The Truth is Hard to Swallow

Tai held a bag of groceries in one hand, the other digging through his pocket for his scroll. He knew Yang probably wouldn't answer, but he would try to call her none the less. The dial tone was his only response, sighing, he put the scroll away.

"What do you think, boy? You think she will like the steak I got for dinner tonight?" He asked the dog, receiving a happy bark from the black and white Corgi. "I think so too, Zwei. And I think you might just get a special snack-" he stopped at the familiar whooshing sound echoing in the quiet of the woods. Zwei perked up, ears standing at attention as he stared off in the direction of the sound. His nose lifting up and sniffing, trying to find a particular scent.

Zwei growled at a patch of trees just off the road, Tai turned to find a small black feather fall to the ground. He frowned at it, wondering why Raven would make an unexpected and unwelcome visit.

"Tai…" A feminine voice called out. He knew that voice, it was one that he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Raven." He growled as the woman showed herself. Zwei's growls lowered in volume but kept his teeth barred at the new figure. "What are you doing here?" This wasn't the Raven he remembered. Not the one who left either. It was a quieter, more emotional Raven, one that he only saw after Yang was born. Why was she here now though? Not that he cared (though if he was honest he would gladly take her back if she could prove that she was done with this "strength is everything" and tribe mentally), he just wanted to go back to Yang and help her get better.

"It's Yang... She's gone." Was all she said as she looked down the path to the house.

Tai scoffed, not listening a word she said after mentioning Yang. When has she ever cared about Yang? If she cared she never would have left. He turned to stare at her.

"Did you hear me?" Raven questioned, turning to look back at Tai. "Yang is-"

"And why should I listen to you?" He interrupted angrily. He had every right to be. She walked out on him. On Yang. Their team. They were a family, and she just up and left. Then when Summer died, she didn't even come back to tell him herself, she sent Qrow. She never bothered to check on them, to see if they were alright, if they were still alive... If Yang and Ruby were still alive after the little stunt Yang had pulled a few weeks after Summer died. He knew he shouldn't be this angry over the issue, but then again, he had every right to unload his frustration on her.

"Tai..."

"No, you don't get to come here and tell me how to care for Yang. Not when you left." Tai glared at the masked woman.

Once she realized that he wasn't listening to her, she clarified her already clear statement by using one that she knew would hit Tai hard.

"She's dead, Tai! I felt her bond break." The same thing she told Qrow to tell Tai when Summer died.

That seemed to snap Tai out of his trance, his eyes widening in fear. No. He turned to look down the path to the cabin before breaking into a sprint with the groceries long forgotten on the roadway.

She's lying, she has to be lying. She has to be. Tai was trying to convince himself, but he knew she wasn't. Why else would she be here?

He breached the edge of the clearing to his yard, eyes scanning for the threat. The sliver of hope he had died as he found that he was too late.

The front door was wide open, looking as if it had been kicked in, and the glass in the dirt reflected the sun light. A broken window just above the shards was spotted, belonging to the room Yang had been using during her recovery. Tai fell to his knees at the sight of his daughter laying face down in the dirt, blood pooling at an alarming rate underneath her, lilac eyes half lidded and glossy, staring in his general direction.

Lilac eyes opened slowly, and stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. Yang shot up right instantaneously, gasping for breath as she tried to take in her surroundings. Flashes of the battle with Adam still burned into her mind, his red blade, the mask, that smirk… Yang released a breath she didn't know she was holding, letting her shoulders relax as she fell back onto her mattress. I'm still in bed, it was all a dream. She unconsciously wiped her face with her right hand, it was only a dream. There was a clatter of pans from the kitchen, and her stomach rumbled. I guess lunch wouldn't hurt… and maybe some medicine for my throat. She moved to sit back up, before reaching up and rubbing it, not reaching high enough to come in contact with the scar. She moved to get out of bed, stretching and groaning as her feet came in contact with the wooden floor. She rolled her neck around, listening to the pops that sounded from the action. She felt much better as she moved to the door to her room. A loud crash sounded from the kitchen, causing her to jump.

He fired at her again, catching her in the right shoulder. She screamed, her aura breaking as she fell to the ground.

She leaned against the wall as she caught her breath, shaking her head to clear the memory. Dream, she reminded herself, just a dream. Pushing off the wall, she staggered forward and down the hall with the goal of getting some food. And medicine, my throat is killing me. She rubbed her throat again, the feeling of sandpaper grating against each other as she swallowed becoming increasingly more and more annoying. She eyed the random frames that littered the hallways, not wanting to knock one off the wall as she made her way to the kitchen.

That was when she began to notice the empty pictures within the frames.

