Here we are at Chapter 85. Just a little filler chapter before we get into volume 6 for this story. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 85. Enjoy.
Chapter 85: Regroup and Recoup
It has been a couple of days since the battle for Haven has ended and the cleanup for the mess has finally been taken care of by the Mistral Police force and the huntsmen in the kingdom. The Relic's existence and the fact that Lionheart was working for Salem were kept secret, and it was said that he simply died while defending the school (much to Velvet's annoyance). The Faunus of Menagerie have begun to head back to their home, though Blake's family is still around to help with the cleanup. As for Velvet and her friends, Qrow and Ozpin told them that they would be going to Atlas to keep the Relic of Knowledge safe there, though Weiss made it very clear that she does not like the idea of going back to that Hell hole. For now though, the next train to the port town of Argus, where they will then make the trip to Atlas, will not be arriving for a few days, which means they're still stuck in Mistral for a little while. However, getting to rest a bit after such a difficult battle is something the group is more than happy to have.
At the home, everyone is resting up and just trying to have a good time together, especially the members of Team RVWBY, now that they're all reunited.
"I still can't believe you actually managed to get all of the Faunus of Menagerie to not only to agree to help you fight off the White Fang, but that you also managed to get all of them to Haven just when we needed it," Yang says.
Currently, Yang, Weiss, and Blake are at the dining room table, along with Jaune, Ren, and Nora, talking.
"Yeah, I still have a hard time believing it too. But, I'm glad that they all finally decided to stand up for what was right. Still, I never expected to see you guys again. I missed you all so much," Blake says.
"We missed you too, Blake," Weiss says.
"Well, at least you showed up just in time. We were in a tough situation with battling Salem's forces," Jaune notes.
"Yeah... That's still a crazy thing too. To learn that magic really does exist, that the Maidens are real, and that the Grimm have a leader who was behind the Fall of Beacon. I never thought things would be like this," Blake says.
"Yeah, however, the fact remains that we won and prevented a second Fall of Beacon tragedy. What's more, now that we know what's really at stake and what's really going on, we can be more prepared for the next battle," Ren states.
"Yeah, and that means going back to Atlas. Oh joy," Weiss says dryly, still not liking the idea.
"Don't worry Weiss, we'll back you up. Just like what Ruby said," Yang says, holding Weiss' hand and making her blush a bit.
"Hey, speaking of which, where is Ruby?" Nora asks.
"Probably off with Velvet. Let's leave them be for now," Ren says.
…
In Ruby and Velvet's room, the two lovebirds are laying on Velvet's bed, enjoying each other's company, with Ruby laying her head in the crook of Velvet's neck while she strokes her back.
"After all that chaos, it's nice relax like this. It reminds me of when we were back at Beacon," Ruby notes as she snuggles closer to Velvet.
"Yeah, though we'll be leaving to head to Argus soon, and from there, it's on to Atlas. Let's just hope that Qrow's plan doesn't go awry, though I'm sure it will," Velvet notes.
"Well, we'll worry about that bridge when we cross it. For now, let's just enjoy this time to rest and relax a bit," Ruby says.
"Yeah. So... how was it? Getting to see your mother again?" Velvet asks.
"Honestly, it was shocking, but also amazing at the same time. I never thought I would ever see her again. Even if she is gone, it's still great to know that she is still here in a way. Thank you for that, Velvet," Ruby says.
"Me? Why would you thank me?" Velvet asks.
Ruby leans up to look Velvet in the eye, caressing her cheek, "Because if it wasn't for you, I never would have known that my mother was still watching out for me, or that I would see her again. I have you to thank for that, even if you don't think so. That's why I'm thanking you, Velvet," Ruby says.
"I just... I just want you to be happy. I love you, Ruby," Velvet says.
Ruby smiles, "I love you too, Velvet," she says.
Ruby leans down and kisses Velvet, moving to straddle her again as they deepen the kiss. All their love for one another is expressed in this moment. The only time where the level of emotion was deeper than this was when they had that one beautiful night together. They eventually separate for some air.
"You think they have some good dating spots in Atlas?" Ruby asks.
"Who knows? The question is: will we be able to make time for another date with all that's going on around us?" Velvet replies.
Ruby strokes her thumbs on Velvet's cheeks, "We'll make time," she says and kisses Velvet again, who eagerly returns the kiss.
"You are my heart now, Ruby Rose," Velvet notes.
Ruby giggles, "The Daemon Eater's Rose, maybe," she suggests.
"It doesn't matter what we're called. As long as I get to have you, that's more than enough for me," Velvet says.
"You have me. Now and always," Ruby says and gives her one more kiss. "Come on, let's go see how the others are doing. I want to talk with Blake more after she was away for so long," she says.
"Sure. Fine by me," Velvet says.
The pair get up and leave the room to go spend some time with the others.
…
Meanwhile, Ozpin and Qrow have their own conversation outside in the courtyard.
"You're still a little shocked by what happened, aren't you?" Ozpin asks, drinking his coffee.
