Here we are at Chapter 53. Time for the next member of Velvet's group to join our stage. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 53. Enjoy.

Chapter 53: The Reaper

…In Patch…

It is a little late in the morning in the Xiao Long household. Yang walks down the stairs from her room, though her steps lack their useful cheer and purpose, while wearing a different outfit then what she used to wear. She has her hair up in a messy ponytail, and is wearing a gray jacket over an orange tank top that bears her hips. The jacket is tied at the right sleeve, indicating her missing arm which still has some bandages around the stump. The jacket's left sleeve shows her father's emblem, and she is also wearing gray-brown cargo pants, which show the rim of her dark undergarments. High on the left leg of her pants is a red shield-shaped patch with the imagery of three Ursa masks, and her emblem is stitch on her right thigh. When not wearing her jacket, the stump of her right arm shows itself being covered by a circular metallic plate. She is also wearing white sneakers. She walks into the living room and flops down onto the couch. It is quiet, almost peaceful even, though peace is far from the former firecracker's mind. Yang sighs as she looks at the stump that was once her right arm. So much was lost on that fateful day: her school, her team, her friends…Ruby is gone, looking for those responsible, and Weiss is…gone…

"I…I really liked her, even before we started dating. I wanted to be there for her…and yet she wasn't there for me…" Yang wonders bitterly.

"Hey Yang," she hears and looks up behind her to see her father, Taiyang Xiao Long standing behind the couch. "I got to go get some things for us, groceries and all that. I'll be back soon, okay?" he says.

"Sure. See you later, Dad," Yang replies.

Taiyang gives her a smile, though there is a hint of sadness in it, "I'll be back soon. Zwei will keep you company," he says, gesturing to their pet corgi, sleeping in his doggy bed.

Taiyang then walks out the front door, closing it behind him. Yang watches him go and then sighs again. Outside, Taiyang walks past the mailbox in front of the house and starts walking down the path away from the home. A moment later though, a shadowy figure comes out from behind one of the trees near the home.

"Well, this should be interesting…" the figure says.

…

In a vast white expanse, shots of fire fly through the air at several circles that look like the emblem for Beacon Academy. The shots are coming from Velvet Crowe, though not from her demon claw like usual, thus not making them fire artes. They are coming from her right hand, which shows some fire floating in the palm of her hand. Behind her outstretched hand, a small spark of flames is being emitted from her right eye, similar to how Cinder Fall's eyes look when using her powers. After firing off a few more shots, Velvet takes a calming breath as her flames dissipate.

"How's that?" she asks as she looks behind her to see Summer Rose walking towards her.

"You're getting better, Velvet. Luckily, the amount of the Maiden's power you wield is only a small part of it, thus making it easier to control. How does it feel?" she asks.

Velvet looks at her right hand, "It feels…different. Not like my fire artes from Seres, or from my claw, or even my semblance. It feels…warm…but at the same time, distant," Velvet replies.

"The Maiden's power is linked to one's aura, just like a semblance. However, it is a power that does not work like a semblance, because it is pure magic. Your artes from your world are similar, but are still different. Even your Therion powers are different from it as well. It will take some getting used to, but I'm confident you'll become attuned to it soon," Summer says.

"I hope so. I'm worried about Ruby," Velvet says as she looks away, thinking about her girlfriend.

Summer smiles at this, "That makes me very happy, you know," she says.

"What does?" Velvet asks as she looks back at her.

"That you care about her so much. While yes, I was a little worried for her when she said that she wanted to be a huntress, that was not the only thing I was worried about for her. Ruby is not like many girls, and I'm not saying this just because I'm her mother. She's special, and I always thought that there wouldn't be anyone in this world that would be worthy enough to be her significant other…Well, then again, you aren't exactly from my world, so I guess that doesn't apply to you," Summer says, giggling a bit.

"Uh huh…" Velvet deadpans.

"What I am saying is that I am actually proud that Ruby found someone that cares about her so much. Oh, I can't wait to see what kind of dress she would wear at your wedding," Summer starts getting stars in her eyes.

Velvet blushes a deep crimson from this, "W-W-Wedding?! Ruby and I have only been on one date! We're nowhere near ready for something like marriage yet!" she retorts.

Summer smirks, "Oh, so there IS a marriage in your future plans with her?" she teases her.

"Will you shut up?! I thought you'd be more mature than this…I can see where Ruby got her immaturity from," Velvet says as she crosses her arms and looks away, still blushing.

Summer giggles a little more, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself…But anyway, let's get back into your practice. You've nearly got good control over it. A little bit more, and you'll be ready to return to Remnant," Summer says, getting a little more serious as she conjures up more Beacon emblem targets a distance away from them.

Velvet shakes her blush off, takes a deep breath, and activates her Maiden power again, the sparks of flames erupting from her right eye. She raises her right hand to conjure up more flames, and continues with her training.

