Here we are at Chapter 29. Things are about to get juicy. I do not own RWBY or Genshin Impact. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 2. Enjoy.
Chapter 29: Connections and Mysteries
"Nilou, I'm afraid I don't quite understand," Ei says, still shocked by Nilou's sudden confession.
"Ei, the truth is... I have a crush on you. A big one. It happened gradually. The more time we spent together, the more I got to know you, the more these feelings bloomed. It wasn't long before I realized what these feelings were. Ei, I know you're an archon. You told me that you isolated yourself from the world to avoid the pain of loss. The fear of losing someone dear to you again. But, that is not how one should live. I'm glad you understood that before we met. And you did make a valid point about your godhood and romantic relationships, but I can't help myself. If I don't at least try, then I'll regret it for the rest of my life. So, I want to know... If I can become an archon, would you be willing to be with me in a more romantic sense. To be in a relationship with me?" Nilou proposes.
"Nilou..." Ei thinks on her words. "You know what I told you about becoming an archon entails. It is an immense responsibility, and a burden. The life you had before; you would never be able to return to it. You, too, would watch as the people you care about die while you continue to live. The things you enjoyed as a mortal, you may or may not be able to enjoy them anymore,"
It's not that Ei doesn't believe Nilou couldn't become an archon, but rather that as an archon herself, she understood how difficult such a position is. She'd rather Nilou not have to endure such pain.
"I know what becoming an archon would mean for me. The life I have now, the one I envisioned for myself, would cease to exist. But still, if it means I can stand at your side, then I am willing to pay the price, whatever it may be. I know becoming an archon for a purely selfish reason my make me unworthy, but I am willing to perform the tasks of an archon as long as I can be with you," Nilou reaches out to rest her hands on Ei's. "So, please, if I can become an archon, will you be with me? The two of us, together?" she asks again.
Ei stares into Nilou's eyes. There's desperation in them, but also hope. Fear, but also resolve. And another emotion Ei can't quite describe. However, she also feels a growing warmth within her chest as she continues to stare at Nilou. Like the lightning in a storm thirsting to burst forth from the clouds and illuminate all around it. But, if Nilou COULD become an archon, then she would have someone besides Miko by her side for the centuries to come. There are the other archons, but they've never been that close. But with Nilou, it could be different.
"Ei? Could you, um, say something?" Nilou gets nervous at Ei's silence. Suddenly, Ei grabs her shoulders and pushes her onto the bed. "Ah! Ei! This is too sudden!" she starts blushing.
"Nilou, listen to me. Are you absolutely sure you wish to become an archon? Are you truly prepared for that responsibility?" Ei asks; she has to be sure.
"I am sure, Ei. If it means being with you and easing your burden, then I am willing to go that far. That's just how much I care for you, Ei," Nilou responds, looking her straight in the eye.
Ei takes a moment to look at her. If she is that determined, knowing the risks and trials that lie ahead of her, then does Ei really have a right to stop her? Besides, she knows Nilou is a good person, so she wouldn't use the power of an archon for evil intentions. More importantly, the thought of getting to spend eternity with Nilou. That thought fuels the warmth within her heart exponentially. Finally, she understands Miko's words. It took Nilou's confession to do so.
"If you truly wish to become an archon, then I will help you Nilou," Ei says.
Nilou gasps with relief at her words, "Ei... Thank you. I promise, you won't regret this,"
"But before that, there's something I wish to try. I wish to confirm," Ei says.
"Um, what?" Nilou blinks in confusion. Ei starts leaning down, her face closing in on Nilou's, making her blush return. "E-Ei?"
