Chapter 1: White Roses.
When people get transported to another world, they're typically sent by some otherworldly being or God that's either bored out of their mind or are sent on some grand quest to save a world in great peril. Typically, those worlds are one of fiction. Think things like Dragon Ball Z or Fairy Tail. And I mean, who wouldn't want to get sent to their favorite anime or tv show, that's like--the dream of every teenager and young adult, right? Sounds like a grand old time, the adventure of a lifetime, where you get strong, absolutely jacked, and get all the girls! A harem!
Then you realize that you're just a normal human in a world where there are destroyer Gods that can sneeze and cause a planet to explode, or kaiju sized dragons that can fire off nukes from their mouths and level countries. You're pretty much shit out of luck. I'm 100% sure the poor schmucks that do end up getting transported to another world end up dying or living relatively mundane lives. And those are the ones that don't get the chance to live long enough to tell the tale!
Me? I was perfectly fine with sitting on the other side and reading the journeys of those that end up getting sent to other worlds to fulfill the whims of the Gods. Good or bad, there was always something to enjoy about them. That's the beauty of fanfiction, honestly. There's some solid fics, terrible ones, and the diamonds in the rough.
I didn't expect to fall asleep one day and then wake up in somewhere completely different with absolutely no explanation as to why.
"... p!"
"...ake.. up!"
"WAKE UP!"
Air suddenly filled my eyes and light burst forth, giving way to vision. I sat up with a start and sucked in a greedy amount of air as I took a look around to assess my surroundings. My heart began to pound in my chest as I realized I was no longer in the comfort of my own room, but outside in the middle of bumfuck nowhere in the woods. I couldn't help but winced as the world around me blurred together and my vision adjusted. Everything was so... vibrant and colorful, it was taking me awhile to digest the clusterfuck of colors that assault my senses.
"Hey, are you okay?"
I turned towards the voice that roused me from my sleep. Distinctly feminine and laced with concern, young, but mature. I blinked in surprise when I came face to face with a woman who gave me her own look of surprise. Immediately I took in her appearance. A mature, heart shaped face, with smooth pale skin with no signs of blemishes, round, vibrant silver eyes and shoulder-length black-to-red gradient hair.
She wore a one piece red dress with black lining and frills to accent and make the red pop out more, a flowing white cape with red inner liner was fastened onto her shoulders by black leather straps, crossing over her chest and reaching down to her waist. Black thigh-highs and combat boots, and black sleeves and fingerless gloves with red and gold accents completed her look.
What caught my attention was how... ethereal she looked, like a ghost. Hell, at the corners of her cape, glowing white rose petals drifted into air and faded away into nothing. That just SCREAMED ghost.
As I stared with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, my mouth moved before my brain. "... Ruby?"
The woman's eyes widened before narrowing a fraction. Suspicion flashing in her eyes. "How do you know my daughter...?"
...
I stood there in stunned silence, further shocked. Where I sat, I stared at what could only be described as an adult version of Ruby Rose from RWBY. But now that I thought about it more clearly, Ruby didn't wear a white cloak. And last I recall, Ruby was in her teens. I hadn't finished the show, taking a brief stop at Volume 6 and barely starting Volume 7 before focusing on other shows, only to come back to it later. I hadn't.
And she said daughter, so if this wasn't Ruby, then... that means...
... Oh. Oh, shit. I'm looking at Summer Rose.
Well fuck me sideways.
《ROSES》
Summer didn't know what she expected when she suddenly had woken up in the middle of the woods with no memory of where she was prior. She wasn't one to panic, only to realize that Sundering Rose was nowhere in sight. Then she pat herself to find her scroll, only to come up empty handed. Then that's when she began to panic. Was she robbed by bandits? God, the irony if that were to happen...
Okay. She had to calm herself down and think. What was the last thing she remembered? She remembered speaking with Tai, saying that she'd be home soon, and then she met up with Raven. They left, and then...
Nothing.
She couldn't remember what happened after that. Well that was great. She was suffering from memory loss. Either this was the work of a Semblance, or she hit her head too hard. Possibly both. She wouldn't put it past herself, she could be a bit of a ditz. But she'd had to have been fighting something or someone. She distinctly remembered leaving armed.
Sighing, Summer shook her head and took a garner of her surroundings. She seemed to be in the middle of the woods, where exactly, she couldn't tell. Far too dense for the forestline back at Patch, but the greenery was a bit to dark for the Emerald Forest all the way in Vale. Emerald Forest was far too bright. That was... ugh.
No memory of what happened. Unarmed, scroll-less, and lost in the woods. If this wasn"t a shitty situation, Summer didn't know what was. For a moment, she thought that she'd traded her Semblance for Qrow's.
