Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

ALL RIGHTS GO TO MONTY OUM, VIZMEDIA, AND FORMERLY ROOSTER TEETH AS THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF RWBY.
I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING APART FROM THE OCs AND THE ART I'VE MADE.

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CHAPTER 1 : Another Kind Of Rose

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(A.G.W ‘After Great War’ / October 31st, 1065)

“Push, why won't cha’ Summer! I can see the head!” A rasp voice of a middle-aged woman encouraged, a constant noise of a younger woman screaming in pain followed after, drowning out most of the noise in the background, filling the cabin with erratic loudness. 

“I-I’m trying!” The woman who had been grunting in pain was Summer, a well-known huntress in her twenties. She was currently giving birth to her twins whom she'd procreated with her husband Taiyang Xiao Long —- He was a man in his early thirties, his once bright blonde hair turning a darker tone, he had two small strands sticking out from the top and below his blue eyes. He wore a brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes, a red bandana on his left arm, and a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off. For armor, he wears a metal spaulder, leather vambrace, and a brown fingerless glove all on his right arm. —  Her silver eyes were fluttered with a little hint of tears, and her usual smooth short hair with red fades was haggard as she panted, breathing heavily full of exhaustion with each excruciating push. 

“G-Gods damn it, Tai..” She swore, to her right, like any husband in the process of becoming a father – Once again – was Taiyang, whose hand she was holding onto with deadly force, crushing his aura-infused hands in the process. 

The poor man could only weep in silence as his hand became crumpled paper in warm loving grip of his Wife, where he was encouraging his wife, now turned into a trial of will of trying not to cry out from the pain of his hand being crushed by what feels like to be a hydraulic-press pressuring on his left hand. 

Entering the room with multiple blankets wrapped around his arm and warm water was Qrow Branwen without his signature red cape, he still wore his typical gray dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. Walking next to the oldest in the room, the brown-haired middle-aged midwife wearing a classic housewife dress with a flowery pattern helping Summer at the moment, Quarta, a friend from town.

“Qro, Place warm water bit low to summer and don't cha’ dare look, stay to the right!” Quarta ordered Qrow with the patience of an old nanny. 

“Yeah, yeah. Don't need to tell me.” Qrow said with a quiet voice, doing as Quarta requested. Flinching occasionally as Summer's screaming reached maximum pitch every now and then. Wanting to be respectful, he averted his eyes from Summer and looked around until he spared a glance at his brother in all but blood, he almost pitied Taiyang as the man looked like he was about to wilt to death, but he digressed, the man brought it to himself. Poor bastard. 

Seriously, who was supposed to be in agony here? 

“Push ‘em more! First one's almost out!” Quarta announced, Qrow almost wanted to sneak a peek. But held off as that would be disrespectful. 

Summer's pained groans reached a new high as the first newborn finally got out, the cries of an infant quickly joined in on the noise, however Quarta was quick with her work and immediately cleaned the new one and wrapped a blanket around the baby. 

“Qro’ grab em’ new one, the other twin is comin’ out already! Taiyung don't cha’ dare pass out!” Qrow hurriedly placed his new niece/nephew(?) At a basket and ran back to Quarta with a new clean blanket. 

This other last twin took a bit longer to be pushed out, leaving everyone more exhausted than the first, more so because they had to be delicate as the last one took longer, Qrow himself felt mentally exhausted than physically tired. Quarta blanketed the last twin and gave them to Qrow, who placed the newer child in the other basket they've prepared. 

“Tai.. Wake up, I swear to gods..” Summer said with a half-conscious drowsiness, Qrow and Quarta raised a brow and noticed the corpse that used to be Taiyang Xiao Long, complete with a flattened right hand. 

Yeesh. 

Qrow shook his head as Summer ripped Tai a new one – she tried at least – and turned his attention to the younger newborn and gently picked them up, checking which it was, was it a niece or a nephew..?

God their crying is loud as hell. 

Oh? What’s this…?

Strike, another niece. Qrow smiled, he picked up the other newborn, he was about to do another gender reveal when Quarta suddenly called him, something about snapping Taiyang awake. 

Qrow placed both babies back in the baskets without looking. 

… 

“Seriously man? Just from that?” Qrow faux-disappointedly shook his head as he returned back to the newborn twins, he’d heard of men passing out from anxiety or tension in worry of their wives, being well-traveled, he knew one or two people like this, or at least have met them. An above-average huntsman who boasts in strength passing out from the grip of his wife however? Yeah, seriously Tai. But then again, this was Summer’s grip they were talking about, the woman could literally tear apart an entire truck just to rescue someone or get to something.

“Yeah, just laugh, you wouldn't even be awake if she tried that grip on your hand.” Taiyang pouted while helping his wife. Summer shot him a side-glare which made him shut up.

From the side, Quarta was cleaning up her hands after getting rid of the “Qro’ the kids, give em’ ere’ already you mook. The mother needs to see her children, both em’ kids need to stop crying as well!” 

Qrow didn't need to be told that as he brought both kids with him and gently handed them over to the Nanny. -

“Did ya’ already checkin’ their genders?” Quartz asked, swooning over both the infants and handing them to Summer who had sparkles for eyes, tired yet full of joy, Taiyang was practically resurrected when he saw his wife holding both their newborns, the goofball of a man simply couldn't hide his own excitement. 

Qrow paused for a moment trying to remember, he looked back to the empty baskets and put a hand on his chin. Did he forget something important…? He does remember the older one being on the right basket , while the younger twin was at the left.. 

‘ Genders.. Oh right, they’re both girls.. I think? ’

Oh well, at least he had an eye for who was the older one, did that make sense? It didn't to him, probably because he was HALF DRUNK and had rushed here as fast as he could! How the hell could have he anticipated that Summer's water would break here and now? 

Pretty sure having an intoxicated man near newborn brats was a health hazard. 

Better they don't know that.. Oh who was he kidding, they probably already knew that the moment he entered the goddamn house.  “They're both girls, which means I have two more nieces!” Qrow smiled. At least there was that, he had two more nieces alongside Yang. “The one on your right is the older one, do me a favor and don't name them after a bird.”

“Hahaha, very funny Qrow.” Summer shot him in irritated glare. Qrow simply shrugged and stood on the side, Taiyang was next to her giggling like a dork despite his… That can't be called a hand anymore, his Aura should be able to heal that... 

“Well, if that's all, I'd go now Summer. Make'n sure I'm an aunt to those brats, I've got my own things to do.” Their friend waved tiredly. 

“Thanks Quarta, sorry we called you here on a whim. We didn't expect my water to break so suddenly.” Summer apologized, straightening her posture from her bed, Quarta had already cleaned up after her after she gave birth. 

“Bah! You've done more for me, rushing here is nothin’” Quarta waved her hand, turning to the door and opening it. When she opened the door she was suddenly welcomed with a very blonde and fiery welcome as a small Yang Xiao Long burst through the gaps in her legs and made her way through to Summer. 

Rather quick for a nearly three years old child. 

Quarta let out a tired breath and closed the door.

//—————————————————//

Summer's silver eyes shone down on her two new born daughters, a little rocking and motherly love was all it took to get them to calm down, they were all gathered up around her as they took in the sight of two new little Roselings whom are soon to be a part of their life, even her oldest daughter Yang, ran up to her with her cute little lilac eyes staring up at her new younger siblings. 

Now that they've calmed down the atmosphere to a somewhat wholesome vibe, came their new predicament, while the Doctors did say it would be this month where she was likely to give birth, she and Taiyang had been caught off-guard when her water broke. They quickly called up Qrow — Who despite his efforts to hide the fact he was out drinking again, was easily found out by them due to the smell coming off of him, she'll make sure to give him a thorough scolding . — In the end, they had to call for help from a friend as getting to the clinic or a doctor here wouldn't have been enough, they had been unprepared. 

Said predicament came in the form of thinking of names for their children, Summer played around with the idea of basing their names off seasons but that felt too obvious considering her name. 

Taiyang was no good as his ideas were just as bad as hers, Qrow wasn't completely sober and Yang was a three-year-old. They would have prepared names if it weren't for the fact they had other matters to deal with. 

Yes, the whole 9 Months. They've had to deal with Huntsman stuff and a few other things. 

‘ Hmmm.. What if- Hm?’

Summer was removed from her thoughts when she felt a small teeny tiny hand grasping at her chest, of course, the children needed breastfeeding first! 

When she looked down to look at her newborns, she saw the oldest of the two grasping at her clothes and eventually her

Blue and Red hybrid necklace given to her by Taiyang some time ago. 

… 

Wait, that's it!

“How about Lingshu Xiao Long or Liu Rose?” 

“Tai, the hell is that name even supposed to be?”

“You two! I've got it!” Summer stopped the two idiot grown men who were bouncing off ideas on one another, they looked at her with confusion before it was replaced with anticipation. 

“What do you have in mind, Sum?” Taiyang asked. 

Summer huffed with a smirk, giving them one smug look. “How about~ we name the older one Sapphire, and the younger one Ruby! Like, Sapphire Rose and Ruby Rose!”

Taiyang and Qrow paused, the two looked at each other for a few seconds, and returned back to Summer. 

“Yeah, that works.” The two said in unison. 

Summer couldn't agree more, and this was pretty much the best idea she could muster. “Right? It sort of connects since they're twins.”

Taiyang moved to her side, carrying the three year old Yang who was joyfully reaching out to her younger half-siblings. 

“Sapphire and Ruby, huh? It sounds a bit shabby like naming them after seasons, but yeah, I think that's lovely.” Taiyang smiled, caressing the kids with his free hand. His eyes traveled to the necklace he gave her and immediately saw where she got the idea from. “it works.”

Qrow smirked from the side, “You know, with you naming the older one Sapphire, she's bound to probably dye her color scheme to blue just to match her sister in the future.” 

Summer shot him a glare. “Oh shut you.”

Her gaze returned to her twins and grew a fond, warm smile on her face. 

“Sapphire and Ruby, hmm.. Mommy's glad to have you both my little Roselings.”

. 

.. 

… 

//—————————————————//

A day or two passed by after the twins were born. It had nothing been less but busy, mostly just fixing up papers with the clinic to get some birth certificates done. But since Summer took some time to finally be able to walk again without any lingering pain from her labour, and with Tai always hovering by her side as well as the children, they made the mistake of having Qrow fill it out himself — Though this time, he was sober — and as much as they trusted their honorary family and friend, as well as being a LITERATE and LICENSED VETERAN HUNTSMAN, he still had his flaws. 

Of course one of his first mistakes was mistaking both twins to be girls, when in fact, the older one was actually a male. And to BE fair, he was called in drunk by that time, so the fault wasn't on him, they were just lucky they managed to keep track of which was the older one. 

But oh boy, he did have some mistakes to be blamed for. 

Such as fucking misspelling things. What did he do? It wasn't much of a big deal other than butchering the name of his nephew. 

From “Sapphire Rose” To “Sapphyrr Rose”

…Yeah, for someone who's about to become a teacher at signal, he still had things to work out. 

Lastly, they didn't have any last option to give the older twin a new name, one that fit a more boy-ish name rather than.. Well, Sapphire. By the time Qrow was finally done filling out the papers, it was too late for them to make a call, as well as only realizing his mistake by the time he got back. 

So when he came back to the Xiao-Long/Rose abode, Summer was there to catch his ass lacking. 

“YOU DID WHAT?! YOU IDIOT!!” Summer screamed as she rocked Qrow by the collar, attempting to strangle the man. Tai wasn't too far off on the side, landing a palm to his face. 

“To be fair Sum, this is on us as well, we got too excited. We didn't even double check when things finally calmed down.” Tai pointed out. Summer's terrifying glare landed on him, causing the man to freeze up. 

She let go of Qrow's collar, causing the taller man to drop to the ground like a ragdoll. “Ow.”

Summer frustratingly groaned in both of her hands, turning to the house ceiling and letting out a muffled scream. “Ughhh.. I hate that you're right. It's not like Qrow is completely at fault either.”

Said man stood up, grunting and dusting off his shirt. “Agh, if it's that much of a problem we can just petition for a clerical error, a newborn's name can be changed apparently, and maybe get his gender right as well since I put the brat in as female.”

Summer liked that idea. “Or we can do that.”

“About that.” Taiyang spoke, garnering their attention. “Aside from obviously having to fix my son's misgender, what are WE going to name him? Since it's a clerical petition it has to be done now or else it'll be recorded and it would just become a bigger pain in the future.”

Taiyang leaned on the kitchen counter with a hand on his chin. “That said, what's wrong with the name Sapphire though?”

Summer raised a brow. “You want our son to be called ‘Sapphire’ and be bullied for a feminine name? I mean, I like the name, it fits. But I wouldn't want him to go through early bullying because of his name. And we know how kids could get.”

That was true, kids, often at a young age, even during teenage years can be stupid. Like the unreasonable kind of stupid, all kids were. They'd make fun of you for the slightest things and get into that whole gaggle of groups or whatever. Both Summer and Taiyang realized this as they grew up, with maybe the exception of Qrow who's only form of educational success was Beacon. 

Only because Raven was the local bully, the kind that asked for fights and called people weak, not because of her entertainment like the average bully, but to try and goad them. 

“Soo.. What do you suggest to name him then?” Taiyang asked. 

Summer groaned, setting herself at the dinner table. “I was thinking along the lines of Aqua, but it feels like I'm ripping it off somewhere.”

Qrow shrugged at that and fell to the couch in the living room. He pulled out his flask and paused, remembering the occasion. “Speaking of that, where's my adorable nieces and nephew?”

Taiyang answered by pointing a finger up. 

Ah, so they were sleeping. 

The adults stayed there for some time, thinking of a possible name they could give the older twin. The silence was only then cut off when Qrow spoke again. 

“Why not.. Keep it?”

Summer balked. “Qrow?! Didn't you just hear what I said? We'd just be setting him up for some inconvenience in the future!”

“No, no. Listen to me first,” Qrow waved his hand. Taiyang and Summer looked at him. “Didn't we have a classmate at Beacon that had the name Sapphire or something? And he was a dude. That name isn't exactly strictly for females, you know.”

Taiyang clicked his fingers. “Hey, yeah! And since Qrow misspelled his name in a way it can still be pronounced as ‘Sap-fire’ but looks a little masculine, you can even pronounce it ‘Sa-Pear’ or ‘Sap-Ire’, it shouldn't be that much of a problem!”

