3rd Person POV
Dreamscape
"Weiss?" Sincline asked, staring at the young woman before him in shock, his mind whirling. He didn't even register the numerous weapons still trained on him by the drones, nor the steadily increasing snowfall. All he could focus on was the sight of his teammate standing opposite him, the dark chill radiating from her body sending shivers down his spine. "How—what are you—?!"
"Be silent!" she snapped, her gaze as cold and sharp as ice. "Who gave you permission to speak? An abomination of power and deceit... nothing more than a worthless weapon!"
What? Ever so slowly, Sincline backed away until he could feel the sharp tip of one of the drone's blades poking into his spine. This couldn't be her; this couldn't be Weiss... but deep down, he knew it was. "Weiss...?"
"I told you to be silent," she ordered, her ice-blue eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she held up her book. "Alright, Sister Winter, your verdict," she murmured.
Sister Winter? Sincline wondered, his eyes narrowing as he slowly reached into his core and began drawing on his power. His instincts were screaming at him, warning him to get away as fast as possible.
Weiss opened her book and watched the reflective pages glow, revealing the silhouette of a tall woman with long white hair, the back tied in a bun with bangs hanging along the right side of her face.
"The powerless return to Dust. The wicked will wander the void. Punish the traitor to the Empire and imprison him for eternity."
A harsh click, and Weiss snapped the book shut. "You have been weighed. You have been measured. And you have been found wanting," she declared. Placing the book on the back of the robotic dog, she shrugged off her trench coat and drew her rapier with a menacing ring. "Either you come with me... or you will be punished."
Sincline's eyes narrowed, and he summoned his scimitars, the Ion blades gleaming as they caught the sunlight. "I don't know what happened to you, but..." His body flashed, and his armor formed, the brief burst of energy that followed the transformation forcing all the snowflakes away from the two of them. "You're not the Weiss I know!"
What Sincline was almost sure was hurt flashed through her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a cold glare that could have frozen fire. Weiss raised her rapier, and a swirl of flaming blue energy gathered along its edge. She swung, and a massive explosion ripped the courtyard in half, a geyser of azure fire erupting into the sky as Sincline blurred upward.
What the Hell was that?! That was stronger than anything I've seen here on Remnant, Sincline thought, coming to a stop over a hundred feet in the air. At first, he thought he was safe... but that notion was quickly crushed as Weiss flew out of the smoke. She spun, landing on a summoned glyph, and launched herself toward him, her rapier poised to pierce his heart.
Working entirely on instinct, Sincline jerked one of his scimitars up, barely catching her strike on the hilt of his weapon. Their eyes met, icy blue meeting glowing purple, and Sincline's thrusters flared, the mech-turned-human shooting backward and dodging a brutal swing at his torso.
Undeterred, Weiss spun midair and whipped her blade down, a glyph briefly forming beneath her feet as she sent six streams of icy energy flying toward Sincline.
Sincline swerved, dodging to the right, and one of the energy streams plowed through a line of building complexes, wiping them out in a brilliant explosion of icy energy. He flipped left, skating through the air, and the energy streams followed, two more blowing through a factory and ripping it apart. Those things are seekers?!
He spun, skipped, and skidded through the sky, dodging each attack as it came after him. Deflecting a seventh beam with a scimitar, he whirled to face Weiss as she leveled her rapier at his chest. At her command, the energy streams twisted together, forming a single lance of brilliant energy that streaked toward his chest.
In response, Sincline's thrusters flared, and he dove, crossing his blades and splitting the beam down the center... only to be forced to a halt. How is this possible? Sincline wondered as he was slowly pushed back. The power she was emitting... it was just as strong as Voltron's final attack in the Quintessence Field. How could she—oh wait. Dream.
Knowing that he couldn't win this fight, Sincline flared his thrusters and dove, allowing the attack to streak over his head as he plunged back toward the city. Just before impact, he flipped, and his armored feet slammed into the ground with a loud crack, shattering the stone with ease. Was Weiss always this tough? he wondered, dispersing his scimitars as he paused for a quick recovery. "There's gotta be something," he muttered, remnants of their battle echoing through his mind. "Something I'm missing...."
