A/N: Surprise, surprise, I'm not dead! I haven't been writing anywhere near as often as I would like though, so after more delays than I ever thought possible, here is chapter 5 of Marvelous Misadventures.

Disclaimer: There are lines of dialogue in this fic that are a reference to Fullmetal Alchemist. They are solely there as a nod to the series, one that I very much like. I do not, in any way, own the rights to FMA. All credit for those lines of dialogue goes, of course, to Hiromu Arakawa and all other associated creators and license holders for the FMA franchise.

Edit: So, I was just reviewing old stuff when I noticed I did something extremely stupid. I forgot to make the line breaks in this chapter, so between every scene it would just say 'LINE BREAK' in the middle of the page. Yeah, it's fixed now.

Chapter 5: Remembrance

"…so that's that. The air is finally cleared between Vale and Atlas."

"Good, one less international incident to worry about." said Ozpin, to the holographic screen. "And what of Cinder Fall?"

"She and her cohorts have gone underground, they're ghosts. On the bright side, they're now wanted all across the four kingdoms, every Hunter on the planet is after their heads."

"Excellent, that should restrict their movements for now. Anything else, James?"

"Just one more thing," responded General Ironwood, "Roman Torchwick and his partner."

"Ah, yes. I believe they were merely pawns in the grand scheme of things, I doubt we'll get anything out of them."

"Well, regardless, we've tracked them to Oasis in Vacuo. We'll keep an eye on them, see what develops."

"Very well. I guess that will be all for today, keep me updated."

"I will. And Oz…try not to work too hard today."

Professor Ozpin dismissed the holo-screen and let out a sigh of relief. The past several weeks had been among the busiest in recent memory. The attack on Vale during the Vytal Festival had caused extensive damage to both the city and the school. To make matters worse, Cinder Fall, the leader of the attack, had obtained a great and terrible power, one of four that Ozpin was responsible for safeguarding. While the attack was ultimately repelled, the repairs were slow going, and relations between the kingdoms were put on edge by Cinder's machinations.

The exhausted Headmaster slumped back in his chair, rubbing his forehead, when the elevator chimed. Glynda Goodwitch walked into the damaged office with a drained look on her face.

"Glynda, good morning." said Ozpin, continuing his work, solemnly.

"Morning. How are the politics coming along?"

"Well enough. James just told me that Vale's Council has dropped the charges against Atlas. What about the repairs, how are they coming along?"

"Ugh, I wish we had another professor who could use telekinesis."

"You'll get it done, just don't overwork yourself."

"Believe me, I'm taking frequent breaks. How about you, holding up well?"

"I just barely fought off the new Fall Maiden and then helped our professors slay a Dragon. I could be doing worse."

"Well, leave it to you to pull off a miracle." said Glynda, as she moved behind Ozpin to massage his shoulders.

"That was hardly a miracle, I'm still a long way from being back to full power. I was actually getting worried until Professor Peach and Professor Cobalt arrived."

"Then it's a good thing you agreed to hire them, I told you they had talent."

"That you did." responded Ozpin, with a sigh. "Now, we still need to figure out what we're going to do about her."

"Who? …Oh."

"Mmm, this is an unusually bold move. She must be planning something big."

"Sometimes I wish we could just storm that wretched woman's homeland and be done with it."

"As do I, but humanity is far from ready, and I'm in no condition to do it myself."

"I know." she said in frustration.

Ozpin sighed heavily.

"Alright, what's wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't 'hmm' me. I can feel it in your muscles, something else is bothering you."

"Am I that obvious?"

"To me, yes."

"…It's that day again, the day of Summer Rose's funeral."

"Oh," said Glynda, stopping her hands, "already? Time really does fly."

"Indeed."

"She and her team sure caused a lot of trouble, didn't they?" she asked, with a sad smile.

"Yes, Team STRQ. I still remember the day they arrived here."

It was a sunny morning at Beacon Academy as several airships arrived at the docks, bringing new students to the cliff-top school. They filed out of the ships, eager to explore their new campus. Two students in particular, took things more slowly, soaking in every detail of their surroundings.

One was a boy with spiked-back black hair and dull red eyes. He wore a white and grey button-up shirt and black pants. Grey pauldrons on his shoulders held up a pristine red cape that went down to his knees. His companion was a girl with wild, flowing black hair down to her waist and vibrant crimson eyes. She wore a black and red gi, wrapped in an obi, and tucked into a black pleated skirt. Segmented red armguards covered her forearms, while a pair of black thigh-highs covered her legs underneath red knee-high boots.

"Whoa, this place is huge!" exclaimed the boy.

"It certainly is impressive." said the girl.

"Well, c'mon," he said, stepping forward, "let's check out the grounds."

"Hold it, Qrow." said the girl, calling after him. "Did you forget? We need to go to the amphitheater, we can't be wasting time here."

"Oh quit being such a buzkill, Raven."

"We're here to get stronger, we can't do that if you don't take it seriously."

"True, but there's nothing wrong with taking the time to enjoy ourselves while we're at it. You need to lighten up, Sis."

"I don't have time to lighten up."

"Yeah, that's kinda your problem." said Qrow, in a whisper.

"Oof…sorry! Hey, watch it!" cried a distressed voice.

The arguing siblings looked over to try and find the source. They saw a girl with black hair and silver eyes, lying on the ground with her belongings strewn around her. She wore a black, gothic-style combat skirt, which was currently tangled up in the long white cloak she wore over it.

"Do you have time to help a fellow Huntress-in-training?" asked Qrow, with a sly grin.

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes before walking towards the struggling girl. "Hey." she said, offering her a hand.

"Oh, thanks." said the girl, smiling up at the kind Samaritan. "I kinda got caught up in that last rush off the ship."

"I see." said Raven, now helping the girl gather her luggage.

"I'm Summer, by the way."

"Raven."

Qrow stood back and watched as the girls struck up a conversation. He was glad to see Raven socializing with another student. She had a tendency to be a loner and shut other people out, Qrow was hoping their time at Beacon would change that.

"Hey, uh, you know where we're supposed to be headed?" asked someone behind him.

Qrow turned around to see a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore an open brown vest, over a collared yellow shirt. He had a burnt-orange bandanna tied around his left arm and dull orange cargo shorts.

"If you mean for the initiation speech, the amphitheater. It's the big glass-ceiling thing next to the main building."

"Thanks. Oh, I'm Taiyang."

"Name's Qrow, Qrow Branwen."

"Qrow, got it." responded the boy, glancing over at the two girls off to the side. "So, uh, who're the two babes?"

"Well, the one with the white cloak is Summer, we just met. The one helping her is actually my twin sister."

Taiyang's face fell. "Oh…I, uh, I'm sorry." he said, tugging at his collar. "I'm really sorry, please don't kill me."

"Don't worry about it, I won't."

"You won't? Why no-"

"Qrow," said Raven, cutting him off, "we're done here. Who's this?"

"This is Tai-"

"Taiyang Xiao Long, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hmm, whatever. Let's go." she replied, as she walked away.

Taiyang was a bit dumbstruck by the apathetic response, staring at the girl as she walked away.

"That's why." said Qrow, giving Taiyang a pat on the shoulder as he followed his sister.

"Um, hi, I'm Summer."

"Tai."

The four new students eventually found their way to the amphitheater, where a sizable crowd had already gathered. The first-years were all chatting away as they waited for someone to welcome them to their new school. Everyone's conversations died down when they saw a blonde-haired woman with glasses take the stage, followed closely by a silver-haired man in a dark-green suit. All attention centered on the man as he walked up to the microphone.

"I'll…keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of strength, to sharpen your minds and learn new things. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose - direction. You assume strength will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that strength can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

The man, who many now recognized as the schools headmaster, walked offstage, as the woman took his place at the microphone.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow your initiation begins, be ready. You are dismissed." she said, before following the man offstage.

The amphitheater burst to life once more, as some students began talking about the Headmaster's speech.

"You think he gives that same speech every year?" asked Taiyang.

Summer shrugged in reply.

Qrow and Raven joined the crowd of students leaving the room, intent on making their way to the ballroom. Summer and Tai decided to explore the campus for a while before doing the same. All four of them needed their rest for the long day ahead of them.

