Chapter 1: Spring Blossoms Anew
Raven Branwen was many things, a Huntress, a bandit, a sister, and now a mother was one of them. She had recently given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. She and their father Taiyang Xiao-Long had decided to name one twin each after they had found out they were having two kids instead of one.
Taiyang, as creative as he is, decided to name their daughter Yang. It was a fitting name as the girl was already sporting a head of short golden blonde hair, just like her father. She also had lilac eyes that looked like a perfect mixture of Tai's sky blue and Raven's blood red.
Raven, who was only a little better at naming than her parents were, named their son Corvus. He bore a striking resemblance to Raven already and had the same deep crimson eyes as his mother.
Unfortunately their father was not present at the time of his children's birth as he was on a mission with his partner and team leader, Summer Rose. They must have stumbled upon some complications as they were only supposed to be gone for a week, however all Raven knew was that her husband missed one of the most important moments of their lives, and she was not happy about it.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, her brother and partner Qrow was by her side the entire time. He stayed behind when their two teammates left for their mission because he was badly injured on team STRQ's previous outing, he told his teammates that he was well enough to go back out into the field but Summer was having none of it. So instead he was stuck back at the Xiao-Long/Rose/Branwen household with a grumpy Raven.
Of course, as his luck would have it, he wasn't stuck for very long as Raven went into labor much earlier than expected. Thankfully Qrow managed to get his sister to a hospital and she gave birth with no complications, aside from Raven almost breaking her brother's hand.
Fast forward to one week later in the Xiao-Long/Rose/Branwen household, a nice wooden house in a forest clearing on the island of Patch, built by team STRQ themselves. Well, mainly Taiyang but he insists it was a team effort. Raven and Qrow were sitting in the living room looking after Corvus and Yang. They weren't very good at looking after kids, having grown up in a tribe of bandits, but they were doing their best. Thankfully Summer had bought Raven and Tai books on looking after kids which the two had studied constantly, with Qrow reading through them a few times too, he had to know how to look after kids if he was gonna be the cool uncle, after all.
Suddenly, Qrow's scroll chimed, and when he looked he saw that Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon academy, was calling him. He answered his scroll to see the face of their headmaster.
"Hello Qrow, I'm sorry to bother you and your sister so soon but we have an urgent mission for the two of you. It's about Spring."
"Spring? Oz, Summer won't be happy if she finds out we've been fighting rogue maidens"
"No, she wouldn't. Fortunately one of Haven's Huntsman teams managed to defeat her. Most of the team was wiped out but the fourth member managed to dispatch the maiden and recover both the powers and the stolen relic. She is recovering from her wounds and needs to get back to Haven academy as soon as possible."
"And lemme guess, she needs an escort?"
"Not quite, she's in a village outside the kingdoms, I'd like you to head to Haven and for your sister to meet with Spring. She can use her semblance to transport the young maiden to Haven, hopefully without any trouble."
"I'm up for it" Raven said from across the couch they were sitting on. "But I'd need someone to look after these two"
"They can stay at Beacon when you leave for the village, you shouldn't be gone long and the children will be fine here, Glynda will take good care of them."
"Alright" Qrow interjected. "So when am I leaving for Haven?"
"As soon as possible, it would be preferable to make sure Spring and the lamp are safe sooner rather than later."
"I'll head out now then" Qrow says as he stands and turns to his sister "You gonna be alright here on your own?"
"I'll be fine, just get going. The sooner we get this done the better."
"I've already arranged for a bullhead to take you to Haven, Qrow. It'll meet you by the docks in Patch in a few hours." Ozpin chimed from the scroll. "Have a safe flight."
"Thanks Oz." Qrow says before he hangs up.
"I guess I'll see you in a few days then sis, try not to burn the house down again while I'm gone"
"Hey, you're the one who did that! Don't pin it on me." Raven says with the shadow of a smile on her face. "Now get going, or I'll tell Summer that you were fighting Grimm when she told you to rest."
Not wanting to invoke their leader's wrath, Qrow left for the dock so he could take the bullhead to Haven, leaving Raven alone with the two kids.
A few days later, Raven was on a bullhead with Yang and Corvus to Beacon academy, the school for Huntsman and Huntresses that she and her teammates attended. She was nervous about leaving her kids with Ozpin and Glynda, but she figured that it was just her protective instincts. She reassured herself that the two kids will be fine, as scary as Glynda can be she knows how to look after children.
As she stepped off the bullhead she was greeted by the familiar sight of Beacon academy, as well as two people she knew all too well. One was a blonde woman with green eyes and glasses, her black and purple cape flowing in the wind, Professor Glynda Goodwitch. Her normally stern expression softens upon seeing Raven with two children in her arms, turns out Glynda has a soft spot for kids, who knew?
The other person had white hair and small glasses on his face that looked like they were used mainly for reading, wearing a black and green suit with a green scarf around his neck. Professor Ozpin stood beside Glynda with his signature cane in one hand and a mug of warm liquid in the other. He looked at Raven with his usual neutral expression.
