4 AS.4

Solitas Airspace

81 AFGR

Aegis POV:

"I still can't believe you made me skip school..." Aegis looked up from the book he was reading.

"Well... Is it so hard to believe? I mean, look around you." And returned to reading after drily answering his older sister.

They were currently in the main lounge of the SDC private Airship on the way to Mistral. Aegis sat on the sofa by the window with a book in his hands, as Weiss and Ilia seemed to be absorbed in something Aegis rather didn't want to know, forcefully dulling his senses as to give his family some kind of privacy, something that became harder and harder, the stronger he grew.

"Aegis, be kind to your sister." Willow chided Aegis, who sighed and looked at Winter, who seemed angry.

"Winter... Is the fact that you have to spend some time with your family truly so revolting?" Aegis put the book down, and his eyes met that of his sisters. The color was similar, but that was where all similarities ended. Where Winter seemed to hold an innumerable amount of vitality and determination of youth in them, Aegis ones were bereft of anything.

Winter looked away as a flash of shame and guilt briefly flashed in her blue eyes. Then, her head bent down, Winter nodded.

"Im, im sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just, I truly detest the idea of falling behind..." Oh, how much he did to her? Aegis, though, Winter never stopped, and probably will never stop comparing herself to him, and Aegis, not even with all these memories in him, didn't know what to do, as he had two options, both that would transform their sibling relationship, both truly extreme, Aegis didn't wish to push his sister to something she wouldn't want to, or wasn't ready for.

"Then you can rest easy, and you are top of your class in all subjects, and where we stay a week in Mistral, you just one, and when you return, you will still be the top one. You are, after all, Winter Schnee." Winter looked at Aegis as a small relieved smile blossomed on her face. Aegis just picked back up the book he was reading as Winter started conversing with mother. Aegis quite liked the book or, rather, the journal of the Aura hermit who wrote this...

Aegis needed to reward or pay back Iris for this lovely gift, as thanks to tips in the journal, Aegis could already feel his grip on aura strengthen.

"Guh!" Looking up, Aegis witnessed Weiss grimacing as Ilia danced in victory. Then, shaking his head, he returned to reading.

---///---

Mistral

81 AFGR

Aegis POV:

"Wow..."

"Its... Different." Weiss commented as Ilia marveled at Mistral's architecture. As the city on the mountain showed its beauty, Aegis did approve of the airport's positioning, as the moment the passengers left the airships, they would be met with a picture of beauty.

Asian architecture aside, Aegis' eyes could see beyond, and what he saw was the same thing Atlas was being plagued with...

"No, not any of that." Aegis felt a hand on his head as he looked up, meeting the eyes of his mother, who gave him a weak smile. Aegis returned the smile with his own.

"Still a little chilly, but much warmer than in Atlas," Winter commented.

"Those are the mountain's peak winds, dear," Willow commented as she put a blanket around Winter, who was the sole person without a coat.

"Ah, there is our transport." Aegis looked up the bullhead that sported the SDC logo.

---///---

Mistral

81 AFGR

Winter POV:

The place her family would be staying in Mistral was... Sufficient, of course. She didn't doubt her little brother's choice. She learned that Aegis never shied away from showing his affection, even if sometimes he showed it strangely.

"Winter?" Hm? Winter turned her head and met herself, staring at the additional strange presence she knew about Ilia. In truth, Winter liked the girl her younger sister practically adopted into a family, as Ilia spent most of her days in their mansion, making Winter meet her every week she returned from school.

"Yes?"

"Weiss and I decided to go out. Will you come with us?"

"Oh? What about Aegis or Mother?" The thought of Aegis not wanting to spend time with Weiss... It was a strange one. These two were always almost inseparable.

"Oh, bro, is now with Aunty, and from what I saw, they are in some deep conversation." Winter's eyebrow lifted, but then, she shrugged, ignoring both that Ilia called Aegis bro and the fact that Mother and Aegis seemed to be occupied... Again...

"Very well, I don't see why we shouldn't occupy ourselves. I will accompany you two to the city." Not that she didn't want to, they were already in the city the previous day. Aegis seemed to, especially like the tea shops that are on every corner, Winter didn't understand the bitter taste of tea, but then, coffee was bitter too, and Winter liked it quite well, so she didn't judge.

...

"I forgot to ask, how are your studies going?" They walked through the Mistral's higher central streets, as the city was divided between levels, and Winter knew more than enough not to go into lower levels of the city, even with their protection, as even if capable, Weiss and Ilia were still not experienced enough.

"You do not need to worry, sister. Our school life is going well enough."

"What Weiss wants to say is that it is totally boring! We score top points, well Weiss do, I just around eighty or so." Ilia grinningly said, making Winter look at Weiss, who seemed to be alright with Ilia speaking like that.

It made Winter smile, and she knew her little sister never had the patience for children of her age, something that made Weiss a loner as far as friends go. That said, to think her sister's first genuine friend is a faunus was irony that wasn't lost to Winter.

Weiss had many sycophants, and the yesmen, she was Schnee. All of the Schnee siblings were surrounded by vultures that wished nothing more than their prestige or lien. Winter always took pride in the fact that all three of them differed from the rest of Atlas' higher society scions. She could agree that they were arrogant, but Winter knew that their arrogance was warranted and, with what Ilia now said, rightfully earned arrogance.

"That is good to hear," Winter said with a smile. Her heart warmed up when Weiss returned her her own smile. Even if she was still very cautious of Weiss's mental state, she knew that her little sister loved them, just in her own way.

"Hey, what is that?" The sisters stopped as they looked at what Ilia kept pointing up.

"Che." Winter's face scrunched up just to quickly shape itself into a neutral expression. No matter how many times she saw such sighs in Mantle's poorer districts, such sighs still provoked something inside her.

And it seemed she wasn't alone.

"Detestable." Weiss was frowning, in truth, Winter was surprised that Weiss had such a reaction, but then a shame came. Why did she think her sister wouldn't be angry? Did she really have such a low opinion of her little sisters' morals?

"Stop it at once." Her sisters' cold voice stopped her musings, and Winter was about to say something, but then an idea came, she would see how her sister fared in a situation like this, taking the lead just if the need arose.

