Remembrance

''Opening scene shows Weiss Schnee walking down a long, carpeted hallway of blue, white and gray. Protruding columns from the walls are decorated with black sconces and lit candles. Nature paintings are hung in an alternating pattern between the columns. There is also the occasional cushioned chair or round coffee table placed along the walls.''

''Next she is seen walking along an upper level balcony above a large dining hall. A white and green floral centerpiece decorates the white-clothed table. Every column both above and below bears a sconce, but these candles are not lit. Beside Weiss on the balcony are large arch-shaped openings with white gauze curtains. Through one of the curtains, a crystal chandelier can be seen in another room. There is a shut, brown wooden door in the direction Weiss is heading.''

''Weiss walks down a wide stairway with curving balconies on either side above it. Large armor statues fill the space on either side of the bottom stairs. Behind Weiss, a paned triptych of arched windows lets in the sun, casting her shadow onto the blue carpeted steps in front of her. The floor at the bottom of the stairs has a blue and white oval design in its center. Both levels have open archways leading to other rooms.''

''Walking in another room with blue and white floor patterns, Weiss strides pass a life-size statue of a King Taijitu without looking up. Once again, both the lower level and the balcony level have open archways and unlit sconces. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling.''

An upward view shows that the chandelier is in the middle of a blue and white circular pattern that matches the floor pattern from the previous room.

''From the point of view of a music room, Weiss is seen walking down another hallway. In the music room is a large grand piano with open sheet music. A portrait on the wall shows Whitley Schnee.''

Weiss walks alone in the hallway, never having looked up the entire time, until she has a startled reaction to hearing her brother's voice coming from right in front of her.

Whitley: Good afternoon, sister.

''A teenage boy, somewhat younger than Weiss, stands before her. He's got his hand on his chest and he affects a bow.''

Whitley: A pleasure to see you out of your room for a change.

Weiss sidesteps him and turns to speak, and since he moves to face her the effect is that of the two of them briefly circling each other.

Weiss: Hello, Whitley. You're in a cheery mood today.

Whitley: Klein made crepes for breakfast.

He clasps his hands behind his back and smirks at her.

Weiss: What do you want?

Whitley: I heard Father shouting with someone in his study earlier.

Weiss: Mother?

Whitley: No, she's already drinking in the garden. I think it was a man.

Weiss looks up at him on this.

Whitley: (feigning a concerned look) I just wanted to warn you. I heard he had asked to speak with you.

Weiss: I'll be fine.

Whitley: I know you will. You are strong, like Winter.

Weiss: You never liked Winter.

Behind Weiss the Schnee Dust Company emblem can be seen above the archway she was walking toward.

Whitley: True, but you can't deny her resolve.

Weiss: You… seem different.

Whitley: And you've been gone. I'll have you know I didn't stop growing while you were away at Beacon.

''Whitley turns and walks away. As he does so, the lower half of a family portrait can just be seen on the wall between where the two were standing.''

Whitley: Anyway, good luck with Father!

After he is gone, Weiss responds.

Weiss: Thank you.

''She continues walking, and there is a close-up view of the family portrait. Clockwise they are Jacques Schnee, Weiss, Whitley, Winter, and Mrs. Schnee. Jacques has black hair that is graying and a full mustache. Mrs. Schnee has a stern look on her face, Winter and Weiss are frowning, Whitley is smiling, and Jacques has a neutral expression.''

Cut to black, and a blurred, echoing voice is heard.

Pyrrha Nikos: Do you believe in destiny?

As Pyrrha speaks, small white circles, again blurred, move slightly around a center screen that remains black.

Cinder Fall: Yes.

Pyrrha: Jaune?

Ruby Rose's voice is heard shouting Pyrrha's name, just as she had when her latent power activated at Pyrrha's death.

''With a gasp Ruby open her eyes. She's lying in a red sleeping bag on a clearing in some woods. Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren are also in sleeping bags around a long burned-out campfire. Magnhild rests beside Nora. Ruby sits up and looks around. Birds can be heard tweeting and all seems peaceful. Ruby, however, puts her hand to the side of her head and sighs as though she's in pain.''

''All four members of Team RNJR walk down a sunny road. Ruby is in front, looking at a map.''

Ruby: So the next town is… uh-huh… uh-huh… We're lost.

Jaune: We're not lost. The next town is Shion. My family used to visit it all the time.

Ruby: Oh yeah. Don't you have, like, four sisters?

Jaune: Uh, seven.

Ruby giggles.

Nora: You know, that actually explains a lot.

Jaune: Wait, what do you mean?

Ruby: So, what did you guys do there?

Jaune: Oh, all sorts of stuff! Over here is a great hiking trail, and over here is where we went camping all the time. I got my own tent because I was special. Also, so my sisters would stop braiding my hair.

Ruby: Didn't like the look?

Jaune:Yeah, they just kept doing pigtails, but personally, I think I'm more of a "warrior's wolftail" kind of guy.

Ruby: That's just a ponytail.

Jaune: I stand by what I said.

''Nora stops short, raising her hands to her lips as her eyes widen. Soon after, Ren stops, visibly tense.''