"Thank you for doing this Mrs. Branwen, and I apologize again for calling you for a mission this early"
"It's fine Oz, it's not a big deal. Besides, I need to get out and do something, taking this long of a break is taking its toll on me."
"We're glad you're so eager to get back into missions this soon" Goodwitch says. "And I assure you, your children will be looked after well in your absence."
"Thanks Professor" Raven responds, reluctantly handing the sleeping kids to Glynda, who takes them into her arms with a smile.
After taking a sip from his mug, Ozpin says to Raven, "There is a bullhead waiting for you over there." He says as he points his cane in the direction of a docked bullhead. "It will take you to the village where Spring is located. Once you arrive head to the inn and ask for Celeste, then you can transport her to Mistral where your brother will waiting."
Raven nods, and heads toward the bullhead. She boards, greets the pilot and then sits down as the ship takes off for the village, the gentle hum of the bullhead's engines the only thing she can hear as she closes her eyes to get some sleep on the way.
"Hey! Wake up!"
Raven is awoken by the shout of the pilot, she opens her eyes and looks toward the cockpit.
"Are we here?"
"Yeah, but there's a problem, the village is under attack!"
That woke Raven up immediately, she bolts up and looks out the window, seeing the destroyed buildings of the village and various Grimm running around, looking for prey.
"Get me down there, now!" She says. As the bullhead lowers Raven checks her weapon, Omen, and gives its rotating scabbard a test spin to make sure it's in order, which it is, no doubt thanks to the thorough maintenance she performs regularly.
As the bullhead doors open, Raven jumps out with her hand on Omen's handle and scans the immediate vicinity for Grimm, as well as any survivors. All she sees are a few Beowolves, and an Ursa which she makes quick work of. She runs through the remains of the village cutting down any Grimm in her path, searching for the inn while also keeping an eye out for survivors, unfortunately however, she only sees corpses.
Upon turning a corner she finds herself face to face with the village Inn and races towards it, opening the door and scanning the room for signs of life. Against a wall she sees two people, one woman with blue clothing, sitting against the wall in a pool of blood with a severe looking wound in her stomach. The other was a man, about the same height as Raven, with dyed lime green hair and a punk-like outfit standing over the injured girl, holding a serrated dagger in his left hand with fresh blood dripping off it. She also takes note of the gold and blue lamp attached to his belt.
"Well, well, who's this, I wonder?" The man says in a playful and slightly sadistic tone.
"None of your business" Raven replies with a harsh tone. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, but it is!" He says, ignoring Raven's question. "I saw you eyeing up this here lamp, you were sent by Ozpin weren't you?"
"I-"
"Well I'm afraid I can't let you have it. You see, I'm being paid a lot of money to send this little thing to my employer"
' Salem' Raven thinks. She had to stop this guy, gripping Omen and readying a fire dust blade she moves to attack the man, who evades. Raven quickly follows up with another two slashes, the first hitting the man's aura causing it to flicker with a shade of green the same as his hair, but he manages to block the second and moves in to try and get a hit on Raven, but she's a lot more skilled than he is, dodging the attack and delivering a flurry of slashes with her dust infused blade that causes the man's aura to flicker once more.
The man growls in frustration and as he is recovering from Raven's attack, he's seemingly unprepared for the heavy follow-up attack she's making, but when Omen's blade comes down on him it phases through him with a bright green outline appearing where the sword struck, or should have struck. Trying to take the advantage, the man delivers a knee to Raven's face and slashes her with his dagger causing her own aura to flicker the same deep red as her eyes.
She quickly identifies her opponent's semblance, one that lets objects phase through his body, leaving him unharmed. But she also notices that he only used it to avoid her heavy attack, not the lighter attacks she threw earlier. ' It must use up lot of aura to keep it active." She thinks to herself.
Raven then sheaths Omen, rotating her scabbard to lock in an ice dust blade. If she uses the ice dust in the blade to slow and maybe even immobilize her opponent, forcing him to use his semblance, then she could win this by simply wearing him down. She rushes forward, releasing a rapid series of blows and not giving her opponent a chance to retaliate, she relentlessly attacks him forcing him to use his semblance to avoid some of her strikes, and being slowed by the hits that he couldn't avoid.
He manages to hold out for a short time but Raven was just too fast and too powerful for him, his aura breaks and he falls to his knees. Raven, now the victor, looms over him holding Omen to his throat and after a moment of contemplation, beheads the man. She considered leaving him alive, but ultimately concluded that there was little point, deciding that he was too weak to be working directly for Salem, he was probably just hired by one of her pawns and wouldn't know anything valuable.
She takes the relic and attaches it to her hip next to Omen before moving over to the injured woman who she sees is still breathing, albeit barely. Raven kneels next to the woman and examined her wound.
"There's no point" The woman says. "I've lost too much blood already."
"Are you Celeste?" Raven asks.
"I am, and you must be the one that Ozpin sent."
"That's right. Come on, I can get you help-"
"No, there's no time, I already feel myself slipping." Celeste interjects, her voice weak and her eyes growing unfocused. "What's your name?
