Gambol Shroud felt foreign in Weiss’ hand– alien, strange. As Ruby said; weapons were an extension of oneself, so using someone else’s was supposed to feel a bit weird. She pushed through it, wielding Blake’s weapon alongside Myrtenaster. She wasn’t used to dual wielding, Weiss had tried when she was younger, inspired by Winter’s weapons. She’d given it up in place of Myrtenaster, which felt like an extension of Weiss’ very soul. But it didn’t help soothe the pit that had grown in her stomach. Still, as the last living member of Team RWBY, Weiss trudged onwards, deflecting Cinder’s claws with Gambol Shroud’s blade.
Weiss’ eyes burned with tears that she refused to let fall, not in front of Cinder, and certainly not while Penny lay dying on the floor just a few feet away. Cinder formed two flaming swords made out of strong glass and swung. Weiss took a quick backstep, and used Myrtenaster to parry the blade that came too close while the other passed by, air whistling off the blade.
She took a step forward, swinging Gambol Shroud in an attempt to part Cinder’s neck, but the corrupt Maiden met Blake’s weapon with her own and continued her offense.
The white haired girl was slowing down. Energy sapped from the constant fighting and regenerating her depleting Aura. Cinder swung again and again with a sadistic grin plastered on her scarred face.
Weiss struggled to parry each strike. Her grip on Gambol Shroud loosening as fatigue sat in.
“No!” Weiss’ eyes widened in horror as she felt Blake’s weapon fall from her hand and over the bridge they stood on. She attempted to summon a glyph, to save the only piece of Blake left, but her overtaxed aura failed her. As she used Myrtenaster to block both of Cinder’s swords at once, below her, Gambol Shroud fell haplessly into the whipping void, never to be seen again.
A strike slipped past Weiss’ defense and smashed into the heiress's head with the pommel. She crashed into the ground, vision blurring and head ringing. Nauseous.
Weiss stumbled onto her feet, gripping Myrtenaster tighter. She spotted Cinder’s blurred form take a few casual steps towards her, savoring her imminent victory.
A pained scream came from Jaune’s direction. Jaune had been taking care of a downed Penny after Cinder had wounded her. Weiss turned her head, her braided hair whipping around, and saw the blond boy standing over the orange haired girl. Blood dripped from Crocea Mors.
Penny’s blood.
Penny's body lay motionless beside Jaune who had tears falling into the pooling blood beneath him. Weiss felt her own tears slide along her face. Another friend, gone. Because of Cinder.
Because of Jaune.
Cinder screamed and launched herself toward Jaune, evidently keen on what exactly? Revenge for her kill being stolen? Because Jaune prevented her from stealing the Winter Maiden’s power? It made sense, and Weiss wished she could have taken advantage of the moment, but she was too damn exhausted.
The metal of Jaune's shield absorbed Cinder's attack, before throwing her off. Cinder flipped in the air landing into a crouch as she summoned another of her glass swords.
She charged– a deep snarl on her face that reminded Weiss of a hungry Beowolf.
Despite using Myrtensaster to stand, her legs gave out underneath her. Her vision dimmed.
“Where did it go?!” Cinder screamed. Weiss thought there was a hint of fear in there. Still, the noise was enough for her sight to return slightly. Her eyes opened to the sight of the Maiden jerking around. Their eyes met.
Cinder looked away and Weiss couldn't help but feel insulted at the ease of which Cinder rejected her. A beam of blue energy slammed itself into the dark haired woman, crushing her back onto the bridge.
“Winter!” Weiss’ cheered. Her sister was here! And she had the power of the Winter Maiden! Winter flew through the air, her blue aura shimmering around her as she glared at Cinder.
Weiss closed her eyes, a deep breath in. Then out. She could feel the combat rumble along the bridge. She planted her hands on the ground and pushed upward, her shaky legs struggling to stay under her, but the third try with Myrtensaster was enough to get her on her feet.
She ignored the fight high above and stumbled toward Jaune, who stared listlessly at Penny's remains.
Weiss placed a shaky hand on Jaune's shoulder. “We need to leave, now,” Weiss said in her Ruby-termed ‘Heiress Voice'. With Cinder distracted by Winter, they could escape with Winter behind them, hopefully leaving Cinder trapped.Jaune nodded stone faced and tear stained. They each gave Penny’s fallen body a final look before Jaune helped Weiss trudged toward the hopeful exit.
