A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the nice reviews an faves and follows. I hope you like this next chapter. It has a few twists and a new character will be unofficially introduced, but I guarantee you'll be able to guess who it is. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, Roosterteeth does. I do own my OC characters though. (King John, Alsea, etc)

Chapter 2: The Royal Ball

But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.

2 hours. 2 hours 17 minutes and 13 seconds Jaune had been missing.

It was official: He was pissed.

Weiss stomped down the hallways, not caring about the weird looks she was getting. For a prince that boy was more trouble than she imagined. Ever since her father had literally dragged that servant boy out of the dining room no one had seen the blond haired boy. Ever since he ran out, face fuming and fists clenched. Throughout the years they spent with each other Weiss had never seen him so angry. Why would he get so mad about a servant? Surely they weren't truly friends, it was just that he didn't like seeing the abusive treatment.

Right?

It didn't matter anyways. Weiss had bigger problems. She had been tracking him down all over the castle grounds using her dust in hopes of getting the dunce back. Since dust was common in her family life, she had learned its effects, as well as how to properly use it. Red dust for fire, blue for ice, the list went on and on. But gray was used to find people. It didn't take much, only a sprinkle of someone's hair or a drop of blood. Thankfully Jaune didn't keep his room cleaned nor locked, and she found a suitable strand of gold in his clothes. After that all she had to do was put it on the crystal and hold it out. When near the objective it would glow brighter, when not, it wouldn't glow at all. So far she had ruled out the courtyard, training fields, sports fields, and basically anywhere in the West, South, and East side of the castle.

Yep, totally easy. Her patience was about to go well past the breaking point when the piece of dust finally let out a low glimmer.

Huh, what in Remnant? Weiss thought. The crystal was pointing towards an abandoned field. Why would he be out there? The princess sighed, then, while trying not to get her dress dirty, trudged through the dirt.

"Jaune?" A voice said. The prince looked up from the ground and saw a silhouette outside the willow leaves, "Jaune, I know you're here." It was Weiss.

Great, just great, just what I needed. Jaune thought, how did she even find this place?

"Jaune?" Weiss said again. Maybe if he was quiet enough she would go away. A faint breeze blew across his face and he shivered.

"Jau-oh for Remnants sake," Weiss pushed away the vines and glowered at her fiancé, arms crossed, "Jaune, what are you doing here?"

"How'd you fine me?" Jaune asked, not meeting her gaze.

"I used tracking dust," Weiss said, as if the answer was obvious.

"Please, just go away." Jaune sighed.

"And why on earth would I just leave you here? Your father has been looking for you everywhere!"

"I don't want to see him," Jaune said flatly.

"Wait," Weiss said, the truth slowly dawning onto her, "That slave really was your friend, wasn't he?"

"What do you mean?" Jaune said, "Of course he was. And his name's Ren."

"I just thought that you were trying to protect him," Weiss said, still trying to wrap her head around the idea of a slave and a royal being friends, "I guess not, though."

"What do you want, anyways?"

"I wanted to talk," The white haired girl said simply, "I truly am sorry about what happened though."

"Why would you care?" Jaune bitterly, and Weiss could see how much he was hurting. Her voice softened a bit.

"Because, like it or not I am your…friend. Okay? Just because we don't love each other doesn't mean that we can't be that. And…"She tried to think of what friends did, "Friends…help one another." Jaune noticed the end of her sentence went an octave up, like she was unsure of herself.

"Weiss, did you ever have a friend?" Jaune asked. The princess immediately scowled and put her hands to her hips. "Of course you imbecile!" She said loudly, "I just…they've been busy and I've forgotten the basics."

"There are no such things as "basics" in friendship," Jaune stated, "But, okay, whatever you say…snow angel." He smirked as Weiss gave him a death glare; Jaune knew she hated that nickname he gave her. For a split second he forgot what he was upset about.

"So, what are you going to do?" Weiss asked, and Jaune remembered the unfortunate predicament he was in.

"I don't know," Jaune admitted, "I don't even think there's anything I can do, for that matter. Curse your father," He stopped and put his hands over his mouth, "Weiss I'm-"

"Shut it, dunce," Weiss said, but she wasn't angry, "I understand. If I were in your position I would be mad too." Jaune looked at her, "My father was just frustrated about the day's events and I feel terrible he took it out on your servant boy."
"Ren," Jaune corrected, "And don't feel that way, it wasn't your fault and you couldn't do anything about it."
"Still," Weiss said softly, "He's done that before, mistreated others, I mean. It doesn't get any better every time I witness it." Jaune was shocked; the ice princess seemed to actually melt for a sec.

