The camera flickered several times before the video was fully restored and the image of a trashed Bullhead came into view. The vehical lay on it's side several feet away, Mariana had been thrown from the hold when it first hit the ground.
With a groan of pain, she pushed herself off the ground and tried to figure out what happened. Looking around, Mariana spotted Ruby Rose and Tyson Glade not far from her, and too her relief they had Christia with them. As she moved to stand the sound of gun fire quickly drew her attention back to the downed bullhead.
"Come on you bastard!" Gun in hand, Micheal opened fire at something hidden in the smoke, a gutteral roar was the responce he recieved and a large shape moved towards him. Before the gigantic creature was on top of him, Harrison Glade drew it's attention with a well placed arrow shot.
The armor tipped shaft pierced through the skin inbetween two of the creature's armored plates. "Mariana!" Hearing her name, she turned towards Micheal. "Get the others out of here, me and Harry will keep it busy."
The sound of metal being crushed , instantly became the centre of attention as the Grimm bulldozed through the wreckage of the bullhead in it's attempt to catch Harrison, who had been using the vehical as a vantage point for his shots.
Mariana tried to catch a clear view of the Grimm, but it was always moving and combined with the smoke from the crash, all she was able to get was brief flashes of white. "Go!" Reloading his rifle, Micheal dashed off into the smoke after the Grimm.
"Dammit, Micheal! You better not die!" picking herself up, she dragged herself over to the others. "We need to go, now. Rose, weapon out and full alert, we ain't dying today" Pulling out her duel pistols, she took a brief glance at Christia. "We're moving out"
Ruby helped Tyson position Christia on his back before moving to the front with Mariana, Crescent Rose fully deployed.
Ten minutes in and they were making good ground dispite being injured. Ruby's limp was much more noticable now and Tyson's breathing had become quite laboured lately, but they couldn't take the risk of stopping.
The sounds of gunfire and monsters might have faded into the distance, but in a land infested with creatures of Grimm, they couldn't take any chances. When a horrified scream shattered the silence, they froze and by the look on Tyson's face, he knew who that scream belonged to.
"C-Commander I...I" It was clear to see that he was struggling with his sense of duty and his loyalty to his brother. A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up into the understanding eyes of his Commander. "Give her to me, Tyson"
Slowly, he shifted Christia over to Mariana. "Go, it was an honor serving with you" The dog Faunus smiled sadly at her and saluted "It was an honor Commander" Releasing his weapon, a long bo-staff with large spiked balls on either end, he nodded to them both and turned back towards the crash site.
Watching the last male member of her team disappear into the darkness, Mariana remained silent for a moment.
"Ruby, their all going to die, aren't they?" She didn't need the younger girl to confirm her fears, her silence was more than enough. "W-we...we should keep moving" she quickly made sure that Christia was secure on her back before moving on.
A groan from behind Mariana alerted them to Christia's awakening. Luckily for them, they discovered a hollow in the base of a large tree that was big enough to allow all three of them to fit in comfortably. Gently sitting her up against the wall, Mariana kneeled down next to her remaining team mate.
"Christia?" Slowly a familiar pair of emerald eyes opened and began scanning the area, when they landed on her own, Mariana watched as a smile quickly took over Christia's face. "Morning beautiful" Then, without warning, she leaned over and placed her lips on Mariana's.
With all that had happened, she didn't even bother keeping up her illusion, Mariana returned the kiss and held on tightly to Christia. It was only the small sound of surprise that Ruby made, which broke her out of the moment.
When she looked over towards the huntress, she found her staring out into to forest, purposely avoiding looking in their direction, from embarressment or disgust, she wasn't sure.
"We should be safe here for now" Ruby's voice broke through the silence. "It will rain soon, that should cover up our scents but until then we are going to be in trouble." She paused for a moment "I think I can hear water nearby, I'll be back in a moment" and with that, she slipped out of the hollow and disappeared into the darkness.
The adrenaline from everything that happened started to leave her body and Mariana found herself giving in to exhaustion. Settling herself down and pulling, the once more unconcious Christia into her arms, she closed her eyes and got some rest.
While the two soldiers slept, Ruby returned to the hiding spot with a fresh canteen of water in her hands. Seeing the two, she settled herself down by the entrence and began checking her weapon while also keeping an eye on the forest.
Any small movement caused her to tense and it was clear that she needed rest badly but was refusing to give in.
