Oh wow, a chapter that didn't take me months to make? Sad to say, but don't get used to this...
Enjoy the chapter.
Cover art by: Notgustiarp
Chapter 7
He'd had nightmares for a while now. Before, they were typical monsters in the closet or going to school and forgetting your pants type of nightmares. But lately?
He stood in an empty room devoid of any color, seemingly stretching on for eternity.
"Hello! Can anybody hear me?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
He'd had this one for the past week or two, and each time it'd seem to drag longer and longer. Endlessly he'd call out for help and get no reply, but he kept trying anyway. Only this time, he wasn't alone.
"Jaune?"
Whipping around, he scanned the distance for that voice. But nothing was there but endless darkness.
"Jaune…wake…"
The black shadows began swirling at his feet as he began thrashing around. Only once black tendrils started reaching out and clawing at his legs did he begin to truly panic. His heart was thumping loudly, and his breathing became erratic.
"Jaune…up…"
The tendrils kept coming and coming, wrapping tighter around his body, dragging him deeper into its inky blackness. Those same tendrils wrapped themselves around his throat, stopping his panicked screams.
Pawing at the darkness didn't help his breathing, and thus black spots grew in intensity. Reaching out for help was all he could do.
"Jaune…"
He reached for the voice.
"…up…up…"
For help.
"…Wake up…"
For comfort.
/-/
"Wake up!"
"Ahhh—agh!" He screamed only to wince part way.
Instinctively he threw out his arms to defend himself and, in doing so, recoiled as the sheer pain overwhelmed his terror. Going full panic mode, his eyes slammed open, and he tried to fight through the pain but just couldn't.
Curling inwards was more instinctual but cradling his left arm was very much conscious.
Oh gods, Is it broken!?
Yep, it definitely seemed that way. While every part of his body hurt, his arm and head were particularly agonizing.
"Oh good, you're awake. I was beginning to worry."
Blinking away the tears, he stared at the voice for a second. And promptly collapsed back in relief.
"Oh man, I thought you were some monster."
Instead, it was just that Summer lady, but man, is she looking at him weirdly. More importantly, she didn't look that much different from how he imagined himself to look.
Dressed in a primarily black outfit, she had a few accents of red, all seemingly caked in a thick layer of dust and debris. What took the brunt of the dusty mess was definitely her face.
"A-are you okay?"
She looked at him weirdly again cocking her hip slightly even as she leaned heavily against a nearby tree. It looked like every square inch of her body was beaten black and blue.
"Think I should be asking you that first. How's your head?" She asked.
Feeling his head, he noticed the large wrap of cloth around it. Taking that to mean that his headache was a little more severe than a mild nuisance, he answered honestly.
"It hurts. A lot actually, but nowhere near as much as my arm does."
He wasn't surprised to find it also wrapped in a thick layer of cloth. He was confused to find an odd cream slathered on his arm beneath the layers of fabric, though. It only confirmed the idea that he was hurt. Badly.
"Don't worry about the arm" She was kneeling before him in an instant. Much too close for comfort. "I layered in some pain relieving ointment. Now tell me exactly what still hurts. How bad is the headache for starters?"
"Bad, I guess?"
"How many fingers am I holding up?
"Uh, three—"
"What day is it? What's your full name and birthday? Can you count to 10?"
His head was practically on fire trying to keep up with the rapped shot of questions!
"Thursday, Jaune Arc, February twenty-ninth and yes. I think?" He half listed, half slurred out.
Getting a sigh in return for that marathon of thinking didn't make him feel any better either.
"Welp, you got most of them right, at least. I shouldn't have you do this, but we're losing daylight. Try standing up."
Reaching out, she grabbed onto his good arm and waited for him to push up. It was a bit disorienting, and he almost fell over, but he successfully stood. For about a second before toppling into her arms.
"Yea, I figured it'd be like this, don't worry. You'll just need time to adjust." Lifting him, they took the next few minutes learning to stand properly before eventually leading him on a guided walk.
