Here we are at Chapter 56. I wanted to do this before I work on my other stories, so here we are. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 56. Enjoy.

Chapter 56: Reason to Fight

It is late at night as the ship Blake is on continues on its trek to Menagerie. Right now, Blake, Sun, and Rokurou are on one of the side of the ship, looking out into the expansive ocean. Sun and Blake are contemplating a few things, things from what Rokurou has explained to them about himself, and about Velvet.

"So, Velvet was once human, but is now a demon, like you?" Sun asks.

Rokurou drinks a cup of sake, "Yep. We were both imprisoned on the same island and she helped me find my partner, so I owed her a great debt. One that I intend to repay. So we started working together. Originally I helped her because of my debt, but when I found out that my older brother, Shigure, was working with Artorius, the man she wanted to kill, I then had another reason to help her," Rokurou explains.

"Your brother, Shigure…You said you killed him. What I don't understand is why? Yes, he may have been your enemy, but was that really enough reason to kill him?!" Blake asks.

Rokurou just stares at her, "If I didn't kill him, he would've killed my friends. You expect me to just stand by and let that happen?" he calmly retorts.

"N-No, but-," Blake begins.

"I had to kill him, not just because of that, but because that is how our family works. To rise in succession in our family, to become the new head of the family, one must kill the current head. After I became a demon though, I no longer had the right to become the head of the Rangetsu family. I was following my family's tradition. I don't expect you to understand. This happened a long time ago, in my world, not yours, so it doesn't really concern you. After I defeated Shigure, he told me to take his sword, to put it to good use. I carry my brother's will on my back, so that one day I may be truly worthy of wielding both Stormhowl, and Kurogane Stormquell. That's just the kind of guy I am. I live my life according to my beliefs, to my creed," Rokurou says, quoting his friend, Eizen.

Blake looks away, thinking on his words, but then Sun speaks up again.

"Yeah, that's another thing, one that I'm having a hard time swallowing. How can you be from another world? That's just…impossible," he says.

"It's true, Sun. Velvet is from another world, and he's from her world. I believe her. But still, why would you be here?" Blake asks.

"I'm here because Summer Rose and Laphicet asked me to help you guys out. Velvet has some things to take care of before she can come back, so I and the rest of our merry band have shown up to take her place for the time being. They're off helping the rest of your teammates," Rokurou says.

"My teammates…" Blake mutters.

"Which reminds me, why did you leave your teammates? Velvet and the others could really use your help right now," Rokurou asks.

Blake holds her arms, "I…I can't. It's complicated," she replies dismissively.

"But why not? They're your friends, Blake," Sun adds.

"Like you're one to talk, unless the rest of your teammates are down below the ship," Blake retorts.

"Pfft, you think I could get Neptune on a ship. They flew back to Mistral. I told them I'd catch up. Not the first time I ditched them to take a boat! Besides, I've never been to Menagerie before. You're going there to stop the White Fang white?" Sun asks.

"NO! I'm not going anywhere near the White Fang. Not now anyway. I'm going home to Menagerie to figure things out," Blake replies.

Sun frowns a bit at her, but then make a decision, "Well, then I'm coming with you. Just because you're not going after the White Fang, doesn't mean that they won't come after you. And besides…I'm already on the ship," he says.

Blake sighs, knowing she can't stop him, and turns to Rokurou, "I still don't know what to think about you, but if Velvet trusts you, then that's good enough for me for now," she says.

Rokurou smirks, "No problem. You couldn't get away from me even if you tried anyway. Alright then, next stop, Menagerie," he says as they look out into the night sky.

…

At Raven's bandit tribe camp, Raven sits at her table in her tent, with Velvet Crowe sitting across from her, and Vernal pouring them some tea.

"You can wait outside. Thank you," Raven says to Vernal, who nods and then leaves. Raven takes her cup, and sips her tea. "…So, have you finally decided to accept my offer to join me?" Raven asks, smirking.

"…You can take your offer and shove it, I believe I made that clear the last time we talked. Which wasn't long before Beacon was attacked. I'm only here for one reason and one reason only," Velvet retorts.

"And that would be?" Raven asks, frowning.

"Ruby Rose. I know she's heading for Mistral. And you're going to help me find her," Velvet replies.

