AN: In no way am I connected to Rooster Teeth

Yang had never been to a funeral. She had been too young to understand Summer's and she didn't even know if Cedric had a funeral. She had never lost anyone close to her before now.

The coffin was mahogany.

Yang managed to tear her gaze away.

It was just them. Blake. Ren. Nora. Jaune. Pyrrha. Melody. Weiss. Ruby. Emerald. Mercury. Yang. It was just them.

There were two graves marked with a plain marble slab each in this meadow in a forest. Lake and Dakota. Peaceful with no one to disturb them. No roads anywhere for miles. There were old flowers, now wilted, resting against both marble.

Zephyr had visited here fairly often.

It didn't look like anyone else had.

Lake and Dakota had been forgotten by everyone but their brother.

The grave for the casket was already dug. Mercury must have done that at some point. It had been done by tools. The hole needed for the gravestone was still needed.

Silently, Yang picked up a shovel. At her side, Jaune did the same.

They weren't worried about getting dirt on their suit and dress. They would, but it wasn't important. This was for Zephyr, not them.

It didn't need to be too deep.

Pyrrha and Weiss carried the gravestone and carefully lowered it into the hole. The soil shifted and began to fill the small gap. The earth wrapped around the marble; embracing it. Welcoming the missing brother.

Quiet sang through the air.

It was overcast. The sun was hidden behind many clouds but there was no rain. Maybe it should rain.

If Lake and Dakota had lived, they would be around their ages. What would they have been like? What dreams had they had for their futures?

Zephyr would have been happier.

Would he have attended Beacon then? Did he manage to enjoy at least some of his time there?

Melody stepped forward. She placed a hand on the coffin. She swallowed, then spoke. "I didn't get to know you as well as I would have liked to. I would like to say I'm sorry but this isn't about me. I do hope that wherever you are, you are happier there than you were here and that you are with your siblings again."

Before, Yang had felt empty.

Now her eyes felt wet.

There were tears on Blake's face. She too placed a hand on the coffin. "You were our leader and taught me many important lessons. All I can say for everything you've done for me is thank you."

Ren and Nora stepped up. They placed a hand on the coffin. They said nothing. Both were silent. Nora swallowed heavily, but was silent. Ren opened his mouth. Nothing came out. He closed his mouth again.

Jaune nodded firmly and walked forward. He was quiet for a moment before opening his mouth. Trying to decide what to say. "Four guys and eight girls. Never stood a chance did we?" He tried to clear his throat. "We all make mistakes. I know part of you and I respect you so much for it. I would have liked to know all of you and I regret that I didn't help you as much as I should have. But I will keep my promise. I assure you of that."

Pyrrha put a hand on Jaune's shoulder and on the coffin. The hand for Jaune moved first. She didn't say a word.

Ruby was openly crying. She wasn't trying to hide it. But the tears fell silently. She only said two words. "Thank you."

Emerald stepped forward. She wasn't crying, but she was sad. She had that depressing smile. "Thank you."

Unconsciously, Yang was next to walk forward. The coffin was cold to the touch. Smooth. It felt wrong but didn't. It was wrong, this whole situation was wrong, it wasn't fair-

Yang took a deep breath. Fought back her tears. But then, there was a small calm. Almost detached. Something stirred inside her but she didn't look closer. She couldn't swallow the lump in her throat no matter how hard she tried.

The coffin had a pattern on it. One half was made up of Zephyr's symbol but there was something else. She recognised runes on the corners and knew enough to know that was something to make sure he was never disturbed. The other symbols though…Yang didn't know. Wind, sun and wings.

"You were a lot of things Zephyr. One thing I think is the most important for you is that you were a good brother. You were. Much better than me. Wherever you are, you deserve peace and I hope you're with your siblings too. I would have loved to have known them. They sounded like great kids."

There were still clouds in the sky. But it didn't seem as dark as it had been. Somehow, it seemed brighter. It didn't feel brighter.

There was now a slight breeze.

