Right than. Here we go with the next chapter. Now a few people mentioned that my last one was kind of confusing, so this idea popped up from that. Hell my original idea had us moving towards the final battle by this chapter, but plans changed and for the better in my opinion. So please read and enjoy.
"Normal Speech"
"Flash back or thinking speech"
Watching the woman she loved, bravely fly towards the incoming monster, Raven couldn't help but think back to when she got Summer involved in this crazy mission.
The Beowolf barely had time to think before the massive axe blade cleaved through it's skull. Flipping over the Grimm, Summer pulled her weapon free of the corpse and brought it down onto another Beowolf who was rushing to meet her. The momentum of the swing split the Grimm in half and as she landed, Summer quickly spun in place and her axe sliced through the remaining Beowolf with ease.
"And done" folding up her axe, Summer put it back in the holder on her back. "That wasn't too difficult, I might even get to be home early. Oh the girls will...love..tha-"
Time seemed to slow as Summer turned around to face the giant DeathStalker that had snuck up on her. Even activating her Semblance, it seemed like she was going to be too late to dodge the strike. The Grimm shrieked in victory as it's stinger closed in on the human, before the shriek became one of pain as the tip of it's tail was lost in a red flash. Before it could recover, a portal opened up above it and a red blade pierced through the top of it's head.
Summer jumped back, out of the thrashing Grimm's range, and watched as the blade disappeared from above the DeathStalker, only to reappear underneath it. The Grimm's body collapsed to the forest floor and twitched for a moment before dissolving into nothing.
"That was a rookie mistake" Summer's face lit up with a brilliant smile as she turned in the direction of the voice and watched as Raven stepped out of the shadows, sword in hand and wearing that ridiculous mask. "Seems you are out of practice, Summer. If I had not been ..ompf!"
"Raven!" Summer had rushed at the warrior and tackled her to the ground with a tight hug. "I am so happy to see you, but what are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" She reaches up to the mask and removes it, revealing the beautiful face she loved so much. Before she could move closer and kiss her, Raven reached up and gently took hold of Summer's hands.
"Summer" The serious tone in Raven's voice instantly told Summer that something was very wrong. "I would love nothing more then to hold you in my arms right now, but I have something very serious to discuss with you."
The two women stood up and moved towards an outcropping of rock where they would be sheltered and have a good defensive position. Once they were both seated, Raven broke the silence.
"Do you remember? when you tracked me down, after I left." She stares out into the forest, purposely looking away from Summer. "You asked me why and I refused to answer" Raven's voice took on a quieter tone and she finally turned her attention to Summer. "It's time I explained everything"
They once more sat in silence for a moment as Raven took the time to chose the correct words to say.
"I once told you about my other ability, one passed down through my family since before the moon cataclysm, do you remember it?" Raven's voice was quiet and, most shockingly, vulnerable.
"I remember. You told me that you would sometimes see things in your dreams, things that hadn't happened yet." Summer was concerned, why was Raven bringing that up. "But it was just dreams, nothing more. The things you saw, they never happened, Qrow getting arrested, Tai losing his legs, myself...dieing. They never came to be."
"I know, when we were younger, that's all they were. Dreams. But what I saw...the nightmares that haunted me after Ruby was born" Fear was quite clear on Raven's face. "I had to find someway to prevent it, some way to keep our girls safe!"
Summer gets up from her place and moves over to Raven. She sits herself down in her love's lap and gently grasps the side of her face. "What did you see? What terrified you so much that you needed to leave those you cared for most?"
What Summer saw in those red eyes nearly broke her heart, fear, pure and simple. "I saw them, Summer. The primordial Grimm" Raven wrapped her arms around Summer and held her close. The images that haunted her began crawling to the front of her mind and she knew she couldn't waste time. Removing one arm from around Summer, Raven opened up a portal and pulled out an ornate mirror.
"Raven, what is...?" Summer was cut off when Raven gently pressed a finger to her lips.
"Mirror of ancestors, hear my plea. Show the demons that haunt me" The surface of the mirror rippled and the reflection of Summer and Raven was replaced with the familiar image of Vale's skyline.
But this was not the Vale that Summer remembered. To her horror this Vale was in ruins, bodies lay everywhere and Grimm ran rampant through the streets. Hunters young and old fought against the oncoming tide of darkness but their efforts were in vain. But it was not just Grimm that the hunters faced. People in strange Grimm style masks, not unlike the mask Raven wore, also seemed to be attacking the city.