“Seriously?” Summer drawled, “We're going with this? Couldn't have been Aqua or Colt. Not one that sounds cooler, but a misspelled one.”

Qrow snickered, “What, you don't think a little creativity works? Besides, didn't you two say I'd get to be godfather if you had a son? Think of it as my naming to him.”

Ugh, that was true. It was only Taiyang who promised him that if they had a son, only then could Qrow give a name. Summer was more reluctant, but only because this was the guy who's name was spelled with a Q!

“Alright, fine.. I suppose that works as well. I even got the idea from the necklace. But if he gets angry, it's on you two.” She narrowed her eyes. 

Qrow shrugged. “Eh, more teasing material for me.”

“And more diversity for my son, I guess?” Taiyang quipped.

They'd decided not to change Sapphyrr’s name thanks to Qrow's suggestion and mistake. Funnily enough though, because of this conversation about names. They've completely forgotten about the fact his gender was still filed in as Female. 

It wouldn't really be much of a problem in the future as fixing papers didn't take that much time if the mistake was minimal, such as a clerical error.

It would be unfortunate if they realized this too late, wouldn’t it? 

//—————————————————//

(A.G.W ‘After Great War’ / October 31st, 1069)

It was unfortunate. Much to Summer's ire. 

The paper in Summer's hand nearly crumpled as the woman was tempted to rip it apart before remembering it was a birth certificate. Her eye twitched as she looked at the accursed paper. 

“Ms. Rose, is something the matter?” The Kindergarten Registrar called out to Summer. 

Summer was currently inside the office of a kindergarten office to pass in some minimal requirements to get her son and daughter, Ruby and Sapphyrr to finally begin their schooling, in kindergarten. Both were finally old enough to enter a time where education would enter their developing stages, both of them being nearly five years old. 

Really, it felt like time passed by way too fast. As both kids were already four years old and running around just outside the office, Yang — Who's six years old now — watched over the two and struggled to chase both her younger siblings who moved in comical synergy. 

Summer was glad Yang grew to love her younger siblings and acted like a responsible 6-year-old big sister. 

Unfortunately, that small mishap from four years ago came to bite her in the ass again when she realized they'd forgotten to petition a clerical error for Sapphyrr's gender. 

“Ms. Rose?” The Registrar called out again. 

Summer finally snapped out of her thoughts. “Ah right, sorry. Say, if there was a medical error in a child's records, like perhaps, the wrong gender being filed in? Would they still be allowed to enter school?”

The Registrar smiled brightly, nodding. “Yes! It's not a big deal. You see, minor discrepancies are common in schools and are not that much of a problem, such as a wrong gender listed in their medical records, though we do ask to fix this error later on. If only for your child's sake.”

Summer felt relieved hearing that. “Oh thank the gods, at least that's one problem of my chest. I'll just fix it later, if I may?”

The Registrar nodded, pushing in some papers and handling the enrollment documents. Summer took a pen and started signing in for her son, at least their education wouldn't be hampered. 

//—————————————————//

(A.G.W ‘After Great War’ / October 31st, 1070)

Taiyang picked at his slightly bearded chin in confusion. In front of him were the twins who've finally hit five years old today. Turns out, these little goobers inherited his goofiness and their mother's mischievousness. 

Because as soon as he and Summer were done setting up some birthday decorations, the two little brats disappeared and came back wearing the same exact outfit, a small red hoodie and a black pants. 

Both of which were grinning at him. 

“‘Hey daddy! Guess who's who!’’” The twins grinned in unison.

God. They looked so adorable if only they weren’t making it so difficult for him, the problem with having unbelievably identical twin kids was differentiating WHO'S WHO! 

Both of them had the same hairstyle, outfit, and voice! You'd think since that one of them was a boy, he'd be a little different. But noooooo, biology said ‘screw you’ to him and decided the Xiao-Long genes were irrelevant as both of them looked exactly the same! 

From behind him was his wife, Taiyang could see Summer holding a long paper deco in her hands, trying not to laugh as she watched him struggle with their kids, Yang was there too snickering.

The traitors!

“Dad! Say who” “Yeah!”

Uh oh, the twins were getting impatient. 

‘Quick Taiyang, you’re a badass huntsman that’s supposed to be the cool pun-loving dad. What do you do-’ An idea struck him.

He feigned a cough and turned away whistling. “Oh man, I didn’t know Sapphyrr liked dressing up like a girl.”

The left twin froze and made a disgusted face. “What?! Ew nooooo dad!”

Bingo, Hook line, and sinker. Attack the boy with twin sibling puns and double the damage.

“I guess we’ll have to DOUBLE the skirts we buy now huh?” Taiyang smirked. Yang started giggling more while Summer lost her smile, looking at him with a flat stare that screamed ‘seriously, puns?’

Hey, she married him. Now she’s gotta deal with the puns.

“Nooooo!” The left twin shrieked a little louder in despair. “I’m not a girl–!”

Before he could finish, Taiyang took the opportunity and struck. Picking up who was obviously Sapphyrr and carrying him into the air. “Alright, alright. Here’s my baby boy. Look, your baby sister is laughing at you.”

 “Hehehehe.” Ruby giggled while Sapphyrr was suspended in the air by Taiyang, kicking and throwing around.

Man, is it a pain to differentiate your identical kids? Yes, it was. Was it worth it having twins? Absolutely, they both look so adorable. After he played a little with the kids, Summer finished the rest of the decorations and returned to the kitchen to retrieve her newly baked cookies – Something both Ruby and Sapphyrr loved – and placed it on the tables, Qrow was out buying cake for the kids and no, he wasn’t drunk this time. 

“‘Cookies, Cookies!’” Ruby and Sapphyrr chanted while jumping, Summer smiled at the sight and placed it on the dining table. The little rascals were quick, they tried to snatch some immediately but were scolded by Summer. “Nuh uh kiddos, not until everyone’s here. Have some patience. I still have to call in our neighbors and friends.”

“‘Awwwww..’” Again, they were dejected at the same time. Taiyang coo’d at this.

It wasn’t long until Qrow arrived with a box of cake on his hands, along with some neighboring friends they’ve known in patch — Quarta was included in this — Some kids were here and there, and the birthday party proceeded as would any parties prepared by parents wishing their kids a happy birthday, Yang acted maturely like a proper big sister, they played games, ate good food. Everything was well.

While the party was ongoing, Taiyang decided to hang around Qrow and Summer. Having the average adult late-night conversation when a party is about to end, they were all hanging around the porch, with Qrow learning on the wall next to Taiyang, while Summer sat at the wooden ledge.

“Sooo… It’s not just me that noticed how Identical those two looked, right?” Taiyang started, looking at his drink.

“Yup, we’ve had this conversation multiple times now. Kids took more from me.” Summer chortled. “Unfortunately, that also meant that they looked like exact copies of me when I was smaller, kinda hard to tell which is which if it weren’t for the color contrast clothes we bought them. Kinda funny on how feminine Saph looks like though, he might have taken way too much from me. ”

Qrow drank the last of his glass. “Heh, better watch out. Kid might have more suitors than his sisters if he grows up looking like a girl.” They laughed at that. “Both brats might probably grow up loving the obvious colors on their name, Is that a good idea by the way? Feels like you’re giving them color roles, they might keep sticking to it.”

“Oh. Totally.” “Yup. Definitely.” Taiyang and Summer answered at the same time.

“But trust us, we tried. They started crying when I talked to them about having different hairstyles and all that stuff.” Summer continued. “But those cute puppy silver-eyes made me rethink otherwise, they were too cute.”

Taiyang hummed in agreement. “Almost too impossible to deny them, with how much those two are in synergy, they’ll probably always stick together in the future. Wait, speaking of that, have any of you noticed how much those two become in so much synergy? Like with the way they talk and do things, it’s perfectly synchronized.”

Qrow snapped his fingers. “Yeah, that too. Little brats managed to prank me by pulling my cape and holding my face. Every time I tried to noogie one of them, they’d move away from every direction.”

Now at that, Summer and Taiyang laughed. Qrow himself had a faint smile.

“Hahaha! Imagine if they became huntsmen and landed on the same team, they’d be unstoppable.” Summer joked, truthfully, the two would become extremely formidable. They’ll probably become inseparable as time goes on… That’d also mean they would become each other’s weaknesses, and knowing Yang, she’d probably be there to watch over them.

…Huntsmen, huh.

Summer’s smile slowly faded, looking out to the night sky. Taiyang and Qrow were quick to notice her change in demeanor.

“Sum..? What’s wrong?” Taiyang sounded concerned, even Qrow had a mildly worried expression.

“Nothing just… Worried if they became huntsmen and they probably would try to follow my footsteps, they’d be inseparable, but that also means they’d be weak without each other.” Summer pointed a finger to her eyes. Qrow seemed to catch what she meant. Since Taiyang wasn’t aware of things like Salem and Ozpin, he didn’t know about it.

And that meant things like the Silver-eyes as well. Really powerful eyes capable of outright disintegrating or ending a whole Grimm invasion in one blast, as well as having high potential? It was almost bullshit. And the two just so happened to have inherited Summer’s eyes as well, which meant they were bound to be targets for Grimm… And Salem, Fucking hell.

“Then that just means we’ll just have to be there for them when they choose to become huntsmen.” Taiyang smiled at Summer, she looked at him for a few seconds before a smile crept up to her.

Qrow thought that as well, if they’re not there, then he will. If not him, then Yang will be. With that, he went off to grab another glass of alcohol and waved away. “I’m going to get wasted with the others, try to make more nieces and nephews for me alright?” 

“QROW!” 

Heh.

//—————————————————//

“—And on the wind, Alex heard one more question. What, are you?” Summer read out the last of the contents of the book. She closed the book with a heavy sigh, casted a loving glance at her children. A yellow lamp lit over the room, Ruby and Sapphyrr shared a bed, clinging onto one another like glue. While Yang slept with a drool in her mouth, Summer smiled at this. “I love you, just the way you are..” 

Summer stood up and placed the book on top of the drawer, “Always.” Before turning off the lights and leaving the room dark. Only illuminated by the moonlight.

The cold night sky whistled, Summer Rose watched through the windows as leaves flew carried by the wind. She sighed. Her chest felt heavy doing this, lying to her family, to her husband – Even if she and Taiyang were never formally married – It hurt her doing this.

‘Would you look at that, Summer Rose. Lying, of all people. I can’t believe I’m doing this… But, it’s for their safety. So that they can grow up in a world free from HER threat.’

Footsteps rang from the wooden stairs as Taiyang walked down to meet her by the window.

The man smiled as always, unaware of her plans.  “It’s not like you to rush off on a mission in the middle of the night.” Summer’s eyes widened for a moment, startled by Taiyang, before turning her back on him and putting a hand on her chest. She gripped her fist with guilt, frowning at what she was about to do.

‘It’s for them.’ Summer reminded herself.

She inhaled, before putting off her usual air. Shaking her head as she said, “You know how Ozpin gets.” She turned to face him, smiling and rolling her eyes. “Mystery after mystery.”

Taiyang crossed his arms and smirked. “Aaanndd, when it turns out to be yet another run-in-the-mill patrol, It’ll be–”

“”--I always prefer discretion.”” The couple mimic’d Ozpin's voice, Taiyang chuckled and scratched his head.

A moment of silence passed as Taiyang grew a worried expression, Summer was quick to caress his face, he put his hand on hers and looked at her.

“I’ll be back soon.” Summer reassured him, that killed off any worry in his heart. He pulled her in close and hugged her.

“I know,” Taiyang said in a more cheerful tone.

…

…

A somber mood was what Summer had when she walked the green forest of Patch, far away from their abode. Dusk had finally arrived as the moon fell, and the sun rose, leaves rustled as the windy forest grew heavier for her. From above, the cries of a Raven croaked.

Moments after, the raven transformed as Raven Branwen herself dropped from the skies, landing in a position and immediately crossing her arms. 

Raven was around the same age as Summer, wearing clothes that consisted of a V-neck black and red kimono top with a black pleated skirt that has black shorts underneath, with a series of beaded necklaces. She also had a red obi sash around her waist alongside a red tassel wrapped around her waist that carries her weapon's sheath. Attached to it is a long black object that is either fur or feathers, with a red and white bandana material hanging from behind her. Her forearms bear red armored gauntlets that protrude outwards and black fingerless gloves. She wore black mid-thigh high boots that had armor plating with red splatter patterns and black heels. 

“Nobody suspects anything?” Raven asked, walking towards Summer, who proceeded to remove her cape’s hood.

“No, they think it’s a typical mission.” Summer guiltily said.

Raven crossed her arms again, giving her a sarcastic smile. “Summer Rose, telling lies. First time for everything.” She said in an amused tone. 

“And… ah” Her amused tone slowly faded into a somber one as well, matching Summer’s mood. Her eyes darted to the side. “What about..?” She nodded her head to the side, referring to Yang and the others. “You’re just going to leave them?” She said in a quieter, softer voice.

“You’re one to talk.” Summer glared at her. 

“It’s..” Raven sighed, she regrettedly admitted. “You’re better at that life, better than I was.” Leaving Yang and him wasn’t what she planned, but.. Like she said, she wasn’t meant for a life like that. 

“If I do this right.” Summer bumps into Raven’s shoulder, walking past her. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

She turned to her. “Trust me.”

Raven rolled her eyes and sighed. “Let’s get it over with I guess.” She walked next to Summer before unsheathing her sword, Omen. She slashed at the air, ripping it apart as a blood-red portal opened. The two then walked inside the portal.

//—————————————————//

Sapphyrr stared at the strange rock thing his dad put over his mommy’s favorite spot on the cliff. His twin sister was next to him, both of them being cuddled by their big sister, Yang. 

He could hear his daddy sniffling. Sobbing in front of the small rock thingy. Uncle Qrow was there as well, though he was on the side, his back turned against them. He let out the same whimpering sounds.

..When was Mommy coming back though? Why are they crying?

Ruby had the same thoughts as him, as they were both toddlers, they understood things. But not complex ones like death at their age. Though, as they could sense the mood. They were just as sad, for reasons they didn’t know.

‘Daddy said Mommy went to go fight big monsters again and save the day, but she still hasn’t come back..’ The young roseling thought to himself, he’d expected her to come back like she always did, like everyone thought Summer would, but after she’d gone with Raven, weeks of waiting passed, Taiyang and Qrow grew worried. After she still hadn’t come back, weeks turned into months, both men had already used up all their contacts searching for her, even going as far as talking to Ozpin about it, the one who’d given her the mission. But to their ever-growing fear, he never gave her a mission.