"I know this is being recorded" While kept low, her voice still came across loudly in the silent forest. "If I don't make it out of this alive..." Ruby shakes her head "No, I can't think like that. But still, I love you Weiss. If this is goodbye, then I'm so sorry" A sudden noise had Ruby's immediate attention, for several seconds she didn't move. Only when she was sure it was safe did she start breathing again.
Just as it seemed she would have a moment to relax, Ruby went completely rigid and her eyes were wide with fear. Her neck nearly snapped at the speed in which she turned her head to stare out into the darkness. Nothing appeared on the video and the forest was silent, so it wasn't clear what had Ruby so frightened, but soon it was revealed. Slowly the camera began to shake, it wasn't noticable at first but with each passing second the shaking became more intense.
The shaking reached such a level that is was able to awaken Mariana from her exhaustion induced slumber. Before she was even fully awake, she found her mouth covered by Ruby's hand and the young woman silently telling her to stay quiet. Nodding in confirmation, the two waited as the shaking grew closer.
A small flock of sorrowfuls took flight in terror and the trees snapped and parted as one of the Grimm pushed it's way into the clearing. Illuminated in the moonlight, Mariana felt her blood run cold at the sight of the beast that decimated her team.
"Holy fuck!" No one corrected Yang for her language, they were all stunned at the creature in the footage. "Ruby took on two of those things?!"
Weiss quickly lost what little color she had in her skin and wrapped her arms protectivily around herself as thoughts of losing Ruby became all the more dominate once again. Seeing the distress her sister was in, Winter put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze to grab Weiss's attention. Beside her, Qrow clicked his tongue in annoyance and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "Well, definately not a Creep"
The massive creature lowered itself down onto it's front limbs, bringing it's head closer to the ground where it started searching for a scent. Several tense seconds went past before the Grimm rose up and made a strange chirpy call. The two women watched in confusion, wondering what the creature was doing, they didn't need to wait long as the second Grimm appeared from the forest, responding with it's own chirps.
Dread filled Mariana when the two Grimm looked up and stared at the hollow where the three were hiding. A sudden pressure on her hand brought her attention down to the woman in her lap, Christia looked up at her and smiled sadly, giving her hand another comforting squeeze.
"I'll draw their attention" the two women snapped their heads towards Ruby, who was slowly rolling a sphere in her hand. "If I can injure them in some way, then they'll become focused on me, that should keep you two safe"
"T-that's suicide! Y-you can't" Ruby turned to Mariana and smiled. "Shield your eyes" She threw the sphere and it exploded in a blinding flash.
While Mariana was blinded for the moment, the camera picked up everything clearly, Ruby rushed from the hollow, Crescent Rose deploying as she closed in on the disorientated Grimm. Picking her moment, Ruby swung the scythe and managed to get the blade inbetween the armored neck plates of the larger Grimm, cutting a deep wound into the flesh.
Lashing out wildly, the injured beast caught Ruby in the stomach with it's arm. It's small companion, it's eye sight now more clear, roared in fury and rushed after Ruby as she took off into the forest.
The Injured Grimm paused too look at the hollow, it's eyes narrowed and for one terrifing second, Mariana feared it would come for them, but it turned and followed it's companion into the forest after Ruby.
"That is the last images we have of Ms Rose and the two unknowns." Ozpin stopped the video and stood up "The recovery team found commander Davids and LT Roberts in that location, both in need of medical assistance."
Stopping in front of one of the large windows, he folded his arms behind his back. "The bodies of the other team members were recovered as well, each in varying conditions, I'll spare you the details but it's clear they didn't die pleasantly."
"So if we want the rest of the story" Qrow sat forward, folding his hands together and resting his chin on them "We need Ruby to wake up."
With a sigh, he stood up and brushed off his pants "I'm heading out Ozzy, see if I can't find anything about the Unknown. Let me know when the kid wakes up." He paused suddenly on his way to the elevator, causing Glynda and Ironwood to look at him oddly, while Ozpin mearly raised an eyebrow. Qrow shook his head and muttered to himself, though everyone still heard him "Took her long enough"
Weiss and Blake didn't understand what he meant, and his colleagues gave no outward reaction, but Yang stood up instantly, startling her team-mates, and was out of the room before they could asks what was wrong.
She raced through the building, her thoughts focused solely on getting to her sister's room before it was too late.