The next morning, the first year students assembled at the top of Beacon Cliff to await their initiation. Headmaster Ozpin and the blonde woman, Professor Goodwitch, were already their waiting for them. Goodwitch directed each student onto a launchpad before Ozpin addressed them.

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"All of you will be assigned teammates during the examination." said Goodwitch.

Some of the students murmured amongst themselves, having already heard talk of teams the previous night.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," said Ozpin, "so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Several students flinched upon hearing this. Raven, in particular, was dumbfounded that such a prestigious academy would use such an asinine method for selecting teams.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the Northern end of the forest." Ozpin continued. "You will meet opposition along the way, do not hesitate to destroy everything you find in your path…or you will die."

A few students' faces paled.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not interfere. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics, each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff; we will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Yes, sir." began Raven.

"Good." said the Headmaster, cutting her off. "Now, take your positions."

"Sir, I have a question." she repeated, angrily.

A launchpad went off, catapulting a student into the air.

"What if we are unsatisfied with the partner we receive?" she asked, as another student was sent flying.

"Then you will be disqualified for violating the terms of the examination." replied Ozpin, as yet another student flew.

"Shit." she thought, as she turned to see Qrow wave to her before he was sent flying.

Realizing that it couldn't be helped, Raven braced herself for takeoff.

As Raven flew through the air, she activated her Semblance, transforming into the very bird she was named after, and flying through the trees. Once she felt she had gotten low enough, she changed back into a human in a flurry of black feathers.

"Okay, I've got to find Qrow as soon as possible." she thought, as she ran through the thick woods. "No way am I going to risk ending up with some random incompetent for a partner."

Meanwhile, Qrow made an identical landing elsewhere, breaking into a sprint as soon as he transformed back to normal.

"Alright, gotta find anyone but Raven." he thought, as he searched frantically for a partner. "Sorry Sis, but this is for your own good!"

Qrow was so occupied with his search that he almost didn't notice two Ursa lunge out of the bushes in front of him. He swiftly jumped out of the way, just as their menacing claws were about to reach him.

"I don't suppose we can talk this out?" asked Qrow, as he pulled a massive shotgun off his back.

One of the Ursa snarled in response.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

The Ursa charged forward, only to get sent flying by a shotgun blast. The other one roared threateningly, as it prepared to do the same. Qrow twirled his shotgun around, unfolding it into a large scythe. With a flip and a spin, he jumped over the bear-like monster and sliced its head clean off.

"That all ya got!?"

He turned around upon hearing the roar of the Ursa he sent flying earlier. With a dangerous smile, he readied his weapon.

"YEAH!" came a yell from above.

Qrow looked up to see a blonde boy drop down from the trees before colliding with the Ursa. An explosion erupted from the boy's outstretched fist, killing the beast and warping the ground beneath it. Out of the fire stepped Taiyang Xiao Long, equipped with a large mechanical gauntlet that covered his entire forearm.

"Hey. Qrow, right?"

"So, you're my partner?" asked Qrow, narrowing his eyes.

"Um…yeah. Look man, I'm sorry…about before, I didn't know that was your sister."

"Relax, I'm just messing with you. Besides, anyone crazy enough to kill an Ursa like that has earned my respect." said Qrow, walking off.

Tai smiled and followed after him. "That's a cool shotgun-scythe, by the way."

"Thanks, your gauntlet's not half-bad either."

"So, now what?"

"Guess I should look for my sister."

"You think she's in trouble?"

"Nah, she can handle herself."

Raven was currently bouncing between a group of closely packed trees, slashing through the air with her red-bladed katana as she did so. She had somehow run into an entire pack of Beowolves and was now slowly fighting them off, there were about fifteen left by her last count.

"Damn things, this is such a waste of time."

A Beowolf moved to strike her head-on, while another moved up on her left flank. Raven sheathed her sword, preparing to cut them both down in one move, when a pair of rifle shots rang through the trees. The two beasts fell to the ground, the tops of their heads scraped clean off by the unknown shooter. Raven looked up and saw a sliver of white moving through the trees. With a graceful flip, Summer Rose dropped down from the trees, landing behind Raven and shifting her sniper rifle into a more appropriate lance form.

"Need a hand?" she asked, excitedly.

"Hmph, as long as you're offering." replied Raven, with a smirk.

The two young women made short work of their foes, even cutting down a few trees in the process. When they were finished, they looked upon their work with a sense of triumph, before finally turning to each other.

"So, you're my partner?" asked Raven, frowning. "Could be worse." she finished, with a smile.

Summer smiled in return, as they started heading in the direction of the forest temple.

"Y'know, you were pretty awesome back there." said Summer.

"You weren't bad yourself."

Summer smiled at the compliment, happy that the quiet girl seemed to be opening up.

The girls continued making their way through the forest. It was a fairly uneventful run, Raven assumed they simply got lucky enough not to run into any Grimm. They eventually arrived at a clearing with some old ruins in the center.

"Looks like we made it!" cheered Summer.

Raven simply nodded.

They stepped into the ruins and looked around to find several stone pedestals with objects on top of them.

"What are these, chess pieces?" asked Summer.

"I believe these are the relics we need to take."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. So, which one are we getting?"

Raven eyed the small, black horse head nearby. "Knight." she said, removing it from its pedestal.

"Okay! Why that one?"

"Hm?"

"Why'd you pick that one?"

"Oh. Well, the knight is a symbol of strength, it's powerful. I want to be powerful, the most powerful Huntress in the world."

"Ah, okay. But a black knight, seriously?"

"W-well, the gold ones were taken already."

"Oh yeah, I guess some people got here before us."

"Great, then we're already lagging behind. C'mon, we should get back to the cliff."

The Huntresses-in-training were about to move out when they heard voices coming from the trees.

"Man, that was rough." said a voice that was vaguely familiar.

"I told you we should've gone left." responded a voice that Raven definitely recognized.

Qrow emerged from the tree line, accompanied by the blonde boy from yesterday. They were absorbed enough in their conversation to not notice Raven standing in front of them with her arms crossed.

"Qrow!" she yelled, getting their attention.

"Oh, hey Raven, glad you made it."

"Don't give me that crap! You avoided me on purpose after landing, didn't you?"

"Well…"

While Qrow tried to reason with his sister, Taiyang moved over to talk to Summer. The white-cloaked girl was looking back and forth apprehensively, as her partner had a heated exchange with the other boy.

"Why are they fighting?" asked Summer, as she noticed her blonde-haired acquaintance.

"They're not fighting; just arguing," responded Tai, "they're siblings, so it's pretty normal."

"You sure?"

"Oh yeah, I know these brothers in my village that are always at each other's throats."

"Well, if you say so."

"So, this is the temple we're looking for?" asked Tai, looking back at the ruins.

"Yup. The chess pieces inside are the relics."

"Sweet. Which one did you guys take?"

"Black Knight."

"Black Knight? Badass!"

"There's one left if you want it." said Summer, with a laugh.

Taiyang ran over to the pedestals and grabbed the chess piece in question. He ran back, ready to go, but was disappointed to find that Qrow and Raven were still arguing.

"This is just like that time in that town, when you left me alone with those kids that ended up pulling on my hair!" yelled Raven.

"How is this anything like that!?" countered Qrow.

"Hey, guys!" said Taiyang, walking up to the quarrelling twins. "I don't wanna interrupt your sibling bonding time or anything, but don't you think we should go?"

"Who are you?" asked Raven.

"Taiyang, we met yesterday, briefly."

"Oh."

"~And is that a Dust sword you've got there?" asked the blonde, craning his neck to see the sheathed katana on her hip.

"Um, yes." she replied, staring at the boy in amazement. "You can tell it's a Dust sword even though it's sheathed?"

"Well yeah, sorry, I'm a bit of a dork when it comes to weapons."

"Hey," called Qrow, "Tai is right, we should get moving."

"Right." said Raven. "Summer, you coming?"

"Be right th-" started Summer, getting cut off as she felt the ground shake.

The other three students looked around nervously, as the ground shook once more.

Meanwhile, at the top of Beacon Cliff, Glynda rushed to Ozpin's side with a panicked look on her face.

"Ozpin, we have a problem."

"So I've noticed. Have Peter monitor the situation and step in if he believes it is necessary."

"But, the students."

"I understand your concern, but I have a feeling those four will be just fine."