Summer slapped her face and pumped her fist with a determined frown. "This is fine! I'll just... find the nearest town, figure out where on Remnant I am, and hitch a ride back to Vale! Should be easy enough."
With a plan in mind, Summer began to wander the woods alone. She didn't know how long she'd been walking for. Could have been minutes, could have been hours, she didn't know. Time seemed to have dragged on as she wandered. She debated using her Semblance to make the trip faster, but thought it best that she conserve her Aura in the off chance she encountered a Grimm. She'd need it, considering she didn't have her weapon.
I need to look into that and figure out where it is. Summer grimaced at the thought of having lost her weapon. She'd never lose her baby! She wasn't that irresponsible!
... Okay. She kind of was, but she's long since matured since then!
Summer's ears twitched at the sound of a grunt and she narrowed her eyes, ready to call upon her Aura in case it were a Grimm. Slowly, she made her way towards the source, pushing past the bushes. Her eyes widened in shock.
Laying in the middle of the road, was a kid.
She let out a soft gasp as she dashed towards the boy in an instant and checked to see if there were any injuries. He seemed to be fine, but she had to make sure. She reached out to check his pulse, only to flinch when he hand phased through his neck.
Summer stared at her hand in silence, as her brain tried to compute what she was exactly seeing. Then she let out a short scream and yanked her hand back, her eyes wide with shock. "What the heck was THAT?!"
She gulped and reached out to check the boy's pulse again, chalking it up to her imagination. She was stunned when her hand phased through him again. Her eyes shook and her lip trembled as she pulled her hand back, but she was quick to reign in the growing panic and fluster, taking in a slow breath and calming herself.
"Breathe, Summer... kid first. You later." Summer muttered to herself like a mantra, and inspected the boy before her more closely.
He looked to be of the age of 15 or 16, with dark chocolate skin and an above average physique. She suspected he was Vacuoan. His black hair was styled in dreads, with most of it done up in a ponytail that hung at the back, with two larger dreads hanging over the right-side of his face in the style of a bang. He was wearing a white t-shirt undernearh a sleeveless dark blue hoodie with black accents, light blue denim jeans, and a pair of black and white trainers. Overall, he seemed pretty average, with no weapon of any kind. Potentially a civilian.
That begged a question. What was a kid doing in the middle of the woods?
Summer decided to stave off questions and assumptions, instead opting to wake the boy up to get answers, and then help him find his way home to his parents. "Kid, wake up."
He didn't seem to stir. Summer exhaled through her nose. "Wake up!"
His face twitched slightly, but otherwise, nothing. Summer's brows furrowed and she sighed, shaking her head. She leaned back, and- "WAKE UP!"
The boy's eyes flew open and he sat up, startled, gasping for breath. Summer took a step back to give him space, and she took note of how quickly he'd managed to calm himself. She hummed, and spoke up. "Are you okay?"
As he turned towards her with wide eyes, Summer found her own eyes widening as she stared intently. She blinked, wondering of her sight was deceiving her. But no. She wasn't mistaken.
This boy had silver eyes.
Several thoughts swam through her mind as she stared at the child before her, trying to come up with an answer. How did he have silver eyes? She thought she was the only Silver Eyed Warrior left, save her daughter, Ruby. But she was only year old, going on two! She'd have known if there were more Warriors out there! She's practically scoured most of Remnant for any survivors!
"... Ruby?"
The boy's words snapped her out of her thoughts and Summer found her eyes narrowing as her maternal instincts flared. "How... do you know my daughter's name?" she answered back, suspicion dripping from her tone. More than she cared to admit.
The boy stared at her in silence, his eyes widening further. Summer stared back, unflinching. Soon, he found the will to speak again, and muttered: "... Summer Rose."
"What?"
"Your name... is it Summer Rose?"
Alarms were set off in her head. How did this child know her name? Did she know him from somewhere? She would have recalled meeting a kid like him. Probably. "I... yes, that's my name. How did you-"
"Oh, shit." She was cut off as panic soon flashed in the boy's eyes and his breath began to quicken. "Shit, that's impossible! You're supposed to be--unless I'm... but then-!"
She could see the telltale signs of a panic attack beginning to surface. Concern etched it's way onto Summer's face and she crouched down before him, raising her hands up in a placating gesture. "Woah, woah! Okay, listen to me. I need you to breathe for me, okay? In, and out..."
He stared at her with wide eyes, but soon found himself following her instructions. He took in deep breaths, and exhaled softly at an attempt calm himself down. Summer did so with him, to help him feel at ease. Once he was finally calm, Summer smiled softly. "Feeling better?"