Nora: Uh, guys?

Ruby: Huh?

Jaune: What?

''Jaune and Ruby look up from the map. Their eyes widen and jaws drop. In front of them is a desolated village. They sky is gray and two columns of smoke rise in the air. A gazebo has a broken tower and lampposts are askew from the ground. At least one dead body can be seen on the side of the road approaching the town.''

''The map is dropped and all four rush forward. They briskly move into the town, looking around. Ren tosses his backpack on the ground and moves ahead while the other three gather in the middle of a road.''

Ruby: There could be survivors!

Ren: Over here!

''The other three rush to where Ren is leading them. On the ground, sitting propped against a broken building wall, is a young man in armor. He breathes heavily and holds his hand against a bleeding wound in his abdomen. Ren drops by his side and puts his hand on his shoulder.''

Ruby: A Huntsman!

Jaune: What happened? Who killed all these people?

Dying Huntsman: (coughs) Bandits. The whole tribe… Then, with all the panic…

The Huntsman can't finish and coughs repeatedly.

Ren: Grimm.

''Ren stands and walks a few paces away, placing his hands atop his head. Ruby, Jaune, and Nora step away to confer.''

Ruby: Alright, we can get him to the next village and try to find a doctor there!

Jaune: Yeah. Ren and I can take turns carrying him there.

Nora: I don't know if he'll make it.

Jaune: He will. He has to.

Ren turns back and walks over to the Huntsman.

Ruby: If we get going now, our chances will be better. I can run ahead and look for help!

Ren: Guys.

The other three turn and discover that the Huntsman has already died.

Nora: Should we bury him?

Ren walks right past them without a backward glance.

Ren: We should go. It's not safe here.

Nora: Ren…

''Nora turns and follows him. Ruby puts her hand on Jaune's arm. He is looking stressed and sad.''

Ruby: It'll be okay.

Jaune: I'm just tired of losing everything.

''Ren stops and looks at something on the ground, his eyes widening. A cloven hoofprint is impressed into the ground. Nora comes up to his side. She sees the same mark and her eyes also widen in recognition. The two of them silently make eye contact.''

''The scene cuts to Weiss standing outside her father's door and listening to the discussion inside. She hesitates to put her hand on the door knob.''

Jacques: I'm not talking about the good of my company; I'm talking about the good of Atlas, our entire Kingdom!

Ironwood: That is a load of garbage and you know it.

Weiss opens the door and peers in.

Jacques: I beg your pardon?!

James Ironwood is sitting in a chair in front of a bookcase.

Ironwood: Jacques, will you please, just hear me out?

Jacques places his glass down on the table roughly.

Jacques: You are a trusted friend and ally to this family, James, but what you're suggesting is absurd!

Ironwood: You are blowing it out of proportion.

Jacques: The council will never agree to it!

Ironwood: You forget, I hold two seats on the council.

Jacques: Your Dust embargo has already cost me millions! I can promise you, I have not forgotten!

Ironwood: So this is about you.

''Weiss has come into the room, and she watches to two men awkwardly while the door shuts behind her. She startles at the sound while James and Jacques turn and look at her.''

Ironwood: (bowing) Miss Schnee! My apologies. I should have been gone by now.

Weiss: It-it's okay.

Ironwood: We'll continue this at another time.

Jacques: Indeed. Klein can show you out.

Ironwood: Don't worry, I know the way.

''Weiss steps aside so that Ironwood can reach the door. He turns and looks at her father.''

Ironwood: Until next time, Jacques.

Jacques solemnly nods back at Ironwood, who turns to Weiss.

Ironwood: Please know, you'll always have a home at Atlas Academy, Miss Schnee. We'll be back in session before you know it.

''Ironwood leaves. A pan shot of Weiss and Jacques reveals a portrait of a younger black-haired Jacques hanging on the wall behind his desk.''

Jacques: Did you forget your manners while you were away?

''He turns and walks to his desk, which is a a few steps up from the chairs and tables where he and Ironwood were just sitting. Weiss looks annoyed at the comment but calms down with a sigh.''

Weiss: No, Father. I'm sorry.

Jacques: Can you believe there are still people in the world that blame Atlas for what happened to Beacon? To Vale?

Weiss: Well, they weren't there.

Weiss begins walking across the room to stand before his desk.

Jacques: It's a wonder Ironwood wasn't stripped of his rank.

Jacques finally sits down, swinging the seat so that his back is to Weiss.

Jacques: I suppose the council trusts him, for better or worse.

Weiss: I trust him.

Jacques: (sighing and turning toward his daughter) Thanks to him, Atlas is forbidden from exporting Dust to other Kingdoms. "A precautionary measure," as he puts it, "until we're certain no one is going to declare war". How anyone could possibly find that to be sound logic is beyond me.

''Weiss blinks at her father, clearly uncomfortable. There is one framed picture on the desk, and it's of Whitley.''

Jacques: Which is why the Schnee Dust Company will be holding a charity concert in the coming weeks.

Weiss looks up at him in surprise.

Jacques: We need to show the people of Remnant that we are on their side. That we are all victims of the fall of Beacon.

