RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth
Warhammer 40K is the property of Games Workshop
Chapter 2: Memories in the Mist
Summer flinched as her environment suddenly changed. Fog and mist were what greeted her. Gone were the raging storms of colors, along with those monsters' endless shrieks and roars. A serene breeze had taken their place. When she stared at the mist, she could still see a pattern to it. It was not wild and thrashing like the previous ones. This was subtle and calm, like a gentle stream. Summer could not see the floor, but this place appeared to have one since she was not actively concentrating on standing on it.
Before her, stood the angel, still smiling. Summer could see her clearly through the mist as she floated away after releasing her grip.
"Where are we?" Asked the huntress.
"A safe place." The angel replied.
Turning away, the angel let go of her sword, letting it fall into the mist, out of sight. Alarmed by this, Summer asked. "H-hey, shouldn't you keep that? I mean, it will be hard to find it here, and you might need it if more of those things show up."
The huntress was mostly speaking for herself. Exhausted as she was, it would be a trial to defend herself at all. The fact this lady threw away her weapon not only worried her but also made her angry. From what she saw that sword was beautiful and highly effective. To just casually toss it away was disrespectful. Such acts always struck a nerve.
"Please calm yourself, child." Came the angel's melodious voice. "Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary. You are safe here. As for my weapon, it is not lost. It shall present itself when I am needed."
Normally, Summer would think this woman had a few screws loose. But as was apparent, nothing was normal anymore. Accepting that the angel knew this place better than she did, she decided to address something else.
"Child? I'm a married woman with two daughters. I am not a child." Summer crossed her arms with a pout, eliciting a chuckle from the warrior.
"Apologies. I did not intend to state you were immature." The angel replied.
Summer dropped her mock tantrum and gave a grateful smile. "Thank you. Umm..." She paused. There were a lot of questions on her mind, and she desperately wanted answers. Might as well start with the simplest ones.
"I'm Summer, Summer Rose." She spoke. Beginning with introductions.
"Well met Summer Rose. I am Celestine." The angel replied politely.
Summer noted how odd the name was. It did not follow the usual naming convention she was used to, but who was she to judge? "Nice to meet you, Celestine. And thank you for saving me. I'm not sure how long I would have lasted back there without you." She admitted with a nervous chuckle.
"Not long, I would surmise," Celestine stated. "However, you should feel proud you held out for as long as you did, few could have lasted even half the extent."
Summer was not sure how to take that. Was she implying that everyone who dies becomes food for those things? The thought put knots in her stomach. She shoved it away as Celestine continued.
"Praise the Emperor for my wings. The daemons would never have stopped until they had you. It would be a sin beyond redemption to allow one such as you to perish." Celestine finished, making it almost sound like an apology. What did she mean by 'one such as you' though? Regardless she appreciated Celestine's worry. Now on to the questions.
"So, those were demons? Like actual demons?" Asked Summer, a small part of her hoping to be told no. Another part of her already knew the answer.
"Yes. Foul creatures, born from the darkest of places." Celestine replied.
"And you're sure they won't find us here?" Asked the huntress, listening for anything that sounded like a shriek or roar.
"This place is closed off from their domain. Only ones such as me or you are permitted here."
"What is this place?" Summer asked, it felt similar to the storm in a way but different in too many aspects for her to currently name.
"I am not entirely certain myself. Its name was never revealed to me, and I do not come here often enough to give it one of my own." Celestine admitted giving her surroundings a cursory glance.
This was unsatisfying, the huntress wanted answers, and getting upset when none were found was a waste of time. "If those things are demons, then are you an angel?"
In Summer's mind, it was a silly question. Angels were fairy tales of childish nature. Everyone on Remnant acknowledged that, including Ozpin. But Summer, while not the religious sort, always believed the Creatures of Grimm were demons. They were created by a god to bring nothing but destruction. What else would you call such a creature other than a demon? So, if demons were real, why not angels?
"I suppose I am." An odd way to answer. But Summer disregarded it. There could be nuances to it but that did not matter right now.
"If you're an angel and those were demons, would that mean..." She stopped again. This was a question that she needed an answer to. She had managed to shrug off the shock before, thanks in part to survival being at the forefront of her mind. Now it crept back, bringing a sense of dread with it.
"Is something troubling you Summer?" Celestine asked.
For an instant her anger flared, she wanted to snap at the angel. There were plenty of things troubling her. Almost being eaten by demons was one of them. The notion that she might be dead is the biggest one. A notion she had partially accepted but had yet to fully process. How do you just accept that you are dead? She still half hoped that this was all some coma-induced dream.
With a quick breath, she spoke. "Back there a big bird demon caught me. It said I died. Is... is it true? Am I dead?"
Celestine's expression turned to a stern frown. "You should never trust the words of daemons. Especially those of the kind that spoke to you." Her tone was similar to Glynda's on those days when Summer visited Beacon. A strict teacher. It did not change Summer's attitude though.
"But is it true?" Summer insisted.
Celestine's expression softened. "I am afraid it is." The angel answered apologetically. "If I had to guess. I would say it happened not too long ago."
Summer stayed silent. She wanted to let the words set in. Perished. Died. She had died.
She would not be able to see her family. Worse. Her family was incomplete now. Broken. Her two girls. Yang was once again motherless. The only difference this time was that she was old enough to realize it. Her Little Dragon would not take it well. Summer felt her heart sink. She tried to be the mother Yang deserved. The mother Raven refused to be, and Summer failed.
What about Tai? Oh, poor Tai. Summer knew he was still hurting after Raven left. Now she had gone and done the same thing. She dared not imagine the state he could be in right now.
Then there was her baby. Her little Rosebud. Now in the same boat as Yang. Motherless. How could she do this to her own child? Summer had failed as a mother. All she could do was hope they could support each other.
"Forgive me." She silently begged, knowing they would not hear her.
As she quietly sobbed, the mist began to shift and swirl. It washed over her, disrupting her sorrow with waves of emotion. Surprise. Curiosity. Satisfaction and relief. Summer was confused by this. Why did she suddenly feel all of this?
"It seems I'm not the only one who is happy you're safe," Celestine cheerfully said. "I have never earned such a reaction from Him in all my years of service."
"Umm. Who is doing this?" Summer asked, hesitantly watching the mist. It felt alive somehow.
"The master of this place. The Holy God-Emperor of Mankind." Celestine answered with reverence.
Summer blinked in confusion. God-Emperor? She had never heard of something like that. None of the stories her mother had read her had hinted at that. Sure, she knew gods. Like the Brothers, who made humanity, and the Grimm. But a God-Emperor? Did gods even have emperors?
Celestine watched Summer's reaction. It did not take her long to deduce what the huntress was pondering. "You... do not know of the Emperor?"
Shaken from her pondering, she shook her head. "No. I've never heard of him. I know about gods, but this is the first time I've heard of an emperor. I've never been too religious."
The huntress was not sure what to expect. Religious she may not be, but she knew a few religious types. Some tended to get angry when you question their faith. Then again, secular people could be much the same. It depended on the person.
To her relief, the angel just laughed. "Holy Throne. I did not expect this." As Celestine mused, the mist swirled and Summer felt the slight urge to laugh too.
"Truly, His plans are a mystery to us all. To think He would bestow such a gift upon you. One who has never known His light." Celestine gasped as her laughter died out.
Summer did not know how to process this. Her being gifted by a god she never knew was funny, apparently. You would think an angel would be more sympathetic to someone who had just died and almost died again only moments earlier. Yet, she felt calm, as the mist flowed around her.
