Selina dreamt of empire.
She walked roads of polished steel, treading among people who greeted her as an equal. Strangers all, yet smiles prevailed amongst their number. Human and faunus, all united. Utopia had come. Selina was content as she ascended a golden tower to look upon this beautiful city.
Then she snapped out of her trance, staring in befuddlement.
"What the fuck?" she asked the dissipating gold. Turning back, the contents of her dream swiftly faded into obscurity in the distance. Selina's gaze alternated between the endless ascent and the radiant city.
"I'm dreaming, aren't I?"
She received no response except for a soft breeze ruffling her red mane.
"Shouldn't I, like, wake up?"
All was quiet. Selina pinched her arm to no effect. Then she looked around again in an attempt to find clues. A barely tangible sensation drew her gaze back to the stairs; she wanted to ascend for reasons unknown. Something pulled her further up.
"Well, I guess?"
And so she kept walking. Whatever this was ought to have an explanation.
She took a moment to look back after scaling the infinite tower in what felt like seconds. Everything below vanished underneath a blanket of clouds. Looking forward, in front of her lay a flat roof and in its center a tear in existence. Iridescent lights played along the rims, standing out starkly against the bleached surroundings. Selina was mesmerised by the sight and could not tear her eyes away.
That was until she suddenly stood face to face with Lumina. A surprised shriek loosened from Selina and she flinched back, only to press a fist against her hip and scowl at her friend.
"Damn it, don't scare me like that!"
Her outburst took the moth by surprise and she averted her gaze.
"Ah yes," she murmured sheepishly. "My apologies. I did not mean to."
That was odd. Lumina was never this contrite. Studying her a moment longer, Selina realised that her friend's eyes were somewhat sunken. Lumina's wings lost their luster and she looked even smaller than she already was. But at the same time this was just a dream, it had to be. Except Selina's instincts said otherwise.
"This is really you, isn't it?" she asked. Lumina nodded mutely, once again worrying Selina. "How?"
Her dazzled question earned but a huff. Lumina grasped Selina's hand and led her away from the rift.
"I will spare you the details for your sanity's sake. Know that darkness lurks in Remnant's shadow and that I will destroy it before long."
That sounded more like the girl Selina knew, but she was still confused.
"I mean, sure. Grimm and stuff. But why do you come to me in my dreams? You could just drop by anytime. Actually, where were you? Ruby says you aren't back from your mission yet."
She really did not like how Lumina slumped in the face of these questions. Open displays of weakness like that were just not like her. Yet here she was, head hung. Her words were soft yet oh so damning: "I will not return, either. This is all that is left of me. I have only myself to blame for letting it come that far."
Selina's eyes narrowed at that. She really did not like the implications. "You're telling me... you're dead? Kicked the bucket? Bit the dust?"
The recital earned her a flat stare, but by now Selina knew none of this was right. She crossed her arms and scowled at the imposter. "Okay, yeah, no. Whoever you are, you aren't her. Lumina is the strongest person I know. She's not going down that easily."
Her denial clearly surprised the moth, who stared at Selina for a long moment; jaw slack, a single tear brimming in the corner of her eye. Lumina heistantly wiped it off while a smile stole its way onto her face, brighter than Selina ever saw before.
"Thank you," she said, confusing her friend mightily. "I never knew you had such faith in my abilities."
Then she sadly shook her head. "Alas, it was not my lack of power that brought me low. It was my temper. I had exhausted my aura before I knew it and was picked off."
This could not be happening. Selina refused to believe it. She pushed the surprised moth away, all but ready to throw punches for lack of a spear to shank her with.
"Stop pretending already! This is all a lie! I don't give a damn what you get out of acting as Lumina, but it stops now!"
And still the imposter wore that sad smile.
"How ironic," she mused. "The first time we met, the first thing you did was question my capabilities. Now your faith in me grew so strong you can not imagine me failing."
It did not add up and yet this was Lumina; every sense told Selina the same thing, but her heart was torn. She did not want to believe, but the thought crept into her mind anyway: what if it was true?
"No way," she rasped out, grabbing the still corporeal girl by her shoulders. "No way. There is just, there is no way it can be you. Lumina isn't dead. She can't be!"
She wanted it all to just be some sick joke, that was infinitely better than the alternative. But Lumina merely shook her head with a sigh.
"Unfortunately, I am."
A motion was made for the rift that still called to Selina. "I invaded your dreams from the final dream of Remnant, the road to reincarnation. Were you to walk through there, your soul will certainly be washed away and move on. Your memories of me were my beacon."
