Known by its Song.
At the Branwen Tribe camp, Vernal pours cups of tea for Raven , Yang, Severa, Bernadetta and Weiss. They are all inside Raven's tent with the group seated around a table.
"You can wait outside. Thank you" Raven said and Vernal does what she's told, but when Raven looks at Mareeta she doesn't move.
"I'd like to stay... If that's ok" Mareeta said and Raven had a feeling why she wanted to stay, so she just nods.
Yang eyes Mareeta for a moment before looking back at Raven "So, what's the truth?".
Raven takes a sip from her cup "You know, it's better when it's hot".
Weiss glares at her "You know, you're really obnoxious".
"The truth is that truth is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories" Raven said.
"Well, he's never given me a reason to doubt him before. I mean I don't agree with his decision to shut himself out of Severa's life, but other than that he hasn't done anything to make me to mad at him" Yang said.
"That doesn't mean those reasons don't exist" Raven pointed out and Yang glares at her "You know, you and your teammates might as well be the poster children for the Huntsman Academies. Your motives vary, but you all enrolled to try and make the world a better place. It's adorable".
"It's what Huntsmen and Huntresses do" Yang reminded.
"Not all of them. Some people are just in it for the money and the fame, but there's even more that are just looking to grow stronger. Your Uncle Qrow and I didn't attend Beacon to become Huntsmen, we did it to learn how to kill Huntsmen" Raven said.
The reveal made the girls gasp and exchanged a brief look with each other. Severa now had another thing on her mind for when she finally confronts Qrow.
"Daddy and Uncle left that part out, hm?" Raven asked as she begins to pour more tea for herself "Aside from the Grimm, Huntsmen were the only ones capable of ruining our raids and hunting us down. Our tribe needed a counterforce. And Qrow and I were the perfect age" She stands up "The entrance exams were child's play compared to what we'd already been through. We were good. So good, that we caught the attention of Beacon's very own Headmaster, Professor Ozpin. Even after we were put on a team, I could tell he was keeping his eye on us. Back then, I thought it was because he knew, but it was Team STRQ he was interested in".
"What do you mean by that?" Yang demanded.
"Constant attention, extra training missions, turning a blind eye whenever we happened to break the rules and get into more trouble than we should've. Sound familiar?" Raven asked with a knowing look.
The girls shares another glance at each other, this was just getting to confusing now. Weiss gestures Yang to keep going.
"What's your point?" Yang asked.
"Would you just get to the point already? I'm sick of you beating around the bush" Severa demanded.
"How much do you know about Professor Ozpin? About his past?" Raven asked.
"He was... a prodigy. One of the youngest headmasters to be appointed to a school" Weiss answered.
"And he successfully forged strong bonds with the other schools, which helped maintain the era of peace" Bernadetta added.
"Because that's how he planned it. Because the man you know as Ozpin designed those schools and has followers inside every academy on Remnant that are loyal to him and no one else" Raven said.
Yang looked surprised "That doesn't make any sense! How could he have...? No. Why would someone even do that?".
"Because old man Oz has a great and terrible secret. One that could spread fear across the world. One that he eventually entrusted to our team, and once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more, but with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became" Raven answered while looking at her map.
"Okay, then tell us. What's the big secret? What's so crazy that the rest of us don't know?" Yang asked.
"The Creatures of Grimm... have a master named Salem. She can't be stopped, she can't be reasoned with, and she will not rest until Humanity crumbles at her feet" As Raven speaks, the girls' eyes widen more and more. They sit in silence.
"What?" Weiss finally asked.
"You know, you four haven't even touched your tea" Raven said as she takes another sip from her teacup.
"Wait, so let me get this straight. You're telling us that the grimm aren't just some dark monsters that showed up out of nowhere? They actually have a leader? And there is some big sinister plot behind them?" Severa asked.
"That's what I said. Your mother wasn't to quick to catch on to things either" Raven answered earning a glare from Severa.
"And what do you know about her?" Severa demanded.
Raven smiled "I know her better than most. Back when I attended Beacon, I thought her light physique meant she was weak. But I was very wrong. She knocked me on my ass every match we had against each other. I was hopelessly outmatched, and as I'm sure you can imagine, that was very frustrating".
Severa almost wanted to tell Yang 'My mom beat up your mom'. But she knew this really wasn't the time for that, but she did notice a flash of amusement pass over Yang's face, which vanished just as quickly.
"After such humiliating loss, I made her my rival. I got my ass kicked several more times... Until the day came where I finally managed to beat her. I thought she would be upset, but she was laughing. Never in all my life have I seen someone being so happy about getting their butt kicked. And surprisingly after that, we became friends, best friends. This would lead to her getting close to Qrow and. Well I doubt I need to explain that part" Raven said.
