You're probably wondering where I've been. Well... I did post it on twitter but for the sake of those not there I'll say it. For the past few weeks I've been going through some stupid problems with my university. It's been mentally exhausting and enormously time consuming. I got super depressed because my life tends to live by the rule of "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". I felt like I was getting shafted.
Literally everything was falling apart around me and I was scrambling to try and get control over it all. I'm hoping things are settled now but being a bad luck charm, I can only dream.
It took me idk how long before I got inspiration to write this chapter and I hope I don't get interferance with the next one.
Again sorry for being so late, but I guess y'all are used to my inconsistencies by now.
Chapter 61: Drinking Does Not Heal
-Argus Hospital, Pyrrha's Room-
Elain folded her arms, pondering over the situation, "To jumpstart Pyrrha's Aura, we'd need someone whose own is compatible or at least the same type... but where would we get that..."
"Well about that…" Nova said nervously, brushing his hand against the back of his head.
They all turned to him with questioning stares, "You don't mean…" Weiss started.
"Yup," Nova made a popping sound when he said the 'p'.
"But how…?"
"You guys don't know this but, Ozpin offered Pyrrha the choice to become the next Fall Maiden, not just because she was the most trustworthy, but because Amber's Aura was extremely compatible with Pyrrha's. They were almost cut from the same cloth." Nova explained.
"And when you inherited the Fall Maiden's power… you also inherited Amber's Aura?" Yang asked as if trying to piece it together.
"Sorta… I haven't had a chance to… attune to the Maiden's power, and as such, I can't tap into it as freely as I'd like but, I think my Aura is more than a little compatible with Pyrrha."
Elain slapped her forehead in realization, "THE SERUM! I made the serum with Amber's blood! Her DNA code runs through your veins! You two are practically related!"
Nova shrugged, "When you put it like that… I guess we are… but more importantly, how do I jumpstart her aura?" he pointed to the very bewildered Pyrrha.
"Um… excuse me, you're saying stuff about Maidens and powers… what are you talking about?" she asked tilting her head.
They all facepalmed, forgetting that the redhead didn't remember any of that information, and no one wanted to explain it so Nova opted for the easiest route, "Don't worry about it too much, just know that we might be able to bring you back to your old self."
Pyrrha tried to protest it but all her cries went ignored.
"We need to transfer Nova's aura to her, the question is how…" Elain said thinking.
"Can't he just I don't know, use his aura on her?" Yang asked.
Hex deadpanned, "Honey, how exactly do you propose he does that?"
"Well, aren't they compatible?"
"It's not that simple. Even when they were transferring Amber's aura, Ozpin had to use a machine to do it. Even if we are compatible, Aura doesn't just move from one person to another…" Nova said with his hand on his chin.
Jaune struck an idea, "I GOT IT!"
"Huh?!"
"My semblance! I can transfer Aura, so why not use me as a medium? Nova sends his power to me and I direct the flow to Pyrrha!" Jaune explained.
"Jaune that's a genius idea!" Ruby said proudly, "But… can you actually do that?"
The blonde knight shrugged, "It's worth a shot right?" he looked to Nova's mom.
Elain shook her head, "Jaune this isn't just Aura, it's also Maiden power. There's no telling how much strain your body might go under if we do that. You could get seriously hurt… or worse…"
At the idea of Jaune getting hurt, Pyrrha instantly became worried, and she wasn't sure why her fears were this bad, "I-If it means he might get hurt… I don't want to… you shouldn't have to get hurt because of me!"
Jaune's heart broke a little, "Pyrrha, if it's for you? I'd do anything, no matter the cost…" he turned to Elain, "I'm going to do it. Besides, what better place to get hurt than a hospital am I right?"
Yang smiled, "I applaud you, good sir…"
He turned to the red-head, "Pyrrha, tell me, how do you feel about this… and be honest."
"Do we need to do this now? Can I think about this first?" she asked nervously. She was afraid, terrified that Jaune could get hurt, scared to know what her real memories were, and worried that she would cease to be herself.
Jaune shook his head, "I'm sorry Pyrrha, as much as we want to, we can't stay forever in Argus, and I'm afraid that prolonging this decision isn't an option..."
She bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before answering, "I… I don't want you to get hurt… all my instincts are telling me to protect you… but I don't know why and that bothers me! I want to know… so badly that it's eating me alive. I want to know who you are and why my heart hurts so much when I see you…" she says with tears streaming down her face.
"That's all I needed to hear. Nova? Let's do this."
There was a scrambling around the room as all those not directly involved were huddled to one end of the small hospital room, with nervous looks on their faces.
