Shinegure

It has been 19 years since my two grandchildren were brought into this world. A world they will soon have to face. When Taiyang was born, he was always my sun dragon the minute I laid eyes on him. But his father wanted none of it. And the last straw, he left us.

I was left with a small boy who did nothing but bring joy to my world. I tried to raise him to become a better man than his father. This first time he asked me about him, I told him he died. It was cruel to lie to him, but I don't want him to be devastated for the fact that his father didn't want him. I had to take extra jobs to make ends meet, feed my son and make sure he gets the education he needs.

I had no time to spend a day with him. There was one day when I came across his room to find him crying. When I asked him, he told me that the children his age teased him for not having a father. One day, I was injured in a scuffle against pirates. While I was hospitalized, I can hear my Taiyang crying, begging me not to go. What kind of mother am I to leave my only son like this?

It was then that Taiyang will take training to become a huntsman. The sun brightens upon him as his semblance burns bright. I knew that one day, he will become a rising dragon who will become a beacon. But that was wishful thinking when he found love, his first love, Raven Branwen.

She was a strange young woman who happened to caught Taiyang's eyes in Beacon, and it was shocking to me that they were on the same team. Among them was also Raven's scruffy-looking twin brother, Qrow, who I admittedly thought was a bit funny. Then there was Summer Rose, a sweet young woman who helped her team become a unity.

After graduation, My son and Raven had gotten married. Team STRQ went in separate ways. Then they have a beautiful baby girl, Yang. Lilac eyes, and blonde hair. When I laid eyes on her, it felt like holding my son all over again. It brought joy to my son's eyes. To think I would become a grandmother, my dream had come true.

But then, Raven left. No one knows why she did. Taiyang felt devastated. I wondered if she decided to move on without her family. But then from what her twin brother told me that he and Raven were from a tribe of bandits.It was hard to believe my own granddaughter was born to a woman like Raven. But I have to help Taiyang raise her.

I had trouble trusting Qrow with Yang at first. But seeing that he had no animosity, I trust that he is unlike his own sister. He is a great uncle to Yang. Then Summer came to visit. She would offer to babysit Yang whenever one of us are busy. The more Summer spent time with us, the more I grew to love her like a daughter. Then Taiyang opened up to Summer once more.

It was unlike Summer to manage to get my son to pour his heart out. Soon, he felt loved again. It took time for them to reveal their true selves. Then Yang called Summer, her mother. Raven had missed out all the good things, but it's probably the best for her to not know about her biological mother.

Then Ruby came, I was twice as happy to have two granddaughters as Taiyang grew even more happy with Summer in his life. But then tragedy had struck when Summer did not come back from a mission. Ruby asked about her mother through Taiyang, then Qrow. But her being young, neither one can answer. Even Yang felt devastated that the one she calls "mother" had vanished forever.

I was the last person Ruby and Yang asked, "What happen to Mom?" They inquired. I don't have the words. No one knows what happened to Summer. But I held my grandchildren very tightly.

To my sadness, Taiyang never spoke a word of neither Summer, nor Raven. My son was never the same again. My world came crumbling down for how my family turned out to be. From here on, I have to be a mother again to my own granddaughters. Until Taiyang pull himself together again. Despite the optimistic behavior he posed, I can see through his eyes that he has yet to recover from heartbreak.

Now Yang is without an arm. Not even a replacement can relief from what she experienced from Beacon, and Ruby is out to find the people who destroyed Beacon. I have to come to help Yang, since she had been having nightmares of the events since the Fall of Beacon. While I am relieved that Ruby was keeping positive, I am fully aware of the grief she is holding since her mother is now gone. I'd be lying if I say I am not worried for her.

Little did I know that Raven had a secret she kept from me and Taiyang. Until Taiyang showed me a photograph he did not remembered. I suspected Raven might've done something to keep that secret. That I only have three grandchildren, not two. All I can do now is to pull my family together.

Kim finished writing her own diary after reflecting the years of hardships and struggles. Sitting next to Yang while she's asleep, as she figured she was having nightmares and will make sure she is there for her. Kim looked out the window to see the stars.

Seeing the stars, Kim prayed that Ruby will be safe from harm. Wishing her good will. Then Yang sat up screaming, "No!" She panted since it was only a nightmare. Kim acted immediately to Yang's side to comfort her after another terror attack.

