Title: Dancers in the Dark
Pairings: Raven/Taiyang, Taiyang/Summer, Raven/Summer if you squint
A/N: This started out as some Qrow and Raven sibling stuff and blew into QRTS angst pretty quickly. Not much Taiyang though. Sorry Tai, I'll write you and your girls one day.
He had been sober the last time they spoke. That was years ago, back before everything between them fell apart. Back when Yang - his niece, her daughter (the word tasted bitter in his mouth) – was just an hour old, and he was happy because I'm going to be an uncle and Taiyang grinning at his child and Summer had cooed over the baby and Raven…
Raven wore a blank expression. She was neither happy nor sad. She simply stared at the bundle in Taiyang's arms. She was unreadable.
He sat on the edge of her hospital bed, crossing his arms and studying the hospital room. She gave birth in the dead of the night after being in labour for hours. According to Summer, Taiyang had been the victim of verbal insults for the majority of the time. He put up with it all, though. He had to, for Raven's sake.
All four adults in the room looked worse for wear; Taiyang looked as if he had not slept or washed in days, Summer was wearing her pyjamas, and Qrow sported heavy bags under his eyes. But, he noted as he glanced around the room, most of them (save Raven) seemed relieved and upbeat. Qrow grinned down at his twin, who had kept her eyes locked on Yang.
"Wild ride, eh?" he joked, nudging her side. She jolted and snapped her eyes to Qrow. He blinked. For a split-second, he swore he caught a glimpse of fear in her crimson pupils, but it quickly reverted to a blank expression. Raven opened her mouth and closed it, almost as if she were afraid to say anything. Qrow glanced at Summer and Taiyang, who were both still fawning over the baby. He leaned in closer to his sister, frowning.
"Are you alright?" he whispered. She said nothing in response. "Raven?"
Silence.
Panic washed over him. They had read about the worst case scenarios during labour and he had been pulling his hair out in fear of what could happen to his twin and his niece. Did something wrong happen? Was she worried about the mortality rates?
She couldn't have been. Her child's aura was a mix of Xiao Long and Branwen. Taiyang, who possessed the most aura out of Team QRTS. Branwen, the twins that could endure anything. Raven and her daughter would be fine, albeit a bit shaken. No, there was something else wrong.
Qrow grasped at her shoulder, red eyes staring at red. "Raven!"
Summer and Taiyang snapped their heads up at Qrow's raised voice. Both of his hands were placed on her shoulders, while she was frozen in place. They glanced at each other before rushing to the twins, Taiyang carrying his child in his arms. Raven glanced at her daughter for a moment before locking her eyes back on Qrow.
She shuddered. "I… sorry. I don't know... what came over me."
Her voice was shaking. She couldn't get any words out for them to hear. Qrow stroked her forehead, while Taiyang sat on the other side of the bed and held out the child to her. Raven eyed the bundle of blankets and hesitantly took her.
She smiled at the baby, who was sound asleep in her arms. Already golden locks adorned her crown, and when she opened her eyes Raven would be met with her husband's iliac pupils. Taiyang had taken the time to explain every detail of his daughter to Qrow over the scroll. He sounded so passionate when talking.
"Hey there," Qrow grinned. "I'm your uncle."
"And I'm your aunt," Summer added. "Well, technically not your aunt, I mean I'm not related to these guys, but… I guess you're going to consider me your aunt?" She scratched the back of her neck and let out a nervous chuckle.
"Have you decided on a name?" Qrow asked. Raven shook her head in reply.
"Yang," Taiyang suggested. "Yang Xiao Long."
Qrow bit back a comment of how narcissistic do you have to be to name your kid after yourself and stared at the baby – at Yang. Oddly enough, it sort of fit. She was the splitting image of her father, but he could see his sister in her as well. He had a niece, and her name was Yang.
He didn't know how long they spent fawning over Yang, but when he looked up again the sun was up and the doctors were asking to take Yang away for aura testing. Summer and Taiyang went to fetch breakfast per Raven's request, leaving the twins alone in the room. Qrow sat near the window, gazing down at the city below. Even early in the morning the streets were bustling with life. Cars speed on the roads, people were enjoying their coffee, and Signal students were making their way to the prestigious academy.
It was just like any other day, yet Qrow's entire world had changed for good.
A sudden cough from the bed interrupted his train of thought. Raven was calling for him. He rushed to her side instantly, just as he did when they were young and he had sworn to protect her no matter what. He grabbed her hand and squeezed.
