Hey, I just wanted to say that I have been trying to PM a few of my reviewers to thank them for their helpful reviews, but they don't seem to be going through. Sorry. Regardless, here it is. My longest chapter yet, at over 8,000 words. I hope you enjoy.


As the soft morning light streamed into the room through the curtains, Ruby perked up. She had been deep in thought all night long, trying to figure out why Weiss had been so weird yesterday. Maybe Weiss had just been tired, but Ruby wouldn't accept that. She had been acting extremely strange. Ruby just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Morphing into several wisps of silvery flames, she slipped through the slightly cracked open window to peer at the sky. The had risen over the trees, meaning it was about eight by her estimation. As much as she wanted to let Weiss sleep, they needed to be up so they could catch the ferry. She moved back into the room and rematerialized next to Weiss's bed. The girl opened her mouth to wake her sleeping friend, but paused.

Weiss looked so content, her face relaxed as the stress that plagued her every day could not haunt her dreams. She breathed lightly, the blankets rising and falling in a steady rhythm. She was the picture of serenity, and Ruby felt like it would be a sin to disturb her slumber. But Ruby knew Weiss wouldn't be nearly so peaceful if she missed the ferry, so she gently whispered to her friend.

"C'mon Weiss. We need to get to the docks," Her voice caused Weiss to stir, opening her eyes blearily. The ex-heiress let out a yawn and stretched her arms, sliding the covers off of her. She stood up and began to slide into her armor. Weiss grabbed her sword and sheathed it on her wait opposite her leather satchel. She gave Ruby a nod for a greeting, to which Ruby responded with a smile.

"Good morning, Weiss!" Ruby cheered, and the girl in question just rolled her eyes with a fond smile.

"I wish I could have your energy every morning," She remarked. "Is this how you always are, or is it just because you can't get tired as a ghost?"

"I'm always like this," Ruby beamed, causing Weiss to shoot her an envious look. "Everyone else in my family hates the morning, but I love it."

"I see. So does that mean your father is still asleep?" She whispered, stepping out into the hall.

"Nope. He always has to wake up early to get working on the farm. I used to help him with that, but I guess that Oscar kid does now," Ruby explained to a nodding Weiss.

"Did Oscar work here when you were... alive?" Weiss asked hesitantly.

"No. I never met him," The ghost said, waving Weiss's nervousness off. "And you don't have to do that. I'm not going to get offended if you say that I'm dead. It's not like I could forget."

"I-I wasn't... why you brat!" She exclaimed when she saw her friends teasing grin. "I swear, you are almost as bad as your father," She remarked with a shake of her head.

"If you think we're bad, you should see Yang," Ruby giggled, taking in the sight of the light blush that colored Weiss's pale face.

"I dread to imagine what she's like," Weiss deadpanned as she opened the door and stepped outside. The earthy scent of the farm invaded the noble's nostrils as she took in the sight of the large field of wheat. She began to walk towards the main road away from the farm, but a large blonde man caught sight of her and jogged up.

"Morning Weiss," Tai greeted with a wave, resting a farming scythe on his shoulder as he did so. Weiss turned to walk toward him, and he gave her a beaming smile that Weiss could now see Ruby had inherited.

"Good morning, Mr. Xiao-Long," She said simply.

"There's no need for all the respect. Just call me Tai," He told her, making a faint blush rise to her face. He had frequently asked her not to call him that last night, but she had done it out of habit.

"I apologize Mr. Xia- Tai," She forced herself to say, causing Taiyang to just let out a loud chuckle.

"You'll figure it out one day," He teased, before his expression turned more serious. "Now, I know you'd rather just get to the ferry as quickly as possible, but I got you some things that may be helpful," He told her.

"I... you didn't have to do that," She mumbled.

"But I wanted to," Tai responded. "I left a bag in the shed by my house. Feel free to take it," The blonde man explained with a grin.

"Thank you, Tai. I'll find a way to repay you," The white-haired girl declared. Tai just gained a thoughtful look.

"You know, there may be something you can do to help me. Do it, and we'll consider it even, okay?" He offered, and Weiss just nodded. He hadn't offered to forgive her debt; they both knew she would be too proud to accept such an offer.

"What is it you need?" Weiss asked, and Tai just pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper.

"Since you're heading to Beacon Castle, could you give this message to my daughter? It'll save me from having to pay a messenger" Tai explained. Weiss took the paper and gave him a nod.

"Wait... Yang? You named your daughter after yourself?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Tai just laughed loudly, an embarrassed blush on his face,

"It's... a long story," He tried to explain, but Weiss just rolled her eyes. That served him right for teasing her all throughout yesterday. She turned around and headed into the shed he had pointed out before, opening the door and walking inside.

