Here we are at Chapter 16. More characters enter the fray as Ei's journey continues. I do not own RWBY or Genshin Impact. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 16. Enjoy.
Chapter 16: Friends from High Places
After a long day of classes, Weiss, Candace, Ei, and Ren are on their way to the library to check out some study materials for class assignments.
"Ah, it feels so good to be back in class and studying again," Weiss stretches her arms.
"I believe Dehya would disagree with that," Ei notes.
"So would Nora and Jaune... and Ruby, and Yang," Ren adds.
Weiss scoffs, "Hah, they just don't understand the joyful feeling you get when you get a perfect score on a test and know that all your hours of studying paid off,"
"True, but no one studies for most of the day if they had to opportunity like you do, Weiss," Candace notes, earning a grumble from Weiss.
A sudden laugh stops them in their tracks, "Hahaha, you really haven't changed much, have you Weiss," they turn to find two young women approaching from behind. "Though, it appears you're not as cold as you used to be,"
Weiss gasps, "Navia! And Clorinde too! It is so wonderful to see you,"
"It's been a while, Weiss. It seems you're doing well here in Vale," Clorinde nods to her.
"Yes. I am doing quite well. I also happen to be the student with top marks in all my classes. As if there's any surprise," Weiss states.
"Well, I guess you haven't changed that much. Still as studious as ever," Navia giggles.
"Weiss, care to introduce us?" Ei asks.
"Oh, right. Navia, Clorinde, these are my friends. This is Lie Ren from Team JNPR and Ei and Candace from Team RDCN. I'm on a different team. Team RWBY," Weiss introduces them.
"Hello/Hey/Nice to meet you," they all say hello.
"Hello. I'm Navia Rosula and this is Clorinde Raine. We're from Atlas Academy here for the Vytal Festival with our team," Navia says.
"Huh. Forgive me, but I heard that Atlas Academy is more like a military school, and has come under scrutiny because most students join the military," Candace says.
"You're not wrong, and we're quite aware of that. While yes, most students behave like soldiers, there are some among us that prefer to take... a different path, so to speak," Navia says.
"I see. So how do you two know Weiss?" Ei asks.
"Well, our fathers know each other, even if they don't like each other. My father is the owner of the Spina di Rosula. It's a private investigation firm, though we also do other odd jobs here and there. Weiss and I met when we were kids. We've found a few things in common with one another and have been friends ever since," Navia explains.
"As for me, I met Weiss through Navia. I've known Navia for as long as I can remember. And the rest is pretty much history," Clorinde adds.
"Despite being young and only a student, Clorinde is a champion duelist in Atlas. Just like Pyrrha in Mistral, she's remains undefeated in combat tournaments," Weiss says.
"I'm just studious when it comes to my training. It's not that special," Clorinde waves it off.
"And humble too. I like that. Well, it's a pleasure to meet both of you. Where are the rest of your team?" Candace asks.
"They're in Vale, checking out the city. I'll introduce them to you another time. What about you, Weiss. Where's your team?" Navia asks.
"Hmm, I wonder if they're in the library. I did tell Ruby to do some studying. They might be there now. How about we introduce you?" Weiss asks.
"We'll get the rest of our teammates there as well. This way, we can get most of the introductions out of the way," Ei offers.
"I like that. I'm curious to meet the rest of Weiss' team," Clorinde says.
With that, the group make their way to the library while making more small talk.
...
However, when they arrived, Weiss wasn't expecting the scene before her.
"What in the world are you doing?!" Weiss would've shrieked, but kept it down due to the library.
At one table in the library, Ruby and Yang are apparently playing a board game with Dehya and Jaune while the others are reading books... minus Nora who's sleeping on one.
"Um... Playing a game of Remnant, trying to conquer the other kingdoms?" Ruby replies nervously.
"I told you that you need to study. We have an assignment due next week!" Weiss berates her.
"But I did study," Ruby pouts.
"Come on, Ice Queen, you need to loosen up every now and then," Yang smirks.
This causes Navia and Clorinde to giggle behind Weiss.
"Hey, don't laugh at that!" Weiss pleads.
"I'm sorry, it's just... They're even calling you 'Ice Queen' even here in Vale. Some things really do never change," Navia notes.
Weiss would shout at them if they weren't in a library. So, she can only blush and puff up her cheeks instead.
"So, who are they?" Blake asks.
"This is Navia and Clorinde from Atlas Academy. They're old friends of Weiss' from back home and they came to meet everyone," Ei explains.
"Hello," Navia waves while Clorinde merely nods.
