Chapter 11: Thunder on the Horizon

Nora was tired. "Ughhhh are we there yet Renny?" she asked, quizzing the man in front of her. They were high up walking along a mountain path, the wind wrapping all around them as she tried to not look over the ledge. It had been hours since they had split from Ruby and Jaune; having decided to split up to take the mountain paths over the path through Kuroyuri.

"No Nora." Ren's voice was calm as they turned a corner. His eyes glanced forward; noticing something in the distance. "Hey; you think it's gonna storm?"

Nora came up panting. "Yeah maybe, why?"

"There's a cave up there, though it looks like it might be harder to reach. We never do get the easy path, do we?"

Nora laughed softly. "Easy's no fun anyways. Are you ok Ren?" Nora just stared at her partner, they had been through so much since the attack on Kuroyuri; it was no wonder Ren did not want to go back to unearth the bad memories.

Ren nodded. "Yeah, you?" Nora tried to smile as she saw him trying to do the same.

"I've got you here, that's all that matters." Ren did not respond to it so Nora kept talking. "Come on." She beaconed him towards the cave as she started walking forward. "We can stop in there to let the storm pass; I just hope Jaune and Ruby find shelter for Qrow."

Ren stood there for a moment as the sky loomed above with the sounds of thunder looming ahead. "Hey! Over here!" Nora's shouting broke Ren out of his moment of thinking. "There's wind coming out of the cave!" Ren ran to catch up. "Think it might lead to the peak?"

Ren tried to smile. "Well if it does; we're gonna have to find ou-" Ren was cut off as a piece of fabric flew into his face, blocking him from speaking. Nora could only try to withhold her giggles as Ren took the fabric off his face. "Yes yes, very funny…" Ren trailed off when he looked at the fabric; it wasn't any generic fabric; it was a flag. He looked at the symbol on it and shivers grew all over his body. It was Shion's flag.

"Hey what's wrong?" Nora quizzed, she didn't recognize the symbol, it was really pretty though!

Ren looked at the flag further, gripping it more slightly. "This is Shion's flag Nora."

"Shion?" Nora said puzzled. "The Shion where we found that huntsman dying? But that's.. That's weeks away from here!" Ren just looked up at her for a moment before darting into the cave, dropping the flag in the process. "Ren, wait for me!" Nora shouted before chasing after him deeper into the cave. She only stopped once she arrived at an opening in the cave. The cave opened out into a den of sorts, claw and horn marks decorated the walls and countless numbers of swords, bows, arrows, everything imaginable just lay on the ground scattered. "Oh my gosh." Nora said as she finally took it all in, they were inside a Grimm's lair. Professor Port had said that there were plenty of lairs in the mountain ranges of Remnant, but they were so rare that the chances of finding one by random were so rare, that you would not find one unless searching for it.

Black pools of oil dripped and oozed all around them as Ren moved forward to inspect an arrow. A tear dropped from Ren's face as Nora came up to put a hand on his shoulder. She didn't know what it meant to him, but he did. It was one of Ren's father's arrows. She then slowly recognized the shape of the puddle it had been sitting in. The hoof of a monster, the same one that tormented their dreams. The mutated freak called the Nuckelavee by survivors like themselves. Nora had not wanted to believe it; but she had seen the hoofprint as far back as Shion. No.. this hadn't been a group of Shionians coming to fight the Nuckelavee… the Nuckelavee had swept the village after the Bandit attack, and had taken the flag as a prize. She turned to the prints they were heading to the other entrance to the cave.

"No-no!" Ren's voice echoed through the scarred cave. Nora found out why when she joined him at the cave mouth. Below them lay a forest, with some of the trees shaking. Something big was leaving and heading towards Kuroyuri. Nora slowly took Ren's hand to reassure him. However any calmness by their hands being together was torn from them as a tree fell in the forest; and for a moment, they saw the Nuckelavee. It turned around, having caught onto their emotions and with a piercing wail turned back to face Kuroyuri. While it's den had been found, there were better emotions to feast on in Kuroyuri which would fulfill the Grimm's tastes better. The emotions being those that belong to Ruby and Qrow.

