Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or RWBY or any of their respective concepts or characters.

~.~.~

"Um…it was Blake, right?"

"Yes."

"That's a nice name."

"Thank you."

A pause.

"So, Blake, why're you heading to Beacon? I-If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"To become a huntress."

"Oh. That's cool..."

Silence.

"H-Hey, so are we! I-I mean, we're becoming huntsmen, not huntresses, but yeah. I guess we'll be, like, classmates or…or something."

"Probably."

"Y-Yeah…"

Oh god, this was so awkward.

Prompto slumped back into his seat, forcing a chuckle past his lips. The young photographer's anxiety was showing and he knew it—the small fortune he'd lost after years of late-night card games with his friends had taught him that he had a terrible poker face. He simply wasn't cutout for small talk with strangers. As part of a group, surrounded by people he knew whom he could play off, a casual conversation was no problem. Get him one-on-one, though, and he was a bag of jittering nerves.

And that was the issue.

It had been at least a good half-hour since they'd pulled over and offered the young lady a ride, yet short of some brief introductions, barely a word had been spoken. This tense atmosphere and the unbearable quiet that blanketed the car were more than he could take. He could not for the life of him figure out the answer to one simple question: why the hell was nobody saying anything?!

Prompto glanced around.

Ignis was busy driving, his eyes and mind focused squarely on the road ahead of him. Tucked away in the left corner of the vehicle, Gladio had his nose buried in his book. Had his social anxiety not been in full swing right now, the blond would've made a smart remark about his beefy pal's literacy. Meanwhile, in the Regalia's right corner, Blake was idly staring out at the world as it sped by. Prompto was honestly jealous of her ability to stay so calm and collected—here she was, cool as a cucumber and surrounded by four strangers as she headed off to a new school. A light snore drew Prompto's gaze to his prince. Sitting between Blake and Gladio was Noctis, who kept his arms crossed over his chest and his head bent downward as he napped.

The blond sighed and reached over to flip on the radio.

"—ance to win four tickets to this year's Vyt—"

"—nia, who has served as Atlas' chan—"

"—ee hoodie when you send in fifty box—"

'Boring,' Prompto frowned. He switched off the radio and pulled out his scroll. If no one was interested in talking and nothing interesting was playing over the waves, at least he could distract himself with a game or two. While Prompto busied himself with his tablet, Blake was content to lose herself in her surroundings. The ruby-leaved branches and stark white trunks of the birch trees blurred together as the Regalia sped down the pavement. No matter how the lands around it changed, the Forever Falls truly earned its namesake. The forest was frozen in time, unmoving as the rest of the globe turned.

Blake was envious.

She would love to be able to just ignore the world around her and move at her own pace. She'd gone through life being swept from one tide to another—whether it was her father, the White Fang, or Adam Taurus, everyone loved to act as if they knew what was best for her. No one had any reservations about forcing her down a predetermined path. Maybe that was the reason why it was so hard for her to admit that her father had been right. She should've never gotten involved with the White Fang. The one time she'd chosen to defy her parents' wishes, the one glimpse at freedom she'd stolen for herself, had led Blake right into the clutches of Adam.

She sighed.

Well, hindsight was twenty-twenty. There was nothing she could do about the crimes she'd committed at Adam's urging. Cradling the shattered remains of her pride, Blake now had her sights set solely on the future. She'd make it to Beacon, become a huntress, and spend her life working towards redemption. It wasn't going to be easy, of course. She didn't have a single lien to her name. With no money, she couldn't afford to reserve herself a seat on an air-bus or even a train. Sure, she could've always just snuck aboard as a stowaway, but her life as a criminal was behind her now and it was time to make a fresh start. If the two-day hike to Vale was to be her penance, she'd just have to bear it.

Or at least that's what she thought.

Now, as a part of the White Fang, Blake had traveled all over the world. She'd held protests in the streets of Mistral, overseen recruitment efforts in Vacuo, interviewed the repressed Faunus of Atlas, but her time meeting with sympathizers in Lucis had always been special to her. Unlike the other kingdoms, Lucis was famous (or infamous, depending on who you asked) for their long-held tradition of treating their Faunus citizens with the same respect and care that any human citizen would be granted. It was in Lucis that Blake first laid her eyes upon the sight that she'd always dreamed of seeing—humans and Faunus living side-by-side as equals.

When she first decided to abandon the White Fang, a part of her was tempted to go and join Lucis' Crownsguard. Though she ultimately decided that she could protect more lives as a huntress, Blake still knew the organization's insignia when she saw it. Imagine her surprise, then, when four young men bearing that very symbol rolled up alongside her and offered her a free ride to Beacon. She almost thought she was seeing things. No matter how many times she checked, however, the mark was still embroidered in their dark jackets just above their hearts.

Now she was more confused than shocked.

What were four of Lucis' Crownsguard doing so far from home? What did they hope to gain from attending Beacon Academy? Blake didn't know and she didn't feel like prying. They no doubt had their reasons, just like she had hers. So here she was, cruising down the road in the company of a team of royal bodyguards on their way to school. The whole thing felt surreal.