It was small and cluttered, with various farming implements scattered about tables and leaning against the walls. A few maps and other documents were stacked on a workbench in the back, and the entire structure smelled dusty. A large bag sat against the legs of the workbench, and Weiss made her way to pick it up.

Inside were several pairs of clothes, ranging from tunics and breeches to short dresses. They all looked used, but not all that damaged. A few folded up cloaks were at the bottom, along with a note written in a surprisingly neat handwriting.

If I could notice the crest, others could too. Might want to cover it up, princess.

-Taiyang

Weiss let out a sigh of relief. She only had her armor and her heavy cloak before, and Patch was far to temperate to wear a thick fur coat on top of heavy armor. With these, Weiss could wrap herself in a lighter cloak and cover the distinctive Schnee crest on her armor without overheating. Not to mention, she could wear the other clothes for when she didn't need to wear her armor.

"Oh. Those were some of my clothes," Ruby remarked, and Weiss turned to look at her.

"Really? Then should I not take them?" She asked, not wanting to upset her friend.

"What am I going to need them for? I can't wear them, so I'd rather they go to my friend than sit unused in a dusty drawer," Ruby said dismissively. Weiss still bit her lip, the thought of just taking Ruby's clothes bothered her. These belonged to someone else, and taking them felt wrong.

"If Dad was okay with giving them away, I am too. Besides, Once you bring me back, I can just use those as well," She explained, and Weiss finally just gave up.

"Would they be the right size?" Weiss asked, and Ruby just shrugged.

"They'd probably be a bit short on me now, but they look like they'll fit you."

"Wait, short on her now? What does she mean?" Weiss thought to herself, shooting the silvery ghost a questioning look. "What do you mean by they would be short on you now?" She asked.

"I mean I outgrew them," Ruby said as if that were the most simple thing in the world.

"Ruby, you're a spirit. How did you outgrow them?" Weiss asked incredulously, and Ruby just looked down at herself.

"I... I don't know?" She asked rather than said, and Weiss just pinched her brow, sighing to herself.

"Why do you think you grew?" She finally asked.

"Because I used to be shorter than you, but now I'm about an inch taller," Ruby explained, and Weiss's eyes widened.

"How? You don't have a body, so why is your spirit growing?" She questioned, but Ruby just gave a confused shrug.

"I don't know. Let's just add that to the pile of things we don't understand about our situation," She muttered bitterly, and Weiss winced. She'd forgotten how Ruby got when she was reminded of how little they knew about what was wrong with her. "Let's just get out of here Wei-" Ruby stopped, staring at the wall.

"What's wrong? Is it something I said?" Weiss asked, but Ruby just starred ahead.

"He... He kept it," She said, pointing her finger forward. A large red and black scythe hung on the wall, and Weiss could sense the powerful magic in it from here.

"Is that yours?" Weiss asked, gesturing a thumb towards the tool mounted on the wall.

"Yeah. I forged it myself. I wanted a weapon I could use to both farm and fight, so I made a scythe. I would use it to rush through my harvesting then run off to fight Grimm in the woods," She explained. "I thought Dad would've sold it by now. Or melted it down for materials," She mumbled.

"Why? A weapon is important to a knight, and you forged your own. It held sentimental value to you, so of course he would want to hold onto it," Weiss told her friend.

"I guess I just figured they would've moved on by now. I never expected to see this again," Ruby stated, but Weiss just gave her a reassuring smile.

"They loved you. Even if they got over your passing, they still cared about you. They wouldn't just throw away something you treasured."

"Thanks, Weiss. I guess seeing my family being so affected is just getting me down," Ruby rubbed a hand awkwardly through her hair.

"There's no need to thank me. I only did what a good friend would do," She claimed, making her way out of the shed back into the morning light. With one last wave to Tai and a brief greeting to Oscar, the two set out onto the roads. They walked around a mile before Ruby stopped.

"Hey, Weiss, could we stop here? I want to see something," She asked, and Weiss just turned to face her friend. She wanted to leave as soon as possible, but the pleading expression on the ghost's face made her falter.

"Fine. But let's try and be quick. I don't want to miss the boat," She surrendered. Ruby gave her an excited grin and took off down an overgrown path with practiced ease. Weiss followed after her, but was slowed down by the roots and rocks she had to maneuver over and around. Ruby merely darted around with familiarity, making Weiss think she had come this way many times during her life.

Eventually, they reached the end of the treeline. The soft sound of waves crashing into rocks reached their ears as Weiss took in the sight before her. A large cliff jutted outwards, and a single grey stone stood near its precipice.

