Authors Note: Here is another one off. It's short but sad so be warned.
I hope you enjoy.
Sincerely SardonicEffigy
Qrow walked along the pier, looking out across the water feeling the breeze against his face and the smell of salt water. The city was chaotic and cramped in most places, but at the right time of day, when the wind was being favorable and the stars aligned just right, nothing could compare to its beauty.
The sun was just starting to fall below the horizon creating soft glow across the water and lighting the clouds ablaze. With the waves and ripples on the water the light danced, seeming for all observers that the sea was on fire but never burning. It was beautiful.
Thankfully Qrow was mostly alone, save a few couples that savored the joy such a scene might bring. Instead of stay and subject himself to such thoughts, Qrow continued to his destination.
The bar wasn't anything fancy, and that was its main charm at such a location. The man who owned it had made the decision to stay small, to avoid ruining the view. His clients loved it. The city loved it. Qrow didn't care.
All he wanted was a drink, something the small bar was perfectly capable of managing. The man behind the bar never tried to ask questions, nor did he try to spark up any conversations. Both things Qrow appreciated, one of the reasons he walked so far to get a drink.
The bartender brought him his usual bottle and a glass and Qrow started the all too familiar ritual.
He wasn't sure how long he was there but he had gone through a bottle and a half before he ran into trouble, it wore a red cape.
"There you are!" Ruby approached in a flourish of rose petals. When she arrived at the stool Qrow had planted himself in she took in the scene in silence before looking to him with disappointment in her eyes. "Already?"
The one word hurt more than Qrow would admit. It wasn't the word or even the look on her face that hurt him so, it was the sound of hurt in her own voice that did him in. He couldn't muster the strength for a response.
Ruby stood a foot or so beside him as he drank. "Headmaster Ozpin was looking for you, you know." Even her sigh sounded disappointed. "He said you had a meeting to go to and you skipped out… again."
Qrow stared down into the glass in his hands, hoping to find a response at the bottom. He was sadly let down. "I know Ruby… I know." Oz would manage, Qrow knew that.
Ruby sighed once more. "I can't imagine why you'd want to drink so much."
A flash of bright light and the grimm was gone before it was quickly replaced by three more. Qrow moved to help his temporary partner as they both fell back.
The beowolves threw themselves against them in waves breaking like an ocean of black against the cliff side but succeeding in pushing them back. They never stopped coming, flooding in almost faster than the two hunters could kill them, almost.
One after another they feel, only succeeding in pushing the two back a small amount each attack and draining their auras slightly. Qrows own aura was starting to get a little low but nothing dangerous yet, his partner was slightly worse off than him but still nothing to be concerned about just yet.
The two had plenty of training and were already fighting a retreating battle back to safety, a small clearing not far from where they were currently. They knew what they were doing.
Qrow smiled softly as the adrenaline pumped through him. Fighting grimm was easy, it was simple. Outside of the city and in the wilderness it was even easier, no civilians to worry about.
His partner kept her calm however, taking no joy in the fight they were engaged in. The smile fell from his face.
Qrow moved farther back, killing a few grimm that had either been smart enough or lucky enough to flank them from behind. The ursa didn't last long and he was quickly turning back to his partner for a moment.
He watched as she ducked low under the swing of a beowulf before moving into the guard of another, causing both to seem confused before dying swift deaths.
Perhaps it was the heat of the moment, maybe it was just her not taking it as serious as she should have, or maybe it was just plain bad luck, but as one of the beowulfs died it stuck its claws in her cape and slowed her down enough for an ursa to swat her aside.
She scrambled to her feet but was quickly swarmed by more grimm. Qrow ran to her and killed the grimm stopping her from escaping. She nodded to him and quickly bagan moving again, only slowing down to kill grimm in her path.
The tides of black and white were starting to thin, unable or unwilling to continue and run at the two hunters.
Qrow smiled once more as he finished off the remainders of the grimm that had tried to flank them. He turned to see his partner finishing off her own remaining grimm.
She turned to face him and a small smile finally graced her lips. She went to speak before she coughed and blood dribbled from her mouth, falling across her chin.
Qrows eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat. He ran to her as quick as he could, barely managing to catch her before she could fall. He shifted her weight and lifted her off the ground.
Summer lay in his arms as he ran to the landing site. He had messed up, it was that simple. He had gotten cocky and failed to keep his friend safe. It was his fault.
Qrow almost tripped time and time again as he ran to where the bullhead was supposed to be, a small clearing raised above the landscape which helped keep it safe from grimm.
"Qrow..." Her voice was so weak that he was barely able to hear it.
