Here is the next chapter of the Grimm Rider story. Hope you like it.
Calista's voice actress is Keke Palmer
Blake was walking through the pathway of the Dream Realm. Yang told her that Voltaria sent someone to help her find this mysterious dinosaur on Menagerie. She said this person could help Blake in finding this dinosaur. Yang mentioned that she's a Star Wisp named Calista, and she's very friendly. Blake wondered what a Star Wisp was. Blake's thoughts ended when Dream Flames appeared, greeting Blake with bell chimes. She smiled and greeted them. They're very friendly to her and her friends, for they came here often to discuss their plans in stopping Salem.
"Hello, by any chance do you know where I could find a Star Wisp named Calista?" Blake asked the Dream Flames kindly.
The Dream Flames all chimed at her cheerfully. They guided Blake through the pathway and towards an area that was far from the doors. A beautiful grove came into view. It looked magical, almost reminding her of a fairy tale. Blake would continue to admire it, until she notices the Dream Flames going towards the lake with a small waterfall. Blake follows them and to her surprise, someone was there. A girl, with white and purple hair, dark skin, wearing a purple dress mixed with white streaks, and star accessories. She appears to be close to Voltaria's age, and was giving a friendly aura. The mysterious girl smiles when the Dream Flames come to her, chiming and dancing around the girl.
"Hello, friends. How are you today?" She asked them kindly.
The Dream Flames emitted small bell chimes, communicating to the girl. Her smile never leaves her face when she faces Blake.
"Hello, you must be Blake, Virgo told me about you." She said to Blake kindly.
Blake slowly nodded her head, surprise that she knows Voltaria's real name. "Y-Yeah...I'm Blake..."
"Nice to meet you, my name is Calista. If you're wondering how I know Voltaria's name, it is because I was once her friend."
Blake's eyes widened by this, "Was?"
Calista nodded her head, "That's right. She used to come here when she was little, able to go to the Dream Realm at will." Her smile slowly drops and head lowered, "Until she stopped coming when her mother was killed."
Blake's eyes soften. She guessed that Calista was a friend of Voltaria when she was little, able to come to the Dream Realm to play with her, but she stopped dreaming when her mother died. It must've been very lonely for her.
"I'm so sorry."
Calista gave Blake a small smile, "It's alright. Thanks to you and your friends, she was able to dream again. She even came to me not too long ago. Apologizing for not coming back for all these years, but I don't blame her. She needed time to heal."
Blake smiles back, "She did, and I'm happy that she's doing well." She said before remembering something. "So...you're a...Star Wisp?"
Calista smiles and gets up by floating, which surprised Blake again, "Yup. Star Wisps are guides that help the souls cross the afterlife."
"Oh...oh...does that mean..."
Calista giggles, "No, I'm not here to guide you to the afterlife. I'm actually here to help you find the dinosaur."
Blake sighs in relief, "That's good to hear, and I'm glad that you and Voltaria made up."
"Yes, it was nice to reunite with her again." Calista said happily. "Now, Blake, tell me. Has anyone found the dinosaur in Menagerie yet?"
Blake shook her head, "Not yet, thank goodness. My dad sent watch parties, but couldn't find any trace."
"That's because this dinosaur knows how to hide its tracks. Remember, dinosaurs are known to be intelligent...well...most of them."
This catches Blake's attention. She wonders what Calista meant. Are all dinosaurs of Pellucidar different from one another? Blake's train of thoughts comes to a halt when Calista hovers in front of her.
"I can sense that you have many questions, but I can assure you that all answers will be answered, after we complete the mission."
Blake agrees with her, "Good idea, we need to find out about this dinosaur before any else does."
"Then it settled. I will meet you outside of the Dream Realm when you awaken from your slumber."
Blake blinks in confusion. "Wouldn't you get spotted by them?"
Calista giggles, "Not really. Star Wisps can only be seen by those with a sixth sense or animals, you can see me since Virgo gave you permission to meet with me. I'm basically invisible to the people of Menagerie unless you give me the permission to let me be seen by them."
