A/N: Hello Shadows (As that is what I shall call you guys now). Please leave a like and review. I decided to post this today because A. I was really, really inspired this week, and B. I don't know if I'll be able to update next week as I'll be super busy with school. With that said, here's Chapter 6!

Chapter 6: The Invincible Thief Part 1

My mom always says, friends are strangers you haven't met yet

Near Seven Years Ago

"Hey, please wait up!" Jaune struggled to control his horse as he rode down the steep hill. King John stopped his steed and chuckled lightly as he watched his ten year old son's antics. It was one of those days, when the sun was shining, no death threats from the White Serfs came in the mail, and a feeling of optimism hung in the air. Jaune and his father had just returned from a long horseback ride, one which consisted of many bruises and cuts, and were heading back to the Arc Castle. Unfortunately, Jaune's horse was in a mood, and refused to let his owner handle him well.

"Ack!" Jaune yelped, and he fell onto the ground. King John raced over, but the prince was already up and smiling.

"Are you alright?" John asked.

"Yes," His son answered, "Matthias doesn't like me today." The young boy stuck his tongue out at his unruly animal.

"Maybe he's just been having a bad day," King John laughed, and playfully narrowed his eyes at the horse, who, in return, neighed and turned around, "Yep, definitely just a bad day."

"Are we almost home?" Jaune asked.

"I suppose so," The king lifted his son up and back onto Matthias's saddle, "We shouldn't be too far."

"Is Weiss coming soon?" Jaune asked.

"No, her family has been having a few...problems, lately. So they may be late."

"Oh, too bad," Jaune tried to hide the joy in his voice, but his father could tell that his son was happy at the news.

"Now, Jaune, don't be like that."

"If looks could kill I'd be dead by now," The prince muttered.

"Hah, well, I don't doubt it. But, you never know, your mother was like that the first time I met her," King John spotted his castle in the distance.

"Really?" His son said, trying to imagine his mother ever being mean.

"Oh, yes. I accidentally made a sexist comment to her and she ended up pinning me to the castle walls with her spear. Lesson of the day: Don't make gender insults to woman." The two stopped their horses.

"How do I get her to like me?" Jaune asked.

"Well..." John waved his hand to signal the guards to let down the drawbridge, "I suppose that what every lady likes is confidence."

"Confidence?"

"Yes, confidence. An utmost skill in talking, fighting, and basically just being sure of who you are."

"Who I am..." Jaune mused, "And that will help me when Weiss is trying to drown me in the moat?"

"Yes, I-wait she did-?"

"John!" Queen Alsea's shouts stopped the king from finishing. He saw his wife on her horse hurrying towards them.

"Alsea, what's wrong?" John asked.

"Ozpin. He's here. And he has-" She glanced at her son, who was preoccupied with a butterfly that had just landed on his shoulder, "...news."

"Oh," John sighed. News was never good, at least when it came from his old friend, "Well, Jaune, why don't you go with your mother-"

"Actually, Ozpin requested to see Jaune as well," Alsea said.

"Is that the wizard guy?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, it's the wizard guy," Alsea laughed, "But his name is Ozpin, and I expect you to be polite."

"Yes, mother," Jaune groaned.

"Ugh, he's becoming like you by the minute," Alsea said to John, who gave her an innocent stare.

"Is that a bad thing?" Her husband asked, and the two burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Jaune asked.

"Nothing dear, nothing."

John and his family entered the great garden where Ozpin was supposedly waiting for them. A slight breeze blew by and Jaune shivered. Alsea had created the garden over ten years ago, a gift, she said, to her upcoming first child. The place was a spectacular sight, with blooming blossoms, roses, and tulips outlining the area. No red trees, she had said, as there's enough of those outside.

"Ozpin!" John suddenly exclaimed as he laid eyes on his old companion. His son cautiously peeked out from behind his mother's back. A man with silver hair and odd green clothing was standing casually in the center of the garden epicenter.

"King John," The man named Ozpin bowed in respect. The two shared a brief handshake before going straight to business.

"So what are you doing here?" John inquired.

"I have come with unfortunate news," Ozpin said, and looked at Jaune, "Oh, but you must be Jaune."

"Hello magic man," Jaune mumbled, causing the wizard to smile.

"Hmm, I could get used to that name," Ozpin joked, "But in all seriousness though, I believe that we must discuss these recent events by ourselves."

"Oh, of course, if you-"

"Who's that?" Jaune questioned, and the king and queen looked over to what he was looking at. A young boy, probably about Jaune's age, was standing there with a lotus flower in his hand. He had raven-black hair and looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Now, Jaune, be polite," Alsea said sternly. The mysterious boy stared down at the ground.

"Ozpin, what is the meaning of this?" John asked.

"He, my dear friend, is why I am here," Ozpin turned around and made a 'come' sign with his coffee cup, "But we must talk about that in private." King John merely frowned, but followed the sage into the Arc Castle, leaving Alsea, the boy, and Jaune as they stood in silence.

"Well," Alsea leaned down and whispered in her son's ear, "Say hello."

"But what if he's mean?" Jaune whispered back.

"Well. You never know. Sometimes strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

"Really?"

"Really, now, go on!" Alsea softly pushed Jaune towards the boy, who was now staring at them with curios magenta eyes.