She turned to him, "But, why in the world of Remnant are you two friends, let alone talk to each other?"
And… she was back.

"We've always had, I guess," He said, trying not to be too mean. He knew Weiss wasn't being rude on purpose, it was how she was raised, "Ever since he came to my castle when I was ten we've been friends. It didn't matter what class you were in, to my family. All that mattered was who you were inside." Weiss looked down at the ground and took in his words carefully. Still, though, the princess was stubborn. Peasants had caused her so much trouble when she was young. Pain, even. When her father would come home after another riot or rebellion and-

She shook her head as Jaune continued.

"-we would play together often. And he would put up with my problems and ramblings about how much I hated being a prince or doing this or that," Jaune took a deep breath, "It's odd, though."

"What is?" Weiss asked.

"All these years and I never learned anything about himself or his past. I mean, I caught a few facts here and there but he never talked to me about his family or life before. He didn't even have family when he came to Vale."
"He wasn't from Vale?"

"No. Strange, huh? He was born in another country far away from here. But that's about it."
"I'm not surprised, really," Weiss said, and actually found herself enjoying talking to Jaune, "In Atlas slaves in my father's castle aren't allowed to talk about themselves, only obey. But…maybe if it was different here, then he just found his past too difficult to talk about."

"Maybe your right, but I just wish I found out more about him before…he leaves,"

"As sentimental this is," Weiss said, remembering the real reason she tracked Jaune down, "That wasn't the main reason why I came. Listen, I know that your friend is gone and things look bad. But have you forgotten what's coming up?"
"Huh?"

"The Royal Ball, you imbecile! The day we're marked as a couple and unofficially join Atlas and Vale as allies!" She huffed.
"Your point?"
"I know your upset, I know your mad," Weiss started to pace around, something she never almost did, "But you can't let this ruin our countries."

"What do you mean our countries?" Jaune said, "I'm not even king yet, I don't even deserve to be king!"
"I mean that even though we're not the leader of our people yet, doesn't mean it's not our job to look after them. Do you even remember why we're doing this, Jaune? To protect everyone! And just because something bad happens doesn't mean we give up, it doesn't mean we start to sulk around and act like kids!" Jaune stared at Weiss's raging face and closed his eyes.

"I know, I know," He said weakly. Weiss crossed her arms again and sighed.

"When we become King and Queen, Jaune, there's going to be so much more than this. Everyone's counting on us to be there for them, to be their heroes. And this ball is just an example of what we have to do to show them just that."

"Everything just seems so messed up."

"I know. Trust me," The Atlas princess started to turn away, her voice sharp and cold, "We're royals, Jaune. And that means we can't afford to make mistakes. Try to get that in your head before the ball."

One Flight of Stairs Beneath the Castle Grounds

About Two Days Later

Out of all the conflicting feelings Ren was having, boredom was one that he didn't expect. He thought he would feel more sad, or angry, or even afraid. However the more he thought about it, the more banal he became. Living out your last days of humanity stuck in a jail cell in the Arc Castle made you feel that way. At least he wanted something, anything, to do before he was sent to Atlas.

But, nope, he was stuck in grimy cell #14 lying against the walls. His eyes were closed and his stomach grumbling. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he had guessed maybe two days or so? Recently there had been a lot of commotion going on, so he predicted that the ball was about to begin. That, or, the kitchen set on fire. But the former seemed more correct. He wondered how Jaune was doing, as the last thing he saw before getting dragged out of the room was his friend running away. He probably went back to the Willow tree to clear his head like always.

Click, the sound of a lock being open echoed through the cell, and Ren opened his eyes. A small line of light appeared and he saw that someone was opening the door.

"Jaune?" He asked.

"Not even close," The voice said, and Ren sighed. It was Weiss.

Wait.

"Weiss?!" Ren said, almost shouting, "I mean-"
"Save it, peasant," She said, and Ren felt himself smirking. Weiss could be as cold as ice, something he learned over the years of her visits, "No one, not even Jaune, knows I'm-" She groaned as she looked around the cell, "-down her in this dingy place." She wasn't wearing her traditional clothing, probably not to get it messed up in the scum of the dungeons.
"It's more like disgusting really," Ren mused.