They could see the Vacuoan desert on the other side of the nearest portal. “Just a few more feet, Jaune. And than–”
Weiss let go of Jaune as she looked behind at the growing whirring noise, heat, and light. Weiss stumbled behind Jaune who threw up his shield. The ball of fire exploded on contact. Weiss fell onto her back as the heat burned what was left of her aura.
A crack rang in her ears.
She turned her head. A chunk of white and yellow metal had slammed into the bridge underneath her. Steam from the metal clouded her vision.
Light illuminated underneath her, and despite the smoke in her eyes, she couldn't help but widen them as another crack rang out. One she felt.
“Weiss!”
She heard her name screamed by two different voices over the ringing in her head. She rolled over onto her knees, ignored the growing cracks, and looked up. Behind the smoke she could make out another of Cinder’s fireballs.
Weiss scrambled back. Too slow. Too late. She felt the heat slam into the ground and envelope her feet and legs as the force sent her careening through the air.
“Weiss!”
She looked up, and saw her sister flying towards her. Dodging glass swords and fire balls launched her way.
“Weiss!” Her sister screamed as she came to an abrupt stop.
Winter’s beautiful, glowing, ice blue eyes and tear stricken face were the final things she saw as the darkness of the void swallowed her whole.
-*-*-*-
The Lannisters of Lannisport, while not as rich as their cousins from Casterly Rock, still decorated their home as lavishly as possible. The Gold Keep would’ve been impressive to anyone who wasn’t a Lannister, much less one of the Rock. Lannisport did have a thriving business with one of the most secure ports in Westeros, Lord Tywin made sure of that, spending countless dragons on the fleet that patrolled the Sunset Sea. The city watch was a common destination for any of his levies who mustered out, and they boasted an impressive array of personal weapons and armor, all paid for by the Lannisters. Some had made comparisons of a dragon protecting its hoard, and they weren’t wrong.
Damion Lannister felt a frown form on his face as a distant cousin from House Lantell led him towards the foyer of the Gold Keep. His palms grew sweaty, just thinking about the sealed letter that was in one of his pockets.
The Lantell paused at a heavy set of double doors, two guards in red cloaks stood before them. “Lord Lannister is breaking his fast with his family.” Left unsaid was the implication that interruptions if they weren’t serious enough, would result in someone sorely regretting it.
“I have orders from Lord Tywin himself.” Damion almost growled. Throwing around his older cousin’s name always worked.
The Lantell clenched his jaw, hidden by the thick yellow beard that coated the lower half of his face and nodded toward the guards. Begrudgingly, they pushed the doors open, showing the dining room wherein Lord Lannister and his family sat. They were seated at the high table at the far side of the room, with empty tables between the doors and them.
“Ser Damion.” Lord Dramen Lannister spoke cooly, stuffing a piece of bread coated in geese fat into his mouth. “If you had waited a few moments I would’ve met you in my solar.”
“I’m afraid time is of the essence.” Damion advanced, his expensive black boots stomping on the ground. Lord Lannister was joined by his lady wife, Lady Ceria of the Velayrons, and his eldest daughter. The pair of them bore some Valyrian features, their hair so blonde that it appeared white. He ignored the two of them, and pulled the letter with the unbroken seal out of his pocket. “I bring word from our cousin, Lord Tywin.”
That earned him everyone’s attention, more than he already had for interrupting their meal. The Lord of Lannisport wiped his hands with a nearby cloth of green emblazoned with the golden lion of the Lannisters, and beckoned his coz closer. “What can I do to serve Lord Tywin?”
His eldest daughter rolled her eyes, taking a sip from her mulled wine. Damion handed him the letter without another word. Silently with suspicious eyes, Dramen broke the seal, scanning the letter with clenched fists.
“What does it say, Father?” His eldest daughter asked, her voice low yet arrogant. Damion would’ve reprimanded her had he been her father. This was an issue between men, not wives and daughters.
“Our beloved coz has called his banners, my dear Weiss.” Lord Dramen’s voice was grave. “Lord Stark wishes to put the Imp to death for a crime he did not commit.” His frown matched Damion’s, there was only one meaning behind the letter.
War.
A/N
First half was reused from TINO, in case you were wondering if you read it before. Night_Stalker helped me with this.
I'm just publishing this at the same time as Weiss Of The Old Republic, to show that I’ll still be writing RWBY stories even if RT got shut down.
And it’s a competition, WOTOR vs ASOWAF, whichever is more popular shall be updated next, after a quick Hero or Huntress update.
Let’s see who wins!