- Of People and Friends -

"Do you ever regret killing the people you had to?"

A voice asked him. A voice from so long ago, it was a past memory that may as well have easily surprised him by how back-dated it was.

The crowned king of Vale looked over his own city from the Eaglehead as they flew overhead. His eyes focused primarily on that civilization as the memories replayed. Memories that weren't forged on his own adventures. Memories that belonged to him.

Beside him is the ghostly image of some woman with light-blue hair and vermillion irises that train on him, her lips wielded with a faint smile. Her hands rest on her knees, her wings tucked close to her back. She's adorned in black robes, and her sheathed katana rested idly on her lap. What he felt inside was a phantom pain, a pain that he's learned to live with, no matter what random reason it was. Inside, he was crying. There were times he didn't understand why completely he felt these ways so randomly ever since making his journey back to Vale and coming across the statue of presumably himself and the dragon-like woman beside that one.

Jaune eyes the red-veined blade clipped to his right arm's sleeve. This weapon had a name, and its name was Gram, a sword that seemed to expand whenever triggered and made itself versatile in terms of striking power. Specifically, the blond recalled taking it from the chests that were placed in front of those statues after a little bit of experimentation with his own aura interacting with it. It was strange at first, admittedly, but it worked.

Athena proceeded to nuzzle its head against the side of his head, which he silently chuckled to before eyeing the smiling ghost briefly. 'Maybe one day… I'll know who you are. But today's not that day.' He mentally stated with an apologetic tone, 'Wait for me.' The dragon-like lady nods to the king. She fades away into the nothingness, leaving Jaune to himself once again before being reminded that he was surrounded by his own friends.

"Athena, come on, you've been doing this for five minutes straight now, calm down." The blond laughed softly, getting his owl-grimm of a companion to stop before it could continue on forever. Looking off to the side, he noticed Ruby and Cassandra pouting straight at him with Neo sympathetically patting them on the shoulder, a deadpanned expression sent towards him. Jaune's head slightly reared back in confusion- trying to figure out if he had done something wrong just now- while the rest of the crew on the Eaglehead had just laughed it off.

Weiss remained in the bullhead adjacent from the Eaglehead, icy blue eyes trained on the very man who vanished years ago and was claimed to be dead. It took a while to process what she was coming to terms with to realize that he was alive after all this time, and the only questions came to be as to where he's been, and what he's been doing all this time. Somewhat, it seethed anger out of her to know the answers, and why he let FALL die in the first place… along with Pyrrha. The heiress felt a nudge against her side, causing her to blink and glance up to Neptune, the steampunk-themed friend of hers, "Sorry, did you say something, Neptune?"

"Y-yeah, you've been staring at Jaune for a long time now. Don't get me wrong, I'm shocked and all… but you look a little, I dunno, furious..?" He said with a wary tone, who got an agreeing nod from Klein from behind. The Schnee didn't even seem to notice her own expressions when Neptune said that. Not even how her fists were so tightly clenched. But at the same time, he deserved an answer, just like everyone else here.

"I…" The heiress narrowed her eyes at the back of her fists, conflicted with finding words to help elaborate her thoughts, "… it's just… he's been gone for so long and over the years everything's come falling apart one after the other." Weiss said in a low tone. Atleast she was trying to calm herself down from her disrupted nerves.

"Look at him now." The icy blue eyes gaze upon the blond being scowled at by a brunette and an elegantly dressed green-haired woman. On his shoulder was some kind of Grimm-themed owl. She never did think he was the kind to get an owl out of all animals. A husky- wolf- maybe? She's only read of so few individuals actually owning Grimm Companions these days. With those in the Eaglehead having their own mess, Weiss continued on with her dialogue, "Jaune is leading people again, despite having left us way back. He abandoned us. And he's… grown so much taller over the past years. Somehow, he has the audacity to see us now?"

A sigh drew from the Schnee as Coco came over, lowering her shades, "It's funny how he actually did manage that timing with us covering your back. I was wondering why he threw me and my team out to the rooftops of some of the buildings just in time for us to see you, Neptune and your butler running straight into that crowd of Atlesian drones. He gave us the order to fire, and before we even saw it when we fired away, you three were already on the ground, clear of our shots going overhead." A chuckle came from the team leader, sliding her shades back up to her eyes with an indignant smirk, "Eitherway, we managed to grab you and those other two stragglers-" Neptune grunted in the background at the name. "-along with letting Atlas know that they aren't going to be the strongest military in the world for any longer."