"Huh, smart...so that means I have to communicate with you through telepathy?"
Calista nodded her head, "Mm-hm, that's right. We wouldn't want people to think that you're talking to yourself." She joked, which made both of them laugh a bit.
With a plan in motion, Blake started to wake up.
"Rise and shine, Blake!" Sun called through Blake's door, knocking on it very loudly.
Blake woke up from her sleep and sat up from her bed, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep off her body. Blake stretched her arms until she heard her bones popping, and let out a yawn.
"Come on, are you still asleep?! Your mom made breakfast!"
"I'm coming!" Blake called out, getting off her bed and getting dressed.
Once she finished, Blake turned and saw Calista, sitting on her bed with a smile on her face.
"Good morning." She greeted Blake kindly.
"Calista." Blake whispers in surprise, "You're here."
Calista smiled and nodded, "Yup! Got here after you woke up."
"Blake? Who are you talking to?" Sun asked through the door.
Blake sighs and shakes her head, "No one, Sun. Just checking my things. You go right ahead."
"Oh! Okay. I'll see you downstairs then."
Blake and Calista heard's Sun's footsteps running off to the dining room. Blake sighs while Calista giggles.
"He's very...cheerful." Calista said kindly.
"You can say that." Blake mutters before going out of her room.
Blake made her way down to the dining area with Calista following her by hovering behind Blake. Blake's then greeted by both her parents and Sun, yet they did not see Calista. Guess Calista's words were right. No one can see her unless given permission.
"So, Blake, how did you sleep?" Kali asked her daughter warmly.
Blake sat next to Sun, nodding her head at her father. "Good, dad."
Calista was floating behind Blake, looking at the Belladonna couple, chatting and eating, while Sun gobbles up his food. Blake asked Calista though her mind if she wanted something to eat. Calista assures her that Star Wisps don't eat human food. In fact, they don't eat anything at all. They can live without food or water like forever, but they can eat if they want too.
After they had their fill, Blake asked her father if she could come with him to inspect the fields that had the rocks cleared off, which Ghira happily allowed. Of course, Sun comes along, wanting to see more of Menagerie, much to Ghira's annoyance. The trio went to the fields and saw that it was all cleared, and ready for planting. Ghira was talking to some farmers while Blake investigated the area with Calista following her from behind. The two of them search to find any clues of the culprit. So far, they only find some harvest missing and the fields clear out from rocks.
"Blake, look at this." Calista calls out to her.
She was standing next to a big rock that was far from the fields. Blake made her way towards her as she pointed at two claw marks on the stone. Blake observes the rock with curious eyes, touching the marks with her hand. It was smooth and not jagged. Blake wonders what kind of dinosaurs have sharp claws like that.
"It doesn't look like any claws I've seen before..." Blake mutters out, "Do you think it's possible for a dinosaur to have weapons?"
"Yes, dinosaurs are equipped with their own weapons like the club tail of Ankylosaurus, horns of a Triceratops, the spiked tail of Stegosaurus, or the sharp claws of a Therizinosaurus."
"Hmm...four dinosaurs...but which one is our culprit..." Blake thought out loudly.
"Well, you can rule out the Ankylosaurus and the Triceratops, they can't cause this, so this leaves the Stegosaurus and the Therizinosaurus."
"Two possible dinosaurs...but there can only be one." Blake whispers out in her mind. "Do you think they could be in the desert part of Menagerie?"
"Could be possible. After all, it is the only place where there's no people." Calista said to Blake.
Blake nodded in agreement and would have to investigate the desert in secret. For now, she has to help her dad with the harvesting preparation. Sun, surprisingly, helped as much as he could. There was no problem as they were able to prepare the seeds. The farmers thanked them before they departed off to the fishing boats. When they arrived, they were surprised to see many fishes that were caught by the fishermen.