"And who do..." The man who was about to drag the trashing orange-haired girl by her hair, as another man held black haired boy back.

The reason the man stopped dead in his shouting and hurting the girl still in his grip was because of their expensive clothes, the snowflake symbols they had embroiled on their coats, or the fact that three black-suited bodyguards followed them.

All shows that their status was much above that of the shopkeeper, and Winter knew that status was one of the main Mistral traits, as noble families ensured it.

"What is the reason for this abhorrent behavior towards children?" Her little sister hissed. Winter kept quiet, watching and observing her little sister, that behaved strangely. When she looked at Ilia, she too looked outraged, but even she kept giving Weiss sidelong glances, so it wasn't just Winter who found this situation strange.

"This-this little twerp and her 'friend' stole my merchandise! I just wish to teach them and show them that such things aren't done!" The man hissed, but when Winter looked closely, she could see his eyes shifting. She knew that expression. How many teachers and children in her school had the same look when she called out their lies?

"Lies! Lies! He lies! We didn't steal anything! Renny and I just delivered his p-package! An-and he didn't want to pay! Im just- im just hungry! So-So we just-"

"We took our payment in another way when he showed he didn't wish to honor his side of the bargain." A calmer voice stopped the teary girl from speaking, making Winter's eyebrow lift up. She looked at the source of the voice, seeing the boy watching them calmly.

"Don't trust their words, my ladies! These are just slum miscreants that somehow found their way to our prestigious inner city! We will get rid of them soon, so your eyes wouldn't be plagued by them any longer!" The man truly tried to sound rightful, and Winter mussed if this was how her father would soon if someone stronger called out his lie...

But then, there wasn't anybody stronger who could make their father cover in fear...

"Enough! I heard enough... I can see my family sponsors your shop. If you don't release these two this very instant and don't give them their rightful pay for their services, I will make sure that sponsorship ends." The man's eyes widened open in fear. Winter could understand their father, even if ruthless, knew how to leash SDC personnel. Sponsorship programs were just one of many things Winter learned about. It was a carrot to standard Jacques Schnee stick, one very big carrot that could make even the poorest man into a rich one just overnight.

Just like the loss of it could make rich men homeless in an equally quick way.

"!! I, of course! Anything you say!" The man glanced up at their bodyguards and quickly looked away as he scrambled back. The men who helped him joined as they quickly ran into their shop.

"Hey, are you alright?" Was it bad that her hair stood up when she watched Weiss behave so gently toward the two children? Now that Winter looked, both looked around Weiss's age; still, the pair was strange. With just one look, Winter could see the girl being a typical high-energy type, whereas the boy who now held the girl behind himself was looking up to the standard silent type of boy...

"We thank you for your intervention, my lady." How cute. Winter watched how the boy with feminine features stood up just to bow his head to Weiss. He was overly polite, but then, better to be overly polite than risk angering vain people.

Winter had her own experiences.

"Yea! Thanks!" The girl, who wiped tears from her face with her tattered shirt, quickly showed her gratitude by hugging Weiss, who became straight and frozen as ice. Winter needed to move her hands to stop their bodyguards from acting, watching how Weiss would react to such physical contact.

"Im, Nora! And this is Renny!" The girl ended up the hug as quickly as she initiated it and introduced herself.

Weiss was still frozen as ice, and with Ilia, who seemed to be in bring of tears, as she held her stomach, and now being entirely pink, Winter chose to finally speak.

"Pleasure to meet you, Nora, Ren. My name is Winter Schnee, and this is my sister Weiss Schnee and our family friend Ilia Amitola." Winter introduced them, watching how the boy's eyes widened slightly while his female friend, this Nora, seemed to be completely unaware of their family's importance.

Not that Winter blamed her, they were still children, and this was Mistral. Even with SDC having its branch there and being the biggest dust supplier, it wasn't something children needed to know.

And in truth, Winter quite liked it this way, as in Atlas, she nor Weiss nor Aegis could go out without people immediately knowing about them, or rather about their family.

...

After their introduction, the previous shopkeeper returned with lien cards that he quickly almost threw at the children, just to stop and cautiously give them to Ren into hands, and from Ren's reaction, Winter could deduct that the man gave them more than he was supposed to, did he hope this would erase the previous experience?

Still, the girl, Nora, quickly brightened up, saying how many pancakes they could now buy, while Ren kept telling her that they had more important things to use these liens for, making Nora both outraged and downcasted at the truth.

Something inside Winter wrenched at seeing the girl go from a peppy, happy one to a sniveling child and the way Ren maturely acted.

In truth, in some way, he reminded her of Aegis, or rather his calm disposition did.

"Pancakes?... I suppose im quite famished, why don't we visit this favorite bakery of yours? Ilia? Sister?" Winter nodded with a small smile.

"Oh, do they sell ice cream too?" Ilia quickly asked, ice cream? In this wheater? Winter truly didn't understand what had gone through the girl's mind.

"Oh, they do! Renny, you hear that, can we? Can we go too?" Nora begged Ren, who seemed to tighten his hands around the lien chips.

"Do not worry, and I invite you too, so you don't need to pay." Winter gently announced, making the orange-haired girls in tattered clothing scream high-pitched.

"Thank you! Thank you! Renny! Can we go? Please?!" Winter stood upright, her body frozen as she felt small arms around her torso. The girl hugged her...

"Nora... We... We thank you for your kindness." The boy seemed to know he was losing battle as he bowed his head. All the while, Winter stood frozen.

This feeling...

The sole person in their family who normally give hugs is always Aegis...

Feeling someone other hugging her felt strange...

"Heh." Winter looked at the source of the snicker, and her eye twitched, seeing Weiss smirking.

"Nice hug, hm?" Weiss airily commented.

Oh, so this is how she wants to play, hm?

---///---

Mistral

81 AFGR

Willow POV:

"So this is the reason for your request, Mother." She looked at her son, who tilted his head to the side.

"Yes, im sorry for not telling you, but I couldn't or rather didn't want to make your father aware of my picked-up hobby."

