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After the Battle of Beacon, Qrow was the first one to ascend the ruined tower in order to look for survivors. Before he was able to head up, he was stopped by Jaune Arc, who begged him to make sure that both his niece and Pyrrha were alright. What Qrow found at the top of the tower almost broke him. His niece, Ruby, who at first glance appeared dead, and no trace of the other girl Jaune had asked him about. Upon closer inspection, he was relieved that Ruby was alive, just unconscious, but all he could find of Pyrrha was a gold circlet.
Returning to the base of the tower with Ruby in hand, he made sure that she was taken care of, then returned to Jaune with the circlet. The boy definitely didn’t take the news well, and Qrow was at a loss for words to comfort the boy. He thought back to his own sister, lost on a mission and never recovered, and suddenly words found themselves.
“I can’t do anything to bring her back, or ease your pain. But remember this: you are never alone. You still have many friends, and right now, they need a leader more than ever. Don’t be afraid to mourn on your own time, but right now, we need to start working on getting our lives back together. Oh, and… if you ever need to talk, I’m here.” With those words, Qrow left the boy, who had already stopped crying, and had a pensive, determined look on his face. He was going to be alright, Qrow mused. He was stronger than anyone could have predicted.