Here we are at Chapter 132. Time for more chaos on the open water. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 132. Enjoy.


Chapter 132: High-Seas Mayhem

In the captain's quarters of the Van Eltia, Ruby, Yang, and Velvet discuss with Eizen and Zaveid everything's that's happened before they reunited, at least for what's occurred in Velvet's world.

"I can't believe you ended up at Titania of all places. It's a good thing Zaveid found you. That place was an island prison that the Abbey once controlled. Hardly anyone goes there, especially after I wrecked the place during my escape. If he didn't who knows how long it would've taken us to find you," Velvet notes.

"So, you guys haven't seen Weiss, Blake, or Jaune yet? Or Neo?" Ruby asks.

"Not yet. But, we'll find them, and by them, I mean everyone except for Neo. She can stay here as far as I'm concerned. We'll also need to look for Crescent Rose. I doubt you'll want to go home without your 'sweatheart'," Velvet says.

Ruby glances back at where she would usually keep her prized scythe, sighing at its loss.

"Okay, so where should we look for the others first? This is your old world; you know this place better than we do," Yang asks.

"Well, I found Yang in Hellawes. Zaveid found Ruby in Titania. That leaves a few places we can check out. Perhaps the first place we should check is Loegres, the capital in Midgand. It's a big place, but it's very important. We might find something, or someone there," Velvet suggests.

"There's also our little friends there that might help too," Eizen says.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about them," Velvet remembers.

"About who?" Ruby asks.

"The Bloodwing Butterflies. They're a shadow guild that worked with us in the past. Kind of like spies; they've got agents everywhere. Perhaps they'll have something on our missing friends," Velvet explains.

"Do you know all the shady people of this world just because or did you have to work at it?" Yang teases her.

"I was the Lord of Calamity, remember," Velvet gives her a flat stare. "Alright, let's head to Loegres,"

With that settled, the gang get ready to head out. However, Velvet grabs Ruby's hand and pulls her in for a deep kiss that freezes Ruby in place.

"I wanted to be alone for a bit. I'm happy you're okay, and I'm sorry you're here," Velvet says.

"Velvet, none of this is your fault. We hatched a crazy plan, and it didn't go the way we wanted it to. It was my plan in the first place. My screw-up. My fault," Ruby retorts.

"Ruby, that wasn't your fault. Emerald, Neo, and Innominat ambushed us out of nowhere. None of us expected them to hit us in the world between the kingdoms like that," she places a chaste kiss on Ruby's forehead. "For now, let's focus on getting the rest of the team back together. One step at a time,"

Ruby sighs, "Right. One step at a time,"

With that, the pair head outside to see the others.

On a navy ship out in the ocean, soldiers check over their weapons while others man their posts. The captain of the ship looks over a map in his quarters with a few of his men.

"We should find them in this quadrant. Sources last spotted them near the atolls not that far from Titania. They might be heading for the capital or somewhere else in Midgand," the captain explains.

The vessel had been one of several tasked with locating and subduing the Van Eltia and Aifread's pirates. The ships had gone out into different areas to cover more ground, but there's still a lot of ground to cover.

"Sir, not that I don't agree with the extra support, but are you sure it's wise to bring... them along with us," one soldier nods his head to a pair of girls standing nearby.

Weiss and Blake.

Weiss crosses her arms, "And what is THAT supposed to mean?"

"I just don't see how a pair of little girls pretending to be mercenaries can help us catch thugs that not even the Abbey could take down in their prime," the soldier argues.

"That's enough. We don't have time for this bickering. It's just as you said, even the Abbey couldn't stop these pirates, which means we can't underestimate them. Don't forget what they did to the fortress not far from the capital. And they still haven't fixed all the damage there. These two proved they can handle themselves, and we need all the help we can get if we're to subdue these criminals," the captain says.

"Tch, what could they possibly do?" the soldier remains unconvinced.

Weiss growls and pulls out Myrtenaster, stabbing it into the floor as she creates a glyph underneath the soldier's feet. Ice comes up and freezes the idiot soldier up to his shoulders in seconds.