"Hobby? From the look of it, you are quite experienced, even if I can see some of your body not being overly familiar with that stance. I suppose that is because of you not practicing for years?" Her son was ever so sharp. Willow smiled.

She had Klein help her in her exercises to get back into her form before she had children before she listened to Jacques, who told her that prestigious women shouldn't spend their time swinging around their weapons.

How foolish of her...

Still, even with Klein's discreet help, it would take much more time and hardship for Willow to regain her lost instincts again, oh how much she failed her father in forgetting all the things he taught her.

Even if she never was professional, not attending huntsmen academy, Willow was taught by her father and his friends, not hired tutors, like her children are, but genuine family friends.

It was a decade when the Schnee family held many connections that weren't borne out of the desire for lien or thirst for fame.

Unfortunately, with her father dead and her descent in listening to all Jacques's sweet lies, their family friends, her father's friends left one after another until there was none she could ask for help...

And all of it was her own fault...

"Tell me, Mother... Is this the reason for my name not following W tradition?" She smiled as she looked at the shield in her hands.

"I suppose, in truth, the moment my eyes saw you for the first time, any name other than Aegis didn't sit right. It was like that name was created for you in my head. It just felt... Right." And it did, Willow couldn't imagine her son being named otherwise, she supposed Whitley wasn't a bad name, but she just couldn't name Aegis, so he felt...

Aegis felt like Aegis, a shield, her shield...

"I wasn't any professional, but I like to think I was good at this, so will you humor your old mother?" She smiled at Aegis helplessly and shook his head.

"Old? You... You aren't even in your prime, Mother, and if stories were to go by, your beauty would destroy entire kingdoms."

"Oh, flattery will get you anywhere, my son." She blushed. She didn't know why, but hearing such words from her son's mouth just made her all jittery. Maybe it was the conviction, the utter belief in what he said, that made her feel so happy...

Or has she just wasn't genuinely flattered in a long time...

"Still, I wouldn't ever say no, Mother, so be ready." Willow nodded, quickly shaking herself up from her thoughts as she prepared herself. She saw how Aegis spared with his sisters, and she knew that he wasn't one to go over easy, even on his loved ones.

Willow put her tower shield before her, marveling that she once again could lift up such a heavy item, something she was sure she wouldn't be able to if she had tried a year ago when she still found happiness at the bottom of the bottle...

...

"Haaah, haaah, haaa... This, this was really taxing..." Willow breathed out as she was helped sat down by her son, who held her gently with his strong hands, strong and clear hands...

Willow could see how unbothered Aegis was. She wasn't able to make him create even one drop of sweat, it both gladened her that her son was so strong and capable, but at the same time, she felt a little down.

She wanted to show him her progress, and Willow supposed she wanted to be acknowledged by her own son...

"You were a great mother, the way you blocked my strikes or redirected them with your shield. Not many were able to do so." Her cheeks reddened.

"I-I, ah, I see, well, I suppose its thanks to using just shield. I know it isn't the best method, as I lack offensive power, but-"

"Nonsense, mother, defense is its own way of offense, and you just need to find a way to utilize it. In truth, if it wasn't me who stood against you just now, I think you could win in a pure fight of attrition, where your opponent would just fall down from exhaustion." Why was it so warm there? They were outside, and with how sweaty she was, she was supposed to feel cold, or at least chilly, so why she felt the burning sensation?!

Still, Willow didn't say anything, as she enjoyed the ground or, rather, her son, who was embracing her from behind with his head on her shoulder. She knew this wasn't something normal, but all the while, the sole thought that kept occupying her thoughts, was one question.

When did her son become so tall?

...

Willow looked amusedly at her bemused son, who looked at his smiling little sister, helpless-looking Winter, and grinning Ilia.

She herself held back a giggle, even if she planned to have words with Winter. After all, what they said wasn't something children should do, and Winter was very well aware enough of what she had done. Still, Willow liked the way her family behaved there. So free.

So carefree...

"So... You know what? Im Aegis Schnee. You can call me Aegis. Nice to meet you, Nora, Ren." She watched as Aegis knelt down to the previously looking, nervous orange-haired girl, who hid behind her black and calmly-looking friend, or rather he tried to look calm. Willow could see unsureness mixed with nervousness, which was hidden behind his calm face.

"!!!" The girl who was previously nervous, this Nora, seemed to understand that they were accepted, or rather that the thing her daughters told them was now a truth.

"YAYY! Im Nora! Nora Valkiria!" The girl transformed from a nervous child to one that just poured out energy as she threw herself on kneeling Aegis, who knelt to be at eye level with them. Willow wasn't surprised when Aegis, her son, didn't even budge under the assault of such a small bullet, catching the girl in a hug as she giggled, and whispered about her and Renny having all the pancakes in the world...

"Well... You are quite a lively one, arent you? Ren right? I hope you will like it with us." She wondered what Jacques would say about this, but then, she truly didn't care that much, and she was doubtful Jacques would truly care too. He knew that her son wouldn't let someone take advantage of himself or their family...

She looked at the younger black-haired boy, who nodded his head and put out his hand, making her son catch his hand in his own, just to be quickly put out of his element, as surprise flickered on his previously calm face, being pushed into Aegis embrace by grinning Ilia.

"Ofph..."

"Ilia..." Her son sighed at the grinning faunus. Willow wondered when Ilia realized her secret wasn't such a secret, with how much she stopped controlling her coloring skin.

"Renny!" Nora excitedly shouted as she put her hand around Ren, who now shared her embrace with Aegis.

"Well... Welcome to the family, I guess." Aegis tiredly said, but then her eyes caught something. She looked at her youngest daughter, who now held a small smile on her face.

Was this Weiss's intention? What is her youngest child's plan?

---///---

Mistral

81 AFGR

Willow POV:

Watching her youngest daughter using glyphs to attack her brother, meanwhile, Ilia cheered for her, with Nora joining her and Ren watching everything without any emotion. Willow turned to her eldest daughter, who looked away the moment their eyes met.

"So... Weiss." Willow sipped from her tea as she watched Winter defeatedly nod her head.

