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Chapter Text

Stillness and tranquility belonged to clear nights at Beacon Academy.

Nora Valkyrie adored the nights at Beacon. The moment that the sun set and the evening lamps were lit, the regulars around campus retreated into their homes, leaving nothing but serenity in the perfectly-landscaped grounds. Nighttime was the perfect opportunity to go for a walk, to see the hundreds of lights flashing and flickering off gently through the windows of the otherwise eternally-busy campus, then to come home and make a yummy snack. It was a breath of fresh air in a place that felt constantly muddied with bodies rushing in and out, searching for answers and results to whatever they were looking to find- success, skills, honour, fame, she didn't know.

Nora didn't want any of those things. Not really. When people asked her why she had chosen to train at Beacon Academy in order to become a Huntress, the orange-haired girl was never really able to answer them. She liked Beacon, yes- she cared about Team JNPR more than life itself, of course- but when it came to her own ambitions… her ambition was harder to pin down. Unlike the rest of the students, she didn't really know what she was looking for at the Academy.

And that was okay. Ren was always by her side, no matter what. Living and working together at Beacon had only strengthened her bond with him, and she wouldn't change a thing about the quiet boy.

Jaune was a sweetheart. Okay, he wasn't the smartest leader, and he wasn't the strongest, either- but there was a fire in him, and Nora knew that he'd cultivate the flame into something absolutely dazzling. She knew she wanted to be there when he finally caught ablaze.

And then, there was Pyrrha. Pyrrha, her best friend- her confidant, her partner-in-crime, her chocolate-loving buddy, her sister.

If anyone asked why Nora loved Beacon, rather than why she chose Beacon, she'd always be able to confidently quip why the oldest Huntsman Academy mattered to her. "It's where I met Pyrrha!" The redhead was a part of the family which Nora had never thought she would ever get, and being by the redhead's side had made every little moment so much more worth it.

Pyrrha also loved the stillness and tranquility of Beacon's nights. Nora loved to titter and tease every time Pyrrha headed to the rooftop of their dormitory after sunset, because while Nora loved the campus for the change in the air, Pyrrha loved Beacon's nights simply because it meant that she would be with Jaune. Nora loved watching the two of them together- Jaune dancing obliviously around the redhead, with Pyrrha using her keen senses and sharp reflexes to promptly stick her foot in her mouth at every opportunity involving the blond. It was the most charming exchange Nora could ever ask to witness, and she was invested in seeing her two closest friends fall in love, no matter how long it took someone as dense as Jaune to realize.

Unfortunately, they didn't have as much time as Nora had thought.

With the air raid sirens blaring through the campus still, snarls of monsters ripping through the chilly air amongst the screams of fleeing civilians, and the smoke rising up from burning buildings thick enough to choke out the stars themselves, stillness and tranquility had no place there anymore.

The final civilians rounded up from all around Beacon staggered off into the airships awaiting them at the docks upon Main Avenue, the green headlights of each vessel glowing ominously- the perfect counterpart to the hundreds, if not thousands, of red, beady eyes that had stared up at them from the shadows throughout the battle. Main Avenue had been cleared of the Grimm, thankfully- but seeing the injuries afflicting everyone around them, it was hard for the warriors defending the innocents to feel triumphant that night.

Nora grimaced, collapsing onto the ground. By her side, Ren was trembling, clutching his shoulder. If it weren't for the fact that her own Aura had run out long ago, and her bruised ribs ached with a fierceness she had never experienced before, Nora would have held the boy in her arms, smoothing away the creases in his brow in a heartbeat.

But they were injured. Pyrrha and Jaune weren't back yet. Nothing was going as planned, nothing was okay-

From behind her, she heard a familiar voice announce, "That's it! Everybody on board!" The voices of frightened civilians rose as Peter Port, one of their professors at Beacon, continued authoritatively in his most stern voice, "This is a mandatory evacuation!"

Right on cue, Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck explained, "A safe zone has been established in Vale! Please, remain calm and listen to Atlas personnel!"

They made it out of Amity Colosseum. That's good.

As they spoke, guiding civilians along their way, Nora cast a desperate glance up to the figure standing before her. Weiss Schnee, the heiress with far-too-many haughty words and enough condescension to break Jaune's heart for a lifetime and more, was finally speechless as she stared at the limp figures laying in front of Nora. The orange-haired girl's pale blue eyes followed Weiss', trailing down to land upon the two broken girls curled up in front of her.

Bloody and battle-worn, Blake Belladonna wept softly, eyes transfixed on the blonde at her side. And Yang… Yang Xiao Long, one of Nora's favourite people at Beacon, with just as much fire and life as she herself, lay unconscious, right arm reduced to nothing more than a short stump staunched and bandaged to stop the bleeding. The very sight of it made Nora want to vomit.

Weiss covered her mouth in horror and disbelief as another familiar face ran towards them. Zwei, Team RWBY's little corgi mascot, barked excitedly at the newcomer. Ruby Rose gasped for air as she bolted down the lane and onto the docks, grabbing hold of Weiss' hands as the pale girl cried, "Ruby!"

The younger girl panted, "Oh, I found you!"

Weiss hissed, "Ruby, where have you-"

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Ruby interjected, still oblivious to the situation at hand. "What's going on? Weiss? What is it?"

Nora's heart broke in her already-damaged ribcage as Weiss stepped aside, letting the younger girl take in the image of her older sister and teammate lying on the ground, cold and broken. Blake shifted, reaching out the hand not staunching a wound on her waist to hold desperately onto Yang's remaining, unconscious one. "I'm sorry," the Faunus girl sobbed quietly. "I'm so sorry."

Nora swallowed, sending another wave of pain coursing through her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Yang's reaction- or, lack thereof- to Ruby's broken plea of, "Yang…"

Sun Wukong slowly approached the red-caped girl, voice uncharacteristically gentle. Nora winced, remembering just how lively he had been only half an hour before whilst they were still in the heat of battle. "Hey," he murmured to Ruby, "she's gonna be okay. The soldiers have a ship ready to take you guys to Vale."

That sent alarm bells screaming through Nora's mind, far louder than the sirens ever could be. "But Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing," she protested. She grit her teeth, pulling herself to her feet- but she barely got to her knees before the pain became far too dizzying. She groaned, falling back down and clutching her side.

She had never run out of Aura before. It hurt. Everything hurt.

Where's Pyrrha and Jaune? Where are they?

"What!?" Ruby screeched at the news of their missing friends.

Sun spat out, "Look, guys, that giant Grimm is circling the school! Even the White Fang are pulling out! We all have to go, now!"

At her side, Ren gasped, "We're not... leaving!" Her heart broke yet again as he attempted to stand up too, only to fall a moment later with a weak cry.

Nora bit her lip, eyes filling up with tears. This wasn't supposed to happen. She glanced up at the Grimm Dragon Sun had pointed out, the giant creature menacingly holding a circular pattern around the campus grounds. It flew slowly, methodically- waiting for its time to strike.

Even from here, Nora could see its eyes flash red, and the wave of memories that washed over her in her weakened state was almost more than she could bear. No. I can't ask Ren to save me. I have to be strong. She grit her teeth and looked back up to Beacon Tower, Jaune and Pyrrha's last known location. I have to be ready to welcome them back.

Ruby declared brokenly, "I'll find them... I'll find them, and I'll bring them back."

Nora shared a look with Ren, a shuddering breath coursing through them both in unison. We won't lose them.

Suddenly, Weiss said, "No! We will find them." The pale girl turned to Nora and Ren, locking eyes with them meaningfully. "Watch after Blake and Yang. We'll be back." Solemnly, Nora, Ren and Sun nodded. With that, the two girls bolted back towards the school.

A disgruntled Sun yelled back, "You better be!" Turning back to his injured friends, he muttered, "Idiots." The blond Faunus boy then knelt down, scooping the sobbing Blake up in his arms. "Yo, teach!" he called towards the two Beacon professors, no longer caring for decorum. "Come help us!"