"Hey! What the Hell?!" the soldier freaks out.

"Is that proof enough?" Weiss says.

"Enough! We don't have time for this. You know your mission, and the stakes. Return to your posts and prepare for when we find the pirates' ship... And miss, would you kindly free him from the ice. I need him alive and not frozen, if you please," the captain politely asks.

Weiss rolls her eyes, "At least someone has some decorum around here," she mutters while Blake snickers.

After freeing the soldier, Blake and Weiss finds themselves back on the main deck of the ship.

"So, what happens when we find the Van Eltia?" Blake asks.

"If this pirate ship is what I think it is..." Weiss glances back to make sure no one is listening. "Then we might have to abandon this ship for a new one. I remember Velvet told us about them when she revealed her past to us. If that's the case, then this might be her old world. And if it is, then those pirates were her old friends, including one very old reaper..."

"Eizen. He can help us find the others, or at least know a way back home," Blake realizes.

Weiss nods, "For now, let's play the part as mercenaries helping these people out. We'll figure out the rest as we move along. Hopefully, things won't go too crazy,"

"We're going after pirates, Weiss. Pirates that don't take kindly to authority figures. I'm pretty sure crazy is going to happen right as we show up," Blake says.

Weiss sighs, "I hope the others are faring better than us. And hopefully they have an idea of how to get back home... Home...,"

"Weiss?" Blake inches closer to her friend.

"It's all gone. First Beacon, and now Atlas. That's two homes I've lost now," Weiss struggles to hold back the tears.

Blake wraps an arm around her friend, "I'm sorry, Weiss. But, It's not completely gone, we were able to evacuate the people of Atlas and Mantle out of there. All that was lost were just the buildings. Someday, they'll rebuild Atlas, and it'll be better than ever. Maybe even actually set an example the way it was supposed to when it first came to be. A shining beacon to all,"

"I hope so... I just... I'm tired of leaving places in ashes, of always losing something," Weiss bemoans.

"We haven't lost yet. We're still alive, and in life, there is always hope. That's what Ruby taught me after all. And look at Velvet, after everything she's been through. Everything she's lost, and yet, somehow, she made it to us. Let's find the others first, and then we go home," Blake says as they look out to the sea before them.

Back with Velvet's group, they look over the ocean as they think about their next stop.

"So, this Loegres place, since it's a capital city, how big is the security there?" Yang asks.

"Not as much as before. Back during the days of the Abbey, there were exorcists all over the place. Artorius even had his claws deep into the royal family too. They were able to do just about anything they wanted. That's why they had such control over almost everything and everyone. Of course, that kind of power bred discord and groups such as ours sprang up in several places. Some lasted longer than others, but some never lost. However, with the Abbey gone, the security should be a little more lax. We have a few contacts there that can help us out too. For now, we'll head to the port and find out where your friends are," Eizen says.

"Eizen, if I may, what about Laphicet? Would he have the means of sending us back home?" Velvet asks.

"I wouldn't be surprised. It's been a while since we've last seen him. I remember where we last saw him, but it's a bit of a hike. However, that's not the only problem," Eizen says.

"What's the other problem?" Ruby asks.

"Demons. Ever since we took down the Abbey, there's been an increase in demon activity and malevolence. We knew this would happen if we completed our objective, but considering the alternative, we didn't have much of a choice. We'll no doubt encounter some along our journey,"

"That raises another concern of mine. Eizen, how are you faring with all this. I remember that one dragon we fought. You ended up absorbing a lot of malevolence from it," Velvet says.

"I'm fine for right now, but... one day, that won't be the same case," Eizen says.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asks.

"Malevolence is dangerous to a malak like myself. Think of it like how Grimm from your world are attracted to negativity. Malevolence is like negative energy that slowly consumes my people. Consume enough, and we turn into demons. We lose ourselves. It's not a pretty sight," Eizen explains.

"And you're close to turning into one?" Yang asks.

"I don't know how much time I have left, but given my age and with how much I've absorbed already, no doubt I'll turn into a dragon when the time comes," Eizen says, flipping his coin.

