(A/N): AAAAGHJFKJGHAJKGHFKGJGKFL WE'RE HERE! Two years and over 340k words later, we've finally arrived at the final chapter of Summer Declassified! I don't want to frontload this chapter too much with all sorts of ugly crying and gushing, so let me just say real quick that I love each and every one of you for reading and waiting and reviewing and enjoying and being inspired and leaving positive messages and aaaaaaaaah oh no I lied I'm already ugly crying noooooo
Anyways, all dramatics aside, thank you all so much for not giving up on this story - and in particular, for not giving up on me. It's been ages since I've had this much fun with writing, and I hope that you all experienced even just a tenth of what I felt while planning, drafting, editing, and revising this two-year-long journey of Summer Rose fighting aliens with a proto-XCOM in the 1960's. It wasn't the easiest thing for me to write at times, nor was it always a joy, but the payoff of sticking through those dark valleys has been more than worth it, and if that comes across to you, as a reader and lover of fiction, then all the better. (And hey, I not only finished this story, I did so in the midst of a global pandemic! How many people can boast that, eh?)
Special thanks has to go once again to all my friends in the REMCOM and RPGCOM Discord servers who let me use their characters to fill in the world. I'd also like to thank DrAmishMD, for inspiring me and convincing me to keep going with the story, especially when I felt there was no point in telling it anymore once THAT part of Remnant Unknown hit. Last but certainly not least, I'd like to dedicate this tale and extend my sincere thanks to my mom and dad, for instilling in me a love of reading, writing, and telling stories and for being a sounding board for ideas and funny lines. You're all amazing, wonderful people, and I am truly blessed to have you in my life.
So with the sentimental stuff out of the way, thanks again for reading and joining me on this journey. But before end things, let's strap in for one more chapter, where we see all these characters we've come to know one final time...
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become paragons of virtue and glory to rise above all…"
The village elder's prayer became little more than background noise to Taiyang Xiao Long as he stood at the front of the procession in the fading twilight, guarded from wind by the freshly-pressed suit and fighting the urge to scratch the rashes on his cleanly-shaven face. Funerals for Huntsmen and Huntresses were almost never solemn affairs; they were typically spent celebrating the lives that had been saved and monsters that had been slain as stories about the departed were swapped over frothy drinks and merry music. But considering who was being mourned today, and considering how much she meant to the people who now stood on a cliff overlooking a valley of trees, a traditional Valean memorial service was the least the people of Remnant could do to honor her legacy.
After all, Summer Rose deserved nothing less.
At first he was surprised by the sheer number of people who had come to pay their respects, and then on reflection he was surprised that he had been surprised. The silver-eyed Huntress had been a beacon of hope and love for so many of her peers, a protector of so many lives, and an inspiration for little girls and boys alike. Most of the people following him were folks from the village that sat in the middle of Patch, but he spotted a few familiar faces from across the world in the crowd. Teachers and professors from both Beacon and Signal Academies were there, including Oobleck and Port and a number of his fellow alumni. Summer's family - her mother and father and three older sisters - were also in the procession, though they seemed far more distant and cold towards him than they'd been before the passing of their beloved Rose. And of course, he could never forget the silver-and-lilac-eyed little girls that clung to the hem of his dress pants, with Qrow standing right next to him just as he'd been for every step of the mourning process.
He didn't bring it up to anyone else, but Taiyang could have sworn he saw a raven silently perch on the branch of a nearby tree, watching from a safe, non-interactive distance.
"...may Summer Rose find her way to the side of the Brothers and feast at their table, until we all may one day join her - and others who have gone before - in eternal safety and peace."
Tai felt Qrow nudge him to signal the end of the prayer, returning him back from his musings as he swallowed hard. This ceremony should have happened months ago, but there was no way he'd been ready to say goodbye back then.
Now he was.
The village elder bowed his head in reverence and stepped to the side, allowing the procession to come forward and lay down their offered flowers. The tribute for the ceremony was freshly-cut roses, of course, harvested just before summer's end - the departed would have wanted nothing less laid at the foot of her grave. Tai was the first to approach alongside his family, no longer bothering to fight the tears that spilled from his eyes.
Saying goodbye to a loved one always hurt. He'd learned that when his own folks passed in his teenage years, and he'd had to learn that Death was a part of life far sooner than most. But what made this farewell ache even more than usual was that there was no body to lay to rest, no weapons to artfully display, no signature clothing to fold and throw into a pyre. All they had to memorialize her was a tombstone that had been carefully laid on the cliff's edge to stare over the horizon, with a simple inscription carved into the eternal stone.
