"There should be a taser built in the shaft!"
"No. That'll throw the balance off, and how do you plan on giving it enough power to knock someone out consistently?"
"What's the revolver hilt for? Are you trying to make a gun-sword!? Those must be some large bullets. Rubber?"
"No and no."
"How about a baton-spear that can extend several meters? Oh oh! And it can be used as a taser!"
"No. What's with you and tasers?"
Weiss had to fight the urge to rub her forehead as her left eye kept twitching. At first, Hatsume kept reminding her of Ruby, with their shared obsession for weapons, or inventions in Hatsumes case. That was still true, except for one teensy little thing. Weiss was pretty sure that if Nora and Ruby ever ended up having a baby, Hatsume would be the result.
The main problem, the pink haired girl was much more annoying, and Weiss' brain kept repeating memories from her time with her partner. Her hands were on the verge of shaking as she drew the design for her new non-lethal weapon. She wanted to finish the design today so the actual bodywork could start soon, and hopefully Weiss would be able to use it during the Sports Festival. That was going to require quite a bit of paperwork, but it would be worth it.
The hilt of her new weapon was essentially the same as Myrtenaster, including the Dust chambers, with its blunt blade being about the same length. It wouldn't be as decorated as Myrtenaster, with only a few Atlesian markings and runes here and there. The metal would no doubt be inferior to the Atlesian steel that Myrtenaster was made up of, but her aura could amplify the weapons strength to be up to par, such as when she used the swordfish during the foodfight back at Beacon. Those good old days were long gone.
"Won't the revolver take up too much space? And won't the metal where it opens up be weaker than the actual blade?" Hatsume asked as she leaned over Weiss' shoulder, pressing her chest against the smaller girl's back. It made Weiss feel uncomfortable.
"The revolver helps me to channel my glyphs, and that's why the metal around it is going to be reinforced." Weiss said dryly. She just wanted to get over this, and go home to let everything all out. At this rate she was going to explode.
"What's going in the revolver's chambers?" Hatsume grabbed her own pen and started scribbling over Weiss' drawings. "The pommel is going to have to be lighter in order to offset the weight from the hilt."
"It's a scythe and a gun." Ruby shifted Crescent Rose from its compact mode into its scythe form. She posed dramatically with a large grin as Weiss recorded her, a small smile on her face.
"I can use my quirk to fill them." Weiss said, her voice barely more than a whisper. It wasn't a complete lie since she did use her glyphs and aura to help grow her dust. Her eyes turned to the lone clock in the studio. It was time to go home. Stretching her arms, Weiss stood up from the chair she was seated in. "It's time for me to go. I'll continue working on the design at home so we can start working on the prototype." She needed to get out of here.
Hatsume took that moment to jump into the chair to scan the first design. Dreadlock girl was barely paying attention. "Yeah yeah, see you later White."
"It's Weiss."
"That's what I said."
Yu still wasn't home by the time Weiss arrived. Placing her backpack on the rack in the living room, a piece of paper caught her eye. It was taped to the TV screen, which was honestly a bad place to put it, unless Yu wanted to damage it and get a new one. Gently grabbing the sticky note, Weiss eyes immediately started to scan it.
'There was an emergency at work so I'll be late. There's pizza in the fridge if you get hungry. Don't work so hard! - Yu'
Weiss balled the note and threw it in the trash without another thought. Ever since school started, Yu had started to become even busier than usual. It was understandable, Mt. Lady was a rising star in the hero world, with a rather large fanbase. Yu's sex appeal was even starting to cut into Midnight's fanbase, leading to quite a few rants that Weiss had to hear and see on the TV. As annoying as she may be sometimes, Weiss missed her, and she didn't say that lightly.
Grabbing Myrtenaster's case again, Weiss marched towards her room, closing and locking the door behind her as she gently placed her weapon on the floor. The shaking in her hands returned as Weiss' vision began to blur as the events of the day finally took their toll. Falling to her knees, Weiss dragged herself to the full length mirror in her room, staring at her reflection. Her index finger touched the cold glass, running her finger along the scar of her reflection.
Principal Nezu acted like she was a murderer, essientially blackmailing her into having therapy, which she did not need! She didn't kill those villains, their injuries did. It's not like she went in straight for the kill, and who forced them to try killing her classmates? To try killing All Might?
"Murderer.." Weiss' reflection stared back, her lips moving slowly as they formed a dark smile. "You killed them and you enjoyed it. Ruby would be so disappointed in you."
