Yellowish Gray

It has been nine months since Raven Branwen decided to take in Silva, and as much as Raven won't admit it, she grew slightly attached to him if her Semblance is any indicator. What Raven found the most likable part of Silva is his drive to become strong; in her little beat downs to Silva in the name of sparring, he showed her a willingness to fight dirty to win, sand in the eyes, threatening her supply of tea, and even trying to slip her some mild poisons like laxatives in her tea. Of course, she responded accordingly by breaking his bones, beating him black and blue, and tossing him off a cliff.

Silva quickly learned that Raven was not above stooping to his level and kept any mischief to name-calling. At one point, he took to calling Raven "young mistress," which was dripping with sarcasm which gave Raven an unpleasant itchy feeling when he did, so she responded by getting him a Mistral style maid uniform which was a black kimono with a white apron. The memory of the look on Silva's face when she brought it to him made Raven give a rare smile on her face that made him drop the young mistress quickly enough. Her smile quickly disappeared, and when she thought about the heavy matter of Summer's disappearance and likely death.

From her visits in her bird form and her brother Qrow's information when they meet on occasion, she knows of her ex-husband's mental state. Raven even saw him close enough to see his empty, vacant eyes that she had seen before in people that have given up on life to the point of considering suicide. This worried her, not that she would ever admit it, and she was constantly debating internally on what to do.

She can't take Yang, let alone Summer's daughter Ruby into the tribe because that would be a sign of weakness for her, and those two little girls won't survive in the tribe either. Meeting with Taiyang is a no-go because she left without a word, and coming back won't help anything with him and could push him off the deep end. Having Qrow take them in case of Taiyang's death by his own hand might be viable if he gave up drinking, yeah right, like that would ever happen.

Raven knew her brother too well ever to see him give up drinking. She sighed and opened a portal to her daughter to check on her and to see if Taiyang dropped dead or had pulled himself together yet. Raven held a small hope that her ex-husband would get himself out of his rut from Summer being likely dead. After she passed through the portal and saw her surroundings change to the forest near the log cabin Taiyang Xiao Long built as a love nest for her and him only to live in it for a few months then leave after Yang was born.

Seeing it made Raven frown as she recalled Taiyang being so happy-go-lucky at being a father despite their shotgun wedding after one night in a bar where she got drunk that one time that resulted in her getting impregnated by her old teammate. She only married him so Yang would be his responsibility when she goes back to the tribe after finding out Ozpin had no plan for Salem or the Grimm Queen's immortality. The fear she felt in finding that out briefly plagued her mind before she shook her head to get her to focus so she could assume her avian form.

Before she did that, she felt a tug at her skirt, which made her switch to her battle-ready state, and drew her sword Omen to cut at the offender. Raven stopped herself when she saw who was pulling at her skirt, Silva...

***

I, Silva (possibly) Branwen, had the bright idea to follow Raven through her portal in hopes of meeting Ruby and Yang when they were kids. I was in a simple gray shirt with black pants. Bad idea because Momma Bird nearly sliced me in half from trying to get her attention, and now she looks like she is seriously considering doing it. The black-haired bandit chief placed the blade of her odachi near my face as to threaten to cut me and asked harshly.

" Why are you here, Silva?"

My mind quickly tried to formulate an excuse she would believe, and I quickly decided to tell her a somewhat truthful answer as she could see through half-baked lies.

" I saw something has been plaguing your mind in the last several months, and it seemed to get worse after you got back from one of your "trips," so I was curious and wondered if I could help you in any capacity."

Come on... come on... take the bait, Birdy. You know you like it when I try to make myself useful to you. After a few moments, she put away her sword, and I relaxed. Then suddenly, I was sent flying with my gut feeling a strong blow and crashed into a tree. I groaned as I saw Raven walking up to me in a foul mood as she drove her heel into my stomach and warned me in an icy tone.

" Do not follow me through my portals without my permission! Understood?"

" Yes, chief..."

I guess I won't be meeting Yang and Ruby anytime soon. Raven removed her heel from my gut and then said.

" Now, you will head back to the camp and wait-."

" HELLO! ANYONE OUT THERE?"

I soon heard a girl's voice interrupt her, and she immediately transformed into her bird form. I soon saw why Yang was the one that was calling out, and she saw me then ran up and asked.

" Are you alright?!"

" Ah, just a bit roughed up, that's all. If you excuse me, I need to leave."

Raven is already pissed at me even though I completed half my objective by meeting Yang in person; I rather not have Raven make my punishment, which she will undoubtedly give harsher. I stumbled a bit from the damage of Raven's attack, and Yang then said.

" That more than a bit roughed up; at least let me apply some first aid, come on!"

Yang started to drag me to her home, and that's when I knew Raven was likely going to kill me or at least brutally maim me. I heard Raven's bird form squawk in protest, which would probably loosely translate as.

" Get your hide back here this instant!"

I might as well milk this situation for all it's worth because I will be harshly punished by Raven regardless. As Yang brought me inside, she called out.

" Ruby, get me the first aid!"

" Why?! Are you hurt, Yang?"

I heard a childish voice ask back, and Yang replied.

" Not me, but someone else!"

" Okay! What about Dad?"

Yang grimaced then shouted loudly.

" DAD, WE HAVE SOMEONE OVER. IS THAT FINE?!"

There was no reply, and Yang then shouted.

" IF ITS FINE, DAD, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!"

Yang looked hopeful that there would be a reply, but none came, and she slumped down, looking sad. I guess Taiyang is not feeling well because the one I know from the canon would have at least said something. Yang soon took me to her living room, and as Yang sat me down on her couch, I got a good look at her. She had shoulder-length blonde hair tied into a pair of messy pigtails, with her lilac irises darkened from the visible sadness she felt. She was wearing a simple yellow t-shirt with brown shorts.

" Yang! I found the first aid kit!"

The blonde quickly shook herself out of her stupor as she heard the childish voice call to her and reply.

" I'm in the living room, Ruby!"

I soon saw a younger girl with shirt reddish-black hair come in, and she saw me and greeted me with a smile and her silver eyes.

" Hello!"

" Hey..."

I replied, and I took a good look at the future leader of team RWBY. She was wearing a red t-shirt with a V-shaped opening that revealed a black shirt under it, and she had on black shorts with red accents on them. What drew my eye was the white rose necklace around her neck. Yang then got my attention.

" Okay, show me where your hurt!"

I lifted my shirt to reveal my recent bruises from Raven. Yang winced as she saw how big of a bruise it would be and asked me.

" How did you get hurt?"

I lied through my teeth and told her, feeling the slightest bit of guilt, but I couldn't exactly tell the truth that it was a can of worms I rather leave alone right now.

" I was running and bodyslammed into a tree."

" Hmm, just a bit of ointment, and you should be fine."

Yang got a tube of something from the first aid kit and started to apply it to my stomach. Ruby then asked me.

" Um, how did you get those?"

She touched my scars from nine months back from my encounter with the Nevermore, and I told her truthfully.

" From a Grimm, I ran into, but they're already healed up, as you can see, so no worries."

" YOU MET A GRIMM?!"

The sisters both exclaimed in surprise and started to bombard me with questions.

" How big was it?!"

"Were you scared?!"

I answered them one at a time but refrained from any mention of Raven or the bandit tribe. I get the feeling I am not going to leave anytime soon. Raven's going to kill me...