"You're a mum," he said. Raven rolled her eyes, sitting up.
"I know, dumbass," she retorted. Qrow grinned widely, waiting for his twin to do the same. The smile faded when she kept her straight face. Raven had barely twitched the corners of her lips upwards since he had entered the room. Something was very, very wrong with his sister. "Qrow, you'll be a good uncle, right?"
Qrow was taken aback. "Have you met me?" he pointed at himself, looking incredulous. "I'm the best damn uncle there is, and I've only been on for a day."
Raven nodded in agreement, surprising Qrow. Usually she would berate him for acting like a fool and remind him of the image they had to uphold as hunters.
"Why?" he asked.
"Yang."
It was all she could say before their partners barged into the room, carrying take-away and laughing eccentrically. Not another word of their previous conversation was spoken as the twins began feasting with their team. After they were done, Summer had offered Qrow and Taiyang a ride home. Taiyang refused ("I've spent two days in this place and I ain't coming back without my wife and kid.") while Qrow accepted.
When he reached his place, he fell onto his couch and passed out immediately.
Then he was woken up by an alarming ring.
Jumping up, he stumbled over the coffee table and reached for his scroll. There were six missed calls and a dozen messages, all from Taiyang, Summer, and – he widened his eyes – Ozpin. He furrowed his brow as the scroll vibrated violently in his grasp. Summer was calling him.
"What happened?" was the first thing he said when he answered. He could hear frantic shouting, Taiyang raging and a baby crying from the other line.
"It's Raven," Summer answered, voice cracking. Qrow leaned on the wall for support, clutching at the scroll until his knuckles turned white. His heart pounded against his ribcage. He feared the worst for his sister and niece.
"What happened to Raven?"
There was a moment silence. "Raven's gone," Summer answered. "She left the hospital. She left – Yang's still here. We don't know where she is."
A thousand emotions overcame him at once, but one stood out above all others.
Pure rage.
"I'm coming."
He ended the call and smashed the scroll into the wall, cursing. Raven was gone. His sister, who had been by his side through thick and thin, had left them. Left her brother, husband, best friend and daughter.
He found Taiyang raging before the empty hospital bed and Summer comforting the still-wailing Yang. His heart shattered.
Their team was broken, and it was his sister's fault.
It was Yang's birthday.
Raven stared at the small party her team made for her daughter from the top branch of a tall oak tree. It was dusk, and they had a picnic for girl who just turned six. Even from her position, she could still see the resemblance between Taiyang and Yang. She was his little dragon indeed.
Summer's daughter ran alongside Yang, giggling with delight. She was a mirror image of Summer, save the white cloak that her mother wore everywhere she went. She bore a ruby-red cloak instead. It suited her, Raven mused.
Taiyang hadn't changed a bit. He still made terrible puns – she had to stop herself from snapping "Barb damn it, Tai" at one point. Her heart ached for him. She wondered if he felt the same.
Her brother, much like her, was staring at the scene from a distance. Unlike her, however, he would talk to the girls when they approached him. She doubted they would talk to her if they saw her anyway. The mask would have scared them off.
Then there was Summer. Raven cast her eyes onto her best friend. She could have loathed her for marrying Taiyang, but Raven was just as much in the wrong. Summer was the best thing for Tai. Raven was not. She couldn't begin to imagine what Taiyang would have been like had Summer not been there. She thought of possible scenarios, and all made her shudder. She couldn't shake off the guilt within her chest.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Someone was looking at her. She searched around for the culprit, before crimson eyes rested on shocked silver.
Summer Rose saw her.
She cursed under her breath, berating herself for being so careless. She wasn't supposed to be seen by anyone. She was supposed to be kept in the shadows, concealed from the human and faunus eye. Summer wasn't supposed to know she was there. She had to run away from there, make another portal and disappear.
Raven watched as Summer's lips mouthed her name, and she froze. Her legs refused to move. Leaning on the tree trunk for support, she prayed to whatever deity she could think of that Summer would ignore her. She watched as Taiyang approached her and whispered something in her ear.
Summer shook her head and called the sisters inside for dinner. The family moved inside, but not before Summer took one last glance at her.
Raven sighed.
She would have to be more careful.
A month had passed before Raven and Summer met again. It was a pure coincidence; Summer was out on a mission to hunt down a Grimm, and Raven happened to be in the area. At least, that was what Summer had told her.
