Chapter Two: A Smaller, More Honest Soul
Another Time and Place
Ozpin saw Raven refuse him a second time. He knew that without her child the next silver-eyed warrior would have no protector, no family to guide her in the inevitable battle with Salem. Raven was stubborn… and he had only so much power he could afford to dole on her.
There had to be another way. There had to be some alternative…
But she would betray him eventually. There was no reason to waste his effort on Raven Branwen. Even if it meant the next cycle of battle would be the last one.
He relaxed his grip and thought on where else he could invest his efforts, and what other forces he could muster if this was truly to be his last opportunity to defeat Salem...
Now
Raven cried out upon feeling Salem's fingers run over her forehead again, the witch's hand reaching deep into her mind and fishing once again without regard for her mental anguish. She didn't want to give Salem the satisfaction of betraying pain, and for the first few visits she'd managed to bear the hurt and pressure well enough. By the fifth time she couldn't help but scream. She wasn't sure which visit this was, but either Salem hadn't yet found what she was looking for or she was starting to enjoy her constantly screaming in his ear when she poked Raven's brain with cold, sharp tendrils.
The memories flashed by one after another. Salem's first sojourn into her mind had been orderly, with events played in chronological order. Then she narrowed his search to instances of particularly strong emotion, and Raven started actively resisting her prodding so to try and conceal something she wasn't certain she knew, about the other piece of Ozpin's magic now housed within her.
But Salem paid that no heed. Salem didn't care about the Maiden power within Raven, or at least that wasn't her only target in perusing Raven's mind. Instead a particular few memories caught the witch's attention: the moment when Raven finally acted on her feelings for Tai and kissed him -despite so many warning signs going off in her head- and a moment when Raven decided to save the daughter she'd had with Tai, fending off an assailant on a train bound to Vale from Mountain Glenn.
When Salem finally withdrew from her, Raven's head was throbbing. Ozpin was standing a few feet away, staring out the window of Salem's keep to barren red rocks in the distance. "What was the purpose of all that?" Raven demanded, speaking to Ozpin's back rather than the witch before her.
"I wanted to know what made you so different from the Raven Branwen we know," Ozpin coolly replied. "Did you find it, my queen?"
"I did," Salem confirmed. "It seems this one did as she was bid and fell in love with her teammate, as you'd intended her to."
"Wait, what?" Raven demanded. She'd known it had been a very odd day; one where she actively fought against some strange instinct, some fear that kept her from reaching out to Taiyang. At the time she'd believed that things would end badly and ruin things between them, and more than that, she'd steal Tai away before Summer had the chance to tell him how she felt about him. It had been a struggle, but Raven had convinced herself to act and for a time –an all too brief time, it now seemed- she'd been happy with him.
Why did Ozpin want Tai and herself to be together?
"That makes sense," Ozpin nodded. "I was prepared to invest considerable effort in her then. I very nearly did… but when I thought about the talent I'd already bestowed on her and her brother, I knew it'd be more trouble than it was worth."
"What did you do to me, Oz?" Raven demanded. "What are you even talking about?"
"A road not taken," Ozpin replied. "At least for me. For you, it seems… a turning point. One of the first, perhaps…"
Ozpin finally turned around to face her. "I believed that you could contribute to my mission, when Salem and I were still at odds. I was wrong to ever place my faith in you… but what should I have expected? You came into my house so you could learn how to kill me, so you could steal my knowledge and bring it back to your tribe. Your love for your new teammates was the only thing that kept you under my sway, at least for a time."
Raven tried not to dwell on what –exactly- Ozpin had done to manipulate her, though she badly wished to know. Instead she focused on something much more pertinent: "And you were using us in your little war with Salem. When did you finally decide to stop?"
"When it became clear that humanity wasn't worth saving," Ozpin bleakly replied. "You weren't the only one who factored into my decision… but you certainly helped."
Raven couldn't believe it. Ozpin had always been a fool, but she'd never once expected him to abandon his foolish dream. She thought he'd die pointlessly –again and again- and fight Salem until he had no more power to reincarnate and he thoughtlessly sacrificed one generation of allies after another.