Summer Rose
Thus Kindly I Scatter
It felt like too little for the woman who had brought light to the lives of so many people, and yet part of him was certain that she would feel it was more than enough.
Ruby and Yang laid their roses down first, by virtue of being closer to the ground than most. Qrow knelt and set his flower between theirs, then led the girls away so that Tai could have a moment alone to say goodbye. He took his time there in front of the grave, tears welling in his eyes as he fiddled with the thorns, trying to think of words he could possibly say to the spirit of his lost wife. Part of him knew he was holding up the procession, but he also knew that all in attendance understood why - no one would hold it against him for taking longer than the rest.
"Summer, I…" he whispered quietly. "...I don't think I could ever say just how much you meant to me. How much you still mean to me, even after you're gone. You were...a lot of things to a lot of people. A daughter. A sister. A student. A friend. But to me, you...you were my lifeline. My anchor in the storm. The shining angel with silver eyes who pulled my world back together when I thought it had shattered beyond repair. And now that you're gone, I...thought I'd never find that safety and security ever again."
A few tears fell onto the rose in his hands, and the stem nearly split with how hard he was squeezing it.
"But you told me over and over again what you said to yourself to make your eyes shine in the dark. That life is beautiful...that it's precious...and that it must be protected. I may not have eyes like yours...but I promise that I will live as though I did. And it starts with the lives you saved...the life you brought into this world."
He shakily lowered himself to one knee, the rose in his fingers oddly reluctant to be released.
"I...I miss you every day. Gods above, do I miss you. But I won't be a prisoner of that grief any longer - I'll carry your memory and your name with me as I live, as I fight, as I raise the family you risked everything to protect. And wherever you may be now, I hope I can make you proud...and maybe, one day, I'll meet you there, and I can tell you all about the garden that's grown from the seeds you left behind."
After pressing his lips to the soft petals, he allowed the wilting flower to finally join its sisters in the pile.
"Until then...I'll keep moving forward."
A flock of doves flew into the setting sun as he wiped his tears on his cufflinks, standing up and moving to the side to join Qrow and his daughters. Nodding in response to the look of concern the red-eyed Huntsman shot his way, he smiled sadly as he watched the rest of the procession. To his surprise, Ozpin stepped out of the crowd of people in his usual emerald suit and bowed his head solemnly, whispering words he couldn't and wouldn't hear before laying down a rose of his own and moving to join the family.
"I couldn't help but overhear some of your personal eulogy, Mister Xiao Long," said the wise old headmaster with a sad smile. "It was very well said, if you'll pardon my eavesdropping."
A few months ago the blonde brawler would have punched Ozpin's face in blind grief and rage, maybe even thrown him off the cliff for good measure. But all he could do now was pull his old friend into a tight hug, feeling lifetimes of empathy radiating from the man as he returned it just as firmly.
"Thanks for coming, Oz," he said as the pair separated. "I really appreciate it. Though, I'm surprised you were able to make it, considering the new school year's starting up…"
Ozpin gave a soft laugh as he adjusted his glasses. "I always make time to visit the funerals held for all my students, past and present...no matter how unwelcome my presence may be."
Over his shoulder, Tai watched as the surviving members of the Rose estate shot an especially thorny glare towards the gray-haired headmaster - and doubly so towards him. He shook his head slowly and took a deep breath, calming himself.
"Ah, we all process grief in our own way," he finally said with a sigh. "Can't exactly blame them either - the way I'd been acting these last few months, I wouldn't trust me with anything kid-related either."
"True, but you are now well on the path to making amends," commended Ozpin with a soft smile. "I heard that you're going to start teaching at Signal?"
He nodded. "Figured that helping young Huntsmen and Huntresses find their way would be the best way to honor her legacy. Plus, this guy over here seems to have so much fun."
Qrow gave a small chuckle as he cradled the sleeping Ruby against his shoulder. "Eh...it's a living. Not exactly a well-paid one, but hey. Something something knowledge is priceless."
Ozpin laughed softly, kneeling to meet the blonde little girl approaching him with a big grin and a missing tooth. "And what about you, little one? Will I be seeing you at Beacon in a decade or so?"
"You sure will!" said Yang as she puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips. "I'm gonna grow up to be the best Huntress ever, punching all the monsters and bad guys right in the face! Just like mommy!"