Kim then rubbed gently on Yang's back. Then took her hand to calm her down, she can feel sweat from the back as Yang breaths slowly. "It's alright, dear. It's only a nightmare. You're safe now." Kim whispered soothingly.

Yang calmed down after a heavy sigh. The feeling of her heartbeat slows down a bit. She then looks at the window. "You're wrong. Something is coming. I could feel it. This presence, it was similar to mine." Yang started, feeling some kind of energy flow. Now that Kim knows that Yang has a secret twin she did not know about and theorized that it might be "twin telepathy."

Although it was required that twins should have a bond to feel each other's presence, it grew slowly as Yang wonders what this growing feeling was.

The thing about twins, they might find their way to each other, some are identical, others are born different. But for twin telepathy, it was like no other. In some cases, they were both light and dark.

Yang and Yin, kanji for the rising sun, and the starry night. Light and Dark were to bring balance in the end. Time after time, darkness keeps growing. Yang is the embodiment of light, while her twin is the embodiment of the dark. It is said that the Branwen family were genetic about twins. Each of them must be the opposite. One day, a huntress came by to greet Yang and Ruby...

Island of Patch (17 years ago)

Sai looks at the 4-year-old Yang, and a 2-year-old Ruby running out of the house pretending to be huntresses they also wanted to be in real life for when they are older. Sai is standing on the branch of the tree as the girls hold onto wooden swords.

"You be careful, girls! Stay where I can see you!" Called Kim to make sure her granddaughters are close by. "Okay, Gran!" The girls responded.

Look at those children, so happy, so innocent. Wonder what will come of them in the future?

Sai then leaps from the branch and lands on the ground to approach the girls. The girls then glanced at her out of curiosity. And blinked for why she was walking towards them. Ever the toddlers they were, Yang and Ruby approached her as well.

"Who are you, Miss?" Ruby asked.

"My name is Sai. How about yours?" Sai asked. Though she is aware who Yang and Ruby is, she did not want to scare them by revealing herself to have known their father, Taiyang.

"I am Yang, that's my sister Ruby." Yang spoke as Ruby held onto her sister's arm, a little nervous looking at the eyes of a huntress.

"Do you two want to be huntresses and help people in need?" Asked Sai. The girls looked at each other innocently and nodded at Sai. "Will you two look after each other even if things are not agreeable?" Asked Sai.

"Yes, Yang and I are sisters. Sisters look after each other and fight together!" Ruby cheered with a smile that warms Sai's heart.

"Ruby is my little sister, I will protect her with my life when we get older!" Yang adds ruffling Ruby's hair, making her giggle. Sai felt the warmth to see the bond between two sisters. She knew how it felt to have family. But the family she left behind was the one thing Salem never knew.

Sai looked at the two sisters as they looked so cheerful and innocent. But the innocence will never last long one day. Looking at Ruby reminds Sai of Summer, whom she promised to look after her daughter. But Salem could be after the one they called a child of destiny.

Sai have them one last smile and gently ruffled their hairs before leaving. "Well, then. You two take care of each other. Because the world is a big place, but you girls will one day overcome it together. Never let go of each other. Okay?"

The girls smiled with the lighting fire they see in Sai's eyes. They nodded. "Okay!"

"Girls, it's time for dinner!" Their grandmother called. "Coming, Granny!" Yang called before she and Ruby run back to the house, then Ruby turned to Sai and waved goodbye at her. "Bye, Miss Sai! Take care!" Sai waved back and smiled.

-17 Months Earlier-

In Salem's homeland, Summer and Sai were about to make the last stand. Summer frowned as thoughts were conflicting. The thought of children who will suffer to grow up without a parent, or a loved one present. The thought of leaving Taiyang alone with their children. Then Sai, whom she found out had a child of her own, the thought of a child losing a parent.

"Summer." Sai said. Summer looked up at Sai, wounded and bleeding. "What is it?" Summer asked. She turned to see the ruins of Salem's homeland. All they can see was nothing but darkness. The pools of the Brothers Grimm, monsters emerging. Having encountered Salem, they battles to the last until they retreated.

"I'm going to remain here and fight Salem. You don't have to do this anymore. This is my battle." Sai said.

"No, Sai. This is my fight too. Salem is unstoppable and you know it." Summer objects. Sai shook her head. Knowing there's no point of return if either or both go alone. "You don't understand. Hear me now. She cannot be killed, nor be destroyed. But I must take responsibility if it means she will spare everyone we all loved."