He felt kinda like a toddler again, but he couldn't lie and say it wasn't helpful. After a bit, he felt confident but tired, so she walked him back to where he woke up. Laying back next to the dingy white blanket he woke up on; he asked where they were?
One more odd look and she mumbled something about a concussion? Whatever that was. Shaking her head, she continued, "Don't worry about it, just know we're headed to the nearest village. We'll figure out the rest later."
What she meant by the rest even she looked uncertain about. Feeling an odd presence, he closed his eyes and felt that her emotions weren't any better. Like she was debating on something.
Since when was I able to sense emotions?
Questions for when his head wasn't pounding.
"I'll be scouting ahead. Just rest a bit, and we'll head out in a minute. If you need something, scream, I guess?"
Before heading out, she picked up a familiar piece of cloth off the ground where he was previously lying. Dusting it off, she promptly clipped it onto her back and let what scarce excess remained fall over her body.
"Oh brothers, didn't that used to be white?" He mumbled out.
She heard but thankfully didn't reply.
Limping her way to the tree line, she didn't look back with what she said next.
"Also, it's Friday." After that she disappeared into the tree line, leaving a dumbfounded boy behind.
Friday? No, it was Thursday from what he remembered unless…
How could I forget an entire day?
…
Oh. I remember now.
/-/
One panic attack later, he'd calmed down enough to realize what all this meant.
"I-It's over. I-It's all o-over." Taking long deep breaths, he was able to get himself together. "We won, right?"
Looking around, he noticed that while the area might be different, all the plants and trees looked the same. Dark colored bark lined the massive pine trees that formed a near wall around the clearing he was in. Along with the dense amount of brush and plants around all helped him feel that much safer.
But only one thing would make him feel truly safe.
"Wait, is that a sword?"
That wasn't what he meant, but this would definitely make him more prepared. Limping over, it was propped up against a stump. Sheathed in an all white scabbard, its gold cross guard and blue handle made it stand out all the more.
Picking it up had its hefty weight settle uncomfortably in his hands. Unsheathing it never crossed his mind, somehow feeling wrong in a way he couldn't explain.
Dad…
A rustle next to him had his heart jump into his throat, and his body leap into the nearest bush. Tumbling through, he righted himself and tried to peek through the foliage. He saw nothing but the leaves blowing through the wind, and his dad's precious sword dropped in his scramble.
Huh, maybe I was just being paranoid—
"What are you doing?"
He wasn't embarrassed to say he screamed. Hard. The tears, on the other hand, he'd take to the grave.
After that scare and reprimand for being loud, he wiped away the eye sweat and tried his best to avoid eye contact.
She's looking at me weird again, isn't she?
Glancing up, they locked eyes as Summer unashamedly stared back. Feeling a little embarrassed, he looked away, first choosing to stare off into space instead. Mind drifting, he naturally began to scan around with his emotional sense.
I should make a name for it.
Being the only thing nearby to sense, he was flooded by Summers's emotions again, and boy, we're they confusing. Literally. She was very confused.
What's she thinking about, and why is she starring at me so hard!?
"Jaune." She spoke, startling him out of his thoughts, cutting off the flow of feelings. Daring to look up again, they met eyes, and instead of judgment, he saw…
Resolution.
"And they burned just like the rest."
He shivered as those very same eyes stared back at him again. Thankfully they didn't linger for long.
Turning, she stalked forward to the tree line.
"Get your sword. We're leaving."
/-/
They needed to move quickly. Waking up at all had been a surprise, not being dead a total miracle. Even more so by just how dead she'd have been if Jaune hadn't shown up.
There were so many. Hundreds, maybe even a few thousand, all frozen while clawing their way above ground.
Stumbling around had revealed the scope of the trap laid. Hundreds upon hundreds of Grimm turned statues lined the village streets as she hobbled through the thick haze.
It was only when she came upon Jaune that she gave her body any rest. More out of necessity as coming upon that sight nearly broke her.
The next few minutes were some of the most stressful of her life. Only remedied when she found he still had a pulse.
Honestly, it was a miracle she only went unconscious for what was probably a few hours. Any longer, and he'd have probably bled to death all alone.
