Here we are at Chapter 93. Time for the gang to learn the truth about Maria's past. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 93. Enjoy.
Chapter 93: Grimm Reaper
"Wait, you mean... you had Silver Eyes, like Ruby?" Velvet asks.
By this point in time, Lily had fallen asleep, with Blake holding her in her arms this time.
"Yes, a long time ago. I was on a mission to take out some Grimm that have been attacking a village near the mountains in Anima. Most of the were easy enough to deal with. The last one, a giant Nevermore, proved to be just a little more difficult. However, it was only after I took it out that things went south, really south... A group of hooligans showed up. They were apparently tasked by some 'master' to kill me. They knew who I was. A fight ensued and I dealt with most of them, but their leader, a female crocodile Faunus with a pair of cutlasses, got the better of my, and slashed my eyes. Before she tried to finish me off, she said that the only reason their master wanted me dead was because of my eyes. She let her guard down, and I used that chance to kill her. I barely survived that fight. After that, I went into hiding. Without my eyes, I could no longer use my powers. Even after I got my prosthetic eyes, I just couldn't fight again..." Maria explains.
"...Impossible," Qrow says, and they all look back to him. "You're the Grimm Reaper. You were a legend. Some called you the greatest huntress in history... and then you just disappeared," he says.
"How does a legend like that just disappear?" Weiss asks.
"You never used your name. You never showed your face. After you vanished, most thought you were just lying low, maybe even recuperating or something. Eventually, we all accepted the fact that you were probably dead. I based my weapon off of yours. I wanted to be like the Grimm Reaper," Qrow says.
"Hmm, well, I'm nothing but a disappointment, so you are well on your way," Maria replies bitterly.
"What makes you think that?" Velvet asks.
"My dear, a huntress is supposed to protect people to the bitter end... but even after I had my surgery, I only ever looked out for myself. I went into hiding because I was afraid that if I came out again, that the people who came after me... might try again and finish the job. You shouldn't aspire to be like me. Especially when some of you are stronger already," Maria says, glancing at Velvet. "It's... comforting, to know that you are all capable of inheriting this world, and the dangers that come with it. I'm only sorry that I didn't help to leave it in better shape when your turn came around," she apologizes.
The group remain silent, thinking upon her words. Ruby is the first to speak up again.
"Well, you couldn't do much then, but maybe you could help now," Ruby says, gaining Maria's attention. "You could teach me. Teach me how to use my eyes like you did. I've only used them a few times now, but that was just in the heat of the moment. I don't know how to properly use them, but if you could teach me, then maybe that could change," she suggests, causing Maria to show a small smile at her.
"Okay, so what do we do, now?" Yang asks.
"We continue on to Argus. Hopefully, we can find Lily's dad there," Ruby says.
"What if we can't?" Weiss asks.
"Listen kid, I know you care about her, but we can't take a little girl with us on this mission. It's too dangerous. If we can't find her dad, then we'll find someone who can take her in. It won't be easy, but it's the only way to keep her safe," Qrow notes.
Ruby looks at Lily solemnly, but then her scroll starts ringing. She pulls it out, showing a picture of Jaune on the screen.
"Oh, it's Jaune!" Ruby cheers and answers her scroll. "Jaune?" she calls out.
"Ruby?! Oh, thank goodness. I've been keeping track of your scroll signals ever since we got here. Where are you guys?!" Jaune says on the other end.
"Since we got here?" Ruby mutters.
Yang speeds up a bit as they approach a hill. A few moments later, they reach the top... and see the port city of Argus before them. Everyone show smiles of relief and joy at finally reaching their destination.
"Everyone. We've reached our destination... Welcome to Argus," Yang says.
The gang easily pass through the main entrance to the city without any issues. Once inside, everyone takes a look around while Yang parks her motorcycle in a garage with a coded lock to keep it safe and secure. Ruby and Velvet look through the crowd of people, and catch the familiar form of one Nora Valkyrie.