"Bleh, why must you make us drink this stuff?" Oscar asks mentally.
"What are you talking about? I'm fine," Qrow says, taking a swig of his drink.
"Well, if you're drinking, then I guess you're fine for the most part. I'm talking about seeing Summer Rose again," Ozpin clarifies.
"I just *sigh* I just still can't quite wrap my head around it. Summer is dead, and even after Velvet told us her story, that still didn't change the fact that she's gone. And yet... I saw her. So did Ruby and Yang. Oz, how is something like that possible?" Qrow asks.
"I'm afraid even I am perplexed by this. Then again, Velvet was not from our world originally, so it appears that there are things out there that are just beyond our realm of understanding," Ozpin says.
"You think Salem knows about Velvet? About how she came here?" Qrow asks.
"I don't know. There's a good chance that she doesn't know, but if she does, then that'll make things a little more difficult; for us, and for Velvet Crowe. However, for now, we should focus on preparing for our trip to Argus. There will be time to worry about that later," Ozpin says.
"Yeah... Still, it was good to see Summer again. She was a good leader, a great mother to her daughters, and a true friend," Qrow says, smiling as he pulls out and looks at his old Team STRQ photo.
Ozpin smiles with him, "Indeed," he agrees.
…
"Well you certainly kept yourself busy," Velvet notes as she talks with Blake and the others.
"Yeah, but at least it all worked out in the end. So aside from the obvious, what happened while I was... away?" Blake asks, still feeling a little guilty about that.
"Blake, it's okay. We're all back together again and that's all that matters," Ruby says.
They all smiles with her. "You're right. So, again, what happened while I was away?" Blake asks.
"Well, Weiss reconnected with Yang in Patch and they were able to mend their relationship," Ren notes.
"Well, that's good to hear," Blake says.
Weiss blushes a bit, "I just... I wanted to be with Yang. That's all," she says timidly.
"Aww, princess, you know I love you," Yang teases her with a kiss on the cheek, making Weiss blush harder now.
"Now in front of everyone, you barbarian!" Weiss almost shrieks, making the others laugh.
"Well, I'm glad you two got back together. So, what about you and Velvet, Ruby? Did anything new happen?" Blake asks.
At hearing this, Velvet and Ruby blush a deep red, with Ruby scratching her cheek while Velvet plays with her hair.
"Um, well..." Ruby trails off.
"Ruby and Velvet did the deed and Yang flipped out!" Nora exclaims.
"Nora!" Velvet yells.
Blake gasps a but at that, "Oh, I-I see. Well, um... congratulations on furthering your relationship?" she says, feeling embarrassed at just hearing that
"Yeah, and Yang and Velvet had a fight and Ruby and Weiss had to calm them both down. It was funny," Nora says, snickering.
"That's enough, Nora!" Velvet yells.
"Well, getting onto a different topic, I am glad to see you again, Velvet. I was worried when you suddenly disappeared at the Fall of Beacon. No one could find you and you weren't on any of the airships evacuating Beacon. Some people thought you were dead," Blake says.
"Yeah, what happened was that Ruby's mother, Summer, pulled my back into the white expanse between our worlds in order to save me. I had used my power and started absorbing the Fall Maiden's power from Cinder Fall. Ruby used her Silver-Eyed powers when that happened. It was just all too much, I guess. I was unconscious for a time before I finally woke up and Summer explained to me what had happened at Beacon and afterward. She helped me learn how to use the piece of the Fall Maiden's power in order for me to be ready to take the rest of it when the time came. After some time had passed, she sent me back here to find and reunite with Ruby. Luckily, I found her just in time when she needed some help fighting off one of Salem's goons. I was just beyond happy to have found Ruby again," Velvet says as she smiles lovingly at Ruby.
Ruby smiles back and leans against Velvet who holds her close.
"Get a room," Nora jokes, making them separate.
Blake chuckles a bit, "Heh-heh-heh, well, I'm just glad that you're alright Velvet, and that you got back to Ruby.
"Well what about you, Blake? You and Sun make any progress?" Yang teases her with her signature smirk.
Blake blushes a little at this, "W-W-What are you talking about?! We were too busy dealing with the White Fang and getting the Faunus of Menagerie to join our cause. There was no time for that sort of thing," she plays it off, though with mixed success.
"Really, you know if you don't act soon, some chick is gonna steal him away from you," Yang teases her.
"Yang, that's enough. Blake will get into a relationship when she's good and ready," Weiss defends her Faunus friend.
"Thank you, Weiss," Blake says.
"But what about when we got together?" Yang asks.
"That was because you're so impatient," Weiss retorts, making Yang sulk a little.
"Anyway, what about you're old friends, Velvet? Will you be okay with them back in your old world?" Blake asks.
Velvet smiles, "Yeah, they each have things they have to do back in their world. They were here to help, but it wasn't going to be permanent. Besides, I have you guys and I have Ruby. I'll be just fine. I hope Rokurou didn't give you much trouble," Velvet says.