"I... yeah. Yeah, I am."
"Good," Summer nodded, and her lips turned down into a frown. Not out of anger or malice, more neutral, with a tinge of curiosity. "Now, I have a few questions for you. Think you can answer them? It'll be easier for me to help you if I know your situation."
At his nod, she took that as a cue to ask her questions. "Alright! First, what's your name?"
"Raphael Emblem. Can just call me Raph, though. Sounds cooler."
Summer let out a soft snort and an amused smile crossed her lips. She nodded nonetheless, "Alright, Raph... where are you from?"
Multiple emotions flashed through his eyes, and Summer's brows rose as he paused. Eventually, Raphael's expression turned blank. "... Complicated."
Summer's brows furrowed and she opened her mouth to respond, but closed it shut with a click. She decided not to push and nodded her head. "Okay... last question. How did you know who... I am? Let alone my daughter."
"Also complicated."
Summer grimaced and her lips peeled back into a distasteful frown. Her expression must have been bad if Raphael flinched with a grimace as he glanced off to the side.
"Complicated as in you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
Summer took that as a challenge and huffed, folding her arms and raising a brow. "Try me."
Raphael stared at her and gave her an unreadable look, as if weighing his options. Eventually, he let out a withering sigh and shook his head.
《ROSES》
I soon found myself weighing my options. Here I was, in a situation I never would have expected myself to end up in. At first I was going to brush things off, but then things began to align the moment she appeared. I was stranded on Remnant in front of Summer Rose, who should for all intents and purposes should be six feet under right now, unless I'm way before canon, but that didn't make sense, because she mentioned Ruby, so she must have had Ruby, which meant that Raven has long since fucked off back to the Branwen Tribe.
I also do not remember Summer looking like this. I remember her looking like a copy and pasted Ruby, but not this.
Not 5 minutes in, and I'd just let slipped meta-knowlege. That's all fine and dandy, but fuck me, I don't really have a choice here. I mean, I do, I could play it off dumb but she wouldn't fall for that. I could tell. She's an experienced huntress for Christ sake, I'm pretty sure she can catch a teenager lying out of their ass.
There'd be no point in hiding my knowledge. Judging from how she looked, I'm pretty sure Summer is dead. But somehow... around. Like a ghost. Doesn't explain why I can see and interact with her, maybe others could too, but with no one else around it's not like I can really verify that. So, my option is to lie and fail miserable, or just come out and say it.
And I knew the answer to that question.
So I told her. That I wasn't from this planet and that I knew her and Ruby, and well, most of her family and others through an online web series that followed the journey of her daughters and their team, from Beacon to eventually going on a quest to save the world. I left some stuff out of course, like Salem's whole backstory with Ozma. I'm pretty sure she didn't know about that, would rather wait to drop that bombshell another time. Don't want her to potentially end up like Qrow. That's a can of worms I did not want to unravel right now.
After I finished my explanation, she stood there in silence. I honestly couldn't tell what she was thinking. She was stone-faced as she processed the information dump dropped on me. I'm not gonna be surprised if she think I was complete fucking looney, I would too. This is probably shattering her world view more than the concept of Magic and Maidens and Salem ever could.
... What am I gonna do about that.
"This..." Summer speaking up broke me out of my musings. Her face scrunching up into an expression I couldn't quite describe. "... is hard to believe, Raph."
"Yeah."
"Completely separate world? Future knowledge from a tv show? I mean, that's just..."
"Completely asinine? Unheard of? Impossible?"
"... All of that and more."
I shrugged my shoulders, chewing the inside of my cheek and humming. "Yeah. I know. And I know we're strangers and you have absolutely no way of confirming what I'm saying is true. But I literally could not make this up even if I tried."
Summer frowned, crossing her arms under her chest. Eventually she sighed through her nose and looked me in the eyes. "I... this, again, is all hard to believe. But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Really, there isn't much other explanation, save for a potential mind-reading Semblance?"
"Don't got that. Or an Aura. So nah..."
"Right, then..." Summer nodded, frowning. She gave me a curious look. "... so. The future, anything you can tell me?"
I stared at her blankly as I mulled over her words. I mean, it wouldn't hurt. Since I'm here, I may as well see if I can change anything. I'll have to see which point in time I'm in, and see what I can change. Preferably, I'd want to stop the Fall of Beacon from even happening. For a multitude of reasons. Yang losing her arm, Pyrrha dying, multiple students and innocent people dying, the fall of the CCT which leads to practically no proper communication across Remnant.