I remember my first time using my eyes. I went out for a few weeks. Maybe these past few years hadn't been such a waste.
Though, trying to use them again would definitely mean going out for a deadly long time—all the more reason to take Jaune and get out of dodge.
Speaking of Jaune and eyes…
That had been a definite surprise, to say the least.
Looking back, she stared at the little boy staying tight against her. It was hard to see any difference from the previous day to now—minus the mummy like bandages wrapped around him.
It was only when they locked eyes that the difference became apparent. Curious silver eyes stared back at a similarly curious pair of cerulean eyes.
A distinctly normal non-glowing pair of blue eyes.
Boy, was she surprised when he first woke up. It was hard not to stop and stare when she first noticed. The ethereal glow had vanished entirely, and the once piercing white irises were now a standard ocean color.
It's rare, but she'd seen similar Semblance related eye color changes in other Huntsman and Huntresses throughout her career. Even her own daughter.
Curiously enough, though, he's also seemingly lost access to his Semblance as well. And with it, her original plan of being carried to the nearest village vanished alongside it.
Now instead, they'd have to make the long journey around the base of the mountain to cross between its narrow valley.
It wouldn't be too difficult by herself, even with the added injuries. But having to worry about a wounded child didn't help.
Though color her surprised when he kept up with her along the twisting path between trees, bushes, and bristles. Again not made any easier with the makeshift wraps all over his body.
Oh, my precious cloak…
Sad to say, it was for the greater good. Even just his arm was utterly mangled beyond belief, with the bone broken in multiple places. It was all just a big mess.
This whole situation was. One I stupidly thought I could handle on my own.
Her ribs flared up again as a reminder of what that arrogance led to. Worse since she needed to get those looked at later since she'd need all her Aura in case they're attacked.
Ozpin was going to kill her, and if he didn't, Glynda would make sure she suffered for using her like that. She wasn't embarrassed to say she shivered at the thought. That girl had changed since Beacon.
What about him?
That single thought caused her to stop abruptly mid step. Just the very idea of facing him caused her to become nauseous.
"Summer?"
Turning, she saw Jaune stand beside her worriedly. No longer used to having a partner lowering her guard was gonna take some time. The grip on her weapon, meanwhile, needed to tighten.
Brothers, I can barely hold my weapon, let alone defend us both. What if that were an actual attack?
Again, another reason to get out of dodge.
"Come on; we're almost there. Don't slow down." She said pointedly, ignoring the worried look he was giving. "It's getting dark. We'll rest when we reach the valley entrance."
The mention of rest seemed to give him his second wind. Though even she'd admit, this mountainous climb was a lot harder than she remembered going back. Even with her injuries, she felt way too sluggish.
"We're almost—there!" Wrapping around a tree, she instantly spotted it. In the distance, surrounded by thick oak trees and overgrown with vines trailing along its surface, was a small cave opening. Carved into the mountain's base was an entrance to an underground cave system that undoubtedly stretched for miles underground.
But to us, that doesn't matter. All that does is that it doubles as a safe place to rest for the night.
"Home, sweet home."
/-/
They'd woken up early in the morning the next day and prepared to leave.
"Here." Bringing her map out of her pouch, she was honestly surprised it survived. "This is the general layout of the area. Right now, we're at the base of this mountain here." She pointed at a dense set of terrain lines indicating steep elevation.
"I wonder if it has a name…."
"Does it matter?" She retorted offhandedly.
Silence
"This here is the ruins we were just at, and after waking up, I carried you about over here." Dragging her finger first from a circled red ring indicating the ruins to about halfway between it and the mountain. "Now, all we have to do is cross this valley, and we'll make it to this village."
Drawing another red circle, it seemed relatively close when exiting the valley.
"We can't."
Her questioning stare met troubled eyes.
"And why is that?"
He didn't look up. He just continued to stare at the circled spot.
"That's…" he weakly pointed. "That was Stratford…"
It was Stratford.
Sucking in a breath, she tried to move on. "That's fine. Further ahead is another—"
"Coltfell..."
