A/N: So, I took a little sabbatical—mainly because I was grounded—but that's beside the point. Whilst I was away, I did something I never do; I read a real book! Paperback! And I feel as though it has helped me solve many of the issues I had as a writer, mainly my depravity of sensory details, and my lack of description, so I hope this chapter is a lot better than most of the stuff I've done in the last year.
Ruby stared into the deep silver eyes in front her. They pierced her soul and forced her to feel a large array of emotions; sadness, joy, relief and… anger. Ruby was angry. This was her mother, a woman for whom she had spent many days and nights grieving. Yet here she was. Alive. All sense of shock and joy faded from the younger girl's face, replaced with that of rage. The silver eyes she stared into backed up, and Ruby could now see the expression of shame upon her mother's face.
"I thought you were dead!" It took everything Ruby had not to shout, to scream at the woman.
"I know." Summer sighed. Finally, Ruby's rage took over, and she swung an angry fist. Summer easily caught her daughter's hand and held tight. "I understand that you're upset—!" Her voice was slow, the same voice that one would expect a mother to scold her child with, but her face remained it's shameful expression.
"You understand?!" Ruby threw a second punch, but Summer also caught that and moved it to the same hand she had the other, tightly squeezing Ruby's wrists together. But her expression did not change, even as the tears began to flow from Ruby's face. "You can't even begin to understand how I feel!" She sobbed. "You don't even know me!"
Summer shook her head. "I understand just fine. It's you who doesn't understand." Ruby's lip trembled as she stared at the woman, waiting for an explanation. "I did this to protect you," She began. "Your sister, and your father." Ruby's sobbing began to fade, but her breaths were still shaky and sporadic.
"From what?" The girl managed to choke out. "The White Fang?"
Summer loudly chuckled at this, serving to anger Ruby more. "No." She said. "This war— the war between the White Fang and the rest of society— has lasted but a few short years. The war I fight has been waged since before time was reckoned. And this war is not about race, or Grimm, or land, or even kingdoms. A war not about humans but about everyone, including the faunas—and whether we should be free to carve our own destiny, or be dominated by those who would control all and bend them to serve themselves."
Ruby remained silent, the exception being her sporadic breathing.
"All are affected by this war, but few know it exists." Summer's soft voice carried throughout the room, bouncing off of the walls. "I do. I am a player in it, and I am one who champions Remnant's freedom. We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins." Ruby's expression changed, and she swallowed hard. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but as she opened her now dry mouth to ask a question, to help her understand, Summer continued to speak. "We learn, we watch, we target… and we eliminate threats."
"What?!" Ruby asked. "You—That's cold blooded murder!"
"The people I wished to protect you from would call it as such," her tone softened, as did her face. "But even they understand that through the carefully planned death of a single individual, thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—of true innocents can be saved."
"Who are your enemies?" Ruby didn't understand. It sounded like raving lunacy at best, calculated murder at worst—and yet something inside her seemed to understand. Enough to ask questions, at least.
"They are called the Templars," Summer answered. "And I—We—stand against them on behalf of those who can't fight for themselves. Those who are not born to luxury or power. Who are helpless. The faunas, the poor, the crippled, the very young, the very old." Summer's voice was kind. "In our ranks, men and women, highborn and low, faunas and human—we are all members of the Brotherhood. All who wear the Hidden Blades are my equals."
"And… The Templars? Do you mean the Knights Templar? The Arcs and Schnees? The Order was dissolved, wasn't it? After the Great War?"
Summer smiled kindly, "So you are getting a good education at Beacon! The Order was dissolved… as far as the world knows," she said. "When the Arc Family left, the remaining members dropped out of sight, and the Schnee Family claimed to have abandoned it as well. But they kept The Order alive, quietly. And now, they are striving to rebuild it. It is no longer public, but it has grown over the past eighty years. The Templars are always hungry for power. Which is why the war still continues, and why I felt the need to protect my only daughter from those who might try to harm her."
Summer released Ruby's hands, gently setting them atop the girl's lap. But Ruby didn't speak, she just continued to stare at her mother, whom, just a few days prior she had thought to be dead. And her face gave no indication of what she was thinking. But soon enough, the young girl lunged forward, bringing the older woman into a tight hug. It ended quickly, with Ruby hissing in pain and returning to her former position, laying on the bed. Her hand moved to her chest as she visibly shook from the intense pain.
"You do remember what happened, don't you?" Summer asked. "And why I can no longer afford to distance myself from you?"
"The Templars tried to kill me?" Summer nodded. It hurt to remember Weiss' attack, but Ruby couldn't stop herself.
"Your friends grieve your apparent death," Summer began. "And it pains me to tell you that we must keep it that way." Ruby shook her head.
"No…" She was weary from the events of the past twenty four hours, and felt as though rest was necessary. But she would not let herself fall asleep. Not now.
"It is only temporary," Summer's voice began to fade. "They will learn of Schnee's betrayal before her death, that I can assure you." Summer stood and Ruby jerked back into a state of full consciousness. Summer smiled again. "Rest my child. You will need it."