Selina's throat constricted as reality asserted itself. Vision grew blurry, eyes prickling under the strain of holding back tears. She wiped them away but could only stare helplessly.
"So what now? Is this goodbye then?"
And Lumina laughed.
For the first time she ever heard the tactiturn girl do so, Lumina laughed. It was not a nice sound at all; bitter, angry, and vindictive. Lithe hands closed around her shoulders.
"Selina, please! You should know me better by now."
Lumina's previous, delicate expression was wiped away in favour of a nasty grin. Her golden eyes gleamed as bright as miniature suns.
"Death is but an inconvenience to me. I have business left on Remnant, the first of which is to bring down the one responsible for my death. She will come to regret the day she made me her enemy."
The dream shook as palpable waves of wrath rolled off the moth. They passed through Selina and shook her to the core; while staring dumbly, she at least had certainty now.
"Okay. Yeah. You're Lumina alright."
Her deadpan took the air out of Lumina, who simply huffed. Her emotions settled and the dream stabilised. She left a long pause before indicating the distant, empty skies. "Anyway, this is where you come in. Lacking my own body, I am limited in my actions. But I have a plan."
"I'm in."
A beat.
Lumina was clearly taken aback. It was honestly funny to see this cocksure woman so confused. "You, erm, do not even want to know what it is?"
This time it was Selina who laughed. She sauntered forward and wrapped Lumina in a big hug. "You're my friend, girl. I trust you. Just tell me what needs doing and I'll do it."
"Even if I told you to commit crimes?"
"What's a good revenge plot without crimes?"
Miraculously, Lumina laughed again. This time it sounded far more pleasant. Selina grinned as well, even more so when her friend returned the embrace.
"Thank you," she said. "Truly. I never realised what a wonderful friend I found in you."
"Eh. Now stop being sappy and get on with it. Who got you killed anyway?"
The flippant question drew a sigh from Lumina. They separated and Selina was held at arm's length. Lumina had turned serious again.
"Her name is Salem."
As they spoke of most terrible fate, another at Beacon dreamt. Velvet often remembered flashes of lush nature, but tonight was different. Not for the pastures her mind painted but for how real they felt. Not to mention the visitor settled on a picnic blanket. That had turned her intrigue into certainty.
Lumina inclined her head to the hare faunus, breaking the silence between them: "Please have a seat. I am afraid I bring grave news."
Velvet studied the younger woman thoughtfully; she could feel the Essence coursing all around them like a river. It originated from the alluring rift behind Lumina. She wanted to investigate, but this felt more important. Seating herself gingerly, Velvet paid full attention to the moth.
"You never said you could enter other peoples' dreams from afar. Or did you break into my dorm?"
A soft chuckle preceded the response. "No," Lumina said without specifying which question she just answered. "I am visiting several people tonight. You are admittedly the one I most expect to refuse my request, seeing how little we know each other."
She was indeed wary, though she also remembered how willing Lumina was to help her before. Despite the incident with Ghost, Velvet did not think her a bad person. "I think that depends on what you need," she reasoned. "I guess it's urgent?"
"Not urgent so much as important, I would say. The fate of Remnant is on the line."
The revelation was so matter-of-fact that Velvet needed a second to truly understand what she just heard. She hissed and leaned forward, what little levity there was gone with the wind. "What do you mean? And why are you doing it like this when it's this important?"
She expected something odd, but not the melancholic smile Lumina showed her.
"Unfortunately, I died. This is the only way I can reach you."
"You what?!"
To say Velvet was shocked was an understatement. Before her sat the one person who she thought was even more powerful than the hare herself. An avatar of light, the fourteen-year-old who rampaged her way through the license exam and proceeded to protect Vale. How could she be gone?
Velvet blurted a question in that direction, prompting a grimace from Lumina. "My own arrogance, mainly," the moth admitted. "I ran afoul of the woman who engineers Remnant's strife for her own amusement."
She really did not like the way this was going; her eyes narrowed, yet she knew there was no one else on Remnant with powers like Lumina. Her curiousity burned as bright as her worry. Perhaps it was foolish to make a decision so soon, but Velvet wanted to trust.
"I'll help, but I want to know something first."
"Of course," Lumina agreed, inclining her head as she awaited the question.
"Who are you really? Or what?"
This earned her an arched brow, but Velvet was undeterred: "You know skills no one else on Remnant ever heard about. Your abilities are, honestly, absurd. What kind of power is it? Some sort of magic?"