Glynda saw the serious, yet confident, look on his face. "Very well." she said, pulling up Professor Port on her tablet.

Back in the forest, the four students in question were scrambling through the trees to get away from the temple as quickly as possible.

"That…that's a BIG Deathstalker!" yelled Taiyang, as he glanced back at the house-sized scorpion that was currently chasing them.

"Where are Qrow and Raven!?" asked Summer, as she frantically searched for her new friends.

A clashing of metal turned her attention to the Deathstalker, which had just stopped leveling the trees in front of it. Raven and Qrow were moving at blinding speed with blades in hand, hacking away at the creature's legs and claws.

"Dear god, they're actually slowing it down!" said Tai in disbelief.

Summer gasped, as the Deathstalker lost its patience with its tiny attackers and moved to crush one of them in each of its claws. In a flurry of black feathers, the Branwen siblings transformed into a pair of corvids, slipping between the monstrous pincers at the last second. The birds flew over to their relieved friends, before turning human once more.

"You two have the same Semblance?" asked Taiyang.

"It's a twin thing." replied Raven, bluntly.

"You two can turn into birds!?" asked Summer, excitedly.

"Yup." responded Qrow.

The students' conversation was cut short by the roar of the enraged beast, as it began knocking down more trees to get to its prey.

"We need to move." said Taiyang.

"No." said Summer, surprising the others were her firm denial. "If we keep running, that thing will only keep chasing us. Who knows how much damage it will cause. We have to stop it, here and now."

Raven smiled and nodded in agreement. "She's right. Besides, I'm not about to let this thing hunt us down like animals."

"Yeah," added Qrow, "we're gonna be Hunters one day, we can take this thing."

Taiyang looked around at the others and sighed. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

Another loud roar came from the Deathstalker, as it knocked down a row of trees only a few meters away.

"First, move!" yelled Summer, as the four students scattered high into the trees around them.

The creature tore down the branches they had just been standing on, as they regrouped out of range.

"I'm gonna distract it!" said Summer, drawing her sniper rifle and leaping further away.

"Tai, think you can break that armor!?" asked Qrow.

"Yeah, if I can get high enough! I just need that stinger out of the way!"

"Leave that to me" said Raven, before she disappeared into the trees.

Taiyang started climbing up even further to get into position for his attack.

"Guess I'll just go for the legs then" said Qrow, drawing his scythe.

Sniper fire rang out from the higher branches, pelting the beast's face and drawing it deeper into the woods. Trees shifted and fell as the creature made its way towards the source of its discomfort. Taiyang leaped through the branches, trying to find a more stable tree to climb.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Qrow dashed between the tree trunks while the monster was distracted. He got underneath it and began hacking away at its legs. The Deathstalker roared and hissed as its sliced limbs caused it to buckle under its own weight. A crow flew out from under the scorpion just as it fell. A raven flew in and joined its twin before the two shifted back into human form.

"Cutting it close again?" asked Raven.

"You know me. I'm gonna draw out the tail, get ready to hit it."

"Right."

"Just don't miss, okay." added Qrow, as he ran off.

"Hmph, as if I would."

Qrow swung around to the front of the creature, blasting its face with his shotgun to get its attention. It raised its stinger into the air and prepared to strike the young man down. The glowing orange stinger shot forward with blinding speed, but Qrow was too fast for it. He maneuvered around the trees, only for them to be pulverized by the monster's tail.

"Damn, that's not gonna work." he thought, as he looked around. He spotted a massive boulder off to the side. "But that might."

Qrow ran for the boulder, shooting the Deathstalker as he moved. "Hey Bugsy, think you can keep up!?"

The beast roared and began dragging itself along the ground with its claws to chase him. Qrow reached the boulder, continuing to take pot-shots at the monster once he arrived. The Deathstalker eventually reached him and prepared to strike with its tail once more. Qrow dodged the attack and watched as the stinger embedded itself in the rock. The creature tried to pull itself free, but between the depth of the sting and the lack of leverage from its legs, it could only struggle as it was left wide open.

In the trees, just slightly above the Deathstalker, Raven was lying in wait for this very opportunity. Her red blade wreathed itself in flames when she pulled the trigger on the grip. She jumped and propped her feet up on the tree trunk, before kicking off and rocketing towards her target at high speed. With a single swing, the superheated blade severed the Deathstalker's tail, melting through it like a hot knife would through butter.

Up in the treetops, Taiyang looked on as the beast screamed in agony. Seeing the opening he was waiting for, he jumped down and plummeted towards the staggering monster. He gained speed, while his gauntlet sparked and glowed, as he fell. He pulled his fist back and let out a primal yell, before punching the Deathstalker in the top of the head. The creature fell silent, as its armor gave way beneath the impact. A violent explosion shook the area around them, causing the entire bony shell to crack.

Taiyang hopped off and landed in front of his kill, panting and trying to catch his breath. Qrow and Raven ran up to him, while Summer hopped through the trees to join them. The white-caped girl hesitated as she noticed the seemingly dead Deathstalker start to twitch slightly. The creature's blank eyes flared back to their usual red, as it closed in on the three unsuspecting students with its massive claws.

Summer didn't have time to think, she simply reacted. She turned her rifle into its lance form, which extended an additional blade to turn into a halberd. Before she knew what she was doing, she had fired off a shot to propel herself through the air, rapidly spinning forward towards the monster threatening her new friends. Her silver eyes began to glow a brilliant white, energy flowed from her hands into her weapon; with a single swing, she sliced the creature in half from front to back.

The others watched in awe, as a massive crescent-shaped energy blade shot forward from the point of impact. The shockwave that followed turned the now-bisected Grimm into vapor.

"Whoa, how did you do that!?" asked Taiyang.

Qrow whistled in astonishment. "Damn!"

Raven simply stood there, slack-jawed. She could hardly believe the friendly girl she had just met yesterday was capable of such power.

Summer put her hand on her head, shaking off a dizzy spell. "I don't know, I don't even know what just happened. I saw the Deathstalker move and I just had to stop it before it hurt any of you."

"Well, either way, that was incredible." said Taiyang.

Summer smiled as she got back on her feet.

"Hey," said Qrow, "if you're good to go, we should really head back."

"Right." said Raven, taking her partner's arm over her shoulder in support.

Meanwhile, back on Beacon Cliff, Professor Ozpin continued to observe the team's progress. .

"I just recalled Professor Port." said Glynda, walking up to him. "I'm sorry, Ozpin. I have no idea how we missed a Deathstalker of that size."

"Hmm, no matter. It all worked out in the end."

The rest of the initiation continued relatively without incident. Any students that supposedly 'died,' as Ozpin said they would, were promptly escorted to the air-dock to be sent back home; they were advised to keep training, and to try again next year. Those who had passed gathered in the amphitheater for their acceptance ceremony.

"Raven Branwen, Qrow Branwen, Summer Rose, and Taiyang Xiao Long." said Ozpin, as the four students walked up to him on stage. "The four of you recovered the Black Knight pieces. From this day forward, you shall be known as Team STRQ, led by Summer Rose."

The crowd applauded, as Summer shook off the surprise and waved to them. Qrow and Tai placed their hands on her shoulders and offered their congratulations. Raven nodded in affirmation; her response reserved, but happy all the same.

The students of Beacon had been slow to return to normal school life. The damage done in the battle had demolished many of the classrooms. Luckily, most of the dorms were left unscathed, meaning the students still had a place to stay; this was good news to students like Ren and Nora who had nowhere to go, and others like Ivory Keys whose home had been heavily damaged by the attack on the city. The dining hall had also been left mostly intact, giving the students a place to gather and relax as they enjoyed a well-cooked meal.

"How is Ivory holding up?" asked Blake.

"She's doing well." replied Weiss. "Her mansion was destroyed by the White Fang and Grimm, but her family managed to evacuate before they arrived. She said she'll be coming back to school in a few days, once her family is done settling into their temporary residence."

"That's good to hear."

"What about Sun and Neptune? I haven't heard from them."

"Their team is back at Haven already, helping law enforcement prepare for Cinder and her group."

"That's great, tell them to stay safe." said Weiss, as she looked over to Team JNPR. "What about you, Pyrrha? How's your ankle doing?"

