real."
Weiss followed through automatically. Had she been in a normal state of mind, she would have been hampered by the thoughts of all her previous failures, Winter's continued admonitions about her doubting herself, and her own expectation that each subsequent attempt would be no different. But doubt was far from Weiss' mind at the moment. Instead, she followed Ruby's instructions, as though this was nothing more than an ordinary evening of Aura-practice. Building her Aura within her, she Projected it outward through her Glyph.
The sword-wheel in front of her blazed brilliantly. In her mind's eye, Weiss thought of nothing else but of the Knight, its image, its contours, every plate and joint of its armored body. She felt her Aura take shape, solidifying, hardening...Before her eyes, the light faded, leaving behind that familiar, armored body, that curved, backwards-sweeping crest at the top of its helm, the massive greatsword gripped in its hands. It stood before her, its sword resting, point-down, in front of its body, its hands resting atop the crossguard.
Then, the Knight knelt before her, its head bowing, as though declaring its fealty to her will.
"See?" asked Ruby, smiling proudly.
Weiss made a choking sound. Tears began to run down her face. "I did it," she whispered.
"Yep," agreed Ruby, squeezing Weiss' shoulders.
Weiss sniffed, finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden, feeling completely overcome with emotion. Moving closer, Weiss rested a hand against the curved plate over the Knight's forearm. It wasn't metal, but it felt solid, impenetrable. It felt...powerful.
Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Weiss dismissed the Knight. Turning and smiling at Ruby, she sheathed her sword, before throwing herself at her leader, seizing the younger girl in a tight hug. "Thank you!" she exclaimed.
Saying nothing, Ruby merely hugged Weiss back as tightly as she was able, glad to see her friend no longer being chained down by her doubts. "I knew you could do it," she said.
"But how?" asked Weiss, looking Ruby in the eyes. "Winter tried so hard..."
"She kept telling you to not doubt yourself," said Ruby, pulling out of the embrace, taking Weiss by the hand and leading her back along the way that would take them to their suite. "Sasame-nee told me something once."
"What?"
"Well, she said people have this funny tendency," said Ruby. "You know how parents tell their kids not to do something, and almost immediately, the kid does it?"
Weiss nodded. It was something she was loathe to admit, but even she had done it once in a while, during her youngest years. If she was lucky, it was Klein that she disobeyed, and he merely fondly, but sternly, reprimanded her. If she was unlucky, it was her Father, and her disobedience was followed by a slap across the face.
"That's because a person's mind doesn't automatically catch the negative," said Ruby. "When you're told not to doubt yourself, your brain doesn't automatically pick up on the 'not' part, so you have to consciously add it in. Most of the time, that's fine. But, when it's something that's really dependent on your state of mind, it's hard to internalize that 'not' enough to actually keep from doubting yourself."
"But Winter could do it," said Weiss. "And she must have been taught the same way she taught me."
"I don't know," admitted Ruby. "How hard it is to do that varies from person to person. Winter might have been better at that part of it, or she might have been taught in a slightly different way, and didn't realize it. That's the tricky thing. She might know those skills herself, but that doesn't mean she knows how to teach them to someone else."
"But you do," Weiss pointed out, thinking about how Ruby had taught them the basic exercises.
"Well...All I can say is that I'm imitating the way Sasame-nee taught me how to control my Aura," said Ruby, shrugging. "I don't know enough about your sister to say what she was doing."
Weiss nodded, feeling bemused, but not frustrated. She knew that Winter hadn't been deliberately trying to undermine her. But it was still frustrating to think about all the time she had wasted, essentially beating her head against the wall and trying to force her Semblance to work.
"But how did you know what to do?" asked Weiss, as they stepped into the elevator.
"Well, I kinda just applied what I know to it," said Ruby. "You know how I always use those attack names, when I use specific techniques?"
Weiss nodded. She had thought it was odd that Ruby would shout what sounded like random words, when launching attacks. But those words were specific to each attack.
"It's a sort of mental trick," Ruby explained. "Aura is power of the soul, channeled through the body, and controlled and shaped by the mind. In order to use a technique, I need to have an image of it to accomplish that. But doing that in the middle of battle can be tricky, seeing as battle is so...distracting."
Weiss nodded.
"So, in order to help the process along, you create the image of a technique, and give it a name," Ruby continued to explain. "By putting it into words, you can make the image of your technique come to mind by speaking its name, which allows you to bring mind, body, and soul together. And, from that, technique is born.
"In your case, your 'word' was the Glyph you were using. The Knight you wanted to summon was the image you put to that word, and then you put your Aura, your soul, into that, and your Summon was the result."
They emerged from the elevator, making their way back to their suite. Stopping at the door, Weiss turned and pulled Ruby into another hug.
"Thank you so much," she whispered.
"You're my friend and teammate," said Ruby, hugging her back. "Of course I'd do everything I can to help you. Just remember, you aren't alone Weiss.
"I don't think I can ever forget that," said Weiss, pulling out of the embrace. "I suppose, as an expression of gratitude, I will permit you to spend the night with Jaune, if you like."
Even though she was blushing Ruby couldn't quite keep a wry smile from her face either. "That's generous of you," she said.
"Yes, well...don't go expecting such leniency for every little thing," said Weiss, a trace of her haughtiness creeping into her voice. "But, since we are spending one last night in luxury, before boarding that ship, I suppose I can permit you one extra luxury."
"Just who is the leader here?" wondered Ruby, opening the door and ushering them in for the night.
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