But then, Ozpin had made curious allowances for Salem before. Raven distinctly recalled telling him what happened to Summer, and Oz hadn't been at all surprised… and she'd wondered if he'd allowed it to happen…
Raven turned her attention to Salem now, looking in those deep pools of red for any sign, any flicker. Raven hoped the mad witch wouldn't confirm her fear… but if Salem did it'd at least reassure Raven some things hadn't changed in this strange place she now found herself in.
Salem betrayed nothing to Raven, the witch turning her attention to Ozpin instead. "I found something else that might help us… a particular memory that stood out to me."
"Oh?" Ozpin inquired, turning from Raven and fixating all his attention on his queen.
"There was another she bound her Semblance to –a life I have never seen- that Raven went to save in her own place and time," Salem explained. "And she saved that life from one of ours'; one of the girls in Jaune's cabal."
"You recognized her?" Ozpin asked.
"It seems she was not so different in that life as she is in this one," Salem observed. "She may be able to contribute something for us."
"Very well," Ozpin agreed. "I'll leave it to you, my love. In the meantime… I will take our guest somewhere to ruminate."
Raven didn't get a chance to offer a snide remark before a blow from Ozpin's cane turned everything dark.
Mistral
Raven's right arm was bothering her. The wound left by the Spring Knight was acting up again, and she tried to reach over and massage it with her left hand, to try and soothe the pain and coax it back down. But when she tried to raise her left arm Raven found herself unable to, and opened her eyes, finding each wrist bound by a length of rope, her back pressed to a wooden chair with her ankles bound to the legs of her seat. Raven glanced frantically around, but didn't have far to find her captor: the Spring Knight, flanked by the short orange-haired girl and the tall, blue-eyed blonde boy.
Raven set at once to try and free herself, thrashing about in her chair. If she could find her sword it'd be simplicity itself to open a tear and move through her portal to Qrow or Tai –or Ruby, wherever she was- but if she tried to move while bound like this she'd tumble through the gate ensnared and unable to guide herself… and she'd use an enormous amount of Aura opening a gap without channeling it through her blade.
She tried not to focus on her adversary, scanning the room in search of her quarry. "Where's Ruby?" Raven demanded, more snarl than words.
"Why?" the orange-haired girl replied. "How do you know her?"
Raven glared at the Spring Knight. The way the girl stood beside him, protecting him from Raven's clear animosity, Raven was not at all inclined to reveal the truth. If they hadn't figured it out yet, so much the better Raven protect Ruby from these dangerous people traveling with her… at least until she could free herself and put a stop to the Spring Knight.
Raven focused on stalling for time, turning her attention to the tall blonde boy. "I don't know what they've told you, but Ruby's… you can't let them take Ruby to their mistress. If she doesn't enslave her outright, Salem will just whisper lies in her ear." Raven jerked her head at the Spring Knight. "Just as she did with this one."
"Who –exactly- do you think Ren is supposed to be?" the blonde boy asked. "And why do you want to keep Ruby away from him? Just take a few seconds and explain… maybe we can figure all this out."
Ren? Raven thought she faintly recalled hearing the Spring Knight called by that name, though she couldn't recall where. When they fought he never identified himself: he was intently focused on the fight and his objective. He was a deadly opponent who didn't bother with pleasantries.
And indeed, the boy in green with such bright pink eyes seemed much the same: focused and quiet. But when Raven looked at him again, she did see an incongruity… where was his scar? Only by the slimmest chance had the Spring Knight avoided Raven chopping his nose off. Only because he'd dug his dagger into her right arm and staggered her swing.
Salem could've healed her beloved son… she could've repaired the wound Raven inflicted so her prize would remain undamaged. But there was so much else wrong here… so much that didn't add up and Raven needed answers. She didn't want to risk betraying anything to her captors, but she did need to know more… and keeping them talking might distract them while she discreetly removed her bindings.
"Okay," Raven agreed. "I… my name is Raven Branwen Xiao Long. I'm a huntress."
All true so far. Nothing that should throw them off just yet.
Raven thought she heard a gasp from somewhere else. She glanced around the room, to the couches and chairs and coffee table to the various exits to other areas: a kitchen, a staircase, hallways… someone could easily be hiding around one of those corners listening in. "Ruby…?" Raven hopefully inquired.
The orange-haired girl stepped close, filling up Raven's frame of vision. "What's your deal with Ren?"
