RWBY: Moon Reflection

Qrow looked around the room, his tired eyes meeting the curious stares of his companions. He sighed, the weight of years pressing down on him, and took another drink from his flask. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the room, but there was an unspoken understanding in the silence that followed. Everyone was waiting for him to speak, to reveal what they didn't know, what had been hidden away for so long.

Ruby's eyes were focused with both confusion and curiosity, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Yang's expression was serious, a rare solemnity on her face as she leaned forward, hanging on every word Qrow would say. Ren and Pyrrha were just as focused, their attention fixed on the man. 

Qrow cleared his throat before he began.

"Ruby, Yang… You were too young to remember all the details. Summer… she left on that mission without telling anyone. Not even Tai." He paused for a moment, his voice thick with something unspoken. "But Crimson noticed. He noticed something wasn't right, when Summer left in the middle of the night, he followed her. A four-year-old boy, sneaking out to follow his mother, because he knew something was wrong."

Ruby and Yang leaned forward focusing on every single word. Qrow continued, his voice softer now "Crimson confronted Summer, he knew she was afraid or worried about something, so he asked her to not leave. But Summer was Summer. She said it was her duty, and she promised him she would come back. And, like a child full of hope, Crimson promised her that he would take care of the family while she was gone."

Qrow's voice faltered for a moment, as if the memory was too painful to revisit. The others sat in stunned silence, listening to the story unfold.

"When the news of Summer's death arrived…" Qrow's words caught in his throat, but he pressed on, "Everyone was devastated, Ruby couldn't even understand where did her mother go, while Tai… he broke down and even blamed Crimson for it, back then Crimson was acting too normally that it disturbed Tai. He lashed out at him, even struck him. But Crimson didn't cry despite the swollen face. He didn't show any sadness nor pain. Instead, he went to clean the floor because of the mess Tai had caused. I talked to him about it…" Qrow's voice trailed off, his expression distant, lost in the past. "He said that his mother had broken her promise, but he would keep his. Crimson considered crying a sign of breaking that promise. So he refused to cry. He refused to show fear, worry, sadness or any emotion."

He exhaled slowly, the weight of those years hanging heavy between them. "I forgot about that. All these years, I forgot… but he never did."

Ren shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his voice soft but curious. "So, he was so determined to keep his promise that he denied his own emotions?"

Qrow nodded slowly. "Crimson was different from the rest, even back then. He was only four, but after Summer's death, he stepped up. He took her place—cleaning, cooking, doing everything she used to do. He didn't just do it. He did it better than anyone else. He became the family's anchor. I don't know how he did it. Maybe he thought that if he did everything perfectly, it would make up for what happened. Or maybe he was trying to live up to the promise he made to Summer. But he was something else. He was… unique."

Pyrrha shifted slightly in her seat, her voice filled with a quiet reverence. "So the dead person he cared about is his mother?"

Qrow gave a short, dry laugh. "Yes… It's probably Summer. The one he admired, but also hated for the choices she made and he couldn't understand, he hated her for breaking her promise. Crimson's purpose, the one that drove him, was to complete that promise. And everything he's done, all the things he's been through, it's been for that."

Qrow shook his head as he said "I always thought that Ruby was the one most attached to Summer and keeping her memory, but now I am sure it was Crimson"

The room was silent for a long moment, everyone digesting the story Qrow had just shared. The weight of Crimson's past, the pain he had carried since he was a child, was clear now. Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, and the others understood him in a way they hadn't before, but there was still one question lingering.

Yang spoke first, her voice uncertain. "But how does this tie into Crimson's semblance?"

Qrow's voice grew quieter as he continued, each word heavy with the weight of his memories.

"Not long after Summer's death, Yang found something. At least, she thought it was a clue, something that might lead her to Raven. She was determined to find her mother, convinced that she could make things right, bring her back somehow. She tried to convince Crimson to go with her, but he refused. He told her to wait for Tai to come back, that their father would know what to do."

Ruby shifted in her seat, her brow furrowed. She could feel the tension in the air as Qrow spoke of the past. She and Yang knew that story.

Qrow paused for a moment, collecting himself. "But Yang... she wasn't the kind to just sit and wait. While Crimson was busy with something else, she took Ruby—who was asleep, probably too exhausted to protest—and put her in a small wagon. She went off on her own. Crimson thought they were both in the house, safe and sound. But when he went to check on them, he found the house empty."

Ren's brow creased with concern. "So, he went after them?"

Qrow nodded, his gaze distant. "He tried to contact Tai, but there was no answer. No one to help him. So, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and ran. Followed the wagon tracks into the forest, running nonstop, determined to find his sisters."

The room fell silent, each of them trying to imagine the scene—Crimson, a young child, running through the forest, desperate to protect his sisters.

Qrow took another drink from his flask, his face darkening with the weight of what he was about to say.

"I came to check on them sometime after, and when I found they were gone, I went after them in my bird form. I was too late, though. When I caught up, I saw something that no child should be able to do."

He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in.

"Crimson was running at a speed that most adults will struggle to keep up with. No child his age should have been able to move like that, not for as long as he did. And not far in front of him, Yang was pushing the wagon with Ruby still asleep in it. They weren't alone, though. In front of them, three Beowolves had appeared. I could see them clearly, even from the distance I was at."

The others listened intently, as Qrow continued, his voice thick with a mixture of awe and sadness.

"Crimson... he moved faster than I could have imagined. In an instant, he killed all three Beowolves. But when I reached them, the scene was... heartbreaking. Crimson was on the ground, unable to breath, eyes bulging, covered in blood. His knife handle had snapped in his hand and sharpens stuck in it causing a bleed. The boy had pushed himself beyond his limits."

Qrow stopped for a moment, his eyes narrowing as the memory resurfaced.

"I hadn't seen anything like that before," he muttered to himself, more to the room than to anyone in particular. "Now that I think about it... it's the same thing that happened to Velvet at Beacon. So the start of his breathing style was back then!!"

He took another long drink from his flask, letting the alcohol settle in his chest. "I didn't know what was going on, I thought he was dying at that moment. So I did the only thing I could think of—I unlocked his aura."

The room grew still as they all absorbed Qrow's words.

"Later, when the doctor came and checked on him, he confirmed what I'd already suspected. The only reason Crimson's still alive today is because I unlocked his aura. Without it, he would have died that day, in the woods. Tai and I agreed to keep it from the others, from you kids, but I'm sure Crimson knew. He's always known."

There was a long silence as the weight of Qrow's words settled over the group. They were all lost in thought, processing the revelation. 

Finally, Yang spoke, her voice a mixture of confusion and understanding. "But what does this mean? How does it connect with his semblance?"

Qrow didn't answer right away, instead staring into the fire, his mind clearly turning over the question. After a long pause, he finally spoke again.

"I think it's all connected. Crimson's description of his semblance... It is all about his purpose. His semblance is a manifestation of his promise in a twisted way. It's why he refuses to show weakness, refuses to cry or break. His semblance is him, a reflection of everything he's carried since that night."