Here we are at chapter 31. It's time for the rest of Team RVWBY to learn the truth about Velvet. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's Chapter 31. Enjoy.
Chapter 31: The Truth – Part 2
With Ruby, Zwei, and Dr. Oobleck still gone, and the fire burning, Velvet has just finished telling her story to the rest of the team (Because I'm lazy like that). Suffice to say, it was not something they were expecting.
"…And that's how I ended up here with you guys. I know, it sounds crazy, but that's my story. Whether you believe me or not is up to you guys," Velvet says, taking a huge sigh as she concludes her story. "So, out with the questions. Get it over with," she says.
Weiss is the first to speak, "…Wait, so you're saying that you're from another world?" she asks, finding it hard to believe.
"Yep," Velvet replies.
"And that in your world, there are demons, spirits, magic, and other mystical stuff?" Blake adds.
"Pretty much," Velvet says.
"And back in your world, your younger brother was killed by your brother-in-law, Artorius, and so you went on a quest for vengeance against him," Weiss notes.
"Don't say his name. I don't like thinking about it. But yeah, I did, and I got it. Though, that's what led me to come here, so I guess something good came out of it," Velvet says. They all then look at Yang, who has remained silent throughout the whole conversation. "Yang?" she calls out the blonde.
Yang's fists clench a little, "Other worlds, magic, spirits and monsters. That's one thing, and it's a little hard to swallow…But, what's getting at me…is that you said you're one of them. That you're a demon," Yang says as she finally stares Velvet in the eye.
"I was once human, but now, yes, I am a demon," Velvet calmly replies.
"And does Ruby know about that?!" Yang yells, standing up in anger.
"I told you, Ruby knows EVERYTHING about me, including the fact that I'm a demon. As a matter of fact, that was the first thing I told her when I talked about my past," Velvet replies, remaining seated on her sleeping bag.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?! Knowing that my little sister is in a relationship with a…with a…" Yang trails off.
"A what? A demon? A monster? A killer?! One, if I killed someone, it was for good reason, and two, she's not your baby sister anymore! She knows exactly what I am, and yet she still accepted me. You think I would ever do something to her after that? I would NEVER hurt her, not after everything she's done for me," Velvet retorts, standing up as well.
"How am I supposed to believe you after you've been keeping this huge secret from us this whole time?!" Yang yells back, her eyes starting to turn red.
"Because you either wouldn't believe me, or you would do something like this. How did you think Blake felt when you found out she was a Faunus? What was she supposed to expect?" Velvet counters.
"Don't bring Blake into this. That wasn't even close to being like this-," Yang begins.
"Yang, SHUT UP!" Blake suddenly yells out, making all of them look at her, stunned. "Velvet is right about me," she says.
"What? Blake, you're nothing like her," Yang retorts.
"But I know exactly what she's been through. Have you forgotten that I was once a part of the White Fang? How some humans view the Faunus? We Faunus have also been seen as monsters and killers, more so by some then others…" Blake says as she looks at Weiss, who can't help but look away in shame. "I know what it's like to be seen as a monster, as something less than human. What's more, I know what it's like to basically be betrayed by someone close to me. Back in the White Fang, I had a partner named Adam. He used to tell me that what we were doing in the White Fang would be for the good of everyone, that we would make a better place for everyone. But as time went by, I realized that his plan for a better world…would only be better for SOME people. The partner, the…friend I knew became a monster, a killer. I couldn't recognize him anymore. He turned his back on what the White Fang was meant to be, for what it stood for. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? To know that someone you cared about could do something like that?" Blake asks Yang.
Yang tries to find some way to separate Blake's words from Velvet's position…but can't find a single counterargument. Weiss walks up to her and places a supportive hand on her right shoulder.
"Yang…I made a promise that I would protect Ruby, no matter the cost. But, I don't want to fight you. What do you think she would believe if she saw the two of us fighting?" Velvet asks.
Yang looks down, "…She…would think it was her fault," she replies, knowing her sister all too well.
"We both care about Ruby. All four of us do. I want Ruby to be happy, and I know you do too. Can't we at least agree on that?" Velvet asks.
Yang looks back at Velvet and sighs, "I…guess we can. On one thing at least," she replies, glancing away.
Weiss decides to change the subject in the hopes of remedying the situation, "Velvet, when you said you were transported here after you…died…How did that go exactly?" she asks.
"I don't exactly know either, but I do know that it wasn't with my own power. Rather, it was because someone sent me here," Velvet answers.
"Who?" Blake asks, curious.
"Summer Rose. Ruby's mother," she says.
This makes Yang's eyes widen as she looks back at Velvet, "You mean to tell me that Summer sent you here? You'd better not be joking about something like that," she says.
"I'm not. It was her. Looked just like an older version of Ruby, except she had a white cloak on instead of a red cloak like Ruby's," Velvet says.