Blake felt her eyelids grow heavy. The dark-haired beauty hadn't been getting as much rest as she would've liked lately. Her sudden and unexplained departure had probably caused quite a bit of confusion to spread across Adam's ranks. She wasn't sure how much extra time that would buy her. Blake knew Adam would come for her eventually. When the fallout of her actions had settled and the rage and betrayal had set in, Adam would hunt her down like nothing else. Blake couldn't afford to waste a second—the more distance between her and the White Fang, the better.

She stifled a yawn.

Well, considering that one of them was already asleep, Blake doubted the others would mind if she took a quick nap herself. She leaned back into her seat and allowed the soft and warm rays of the sun to cover her. Just as her eyelids were about to droop shut, a loud clunk sounded from the front of the car, followed by a series of distinctly mechanical gasps and sputters. Her amber eyes snapped wide open as the Regalia began to decelerate.

Beside her, Noctis stirred awake. The prince rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up. The young man glanced around, half-expecting to be flanked by skyscrapers and pedestrians. Instead, all he found were the same scarlet trees and distant mountaintops that had surrounded them that morning.

'Sure doesn't look like the city…' he hummed. Confused and tired, Noctis turned to Ignis, "Hey, Iggy, why are we stopping?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Ignis muttered, frowning.

Blake pursed her lips, "I think your car broke down."

"N-No way," Prompto mumbled, clearly stunned, "The Regalia's a beast!"

"Yeah, but when was the last time she went in for a tune-up?" Gladio groaned, slapping a palm against his forehead, "The ol' girl isn't getting any younger."

Noctis snorted, "And here I thought my old man was taking better care of her."

"Well, your father has been busy lately," Ignis sighed and steered the vehicle to the side of the road. As the Regalia slowly came to a halt, he threw back the gearshift before popping the door open and hopping out. Ignis stepped swiftly to the front of the car and lifted the hood to peek inside. After a moment or two of silence, Gladio leaned his head out and called to his friend.

"How's it lookin' in there, Specs?" the muscular young man questioned, "We gonna be rollin' again soon or are we stranded?"

"I'm afraid I don't know my way around an engine quite as well as I do a kitchen. Whatever the problem is, it's beyond me," Ignis answered, "I don't suppose any of you know anything about cars?"

"I know plenty about cars," Gladio snorted, "Just not what makes 'em tick."

"Well, I've got nothing," Prompto shrugged.

Noctis frowned, "Don't look at me."

"Sorry," Blake shook her head.

Ignis sighed again and slammed the hood shut, "In that case, I'll just have to see if I can get in touch with a mechanic."

"Good luck with that," Noctis snorted, "The only guy with the know-how to work on the Regalia is Cid. The old man practically made it from scratch."

Gladio nodded, "And that geezer's all the way back home."

"Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but the person I have in mind isn't your typical mechanic. Cid's granddaughter moved to Vale a few years back to start her own garage. According to the man himself, she's just as good as Cid was back in the day, if not better," Ignis explained as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his scroll, "Hopefully she hasn't changed her number."

A hush fell over them as Ignis quickly tapped the digits into his scroll and raised it up to his ear. Soon enough, someone on the other end picked up.

"Ms. Aurum? This is Ignis Scientia. I believe your grandfather introduced us?" Ignis casually spoke, "Just fine, thank you. And yourself? Good to hear. I'm calling because it would seem as though we've run into some car trouble and we just so happen to be in your neck of the woods. Yes, it's the Regalia. No, I'm not sure what the problem is—she was running fine just a few moments ago, but now the old girl won't even start up. We're in Forever Fall right now, right on the main road and about a day's trip from the city. I see. No, that should be fine. Thank you, Ms. Aurum. We'll be seeing you, then. Safe travels."

"Well?" Prompto leaned forward, eager to hear the news, "Are we good?"

"Ms. Aurum will be driving out to tow us to her shop in the morning. We'll catch a ride to Vale with her," Ignis informed them as he pocketed his device, "In the meantime, I suppose we'll be camping out here tonight. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Ms. Belladonna, but you're more than welcome to join us if you want."

"Thanks for the offer," Blake gave a polite smile, "But I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome or anything."

The ride would be nice, but she could walk. That had been her original plan, after all. Besides, she knew she didn't make for the best company—someone who'd rather bury her face in a book than maintain a conversation wasn't going to be the life of any parties.

"Overstay your welcome? And I thought Iggy took things too seriously," Noctis smiled, "Don't even worry about it. We're all headed to the same place, aren't we? It makes more sense to stick together."

"And we can't just leave you to walk all the way to Vale, now can we? It wouldn't be right," Ignis added, "Besides, we do have an extra tent, should you desire a bit of privacy."

"Believe me, you're gonna wanna take him up on that offer," Prompto advised, "Gladio here snores like an Ursa."

"At least I don't drool everywhere like you do, Prompto," Gladio fired back.

"Oh, I so do not!"

