Lots of dialogue for this chapter, but this is what wraps up the events of volume one. Not much to say here, but I want to thank those that read this story. It means a lot to me that you at least enjoy it!
As I always say, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 15: Summer Rose
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.(Chapter Start)
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July 5th (Same day)
Friday
Clear
It was odd to fight with only one weapon, especially when a longsword was, well, longer than a dagger. But it also felt right. The sensation was like lightning in her veins, the shock seeming to energize Summer.
Her semblance activated, two-toned petals scattering everywhere, and Red Fox slammed into the parasol of her opponent with more force than what the tri-colored girl had just dealt with. She staggered back, and Summer slashed the blade out in a vertical pattern, hitting the pink aura that came up.
The parasol wielder tried to back off and gain some space, but with her semblance, Summer could easily keep up with the pressure. More petals flew into the air as she caught up to the girl, cutting towards her with a speed that could barely be seen. It was hard for the girl to dodge all of the attacks that Summer was throwing her way.
She was thrown to the ground as Summer seemingly backflipped at random and kicked her in the chin. With a grin, Summer rushed forward once more, slamming a foot down on the short girl's chest, making her gasp as she lost any air in her lungs.
It was a quick and decisive battle, from Summer's perspective. If she had to guess, the girl below her foot had terror running through her mind. If she wasn't a veteran huntress, Summer would have felt bad, but she knew better than to play nice in these situations.
Then, with one last shattering sound, the girl below Summer vanished. She looked up, seeing a singular airship rise into the air and manage to escape the floating daggers that hovered nearby before retracting. Roman's face could be seen, bruised and annoyed, while the small girl was panting and holding her chest. They had managed to escape.
"Damn it." Summer said, under her breath.
She looked down at her, no, Azura's hands. She was relieved that she had managed to save Azura, even if these circumstances were odd, almost unexplainable. Summer shook her head, reminding herself that she had to regroup with the others.
"Oh no...what am I gonna say to Luna?" She asked herself, running her hands through the red and white mixture of hair.
Summer sighed, moving back around to the other side of the containers. The orange haired girl, Penny, was already gone. Summer was going to thank her for helping Ruby, but now she couldn't.
Looking over the rest of the area, Blake and Sun were next to each other, looking tired and drained of aura, but otherwise okay. Luna was floating next to Ruby, still visible. Did that mean that whatever happened to the two of them was purely a semblance thing? Summer certainly hoped so.
As she approached the group, police sirens in the air, Ruby looked like she was currently losing her mind.
"I don't really care about the fact that you ran away and dragged Azura with you, I want to make sure everyone is okay! So, where is Azura?! I know that he would be here!"
Sun stepped in front of a despondent Blake, speaking for her. "Uh, Ruby, was it? Azura was here with us, with his little ghost buddies, but then he never dropped down into the fight."
"What? So now he's missing?!"
"No! At least, I think so. He should have regrouped with us by now." Sun responded, trying to calm her down.
"He's here." Summer said, approaching them.
Sun and Blake looked like they couldn't believe what they saw.
"Azura? Is that...you?" Blake asked.
Summer answered as Ruby turned around, looking at them in shock.
"No. Well, yes. It's confusing. This is Azura's body, but I have control right now. I don't know how it happened, but it was useful at the moment that it occurred."
Ruby spoke next, confusion visible in her voice. "Your voice is different. Almost like...I don't know, your voice seems recognizable. No matter, are you the second ghost that Azura always avoided talking about? Is he okay?"
Summer smiled. "He should be, yes. Or, at least, I think so. I can still feel his presence within his own body, but mine seems to have taken over."
Sun laughed nervously. "I guess that explains the new look."
Two pairs of footsteps were heard in the distance, eventually showing that it was Yang and Weiss coming up on them. Weiss stopped after a certain distance, while Yang sprang forward and dragged Ruby into a hug.
"We came as soon as we could." Yang said.
Ruby eventually broke away. "And everything is fine. The fight is over, we're safe."
"Everything is fine? How do you explain the red and white hair that Azura has right now?" Weiss commented, standing still from her position.