"I thought that someone like yourself would be used to these conditions."
"Well, I'm not. I lived in the servant quarters in the castle," Ren said flatly, "And may I ask you what you're doing down here?"

"I came to say that I'm sorry about what happened," Weiss said, feeling pang of guilt.

"Why? It wasn't your fault."
"Jaune said the same thing, but it doesn't make the guilt lessen anymore."
"Well, Miss Schnee. I forgive you I guess, if it makes you feel better. But, do I have permission to ask what's go on up there?"
"Granted. And for your information, the balls about to begin in a few hours."
"How's Jaune?" Ren asked.

"I managed to set him straight and stop his sulking," Weiss said simply, "In order words he's trying his best to put on a smile."
"Oh," At least Jaune was…okay.

"He's worried, that's a fact," Weiss said, "My family and I are prepped to leave a few days after the ball ends. I suppose that's all the news I have though," She began to leave.

"Wait," Ren said, "One more thing."

"What is it?" Weiss said rudely, afraid that if she stayed any longer her father would get suspicious.

"Good luck, Miss Schnee." Ren said and saw her face soften a bit.

"I'm not the one that deserves that luck," She said sadly, and with those words closed the door.

Time: 10:00 at Night

The Royal Ball Room

Jaune carefully adjusted the crown on his head so that it wouldn't slide off. He was standing behind a large, velvet curtain, with the princess of Atlas right next to him, and, he even though he wasn't attracted to her, Jaune had to admit that she looked stunning. Her outfit was different than the one she wore at the dinner, with a light blue and white dress that went down to the floor. Her sleeves went past her wrists and hung loosely next to her sides. Jaune couldn't see her feet but he predicted that she was wearing the same glass slippers as before. Not the best for dancing but, hopefully, they wouldn't have to do most of that anyways. Her hair was swept up in a tight bun, complete with a sparkling tiara with a tiny green gem in the middle. Unlike the prince, Weiss was perfectly still and silent, only listening to the guests and servants doing their business behind the curtain. It wasn't time for their entrance yet.

"Prince Jaune and Princess Schnee," A voice said, and the two turned to the person who had spoken. Jaune recognized the man immediately; it was his father's friend, Ozpin.

"Yes?" Weiss said politely, "What do you need?"

"I just came to wish you two the best of luck in the future to come," The old man said. Weiss noticed the steaming cup of brown liquid in his hand and gave a confused look, "This is coffee. And the main reason why I'm still alive and active today. They don't have this sort of drink in Atlas?" Weiss shook her head, "Very delicious though. You should try it someday." She merely frowned and turned her attention away from him.

"Ozpin?" Jaune said reluctantly. The wizard looked at the royal, "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."

"Is my father mad at me?"

"Why on earth would you ask that?"
"I-I just suspected he would, after I stormed off that night," Jaune looked at his feet and swayed back and forth.

"Well," Ozpin said, put his free hand on his shoulder, "He's not, only mad at himself."
"Why?"

"Because he's guilty that he wasn't able to take care of William sooner." Ozpin turned around and started to walk away.

"Wait-what?" Jaune said in a confused tone, "What do-"

"Attention, my people!" A voice shouted through all the talking. Weiss grabbed Jaune's arm quickly and shook it.

"We're getting ready to go on," She hissed quietly. Jaune could hear his father's words bellow throughout the room. He and the princess locked their arms together and Jaune felt himself go a bit red.

"Don't flatter yourself," Weiss smirked.

"As you all know, we are here to celebrate my son, Prince Jaune-"His father proclaimed.

I don't deserve this, Jaune thought.

"And Weiss Schnee, Princess of Atlas!" A loud round of applause was given, "They are symbols of the peace that Atlas and Vale are now in, as well as a new era for us all! We are proud to have them together. I for one, am proud of my son."

What did he just say now? Jaune couldn't help as look of shock went across his face.

"He cares, you know," Weiss said, a bit of envy in her voice. Jaune looked at her.

"So, without further ado-," The king said.

"You ready milady?" Jaune said. He noticed she was putting on a fake smile.

"I'm always ready," She said bluntly, "Are you?"

"-I present to you're the future King and Queen of Vale!" The sound of clapping appeared and the curtains drew back soon after. Jaune's vision was blinded from all the bright lights and he blinked a couple of times. There were a multitude of people, both rich and poor, applauding the couple as they descended down the aisle. Weiss waved with her free hand and smiled so much Jaune thought it she looked pained. He looked above him and saw the chandelier shining down on them, showing off the prince and princess. He grinned slightly and saw Weiss's parents, along with his standing on top of the stage at the end of the room. His father had a look of pride on his face.

