The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 31: Preparations

The trap door grinded against its frame noisily amidst the charred remains of the burned house, and when it finally opened Sasha inhaled a deep breath of fresh morning air before helping her allies back outside. One by one the heroes were hoisted back to the surface, Y/N coming out last with the Relic of Choice tied to his waist, next to Crescent Rose.

The climb back out of the Lost World had been draining. It didn't help that they carried Tai's corpse back up, either. Y/N held the severed head of his father in his hands, Yang carrying his body over her shoulders. The two siblings looked over the depressing scene, both sharing similar looks of distraught.

Y/N had next to no good memories of his childhood home. And yet it still pained him to see it as nothing more than charred wood and ash. He never wished harm upon his father. He didn't deserve this. Ozpin looked on, finally spotting what he was looking for. With a push, he removed the blackened charcoal off the corpse of his old friend, staring at it sadly. They could confirm his death now; Vao had killed Qrow. Y/N just stared, knowing what needed to be done. He handed his father's head to his mentor, who looked at him worriedly. "... Are you well, Y/N? We can take a break if that is what you wish. This is not something anyone should see, and I detect no Grimm nearby. But the hero shook his head, walking towards the shed and kicking the door open. When he came back outside, he was wielding a shovel.

"... They deserve a proper burial. They... Were my family..." He mumbled broken-heartedly.

For hours they dug in the backyard, finally laying the two huntsmen to rest. Qrow's weapon, Harbinger, marked his grave. Transformed into its sword form, Raven planted it in the ground, her lip quivering like a leaf ready to fall from it's tree. And after they filled in Tai's own grave, Yang approached her brother, handing him something small and cold. He looked at it, but he could not recognize it.

"... It's Dad's locket... Inside is a picture of you and Vao, when you went to Beacon... He treasured it more than anything..." Yang explained. "... I think you should have it..."

Y/N found the button and pressed it, the mechanical gears inside grinding as it opened. Sure enough, a photograph of a younger Y/N and Vao was inside. The two brothers were standing side-by-side, the latter gulping from his flask as his younger brother desperately tried to take it away. He smiled bitterly at the memory that followed, but he didn't plan on keeping the locket. He reached forward, hanging it on the hand of Qrow's weapon and letting it rest with his father. Yang looked at him confusedly. "Y/N? What are you doing?"

Y/N smiled a bit. "... He didn't have a weapon. We don't have anything else that could mark his resting place... He loved Vao and I to the very end. He... He should keep it. So that he can rest with the Y/N and Vao that hadn't been affected by Salem, yet. I think that's what he deserves. To rest happily," he explained. Raven turned her head towards him, a small expression of surprise on her lips.

"You seem... More mature," she breathed. The hero sat down in front of the shared grave, not responding to her statement. The vision the Relic had shown him was still fresh in his mind.

"... I've come to realize something. Everything happens for a reason."

Velvet looked up curiously. "What are you talking about, Y/N?"

The hero turned to face his friends. He was ready to open up again. "... I'm glad I have you guys. I've lost so many people - Roman, Ren, Ruby, Uncle Qrow, Mom, and now Dad. I never focused on the people who were left. I could never look for a brighter future because I never looked at the good things in life. That's why I became so miserable; because I chose it. In the Vault... I learned to hope. It's what Verde named her paintbrush, after all."

Verde's eyes snapped to his. Y/N flashed her a knowing grin. "I... I don't believe I ever told you that..." The artist recalled, flabbergasted. Y/N just chuckled.