3rd Person POV
Beacon
To my dear sister, Winter...I hope this letter finds you well, Weiss wrote as she laid on top of her bunk, back against her pillow. It had been a few hours since the Nightmare incident, and since both she and Sincline were rather... unwilling to go back to sleep for a while, she had decided to write to her sister about recent events. Since arriving at Beacon Academy, I've managed to maintain top grades in all my classes. While the Headmaster decided not to make me our leader, instead, I have the responsibility of fully supporting my team as the ideal teammate.
Our leader is Ruby Rose. She's younger and... a little awkward, but she's exceptionally courageous. And... I must admit... has all the makings of a fine Huntress. She even saved me when I was in a bind. Weiss laid back, examining her letter and finding the rest satisfactory. She is a reliable leader and one of my best friends at Beacon. I'm also on the team with Blake Belladonna, a... person different from the rest of us. But she proved our father wrong in so many ways. I'm also teamed up with Ruby's older sister, Yang, and together, we make up Team RWBY... yes, I know the name is confusing, but we make it work.
And our newest addition... Sincline. He's from a place beyond the kingdoms, and that's all I can say on the matter, but... he's unlike anyone else at Beacon. He's strong, fast, powerful... and kind. In fact, he's a lot like Ruby, and in more ways than one. He's... scary, in that regard, and carries a lot in his shadows, but... he doesn't let it control him. Instead, he shoves it down in favor of helping us while we try to help him. Yes, it's a little... infuriating, but I guess that's just another aspect of Sincline that makes him... well, Sincline.
Recently, there was an... incident with a Grimm, and both he and I were affected by it. An Alpha Nightmare. If it weren't for Sincline... I wouldn't be writing this letter. I'll admit, having someone know my deepest fears and secrets is... odd, but Sincline never batted an eye. I don't remember that much about what happened, but from what I do remember, Sincline never gave up trying to help me. In the end, he saved me... but with his own personal demon. It was... I can't really say what, but the fact that he risked so much to help me is... touching.
Sincline is everything I could ever want in a... respective other, but I know Ruby has a stronger connection. She feels just like I do but for... different reasons. As both her teammate and friend, I could never get in between them for my own selfish goals. So, I shall do my best to help them... even if it's hard. Their bond is... something I will never truly understand, and it's rather incredible if you think about it.
It's weird. All my life, boys have always wanted me for my fame and money, but Sincline... he only wants to be my friend, my teammate, and that's it. All in all, with Sincline and Ruby... I think my life here at Beacon is better than I ever could have predicted.
Hoping to hear from you soon, your sister.
Satisfied with what she had written, Weiss placed the envelope on the desk and laid back on her pillow, her thoughts turning back to Sincline once again. Even though they had escaped the Nightmare... she couldn't help but feel conflicted on what to do with her rather... turbulent emotions. Sincline... do you even understand what you've done?
She sighed and glanced down, rubbing her wrist as she did so. Night had fallen once again, and Sincline still wasn't back in the dorm. He's probably still in the training room. Ruby and the others had already fallen asleep, so only Weiss was awake when Sincline had slipped out of bed and warped away. How did she know he was in the training room? Simple. He had left a note.
Resting her head against her pillow and staring up at the ceiling, Weiss sighed, lips parting ever so slightly. Sincline... if he was anything like she knew him to be, he was probably still thinking about what had happened. But more importantly... he deserved an explanation about what he had seen. Her decision made, she slipped out of bed, did her hair, and set off to find her wayward teammate.
With Sincline
"Who gave you permission to speak? An abomination of power and deceit... nothing more than a worthless weapon!"
Whirling away from the digital claws of an Ursa, Sincline ducked a second swipe and whipped a scimitar across its chest, cleaving it from shoulder to hip. With a mechanical roar, the 'Grimm' ruptured, breaking into dozens of dissolving cubes of blue hard-light Dust.
"Either you come with me... or you will be punished."
Another hard-light projection materialized behind him, and Sincline spun, an ion beam flying from his fingertips to strike the 'Alpha Beowolf's' chest, causing it to dissolve as well.
"In this place... you are no match for me. You are nothing but a weapon to be crushed beneath my heel."
Two more Beowolves charged at him, one at a time, and Sincline whirled, chucking a scimitar like a throwing knife into the first Grimm's skull. As expected, the scimitar fell with the digitalized cubes... right into Sincline's open palm as he rolled toward the Beowolf and plunged his blade into its chest, taking it down easily.
"I have never known such an outrageous person such as yourself. I drive you out again and again, but you keep sneaking into my sacred places."