"Yeah, right," Gladio scoffed, "I'm surprised you haven't drowned in your sleep yet."

"…Please excuse my associates," Ignis shook his head, clearly exasperated, "More importantly, Ms. Belladonna, you're our guest and, quite possibly, our classmate. We should try to help one another out, shouldn't we?"

Blake blanched. If felt weird to be offered help from total strangers. In Adam's White Fang, outsiders were treated with the same hostility and distrust that society showed to them. As far as Blake knew, she'd never met any of these people before in her life. At the very least, they certainly didn't owe her anything. Maybe she'd allowed Adam to color her perspective of the outside world a bit more than she thought. Either way, relying on the kindness of strangers was going to take a little getting used to.

"W-Well, if you insist," Blake mumbled.

"Excellent," Ignis smiled, "Well, with that settled, let's set up camp."

~.~.~

Given the nature of his position, his breaks were few and far between. Running a kingdom was no small task—it demanded constant vigilance and a deft hand with diplomacy. A king needed to be resolute in his principles while also being flexible with his methods. Any mistake, even the smallest lapse in judgment on the most insignificant of issues, could spiral out of his control and doom his people and his reign. He'd spent the strong majority of a lifetime burning the candle at both ends to ensure that didn't happen.

Now it was all out of his hands. What small efforts he could spare would amount to little more than nothing in the face of the coming disaster. For the first time in over twenty years, Regis had to sit back and accept that he no longer had the power to alter any outcomes. There were no more decrees to give, no more politicians to sway, and no more strategies to create. His story was coming to an end. And honestly?

It terrified him.

He feared for his country.

He trembled for his people.

He wept for his son.

Yet all he could do was maintain his appearance and wait.

Regis glanced down into a cup of his favorite tea. Sunlight shined upon the collage of flowers before him, a collection of bright tropical species mixed with a gathering of somber temperate blossoms. The emerald grass beneath him was lush and freshly trimmed. Resting in the shade of a mighty oak that he himself had planted in his youth, the king sighed and sipped his drink. The Citadel's beautiful garden normally did wonders to ease his nerves. He could see now that he wouldn't be escaping his worries any time soon.

"Isn't it unbecoming of a king to sit in the dirt?"

Regis looked up to find Ozpin approaching him, an easy smile on his face and his own mug in his hand. He greeted his old friend with a slight tilt of his head and motioned for the headmaster to join him in the shadow of the tree. Ozpin took a seat beside him and leaned back against the bark, casting his gaze out at the flowers that surrounded them.

"Probably," Regis rolled his eyes, "But that crown's not going to mean much soon."

"I see you're in a good mood," Ozpin smiled, "If I didn't know you, I'd say you'd been drinking."

"Not me. I'm as dreadfully sober as always," Regis shook his head, "I really should've taken a page out of Ghira's book and taken up the bottle a long time ago."

"Oh, I agree," Ozpin smirked, "I would have many more stories to tell Prince Noctis if you had cut loose every now and then."

"And Ghira wondered why I never drank," Regis snorted, "I can't imagine the amount of blackmail you must have on him."

"Nothing on tape, I'm afraid," Ozpin sighed.

"Kali would still believe you," Regis chuckled, "She knows what her husband's like."

"Don't we all? I don't even remember how many places he managed to get us banned from," Ozpin laughed, "It was something like ten, wasn't it? Or was it eleven?"

"Twelve," Regis corrected the man, "Not counting the two bars he accidentally destroyed."

"He did do that, didn't he? For a grown man to throw such a fit over an arm-wrestling match of all things," Ozpin shook his head, "And Cor didn't let him hear the end of it for days."

"The future leader of both the White Fang and Menagerie, beaten by a twelve-year-old knight-in-training," Regis grinned, "No, Cor wasn't about to let that one go."

"Those two loved to butt heads, didn't they?" Ozpin mused, "It's amazing how two people can fight so often and still be friends."

"But that was part of what made traveling together so much fun, wasn't it?" Regis muttered wistfully before sighing, "But I take it you didn't come all this way just to reminisce."

"I'm afraid not," Ozpin informed his friend, "I received a very interesting package from Atlas this morning."

"Did you now?"

"The Axe of the Conqueror," the professor stated, "Pillaged from its resting place."

"Monica always did work fast," Regis hummed, "You should expect to receive a few more of those packages before this is all said and done. You're not to let my son see even a glimpse of them, understand? At least not until he's ready."

"Speaking of your son, I saw him fight the other day," Ozpin glanced at the king, "And I can't help but feel that you're underestimating him."

Regis frowned, "Prince or not, he's still only a boy. Those weapons tax the body with every swing."

"Well, regardless, you'll be happy to hear that he has agreed to attend my academy," Ozpin took a sip of his coffee.

"Is that right?" Regis blinked, "And what did you tell my unruly son to convince him?"

"That he was being sent away to finish his education. What other reason could I give? I run a school, Regis, not a shelter," Ozpin shrugged.

"You always were a terrible liar," Regis mumbled under his breath with a shake of his head.