"Wait, this could hurt right?" Nora said raising the point. "Pain means screaming and noise? Won't the hospital get suspicious? What about camera feeds?" she pointed to the security camera at the corner of the room next to the door.
They all mouthed an 'O'. It was strange seeing Nora act reasonable and level headed for once, probably because it was her friend in this situation or maybe the emotions were overloading her brain.
"I think I can take care of the noise," Ren said, "My semblance can mask the room."
Weiss nodded, "Okay and Hex?"
"Already on the cameras..." she said pulling out her scroll and beginning tapping so furiously they swore her fingers were boneless. "Done. Hacked the feed so they just see a loop of us talking."
Yang pecked Hex on the cheek, "I love it when you go all super hacker mode."
The purplette just blushed in response, "Save it for when we're back home, this is serious!"
"Now you two" Elain said pointing to Nova and Jaune.
The dragon nodded and transformed into a girl, startling Pyrrha. "HUH?"
They disregarded her confusion, as Nova placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder. Jaune wrapped his left arm around Nova's arm so they were linked, then he placed his right arm on Pyrrha's head.
"Ready to do this?" Jaune asked both of them. Nova was already confirmed, but the question was Pyrrha, after all, this was about her.
Pyrrha looked apprehensive but still, she also nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be," she said.
"Okay… on three. One, two…" Jaune counted, "THREE!"
Nova instantly began summoning the Maiden's power, pouring the Aura into Jaune, while Ren used his own semblance to mask the emotions in the room, drowning the screaming into dull noise.
Aura began to swell in Nova's body as she tapped into the reservoir that was locked within the Maiden's powers. The moment she did so however, the Maiden's powers began to surge, building up and suddenly coming forth like a pump out of a well. The power that was thought to be inactive was now flowing without stopping.
The blonde was not prepared for the surge of power and began sweating, his face contorting in pain but he didn't scream. In his mind he could feel the stream of power from Nova, it was like a dam bursting forth uncontrollably. Desperately he struggled against the pressure until he was finally able to control the flow, and direct it to Pyrrha.
The others watched as a bright orange glow enveloped the trio as a stream of Aura flowed onto Pyrrha, covering her.
At first, the red-head seemed calm, but after about five seconds, she screamed in pain but made no move to let go or fight it as if she was glued to Jaune.
Jaune could feel the emotions flooding through Nova's Aura. It was like the Maiden's aura carried with it the emotions and memories of all its past wielders, and the three of them sat there, witnessing it all like a movie in their minds.
The various lives of the Maidens, Amber being struck down by Cinder, the visions of pain, of Cinder fighting Pyrrha atop Beacon tower, of Nova fighting Cinder in the Spring Vault. After about a minute of constant pain and anguish, Nova was out of Aura.
She collapsed on the floor in a sweaty mess while Pyrrha fell back on the bed, Jaune stood exhausted but still conscious.
"Are you all alright?!" Ruby asked rushing over to her girlfriend and helping her up.
"I'm… a little tired… how's… Pyrrha?" Nova asked with one eye open, barely able to stand.
Pyrrha had fallen unconscious on the bed, her face matted with sweat.
Elain checked her with her semblance, "She's… okay. No damage, no physical change. Her aura seems to be slowly but steadily stabilizing. I think she might need a day or two of rest before she's feeling better. Whether this worked or not… only time will tell…"
"What do you mean? I thought this would surely restore her memories…" Ruby pointed out worriedly.
Elain shook her head, "I said it was a possibility. This might only restart her ability to use Aura and her semblance. She may not actually recover her memories…"
Jaune gripped his arm in a death grip as if he needed something to hold on to, "I-It's fine… what matters is that we tried."
"You are one positive son of a bitch you know that?" Nova said with a half-smile.
"Don't talk about my mama like that," Jaune joked.
"Come on, let's leave before the rest of the hospital accuses us of tampering with the patient," Elain said as she hustled them out of the door. As they were leaving Ruby glanced at her scroll, still no word from Qrow. He'd gone for what she only assumed was to get drunk, and he'd not been home since. This wasn't something new, the other honorary nieces and nephews of the Hunstman would attest to that, but still, she couldn't help but worry.
"Any word from Uncle Qrow yet?" she whispered to Yang as they exited the hospital.
The blonde shook her head, "Nothing... but it's Uncle Qrow, so I'm not too worried. He'll turn up when he's done getting wasted."
"I hope you're right..."
