Chapter Eight: Destiny
The air itself was thick with the tension as everyone present, Ghast and human staring in fear and awe at the battle of the two warriors. Summer stood with her scythe sword, the word COURAGE nearly glowing with the Aura placed into it. Cinder stared down, her clothes wriggling in the anticipation of devouring Summer, almost seeming as if they were living themselves.
It was almost as if fate itself had stopped to watch the two begin their brawl. Birds gathered, flocking to the roof and stones of the castle. Far away, those that held the feeling of Aura in them that were merely tapping into an inkling of their power turned towards the battle, the Aura gathered an almost electrifying thing.
Summer's Aura was a visible field around her, glowing silver as her eye color, the burning power radiating off of her like a sun. Righteous fury was emboldened on the silver eyed warrior's features, staring down the one who was once her adoptive sister. Her cloak was moved by the sheer force her Aura was emitting, the breeze itself having stilled so as to not interrupt what Fate itself had brought.
Cinder stared down from her throne, relishing the challenger that had presented herself. She licked her lips once, stepping down in front of Summer. With a mere three feet between them, it was bold and powerful, the force both of them seemed to exude. A pin dropped, tinkling on the floor with a small ping.
Summer jumped back, swinging her sword with a mighty blow. Cinder ducked under it, striking a mighty blow to Summer's chest. Summer stepped back, gasping for breath. She swung for Cinder, eyes widening as her fist caught on fire, burning painfully.
"Cinder can even use her fire ability on that much Aura?!" Raven gasped.
"Fire ability?" Ozma looked at the thief.
"She can counter Aura with it by combusting the flesh of her attacker. Even the strongest of Aura seems to be unable to counter it.
Summer quickly covered her hand in her cloak, suffocating the flames before real harm could be done. She stepped back, swinging her sword downward to cleave Cinder in half. In the insides of the monster, there was nothing but a blackness, a pure evil. Raven merely caught a glimpse and nearly felt madness clawing at her. The horror she saw in the insides of the Grimm formerly known as Cinder Fall was incredible.
"Such monstrosity," Ozma gasped, his Aura protecting him from madness along with Ironwood and Ironwood. "It is a good thing we decided to come here to destroy this monster. She must not be allowed to leave here. We cannot allow her to carry out her goals. If Summer falls, we will fight to the end."
The two halves of the monster fell apart, her left side grabbing Summer by the throat, beginning to squeeze.
"Did you think that you could defeat me so easily?" The Grimm cackled, both halves moving their mouths as inky black tendrils oozed from the two halves, connecting with each other and pulling the two halves back together. Cinder seemed to be a bit off center, still holding Summer's throat.
"Such a pity," She held Summer off the ground, her strength easily allowing her to do so. "And, you thought you could do it. I had wanted to turn you into one of my Ghast creatures and have you under my thumb forever. But, now, I do see that I couldn't do that very easily. We shall see if you can destroy me. You can't breathe, which means that your Aura will be much weaker. How does that make you feel? Suffocation? Fear? Like you're drowning?"
Cinder dug her claws into Summer's neck, a pulsing coming from her fingers as she began to inject her essence into the giant of a woman.
"She's going to force her to become a monster!" Raven gasped, feeling the madness leave her as Cinder's body was repaired.
"Scream if you can, Summer," Cinder smirked. "I would love to hear you scream one last time."
Summer grunted in her pain, swinging her sword with one hand. Cinder leaned her head back, the sword passing over her completely.
"Fool!" She shouted, the pulsing continuing as her eyes glowed an amber color. Summer, however, wasn't done, pulling her arm back, the sword transforming into its scythe form. The blade of the scythe ripped through Cinder's arms like butter, removing them from Cinder's body.
The arms dropped to the ground, next to Summer's feet as the silver eyed warrior gave a small yell, inky black madness spurting out of the wound Cinder left in her neck. It fell to the ground, sizzling as the Aura Summer had used on it dissipated it.
"What is that?" Raven nearly felt her stomach turn as she watched the inky blackness.
"That," Ozma looked at it, narrowing his eyes. "Is the essence of a Grimm, the monster's way of turning others to its side."