"And you've always been far too secretive for your own good," Ozpin shot back, "Coming from me, that's saying something."

"Believe me, I'm getting tired of all the secrets, too," Regis mumbled.

"Noctis won't meekly sit back and comply with this forever, you know," the professor frowned, "Eventually, he will demand to continue his journey. The Armiger is his right and he will seek to claim it as any Lucian king would."

"You needn't inform me of the Lucis Caelum familial duties. Believe it or not, I am somewhat of an expert on them," the king huffed and downed the last of his tea, "The royal arms will do Noctis little good if he rushes into a war and gets himself killed. I'm counting on you, Ozpin. You must protect Noctis from both my enemies and himself."

"Regardless of whatever circumstances are surrounding them, I always have and always will protect my students," Ozpin nodded, "But you already know that. That's why you sent the young heir apparent to me."

Regis looked to his friend, "And yet something seems to be troubling you. So, tell me, what new problem weighs so heavily on the mind of the great and powerful Professor Ozpin?"

Ozpin snorted, "You know, everyone I meet tells me I have a flawless poker face. How you of all people manage to read me like a book is beyond me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Reggie, I'd hate to be the one to tell you, but you're as dense as they come," Ozpin laughed, "Do you even want to know how many times Aulea tried to confess and it just flew right over your head?"

"Alright, alright," Regis pouted, "Stop trying to change the subject. Out with it, whatever it is."

"…The package isn't the only thing I received from Atlas," Ozpin sighed, "I also heard a particularly troubling rumor."

"Oh?" Regis blinked, "I didn't take you to be the kind of man that concerns himself with gossip."

"Only the right kind of gossip," Ozpin muttered, "Important people are whispering, Regis."

"And what are they saying?"

"That Atlas has found the Chosen King."

Ozpin had known Regis for years. They'd walked beside one another, journeying across the globe. The professor had watched as his young friend rose from being a stoic, foolhardy prince to a king that shouldered the burden of a fifth of the entire world. That trail they walked together so long ago was one paved with pain and smiles, blood and sweat, tears and laughter. Whatever hardship had come, whatever new obstacle arose to block their path, Regis had always grit his teeth and fearlessly pushed forward against all odds. Because he was the man who would sit the throne. Because his suffering was just another drop in the bucket compared to what his people would endure for his failures. Because he was Lucis Caelum.

And to see the color drain so quickly from his brave friend's face shook Ozpin to his very core.

"…Well, that is troubling news, isn't it?" Regis mumbled, shaking his head, "And what has James said on the matter?"

"He seems particularly reluctant to discuss it," Ozpin sighed, "Which only serves to worry me more."

"But he did give you a name, correct? A picture, perhaps?" Regis raised a brow, "You have seen this supposed king with your own eyes, haven't you?"

"James did point me in the right direction. The young man's a descendant of Mantle's old monarchy," the professor informed the king, "He's quite skilled for his age and, from what I hear, remarkably intelligent. There is something about his power, though…it has a notably unnatural element to it."

"Salem's work?"

"Not quite, but it is disturbingly similar," Ozpin turned to Regis, "But if the boy is the Chosen, that would leave both the King and the Oracle in Atlas' court, wouldn't it? And yet the ring is still in your possession. Your thoughts?"

"One battle at a time, Oz," Regis blew a heavy breath, his shoulders sagging, "One battle at a time."

~.~.~

"You have to put that end in the socket here."

"Uh, dude? We literally did this two days ago and it went like this."

"It doesn't even bend that way."

"Yes, it does! Look, it curves up and—"

"S-Stop! You're gonna break it!"

"I'm not gonna break anything! Just let me—h-hey, let go!"

"Give it here! I'll do it myself!"

"No way! I can handle it!"

A pair of amber eyes, gleaming with confusion and disbelief, watched on as Gladio and Prompto wrestled over control of the tent pole that they both had clutched in their hands. During her brief stay in Lucis, Blake had overheard two names that seemed to always come up in conversations regarding the kingdom's finest. The first was the "Steel Titan," Captain Titus Drautos, leader of the vaunted Kingsglaive. The "Immortal Shogun" and commander of the Crownsguard, Marshal Cor Leonis, was the second.

If her understanding was correct, both of those living legends not only hand-picked each individual member of their elite forces, but also personally oversaw their development through a strict and brutal training regimen. The Kingsglaive was Lucis' sword, while the Crownsguard was its shield. They were expected to be battle-ready always, prepared to charge into the fray and lay their lives down for their kingdom and their king. Only the best could ever dream getting accepted into the organizations, and only the best of the best would ever actually make the cut. Their skills were unrivaled, their teamwork unmatched.

And yet here were two young men of the Crownsguard, fighting over the proper way to pitch a tent.

"Is this…" Blake blinked, nearly dropping the bundle of firewood she carried in her arms, "Is this normal for them?"

"Hm?" Noctis, who was busy hammering down a stake into the dirt, glanced towards his arguing friends, "Oh, yeah. You learn to ignore it after a while."

