This one has been sitting on my computer for awhile now - thought that it was finally time to edit and put it online! Just a little idea I had - I hope it's enjoyable!


Summer heard air rushing from her mouth in ragged gasps as she stared down the figure standing in front of her. Clutching her right side in pain, she could feel a warm, sticky substance oozing from a fresh wound, quickly coating her fingers while she tried to stymie the flow.

Her enemy stood there impassively, seemingly unaffected by the battle they had just waged through the forest. The wide trail of burning wreckage left in their wake seemed to be the only evidence that this other figure had just been in any battle, whatsoever. They showed no shortness of breath, no labored movements, no injuries…just searing yellow eyes boring out from behind the skeleton mask covering the entirety of the other huntress' face.

She had seen those eyes before…somewhere…

Straightening her back, Summer let out a small gasp of pain when she felt the true extent of the injury in her side. The amount of blood running through her fingers was surely not a good sign, nor was the fact that her right hand shook when she tried to hold her weapon steady out in front of her.

"The great Summer Rose…"

The voice was like silk, emanating not so much from the figure in front of her, but from the forest surrounding her. It invaded her mind – covering it in a thick fog.

"Are you prepared to die?"

Wincing at the word, she felt adrenaline pump into her veins as every fiber in her essence fought against the notion. She was not ready to die. She had too much to live for – most importantly, two little girls who were counting on her to come home tonight and tuck them in to bed.

"No," she answered firmly, standing back up to her full height - refusing to grimace in pain while she did so. Summoning as much remaining energy as she had to her right hand, she was able to hold her weapon steady in front of her, preparing herself for the next onslaught.

The huntress flashed forward – much too quickly for Summer to even track her movements – landing a kick into the still-open wound in Summer's side before flashing away. The blow sent her crashing back to her knees, wheezing in agony while white dots swam across her vision.

"Are you prepared to die?"

The repeated question reverberated through Summer's mind, forcing her slowly back to her feet.

"No," she replied, raising her sword once again. It shook in her hand as she held it, but this time she did not care.

The figure flew towards her once again, katana slicing through the air with deadly speed and accuracy. She managed to deflect the first blow away from her, only to feel her own weapon yanked from her weakening grasp – flying across the forest ground and clattering into a tree trunk some twenty yards away. The cool steel of a blade pressed against her neck, drawing her back to her feet.

Those yellow eyes stared through her, displaying no emotion whatsoever. No thrill or satisfaction in a victory, nothing. They were emptier than any eyes Summer had ever seen before.

"Are you prepared to die?" the huntress asked once more.

Summer felt tears burning as the smiling faces of Yang and Ruby flashed before her eyes.

"Don't worry," the figure said, pressing the blade a little further into Summer's neck, sending her backwards one step to escape the weapon. "We'll make sure they die quickly."

The tears finally began to fall, rolling down her cheeks and onto the cold steel at her neck, while her heart boiled with rage at the threat on her daughters' lives.

"You will never hurt them," she snarled at her opponent. "For they are wind and fire – just when you think you've put out the flames, the wind will reignite the embers. And no matter how high or sturdy you build your walls, the wind will always blow stronger - a firestorm always close behind. You may be able to end my life today, but you will never be able to stop them. And when your entire world has been burned to the ground before your eyes, the wreckage strewn far and wide by an unrelenting force, you will realize the mistake you made in trying to harm either of them."

The figure stared at her, eyes unblinking at the fervor behind her threats.

"We will deal with them when the time comes," the huntress replied flatly. "But now…are you prepared to die?"

Summer spat in the figure's face, earning a growl of displeasure.

"I will never truly die."

The huntress wiped her mask with one hand as she tightened the grip upon her sword.

"We shall see."


"Summer!"

She woke with a start, clutching instantly at her throat and firmly shoving away the person near her. After a few seconds, she finally began coming back to her senses, noticing the darkened room, the warm covers wrapped around her, the moonlight shining through their bedroom window. Taiyang straightened himself out after her forceful shove, looking at her with eyes full of concern.

"I'm ok," she replied instinctively, finding her voice dry and raspy. "Just a bad dream, that's all."

The look he gave her said the same thing she was thinking to herself.

Another nightmare.

They had been happening too frequently as of late. How many times now had Taiyang woken her like this? Drenched in sweat, covers strewn about from her thrashing, heart beating far too rapidly? He had made a joke about how he was lucky she didn't sleep with her weapon by her side, otherwise she probably would have skewered him several times by now.

The bad dreams weren't just happening more frequently, they also always featured the same evil aura – a skillful huntress with yellow eyes and little emotion. No matter how Summer fought against her, she could not win. The figure seemed to know what moves Summer would make even before she had made them. The battles were always lopsided losses – she could not even injure the other fighter.

"I'm ok, really," she reiterated, not wanting to go into any detail about her most recent defeat just yet.

After Taiyang had studied her for several more minutes, he eventually gave in and laid back down to go back to sleep, leaving Summer to her tormented thoughts.

The dreams were beginning to wear her down, filling her with a sense of foreboding that followed her around like a dark cloud while leaving the taste of regret and defeat fresh in her memory.

She had failed her daughters – or was destined to fail them. And that fact weighed heavily upon her soul.

A thought suddenly forced itself back to the forefront of her mind – one that had been lurking in the shadows for quite some time now - an idea she had never truly wanted to embrace. But her inescapable departure from this world seemed to make it loom as a larger and larger inevitability.

She wouldn't allow her daughters to become victims to the evil spreading into their world. She would not allow those with malicious intent to come anywhere near their beautiful souls.

And if Summer could not be there to keep them safe forever, she would ensure that they could protect themselves. In whatever time she might have left, whether it was five years, a year, a few months, she would mold them into wind and fire – unstoppable forces fighting for good.

"Taiyang…please ask Qrow to come over tomorrow," she whispered softly to her husband, receiving a quiet grunt and no question in response.

Her daughters would not become just another pair of victims. They would not live in fear. They would not be left defenseless.

No…they would become huntsmen.

Starting tomorrow.