Weiss Schnee: Airship to Vale

Chapter XI

Jacques dialed Willow's number.

He needed to talk to his wife. Make sure everything was alright. He needed to apologize.

He looked around the cramped bathroom, waiting impatiently for her to pick up.

Please don't be infected...

Finally, the beeping stopped.

"Willow?" he said.

"Jacques?"

He sighed in relief. "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Everybody's gone insane! Klein's been helping me survive, but I'm scared! Am I going to die?"

"No!" Jacques replied. "You're not going to die, honey! You need to stay alive! Listen, I'm going to bring our daughter to her friends, and as soon as I'm done, I'm coming back for you! You just have to survive for as long as you can! Alright?"

"I... I don't think I--"

"Willow," Jacques said. "Everything is going to be alright."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, before he heard her start to cry.

Willow was crying.

"Willow?" he said. "Is something wrong?"

"The virus!" she cried. "It... It began at Schnee Dust Company!"

At this point, she was sobbing.

Jacques' eyes widened in horror. That couldn't be... That would mean...

"Did I do something wrong?" Willow asked. "Is it my fault?"

Jacques shut his eyes tight.

"No," he said. "This is not your fault."

"But--"

"Willow!" Jacques said. "None of this is your fault..."

He heard her begin to take deep breaths, calming herself down.

"Thank you..."

He nodded, and hung up the scroll, putting it back into his pocket.

His fault. This was all his fault. He had caused all of this. All those people who had been infected... their lives were on him... All the people who had been killed... it was his fault... Jacob's death... it was all on his hands...

He looked to his hands, which had smears of blood from the infected. He turned to the faucet, letting the water run. He put his hands into the water, washing the blood off his hands.

But only seconds after he had started up the water, he gave up, resting his head against the mirror, as he finally broke down sobbing.

He was lost. Lost and alone. He had done so much wrong, caused the deaths of so many people, turned his son into a selfish monster, willing to put lives on the line to save his own.

But, worst of all, he'd put his daughter's life in danger.

Weiss typed into her scroll.

Ruby, is everything alright on your end?

She waited a good few minutes, but no response.

Ruby? Please tell me you're alright!

A few more minutes passed, and still no response.

Ruby, please! I'm scared, and I'm alone! Please tell
me you're still alive!

When Ruby still didn't reply, Weiss quickly dialed her number, putting the scroll to her ear.

Please don't be infected...

"Hi, this is Ruby! I'm too busy right now, so leave a message after the beep!"

Weiss gasped, putting a hand to her mouth, and hanging up the scroll.

She tried to keep her composure. She'd managed to do so for the majority of this nightmare, even after all the trauma she was going through.

But the idea that Ruby was out there, turned into another one of those monsters finally broke her.

Weiss dropped her scroll, pulling her knees to her chest, and breaking down crying.

The survivors paid little attention. Oswald was sitting against the wall, feeling rejected as always. Sonic and Amy stood together at the wall, their hands interlocked. Momo sat in her own corner, the tears from before still streaming from her eyes as she thought of every moment she'd spent with Jacob.

Jacques finally stepped out from the bathroom, his eyes immediately settling on Weiss. His heart broke as he saw her crying into her knees, and he knelt down in front of her.

He didn't know what to do. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't understand Weiss. He didn't understand his own daughter. He did the best thing he could think of.

He reached for her hand, and gently took it with his own.

It was soft. Gentle.

Weiss' crying began to slow, and she looked up from her knees to see Jacques looking at her.

"Don't worry," he reassured. "I'll take you to your friends, no matter what."

She wiped a tear from her eye. "Aren't you scared?"

Jacques lowered his head slightly, as the thoughts of his terror for the future came to mind.

"Of course I am," he said. "I'm scared, too."

Weiss sighed. "I was so scared... I thought I'd never see you again..."

Jacques' eyes widened in surprise. Why would Weiss ever be scared of that possibility?

"Father," Weiss said, "you remember my song, Mirror Mirror?"

He nodded. "I remember..."

"Have you ever listened to it?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "It's beautiful, Weiss--"

"Not like that," she said. "Have you ever really listened to it? Have you listened to the lyrics? Have you ever realized what it means?"

Jacques stayed silent for a moment. "I... I... I would love to do so now..."

Weiss sighed in disappointment, looking out the window.

Jacques lowered his head, angered at himself. How could he be so ridiculous? How could he refuse to listen to what his daughter had been singing? He wished he could turn back time. Fix all of this.

Then, to his surprise, he heard Weiss begin to sing.

"Mirror, tell me something
Tell me who's the loneliest of all?"

Jacques' eyes widened as he heard that gorgeous voice of hers, which immediately caused everyone in the room to look to her.

"Mirror, tell me something
Tell me who's the loneliest of all?
Fear of what's inside of me
Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?"

As she let a soft, beautiful melody leave her lips, the survivors around her listened in awe, all tears beginning to clear.

"Mirror, mirror, what's behind you?
Save me from the things I see
I can keep it from the world
Why won't you let me hide from me?
Mirror, mirror, tell me something,
Who's the loneliest of all?"

Jacques waited for the last line, and his eyes widened as he finally processed its meaning.

"I'm the loneliest of all..."

Silence fell upon the room as Weiss' song came to an end, and Jacques immediately felt guilt sting harder than ever.

"Weiss!" he said, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so sorry! All of this is my fault! I've hurt so many people! Please forgive me!"

Weiss' eyes widened in amazement, as she processed what was happening. As it finally clicked in her head, she slowly wrapped her arms around him, tears streaming from her eyes.

Then, she asked a question, which shocked Jacques more than anything else on this horrifying adventure.

"Will you stay with me?"