…

In a dark place somewhere on Remnant, a dead land filled with dark, purple glowing crystals, covered by a dark red sky along with the shattered moon. A small pool of black ooze sits idly, until a black, clawed hand rises from the ooze, and then a second, and then the full body rises from the pool, revealing itself to be a Beowolf. The Beowolf crawls out of the pool, roars, and then begins walking somewhere, passing by more pits of the same ooze, each one with a new Beowolf sprouting from them and taking their first steps behind it.

In a castle of sorts overlooking this dark landscape, Mercury and Emerald, the two members of Cinder Fall's crew, watch in horror at the birth of these Grimm. A moment later, a gloved hand snaps its fingers, beckoning them to return to the table in the center of the room. The room has windows all around it, with the same dark crystals as before surrounding the room, each with a lit candle on top. The long table in the center is glowing purple, with three chairs on the two longer sides each, looking is if they were made of wood…or bone. Meanwhile, a large chair sitting at the center of the table is made of more dark crystals, and behind it appears an altar perhaps, made with the same crystals and having several lit candles placed on it.

In one seat near the front is Cinder Fall, though with a new appearance. Cinder's hair is much shorter now, and she wears a black mask over where her left eye should be, showing some scarring just outside the mask's edge, leaving a slight x-shape scar over the bridge of her nose. She is wearing a long, dark red dress with one long, wide sleeve hiding her left arm. The edges of the collar and the opening of the arm are gold-colored, and the upper chest and left sleeve are decorated with golden designs. The right side of her dress is open from the hip down, with two gold-colored straps made up of interwoven ropes connecting the front half to the back half across her thigh. Under the dress is black pantyhose. On the right hip, the dress has a black rhombus-shaped gem in gold-colored metal of the same shape, with feathers of varying shades of blue extending from the bottom of it. On her right arm is a long, gray glove, the top of which has a gold-colored metal ring with curvy branching extensions going up her arm. Her right ear has a new, ring-shaped earring higher up than the dangling black gem earring.

After snapping her fingers, Mercury and Emerald walk to stand on her left, though Emerald pushes Mercury away so she can stand closer to Cinder.

"Now then, Cinder, there is something I wish to discuss with you. I chose to keep this away from Watts, Hazel, and Tyrian. I believe you've dealt with enough harassment for now," Cinder looks to see another individual sitting in the main chair at the table.

The women's skin is a deathly pallor, covered with deep red and purple veins that run up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes are jet black and her irises glow red, even brighter when she is agitated. She has a black diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead. She is wearing a very long black robe with red designs resembling eyes. She is also wearing a ring resembling an insect on her right index finger. She has white hair formed into a bun with six offshoots from which ornaments are suspended. This is her master, Salem.

"They maybe not have been able to tell…but I could from your first few treatment sessions…You don't possess the full power of the Fall Maiden, do you," Salem says, showing a slight frown. Cinder grits her teeth, knowing she can't hide it from her master. "I know the girl with the Silver Eyes couldn't have done this. So, who took the other piece of your powers?" she asks. Cinder has Emerald lean close to her and she whispers something into her ear. A moment later Emerald leans back. "Speak, child," Salem asks Emerald.

"She says…it was the girl with the demon claw semblance. Part of her semblance allows her to absorb forms of energy, including Dust. Right before Ruby Rose used her powers, Velvet grabbed Cinder with her demon claw, and that must have been when she absorbed a part of her powers before everything went white. That girl's name is Velvet Crowe," Emerald explains for Cinder.

"I see…and what happened to this Velvet Crowe afterwards?" Salem asks.

"We…don't know. She just…vanished after Ruby unleashed her powers. We don't know if she's even still alive," Emerald says.

Salem hums at this, "Hmm. Well, I highly doubt this Velvet Crowe is truly dead. Had she'd been so, the piece of the Fall Maiden's power would've returned to you, Cinder. That means that she's still alive, and that she now possesses a piece of the Maiden's power. Make no mistake, you have more of it now than before when you attacked the previous Fall Maiden. However, this will complicate things when the time comes to retrieve the Relic from Beacon. The problem is that we don't have any concrete idea on where this Velvet Crowe is. Tyrian is currently searching for the girl with the Silver Eyes, and that takes priority at the moment. For now, we'll focus on your treatment and your training. However, I believe that soon enough, Velvet Crowe will reveal herself again, and when she does, we will use that chance to take back what is ours. I'll inform Tyrian to keep an eye out for her as well. But Cinder…" Salem says, showing a slight glare at Cinder. "Make sure when that time comes…that you don't FAIL me again. Understood?" she says chillingly.

Cinder looks a little scared, but nods slowly in acknowledgement.

