A/N: Alright, this chapter was rough for me to do as most of you might know the massive change that happened in my life recently. It's taking it's toll on my time and passion. There's a few things in this chapter I didn't initially plan on doing but some people changed my mind on things which I changed. Also the story won't follow this format of narrative as well. It'll change towards mainly static PoV ones.

Anyway, check my profile for updates on what's to come or join the Discord chat.

I'm off, until next time guys.

Yang could do nothing but stare out the window with her mouth agape. Though the bouncing arcs of lightning erupted erratically and brightly, she couldn't tell who or what it was in fact that was caught, she could see however that whatever was caught was flailing around trying to get out.

"I knew it'd be a good idea! See?!" Ruby shouted, her voice loud and enthusiastic.

But for Yang on the other hand, she didn't feel any of the joy and happiness that her younger sister was feeling at the moment.

No.

Yang felt fear.

'Who's trying to come to our home so late? Why now? Now what do we do?'

This and more were question that surged through Yang's mind until the light which was coming from Ruby's device suddenly vanished. Yang felt her eyes go wide with alarm as darkness enveloped the room once again.

"W- Well… I wasn't expecting that." Ruby uttered, her earlier joyous attitude gone from her voice. "It shouldn't have fizzled out that fast."

Yang turned her head towards her younger sister who stood near her, looking deep in thought as she tried to deduce a miscalculation, but now wasn't the time. Whatever was out there was now free from her trap and would be heading right to their house unhindered.

"We have to wakeup mom!"

Without even hesitating, Yang made her way towards the door of their room. Though just as she reached for the handle, their mother, Summer, stood in the doorway. Yang's first reaction was to reach out and hug her mom but as she reached for her, her lilac eyes spotted something… odd in her mother's hand.

"Yang, Ruby." Summer whispered, her eyes wide and alert. "You're both okay, thank the heavens."

"M- Mom, t- there's pe-" Yang started, unable to get her voice to stay steady but her eyes were still trained on the unfamiliar object her mom held in her hand.

"I know honey, shush, it'll be okay." Summer comforted as she looked towards both her daughters. Though it wasn't until Ruby spoke up, pointing towards the weapon in Summer's hand that shook the woman from her thoughts.

"Mom… what is that?" Ruby asked, fear finally creeping into her voice now.

Summer only smiled humorlessly before her eyes lingered towards the window in the room. She couldn't see outside in the pitch black but she knew that something, or rather someone was here.

"It's a blaster, sweetie." She answered truthfully, though she wasn't quite fond of them, she would rather use just that to protect her family…

"Why… Why do you have it?" Ruby continued, now drifting closer to Yang as both girls watched their mother as the woman regarded her children with a look that no parent wanted to give. One of unsureness.

Regret.

…

Resolve.

Wrapping both her daughters in a tight hug, Summer poured as much love as she could into the hold before she pulled away. She met both her eldest daughter's lilac eyes. Filled with fear and unfell tears, Summer quickly wiped the tears away from Yang's face before turning and looking at Ruby. The younger girl also looked shaken but her eyes were full of curiosity instead of tears.

"It's to protect you two from the bad people, love." She finally answered as she stood up to her full height.

She knew she didn't have a lot of time as whoever was outside would quickly make their way towards the home now that they knew they alerted her.

"Now listen," She started, quickly gaining the attention of both Yang and Ruby who looked at her. "You two need to stay in here and keep quiet."

She could see that Ruby was going to say something but Summer quickly held her free hand up to silence her daughter.

"No buts, I'm serious you two. Stay in here…" She finished, though she felt her voice crack. She was confident that she could… take care of whoever or whatever had found her but the real disconcerting thing was how she was found.

'But first things first.'

"I'll be back you two," She whispered, quickly placing a quick kiss on both of her daughter's heads before ruffling Yang's own. She watched as Yang's tearful eyes hardened the moment she did it and laughed, she knew Yang hated when she played with her hair.