"Qrow!" Raven's voice awoke her brother as he slowly arose from his bed. "We're nearly late for the Tournament!"

Qrow yawned. "Huh sis?" Qrow felt a shiver down his spine as his body felt the cold air enter the room. They were still in Atlas; at Summer's childhood home. "Oh right; yeah; I'll get up."

"Good, your girlfriend would be quite pissed if you missed her match." Raven retorted as she closed the cracked window seal. She was shockingly smiling, already in her huntress outfit for the day and looked decked for battle.

"And where is she?" Qrow said as he got off the bed and pulled some clothes he bought with Summer a few weeks ago out of his drawer.

"Summer's downstairs helping her mother cook breakfast."

"If she has time to do that; shouldn't I have time to wake up slowly?"

"Of course not!" Raven yelled. "You've become a slow riser since getting here!"

Qrow just smirked. "And tell me, where's your boyfriend if you're gonna tell me where my girlfriend is."

Raven just shook her head. "Tai's downstairs waiting on us, now come on!"

Qrow sighed as he went to go take a shower. Eventually he got dressed and walked downstairs. The second he touched the floor he was hit with a wonderful smell. Turning to face the kitchen he saw Summer and her mother cooking. Something that warmed his heart but at the same time… saddened him. He hadn't mentioned it yet but his and Raven's relation to their parents weren't like Summer's or even Tai's with their parents. He was not sure what Raven thought about the tribe or even Taiyang but him? He would love to settle into that position; having a loving family to help raise… as long as everyone accepted him and his semblance.

"Hi Stilts!" a voice rang from behind him. He had not even noticed that Summer had encircled him and climbed onto his back, now holding herself up with her legs. Her arms also rested on his shoulders. "How did you sleep?"

Qrow just smiled. "Hey Sum, I slept well; are you ready for today?"

"Yep! Me and Raven are gonna win today!" Summer said before kissing the back of his neck.

"Excited huh. Well what did you cook?"

Summer beamed as she tried to twist around Qrow. "Pancakes and Bacon… yes, I got our Strawberry Syrup, Tai and Raven know not to touch it this time."

Qrow just chuckled as he moved to kiss his girlfriend's forehead. "Wonderful. Is it done?"

"Of course! Why else would I be here instead of well, in there still!"

Qrow nods and walks over; with Summer teleporting off before sitting next to him.

"Summer, what have I said not to do in the house?" Ashley said, staring at her daughter.

"Uh… not to use my sembl-."

"Do you know how many rose petals you create with each time you use it? Though I will admit, the house smelling of roses is nice again."

Summer rolled her eyes at her mom's statement. "Ok mum, I'll be more careful."

"Good, your syrup should be done, if you want to fetch it for yourself and your boyfriend. Please don't use your semblance." Summer's mom was stern as she sat down with her own plate of pancakes to eat.

Summer smiled as she got up and walked over to where the syrup was sitting. Bringing it over, she slowly poured some on her pancakes, before handing it over to Qrow. "Here Stilts."

"Thanks Sum." Qrow said as he poured some for himself, he took a bite and smiled. "Wow these are really good, who made them?"

Summer blushed. "I-I did Qrow; I made yours and mine, and some of my mum's while she mainly handled Tai's and Raven's."

Qrow smiled at his girlfriend. "Well then thanks Sum! These are amazing."

Raven scoffed while eating. "You say that for all of her food."

Qrow chuckled. "Well; when everything I cook goes wrong…-"

Tai just laughed. "This is coming from the guy who nearly burnt his pasta."

"And when you used the wrong type of baking material in the cake…" Raven said, leaching onto Taiyang's sentence.

"You do cook horribly hun." Summer said smiling.

"Which is why your food is the best!" Qrow said before eating another pancake. "So.. are you two ready by the way?"

"Yep! Apple Slice and Strawberry Solstice are ready to go!"

Raven scoffed, looking at Qrow and Summer. "Omen's been ready since the last match."

Qrow nodded. "Sure it has been." He said, then rolled his eyes at Raven. "Whatever you say sis."