Nilou becomes vastly aware of the close proximity of their bodies, with Ei above her and the bed beneath her. Ei's chest presses against her own; their faces only two inches apart. Nilou finds herself frozen beneath Ei's gaze. Ei makes the final push and leans in to plant her lips on Nilou's. Nilou's eyes widen in shock. Ei, the archon whom she has a crush on, is kissing her. Their eyes slowly close as they succumb to the kiss together. The kiss starts out tame at first, but gradually grows into something more. Ei now understands that feeling that's been growing inside her whenever Nilou enters her mind. This is affection. Quite possibly love. Not like the love she had for her sister, or for her people and friends. But something more; something that she's never felt before. And yet, it feels amazing. Like there was an emptiness inside her that has finally been filled after centuries have passed. Nilou's hands snake around Ei's neck, pulling her in closer. Ei's hands remain at her sides. It is only when they need to breathe do they separate.
"Ei, that was incredible" Nilou mutters, her face flushed.
"Yes. I think I finally understand now. Nilou, I'll help you become an archon. As long as you remain by my side. For so long I have been searching for eternity. But now, I believe that the eternity I seek... is with you. You are what, who, I have been searching for, Nilou," Ei says.
"Ei, I never pictured you for the romantic type. But, I still like it. Just let me stay with you," Nilou says.
"Yes. I'd like that," Ei leans in for another kiss.
"Ahem," someone coughs and the two new lovebirds freeze. They slowly move their heads around to find Dehya and Candace looking down on them with knowing smirks. "Oh sorry, were you two having a moment? We can leave you all be," Dehya jokes.
Ei and Nilou's blushes return, but this time out of embarrassment as they quickly separate to their own beds.
"Oh, too late now. We heard you two a little outside the door. So, can we say that you two are officially together after so much time of tap dancing around it?" Candace goes to sit on her own bed with Dehya.
"Well, I suppose we are now," Ei says first.
"Ei!" Nilou yelps.
"What? They saw us, so there's no use in hiding it now. You're not ashamed to be with me, are you?" Ei asks.
"No, of course not! It's just that you can't just say things like that right out of the blue, especially right after we JUST got together!" Nilou's embarrassment grows.
"Why so red, Nilou? I don't think it's something to be embarrassed about. I mean, look at me. I've got a harem going and you don't see me trying to hide it. Not like I could anyway," Dehya notes.
Nilou falls back onto her bed and sighs in defeat. Not much of an argument against that.
"Well, either way, congratulations on you two finally getting together. Honestly, with how slow and dense you were, Ei, I thought that unless Nilou screamed a confession at the top of Beacon Tower, then you'd never figure it out," Candace says.
"Was I really that bad?" Ei turns to Nilou.
"Well, you didn't make it easy, that's for sure," Nilou says.
"My apologies. I've never been in a romantic relationship before, so I admit that I lack experience in the subject," Ei bows her head.
"It's not a matter of having experience or not. It's a matter of being aware of these things, Ei. Well, at least you two finally got together. Good job, Nilou," Dehya offers her a few claps.
"Though that does beg the question: Ei is an archon and Nilou is a mortal. So how are you going to solve that issue?" Candace asks.
"We've discussed it. If we can retrieve at least one of the Gnoses that Signora stole, we'll have Nilou see if she can become an archon. If she proves she has what it takes, then it's problem solved," Ei explains.
"Even if it means she'll also bear the same responsibilities of an archon on her shoulders?" Dehya asks.
"We've talked about that too, and I'm willing to shoulder the burden. As long as it means I can become an archon and be by Ei's side, I'm willing to pay that price," Nilou says as she sits back up.
"Okay, but what if it-," Dehya goes to ask.
"Well, we'll leave it at that for now. It's late, and I'm sure you two have had quite the emotional roller coaster tonight. We can always continue this little chat tomorrow," Candace stops her, giving her a look.
"Yes, rest. Please and thank you," Nilou yawns.
"Yes. Goodnight, everyone," Ei says.
They all head in shortly after that, with Nilou and Ei giving each other one last look before going to sleep.
...
The next day, Ei and Nilou announce their new relationship to their friends while in the cafeteria, much to their joy. Some of them thought the same as Candace and Dehya, thinking that it would take Ei forever before she realized Nilou had feelings for her.
"Am I really that oblivious?" is all Ei can ask.
"Yes, you're about as bad as Ruby," Yang points a thumb at her little sister.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Ruby pouts.
