Weiss was walking down a path in the Forever Fall forest, Myrtenaster drawn. It appeared to be twilight, the sun peeking through the trees low in the sky. Deep pink-red leaves drifted around, scattered by the howling wind. Weiss shivered. Despite being the "Ice Princess," as Jaune liked to call her, even she got cold in the dark.
As the last rays of light died away, Weiss heard sounds of Grimm up ahead. She stopped, holding Myrtenaster in front of her, ready to glyph out of her position as soon as one of them got near. Alone, she wasn't anywhere near ready to fight off a whole pack.
Then the forest was shaken by the sound of a high impact sniper riffle.
A flash of red flew by, followed by a stream of red rose petals. Crescent Rose and its owner dove head first into a herd of Boaratusk. Knowing she couldn't let Ruby fight the whole herd alone, Weiss sprang into action next to her team leader.
Bouncing from glyph to glyph, Weiss ate away at the giant pack. Ruby appeared to do the same with her way too big scythe/gun, but they were outnumbered and in way over their heads.
Exhausted, Weiss tripped in a vaporizing Grimm and fell flat on her face. Breathing heavily, Weiss attempted to get up, only to find a boot firmly planted on her back.
"Don't bother getting up," Cinder said. "This is too easy." The evil huntress laughed slightly, as if to point out it wasn't easy for Weiss.
Cinder levitated trees out of the ground, turning them into red dust projectiles, and then blasted the Grimm to ash. Floating up into the air, she shot flames at the creatures of darkness, making quick work of the rest of the Boaratusks. Even Ruby stopped haphazardly swinging Crescent Rose to stare at the flaming woman.
"Good evening, ladies," Cinder said, shooting something black out of her hands. Before neither Weiss nor Ruby knew what was going on, two separate energy nets tied the huntresses in training separately.
"Weiss Schnee," Cinder said smoothly. "Heiress to the Schnee fortune, name, and Dust Company. What an important destiny. But you're not important to me."
Weiss's face crumpled in disappointment. It was true Weiss felt unworthy, unneeded, and much like a third wheel at times, but to have their enemy say she wasn’t even important? That burst every bubble Weiss had made since a child.
Cinder moved on and walked to Ruby's net. Ruby gasped as Cinder grabbed Ruby's cage and heated it up. "Now Ruby, the daughter of a dead huntress and a living one," Cinder smoothed. "Nothing special. But here is the real heiress, potentially to the world." Cinder winked. "That is, if I don’t kill you."
"No, don't kill Ruby!" Weiss screamed. "Kill me!"
Ruby shook in her net. "Be strong, Weiss!" our red-hooded warrior called out.
"You want Weiss to be strong?" Cinder laughed. "Yes, Weiss. Be strong."
"What do you want?" Weiss demanded. "Why did you take us?"
"She is the real threat," Cinder said. "A guardian, a real warrior in the making." Cinder brushed Ruby's cheek with the back of her hand. "So fragile, yet so strong."
Weiss struggled with the net. "Don't you hurt my friends!" Weiss shouted, trying in vain to rip the net, but with Myrtenaster sitting a meter away, there was nothing Weiss could do to penetrate the rope. "Please, don't kill Ruby. She's my only friend in the world!"
"Only friend?" Cinder mocked. "Sounds like our heiress is not only useless, but lonely. Today, I will demonstrate both." Cinder grabbed Myrtenaster and pointed it at Ruby. "Weiss, there is nothing you can do, because I'm going to get rid of my threat, your going to watch"
"Ruby, NO!" Weiss screamed. "No, I'm sorry. Please, just spare my friend. Take me!" Weiss pounded against her net, her hands becoming raw with rope burn.
"Useless. Utterly useless and alone," Cinder chanted. Cinder walked right up to Ruby's burning net and stabbed Ruby straight in the chest.
The entire world shattered with the sound of a very loud and obnoxious whistle next to Weiss's ear.
Weiss bolted awake, crashing into Ruby's silly face. "Wake up, teammates. Time for another day at Beacon," Ruby announced. Instead of groaning, as Weiss usually did, she pulled Ruby into a hug.
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked. Even she could see there was something up.
"I had a nightmare," Weiss admitted.
"Don't worry, soldier," Yang said, clapping her on the back. "I get nightmares all the time. Try not to let them bother you. They're not real."
Weiss knew it wasn't real. There was no way any of that could have happened in real life. But the things Cinder said to her shook her to her core, and Weiss wasn't sure if she could hide her darkness any longer…