Ruby walked wordlessly up the slope towards the stone, and Weiss hurried after her. The pair reached the pinnacle, and Weiss could finally see the stone int more detail. It was a cleanly cut slab, with words masterfully carved into it. Her eyes scanned the writing, and she let out a soft gasp.

Summer Rose- Thus kindly, I scatter

It was a tombstone. It was Ruby's mom's tombstone. She bit her lip and shot Ruby a questioning look, but the ghostly girl just had her hands folded together and her spectral hood covering her head. The silver flames that surrounded her were flickering, alternating between flashing brightly and dimming to a dull grey.

"Hey Mom," Ruby broke the silence, nearly causing Weiss to scream in shock. "I know its been a long time. Last time I saw you, I could barely walk," She explained to the air, and Weiss couldn't help but feel like this was what others saw whenever they caught her talking to Ruby.

"So, I don't really know how to say this, but... I died. But not really. It turns out the curse that I told you about wasn't killing me, it was just ripping my still-living soul out of my body. That's... better. I think?" She sent Weiss a questioning look, but the noble just nodded.

"Weiss says that's better. Oh, Weiss is my best friend. She's the only one who can hear and see me, but she's been trying to figure out how to help me," Ruby explained excitedly. Weiss felt a tinge of pride. Ruby didn't just think she was her friend, they were best friends. Ruby was probably her best friend, but she knew telling the girl that would just make her unbearable.

"I... I miss you. I wish I wasn't stuck like this. I wish that curse had just killed me so I could see you again," Ruby cried, and Weiss felt a pang of guilt. It was her fault Ruby hadn't been saved yet. If she had just tried harder, than Ruby would be with her family again, either alive or dead, not stuck in between.

"But I'm happy I got to meet Weiss," Ruby declared with conviction, snapping Weiss out of her self-deprecation. "Together, we're going to figure out how to fix this. Then, I'll protect people just like you did. I promise," Ruby said, tears dripping from her face and dissolving upon hitting the ground. Weiss steeled herself. She had to fulfill her promise so Ruby could fulfill the one she had just made. She couldn't afford to fail.

"Dad seems like he's been okay without us. We're going to see Yang later, but I hope she's okay. They aren't the ones I'm most worried about, though," Ruby said. "Hey Mom? Could you look after Uncle Qrow? I don't think he took my passing away well. I don't want him to blame himself."

Weiss tightened her fists. Whoever cursed Ruby was to blame, not her own family. She grit her teeth in frustration, but was once again distracted by Ruby's words. "I love you, Mom. I miss you so much. But we need to go, otherwise, Weiss will miss her boat," Ruby said with a teasing glance at her friend, but the effect was ruined by the fresh batch of tears in her eyes.

Ruby gave her a look and waved her away, and Weiss backed away, giving her the privacy she needed. The spirit tilted her head up into the sky and mumbled once Weiss was out of earshot.

"She makes me feel like a princess form those stories you used to read me," Ruby admitted to her mother. "And I don't mind all that much. I wish you could meet her, Mom. Weiss is one of a kind. I know you'd just love her."

The ghost pulled her hood down and wiped the ghostly tears from her eyes with her sleeve. She turned around and walked to where Weiss was waiting at the bottom of the hill, and the two headed back towards the road. They walked in silence, the sound only broken by the occasional sniffle from Ruby. Weiss wanted nothing more than to give her a comforting hug, but she knew she couldn't do anything to help her friend.

"She was the greatest mom I could've ever asked for," Ruby spoke up. Weiss glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

"What happened to her?" She asked. Ruby had never really spoken about her mother, and had even gone as far as to avoid the subject. Weiss only knew she had been a knight, Ruby looked up to her, and that she had lost her life when Ruby had been five.

"She died fighting a Grimm," Ruby said. "It was an ancient Grimm that was destroying everything in its path. Everyone knew it was suicide to try and fight it, but she didn't let that stop her. She took it down with her."

"That was very brave," Weiss stated, not knowing what else to say. Ruby just shook her head.

"No. It was the right thing. I never could decide if I blamed her or admired her for doing it. In the end, all that mattered was that she was gone, and I missed her," The spirit said dejectedly.

"And now? Do you still blame her for not returning to you?" Weiss asked.

"No. If she hadn't fought, Vale would've been destroyed. I never could've forgiven her if she had done that."

"What about the Grimm she fought? You said she took it down with her, but what does that mean?"

