Chapter 1: Huntresses & Stowaways
The Evernight Castle loomed ominously above as the woman gripped her weapons, a pair of sickles. The castle was in a rough shape having lasted well longer than most documented writings did. The woman's white cloak brushed in the breeze, a trail of white petals slowly dripped from the tailend.
A snarl came from behind her and without hesitation the woman swung with a heavy heave. Her sickle landed effortlessly into the creature's skull as it faded into a black dust. The woman could only smirk as she saw she had now realized she was surrounded by more of the creature. Grimm. Boney features adored their faces as if masks marred with red, the color of blood.
But these beasts didn't have blood, or at least if they did, it turned to dust when they died. Another of the beasts growled and lunged at the woman only to be shot down mid flight by the woman's sniper rifle. The Creep growled as it charged once more at the woman only to be thrown off the cliff by the woman's sickles once it got too close.
The woman snickered to herself, some would say she's mad for being out here. Perhaps she was mad. She turned back at the shadow cast on her by the towers of the castle. She knew two people who would call this a suicide mission. She knew she couldn't fail it, not when the lives of thousands rested on her shoulders.
She took one last look at the Grimm approaching her and sighed. She focused back on the castle and her eyes closed. With a soft hum she reopened them at the base of the castle; far away from the Grimm that had been chasing her.
The woman in the white cloak looked at the door in front of her. She needed to do this. Not for herself but for her family, her daughter. She would not let this endless slaughter last one more decade. It ended today. With one heave she opened the door, the door to her disappearance.
Summer Rose had thrown herself into the fray.
Summer Rose awoke from her dream in a cold sweat, that dream-no nightmare had been tormenting her for the whole trip to Menagerie. Her eyes darted to her window. It was sunset out, and that meant the chefs were going to make dinner soon, or well, Breakfast for her and some of the other faunus on the ship.
Summer looked over herself as she slowly got out of the bed, that memory haunted her ever since the Vytal Festival. The idea of her stringing everything to go wrong? Of course it would bring back memories of Summer's failed attempt. There would be no way she would ever fully make it up to Qrow after that. She sighed as she went to take a shower for the night. She was paying her ticket back after the captain had seen her and asked for her services as a huntress to the crew of the ship for the trip, seeing most of the crew was either human or diurnal faunus.
She rubbed the back of her ears as she put on a set of clothes she had bought in Vale. She opened the door and started to walk towards the stairs. Her room was at the other end of the ship to the dining room so it was a bit of a walk. Little kids ran past her and it just put a frown on her face as she walked up the stairs. She missed Ruby. An arm stopped her, she looked up to the captain standing there.
"Have a bad night?" The Captain said, holding out a mug. "You want this? Just got this from the dining room. It's just a mug of Hot Chocolate."
Summer just looked at him, a little confused. "Why do you have this?"
The captain just smiled. "Oh, I was gonna check up on you, we're about to go around the southern tip of Anima." The captain paused, as he thought for a moment. "I'm not sure if you knew but the reefs down here are known for a lot of air and sea Grimm. I came to make sure our local huntress was up for the job of guarding tonight."
Summer smiled as she took the mug. "Thank you again, for offering me the job for the voyage."
"You're welcome, I saw your weapon and had to ask, Miss." The Captain smiled as he turned to go take a walk. "Have a good rest of the day, Miss."
Summer just smiled as she took a sip as she walked to the dining room. Eventually she got a platter of carbonara pasta, known on ships as one of the best meals for diurnal dinners and nocturnal breakfasts. Summer sat down and started to eat her pasta, focusing on staring out of the window watching the ocean waves bounce up and down, some splashing high enough to hit the window. She just sat there and wondered how the night would go.
Blake stood at the railing on an upper deck of the ship, she didn't really realize what time it was, just around sunset. She didn't really know how long she had been on the ship, but that's one thing with ships, every day blended together when they weren't in port. She had run from Vale on the first ship to Menagerie, however that had taken a day or so, seeing as even before the Fall, there was one monthly service to Menagerie from Vale.
Days had turned into weeks on the vessel, and while she wasn't seasick, she did want to arrive in Menagerie already, when a voice almost appeared out of nowhere. "Traveling alone?" Blake turned to the voice, a hand already out holding Gambol Shroud at the ready. Blake gasped when she realized she had pulled out her weapon at the captain, who now had reassuringly put his arms up to show he wasn't a threat. "Whoa now now, I don't mean any harm. I just want to chat."
Blake slowly lowered Gambol Shroud down as she rolled her eyes and relaxed a little, her other hand on the railing. "And why is that?"
The captain returned the gesture as he put both of his hands on the railing then turned his head to her. "Well, not many people travel by boat on their own. It can be quite a lonely voyage. But I found those that do tend to have the more... interesting stories."
