Chapter 16: Eye of the Storm

She awoke to the sounds of rushing wind, feeling it chafe against her face.

Psycha groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Her body hurt all over, and after a moment she realized she was still wrapped in chains. At the very least, they weren't being driven deep into her flesh by that damn brat's Semblance, but that was small comfort to her. Where am I? She thought groggily, trying vainly to get up.

For a few moments, she wasn't sure whether she was looking at the sky or the water, before realizing it didn't make much of a difference. In Lake Matsu, the bright azure shade was omnipresent, and no matter where one looked it would be impossible to see where the lake itself ended and the skies began. The area was known for never having any cloudy days, and had become well-renowned for this fact.

What am I doing here? Psycha thought. She remembered crash landing on the floating island, only to run into the Cion twins, who had easily subdued her. They'd presented her to that traitorous bitch Harriet, and her own teammate Moss, as some sort of bargaining chip. And then… that was all she remembered.

She wasn't on any of the islands, though. In fact, at that moment she saw one of the large chunks of rock pass by her, with the equally massive shards of gravity Dust protruding from the bottom. She was getting higher and higher by the second. Something was carrying her… but what?

Then Psycha moved herself a little, and felt her hand graze the familiar texture of the alloy beneath her. Bubble, she realized with a jolt of horror. Her only true companion, her giant mechanical bird with whom she was practically linked with through souls, was now carrying her away.

How's this possible? Psycha thought. I'm not controlling him. I'm the only one who can… control… him…

And then she heard the voices. Those familiar, insufferable voices.

"So it looks like the mission was a failure after all," said one of the twins, too far away for her to tell who it was. "That's sad. I had faith in Miss Maroon."

"More faith than me," the other twin replied. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. We'll find someone else, and they'll come up with a new plan. Lady Salem has all the time in the world, after all."

The brats. Psycha's heart sank, as her day somehow became even worse than she thought it could possibly be. So she was still their prisoner, and based on what the two of them were saying, it seemed like the attack on Haven Academy hadn't gone as well as they'd planned. Which had some troubling implications for her: What was going to happen to her now that she was seemingly no longer useful?

"I guess you're right," Caroline said. "But we'll probably be a lot older when she finds her next lieutenant, right? That'll be a very different experience, I think."

"Different?" Corrine said. "Why would it be any different? It doesn't matter whether we're seven, or seventeen, or seventy. Serving Salem is what the two of us were born for, and we'll fulfill that duty no matter what. It's our only purpose in this world - that's all."

Her twin sighed. "Yeah… I guess you're right." There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Still, it's kinda sad we lost the mosquito girl," the older twin continued. "She always seemed a lot less… nuts than her comrades. We probably would have made something worthwhile out of her, at least. Oh well. Like I said, we'll find others."

Moss. The realization that her teammate was dead took a few moments for Psycha to register. Immediately, a wave of shame washed over her, and she would have collapsed if she wasn't already sprawled out on the bird's back, immobilized. She didn't understand why she felt that way: when had she ever cared about her teammates? They were never anything to her, nothing more than an obstacle in her way to becoming the best.

And then the memories came flowing back. Of the days they spent together in Shade Academy, united in the fact that they were underdogs, misfits who could never truly fit in with the rest. She remembered how Locke, Storm and Moss had surprised her with a birthday party, and she'd had to ask them what the hell they were doing. How Storm had signed up for every athletic event that came up, failing every single one of them, but remaining determined all the same. Even Locke's pathetic attempts at picking up women was suddenly flashing in her mind, as if it were a fond memory.

Did I… really think of them as my friends? Psycha thought. That can't be. All these years, I thought I hated them. Or maybe, just maybe, she'd simply never understood what having a friend actually meant?

Her father certainly hadn't encouraged her to make friends - not really, anyway. Professor Ozmov was never one for human interactions, as he had a tendency to see humans no differently than any other object or tool. Either they were useful or useless, functional or broken, sturdy or brittle. And like any object, if a person wasn't up to par, they were worthless.

Psycha had never had many chances to make friends, since her father had mostly kept people away from them. The only ones he wanted her to interact with were the sort of scientific alumni that worked on projects all day and won awards… but none of them ever wanted anything to do with her. Because of that, she'd spent most of her life alone, until she felt herself becoming okay with it.