By that point, all the remaining civilians had boarded, leaving behind only the students of the Huntsmen Academies behind. Professor Port jogged over, easily lifting the still-unconscious Yang up in his arms. "Barty!" the Huntsman called, beckoning the other professor over with a jerk of his head. "Help Mr. Ren and Miss Valkyrie!"

The doctor complied immediately, but Nora pushed him away with surprising force despite her waning strength. "We have to wait for them!" she argued. "You can't make us go!"

"Miss Valkyrie," the green-haired man sighed, propping the girl up on one shoulder and helping Ren stand with the other, "I know you want to wait for your teammates. But being a team means you need to trust them to-"

"No!" Ren protested, staggering away from the man. "We can't leave!" Through his heaving breaths, Ren's eyes were frantic, terrified. "You don't understand-"

Professor Oobleck's face twisted in pure sympathy. "I know this is hard," he insisted gently, "but we must-"

"We can't leave yet," Nora squealed, forcibly extracting herself from his grip. Without his support, she fell onto her knees, wincing as the cold concrete scraped away the pale skin. She let out a shuddering breath, gagging and retching as the pain struck straight through her abdomen and threw bile into her mouth- but she rolled over despite the pain, sitting on her bottom and facing Beacon Tower. "We have to wait."

With shaking fingers, Ren tried calling their two teammates as he took a seat by her side, despite the Huntsman's objections. Neither picked up, and Nora could only clutch her side and lean against Ren and shiver.

We have to wait, she thought, glancing up at the boy.

Determined, yet terrified eyes gazed back down at her. We will, his look seemed to say.

They didn't have to wait long. Before their very eyes, all they could do was watch the Grimm Dragon, the horrifying Wyvern that had been circling the school all night, finally swoop in and destroy the clocktower and headmaster's office at the top of Beacon Tower. It shot a blast of energy and darkness towards the CCTS antennae, the massive structures falling helplessly to the ground below. And soon, even from that distance, they could see the light of the moon reflecting off of glints of gold and raging fire at the crumbling summit of the tower.

"Pyrrha," Nora breathed. She'd recognize that gold anywhere. She's okay.

A dark shape shot up the side of the CCTS tower, silhouetted by the moon. "It's Ruby," Ren muttered.

And then, just as the dark shape reached the apex, a flame so bright it looked like a pyre burning through the sky blazed at the top of Beacon Tower, the light fading away like a whisper on the wind. Afterwards, a piercing scream echoed through the air, haunting and harrowing in its grief, and the entire sky filled with such a great white light that everything was suddenly gone, fallen away into a void.

And then… stillness and tranquility. Nora's gut heaved, and she retched again, mouth dry and sour and acidic. There was nothing but silence, not even the sound of her own gagging registering in her mind. The bright light drowned out everything except for the sound of ashes flying away on a distant wind- the sound of Nora's world crumbling yet again.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

They didn't find Pyrrha.

Weiss came back from the base of the tower alone, screeching about a white light which had turned the Grimm Dragon to stone. She wanted to retrieve her team leader, but the moment that the blinding glare had faded, hordes of Grimm from a twenty-mile radius had begun flocking towards the tower, the Dragon seemingly the epicentre of the conflict. So, she was forced to flee, leaving the younger girl alone.

Ruby was found only a short while later upon Beacon Tower's broken summit, mere feet away from the frozen, statuesque body of the Wyvern. A weary, shattered Huntsman was the one who brought her back down, clutching her in his arms and weeping. Nora recognized him due to his red cape and folded-up scythe- he was Ruby's beloved 'Uncle Qrow', the one whom she had constantly spoken about whenever they talked about training. But this man was nothing like the powerful figure the younger girl had always described with so much gusto. As Qrow carried her down, tears streaming out of his eyes, he shook and trembled and called his niece's name. The strong, stoic man could only fall apart without Ruby.

Nora watched numbly as he wept. Ruby was there, but Pyrrha wasn't.

Professor Port and Professor Oobleck rushed forward and dragged Qrow and Ruby into the airship after getting everyone else situated. A medic who had been on the ship announced that the young girl was merely exhausted and fatigued but had sustained no other injuries. Qrow had collapsed by her bedside in relief, nearly-hysterical giggles slipping past his lips as he held her hand tight.

The medic had already administered a painkiller to Nora to numb the pain while her own Aura recovered enough to begin the mending process. The drugs made her woozy, the world fuzzy around her- but she had a mission, a purpose. "What about Pyrrha? Did you find Pyrrha? Where is she?" Nora asked, stumbling over to where Ruby and Qrow sat.

Through his relieved tears, the man looked up at Nora. She kept her gaze fixated upon him as she begged, "C'mon, you must've found her!"

Slowly, understanding and recognition flitted across Qrow's face. "I… no, kid, shit." His eyes widened, and he looked down, searching through his memory. "No, I didn't see Pyrrha."

"You know who she is, right? How did you not see her?" Nora's voice grew louder and louder, drawing attention from everyone around them. She didn't care. "You can't tell me you went up there and Pyrrha simply 'wasn't there'! We saw her! She was fighting someone at the top of the CCT!" Because that golden armour glinting under the moonlight- it could have only belonged to one person. There was no way anyone could tell her otherwise. That had been Pyrrha- her Pyrrha, her sister. There was just no way that Qrow hadn't seen her up there!

But Qrow could only stare despondently back, unable to give her the answer she wanted. Nora balled up her fists, anger growing heady. "Don't give me that-"

"Nora!" Ren's words were sharp, cutting through her anger.

The orange-haired girl spun around. "But Ren-"

"We'll find her," he murmured, despite the fear and worry plaguing his own eyes. The boy had his arm in a sling, allowing his torn-up shoulder to rest whilst his Aura regenerated. Yet, despite his scant amount of energy, the dark-haired boy still managed to pull up some of his Semblance, placing a hand on Nora's shoulder. Instantly, she sighed, the tension draining from her body.

"Ren, don't- save it," she whispered after a moment. "I'll stop."

He smiled weakly, letting her go and dropping his Semblance. Immediately, the boy stumbled back, collapsing into the nearest seat. She squeaked and followed him, dropping to her knees by his side. "We'll find her, Nora," he winced.

She shuddered, pressing her forehead against his knees. "We will."

Suddenly, they heard a high-pitched voice mumble and moan in pain. "Ruby?!" Qrow yelped, squeezing his niece's hand tight. "Ruby, you're safe."

"Where- what…?" the girl mumbled, eyes cracking open by a hair. "What happ-" And then, her eyes shot open wide, terror painting her face. "Pyrrha!"

Nora lunged for the girl, practically pushing Qrow aside. "Ruby, what happened to Pyrrha?!" she pleaded, shaking the girl's shoulders. "Please tell me! Where is she?"

But Ruby's wide silver eyes filled with tears, a soundless scream escaping her throat. The despair morphed her features into an expression of pure fear and agony- and just like that, Ruby fell backwards, fainting again.

Qrow rushed the exhausted medic over to check on the girl again. Her condition was worsened, although stable. Nora had no choice but to crawl up to Ren, sitting on the seat next to him. "Ren…" she breathed, blue eyes wide.

Ren's face twisted into sorrow. "We don't know for sure," he whispered. Yet, when Nora lay her head on his shoulders, silently begging him to hold her despite his usual reservations about intimate touch, Ren didn't fight it. He trembled just as strongly as she did as he pulled her into his arms, wrapping his larger figure around her. They held each other, and Nora quaked down to her very core, the silent sobs ripping through her as Ren's shaky voice repeated those same words over and over again.

We don't know for sure.

Not knowing was almost worst.

The next few hours were a blur. They were rushed into the safe zone established in Vale, and all the civilians were put into emergency shelters. The injured students were taken to the makeshift hospitals erected within the area immediately, letting more experienced personnel deal with their wounds. The only one who truly needed immediate care was Yang- although they had managed to retrieve her arm after the White Fang left Beacon behind, it had been too late to save the limb. She would either have to learn to adjust to a new lifestyle, or get a prosthetic. Either way, it would be a long, long time before she would be a Huntress.