Raven didn't want to answer that just yet… or at least not specify the reason she felt the way she did. She tried to look past the short girl to the Spring Knight at her rear. "If he's who he appears to be… he and I have fought each other several times. Salem sent him to capture me."
Well, perhaps it wasn't Salem who gave the order. Perhaps it was her king…
"Why would I be working for Salem?" the Spring Knight –Ren?- asked her. "Salem sent her agents to attack Beacon. Her subordinate killed my friend…" He glanced at the other two, and Raven noticed their expressions become very tense, "…and then she sent another one to kidnap Ruby. I tried to protect her from him, but it was her uncle who fought him off."
Some of this information stacked with what Raven knew. Qrow adored Ruby and would fight to protect her, both for the sake of his niece and to assuage his wounded conscience after losing Summer on one of Ozpin's missions… and then fighting even harder after realizing exactly why Ozpin sent her out there.
But there were too many inconsistencies. Raven experienced a similar issue when she found her camp and found so many unfamiliar faces among the bandits. Raven had been careful not to overplay her hand, but she'd been desperate for any sign of Ruby, and was only too happy to hear that one of her daughter's teammates was in their custody… it was a lead she'd have been only too happy to follow had that blonde girl not shown up to interfere.
Raven tried to speculate how she got here. She thought on what Ruby told her: about Beacon's fall, about Ozpin directing them-
Ozpin.
Raven looked up at the Spring Knight, addressing him rather than his orange-haired friend in her path. "Where is Professor Ozpin?"
They exchanged looks again. "He's… dead," the blue-eyed blonde boy replied.
He was a terrible liar. Raven shook her head, but humored him by playing along. "Again?"
His eyes widened. He knew. How odd it was for Ozpin to share his secrets… he'd so jealously guarded them for so long… he'd only been open and trusting when they first met. Raven thought it was an act, a thin veneer to draw her into a false sense of security or a façade he adopted to gain the trust of naïve young students before revealing his true face. But he'd kept the truth of his nature from all but STRQ. Why did these children know?
Tai had taken Ruby to Beacon when Ozpin's mask was still up. He'd still believed in Ozpin's better nature even when it became increasingly clear they were all just means to an end for him…
Raven had to see her. She had to know that whatever had happened to Ruby here her daughter would be safe from Salem's grip. And whatever lies he now presented, the Spring Knight would inevitably do as his queen commanded and steal Ruby away, just as he had before.
Was she in the past, somehow? Ruby had said the boy was her friend once, and in her youthful innocence she'd trusted him and fallen right into his hand. Raven needed to find a way to convince Ruby that the Spring Knight was in thrall to the queen of the Grimm and would betray her.
"Where is Ruby?" Raven asked again. "Please… I just need to know she's safe… I just… I just want to-"
If she revealed the truth she'd give useful information to the Spring Knight and these two children fighting alongside him. If she admitted Ruby was-
But she couldn't help it. Raven tried to open a portal and jump to her and found nothing. She'd thought her child died, and that pain hurt far worse than the wounds in her arm. She couldn't quite suppress her emotion enough to deny that Ruby was-
"Please," Raven said again, tears welling up now. "Please let me see my daughter."
Another gasp. Raven recognized the voice. "Ruby? Ruby?!"
She heard shuffling: multiple sets of shoes on the wooden floor. Someone was ushering Ruby away. The orange-haired girl put herself in the path of Raven's vision again. "Ruby!"
Oscar hadn't realized he'd taken hold of Ruby's hand to lead her away; he'd just reached out to the general vicinity of her arm when he pulled her back before she rushed out. Ruby was still struggling a bit in his grip, and for such a small girl she was surprisingly strong.
"Stop it," Ruby insisted. "I have to talk to her; I have to know what's going on! Why is she still keeping my Dad's name? Why does she think I'm her daughter? Why does she think Ren's working for Salem?"
Oscar was glad she hadn't blurted any of this out while Raven was in earshot. But then, he also had no idea where to begin with any of those questions. He tried to be reassuring. "I'm sure that Mister Arc and the others can gain some insight. If you can be patient we'll figure out what's going on."
"There's something very wrong here," Ruby muttered. "I'm not sure what's going on, but what she thinks about Ren –what she thinks about me- it's all just… wrong."
Oscar thought quickly. "Qrow. Qrow will know how to talk to her."