The three escapees from Atlas perk their heads up to the fashionista's statement, as Neptune was the first one to question it, "What do you mean by that…?"

"Hm? What?" Coco stares down at the steampunk. It took several seconds for Velvet to elbow her in the rib and remind her about Vale. With a prompt 'oh' lightly slipping out of the team leader's mouth, she went on with her explanation, "I entirely forgot to tell you guys that Jaune's status in the rebuilt Vale." The fashionista gestures to the blond in subject's cape, which they could see through the Bullhead's windows and into the Eaglehead's. With the three freezing up from the sight of it, they came to recognize the symbol on the fancy cape entirely draping down one side of the blond's body.

The Schnee heiress felt her jaw drop, Winter and Qrow walking up to her side and also sharing the same view that they came to already be familiar with.

On Jaune's cape, the symbol of a crown.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in view of Vale." The voice over the Bullhead's speakers announced, as Weiss's eyes widened at what was now the recreated version of Vale from many years ago.

"As you can see, it's quite spacious here. Undoubtedly they maintain the cleanliness and tidiness of this chamber at all times."

Winter explained to the newcomers of Vale, Weiss only able to comprehend so much at one time along with the other two.

It was clear that no one was kidding when Vale was rumored to be coming back from being abandoned. The kingdom itself was destroyed in the fall. There wasn't even an attempt to reclaim the land that was stripped from Humanity. With the economic system that was being implemented into the returning kingdom by none other than the Arc, even she couldn't see any major flaws that would disrupt the slowly building economy as it is now. The heiress turned to her sister, "How come no one has been able to confirm the actual activity that goes on here? Why has all of Remnant not heard of this yet?"

A hum from her sister is her first response, the group strolling along the sidewalks of the palace. It was truly a magnificent building, more fantastic than White Castle itself. It was themed with almost purely-white brick tiles that didn't hurt the eyes of much with any gleam of light reflecting off it. Nor did it seem dull. The color of the palace's roofs were different variants of dark gold to light gold, and wielded many mosaic artworks implemented as windows or decoration.

Eyeing the surroundings, luscious green grass grew evenly along the ground and not a single spot displayed dirt trails of where people would've potentially trekked across constantly. Healthy bushes and flower fields were spread equally amongst the open ground. She was surprised to have come across several Faunus workers enjoying their work as some tended to the plants and hedges, or busied themselves into crafting more buildings for the Palace, adding to the environment.

Then came the guards, who were donned in shining armor with golden details and held veiny-like engravings within them. Every plate in combination of red and white. Each one of them had their heads protected by helms with unique designs that took on the appearance of various Grimm creatures. Some of them opted out of wearing one so that way that had breathing room for cool air. Nevertheless, security was tight, especially when it came to being around the perimeters of Vale in any case of attacks. There were more than enough people that volunteered to be apart of it to begin with, as far as the reports had said- in courtesy of Winter's access to retrieving said reports.

"The CCT- it's been down for quite some time. I believe that Arc man was the first to get it working locally from within the surrounding area of the kingdom. The only issue to cover for now is the complication of accessing the Schnee main network lines so that way Vale can communicate cross-continentally. As you've already known, communications were cut short across Remnant when the fall happened. I've kept secret from General Ironwood about this place to keep him from bringing an entire Atlesian force here again, so there isn't much aid I can get from him for now. The king has plans for him that I've agreed to."

Weiss grit her teeth, clenching her fists as she remembered the following events. Neptune was there to pat her on the back and nod knowingly to her, "The CCT was the only tower that allowed Remnant to communicate entirely together to begin with." Her icy blue eyes met another set of the same, "But I don't recall father ever taking down that line after the fall. I know that even to today that it still hasn't gone down."

"Father long since cut my connections to the Schnee mainframe ever since I've joined the Atlesian army. He always took into consideration that I would provide General Ironwood accessibility to it, thus giving him limitless freedom to use it how he wished. Though, it takes three days to fully deactivate an access clearance of a Schnee due to the process that it requires for a cancellation through the entire system." Winter explained, as she gestured to Klein and Neptune to follow an individual that came to them. Most likely a tour guide, considering the way they were dressed in an uniform. The other two took their leave, allowing the two sisters to engage a private discussion.

"You want me to use what I have left to enable it, don't you?" Weiss inquired with hesistance. Never did it come across the thought that she'd betray her father's expectations this much.