More time passed and it was evident, that she was dead. Only confirmed by Raven who dropped hints through Qrow.

//—————————————————//

Weeks after Summer’s presumed death, Taiyang fell into an incredibly heavy depression. It was clear how much he loved Summer by how he was taking it, first, it was Raven who left him with Yang. Then now Summer..? 

The man couldn’t take it, he simply broke down, losing another love of his life, the man suffered an emotional breakdown.. Barely moving, bottles of beer everywhere, he was pretty much a husk by this point. He was so broken that he’d even forgotten about his kids. Since Qrow couldn’t be around all the time due to his tasks, it was up to the seven-year-old Yang to take care of her younger siblings, she took up the task of trying to cook food for them, putting them to bed, and making sure they were okay. However, there was only so much burden a child could take when her own father was wallowing and drinking himself to death.

One day, while cleaning their rooms. Yang managed to find a picture of Team STRQ, the huntsman team that consisted of her Mom, Uncle Qrow, Dad, and lastly… Her actual birth mom, Raven Branwen. Uncle Qrow said that she left after she was born. 

After she found the picture, she became intent on finding her real mom. Until she found what could be a clue to finding her real mom.

A mapped location behind the picture, leading up to where her mom should be. She’ll find her real mom and fix her dad, fix their family.

//—————————————————//

A glimmering yet dim light of a pair of silver eyes shone off a raven's own eyes as a small five-year-old child Sapphyrr curiously stared up at a bird. The adorably small child tilted his head, staring at the strange birdy in front of him. 

Usually, birdies flew away when he tried to get close to them. But this one just started back at him, weird. Sapphyrr removed his eyes from the bird and looked back to his house, putting his hands together on his mouth before shouting out to his sister. “Hey Ruby, look at this birdy!”

Soon after, his sister who looked exactly like him ran up to his side. Wearing a red hoodie with a miniature cape bellowing behind her, as well as a small black skirt in contrast to his lighter red hoodie and crimson pants – and a noticeable lack of cape – as well as his hair was swept in the opposite direction as his sister,  who bore a somewhat saddened expression, something they’ve all had for some time. “Sap?”

“Look, it's not flying away.” Sapphyrr pointed to the bird. 

“Huh, weird.” Ruby looked at the bird as well, mimicking her twin's behavior. Her saddened expression was replaced by curiosity about the bird. She looked away from the bird and set her gaze on her sibling instead. “Sapphy, Yang said to come with her.”

Sapphyrr looked at her. “Why?”

“I dunno.. She said she was gonna help daddy be better again.” Ruby looked down. “She said we needed to go now, but how is she going to help her when he just went outside?” She tilted her head.

“Eh, Okay.” Sapphyrr took hold of her hand and walked back to the house. When he looked back at the bird, it was already gone. 

And true to Ruby’s words, Taiyang had gone outside again, out to visit the grave of his late wife.

When the twins finally found their older sister, she was off preparing one of their toys, a wagon big enough to fit both him and his sister. When they asked where they were going, Yang simply answered. “Finding my real mom.”

After Yang confirmed her dad was outside, she ventured out to the location to find out the whereabouts of her real mom. Wheeling both Ruby and Sapphyrr in the small wagon, until she was slowly bruised and exhausted from the walking. Doubled by the weight of two toddlers on the wagon, the young Xiao Long pushed on despite how exhausting it was.

She was about to fall over if it weren’t for her younger brother getting off the wagon and helping push the wagon, she felt proud for that. When they arrived at the building where Raven was supposed to be, however. What Yang expected to be her mother, wasn’t. 

When she got close to the building, her eyes widened in fear as she heard the fearsome growls emanating from the building. Exiting it was three, monstrous black creatures, Beowolves. They were tall, taller than most adults, it had the makings of a werewolf, but with sharp bones protruding from its limbs, as well as the signature bone-white mask paired with their inhuman red eyes.

Yang fearfully took a step back, to where her siblings were, only realizing now that she had just brought her younger sister and brother to their deaths, as one final attempt, she extended her arms wide in an attempt to protect her siblings, tears welling from her eyes. The younger siblings were just as scared, if not more. Ruby froze from where she stood, while Sapphyrr, seeing the monsters his mom told them stories about as big bad monsters brought shivers to his spine.

From where Ruby froze, Sapphyrr ran, actions run by pure instinct. Because he ran, out of the three Beowolves towering over Yang went after him. Yang’s eyes widened, watching him run away as the other Beowolf actively preyed on him as she screamed out. “No!” 

The ones in front of them simply tilted their heads, before growling and raising a clawed paw. One word only registered in Yang’s mind, a concept that most seven-year-olds know by now.

Death.

Her mind blanked, as short as it may be, life still flashed before her. Her legs shook as her mom’s final words rang out in her head, and a some final regrets such as bringing her siblings here.

‘Someone, please. Save us, If not me then my siblings…!”

She closed her eyes as the paw descended–

She cried.

//—————————————————//

The bird from before, the Raven, had long since flown off to the skies. Flying through a set of trees, before it eventually passed by a tree, when it did. There was no bird, instead, an adult woman with a sharp crimson eye came out. Raven. The woman proceeded to slow down her momentum by jumping from branch to branch before coming to a stop on a branch strong enough to support a whole human, concealed by leaves everywhere. 

“...That wallowing fool.” Raven, frowned solemnly. Watching Tai wailing out in-front of Summer’s grave. Her grip on the tree she was resting on tightened, and anger filled her chest. She didn’t know how long she was standing there, her eyes resting on Summer’s Grave and Taiyang’s crying form. 

She closes her eyes and grits her teeth, looking away.

‘Summer… You-?!”

But before she could finish that thought, her semblance alerted her of Qrow moving at high speeds, to a remote location, to where Yang currently was… Her head snapped towards the location of where the kids were, the bonds through her semblance telling her they were in grave danger.

With one smooth slash of her sword, a portal opened.

//—————————————————//

SLASH!

The sounds of metal cutting through bones and flesh rang and snapped Yang out of her fear-stricken state, opening her eyes, she saw her Uncle Qrow scything through the Beowolf that was about to kill her and Ruby.

As Qrow swiftly took care of the Beowolves in an instant with Harbringer, his weapon which was currently transformed into its Scythe form for longer reach, he looked around and felt relieved seeing that he made it in time. He immediately dove in and hugged Yang and Ruby, the latter had stopped crying and stared intently at his scythe, while the former wailed desperately.

As Qrow hugged them in relief, fear crept up to him again as he only now realized that one of them was missing. “Wait, where’s your brother?” Fear welled up in his chest, he had spent a good minute hugging his nieces, relief, and contempt that he made it in time. Causing him to forget about his nephew.

Yang, realizing that she needed to tell him, stammered out, pointing towards the forest. “O-O-One of them chased him over there–”

“Go hide in that building and stay there!” Qrow cut her off, immediately disappearing in a burst of speed. “Damn it! Damn it! GOD DAMN IT TAIYANG!” He cursed as he expelled as much aura as he could to run faster, turning into a corvid took time to accelerate, and that was time he didn’t have. Each second mattered in here.

//—————————————————//

Like most animals ran by Instincts, and being able to sense fear. The Beowolf tailing Sapphyrr played with him as it ran behind him, howling and slamming through bushes as it pursued the boy.

Sapphyrr cried, taking his small legs as fast as he could run. To run away from the monster behind him, he knew it was going to be bad if it caught up, he feared what it would do. And from what he remembers, his mom said Grimm loved Negative Emotions.

Small cuts and bruises appeared on his leg and arms as he forcefully ran through the bushes, for someone his age, small branches and sticks were sharp. But he didn’t stop, he was worried for his sisters, but he didn’t stop.

He was too scared.

And the sound of heavy paws thumping behind him getting closer made him cry louder. He wanted his mom, he wanted his dad, he wanted his uncle! They would stop the big bad monster if they were here!

But they weren’t.

Soon then, Sapphyrr ran towards a small landslide. He missed a step and immediately went flying down, rolling down the dirt as rocks and soil hit him, at an unfortunate roll, a rock hit his head, causing him to bleed out. When he finally stopped rolling, his vision was blurry, his other eye was covered by something red. It was completely unusable, he couldn’t see anything with it.

His other clear eye which could see was darkening as well, his consciousness slowly fading away.

The Beowolf from before stared down from the cliff, it howling, sliding down the cliff and running towards Sapphyrr. Then it jumped, it lunged at Sapphyrr with its claws ready.

SHING! 

But before it could reach him, a red blade completely decimated the Beowolf in half. It instantly died and disappeared, motes of black smoke disappearing as a woman landed perfectly, sheathing her sword in a fashion an Iaido practitioner would.

With his ragged final breaths, and his only clear vision. He stared at his savior.

Silver met with crimson.

“Looks like I didn’t have to worry, the brat survived… Silver eyes?” Raven stared down at the bloody, dying boy.

Her eyes traveled to the cliff above, which looked about to be a few dozen meters high. Granted, it was a slope, so the boy only rolled down, but the fact he still survived it… Her crimson eyes shone.

“It’s clear that with Taiyang and Qrow, you would have died.” She walked towards him, crouching down and meeting his gaze once more. “Summer’s brat, you’re the male one yes? You wanna survive?” The woman asked as if it wasn’t the most obvious thing in the world.

As Raven stared at the brat's only good eye, she felt guilty at Summer. She shook her head upon thinking of Summer, that bitch brought it on herself, not her fault.

But still… Her gaze softened, the boy still had fire in those eyes.

“Hmph.” Raven closed her eyes. She took hold of him by the hood and lifted him like a cat. “I’ll be taking you then, I’ll raise you to be strong like your mother. So you don’t end up like her, and so you could protect your sisters. I’ll make sure you grow into someone strong.” 

The boy answered with bloody gurgles.

Right, he was dying. She took a better hold of him, carrying him in a bridal carry.

Her eyes traveled back to the cliffs, her semblance alerting her of Qrow’s presence. 

“Slow as always.” She hmph’d, readjusting her hold on the boy and cutting through air itself once more, opening a portal. Her eyes landed on a nearby Beowolf making its way towards them, likely lured in by the boy’s dying thoughts. Her eyes gazed back one final time to the cliff, before closing her eyes and walking towards the portal. By the time Qrow arrived, the portal was already gone, and the only thing he saw was the pool of blood and the nearby Beowolf. He already knew what happened. His grip on Harbringer tightened heavily, his furious gaze locking on the Beowolf howling at him

He crouched and held both the scythe with both hands. “YOU!” With speeds that surpassed bullets, he lunged with a roar.

It was his fault, it was his goddamn fault he took too long. And now, because of that. His Nephew was dead.

He failed Summer, THEY failed Summer

“YOU’RE DEAD!”

//—————————————————//

Guess who's back wth chapters for Bloody Princess ready?

If you wish to support me and my story making shenanigans despite my terrible schedule, go to my scuffed pat-reon.

I promise to upload every week or two now because of this.

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Chapter Text

//—————————————————//

CHAPTER 2: Corvids Are Meant To Be Good Parents

//—————————————————//

Vernal was almost startled by the sound of a portal opening nearby, She immediately caught herself when she realized it was just her Leader, Raven was using their bond to portal back to the Branwen tribe. She stopped whatever she was doing in the workshop tent and came out to greet Raven. 

“Raven–?” Just as usual, Raven came out of the portal. But out with her was a shrimpy small brat on the verge of death, bloody and probably bleeding out already from the wounds on his head. Did Raven kill a kid? While killing was no issue for them, Raven usually avoided killing brats… “You kill’ the brat? I thought you didn’t go for kills like that.”

Raven raised an eyebrow and almost looked offended. She scoffed and held the brat by his hoodie like a cat. “I didn’t do this, nor would I ever go kill children.” 

‘Not intentionally or directly.’ Went unsaid, she may not kill the weak. But that doesn’t mean the villages they raided survived for the most part, as Grimm would be there to pick them while they were at their weakest.

Vernal looked at the dying toddler, and back to Raven. Raven rolled her eyes as if it wasn’t obvious, but then she remembered she didn’t really answer Vernal. “Brat’s not mine, just a Nephew at best. Found him running away from a Beowolf and fell down a flight of rocks.”

Vernal almost looked impressed. “And he survived that? Huh, not bad.”

“Won’t be that bad if he dies, go bring him to Herbaine and get him patched up. I’m going back for a one last check up.” said Raven as Vernal took the brat in her arms. She felt almost disgusted holding the kid, the blood getting on her clothes. Great, she’ll have to clean that up later.

“Ah, might be a bit too late for that.” Vernal muttered, enough for Raven to hear who was about to enter her portal again. Raven frowned and turned back to them. 

“What do you mean? Aside from his bruises, he’s only bleeding from his head.” While Raven was a bandit through and all. She still graduated from Beacon – The most prominent school for huntsmen, the place where she and her younger brother Qrow met Taiyang and… Summer. — Even if she wasn’t a model student when it came to practical education and knowledge, she still knew about injuries and severity. 

“He’s not breathing anymore.” Vernal carefully laid the boy on the ground, putting her index and middle finger below his neck.

Raven took a closer look at the boy and clicked her tongue, Right. She didn’t look at how severe his injuries were and assumed it was a light bleeding from the head. She almost forgot that the boy was literally proned on a pool of his own blood.

“Move.” Raven told Vernal, if the boy died after she saved him and risked being found by Qrow. She’ll be pissed off and find a way to bring the boy back to life just to talk shit to him… And she would be failing Summer and the others again. She put her thumb on the boy’s forehead and closed her eyes, drawing her own Aura from within.

“ For it is in strength that we gain survival. Through this, we become a paragon of strength and sacrifice to fight for those we care about. Infinite in reach and unbound by ties, I release your soul– Agh!” Raven chanted without pause, she felt her own aura be drained trying to awaken the toddler’s aura, only for it to bounce back on her. She glanced at her twitching arm and back to the boy.

“Raven?” Vernal looked at Raven in confusion, “What happened?”

This was how unlocking aura was supposed to work. Why didn’t it work? Did she make a mistake? Unlocking someone’s aura was supposed to be a reflection of your own being imprinted onto another, to give their soul a spark, a final push to come into manifestation. 

“It didn’t work?” Raven mumbled.

