Monkey Business

by FrostTheWolf

Tail 33- Past, Present, Future

Author's Note:

This... was a long one, but I thought that such a chapter was necessary. A chapter to shift the focus of the story and answer one question. What exactly happened before Sun? Well... Look no further.
-Frost

Monkey Business- Present, Past, Future

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When she first woke up in this new world… she found herself alone. Alone in a dry rocky wasteland with only her newfound sword and her wit. She was stripped from the life she once had and the children that she cared for deeply and was now on her own. In the first few days of ending up in this world, she began to learn a few things about some of the thing that she had as well… as some of the things that she could do.

The first was that, aside from the fact that the ‘wooden replica’ of a sword she bought was now real, the crystals inside it were also real as well. Real dust crystals, each with different properties that she can use to alter what happened with her weapon. Which helped when she used the ice dust crystal to keep herself cool in the middle of the wasteland. A few days later, she came across the second thing that she happened to have. It wasn’t something that she could hold in the palm of her hand… but more like something that she could control.

Through an encounter with one of the beasts in these badlands, she discovered that she had an Aura. Which, to her knowledge, was the manifestation of one’s soul and can be used for a number of abilities, whether they’re for defense, offense or healing ones wounds. But learning that she had an aura also meant that it was possible that she had a semblance. Powers that are unique to each individual and what is seen as a projection of the wielder’s aura into a tangible form. Which sounded great… but the only problem was that she did not know of the semblance her character had.

The swordswoman remembered one thing that could… possibly be it, but it wasn’t something that she wanted to immediately assume one hundred percent. Back home, before she decided to dress as the character that she was now, one of the few scenes where she was shown was when she opened up a portal with a slash of her sword as she looked back at one of the main characters in the show called RWBY. But how this exactly worked was still a mystery to her.

It didn’t mean that it was going to stop her from trying though. No matter how long it took for her to learn it, she was going to put all of her strength into learning exactly what her semblance was and how she could use it. The newfound huntress saw it as essential to her survival and she spent most of her time trying to find out what it was. Even going as far as to not get any sleep in order to keep on practicing. She had the strength and she had the aura to do it… but there was something else that appeared to be missing.

On the fifth day though… she made a breakthrough. On this day, she tried the same thing as before… but after a painful first few tries, she began to think of the people that she cared for. Those that were part of her family… and those who she was close too. Primarily, her brother.

And the moment that she thought of her brother and swung her blade, something new happened. A mass of red and black formed in front of her in the shape of an oval, causing her to move closer and inspect what she had just created. Though, when she extended her hand forward, she felt herself getting pulled through. Emerging through the other side and finding herself in a snow covered plane. White as far as the eye could see as she tried to move.

Only for her energy to leave her as she collapsed face first into the snow.

---

“Hey, wake up little birdy...” An annoyed male voice called. “We’re moving soon, and I ain’t carrying your ass through the snow.” It was a voice that sounded a bit different, but awfully familiar as she was beginning to wrap her head around her surroundings. She blinked for a moment as her vision adjusted, before turning her head and seeing the man that was talking to her.

It took her a moment… but then finally, she was able to say something. “A-axel?”

“Yes Rachel?” A smirking black haired man with red eyes replied, his hand on his hip as his eyes narrowed as he said her name. “I was hoping you’d find me. Not you passin’ out though.” The swordswoman couldn’t believe it… her brother of all people was standing right in front of her. And she thought that she had lost him upon coming to this world. It was in that moment that the only thing she could do was get up and give her brother a hug as tears began to come down her face.

“I-it really is you… I-i thought I lost you,” She told him, looking back at her brother and messing with his scruffy black hair as she wiped the tears away. “I-i never thought that trying to learn my s-semblance would lead me to you but… here we are.”

“Yeah, here we are…” Axel replied as he sat across from her. “You seen Abel at all?”

That… made her look away for a moment as she found the strength in her to speak. “No… when I woke up, I was by myself in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been on my own for the last ten days and I only found you because… well… I was trying to learn if it was possible that I have a semblance since I found out I had an Aura. So, I have been trying to see if I could do anything, but I only did something when I thought about you as I sliced my sword. It created some… energy thing and then next thing I know, I found myself here.”

“I’m sure he’ll be alright. Glynda wants to talk to ya.” Axel said, a playful smile spreading across his face. “But hey, isn’t this awesome!?”

That… just made her blink for a moment. “This… is awesome to you? Axel, I was separated from my daughters. Your niece’s! If anything, I’m horrified because I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to ever see them again,” She told him, looking back at her brother. “And not to mention the fact that my husband could be anywhere in this place and we don’t know what’s going on with him right now.”

“I mean, when you put it like that…” His smile faded.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just been freezing his brain out.” A high pitch, feminine voice said. Rachel turned to see a girl in a white cloak timidly huddled in a corner as she attempted to relight a fire. The swordswoman saw this… and proceeded to walk to her as she looked back at this new figure.

“Are you… Glynda?” Rachel then asked her.

“No, she’s outside. I’m Summer, I’ve been nursing you and Qrow- I mean Axel back to health.”

Rachel blinked for a moment, looking back to Axel for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Summer as she got out a crystal from within her weapon’s sheath. “Thank you… please, allow for me to return the favor.”

As she said that, she dropped down a fire colored dust shard in the center of where Summer was trying to relight the fire as the embers from the crystal began to come to life. Forming a decent campfire as she looked back towards Summer. Who seemed rather shocked by what Rachel just did.

“Th-thank you. We ran out of dust weeks ago.” Summer said, smiling thankfully, though shyly. “And… um… I know what you’re going through. Leaving family- especially children behind… It’s not easy.”

That… had Rachel blink for a moment as she looked back at Summer. “You… lost family as well. I-i’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s… especially hard nowadays. I can barely remember my daughter’s face.” Summer said. “But I move on, because I know she would want me to at least try and find a way home.”

“I still think of them whenever I can,” She replied back, holding out a photograph that had been in the old wallet she had that was just of her and her daughters. “They’re the reason for me to keep going…”

“I’m glad.” Summer replied softly.

“So you’re the Raven Displaced…” A cold voice spoke up from behind Rachel. Which had her turn around to see who was exactly behind her as she got up from her spot on the floor.

“You’re… Glynda then?” She asked, sounding nervous at first.