The redhead looked over and smiled. "It's fully healed already, but the doctor told me to hold off on any training for another few days, just to be safe."

"Well safety is one thing you certainly need." scolded Weiss. "What were you thinking going back in there? I can't believe I'm saying this, but if Jaune hadn't been there you would've died."

"I know, I'm sorry." said Pyrrha, looking down. "I just felt that I needed to help."

"It's okay, Pyrrha," said Jaune, placing his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, "we both tried our best; although, I honestly think we just got in Ozpin's way more than anything else."

"Ooh," chimed Nora, "how did Old Man Oz hold up in a fight!?"

"He was incredible." said Pyrrha.

"Yeah, I don't even think Ruby could move that fast." added Jaune.

Nora's eyes widened with excitement, undoubtedly thinking of all the crazy battles the Beacon Headmaster must have fought in over the years.

"Speaking of," said Weiss, "Ruby, Yang, what's with you today? I don't think I've ever seen you two this somber."

Everyone looked over to the two girls, wondering how they all failed to notice their unusually quiet behavior. Ruby would have been coming up with some kind of fun activity for them to do by now, and Yang would have been badgering Jaune and Pyrrha about their love life as soon as they sat down.

Ruby and Yang nodded to each other before turning to their friends, their expressions staying solemn.

"Today's the day of our mom's funeral." said Ruby, quietly.

Everyone's expressions softened as they registered what Ruby had just said.

"Hard to believe it's been eleven years already." said Yang.

"That long?" asked Jaune.

"I'm so sorry." said Pyrrha, taking Jaune's hand.

"It's no biggie," said Yang, "we're sad that she's gone, but we remember all the happy times we had with her."

"That's good," said Ren, "the important thing is that you keep her in your hearts and honor her memory."

"And boy do we have a lot of memories of her." said Yang, perking up slightly.

"Yeah, not to mention all the stories Uncle Qrow told us." said Ruby, excitedly. "Oh, there was this one time when they were still in Beacon…"

The four years after Team STRQ's initiation were quite interesting, not only because of the team's impressive performance, but also their capacity to cause trouble wherever they went. Whether it was Qrow's constant smuggling of liquor into the dorms, or Taiyang's mythical escapades walking out of nightclubs with multiple young women following him, the boys of Team STRQ were happy to take full advantage of their 'rebellious teen years.' This was not to say the girls of the team were trouble free however; Summer had her fair share of mishaps experimenting in the kitchen, while Raven waged a campaign of terror against every bully on campus.

Team STRQ's first year saw Taiyang and Qrow become fast friends, as they pulled a variety of pranks throughout the school. They would carry out their 'work' at night and see the campus's reaction the next morning. One such night had Qrow meeting Tai at the base of Beacon Tower.

"Did you get it?" asked Tai.

"Sure did, one bag full of top-quality spray paint." replied Qrow, holding up a plastic bag.

"Nice, I picked out a good spot, over here." said Tai, leading his partner over to a section of wall not covered by bushes.

"You sure you're up for this?"

"You doubting my artistic talents?" asked Tai, with a look of mock disbelief.

"No, just doubting that you can take the backlash headed our way if Goodwitch finds out."

The two boys got to work, using the can of black paint to outline their mural. They would steal the occasional glance at a drawing they had made earlier for their reference. Once the outline was complete, they added the color, going through six whole cans of paint before they were done. Satisfied with their work, they snuck back to their dorm and went to sleep.

The boys got up bright and early the next morning, much to the surprise of their female teammates. They all left the dormitory together and noticed a large crowd of students gathered around Beacon Tower. Summer and Raven moved toward the front of the laughing mob, curious about what their classmates found so funny; Qrow and Tai just smiled at one another, already knowing the answer.

When Team STRQ finally got to the front of the crowd, Raven and Summer's jaws dropped. Spray-painted on the wall of the tower was an image of Beacon Academy's Deputy Headmistress and Chief Disciplinarian, Glynda Goodwitch. The graffiti artists, however, had taken some 'creative liberties' with the Professor's appearance. They had painted her with green skin and a long, pointed nose. Painted alongside the less-than-flattering mural were the words 'Professor Badwitch.' Summer couldn't help but laugh at the humiliating image, while Raven simply stared back at her male teammates, who were snickering amongst themselves behind her.

"Please don't tell me you two are responsible for this."

"Whoa, hey, easy there." said Qrow, quickly covering his sister's mouth with his hand. "You want the whole school to hear you?"

"No, I want to see Goodwitch peel the flesh from your bones when she sees this." she responded, slapping down her brother's intrusive hand.

"Aw, c'mon," chimed Taiyang, "you don't really think she can do that…do you?"

"What is the meaning of this!?" called out the voice of the professor in question.

Qrow and Tai jumped upon hearing her, they quickly hid behind Raven and Summer, respectively. The rest of the crowd parted along the middle to make a path for the Professor, and quieted down as she stormed to the front. She froze in shock upon reaching the front and seeing the graffiti. The blonde-haired disciplinarian grit her teeth, more in annoyance than anger, before turning on the students.

"When I find out who is responsible for this vandalism, there will be dire consequences! You are all dismissed!"

The students dispersed with fear and panic, as Goodwitch began stripping the mural off the wall, molecule-by-molecule, with her telekinesis. Taiyang watched in awe and horror, as he and his team headed off towards the dining hall.

"Y'know, you might've been right about the whole 'peeling flesh off our bones' thing." he said.

Raven just smirked.

Naturally, Goodwitch eventually found out who painted the graffiti. Qrow and Tai were subjected to detention for the whole semester. It would have been the whole school year if Ozpin had not found the stunt amusing and talked Goodwitch out of it, much to her exasperation. The boys would get what was coming to them in their second year, however.

By the time Team STRQ's second year at Beacon came around, Raven had grown tired of Tai and Qrow's flippant attitudes and constant practical jokes. They were here to become Hunters, not become comedians, and Raven intended to whip them all into shape. It started one morning, two weeks into the year, when Qrow and Tai went out for their morning run in the Emerald Forest. Raven and Summer had gotten up earlier and had already left, not an uncommon occurrence.

"So, you see that new car they were showing off in Vale the other day?" asked Qrow.

"Yeah, it's a new Pleiades model, the Inspira."

"Looks pretty affordable for a sports car. You planning on getting one?"

"Hopefully, I can't wait to tinker around under the hood."

Heh, you and your machi-"

"WHOA!" yelled the two boys in unison, as the ground collapsed beneath their feet. They fell into a pitfall trap and landed on top of one another. They struggled to move and look up at the wall of the hole; it was a sheer drop, easily seven or eight feet by what they could tell.

"Hey Qrow, you okay?"

"Ugh, no. You shoulder-bombed my pelvic ring when we hit bottom, think I'm gonna need a hip replacement."

"You have Aura, you'll be fine."

"You fell for it, just like I thought you would." said a girl's voice, from above. "How pathetic."

Tai and Qrow looked up to find Raven staring down at them from the top of the hole.

"What the!?" exclaimed Tai, in shock.

"Raven, you did this!?" asked Qrow.

"I did!"

"Why, why would you do this to us!?" asked Tai, as he began scaling the wall.

"Yeah, what the hell, Sis!?" said Qrow, following him.

"Your constant tomfoolery was beginning to get on my nerves." she replied. "Besides, I thought this would be a good way to point out just how weak and inattentive you all are."

Tai reached the top of the hole, only to find Summer giggling to herself nearby. "Don't tell me you were in on this, too." said the blonde brawler.

"Sorry," she replied, "but with all the pranks you two pull, it was too good to pass up."

"That why you get a free pass," asked, as he emerged from the pitfall, "because you thought it would be funny?"

"For today," said Raven, earning a worried glance from the hooded girl, "and it's actually because she dug the hole."

Suddenly, Summer's involvement made a bit more sense. Halfway through their previous year, an incident happened that was similar to the one during their initiation. The team was in danger fighting a giant Grimm when Summer sprang into action. Her silver eyes shone with a brilliant white light, and she killed the monster with relative ease. Ozpin then informed them that Summer possessed an ancient power, and began teaching her to use it. Summer's mysterious abilities would certainly explain how she and Raven had made such a deep pitfall in such a short amount of time.

"You two are savages, you know that." said Tai, with the best look of mock disappointment he could muster. "C'mon Qrow, we got a run to finish."