This worked before with Vernal, how come it didn’t with..? The only way her chant wouldn’t work is if she, as a person, changed. She shook her head, no time to ponder. It would be too late by the time she thought of herself, she knew herself best. All she had to do was what came naturally. She resumed unlocking his aura, putting her thumb on his forehead again.

“It is through hardship that we find our strength. In struggle, we are sharpened so we may rise above others– Tsk.“ A sharp pain lanced through her hand again, but this time, she ignored it and kept going. “–Infinite in reach and unbound by ties. and by my hand, empower thee.” Raven felt her aura being taken away this time by a noticeable amount compared to before. Though it felt strange how minimal the effort she’d made was. Usually, it would take an impact on your stamina and aura noticeably, and yet… 

Why the rebound, though?

Raven stood up, wiping away the blood that was on her thumb. “He should survive now, take him to Herbaine.”

Vernal watched Raven walk away and go back to the open portal that was slowly sizzling out of existence. She then looked back to the kid and frowned, slowly she put her fingers on his neck again and felt his vitals.

It was back, barely, though.

“Either you’re resilient, or you’re lucky.” Vernal muttered, carrying him in her arms and walking towards the more populated part of their tribe, to a spread-out tent that had an open entrance at the side with multiple equipment and boxes lying around. “Freaking Herbaine leaving empty boxes in the out again.”

//—————————————————//

Night was about to fall by the time Raven had returned to the Branwen Tribe, spending the rest of her time watching Qrow bring back Yang and the other twin brat – The female one, honestly she wasn’t sure if she got the female or male one. They look the same – with a dead-inside expression. When he returned back to the Rose/Xiao-Long house, things had gotten ugly when Qrow snapped and started beating the shit out of Taiyang despite the kids still being present, the two got into a fight, if you can even call a slugfest a fight in the first place.

When both idiots were beating the shit out of each other, Taiyang asked why Qrow was attacking him. Her brother answered by pointing to the kids, asking of WHO was not present, that’s when the wallowing fool realized that one of them was missing. 

Personally? Raven felt a little guilty when she saw her once husband spiritually breakdown again once he realized one of his kids was missing. That’s how it looked didn’t it? To their perspective, at least in Qrow’s, one of the twin roses was dead by the time he arrived. 

After that, they stopped trying to kill each other and started screaming at each other. Something about Taiyang needing to pick up after himself or he’ll take the girls away with him.

The rest of the day was just her watching them pick things up, either crying or grieving. Then making another tombstone for the boy next to Summer’s own. Each of them had empty eyes, lifeless and depressed even.

The one that affected her the most was Yang’s own dim lilac eyes, as if she’d just lost life in them. No wonder, she was the one to have brought them with her in the first place to find Raven. The adult woman shook her head, remembering Yang’s broken spirit. It was for the good of them in the end, at least this way Yang would grow strong, she knows she’ll grow strong. And she’ll be able to raise the one on her side, not only giving her access to a powerful weapon like the silver-eyes, she’ll be able to mold the boy into a strong fighter for the survival of the tribe.

‘ Summer would be disappointed in you if that’s all you saw the boy as.’ Her own traitorous mind whispered to her, as if she cared, AS IF. Summer brought that end to herself, tsk.

She strolled through the Branwen camp, watching her members light up torches and preparing for the night. She walked until she got to where Herbaine, the camp doctor or whatever he resided. Her gaze took a quick glance at the boxes lying around the tent. “Tsk, goddamn Herbaine still leaving empty boxes out in the open.”

She entered the big tent and found several empty beds, her eyes landing on the final one where the male twin was sleeping, though the boy was covered in bandages, he was breathing. He was still alive, good.

“Aye, Boss. Was’ wonderin’ when you would visit.” A middle aged man with a shitty grin and an eyepatch over his right eye. Out of everyone, this shitty excuse for a doctor had a dirtied black cuirass as his clothes. Making him stand out over the rest of the members in the Branwen camp.  

“Wipe off that goddamn grin of yours, I told you to stop leaving empty boxes outside. It’s a nuisance.” Raven scoffed.

“Ehhhh, then what about the rats that roam around, those brats will need it.” Herbaine waved her off, and he then grinned more. “Besides, it's fun watching them fight for it. Makes me break down into tears to see how strong they’re growing up.”

Raven rolled her eyes. Rats, to put simply, were kids without parents and usually wandered around the camp stealing or beating other kids to steal from them to survive. As per their ‘Survival of the fittest’ mindset. “How’s the boy?” She nodded to Summer’s brat.

“Oh, him? Barely alive, will probably die in the next few days.” Herbaine said nonchalantly, organizing a set of rolled cloth as makeshift bandages. “Whatever ya did, all it's done is buy him a few days. Who even is he anyway? Didn’t think you take interest in kidnapping brats, he looks like a city idiot. That or ya tryin’ to get another protege. He doesn’t even look like a lad.”

Raven stomped towards him, grabbing him by the collar, surprising the older man. “ What do you mean he only has a few days? I unlocked his aura, which should have fixed it.” She glared, pointing towards Sapphyrr.

Herbaine sweated, knowing that his boss wasn’t joking around this time. “W-Well, ya’ did unlock it. That’s for sure, but look.” He slowly slid his hand into his pocket, bringing out his scroll – For a gods damned communication phone that should have apps and Dust-net access, he’s using a broken old one. He pressed on it a few times and showed Raven a live view of Sapphyrr’s aura.

It was sitting at 5%

Raven narrowed her eyes, one brow twitching. “What’re you showing me his aura for? Aura naturally consumes to heal wounds.”

“But that’s the thing!” Herbaine threw his hands up. “When little verny brought the little shit to me, his aura was perpetually at 5%, so this whol’ time! It hasn’t drained or gone up. All it did’cha was slow down his little vent’cha to the afterlife!”

Raven frowned in suspicion, letting him go and walking next to the boy. She lifted a thumb up and brought it on his bandaged forehead. She didn’t know why the boy’s aura was acting like this, it's possible that she messed up twice when trying to awaken his aura and could have caused a few misaltercations to his soul, if that was even possible.

Damn it, not like she paid full attention to Aura and Semblances Comprehension Theory back in Beacon, she only did so when something popped up that could be useful for combat. Basic aura control was something she mastered already, and such as semblances too, she never bothered to read the sub-topics for aura conditions.

Knowing how complex aura can be… It’s possible she might have caused some unintentional damage or so. Her gaze landed on the boy, then to Herbaine.

Herbaine was much as an expert as you’d imagine he was, he was a doctor – A shitty excuse for one – and only knew about patching up people, removing shrapnels or bullets, preventing basic infections(Debatably) and standard procedures. He wasn’t an aura expert, theorist or a huntsman professor by any means.

New plan then. 

“Herbaine, keep the boy alive ‘till morning. I’m coming back for him.” She bumped his shoulder on the way out. Causing him to look at her in disdain.

He eyed the boy with a confused expression. “Keep him alive? Well, not’a like I can do much.”

//—————————————————//

Raven felt the air hit against her feathers as she flew to the skies, the usual weather in Mistral making it preferable for flight in the morning. The ability to transform into a bird was really useful, a gift given to her during her times with Ozpin’s lies and manipulations. Currently, she was headed to Mistral to visit a certain horizontally-challenged hag she knew.

It didn’t take long to reach Mistral as flying in her corvid(Raven) form made travelling easier than on foot, this would’ve been way faster if she had a bond on standby in Mistral. Raven looked down on the Kingdom of Mistral, diving down until she got to the shady parts where crime was prominent, and in one turn. She transformed in a blink of an eye, eyes darting left and right if anyone saw her.

The alleys were empty as usual.

Raven walked towards a door to an Inn where loud ramblings could be heard. Without hesitation, Raven opened it and walked inside. She was greeted with the view of rough men, drunkards, and many more loitering around; One detail that stood out the most was they all had spider tattoos on them.

The noise stopped when they all turned to see her, the loud, obnoxious Inn becoming quiet. One man stood up, sober from the looks of it, he strode towards her with purpose and confidence, his left hand hidden behind his back. He towered over Raven and gave her a smirk. However, beneath that, she could see that the man was faltering upon seeing her weapon. Good, they know she’s a huntress, but it doesn’t seem like knowledge of her as a bandit is stilln’t quite known, though.

“What do you want?” The man with a hoarse tone asked.

“I’m only going to say this once. Where’s Malachite?” Raven bluntly said, resting a hand on her sword, Omen. The man eyed this, he hesitated for a moment, thinking what to say next. 

“Or, what?”

Raven observed how cautious the man was, already thinking his words through and making intellectual moves a grunt usually wouldn’t do. 

‘He’s likely a higher-up here, good. Saves me time.’ And easier, he would have the authority to call things out, and if they decide to refuse, then..

Raven exhaled slowly. “You know what I named this sword?” She tapped the blade with a finger.

“ Omen . Because it’s a sign of something awful about to happen if you don’t let me see Malachite. Like a red stain on the wall... or a fresh coat of paint for my sword.”

The likely up sweated, he swallowed a lump in his throat. Everyone inside the Inn started to feel tense, the tension pressing on them, knowing that they might have to go against a huntress. Even the ones that were drunk stared cautiously, some of which were already preparing their weapons. 

Then, like a knife slicing through the thick tension in the Inn, an obnoxious laugh rang out—sharp, grating, and unmistakably smug. Raven's eyes narrowed. She knew that laugh. It belonged to someone who wore power like perfume and arrogance like armor.

"Well, well, well. If it isn’t Raven Branwen—future Queen of Bandits, Leader of the Branwen Tribe."

Heads turned to the second floor, where Lil’ Miss Malachite – The very leader of the Spider Organization, currently the most powerful gang in Mistral – leaned casually against the railing. The blonde woman looked as gaudy as ever in that blinding purple dress, cigarette perched between her fingers like it was part of her wardrobe. "Still intimidating as ever, I see. Alright, let's skip the part where you redecorate my inn with the blood of my men. What do you want?”

“ For someone called Lil’ Miss, you’re looking as round as ever ,” Raven quipped, voice flat, not even trying to veil the insult.

Malachite’s only response was a low chuckle, smoky and amused. She raised two fingers in a lazy gesture, like dismissing a fly. Instantly, the tension in the room shifted. The armed patrons eased—just slightly—though none of them fully dropped their guard.

The thug who had confronted Raven earlier stepped aside, wordless, clearing the path to the staircase leading up to the second floor.

//—————————————————//

“You could’ve just called for me without making a scene, Branwen. And here I thought we were friends.” Lil’ Miss Malachite chuckled as she lounged comfortably in her VIP booth, plush and shadowed behind drawn blinds. She slid a crystal glass across the table toward Raven. “Drink?”

Raven eyed the glass, then gave a slight shake of her head.
“I only drink tea. And theatrics aside, this was the fastest way to get your attention.”

Malachite let out a soft hmm and took a slow drag from her cigarette.
“Suit yourself. It must be important if you're willing to crash my doorstep like a storm. I assume you’ve brought something to offer in return?”

“Naturally. ” Raven crossed her arms, her gaze sharp.
“I need information on an Aura expert. Someone who knows what happens when a person’s Aura doesn’t function properly. Like the Aura equivalent of a disability.”

Malachite arched a brow, smirking.
“An Aura expert? My, is the mighty Bandit Queen having performance issues?”

Raven's expression didn’t even twitch.
“If I were, you'd know — probably from the bodies piling up downstairs. No. It’s not about me. It’s for someone else.”

Malachite’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Oh? A new protégé, perhaps?” 

She took another slow drag from her cigarette, then exhaled with a smirk.
“I know a name or two. Mistral's a big kingdom—sure, full of crime, but it’s also rich in culture, knowledge, and all sorts of eccentric experts. One of them might be exactly what you're looking for.”

Raven narrowed her eyes slightly. She weighed her words—there was always a chance someone from Ozpin’s Circle might come sniffing around here. Qrow in particular. And if Malachite caught wind of who she was protecting, she'd no doubt make some smug comment next time they crossed paths, and that might lead him to finding the boy.

“He’s more of an investment,” Raven said coolly, voice devoid of emotion.

Malachite leaned forward, intrigued.
“An investment? Now you've piqued my interest.” She interlocked her fingers, resting her chin on the backs of her hands. “But before I share names and directions, I need to know what exactly you’re offering. No offense, of course—I'm not saying the Branwen Tribe isn't good for their word...” 

She smiled with mock sweetness.  “...but confirmation always makes business smoother. Perhaps… your investment could be part of the deal?”

Raven shot her a glare sharp enough to kill. The air shifted—cool, quiet, and dangerous. Annoyance flickered across her face before she reined it back in with a composed breath.

“You’ll get one use of my Semblance,” she said coldly. “ When your life is on the line, I’ll open a portal and get you out, if the results I need come through. Down the line, I’ll replace that favor with the boy’s service for a week if you don’t need the portal… If he survives. ”

Malachite took another long, toxic drag from her cigarette, the tip glowing faintly. She exhaled with a smirk. “A guaranteed escape plan and a personal errand boy trained by you ? What a bargain. ” She leaned back slightly. “Why not both?”

Raven’s expression didn’t shift, but the weight of her silence did. She saw through it immediately: Malachite was trying to wrest control of the deal, claw her way into a better seat at the table.

A mistake.

“Only one,” Raven said, voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. “And I’m already being civil .” She stood just a little straighter. “Refuse, and I’ll paint these walls with every man and woman under your roof.” Malachite hesitated—just a blink, but it was there. She masked it well, cigarette pausing at her lips.

“And you’d lose your lead in the process.” Raven’s eyes lit like red blood thirst.

“Like I said—he’s an investment.” Her gaze cut clean through Malachite’s composure. “You forget who I am. You can give me a name and earn a favor from Raven Branwen … or you can die with the rest of your gang, knowing your greed is what ended it.”

Malachite swallowed hard, her pride screaming, but her survival instinct louder. She grit her teeth, clearly furious at being backed into a corner—but in a rare display of wisdom among Mistral’s criminal elite – Or well, criminals as a whole. – She relented.

“There are two that I know of,” she said stiffly. “A professor at Haven—Hilda Green. Specializes in Auric Theory, textbooks, lectures, the whole academic thing.” She flicked ash from her cigarette, eyeing Raven carefully.

“The other’s a small-time doctor up in the higher districts. Almost past middle age, knowing type. Has a degree in Aura research and medicine, which is quite the feat for someone not drowning in academy sponsorship.”

Raven absorbed the information in silence, sorting options behind narrowed eyes.

