Fables

.chapter 1.

If you were to be watching such a fight, you wouldn't believe that these men used to be such good friends. The two fought with no intention of leaving the other unharmed, both having their weapons out in full form. The only sounds that could be heard in such a desolate part of the tundra were the sounds of metal clashing against metal, along with the occasional grunts coming from the huntsmen. It seemed like only yesterday the two were getting along so well, sitting in the moonlit tower window playing cards with each other. Things would never go back to that, would they?

Qrow was still unsure of how things reached such an intense point. Hearing Clover say that he had to bring him in hurt a lot more than he would've thought. He didn't know how to react, and Robyn's actions only made things worse. He couldn't think, he couldn't process, and the next thing he knew, he found himself fighting his once close friend. To make matters worse, Tyrian had recovered from the crash and somehow slipped out of his bonds, quickly joining the fight. Qrow was really stuck now. His grudge and anger towards the maniac Faunus had blinded him for a moment, leading to the two teaming up again Clover. Once he came back to his senses, his weapon was no longer in his hands, thrown feet away buried in the snow.

Clover had managed to push Tyrian back a bit, Qrow had suddenly charged forward and collided his fist with the other's abdomen. The sudden move was enough to not only shock the lucky male, but shattered his aura and sent him back a few feet. Tyrian got back up, panting and shaking as he watched the two men argue. Watching them as they slowly became each other's weakness.

"Why couldn't you just do the right thing?! Instead of the thing you were told!" Before he had a chance to stop himself, the words had already left Qrow's mouth. His hands were curled up into fists protesting death, eyes narrowed at the other. Even after it all, he still wasn't mad. Why? Why couldn't he bring himself to be angry at him? It would have been so much easier that way, then he wouldn't feel guilty about all this.

Clover glanced at his old friend, slowly pushing himself off the ground and onto one knee, quick puffs of air leaving his mouth before disappearing into the cold air. "Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest to do.." he started, looking forward at the dark-haired male. Expression barely even shifting, as if they didn't mean something to each other. "I trust the General with my life! I have no choice but to follow his order!" he yelled weakly, finally getting up from the ground completely and looking at the other. Something was different about him now, his eyes were no longer filled with determination, but something else this time. A raw emotion Qrow was so desensitized to that it hurt. For once in his life, it was his time to feel the hurt. Hurt from the cruelty time and fate has done to Clover. "I wanted to trust you too..." he spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper, but somehow Qrow could hear him.

Qrow's emotions dissipated completely, his expression went from fury and rage, to a look of pure fear. In the blink of an eye, his weapon, his weapon, had gone through Clover's abdomen. There was a moment of stillness, the other man looked at him with pure fear. The look of someone who realized they didn't want to die, he didn't want to die. There was so much he wanted to do with such little time fate had given him. Qrow felt his breath quicken and his muscles tense up. He wanted to run forward and grab the other and help him, he wanted to beat the shit out of Tyrian, he wanted to run away again. But he couldn't do any of those things. He just watched as the one person he let himself open up to and get close to in so long, stumble forward before collapsing. Tyrian had spoken some words to Qrow before running off, but the dark-haired male couldn't hear any of them. Every word turning into a fuzzy static that rang painfully in his ears.

"I'll kill you!!" He shouted at the Faunus male, gritting his teeth and looking and feeling angrier than he had felt since his latest encounter with his sister.

Tyrian remained unfazed by the other's hallow threat, his face resting in a calm expression with a small, dark smile on his face. "Oh..you mean- just like how you just killed your friend, hm?" He taunted, the small smile on his face turning in a menacing grin as a dark chuckle left his mouth before he threw his bloody weapon into the snow.

Qrow watched with wide eyes, suddenly unable to turn his gaze away from the one thing he loved, but now he felt too disgusted to even touch the tip of the blade. Suddenly his gaze was turned back to Tyrian when he spoke as well, clapping his hands together and saying something that he couldn't quite make out. He soon realized what it was when the other looked up at the Atlas airship approaching. Before he could even go after the Faunus, he was gone. His frame could be seen running away into the tundra, and who knows where he would pop up again.

Qrow then rushed over to his friend, kneeling next to him despite the cold snow. He went to touch him, but hesitated when his hands were just a few feet away. What was he supposed to do? The wound was huge and went all the way through him. Without any proper medical equipment, Qrow couldn't do anything to save him.

Turning his head, Clover smiled weakly at him before speaking softly. "Somebody had to take the fall.." he murmured while glancing back at the rising sun behind him.

Qrow noticed the shift in the male's gaze, turning back as well. For a second- just for a second, all the pain and guilt melted away as he watched such a beautiful sunrise. For barely a minute, Qrow felt lucky. He didn't feel lucky that the only person he opened up to was dying, but the fact that he was able to be the last one Clover ever saw. The man tried to smile as he held the other, hoping that his final moments were as peaceful as his.

The sun cast a warm light onto them, almost as if it was welcoming Clover with open arms to somewhere he could rest. He gripped onto the snow as he watched Clover's signature soft smile make his way onto his face, a smile he would never see again.

"Good luck..." He said softly, keeping the smile before his expression melted into one of apathy. The light slowly fading from his teal-green eyes.

Qrow felt nothing but pain and guilt wash over him, lowering his head and letting the tears finally fall. It had been so long since he cried, even before he joined Beacon Academy possibly. More and more thoughts suffocated him, telling him how this was his fault, that he let this happen. Telling him that he let the one person he had feelings for die right in front of him. Wait- did Qrow really have feelings for his friend?

The answer is yes.