“Yes. Glynda Goodwitch. I see you’ve met Summer.” Glynda stated. “I apologize for ruining the touching moment, but I’d like to speak with you about your ability.”

“You mean… my semblance?” She asked her. “It just… well, it kind of happened really. I had been trying it for days with no success, but when I thought of Axel… or who you call Qrow for a moment before doing it, then something actually happened.”

“I’d like you to teleport us to ‘Abel’. Whenever you can, it would be appreciated. We need to leave the north before the yaks find us.” Glynda added.

That… left her puzzled for a moment as she looked back at Glynda. “The what? What exactly happened with you guys?”

“Well… we were living with the locals for a period before we ticked off the natives.” Summer spoke up. “Yaks. They’re sentient animals… Talking yaks are actually the least crazy thing. Remember the dragons, Glynda?”

“Wait, there are actual dragons here?!” Rachel then said, shocked to hear Summer actually say that… before thinking that it was some kind of joke. “Real funny there, Summer…”

A bit of silence began to drift throughout their cave… before Rachel then realized what they were saying was completely true. “Oh god, you’re serious…”

“They’re not that bad, you just have to stay away from their horde…” Summer quickly mentioned.

“They’re only passive with you because you saved the Dragon Lord’s daughter…” Glynda countered.

“But it’s still true, they stay south and are usually asleep otherwise!” Summer defended. Glynda sighed.

“Summer is on good terms with dragons, so it’s not that big of a deal to her. And isn’t a problem for us.” Glynda brought up. “There are hydras, griffons, unicorns, pegasi, manticores and, unfortunately, Grimm.”

The last name on that list buzzed through her mind as she stared at Glynda in disbelief. All before she looked at her and asked a question regarding their… present situation. “And what happened to where you made a bunch of yaks angry?”

“Glynda hit their king with her riding crop for spitting on her glasses.” Summer casually remarked. “They’re very uptight and unforgiving. By far the worst race we’ve come across.”

“So we need to get out of here before they try to kill us then?” The swordswoman then asked as she watched Summer nod her head.

“Essentially; yes.” Glynda replied. “Though thankfully the blizzard will slow them down a day or so. But our rations would last the two of us a week, and… well, you you two also needing food…” She trailed off.

“I’ve been hunger stricken for the last two days and that’s not stopped me yet,” Rachel told them.

“They’re saying we don’t have enough food to make it south enough to resupply, since the yaks are the only settlement around.” Axel interjected, playing with his weapon, Harbinger.

“And I’m guessing this is where I come in? You want for me to try and find a way to cut the amount of time it takes to go resupply by trying to find Abel?” Rachel asked for clarification as she looked at all three of them now. “Way to put a lot of pressure on my shoulders… I’ll do it. But it won’t be easy… I found out my ability by accident and I’m still trying to understand it. Can you give me some time to try it again and get better at it?”

“Thank you.” Glynda said, turning around and leaving without another word. Summer stared at Rachel for a moment, unable to speak. Until finally…

“Uh, she’s… distant with everyone…” Summer smiled nervously.

“Keeping people at an arm's length? That’s not always a strategy that works in my opinion…” Rachel replied back to Summer, before taking hold of her sword as she looked back towards her. “So… Glynda said that we had about a day until they caught up because of the blizzard?”

“At least until they start their search. Overall, we have three days worth of food before we’re out and starve. But I’m sure we’ll be fine, Glynda and I have gotten out of worse.” That… only made Rachel sigh as she looked back towards Summer for a moment. Thinking of something to herself before asking a question.

“Do you have any bread?”

“Most of our food is canned, but I think so.” Summer pulled out a small loaf of bread from a satchel, handing it to Rachel. “By the way, Glynda’s like that with everyone because she’s been here the longest.”

Rachel just nodded, before grabbing what looked like a quarter of the bread and cutting it from the loaf with her blade. Going as far as using the fire in front of them to toast it as she handed the rest of the bread back to Summer. Eating through her piece rather quickly as she looked back to Summer and smiled. “Thank you Summer… now if you excuse me… I have a semblance to practice.”

In the cold and harsh conditions outside the cave, Rachel began to practice. Trying her best to recall how she did it before in order to be able to use her semblance again this time. At first, she thought that she had to think about a person first before doing it. But when she tried that theory by thinking about Glynda and repeating the same motions, nothing happened. She also tried the same approach with Summer in order to see if she could be able to create a portal that went into the cave, but that did not work out either.

The third time though, she began to think about Axel again… and with a single slice, the doorway of energy that formed in front of her like last time repeated itself. “Hmm…” She said to herself, curious as she stuck her head through it. Only to find her brother on the opposite side as she then yanked her head out. And with another swing of the sword, the portal she made disappeared. “Strange… It didn’t work when I tried to create one for Glynda and Summer. Could that mean it only works on those I have a close relationship with? Because it worked twice now when I thought of Axel.”

Now though… came the ultimate test. Trying to see if she could reach Abel. Concentrating, she focused her mind solely on him as her right hand gripped her weapon. Swinging forward, she was able to create a portal. But now she had to see if it was truly him on the other side.

As she poked her head through it, her eyes widened. Dozens of creatures laid dead on the ground, while many more were in the sky. And they were all focused on one person. One with red hair and a mask on as his blade was drawn. “Come on, then! COME ON!! FIGHT ME, YOU COWARDLY BEASTS!!! TRY AND TAKE ME DOWN!!!”

Immediately, she pulled her head back. Closing the portal as a look of disbelief was all over her face. That was him… that was her husband. His voice was still the same and his appearance was just like that of when he got separated. But… something about him changed. She could not put her finger on it, but there was something that did not seem right at all.

Though, that… wasn’t what mattered, according to what Glynda told her. She just wanted to make sure that there was a way in order to reach him so they could get out of the north. And that, she found. So, she began to walk back towards the cave and to where Summer was waiting for her, before asking something. “Hey Summer, has Glynda come back yet?”

“Yeah, she’s at the entrance sealing it up.” Summer replied.

“Well, I got some news to share to her…” She said in response, looking towards the entrance to see Glynda there. “We might be leaving here sooner than expected. Is Axel back yet?”

Summer nodded, “Glynda wouldn’t lock him out.”