Raven grunts in amusement, "And why would I do that? What's in it for me?" Raven asks, smirking.

"What's in it for you is that I don't kill you," Velvet says, sparks of her Maiden power appearing in her right eye.

This gains Raven's interest, "You've become the Fall Maiden," she realizes.

Velvet shakes her head, "No, I only have a piece of it. But I will gain the rest when I kill Cinder Fall, and make her pay for what she's done. I figured you'd know about the Maidens," she says.

"And what would make you think that?" Raven asks.

"Because your brother knew about them. Wasn't that hard to put the rest together," Velvet says.

"Well, now that you know, why? Why would you help Ozpin and Qrow? I told you Beacon would fall, and it did. I told you Ozpin would fail, and he has. You have no idea what's going on here," Raven says.

Velvet leans closer, "Then enlighten me," she says.

Raven sighs and stands up, walking to the map at the back of her tent, "The truth…is that the Creatures of Grimm have a master named Salem," Raven says, stunning Velvet. "Ozpin has been fighting against her for a long time, and has never been able to beat her. He recruited my team to help, Team STRQ," she says.

"So that means that Summer knows as well," Velvet thinks.

"The more I saw, the more I learned, the more terrifying the world became. So I left, because I'm smart. I knew we couldn't defeat Salem. I left because I had to do what I had to do to survive," Raven says as she turns back to Velvet.

Velvet frowns at this, "You left just to survive? What about your teammates? What about your daughter?!" she yells as she stands up.

"I have a duty to protect my tribe. They are my family-," Raven retorts.

"And Yang isn't?!" Velvet yells again.

Just then, she hears a weapon cocked behind her and glances back to see Vernal aiming one of her guns at her.

"You need to calm down," Vernal warns her.

Velvet glares back at Raven, "Unless you want me to put down your little guard dog here, I suggest you tell her to leave," she warns her as her powers activate.

Raven narrows her eyes, "Vernal, leave us…I'll be fine," she orders her. Vernal hesitates a moment, but leaves, and Velvet deactivates her powers. "Yang is my daughter. She'll survive. If she wants to find me, then she'll come find me herself. And if she wants me to be a part of her life again, then the best way to do that would be to join my tribe. Only then can I protect her," Raven says.

"Like Hell she would ever join a group of killers and thieves," Velvet counters.

"Perhaps, but…you're not exactly innocent, aren't you," Raven says, making velvet lose a little of her previous steel. "You've harmed innocent people, I can tell. You did what you had to do to survive and to get what you want. There's no shame in that. Why pretend to be something you're not? You don't belong with those fools who work for Ozpin. You're not a huntress, you're a survivor. Why continue this pointless endeavor? We can't stop Salem, no one can. I realized that, and so I left in order to survive. There is no reason for you to throw your life away for no reason at all. The only person you can rely on is yourself," Raven says.

Velvet closes her eyes, and her right fist shakes, "…You're right," she says, making Raven smile. "My heart is ugly. I've killed plenty of innocent people. I ruined towns just to get what I wanted. I used others like tools. My body is full sins, that no matter what I do, I'll never be forgiven. I'll burn in Hell for all that I've done when the time comes…" she says, making Raven smile a little more, "…But, you're wrong about something else," Velvet says, making Raven lose that smile. "I DO have a reason to fight. Not for Ozpin, not for his people. For Ruby. I know she'll fight for the innocent. And I know she'll never give up. I told her about my past. About everything I've done, and yet…" Velvet holds the pendant around her neck. "…She opened her arms and her heart to me. The person people called the 'Lord of Calamity'. She saw whatever good there was left in me, and helped me find it in myself. She found it in herself to care about someone who doesn't deserve it. Ruby gave me my second chance in life, even if I don't deserve it. She is my reason for fighting, Raven Branwen. You want me to become like you, a coward that runs and abandons her family because she's afraid of dying? Well, you can forget it. I came to you because I thought you could help me find Ruby, that maybe there was still some tiny piece of goodness in you. Ruby may not be your family, but she is your daughter's…But it looks like I was wrong," she says and turns to leave.

Raven holds the handle of her sword, "And where do you think you're going?" she says.