Summer's will to help screamed at her to do something, anything to help save lives, but she could do nothing but watch as the vision brought her to the base of beacon tower. There a group of young hunters, possibly students, did their best to hold out against the Grimm.
Several of them stood out to her more then others but it was one certain pair that truly caught her attention. A young woman with long black hair and two cat-like ears on top of her head was cradling another young woman in her arms. The moment she layed eyes on that golden blonde hair, Summer's heart froze. The faunus was saying something but it was drowned out by an earth rattling roar.
Tearing her gaze from what looked like her eldest daughter, Summer looked up to the top of Beacon tower, where an unbelievable sight awaited her.
"That...that's not possible" clinging to the side of the tower was the largest Grimm she had ever seen. It's massive black and white body nearly the length of the entire tower itself. "Sinach"
Slowly the giant white head of the Grimm turned, to look down at those below it. Releasing it's claws from the tower, it dropped down and crashed into the ground, sending debris and dust in all directions. With a bellowing roar, the Grimm stepped out of the dust cloud and began approaching the survivors. With each step it took, some strange tar-like substance dripped from it's body and each drop gave birth to a basic form of Grimm.
"You will not touch them!" Summer placed herself between the Grimm and the survivors but to her horror the beasts passed right through her without stopping. "No!" The familiar setting of Vale was replaced by the quiet forest and Summer was once more sitting in Raven's lap.
Turning, Summer grabs hold of Raven's armor and looks at her with pleading, tear filled eyes. "Send me back! Send me back please! They need help" The desperation and pain in Summer's voice tore at Raven.
"I can't my love" Raven brushed away the tears running down Summer's cheeks. "That was the vision that has haunted me, the one that caused me to leave" She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and pulled her into a comforting embrace. "I've tried to find some way to prevent it, but I can't!"
"What do you mean Raven? What have you tried to do?" After what she just saw, Summer was very curious about what else Raven had to tell her.
"I began searching for any and all information on the Primals, hoping to find something that would prevent what I saw, But there was nothing." Frustration was thick in her voice as Raven thought back to the countless hours wasted on pointless information. "I wish I had given up when I did, because I found what I was looking for."
"You found what, Raven?" Summer hoped that Raven was not about to say what she thought she was.
"I found proof of a Primal, and I need your help to defeat it!" The pain and sorrow that Raven's voice held became quiet clear with what she said next. "I don't know how long it will take and to complete this mission, we will need to leave the girls behind."
"We will need someone to take care of them though." Summer responded looking sad that she had to leave her babies behind and followed with " We should ask Qrow and Tai , at least then we will know they are safe for now."she looks into Ravens eyes.
Raven sighs and she answers with a frown " You are right, ugh Qrow will be so get that over with fast." and the two leave the place to talk with Qrow and Taiyang.
After explaining everything to the two it takes a few minutes till Qrow says something.
"You're Insane, you know that right?" Qrow's tone was a strange mixture of humor, confusion, anger and sarcasm but all it served was further proof of why he annoyed Raven so much. "I mean you have done some bat shit things, but this takes the cake, sis!"
"Yes, thank you brother for that wonderful contribution to the conversation, now shut up" Raven's reply was swift and blunt as usual.
"Summer" Taiyang's concerned tone was a change from his usual boisterous attitude and it served to get everyone's attention. "Are you sure this is a good idea, I know how you feel for Raven and all but are you sure she isn't trying to lead you into something?"
"How Dare You!" Raven was on her feet instantly. She was enraged that they would even think she would do this to endanger Summer , if she could avoid it by doing it alone, she would have never approached Summer .
"Enough!" Summer's aura washed over the room and quickly subdued her team-mates with practiced ease. "Raven calm down and Tai that was incredibly rude. While I have allowed Raven to get me into trouble a few times, that is not enough cause for you to be an asshole!" she scolds him and looks at him with a death glare.
"Summer!" Raven was shocked to hear Summer say that. "When have I ever-"
"Beacon, third year, night before final exam" Summer answered and Raven promptly shut her mouth and looked away with a small blush of embarrassment, which quickly turned into a heated glare towards her brother when he made a whipping motion and noise.