With a series of chittering clicks, a 'Deathstalker' materialized and brought its claws down. Sincline backflipped, the digitalized claws passing centimeters shy of his spine. Drawing back a hand, fingers curling inward as a sphere of energy formed above his palm, Sincline fired and blew the digitalized Grimm to pieces in a massive explosion.
"I won't even wait for my sister to pass judgement. This will end with you at my feet or expelled for eternity."
Alerts flared across his vision, and Sincline spun, a barbed feather flying over one shoulder before he returned fire, releasing an Ion blast to take down a 'Nevermore' while he used the momentum of his spin to cut down a pair of Ursai, his scimitars splitting through them with ease.
"I must protect what is precious to me. Why can't you understand?"
Twenty miniature 'Nevermores' dived toward him, and Sincline crossed his arms, multiple targets appearing on his HUD. Spheres of energy formed across his body, and he fired, dozens of energy beams lancing from his body to take out the 'Nevermores.' A flash of light, and the air around him filled with an explosion of smoke and broken hard-light Dust.
"I wanna play outside with my buddies!"
"I wanna eat lots of sweets!"
"I wanna have fun talking to my family!"
A pair of Teryx's dove at him from either side, and Sincline jumped, flipping horizontally between them. His scimitars flashed, and he struck, slitting one's 'stomach' with one blade and cleaving the second's skull in half with the other.
"Onii-Chan?"
Two packs of 'Alpha Beowolves' surged toward Sincline, and his eyes flared. He bowed his head, crossing his swords over his chest. His thrusters erupted, and Sincline burst forward, a shockwave ripping through the air as his armor formed around him.
"Do you have any idea of what you've done? They can't be free and out in the open! They're not allowed!"
With a flash of hissing blades, Sincline crashed into the horde of digitalized Grimm in a spray of hard-light Dust cubes, his scimitars splitting through their 'flesh' effortlessly.
"Why? Why won't you just stop?!"
A Beowolf lunged at him, and Sincline surged forward, ramming a scimitar through its jaw and into its skull. Tearing the blade out, he spun, and the spikes on his arm ripped through another Beowolf's side. Five more lunged at him, and he spun, his tail slicing through their torsos in a spray of digitalized blood. Spheres of energy formed above his knuckles, and he fired, eight jets of energy lancing through the horde. A flash of light, and the Grimm horde dissolved once again.
"Even with five people in my family, I felt totally alone."
A loud roar, and the final Grimm approached, claws spread wide. Sincline crouched, bowing his head as he crossed his scimitars over his chest, his back thrusters igniting. A burst of speed, and a shockwave tore through the air as Sincline streaked forward like a bolt of lightning. Time seemed to slow; his blades flashed... and a crack of thunder filled the training room as he landed on the other side of the Grimm, a scimitar extended to either side of his body, head bowed.
For a long moment, all was still. The 'Alpha Beowolf' stiffened, it's talons raised... and slumped over its body, dissolving as its top half slid from its lower half.
Sighing, his limbs shaking, Sincline stood, and his armor shattered, dark fragments dissolving seconds later. Even though it's been a few hours... I can't forget what I saw back there, he thought, his fist clenching as he stood in the center of the training room, head bowed and scimitars in hand.
While confronting Nightmare Weiss had been far from the best thing that had happened to him since his arrival on Remnant, Sincline was more uneasy about her mindscape. Something... no... everything about it felt wrong.
But that wasn't what had truly unnerved him... no, it was the appearance of that. How did it free us? Sincline wondered. He didn't have anything resembling the defenses Honerva had in her mind, yet... that thing had felt like a part of him. Just what is going on?
As Sincline tried to wrap his head around what had happened during the final battle against the Nightmare, his thoughts turned to his conversation with Shion just before the Nightmare Hunter left for her hometown.
"When I first began training, my semblance was the power to read people's hearts," Shion explained as she stood across from Sincline, Team JNPR, Team RWBY, Ozpin, and Glynda on the airstrip. "Everyone holds both light and darkness within themselves. But neither one truly represents the complete person. The heart is much more complex than that. I was finally able to understand that because of what I learned here at Beacon.
"When I first encountered the Nightmare Grimm, my semblance changed in unexpected ways. It developed the power to defeat the creature that possesses people's hearts."
"Your semblance... actually changed?" Ruby asked, awestruck.
If that's true... then that means semblances can evolve, Sincline realized, and he couldn't help but wonder if that were possible for the rest of his teammates. Could any of them become stronger than they already were?