Maybe he really isn't mad at me, Jaune thought and waved at the crowd. After what seemed like ages the two ran out of aisle to walk down and stood next to steps leading to the stage. King John raised his hand to silence the people, and motioned for Weiss and Jaune to come up next to them. The new couple climbed the stairs and stopped a few feet away. No one moved in the room, anticipating what was coming next. King John looked at his son before waving his hand, ordering a servant to bring a wide, dark violet box. Confusion spread through Jaune and he was about to ask what it was when his father spoke.

"My son," King John said, and put his hand on his shoulder. "As you know, it will soon be time for you to take my spot as ruler of Vale." Weiss stared at Jaune's uneasy face. In truth, she also was also uneasy about something, but not him. Something seemed to be off...

"Thank you, father," Jaune said, trying not to stutter his words. His dad opened the box and
to the blond's surprise, a gleaming sword and shield were resting inside it. They were simple enough, the sword having a blue handle and the blade being a respectable length. The shield was blue too, and was outlined in gold. A flicker of a memory went across his mind, "Isn't that yours?"
His father took the sword out and held it forwards, the light shining off of it with a radiant glow, "Yes, Jaune. This used to be mine. But, what I didn't tell you was that it was also your grandfather's and his father before, and so on."

"Stunning," Weiss whispered, "That something so old could survive so long."
"Yes, it is remarkable," King John chuckled, "It is tradition for the father to pass on these two relics during a certain point in their son's lifetime. And I believe tonight is that night. Jaune?"

Jaune gulped and held out his hand. His father put the sword on his palm and his fist closed around it, "Be careful with this. It may look like a rusty weapon but it holds great power."
"Good to know," Jaune said nervously and tried to smile. But inside he felt like his insides were going to explode, "I won't let you down, father."
"I know you won't." The king took back the sword and put it in the case again before turning to the crowd, "But I did not just invite you all to show off those items. Tonight is a celebration, so I intend to celebrate!" A loud cheer erupted from the crowd and Jaune sweat-dropped; he was going to have to dance. The people down below were already forming their partners. He turned to Weiss.

"By any chance can you dance?"
"Can I?" Weiss said.

"Uh…can-"
"OF COURSE I CAN," Weiss snapped, and led her future husband towards the dance floor. As custom, the two had to start off the dance before anyone else could. King John signaled the musicians on the side of the room to start the song. Jaune recognized the tune as the song his mother sung a long time ago. He vaguely remembered it being about the war. The words echoed in his mind only.

Watch as the sun sets below us

Watch as the moon shines bright, but broken

Jaune put out his hand and bowed, "May I have this dance, milady?"

"Of course, Prince Jaune." They held hands.

And through the hours of our days, will our hopes still reign?

Jaune glanced at his feet as he struggled to lead Weiss to the beat of the music. Eventually, the two found balance and managed to move their feet correctly. The ice princess tried not to go too fast.

Our dreams are yet real; we have yet the price to pay

Jaune turned Weiss for a spin…success! She gave him a smug grin.

But just because we're winning, doesn't mean the light will stop to fade

"I thought you said you can't dance," Weiss said, and Jaune blushed a dark shade of red,

Our lives are simple, yet cannot be explained

"Pure luck?" Jaune said, "I'm serious though, dancing has been hard in the past for me."

This world will need more heroes, unless lives brought down in vain

Weiss and Jaune spun around with each other, both practically feeling the stares of those around them. The prince spun her again. The two made their way more towards the center of the room.

So, listen closely, to what I have to give

"Ack! Sorry," Jaune squeaked after he stepped on Weiss's shoe. The latter frowned, but didn't let it get to her. She just hoped he didn't break the glass.

"Just be more alert next time," She said. That same uneasy feeling crept up on her again. She looked around, but didn't see anything alarming. Weiss shrugged it off as just nervousness and focused her attention on the person in front of her, "So, what did you think of the sword and shield you got?"
"I don't know, really. It seems nice," Jaune said.

A single, rare, and one last farewell, of dust we will live

The song started to end and Weiss saw that some people were taking a break, "I thought it looked very nice too, Jaune, do you want to sit down now?"
"Sure," He said, "You should make sure I didn't break you shoes or anything. Who wears that kind when dancing anyways?"