"Alright, slow down. You aren't making much sense. I have a lot of questions and would like some answers." Summer near demanded, getting the angel to calm down.
"You need only ask? I shall answer to the best of my ability." Celestine complied with a smile.
"Okay, firstly, who is this God-Emperor? And why is he called that? Are there a bunch of gods and he's, their leader?"
"The Emperor does not associate with any pantheon. For they are all selfish and vile. Seeking only to further their own power and expand their horrid domains." Celestine sneered, surprising Summer.
"As for the Emperor himself." Celestine's smile returned. "He is the shepherd of humanity. Our beacon of light. From His throne on Sacred and Holy Terra, he guides His people through the tides of the Warp. From the dark..."
"Stop!" Summer blurted out, making the warrior pause. For a moment she was worried she had offended the warrior. She did not mean to be rude, she just had very little patience for preaching. Fortunately, Celestine did not look angry. But Summer apologized anyway.
"Sorry." She said. "But I get it. I've heard this pitch before. I want to know his story."
The huntress knew it was rude, but she just wanted to get to the point. Celestine still did not look upset as the mist swirled between them. Was it keeping her calm too?
"That is a very difficult topic to speak of. Any knowledge from before the Emperor's ascension is considered legend and myth now."
"What? So, it's like a fairytale?" Summer said, being reminded of her headmaster's favorite opener for revealing secrets. For some reason that annoyed her.
Celestine chuckled again. "Yes, something like that."
"So, you don't really know anything?"
"I know the story as it was told to me. Would that be enough?" Celestine offered.
"I suppose. Any context would be helpful." Even fairytales could give her some form of understanding.
"Very well." Celestine took a breath. Taking a moment to find the right words. "In ages past, humanity was on the brink of extinction. The Dark Age or Old Night had come, and our species was scattered and isolated. From this darkness, He came forth and raised humanity up. Saving us from annihilation. From Ancient and Holy Terra, He created the Imperium of Man. A vast empire under which He would bring all of humanity. With His sons by his side, he conquered the stars and brought us a new golden age."
Celestine's tone became softer, mournful. "But before His final victory could be achieved. Many of his sons turned against Him. Including His favored son, Horus. Corrupted by the Primordial Annihilator. This dark time is known now as the Horus Heresy. In the final battle of that horrid civil war, the Emperor struck down Horus and was mortally wounded as a result. His loyal sons carried him to the Golden Throne in which He was interred, ascending to guide humanity and protect it from the vileness of Chaos."
Summer was quiet for a moment; she had a few questions. What happened before this Dark Age? Where was this Terra? She had never heard of it. What did she mean by conquering the stars? That was a metaphor, right? Celestine could not have been speaking literally. Going to space was always considered to be a pipe dream. Atlas is the most advanced kingdom to date, with technology that felt like make belief when she was a child. They, in all their ego, gave it a decent try, more than a dozen times. They were all flops thanks to the fact dust can't operate when it leaves the atmosphere. There was no way this could be right.
"You said stars. Like actual stars? Up in space?" Summer asked, pointing up for emphasis.
"Yes. Why? Is the idea of traveling beyond your world that difficult to believe?" Summer knew Celestine was not patronizing her, but she still felt a bit of outrage.
"Yes!" Summer yelled. "Space travel has always been impossible for us. We've tried, over and over. Nothing works! Now you come along and tell me there's this god guy who not only traveled to space but built an empire so big he needs more than one planet."
Summer paused when she spotted something. A twitch, on the angel's features. Summer was good at reading faces, so good in fact that when Raven figured it out, she rarely looked directly at Summer when they had a proper conversation. Summer recognized that twitch. It was the same as when she spied on her partner's reaction to Tai's flirting. Celestine was stifling a laugh.
"What?" Summer asked.
"I am afraid you underestimate the scale of His goals. The Emperor's Imperium is the greatest and largest empire the galaxy has ever known. Spanning over a million worlds."
Summer could swear she heard glass shatter when she heard that number. "You're kidding."
Celestine smiled and shook her head. "It is the truth."
A million planets. That couldn't be possible. Could it? An empire that covers an entire galaxy. She may not have been studious, at least in comparison to Oobleck. But she knew of the scale of a galaxy. Science fiction movies on Family Night gave her a basic concept, and it almost left her at a loss for words.
"How long would it take to conquer that many planets?" Summer mumbled loud enough for Celestine to hear.
"That I am unaware of. However, the Imperium has maintained its hold on this galaxy for the past ten millennia under His faithful's protection."
That word stumped the huntress for a moment. She had heard it before but had trouble remembering. Millennia? Millennium. Thousand. "Ten thousand years." She whispered in disbelief.
It was shocking, if true, then this was world-shattering. The mist swirled around her, making her cloak flutter. This space empire existed for that long? That was longer than Remnant's total recorded history. Which only spanned back six thousand years, with barely anything noted other than kingdom names and major settlements. Only the past three centuries were properly documented.
Yet, how come she was only learning this now? Why didn't Ozpin know? He literally lived through Remnant's history. He always gives off the impression that he knew everything. Like it was all under control. Nothing about what she just heard was under control!
Summer felt her enforced composure slip, and she started to hyperventilate. In response, the mist swirled faster. "Why haven't I heard of this before?"
"The galaxy is a vast place. Many worlds were lost during Old Night. Many have yet to be discovered and brought into the Imperium. Yours is likely one such world." Celestine answered with a look of sympathy.
"Then why me?" Summer muttered.
"Pardon?" Celestine asked, having not understood the question.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Summer repeated.
"Because you wanted answers."
"That's not what I meant!" Summer hissed. "Why me? Why are you here talking to me? If I heard, you right then there are millions out there who need your help as I did. Yet, you're here playing a game of twenty questions with me!"
Again, Summer expected the angel to be offended or annoyed. Yet she was still calm. "I am here because He wills it. His light guided me to you."
"But why me though? Why would a god care about someone who didn't even know he existed?"
Celestine's smile did not fade in the slightest. "I cannot answer that. As I said, His intentions are a mystery even to one such as me. Yet, I can understand why He has chosen you for this blessing most holy."
Summer remembered the light. The light which now was a part of her. "That light was his? Seemed like an odd way to bless someone, don't you think?"
Celestine laughed in reply. "You do not fathom how blessed you are."
"But why? I doubt he did this out of kindness alone. Everyone has reasons. Including gods." Summer inquired, trying to keep herself from sounding accusatory.
"You have wisdom. Yes, the Emperor does have a purpose for you. As He does for us all."
"Well do you happen to know what he wants from me?" Summer asked, hoping to get a straightforward answer.
"No, my friend. I know only that it is to aid mankind."
Summer sighed; it was worth a try. "Whatever it is, I'm not sure I can be much help. I'm dead." She said with grim finality.
"Not quite." The angel countered. "Your physical form may have perished, but your soul is very much intact."
"What difference does that make?"
"More than you know. The dead returning to the physical world is rare, but not as much as most would believe."
Summer's eyes lit up, a silver glow emanating from them, as her hope rekindled itself. "So dead people can come back to life?"
Celestine laughed again, and it only raised Summer's hopes higher. "I have died many, many times and until the Emperor deems me no longer worthy, I shall always rise again." She declared with confidence.
Summer felt herself shaking. It was possible. A way home, back to Remnant, to her family. "Thank you, Celestine."