"Now. I know you are both concerned and I thank you for that, but this is something I want to do" Summer took a moment to chose her next words carefully. "I know this...this will hurt the girls and they won't understand but...but"
Summer's strength crumbled and gave way to tears as Raven swiftly pulled the smaller woman into a comforting embrace. She looked at the two men watching them with sadness and sighed.
"You don't have to tell them Summer died" This causes the crying woman to flinch. "But it would be best if they understood that she won't be coming home for a long time. Hate me for this all you want, but Summer is the only one who can help me deal with this issue."she says as she softly strokes Summers hair.
Tai Yang ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Why just Summer? Myself and Qrow would gladly help as well."
"And leave the girls completely alone? I know you're blonde Tai, but you're not an idiot" Raven was once more using her sharp, biting tone of voice to answer . "I know that you both would gladly help and I'm sure the four of us would do much better, but in the off chance that something happens to myself or Summer, I need the two of you too take care of Yang and Ruby."
The two men looked at one another and a silent communication passed between them before Qrow scowled and looked away. Tai Yang nodded and turned back to his female team mates.
"Ok. We'll watch over them. But you two better finish this secret mission quickly. For their sakes at least. And don't let us find out you died." Tai yang said with a serious look on his face.
Brushing back a stray blonde lock, Raven was careful not to wake the sleeping Yang. After speaking with her brother and Tai, she snuck away to the upper portion of the house to see her daughters. Laying next to Yang was her younger sister and Raven marveled at how much she looked like Summer, if it wasn't for the dark hair mixed in with the red she would almost think Summer cloned herself.
"They have grown so much" Raven's voice was a whisper so as not to disturb the two sleeping girls. "I've missed so much of their lives"
"It has been ten years, Raven" Tai Yang's voice startled Raven and she turned to see him standing in the doorway. "I know that you are a warrior Raven, that you have always been more at home in combat, but you can't keep giving yourselves these personal missions."
Raven remained quiet and turned back to her sleeping daughters. She reached out and gently traced the outline of Ruby's cheek while talking back to Tai . "You think I am running away from my responsibilities?"
"Nope. Never thought that and neither does Qrow." Tai pushes himself off the door frame and steps into the room. "But you are outside your comfort zone, that is clear to see and you don't know how to handle it so you fall back on what you are good at. Ruby is very similar to you in that way."saying it with a smirk.
"She is?" Raven didn't even try to hide the surprise and excitement in her voice. The thought that her youngest daughter was similar to her in anyway brought her great joy to her. "How so?"
"Ruby is more comfortable learning about weapon crafting and combat than she is interacting with others. Don't get me wrong, the girl can make friends with practically anyone one, just like Summer. But she is happiest in a weapon workshop or training field"
"I see." Raven smiles "that is good to-"
"RAVEN!" Summer's voice broken Raven out of her memories and she looked up to see the gaping jaws of the Ouroborus closing around her partner.
"Shit!" Acting quickly Raven opening a portal in front of Summer just as the Grimm's jaws snapped closed. The Grimm paused in it's apparent victory before bellowing in pain as Summer's axe slices deep onto the back of its head.
Using a well practiced combination of her speed and Raven's portals, Summer rapidly moved across the massive Grimm's body, cutting into it's flesh and inflicting as much damage as possible. While normally this would do nothing to a Grimm of Ouroborus's size, combining it with the petrify ability of her families eyes, Summer was slowly destroying the beast's body.
Ouroborus thrashed about in a desperate attempt to catch the tiny human, but it's body was turning to stone , making it harder to move. Catching sight of a brilliant silver color covering the human, the great Grimm felt fear for the first time in it's long millennia of live. It knew of the silver eyed humans, it knew what their power could do to it, it needed to kill her before it was too late.
While Summer had the Grimm distracted and pinned down, Raven was carefully gathering her aura for the final assault. What they were going to do, took perfect timing and consumed a lot of aura, but it was their only hope of killing the primal once and for all time.
Summer raced along the serpentine body, her axe slicing open the hide as she rushed towards the head. The Grimm twisted it's body in a desperate attempt to throw her off, but she would not be deterred. Summer would kill this monster and return home to see her babies. Ouroborus stood in her way for too long already.
The closer Summer got to the head, the higher the Grimm rose off the ground and this is what the huntresses have been waiting for. When the beast reached the limit of how much it's body could come off the ground, they struck simultaneously.