"Um..." Jaune played with his fingers as he approached the boy, "I'm Jaune!" He held out his hand.

"I'm Lie Ren," The boy named Lie Ren stated, and they shook.

"Nice to meet you, Lie."

"Actually, it's Ren."

"So why isn't your first name first?" Jaune asked.

"Some people just do that, sweetie," Her mother informed, "It's part of their culture."

"Oh," The blond haired boy suddenly perked up and grabbed Ren's hands, "I've never had a playmate before. You want to see my swords and stuff?"

"Now, Jaune, be careful-"

"No, it's alright," Ren said calmly, "Sure, Prince Jaune, I'll see your things."

"Yes!" Jaune said, "But it's Jaune, not Prince Jaune. That sounds too fancy."

"Oh, okay." The two raced past Alsea and into the Arc Castle, where Ozpin and John soon emerged.

"So, I'm guessing that they're okay with one another?" The king said, happy that his son had a new friend.

"It would seem so," Alsea said, "But why is he here?"

"An emergency, you might say," Ozpin stated, "And I have been bound by oath not to tell anyone until the time is right."

"He's right, he didn't even crack under me," John stated in a half-serious manner.

"All you need to know is to keep him safe," Ozpin said, "And to also keep this-" He brought out a light green dust crystal.

"Is this...dust?" Alsea asked in disbelief.

"It's not just dust. It's one of the Statera crystals, and let's just say someone was after it."

"And we have to keep him safe, along with this?"

"Yes. No one knows that he or this crystal, is here, and I doubt they ever will."

"Ozpin, are you sure about this?" John asked.

"You are the one I trust most," Ozpin said in a serious tone, "And I know that Ren will be safe here. He'll go under the title of a servant here, and hopefully become friends with Jaune."

"What about his family?" Alsea asked.

"We don't need to worry about them," John said sadly.

"Oh..."

"Alsea, I know that this is a big change, but we have to do this. They can't find Ren, at least, not yet." Alsea gave a grim smile, and was about to speak, but the sudden sound of a cannonball firing caused her blood to go cold.

"Did Jaune just-"

"Yep."

"And did it just-"

"Yes, dear," John sighed.

"JAUNE JOAN ARC YOU ARE IN HUGE TROUBLE!" Alsea stormed into the Arc Castle, her face red with fury. Ozpin handed the Statera crystal to John, a hint of amusement on his face and a question on his mind.

"His middle name is Joan?"

Present Time

Where: Somewhere, that's Where

Ren slowly opened his eyes, the golden rays of sunlight almost blinding him. A sharp pain erupted in his head as he regained his thoughts, and the faint smell of sweat filled the air.

Oh, and he was tied upside down with a bunch of ropes around his body. The raven-haired boy was almost never was surprised, but this? This was new to him. Trying to make sense of the topsy-turvy world, he blinked a few times and studied his surroundings. The time looked to be mid-afternoon, or later, and he seemed to be in what was in a small, makeshift camp. Where in the world was-

"Hey...Ren," A voice said from Ren's left. The magenta eyed boy sighed deeply, and reluctantly looked to his side.

Jaune, his closest companion and best friend for over ten years, was also hanging upside down from a tree.

And, although Ren would deny it if you asked him, he wanted to smack the blond so hard that he would fall down.

"...Prince Jaune?" Ren asked.

"...Yes, Ren?" Jaune said, his voice monotone.

"Why are we upside down?"

"How's your shoulder?" Jaune asked. Ren remembered that he had gotten shot.

"Don't change the subject. Why are we hanging loosely from a tree?"

"Oh, er, about that...I sort of managed to get us out alive. Well, actually someone helped me. I think her name was Blake-"

"Prince Jaune, please get to the point."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. But anyways, we escaped, but I ended up getting caught by a bunch of bandits and, because I'm an

Arc, they're holding me like this until they get money or something. Which, of course, is useless because..." Jaune trailed off.

"Prince Jaune-"

"It's fine, Ren."

"-I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Jaune asked, trying not to let his tone sound too bitter. The two hung in silence for a while.

"So...where are we exactly?" Ren changed the subject.

"Um...near Mistral, I think?" Jaune said.

"Okay...that's not bad."

"What do you mean?"

"Mistrals an ally of Vale, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we ask for help from King Nikos."

"Oh yeah, that sounds like a good plan. But..." Jaune swung from side to side to show his point, "We're sort of..."

"Stuck?" Ren sighed, then froze, a feeling of dread filling his mind. He tried to move his hands to see if his crystal was still with him, "Where's the dust?"

"Uh...it might have gotten taken."

"WHAT!?" The usually calm boy yelled, causing some birds in the trees to fly away.

"I-it wasn't my fault!" Jaune cried, "W-we were being attacked, and they hit me, and then they took our stuff, and then-"

"Prince Jaune, you have no idea how powerful that dust is!" Ren said.

"Uh..."

"When did they leave this place?"

"About a hour ago, but they said they were coming back."

"Joy, but do they have the dust crystal?"

"I don't know, I was blacked out a bit too when they tied me up here."

"Okay, okay, okay," Ren was trying to formulate a plan in his head, "I think that if we can just get out of these ropes we can figure out something."