If the display were any cuter, Taiyang's heart would have burst.
"Then I look forward to seeing you at my academy one day," said the wizened Headmaster with another melodic laugh. He stood up and bowed reverently at the dad blushing with pride. "If there's anything else I can ever do for your family, you need only ask. But I believe I've overstayed my welcome. Take care...and may Summer's spirit live on through all of us."
Taiyang Xiao Long gave a long, slow nod as he saw Ozpin disappear into the crowd, before looking up at the stars as they winked into existence.
Maybe his Summer Rose was among those distant lights somewhere.
And if she was, he could only hope that she was smiling on him with pride.
The months that followed the assault on the moon were spent in swift, silent work.
When the Temple Ship arrived in Earth's orbit, it did so to deliver workers and materials, not soldiers and weapons. Outsiders came down in droves to dismantle and uproot the structures they'd built, tearing down outposts and strongholds and Forges all across the planet. The task was done in secret over the course of four months, with only a slight sense of resentment between Zudjari and humanity. As part of the agreement Summer and Origin had brokered, the aliens would take all the technology with them when they left - every scrap of metallic alloys, every shard of Elerium, every enemy corpse. The only exceptions were a custom-built Muton dueling blade and a tamed Silacoid, both of which were left in the possession of the silver-eyed Huntress for sentimental reasons. (Neither Wandering Thorn nor Silas would ever be used as weapons of war again - they would instead become constant companions to Summer in her new life.)
Once every physical trace of their invasion was removed, the Outsiders shifted focus to working with Doctors Alan Weir and Heinrich Dresner to develop an antidote for the Sleepwalker virus. The Zudjari scientists proved quite knowledgeable about the toxin they'd created, and while curing it flew in the face of all they worked for and believed in, they nonetheless developed a suitable compound in less than a week without a single grumble or complaint. The Sleepwalkers that had been abducted were among the first to be cured...including patient that had been subjected to the first successful conversion.
Angela Weaver waited with bated breath as the swirling cocktail of pink fluid drained from the needle into her sister's veins, feeling Lena's wrist go limp in her grasp. The blonde's breathing slowed and shallowed for a moment, and for a brief instant the Director of XCOM feared the worst. Her worry soon dispersed as the black fluid running down the withered face became clear in color, as natural tears flowed in cleansing rivers, as her eyes refocused and her muscles fell under her own control once again.
Lena blinked slowly, scanning the room in confusion before bright hazel finally locked eyes with steel blue and shimmered in recognition.
"...Angelina!"
She didn't bother biting back the sob of relief and joy at the cheerful cry. She reached forward and pulled the half-starved woman into a hug, one that was returned with as much strength as atrophied muscles could manage. There was only one person in the entire world that could call her by her full name, and she was finally in her arms again after ten long years of searching.
"Lena…" she choked. "I'm so sorry...for everything…"
"Please don't be," Lena said as bright, healthy tears rolled down her face. "I knew that you'd save me...you always do…"
The two Weavers stayed like that for a moment that felt like forever, before the elder sister pulled back slightly to cup the younger's cheek.
"...that's the last time I'm ever letting you out of my sight."
Her sister laughed until it hurt.
With that first successful cure, the Zudjari's time on Earth was nearly over.
The distribution of the Sleepwalker antidote took another two months, as the Bureau switched from organizing an underground resistance network to becoming the main supplier of the cure. Human Agents and Zudjari Infiltrators were sent to major cities and towns across the world, rounding up the infected and healing them in the shadows. Memory-altering drugs were also offered to the affected in most cases - as morally questionable as the process was, it gave many a chance to live as though the hell they'd experienced had never happened. Many took the opportunity to forget, but a select few refused. They wanted to remember, as awful as it was. They needed to know what being helpless was like, so they could prevent it from ever happening again.
Finally, almost as soon as it had arrived, the Temple Ship left the planet under the guidance of a sadder and wiser Origin, and humanity's first war with an alien species was finally over.
The global communications blackout that had plagued the world for over a year finally lifted with the departure of the Outsiders, and with it came an explosion of questions and concerns. Why had the world gone dark for thirteen months? What had happened in the shadows? And why were some people's houses blown up or burned to the ground? The governments of the world publicly denied any and all allegations of war with any sort of "extraterrestrial" forces, and any evidence to the contrary became relegated to the realm of conspiracy theories and tourist traps. Privately, however, the UN began pooling their resources into a contingency plan, a new combat unit specifically meant to be deployed in the event of another hostile alien incursion. The world had been caught unprepared once before by an enemy unknown - it would not be left undefended again.