Summer's mum interrupted before Raven could retort. "It's nearly time to catch the airship up. Please be careful, and go win please. Show Atlas what Mantle can really do, my little wolfengelchen."

Everyone turned to see Summer's face had turned as red as the inner layer of her cloak. "Mum! I'm nearly twenty now!"

Summer's mum smiled as she got up to put her plate in the sink. "And you're still my little wolfengelchen, Summer, always will be… even if you have a boyfriend…,. And maybe your future husband?"

Summer's ears curled a little as she glared. "Mum!"

Summer's mum just laughed. "You know I'm teasing Summer."

Qrow just smiled at Summer and her mum as they all started to get ready to head up to Atlas for the day. His grin grew larger as he sat next to his girlfriend on the ship ride up to the city. He was for once, excited about the future.

Summer smiled as she walked through the sunset colored streets of downtown Vale. The evening was one of her favorite times of day to visit downtown Vale, as she walked from the airbus station to the docks. She was walking down the main street when something caught her eye. A suitcase designed for Huntsmen was on display at a department store. She waltzed in and she bought a red colored one; along with a few sets of clothes. Smiling to herself she walked out, tomorrow would be doubles rounds and she could only wonder who on RWBY would be going to the doubles rounds. Little did she know; one bird was still watching her as she walked around Vale.

This bird had its own plans, it was a raven. The Raven. She had spent all day watching the tournament or rather more accurately, just Team RWBY. She had seen her daughter fight, and followed Ruby out of the Arena, and found a can of worms to open. There was a woman who looked like Summer, and she was going to find out who it was.

The ship docks creaked and moaned aside from all the freighters. Summer figured that most of them were likely full of contraband. Every ship stood silent as she walked, none of them beaconing her towards them, nor any sounds of the White Fang having activity, that was odd enough. Only the sounds of Raven kept the area from being dead quiet outside of the droning sounds of creaking from the ships.

Summer sat down and closed her eyes for a little while, before hearing the sound of a bird flying. She sighed and opened her eyes. "Hello Raven,my sister."

Raven scoffed. "My sister is dead."

"Oh, then I assume Qrow's dead to you too?" Summer said, feeling her face grow a smile before laughing. "I'm not shocked you were the first to follow me, Raven."

"So stop pretending to be my dead sister; whoever you are." Raven said, pulling out Omen and pointing it at Summer's throat.

Summer just responded to the threat by teleporting a few feet back, filling the room with petals and the hint of roses. "It's me, Summer." Summer tensed up. "Look… you were right. Back then I mean, at Haven. I should of gone to Qrow for help. But I didn't, and I've paid my price."

Raven was speechless, and took a few moments of silence and quiet breathing before struggling out a sentence. "How are you-"

"Alive?" Summer managed to cut Raven off. "I wouldn't call it mercy. More of… I was being used as an experiment."

"Experiment huh?" Raven asked, scoffing.

"Yep, Salem… did some things to me but threw me out to Merlot Industries, where I was locked up for most of the time."

"And how-"

"I don't know how I escaped or why Salem did not kill me. Perhaps our technology had reached a point she thought she could see how I work? Well for whatever reason, Merlot Industries exploded in on itself, freeing me, I stole this ship from them and brought it here." Summer was on the brink of tears. Raven tried to speak but Summer started talking again. "You've gotten mighty brave, you know, with you being in the same place as Qrow for once. Even after abandoning Taiy-Us, you abandoned us, and when I came to you to learn why. You, Raven Branwen told me why you ran on us, and at first offered me that you'll help me with Salem. But didn't help me in my time of need, yet here you are."

"I-I" Raven was taken aback, Summer was one of the only people able to sting her with words of the guilt she had brewing for nearly twenty years. "I'm doing my best watching my daughter, now."

Summer just shook her head. "You could of done that when you abandoned Yang for your tribe. So please, I have no more answers Raven. Not to a deadbeat person like yourself, if you can prove to me that you've changed, well… then maybe I'll open up to you."