"Hi, I'm Ruby, leader of Team RWBY. This is my sister Yang and our friend Blake. We're team RWBY," Ruby says.
"Nice to meet you, though you look a little young to be at Beacon," Clorinde notes.
"My little sister is awesome. She stopped a Dust shop robbery, and the headmaster was so impressed, she allowed her to come two years early. I'm so proud," Yang says while wrapping her little sister in a one arm hug/chokehold.
"Yang... can't... breathe," Ruby gasps.
"Oops, sorry," Yang frees her.
"Navia, Clorinde, this is Nilou and Dehya from my team. And this is Jaune, Pyrrha, and the girl sleeping on a book over there is Nora. Together with Ren, they're Team JNPR," Ei finishes the introductions.
"Now that introductions are out of the way, care to answer my earlier question: why are you playing a game and not studying?" Weiss glares at Ruby.
"I told you, we did study, but then we got bored and... well...," Ruby trails off.
"They really did study. But after a while, I suggested they take a break," Pyrrha comes to Ruby's defense, earning a look of gratitude from the cookie lover.
Weiss sighs, "Ruby, you are our leader. You must set a good example for the rest of us. Come on. I'll help you study," Weiss says.
"But, I'm about to beat Yang, and I know I can crush Jaune and Dehya," Ruby complains.
"Hey!" Jaune takes offense to that.
"As if!" Dehya adds.
Yang suddenly throws down a card, "I wouldn't be so sure about that, little sister. Thanks to my trap card..." she messes with some of the pieces. "Now, your army is no more,"
"No, my fearless soldiers!" Ruby cries. She then grabs Weiss' hand. "Please, Weiss, you must avenge me!"
"What?! Why should I have to play?" Weiss asks, but when Ruby gives her the puppy dog eyes look, she finds it hard to resist. "Ugh, fine. One game, but we are studying right after, understand?"
"Thank you, Weiss! I know you'll win," Ruby smiles.
A few minutes later... "Your armies have been destroyed," Yang declares as she uses a trap card to defeat Weiss.
"I hate this game of emotions we play!" and now Weiss is crying.
Ruby hops onto her lap, "Be strong Weiss. We'll get through this together," she cries as she hugs Weiss.
"Shut up! Don't touch me!" Weiss says even as she hugs Ruby back.
Navia and Clorinde see this interaction and glance at each other with knowing smirks. It seems their old friend really has changed a lot, and they have good idea on why that is.
"Well, it's nice to see you break out of your cold shell, Weiss. You've made some good friends here," Navia notes.
"Huh? Wait, this is not what it looks like!" Weiss pushes Ruby off her lap, earning giggles from some of the group.
"What's up, dudes?" they hear and look to see Sun and a boy with blue hair and goggles approach.
"Hey, Sun," Blake greets him.
"Great to see everyone. This works perfectly. I wanted to introduce you to a good friend of mine. This is Neptune. He's one of my teammates," Sun says.
"Nice to meet everyone. Uh, I thought libraries were for reading," Neptune says.
"Thank you!" Ren exclaims.
"Pancakes!" and Nora finally wakes up.
"Shut up, don't be a nerd," Sun berates him.
"Hey, I prefer the term 'intellectual' okay. Thank you," Neptune retorts.
"Friends of yours?" Clorinde asks.
"We've met Sun before, and yes, he is. Neptune is apparently new," Ei replies.
Neptune spots Navia and smiles, "Hey there, beautiful. I don't recall seeing you at Haven. Would you tell me which academy you're from?" and he starts hitting on her.
"I'm from Atlas," Navia replies.
"Oh, it must get pretty cold up there. If you want, I can lend you my jacket," Neptune gestures to his red jacket.
However, before he can say or do anything else, Clorinde gets in between them. The glare she gives him just screams 'bloody murder'. Neptune feels a deep chill on the back of his neck and steps back.
"W-W-Well, I suppose since you live in Atlas, you must have plenty of jackets to keep you warm," Neptune stutters, while Sun facepalms.
Navia giggles, "Yes, I have a few. Still, I appreciate the offer, but I'll be fine. Oh, Weiss, I almost forgot..." she leans in close to Weiss. "I heard Furina herself will be appearing during the Vytal Festival,"
Weiss gasps, "Seriously?! THE Furina herself is coming to Vale!"
"Who's this Furina?" Nilou asks.