"Me."

SNAP! Weiss quickly looked up and, without thinking, pushed the prince down to the floor before jumping to the side.

CRASH! Jaune's eyes widened as he was shoved to the ground, "Weiss!" He stood up and saw the princess on the floor, shoes broken, next to a fallen chandelier. The once hanging light was now obliterated and Weiss had a fearful expression on her face, "What the-"
"LOOK OUT!" Someone cried. The sound of a window crashing filled the room and Jaune looked up in fear as a giant fireball flew at him. He jumped to the ground as it flew over his head and into the wall. Screams were heard soon after. Weiss wiped off the shattered pieces of glass, ignoring the bleeding cuts, and helped Jaune up. All around people were trying to get away from whatever was going on.

"Hurry up you dunce, we're being-"She froze.

Everywhere was chaos. Weiss saw multiple people in dark clothing stabbing anyone they could find as they made their way to the prince and princess. Blood pooled the floor and she forced down a sick feeling in her mouth. The fire that had been thrown, most likely from a catapult, had started to spread by latching onto the flammable curtains. She pushed Jaune forwards, "Attacked! We have to go now!" Jaune nodded and ran. Weiss tried to run but instantly fell down as her feet were in too much pain. Suddenly, two thick arms latched onto hers and she looked up.

"Greetings, princess," A malicious voice said. A man with a white mask on had grabbed her arms.

It was a White Serf, a member of a group of rebellious peasants.

"Let me go you insufferable beast!" She struggled to try and wiggle her way out of his grasp.

"Weiss!" Jaune yelled, seeing as the girl was in trouble, he started to run back when he spotted something on the stage.

The sword, Jaune thought and made a mad dash for the case. He jumped over some fallen tables and chairs, before reaching the stage. The box was easy to open and he brought out the shiny weapon. He scanned the room for anyone that needed help and ran. Several of the masked figures didn't expect him to have a sword, and he quickly hit any of them that tried to kill the guests. A man came up from behind him and swung his mace-

"Jaune, behind you!" Weiss screamed, and Jaune blocked the attack just in time. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the white-haired girl being dragged away. The prince used all his strength to push his opponent back and promptly kicked him in the gut. The man fell down with a thud and Jaune made his way over to his fiancée. Suddenly, a white serf trying to attack a noble banged his sword hilt onto the blond's back neck. Jaune's vision went blurry as he fell down with a grunt.

"Jaune!" Weiss yelled, and kicked at her captor. Another serf had come over and helped hold her down, "You vile, ruthless-"

"Look who's talking," One of them said, and punched her in the head. Like Jaune, the girl was incapacitated as she slowly blacked out. The two men gave one another a successful nod, and carried the princess away past all the commotion.

Jaune blinked a few times before fully regaining his thoughts. His neck felt sore but that didn't stop the prince from standing up and remembering what happened. He looked around.

"Jaune!" His mother yelled, and the prince saw her stumble to the ground as a white serf tried to cut her open. Without hesitation he ran towards the man and blocked his attack just in time.

"Nice to meet the famous Jaune Arc," The person said with a gravelly voice. Jaune only narrowed his eyes and tried not to buckle under the man's pressure. The white masked criminal kicked Jaune in the shins and watched as he fell down, "Nice knowing-"A gurgle emerged from his throat and he fell down on top of the prince. Jaune saw the sword impaled on his back.

"You alright?" His mother pushed the body over to the side and helped her son up. Most of the serfs were still fighting the army of guards that had come in after hearing about the attack.

"Did…I just get ousted by my mother?" He said dazedly.

"Your father's dead," She said quietly.

"What?" Jaune almost fell down from shock.

"Kill the queen!" A voice shouted. Jaune cleared his head and pushed his mom back behind him as several white serfs advanced on them. Ignoring the rending pain of loss he was feeling inside, the blond haired royal held up his shield protectively. A sliver of doubt ran through his mind; he couldn't defeat all of them and he knew it.

"Where is he?" One of them shouted, brandishing a black javelin.

"Who?," Jaune said, his voice shaking.

"You know who I'm talking about, you lying royal."

"What?!" He glanced at his mother who had gone pale.

"Jaune," She whispered softly, and put him in front of her, "Give me the shield." The white serfs started to walk forwards more. Jaune, though confused, gave her the shield and she put something in his free hand. It felt warm and smooth. She closed his palm up quickly, "I know who they're searching for."