It was an autumn night, and the countless stars in the sky were hidden by pitch black clouds. Lightning and rain poured down on the two huntresses. Crimson pupils glared at silver eyes from behind her mask.
"What are you doing here?" Raven snapped. Summer looked taken aback.
"Raven," Summer reached out for her former teammate, trembling, "it is you."
The tip of Summer's fingers brushed against Raven's armour. The huntress flinched, stepping away from the other. Summer let her arm fall in defeat, swallowing.
"I need your help," she said. Raven narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"With what?"
"I'm tracking down a Grimm," Summer reached for her pocket and pulled out her scroll, edging closer to the other woman. Raven snatched the scroll.
GRIMM WANTED:
?
CLASS: ?
APPEARANCE: ?
SIZE: ?
OTHER INFORMATION: ?
DANGER: **********
IF DISCOVERED, DO NOT KILL. BRING TO BEACON INSTEAD.
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY HEADMASTER OZPIN OF BEACON ACADEMY.
Raven handed the scroll back to Summer and slowly removed her mask. Summer blinked in surprise when she finally saw Raven's face.
She had not aged a day.
She was about to joke about whatever cream that Raven was using, but was cut off by the woman herself.
"I know what it is you're looking for."
"You do?"
"I know where it is."
"You do?" Summer repeated. "Is it close?"
For the first time in years, Raven smiled. The feeling ached her muscles. "I can take you to it."
Summer grinned back, wrapping her arms around Raven. "Oh thank you!" she cried, burying herself in Raven's shoulder. The other woman patted her back awkwardly. "We can defeat it together and come home together! I'm sure Tai and Qrow will forgive you if I tell them to, and then you can be a mum for Yang-"
Raven pushed Summer away, forcing out a quiet chuckle. "How about we finish your mission first?"
Summer nodded, humming in agreement. "Where is it?"
"There's a clearing not too far from here." Raven grasped Summer's hand, leading her through the forest at a fast pace. Wind began picking up, roaring in both of their ears. A tree fell down their immediate right, narrowly missing the startled Summer. Raven could hear her former teammate talking, but couldn't distinguish the words above the deafening sound of the gales. So, she pretended not to hear.
The clearing was ordinary. All that was in it was a simple stone ruin; a small tower, only as tall as Summer. Raven let go of Summer's hand (she already missed the feeling) and gestured at the ruin. Summer stepped forward, her back facing Raven, and stared at the ruin with wide eyes. To her amazement it seemed to be completely unaffected by the weather.
"Is this it, Rae?" Summer shouted, turning around. "Where is the – "
She froze on the spot. Raven was donning the mask once again, one hand firmly grasping the hilt of her weapon. Her crimson eyes flashed with blood lust. She was radiating pure energy, but not aura. No, it was something Summer had felt before. It was…
Grimm.
"I believe the Grimm you are looking for," Raven's voice was a whisper, but somehow it carried over the wind and was the loudest thing Summer heard, "is me."
She lunged forward, faster than Summer had ever seen her move before, until she was clutching Summer's arm and holding her in place. Her sword was unsheathed and she was pressing it against Summer's chest.
"R-Raven?" she whimpered.
She said nothing.
"What happened to you?"
Without warning, the swordswoman swung downwards, glaring at the other. Summer jumped back quickly, leaving pure white petals in her wake. Furious tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. She blinked them back, unsheathing her own weapon - a rapier that could shift into a crossbow, packed with dust bullets for arrows. She switched it into the crossbow form, aiming at Raven, finger shaking on the trigger. Small droplets of blood fell from her shoulder, mixing with the rain in the grass below.
Raven tilted her head, glancing at the blood that dripped from the end of her sword. "You want to know what happened to me?"
Her voice was void of all emotion.
"It's none of your concern."
"Bull shit," Summer snarled. Raven was taken aback. Summer rarely swore. "It is my concern."
"Since when?" Raven retorted. "You-"
"SINCE YOU LEFT US WITH YOUR DAUGHTER, YOU – YOU – YOU JERK!" Summer's voice was shaking with rage. With a furious cry, she switched her weapon back to its blade form and attacked Raven with rapid stabs. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HEARTBROKEN WE WERE? QROW CAN BARELY LOOK AT HER, TAIYANG IS STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU AND…"
The swords clinked against each other, sparking with every impact. Both huntresses were locked in an intense battle, and both were radiating pure anger. Summer was glowering, Raven was glaring. They clashed at the same time, lunging forward at each other.