Normally, this would hurt Nora. Yang was one of her closest friends outside of her team. To see her so damaged would usually have destroyed Nora, setting her on a mad spree to both help the girl out and cheer her up. Now, however, despite how callous the thought was in her mind, Nora didn't care. All she wanted was for someone to find Pyrrha.

Jaune found them at the makeshift hospital. The blond was still somehow looking fairly undamaged, although his clothes did not fare similarly. Covered in soot and muck and grime, the boy charged into the room where all of the Huntsmen students had been sequestered, ignoring the pointed looks from the near-hundreds of students filling the grand hall. "Pyrrha!" he cried, frantically darting around, eyes searching for a shock of red hair and golden armour. "Where's Pyrrha?"

"Jaune!" Nora yelled, running to the blond. Ren was hot on her heels. The moment they reached the desperate boy, they threw their arms around him, holding him as if life depended on it. It felt so good to see him- with all of her fears about Pyrrha, the thought of the blond had almost slipped her mind.

When Weiss had come back to the airship, she had told them that Jaune had called her and told her about Pyrrha's location- so they had known that he was somewhere away from Pyrrha, away from the battle on the roof, away from the fire and gold and moonlit devastation. But to have the blond here at last- their leader, their friend- it was as if another piece of her had been returned to its place. She still wasn't whole, but it was something.

Jaune reciprocated with just as much fervour, a shuddering gasp breaking through his lips as he squeezed the two even tighter.

Nora asked, "Where have you been?"

"I got to Vale, and Pyrrha went to fight alone- where is she?" he sobbed, looking over Nora's shoulder. The orange-haired girl spun around, spotting a horrified, guilty-looking Weiss. The heiress watched their reunion from Ruby's bedside, where she sat in place of Qrow, the Huntsman having had to return to the battlefront. Jaune pulled himself out of Nora and Ren's grip and stormed over to the pale girl. "Weiss, what happened? I told you to get her-"

"Jaune," she began, holding up her hands peacefully, "I know, we went to Beacon Tower but-"

"But what?!" the boy shrilled.

Nora ran forward, grabbing the fuming blond's arm. She winced from the exertion of having to hold him back before he could get closer to Weiss. There was an unhinged glint in his eyes, a desperation which she had never seen before. "Hey, Weiss and Ruby did go," she murmured. "They went to the tower to save Pyrrha."

"Then where is she?" Jaune sobbed, grabbing Nora's arm, fat tears rolling unabashedly down his cheeks. "Why isn't she here? I need- I need to-"

"Jaune, we need you to sit down," Ren murmured, placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder. The boy had managed to recover a bit more Aura during their trip, so he cast his Semblance over Jaune, and the two watched as the blond's shoulders visibly relaxed, although the tears did not abate. Numbly, the boy followed Nora and Ren, and the orange-haired girl could only take a seat by him when he curled up against a wall out of the way of the other beds.

"They didn't bring her back," Jaune cried, wrapping his arms around his knees and drawing them up into his chest. "They didn't- she can't have-"

"Jaune," Nora murmured, "what happened to you and Pyrrha at the tower?"

But the blond refused to speak, sobbing harder into his knees.

No one else spoke to them that day. Jaune cried until his eyes were dry. Ren eventually fell asleep, the exhaustion from the day finally taking a true toll on him. Nora lent him her lap as a pillow and sighed, still leaning against Jaune's shoulder. "We'll find her. We have to," she whispered over and over again, until she almost believed it.

Almost.

They were only addressed when Professor Glynda Goodwitch, their former combat professor, came into the room, calling out sternly, "Students! Please gather your friends and teammates into the central hall outside."

Wordlessly, all the conscious students stumbled into the hall. The Huntress had found a high chair to stand upon and looked over the crowd, concern growing on her face as she took in how drastically the number of students had dwindled. Nora didn't think too much on it- while it was clear that many students had either already fled Vale, or were still incapacitated much like Ruby or Yang, it was obvious that just as many had been likely lost to the creatures of Grimm and the White Fang.

She didn't want to focus on the loss.

Nora took a quiet mental check as to who was there- all of Team CFVY had survived, unsurprisingly. Everyone in Team SSSN was present except for Sun- where the Faunus boy had gone after landing in the safe zone, she didn't know. Team CRDL looked like it was missing one or two members, although Nora could never keep the awful boys straight in her mind. On the side, she even spotted a few members of her opponents from the past few days of the Vytal Festival- Ash and Terra, their opponents from the doubles round, were standing with their teammates, and Team BRNZ was whole, albeit battered.

The worst, though, was Team RWBY. Since Yang and Ruby were both unconscious, and Blake was suddenly nowhere to be found, the only one standing alone was Weiss. Nora paused. When did Blake leave? She was here when we all landed… But after another glance around, it was confirmed- Blake had disappeared.

So, Nora waved at the pale girl, beckoning her over. While the heiress was definitely her least favourite member of Team RWBY due to Jaune's affections for her and Pyrrha's eternal inferiority complex about the girl's looks, Nora would still defend Weiss as a friend at the end of the day. The pale girl gave her a grateful smile and stood by Team JNPR's side, awaiting Professor Goodwitch's announcement.

It was brief, cold, exhausted. There was none of the prim, stern discipline which the blonde usually held within her succinct explanations. Instead, her hair had fallen out of her bun, long and trailing in wisps around her head. Her glasses were mildly cracked, and her white blouse was stained with dirt and dried blood. A few runs had been torn up her stockings, and it looked as if one of her heels had broken during the fight for Vale. She looked nothing like the professor whom they had all grown to respect and admire. She just looked tired, and her monotone speech matched that exactly.

"If you are from a visiting Academy, then we will arrange for you to return home within the next few days. Further details will be given tomorrow morning once transport vessels and enough Huntsmen to act as security for them are found. For those who are Beacon students, but hail from a different Kingdom, you will also be allowed to return home should you choose so on these transports. Just speak to me afterwards so I may add you onto the lists. As for students of Vale, you are free to head to your homes whenever you like. There shall be a company leaving by the end of the week, journeying throughout the major cities in the Kingdom; you are welcome to accompany them if your home is on the way. Speak to me tomorrow if this should affect you." The blonde sighed, pulling out her Scroll. The screen was cracked, but it clearly still worked to some extent as she ran through a list of names onscreen, suddenly quiet.

One of the competitors from Atlas called, "But what about Vale? Who's going to help?"

Professor Goodwitch sighed, looking up at the crowd grimly. "Vale is almost completely secured, students. However, we are not done. More Grimm are flocking to Beacon's campus as we speak, and the civilians here are going to need a long time to rebuild, heal, and move on from this day. We are in dire need of Huntsmen and Huntresses who are willing to work with us to restore peace to this Kingdom, however dark these times may be." She locked eyes with each individual in the crowd. When they landed upon Nora, Jaune and Ren, however, the blonde's gaze filled with guilt, quickly glancing away.

Her voice lowered, and the students all leaned forward in unison to catch her final words. "This isn't fair for us to ask of you," she murmured carefully. "You are just students- just children. It was our duty to protect you, and we have failed. We will never be able to convey to you how sorry we are." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "But, if you would be able to step up, your services would do much in re-establishing peace and stability within this Kingdom. No, within all of Remnant. We are going to need as many people as we can get. That is why," she looked back over the crowd, determination growing in her face, "we are asking for your help."

The audience of students was silent. Everyone was torn, glancing around at one another. The exchange students started murmuring amongst themselves slowly, concerned voices beginning to rise over the crowd. There were just so many questions- what was happening? Who was really responsible for the attack? Why did all of this happen?

What was going to happen from here on out?

"…but that dragon is dead, right? It got turned to stone," one student from Vacuo called worriedly.

Professor Goodwitch sighed, shaking her head. "It's… it's not exactly dead, we don't think. Further analysis is required."

That knowledge sent up a wave of anxious murmurs through the crowd.

