The afternoon was slowly becoming evening and Team CBLT was feverishly working away in one of the school's many study halls, the best way that they knew how to. Cobalt was reading a manga, assuming that he was hiding the fact well enough by holding up a textbook behind it so that Tawney couldn't see what he was up to, but she knew better and reached over, snatching it away. He protested hard for a moment, flailing his arms and explaining that he had just gotten to the good part, but she wasn't having any of it. He picked up his pencil and reluctantly removed his homework. Tawney thumbed through a few of the pages, blushing at an image and sliding the book into her backpack as she removed her own work.

"Cobalt, you're never going to pass our local government exam if you don't start taking studying seriously," Tawney told him.

"How am I supposed to concentrate knowing that there's a classroom of students out there that have to murder their teacher!?" He exclaimed. Tawney reached across the table, grabbing Cobalt and dragging him across, causing Bái to snatch up her work and pull it off before it was pulled along for the ride. Tawney pressed her nose against her leader's.

"It's not real!" Tawney stated. Lykos shook his head as he ignored them and continued feverishly working on his Economics project.

"Don't say that!" Cobalt explained. "You take that back! My waifu is going to be very upset!" Bái jabbed Lykos lightly in the gut with her elbow and he glanced down at her. She blushed as he attempted a smile and she leaned over to him.

"How about we go somewhere else?" She asked. He nodded in agreement.

"Do you even hear yourself?!" Tawney exclaimed. They weren't going to get any studying done if they stayed here.

"Of course I do! I just don't know why you have a hard time believing that this stuff could be real. We fight monsters and have semblances! For all you know, this might be an anime!" He shouted back at her. Bái and Lykos snuck out of the room as they continued to fight. She grabbed his hand, stunning him for a moment as she dragged him out towards the cliff, he followed close behind her. What was going on? She laughed, causing him to smile as she came to a stop and looked out at the water and the sun that was on the verge of setting along the horizon.

"Why are we out here?" Lykos asked. She smiled as she stared out in silence for a moment.

"With my powers, I always feel calm when I'm around water," she told him as she looked back at him. "I'm not really sure what happened to my family, I barely remember anything before coming to Vale a year ago. But the possibilities are endless, right? This world becomes more and more amazing every day, things that we never thought possible are as normal as can be." He thought back on his own life and moved beside her.

"I guess you're right," he agreed with her.

"I want to tell you what happened Lykos," she told him softly. "But I'm not sure I remember enough to tell you or anyone else properly." She reached out and grabbed his hand and he looked at it for a long moment. "Thank you for protecting me this far." He pulled his hand away hard and she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry," he replied. Memories of his father flooded his mind. She felt slightly dejected and she sighed, which made him feel bad, but she returned her gaze to the ocean once more. "You're welcome Bái."

"I don't have any family left, and you've been so kind to me, more kind that you've needed to be," she told him. "I don't think that I would still be here if it wasn't for you. That boy in the forest would have either had his way with me, or I would have lost control and killed him." He looked down at her.

"I can help you," he told her. She looked back up at him, her eyes prying. "I want to help you learn how to control your power so that you don't always have accidents like you've been having." His mind was torn. Fear gripped him that he would end up treating her like his father did his mother. But hope rushed in as well, telling him that he could love her the way that his mother should have been loved. As he was lost in his own thoughts, she had moved to him and wrapped her arms around him, causing him to panic slightly as he looked down at her.

"Thank you Lykos-Kun," she expressed her gratitude once again. He rubbed her head lightly and she glanced back at the sunset. She smiled as he watched her. "I like to think that the ocean is my mother and that that's the reason that I'm so calm around water. I think she'd thank you too." Lykos sighed thoughtfully and glanced back at the school, noting Cobalt and Tawney who were watching them. Cobalt smirked and grabbed Tawney by the arm, dragging her back towards the campus. An airship docked near them and Lykos gently led Bái back, passing Ilia and Titus as they nodded in acknowledgment and boarded the ship.

