Roses of Yesterday: Interlude Chapter 1, a rwby fanfic

IMPORTANT NOTE: In case you missed the summary, this is a continuation of Roses of Yesterday, a fic I completed some time ago. If you clicked on this story without having read that one first, you will be confused. Also, there will be a longer author's note at the very end (there's only gonna be 4 chapters here, so it won't take too long).

…

"…as they say, 'Better Late Than Never.' Thank you for the report, Basil.

"And now for the top news of the evening; just a few days ago, the city of Argus, in Mistral, came under attack by a massive Creature of Grimm as well as a number of smaller Grimm. Reports indicate there were no casualties, but dozens were injured and the damage to the city left many without power or running water. The commander of the Atlas fleet in Argus, Caroline Cordovin, was badly injured in the fighting but is expected to make a full recovery soon. Many consider such an outcome to be nothing short of a miracle, especially considering the circumstances surrounding the giant Grimm's defeat.

"According to eyewitness reports, the Grimm, identified as a variant of the rare Leviathan species, was hit with the same manner of white light reported at the end of the Battle of Beacon Academy last year, albeit far stronger; unlike the dragon still perched on Beacon's CCT tower, the giant Leviathan was completely vaporized and poses no further risk to the seaside town. Much like the events of a year ago, no one has officially claimed responsibility for this light nor has anyone stepped forward to provide concrete details; all we know is rumors and hearsay. We will continue to cover this situation as it develops.

"In this reporter's personal opinion, I hope this mysterious force of justice is still out there fighting the good fight. We need all the good news we can get.

"This has been Lisa Lavender, Channel 7 news. And now, the weather…"

…

Argus

…

There were a lot of things on Yang's mind.

Right now, though, she just wanted to enjoy the sunset in peace.

The chaos of the last few days had finally settled down, leaving most of the city damaged but intact; there were a lot of Grimm that got past the outer defenses, and it took awhile to clean them all up. Add to that the constant presence of Atlas troops and the stress of dealing with Raven again and it was no wonder Yang was ready to start ripping someones hair out.

Not her own, of course.

Probably the biggest thing on her mind was the story Dad had told her the other day about Summer coming home. It didn't feel real. It felt like the biggest fever dream anyone could've imagined, supplemented by quarts of alcohol and copious amounts of illicit substances. There was no way it could be true. And yet-

"Thinkin deep thoughts?"

The voice was the same, the walk, the face, the posture. It wasn't a ghost that joined Yang on the balcony to watch the setting sun with a gentle smile. It wasn't a ghost that helped save the entire city from a monster Grimm. It was Mom.

"Not really deep," said Yang with a sigh. "Just thinkin."

"Am I allowed to ask what about?"

"Of course you're allowed," Yang chuckled. "It's just… life. So much happening all at once, and it's all I can do to keep up. All the fighting, watching Ruby grow up, dealing with Maidens and Relics and Ozpin-"

"Hmm…" Summer leaned close, talking more quietly, "…that's not all, is it? You may not be a little girl anymore but I still know you pretty well, Yang Xiao Long. What's really bothering you?"

"…Is it that obvious?"

"…"

"Well…" Yang took a step back and stared at her hands, only one made of flesh. The other was made of painted steel and circuitry, the finest fake arm Atlas could produce. She'd spent so much time staring at it back home that she imagined she knew every nook and cranny, every chip and scrape in the casing. "Did Dad tell you about… this?"

Summer paused as she looked at Yang's robotic arm. "He… mentioned it, but he wouldn't give me any details. He said it would be best to hear it from you."

"Yeah, that sounds like him." Yang sighed, then nervously started running her fingers through her hair. "Thing is… I finally caught up to the guy who took it and… well… me and Blake took care of him."

Summer waited quietly, her smile gone.

"And now… I can't stop thinking about it."

"I think we'd better go inside and sit down," said Summer. "I wanna hear everything."

…
…

"So… you took a life."

"Yeah."

"But before that, you said you had trauma; was it from Adam himself or from your injury?"

"I thought it was just Adam, since it mostly went away after we took him out, but… now I'm not so sure. It's a lot easier when I'm near Blake, but once I'm alone again it comes back."

"You really care about her, don't you?"

"…Yeah, I do."