"…AND YANG…"
She choked back a sob, refusing to show weakness in front of her teammate – no, not anymore, that creature is not Raven – and stared defiantly down.
"Yang doesn't even know who you are," she finished, quietening her voice. She saw Raven blinked from behind the mask. If she was surprised by this information, Summer couldn't tell. "I have lied to her for six years for you, and you tell me that's not my concern?" Her voice rose to a shrill. "Fine then, Raven Branwen, tell me what the fuck I should concern myself with?"
Raven paused. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you still here?" Raven lowered her sword slightly, narrowing her eyes. "Why are you telling me all of this?"
"Because of Yang," Summer answered, tightening her grip on the hilt.
Raven's arm dropped to her side, her sword carved into the ground. "Why do you want me back?"
The corners of Summer's lips twitched upwards in a bittersweet smile. "because you're still part of our team."
Raven stepped forward, reaching for Summer with an outstretched hand. Summer's eyes lit up with hope. Even with one of them wearing a mask, they were connected.
Suddenly, Raven gave a strangled cry and stumbled backwards, on hand on her sword and the other clutching her face. She screamed, pulling at the Grimm mask. Summer rushed forward in a panic, heart racing in her chest.
The mask fell to the ground, and her knees followed suit.
She felt nothing for a moment, then pain.
It was unbearable. It felt like something was twisting her insides and burning her all at once. She looked down at her chest. A familiar red blade was stuck in her. She coughed blood, fearing to see what her former teammate was doing.
Raven was grinning maliciously, proud of what she had accomplished. Then she was frowning. Then, an expression of shock registered over her face as she pulled back her sword and flung it to the side, catching Summer as she fell down.
"I didn't – I didn't – Summer, Summer, I don't –"
Her coat, which was once pure white, was quickly turning blood red. Silver eyes that had once looked at Raven with admiration and adorning were locked with betrayal and worry. Summer struggled to lift her hand.
"It's my fault, It's my fault, It's my fault, It's my fault," Raven cried.
"R-Ruby… Yang…" she whimpered. Raven froze. "…Raven…"
The huntress fell silent, and the Grimm's wails echoed in the forest.
Qrow paced in the living room of his house, glancing at his clock with worry. Summer was three weeks late from her mission, and he was fearing the worst. Ozpin had given them a brief meeting on the mission at hand (although, as usual, he kept them in the dark about most of it) and said that Summer was the most suited for the job. Qrow and Taiyang had no problem with the decision – with his sister gone, Summer was the best combatant on their team – and promised to take care of the girls while she was gone.
But she had been missing for weeks, and Ruby and Yang were starting to ask where she was. No one knew what to tell them. No one knew the answer.
A sudden crash from upstairs froze Qrow in his tracks. It was coming from the bedroom. He rushed upstairs, unsheathing his weapon, and kicked down the door.
Someone was setting Summer down on the bed. He couldn't see who it was – they were wearing a black cloak, their face covered by a Grimm Mask and hair hidden underneath a hood. Their red gauntlets hovered over Summer's cloak for a moment. Qrow's heart leapt into his throat when he saw the blood that stained her cloak.
He ignored the obvious 'who are you' question and asked venomously, "what the fuck are you doing?"
The hooded figure pulled their hand back and reached inside their cloak, turning away from Qrow. He opened his mouth to repeat the question, but was cut off.
"I killed Summer Rose."
It was a she, but her voice was warped beyond anything human. Qrow shuddered. There was something unsettling about her. Tightening his grip on his weapon, he prepared to shift it into a scythe. The woman took out her own weapon, and his fell to the ground in shock.
A pulsing red and black orb appeared in front of the woman. He cursed and leapt forward, arm outstretched. His fingers barely reached the hood and he pulled back.
"R-Raven?"
She slapped away his hand and stepped into the portal.
Qrow fell to his knees.
He was a mess. He knew it. He couldn't remember the last time he had been sober.
But at least he wasn't a traitor.
He glared at her, rage rising within him.
"Hello sister," he spat.
I miss you
She was a traitor. She was a liar, a deceiver, and a Grimm. She did not deserve the title of sister, friend, huntress… mother.
Being a drunk was far more credible than whatever she was.
She stared blankly at him, the mask that she had come to despise in her hands. He spat a venomous greeting at her.
"You're pathetic."
I'm sorry.