"Actually, we're going to do something about you."
Sincline whirled, his eyes widening as 'Weiss' emerged from the shadows of an alleyway behind him, her rapier flashing as it caught the light. "Isn't that right... Sincline?" A glyph materialized beneath her feet, and she shot toward him, her rapier poised to sink into his heart.
Just before the attack could connect, Sincline warped, and her blade sank into the street, sliding through the stone like ice.
"He got away from us, Sister," 'Whitley' taunted, flapping his wings as he circled overhead.
Tearing her blade out of the ground, 'Weiss' sheathed it, her gaze fixated on where Sincline had vanished and slipped through her fingers. "Mobilize all Imperial soldiers and search for Sincline," she ordered. "I want to see him at my feet before he joins the others."
"If you truly are suited to be a daughter of the Schnee Clan, then carry out your duties, Weiss," one of the many statues of her father ordered.
'Weiss' gritted her teeth but nodded all the same, ignoring the dark vines crawling across the ground at the shadows of her boots. "I'll prove to you that I'm worthy." You might have escaped me once, Sincline... but you won't escape me a second time.
With Sincline
A flash of light, and Sincline landed hard on the ground, his feet digging into the smooth stone of the alleyway. As he staggered, his armor shattered, and he leaned against the wall, trying to come to terms with what had just happened.
"Be silent! Who gave you permission to speak? An abomination of power and deceit... nothing more than a worthless weapon!"
"Weiss?"
"Either you come with me... or you will be punished."
"I don't know what happened to you, but... You're not the Weiss I know!"
"She was going to kill me," he whispered, his body shaking at the realization. Weiss was one of his teammates, one of his friends... no. Even though that thing had seemed like Weiss, there was no way that was really her... was there?
A sharp ring snapped him out of his thoughts, and he whirled, scanning the area as a scimitar flashed into his grasp... but there was no one there. What the—?
There was a second ring, and his attention was drawn to a strange red phone booth set against a wall. What now? Sincline wondered and scanned the surrounding area uneasily. There weren't any drones nearby, but still... dispersing his sword, Sincline turned his gaze back toward the phone booth, weighing his options. There wasn't anyone around to pick it up... no one except him. At this point, what choice do I have?
Crossing to the booth, Sincline opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. While he may have never seen one in person before, he had heard/read of them thanks to Blake. Hesitating for only a few seconds, he lifted the handset of the rotary telephone and accepted the call. "Hello?"
"Sincline, this is Shion," a woman's voice stated. "I'm a friend of Ruby's."
Sincline froze, his grip on the handset tightening. There was no way that was true; he was still dreaming... but then again, how could he dream about someone he's never met?
"I know you're likely going to doubt what I'm about to say, but if you've already figured out that you're in a dream, then you know that I'm telling the truth," Shion explained.
Sincline hesitated. She had a point, but still... what if this was part of the dream? Part of him didn't believe it, but his gut... his gut was telling him otherwise. "Alright," he conceded. "What do I need to know?"
With 'Weiss'
Emerging from the elevator and waving off the floating brush and the gloves that reached to remove her extra garments, 'Weiss' took a seat in the chair at the head of the long, glowing table. "Thank you, Klein," she murmured, lacing her fingers beneath her chin as she rested her elbows on the table, her robotic dog curling up at her feet. "Report."
"Yet another train has been attacked," 'Klein' replied automatically as the shadowy figure against the wall laughed and giggled. "The White Fang infesting the valley grow stronger by the day. Thankfully, there isn't a single Faunus in the—"
"I am not interested in reports of the Fang," 'Weiss' snapped, causing him to fall silent. "What of Sincline? Is he still in the city?" Her voice was soft, but the underlying tone betrayed her true feelings on the matter.
"Master Jacques' gaze has not fallen upon anyone who has gone outside without permission," 'Klein' replied. "Sincline's current whereabouts are unknown, but he should still be within the city limits."
'Weiss' nodded, pressing her lips together as she gazed at the wall opposite her. "If we can capture him... we may finally be able to achieve true peace," she murmured. She closed her eyes. "Let us offer a word in prayer for the time destined to come."