"I guess you're rank at Atlas finally came in handy," Ilia told him as the ship took off and began its trip towards Vale.

"Heh. We were just lucky that there was an Atlas ship in the area," Titus said as he sat down with Ilia beside him. He grabbed the bar above him and slid forward to the front end of the ship. "If you don't mind me asking, why were you in the area? I actually had several Atlas callsigns reply to my request." The pilot chuckled.

"You kids don't have any time for news outside of training?" He asked. They both shook their heads. "The White Fang are allegedly back. Some of us were dispatched with support from the Mistral Military. We're supposed to flush them out and take them in for questioning before they do something crazy."

"How crazy?" Titus asked.

"I suppose you don't recall the Fall of Beacon seeing as you wouldn't have been old enough to remember it if you were even born at that point. They were partially responsible for that attack, and we'd like to avoid anything else like it," the pilot replied. Titus nodded and moved back to his seat, opening his scroll and shooting a message to Winter.

"What's going on, I only heard part of what he said," Ilia informed Titus.

"They think that the White Fang is back," Titus told her.

"After a little over 12 years?" She asked. "Why would they wait so long to return if they hadn't been completely wiped out?" Titus shrugged.

"Hard to say, but as soon as Winter gets back to me I'm sure I'll know more," Titus told her.

"You two kids going on a date?" The pilot chuckled. Ilia laughed grabbing Titus' arm and he shot her a look.

"Something like that!" She replied winking at Titus. He wrenched his arm away and loosened his collar.

"No! And if you don't mind, I am your superior, please stop referring to me as a child!" Titus called out.

"Yes Lieutenant General Prasinos sir," the pilot replied with a snap. Titus smirked and Ilia rolled her eyes at him.

"What?" Titus asked.

"Lighten up, would you?" Ilia asked. He brushed her off.

"What's the plan anyway?" He asked her. Ilia smiled as she leaned back on the seat, removing a black butterfly knife and tossing it around.

"Pretty simple. We find Neeliana and we see how their date is going," She reminded him. "Oh, and we stay hidden." He chuckled.

"Right, because that won't be hard with the girl who can see danger in every direction when she uses her semblance," Titus laughed.

"She won't be using it, so we shouldn't have any issues." Ilia offered.

"I feel like Neela is more paranoid than you think," Titus noted.

"Paranoid?" Ilia asked. Titus smirked.

"Perhaps paranoid is the wrong word, but she has that instinct. Trust me, I do the same thing because of my military training. I'm constantly wondering if an attack is coming and my mind is methodically processing how to limit casualties and take down the perpetrator as quickly as possible," he explained. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, nodding slowly.

"And you think that Neela is the paranoid one." Ilia chuckled. "She'll be far too preoccupied with Eliana to notice us."

What was this sensation that was crashing through Neela's body right now? It was hard to describe, something that she had never felt before, though she had always wanted to but wasn't aware of it until this moment. Maybe she was getting carried away, trapped inside another one of her fantasies where her mind would run and wouldn't stop until there was an outside force that reminded her of where she was. At the same time, however, it all felt very real, and she almost preferred this skeptical euphoria over every other emotion that she had ever encountered. She was in Vale with Eliana, and they were on a date. She had to be delirious… delusional… dreaming even!

There she was again. It was this thought that sobered her mind and brought her back around to reality. On a date with Eliana, it just couldn't be, could it? Eliana had told her it was a date, but it was just Eliana being her playful innocent self, right? She didn't mean it in the conventional sense. It wasn't like Neela and Eliana were going to go to dinner and a movie, spend hours together talking about nothing and everything then telling one another that they really liked each other. There wasn't going to be a cliche moment of bliss and ecstasy during which Neela would drop Eliana off at the dorm and tell her that she'd like to see her again, gently kissing those luscious lips that she had imagined kissing so many times she had lost count. Eliana would be shy and reluctant at first and they would pull away from it, staring into each other's' eyes, leaving Neela uncertain for a long moment before Eliana returned the kiss.