Summer forced her speed into overdrive, becoming nothing more than a silver blur streaking up Ouroborus's body while Raven opened and moved through countless portals so rapidly she was nearly untraceable. The two women reached Ouroboru's head at the exact same moment and time seemed to stay still.
Silver aura coated Summer's axe and Raven's dust engine began constructing a blade out of all the dusts it had. "Sunbird's" The partners spoke as one as the swung their weapons "mirage!" at it.
The Silver axe head and glowing white sword of pure dust cut deep into the flesh of Ouroborus. For a moment nothing appeared to have happened but when the end of Summer's speed trail and the kinetic energy Raven generated from her portals slammed into their bodies, the two were propelled rapidly forward. Before the Grimm even had a chance to retaliate, it's head was cleaved from it's body.
When the severed head hit the ground, the earth shattered. Raven watched as the ruined body slipped over the edge and disappeared into the depths from which it came. Dropping too her knee's next to Summer, she allowed tears to fall down from her eyes.
"It...it's over. We did it Summer, we did it!" The happiness in Raven's voice brought a smile to Summer's face. "We can finally go home!"Summer hugged her with a smile.
"I think...we need to...recover first Raven" Summer answers and gasps as pain courses through her body. "Dammit, I forgot how much that move hurts. We are never doing that again."Summer says with an pained expression.
Raven throws back her head and laughs. "I have to agree with you there my love. Come on" Standing up shakily, Raven carefully picks Summer up in her arms. "Let's get out of here" Using what aura she has left, Raven opens another portal and steps through it with Summer.
The portal opens up in a modest sized room. Raven comes out of the portal and heads towards the large double bed. She sets Summer down on the soft sheets and kisses her.
"Rest up Summer. I shall join you shortly~" Slowly pulling away, despite Summer's weak protests, Raven walks into the ensuite bathroom and sets about starting a shower. Just as she is about to remove her armor, a pair of arms slowly wrap around her. "Summer, I told you to rest."
"I am not ready to rest yet, Raven" Summer gently kisses Raven on the neck and helps her remove her armor. "We just defeated a Primal and soon we will get to see our family again. But for now" Summer plants several more kisses on Raven's exposed skin. "I believe we deserve a little time to ourselves~"
Raven turns around in Summer's arms and stares deeply into the silver eyes she loves so much. "Well we were rudely interrupted last time" She closes the distance and captures Summer's lips as the steam from the shower fill the bathroom.
Weiss sits next to Ruby in the hospital and wipes away some sweat of her wife's forehead.
Omake
"You know" Qrow paused, took a drink from his flask and smirked. "You always were the mom of us, Tai" He said this while watching Tai play house with his two 'daughters'.
"What!" Tai's voice hit a very high note and he nearly sent the little play table flying as he stood. "Why am I the mom!?"
"Because you always looked better in a dress, even more than Summer" Qrow's smirk nearly split his face in half. "Like at the end of 4th year"
"Eh?!" Tai was dumb struck at what his friend just said. Before more could be said however, two figures suddenly appear and grab Qrow. One was a beautiful, White haired young woman with a rather stern look on her face while the other was James IronWood.
"What are you doing, Qrow" The woman's voice was biting cold, just daring Qrow to give the wrong answer.
"Yes what are you doing, Branwen" there was something strange about Ironwoods tone that neither Qrow or Tai could place.
"You belong to us!" They both turn and drag away the shocked Qrow, while Tai looks on in disbelief.
Qrow suddenly sits up in his bed, breathing hard and looking around frantically. After a few seconds of determining that he was in his apartment, Qrow calmed down. "Alright, that was just a dream" A soft moan from beside him draws his attention to the head of white hair asleep on the pillow. Slowly the previous night returns to him and he smirks. "Ok, half a dream"
Right and that chapter is done!. I hope you enjoyed it, I have to admit I had some trouble writing it as I just couldn't seem to finish it, still not sure I did. None the less, this part of the story is done and we can get back on track to the main part. It's funny, I have come to accept that this story no longer fits the themes I originally started with, not sure what it is now, but I am enjoying writing again.
Now we will see Summer and Raven again, but not for a while. Next chapter is going to focus a little more on some Bumblebee action, some new side characters and our main villain will make a reappearance. So until then, I thank you for reading and will see you next time