"Or the weird double voice thing." Sun said.
"Or that one of his eyes are now silver." Blake quietly commented.
"Or the glowing white cloak…" Yang said, suspicion written on her face.
"What you say next has no connection to whatever you are thinking." Summer said, hand still on the hilt of Red Fox.
"I just want to know if my friend is okay first." Yang said, gritting her teeth.
"Okay, okay." Summer said.
Taking the chance to avoid anything relating to herself, she closed her eyes and tried to see if she could find and wake the presence of Azura up. As she mentally called out to him, the presence violently lashed out, sending a searing wave of pain through their currently shared body. Summer gasped as her eyes opened again, falling down to the ground.
Ruby, being the closest to Summer, was there to slow her fall and gently bring her down to the ground. The look of concern and worry would make Summer laugh if she wasn't reeling in pain at the moment.
"Azura? Are you okay? This is just like the last time!"
Summer could only gasp in response, feeling like she was burning up on the inside.
As Ruby continued to look over the twitching body that was Azura's, but currently Summer's, her eyes widened as she seemed to come to a conclusion that Yang had refused to say.
"Mom?"
Her cracking voice and the shouting of other voices was the last thing Summer heard before fully collapsing and giving in to the darkness.
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.(Line Break)
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Unknown date
?
?
Azura didn't know where he was, or if what he felt was even real. It was like he was floating on top of an ocean of water. He wasn't being pushed around, and the water was completely still, allowing him to float gently.
He was at peace. A being without worry, without doubt. But also a being without happiness or joy.
The starry night sky was filled with stars, and the water was filled with rose petals, being the only feeling that Azura felt brushing against his skin. He couldn't move, not that he would have done so. It was like he was drifting to sleep, one that he wasn't sure he wanted to wake up from.
He felt like he shouldn't be sleepy. That there was something that he was missing. Like there was a reason for him to try to get up and find some way to move. That he should wander around, trying to find a way out.
But why should he? That question quickly passed through his mind. This was a place of peace, where fears and lies melted away. It was a sanctuary, one that smelled faintly of roses. He wanted nothing more than to stay in this place.
Now that wouldn't be a great idea. Stand.
Azura recognized the voice, but he wasn't sure of who it might belong to. A flash of a cane and gray hair went through his mind, and he felt the need to follow the voice. But, his muscles wouldn't respond to his commands. The water suddenly felt so heavy, like it was willing him to stay.
You will stand.
Azura willed himself to move, slowly dragging his body up. His muscles felt so heavy, his mind so groggy. It felt like it took an eternity to get up.
Follow the roses. They wish to lead you to an awakening.
The words confused Azura's groggy mind. He was surrounded by roses, anywhere he looked had roses of many colors. However, as he looked, he took notice of an odd looking rose, with a dark red on the outside, while the inside was white.
He willed himself to move towards it, feeling the need to pick it up as he walked up next to it. He bent down, feeling a pain in his head as he grabbed it. When he looked back up, he was in the auditorium of Beacon. But, he didn't recognize anyone as he stood there, up on the stage. Until he looked to the people nearest to him.
"Summer?" He asked.
The woman before him was Summer, but she looked much younger than what he knew. She seemed to be around his age.
"Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen, Raven Branwen. Together, you form team STRQ, or Stark. Congratulations."
The younger Summer looked giddy and full of joy from being named team leader.
Snap out of it.
The scene around him collapsed, and he was back in the starry night sky and pool of water that was full of roses. He was holding the same rose in his hand, and it vanished in a golden light, reappearing further ahead of him.
Remembering the words to follow the roses, Azura moved towards it once more. Grabbing it again, he was brought to another landscape, this time to the very same cliff that Summer was at when she tried to get him to kill him.
He shook off the bad memory, seeing that Summer was with the same people that was with her in that last...memory?
They were all laughing at something, all holding a light blue ice cream popsicle in their hands. The sun was setting and it was easy to tell that they had aged since then. Bright smiles, and ambitious looks in their eyes.
"To graduating from Beacon!" The blonde, Taiyang, said.