"… I know how it feels, believe me. But I want you to consider it within the time frame of three days. Vale has come back up and alive with so many people and new things that no one's ever heard of yet. The development of this kingdom is by far the most fastest progressions I've ever seen." Winter stopped at the palace's small awning, sitting at a table with Weiss occupying the seat across from hers. The specialist looks to her younger sibling with a frown, her eyebrows knit together in concern, "I can also see that you harbor a certain hate for the king of Vale, Weiss…"

"He left Humanity on its own, Winter." The younger of the two growled lowly, gripping her fists on her lap tightly, "Years have passed, Winter. Years of Humanity fighting the humanoid Grimm without a single strand of hope- villages being razed to the ground. Families and children losing their lives." A sigh. "I want to give the people of Vale what I have left to allow the cross continental communications… but Jaune… I don't…" Her voice trails off as Winter set a hand on her shoulder.

Not even noticing the Atlesian specialist getting out of her seat to get closer to her, she watched as her older sister grins warmly to her and nods, "Talk to him when you can then… Sure, he may be busy as a king, but he will always put the time aside to talk to his people and friends."

It felt true. It sounded just like Jaune.

The heiress looked down to the now loosened hands on her lap, nodding, "… Okay." She muttered, as Winter folded her hands behind her back and began making her way out.

"I will be around, Weiss. I'll be somewhere around or within the palace if you ever need me." Winter states as she stepped out from under the awning…

And Winter will admit it, it felt nice to help out a sibling.

Splash!

The wet material of her uniform now clung to her body as she immediately glares at the prankster above her, just hanging out by the edge of the awning's roof, "Qrow!" She hissed loudly, drawing her dueling saber and jumping towards the now laughing red-caped man. Just when she did, Qrow jumped from his spot, dropping the empty water bucket and letting it clang elsewhere and off the roof as he scrambled to get up and flee.

Weiss stared as she watched her sister literally leap out of her view and hear a masculine 'Oh frick.' in the background before clashings of metal was heard and things being torn apart.

Weiss walked around the perimeter of the palace, awing at every view and angle that it could provide. Agreeably it was much more fascinating than anything she's ever seen thus far. Red banners drew down beside the entrances doors to the main chamber, each one holding the title of 'First Ascended Legacies'.

Entering wasn't that hard- given the guards were already familiar with her and her sister. It wasn't hard to see why someone would place the throne right there in the center, given that the king would sit there just a few steps up from where the main crowd would usually idle around. It was empty though. Along the sides of the interior were grand stairs that lead up to several different floors. Treading up them, it was going to make a worthwhile search for the blond king.

The first room she checked out when she was upstairs was the storage room, which… really was filled with bland items and janitorial supplies. She wasn't too sure if that strange looking green pipe in the corner was for plumbing issues… but that wasn't for her to know, obviously. With the heiress checking the next room, she came across the library, and the first person she saw was none other than the same woman that was in the same Eaglehead as Jaune was.

With green hair and fancy clothing, the woman's pink irises looked over to Weiss. Beside her seemed to be a younger version of that girl. "Oh, hello." She greeted with before Weiss could say anything, and it was with a light grin that she shut the book silently and put it back on the shelf, then made her way towards the heiress, "I forgot you were new around here when Jaune went to retrieve you. I'm Cassandra Astria, and this is Hailey, my little sister." Weiss recalled hearing that name from somewhere, as she subconsciously shook hands with the girl offering her own hand out to her.

Then it clicked.

"Wait, you're… the daughter of the former king. One of the five royal bloodlines of Remnant!" The heiress couldn't hold back her surprise, leaving the other two to giggle and then nod.

"Mhm!" Hailey hummed out as she looks up to her sister.

"You're correct. You're Weiss Schnee, Jaune's told me about you."

Weiss felt her cheeks heat up faintly, glancing side to side, "O-oh, did he..?"

"He did. I must say, to hear that you were originally apart of FALL is a surprise, given you're the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company."

Her eyes refocused as she turns back to Cassandra, "Ah… yes, that. I won't be seeing that company any much more. Speaking of which… do you know where I could find Jaune?"

The Astrias blinked. Hailey spoke up for Cassandra, "He might be in his office! Go upstairs and it's… uh…"

Cassandra laughed and shook her head, "Just go past the dining room and you'll end up rounding about the kitchen. A few more doors ahead in the corridor and you'll see his office- it's the one with his name on it and the crown symbol above it."

The Schnee smiles to the two and nods, "Thank you so much. Until we meet again." She excused herself shortly afterward, heading downstairs and passing by the dining room as instructed. But when she came across the kitchen, she needed to stop, seeing… Ruby wearing a white cape while she was sliding something into the oven.