Nora then sees them "Cute boy OZ!" Nora shouts for joy and tackles the poor farm boy to the ground.
Ren and Jaune join them and everyone is glad to see each other again.
"Where have you been? We were worried about you guys," Ren asks as he hugs Yang.
"That's kind of a long story," Weiss replies as she and Jaune give each other a small, quick hug.
Jaune then turns to Ruby and Velvet, and the three hug each other together before pulling back.
"We promised, didn't we," Ruby says, making Jaune smile.
"Yeah... You did," he replies, but then spots Lily in Blake's arms. "Um, what happened?" he asks.
…
The group take a train car through the city, with Lily looking around with a big smile since this is her first time in the city. Velvet has taken back the reins of holding her in her arms, while Ruby explains the situation to Team JNR.
"I see. That must've been hard for her," Ren notes.
"I know that we have an important mission, but we can't take her with us, and we can't just leave her all by herself. From what we've learned, her dad might be here in Argus. If we can find him, then we know she'll be alright," Ruby explains, keeping her voice low so as to not gain the little girl's attention.
"Don't worry. We'll help you guys out," Jaune says.
"So, where are you guys staying at exactly?" Yang asks when the train comes to a stop.
The group exit the train, but then notice an older woman with mid-back blonde hair carrying a little baby boy with short black hair in her arms approaching them.
"There you are. I was wondering when you guys would get back," the woman says.
Ruby looks between Jaune, who smiles sheepishly, and the woman. Velvet is the first to figure it out.
"You've gotta be kidding me. This is one of your older sisters?" Velvet asks.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Saphron Cotta-Arc. And this little bundle of joy is Adrian," Saphron says, while Adrian just laughs a bit and waves at them.
…
The group reconvene at Saphron's house, sitting or standing around in the living room. Yang and Weiss sit on the floor with Adrian as he plays with Lily; the two toddlers getting along quite well.
"I can't believe I'm meeting your sister. I have so many questions!" Ruby cheers.
"Calm down, Ruby. No need to go crazy here," Velvet says.
"Don't worry. I'll give you guys all the juicy details later," Nora says.
"Will you guys knock it off?!" Jaune pleads.
"Well, I'd love to tell you all about my baby brother," Saphron teases her little brother.
"I am not a baby. THAT is a baby!" Jaune retorts, pointing at Adrian, who just cutely frowns at him.
Yang and Weiss start cooing over the little ones, "Aw, you're so cute. Yes, you are. Oh, look at your little face," they coo.
"Reminds me of when Weiss first met Zwei," Velvet thinks.
"So, Saphron, you're the only Arc living here?" Blake asks.
Saphron stops from messing with Jaune's face to speak, "Yep, moved out of Mistral the second I could. Jaune always wanted to leave Mistral when he was a kid. I guess he wanted to be like his big sis," she says.
"I, uh, well-," Jaune stutters.
"Aw, you didn't deny it," Saphron teases him, and the two start messing with each other's faces. Just then, the front door opens up, revealing another woman with short, dark hair, glasses, and wearing a light blue jacket, carrying a few grocery bags in her arms. "Everyone, this is my wife, Terra Cotta. Welcome back, hun," Saphron says.
"Hello!" everyone greets her.
"Well, hello, wow, quite the party you guys got going on here. Hun, could you give me a hand with these?" Terra asks as she heads to the kitchen.
Saphron heads over to help her wife out. A few minutes later, Team JNR help with making some sandwiches for everyone while the others continue their chat.
"And you don't mind us crashing here for a little while?" Velvet asks.
"Of course. We're happy to house huntsmen and huntresses like yourselves," Saphron says, sitting on one couch with her wife, hand-in-hand, while Terra holds Adrian.
"You all risk so much to people like us can feel safe and live our lives. It's the least we can do. Especially an esteemed huntsman like yourself-," Terra says, looking at Qrow. "Though I must admit, I was surprised to learn you had students with you. Is that even legal?" Terra asks.