"To being full huntresses!" Summer shouted with glee, arms stretching into the air.
"And hunters." The other man said, his voice gruff. He still looked quite happy from where he was.
"You know what she meant, brother." The woman with long black hair said
She reminded Azura of Yang, just from the hair.
"Shut it, Raven."
Summer sighed. "We're not here to fight, you two. We are celebrating!"
Taiyang laughed merrily.
Azura!
Again, the vision ended, and he was brought back to the lake of roses. Like the last time, the rose vanished, reappearing ahead of him. Looking down, he could see roses currently cleaning to his jeans, like it was climbing up him.
They fell off as he walked forward, once more grabbing the two-toned rose that was waiting for him. It was like he was seeing something that he shouldn't, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from picking the rose up when he got near it.
The next scene was a drastic difference from the other two times. It was dark and a downpour of rain was coming down. The black haired woman was walking away from Summer, straight towards him.
"Raven! What are you doing?!"
"Leaving."
"What? You can't leave, Raven! We need you! Taiyang needs you!" She cried out.
"No, they do not. I am needed elsewhere."
It was brief, but her words seemed to cut through Summer like she had just been stabbed. The look of despair on her face broke his heart, but he was shocked by the reaction of the cold woman walking towards him.
She was clearly hurt by her own words. She bit her lip harshly as Summer started sobbing, like a child who couldn't stop what was happening.
Get out!
Snapped back into place, he could see the roses once more climbing on him as the one in his hand did its vanishing act once more.
Why does this keep happening? No matter, you must not let the roses claim you, Azura.
The next time he picked the rose up, he was watching what looked like a young Yang playing with what he could only assume was a toddler Ruby. It was an odd scene to take in, especially with Summer and Taiyang watching with small smiles, quietly talking to each other.
"I'm really thankful to have you in my life. And Qrow, of course." He said.
"Of course. I'll always be there to help out." She responded.
Taiyang laughed lightly. "You didn't have to marry me."
"These things just happen." Summer replied, leaning on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head. "Of course. Are you sure you want to be going on that mission?"
She nodded. "Of course I do. Ozpin knows what he's doing."
Azura! Azura! You have to move! You're so close, I can feel it!
Just like the other times, the voice snapped Azura out of the vision. He could see the land nearby, away from the water and roses, where the two-toned rose was seemingly waiting for him.
He looked down, and almost gasped as he saw the roses starting to reach up his stomach. He tried to make a dash for it, feeling like his movement was slowed. The roses continued to climb up his body, and Azura thought that he wouldn't be able to make it. Fear finally struck him within the place that he was in, and he tried desperately to reach out the last few inches before reaching the dry land.
The roses seemed to wrap around him, and he was brought down to his knees as he struggled. He felt like he was losing himself as he slowly descended towards the water, like he was no longer Azura, and that he was becoming someone else. His body started to feel heavy, his eyelids blearily starting to close.
Not when I am this close!
The voice rang in his ears, like it was getting farther away. He could barely see a rush of green light seeming to push the two-toned rose towards him, his fingertips barely brushing against it.
A desert was all that he saw. A pile of ruins, Summer standing upon a worn pillar, daggers drawn as she looked below. Grimm were everywhere as if waiting without patience as they watched Summer. He was watching from a different pillar, unable to move as he watched Summer jump off of the pillar that she was standing on.
As she fell, her eyes flashed with a glowing silver light. Her daggers glowed brightly, and as she slammed onto the ground, a bright explosion went off with the same bright silver light. All of the Grimm within a ten meter radius were gone, without anything to suggest that they were even there in the first place.
The daggers continued to glow as the Grimm rushed towards her, and that was when a beautiful dance was witnessed by Azura. She flipped and hopped between each Grimm, red and white rose petals flying everywhere as she did so. One by one, Grimm dropped like flies, her dance of fury sending them to their deaths.
Minute after minute, it never seemed to end. She continued dancing, slicing and cutting through each Grimm, with an occasional explosion of that same silver light. It only ended after several minutes more of the same thing. By the end of it, Summer was on the ground, breathing heavily as her red aura fluttered and seem to almost be ready to break.
