Chapter 3

A few days after the encounter, still nothing had been found. Cieryl had gone later with some other hunters and huntresses, but to no avail. Now, back at Beacon, He was preparing himself to speak to Ruby. He stood in the shadows of Ozpin's office waiting for her arrival. Ozpin announced over the speakers;

"Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, please report to my office, immediately" Rang out across the halls. Cieryl swallowed hard. He spoke to Ozpin previously about talking to Yang as well, after Ozpin informed him that Yang was Summer's step-daughter and she had fond memories of her mother while she was alive. He jumped with a start as both the blonde he saw in the woods and the red hooded teen entered the room. Yang spoke fist.

"You wanted to see us, Professor?" Ozpin stood and walked towards the girls

"Yes, Miss Xiao Long. I have someone here who would like to meet you and your sister. He's a very old friend of your mother, Miss Rose. He wanted to come see you once he heard you were attending Beacon." Ozpin nodded toward the shadows where Cieryl stood. Ruby turned first and lifted her hood. Cieryl gasped and covered his mouth as he saw her eyes. SUMMER'S eyes.
He coughed and turned his head so they wouldn't see the tear that rolled down his cheek. Cieryl took a second to compose himself, then stepped from the shadows. Yang perked up suddenly

"I remember you! You used to visit my dad on occasion when I was little!" Cieryl blinked. In truth, he forgot about Yang. Mainly because last time he saw her, she was around 5 years old.
He also though 'she' was a 'he' Cieryl just never bothered to ask

"That was..." he paused "that was a very long time ago"

"You were friends with mom?" Ruby cocked her head to one side "You look a little old" She said suspiciously

"Well, you're not wrong" he said, grinning. Ozpin spoke next

"Miss Xiao Long, Miss Rose, why don't you go with Mr. Jade here out onto the grounds for awhile. I feel as though you have much to discuss"
-

THE GROUNDS

It was cloudy out, almost as though it were to rain. Still, he walked with them and found a table to sit at on the patio near the cafeteria. He looked at the girls before him "What do you girls remember about Summer?" He bit his cheek, still conscious of how hard it was to even say her name

"She was very kind. Always made sure we had what we needed" Yang said

"Not a lot. She died when I was very little. Daddy said it was some sort of accident" Ruby replied

With that, Cieryl had to cover his face, as the tears came again. "i'm sorry;" he said "It's very difficult to talk about"

Yang and Ruby both smiled "Then don't!" They both said "We know what kind of person our mother was and we know she wouldn't want anyone to be sad" Ruby added

Cieryl looked at them both "Your mom... it was more than an accident" Ruby and Yang frowned "It was my fault..."

Yang sized him up suspiciously "What do you mean?"

Cieryl took a deep breath as he began his story "Your mother and I were friends since I was the combat professor at Beacon. After she and the rest of her team graduated, they would regularly ask me to come with them on Hunting trips so naturally, I went with them. After awhile, your mother trusted me to hunt solo with her.
Your mother was a wonderful fighter by the way" He said, remembering "She had a certain deadly grace with the way she fought."

Yang and Ruby listened intently, watching Cieryl's get more and more sorrowful as he continued

"We went on a hunting mission one day, it was supposed to be easy. A Beowolf nest near a simple village. Wanted to make sure the folks living there didn't have any problems.
We went there, but there was a lot more than we expected. We both fought without falter. I was fighting one last Beowolf when something caught my eye..." he continued "There was a Nevermore, but thinking back, it was different. A white tint to its feathers, with a red mask. Your mother didn't see it. I called out to her..." Summer, MOVE!
Fresh tears rolled down his face as he remembered NOOOOOOO! SUMMER! He took a moment, and a few deep breaths, and went to finish his story

"It shot its feathers at us. She didn't move in time... a feather impaled her stomach... I decapitated the Beowolf and ran to her side, but her injuries were to severe. The Nevermore escaped as I held her, dying in my arms... knowing I couldn't help... she gave me this..." He reached down the front of his shirt and pulled out a pendant. It was a rose, a white and gold rose with opal petals. "Her last words are the ones on her memorial. 'Thus Kindly I Scatter'... it should have been me... I wasn't fast enough... it's my fault...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry"

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked down and Ruby was sitting next to him, looking up at him. "It's not your fault. It couldn't be helped." Yang nodded "She died valiantly and saving people's lives. that's how she would have wanted it. No regrets."

Yang spoke next "What happened was a long time ago. There is no changing it now. She died a hero. As Ruby said, she would have had no regrets."

"One thing gets me though. You said you were friends with Mom back when you were a professor here. You can't be THAT old, can you?"

Cieryl chuckled "I'm 212 this Winter" Yang spat out her drink and Ruby started laughing

"No seriously, how old are you?" She asked after she caught her breath

"I am serious. I'm 211. My semblance prevents me from aging" he winked his left eye, showing the clock that softly ticked away "When I get injured, my semblance automatically turns back time for my body until I am returned to an uninjured state. The same applies for aging. Once I hit 42, I stayed like this. My semblance recognizes this as my prime so it automatically turns back time for my body so that I don't get old. Honestly, the only way that I think I can be killed, is if I'm killed instantly. If my heart continues to beat, so does my semblance"

Yang cocked her head to one side "You're in pretty good shape for a guy that's eons older than Ozpin..." She grinned at Ruby and Cieryl and all three of them lost it laughing.

Maybe this... maybe this isn't so bad He thought...