"How are we going to do that, though?" Jaune inquired.

"Give me a second, please," Ren closed his eyes and tried to move his hands so that his bare skin was touching the ropes. A faint glow of pink spread through his bonds, and a loud crack soared through the air as he fell down to the ground. He stood up and brushed his sleeves to get the muck off.

"How the bloody hell did you-"

"Prince Jaune, please be quiet," Ren said flatly, and went over to untie his friend. The blond fell face first into the rocky earth, and spat out dirt.

"Bleh, note to self, do not eat the ground," Jaune muttered.

"Everyone knows that," Ren said, and helped Jaune up. The two looked around the camp for anything useful. The bandits, Ren could tell, were smart, as they didn't leave much behind. Hopefully though, they would return so that he could give them a piece of his mind. A smoldering fire was located in the center of the camp, next to it being a couple of bags and bowls. Ren opened the bags and saw that they were half-filled with food and supplies.

"The bandits are probably going to come back, seeing as these bags are here."

"Well, we can't just downright attack them," Jaune stated smartly, "And they didn't leave their weapons here. Maybe we should just try and escape with our lives."

"No," Ren said firmly, "We have to get that dust."

"What's so important about that anyways?" Jaune asked, feeling a bit annoyed that Ren was keeping secrets from him, "I mean, I know it's dust, for Remnant's sake, but is it really worth risking our lives? And what about what happened at the castle? Would you please explain that!?"

"Yes, no, and no," Ren said bluntly, "But...do you trust me, Prince Jaune?"

"What?"

"You heard me, so do you or not?"

"O-of course I trust you…and don't call me that!"

"Then keep that trust inside you," Ren heaved one bag over his shoulder and tossed the other to Jaune, "Because we're catching those bandits."

The sound of ruffling leaves sent chills down Jaune's spine as he crouched on a branch. The sun was starting to go down and the cool night air was settling in. The prince glanced at his friend waiting patiently in the trees, green shirt still strained a crimson color from the injury he sustained at the Arc Castle.

What the hell is going on, Ren? Jaune wondered to himself. And why won't you tell me? The distant sounds of footsteps approaching the area, however, snapped the blond out his thoughts and he peered below. The noise grew louder, and soon was replaced by the sounds of a few people talking to one another.

"You are such a git," one of them, a female, said, her voice sounding like a girl, "Can't even bloody talk right to a king."

"It's not my fault that he can order my head on a platter if he feels like it," Another one complained. His voice sounded much deeper and more developed.

"Again. You. Are. A. Git," Her laughter was followed by the sound of a punch, "Ow!"

"Stop arguing, you two," Another voice said, this one sounding like the first "We have a prince to deal with." Jaune saw a girl with silky black hair and jade green eyes enter the campsite. Behind her, two people who looked like her sister and father entered as well. The tall man was holding a gleaming sword.

A sword that Jaune had seen before.

That's mine, He thought. The only remnant of his family, and he wasn't leaving without it.

"Hey!" One of them with dark hair grabbed the broken ropes off the ground, "They escaped!"

"What!?" The one who had spoken second ran over and scowled, "Great, just bloody great. How are we supposed to get a decent price off of them now?"

"Belt it, will you?" The last one said. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune saw Ren's hands glow a soft pink. Both of them took a deep breath and prepared to fight.

"Well, what are we supposed to do, Militia?" The first one argued, "Just sit here? They even took some of our supplies!"

"We go out looking for them, Melanie, that's what," The last one named Militia stated, "And if not, then there's always a few associates of Cinder who may need some guidance.

'Who's Cinder?' Ren mouthed to Jaune, who merely shrugged. It didn't matter, anyways. As long as they got back the dust and the sword, everything would work out fine.

'When do we attack?' Jaune mouthed back.

'Now.' Ren's aura blasted through the air and towards Melanie's face. He watched as her expression turned to shock as the pink ray of light hit her squarely in the jaw. She flew backwards and into a nearby tree.

Oh hell, Jaune watched as Ren jumped down, making sure to land on his feet properly. The prince carefully let go of the branch and tried to slip down the tree in a more orderly fashion.

Orderly fashion+Jaune, however, does not compute.

Thud.

"Ow..." Jaune fell onto the ground, again, and rubbed his head. He heard Ren sigh and stood up.

The tall man took tightened his grip on Jaune's sword and began to attack.

We are so done for. Without having time to process what was going on, Militia lunged forwards, two red daggers aiming for his heart. Jaune dodged to the left and curved around the tree just before the girl stabbed his flesh.

"Violent, much?" He said.

"Sorry," The girl batted her eyelashes. Jaune gulped, quickly grabbed a sharp rock on the ground, and started running for his dear life.

Meanwhile, Ren was having trouble on his own. He created a small field of aura around his body so that the man would have trouble dealing massive damage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jaune struggling to fend off the crazed, red clad girl.

"Where's the crystal?" Ren asked, and blocked an attack using his aura.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Hmm..." Ren flipped back and shot a blast of aura into the man's hand, causing him to drop the weapon, "Maybe that's why."