Entering the hospital wing, narrowly avoiding all obstacles that popped up in her path, Yang barrelled past Ren and Nora. Taking the corner onto Ruby's ward she startled the rest of team JNPR, who were waiting outside the room for some reason.
"Yang? What are you doing" Jaune didn't get to finish as Yang grabbed him by the front of his armor and lifted him up.
"Why the hell aren't you in there with Ruby?!" Pyrrha placed a hand on Yang's arm and forcibly, but gently, lowered it and Jaune down. "Thanks Pyrrha, Yang the reason we're out here is because the doctors wanted to check up on Ruby and asked us to step out for a moment"
"Are you sure it was the usual doctor?" Seeing the pair nod, Yang allowed herself to relax, but still her uncle's words played on her mind. "I'm just going to pop in real quick, they can't kick me out, being kin and all."
Walking past them, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. Taking a second to prepare, Yang opened her eyes and stared at the figure next to Ruby's bed. "Hello Mother"
"Why the hell did Yang run off like that?" Blake shook her head at Weiss's question.
"I'm not sure Weiss, there is very little that gets to Yang, outside of those close to her. She probably wanted to check on Ruby."
The white haired young woman nodded in agreement, it did sound like something Yang would do, she herself would of done it but had held herself back for the moment.
The two arrived at the ward and saw Ruby's doctor standing at the nurse's station going over some papers. Seeing a chance to learn if there had been any changes, they walked towards the man, who noticed their approach and turned to greet them. "Ah, ms Rose's team-mates."
"Hello Doctor Glenn, has there been any change with Ruby?" The doctor wasn't surprised by the question, Weiss would ask for every little detail concerning her girlfriend's recovery.
With a quiet chuckle, he picks up the charts concerning Ruby and slowly goes through them. "Nothing major has happened, we had a slight problem when one of ms. Rose's IV tubes became blocked,but it was corrected rather quickly"
A small amount of worry filled Weiss at the notion of something going wrong, but it quickly bled away with the knowledge that it was nothing serious. The two thanked the doctor and started heading for Ruby's room when he addressed them once more.
"Oh and when you see ms. Rose's mother, please tell her that threatening the nursing staff isn't all that effective, I know, I've tried." The man chuckled at his joke, not realizing how his words had effected the two girls.
"R-Ruby's mother?" It was Blake who asked the question, as Weiss was frozen in shock. Glenn nodded while looking at another set of charts.
"Yes, a rather blunt and forceful woman, much like 's sister. But it was obvious she was worried so we didn't take much offense from her words." Turning back to the station, he collected the last of his notes. "Well I must be going, busy day and all. Take care"
Weiss and Blake quickly shared a look and made haste towards Ruby's room. They spotted the members of team JNPR waiting outside with concerned looks and could just about hear the harsh whispers coming from behind the closed door.
a few moments earlier
"Hello Mother:" Yang spat the word out like a curse as she glares at the back of the woman who she spent most of her life chasing, only to be disappointed at every turn. Seeing her here, in a place she had no right to be, caused Yang to feel so much hatred.
"Hello Yang" Raven doesn't look up from where she sits, one hand gently running through Ruby's hair while the other holds on to one of Ruby's.
"Qrow sensed me no doubt" She quietly chuckles and Yang is stunned by how beautiful and motherly the woman appears, which confuses the brawler greatly since the last time they met, Raven refused to remove that damn nevermore mask.
"Y-yeah he...he did" Right now Yang had no idea how to handle this situation. She was expecting harsh words and critizism, instead she finds herself faced with a concerned woman acting like a real mother. "What...what are you doing here?"
Silence follows the question for several moments as Raven tries to think of how to respond. "Despite Ozpin's attempts, there are still cracks in the walls, cracks from which information slips. I learned about Ruby's situation through one of those cracks." She tore her gaze away from the young woman in the bed to look at the one she abandoned so long ago. "She...you...both of you are all I have left of Summer. When you lost your arm I visited, even if you didn't know. I knew I had to be here when I learned what happened."
"What are you talking about? What does mom have to do with this?" Now Yang was even more confused, none of this was making sense. First she had to deal with learning some small part about what happened to her sister and now she finds her mother acting like she is Ruby's... "No!" Her eyes grow wide with disbelief. "No way, no fucking way!"