Raven scoffed as a portal opened. "Well then, Goodbye Summer." With the sound of the portal closing, Summer fell back onto the bed. Thoughts brought her back to the days of her own festivals with Raven, Taiyang, and Qrow. Summer yawned as she kept thinking about Qrow and how he acted with Ruby earlier that day. It brought happiness to Summer and helped her fall asleep, tomorrow should be a lot better; it's the doubles rounds! Those are always the most interesting to watch.

Summer sighed, she was walking into the Arena with Raven. "Ready Rave?"

Raven scoffed. "Let's go already, come on."

The duo was eventually accompanied by a gingerly haired woman about Summer's height with a similar skintone to Summer, wielding a trident-like weapon. Their partner was a taller, brunette haired woman with hazeled skin with freckles adorning her face, carrying a lance in her hands.

"Hello!" The brunette woman said smiling and waving.

"Hi." Summer replied, trying to smile at her opponents.

Raven just stared at the other women, not willing to speak, allowing the ginger lady to speak as the stage was chosen; it was the ocean and city stages this round. "You there, short one!"

"Y-yes?" Summer said turning her attention away from the brunette to their partner.

"What's your name Sweetheart?" The ginger said, smirking.

"Summer Rose." Summer said nervously, trying to smile, though a hint of red was forming on her face. "You?"

"Oooh such a pretty name you've got, mine's Astrapi Angelos." the ginger smiled at her. "It's perfect. Don't you think?"

Summer couldn't respond to it, as Raven cut in. "Come on, enough flirting, let's get on with the battle."

"So much for fun talk, ah well." Astrapi said gripping her trident. "Well then! Let's Go!"

The sound of the buzzer offset them as Summer just nodded to Raven. Raven charged ahead towards the brunette, as Summer headed towards the city. However, Astrapi was quick to catch on and follow as the brunette fought Raven. Summer sighed as she had wanted to fight the lancer but oh well, the ginger would have to do. Though, flirting, maybe that Astrapi's using it as a distraction.

Summer tried to shake it off as she got into a position to snipe at Astrapi. Astrapi had eventually made her way up to Summer's nest to try to attack, only for Summer to pull out her sickles with a smirk. "Thought I would be defenseless in close quarters?"

Astrapi just giggled. "Oh Sweetheart. Of course not." Astrapi then lunged toward Summer, who just threw her off the platform after a few attacks going back and forth.

Summer just jumped down to continue swinging at the ginger woman in front of her, trying desperately to attack. Any good attempts would be dealt off by Summer swinging her sickles to pull the trident away from her, or using her rifle to get some damage into the ginger before she could reach.

Summer watched as the auras slowly dropped for everyone, when Raven hit a point and just teleported to her.

"Tag out." Raven said as Summer turned to walk into the portal, causing Summer to smirk. This was a common strat for her and Raven, though usually it also involved sending either Tai or Qrow to the other instead. She turned to face the hazeled skin brunette now in front of her, clearly she had been tough, but it didn't matter, with the aura dropping.

"Excuse me, miss." the woman said politely. "I got your partner's name, what's yours?"

Summer smiled. "Summer Rose, and you?"

"Very well Summer, my name is Akeldama Ibai, I hope I'm a good match for you; your partner was quite… interesting to fight before she bailed. Also.. don't worry about Astrapi. She's… a wildcard to say the least."

Summer chuckled as she got into a fighting position. "I saw that, was the flirting for show?"

Akeldama tensed up, though Summer could see goosebumps as the brunette shook suddenly for a second, as if testing something. Akeldama though quickly regained her posture, almost as if it never happened. "Oh her flirting? She's harmless, she's looking for someone for her life but hasn't found the one she's looking for yet, you know?"

Summer grinned. "I know that feeling. Love is… hard to come by." She then turned and smiled towards the stands, towards where she knew Qrow was sitting with Tai, cheering them on. "I'll let you take the first strike."

"Oh, thank you, I was waiting for you to settle in out of that portal before attacking, it isn't right to attack someone coming out of those… even if that's the first time I've seen such a unique semblance!" With that Akeldama threw the lance; grazing Summer's shoulder as it passed.