"You are most welcome, friend. Do you have other questions?"
Summer then thought for a second. She had plenty of other things to ask. What was this Primordial Annihilator? But a new one emerged in light of her recent revelations. "Just one right now. It's bothered me for a while."
"Ask." Implored Celestine.
"How did I die?"
The angel paused, looking perplexed for a moment. "I am sorry. I do not know."
Summer's breath hitched. "Bu-but you said I died recently?"
"I was never shown how you perished. My statement was mere guesswork." Celestine admitted.
Summer felt downtrodden now. It could have been worse, she knew. She did forget her name not long ago. "I guess it doesn't matter."
"Perhaps." Celestine conceded. "They may be revealed to you, or they may not. I have no means to aid you in this. The Emperor may, but I should warn you. Memories of your end are never pleasant. Take it from a soul with experience." Celestine chuckled with her gallows humor. Summer giggled slightly as well.
With her concerns brushed aside, Summer wanted to ask more questions, like how to get back home. But she never got the chance. The mist parted beside Celestine, revealing the golden hilt of her sword. "It appears I am called to duty."
Celestine turned away from Summer to face the swirling tempest that was forming behind her. Inside the vortex, images began to take shape. The huntress stared in shock, as she bore witness to a world on fire. Blazing comets rained down on the earth. Black armored giants trimmed with gold emerged from the craters they formed. All charging at what appeared to be a fortress city of a monumental scale. On the walls, she saw people. Soldiers, based on their armor. Gun emplacements were firing nonstop at the rain of fire. Then the image shifted to what Summer could only assume was a church of some kind. However, she had never seen one so grand before. The sight would have annoyed her had it not been caked in blood and bodies. Amid the gore was a creature. It was similar to the red monster Celestine had killed earlier but smaller and not as frenzied. It was fighting women who were dressed in armor similar to Celestine's but instead of gold, it was black.
Celestine took hold of her sword and calmly walked toward the swirling mist. She stopped just short of it and turned to the huntress.
"May the Emperor guide you, Summer Rose." She said nothing more as she walked into the vortex, which dispersed seconds later. Leaving the huntress alone in the fog.
Summer waited for a moment; part of her thought Celestine might come back. She did not. She was gone and Summer was alone. Or was she?
She glanced around, expecting something, anything to happen. Nothing did. Yet now that Celestine was gone Summer could feel it. Another presence, all around her. Summer remembered that the mist calming her was the work of this Emperor. That meant he could hear her. Might as well ask if he could help her. She sighed to herself. This was going to be awkward. She retained none of her etiquette lessons from her childhood. "So, umm. God-Emperor, sir? I'm not sure how to say this without sounding rude, but could you please show me how I died?"
It was a ridiculous request to make of a god, but she did have a valid reason. Whatever killed her was a threat to not only her team but her children too. She had to know what it was.
After a minute of stillness, the mist began to churn. It moved around her in a swirling wall, and behind that wall was a figure. It began to approach the huntress nearing the wall of mist. When it reached the swirl, the mist fell, and the sight beyond made Summer gasp in shock.
She stood in a forest. One she recognized. It was the forest around the village she was born in. One of the many villages outside of Vale. One of the many ravaged by the Grimm. But that did not surprise her as much as the woman standing before her.
Dressed in the red cloak of their family, the lady wore light leather armor, and a belt with a rose buckle. Her hair was long, stretching halfway down her back in a tight braid. Her face was a near mirror to Summer's own, along with eyes the huntress had known since she could open her own.
"Mom?" Summer asked the woman.
Standing before Summer was her mother. Summer was stunned, her mother was dead. Dying in bed weeks before she joined Beacon. She should not be here. Tears started to form in her eyes.
She did not speak. She merely smiled at her daughter and backed up to a nearby tree. She then sat cross-legged in the shade of the leaves. With a gloved hand, she patted the grass beside her, beckoning Summer to sit beside her.
This scene felt familiar. After Summer was told of the function of her silver eyes, her mother would often take them to a secluded spot to meditate. It was frustrating at the time, as she recalled struggling with the simple use of her Grimm killing weapon. She wanted to fight, not practice her breathing. Over time, she came to enjoy these quiet moments with her parent. And eventually she came to miss them. It was an activity she planned to share with Ruby when she was old enough.
Summer wanted to sit. She did, but the sudden appearance of a woman long dead was not something she could trust, even if the mere sight of her brought the huntress to tears.
"You're not my mother, are you?"
Her mother, or what appeared to be her mother, broadened her smile and patted the ground one last time. Was she happy that Summer had caught on so quickly?
Was this supposed to mean something? Summer did not know. The only obvious form of direction was the instruction to meditate.
With a cautious first step, she approached her mother. Taking the spot beside Edel, Summer crossed her legs and watched her elder as she closed her eyes and fell into stillness.
Summer followed suit, and as her eyelids shut, she felt the world fade.
"Bye, mommy!" Yang and Ruby said in unison, their arms wrapped around Summer's shoulders while she was down on one knee. Their little faces were buried against her chest.
"I'll miss you," Yang mumbled.
"I'll miss you too Little Dragon." Summer said, squeezing the six-year-old.
"M-me too! I'll miss mommy a whole lot." Declared Ruby.
Summer giggled at her daughter's high-pitched voice. "I know Rosebud."
Summer set her girls down so she could get another good look at them. Yang's golden hair was tied into pigtails while wearing a brown dress. Ruby also wore a dress, only it was red. They were adorable.
With a pat on the head, Yang tensed for a moment. The girl hated when her hair got messed up, but relaxed when Summer only gently touched it. Unlike her father who usually ruffles it, much to the girl's dismay.
Summer made Yang look her directly in the eye, making sure she had the girl's attention. "Now I need you to be a big girl and look after your sister while I'm gone."
Before Yang could reply a coughing sound drew her attention away. Behind the children stood their father, Taiyang Xiao-Long. Summer smirked. "And that big oaf you call daddy." The comment got giggles from the girls.
"Be a good sister for me, okay?" Summer said quietly to Yang.
The eldest sibling nodded vigorously, while Tai feigned injury by dramatically putting his hand over his chest. "I'll be the best big sister ever," Yang whispered back.
"And you." Summer said, now addressing her other daughter. "You be a good girl. Behave and don't cause trouble for your sister. Okay?"
"Okay." Replied Ruby with an infectious smile.
"That's my girl. When I get back, I'll make you a full plate of cookies."
The offer made Ruby squeal in delight, while Yang cried out, "Hey! I want cookies too."
"Then you'll get your own plate too, Sunshine," Summer replied, letting both girls cheer happily.
With the children satisfied, she stood up and addressed her husband. His smile, so full of idiotic joy, slipped. "Are you sure about this?" He asked quietly, not wanting the children to hear him.
"Sure, I'm sure." Summer responded without a change in her mood. "It's just a solo mission. Those are always quick."
"I know, and that's why I'm worried. You'd be out there alone."
Summer placed a hand on his cheek. "It's fine. If it were a big deal, Ozpin wouldn't have called for just me."
"I don't know, I mean; he has dozens of huntsmen to call on. Qrow, Glynda, Port, or anyone from Signal or Beacon. He's got Jim of speed dial for the Brothers' sake." Despite his agitation, he kept control of his volume.
"Qrow is busy tracking down the Maidens. You know he's too busy for small work." Summer replied, "Glynda just got promoted. You think she deserves the extra stress right now?" Tai diverted his gaze from her. "And you know James can't just fly his huntsmen from Atlas for something so small without giving a reason." Summer leaned in closer, "Especially if it's one of 'those' missions."