"I, yes... There wasn't anything I could say, and before I knew it, Nora had already told us their living situation, and I..."

"You couldn't turn them down, or rather you didn't want to turn down Weiss and felt pity for these two." Winter nodded her head, and Willow sighed, watching Weiss using their family semblance with proficiency befitting those of much older age. Willow didn't know what was more bizarre.

That her younger daughter could be done as she wished, or the fact there wasn't anybody who could stop her.

By all rights, this entire situation could have been solved easily, they could just give Nora and Ren to the closet orphanage and be done with it, but something told Willow that if it truly came to that, Weiss would just ask Aegis, who then would find a way to both fulfill her request and make sure he didn't anger Willow herself, not that she could be angered, at least not by such reason.

Orphans, Willow knew that life outside of city walls was hard and dangerous, but hearing that even bigger settlements could so easily fall still made her uneasy...

To say it was a miracle these two could escape with their lives, as the area around their home was surely surrounded by Grimm, wouldn't be wrong. It made it all that much harder not to do as Weiss wanted...

"And, what is your take on it?"

"I, well, I think they are good children. I mean, even Aegis doesn't seem to have a problem with taking them in, and I know how it is for orphans, walking through Mantle and now there in Mistral. I know that they wouldn't be happy if we left them there... And..." Willow's eyebrow quirked up.

"And?"

"And... I already gave them my word? At least, partially..." Ah, Willow knew just how much promises meant for her daughter. With how Jacques was, Winter wanted to be different. She wanted to be better, and going back on something she promised, would make her closer to Jacques.

Stupid, Winter wasn't her sperm donor, Winter wasn't anywhere near that man, but then, Willow didn't know how to convince Winter of that fact.

In the end, was it truly so bad to accept these two into their family? It will undoubtedly lively up their normally empty home, with how enthusiastic this Nora was...

That, and it would piss off Jacques, something that put a smile on Willow's face.

"Mother?" Ah, Winter looked at her strangely. Did her smile unnerve her so?

...

"They are certainly a pair." Willow smiled at her son, who slumped on his chair. Even now, his movements were so elegant, so refined, something Willow lately noticed. Her son's movements were always precise, without any meaningless movement, efficient to the highest degree Willow ever saw.

"They are, aren't they? I suppose that you agree with Weiss?"

"...I sense a trap in that question." Willow chuckled as her son threw her a tired glance. It seemed that Nora was more energetic than Willow initially thought if she managed to tire her cute son.

"You don't need to say it, Mother... Weiss has me wrapped around her little finger..." The way he looked at her, Willow's cheeks reddened as she turned away.

The emotion and meaning in her son's eyes were very clear...

It wasn't just Weiss who had her son wrapped around a little finger, and it was strange how such a young child could behave so maturely. Alas, her son wasn't ever normal, and Willow couldn't even imagine Aegis being different.

Every time she saw a normal boy of Aegis's age, she couldn't help but compare them to her son, always finding herself unable to even imagine Aegis behaving as them.

It wasn't right. It was completely alien.

Aegis was, is, and always will be Aegis... At least to Willow...

They were now sitting in one of many rooms their current vacation home had, and in truth, Willow liked the place more than Schnee mansion, and the air felt easier. The colors had life in them, and best of all.

There wasn't any asshole present.

Willow liked the current situation much more, even if it was just a short-lived vacation, with Winter returning back to Atlas in just three days.

How the time flew when she was truly enjoying, still, Willow would make sure that she used all this time she had to reconnect with her children, well, with Weiss and Winter, as Willow had an inkling that Aegis wasn't ever truly distanced from her, no matter how much she previously drunk.

It was... Strange feeling, her son, who was much younger, and should just enjoy his youth, felt like a steady ever-present anchor or mountain against which Willow lean on.

"Do you truly plan to visit this Kuroyuri?" Willow asked with a little apprehension. Willow knew her son was strong, stronger than even some full-time huntsmen, and she saw how much he was restraining himself so as not to hurt them.

And Willow knew that Weiss was aware of it too. Winter surely had her own hunch about just how much Aegis hid in his young full, and lithe body.

But even then, she felt fear, and she didn't want to let her son go to such a dangerous place all alone.

He was just eleven years old! He shouldn't go out to the wilderness.

But at the same time, she had no idea of to stop him.

No, that was a lie. Willow knew how to stop him, and it was simple. All she needed was to tell him not to go.

But... Something told Willow that she shouldn't do it. She didn't want to order her son around, even if she knew he would listen to her. Willow didn't want to stifle her son, not when she still didn't earn the love he showed her.

It was frustrating.

---///---

Mistral lower levels

81 AFGR

Aegis POV:

The world is my oyster.

That was how that saying went, wasn't it? But then, Aegis had memories of so many similar-sounding verbs that they lost meaning to him.

Aegis walked through the colorfully painted streets, which were nothing but slums or the lowest civilian housings. Aegis could guess the reason why it was painted, even if that didn't change the fact it was a dump.

Colors, from names to clothing, and houses, everything was given more importance, a more 'lively feeling,' no matter if it has done nothing to the depressed atmosphere, the people lay sleeping or begging on the streets for any scrap of food or lien.

Aegis watched how children in dregs begged an obvious tourist who found himself lost in the city. From his speech, Aegis knew he was from Vale. He watched as other children behind him closened their distance, their little hands dexterously fishing out anything in his pockets. There were other adults, all of who watched this with a sense of apathy, some smirking, others numb to such occurrences...

And yet, he who was clothed in richly and quality-made wardrobe wasn't approached.

Aegis left their current house to see the city, leaving his family to learn about the two orphans that his Weiss seemingly adopted for some reason, Aegis could guess why, but he didn't. There wasn't any meaning in that.

Plus, Aegis quite liked to be surprised by his family. No matter how small or big a surprise they brought him, he reveled in each moment of that new feeling.

Aegis ignored the eyes of beggars, or the street urchins, that watched him with wary eyes. It was the same reason why he chose to go out alone, or rather why nobody tried to sick bodyguard on him.

Aegis wasn't blind to his nature or the aura, not the aura but an aura of authority he carried. Not many could resist him when he wished to do something, and he knew why.

