The first thing Richie thought about when the small alarm clock next to his bed began ringing was if he could stop it by throwing it through the large window in his chamber. As he went to test it, however, the adorable rose snuggled into his chest began to whine.

"Ruby," he cooed as he began to rub her soft wolf ears. "Liebe, I've got to get up and see Maxis and Richtofen."

Ruby grumbled and began to separate herself from him. "Fiiiiine." She pouted, "But we will continue this later."

He smiled and pecked her lips, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She smiled happily and snuggled into the pillows as he got off the bed.

He walked out of his chambers and heard a strange sound. It sounded like a song, a kind he'd heard before from the many strange music records that appeared randomly in Prussia due to the Shift...

'Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin' his pennies for someday
Mama Leone left a note on the door
She said, Sonny, move out to the country
Workin' too hard can give you
A heart attack (ack)
You oughta know by now (oughta know)
Who needs a house out in Hackensack
Is that what you get with your money…'

The voice was familiar… Richard began to walk toward the source of the catchy music.

'It seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama if that's movin' up
Then I'm movin' out
I'm movin' out'

He reached an old bookcase and pulled on a copy of The Raven and Other Poems, another result of the Shift. The bookcase slid back and then sideways, revealing a well lit hidden stairway made of cobblestone.

'Sergeant O'Leary is walkin' the beat

At night he becomes a bartender

He works at Mister Cacciatore's down

On Sullivan Street

Across from the medical center

He's tradin' in his Chevy for a Cadillac

You oughta know by now

And if he can't drive

With a broken back

At least he can polish the fenders'

An audible click came from down the stairs as the song stopped. The prince paused for a moment before continuing. The music was very catchy, and he was slightly disappointed when it stopped playing. But he continued down the stone staircase, intent on finding the source, and it appeared that it was at the bottom, fair enough, he needed to head down there to talk to Maxis and Richtofen anyway.

Die Glocke was waiting, along with a possibility of explaining the Shift.

If Johann, now Jaune, were to be asked if he was excited for Beacon, he would ask if Yang was blonde. He had been dreaming of helping people, killing Grimm and being a hero since he was five years old. He knew that most of the population of Remnant weren't particularly fond of Prussians and their 'oppressive monarchy', and many would frown at the sight of him if they knew of his status as a noble.

But that wouldn't stop him from helping them as much as he could, and the Arc Coal Company would help him accomplish his goal.

His great-grandfather had founded the company after the Great War, although it was recently delving deep into the oil business due to the massive oil reserves his father had found scattered around Remnant. It was one of the biggest companies in Prussia and by extension the world. As hard as the Schnee Dust Company tried to addict Prussians to dust like the rest of the world, they simply found the substance to be far too dangerous and strange, so the Prussian Empire stuck with coal and oil. Coal powered engines and oil-lit houses.

He walked through the castle courtyard, every once and a while, a shot from a G98 would be squeezed off, either to kill or injure a Grimm. Blood red leaves crunched underneath his feet as he walked to the clock tower, troops saluting him as he passed by. As he walked up to the entrance a guard stopped him.

"Herr Arc, your sister is on the telephone and she wishes to speak with you."

Jaune sighed, "Alright, lead me to it."

The guard saluted, "Jawhol!"

He walked away and Jaune followed.

As Richard's boots clacked against the stone staircase, he briefly glanced at a sign, 'Die Glockenproject'. He approached two large wooden doors with their guards sitting at a table a card game, two weapons leaning against the table, a G98 and a Mauser M1897, a pump action shotgun made for close range encounters.

Once they saw Richard, the guards got up so quickly that the guard who owned the G98 had the Pickelhaube fall off his head and hit the floor with a clang. The Prince chuckled as one soluted and the other quickly bent down to pick up his fallen helmet.

"Eure Hoheit! We weren't expecting you for another few minutes." said the saluting one, a tall black-haired man with a mustache.

