Upon returning to the inn situated in Patch, Death strut into her room, seeing Cinder reading a book atop her bed.
"Welcome back. How'd they take the news?" Cinder asked, still reading.
Death took a seat at the desk adjacent to the bed and folded her legs. She knew Cinder was particularly indifferent towards anyone who wasn't her. She wondered briefly, what would happen had she not rescued her from that place. The Glass Unicorn.
"As expected, they're quite sad. But I sxpected nothing less from someone like Summer Rose." Death replied, watching Cinder closely.
"I don't get it." Cinder stated, exactly as Death had predicted.
Seeing the inquisitive look Death was giving her, Cinder closed her book.
"I don't get that sadness. You sent her off. You even had the courtesy of telling them. So.." To her credit, Cinder wasn't trying to be apathetic. She truly struggled with social aspects such as this.
"The more you love something, the more you want to hold onto it." Death explained, seeing Cinder nod slowly.
Though she could still tell Cinder couldn't really understand it still. Death hunched over and decided to go another route.
"Fine. Ignore Summer. Imagine if, one day, I simply disappeared off the face of Remnant forever. And you were still here." That seemed to work.
Cinder's eyes widened as she pictured it. A trace of panic and unease overcame her as she abruptly stood up and grabbed Death's shoulders.
"You can't.. You can't leave me. Don't even suggest that." Death smiled and sat her on her lap.
"I am not going anywhere. I only asked you to imagine how you would feel. Now, you understand a fraction of how their family does." Cinder seemed to relax after being assured, though she still gave Death an accusatory glare.
Seeing that, Death grinned and decided to elaborate, "Life is precious, Cinder. Extremely so. You only have this life, these memories, these people around you for so long. It's hard, departing from those you love. Especially so, when you feel like you will never see them again."
"What happens.. after? When you die, what comes next?" It wasn't the first time Cinder had asked her.
Naturally, anyone who actually spent some time with Death would eventually ask this. She knew more about their world than even the two immortals, so she was often pursued by those seeking knowledge. With Cinder, she was used to deflecting the questions. But going off her expression and her previous lesson for Cinder, she knew that tactic wouldn't suffice.
"Hah." Death sighed, "Everyone knows they have a soul, Cinder. It's the one thing besides memory that remains of you after dying."
Death lifted Cinder up, her hand resting on her head. Her nail lightly tapping on it, just enough to activate her aura's defences. Each tap, her flame-colored aura resisted the minor damage.
"In life, it protects you. Strengthens you. Gives you a unique ability. But in Death? It keeps you whole, as you leave the world and join..- no, become something else." Death watched Cinder's eyes widen as she set her back down on her bed.
Then she looked at Death's scars that lined her stomach. Traces of fights throughout her long existence.
"Do you.. have a soul?" Cinder asked.
She couldn't even remember Death even so much as get hit during their travels. She was an incredibly skilled fighter, so it was a rare thing.
Death followed Cinder's gaze and looked down at her scars. Then she gave her the most teasing, predatory smirk she could muster.
"I was born into this world before aura existed, my dear. As for the soul question..? I'm not quite sure. I doubt it matters at this point. Now, let us order some food, perhaps some tequila for tu madre eh?" Death licked her lips and left a gobsmacked Cinder back in their room.
-Two months later-
Time passed relatively quickly during their stay on Patch. The day after getting the bad news, Taiyang and Qrow both explained what had happened to Summer in a kid-friendly way to Yang and Ruby.
Truthfully, Ruby didn't quite understand what had happened. All she knew was that her Mother was gone and Yang, Uncle Qrow and her Father was sad. The house that was so warm previously became quieter. Ruby would have begun to struggle with lonliness, had Yang and the large number of black birds in her backyard not been there to listen and play with her.
Yang felt forced to step up as a responsible older sister. Their Father was falling to pieces and their Uncle hadn't been around as much as before. He took Huntsman jobs but nothing that kept him quite so busy.
In truth, he was looking for Raven. There was some hope she would come back and help with Tai. He knew where she was, but every time he broached the subject of Tai, she shut him down.
Death had visited them with Cinder the next day after her visit, but Tai was simply too depressed to bother socializing. That, and with how distraught Ruby and Yang was, she decided to give the family space, while making sure to watch over them from a distance. But things had only become worse over time, instead of better.
Needless to say, things were looking down for the XiaoLong household. It was only when it hit the beginning of Spring, exactly two months after Death had first visited them, did something change. Death decided to visit once more, this time taking a forceful approach.
*KNOCK-KNOCK*
Ruby and Yang had been watching cartoons early in the morning when their door was knocked on. Uncle Qrow had a key, so this meant a stranger was at their door.
Yang looked at her little sister, with milk and cereal stuck to her mouth, "Stay here sis. No opening door for strangers, remember?"
Ruby rapidly nodded her head, "MMHMMF!"
Yang nodded proudly and got a stool to look through the little peep hole in the front door. She blinked in confusion when she saw Death standing on their porch with a patient smile. Her red eyes locked with Yang's lilac eyes, and she smirked.