"Raven, Raven Branwen"
"Raven" Celeste says as she closes her eyes, her head drooping and her chest ceasing to rise.
Raven places a hand on the fallen maiden's shoulder, lowers her head and closes her eyes in respect before her vision is engulfed by a white light.
Raven looks around the white expanse, startled as she doesn't know what's happening.
"Please, calm down" A familiar voice says. Raven looks in the direction of the voice to see Celeste, but with no wounds and looking much better than when Raven saw her.
"Celeste? What… what is this?"
"I thought of you, and here we are."
Raven's eyes widen after her realisation "You mean-"
"You're the next Spring maiden, Raven." Celeste says with a smile, before her expression goes serious. "And I have a request to make of you. Ozpin is hiding something, I'm not sure what it is, but the things I've been told… they don't all add up. The last maiden told me that there is a spirit in the lamp who will answer questions, she told me her name is Jinn. Find out what Ozpin is hiding, please." She says with a pleading tone when she takes Raven's hands in her own, and begins to fade away.
Raven woke up feeling… invigorated, more so than she ever had before, she was pleased until she remembered what just happened, and the reality of the situation sunk in. She was a maiden, and the enormous power the title comes with also comes with a burden. She knew Salem would eventually try to come after her, but what if they came after her team, her family? She also realised that if she were to die, there were really only 2 people for the power to go to. Her leader, Summer, and her daughter, Yang. She didn't want this burden to fall on either of them, but she decided she'd worry about it later. Celeste asked her to find out what Ozpin was hiding. It didn't surprise Raven when she heard that Oz was keeping secrets as he always seemed like someone who knows a lot more than he lets on, but what kind of secret is he hiding?
Raven detached the lamp from its place at her hip and speaks the name Celeste gave her.
"Jinn?"
The lamp floats out of Raven's grasp as blue smoke is released from it, which eventually forms into the shape of a woman, golden chains wrapped around her form as she stretches and looks at Raven.
"Hello there, I am Jinn, the spirit that the gods bound to the relic of knowledge in order to aid humanity, I am able to answer 3 questions every 100 years and they are all still available. So tell me young maiden, what knowledge do you seek?"
Getting over her surprise, Raven fulfils Celeste's wish by asking her question.
"What is Ozpin hiding?"
Qrow was sitting in a hotel room in Mistral, not far from Haven academy. He's been waiting for Raven to show up with the relic and the maiden but so far she hasn't come. But before he can start to worry a red portal opens up next to him, Raven was here with the relic, and her kids? The portal closes after she enters the room, no one else is coming.
"Raven? What happened? Why are the kids with you? Where's Spring?"
"The village was attacked, Qrow. The Spring maiden was killed, and she passed her powers on to me."
"Well… that's great." Qrow says sarcastically. "So why do you have the kids with you then?"
"Because I can't stay with you guys anymore, I will not endanger you all by staying around, I'll be too easy to find if I stay at the house and I will not risk your lives by doing that. I'm going back to the tribe."
"Raven-"
"I don't want to hear it Qrow." Raven interjects. "She won't find me there, and I can keep Corvus safe"
"Corvus? What about Yang?"
"She can't stay with me. I don't want to leave her Qrow, but if something were to happen to me the maiden power would get passed on to her, I won't burden her with that. She can stay with Tai."
"And what exactly am I supposed to tell Tai?"
"Figure it out, but don't tell him, or anyone else that I'm the Spring maiden. Just… whatever you can think of to make sure Tai and the others don't come looking for us."
"Raven look, I can't-"
"You can, and you will" Raven interrupts. "I helped you constantly when we were growing up in the tribe, it's time to return the favour."
Qrow breaths a heavy sigh and relents. "Fine, I'll cover for you, just make sure that the kid has a better upbringing than we did for gods' sake."
"I'll do my best" Raven says as she hands her daughter off to Qrow, opens a portal to her old mentor in the tribe and stepped through it with Corvus in her arms.
Raven didn't have the heart to tell Qrow what she found out from Jinn, he never had it easy when they were kids, neither of them did but Qrow had it worse, for sure. No one wanted him because of his semblance, and whenever something bad happened, they took it out on him. The only reason he was still in the tribe, and how he lasted as long as he did, was because of Raven. She was always by his side, she shared her food with him, helped him train in the same manner she was trained, and eventually, she brought him with her to Beacon.
Qrow was happy here, he felt needed, and he had a family that cared for him. She wasn't happy that he didn't want to go back to the tribe once they graduated but she didn't blame him, and she wasn't going to make him come back either.
Well, that was the first chapter of this story. I've been reading fanfiction for a while and decided to try my hand at writing one, this is the result of my efforts.
I do hope you guys enjoyed this, as I said, this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction so if you have any advice or criticisms then please let me know, just keep it constructive. I'll also be putting replies to reviews in my author's note for next chapter so feel free to ask any questions you may have.
I won't have an upload schedule for this as I want to go at my own pace, so I'll see you when I see you!
Ps: In case you didn't realise, what Jinn told Raven in this chapter was the same thing she told Ruby co. In Volume 6, just to be clear.