"We can't back down now. Ozpin believed we can still stop her with light of silver. Which is why he sent me. If we can weaken her, then this is where we strike." Summer said.

"Not if it means your children will lose you! He told you, didn't he?" Sai said. Summer nodded, knowing the secrets that will go to her grave. "If we don't fight, our children and their children will suffer to continue this war against Salem. But if we fight, we can give them a happily ever after we were never given a long time ago. I know the risk, Sai. It won't be fair to Ruby and Yang. But don't you want your son to be happy too?" Sai looked at Summer in the mix of fear and regret.

She then have thought about her son. She'll never hold him, or give him the happily ever after she wanted to give him if Salem were to live and cause death of humanity. Sai wanted to come back to her family, but she couldn't, not with Salem around.

Then Sai saw a vision of young people in the future, one is a young girl who resembles Summer, but with a red cape. A light of silver in the vision was shown that the young warrior will be next to face Salem.

That young girl? Could she be destined to fight Salem?

-4 years Ago-

Jupiter brought his younger brother, Neptune on a spree of doing some stealing some cargo from Schnee Dust Shops. Wearing bandana masks over their mouths. Neptune hated the idea of stealing, but he only went along with it because their mother sick, and their father's hunting fees won't be enough for the treatment.

"You sure we have to do this?" Neptune asked, reluctant to steal as it would result getting their parents into trouble, even their sisters. "Bro, it's one way or another. Mom's not getting any better and the treatment is too much. More dusts we take to sell, better things will get. Besides, since she's a lawyer, I doubt we will ever get arrested." Jupiter boasted quietly before Neptune pulled him back slowly changing his mind.

"Are you even listening to yourself? Think of what will happen if we do this?" He whispered harshly. Jupiter then looked at him dead in the eye. This was not the older brother he remembered. "Look, you wanna be useful for once? Then help me get the dust. No one's here anyway. One thing that came out good of the SDC is that those dusts will make great money to sell to black markets. The sooner we get Mom the money for the treatment, the better. Not even Ceres can ease the pain." Jupiter said.

Despite having studied medicine in university, it wasn't enough for Ceres to treat their mother and their mother's law firm is about to go down due to her absence of 8-11 months. They went through the alleyway of the Dust shop in Argus, where they lived prior to their move to Mistral. To make matters worse, Jacques Schnee, the current SDC president, was about to tear down their mother, Lydia Vasilias' law firm.

Only for Sun to see them and attempts to stop both brothers from doing this. "Neptune?" Sun spoke behind them, it didn't take long to recognized the blue hair. Neptune then sees him, but then turns away quickly to not be caught. "N-no. You got the wrong guy." Neptune denies. But Sun is persistent, not wanting his best friend to fall low.

"Come on, man. I know it was you. And who the heck was this guy?" Sun asked gesturing at his brother, the main manipulator. "Oh, Neptune didn't tell you? I'm his brother, Jupiter. It's a pleasure. Say, you know my little bro? Help us get the dusts from this shop." Jupiter said. Event the loving son he was, Neptune was reluctantly does whatever it takes to help his mother.

Not putting up with Neptune being manipulated by his own brother to rob a dust store. Sun resolves to pull him away. "Come on, man. Are you going to spend the rest of your life doing something you're going to regret? If you do this now, you're going to waste your life in jail." Neptune froze, unable to say anything, knowing Sun was right.

Neptune is not willing to steal either. But looking into his brother's eyes, it was as if inner demons prevent him from moving. But his mind was set. As he cannot take this anymore. "Sun was right, bro. This is wrong. We're all leaving." Neptune agrees with Sun. But Jupiter is full of pride, and himself, he wasn't giving up that easily. "No, we're not. If we don't do this, Mom is gonna get worse." Jupiter retorted.

Neptune decides to try again before Jupiter can stoop even lower. "Are you that stupid? There are other ways to help her. And stop using Mom as an excuse to steal." Neptune replied.

"Oh, wow. You're just as a scaredy cat as Dad was. Do you have any idea what the SDC has cost us? Once the law firm gets torn down, we'll end up with nothing. Do you want that?"

"I don't, but not this either. Come on, Jupiter. Let's just go home." Jupiter, instead of taking his brother's words to consideration, gets even more full of himself. He did not want to be a coward, and was sure what he was doing was for the good of the family. But that's not what the rest of his family would think to lie, cheat and steal.

"Either you're with me, or not? Your choice, ya wimp."