"…Yeah, that's Summer alright. But, does that mean she's still alive?" Yang asks.
"No. I told you, I died before I came here. Which can only mean that Summer Rose is in fact dead as well. Though, how she came to possess her abilities, like being able to send me here, is something I don't know," Velvet explains.
"Well, does Ruby know about this?" Blake asks.
"Yes, she knows. She said it was nice knowing her mother was watching over her like this," Velvet says.
"I guess that's nice to hear for her," Yang says.
"Velvet, if you are a demon, then why do you look so human?" Weiss asks.
"I'm not exactly like most demons. Back in my world, demons were born from the malevolence in our world, the negativity in people's hearts. You could say that they are somewhat like the Grimm. The greater the negativity, the malevolence, the stronger they become. My powers came as a part of a ritual, and in essence, I became a demon, however I maintained my sanity and sense of reason, rather than become a mindless monster like the rest of them. That's the basic gist of it," Velvet explains.
"So, your powers, your demon claw; they were born from that ritual?" Weiss asks.
"Yes, my claw allows me to absorb the strength of demons, becoming stronger with each meal," she says, looking at her left hand.
"Meal?" Yang asks, confused.
"…Back home, I was known as the "Thaerion", or demon eater. While I was locked up, I survived by killing and eating demons with my claw. They had a seal of sorts in my cell that drains my strength after every meal, leaving just enough to keep me alive. I lost count on how many of those things I absorbed while I was down there. Here, it seems my demon claw can absorb the auras of people. Like what I did with Yang, as well as Dust crystals, making me much stronger than before," Velvet says.
"Not to mention that claw shield of yours. That was pretty cool," Yang notes.
"Actually, that wasn't a part of my demon powers. In all honesty, I think that shield is my actual semblance. I've never been able to do anything like that back home," Velvet says.
"They say that a person's semblance is related to their personality, their character. My guess is that your semblance is a shield of sorts due to your protective nature. After all, you were protective with your younger brother, with Laphicet, and of course Ruby. It must have been born from your desire to protect them from harm after your aura was unlocked," Weiss suggests.
"Okay, and then this Seres person you mentioned earlier. You said she helped you escape, but got injured, and so you had to…eat her…to absorb her powers. That's why you were able to use those fire attacks earlier?" Weiss asks.
Velvet raise her right hand and Seres' ring appears on her middle finger. "Yes. This ring was born from her soul after I ate her. With this, I can use what are known as fire artes, those fire attacks I used before. I don't really use Fire dust because I have this…Even now, she's still helping me out," Velvet says, showing a sad smile.
Blake becomes the first to move and goes to sit next to Velvet, placing a supportive hand on her left shoulder.
"Velvet…I'm sure it wasn't easy telling us all of this, but…Thank you for trusting us enough to do so. Like I said, I know what you've been through, to a degree at least," Blake comforts her.
"Blake's right. Truth be told, I'm not on good terms with some of my family back home either, so I at least know a little bit about what you went through, at least when it comes to family," Weiss says as she does the same motions as Blake, but on Velvet's right side.
They all look at Yang, who hasn't moved, "Yang, what about you?" Velvet asks.
The blonde remains stationary for a moment, thinking about everything that has transpired around the campfire. Eventually, she looks back at Velvet with a determined look in her eye. She walks over to them, kneels down, and wraps her arms around Velvet in a tender embrace, unlike her usual bone-crushing bear hugs.
"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier, Velvet. I see now that you're still the same person we know, the same teammate and friend we care about. It was just a lot to take in. Believe me, it all sounds completely crazy, but…I know you. You wouldn't lie about something like this, and I can now see why you had to keep it a secret until now," Yang says as she moves back to look Velvet in the eye. "You say that you're a demon, that you're a monster. But I find that hard to believe. To me, you're just a normal girl who had a rough life and just wanted to protect the people she cares about. In my eyes, you're still a human being," she says.
Velvet appears a little stunned by Yang's words, but smiles anyway, "I won't exactly agree with you on the human thing, but, thanks anyway, Yang," she replies.
"So, does Ozpin know about any of this?" Yang asks.
"He knows that I'm here to protect Ruby, and about my promise to Summer, but that's about it. He helped me come up with the cover story for my enrollment here since they couldn't find any records about me. Doubt they would since I'm not from this world. I haven't told him the truth yet because I'm not sure I can trust him yet. I can't take that risk, at least not right now anyway, so I would appreciate it if you would keep this between us for now," Velvet says.
"Of course. While I believe that we could trust Professor Ozpin, I think we should hold off on that for a while. Your secret is safe with us," Weiss adds, with Blake nodding in agreement.
"Thanks, guys," Velvet thanks them.
The group separates and return to their respective sleeping bags.
"Dr. Oobleck and Ruby should be back shortly. It's starting to get a little dark out," Blake notes.
"He was really talkative today. More so than usual. He asked me about why I wanted to be a huntress," Weiss notes.
