A Fateful Meeting: Ace's Race Against Time

I awake feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. I look up to see that while the sun was indeed out it was sinking lower and would be setting in a few hours.

'Ugh, how long have I been out?' I wonder to myself as I slowly rise from where I've been laying. 'Wait! Where is everybody?'

I look around frantically to find anyone. As I look around, I realize I'm not in the Emerald Forest anymore. There's no forest at all, just a beautiful field of flowers. It seems to stretch on endlessly.

I seem to be on a large hill side in terms of terrain. I concentrate on scanning my surroundings, taking in the various sights around me. A few sizable boulders litter the landscape, as well as a large pond of crystal clear water sitting nearby.

The sky is bright blue with white fluffy clouds hanging in various places. I can feel a slight breeze flowing through the air, making the flowers and tall grasses dance and sway. It's beautiful here. Wherever I am.

"You're finally awake." I hear a voice from behind me say.

I quickly turn around to see a figure turned away from me, standing beneath a lone oak tree. The tree is rather large, indicating it is very old.

The figure wore all white with a hood and cape that looked a lot like Ruby's. But This person is taller than her.

"You seem familiar." I say softly. "Do I know you?" I ask.

"Yes and at the same time you do not." She answers cryptically.

"Look I don't mean to be rude, but I'm already confused as it is, so if you could refrain from speaking in riddles it would be really appreciated." I tell her. "Who are you?"

"Forgive me. Maybe this will help you." She says turning around to face me.

My eyes lock with silver eyes, the same silver eyes as Ruby, and her hair. Her hair was black with red tips hanging past her shoulders. It couldn't be.

"Mrs. Rose?" I ask in disbelief.

"Please, call me Summer." She says smiling. She walks forward and wraps me in a warm embrace. She's definitely Ruby's mother. "Thank you for saving my little Rose."

"Wait." I say breaking free of her embrace. "How is this possible? I thought you were…"

"No longer of the living?" She finishes. I nod in response. "Do you remember anything from before you woke up?" She asks me.

"I remember we were on a mission, and there was so many Grimm." I answer as I recall what happened. "There was a Death Stalker. It was going to hurt Ruby so I ran to protect her." My eyes widen with realization. "I was wounded." I say, the words barely coming out of my mouth, as I remember.

I remember the stinger impaling my back. My bones breaking, blood draining from my body. The scene of Ruby calling my name as tears ran down her face flashes in my mind.

"Am… Am I dead?" I ask her hesitantly.

"You were critically injured. Technically you are still alive but…"

"But what?" I ask.

"Young Wolfblade, have you ever heard of Aura Lockdown?" She questions.

"I can't say that I have." I answer.

"Aura Lockdown is a rare usually triggered by a very traumatic injury. When you were wounded you went into a state of Aura Lockdown. If you hadn't you would have died just from the pain. Instead, your body released a part of your soul saving you from that fate. Your consciousness. However Aura Lockdown is very dangerous. If you cannot return to your body soon you will die." She explains.

I feel my heart drop as I take all this information in.

"I see." I say sitting down in the grass.

"You're taking this much better than I had anticipated." Summer says standing behind me.

"Ruby is safe. That's all that matters to me at this point." I reply.

But was it really that simple? Could I really be at peace with all of this? There was so much that I wanted to do. I didn't even get to say goodbye. Now I may never see anyone again.

What will become of my team? My friends and family? Even Shadow.

"Tell me, why did you choose to save Ruby instead of avoiding injury?" Summer asks.

"I was warned in a dream that I'd have to pick between myself and her. I didn't know what it meant at the time. When I saw what was happening, I knew who I was going to pick. I chose Ruby to live." I answer.

"So you came to her aid without so much as a second thought?" She asks.

"I suppose I did. But if I were given a second chance, had I the time to really think it through, I would have chosen her again anyways. I didn't want to see her get hurt." I reply.

"Why is that?"

"Because… I love her." I answer with a small smile. "Isn't that why you did it?" I ask.

"Yes. I loved her with all my heart. I still do." She says pausing briefly. "I approve." She says smiling.

"What?" I ask, confused as to what she was referring to.

"I approve." She repeats. "You have my blessing to date my daughter, provided you can make it back of course."

"But…"

"I know you are worried about her dating you because you are a Half Breed. But you shouldn't worry about the negative reactions people will have. Both of you care very much about each other, and that is all that should matter."

"Thank you." I smile. "I think you're right. I just needed to hear it myself."

"I always had a feeling you would choose her to protect." Summer states.

"You knew this would happen?" I ask. She nods in response. Then it dawns on me. I stand up and face her. "You were the voice in my dreams!"

"Yes, I was." She confirms.

"That's why you seemed so familiar, both here and in the dreams, even though I had never met you. You reminded me of Ruby."

"You were the only one I could trust to speak with." She informs me.

"Why me? Why not talk to your daughter? Why not warn her?" I ask.

"I tried. I have tried for many years to speak with her. But she cannot let go of me leaving her. It's all she seems to remember. I tried to visit her to comfort her when she was having doubts as a leader." She explains.