"She gravely injured it, then used all of her magic to seal it under a mountain. After that, she had no magic left to treat her wounds, so she bled out. All alone. No one else could find the courage to go out and look for her until it was too late," Ruby explained bitterly.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories," The noble said to her friend.

"Remember what my dad said yesterday? It's not the memories that hurt, its when they end that causes pain. Besides, I'm not mad," Ruby reassured her, giving her a soft smile. "I'm happy I got to talk about it to you. Yang and Dad never really understood it, they felt the pain in a different way. Not less, just different," Weiss looked at her friend, surprised at the profound words she had just said.

"Now come on. We can mope around on the ferry, provided we get there soon," Ruby said, taking off into a sprint as she ran down the road. Weiss just shook her head, gripped her sword to keep it from flying out, and ran after her. The memory of their sadness was a distant memory as the pair hurried towards the small port, laughing all the way.


As they stepped into the ferry house, the man from yesterday, Rufus, glanced up at them. He nodded and gestured for them to step aboard his vessel, shouting out for his young assistant to come and man the desk. The duo hopped on to the large boat and sat down on a bench. Several others were also aboard, but they sat far away from each other, communing among themselves.

Weiss closed her eyes and sighed as the ferry began to move. The sight of Ruby's sad smile crossed her mind, but she simply dismissed it. She didn't like seeing the happy girl so visibly upset, so she promised herself she would do all she could to ensure Ruby's happiness. Even if it hurt her, she would do anything to prevent her from looking like that ever again.

When the ferry finally came to a stop in another covered ferry house, Weiss shot to her feet. She shook unsteadily for a moment as the ferry moved forward a bit, but she quickly regained her balance. She climbed over the side of the vessel and stepped onto a wooden dock. With a nod towards Rufus, she stepped out of the ferry house into the streets of Vale. The sight took her breath away.

Tall stone buildings surrounded her, with market stalls set up all along their outside. Vendors called out to passing civilians to try their wares, and Weiss's senses were assaulted by the loud sounds and powerful smells. She made her way down well-paved roads, subconsciously pulling one of the thin cloaks Tai had given her around her to cover her armor. It wouldn't hide the noise she made as she moved, but that would be covered by the sounds of the market. What was important was that the crest on her breastplate was covered by a layer of brown fabric.

Vale was a city built on a slope, so as she headed deeper into the city she went higher up. Her gaze flicked to the names of the stores as she passed them. Bakeries, jewelers, and book binderies flanked her side, and further down she could see a blacksmith's shop on a corner. It seemed she was in the commercial district. Ruby gave her a questioning look.

"Where are we even going?" The ghost asked, and Weiss just shook her head.

"Maybe if you had listened on the boat, you would remember we are headed to Beacon Castle," She whispered to her friend, not wanting to draw more attention to herself. A few people passing by gave her odd looks, but she ignored them.

"Sorry. I was bored," Ruby tried to say as an excuse.

"Then imagine how I felt," She hissed at the girl, who just pouted. Good. She should feel bad for abandoning Weiss on that stupid voyage from Atlas to Patch. "Now, I assume this is the commercial district?"

Ruby nodded. "Yup. To the north is the upper-class district, where the nobles who don't stay in the castle live. South of here is the industrial district, and beyond that is the agricultural district. If we head on further east, then the commercial district widens out, and the residential district is on the other side of the river. At the very eastern edge of the city lies Beacon Castle, our destination," She explained.

"I see. Then let's be off," She declared, striding off towards the cliffs she could see in the distance. The tall stone and brick buildings eventually began to shift into wooden ones, and she could hear the sound of rushing water over the constant chatter of a city during the daytime. She crossed a street and saw a large river cleaving the city in two, with large stone houses being visible on the other side.

This must have been the river Ruby had told her about. The residential district stood on the other side, so then Beacon must lie further ahead. She continued onward, pushing through small crowds of people who were crossing bridges over the river to shop in the commercial district. People talked to each other about mundane things, taking their sweet time as they created literal walls of bodies that prevented Weiss from progressing.

She rolled her eyes and began to stride forward, shifting her cloak a bit to reveal the polished silver plate mail, but not the Schnee crest. The citizens of Vale parted ways for her, clearly not wanting to get in the way of a fully armored warrior, no matter how short she was.

The roads she walked down shifted from cobblestones to clean-cut slabs of polished rock. Weiss could feel the enchantments running through the rock that would repel rain and snow from the surface of the roads so as not to ruin them. That must have cost a fortune. Even Atlas only had such roads in the richest of its districts. She must be close.