"Ack!" Jaune ran into the clearing again, Melanie right behind him. Ren sighed and a pink color emitted from the ground under Melanie. He flicked his hand up and the girl was flung upwards into the tree, where she hit her head and fell back down next to Jaune. The blond then threw his rock at the tall man and hit him squarely in chest. He stumbled back and Ren dashed forwards, grabbing Jaune's sword from under him, and swiped it cleanly against the opponent's chest. Ren winced as the man's shirt became a dark red before he fell down. Behind him he heard Milita moan in pain.

"So...that happened," Jaune said, trying to lighten the mood. He glanced two girls who were starting to wake up, "What should we do with them?" Ren glanced at the ropes, an idea coming to mind.

"Tie them up."

"Are you sure we're going to get answers?" Jaune asked.

"Positive," His friend said, and watched as the two girl's eyes opened up. A mix of confusion, then rage, spread across their faces.

"Where are we?" Militia demanded to know.

"We are currently in your campsite," Ren said, his voice cold, "And we would like some answers, if you don't mind."

"No way in Remnant are we going to tell you anything," Melanie said firmly.

"We're not going to hurt you," Jaune said, "We just need to know where the Green Dust Crystal is."

"And what do we get if we tell you?"

"Well, for one thing, those ropes are aura bound, which means that they're going to be very, very hard to get out of. So, A. We can leave you here to possibly never escape, or B. You tell us where the crystal is and we'll let you go and part ways."

"Hmm..." Melanie said, her head cocking to one side.

"How..." Her sister continued.

"About-"

"NO!" They both scowled and glared at the two boys.

"Woman," Jaune said, clearly exasperated. Ren sighed and tried to think of another way to get the girls talking.

"Prince Jaune," He suddenly said.

"Yeah?"

"Are you a good woman talker?"

"What the hell, Ren."

"No. I mean. Do to them whatever you do to make Weiss turn away from you."

"What?!"

"Act like you're trying to get her to like you."

"And how is this supposed to-"

"For Remnant's sake, Prince Jaune. Just goddamn do it."

"...Fine, but don't call me that!" Jaune cleared his throat and knelt down at Militia's feet. Summoning all the catchy lines his father taught him.

"Uh, what is he-"

"Hey, sweetheart," It took all of Jaune's courage to get the words out, "Did you come straight from hell, because your smoking-"

"Ew, ew, ew!" Militia turned away and made a gagging noise, "Alright, alright, I'll talk. I'll. Will. Talk!"

"Thank you," Ren said politely.

"Pretty good, huh?" Jaune said.

"Do you really talk to Weiss like that?"

"Well, not that exact phrases but I use her icy personality and stuff for my phrases."

"That's...wonderful," Ren said flatly, "Now, where is the dust crystal?"

"While we were gone, we came across the King and he noticed the crystal," Militia said.

"He wanted to buy it, as he thought it would make a good gift for his daughter, and, of course, we had to give it to him."

"So it's with the King of Mistral," Jaune said.

"Do you know where they are now?" Ren questioned.

"They were planning to go back to their castle, from what I last heard," Militia said, "Now, can we please go?"

"Promise not to try and kill us?" Ren asked.

"Not you. But I'm having doubts about whether or not to slit his throat open," She pointed to Jaune.

"Hmm...alright then," Ren untied the ropes and the two sisters stood up.

"Please don't kill me," Jaune squeaked. They merely rolled their eyes, Militia's more like a half-glare, and disappeared into the forest.

"So, what do we do now?" Jaune said.

"What we can do," Ren said simply, "Head to Mistral and see if King Nikos will help us out or not."

"We may need to get some supplies though," Jaune said, "We can stop at the local town and see if they have anything we can buy."

"Sure, I guess."

"You okay, Ren?" Jaune inquired. His friend had seemed troubled lately, "You seem...not okay."

"I'm fine, Jaune," Ren said, and started to tread into the dark forest. Jaune reluctantly followed, not wanting to pry on Ren's secretive life, but something just felt...amiss.

He didn't call me Prince Jaune

It was dawn when the two finally took a long rest. A very long rest, to be more specific. Jaune had no idea how Ren could keep his energy up, let alone trek for bloody seven hours near straight. By the time they were done, and when Ren had said, "Alright, let's rest," The prince had already fell onto the grassy ground and fallen asleep.

He dreamed of home. Of his parents, more specifically, the fact that he never really got to say goodbye. He didn't even get to see his father when he died. Weiss was even in his dreams, not because of love, but because of the fact he was supposed to protect her. To protect everyone. He was a prince, and a prince wasn't supposed to fail.

So...why did he? Maybe he wasn't a prince, maybe he was just destined to be a failure. That's what Weiss saw him as, that's what everyone saw him as at one point in his life, even the ones closest to him.

Jaune needed to find Weiss, he needed to find help so that his country, and Atlas could function once more. Now he understood why Weiss was so worked up about a stupid ball, because it was more than just dancing, it was showing that your the country you would lead one day depended on you.

You're never going to be a prince, his mind whispered over and over again. But Jaune knew that it wasn't his decision whether or not saving the world. Sure, he could run off, start a goat farm for Remnant's sake, but that meant that he would give up without even trying.

And Jaune was definitely not doing that.

Mistral

"So, where are we again?" Ren asked. The two were strolling down the streets of large town in Mistral. They had gotten a few collective looks, no doubt because of that fact Jaune was a prince, but so far so good.