"That's why I'm worried," Tai admitted.
"That's why I'm not." Summer said. "If it were something big, he would call Qrow back and we'd deal with it together. He wouldn't just ask me. He knows we have a family to take care of." She finished glancing at the two little girls.
Tai stayed quiet and looked at his daughters. "You're right. He wouldn't do that. Not while we have so much to lose. Maybe I'm just overreacting."
"I know it's hard. But you should try to trust him a bit more. He trusted us enough to show us the truth. You know he cares about people; he just wants what's best for Remnant."
Tai seemed to accept that." You're right again. I just get worried about you whenever you leave. You and the girls are my everything. If I lost you, I... I don't know if I could take it."
Summer remembered an image of the man in front of her. Sad, unresponsive, a ghost of the bright boy she met during Initiation. The broken shell of the man he should be. She refused to let him become that again.
"That won't happen. I promise." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.
"Eeeeewwww." Said the girls, to both adults' amusement.
"Please, be safe." Tai pleaded.
"I will." Summer said before, beginning her departure. Turning around she started walking away from the little house that had been her home for the past six years. Before she could get far, she heard her children yell out. "Bye Mommy! We love you!"
Summer waved back to them. She would see them again and since she was heading to Vale anyway perhaps, she could visit Hei just to check in. It had been some time since the two of them last caught up. Opening up a business in Vale was a sure-fire way to keep a man busy. She could not help but wonder how much closer he was to opening his night club.
Summer stood in the elevator beside Glynda Goodwitch. Her longtime friend and now Vice-Headmistress of Beacon. "Congratulations on your promotion."
"Thank you," Glynda said while tapping her fingers against the screen of her scroll.
"You nervous?" Summer asked. Glynda stopped tapping and gave her colleague a flat stare. Which was somehow enhanced by the glasses she always wore.
"Dumb question?" Summer asked with a sheepish smile.
Frowning, Glynda sighed. "I was not ready for this. The number of documents that man has me go through is exhausting. Student records. Personal histories. Combat statistics. Promising individuals. Investigations on said individuals. Crime reports. Mission requests. Council requests, and frontier town requests. All that and more by the end of the day."
Summer barely registered half of what Glynda had just said. She only understood that the workload must be monstrous. Especially if it's made the most studious person she knows panic from overload.
"Then there's all of the stuff Ozpin doesn't want the Council to know about. I swear Summer, I'm not built for all this shadow play." Glynda sighed in exasperation.
"None of us are," Summer replied. "It's still hard to believe sometimes. That the Grimm have a leader, whom Ozpin has been fighting for who knows how long. Almost makes you wish he never let us in it."
"Yes." Glynda agreed. "Gods. Relics. Magic. It all sounds like we should be in an asylum or one of those silly shows you watch. Yet, he's won my trust. Even convincing a hardhead like James." A ghost of a smile appeared on Glynda's face.
Summer smiled at that; she had always supported their relationship. "Speaking of Soldier Boy. How are things between you two?"
Glynda lost her smile for a sad frown. Turning back to her scroll, she started typing again. "Not too well I'm afraid. With him in the military and me stuck here. It's become rather strained."
"Long distance relationships are always hard. But you've made it work so far." Summer said, hoping to encourage her friend. Glynda deserved this. After clawing out of the gutter the Grimm put her in to get to Beacon and excel once she got here.
"That was before we both got promoted. We barely have any time for each other now. At the rate he's going, he'll be a candidate for general within a year. Not that I don't want him to make it, but if he does, he'll be busier than Ozpin." Glynda stopped typing. "I feel like this whole situation has forced a wedge between us. If I had gone with him to Atlas, we might even be married by now." Glynda admitted sadly.
Summer knew that choice had depressed Glynda quite a lot. Ozpin had tried to convince them both to stay but Ironwood was determined to lead Atlas in the fight. This caused some friction, but Summer still believed it could work out.
"I'll admit, in that vein, I'm envious of you," Glynda said quietly. Summer did not comment, Glynda only admitted such things to her. She never judged her friend for these moments of vulnerability. Everyone had emotional baggage, even the people who had to put on strong faces like Glynda and James. Summer knew that too. Hiding the emotions you're ashamed of, those you never want anyone to see. Better to let it out than bottle it up.
"Don't be." Said Summer. "There were moments where I felt like I didn't deserve what I had. Like I was just a runner-up to Raven. That I'm living a life that was meant for her. A placeholder in case she comes back. It took me a long time to shake off those feelings."
"You were never a runner-up to that woman. Even back then." Glynda said with disdain. She refused to even say Raven's name since that day. Pretty much everyone who knew her felt betrayed.
"I know Glyn," Summer's mood then went in reverse. "So, if I can manage a happy relationship, then Beacon's Goodwitch can too."
"You think so?" Glynda asked, sounding hopeful. A tone of voice she'd never let anyone else hear.
"Of course I do. So long as it's something you both want, then you'll make it happen. Just stay strong." Summer then looked at Glynda from top to bottom and grinned. "Besides I'm pretty sure he still wants to."
"What makes you say that? Have you spoken to him?"
"No. Just guessing based on how you're dressed." Glynda looked down at herself. Only now realizing what Summer meant.
"Are you implying something?" She asked, glaring at Summer.
"Oh, nothing." Summer said, feigning innocence. "Just that if you're dressed like this every time you video call him, then you're trying really hard to give him something to look forward to." She finished with a snicker.
Summer did not know if the red on Glynda's face was because of anger or genuine embarrassment, but it was still funny. "Well, not all of us can put on the sweet and innocent facade you do." Glynda accused her friend, but Summer shot back immediately.
"You could If you wanted to. I remember what you were like at the dance. But we both know his type, if it were me, he would have proposed long ago."
"Oh, yes." Glynda sneered with a wave of her hand. "You and your frilly skirt dancing in the snow. Killing Grimm by the dozens. He would love that."
"Hey! Don't dis the combat skirt Miss Riding Crop." Summer snarled back.
They bother stared each other down for a moment. An outside observer would feel the tension between them, only to be confused as they both started laughing.
Glynda regained her composure first. "Thanks for that. I think we'd be lost without you."
Summer who was still laughing tried to downplay that claim. "No, no. Your job is way more important than mine."
"Don't say that. Officially, yes. But without you, I doubt many of us would be where we are now. You weren't the best, that's a fact."
"Geez. Rub your perfect scores in my face why don't ya." Summer said rolling her eyes.
"Let me finish." Glynda snapped. "You weren't the best, but you shone the brightest. To us at least. You inspired me to come out of my shell remember? You never stopped trying to help me, even when I pushed you away. You never gave up on us. Remember in our final year when our teams accidentally woke a Deathstalker nest?"
"Yeah, Qrow still complains about that."
"We made it out because of you. We rallied behind you. That optimism of yours means more to us than you think."
"I think you're blowing this out of proportion. I'm not some hero. I just want to help any way I can by being a huntress."
Glynda's smile brightened at that. "Out of all of us. You embodied what it meant to be a huntress. When I teach her, I hope my students turn out like you. Or at least close."
"Gagh! Glynda! Stop putting pressure on me. I already have enough thanks to the girls." Summer wailed with false distress.
"Then stop doubting how much you mean to us," Glynda said in her disciplining voice and slapped Summer's shoulder with the Disciplinarian.