"Why a dragon?" Ruby asks.

"Dragons are what malakhim turn into when they take in a very large amount of malevolence. Dragons are like the top of the food chain for demons. They can cause abnormal weather phenomena with their presence alone. That's why..." Eizen looks back at the crew. "When we reach land, I'll be bidding these guys farewell. I don't want them around when I turn... I don't want to hurt them. These guys are my friends, and it's because of that, that I need to stay away to keep them safe,"

"I'm sorry, Eizen. I know you've been with them for a long time," Velvet says.

"It's not your fault. It's just how things came down to it. Besides, I look out for my friends, and that includes you three," Eizen says, making them smile a bit.

"Now we just have to-," Eizen begins.

"Ship! We've got a navy ship coming in from the south. Heading straight towards us!" the lookout on the mast shouts.

The group look and can make out a large ship, around the same size as the Van Eltia, heading towards them.

"Alright everyone, get to your stations and ready the cannons. They've got the winds at their backs. We won't be able to outrun them, so we'll just have to fight our way out. Move it now!" Benwick gives the commands.

"Crap. If only I had Crescent Rose with me, I could help," Ruby says.

"You guys okay with fighting other people here?" Benwick asks.

"It wouldn't be the first time!" Yang shouts.

"Alright, Ruby, help out with the cannons and the crew. Don't worry about the soldiers. If you can help disable their ship, then that'll give us the opening we need to get out of here and leave them in our dust," Benwick says.

"Okay. You guys be careful," Ruby looks to her sister and girlfriend.

"We'll send them packing," Yang cocks her gauntlets.

Ruby gives a quick peck on the cheek to Velvet before she goes to help the others. They all get into positions, waiting for the enemy to get closer. Velvet could easily take out the ship with her Maiden powers, but considering they have no idea exactly who's on the ship, she can't take that risk until they know for sure. Velvet waits for the ship to get closer, but as it does, it turns and fires off several cannon shots at the ship. Velvet engages her claw and swings it, creating a claw shield that blocks two of the shots while the other two hit the water by the ship.

"Here they come," Velvet mutters.

The ship comes closer and she can spot knights and royal soldiers gathering on the main deck. Velvet conjures a fire arte in her claw and fires it at them. However, a wall of ice suddenly springs up in front of the ship, blocking the attack. This surprises Velvet as without any malakhim, they can conjure artes. The ice wall breaks apart and the ship comes closer.

"Alright, guys, fire!" Benwick orders.

The pirates fire off their cannons, with a few shots hitting the navy ship in the side. The navy ship readies another volley and fires off their shots. Velvet creates another claw shield to block the shots. Just then, she spots something flying off of the ship above them. It flies around until she gets a better view and realizes it's a Queen Lancer, but a blue one. She's seen it before.

"Is that..." Velvet mutters.

As the pirates get ready for a possible aerial assault, the Queen Lancer disappears, only for two young woman to land on the main deck.

Yang smiles at their entrance, "Weiss! Blake!"

The two girls turn to them, "Yang!"

Velvet is happy to see them, but the moment is short-lived when the ship nearly gets hit again from more cannon fire.

"What are you guys doing here with a royal navy ship?!" Velvet yells.

"We were pretending to be mercenaries for hire. When we heard about the bounty on the Van Eltia, we convinced them to let us come along as support. We thought it'd be a good way to find you guys, or at least find some information about you," Blake explains.

"Okay, well, we'll talk later. We need to get these guys off our asses, now!" Velvet says.

Velvet engages her Maiden powers and creates a storm above the navy ship. Lightning strikes down upon the vessel, severely damaging it and taking out the rudder and sails.

"Okay, time to go!" Yang calls out to Benwick.

"Let's go, boys. We're out of here!" Benwick spins the wheel.

Velvet creates strong gusts of wind to propel the ship away from the royal navy vessel. It doesn't take long before they're too far away for them to attack. At this point, Velvet stops using her powers and Ruby comes back onto the main deck after helping below. She freezes when she sees Blake and Weiss with them.