"Vergib uns for not being prepared." said the other after he picked up his helmet and stood at attention. He was slightly shorter than the other and was cleanly shaven.

Richie waved his hand nonchalantly, "It does not matter, I should have announced my approach." He turned to the door, "Well if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Maxis and Richtofen."

"Jawhol!"

Their boots made a clump! as they moved to the sides of the doors to open them.

The room wasn't too large, it was well lit and it had stone walls. There were thick wires and machinery lying around in corners, there was a desk with some sort of safe on it in a corner, a chalkboard covered in scientific equations and questions stood next to it. But in the middle, there was a large bell-shaped capsule with a large Iron Cross on the front of it.

A bald man with a beard quickly waved to him from the desk, a younger man with a thin mustache stood next to him.

"Eure Hoheit! It is good to see you have arrived!", the man greeted.

"Maxis." Richard smiled. "Good to see you."

He turned to the other man, "It is good to see you as well Richtofen."

"Good evening Eure Hoheit." Richtofen smiled.

"May I ask what that music I was hearing as I approached was?"

"Ah, that was a record that was found on the premises the other day, it seems even Prussian land that wasn't transported from the Old World has items appearing on it, we were listening to see if it was good or not."

Maxis clapped Richthofen on the back, "Anyway, on to business, Edward here has created a device that seems to have harnessed the Shift energy," he stated. "I believe that this machine could be used to do many great things."

Richtofen smiled briefly, "It does appear to do as he says, although the most we have been able to displace is a dog."

Richard furrowed his brow, "Displace? I'm not sure what you mean."

Richtofen seemed to gain a small glint in his eyes, "Ah! Indeed, Displace is the term we have decided to use to describe the uh… teleportation that occurs when the device is used, makes it sound slightly less absurd you understand."

Richard nodded before he looked at Richtofen with surprise, "The machine can teleport things?! Gott im Himmel, the things we could do with such technology!"

A bell rang at the desk in the corner, "Ah! The mixture is ready!" Maxis swiftly walked away to his unknown project.

"What was that?"

"Oh, it's just a hobby of his, he seems to be making great progress on whatever it is."

"Indeed, but what is the business with this Displacer of yours?"

Richtofen snapped his fingers, "Of course, come along here and I'll explain our progress and the inner workings of the Displacer and the Shift."

He walked over to another room off to the side which led to a breakroom of sorts, it had a couch, a radio, an refrigerator, and a table with a few padded chairs.

Richtofen headed to the refrigerator, "You see, we believed that the Shift was initiated by God at first, and it might very well still be, but the Shift has Displaced an element from the Old World that appears to cause its own Shifts!" He took out a bottle of liquor, "Champagne?"

"No, thank you."

Richtofen nodded, "Anyway, this new element, I have named it Richtofanium, seems to cause small tears in the fabric of space and time." He paused to take a drink, and Richard took the opportunity to butt in.

"The Shift does the same correct?"

"Indeed, but Richtofanium can be harnassed, while whatever is causing the Shift cannot, however, Richtofanium itself is very dangerous, it releases a type of radiation the heavily mutates and kills all cell types."

"Is there a way to neutralize the radiation?" Richard asked.

Richtofen nodded, "Yes there is, thank god. A mixture of heavily refined lightning and gravity dust neutralizes most negative effects of prolonged exposure to Richtofanium, but thankfully leaves the useful ones."

Richard clapped his hands together excitedly, "Excellent, now, when can I have a demonstration ready?"

"We can have a small demonstration now if you wish?"

"Perfect."

Hello all, I decided to ditch the 'harem' subplot due to complaints. I've also decided to ditch the schedule I was attempting to set up, because there are just too many other things happening in my life and I don't want to feel the pressure to put a chapter of reasonable length out every week, I have no clue how Coeur Al'Aran does it with so many stories with such long chapters that are excellently written. The man is a God.

Please review and tell me what you like and what you don't. I'll see if I can improve, but I need you guys to tell me.