Ruby had been meticulously sweeping the forest with her perception, still trying to pinpoint the "unusual energy signatures" Arthur had mentioned.
The mission had felt frustratingly normal, but then, a faint tremor ran through her Aura.
It wasn't a Grimm, not Dust, but something else entirely—a warmth, a resonance, like a distant memory suddenly sparking to life.
Ruby murmured, her silver eyes widening. She tilted her head, trying to pinpoint the direction.
"I... I feel something."
Yang, who had been about to crack a joke about chasing squirrels, immediately noticed the change in her sister's demeanor.
Ruby whispered, a strange mix of wonder and longing in her voice. She started walking, not running, but with a determined stride, as if drawn by an invisible thread.
Blake and Weiss exchanged a glance. Despite their logical doubts, they trusted Ruby's instincts, especially when her eyes glowed with such an intense, almost spiritual focus. They followed, their weapons ready but their curiosity piqued.
Ruby led them deeper into the forest, past ancient trees and moss-covered rocks. The air grew subtly warmer, carrying a faint, sweet scent that wasn't just wildflowers. Then, through a clearing in the dense foliage, they saw it.
It was a garden, bathed in an ethereal, soft light. Not just any garden, but one blooming with an impossible profusion of roses. Roses of every shade of red, from crimson to deep maroon, their petals unfurling in perfect symmetry.
It was a sight that defied the wildness of the surrounding forest, a pocket of pure, cultivated beauty seemingly dropped from another world.
Yang breathed, her eyes wide.
Weiss, ever the pragmatist, was momentarily stunned.
"This is... illogical. A rose garden, out here?"
But Ruby didn't hear them. Her gaze was fixed on the center of the garden, where the roses grew densest, shimmering with the same warm light she had felt.
She walked forward, almost in a trance, Yang right behind her.
As Ruby stepped among the roses, the light intensified, coalescing into a translucent, shimmering figure.
Her form was indistinct, like mist kissed by moonlight, but the contours were unmistakably human.
She had long, flowing hair, and a kind, gentle face that immediately brought tears to Ruby's eyes.
Ruby whispered, her voice cracking.
The figure smiled, a soft, loving expression. It was Summer Rose, a beautiful, ethereal presence.
She looked at Ruby with boundless affection, then her gaze shifted to Yang, a similar warmth in her eyes.
Summer's voice was a melodic whisper, a sound that resonated deep within their souls, even though no physical sound waves were produced. It was a voice they had only known from fading memories and stories.
Yang gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
"Mom! Is that really you?"
She reached out, but her hand passed through Summer's shimmering form.
They couldn't touch her, but they could feel her presence, her love, wrapping around them like an invisible embrace.
"It is me, my darlings,"
Summer replied, her voice filled with an aching tenderness.
"Though not yet in the way we truly wish to meet."
She looked at them, her eyes brimming with a love that transcended the veil between worlds.
"You've grown so much. So strong. So brave."
Ruby sobbed, overwhelmed with joy and sorrow.
"But... how? We thought you were... gone forever."
"A part of me was always here,"
Summer explained, her gaze distant for a moment.
"Tethered, by forces I did not understand until now. But someone... a very powerful, very kind soul... helped free me. He made it possible for us to speak, even for this brief moment."
Blake and Weiss stood back, awestruck. They watched the two sisters converse with a ghost, a scene so profoundly personal and impossible that it humbled them into silence.
Ruby then remembered something crucial, a recent miracle that had already defied death.
She asked, her voice trembling with hope,
"Penny... Penny came back. Is it... is it like that? Can you... can you come back too?"
Summer's ethereal smile widened, a beacon of pure joy.
"My clever little Rose. Yes, my sweet girl. It is exactly like that. The one who freed me... he possesses a power beyond anything you can imagine. He can weave life from essence, just as he did for your friend."
Ruby's eyes widened, then filled with a new, radiant hope.
She exclaimed, the name bursting from her lips.
Summer's gaze lingered on Ruby, full of pride and affection.
"He is indeed a wonder, my daughter. He has promised me... he has promised that when the time is right, he will create a body for me. A new beginning."
She looked at Yang, tears of happiness welling in her eyes.
"He is going to revive me, girls. We will be together again. All of us."
Yang let out a choked sob, a primal cry of pure relief and joy.
"Mom! You're coming back! Oh, my gods, you're coming back!"
Summer's form began to fade, the light around her softening.
"My time here is short, my love. But hold onto this hope. Be strong, be brave, and continue to grow. We will meet again, in a new dawn. Until then, remember how much I love you both."
Her form dissolved completely, leaving behind only the radiant glow of the roses and the lingering scent of her presence.
Ruby and Yang stood there, trembling, their faces wet with tears. It was a moment of profound joy, a miracle they had never dared to dream of. Their mother, their beloved Summer Rose, was coming back.
Ruby whispered again, a hand pressed to her chest, where the warmth of her mother's presence still resonated.
The 'unusual energy signature' had been her mother's soul, and the "challenge to her perception" had been the greatest gift of her life. The most update n0vels are published on novel⸺fire.net
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