WARNING:

If you proceed and continue to read this story, you will find:

- Abuse.

- Trauma.

- Violence.

- Blood/Gore.

- Etc.

A young girl around the age of ten with fair skin, white hair, and pale blue eyes sat by a window, hugging her knees to her chest. She wore a blue dress made of expensive fabric over a white dress-shirt, white stockings, and black shoes, and she wore her hair in a high ponytail. She silently watched the airships of her family's private security force fly overhead yet again, though she seemed to be distracted by something else.

"... She still hasn't left her room, Weiss?" A voice spoke, and the girl looked up. A middle-aged woman dressed in fine clothes with white hair and grayish-blue eyes sat at a piano, idly swirling a glass of wine around as she played a slow, somber tune. A young boy who looked to be around seven with white hair and electric-blue eyes sat on the bench beside her and watched her playing with fascination. "I know she was close to my mother, but this is a bit much."

"Mother." A teenage girl with grayish-blue eyes looked up from a desk, where she appeared to be doing homework. "Grandmother was good to our sister, in ways that many have not been. She deserves time to mourn."

"But three days?" The woman asked, her nose wrinkling. "Your father won't be pleased with this. You know that, right?" The two girls blinked, then they exchanged worried glances. "That child has always been a bit different, from the day she and Weiss were born. Your grandmother saw it and took an immediate liking to her, which was why we ended up giving your sister her name."

"That wasn't fair to her." The older girl announced, looking back again. "Hima never asked to become the odd one out." The woman sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Well, she is certainly living up to that reputation..."

/\

A man with thinning orange hair and a mustache knocked on a door, smiling lightly as he heard the sound of someone playing the violin inside.

"Miss Schnee?" He asked, and the playing stopped. Even though the occupant of the room could not possibly see him, he held the tray in his hand up. "I've brought your breakfast." Soft footsteps could be heard, and the man grinned as the door opened. "Good morning, Miss Schnee."

"... Good morning, Klein." The girl smiled softly in reply, taking the tray into her hands. She looked to be ten years old, she had fair skin, and she had pale blue eyes just like the other girl, Weiss - she even dressed and had her hair the same way. She was obviously Weiss' identical twin, and she carried the same heavy sadness and distracted look in her eyes. "Thank you."

"Are you feeling alright, Miss Schnee?" The man asked, his expression becoming worried. "Your sisters have been quite concerned, and I know that Master Whitley misses you."

"I'm okay." The girl assured quietly. "Just... Getting used to the absence, I suppose." The girl looked away. "My grandmother left many things behind for me to take on as my own, yet none of them can ease the pain of her loss." Klein nodded in understanding.

"Very well, Miss Schnee... Let me know if there is anything I can do."

"Alright." The girl nodded, then she turned away and closed the door behind her. Klein sighed, shaking his head, then he turned and departed.

Hima sighed as she leaned against the door and slid to the floor, setting the tray aside and staring up at the ceiling. Up there was the most inexplicable thing, a cloud, and from it snowflakes were falling. Hima watched them hit the floor, and as they began t build up, she slowly raised a hand as her eyes narrowed. Blue flames sparked to life around her eyes, and she sent a blast of blue fire at the snow and forced it to evaporate.

"... You warned me of this, Grandmother." The girl whispered, leaning against the door again and watching as the snow began to pile up once more. "Trained me... But I know I am not ready to take on your burden. You should be here, not me..." Hima looked down, her expression forlorn. "I'm no Winter Maiden."

/\/\/\/\

One week from that day, Jacques Schnee - CEO of the Schnee Dust Company - was fuming. His eldest daughter, Winter, had just informed him that she wished to join the military upon her graduation from the Atlas Academy for Hunters, so he had lost his heiress. Therefore, he had no choice but to turn to his middle children - the twins, Weiss and Hima - in order to find a new heiress. To begin their training, he decided to show them one of the Schnee mines so they could get a good idea as to how they were run and operated.

"Now that you are old enough to begin your lessons in business management, it's time you see a live, Schnee Dust Company quarry." Jacques stated as he walked down a musty, dirty, and poorly-lit hallway, his two daughters following him. The twins nodded in sync, a well-rehearsed move, and they spoke their next two words in sync.

"Yes, Father."

"And..." Jacques looked back. "Do not embarrass the family, Hima." One of the girls flinched, then she looked down.

"Yes, Father."

"... Here we are." Jacques announced curtly. Two servants opened an old metal door, having previously had to unlock a padlock and remove a chain. The sight of this his disgusted Weiss, while Hima seemed concerned. The girls' eyes slowly widened in disbelief as the door opened.

