AN: Fun fact about the Omni-knights, I got the idea for them from "The Incredibles".

So about Raven: As you can see she's turning out pretty differently in this in terms of motivation, objectives, and backstory. I'll talk more about it as things unfold, but for now, suffice to say, her motivations in canon didn't make any sense. Hating Ozpin for giving her the ability to turn into a bird, wanting the relic and the maiden powers despite being a "cowardly bitch" are nonsensical motivations that don't work. Miles and Kerry tried to explain it away by saying "she's a hypocrite" but there's a difference between being a hypocrite and being a complete idiot who makes absolutely no sense. So hopefully this will make more sense as it unfolds.

And as for Tai's infidelity, honestly, this has always been my headcanon. Because the alternative scenario is that Tai was left by Raven after she gave birth to Yang, he got over her, fell in love with Summer, and conceived Ruby all over 15 months (give or take). That's a really short period to get over one woman and impregnate another, especially when Miles recently confirmed that Jaune still isn't over Pyrrha after almost two years (I mean let's face it it's probably mostly because Arkos shippers have taken his and Kerry's balls hostage, but still.) So infidelity makes more sense timeline-wise (Miles may not like timelines, but they're still necessary.)

I hope you enjoy this first of two flashback chapters in this Volume. I hope it doesn't feel too farfetched.


3 MONTHS AFTER THE BIRTH OF YANG XIAO LONG

Raven Xiao Long gazed down longingly at her sleeping daughter. She jumped slightly when a pair of hands snaked their way around her waist and she turned to smile fondly back at her husband.

"Do you really have to go?" Tai whined playfully into her shoulder.

"There's a war going, Tai." Raven squeezed his hand gently "Ozpin requested my help. And we both know you're better with kids."

"You've been great with Yang. You're a great mom."

"Thanks. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

She smiled as the two left the nursery "Besides, Summer will be around to help you out."

The two descended the stairs to see a grinning Summer Rose waiting for them. "Not sure why you and Qrow are going and not me though."

"Ozpin needs you here." Raven shrugged "I'm sure it's for something important."

"Probably doesn't want to risk losing his precious Silver Eyes." Summer grumbled.

"Well, I'd say that's a pretty good reason." Raven hugged her best friend warmly "Look after Yang when you get the chance okay? Might be good practice for when you and Qrow have one of your own."

Summer scoffed at that "Qrow and I aren't even dating. He's too busy running errands for Ozpin."

"I'll see if I can get Ozpin to give him a break. I know you've been crushing on Qrow for years and I'd love to have you as a sister-in-law."

Summer smiled warmly "Get back soon okay? Yang needs a mother."

Raven nodded and turned back to Taiyang "Don't worry about me. I'll only be a portal away."


9 MONTHS AFTER THE BIRTH OF YANG XIAO LONG

"What was that about 'only a portal away'?" Taiyang chuckled on the other end of Raven's scroll.

"Ozpin says that wouldn't be fair to the others Tai. Julius has only seen his son through his scroll, and Ghira only gets pictures of his daughter."

Tai sighed "I guess. Wait, I thought Julius said he was gonna stop at two kids."

"And before that, he said he'd stop at one. Now he's saying he's gonna stop at four."

Tai laughed as another figure entered.

"Hey, Raven!" Summer popped into the frame holding Yang, who now had several tufts of golden hair growing from her head.

"Hey Summer. ~Hi Yang~." Raven waved happily at her daughter.

Summer bounced the girl "Can you say 'hi' to your mommy Yang?"

The infant buried her face in Summer's shoulder and the two women laughed.

"You know Summer, it seems like you're spending almost as much time at my house as your own."

"I know right?" Tai chimed in with feigned annoyance "Whenever she's not on missions she's here, playing with Yang. You have to get back soon honey, I think she's trying to replace you as Yang's favorite."

"If you can call them missions." Summer groaned "I'm just taking down a bunch of human supremacist cells in Vale or taking out Beowolf hordes. When I finish that for the day Ozpin gives me another 'mission' to check up on Tai and Yang. I think he's already grooming Yang to be a huntress."

Raven smiled with pride "My daughter would make a great huntress. And thanks for looking out for them, Summer. Tell Ozpin I said 'thanks' to him too."

Raven got off her scroll to find Julius Arc just getting off his scroll as well.

"Already planning your daughter's future, huh?" The man raised an eyebrow at Raven.

"Fighting's in her blood. Better a huntress than a bandit. Don't you want your kids to be huntsmen?"