"So many Grimm for a book that Ozpin wants." Summer said, dragging out a small book out of her pouch.
"And such a shame that no one will see that book." A voice said.
Without any chance to move, a woman as pale as snow and covered in black clothing and veins appeared in front of Summer, thrusting her hand through Summer's stomach. She grabbed the book as it fell from Summer's hand, letting the woman fall off of her arm and down to the ground.
"Now, the last silver-eyed warrior will die." Was all the mystery woman said before vanishing once more.
It was the most terrifying thing that Azura had seen, and he couldn't even scream or move at all. That woman just came and went with ease, like it was nothing.
The only thing that he could do was watch as the woman who was Summer Rose slowly bleed out, gasping loudly as she cried in a pool of her own blood. Whatever breath she tried to get seemed to go right through her.
It felt like an eternity before her shaking even began to weaken and her gasps to become quiet.
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.(Line Break/Character Shift)
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July 8th
Monday
Clear
Ruby Rose felt that the weather was much too clear and bright for what happened. Or maybe the weather was celebrating that they had Blake back.
Ruby did agree that it was a good thing to have Blake back, and the past arguments with Weiss forgotten. It was a wonderful thing to have happen. Blake and Weiss had apologized to each other, they stopped Roman Torchwick from doing something bad, even if it was scary to answer for the police, and even scarier to be scolded by professor Goodwitch.
But, even all of the good wasn't enough to stop the consequences of Blake leaving. Azura was injured and in the med bay, still sleeping. She saw Ozpin coming in and out of the place rather often, and it concerned her that he was probably doing so because of her friend. Was he still in danger of something?
And the physical changes that he had gone through. If the underlying voice wasn't enough, then the appearance that he had was enough for her to know. Even if she didn't want to accept it at first, she knew who the second ghost that Azura had truly was.
"Did he know the entire time he knew me?" She asked herself, lost in her thoughts as she slowly walked to the med bay.
It was the only conclusion she could come up with, and she didn't know if that should make her feel hurt, and even betrayed.
"And Yang won't even look at me right now. She hasn't been nearly as energetic and carefree as she usually is." She said quietly, talking to herself.
Weiss seemed worried, stating that she had no clue what could be happening to him. Blake was clearly blaming herself for his state. Despite the happiness of having team RWBY back together, the shadow of what the downside of having Blake back hung over them. The depressing thought of it all just wouldn't leave Ruby alone.
Team JNPR seemed to have gone quiet over the weekend. The most that Ruby had seen them was in their dorm, with Ren and Pyra quietly discussing Azura with barely a hint of worry coming off of them. Pyrrha would nervously pace the room, seeming to always be consumed by her thoughts. Jaune and Nora did what they could to keep morale up, trying to keep them busy enough to put their minds off of the idea of something bad happening.
Ruby was the only one who worked up the courage to see him at this moment, as far as she knew. Even knowing that Azura wasn't all Azura, and that her mother was somewhere in there.
"Or the other way around? My mom seemed to have the control before she collapsed...why is this so confusing?!" She said, running her hands through her short hair in annoyance.
She sighed as she stopped, a short distance from the entrance of the med bay. She was scared of what she would find. Of what she would say, even if he was still not conscious. She didn't want to know if the ghost of her mother was there, but at the same time, she desperately wanted to hold on to the hope that she could actually talk to her late mother.
She was snapped out of her thoughts as a hand landed on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw headmaster Ozpin looking down at her. He looked tired, more than usual.
"Are you here to visit mister Heart, miss Rose?"
"Uh, yes, headmaster. Is that okay?" She asked, grabbing at her skirt as she normally did when nervous.
"Of course. I just finished what business I had here." He said.
She tilted her head. "What business?"
"Ah, nothing that special. Simply checking on my students and finishing any conversations that might be needed. I had to speak with those that helped pay for his tutelage here."
Ruby raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Did all of that require him to be here for several hours a day? She had heard the rumors of what Ozpin was doing, and she had to admit that she thought it was an odd coincidence that he was doing it as soon as Azura came in.
