Progression
For just a little while, he tells himself. He shall enjoy this for just a little while; there is work to be done still, and with his own departure looming over the horizon, there are calls he must make, visits he must perform, and apologies to prepare.
Taiyang is not ready to say goodbye to Ruby- to Qrow. He knows this, for Taiyang's fears linger in his eyes as clear as starlight each time he spots Qrow watching the local news or looking out to the horizon. After so many years together, he can spot each twitch of the blond's brow, each crease in his frown, each tightening of a balled-up fist moving from uncertainty to anger to betrayal to loneliness. Taiyang is not ready to lose Qrow's support, to lose the anchor which is Ruby's safety and security amidst Yang's suffering.
It is not their choice to make, however. It is up to Ruby to decide when she is ready to depart. Over the past few weeks, her training sessions with Qrow have grown more fervent, more precise. She fights even better than before, a level of accuracy and skill imbued in each step and breath that Beacon could never teach her in their larger classes. With Qrow, she has all the individualized support she needs to flourish into the young woman who had caught Ozpin's attention back before they had even been registered to go to Beacon Academy.
His fingers ghost over the cane hung upon his belt as he listens to the genuinely cheery laughter and giddy words of warmth and love coming from the living room. He knows that Ozpin never meant for any of this to happen. He does not blame Ozpin; how can he blame anyone when Qrow himself wasn't able to stop those who had destroyed Beacon?
The laughter, increasing in intensity and vibrancy, eases the aching, however. He has never spoken much to Nora, Jaune and Ren; they are good, kind children, though, he knows this. To have them in their cottage makes him simultaneously want to cheer, to crack open some of Taiyang's vintage wine in celebration, and to weep, too overwhelmed by the atmosphere of warmth which the trio have brought in with them since their arrival two hours earlier.
He knows their plan. They speak far too loudly to be subtle; Ruby is lucky that her father had gone upstairs to sit with Yang, the older girl refusing to see those who had been her friends and classmates in the wake of her amputation. With their absence, however, it is easy to lean outside of the house, soaking in the sun's rays and the sounds of the joy of reunion filtering in through the open window of the cottage, taking note of every detail of their plan. The cold does not bother him despite the lingering snowdrifts which cover the earth and trees all around; he is merely careful to not be heard, to not be caught, in his eavesdropping.
It shall be in a week, give or take a few days for final preparations. For one week, Nora, Ren and Jaune shall relax in the Xiao-Long-Branwen-Rose home and take a break after working tirelessly in Vale for months on end. They shall rest and eat delicious food, sharing stories and catching up on the time spent apart after nearly a year of living barely two steps across the hall from one another in Beacon's dormitories. Then, they shall quietly pack their bags and depart for Anima, the journey to Haven Academy finally getting underway with their combined strength and skill.
"We got your stipend and extra ammo from Professor Goodwitch," Jaune murmurs. "It's with all my stuff, so just remind me- the bursaries they gave all the students was more than enough to help us stock up."
"We'll still need to be careful though," Ren says, his stoicism causing a smile to flit upon Qrow's face. "It's a long way from southern ports all the way to Haven. We're going to need to be frugal if we're going to make it."
"Oh, lighten up, will you?" Nora cheers, the joy in her voice infectious. "We're together again! Brothers, it's going to be so nice!"
Qrow almost mutters to himself on how he should ask Nora to spend some time cheering up Yang with that endless energy of hers when Nora's voice suddenly dies out, quaking as she chuckles out a dry, raspy laugh. "Um… I mean… it's better than nothing. And we have each other, right?"
Ruby's voice is thick, choked. "Yeah," she warbles.
Qrow does not need to look inside to know that his little niece is crying in the arms of her friends. Better them than me, he thinks bitterly to himself. I'm no help to anyone.
There is no time to sulk, however. With their timeline in mind, he finally has a deadline with which he can plan out the next few days. Ensuring that Taiyang shall have everything he needs to take care of Yang in Qrow and Ruby's absence is priority number one; after that, it shall be time for a return trip to Vale once again, where he can visit Glynda. The other woman's presence in Shade Academy has been requested, after all, and they all need to understand what must be done in order to ensure that Ozpin's plans are carried through.
The world is depending on them, after all. They are Remnant's last hope.
It is difficult to leave, unfortunately, as just as he is about to tap into that seed of magic so deeply buried within his heart, he hears a low, keening whine from inside the cottage's living room. Pausing, he perks up, focusing on the sound. It does not take long to understand just want is going on, however, his sharp hearing picking up the mumbled, hasty words which spill from clumsy lips in warbling, broken-hearted voices.
They missed one another. They miss Pyrrha Nikos, too. They were scared they would never see each other again. They're tired. Yang is still broken, and nothing is as it should be, and they should have been spending this final term at Beacon together in the sunshine, not trapped in Patch's late winter snows, mourning the loss of all those they were too young, naïve, weak, to save.
Qrow does not begrudge them this grief. He had seen Team JNPR during the Vytal Festival, after all- had seen how Pyrrha Nikos had hovered around Jaune Arc with nothing but love painted in her eyes as she guided his way, how she had linked arms with Nora Valkyrie so effortlessly no matter where they were, naught but utmost trust between them. He had seen how Pyrrha and Lie Ren had always shared secret, quiet smiles as the rest of their team had fooled around, their quiet solidarity creating a bond that nothing else could diminish.
He had seen Ruby and Pyrrha hug and chatter and support one another endlessly. They had been friends. Given time, he knows that they could have made those team bonds into a family, far stronger than anything Team STRQ could have ever been.
And that chance has been stolen away from them irrevocably. Team JNPR and Team RWBY are broken, and no amount of weeping will ever change that.
He does not begrudge them this grief. In their shoes- if he had only just found the place where he belonged, only to have it taken away from him without remorse- he would have been broken, too. The one lucky thing in his entire life had been meeting Taiyang, Summer, and Ozpin; through them, he has found a brother, a confidant-
And, well, everything else, too.
His fingers settle around Ozpin's cane. Travelling through Anima shall at least give him the opportunity to try and find eyes which shimmer just as brilliantly as Ozpin's always had in his previous depiction. He does not know how long it takes for his mentor to reincarnate, but he knows for certain that as long as he keeps this cane safe, he shall be reunited with the man who has given him purpose one day.
He cannot wait for that day. He has not felt relief in reunion like that which the children within their little cottage currently bask in for so, so long. He shall share a drink with Ozpin when that time comes- and then, perhaps Ozpin will tell Qrow that he's finally, truly done something right.
He smiles, silently transforming and flying off in his avian form. Ruby shall be fine. The children have each other.
I'll find you, Oz. He cannot wait.