Severa looked down in thought. There was so much she didn't know, and even after what Raven told her, she knew there was a lot more she needed to know. But she had a heard everything Raven had to tell her.
Raven sighed "And now, she along with Qrow are blindly following Ozpin. Keeping his secrets while fighting an unwinnable war".
Yang stands up "Why should we believe any of this?".
"Now you're catching on. So far you've done nothing but accept what others tell you, but you need to question everything" The two stare at each other face to face, before Raven turns around "Otherwise you'll end up just as blind as Qrow... and your fool of a father".
A shot from Ember Celica is heard, destroying the table. Raven's empty teacup clatters across the floor, stopping when it hits the heel of her boot. Raven looks toward Yang, faintly smiling.
Yang's eyes have turned red "Don't you dare talk about my family like that!".
While Yang speaks, the other girls stares up at her wide-eyed and flinches when she raises her voice for emphasis. A weapon is heard being drawn at Yang.
"You need to calm down" Vernal warned.
Bernadetta grabbed Yang's hand "Yang!".
"Listen to your friend, Yang. Or was it girlfriend? They never let you down before" Raven said.
"You don't know the first thing about my friends! About me! You were never there! You LEFT US! Why?!" Yang hangs her head in sadness.
"Because unlike you, we don't live in a fantasy world" Mareeta finally spoke.
Yang looked at her before looking back at Raven "Alright... I've been holding of on asking this. But I've heard what you had to say, and now I have a question for you. Given what Bernie said earlier, you answer will decide whether or not I put my fist through your face. Who is she?".
Mareeta looked uncomfortable, while the others looked nervous.
Raven was silent for a moment before she sighed "I guess there is no point in hiding it... She is my daughter, and your sister".
Yang got wide eyes in shock "What...?".
"Mareeta, go wait outside" Raven ordered.
"But-" Mareeta began but was interrupted.
"Now, Mareeta" Raven said sternly, making Mareeta sigh before leaving the tent.
Yang remained in shock for several seconds before she finally spoke "Is... Is this some kind of sick joke!? You abandoned me when I was still a baby, yet you had another child that you decided to keep?!".
Raven was silent for a moment "I am fully aware of what this looks like. But if you calm down I will-".
"I'm as calm as I'm gonna get! Spill it!" Yang demanded.
Raven sighed, she had hoped she could avoid this, but she always had a feeling she couldn't "Yes... She is my birth daughter. I didn't adopt her or anything like that. Her father's name was Galzus, he was the strongest member of the tribe. We fought side by side many times... And one night, after we had a lot to drink after a successful raid... I will spare you the details, but it ended up with me becoming pregnant with my second child".
Despite her anger, Yang listened closely. Her mother was willing to explain, so she could at least restrain herself long enough to hear her out.
"When she was born, I was going to hand her over to Tai, since I knew he would take her in without hesitation. But Galzus was having non of it, and he was the only one in the tribe who had the guts to stand up to me, claiming he didn't want Mareeta to grow up in the fantasy world Ozpin created. So I gave in and allowed her to be raised within the tribe" Raven explained.
"So where is her father now? Sounds like he should be here for this" Yang said, but when Raven didn't answer and looked down, Yang had a feeling what happened "Oh... What happened to him? Was it the grimm?".
"No. There is no grimm I know of that would be capable of killing him... He was an amazing warrior, but one day he faced an enemy that was to much even for him... I never learned who killed him, but now I try to honor his memory by raising Mareeta the best I can" Raven answered before looking back at Yang "Now you know. If you want to be mad, be mad at me. Mareeta had nothing to do with this".
"You think I'm stupid? Of course I'm not mad at her, she didn't do anything wrong. But I not sure I can ever forgive you for this" Yang said in a mix of anger and hurt.
Raven sighed "I can't blame you for that. I know you better than to expect that much from you".
"Stop saying that! You know nothing about me!" Yang said angrily.
"I know more than you realize. Not just about you, and not just what I've been told, but things I've seen with my own eyes. I know the Grimm have a leader, I know people who can come back from the dead, I know that magic is real, and I can prove it" The others stands up, while Raven continues addressing her daughter "You said Tai told you all about my Semblance. Well, I doubt he ever told you what Oz did to my brother and me".
Raven exits her tent. The girls exchange confused looks.
"Go see for yourself" Vernal said before she leaves. The girls take her advice and exit the tent. They see no one there.
"Mom?" Yang called out.
"Yang, are you okay?" Weiss asked.
"I'll be fine once we can get her to take us to Ruby" Yang answered.
Weiss relents while Yang continues to look around "It's okay if... you're not okay".
"She's right. You just learned you have another sister you never knew about. No one would blame you for being upset" Severa added.
"You didn't believe what she said, right? Not about Mareeta but everything esle" Yang said.