Hilda Green was an immediate no. Haven was still run by Lionheart— that coward , still playing headmaster and pretending to matter after betraying Ozpin like she had. Any threat inside that school would bring heat. Even if she twisted Lionheart’s arm, the system would snap back too quickly, they’d immediately zero in on her and the boy, garnering the attention of Ozpin and Qrow.

That left the doctor.

‘Degrees meant something. So did knowledge.’

He wasn’t Oobleck, of course. That caffeine-addled academic might know too much, but he’d never work with her willingly. No, she needed discretion. She needed someone desperate enough or wise enough to keep their mouth shut.

Raven leaned forward slightly, voice cool and precise.

“What’s the name of this doctor? And where can I find him?”

//—————————————————//

It was a fine new morning, with afternoon still five hours away. The view of Mistral was just as magnificent as always—a splendor that Viridian Blus wished the people of the city would learn to appreciate during these trying times. He knew that early Mistral had been built upon a foundation of crime and corruption. Unlawful individuals and crime families still roamed the city, Looking out of his window, the man with slicked-back hair—now streaked with a few graying strands—sighed. He wore dark navy pants and a black shirt, his signature blue coat hanging on a hook by the door. He turned back toward his kitchen, waiting for his coffee maker to finish grinding the beans. A fresh cup of coffee was always a good way to start the morning, a small distraction from the chaos of the world.

Perhaps one way or more to forget the world’s insanity.

He placed a cup, embossed with the words “Aura is the soul of a person,” alongside some classy splash art, on the kitchen counter. The coffee maker let out its final whir.

Suddenly, a red blade rested against his throat.

Viridian froze, his eyes widening. Reflected in the window ahead of him, he saw the unmistakable image of a red-eyed woman in a striking black and red outfit. He knew who she was.

R-Raven Branwen–

"Make a sound and I’ll slit your throat," she warned coldly. "I know you have aura. But it’s only for study, not combat." Viridian's heart pounded. He had always used his aura as an academic justification—a useful excuse when he found himself in danger, but never for fighting. And he’s only ever used it to test theories and education with his colleagues!

W-What does she want with someone like him!?

"I’m going to move my sword away slowly. If you try anything, I’ll cut through that flimsy aura of yours." The blade withdrew. Relief flooded Viridian as he took a shaky breath. “Are you Viridian Blus?”

She asked him a question, which meant it was safe to answer, right? “P-Pleasure to make your inquiry, I a–”

Raven gripped his shoulder with an intense force. The difference between a veteran huntress’ aura, used and honed for combat against one that was softened by lack of hands-on experience and more practical testing was showing. He could already feel his aura shrinking just to fight off the intense grip that would have broken his shoulder by now. “Answer with a nod only!”

Viridian followed, giving her a single terrified nod. 

“Good, I was told you’re also knowledgeable in doctoring? Or whatever.”

Another nod, though internally he panicked. How did she even know that?

Raven removed her sword and loosened her grip on his shoulder. The momentary space to breathe was enough for him to cough and finally speak. "M-May I help you? I don’t believe I’ve done anything to provoke the infamous Branwen Tribe."

Even if you hadn’t, we’d have raided you if you lived in the outer villages," Raven replied nonchalantly. "But no. I’m not here to kill you. Not unless you give me a reason. Like, say, calling the police."

Viridian swallowed hard but found a shred of courage. "I-I may not, but my life is past its prime. If you intend to harm innocent people, I will alert the authorities, regardless of the cost."  

Raven stared at him with a condescending look. Then nodded with approval. Looks like this one wasn’t so much of a whimp as she thought. Raven then regarded him coolly."I’m not here to hurt anyone innocent. I came for your expertise. Help me, and I’ll make sure no one touches your family or your colleagues."

His lips quivered. "Y-You expect me to help with your criminal deeds!? If you dare lay a hand on—"

“I won't," she interrupted. "Not unless you give me a reason. I need your knowledge of aura. Help me, and I’ll even instruct my tribe not to harm anyone related to you once I leave Mistral.”

Viridian considered her words carefully. He was scared, like any normal person would be if suddenly confronted by a known criminal far stronger than him in every way. He was terrified, yes, but intrigued.

“Truly? T-Then if your request involves no harming of the innocent, then I will help. But only with my knowledge.”

What could the Branwen leader want with his very educated expertise? Knowledge? Books? Empowering herself even more with possible theories on aura?

Instead of answering, Raven turned and swung her blade. A crimson-black swirling portal opened. Viridian's eyes widened—and in response, his semblance activated

Though it’s often said only Huntsmen can unlock semblances, that’s a misconception. Anyone can access theirs with the right conditions: training, aura control, or intense emotional trauma. Viridian had unlocked his through careful testing and deep academic focus; his time as a researcher had molded his soul into one that greatly befitted a researcher’s mindset, what-ifs, whys, and hows. His semblance was Analytical Insight Ponderer .

And him in turn, unlocked his by simply running tests with his colleagues. A semblance was an individual’s own aura manifesting in a way that perfectly complemented or dictated the personality, experience, or the way a person lived. A person’s soul comes into reality.

It allowed him to understand objects or phenomena based on hypotheses, as long as he had a visual reference and a starting idea.

Upon seeing Raven's portal, realization hit him

[ Kindred Link, a semblance that allows her to create portals to instantly travel to people she has a strong emotional connection with, and can cover vast distances through them ]

‘ A-A powerful transportation semblance!’ Viridian gasped. No wonder someone like her hadn’t been caught at all!

“Oh yeah.” Raven paused, sheathing Omen in her side. She regarded him with a fierce side-eye. “ She informed me of your semblance gained through your career, as alien as it is to hear someone unlocking their Semblance through this. If you ever spread word of anything you’ve found out about me, I’ll know one way or another. Then I’ll hunt down everyone you know, and kill them in front of you.”

He nodded rapidly. From the portal, Raven reached in and pulled out a small, bandaged figure.

A child.

Viridian blinked. A child? In her arms? Carefully cradled? Viridian looked at her with confusion, the infamous Raven Branwen, known for her heinous crimes, handling a child with such care? Is this her daughter? Probably, the raven-dark hair, apart from the red fades, implied it.

"Is this... your daughter?"

Raven frowned. "No."

“I don’t have to warn you that if anyone knows of the boy, you die, right?” Raven eyed him.

He automatically nodded again, already knowing that it would bring him and his close ones death if he were to spread of this… Wait what? 

“Come again? That little one isn’t a girl?”

“No,” Raven said with a flat stare. She was still coming to terms with the fact that the boy did, in fact, look more like a girl. “The reason I came here was because there’s something off with his aura–”

Viridian, despite being threatened with death and taken hostage. Went into work mode as per his career and nodded, listening to Raven’s story. And it was… An interesting concept to say the least, feels like he’s heard of this somewhere in the books.

“I see, would you mind giving me space to prepare my coffee and books?” Viridian asked with a slight caution, his fear replaced by his work-related mindset. “I won’t alert the law or anyone of this, I’m hardly a hardheaded fool to think they’d be able to stop someone with a known reputation and a versatile semblance.”

Raven narrowed her eyes at him and nodded. For a Queen of bandits, she’s quite civil. 

After Viridian had gotten himself ready. He then went back to Raven, who was still holding onto the boy(?) 

“Please, lay him on the couch if you will. He seems injured.” Viridian commented, that said. Is the boy even breathing? He seemed to be on the brink of death, with how pale he was. “May I inquire how he came to be like this?”

Raven raised a brow, then did as he said. “He hit his head on some rocks and was bleeding out profusely. He was already on death’s doorstep, so I unlocked his aura, and so forth as I told you.”

Viridian was already cycling through pages on account of the details she explained to him, then paused. He took in the boy’s frail form. "He looks near death. Is he breathing? Has he received proper medical treatment? Concussion care?"

"No. I assumed he didn’t need it. I unlocked his aura—that should be enough. I recovered from blood loss before."

Viridian's expression darkened. “N-No! That only works for trained Huntsmen! Their auras are reinforced by constant exposure to danger. Muchless a child! They have no such advantage. He’s dying as it is!” Viridian bit his lip, carefully taking the poor child’s vitals by his neck. 

Raven said nothing.

Raven hummed. “How about this then, I’ll extend my offer having the Branwen’s and most gangs in Mistral if you’ll help nurse the boy to health, and tell me these aura problems. After that, I won’t have your neck or your family. But don’t get the wrong idea, you’re indispensable to me, I know other people. You just happened to be the first I went to.”

Viridian's jaw dropped. The choice was clear, though daunting.

“F-Fine, so long as you keep your word.”

"The Branwens honor our word," Raven replied.

He didn’t fully believe her, but he nodded anyway.

"I’ll bring the boy to a hospital once I clean him up."

“Hold on, you still haven’t answered me. About that aura disability.” Raven reminded him steely.

“Right," Viridian said, turning to his bookshelf. He grabbed a volume titled Aura Disabilities and Anomalies . "Let me explain."

He flipped through pages rapidly. "By your description and details. The first problem was with you. You couldn’t unlock his aura and experienced backlash. That happens to Huntsmen suffering deep emotional turmoil or who've changed dramatically, something I will not inquire you about as it’s quite obvious you already know it yourself."

“...Changes as a person?”

“Indeed.” Viridian nodded, moving to the kitchen and taking out a few expensive clean bandages and preparing a small bucket of water. “When unlocking someone’s aura, we essentially reflect on ourselves as a person. If there were to be a sudden change to a person, like a very big one. The way they chant and describe themselves would naturally change as well, take for example. IF a heroic individual were to become evil, and his description of his chant stayed the same. It would naturally reject him as his aura would not recognize him. There’s some cases where this is too severe that the aura refuses to work on the individual itself.”

Raven looked disturbed. "And the boy?"

“Young.. Uh, what’s his name?”

Raven wondered, huh. That’s a good question, it’s been a day since she took the boy with her and she still doesn’t know his name – Considering the fact he hasn’t woken up yet.. Calling him rose could potentially lead Qrow to find him. “Just call him Red.”

“Clever..?”

Raven glared at him.

“N-Nevermind.” Viridian gulped. “On young red’s case… I could have sworn I’ve heard it somewhere…” He cycled through a series of pages in the book, taking over a minute to find what he was looking for… Raven tapped her foot impatiently, either for her impatience or the boy’s survival.

“Ah, yes! I found it.” Viridian smirked. “Young Red… he fits a rare category. I’ve found it—Dysfunctional Low Depleted Aura, or DLDA. A condition where a person’s aura is so faint, it’s practically unusable. It occurs when the soul is weak or extensively damaged. They can’t form shields or enhance themselves."

He sighed. "Most cases died early or were already dying. So the rest were simply unconfirmed hypotheses." His eyes landed on the poor boy(?)

Raven clicked her tongue in fury. “And how likely is the case here?” She didn’t think the latter would be the case, that manipulative prick Ozpin explained to them that Silver-eyes were born to be powerful warriors, and that wouldn’t be the case if their aura was completely fucked wasn’t it?

Viridian seemed caught in his thoughts as well. “If I may.. My hypothesis would be from when you were trying to unlock his aura.”

“How?” Raven questioned.

“You mentioned that he was already half-dead when you were about to unlock his aura. But my semblance, as limited as it is. Tells me that he should be dead already. What could have happened was that on your first attempt, you brought forth an already fading away part of his aura, his soul. Then it quickly slid back when you failed. I imagine in that small time, you were trying to regain your composure, and he was already dying. But when you tried to unlock it, you forcefully pulled back a part of his remaining soul, thus unlocking it. But came with it were some problems; a person does not immediately, per se, die when they expire. There’s still some lingering life in them, like how last-minute revivals would happen in hospitals, there’s also the theory of the soul staying in a person’s body for a few minutes before it disperses. I may be all of that. Combined, it’s the only asinine hypothesis combined with insanity i could think of.”

But if he were to be right, this would be a breakthrough. He wouldn’t just have a live example of a rare disability, he’d also prove one theory of the soul staying in a person’s body! A part of him was thrilled at the implications. Proof of soul-linger theory and a live DLDA subject? A career-defining moment.

Raven didn’t care. She was furious. At herself.

So many weaknesses already, and the boy was half-dead.

Was he even worth it all this trouble!? She just wasted her fucking time!

Whatever, if he survived. She’ll commend him with a pat on his back and make his life a living hell. If he died, then at least she tried.

Raven turned around and swung open a portal with her sword. She then looked at him. “Bring the boy to a hospital or whatever, nurse him to health. Stabilize him, and I’ll honour my word. If not, you’re dead.”

And just like that, she was gone.

“... I take it back, she’s not civil.” Viridian sighed. He turned to the pale, unconscious boy he had just finished bandaging up. He’s gonna need a blood transfusion, isn’t he? What a poor child, Raven’s child or not, it’s still a kid he’s looking after, he couldn’t in his moral mind – despite how much dilemma he’s currently suffering — Could he just let someone so young (And rare) die now, could he?

He could only hope the boy would survive

//—————————————————//

AUTHOR’S NOTE AND TRIVIA :

1. For those who don't know, or have forgotten. In RWBY, a Scroll is a compact, multi-functional device that works like a mix between a smartphone, tablet, and holographic computer. It's a staple piece of tech in Remnant, used by both civilians and Huntsmen
2. Some of you may remember In one of the volumes, Yang talked to Raven about stuff. That’ll simply a hint as to why her Aura didn’t do as it should.
3. Trying to properly catch a character’s personality and usual shtick like Malachite and Raven is difficult :’/
4. idk will probably upload new chapter of Bloody Princess once this thing gets 10 or 20 chapters.

If you wish to support me and my story making shenanigans despite my terrible schedule, go to my scuffed pat-reon.

I promise to upload every week or two now because of this.

Pat reon . com (slash) lanceron2Writes

Chapter Text

As usual, DiSCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN RWBY, ONLY THE OC AND THE ARTS I MAKE IN MY FANFICS.

//—————————————————//

CHAPTER 3: Born Strong, Awakened Weak

//—————————————————//

Viridian wondered how he had come to this.

He had spent the better part of his life researching the very essence that empowered Huntsmen to stand against the ever-looming threat of Grimm. And now? He was on a metaphorical leash, held tight by a known criminal with enough power to make the Council nervous.

Even if he wanted to alert the authorities, the threat to his family and friends wasn’t one he could afford to test. He’d rather keep them alive and unvisited by a certain portal-making Criminal from the Branwen Tribe.