Summer yelped and rubbed her shoulder. "I swear you hit everyone with that thing." Which was true. It included the entirety of Beacon's staff. Even Ozpin at one point.
As if on cue, the elevator doors slid open. "Come back safe," Glynda said.
"I will," Summer replied, walking out of the elevator and into Oz's Watchtower. That wasn't its real name, but it never really got old.
Hearing the elevator door close behind her, she approached the headmaster's desk. His chair was turned away, leaving him out of view. The giant clockwork gears clicked quietly above her. Which always impressed her. She often wondered if they had a function. If not, then maybe Ozpin just kept them around to feel like Father time. Fitting given how old he is.
"You called for me." Summer said without greeting. Ozpin never had the patience for formalities when missions were involved.
The chair swiveled around, revealing the sharply dressed man himself. Still with his trusty can and that mug. Does he ever wash that?
"Summer." He said a look she didn't like. That super determined look he gave when something very serious was happening. Why did she feel like coming was a really bad idea all of a sudden?
"We're closing in. I hope you're ready back there." Came the static voice of the pilot from the ship's intercom. The bullhead's interior was quite comfortable and spacious. James must have pulled some strings and brought the new model for her to use. The seats were comfier than the last one she rode in.
Summer closed her eyes and blocked out all the noise. She controlled her breathing and felt her aura surge. Flowing around and throughout her body, protecting her form and sharpening her weapon.
Her weapon. She felt her lap to check that it was still there. Feeling the smooth covering, and semi-oval shape. She did not need to see the color. Ivory, like its name, with streaks of crimson. Ivory Dorn, her ever-reliable companion, by her side since the day she built it with her mother. Simple and artistic.
Opening her eyes, she let the weapon reconfigure in her lap. Now it lay in its spear form. The blade was placed at the edge of a hyper-reinforced barrel. The trigger shifted position in this form, moving further down till it was two thirds away from the firing end. This was for convenient reach when swinging the weapon. The blade was broad enough to cut as effectively.
Summer flicked a small trigger on the stock, causing it to reconfigure once again. Now it resembled a high-impact sniper rifle. The shot's it fired packed much more of a punch this way and the trigger returned to where it would be found on a standard firearm. Most huntsmen preferred to fight up close predominantly. Summer did too, but situations sometimes called for a more careful approach.
Flicking another switch, it returned to its compact form of a white, semi-oval case. Standing up from her seat, she slung it behind her. "Target sighted." Came the choppy voice again. "Moving in. Prepare for insertion drop." Summer rolled her eyed. Atlas and their obsession with being all soldierlike. "It's either that or empty flattery from the highborn." She mumbled, remembering her mother's roots. No wonder she decided to leave, all the pomp and protocol was unbearable.
"Brothers guide you. Opening the hatch in Ten. Nine Eig..." Summer felt slightly annoyed by that. Why did people praise the Brother Gods? They left. As in they abandoned us. Yet we are doing just fine without them. So, why invoke their name at all? Just let them stay a fairy tale. She felt no desire to praise gods who did not care enough to listen. "... it's open! GO! GO! GO!"
With those words, Summer ran through the open hatch and jumped into a freefall. To bear witness to the largest Grimm she had ever seen.
From above it looked like a giant whale with purple crystals on its back. The thing's head was smooth and featureless with a strange orange glow shining through its transparent skull. She could not make out much else other than the size. Ozpin was right to be worried about this thing. Atlas' airships were like puppies in comparison.
Closing the distance, Summer whipped out Ivory and shifted it into spear form. Aiming down, she fired. Her body changed position as momentum was broken. Pressing down the trigger, again and again, her descent slowed in the mass of quick bursts. Eventually, after a short drop, her boots landed on the surprisingly rough skin of the behemoth.
Scanning her landing point, the open air made her cloak flutter. The crystals were the size of apartment complexes. At first, Summer thought they were dust crystals. Then she revised her opinion. If they were dust, it was of a type she did not know. She was not willing to test that theory. It would mean this beast was one giant bomb. Maybe they were magic, hence allowing this creature to fly.
Means of propulsion aside, there seemed to be no Grimm in sight. Maybe they were all waiting inside to ambush her. "Welp. Only one way to find out." She muttered to no one.
Staring straight down, she activated her silver eyes. In the flash, she felt the ground dissolve beneath her. Falling again, she noticed the hole she made was like a tunnel. Tai would say she had tunnel vision. The goof that he was could never resist the chance to crack a bad joke.
Within seconds her boots hit the ground once again. She was in a dark corridor, lit by that strange light with hints of purple. That witch was trying hard to make this place intimidating. That or she's just emo.
"Alright Salem. Where are you?" Summer mumbled, walking down what she perceived to be the lighter end of the path.
If this thing was anything other than a Grimm, Summer would wonder where all of the organs were because there were so many corridors, it felt like a rat's maze. Did Salem have some kind of Grimm sense that navigates for her? All Grimm are connected on some level. All of her hunts and missions have taught her this. Never had she seen Grimm fight over a potential kill, always instantly teaming up against whatever was not Grimm.
Speaking of Grimm, where were they? She had expected packs of Beowolves to rush her the second she made it inside. This place was silent as the grave.
She emerged into a very large chamber with what she could only describe as a tinted window. A really, really big, tinted window. The sky itself was open to her.
Just ahead, was a very sharp drop. Leaning over it she beheld a mass of some black liquid tar-like substance. She knew what it was. Qrow had described it vividly. Grimm crawling out of black tar pits in the ground. This was what the Grimm were born from.
Backing away from the edge, she looked further down the path to a split. One carried along the side of the chamber, the other stretched out and up to a platform in the center of the room, above the Grimm tar.
"So, Ozpin sent another assassin." Came a cold voice from atop the platform.
As Summer stepped towards it, the owner of the voice made herself known. On the platform above, the shape of a woman drifted toward the decline. Drifted, because neither of her legs nor feet seemed to move beneath the black dress she wore. Oddly enough, she did not look as scary as all of Ozpin's descriptions made her out to be. The bone-white skin was right, as were the creepy black veins across her arms and cheeks. You would think she bathed in the Grimm stuff. But she still looked human.
Salem, Queen of the Grimm, stood above Summer, black and red eyes staring down at her with disinterest. As if she were barely worth noticing. "Are you here to try and kill me?" She asked, sounding bored.
"Not really. I was told not to kill you, just drag you back with me. Ozy has a specially made prison, just for you." Summer replied, her annoyance showing. Summer would be more than happy to dust this witch and go home.
"Oh, how flattering," Salem said with no discernable change in her mood. "Most others attack me on sight. Does the idea of taking the lives of others upset you?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it?" Summer stated like it was obvious.
The Grimm queen smiled, though there was no warmth to it. "You poor, naive child."
Like a coiled serpent, Salem's right arm shot forward. Stretching far beyond what a normal limb, with the hand expanding and reshaping into a claw. Summer jumped back as the claw racked the ground where she stood.
As the claw retracted, Summer saw the other swing at her from the right. Pointing Ivory to the ground, she crouched and pulled the trigger. Launching herself high above Salem, revealing that the chamber had multiple levels, with more corridors lining the walls. A second shot fire and she rose two stories above her foe.
When she landed, something hot crashed against her back. Knocking her down. Recovering quickly, she rolled to her feet and spun around. Taking aim with Ivory.
From below Salem rose. Floating up like some spirit. Her arms stretched wide, with strange spheres of multicolored energy hovering above her palms. Identifying them as a threat, Summer immediately fired at Salem's left hand.