Why? Why did she have to imagine it? Why couldn't it be real? It was all that she had wanted now for quite some time, but unlike fighting, she didn't have enough courage to pull the metaphorical trigger. She was mad, wasn't she? Eliana would never leave her, even if she did confess her true feelings to her. Reality set in and told Neela that she was wrong, it was completely viable that it would scare Eliana away, and that they wouldn't be the same friends that they were now. The risk still wasn't worth the reward for Neela.

"Hey," Eliana said and Neela's obsessing shattered apart. She was violently dragged back from the dark hole that she had slowly fallen into and now stood in the main square of Vale's Shopping District, Eliana looking at her with that signature smile that reassured Neela that everything was fine and she was worried about everything for no reason at all. The evening was setting in and the streetlights lit the block dimly, illumination spilling out softly from the shops and stands of vendors helped to light the rest of the busy center, allowing them to see clearly. Normally this was the time of day that the market would close for the night and return early in the morning, but with winter just around the corner, the merchants stayed open later, knowing that every sale counted. It was a sight to behold, and the lights glinted off of the fountain in the middle, where Eliana had decided to take a seat.

"Hey," Neela replied watching Eliana, captivated but trying to avoid seeming completely taken. She chuckled under her breath. Did it matter? Eliana was completely oblivious, Neela could probably profess her feelings right now and Eliana would just smile, laugh, and dismiss her. Not because she meant to be hurtful, though it would pang Neela, but because she was so naive. To think of how far she'd come, how strong she was, and how she was on the path to becoming a great warrior like her father… but she was still so oblivious to even the simple things. That's what Neela loved about her though. She cherished her friend for being so pure.

"Having fun Ms. Xiao Long?" Eliana asked her. Neela grabbed her hand to help her up but Eliana gave her a sudden tug and they nearly tumbled into the fountain together. They giggled for a moment, Neela laughing as she leaned against the lip of the water monument.

"I'm always having fun when I'm with you Ms. Latherus," Neela reassured her. Eliana beamed and leapt to her feet, helping Neela up and brushing her off, brushing the hair out of her face. Her hand stopped for a moment at the braids and tremors tore through Neela. There it was again, the same sensation as before. "Elli…"

"How did I get so lucky to meet someone like you Neela?" Eliana asked. Neela's resolve crashed hard and she fought back the explosion of pent-up aggression, fear, and sadness. She couldn't get anything out even if she wanted to! "You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me since my dad passed. Thanks for always being here." Tears formed in the corners of Eliana's eyes and it was more than Neela could bare as Eliana finally released her hair, relinquishing control to Neela. "You're the best friend that I could have ever hoped to have made."

"I'll always be here for you Elli," Neela said placing her forehead against Eliana's. Eliana sniffed and nodded, smiling. She never stopped smiling. Neela felt a tear slip from her own eye and smiled back.

"I know," Eliana replied. She wrapped her arms around Neela and they embraced each other for a long moment, Neela's thoughts slipping back to the cliff, Eliana's head leaning against her shoulder. There was nothing that would keep them from each other. Beyond their own parents, they were all that each other had. They pulled away from each other and Neela saw her opening. This was it. She was going to let Eliana know and the rest was up to destiny.

"Eliana I…" She began, but they were cut off as a man bumped into Eliana and they were tangled up for a moment, Neela not entirely sure what had just happened but holding tightly to Eliana despite the fact.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't see you there," the man trying defending himself. He wore a red flowing coat and had a grey tail, though it was close enough to silver that the color could be debated either way. Eliana leaned against Neela and smiled.

"Not a problem. Can you do us a favor by chance?" Eliana asked. He smirked and folded his arms.

"Perhaps," he replied. She looked at Neela and smiled, removing her scroll and handing it to the stranger.