-One Day earlier-
Qrow Branwen knew drama would unfold in the Arc household long before they had a chance to settle in. While they were all about to discuss the information Jinn had given them, he'd slipped out of the house. While he knew he had a responsibility to be there and take the role of the adult in the situation, he had his own problems to deal with.
A gnawing feeling, eating at his soul like a rat nibbling on trash when no one was looking. It wasn't anger he was feeling, nor was it despair. What he was feeling was more akin to frustration and hopelessness. Some argue that despair and hopelessness were the same, but to him, there was a fine line that separated the two, and he was the only one that knew what it was.
In all his years as a Huntsman, Qrow Branwen stood by one thing and one thing only, the flask of liquid that nestled itself so close to his heart, and now it was practically empty. It usually took him a few days to drain it, but since their encounter in the snow, he'd somehow drained what usually took a week, in a day.
Qrow had seen it all, death, destruction, betrayal, and sadness. He'd seen once joyful people become torn apart emotionally, and somehow, he'd distanced himself from it all, or at least he let himself believe he did.
For Qrow, the difference between despair and hopelessness was that in the former, it was a temporary feeling, that would linger for a bit before courage and hope would run in and shed light. Hopelessness to Qrow, true hopelessness, was a dark pit of shadow where no light would shine, and no one would be able to pull him out of… well except for two people.
Two people in his life that was able to make him see the light again, to believe that there would be an end to it all, when peace would reign and he would get the rest he needed. Summer Rose… and Ozpin.
Qrow could still remember, in the days of his youth. Team STRQ was an elite force that seemed infallible, all because of the bright star that was Summer Rose. She held her team together like glue, a group of rascals that seemed so different that they would never get along had it not been for her.
As a boy, Qrow never knew the feeling of love or friendship. His own sister who stood by him felt nothing more than a stranger, someone he could rely on in battle, but would never share a moment of emotion with. He was isolated in his mind, a solitary bird with no need for anyone else. That's who he was, and who he was determined to be. His semblance made sure of that, but Summer was different.
Summer Rose was the emotional bond he needed, the sisterly and motherly figure that he'd so desperately craved in his life. She was one of the two people that gave him purpose, a reason to become a better person.
The other influence was Ozpin. When Qrow had nowhere to go, when he and Raven were nothing but bloodthirsty bandits, stealing and killing because it's what their tribe needed them to do, Ozpin had extended a hand. He offered them a place of belonging, where they wouldn't have to commit to such a life, where they could bring a positive change to the world with their unique skills.
Ozpin took care of them, rewarded them when they did good, scolded them when they did bad, provided a place to anchor their drifting souls. There was no sense of emotional fatherly love between Ozpin and the Branwen twins, but Qrow had come to see the older man as just that, a father of sorts.
He looked up to the headmaster with respect and reverence, for he saw Ozpin as a shining beacon of hope and light, a reason to live every day. And, just like that, he'd unconsciously begun seeking acknowledgment from Ozpin, he thought that if he devoted everything to him, that the man would see Qrow as not just a student, or a Huntsman, but as a friend, a son even.
For a time… Qrow believed he'd achieved it all when Ozpin had made him part of his personal counsel, the group of people responsible for protecting Remnant. He'd figured that since Ozpin trusted him with the secret, that he was finally where he'd always dreamed of being.
How foolish he was to believe that for even a second.
Qrow found himself where he'd always called home, a hardwood stool at the counter of a bar, his scroll on silent, and the only thing on his mind was the bottle and numbness that would soon follow.
"Ain't seen you around before," A grizzly barkeep said as he approached Qrow from behind the counter. He was a tall, thick man with a heavy brown beard and a bald head.
Qrow looked up at the man with disregard, "New in town, just figured I needed a drink…"
The man eyed him, "With a look like that, I'd say you need more than just a drink mate."
The Branwen glared at him, he disliked these types of barkeeps. They tended to strike up a conversation when business was slow. On a different day, Qrow wouldn't have minded, but tonight he was trying to swallow down his pain, not deal with it upfront.
"My business is my own," he growled.
The man shrugged, "Suit yourself, I just thought a Huntsman of your caliber would have a story or two to share."
Qrow blinked, "How'd you know?"
The man quirked an eyebrow and pointed at Harbinger that was strapped to Qrow's back.
This made Qrow pinch the bridge of his nose for his denseness.
"So what'll it be?"
"Whiskey, on the rocks," he said sliding some Lien to the man.
The bartender thumbed through the money, humming to himself, then reached up for a top-shelf bottle and plopped a glass with a large ice sphere in it, before handing him the bottle.
Qrow poured a glass and downed it in a single go, not bothering to enjoy it for a second. It was a slow night for the bar, and there wasn't anyone else there besides Qrow. A lonely man in a lonely bar seemed fitting.