He adjusted the collar of his long blue coat, the emblem of Mistral stitched proudly between his shoulder blades—a subtle flex of status, if one could call it that. It marked him as a scholar, an academic with honors. Possibly a foolish choice in a city like Mistral where looking important could be an invitation for trouble, but the coat gave him a sense of grounded confidence.

That, and it helped get attention at the hospital—something desperately needed right now.

Condescending and flawed as the logic was, Viridian knew the healthcare system was imperfect. But he’d take every advantage if it meant saving the life of the child — a toddler, who, by all visual cues, still convinced him was a girl — hovering far too close to death’s door, only held back by a flickering Aura.

He stood outside the hospital room, arms crossed, posture stiff. It had taken a few risky turns while driving to get here as quickly as possible. Now, he wasn’t sure if it was luck, fate, or sheer stubbornness that had kept the child alive.

Thankfully, his credentials had fast-tracked the boy's admission. Flashing his ID and medical research degree to triage got the attention of the right people. Within minutes, they had the child rushed into emergency care.

To his surprise, there was already an Aura Specialist on staff—standard for larger cities like Mistral. Huntsmen injured in the field often needed both physical treatment and auric stabilization. That infrastructure, built to support battlefield injuries, might just have saved a five-year-old child’s life today.

Viridian exhaled and glanced toward the window. Evening had already settled in. He had arrived in the early afternoon—it had been hours. Grueling, stressful hours. 

Hell, if there was already an Aura Specialist here. Why didn’t Raven go to them instead of him?

Oh he didn’t know, maybe its because he, Viridian Blus, had a degree in both Aura Theory and Medicine! (That and he was an easy picking compared to ones that are stationed on a Hospital)

Viridian looked outside with a sigh, it was already evening. He arrived here exactly in the afternoon, so it had been a few grueling hours. Not so fun to spend the rest of his day on, especially when he has an upcoming deadline in the next two weeks. 

And there’s a reason why he’s been given more than three weeks to finish the damn thing,.

Almost reminded him of the times in his highschool era where you’d be given an assignment that was to be passed by next month, you procrastinate and decide to do it a day before the deadline. Only to realize why you’ve been given a whole month to finish it.

Truly a horrifying experience.

And a deserving one to serve as a lesson for those who procrastinate too much. Still, in a stroke of either divine luck or bizarre coincidence, Young Red had stabilized an hour ago.

He had received a full workup:
— IV fluids and electrolytes to rehydrate and stabilize him
— Broad-spectrum antibiotics for the infections around the open head wound
— A blood transfusion after his dangerously low hemoglobin count
— Catheters and monitors for vitals
— And auric therapy, supervised by the specialist on duty

They even confirmed his blood type: O. A universal donor. Go figure.

And who was footing the bill for this?

Apparently he was.

Because not five minutes after pulling into the hospital parking lot, a swirling crimson-black portal popped open next to his car and out flew a folded note.

From Raven Branwen.

"List him as Corvid Rowen. You’re his uncle. Hospitals take records.”

Tacky name. Obviously fake.

But it was clear why she did it. Hospitals were required to document all patients, and anything suspicious could be flagged. Raven needed a legal guardian attached to the boy—and Viridian, somehow, was the chosen scapegoat.

Did she think hospitals were cheap?

Did she care that the child lacked an insurance ID, no records, no nothing?

Now he was allegedly the boy’s “uncle,” responsible for any questions that might arise. He only hoped none of his relatives ever checked the patient registry.

He only hoped his other family members don’t take notice of this.

And yeah, now he’s here standing idly.

“Mr. Blus?” a calm voice called out. A doctor opened the door slightly. “If you would come in, we’d like to speak with you about some details.”

Viridian blinked. “About what? I thought the procedures were already done?”

“Ah, they were,” the doctor said, stepping aside to let him in. “This is regarding your… nephew’s unique aura condition.”

Right.

That would fall under their documentation protocols. Any unusual cases involving aura disabilities were typically filed and studied by the Council’s medical branches and sometimes passed on to Beacon, Atlas, or Vacuo for review.

No wonder Ms.Raven had him act as his guardian. Of course she knew. Of course she did. And now, he had to play caretaker while this rare case of aura dysfunction was being reviewed, stabilized, and whispered about behind clinic doors.

Ugh, he only hoped the next few days won’t be as much as a pain. Is this what he gets for relaxing too much?

…

…

…

He was definitely going to get a headache from all this.

It had already been a week. A whole week of juggling research deadlines and daily hospital visits like some twisted version of fatherhood he hadn’t signed up for. At present, he was furiously mashing keys on his laptop in a hospital waiting lounge, chasing a thesis draft that was due next week. The topic was fascinating, sure—but try staying focused when a medically fragile child you’re now legally attached to is recovering down the hall.

Fortunately—for once—there was some actual good news. Other than the boy not having any permanent brain damage or something, his aura stabilized that.

The child’s condition had gone from merely stable to steadily improving. Not dramatically, but enough. Part of it was due to his Aura. A surprise, considering Corvid’s condition: Dysfunctional Low Depleted Aura—DLDA. Yet even with that impairment, the boy’s natural healing factor was still active. Not strong, but measurable.

In Corvid’s case, his recovery rate was about 40% faster than the average civilian baseline. Still nowhere near a full-fledged Huntsman’s 450% boost(Or more, it depends on the Huntsman, the baseline is merely at 300% or more), but it was something. That alone made the case medically significant. It confirmed that even in DLDA patients, Aura could still facilitate regeneration, just at a greatly reduced rate.

Viridian made a note to include that in his documentation later. It raised more questions, though. If DLDA still allowed some benefits of Aura, why had nearly all previously recorded cases died so quickly?

When digging into past reports, Viridian had found discrepancies—details glossed over in mainstream academic literature. The full incident records held more information than most knew.

As far as he could gather, DLDA presented itself in three primary ways:

1. Post-trauma onset.
   The most commonly documented, with two recorded Huntsman cases. Both were diagnosed after extreme Semblance overuse—specifically, pushing their abilities after completely depleting their Aura. Normally, the soul prevented a person from doing this. Semblance use required Aura; when you were out, that was supposed to be it. But these two kept going. Something in them bypassed that barrier.

Both individuals survived the immediate trauma… but died within weeks. Their souls, weakened by the overexertion, couldn’t maintain balance.

2. Congenital DLDA (born with it).
   Exceedingly rare. Roughly one in five million. Three known cases.

Two of them died young—killed by Grimm. Which sounded like reckless bad luck until he considered a terrifying possibility: even flickering Aura could attract Grimm, like moths to flame. And DLDA patients couldn’t project enough to defend themselves. Both victims lived in major cities, but were ambushed during vacations or small trips beyond the walls.

The third case was more thoroughly documented. The subject had volunteered for study and was tracked closely. Unfortunately, they passed away before adulthood. Cause of death? Drastically shortened lifespan.

That case had reignited debate around Plazzo’s Theory —an old concept from pre-Faunus War scholars, proposing that Aura quantity directly correlated with soul strength and, by extension, longevity. If true, DLDA patients might not just be vulnerable… they might be born on a ticking clock.

That thought… sat poorly with him.

Did Corvid—Red—have a shortened lifespan too?

He sighed and rubbed his temples, resisting the urge to slam the laptop closed. No. No conclusions yet. Not until the boy woke up, if he ever did. Until then, the best he could do was observe, document, and wait.

Out the window, he caught movement. A black bird landed on a nearby ledge—croaking once. A raven?

It looked at him. Just for a second. Then it flew off.

Viridian narrowed his eyes.

 Fate? Surveillance? Raven Branwen’s ominous symbolism?

Whatever it was, he didn’t like it.

Terrible luck, indeed.

//—————————————————//

First, a breath. Then, light. Then—pain.

Silver eyes fluttered open, squinting at the sterile glow above. The light stung. He flinched, shutting his eyes again with a soft whimper. The warmth of a blanket covered him, but everything felt... off. The air was too clean. The silence, too sharp. No trees rustling. No birds.

No sisters, or the big bad Grimm.

Sapphyrr ‘Sapphire’ Rose blinked slowly, trying again to open his eyes. The light wasn't as harsh this time, though his head ached like someone had taken a hammer to it. His fingers twitched, feeling the tug of something in his arm—tubes? Tape?

His lips parted, dry and chapped, barely able to form a whisper.

 “...Yang? Ruby?”

Silence answered. A monitor beeped beside him. Something else clicked faintly in the background. There was no answer, no warm laugh, no protective hug.

Just the chill of confusion.

At five years old, Sapphyrr could string together simple stories, remember events, even recognize when something wasn’t right. But this? This didn’t make sense.

One moment, he remembered... red eyes. Black hair. Someone scary, but not cruel. Then—nothing. Now this room smelled weird and looked cold. A beeping sound. A ceiling too white. His chest hurt. His head pounded. There was a heavy fog hanging over everything.

He sniffled, starting to sit up—but the tug on his arm made him yelp and lie back down in panic. His heart pounded. Tears pricked at his eyes.

“...Yang...? Ruby..? Daddy?” he called again, voice breaking this time.

A nurse's soft steps neared the door. But to him, it wasn’t her. It wasn’t safe. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t even know if he was safe.

He didn’t know what safe felt like anymore.

When the nurse opened the hospital room door, she gasped.

There he was—small, barely upright, silver eyes wide and glistening. His chest rose and fell too fast, hands clutching the blanket as his gaze darted wildly around the room. Searching. Hoping. Desperate for a face he recognized.

When his eyes landed on the nurse, they didn’t calm. They only welled up more.

Stranger.

The pounding in his chest grew heavier.

But the nurse, seasoned and kind, didn’t flinch. She approached with practiced warmth and a gentle voice. “Shhh… hey there, sweetie. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

That alone didn’t chase the fear away—but it was enough to stop the tears from falling. His small shoulders still trembled under the blanket, but the words… they helped. The tone helped. The soft smile helped.

As she gently checked his vitals and soothed him with idle conversation, her hand reached for the wall and tapped the call button, alerting the staff outside that the patient was awake.

A doctor arrived moments later, clipboard in hand. By then, the boy was clinging quietly to the nurse’s arm. No crying—just tears pooling in his wide eyes, like storm clouds holding back the downpour.

“Aura levels still dangerously low,” the doctor murmured after a quick scan. “Residual stabilization holding, but it’s a threadbare fix at best, I should inform it to the Aura Specialist instead…”

He knelt beside the bed with a softer smile. “Don’t worry, kiddo. We called your uncle. He’s on his way right now.”

That sparked something.

Uncle Qrow

The name fluttered through Sapphyrr’s mind like a lifeline. Uncle Qrow is coming. Uncle Qrow is cool, he will fix it. Uncle Qrow always knows what to do.

The door opened again.

In stepped a man—not quite tall, but lanky in frame, with slick black hair streaked in white strands. His blue coat swished as he walked, a gleam of a Mistral emblem stitched on the back. He didn’t have a grey dress suit or a red ragged cape.

Sapphyrr froze.

That wasn’t Uncle Qrow.

Uncle Qrow had scruffy stubble and a weird-smelling dress suit. Uncle Qrow made dumb cool jokes and carried a flask he had on his belt with no shame. This man? He was too clean. Too neat. Too… unfamiliar

Instead of pointing out this wasn’t his uncle, the boy froze like how a five year old would behave when met with someone who was supposedly their relative, but didn’t recognize them. This ‘Uncle’ of his was currently talking with the doctors, talking about things he didn’t understand.

Then, he came to him.

The man — Viridian Blus — was speaking with the doctors now, his voice hushed, laced with subtle urgency.

Sapphyrr didn’t move. Like a deer in headlights, he stared. Processing.

When the nurse and doctor excused themselves, the man finally turned to him. He seemed unsure, awkward, scratching the back of his neck as he approached the bedside.

“How do people talk to toddlers again…? Right,” he muttered to himself.

Then, louder. “Hey there, little one. Uh… I’m your uncle. One of the ones you haven’t met yet. Uncle Blus.”

Sapphyrr blinked at him. Another uncle? Why hadn’t Yang, Uncle Qrow, or even Daddy ever mentioned him? 

Viridian continued, bending slightly to his level. “So, you’re in the hospital, right? This is where people go to get better. You’re gonna stay here just a little while, until the doctors say you’re good to go. And when you’re all better, I’ll take you to see your family. Sound good?”

Sapphyrr nodded slowly. It didn’t make sense, but nodding was safe.

The boy hesitated. His lips started to form a frown. He looked like he might speak up—or cry.

Viridian stepped in quickly.

“You’re a good girl, right? Stay calm, do what they say, and I’ll even bring you a toy later. Deal?”

Sapphyrr nodded, Mommy told him not to listen to strangers, but this was supposed to be his uncle right? And Yang told him to always listen to Uncle Qrow, that meant he had to listen as well. 

But.. 

Sapphyrr’s brows twitched downward.

“...’Mm not a girl.”

Viridian blinked.

Then stood up, brushing his coat off as if nothing happened. “Right. Got it. Still in denial of that—don’t assume. Well, hang tight. I’ll be back in a bit. Gonna make a call and let your, uh, family know you’re awake.”

He gave another thumbs up before heading out the door, muttering under his breath. “This is gonna be a whole thing…”

//—————————————————//

“Gods above,” Viridian groaned, nursing his forehead with one hand as he slumped in his office chair. “I refuse to believe the XY chromosomes just… swapped places mid-process and faked me out. He looked like a little girl! I know Raven said so, but that face screamed girl more than boy . Did his father’s genes just decide to discombobulate themselves?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Great job, Uncle Blus . Truly incredible storytelling under pressure. Top-tier improv from you.” Freaking death-threats from Raven, now he’s here playing Uncle.

It hadn’t been two weeks. Not even three.

No.

It had taken a whole damn month of back-and-forth hospital visits, paperwork, side-eyes from staff, and explaining himself to everyone before the kid— Corvid —finally woke up. And now?

Now, everyone in his life thought he had a secret child.

Even his own family had started dropping hints. Little knowing glances. Smirks. That horrible hopeful look that only came from people who assumed this was finally his redemption arc from bachelorhood.

And the worst part?

They were happy about it!

Happy! As if this scandalized, sleep-deprived scientist suddenly dragging a five-year-old around was a good sign! Just because he’d chosen a noble, lonely path of research and intellectual purity didn’t mean he was incapable of someday having descendants or finding a partner!

Or, y’know… not like this .