"Hell no." Julius shook his head "I mean I won't stop them if they want to, but I honestly wouldn't be sad if all of my kids broke the family tradition."

"That seems like a bit of a shame."

"Roonie and Saphron are the first Arc's in three generations to actually meet their father. And for what? Wars over freedom of expression and who gets to live where? I'm happy to help the Faunus out, but I don't want my kids fighting and dying in wars like this."

Raven turned to the man and lowered her voice "You know there's more to it than that Julius."

"Right, Ozpin's little shadow war, which he somehow hasn't won in however many centuries or millennia he's been around. And I get it, the world's always gonna need huntsmen. But I'm not convinced that Ozpin is the best man to beat Salem."

"He's kept her from destroying the world this long."

"By lying to the majority of the world. He's got all four relics, all four maidens, and a Silver Eye Warrior at his beck and call. Why is Salem still around?"

"It's not that simple."

"Why? Because he says it's not?" He held his hands up placatingly "I'm sure he means well, and I know you think you're doing good. And I'm sure you are if no other reason than you keep the Grimm from wiping us out and stopping her plans, whatever they are. But I just get this feeling like he's just going through the motions or stalling. I'm not interested in fighting that fight if I don't have to. I'm fighting this fight so my kids don't have to."

Raven shook her head but let the topic pass as she walked into Ghira Belladonna's command tent. At a map table sat Ghira Belladonna and Sienna Kahn. Ghira smiled at the two humans while Sienna gave a curt wave.

"So Ghira!" Julius smiled broadly as he approached "What entertainment does Lagoon have for us today?"

Ghira shook his head "Looks like he's trying to advance through the swamplands here."

"Did we post our aquatic and amphibious battalions there?"

"Yes, we did."

"You'd think Lagoon would know we'd do that and pick a different route."

Sienna scoffed "Lagoon doesn't respect us. He thinks we're just a bunch of dumb animals."

Julius shrugged "Well at least this war won't last much longer."

"That's what you said two years ago." Raven rolled her eyes "Lagoon has men to spare and the hatred to sacrifice them."

"He can only prolong it so long before Atlas decides it's not worth it." Ghira shrugged "This war shouldn't last much longer."


15 MONTHS AFTER THE BIRTH OF YANG XIAO LONG

Raven looked down dejectedly as the mail carrier left her empty-handed again. She and Julius were holed up with the rest of their team in caves built into the mountains of Anima.

"Still no word from Tai?" Julius asked her sympathetically.

"Nothing." Raven groaned.

"You're sure Ozpin told him about the arrangements while we were unable to use scrolls?"

"Yes. He promised he'd tell him. But I haven't gotten a single letter in the month we've been behind enemy lines. He used to call me every day."

"Everything went okay with that undercover mission Ozpin sent him and Summer on right?"

"Yes, they got all of them. There shouldn't be anyone left to retaliate."

She kicked the wall of the cave in frustration.

"Damn Ironwood!"

Julius' scowl matched hers "Yeah, of all the lousy assignments they had to send us after the one competent commander in Atlas."

Raven leaned over a map of the mountain range. "Why is Ironwood even out here? I never thought he had a problem with Faunus."

"He doesn't, but he's a patriot. And he always used to say that sometimes you have to follow stupid orders so that one day you can be the one giving the right ones."

"Too bad he's only a colonel right now. If he was a general this war probably never would've happened."

"Or it would've happened anyway and we'd be losing it."


24 MONTHS AFTER THE BIRTH OF YANG XIAO LONG.

"Julius!"

Raven rushed through her smoking camp. Everywhere, people, humans and Faunus alike screamed, groaned, and cried.

Ironwood had attempted an ambush on their stronghold but caused a cave-in instead. Hundreds were dead on all sides. Even more were wounded. Raven had ordered her people that were still healthy to help the injured. Among said injured was James Ironwood himself.

What was left of him.

"Julius!" Raven moved past a soldier with a scorpion tail who was giggling hysterically and finally saw her friend.

"Just die!" The man was screaming as he held another man beneath him, his hands clenched around the man's throat. The man wasn't moving and blood was seeping through Julius's fingers.

"Sir, he's dead. You can let go!"

"If I let go he'll kill me!" Julius responded frantically "He won't stop! Why won't he stop?!"

Raven approached her friend gently "Julius. He's gone. You can let go now."

Julius jumped at her voice. He looked at her, then at the corpse in his hands.

"Oh, Brothers."

Julius slumped down in horror, trying to get away from the body.

