A/N: Here's that good good wound patching trope - but platonic bc it's Blake and then cute bc the team comes back :)
This chapter does have some injury and scar description along with some hints of what Qrow had been through - but again nothing graphic.
Please enjoy!
Yang looked back at her, before they went back into the dangers of the castle, like she always would. Blake stood at the ship's ramp, and gave her a nod. They would see each other again, and they would both be fine. Yang nodded back, a thousand pleas and promises to be safe in her eyes, and turned away to follow Ruby.
Blake watched until they disappeared into the gothic halls, then checked the area around the ship. The Grimm were still in the valley, mostly by the pools of black spotting the landscape. Blake couldn't see any easy route for them to reach their airship.
Inside, Qrow's pained breaths filled the silence. Blake hadn't even noticed them before, only trying to process the shift in their mission. Ren's semblance could work wonders on the mind, but it was a delicate thing. "It's like coaxing someone to sleep," he had once told them. "But trying to not completely shut off their brain."
Blake let him work, instead looking for the airship's medical kit. It had been used before - the ship wasn't exactly in top shape after so long - but she would make due with what was left. Better her than Yang, or Ruby. She was almost, almost, glad they were gone. They both were a bundle of nerves whenever Blake tried to patch someone up.
After Yang at Beacon, and Sun in Menagerie, Blake never again wanted to feel helpless when someone was hurt. Aura was fickle, and they were so vulnerable without it.
The kit still had a blanket, which Blake deemed clean enough, though she knew they must have used it before. She pulled it out and carried the rest of the kit to Qrow.
Ren's light pink aura glowed around his temples, Blake cleared her throat to make him look. "Here," she showed him the thin, gray blanket softly laying it softly over him. It reached from his abdomen to cover most of his feet - though they were a sickly color and Blake couldn't help but wonder if he even felt them. She'd work on cleaning his upper half first. Hopefully he would be numb enough that antiseptic wouldn't hurt - or make him panic.
Blake didn't have much experience with full on prisoners, but the Faunus the White Fang would meet in outer Mistral's labor camps were always jumpy. Guarded, but also distant. Qrow had a similar look in his eyes that made her stomach turn.
She swallowed the feeling, and focused her ears to listen around the ship. No Grimm nearby . She blew out a breath, and softly laid a hand on Qrow's shoulder. "I'm going to try and patch some of your wounds. Clean and bandage them, that's all. It shouldn't hurt."
She looked to Ren for confirmation. He just flicked his eyes to hers, and nodded slowly. "Hold off on his arm." He advised.
Blake glanced across Qrow to his left forearm, swollen, purple and slanted slightly. His wrist was pushed painfully against the shackle. She sighed, the pain of setting a bone would break through any of Ren's blocks. Qrow dragged it limply from his chest, away from Blake. "Tyrian." He muttered. "Calls them 'going away presents'."
Blake's heart thudded hard against her chest. "I'm sorry." She told him quietly. Yang was always better at this. Weiss, and even Jaune were better at this. Yang used to tease her - she reads all these books, but rarely knows the right words. "It will never happen again."
Qrow made a grunt, Blake took that as her time to get to work. There were wounds that opened on his shoulders when they first moved him, she started there. He didn't flinch at the cleaning pads, Ren's semblance must be taking effect for the pain.
The grime on his skin came off as almost black on the antiseptic. Blake focused on scrubbing around the wounds, the layers that have built up on him. For the two, truly deep cuts she had access to, Blake used synthetic stitches. Though sparingly - the last thing they needed was to have none and the rest of her team come back bloody. They had plenty of bandages, and she wrapped them around Qrow wherever she could without moving him too much.
More than once, she found a needle-like stinger embedded where his skin tried to heal around it. She made a point to toss them out of the ship, far away.
Where his neck met his shoulder, she pulled out a feather. Skinny, with its black plume nearly shredded. It left a small hole in his skin when she plucked it. Blake tried to school her frown. "Wings," Qrow rasped, making her jump. "He gave me wings...just so, he could take them away."
