Raven kept her approach slow as she made her way through the encampment. She had been gone only half an hour, and in that time, absolute disaster had struck. Or perhaps… not disaster so much intrigue. Every single guard in the entranceway, from the greenest recruit to the veterans Raven had known since the formation of her tribe had been taken out. Only a few of them had signs of struggle around them in the environment, from broken torches, tents, and splintered wood to the odd splash of blood. No matter whether they had put up a fight or been incapacitated via stealthy means, though, every single one of them was unconscious but alive. Whoever had entered the camp was a professional. They were quick, efficient, and cold in their efforts… but they weren't there specifically for a fight.

It seemed inevitable that whoever was there, they wanted to talk… and talk alone.

Raven assumed she would find the perpetrator in front of or inside her personal command tent, and the open flap of the structure seemed to confirm her suspicions. What was odd, though, was that every guard, attendant, and mercenary in the tribe had been dealt with- including those far from the tent and out of the path between the front gate and the shelter. None had been left standing to bear witness to whatever was about to occur.

There was, of course, the possibility that the invader didn't want to talk, and only wanted one death on their conscience.

Raven tightened her grip around the hilt of her katana as she continued toward the tent and stepped through the open flap. What she saw both surprised her, and yet on some level, it didn't. She had been expecting her brother, his legs crossed and planted firmly atop her desk as he reclined in her chair with a smug look on his face. What she got instead was a different member of Team STRQ hunched over and sitting in faint candlelight.

"…Rose."

"Don't be so formal."

Raven was momentarily taken aback. She had remembered Summer as cheery, sweet, and perpetually warm… but her words were anything but. They had been spoken as a command, and one that was businesslike rather than friendly. Summer Rose sat in the chair behind the desk that Raven usually occupied, a white hooded cloak obscuring her face. A single candle provided light to the otherwise darkened tent, leaving Raven with only a vague idea as to what else the woman was wearing. She appeared to be unarmed… though Raven wasn't convinced.

"Summer, then," Raven said, already feeling annoyed. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Patch with Tai, last I heard. I was told you started a little family of your own. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Summer offered, her tone dripping with the same sort of venom that Raven's had carried. "But it's not that simple. That's over, now. It has to be. I think I understand you better, after the events of the past several weeks..."

"…what the hell are you talking about?" Raven asked. "If you're here to ask to join me because you can't deal with the looming threat of Salem, knocking out all of my guards is an interesting opening move."

"I'm not, and that's not why I left," Summer clarified. "But I did leave. That simple life is over, now. I can't stay with Tai and put him in danger. I followed in your footsteps up to this point, but now, I have to take a different path."

"I'm going to ask again," Raven warned. "Summer- what the hell are you talking about? What's going on? Did you come here for help, because I'm not getting involved in a-"

"I'm not here for help… at least, not the kind you're thinking," Summer interrupted. "I'm here with a warning, some information, some questions, and… to apologize. You were right. Ozpin can't be trusted."

"…go on," Raven encouraged as she relaxed her grip upon her weapon. "What did you find out? And from who?"

Summer merely shook her head and let out a sigh as she stared at the flame of the nearby candle.

"It's… not that simple. I can't tell you."

"You came here to play games with me?" Raven asked, her anger rising. "Don't pull this shit, or I swear…"

"No, I can't tell you," Summer insisted, looking up with the fringe of the cloak still hiding her eyes. "What I was told makes no sense, and who told me is also… unclear. I was hoping you would have answers, or be able to help me piece things together before I set out."

"Set out to where?" Raven pressed. "Look, I know we may not have gotten along near the end of Team STRQ, b-"

"That's an understatement," Summer said with a bitter noise of contempt.

"That isn't the point," Raven continued with a sneer. "But if you're running… you were always the one pushing to follow and trust Ozpin. You were the one constantly butting heads with me and questioning whether or not I should still be on the team when I got too rebellious. You signed team STRQ on to be Ozpin's personal specialist team in our senior year, and if you're questioning him now, I want to know where you're going and what you're doing. I'm not going to sell you out to him."

"This isn't just questioning," Summer denied as she shook her head. "This is open revolt. I'm done. I'm going it alone, to protect Tai, and Qrow, and… I guess, even you. I don't hate you, Raven. I really don't."

Raven wanted so badly to just lie for the sake of simplicity… but too much had happened between them. There were too many painful memories, too many pent-up feelings that she had held back for the sake of the group. Just letting go wasn't an option.

"…I wish I could say the same."

Summer let out a sigh, drumming her fingers upon the surface of the desk as she looked off to the side.

"…nothing happened between us, Raven. Not until after you left…"

"It isn't just that," Raven replied, closing her eyes. "But this isn't about him. This is about the here and now. Tell me what's going on, even if you think it makes no sense. Otherwise, I'll remove you from this camp myself."