"Oh my gods." Hima instinctively covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a scream. Below was the quarry, and there were thousands of workers chipping away at stone in search of volatile Dust. They were mostly Faunus, men and women, ranging from children to the elderly - all working amongst ice, snow, and stone with rusted tools.

"This is the core of the Schnee Dust Company." Jacques began, as if he was accustomed and fine with the sight. "There are hundreds of quarries like this one all across Remnant. And someday, they will be yours." Weiss nodded in resignation, bowing her head and letting out a quiet sigh. She would remain obedient...

"... This is wrong!" Hima shouted, and silence fell. The workers looked up as Jacques turned to his daughter.

"What do you mean, Hima?" He asked in a warning tone. Hima blinked, then she looked down. Her fists slowly clenched at her sides, and she looked up at her father with a glare.

"This is wrong." She repeated, and Jacques' eyes narrowed. "These facilities are filthy, people will get sick. These workers look exhausted, can't you at least give them some water and a break so that they can rest? Dust is volatile, if they're not rested and careful, they could be killed - and even the equipment looks old and unsafe. Where is the safety gear?"

"Mind your tone with me, young lady." Jacques ordered, his fists clenching. "You were always so much like your grandfather... Someday, this and all of my other possessions will belong to you and your sister - and I expect you to maintain this family's reputation, and this legacy."

"I don't want this!" Hima gestured to the filthy mine. "This isn't a business, this is slavery! You always yell about how the White Fang is after us, how they'd kill us if we stepped outside without armed guards - but this is why they do it, Father! We're the monsters they see us as, can't you see that?!" Weiss broke her façade and showed her concern and fear, reaching out towards her sister.

"Hima, stop!"

"No, Weiss! Don't you see that this is wrong?!" Hima asked, her tone afraid as she gazed up at her father. Weiss blinked before she slowly bowed her head, and Hima looked back at her. "Weiss? Weiss, please. I know that you-"

"You dare speak to me like this?!" Jacques finally snapped, and Hima looked back at him. "You are the heiress to the most profitable company on Remnant! You should be grateful for what-!"

"Grateful?!" Hima shouted, figuring she might as well. She was already in more trouble than she had ever been in... "Don't you see what you're doing to these people?!"

"... People?" An older boy with hair in various shades of red and bull-horns asked quietly from the crowd as he stumbled away from the cart he had been pushing and dusted his dark clothes off. His eyes were hidden by white bandages. A man with dog ears looked over his shoulder at the teen.

"Strange words for a Schnee, huh? You're too young to know where they come from..." He looked back at the arguing humans. "I can see it... She's got her grandfather's spirit, and her grandmother's will." Hima glared up at her father, even as her whole body quaked in terror.

"If this is the legacy I would inherit, then you can count me out." The girl turned away, crossing her arms and closing her eyes, taking a deep breath. "The company is yours, Weiss... I won't push innocent people down to benefit myself. I would rather go on as this family's disappointment than sell my soul." Hima started walking away, but her father grabbed her shoulder and forced her to look at him.

"You dare?!" The man raised his hand and backhanded the girl across the face, sending her falling to the ground. The diamond ring he was wearing had produced a cut that ran across her left cheek, and Hima looked up in fear, raising a hand to the side of her face and scrambling away from her father. The man raised his hand again. "You're no more civilized than these animals!"

"Someone's gotta do something." The red-haired boy announced, stepping forward. The dog-eared man grabbed his shoulder, frowning.

"There's nothing to be done, boy." He announced as the little girl stood. Her face was bleeding, but there was still a fire in her eyes - a look that said you won't get away with this, any of it.

"And you think you're civilized?!" Hima asked, forcing her tone into one of anger despite her terror. "Look at what you're doing, Father! You're wrong about the Faunus, and you're delusional! They are not the enemy - you're the monster, you're the animal, and you're wrong!" Jacques grabbed a handful of his daughter's hair, practically lifting her into the air by the white tresses and twisting. The girl yelped, but she kept struggling until a swift punch to her stomach knocked the wind out of her. "Agh..."

"... As you were." Jacques looked up at his employees, not showing any emotion. "Excuse my daughter's vivid delusions. She's not well."

The white-haired man turned around, his obedient daughter trailing behind him as the elder was dragged away. Hima looked up, and she weakly tilted her head at the sight of the red-haired Faunus boy staring at her in horror. Through his bandages, their eyes seemed to meet, and she blinked before giving a small smile - I know I did the right thing, that smile seemed to say - then the doors slammed shut and she was gone.

/\

The red-haired Faunus-boy ran through a snowy forest, his eyes wide behind his bandages as he ran faster and faster, desperate to arrive at his destination in time. Finally, he arrived at a clearing filled with blue tents and ran to the large tent at the center of the community, several Faunus looking up as he passed with raised eyebrows.

