The late afternoon sun cast a gentle shimmer across the waters of the Vale Harbor Wharf, the tide rolling in with a steady rhythm that seemed almost rehearsed. Ships rocked lazily against their moorings, their hulls creaking softly as gulls wheeled overhead. The air carried the mingled scents of salt, roasted coffee beans, and fresh baked pastries drifting from the cafés that lined the boardwalk.
Tucked between a bookstore and a small antique shop sat a quaint café known as La Nostrea. Its exterior was modest, painted in soft ivory tones with pale blue shutters framing the windows. Inside, the atmosphere was warm and intimate. Wooden beams crossed the ceiling, and small round tables were arranged near the windows to offer a view of the harbor. Potted plants rested along the sills, their leaves catching the golden light.
Ruby and Weiss sat at one of those window tables.
Ruby cradled a mug of hot cocoa between her hands, the steam curling up and fogging the glass slightly. A small plate of cookies sat in front of her, half eaten. She took a bite every now and then, though it seemed more like something to occupy herself than out of hunger. Her fingers kept wringing together around the ceramic mug, then releasing, only to twist again moments later.
Across from her, Weiss sat with composed posture. A porcelain cup of tea rested neatly in its saucer, and beside it lay a crumpet spread lightly with jam. She took small, deliberate sips, then precise bites, her movements controlled and elegant.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The silence was not entirely uncomfortable, but it was noticeable. Ruby's leg bounced faintly beneath the table. She stared into her cocoa as if expecting answers to rise from its surface.
Weiss's eyes flicked up every so often, observing.
Eventually, she sighed.
It was not loud, but it carried the distinct note of annoyance.
"Ruby," Weiss said at last, setting her cup down with careful restraint, "would you mind telling me why exactly you decided to invite me here?"
Ruby blinked, startled from her thoughts. "I... just thought it would be nice," she said quickly.
Weiss raised an eyebrow. "We rarely spend time together like this, one on one..."
That much was true. They saw each other almost every night within the Dream Realm. Yet in the waking world, moments like this were a bit rare.
Ruby hesitated, then looked back down at her drink.
"Maybe I was just a little concerned," she admitted quietly. "About what happened recently."
Weiss's eyes twitched faintly.
She placed her crumpet down on the plate with measured calm. "The incident in Atlas happened months ago, you know?" she said, her voice steady.
Ruby cringed slightly.
"I... was just worried. You've been a bit closed off and I was just making sure that you're alright."
Weiss continued. "I am anything but fragile, Ruby. I came to terms with it."
The words were firm, but not sharp.
"Being part of LUCID," Weiss went on, "is not a harmless occupation. This is what the job entails. Sometimes there are unfortunate events in the wake. Sometimes there are even losses."
Ruby's shoulders drooped slightly.
The sunlight shifted, casting a softer hue across the table between them.
Weiss noticed the way Ruby's expression fell. The sadness there was not pity. It was not weakness.
It was empathy.
Weiss's gaze softened.
"Empathy is a wonderful thing to have," she said more gently. "Truly."
Ruby looked up at her.
"We've both lost our mothers," Weiss continued. "We understand grief and absence. But in this scenario, sympathy may be more appropriate than empathy."
Ruby tilted her head faintly. "What do you mean?"
Weiss folded her hands together atop the table.
"Empathy makes you carry the weight alongside someone," she explained. "It makes you relive it. Sympathy allows you to acknowledge it without drowning in it. I don't need you to help me carry the weight. I just need you to understand that sometimes people's burdens aren't there to make them weaker. Rather, stronger."
Ruby listened carefully.
Weiss exhaled quietly, her gaze drifting for a moment toward the harbor outside. Ships moved steadily along the water, undeterred by tide or wind.
"There is a story I once heard," Weiss began. "About a girl who kept falling behind everyone around her. Every test she failed and every obstacle she stumbled over. The world didn't slow for her nor did it bend to accommodate her frustrations."
Ruby leaned forward slightly, her cocoa forgotten.
"The girl asked herself why things kept going wrong," Weiss continued. "She questioned whether she was simply not meant to succeed and whether effort was meaningless if the outcome never changed."
A faint pause settled between them.
"But eventually she realized something rather simple," Weiss said. "The world is unfair."
Her eyes sharpened just a fraction.
"The answer was not to complain, despair or expect the world to be kinder."
Ruby's fingers tightened around her mug.
"The answer," Weiss said quietly, "was to become strong enough that the world simply couldn't push her aside. It might be an uphill battle, but you can either choose to either continue up the hill or to simply let gravity take you to the bottom. Sure, some people have smaller hills and some people can even climb that hill using a plane or a truck or even use an elevator. But that doesn't mean that your effort is worthless. Strength is all that you need."
Ruby's breathing slowed.
Weiss met her gaze directly.
"Just get stronger."
The words were simple.
They hung in the air between them, unadorned and unembellished.
Strength was what drove the world forward. Strength built cities. Strength defended kingdoms. Strength allowed people to protect what they cherished.
After the incident in Atlas, something within Weiss had shifted.
Her rune had finally reached comprehension.
It had not been her Element Rune, the one she relied upon so often in combat. That had progressed steadily over time, refined through discipline and repetition.
Rather, it had been her Spirit Rune.