Another worried voice called, "Didn't the CCT break? How are we going to use the system now?"

The blonde bit her lip, taking a deep breath before admitting, "There is no CCTS anymore. Not with Beacon's main tower down. However, local communications still work with smaller towers, and we've luckily been able to find local merchants and mobile sellers. If you are staying in the area, I would advise you to pick up an old phone to stay in touch with one another. If you decide to help out here, we will gladly supply those for you. Those systems work separate from the CCT, so while they aren't much and rely on your close proximity and a lack of interference between radio towers, they are still something."

The murmurs only grew. Not having the CCTS? But everything was on the CCTS- banking, journalism, entertainment, education, work. How would they communicate with anyone without it? How would they contact their families? How would the world go on?

Nora traded worried glances with Ren. "What should we do?" she whispered.

"I… I'm not sure yet," he replied, forehead creased in a perpetual frown.

After a few moments of uneasy chatter amongst the crowd, it was Jaune who raised his hand first. "I'll stay," he called, voice hoarse and eyes puffy.

Professor Goodwitch lowered her glasses to look at the blond. "…Mr. Arc, are you sure?"

His lip wobbled, but his expression remained resolute. "I'm not leaving Vale until we find Pyrrha. I'll stay and help until then, at least."

Ren's smile filled Nora's heart with warmth. Okay. That's our leader. In unison, the two childhood friends raised their hands, too. "We'll stay as well," Ren announced.

Nora added brightly, "We're a team, after all!"

Something in the Huntress's eyes flashed- something just a little broken, a little regretful. "Thank you," she finally muttered.

But their words had sparked something within everyone. Soon, more hands began to raise- Beacon students mostly, but some exchange students, as well. "Me too!" "So will I!" "I'm gonna get those Grimm back for hurting everyone!" "We've got to take back Beacon!" Their words rang clear through the air despite their exhaustion, and their expressions of grim defeat and fear quickly turned into willpower, confidence, and excitement.

The woman's eyes lit up as nearly every single student raised their hands, proudly banding together. "Thank you all," she breathed, her face surprisingly soft, pride growing in her smile as if a fire had be rekindled within her. Instantly, her entire demeanor changed- she pulled out her riding crop, smacking the end of it into her hand. "Well, in that case, we'll be putting you to work. Go outside and find the makeshift Huntsmen's barracks- we'll put you up in there for now. For those of you who still wish to leave- do not feel pressured to stay. This is a completely optional task, and I will not force it upon anyone."

That final line brought relieved smiles onto the faces of the few abstaining students, mostly consisting of the exchange students. They would be allowed to go home and finish their school year within their own Huntsman Academies. Nora didn't mind- she had no desire to go anywhere else. Beacon was her home now, and she was going to take it back, Grimm Dragon be damned. If others didn't feel the same way, though, that was their decision to make.

Once the majority of students had left the room, however, Jaune jogged up the Professor Goodwitch. "Have you heard about Pyrrha?" he asked breathlessly, hope shining in his eyes.

The woman froze for a moment, then replied, voice strained, "Not yet. I will keep you all updated once we have more thoroughly investigated the remains of the Wyvern."

"…we have no choice but to wait, is that it?" Jaune whispered.

"I'm sorry." And she really, truly did look so.

He let out a deep sigh. "…Okay. What should we do to help?"

The Huntress crossed her arms, shifting her weight. Nora gawked as she suddenly realized that the woman was still wearing her signature heeled boots, despite the fact that they were in the middle of a warzone. How the heck is she still standing?

She quickly turned her attention back to the woman's face as Professor Goodwitch said, "You need to get your rest. But if you are able to help immediately…" She paused, then turned to Ren. "Lie Ren. Your Semblance allows you to mask emotions, correct?"

He nodded sagely. "It can hide the presence of emotion from the Grimm."

She smiled wickedly. "There is the main evacuation camp down the road for those who have not already fled on the boats. How many people can you mask at once?"

He turned to Nora on instinct, at a loss. She answered for him, "He usually only tries with just one or two people at once, although we have had to use it on a group of ten before. It worked, though!"

The woman sighed. "Okay. It's a start."

Nora raised her hand. "What about me and Jaune?" Because Nora didn't want to just follow Ren aimlessly, dealing with civilians. She also didn't want to go home and rest, or see all the others. If I don't get something to do, then I'm either going to go recharge by electrocuting myself again, or the moment my Aura recharges I'm going to bust into Beacon myself. She knew it was an awful idea, but the urge was niggling at the back of her brain, and it was hard to say no.

Professor Goodwitch's smile grew even wider. "We can always use manual labour. Thankfully, you two are strong."

Nora looped her arm through Jaune's, squeezing it reassuringly. "You got it!"

The blonde nodded, briskly motioning for them to follow her. "Come with me."

Before they left, however, Jaune interjected, "Wait, um-" But Nora just squeezed his arm again.

"Not now, Jaune," she whispered as she dragged the boy along behind the professor. The blond was about to speak, but she added, "We'll find Pyrrha. She's our Invincible Girl, right?"

But the blond didn't answer, and Nora knew that her heart didn't really believe it, either. Not with the image of cinders and ash at the top of Beacon Tower still so fresh in her mind.

And so, the reconstruction process began.

The next two days were nothing but a blur. No news of Pyrrha ever came. Instead, it seemed as if everyone was dead-set on figuring out how to move on as soon as possible. People came and went. Exchange students disappeared, and even more Huntsmen arrived to aid in the relief efforts.

The rumours of how one of the Beacon students had used a secret power to stop the Grimm Dragon circulated around the safe zone like wildfire. Everyone gossiped constantly, contemplating who exactly had hidden an ability so powerful in magnitude that it could stop such a fearsome beast. The students knew the truth, though. It was Ruby- it just had to be. She was the only one up there, according to Weiss.

But, rumours stayed as only that- rumours. The young girl and her older sister were shipped off back home to Patch before anyone was the wiser, so thankfully they endured none of the questions that outsiders longed to ask.

Soon, both the Huntsmen and the civilians around them had begun referring to the night of the attack as the 'Fall of Beacon', in an effort to find a neutral name which they could use, rather than referring to it forever as 'that night'.

Nora didn't like that there was a name. Naming something meant that it was real. But if the Fall of Beacon had really happened, if everything which name insinuated had actually occurred… then that meant that she'd never go home again. She'd never again bounce on her bed, or giggle at Pyrrha over facemasks in the bathroom while they locked Weiss out, or make pancakes with Ren in the lounge, or poke fun at Jaune in class and over board games in the library. She'd never again arm wrestle and hold food fights with Yang in the dining hall, or nap while Blake read some boring novel by her side, or play video games with Ruby on the weekend in Team RWBY's bunk beds. She'd never again do any of that.

She didn't like the name, the 'Fall of Beacon'. She wanted it all to be nothing but a bad dream.

But every morning, she woke up in the small room she had been assigned with Jaune and Ren, and the day would begin anew. And it wouldn't be her bed in Beacon. And Pyrrha still wasn't there.

It was easy to get lost in her work. She was assigned to helping the engineers rewire the electrical grid so that they could get off the emergency power, since the Grimm had destroyed many of the main powerlines. Thanks to her Semblance, she was able to handle any of the errant sparks that came her way amidst the takedown of broken wires and mainlines, so her usefulness never faded. Soon, with her help, the entire city was back up and running off of their normal generators, and she could divert her attention to helping clear the rubble and carry equipment to rebuild.

The only bad thing was that her Aura, once it had finally recovered even just a little, was spent again almost instantly healing her damaged ribs. So, when she accidentally got hit in the face by a falling beam, the black eye didn't fade. When she had to fight an angry Ursa by hand without Magnhild by her side after the demon had snuck into the outskirts of the safe zone, the splits on her knuckles and the blood under her torn-up nails didn't heal. When she dropped a cinder block out of exhaustion onto her foot, all she could do was grimace and endure the pain as the doctor bandaged up the broken toes with a look of pity in his eyes, before sending her back to work on the power grid.