Rachel took a moment to look back at Glynda, wanting to believe that Summer was saying the truth. But also wanting to actually see her brother come on in so that way it was true to her word. Even though they had only met a short time ago and she got along well with Summer, she did not entirely trust Glynda yet. And wanted to see if her actions would speak louder than her words.

Soon, Glynda and Axel entered the ‘room’, the latter of which was covered head to toe in snow and shuddering. Leading to Rachel to let out a sigh of relief as she looked at her brother. “Welcome back, Snow Qrow.”

“Aha… aha… real funny.” Her younger brother snarked, hugging himself. “I was j-just unl-l-lucky that time.”

“Sure, sure…” Rachel chuckled in response now. “Though, I might have some good news that you and Glynda would like to hear.”

“Your semblance?” Glynda asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, and it’s a bit of an odd one… It’s portal creation, but not exactly one where I create a portal to anyone I meet. Trust me… I tried doing one for you and Summer, but that did not work,” The swordswoman explained, showing an example by thinking of Glynda and swinging her blade, only for nothing to happen. “However… whenever I think of someone that I have a personal bond with… like Axel or Abel, this happens.”

With the second swing, a black and red portal soon opened up as she looked at everyone else. “I’ve made sure that this one can go to Abel… however, there’s something I’m concerned with… I’m not really sure if he’s… well, himself.”

“Then we’ll beat him out.” Axel replied as he rubbed his hands together. “What?”

“It’s not that simple… when I peaked through there, I saw him slaughtering creatures all over the place that were attacking him left and right. As if he was asking for a fight,” Rachel replied back, her facial expression looking concerned. “I’m really hoping though that he could see that it’s us and not think of us as an enemy of his. Plus… Grimm are attracted to negative emotions.”

“I’ll go first. You guys need a meat shield anyways.” Axel volunteered. Summer stared at him in horror.

“No! No one’s going to be a meat shield!”

“Perhaps I should go first to see if he’s… well okay,” Rachel then suggested. “If things go well, then I’ll let you guys come through afterwards. Would that work?”

“Very well, reason with him.” Glynda said. Prompting Rachel to step through again as she found herself in the same place as before. Most of the monsters that were slain earlier were gone. Just only faded blood stains of what happened earlier.

However, as she looked around, she only heard the sounds of something moving through the trees behind her as Rachel turned around. Only to come face to face with the person she was looking for. But… his tone and voice were different. “Who are you?”

Rachel turned to face him, her eyes widening as she looked back at him. “A-abel?”

For a moment, he paused. Even going as far as taking off his mask so he could see his eyes. “O-oh my god…” He said, shortly before hugging her briefly. “I… I thought I lost you.”

Rachel at first was caught off guard by the hug. Before proceeding to return it with one of her own. “It’s okay… I’m here… everything going to be okay…”

However… that just made him shudder as he looked back at Rachel. With what looked like fear in his eyes. “N-no… I-i’m not okay… S-stay away… T-there’s something wrong with m-me…”

“What? What do you mean? What’s wrong-?” Before she could ask, her husband let out a piercing howl, grabbing onto his head as Abel fell onto his knees. “Abel!! Talk to me!!”

“I… hear his voice…” Abel muttered. “He’s… trying to…”

“Who trying to do what? Abel, talk to me!” Rachel told him, getting on her knees in order to try to help him. But all that lead too was him passing out on the ground as the huntress looked towards the portal she made. “Guys, I need your help! Quick!!” Glynda was the first to come through, followed by Summer, and finally Axel. Summer dashed to Rachel’s side, eyes wide with worry.

“Oh dear, oh dear, this is really, really bad…”

“You don’t know the half of it…” Rachel told her, picking up Abel and placing him on her back as she picked up his weapon before looking at them. “I’ll explain what happened once we find a place to camp.”

“We’re in Ghastly Gorge, around twenty to thirty miles away from the nearest town.” Glynda began, looking around as she walked past Rachel. “The Grimm are by far the weakest creatures here… stay away from the tunnels if you value your limbs and/or lives.”

“If there are any left over after what Abel did…” She thought to herself, before following Glynda.

It took a few hours, but the humans arrived at the outskirts of a small village that was just starting to form. Several different buildings looked to either have been built already or were in the construction process, but Rachel didn’t exactly have the time to look at all of it. They were only passing by it after all, and while they were passing by, she overheard some other people in their small group talking to one another.

“They’ve done well. Maybe Granny Smith would be willing to house us for the night?” Summer suggested, only for Glynda to roll her eyes.

“Don’t act like that, you sound vain and needy…” Glynda said, crossing her arms.

That though, just had Rachel raise an eyebrow as she looked back at them. “Granny… Smith? Is that a person?”

“Pony.” Summer corrected. “You could call them people too, but I don’t want to get you confused.” That… only had more questions surface in Rachel’s head as she looked back to Summer. But instead of asking them, she just kept her mouth shut and followed them towards their destination. What appeared to look like a bright red barn on an apple orchard that was close to the small village that they found a few moments ago.

And when they got closer, that was when Rachel noticed what appeared to be a light green pony that was standing on the front porch, a mark of what looked like an apple pie on her flank as she noticed them walking towards the barn. “Well ah’ll be… Summer, is that you?”

“Yes Granny, it’s me.” Summer smiled warmly at the young mare. “We need a place to rest our heads for a while. Would it be presumptuous to ask if we could stay the night?” She gestured to Rachel, Abel and Axel.

Granny took a moment to look back at the small group while also looking at Glynda, narrowing her eyes for a moment, before looking back to Summer. “If ya wanna come in, that’s fine… but leave ya weapons or whatever ya have with the rest of the farm tools in the barn. Ah don’t want anyone of those things setting off inside my house. Ya understand?”

Summer looked to the others, as if pleading. Glynda quickly discarded hers onto the deck of the house as if it meant nothing to her.

Axel looked at Rachel before shrugging and leaned his blade on the house. She also did the same, while also setting Abel’s weapon down too. That had a smile appear on Granny’s face as she looked back at them.

“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres,” She said in a calm tone now, stepping aside from the door and letting them come inside.

“Pleasure.” Axel said, a genuine smile on his face as Glynda and Summer entered quickly.

Hours pass as Summer tended to Abel’s wounds. Glynda stood outside of the room, reading a book Granny Smith gave her. Rachel was at the table in the dining room, drinking a glass of water as she waited to hear the status on Abel… while also wondering where exactly Axel was.