"Hey Tai, I wouldn't-"

"AAAGH!"

"-go that way."

The other three members of Team STRQ looked up at Tai, as he dangled upside-down from a snare set up a few meters from the pitfall. Raven smirked, while Summer broke into another fit of laughter; Qrow shook his head without surprise, he and Raven had learned long ago to always double-up their traps.

"Oh, come on!" yelled Tai.

Summer laughed even more, before climbing the tree to cut him down. Qrow, however, was preoccupied, he hadn't missed the look in his sister's eyes; a flash of disappointment, a predatory gaze that saw all others as beneath her, the incessant need to be the best. He could only hope that this wouldn't become more of a problem later on.

The rest of the year was a reign of terror for all of Team STRQ, as they set up a myriad of pranks and traps for one another. Even Summer managed to win the day on more than one occasion, as they repeatedly tried to one-up one another. As much as he hated admitting when his twin had a point, Qrow had to agree that this competition certainly kept all of them on their toes; their reaction time had improved dramatically, and they had even developed some unorthodox new strategies as a result. Of course, this also meant a higher than average amount of detentions from Goodwitch, though she was willing to cut them a little bit of slack since they were the top team in their year.

Life went on as usual in Team STRQ's third year; Raven kept up their usual training routine, Summer continued to learn more about her powers, Tai had courted almost every girl in school, and Qrow discovered the mind-numbing joys of booze. Among the more interesting events was the team's discovery and foiling of a rising drug operation in the city. They were hailed as local heroes and even appeared in the newspaper, The Daily Vale.

The most entertaining escapade of their third year, however, was when Qrow and Tai got a little too curious about their Headmaster and his assistant. The campus was always hosting the odd rumor here and there, so it came as no surprise that there were more than a few about Ozpin and Goodwitch being more than just coworkers. Qrow and Tai decided they would spend one of their days off investigating, and tried to rope the girls into it as well. Raven outright dismissed the idea, calling it a waste of time, and spent the day at the training center instead. Summer, however, thought it sounded like fun and decided to help the boys with their seemingly impossible mission.

Ultimately, the three students ended up following Ozpin around all day, only for Qrow and Tai to turn tail and run when the Headmaster finally decided to stop playing along. Summer stayed behind and had a friendly chat with him, refusing to divulge the content of their conversation to the boys, much to their dismay.

They met up with Raven at dinner that night. She went on about how she told them it would be a waste of time, though she was mostly ignored by the boys as they ate. After the meal, the team went to their favorite hangout to pass some time before turning in for the day. They had discovered the spot mid-way through their second year; it was a lightly wooded area, on an outcrop sticking out half-way down Beacon Cliff. It gave a beautiful view of the Emerald Forest below, and Team STRQ would often watch the sunset together from the tree branches.

It was this outcrop that Professor Ozpin now found himself standing on. It hadn't changed much in the almost twenty that it had been left unoccupied. A few students had spent some time there over the years, though none with the frequency of Team STRQ. Some of the trees had been knocked down, the result of a Nevermore nest that Ozpin had cleared out a few years ago. Remnants of Team STRQ's presence still remained, such as various carvings on the trees and cliff wall, or the odd knick-knack or two lying around.

"I thought I might find you here." said a nearby voice.

"Ah, Glynda." responded Ozpin, looking over just as Glynda finished climbing down the thick ivy from the top of the cliff.

"Still taking care of this place?" she asked, as she looked around.

"For now. I hope that one day a group of students will come here frequently enough so that I don't have to, but until then it feels wrong to allow this place to fall into disrepair."

"I can see why they liked it here, it's a nice, secluded little spot."

"Indeed, and the sunset is quite beautiful here."

Glynda laughed. "I think we already have a better view from the top of the tower."

"I suppose you're right." responded Ozpin, with a chuckle of his own.

Glynda continued to look around, taking note of all the little things that Team STRQ had left behind.

"Isn't that Oobleck's old coffee mug?" she asked, pointing to an old ceramic mug that said 'I LOVE CAFFEINE!' on it.

"Ah yes, Qrow stole that off of him after convincing him to go to a party at the end of their second year, if I recall correctly."

"If I recall correctly, Qrow filled that mug with all the alcohol he could get his hands on and wound up passed out in one of the fountains."

Ozpin couldn't help but laugh at her recollection. "That's how it all started, isn't it? Qrow's obsession with liquor, I mean."

"It's not funny." she replied, sternly.

Glynda turned her attention to the carvings on the trees, casually glancing over them until one in particular caught her eye. It was a carving of a heart with 'T + R' carved in the middle of it.

"I take it Taiyang carved this?"

Ozpin turned to see what she was looking at, recognizing the handiwork instantly. "Summer, actually. She wanted to help Taiyang work up the courage to ask Raven on a date; I guess she thought it would help Raven be more sociable."

"Raven, huh," said Glynda, with a hint of disdain, "that girl caused so much trouble."

"Her departure was her own choice."

"I meant before that, she caused a lot of trouble for me; hell, this whole team did." said Glynda, her scowl turning into an amused smile.

"I believe you said that this morning." said Ozpin, glad that the mood wasn't quite so somber this time. "Yes, they certainly were a handful, weren't they?"

"Hmph, remember when Raven found out she was pregnant, that morning?"

"Oh, how could I possibly forget?" replied Ozpin, laughing.

Professor Ozpin was working diligently in his office one morning. The students that had been sent to Shade Academy for the Vytal Festival had returned from Vacuo a month ago. Raven Branwen had won the final match of the festival's combat tournament, sparking quite a lot of interest in Beacon Academy. Applications and transfer requests were coming in by the dozen, leaving the Headmaster with a whole day worth of deskwork.

He was just about finished when the whole tower suddenly shook. Ozpin got up and rushed over to the clock-window to survey the situation. Rubble was scattered around the campus, along with the occasional crater in the ground. His eyes snapped to the left when a shockwave knocked down another statue. The Headmaster quickly made his way to the elevator and headed down to the lobby. Beacon was under attack, and he had to be there for his students.

Ozpin quickly ran out the door, cane in hand, ready to defend his academy. What he saw, however, were not Hunters-in-training preparing for battle; what he saw instead were students standing throughout the courtyard, filming the altercation with their scrolls.

"Man, Taiyang's really done it this time." said one student.

"What did he do? Branwen is pissed!" said another.

"I dunno, but this is turning out even better than the Vytal Festival!"

Now that Ozpin was at ground level, he was able to get a closer look at the battle taking place, and was indeed able to make out the brief flashes of Qrow Branwen and Taiyang Xiao Long moving at high speed throughout the school grounds. From what he could see, Taiyang seemed to be trying his best to outrun Qrow, stopping periodically to try and talk down his livid partner.

"C'mon Qrow, can't we just talk this out!?" reasoned Tai, as he parried some of Qrow's attacks.

"Fuck no, you're a dead man you son of a bitch!"

"Now that was uncalled for!" said Tai, retaliating with a punch that sent Qrow flying. "You've met my mother, she is a nice lady!"

The fight quickly began to escalate, destroying more property and drawing the attention of more students. A large purple glyph formed nearby, as Professor Goodwitch stepped onto the scene.

"Students, stop fighting this instant!" she yelled, trying to get their attention.

From the other end of the plaza, Summer arrived in a brilliant stream of white light.

"Qrow, Tai, stop it! Please, calm down!" she cried, to no avail.

Having seen enough and wanting to get to the bottom of this, Ozpin stepped forward, unnoticed by the preoccupied crowd. He tapped his cane against the cobblestone, creating a loud, booming noise, like someone just dropped a tremendous weight on the ground. Rings of green light expanded from the point of impact, passing over everyone and everything they touched.

The fighting and commotion died down, as everyone turned their attention to the Headmaster. No one dared speak a word as he stepped forward, they could practically see the air of authority around him. Professor Goodwitch quickly took the opportunity to restrain the distracted men of Team STRQ with her Telekinesis, suspending them in the before they could turn on each other again.

"Now now, students," said Ozpin, addressing the crowd, "I believe there are better sources of entertainment around campus than the arguing of your classmates."