"Hello, young one. I'm here to see your Father." Death stated, her left ear flicking when she heard little footsteps moving away from the door, along with the sound of wood scraping against wood.
"I think she ran from you." Cinder, who had been leaning against the porch railing said.
"Why do you think that? Surely, kids love me." Death replied with an open armed gesture.
"That explains why so many flee from you, thinking you're a ghost. 'The Pale Woman' legend was started by you, remember?" Cinder snorted.
Death tapped her foot against the floorboards in annoyance.
"Hardly my fault. Those horny teenagers saw me after Reaping a wannabe necromancer and thought 'GHOST!' Getting blood on you makes anyone scary, Cinder." Cinder snickered at her defense.
"Yes, true. But add your pale complexion, eyes and bloody scythes and you'll make anyone scream like a frightened child." Cinder retorted, pleased to see the slight pout on Death's face.
After five minutes, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard from behind the door this time. Death saw another pair of lilac colored eyes peek through, hearing him sigh audibly before opening the door.
"Hey, listen.." Tai squinted at the outside light before he felt a cold finger press against his lips, shutting up any excuse he was trying to spin.
"Shh. You've had enough time by now. You grieved. Now it's time to focus on your children and the future. No more drowning your sorrows." Death stated, looking straight into his eyes with a sharp, demanding glare.
He wanted to resist, to justify it. But he saw Death look at his confused kids and knew she was right. She took her finger off his lips and walked in, followed by Cinder.
"Who's this?" Tai asked, looking at the young teenage Cinder, who carried a bag of luggage behind her inside.
"My ward. Or my daughter, I suppose you can call her." Death answered, rubbing the top of Cinder's head affectionately.
"Nuh-uh." Cinder flatly denied, but didn't remove her hand.
"Stay with them. Tai and I should speak in private." Death gestured her head to the couch and led Tai outside to the backyard.
"You-.. Ugh.. just don't get too chummy with him." Cinder huffed and sat on the end of the couch, next to Ruby.
"Do you like.. weapons?" Ruby, feeling a little sugar high from the cereal, excitedly asked Cinder.
Cinder felt a small headache coming on as Ruby started scooting closer to her.
Meamwhile, Death sat on one of the backyard porch's stairs and looked expectantly at Taiyang.
"I know you've been around. And you want to help Ruby but.." Tai tried to gently decline her wishes but Death snarled in distaste.
"I will help her. You won't get rid of me so easily. You'll just keep this cycle up if I leave. Stop focusing on what you lost and remember what you have." Death's words stung, but he knew she was right.
Tai leaned against the wooden railing and dragged his hand through his hair.
"How do I go on..? Summer knew what to do. Me? I just.." Tai shook his head ruefully.
"You'll have help. If things feel overwhelming, then lean on us and Qrow." Death stood up and walked into the open backyard.
"Qrow? I haven't seen him in a while. I think Ozpin has him busy." Tai grumbled doubtfully.
"Ah yes. No doubt he has him looking for a Maiden. He's likely kept busy with trying to bring his foolish twin back and finding the Spring Maiden. Heh.." Death snickered, knowing Raven's current status as of three months ago.
"Either way, he's going about it like a blind idiot." Death held out her palm to the ground.
Two black runes Tai couldn't recognized flew from her hand, down onto the ground. The runes both glowed different shades of red. One crimson, the other the color of dusk.
*CAW!*
A crow was the first to materialize from the dusk colored rune, staring stupidly as Death caught him by the feet.
"Hello again, foolish Disciple. Are you avoiding me?" Death tilted her head in faux amusement.
*C-CAW! CAAAW!?*
Death snorted and watched as a Raven materialized from the crimson rune, her hand flying out and grabbing her by the neck as she tried to fly away.
"Really? You know you can't run from me, my other stupid Disciple. You're lucky I don't start plucking your feathers right now for even trying." Death said, dragging her finger along Raven's beak.
Tai just stood there, gobsmacked before nervously asking, "Are.. Are those two.."
Death smacked both of the birds heads together before tossing them on the ground and undoing their transformation.
"Ow! What the fuck.." Qrow groaned in pain.
Raven grimaced, holding her forehead as one of the only people she feared stood above her. Then there was her ex-husband, whose look of betrayal and anger made her pretty uncomfortable.
Ignoring her ex, Raven warily stood up.
"Teacher..? Why are you calling me?" Raven asked nervously.
Death tilted her head and gestured to Tai, Qrow and the very house behind her.
"Oh certainly not because the family you abandoned needs you. Not at all." Death mocked sarcastically.
Raven huffed, somewhat relieved she wasn't being punished. If that was her intent, Death would have already punished her.
Raven paused for a few moments before asking, "So.. it's a booty call then?"
Qrow and Tai looked at Raven incredulously, though for different reasons. By now, Tai grasped who Death really was. So Raven's seemingly joking question made him pause. But Qrow? He knew better.
Death chuckled, losing some of her annoyance and agitation. She had a soft spot for her two students, even now.
"Perhaps later. I do miss how passionate you were. For now, I have a question and a simple request."