"Isn't that Adam? A woman with mouse ears asked, confused. A man with a dog tail nodded, frowning.

"What could he be up to?"

A meeting of some sort of council was underway when the boy, Adam, burst into the tent, his covered eyes wide.

"I'm sorry, I-!" Adam doubled over, gripping his sides as he tried desperately to catch his breath. "Mines... Trouble..."

"Adam?" A woman with deer antlers got up and walked over to the teenager, her brown eyes wide. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"H-he took her." Adam looked up, trying to calm himself down. "He took her, and he's going to kill her if we don't get to her. I-I could see it, he's gonna kill her..."

"What happened?" A man stood up, and Adam looked at him. He was massive and muscled and he had black hair and amber eyes, he dressed in shades of purple, brown, grey, and white, and his fingers bore black claws.

"I..." Adam slowly bowed his head in respect. "High-Leader Belladonna... As the reports predicted, Jacques Schnee visited the mines today with his two younger daughters - he was training them, just like you said. But... One of them spoke out against the treatment of the Faunus there, and he publicly beat her before dragging her away." Adam looked up, his expression forlorn. "She's just a kid, sir. She's just a little girl..." The man blinked, then he slowly frowned. "And he hurt her because she defended the Faunus. I... I feel like I need to do something."

"... And we will." The man announced, and Adam's body tensed. The man gave a small smile, resting a hand on Adam's shoulder and failing to notice how a woman with tiger-ears was gazing at him in disdain. "Well done."

/\

A beaten little girl was thrown into a dark bedroom, and she looked up weakly as a dark silhouette stood in the doorway, her vision swimming with her tears and dizziness.

"... You are finished, Hima. I'm done trying." Jacques announced coldly. The door slammed shut, and Hima slowly pushed herself onto her hands and knees. Her entire body hurt, her little form was bruised and broken, but she slowly forced herself to her feet. She yelped, hugging her rib-cage, then she took deep and shaking breaths. She tried to step towards her desk, but she stumbled and fell into a kneel, crying out in pain.

"I..." The girl looked up weakly, her eyes finding a picture on the wall. It showed an old woman dressed in white, blue, and red with shining blue eyes, and Hima shook her head. "I-I tried, Grandmother, I tried... I'm not strong, l-like you... Ah!" The girl doubled over, hugging herself tighter and clenching her eyes shut. "I-I don't know what to do!" Her tears raced down her face, mingling with the drying blood from the scratch on her left cheek. "I don't know what to do..."

"... I do." A voice spoke, and she opened her eyes and looked up. "Don't move." The girl's eyes welled up with even more tears, and she hung her head and began to sob as footsteps approached.

"Oh, gods - I-I don't wanna die..."

"I know." The voice said, and a hand was placed on her shoulder. Her whole body went tense and quivered at the touch... "That's why I'm here... I'm getting you out of here." The girl's eyes opened and widened, and she looked up. Her pale blue eyes found a shape in the darkness. "Just... Can you be quiet?"

"... Who are you?" The little girl whispered timidly. The figure went silent, and Hima forced a deep breath. "What do you want from me?"

"Answers... A strange person is in your room, you're alone, and you're a Schnee Heiress. You should be screaming for the guards, but you're not."

"... They won't come." Hima stated quietly, making herself kneel properly despite the pain on her body. "If you've been here long, then you heard my father. He disowned me... Too late though, I suppose - I renounced my title this afternoon, in public." She managed a small, half-hearted smirk as she looked down. "Good luck trying to preserve your image, Father dearest." A small laugh was heard, and the little girl gave a small smile as she looked up at the shape. She blinked as she felt a hand touch her face, gently running a thumb over the scratch, and her whole body went rigid again. "P-please, don't h-"

"I'm not gonna hurt you." The voice assured, and she closed her eyes. "I would never do that, okay? You're a little girl and you've done nothing wrong."

"F-Father-"

"Your father is wrong. You are right." The voice told her, and Hima looked up at the shape again. "I wouldn't be here if you'd done something wrong, okay? You're going to be fine."

"... My name is Hima." The girl spoke up. "I would be most humbled to know your name, since you claim that you'll be getting me out of here." A small snort rang out, and Hima smiled. She'd made him laugh, somehow.

"A Schnee? Humbled?"

"Not a Schnee."

"Then, what are you?"

"... An Elurra." Hima decided, and the figure went silent. "My grandmother's last name. Father can take my siblings, my rights to my grandfather's company, and my freedom - but he can't take that from me. I won't let him... Who are you?"

"I'm Adam."

"Adam... That's a nice name." Hima commented before she raised an eyebrow, confused. "How did you even get in here?"

