"C'mon we need to keep moving. The grimm will be close behind us." Qrow says. Summer grabs Ruby and helps her up. "I know it hurts but we have to move. Aries would want you to keep fighting." Summer and the others start running away from the field. The grimm presence shrinks until they can no longer sense it. They find a small farm and walk up to the door. They knock and a young man answers the door. "Hello, are you the head of household?" Qrow asks.
"No, gimme one moment." He answers. He returns a short moment later with an older man. "Sir, Would you mind if we rested here for a bit?"
"Come in, come in. Always willing to lend a hand to huntsman." They show them to a couple rooms at the end of the hall. Summer lays Ruby down on a bed and pulls her covers up. "Is she okay?" A woman asks. "We lost someone dear to us to some grimm, the boy she loved sacrificed himself to give us a fighting chance."
"Oh, dear. I'll have Jaune bring up some tea for her." The woman walks out, Summer goes to walk off but Ruby catches her cape. Summer sits on the bed and strokes Ruby's hair. "Do you remember the song you'd sing for me when I was little?" A tear hits Summer's eye. She takes Ruby in her arms and starts to sing, letting her daughter cry in her arms. "I'm sorry! I was so horrible. I was mean, spiteful. I just wish I could take it all back." Summer kisses Ruby's forehead. "It's alright Ruby. You were shocked and in alot of pain. I don't blame you for being angry. Just know it was the worst decision of my life." Ruby finishes crying and they just sit there. They hear a knock and look over. "Hey, uh, mom told me to bring up some tea. I know it always made me feel better." Summer smiles and pats Ruby's head. She walks over and takes the tea from Jaune. "Thank you." She sets the tray down on a nearby desk and takes a cup over to Ruby. "Y'know, I think I actually miss my hood. It's silly but I'd grown kinda attached to it." Summer smiles and walks over to her bag. "Qrow told me the story behind it after you shoved it back at me. Even if you were mad at me I knew it was too precious just to throw out." She pins it back onto Ruby and straightens out the hood. "Mama's sweet little girl all grown up." Ruby smiles and hugs Summer. "I'm gonna go check on the others." Summer stands up and walks out. Ruby reaches into her bag and pulls out the bloodstained journal. Ruby opens it and starts to flip through it. "Did that belong to him?" Ruby looks up and sees Jaune in the door. "Sorry, mom told me you lost someone."
"Yeah. This was his. It belonged to his mentor then he gave it to me before he died."
"I'm sorry for your loss." He says.
"It was his choice. He died protecting us."
""He must've been a great guy."
The best." She keeps flipping through the journal until she hits a page where the handwriting changes.
"Ruby,
If you're reading this then I made good on my word and I won't be around for you anymore. I'm sorry that I won't be there to be your shoulder, to make you smile. But know if anything happened to you I'd never forgive myself. My word wasn't just to Qrow, it was to myself and to you.
Don't hate Leo, he's misguided. I still see light in him. Leo is still my brother and I love him. I always tried to keep you and Blake out of our business but seeing as I won't be around any longer I hope one of you can reach him.
Thank Yang for me, she was always there keeping him at bay.
I apologize for hurting you. But hopefully you can still see the light through the darkness. Always see the good in people.
Love,
Aries"
Ruby finishes and flips the page.
"My story ended, now it's your turn."
Ruby walks over to the desk and picks up a pen. Summer walks in with a piece of paper, reading it out loud. "What are you reading?"
"A letter to Aries's parents. They need to know what happened."
"I should write it, he died protecting me."
"Ruby he died protecting all of us. You don't need to shoulder that burden alone. Besides I took responsibility for him. I need to be the one to tell them. You been reading the journal?"
"Yeah. I was going to continue it. It's why he left it with me." Summer smiles then folds up the paper. "Well, at least that's something."
YOU ARE READING
RWBY: Tale of Two Roses
FanfictionA RWBY AU focused on Ruby and Summer. In this version, the incident with Cinder and torchwick ends differently. While they compliment her on her bravery, they tell her she's just not ready for Beacon. She returns home to find out they were less t...
