Author's Note:
This entire story was based off a series of ideas that spawned in my head while listening to "Red like Roses Part II" by Jeff Williams. And in the spirit of the new RWBY Volume 2 trailer, I figured I could try my hand as writing. This is the first fanfction I've ever published, so any and all constructive criticism would be appreciated. I don't think it's too attractive, but it gets my ideas across. The only things original here are a couple of random Grimm monster ideas, including "The Devourer". This is also done while procrastinating, so really just just something to pass the time. Don't take it too seriously.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY in any way, this is merely a hypothetical speculation on the story of a famous web series. RWBY is owned by Monty Oum of Rooster Teeth and all related parties. Same goes for the character "Summer Rose" even though she is a fandom depicted character.
Keynote 0: Regrets Withering in the Midsummer Snow
-:-
Under a blazing sunset, the blurring figures dance and asunder. Shadows appear and disappear through the passage of time.
It was snowing in summer. A field of white dandelions fill the ground, only to fly and fall as they are trampled away. As they fell, they covered the ground in million of white seeds, like a blanket without color.
The summer's snow.
Red blood splatters all over this snow, painting everything like the color of roses in full bloom. Like a mirror, the dawn too, rises red.
It is the color of life. It is the color of death.
It represents love. It represents respect.
It means betrayal. It means sacrifice.
And it is Summer Rose's favorite color, even as it fills her eyes with the reminder of death. She wipes the blood the splattered on her face, as she looks toward what was left of the Grimm horde.
That was to say, not much. At the start, there had been the typical swarm of Beowolfs and Ursas. Too many of them to be normal. But numbers alone would not let them win against her, The White Lycoris.
One by one they came, barring their fangs and claws.
One by one they fell to the edge and bullets of her gun-blade, Aster Bloom.
But they were soon joined by groups of Demisclaws(Grimm Cats) and even a Nevermore. Then things got serious because even she, lauded as the best of Beacon Academy, could be in serious trouble when overwhelmed with numbers. But this time was different.
Normally, she would retreat a bit and find advantageous positioning to pick off the horde using better terrain and rogue tactics. Doing so would allow her to zone out the Grimm into a thinner pack, allow her to take advantage of her instant speed spell(Vector) to ambush the high-priority ranged attackers before whittling down the melee attackers at ease.
But in this field, their numbers were so great that no matter how much she would've moved around, they would still be too concentrated in any area to find easy pick-offs. Even with the nearby forest to go in and out of hiding to execute ambush attacks and confuse their aggro, there were just that many.
And things finally became extremely desperate when that thing showed up. It almost made her chances 0% at that point, beaten and bloody from a battle of attrition that had already last nearly an hour of non-stop combat.
A Devourer(Grimm Wolverine). Known as The Carnivore, Humanity's Predator, and Massacre Nightmare, among other names. One of the most dangerous and most powerful Grimms in the world of Remnant. Their size was that of an average human, smaller than most Grimm actually. But that misleading size hid a condensed danger and strength capable of demolishing entire cities single-handedly. It normally takes an entire team of elite Hunters and Huntresses to take one down, and not without major casualties. It's main difference between other Grimms, is their ability to grow exponentially and partially manipulate Dust, making them extremely rare. They can not only adapt physically and mentally, but can increase their power by consuming dust, humans, and even other Grimm.
A true Eater of Worlds. A being capable of decimating humans as we know it.
And only 11 have ever been recorded through history, but their forms were never forgotten. So there was no doubt, the being that had just appeared in the distance as beheaded a Nevermore crashed into the ground.
But she held her ground, she could not retreat. Back up would not come in time, but there was no other choice. She had to fight, here and now. No hesitation, risking everything.
She let loose every single bit of Dust she had on hand, even going as far as to use a couple of forbidden spells she memorized arbitrarily to gain any advantage she could. Her mind went silent, only containing the best possible decision to survive and defeat the enemy in front of her.
And she survived.
Barely.
Her mind began regaining proper conscious as she was kneeling over the corpse of a beheaded Devourer. Aster Bloom in the hand that wasn't disabled by a damaged muscle nerve, she looked up around at the carnage she herself had cause. She was almost amazed at her work.
Dozens of Grimm lied everywhere. All of them either had a bullet in their vitals or had severed limbs. All of them were dead, slowly dissipating into black smoke. The sheer density of Grimms everywhere had given them an Aura of their own, a collective buff increasing their power. That still translated in death, as the more she killed them, the less quickly they disappeared. Which is why she is able to examine the battlefield as it is now.