Raven looked around her. There was no more fighting, only screaming and crying. She felt a small tremor and looked up as some rubble began to fall loose. The cave might collapse soon.

"Everybody listen up!" Raven called as loud as she could. "We're getting out of here! Stabilize the wounded and prepare to move them! I don't care if they're friend or foe."

The helped Julius to his feet "Come on Julius, we're going home."

Julius rose on shaky feet as if he'd barely heard her "Why didn't he stop?"

Raven cut a portal open and stepped through.

"Hope you're decent Summer."

Raven emerged to find Summer looking back at her with a look of shock and… was that fear in her eyes.

Raven paused when she observed her surroundings. They were inside the Xiao Long house.

"Crap! You're babysitting?" Raven groaned "I was hoping Yang wouldn't see this!"

"Raven…" Summer cautiously approached her friend when another voice came from behind her.

"Mommy?" Raven should've been overjoyed to see the little girl with Blonde hair walking behind Summer. Except she was holding a month old infant in her arms.

And she'd just called Summer "mommy".

"Hoos that?"

Raven and Summer's eyes met in horror.

"Oh shit." Julius's now lucid voice shook Raven from her shock and reminded her why she was there.


Several hours later things at the Xiao Long household had calmed down. The wounded had been rushed to the hospital, while those not wounded had been sent either to POW camps or Beacon for reassignment. Ozpin himself had arrived to collect Ironwood and make sure he received the best treatment possible.

Summer had called Julius Arc's wife and she'd arrived with her two daughters and son. Julius had nearly crushed the poor boy when he'd seen him for the first time, and the boy seemed slightly frightened of the man who was currently holding him like a stuffed animal.

"I had a psychiatrist check with him." Raven told his wife "He's in no fit state to keep fighting. I promise he'll be discharged honorably."

Mrs. Arc embraced Raven tightly "Thank you for bringing him back."

Raven walked over to Julius, who was staring off into space, and knelt until she was eye-level with the boy in his arms.

"You're father's a hero young man. Don't ever forget that."


As the Arcs left, Summer approached Raven cautiously "Yang and Ruby are asleep upstairs. I guess we should talk."

"Where's Tai?"

"He's on assignment in Vale. I'm still nursing so he's taking on extra jobs to care for the girls."

"And how long after I left did you start sleeping with him?"

"We only slept together once, about 10 months ago. We were drunk. We tried to write to you and-"

Raven snapped "Liar."

"I sleep in the guest bedroom with Ruby. I want her to know her father and it's easier on everyone for the four of us to be under the same roof, but I'm not trying to steal him from you."

"No, you just had a kid with him and got my daughter to start calling you 'mommy' but of course you're not trying to steal them from me!"

"It was an accident! We never meant for this to happen!"

"You accidentally replaced me?"

"I wasn't trying to replace you! Even when you disappeared-"

"I didn't disappear I was fighting a war!"

"Ozpin said you disappeared."

"Raven?"

The two women turned to see Tai in the doorway.

"Raven! You're here!" Before Raven could stop him he'd seized her in a desperate hug.

"Get away from me!" She shoved him away furiously.

The happiness that had briefly shone in his eyes turned to guilt. "Raven please listen…"

"How long Tai? How long did you wait before replacing me?"

"I didn't replace you. It was one night. We were drunk!"

"Is this why you never wrote?"

"I did write! I wrote every day! Even when you were MIA!"

"Stop lying to me! I was never MIA!"

"Ozpin said you were!"

Raven froze as a thought occurred to her. "Ozpin…"

"Ozpin requested my help."

"Ozpin needs you here."

"Ozpin gives me another 'mission' to check up on Tai and Yang."

"You're sure Ozpin told him about the arrangements…"

"Ozpin said you disappeared."

She glared at Summer "When did it happen?"

"It was commencement for Beacon graduates. We had a little too much to drink and-"

"Was Ozpin there?"

"Of course he was-"

"Did he invite you?"

"…Yes."

Raven turned and cut a portal into the sky.

"Raven wait!" Tai tried to run to her but she was already through.


Ozpin sat calmly at his desk, cane resting across his lap, mug in hand.

"You saved a lot of lives today Raven. You may have even won us an ally in Iron-"

"Why did you send me?"

"You're a powerful huntress and your semblance has many uses for rescue, as seen today."

"Why didn't you send Summer with me? Why did you keep her here, doing worthless jobs while I was fighting for my life?"

"Summer is powerful against the Grimm."

"There were Grimm out there in the war! They may have killed more people than Lagoon!"

"She was doing important work here."