Team PLSM were the only family she'd ever really had. She knew that - perhaps she'd always known it - but for the longest time she'd denied it, and as a result had mistreated her teammates and thrown them aside like trash, when she should have embraced them as her friends. Why… couldn't I have understood that? She so desperately wished she could turn back time, and give herself - and her teammates - another chance.

"Hey, are you sure this stupid thing is gonna get us anywhere?" Corrine grumbled, angrily punching the bird's metal head.

"Well, you're the one flying it," her twin pointed out.

"That doesn't make it easy," Corrine said. "My telepathy can control its Semblance to some extent, but it's not exactly my slave. It's like it's… resisting somehow. In any case, I'd rather get back to base before nightfall - last thing I want to still be up in the air on this thing when it gets dark."

"Aww, are you still afraid of the dark, sis?" Caroline giggled.

"You shut up," Corrine said.

Her Semblance. So that's how she's using Bubble. In the end, even Psycha's own ability wasn't something unique to her. The power to control her mighty bird, and use it to obliterate her enemies, was always her greatest asset - and she was starting to realize it had been her only true asset. It was what had made her special. It was the only reason her father had kept her around. Yet now even that was being taken away from her.

But there was still a faint ray of hope. She'd heard the brat say that she couldn't fully control Bubble, that the bird was resisting against her strength. That's because you don't own him, you bitch, Psycha thought jubilantly, channeling her own Aura with all the strength she could muster. I do. He's my friend, not yours.

"Ummm…" Caroline was looking up at the sky. "You're right, we should hurry. It looks like it's going to rain."

"What? You're joking. There hasn't been a storm over these islands since…" There was a pause as her sister looked where she was pointing. "What the…? Hey, that's weird, where'd those clouds come from?"

Psycha took her chance. She didn't pay attention to the sudden darkening of the skies above, only focusing on overriding Corrine's Semblance with her own. She felt that familiar euphoric sensation as her Aura connected with her beloved bird's, and taking a deep breath, she gave him her final command.

I couldn't be a Huntress, let alone the best in the world, she thought. In the end, I wasn't really able to do anything. But I can at least do this… and maybe it's enough.

There was a sudden rumbling as Bubble stopped in mid-air. "Hey!" one of the twins shouted. "What's going o-" They were cut off as the bird let out a defiant screech, and began to plummet towards the water at rapid speed.

That Summer Rose girl… maybe if I'd been more like her, things wouldn't have turned out like this.

The air was filled with panicked screaming. "What the hell? I've lost control over him!" "It's her! She's doing it! She's gonna crash us right into the sea!" "Damnit! What the hell are you thinking, you stupid bitch?!"

One of the twins ran over to kick her, to try and break her concentration, but the damage had already been done.

I guess this is an act of cowardice too, but… hopefully some good comes out of it. Salem and her minions aren't gonna get their hands on what I have. I'll never allow it.

"Stop her! Stop her before she kills us!"

"I-It's too late! Get above me, Sis, I'll protect you!"

Sorry about this, Locke.

The bird struck the water at terminal velocity.

Tai was used to saving the world from danger. He remembered it feeling a lot more fulfilling than this.

He stood outside the doors of Haven Academy, which they had successfully prevented from being breached during the White Fang's attack, and watched as the repair efforts were carried out. Some of the evacuees were already starting to return, anxiously glancing over what remained of their homes, stores and other buildings.

Heather seemed to be leading the efforts, having immediately taken charge and barking orders at the nearby workers. Though they initially seemed disgruntled at having to take orders from an Atlesian, especially one who'd just appeared out of nowhere, they ultimately gave in to her demands and began following her obediently. The fact that she was one of the Huntresses who had saved the city probably helped. Regal and Torrence closely followed their old leader, clearing out chunks of rubble and helping to repair whatever could be repaired.

Summer had gone back to the infirmary, as she was still too weak to be walking around for long periods of time. Clearly, that last battle with Harriet and her first use of her Semblance had left the young woman unusually exhausted. Tai desperately wanted to visit her, but apparently no one was allowed into her room until they could be sure she had recovered.

It must have been rough for her, he thought. But she'll pull through - she's strong. Maybe the strongest out of all of us. It was strange to think about, but Tai genuinely felt that it was true. Honestly, he felt like collapsing at any moment, too - he wasn't exactly in the best shape after the battle, physically or emotionally.