They just didn't have time to slow down.

Jaune was set up with building shelters for the civilians within the safe zones established. His work kept him busy- but every single time Nora crossed his path during the day, his eyes were hollow, his heart empty. He was never focused on the work. Instead, his eyes kept drifting back to Beacon in the distance, the sounds of Grimm shrieking and invading their beloved campus audible even from downtown Vale.

It was Ren who suffered the most during that time, however. Thanks to his Semblance, he was invaluable in the camps, constantly searching for the most volatile groups and projecting his Semblance over them, praying that it was enough to dull their scent from the Grimm still streaming in from the rest of Vale, heading towards Beacon. However, that meant that he was never allowed to rest. The civilians- men and women, old and young, everyone- they were all constantly scared.

In another world, the fear wouldn't matter. In Remnant, that mass hysteria meant death- and if Ren was only person who could block that out, then the Huntsmen in charge of watching over the civilians wouldn't grant him any respite if they could help it.

"You can't keep this up," Nora finally protested after three days of nearly-nonstop work. Ren's face was pale and haggard, but he shook his head, stumbling out from under his covers. "You've barely slept, Ren! It's only morning. Go sleep a little more, they'll be okay without you!"

"Nora's right," Jaune mumbled. "You have to stop."

Before the dark-haired boy could reply, his feet touched the ground, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed in a heap.

Jaune didn't even have time to flinch or process the ensuing thud before Nora had already leapt forward, scooping the taller boy up in her arms and kicking the window open. Glass shattered, the pane splintering as she shot her foot out, but she didn't care. Instead, she leapt out of their second-story room and sprinted to the infirmary a few streets down, ignoring Jaune's frantic cries following her through the camp.

No, Ren. You're going to be okay.

He had to be.

Soon, she had arrived at the infirmary. Bolting up the stairs two at a time, she heaved the boy up to the second floor where they were treating the Huntsmen. Her voice came out in babbling squeaks, intelligible even to her when she was finally intercepted by a doctor. Thankfully, they recognized both her and Ren, and quickly situated him in an empty bed. It was just exhaustion and overwork, they said. IV drips were hooked up to the unconscious boy's arms within the half hour, and a sedative was administered via needle to ensure he stayed asleep to rest. Nora was grateful he wasn't awake for that- Ren didn't like needles very much.

The beeping of his vitals, along with those of the numerous other injured Huntsmen, Huntresses, and students resting within the large room, echoed off of the white, sterile walls. Flimsy curtains were all that afforded each cramped bed some privacy, but Nora didn't mind. She immediately took the scant isolation to shuck off her shoes and crawl half-into the bed on his left side. She curled against him, holding the hand that was connected to the IV tenderly. "You'll be okay, Ren," she whispered, pressing a kiss into his shoulder. "You'll be okay."

He had to be okay. The thought of losing Ren suddenly struck her, sending her into a dizzying panic. For just a moment, her vision fell to black, and her heart leapt up into her throat, suffocating her. She couldn't breathe anymore.

She wouldn't breathe anymore, if Ren wasn't there.

But just as suddenly, she felt his hand twitch between hers, and the movement yanked her back down into reality. She took in a deep, gasping breath, calming herself. It's overwork. I'll make him rest. He'll be okay.

Jaune finally burst into the room, finding their little curtain-bound stall in a frenzy. "I'm so sorry, I was stopped by some injured kids along the way, I would've been here sooner," he babbled, taking a seat on a chair by Ren's right side. Worried eyes darting between Ren's sleeping face and Nora, he asked, "How is he?"

"Just overwork," she replied.

Then, the doctor swung by. "Look, kids," he murmured, pushing his greying hair out of his eyes, "you've all been working hard these last few days. Take tomorrow to rest. You all look like you need it."

"But-" Jaune protested, but the doctor held up a finger to silence him.

"No buts. I'll prepare some other beds in here, and you'll sleep here tonight."

"I don't need a bed," Nora murmured, curling closer into Ren's side. "I'll stay here."

The man's eyes remained impassive as he sighed. "Alright. Less work for me."

"Same here," Jaune murmured. "This chair's good."

The man shrugged. "Let me know if you need anything later, then." With that, he walked away, giving them some privacy.

Nora didn't know how long they sat there in silence. She drifted in and out of consciousness, the weariness from the past few days finally catching up to her. Each time she woke up from her daze, her eyes immediately sought out Ren's face- but every single time, he was just as still and colourless as before. Her heart would seize and ache every time, and she'd close her eyes again, letting herself drift off once more.

It was only when footsteps approached their tiny cubicle that Nora allowed herself to focus on anything other than Ren himself. Standing suddenly at the foot of the bed were Professor Goodwitch and Qrow, Ruby's uncle. They both look utterly exhausted.

However, now that she was seeing Qrow under actual lights, she felt something uneasy shift in her heart. There was something familiar about his profile, but she just couldn't place it. How… how do I know this guy?

She didn't have time to think on the details. Qrow mumbled, "Glynda, should I really be here? This isn't my place."

Nora traded a troubled glance with Jaune. Do you know why…?

He shook his head slightly, then turned back to the two Huntsmen.

The Huntress took something out of Qrow's hands. Nora strained her neck slightly to see what it was. To her surprise, it was a large, bulky bundle, wrapped up in multiple layers of black cloth tied up with twine. The woman then placed it upon the free space at the foot of Ren's bed. "We found this. It belongs to you now." Her voice was uncharacteristically gentle, and to Jaune's surprise, she walked over, ran a kind hand from his hair down to his shoulder, squeezed it, then stepped back. The actions were both so mechanical and so organic that Nora wanted to look away, feeling as if she were intruding. Something was going on, and she didn't like it.

"Professor-" she tried to say, but her voice squeaked and caught in her throat.

Thankfully, Professor Goodwitch stopped her. "Know that I- we- are so, so sorry for your loss... I wish we could convey to you just how much we regret not being there in time."

Loss? Her eyes darted down to the parcel, back up to the woman's pale green eyes. Dread blossomed in her chest, and she almost gagged. No. No, it can't…

The weary man by her side shoved his hands into his pockets. With a frustrated sigh, he explained, "We found it in the… in the wreckage after the Fall. When Ruby found out about this, she begged us to hand it off to you. We thought there may be family who'd want it, but the kiddo wouldn't stop, so here we are."

Professor Goodwitch looked as if she were about to say something, but she caught herself in time. Instead, she said, her sincerity shining sadly in her eyes, "You're her team. You deserve it."

Jaune attempted to pull open the package, but Qrow stopped him. "Your buddy over there has been using his Semblance for days, kid. If you open it while he's unconscious, he'll probably automatically extend his Semblance over you two again. He doesn't need that kind of strain right now. Let him rest."

The blond didn't respond, allowing the weight of those words to settle around the occupants of the room like shackles binding them in place. Nora gulped heavily. We'll need Ren. We're going to be broken if we open that, is that it? When no one spoke, she clarified, "We'll… we'll need his Semblance?"

"Ren has been invaluable in quelling some of the panic over the last few days," the woman replied. "Downtown Vale may never have been pushed off the radar if he hadn't masked the emotions in the evacuation zones from the Grimm during the height of the panic. And, I wish we could say we won't need him again once he recovers, but…"

There was nothing but silence. Nora's eyes were affixed upon the bundle. We're going to have to do this without Ren.

She made no move to touch the parcel. No- I don't want to touch it. Jaune muttered in her absence, "I'll open it outside," as he hugged the black baggage to his heart.

Instinctively, she reached out, grabbing his sleeve. "I'll stay here." She locked eyes with him, holding him firmly in place. "Just… maybe you should calm down before you come back." Ren can't afford to calm us down if we fall apart.

"We can trade after." I won't come back unless if I'm okay, his eyes replied.

She smiled, relieved at his understanding. Now that that was taken care of, she pushed the thoughts of the parcel out of her mind. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift off again, gently stroking Ren's hand. We'll keep you safe, Nora thought lovingly. Just get better for us.