"What? Killing Beowolves? Fighting rowdy human supremacists? Churning out the next generation of Silver Eye Soldiers for your little game with Salem?"

Ozpin glared at that statement. "What are you implying?"

"You sent me away, but you kept her here. You sent her to check up on Tai. You sent them on missions together. You were setting them up together to ensure Summer got pregnant!"

"That's a stretch, Raven."

"Why did you tell them I was MIA?"

Ozpin simply glared. His hand tightened around his cane as she raised her blade, but all she created was a portal, which she promptly stepped through.


2 days later Summer was working in the garden when a portal opened and Raven stumbled through. Her appearance was disheveled and Summer could smell the alcohol from across the yard.

"Raven…"

"I got nothin' to say to you." The woman slurred as she shoved past Summer. "I'm here for Yang."

Summer grabbed her hand, trying to be firm but gentle "She's taking a nap. And you're in no condition to see her. Let's get you cleaned up first, okay?"

"I'm her mother! I'll take her if I want to!"

"Take her? Take her where?"

Raven kept trying to pull away "To the only family I have left."

Summer paled "You can't take her to those people! Tai won't allow it."

"Screw Tai! You and Ozpin can have him and your little brat! But you can't have Yang!"

"I don't want Tai! Just calm down, sober up, and let's talk about this. I want Ruby to know her father, but he's still your husband! He loves you!"

"Liar! That's all any of you are: liars! I won't let you have my daughter!"

Summer moved in front of Raven and seized her firmly by her blouse "She's Tai's daughter too. I can't let you take her."

The battle was brief. Summer was still recovering from giving birth, but Raven was nowhere near as experienced a drinker as her brother. She lay on the ground with her aura shattered, as Summer Rose glared down at her.

Raven began to laugh as she looked at her former friend "How many drinks did you have that night?"

Summer glared "It doesn't matter. We hurt you, Raven. We accept responsibility. But you can't take Yang."

Raven grinned evilly at her "He's gonna use you up you know."

"What?"

"Ozpin. He's gonna use you up until there's nothing left."

"I won't let him do that."

"He's gonna make you pump out little Silver Eye Soldiers for him until you're all dried up."

"Stop it!"

"Then he'll do the same to your precious little Ruby."

"SHUT UP!"

Summer heard a crunch as her foot met Raven's nose. She gasped as blood began streaming down her friend's face.

"Raven…"

"Just stay away from me." The woman stood to leave, but Summer grabbed her hand again.

"Please Raven, you're still Yang's mother. You're still Tai's wife. They're still your family."

Raven paused at the pleading in Summer's voice. Maybe-

"Mommy?"

The two women turned to see a sleepy Yang in the doorway. She wasn't talking to Raven.

Raven turned into her bird form and flew off, ignoring Summer's cries.


"After that Raven never spoke to me again. Summer and I got married three years later, and she died three years after that."

Maria raised her brow as Tai finished his story. "And you think Ozpin had something to do with the birth of your second daughter?"

"I don't blame anyone but myself for my cheating on Raven. But Summer was suspicious even before Raven came back. Ozpin had been sending her over to check on me and Yang, sending us on missions together, including undercover assignments where he encouraged us to go as husband and wife. The night Ruby was conceived we only had one drink apiece, handed to us by Ozpin. Summer had the drinks tested and found a very mild aphrodisiac. Not enough to be considered drugging, but definitely enough to put someone in the mood."

"It's called a cocktail Tai." Qrow rolled his eyes.

"Maybe. Either way, Ozpin was very interested in making sure Summer and I spent time together and keeping Raven away from us. And Summer feared it was because he wanted to make sure her bloodline continued."

Maria nodded "Alright, so you think Ozpin 'encouraged' the birth of your second daughter and end of your first marriage. And now he's watching over that second daughter. Why is that such a huge concern? It doesn't sound like matchmaking is on his mind right now."

"Maybe not matchmaking, necessarily." Tai nodded "But he is currently in a much younger body. The body of one of Ruby's closest friends."


Yang stood as Raven finished her story. "I already knew that Dad and Summer had an affair. Dad told me on the way over here."

She turned back "But that doesn't give you any right to hate Ruby! None of that is her fault!"

"I could care less about Summer's brat. My enemy, and yours, is Ozpin."

"Jaune's got that under control."

"Really? He didn't look very under control when he nearly left his teammates and Qrow to die."

"What?!"

"By the way, how long has he had feelings for little Ruby? Shouldn't he still be mourning his dead partner?"

Yang paled as Raven turned into a bird and flew away.