No noise escaped Summer's mouth as she tried to vocalize her terror. She could feel the air leaving her lungs as she tried to let out a terrified wail only to come up with nothing. It was only in that moment that she realized there was no sound around her at all, and she opened her eyes.
She had expected it to be a bad dream after she had passed out from the overexertion of using both of her Semblances at once, or some sort of hallucination.
She had expected to open her eyes and be back in the training room, likely on the ground as Willow cradled her and tried to rouse her in a panic.
Instead, Summer Rose opened her eyes to see the gargantuan hand moving ever closer down the snow-white branch in the infinitely empty void. Whatever was happening, it was real. Whatever godlike being she had encountered, it was specifically after her.
Summer had only seconds to come up with a plan, her mind racing in the oppressive silence. The girl looked all around for some sort of escape, some way to buy herself some time, and found only one possibility. Every fiber of her being screamed against her idea… but there was simply nothing else. Summer's only options were a leap of faith, or finding out what happened when she was grabbed and crushed by the encroaching monster.
With a total nebulous deep breath, Summer leapt from the branch, totally unsure if she could even fall.
There was some comfort in the notion that wherever Summer was, gravity still seemed to exist. The girl felt her hair whipping against her face as she fell, narrowly avoiding the hand above as it clenched into a fist where she had been standing moments before. Summer turned her attention away from the threat and to the next branch below, its white bark glowing against the infinite darkness. The fall was long enough that, if the 'rules' of the void were the same as those in Remnant, she would surely be killed on impact.
Still, it seemed like a better fate than being caught by that thing, and Summer was struck with momentary inspiration. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and focused as hard as she could, trying to channel the rusty, warm aura that Professor Gumo had spoken of. Almost immediately, Summer saw what would happen if she hit the branch, and somehow, she knew it would be true. All fear left her body as she twisted to put her feet beneath herself, aiming for the mysterious surface. She had one chance at escape, and she planned to take it.
Summer landed upon the bark in a crouched stance, feeling no pain whatsoever as she briefly reached down and touched her hands to the celestial bark for stability. In less than a second she was back on her feet, sprinting for all she was worth as her heart hammered in her chest. The trunk of the blinding tree was far, far off in the distance, a dark shadow coiling around its surface and providing her a place to look at to avoid the searing light that threatened to blot out her vision. All along the branch were smaller, frail looking twigs with multicolored orbs bobbing gently above them, but Summer ignored each and every one as she ran. She knew exactly where she needed to go… or at least, where her vision had shown her to go. What would happen when she got there, Summer had no idea.
Quite suddenly upon arriving at her apparent destination on the branch, Summer was brought to a stop as a booming voice echoed deep within her mind. It wasn't exactly a sound so much as a feeling, and she didn't hear it so much as it coursed through her entire body like a nerve impulse. The message was in a language Summer couldn't understand, though she could feel the intent behind it all the same. She knew it was coming from the guardian of the tree, and she knew that despite its annoyance, the statement wasn't malicious- it was simply factual.
You are too early, child. There is much to be done on these paths before you choose an ending. This place is not yet meant for your eyes, as they have only just opened.
Summer opened her mouth to voice a reply only to realize that there was no need. She could tell that the creature could simply feel her intent, and so, she settled for simply thinking back a reply as she pushed off the bark and once again began to run.
I know. I'm trying to leave. I don't want to be here, so tell me where to go!
That is not my role, the inner voice replied as Summer continued to run. Choose.
Choose? Summer asked as she once again came to a stop. She tried to look up at the twin suns high above her only to find that her eyes couldn't handle it. With an attempt at a noise of frustration that instead vocalized nothing, she focused again on the pitch-black coil around the tree only to find it moving at a slow, steady pace. Choose what?
Choose.
Summer couldn't help but roll her eyes and let out a noiseless sigh. For a moment, she considered simply leaping from the branch into the void, but something deep in her stomach told her that was a very, very bad idea. Instead, she flicked her eyes to a nearby twig with a shimmering, iridescent orb floating gently above it. Her mind made up, Summer once again began to run.
You are certain? the disembodied voice asked. Look closely before ch-
But Summer had already stopped listening, her mind made up and done with whatever game was being played by the mysterious creature. With steadfast conviction, the girl thrust her hand out for the orb and realized just before she touched it that she could see something going on within its surface. A series of images within were flickering by so quickly that she could barely make them out in the second before her fingers reached the surface… but she did see some things.
Among the visions were her friends in various situations, none of which she recognized- Willow and Qrow in a passionate embrace, naked upon one of the beds in the beach house. Adam gesturing emphatically to the group while everyone else stared at him in utter disbelief. Professor Calavera standing over a prone figure, a long, ugly, bleeding wound carved deep into her left arm and her breathing unsteady. Sage sitting in a classroom, looking rather confused. The pallid, corpse-like face of a woman with white hair in tied bunches, black sclera, and blood red irises staring her down, surrounded by people she didn't recognize.
