Today was one of the worse days.
Call it a flare-up. Whether it was the bad luck or just the chemicals in his head, some days were worse than others, and then once night came the dark thoughts would spin around, closing off any chance of sleep. At one point alcohol had helped as a soporific, but all too soon his body had built up a tolerance. Now it was just a way of dulling those thoughts.
It was 2 AM, and Qrow was sitting at his kitchen table with a glass of ale, laying out playing cards in a line under the dim yellow glow of the overhead light. He could tell it wasn't a terrible night because he hadn't forgone the glass entirely in favor of the bottle, but that was little comfort.
The bandits outnumbered them five to one, but only a few had their Auras unlocked. Without Raven, though, the team had to adjust their strategy, and it was clear they were suffering for it.
"Fireball!" Summer called, and Tai launched himself forward, Qrow following just a second behind—
They had come out all right, of course they had, but it was a near thing that time. Tai's anxiousness to get back to Raven and Yang had led to recklessness, and Summer chewed him out for it afterwards, actually shouting at the man. When Qrow tried to get her to calm down, she snapped at him as well. Being Summer, she made sure to apologize for it before they split up to go home, but even then the strain in her voice was evident.
They'd all be back together soon enough, just like the last time they'd argued. At least, that's what Qrow told himself. But it was still enough fodder for the dark thoughts in his mind, his only company on most nights like this. Whether it was the life of a Huntsman or his own reserved nature post-graduation, the other three members of his team were his only close connections these days—his only real family. Family…
So it was a surprise when he heard a knock from outside the apartment. He looked up from his game of solitaire, then set down his glass and stood. Only one person would show up in the middle of the night this way without calling ahead, and besides, he could sense the aftereffects of her means of travel.
Raven was standing there when he opened the door, a pack slung over her shoulder. Qrow's sister was never one for cheerful expressions, but something was still more serious than usual.
Of course, she was here at 2 in the morning. It didn't take a mind-reader to figure out that something was up.
Raven pushed past him into the little apartment, then let her pack fall to the ground before lowering herself onto the couch. Qrow shut the door and turned around. "Tai kick you out of bed or something?"
He regretted the joke as soon as it was out of his mouth, but it would have been awkward to apologize. Instead he met Raven's momentary glare and then looked down.
But Raven's ire faded away quickly, and Qrow knew something was really wrong. She looked worn, a look that he rarely saw on his powerful, prideful sister. He heard her take a breath, but no words came from her mouth.
With a sigh, Qrow walked back over to his table and began stacking up the cards. "What is it, Rae? What are you here at 2 in the morning to tell me?"
The silence stretched. Qrow glanced up to see that she wasn't looking at him. Her rigid self-control meant that she wasn't clenching her hands, or playing with the straps of her pack, but he could see the tension in the stiffness of her back.
"'As if you'd be sleeping at 2 AM,'" he said to break the silence, imitating her usual sardonic tone. "'I'd more likely expect you to be asleep at 2 in the after—'"
"I'm leaving," Raven interrupted.
But you just got here, Qrow barely, barely kept himself from saying.
He folded his arms. "Ozpin has another mission for you, eh? That bastard couldn't wait until Yang learned to crawl?"
"Qrow." The hardness in her voice forced him into silence. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, then Raven continued. "I'm leaving," she said again. "I'm going back."
"Back?" The echo slipped out of his mouth before he had even processed her words. Then his eyes widened. "You don't mean…"
"I was hoping you'd come too." The words spilled from her mouth with uncharacteristic uncertainty and haste. "I understand that you wouldn't want to leave on the drop of a feather, but maybe in a few months—"
"Raven, are you out of your mind?" Qrow burst out. His sudden movement sent the remainder of the ale sloshing out of the glass, joining the handful of other faded mottles on the carpet. "You're thinking about going back? After everything we've been through? Everything we've seen?"
"I'm not thinking about it." Raven's eyes flashed. "It was always limited, this…excursion of ours. We've stayed away long enough."
Qrow set his glass down on the counter to stop himself from breaking it, either from gripping it too tightly or throwing it against the wall. "After everything we've seen," he repeated. "You know what's out there, now, what we're really fighting against. And you're just gonna abandon us."
Raven let out a sharp, mirthless laugh. "Yes, I've seen what's out there. And I'm doing what any sane individual would do: I'm walking away. I'm not going to participate in this folly any longer." She looked away. "This isn't a war. It's suicide."
"You have a family," Qrow roared, not caring if he woke up his neighbors. "You have a daughter, Raven!"
He saw her flinch at that, but it was just a moment, and then her shoulders were firm. "Yes," she said resolutely, "we have a family."
"That's not what I meant, and you know—"
"We made a promise, Qrow!" Raven shouted, overpowering him. "We made a promise when we left to never betray the Tribe." She was standing now, facing him and breathing hard, and probably didn't even realize her hand was on her sword. "I still remember that promise. Do you?"
Qrow raised a hand in objection, not wanting to admit that she had gotten to him. "Circumstances change. And besides, anyone's free to leave the Tribe if they want."
"Oh, so that's what you're doing?" Raven said, accusation plainly visible on her face. But there was also a hint of…condescension? Disappointment?
Qrow bit back a reflexive response. The words had just come out of his mouth, but did he really mean it? Was he really ready to turn his back on the group that had raised them, the group that had given them everything they had and taught them everything they knew before coming to Beacon?
Had he already done so?
Meanwhile Raven was turning and picking up her pack. "I thought you were still one of us," she said. "I thought I could rely on you. I guess I was wrong." She jerked the pack over her shoulder. "Tell Yang to come find me when she grows up."
And even knowing how unfair she was being, that hurt. They were twins. They'd grown up together, relied on each other their entire lives. That connection had changed at Beacon, but in some ways it had even grown stronger, with Qrow and Raven serving as the other's only link to home.
And something told Qrow that if there had been a moment where he could have persuaded his sister to stay, that moment had passed.
Still he had to try. "Promise me you'll be around for Yang," he said to her back. Your abilities let you travel miles as if they were nothing. "Promise me you'll still be a part of this family."
Slowly, Raven turned partway and looked over her shoulder, meeting his eyes. "I've broken enough promises already."
And with that she opened the door and strode outside, her pace heavy but resolute. Qrow watched the door close, and a few minutes later heard the rustle of feathers, and then the night's stillness returning.
He sunk into his chair. His mind was spinning.
What…what happens now?