"Well, I guess it's not entirely your fault. Weiss was slow too," Blake teases her teammate.
"Hey! I am not that bad! Don't make this about me now," the Ice Queen grumbles.
"Well, either way, we're taking it one step at a time. For now, I can at least say that I enjoy this new relationship with Nilou. It feels like the mog in my mind has finally cleared," Ei says, resting her hand on top of Nilou's.
"Aw, that's so cute!" Ruby coos.
Just then, Dehya gets a text message on her scroll. When she goes to read the message, her eyes widen a bit and her cheeks turn red.
"Dehya, is something wrong?" Ei asks.
"Uh, sorry, I have something to take care of. I'll see you guys later!" Dehya quickly gets up after swallowing the rest of her meal and quickly walks out of the cafeteria.
"Wonder what that was all about," Ruby notes.
"Oh, probably one of her mates texting her, asking her to spend some time with them. She's become quite busy lately with the four of them. I'm sure it's nothing major," Candace says with a knowing smile.
What the others don't know, and what Candace can guess, is that the text one of Dehya's girlfriends sent her included a picture of said girlfriend in some rather steamy black underwear. She certainly knew how to get Dehya's attention. Dehya raced to the girl's dorm room to find her sitting on the bed in said underwear.
"Wow, that was fast. I guess you were very excited by that photo, hu-," the girl stops when Dehya pounces on her.
"Yeah, you could say that. And now it's time to pay for that little act of provocation. Let me remind you that this is MY pride," Dehya looms over the defenseless girl.
"Oh, then make me submit to you all over again, my strong lioness," the girl teases her.
Dehya would be back a while later... after having some fun with one of her mates.
...
Later that day, Ei is in Professor Ozpin's office along with Goodwitch, Qrow, and Nahida.
"Still no signs of Signora or her forces?" Ei asks, sitting across from Ozpin.
"No. No signs. Perhaps that woman, Arlecchino, and your group, did more damage to her forces than we first thought. Either way, we can't make our next move until we get more information," Ozpin explains.
"What about Roman Torchwick and Adam Taurus?" Ei asks.
"No signs of them either. Taurus lost a lot of followers in recent weeks, and this recent incident was the biggest blow of all. The White Fang, even after they became extremists, have done some pretty bad stuff. But never on this scale. From what I've been able to gather from some friends in Mistral, the White Fang has officially condemned Taurus' actions and he's become a pariah in their organization. I doubt he'll be able to gain more support through them by this point. He may still be able to get some help from the rank-and-file soldiers, but that's about it. As for Roman Torchwick, no signs of him or his little silent but deadly friend. They might've left the kingdom, seeing as more heat is coming down on them thanks to you guys," Qrow explains this time.
"I'm sure Signora is still in Vale. She wants the Gnoses, and two of them are here right now. She won't let this opportunity slip. Not when she has two already," Nahida notes.
"What about Zhongli and his Gnosis?" Ei asks.
"Your friend is really good at hiding his tracks. No one's seen him for a while," Qrow said.
"Hmm, I believe we'll see Zhongli again. He's the one who originally warned me about the attack on Venti. Zhongli prefers to stay out of human affairs, but he can't stay away from this one," Ei notes.
"So, since Signora was able to use the power of two Gnoses, does that mean she's an archon now?" Glynda asks.
"No, I don't believe so. The way she used them is different than normal. The power felt... off. Not like the feeling I get when I use my powers as an archon. I don't believe she fits the criteria to become an archon either. However she managed to use their power, the fact remains that she can. And if she were to get her hands on the remaining Gnoses, who knows what she'll be capable of," Ei explains.
"She said she wanted to 'burn the old world' away. Perhaps she intends to establish a new world order, with her as the only god of it," Ozpin theorizes.
"Has there ever been an instance of an archon wielding multiple Gnoses before?" Glynda asks.
Ei shakes her head, "In my memory, no. Even archons have limits. And rules we must abide by in this world. Signora has already broken several of those rules. If only we knew more about her, we could have a better idea of where she could be hiding or how she managed to acquire the knowledge of the archons,"
"Okay, but what about that Arlecchino chick? What's her beef with Signora?" Qrow asks.