"She's only the youngest, most talented director/actress in all of Atlas. People would kill for a chance to watch her performances. Now, I admit, I think I'm a better singer than her, but I couldn't hold a candle to her when it comes to her acting. She's phenomenal. I've watched so many of her shows," Weiss goes into fan-girl mode, but then blushes when she sees everyone smirking at her. "Um, I mean, yes, we should see her shows when she arrives for the festival,"
"Huh. Sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe we should see her show, Ei," Nilou suggests.
"Yes, I think I'd like that," Ei agrees.
"Well, it's been fun, but we should be going. Weiss, let's catch up some more another time," Navia suggests.
"Yes, I'd love that," Weiss likes the idea.
With that, Navia and Clorinde take their leave. Neptune glances around, checking out Navia from behind. But, he stops when Clorinde glares back at him.
"So, who wants to play the next round?" Yang asks everyone.
Meanwhile, Navia and Clorinde head back to their dorm room. As the two women reach the hallway, Clorinde sighs.
"You know, you're so cute when you get jealous, Clorinde," Navia giggles.
"I just didn't like the way he was looking at you. That's all. You are very beautiful Navia, but I know there is more to you than simply your beauty," Clorinde says.
"Then you also know that I would've rejected his advances either way, and that I can take care of myself. Still, you were dashing, my knight in shining armor," Navia teases her. Clorinde blushes and looks away. "Alright, come here," Navia touches Clorinde's shoulder and turns her around for a kiss.
Clorinde relaxes into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Navia. They remain in that position for a few moments before separating.
"You know, we still have some time before our teammates return to the school," Navia gives her a suggestive look.
"I thought you were supposed to be a 'prim and proper' lady," Clorinde smirks.
"I can be when I want to be. But... I can also be 'improper' when I want to be too, hmmm," Navia teases her.
"Oh, the things you do to keep me along," Clorinde replies.
Navia takes Clorinde's hand and guides her to their dorm room for some quality time together. Whenever Clorinde gets a little heated, Navia knows just how to cool her down.
...
Later that day, Ei is on her scroll, chatting with Miko again.
"Nothing yet?" Ei asks in regards to the mystery woman.
"Not yet. Good information isn't always easy to find. Regardless, I believe you should stick with the current strategy of hunting down those who may know where she is. Roman Torchwick will be keeping low after you went after him the first time. However, I've heard news about the White Fang in your area," Miko explain.
"What news?" Ei asks.
"There has been a splinter group getting very active as of late in Vale. The White Fang has been an extremist group for some time, but these Faunus are making them look tame in comparison. Sienna Khan, the leader of the White Fang, hates humans, but she's no fool. She knows that if the White Fang were to go to war with humanity, they would lose. Especially since there are plenty of Faunus who do not support the White Fang's current activities. However, this group doesn't care, and neither does their leader. Adam Taurus," Miko explains.
"Adam Taurus," Ei mutters. "Perhaps Blake can help me in this endeavor."
"Yes. From what I've gathered, there are few Faunus in this world who hate humans more than him. While I do feel for the Faunus, given the poor treatment they've received from many humans, it's fools like him that only make the situation worse. He's known as a skilled swordsman, and he has the bloodthirst to match. I'm confident you could take him on one-on-one, but be cautious should you do. He has no sense of honor at all," Miko says.
"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind," Ei replies.
"Anyway, enough of that doom and gloom talk. How have things been going in Vale? I know the Vytal Festival will begin soon and students and spectators from all over Remnant will be coming to watch the tournament. Can I expect a certain archon to make an appearance in said tournament?" Miko asks.
"Well, my teammates want to enter, so who am I to dissuade them. I believe we have a good chance of entering the tournament, along with a few other teams at Beacon. Also today, we met some old friends of Weiss' that are from Atlas. They're representing Atlas Academy. And we met one of Sun's teammates, Neptune, from Haven. Though, I do wonder about the boy's behavior when it comes to how he attempts a conversation with a woman," Ei notes.
"Ah, a womanizer, huh. You'll find those types anywhere on Remnant. Be careful guys like that don't try to take Nilou away from you," Miko teases her.
"Hmm? Why would I be concerned about that?" Ei remains confused.
Miko sighs, "Ah, forget it. Anyway, I do have a small favor to ask of you,"
"What is it?" Ei asks.
"I heard that Beacon will be hosting a dance for all the students before the Vytal Festival. Students from all four schools may attend," Miko says.
"And you want to attend this dance? But, you're not a student," Ei notes.
"No, I want YOU to attend. You need to relax every now and then and this dance sounds like just the thing to do so," Miko clarifies.
"Me? I'm afraid I don't understand. Why would I attend the dance? Besides, I don't have any formal dresses with me," Ei is even more confused now.