"No." Weiss hardened her eyes as she stared into the mirror. A blink later and the dark smile was gone, replaced by her puffy red eyes. Said eyes slowly turned to the corner of the mirror, where a piano sat. Turning around slowly, Weiss stared at her new piano. It was a gift from Yu and the Jirou's, said to be the only one of its kind, with her signature snowflake engraved in the white wood.
Weiss got up from the floor, and plopped herself onto the stool in front of the piano. Her hands hovered over the black and white keys as they shook softly. Music could help calm her nerves, to help push everything down. She could do that, there were no Grimm here to attract. Her hands started to play.
"It starts, with the unexpected loss of something dear…" Weiss sang slowly. "The warmth, that comforted and cradled, just disappeared." The piano's dark melody filled her room as her raspy voice combined with the notes.
"And in its place there's nothing, just an endless empty hole. The light that showed the way is gone, and darkness takes control." More emotion filled Weiss' voice as the monotone melody continued. The various instruments were already starting to turn in her head, ready to add themselves to the piano. "Bitterness and anger, are quick to fill the void…"
"The path to isolation, is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed…"
Imaginary violins and drums sounded out through Weiss' mind, the drums throwing themselves into the fray. Weiss had dreams when she was young. She didn't want to be the Heiress to the SDC, to be a Huntress, to be a hero, but that was what she needed to be, to restore the Schnee name.
"The cold, seems to grow in my soul its consuming me." The piano's melody started to speed up, with Weiss' shaky hands making her miss a key or two. "Confused, and I'm losing myself in the storm!" Weiss raised the pitch of her voice slightly.
"Growing jaded, being pushed, being pulled, I'm unraveling…" Weiss' voice started to speed up alongside the drums and orchestra. "Can't find myself when I'm constantly being forced to conform~!" Weiss held the note for a second or so. She ruined the new anonymity she had in this world by trying to make money in order to repay Yu, and now she had to deal with a culture that she wasn't used to, a culture that she was still learning.
"Enemies surround me but the worst appear as friends. " Weiss started to sing even louder. Those smiles that people gave her, those crowds that followed her around, how many of them would turn on her as soon as the tables flipped? Or as soon as the next big thing overtook her? "Liars and pretenders, only seek to reach their ends." Weiss' pitch went up and down.
"Everything is breaking, right before my eyes." Her voice grew desperate. "Looking in the mirror…"
"I see someone that I don't recogniiiIIIZE!"
Weiss slammed her fingers onto the piano keys.
"Who are you?"
"I am Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and Huntress-in-Training."
"Wrong! Who are you?"
"I'm, uh, I'm Weiss Schnee."
"Still incorrect, are you an idiot?"
"No!"
"Then, who, are, you?"
"I'm Weiss."
"Wrong, all I see here is a pathetic failure that left her team."
"The joy, that my heart used to know is eluding me." Food tasted like ash, no matter how delicious others said it tasted. Everywhere she went, Weiss was reminded of her team, remind of team JNPR, reminded of Ruby. "Removed, and the one thing I feel is alone." Kyouka and Mina were her friends, but not even they knew who Weiss really was.
"Smile's faded and I'm spinning and sinking, I'm weakening." The guitars and drums added to the desperation in Weiss' voice. She already of how many times she had used her 'Idol' smile. "Frozen in solitude, loneliness chills to the bonee!" No one knew the full truth about her, not even Yu and Detective Tsukauchi. "Memories escaping as my heart begins to drain."
Ruby blushed softly as Weiss planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Scars that cover wounds can't hide the self-inflictED pain." Weiss raised her pitch again as she sang louder and the drums, guitar and bass became even more desperate, playing as if their lives depended on it.
"Everything my mind wants in conflict with my heart, fighting back 'surrender', but everyday I'm falling more apAAART!"
The imaginary instruments softened as Weiss pounded the piano keys. The drums soon returned with a vengeance.
"Mirror what's this thing I see, who is staring back at me, a stranger to my heart has my mind." Weiss had run out of tears to cry.
"Mirror….help me…"
Her throat was starting to hurt as she took a deep breath.
"Who…am III?"
A/N
What a way to end this arc. I have been wanting to use the Path to Isolation since I first started writing this story. It's one of my favorite songs in general. Alongside This Life is Mine, I consider them masterpieces. I love RWBY's soundtrack.
I saw Sonic 2 yesterday, and I loved it. I might write a Sonic/Worm crossover, but no promises. I won't spoil it either to keep the surprise fresh and no, Taylor is not Sonic.
I hope today's chapter was enjoyable and that it touched your heartstrings.
Till next time on Schnee: Hero or Huntress!
