Act IV - Linked Horizons
Chapter 32 - Story of the Past
"Like what you've done with the place... homely." My attempt to somehow lighten the air around myself and Specter was... pitiful. I still had a hard time trying to comprehend how Specter, the stranger who's been helping me from time-to-time is actually... Ruby's mom, that made this a little more awkward and opened up Pandora's Box
She managed a small chuckle, the two of us discussing things with our legs crossed, the moonlight pouring into the room. "You always try to make light of a situation, you've changed alot since the time we first spoke."
"Chock that up to my friends, I'd be nothing without them," Sad but true, I owe them my life
"The three of us do." Iota agreed dryly
"...Summer," She flinched a little at that. "All this time you were alive, I don't even know if I have the right to feel how I feel about this, about Ruby and Yang - You're alive and they don't know but I do, this... this is alot to digest."
"I understand, my memories of them were what caused me to... lose myself in a haze, I am sorry for attacking you," Summer apologized, but I snorted, rolling my eyes
"I let Iota take control and nearly kill four of my friends, trust me you can't make a worse impression," I could feel Iota glaring at me for that but I refused to acknowledge him right now. "I'll be straight with you, what the hell happened all those years ago? Why haven't you said anything to your family? And what's your connection to Mars? I've had it with secrets and half-truths involving me, if I can spill so can you."
For a moment Summer stared back with her remaining eye, the other was gone apparently, but while her gaze lingered, her breath finally left her mouth. "...I don't remember a thing about my death... nor do I know who killed me, I do remember how I came back."
I only saw darkness. A veil over my death, unlike the tales people would speak of Heaven and Hell. I was in a state of limbo.
I felt my senses return slowly, my sudden breath catching back in my throat was surprising, the sensation of grass under me was warm and tickled my bare arms. Yes, my arms! I saw them clear as day, no longer stained in blood or broken, but a fair tone that I had missed for hours...years maybe? I sat up in surprise, my clothing was gone completely with my mind, all I could remember was the sensation of death, how cold I was before, yet now...
My eyes drifted to the night sky, and I felt my remaining silver eye widen at the sight of the nebula up high, crossed with boundless stars, the moon illuminating me in a soft glow of the sunlight's remnant. Even sat here without any weapon or clothing on my back, I felt my lips part into a laugh, my tears falling from my eyes as I fell back into the grassy hilltop with a relieved sigh against all odds. I was alive! I was alive!
That night, sat against the grass and to a world, I hardly remembered, with only a name and pieces in my head, I made a vow. I'd be a spectator to this world, hide away to cherish my life until the day came when I would seek out my new life, with the defeat of the Four Horsemen, their title stained my mind that night, but I needed time, time to become stronger in a world of unjust hatred.
It was from that day I felt my mind piece back together, filling in the blanks and images with clarity, I knew my name, my team... but nothing else, just hollow feelings that I had let go of a promise and that small slip had been a spiral downward. Only now that I think on the matter, the more I feel sick to my stomach. My own little girl, her eyes glimmering with innocence and a pure look to the world. I had left her behind without warning...
"So you understand why I'm so reluctant, why I... can't face any of them?" It was heartbreaking to see her this way. I could tell deep down she wanted to go to her family again, to hold them and never let go, I felt the same way sometimes, but just as I felt that same kindred yearning, I also understood the fear of facing those you left behind, deceived and watched be played by another without so much as saying a word
Summer held her arms close to her chest, hiding her eyes under her bangs. "I want to hold them... I really do... I should have been there for them."
"This isn't your fault," I reached over this time, planting my hand firmly on her shoulder. "This is all on Salem and Mars, they did this, not you. Believe me, I've been a game to him for months now so I understand you want him gone before facing anything else first. Tell me I'm wrong?"
"If he gets his way, none of us will see the things we want," Huh? Summer looked to me, eyes brimming with a serious terror. "The precipice of war is upon us, and what we do now will decide who's left standing when it's over."
Goosebumps ran along my arms. Was this what Ozpin was planning for? Was Amber involved? There were too many variables to consider, and if the time was near then this meant we had to act fast. I then felt it, her arm latching around Cognitum has my arm tensed with a slight tremble.
"Calm down, Sky, if we rush in too far we'll just be playing into their hands, believe me." Summer's stern tone had me simmer down, the two of us sitting in the middle of the darkroom but I saw her small smile, she had a radiant glow in her eyes just like Ruby. "Your reaction is nice to see, knowing you'd risk everything for your friends, it reminds me of my time at Beacon, but unlike back then I have a real plan, one we can enact immediately."
"I like her," Of course you do. "Well, I don't see Red coming up with a long-term plan in the face of war." I... can't really disagree there
"Oh damn, shots fired." Alright, enough, both of you
Sitting up straight, I kept myself still to hear the Huntress completely. "Okay, where do we begin?"
"To understand what little I know about Salem and the Grimm, the four pillars of her army are keys to it all that I'm about to say. To begin, Salem, who amassed her armies in the land once home to the God of Darkness, out there somewhere, she discovered something...unique. Four Grimm of different origins were together, all of different mythological beginnings, yet they never left each other, always moving as one, always hunting as one."
"That was when she came up with an idea, a way to conjure powerful beings that would think like humans, yet lack the soul of one too. She took them, and through rigorous experimentation and aid from her own acolytes, 'THEY' were born."
