“The hardest part of the journey is the end. That’s always been my point of view. But Blake? I’m sure if I told her that she would come up with something so sickeningly positive. About how it also meant the start of a new beginning or some garbage like that. And then I’d roll my eyes and tell her that she was being ridiculous. She’d give me a knowing look, like she knew better than me. Which she probably did. She could always see things I couldn’t. And then she would just turn her head and I’d turn mine to see what she was looking at. The kids, of course. She would be staring at the kids. Probably getting in a fight or that sort of nonsense. You try raising three kids all so close in age. But her point would be made. What seemed like end was a new beginning. And I’d sigh in that resigned way I do and then I’d kiss her, if only to shut her up and wipe that smug grin off of her face.”
Adrastia looked around at the guests as she finished her opening statement. It was a sunny day. Of course it would be. Blake wouldn’t have wanted anything else. The cool Menagerie breeze flitted about, making the tropical heat bearable. Outside, just the way she had wanted it. The guests were all dressed in black, as was the custom. Admittedly, Blake didn’t really want a funeral. She wanted a celebration. A celebration of her life and all those she touched. Adrastia had insisted, though. If only for herself, she had decided. Blake wasn’t here to mourn. Adrastia was. Blake would have her celebration afterwards, but first… but first, this.
The kids were at the front, though they were more than grown up now. Hell, she could see some wrinkles on Auriel’s face now… Dust, she was so old now. Of course she was, she saw her gray hair in the mirror every day, but it was still annoying. Oh, the poor boy… He had always been closest to Blake. The most like her. He was sobbing. His wife, Desma, was holding onto him so tightly, trying to be his rock in a storm not of his own making. Adrastia knew how exhausted he must be. The boy probably ran out his aura saying goodbye to her.
Cornelia looked passive, but a mother could tell better. She was trying so hard not to shed a tear. But she was forcing herself to be strong, if only for Giada’s sake. Oh, poor Giada… She had lost a husband, a son, and now a mother… The chieftess of Menagerie was a wreck. It was a good thing that this was a private ceremony… How fragile she was could not be leaked to the public under any circumstances. They would not allow her even this, the funeral of her mother. Oh, how her heart hurt for her…
“Blake didn’t want this. She’d rather all of us be out celebrating the life she lived. And in due time, that will come soon. But Blake has never been the most self-aware person... and I’m selfish. I’m not sure she ever truly realized how many lives she touched. Or if she did, she never made a point to mention it. Blake isn’t- wasn’t like me. Humble to a fault, always putting others before herself. It was infuriating at times. Her martyr complex led to many an argument. But I think we brought up the best in each other. It took a lot of work, but eventually… I couldn’t imagine life without her.”
Renatus was holding Weiss tightly in the back. While true, the two teammates had never been that close for the longest time, one result of Ren discovering the kids was, well… Blake and Weiss reconnecting. After all those years. The CEO and the wife of a fugitive. Old friends. Next to them stood the girls, Lexa and Lorah. The current Empress of Mistral and the CEO of the SDC, respectively. They were here for their parent’s sake, mostly. And to support their brother. And her. It was a shame that they had never been close with Blake. The most prominent time together had been that one week Lexa had visited Menagerie with Auriel and Desma, but that… had been somewhat of a disaster. Almost amusing, looking back on it.
“When Kali died, Sienna followed soon after. When Lantana died, Liane went with her. Neither of those couples, so dear to our hearts, could survive without the other. I’m not like that, though. I’ve always been a survivor, no matter what.” Adrastia turned and placed a wrinkled hand on the casket of her wife. “I’m going to take care of them.” She whispered softly. “You’re gone now, but it’s okay. I’ll take care of them. It all still happened. I’m not going to throw away everything we’ve built together just because you’re not here anymore. You’d be so mad at me if I did.” Adrastia chuckled, a dry and humorless thing. She didn’t remember when her cheeks had gotten wet.
In the back there was Vermeil and Viridia, looking somewhat awkward, like they felt like they didn’t belong. They did. She would tell them as much later. Next to them stood Ilia, and Adrastia gave her a solemn nod. Their feud was long done, but this was the final nail in the coffin, so to speak. They would be sobbing into each other’s arms by night’s end. Ilia was leaning up against Sun, the only old friend of Blake’s that Adrastia had ever really liked.
And of course, Ruby and Yang were there, inconsolable. The two that Adrastia had never really known, for one reason or another. But they cared about Blake just as much as she had, even if they were gone for so much of Blake’s adult life. It always struck her as so odd that Team RWBY had drifted apart like they had. Weiss and Blake on one side, Ruby and Yang on the other. Back at Beacon they had been so inseparable, but life had a way of changing stuff like that, she supposed. Still, it didn’t erase those bonds, no matter how neglected they might have been.
“There were so many years where I wanted to kill Blake. So many years spent dwelling in that anger and rage and betrayal. I did almost kill her, you know. At the Fall of Mistral. We killed Adam together and then I turned on her. Stabbed her through the leg and she almost bled out. She never quite got rid of that slight limp, and she could never really wear heels afterwards. And yet, despite all of that, she saved me. She picked my sorry ass up at my lowest point, brought me back here, and took care of me. Helped me to be better than I was. Just because she loved me. Because she was worried about the kids. I owe everything to Blake Belladonna, everything. I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t be the person I am without her, and without her I-“
Adrastia broke some, covering her mouth as she involuntarily sobbed. Oh, there it was. She was waiting for it to hit her. She snapped her eyes shut to try and stop the flow of her tears, but to no avail. Everyone was silent, waiting for her to get some damn composure back. She had a eulogy to give. She couldn’t… couldn’t be breaking down like this.
She cracked open a violet eye, gaze focused on the tree line. Oh. That made sense. Of course only she would spot him. He must have recognized what it meant when he couldn’t spot himself next to Giada, or anywhere else among the crowd. He looked young, very young. Around the time they had first met, give or take. Aevum met her eyes and gave a solemn nod. He wasn’t here to cause trouble, but to pay his respects, in a way. Which meant he had known. All that time, he had known when Blake would die, but didn’t say a damn thing. The little bastard… but she admired him for it, to a degree.
“Without her, I…” Adrastia continued, regaining her composure some. “I will do just fine. We will do just fine. We will mourn and then we will celebrate what we had, but we will fine. We will treasure the memories you left us forever. No one’s ever really gone. You touched all of our lives in such a way that you will always be here with us. And you know, knowing all that shit that Lantana and Liane liked to spout off when they were still around… I expect that I’ll be seeing you again eventually, Belladonna. But don’t you dare wait for me. You go live your life too, or afterlife, or whatever. We’ll find each other again eventually. We’ll find each other again… But for now, rest. Rest, my raven haired love. You’re free now, astéri mou…”