Salem grunted as several fingers were blown off, making the energy vanish. Summer stared at the damage she inflicted. "You don't have an aura. Guess he was right. You are more Grimm than human."
The Grimm queen scowled, raising her undamaged hand, the energy vanished, and Summer felt something grab her leg. Looking down, she saw a black, bony three-fingered hand latched to her foot. A red circle with runic patterns appeared on the floor. From it, more hands sprang forth and grapple onto her. Ivory fell from Summer's grip as they forced her to the ground.
"It's a shame. It really is." Said Salem, drifting closer to Summer, and landing at the edge of the walkway. Summer managed to look up at the witch. Managing to spot the damaged hand. The lost fingers were restored. Not surprising. All Grimm had some level of regeneration. Minor wounds and nonfatal dismemberment don't cut it. They always recover sooner or later. It's why the protocol for Grimm is to attack on sight and kill as quickly as possible.
"That Ozpin would send such an innocent soul to me is tragic. It truly is." Salem said with a smile that mocked the huntress. "But I've never been one to refuse his gifts. Don't worry. Once I'm finished with you, I'll send you back to show how grateful I am."
The limbs began to pull down harder, putting strain on Summer's body. Still, the huntress managed to pull herself up, enough to look Salem in the eyes. Innocent? She would show this witch innocent.
"Tell him yourself." She growled through her teeth. Then her eyes activated. All the hands around her disintegrated. Salem flinched as the light seared her form. Then came a second flash and her body became rigid.
Now free, the huntress stood and beheld the dreaded Queen of the Grimm, now frozen solid. A small disintegration burst, coupled with an immobilizer. It took Summer years of practice to get that level of control for just one burst. Needless to say, she held a bit of pride that it all paid off.
Retrieving Ivory, she reverted it to compact form and stashed it away. Pulling out her scroll, she hit the call button to contact the pilot of her bullhead. "Cloudfall here."
"Target subdued. Swing around and come get me." She said into her scroll.
"Roger that. Inbound." Then the line cut.
Putting her scroll away in her pouch, she returned her attention to Salem. "Now let's see how heavy you are."
Seeing this crime against nature frozen solid almost made her wish her eyes worked on more than just Grimm. Dealing with Raven would have been so much easier if she could just freeze her in place.
Before Summer laid a finger on Salem, a manic laugh echoed from above. Summer jumped away as a man landed between her and the witch. His black hair was cropped back into a ponytail. He had fair skin. A jacket that did nothing to cover his torso, grey long pants, and a scorpion tail. A faunas.
He had a deranged look in his eye and a smile that was the definition of creepy. His weapons were out. Dual wrist blades with gun attachments.
"Okay." Summer said, reaching for Ivory. "I don't want to fight. So..." His blades folded out to line up with his arms. Summer drew her weapon in response.
He leapt at her with both legs ready to deliver a powerful kick. Summer blocked with her spear. His shoes crashed into the haft, before bouncing away and spinning backward in mid-air like a yoyo, firing his gun attachments on his blades. Summer managed to block some, but still felt the impacts against her aura. She meant to fire back but the faunas landed behind Salem. Before she could reengage, something impacted her head. It was sharp and strong. Someone had shot her from above.
"What are you waiting for?" A voice with a condescending tone called out.
Summer wanted to see who had attacked her but was too stunned by what the fauna had done next.
Raising his blades, he brought them down on Salem. Due to the freezing effect of Summer's silver eyes, the witch's form was brittle as ice. Her body shattered into bits.
"Forgive me, my Queen." The faunas said with no small amount of shame.
More shots rang out and Summer managed to dodge them. Looking up she saw a mustachioed man in a fine suit, holding what looked to be a revolver with a comically sized bullet chamber. She could tell he was from Atlas, from the upturned nose as he took aim.
Knowing that her mission was essentially a failure and that she would have trouble fighting two combatants at once, Summer ran. Sprinting to the nearest corridor entrance with the faunas laughing like a lunatic behind her.
"Cloud." Summer said into her scroll as she ran.
"Cloudfall here." His response was quick and calm.
"Mission is a bust. Get under the Grimm. I'll drop down to you."
"Copy. Getting into position." The call ended, with a bullet piercing her scroll.
"Seriously! I just got that!" Summer shouted in outrage, and judging by the cackling, she was sure the faunas found it funny.
Turning a corner Summer came to a halt as she nearly ran into a dark stone wall. She reached a dead end. "Would you stop laughing!" Came the voice of the mustachioed man.
Summer was expecting a fight, what she was not expecting was for the stone wall to explode in her face.
Temporarily blinded, Summer did not see the large, tan-skinned, muscular man in a green trench coat walk through the newly made hole. He grabbed Summer by the throat and raised her up. Trying to choke her. The look on his face was strange. Anger, but it was distant and cold. Embedded in his shoulders through the coat, were earth dust crystals. That must have hurt. Tai had tried that once and nearly lost an arm.
He proceeded to strangle her with both hands. He did not rush. The big man was confident he had her. Though Summer still had one trick left. Her semblance, Petal Surge.
She managed to force a grin as her form scattered into a flurry of white rose petals. They weren't actually rose petals, but she liked to think they were. She flowed around the angry man and through the hole he made for her.
After she felt she had gained enough distance, her body reformed. This was not how things were supposed to go. Summer was under the impression that Salem would be guarded by a horde of Grimm. Not a bunch of thugs who could qualify as huntsmen. If only she had her team with her.
The corridor broke into a crossroad, the leftmost path was an incline. Which was what she wanted. Going up was the only option. Going down meant she might crash into the Grimm ooze and that would mean a quick and excruciating death.
So, up she went, finding any way to rise was a real pain. Sometimes it was a rising path. Other times it was a hole in the ceiling. Floor by floor she kept going up. Until she reached what looked like the top floor.
The purple crystals were everywhere here, forming a semi-circular pattern. In the center was a throne made of dark stone. She didn't need to think about who that was for.
She looked up and spied the layer high above her that she could only assume was the monster's skin. The distance was too much for her semblance alone. If she used Ivory to get up there, she would burn through all her ammunition. That would make reaching the bullhead tricky.
Seeing that she had no other option, she pulled the magazine from her weapon. Half a clip and two full spares. She should be able to make it if she timed it right. If she did it right, she would have enough rounds left over for the drop.
Reinserting the magazine, Summer readied herself. With a running start, she ran up the face of one of the crystals and leaped into the air. Then she began firing. On the fifth shot, something big crashed into her. It was cold but also felt like it was burning.
Summer could not correct herself in time and plummeted to the floor. Picking herself up, she saw someone she was not expecting.
Salem, fully intact and undamaged, floated toward her. That strange energy crackled over her form. The huntress was at a loss. She saw the faunas break her apart. Was that some trick? Was there more than one Salem? A double or something?
"H-how..." Summer muttered before more hands came up from the floor and tried to pin her down. This time she managed to use her semblance to phase through them and gain some distance.
"Poor girl," Salem said. "If only you had your friend. You might have gotten away."
"Friend?" Summer queried. She has lots of friends, but Salem would need to be more specific.
"The swordswoman. She managed to find my home and made numerous attempts on my life." The witch said.
"Swordswoman?" Summer mumbled. She did not know many of those. Though there was one she knew very well. "Raven."
"Yes. One of Ozpin's little spies." Salem confirmed as approached. "She was quite ruthless. But the effort was futile, I'm afraid. Just like all the others."