"I... of course not. Well, not all of it. It was crazy. We have Dust, Semblances... But, I mean, there's no such thing as magic" Weiss said.
Just then, the four hear a bird caw. They watch it fly in front of them.
"A raven?" Weiss asked confused.
Yang eyes it closely "I've... seen that bird before".
"Maybe it belongs to your mom?" Weiss suggested.
The four continue to watch the raven fly in the dusk-colored sky. It descends, flying and weaving between the trees, before shapeshifting into Raven herself. Raven lands back on the ground on her feet, while the girls have shocked expressions as she stands back up.
"How... did you do that?" Yang asked.
"Well, I could explain it to you..." Raven then draws her sword, slashing behind her, creating a portal with her Semblance "Or you could ask your uncle".
"You're letting us go?" Yang asked.
"I'm giving you a choice" Raven said as she sheathes her sword "Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start, and you could get to know Mareeta better, she's a good kid. Or... you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone that's kept so much from you?".
Yang just glares at her mother "All I care about is making sure my sister is safe".
Raven was clearly dissatisfied with Yang's response "Ugh...".
Yang and Severa goes to retrieve their motorcycles, but as they do, Mareeta showed up in front of Yang, making her stop as the two of them look at each other silently for several seconds.
Mareeta took a deep breath "I know this was less than ideal... But I am still glad I finally got to meet you... Big sister".
Yang's eyes softened a little "You could come with me, Mareeta. I'm sure Ruby would love to have another sister, even if you two aren't directly related".
Mareeta looked away "I'm... sorry, Yang... This is my home, and this is where I belong".
Yang figured she would say something like that, but she had to try "Just don't lose your heart, Mareeta. I can see you are better than that".
Mareeta said nothing as Yang and Severa walked away. A bit later, Severa and Yang were riding their bikes, with Weiss and Bernadetta sitting behind them.
However, before they can enter the portal, Raven addresses her daughter one more time "Yang. If you side with your uncle, I may not be as kind the next time we meet...".
"You weren't kind this time either" Yang said as she and the rest proceed through the portal. The portal then disappears.
"I know..." Raven said with closed eyes before she felt someone grab her hand. She looked and saw Mareeta.
"No matter what my sister say... you've been a good mother to me" Mareeta said quietly.
Raven was silent before placing an arm around Mareeta's shoulders and held her close, and her younger daughter accepted the embrace without hesitation. Raven said nothing but was silently grateful that at least one of her children still loved her.
Back in Mistral, Qrow is seen leaning against a stone railing. He was clearly disappointed due to a failed recruitment trip where all the huntsmen and huntresses where either missing or already on a mission.
"This isn't right. I get one or two of them, but... all of them?" Qrow sighs and hangs his head in disappointment. Suddenly, he hears the sound of Raven's portal behind him "Raven?" The sound of a motorcycle is heard coming from the portal "Oh".
Back at the house the others are staying at, each of the members are helping prepare dinner: Ruby and Ren are cooking at the stove, Jaune and Lucina is setting up the table, and Nora is cutting carrots, occasionally eating slices.
"Alright, the first batch is just about done" Ren said.
"Awesome! Now we just need Qrow and we'll be all set" Ruby said.
Nora was still eating some carrot slices "Do you really think he's gonna bring that many people? This is a lot of food".
"Uh, I don't know, but it sounds like we could use all the help we can get" Ruby answered.
Soon Qrow's voice was heard "I'm back!".
"Be right there!" Ruby called back.
"You're going to overcook that" Ren said.
"No I'm not, shut up!" Ruby said.
"Hey, uh, Ruby?" Qrow called out again.
"I'm coming!" Ruby called back before some smoke comes from the pan she was cooking with "Fine! You take over".
Ruby grabs the tea tray and heads to the living room while Ren helps cook the pan.
Ruby was looking at the tea tray "So, we didn't know how many people were coming, so we just cooked all of it".
She looks up, and gasps as she drops the tea tray and its contents, which shatter on the floor. She stares in disbelief at the sight of not only Qrow, but of her older sister Yang and teammate Weiss. Yang approaches her little sister.
Ruby began speaking her voice cracking "Yang, I... I'm so sorry! I- I should've stayed, and I should've talked to you more! I'd- I just... I wasn't sure if you wanted me around and-".
Suddenly, her big sister gives her a strong hug. Ruby's lips quiver, and she looks toward her sister.
"I love you" Yang said as tears stream from her eyes.
Ruby sobs as she leans into her sister's hug "I love you too".
Jaune, Ren and Nora enter the room, smiling at the sight of the two sisters embracing each other. Qrow smiles as well. Oscar enters the room. He looks up, seeing Ruby and Yang hugging, and smiles. Weiss smiles as she wipes a tear from her eye, before frowning while looking down.
"Weiss" Ruby spoke.