Seriously. Whoever the hell designed the CCT needs to be fired. Why the fuck would you have the main source of communication across the entire planet be linked to ONE tower, that, if destroyed, cuts off communciation to the other kingdoms?
Blatant design flaw, right there.
Fact of the matter is, some would like to avoid messing with canon altogether. Me personally; I don't think it'd weigh well on my conscious if I left thousands to die and an entire kingdom to be overrun by Grimm knowing I could have made a difference.
There were cons to this, however. Multiple in fact, but I'd figure that all out later. Hell, maybe I can get Summer to help. She's somehow around as a ghost and I'm able to communicate with her. So I wasn't dropped here without some kind of boon.
"... Well," I started, thinking of what to say first. After a moment of thought, I nodded my head. "Depending on where we are in one point in time, Ruby gets admittes into Beacon two years early by Ozpin after stobbing a Dust robbery held by Roman Torchwick."
Summer paused, her jaw dropping slightly as she processed my words. Pride flashed across her face, but there was also worry. "Ruby does all of that? I... wait. What do you mean by what point in time."
"Well, I dunno where we are. For all I know, Ruby and Yang are still toddlers. Or they could be at Beacon right now." I shrugged with furrowed brows. "Gonna have to figure that out soon."
"... Right. Right. And, Yang?"
"She grows up obsessed with looking for Raven." At Summer's startled expression, she shrugged her shoulders. "Future knowledge, 'member? Also I dunno what you were expecting. You and Tai keeping Raven a secret or whatever wasn't going to last forever. Yang was gonna wonder who her real mom was once she found out."
"She mostly wants to know why she left in the first place. That's all."
Summer felt frustration swelled within her and her hands curled up into fists as she recalled Raven. They'd been on bitter terms ever since she left Tai. Left Qrow... left her. She knew Raven was scared, but couldn't she realize that she had people who genuienly cared about her?! They could have helped her through whatever it was that turned her away! If she just...!
"Also, you're dead."
The wind and anger was knocked right out of Summer's sails. Her eyes and she whirled around to face Raphael, only to come face to face with a look of seriousness. She could see no sense of deception in his eyes. And yet, she felt the urge to deny such. She opened her mouth to do just that-!
"Okay, I know this is sudden, but that's what I know. When I watched the show--RWBY--you were long dead. Or at least, presumed to be dead." I said. I thought it was best to rip the bandaid off now so it wouldn't fester. There was more important things to worry about, and if Summer was going to stick around, as callous as it was to say, I can't have her having an existential crisis. There's a lot of things that need to be done. Things I can't do on my own. "People speculate you went missing, or that you were captured by Salem. Or killed. Nobody really knows. I wanted to tell you this now, because, well..."
Summer followed my gaze and looked down at herself. She hadn't realized it before but her body was... transparent. She thought it a trick of the light, but no. She could see through herself. Summer felt numb as she looked at her hands, and recalled how she phased straight through Raphael when trying to wake him up. She shuddered and her eyes slowly began to wide in horror.
I'm dead. Summer covered her mouth with her hands, tears swelling at the corners of her eyes as she collapsed to her knees. The realization weighed down on her shoulders like a pile of bricks. I... I'm dead. O-Oh Gods, Tai, Qrow, Ruby, Yang... Raven. I never... I-I'll never-
I watched as Summer broke down and grimaced uncomfortably. I felt like a dick, unloading all of this onto her. I felt like curling up into a ball and mumbling apologies but I couldn't find it in my heart to go through with it. I was never the best comforter but I couldn't let this woman--this mother feel like this. It was my fault anyway, even if the reasons were pragmatic.
I stood up and walked over to Summer. I reached out to place a hand on Summer but hesitated at the last moment. I couldn't even be a shoulder for her to cry on. That made me feel even worse. So instead I sat next to here slowly and sat there as she sobbed to herself. Eventually, I spoke up. "... Summer, i know this is bad, but-"
"I'll never get to see my babies grow up." Summer muttered hoarsely as she lowered her hands. Her eyes puffy and red, as tears continued to stream down her face. "I'll never get to see my husband, and feel his warm embrace... I'll never be able to see my best friends again. I can't even bring Raven back." She spat out with gritted teeth, clenching her fists tightly enough for her fingernails to dig into her palms and cause blood. And yet, nothing. Not even a drop of blood. And no pain. "I'm just some wandering spirit. I can't... I-I can't-!"
"None of that is true." I firmly cut her off, but found myself pausing and stammering awkwardly as I went to rephrase my words once I caught her attention. "... You may not be able to hug or feel your family. But you can still see them, watch over them. You can watch Ruby and Yang grow. And by God do they grow to be amazing huntresses."