"But she had a nightmare instead." I tell her.

"I never meant to hurt her. I only wished to help her, for her to know that I will always love and watch over her. To tell her how proud I am of her and Yang. But instead I unintentionally triggered the nightmare and led her to you. The Grimm Warrior and his pet Beowolf. The one that would help her through her fears." She says with a smile.

"You did what I couldn't, and for that I am eternally grateful. That is why I chose you. Why I continued to visit you in your dreams."

"But you didn't look like, well, you. You looked like a white ember." I tell her.

"A soul. I came to you as the essence that makes us who we are. While I trusted you, I could not reveal my identity to you until now." She explains.

"Alright. Less creepy." I say relieved.

"I heard that eerie remark you made." She jests.

"Well it was." I laugh.

I look up at the cracked moon hovering overhead. We had been talking for quite some time and failed to notice it become dark. The stars above shine bright like thousands of beaming diamonds.

"It's nice up here." I say.

"It is lovely isn't it?" She asks.

"Mhmm." I hum in response, the cool breeze blowing through the area.

Suddenly my body tenses up as I am wracked with great pain in my back.

'What's happening!?' I mentally scream as I collapse backwards onto the ground, thrashing around in pain.

"Oh no." Summer says, rushing over to me and quickly restraining me as best as she can.

"IT HURTS!" I shout.

"Stay strong. Your soul is weakening. If you succumb to the pain now it's all over for you." She informs me.

"MAKE… IT… STOP!" I yell as the pain spreads like a wildfire all over my body. Everything hurts. "AHHH!" I scream in one final cry of pain.

Then… Nothing. The pain slowly subsides, leaving me shaking all over, breathing heavily. A few minutes is all I need to begin recovering. All the while I notice my head has been move on to Summer's lap.

"Thank Dust. You made it through." She says softly.

"That… That was horrible." I pant.

"I know. But you lived. You should be thankful for that right?" She asks. I nod awkwardly, my head still laid on her lap.

"I can see where Ruby gets her optimism. She gets a lot from you actually."

"Is that so bad?" She asks.

"What do you think?" I ask with a smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment then." She says smiling back.

"I'm so tired." I sigh. That awful experience just now really did a number on my energy.

"You should probably rest. You will need your strength if you hope to return to your friends. I'll be here when you wake." She says gently.

I nod and quickly drift to sleep.

"You're no Huntress, You're a liability."

'Huh? That sounds like… Mom!' I think as I am roused from my rest by her voice.

"How dare you talk to my sister like that!"

"Yang? What's going on? They sound like they are arguing." I ask in confusion.

"You hear them." Summer says simply.

"How?" I ask.

"You are still connected to the physical world. This may be how you can return." She explains as the argument continues.

"ENOUGH!" Dez's voice says loudly echoing briefly before it becomes silent again.

"I need to get back to them." I state as I stand up. "You said that their voices might be the way back. How?"

"Follow them. Your soul resonates to their emotions. Let them guide you home." Summer answers.

"When I heard them, it sounded like they were coming from that direction." I say pointing towards a forest far off in the distance.

"Then we have no time to lose. I will follow you. You know, to keep you company." She smiles. "Let's just see if you can keep up."

And just like that she's off in a flash of white petals.

"Hey no fair." I shout as I take off after her.

We run through the endless fields as fast as we can, talking along the way. We've been running for hours and we still haven't reached the forest. The sun is already setting and it's becoming increasingly dark.

My legs are starting to ache from this continuing marathon. But I have to keep going.

Summer however looks like she's really enjoying this.

"Aren't you getting tired?" I ask.

"Nope!" she happily chirps her reply. "I used to run like this all the time when Ruby discovered her Semblance. Keeping up with her is like chasing the wind. But she loved the feeling of speeding around while I tried to chase her. To her it was a game she loved to play and I too enjoyed it myself."

I smile as I picture an even younger Ruby laughing as she sped around while her loving mother chased her.

"Such fond memories." She says with a sad smile.

"When I… If I get back, I promise I will pass on your message to Ruby and Yang." I say in determination.

"Thank you. It would mean more than anything for you to do that for me." She says.

The moon once again takes its place overhead and a blanket of stars covers the night sky. Soon the edge of the forest comes into view and we cease running.

"This is as far as I may go." Summer says turning towards me. "I wish you luck."

I look towards her frowning. This is where we must part ways.

"Will I… Will I ever see you again?" I ask.

"When you need me, remember to keep me close in your dreams. I will be watching." She says wrapping me in one last embrace which I immediately return. "Thank you for giving me one more run."

"I'm very glad I got to meet you. I promise I'll take care of her." I state before we separate.

"Before you go I have one last piece of advice. There will be many struggles and hardships ahead. Many forces are conspiring to disrupt the peace. Keep your friends close. You are strong together. You and your friends may be Remnant's last hope. Take care." She says.

"I will. Goodbye Summer." I say, giving my farewell.

