A woman was leaning against a tree, deep in the forest. Her white and red cloak billowing slightly with the breeze, a stark contrast to the surrounding trees. It all was quiet, except for a single bird's call.

A distinct caw, one Summer knew very well.

"You know, I asked Oz if he could me turn in to something. He said we would discuss it after the mission."

Something swooped down from the trees, and with a fluttering of feathers and wings, another woman appeared where a bird had been a moment before. She was taller than the first, eyes of red instead of silver and no red in completely black hair.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," She stated dryly. "You mission starts day after tomorrow?"

"Yup, shouldn't take too long. Hopefully I'll be back in a week." The shorter woman replied, "We'll talk again after I get back, OK?"

The other woman simply nodded in reply. A minute passed, both waited on what they knew was coming next.

"So, how. . . How is she?", Those words were difficult for Raven to say, and they hadn't gotten any easier no matter how many times she had. She still couldn't look in to those silver eyes when asking it. She hardly could look in those eyes at all anymore.

"Yang is doing great!" Summer chirped, "Always bringing a friend over or going to see another. At school she claims to be "the best" in gym class. She did get in trouble last week for punching a bully. I don't know if she gets that from you or Tai!" It never ceased to amaze Raven how joyful her former leader could be, joking even considering this situation.

Those words always hurt to hear. But Raven needed to hear them. Was it because of guilt? Remorse? Regret? She knew the answer. . .

"And your little girl?" Raven asked. It wasn't just asked out of courtesy, scarlet betrayed that she did actually care.

"My little Rubes is doing good too! Sometimes it's hard to pull her off Yang, it's like she glued to her sister sometimes," The word sister cause a twinge of pain in Raven, "We got her a toy scythe, and she hasn't put it down in days. I think she wants to be just like her uncle Qrow!"

Mention of her brother didn't make the taller woman happy. It only caused more pain. If it had been physical she could have taken it. But not like this, where it was her soul that felt the sting. She looked to the forest floor, what was coming next would be even harder.

"Are we going to talk about it now?" Summer's tone had changed, this wasn't the proud mother anymore. But the leader, the huntress. "We agreed we would."

"I know."

"I think it's time," her voice was soft, reassuring, "they'll forgive you if you try."

"I abandoned them. I abandoned you. I abandoned her." There were tears running down Raven's face. "I made a choice and kept making the wrong ones."

"You did what you thought you had to do." There was no judgement in those words. None of the hate, anger, or resentment she deserved.

"It's been years Summer. They hate me. They have every right to. I don't even know my own daughter. My own brother and my husband. My best friend. I left them." She was the most feared bandit where she now resided, but back in the forests near where her real home had been, she was weaker than she had ever been.

They weren't perfect. They lied, cheated, and stole. Her team was only human after all, but she was the one that tore it apart. At least they had stayed, continued to fight and live for what they believed.

What they actually believed.

"You've never told me exactly why you needed to leave." Still, only concern in that voice.

"And I've told you. I can't. I can't tell you about the things I've done."

It was all for this power. This useless power. What good was it really? Strength was all she'd ever been taught to strive for. But how strong was she now? A woman who had deserted everything good in her life. She was pathetic. And yet she called her brother a failure. The tears continued to fall.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around Raven. It was far from the first time she had felt that comfort, and as time went on that embrace only came to mean more more. Now, it was the only thing that felt like home.

"We'll do this together, I know you want to see her yourself, and not looking through the window as a bird."

"B-But. . ."

"It's never too late Raven, to make the right choice. You know I'll be there every single step. It's what friends do."

*Friends.* How could someone as good as Summer be friends with her? Raven knew that she was a monster.

But she would be forever thankful.

Crimson met grey for the first time in a long while.

"Thank you Summer. . . You're the only friend I really have."

She had left them all, every relation she had made. Discarded them. But only one held on to her, refusing to ever let go.

"When I said you were on this team forever, my friend forever, I meant it. So unless you plan on dying, you're not getting rid of me that easy." Summer continued, a smile on her face. "After I get back we're going to work this out. It's going to be fine."

After two weeks Raven went back to that spot. It was easy enough, considering her semblance and its proximity to Tai's house.

But on the first day Summer didn't come. She had to have just misremembered, a week of whatever Oz had her doing could do that. Or maybe something came up with the family, with the kids and all.

But she didn't come the second day either.

On the third Raven had to check, to see if something was going on. Transforming, she silently made her way towards the house. It was a way she knew by heart. Even if she hadn't walked it in years, and had not flown it often. She came back here in dreams almost every night.

It was evening, the lights were on in the house she could see Qrow inside immediately, no sign of Summer. He was at the table, writing something.

Wait.

It looked like Qrow had been crying. He still was crying. There was no alcohol around him. He looked miserable, but not drunk. He got up, his movements deliberate and not appearing inebriated as usual.

Only one urgent question arose in her mind:

Why.

She circled the house, perching at the window she knew to be the kids' room.

Inside she heard faint, unmistakable sound of sobbing.

Why.

The door creaked opened and Qrow walked in. He made his way over to the beds. Placing a reassuring hand on both small, laying forms.

