Even though I have written fan fiction for myself before now, this is my first venture into putting it online. I hope you enjoy reading it.

This story will focus on Weiss' life in Atlas before leaving for Beacon Academy. It starts about 2 years before RWBY Volume 1.

I don't know how regularly I will update this, but there is definitely more to come.

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Before Beacon

Ch.1) Inheritance

"Father, I want to see the world. So I was thinking, in a couple years when I finish combat school, I would like to attend an academy in another kingdom. Perhaps Haven or Beacon." Weiss stared at her reflection in the mirror. No matter how many times she practiced saying those lines on her own, they still sounded awkward, and she still had not found the courage to say them to Father.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Klein stepped about a pace into the room. "Miss Schnee, dinner will be served in 15 minutes. Your father has instructed that you and your brother are to attend."

"Thank You." The response came naturally, but in the inside she was screaming with frustration. A family dinner. Because those always went so well.

Klein glanced at the mirror in front of her and stepped further into the room with a goofy grin that she knew well. He lowered his voice. "You know, however many times you say it, that mirror's never gunna answer back."

Weiss looked back to the mirror and nodded. She recognized Klein's slight nudging for her to overcome her fears and speak to Father. "I know. It's just…sometimes I feel like my reflection is the only person that understands me."

She had not entirely intended to say that thought out loud, and glancing back to see Klein's concerned expression, she added, "Sorry. I guess my mind is wandering a bit."

He nodded, dismissing the odd comment and gestured toward the door. "You don't want to be late. I must go inform Master Whitley of dinner. Good evening, Miss Schnee."

He left, closing the door behind him. Weiss took a minute to collect her thoughts before the ordeal of being trapped at the dinner table with Father for an indefinite period of time. Undoubtedly, he would go in long rants about the government or whatever new project the Schnee Dust Company was working on, and he would expect her and Whitley to agree with every word he said. Whitley was good at humoring Father. Weiss had a bad habit of speaking her mind.

On her walk to the dining room, she focused on controlling her emotions. She wanted Father in a good mood when she brought up the idea of studying in another kingdom. That meant she had to agree with whatever he said tonight even if some of his ideas made her cringe. If she lost her temper, the possibility of studying overseas would evaporate. On the other hand, she could not lose her nerve again and fail to bring up the topic. Even though she would not be ready to start huntress training for nearly two years, it would take time to convince Father to allow her to go.

She entered the dining room to find it set for dinner but empty. She looked around for a moment before a quiet voice behind her made her jump. "Good evening, Sister."

Whitley had entered the room just after her. He looked smug, more so than usual.

"Good evening, Whitley."

"I know something…" He taunted with and evil grin.

He clearly wanted her to ask what he knew. So she deliberately didn't. "Good for you."

He ignored her sarcasm. "Father was at the academy today. When he got home, he went straight to one of the SDC lawyers. Do you want to know what they said?"

"I have no idea why I should be interested."

He grinned even wider. "You don't, do you?"

Weiss rolled her eyes at her pesky little brother as Klein came into the room. She walked over to her seat at the table, surprised to find that Klein had pulled out her chair for her. Even though this cheesy act of chivalry was technically part of his job, Weiss always insisted she could manage her own chair. She settled for giving him a bewildered look and sat down. As he pushed in her chair, he leaned over and whispered, "Not tonight."

She gave him an even more bewildered look as he walked away. What did he mean? Then Father came in. A single glance at his face told Weiss exactly what Klein meant. Tonight was not the night to bring up studying in another kingdom. Father was furious.

She almost leaned away from him as his cold glare perused the room. It was worse than if he came in shouting at everyone or muttering to himself. These moments when he went completely silent were rare, but they were also the most unpredictable.

Klein stepped up and spoke quietly. "Mrs. Schnee had refused your invitation to dinner."

Weiss was surprised. She did not realize Mother had even been invited. Mother was the only one who could refuse a demand from Father, and she usually did.

Still completely silent, the three of them sat and waited for dinner to be served. Even Whitley seemed a bit uncomfortable now.