Lumina had listened quietly to her elaboration. Now she smiled, ever so fondly in a manner more befitting a sweet grandmother. "There is no such thing as magic," she began to lecture, "not truly. Only power you do not yet understand. The ability to affect the ether, to shape the energy within your soul. To draw out your own essence and give it purpose."
She made a motion for the dreamscape surrounding them. The meadow bled away and became a mountain breaking through the clouds. At its tip rested a statue, reminiscent of a moth yet dilapidated. Worn down by age and wind. They now sat in its shadow and stared up at the starry night sky as Lumina carried on.
"But are you certain you wish to know? I will allow you to see as a courtesy, but the last time I did the boy who saw lost his mind."
That sounded overblown to her. More like an excuse than anything else. Velvet nodded.
"Yes, I want to."
She had made up her mind, unflinching even when Lumina stared into her eyes. Whatever she saw, it seemed to satisfy her; the moth nodded.
"Very well."
Then the tear still behind them opened further, accompanied by sounds akin to shattering glass and tearing cloth at the same time. A moment later Velvet fell through an endless void and toward gentle light; Lumina fluttered by her side and held her hand. The siren song tugging at her very self grew ever stronger, only to be extinguished when the light's source became clear.
Velvet's breath hitched, the young woman unable to avert her gaze from the radiant silk. It was a cocoon, easily the size of her if not bigger. The contents remained unseen beyond a number of ivory spikes, yet it radiated a pressure she felt only once before, when brushing against Lumina's mind.
"This is... you?"
She slowly tore her gaze away and turned it to the contemplating Lumina. Her erstwhile teacher nodded, one hand brushing over the silk the older girl did not dare touch.
"Yes. My true self is still gestating. I know not how long until I can hatch. This is all you will see of me, Velvet. For your own sake. I am the first ray of light that graced the universe, The Radiance."
A wave of golden light spread from the spoken words. Velvet could merely nod, too mesmerised to speak. They looked at each other, hand in hand; Velvet closed her eyes, taking deep breaths until she got a hold of herself. She had firmed up by the time they opened again.
"What do you need?" she asked.
Just as with Selina, Lumina began to answer the question. But those two were not her only targets that night. A third being at Beacon dreamt. This one, however, dreamt for the first time in her life.
Penny suddenly became aware; she stood within a sprawling city that stretched all across the horizon. Having never encountered a dream of her own before, her owlish look was soon replaced by wonder and she began to explore. Everyone greeted Penny kindly wherever she went, smiles and waves returned without hesitation. Somehow she knew they knew of her nature and accepted her anyway.
Despite the wave of content she felt along the way, this novelty soon wore off. As Penny began to wonder what happened, people no longer acknowledged her; their actions became meaningless without her attention.
About as soon as she started thinking clearly, she realised a faintly smiling Lumina settled on a waist-high wall by her side. Wings folded, illuminated by faint rays of light. She almost seemed to sparkle, though Penny was more surprised than awestruck.
"I read about this!" she chirped, happy to remember. "But why would I dream of you?"
"Because I willed it," Lumina said.
"...huh?"
The moth's smile grew a fraction and she hopped down to stand in front of Penny. A part of the sidewalk rose to elevate her, putting both girls at an even height.
"You are not a real person," she told Penny gently, whose expression fell. Hope blossomed with what followed, though: "Not yet, at least. But I am the ruler of dreams and so I gift you the ability to dream. From now and forevermore. Consider it a belated apology for the injuries I caused you."
Penny's eyes widened, then blurred as a surge of emotion ran through her. She had wondered ever since she learned of her father's actions. Wiping at her face in confusion, she felt wetness on her fingers. Moreover, all of a sudden, she felt her heart beat.
"W-What is this?"
"This is a dream," Lumina answered kindly. "You can do anything and be anything here. So for now you are human."
She swayed, caught in a maelstrom of emotion from trepidation to joy. After hugging herself, Penny leapt at Lumina and crushed her in a big hug as well. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Is this really okay? How did you do it?"
Her exuberance did not abate at all. Penny started hopping in excitement as she babbled, carrying Lumina along. Even when she eventually let go, Penny still beamed at the smiling girl. Lumina seemed mostly amused while she indulged her questions.
"As I said, I am the ruler of dreams."
She made to say more, but stopped and glared to the side. Penny's head turned as well and she found Ghost right there in the crowd, staring at them. "And you are not...." Lumina began, only to trail off. She heaved a faint sigh. "Whatever. Make no trouble, vessel."
"I still don't understand why you hate Ghost so much," Penny admitted. It remained sad they did not get along.