"I'm going to find Ruby, with or without your help. And you can't stop me," Velvet says.

Raven then draws her sword, "And what makes you think I would just let you leave?" Raven asks.

Velvet glances back at her, "…I almost forgot. Summer Rose sends her regards…" she says.

Raven widens her eyes, "Wh-What?" she asks, stunned.

Velvet makes no response and walks out of the tent. When she comes out, she sees all the bandits in the camp in front of her, barring her from leaving. Velvet steps down the stairs and activates her demon claw, scarring most of them. Raven then comes out.

"Let her go. She's done here. Try and get in her way, and you'll only get yourselves killed," Raven commands them as she sheathes her sword.

Velvet looks back at her and then moves on ahead. The bandits keep their distance, but all remain defensive until Velvet leaves through the front gates of the camp.

Raven watches her go, "Summer…But that's impossible. Summer Rose is supposed to be dead…Velvet Crowe, just who the Hell are you?" she wonders.

Velvet walks away from the camp and looks around, but then, the pendant around her neck starts to glow a faint red. Velvet pulls it up and points it in different directions, but notices how it starts to glow a little brighter as she points it northeast.

"Ruby…" Velvet mutters before she starts running off in that direction.

Meanwhile, Raven walks back into her tent, sitting on her bed with a heavy sigh. A moment later, Vernal walks in.

"Are you sure that it was okay to let her go?" she asks.

"No, of course not. But if a fight breaks out in the camp, then Grimm will be all over this place in a heartbeat. I tried to warn her. She made her choice. I'm sure we'll see her again soon enough. And when that time comes, if she still won't listen, then we'll deal with her. We have to do whatever it takes for the tribe," Raven says.

…

Meanwhile, at the Schnee Manor, Weiss Schnee is sitting down at the table in her room, drinking a cup of tea, with Eleanor sitting across from her, having some tea as well. Though Klein was a little confused when Weiss asked for two cups, Weiss managed to convince him to let it go without revealing to him her 'guest'.

"I must admit, you're tea here is quite good," Eleanor notes as she rests her cup on the table.

"Thank you. It helps when I practice my singing to soothe my vocal cords. I need my voice to be at its best," Weiss notes, but then frowns and looks away. "Otherwise, Father will be upset with me," she mutters.

Eleanor shows a concerned expression, "You know could always leave," she suggests.

Weiss looks back at her, flabbergasted, "Are you serious? It's not that simple. I can't just leave and do what I want," she retorts.

"Why not?" Eleanor calmly asks.

"Well…Father would never let me go. And the staff here obey him more than they do me," she notes.

"From what I've seen, that Klein seems to be more concerned with your well-being rather than your father's. As for the first one, just because you're father wants you to stay trapped here, that's enough reason for you not to go?" she asks.

"Well…I…" Weis trails off.

"What about Yang?" Eleanor asks.

"Huh?" Weiss raises an eyebrow.

"Yang is someone you care deeply about, right? Wouldn't you want to go see her again? I'm sure that deep down she would be happy to see you again. Pardon me, but I know you two are close," Eleanor asks.

Weiss looks down, deep in thought, "I…I want to go see her, but that's just not possible," she replies.

"And why not?" Eleanor asks.

"Because I'm here in Atlas, and my father-," Weiss begins before a sudden gust of wind blows around in the room. Weiss attempts to hold down her skirt and her hair while closing her eyes, while Eleanor just holds down her skirt, but remains calm all the same. A moment later, the wind stops. "What was that about? Did you cause that sudden burst of wind?!" Weiss accuses Eleanor.

Eleanor scratches her cheek, "Well, not exactly," she replies.

"Oh, for crying out loud, are you an idiot? 'Father this, Father that'. You make it sound like it's against the law to disobey him. It's starting to piss me off," a sudden male voice rings out.

"Huh?" Weiss exclaims and looks around, only to suddenly find a man leaning against the bookcases in her room.

The man appears to be much older than them, with shoulder-length white hair with green tips, tied into a small ponytail. He is wearing black pants with an orange belt, and knee-high brown boots that look like they belong to someone who sails a lot. He is wearing an open brown jacket, showing some-what tanned skin and white tattoo lines across his chest. He has on a pair of brown gloves on his hands and white padding on his thighs, and an ornate necklace around his neck.