Calling what had just transpired an argument was probably the biggest understatement any of them had heard, but the students didn't question the Headmaster's implicit order for them to disperse. Once the crowd seemed to be sufficiently out of earshot, Ozpin turned back to Qrow and Taiyang, only to find Goodwitch already going off on them.

"Just what the hell is going on here!? You two are almost graduates! What do you think you're doing destroying the campus like this!?"

"I'd just like to say, I tried to diffuse the situation." said Tai.

"The hell you did, you started this shit!" retorted Qrow.

"That is enough." said Ozpin. "Professor Goodwitch is right, your time at this academy is almost over. I, too, would like to know what could possibly have motivated you to behave this way."

"Well," started Tai, "you see-"

"This asshole got my sister pregnant!" said Qrow, cutting him off.

Professor Goodwitch's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, even Ozpin flinched a little. Tai hung his head and groaned at his partner's blunt delivery.

"I told him not to make a big deal out of this." said Raven, drawing everyone's attention as she walked onto the scene.

"Raven." said Summer, walking up to her partner.

Raven waved her off, approaching the professors. Qrow and Tai stood beside her, Goodwitch's hold on them having been broken from the shock of the news.

"Ms. Branwen," said the disciplinarian, "I assure you that this is a very serious issue. This could affect your entire career here at Beacon."

"Now Glynda," said Ozpin, cutting her off when he noticed the apprehensive looks on Team STRQ's faces, "this news comes as a shock to everyone. I'm sure Team STRQ would like some time to process this matter and discuss it amongst themselves…"

The teammates all looked at each other and nodded in agreement, though Qrow and Tai still seemed on edge.

"…in a civilized manner." added Ozpin.

Team STRQ walked off towards the dorms. Summer turned back and mouthed a 'thank you' to Ozpin, who nodded in response. Glynda glared at Ozpin, as she waited for him to turn back to her.

"I'll be speaking to Ms. Branwen later." she said, curtly, before walking off.

Ozpin sighed heavily. He knew he was playing favorites with them, anyone else would have been sent to pack their bags already. With only a month-and-a-half left in the year, however, he saw no harm in it.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. Ozpin returned to his office and filed away the stack of papers he had finished earlier. He made sure to keep an eye on Qrow and Tai to make sure they didn't turn the campus into a warzone again, a warzone that Glynda was currently putting back together.

It was dinner time when Ozpin noticed that Raven was absent from her team on the security monitor. She was certainly the kind of person that would want some time alone after receiving life-changing news; still, he felt he should have a talk with her about her future in this scenario. Feeling that Qrow and Taiyang wouldn't spontaneously start fighting in the dining hall, Ozpin left for the one place he figured Raven would be.

Raven was sitting against a tree in the team's usual hangout, an outcrop halfway down Beacon Cliff. Between her discovery that morning, her brother fighting her boyfriend over it, and Professor Goodwitch scolding her for it, she was glad to finally have some time to herself to think. Time that was quite short lived, it would seem, as she felt someone's presence approaching behind her.

"I say it every time, but you four really did find quite the lovely little spot here." said the Headmaster, prompting Raven to stand and face him.

"Professor Ozpin." she said, regarding the head of the school with respect.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, sitting on a nearby rock.

Raven visibly relaxed upon hearing the Professor's casual tone, and sat back down.

"I've run this academy for decades, yet I'm still learning new things about it every year." said Ozpin, motioning to the surrounding landscape.

"Decades? You don't look that old, Professor."

"Aura can do many things, Raven, including working wonders for one's good looks." he responded, jokingly. "I assure you, I am far older than I look."

"With all due respect, Professor, I think we both know you didn't come all this way just to admire the view and give me beauty tips."

"Straight to the point as always, Ms. Branwen. You're right, I came to see how you were doing, given your current…predicament."

"Goodwitch already gave me an earful." said Raven, rolling her eyes. "She said the only reason I can stay is because there's such a short time left until we graduate."

"Hmm, yes, I imagine Mr. Xiao Long received quite the scolding as well."

"He was in her office with me, pretty sure he ran back to our dorm in fear for his life afterwards."

"Well, Professor Goodwitch tends to have that effect on people." said Ozpin, with a chuckle.

"We made a mistake." said Raven, with a downcast expression.

Ozpin shook his head. "I've made mistakes, and compared to mine, yours is relatively minor. Instead of dwelling on what has past, you should be looking to the future."

"My future was supposed to be that of a Huntress. Now, I'm not sure I'll have the time." she replied, with disdain.

"Hmm, that may end up being true."

"Goodwitch outright told me that I'd have to make compromises, she said that the life of a Huntress is no life for a mother."

"Professor Goodwitch has her own reasons for saying such things. In any case, whether you decide to continue taking missions or not, becoming a mother is a wonderful thing." said Ozpin, with a reassuring smile.

"You certainly seem more enthusiastic than me."

"Of course, I can think of no greater task than bringing up our next generation, helping them learn, helping them grow. Why do you think I started this Academy?"

Raven stayed silent, seeming to consider the Headmaster's words, as he got up from where he was seated.

"Give it some thought, I have faith you'll find the right answer." he said.

"I will, thank you, Professor."

Ozpin nodded, before leaving her to herself.

By the time Ozpin and Glynda returned to the campus, it was already mid-afternoon, and the last classes were letting out for the day. They watched as the students poured out of the class buildings that weren't still undergoing repairs. After being crammed into classrooms together all day, they were quite excited to be free for the evening. Some students headed for the now open-air training center, some headed to the dining hall for a bite to eat, and others made for their dorms for a much needed nap.

Among the crowd, Ozpin was able to make out the distinct appearance of Team RWBY. Ruby was talking excitedly and waving her arms around, as she announced what was most likely another grand plan for a fun-filled afternoon. Yang could be seen unsettling a few of the students around them, no doubt relentlessly teasing them. Ozpin couldn't help but smile as he saw them enjoying themselves, despite the circumstances.

"I have to commend those girls," said Glynda, beside him, "being able to put on such happy faces on a day like this."

"Hmm, yes, they have quite a lot of inner strength for such a young age. It's heartwarming, really."

"Miss Xiao Long, in particular; after all, she's lost two mothers."

"Yes, I remember."

Professor Ozpin sat in the corner of a room in Vale Central Hospital's ICU, waiting patiently for the black-haired man in the bed to wake up. The Headmaster looked over at the red cape hanging on the wall, the once pristine cloth now tattered after four years of harsh combat. His attention was brought back to the bed when the patient began to stir.

"Ngh, what happened…where am I?" he wondered, groggily.

"Easy, Qrow, you're still in rough shape."

"Ozpin?"

The silver-haired man nodded. "You're in the hospital, Summer found you and brought you here."

"Summer? The last thing I remember is…Raven!" said Qrow, sitting up quickly upon saying his sister's name, only to double over in pain.

Ozpin rushed over and placed a hand on his former student's shoulder, gently pushing him back down. "I said try not to move, you're still recovering."

"Oz, it's Raven, she…she's gone."

"Tell me what happened." said the Headmaster, as he pulled the chair over and sat back down.

"Raven left." said Qrow, with a morbid tone.

Ozpin looked at him intently, giving his full attention to Qrow's recollection of recent events.

"She had her daughter, Yang…a week ago. Things were fine, she and Tai seemed happy enough…then, Tai woke up yesterday and she was gone." he recounted, with some difficulty due to his bothersome injuries. "I…managed to track her down to…the outskirts of Vale."

"To where Summer found you?"

"More or less. I tried convincing her to come back, she refused, we fought, and I-I…"

"You lost."

Qrow hung his head in shame, gritting his teeth as the words sunk in. "I-I'm sorry, I couldn't stop her from leaving."

Ozpin could only look on, somberly, as one of his best students broke down in front of him.

"W-what should I do?" asked Qrow, suddenly.

Ozpin said nothing, only quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

"You always know what to do, so tell me. Tell me what I should do!"

Ozpin saw the desperation in the younger man's eyes, how lost he was. "I…don't know what to say, so I'll just tell you what you need to hear. It's not what you want to hear, but…give up on bringing your sister home."

Qrow was dumbstruck, he was silent for almost a minute before he finally responded. "W-what?"

"You heard me, do not try to bring Raven home. Instead, move on for now, and just be patient."

"Be patient!? Are you fu-"

"She has made her choice very clear, and we must respect it. Force will not help this situation, the only way Raven will come home is voluntarily."