"It's over, Cinder!" Summer swung her scythe at Cinder once again, intending to decapitate her. As the blade connected with Cinder, Summer made the blade follow through, , finishing the blow with a final swing that took the blade behind her own head.
"Sh-She did it!" Raven gasped. "She made it through Cinder's head. She beheaded the monster!"
"It's a bit too early to celebrate," Ozma's voice was cold and solemn. "Look once again, friend."
Raven looked at Summer to see the blade from the scythe clatter to the ground, the end melted off right where the blade had touched Cinder. The blade melted, turning to a small puddle of liquid metal, unrecognizable from its former state. Summer stared down at Cinder, who looked up at her with a smirk.
"So, you can even use your ability to manipulate incredible heat on metal that doesn't touch you for long," Summer said. "I suppose it was to be expected. But, I will not let you terrorize these people anymore. You're going straight to hell, Cinder. Our fates will be decided here and now!"
"Of course, Summer dear," Cinder mocked, a group of inky black tendrils coming out from where Cinder's arms were, grabbing the arms and replacing them on Cinder. She twisted her arms, getting some feeling in them before she fixed her off-center body Summer had cleaved in half. "But, I must tell you that I will enjoy making you one of my servants."
"I'll die first!" The blade was swung again, Summer swinging it much lower than before. Cinder laughed, catching the scythe and beginning to melt it. This was met with a foot infused with a grand amount of Aura. Summer's aim was true, the kick connecting to Cinder's head, nearly dislodging it from the force.
"Direct contact!" Raven cheered. "That's it, Summer!"
The thief's cry was short lived, however, as Summer's foot burst into flame, her boot being completely consumed and her foot nearly suffering burns as well before Summer stepped in the nearby fountain, rushing back in minus one boot.
"Such intensity of flame," Ozma leaned on his cane. "It would seem that she would be a threat to even advanced Aura wielders. I shudder to think what would happen if Summer were not our ally."
"You keep going on as if you know what's going to happen," Raven turned to him. "What do you know?"
"Watch your tongue, miscreant!" Ironwood started, but Ozma held up a hand.
"She is right to question. As an advanced wielder of Aura, there are times I can predict the future. It is very limited and it would not be anything past my own death save a very particular thing. As you do not have this ability, it would be useless to show its true form to you. But, this is one of the things I have foreseen. This monster of a Grimm is far more dangerous and cunning than any Grimm I have heard of in previous records since the creation of the bone masks."
"You know the story behind those?"
"If we live through this, we shall sit down and discuss the past, Raven Branwen." The Aura Master smiled at the thief. "Your brother spoke highly of you. Perhaps he could see your future to see you here, ready to lay down your life to stop the greatest evil in your lifetime and mine."
"It's Summer who's riding on this," Raven turned her attention to the fight. "This is her fight, ten years in the making."
"The destiny of both her and the Grimm is in her bloodline," Ozma looked solemnly at Summer.
"You keep talking like you know what's going to happen, old man."
"I see bits and pieces of the future. It is not set in stone, but I feel a dark omen descending upon her bloodline. The mask has tied the fates of these two in a knot that will only be broken with blood of a dragon."
"What does that mean?" Raven glanced back, fixated on the fight.
"It is not for you to question destiny and fate, Raven Branwen, merely to observe it."
"I'm observing my friend fighting for her life against a monster she's dealt with for ten years."
Summer stood firm against Cinder, her body and weapon soaked in water from the fountain. Making her way forward, she plunged the sword toward Cinder, intending to pierce her heart. However, with a sizzle, Cinder smirked as the water evaporated and the scythe was sliced further, the piece melting to the stones on the floor.
"Give it up, Summer," The Grimm laughed as she wrenched a stone from the wall to the enormous drop into the river below effortlessly, hurling it at the silver eyed warrior. "I've outmatched you. Your pathetic tricks are no true match for my powers. Now, burn and die so that I can enjoy what I will do to this entire island when I am finished."
"You'll get no chance with me still breathing," Summer put her weapon away, standing in a combative stance. Her body was pulsing a silver color with her Aura as her eyes glowed a burning silver color. Cinder couldn't help but laugh at her attempts.