"We're in Megara," Jaune informed, remembering his boring history lessons. Mistral was a very traditional and Greek-like country, where they valued both war and the arts. Vale was on friendly terms with the place, so hopefully that would come in handy when he met the king. Jaune, however, didn't actually know what the royal family was like, as they liked to live a quiet life by themselves. The towns were definitely different, with tall structures made of wood and stone. The streets were filled with peddlers and musicians hoping to make a penny or more, and a few Mistral Soldiers were patrolling the area.

"So, we have a sword for you, but I need some weapons, as my aura isn't going to help in the future that much."
"By the way," Jaune said as they maneuvered around a horse-drawn cart, "Why did you never tell me about your aura?"
"Oh, well...I always assumed that it didn't really matter."

"Uh-huh," Jaune said, but didn't pry and further.

"Anyways," Ren said, trying to change the subject, "Do you actually think that your title will be able to get us some supplies?"

"It's worth a try," Jaune said, "But I've never been to Mistral, so these people may not know me."

"Word of the Arc Castle siege has probably reached this country, though," Ren muttered, "So we have to be careful."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jaune sighed. Suddenly, the sound of heavy marching echoed through the air, and he could see that the crowd was starting to part. A golden carriage, surrounded by soldiers, clattered against the cobblestone street and Jaune recognized it as the king's own vehicle.

"That's him," He whispered to Ren, who only nodded, "Now's our chance!"

"I doubt that just running up and demanding help isn't going to do anything," The black haired boy said wisely, "Besides, he's protected by guards."

"Then what do you plan to do?" Jaune scowled.

"I don't know, give me a second," Ren mumbled. He could use his aura to try and 'accidentally' stop the carriage, but soldiers were trained to notice the most suspicious movement.

Damn, if only-

"Look out!" A voice rang out, and a blur of red and gold appeared in Ren's peripheral vision before disappearing in a flash. The soldiers drew out their swords and circled the carriage in a protective fashion. Ren could make out a swift figure hopping from rooftop to rooftop, his whole body covered by a bronze colored cloak. Suddenly, the person flew into the air and onto the carriage. With a flick of his wrist the soldier's swords were tossed upwards and onwards into the distance. His arms seemed to dance as he continued to cause mayhem.

CRASH. The blacksmith shop's whole display case was destroyed as weapons and pieces of sharp metal came flying out. The dangerous swords pierced the guards' armor and some fell down, dead, their cheery red blood squirting out of their wounds like a fountain. Sounds of screaming and yelling erupted into his ears as the villagers tried to get away from the chaos. A sharp crack of glass breaking emancipated behind Ren and he turned around to see a window starting to fall apart as dozens of swords piling against the side.

"Jaune get-!"

CRACK. Ren didn't have time to finish his warning. The magenta eyed boy pulled his friend down as the shop's swords began to fly out. Ren watched as the carriage was pummeled in an array of pointy weaponry. Shards of glass fell onto his face and he scowled. Suddenly, Jaune shook Ren's shoulder and the latter stood up. Jaune noticed a figure in a bronze hood jump onto the carriage and hover her/his hands. The metal then ripped apart and the thief dropped down.

What in the name of Remnant? He watched as the hooded person soon reemerge, arms full of sacks of gold.

Gold...and a shining green crystal that seemed to bore into Jaune's soul.

"Uh, Ren, he has the-" but the raven-haired boy was already running down an alleyway, aura firing at the thief. Jaune quickly followed and the two could see the mysterious person jump from roof to roof in an elegant manner. His bronze cloak shrouded his face and his gleaming gold armor reflected the sunlight every which way. Jaune spotted a ladder on the side of a house and an idea formed in his mind. Without hesitating, he grabbed onto the bars and hoisted himself up onto the top of the building.

Feet sprinting furiously, the prince raced after the thief and jumped over a few large gaps. Ren's aura soared through the air, his aim managing to hit the person in the head several times, but nothing happened, the person didn't even flinch.

It was like he was...invincible. Jaune watched as the thief turned to the left and started a mad dash towards another narrow alleyway.

Oh you are not getting away from me, the prince thought, and ran as fast as he could towards the annoying man. Suddenly, Ren's aura glided through the air and smacked the thief right in the ankle, causing him-no...her, definitely a her now, to cry in pain. She fell off the roof and out of sight. Jaune peered over the edge and saw that the girl had fallen into a crate of vegetables, her hood partially pulled back to reveal a shiny headpiece of pure gold, and he tried to get a glimpse of her face.

"Prince Jaune!" A voice called out, and Jaune glanced to the left to see Ren running down the alleyway. The thief scowled, and pushed herself out of the crate before starting to get away. Jaune leaped off the roof, teeth grit, and reached out his hand, determined to grab onto her cloak. Time seemed to slow down as his fingers fingered her crimson hair, as his hand circled around the yellow crown in on her head.

The crown's chain went around Jaune's finger and pulled the headpiece off. The girl flinched and kicked her leg back into Jaune's gut, causing the prince to fly into the crate she had just come out of. His head smacked into the side and his vision blurred.