Glynda suddenly spoke up as she walked in and sat across from Rachel. “I’m sorry for acting cold. It’s been just Summer and I for a long time. She’s the social one, and you aren’t the first humans we’ve come across.”

“No need to apologize… I did kind of appear at a time when you guys were in a situation that you did not want yourself to be in,” Rachel replied back to her, setting her drink down for a moment as she thought of a question to ask. “Though… how long have you exactly been here for?”

“You wouldn’t believe me… almost two hundred years. It will be that exactly in two years.” Glynda stated. “But Summer’s only been here for twenty one years. She doesn’t count the days, though.”

Rachel blinked at that, caught off guard for a moment as she tried to process what she had just heard. “You’re… telling me that you’re over a hundred? But… you don’t look a day over forty. Is one of the effects of coming here the fact that you can’t age?”

“Yes. We’re not unkillable, but our lifespans can meant we last forever. I know one man who pretended to be a god and gathered worshippers to create his own kingdom down south.” Glynda said. “He’s essentially harmless, but deeply flawed.”

“Noted…” Rachel replied back, before looking at where Summer was working and then decided to ask a question. “So… how did you find Summer?”

“Let’s just say that I was drifting from place to place, then, I was invited to the land of the sea dwellers. She had appeared in the ocean and nearly drowned, so the sea dwellers asked if I’d look out for her.”

“And how about my brother, Axel?” Rachel then decided to ask.

“Passed out in the snow and almost frozen to death. Thing is, when a human appears, they make a lot of noise. We followed that for a day and found him.” Glynda answered, setting her book down.

“I’m guessing he was cursing up a storm because of the situation he was in?” Rachel chuckled, before taking another sip of water.

“Actually he was squealing like a kid in a candy store. I think he must’ve been dissatisfied with real life. I know the feeling.” Glynda said, leaning on her arms. “I think… my memory of my past life is… weak. I don’t have any mementos or people I knew. Just me.”

Rachel thought of it for a moment, before recalling a moment that happened earlier in the day and showed the same picture that she had of her children to Glynda. “The only thing I have of my past life is this picture with both of my daughters. I’m just worried of what would happen to them while we’re gone… or for that matter…” Around that point, she stopped, looking back towards Abel as an expression of worry became present on her face. Something that was rather noticeable to Glynda.

“Elaborate.” Glynda demanded.

“I’m worried about Abel… Remember when I told you of what he did earlier?” Rachel said, getting only a small nod from Glynda as she continued to explain. “Well, when I saw him shortly before he passed out… He told me that there was something wrong with him… something inside his head… like the story of Jekyll and Hyde. He told me that there’s something in his head trying to take control of him…”

“I remember Jekyll and Hyde, you don’t have to remind me.” Glynda spoke up aggravatedly. Still, there was concern on her face. “So…

“I’m worried that whatever is inside of him is eating away at him… I don’t want to lose him, just after I found him.” Rachel said, her voice now sounding just as concerned as any. “How… am I supposed to help him given… well… everything going on right now?”

“Be there for him. Be his anchor. Not many of us have that.” Glynda said warmly. “Take care of him, and remind him every day who he is.” Rachel thought about that as what Glynda told her stuck inside her head, before nodding as she looked back at her.

“Thank you. I’ll make sure to do that.” She told Glynda in response before finishing her glass of water. “It may be tricky… But I’ll do everything I can.”

“If that doesn’t work, there may not have been a thing you could’ve done.” Glynda warned. “If worse comes to worse, I will do whatever is necessary in order to prevent what’s inside of him from hurting anyone,” Rachel told her, almost as if she was swearing an oath to Glynda. “But only as a last resort… I don’t want to think that whatever’s inside of him has control over him just yet.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Rachel.” Glynda said. “And I hope you, Axel and Summer find a way home.” Before Rachel could reply, Summer came into the room, smiling timidly.

“Oh… hello Summer,” the swordswoman then saia to her, scooting over so she could sit with them. “How did everything go?”

“The worst of his ailments is exhaustion, but he’ll be fine with rest.” Summer replied. “He’s having a nightmare though, he’s been tossing and turning for a while.” That… made Rachel grow concerned as she looked to Glynda for a moment. Trying to think of what exactly to say inside her head.

Then, she spoke up. “Summer… There’s something that I think you should know about Abel. It’s… something I was talking with Glynda about, but I think it’s important that you know about it as well.”

“I’ll tell her, go be with him. It might calm him down.” With that, Rachel got up and proceeded to go to the barn. Where Abel was lying on what looked to be a few barrels of hay as he was tossing and turning in his sleep. As Rachel approached him, she sat down by where his head was before placing a hand on his shoulder. In a matter of moments, Abel’s motions began to cease, becoming more relaxed as he laid on the hay barrel.

It was in that moment that Rachel thought of something as she looked at her husband. “Abel… no matter what happens… we’ll find a way to get through this… I’m not going to let that monster that’s inside you take over. I promise.”

---

Three years later...

“What the hell, Qrow!?” Summer screamed, covered in blood. “Do you know how hard it is to clean blood from a white cloak!?”

Qrow shrugged, “It’s Grimm, the blood will dissipate.”

“Why’d you throw a head at me though!?” Summer roared, enraged. She sat in the middle of the woods with a dissipating beowulf head in her lap.

“Cause you’re cute when you’re scared~” He teased, before Summer threw the head into his and knocked him onto the ground.

“Or you just happened to be rather unlucky.” Rachel chuckled as she offered a hand to help get her brother back on her feet. He took it and yanked himself up.

“It’s been gettin’ worse, huh?” Qrow asked sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Oh, can we get ice cream later!? Oh man, they have this new flavor that’s rumored to taste like cake!” A childish look graced his face.

“You’re thinking about ice cream right now? Really?” The three of them heard another voice as they turned around to see Abel leaning against a tree. Normally, he would stay out of fights so that way the… beast in him would not take control, but there was one thing that he did notice. “That’s the fourth grimm that we’ve seen over the last couple of days. Normally we would run into them once or twice, but now they’re appearing more frequently.”

“Maybe those birdbrains finally got their crap together and the Grimm started to notice the ponies?” Qrow suggested, referring to the griffons who had been the Grimm’s focus for a long time.