None of it lasted, though, as Summer made contact with the orb and everything turned a blinding white. Without warning, sound returned to the world starting with a piercing buzz inside of Summer's head followed by the unmistakable noise of a small explosion nearby and crackling fire. The sensation was enough to cause Summer to fall over onto her butt while gripping the sides of her head as her vision returned to her, leaving her very confused.
Summer rose sat within the booth that Professor Calavera had previously occupied, breathing hard as the analytical equipment before her popped and crackled with arcs of electricity and scattered flames. One of the monitors had blown entirely, and the small room was beginning to fill with smoke. Summer quickly got to her feet and covered her mouth, coughing as she tried not to breathe in the particles. Without a second thought, she headed for the door to the booth and threw it open, only to find an even more confusing scene down on the main floor.
Willow was pressed up against the wall where Professor Gumo had been previously standing to observe the fight, while the headmaster and Professor Calavera had taken up the positions of Summer and Willow, respectively. It seemed as though everyone's positions had been swapped haphazardly, and Summer couldn't make any sense of their placements.
"Summer!" Willow called, her palms pressed back against the wall as if she was afraid of falling over. "What did you… your eyes!"
"My eyes…?" Summer asked uncertainly as she descended the staircase to the training room floor. "What about my eyes? And um, Professor, your equipment is burning…"
"Never mind that," Professor Gumo insisted as he made his way up to Summer. "Such things can be fixed in time."
Summer looked confusedly between the others in the room, both of whom seemed to be looking at her in awe as they slowly approached.
"But the data…" Summer tired, taking a step back.
"Unneeded at this point," Professor Calavera said as she took out her scroll and began to record Summer. "We have our answer."
Summer smiled uneasily as Professor Calavera lowered the scroll after a good 30 seconds of filming. Without a word, the older woman handed her the device, and Summer accepted it before pressing the Play button onscreen. What she saw made her gasp in surprise as she brought her free hand up to her mouth.
Though she had indeed felt a bit of heat on her face, Summer had assumed that it was from her proximity to the flames up in the booth. Instead, the video showed that her eyes were quite literally blazing with wispy trails of orange, red, and brilliant gold flames. Her pupils were entirely absent as her eyes flickered between colors, reminding her of the shimmering orbs she had seen in the void. The flames pushed out past the edges of her eyes, giving them an appearance almost like wings up alongside her face. Within seconds, the trails had faded out, giving way to her usual silver eyes as she stared into Professor Calavera's camera until the end of the brief video.
"W-what is that…?" Summer asked as she looked up at Professor Gumo. "What's happening to me?"
"Exactly what you likely think," Professor Gumo said softly. "Those eyes are the unmistakable mark of a Maiden, Miss Rose. Fall, specifically, based upon the coloration. It seems your powers have finally awoken."
Summer said nothing as she pressed Play once again and got lost in the flames around her eyes once again. She was vaguely aware that Willow had made her way around to watch over her shoulder, but nothing could break her focus.
"They're so… pretty," Willow commented quietly. "And a little scary. Does it hurt…?"
"Hurt? No," Summer answered as she finally tore her eyes from the video to look over at Willow. "How long was I out?"
"…out?" Professor Gumo asked, his eyes glowing in shifting configurations beneath his visor as he looked Summer over. "What do you mean 'out', Miss Rose? You engaged your Semblances, and we all shifted positions at once. From our perspective, you simply swapped with Maria."
Summer tried to hand the scroll back to Professor Calavera, only to find the woman absent. Upon turning around, she found the huntress up in the booth extinguishing the fire from the overloaded monitoring equipment. With a sigh, Summer turned back to Professor Gumo and shook her head.
"I… don't know how to explain it," Summer began uncertainly. "I definitely went somewhere, and I was there for… it felt like a while. Ten minutes, maybe? A little less?"
"But where?" Willow asked insistently. "Tell us everything."
"I'm trying, I just…" Summer said, sounding frustrated. "I don't know how to describe it. There was a tree. A massive tree, bigger than any structure I've ever seen. It was white, and everything else was just…"
"Gone," Professor Gumo finished. "Total blackness. A void. And the serpent?"
"…it was there," Summer said, eyeing the man suspiciously. "Bigger than the tree itself. How do you…?"
"I cannot say," Professor Gumo answered with a solemn shake of his head. "I am sorry, Miss Rose, but I am sworn to secrecy. I need to try to contact Professor Ozpin again immediately. Remain here."
"Wait!" Willow called as the man turned and began to head for the door of the room. "Don't just leave us in the dark!"
Professor Gumo simply kept walking, his pace increasing as he went. Willow let out a frustrated noise before grabbing Summer by the shoulders, causing her to jump in place.
"Tell me everything, right now, in case you're silenced," Willow ordered. "This may be our only chance."
Summer could feel her heart pounding once again. She felt the sudden urge to run, but chose to stay rooted to the spot as she gave Willow a nod.
"…okay," Summer said quietly. "Keep all of this between us…"
Author's Note:
I should've mentioned this last week, but no, the tree is not the tree from Volume 9. I'd sooner gouge out my own eyes than acknowledge Volume 9 in this, or any other story I write. This has been the plan from the beginning, and it has a totally different meaning.
-RD