Glass after glass, he sat in silence, drinking away his pain until only numbness followed, yet no matter what he did, he could only think of his worries.
It wasn't that Ozpin had been keeping secrets from him that hurt Qrow… it was the look in his eyes when he said that he didn't trust anyone with it.
It was the constant denial and malcontent that Ozpin oozed when he said the words, "The only person I can trust in the world is myself." They hurt Qrow worse than any weapon or Grimm he'd ever fought against. It was the feeling of being betrayed by someone you saw as a father, a mentor.
Being told that you weren't trusted by someone you worked your entire life for, devoted everything toward, just for the sake of that trust, was akin to having his heart stabbed out and left to bleed before his own eyes.
It made him question whether the near thirty years he'd spent in service of the man was even worth it. He would think back to Raven's words when she abandoned team STRQ.
"You're a fool Qrow. That man is nothing but a liar and a manipulative snake. You're wasting your life following him around like some lost puppy. He's not your father Qrow, he's just using you for his own gain." They were stains in his mind that he could never forget. At the time she said them, he'd called them bullshit. He'd said that she was a selfish woman who'd abandon her friends and family for the sake of her own feelings.
Now… he knew what she meant back then. He understood it all. Raven made the right call to leave when she did. She'd hoped to spare Yang and Tai any further involvement with Ozpin, but it seemed fate had other decisions.
Fate… such a funny term. Qrow believed that his actions and choices were his own, but all the talk of the universe manipulating people to become its champions, a self-sustaining Remnant with its version if sentience. Was any of it his choice? Was the road he was on even a product of his own decisions.
If so, then why would the world put him through so many horrible experiences and hardships? Was it just his luck? Was he meant to always be the fall guy? The one to be thrown under the bus so everyone else could move on?
What was his real purpose then? To be an experienced Hunstman and guide the others to saving the world?
He couldn't kill Salem, he couldn't fight against Onyx or whatever dark forces that followed. He was strong but he wasn't that strong. He was just a normal human, he didn't have Silver Eyes or magic powers. The only thing he had going for him, was bad luck and an alcohol problem.
"Do they even need me anymore?" Qrow said aloud, thinking about Ruby and the others. Two years ago, sure he would've taken care of them all easily. Now? He wasn't sure he was fit to even stand on the same battlefield as them. If his purpose was to serve Ozpin, and now he'd been abandoned, then his purpose was to protect the others, guide them, but he couldn't even do that right.
"Just look at me," he muttered, "I'm supposed to be with them, but I can't get past my own vices… I'm a pathetic excuse for a man…"
"Why are you beating yourself up mate?" the grizzly man asked with genuine concern. In all his time in Argus, this was his first genuinely self-loathing drunk.
Qrow was too hammered to even care, "Because I deserve it. I can't do my job, I've got no place anymore."
The barkeep listened in with a lidded gaze, "Maybe you should just do what you can?"
Qrow laughed dryly, "What can I do? Pretty sure I'm just a worthless piece of shit that wasted his life chasing after a father figure that didn't even care in the first place…" his head began to nod off.
The man shook his head, when someone was in this deep, words would never reach them, the only thing left would be to cut off their supply.
"Bar's closing mate," the bartender said as he roused Qrow from his partial sleep.
"Come on… let me stay for a few more…"
"No can do, I already let you overstay your welcome. It's nearly three in the morning. Go. Home." He then picked up Qrow and began to carry him outside.
"HEY WHAT ARE YOU?!" Qrow protested but was too drunk to fight back, as he was forcefully thrown out of the door.
The man shot him a pitiful gaze and threw Qrow's flask onto him, it was now refilled. "I can't help you, but I hope you find what you're lookin' for," he said before closing up the shop.
Qrow despised that look, the pity that filled his eyes. He didn't want pitty, he just wanted to be needed again. Now without a bar, he was left to sulk in his drunken drear, so he did the only thing he could do, and that was to walk home.
As he approached the Arc house, most of the lights were off except the living room. He moved to knock on the door, but then he heard the talking going on between Ruby and Nova. He saw them through the parted curtains of the front window.
Qrow watched in silence as he could barely make out Ruby and Nova happily chatting away, perfectly fine without him. The older huntsman always felt a sense of responsibility for Ruby, after all, he blamed himself for what happened to Summer. He couldn't protect her, and his own semblance, his own bad luck was the root of the cause. Call it redemption or guilt, it was that feeling that drove him to help Tai raise Ruby, making him favour her over his own blood-related niece, though he'd never tell her that. He tried to treat them both equally, but Ruby was always special.