"Hey, Jupiter! You're on time, see anyone?" Tyler, Zerena and Roth arrived also in bandana masks. Then Jupiter looked behind him and noticed the two younger teenage boys are gone. "No. Let's get this over with." Jupiter then uses his spear to destroy the lock on the backdoor before all four broke in.

While Team ZRVT were busy collecting the dusts from each of the aisles, sirens and lights blared on them. Outside, Neptune stood out of the phonebooth, turned out it was him who called the police. Since Jupiter will not listen to reason as always.

"Don't worry, man. If he won't thank you for this later, let him be a jerk." Sun assured him. "You did the right thing." Neptune did not seem to think so, thinking he already betrayed his own brother.

-Present-

Finally, Ruby and co. arrived at the town of Shinegure. A ruins that once served as a whole facility for Mistral Military purposes that rivals that of Atlas' technology. With fundings from Merlot Industries.

But after Merlot had been exposed for mutating Grimm to use as weapons, it got shut down for good. Or so they thought. Shinegure is also known for its controversy of cloning experiments using huntsmen DNA from corpses. And as a result, Atlas Military had no choice but to take action and arrest Merlot's remaining associates.

"Of all the areas of Anima, I have never seen this bloody place before. It's like ancient history about to revive itself if those Vipers came what they're looking for." Scarlet noted. "How did you know about this place, Ren?" He asked.

"I went with my aunt during one of our hunting trips. It was once a town funded by Merlot Industries. Established by Dr. Merlot."

"Wait, as in the mad man that founded Merlot Industries in Mountain Glenn?" Sage asked.

"Yeah, totally crazy old man. Even his fellow scientists thought he was insane experimenting on Grimm for military purposes as he thought they were given life. And even served as an advocate for them. And he always denied the fact that the Grimm were lifeless." Jaune replied.

"On a mission Professor Ozpin sent us, we had to stop him before he created a complete army of mutated Grimm that was doused in a serum that makes them more stronger. But he escaped after we put a stop to his facility." Ruby adds.

"That sounds bloody creepy. I heard so much horrors about him. Was he caught?" Scarlet asked. Ren shook his head. "Not exactly. He disappeared and never showed his face in public. But was possibly in hiding after his experiments came to fruition. We managed to take down his facility on his island. But who knows if anyone is working in this facility. This place is also meant for GMO experiments, in other words, cloning. This place had been abandoned since." Ren adds.

Oniyuri wasn't the only place that was abandoned. No sightings of Merlot around. Jaune then notices an image of Pyrrha looking directly at him. Jaune felt mesmerized by the mirage, or so he thought. He shook his head and realized she is gone. He already knew she is truly gone and felt like someone or something is messing with his mind.

"Jaune!" Sage tapped his shoulder, the blonde swordsman jumped. He woke from the trance of the illusion. He turned to look at him. "You, alright?" He asked. Having been aware of the trauma the others were experiencing, Sage will have to keep the team together.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thought I saw something." Jaune said coldly. But not too cold. Sage looked at the direction Jaune faced and saw nothing. It could've been someone casting illusions as he thought. There was nothing as of yet. But he will have to make sure to keep an eye on anything that stand in their way. "Come on, we'll have to be on the lookout. Another squad might come in." Jaune suggested.

"Good idea, Ren and Nora, you head the east side to see what if there are records for what the Black Vipers might be after. Scarlet and I will head the north. Jaune you and Sage keep on the lookout and contact us if you saw anyone heading this way." Ruby ordered and the others nodded.

Ruby and Scarlet paired up in the underground lab. "Check out this lab, I've never been to this one since the la as t mission on Merlot Island." The more Scarlet hears the name, "Merlot." The more it gives him the chills down his spine hearing he might be alive doing horrible experiments.

"Can you please stop saying that bloody name, Ruby? It gives me the creeps." He shivered with arms folded out of annoyance. Ruby recoiled a bit as she felt bad for bringing him up the wrong way. "Oh, sorry, Scarlet. I didn't mean..."

Scarlet cuts her off. "No, no. It's okay. You can't be worst than Sun." Ruby blinked, in a mixed of confusion and shock to hear Scarlet called his leader the worst. He had been a funny guy who listens to anyone. But Scarlet doesn't think otherwise.