"Well, maybe a little, but he was very good at making me see the error of my ways. He helped me realize a lot about things, and about myself. He was a good teacher," Blake says.
"Rokurou? A good teacher? Now there's three words I never thought would be in the same sentence," Velvet notes.
"Yeah, maybe not a normal teacher anyway, but he at least he gave me good advice," Blake says.
"Rokurou has his own way of doing things, just as everyone else did in my old group. We each had our own creed, as Eizen would say," Velvet says.
"Still, I'm gonna miss those guys a little bit. They were pretty fun to have around, and great back up in a fight, too," Jaune says.
"Except for Eizen's Reaper's Curse, and Zaveid's slightly perverted nature, I kind of agree with you. They will be missed," Weiss adds.
"They were a big help, even when that hooded weirdo showed up. Who was that anyway?" Nora asks.
Things get a little more serious at the mention of the dark figure.
"I'm not sure, but he seemed to know me in a way. I'm not sure who that was, and it seemed like Cinder and her cronies didn't know them either. If they've decided to help Salem, then that makes them our enemy. Whoever that hooded figure was, I'll be ready for him," Velvet says, flaring her Maiden powers out a bit.
"So... now that you're the Fall Maiden, what are you going to do with all of that power?" Ren asks.
"For now, I'll need to train more to learn how to master this power. When Summer Rose was training me, I only had a part of the power at the time, so there was a limit to the different abilities I could wield. But, now that I have the rest of it, I can do so much more. So, I'm going to need to learn more about this power, so that when the next time comes that Salem picks a fight with us, I'll be ready. No doubt she'll be coming after us since we have three things that she wants now: The Relic of Knowledge, the power of the Fall Maiden, and Ruby and her Silver-Eyes," Velvet explains.
"So, what do we do?" Blake asks.
"We stick with the plan, and go to Atlas. At least there, we'll have better odds with protecting the Relic. Along the way, we'll all help Velvet master her new powers. Sounds simple enough," Ruby says.
"And that usually means that things are never that simple. Sounds like our usual every day story to me," Weiss says, resting her chin on her hand.
The rest of the time is spent with mild conversation between the teenagers. Soon enough, night comes and everyone goes to sleep. During her time in the land of dreams, Velvet opens her eyes and finds herself back in the vast expanse of the white void.
"Wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," Velvet notes as she gets up and turns around to see Summer again. "Though, I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions anyway," she says.
"I figured as much. I have some time, so I'll try to answer them as best as I can," Summer replies.
"First: how is it you were able to appear before us back at Haven?" Velvet asks.
"It was because of Ruby. She activated her Silver-Eyed powers during the battle for Haven. That left residual effects of her power that allowed me to make my appearance. The power born from the Silver Eyes is unlike anything from our world, and is also quite different from the powers of your world as well," Summer answers.
"Okay. Second question: how can I master the full power of the Fall Maiden?" Velvet asks.
"Over time, I will help you learn how to wield the Fall Maiden's full power. It will be similar to how I taught you before. Now that you have the rest of it, you range of abilities are greatly expanded. You may even be able to combine them with your Therion arm, though I can't say for sure how that will go. The power of a Maiden has never dwelled within a host like you before, Velvet. It will be somewhat of a learning experience for both of us in a way," Summer replies.
"Sounds appropriate. Okay, third question: do you know who that dark figure was during the battle for Haven?" Velvet asks.
"I cannot say for certain. There are some things that are beyond even my knowledge, things even I can't foresee. Whoever this figure is, they will undoubtedly attempt to thwart you on your quest. What I can tell is that they know you, which means they must be from your world. I did not summon them here, so it must've been another force at play. This figure is very powerful; that I know for certain. You must be extremely cautious as you proceed," Summer says.
"Great, so what else is new?" Velvet notes dryly as she rolls her eyes.
"Well at least your team is finally reunited again. I believe that as long as you fight together, then there will be nothing that will stop you," Summer says.
"Did you foresee that coming?" Velvet asks.
Summer giggles, "No. Some things you don't need to see; you just have to believe that they will happen," she says.
"Okay. So, how about helping learn to use more of the Fall Maiden's power?" Velvet suggests.
"There will be time for that, but it is not tonight. Over time, you will learn to use the Fall Maiden's power in your own way. As Professor Goodwitch once told you, no two seasons are exactly alike," Summer says, and then looks up. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for now. We will speak again soon, Velvet," Summer says and then everything goes white.
Velvet opens her eyes to find herself back in her room in the middle of the night, in her bed with Ruby snuggled up close to her, sound asleep.
"Great, more riddles. Just my luck," Velvet mentally notes before going back to sleep.
And that's the end of the chapter. The next one will be going into volume 6 for the story because I can't really think of anything else to do for filler chapters in this part of the story. Anyway, Velvet and her friends reconnect after the battle for Haven, and prepare to start their journey to Atlas. What awiats them on the road to Argus? Until then, please Read and Review.