"It's just their way of showing each other that they care," Ignis explained, tossing a dash of spice into a pot as he slowly stirred their dinner. The chef stood before a portable cooking range that he set atop of a small camping table. If the aroma drifting in the air around him smelled anything like his food tasted, Blake was very much looking forward to the meal.

"You snap that pole, Prompto, and I'm shoving the pieces down your throat!"

Blake sighed and shrugged, "If you say so."

She stepped over to the fire pit and crouched down to drop her collection of twigs and branches beside it. Her task completed, Blake stood up and clapped her hands together to shake the dirt from them. With Noctis putting the finishing touches on the second of a trio of tents and Ignis halfway finished with dinner, all that was left was for Prompto and Gladio to put their differences aside and finish the last shelter. Letting a deep breath slip from her lips, Blake stepped back and fell into the elastic fabric of a foldable chair.

The young woman watched the sun sink below the horizon. With nothing else to do besides sitting and waiting, she really wished she had one of her books to help past the time. Unfortunately, Blake had been forced to leave her small personal library with the White Fang. It simply would've been far too suspicious for her to start packing all her belongings the night before a such a short mission, especially after Tukson had deserted them a few years back. Even bringing one with her might've raised a few troubling questions that she didn't feel like answering.

"You okay?"

"Do I not look okay?" Blake raised a brow before wincing slightly. She hadn't meant that to come out as stand-offish as it sounded. Still, as he took a seat beside her, Noctis either didn't notice or didn't care about the bite in her words.

"Not really. You seem…I dunno, kinda out of it or something," the boy shrugged. Then again, he didn't really know her at all. Maybe this was normal for the girl?

"It's…" Blake frowned as she struggled to find the right words, "It's just been really stressful these past couple days."

"Tell me about it," Noctis sighed, "Between the Grimm and the car trouble, I'm starting to wonder if someone up there has it out for me."

"Believe me, I know the feeling," Blake muttered.

"Well, aren't you two just all sunshine and rainbows?" Gladio smirked as he grabbed the seat beside his prince, "Seriously, way to look on the bright side. Reading the obituaries would be less depressing than listening to you."

"Only if you're in them," Noctis shot back, returning his friend's smirk with one of his own, "Did you guys actually manage to finish your tent or what?"

"Yep," Gladio grinned, leaning back in his seat, "All taken care of."

As he sampled the meal to test the flavor, Ignis snorted, "I'm amazed you two actually managed to see eye-to-eye."

"We agreed to disagree," Prompto smiled, pulling up a chair.

"…Is that why your tent's leaning over like that?" Blake glanced back over her shoulder towards the lopsided shelter.

"The important thing is it's standing," Gladio shrugged.

"Well, when it inevitably collapses on the both of you in the middle of the night, don't expect any of us to help," Ignis shook his head as he stepped over to them, a small stack of bowls in his hands. The chef took one for himself before handing the rest out to the others. He then outstretched his arm and gestured to the simmering pot behind him, "Dinner is served."

Gladio and Prompto leapt out of their seats the instant the words left Ignis' mouth. While they rushed over to serve themselves, Blake and Noctis turned to the chef.

"What's on the menu tonight, Iggy?" Noctis asked.

"King's Stew," Ignis informed the prince.

Noctis whistled appreciatively, "Fancy."

"Hardly," Ignis chuckled, shrugging, "We still had some tenderloin left over, so I figured I'd put it to good use."

"It smells delicious," Blake noted.

"Thank you," Ignis smiled, "Please, help yourselves while it's still hot."

"And while there's still some left," Noctis frowned as he leveled a flat stare at the backs of his two hungry friends, "Hey, don't go inhaling all of it, you two!"

"First come, first serve, Noct!" Gladio laughed triumphantly as he dipped a ladle deep into the broth.

"It's eat or be eaten," Prompt nodded sagely, "And I'm starving!"

Noctis turned towards Blake, "If they eat our share, we're kicking their tent down while they sleep."

Blake smirked, "Deal."

~.~.~

To anyone else, it would've just been any other old storybook. The cover, once adorned by an immaculately painted image of an undersea kingdom, was now too worn to enjoy. Of the many pages that were collected within, roughly half were nearly blank, their ink and meanings within it faded from overuse. Even the binding itself was falling away, leaving its contents dangling by the dying efforts of the last few tired strings. Older still was the tale the tome once carried—a beautiful mermaid princess, doomed by a young and foolish love to wash away into a lonely nothingness.

Still, she clutched it close all the same. Wherever time had attempted to tear holes into the book, her memory would refill them. A small smile graced her face as she leaned back into her pillow and gently turned to the first page. As she did, a cool sea breeze drifted in from the window. She turned her head and found the lapping waves gleaming like jewels in the sea as the twilight sun dipped down beneath the ocean's endless horizon.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

She nodded, "It is."