Lumina scowled in turn but ultimately shook her head. "It matters little now. I have more important matters to attend than my old grudges. Tell me, Penny: were you told of the four Maidens? The four Relics? Salem?"
She could only shake her head slowly, prompting a somewhat more sinister smile from Lumina. "Because as much as I would like to give you this and be on my way," she continued, "I have more to tell you. And a request to make."
Penny was all ears.
Meanwhile, Ruby Rose dreamt of killing Beowulves under the moonlight. She grinned as the final beast died under her scythe, bullet casings lining the blanket of snow surrounding her. A crunch made her turn around to face new adversaries, only to stop dead as she beheld the spitting image of herself.
"Grimm? Why are you in my dreams again?"
Only after asking the question did she realise this was not Grimm; for one, while He looked eerily similar, He still appeared distinctly masculine. This person was softer and her face was different. Ruby knew it nonetheless, even without adding the forlorn, devastated expression into the equation.
"Wait. Mom?"
Summer Rose smiled weakly as she drank in the sight of her daughter. Ruby herself did not quite know what to say or do; it had been a while since she dreamt of her mother. Those dreams normally continued into hugging her tightly, or being the one hugged and assured all would be well.
Only this time Summer stepped closer with clear hesitance. She sped up when Ruby stayed in place, gently grasping her shoulders to look her over. Her smile was tender but tearful.
"Just look at you," she whispered. "All grown up. Strong and beautiful."
Her voice broke while Ruby stared at the irregular dream mom; she had no time to even ask what was going on, though. Summer pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace. She trembled, holding onto her daughter for dear life.
"I'm so, so sorry I missed it all. My little bud."
Ruby's arms rose slowly, almost mechanically closing around Summer's back. She was only a hair shorter than her mother. This was how it normally went, yet not even close. More than that, Ruby was almost painfully aware of her surroundings; this was not the usual, hazy dreamscape. Peering over Summer's shoulder, she spotted Grimm leaning at a nearby tree.
"What's going on?"
His eyes opened to meet her desperate gaze evenly, each a crimson blaze. "Unfortunate circumstances forced a change in paradigms," Grimm explained somberly. "Let me assure you this is no mere construct."
And then He was gone, unwilling to disturb them further. Summer chuckled weakly, her hold on Ruby loosening.
"Weird man, him. I heard he looks like my son because you helped him out."
Ruby slowly began to comprehend what was going on. Her grasp grew stronger. "M-Mom?" she could not help but ask, unable to believe it. "It's you? For real?"
"For real," Summer confirmed sadly. "It's me. And I'm so proud of you."
They finally separated to look each other over. Ruby tried to burn every detail of Summer's face into memory; they had the same silver eyes, the same hair. Summer did the same to her even as Ruby began to lose composure.
"What happened?" she asked weakly. "I don't understand, why are you here? Why like this? Where did you go?" Ruby sniffled. "Why didn't you come back?"
Seeing her daughter's eyes fill with tears, Summer pulled her into another hug.
"Hush now, it's okay. I'm here now. We have time."
Ruby cried. The old wound tore open in full, hurting more than it did in years. She was so confused in every way imaginable, happy and sad in equal measures. Old grief rose from the back of Ruby's heart to accompany the fresh feelings.
Summer held her close throughout it all. A hand softly stroked her back as she cried, a voice whispered reassurances to her. Ruby did not hear any of them and yet the burden slowly lifted. It was a long time since she shed tears like this; by the end she hung limply in her mother's arms. Summer sighed softly, cradling her head.
"Again, I am so sorry. I should have been there for you, there is no excuse."
Silence answered; Ruby was so scared that the spectre would vanish, she could not bring herself to speak at first. Her arms rose slowly, wrapping tightly around Summer to keep her there. A question burned in Ruby's mind, something she had to know.
"Tell me what happened?"
Summer stiffened noticeably. She hesitated for long moments before pulling her daughter closer. "That... is part of why I am here. I hate putting this on you right now, but you need to know: Lumina is dead."
Despite attempts to keep her close, Ruby jerked back far enough to stare at her mother askance. She could only mouth a silent 'what', which prompted a mirthless smile from Summer who went on: "That's how we met and how she opened the path to see you. She died by the hand of the same person as I. And believe you me, my little bud," she whispered as her eyes began to gleam a sickly orange, "this nightmare will end before long."
"M-Mom?"
Be it her voice or the audible fear Ruby felt at the sight, the light winked out in an instant. Summer grimaced.
"Sorry about that. I have... strong feelings on the matter. It's because of Salem that I couldn't see you grow into such a wonderful young woman. I'm going to pay her back for that, with interest."