Raven smiles sadly, knowing that Yang had come to the right conclusion. "It's rare for a child to not inherit either of the parents semblance, but you had to be the one to do it. Neither myself or Summer possessed the one you wield and TaiYang, for all his physical strength and notorious rage, he certainly didn't. Not that he can pass on anything."
She got up from her seat and slowly walks around the bed towards Yang.
"Her name was Blanc. What she could do using dust alchemy was groundbreaking. When the news about her marriage and retirement was announced, it was quite shocking, but she was so happy." Raven stops just in front of her daughter and reaches up, hesitating for a moment before brushing back a stray golden lock. "Blanc had one last experiment she wanted to try. Of course she couldn't find anyone willing to volunteer, until she asked Summer, there was nothing that woman wouldn't do for a friend"
"What does my mother have to do with this?" Red and Lilac eyes snapping over to the door where Weiss and Blake stand, hands on their weapons and ready to move at a moments notice. Light-blue eyes glare at the pair, demanding answers to her question. "I repeat, what does my mother and Ruby's mother have to do with anything?"
The room was silent, until it was broken by the chuckle coming from Raven.
"So much like Blanc, fierce determination in a small frame" Seeing the young Schnee bristle at the mention of her height, Raven answers her question. "Summer and Blanc were good friends, when she announced that she had created a new dust that would help certain women, Summer jumped at the chance to aid her friend and possibly live out one of her dreams."
"When you mean certain women, you mean?" Yang was trying to not completely freak out in the situation, so she tries to latch on to something simple.
"Same sex partners, yes. That is exactly right, after all you three would know all about it" Raven gives a very familar smirk when all three of the younger women flush red. "Summer dragged me along, wasn't hard. She knew how to get me to agree to practically anything".
"That still doesn't explain what is going on here" Weiss was starting to get very frustrated with the situation and that was not good in her condition. When the dark haired woman, who's hair was quite similar to Ruby's, turned to her, she got what she sought.
"TaiYang is sterile, always has been. My father was blonde but the gene did not pass to either myself or my brother. I carried Yang, two years later Summer tracked me down like she always did and together we conceived Ruby, using the dust your mother invented, Weiss Schnee. The same dust that you rediscovered and used with Ruby."Raven said with a bored tone.
You could of heard a pin drop, that's how silent the room went. Even the machines hooked up to Ruby seemed to go quiet at the bomb, Raven had just dropped. Blake stares at Weiss with surprise while Yang stands petrified ,no outward reaction in the slightest.
"How...how do you know that?" Weiss said with no small amount of fear in her voice, fear that was justified as the woman before her was one of the most feared huntresses in the world. To have her so openly and blatently reveal something that she hadn't even told Ruby yet. Almost instinctually, Weiss covers her stomach with her hands in some form of protection.
Raven steps around her stunned daughter and slowly approaches the defensive young woman. Keeping her hands visible, she tries not to come off as a threat.
"I went through the experience myself and helped another go through it as well, I am very familiar with it." She gently takes Weiss's hands in her own and moves them away from her stomach. "I assure you, I am not a threat to you or the child you carry, I am here to see my daughters, not to cause trouble." she smiles reassuringly.
"So this is what it takes for you to make a reappearance?" Yang whispers as she stares at the floor, hair overshadowing her eyes, but anger rolls off her in near visible waves, Blake rushes to her side in hopes of calming the woman. "What about all the other times we needed you? When I lost my arm, when Ruby and I nearly died to a pack of beowolves, when...when mom died!" The angered blonde turns around and glares at her mother.
"Just because you did not see me, does not mean I was not there." Raven says in a dangerously low voice and matches her daughter's blood red glare with one of her own. "I loved Summer and when she died I wanted nothing more than to be with the two of you, but Qrow and Taiyang would never have allowed me to be there!" she answers angry.
She pauses to take a calming breath "As for the day you two nearly died, do not think that I don't know the reason behind that." Yang flinches and her eyes return to their normal lilac color.
"But I was there, I was watching the pair of you the entire time. It was only the timely arrival of my brother that stopped me from revealing myself." Placing a hand on Yang's shoulder, Raven brought her daughter's attention back to her. "The day you lost your arm and the days following it, would you really have wanted to see me? After how our last encounter went?"
Yang sighs and shakes her head "No, no I wouldn't have wanted to see you" she says with a sad smile, "I probably would have tried to deck you" This gets a chuckle from the others as it was totally something Yang would try to do.
"I'd have been disappointed if you didn't try. I certainly deserve it." Raven's voice grows quiet and she moves back towards Ruby's bed.