"My girlfriend and I were hoping to get a picture in front of this fountain. Would you mind taking it for us?" Eliana asked. Neela blushed slightly at the thought and realization that Eliana had said that she was her girlfriend, but smiled despite the fact.

"I don't see why not. I'd be happy to," he agreed nodding. He took the scroll and framed the photo, Eliana bouncing back to Neela and throwing her arm around her as Neela did the same. "Say Beringel."

"Beringel!" Neela exclaimed. Eliana threw up a peace sign and stuck her tongue out, laughing after the camera flash finished and hugging Neela tight. She moved back over to the man and looked at the photo on her scroll.

"Perfect! Thank you!" Eliana exclaimed. "Come look at this Neela!"

"No problem," the Faunus told her before he continued on his way. Neela looked at the picture, pleased with how it turned out, but not as over the top ecstatic as Eliana.

"It's pretty good, but it could be better, don't you think?" Eliana asked. Neela gave her a puzzled look as Eliana handed her the scroll. "You take the picture, you've got longer arms than I do." Neela chuckled lining up the photo as Eliana wrapped her arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek as she captured the moment. Eliana was unphased, glancing up at the image on the scroll before snatching it away and hugging Neela. "Now it's actually perfect!" Neela's hand slowly brushed her own cheek, feeling where Eliana had kissed, her face warm as it flushed. Was she dreaming again? She nodded her head to feign slight interest, her mind reeling. What a crazy night, and it was all happening faster than Neela could keep up with it.

"It suits us," Neela agreed. Eliana shook her head and shoved Neela.

"Stop acting all tough, I know you love it too," Eliana told her. Neela cracked a smile.

"It's really good, Elli," Neela said. "Perfect in fact." She meant it wholeheartedly.

"Good," Eliana replied satisfied. She looked up and down the block for a vendor who might be selling food and motioned down the street, where there was more light pouring from and spilling onto the sidewalk, giving the city life on this breezy night. There was a familiar noise that followed shortly afterward and gave Neela a strange feeling of nostalgia. "What do you think is going on over there?"

"I'm not sure," Neela told her. She used her semblance to peer down the way and began walking towards the commotion with Eliana close behind her. She sniffed the air, the scent of hot dogs and other foods wafting through the air and gently greeting her. "It looks like it might be a street fair. One last hurrah before it starts getting really cold out…" Neela was cut off by Eliana grabbing her arm and rushing past, dragging her along for a few moments before Neela found her feet completely. What was the rush? Eliana had a tendency of getting caught up in the moment, but clearly, something had piqued her interest.

"I haven't been to a fair in so long! Remember when we used to go to the big one on the empty Vytal festival ground at Beacon every year?! Come on!" Eliana strained against Neela who laughed and ran with her friend, catching up with her. Was she excited to go to the fair? It was a mutual interest, but Neela was skeptical towards it being this exciting.

"Shouldn't we get something to eat?" Neela asked.

"Come on Neela! That can wait until after we get off of the ferris wheel!" There wasn't anyone in line, hardly anyone in the area at all, and Eliana let go of Neela for a moment. She leapt over the queue line that had been set up and rushing to the front, glancing back to make sure that Neela was with her. Neela smiled thoughtfully as her mind went back to the two of them as children.

"Do you think that a Grimm could grow as tall as this wheel Neela?" Neela covered her mouth and gasped causing Eliana to laugh.

"Of course not Elli, that's crazy!" Eliana glanced at Neela blushing.

"Only my dad called me Elli." Neela's eyes grew wide.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, it's okay." The little girl smiled at her best friend, giggling. "It makes me happy!"

"Come on Neela!" Eliana called out again. Neela was still frozen in that moment. Only my dad called me Elli. Neela truly was the first person that Eliana opened up to after her father had been killed. Neela glanced up at her, her surroundings sinking in. "No one else is on right now! The operator says we can ride it until we get bored!" Neela nodded and rushed to her friend, hurdling the ropes in a similar manner and leaping into the cage. "Good to go!"