"Sun? Why would you think he's the worst? I mean he's funny and fun to hang with. Plus, he helped us a lot against Roman Torchwick...oh..." Ruby's thoughts then turned to Roman, who had been eaten by a nevermore since the last fight in the Fall of Beacon. "N-never mind. It looks like you had some grudge against Sun. What's up with that? Wasn't he like your friend or something? I mean he is your leader."

"Was. Not anymore he wasn't." Scarlet scoffed. Ruby shook his head as he sounded a bit bossy. "The fact that he left the team without a notice for us, he became nothing but a joke of a leader. I mean, why didn't Professor Lionheart chose me! I did all the tracking! I helped him with homework! And what did my team get in return?! Nothing! Just bloody nothing!" Scarlet lashed out.

"Geez you reminded me of Weiss when we met in Beacon." Ruby mumbled. Scarlet turned away in annoyance as the two continued the search. "And I am starting to miss my team, a lot."

"Now you're getting what it felt like for a teammate or more to abandon you." Scarlet adds. But Ruby thought he wasn't getting it. "Scarlet. You don't know what was on the mind of your teammates. If you're referring to Sun, I am sure he has his reasons to leave. Maybe you don't know what he was going through." Ruby protested.

"Oh, yeah? What about Blake, had she been there for you after your sister got injured? Or that bloody heiress who bossed you around and thought you were just a child, putting her stays over your team? Bunch of cowards. With friends like these, who needs enemies? Face it, Ruby. You can't cling onto those feelings forever. Cause then you will be consumed with grief and it will eat you all over."

Ruby cannot stand the feeling of her teammates being insulted even if they're not present. They are her sisters in arms and it's still gonna stay that way when they all come back. Instead of making an outburst, she can only think that whatever he was going through, it will cling onto him forever. It could be someone important he lost, like how Ruby lost her mother.

"I am not gonna pretend I don't hear you. But I think there are things you don't understand, Scarlet. Trust me, I lost too much too. But if you keep lashing out like this, it won't help. I'm sorry if Sun left, but maybe you should hear him out. Even if he wasn't a good leader, the least you two can do is just cooperate when he gets back." Ruby advised him.

Scarlet knew Ruby isn't wrong, but kept silent as they continued underground. He wasn't ready to open up about his situation since his earlier days in Haven Academy. Scarlet lost his sister, and never forgotten about her, blamed the Atlas Military for her going missing and possibly dead. By the time he found out who Weiss' sister is, he wanted answers about Rouge's whereabouts the next time he ran into her.

Scarlet and Ruby walked passed the hallways feom each of the biology sections. For a madman like Merlot, biology seemed to be one of his favorite subjects in his earlier days in university. Ruby came across the switch to turn on tbe lights. Which would be one of the reasons for his ovsession towards the Grimm seeing all those notes. "Guess Merlot had been very obsessed with biological combinations. Check put all those computuers and armory."

Then what catches Scarlet's eyes was a screen turned on, and sees pods next to it. To his surprise, there are names of Huntsmen, whose DNA were collected for a cloning experiment. Meant to create biological super soldiers to combine DNA with Grimm DNA. He read each of the names, and then one he recognized. "Find anything Scarlet?!" Ruby called. No answer, Ruby blinked and called again. "Scarlet?"

She then walked towards the spot Scarlet was standing on. She saw him astonished. She wasn't sure what was going on, or what he discovered. "Hey, what's up?" She asked. She then faced wjat he was looking at, there was a pod with a failed subject, "Rouge David." Scarlet was shocked to have seen. his sister's name written on screen.

"Rouge, that's my sister's name. Why was my sister's name on that screen?! This os bloody bad. We need to get out of here. Come on!" Scarlet tried to pull Ruby out. But to no avail as Ruby pulls back her hand.

"Hold on, what's wrong?!"

"There's no time to explain! We need to-!" Scarlet was cut off when guns and weapkns are pointed at. Ruby and Scarlet turned to see more of the Black Vipers in front of them. "Alright, kids! Hands where I can see them!"

Author's note: Here we have some more flashbacks that might give us a foreshadowing of Summer Rose. We especially with Kim Xiao Long's diary from her point of view about her son and grandchildren. We also get a good look at Neptune's strained relationship with his older brother Jupiter despite coming from a loving family.

In Shinegure, we also got a look about Scarlet's sister, Rouge's DNA got collected by Dr. Merlot as we have not seen him in the main series, so I wanted to make him a recurring villain since he's more of a threat than Watts. We also get some interaction about.Ruby and Scarlet's issues about the feelings of abandonment and hurt, even not knowing who to trust.