For a moment, there was silence. A low hiss, like laughter, and multiple dark vines full of barbed thorns crawled across the table and toward her hands. At the same time, a semi-transparent cabinet of ice emerged from a wall... one that held a concealed knight piece inside.
With Sincline
"So, let me get this straight," Sincline said slowly as he processed Shion's words. "Weiss and I have been infected by an Alpha Nightmare; we're the only ones affected because we have similar demons; it's draining our Aura and our lives; you can't send anyone in to help us because of me, and there's no known way to escape an Alpha Nightmare?"
"Yes."
"This entire dreamscape represents Weiss's mind, and the deeper I penetrate, the more defenses she's gonna have?"
"Essentially," Shion affirmed. "From what I can gather from your observations, the city is a fortress that the Nightmare built out of Weiss's thoughts. The Nightmare itself should be inside the core of her mind."
"Okay... but how do you know it's not somewhere in mine?" Sincline asked curiously. "And what about the Weiss that attacked me?"
"It's simple," Shion assured. "You're speaking to me now, and you're conscious of doing so, are you not?"
"I, uh... I guess so," Sincline replied. It did make sense now that he thought about it. That, and he couldn't sense anything like Honerva's presence at all, so it seemed he was 'Nightmare Free.'
"When you saw Weiss inside the dream, what was she like?" Shion asked, breaking Sincline out of his thoughts.
Sincline paused, considering the question as he recalled the sheer power that the dream version of his teammate wielded during their fight. "She was... cold. Well, more than usual," he admitted with a hollow chuckle. "It felt like she hated me, to be honest."
"The Nightmare is only trying to make you believe that," Shion said gently. "That is only the Nightmare exploiting her mind. It isn't actually her. My best guess is that the Weiss you saw is one of Weiss's defenses that was twisted by the Nightmare into what she is now."
Sincline nodded. "Yeah, it's kind of like she's... Nightmare Weiss," he commented, using the first name that came to mind. As soon as he said the name, he could have sworn he heard muffled protests of what sounded like 'that's what I said to call her!'... it was probably Yang. "Also, she was insanely strong, maybe even stronger than Voltron," Sincline admitted. "I could barely handle her." It was true. The power and expertise of Nightmare Weiss far outclassed that of Voltron... well, maybe except the time at the Core, but still....
"That, too, is because you're inside a dream," Shion confirmed. "The dream... Nightmare Weiss will become as strong as the real Weiss's mind allows her to be."
"I see..." So that means, there might not be a limit to how powerful Nightmare Weiss will become, Sincline thought. Well, that makes things much easier.... Heh. The first time I use sarcasm, and it's in a Nightmare. Yang would be so proud. "So, how are Nightmares destroyed?"
"Usually, others' spirits are transported into a sleeper's dream in order to fight the Nightmare," Shion explained. "Upon its death in the dream, all those inside are released. While there might not be any official records, I believe a similar strategy would work in your situation."
Sincline hesitated. "Alright..." It did make sense. Now all he had to do was find the Grimm and—wait. "If you can only talk to people who have your coins, then how are you able to talk to me?" Sincline asked suspiciously.
Shion sighed. "Usually, my semblance allows me to send the souls of others into a sleeper's dream," she explained. "And while I may not have been able to send any of your friends to join you, I was able to use my semblance in a way I never have before."
"...meaning?"
"I used my semblance to find your location similar to how I would find someone in a dreamscape, and I forced a communication 'telephone' to appear," Shion elaborated. "It was your teammate Blake's suggestion. She is quite intelligent."
Sincline chuckled, resting the back of his head against the cool glass of the phone booth. "That she is." He paused and took a deep, shaky breath. "Can I... can I talk to Ruby and the others, please?" he asked quietly.
"...I'm sorry, but that won't be possible," Shion apologized. "This conversation alone is heavily taxing my semblance and Aura reserves. Even now, I'm running on fumes. It will be some time before my Aura recovers and we can make contact again."
Sincline pressed his lips together... but nodded. "Understood. But..." He hesitated, unsure of what to say. Finally, he decided. "Please, tell the others that I'm going to get us out of here. Both of us."