Turning on her heel quickly and quietly, Summer made for the door. Though there was one last thing she had to tell her girls. Just in case things went wrong… there was always that chance. She couldn't tell them why they lived like this… but she knew they always wondered. But she could tell them the one thing that kept her going, and why she would never ever give up.

"I love you both… so much." She whispered.

And just like that, she was gone.

Shutting the door tightly, Summer broke out into a sprint through their small home. The blaster she carried heavy in her hand, heavy enough to make her feel weighed down and slow as she ran towards the front door.

Once she reached it however she waited. Pressing her ear to the wooden frame, she listened for any sounds of the intruders but heard nothing. She felt a shiver pass through her spine for the first time in a long time. The feeling brought memories in her mind, painful ones but she shoved them back. She couldn't afford to get distracted right now. Not when her daughter's lives were in danger.

Glancing down at the weapon she held, Summer tried to gather all the resolve she could. She wasn't exactly the best shot with a blaster, in fact only having fired it previously on two occasions a long while ago but the only alternative she had was…

Reaching into her left pocket, she felt the long metal shaft of an old relic she had kept in her possession. The moment her hand glided across of it though, a wave of emotions and memories came flooding back. All she needed to do was wield it. Hold in one last time and to protect those close to her.

Just as she had done in the past.

But that was just it. In the past. Shaking the seductive thoughts away, Summer withdrew her hand from her pocket. Away from her old weapon. There was a time when she would have gladly wielded it, rushing headlong into any and all problems. She remembered those times. Times when she didn't even have to wield it. When her enemies saw it… just that was enough for them to back down.

But it was also the reason why she was living like this. In seclusion and solitude. It was why she feared for her daughters' lives. It was why she was being hunted at this very second by forces unknown.

And it was because of this that she wouldn't use it right now. She had left that life behind long ago.

Taking another breath and calming her mind, Summer counted to three before she reached for the door's handle. She knew she couldn't risk waiting for whomever was intruding on her to make it into the house. Not while her daughters were here. She'd have to meet them outside.

Turning the handle and slowly pushing the door outwards, Summer felt her muscles tense in preparation for whatever was about to happen. She felt adrenaline pump through her veins as her senses heightened a bit as she felt an old familiar feeling taking hold of her mind. The nostalgia of the familiar wave only served to tempt her further to reach for her old relic. It grew heavier with every second that passed but she resisted the urge yet again.

Pushing the door wide enough so she could fit through, the mother of two felt the cold breeze pass over her slightly sweaty skin as she peered out into the blackness of the night. Now that whatever contraption Ruby had set up was inert, she couldn't see anything at all but she could feel… no, she could sense that there were still intruders outside.

Lifting the blaster up in front of her and slowly stepping out into the night, Summer held her breath. She kept her eyes trained in front of her, keeping alert and ready for any movements. She was afraid, but she knew this day would come, it was only a matter of time but she had hoped that it would be later. Always later. In a time when she was ready to explain to her two girls the truth about their mother.

But it seemed as if she wouldn't have that chance.

Still keeping her blaster aimed in front of her towards the darkness of the night, Summer finally stepped outside. The gentle cool breeze felt like a piercing wind chill and the darkness, which used to feel safe to her… now felt alien and hostile.

She was afraid. That much was obvious but she would not cower away.

Stepping softly now outside, she kept alert as she now was in the front yard of her home. Her eyes started to adjust to the pitch blackness but she still couldn't really make out anything other than the large pine trees surrounding the outskirts of her home as they swayed gently in the wind.

But when something other than the sounds of her own footfalls and the wind sounded off in front of her and to the left, Summer didn't hesitate for a second as she aimed her weapon towards the sound and pulled the trigger.

Four orange beams of light fired out of her blaster, enough to light up the entire yard with each shot as she caught a glimpse of two figures.

It all happened in mere seconds. She watched the bolts travel right towards the shadowed figure who stood no more than a few feet away from her… but each of the four bolts were deflected, veering off in different directions.