"Blake! Weiss!" Ruby runs up and hugs them both.

They return the hug, "Ruby. It's good to see you're okay," Blake says.

"I'm glad you guys are okay too," Ruby replies.

Yang and Velvet smile at the scene, "Well, at least that solves-Oof!" she gets tackled to the floor by Weiss, who hugs her tightly.

"Yang..." Weiss mutters with joy and relief, causing the blonde to roll her eyes but she hugs her back anyway.

Weiss leans up, holding Yang's cheeks in her hands. Tears of joy fall down her face.

Yang wipes them away, "I missed you too,"

The pair share a kiss before a sudden cough causes them to separate and look at a smirking Velvet. Blushing, the pair stand up, allowing Velvet to hug Weiss and Blake.

"I'm glad we found you when we did. I was not in the mood for a scavenger hunt," Velvet says. "Come on, let's talk somewhere more private."

They continue their talk in the captain's quarters, where Velvet fills them all in on everything that happened after they fell.

"So, Salem has two relics now," Weiss says, not liking the sound of that.

"Yeah, that ambush did a number on us. The good news is that we got the people out safely, and Penny too. I saw her go through the portal," Velvet explains.

"But, if Salem has two relics, does that really matter? If she ends up destroying the world anyway, then what difference did that make?" Ruby says melancholy.

"It's not all down the drain yet, Ruby. If we didn't do your plan, then either Ironwood would've blown up Mantle, killing thousands, or Salem would've dropped Atlas on top of them all, killing more. It wasn't all in vain," Yang says.

Despite their words, Ruby isn't so easily uplifted, much to the group's concern.

Weiss tries to change topics, "Okay, so what do we do now?"

"We still need to find Jaune, and Crescent Rose. Neo's here, and honestly, I wouldn't mind if she stayed here. Once we find them, then we look for Laphicet. I'll bet he's got a way to send us back home," Velvet says.

"Okay, where's Laphicet?" Blake asks,

Velvet turns as Zaveid and Eizen join them, "You can take us to where Laphicet is, correct?"

"I can and I will, but things have been a little crazy since you were last here, so it won't be so easy to get there. We'll head for Loegres and meet with the Bloodwings. Hopefully, they'll have information on their whereabouts. After that, we'll move to Laphicet," Velvet says.

"For now, we should maybe get some rest. It'll take a little while until we reach the port, and then it'll be a trek through the highlands before we reach the capital," Weiss says.

"Sounds good to me," Yang agrees.

"We'll let you guys know when we're near the port," Eizen says.

With that being said, the girls head to the crew quarters to get some shuteye.

Meanwhile, out in the highlands of Midgand, a pair of Gibbons move through the wilderness, in search of their next prey. As they look around, they spot a pink light falling from the sky and impacting the ground ahead of them. Curious, they head to the crash site. They come just as the smoke clears, revealing Neopolitan within. Neo rises to her feet, her expression consumed in rage as she changes form into Ruby and then Cinder, the sources of her anger. The gibbons eye their prey and one makes the first attack by jumping on her. However, Neo spins and swings her parasol around to knock it aside. The second gibbon tries to crush her with its arms, but she backflips away. The demons eye the mute, ready to kill her. However, a few wisps of dark energy flow around Neo for a moment, like it was drawn to her. Neo's semblance springs out from her feet, building until it materializes and forms several clones of herself. The demons hesitate and back peddle from the sudden entrance of new enemies. Neo looks curiously at her clones as they mimic her movements. She snaps her fingers and the clones walk forth to deal with the two demons. Neo smiles wickedly as her clones do the dirty work. She could get used to this.


And that's the chapter. Team RVWBY is finally reunited, but they still have a long way to go before they can make it back home. Meanwhile, Neo makes her debut and she's gotten more powerful thanks to the effects of Velvet's old world (the malevolence basically since I needed something to help her semblance grow stronger, but that will come at a price for Neo later down the road). Will Velvet and her friends find Jaune, Ruby's weapon, and make it back home? Until then, please Read and Review.