Chapter 117. Volume 2 Start!

Silva POV

A soul comprises memory, instinct, essence, emotion, and will. Derive any individual of one of these components, and they will devolve into something less than human. Each part relates to Magic in some way or another. Magic is the gift the God of Darkness gave to humanity, so before its inception, humans were relatively powerless against the creatures of Grimm, which also came from the God of Darkness. Now to the main point, the link between Magic and one's Soul.

While established by the God of Darkness's doing, the interaction between the two is something humanity was left to figure out of their own volition. The most dominant interaction between Magic and Souls is will. Will is the cornerstone of every spell, most likely by design, but only the Gods would know for sure. By imposing one's will on the world around them through tapping into Magic, certain reactions come into being. The first reaction is manipulating elemental energy, which fills the world the Gods created. Some have found crystallized forms of elemental energies in various places, which only come into existence when certain conditions are met, like the non-active use of Magic which makes the existence of these crystals rare but enough on that tangent.

Elementalism is the basic of the basics when it comes to Magic. The first magic that every child learns to get a feel for Magic to serve as their foundation for greater, more complex magics, but that aside, the other parts of one's soul also influences Magic, but to a more subtle degree. Emotions are usually used as fuel to drive a spell to its intended action. Still, they can also twist Magic in unexpected ways, like how anger can make a spell more violent and unstable, especially uncontrolled anger.

Now essence interestingly interacts with Magic in a way that varies from individual to individual. Essence is what correlates to one's affinity to certain magics, like one person might have a strong affinity towards fire while another can cast ice magic with greater efficiency. Essence and affinities go hand in hand with one another. A person without their Essence can barely cast any spell of any kind.

Now instinct or another word for it learned or ancestral memory that comes from one's own efforts or bloodline, respectively. The affinities and efforts of one's ancestor come into play with Magic in a more mild manner but can still be perceived to an extent. An example of this is a bloodline's strong affinity with a certain type of magic that now only becomes more refined with each generation through passing down the memories that reside in one's blood through continuous practice, engraving itself into flesh and blood.

Now memory is self-explanatory-.

???: Silva. Silva Cloud!

I looked up from my scroll and saw Glynda Goodwitch beckoning my attention away from the pictures of the tome I borrowed from Salem.

Glynda: Silva, I believe it's time for lunch, don't you agree?

I checked the time and thanked her for reminding me, and went to the cafeteria to see everyone. I saw team RWBY and PLAN sitting across from each other, a table apart. Nora was flinging food at Yang's mouth, and she was eating it; Pyrrha, Jeanne, and Ren are enjoying their lunch normally. Blake is going over her notebook, and Weiss is enjoying a cup of coffee in one of her "good" cups, but I don't see Ruby anywhere, and Emerald and Ilia are chatting. As I walked up to them, I greeted them.

Silva: Hey everyone. Are you enjoying your return to Beacon?

Emerald: Meh.

Ilia shrugged in reply, and before anyone else could answer, Ruby showed up, slamming Weiss's (?) binder on the table, and said.

Ruby: Sisters, friends... Weiss!

Weiss: Hey!

Ruby: 4 score and 7 minutes ago I had a dream!

Yang: Oh, this ought to be good.

Yang eats a grape flung at her from Nora. For some reason, this seems familiar, but I can't remember where and when in the series. Ruby continued her speech.

Ruby: A dream that the four of us would come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had, EVER!

Weiss noticed that the binder looked familiar and asked.

Weiss: Did you steal my Binder?

Ruby replied while giving a double peace sign.

Ruby: I am not a crook.

Blake then asked, looking slightly confused.

Blake: What are you talking about?

Ruby: I am talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!

Yang: I always kick my semesters off with a YANG! Ehh!? Guys? Am I right?

I groaned at Yang's bad pun, and the rest of her wondered just why? Nora threw an apple at Yang and booed her. Ruby continues moving on from her sister's failed attempt at being funny.

Ruby: Look, guys, it's been a good two weeks, and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But classes start back up tomorrow, which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today.

Weiss scooted away from Ruby and commented.

Weiss: I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store.

Silva: Well, Ruby, I hope you picked out something we can all enjoy.

Weiss: I for one think that-.

I suddenly got hit with a pie, stunning Weiss into silence. I took off the pie from my face and used magic to put the cream on my face back onto the pie, and glared at Nora. Various shocked faces of my friends and lovers looked at me as Nora tried to place the blame on Ren by pointing at him, which made the guy facepalm himself. Ruby then declared with an excited smile.

Ruby: FOOD FIGHT!

Ruby took a scoop of Yang's mashed potatoes and threw it randomly, hitting a student from Mistral, and chaos ensued. I shrugged and figured why not? I took the pie in my hand and slammed it into Ruby's face, and Nora caused even greater mayhem by gathering up the tables and chairs to form a poorly designed fortress and with the rest of her team behind her, and she then said, in a singsong tone.

Nora: I'm queen of the castle~. I'm queen of the castle~. Hahaha!

Ruby replied by stepping on a random table with a milk carton in hand.