"Wow! Now that's what I call the catch of the day!" Sun compliments, looking at the fishes in the baskets and nets.
"Huh, I've never seen so many fish caught in one day before." Blake said, looking at the fishes in bewilderment and slight hunger.
They asked one of the fishermen, a male shark Faunus, how they got so many fishes in one day. His answer kind of shocked the trio, saying that while they were fishing, they could've sworn they saw something moving in the water, and the next thing they knew, many fishes started jumping on their boats or entangled on their nets. They were going to investigate it until a wave came out of nowhere and sent them back to shore to safety, very much confusing everyone. Blake, on the other hand, knew very well what it was. It could be another dinosaur that helps the fishermen, and is probably a tamed dinosaur.
"Hey, Calista?" Blake whispers to her new friend beside her. "Can you investigate what's on the water and see what dinosaur is hidden there?"
"Sure thing! I'll contact you when I find something." Calista said before diving in the water without making a single splash.
Blake smiles before going back to her dad to help him with the people. Ghira and Sun were not aware of Blake's new friend, who was searching for the dinosaur in the water. Calista goes deep in the water. Many humans nor Faunus could survive the pressure, but Calista can. It has no effect on her. After all, she did live in a vacuum of space. While she looks around, a shadowy figure appears behind her, causing Calista's eyes to widen and turn around to face the creature.
Her shock expression changed into awe at the right before her, and made an O shape with her mouth.
"Ooohhh...so you're the one who's fishing."
Late at night, Blake was sneaking off from her house, and heading to a cove that Calista mentioned to her through telepathy. She said to Blake that she found the first dinosaur that helped the fishermen, and is somewhere in a cove in a cavern of some kind. They will search for the one that helps with the field later, because right now, they got a lead. She enters a cavern and walks deep within it.
However, when Blake was going there, she could tell that she was being watched.
Narrowing her yellow eyes, Blake readied her Gambol Shroud, to block an incoming attack. Blake disappears to a corner of the rocks. Unaware that a female White Fang member that recently spied at Blake followed her through the cavern.
She wears a Grimm Mask with a chameleon appearance and horns. Her attire consists of a black, gray and dark gray sleeveless stealth suit with short legs that resembles a playsuit with black trim around the legs, golden zipper, and over it, a gray belt straps with gold buckles. And a black calf high boots that are folded over and a black glove on her right hand.
She carefully follows Blake through the cove, entering a cavern. The White Fang member entered the cavern, trying to find Blake. As the White Fang member goes forward, she wasn't aware that Blake was hidden on top of the stalactites, glaring at the intruder. Blake knew that a White Fang member was following her, thanks to Calista's warning ahead of time, and she would not get attacked from behind.
Blake quickly activates her Gambol Shroud and jumps down to strike at the intruder.
However, the intruder was quick, and took out a rapier-whip that blocked Blake's attack. The two weapons clashed, creating small sparks. Blake glares at the intruder with their weapons clashed, until she is pushed away by the intruder. Blake backflips, landing on her feet and pointing her Gambol Shroud, in sword mode, at the intruder. The White Fang pointed her rapier-whip at Blake, ready to strike, but before they could charge one another, Sun came out of nowhere, his Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang in staff mode, and attacked the White Fang. She quickly blocks his attack but doesn't have to react when Sun makes a clone of himself to get behind her and side-sweep kick, knocking the White Fang off her feet before Sun kicks her to a nearby wall. Luckily, the White Fang flips her body and uses her feet to stop herself from crashing on her back.
"Sun?! What are you doing here?!" Blake yelled out in shock and annoyance.
"What?! You think I'll let you alone, and deal with the White Fang by yourself?" Sun said, readying his weapon.
Before Blake could speak, Calista appeared behind Sun, who cannot see her now the White Fang, "Blake! Take cover and hold your breath! Tell your friend, hurry!"
Blake wanted to know why but she decided to ask later and warn the monkey Faunus. "Sun! Take cover and hold your breath!"