There was something familiar yet otherwordly in him, something that made others follow his orders, something that made all wary of him. It was a blessing that his loved ones were immune to that feeling, for even if Aegis tried to push down that aura around him, he wasn't able to fully surprise it.

It was the reason why nobody tried something on him. These people, these children, lived on the streets, where they could be killed by pure unluckiness, making them develop a six-sense father than normal civilians. They knew that Aegis wasn't someone they could mess with.

Aegis stopped himself as he looked at one particular building that looked completely ordinary, just like all others around it, and yet.

His face betrayed nothing, but the more righteous souls in him demanded him to act, for what Aegis sensed in that building were young souls, young souls that were slowly or some quickly corrupted. For a while, Aegis stopped suppressing his sense of hearing.

"Aaahh."

"Stop!"

"No more!"

"Ah..."

"..."

Sounds of plea, despair, and ecstasy mixed together. The sounds of pleasure came from older souls, mostly male ones, but even a few females, where the sounds of mercy rang from those of younger age.

Aegis frowned. This wasn't his business. No matter what the souls in him desired, he wasn't some knight in shining armor...

Her face, angelic face, with clear blue eyes and glistening white hair, flashed in his head, showing that her face was being used for other's pleasures.

Aegis saw red.

"Oh... Well played..." Aegis mumbled as some of the more morally grey alignment souls in his mind showed him images of Weiss in the situation those girls and boys in that house were in.

"Well played, indeed..." Aegis started walking, this time in the direction of the pleasure house.

...

"Tragedy happened the previous night, where bodies of numerous influential and innocent civilians were found dead, with the infamous Snowflake origami on their bodies. The wanted criminal Niveus is still being-" Aegis looked at Weiss, who watched him in interest as Mother stopped the TV, looking at trembling Nora and frowning at Ren.

"What?" Aegis didn't stop grooming Winter, and Weiss just shrugged.

"Nothing, big brother..." But Aegis could see a flash of awareness in his little sister's eyes.

"First Vale, and now even Mistral." Mother shook her head as Weiss shot her an amused glance, returning back to the game she played with Ilia.

"Nora?" Aegis looked at the now pale girl.

"Ah? Ah, ahaha, nothing, nothing, it's nothing."

"!!!" Now, everyone looked at Nora, Weiss with a lifted eyebrow, Ilia with a worried look, and both Winter with Willow in concern and worry.

"Nora, what happened?!" Aegis watched his mother quickly scoop up the shivering girl. It didn't take long for mother to get used to, or rather to even like, the orphan duo, something Aegis was glad for. He didn't desire any problems that weren't his father in the family.

Still watching his family fret over the normally chirpy girl while the boy, Ren, held her hand tightly in reassurance, Aegis just waited, watching the spectacle with narrowed eyes.

Did he kill these men too painlessly?

"Nora? Please, tell us what happened. Why are you so afraid?" Afraid of wasn't the right word. Aegis could see the girl being frightened, but then she looked at Ren, who nodded at her. What surprised Aegis was for eyes to immediately seek his own.

The silent plea was clear, but what did she wish from him?

In the end, Aegis stood up too, something that caught everyone's attention; as he came up to the group, his mother made a place for him and kneeled down so that he could be at the child's eye level.

"Nothing will hurt you in there, nothing and nobody, either of you, that I promise." Aegis gently said as he put his left hand on Nora's head and his right on Ren's.

Fortunately, what followed was just even if sad but not so bad experience; still, Aegis wasn't surprised that Nora was so out of herself when she spoke about how she was once caught and dragged into an alley, something that could end up badly, if not for Ren to immediately stopping the man with a piece of glass he found on the ground, unfortunately staining Nora in the assaulter's blood, until Nora, in a frenzy didn't start to stab the man with the glass Ren left behind in his body, ultimately killing him.

"What you did was right; you will not find judgment from us for defending yourself; what you did was right and justified." Aegis took both of their heads as he gently hugged them, their heads on his chest, Nora sobbed, but where Ren looked calm, Aegis could feel the boy's body relax, albeit just a little.

With one look at the other occupants of the room, his family, who nodded at him, they all became quiet as just sobs and breathing could be heard.

...

"Was the transport successful?"

"..."

"Good, update me on your progress like always." Aegis closed the call and sighed.

In truth, he didn't want to do this, at least not at first, but then one thing led to another, and what happened, happened.

Every action causes reactions or consequences.

It was his identity as Niveus that caused it.

At first, Aegis wanted to have a separate identity that he could use for more dirty operations; his first move was to look into Vale, from where he felt one of two immortals on Remnant resided.

In other ways, Grimmland and Aegis had quite an idea what this other immortal was, with the amount of darkness it radiated.

No, Vale immortal seemed as the best option, so Aegis chose a name and operating system; in short, he would hire proxies, who hired proxies, the sole thing all these mercenaries, hired killers, criminals, and thugs knew, was that the top was someone named Niveus.

And that was good for Aegis; what wasn't good was the list of potential immortals; he had his prime suspects, but without going to Vale himself, Aeigs wouldn't be a hundred percent sure who it was, and he feared that if he went to the city, the immortal could feel him too, something Aegis didn't wish to risk, at least not yet.

He had his hired people look into any information, from business to the most trivial ones, everything others wished to buy hidden had a bounty on it, and the mercs were more than happy to earn lien for some corporate espionage as they could see it, not knowing that what Aegis wished was to find the presence of the immortal.

But in doing so, some of his operations had unforeseen consequences, like the one where he had the slave action slaughtered.

Some of the freed slaves went to Menagerie, others to their surviving families, but the rest?

The rest had nowhere to go, something Aegis wouldn't care for if they didn't wish to follow Nivues, the one who made their freedom and revenge for them possible.

At first, Aegis would let them by and wash his hands of them, but then, an older idea popped up in his head.

Aegis always feared for his family, he hated the lack of protection, and these bodyguards his father liked to hire, were nothing more than for show, nowhere near as good as they seemed to show themselves.

Paper tigers, very, very expensive paper tigers.

