"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right."

~James O'Barr...

(Flashback)

With a soft groan of pain, a silver-haired Crow Faunus girl awakened, finding herself in what looked like an expensive bedroom that seemed like it was in an Atlas house.

Crow Girl: "W-What...? Am... I dead...?"

???: "Fortunately, no."

Startled, she looked around the room only to see a young woman walk up to her. She had white hair in a bun, blue eyes, wore a white and gray Atlesian Military outfit and had a rapier on her left hip. She was a human, which immediately caused the girl to have a panic attack, seeing a human in front of her.

Crow Girl: "N-NO! PLEASE! DON'T HURT ME! I-I'll get back to work right away! I-I'm sorry-"

Woman: "Stop!" She immediately shut up and began to tear up. The woman sighed.

Woman: "Look, I apologize for yelling at you. I'm not going to hurt you or anything... I saw you preparing to end your life and I prevented it."

Crow Girl: "Why!? I don't want to be in this world anymore! My parents are dead, and everyone treats me like trash! This world is too cruel... I don't want to be here anymore..."

The woman had a sympathetic look on her face before she approached the broken Faunus, causing her to tense up. What she didn't expect was for the woman too hug her, not forcefully or anything... it was a genuine hug. She separated and looked at the winged girl in front of her, whose eyes were wide like the eyes of an alerted cat.

Woman: "I'm sorry for what my terrible man of a father has done to you..." That line just shocked the little Faunus.

Crow Girl: "Y-You're his d-daughter?"

Woman: "Unfortunately. My name is Winter Schnee. May I ask for your name?"  She seemed hesitant but took a slightly shaky deep breath before slowly nodding.

Crow Girl: "C-Celeste Sukai..."

Winter: "I see... As to why I saved you, I could not stand by and watch a helpless girl such as yourself end your life right then and there. I may be a human, but I don't abuse Faunus like my father does. I too wish you were granted with equality and peace... But it's a shame the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows... How are you feeling?"

Celeste: "U-Um... F-Fine..." She meekly answered with a small nod.

Winter: "Are you sure you are not hungry?"

Celeste: "I... don't think I could eat after everything that's happened..." Winter sighed slightly at the answer she was given.

Winter: "I see... Well, I can help you leave this place." This caught Celeste off guard as she raised an eyebrow.

Celeste: "W-What...?"

Winter: "I can arrange for an Atlas Transport ship escort you to another place where you can be welcomed, like Menagerie, the land for all Faunus. Would you like to go there?"

Celeste: "Y-You're just going to let me go...?" She sounded excited and surprised, but also cautious and wary as this could well be a trap. However, just the warmth and comfort in her voice shook all those negative thoughts away from the Crow Faunus.

Winter: "I'm setting you free. You don't deserve this kind of treatment. In my opinion, Menagerie is your safest bet as there are many Faunus there, some like you. And there are even some Humans there that help the Faunus. So, would you-"

Celeste: "Yes! Yes please! As long I don't have to work in that Dust Mine... If I don't have to be abused, sexually abused or anything else... Please..." She was slowly being brought to tears as her voice began to break. "P-Please..." Winter gave her a gentle smile before patting her head and giving her a gentle nod.

Winter: "Alright. We'll have you arranged to leave first thing soon. For now, just get some rest and make yourself at home. I'll make sure to keep you hidden from anyone in the house."  The crow Faunus gave her a teary-eyed smile as she bowed her head.

Celeste: "T-Thank you, Ms. Winter!"

Winter: "And please, drop the "Ms." Just "Winter" is fine."

(Flashback End)

???: "Hellooo... Remnant to Celeste." 

With a slight gasp, a 16-year-old Celeste, this time with a mask covering her right eye, replacing it with a glowing Magenta orb, was knocked out of her daydreaming. She looked around, finding herself in the dorm room of her team in Beacon Academy, and in front of her, was the Hawk Faunus, Dairoku Rein waving his hand in front of her face. Seeing her look at him caused him to smile at her.

Dairoku: "You seemed to have been in a trance. You doing alright, little sis?" She blinked at him before smiling and nodding as she then suddenly hugged him. "Haha. It's good to see you back to your cheerful ways after everything that happened."

He hugged her back, patting her head before giving her a sweet kiss on her forehead. Though his attention was brought to his sister's scroll, which seemed to have been playing a live broadcast, with a girl with white hair in an offset ponytail, standing on a dark stage, singing a song; Dairoku had managed to catch the end of said song.

♫I'm the loneliest of all...♫

Dairoku: "Heh, Watching Weiss Schnee again? You sure you don't have a crush on her?" he asked with a smug smile as suddenly, Celeste's face became a bright red and she broke the hug before looking at him, waving her arms and shaking her head in denial. "Uh-huh. You have such an adorable reaction when teased, sis."

He teased her and poked her nose as she pouted, with her arms crossed and her turning her head to one side. Dairoku laughed and kissed her forehead again.

Dairoku: "Anyways, let's head down and get breakfast. The others will be joining us." He offered a hand to her as the bright Celeste nodded happily and took his hand.

CELESTE SUKAI REIN