…

Back at the Xiao Long Household, Yang had just finished watching some TV, but every channel, or at least all of the news channels, were still focused on the Fall of Beacon and the current efforts to rebuild and regain control of the situation. Not wanting to be reminded of the horrifying night, Yang turns the TV off and walks back up to her room. Sitting on her bed, she pulls out her scroll from her drawer, bringing up the photo album inside. She scrolls through some pictures, showing her team, to her and Ruby, and then to a few pictures of just her and Weiss when they were together. She stops on one picture that shows a selfie of her and Weis close together, smilingly happily, with the next one showing Weiss giving her a kiss on her cheek in the same moment. Seeing the pictures only makes Yang feel even more depressed, and so she puts the scroll away back in her drawer. It is then that Zwei suddenly runs into her room in a panic.

"What's wrong, Zwei?" she asks, concerned.

Zwei just whimpers and looks out her door. This prompts Yang to get up and slowly make her way to the stairs. She steps down each step slowly and quietly, trying not to make any noise. Looking around, she eventually finds someone standing in the living room, and the front door cracked open. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. Under his eyes he has black markings around his eye-bags. His attire consists of tailored black trousers tightened with two belts and brown boots and gloves. He also wears an orange shirt, a loose white shirt and a black waistcoat, finished off by the long-dark business type jacket. The man is looking through one of the books from the bookshelves in the living room, his back to Yang.

"Is this guy a burglar?! Crap, I can't fight him like this. I'll have to sneak up back to my room, grab my scroll, and call the police," Yang thinks.

Slowly and quietly making her way back to her room, she pulls out her scroll to call for help, only for it to suddenly say that there is no service, thus making it useless. Yang silently groans and puts her scroll in her left pocket before making her way back downstairs. She finds the guy still going through the same book like no time has passed.

"I don't get it, if this guy is some kind of burglar, why is he only interested in an old book that was only like five lien? Wouldn't he go for the expensive stuff, then make a run for it out of here?" Yang wonders.

Looking around, she silently moves to grab a huge dictionary from another shelf behind the couch and slowly creeps up behind the stranger. She raises her book, ready to strike, and then…

"You know, if you want to sneak up on someone, you should really practice your stealth skills," the man suddenly says without looking back at her.

Seeing that she's been found out, Yang swings the book at him, only for the man to calmly grab the book, pull it out of her hand, and then grabs her arm and throws her out the front door. Yang rolls on the ground before she gets up on one knee, seeing the man calmly walk outside to meet her. Zwei then jumps up and lunges at the man, only for the man to easily sidestep the attack, making Zwei miss and roll on the ground next to Yang. Yang and Zwei get back up while the man takes a few steps towards them, hands in his pockets.

"If you want to beat me, you're gonna have to do a lot better than that," the man says, unimpressed. Yang clenches her fist and, not thinking, runs at him, throwing a left punch at his chest. However, the man just stands there and takes the punch. Yang's fist lands on his chest, but it doesn't seem to even tickle him. Yang looks up at the man, shocked. "…Was that supposed to hurt?" he says, getting bored.

He then throws a quick right punch that knocks Yang back onto the ground. Zwei then runs up and bites the man on his right leg, but he just looks down at him, and then kicks him off with ease. Yang staggers back to her feet, and growls, but then hears some growling behind her, and looks back to see an Ursa coming out from the tree line. This time, she gets scared and the man gets a little serious.

"Oh great!" Yang yells, only to see the man walk up in front of her. "What are you-," she begins.

"I'll take care of this. I can't have you dying on my just yet. Besides, that Grimm showing up here is probably my fault," he says and shakes his left arm, causing a stone-like wristlet to appear around his left arm.

The Ursa roars and runs at them. When it gets close, the man pulls out a gold coin of sorts, flicks it up with his left thumb, and then suddenly throws a series of crosses at the Grimm before he finishes it off with a hard left uppercut that sends the Grimm flying. It the Grimm hits the ground, dead, while the man calmly catches the coin in his right hand. Yang looks on in slight awe at seeing someone take out an Ursa with just his bare hands. Now she was really scared for what he had planned for her.

"Well, that takes care of that," the man says, pulling back his wristlet, just in time to block a punch from Yang. "Really? I saved your life, and you thank me by trying to punch me?" he asks.

"Oh yeah, like I'd thank someone who tried to break into my home and attacked me!" Yang retorts.

"Well, the door was unlocked, and for the record, you attacked first. Also, I didn't come here to commit burglary. In this instance, it's not my style. I figured you'd be smarter than this, since you're one of Velvet's teammates," the man says.

This gets Yang's attention, "W-Wait, how do you know Velvet?!" she asks as she steps back.

"I figured she would've talked about me once," he says and pulls out his coin again, flicking it up in the air. "My name is Eizen…I'm the Reaper," he says, catching the coin in his left hand.

Yang gasps at hearing this.

And that's the chapter. Velvet's training is nearly complete, and Yang meets Eizen the Reaper. Meanwhile, Salem learns of Velvet's existence, and that she possesses a part of the Fall Maiden's power. Things are getting really interesting, and now only one member of Velvet's crew remains, along with only one other member of Team RVWBY. How will Yang cope with the one called the Reaper? When will Velvet return to Remnant? Who will show up next? Until then, please Read and Review.