It was a few seconds before Mercury joined them. Like them, he placed a hand on the coffin. Unlike them, it was his left hand. His real one.

Seven of them only knew the Zephyr he had shown them. Only one knew most of him.

"I remember our little chats well Zephyr and now…I think I have some answers for you." He paused here. "For starters, you're not going to be as forgotten as you think. We're funny that way and I for one am almost insulted you thought we would."

Yang shook her head in agreement of that. All of them did.

"And for the record, we won the food fight. The prank war is debateable, I'll give you that."

There were smiles at that.

Mercury took a deeper breath than normal.

"What kind of person you were…I would say complicated." He glanced at Blake there. Yang knew why.

Blake did too. "Integrity."

Mercury smiled for a moment. It was gone when he continued. "Complicated. Integrity. You were alive Zephyr. You may have hated it for most of your unusual existence, but that is life. The pranks and playing around were childish but fun? It was why we did it. It made us happy. It made you happy too, if only for a while. We could forget about our realities. That was the point."

…

Mercury sighed. "I never met your siblings. But from what you told me…I think they would be proud of you. For starters, you never forgot them. If you loved them half as much as you showed, then they would have turned out great. From the sound of it though, it was probably for Remnant's safety that Dakota and Nora never met. A giant marshmallow sounds like a great understatement."

Yang's lips quirked there. So that was what Dakota was like.

Ren spoke quietly then. "You looked after us when you were our leader like we were family. I would have been proud to be your brother."

"Me too," Nora murmured.

Blake dipped her head a little, but didn't speak. Maybe she couldn't.

"Maybe in other circumstances we would never have met you. Maybe you would have chosen to go to a university or maybe you would have chosen to take up the family business. We'll never know." Mercury traced a symbol gently. Zephyr's. "But that's not what happened and thinking too much on that is going to cause nothing but pain. You once said you were happy you met us. All of us. I can only speak for myself but…I'm glad I met you. All of you."

A claim that no one else could make.

A claim that Mercury wouldn't make unless he truly meant it.

"You won't be forgotten Zephyr," Blake promised.

As one, with unspoken and unplanned synchronisation, all eight stepped back.

Yang's unknown path took her to the side of the unfilled grave. Ruby stood by her side with Emerald on the other. Jaune stood on the other side with Pyrrha and Weiss at his sides.

Mercury drew one of the re-forged silver Dust knives from its sheath. He gave it to Melody. She took it and stopped at the tombstone. She hesitated before she began to carve the words. Despite the obvious words, no noise resounded from the act.

Blake patted Mercury on the shoulder. She silently led him to the coffin where Nora and Ren had stayed. Each moved to a certain point and, together, they picked the coffin up.

There was no breeze now.

Melody was standing and watching when the coffin was laid to rest in the grave.

The four stepped back. Blake and Mercury with Yang. Ren and Nora with Pyrrha.

…

"Goodbye Zephyr."

Ruby said it aloud.

They all said it in their hearts.

The soil began to sprinkle back into the ground, slowly and softly covering the one laid to rest. The fallen friend. He had seemed so happy at Beacon; so relaxed and free. His troubles hadn't been known. He hadn't shown them; hadn't told them. Perhaps he could have found more peace in his extended life. Perhaps…

Regret.

Sadness.

Hope.

Melody began to sing.

After the first line, Mercury joined in.

Then Blake.

Weiss.

Ren and Nora.

Jaune and Pyrrha.

Ruby and Yang.

Emerald.

Zephyr had picked the song way back. Back before he left; before they had even left Remnant temporarily. Back before they realised they had only seen part of him. Now, it seemed more appropriate. Maybe he had known the truth about himself, even if he refused to see it until later.

Integrity. Complicated.

They were good words.

Not just to describe someone.

Good words to live by.

The grave was now full. Grass began to grow.

The three graves stood identical now.

Only then did it begin to rain.

Time didn't exist anymore.

Eleven friends saying goodbye to a twelfth forever.

'Zephyr Oakley

Loving Brother

True Friend

Family is Family, Beyond Life and Death'