Ruby: Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!

The rest of her team cheered behind her, and Nora retorted.

Nora: Off with their heads!

Nora and her team then launched a bunch of watermelons at team RWBY, me, Emerald, and Ilia. Ilia and Emerald looked towards me for orders.

Silva: No mercy!

Ruby: Yang turkey!

Yang jammed her fists into a pair of turkeys while Emerald picked up a thing of mustard and ketchup, and Ilia got a link of sausages. Yang smashed the watermelons, Emerald squirted at Jeanne, and Ilia wrapped the sausage link around Blake. Yang broke the first few melons but got hit after the fifth one. I went after Pyrrha with a large baguette which she responded in kind with her long loaf of bread, another baguette, and we clashed. I overwhelmed her with brute strength and soon found myself facing Blake as she broke free of her meaty prison.

Emerald ran out of condiments and switched to a pair of onions, and faced Ren, wielding the same food. Ilia clashed with Weiss with a swordfish, and my favorite heiress got her fish to fight with, and she fenced with Ilia. Ruby faced Nora with pancake shurikens, and Nora responded with cookies. They both tried to eat the projectiles thrown at them while hitting each other. I soon found myself facing Yang, Blake, and Pyrrha simultaneously. I leaped back and grabbed some soda cans and threw them at my opponents. As the food fight grew more heated, Glynda marched in, slamming the doors on the warpath.

She raised her weapon and stopped everyone from moving and lifted them into the air as she cleaned up the mess we made with an impressive display of her Semblance. She then set everyone in front of her and said, after adjusting her glasses.

Glynda: Children, please. Do not play with your food.

We looked at each other covered in food and broke out in laughter at our antics.

( Several showers later)

Everyone else went off to the library to either read up for classes, read for fun, or in team RWBY's case, play a card game, but I decided to go check up on Neopolitan to see if she was slacking or working. I portal to the castle and found my tri-colored maid reading Ninjas of Love, so I snuck up behind her and found the little pervert masturbating as she reads. I then whispered into her ear.

Silva: Having fun?

She jolted upright and hid the book behind, then greeted me with a conjured sign.

Neopolitan: I was on break!

Silva: Sure, sure, whatever anyway, have you done what I asked?

She gave me an exaggerated eye roll then nodded yes, but I decided to annoy her a little by patronizing her on her assigned duties.

Silva: So you organized the library?

Neopolitan made a sign with her Semblance.

Neopolitan: Yes.

Silva: Kept Kyuu and Morgana company while Miltia and Melanie slept?

Neopolitan: Yes.

Silva: You helped Tsukiyomi decorate the main hall for the Vytal Festival?

Neopolitan: Yes, again!

Silva: You checked on Junior for information on the White Fang's movements?

Neopolitan: Yeah, they're setting up their rallies like usual, and Roman got them some new toys to play with, as you suspected.

Okay, so far, Roman is acting on Cinder's order like in the canon, and everything is set up. I just have to see if team RWBY will go on their big self-imposed mission at the weekend like in the canon, or do I need to handle things myself. Well, after some self reflection, I realized I messed with some events so much so that my future knowledge would not be as helpful, and I was self-denial at my actions. I learned this by seeing the changes with Blake because with her in regular contact with her parents and them giving her advice, she is not as weighed down with worry and guilt over the White Fang's actions.

After I dismissed Neo for the day, though, I think I will forgive her soon for drugging me and trying to awaken any masochistic tendencies in me, which thankfully I have none. I went to see Tsukiyomi about our date next week, and after working out the details, I stopped by team RWBY's door to see if they are making plans for going after Torchwich and the White Fang. I then overheard Ruby through the door, thanks to my tiger ears.

Ruby: Okay! All in favor of becoming the youngest huntresses to single-handedly bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale say aye!

Yang: Yes! This sounds awesome!

Weiss: Well, I suppose it could be fun.

Blake: Alright then... We're in this together.

Ruby: None of you said aye.

I chuckled at hearing them, and Ruby then said.

Ruby: Let's hatch a plan! Ah! I left my board game in the library!

Weiss: We're doomed.

The next moment Ruby crashed into me and fell.

Ruby: Sorry... Silva!?

I helped Ruby to her feet and commented.

Silva: Ruby, if you want to plan on tackling an evil organization, maybe learn to plan more quietly because I think PLAN( platinum) overheard you.

Ruby gave me a sheepish laugh and apologized again, and went off to get her board game. She bypassed some familiar faces.

Ruby: Excuse me!

I saw Cinder and her lackeys make their way towards me, then stop, and the half maiden asked me.

Cinder: Hello, we are from Haven and are a bit lost. Can you direct us to our room?

If that's how she wants to play so, be it. I pointed in the opposite direction of the exchange students' dorms.

Silva: That way, you can't miss it.

Cinder: See you around.

As she went by me, her eyes glowed with magic with a silent threat hanging in the air, and I snorted with disdain at her ideas of the power she thinks she possesses. It looks like I need to put her in her place later, but that can wait. I will have plenty of chances later.