He couldn't bare to look her in the eyes and instead focused on running. He ran through the trees to the clearing and was met with an empty field.
"W-where's the bullhead?" He scanned the skies to see if he could spot it. "It's supposed to wait for us right here. Where is it?!"
"Qrow… please…" He finally looked down to the woman he carried.
She wore a soft smile with tears in her eyes as he carefully knelt down with her still in his arms. Qrow felt the tears in his own eyes flow down his face. He tried to speak, to apologize and beg for her forgiveness, but the words jammed in his throat. All that came out was a sad whimper.
"Don't blame yourself" The tears in her eyes fell down her cheeks. "I know you. It's not your fault."
He tried to speak once more but failed again, like so many other things he had tried.
"Please, look after Ruby and Yang for me." The tears came faster down her face. "Look after Tai…"
"I-I won't have to, you're gonna be fine Summer. You'll be fine"
"Watch out for them… please…" Her eyes began to fade and grow cloudy.
"Summer! No, no, no! Don't you dare! You can't die now!" Qrow forced back his tears and pulled up his scroll to see check her aura. It was still in the yellow, low yellow sure but still in the yellow.
It didn't make any sense why she was hurt so bad, her aura was fine she… Qrow watched as the scroll flicked and showed a very different readout. His aura still sat firmly in the yellow while hers was fully depleted, the device had glitched.
It was just bad luck.
He threw the device and moved his hand to check for a pulse. When he couldn't find one on her wrist he moved to her neck. When he didn't find one there either he could no longer hold back the tears.
It was his fault.
"Summer, please…" He held her forehead against his own. "Don't go. Please… don't leave us… dont leave me."
It was no use.
"Are you even listening?" The words snapped Qrow back to attention.
"Of course he isn't." Ruby yelped at the sudden words.
Qrow merley sighed. "Ice Queen, Ruby. Ruby, Ice Queen."
"We have already met." Winter Schnee moved to stand a few feet behind him. "I was sent by the General to retrieve you." She made it sound like such tasks were below her, and in truth they probably were.
"Run along kiddo, this one has a nasty bite." Qrow smirked slightly as he downed his drink.
He made to refill his glass but he made the mistake of meeting Ruby's eye first. Qrow sighed and stood, leaving the bottle behind. He left with the two falling in behind him on either side, practically escorting him out.
Qrow ushered Ruby off as soon as he had made it clear he wasn't gonna go back to the bar. Leaving just him and the Schnee alone.
"She is a fine student, if a little immature at times as Weiss puts it." Winter looked in the direction Ruby had left. "She will make a fine huntress one day."
Qrow couldn't help but agree, not that he would ever voice his agreement with Winter Schnee. "What do you want?"
"Precisely as I have said." Winter turned back to him. "I was sent to retrieve you. However, given your intoxication it might be wise to give you some time before heading back to Beacon. The students should not see a hunter in such a state."
Qrow thought about arguing but decided against it, after all it was time not spent with General stick up his ass, so it was time well spent. "I'll meet you back at Beacon in half an hour, probably not even that long." He didn't need the time really, he wasn't even buzzed.
He took a seat at a table set up outside a closed restaurant and watched the sunset. Winter sat across from him, likely to make sure he actually returned to the school. She received a call on her scroll and stepped away.
Qrow reached one to his flask, setting it on the table in front of him, and the other to his pocket and pulled out a warn photo. His eyes fell to the eyes of his friend, the same ones he was forced to look at a few minutes ago.
The same eyes that he was forced to see time and time again, either in his dreams or in the face of his niece. Eyes that had every right to judge him and blame him, yet never did.
A raindrop hit the photo, then another.
Winter returned and Qrow stood from his chair, quickly turning away.
"Best get going, it's starting to rain."
Winter raised an eyebrow and looked up at the sky free of clouds for miles. Qrow was forced to turn in her direction as he walked away. She prepared to say some no doubt witty quip, until she looked down to his face and saw expression.
"Of course." She noticed the photo as Qrow stashed it away but chose not to speak.
Qrow walked away but Winter did not follow for a moment, when she did she handed him the flask he had left on the table.
"Thanks." Qrow took a quick drink.
Somethings… you just don't want to remember.
Authors Note: I doubt it's canon but it's still sad.
If you enjoyed I have a number of other one offs that are uploaded and available to read. so... hint hint.
I truly hope you liked the story and a big thanks to my editors. As always I encourage you to review and tell me how you think it wen't, whether you liked it or thought it was awful. I enjoy reading every review and hearing what you all think.
Sincerely SardonicEffigy