She'd been alone mere seconds ago, with only her book and her own thoughts to keep her company. Now, a lovely woman stood in the center of her bedroom, pale and captivating as the shattered moon itself. It had been quite startling the first time the woman appeared to her. The stranger had stepped out of light and air, right before her eyes. Child that she was back then, she'd mistaken the woman for a ghost and cried. But she understood who the woman was now and why she appeared to her and only her. Her presence was no longer something she feared, though sometimes she did wish that the woman would give her a bit more warning before appearing at will wherever and whenever she pleased.

"You've been dreaming again," the woman noted.

"Am I not dreaming now?" she wondered, turning a page in the worn book, "It's starting to become difficult to keep track of when I'm awake and when I'm asleep."

The woman smiled, "And what have you seen while you sleep?"

"Nothing new," she hummed, "Fire, mostly, and a man standing in it."

"What else?"

"Six knights," she frowned, "Bowing to a young man."

"And did you glimpse this man's face?" the woman asked, "Hear his name?"

"I didn't, but I know who he's supposed to be," she mused, "He's the Chosen, isn't he? The one you told me about."

"Indeed," the woman nodded, "The Chosen King, destined to be named by the Oracle and crowned in the light of the Six."

"But he's not all I've seen in my dreams," she whispered.

"Oh?"

"There's a girl locked away in a tower," she turned yet another page, "And a giant standing over a city. Four lights becoming three. A crying king. Two knights, fighting. A girl holding a ring."

"My," the woman intoned, "You've been dreaming a lot lately, haven't you?"

"More and more every day," she sighed, "But every dream I have is like a…shadow puppet-show. I can't make out any details. It's starting to get a little frustrating, honestly."

"Be at ease," the woman assured her, "Your visions will become clearer as you learn to accept them. In time, you will know the Chosen and fulfill your duty. Of that, I have every confidence."

And just like that, she was alone again. She sighed once more and tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

'I hope you're right,' Lunafreya Nox Fleuret mused as she turned her focus back to the fairytale in her hands, 'For everyone's sake.'

~.~.~

"You might wanna close your mouth before a bug flies in."

Prompto blinked, his jaw snapping shut as Noctis threw an arm around his shoulder. Shortly afterwards, the panic began to set in. Oh god, was he staring? He was, wasn't he? And it had to be obvious if Noctis of all people was pointing it out! The sharpshooter winced. It wasn't his fault, though! How could he not stare!?

The sun was just starting to peek up over the mountaintops when they had all been scrambling to cram their gear and supplies back into the trunk of the Regalia. Distracted as they were, none of them had noticed the approaching tow-truck until it had pulled up beside them and blared its horn to shatter the morning's tranquility. The truck's door swung open and Prompto had watched as an angel climbed out and waved to them.

Cindy Aurum.

Short, curly blonde hair that glowed in the morning sunlight. Sparkling and energetic emerald eyes. A lithe, curvy body, accentuated by flawless and evenly-tanned skin. It was love at first sight, Prompto was sure of it. His heart was pounding against his chest, his mouth was dry, his hands were sweaty, and he simply couldn't look away. Prompto stood there, watching the beautiful mechanic as she secured the Regalia to her lift.

"But, but…dude," Prompto's gaze shot back and forth between his prince and the stunning lady, "Dude."

"Use your words, Lover-boy," Noctis rolled his eyes.

"She's, like, cute," Prompto whispered, "Super cute!"

"Yep."

"And she's so nice!"

"Uh-huh."

"And funny!"

"Sure."

"And confident!"

"Yeah."

"And that accent!"

"…What about it?"

"And she talked to me!"

"She did say hello."

"She's like a…a…" Prompto tapped the tip of his foot against the ground as he struggled to find the right word, "…a goddess!"

Noctis winced and slapped a hand to his face, "Prompto, no."

He hadn't just said that. Surely the gunman had to be joking, right?

The blond nodded excitedly, "A grease-monkey goddess!"

Oh god, he was serious.

Unfortunately for the sharpshooter, his declaration came loud enough to catch the attention of his muscular companion. To his credit, Gladio at least tried hold back his laughter. He made it an impressive five seconds before he was doubled-over in the grass, howling and in tears. Blake, whose hearing as a Faunus far surpassed that of a human's, heard the whole conversation. While Gladio struggled to catch his breath, she took it upon herself to save the boy from embarrassing himself any more than he already had.

"You know, she's standing less than ten feet away," Blake rolled her eyes, "She can probably hear everything you're saying."

"Oh crap, crap, crap! You guys don't think she heard me, do you!?" Prompto gasped, "Oh man, please tell me she didn't hear me! She'll think I'm some kinda creep or something!"

"Goddess! H-He actually called her a goddess!" Gladio wheezed.

"S-Shut up!" Prompto hissed, his face burning, "I can't help it if I'm a romantic!"

"A r-romantic!" Gladio burst into a new round of cackling.

"That's it! C'mere, you bastard!" Prompto roared as he leapt onto his laughing friend.

