A/N: This took too long. I am well aware. I would like to blame that on a busy schedule, but I also am aware that the primary cause of delay (to both the prewriting and this chapter) was my laziness. I'm sorry, gomenasai, lo siento, ur carvx dax ihk wux, blah blah blah. Anyway, my apologies again, and please enjoy this.

Also, I must, upon watching the progression of Volume 3, commend RT. While also hating them.

A noise emitted from the far side of Beacon's courtyard.

This normally would hardly have been surprising to anyone, of course. It was night, after all, and there was nothing preventing wildlife from entering the area, so a cricket would have been a possibility.

However, a strange, bell-like, vibrating sound in the air, accompanied by a woman stepping through a red portal that had appeared with the sound? That was unusual.

Raven looked at the grounds. No students, no professors, no staff, no one.

Then again, that had always been why she'd preferred Beacon at night. No one had been around. Except, occasionally, Taiyang, during one of their illicit rendezvous.

But admiring the grounds could wait. After all, Raven was reasonably sure she was here to stay this time.

Now…is anyone I want to know about my continued lifespan around?

Wait, of course not, Raven. You were literally just admiring the silent, empty courtyard.

Raven sighed, and started to wait for her brother. Because if anyone she wanted to see was going to wind up in the courtyard this late, it was Qrow.

He'd probably be piss-drunk, but that was normal at this point.

Conveniently, she didn't have to wait for long. Qrow strode through the gate fifteen minutes later, and the wind carried the smell of what was either whiskey, vodka, or whatever her brother kept in his flask straight in Raven's direction. She resisted the urge to gag while silently marveling at Qrow's alcohol tolerance.

As he walked past the bush she was crouching behind, Raven got up and walked behind him, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"You swore you'd never drink when we went here, remember?"

Qrow turned around.

"And you said you'd never leave anyone you loved, so I guess we both lied."

The Branwen siblings stood silent for a moment before huge grins broke out on both their faces. Raven rushed to embrace Qrow, who did his part to awkwardly return the hug.

"Welcome back, sis. I always thought you were still alive."

Raven let go of Qrow, and the two fell into stride together.

"Really? I thought for sure I fooled you all."

Qrow laughed.

"C'mon, Raven. Your death certificate said Nevermore attack. And everyone else on STRQ knew how good you were at killing Nevermores."

"I only killed one solo, Qrow."

"Two, actually. You forgot that it crushed its egg. And besides, I know almost no one else who could solo a Nevermore—"

"Except you?"

Qrow smirked.

"Except me."

Ozpin had not prepared for this.

This was actually something of a shock. Ozpin prided himself on having a solution to every situation, no matter how unlikely.

But he had not prepared for one of his best Huntresses coming back from the dead. Neither, from their expressions, had James or Glynda.

The trio of Academy leaders were standing there, shocked.

Raven was therefore the first to speak.

"Hello, everyone!"

Ozpin shook himself out of his confusion to answer.

"…hello, Raven. Might I ask how exactly you are still alive?"

"Well," replied Raven, "I did actually kill the Nevermore that supposedly killed me. And I carved a mask out of its exoskeletal skull thing. But…"

Raven's voice became deathly serious as she spoke the next words.

"…when I was turning to leave, the Nevermore disintegrated into some sort of Dust. It wasn't like any I'd seen—it was completely black, and when I touched it, it burned my skin.

"So I managed to obtain a sample using one of my sword's vials and went to get it analyzed, but then one thing led to another, and…"

Raven shook her head.

"…well, I ran into a guy who looked at it and said he had an idea. He took out a sample of this white kind of Dust that he said he'd come by with great difficulty, and when he touched the two together, they exploded. And the explosion seemed to have generated an equivalent amount of all the basic Dust types—wind, fire, water, earth—as well as a smaller amount of lightning and gravity Dust. It was a surprisingly harmless explosion, though—mostly because we'd used small samples, apparently.

"So the guy asked if he could come with me and see if he could reverse the reaction to synthesize these Dust types. So we traveled together for a while. But he got himself killed recently, so I decided to come back."

Ironwood, who had regained his composure, responded.

"Raven, you were gone for twelve years."

"I know, Ironwood."

"Raven, you were gone long enough for Taiyang to remarry, and then for his second wife to die."

"I am very aware, Ironwood."

"Well, in any case," Glynda stated, "it is good to have you back, Ms. Branwen. Would you like us to inform the public and appropriate legal authorities?"

"No."

Qrow looked shocked.

"Why not, sis? I mean, you've got…hold on, let me count…"

"A daughter, a daughter's half-sister, and an ex-husband, Qrow. I know."

"So…why don't you want them to know?"

"Let's just say I'm not entirely sure those people, especially Yang, would be happy to see me. I'm just here to provide whatever non-public assistance I can."

Ironwood coughed.

"In that case, we may have a task for you. We have a prisoner we need to interrogate—we could use your help."

Raven just nodded.

"Alright."

As she was turning to leave, however, Raven came to a sudden realization, and quickly turned back to Ozpin.

"Um, Ozpin, is there somewhere I could sleep?"

Her stomach growled loudly.

"Also, do you have food?"