She absently swiped a strand of hair from Ruby's face. "Lumina would have told you herself, but I asked her to let me do it. She's talking to a few others right now."
Ruby nodded slowly, even if nothing really made sense. She felt surprisingly fine despite the news her newest friend was gone, maybe because she apparently was not?
"I don't understand. What's going on?"
This earned her another of those mirthless smiles; there was a definite edge to it, though. "Salem finally made a mistake is what's going on," Summer told her. "She commands the creatures of Grimm and engineers struggle across Remnant. She wants to destroy humanity."
Here her smile turned into an actual grin despite her daughter's wide-eyed stare. "And not long ago she decided to murder Lumina for refusing to comply with her demands. I heard you two know each other, so you can guess how well she took that."
Another slow nod was all she could give in response. She saw Lumina raging before, but this? It felt far greater than what happened in Vale. Not to mention it still made no sense. "But, when?" she asked next. "How did she even find this Salem? And how is she doing this?"
Unfortunately, Summer could only shrug. "She didn't tell me when or how. I imagine she learned of Salem and went to investigate."
"...while I was busy making her weapon. Oh no, oh no, if I'd been there then she wouldn't-" "shush."
A finger landed on Ruby's lips, cutting off the spiral of guilt she was swiftly working up to. Her glittering eyes focussed back on Summer who shook her head. "You being there wouldn't have made a difference, except for producing another corpse. I'm glad she went alone, or I probably would have killed her myself. Don't blame yourself, you couldn't know."
Ruby averted her gaze, understanding but also ashamed that she let her friend go alone. That was until Summer let go of her. Ruby's head snapped back up as her mother took a little bit of distance, smiling.
"Don't worry," she soothed, "I'm not leaving just yet. And I will be back soon enough, we can talk more. But for now there are things I need to tell you." She visibly hesitated there; it felt as if she was not happy with what had to be said next: "Lumina and I, we need your help to bring down Salem."
Ruby's eyes widened at that. "Wait, really? Me?" A nod. "But why? I barely made Huntress a month ago. What about Dad or Qrow? Or, err, what of Raven? They're all way stronger than me."
Summer huffed at that. "I give you Tai and Qrow," she agreed. "But I'd rather spare them the heartache for now. They're known quantities, too. You can still fly under the radar for a bit. And from what I heard, your semblance is pretty useful for what we have in mind."
She frowned minutely before addressing Ruby's final point: "Raven herself would agree that this is not for her. She is too likely to break away partway through."
"She never struck me that way. She's always so confident about everything."
"You met her?" Summer asked back, receiving a nod. "She never came back for Yang, did she?"
"Wha-, how did you know?"
Ruby earned a melancholic smile for her surprise. Summer shook her head. "Because I know my partner. Raven is my best friend, little bud. I'm probably still the only one she has ever opened up to."
Seeing her daughter's expression gave Summer pause. "You're going to bring this up with her, won't you?" she guessed. The younger woman nodded, prompting a sigh from the older one.
Silence descended for long seconds during which Summer visibly fought with herself. In the end she leaned closer. "I promised her and myself I would take it to the grave with me." she began. "And I did. If you really want to help her, and help her help herself, you need to know this: Raven is a coward, deep down."
"...wait, what?"
Ruby had trouble believing what she just heard. For a moment she even suspected a prank of some sort. But Summer gave no such indication; if anything, she seemed even more melancholic now.
"Surprising, no? But this is how it is. Fear motivates her every move. She's afraid of being taken advantage of, so she accumulated as much personal power as she could. She shuns people for fear of rejection. She fears even her own daughter as well as the prospect of failing in raising her. That's why she left and cried herself to sleep for a year. It's a dichotomy you must never, ever reveal to anyone. Raven gets attached so easily, but she fears even these attachments of hers. Everything else is a mask she carries to hide the fear."
She stood there dumbfounded, listening to her mother speak. Of all the things Ruby thought might go through Raven's head, this was absolutely not among them. At all. But if it was true, then maybe she could help?
"Maybe she just needs a push?"
"That's what I thought when I encouraged her to accept Tai's proposal," Summer answered sadly. "We both know how that ended. Mind, I decked her after she left, but I should have seen it coming. If you really want to include her in this, be mindful of her. Raven cares about everyone she gets to know the slightest bit. She will never say it. But despite that, cowardice is her driving force."
After allowing herself another sigh, Summer's smile returned ever so faintly. "Now with that out of the way, let's get to it. What's your favourite fairy tale?"