“Whatever the reason, we should tell Glynda. She would want to know about this.” Abel said as he got off the tree that he was leaning against.

“She’s babysitting Bright Mac again? Perhaps the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes afterall.” Qrow joked, only for Summer to thwack him over the head. “Such misfortune…” He groaned.

To Rachel, she just saw this as Summer messing around with Qrow. However, in Abel’s mind, he honestly could not believe that Qrow would be making jokes on a matter that’s as serious as the Grimm. He personally thought that he should be a little more serious when it came to his job, but from what he was seeing, it was as if he treated it like some sort of game. Something that irritated him beyond frustration.

Rachel though, noticed what was going through in Abel’s mind and then decided to speak up. “I think Abel’s right. We should head back at least to make sure and tell Glynda. It’s getting close to sundown after all and we rather not get spotted by any of the creatures from the Everfree.”

“Fine, fine, it’s a pain to have two buzzkills on the field and a third at home…” He grunted and sheathed his blade. He then transformed into a crow and flew off.

“He abused his power too much…” Summer sighed.

“Agreed.” Abel said, feeling the need to take off after him. Leaving Rachel with Summer as the two of them started walking back towards the barn. Eventually, the two of them tried to keep up with Abel as they got closer to the barn, with Rachel even going as far as to not use the bird transformation powers she had, given how Abel did not like it when Qrow used his abilities all the time.

“You think your weapons will dull?” Summer suddenly asked. “Qrow’s started putting more power into his swings.”

Rachel shook her head, before grabbing something out of her pocket as she looked back at Summer. “Nope… Last week, Granny Smith introduced me to somepony that runs a blacksmith shop in the nearby town and they showed me how to use a whetstone to keep my weapons sharp,” She explained to her. “I’ve been meaning to give one to Qrow, but it seems as if he’s all over the place. One moment you think he’s here, only to learn that he goes somewhere else two minutes later… No wonder he gives us headaches.”

It was as she was putting it away though that she also got something out for Summer that was wrapped in a black cloth. “That reminds me… I have something for you, Summer.”

“Really?” Summer asked.

“Yeah, because when I was at the blacksmith, they allowed for me to try making something. And since I knew that you were the only one who didn’t have a weapon, I made you this,” When Summer unwrapped it, she found what looked to be a silver dagger with a curved edge and a ring on the end of it, with the hilt of the blade having a orange colored gem in the center. “It’s a dagger. One that I put a fire dust crystal in it. You know, for the off chance that you find yourself in a situation where you need to protect yourself.”

“Oh my gosh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Summer squealed, hugging Rachel. At first, Raven was caught off guard by the sudden gesture, but then she returned the hug as she looked back at Summer.

“I’m glad that you like it.” The swordswoman replied back to her. “If you would like, I can teach you how to use it.”

“You will!?” Summer made more strange noises. “You’re the best, Raven!”

“Hey, I just thought I would try to help you out. I wanted to make you another one so you could have one in each hand, but I didn’t have the time or bits to make it unfortunately.” The swordswoman sighed, looking back at Summer as she scratched the back of her head. “Just be careful with it though. I rather not have you accidentally cut yourself.”

“I know how to point a blade away from me.” Summer smirked playfully.

“Fair point.” Rachel replied back, just as they were coming up upon Sweet Apple Acres. Seeing Glynda on the front porch in a rocking chair while holding a baby colt. Granny Smith was also there too, but it looked like she had just gotten back home recently.

“Welcome back,” Granny Smith called out to them as they approached the barn. “Was wondering where the heck ya went while Glynda was looking after Bright Mac for me.”

“We were just patrolling the area,” Raven replied back, before looking to Glynda for a moment. “By the way, did Qrow happen to stop by? He did happen to get a head start on coming back here.”

“He was here, but only to ask for money…” Glynda replied dully, clearly unamused by his actions. While she was fed the newborn Bright Mac.

Hearing that though… just made Rachel sound rather frustrated. “God dammit… We found out that there are more Grimm approaching through the Everfree and all he does is ask for money?” She said, rather annoyed by this recurring habit. “And what was his reason for asking for it this time?”

“Ice cream. He’s a sugarholic, best to keep him energized.” Glynda stated tiredly.

“Figures…” Abel groaned. “He mentioned it earlier while we were on patrol.”

“Yeah well, let’s not get all caught up in what he’s doing right now,” Granny Smith told them in response. “Ya’ll look kinda worn out. Let me get ya something to drink.”

“Thank you, Granny. I wanted to ask you something though, Rachel.” Summer said. “I’ve been planning a trip to the dragon lands, for a few weeks at least to see how things are going. I was wondering if you and Abel would like to come?”

Both Abel and Rachel looked at one another for a moment, before the swordswoman decided to ask a question. “You’re going to the dragon lands? What’s the occasion?”

“It’s mostly social, I’m the godmother of the dragon lord's daughter, so I’d like to check on them. Axel can stay with Glynda and investigate the Grimm appearances.” Summer said.

“That… sounds like a good idea,” Rachel replied, looking at her husband for a brief moment before looking back at Summer. “It’ll give us the chance to see what life’s like for other species outside this continent. What do you say, Abel?”

“Ehh… Sure, I guess,” Abel replied. “As long as Glynda scolds Axel whenever he slacks off, I’m okay with it.”

“It won’t be just her, ya hear?” They all heard Granny Smith speak up as she brought out a few glasses of water for the three of them. “Ah’ll make sure to give him a piece of my mind in Glynda’s place if he does anything stupid now.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I think we’re on board,” Rachel told Summer before asking her another question. “When do we leave?”

“About three or so days, depending on your affairs. Oh, trust me, this’ll be so much fun!” Summer squealed, tapping her knuckles excitedly.

“Would they be… open to letting outsiders in?” Abel then asked, feeling uncertain by the amount of positivity that Summer was showing.

“If they welcomed Summer with open arms, I’m sure that they’ll do the same for us Abel.” Rachel assured her husband as she looked back at Summer with a smile on her face.

---

The sight before Rachel and Abel was… perplexing and odd. Summer and a massive, massive dragon were talking casually in an outdoor ‘castle’ beside the ocean. The strangest thing wasn’t exactly that, but Summer giving the dragon helpful tips on parenting.