Ruby only nodded, before turning her silver eyes down to Oscar's hand grasping her fingers. She quickly extracted her hand and turned her attention back towards Raven and perhaps avoiding Oscar's own gaze while she did.
Oscar tried not to dwell on that. He coughed and pulled out his Scroll, trying to think about the dangerous woman they held prisoner and not the awkward air between him and the girl right beside him.
Sitting on the back of Yang's motorcycle, Qrow could barely hear anything over the roar of the engine and the blonde hair constantly flapping up in his face… he was much too tall to try and ride second behind Yang. But he did feel the vibration of his Scroll in his pant leg and answered the call. "Hey, kid, what's… what? She's there?"
"What is it?" Yang inquired.
"We're on our way," Qrow assured the caller. "Don't let her go anywhere or she could be back on Patch in a matter of seconds." When he hung up, Qrow replied to Yang: "Your mom found her way to the house I'm renting. Apparently she's convinced Ruby's her daughter instead of you."
"What is going on with her?" Yang growled. "Why is she acting so weird?"
"Something's wrong," Qrow agreed. "Oz figured she might actually be-"
"Oz?" Yang interjected. "Ozpin? Qrow… Ozpin's alive?!"
"Long story, Firecracker, and I'll tell it once I'm sure we can keep your mom from bailing on us," Qrow replied. "Can't this junkheap go any faster?"
Yang hated to think Qrow was keeping secrets from her, but she'd save her anger for a better time. Right now her mother and her sister were in one place, and that was her first and only priority. Yang put her foot down on the gas pedal and sped up, blazing through the streets as straggling pedestrians dove out of her way. Not how she'd have traveled through Mistral if she could've helped it, but she needed to get to Ruby and wasn't at all keen to leave her baby sister with Raven Branwen any longer than necessary.
As Yang sped away her hair flared up and the noise of her motorcycle made quite a ruckus… including for someone who might not have noticed the blonde bruiser pass by had she gone at a more leisurely pace.
They'd met once already. How odd it was they'd meet again, halfway around the world…
Odd. But very fortunate.
Elsewhere
Salem disliked coming to Jaune's room. Because of the imperfect Aura grafted onto him and the modifications Ozpin made, Jaune's energy was so great he had trouble sleeping. In order to quell his relentless spirit, he kept a number of… prizes to attend to his needs. Salem abhorred such things, but conceded it was an easy way to keep Jaune sated. He didn't covet power or revenge, and his simple mind didn't care for much past these base desires.
But Salem had to interrupt him, because she needed one of them… and so she knocked on his door. Frustrated though he'd be at being interrupted, Jaune knew to answer when he was summoned. And he took the time to make himself presentable before he did.
When he finally answered his door he was covered up. Though clearly irritated, he did his best to be respectful. "What do you need, my Queen?"
"I need one of your charges," Salem replied, stepping inside. The three he'd gathered immediately dropped to kneel, and Salem fixed her attention on the smallest among them, a girl with three colors in her hair and two in her eyes.
Jaune followed Salem's eye. He was clearly apprehensive. "My Queen…"
"Is something wrong?" Salem asked, dropping to a knee to lift the girl's chin. She appeared undamaged, so clearly Jaune wasn't worried about handing her over to Salem in the state she was in… no, he had been hoping that Salem wouldn't choose her.
"Of… of course not, my Queen," Jaune replied. "They are your subjects too."
"I am glad that you can remember your manners, Jaune," Salem nodded, the small girl standing up at her queen's command. "It's important you know when to be humble."
She probably didn't need to remind him, but Salem didn't care for his interjections. He'd demonstrated a sign of infighting before this facsimile of Raven Branwen, and Salem really didn't want to betray any weakness to an unfamiliar element. She needed to make it clear whose house he now resided in.
Still, when she addressed him Salem did so in a calm, soothing voice, her fingers running across his cheek in a gentle caress. "Remember, my son, my love is not unconditional. So long as you serve me well and faithfully, I am only too happy to reward you and give you a place at my table."
She gently pushed him at his cheek to look upon another of his cabal, still prostrate on the ground before her queen, her face hidden by long black hair. "Forget your place, rise too far above your station, ever deny me… and the same fate could easily befall you."
It should have terrified him. But Jaune couldn't quite manage to contain himself. "And I suppose Ren hears the same from you."