Eventually, the buildings cleared to reveal a large lake that must've been the source of the river. From across the lake, she could see a large cliff that towered over the rest of the city. Atop that cliff stood the massive Beacon Castle. Her gaze turned to where she saw a long bridge that extended from the bottom of the cliff to the beginning of the river, forming a v-shape at the end, linking the commercial and residential districts together.

Beacon Castle had often been called the safest place on Remnant, and for good reason. While Atlas and Mistral were built on mountains and possessed high walls to prevent invaders, and Vacuo had vast deserts all around it, Beacon had this. A massive lake and a sheer cliff. The only way to get an army to the castle would be to cross this lake. To the east of the cliff was a mountain range, to the north the Forever Fall, and the south the Emerald Forest.

The only way up the cliff was the series of complex lifts powered by magic and engineering at the end of this bridge. Beacon, in its hundreds of years of existence, had never been successfully invaded. And not for lack of trying. Vale had been all but destroyed three times since its construction, yet Beacon Castle survived each instance.

As she stepped onto the intricate stone bridge, she couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship. It wasn't like Atlas, where everything was either too baroque or too plain. It was ornate, but tastefully so. It was pleasing to look at without making anyone wince at how much it must have cost to make.

Large lamposts decorated the bridge, unlit but ready to illuminate the structure once the sun faded over the horizon. Guards stood leaning against every lampost, ready to act the moment someone tried something. The walk was peaceful, with Ruby floating over the water and trying to spot a fish and Weiss merely walking forward trying not to laugh at her companion's antics.

Once she reached the end of the bridge, she saw a small line of people, with another line of carts of to the side. A pair of guards stood at the end of each line, searching the wagons and questioning the visitors. The process went quickly, with the occasional person being asked to step aside so they could be further investigated. Eventually, Weiss had reached the front of the line.

"Name?" A guard asked, subconsciously tightening his grip on his spear when he saw Weiss was armed and covered in armor. She was no peasant, and they both knew she could take these four guards on without much of a problem if she so wished. However, she had no desire to do so, and so she merely responded.

"Weiss Schnee."

The guards gave her a condescending look, like they didn't believe her. "Well, do you have proof of the Mrs. Schnee?" The guard on the left asked sarcastically. Weiss just moved her cloak aside so the Schnee crest on her armor was visible. The one on the left nodded, accepting it, but the one on the right simply scowled.

"Is that sufficient? Or would you like me to recite the entire Schnee lineage?" She asked. It was common among noble families to learn about one's entire lineage, but no commoner, or even another noble, would bother to do such a thing. Fortunately for her, the sensible guard on the left responded.

"No, the crest on your armor is proof enough. What is the purpose for your visit?" He inquired, and Weiss gave him her best fake smile. She had a lot of practice from how often she had needed to use those back in Atlas.

"I need to speak with Doctor Oobleck. I've been told he lives here," She told the guards, who nodded.

"May I ask what it is you wish to speak with him about?" The guard on the right questioned, and Weiss had to keep herself from scowling at him. He could stand to be a little less hostile.

"I have an ancient tome I would like translated, and I happen to know he is one of the best historians on Remnant," She explained.

"If that is true, then show us this ancient tome," The right guard ordered her. Weiss reached into her bag, not missing how the guards visibly tensed when she did so, only to gain a look of relief when she held up a book. Honestly, she literally did exactly what they asked. There was no need to be so tense around her.

She handed the book to the guard on the left, hoping he would be more careful than his counterpart. He gently flipped through the book, noticing her wince as he did so. Once he saw that it was filled with words written in a language he didn't understand, he nodded to his partner.

"What else do you have?" The guard on the right asked, tilting his spear downwards slightly so as to stab at her if she tried anything.

"A bag of clothes, some lien, and a few other books," She told him honestly. "As well as a sword and the armor I am wearing."

The guards held their hands out, and she handed them her rapier and her bag of clothes. As the one on the right carelessly shuffled through her new clothes, the one on the left tested the sword in his hands, marveling at the flawless craftsmanship.

Once he was done searching for something to incriminate her, the right guard glanced at her satchel. A question hung in the air, and she reached inside to pull out the two pieces of parchment with the two ancient languages. handing those to the guard on the right, she reached inside again and froze. There were two books inside: Grandfather's journal, and her own.

Her journal that contained detailed notes on necromancy, a highly illegal form of magic that was likely to make her a wanted criminal in every kingdom. If the guards read her journal, they might recognize her handwriting from the parchment and try to arrest her. What was she supposed to do? What little color was in her face rapidly drained, but a flash of silver caught her eye.

"Weiss, just tell them it's really old and it'll fall apart if they touch it!" Ruby exclaimed to her. Weiss breathed in and grabbed both books and pulled them out of the bag.