“The teen years are the toughest. Especially if you have a tomboy, phew!” Summer sighed in an exaggerated manner to emphasize her point. “That’ll give ya trouble!” The event wasn’t entirely new, but the human and Faunus weren’t usually around. But the week was almost over and Summer insisted on a get together. Though, as Summer was talking just now, it also had Rachel look away for a moment as her husband noticed.

“Rachel, is something wrong?”

“No, no… It’s just…” Rachel herself sighed, before looking back at Abel. “Hearing Summer talk about parenting just now reminds me of our own children… before we ended up here.”

“I’m sure that we’ll find a way to get back to them, Rachel… just have a little faith.” He replied back, which soon had Rachel put a smile on her face as she looked back at him.

“Yeah, you’re right… worrying won’t get us back to the girls now, would it?” She told him in response before looking back at Summer.

“Sorry I have to go Torch! Tell me if Blaze ever tries for another kid! If her last complication was anything, I’d rather not be told after the fact!” Summer waved goodbye to Torch, who chuckled.

“I don’t think she’d want to try again after nearly dying last time.”

“And I won’t be a prisoner like last time!” Summer joked, before grabbing Rachel and Abel’s hands, dragging them away. “Torch is a nice guy, but his wife scares the shit out of me.” She muttered.

“I could relate… Rachel scares me sometimes,” Abel commented, before getting elbowed in the arm by Rachel. “Sorry!”

“I rather not be compared to a scary dragoness…” Rachel deadpanned. “Though, Summer… from what I heard, the two of them have a child?”

“Yeah, little Ember. She’s about… maybe one or two? She was ‘birthed’ three years ago, but hatched around two years ago.” Summer replied. “It was a crazy story, I had to recall my nursing training from back home and things were messy… I really need to get a PHD.”

“When you mean birthed… do you mean like laying an egg?” Abel asked, which got a look from Rachel. “What? Back home, there are several stories where dragons hatch from eggs.”

“Yeah, I learned a lot about it. Dragon culture’s pretty brutal but interesting. There are two kinds of dragons- though that may not interest you all that much.” Summer blushed in embarrassment, like a nerd rambling off details of their favorite show to some amish person they knew.

“Well, we are here, so I think learning about one's culture is important.” Rachel replied back and Abel nodded in agreement.

“Alright!” Summer grinned from ear to ear. “There are two kinds of dragons. The ones who live out here are more or less normal but strict, brutal and protective of their way of life. In their eyes, a dragon with only one parent isn’t fit to live in their society, so the mothers- or fathers, dump their eggs. The lucky ones who survive actually live in Equestria as ‘tamed’ dragons.” Summer sounded like an eager school girl.

“That… sounds a bit harsh, don’t you think? Like abandoning your child and not knowing if they’re actually alive or not.” Rachel replied back.

“Thing is, dragons see it like this. The mother nurtures the young while the father hunts and protects for the family. There was apparently some event where a dragon nest was unguarded and a ton of other races killed the majority. That was thousands of years ago but it morphed their culture around that. It’s obviously flawed, but so are kids put up for adoption.” Summer elaborated. “I don’t like the act but the culture fascinates me. There’s no way I’d want to throw away babies. But there’s apparently a place in this one city called Dragon Town, which is where the ‘tamed’ dragons live.” She rambled.

“So a town where all the orphans are raised?” Abel asked.

“Yeah, then they stay there, secluded from the rest of the world. They’re not fond of ponies, and the ponies aren’t fond of them.” Summer continued. “They are considered Equestrian citizens though, and Celestia seems to have tried to keep the peace there. It isn’t dissimilar to what Glynda tried before she met us.”

Both Abel and Rachel stopped for a moment upon hearing Summer say that. “Wait… Glynda tried something like that?”

“Yeah, with humans and faunus...” Summer trailed off, before cringing at her mishap. “Oh, she’s not felt comfortable talking about it with you guys yet…”

Abel narrowed his eyes at that remark, though they could not see it with the mask on over his face. But they can tell because of the shift in his tone. “And why is that exactly?”

Summer looked to the side. “I… I’m not sure I should be the one telling you…”

“Abel, stop.” Rachel told him sternly, before looking back at him. “If Summer said that this was something Glynda tried to do, then we should ask her upon coming back to the barn.”

Abel himself… did not like having the answers that he wanted, but all he could really do was just let out a deep sigh. “Fine.”

“Let’s go, then.” Summer said, her tone much more sour than before. “And look, it took her two years to tell me.”

---

“Glynda, can we talk for a moment?” Rachel asked Glynda as she was in the kitchen. Abel himself was helping prepare firewood outside while Summer was with Granny Smith and Bright Mac. “I wanted to ask you about something that came up on our trip to the dragon lands recently.”

“Oh? Summer should be able to tell you enough about the dragons there. So what’s this about?” Glynda questioned calmly, raising an eyebrow. She was working on a partially solved puzzle, one that Rachel had never seen before.

“Well, yeah she did… though, something else happened to come up when she was telling Abel and I more about dragon culture,” Rachel replied back. “Though… it was when she was explaining it that another subject came up… something that she says that you’re a bit uncomfortable with telling us and that I should hear about it from you instead of Summer.”

Glynda finally looked up from her puzzle, narrowing her eyes. “Oh did she now...?”

“It… came up when she was talking about a place called Dragon Town here in Equestria,” Rachel replied, looking at the door for a moment before looking back to Glynda. “She said that you had tried something similar before, but for humans and faunus… However, I’m really concerned about how Abel took that news… Given that so far, in our group, he’s the only faunus here and he might think that you are trying to hide from him how there were others…”

“Bring him in and I’ll tell you…” Glynda sighed in frustration. Rachel herself nodded, stepping out for a brief moment to go get Abel. It took a little bit, but soon Glynda saw both of them walking back through the door. Abel setting his weapon by the door and putting logs of wood by the fireplace as he sat down.

“Rachel said that you needed to speak with us? Is something wrong?” Abel asked, sounding a little puzzled at first.

“Remember what Summer said in the dragon lands?”

“Oh… Oh. I get it now,” Abel replied back, before setting his mask aside as he looked at Glynda. “You wanted to speak with us about that?”

“I didn’t want to, but you both seem upset. You’re talking about the community of ‘our kind’, right?” Glynda asked.

“Was that what it was called?” Rachel asked. “Because personally, we were both a bit surprised about it.”