"That is correct," Shion affirmed, her voice breaking Sincline out of his thoughts. "I also learned that Nightmares are attracted to individuals who have strong Auras but sensitive personalities."
At that, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Blake, Ruby, and Yang glanced at Sincline and Weiss out of the corners of their eyes, earning a glare from Weiss and a head tilt from Sincline.
"In a way," Shion went on, drawing their attention back to her. "It's a sign that those people have exceptional talent."
"Ya hear that?" Yang asked, nudging Weiss playfully. "You and Sincline are exceptional~"
"Would you please stop rubbing salt on the wound?" Weiss pleaded tiredly, Sincline nodding in agreement... only for something Weiss said to catch his attention.
"But... she doesn't have any salt," he said, and everyone facepalmed with Ruby and Weiss shaking their heads fondly.
"Eventually," Shion went on, a brief smile tugging at her lips, "as you grow, your semblances will develop in conjunction with your Auras—illuminating your paths as Huntsmen and Huntresses."
"Well, that's kinda weird considering Sincline's ability isn't really a semblance," Nora commented, earning a sigh from Ren.
"Nora..."
"Team RWBY, Team JNPR, you're both exceptional teams," Shion stated, getting their attention as the eight Huntsmen and Huntresses faced the Nightmare Hunter. "You as well, Sincline. I look forward to seeing all of you grow."
Smiling, Ruby stepped forward, and Sincline did the same. "Thank you so much," she said gratefully. "We'll work hard to become great Huntresses... and Huntsmen," she added as Sincline tapped her shoulder. "And we'll use everything you taught us to help others."
Shion nodded. "Good. I have high hopes. And Sincline... you've done well. Very well. I may not know all that happened in the Dreamscape, but I do know this. You have enormous potential, Sincline. Don't let it go to waste."
Sincline nodded. "I won't."
"Can we assume that there are no other Alpha Nightmares in this area?" Ozpin asked.
Shion nodded. "Yes. My job here is finished."
Ozpin nodded again. "I hope you can find... happiness and good fortune, Shion Zaiden."
Shaking his head, Sincline dispersed his scimitars with a quick flick of his wrists, his thoughts turning once more to the Dreamscape. "Weiss... just what was all that?" he wondered.
Part of him was tempted to return to the dorm, but... he wasn't quite sure he wanted to go in another bed for a while. Even if it was with Ruby. Still, I'm glad the Nightmare got me and not Ruby, he thought. He had no doubt that Ruby would have found a way to save Weiss like he did, but... now that he was out, he realized just how close he and Weiss had come to losing their lives to the Alpha Nightmare.
One Hour Later, Beacon Courtyard
Sincline trained for several more minutes before deciding that he had had enough for one night. After shutting off the training room like Weiss and Yang had showed him, he roamed the hallways for a while, his thoughts wandering, while he idly avoided the patrolling professors thanks to his sensors. After what felt like hours (but was only a few minutes), he found himself walking in the open courtyard of Beacon, his thoughts flashing once again to their battle against the Nightmare.
"Sincline?"
Upon hearing her voice, Sincline turned toward an open archway behind him and found Weiss entering the courtyard, her sharp heels clicking against the stone floor. "Oh. Uh, hey, Weiss," he said awkwardly. "Is everything alright?"
Weiss opened her mouth... then closed it. "Can we... can we talk?" she asked, shifting from foot to foot, her gaze occasionally meeting his before she glanced away once more.
"Sure?" What does she—oh yeah. She must want to talk about what we saw, Sincline realized. Spotting a bench, Sincline sat down, and Weiss joined him, the two staring up at the shattered moon above as crickets chirped and dark shapes flitted overhead.
"Back in the... in the dream," Weiss said softly. "You saw those statues, right? The ones of my father?"
Sincline nodded. "Yeah. Those...," he recalled.
"Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to honor my family's name," Weiss admitted, leaning her head against the back of the bench as she stared up at the sky. "To make my grandfather proud. He started something... something amazing. But my father...."
"No offense, but I really don't like him," Sincline commented. Weiss giggled, and that alone sent shivers down his spine. She never giggled. Ever. "Um, did I say something wrong, or...?"
She laughed. "No, you're right," she admitted. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area. That's why I became a Huntress. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it."
She's like Lotor, in a way, Sincline realized. They're both trying to right the wrongs of their predecessors, but Weiss... she wants to take a different route, one that doesn't involve deceit. His mind flashed back to the memories he had glimpsed after freeing Weiss. "That portrait from the dream... you have a mother and siblings. Why didn't they help you?"