"Ruby?" The heiress called out to, causing 'Ruby' to turn around and blink. But… Weiss didn't know how fast Ruby can age, but… she seemed so much more mature. Even if she just swapped out her red cloak for a white one. The pair of silver eyes bore into her before someone in a red cloak came sliding into view with oven mitts. Then for certain, Weiss was able to recognize her as Ruby.

"Weiss!" Her team leader came crashing into her, hugging her tightly and jumping excitedly, "Oh my gosh I've missed you so much!" The heiress gave a soft smile, unable to respond just as emotionally before noticing the look-alike of Ruby just ahead. Blinking several times, she eyes Ruby.

"Ruby… who's that?" Ruby's eyes trailed to see the woman Weiss was speaking of, only to see her mother and grinned to Weiss, shaking her shoulders wildly.

"That's my mom!"

"… Oh, okay." She deadpanned.

She gave herself a minute to process what Ruby had just said.

Unfortunately, a minute's too long of a minute to actually read this text.

"Wait, what?!" Weiss's eyes widened at her leader, "Your mother?!" She recalled that Ruby and Yang informed her and Blake that Ruby's mother had died way before the two became huntresses-in-training. But now out of all places- her mother's just up and out of the blue?! "How-"

Neo began walking up to Summer in the distance, handing her a bowl of cookie dough. It wasn't until then that the Neapolitan-themed girl was aware about Weiss's presence, and immediately recoiled in shock. The Schnee's response was to try and push Ruby aside with Myrtenaster in hand, but Ruby was stronger than she looked, as she held her back, "No, no no no no! Weiss, she's friendly! Everything's alright now! Jaune's convinced her to come to our side! She's helping us now!"

…

Oh Weiss is going to have a long conversation about this one.

Okay, maybe it was too long.

With the Sun setting, Weiss felt too tired out by the ride between Atlas and Vale, and then the whole discovery of new Vale. She's yet to have found Jaune's office. But when she did, boy, was she going to have an even longer day. Having gone further into the palace, she came across the corridor mentioned with several windows accompanying one wall, revealing the outside flower fields of the palace.

The moonlight filled the corridor as the lamps on the opposite wall were unlit. It was a beautiful scene to behold, truly… but as she looked out the window to see the flower fields, she saw who she was aiming to speak to in the first place.

Jaune was standing out in the middle of the flower patches, holding one of the flowers delicately in hand, and a book in the other.

Infact, he seemed almost peaceful doing such a thing, contrasting to when she thought the blond would be one to be uncaring to much life and be clumsy enough to ruin such beauty. This simply proved her wrong in that aspect.

When she made her way out of the corridor, she trekked outside onto the stone walkway and made her way towards the king. His back was turned to her, but Weiss made the easy assumption that he knew that she was coming. And when she did, silence sat between the two with the heiress staring at the back of the tall figure, and the tall figure gazing down upon the flowers the palace housed.

A gentle wind pushes by them, and the night begins setting in.

"Why did you leave us?"

…

"I didn't mean to."

A silk-smooth hand rests over the hilt of Mytrenaster, "You could've come back sooner. You could've stopped all of this."

His arms didn't move. Only admiring the flower that sat on the palm of his hand, which slowly began withering away, "I know. I wish I could've came back faster."

It wasn't an acceptable excuse to her. So as she draws Mytrenaster, the tip trails across the air, creating a curving line of reflected light from the tip of the rapier as it tips by her side. Poised and ready.

"FALL fell apart when Pyrrha left us." It hurt her chest. The pain that settled in was unbearable. But that pain… mainly derived from her heart.

She lost another family she's never had before that didn't mind if she wasn't 'perfect' for once. That family was FALL. Yet, to see what's become of Remnant now, it only angered her. Everyone had went off their own ways after the attack on Vale, or died trying to save what was left of it. Years, she's spent in the confinement of her father, Jacques Schnee. To have put up with snobs who tried to insult Vale and pity it as if nothing that transpired there had mattered.

It pented up hate inside her, and all of it only seemed to surface when she came within the vicinity of this…

… this deserter.

Weiss didn't want to kill him. It was the honest truth.

If the years that drew on were worth it… she wanted to see it for herself.

"Jaune, I want to fight you."

It went on for several minutes that he didn't verbally respond, only setting down the withered flower with the rest of its family when it came springing back to life gradually. In the other hand, he would shut the book titled 'Powerless' and kept it by his side.