"Morana, the Clear Horseman of Death. The final evolution of a harpy, its primal urges contained by a blade of another world, with an edge to tear reality into tatters before its might. Behind its shroud lies a razor-covered being of black feathers, with broad wings and crooked claws. Any caught in its scream would bleed in agony before death."
"Tabus, the White Horseman of Pestilence. A manic beast, even I've never seen her true form, due to her inability to feel pain, only a blood-lust of violence and screams of her victims, covered in searing daggers, she is never without a weapon to lacerate her foes, worst of all, I fear she may be something cross between a human and Grimm, if so, she would be an unbeatable plague beyond any humane sanity."
"Una, the Black Horseman of Famine. A venomous female Grimm with a calming aura that would chill your bones, a serpentine Grimm with a human form, senses and reflexes making her far more nimble than her other Horsemen, using her poison to paralyze enemies, she is far more deadly as a nocturnal. In her true form, she is a massive Cobra. If her words never get to you, then her venom will leave you empty."
"Last, Mars, the Red Horseman of War. The smartest but not the strongest, his true form is unknown, other than his gifted intelligence and habit of using others for his scientific progress, Cognitum being his greatest achievement, he usually wears blackish-purple armour to cover his body. He's known to fight in close-quarters, but will use trickery and weaknesses learned about his opponents against them, leaving them to his mercy. Without a doubt, he is far more deadly due to his human-level of intelligence, in war, he'd be the one to play both sides."
At the very end of Summer's explanation, I found the new information to fit the Horsemen quite well, from their personalities and abilities, then the fact Salem's domain lies in a place I've never heard of, and one of the Gods' homes no less. Perfect.
"If this is true, then wouldn't Mars expect us... wherever you're taking me?" I commented, pointing ahead of the cliff face just outside of Mountain Glenn, the land having overtaken the world outside the circumference of the city once more. A forest had started to flourish, and it made navigating roads and paths difficult with grass and trees in the way.
The silver gaze glanced back at me, I could imagine her smiling knowingly. "He would, but that's exactly why we're doing this now; Mars overthinks, so he's managing both the plans set in motion for Vale, you and me, and now us coming here, it's alot to handle, even for a Grimm."
"Ah, right..." ...This is awkward. Even with her giving me some background on our enemies, this is Ruby's mom, and... well, she's been watching us, me exclusively, and so that means she knows about me and Ruby... mmm, what do I say? What do I talk about?
"Say, Summer?"
"Hmm?"
"I was wondering, even if you don't want to involve yourself with your family right now, I know you really do care for them, so with that in mind-" I was dodging the question but it wasn't so easy to say, it's just like the time I met Tai, he was intimidating and hard to read, Summer was more the latter, the former I had no clue since she's being nice to me. "Well, I-"
"I don't have any right to decide how my daughter lives her life," Oh good, she knew what I was saying. "I never wanted her to be like me, to become a Huntress - Now that I remember, it only makes me worry for her, despite not having the right to feel this way."
"That's not your fault, you're still her mother," It made sense to worry, but for Ruby to not be a Huntress... would things have been different if Summer hadn't have vanished? Would me and Ruby even have met? Resting a hand on my head I played with my hair. "Now that you say it... how would this have all turned out if events had been changed?"
"Probably alot differently - But still, while I fear what she and Yang will be involved with, what's already transpired, I'm... scared for my Little Rose, Raven's Sunny Little Dragon, yet seeing them with the memories through-out my time in Vale," Summer peered back, hand to her heart. "I'm so proud of them and the young women they've turned into. This is a life they've chosen, and with their friends by their sides, I have no doubt they'll be the strongest Huntresses of all."
We stopped, her arms wrapping around me tightly in a warm, motherly hug. I didn't really respond since I was completely caught off guard by the guestre. "I'm so happy my little girl met someone as nice as you, if you are both happy then I'm happy, okay?"
"U-Uh, sure, thanks Summer." She let go of me, giggling a little with her reclusive bow twirling in her hands
"If you break her heart I'll kill you though~" The world had turned to solid ice. Her mask held back a frigid chill that had already ensnared my heart, holding me by the throat with such vicious nature laced in her words. Nevermind, Tai is far less scary than this rosy thorn
"Nope-Nope-Nope-Nope-Nope-Nu-Uh-No Way-Nada-" Iota continued to deny, his voice disappearing from my ears
"Hahaha, I'm in danger!" Eric too
"A-A-Anyway, are we there yet!?" I scrambled ahead of her, stopping at the lip of the cliff overlooking a small valley within the mountains
With a tap on my shoulder, Summer held my arm and pointed it at our toes. "Just under our noses. The catacombs that hides a place connected to Salem's own network, and in turn, Mars'. This is where the truth of Cognitum lies."
"The Cauldron."
To Be Continued...
I think people will hurt me, this took some time to make, combined with burnout, writer's block too, but here it is and soon the next addition to this story with more unexpected outcomes to come! I hope you enjoyed, seeya in the next chapter!
Next Chapter: The Cauldron
Summer and Sky delve into a place not-so-forgotten by its creators. This isn't simply a fight but a war within, one all combatants must play a part. Who will come out on top? What secrets lie in arm's reach? Who can you trust?