"What-why?"
"Just do it!" Blake ordered, grabbing onto a nearby stalagmite.
Sun listens and holds onto the stalagmite. The White Fang was confused until she felt the earth beneath her shake, and the intruder was confused until a huge gush of water came out of nowhere, flooding the whole cavern. The White Fang member was almost washed away, if it weren't for her quick thinking to her rapier-whip to latch it on a stalagmite, holding on with her might as the water rushed through them. Blake and Sun hold their breaths and cling to the stalagmites with all their might. The water continues onward, allowing Calista to move freely. She was not affected by this, giving her the opportunity to immobilize the attacker. Touching the White Fang's back, Calista uses her magic to prevent the attacker from using her aura or moving her body. Soon, when the water slowly went away, everyone gasped and stood up. Well, only Blake and Sun, while the attacker fell down and couldn't move her body.
"Wha-why can't I move!?" The White Fang yelled in shock, trying to move her arms, but to no avail.
Blake's eyes widened at the voice. She recognized that voice.
"I...Ilia?" Blake whispers out in shock.
The White Fang known as Ilia stopped struggling, froze from her spot, she couldn't even dare to utter a word. Sun, who was confused and surprised by the fact that Blake knows her.
"Do you know this person?" Sun asked Blake.
"She...she was my friend." Blake said in a hush town.
Sun glances at her then to Ilia, then back to Blake again. "So...why is she here?"
"That's...what I want to know as well." Said Blake to Sun, walking towards Ilia with a concerned look on her face. "Ilia...what...What are you doing here? And why were you following me?"
Ilia didn't respond, clearly didn't want to talk to her. Blake knew that Ilia was still part of the White Fang and continued to remain loyal. However, Ilia, and Sun, have no idea that Blake's new friend, Calista, has the ability to read one's emotions and auras. And so, the Star Wisp came to Ilia, reading her like book, and saw her reasons.
"She wants to know why did Adam betrayed them, why he used them to try and commit genocide to both humans and Faunus, and how do you know this?" Calista listed out the questions in Ilia's emotions. "She's very confused now."
Blake looks over to Ilia sadly. She knew that Ilia wanted answers, the truth of what really was going on. Blake remembers that Voltaria said that she could tell those she trusted, after all. They need many allies when the time comes to face Salem.
"I know you're mad at me...and I know you have many questions about Adam or what the White Fang's real purpose is...but all I can tell you...is that we were being used."
Ilia looks up to her under her mask, wondering what she meant. Blake let out a sigh and began telling her the truth on what Adam did to the White Fang. That they were all pawns for a crazed woman named Salem, who wishes to destroy the entire world, just so she could destroy herself in ending her curse of immortality. Ilia, and surprisingly Sun, listens to her words. Their eyes were wide in pure shock that all this time Blake and her team were actually trying to save everyone from total destruction. That is why she made humanity and Faunus go against each other. To make her plan to go quicker. After Blake finished her explanation, both Ilia and Sun stared at her, completely in shock of this.
"All this time...the stealing, trying to make the humans realize that we are strong...were nothing but plots of a madwoman that wanted to die?" Ilia whispers in disgust. "And Adam agreed to help those who were working for them?"
Blake nodded her head, "It's true...Adam wanted to make a point, and to silence those who got in his way...but what he was doing...almost destroyed everyone, including the Faunus."
"Do you know what her next move is?" Sun asked, wanting to help Blake.
"She wants to destroy Mistral." Blake answers in a serious tone. "There's something in the school that she wants."
"Okay, but why are you here in Menagerie and not with them?" Sun asked.
"Well...there was a reason why I am really here, but promise me that you won't try anything...please." She said, mostly likely towards Ilia.