"I also have these two. It's my grandfather's journal, and a very old book I found. Please be careful, it's falling apart and you could ruin it if you aren't," Weiss stuttered out, and the guard on the left just waved her off.

"It's fine. My partner just wanted to give you some trouble. Be on your way," He told her and waved her forward, likely not wanting to risk destroying what he thought was a priceless artifact. Once she was past the guards, she let out a sigh of relief. She adjusted her satchel, slung her bag of clothes across her back, and placed a hand on Myrternaster's hilt.

A complex system of pulleys ran up the cliff, leading down to a large wooden platform at the bottom. On one side was a lift where several people stood, before being lifted up by the pulleys, which moved on their own without anyone pulling them. The rope must've been enchanted, she mused to herself. To the right, a larger lift brought wagons full of goods up the cliff as well.

"A lift for people and a lift for goods. Both heavily checked by guards. Quite the ingenious system," Weiss thought. She stepped aboard the platform meant for people and jolted slightly when she felt it begin to lift her and several others into the air. The platform was around ten feet in length and width, with rails on the edges to ensure no one fell off.

As she gazed out past the lake, she let out an awed gasp. She could see the massive bridge she had just crossed, and beyond that, the river that cut through Vale. She could make out the large stone buildings of the commercial district, the tall wood and brick houses in the residential district, and, as she rose high enough, the vast fields of the agricultural district. Vale was far more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen before.

Eventually, the platform reached the top of the cliff and everyone stepped off. A brick path led towards a large courtyard surrounded by a ring of tall pillars. She walked through the beautiful courtyard, marveling at the natural beauty of it all. Unlike her father's gardens, which tamed nature and encaged it, Beacon coexisted with it. There were no perfectly maintained rose bushes, no flowerbeds that were taken care of daily. Instead, the wildflowers bloomed and bushes dotted the landscape around the path unevenly.

A few trees cast their shade on the ground, and Weiss could make out a few people sitting under them, reading. Rocks jutted out randomly, and the grass grew unevenly, only kept from growing too much by the presence of people constantly moving through it. The contrast of nature versus the large imposing castle was large, but it didn't disturb her all that much.

She made her way past several people wearing robes hurrying towards the lake, dodged a couple of soldiers as they headed on the path heading south towards the Emerald Forest, and slipped through a crowd of servants as they hurried towards the castle. Once she had finally made her way to the entrance, she saw a crowd of people surrounding a few merchant stalls. The vendors called out to the passers, trying to catch their attention.

"Come get the finest Vacoun spices here! Get them before there gone!"

"You won't find finer blades in any of the four kingdoms!"

"The best meat skewers south of Solitas!"

"Dust! Get your dust here! Imported right from Atlas!"

That last one made Weiss pull the hood of her cloak up and draw it around her tightly. Tai had been right. If he could notice her, then others could too. If anyone here worked for her father, she wouldn't want word to find its way back to him.

The merchant stalls crowded around a staircase that led to a massive set of wooden doors, guarded by five guardsmen, with more on the walls above. She approached them, and a guard gave her a nod. The large doors swung open and she was waved inside, where a large entrance hall awaited her.

A massive vaulted ceiling stood forty feet above her, and large pillars decorated the sides of the room. The hall formed a T-shape, with a splitting pathway at the end of the hall. Servants hurried through the hall, and the noble could spot several scholars, knights, and other nobles talking to each other and amongst themselves.

A guard approached her, her eyes rapidly scanning her form. Her grip tightened on his spear and Weiss had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't going to go on a murderous rampage in the middle of the great hall of the most fortified castle in all of Remnant. Who would she even kill? The king? She scoffed at the thought. The king of Vale was a world-renowned fighter, and apparently had an aura larger than even Glynda Goodwitch. Trying to kill him would be nigh impossible for her.

"What is your business?" The guard asked her. She was wearing steel chainmail and a small amount of plate mail. From what she could sense, none of it was enchanted. It wouldn't be practical to equip every guard with magical arms and armor, and even knights often used normal steel and iron as their weaponry.

"I'm here to speak with Doctor Oobleck," She declared to the woman.

"Follow me," She nodded then walked off. She hurried after her, turning right at the end of the large hall and making her way through several hallways. She mentally mapped the place out as she went along, knowing she would eventually need to return here. This was only the first step in her goal of getting the tome translated.

The wooden floors and marble walls were nothing like the stark white of Father's mansion; rather, they showed signs of age in such a way that made them seemed lived in but not decaying. She liked it far more than the constantly polished hallways of the Schnee estate. Occasionally, the marble would be replaced with stone and bricks, or even wood.