Salem couldn't say that was true. But then, she'd never needed to remind Lie of his duty. He always did as she bid, and Salem had to admit of her two sons… "I love you both," Salem assured, "In different ways. But no one is irreplaceable, Jaune. Not even my beloved sons."
Jaune's eye turned back towards Cinder on the floor. She'd been Salem's favorite once too… but when her ambition overwhelmed her loyalty…
Cowed, Jaune withdrew from his mother's fingers and stepped back. Salem led the small girl by her hand out from Jaune's chambers back towards her meeting room. Ozpin would be waiting with the Raven from the other side, and Salem was eager to see what the bandit's reaction would be to seeing an old adversary again.
At least an adversary in that other life. Here… perhaps she had found a worse fate, bereft of family and left to the tender mercies of a barbarian who'd recklessly broken her will. No doubt he'd intended on visiting all manner of brutality on her small frame before Salem dragged her away.
A small, temporary mercy… Salem hoped the girl would serve her purpose quickly and not have to linger. But if this girl did what Salem believed… well, they might have a greater use for her than Jaune ever could.
Mistral
Qrow stepped inside first. Yang asked him to go ahead, to not draw attention to her presence. Despite the severity of their situation, she wanted to be there to see Ruby herself. Yang didn't want anything to interrupt that reunion, unless she absolutely had to run in and keep her sister safe from her mother. The mere thought made her impatient waiting for Qrow outside.
Jaune, Ren, and Nora stepped aside and left Qrow in Raven's path. She seemed pleased to see him… but only at first. "Why are you here, brother? Are you in league with the Spring Knight now?"
Qrow knew Raven's tells, and she wasn't betraying many of them to him. She wasn't lying or putting on a show; she was genuinely apprehensive of the three Beacon kids. Raven wasn't one to be concerned about anyone short of Salem or her acolytes. Why was she so bothered by Lie Ren, who was so quiet it was very easy to forget he was even present?
Qrow knelt down before his sister so they'd be closer to eye level. "What's going on, Raven?" he asked in a whisper. "Why are you so worried about the kid?"
Raven glanced back at the three before whispering in her brother's ear: "Qrow, I fought this boy before. He's the one who kidnapped Ruby. Tell me why you're working with him."
"Ren's a good kid," Qrow assured her. "He's Ruby's friend. He traveled to another continent to help her. They all did. They're the good guys, Raven… they're here to help."
"He was Ruby's friend at Beacon too," Raven snapped. "How can you be sure?"
"Why is Ruby so important to you?" Qrow asked. "Raven… why did you come here?"
Raven was taken aback, eyes wide. "Qrow, what are you talking about? Why don't you know-" She recalled him mentioning the blonde girl was his niece. He'd thought she, not Ruby, was Raven's daughter.
All wrong… all wrong…
Not the past. Not what she knew. Somewhere else entirely.
Her instinct was to grab Ruby and run. But run to where? Who could she regroup with? The bandits? She hadn't recognized many in their ranks either…
Her brother didn't recognize Raven's daughter. But if there was anyone in the world she trusted…
"I'm so confused," Raven admitted. "I don't know what's happening. I just… I needed to know my baby girl was safe, Qrow. And now you tell me some other girl is my daughter instead and the man who kidnapped her is helping… what is Ruby even doing in Anima? Please, brother, please just tell me what's happening…"
Qrow knew when Raven was lying, mostly because her lips would be moving. But this… he hadn't seen this raw expression of honesty in a very long time. Raven was harsh and blunt when telling the truth, but this was a smaller, pleading voice. This was a sister asking her twin for help… and Qrow never thought he'd hear that voice again.
He held up one finger, assuring Raven he'd return and turned to speak to the others. He made a point to whisper in Jaune's ear, to relay a message to Ruby on his behalf, hoping the boy would be subtle in guiding her and not ruin the surprise. Jaune smiled upon hearing the news, and Qrow returned to his sister's side before leaving the kids to congregate.
Qrow looked over the bindings placed on her and hesitated a moment. She'd surprised him several times already today, and if he was wrong about her he'd be leaving a very dangerous woman free to abscond with Ruby or kill Ren or… whatever else she meant to do. He still couldn't quite believe that he thought she wouldn't attack the moment he set her free.
But a long time ago, he'd trusted her completely. And when she asked for his help, when she opened up enough and swallowed her pride… he believed in her. So Qrow detached her restraints and set her free.