Weiss: That's… wonderful news.

Jacques: I know. And I think it would make a lot of people happy if you performed at the event.

Weiss: Excuse me?

Jacques: Many forget that you were there. My own daughter, a Schnee, on the grounds, defending another Kingdom! We need to remind them! And we need to show them that the Schnee family is just as strong as ever!

Weiss: Are you asking me if I'd like to sing, or telling me?

Jacques leans forward and makes a tent with the fingers of his hand as he meaningfully gazes at Weiss.

Jacques: I think it would make a lot of people happy.

Weiss: (sighs) I'll start practicing.

Jacques: That's… my girl.

Weiss shuts the door to her father's office and turns to find the butler waiting for her with a tray.

Klein: Hot coffee, Miss Schnee? I always find he keeps his study dreadfully cold.

Weiss takes the mug off of the tray with a smile.

Weiss: Thank you, Klein.

Klein: You know what I think?

Klein lifts the tray to cover his face before dropping it dramatically as he leans forward toward Weiss making a less-than-formal face, his brown eyes having turned red.

Klein: (in an accent with a gruff voice) I think it's to balance out all his hot air.

''Weiss' eyes widen in delight and she turns and looks over her shoulder at the closed office door. She turns back to Klein with a giggle.''

Weiss: Klein!

The two giggle together before he fakes a sneeze, and his eyes turn blue.

Klein: (in a high-pitched accent) Uh, apologies, madam.

''Klein pretends to sneeze again. Weiss giggles merrily, hiding her smile behind her hand. Klein wiggles his mustache and looks up. His eyes turn yellow.''

Klein: Ah, there's my happy little snowflake.

Weiss breathes a sigh that releases some weight off her shoulders, and she gives the butler a genuine grin.

Weiss: Thank you, Klein.

The scene changes to the same blackness bordered by moving yellow circles that we saw earlier before Ruby woke up for the day.

Pyrrha: (echoing) Jaune!

There is the sound of a sword being drawn.

Pyrrha: (with increasing urgency) ''Jaune! Jaune!''

''Ruby opens her eyes slowly and just breathes, letting her eyelids drift shut. Her eyes open wide when, from nearby, she hears the same voice, speaking calmly.''

Pyrrha: Jaune.

''Ruby sits up and looks around. There are little will-o-the-wisps floating around, looking very similar to the white circles in the dream. The campfire is still burning but has died down. Ren and Nora are asleep while their weapons are once again at their sides. Jaune's sleeping bag, however, is empty.''

Through the trees beyond Jaune's sleeping bag, Pyrrha's voice can still be heard, but it is muffled.

Pyrrha: Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions.

Two of the words are louder and echo like in Ruby's dreams, making it sound like Pyrrha is saying "Follow me".

''Ruby gets up and walks toward the voice. She takes a moment to play with one of the wisps as she looks around, uncertain. Moving forward, she spots something and her mouth falls open. Gazing with concern, Ruby moves next to a tree and watches from there.''

''A slight distance in front of Ruby, but facing away, Jaune draws his sword. He poses with it and the shield, before dropping his shoulders and turning to his right. His Scroll is set up on a stump.''

Pyrrha: Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions. Shield up.

Jaune lifts his shield so that only his eyes up are not protected.

Pyrrha: Keep your grip tight.

Jaune tightens his hand on Crocea Mors.

Pyrrha: Don't forget to keep your front foot forward.

Jaune hasn't forgotten and doesn't need to move.

Pyrrha: Ready? Go.

Jaune steps forward with the sword, cutting at the air and making a fighting cry.

Pyrrha: Again!

Jaune moves forward with his other foot, again slashing the air and releasing a cry.

Pyrrha: And again.

''Jaune spins in a circle, putting a lot of feeling and effort into his next cry and slash. It has cost him a bit, and he pants.''

Pyrrha: Okay. Now (with a slight giggle) assuming you aren't cheating, we can take a break.

Jaune stands upright and lets his head fall forward a bit, closing his eyes.

Pyrrha: I know this can be frustrating…

'Jaune turns toward Pyrrha's image on his Scroll.

Pyrrha: ...and it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training.

''We now see only Pyrrha's recorded image on the Scroll. The green lights of the once tall and unbroken Beacon Tower, the place where she would later die, glow behind her.''

Pyrrha: And I know this is just the beginning.

'Pyrrha turns her head, struggling with her thoughts for a moment.

Pyrrha: Jaune, I-I…

A wide shot shows Jaune taking a step closer to his Scroll.

Pyrrha: (finding the words and confidence, placing her hands over her heart as she speaks) I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune.

''The Scroll rewinds the video of Pyrrha without being touched. Jaune stands before it, holding Crocea Mors, his head bowed.''

Pyrrha: Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions. Shield up.

Jaune sighs in pain before belatedly re-following the instructions.

Pyrrha: Keep your grip tight. Don't forget to keep your front foot forward. Ready? Go.

''Jaune resumes the exercise. Ruby watches with pained eyes before turning away.''

Pyrrha: Again. And again.

Jaune makes one extra fighting cry and slash.