Blake just turned to look out to sea, trying to take in the smells of the seas over the smells of the food he had on him, he likely had just come from the dining room. "Maybe it's just... better for some people to be alone." she paused to think for a moment. Visions flashed in her brain of people who strayed too close to her, they all paid in one way or another. A bump and the sounds of children caught her attention off guard. She turned to them seeing them run off, only blinking as the captain laughed before taking the time to reply.
"Maybe, but with your paranoia, I think a few friendly faces wouldn't hurt."
"Who said I'm paranoid!" Blake shouted, turning to him, her amber eyes just staring at the elderly gentleman next to her.
The captain laughed for a moment before he answered. "No one, dear, no one. I'll leave you be." He started to walk away towards the back of the ship when he stopped. "But uh, fair warning: these trips can be awfully boring." With that he left to do other things on the ship.
Blake stood by herself again. She was alone, he had not been wrong about that. She looked up for a moment as she grabbed her ribbon with a hum. She untied it looking at it for a moment. It held a lot to her, having been a huge part in concealing her true self at Beacon. "I guess I won't be needing this anymore." Blake said to herself as she let go of it, allowing the wind to pick it up and gently float it down to the waters below.
Blake stood there for a few more minutes; soaking in the sunset as it rolled in around her, the once blue skies turning to bright pinks and oranges. As she started to walk away her ear twitched, and not in the good way. She turned back to see a robed figure standing on the deck above her; clearly watching her. She pulled out Gambol Shroud and pointed it up at the figure. "Who's there?!" She shouted as the figure only ran from her sight. She sighed to herself, not like there was anywhere but somewhere on the ship the figure could go, they were stuck on it… like her.
A sudden shake to the ship caused her to look out to the ocean surrounding them. She could wait on this figure another time. The sounds of more waves splashing were ignored as the shadow of an enormous Grimm arose from the waters below. Blake was stunned, a Sea Feilong. A powerful Grimm known to destroy full ships was staring right at her as it roared.
One of the ship crews on the decks saw it as well as Blake's ears hurt by the sudden shouting of "Red Alert!" coming from above her. Suddenly the whole ship was beeping as the ship's crews hurried to rush into action.
The captain had returned to Blake's side as he looked at the ship. "By the gods, I've only seen Sea Feilongs in drawings." He focused up to the upper deck, where another crew member was standing. "Everyone to their battle stations! Get that Huntress up here right now!"
The crew member returned the shouting. "Sir! We've never fought a Grimm this big!"
The captain only kept staring down the Sea Feilong. "We've never seen something this big! But we'll give 'er a fight nonetheless!"
Blake leaped into action, not wanting to wait for the other Huntress on board. No, she might not have had a full hunting license, but she was still able to fight. She jumped, forcing herself to use her semblance to propel her even further towards the beast. Gambol Shroud made contact with the boney figure as she wrapped around, shooting the Sea Feilong as she landed back on the ship. The main cannon had already been loaded and fired, shooting the Sea Feilong far back as the other cannons fired as well.
With a groan, the beast screamed as a pair of wings sprouted. Blake looked helplessly as a wave of air slid her back, she had taken a bad landing strategy and her left arm hurt. She only watched as the Feilong started to charge up for an attack. Where was that huntress they had yelled- "Hey!" Blake's thoughts were interrupted as a figure used her head as a stepping stone, causing her to yell out. She looked up to see it was the robed figure, and within seconds the figure discarded it's robe. It wasn't a huntress, no Blake knew who it was once she saw their semblance and yellow monkey tail. "Sun?!"
"Not today pal!" Sun's voice came from the beast as he pulled the beast's blast way from the ship and out to sea.
"What are you doing?"
Sun's answer to that question was rough as the Feilong flew around the ship, trying to shake him off. "Oh you know, just hanging around!" The beast eventually shocked him, and he started plummeting towards the rocks. Blake threw Gambol Shroud around the ship and started to aim towards the rocks. She caught Sun with a hard slam as they landed on the rocks. "My hero."
Blake thought about dropping him onto the rock right then, but decided to shout instead. "You're not supposed to be here!"
To her shock, Sun fired right back. "Yeah!? Well, it looks like you can use all the help you can get!"
Blake rolled her eyes as she grunted. "Ugh, I don't have time for this." Blake just dropped him right there. "Just shut up and…" Blake trailed off to see the Feilong had turned to them and was charging an attack aimed right at them.
Bang. The beast turned its attention away from the duo and back at the screeched in pain from the sniper shot. The beast turned to face this new foe and started to fly back, only for Blake to hatch a ride on its back, followed by Sun on the tail. Blake used the time to stab and fire at the back of the Feilong, which Sun got the hint to as they landed on the ship. The beast came back around for a full frontal attack, as it blasted, Sun twirled his staff to absorb the damage and deflect it into the ship, directly damaging the main cannon.