He'd done his best to not think too much about Raven, but now that his mind wasn't distracted by hordes of Grimm trying to kill him, his feelings of shock and betrayal were coming back at full force. "Why, Rae…?" he found himself muttering under his breath, and had to sit down to stop himself from shaking. "Damn it… why'd you do it?"

Tai had seen that Raven was having some doubts, especially considering she'd just seen her family again for the first time in years, only to immediately be told they were her enemies now. But something like this was utterly beyond his comprehension.

He wondered what face she'd made when she was killing those Huntsmen… shock? Horror over what she was doing? He hoped so, at least. It would at least allow him to see some good left in the woman he loved.

I wonder if I'll ever see her again. That was a horrible question, but it was one he couldn't stop thinking. Tai couldn't accept the possibility that his last ever sight of Raven would be her standing in the middle of her tribe's camp, her face wrought with conflict and distress, watching helplessly as he was nearly killed by her father.

He didn't think he could bear to remember her like that. Tai couldn't remember Raven as anything other than the noble, brave, fearless warrior he'd fallen for from the moment he'd seen her. But I did run into her again, after this, what would I say? Would I even know what to say?

Tai took a deep breath, trying to banish those thoughts from his mind, and thankfully he was successful this time. There was still so much about this situation, and of course so much about her, that he was still taking in, but for now it would be best if he calmed down. And besides, he had a victory to savour.

Yeah, Tai thought as he nodded to himself, yeah. At least for the most part, things turned out fine.

"Hey." He nearly had a heart attack as he heard Qrow's gruff voice from beside him. The dark-haired Huntsman had somehow crept up from right behind his back while he'd been lost in his own thoughts. "Got a minute? We need to talk."

"U-uh, sure." Tai did not like the look on his friend's face. Qrow's expression at the moment was that of someone who just forced himself to swallow a very bitter pill, and more mystifyingly, he was trying to hide a barely-disguised scowl. Qrow looking displeased was nothing new, but he never tried to hide the fact that he was pissed off by something. That, more than anything, made Tai realize that something was wrong.

Qrow sat down beside him. "I told you that if we both made it through the battle, there was something I needed to tell you," he muttered. "Something about Raven. Remember that?"

"Yeah," Tai said. "Well, I mean, I remember now that you brought it up again."

"Of course you did," Qrow said. If that was meant as an insult, his face didn't show any sign of it. He was simply staring ahead now, as if resigning himself to his fate. "Well, unfortunately, neither of us died, so I guess I'll have to make good on that promise. Then again, if I'd known you'd already forgotten, it probably would've been better to just leave you hanging."

Tai blinked. "Ummm… hey, Birdy?" he said. "It's not really like you to beat around the bush like that. Whatever it is you wanna say, just spit it out. Really loudly and sarcastically, like you always do."

Qrow shot him a withering glare. "Really? I'm being serious here, Tai. Damn my sister, why'd she have to leave me with this stupid responsibility? I honestly had no idea how to tell you, what with you being such an emotional time bomb and all…"

"Oh, shut up!" Tai said, losing his patience. Completely unaware that he was proving Qrow's point with his outburst, he continued. "Look, if it has anything - anything! - to do with Raven, then I've got every right to know, okay?! So quit stalling and just say it already!"

"Alright, alright, fine!" Qrow yelled loudly, as if he were releasing a burst of rage that he'd been holding in for quite some time. He whirled around and glared daggers at Tai. "She's pregnant, okay?! My sister is gonna have your kid! That's what I didn't want to tell you, understand?"

While Tai sat dumbfounded, Qrow continued without pause. "To be honest, I was kinda dreading the day when this would inevitably happen, but now of all times? It's like the perfect storm of shitty luck - and take it from a guy who knows more about shitty luck than anyone!" Not even really looking at Tai anymore, he slammed his fist into the wall of Haven Academy, making an impressively-sized dent. "God dammit! Why didn't Raven just tell him herself?! It would've been easy! Now I'm the one who has to do it, and at the worst possible time!"

Tai slowly opened his mouth. His throat felt like dried parchment. "Did… did she tell you?" he said hoarsely.

"No," Qrow said, "I figured it out. Easily. Sis has a lot of talents, but subtlety ain't one of them. I'd wonder how you didn't notice beforehand, but…" He shrugged at Tai, with the air of being explicit.