Perhaps it was because she looked like Summer, there was barely a shred of Tai in her, that Qrow was so drawn to protect her, but seeing her now, made Qrow realize something. Ruby wasn't the helpless little girl that she was eleven years ago, she was older, wiser, and stronger than he could ever have dreamed about.
Then the reality struck him like a blow to the head. He'd been with them, under the pretense that she needed his protection, and while that might've been true before, Nova was here now, and he would protect her in his stead, and unlike him, Nova wasn't a bad luck charm.
"They don't need me…" he said under his breath, a sad smile gracing his features as he stepped away from the door, and back out into the night.
The day went by with Qrow walking around in a drunken stupor, getting lost in places he knew he shouldn't be in, spending hours with women he never got the name for, until he found himself back again, at the foot of the Arc house. No matter where he went or how he distracted himself, he somehow always returned.
Groaning, he walked to the dumpster at the side of the house and slumped down, eventually falling asleep in the cold night air, hoping the frigid temperatures would take him.
Nova awoke the next morning feeling hungover and hazy, her dreams filled with visions of Amber being struck down by Cinder, flashes of people she didn't know but for some reason felt a sense of familiarity toward. The effects of the aura transfer had drained her more than she thought, and the aftermath still lingered. It might've been because she was now properly attuning her body to the Fall Maiden's powers but, her body refused to revert to its male form.
Breakfast was unusually chirpy, with Oscar and Luna looking very close. If she were to hazard a guess, she'd say that their night out was a lot more interesting than expected.
"I'll have to talk with him about that later..." Nova said to herself as went upstairs to get dressed. Donning a red long-sleeved turtleneck sweater, a white skirt, and black leggings, she returned to Ruby, who was making them coffee. "Any word from Uncle Qrow?"
Ruby's stirring slowed, "I... haven't been able to get through... it just goes to voicemail every time..." she said solemnly.
Nova saw the worry on her face and sighed, "Chin up Red, I'm sure he's fine. Probably found one of his old friends and got so drunk he passed out for a whole day." she moved in closer and hugged her from behind.
The reaper leaned back and smiled, "I hope so..."
"Oi one of you love birds, can you go take out the trash? The bag's getting kinda full and Saphron and I got our hands tied with Adrien." Tera said coming from the kitchen carrying baby food.
"Sure thing Mrs. Arc," Nova said with a wink before kissing Ruby on the cheek and chugging down the hot coffee. At least she was still immune to being burnt...
She grabbed the rather full bag and began tugging it outside, pathing through the front door while avoiding the stench that was emanating from the bag. It was only after she threw the trash into the dumpster did she spy a gloomy and dark-eyed Qrow Branwen, slumped against the wall, drinking from his flask.
He looked like a rat that had been through heavy sewage, the gray clothes he normally wore were brown and blackened from grime, his smell reeked of alcohol and unwashed body.
"SHIT! Uncle Qrow is that you?!" She asked with alarm.
Qrow looked up blearily, "Huh...? Oh... it's you..." he said with a depressed tone before taking another swig from his flask.
"What happened to you? Where've you been?! DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WERE?!"
"Worried? Didn't look that way to me... if I really mattered to you, you'd have come looking for me..."
"What in the living hell are you talking about? Haven't you checked your scroll?" Nova was fuming.
The older huntsman spat on the floor and checked his scroll to see forty-eight missed calls from Ruby, twelve from Yang, thirteen from Luna, and nine text messages from Nova.
"Huh... so you do care..." he grumbled tucking the scroll away.
"YEAH, WE CARE! What's wrong with you?! Why are you like this?"
"Because, you don't need me, Ozpin doesn't need me. No one needs me. All I do is bring bad luck and fuck everything up... you're better off without me..." he said despairingly.
Nova was taken aback. This wasn't the uncle she knew and loved. In her eyes, Qrow Branwen was a sarcastic, volatile powerhouse with the skill to back up his sharp tongue. The Qrow she was seeing before her, was nothing but an empty husk of a man with nothing but sadness in his heart.
"Come on... let's get you inside..." Nova said sighing, trying to pull him up.
Qrow just brushed her off, "Leave me alone..."
"No, I'm not leaving you alone. You're going to get yourself cleaned up and help me plan our next move on the Atlas base."
"Do it without me. You're better off with me not being there. I'll just ruin it all."
Nova was losing his patience, if words of positivity wouldn't reach him, then maybe...
"Bullshit," she said with spite. "You don't get to beat yourself up."
"Don't you get it, kid? This is all my fault... it's all because of me..."