Qrow didn't speak for quite some time after that, he just stared bitterly at his old Headmaster. It wasn't until Ozpin got up and made his way toward the door that Qrow finally said a single word. "Fine."

Team RWBY was on their way to the air-dock to request a bullhead flight. This was not the typical flight into town, however. Despite having planned an afternoon of goofing off, Weiss and Blake petitioned to postpone such activities until tomorrow. They decided instead that Ruby and Yang should spend this particular afternoon paying a visit to their mother. Ruby and Yang agreed, but only so long as their teammates accompanied them.

"Thanks again for doing this, guys." said Ruby, as they approached one of the landing pads.

"No thanks are needed, this is the least we could do." said Weiss.

"Yeah, this is an important day for you two." said Blake.

"Still, thanks, it means a lot to us." said Yang.

The team walked up to the bullhead and made their request, only to be disappointed by the pilot's answer.

"What do you mean you can't take us to Patch!?" asked Weiss, angrily.

"Sorry, but I can't just take a bunch of students across the harbor, 'specially not this late in the day." said the pilot, defensively. "You'd probably have better luck on the weekend if a professor will sign off on it."

"Drat."

"I'm sorry, Ruby." said Blake, comforting the saddened girl.

They were just starting to leave when they spotted Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch approaching them.

"You girls wouldn't happen to be trying to get a flight to Patch, now would you?" asked the older man. "Because it just so happens that I have some business to attend to there."

"Can we really come with you?" asked Ruby, with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Of course." he replied, turning to the pilot. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"R-right away, Sir." said the pilot, nervously, before he entered the cockpit to prepare for takeoff.

"Well, he changed his tune rather quickly." said Ozpin, with a chuckle.

Professor Goodwitch just rolled her eyes and entered the bullhead.

Much of the flight passed by quietly. While three of the girls felt a bit nervous sharing a ride with the school's two top officials, Ruby did not seem to mind. She was curious, however, about what business the Headmaster had on her island home.

"So, why are you going to Patch, Professor?"

"The same reason as you, to pay my respects to our dearly departed Summer Rose."

"You knew my mom?"

"Of course he knew her." snapped Weiss. "She went to Beacon, didn't she?"

"Indeed, Summer was one of Beacon's most beloved students. A pure soul, well-liked by everyone, and always did her best to help everyone."

"Must've been something to warrant a personal visit from you." said Yang, with surprise.

"On the contrary, Miss Xiao Long, I make a point to visit all of the Hunters that have attended my school and fallen in battle. I don't always find the time, unfortunately, but I pay my respects whenever I can."

"Wonder how many trips that is a year?" said Blake, not quite as quietly as she hoped she did.

Before everyone in the VTOL could point out how insensitive the comment was, Ozpin simply answered the question. "Hmm…by my last count there have been one-hundred and seventeen killed in action since the school's opening."

The girls stared at him, silently, none quite knowing what to say.

"How does he keep track of them all?" mumbled Weiss, not realizing fast enough that she had spoken her thought out loud.

"Actually, not many people know, there is a floor underneath Beacon Tower containing a memorial wall. The name of every Beacon student, graduate, and alumnus that is killed in the line of duty gets inscribed on that wall."

"Oh." responded Weiss, sheepishly.

"You should see it sometime," continued the Headmaster, "look up some of the names there. Everyone on that wall is considered a hero, not just to Vale, but to all of Remnant. Perhaps some of their stories will strike a chord with one of you."

"We'll be sure to do that." responded Ruby, with a look of pride and determination.

Silence quickly returned to the inside of the VTOL, leaving Ozpin to reflect on the past. Ruby was probably too young to remember at the time, but he had actually been present at her mother's funeral. Now that he was on his way to pay his respects, the Headmaster found his thoughts drifting to that somber day.

It was a cloudy day; nothing that would signal bad weather, but enough to block the sun once in a while. A crowd of people, clad in black formal wear, was gathered in and around a lone log cabin. The island of Patch was small, so it was clear that many of the visitors were not from the nearby town. Summer Rose was well-liked by just about everyone she met; news of her death hit everyone hard, so it was no surprise that so many had come out to pay their respects.

Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch were among the last to arrive. The other guests greeted them solemnly at the door. The Headmaster and his deputy exchanged hugs and handshakes with everyone as they made their way through the home, searching for the family of the departed. They eventually found a surprisingly sober Qrow, standing outside the master bedroom door.

"Hey, Oz."

"Qrow, I'm pleasantly surprised."

"What, that I'm not hitting the bottle over this? Couldn't bring myself to; somebody's gotta stay strong, for Tai's sake."

"How is he holding up?" asked Goodwitch.

"'Bout as good as one would expect. He may act tough, but everybody knows he's a big softie."

"He'll pull through," said Ozpin, "just give him some time."

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a slightly haggard looking Taiyang. It was odd seeing him in a suit; the last time he had worn one was during his wedding with Summer, where he couldn't wait to get out of it, for more than one reason. Now, however, he wore one to mourn the death of the very same woman only a few years later; the situation could only be described as heartbreaking.

"Taiyang." greeted Professor Ozpin.

"Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch…thanks for coming."

He sounded even worse than he looked, his throat was hoarse and his voice was sullen. Ozpin shook his hand, and Goodwitch gave him a rare embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Taiyang." said the Headmaster.

"If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." said Goodwitch.

"Thanks again, but right now I just wanna get this over with."

"Tai," said Qrow, "it's time."

"I'll get the girls." replied Taiyang, with a nod. He retrieved his daughters from their room, then made his way towards the front of the house with Qrow. The guests all lined up for the funeral procession, with the family and a town officiant near the front. There was no casket on account of the fact that there was no body to bury. Summer had died fighting the Creatures of Grimm, an all too common occurrence that made the people of Remnant uncomfortably used to cadaver-less funerals.

The procession made its way through town, with a few musicians playing music on various instruments to honor the fallen Huntress. They continued out of town and into the woods until they came to a lone cliffside. This was Summer's favorite place on the island, due to the beautiful view it offered of the sunset and ocean. Ozpin remembered it well, it was where Taiyang and Summer got married, and now it was to serve as the final resting place for the young woman's simple soul.

The procession ended, everyone stood at attention while the officiant made his way over to a small concrete grave marker that had recently been placed on the cliff.

"Well, thank you all for coming out today for this solemn occasion." he began. "We are here this afternoon to pay our last respects, and bid a sad farewell to our beloved Summer Rose."

The officiant went on for some time with his speech, before asking people from the crowd to come up and say a few words about the departed. Ozpin recognized some of the speakers as students from Summer's time at Beacon. Others were residents of the town that Summer had gotten to know personally. The occasional Hunter from another kingdom spoke. Even Qrow stepped up and gave a short speech about how Summer was a great team leader and friend.

At this point, murmurs had circulated through the crowd about Ozpin's presence at the event, with many wondering if he would say anything. Not seeing anyone step up after Qrow had spoken, the Headmaster decided he might as well say a few words.

"Hmm, what can I say about Summer Rose that hasn't already been said? Summer was…one of the most beloved students at Beacon Academy, and during her time there she came to be a magnificent Huntress…a hero. She was a symbol of hope for the entire world, and I sincerely hope that the world will continue to be inspired by her courage long after she has passed. She will always hold a special place in all of our hearts, and will always be remembered within the walls of Beacon Academy. Thank you."

Ozpin rejoined Professor Goodwitch in the crowd. Everyone was looking around, some of them whispering, expectantly. They were all expecting Taiyang to speak at some point, even if he was the last to speak, but the man did not move. He continued to stand there, silently, looking over his two young daughters and waiting for the ceremony to continue.

The officiant returned to the center of the cliff to address the crowd once more. "It seems that everyone has said what they needed to. With that, we will close this ceremony by bidding our final farewells to dear Summer. May she return, peacefully, to the Dust from which she was born."

The attendees began walking up to the grave, one-by-one, to place flowers and say their goodbyes. They all read the words, 'Summer Rose, Thus Kindly I Scatter,' feeling it was an appropriate remembrance for the saintly woman. The Hunters that had attended the funeral moved off to the side and drew their weapons. Those with firearms aimed towards the sky and fired off synchronized shots, giving a gun salute to the fallen warrior; those who lacked projectile weapons made do by standing opposite one another, crossing each other's weapons overhead.