Raven reached over to massage her right arm once her left hand was loose. He was stunned she didn't go for her sword. Instead Raven finished whatever work was needed and then reached both arms over Qrow's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "Please, brother," she requested. "Please let me see my child."
"We'll get there," Qrow assured her. "Just start at the beginning, Raven. Even stuff you think I should know. Just tell me how we got here."
Ruby wasn't sure why Jaune was insisting she go outside. She kept asking what was going on, or if they were trying to hide her from Raven somehow, but once Nora and Ren assured her it was something worth doing Ruby relaxed her guard enough to comply and stepped out the front door.
The first thing she saw was the hair. It was impossible to miss; she'd spent her whole life looking up at it. Then the eyes, cool lilac, now renewed with life again after Ruby last saw them devoid of it.
"Yang!" Ruby exclaimed, halfway between reaching out with her hands to embrace her sister before stopping herself, moving them frantically about as she tried desperately to explain things. "I'm… I'm so sorry! I should've stayed and I should've talked to you more, and… I'd just… I just…" Tears started welling up in her eyes as Ruby recalled it, trying to tell her sister Ruby loved her and hearing no response. "I… I wasn't sure you wanted me around and-"
Yang cut her off, hugging her little sister tightly. Yang brought one hand to the back of Ruby's head, pulling the shorter girl closer. "I love you," Yang whispered, closing her eyes.
Ruby hadn't expected to hear it again, no matter how much she longed to. She wasn't ready for the feeling. She started sobbing, barely managing to reply: "I love you too…"
Yang had been very confused throughout the day after encountering her mother. But this? This was what Yang had traveled halfway around the world to find. The three words were what she'd needed to say, so Ruby would never again think Yang didn't want to say them to her.
And far off, spying the two sisters reuniting, an uninvited guest pondered the next course of action, with revenge so very, very close…
Elsewhere
Raven stirred, finding herself seated before a stone table in a wooden chair, one of six aligned the table. On either side of the stone table were two crystalline structures cut it to the appearance of larger seats, not unlike thrones. Ozpin sat in one at the head of the table, apparently waiting for her to rise.
"It's not often we invite others to our table," Ozpin mused. "But so long as you can serve a useful purpose to us, we might be inclined to be… accommodating."
"I thought you were going to help me get out of here," Raven muttered. "Was that another lie? Why should I believe a word you say?"
"Because if you want to return from this place, you'll need my assistance," Ozpin replied. "You may have fallen through the cracks on your own, but there's no guarantee you'll find your way back."
"How did that even happen?" Raven asked. "How did I get here? What is this place?"
"A remnant," Ozpin replied. "Just like the one you know… at least it was, until things diverged from the world you'd known. I cannot say exactly when it happened, but from your perspective it'd probably be a long time ago. To me, it's barely been a blink. I'd never have realized you weren't the anomaly I sought had the magic within you had a distinctly different echo to the one I granted your counterpart here… I'd have never had confirmation that there was another like this, only my own suspicions."
"Suspicions of what?" Raven asked, curious against her will.
"I knew there'd be repercussions to my choice," Ozpin replied. "I saw it, however briefly, as you did: a life that might have been, had things been different for us. But your refusal to do as I sought would've required an enormous investment of my power. I saw glimpses of what could have been… and it seems for you, what could have been became what is."
The great wooden doors of the meeting room creaked open. Ozpin smiled as Raven turned her head towards the new arrival. "Well, then… shall we see what my queen discovered in your memory?"
Salem stepped in first. Behind her… Raven hadn't seen the girl since she held a blade to Yang's throat. Since Raven intervened for the first and only time on her daughter's behalf. Why was she here in Salem's keep?
No, it wasn't the same girl… but Raven's apprehension had not gone unnoticed by Salem. The mad witch smiled, raising a hand over the short girl's head. "I see you remember this one. Good. Hopefully you'll work well together for what we have in mind."
"And what –exactly- do you have in mind?" Raven asked.
"You tried to cut this one with a sword that slices through the very fabric of reality," Salem explained. "And she emerged completely unharmed. She blinked right out of reality just as you cut into it. Her gift –her Semblance- may well be suitable to aid us in completing our plan… and in exchange for your help, return you to the remnant you hail from."