Weiss tensed and, for a brief moment, Sincline feared he had said something wrong. She sighed. "My relationship with my family is... complicated," she admitted. "Before I was born, my father married my mother for control of the SDC. Their relationship was... rocky, at best. When my father missed my tenth birthday, it led to an argument during which Jacques... Jacques admitted his true feelings. My mother couldn't handle it and began drinking. She used to attend my singing recitals, but after she descended further into alcoholism, she... she stopped.
"My little brother, Whitley... he's never liked me. He never misses an opportunity to taunt me, and worst of all, he never misses an opportunity to emulate my father."
...she's sounding more and more like Lotor, Sincline thought, recalling the constant ravings of Lotor while they were stuck inside the Quintessence Field. Shaking his head, he thought back to the portrait. "What about the other girl?" he asked.
Weiss paused, a strange expression on her face. "Winter is my... she's my older sister," she said finally. "Since my mother, father, and brother were out of the picture, she became something of a mentor, readying me for any challenges I might face. She's strict, but she cares... I think."
"I see..." So, Winter filled in the role for their mother, he thought. Out of the entire family, it sounded like Winter was the best of them all. Sincline was somewhat tempted to ask about the whole 'seven butlers' thing, but he figured he'd be better off not asking. "...and your father?" He hadn't missed how Jacques had seemed to have a bigger presence than any of the others in Weiss's Dreamscape.
"My family has done... horrible things to the Faunus. Things so bad that they brought about war—as in actual bloodshed. The Faunus fought back. Ever since I was a child, I've watched friends and family disappear, board members be executed, an entire train car full of Dust stolen—"
No wonder those Faunus seemed like Grimm, Sincline realized. If they've been that much of a negative impact on her life....
"—and every day, my father would come home furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood."
She rubbed her wrist again, and Sincline's gaze locked onto her skin... damaged skin not quite hidden under the sleeves of her dress. But that doesn't make sense, he thought in confusion. Aura heals injuries almost instantly. If she still has scars... A horrible chill ran down his spine, and his breath hitched as the broken pieces snapped together. "Did he...?"
Weiss looked down, tears in her eyes... and nodded.
Sincline's fist clenched so hard that glowing blood began dripping down onto the floor. His aura flared, and an oppressive weight, nowhere near as strong as it had been earlier but still enough to make breathing nigh impossible, filled the courtyard. "That bastard," he hissed. Okay. I knew I swore to hold back my power... but committing homicide sounds pretty good right now.
"S-Sincline," Weiss gasped, her face paling as her chest heaved.
Sincline glanced at her in confusion, and his aura retracted, allowing her to breathe once more. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. What's up with her? he wondered.
"I'll be fine," Weiss assured, wincing. He wasn't able to tell he was choking me? she wondered. How is that possible? Shaking her head, she turned her gaze to meet his. Honestly, she was rather touched that he cared so much about her. "Look, I know he's the worst father in the universe, but... he's still my father."
"That doesn't make it okay," Sincline protested, practically leaping to his feet as he whirled to face her. "Weiss, he hurt you. I can see the scars on your skin—"
"You can what?!" Weiss demanded, jumping to her feet as well.
"—and they're all over you!" Sincline snapped, his eyes flashing as he finally gave her body a quick scan, his gaze never lingering. At the results, a tidal wave of freezing rage tore through his veins. "I'm serious, Weiss, if he touches you again, father or not, I'm going to kill him!"
"But—!"
"Weiss, I'm serious," Sincline said, his tone as sharp as one of his Ion blades as his gaze locked with hers, stunning her with its intensity.
Weiss stared at him for a long moment, utterly bewildered. No one had ever stood up for her like that before. Ever. Oum damnit, Ruby, she cursed silently. How do you keep doing the impossible? Do you even know how lucky you are?
"Weiss?" Sincline asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"
"I am," Weiss assured, a brief smile crossing her lips. "Thanks." She hesitated, unsure if she should say what she wanted to. "Can I... can I tell you something?" she asked hesitantly, shifting from foot to foot.
"Um... sure?" Sincline asked.
Weiss hesitated. "I was just... I'm still scared that I could become like them," Weiss whispered, hugging herself as she glanced away. "My Nightmare self hated the Faunus... and you...."
"You don't really hate me, right?" Sincline checked nervously.