His words came out slow, and half muttered. Blake had to play them back in her head to understand. She looked up to Ren, who did glance back this time. "I'm almost done." He said quietly, and shook his head at Blake.
Qrow must be lucid from Tranquility, she decided. Most end up sleeping until it wears off. There was no use trying to argue with him - that what he said was impossible. "Okay, Qrow."
He didn't say anything else, Blake started a mental list of things they'll need when they get back to Patch. Scar treatment made the top. Every huntsman had them, but the mass of erratic patterns across Qrow was excessive, noticeable. He seemed to have more raised skin than not.
When she reached down to his wrist, the thick metal cuffs still molded on, Blake took a moment to breathe. She listened around the ship again to check for Grimm, wiped her hands, and reminded herself that this was what she needed to do. Not just for Yang and Ruby's sake, but for Qrow himself.
They hadn't been close, nowhere near like his nieces, but they had talked. That first day after the Battle for Haven, he'd welcomed her back. Told her that being back meant more than she knew. And in Atlas, the few nights she still could not get to sleep, she had run into Qrow up at ungodly hours too.
"Whatcha been reading, kid?" He asked, and when she answered: "Go and read it then, get back to sleep. You don't want to hang out with an old man at four in the fucking morning." It had made her chuckle, at least.
Loyal , had always been her word for Qrow. Loyal to the niece he followed across a continent. Loyal to his team, which wasn't even a team anymore. Loyal to Ozpin, even when his lies were revealed and it brought out in Qrow what Yang called his worst side.
Even loyal to Atlas - though he seemed to hate most aspects of it - they thought he died for it. While trying to support Yang, Blake couldn't help but feel heavy with remorse too. She had recognized him trying to change, to be and feel better - even if he had to fake it. She did the same thing so many times over now. It had not been fair, for Qrow to die right when he claiming his life again.
But he did not, and Blake was left to wonder if she can do anything to ease chafing while the shackles were still on.
She glanced up, and saw Qrow's eyes trained on her. He blinked sluggishly. "We'll get them off." She promised, and tried not to look at the band around his neck.
"Yang." He croaked, and Blake blinked. She was about to tell him yes, Yang would get the cuffs off, but he spoke again. "Why'd you call her that?"
"What do you mean?" She frowned, looking to Ren. His eyes were closed in concentration, Blake let him be. What had she called-
Maiden.
The realization made her heart sink, she hadn't even thought about Qrow in that moment. It was the one thing that she knew would make Yang go.
"It's.." she sighed. "When Atlas.." Again, lost for words. How could she tell him his sister was dead? That she had lied to him, and now Yang had an even bigger target on her back?
Everything in Atlas happened so fast - Blake's memories blurred together at some points. But Raven returning, with Yang and Ruby's dad, suddenly ready to fight? They found it hard to believe until Raven was actually by their side, full power on display.
It cost her though, and Blake remembered even clearer how Yang just pushed through the Battle. Days later she came to Blake, like it all just hit her. Atlas was gone. Her Uncle was gone. Her mother was trying to do right - only to have left again, for good. And passed an unimaginable burden onto her daughter.
Qrow hadn't looked away, besides to slowly blink. Though, Blake doubted she could get out of answering him.
"So much has happened." She gripped her arm, that nauseous feeling rising in her stomach again. "When Salem arrived in Atlas, Raven used her portal to Yang to help us. Her dad - Taiyang - he came too. Raven said - well, she showed us that she was the Spring Maiden. We tried to stop Salem, but she had this army, and this huge Grimm. The vault for the relic wasn't opened, but she destroyed Atlas by breaking it apart. Tyrian didn't lie to you about that."
Qrow frowned, creasing his brow, but said nothing. Ren moved his hands from his head, the pink aura fading back into his skin. He nodded to her, encouraging. Blake took a deep breath. Quick and clear is probably best. She thought. At least to make him understand.
"Raven died while protecting transports." She kept her voice steady. "It was one Yang was inside of. The power transferred to her."
For a while, Qrow didn't move - or react at all. Blake tried to will herself to say it again, or ask if he heard her, until his eyes drifted down. Blake saw him swallow thickly. His voice was soft. "Okay."