Weiss looks up, and sees the two sisters open their arms up for her. She smiles and eagerly joins them in their hug. Everyone smiles as they watch three of the four Team RWBY members embrace each other
Lucina entered the room after she had left to wash of a little "Hey, why is everyone so quiet all of a..." She stops when she sees what's going on... And she noticed Severa and Bernadetta "Sev... Bernie?".
Bernadetta rushed up to her and hugged her while sobbing in to her chest. Lucina was surprised for a moment before hugging her back. She then looked up to see Severa walking towards her, and before she could say anything, Severa hugged her hard. Lucina smiled as tears ran down her face and hugged both her teammates.
"I... I missed you both so much..." She said quietly.
"We missed you too..." Bernadetta said through her sobs.
"Never thought I would miss you bossing me around..." Severa said, but her tone made it clear she was just as happy as they were.
Lucina giggled softly "Glad to see you two haven't changed to much".
The reunion lasted for a while, but Severa finally felt it was time to move on to something important. She looked at Qrow and walked up to him.
"You and I need to talk. And I think you know what it's about" She said, her tone making it clear she would not let him back out.
Qrow looked at her for a moment before he sighed "Yeah... I think I have a pretty good idea".
Ruby looked confused as Severa and Qrow headed outside and she looked at Yang "What's going on?".
Yang looks at her "Ruby... There is something about Severa that you need to know".
Outside, Qrow and Severa stood in silence for several minutes.
Qrow took a swig from his drink before letting out a sigh "Alright kid, you clearly have a million things to say to me. So say it".
"Oh, you have no idea what things I want to say to you. But there is only one thing I really want to ask you. Why? Why did you never try to talk to me? Why did you just shut yourself out of my life? Do you even know what I went through?" Severa asked, barely keeping her emotions in check.
"Look kid, I know things were hard for you, but had I stuck around, your life would've been even worse. My semblance if misfortune, if I stay close to someone for to long, they will begin to suffer a bunch of bad luck, ranging between minor to dangerous accidents. Besides... me and your mother was never married, we were close yes, but marriage never crossed our minds. So it was better if people simply believed you didn't have a father, than knowing your father is just a drunk bad luck charm. I'm sorry for what happened to you, and that you lost an eye. But with my bad luck, there is no telling what could've happened to you" Qrow explained.
Severa is silent for several seconds... then, without warning, she punches Qrow square in the jaw, making him stagger back. Had it not been for his years of training and hardiness, the punch would've knocked him out cold. He looks back and sees Severa glaring hard at him... with tears threatening to spill out of her only remaining eye.
"Bad luck? BAD LUCK!? What the hell kind of excuse is that!? You really thought I would be more lucky without you!? My life was already full of bad luck! Everyone judged me for who my mother was! No one saw me for who I was! And my mother was always so busy with being a huntress and barely had time for me! Had it not been for Pyrrha, I would've grown up all alone!" Severa shouts... before he tears finally began to run down her face "Do you really think... I wouldn't been able to handle being with you? Did you really think, I would be happier without you? I could've handled some accidents. It would've been worth it, if I knew I had a father who actually cared about me... all you would've needed to do, was to be there... all I needed, was for you to be there... That's all I needed from you... all I needed...".
Qrow looked at his daughter who was shaking "I... I'm sorry, Severa... I lectured Raven about being a bad mom... And yet I proved to be just as bad of a father".
"I should hate you for all you did and didn't do... But... I don't. I don't hate you. Despite everything I suffered through... You are still my father, and I can't hate my father... And that makes me so angry!" Severa shouted as more tears ran down her face.
Qrow wasn't sure what to do... so he did the only thing he could think of... He hugged Severa. She didn't react at first but she finally broke down crying and leans in to his chest.
"I'm... Really sorry... for everything. I know there is nothing I can do will make up for all the years I left you alone... Only thing I can do is to try and be here for you now... That is, if you even want me in your life anymore" Qrow said.
Severa slowly pulled out of the hug "I... I will give you one chance... Yang and Ruby love you and I care about them more than I've shown... So if there is even the smallest chance we can have a real father and daughter relationship... I'm willing to at least try... Just be ready to work hard if you really want me to trust you".
Qrow smiled at that "Thank you... Speaking of Ruby and Yang...".
Severa looked and Ruby and Yang them looking. Ruby was slowly walking towards them.
"Hi... cousin" Severa said softly.
Ruby looked at her for a moment before hugging her hard. Severa was surprised but hugged her back, and Yang soon joined in, officially welcoming Severa in to their family, something they would've done sooner if they had known she was their cousin earlier. Still, despite the hardships they have and will endure. At least now they know they will will face it together... as a Family.
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Wow, this was one hell of a chapter to write. Having Yang meet her second sister and the long awaited talk between Severa and Qrow.
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Tell me what you think.