Ilia was silent at first, doubting a bit. However, she was curious to know what Blake's doing. So, without a choice, Ilia agrees, and Blake telepathically tells Calista to free her, which she did. Ilia was surprised that she was able to move again. Blake helps her up and Ilia hesitantly accepts. Blake leads her two companions deep within the cavern. Well, Calista was instructing her on where to go. They reached the end and found a cenote that had glowing algae. It was breathtaking, they would've stayed and admired it were it not for the strange sound that resembles a whale. Looking at the water, a huge head appeared that made their jaws drop at the sight.
In the water was none other than a living aquatic fossil.
A Mosasaurus.
This living fossil was looking at them with golden eyes, which reflected in the glowing algae. The three Faunus looked at the marine dinosaur with slack jaws. Ilia mindlessly removes her mask to see the Mosasaurus closely, her grey eyes wide in bewilderment.
"Is that a...a..." Sun tries to find the right words to speak, staring at the Mosasaurus with wide eyes.
"A Mosasaurus." Blake whispers out, looking at the aquatic reptile.
"Wow...it's so...cool." Sun said in awe.
"She is cool." Calista corrected, speaking towards Blake. "That Mosasaurus is a female and her name is Ula. She came from the waters of Pellucidar."
"It's a girl, Sun. Not it." Blake corrected to the surprise Monkey Faunus, before making her way to the Mosasaurus.
"Blake, be careful!" Sun calls out to her.
"It's okay! She's not a threat." Blake assures him, getting on her knees on the edge of the water, looking at the aquatic dinosaur.
As it turns out, this Mosasaurus is docile. She was tamed to assist fishermen in Pellucidar, but got lost at sea during a massive storm. Calista explains to Blake that a Mosasaurus named Ula was assisting the Faunus secretly since they resemble the ones back home. She thought they needed assistance, just as her friend helped them. This caught Blake's attention. She wonders if Ula was referring to a dinosaur that was helping the farmers.
"She's not alone." Blake suddenly spoke, surprising her two companions.
"What do you mean?" Ilia asked Blake in confusion.
"She has someone with her, don't you?" Blake asked the Mosasaurus.
The Mosasaurus responded by making a gentle, whale-like roar, echoing through the cenote's cavern. The three Faunus were confused until they heard a strange bellowing. Looking at one of the caverns, the three Faunus gasped in surprise to see a strange herbivore-like dinosaur. It was a wild amalgamation between Triceratops and Stegosaurus. It has two massive horns on its Triceratops head, spiked neck and tail, and a row of armor-like plates down its back.
Blake recognizes it as a hybrid just like Ripper and Amaryllis. Ilia and Sun stared at hybrid dinosaurs with slack-jaws. They couldn't believe their eyes on what they were seeing. Sun even went further by slapping himself if he was dreaming or not.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Sun asked loudly, still wide eyes at the strange hybrid.
"That there's a strange dinosaur that looks like a mashup of two dinosaurs?" Ilia asked, still not taking her eyes off the hybrid.
"Yeah, okay, just making sure."
Calista hovers beside Blake, still looking at the hybrid. "Blake, this dinosaur is a combination of a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops."
"So...a Stegoceratops?" Blake thought loudly.
"Yes, and he's not alone." Calista said as she looked behind the Stegoceratops.
Blake follows her gaze, followed by Ilia and Sun, who both notice her gaze was looking behind the Stegoceratops. The trio gasped as they watched in bewilderment to see a baby Parasaurolophus that was emitting a beautiful glow in the darkness.
"Wow! That dinosaur is glowing!" Sun whispers out in awe.
"Bioluminescent..." Blake whispers, remembering a book she read that explains that animals, mostly from marine lifeforms, can produce their own light and glow in the dark. "Calista, what gender is it?"
"Female." Calista answers to Blake gently. "Ula saved the Stegoceratops, Stonehorn, and the Parasaurolophus baby, Leafa, from drowning. Bringing them to the nearby island, Menagerie. They stay here, helping locals in secret."
"And what about Leafa?" Blake asked.
"She's an orphan, Stonehorn took her in as a surrogate father for her." Calista explains to Blake, who was touched by this.