"I have my ways." The voice said simply. Hima blinked, then she hummed in amusement.

"That's not concerning or anything." She joked, then she frowned. "No, really - how?"

"Old house, history of paranoia in the family - ergo, lots of secret passages that few remember."

"Secret passages?" Hima's eyes lit up. "Then... You really can help me get out of here?"

"What else would I be doing here?"

"... I'm a Schnee heiress who is too weak to scream or run away in a house that wouldn't really care if she were to be gone, one morning." The girl replied, wiping her tears away before folding her hands in her lap. "There's much you could do... I'm asking what you intend to do." Silence fell, and the girl looked down. "If you're going to kill me, just do it. But if you're even considering the possibility of helping me, all I would ask is that you show me the way out of here. I can take care of myself, after that - I would never ask anyone to risk their life for me."

"Wait... Take care of yourself?" Adam asked, sounding skeptical. "Kid, you don't look any older than ten."

"Is that so? Well, you don't sound any older than my older sister - and she's sixteen." Hima crossed her arms. "And you seem fully capable, Mr. Sneaky... I'm not as weak as everyone thinks I am. My grandmother made sure of that." Hima pulled something from under her bed, a case, and she opened it to reveal a long, silver rapier with multiple Dust-cartridges in the hilt. It looked too big for her, but she seemed proud as she pointed to it. "And I happen to be training to be a Huntress, so there!"

"A Huntress?" Adam sound intrigued, then he scoffed. "What is that, some big publicity stunt that your family's tricked you into taking seriously?"

"No!" Hima protested, offended. "My father hates it - but I can fight, and I'm not letting some boy hiding in the shadows talk to me like I'm a weak, publicity-seeking brat! I'm against everything my father is for, and if you're like every other person in stupid Atlas and don't like it or believe it, then you can just leave me alone! I don't have to explain or hold myself accountable to anyone - I'm not another one of my father's puppets, I can make my own choices about what I believe and what I'm gonna do with whatever's left of my life, and I choose to fight!" There was silence for a few moments.

"... You heard that?" Adam asked quietly. A door in the wall opened, and Hima's eyes widened as a warm light poured onto her cold-colored room.

"... Every word." Someone replied, and Hima's eyes widened. "Take her." Someone in the dark came up behind her and held a cloth to her mouth, and Hima instinctively threw a punch back and felt it hit him in the face. The figure grunted, but he didn't let her go - he was much stronger, and Hima's last effort before she lost consciousness was to move her hand away from her sword and close her fist around the strap of the case for her violin.

/\/\/\/\

A seventeen year-old Weiss Schnee sat on a bed in a dark dormitory, glaring at a girl with black hair and amber eyes who sat on a bed across from her.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!"

"That is the problem!" The girl in black shouted, frustrated. Weiss became reproachful.

"You realize you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"

"There's no such thing as pure evil!" The other girl shouted, annoyed. "Why do you think they hate humanity so much?! It's because of people like Cardin, people like you and your father, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!" Weiss raised a hand to her heart.

"People like me?!" She demanded, glaring. "And my father?!"

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim!" Weiss snapped, standing up, then she slowly calmed down. "... You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?" Weiss turned away from the other girl and gripped a windowsill, not meeting anyone's eyes. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years - war, as in actual bloodshed..." Weiss let some tears fall from her eyes, then she quickly closed them. "My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember, and ever since I was a child - I've watched family friends disappear, board-members executed, an entire train-car full of Dust stolen... And every day, my father would come home furious - and that made for a very difficult childhood." Weiss let a small sob escape. "Especially when I lost my sister!" Everything was silent as the occupants of the room gazed at Weiss.

"Weiss..." A silver-eyed girl tried, walking over and placing a hand on the heiress' shoulder. Weiss suddenly went off, turning on the black-haired girl.

"NO!" She snarled, her fists clenching. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang?! It's because my sister defended them, and they took her away from me! It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and MURDERERS!"

"Well, maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Two voices shouted in unison, and Weiss' eyes widened as a figure stepped forward from the back of the room. The figure walked over to stand by the girl with black-hair, crossing her arms and glaring at Weiss.

"Because, in case you've forgotten... You abandoned me long before I left you, sister."

Sometimes, to find your motivation, you've got to start all over. Here I am again, rebooting another story so that it stands a chance at being saved.

The story of Hima Schnee, "The Lost Heiress", was an older project. An experiment, because I wanted to practice writing characters like Adam and Blake and I was curious to see if I could experiment with alternate universes and writing Maidens. The story sort of died after a short time, but now, I'm giving it another go.

Wish me luck.

I only own my OC. Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks! :)