Yang and Blake made their way into the encampment without resistance. They both looked tired and bumblebee, (Yang's motorbike) had faded a rusty orange after weeks of travel.

The guards waved them inside without a glance. They heard the steady thud of their footsteps echoing through the silent bandit camp. Blake's ears pressed flat against her head as she walked behind her partner. She was scared for what would happen now. The search for her mother had kept Yang together these past few weeks, it had been a concrete goal she could focus on. Now that the journey was nearing its completion, there would be nothing to stop the grief from setting in.

Raven stepped out of the far tent with her arms folded, a Grimm-like mask obscuring her features. Yang moved to meet her, dumping her motorbike in the dust as she walked forwards. The tension built as mother and daughter looked at each other, the blank white helmet meeting blazing red eyes in silence.

Raven brought a hand up behind her head and released the catch that held her mask in place. Thick, black hair fell across her shoulders as she removed the helmet. Her pale face held a surprisingly warm expression as she spoke. "Yang," her voice was genuine. "It's good to see you alive."

Yang frowned. She had been expecting (almost hoping for) a fight, or at the very least a confrontation. There was a pause as her one-track mind tried to reconfigure. After a moment, with nothing to lash out against, all the pain and loss finally came crashing down.

She threw herself into her mother's arms. Great, heaving sobs wracked her body as she buried her head into Raven's shoulder. Raven herself, froze. She had never been particularly good at comforting others. After a second's hesitation she pulled her daughter in, giving her a rather stiff pat on the back.

For a while, nobody said anything. The sounds of hitched breath and months of frustration being vented were more than enough to fill the silence. Blake stood a short distance away. She watched quietly, happy that her partner could finally ease some small part of her burden.

Yang's crying eventually slowed enough for her to speak. "Ruby.." She sniffed. "Ruby is dead. I-I couldn't do anything, she ran off to save Pyrrha and-" The blonde dissolved into another fit of sobs, angry tears running down her face. "And then the sky went silver and the tower exploded and she was just gone."

Raven blinked and stared down at her daughter, something unreadable flashing across her face. "Did you say silver?"

Yang nodded mutely.

"..I think it would be best if you came inside. Your friend too." She gestured to Blake, who perked up a little at the acknowledgment. Without further explanation, she pulled away and stepped into her tent. The two junior huntresses shared a glance before following her inside.

Despite the cold weather, the tent was pleasantly heated. Layers of patterned cloth created a living space that was both warm and decorated. Aside from a tea set that looked far to expensive for a bandit leader, there were no material possessions to occupy the space. It seemed Raven liked to travel light.

Once they were inside, Raven closed the flap. She turned away, pinching the bridge of her nose and muttering to herself. "The whole sky? I knew the bloodline was getting stronger, but for an untrained vessel that shouldn't even be possible.."

Yang sat on the floor while Blake remained standing. The Faunus straightened her jacket and looked at Raven, frowning slightly. "Do you know something about what happened?"

Raven gave a small, bitter laugh. "I can certainly guess. It happened before, after all." She sighed and sat down with her legs crossed, not making eye contact with either of the junior huntresses. "I had forgotten how little Ozpin tells his students, though I suppose it's to be expected."

Yang leaned forward, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Ozpin would always ask if you believed in fairy tales. I was never so idealistic, but I suppose it isn't a bad starting point." She shook her head, "Your sister had silver eyes. Did you ever stop to think that was strange?"

"I-" The blonde frowned and crossed her arms. "Sure, it's a little strange- but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Silver eyes are a curse, Yang. They slowly push their host towards madness." Raven looked at her daughter with a sadness that was impossible to fabricate. "It's what claimed Summer, all those years ago."

Yang sat in stunned silence. She had just found her mother, and now this? But something about the information seemed to click. Weeks before she died Yang remembered seeing Summer clutching at her head, strange energy flashing around her body. It had been late at night, and she was young. In the morning Summer had assured her it was just a bad dream. But now...

"It also.. saved my life." Raven breathed deeply before continuing. "We were separated from the rest of STRQ by a group of mercenaries. Rouge huntsmen to be exact. They had us surrounded. Usually that wouldn't have been a problem, but a Beowolf got a lucky shot the day before, and I could barely stand.

"Summer went berserk. she acted like an animal that day, killed without a shred of mercy. Her eyes glowed, and tendrils of silver ripped those mercenaries to shreds. She howled like a beast and the Grimm responded, they obeyed her Yang. The Grimm attacked anybody who tried to flee. If I hadn't hid, I'm sure they would have killed me too.

"When there were no more people left, she turned on the Grimm, went rampaging through a forest that should have taken days to clear. Tai found her unconscious a few days later, covered in Oum knows what. We never spoke of it again, but I was scared. Terrified. I'm not proud of the way I acted, but I ran." Raven reached out and touched Yang's hand, running her fingers along scarred knuckles. "I never meant to be gone as long as I was. Weeks turned into months and I just.."

She trailed off, half-formed explanations drifting into nothingness.

Blake said nothing, but her clawed fingernails dug into crossed arms. A droplet of blood welled against her skin, the pain kept her grounded.

Yang's breath hitched as she spoke. "I searched for you."

"I know."

"You could have told me."

"I know, I don't expect you to forgive me."

Raven spun many tales that night. She spoke of a King and Queen from another world, locked in a battle that lasted beyond death. She told the story of the maidens, great vessels of magic. And when proof was demanded she smiled, let her eyes glow and cracks run along the ground, let stormclouds swirl overhead. She spoke of the first huntsmen, and with every word, the world seemed to shift. With every answer, there were a hundred questions. She told of the shattered moon and the Faunus, of Gods who could end lives with a thought. And when she was done, Yang and Blake were left more lost than when they arrived.

"What.. what do we do from here? What do we do now?" The blonde stared at her hands. The weight of what they had learned pressed down upon her. She was directionless, she needed a goal, something to hold onto.

"Nothing." Raven stood and picked up her helmet. "It's late, the world will still be here in the morning. Whatever you might think. There are plenty of free tents, whatever you decide can wait the night."

And without another word she left, leaving two shell-shocked huntresses in her wake.