"Oh, right. Well, I'm going to visit him, if you don't mind." She said, looking past the taller man.
"Of course. He is still asleep, so do not expect to make conversation once you are in there. Until next time, miss Rose."
"Thank you, headmaster."
Walking with haste, she entered the building and approached the lady at the central desk. Getting the room that Azura was staying in, she made her way to the nearest door on the right as she made it to the second floor.
Standing at the door, she hesitated as she looked at it. She knew that nothing could go wrong with being here, but she still found herself doubting her reasonings. Shaking her head of the doubts that lingered in her mind, she opened the door and entered the small room, closing it behind her.
She stepped into the room fully, the blank white walls and clear window being the only two things that really stuck out. The bed and machinery keeping track of Azura's vitals being the only things for her to really look at. The steady beeping put her at peace, now that she knew that he was living and breathing, the peaceful look on his face helping to support that.
She brought the nearby chair next to the bed, and sat down in it. She was torn as she looked over at the resting boy. The white hair that was his mixing in the black and red that was her own. And her mothers. The glowing cloak was gone and his eyes closed, but it was hard to forget the silver eye that was there. He was a living reminder that her mother was dead, but also a comfort that told her that she could see her mother again.
She grabbed onto his hand with both of hers. "You know, you are a weird person. You bring out the most warm and terrifying feelings I have ever dealt with." She sighed. "You scare me, sometimes. Your semblance is something that I don't want to acknowledge, but...it's also such a wonderful gift. Even if it's selfish of me to say that. I know that Luna, who we all know to be your mother, is here. Listening to my every word as I speak to you."
She paused, letting the silence move within the room for a moment to gather her thoughts.
"I miss my mom. And I know you miss yours, even if you feel like you don't. We might be able to talk with them again, but it's not the same. It can only help to fill the gap in our hearts so much."
She sighed heavily.
"I have no idea why I'm saying all of this when no one can respond. But, when I finally figured out that mom wouldn't be coming home, it was hard. Yang tries so hard to fill the role, and I am glad to have a sister like her, but she can only do so much. Y'know, I became a bit of a shut in for a while. I struggled to make friends and to understand my emotions. It really hurt to think of the fact that my own mother would only be known by what other people tell me."
She tightened her grip slightly as she frowned.
"I just hope that something good can come from your situation. I really do. For my own selfish desires, but also for you. I think...I think this can be a turning point for us. For me, for you, for Yang. So, just...come back to us soon, okay?"
She stayed in the room for a while longer, just watching Azura breathe in and out as she thought about the many questions she had.
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.(Line Break/Character Shift)
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July 9th
Tuesday
Clear
Slowly opening his eyes, Azura winced at the sunlight that was permeating through the room. After adjusting to the light within the room, Azura looked around at his surroundings, realizing that he was within a hospital room. From his position in the bed, however, it could be seen that he was on Beacon grounds.
He felt slightly woozy and his throat was dry, and he was confused as to what caused him to be here, but he still smiled at seeing Luna at his bedside, holding his hand. It was an odd, but welcoming silence that followed, a mute ghost and a currently dry throat patient not speaking. Azura only had a few moments of Luna slowly rubbing her fingers on his hand before they were interrupted, a nurse walking in, clipboard in hand.
"It's wonderful that you are awake. I will get Ozpin at once! Stay where you are, please."
She left nearly as fast as she entered, clearly in a rush to get the news out that he was awake, for whatever reason.
"Not like we could have responded."
Azura felt like his brain had just stopped.
"You can hear me, right?"
"Yes." He said aloud, his voice sounding rusted and had and underlying feminine voice. "W-what?"
"Okay, I know you're confused by the whole double voice thing, but calm down."
Azura took a few breaths, completely confused. "Summer? Are you...in my head?"
"More like your entire body. Or soul. I'm unsure. I just woke up as well, you know."
Luna was looking at him with confusion. He could only shrug in response, unable to give a good answer.
"Do you want to explain what is going on?"
