The winter air was turbulent, the wind howling through the naked trees like a wolf on a lonely night. A blanket of white covered everything in sight, the moon's glow reflecting like a mirror off the frozen ground below. Mountains towered in the distance, a serrated edge to an otherwise razor-sharp horizon. In all, it was a typical, if slightly cold, Patch winter evening.

Summer would've loved it.

In a secluded section of the forest, far removed from civilization, rose a cliff, perhaps a hundred or so feet tall. The cliff did little to halt the growth of the forest around it, trees sprouting precariously close to the sheer drop. In parts, roots jutted out, the inorganic rock-face teeming with a mixture of greens and browns indicating life.

However, there was one section of the cliff that was devoid of trees, having long ago been cleared of the foliage. Grass grew in the warmer months, but the cold and snow had snuffed out all life that dared to grow here. If one were to walk in this small clearing, their eyes would probably note the small, rectangular memorial resting on the ground near the edge. Even after several years, the stone memorial bore no signs of age, the emblem and epitaph on its owner as clear as the day it was engraved.

'Summer Rose. Thus kindly I scatter.'

Raven Branwen stood at the edge of the tree-line, looking out at the slab of stone that was the final resting place of her former team leader. The masked woman's face was completely hidden by her Nevermore mask, but her breath was still visible, the cold air condensing it the instant it left her body. Compared to the surrounding whites and blacks, the swordswoman was a stark contrast to her surroundings.

It hadn't been easy, the life Raven had chosen for herself. Back in Beacon, it had been simple enough. Slog through boring classes, deal with the eclectic mix that was team STRQ, and handle a few simple hunts that amounted to glorified pest control. It hadn't been all glamor and fame, but then again, that hadn't really been Raven's goal in life. She wanted to test herself, to find something to push her to her limits and break past them. She wanted to become the strongest fighter she could've been.

Love was never something she had expected or wanted to find. Love was for the weak and foolish.

If that was true, then Raven Branwen was both.

Twenty-five years was a long time, long enough for memories once thought unforgettable to become distant and foggy. Time was one enemy that humanity would never be able to overcome. Nevertheless, there were plenty of memories of that time that Raven could recall with great ease. Even if some of them were one she'd rather forget.

But she'd never be able to forget Summer Rose. And she hoped she never would.

The woman had been the only person Raven had ever allowed herself to love, the always bright woman illuminating the cold, dark heart that the swordswoman possessed. From their third year at Beacon on, the two were nigh inseparable, Summer tagging along on Raven's training excursions, and the dark-haired woman being dragged along (never to her disapproval, though) on whatever adventure Summer had gotten into at the time. They were like night and day, their personalities polar opposites. But, like night and day, they couldn't exist without the other, two halves of the same whole.

Thinking about Summer, and those years they spent together, brought a small, unperceivable smile to Raven's face. Those years had been the best years of the swordswoman's life, and she wouldn't trade them away for anything.

Well, almost anything.

She could still remember the day she left, leaving behind more than just the love of her life. The daughter she never wanted, a living, breathing reminder of a trust that she had broken, was also left behind. A reminder of a drunken night that she tried ever since to erase from her memory, but to no avail.

What made it worse was that Summer never blamed her, never got angry at her. It drove the dark-haired woman crazy. She had (admittedly while not in her own mind) slept with and had a child with Taiyang, a man that while she considered a friend, Raven didn't have any feelings towards one way or another. In fact, when it was discovered that Raven was pregnant, Summer even suggested that they raise the child together.

Another smile graced the masked woman's face. Summer never had it in her to be petty. She could never hold a grudge towards someone, especially someone she loved. Perhaps that was what made leaving so difficult for the swordswoman. She had done something that, if it were done to her, she'd probably end up killing two people for. But, Summer not only forgave her, but was ready to accept the child as her own.

Yang Xiao Long was eventually born in the early summer months. And less than a week after her birth, her birthmother left her and her other mother, never to see either again.

Or so, that's what the plan was. But things rarely went to plan with Raven.