Leafa, still being young and curious, made her way towards the trio, letting out small calls. The trio watched at the baby dinosaur coming towards them, sniffing at their legs.
"D'aww! You're such a cutie!" Sun cooed, kneeling down at Leafa's level.
Leafa made small squawking sounds before making her way towards Ilia, who froze from her spot. The Faunus watches hesitantly as the baby dino sniffs her legs curiously. Without any warning, the baby Parasaurolophus nuzzles her head against Ilia's legs, making the Faunus tense yet relaxed at the same time.
Blake smiles at her, "She likes you." Says Blake to Ilia.
Ilia responded with a small nod before carefully getting on her knees to stroke the head of the baby dino, earning gentle sounds from her. Ilia couldn't help but smile at this.
"You are cute." Ilia said with a smile.
"Man, I can't believe we have dinosaurs here...er...well sort of." Sun said, looking towards the Stegoceratops, as he watched Leafa playing around.
"He's a hybrid, Sun. A combination of two species." Blake informs him. "They came here for shelter from a storm that came to their home."
Both Sun and Ilia looked at Blake with a questionable look. Clearly she knows something that they don't know of. Blake sighs; she knew that she had to tell them. Calista doesn't mind, for this will give a good chance for Blake to make amends with Ilia and to help Sun understand their situation. Calista made a small nod, signaling Blake to allow her to be seen by them.
"Calista, can you show yourself?"
The two Faunus were confused until Calista appeared, startling them in the process.
Ilia and Sun stared at a smiling Calista with wide eyes and jaws dropped. Showing how shocked they are to see her.
"I think a proper introduction is suffice." Calista said to them kindly towards them. "Hello, my name is Calista the Star Wisp, I have the answers that you both would need to listen to."
Marionette and Chariot were preparing to help Weiss to leave the Schnee Manor. Weiss trained so hard that she was able to master her summoning her Arma Gigas. Once she did so, she has to go meet up with the others at Mistral. They were staying in a nice lodging on the upper parts of Mistral. Weiss will meet with them soon, once she escapes out of the manor. They successfully sneaked out from the manor, avoiding any suspicion. Marionette was able to temporarily close the security system, giving them a chance to escape to another area, avoiding Jacques's office. Apparently, Jacques was arguing with General Ironwood again. Something about Winter is somewhere at Mistral. Weiss was worried but Marionette informs her that her friends have yet to encounter her. However, Weiss was still worried for her sister and decided to investigate when she got there.
Marionette leads Weiss to the back of the manor, completely empty with no surveillance. Chariot was there with their transportation. They were ready to leave Schnee Manor undetected until an uninvited person.
"Ms. Schnee?"
They snapped towards the source and saw Klein Sieben.
The butler was standing close by, holding a red scarf. Weiss wanted to make an excuse, but it appears that Klein knew what's going on.
"I heard Mistral is cold at this time of month, I hope this will help you keep you warm." Klein said to Weiss kindly, handing her the scarf.
Weiss was touched by his gesture. He was like the father that Weiss dreamt of having. Without any warning, Weiss hugged Klein, to which he returned the embrace.
"Thank you, Klein." Weiss whispers to her butler.
Once they let go, Klein smiles at her gently. "Safe journey, Ms. Schee." He spoke gently, giving her the scarf, which she accepted, before turning towards Marionette and Chariot. "Please take care of my little snowflake."
The two entities nodded their heads, promising to keep Weiss safe.
After Weiss and Klein said their farewells, Marionette helped Weiss to get on the carriage with Chariot on the perch. He transforms into his true form, and gets his horses to gallop ahead before taking off to the sky without being spotted from the cameras. Klein smiles sadly, watching as the carriage fading away. He could see Weiss popping her head out of the window, waving at him. Klein waves back at her, knowing she's doing the right thing.
After all, she will fix the wrong her father did to the Schnee name. He is sure of it.
I will postpone this story. Need some time to relax my brain.
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