"Prince Jaune!" Ren cried, and the blond blinked his eyes to try and clear his mind. Two hands entered his sight and grabbed Jaune's wrist before pulling him up with a jerky tug, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Jaune assured, vaguely realizing the piece of metal starting to imprint his palm. He opened up his hand and stared at the only remnant of the thief's identity, "Where is she?"

"I don't know," Ren sighed, the frustration evident in his voice, "She got away."

"I'm...sorry," Jaune said, and held up the headpiece, "But I grabbed this."

"Hmm," Ren said, and studied the jewelry, "This...isn't something that belong to a peasant, nor a regular thief."

"Wonder why she has it," Jaune said.

"Probably because she stole it."

"Huh?"

"Look, right here," Ren pointed to the edge of one of the crown's sides, revealing a small, red tipped spear head, "It's most likely the Mistral Family's Crest."

"Crest?"

"You know, like the arcs on your old shield."

"Oh, yeah," Jaune vaguely remembered his shield that was left behind in the castle siege, "Add a shield to the list of things we need to get."

"What?"

"Never mind," Jaune took back the headpiece, "So, what should we do now?"

"What can we do, is what you should be asking," Ren said, and kicked some dirt up in a rather uncharacteristic way, "Remnant, I can't believe that it's gone."

"You know, I would feel a lot more sympathetic if I actually knew what in the world is special about this piece of dust!" Jaune yelled.

"It's a Statera Crystal!" Ren explained, more like shouted, "And I was supposed to keep it safe."

"A what?! Ren, you're not making any-"

"FREEZE!" Jaune's body tensed up and his head swerved around to see two guards pointing their weapons at the two sojourners. Ren's hands instantly emitted a pink glow, but Jaune stopped him from firing his aura.

"We can't just go blasting everyone we see," The prince said dryly, and Ren scowled, but held up his palms in a surrendering position.

"Well, I would like to hear your plan, Prince Jaune," Ren said.

"Fine. We have these guards take us to King Nikos, and then we ask him for help in getting Weiss back."

"...that's actually not a bad idea. But how do we know these guys will take us to King Nikos?"

"Easy, Ren. I'm a bloody prince. I'm sure that I'll be able to get us to the king."

"State your business," One of the soldiers called out.

"Uh...we're from Vale."

"Smooth, Prince Jaune," Ren smirked.

"Shut it," Jaune muttered. The two soldiers walked towards him, making sure to keep their swords out and ready.

"Why are you here?" The other asked.

"To see King of Mistral," Jaune stated simply.

"And for what purpose?"

"We need help. I'm Prince Jaune."

The air went silent.

1.

2.

3.

"Hah!" One of the guards burst out laughing, his face lighting up in a big smile, "You?! You're the famous Prince Jaune."

"I'm famous?" Jaune said, and Ren facepalmed himself.

"He's being serious," The raven-haired boy said flatly.

"Yeah, right," The soldier said, "And we're to believe a servant boy." Ren's fists tightened and his scowl deepened.

"I'm speaking the-"

"Michael, listen to this guy!" The other soldier grabbed Jaune's right arm and waved it around, "I thought that Prince Jaune would be a bit stronger, don't you think?"

"Pfft, please. He wouldn't pass for a prince even if his life depending on it," The guard named Michael said.

"We want the truth," The first soldier said, his voice now serious, "You aren't from around here, so why-"

"Hey!" Michael exclaimed, and snagged the crown out of Jaune's hand, "Look at this!"

"Give that back!" Jaune said sharply, and tried to reach for the headpiece, but the soldier held it up in a taunting manner.

"I think we have a thief."

Oh crap. Jaune froze and looked at Ren for help. His friend gave him a 'now do you want me to blast these guys' glare.

"A thief, eh?" The other soldier mused, and pointed his weapon at Jaune's chest, "You're going to have to come with us."

"Um...do we have to?" Jaune asked in an innocent voice.

"Uh, yeah. It's the law," The first guard stated in an annoyed tone.

"Listen," Ren said, "I'm sure we can just work this out. This has been a big misunderstanding and if you give us the chance then we can explain everything. But, you see, we're kind of in a hurry as we need to get the king."

"And why's that?"

"Because the world is in danger and he's the only one that can help us," Ren stated.

"Oh please, we're in a time of peace," The soldier chortled, "And even if the world was in danger, how would two nobodies fix everything?"

Ren and Jaune glanced at each other, expecting a respond, maybe even a counterargument to strike against the rude soldier's remark, but they stayed silent. A horrible, earth-shattering silence that made them realize something.

They had no idea what to do. Had no idea if King Nikos would even listen to their warnings of the White Serfs. In fact, they didn't even know if Weiss was still alive. Ren and Jaune were just trying to get by, were just trying to keep themselves going forwards. But what were they going to do? What if the king didn't even give them a passing glance?

Then what? Then what would happen?

"That's what I thought," The soldier said, satisfied at the two's inability to reply. The hilt of his sword came closer to Jaune's neck and he smirked, "You're coming with us, whoever the hell you guys are."

Ren was getting tired of being knocked out. A. Because it hurt like hell. And B. Because it meant that he had no idea what was going on in reality.

And, like Jaune, he dreamed. His dreams were a lot more different than others. More vivid, more...memory like.