Summer then took the initiative and ran forward with her sickles in hand to get some swings in. She knew she had to attack first, lances were one of the types of weapons Summer knew she had a hard time combatting.

Smack! Summer felt her head spin as the lance came back; having used dust to fly back to its owner. Akeldama's cheerful voice cried out once the lance had returned to her hands. "I'm-"

"-Sorry!" Pyrrha said cheerfully as Miló returned to her. She had just dispatched a member of the other team.

"And Pyrrha Nikos has taken out Mr. Van! Poor man." Port said over the sound system.

"Yes yes." Oobleck said. "But don't forget; Ms. Valkyrie is still fighting one on one.

Summer focused back on watching Nora, she couldn't hear her outside of her maniac laughs as she was on the other side of the field. Pyrrha had been much closer to keep an ear out for, when her daughter wasn't screaming at her friends, cheering them on, clearly spooking the blonde sitting next to her, Jaune maybe? Summer then refocused on watching Pyrrha and Nora fight, she couldn't place it but she could swear she's seen some of Pyrrha's moves before. And Nora? She's still powerful as she was yesterday with her hammer.

"Excuse me."

Summer cut out of her thoughts and concentration, but still looked up at the fight as she pulled herself further back into her seat to let the person through. "S-sorry."

"No-no, I wanted to see if this seat was taken." Summer recognized the voice and looked up to see Headmaster Ozpin standing next to her. "O-oh of course." She scooted to let Ozpin sit down.

"Thank you. The Box Offices are nice and they get stuffy really quick. I came down for some fresh air." Ozpin's words made Summer's eyes dart over to where the box offices were; they were quite far away; far enough away that he was lying, he came to see her. She just nodded. Minutes passed as they sat there together, the sounds of Nora shouting echoing through the arena, before Ozpin spoke once more. "Well then, Summer how are you?"

Summer tensed up at him using her name. "Oz."

"Ah so it is you, or at least someone willing to call me Oz instead of Headmaster Ozpin." Ozpin's cocoa sloshed in his mug as he spoke.

"So what is this? You here to-"

Ozpin cut off Summer. "I assumed myself that; you have a lot of questions of your own, you've been away for some time. Summer. I figured it would be best once I saw you on my camera system this morning to check on you."

"I-I, Salem. I went against her."

Ozpin sighed. "Me and Qrow figured that out ourselves. I assume Merlot ha-"

"Yes he did, how did you guess?"

"Teams RWBY and JNPR have gained a knack for sifting into messes deeper than they know. Countless events have occurred in the past few months involving the teams, they gained the knacks of STRQ and BRNT for sure." Ozpin chuckled at his own words, relaxing his posture a little. "A few weeks ago they got themselves on a boat sent to Merlot's secret hiding hole, after discovering he was stealing and mutanting Grimm in the Forever Fall."

Summer just wheezed for a moment. "That sounds like us."

"I have not told Qrow but Ms. Rose when she gave me the locations of the buildings, I found a chamber marked as S-E-W testing, and files recovered by Mr. Arc showed that you had been stored there for quite some time."

Summer sighed. "So are they why the place exploded?"

Ozpin sighed, turning to focus instead of the arena; to focus on Summer herself. "I'm afraid so, Summer, and it seems Merlot planned for you to die there."

"Well it failed." Summer said; as she took a sip of her drink. "I-I just can't believe I was so foolish to believe with my own knowledge that well; I could face Salem… alone."

Ozpin sighed. "What knowledge."

Summer frowned. "Me and Raven learned something about her and Qrows backstory; one that involves those gods you love to mention, Ozpin."

Ozpin just looked at her, saddened. "Y-Yes, the Branwen's bloods are.. Unique, and effectively are some of the oldest DNA samples on Remnant, only rivaled by some faunus bloods."

Summer nodded. "And if I recall; I'm one of those bloods myself?" Ozpin didn't reply, making Summer scoff. "Figured, Well Oz, I got a question for you."

"Yes."

"Nora Valkyrie down there; is she the daughter of Astrapi Angelos?" Summer said as the crowds cheered for Nora and Pyrrha's winning.