Tai sat quietly, not looking at his friend and not even really paying attention to anything he was saying. Hundreds of thoughts were swirling around in his mind, each of them threatening to suffocate the others. Finally, one screamed louder than all the rest.

A father, it said. He was going to be a father. Once upon a time, that realization would have made him ecstatic. It was exactly the sort of fairy tale, happily-ever-after scenario he'd pictured when he decided he would be a Huntsman, who fought against the forces of darkness and saved the innocent from peril. He'd wanted a family of his own, and it seemed he was getting it.

But this? I didn't want this, Tai thought glumly. Nothing like this. Raven was who-knows-where right now, likely had no intention of seeing any of them, and the fact that she hadn't even told him the news just made him even more anxious.

Why couldn't she tell me? Another thought shot into his head, and this one was the most horrible of them all. What if our relationship was built on a lie?

Somehow, that was what finally allowed him to clear his mind. "No, no, no," he muttered out loud, shaking his head. That thought was completely absurd. No matter what Raven had done, the times they'd spent together - not just the two of them, but Team STRQ, and all of their comrades - those had been real. They were his most precious memories, and he had no doubt that even now Raven felt the same way.

Then what? Should he just think of Raven as she was now as someone completely different? Was he supposed to pretend like 'his' Raven was as good as dead? Angrily, Tai gripped his head in his hands.

"...Well, I fulfilled my duty as messenger, I guess," Qrow finally said. He cast an anxious glance at Tai. "You… probably want to be alone with your thoughts right now. I'll go see if they'll let us check in on Summer now." He left him there.

At least you still have Summer, Tai thought bitterly, before he could help it.

As he leaned back and took several deep breaths, trying to clear his mind, he overheard some people talking at the repair sites some distance away. "Ehh, I think you should move that block a few metres to the left," someone was saying. "It's more fashionable that way."

"Is that really our priority?" some worker replied.

"Style is always a priority," the first person replied, and now Tai recognized it as Latte's voice. "Especially here in Mistral. Do you want to get chewed out by some residents for getting their precious abode just a tad bit uneven?"

Suddenly, an idea shot into Tai's head. Latte. Maybe I can talk to him about all this. That was right - Latte had a young daughter, Coco. Of course, their circumstances couldn't possibly be more different, but right now he just wanted someone, anyone, he could speak to. As if in a trance, he got to his feet.

Latte was using his Pyroburst Cannon to kill some tiny Creeps that were still roaming the area, and didn't notice Tai's approach. "Hey Latte," he greeted him. "How are the repairs going?"

"They could be better, but they could be worse," Latte said. "Honestly, if your own Professor Goodwitch were here, we'd be able to clean up a lot more quickly, but it looks like she wasn't able to make it one such short notice."

"Sorry about that," Tai said.

"Oh, come on. You and your friends have nothing to apologize for," the older Huntsman laughed. "Besides, we're all grateful to have another chance to step into the fray and fight for truth, justice, and all that."

"Haha… would be nice if we didn't have to stop some big crisis, every other year."

"That's true too," Latte said. "But hey, we're all making the best out of what we have right now. And considering I'm here? That best is pretty damn good, if I say so myself."

Tai hesitated. "Hey, uh, Latte…" he said, deciding if he didn't start the conversation now, his courage would run out. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Hm? Sure. Anything you want to talk about, I'm all ears." Latte looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Before Tai could shut himself up, before he could muster some excuse like Oh, it's nothing, really or Maybe a later time, he opened his mouth, and all the words came tumbling out. He told the older Huntsman everything Qrow had said to him, and how he hoped Latte might have some sort of helpful wisdom to share with him.

Once he'd finished speaking, Latte looked down, clearly troubled. "I… wow," he sighed. "I, uhh… to be honest, I'm not sure whether I should congratulate you or offer you my sympathies. Maybe both?"

"Thanks, but I'm not really in the mood for either," Tai said, more bitterly than he'd intended.

"Right. Right." Latte nodded quickly, pursing his lips as if unsure what to say. "Well… I might not have known Raven as well as you guys, but I know she cared about all of you. A lot. And, well, if she's having your kid now, I guess that proves it, right?"