"Who?"
"You have to trust me, okay?"
"Okay," Jaune gulped, "What do I do?"

"Run to the dungeon," His mother said sadly, and pulled out a bright red dust crystal. Jaune, having been taught on the powers of dust like Weiss, instantly ran to the left.

He knew what was going to happen. A hot sensation crawled up his back and he could just see the flames engulfing the entire area. A few screams arose and he prayed that his mom was okay.

Run to the dungeon, run to the dungeon, he thought, then almost tripped as tears blinded his eyes. His father was dead. Never coming back. The very idea of that happening made him want to scream. Jaune ran out of the burning ball room and down a hallway.

"Check the dungeons!" He heard someone shout, and turned the corner to see a few masked criminals trying to open the door to the underground prison. He quickly ran up and stabbed each of them in the chest, making sure that they were dead. The door needed a certain amount of aura to open up, not force, and he put his hand to the cold metal.

Aura can be fueled by emotion, something he had learned before in his school classes. And right then, he had a lot of it. The door opened almost automatically and Jaune went in.

"He went this way!" A voice said from around the corner. Jaune raced down the stairs that led to the cells.

"Ren!" He yelled, and grabbed the prison keys hanging from the wall.

"Jaune?!" He heard his friend shout, "Over here, what in the world of Remnant is going on?"
"Attacked, dad dead, everything is going on!" Jaune exclaimed. Ren's face grew dark.

"Open the cell door now," Ren said sternly.

"Down here, I hear them!" The same voice shouted from above. Jaune opened the door using the key and Ren pulled the prince in before slamming it again.

"Ren, what are you-"His friend grabbed his hand and took object. Jaune saw that it was a shiny, light green crystal of dust, "Ren?"

"Whatever you do, do not allow those guys to get in," He put the crystal down on the floor and took a deep breath. Jaune could only watch in surprise as his hands started to glow a soft pink.

"I thought that you couldn't use your-"

BANG. BANG.

"Crap!" The door to the room started to shake and Jaune ran over to keep it from flinging open. The light green crystal grew brighter as Ren focused more energy into it. Jaune dug his heels down into the ground to keep himself steady.

"Hit harder!" A serf said from outside. Jaune grit his teeth. More pink light flowed from his friend's hand onto the dust and light poured out of it. The prince was forced to close his eyes to keep from going blind.

BANG. Unable to keep the serfs out, Jaune was rocketed forwards as they blasted in. Suddenly, an erupting sound filled his ears and a hand grabbed his wrist.

"They're getting away!" A white serf shouted.

"Don't look down," He heard another voice say over the noise. Jaune felt himself being lifted up and his feet left the ground.

Wait…what? The sound stopped and Jaune tried to find somewhere to put his feet. Instead, his legs flailed in mid-air and he opened his eyes.

What in the world of Remnant? He and whoever had a hold of his arm were dangling a hundred feet in the air. He looked up and saw that Ren was holding onto a thick green branch.

Explosion…Ren…Dust…Branch…Jaune took this all in very slowly.

"Jaune, are you-ack!" Ren's hand was burned as a giant fireball catapulted into the a hundred foot tall plant he had summoned. He let go and cursed again before using his aura to create a pink shield underneath him and his friend. Ren landed on his legs and he felt a course of pain run through them, but at least they weren't broken. Jaune, however, had landed on his back.

"My back…" He said weakly. Ren just rolled his eyes and helped the prince up, "How did you do that?"

"Aura, how else?" Ren said, "Oh no." A pink circle emitted in front of two just as a dagger was about to hit them. It fell to the stone ground, "But now's not the time for this. We have to get out of here." Five masked serfs came running at them.

"Uh," Jaune thought for a second, "Horses?" Ren only nodded and started to run away. They had landed in the East section of the castle, next to Queen Alsea's garden, and both knew where to go. The garden was, thank Remnant, next to where most of the stables were located. Ren ran into the stables and grabbed two headpieces before throwing one to Jaune. The prince let out a random horse and put the ropes on. The animal let out a cry and tried to escape.

"Over there!" A distant voice said. Ren let out a horse as well and calmed it down more efficiently. He then put the headpiece on and climbed on top.

"Prince Jaune!" He said in a warning tone. The white serfs were getting closer.

"This isn't as easy as it looks!" Jaune groaned, trying to keep the ropes from flying out of his hands as the hose galloped around. Finally he managed to hoist himself up just as the five masked men came in.