"It's as if everything hinges on this moment," She pointed to Summer with her clawed black hand that didn't seem to have healed fully. "You. You're the single thorn in my flesh that has made me have to be cautious. I was trying to remove you quietly, but you seem to just not be able to take a hint. You've pushed me to this, Summer. I am your fault! You made this monster out of me! Now, die for your mistake!"
Cinder lunged at Summer, who dodged to the left, to the same eye that Qrow had damaged in his final attack. Cinder didn't turn quick enough to dodge the fist saturated in Aura that collided with her head.
"Atta girl, Summer!" Raven cheered her on. "Take her down that way!"
Summer looked at her hand, gasping silently as she heard the hissing coming from it. She tried to keep pushing, ignoring the burning feeling spreading through it as her glove burned up from the intense heat. Her Aura protected her, but it wasn't connecting with Cinder. The Grimm laughed, her face distorted from the force of Summer's fist into her own face.
"You've failed once again to damage me," Cinder grabbed Summer's chest, her hand ablaze and watching as the steam from the water Summer had drenched herself in was pouring off and her clothes began to be set alight. "Now, I shall humiliate you one last time before I completely mutilate you."
"You won't get a chance!" Summer kicked her away, toward the edge of the wall. She covered her chest with her cape and suffocated the flames that surrounded it. With the flames extinguished, she took a stone from the ground, similar to Cinder earlier, hurling it at the Grimm. The rock struck Cinder, swiftly followed by a kick from Summer to her throat.
This time, Cinder took notable damage, vomiting out a black substance, not unlike the viscous inky blackness she had injected into Summer.
"That looks like it hurt her a lot," Raven gasped. "I think it connected well."
"It may have been a chance shot," Ozma narrowed his eyes. "For, there is no such thing as luck. We shall see what there is to come from this battle."
Cinder covered her mouth, looking at Summer, who followed it up with a punch that knocked her back.
"How?!" Cinder demanded, inky blackness spittling out of her mouth as she shouted. "How did you manage to strike through my defenses?!"
"I've simply placed a large amount of Aura in my arm only," Summer clenched her fist to strike again. "And, with that, I have struck you."
"You fool!" Cinder waved her hand at Summer, the inky blackness she had vomited out beginning to move. It moved toward Summer with a strange movement, not unlike a slug. It seemed to generate an intense amount of heat, burning powerfully with each second. Summer glanced down at them, the Grimm cackling.
"You don't understand what I've managed to accomplish with my power since we last truly battled, Summer," Cinder pointed at her, a claw managing to shoot what looked like a small flaming ball at Summer. Summer dodged it, swiping at the inky black creatures with her sword, turning one to dust.
"Your Aura won't help you forever, Summer," Cinder's next blow sent Summer flying into the fountain. The silver eyed warrior stood up shakily, drenched once again, but with this impact, the fountain had been destroyed, the water pouring out and spreading all over the floor. It flowed in the opposite direction of the battle, running through the gaps in the castle left by age.
"Your luck has just run out," Cinder couldn't hold back her laugh. It was going in her favor. The last thing to debate was whether or not to drink all of Summer's blood, turn her into one of her kind, or simply throw her lifeless corpse over the wall.
"And, now, Summer, dear, witness what I am fully capable of!" The Grimm's body became extremely hot, to the point where those watching had to shield their faces. Only Summer stood staring straight at Cinder, whose body was covered in an orange flame.
"With my power, not even stone can withstand this heat!" It was truth, for the stones beneath Cinder began to melt, the very air around her seeming as if it had caught fire. Cinder's laugh could barely be heard over the roaring inferno that surrounded her.
"This is just like back at the manor, Summer! Except this time, it will be you who is to die in the fire!"
"This is the end of our battle, Cinder! I will not let you succeed!"
Summer took a deep breath, feeling the water that still covered her. She knew that she had one simple chance to defeat Cinder. The Ghast had all begun fighting with her allies once again, their mistress preoccupied with her own battle.
"They're fighting with renewed vigor seeing their Mistress go all out!" Ironwood began to shoot the Ghast around them, Ozma swinging his cane. A group of four powerful looking Ghast began to surround the group, mouths dripping with anticipation at devouring them.
"We must be prepared to fight onward!" Lionheart exclaimed as he began to shoot them with a crossbow found on the wall, charging the small bolts with his Aura.