Ruby nudges her uncle with an elbow, "Huh-oh, well yeah. Of course it is. You could call it an extended training mission. Trust me, I used to be a professor. I even graduated from the same academy that they went to. Let me tell you, these kids are a lot more skilled than most of us back in those days. Well, aside from me mostly," Qrow jokes just as Team JNR return with sandwiches for everyone.
"Shut up, there's food!" Ruby cheers as she grabs a sandwich.
"Okay, but what about... well, her?" Terra asks, gesturing to Lily, who happy eats a sandwich.
"While on our way here, we encountered a settlement that was slowly being overrun with Grimm. Most of the settlers were already... gone by the time we got there. We didn't know about the place beforehand. We found her, and she was the only survivor. We couldn't just leave her there, so we brought her along with us. At least she would be safe with us for the time being," Velvet explains.
"We learned from a notebook there that her father left to come her to Argus to ask for help with the Grimm in the area. We're hoping to reunite them while we're here before we leave. The mission we're on is pretty dangerous, so we can't take her with us. It's for her own protection," Weiss adds.
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. Do you know the name of her father by any chance?" Terra asks.
"His name is Bartleby. Couldn't get a last name, but he's a guy with short brown hair, wearing a fedora over it. Is that good enough?" Blake says.
Terra thinks for a moment, "Hmm, maybe. Hold on, give me a second," she says and passes Adrian onto her as she stands up to pull out her scroll. "I work as a technician at the relay tower here in Argus. I can do some digging around and see if I can find him and get his contact information. Give me a few minutes," Terra says and heads upstairs to make some calls.
"Don't worry, If you guys can't stay too long, we'll be happy to look after Lily until we reunite her with her dad. One more little kid around here won't be a problem," Saphron says.
"Thank you. We appreciate it," Velvet says.
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Saphron asks.
Ruby finishes chew her sandwich to answer, "Well, we're trying to make our way to Atlas. We'll probably start with the military base here to do that," she says.
At hearing this, Team JNR show worried expressions on their faces.
Velvet notices this, "What is it? What's wrong?" she asks.
"Yeah, you see, we already tried that. And it didn't go... super great," Jaune says.
"Come on, it can't be that bad," Yang notes.
"Oh, trust me, you'll understand when you see it for yourselves," Jaune replies dryly.
The group goes a little silent after that before Ruby speaks up again.
"Okay, well, we'll figure it out tomorrow. It's been a long day for all of us. Let's just focus on resting up and getting ready for tomorrow," Ruby says.
Just then, Terra comes back downstairs, "I've made some calls and got the local police to be on the lookout for Lily's father. If they find him, they'll bring him to either the station or here to reunite with his daughter. Hopefully, we'll here back from them with good news before long," Terra says.
"Sounds liks a plan to me," Velvet notes.
…
The next day, the group get up and have breakfast while making small-talk. After that, they leave Saphron and Terra's home to make their way to the military base at the shore of the city. Rather than take a train car to get there, the group decide to walk through the city to their destination to take in a few of the local sights.
"I gotta admit. This place is a lot bigger than I thought it would be," Yang notes.
"It's actually one of the largest non-capital cities in all of Remnant. That kind of prestige gets its name around," Ren says.
"So cool. I didn't think it would be possible to create a city this big outside of the kingdoms," Ruby says.
"Well, originally, they couldn't. It was a difficult job to even start on this project. But then, Mantle showed up," Jaune says.
"I've heard about Argus from back home, but this is the first time I've ever seen it up close," Oscar notes.
"I've seen images of it, but seeing the real thing is a different story," Velvet adds.
"Yeah, early attempts to settle here from Mistral didn't go so well, but then, colonists from Mantle who were able to brave through the elements came in and gave them a hand. They helped them establish the settlement in return for goods and commodities that Solitas couldn't provide for them. It was a win-win for everyone," Jaune explains.