That, and their loyalty wasn't ever assured; in the end, it came to the crux of the matter, loyalty.

Something that was hard to earn, if not made to be loyal, raised to be loyal.

But where to find such subjects that could serve such a purpose? Aegis put that plan down because of the lack of options until the opportunity fell into his lap.

Nivues, his other persona, quickly paid off, as Aegis accepted those faunus slaves; in the week, he had prepared a camp in a remote valley with rich natural defenses, an excellent place where he had a camp build, a camp where he started to send any and all slaves he freed.

All who were taught to be loyal to Nivues, and with instructors that were much happy to be quiet thanks to rich lian paychecks, it didn't take long for that camp to increase in population.

The children, teenagers, and adults were taught to be loyal to the Snowflake symbol; some were wary; after all, it was the same symbol the Schnee family, the SDC used, but then, it wasn't possible for their savior to be a Schnee, right?

At least Aegis let them think about it, he let a lot of hints that he was of Schnee blood, and his paid instructors quickly alerted him of some who already had their doubts about the Niveus being a Schnee that didn't agree with Jacques Schnee.

That was what Aegis wished for, so when he previously night raided and killed off the clients and operators of that brothel in Mistral, he gave the children, teens, and adults, both females and males, a chance to either go with him or to seek their own freedom.

Most chose to follow him, as they no longer had anything to return to or were disappointed in their people for not helping them; the idea of coming to the police after knowing that some of the clients were police members was a laughable one.

And so, most chose to follow Niveus, me.

Of course, Aegis never hid his face; even if he called himself Nivues, he could see recognition flashing in some of the older's victims' eyes.

In the end, they stayed quiet and let themselves be transported to the camp, where surely rumors of his true identity would be soon debated.

For now, Aegis would let it boil, waiting for the right time to fully come out to them; for now, he would continue freeing slaves or others who he could send there and show that he was different from his father.

That he was their chance to change the world, something even White Fang wasn't seemingly being capable of.

---///---

Mistral near the Schnee residence

81 AFGR

Unknown POV:

"Today! Today is the day we finally strike back! Today! Today is the day when we show them OUR PAIN!"

"Uooohhh!"

"Yeeeaah!"

His smile widened as he watched the people bellow cheer at his words, and why wouldn't they?

Today would be the day when they finally show these humans their wrath!

He couldn't believe his luck when he heard about the Schnee family leaving their nest, visiting Mistral as if they didn't have anything to worry about; the gall of these humans made him seethe; Mistral was one of Fang's largest recruitment centers.

Did Schnee truly think that they could just travel there as if it belonged to them?! But then, they were arrogant enough to think so.

And why not? When their own 'leader' was weak to see the true light, Ghira Belladonna started something marvelous; pity he was too weak to see it in its true glory.

But then, his smile widened as he thought about what they were about to do; it didn't take long for him to gather the like-minded brothers and sisters who didn't agree with the current soft White Fang practices, few emotionally said words, and they were more than willing to follow him on this operation.

But they will see the right of his actions soon when the night will be painted by Schnee's blood.

"Then follow me! Today! Today we will change history! Today we will finally take the reins of fate into OUR hands!" Into his, for Ghira Belladonna wasn't any longer needed.

He was truly happy that the blasted Schnees left their secured home; this chance was truly expectational.

...

"Stop." His hand raised as the thirty-seven brothers and sisters behind him stopped, everyone ready for complications as they saw the reason he stopped them.

There, not so away from their targets destinations in the dark, stood roulette, and even without the great gift of seeing in the dark, they could see the person being male, with white, blue, and black colored clothes, black hair reaching down its shoulders, as he stood with his back turned on them, and his head held high, watching the broken moon, or at least he thought that person watched the broken moon and not something other.

"And I thought who was the source of such bloodlust..." He frowned at that voice!

Yes, not big enough to be fully a man, but bigger than any child of his age, with raven black hair and those colored clothes.

"A Schnee." He sneered as the brothers and sister behind him readied their weapons; from the sound of it, more than one was ready to shoot at his order.

"That is, Aegis Schnee for you." He watched the Schnee heir turn his head on him, and something in him screamed to run; he quickly pushed it down, but even then.

A boy, the not yet man, stood before him, with hair black as night and ice blue eyes that sent shivers to his heart, all iluminated in gentle moons of light.

"I suppose that I can't make you leave with mere words, can I?"

"Schnee must pay his debts; you and your family owe us more than a word." He picked his words carefully; no longer were his feelings so assured, but he refused to back down.

Even if his senses told him not to continue in what they came to do.

"Pity..." What?

He watched the blasted Schnee shakes his head, and before...

Why...

His, his body felt... Heavy?

Why why was nobody doing anything? There were more than thirty of them there...

He managed to look behind himself even as his body started to fall down.

Ah, so that's why...

All of them were already dead...

---///---

Mistral

81 AFGR

Ilia POV:

"This is how you managed to hide from Grimm?" She watched Weiss walk around Ren, who nodded; the way the colors shifted around him as his semblance supposedly hid negative emotions was mesmerizing to look at.

"Yes, this, this is how we survived." Ren nodded his head, Nora was suspiciously quiet, but then, Ilia and others learned that when it came to pass traumas, Nora became somehow reserved.

Not that Ilia blamed her; she herself didn't know what she would do if something like that happened to her.

In truth, now that Ilia thought about it, she didn't know what she would do if she no longer spent her time with Schnee's...

Did she truly become so close to them?

"Interesting. Can you mask others too? On a distance, I mean." Boring...

Weiss was once again in her scheming mindset, but Ilia learned not to disturb her when she was in it; Weiss was scary even when she didn't try to buy, so when she tried to be scary, well, Ilia had a long practice of controlling of how her skin changed colors.

She thought that she was good at it; after all, not even now did they know she was faunus, something that started to bother Ilia more and more; she hated lying.

She especially hated lying to people she liked.

...

"Hey, you awake?"

"Hmm?" Ilia turned her head to Weiss, who looked at her; they were now laid in their respective beds, normally there would be a third person with them in the room, but Winter had already left, not that it really mattered, Ilia thought, as they would see Winter in a week or so, they became quite used to see her just once or twice in the week.