What in the world… Yang reached up to move one, fingers pressing against the frame to inspect the picture. No, empty wasn't the right word, but rather that the people in them had been cut out of the picture all together…

In all of them… she reached for another one, this one actually contacting a picture of herself. She was younger in the frame, in fact, she knew this picture, it was just after Ruby's 3rd birthday, Ruby had jumped on Yang's back for a piggyback ride as their mom snapped the picture. The one just before Summer died. But Ruby wasn't visible, just Yang. Taking sight of her right arm caused her to freeze her motion.

Yang pulled the arm away from the frame, staring down in confusion as she moved the limb and fingers. She found the pink line just above her elbow, brushing over it with her left hand in curiosity. It didn't feel like a metal limb, or a synthetic weave. It felt like her arm was back, her own flesh and blood. A sinking feeling kept trying fall to the pit of her stomach, one that she was having a hard time trying to convince herself that everything with Adam was all a dream.

Because it was. It had to be. The dark corners of her mind kept disagreeing with her internal reassurances. It's just a dream... Only a dream...

She opened her mouth to call for her dad, nothing but a scratching sound escaping her throat. She coughed violently, tears beginning to form in her eyes from the pain in her throat. Attempting to clear it, hoping the phlegm would coat and protect her throat for the next few seconds as she tried to call for her dad again.

"Hey dad?" She called, her voice cracking but at least sound actually came out this time. She was still examining her arm, fingers grazing the pink line just above her elbow again. "Did Ironwood send us a... new… arm?"

Looking up, she felt herself crumble as the sight of a white cloaked woman working within the kitchen turned to face her. Tears beginning to spill from her eyes as her lower lip quivered.

"Mom?" the girl whispered, voice cracking as lilac and aged silver met for the first time in over ten years.

She heard Tai's cry of agony in the clearing, her eyes drifting over the yard itself, looking over the scene. Yang was supposed to be the next Spring Maiden should she fail to do her duty and keep the relic out of Salem's hand, but that now was no longer an option. She wasn't sure what it was that she felt for the child, but seeing her dead was not what she wanted to befall Yang.

Ever.

She would deny that claim to Qrow and Tai and anyone that would ever ask her, but deep down she still cared for her family. She was the reason Qrow managed to get to the girls in time. She checked up on Yang, and in a way, Ruby, when she could. Maybe not as often as Qrow did, but she was their for every birthday, every holiday, just not in her human form... and always out of sight.

"Adam." She growled under her breath. Of course, how could it not be him. He was the man that cut off her arm, figures he would want to finish the job. What drove him to do so was a different matter all together.

She left to protect Yang. To protect everyone, even Summer… and she couldn't even do that. A growl of frustration rumbled in her throat, looking over at Tai who had moved across the yard and was currently cradling their daughter in his arms. She wasn't going to let someone else she cared for die. She knew Tai wasn't going to take being alone very well, and she didn't want another bond to break anytime soon either. Her tribe needed her, but this was more important.

Maybe, just maybe, Qrow was right about who her real family was...

Tai watched as Raven scanned the courtyard, looking for something in particular. The smell of blood drew his attention back down to his daughter, sobs escaping his throat as he caressed her cooling cheek, the flow of blood slowing now that her heart had stopped beating. There was just so much blood. He gently set her down so he could pull the bandanna from his arm and tie it around the wound, hoping to staunch the flow even if it was just for a few seconds. Tai pulled his dead little girl back into his arms, leaning down to bury his face in her hair as he cried. He couldn't do this, not again. He couldn't lose someone again. Especially not Yang. Not his Sunny Little Dragon.

A small whine sounded next to him, and he looked down only to find Zwei standing next to him, ears down and the stub of his tail trying to curl between his legs. The dog knew something was wrong and once he gained his owners attention he nudged his head against his arm and held it there as if it was his own way of saying he was sorry.

"Tai."

He turned to look up at the woman that called his name.

"Rae… She... she's..." he stuttered over his words.

"I know," She removed her mask and knelt down to look her ex-husband in the eyes. Tai could make out the small tracks of tears that had plagued her own face. So she did care, in her own way. "I know. Right now, we need to take care of Yang. Give her a proper burial."

Tai pulled the girl closer to his body, not wanting to let go of her just yet. He couldn't, it hurt to even think about burying his eldest child.

Well... that happened again. I feel like Raven has always cared about Yang, especially after their vault scene the V5 finale, but Raven got caught up in her own survival. Of course, Raven killed the past spring maiden, which I figured was the case, but I like the idea of her being the Spring Maiden long before that. So I guess that will be different, but I like Raven. She's an interesting character to me.

This was hard to write, had "Drink a Beer" by Luke Bryan on repeat while writing this chapter for inspiration, and probably do it again for a later chapter as well.

I put this in the AN of my other story, but while I will continue to update this one, it will not be a priority. I wont be updating this one as quickly as Past Experiences, which will be my main focus for the foreseeable future.

Anyways, see you all next time for some more angst and tears. Peace!