"Don't enjoy yourselves too much," the man told them, winking at Neela. Neela blushed as he slammed the door shut and yanked on it several times to ensure that it was properly locked.

"Oh, we plan to!" Eliana exclaimed. The machinery sparked to life, the lights covering the legs of the ride flashing on and off as it slowly powered and the gears and belts cranked against each other in a mystical symphony. It was truly an amazing feeling that filled Neela with awe. For this moment with Eliana, they were not only entirely alone, but the world seemed so far away. They weren't huntresses that would one-day fight wars and bloody battles to ensure that humanity survived. No, for right now they were two kids, enjoying life and all its nuances. Eliana laughed as she pointed out at things around the city, trying to yell over the whirring of the wheel, but it was all in vain. Neela was hardly listening anyway. It was another moment that she just wanted to capture and keep forever.

The way that Eliana was laughing. The way her eyes lit up and dulled the stars around them as she looked out over the city awestruck by the beauty. The way the breeze tossed her hair the further they climbed into the air until the wheel came to a stop as they were at the very tip of the arc. The car rocked and Eliana laughed as she looked across the car at Neela. It was perfect.

"I knew he'd stop it here!" Eliana shouted out. "Thanks!" The man let out a whoop from the ground in acknowledgment and Eliana leaned back, looking up at the stars above them.

"More fun than when we were kids?" Neela asked. Eliana chuckled thoughtfully. Silence settled between the two of them and Eliana reached her hand up, as though she could have pulled some of the stars from the night sky and taken them as her own.

"Thank you Neela," Eliana spoke after a long moment. Neela cocked her head slightly, wondering how she had earned Eliana's gratitude.

"For what Elli?" Neela asked. Perhaps she had forgotten thanking her for being a great friend before.

"For tonight," Eliana explained. "I've been pushing myself so hard and I've had so much stress. I just needed to get away from it all, and I think this is exactly what I needed." Neela blushed and looked away. All of this was hardly any of her doing and if anything was all just stupid luck. Neela smiled softly in reply.

"Anytime Elli," Neela reassured her, glancing down at the ground below to see if anyone else was wanting a ride yet. That was when she spotted Titus and Ilia. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"Hm?" Eliana asked. "What did you say, I was daydreaming."

"Oh it's nothing," Neela replied. Eliana sighed and stretched.

"Do you think that a Grimm could grow as tall as this wheel?" Neela chuckled.

"After fighting that Geist, I'd believe anything," Neela answered. Eliana looked out at the ocean and stared intently for a long moment. Her mind had shifted gears again, and despite how much Neela loved the crazy side of Eliana, she loved the serious side just as much.

"Your moms are always talking about their year at Beacon and the crazy things that happened, and my dad always used to tell me stories about him and mom. Do you think that this is one of those moments?" Neela looked hard at her as Eliana met her eyes. "Like the first night at Beacon, on the cliff side… I don't want this to end Neela."

I know! I don't want it to end either! I want this to be every day! I want this to be every moment! I love you, Elli!

"Elli! -" The wheel cranked back to life and the sound drowned them out once again as they were slowly spun to the ground and let off. Neela glanced up, spotting Ilia and Titus now at the top of the ferris wheel. Neela shook her head and peered out at the crowd that was gathering in the area and she grabbed Eliana's hand. The girl looked down at the physical contact being made and glanced back up at Neela. "Let's go get something to eat!" It was Neela's turn to drag Eliana, which became actual dragging as Eliana couldn't stop laughing.

"What's gotten into you?" Eliana asked. "Usually I'm the frantic one!"

"Nothing!" Neela blurted out. "I just thought that maybe you'd be getting hungry!" Eliana looked around at the crowd gathering on the street. The fair must have just been opening for the night.