Tai sighed. "Maybe. But that's not really what's bothering me. I don't understand why she didn't tell me beforehand… and I don't even know if I'll ever even meet the kid now. There's just… I don't know! Is there even any precedent for this kind of thing?!" He spat out those last few words, in a fit of sudden rage.

"Well, not these exact circumstances, no, but I can bet you that there've been similar cases," Latte said with a laugh. "You're right that you can't say anything for certain… but hey, that just means there's no reason to give up hope, right?"

"I guess you're right."

"You never know, though. Take it from me, not having to raise a kid might work out better for you in the end."

Tai looked at Latte in surprise. "Huh? Seriously? But your daughter…"

"... is a major pain in the ass," Latte sighed. "Coco's always crying and screaming when she's awake, and snoring louder than an Ursa when she's asleep. Seriously, you'd never know it was a tiny baby making all that noise. Feeding her's a pain, too. You'd think she'd know by this point that she can't just drink milk all her life, but it seems like there's nothing that satisfies her disturbingly fancy tastes. And then sometimes she'll act like she enjoys it only to puke the stuff all over me an hour later. That. Is. Gross."

His face twisted into a pained grimace. "Oh yeah, and don't even get me started on changing diapers. You know one time, the peas we fed her were actually a month expired, and then-"

"Ok, I guess it!" Tai said hastily, not wanting him to go any further. "So what you're saying is, having a kid totally sucks, and I'm actually sparing myself a lot of pain by never meeting them?"

"Nah. I know it kinda sounds like that," Latte said, "but there's a lot of good that comes out of parenthood, you know. Like the way Coco smiles at me and Isa… when she's not making our ears bleed, of course. And the way she giggles never fails to put me in good spirits, like everything she hears is the funniest thing in the whole world. And when I get to hold her in my arms, it's…" He shook his head and smiled wistfully. "It's indescribable. That's literally how I'd describe it. There's no other word for it, man."

Tai hesitated. "So overall… you'd say it's worth it? Being a parent, I mean."

"It's more than worth it," Latte replied. "I mean that. With all my heart" He smiled at Tai, and despite himself, Tai found himself smiling back.

Suddenly, he felt a sudden cold sensation on his cheek. "Huh?" Confused, he looked up into the sky, which was being covered by heavy clouds, seemingly without warning. "Hey, it looks like it's raining now."

"Rain?" Frowning Latte followed his gaze. It seemed that he, too, hadn't noticed the sudden change in weather. "That's weird… there was no sign of any storm today. And there are even rainclouds over Lake Matsu right now… that can't be right. It hasn't rained over there in over a hundred years."

"Is that a problem?" Tai asked.

"Umm… it shouldn't be. Well, let's wait and see. If the rain is really heavy, we can just gather up everyone and head inside for now. Otherwise-"

He was cut off by the first tremor. The ground trembled beneath them, and as Tai struggled to keep his footing in his surprise, he heard the sounds of several newly-repaired houses crumbling to the ground once more.

"What the-?" he gasped.

"An earthquake?" Latte said. "No, that was too quick. Did someone accidentally set off a bomb somewhere?"

And then came the second tremor, even stronger than the first, and this time Tai did fall over. "Ack!" he exclaimed, picking himself up, shaking off the debris that had gathered in his air as he looked up to see something in the distance. His eyes widened.

"H-hey…" he said, pointing towards the lake. "Those are… the islands of Lake Matsu, right? Why are…" Tai gulped. "Why exactly are they doing that?"

In the distance, the floating islands that had stood docile above the massive lake for centuries were now slowly rotating around, like cogs in a machine. At their bases, the large gravity Dust crystals that kept them afloat were now glowing with a sinister purple energy. After almost a full minute of turning at a glacial pace, they were now fully upside-down, the crystals facing the sky.

Before Tai could react, the islands all simultaneously shot out bright beams of light from their respective crystal, extending far beyond the clouds. After a few seconds, the tremors began again, and this time they didn't stop. People were screaming now, and everyone was running around the city in a panic.

"Hey! Hey!" Turning back, Tai saw Qrow racing towards the scene, Reaper's Gambit in hand. The dark-haired Huntsman looked every bit as confused as he did. "What the hell's going on? Why is there an earthquake?"