Still, with now just Ilia herself and Weiss in the room as their new 'friends'? Or what they were, Nora and Ren shared their own room, not wanting to be separated; it was just her and Weiss.

"What is it, Ilia?" Ah, she got lost in thoughts... Again.

"Well, I wanted to know... Why?" Blue eyes pierced her grey, but Ilia got used to Weiss's piercing look, so she didn't shy away from it.

"From the tone... I guess you speak about Nora and Ren?" Yep, Ilia nodded her head, knowing that even without being faunus with night vision, Weiss would be able to see it.

"It was... Spur of the moment..." That didn't sound like Weiss, she knew.

"Really? I thought that you wanted big bro just for herself." Ilia probed, and from the way, Weiss's eyes sharpened, she was right.

"It isn't like that; big brother wouldn't ever leave me."

"Yea, that's true... Still, first me, and now them?" Weiss's eyes widened slightly as Ilia grinned.

"Yes, I know, or at least, I realized it later; you didn't befriend me just because, but because of big bro; I don't know why, but..."

"But?"

"But, I guess it doesn't matter." Ilia shrugged as she adjusted her body inside the cocoon of covers and pillows she had made for herself.

"Doesn't matter... I manipulated you; I do still manipulate you." Ilia shrugged again.

Crap, she messed up her covers... Again...

"I mean, I like big bro, and even if I don't know why you are doing this, whatever this is, it doesn't hurt anybody. That said, bringing in these two was still a surprise..." Ilia mumbled; it wasn't that she was jealous...

But...

She was faunus, and they were not; what if...

What if they don't want her, with Nora and Ren there, once they find out about her?

Would they just replace her?

"I see... For what is worth... Im glad that I spoke to you at that time; I can't imagine someone other than you as my first... Friend..." Awww, Ilia looked at Weiss, who wasn't purposely looking at her.

"At last, the ice heart melted for someone other than big bro!" Ilia cooed as Weiss shot her a withering glare, making her giggle again.

Really, she couldn't imagine what her life would be without Schnee's in it; after all, they made her realize there was a difference between Schnee's and SDC...

But Jacques Schnee could still die in the ditch.

"By the way, where is big bro? Does he sleep with Auntie?" Normally, such words would be met with jeers; after all, big bro was already eleven, soon twelve years old, and sleeping with his mother would make other guys, even girls in the school laugh, well if it was someone other than big bro, who seemed to be above such concerns.

"No, at least I don't think so; big brother said he had things to deal with; most of the nights, he leaves the house and returns late in the night or in the mornings, but yes, when he is there, he mostly sleeps with his mother." Aw, there was that jealousy Ilia was so accustomed to hearing from Weiss when Big Bro was with someone other than her.

It was both cute and terrifying...

Still, what kind of things big bro had to do so late in the night?

---///---

Mistral outskirts

81 AFGR

Unknown POV:

She should trust her instincts!

"Quickly to the tree line!" She screamed as she fired another volley into the horde, her brown her catching the slight moonlight reflection from that sharp weapon that had already claimed her partner's life.

"We don't have any more ammo Annette!" Shit, she cursed as she herself already run out of ammo; that bastard was more slippery than any Grimm that followed him.

And really? A fucking Grimm ignored that psycho bastard, fucker was even crazier than most capes she remembered from her past life.

"Then fucking use that big fucking SWORD you have, Rock! I don't care how, but that fucker goes down!" That they wouldn't be able to run went unsaid; both her surviving teammates understood it.

This mission was rigged from the fucking start; if she got her hands on that fucking lion faunus, she would fucking rip him apart!

This was that fuckers doing; she just knew it; teams were being lost one after another, one more mysteriously than another; a veteran team that shouldn't be able to lose against an even slightly bigger horde went KIA?!

This was fucking smelling of sabotage, but fucking WHY?

Why would someone want a huntsmen team's death? When it was them that held the black tide back?

Now, the pieces started to be put together, that psycho fucker scorpion faunus that was able to seemingly work with Grimms...

To Annette, this entire world seemed strange, humans, faunus, they had powers even better than Capes from her world, but weren't still able to take the world back? Even with all their better technology and fucking Airships?

It stank, but Annette, at that time, thought that the people had just given up on reclaiming the world.

But now?

Now, it was clear to her that it wasn't as black and white as she thought.

Her own fucking boss send her and her team to death, to ambush.

He would fucking surely say that they were another unfortunate incident, that they were killed by some meager Grimm horde. He would make them into a laughingstock.

Were all Headmasters in this? Or was this just in Mistral? Surely someone noticed the higher death rate of huntsmen teams?

"Hehe, there is nowhere to run, common. Let me show you my Goddess love, don't be shy." Fucking nutcase.

"Rock, Alie, on three." She looked at her two teammates; they had each other for years, and in truth, they were her closest friends in the world, them and Hermie; rest in peace, you idiot...

Why the fuck he tried to shield her? He should already understand that the fucker could somehow ignore their auras...

In truth, they get so close that she even tells them about her past, the fact that she remembered her past lives, at first they thought she was kidding them, but then with each more elaborate fact and detail, they came to believe her, and it became the team secret that just made them even closer...

Even offering her that they will help her to find a way back to her world; after all, she somehow ended up there, so there should be a way back, right?

"For Hermie." Rock and she nodded their heads at Alie as they readied their weapons.

Sorry Taylor, Danny... It seems she wouldn't be able to return to them...

"Hehehee, there you are." The scorpion faunus grinned as he licked those folding blades on his arms, those folding blades on which was the blood of their fallen friend.

"You FUCK-!!!" But even before Rock could continue, the Grimm that seemed to about pounce on them were pierced by ice shards that shot past them.

"WHO DARES!" The crazy roared as another ice volley shot past them straight into him; she watched as he blocked or evaded the ice barrage, just for a black symbol, not a glyph appearing above him that made him fall to the ground with a thud.

"Urgghh!!!"

"Don't speak; your insides are now under enormous stress; we wouldn't want your heart to rupture, would we?" She shivered; the voice; was aloof, authoritative, and cold as the ice that was skewering all the Grimm in the vicinity.