All the while, Raven Branwen — deadbeat dimensional bandit, Kingdom-class menace — hadn’t so much as popped her head through one of her Semblance portals. No cryptic messages. No check-ins. No sudden blade-through-a-note surprise delivery. Nothing.

A small, fragile hope had dared to form that maybe—just maybe—she’d forgotten about him. That she’d left the boy in his care permanently.

But no. That would be too merciful.

Instead, he had the distinct , paranoid , and annoyingly consistent feeling that she was always watching. Somewhere and somehow, he could feel a gaze on his back at times.

He couldn’t even pop out for coffee without feeling like he was being judged for forgetting the sugar.

Still, there was one silver lining.

Little Corvid was awake. Alive. Not actively dying. That had to count for something

Now, all he had to do was wait for Raven to reclaim her child – Is Corvid even hers? Or did she kidnap him from somewhere? – and hopefully honor her very vague promise not to murder him or anyone he cared about in the aftermath.

Viridian leaned back with a groan. “Any day now, hopefully. Just swoop in, ninja-bandit-mom, and let me go back to worrying about deadlines and theories no one understands.”

His possible demise aside, this is also an opportunity to study little Corvid’s DLDA; he had been unable to use his semblance on it since he needed a visual cue. He already had an understanding theory and Idea of Dysfunctional Low Depleted Aura — Now that he thought about it, it required a more apt name — All he needed left was the sight of him flaring his aura just once, if he even could, given that he’s a child.

For now, he’d go back tomorrow. Again. One more visit. Maybe two.

After all, he’d come this far.

And if he was going to suffer, he might as well make it scientifically worthwhile.

//—————————————————//

Sapphyrr blinked.

Though Viridian was a scholar specializing in Understanding the Self (UTS) and philosophy, he hadn’t entirely skipped the basics of toddler psychology. He knew at least this much: children needed stability, warmth, and something to occupy their little hands. Cookies and a toy sword would do for now.

“Hello again,” Viridian greeted with a soft, genuine smile. “Told you I’d bring toys, yeah?”

Aside from the looming threat of a violent death via Branwen, he didn’t mind seeing the kid again. Helping a young soul like Sapphyrr gave him a strange sense of calm—and, frankly, made him feel a bit more human.

Sapphyrr’s gaze zeroed in on the cookies, wide and hungry. Viridian chuckled and gently handed him the food first, then the toy sword.

“Minimal sugar,” he muttered. “Nurse-approved.”

The boy cradled the cookies like treasure, fingers hesitant but eager.

“...ou...” he murmured.

“Hm?” Viridian blinked, leaning in.

“Th-Thank you,” Sapphyrr said a little louder, his voice scratchy but clear.

Viridian paused, warmth creeping into his chest. That little moment did more for his heart than any academic accomplishment. Looks his choice did the trick, unexpected. But welcome.

“No problem at all. Say… what’s your name?”

The boy tilted his head, clutching his gifts. “S-Sapphyrr Rose.”

Viridian’s expression didn’t change, but his right eye twitched.

Whoever named this boy ‘Sapphyrr Rose’ was either a joker or had a twisted sense of poetic irony. A delicate name, on a delicate-looking kid with silver eyes and soft features—Feminine appearance already, as well as a name that paired with the gods damned last name?

“Of course it is,” Viridian muttered under his breath. “Mhm. Alright then.”

He cleared his throat and added, “Do you happen to know someone named Raven Branwen?”

Sapphyrr blinked. Head tilt. No verbal response.

“Black hair, red eyes, tall, scary lady?”

Sapphyrr’s eyes widened. A flicker of memory passed across his face—blades, dust, a Grimm’s howl, and a woman standing between him and certain death.

Viridian winced internally. ‘Great. So he does know her .’

That’s either from the time he was kidnapped or before.

The rest of the visit passed with small comforts and cautious bonding. Viridian talked to the boy, asked simple questions, answered even simpler ones, and eventually got a few chuckles out of him with exaggerated gestures and sword noises.

A nurse came by periodically, delivering carefully measured meals. Sapphyrr scowled at anything green.

“Yeah, I get it,” Viridian said with mock gravity. “I hate vegetables too.”

“Then why eat them?” Sapphyrr asked.

“Because my doctor terrifies me,” Viridian whispered dramatically. That earned a tiny giggle.

When he was about to go home, he’d noticed that Sapphyrr was clutching onto the cookies like it was something precious. Strange, his eyes immediately went to the cookies when he first showed it, as well, did he love those that much or was there more?

Well, he wouldn’t know.

On his third visit, Viridian brought a new hoodie—deep red, oversized, soft. Sapphyrr immediately tugged it on, drowning in its folds. Adorable.

That was the day the doctor pulled Viridian aside.

“Mr. Blus?”

Viridian turned, eyebrows raised. “Yes?”

Viridian wondered at first on the Doctor would want to talk about. Turns out, Sapphyrr was already okay to get out of the hospital, mobility wouldn’t be a problem for him so long as he was there to support him, walking and all that. Maybe a wheelchair, but since Sapphyrr was walking for the last two days just fine, they didn’t need to. His whole month of being unconscious was enough ample time for him to heal completely apparently.

“Sapphyrr’s stable. Walking on his own. He’s good to go home—well, your home, for now.”

Another thing was the Aura Specialist, he talked to him about the DLDA – Which obviously, he would also be intrigued – But Viridian gave them a word that he’d be handling it himself since he was free to study it. Or so he wished, since Raven was likely to pick up the boy once she found out he had woken up.

The news wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it still hit with a strange finality. The boy had healed more than physically—he was talking, engaging, eating, and moving. He was recovering. His dysfunctional aura did what it could and helped him recover from near-death just a month ago, he recovered fast .

And Viridian had run out of excuses to linger.

He took the boy home that morning. Sapphyrr asked about his family.

“They’re… going to pick you up soon,” Viridian answered carefully. “Maybe in a few days.”

Sapphyrr didn’t respond with words, just looked at him with those silver, puppy-like eyes that stabbed guilt right into his ribs.

Viridian nearly tripped on the sidewalk. ‘Agh! Too bright! Damn it, I might miss this troublesome child !’

They arrived at his house, Viridian unlocking the door, planning lunch, maybe a story to wind down—

—But there she was.

Raven Branwen, leaning against his living room wall like a damn Grimm given form.

“You upheld your end, it seems,” she said flatly.

Viridian swallowed hard. “Y-Yes. I did.”

Raven’s only answer was a hmph . She stepped toward Sapphyrr, crouching low. The boy stared, blinking. She looked so much like Yang… and yet not. Older. More worn. Familiar.

Wait, was she the one on Yang’s picture? IS she Yang’s mom–

Memory hit like a falling boulder—Grimm, falling, darkness, a blade slicing through it all.

S-She’s the one from before!

“So,” she said softly, “despite all that, you survived.”

There was almost an amazement at Raven’s words. She stood and turned to Viridian. “I’ll keep my word, so don’t worry. For now, I’d like to know what you’ve found out on your little month of research.”

Viridian cursed internally. So she WAS watching him. Still, Viridian complied, lest he gets killed by her. 

He detailed everything about DLDA—the theory, the symptoms, the pattern. She listened with tight-lipped silence, occasionally glancing at the boy.

“You’ve done more than I expected,” she finally said. “In exchange, anyone with your last name will be left alone by my tribe and my contacts in Mistral.”

After that whole debacle, she took Sapphyrr, who was holding onto his cookies and toy sword by the collar on his new red hoodie he’d bought for him, lifting him like a cat. “Since he’s okay now, I’ll be taking him back with me.”

Then she reached out and grabbed Sapphyrr by the back of his hoodie, lifting him like a kitten. Sapphyrr Immediately started wiggling around like a worm, confused by Raven’s sudden action.

He still held the cookies and the toy sword. 

“I’ll be taking him now.”

Viridian’s breath caught. “W-Wait!”

She froze mid-step, eyes narrowing. “What?”

“What do you plan to do with him?”

She didn’t answer. Just drew her blade, sliced open a portal, and looked at him one last time.

“Raise him.”

Then she was gone.

The house fell silent.

Viridian stared at the empty space. He felt like a coward. He was a coward. But he couldn’t do anything else—not with his friends and family under threat.

He only prayed to the Brothers above that the boy—Sapphyrr Rose—would grow into something more than the tool Raven wanted.

Because for better or worse, he already missed that ridiculous-named, cookie-hoarding, bright-eyed kid.

//—————————————————//

AUTHOR’S NOTE AND TRIVIA:

1. Realistically, if you were to continuously take care of someone. Specifically, a child, you will grow attached to them, like it or not. It’s in human nature to find comfort or be in the presence of another human being.

2. Yes, Raven was observing the entire time in her Bird form.

3. How Viridian Blus’ Semblance works, just like in the last chapter. Is that it needs a visual cue on something, then a starting idea of what it was? If you ever see a portal, you’d immediately think, ‘Oh, it’s for teleporting or getting to places’, so he understood that. But if his semblance was faced with something, say. A dude instantly moving from one place to another, and he couldn’t figure out if it was super speed or teleportation, then his Semblance wouldn’t work. It’s not an all-knowing semblance.

4. There ARE actual cases in real life where a boy at a young age would look extremely feminine, some brainrotters in the internet would know it as being a femboy or such. But In sapphyrr’s case, that’s only at the start, he’d later grow to be an Androgynous man.

5. If you’re thinking, why couldn’t Viridian just fight back? Tell the huntsmen or the authorities in secret about Raven? It’s already explained up there, by this time, in that span of 2 years after Raven left Taiyang and rejoined her Tribe. She’d had to have some reputation by then and be considered dangerous. Now add up five years to that, now she’s more infamous. Not news-wide, but known to those who like to be aware. Viridian knows that she’d sweep through them and kill him and his family, so he didn’t risk anything stupid.

6. I had to freaking research on how things go inside hospitals just to write this damn chapter. But at least, Sapphyrr’s awake now. 

7. If you’re wondering, ‘Why the debuffs’ or why put such a heavy toll on Sapphyrr right off the bat already, Doesn’t that nerf him so much later on? You see, little jimmy. Daddy thinks differently, In my opinion. It’s NOT the bullshit powers/semblance or how strong an OC that makes writing a character interesting. Nor is it the Gary Stu or Mary sue things, or sometimes the obnoxious backstories that make them interesting.

It’s the flaws, the limitations, the way with interact on EVERYTHING. It makes them feel more grounded and relatable to an extent. What’s the point of all of it if the dude can just do everything he wanted? Or could defeat everyone? By giving Sapphyrr a weakness, it gives me more writing options on how he would handle things or do things because A he cant do this, or B he has to prepare this. You only do the bullshittingly no flaw OP ohmygodeveryonelovescharacter and he has titles and achievements that ohemgeeee literally means nothing when you need to go on a power-trip to feel powerful once in your life, or massage a fragile ego. (Or more interestingly, if the OP character actually means something to the story than just being the strong guy and everyone else gets to shine, example? One Punch Man and Eminence In Shadow)

Who knows, maybe in the future. I might accidentally make a character like that without knowing it. But for now? I like it when there’s more interesting concepts to do, rather than overused ones. That said, I don’t mean to offend or hurt anyone with my words lol, this part is jsut for me to

If you wish to support me and my story-making shenanigans despite my terrible schedule, go to my scuffed pat-reon.

Pat reon . com (slash) lanceron2Writes

Chapter Text

//—————————————————//

CHAPTER 4: To See a Little Chick Fly (Part 1)

//—————————————————//

Everything was a blur from Sapphyrr’s perspective. One moment, he was being dangled uncomfortably by his hoodie—and the next, the scary lady who looked like Yang’s mom (from that picture he once saw) opened a weird, cool swirly thingy. Now they were in a forest. Again.

Just a few concepts that a five-year-old found both incredibly cool and incredibly confusing.

Exiting the portal with him in tow, Raven let her Bond Portal dissipate behind her. They were back once more at the Branwen Camp.

“Back already?” a voice called out.

Leaning against a tree was Vernal, the anchor Raven used to return to the tribe whenever she needed. She eyed the confused boy dangling from Raven’s grasp as her leader approached.

“That didn’t take long,” Vernal remarked, rolling her eyes.

Without warning, Raven tossed Sapphyrr toward her like a bag of laundry. Vernal blinked, caught off guard, but caught the boy with ease.

“Uh? Please don’t tell me I’m on babysitting duty,” she said, clearly annoyed.

“You are. Find something more fitting for him to wear and get rid of those toys. Before the rats decide he’s a treasure chest waiting to be looted,” Raven instructed.

It made sense to Vernal. The “rats”—those bratty kids constantly stealing food and scavenging around the tribe—would swarm the kid immediately.

Too clean, too untouched. He looked like prey. Which, in truth, he was.

But Raven intended to change that. Or at least, she’d try. According to that man — Viridian Blus — it might be physically impossible for the boy to grow stronger than the average Huntsman. His aura was dysfunctional. In Remnant, Aura was everything. Without it, you were just another weakling, unable to fight back.

Raven knew that all too well.

And if Summer’s brat had a soul too broken to even harness his Potential, the Silver-eyes even then… What was the point? What good was a finely built sports car if the engine didn’t run?

With a grumbling sigh, Raven turned and walked toward her tent, ignoring the curious stares of other bandits. Her mind was elsewhere.

As it stood, the boy’s only apparent value was in the eyes he’d inherited from his mother. But that meant nothing if he wasn’t strong enough to awaken or wield them. Worse still, his condition—what Blus had called “Dysfunctional Low Depleted Aura”—came with a drastically shortened lifespan. One subject in the research had died before reaching adulthood. Would that be the boy’s fate too?

If so... should she just have him breed within the tribe? That way, she could ensure the Silver-Eyed lineage stayed under her control. It would be a tide-turner for her forces — strengthening them and possibly birthing prodigies. The chance to revive a near-extinct bloodline of Silver-Eyed warriors under her banner…

‘ …No. That’s thinking of him like cattle. And while I don’t hate the idea… I’m not that desperate. ’

Raven shook her head, staring out through the small window in her tent. The skies were beginning to dim with the chill of approaching winter.

‘ Spring comes after winter ,’ she reminded herself. ‘ Summer’s brat isn’t my only option, I already know the location of a certain person who, too weak to wield such power. I’ll have to see if I can persuade her to join the tribe, If not, then…’

Still, that left her with a choice to make. What to do with the boy? Return him to that pathetic wallower, Taiyang? Or worse, her brother, who might as well be Ozpin’s pet ?