"Hey there, Ice Queen," the man says with a mock salute and a wink at her.

"Huh, who are you?...Wait, what did you just call me?!" Weiss says, getting annoyed already.

Eleanor rests her head in her right hand and sighs, "Zaveid, you really need to learn a thing or two about subtlety," she notes. "Weiss, meet the Malak, Zaveid. He's an old friend who was also summoned by Summer Rose, and has agreed to a pact with me for the time being. Don't mind him much though, he's an idiot," she says.

"Sheesh, I can't catch a break with any women, even in another world," Zaveid jokes in mock hurt as he walks to them.

"A Malak? Like those people that are kind of like spiritual beings from you're world?" Weiss asks as she calms down.

"You guessed it, although I'm a whole lot better looking than the rest of my kind. I must admit, even I another world, the women here are quite a sight to see," Zaveid notes.

Weiss gags, "Ugh, keep your distance, you perverted brute!" she shoots him down.

Eleanor shakes her head in shame, "I can't believe I made a pact with this womanizer. Oh, I wish it could've have been Laphicet, or even Eizen. Why me?" she mentally groans. "Zaveid, I know you've been listening in on our conversations. She has no romantic interest in men, and even if she did, I sincerely doubt it would be with you," she says.

Zaveid eases up, "Don't worry, I know when a lady is off limits. I was having a little bit of fun. This Yang girl must be one helluva of woman to have snagged this white haired beauty," he jokes.

"Wait, you've been listening in on our conversations? Have you no shame, you barbarian," Weiss says.

"When Zaveid is not out in the open, he resides within me. That's how Malakhim can move around when they make a pact with someone. It also helps them conserve energy. As for the pact maker, it grants me the use of spirit artes. Think of them like spells of sorts. Zaveid here is a wind Malak, which allows him to control the wind. That's how I stopped your attack during our sparring match, thanks to him. While he dwells within me, he can see and hear what I see and hear. So yes, he has been listening in on our conversations. Don't worry, I'll keep him under a tight leash," Eleanor explains.

"What am I, a dog?" Zaveid deadpans.

"Ugh, to think this brute was spying on us? How revolting," Weiss notes.

"Anyway, let's get back on topic. Why do you keep making it sound like your father decides what you do with your life?" Zaveid asks, getting more serious.

"It's not that simple. It's not like I want to stay here. Beacon felt more like a home than this place ever did. But I can't just up and walk out the front door. My father is a powerful man. There's no way I'd be able to leave," Weiss says.

"So? Was it his decision for you to become a huntress, or your own?" Zaveid asks.

"What? It, it was mine," Weiss replies.

"Good, then that's one sign that he doesn't control your life. Look at me, I go wherever the winds take me, but I never let them control me. I control the wind. I live my life according to my own creed, and no one can take that away from me. Don't you have a creed of your own? People you want to be there for?" Zaveid asks.

Weiss glances down as she thinks upon his words, but then Eleanor gets her attention.

"Weiss, I told you before, your will is your own. If you want to stay, then you can stay…But if you want to leave, then we'll help you," Eleanor says.

Weiss looks up at them, "But…how?" she asks.

Eleanor and Zaveid just smile.

And that's the chapter. That's right, baby! Zaveid is in the house! Velvet has a heated debate with Raven, Blake speaks with Rokurou, and Weiss meets Zaveid. Things will be getting interesting soon enough. Will Velvet find Ruby? Will Weiss leave her home? What awaits our heroes in the future? Until then, please Read and Review.

P.S. I've been working on another story for when I get to a point that this one will have to go on a temporary hiatus. This story will be a Tales of Berseria x Gundam Build Fighters crossover, with the characters of Berseria taking the place of those from GBF, but with elements of both stories fused together. I already know what gunpla the characters will use for the most part, but I would like some ideas from you guys before I begin writing it. Here is what I would like from you guys if possible:

Gunpla ideas for Oscar and Teresa, Melchior, and Shigure (I already have one for Artorius and Velvet's crew). What elements of the two stories would go well together for this crossover? And any other ideas you guys have in mind. Tell me what you think.