"Nora Valkyrie, yes she does have similarities to Ms. Angelos of Haven, I had looked into this when she arrived at my footstep asking with her partner Lie Ren for slots in Beacon. I can not confirm with Mistralian Records if she is officially Ms. Angelos' daughter. However Lie Ren, I can assure you, is from Kuroyuri to the son of Li and Ann Ren, they both seem to have fled the attack of the city based on their orphan papers. Miss Nikos; Miss Valkyrie's partner in this match also hails from Argus within Mistral."

Summer nodded. "Ren if I recall was a noble name in Mistralian culture from what I remember from before the Great War in history class." Summer sighed. "Look Ozpin… I know why you're here, you want me back into your circle, but… I can't do that. Not right now. I can't believe myself to try to not worm myself into my family's lives. Not until a few weeks after the festival. This is not the time to have them worry about where I've been, for Ruby and Yang will not be told why, worrying them. They're children, Ozpin, children I will not put into your circle if I can help it."

"So where do you plan to go?" Ozpin said, trying to smile as he shook his cocoa mug.

"I'm thinking I will maybe visit my mum up in Atlas or maybe the Belladonnas first, then I'll decide if I should go to Taiyang and Qrow, and then finally Ruby and Yang."

Without hesitation; Ren jumped across the river bed, using the stones to get across, with Nora following him, their weapons already out and prepared. The sounds of water splashing as Nora missed the last stone and got her shoes soaked as she kept running. They needed to chase the Nuckelavee, one being that was leagues ahead of them in the forest. The sounds of the forest floor and twigs snapping under them stopped as the sounds of roadworks and rubble replaced them. They didn't stop running as they passed the Kuroyuri sign, nor the bridge across the small inter city waterways.

"Not again. Not again." Ren said to himself as he ran into the center of the city; panting, Nora bumping into him causing him to moan in agony. His eyes shifted from ones of worry to ones of relief when he saw Ruby and Jaune hugging in front of them.

Ruby and Jaune broke of their hug when they realized they were no longer alone with Qrow. "R-Ren?" Ruby asked as she turned to the panting man coming up to them. "What are you doing here? Weren't you taking the mountain path?"

Jaune just frowned. "D-did you guys hear those wails? Did you see what caused them? They came from the mountains."

Ren's mind trailed away from them as the sounds of hoofs clashing with the rubble was heard in the distance. "N-No." he said as he fell to his knees. "Not again…"

Ruby came to pick him up, clearly alarmed by his sudden collapse. "Ren? Are you alright? What happened out there?" Nora came to help, slowly putting an arm around Ren, who only moaned and panted as he was lifted back to his feet.

Jaune on the other hand had started to hear just exactly had caused Ren to collapse. Like an eerie drum on the cobblestone. "Hold on. Guys?" He said turning to the others; all were accounted for, even Qrow. "Do any of you hear that?"

Ruby stopped to listen, before her eyes darted towards the other side of the center, there approaching as a huge blob of black within the shadows. She gasped as the mass revealed itself, a horse with a humanoid Grimm on it's back, fused together as if the humanoid shape had been it's rider. Black smoke spewed from it's boney horse mouth. Bones cracked and groaned as the thing twisted upwards. Revealing it's backside; it was littered with the remnants of weapons from battles; a flag of Shion still flying within it's back.

"N-no." Ren said; as he stared at the Grimm, unable to look away from it and its horns that adored the humanoid head. The body started to glow red as the Grimm roared and wailed at them, starting to walk towards Qrow.

"What is this thing?" Jaune asked to really no one in particular.

"The Nuckelavee." Nora said, turning to Ren. "Come on Renny; we need to fight."

Ren looked up at Ruby, who had been also locked on the Nuckelavee. "What's the plan, Ruby?"

Ruby glared at the Grimm, watching it's movements, smirking as she whipped out Crescent Rose in it's scythe mode. "We need to protect Qrow first off; let's go RNJR!" She said as she charged towards the Nuckelavee with the others following suit.

Note: Thanks to Riggy for the title name and for allowing me to borrow Akeldama Ibai for this story!