Not all the alien technology left with the Temple Ship, however.
After a memorial ceremony was held on the remains of what was once XCOM HQ, six months after the war's end, Summer and Carter approached a small vessel tucked away under the shade of a growing tree. The object in question didn't look like much at first glance - if anything, it resembled a trash can with a propane tank strapped to the side, like a kid's first attempt at launching a rocket to the moon. But the alloyed body painted silver, the jets connected to a glowing blue-amber crystal, and a translucent four-armed figure that floated out the open hatch betrayed its extraterrestrial nature, one that would not remain on Earth for much longer.
Summer regarded Asaru and his little spaceship with a bittersweet gaze. "You sure you don't want to stay with us? We could be an odd little family. A human, a Huntress, and an Ethereal...all trying to navigate an uncertain world."
Carter groaned and laughed softly. "Christ, that just sounds like the setup for a bad sitcom. He's from Mars, she's from Venus...and the kid's from fucking Pluto or something."
Asaru chuckled, then shook his head slowly and reluctantly. As tempting as your offer of hospitality is, I must decline. My continued presence on your world would only further complicate matters and endanger your people, to say nothing of the fact that other Ethereals may yet come to this reality. And now that I have constructed a new Incubator, and can travel among the stars without need for a host, I must see what other forms of life exist in this universe...and which of those worlds may need my aid.
"Always another mission waiting, huh?" Summer chuckled sadly as she stepped forward. "I guess I can relate to that. Still...even though we didn't know each other for very long, I'm glad I met you. Thank you, Asaru...for everything."
You have my thanks as well, Summer Rose. May your days in this brave new world be numerous and joyful.
The silver-eyed former Huntress blinked back tears, then pulled the semi-tangible Ethereal in for a hug. Asaru stiffened for a moment before leaning down to return the gesture, wrapping four arms around her back and squeezing gently. When she pulled away, he floated over to Carter, who offered a firm handshake that he reciprocated. Then, with one more wave, he withdrew himself into his spacecraft and closed the hatch, igniting the engines and soaring into the night sky.
Summer leaned into Carter's shoulder as she watched Asaru's vessel disappear among the stars, feeling the brim of his hat brush against her hair as he rested his head on hers. A warmth settled over her as she breathed in deeply, thankful that her nose wasn't inhaling the smell of smoke any longer. The man next to her hadn't touched a cigarette or anything containing alcohol in well over three months, an accomplishment they were both immensely proud of. While the transformation wasn't instantaneous, she'd watched Carter change from a broken agent to the caring and supportive gentleman she'd always seen, one she would be glad to spend the rest of her life on Earth with.
"Always hurts to see them grow up and leave, huh?" he said after a long silence.
She laughed softly, shaking her head. "I wouldn't know. I never got that far."
Carter sighed. "Yeah...me neither. This is new to me, too. Guess this is that 'empty-nest syndrome' that my mom always warned me about."
"Mm." She took one of his hands in both of hers and pressed it against her cheek, rubbing against it and nuzzling his palm affectionately. Then she lowered the borrowed limb and placed his fingertips over her stomach, letting him feel for the bulge that seemed to grow larger every day.
"Well...at least it won't be empty for much longer," she said gently. "Right?"
A tearful smile spread across Will's cheeks as he looked down at the beautiful new life building itself inside the woman he loved.
"Right...yeah. Looking forward to it."
Once the United States government got back on its feet after the war - which didn't take very long at all, to the surprise of absolutely nobody - agreements were made between the President and the surviving members of the Bureau. The people that had fought for Earth in her darkest hour would be generously rewarded, with all the money they could ever need or want, passports and entry visas to go anywhere in the world, and officially-sanctioned pardons for any and all potential war crimes committed in the heat of battle. The only catch was that none of them were ever allowed to breathe so much as a word about the aliens, the invasion, or anything else they had seen - not that it was much of a downside, as the people left behind were more than eager to leave such memories in the past.
Thomas Nils and Elizabeth Walters used a small chunk of the funds to finally have their fairytale wedding, with Summer as the maid of honor and John Kinney posthumously taking the role of best man. It was a beautiful ceremony, filled with joy and tears and roses of every color. Her Aura may have remained sealed away again after Asaru's departure, but Summer still easily caught the bouquet as it was thrown - one look at Carter turned him into a blushing mess, which earned him an elbow in the ribs from the other members of the former Strike Three.