She didn't know when Qrow and Professor Goodwitch and Jaune all left, but when she awoke once more, it was after nightfall. Jaune shook her awake. "Nora. It's your turn."

Nora grimaced, shifting upright on the bed. She had clearly slept the day away. Thanks to that, she felt much better, she realized- she wiggled her toes quickly and felt much less, and a quick touch to the area around her eye proved that the skin was no longer as swollen. Even the wounds on her hands had mostly healed. She clenched her fist, feeling alive and vibrant again. It wasn't perfect, and it would take a lot more time for her Aura to replenish completely, but it was something, at least.

She took one look back up into Jaune's face, and that life drained out of her instantly.

His eyelids were bloated and so inflamed they seemed almost purple in the darkness. Normally sky-blue eyes were glassy and bloodshot, looking past the girl, at the wall behind her head. His lips were parted, swollen and torn after clearly being bitten anxiously over and over again. In a hoarse voice, he repeated, "Nora, go. It's your turn."

In his arms was the bundle. Nora reached out, grabbing hold of it for the first time. She could clearly feel in the darkness the shape of metal pressing against her hand. As if electrocuted, the orange-haired girl let go of it, jumped off of the bed, then carefully pushed Ren to the side of his bed. He didn't stir. Patting the empty space she had left for him, she whispered, "Sleep. Don't touch Ren in your state, just sleep."

Wordlessly, the blond complied, handing the bundle completely off to her before crawling onto the stark white bedsheets. It looked almost ridiculous- two tall, fully grown young men desperately trying to fit on a single bed. Nora didn't laugh.

She waved goodbye and darted out of the door. Everywhere she turned, there were people. She didn't want there to be people. She just needed Ren, she needed to be alone, she needed Pyrrha.

And she got her.

She found herself back in their barracks. Turning on their lamp, she lay the parcel upon their desk, unwrapping it slowly. Some of the material was slightly damp. She knew it was from Jaune's tears.

After what felt like an eternity, everything was laid bare before her. Pyrrha's circlet. Pyrrha's shield. Pyrrha's sword.

But it wasn't Pyrrha's stuff, not really.

The circlet was charred and dirty, soot staining the once-breathtaking golden piece. One of the chains that used to dangle down around her ears was broken, falling limply. The other chain was missing outright. This wasn't the piece that used to sit on her forehead every single day, whether they were in their battle armour or not. Closing her eyes, Nora could easily see the bright, shining ornament sitting on top of perfectly manicured brows- oh god, how she had hated those brows at first, and the fact that Pyrrha didn't have to pluck them since they were natural and that just wasn't fair and- and the most honest, sincere, open jade eyes she had ever seen.

The shield was bent and scuffed, but other than that, it was whole. Nora didn't care. It wasn't sitting on Pyrrha's back, underneath her long mane of deep crimson hair. It wasn't upon the girl's arm, acting as the perfect platform to launch Nora up in the air so she could deliver a finishing strike. Therefore, it wasn't Pyrrha's.

The sword wasn't even a sword anymore. The weapon had been melted apart into three separate pieces, the wounds upon them ugly and garish. The blade was utterly dulled, and the colours were leaden and lifeless. Nora numbly picked up the hilt, pushing the trigger she had seen Pyrrha press so many times before. With each press, she waited for it- would it become a rifle? A javelin? A robot suit? She didn't know what the weapon was capable of. It wasn't as if she had seen Pyrrha use it for very long.

It had been only seven months.

I only had her in my life for seven months.

And so, Nora curled up on the desk, clutching the hilt of Miló in her hand, whispering, "Transform it already, Pyrrha," over and over and over again until her freshly-healed voice was hoarse and raw once more. There were no sobs which wracked her frame, no wails to ring through the town, no curses at the heavens for taking away Nora's closest friend, her family. The tears just ran silently down her cheeks, and she let them.

She would cry fully, wholly, completely tonight. And after that, she'd focus on helping Ren and Jaune heal. They needed her to be the happy Nora they knew- because if they lost both Nora and Pyrrha that night, the boys would break.

I won't let that happen, Pyrrha. I'll take care of them for you, I promise.

She sat there for a long time, letting the sorrow intermingle with the pride she felt for the other girl. For every pang of heartbreak and misery, she would think back to the times that made her smile. For every single horrible thought that crossed her mind, she let herself revel in the warmth that Pyrrha had always made her feel. And, by the time she had dried her eyes and wandered back to the makeshift hospital, bundle rewrapped and clutched close to her chest, and she had curled up at the foot of the bed while the two boys slept away their exhaustion, her heart sang with love and affection for the other girl, vowing to do whatever she could to live up to the heroine she had grown to adore more than anything.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

When Ren finally awoke over a day later, they showed him the remains of Pyrrha's armour and weapons. The boy simply chewed on his lip, brows furrowed and locked onto the scraps of metal laying before him. "Her body?" he finally asked, not daring to look them in the eyes.

Nora hung her head, crawling closer to him. She lay her head against his shoulder. Don't make me say it, she begged Jaune silently. Despite all of her ambitions the night before, she knew that it would hurt nonetheless to voice the truth aloud. In that moment, all she wanted was to forget, to pretend it had never happened- to just focus on the heat of Ren's body pressed against her side.

Jaune didn't speak. When Nora looked up at the blond at last, she gasped on instinct. The boy just stood at Ren's bedside, tears silently streaming down his face. He wouldn't say a word, quivering lips pressed shut tightly.

Nora's heart fell into the pit of her stomach. He doesn't want to say it out loud, either. I guess… it's my job. As quietly as she could, she breathed, "We were right… about the fire. On top of the tower."

And Ren covered his face with his hands and began to shake, his shoulders trembling minutely at first, the tremors growing stronger and stronger until Nora was forced to sit up, away from him. The first wail finally ripped free from his lips, a sound so haunting that it pierced straight through Nora's very soul.

She hadn't heard him truly cry since they were young. She had promised herself back then that she wouldn't ever let him weep ever again.

She clenched her hands, fisting the bedsheets bitterly as he wept. Jaune quickly joined him, and the two boys crumbled before her very eyes.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I'm sorry you're crying again. I'm so sorry. She raised her eyes towards the ceiling, feeling the tears refusing to disappear back into her own eyes, hot trails rolling down her own cheeks despite her willing them away. Pyrrha, I'm sorry they're crying. I'll do better. It's just too fresh. I just- I swear to you.

But when she realized that the louder wails had stopped and the anger and frustration had all drained away, the two boys were left almost as husks- almost. Their loneliness remained. Their regret remained.

So, she crawled awkwardly over Ren's body, cursing under her breath when the movement agitated her own wounds. When she was finally situated comfortably on Ren's other side between him and Jaune, she carefully reached forward and re-wrapped Pyrrha's armour up lovingly. After that was put away, she reached out, gently dragging both boys' softly weeping faces into her shoulders, holding them tight.

Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she hated it. Still, she continued on. "Pyrrha's with us. She'll always be with us. It's okay to cry, though."

They fell asleep like that.

By the next morning, though, Ren had come to terms with it. He knew, just as much as Nora- if not more- how to deal with the loss of a loved one. There was no point in cursing the past. They had to move on.

Jaune was still broken, though. And it hurt her so deeply to realize that she didn't know how to fix him.

From then on, they dedicated their entire beings into growing the safe zone in Vale until they could take back the majority of the city from the Grimm. With the CCTS lost, pretty much all contact with other Kingdoms had been cut off. The world was more divided than ever thanks to the White Fang's involvement and the doubt around Atlesian Military technology, too. All of the fear showed in the uncertainty constantly lingering in the back of everyone's minds.

The only way they could communicate for the moment were small, local newspapers- the area housing many of the smaller printing companies had been largely unaffected during the attack, since few people lived nearby enough to attract the Grimm. Therefore, the journalists of Vale were charged with disseminating as much information as they could in the form of small newspapers and bulletins posted around the safe zone. Once those became a regular occurrence, the people began to settle more into a routine- wake up, read the news on the bulletin boards, then eat something and get back to work. It was a positive change.