Over by Taiyang, his youngest daughter, Ruby, began to look around, apprehensively. She was probably too young to understand what was really going on, but at this point she seemed to finally register that the sad ceremony around her had something to do with her mother.

"Daddy, why do all the people look so sad?" she asked. "Why are all the sad people saying things about Mommy?"

Ruby's older sister pulled her into a hug, as she started to cry into the smaller girl's dark hair. Their father stood over them and swallowed hard with a pained look on his face.

"Daddy, where's Mommy?" Ruby asked. "When's Mommy coming home!?"

Taiyang could take no more, the man finally broke. He collapsed to his knees and wrapped his arms around the girls, as sobs wracked his body.

"Daddy? Daddy, what's wrong!? Yang!?"

Professor Goodwitch looked at the sorrowful display from afar, feeling awful for them.

"It truly is a terrible day for rain." said Ozpin, standing beside her.

"Hm, what do you mean? It's not-" Glynda stopped, as she saw a lone tear run down the Headmaster's face. "Oh…so it is."

Ozpin and Glynda were among the last to leave the cliffside. Most of the townspeople had left, no doubt returning to their normal lives. The Hunters that had come left for the docks, to sail or fly back to their parts of the world. Some of the attendees went with Taiyang and his daughters, being supportive and making sure the family got home alright. Qrow stuck around with the professors, wanting to see them off.

"Well, now what?" asked Qrow. "I mean, we all know who's responsible for this. What are we gonna do about it?"

"Unfortunately, there isn't much that we can do right now." replied Ozpin. "She set a trap, and now we're on the defensive."

"So, here's an idea, why don't we call up those magic fairies you keep mentioning and take the fight to her?"

"Out of the question. The Maidens' identities are a closely guarded secret, calling them to fight is exactly the kind of response she would want."

"There you go again, always needing everything to be all planned out."

"Of course we do." retorted Professor Goodwitch. "That monster is a master manipulator, she would have planned for such a crude response. We can't take such drastic action when we have no idea what her next move is."

"Heh, y'know Oz, whatever secrets you told Summer, she took to her grave; but the way Goodwitch leaps to your defense, I'm starting to think you two really are-"

Qrow had stopped speaking, abruptly. He stood, stock still, staring ahead of him. Ozpin and Goodwitch followed his line of sight to a shadowy figure standing in the trees. Qrow began stomping furiously, as he rushed over to where the figure stood. The Beacon professors followed quickly, wondering what had caused him to be so upset.

"You! What the hell are you doing here!?" demanded Qrow, as he approached who could now clearly be seen as a woman in black and red clothes.

"Paying my respects to my best friend." she replied.

Ozpin and Goodwitch walked up next to Qrow, surprised that it was his sister, Raven, that stood before them.

"Well you sure got a shitty way of doing it." said Qrow. "Where were you the past few days? You up and vanished, again! Literally this time!"

Ozpin furrowed his brow at this, before looking down and noticing what Raven was carrying in her multi-chambered scabbard.

"I couldn't exactly stick around and hang out, I don't have time to sit around catching up with old friends."

"Oh, and I suppose you couldn't find time in your busy schedule to save one from dying either!"

That comment set Raven off. She drew her sword with blinding speed, intent on bringing the tip up to her twin's neck. Ozpin was faster, intercepting the blade mid-way to its target with his cane. Seeing the eerie glow of the red Dust blade confirmed the Headmaster's earlier suspicions.

"So, now you wanna take a swing at me too, huh!?" goaded Qrow.

"I think we both remember how well that turned out for you last time." responded Raven.

"That's enough, both of you!" snapped Professor Goodwitch, startling the twins. "Fighting amongst yourselves will get you nowhere."

Raven lowered her weapon, fixing Qrow with a bitter glare. "You don't get to lecture me, Qrow, I was there; I just wasn't strong enough to save her…sorry."

Qrow turned away with a guilty look on his face, mentally chastising himself for taking his frustrations out on his sister. Professor Goodwitch looked at Raven sympathetically, she also knew the pain of failing to save a loved one.

"If that's all, I'll be going now." said Raven. "I've been here too long already."

"Miss Branwen," said Ozpin, suddenly, "where, might I ask, did you procure that Dust?"

"Hmph, so you noticed." she replied, holding up her sword. "I stole this from the home of that…witch that killed Summer, it was the only way I was able to escape alive."

"You fought her, on her home turf!?" asked Qrow, in shock.

Raven nodded. "That's why I was so injured when I arrived."

Professor Goodwitch stared at the glowing sword, half-shocked and half-impressed at what its wielder was able to accomplish. Ozpin stayed composed, calmly working this new information over in his head; he would have to get the full details of the encounter from Raven at a later date.

"Listen up!" said Raven, calling them all to attention. "I'm going to tear our enemies down, piece by bloody piece, as I search for the power to kill that monster, and when I do - I will run this blade through her skull!"

All three of them stared at her, surprised that even she would attempt something so dangerous by herself.

"So, stay out of my way." she finished, swinging her sword behind her.

The whine of vibrating metal could be heard, as a red and black vortex swirled into existence at the point that she 'cut.' Raven stepped into the portal and disappeared. Qrow made to follow, uncomfortable with seeing his sister enveloped by the mysterious energy.

"Let her go for now." said Ozpin, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "There will be another day."

Qrow turned away from the Headmaster, begrudgingly. "Right."

"Attention passengers, we will be arriving at Patch Airstrip shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing."

The pilot's announcement broke Professor Ozpin out of his reverie. He looked around at the students, quietly chatting, and Professor Goodwitch, looking over some documents on her scroll. No one seemed to have noticed him get lost in his memories.

The bullhead landed at the airstrip a few minutes later. The pilot checked in with the officials, then told Ozpin that he would get the ship refueled and wait for their return. Ozpin thanked him and then headed towards town with Team RWBY and Professor Goodwitch.

The group stopped in a local flower shop to pick up some flowers to bring to the grave. Ruby had the idea for each team member to get roses in each of their respective colors, something everyone agreed would be a sweet gesture. With their purchases complete, Ruby and Yang bid farewell to the florist, and the group made their way through town and headed towards the cliff. They didn't bother stopping by Ruby and Yang's home, the sisters already knew that their father had left on a mission earlier in the day.

When the six visitors arrived at the cliffside, they noticed that roses of different colors had already been left on the gravestone; Weiss and Blake figured this was normal, and probably what gave Ruby the idea.

"The big bouquet of red roses was left by our dad, he does that every year." said Ruby, solemnly. "My Uncle Qrow always leaves a few black ones, says it's more his style or something. I don't know who leaves the white ones, though."

Ozpin glanced over at Yang, wondering if she shared his suspicions about who was likely leaving them.

Team RWBY placed their own flowers among the others; red from Ruby, white from Weiss, black from Blake, and yellow from Yang. The blonde brawler embraced her younger sister as they paid their respects to their fallen mother. Summer may not have given birth to Yang, but still treated her like she had; as far as Yang was concerned, Summer was her mother. Weiss and Blake moved over to the other two girls and embraced them. The group hug made Ruby and Yang smile in gratitude, despite the rather depressing circumstances.

Ozpin looked over the group, seemingly lost in thought once again.

"What's the matter this time?" asked Goodwitch, beside him.

"Just hoping for the future, hoping that Team RWBY's lives turn out better than Team STRQ's."

"I don't know if they will or not," said Goodwitch, taking Ozpin's hand, "but I know that you're doing the best you can."

"Hm, yes, I suppose you're right. Thank you, Glynda."

A/N: So...that was a thing. Now, I've got some good news and some bad news. Bad news is, this story is going to be on hiatus until further notice. The good news is, I've got two new stories to work on. These will be planned multi-chapter fics, so the chapters should be a lot shorter since they aren't meant to be their own self-contained stories. This means updates should be more frequent. The first fic will be a crime story focusing on Roman and Neo, and is already fully planned out, so I'll start working on that very soon. The second fic will be a Volume 4 AU about revenge; that one has the general outline done, but not the individual chapter outlines, so you can expect that one a little further down the line.

Don't forget to leave a review, I take all of your criticism into consideration to help myself improve. Thank you and have a good day.