"Huntsmen!" The captain came running out of the cabin. "If you can clip its wings and draw it out towards the bow, we could take it!"
Blake looked to the Huntress, who had finally arrived it seemed. Blake then turned to Sun, as the huntress spoke up. "Right, I see you've got a sword, I've got two sickles, we can try to get both wings at the same time. I saw you two earlier with those clones, get yourselves up there and hold it still for a few seconds. I'll be up to help then!"
Both Blake and Sun turned and nodded in response to the huntress. Sun twirled Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang around, as he saw the beast about to charge another beam attack. "It's now or never!"
Sun activated his semblance to spawn some clones and got to work lifting himself and then Blake upwards to focus on the Grimm at hand. As Blake was sent up by the third clone he laughed and opened his arms up, only to be confused as Blake jumped on his head this time to twist around to face the Grimm.
The beast was starting to fire it's blasts but as she dodged them, Blake thought she saw a trail of rose petals starting at where the Huntress was. There was no way Ruby was on the ship, right? Blake thought to herself as she pulled out Gambol Shroud to slash the one of the wing, while she saw the Huntress was making quick work, having slammed into a center point of the other wing and was pulling down on two sections of the other wing with her sickles.
Eventually, Blake fell off the Grimm and started to fall, only to be caught by Sun. The rocks under Sun cracked heavily from the impact as he smirked mischievously. "This is where you say it." Sun then closed his eyes and waited for it. Blake rolled her eyes and sighed as they turned to see the Huntress had moved from the wing of the beast to between the horns of the Feilong, forcing it to move around trying to shake her off. The ship had caught up and the Huntress forcefully had the ship ram right through the Feilong twice. The Grimm squealed in pain as it's eyes were slashed by the Huntress's sickles and it started to fade. The Huntress slowly landed softly on the bow, the sounds of the ship cheering caused them all to smile, they had won the fight. Sun let go of Blake once the ship came close to the rocks and they got back on board, to continue the journey. Blake was a little puzzled as the Huntress had disappeared on them, only a single white rose petal stood in the place where the Huntress had stood.
"Ehhh?" Blake's attention had returned to Sun who was smiling very happily with a hand raised. "High five!" Blake only glared at him to make him stop but he only replied by going "Ehhh?" once more and wiggling his hand. Blake cried out in frustration as the sound of a loud slap could be heard around most of the deck.
Night settled in quickly on the ship as the duo rested on the railings. Blake was tired of all of the 'thank you's and compliments she was getting, but Sun was soaking them all in. Blake just stared out into the waters, watching the waves muddle up the reflection of their shattered moon. Her mind drifted back for some reason to that white rose petal, which had turned into dust after a few minutes, not unlike Ruby's own rose petals. What she did not need was a reminder of Ruby, which reminded her of the rest of the team she had failed to protect.
"Seriously!" a voice cut her out of staring mindlessly at the moon's reflection as Blake turned to see Sun backing up to her. "It was no problem, we were glad to help! Just enjoy the rest of the journey and it'll all be cool. We got this!" He turned around to stand next to her as she noticed a couple of faunus waving as they left to go back inside. "Sheesh, you'd think they'd never seen a fight before, Blake." Sun spoke as he stuck his left hand back with his thumb clearly trying to point at the couple .
Blake's response was cold. "What are you doing here, Sun?" She just glared right at his sky blue eyes.
Sun just smiled. "I really like your outfit, it's the same one you wore that night we fought that paladin right?" Sun pointed his hand up to her ears. "Never really did like the bow though."
Blake swatted at the finger and dragged the arm down. "Sun, have you been following me?!"
Sun was taken aback by his looks. "I… saw you run off. The night Beacon fell." Blake gasped a little but Sun kept going. "I was at the hospital getting checked up on when I saw you and your team arrive in that ungodly looking camo bus. Even with your condition, you made sure that your team was safe. Then you took off without a word."
Blake slowly moved to look over the railing, quite saddened by Sun's words. "I had to. You wouldn't understand why."
Sun sighed as he joined her. "I don't, you're right about that Blake. I have a few ideas but… they're all silly really. But once I saw you leave, I told Neptune to be safe with the team and followed you, to make sure you were safe. I knew they would be fine once they landed back in Mistral."
Blake smiled a little, she wouldn't admit it, but Sun had tried to be a leader for once, making her a little proud, at least he understood her for once as well. "So, why do you think I'm on this boat?"
"It's simple! You're going to Menagerie to go on a one-woman rampage against the White Fang!"
All happiness in Blake's face dropped instantly as she stared in disbelief at him, her ears curled down in anger. "What?!"
"I'm serious! You always felt like the Fang was your fight. They show up, trash your school, hurt your friends. It makes perfect sense!" Sun had counted up the times the White Fang had messed up her life since they had met. "In my time knowing you, they've messed up your life three different times!"