Raven looked over to see Velvet and Coco, who were in a corner, Coco standing in front of Velvet, who was trembling at the snarling creature that was looking at what it believed to be its dinner.
"Get back, you freak!" Coco shouted, her voice trembling as it stood and stalked closer to her.
"She said, get back!" The beast was met with a spiked ball to the side of its face. It was knocked clean off its feet, stumbling as the ball's weight threw it off to the point where it fell over, becoming crushed by the ball.
"Don't you know that when a lady says get back, you should get back?" Raven looked down at the creature, standing in front of the two teenagers. "You better not get up because I've got plenty to strike you with in this castle!"
The monster made no movement, leading Raven to move to Coco and Velvet. She took the two in a hug, holding them close.
"Are you two safe?" She asked.
"W-We're fine," Velvet whispered. "I tried to be brave, but I was so scared."
"You think I'm not," Raven chuckled. "Now, I'll get you two out of here. I'll get you to the base of the castle and away from this fight."
"You're not going to help your friend?" Coco asked.
"I'd be in the way," Raven sighed, watching the more experienced warriors defeating Ghasts by the dozens. "Besides, I'd never forgive myself if I left two children, even ones your age, in a place like this with monsters running around. Let's go."
"If you say so," Coco sighed. "Let's go."
"Once I get you two safely out of here, I'm going to make sure it's alright here," The red eyed woman looked back. "Let's hurry. I don't want to seem like I'm abandoning my friends."
"We will be alright," Ozma looked over with a nod and a smile. "Save the children. We shall save a couple for you to defeat."
"Right!" Raven nodded, carefully escorting the two children out of the castle and down the path that led to the bottom of the cliff under the castle. There was water there, and Raven sat them next to the water. She kept the iron ball she had used to kill the Ghast, holding it on a chain. With this, she saw five small birds, all of which had amber colored eyes and white bones protruding from them.
"What?! Birds!?"
The thief began to swing the ball at the birds, managing to hit two of them. The third got in close, but Coco had thrown a rock from the river at it, smacking it so that Raven could also hit it. The other two were short work as well, taking a swing each.
"Such weak creatures," Raven said, looking at the bleeding corpses of the creatures. "But, it is an alarming fact that Cinder can create them like this. How fucked up… I suppose I can't just leave you two here after all."
"Thanks for staying with us," Coco nodded, holding Velvet close. "We'll need to stick together."
"Right," Raven nodded, looking at the tower. She gasped, watching as she saw two objects falling from the top. "Summer!"
"She's falling from the tower!" Velvet shouted, covering her mouth.
"And Cinder's falling with her," Coco narrowed her eyes. "They're still fighting. What happened up there?"
To answer that, we must go back two minutes. As Cinder laughed, her body melting the rocks around her, Summer was the only one capable of standing her ground. Cinder laughed, throwing her arms out wide as a sphere of fire burned out from her. Everything in its path was decimated, including the Ghast.
The fire razed the stones and made them soft, almost like a liquid.
"Die in the flames, Summer! You've brought this hell upon yourself! Begone with all of my hatred!"
The dome reached back, carving into the door where the others were. They all ducked in cover, using their Aura to shield them from the powerful and eviscerating flames. Summer was the only one who had no chance to dodge, standing so close to Cinder in the open air.
"Summer!" Ozma shouted. "You must be strong! Make sure to stay hidden!"
When the flames and heat died down, Cinder looked at her rival, laughing. Summer was dropped to her knee, clothes burning off of her, the flames dying down on them. Her cape was already burned up, embers flowing gently around the silver eyed warrior.
Summer's skin was covered in burns, many of them blistering and oozing. Some of her hair was singed off, the rest gently aflame.
"I must say, I'm a bit jealous," Cinder mocked. "I didn't look quite that good when I was burned. But, you've used up most of your Aura, if not all. You're as helpless as a child compared to me now. Just give up and I'll kill you and make it painless."
"You…" The words were pained, Summer struggling to stand on her burned body. "You're a monster of the highest degree, Cinder. I… I swore an oath to stop your evil, and I doubled that oath upon the death of Ozpin. It was his Aura he gave me that allowed me to survive your attack and it will be his Aura that allows me to defeat you here."