"Ssshhh, it's alright. You need to get some sleep. I'll make your favorite breakfast in the morning and the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you'll get it. I'll be back in a minute."

Qrow got up and left, careful to be quiet on his way out. She could hear him start to go back down stairs.

Why.

Raven flew to the far side of the house as fast as she could.

Through this window she could see Tai. He was laying on the couch. Completely still except each each halted, staggered breath as he wept.

Why!

Then Raven saw what he was clutching something.

Something she knew very well, the answer to her question.

It was a white and red cloak.

Tai held it close to him as he cried, knuckles white as he refused to ever let go.

Qrow entered the room. Even from out in the darkness, she could see the pain in his eyes. He pulled a blanket over his friend.

"The girls need you Tai, now more than ever." Words said almost too low to hear, only concern in didn't respond. "Goodnight" Qrow whispered as he went back up the stairs.

No.

No.

No.

This isn't happening. There had to be another reason.

She couldn't be. .

Not her.

Anyone but her.

Raven drew her sword and tried to open a portal to her, but it didn't work.

Why didn't it work.

There was only one person she could go to. She activated her semblance again. It wasn't a strong connection, so she wasn't close to her target. It would have to be close enough.

Crashing through the gateway, Raven took only a second to get her bearing. Then took off.

She ran and flew as fast as she could. Rushing to disprove her fears. That's what she hoped at least. Despite the years away, she still knew Vale well enough.

This wasn't the first time she had flown in to Ozpin's office, finding him sat at his desk. He wasn't surprised to see the black haired woman. She was panting, fear in her eyes. There was sympathy on his face.

No No No.

"Raven, you should sit down."

"Please. . . Is she. . ."

"Raven, please sit."

"FUCKING TELL ME!" She slammed her fist in to the desk, wood splintering from the blow. She began to cry, and as she watched each tear fall towards the floor, she let out what was barely a whisper.

"She's not gone. . . Is she?"

"Raven, I am so sorry."

"It should have been me." She sobbed, walking the forest. " It should have been anyone else."

My daughter's mother. My leader.

My friend.

My only friend,

The only one who never gave up on me.

Even when everyone else did. And she should have too.

Gone.

Raven looked at the house, just visible through the trees in the dawn's first light. It wasn't as bright as it was yesterday.

How could I face them now?

And she turned her back on it, like she had years ago. This time more sure.

More sure that it would be the last time.

"It should've been me."

So Raven lived a life wasn't quite a lie, but still far from who she was, could have been, and maybe still was underneath.

It usually hurt less than admitting to herself the truth. And when you tell yourself a lie for long enough, you start to forget that it's a lie.

She only valued strength and her clan.

Not her team, not her daughter, not her real family.

But would she be able to face the truth when it stood in front of her?

It had been years since she saw she had seen hope and determination in silver eyes like that. But it was like yesterday. The defiance in purple she had only seen before in blue.

"Go. I'll at least hold them off." Would this be enough, penance for what she'd done?

"Raven-" Her brother started, putting a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away, like she had *once* before. But this time stopped, and turned to face him.

"None of you can beat a maiden, let alone two. I have a chance and you don't have time. You all need to get out with the relic." And more quietly, so the other couldn't hear, "Let me have this. We couldn't save *her*. But I can save them. "

She moved to leave. Towards her fate. One final time, she turned back the the gathered huntsmen. A dozen different colors. Different people who had fought through hell together for what they believed. For each other, even when they didn't have to. And some of them had run, but they had come running back.

"Ruby, Yang. Summer would very proud. The rest of you are better huntsmen than I've ever met. Keep fighting and you'll make." She let out a remorseful sigh, "As long as you stick together."

"Mom-" It was Yang, moving towards the older woman. Their eyes locked together. On the outside she looked so much like Raven, but on the inside Raven took solace in knowing she was much more like her old friend.

"Your mother died a long time ago Yang, and I owe her at least this." Of those there, only Qrow had seen Raven cry before, but in this moment as the end drew near, there was little reason to hide those rolling streams of tears.

Summer will not have died in vain.

"I'm sorry."

And she flew off to meet her destiny, an old friend

She met them at the doorway, three women and a man, all familiar. Her executioners.

"Cinder, Neo. Are you looking for a rematch?"A smile curved her lips, the same as in those she faced. "You won't get way this time."

But that confidence was fake. She knew she wasn't going to win this fight. Neo began to glow with power like the two dark haired woman.

Raven always knew she would die fighting, but she never thought her death would mean something. Just another bandit whose luck had run out. Now she could try to wipe away some of what she'd done.

Her enemies rushed towards her, a cascade of magic and bullets flying her way.

Yang, Qrow, Ruby, and their team would live. They would win this stupid war.

This war that took away Summer.

And all she had to do was not die for a few more minutes.

Surviving. Something she had prided herself on. But only because she had had nothing else.

Raven unclasped the scabbard from her waist and drew her sword, its crimson blade gleaming in the pale light.

In a way, Raven was happy;

At least now she would get to see her friend again.

This is the first decent length story I ever wrote, hope you all enjoyed. I think Raven isn't to far gone to be redeemed and I like to think she's just broken.

If you've seen this on Reddit before, I didn't steal it, that was me. Criticism is welcomed.