But that wasn't the part that caused Summer to freeze in both fear and hopelessness. No, that part was the beam of blue light that illuminated the night, the one that deflected each of her blaster shots effortlessly. The same blue beam that she'd recognize from anywhere belonging to a particular weapon that an Order, whom she no longer had anything to do with, used.

The brightness of the light caused her to narrow her eyes against it but she already knew who it was that found her. She couldn't believe it… She didn't want to believe it.

"Now, is that any way to greet an old friend?"

Summer felt her blaster slip out of her hands at the words, at the voice who spoke out to her. It really was him. She felt her earlier emotions finally come crashing back and flood her mind with memories and images of her past. The same past which finally caught up to her again.

When Summer finally found her voice though, there was only a name that came to mind.

Her old friend. Her old mentor… her old beacon.

"Master Ozpin…"

"D- Did you see that?!" Ruby shouted from where she stood, still in the room with Yang. "That blue light deflected the blaster shots! Almost like some kind of shield!" She continued.

Already she formed calculations and hypotheses on what kind of shield design that could have been but something seemed off on it. Almost as if it weren't a shield at all… Maybe some kind of weapon?

Turning towards Yang, Ruby couldn't help but feel both invigorated and terrified. She was worried about her mom, about who her trap had captured earlier, about her and her sister! But she wanted to see what was happening outside.

When that blue beam of light erupted, it cast a light on a figure she wasn't familiar with. She could tell it was a man with white hair, dressed in some kind of robe but before she could examine him any further from the window, the light had extinguished and all was dark again.

"We have to find mom."

Ruby turned towards Yang as her blonde sister looked back at her with eyes full of fear. Seeing her older sister look scared wasn't something she was used to seeing and it caused her to get a little more worried as well.

"Let's go then." She answered.

Both sisters held their gaze for a moment before Yang nodded her head and nervously swallowed. Ruby still felt excitement in her body but when she moved to take a step and follow Yang out of the room, she noticed that her legs quivered with fear. Every step she took was shaky and uncertain but she stayed behind Yang.

They crept through the small hallways of their home, towards the front door but it wasn't until they were in sight of it that Ruby realized that neither she nor Yang had a weapon.

"H- How are we going to save mom, Yang?" She whispered, unable to keep the quivering fear out of her voice.

She watched Yang's back as the girl stopped walking and heard her sigh.

"I don't know…? Don't you have some stupid gadget or something?" Yang hissed back at her.

Ruby felt a hot anger rise up in her chest at the words though, unable to back down.

"My inventions aren't stupid." She angrily replied back, knowing she was no longer whispering but she couldn't help it. "You're stupid!"

She watched as Yang turned around and even in the dead of night Ruby could see the glare she got from her sister. Before Yang moved closer to her, Ruby already tensed up and braced herself. Not even a moment later did she feel Yang push her.

Reeling from the force of it, Ruby tried to keep her balance but failed as she fell on her back with a thud.

Pushing herself up within seconds, Ruby was prepared to leap at Yang to get her back, but when her vision was blinded by lights, she froze.

Blinking away the brightness of her home so suddenly, both girls glanced towards the front door of their home in awe. Three people stood in the doorway, but only one of them stood out to the both of them. Anger and hostilities gone now, both Ruby and Yang's eyes widened at the sight of their mother, who appeared shaken but unhurt as she peered back towards them.

"Mom!" They both cried out in unison.

Though right before they broke out into a sprint to hug their mother, both girls froze at the sight of the other two strangers who flanked her on either side. One was an older man with white hair who Ruby instantly recognized as the same person she spotted outside, with that blue light near him. He was dressed in loose fitting brown robes and wore small spectacles that barely covered his eyes. Ruby thought he would have looked scary if not for the gentle smile he was now giving her.

Though the other person's expression who stood on the left of her mother was anything but friendly. The other was a woman with blonde hair, almost like her sister's own but tied up into a bun. Her eyes regarded both her and her sister with an expression Ruby wasn't familiar with. She wasn't sure if she was mad at her or sad for some reason. She too was dressed similarly to the other man.