"And I'm saying that you don't have the right to feel sorry for yourself."
"So what?" Qrow was beginning to lose his patience, be it due to the alcohol or his own emotional state.
"Prove it. Prove to me that you're a worthless piece of shit that caused all this." she extended a fist toward the man's face, hovering inches from it.
Qrow eyed her, "You want me to fight you?"
"I'm saying that if you think you're so worthless to this team, then I want you to prove it. If fighting me is what it takes, then fight me."
Qrow knew Nova was trying to egg him on, and it was working.
"Listen, kid... It is all my fault, that's why I've been..."
Nova was beginning to feel her blood pressure rising, if Qrow was refusing to fight her then she needed to say something so horrible it would anger the older huntsman. What Qrow needed was self-realization that he was worthy, that he had a purpose, and words alone would never push through, so she steeled her resolve and said words she would regret for the rest of her life.
"The reason why Ozpin left you isn't that he didn't trust you, it's because of your shitty attitude. Who would want an old man that just gives up after getting his heartbroken anyway." Nova then put her hands by her eyes in fake crying, "Wahhh look at me, I'm Qrow Branwen and I'm sad because my sister left me, my daddy left me and I can't stand for myself."
Qrow was becoming enraged, "Alright you're going too far... don't make me..."
"See that? That right there. So rash and impulsive. Maybe it's not your bad luck that caused it all... you insult Summer's memory by becoming like this..."
Qrow was on him like a tiger on its prey, Harbinger's blade mere fraction of a hair's distance from Nova's throat. "How would you know what it means to honor her memory huh? You don't know a goddamn thing!"
Nova narrowed her eyes, but an evil smile played on her lips, "Oh so you do have fight in you... why don't you prove me wrong huh? Outside of town, in the forest, ten minutes."
Qrow glared daggers at Nova, before lowering the blade, "We settle this... now..."
Nova smirked and walked back to the house. She made her way to Helios that was resting against the bookshelf in the living room, next to Crescent Rose.
Ruby spotted her picking up the weapon, "Hey... what's going on?"
Nova shot her a smile. "Just going to teach our dear old uncle a lesson..."
Ruby's eyes widened, "You found Uncle Qrow?!"
The dragon nodded, "Yeah actually... come with me. Don't tell anyone else, I don't want them to see what's going to happen..."
The reaper gulped and followed the dragon outside to find the disheveled Qrow standing impatiently.
"You brought her with you? Low blow kid..." Qrow growled.
"Uncle Qrow?! What's going on?!" Ruby asked in worry and panic.
Her uncle didn't acknowledge the statement and continued off with Nova. Ruby could only follow in silence and worry.
-Outskirts of Argus-
Ruby observed Qrow and Nova glaring at each other with nervous anticipation. The tension between them was so thick she could cut it with a knife.
They finally stopped a few miles away from the city, in the dense forest that surrounded the safe haven. Getting outside wasn't a problem, all Qrow had to do was flash his Huntsman license and the guards relented almost immediately. No words had been said prior to their arrival, just death glares, and bitter emotions.
"Are we far enough away now?" Nova asked dryly. They were in a wide-open snowy clearing, only dead tree trunks and snow-covered logs decorated the space.
"I'm going to make you retract that statement... you can blame me all you want but don't you dare bring her into this..." Qrow said referring to Nova's earlier statement about Summer.
"Bring who into this? What's he talking about?" Ruby asked looking to Nova.
The dragon leader didn't look at her, and instead began spacing herself from Qrow, "Don't worry about that Rubes, just sit there and watch... this'll be over in a second..."
Qrow spat on the floor, gripping Harbinger in a drawing stance, "I didn't teach you to be arrogant kid..."
"You didn't teach me to be irresponsible either, but I tend to learn by example..."
Qrow didn't have a moment to ponder on what that meant, as Nova was on him instantly. The gap of a few meters was closed in an instant, the vibrant blade of Helios in sword form slashing across his vision. He barely had a moment to react, pulling up his own sword to block just in time.
Sparks flew into the air as the heated blade clashed with Qrow's cold steel. The force of the impact sent both blades ricocheting into the air, the combatants forced back.
Qrow spun Harbinger into a scythe and threw it at Nova who blocked the rotating blade and deflected it upward. Qrow used that moment to jump in, swipe at Nova's legs forcing her to jump, before catching Harbinger and cleaving at her head. This caught the dragon off guard and sent her sprawling into the snow, gripping at the white powder with her left arm to stabilize.