"I don't know!" Tai said, his hand still shakily pointing towards the islands. "It just kinda happened out of nowhere! And something weird's going on at Lake Matsu, too! The islands, they're, they're…"

Latte's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute," he muttered. "This must have something to do with those incidents that were happening all over Remnant. Could this be the source?"

Tai watched the beams continue to shoot into the sky, and for a second he thought they were more like chains of a sort - and they were pulling, relentlessly, on something. Pulling something down, perhaps?

And then they heard the howls. Feral and unmistakable. Some of them came from the outskirts of the city, while many others seemed to come from above. A moment later, the skies began to pour… but rather than rain, it was large masses of dark matter that came falling down, enveloping the streets in seconds.

Tai watched in horror as the darkness took form, becoming Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, and countless other Creatures of Grimm. No, no, no, this can't be happening. We just drove these damn things away a few hours ago! But there was no denying what was right in front of him.

"Shit!" Latte yelled, readying his weapon as he prepared to swing into action. "All the people are in the city now, too! We have to protect everyone! Come on, let's-"

He was cut off as the black rain begun again, and this time it all came crashing down onto the roof of Haven Academy behind them. At once, terror seized Tai's heart. "Summer," he whispered. "Qrow! We gotta make sure she's okay!"

"Two steps ahead of you!" Qrow yelled, running towards the school while dragging his sword behind him.

Tai cast a worried glance at Latte, who was defending himself against the incoming horde of newly-formed Grimm. "Hey, will you-"

"I'll be fine!" Latte said. "Go! Make sure Haven's protected at all costs!" And then he opened fire.

Tai and Qrow ran towards the academy's front doors as fast as they could. "Hey, what's going on?" Tai yelled. "I thought we already saved the city? Why are the Grimm appearing again? What's happening to the islands? What-"

"I don't know!" Qrow snapped. "What makes you think I have the answers to any of those questions? Maybe Salem had a backup plan! Maybe fate just really, really hates us today! Who the hell knows?!"

One of their questions would soon be answered, at least, as a portal opened up in front of them - one similar to Raven's, but pitch-black, with any of her signature shades of red. As the two Huntsmen waited with bated breath, their weapons drawn, a familiar figure walked out, smiling mischievously.

"Well, look who it is," they laughed. In their hands, they brandished a massive black scythe, almost twice their own size. "It's been a while, Qrow. And you, too - I remember you from the Oasis." They nodded at Tai, who stood paralyzed in fear.

"You should both consider yourselves lucky… you're about to witness the dawn of the new age."

Qrow glared at his cousin, eyes narrowed in pure, unbridled hatred. "... Ragna," he spat.

There were probably better places to set up camp, but right now they had to make the most of what they had.

What they had, Raven soon realized, wasn't much. A large portion of the tribe's supplies had been destroyed during the slaughter, and food was spread thin across everyone. Many of them didn't mind, as they were used to having little, but some of the younger tribesmen already seemed ready to collapse. Quite a few were complaining.

And so, she'd finally given in. "Alright," Raven had declared loudly. "We're stopping here for the night."

Her people immediately acquiesced; not all of them looked happy, but most were simply too tired to argue, and within minutes they settled down in a relatively large clearing. It was meant to be a temporary stop, but Raven found she quite liked the location: it was expansive enough to fit everyone, it was surrounded by sturdy trees that would serve as a natural defense against Grimm and other attackers, and it was further from Haven City and the academy.

Maybe this should be our new home, Raven thought, glancing around approvingly. She would miss the comfortable, warm beds of Beacon Academy, or the house she and Tai had shared in Vale, but this was her home - where she belonged. There was once a time when she was accustomed to this sort of life, too.

Fondly, she looked over her people. They were exhausted, and many of them looked scared and hungry, but they would survive. They'd survived far worse, and now the tribe had her strength behind them. No matter what hardship they faced, Raven had no doubt that they would see themselves through it all, and end up stronger for it.

It was then that she allowed herself to think about her friends, the people she was leaving behind. Would they be fine without her? They will be, she thought confidently. They're strong, too. All of them. And the strong can survive anything. No doubt Summer, Tai and her brother would mourn losing her, but they would get over it, and move forward.

Yes… they'll move forward, Raven thought. I suppose I should, too.