Summer smiled slightly at that, and I smiled myself. "They make amazing friends along the way too. Taiyang may be in a dark place, but he picks himself back up and becomes a great and supportive father. Qrow becomes the most badass uncle you can imagine, even if he becomes a drunkard. Raven..." I winced sheepishly and Summer took on a look of understanding. "... We don't talk about Raven."
Despite herself, Summer found herself snickering softly, and I cracked a small smirk. We sat in comfortable silence, and Summer took in a slow breath to calm herself, sitting on her knees.
"I..." Summer paused as she collected herself. A small, strained smile crossed her lips. But she was smiling. That was a good sign. "I don't know if I'll ever fully accept being... dead, but you have a point. If I'm still here, then I can still watch over my family. Watch my daughters grow up big and strong. Even if they can't see me, even if I can't bake them cookies anymore..."
Summer sighed and wiped away her tears, her smile becoming a bit more genuine. "At the very least, there is a bit of solace to this. Thank you, Raphael. You're... a good kid."
"I try." I shrugged, rubbing the back of my ear sheepishly with a small smile.
We sat there in comfortable silence for a while. The only sounds being our own breathing, the chirps of birds, and the calming breeze. I stared up past the treeline, the sun's rays peaking through the leaves that obscured the majority of the sky and the sun's light. I tapped my leg quietly and glanced at Summer. The woman seemed to be lost in thought, probably thinking over her current situation. Couldn't blame her.
I started to think of what I was going to do now. Getting out of the forest was one, then from there, figure out where on Remnant I am, what time point I'm in, and then go from there. If I'm before the start of canon, then I've got time to figure shit out. If I'm at the start of Volume 1, I'm on a time frame.
I glanced at Summer again when that came to mind. Regardless of what point in time I'm in, I'm still a complete noob to all of this, and while I'm athletic, I'm no fighter. If I can convince Summer to help me, then that makes this whole quest to save the world a lot smoother. Hopefully. I dunno.
How do I convince her, though? She seems nice enough. Do I just... ask? Seems the easiest route. But should I hide anything from her? I wouldn't see the point. She already knows I have future knowledge, and if she is going to help me, she should at least know the rundown.
Ghost or not, it'd help to have an experienced huntress on my side. She can at least be a helpful guide, maybe give me a few pointers and advice on fighting. A ghost mentor would be pretty cool.
Before I could even begin to ask, however, the bushes to our right rustled and followed by that was growling. A chill ran up my spine, meanwhile, Summer tensed and turned towards the source with sharp eyes.
"... Grimm." Summer grimaced.
I, for one, panicked. "WAIT, WHAT?!"
"Shh! Calm down! You're the one with knowledge of our world!" Summer said in a hiss, shooting me a light glare. It was like a mother scolding a child.
... Which was not inaccurate.
"That means you know that Grimm are attracted to negativity and loud sound." Summer lectured, eyeing the bushes with narrowed eyes. "So if we keep quiet, then..."
The ground lightly shook as a large. clawed paw dug into the dirt. Stepping out from the shadows was an Ursa, a large bearlike Grimm, with pitch-black fur and the signature bone white armor and beady red eyes. In the show, they always looked kind of goofy. But this wasn't a show. This was real, and it was an absolutely horrific sight gazing upon a creature that was capable of driving humanity to near extinction.
I felt my heart stop when it's eyes landed on me. Immediately it began to snarl and growl, turning to face me fully. I broke out into a cold sweat, and my body locked up out of fear, despite my instincts screaming at me to get as far away from this thing as possible. I couldn't get myself to move, even if I tried.
"... Move."
I flinched slightly and glanced towards Summer. She looked back at my with a face of stone-cold seriousness. "You can't fight this thing. You need to run. And I can't fight it either. Not while I'm like this."
She was right. I had to run. My gaze shifted back towards the Ursa, and it was beginning to stalk towards me. My heart hammered against my ribcage as I focused ln the snarling, razor sharp fangs, and the vicious drool that dripped from it's lips. My breaths began to quicking. I was beginning to panic. The Grimm's eyes flashed a malevolent red, no doubt sensing the negative emotion.
"RUN!"
Summer's words stirred me into action and I spun on my heel and made a break for it. The Ursa roared and began making chase. Summer was right at my side in an instant as I ran through the forest as fast as I could. The ground shook and shuddered beneath the Ursa's immense weight, and I found myself forcing myself to go faster, as far as my legs could take me. There was no way in actual hell I was going to be mauled to death by a demon bear!
"RAPHAEL!"
