White (1)

Muddled faces and voices filled her mind.

"Miss Schnee truly is incredible!"

"She has a very bright future."

"Her Father has taught her well."

"She really lives up to the family name!"

She couldn't even remember why she was here, who these people were, what they looked like. Just a little girl playing the piano while a looming figure judged her every breath.

"You must be proud Mr Schnee!"

"The families future seems secure with this one."

"Truly a wonderful talent that Jacques has raised."

She was always showered with words of praise and commendation, the voices told her she was better than the rest. She was smart, talented, beautiful.

All for the sake of being the best.

For the sake of being a Schnee.

She thought she had value, that she performed beyond what she was capable of, that she was worth something to those around her. When she subverted expectations again and again, pleasing the crowd and brining honour to her name. But the only words she got from her father were from his fleeting back.

"As expected of my child."

On a frosted courtyard overlooking a grand mansion a girl stood. Roughly seventeen years of age she was a beautiful, pale skinned young woman. Light blue eyes and snow- white hair pulled into a single off-centre ponytail, pinned with a silver, icicle shaped tiara. She stood, eyes steady and breathing calm, but heavy. Pulled in front of her in an elegant pose was a silver, almost ornate silver rapier with a pronged guard that encased a revolving chamber.

Her breath hitched slightly as a cold aura swept over the courtyard, leaving a heavy mist in place. Her eyes jittered slightly, trying to take in as much of her environment as she could as a figure she was waiting for skulked out of the thick fog.

An easily recognizable creature, its hunched human like posture with the body of a large wolf with its bone white mask, a creature of Grimm. It was soon followed by two more, but oddly enough the distinct jet black fur was resplaced by a gleaming white. Even their glowing red eyes had swapped to a rather calming blue, though these features did little to take away from the tense atmosphere and clear threat.

The girl steadied herself forward with a single step. The tip of her sword tracing the path of her foes. Though her eyes widened at the thumping of paws approaching her from behind, turning on the spot to find another leaping into the air, arms wide and jaw hanging open, its figure enveloping the partly shattered moon that hung in the sky.

While slightly shaken the girl quickly righted herself, slamming her foot down and guiding the blade of her rapier jarringly down the back of the throat of the leaping creature, blade piercing out the back of its head it crumbled into dust.

Not letting the victory get to her head she noticed one of the three remaining charge her from behind and with the flick of a wrist summoning a glyph of intricate but perfectly symmetrical patterns by her feet, launching her into the air just as the Grimm sailed by underneath, spinning in the air to deliver a heavy gash to it as she did so. Not to lose her momentum in the fight she summoned another glyph tilted in the air with a wave of her hand, landing on it mid air and redirecting herself back down with the blade skewering into the side of the creature, dissipating into ash.

From her side the two other leapt, gracefully dodging one with a cartwheel to the side. She stopped the other by materializing a glyph in its path, with its impact she thrust the sword through the glyph and with it the neck of the creature with her ever present grace.

Backing off to the edge of the courtyard she noticed the one remaining was now joined by three more smaller versions of the same beast. She again righted her rapier in front of her with both hands as the cylinder covered by the hilt rotated round before settling on a chamber.

Her hand then proceeded to guide the flowing flames leaking from the hilt some the blade of the sword and as the four creatures started to rush towards her she flipped back, landing on the rest of a fountainhead decorating the yard and with a swing of the rapier a large torrent of fire blew out in a horizontal line following the slash. Burning the three weaker ones to dust with welps and injuring the final larger creature as well as dispatching most the heavy mist that covered the edge of the courtyard.

She allowed a moment of victory as she held al little winning smile at the final remaining Grimm. Though the mist unfortunately wafted back round, even heavier than before. With it carrying another wave of the strange pearl-white Grimm.

Steadying her breath again she righted herself. Summoning a glyph behind her of dark grey patterns, jumping back onto it and letting the glyph throw her towards the injured one, dispatching it quickly with a thrust through the chest.

Though four more approached from each angle, instead of panic she summoned a larger glyph on the floor, driving her rapier down onto it with the chamber again spinning in the hilt of the sword. As the four quickly approached a wide ring of ice emerged with the girl as the centre, large spikes and shards piercing through most the Grimm, but one broke through.

Panting from the small amount of over exertion she could only raise her sword the block the incoming paw, taking the heavy hit with a thud she clearly underestimated the power of the thing. Her bright blue aura flared to life, taking the brunt of the damage but the weight still sent her rapier flying out of her hand and her to fall back without her weapon with the Grimm hot on her tail, pinning her to the floor.

The beast growled on top of her, even with her aura bolstering her she couldn't match the power and weight behind the creature and couldn't move as the beast dived in with jaws open wide.

"Winter!" She cried out.

At the word the creature dissipated into nothingness along with the mist covering the courtyard. Leaving the girl to lay, panting, eyes up at the dark night sky.

Though she quickly righted herself into a somewhat respectable position after a few seconds as she heard the tapping of heels growing closer.

AS the girl looked up, she matched eyes with a tall and fair skinned young woman with slate-blue eyes, dark eyebrows and long white hair. The latter of which tied back in a bun high to the back left of her head along with bangs round the right side of her face and a final small, curled lock of hair just above her left shoulder. She looked very much like a more mature version of the girl, looking down with a stern but equally soft gaze with a straightened posture and hands rested behind her waist.

"Acceptable, but I won't be around to save you every time Weiss." The woman, Winter, continued looking down at Weiss, pressuring a response.

"I'm sorry." She apologised. "I'll get better."

Winter turned to the side, though her gaze eased somewhat. "There's no need to apologise to me, I told you that. Though if you want to leave you will have to do better."

Weiss was always conflicted with the messages her sister graced her with. On one hand it sounded harsh, but the other was easily the kindest anyone spoke to her. Without any political reasoning that is. As Winter began to walk away Wiess allowed herself a small smile before Winter turned back.

"Don't forget, you need to ready yourself for the concert soon."

As she heard this Weiss froze slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by her sister who sighed with concern.

"I can always talk to father about it if-"

"N-No!" Weiss snapped back standing upright, earning a concerned glare. "I- I'm fine, I'll just need an hour to prepare." She knew what Winter was doing here, just so her Father wouldn't shout and berate her… 'It was my duty, is my duty as a member of the Schnee family.' She thought to herself.

"…" Winter just stared her down for a few seconds before continuing. "Very well. Make sure you are presentable within the hour." She finished before walking back towards the manor.

"W-Will you be watching?.." Weiss managed to bite out before Winter was out of earshot.

At this her sister froze up slightly. "Unfo-"About to continue on before looking back at Weiss's hopeful eyes. Despite keeping under her strict posture and mannerisms she bit the inside of her cheek. "Of course I will."

At this comment a smile flew onto Weiss's face, almost looking shocked with a small curt bow as her sister departed.

"Don't be late."