It'd been an…unusual day for Cindy Aurum. Dawn had yet to shatter the inky night's sky when she rolled out of bed that morning. Rushing through her typical daily routine, she'd barely allowed herself the time to enjoy one large cup of coffee and a piece of toast before hopping into her truck and driving for six hours straight into the middle of nowhere. To top it all off, she had a funny feeling that she wasn't going to end up getting paid for this little favor. Ordinarily, she'd have declined. As much as the mechanic loved her job, she was only one person and work piled up quick in the city. Every hour she spent away from her shop was another three hours she'd have to make up later.

But this wasn't just any old favor.

As good as Vale had been to her, Lucis would always be her home. If her prince needed help, she'd have dropped just about anything and come running. More importantly, though, they were friends of the family. No Aurum had ever turned down a friend in need and Cindy sure as hell wasn't about to be the first. So, here she was, watching as her lift slowly raised the Regalia onto its back wheels. She was hungry, tired, and probably going to come back home to find twice the amount of work she'd left there, but no one could say she wasn't a good friend.

"Thank you again for coming out on such short notice, Ms. Aurum," Ignis frowned, "I know the ride wasn't exactly a short one."

"Don't even mention it," Cindy brushed off the young man's concern with a wave of her hand, "Besides, I'm finally gonna get me a peek under the hood of Gramps' pride and joy. Can't complain about that."

"The Regalia is certainly something else," Ignis nodded, "I honestly can't believe she broke down."

"Any machine can have its off-days, even the best ones. She ain't really gone far from the Crown City in a while, right? The ol' girl probably just needs a lil' tuning up," Cindy grinned, "I'll have 'er up and runnin' before you know it!"

"I don't doubt it," Ignis smiled. A dull, metallic thud sounded, announcing that the lift had finished its job. Cindy leaned down to check that everything was locked into place. Once she was satisfied, she stood straight up and turned around to face the others.

"Alright, I got 'er all set up and…um," Cindy blinked, "Y'all okay?"

Cindy wasn't quite sure how, why, or when it happened, but the scene before her was certainly not what she was expecting to find. Gladio had been knocked to the ground and, for whatever reason, was laughing like a madman. Apparently, the whirring of the towing equipment had masked the sound. Prompto was on his back, holding the larger man in the poorest attempt at a choke-hold that she'd ever seen. Off to the side, the prince had pulled out his scroll and was busy recording the whole thing. Blake stood next to Noctis, shaking her head.

"…What are you two doing?" Ignis flatly asked.

"Being stupid," Noctis informed him.

"O-Oh, Specs, you missed out," Gladio chuckled, "Man, you've gotta hear this. This lady-killer here—"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Prompto shouted, tightening his failing grapple.

"Um, I'd hate to interrupt this…whatever this is," Cindy jerked a thumb towards her truck, "But I've got y'all hitched up and ready to roll, so we're good to go whenever."

"Great! Fantastic!" Prompto flashed the mechanic a grin before growling and turning his attention back to the young man in his grip, "We gotta get going, don't we, Gladio? We should get to Beacon and never speak of this again. EVER."

"Oh, you wish. No way am I just gonna let blackmail like this go," Gladio grinned. The giant of a man pushed himself to his feet, knocking Prompto off his back. He quickly brushed the dirt off his clothes, ignoring the withering glare that the marksman was shooting his way. Sighing contentedly, the heavy-hitter shrugged, "But I'll just keep this one in my back pocket for now. You know, for the next time you bug the crap outta me."

"I am so gonna get you back for this," Prompto muttered as he stood.

Gladio smirked, "Bring it on, Runt."

"Focus, gentlemen," Ignis sighed.

"We're gonna be catching a ride with you, right, Cindy?" Noctis glanced towards the country girl's truck as he pocketed his scroll, "Is there enough room for us all?"

Cindy chuckled sheepishly, "About that…I was hopin' one of y'all might be willin' to do me a solid."

"Ooh! Ooh! Me, me!" Prompto jumped to attention, waving his hand eagerly in the air, "I'll do it, Cindy! Whatever ya need, consider it done!"

"Suck-up," Gladio muttered under his breath. He earned a sharp elbow to the side for his efforts, courtesy of Prompto.

"A volunteer! Nice!" Cindy grinned, "Makes things a whole helluva lot easier!"

Prompto leaned forward, "So, whaddya need? Oh, do you want me to sit in the truck bed and snipe any Grimm that get in our way or something?"

"Not exactly," Cindy chuckled weakly, "See, thing is, my ride only sits five and it's not exactly legal in Vale to have folks sittin' in the bed while yer on the road. Only way we're all gonna fit is if you spend the ride back to the city sittin' on your wrestlin' buddy's lap there."

"…What?"

~.~.~

Kingdom Come

Chapter Two: All Roads

~.~.~

World of Remnant: The Kingdom of Lucis

~.~.~

The Kingdom of Lucis is old and great, carrying with it a noble history that dates all the way back to the first of our kings. I should know—growing up, the royal tutors saw fit to beat the entire timeline into my noggin until I could recite it in my sleep. Just another one of the lovely perks that came with being a prince, I guess.