Summer's alarmed scream, coupled with my instincts saved me. I swerved to the side and my breath hitched as the Ursa's razor sharp claws grazed my side, easily shredding a portion of my clothes and digging into my flesh, leaving three bloody red gashes. I bit back a cry of agony, as I stumbled over myself and tumbled to the ground.
"Get up and move to the right!"
I followed Summer's instructions and rolled to right just as a massive paw crashed into the ground. Suddenly I realized I was way better off with this gash than I thought. i would have been pulverized if I didn't dodge. That alone got me moving again as I walked deeper into the forest and ran faster. The Ursa continued to give chase, and I knew that much considering the fact that several trees were being torn from their roots and crashing against the ground as it bulldozed straight through.
I really wish I had a fucking Aura and Semblance right now, or magically knew how to fight!
"SHIT!" I cried out as pain lanced up my leg as I tripped over a tray root and tumbled across the ground hard. My head slammed against the base of a tree. My vision instantly blurred and I felt myself fading in and out. My heart pounded in my ears as I heard Summer call out to me. I couldn't make out what she was saying.
I wheezed out a gasp of pain and pushed myself against the tree. My legs burned, my lungs burned worse, I'm sure I'd just sprained my ankle, and this gash is only going to get worse without treatment. I glanced up to see the Ursa right before me, lunging at me with it's jaws outstretched to tear my head clean off my shoulders. In that moment, I recalled my family and friends that I never got to see, and I apologized to the people of this world, that I didn't even have the opportunity to try and save.
I missed Summer flying towards me and crying out to me. I knew this was pretty much the end of the line. So much for a journey to save the world.
Didn't even last an hour.
"RAPHAEL!"
Despite myself, I craned my head towards Summer as my vision blurred again, making out her horrified face as she outstretched her hand. I smiled slightly and, in a faint moment of desperation, reached out too.
Just as our fingers touched, just as the Ursa inched closer, the world was suddenly engulfed in a blinding white light.
《ROSES》
Summer didn't know what had happened when the blinding light encompassed her. All she knew was that she needed to save Raphael. She couldn't let him end up like her. She didn't even know if he'd become a ghost like her. But she couldn't allow this boy to die. She had not known him long, but it was her duty as a huntress--as a hero to protect those that couldn't protect themselves.
Her non-existent heart skipped a beat when Raphael tumbled and crashed against the tree and the Ursa took the opportunity to lunge at him. It was as if time slowed to a crawl, and her body moved on it's own. A part of her mind betrayed her, saying it was futile. There was nothing she could do. She was dead, after all. What could she, a ghost, possibly do to save a boy that was about to die?
She ignored that part. She had to save him, no matter what. That was why she moved. She wouldn't be able to make it in time. In an act of desperation, she lashed out with her hand and called out to him His tired eyes locked onto hers, two eyes of silver focusing on one another. He smiled at her. One of fear, but also acceptance, as he reached out to her.
Summer failed to notice the sparks of white electricity around her ethereal body, but she did feel something within her stir. Like her soul had suddenly been filled with an intense surge of energy, of power. All of that, she felt deep within resonated with Raphael, and it flowed towards him. Just as their fingers grazed each other, a connection was made.
And then there was a flash of light.
The first thing Summer noticed was that all five of her senses returned to her in an instant. Her sense of smell, her touch, her sight. She felt air fill her lungs and she took in a sharp gasp of breath, before the instincts she'd honed over the years took center stage. She flipped out of the way and nimbly landed on her feet just as the Ursa's face slammed straight into the tree where Raphael once was. It let out a shocked yelp, more than a pained one.
What...? Summer blinked in confusion. Her eyes began to widen in shock. I... I can feel! I can smell! Breathe!
She was alive! But how?! She looked down at her hands and her eyes widened and she gave herself pause. These... were no her hands. Her calloused, yet smooth, pale hands were replaced with slightly larger dark-colored hands. She began patting herself down. Her breasts were gone. And she felt something attached to her--
Oh.
Oh, noooooooooo...
Ugh... what happened?
Summer jumped as Raphael's voice vibrated through her skull. She winced and blinked, muttering out, "...Raphael?" She squeaked as she touched her throat. Her voice vibrated, as if blending her own vocal tones with Raphael, giving off more of an androgynous tone that could be taken either way. Her eyes widened.
... Summer? She heard his voice again, and sweat rolled down her cheek. Where am I? Why is it so dark? Where are you?!
"I, I don't know what's going on." Summer winced, appearing sheepish. "But... I think I may have hijacked your body?"
I BEG YOUR FUCKING PARDON?!
Before Summer could respond, the roar of the Ursa snapped her back to attention as it glared at her--him--them, with contempt and anger, digging it's claws into the ground. She frowned and settled into a loose stance. "We can figure this out later, for now, we need to take care of this!"
