Qrow.

Chapter 23 | Family Secrets

2016, District 13, Svartalfheim

An empty worship can be a grim reminder of agony. The pews were vacant, having just been filled with several crying souls. They all awaited the end of this dreadful day out on the streets. Inside the chapel, the family was left a few moments of privacy to mourn. That was the excuse Ricky sold them anyways.

"Go keep them all distracted." He instructed Deacon.

Though the politician wasn't one to take orders, he put aside his pride for today. It was what Chris would've wanted anyways. He never liked to hear people bicker, especially over petty things. Deacon walked out the front doors of the chapel to entertain the guests of the funeral. 

Two gorgeous coffins rested at the front of the worship. Candles and flowers covered the walls and ground. The death of someone so beloved as Chris wasn't going to go unnoticed. With the amount of people who showed, they worried if they'd have enough room for everyone. Now, as the dark church remained nearly empty, they had to do the one part they dreaded the most.

Ricky opened the black box that contained Angelo's body, Kuza doing the same for Chris' casket. They didn't have time to think it over or hesitate. As much as they wished they could have just one minute of closure, they couldn't let the guests out on the streets get suspicious. With a heavy sigh, they pulled their best friends' corpses from the coffins.

Ghost opened a tear in front of his husband. Ricky and Kuza carried their fallen through the portal. On the other side, a place that was left eerie in their memories. The sanctuary Angelo had once hidden in was as untouched as the day he'd left it. No one ever came here, making it the perfect place for their bodies to rest peacefully. 

The enchanted candles all still burned along the walls. Steps upon steps of lights, they all had yet to burn out after all this time. Kuza gently set Chris' body on the center of the marble floor. Ricky placed Angelo beside the love of his life, placing their bodies so they'd spend the rest of eternity in each other's arms.

"I know our bodies are not who we are, but I can't bear the thought of their graves being disturbed." Ricky said as he stood back up.

"You know it'll happen." Kuza grumbled, walking back to the portal.

He sighed, "It's inevitable."

The two climbed back through the tear and Ghost closed it a second later. Keeping them open too long really wore him down. He managed to keep his balance and headed out front of retrieve a few people. While he did so, Ricky and Ryan closed the caskets again. They locked the sides precariously.

Deacon and Ricky took down Chris' casket by the front. Josh and Kuza picked up the back, Felix and Cecil supporting the middle. Ryan and Ghost grasped the front of Angelo's coffin while Emerson, his brothers, and JC took the back and middle handles. Ryan-Ashley and Kitty pulled open the church doors for them. They walked out onto the crowed street with the empty caskets on their shoulders.

All the people who had turned out for the funeral held tea lights, illuminating their path. Rose petals danced along the cobble streets they stepped across. It was a tragically beautiful site. They walked for nearly two miles. The whole way, mourning people lined the pathway. Being on the surface of the realm for once, they could see the haunting sky. It was no wonder why few lived above the caves. Something about those swirling clouds of grey was unsettling.

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2018, Qrow Manor, Vanaheim

Dinner was only about a half hour away. With that thought in mind, and a heart missing his love desperately, Felix headed back to his room to clean up. He was unaware his girlfriend was still in the garden at the time. When he walked into her dark room, he saw a figure back on the rocking chair, but he knew damn well it wasn't here.