In the middle of the drawing night, the heiress's eyes glew within the night along with the blade of her rapier. The petals of the flowers surrounding them only seem to add to such effect. The king raises his head and looks to the sky, sighing lightly, "The sky looks so ominous."

Weiss's eyes narrow as she glares at the back of his head, "… I'm not playing, Jaune."

"I know you're not." responded the blond, who eventually turned around to face her. Now causing her to crane her neck slightly to fully gazed at the face of the 6'5 man. His eyes didn't glow like hers did. Jaune's front bangs were gelled up and back minimally, but nevertheless allowed her full visage of his face. What irritated her was that he didn't even bother putting up a fighting face either, only remaining there with a stoic gaze set upon her being.

"All I can say… is that I'm willing to bear the weight of the world now."

Her eyes squint as her rapier thrusts forward, aiming to stab him in the arm. But it found no effect when his gloved hand calmly sprang up and grabbed it by the mid, forcing it back as she tried prying it from his grasp with no avail, "Trust me." Throwing her weapon back, she went along for the ride, back pedalling several steps away and kept a fixed glare on him.

Weiss threw herself forward, the clicking of the switch on her dust canister went off when transferring from red to blue. In that single thrust, she went for another stab to the blond's chest as a lance of ice ejected from Myrtenaster. The heiress smirked, finally having found an opportunity to use the skill that she's been developing over her down time, her constructed lance meeting impact, judging by how there was solid resistance on the other side.

Her smile turned upside-down when seeing a mere book halting her complete advance, Jaune standing off to the side with an arm slightly extended out to hold said book. It was angled in a way that it just barely swatted her lance aside. His eyes were sharply focused onto her.

Utilizing the dust canister once again, it alternated inbetween canisters once again. Shattering the ice-type weapon Myrtenaster created, the heiress spun on her heel to slash at the crowned individual. Weiss's grip over her weapon tightened when Jaune's eyes continued to gaze at her, and not her weapon. Franky, it irritated her even more.

"Why don't you fight back?!" Weiss roared across the field, Jaune simply backing away from her attack.

"If I do, it'd only add onto the pain you're suffering now."

Pain? Hah! As if it'd be anywhere near what she suffered from back then to the present!

Beacon was lost that day- Vale with it.

A home she's lost.

"Pain, Jaune?!" She screeched as a multi-layered glyph of white expanded out across the air behind her, an arm wielding a massive steel sword appearing out of it, "My pain is just like everyone else's! They've lost people and their homes! Humanity is suffering now as we speak! More than ever!"

The steel sword rose into the air and came down upon the unphased blond.

"Pyrrha's dead because you abandoned us!"

Jaune's eyes slightly widened as the shadow began overlooming him completely, his free hand's fingers twitching instinctively.

In a bright light created from the clashing of two metallic weapons, tears poured down from the face of the heiress as she glared at the direction of Jaune Arc. Now released fully from its glyph, there stood the gray dull knight who towered over everything. Two hands clenched around the hilt of a mighty sword that now aims to destroy the target ordered by no other than Weiss.

Instead of satisfaction, she was met with even more sadness that ached her lonely heart. She hated it now, she hated doing this, and wanted to stop, but her body refused. Instead of victory, Jaune was standing where he was three seconds ago, wielding a sword bigger than his own body now, combating against her knight's own strength by pushing the descending sword upwards. Red veins coursed throughout the weapon's material.

'What kind of… sword is that..?' The Schnee had never seen any kind of dust in that variant of color aside from fire, but fire never did that kind of effect the last she recalled. In the blink of an eye, the sword hissed loudly with steam prior to collapsing into the size of a regular longsword. Jaune threw the weight off to the side, allowing it to dig into the ground and huffed loudly.

As he looked up, she almost froze at the sight of him glaring back at her with menacing eyes of his own that now glow within the darkness of the night, as the simple motion of his head going up created a bright trail of azure light, creating an eye-trail.

"Don't remind me."

The king said- ordered- while trying hard not to easily bend the hard-leather book that was in his hand. His arms were shaking as much as his hands were clenched into fists. His voice carried on the tone of a supreme ruler that would one day rule the world. A power that had the right to do as he wished with the world.

Suddenly, she felt her strength within fade drastically as she fell to her knees, her eyes unable to pinpoint where it wanted to look at when wildly meeting the ground beneath her or staring at the wildly flailing flowers beside her. If anything, her instincts pleaded for her to look anywhere but up to where the king stood. Even the knight that she conjured was kneeling, hands forced to the ground and the sword dropped a while ago.

Then it was gone.