"And, how, pray tell do you plan to beat me with such a burned body? Most of your Aura will be used for healing, won't it?"
"I'm going to use it to finish you this way," Summer gathered up a breath, taking a leap toward Cinder. The Grimm was caught off guard, not expecting such a maneuver from such a damaged body. Summer tackled her over the edge of the tower, the softened stones giving way easily.
"You fool, Summer!" Cinder cackled as they both fell down from the tower. "You'll be killed and I will survive! You won't have the same luck as last time!"
"You're wrong, Cinder!" Summer's silver eyes still stared into Cinder's amber eyes with purpose. "This is a combination of my will and Ozpin's, of my mother and father's strength! This is my final attack in this battle of ours, my final blow, the blow that will end our duel! This is the end of my Aura!"
With that, Summer put her remaining Aura into her fist, driving it into Cinder's chest, punching through it. Cinder shrieked as the Aura pulsed through her, moving throughout and destroying her from the inside out. She began to summon fire, though it was much weaker. Before it could impact Summer further, they collided with the water, the fire extinguishing in a plume of steam. Cinder's screams could be heard until the moment they hit the water. It was only at that moment, the moment they struck, did Summer lose her grip. It was painful for the Grimm, feeling herself be destroyed by the very power she had learned to counter.
"You can't summon a fire without fuel," Summer said, feeling herself beginning to lose consciousness. "We'll both drown here together."
Summer's grip slacked, her strength finally giving out. She had used up the last of her Aura to destroy Cinder once and for all. She felt herself slipping under the water, but the last thing she felt before she lost consciousness was something grabbing her arm.
"Raven, have we made it in time?" Ozma asked as he and the other warriors rushed over, looking down at Summer's body. "Has she succeeded?"
"Cinder's body is moving down the river," Raven looked down the river, sighing. "But, Summer got her. Her final blow rang true, piercing her once and for all."
"Does she still breathe?" Lionheart asked, looking down at Summer's body. "If not, we shall bury her on her father's land."
"I can hear a faint heartbeat," Velvet's rabbit ear was close to Summer's chest. "It's really really quiet, but I hear it. There's a quiet breath too."
"Quickly, we must heal her!" Ironwood reached forward, summoning his Aura. "We may not be able to fully heal her in our condition, but the three of us should be able to bring her back from the brink of death so that she can take care of the rest."
The three warriors put their hands over Summer, their Auras flowing into Summer. It was a weak flow, as all three were weary from their battles, but they managed to give Summer enough that her eyes began to open. She blinked, looking around in a daze as Raven actually felt herself shedding tears.
"Summer," She sobbed, taking Summer's hand. "How could you go and make me cry like that? I'm glad you're safe."
"I am truly glad," Ozma bowed deeply before them. "You have brought true honor to both Ozpin and Qrow's sacrifice. We are in your debt, Summer Rose. We wish we had more Aura to spare, but we are also drained from our battles."
"Did I manage to defeat her?" Summer asked as Raven helped her sit up.
"Yes," Raven nodded. "Your last blow was true. She's gone for good."
"As much as she hated me, I could not bring myself to feel true feelings of hatred toward her. Perhaps in another life, we could have worked together as one unit, like sisters."
"It would never happen," Raven said. "You're too pure and she's pure evil. You could never be a unit like that."
"I suppose it is true," Ozma said. "I suppose our last thing to do here is to find the mask and destroy it once and for all."
"Is this what you're talking about?" Coco held up the mask of bone, dropping it on the ground. "She had this close to her and I managed to take it as she began to fight Summer. Is it important?"
"This is what gave her the power to become that monster," Ozma looked at the weapon, smashing it with his cane, his Aura flowing through it. The mask shattered into pieces, evaporating in the air. "This ancient piece of sorcery has been a blight on our tribe for as long as we've existed."
"What's the true story behind it?" Raven asked.
"Another time," Ozma sighed. "I've dealt with this evil enough for today. Come, let us return to your village and eat. I shall treat the brave warrior."
"Do you carry Patch currency?" Summer asked.
"I have a little from the exchange I did when we arrived. I was unsure how long we'd be staying. Come, let us eat in victory and let ourselves recover. After that, we will bury our dead and mourn them."