"I would love to do that, Azura, but I am just about as clueless as you."
Azura closed his eyes, focusing on the conversation. "Well, I remember feeling like my whole body powered up, then you said something, then I fell asleep. Next thing I know, I'm awake in here."
"Well, I can answer that. Kind of. I am not sure what it is, but you and I have sort of, combined. So, now we are just left to pick up the pieces as we go. Anyway, I fought that girl you were fighting off, kinda kicked her ass, if you ask me. After that, we, or I, grouped up with everyone, and talked."
"Are they okay?"
Her laughter almost seemed to rattle his brain. "Yes, they are okay. But, when I tried to wake you up, I remember collapsing. And, that's it for me. I woke up with you, about a few minutes ago."
"Well, I hope Ozpin will have some answers. I wasn't even told how long I was out."
"He'll have some, trust me. Just, try to avoid any weird questions, okay? Whatever happened since then has changed things. You seem to have total control of the talking, even if my voice still comes out with yours, and I don't think I can control your movement."
Azura let out air, in an attempt to laugh.
"This is like possession."
"It is."
Azura opened his eyes, and sat up as the door opened once more, watching Ozpin walk in. The man sat down in the chair that was next to the bed, not needing to shift it to face him. Azura could easily see the bags under his eyes.
"Looks like the old man hasn't been sleeping. At least the coffee addiction still makes sense." Summer commented.
Ozpin took out a water bottle, offering it to Azura.
"I'm sure you are rather parched. Please, take a drink. We have a few things to discuss."
Azura drank until he felt like his throat wasn't made of sand. Once he finished, Ozpin spoke once more.
"So, tell me, you are clearly confused, correct?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"I suppose that makes sense. In case you were wondering, it has been four days since you have fallen unconscious. The date is July ninth."
"Four days? I don't really feel like I came close enough to death to need that. What happened?"
Ozpin sighed. "That is a complicated question. It seems that the book I lent you has done more than assist you with your semblance. Do you remember the pages on soul bonds?"
"I do. Is this what me and Summer are dealing with?"
"Well, yes and no. What you two engaged in was a soul bond, but the circumstances have certainly changed how it worked."
Azura frowned. "What do you mean?"
"While you went through the normal process for it, your semblance seems to have created a variation of it. It wouldn't have been so different from a normal soul bond, however, if I didn't do anything to help."
"What would have happened if you didn't do anything? What did you do to help me?"
"As curious as ever, I see. Well, let's get the easy information out of the way first. I simply guided you out of the state of...let's say decay. I simply helped to guide you out of such a state. Do you not remember anything?"
"I do. I remember water...and roses. Fragments of memory, or maybe just odd dreams. I don't know."
"I see. It's no issue if you remember very little. Now, What I will tell you next is rather dark. Do you still wish to hear it?" Ozpin asked.
Azura nodded. "I do."
"Well...if I did indeed do nothing to help, you would've never woken up. Azura Heart would have been gone, and Summer Rose would stay behind with your current form. I doubt that even your semblance would remain."
Luna's grip on his hand tightened and Summer's light gasp felt like a pin had just dropped in his head. Azura himself was shocked, despite knowing that messing around with the soul had to be dangerous stuff.
"Oh. Is...is there anything that can be done from here?" He asked.
Ozpin sighed. "Well, the soul bond ended, but I am unsure if anything can be done from here. There is a chance that I might have overlooked something, and maybe you and Summer can be separated once more. There is also a good chance that your semblance is a lot more versatile that we all thought it to be. Maybe even trainable to some extent."
"So, I will be stuck with her in my head for an unknown amount of time? I can think of worse fates."
"Yeah…" Summer half-heartedly said.
"Indeed. For now, I suggest that you two get comfortable with each other. I promise that I will try to help you out, and I will even start by informing the other professors of your...condition. I will also inform your team, so that is your warning. You know how they can be." Ozpin said, finishing with a laugh.
"Of course. Thank you headmaster."
The man left the room, silently closing the door as he left. Azura sighed as he laid back down, letting Luna continue to pet his hand with her fingers, trying his best to ignore the more nervous tapping that she started doing.