That one blow did heavy aura damage, and Nova felt the clear difference between when Qrow was sparring, and when he had intent to harm, but there was a hesitation in his swing.
"No flames today? Holding back are we?" Qrow raised his eyebrow, not looking amused.
"Yeah, you're not worth it..." Nova lied through her teeth. The words hurt to say but if she was going to have any hope of reaching Qrow, she needed to change his emotional state completely.
Qrow held a death glare, "You'll regret treating me lightly..."
There it was, the spark of the old Qrow returning. Nova was breaking through.
The dragon didn't respond, deciding to resheath Helios and enter a drawing stance. Qrow saw the stance and decided to stop him before he could fully prepare for the move, but it was too late. The moment Qrow had crossed half the distance between them, the blade shot out of the mechanical sheathe with extreme velocity, the wave of heated wind from the blade's force crashed into Qrow, knocking him up before Nova was on him, unleashing a flurry of two-handed swings. There was a distinct rising in temperature as her blade swung as if the battle was igniting Nova's power.
Qrow kicked Nova in the chest to disengage before using Harbinger to catch himself on the ground and find his balance again. Nova recoiled from the blow and began to assess herself. There was a bubbling feeling in her stomach, a familiar fleeting sensation of rising fire, but just as she noticed it, it was gone.
Meanwhile, there were scratches all over Qrow's face and his clothes looked slightly torn, he was exhausted. Still, he pressed on, diving back into Nova's range, and together they began exchanging blows, steel against Incindium, sparks flying into the air as the snow around them slowly melted. Qrow knew how to fight Nova, using alternating attack patterns to throw off his semblance, not giving it a chance to adapt to his attacks.
Nova tried to disengage with a cartwheel kick, taking advantage of her flexibility, but upon attempting to shift balance in combat, she slipped on a patch of wet ice and almost fell flat on her face. She barely steadied herself in time to block an uppercut from Qrow and counter with a slash from Helios.
The blades clashed, Qrow threw a punch but Nova dodged it, caught Harbinger by the hilt, and held Qrow down while she sent a solid punch to Qrow's face. The blow that would've normally taken out a concrete pillar, Qrow just took it with no effort, fighting against the impact and landing his own kick, sending them both flying backward, both their aura's broken. Nova had a busted lip while Qrow's cheek looked purple.
Ruby couldn't take it anymore "STOP THIS PLEASE!" she yelled, "BOTH OF YOU!"
Nova spat blood onto the floor, "Not until I teach this old man a lesson," she smiled with vigour.
Qrow grimaced and struggled to his feet, "Not until this one apologizes for what she said..."
"I won't apologize for shit! Hating yourself and acting the way you've been brings nothing but disgrace to Summer's memory!" Nova yelled in anger.
At the mention of her mother's name, Ruby's eyes went wide, "What...?"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED?! DID RAVEN TELL YOU?!" Qrow snarled with fury.
Nova shook her head, "No one did, I don't know what happened but judging by your reaction I guess I'm right in my assumption that you blame yourself for her death, you blame yourself for not being good enough, for bringing misfortune to the people around you... but guess what? You can't change the past, you can't go back and fix things, but you can help the future!"
"That's just it!" Qrow yelled back, "I'm trying to fix things by leaving!"
"THEN WHY WERE YOU THERE AT THE HOUSE?! IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WOULD'VE BEEN LONG GONE!"
Qrow stopped dead in his tracks. Why did he stay? Why didn't he just leave while everyone was busy? He could've slipped out quietly while no one was looking and...
'No that's not right," he thought bitterly, 'They were looking... and they wouldn't have stopped looking...I needed to say goodbye...'
"You can't leave Qrow. No matter what you tell yourself, you still worry about us. All that shit you said about us not needing your protection, but look at me Qrow. LOOK AT ME!" Nova yelled with tears flowing down. "MY POWERS DON'T WORK RIGHT NOW! BETWEEN THE TWO OF US WHO'S MORE BEATEN? YOU OR ME?"
Qrow looked down at himself, sure his clothes were beaten and he had a few bruises, but Nova was actually bleeding, she looked much more exhausted than he was. This realization shocked him... this whole time he thought that powers or not, Nova was strong enough to fight him, and she was, physically at least, but not tactically. Qrow was an experienced Huntsman, he was used to different styles of fighting, and for someone like Nova who had a very direct approach, countering her was easy, still, the physical damage spoke for itself.
"Then why am I..." Qrow looked at his own bruised knuckles and fell to the floor on his knees.