"I am quite aware. Which is why I scheduled appointments for you and your team at a local boutique in Vale this coming weekend. The owner is an old friend of mine who's from Inazuma. Her name's Chiori," Miko explains.
"She's from Inazuma?" Ei asks.
"She snuck out while you were acting like a child who held herself up in her room," Miko says, earning a groan from Ei. "Anyway, she wants to take you and your teammates' measurements and get your preferences so she can have them ready before the dance," Miko says.
"And you didn't think to ask me for my permission first before making such an arrangement?" Ei accuses her.
"Because I was sure you'd try to back out of it. Look, Ei, you want to understand humans better, then you need to do more human things. And that includes going to dances on occasion," Miko replies.
"But... I don't even know how to properly dance," Ei admits, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"That's an easy fix. You said your teammate Nilou is an excellent dancer. Just have her teach you," Miko suggests, smirking.
"Oh, you're right. I suppose that could work," Ei realizes.
Miko sighs again, "You still don't get it," she mutters.
"Miko, did you say something?" Ei asks.
"Nope. Nothing here. Anyway, just be sure to head to Chioria Boutique in Vale this weekend. Chiori will be expecting you," Miko says before hanging up the call. "I swear, that girl just doesn't get it sometimes. Must be from all that time she spent in the Plane of Euthymia."
...
Team RWBY are in their room, doing random things when they get a knock at the door. Ruby walks over and opens it to find Ei on the other side.
"Oh, hey Ei, you need something?" Ruby greets her.
"In a manner of speaking, yes. I was hoping to speak with Blake. It's about the White Fang," Ei says.
The mere mentioning of them puts the group on edge, especially Blake. Ei walks inside and Ruby closes the door so no one can overhear them.
"Okay, so what's with the White Fang?" Blake asks.
"Blake, do you remember when we fought Roman Torchwick in Vale?" Ei asks.
"Yeah, you seemed pretty dead sent on making him talk about something? I wondered about it, but I decided to give you your space," Blake replies.
"The reason why I was after Roman was because I believed he is affiliated with an unknown woman who stole a precious item from an old friend of mine. The item itself is not worth a lot, but it's a precious family heirloom of sorts and I promised I would get it back for him. I believe this mystery woman has connections with multiple criminal entities in Vale, and the White Fang are one of them. Given your prior affiliation with them, I was hoping I could ask for your input. If I were to go looking for the White Fang in Vale, where would be a good place to start?" Ei asks.
Blake thinks for a moment, "Hmm, well, I'll bet they have some camp or hideout outside of Vale. I know one place where they had one, but that was quite some time ago. It's most likely been moved by now. If you tried to look for it blindly, it would take you forever to find it,"
"Then, where could she find it?" Yang asks.
"The White Fang have places where they try to recruit new members into the fold. Perhaps, you could try and find out through one of them, but it would be difficult for you since you're not a Faunus," Blake explains.
"I wasn't planning on doing this alone. I was going to bring my team along. They'd be upset with me if I tried to do this all by myself. Perhaps, you four could also assist me. I would be grateful if you could," Ei says.
"Hey, if it means beating down some bad guys, then I'm down," Yang's in.
"Yeah!" Ruby cheers.
"Well, I guess it could be fun," Weiss joins in.
"There's your answer," Blake shrugs her shoulder.
"Thank you. We'll work out a strategy and get to work after classes one day," Ei says.
"Why not do it on the weekend?" Ruby asks.
Ei sighs, "Because I have a fitting for a dress to go to this weekend with my team,"
"...Huh?" Team RWBY cock their heads.
...
Meanwhile, a boy with red hair and wearing dark clothing carrying a girl with long blue hair who seems to be asleep on his back walks up to one room and knocks on the door.
"Ah, your clothes! Hurry," he hears some muffled voices inside. A moment later, the door cracks open to reveal Navia; her hair a mess and she is wearing a white dress shirt. "Oh, Diluc, welcome back. I see you brought Layla with you. Is she asleep?" Navia asks nervously.
"Sort of. Same old news. So... do I want to know what's going on?" Diluc stares flatly at her.
"What makes you say that?" Navia glances around.
"Because you're wearing Clorinde's shirt... and it's inside out," Diluc deadpans.
"Oh, that, um..." Navia starts sweating.
Diluc sighs, "Just call me when you two clean up your mess," and he walks away with Layla still on his back, leaving a blushing Navia to close the door.
And that's the chapter. New characters join the fray and another mission for Ei is about to begin. Along with getting her dress for the dance. What else awaits our heroes? Until then, please Read and Review.