“In my mind, it felt like you were trying to hide the fact that there were other faunus…” Abel then said, before adding on with something else. “But I think the one question we both want to know is why… Why didn’t you tell us about it?”

“Because it doesn’t exist anymore.” Glynda said bitterly, her attention going back to her puzzle. “Things fell apart.”

“What about the faunus?” Abel asked, before he felt Rachel’s hand on his arm. A sign that he should calm himself. However, instead of choosing to listen, he actually ignored it. “What happened to the people in that community?”

“They split up. One of the founders betrayed us after someone lost a loved one and things escalated. My lifelong friend left me, and for the longest time, I’d been alone until I found Summer.” Glynda said. “Whose been a thorn in my side ever since. As for the faunus, I can’t really say. I only know that a couple followed my friend to Griffonstone and isolated themselves with the griffons.”

That answered a few things, but now it was time for Rachel to ask something. “Glynda… I’m really sorry to hear about all that… Does Qrow know about this?”

“No, and I’d rather keep it that way for now. It hurts to remember, and it scares me that I haven’t seen any of them since.” Glynda said with a sorrowful look on her face. “In the end… it all fell apart because we’re all ageless.”

Abel looked back at Rachel for a moment, before getting up and walking out. Closing the door behind him and leaving the two of them on their own. Rachel got up to try and go after him… but something in her mind held her back. Told her that all he needed was a moment to clear his mind after everything that he heard. But still… there was one last thing that Rachel wanted to ask.

“Glynda… I’m sorry if all of this is painful to remember but… I had one last question,” She said, her hand on the doorknob as she looked back at her. “What was your friends name?”

“Khan… Sienna Khan.”

---

After the conversation with Glynda, Abel’s attitude was slowly beginning to change. He would ignore Rachel anytime that he told him to calm down or to stop, he would be a bit more aggressive towards not just Grimm, but other individuals as well. Which made Rachel fear that he was losing the battle between him… and whatever was trying to take control of him. It had gotten so bad to the point that some of the others, including Summer and Qrow, kept their distance from him. Fearing that he could snap at any minute.

As for today though, to Rachel… something did not feel right. Summer had said that she was going to go to the market to get some food for the barn, but it had been over a few hours since she had left. So instead of sitting around inside and not doing anything, she got up, grabbed her stuff and walked towards the door. “I’m going to go look for Summer… She’s never been out this long before, so I think something’s wrong.”

Before Glynda could say anything, Rachel closed the door behind her and began to race into the woods. Knowing Summer, there was a small shortcut through the orchard and the forest that she always liked to take in order to cut down on time and get back to Sweet Apple Acres as quickly as she could. However, after a little while, her calm demeanor began to fade as she became worried for her. Wanting to find her as quickly as she could.

Yet, when she did find her… Rachel was horrified by what she saw. “Summer!!”

She had found Summer alright. However, she had found her pinned to a tree with a blade stabbed through her gut as Rachel rushed over to her. Tears in her eyes and streaming down her face as she looked at the girl. “S-summer… Please talk to me. T-tell me that you’re still there… please…”

Summer’s hand gripped Rachel’s shoulder desperately as tears stained her cheeks and blood practically poured from her mouth, forcing her to gag on her own crimson liquid. She could only make a whimpering sound as her movements began to slow. Rachel herself was desperate to try and keep her friend alive, pulling out an ice dust shard to try and stop the bleeding on her chest as she looked at her.

However, things weren’t going so well for her… and Rachel herself, was losing her focus. “S-summer… Please… say something… anything… H-how could something like this happen-?”

Summer’s head began to sag. “S-sorry…” And her eyes lost their light. Rachel could not believe it… she had promised to keep her safe from harm, but the one moment where she thought that something was wrong, she couldn’t do anything to save her. It made her feel hopeless as she used her hand to close her friends eyes and let her be at rest. Pulling the blade out of her as the tears continued to flow.

However… something began to boil inside of her as she looked back at the blade. She recognized the design… and knew exactly who it belonged to. “Qrow… You bastard…”

Picking up the blade, she placed it on her back as she picked up Summer with both of her arms. Carrying the body of her dear friend back to the orchard.

Soon, she saw Glynda, Abel, Granny Smith, and Qrow at the barn. Glynda looked shocked and about ready to keel over in horror and despair, the most emotion Rachel had ever seen from the elder woman. Abel himself was caught off guard, looking as if the sight made him sick to his stomach as he forced himself to look away. Granny herself looked just as horrified, but was also trying to help Glynda pull herself together despite what they were seeing.

Then… there was Qrow. He had frozen and was shaking, very visibly. He was the first to speak.

“Is she…” There was no confidence, humor, or childlike undertones. He sounded dull, void and lifeless. Broken, almost.

“Yes… she’s gone…” Rachel told her, before taking the weapon that was on her back and throwing it on the ground. Having everypony stare in shock at the blood soaked Harbinger that was on the ground. “And this was what pinned her to a tree… Qrow… Why?”

Qrow staggered backwards, putting a hand over his mouth as he nearly tripped over Granny. “No, no… no, I didn’t-” He looked ready to cry.

“Answer me!” Rachel shouted, tears going down her face as she glared at her brother. A look of desperation on her face. “What did Summer do to deserve this, you bastard!?! What did she do!!?!”

“Sis, I promise I didn’t-” Qrow tried to sound calm as he took a step towards Rachel, hands in front of him in an attempt to hopefully reach out.

“If you say you didn’t, then why is your weapon covered in HER blood!?” Rachel fumed, turning around as she looked back at her. “I wanted to save her… but when I got there, it was too late… She even blamed herself… All I heard her say was that she was sorry before she died! She never deserved this, Qrow!! And if you didn’t do it, who would!?!”

Silence lingered in the air as Qrow tried to formulate an answer, but anything he thought of just got caught in his throat, an old timidness reawakening which prevented him from formulating a single word.

But before he could say anything… Rachel had had enough. “Save it,” She said, turning around and carrying Summer with her. “I’m done… After today, I don’t want to see you again… because nothing you could ever say would ever get me to give you an ounce of forgiveness.” As she said that, she began to walk away. Not looking back as Abel began to follow her.

“B-but I haven’t seen Harbinger all day! Glynda, I even asked you where it was! And why would I leave my weapon in her-” Yet, as Qrow watched them walk away, he looked at Abel’s face… and saw the murderous grin that he was trying to hide. “You… you’re the one who did it!” Qrow shouted, pointing at Abel.