"Qrow the reason why I said you dishonor Summer's memory is because, she trusted you with Ruby. She trusted you to look after and protect her daughters, both of them, just like Uncle Randolf trusted you to look after me and Luna." Nova began to explain, sheathing Helios. "Just because Ozpin abandoned you doesn't mean you get to abandon your responsibilities."
"I... thought I didn't have a purpose anymore... I mean you're all so strong now..." Qrow looked at Ruby with sad eyes that were both forlorn and filled with pride. "I figured... you could take care of yourselves..."
"Take care of ourselves?! Uncle Qrow... I'm barely seventeen!" Nova vented.
That statement threw Qrow for a loop. It was so easy to forget that the kids he was with were exactly that, kids. No matter how mature or smart or how much life experience they have, they were just teenagers.
"But your mom..."
"My mom's a doctor! She doesn't know anything about Huntsman business! When it comes to this work, all that we've been doing is going on plans that I've been throwing out, decisions that I've been making. Yeah, we can say it was a group decision, but when it comes down to it, they look to me, you, and Ruby for the final call, and guess what Uncle Qrow? Ruby and I don't know what we're doing. Every day, every night we go to bed plagued by the questions of whether or not we made the right decisions thus far, that we're leading the people we love down the right road."
Qrow was at a loss for words.
"And at the end of the day Uncle Qrow, we're tired! I'm tired! For just once in my life I'd like some help from someone who has the experience and knowledge to tell me whether I'm right or wrong. QROW I'M TIRED OF PRETENDING TO BE THE ADULT!" Nova vented fully, pouring out the pent up frustration inside her.
Ruby was done being silent, "She's right Uncle Qrow. You can't just up and leave us, leave me, with this burden. I don't know what to do, going forward I'm not sure I can ever make the right call. Together Nova and I can work something out but at the end of the day you have more experience than either of us."
"But you seemed to be doing just fine without..." he tried to argue, but Ruby was having none of it. She walked up and slapped him hard across the cheek, her face red with fury.
"Don't you dare say we're fine without you! Who was it that saved me and the others in Mistral forest when we got attacked by Tyrian? Who was it that was constantly watching over our backs to ensure nothing bad happened to us? WHO WAS IT THAT PROTECTED YANG AND I WHEN WE WERE LOST IN THE FOREST LOOKING FOR OUR MOM?!" Ruby was crying now, balling up her fists into Qrow's shirt. "You're always looking out for us, and just because we're getting stronger doesn't mean we don't need you around anymore. We will always need you... because there's only one Qrow Branwen." she was smiling now, hugging Qrow with tear-filled eyes and looking up at him.
"I don't know what happened to my mom, and I may not have known her as much as you have, but I do know that she put her faith in you, she trusted you. I trust you, and we both never wanted to see you like this..." she finished, the teardrops falling softly onto her red hood, reminding Qrow of the teary-eyed helpless Ruby from all those years ago. It made him remember that feeling, that urge to protect the girl he'd worked so hard to help raise, the one who was the closest thing to a daughter he ever had.
He'd be damned if he ever let anything happen to her... to any of them, while he still drew breath.
Qrow stood stock still, drinking it all in. He was silent, staring up at the sky, shadows hiding his eyes as a single teardrop rolled down his right cheek, and hearty laughter filled his chest. He was raw, his soul was damaged, but for the sake of those he loved, he would live with it, that was his resolve.
"I feel like such an idiot..." he muttered under his breath, slowly returning Ruby's hug.
"Yeah you are, the biggest fucking idiot..." Nova said approaching him with a smile and warping her arms around him. It was then that the two girls got a good whiff of him and recoiled with a simultaneous "EWWWW!"
"Uncle Qrow you smell like a dead rat..." Ruby said holding her nose.
Nova was making gagging noise as moving further away, "No he smells like something that ate a dead rat then died while defecating itself..." the imagery made Ruby turn slightly green.
"Come on it's not that bad..." he tried to defend himself.
"GO HOME AND TAKE A SHOWER NOW!" they both said simultaneously.
Okay so a couple things to note. The next chapter will be about Ruby and Nova training to get their abilities under control for sure, I will also do the Calavera sisters backstory as well. Hopefully, I finish all that in one chapter so I can start on the actual plot, and begin advancing to Atlas and volume 7.
So you've noticed I gave Qrow some much needed character development and I resolved his depression early. That job was supposed to be done by Clover who would go on to become his source of depression. That won't change dw. My plans for volume 7 are massive, these episodes of character development now are precursors for the absolute nukes I will be dropping in volume 7, at least... I HOPE they turn out that good.
Anyway, hopefully, one day I will return to being a consistent writer, but for until then you'll have to put up with me. Stay awesome ^-^