If you're the sort of person who takes kids' stories like 'The Four Maidens' and 'The Tale of Two Brothers' seriously, you might just believe me when I say that Lucis began when the gods descended to Remnant in the form of a giant crystal and chose my family to lead the new kingdom to prosperity. Personally, I don't buy it. If the Six were real, you'd think that Lucis wouldn't be the smallest of the five kingdoms. Hell, you'd think there wouldn't even be any other kingdoms besides Lucis. Still, a lot of my ancestors were real big fans of the tale. I mean, why wouldn't they be? Nothing legitimizes your reign quite like saying the gods themselves named you king. One of the past kings even went so far as to pull a giant gem from the ground and claim it was the "crystal of the gods" or whatever. It's still hanging up in the tallest tower in the Citadel.

Either way, my family adopted the name the gods supposedly gave our country. A symbolic gesture, meant to show how the Kingdom of Lucis and the kings of Lucis were one and the same. In a way, they are. Lucis is the only kingdom that still looks to a king or queen to guide it—a benefit that came with keeping our nose out of the Great War. Back then, our queen was a bit of an isolationist. She couldn't care less about the petty arguments over lifestyles and art that the other kingdoms occupied themselves with. Her people and her country were her highest priority.

Everything else was just a distraction.

When Mantle and Mistral began to play at imperial power, Lucis stood resolute. When Vale and Vacuo called for our aid, Lucis ignored them. Maybe you think we should have gotten involved and helped to end the pointless slaughter. Maybe we should've. At the end of the day, though, when the king of Vale broke the armies of Mantle and Mistral at that legendary battle, not a drop of Lucian blood could be found anywhere near it.

So, no, we aren't obligated to name our children after colors. We weren't forced to establish a huntsmen academy like the other four kingdoms. We've never hosted the Vytal Festival on our land. Some assholes like to look down at us because of all that. They think we're just some pretty city out in the sticks pretending to be a real kingdom.

I say let 'em laugh.

My father is the one-hundred-and-thirteenth king of Lucis. I'll be the one-hundred-and-fourteenth. All those kings and queens come and gone, and yet Lucis has remained virtually untouched by outside forces since the day the gods supposedly came crashing down on our heads.

We must be doing something right.

~.~.~

So, this chapter's just a liiiiiiiittle bit shorter than the other two, mostly because I wanted it to kind of act as a reprieve before we finally get to Beacon next chapter but also because it's really annoying to balance Blake's character with the others. I'm not going to lie, I have a lot of problems with the way RWBY handles its story and characters. Particularly in Season 1, Blake was really a weird character that just kinda went into mood swings at the drop of a hat. The first and second times we see her, she's cold and standoffish. But then Blake meets Yang in the forest and becomes her partner and she seems…kinda oddly playful for some reason? And then in the first day of school, she's holding a Team RWBY flag and cheering on Weiss, who her character should by all rights still feel SUPER awkward towards at best. She's going along with all of Ruby's upbeat team-building, cheering "bonsai" while they decorate and it's completely contradictory to the girl we spent the first two episodes getting introduced to. Like, overnight her personality does a near 180. That inconsistency had me really floundering for how I should portray her interactions with the guys and honestly, it's why this chapter took as long as it did and probably a good part of the reason I don't feel quite as satisfied with this chapter as I do the others.

I went through three rewrites of the first scene alone. The first one I decided focused a bit too much on setting up Blake's personal thoughts on her time in the White Fang, the second had her awkwardly trying to make conversation that I ultimately decided didn't mesh, and the third is the final version I went with when I finally decided this was taking too long and I had to start writing the rest of the chapter or else I never would. Even then, I ended up rewriting the scene between Ozpin and Regis and I cut out a scene where the boys would've realized they'd forgotten to stock up on groceries and Blake, Noctis, and Gladio, as the only three who could fish, would've had to go on a fishing trip down to the river to catch dinner.

Now, onto the elephant in the room, Luna and the Chosen King. Yeah, that's in the story. As I explained to one reviewer who asked, Noctis and his boys won't just be following the plot of RWBY. They will have their own motivations and their own storyline that, while it will often overlap and intersect with Team RWBY's, will still be their own. Obviously, Luna and the Chosen King will play a role in that story and their motivations. Don't expect anything much from Luna for a good while, though. I just figured it'd be better to set that up now so it doesn't seem like I pulled it out of nowhere later down the line.

As for the World of Remnant thing, I figured that it'd be better to get the history of the world done in little side segments rather than huge plot dumps in the actual chapters themselves. This way, if you're interested, you can check it out and if you're just here for the main story, you can skip it. They will all be told via narration from a different character each time, so it also gives you a nice little peak into the way the character views the world. This time around it was Noctis, because of course I had to start them with Noctis.

So to sum it up, consider the majority of this chapter to be a quick breather before we get to Beacon next time. Obviously I dropped a few plot points here and there, but don't expect them to really come up until later down the line. Expect World of Remnant features to be at the end of every or every other chapter from here on out, depending on how much I decide I want to build upon.

Have a good one, guys.