He was in the Arc Castle, right after Jaune decided to make him his best friend and show him around the place. Ozpin was gone, which Ren didn't like, but at least the prince was nice.

"So, here's the horse stables!" A ten year old Jaune exclaimed, and opened up the dirty stall. The stench of manure and hay filled Ren's nose, causing him gag.

"It smells..." He tried to find a word.

"Disgusting? Yeah, I know," Jaune laughed, and Ren cracked a smile. The two boys strolled into the stables and Jaune stopped him at one room.

"This is Matthias," Jaune stated, and pulled up a wooden stool for the two of them to stand upon. Ren peered over the edge of the room door and saw a beautiful white horse staring back at him. He immediately jumped down and ran away. Jaune's face turned to confusion and he carefully remembered his mother's words.

He's not used to the way we do things, She had told him the night Ren was officially slated to stay, But that doesn't mean you can't be friends. He just needs time to adjust, that's all.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked his new friend. Ren only shrugged, "Matthias isn't scary, I promise."

"Horses aren't my favorite," Ren stated the obvious, "I've never seen one so up close before."

"Well, the only bad thing he's ever down is let me fall of his saddle," Jaune joked, causing Ren's eyes to grow wide, "No, no! That's not a bad thing. He was just in a bad mood."

"Oh..." Ren said, but took a step towards the exit door. Jaune rolled his eyes and grabbed the magenta eyed boy's wrist, "What are you-"

"Trust me," Jaune said, and opened Matthias's stall door. The horse, thankful for being let out of his jail-cell, lowered his head to allow his owner to stroke his head.

"What is he doing?" Ren asked.

"He's allowing us to pet him," Jaune answered, and held out Ren's hand, forcing the latter to rub against the soft fur, "See, he's not scary."

"Yeah, I guess..." Ren tried to pretend he still didn't like the horse, but Jaune could tell that his friend was starting to warm up to Matthias, "So, do you know how to ride one?"

"My father's been helping me learn the ropes," Jaune said, "Right before you came he took me out on a horseback riding trip."

"That sounds fun," Ren said wistfully.

"You should come with us sometime," Jaune suggested.

"No, it's okay. I'd rather stay inside, anyways."

"Oh, well, if you say so..." Jaune suddenly perked up, "Hey...do you think you can tell me about where you're from?"

"Um..."

"You don't have to," Jaune quickly said, "I was just curious."

"Well, I was born in a country far away from here," Ren stated, and grinned a little, "Where I come from, things are a lot different there than here."

"Does it have red trees?"

"Nope. But it is active with flora and fauna."

"What?"

"Plants and animals, Prince Jaune. My home is full of them, sort of like your mother's garden."

"What did you like most about your old home?"

Ren frowned, and pondered his friend's question for quite a while.

"Lotus flowers," He finally said in a firm voice.

"Is that the flower you had in your hand when you got here?"

"Yes," Ren said sadly.

"Why do you like them?"

"They remind me of my family. Of my country." Jaune could see that Ren didn't want to talk about his past anymore, and let it drop. The two put Matthias back into his stall and made sure to lock the stable gates as they went out.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jaune asked.

"Now that you've mentioned it, I need to check on my flower," Ren said. Jaune vaguely remembered Ren telling him that he put planted the flower in his mother's garden.

"Can I help you?" Jaune asked.

"Sure, why not?"

"I bet I can beat you there!" Jaune took off running.

"Hey!" Ren shouted, and quickly followed Jaune towards the courtyard, "No fair!"

"One of my dad's rules is 'expect the unexpected." Jaune yelled back.

"Expect the unexpected," Ren mumbled. He would make sure to remember that.

"Hey, Ren, are you awake?"

What the? Ren's eyes snapped open and he sat up immediately. Looking around the room, he saw that he was a small cell area.

"Ren?" Ren turned to the voice, which belonged to Jaune, and scowled.

"What?" He snapped, causing his friend to purse his lips.

"Well, that answers my question," Jaune grabbed a rock and played with it.

"...sorry," Ren muttered, "Where are we?"

"Some sort of jail place," Jaune said, and tossed the rock up and down into the air.

"How long have I been out?"

"About an hour, not that long."

"Do you have any idea what to do?"

"Nope."

CLICK. Ren and Jaune turned their heads to see the cell door open up. A man with jet black hair, dark eyes, and an arrogant look on his face entered the room. His bronze and red armor indicated that he was a high-ranked militia officer.

"So," He said, "You are supposed to be 'Prince Jaune'."

"Who are you?" Ren asked.

"I believed I was talking to him," The man sneered, causing Ren to scowl.

"Well, I truly am Prince Jaune," Jaune said.

"No, I believe you. The sword you had in your hand had the Arc Crest located on the handle. And the material it was made out of indicated that you were royal blood."

"Oh, thank Remnant," Jaune muttered, happy that the general believed him, "But...who are you?"

"I am General Nyx," The man stated, and held out his hand. Jaune swiftly shook it and forced a smile, "And I am also very sorry that my men treated you so poorly."

"No, it's fine," Jaune said.

"Easy for you to say," Ren mumbled, "You're neck isn't on fire..."

"Anyways," Jaune said before Ren could continue, "We were wondering if we could talk to the king."