But more importantly, she had succeeded, and was alive. At least, in the sense that she could still heal herself once she got back to Vale. Her team would probably be pissed, and he would be worried to death along with a very upset Yang.
But right now, her priority was hiding behind the tress located in the general area she had been guarding. This was what had prevented her from taking more effective strategies to defeat her enemies. What gave her the strength to push past her limits and stay alive.
She lifted Aster Bloom from the body of the Devourer and after holstering it to her back, walked toward a certain tree. She was stumbling as she tried to make her way, due to blood loss, and her vision was blurry.
But that was negligible compared to what she was protecting, to know she was still there.
Then from behind the tree, a little girl popped her head to the side. Upon seeing Summer walking up, the girl immediately ran to be right beside her and hug her leg. The girl's red cloak flipped its hood away from the girl's head to reveal a face covered in tears.
"MOMMY!MOMMY!" was all the girl could blubber between muffled sobs and tears as she pressed her face against the leg of her mother. "YOU'RE HURT! WE NEED HELP!"
She took off her little white hood cloak and tried to cover a big cut across the entirety of her right arm. It was starting to become dyed the color of blood as it soaked up the blood still coming from the wound.
Summer Rose only gave a relieved smile to her daughter. Simply knowing she was safe gave her an instant boost of strength. Although it was a shame to see the hood she gave Ruby to get dirtied like that. They were going to have to clean that in the laundry later.
"Mommy's okay Ruby. I just beat up all the monsters right now, and Mommy got a little ruffled up." Summer reassured the girl as she pet her head gently.
That was truly the understatement of the year. Her battle-garment looked like trash, her spare dust and speed-loaders were depleted, and even Aster Bloom had a crack in it from the Dust-charged claw attack of the Devourer.
She lost her hair ribbon at some point, and now was letting her disheveled waist-long hair flow everywhere. Covered in bruises, cuts, and bleeding a couple liters, it was a wonder how she could even stand.
"I'm sorry you had to go through seeing all that, it must not have been what you thought being a Huntress was like? I'm really sorry our little trip ended this way, but Mommy promises to take a trip with you again at some point okay?"
"...Are you really okay? It doesn't hurt?"
"It hurts."
"!?"
"But it hurts a lot less because you are here."
"R-Really?"
After prying Ruby from her leg, Summer kneeled down to her height and put both of her hands on her shoulders. Summer had a big grin on her face as she explained to her cute little daughter.
"Yep! You see, having people I care about and you, who I ~looove sooo much~~, gives me a reason to be strong. I am strong because of them, and I don't feel sad or painful when you are here."
"So...It doesn't hurt when I'm with you? It doesn't feel sad?"
"Nope! And it hurts less when I do...this!" Summer hugged Ruby's tiny frame with a bear hug filled with moe love. Ruby, although surprised, snuggled in it. It was warm and soft, being hugged, and she liked it.
"..."
"Mommy?"
"..."
"...It's hard to breath, Mommy..."
Summer realized that her hands were shaking, and that she had been holding onto her little Ruby too tightly.
"Ah...I'm sorry, baby girl."
She let go, realizing the battle earlier had impacted her psychologically more than she thought. She just survived the toughest life and death battle she had ever gone through. Right now here nerves were so wired that she had been pathetically holding onto her daughter to relieve her fears. That wasn't right.
"Well there should be some nice people coming to help us in a bit, so let's go meet them first. Okay?"
"..." Ruby was silent.
"Is there something wrong?" Summer asked.
"Is Mommy really okay?"
Jeez, that girl was really sharp at times like this, too sharp sometimes. I wonder who she inherited that from...
"It's just that...Mommy is a bit scared."
"Scared?"
"Yea, Mommy just went through something tough, and she is thinking about what would happen if she couldn't come back." Summer continued on. Something in her just felt like if she didn't say it now, she wouldn't get another chance.
"You see, there might be someone or something stronger than Mommy, and if Mommy loses, she can't come back home to everyone anymore." She bit her lip as she tried to hide a painful expression. It was becoming too much, and getting harder to hide it from her daughter.
"Because...well-"
"Then...If Ruby is strong for Mommy, will she be stronger too?"
"...?..." Summer gave Ruby a confused look.