She looked up as tiny droplets started falling from the sky, enveloping the forest in an eerie darkness. Soon, the rumbling of thunder began to fill the air. "Rain," she muttered angrily, wondering if she somehow shared Qrow's tendency for terrible luck. "We'll set up quickly," she said to her people. "We need shelter from the coming storm. If the rain lets up, I'll take some of our best warriors and go out to hunt for some game."

Once again, everyone got to work. Raven felt a small of pride as she began to construct her own tent; she could get used to this kind of authority. It was like she was meant for this - to be a leader.

"So it seems you've finally chosen to fulfill your destiny," a deep, familiar voice rang out from behind her. Shocked, Raven turned around to see Fenrir emerge from the trees, a wry smile on his normally expressionless face.

"You!" she hissed.

"Please, I'm not here to fight - you should be aware of that," Fenrir said, raising his hands in a gesture of goodwill - one she wasn't quite ready to give into. "I've told you were my loyalties lie before, haven't I? My interests are the interests of the Branwen tribe, and now that you are its chief, my loyalties lie solely with you."

Raven scowled. "I'm flattered. But why are you here?"

"The same reason as you," Fenrir said. "Because I am finally back where I belong. Home. My father no longer has any interest in our tribe, nor bringing about its destruction, so my services are no longer needed. He believed that you being our leader would lead to the tribe's extinction, without his interference. But I know better, Raven." He bowed to her.

What does he mean by that? Raven thought, mystified. "My uncle thinks that I would bring about the end of the tribe?" she asked. "How is that?"

It was only for a second, but Fenrir's smile unmistakably flickered for a second. "That does not matter now," he insisted. "Our family is back together. We no longer have anything to do with-"

"What did Luka say to you, Fenrir?" Raven asked coldly, drawing her katana in a single swift motion. "Tell me. That's an order. Or did you already forget that I am your leader now?"

Her cousin hesitated. "Yes… of course. Luka believed that you had… gone soft from the years you spent with your companions. That you'd jump at the opportunity to save them from the coming disaster, and in doing so lead the tribe into a massacre - one that would wipe us all out for good. But I know that is not the case. I know…"

"Coming disaster?" Raven froze. "What does that mean?"

Suddenly, she felt the tremors. Holding back a yell of surprise, she looked up to see the strange beams of light emanating from Lake Matsu's islands, and the black rain falling from the sky. Several fell into the clearing where they were making camp, quickly forming into Grimm.

"Everyone, to action!" Raven yelled, reacting immediately. Wielding her blade, she swiftly cut through two Beowolves just as they materialized, and several other warriors leapt into the fray, clearing the area of the beasts before anyone could be hurt.

She glared at Fenrir. "Is this my uncle's doing?"

The young man's expression told her everything. "The lands outside Mistral won't be affected," he assured her. "Let us leave at once. We do not want any part of this. You do not want any part of it. Leave them all to Ragna and Luka's mercy, and you will never have to think about them ever again."

Raven stared into the distance. She could not see Haven Academy from here, but she could see the downpour of black rain, and feel the land rumbling beneath her. An unmistakable feeling of dread was rising within her. Just a moment ago, she was sure her old teammates would be fine without her. Suddenly, she wasn't so certain.

It only took her a few seconds to make her decision. "Everyone who is still suited for battle," she announced loudly, "Ready your weapons! We're heading towards Haven Academy! Those who remain will protect the camp at all costs!"

Over half of the tribe raised her swords, spears and guns, clearly eager for a fight. Even their exhaustion couldn't temper their hunger for battle, and right now that was exactly what Raven needed.

"What… what are you doing?" Fenrir asked, his calm composure broken. He reached out to grab her hand. "If you head towards Haven, you'll be doing exactly what my father expects you to! You will lead us all to ruin!"

"Luka underestimates me," Raven said. "I will not fall. And if this is what he expects me to do, when for once I look forward to proving him right." She went over to a large chest that sat beside her tent, the one that had belonged to her father. Opening it, she beheld a fancy mask of bone that lay inside.

"This is foolishness," the giant insisted. "I thought you understood better than this, Raven. We are your family!"

"They're my family, too." Raven put on the mask, and marvelled at how good of a fit it was. It felt as though it were made just for her. "And I will fight for them, no matter what."

A/N:

Heads up, there probably won't be a chapter next week. Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger like this, but hopefully it'll all be worth it!

Cheers,

donutkirby