"Why on Remnant would you want to do that?" Nyx asked.

"Well, I suspected that the Arc Castle Siege sort of reached this area by now."

"Oh, yes. Quite unfortunate. But that still that answer my question."

"You see, we need help from King Nikos because Vale is allied with Mistral. My...fiancé was kidnapped by the White Serfs and I was hoping he could help us get her back, as she's probably now the leader of Atlas."

Nyx stayed silent for a moment, going over Jaune's supposed story.

"Well," He started, "I believe that your journey has been in vain."

"What!" Ren jumped up.

"I'm with him," Jaune said, "WHAT!?"

"I am afraid that King Nikos has not been able to meet any new people, despite their title, as he has been very busy dealing with other important issues."

"In case you didn't hear, the bloody princess of Atlas is missing," Ren snarled. He was fed up with what had happened in the past week, what had happened to him in general.

"I knew what happened," Nyx said cooly, "But you didn't let me finish." Ren crossed his arms and frowned, but let the man continue, "I may be able to help you get a meeting with the king if you do a favor for me."

"And that is?" Jaune inquired.

"The thief, that one that attacked the king's carriage today. I need him dead."

"W-what?" Jaune said incredulously, "Dead?"

"Yes. But..." He studied the dirty room, "I do want to talk about this in a more...cleaner area."

"Fine by me," Ren mumbled, and followed Nyx out of the cell. Jaune stayed behind just a bit, his head spinning from what he just heard. He couldn't shake off the feeling. The feeling that something was special about that girl, about that thief. But the prince couldn't figure it out.

And if Nyx was good on his word, then she would be dead anyways.

"He calls himself the Invincible Thief," General Nyx handed a glass of water to Jaune.

"Sounds like an appropriate title," Ren said flatly, remembering how the person had been seemingly unaffected by his aura blasts.

"It is," Nyx said. They were all located in his sweltering hot office, taking position around his large desk.

"Actually, it's a she," Jaune corrected.

"Hmm?"

"The thief is a she."

"No. I highly doubt a woman can do what this man has done," Nyx said, "Besides, a woman wouldn't be strong enough to control an entire shop of weaponry. The idea is preposterous."

"But-"

"We understand, General Nyx," Ren interrupted, not wanting Jaune to ruin their chance of getting help. Jaune frowned at his friend, but didn't say another word, "But how long has this person been causing trouble?"

"Too long," Nyx said simply, "But, if you want details, I would say about three years."

"Three years?"

"Pitiful, I know. We have managed to corner him once or twice, but he's just too powerful. Always manages to control my men's armor or weaponry before using it against us."

"Using it against them..." Ren mused. He had seen plenty of dangerous semblances before, but none like what the thief had used.

"But how we do we fit into all of this?" Jaune questioned.

"You two are sojourners, strange travelers that have come to Mistral. If the thief does not know who you are, then it will be easier to catch him."

"How, though?"

"Mistral may be a military run country, but that doesn't mean we don't have our share of illegal underground events."

"Huh?"

"He's talking about places like the underground black market, battle arenas, and basically anything related to breaking the law," Ren stated.

"How do you know all this?" Jaune asked and Ren merely shrugged, "Okay, then. So, you want us to go underground and try to catch this 'Invincible Thief?"

"Yes," Nyx nodded, "And, in return, I shall allow you to have the chance to talk with King Nikos."

"How do we know you won't back down after we've accomplished what you've asked?" Ren scowled.

"I am a man of my word," Nyx said, "And I promise that I will keep my promise to you both." He held out his hand to Jaune, face hard, "Do we have a deal?" Jaune hesitated, not sure that going to the extreme of killing someone was worth talking to a king. But they needed help, they needed to get Weiss back so she could take her throne and possible stop Vale from being taken over.

"…Fine," Jaune and Nyx shook hands and the latter smiled.

"Good then. I'll have one of my men show you the secret entrance to the underground black-market. From there it's fairly simple to navigate your way down there."

"One question," Ren said, "If you know where this place is, and its layout, why don't you just send your men down there and deal with the criminals?"

"Because of the fact that the people down there are extremely…violent, you might say, and just killing everyone isn't very human, don't you agree?" Ren narrowed his eyes at the irony in Nyx's statement, but didn't speak again.

"Do you have any idea how to catch this thief?" Jaune asked.

"The ankle," Nyx said.

"What?"

"Every time my men have managed to wound him, it's only affected his ankle. We don't know why, but that's the only place where we can get a good hit." Nyx pulled a drawer out of his desk and grabbed a large brown sack. He handed it to Jaune, "Money, for some supplies and weaponry. You can't just face this person without good equipment."

"One question, though," Jaune said, "Why me? Why us, to be more specific, to send after this person?"

"Because, either A. I'm so desperate," Nyx gave a wicked smile, "Or B. The fact that you managed to survive a massacre. You were not meant to die at that castle, Jaune, so, ask yourself this: Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?"

"I know what I need to do," Jaune said in a cold voice, but inside he was starting to understand the general's words.

"I hardly doubt that you know," Nyx said, "But, if you're so sure, then I shouldn't keep you waiting any longer." He opened the room door and gestured for them to leave, "You have a thief to catch."

Please Read and Review! And stay tuned for the next chapter.