Just like that, the ominous presence that doomed her and her knight along with the environment. Terrifying and undefinable in every aspect of a conqueror's own will.

She awaited to be struck down, but was surprised when met with a hand being offered out to her. Being given the privilege to look up once more to see him, she saw him with a sheepish smile that held sadness behind it. Hesitantly, the heiress accepted it and was helped up, seeing his sword now clipped to his right arm. Her knight remained knelt, given she hadn't given it another command since.

"… I'm sorry, Weiss." Jaune breathed softly, causing Weiss to frown and make eye-contact with the king.

Her feet lost its balance, taking several unsteady steps forward unknowingly. If one was to ask how or why she lost her balance,

It was because Jaune had pulled her towards him, hugging her slim frame close to him with one hand gingerly resting on the back of her head, the other just behind her waist. Her hands rose up to rest against his chest, but didn't feel the need to push him away. She knew why he was apologizing… but it also felt as if she should've been sorry as well.

Weiss burrowed her head more into his body as she was encompassed by the warmth, trying to keep herself from giving out any more of the tears she couldn't hold back from all her anger. Naturally, her emotions failed to keep stabilized, and she found herself breaking down within the arms of the noble man who held her. Her heart beated painfully, but it was less painful than it ever felt prior.

What he said was genuine, and every part of her being accepted it as so.

"Jaune," She sobbed, her fingers gripping at the material of clothing that he wore as she hugged him back, "I… was just so mad. I've been so mad for years… I've almost lost hope for everything I once knew." Jaune listened carefully, and she felt it. It didn't take rocket science to feel the honesty and humbleness that he emitted.

"I understand."

He truly did.

When Weiss and Jaune separated, she did her best to wipe her face off with her sleeve. Even then, Jaune used his own to help her wipe off anything more, and rested a hand on her head comfortingly. The heiress stares at his face one more time, "Jaune… I want to do something before it's too late and regret later."

The king nods to her, "… very well then."

It was the beginning of morning the next day.

Despite the efforts to rebuild the tower to the best of its capability, the ability to communicate cross-continentally was still locked no matter how many skilled technicians were within Vale to try and break through it. But as Weiss walked into the tower with Winter and Jaune, Ruby and the rest of the now returning FALL team remained outside to gaze at the tower from below. Hundreds of people had gathered as well.

She stopped infront of the main console, finding the card-reader and stood there momentarily to take a deep breath and slide her ID into it. The screen powered on and requested for the password. Weiss looked up to see Jaune and her sister standing out in the center, both smiling equally to her. Jaune with his hands in his longcoat's pockets, and Winter with her hands folded behind her back.

Weiss's fingers lowered to the keyboard and provided the authentication code, the screen now transferring to a control system that welcomed her in freely with her name at the top left. All it took was several clicks and keys to fully activate the system's capabilities, and her eyes finally set on Jaune in the final stage after unlocking everything that was required to fully open the communications.

With her own genuine smile that her happiness was willing to let show, she spoke, "Jaune… I want you to know that I'm glad that I met you again, and that I'll always try to protect you and everyone else now. I'm sorry that… I've always wanted to be perfect before, and the fact that I may have been selfish at times."

Her finger would press against the enter key, as the lights within the tower itself brightened up and series of blue neon lines stretched across the tower's interiors for Jaune and Winter to awe at briefly. Jaune focused back on Weiss as she chuckles at him,

"This… is our time now, and this tower's been locked to everyone but you now, not my father, not anyone else. Of the future people and friends, I'll strive to make the best out of it."

With static buzzing overhead, the entire kingdom of Vale had heard it. Silence fell upon the kingdom briefly.

…

…

"… Wait, seriously, it's… it's working now?!" A man's voice echoed over the communications, the entire kingdom hearing it, as everyone remained silent, only faces of smiles and jaws dropping were seen.

Soon, that voice was followed by other voices over the CCT's speakers.

"What?! This is Feron Village of Vacuo, is anyone out there?!"

"This is Grande, in a town nearest to Atlas, I can hear you! What's happening?! Is this real?!"

Weiss closed her eyes and felt relief in her heart, as if tons of weight from her shoulders had lifted.

Jaune turned his head to look at the display screen of Remnant just on the main pillar in the center of the room.

"This is Ghira Belladona, Chieftain of Menagerie…"

Quack! Heya guys, sorry for the long wait time for another update, I'm currently elsewhere- I've moved a while ago and haven't managed to get into access to the internet for a while. But here I am now! So uh. Yeah, that.

fanfictionPenguin, aborting thread.

- Black -