"Well, this is certainly a situation. Let's set up some rules, I suppose." Summer said.
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.(Line Break)
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By the time Azura and Summer figured out that they both feel the same sensations of touch and smell, thus destroying any privacy that could occur, it was further dismounted by team RWBY and JNPR barging into the room like they were part of some parade band.
It was loud and not at all cordial, but Azura had to admit to liking the abrupt entrance, since he hadn't exactly moved from his bed. Pyrrha was in the forefront of all of them, eyes wide and worried as she looked him over, not that he thought it was needed. Ren and Pyra had taken a corner, while Nora and Jaune had lined against the wall with the window. Blake and Yang were by the door, hesitating, and he could see Weiss and Ruby behind them.
"You going to continue to look at them or say something?" Summer asked.
"Hey, guys. Uh, you like the new look?" He said, trying to break the awkward feeling in the air.
Seeing Blake flinch and Pyrrha frown wasn't exactly what he was hoping for.
"I...don't think they like me right now."
That did seem to be the case.
"Do I like the new look? What do you think the answer to that is?" Pyrrha asked.
"I think it looks great." Nora said, quietly.
Jaune snickered quietly, coughing after a moment and acting like he wasn't laughing.
"Is that a no? I think the red and silver mix pretty well." Azura said.
Pyrrha sighed. "Look, are you feeling okay? Does anything feel off?"
Summer laughed, echoing lightly in his head. "Well, other than having another person in your head, having that person seem to share the same body, and quite possibly some crazy soul shenanigans, I think we are fine."
Azura fought to keep the smile off his face as he spoke to Pyrrha directly. "Yeah, everything is great. Just...uh...I'm not sure how to put it."
"Well, we know what your semblance is and I'm sure some crazy things could be done with it. We also know that the other ghost is…" Pyrrha trailed off, looking over at where Yang and Ruby were.
Yang finished the girls' sentence. "We know that Summer Rose is within your body."
The cold tone was a bit of a shock to everyone, and even Weiss seemed taken aback.
Azura sighed. "Right. Well, there's that. I-we're working on that right now. Seeing what's new, what's different."
Pyrrha nodded, finally letting a smile on her face. "Well, I'm glad that you are taking it seriously enough."
"Of course he is. This sort of situation calls for it. He'd have to run from me if he didn't try to be serious about it." Weiss said with a roll of her eyes.
"Aww, she does care! Thanks Weiss." Azura said, smile on his face.
She scoffed in response. "You're just as bad as the dolt. And you look similar now."
"Hey, you would look great in black and red too. Maybe dye your hair black, red eye contacts…" Azura said, teasing the girl.
"Wha! Don't even consider the idea as viable!" Weiss exclaimed.
The atmosphere lightened considerably after that, and the entire conversation of the group shifted to become more like it was just another day. After about an hour of this, Weiss announced that they should be heading out, citing that they had combat class soon.
Most of them shuffled out of the room without a word, but some remained behind. As Azura watched it all happen, he saw Yang's harsh glare linger on him before she ended up looking away and leaving the room. As she walked off, Weiss and Ruby sighed softly, sharing a look.
"Just pay her no mind right now, Azura. We're here for a reason, same with Pyrrha."
"Okay. Well, what's up?"
Pyrrha spoke first, and it was almost like they had all spoken about this before coming here.
"We're all worried about you, but I just want to...well, I just want to be there for you, as a team mate, and as a friend. I don't want you to hide any problems you have or anything."
Azura smiled. "Of course. Pyrrha, I'm not going to shy away from my own team or friends."
She nodded. "Good. I just wanted to make sure. I'll take my leave now, then. I hope you get released soon!"
Obviously in a better mood, Pyrrha left with confidence in her step. Weiss coughed into her fist, stepping up towards him.
"I'll admit that I am really curious about what exactly this means for you. I have never seen this kind of scenario, so I want to...offer a deal, as bad as that sounds. That's not what I mean."
Azura shook his head. "I know what you mean, Weiss. What did you have in mind?"