"He asked the rest of us as well. What did you guys tell him?" Velvet asks them, a little curious.
"Well, I told him that I was a thrill-seeker. That I wanted to get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can, and if I can help people out while doing that, then that makes it even better," Yang says.
"I told Dr. Oobleck that it was to uphold the Schnee family legacy. It was my duty to uphold it," Weiss says next.
"I told him that I wanted to stop all the inequality and corruption in this world, so that's why I decided to become a huntress. But then he asked me why, and well…I didn't have an answer for him. To be honest, I'm not sure that was what he was looking for," Blake adds.
"Actually, he didn't seem that satisfied with my answer either," Weiss notes.
"Yeah, me too," Yang says.
"Is that because maybe there's more to it than what you told him? Am I getting anywhere?" Velvet asks.
"…Actually, you're right. What I told him, that wasn't what I meant. Upholding a legacy. There's more to it in fact," Weiss says.
"Yeah. No, me too…I mean, I don't know," Yang trails off.
"I don't know either. I know what I want to do, I just…figured I'd take it one step at a time," Blake adds.
"Hey Velvet, what did you-," Yang begins until Ruby and Zwei suddenly return to the campsite.
"Oh, fire!" Ruby gasps for joy as she sits down in front of the fire, warming herself up. "So warm," she mutters in bliss.
Oobleck pops up beside her, "Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?" Oobleck asks.
"Yo," Ruby says, raising her left hand.
Oobleck quickly zips away and then Ruby and Zwei start walking to one section of the building that has a large hole overlooking a section of the city and the forest behind it. As they are walking, Yang stops Ruby.
"Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a huntress. I mean…what did you tell him?" Yang asks Ruby.
Ruby hums in thought and shakes her head, "No, he didn't. Weird. Oh well, goodnight guys," Ruby replies and walks off.
"Why would he ask all of us for our reasons for becoming huntresses, and yet not ask Ruby? She is our leader after all," Weiss notes.
"I think…it's because she already knows exactly why. She wants to become a huntress because all she wants to do is help people, to protect them. Definitely seems nobler than our reasons, if you ask me," Velvet says.
"That reminds me, Oobleck asked for your reason for becoming a huntress, right? What did you tell him?" Yang asks.
Velvet just looks at Ruby, who's watching over the area with her scythe in its gun mode.
"I told him…that Ruby is my reason," she says.
"What do you mean? Because she's your girlfriend now?" Blake asks.
"Like I told Oobleck. Ruby wants to protect people, but who's going to protect her? That's why I will protect her. I want to protect that beautiful smile of hers. She makes other people happy, and I want to protect that happiness. I've never been much of the hero type, but by helping her, I can help other people. Because she'll be there to give them hope, to help them smile again. That's why I want to become a huntress. If I can protect Ruby, then I can protect Remnant as well," Velvet explains.
The rest of the group eventually smile at her reason, "I never thought of it like that. I guess it depends on how you look at things," Yang notes.
"Well, we should get some rest. We all have to take watch while we're here, so while we have the chance, we'd better get some sleep," Weiss says and goes to lay down on her sleeping bag.
Yang and Blake follow suit and go to get some sleep as well, but before she does, Velvet gets up and walks over to where Ruby is.
"See anything out there?" she asks.
"Oh, Velvet. No, nothing right now," she says, but then they hear a faint howl far off into the night, making Zwei whimper a bit. "Or, at least, nothing that I can visually see right now," Ruby corrects herself.
"We are in an area with high Grimm activity. We're bound to here sounds like that. Luckily, we got you in case something comes up," Velvet says.
Ruby giggles as she pets Zwei to calm him down, "Thanks Velvet…By the way, I'm curious. Did Oobleck ask you about why you wanted to become a huntress? I mean, I know you came here to protect me, but surely after being at Beacon for so long, you must've found a reason by now. What did you tell him?" she asks.
Velvet just smiles and wraps her right arm around Ruby's shoulders, and gives her a kiss on her forehead, making Ruby blush.
"I told him about a special Rose that blooms happiness all around her. And that by protecting that little flower, I can protect Remnant as well. That's my reason," she says.
Ruby remains speechless for a moment before she leans up and kisses Velvet on the cheek, stunning her as well as make her blush too.
"That's really sweet of you, Velvet. I'm really glad I got to meet you," Ruby says.
"Me too, Ruby. Well, goodnight. Try not to push yourself too hard," Velvet says and walks away to get some sleep.
"I'll try," Ruby says as she looks back out into the night, unable to keep the big smile from leaving her face.
And that's the chapter. A little shorter than how my chapters usually go, but I had to end it at a good position for the next chapter. Velvet has finally told the rest of the team the truth about herself, and luckily, they managed to accept her for it. What awaits Team RVWBY as they continue their mission in Mountain Glenn? Until then, please Read and Review.