Prologue
CEO Of The Schnee Dust Company
Weiss Schnee

I sigh heavily and shake while my wife, Ruby Rose, looks at me in encouragement as she turns on the camera. Though it's been...fifteen years, I suppose since my family was slowly torn apart by scandal and bloody violence in a war against Salem, this is the first time I've actually recorded my narration of my family...with them having input, of course, though one member of my family, a member I loved dearly, is no longer here. Wiping tears away from my eyes, I watch Ruby set the camera on the stand while I ready myself for what I'm about to say. Noticing my reluctance or I suppose in simply being my wife, Ruby moves towards me and pulls me close to her before gently kissing me and wiping my tears away. Her hands run down my arms comfortingly and I try to stay calm though she speaks before I find the courage to.

"You're really brave for doing this, Weiss," She tells me. "Truly, I know this is hard."

"I want to do this, Rubes," I remind her, smiling as she flicks her red cape while going back to the camera. "I just wish that I hadn't lost a member of my family in the way that I did. Cinder had no right -"

"I know," Ruby says, her eyes starting to tear as she, first I assumed, recalled Pyrrha. "But she's dead now, remember? Salem is gone too, and we're sort of in peace though there are still crazy people out there that are trying to take it away. "I mean that."

"I know," I say as I motion her to start recording. Taking in a deep breath, I begin.

"You all know who I am. I'm Weiss Kara Schnee and I'm the current CEO Of The Schnee Dust Company. You all probably know things or assume things about me and my family, but this is my way of giving you all a look into our points of view. One of us isn't here to do so herself, but I'll read you the record of their story that they created and, hopefully, describe what I imagine they thought at the end of their life. They had a written record of everything...and I miss them more than I can safely put into words. I hate that...I hate that I'm crying but you all have to understand that this is...this is not easy for any of us. So when the world sees this at the Schnee Dust Company Charity Ball this year...I hope you'll all understand everyone's perspectives because, apart from our bereaved, they are all telling their own stories.

"I know that the Schnee family name is one fraught with lies, broken promises, and scandal. But there is much more than what lies behind our golden facade. And not only that, but I am hoping you all will understand that our lives are not what they may seem to be.

"I fought in the war against the forces that threatened to destroy our world, as did my beautiful, sweet wife Ruby Rose. We have come quite far since then, and we have a beautiful daughter - Arya Lindsay Rose-Schnee - but that does not mean the past does not still haunt us. We are both haunted by the lives that we were helpless to watch being stolen by many but most specifically Cinder Fall. I...I...I… don't even know how describe my losses but I want you all to know that pushing on is important to me. But what everyone has to understand about the war that we're all heroes for fighting...this entire story is about war. And...and the thing that I hope you all know but will highlight anyways is that in war lots of people don't survive. Even decent people who tried to help others, even decent people who didn't deserve their circumstances, and of course none of us choose to be born. That is why I have to tell this story because not only am I in a position in which I could, potentially, make a difference, but I have people who were once a significant part of my life that are just gone. And they're not coming back. That's the hardest thing I've had to learn.

"With that said," I say, shaking and staring straight into the camera with tears steadily streaming down my face now. "This is the story of the Schnee Family - from our perspectives."

I nod and Ruby turns off the camera while our eleven year old daughter hesitantly comes into the room. A sad look on her face before embracing me, Ruby makes her best attempt at comforting me. "You're doing fine."

"That was the last piece…" I say weakly. "Now I just need to cut it together. It's just...reading the diary was the hardest part and describing...describing what happened during the Battle Of Haven…"

"I know," Ruby says, stroking my hair while I cry. "But you're fine. I'm right here, and I'm not leaving. We just need to focus on our lives now. After this, maybe you can finally move forward."

"Maybe…" I say, looking at Arya. "Arya, honey, what is it?"

She looks at me nervously before sighing. "After you and Mom Ruby cut it together, can I watch it before the SDC Charity Ball? Please."

I hesitate but nod. "You have every right to. It's our family's story, at any rate. So let's get into this..."

Authour's Note: Yes, this is the prologue and, yes, I should have posted this as chapter one to begin with but the idea only came to me a few days ago. It's going to help a lot of things make sense in the next few chapters, okay? And, yes, this is chapter one if you check the sequence of chapters. I apologize for the mix up. Thanks for sticking around.

~xoxo SemblanceOfInvisibility