At last, they arrived before a seemingly normal door in a hallway filled with nearly identical ones spaced evenly apart. But the nameplate on the door told Weiss that this was where she needed to be. Her eyes scanned the polished bronze plate once more.

Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck

The guard gave a firm knock, and a voice shouted out from the inside. "I'll be with you in a minute!"

Behind the guards back, Ruby and Weiss glanced at each other and gulped. This was it; they were going to meet the man who was essential to their goal. They couldn't help but feel nervous. The guard merely grunted and knocked again. When no response rang out, she banged flat of her spear against the door.

"I told you I heard you the first time!" A man yelled as he threw the door open. "What is it you want?" he said. He was a tall and lanky man with spikey green hair, wearing a simple white tunic and black breeches with a long green robe that draped down to his ankles. A large pair of spectacles sat on his nose, and he regarded the trio, though he only saw two of them, with curiosity.

The guard just grunted again and jerked a thumb at her. "She says she's here to see you," She explained, and the dark green-haired man just rolled his eyes and turned to face her.

"Do I know you? What is it you want with me?" He asked, his words tumbling out of his mouth Weiss could barely keep up. He took a sip out of a mug she hadn't even noticed he had been holding, and Weiss just shook her head.

"N-no, you don't know me. I'm Weiss Schnee. I sent you a letter around a month and a half ago?" she tried, and Oobleck just thought for a moment. Weiss froze, and the guard shifted her grip on her spear. Could the man have forgotten her? That wouldn't matter to the guard, who looked immediately ready to throw her out.

"Ah yes, I remember now. You gave me a letter containing a passage I couldn't translate," Oobleck exclaimed, and Weiss, the guard, and Ruby all relaxed. "Have you brought more news? Please come in," He moved out of the doorway and invited her in. He dismissed the guard with a wave and shut the door gently.

The room was neat, with a large desk being the most notable thing about it. A bookshelf stood to the right of the desk, a door to the left. A simple carpet led up to the desk, and the room was well lit by the tasteful chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Oobleck made his way to the other side of the desk and sat down, folding his hands. She took a seat opposite him, removing her satchel so she could grab the books inside.

"I apologize for the trouble I caused with the guard back there. They take their job a bit too seriously at times," He apologized quickly, and Weiss just blinked at him.

"I-It's fine. I just needed to speak with you. You told me in your letter to tell you if I found more information on the language, and I did," Weiss said as she placed the tome, her grandfather's journal, and the two parchments she had written in the ancient ruins on his desk. He raised an eyebrow.

"I take it this is where you found the passage you sent me?" He asked, pointing towards the ancient book she had been fortunate to find. Weiss nodded, then pointed to the journal.

"This was my grandfather's journal, which he dedicated to translating the book," She explained, pushing it forward so the man could flip through it. He picked it up and opened it, his eyes darting across the pages.

"I see. But this hardly appears finished. Is that what you wish to accomplish?" Oobleck deduced, and Weiss nodded.

"Yes. Rather than support the atrocities my father commits, I wish to dedicate what remains of my life to finish my grandfather's work," She lied to the man, her gaze only briefly flicking to Ruby as she did so. Telling him the real reason would only make him panic. Necromancy never went well, and even with the best of intentions it was still illegal.

"Hmm. And what are these?" Oobleck asked, picking up the two scrolls. Weiss pointed to one of them and the man undid the thin leather strap, opening it. He scanned the parchment, before flipping the tome open and comparing the two. "They are written in the same tongue?" He half asked, half stated. Weiss merely nodded in response. She gestured for him to open the other one, to which he did.

"I found those writings in a fortress my grandfather's translation mentioned. They were on two different stone slabs, but I theorized that they said the same thing," She explained, and Oobleck let out a soft gasp.

"Ingenious. Using another language to translate the one we don't know. My dear, that was a brilliant idea!" He exclaimed, shooting to his feet, but quickly sitting back down and stroking his chin. "But your presence here tells me all I need to know. You want to know if I recognize the second language, correct?" He surmised.

"Yes. I need to know if you or anyone you know could translate this passage for me," She told him. Oobleck leaned forward and folded his hands together, quickly adjusting his spectacles.

"Hmm. I don't recognize it at a glance, but if you were to give me a short period of time to take a better glance at it, I may be able to," He told her, causing Weiss to sigh in relief. It wasn't that he didn't know it, it was just that he wasn't sure if he did or not. That meant hope wasn't lost.

"How long do you need?" She asked.

"How about tomorrow at precisely ten o'clock?" The scholar questioned, and Weiss just nodded.