Weiss, much more composed than normal, smiled at his words. "Think of it like an experiment. I want to know what this could mean, and it can also help you to figure out how to work with what you are dealing with. It sounds selfish, but I do want to do this for both of our benefits."
"Sounds great. But, how about we figure this out when I can actually move and be free of this place?"
"Of course. Thank you for agreeing to this, Azura." Weiss said, leaving quickly after that, her face a little red.
Ruby cracked up in laughter after she left.
"Even I have no idea of why she is laughing."
"Ruby? What are you doing?"
She stopped laughing after a few moments. "Sorry. I just couldn't stop myself. She was so embarrassed to be asking such a simple thing, it was funny."
Azura let out a brief laugh. "So, I guess I have a personal caretaker and a physical therapist now."
Ruby laughed with him, but she quickly let it drop as she looked away.
"Ruby?" He asked.
"How long did you know that my mother was with us?"
"Since I first spotted you on the airship."
"So that's why you said what you did when you were breaking down on the bench...did you ever intend to show me?"
"Of course I did!"
Ruby sat down in the chair still next to his bed, her legs shaking as her lips shook.
"I-I'm sorry. I know you would have, but I have had so many thoughts going through my head recently."
Summer's silence was telling, and Azura felt like he could feel the sadness she felt at this moment.
He shifted in the bed towards her. "Ruby, look at me."
She did so, her silver eyes glistening.
"I might have no idea what you are thinking, and I might only have a slight idea of how you are feeling, but I want to extend the same hospitality that Pyrrha and Weiss did for me. You're my friend, and I don't want my friends to feel like this. I'm not sure what I need to say here to make you feel better, but I want you to have someone to help you. Even If I am sure you have Yang for that kind of stuff."
Ruby grabbed at his hand, and he winced at the pressure, but didn't say anything.
"Thank you so much...just, thank you. I can't even begin to explain how I feel...you are giving me a chance to talk to my own mother. This is something that I thought I could only dream to do."
Azura smiled as she lightly shook, the girl clearly overtaken with emotion.
"I promise you that you will have your moment. But, I want to do it right. I want you to be able to speak to her without me being there, so that you can both freely speak to each other."
Ruby nodded silently, tears falling down her face. Despite Azura's feeling of somber happiness, he felt a streak of tears fall down his left cheek. Ruby gasped weakly, looking at him with shock.
Summer Rose was crying, even if she was silent. He moved further, shifting his body so that he was fully facing Ruby. She moved forward, embracing him, and he embraced her.
He felt that this wasn't a moment between Ruby and her friend. It was a moment for Ruby and her own mother.
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.(Line Break)
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Shortly after Ruby calmed down and eventually left the room, Summer spoke up.
"Thank you, Azura. I'm very grateful for what you do to help me."
"Of course. Ruby is my friend, and so are you. Let's work hard to make your child's dream come true."
"I expected no other answer from you."
"You know me so well."
Yeah...say, Azura. How much did you see? When you were speaking of Ozpin, you said that you saw fragments of memories."
"I...saw two moments of your life in Beacon. Becoming part of a team, and I think graduating from Beacon. I saw a woman with black hair leave for something. You were...you were saddened by it. I'm sorry for knowing this."
"No, that's not your fault. It has something to do with what led to this situation in the first place. Did you see anything else?"
Azura thought of how he saw her slowly bleeding out and clinging to the last pieces of her life.
"I don't want to think about it. It was...I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry that you had to see that. I didn't want you to know about that. Never mention this to Ozpin. Please."
Despite the somber response, he could feel her determination of what they had originally spoken about regarding Ruby. He looked over at Luna, who had taken to sitting in the chair that Ruby was originally in. He leaned forward with a sigh, letting Luna run her hands through his hair comfortingly.
"So much for being a simple huntsman."
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.(Chapter End)
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And there it is. I've been waiting to put this line in, even if it's basically just a simple one. Now, I won't say much, but I hope you like the idea of slowing down how fast the events of volume two go. I want to give some characters more love during it.
See ya next chapter! Hope you have a nice day/evening!