... Y-You're right. But I'm not exactly like you. I don't even have an Aura! I think. How are you gonna beat that Ursa with no Aura or weapon?! Raphael stammered with blatant worry and fear in his disembodied voice.
Summer felt herself smirk as she straightened herself up. "Don't worry, I'm a professional. 'Sides..." She clenched an experimental fist. "Every person has an Aura."
Summer closed her eyes and dug deep, delving into the depths of her... no. Their soul, it was if both her and Raphael's souls were bonded together as one in this odd state they were in. She grasped it. A smoldering white flame of energy that faded into a vibrant azure, brighter than anything Summer had ever seen. The fire roared out, waiting to be used, and she stoked it...
And coaxed it out.
Summer's body was engulfed in a fiery veil of Aura, she was filled with energy and power the likes of which she'd never felt before. Their Aura... it was practically triple the reserves she had! Summer looked down at her hands to white-to-blue fire surrounding her from head to toe. It looked far different than what normal Aura looked like. Aura typically looked like rippling water, a shield. This was untamed, wild fire. A destructive force, a mighty sword.
Woah... Summer shared Raphael's awe, but she held it back as the Ursa snarled and charged at her. Clenching her fists, Summer leaped out of the way. She wasn't used to the smaller body and frame, but she was quickly adjusting, and while she didn't have Sundering Rose, she was still efficient in unarmed combat.
Reinforcing her legs with Aura, Summer shot forth and slammed a palm into the Ursa's jaw. It's head veered to the side from the force and felt it's body swerve. The Grimm was quick to retaliate, swinging it's arm and throwing all of it's weight into the strike. Summer was faster however, flipping through the akr and landed a good ways away.
Eyes narrowing in focus, Summer clenched her fists. She could have ended this in an instant with her silver eyes, but the power was closed off. She suspected since that although she was still in control, it was still Raphael's body. And he had yet to awaken his silver eyes. So the power of light was unavailable to her until he unlocked it.
Huffing, Summer dug her feet into the ground and blasted off, sliding under another swipe from the Ursa and pushing herself off the ground with a spin-kick to the Ursa's head. As it snapped to the side, Summer ducked low and drove her fist into it's stomach. Her mind flashed back to how Taiyang fought, and she followed up with several more strikes to the Grimm's sternum.
The Ursa slid back from the barrage of blows and nearly crumbled to it's feet, but through sheer force of will managed to stay upright. What little good that did, as Summer was upon it again, snapping her leg upwards and delivering a kick to it's jaw. As the Ursa's head snapped upwards, Summer reinforced her fist with Aura, and with a mighty swing, drove her fist into the underside of it's chin.
A sickening crack echoed through the forest, followed by a gorey explosion of brain matter and black bodily fluids as the Ursa's head exploded underneath Summer's Aura-enhanced strike. As the Ursa's body crumbled to the floor and began to dissolve, Summer took a few paces back and took in gulps of air to catch her breath, her chest heaving.
Holy... Summer perked up at Raphael's voice. She'd nearly forgotten he was there. That was AWESOME! How did you--WAIT WHAT DID YOU MEAN YOU FORGOT I WAS HERE!
Summer winced at that, "Oops... you can read my thoughts?"
Loud and clear. You're in my body and I'm stuck in my head, after all. Raphael snarked, but there was no heat behind his words.
Summer chuckled softly and began focusing her Aura onto the gashes in Raphael's side and the sprained ankle, speeding up the healing process. She hissed as the bloody wound began to seal itself back up. "Sorry, sorry. Also, maybe work on your cardio some more. I'm usually never this winded, especially after fighting a simple Ursa."
At her tease, the bot broke out into a fluster. Guh--OI! I told you I'm not a fighter, alright?!
"I know, I know. I'm joking." There was some truth to it as well, but Summer had a feeling Raphael knew that. As the adrenaline from the fight died down, Summer exhaled and began to frown in concern. "... Now what?"
Hm?
"How do we... bring you back? Are we just stuck like this?" Summer grimaced and shuddered. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a teenager again. Especially in the body of a boy."
Instead of getting flustered at that, Raphael let out a despondent hum. Ah, shit. I forgot about that.
Summer let out a sigh. "Great..."
Before the two could mull over it all and lament their fate, they felt a tug deep within their merged souls and were engulfed in a flash of white light. As the light died down, the two blinked and found themselves miraculously separated. Raphael's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could cheer, he felt an immense wave of exhaustion hit him like a truck, and he fell onto his backside.