"That's good to hear. But regarding your other problem, no two people have exactly the same trauma; the only one who can say for sure where it comes from it you. I can help you find a good therapist if you think you need one."

"Adam Taurus was a psychotic monster. I don't like the idea that I'm feeling guilty about killing him."

"How would you rather feel about it?"

"Honestly… I don't know how to feel."

Summer and Yang sat together in the living room of the home of the Cotta-Arcs, the lights low and no one else around to disturb them. Noise from outside was next to nothing, so they could keep their voices low without issue.

"I guess the important question is," said Summer, her hands folded in her lap, "…did killing him make you happy?"

"Hell no," said Yang with a bit more force than she intended. "I mean, I'm happy I could finally be there when Blake needed me the most, but… I still see the blood on my hands, even now. He was a scumbag who deserved everything he got, but… I… I don't like it."

"Be sure you remember that."

"…?"

Summer sat forward in her chair, the dim light from the nearby lamp reflecting in her eyes like a candle. "No life should ever be taken for granted, no matter how vile they may be. No matter how much you think they deserve to die. Even if that person is destined to lose their life, it is never our place to eagerly take it away."

"But we're Huntresses," Yang said quietly. "Fighting is part of the job. And not everyone walks away from the fight. I learned that from Miss Goodwitch."

Summer nodded, "As did I. That still doesn't give you the right to take that life, Yang. When I went to Beacon, Professor Ozpin offered an extracurricular class for any student who wanted to take it, so long as they were at least a 3rd year. The class was intended to ease the students into the idea of… well, killing someone. Not everyone can handle that kind of thing right out of the gate, you know."

Yang leaned forward as well, listening intently.

"Ozpin himself oversaw this class. And yes, I took part. How it worked was that he brought a group of us to the local jail, to the inmates facing the death penalty, and allowed one of us to carry out the execution."

"Are you serious?!"

"Dead serious." Summer turned her face away, staring into the middle distance as she reflected on that day. "He had permission from the Council. I'll never forget it. None of the others who came along were willing, so I stepped up. The man I had to kill was a convicted murderer, armed robber and alleged rapist with charges in 3 of the 4 kingdoms, all of which found him guilty. I looked into his eyes before I beheaded him. I didn't see a shred of remorse or regret. He knew his time had come and made no effort to fight it."

Yang gritted her teeth at such a despicable man. "Sounds like he deserved it to me."

"He was the first man I ever killed," Summer continued. "I still remember his face to this very day, every single time I lift Agni and Varuna against an enemy that isn't a Creature of Grimm."

"Doesn't that start to weigh on you? Why not just forget it? Sounds to me like he's not worth remembering."

Summer turned back to Yang and stared into her eyes for several seconds before whispering, "…Now you're starting to sound like Raven."

Crash!

Yang was on her feet before she even noticed, hair blazing with light and eyes crimson red. The chair she'd been sitting in was halfway across the room. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK,"she yelled.

Summer didn't even flinch.

"You don't know ANYTHING," Yang continued shouting, "I fight for my friends! My family! She fights for herself! I AM NOTHING LIKE HER!"

"Settle down, Yang-"

"No! I will not be compared to a woman who runs away at the first sign of-"

"Settle! DOWN!"

The next few seconds ticked by slowly as Yang fought back her rising temper, but in time it finally calmed down. She took several deep, shaky breaths to disperse her Aura, then quietly replaced her chair and sat back down. "S-Sorry."

"Apology accepted." Summer watched Yang for a few more minutes, then spoke slowly and calmly. "We can continue this conversation later, after you get your head screwed back on all the way, but for now just keep this in mind; you can either take killing seriously, or you can let yourself grow numb to it. One path is easier than the other."

Yang nodded without looking.

"When you're faced with that choice again… just remember which path Raven took."

Her anger flared back up for a moment, but no longer. Yang fought to unclench her fists before she started breaking things, but eventually nodded again. "Yeah… I won't forget that."

"Good." Summer and Yang stood up and began to part ways, but the older woman suddenly stopped and scratched her chin, "Oh, one more thing…"

"What…?"

Summer Rose looked upon her adopted daughter and smiled. Every inch of Yang's skin broke out in goosebumps as terror took hold of her very soul.