She balled her fists to let out her frustration. She wouldn't try a third time already, seeing the name it was listed under.
Ansel.
He's staring at it, but his eyes say they see something different than just a faded name. Something much more kind.
How could she have missed three recently decimated villages on the way here? How come the reports didn't mention anything other than just a brief description of Hazel?
It didn't even mention odd Grimm behavior, just a call for a team of hunters to join up with a local militia to hunt the fugitive. I should've at least checked up on them, but I-I had to find him…I had to...
The informant must have been in one of those villages, and it was probably wiped out as they received the message. She never had a chance to save them.
The barest sparks flew off her hands as her nails were repelled from her digging into her palms.
"Then we'll just go even further, here."
Finger dragging on the parchment, she traced a path to a village straddling the very edge of the frontier. "It's a bit of a walk, but I stopped there before making my way down here."
It'd be safe, at least.
/-/
The whirling of gears overhead were the only sounds that permeated through the open room. Its sole occupant sat facing a massive window with a metallic desk resting behind him. The view was one he long enjoyed gazing at even when nights drew long, and his body grew weary.
Beacon was his crowning jewel. In his long life, very few things stood the test of time as this school had. Even if its conception wasn't originally his per se didn't change the love he felt in seeing it fulfill its purpose.
If it weren't the fact that it also housed one of his most hated enemies, he'd have called it paradise.
I should begin signing those documents lest Glynda goes into one of her fits—
The inn's scroll rang.
Sweet mercy.
Looking at the caller ID showed an unknown number. Answering would honestly be a waste of precious time. Time he'd need to complete the already mounting stack of paperwork on his desk.
"Good evening, this is Beacon Academy. May I ask whom I'm speaking to?"
He was sure Glynda could handle the paperwork on her own.
"Oz, is that you?"
Hearing a familiar voice on the other end piqued his attention instantly, especially with who he presumed this was.
"Summer?"
Hearing silence on the other end made him worry he'd been mistaken, but it seemed unfounded as a sigh rang through the handset.
"Yea it's me, and before you say anything, I'm fine."
"I'm glad to hear that. I suspect the hunt went well then?"
A small weight off his shoulders but by no means his only concern. Rarely did he receive calls like this and not have issues come up.
"Yea, about that..."
Called it.
"Summer? Are you sure everything is okay?" His finger hovered over a discrete button under his table. At a single press, he'd have Glynda up here calling for an emergency bullhead on site.
Silence.
He was less than a second away from pressing it when she responded.
"I lied."
He froze. A mounting dread filled his heart as his finger slipped off the panic button. Instead, it drifted over and pressed a different button on the same device they were speaking on.
"Summer, what did you do."
/-/
This was it.
"Summer, what did you do."
No turning back now. She'd have to come clean and own up to her mistakes. That was fine.
I'm not a child; I can deal with the consequences of my action. But should I…
Using a toilet as her chair while on the scroll, she glanced to the door leading to the sole bedroom. The problem lay just beyond that door, fast asleep in their only bed.
What am I going to do about you?
"Summer, are you there? Where are you, and what happened?"
Panicking, she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head.
"I'm fine! I said that already…and like I already said. I lied to you." She'd have to worry about the Jaune question later. First, she'd have to smooth this over.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that, I guess. I hope you do know that you can't just tell me you lied without explaining, hm?" That same almost posh attitude she'd grown accustomed to over the years was at this time all but grating.
"Yea, I know. Just let me finish, okay?" Only when all that came through was silence, did she continue. "Look, that mission I said I was going on wasn't what I said it was. It was a little more…" she rubbed her still aching ribs, "intense, to say the least."
"How so?"
"We'll do you remember that report you got a few weeks back about alleged sightings of a rouge Huntsman?"
Rouge Huntsman honestly was a misnomer as rouge implied they all had a sort of allegiance to a faction. Huntsman weren't bound to serve any one kingdom and instead freely traveled between borders to hunt. So those who were deemed rouge were wanted criminals with huntsman level skills and were thus the most feared fugitives on the planet.