‘ No. It’s better to keep the brat’s survival a secret. If I bring him back, Ozpin will just turn him into another chess piece. Another tool to be discarded once it’s no longer useful . Besides, they already have the other female twin. ’

Ozpin’s goals weren’t necessarily evil after all, he opposed Salem . But Raven wanted no part of that endless war. No part of the lies, the manipulation, the hopeless cause. And she sure as hell wouldn’t let the boy be dragged into a meaningless existence not after she was the one who doomed him with her insecurities — And it would be a spit to her own pride letting one of Summer’s just die like that…

…That was it, wasn’t it?

She could train him. Do what she could. Mold him into her own little soldier. Not too powerful, not too weak. Just enough to give him something to hold onto in the short life he’d been dealt.

Yes.

That could work.

//—————————————————//

After a few minutes alone with her thoughts, Raven finally decided it was time for one of her rare indulgences—a tea break, using her personal blend. It wasn’t the kind of tea you could brew just anywhere. The leaves it required grew deeper in the forest, a strain that only emerged during spring. And with winter fast approaching, it was likely that it’ll be sometime before she could harvest more.

Gathering them had been simple. Almost too simple—about as easy as taking supplies from some backwater village. Not much effort, but still a task that gave her reason to step away. She valued moments like this. Quiet. Still. When she needed a pause, this was her version of a smoke break, a small habit to collect herself before diving back into the mess of leadership and this goddamn world.

Running a tribe of bandits was as exhausting as it was predictable. Disorder ruled the camp. Intelligence was a rare find among her people, and recklessness filled the gaps where common sense should have been. And the ego—so much of it from people who didn’t have the strength to back it up (So much stupidity and broken ideals of strength when nearly all of these fools were damn fodder).

She sipped her tea and leaned back into her chair, eyes scanning the stack of weathered papers on her table. Reports, if they could even be called that. Numbers. Headcounts. Losses and gains from recent raids. The bare bones of what passed for logistics in a place like this. The tribe might be a disaster, but she was the balancing force keeping it from total collapse. She was never much for academics—even back at Beacon, she hadn't cared much for formal learning—but math? Math had its uses, even Qrow was able to do basic Math.

And since she’d taken over after she left… no, not that thought. Not now. That still left a bitter taste. There were grievances she hadn’t fully made peace with. She didn’t usually give in to insecurity, but what happened with the boy, what happened with his aura—lingered.

Because her aura had failed to work properly.

And that failure wasn’t just a moment of weakness—it was a risk. If her aura faltered in the middle of a fight, it wouldn’t just be inconvenient. It would be fatal. A mistake like that could cost her everything. She couldn’t afford to be unsure. Couldn’t afford to be… weak.

Yes. That was the root of it. Not guilt. Not regret.

Not like Yang…

Raven shut down the thought before it could burrow deeper.

Right now, what mattered was figuring out how to train the boy. She set the papers aside and took another sip of her tea.

Training him wasn’t the problem. She’d done it before—Vernal was proof enough of that. But this boy? He wasn’t like the others. He couldn’t be treated the same. Not with a crippled soul like his.

A Huntsman usually kept their aura at full to minimize danger, whether in battle or training. It let them recover faster, protected their bodies, pushed past limits. Training without it was dangerous. Painful. Slow.

And that was the core issue.

The boy couldn’t rely on aura. Not consistently. Maybe not at all. But that didn’t mean he was helpless. Aura was used for defense and Semblance activation, yes—but it could also be used to enhance the body. Boosting physical strength took far less than shielding or taking hits. And even that might be out of reach for him.

According to Viridian Blus, DLDA made even that impossible. Two Huntsmen had pushed too far—using Semblances without aura—and died. Three others were born with the condition, never able to properly access their aura, and died young. During her time observing the boy in bird form, she hadn’t seen any sign of successful activation. Just the same pattern—failure. He couldn’t use it. Couldn’t call it up, no matter how he tried.

Blus had categorized it two ways: Post-Onset Trauma and Congenital DLDA. The first came from forcing aura too hard until the soul cracked — Either they were brave or fools to have forced their semblances beyond what it should be doing — The second meant being born with it already dysfunctional. The boy didn’t match either perfectly, but leaned toward the former.

Except… his wasn’t natural.

She had done this.

When she forced his aura open in that fragile state—then tried again after it failed—she shattered something that couldn’t be undone.

…Or could it?

Aura could be trained, sharpened with discipline. Control improved with focus, with guidance. There was still a chance, however slim, that he could recover some of it. Maybe not all. But enough to be useful.

If he could even use it for a moment—to shield himself, to push his strength—then that gave him options. A chance to survive. To grow.

Because even without aura, Huntsmen were leagues beyond civilians. Some had even fought and won against aura users using raw skill and body conditioning alone. So if she trained him the right way—brutally, deliberately—he could fight back. He could stand on his own.

What would matter most wasn’t aura, it was his body. His technique. His ability to survive on grit alone. And that? That she could teach him.

It wouldn’t be easy. She’d have to be careful—but not soft. She couldn’t risk breaking what was left of his soul. But she also couldn’t coddle him. That kind of mercy would kill him long before his condition ever could.

Now knowing what had to be done, Raven drained the last of her tea and stood. She grabbed her sword—Omen—and fastened it to her side.

“It hasn’t been long since his recovery, I’ll give him a day to rest,” she muttered, her tone cold, resolute. “Then I’ll make his life a living hell.”

As she stepped out of her tent, something clicked in her mind.

“…Oh, right,” she said under her breath, irritation tugging at her voice. 

“I haven’t even gotten his name yet.”

A whole month of observing and planning what to do with Summer’s brat and only till now she remembered that she’d never found out the boy’s name was apart from calling him ‘Red’, ‘Corvid’ and ‘Summer’s Brat’

//—————————————————//

“If you cry, I will deck you, you littl—!” Vernal snapped, baring her teeth as she loomed over the nearly tearful Sapphyrr. Her tone was sharp, venomous. In one hand, she held his newly bought clothes—ones Viridian Blus had given him after his hospital discharge. The same clothes currently missing from his body.

Right now, the boy was clad in nothing but worn-out black pants with tears along the knees, and an equally tattered red long-sleeved shirt with a fading black stripe down the middle. The fabric hung awkwardly on him, clearly not his size. These were salvaged rags, stolen from the remains of the rats — children who hadn’t survived the Branwen Tribe’s brutality..

Sapphyrr’s wide silver eyes slowly drifted past Vernal, locking onto the tent’s firepit. The orange tongues of flame danced inside the brick-ringed hearth, smoke funneled upward by a makeshift chimney fashioned from intumescent-coated wood. The painted surface crackled but didn’t burn. Not like his toys had.

Inside those flames, the melting silhouettes of his cherished possessions twisted and blackened. The smell was awful—burning plastic, synthetic stuffing, and bitter char. It filled the tent like the lingering taste of guilt.

...Those were the toys Mr. Blus bought him.

His throat tightened. Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes, trembling in defiance of the stern warning. Still, no sympathy came. Vernal’s face remained cold, her disgust barely veiled beneath a scowl. Crying, in the Branwen Tribe, was a weakness. An admission of helplessness. A death sentence.

She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, scrutinizing the boy with narrowed eyes. “If Raven hadn’t given the order, I’d have already tossed you out with the rest of the garbage and let you fend for yourself,” she muttered under her breath.

That was how things were here. You survived by fighting. By clawing your way forward. If you couldn’t keep up, you were dead weight. And right now, everything about Sapphyrr screamed "out of place." Too clean. Too soft. Too… alien. His presence alone was like a sore thumb on the camp’s hardened landscape..

And now here he was about to cry, if he cried, no doubt people outside would hear him and they’d laugh. She couldn’t care less about the boy, but if Raven is planning on turning him into a protege or member of the Tribe, then it wouldn’t do well if he had a reputation for being a ‘weakling.’

The things she did for her loyalty to Raven.

Before the tears could fall, the tent’s entrance suddenly parted with a sharp flutter. Raven entered in stride, boots crunching over the dirt-strewn floor as her cloak trailed behind her like a shadow. She paused, taking in the sight with a glance sharp enough to cut.

The boy froze instantly. His wide eyes latched onto Raven, filled with questions and fear, searching for something familiar—perhaps safety. He’d find none(Not with Raven of all people)

“I see you’ve given him clothes to blend in,” Raven said dryly, her gaze flicking to the tattered garments on the child. Her expression twisted with disdain. “I step away for one hour and he’s already about to cry. Then again… outsiders never last long. Always too soft.”

“You wouldn’t believe the half of it,” Vernal said, her tone laced with irritation. “Brat can’t even handle losing a couple plastic trinkets without throwing a silent tantrum.”

She huffed and handed over the clean clothes—Sapphyrr’s real ones—brand new, folded, pristine. The boy’s eyes never left Raven’s figure as the transfer took place.

Raven eyed him in silence, then slowly knelt. Sapphyrr’s breath hitched, his chest rising and falling in choppy waves as the threat of tears loomed again. Raven’s fingers rested on Omen’s hilt, her crimson eyes narrowing.

“Cry, and I’ll toss you into a pack of Grimm,” she warned flatly, her tone low and dead serious. “Test me.”

The words didn’t need volume—they carried weight in the stillness of the tent. Sapphyrr's breath caught in his throat. His knees trembled, and though his lips quivered, he said nothing. He didn’t dare.

“Heh,” Vernal smirked, stepping aside with folded arms. “Most kids would bawl their eyes out when you threaten them. Maybe this one’s not a total lost cause, some brain inside that hollow skull.”

Raven let out a short scoff and began folding the clothes properly. “More like a damaged brain. Though, that’s technically healed. Physically, at least. But who’s to say the rest of him isn’t scrambled?” She stood again. “Still, it’s true. The brat’s danced with death twice. That tends to shake something loose.”

She stepped forward, closing the distance between her and the boy until she stood a mere foot away. The fire cast her in dim, flickering light—cloak swaying, blade still at her hip. Her eyes locked onto his.

“Name.” Her voice didn’t rise, but it left no room for argument.

Sapphyrr didn’t respond. No answer came as the boy was still petrified from her presence.

When faced with a threat. People freeze in fear as a survival tactic, it’s their ‘fight, flight or freeze ’ in response to a threat, triggered by long ages of ancestry from the start of humanity. While children rarely show this response as they don’t have as much concept or knowledge as adults would have, thus children doing stupid things, they still had this instinct engraved onto them.

That response is only strengthened when they’re faced with death itself. Their mind may not register it, but their body does, trauma, if you will.

‘Good’ , Raven thought. ‘That fear—that understanding of power—was the first step. It was survival. And survival meant potential.'

And when trained… The boy would fear her when growing up, it would give her control over him if he were to grow strong.

But the silence dragged too long.

“I asked you a question, brat!” Raven barked, voice cutting like a whip. “Speak!”

“...S-Sapphyrr,” the boy whispered, barely audible.

Raven exhaled slowly. “Good. Now listen closely, because I won’t say this again.”

She straightened, her presence towering over him. “From this moment on, you belong to me. I saved your life, so now it’s mine to do with as I please. Disobey me—and I’ll kill you.”

She leaned down again, her voice colder than the air outside the tent. “To the rest of the world, you’re dead. No one’s coming to get you. Not your father. Not Blus. No one. Tomorrow, your training begins.”

Standing tall once more, she raised a hand. Vernal stepped forward with a notepad already out.

“Now—rules,” Raven continued. “Forget them, and I’ll kill you. But since you’re still just a brat, you have one week to memorize them.”

She spoke slowly and deliberately:

“You don’t speak unless spoken to. You don’t disobey me—or Vernal. You don’t cry. Ever. You don’t leave the camp unless I say so. You don’t betray the Tribe. And above all—no one’s word matters more than mine. Not even Vernal’s, if it comes down to it.”

Sapphyrr stood still, his body locked, his mind reeling. He barely processed half of what she said. Fear and confusion clouded everything else.

Raven narrowed her eyes. “Vernal. Take him to bed. Then walk with me.”

Vernal finished scribbling the list, let out a heavy sigh, and looked down at the boy like he was a dead animal on her boot.

“The things I’m dealt with,” she muttered.

She turned sharply toward Sapphyrr. “You.”

The boy flinched again, eyes darting to her.

“Lower deck. I don’t care if you’re shaking, crying, or pissing yourself—if you’re not asleep by the time I’m back…” She grabbed a knife from the nearby table and drove it into the wood by the fire with a loud thunk , blade quivering in place. “I’ll stab you.”

//—————————————————//

“I hate it when you make me do those things,” Vernal grumbled, falling into step beside Raven outside the tent. The camp was alive with murmurs, crackling fires, and shifting bodies—bandits wrapped in cloaks, tending to stolen gear or loitering in packs like wolves.

“You mean babysitting?” Raven asked with a raised brow.

Vernal rolled her eyes. “Obviously. That was a bit excessive, don’t you think? You weren’t even that rough with me.”

“The boy already faced death and crawled back,” Raven replied calmly. “He’s tasted what lies on the edge. That’s more than enough to instill fear—and if fear keeps him alive, I’ll weaponize it.”

“Experience is the best teacher, huh?” Vernal muttered, though her tone carried a hint of agreement.

“But what about his condition?” she continued, a bit more seriously. “Aura’s screwed. No stamina. Can’t keep up like us. Won’t that kind of treatment kill him faster?”

Raven’s eyes glinted under the moonlight. “If I want him strong, I’ll have to break him carefully. He’s five. That’s enough time to mold him. Strength is built, not inherited. And if I’m right, that broken aura of his might not be as permanent as Blus thinks.”

She stopped, looking up at the sky. The clouds above began to part slightly, revealing stars that twinkled in the biting cold.

“I’ll make sure of it. And when he grows up…”

Raven’s lips curled into a smirk.

“…He’ll thank me. Even if I dragged him through hell to get there.”

Because tomorrow will be the start of that hell.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE AND TRIVIA :

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Am I even interpreting vernal and raven early on pre-canon? Whatev, raven’s shown to be unpredictably manipulative in the show to an extant. 

ANDDDDDD I finally remembered my password and got off the Gacha-games, got hooked up in Arknights, Limbussy and Blue Archive– Who knows, maybe I already have fics about them hidden in my docs?

Annnnnddd guess who’s steadily fixing the past few chapters and finalizing the new chapter of Bloody Princess? 

Don’t get your hopes up though, with HSR 3.4 coming soon I might get distracted and procrastinate again lol.

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