So, Raven decided to kill Salem on her own, without telling anyone.
"She ran when she realized that she was incapable of ending me," Salem said.
Incapable? That did not sound right. Especially when it came to Raven and her fighting skills. Something was off with that claim. Salem had no aura to stop damage. No real fighting skills outside of her magic, and she always kept herself in the shadows. Summer was confident she could take Salem even without her eyes. If Summer could beat her, then so could Raven. Either Salem was lying or something else was at work here.
More hands tried to grasp for Summer, only for her to dodge again. Back and forth it went until she managed to get close enough to the witch to make out some details. The hand Summer shot before was fully healed, but there were no scars. Grimm always retained scars after they regenerate.
A theory popped into Summer's mind, one that she needed to put to the test. Dashing forward, she raised her spear high. Salem shot at her with a bolt of magic. Summer dodged and jumped over the witch, delivering an overhead slash that separated Salem's left arm from her shoulder.
Summer slid across the smooth floor and watched. The severed arm vaporized after it hit the floor and within seconds a new one grew from Salem's shoulder.
The witch casually folded her arms and faced the huntress. "Do you see now?"
Summer still didn't quite see it. That was super-fast regeneration sure but nothing too special. With another charge, she made a swing for the witch's neck. Screw Ozpin's instructions, she needed to end this if she was getting out. Salem didn't even try to avoid the blade that decapitated her. She felt like that should have done the job, no Grimm could recover from something like that.
Summer watched the head and body fall to the floor. Only for both to melt into sludge and recombine. Within seconds, the writhing mass reformed into the shape of the witch. Still staring at the huntress with disinterest. "Now do you understand?"
"You're... immortal?" Summer questioned.
She never got an answer as gunshots sounded off behind her. The three men had found her. She tried to run, but a large boulder rammed into her back. She was immediately knocked to the ground. "I'm going to feel that tomorrow." She groaned as she caught sight of them from the corner of her eye.
The faunas surprisingly kept his distance, but still looked insane with glee. The burly man slammed his fists together, a large boulder forming between his knuckles. As he separated them, the rock grew larger. Hoisting it up with one hand he hurled it at her.
With a quick roll, she avoided the boulder and was on her feet again.
The Atlassian held out his revolver and the chamber began to spin. The pistol started firing like a machine gun.
Most of the bullets missed, but those that hit still stung. She knew why. She was running out of aura. She needed to escape.
She made a mad dash for the crystals, hoping to use them as cover, but the faunas had other ideas. The large man's next boulder was large enough for the madman to perch on. When thrown. The boulder may have missed, but the faunas didn't, delivering the double-footed kick he failed to execute before. Putting Summer on the ground again and knocking Ivory from her grip.
Before she could even move her arms, a giant Grimm hand slammed down on her. Now in its grasp, it lifted her up high, like a trophy.
The arm was Salem's and she watched with satisfaction as Summer struggled to break free. "Thank you, Tyrian." She said, not bothering to look at the men walking up behind her.
The faunas giggled with joy, standing up straight and bowing. "I live to serve, my Queen."
Summer felt the strain on her aura as the witch tightened her grip. "I will admit, you have more sense in you than the others Ozpin sent."
The huntress grunted as the pressure intensified further. "Until you, they always try to reduce me to ashes, over and over again. He never told them my little secret either."
A sharp gasp left Summer's mouth as her aura broke. Pain assaulted her body. "Pity, you chose to blindly follow that man. Someone like you could have done so much good elsewhere. Instead, you waste your talents trying to stop what you cannot fathom."
"It doesn't matter." Summer bit out through the pain. "It doesn't matter if I can't kill you. We don't need to kill you to stop you and we will stop you." Summer's eyes glowed white for a second but stopped when pain exploded in her chest.
"No more of that," Salem said sounding bored once again.
Summer's body went limp, she couldn't move, or even breathe. Glancing down, she saw the tips of one of the giant fingers emerging from her chest. She had been impaled. She could see the blood covering the talon and staining her clothes. She wanted to scream from the pain but found she couldn't. Then the pain got worse as the claw retracted itself from her torso.
Salem released her like a broken toy, only causing further pain when the huntress hit the floor. Summer tried to move, tried to breathe, tried to blink, but all she could do was stare at her murderer. She was going to die.
'So, this is how it ends?' Summer thought. 'Tricked into a suicide mission by a man I respected and trusted. Who else did he send?' The concept of other silver eyes was a strange one. She did not know of any other than her mother and Ruby. 'Ruby.'
Despite her overwhelming fatigue, Summer's eyes went wide with terror, as the horrible revelation dawned on her. That Ozpin would send her daughter to fight this fiend. Ruby has silver eyes like her. Ozpin would have every reason to try and if this monster was really unkillable then her daughter would die too.
"No..." Summer tried to say, but all that came out was a hushed whisper. The Atlassian stared down at her with a smug grin as he approached.
The terror she felt, soon turned into something else. Rage. Rage at Salem for her complete disregard for the lives of others, having her Grimm attack without pity and without batting an eye. Her cronies for following her and hurting others. At Raven for not telling them this damn bitch couldn't be killed. And finally, Ozpin for separating her from her family.
She had to fight. She had to do something. Then it dawned on her. There was one last thing she could do. It might not kill Salem, but it might get rid of her goons. It might give whoever came next a chance. Anything to protect her daughter.
Mustering up all the power her failing body had to offer, she focused everything she had on activating her eyes one last time. The Atlassian backed away as her eyes shone brightly. Brighter than she had ever made them before. Then the world became white.
The next thing she saw was the open sky. She was falling now. Outside the Grimm whale. Her blast had split it in two, with both halves rapidly disintegrating. The Grimm stuff fell past her in large globs. She could not see Salem or her lackeys. Did she get them?
That was when she saw them, all of them. Riding away on a Nevermore. Another failure. This upset her, but not as much as she feared what was to come. Not death, but her family. She would never see them again. Her vision blurred, and her eyes welled up with tears. They trailed above her as she fell, along with the blood coming off her.
She just fell like a ragdoll. Thinking back on her life, she felt things could have been better. Had she been more careful, she might have had a father. She remembered hiding under her bed from the Grimm. Her mother, whom she loved. Training her so she could go to Beacon. Building Ivory Dorn. One of the proudest moments in her life. Her mother's passing. Getting accepted into Beacon. The awkward first days after her team was formed. Raven eventually accepting her existence. Meeting Glynda. Watching with glee as Tai and Raven got into embarrassing situations together. Watching as Tai managed to convince Raven to dance with him. Convincing Glynda to go on a trip to Vale with her. Giving her the courage to display her attraction to James. Getting into trouble together. The odd mixture of pride and pain she felt on the day of graduation. How she wished her mother could have been there to see her. Traveling around the continent, saving villages. Raven and Tai making it official. Going on missions for Ozpin. The excitement of Yang's birth. The shock and bitterness of Raven leaving. Stepping in to help Tai. Them having Ruby together. And the best moment of her life, seeing those shining silver eyes for the first time.
Yang and Ruby. Just thinking about them was bittersweet. 'Be a good sister Yang. I'm sorry. I couldn't keep my promise.'
All she could see was her family standing in front of their house. Yang waved with both hands and Ruby emulated her with a more energetic result. Tai just stood there, looking content. They were all she could see as the darkness closed in.