Abel stopped, looking back at him. His expression from before was gone as he just looked at him with a confused glance. “I don’t even know what you’re on about…”

“You took my weapon and used it to frame me!” Qrow shouted desperately, glaring with hatred none had ever seen from him. “You killed her!”

“Those who commit vile acts are quick to blame others for their misdeeds.” Abel said, motioning his hand towards the hilt of his blade. Anticipating for Qrow to retaliate. For Rachel, she couldn’t see what Abel was doing, but only hear him. But his tone had changed dramatically, forcing Rachel to say something as she glared at Abel.

“That is enough…” She grit her teeth, glaring at Abel. “We have no quarrel with them, Abel. Just leave them alone.” However, her husband didn’t listen as he drew out his own blade and pointed it at Qrow.

“If you really insist on proving that I would commit such an act, then show me your resolve.”

“Abel!! What did I just say-?!” Rachel snapped.

Glynda stood between Qrow and Abel, narrowing her eyes. “Don’t start, Abel.” Her resolve was cold, even with her tear stained cheeks and puffing eyes. “Qrow wouldn’t kill Summer.”

Rachel herself… didn’t want to have things get worse. “I’m sorry Glynda… but after everything I’ve seen… I can’t believe that…”

“Then I suppose we shall go our separate ways. I hope you find a way home.” Her words were void. Hollow. Lies. She waved her riding crop from one side to the other, and Harbinger flew to Qrow’s hands. “Goodbye, and may you and Qrow be wrong, for both of our sakes.”

---

A year had had passed since Summer’s death and after what had happened, Rachel did not look back. The first thing that she had did was gave her friend a proper burial in the dragon lands. After telling the dragon lord and his wife what had happened, Torch had dedicated a memorial to Summer in her honor for everything that she had done to help him and many other creatures like them. It was a place that would be considered sacred.

Now, when Rachel had returned to the memorial, she was shocked by the amount of tributes that were left behind. Flowers, gemstones, numerous little trinkets that Summer would have loved to seen herself if she was still alive were left behind for them to pay her respects as she looked at the memorial.

“How are you holding up?” She heard the voice of her husband from behind her as she turned around.

“I-i’m okay… it’s just… it brings to my tears to my eyes anytime I come back here… I thought I could have saved her… but…” Before she could be able to finish her sentence, Rachel felt tears stream down her face again as Abel placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Come here… Let me help you…” He offered, just as Rachel herself looked back at him. Hugging him as he patted her back.

However, it was only until after a few seconds that Abel’s tone changed. A grin forming on his face as he looked back to her. “Let me help you ease your suffering…”

“W-wha-?”

Immediately, a sharp pain coursed through her body as she looked down. Her eyes widening upon seeing the same knife that she made for Summer shoved into her chest. “GAH! A-abel!! W-what are you doing?!!”

However, all he did was force it in deeper as she dropped to her knees. Looking back at her with a sinister glare in his eyes as a new voice soon finally emerged. It wasn’t Abel’s voice anymore that she was hearing… it was Adam’s. “I’m sorry… but I can finally now claim what I deserve. The man you called Abel has been long gone… ever since I took over and killed that wench, I have been in his place… but not anymore.”

At first, he motioned for the hilt of his blade, but then he decided to not grab hold as he left her there. Leave her there to die on her own as he turned around and said one last thing. “At least, you’ll finally be able to see your friend once more… In heaven, that is.”

“Y-you bastard!!” Rachel was now furious, trying to stand up on her own despite the pain she felt. This man… the man she thought was the one that she cared for the most… was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. One that tore apart the relationship that she had with her brother and with Glynda and had been deceiving her for months. “I-i’ll kill you for what you did-!!”

WHACK!!

Before Rachel could do anything, the faunus that was Adam used the hilt of his blade to knock her to the ground. Leaving her unconscious as blood began to pool out all around her and he began to walk away. Disappearing without a trace.

---

Present Day

“And that’s what happened. Adam is the monster that stole your father from me. Using the memories of your father’s life with you, me and your sister to inflict harm… It’s why he showed no remorse in wanting to strike you down.”

As Raven finished speaking, she watched as Ruby and her friend Weiss were trying to process everything that she had just told them. They were all sitting in the living room at Fluttershy’s cottage, with tea for each one of them set on the coffee table that was placed in between them.

Everything was quiet for a few moments. But then Raven broke that silence with one more thing. “Do you two have any questions?”

“Yeah, I have one,” The white haired girl now asked. “Why did you wait until now in order to tell us this?”

Raven herself sighed, before looking back at the two of them as she cleared her throat. “There are two reasons why… First, over the last few days, I’ve been trying to mend the wounds that Adam inflicted on my relationship with Glynda in hope that doing so would also mend my relationship with Qrow. He is Ruby’s uncle after all. Second, Glynda is important in another matter,” The swordswoman paused for a moment, thinking about what would be the right way to say it… before refocusing and letting out a deep breath. “She’s trying to help us locate where Yang is through Qrow.”

That just had Weiss raise an eyebrow as she looked at Ruby, before returning her gaze to Raven. “Are you sure that he’ll be open minded to that?”

“I… guess. Maybe?” Ruby then added, even though the overall tone sounded like one that was filled with uncertainty.

Raven herself felt that there was one last thing that she needed to do. Though, before she could do that, their conversation was interrupted when Sun slammed the side door open. “Oh thank god, you’re here!”

The swordswoman seemed… caught off guard by the faunus’ sudden appearance. “Sun? What’s going on?”

“It’s Fluttershy, she needs our help-” Sun told her, before they both heard a loud cry from the pegasus outside as the faunus looked back at her. Before saying three words that she… was really not prepared for.

“The baby’s coming.”

---

End Tail 33

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Holy emperor of mankind...
Also, baby bomb incoming!

[FrostTheWolf]

9136107
Yup. I think it's about time it happened

[Cheshirek4t]

9264015
Nah, jus' joking
Like, most displaced so far seems to have a dark past that makes them forget about going back and sometimes it gets kinda... WTF

[FrostTheWolf]

9264033
Even so, I sometimes have to find a way to tie things all together somehow

[Cheshirek4t]

9264037
Hokay dude
So far so good