"Summer, don't tell me you—"
"He was there."
Silence.
"Ozpin he's—"
"Not another word!"
Stunned, she didn't respond, not being used to Ozpin raising his voice like that. He took a moment to regain his composure before continuing.
"We'll discuss this in private, not over an unsecured line. I assume you'll need an evac?"
"Y-yea, and I'm going to need one more thing on that bullhead."
"And what might that be?" Indulging her.
"A pediatrician."
…
"…Summer, what aren't you telling me."
"Could you just do it? Please."
Knowing better than to argue with her when she got like this, he agreed.
"I do hope you know when you land, we're going to have a meeting."
Rolling her eyes at the apparent lecture she'll have to endure upon landing, she also agreed. With all that done, she relayed her location and a rendezvous point and wished him goodnight. Or she wanted to, at least.
"Actually, I have a request for you now that we're done with business."
What? Not waiting for a response, he pressed on, sounding a little more…smug.
"Oz, what are you—"
"Ah, it seems our guest has arrived. Wait a moment while I pass you over."
Hearing a distinct sound of high heels striking the deck had her worried, but it was the oh so familiar sound of heavy boot steps that filled her with absolute dread.
Wait, that can't be—
"Summer? Is that you!?"
"…Tai?"
/-/
He'd been asleep, honest. How could he not be after a grueling trek through miles and miles of rough terrain? Seeing that trail that led to this village had been the most relieved he'd been since…well, since yesterday he guessed.
So after checking in to the nearest inn and deliberately ignoring the town doctor, he'd all but collapsed into the mattress. Did he want to see the doctor? Sure, but apparently they'd "ask too many questions." Or something.
The room didn't come with much, only a single chair that rested at the corner near the sole window and the adjacent bathroom. Thankfully it did come with the softest bed ever made and took his mind off his mangled body.
So it was wild that the constant pain he felt wasn't what woke him up, nor was it even the insane back and forth happening in the bathroom. It was instead the waves of pure negativity it radiated just a few feet away. Don't get him wrong; the yelling definitely helped in making him feel just that much more uncomfortable.
Gods, this is almost as bad as when she talked with Hazel.
There was more screaming at least, and boy, whoever was on the other side of that call was giving it as well as they got. It was to the point that burying his head in the fluffiest pillow imaginable didn't help. No matter how many layers he added, he could still hear the arguing and almost taste the negativity.
Fear. Anger. But most of all, shame.
And that was just from her! He couldn't sense the person on the other side, and man, was he ever glad. He wasn't even that good at deciphering bad emotions, but it just came so easy here! What a time to improve.
It'd been going on so long, and yet he couldn't make out a single word she was saying. Only that neither side was winning. Finally, after an eternity too long, she ended the call. By slamming the scroll right into the wall.
That was his cue to close his eyes and pray not to catch any of the backlash. The door slammed open soon after, and heavy steps grew closer while he hid under the blankets—the perfect cover.
The stomps stopped at the foot of the bed and lingered an uncomfortable amount of time. It seemed his cover was holding up perfectly.
"Tomorrow, there's going to be a bullhead to pick us up."
Darn.
"You'll get treatment then. Afterward, you'll meet someone who'll help you figure out what to do after that."
Lingering a few seconds longer, she took a few more heavy steps away before coming to rest at the corner chair. He didn't hear any movement afterward, so that's probably where she decided to sleep. Or she's just glaring off into the darkness. Who really knows?
Either way, he could tell tomorrow was going to be an interesting time.
Author's Notes:
As I said before, this chapter has a lot lower stakes, and thus, I tried my best to make it move along much faster. Now we're back in civilization, but Summers not out of the woods just yet. Next chapter will have her confronting her mistakes and reveal just how changed this world is from the Remnant we're familiar with.
Also, I just wanted to say that I've been listening to your guy's feedback and all the justified criticism about the prologue. I understand where the issues lie with those chapters, and im doing my best to change up my writing to better solve the bloat problem. Hopefully, the next few chapters in this transition show improvement!
See ya next chapter.
Date Published: 2021/11/23
