Die

Silence settled over him like a blanket of snow even though the spring sun warmed the small cliff on Patch. It had been one of her favorite places to bring the girls to look at the stars. He could still recall the nights he’d watch from the tree, completely unknown to them. He took a swig from his flask and looked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes. “You can’t exactly hide in plain sight from me, Raven.” How dare she. How dare she have the damn balls to show herself at Summer’s funeral like some lost puppy. After leaving Yang with Tai without so much as a damn goodbye, she had no fucking right. He put the flask back on his hip as his sister reverted to her human form and his eyebrows raised. She was clad in sky blue and crimson red, the traditional Branwen colors of mourning. Her normally long hair had been completely lopped off. Despite having sat in her bird form all day, her eyes betrayed how much she’d been crying. She was on week two of the Branwen mourning cycle just by her outfit, but how did she…? They’d only learned about Summer’s death a few days ago. Damnation. “You…You buried her somewhere, didn’t you?!” Rage colored his vision and his hand went for Harbinger, but he paused when he saw tears roll down her face. When was the last time he’d seen her cry? He had no love left for his older sister especially after she’d abandoned her own daughter but… This really wasn’t the time or place for their vitriol. Right in front of Summer’s grave after the memorial service… Qrow sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking at her. “Could you show me where she’s buried sometime?” He hated asking anything of his sister but… “...Maybe when we’re not in such a state.” Raven’s voice cracked and she coughed, rubbing the tears from her eyes. Damn, he really hadn’t seen her this rough since they’d been kids. He knew she and Summer had been close, but to send her the route of structured Branwen mourning… He hadn’t seen anybody but elders do it when he’d been with the tribe… Just how close had they been? “I won’t hold out hope.” Qrow knew better than to trust anything his sister said by this point. If she wanted to keep Summer to herself, then she would. His brows drew together, though, as a realisation hit him. “...Summer had to have been alive for you to use your Semblance. Were you the last person in her thoughts?” If so, then that meant… The sound of wings broke the air and he swore. He could never get anything straight out of her no matter how much he wanted to. With a sigh, Qrow plopped down onto the ground next to Summer’s headstone, dipping back a few gulps of whiskey. “Sorry about that, Summer. I just can’t forgive Raven after all the shit she’s pulled. I know she was your best friend but…” He bowed his head and returned the flask to his hisp, resting his free hand on Summer’s gravestone. This really was the end of Team STRQ… With the death of the heart came the death of the body. Tai was one hell of a lucky man.