"Mommy is strong because her friends, Daddy, Yang, and Me are all here, right? Then if we-if I get stronger like you, will you come home more often?"
Ruby continued, "Will you eat dinner with us more? Can I eat your cookies again? Will I get to be with you more?"
Ruby had tears in her eyes again.
"Ruby knows that you are a hero, and you have to save people. It's your job."
She looked up to gaze into her mother's eyes without a trace of hesitation.
"So Ruby will get stronger one day, and became a hero like book Yang reads, like you!" she shouted. "Because I love, love Mommy very much."
Summer Rose was holding back tears at the floodgates. She had to cover her mouth to stop any sound from escaping. She was...soooo happy that her daughter said that. Her little girl was growing up and told her how much she loved Summer directly. Slowly gathering herself, she found her composure again.
"Okay, then Mommy will definitely come back the next time she leaves for another job."
"Promise?" Ruby held out her pinky finger. A sign of the Pinky Promise, an oath on the red string of fate.
Summer wrapped her pinky around the one her little girl held out.
"Promise."
A smile from ear to ear, was exchanged between mother and daughter.
...
Some time had passed by now. The emergency reinforcements she signaled for through her HCA(Hunter Crisis Alert), should be coming anytime now. Standing up, Summer held out her hand for Ruby to take.
"Well there should be some nice people coming to help us in a bit, so let's go meet them first. Okay?"
"Y-Yeah!" Ruby said, reaching for the warmth of her mother's hand.
Only to hear a loud and sudden noise echo out. It made Ruby cover her ears from the pain. When she looked up, she saw her Mommy had covered Ruby with her body, as to shield her.
And something was strange about her.
She looked pale all of a sudden and was breathing heavily. Her eyes looked blank and she her body was shaking.
And when Ruby looked down, there was this sticky liquid covering the entire bottom half of her mommy's body. It was dripping from this one spot in her chest, and it was spilling.
And it was Red.
Red..
RED...
So much RED everywhere...
"Mommy..?"
She fell to the ground on her side, with a very painful *thump as she hit the ground.
And didn't move a bit after falling. Ruby looked down to see the red flow from her mother, like a fountain leaking water.
IT FILLED HER MIND WITH RED.
The RED of her Mommy. And then she realized the truth...
"Ah..Ahhh...WAHhhh...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
She cried.
No, she screamed. Screamed to the sky and the heavens. Mourning to heat of the sunset summer, with nothing but empty horror and anguish. She was crying so hard that she barely recognized the figure that was now staring at her and her mother's body.
It was a tall figure, blurred from the tears and the heated haze. It wore a hooded cloak like her, but was completely tattered. And, although it was only for a moment, she saw its eyes.
Eyes completely empty of pupils and dyed a deep, empty blue. A blue that stared into her, probing around the contents of her soul.
But she was crying too much to care right now. All that mattered at the moment, was using her cloak to stop the RED from flowing from her Mommy. Even though it was pointless, she still tried. She HAD to try.
She couldn't bring herself to face the truth. To understand what just happened.
She didn't want to. She didn't want to. She didn't want to.
The her Mommy, so strong and kind, was-...
The Dark Figure stared at Ruby's pathetically frantic and childish actions as it simply walked up towards Summer's corpse and took Aster Bloom from her lifeless body.
"!" Ruby saw the figure taking her mommy's favorite weapon. It was her most important thing, besides her family and friends. It was her mommy's treasure, and this person was taking it away.
As the figure indirectly touched Summer, she could immediately recognize it. She cursed to herself. Of course, that was what this was about. It was no wonder why she had been ambushed by an entire horde while en route to the countryside with her daughter in a "safe zone". It made sense now...
"NOOOO-" She tried to grab onto the figure's arm but her tiny body was easily tossed aside like a ragdoll.
"Give it back...that belongs to Mommy...!" She begged and whimpered.
But her pleas and tears fell on blind eyes and deaf ears.
The figure simply turned around and continued to walk away as darkness of vanishing daylight enveloped the world.
Summer Rose could barely make-out the sounds of Ruby crying every so loudly as her mind began to fade. Her body began to feel cold, and her eyes had completely blurred out into a bright darkness of the mind's end.
"I'm so sorry..."
Her last thoughts wandered out, written nowhere.
"Please...someone...that girl...she...doesn't deserve any of this."
Through the night, under the first full moon of the Summer Solstice, the wailing of roses resounded to the sky, unanswered in despair. The Summer Snow stopped that day.