"Was I hearing things… or did you actually backtalk to me?"

Yang Xiao Long whimpered.

…
…

Gods be praised they were done before the front door opened.

"-and I said no, I'd rather take another 4 cards…" Ruby was first through the door, bags slung over both arms as she spoke to the people behind her. And then she saw the scene. "Yang? You okay?"

Yang avoided meeting her younger sister's gaze as she finished buckling her pants back up, trying and failing to stop the sniffling. Summer sat in her chair and smiled as the group came in. "Oh don't worry about her. We were just… dealing with some things.

Ruby's eyes bounced between Yang and Summer a few times before she said, "Anything I can do to help?"

Yang slowly made her way upstairs, walking carefully, as she heard Summer say, "Actually… could you prepare a bag of ice for your sister?"

"What exactly happened?"

"Let's just say… she needed to be reminded that no child is ever too old to be whipped."

"Ooooooh…"

Yang ignored the rest of the conversation as she crawled into her bed and lay face down, the skin of her rear end still throbbing angrily. Hopefully Ruby wouldn't be too long with that ice.

And she thought about guilt… and trauma… and being compared to her mother. And she gradually came to realize that Summer was completely right.

Dammit.

…

City of Haven

…

Frustration at her lack of success warred with her stubborn determination to finish the Hunt as Jasmine Corbett sat in her favorite diner and sipped her drink, glaring into the crowds outside. Somewhere out there was the creature she wanted, but thus far her tracking skills had offered no tangible reward.

The small Corgi at her feet, one 'Zwei' by his collar, calmly chewed on a bone gifted him by the local butchery. It was almost as big as the dog himself. A fitting prize for such a loyal canine.

If only her own prize wasn't so elusive…

Next to Corbett sat a woman who had approached her only a few hours before, a woman calling herself Ashe. Likely a false identity, but the former Professor wasn't one to be picky; the woman had asked for help, and on her honor, Corbett would do everything she could to assist. If it was a setup, they would be the ones who regretted it in the end.

Besides, this was a good excuse to get away from the city for a time; with the Headmaster gone, the remaining faculty at Haven would be hunting Corbett rather vehemently in order to install her as the new Headmistress. That was a job she wanted nothing to do with. "While it wounds me to abandon the Hunt without my prize," Corbett said as she set her drink down on the table, "I will not go back on my word. If you wish to go to Atlas, I will make sure you arrive safely."

The woman smiled, her one visible eye seemingly glowing with a faint yellow light from within. "You're a lifesaver."

"However, we will need to stop at Argus first. I cannot overrule the decision of the Atlas Council to close their borders, so we will need to negotiate a way in."

"That won't be a problem," Ashe rubbed her chin, exposing one arm covered in thick bandages. What sort of trouble had she gotten herself into? "I've already made the necessary arrangements to get myself and my associate past their borders. All I need is a way to reach the Kingdom itself, but I can't charter any of the transports. I'm not sure why…"

"Likely it has to do with the attack on Haven Academy. Security patrols have increased. I have heard reports that the culprits may still be in the city."

"You don't seem worried."

"I have no interest in matters pertaining to the school any longer; as far as I am concerned, my employment was terminated along with the life of Headmaster Lionheart."

Ashe hesitated, "So you don't know what actually happened there?"

"I do not, nor do I care to. I have more pressing concerns."

"Hmm… that suits me fine. I and my associate are ready to depart whenever you are."

Corbett nodded. Haven was a center for all manner of trade, legal or otherwise, and information was merely one of the avenues offered. It was no concern of hers where this woman went on her own time, so long as her actions did not endanger any innocents. If anything, the woman's so-called 'arrangements' only helped relieve the stress on Jasmine herself. Less to worry about once they arrived.

If only they'd gotten the damned CCT back up by now, she'd at least be able to contact Summer Rose in Argus and let her know they were coming. Right now the only way to communicate was to access a few emergency Comm Centers, and the lines for those were a mile long at best. At least anyone's Scroll could still receive a call; actually placing a call was far more difficult than it needed to be right now.

Zwei looked up at her from the floor and tilted his head. Corbett reached down and gave the canine a scratch behind the ears.

Summer Rose had better be worth more than this 'doppelganger' creature.

Her true prey would not roam free for long.

…