"I'm sorry." She said, before her ears twitched. They swiveled towards the sounds coming from outside. "I think the others are back."
Ren was on his feet in a second, jogging to the ramp of the ship. "They're coming! They have them!"
Blake felt her breath leave her, and pushed herself to her feet. Later, when the odd mix of fear or relief faded, she'd feel bad about leaving Qrow alone, but she was pulled away - she had to know if everyone else was alright. She relaxed slightly at the sight of Jaune and Nora hurrying out of the castle, a Relic in each hand. The soft blue glow of the Lamp with Nora stood out sharply against the harsh orange of the Sword. "Where's-"
She couldn't get the question out before the rest of her team was in sight, trailing closely behind. A bit roughed up from a fight, but whole and uninjured as far as Blake could tell.
Ren and Nora embraced, quickly pulling Jaune into their hug. The rest of RWBY filed quickly into the ship - Weiss to the cockpit, Ruby kneeling beside her uncle. "What happened?"
Yang rested a hand on Blake's arm, her gauntlets were still hot. "Hazel was guarding the Relics."
Qrow jerked his head up, Ruby grabbed his shoulder. "But we're fine." She assured. Weiss was closing the ramp, the ship's engine started to hum. "We're leaving. We're going home, Uncle Qrow."
"Yeah," Jaune huffed, and dumped himself into a seat. The Sword rested between his legs, but he gripped his knees. "I can't believe that worked."
"We're not exactly in the clear yet!" Weiss called from the cockpit as the ship raised in the air. Blake risked a glance out the window, the noise would be attracting the Grimm from the ground. Who knew how many could become airborne. "Ren, I know you've done a lot already,"
"I can hide us." He nodded, but looked to Jaune. A boost would make it so much easier, Blake knew, but they had to get out.
Jaune hoisted himself up to sit next to Ren. "Right. Hazel said the Seers knew where we were - they could maybe even reach Salem."
"If she's on her way.."
"We'll be long gone." Weiss cut off Nora's concern. Ren's shimmer of aura surrounded the ship as Weiss flicked switches on the controls, before gripping the yoke. They shot off quickly, Blake felt a weight leave her as Evernight started shrinking behind them.
Yang must have noticed, she wrapped an arm around Blake's waist. "We're okay." She whispered, and pressed a kiss to Blake's temple.
She squeezed their hands together. "Yeah. We are." It felt good to say it out loud. It wasn't over, but they finally had total victory.
Blake looked down to Ruby, still watching Qrow carefully. He had sunk into sleep soon after they had come, but she still held his hand in her's. She pulled Yang to sit next to their leader, wrapping Ruby between them with their arms linked. Yang hugged her for a moment, before turning to Qrow. The cuffs were still on, she gently took his hand from Ruby's, and her eyes lit aflame. Blake watched as she carefully pressed a heated finger against the metal.
Ruby looked to Blake, her eyes shining. Her other hand stayed on Yang's shoulder in support. "Thank you."
The softness of her voice made Blake's heart sink. She didn't have to look to Yang to know she was feeling the same thing. "Of course," she told her, hugging both of them close. "He's safe now, and he'll be fine."
"Thanks to you." Yang nudged her, and Blake saw a small smile cross Ruby's lips. "Dad'll be so happy."
"Ecstatic." Ruby agreed, and they all ignored her little sniffle.
The strange rock of the land of darkness gave way to plains, then woods and the ocean. The air felt lighter the farther away they flew from Evernight. The blue and orange glow of the Relics became the only light within the ship as night fell. Nora switched with Weiss in the pilot's seat, and she quickly molded into the pile Team RWBY created. They didn't sleep, and didn't say much either - but they had finally won. And managed to stay together.
A/N: Blake becoming the team's resident medic (outside of Jaune) is a hc you can rip from my cold dead hands. Also that Ruby became her little sister. And that Tyrian is just an evil bastard (though that one's canon)
One more chapter, but please let me know how you're liking this, it means more than you know! Thanks for reading!