At least, it was positive for the civilians. The obituaries began appearing within two weeks, and the students immediately began shying away from reading the boards. Too many names upon the pages and pages of deaths uncovered every day were far too familiar to them. It just… it wasn't fair.

Nora, Ren and Jaune avoided those boards the most. They still didn't know how to process it all- people would give them looks of sympathy as the news spread by word of mouth, but it would all just glance off of them. How were they supposed to react? Aw, gee, thanks for your pity! Yup, my best friend is one of the dead ones, isn't it sad? Don't worry, though, we'll be fine!

Nothing was fine. Not anymore.

A part of Nora hated herself for being as empty inside as she was. How in the world would Pyrrha react, seeing how she was handling it all? She knew from the bottom of her heart that the redhead only ever wanted them to be smiling, safe, and happy. That's all Pyrrha ever wanted for anyone.

She wouldn't have wanted them to be so hollow.

But Nora knew that the pain would pass. It would be hard, and it would hurt like nothing else- but it would pass, and she'd hold up their boys as much as she could.

When the fated paper finally came, though, it wasn't how Nora had expected it. The obituaries in the local papers did nothing to do Pyrrha justice. Since they were trying to preserve ink as a limited resource for the moment, there were no pictures printed for most of the names listed. But, thanks to her renown, Pyrrha was given the place of honour amongst a page of dead students. It felt both gratifying to see the tiny, black-and-white picture they had of her printed there, and soul-crushing at the same time.

A monochromatic photo would never be able to truly depict her red and gold and green vibrancy in any way. Anything less than perfect seemed like an insult.

Although copies of the paper were few and far between, it was Team CFVY who managed to get them a copy of their own. "She was such a sweetheart," Velvet murmured, teary-eyed and whimpering. "I just can't believe it."

Coco handed off the copy to Jaune, expression blank. Unlike her usual self from Beacon, the older girl was dressed in simple coveralls, grime and muck coating her from head to toe. Her normal beret was nowhere to be seen, and her hair was pinned back sensibly. The only remnant of her previous persona was her sunglasses, and even those were cracked along the bottom of the frame. "You should keep this."

Jaune frowned helplessly, holding out the paper so Nora and Ren could crowd around on either side, reading the words underneath the photo.

"Of the many students lost during the Fall of Beacon-" Gods, how Nora hated that title, "-the loss which held the most prominence for the public eye was Pyrrha Nikos, age 17, hailing of Mistral. Known as the 'Invincible Girl' by beloved audiences, as a daughter and proud pupil by her mother and teachers, and as an irreplaceable ally and teammate by friends and other students, Pyrrha's flame burned brighter than anyone else in her generation, and she passed while valiantly defending her loved ones from the assault on Beacon. Her beautiful heart and soul shall be remembered for many years to come, and the positive, supportive impact she had on those around her will never be forgotten. She shall be missed."

Nora's eyes grew glassy for just a moment, but she blinked the tears away. It's true, Pyrrha. We miss you.

Jaune thumbed over Pyrrha's cheek in the photo, drawing in a sharp breath. Nora glanced over the photo again, realizing slowly what Jaune was so fixated on.

"I think the photo was from that group interview we did," Coco murmured.

Velvet whispered, "She looked so pretty that day."

Pyrrha had been wearing the earring he had given her for the winter solstice in the photo.

And then, Jaune's mouth pressed into a thin line. He folded up the paper, put it into his pocket, gave a curt nod to their former seniors, and walked back to their room.

"Thank you," Nora said quietly. "We'll… we'll treasure it."

"Let us know if you need anything," Yatsuhashi replied kindly from where he stood behind his team. "We're all from Beacon. We'll look out for you."

"That's right." Coco stretched, then waved her team away. "C'mon, we've got some work to do. Faster we work, faster we get a vacation- which means faster I get to go buy some new clothes. I'm sick of these digs." Her team chuckled in response as they left, but their voices were low and heavy-hearted, still carrying the burden of the obituary in their minds.

Nora and Ren traded glances before following Jaune. It's real, Nora thought, grabbing onto Ren's sleeve.

His warm hand covered hers in reassurance, and she relaxed a little when she felt that it was trembling just as much as hers.

They found him in their bedroom. They heard a soft click, as if something was being closed shut, when they entered the room. Jaune spun around to face them, quickly swiping under his eyes. He gave them each a strained smile. "Time to get back to work, huh?"

Nora sighed, worry filling her heart. In the corner of her eye, she could see the remains of the newspaper discarded on their desk. A large hole was left where Pyrrha's obituary and photo had been. Jaune had clearly cut it out for safekeeping.

She wanted to stay in there for longer, to hide away from the world. Yet, they had no choice but to keep moving forward. I've gotta keep the boys going. "Yup!" she replied cheerily. She reached forward, looping her arm through Jaune's, then dragged him forward. When she passed the other boy, she looped her other arm through Ren's similarly. "Time to see if Professor Port has new orders! I am so sick of being zapped all day now that they're fixing the rest of the grid. Think we could fight some Grimm?"

The other two didn't respond, but after a moment, she heard soft chuckles from them both, and warmth lit up in her belly.

The next day, they finally received their new phones, courtesy of Professor Oobleck. The man knocked speedily upon their door, standing upright under the frame when they finally opened it, refusing to step in. "Ah, here you are! I've been looking for you. Glynda sent me with these," he handed Ren the phones, "and I wanted to give you three an update," the sprightly Huntsman explained at a breakneck pace. "I went to Patch briefly to check in. Miss Rose has awakened, although I'm sure Qrow has already informed you, and Miss Xiao Long is healing nicely. I know that you were close with Team RWBY, so give them a call sometimes." His eyes softened. "You must remember to stand by your friends in trying times such as these. They will remind you what is worth fighting for- the ones who are left."

"Professor-" Jaune tried, voice cracking.

The man held up a hand, stopping Jaune in his tracks. "No, Mr. Arc. Beacon is no more. The day when I am able to welcome you back into my lecture hall, you may call me your Professor once again. Until then, I am just a Huntsman." He paused, getting ready to leave the room- before he left though, he raised a brow and pointedly added, "And it's 'doctor', anyways. I didn't spend all that time working on a doctorate for nothing."

"Sure thing, Professor!" Nora saluted good-naturedly, giving the man a cheeky grin. She knew he hated being called that.

To her immense relief, the man just rolled his eyes and waved them off. "I'll be off, now. Stay safe. Do work you're proud of. Call your friends." And with that, he zipped out of the door, leaving the three of them alone in their room once more.

Ren efficiently set up each of the old phones and input everyone's relevant contact data into them. He handed them out, directing, "Make sure you add all important info from your Scrolls into here. We don't know how long we'll be using these."

Silently punching numbers into their new phones, Nora couldn't help but giggle. "I haven't used one of these since I was a little kid," she murmured fondly, raising her eyes. Ren caught her gaze, grinning knowingly back. "He would always get so angry at us for messing with his phone."

Ren shook his head ruefully and went back to transferring data between the two devices. On the other side of the room, however, Jaune was preoccupied with something else. Nora paused in what she was doing, watching the blond fidget with the phone pressed to his ear, nervously tapping fingers against his knee.

Finally, it seemed like he got the answer he was looking for. "Mom?!" he cried, bolting upright. Instantly, relief washed over his face, and he collapsed back onto his cot, anxious laughter slipping through his lips unchecked. "Oh my god, Mom. You picked up. I can't believe this signal is even reaching you- you know what, I'm not going to question it." He paused. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm in Vale. Helping rebuild it, what else? No, Mom, I'm a Huntsman-in-training, remember? I've got to stay if I can make a difference." Another pause, and Nora felt a light touch on her arm. She looked up, then pulled Ren's hand resting upon her arm into her own, gently dragging him to sit by her side. He complied, a tender smile on his face that surely mirrored her own.

Jaune was smiling as he ran through his hellos to all of his sisters and his father. How long had it been since Jaune had truly smiled?