"The two nations worked together to create a hybrid city. While the domain falls under the jurisdiction of Mistral, Atlas keeps a military presence here to help keep the people safe and to keep the trade relations between the two nations steady," Ren adds.
"Well, that was before Atlas closed its borders to everyone. Now, things haven't been going so well for the two sides lately," Nora says.
"What else is new? Ever since Ironwood went off the deep end, things have only gotten more tense when Atlas is involved," Velvet says, crossing her arms.
Yang is carrying Lily this time around, "Well, I'm sure we'll figure something out. Hopefully," she says.
As they walk though, someone stops them, "Lily?!" they hear a male voice call out and look back to see a man with short brown hair under a fedora approaching them, a stunned look on his face. "Lily, is that you?" he calls out.
Lily looks and shows a huge smile, "Daddy!" she cheers. Yang puts her down and she runs to the man, who takes her into his arms in a heart-warming embrace. "Daddy, Daddy! I missed you Daddy!" Lily exclaims.
"Oh, Lily, I'm so happy to see you. What are you doing here? Where is your mother?" Bartleby asks.
This is the team's cue to step in, "Um, excuse us sir, but we need to talk," Velvet says.
"Who are you?" Bartleby asks.
…
The group take a little while to explain what happened at the settlement and how they came across Lily. Bartleby remain silent after they finished explaining, Lily still in his arms.
"So... they're all gone then. Even my wife," Bartleby notes sadly.
"Yes, we couldn't find anyone else there except for the Grimm. We're sorry," Blake apologizes for everyone.
"My sweet Lavender..." Bartleby mutters and takes a deep breath before looking at Lily. "Thank you... for telling me about this. And for saving my daughter. I came here to find help with the Grimm from any huntsmen or even the Atlas military, but I couldn't find anyone who could, or would, help. I should've been there to help," He laments.
"Listen, if you had stayed there, then it would've been highly likely that you would've been taken too, and maybe even your daughter. I know you're hurting, but you gotta be strong for her. You're all she's got now," Velvet says.
Bartleby sighs, "You're right. Time for mourning will come later. Right now, I need to be the father that Lily needs. Again, thank you... saving her," Bartleby says.
"Of course," Ruby replies.
The group leave while the father and daughter wave goodbye to them before heading their own way.
"You think they'll be okay?" Weiss asks.
"Hopefully. But right now, we need to focus on our mission. We got the girl back to her father. Let's be thankful that he was still alive for us to do so," Velvet says.
"Velvet's right. Come on, let's head to the military base," Ruby says.
A while later, the group arrive at the front gates of the military base... only for said front gates to suddenly shut closed on them.
…
Meanwhile, Emerald speaks with Neo and Innominat.
"Okay, so how do we kill someone who's a demon and can absorb any form of power that she touches with that demon hand of hers? I want her dead!" Emerald demands of Innominat.
"Patience. As you are now, you are no match for Velvet. She is too strong for you, even before she became the new Fall Maiden. Your semblance creates illusions, but she's conquered illusions far stronger than yours. It will do you no good," Innominat explains.
"But, then how am I supposed to beat her?!" Emerald yells, while Neo just watches without much interest.
Innominat raises his left hand as a dark aura festers from it, "I can help you with that. But know that if you go down this path, you may not survive it, and even if you do, there will be no coming back," he says, a subtle smirk on his face.
Emerald stares at the hand before looking back at him, "I don't care what I have to do. As long as I get to kill Velvet Crowe, I'll do whatever it takes," she declares.
"Very well, then. But, don't say I didn't warn you," Innominat says, and then suddenly latches his hand onto Emerald's face as the dark aura spreads across her body and she screams in agony.
And that's the chapter. Velvet and the gang reunite Lily with her father, and meet Jaune's older sister, Saphron, at Argus. However, it looks like getting the Atlas military to help them will be a bit more challenging. Meanwhile, Emerald makes a deal with the devil to gain greater power, but will it cost her dearly in the end? Until then, please Read and Review.