"I am, I am!" Eliana stopped for a moment and waved at someone behind them and Neela gritted her teeth, ready to turn and sucker punch Titus. "Hey, Mrs. Adel! How's it going?" Coco smirked and mouthed sorry to Neela who looked away. Everyone knew. Everyone but Eliana. It made it more difficult, knowing that Eliana was either just that oblivious or didn't feel the same. But it was the same fear that replayed in her head constantly and after a long minute, she pushed it out of her conscious.

"Things are going pretty good. I'm a touch on the jet-lagged side, but it's nothing that a little coffee can't fix," Coco told them. She looked down at her mug and inspected. "Or a lot of coffee… am I interrupting something?" Neela acknowledged Coco's attempt at avoiding being too direct and turned back to face them again.

"No, I think we were almost on our way back to the school anyways," Neela informed her. Coco nodded.

"Can I have a word with the two of you in private first?" She asked. Eliana glanced at Neela before nodding at Coco.

"Sure, why not?" Eliana replied for both of them. Coco motioned for them to follow, leading them out of the crowded street and into a side alley where Coco opened one of the building's backdoors. She ushered them in, glancing down the empty side street before closing the door behind them. It was a large empty room, save one large wooden crate with the SDC logo and light that flickered from its hanging fixture just above their heads. "This isn't what I thought you meant. Did we do something wrong?" Eliana gasped. "Are you even the real Coco?!" Neela rolled her eyes.

"Yes, now listen," Coco began. She placed a map on the crate and sprawled it out so that all three of them could view it. "This is the area where we are now. I'm sure you recognize the shopping center just a few streets over?" The girls nodded. "Good. Now, it's believed that these four are going to be either stealing or exchanging a shipment of Dust. I want you to go in and find out who they're working for, or at the very least, stop the exchange from happening. The warehouse is located close to the financial district." She pointed it out on the map and presented them with mugshots of the Stardust members.

"Neela!" Eliana exclaimed. "It's Orion!" Neela nodded.

"And that man that took our picture tonight," Neela added as they pushed the photos towards Coco and she studied them for a moment, removing her scroll.

"Did either of them engage you in combat?" Coco asked as she sent a message out to someone.

"Orion did," Eliana told Coco. "I'm a little fuzzy on the details seeing as it was a couple months ago. I think he had some strange light power."

"And he had a shield and gauntlet. He seemed to be using gravity Dust from what I remember," Neela added. Eliana nodded in agreement. Coco nodded in reply.

"That's the guy," she confirmed as she moved across the room and threw the door open. She peered out and whistled. "Hey!" She stepped back in before Titus and Ilia appeared in the doorway. Neela gritted her teeth.

"Hey! Neela! Eliana! I didn't know you two were still here in Vale! Titus and I came down here to grab some funnel cake!" Ilia attempted with a nervous chuckle. "Who doesn't love funnel cake, am I right?" Neela and Coco shook their heads in unison.

"What's going on?" Titus asked.

"Coco is sending us out on a mission," Neela informed him. Titus blinked in disbelief.

"I think I misheard you," Titus stated as he pushed Ilia into the room with a gentle shove and closed the door once again. "I've read the Beacon handbook more than any student who has ever attended the school. First Year students will only begin carrying out missions after the beginning of the second quarter, and only when accompanied by a Field Instructor. The mission must also be approved by the school, etcetera, etcetera, and may not include Non-Grimm targets. At least in mission briefing, anything that happens beyond that is covered under…"

"Titus," Coco said dryly.

"Hm?"

"Shut up."

It seems that our hero's date was cut short, but at least she enjoyed it while it lasted. Next week, can NITE take on the Stardust Gang? Chapter 28 - Fight NITE!

Hey guys! There's artwork that goes with this chapter but you know how fan fiction is on links! Done by Ookaminoki, it's a picture of Neela and Eliana's selfie and can be found in the favorites folder that's mentioned below! Go check it out!

A big thank you to Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.

Until next week, stay classy!