The victorious warriors began their trek back to Summer's hometown, carrying the bodies of Qrow and Ozpin. Coco and Velvet followed, having lost their entire village to Cinder's attack, nothing left for them there but a haunting emptiness. It was a much shorter trip, taking them a week rather than the months Ozpin had taken to train Summer. It was a more somber trip as well, Summer and Raven having chopped down a tree to make a pair of coffins for the dead. They carried them, taking turns to let their recovery continue.
Once they'd returned, Summer led them to her house, assisting in digging two graves next to her parents, lowering the coffins into the holes.
"Thank you, mother, father, Ozpin," Summer spoke in a quiet voice. "It was because of you three that I became myself today. I will never forget that as long as I live. May you rest peacefully."
"Well said," Raven pat her.
After they had mourned for a moment, taking the time to find themselves some clothing (Raven had 'found' some in a shop), they went to a restaurant to have some soup and take a well-deserved relaxation. Tai had gotten off his shift at the hospital, having embraced the silver eyed woman. She held him, whispering something to him. He smiled wide, nodding.
"What was that about?" Raven asked.
"You'll know when we give you the wedding invitation," Summer spoke simply. There was a hearty congratulations to go around for the happy couple.
The conversation started on moments they'd had with the fallen warriors and soon turned to the matter of the children.
"What are we going to do with the children?" Ironwood looked toward Coco and Velvet.
"I believe I have a place for them," Raven said, chuckling. "Never wanted kids myself, but maybe this'll get a certain someone off my back about it."
"Is that truly the life for them?" Summer asked Raven.
"Eh, I've been meaning to get out of the crooked business," Raven crossed her arms. "I guess this is my reason. They'll be fine without me anyway. I hope you two don't mind putting up with two ex-thieves for caretakers."
"You kept Velvet safe at the cost of your own life," Coco gave a slight smirk. "I certainly wouldn't mind being in the care of someone like that."
"I-I like Raven," Velvet nodded.
"Well, it's Vernal you've gotta learn to like," Raven ran her fingers through her own hair. "She's a tough and strict old bitch, but you'll probably like her."
"That's not a nice way to talk about her like that," Summer said, nodding toward the children.
"You did not tell us much about this Vernal," Ozma said.
"Well, I really don't like talkin' about her when she ain't here… she has this habit of knowing."
"I would be delighted to meet her," Summer smiled.
"We can get to that," Raven said. "But, for now, I'm hungry. It's a joyous occasion, but I want soup to celebrate a job well done."
"Yes, me too," Summer smiled, holding Tai's hand. "It's nice to take a moment for the first time in months and relax."
To depart from the happy victory of Summer Rose and her friends, we must return to the site of her battle, down the river, which ran rapid. The monster known as Cinder Fall, Grimm and bane of the existence of Summer Rose, was moving down the river. Her body was rapidly disintegrating with the Aura Summer had burst through her chest. It was only with her own quick movements had she severed her head from her body, allowing her essence to survive on, even in such a pitiful state.
It hadn't been long since her fatal blow. Or, potentially fatal she would say, since it didn't kill her. No, she was far too clever for that. Cinder Fall couldn't be beaten so easily. She was quick enough to remove her head to live on without her body. It wasn't necessary anyway. She could always get a different one.
She looked skyward to see the owner of the shop who'd sold her the medicine that had been used to poison Carmine Rose. It was a beautiful irony to her that the first one she'd turned into a servant would be the final one she would need to complete her true victory against Summer Rose, the one who had put her in this state. It was an odd feeling that she felt at this point… she couldn't describe it, but she actually felt… something other than loathing and hatred for Summer.
"Servant," She said to the shopkeeper. "Take me to my new body. I will claim it for my own when the time is right."
"Yes, mistress," The shopkeeper walked off, her head in hand, moving toward a place where fate would once again pull the strings to bring forth a climax.
And, thus we have nearly closed the book on this first story of the Rose's Odd Escapades. I've really enjoyed writing this for you all. I'll give my final thoughts after the Epilogue, but I will say this is one of the most fun concepts I've ever taken on. I hope you enjoyed this so far and I hope the epilogue is great as well.