"Who is there?" She and her team were still ready, not fully relaxing, but not outright hostile, who were helped them, wou-

"Greetings, what a nice night for the walk, isn't it?" Her thoughts halted as the figure of their savior emerged from the tree line, she caught how Alie winced, and she understood.

Figure about hundred sixty or so, bigger than normal children of his age, black hair that just merged with the dark of the night, and ice blue eyes that shone like two moons in the dark night, clothed in a white and black coat that reached his knees, with black fur around his neck.

All of it pointed out at the most known scion of Atlas, the heir of the biggest Remnant business enterprise.

Aegis Schnee, the eleven-year-old genius.

A boy who didn't look like a boy, at least not now, with a face that could stop even the most veteran huntsman; Annette didn't speak, nor did Rock or Alie, and the crazy bastard who lay on the ground.

"I thought that I would take just a walk, maybe kill one Grimm or another; imagine my surprise when I found a team of huntsmen being hunted by a faunus that could seemingly work with Grimm..." The moment those blue eyes fell upon her, an instinct she fought told her to kneel.

She didn't, and she could see Rock and Alie feeling the same as they struggled to keep standing.

A Master power?

"Hmmm..." As they fought to stay standing, they had no strength to speak as they just watched Aegis Schnee walk to their attacker, who even now tried to stand up but couldn't as the ground under him cracked, making him fall down again.

"What an interesting scent you wear..." Scent? What? She shot Alie's look, who shook her head; their team faunus didn't know what the Schnee meant.

"Such diluted darkness, but you were in contact with a pure one, weren't you? Not even Grimm is so pure..." Her eyes, they felt...

Heavy...

She looked at her teammates, her heart soaring high as she saw them on the ground.

"Wha-wha..." That was as far as she could go, as her sight caught the broken moon above, and her body fell on the cold ground.

...

"Beep, beep." A sound of beeping, a familiar sound that she knew from shows, woke her up, and her eyes quickly shot open upon remembering her last moments.

"What, where?!" She quickly shot up, or at least tried to, as her body couldn't move.

"Ma'am? Please calm down! You are safe; you are in Mistral public hospital!" Upon hearing the hurried voice, she got the sight into her mind, white walls, an awful odor of disinfection in the air.

And the woman in nurse clothing that now held her hand on her head, Annette slowly lowered herself back.

"W-water..." She managed to add as the nurse nodded.

"Immediately, there are slow sips." She knew how to drink after the incident; this wasn't her first rodeo, so she drank very slowly.

"Why, why im bound?" After drinking, she finally asked, strength returning to her body as she felt her aura kicking in fully.

"A standard procedure, ma'am; any who has unlocked aura is to be bound if brought unconscious to the hospital." She nodded her head, in highlight; it was logical; who knew what the patients with aura or semblances could do if awakening in panic...

Wait.

"My team? Where is my team?"

"Do not worry, ma'am; Mister Green and Miss Levander are already awake but aren't still permitted to leave their beds, just like you." Thank god...

Wait, a minute.

"Do, do you know how we ended up there?" At her question, the nurse nodded her head, nervously smiling.

"Of course, after all, you are an important VIP; Aegis Schnee himself told us to take care of you."

---///---

Mistral

81 AFGR

Willow POV:

When she didn't even need to open her eyes as she smiled, feeling arms around her body, most would think that it was strange and unnatural.

She would tell them to go fuck themselves.

After years, she finally felt warmth; not even Jacques, her own husband, ever cuddled her, never showed any intimacy other than occasional sex that was just for the making of children.

But Aegis? She snuggled even more into her son's strong arms, not wishing to even open her eyes, just enjoying the moment of the warmth of both body and soul...

Her son was still smaller than her, but now when she felt his arms around her torso, his strong and firm arms, as his head rested on her shoulders, spooning her, she couldn't feel happier.

...

"Good morning, mother." Che.

"Good morning, my son." She smiled, even if the lack of his arms around her had already made her feel cold.

"Weiss and Ilia are already in the kitchen, with Nora and Ren joining them." She watched her son coming to her, his arms holding her clothing.

"Do you wish breakfast in bed, or would you join us?"

"I will join you; the more, the merrier, right?" That, and she didn't want to make Weiss upset by taking all of Aegis's time; she knew how her youngest acted when Winter or her took Aegis from her, even if for a moment.

Her cheeks reddened as she caught Aegis looking at her when she left the covers, she was in her nightgown, and yes, even if they cuddled, and with her being his mother, she shouldn't be so shy around him.

And yet, when she saw that, he looked at her proportions; some part of her felt...

Shy, glad, and almost excited...

It was wrong...

"Mother?" Ah, she quickly darted into the bathroom.

...

"Pancakes!!!" It took a moment for her to realize to whom that voice belonged.

"Come, Ren and I worked together on this, and I must say, it came out alright." Her son smiled as his hand rested on the younger boy's head, making Ren look at the ground.

Cute...

"Good morning, Mother."

"Morning, Aunty."

"Good morning, lady Schnee."

"Good morning!" She giggled at Nora, who threw her a hug as she shot Ren a playful glare.

"I told you to call me Auntie, didn't I?"

"M-my apologies... Auntie." Her smile widened as she sat down next to Ilia and opposite Weiss, Nora following her lead as the boys started to brine the trays full of pancakes.

This was life; her heart hurt a little that Winter wasn't there with them, but it wasn't like this would be their last vacation...

---///---

*Author Note*

Well, this was supposed to come out much sooner, as it was written about two weeks ago, but with so many errors that I wasn't in any mood for proofreading.

Thank god for Grammarly. That said, it still is very RAW, so sorry.

Hopefully, good enough for you to understand, and im still not very happy with how the chapter came out, in both grammatical errors and story-wise, especially in the dialogues...

On another note, im working on AI portraits of Aegis. Some came out alright but not good enough, and others...

Oh well, I never realized how good AI was at creating Lovecraftian horrors...

Coming to think about shortening the chapters, as these ten thousand long chapters take me too long to write...

Hmm...