"...very well. I will do as you have asked," Shion affirmed... and that's when the line went dead.
For a long moment, Sincline simply stood in the silent phone booth, staring at the rotary phone as his hand slowly drifted down to rest at his side. Alright, Sincline thought, placing the handset back on the rotary phone before exiting into the alley. From what Shion's told me, this entire place is constructed out of Weiss's dreamscape. But Nightmare Weiss... I can't match her here, so I'll have to sneak into the main tower.
If the defenses of Weiss's mind grew stronger the further he got, then it was only reasonable to assume that the Nightmare was holed up in the center... which meant it was most likely inside the tower. Alright then, he mused and crouched. Summoning his armor, he activated his thrusters and shot upward, landing lightly on the rooftop above. All I have to do is slip past the guards without letting Nightmare Weiss know what I'm up to... shouldn't be too hard.
A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he turned his glowing gaze to where a shadowy figure of a young man was climbing onto a fountain of ice. What in the world...? Sincline tilted his head curiously and watched as the shady figure made contact with the geyser of ice sprouting from the center... and vanished?
Interesting... That could be a secret way into the main tower... or it might lead directly into Nightmare Weiss's bedroom/lair. If anything goes wrong, I can always go out the way I came in, Sincline thought. But even then, that wasn't a guarantee since this was a dream. "Here goes nothing," Sincline muttered.
Stepping off the edge, he let himself freefall for a second before flaring the thrusters on his feet, allowing himself to land lightly without damaging the ground. Dispersing his armor while keeping an eye on his HUD, Sincline quickly advanced toward the ice fountain. Upon picking up three squadrons of drones making their way toward the fountain, Sincline went from a jog into a run. Just as the first drone turned the corner, Sincline jumped, and his hand slipped through the veil of glowing ice.
With Nightmare Weiss
"A beautiful resting place to bring about true sleep," 'Klein' murmured, watching as dark vines barbed with blood-red thorns slowly crawled up the back of Nightmare Weiss's throne. "Only daughters worthy of the Schnee name can enter within."
Every so slowly, Nightmare Weiss's eyes opened, and she glanced toward the semi-transparent cabinet of ice in the corner of the room... the one that held the strange glowing knight piece. A sharp peal of drunken laughter echoed through the room, and she pressed her lips together, doing her best to ignore the horrible chill that ran down her spine.
"Sister, we're in trouble!" 'Whitley' shouted, bursting through the elevator doors in a swirl of panicking wings.
'Weiss' stood, eyes flashing. "Tell me everything," she ordered. "I'll carry out any duty necessary to prove my worthiness to bear the Schnee family name."
Timeskip
Passing through a wet membrane of slimy ice, Sincline stumbled as he landed in what seemed to be a fancy jewelry store with emerald green walls. "Ow..." he groaned and pushed himself up, brushing off his jacket as he did so. Mental note: Don't jump through strange unknown portals.
Sincline glanced around the shop, taking note of the many Dust-infused jewelry items within the shop. I guess Dust is always gonna be a big part of Weiss, no matter what, he thought, examining a ring embellished with a Fire Dust phoenix.
Shaking his head, Sincline checked his HUD for any drones in the area. Finding none, he exited the store and glanced around for any of the Jacque statues he had seen earlier. Wait, if those things are part of Weiss's dreamscape... His fist clenched. For some reason, he felt the urge to annihilate half of Atlas. Strange....
Shaking his head, Sincline summoned his armor and ignited his thrusters, propelling himself up to the rooftop. Landing on top, shingles shattering beneath his feet, Sincline looked up toward the massive statue above. "Alright, not a secret entrance," Sincline muttered. At least it got me closer to the tower.
From what his current scans were telling him, he was now on the third level of the main tower, within visible range of the main gates. Tilting his head, Sincline glanced up at the massive statue above. That's Big Nicholas... from what I've seen, every single piece of this Dreamscape ties to either him or Weiss's father. He must've had a big effect on her life... just like how Lotor did on mine.