Raven eyed the girl warily. "And what, you think I'll trust her to help me anymore than I'll trust either of you?"
Salem looked past Raven, smiling fondly at Ozpin. "Someone once taught me the value of a smaller, more honest soul… and who could be more honest than one who has never once spoken a lie? While you jealously guarded your secrets, this girl gave me what I needed."
Salem stepped past Raven to the window, looking from her meeting room to the barren rock and black pools of Grimm. "So trust her or not, she is you only way home… and you should decide now how badly you wish to do so… Spring Maiden."
Raven's eyes widened.
"Your power is not from this place, so only you can use it here," Salem explained. "Power we do not control is power we do not need. So decide: allies? Or death?"
Raven knew Salem didn't bluff. She turned her attention to the girl with different colored eyes, thinking whatever she'd got caught up in… she really had little alternative.
"What do you need?" Raven finally asked.
Mistral
Ruby and Yang had a lot to talk about, but without any concrete information on Raven and her interest in Ruby, they went to the younger sister's room to talk, Jaune, Nora, and Ren alternating between sharing in a reunion and giving the sisters their privacy. Qrow and Raven continued to exchange information out in the front room late into the night, and eventually the kids from Beacon made some food and sat around the table swapping stories of their months long journeys.
Oscar hadn't yet introduced himself, staying in his room out of sight. It wasn't until Yang and Ruby were crawling into bed that the elder sister asked: "Wait, Qrow told me Ozpin was here with you. What's the deal with that?"
"It's… complicated," Ruby weakly replied.
"Yeah, I figured as much," Yang conceded. "Okay. We'll talk in the morning."
Yang made a point to give her sister one more hug before sleep took them. She faintly heard Qrow and Raven still talking outside their room, and acknowledged there was a lot left for her to inquire about… but so long as she had Ruby that was enough, and she found rest quickly enough.
In the dead of night she came through a window on the second floor. She descended the staircase in a single breath, leaving no lingering footsteps and only a single gust of air to mark her presence. The hunters in the front room were distracted, deep in conversation. They mistook her arrival for a draft in a poorly-maintained house.
She didn't know which room, but she was persistent in checking. If any remained awake to interfere she would silence them quickly and not hesitate in completing her objective…
The first few rooms were a bust… only two sleeping boys. Not her targets. Easily dismissed. Ideally they'd sleep right through what was about to happen.
At last she found her target, asleep soundly beside her sister. Oh how she wished she could kill the elder sister first and torture Ruby Rose… make her feel the same as she had at seeing her family taken from her.
But the sister's reckless driving led her here; she'd have never noticed without Yang Xiao Long making such haste. In recompense, she'd die quickly.
Ruby Rose would live just long enough to see her killer's face and know she earned this untimely end…
Neo withdrew her blade from within her umbrella. The sound of metal might alert sharp ears, so she moved quickly to complete her work, climbing onto Ruby's bed and straddling atop the girl.
Ruby stirred and saw multicolored eyes before her. Her pretty silver ones widened in shock.
Roman would finally be avenged…
She heard something; wind at her back. Neo hastened to deliver the killing blow… only for a red sword to cross over Ruby's chest and deflect Neo's thin blade, driving it into the mattress beside her head.
Neo turned to face the one who interfered, only half-emerged from a portal of black and red, wearing the same colored armor… though the Grimm mask was curiously absent. Neo remembered her well; Neo fled from her the last time they met. "Stay away from my daughter," she snarled.
Another family member Neo could kill. Albeit one much more difficult to best.
But revenge was right in front of her. Roman taught her to retreat when facing such odds, but she was finally here and the prize so close… she would not be denied.
Neo clashed blades with the huntress, determined to avenge Roman, no matter how deadly the foe in her way.
The Past
Raven wasn't sure which day this one was. Only one of the same day she'd lived more than two hundred times.
She tried telling her brother. He may have believed her, but he was of no help. He simply wasn't sure how he was supposed to fix the problem, as he actively avoided spending time close by, lest his uncontrollable bad luck exacerbate her problems or undo her efforts.
She tried asking Summer, who humored her and came up with as many possible solutions as she could, actively working to study time dilation to try and extend their efforts. The only problem was she could only learn so much in a single day, and after each attempt their progress was reset to... well, not quite zero, but then she had to waste another few minutes explaining why Summer's ideas didn't work, which only frustrated her teammate as one possible solution after another was shot down as a previous version of Summer had tried it to no avail; something which couldn't help but vex the current iteration of Summer.