"You are right to use the term mother as an insult, I'm not a mother" Gently brushing some of her daughter's crimson tipped hair back, Raven places a small kiss on Ruby's forehead. "I do not know when we shall next see each other, or if the two of you will want to see me again. But know that I love you, even if I do not always show it."Raven says hiding her face.
Raven picks up her sword, which had been resting next to the bed, and walks to the center of the room. She holds out her hand and summons the familiar grimm style mask that Yang remembers from previous encounters.
Weiss and Blake stay quiet, both feel it isn't their place to say anything during this moment, although Weiss does move over to take her usual spot beside Ruby. Blake gently slips her hand into Yang's and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
"I...I still want to know why you left us" Yang's voice draws her mother's attention. "You still have a lot to answer for but...but for now I guess it...it was nice seeing you again" She smiles at Raven, surprising the woman. "What should we tell Ruby, about you and...and Summer?"
Placing the mask on her face, Raven turns away from the girls and summons a portal. "Tell her nothing, it's better that way. Until next we meet" She steps through the portal, closing it behind her.
Raven appears on a large rocky outcrop over looking a large cavern, she takes a moment to calm herself and smiles when she feels a pair of slender arms wrap themselves tenderly around her from behind and a soft voice speaks gently to her.
"You know I don't like that mask" The woman reaches up slowly and takes the mask from Raven's face. "Much better" She giggles, which is like music to Raven's ears "You took longer then I expected, did something happen?"
"My brother, the fool, decided to let slip that I was in the area. She came running immediatly" Raven feels the woman flinch, so she turns around, keeping her place in the woman's arms.
Now facing the smaller figure, Raven gently brushes back the white hood revealing crimson hair and a pale, heart shaped face. "Their fine, Summer. Both of them" She wraps her own arms around Summer and holds her close.
"I...I miss them so much" The very much alive Summer Rose starts to cry into Raven's chest. "I'm a failure as a mother"
"No!" Raven's voice is as sharp as her blade and she brings Summer's attention up to her face. "Our daughters would not be who they are today if not for the time you spent with them, you raised them, you cared for them, you loved them" She brushes away the tears that have fallen down the face she loves so much. "You did not fail, my love. You did wonderfully"
"But they think I'm dead, I abandoned them" Summer tears her gaze from Raven's "You they at least know are alive, you have a chance for reconnection. What chance do I have? They'll never forgive me."Summer looks up teary eyed.
"They will, it might take time and there will be hurtful words, but they will forgive you" Raven leans down and kisses Summer. The two stay like that for a moment before it is ruined by the rumbling of the earth and a monstrous roar echos up from the cavern. Raven pulls away from Summer and glares hatefully down into the pit. "Curse him"
Summer gains her own look of hatred, a brief moment with her love ruined by "Ouroborus" Speak of the devil and it shall appear. As if summoned by it's name, a titanic black and white body slithers out of the cavern and begins to surround the two women.
A massive white armored skull with two large tusks on either side of it's snout focuses on the two huntress as the Grimm fully emerges from the depths.
One tusk is shorter than the other, having appeared to been cut clean off, it's two burning eyes glare at the pair and it releases a roar that shakes the earth. The two women however ignore the roar and release their weapons.
Raven draws her dust blade and Summer unfurls a large axe from her back.
"We still have one thing to do before we can go home, my love" Summer's eyes glow and leave a silvery trail as she dodges to the side, avoiding being crushed by Ouroborus' tail. "Shall we finally put this worm in his place?"asking Summer grins at Raven.
Putting her mask back on, Raven swings her sword to the side and leaves a deep gash in the Grimm's tail. Ignoring it's pained howl, she once more speaks in a sharp and commanding tone.
"Indeed we shall, after all. We want to be there to see our granddaughter being born, don't we?" She took a small amount of joy in watching Summer nearly breaking her neck at the speed her head snaps around to stare at her.
"But for now, eyes on the prize"Raven reminds Summer ready for action.
Ouroborus roars again and fire gathers in it's mouth as the two women rush towards it. The Grimm rears back and opens it's mouth wide, preparing to launch the fireball at the women. The glow in Summer's eyes intensifies, becoming a brilliant silver as two glowing wings burst from her back.
Pushing off the ground, Summer launched herself up towards Ouroborus as the Grimm came rushing towards her.
To be continued