Weiss shook her head immediately. "No. Scared sometimes, yes," she admitted. "But I would never hate you, Sincline. You or any of the others." A small, sad smile crossed her lips. "I won't turn a blind eye to the company's crimes anymore." She placed her hand on her chest. "I may be inexperienced... naïve... and a little powerless," she admitted. "But eventually, I will make this world into a better place. When it's time, I hope that you and I can change the world together."
Sincline blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Weiss's sudden promise... but he smiled. "I'd like that. Honestly, I want to do the same. All this—" He gestured around the courtyard for emphasis. "This is a second chance for me—a chance for me to finally do some good, you know?"
Weiss nodded. "I know what you mean." She gave a soft laugh. "At the very least, I would prefer not to have to fight you ever again."
Sincline blinked, eyes widening. "You... remember that?" he asked hesitantly. He had suspected, but still....
"I remember enough," Weiss replied and glanced away. "Not that I want to, though." She winced. "Just thinking about it is so embarrassing. Please forget it ever happened."
"Don't worry," Sincline assured.
Silence fell, and Sincline scratched the back of his head awkwardly while Weiss shifted her balance from foot to foot, their eyes meeting occasionally before glancing away. What in Oum's name am I supposed to say now? he wondered. "So... you're okay?" he checked. Internally, he facepalmed.
A brief laugh burst from her lips, and she smiled. "Yes, Sincline. I'm alright."
The two of them stood in silence for a long moment, the moonlight from above casting an eerie light on them. A gentle wind gusted through the leaves, and Sincline could have sworn he heard the brief shift of creaking metal. It was probably nothing.
Checking the time and realizing that the sun was going to rise soon, Sincline coughed into his fist. "We should, uh... we should probably get going." He made to leave, turning back to the entrance.
"That thing..." Weiss said suddenly, causing him to freeze mid-step, the edges of his jacket swaying with the motion. "That thing we saw before we escaped the dream... that was your Nightmare, wasn't it?" It wasn't a question.
Sincline nodded and took a shaky breath as dozens of memories flashed through his mind.
"Guys? Are you seeing this?"
"What are those things doing?"
"That's how she's getting in."
"What do you mean?"
"Honerva! She's using those wings to pierce the barriers between realities. It's her entry point!"
"Allura, come in! Are you there?"
"Shiro, I read you. Honerva combined her beast with Lotor's Sincline. She has the comet ore, and with it, the ability to traverse realities. I'm headed to my lion now."
"You fear what you could become... I'm afraid of what I was," Sincline answered honestly, causing Weiss's eyes to widen at the implication.
If that thing was Sincline... no, that's impossible! Weiss thought, shivering as she recalled the devastating aura that had surrounded the massive mech. How is that possible? "Are you saying that... that you...?" she trailed off.
Sincline hesitated... then nodded, his eyes gleaming eerily in the night as his gaze locked with hers. "It was. Remember what I said about Honerva fusing my body with her own mech's? That thing... that was the result."
Weiss could only stare at him, utterly shocked. "I'm... I'm sorry," she said softly, her eyes flashing guiltily. "I shouldn't have asked." He never asked to see my demons, my fears... I had no right to do that to him, she thought.
"It's okay," Sincline assured. "You didn't know." He turned to leave... only for Weiss to call his name.
"Sincline?"
He pivoted... and his eyes widened as Weiss's lips met his own. They were soft, gentle... and cold. It wasn't like Ruby's kiss on the cheek. Yet... it was, in a way. Eventually, she pulled back, and her eyes met his, her cheeks reddening. "Thanks," she whispered... and poked him in the chest. "Just so you know, if you tell anyone about that, I'll make certain you regret it, understood?"
Sincline blinked, his mouth opening and closing several times. What just happened? Shaking his head, he nodded, and Weiss smiled before embracing him once more, catching him off guard again.
"That was a thank you," Weiss said softly. "For, well... everything." She pulled back and gestured toward the doorway. "Now come on. We should head inside before the others wake up." She knew she probably shouldn't have done that, but....
She walked off, leaving Sincline to stare after her in bewilderment. ...what just happened? he wondered. Something about that kiss was... different from Ruby's. Aside from the fact that Ruby only kissed him on the cheek, Weiss's kiss didn't carry the same... response? Feeling? Depth? Yeah, that was it.
"Maybe I should get going," he muttered, shaking his head. I'm overthinking this... right? He jogged after the Heiress, joining her as they entered the main courtyard... unaware of the winged figure watching from the shadow of a column, 16 wings of gleaming energy flicking in the moonlight. A gust of wind, and it vanished, the glow of its eyes being the last to disappear as it dispersed into the shadows.