The minutes creeped by with growing tension. Even after the food arrived, they ate in silence. Weiss searched desperately for a clue to Father's behavior. Usually he only got like this after failed business deals or White Fang attacks. But this time, his coldness seemed more directed at his children. His glances at them seemed calculating. Whitley refused to make eye contact with her and focused solely on his food as she tried to give him a questioning look. What had he overheard? Now she wished she had asked.

According to Whitley, Father came back from the academy and talked to a lawyer. Why? The only reason Weiss could think for her Father to visit the academy would be to see either General Ironwood or Winter. Father often had arguments with both of them but never anything on this scale. So what made today different?

She did not get an answer until they finished eating. Father set down his fork and continued to stare at them with that calculating look for another moment before finally speaking. "Winter is joining the Atlesian Army."

Weiss barely registered her own sharp intake of breath as the impact of his words settled over her. Of course, Winter had talked about joining the army, but Weiss never thought she was serious. She barely had time to register this shock before Father continued speaking.

"I warned her previously that after her graduation as a huntress, I will tolerate no more distractions from her duties as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Weiss felt herself tense as the meaning of his words sank over her. Silently, she begged him not to say what she feared he was about to say. But despite her sudden wave of panic, he continued speaking.

"As she decided to ignore my warnings, the Schnee Dust Company needs an heiress who will not allow herself to be distracted by such things as this Army Special Forces Unit. The Schnee name must come first at all times." He turned to look directly at Weiss and spoke in a tone that somehow made the demanding force behind his voice sound almost matter-of-fact. "I have already spoken to the lawyers and instructed the marketing director to prepare a press release. All the paperwork is in order. As of this evening, Weiss, you are the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Her entire world fell away. She could not be the heiress. That was Winter's place. It always had been. Father had threatened to disinherit Winter before, but actually going through with it was a completely different matter. Weiss tried to calm her ragged breathing and fight down a slight panic attack. What would happen to all her dreams of leaving Atlas, of becoming a huntress? She could not imagine herself in a world of businessmen, trade deals, and finance. But what if Father now refused to let her do anything else? The Schnee Dust Company waded through world politics, and Weiss could not imagine herself in such an overwhelming position of responsibility.

She became aware that Father was staring at her with growing impatience. He expected an immediate response. She was on the verge of telling him she could not do it, begging him to choose someone else. Then she caught sight of Whitley out of the corner of her eye. He was smirking. In an instant, she remembered Winter saying that it fell to them to redeem the Schnee name from the infamy Father had brought to it. Seeing that smirk sent a horrifying realization shuddering through Weiss. With Winter now disinherited and Whitley as Father's little stooge, she was now the only person alive with a chance of reforming one of the most powerful companies in the world.

She forced her hands to fold neatly in her lap to hide her slight trembling and looked Father in the eye. Desperately trying to keep her voice even, she forced herself to tell Father exactly what he wanted to hear. "Father, as unexpected as this is, I accept the honor of being named heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. I will do my best to uphold the honor of the Schnee name."

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A part of her begged for this to all be a bad dream. The second she got back to her room, Weiss grabbed her scroll to text Winter. Her message consisted of three simple words. Is it true?

It was a stupid question. Father's seriousness clearly showed it was true, but Weiss struggled to make herself believe it. Every time she thought of the word heiress attached to herself, she felt like she had been dropped into another world. Winter had always been the heiress, and Weiss never gave a serious thought to his threats of disinheriting her. Although this was always a possibility, she never expected it to actually happen.

Her scroll beeped in her hand, and she looked down to see Winter's absurdly short answer. Yes.

That it? Just…yes?

Tightening her grip on the scroll in frustration, Weiss sent Winter another text. Can we talk?

The short answer might have been a sign Winter was busy, but right now, Weiss wanted nothing more than to call her sister and beg for help.

The scroll beeped again, alerting her to Winter's response. Not now. Lunch tomorrow?

Weiss shuddered a sigh of frustration. She hated how her quiet room trapped her alone with her thoughts. And it would be like this all night, with her having nothing to do but worry. She had spent many nights helplessly trapped with her thoughts, but tonight promised to be the worst one yet.