Summer yelped and rushed over to his side in an instant with a look of worry. "Raphael! Are you okay?! Where does it hurt? Do we need to get you a doctor?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine! Geez, what are you? My mom?" Raphael muttered good-naturedly with a small, tired laugh, waving his hand. "I'm just tired. I think that merge or whatever took a lot out of me..."
"O-Oh. I see." Summer let out an explosive sigh, a look of guilt washing over her face. "For a second, I thought I may have damaged your body in some way."
"Nah, I feel fine. I just need to rest for a bit." Raphael huffed, slumping against the ground and staring up at the trees with a frown. "Though, that begs the question... what was that?"
"I wish I knew." Summer murmured, taking a seat next to the boy as she looked down at her transparent hands longingly. "I remember reaching out to you, and then there was this surge of power. As if my Aura had been unlocked a second time. Next thing I knew, I was in your body."
Raphael chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought that over. When Summer had taken over his body, it was as if he had taken the backseat and his body was put on autopilot. That was the best way he could describe the feeling. He could feel, see, and sense Summer could while within his mind. But he wasn't the one calling the shots.
Weird. Raphael hummed, but smiled, glancing at her. "Well, either way, I'm glad. Without you, I would have died for sure."
Summer smiled at the boy and chuckled, shaking her head. "Saving people is in my job description, Raph. Dead or not."
"... Guess so." Raphael chuckled tiredly and nodded his head. He could see where Ruby got her heroic disposition from. Can't say he didn't admire it.
He blinked and his eyes widened a bit, before softening as a thought was brought back up at the thought of Ruby. Then he peered back over at the ethereal woman. "Hey, Summer?"
"... Hm?"
"I know I've dumped a lot on you in the past hour, but..." Raphael sighed and shook his head with an anxious frown. "Things are gonna get bad. I dunno when, but I'm telling you this now. Beacon is going to he destroyed and Vale is going to fall. Ruby and Yang will be in danger and forced to step up to fight Salem, along with the rest of her friends."
Summer's eyes widened, but Raphael continued as he shifted his gaze towards the ground, tapping his leg nervously. "... I want to make sure that doesn't happen. But I'm not strong enough, and I'm not a fighter by any means of the word. Hell, I don't even know how I ended up here, or if I can go home."
"What I do know is that if I just stand idly by, a lot of innocent people are going to die. And it scares me, putting myself in the fire. And I know I'm gonna get burned, but I can't let anyone die when I can help." Raphael clenched a determined face and sucked in a breath, smiling sheepishly. "But, truth is, I can't do this on my own. I may have watched the show, but that doesn't mean I know everything that's gonna happen. Hell, I shouldn't be here and neither should you, that's already thrown a wrench into the canon's proper course."
"What I'm saying is... I could use your help." He smiled at Summer, equal amounts nervous and determined. She could tell he was scared and anxious, but within those silver irises was a sense of steel. "Help to save your daughters, your family, their friends. Hell, to save the world. So... will you help me?"
Summer stared at Raphael in silence and glanced off to the side. At first, she was content to just find her way back to Patch and watch over her family from the afterlife. But she also knew that in her line of work, her daughters were going to be putting their lives on the line. Salem or not. And as a mother, she couldn't not worry. But while she was a mother, she was also a huntress, and it went against her ideals to stand by as others, including her family, suffer.
She didn't know if she could do anything because of her current status. But she and Raphael had just proved herself one just a few minutes ago. She could help. She may not have her body, but she could guide this boy, mold him to become a warrior, help him when he's too weak to stand, and protect those in need of protecting.
A smile tugged at her lips and she huffed out a chuckle. "Alright, you'e made your point, Raphael." Summer glanced towards the young teen and grinned. "Let's go save the world!"
Elation broke out across Raphael's face and he pumped his fists, letting out a whoop. "Oh, YES! Thank God, I didn't know what I was gonna do if you said no!"
Summer laughed softly in amusement, shaking her head. "But," she relished in the way Raphael froze, as her lips stretched into a vicious grin. "We're gonna need to get your body up to par. Frankly, you're far too skinny, your stamina and endurance need work, you're definitely going to need sufficient combat training, and we're gonna need to get a headstart on Aura training! Not only that, but you need a weapon!"
At Summer's enthusiasm and intense stare, Raphael felt sweat roll down his chin and a chill run up his spine, as he faintly began to regret his decision, and he gulped audibly.
"... On second thought-"
"Oh, and we're going to have to unlock your silver eyes!:
...
"WHAT?!"
Midnight story thoughts go crazy lmao.
I had this idea for like a week while in my demotivated funk. I just had to write it out when I began liking it a bit too much.
Hope you enjoyed it!