"I can't believe you." Blake slowly replied, facepalming before shaking her head as another voice spoke up.
"Nor can I, really." The two younger faunus looked up to see the Huntress from before standing behind them. "Heard you two shouting as I was making my rounds around the ship." The woman was decked out in a dark red jacket, a white undershirt and grey shorts. "I didn't mean to listen in, but you two didn't really stay quiet."
Sun rubbed the back of his head nervously as Blake glanced up and down the woman, her eyes locked with the Huntress's silver eyes, causing Blake to gasp, while Sun looked on confused. Blake recognized the Huntress now, it was the same woman who had been taking care of Yang on that bus. "You're that woman I saw on the bus."
The Huntress smiled. "Yes I was, glad to see you again, Blake was it? Oh! Let me introduce myself! My name's Summer, nice to meet you both in person and not fighting a Sea Feilong!" Blake couldn't place just what, but something was telling her that Summer was hiding something from her and Sun about herself. "You okay Blake?" Summer spoke out a few moments later. "You've been staring at my ears." Summer then scratched behind one of them for herself. "I uh don't normally have them out like this, actually."
"Oh uh nothing mam!" Blake shouted, now a little embarrassed. "Just.." Blake glanced up and down Summer another time. "You still remind me a lot of Ruby."
Summer frowned at Ruby's mention, not unlike last time. "Ruby, she's your team leader right? Ruby Rose of Beacon, that one?"
Before Blake could do anything but nod, Sun chirped in trying to smile at the both of them. "Blake's not wrong! You really look like Ruby, Miss Summer!"
Summer just shrugged at them. "Maybe." She relaxed a little. "Well, I just wanted to thank you both for helping me earlier with that Grimm. But as well, neither of you should be going to chase the White Fang. They're far too dangerous for either of you to go fight alone."
"Well that's why I'm here!" Sun said smiling, though slumped back down once he got the glares from the two huntresses staring at him. "Us Faunus gotta stick together."
Blake looked at him, the urge to slap him was high, but with this huntress here she couldn't. "No Sun, you're wrong. I'm not going to Menagerie to fight the White Fang."
Sun turned to her, now a little puzzled. "Then why are you going there?"
"I'm going home."
Summer perked up. "I wish I could go home, but… I can't. You must be happy to be going home, Blake."
"So if you're not going home Summer-" Blake started, still unsure of this woman and why she seemed familiar. "-Where are you going?"
Summer smiled. "I needed some time to think actually. After the Fall, I mean. With the CCT down, I decided to go visit my old babysitter first-."
Sun spoke up as he jumped onto the railing. "And I thought I was a little crazy."
Summer glared at him. "She's kinda important down here, so to kill two ravens with one bird, I wanted to check in on her, which gave me time to think. I knew my family was going to be fine for a couple of months anyway, my husband would make sure of that. For he's one of the most skilled fighters I know!"
"Hmm." Blake said finally. "Seems you have a lot of trust in them, then."
Summer smiled towards the cat faunus. "Of course I do. Well, I'm going to grab a drink from the diner before I go on another round." Summer said as she started to walk off, stopping before she left earshot. "Please, do not try to fight the White Fang, you two."
Blake rolled her eyes, she did not need a Ruby look and act alike telling her what to do. "So, what about you Sun? Where are you going to go now that I'm not going to fight them, not yet at least."
Sun beamed. "I'm still coming with you! The Grimm are getting worse; you saw it yourself! And just because you're not going after the Fang doesn't mean they won't be coming for you! Besides, I'm... kind of already on the boat." Sun looked at her smiling softly as he finished.
"There's no stopping you, is there?"
"Nope! This is going to be great! Never been in Menagerie before! It'll be a regular journey to the east! Yeah, I like the sound of that." Sun said smiling as he just looked at Blake. Blake just sighed, she knew this was going to be a long journey then.
"Nope! This is going to be great! Never been in Menagerie before! It'll be a regular journey to the east!" Sun's voice echoed into Summer's ears as she turned the corner and opened the door inside. That was exhausting talking to Blake and that monkey faunus, and she had barely skirted the question again. Her door clicked behind her as she sighed in relief. She was going to have to tell Blake once they landed at Menagerie. Putting her weapon down on the table she layed on the bed for a few moments, just thinking about the day's events so far.
She got up and looked at the mirror for a moment. "That's right, I'm Summer." she smiled. "Formerly the baker of the best cookies in Vale and slayer of giant monsters." She smiled to herself, as she kept thinking. She was Summer Rose-Branwen, and it was time for her to face her fears and come to terms with the present. She had to keep moving forward. She could not keep thinking of her past, she needed to be ready to reunite with Ruby in Mistral when that time came.