Over time, Raven came to harbor regret for leaving her daughter behind, almost as much as she held for leaving Summer. By all rights, she should've hated the girl, the constant reminder the life she had unknowingly ruined. But, she couldn't find it in her to do that. She couldn't bring herself to love Yang, but she could never hate her.

The dark-haired woman let out a sigh, the action creating a cloud that faded seconds after its birth. She was at least thankful that Summer decided to raise Yang like she had said she would. Hell, she was even grateful that Taiyang took up the role of father and, eventually, husband. She never wanted Summer to wither away, waiting for the reunion that would never happen. She wanted the other woman to be happy, or at least as happy as she could be after losing the woman she loved.

She never hated Taiyang for his role in this little drama, either. He was only doing what Raven was too cowardly to do. The two raised Yang as their own, eventually having a child of their own. Ruby Rose. The Branwen smirked as she remembered when Qrow brought that news to her, the name of a daughter that Summer could love without being reminded of her.

In the years that followed Ruby's birth, Raven made it her goal to visit Patch as often as possible, keeping tabs on the new Rose-Xiao Long family from a distance. She watched from a distance as Yang and Ruby grew up, the sisters slowly becoming replicas of their mothers, Yang less so than Ruby.

The smile faded from Raven's face.

Eventually, Raven's constant hanging around caught the attention of the residents of Patch. Eventually, Summer found out about Raven's presence, and immediately set out to find her. Hearing this, the Branwen tried to escape, if only to avoid facing a woman that by all rights should've hated her forever.

A frown formed. If only Raven hadn't been such a goddamned coward, Summer might still be alive.

The cloaked woman chased Raven, eventually cornering her on a small cliff. The very one she was buried, actually. The swordswoman knew better than to expect Summer to yell. She spoke in that same kind voice she always used. The tried to get Raven to come home. She knew that the darker woman still, somewhere, loved Yang, else she wouldn't have been watching over her. Summer wanted the family that should've been to be.

Perhaps if nothing had happened, Raven would've accepted. Perhaps she would've ended up being the mother that she should've been.

But before Raven could give her answer, a large pack of Beowolves charged them. Normally, it would've have been an issue; STRQ had taken down larger, more powerful Grimm when they were still in training. But something about the situation took a step out of the silver-eyed warrior, and she would eventually be felled by an Alpha that broke through.

It was for that very reason that this section of the cliff side was devoid of trees. Watching Summer fall, her blood hanging in the air and spilling on the ground, drew something out of the swordswoman that ended up felling every tree in several feet of her, the Grimm destroyed in her rage. When the blood rage subsided, Raven ran to her lover's side, but all too late.

Summer Rose died in her arms, but not before saying what would eventually be her last words. "I love you."

The guilt of causing, however inadvertently, Summer's death prevented Raven from returning to her family. She called Qrow, told him what happened, and ran again. She wasn't in Vale for Summer's funeral, and for a few years, she avoided the kingdom whenever possible. But, she could stay away forever, and around Yang's 13th birthday, Raven returned to Patch and, more accurately, Summer's grave.

Raven eventually took a step closer to the stone memorial, the snow crunching underfoot as she did. Pain wracked her heart, but she powered through it and continued forward, taking careful steps as she neared a small, flat area at the front of the grave. After several seconds, the swordswoman let out a heavy breath. "Hey, Sum…it's been a long time." She breathed, her words condensing in the cool air surrounding her.

A gentle breeze blew past her, the trees whistling eerily as it meandered into the distance. She knew it had to be because she had acclimated herself to the cold, but Raven could've sworn that the breeze was warm, inviting her to continue. "Too long, probably." She added, looking down at the stone before her.

Another heavy sigh. "I saw Ruby leave a few hours ago." She continued, the grip on her sword loosening as she sat down in the snow. The cold dampness bit at her skin, but she didn't care. "I swear she looks more like you every day." A small smirk grew on her face. "If I didn't know better, I'd think she was you."