The rune that allowed her to summon chibi elemental spirits.
Weiss rarely used them in serious combat. The cost was steep even if the output was powerful. They were charming and useful in controlled scenarios, but not completely decisive in battle.
Or so she had believed.
After Atlas, something within her understanding had aligned and the concepts behind the rune had crystallized. Its limitations had expanded.
No longer were the spirits confined to chibi forms.
With sufficient focus and expenditure, she could now manifest them as towering elemental fighters. Constructs that rivaled buildings in size. Titans formed of flame, ice, wind, or stone.
It had been fascinating to witness.
The first time she summoned one at full scale, the ground had trembled beneath its weight. The air had shifted around it. The presence alone altered the battlefield's balance.
It was power.
Undeniable power.
Yet even with that comprehension, even with that growth, Weiss knew something else with equal clarity.
It would not have changed what happened to her family. Power gained after the fact could not rewrite the past.
Her jaw tightened slightly at the thought, though her expression remained composed.
Strength could not reverse loss.
But it could prevent future helplessness.
Her mindset had grown firmer in the months since Atlas. Harder, perhaps. More focused.
The name Schnee carried expectation. Legacy and responsibility.
What was Schnee, if not an example.
An example of resilience, refinement and forward motion despite adversity.
Weiss picked up her teacup again, her movements smooth and controlled.
"We cannot undo what has already occurred," she said calmly. "But we can ensure that when the next trial comes, we are not found lacking."
Ruby absorbed the words quietly.
Outside, the harbor remained steady. Ships continued their paths. The tide rolled onward without hesitation.
Ruby finally nodded.
There was still sadness in her eyes, but there was also resolve beginning to take shape.
Weiss allowed herself a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
Strength.
It may not be comforting, but at least it was honest.
And in Weiss's mind, honesty was far more valuable than comfort.
The quiet murmur of conversation and clinking porcelain inside La Nostrea was suddenly broken by a commotion outside.
A sharp shout cut through the gentle hum of the harbor. Then another. The scrape of boots against wood. The unmistakable tone of someone yelling orders.
Ruby's head snapped toward the window. Weiss followed a heartbeat later, irritation flickering across her features at the disturbance.
Outside along the boardwalk, a rather absurd sight unfolded.
A blonde haired teenager sprinted down the wharf, laughter bright and unrestrained as he weaved between startled pedestrians. Behind him charged a small group of Vale policemen, their stun batons drawn and crackling faintly with restrained current.
The teen glanced over his shoulder, flashing them a grin that was far too carefree for someone being actively pursued by law enforcement.
Then, with dramatic flair, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and flung something behind him like a shuriken.
Except it was a banana peel.
One officer stepped squarely onto it.
His legs flew out from under him in a spectacular loss of balance, and he crashed into another officer beside him. The two tumbled in a heap while the remaining policemen swerved to avoid the collision, shouting in frustration.
Ruby blinked and Weiss stared.
Another banana peel arced through the air.
"That—is he serious?" Weiss muttered under her breath.
The teen laughed again, skidding across a wooden crate before vaulting over a bench in one unerringly smooth motion. His movements were fluid, almost playful. He was clearly enjoying himself.
With a final dramatic wave toward his pursuers, he dashed into a narrow alleyway between two buildings.
The policemen followed without hesitation.
Ruby and Weiss exchanged a look.
Confusion first.
Then something else. A shared understanding.
Neither said a word.
They rose from their seats almost simultaneously. Weiss quickly moved to the door and Ruby hurried after her, before abruptly stopping.
She turned back.
In one swift motion, she scooped up the remaining cookies from the plate and stuffed them all into her mouth at once, cheeks puffing out dramatically. Crumbs scattered across the table as she hurriedly chewed.
Weiss gave her a look.
Ruby swallowed with effort and flashed an innocent smile before darting after her squadmate.
By the time they stepped outside, the policemen had already spread out across the surrounding streets. One of them stomped past muttering under his breath.
"No good stowaway," he grumbled. "Kid thinks he owns the docks."
Their eyes narrowed slightly at the word stowaway.
Instead, they moved away from the more crowded stretch of the wharf, turning down a quieter side street. Once they were well out of sight of civilians, they shared a brief nod.
In perfect sync, they leapt upward with controlled force. They were up in barely two seconds, however, a cluster of pigeons exploded into flight as they landed on the rooftop, feathers scattering in protest at the sudden intrusion.
The harbor spread out before them in layered rooftops and slanted tiles.
It did not take long to spot him.
The blonde teenager sat casually on the edge of a nearby building overlooking the wharf. His legs dangled over the side as though he were simply enjoying the view. A small bunch of bananas rested beside him, and he was currently in the process of peeling another.
He took a large bite, chewing contentedly as if there were no policemen searching for him below.
Ruby and Weiss approached cautiously but without hostility.
The teen turned his head toward them.
For a brief moment, he simply stared, his mouth was still full of banana.
He chewed once then swallowed.
His eyes flicked over them in a quick assessment.
Curious.
"Awakened?" he asked.
Ruby blinked and Weiss frowned slightly.
They both glanced at each other, confusion mirrored in their expressions. The word lingered between them, carried lightly by the breeze coming off the harbor.
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AN: Advanced chapters are available on patreon