"You're right," Summer admitted, though Raven got the distinct impression that the other woman was just trying to move the conversation along rather than actually agreeing. "I shouldn't have let myself get sidetracked by our history. The bottom line is… there's more to all of this. The whole shadow-war with Salem, the Relics… the Relics are a key."

"A… key?" Raven asked, sounding unconvinced. "A key to what? The Vaults? The Relics are supposed to be in the Vaults."

"Not the Vaults, no," Summer began. "They're a key to life and death. Bringing them all together, they unlock… they open something while acting as a siphon, and that something lets things through that just… they shouldn't be here. But those things, they can destroy anything. Grimm. Remnant itself. Salem."

"They let things through?" Raven repeated. "Through what? And what do they siphon? Start making sense!"

"I wish I could," Summer lamented. "I know that they siphon aura. They begin drawing it in in massive quantities and utilize it to open… I… I think it's a door, of some sort? A barrier. There's a divide, between our world and another. The Relics link, and they destroy that divide. The sword attaches to the staff using the crown, and the lamp acts as an endpiece at the opposite end of the blade…"

"Wh-… we were never told any of this," Raven pointed out. "How do you… what are you saying? That the four Relics come together to make another weapon? A… spear? A spear that's a key?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Summer confirmed. "And I know this because… I've spoken to the Summer Maiden. Thing is, the whole 'Maiden' thing? It doesn't work like you think it does. I don't know who I was really talking to, or… experiencing when I was given this information. I just know that the Relics need to be kept apart. The Sword of Destruction in particular is just… I need to ask you something."

"Well, after all that, I don't know what I could possibly tell you that would be useful," Raven warned. "None of this makes any sense. You sound like a crazy person…"

"Maybe I am," Summer considered with a shrug. "But… is there a Maiden here? Did you take one in, or…?"

Raven stiffened, thankful for the low lighting of the tent that helped to mask her subtle movements.

"…no. Why would you ask that? Do you really think I'd be harboring someone connected to the very thing that made me leave? That I'd compromise my own safety by trying to keep a living wea-"

"Alright, alright," Summer said as she stood from the seat, holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine. Then… I guess I was mistaken. I just thought I f-"

A sudden, guttural roar echoed through the surrounding forest outside of the camp. The two women locked eyes as Raven put her hand back onto Omen.

"…together?"

"Together," Summer confirmed. "One last time… but Raven, after this… you're not going to see me again. If you know anything, I need you to tell me now, because once this fight is over…"

"I'm telling you, I have no idea what anything you've said could mean," Raven repeated as she turned toward the front of the tent. "And what makes you so sure we'll never cross paths again?"

"I just… know," Summer said cryptically as she reached behind one of the tent's supports, retrieving her hidden weapon. "I just know."

"And then we just… dispatched the grimm," Raven said, sounding defeated. The woman sat next to Taiyang as she recounted the tale, the two of them sharing the hospital bed. "There was a horde of them outside, and it seemed excessive for some natural occurrence, but I… didn't even question it. For those fifteen minutes or so, it felt like we… it was almost like the old days. I wanted to talk to her afterward, but Summer was just… gone."

Taiyang had found himself looking at the floor for the majority of the story, lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't sure what to say or what to feel… though his Semblance told him that Raven felt much the same way. There was no reason to doubt her words… and yet, something didn't sit right with him.

"And… you're sure it was Summer?" Taiyang asked. "You saw her, and… her eyes?"

Raven furrowed her brows, doing her best to recall the details of that night.

"Tai, that was… over a decade ago," Raven said as she shook her head. "I can't be sure, but… no, I don't think I did. She had her hood up, it was the middle of the night… but who else would it be? She sounded like Summer. She fought like Summer. She had Summer's weapon… you aren't suggesting that Summer actually did die in the Emerald Forest two months prior, and I was talking to… a fake?"

"…I almost hope you were," Taiyang admitted. "Just… striking out on her own, throwing everything away… that's not her. She wouldn't… Summer wouldn't have abandoned Ruby like that. Or Yang, or… me. I can't believe it. I refuse to believe she walked away without even the courtesy of a goodbye, and the way you described her, it sounded like she was beginning to lose her mind. What would more than a decade on her own, doing whatever she's doing, if she's alive, do to her? How different would she be now…"

"I don't know," Raven considered. "But… I doubt the change would be good. I told Yang, Sun, and the others all of this, too. Yang was furious…"

"Understandably so," Taiyang replied. "I don't know what we can realistically do with any of this information, and the only person who could give us any answers…"

"Is dead," Raven finished. "At least… for now…"

Author's Note:

Early update for the week of 4/1.

I don't think I need to say this, but yes- there will be answers about Summer. This isn't just a dangling, end-of-season, shittily-edited model of Ruby and then one conversation meant to string people along for years because nothing of substance has been decided about the story.

Cough.

-RD