Summer woke with a sharp gasp. Seeing the grassy field of her childhood home, and her mother meditating beside her. Breathing heavily, she hesitantly places a hand on her chest. There was no wound there. She was in perfect condition. With a sigh, she looked around remembering where she was.
She flinched when something touched her shoulder. Only to see the image of her mother looking on with worry.
"I'm fine." She said, brushing the hand away.
Standing up from her cross-legged position, she ingested her final moments. Celestine said it would be unpleasant, and she was right. Summer felt even worse than before. She felt like an idiot. How could she agree to that crazy mission? Why did she let him convince her to go alone? He's been fighting her for millennia and she thought she could just finish the job alone. What a joke. Now her children were down a mother and Tai another wife.
"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."
Summer froze as her mother caught her in a surprise hug. It was a gentle reassuring hug. She definitely could use one right now.
"Thank you." She said. "I didn't enjoy that but thank you for showing it to me."
The creature that looked like her mother released the huntress, followed by a moment of silence. At that moment, a stray thought entered Summer's mind and the rage quickly bubbled to the surface.
"She's immortal." She spoke. "She's immortal."
Summer walked away from the trees as she began to pace, getting angrier by the second until it exploded out of her. "RRAAGH! She's immortal!? Why didn't we know that!? She wasn't even trying to hide it! I refuse to believe that Ozpin didn't know! Why didn't he tell us!?"
Her rant died out quickly, and the simulacrum of her mother watched in concern. "Sorry. It's just we trusted him. Why keep this from us? We could have come up with a plan together. Why? Just why? I thought he trusted us to know the truth."
The image of her mother took Summer's hands in their own and held them tight. Like it was afraid of her going off on another rant. It was nice to know someone still cared. She let it sink in for a moment before taking a breath.
"Thank you. I'm sorry. I just feel betrayed. We trusted him."
With those words, Celestine's story came to mind. "But I guess you know how that feels."
The being that looked like her mother smiled, approving of Summer's deduction.
"So, can I go back? Or is Celestine the only one? Umm, ma'am ugh, sir?" Summer tried to be polite as she remembered she was speaking to a deity.
The woman just kept smiling, finding the attempt at formality amusing.
The ground beneath Summer's feet began to shift as the world around her appeared to be moving on its own. Until suddenly she was standing on the cliffs of Beacon, overlooking the city of Vale. She wanted to question why she was being shown this until the sky also began to shift. But this was different. The sky began to darken, despite it being daytime. A dark red coloration quickly overtook it, and the smell of copper reached her nose.
"What is this?" She asked to find the image of her mother gone. She was alone.
An explosion erupted from the center of the city, followed by another near the port. Then, another, and another, the entire city was on fire. Screams could be heard, along with weapons firing and vicious howls. Buildings began to collapse, and the crystal lake began to turn red as well. Red viscous fluid fell from the waterfall. Blood. It was becoming a lake of blood.
Her vision shifted again, now she beheld the city of Haven, but it was wrong, everything was rotten and bloated. Even the trees as pus bleed out through the bark. The buildings looked withered and worn down, with odd growths protruding from them. Giant mounds of putrid, rotting flesh littered the mountainside like tumors.
Another shift, now she stood in the snow, viewing the city she liked the least. Atlas looked warped, for lack of a better word. Gone was the machinery that kept it afloat, replaced by a large tentacled mass with too many eyes and mouths. Around it a whole host of creatures sored. Some looked like flying sting rays, others looked like ghosts with fanged mouths on their arms and over their heads like hoods. These creatures descended on Mantle, covering it in flames. Summer could only watch in horror as people hit began to mutate into large lumps of mismatched flesh. Some turned to stone, others sludge, and a few just jabbering and going insane as they were ripped to pieces.
Again, her vision shifted and took her to a sight she did not want to see. Her home. the house she and Tai lived in. Where they were raising the girls. Now nothing but a smoking ruin. All around her. Everything was nothing but dust and ash.
The sky was now a multicolored mess. A familiar multicolored mess. It was the storms of the hellscape she had just been freed from. Somehow it had made its way to Remnant and was tearing her world apart.
Then the sky lit up again. Something was falling from it. A meteor? Whatever it was, it was heading straight down. When it hit the ground, the earth trembled, and a wall of fire soon covered the horizon. It got bigger, spreading all across her vision. Getting closer and closer until she could feel the heat from the wall of flames.
Summer screamed when it reached her, but as she shut her eyes, the heat vanished. When she opened them, she was back in the field with her mother.
"What was that!?" She yelled in distress. "Did that happen!?"
The woman shook her head and the huntress sighed in relief.
"But it will." Came a voice Summer had not heard in years.
Looking at her mother, Summer watched her speak with her face in a serious frown, the look she gave when they trained together. "Unless you stop it."
Summer paused. Stop it? That was an apocalypse? How was she supposed to stop that? She was just one huntress. That place was hell itself.
Then she remembered her children. Those precious little girls that she promised to protect. Her gaze on the simulacrum sharpened. She would protect them. No matter what it took. She would see her children again smiling and happy.
Stepping up to her mother she merely said. "Show me how."
Her mother did not react to this demand. Instead, her form began to glow. Lighting up in a similar manner to the light that saved her. Blinding Summer.
When her vision returned, she was walking. Not of her own will. Her body was acting on its own. Around her were scores of cheering people, many dressed in white pilgrim's robes. Summer felt herself cringe at the sight of them. The crowd cheered with a fanatical devotion that Summer would qualify as insane. Many tried to approach the stairway walkway that she traveled along, only to be held back by well-armed guards in black. When one got through, the poor man was immediately gunned down. But the crowd simply carried on like it never happened. Were these people crazy? Ahead of her Summer saw Celestine, followed by a caped woman wearing a beaver hat. Behind her was a giant clad in gold, holding a magnificent spear, along with a giant hunched figure in red robes walking on metal, spiderlike legs.
Ahead of this grant parade, she caught a glimpse of another figure, this one even taller than the gold giant. She could not make out what they looked like other than the burning sword held in a blue and gold gauntlet.
She wanted to look closer, but she had no control over her body.
"Been a while since I got a reception like this. But even that feels small now." Laughed a jovial voice from behind her, as her vision fell to black again.
As her sight returned, all she saw was mist, she was back where Celestine had left her. The mist was still, waiting for her to decide on her course of action.
The visions did not make much sense, none of this did. But she did get one message from that final vision. She had to find Celestine. Summer did not know what was going on, but the angel probably would. She had to find her.
As if in response to her thoughts, the mist began to churn again. Repeating the last actions, it took before Celestine left. Within moments, the same swirling vortex appeared before her. Within Summer saw a city in the beginnings of ruination.
Summer took a step forward and paused. This was it. The beginning of her journey home. Nothing was going to stop her from seeing her family again. "Baptism in flames then." She hated how preachy it sounds, but it felt appropriate for what she was about to walk into.
With her goal set, she charged into the firestorm.
There you go. Second chapter. Hope you all liked it. Let's see how many of you know who Hei is.
I wanted to say that if any of you have any names that would sound good for guardsmen let me know. I suck at choosing names for people. Feel free to describe the character for the name. I just want ideas and I will give you full credit for it.
Also, just a silly idea of my own.
Who would like to see a different version of this that takes place in 30K as well?
Where Summer gets brought back as one of the Emperor's experiments?
Let me know. See yall next chapter.
+Also does anyone have a timeline for the Fall of Cadia. Mostly the details on after Celestine got there. A general timeline would be enough.