"Yang… Ruby…" Summer called out, though her voice sounded strained and tired.

Both girls turned their attention back to their mother who shook her head softly but there was a trace of a smile at her lips.

"I thought I told you two to stay in your room."

Both girls glanced at each other for a moment before looking back at their mother in shame. But as Ruby tried to form her thoughts and fears into words, it was Yang who spoke up first.

"I… we were scared." She mumbled out. "We were going to come help you!"

With every word that left Yang's mouth, it seemed as if her confidence rose. The blonde girl pointed towards the strangers though with a fierce look.

"A- Are you the two who tried to hurt my mom?" Yang shouted, though her voice betrayed the fear still present in her. "I won't let you!"

Ruby moved to stand next to Yang, forgetting about wanting to get her back, and nodded as if to agree with her sister.

There they both stood in defiance towards the two strangers near their mom. Though whether it was false bravado, adrenaline, or childish bravery, the two girls stood there and waited.

Until the white haired man let out a laughter that only confused the two girls until he turned to their mother with his smile still on his face.

"I see now." He chuckled out. "Your girls take after the old you, I must say."

Without missing a beat, the man took a step towards both Yang and Ruby who both instinctively took a step backwards.

"Ah, cautious are we?" he asked, though he raised his hands up as if he meant them no harm. "I will not hurt you or… your mother. I'm an old friend of hers."

But Ruby and Yang's eyes only looked at the robed man in apprehension. They turned their gazes towards their mother who also looked towards the man, but said nothing.

"How d- do we know you're not lying?!" Ruby shouted, pointing towards him much like Yang had earlier.

But the man only chuckled softly again, which only caused Ruby to get upset.

"What's so funny?"

Shaking his head and turning around to look at their mother, he gave the woman a knowing look again, the smile still not leaving his face.

"Well… would a Jedi ever lie?"

It took a moment for Ruby to understand the words he said but she shook her head. She had heard about Jedi before. They were heroes, almost like myths to the people of the galaxy. She had heard talk about them when she and Yang visited the town square to get supplies but she had never seen one before. All she knew was that they were powerful people who wielded swords of light.

Lightsabers.

"Ah, you don't believe me." The man asked to which he reached into his robe.

Ruby jumped at the sudden movement but the man only held up his other hand as if to calm her before pulling a long silver cylinder out of his pockets. Ruby felt her eyes focus in on the object, her mind quickly trying to make sense of it and what it was, but the man spoke up again, holding the rod in front of him now.

"I guess the only way to make you believe me is to show you this then?"

But his actions were cut short when Summer stepped behind him and placed a hand at his shoulder, halting him.

"I don't want them influenced by this… by my problems."

The man turned and peered into his old pupil's eyes before he understood.

"You haven't told them?" He asked towards Summer, which the woman only shook her head at the question. Almost shamefully.

Silence took ahold of the room again. All eyes turned towards the mother as the woman looked very close to breaking down. It was too much. All happening to fast for her. And tonight, she knew, she knew that she'd have to tell the two girls who were the world to her the truth about her and their life in solitude. And if they had to find out now… She was going to be the one to tell them.

But how? How do you tell your children something like that? She struggled to put it into words herself as she peered into Ruby's and Yang's eyes. Her two girls looked confused, scared, and maybe even a little angry but she wasn't surprised. Not at how they raised their voices at them, or even disobeyed her after she told them to stay in her room. She couldn't feel those emotions… but she did feel pride in them for wanting to protect her.

'Maybe I haven't failed just yet. Not again.'

The thought caused her to smile now, and it was that that finally gave her the boost of confidence she needed to tell them the truth.

No more secrets.

"Yang, Ruby… Master Ozpin isn't lying." She answered, gaining the attention of her daughters as their faces scrunched up in confusion.

"He is a Jedi… and so… so was I."