Her other friends soon scattered across the country and chose to put down roots in all fifty states. Knox Dolan, Adam Goldstein, and Steve Bradford all ended up signing back up with the US Army, while Gray Dawson retired from combat and used some of his money to open a medical clinic in New York. Leon and Daisy Barnes joined NASA alongside Kate Chulski, where all three of them were instrumental in helping put a man on the moon for the first time in human history (or at least, the first official time). Angela Weaver moved to Washington D.C. with her sister, where the former Director took up an advisory role for the so-called "XCOM Project" that sought to protect Earth from whatever else was lying in wait beyond the stars - and to support Lena, who went on to become a prolific painter and human rights advocate.
Penny Cohen and Catherine Crawford eventually moved to Roswell together, pooling their funds to buy "Henry's Dealership and Auto Repairs" from its eponymous owner. It was then rebranded and reworked to be the world's first hybrid bookstore and laundromat, giving people a place to read and delve into the world of fiction as they waited for their clothes to come out of the spin cycle. While marriage between the two women wouldn't be legally permitted for a few more decades, they still acted as though they were wives as they ran their new joint venture, often to the amusement of their patrons. The business was even given a new name to reflect its transformation, and to honor the men who had fought to protect everything and everyone.
Just like the dealership before it, DaSilva's Rest became a staple of quiet little Roswell.
Most of the foreign members of the Bureau returned to their home countries, welcomed back by their families with open arms. Some of them chose to settle down and return to some semblance of a normal life, while others returned to service and joined up with the aforementioned secret project. When Doctor Dresner went home to Germany, Howard Vahlen traveled with him, the latter eventually marrying into the former's estranged family and helped raise a bright, inquisitive little girl who had a love for science. Dresner spent many of his final years with little Moira Vahlen on his knee, helping foster that curiosity and fascination with the world around her before he passed on peacefully in his sleep.
Raymond Shen found his life taking a similar trajectory. After following Doctor Weir back to Rosemont University and helping rebuild, he chose to enroll full-time in the post-graduate program, eventually becoming a professor in theoretical physics. While he wasn't allowed to share any of the knowledge he'd learned of Elerium or alien alloys, the other lessons he'd gleaned about science and reality and how they interacted were still his to teach. His time under the good doctor had tempered him into a man of wisdom and patience, and even after Weir retired a few years later, he carried that growth with him as he himself carried on in years. It was this gentleness and goodness that eventually caught the eye of a sensitive and sweet flower shop owner, and through pursuing a relationship with her he ended up bringing his greatest creation into the world: a daughter.
As for Summer herself, she and Carter married and spent their years-long honeymoon traveling the world, silver eyes yearning to see every inch of the new, unfamiliar planet she would now call home. She visited old friends from the Bureau in their home nations, hunting alongside the children of Clan Mucallin and sharing borscht with Piotr Zhedrev's very large (and very welcoming) family. She witnessed the great works of mankind that she'd seen in Penny's books, from the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt to the Eiffel Tower in France. She climbed the highest mountains that dotted the horizons, swam in every ocean and sea that Earth had to offer, and tasted a thousand different foods from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Carter was there every step of the way, explaining the history behind each location and serving as her translator thanks to his time in the CIA.
When the pair finally had their fill of travel, they chose to put down roots in the French Countryside, settling into a little cottage that they put together with their own two hands. There they lived quietly, comfortably, and modestly, far from prying eyes and farther still from the horrors of war. Summer became a teacher and helped many wayward youths find joy in their lives, while Carter finally got a chance to use his bachelor's degree in engineering for an architectural firm. They chose not to reminisce on their past lives - moving forward was all that mattered to them as the years went by, finding peace and solace in each other when the nightmares struck.
Three children ended up being born into the Rose-Carter household: a son named Nicolas Richard Carter and two daughters named Raven Julia Rose and Karin Georgia Carter. These children went on to live ordinary, peaceful lives, eventually finding spouses of their own and blessing their parents with many, many grandchildren and even more great-grandchildren. In particular Karin Carter, who later took the last name of Durand, had a fair few daughters of her own; one of them, Annette, was born with silvery eyes that mirrored those of her grandmother. The significance of this inherited gift was a mystery that Summer would never solve in her lifetime.
The rest of her twilight years faded without much incident, and for the first time in her life, Summer Rose found peace with herself and this unfamiliar world she had come to call home. As the years turned to decades Remnant became little more than a distant memory, a dream that lingered at the edge of her mind long after waking up.