"No idea on that. We did some digging on our end and found no records of her either. However, she knew about Signora, which leads me to believe that they have a history. Whether they were friends or foes before all this is unclear. Qrow, what did you think of her when you encountered her?" Ozpin asks the veteran huntsman.
"When I saw her, I felt chills up my spine. I've faced off against powerful grimm, dangerous criminals and bandits, and even other huntsmen who went rogue. But that woman... she was something else entirely. When I looked into her eyes, all I saw was fire and brimstone. Like, she came straight out of Hell itself. I knew that even if we all tried to fight her together at that time, we'd have a good chance of losing. Maybe if Ei used her full power as an archon, we could win. But, take Ei out of that equation, and yeah, we'd be in big trouble. Even with me and Oobleck there," Qrow thinks back on that encounter.
"Then it's a good thing you kept your composure and stopped the young ones from making a terrible mistake. I'm still curious about her interactions with Miss Rose. She fought against her after Ruby stopped her from whatever she was doing, but then saved her from dying in the underground. You said that she stated that Ruby Rose was 'special'. Any idea what she meant?" Ozpin asks.
Qrow shrugs his shoulders, "No idea. The kid is special with how she got into Beacon two years early, but that was because I trained her like her life depended on it. She was a mess before I took her under my wing,"
"Hmm, what about her parents? Could her father know something? I know her mother, Summer Rose, passed away years ago. I wonder..." Glynda trails off.
"Wonder what?" Ei asks.
"Summer Rose was a huntress. She even graduated from Beacon alongside Qrow here. However, she went out on a mission to deal with grimm and didn't return on time. A rescue party was sent out to find her. And they did... but it was already too late," Ozpin explains, while Qrow just looks away while drinking his flask.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I, too, have experienced losing a loved one from combat," Ei thinks back on her sister.
"It was hard for Ruby's family. Took Taiyang a while to get back on his feet to be there for his daughters, but he did," Qrow says.
"Hmm, then perhaps we should ask Taiyang if he knows anything. Maybe something that could explain Arlecchino's interest in Ruby. Arlecchino may have information on Signora that can help us find her location, or at least learn more about her motives. If we can convince her to work with us, then it would improve our chances of stopping Signoras true goal," Nahida says.
"You have a point, Nahida. But, we'll have to be careful of her. Who knows what she'll do when we see her next time," Glynda says.
"Then I'll go pay Taiyang a visit. Been a while since we had a drink together anyway," Qrow volunteers for the trip to Patch.
"Thank you, we'll keep looking for clues on our end. For now, Ei, continue your time at Beacon. The Vytal Festival is right around the corner. A lot of people will be in the kingdom, which will make things more difficult for us in finding Signora. Nahida, please remain on guard while in Vale yourself. I mean no disrespect to an archon, but you are not a fighter," Ozpin says.
"I understand, and no offense taken. I admit that I lack Ei's combat skill and experience. Still, I'll do whatever I can to help," Nahida nods.
"Thank you, Nahida. I will be counting on your wisdom," Ei bows her head.
...
Meanwhile, on the island of Patch, in the Xiao Long-Rose household, Taiyang Xiao Long is preparing lunch.
"I hope the girls are taking good care of Zwei at school. If they get in trouble, I know they'll blame me," Taiyang chuckles.
Just then, he hears a knock at the door and steps out of the kitchen. Walking over to the front door, he opens it to find a woman with silver hair and red cross in her eyes standing before him.
"Can I... help you?" Taiyang greets her, though he feels chills up his spine.
"Greetings, Taiyang Xiao Long. My name is Arlecchino. I wish to speak with you about your late wife, Summer Rose," Arlecchino replies.
And that's the chapter. Ei and Nilou finally become a couple and now work to see if Nilou can become an archon as well. Meanwhile, Taiyang meets Arlecchino. How will that meeting go? Until then, please Read and Review.