"Hi-yah!" Ren said in a firm voice, and the horse immediately took off towards the white serfs. He used is aura to blast their way into the wall. Jaune followed in quick pursuit, looking up at his home to see what the damage was. Smoke was coming up from one of the windows and he felt like someone had punched him when he remembered what happened to his parents.

"Prince Jaune," Ren said while they flew down the dirt path. They were staying close to the stone castle walls that surrounded the place, "What exactly-"
"My father's dead," Jaune said, his voice breaking. Ren didn't reply, "And I don't know what the hell is happening and my mother just burned up, and, and-"he gasped, "and Weiss got taken-"

Ren stopped instantly, "Weiss got taken?!"
"They took her and now she's gone and you just grew a giant plant and we fell and now I don't have anything clue what in the world of Remnant to do!" Jaune was starting to break inside, "And they wanted some person and now my homes destroyed and-"

"PRINCE JAUNE!" Ren shouted, and his friend shut up, "Please, calm down. The White Serfs are still here and we have to get out of the castle's range if we want to live."
"How in the world did you do that?!" Jaune exclaimed, pointing at the tall plant that had risen out of the building. Behind him sounds of attack and explosions were going on. The horses rounded the corner and Ren knew that in only a matter of time they would reach the wall's exit arch.

"Now's not the time!" Ren said, and spotted the open doors in the walls that would allow them to escape, "We just have to make sure we aren't seen when we go-"A sharp pain went through his shoulder and he let go of the reigns. Jaune watched as Ren fell off the horse and immediately jumped off of his. He went down to his unmoving friend and saw a gleaming arrow sticking out of body; blood pooling out slowly.

"Well, if it isn't the famous Prince Jaune of Vale. A steely voice said behind him, and Jaune grabbed his sword. He saw shadows circling around him and knew that he was surrounded. A figure with a red tinted sword came out, lips twitched up in a knowing smile.

"Who are you?" Jaune shakily asked.

"I suppose since we have to kill you it doesn't really matter," The man walked forwards, sword raised, "I'm Adam Taurus, leader of this little escapade."

Weiss felt like her head was on fire. The last thing she remembered hearing was one of those scoundrel white serfs mocking her. Her whole body ached and a bit of blood oozed down her head.

Where am I? She thought, and tried to stand up. But the pain was too much and she fell back down again.

"I'm sorry," Someone said in a soft voice, and the princess's eyes widened. She tried lifting her head to see who was there but she was too weak.

"Who's…"
"Don't speak," The voice commanded, "You were badly injured during the attack and I barely managed to rescue you from the White Serfs." A wet cloth pressed on Weiss's head and she felt herself relax, "I know that I would be killed trying to help you but what my people are doing is wrong."

Your people? Weiss thought angrily and her body tensed, "People?"
"Shh," The voice said again, and Weiss figured it was a girl, "My old people. I left them, determined to fight for what I believed in my way."
"Lovely story," Weiss grumbled.

"Hmm, even in a near death-state, the princess of Atlas still retains her mood," The girl mused to herself. Weiss tried to sit up again but was pushed down, "What do you not get about 'badly injured'?"

"Where am I?" She said quietly.

"Far, far away from the Arc Castle," The girl informed, "Hopefully the White Serf won't find us."

"Who are you?" She asked.

"That is none of your business," The reply came back cold and quick. The girl removed the cloth and Weiss could hear water dripping. Suddenly, it was replaced by the sound of horses running.

"Who's-"

"Damn Adam for this cut," The girl muttered and Weiss heard her say a few more foul words, "How did Roman find me, out here nevertheless?" Weiss felt herself trying to be picked up only to be put back down, "I'm…I'm sorry. I got injured protecting you and can't carry you with me."
"What?"

"I can't risk being found by them again," The girl grabbed one of Weiss's arms and pulled her to a tree trunk. She was still out of the injured girl's sight, "Whatever you do, don't tell them who you are. The man's name is Roman and he's different than the White Serfs." The horses drew closer.

"Please, who are you?" Weiss managed to say.

Two seconds passed.

"I'm nobody now." And that last thing Weiss saw before a horse blocked her sight was the flash of black that disappeared into the forest.

A/N: Just a quick note guys. As you all know, Vale and Vacuo and all these countries are in different places all over the world, but I'm changing where they for story reasons. They won't be that different than in the show, but they'll be slightly changed. That is all! Hope you all enjoyed, and please leave a fave and review!