Just then, a harsh alarm echoed through the sky, and Sincline whirled as hundreds of glyphs materialized throughout the city, each one producing a ring of sirens.
"Message to all Imperial subjects," Nightmare Weiss's chilling voice echoed. "Sincline has been sighted near the Tower of our Great Nicholas. I want him brought before me on his knees. All subjects of the Empire must work together to bring him to me!"
The message delivered, the sirens froze... and shattered, leaving Sincline to stare at where the nearest one had been in shock. Before her on my knees...? Just how does Weiss actually see me in real life?
He shook his head. No. I can't think like that right now. I have to get her out of here first. I can worry about that afterward. His eyes glowing, he looked up and fixed his sights on the massive tower above.
"That's gotta be the tower she meant," he muttered and sighed. "And also... probably where the Nightmare is. Fantastic." Not only did he have the Nightmare to deal with, but Nightmare Weiss was actively targeting him as well. I could surrender and let her forces practically walk me through the door... He toyed with the idea for several seconds before ultimately discarding it. While that would probably work in any other situation, Nightmare Weiss wanted him brought before her, so... no. Surrendering to sneak in was definitely not an option.
What else can I do to get in? he wondered... and that's when he facepalmed. Warping. He knew he had access to the Quintessence Field, well, at least a version of it, so he could just warp past the doors. This might be the one time I'm grateful to be alone, he thought. He was certain that if Yang ever learned that he had forgotten his strongest power, he'd never hear the end of it.
Shaking his head, Sincline stood, facing the tower as his eyes glowed. He crouched, his thrusters flared, and he shot toward the tower in a blur of speed, a trail of energy forming behind him.
As expected, as soon as the drones picked up on his signature, they opened fire, a hail of Dust rounds streaking toward him from all directions. At the same time, hundreds of dark, barbed thorns erupted from the top of the tower and arrowed toward Sincline's heart.
3. 2. 1! Just before impact, Sincline warped, the deadly projectiles tearing through the air where he had been just seconds after he vanished.
Inside the Tower
Exiting the rift, Sincline jackknifed, the thrusters on his feet flaring as he landed hard on the polished floor. Pushing himself up, Sincline stood and examined his surroundings.
Before him was a wide stairway coated with a blue carpet down the middle and curved balconies on both sides that led to a second floor. At the top was a paned triptych of arched windows. On both sides of the stairway stood enormous white suits of armor that resembled the main statue... but each one had the face of Jacques Schnee and held a massive broadsword. The floor beneath his feet bore a large, circular pattern decorated with a jagged version of the Schnee snowflake emblem, and at his back were a massive pair of white doors adorned with silver embellishing.
"Okaaay... this isn't unnerving at all," Sincline muttered, eyeing his surroundings warily. He tried to scan for any Grimm or for Nightmare Weiss's signature, but he couldn't pick up anything. There's too much of their Aura around, he thought. Wait a minute... quickly transposing the dynamics of his scanners, Sincline rescanned the tower for any abnormalities or heavy concentrations of either Grimm signatures or Weiss's Aura... and that's when the temperature dropped.
A sharp heel clicked against the polished tiles, and Sincline froze—
(A/N): He didn't actually freeze... well, yet at least.
Ice spread across the walls, jagged spears of frozen water slowly extending toward Sincline from all directions.
"As expected," a cold voice murmured, sending a dark shiver down Sincline's spine as dark vines slowly crept across the polished floor, and the sound of a flicking cape snapped through the air.
Ever so slowly, Sincline turned and looked up, his gaze locking with hers as she emerged from a shimmering glyph at the top of the stairway, her snow-like hair gleaming as it caught the light.
"No matter what I try to expel you, you keep reappearing," Nightmare Weiss murmured. Several more shapes emerged out of the darkness: a bat giggling from his perch on a rafter and a robotic dog that padded up to her side.
"I already told you." She raised her rapier, and the entire area around them seemed to fracture into jagged glass, each one reflecting her gleaming lips and shimmering eyes as she glared down at him. "In this place... you are no match for me." The edge of her blade shining, she leveled it at Sincline's heart. "You are nothing but a weapon to be crushed beneath my heel."