A short pause as the wind blew again, and Raven let it pass her completely before speaking. "I…I finally got the courage to show myself to Yang." She breathed, looking up at the sky. "I didn't speak to her, though. Her team was trying to stop a White Fang train. She fought some criminal, got her ass handed to her." A small smirk. "She's a great fighter, but she really needs to learn how to control her anger."

The wind picked up, Raven almost hearing a small, angelic laugh on it. "Yeah, I guess I was the same way, huh?" She mused, a laugh leaving her own lips. "I didn't let anything happen to her, though." She added quickly, her voice lowering a bit. "Well, not then…"

A heavy sigh. She had told Qrow that Yang shouldn't have expected Raven to save her like she did on the train, but the swordswoman didn't want any harm to come to her daughter. But, she hadn't been near Beacon when Yang tried to face Adam, and, well…

"It was my fault, Sum." She breathed, eyes shut tightly. "I was so focused on that Grimm that was flying around the city that I let some psychopath take our daughter's arm!" Anger welled in Raven, anger at the failure that she was, both as a lover, and as a parent.

Another gentle breeze blew, a warmth flowing over the woman. It was a soothing embrace in the cold and dark of that winter night, as if the spirit of Summer Rose herself had engulfed her. The swordswoman brought her hands up to her face, slipping her fingers under her mask. Anger soon turned to regret, which soon turned to tears.

A thick, wet breath. "I saw her earlier." She continued, her voice laced with the tears she shed. "I used my semblance. I couldn't muster the courage to show my actual face." A brief sob. "She's…broken. Everyone's abandoned her. Me, you, her friends..." A breath. "Her partner."

At that, Raven managed a smirk. "I don't know if I told you about that." She said suddenly, her voice more amused. "She's completely fallen for her partner, even if she doesn't know it yet." A soft, sad chuckle. "She's more like me than she thinks. Only I'd be stupid enough to fall in love with a teammate." The wind blew again, and Raven swore she heard that angelic laugh again.

After a few moments of silence, the swordswoman let out a long sigh. "She needs someone to be there for her." The wind blew in apparent agreement. "I know Tai's doing all he can, but you know how he is. Besides, I'm sure he's just as torn up about this as Yang is." A soft chuckle.

And then a pause. "Do you think she'll hate me?" She asked, her voice suddenly very small. "I mean, I would. I'm pretty sure Tai won't be happy to see me, either." A breath. "She'll probably never accept me as her mother. I don't blame her, though." A sad smile. "I don't think I ever actually thanked you for that."

The masked woman looked up to the moon, hanging shattered in the night sky. "I don't know who needs the other more; me or her?" She mused after a moment. "She's gone 17 years without me. She's been looking for me, I know, but you're the mother she remembers." Raven shook her head with a sigh. "Alright, Branwen, no more running." She told herself, her voice direct. "You've been running for far too long. Now's the time to buck up and face this head on."

The wind blew past her, stiff and brief, in the direction of the Rose-Xiao Long household. The swordswoman chuckled. "Like I could ever say no to you…" She breathed, another breeze surrounding her. "Alright, alright, I'll get going."

The woman stood up, the cold air not bothering her even if most of her thighs were soaked. She looked down at the gravestone one last time. "I promise, I won't let you down. I've done that for far too long." Raven turned on her heel, taking several steps before she paused. "I love you, Summer Rose. I always will."

As the masked woman finished, she turned away and continued to walk. In the distance, the wind howled, but Raven didn't hear that. Instead of a howl, she heard a soft giggle, words she hadn't heard in too long a time ringing out in her head.

"I love you too, Raven Branwen."

Alright, so this is something a bit different than I normally do. I, like a lot of people, see a lot of fanart for the RWBY fandom. And this piece is inspired by a Rosebird fanart by 2013ann (the same as the cover art for this story). Raven's probably super OOC in this, but I just sorta wrote what came to mind. I don't have any plans to continue this beyond what I've written, since I'm absolutely terrible at trying to write two things concurrently.