Until one quiet evening, when a most peculiar thing happened.
She sat on her porch, rocking back and forth in the swing as she drank in her tea and the sight of the French Countryside. The sun hung low, the breeze was gentle and quiet, and the faintest tinge of red on the horizon signaled the arrival of twilight. Silas chittered softly from his favorite hiding spot under the patio, Wandering Thorn hung proudly from the mantle over the doorway, and Will was inside the cottage brewing coffee and letting the aroma waft through the windows to tempt his wife back inside. It was quiet, it was peaceful, it was lovely.
Then, out of nowhere, a hole in reality tore open, and a small figure suddenly stepped out with a loud yelp of shock.
Summer felt an echo of the sound escape her lips, her muscles already tensing up. Her first instinct was to wield her cane like a sword against the extradimensional intruder, but the sight of something familiar about the figure gave her pause. As the newcomer tripped and fell face-first into the grass, she took a moment to study their appearance, and soon found why.
The figure was clearly female, barely older than a teenager given her size, with most of her features obscured by a crimson hood and a long, flowing cape. A complicated weapon forged out of red steel clung to the small of her back, with panel lines that suggested it could expand into something much bigger. Her cloak had something stitched into the fabric with golden thread, and as she peered at the upside down words while the girl struggled to pry her face loose from the soil, Summer's eyes widened in shock.
The words spelled out Vigilo Confido, and they circled an unmistakable pentagon she'd seen painted on the Bureau's floor long ago.
She watched as the strange girl finally pulled her face out of the grass, sputtering out a mouthful of dirt and coughing. Her guest propped herself up on her knees, wiped her cheeks and brow in a hasty attempt to clean herself, revealing the spitting image of what Summer herself looked like in her younger years - back when she wasn't so old and wrinkled and gray. Once the girl gave up on making herself look presentable, she looked up at the cottage porch with hope shimmering in her eyes.
Her silver eyes.
The hole in reality promptly sealed back up as the two women stared in amazement at each other, neither one brave enough to speak. The implications of what they were seeing raced in their minds, but pounding hearts and quickened breathing kept them from being voiced by either party. The spell of silence was finally broken by the smaller of the two Roses, mustering up the courage to squeak one word past trembling lips and tightened throat.
"...mom?"
That one word, laden with a lifetime of emotion, was all that needed to be said.
Summer leapt to her feet instantly, feeling long-lost vigor and strength suddenly return as she ran. Ruby did so as well, scrambling forward with youthful optimism and fighting her own clumsiness to get her legs back underneath her. She got back on her feet just in time for Summer to scoop her up and swing her around, the two reunited Roses hugging and laughing and crying and dancing in the waning sunlight, before the older woman finally lowered the little one to the ground, clutching her in a tight, tearful embrace.
She didn't know if the Ruby in front of her was the same one she'd accidentally abandoned back on her Remnant, nor did she care. This little Rose had crossed time and space in her own way to find her lost mother, and would be greeted with the love and affection she was due. No matter what reality she was from, she was still very much her daughter - and Summer was still very much her mother.
After all, Shamash had told her long ago that there were countless realities beyond her own.
And as she felt tiny little arms wrap around her waist for the first time in two lifetimes, she was thankful she lived in this one.
"Ruby," breathed Summer shakily, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "Oh, my dear little Ruby…how I've missed you."
The young Rose sniffled and sobbed into her mother's sundress, barely able to form words. Summer stroked her hair, leaning down to touch foreheads and whisper calming words of love.
"I…" choked Ruby at long last, wiping a few errant tears away. "I...I have so many questions for you, so many stories I want to tell you...stories about Yang and Dad and Uncle Qrow and my team and Ozpin and - "
"And XCOM?"
Ruby stared up at Summer with silver eyes wide in wonder.
"You...you know about XCOM? Wha - I - um - how?"
Summer grinned as she took Ruby by the arm, kissing her cute little face right between the eyebrows once again.
"Well...I may have some stories for you too, little Rose," she said softly and mysteriously. Laughing at the way Ruby's face lit up with intrigue, she tugged lightly on her daughter's hand. "Here, why don't you come inside? I'm sure we have many things to talk about…"
The sun finally dipped below the horizon as the pair of roses - one floating freely in the breeze, the other firmly rooted to the earth - entered the cottage together after spending so many years apart.
It would seem Remnant had found its way to her, after all.