"I'll be here. I just need to book a room at an inn for the night," She said to herself, but the eccentric researcher just scoffed.

"An inn? My dear, wouldn't it be best for you to stay in the castle?" He asked, to which Weiss just looked at him with confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, if I were to claim you as my apprentice, then you would be given a room within the castle to stay for the duration of your apprenticeship," He explained, but Weiss just grew more confused.

"Your apprentice? But why would you do that?" She inquired, but he just chuckled.

"Well, if we are to translate this tome together, it would be best if you weren't wasting your lien on an inn every night."

"Translate it together? You mean you're not just going to help with the second language, but also the tome itself?" She asked incredulously.

"Provided his majesty does not require my research elsewhere, I will aid you. I must admit, it has piqued my interest as well," He admitted, but Weiss could just gape in surprise. This was going far better then she'd ever hoped.

"You'd really do all that?" Weiss couldn't believe this.

"Yes. As my apprentice, you'll not only be given a room, but a small sum of lien every month with which to use for yourself. Together, we will crack the secrets of this ancient tome!" The man exclaimed with a fist raised in the air. He coughed and composed himself quickly. "That is, provided you accept my aid. I understand if you would rather have a different scholar help you."

"N-no. I'm fine being your apprentice. I just want to fully translate this tome. For my grandfather," She lied at the last part, not wanting to slip up and reveal Ruby's presence.

"Splendid! I'll inform a servant and have them give you a room. If it is alright with you, might I borrow these for now?" He asked, gesturing towards the books and scrolls. She nodded in confirmation, making him smile. "Noe, is there anything else I can do for you, my dear?" He asked.

"No. Wait, yes, there is. Do you know where I can find Yang Xiao-Long? Her father gave me a message for her," She explained, causing another smirk to adorn the scholar's face.

"Ah yes, Taiyang's daughter. If I recall, Commander Port was telling me about how she was often seen in the training grounds around this time of day, sparring with the Arc boy," He told her. She thanked him, stood up from her chair, and reached the door before awkwardly turning around to face him.

"Umm.. where are the training grounds?" She asked embarrassedly, and Oobleck just chuckled.

"They are in the Northern Wing. If you get lost, feel free to ask a servant. If anyone stops you, just tell them Taiyang sent you," He explained to the white-haired noble. She nodded but turned around to face him before leaving.

"Taiyang? Wouldn't it be better to mention you?"

"No. I am but a humble scholar. Taiyang is a far more recognizable name here in the castle than my own," He explained, but only confused Weiss further. Sure, he used to be a knight, but he hadn't been one for over a decade according to Ruby.

"I see," She told him, even though she didn't understand. "Thank you, Doctor Oobleck."

With that, she opened the door and made her way out into the hallway. Weiss strode through the halls of the castle with Ruby at her side. The ghost made small talk, but Weiss was unable to respond due to the servants constantly hurrying past them. Occasionally, Weiss stopped one to ask for directions, and always received a polite smile in return. They were far nicer than Father's servants, that was for sure.

She roamed the castle, gradually making her way north. A few times she was stopped by a guard or a knight, once even a mage. They would ask where she was going, she would mention delivering a message to Taiyang's daughter, and they would walk off. It was bizarre, and as much as she wanted to ask Ruby, she also didn't want to upset Ruby like she had earlier that morning on Patch.

So instead, she simply made her way to the Northern Wing. The air buzzed with magic, and Weiss could tell that many people were using it nearby. "Its likely mages training" She thought to herself. Fewer and fewer servants appeared in the hallways here, as there was less of a need in the training rooms.

Eventually, after receiving directions from a friendly mage, she made her way to a large oak door. Beyond it, she could hear the sound of clashing steel, and several grunts of effort. This was it. She was finally going to meet the fabled Yang Xiao-Long, the subject of many of Ruby's stories. She composed herself, wanting to make a good impression, and pushed the door open.


Sorry for the wait on this one. It was longer than I had been anticipating, but that's alright. This chapter made me realize something I hadn't really thought about in the show. Beacon is really inconsistent. In Episode 1, we see it's on top a large cliff. But later on in Volume 1, Roman is looking at a map that says Beacon is at the beginning of a river.

But it also made me realize how genius the Fall of Beacon was. If Cinder had attacked at any other time in the show, Beacon would've been filled with enough fighters to prevent the White Fang from gaining a foothold there. But because there was no one to man the defenses, The White Fang flooded the school with Grimm.

But I digress. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review with any constructive criticism you might have. I can't improve as a writer if I don't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Next update will be either tomorrow or Sunday.