Then Raven tried unorthodox solutions, rapidly bouncing back and forth to Qrow and expending all her Aura to do it, trying to use her Semblance's ability to poke little holes in reality to try and unstick herself from whatever loop she was caught in. She'd end the day exhausted and sleep well, and then wake the following morning replaying the same moments she'd seen hundreds of times.
She was resigning herself to it, because much as she wanted to escape this day, she wanted even less to talk to... to even mention...
Raven was pretty sure she knew why she was stuck repeating the same day over and over, but she was desperate to avoid admitting it, and instead driven to find out the how so she could simply put a stop to the strange process.
Because for a brief moment in her travels between dimensions, in solidifying a bond with each of her teammates, she saw it all rush into her mind, one image after another. Raven saw the future take root in the present, and she ran from it.
Not for the first time, her eyes moved to Taiyang, sleeping late as always. Not for the first time, she was tempted to tell him the truth, to admit what she'd seen of him, and her...
Of the future she'd been trying to avoid, of the moment she'd change and no longer be herself. Of the moment she'd hurt him...
It all began today, when her partner asked her to join him on a jaunt away from school, and dozens of times now she'd refused him, and though he was crushed by it, he understood why and tried to play it off, making it harder to do with each repeating day.
Difficult tasks were supposed to get easier the more often you did them. But seeing the look of rejection in his pretty blue eyes again and again...
Raven refused to be destiny's plaything. She'd find her own way out from this time loop and not commit to this course fate had decided for her, because she and she alone decided where she'd go.
And she didn't want to start what she couldn't finish.
Not when she saw herself deciding to leave him...
Deciding to abandon their-
Tai woke and ruffled his hair mid-yawn. Not for the first time she wished she could say yes and just acknowledge his feelings, not merely to break the loop, but to be with him as she wished to be.
But how could she be tempted? How could she ever consider agreeing to his wish, knowing that eventually whatever happiness they brought each other would end? How could she hope to see his smile when she knew someday she'd take that smile away?
And far worse than that, she'd leave him saddled, leave him... worse than alone, but burdened.
She had to find another way...
But then he smiled at her and walked over. "Hey, Raven, there's this thing going on at that new club in Vale tonight and I was wondering..."
She was prepared for this speech. She knew what she had to say when his lips stopped moving, even though it'd hurt him. It'd hurt far less if she was cruel now and not cruel later on.
But as she watched him talk, focusing on his lips, she thought on what else she'd seen in the brief moment she saw the future.
Of their dance. Of their kiss. Of their tight embrace under the broken moonlight.
Of their marriage. Of them beside the fireplace in a warm cabin. Of the few fleeting, perfect moments they'd share.
Of her looking down in a bassinet at a girl with wider cheeks and a higher forehead, with blonde hair like his', but long and unruly like her own...
Of turning away knowing that she'd never have that perfect life for more than a few moments...
She focused on Tai's lips again. She repeated to herself she wouldn't be controlled by fate's whims. She told herself she didn't need that life she'd seen; that her happiness mattered less to her than the harm she'd inevitably do.
And then she kissed him.
She'd tried to do so much else that hadn't been to plan.
But she wanted that moment. She wanted that future, however fleeting it'd be.
And if she couldn't change fate today, maybe she'd have better luck tomorrow.
It hadn't quite gone as Ozpin planned, but eventually things were on course. He'd overstepped his use and accidentally imbued in Raven Branwen a vision of the future. She fought against it so long she'd seriously drained Ozpin of his power.
But at last things were as they were meant to be. At last Raven would be where she needed to go.
He'd grown weary of living the same day just as Raven had, but he was committed to the process now. He'd invested too much energy to bring about this chain of events to undo it and gain nothing.
But now he'd done as he needed, and created a guardian for the next silver-eyed warrior. A life created to safeguard the hope of the future.
Created, and inevitably consumed...
But then, there'd be so few of them left in the end. Both Raven and her child would meet that same unfortunate end.
Taiyang would have one surviving child at least. He'd live to a ripe age with one daughter to smile upon as she grew.
Ozpin broke the loop and left Raven Branwen to play her part.