She nods before speaking. "And thus, I kindly scatter." She says as she disappears in a flurry of white rose petals.

'An odd way to say goodbye… Maybe it means something.' I think as I am left to my solitude.

I look into the forest. The night sky has done everything in its power to cast shadows over the twists and turns within. It's completely dark, save for the few places where the light of the moon shined through.

'Concentrate. Remember what Luna taught you.'

I close my eyes for a moment and open them. My half Faunus eye sight illuminates a clearer path for me. It was like switching from regular sight to looking through night vision lenses.

Carefully I step into the forest. I walk onward through the dense sea of trees. It seems to stretch on endlessly.

After a while, my energy seems to have returned a little. I begin sprinting through the forest dodging trees and limbs as I go.

"The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I get back to my friends." I say to myself.

I run and I run. Finally after what seems like an eternity of running I begin to make out what I hope is the edge of the forest. I'm almost there.

Then my body begins to fill with an intense pain, just like earlier. I trip and collapse to the dirt below.

"No… Not now…" I grunt as I lay sprawled out on the ground.

My body aches too much. I can barely move.

"I'm sorry guys. I don't… I don't think I'm coming back…"

My eyes feel heavy. I can hardly maintain consciousness now. It's over.

"Ace…" I hear a voice call to me.

"Zweii?" I say weakly.

"Ace. I know you can hear me. You can't give up just yet. We're not giving up on you so don't you dare quit fighting." He orders.

"I'm sorry… But I can't even move. I…"

"I won't forgive you if you die on us." He states.

"Zweii…"

"I should have been there. I should have had your back. I should have helped you. But I couldn't."

"It… Wasn't your fault." I rasp.

"I couldn't then and I don't even know if I can help you now. But I can't just stand by and watch you die. You're a great fighter and an even greater friend. You're far too strong a person to just give up. If you died, you would hurt all of us. Me, Matt, Dez, RWBY, JNPR… Everyone. So please, come back to us. We need you to be okay. We need our friend back."

I smile at my partner's words.

'Alright then.'

"Get… Up!" I command my body, clutching the ground beneath my hands. "Zweii's right. I'm stronger than this. I'm going back… even if I have to crawl all the way there. Get up!"

I slowly get off the ground, using a tree for support. I slowly trudge towards the end of the forest, fighting through the pain. That's when I hear another voice. Ruby's voice.

"Ace. Remember when we first met? Back in the Emerald Forest?" She asks.

"How could I forget?" I say in response to her question.

"It seems so long ago, but at the same time I remember it like it was yesterday. I had a nightmare that I lost everyone and couldn't do a thing to stop it. I was so scared. I doubted myself as a leader. But then you were there, to help me through everything. You didn't even know me but you wanted to help. And you did. You gave me hope that I could be a better, stronger leader. You comforted my fears. You became one of my closest friends that day. I never realized how close we really were."

"What? How did she…" I wonder. Then I realize the answer. "Weiss and Blake." I listen as Ruby continues.

"I guess I really am just a child sometimes. I didn't even realize your true feelings for me. Looking back on it now, it was really obvious. Until now I wasn't even sure if I even felt the same towards you. But then I remember all of the fun times we shared together. The day in the city, the Halloween party, our Christmas together. How we always made each other smile each day. I though really hard about it and… I… I love you too! I love you and I don't want to lose you." I hear her crying her decision.

"Ruby…" I sigh with a smile as I step out of the forest.

Before me is a clearing leading to a cliffside. The sun barely begins to break through illuminating the sky with shades of oranges and reds. I look over the cliffside seeing nothing but white clouds below.

"I'm coming Ruby."

I turn my back to the cliffside to have one last look, before closing my eyes and leaning back, falling off the edge and into the sky.

My eyes slowly open, but my vision is hazed and blurry. Slowly it begins to clear and I can see again.

'Did I make it back?' I wonder.

I hear crying. Its then that I can feel tears falling onto my face.

"Please… I need you… Don't leave me." I hear Ruby say as more tears fall onto my cheek.

"I will never leave you." I tell her weakly, finding my voice.

"A-Ace?" Ruby asks.

She removes an oxygen mask from my face. A few more tears escape her eyes and fall on me.

"Hey could you stop? That stuff's kinda cold." I say jokingly.

"He's awake!" I hear Matt shout excitedly.

I look around the room I am in to see my friends and my parents looking at me.

'I'm home guys. I made it back.'

A/N: And there you have it. By now I think it was pretty obvious as to who it was Ace had a message from, but I bet you never expected a chapter dedicated to Ace and Summer Rose in the Afterlife. Now I did something in this chapter that I really hate to do. I introduced a character that I have almost no knowledge on, in this case Summer. Now while I do have a tendency to do stuff that defies RWBY Canon, I do not like making assumptions about the characters. I want to keep their image as close to what Monty had envisioned and created them to be. But in this case I made some educated assumptions to develop Summer Rose. Hopefully this will be the only time that this happens.

Alright, that's all for this small chapter. Now I'm off to prepare the final piece of this arc. See you Saturday.