We're gonna be okay, Nora thought wryly. Not perfect, but good enough. Don't worry, Pyrrha. Our dumb boys will be okay.

And that was all that mattered.

Ren punched in a number onto his phone. "I'm going to check on our patrons," he murmured.

Nora nodded absentmindedly. She didn't like calling the Huntsmen who had sponsored their entry into Beacon- it wasn't as if they had a close connection to them anyways. Their sponsorship had been more of a PR move by a few wealthy, old-blood Huntsmen once they had seen just how skilled the two youngsters were in combat. It had been pure coincidence that the Huntsmen who had actually raised Nora and Ren had been dirt poor, desperate, and in the same area as a visiting Professor Ozpin at the time. The headmaster had lamented aloud at how 'such talented students wouldn't be able to attend Beacon due to something as measly as entrance fees'. The wealthier Huntsmen, eager to win over the headmaster of Beacon, had promised to send Nora and Ren on the spot. The rest was history.

Nora didn't care, either way. She had just wanted an escape from Anima, which was why she had accepted it. Best to leave talking to them to Ren. Ren had always been much better at pleasantries, anyways.

However, there was no answer. Suddenly, a pang of homesickness hit her in the stomach. Maybe it was because she had been thinking of her life as a trainee, but she was feeling very sentimental out of the blue. So, Nora punched in a very different set of numbers once the black-haired boy shrugged, putting his phone down- he was, as expected, totally nonplussed about not being able to reach their sponsors. When he saw the number Nora was putting in, though, his eyes lit up, and he leaned forward, waiting expectantly.

These numbers, Nora cared about. The people who were sometimes on the other end of the ten-digit code actually mattered to her. Yet, there was no ringing- no answer.

This concerned her. Although she had never once really called them during their entire time at Beacon aside from the first night to tell them they had arrived, the Huntsmen who had raised them would never not be available to talk during a time of crisis. She just knew it. Was it just that she was out of range, or had something happened to them over the last eight months?

Jaune's battery began to protest at his long call once it hit twenty-five minutes, and the blond reluctantly moved to hang up the phone. However, his expression soured suddenly, and Nora and Ren could only watch as the blond approached the black-wrapped parcel still sitting solemnly upon their shared worktable. He hummed every once in a while, grunting to acknowledge what was being said on the other end of the phone. Unwrapping it with one hand, the blond retrieved Pyrrha's circlet, the formerly-shining piece utterly dull, devoid of life, in the dark room. Shakily, he sat back down, his eyes locked on the metal now resting in his lap.

"No, Dad," he whispered. "I don't know how to contact her family… No, I don't think we'll be able to, the CCTS is down. I don't think they were close, they had a pretty strained relationship when she was here. Yes, I know she was a celebrity- doesn't change the fact- she said I was a good leader, okay? I was good… yeah, it probably was all thanks to her- wow, thanks. That's not funny." He let out a harsh bark of a laugh. "Yeah. It hurts- no, I'm not okay. Dad, I-" Jaune cast a guilty, heartbroken glance furtively at Nora and Ren, then lowered his voice further, "-I only wish you could've met her, too. She was… amazing. I really-"

But the rest was too quiet, too muffled to hear, as the blond turned to face away from his two teammates still seated at the other end of the room.

The conversation quickly wrapped up from there. Ren sighed, stepping out for a moment to grab some water. Nora ran her hands through her hair, throwing herself back onto her bed, letting her arms lay limply out by her sides. There was only one thing in her mind.

…does Jaune know?

When she didn't hear the blond say anything after hanging up the phone, Nora finally sat up, concerned. He had been on-and-off with his quietude and his tears for the weeks following Qrow and Professor Goodwitch's delivery. She just wished she knew what to say to snap him out of it, since it sounded like he was falling into the latter once more.

Jaune was motionless. He slumped over in his seat, clutching onto the circlet with all of his strength. His knuckles were white and ashen with how tightly he held onto the metal, but it was only when a tiny rivulet of blood began to drip down the scuffed golden piece did Nora become alarmed. She sprang forward, yanking the circlet out of his hands. "Jaune, what are you doing?" she cried, shrilly.

He scrambled to get it back, and she once again saw the almost possessed fervour in his eyes, she knew it was time to talk about this. "Ren?" she called over her shoulder, summoning the other boy. "Ren, come quick!"

"What is it, Nora-" The boy's initial reaction was of weary frustration when he first entered the room, but the moment he saw the imbalanced look on Jaune's face, he calmed down completely. Nora quickly tossed the boy Pyrrha's circlet, blocking Jaune's way forward when the blond tried to cut around her and grab it away from Ren. With a firm grip, Nora grabbed both of Jaune's shoulders and guided the blond to sit back down upon the edge of the bed, holding him there. Thank goodness I'm strong enough to hold up at least ten of me, now, she thought absently. The building work had done wonders on her muscle tone. Jaune began to struggle against her grip, but she held on tight. Otherwise, I'd never be able to keep him here.

Finally, the boy calmed down. Ren placed Pyrrha's circlet upon their nightstand after wiping away Jaune's blood, then ran out of the room. He quickly re-entered with a wet washcloth in hand, getting to work on cleaning up Jaune's wounds. They had already almost healed completely thanks to the blond's abundant Aura, but the blood remained, a sickly reminder of what the boy had been doing to himself. "Jaune, you can't do this," Ren murmured. "Pyrrha wouldn't want this."

Jaune looked blankly at his hands, as if it were the first time he had even realized what had been going on. "But I couldn't save her," the blond whispered at last. "You don't understand. She- she was going to- she would have given it all up for us. She knew she couldn't win, but she did it anyways. How am I supposed to just…?" He let out a shuddering, gasping breath. "How can this be all that's left of her?"

"Jaune, just what happened that night?" Nora propped her hands on her hips, exasperated by his tight-lipped silence on the subject. The not-knowing was still the worst. "You're always either falling apart, or completely quiet. If you just told us what-"

"I don't need to tell you anything," was the cold reply. It came so out of the blue that it sent a chill down the spines of the other two.

Nora shared a horrified look with Ren. The normally-stoic boy stood, tensing up. "Jaune, you're not the only one-"

"Really?" Jaune spat suddenly, taking paces back away from them both. "Because it sure damn feels like it."

"We're your team, you can tell us-" Nora tried to reason with him, but he wasn't having any of it.

Cutting in, the blond cried, "No, I can't! The only person I could ever tell anything to was- was- dammit!"

It was Pyrrha.

Nora could still remember Pyrrha's face when she first found out about Jaune's secrets. What those secrets were, the redhead had never shared- but Nora remembered the look of heartbreak etched on the beautiful girl's face, how she had so disappointedly looked at the blond boy during their first few months at Beacon. Jaune did have secrets. Nora could acknowledge that. Pyrrha wasn't happy about them, but she had stuck by the boy, anyways. She had been his partner, after all. It made sense that Jaune would have felt closer to her than to Ren and Nora.

But Pyrrha was gone, whether he liked it or not, and her loss and this sudden aggression was hurting everyone, not just him. Why couldn't Jaune see that?

And then, it struck her. Jaune's… never lost anyone he loved, has he? It suddenly all made sense- his volatility, his heartbreak, his emptiness. Nora and Ren grieved, but they knew the stages through which healing lay. Jaune, on the other hand, was experiencing the hell which was loss for the first time, and he wasn't ready for it.

Ren quietly walked out of the room, then returned a few minutes later with a mug of tea for the boy. "Drink this," he offered, pressing the warmth into Jaune's hands.

The boy stared at the tea, the veins in his hands growing more prominent as he clutched it tight. "Why the hell aren't you upset?!" Jaune screamed suddenly, throwing the mug against the wall. The ceramic shattered, tea spilling everywhere, rolling down the wall just as fast as the tears which dripped down the blond's cheeks. Nora winced on instinct, but she didn't react otherwise. She knew how he felt.

She had been here before.

Their leader wasn't done. "Why are you just accepting this? Pyrrha's gone! She's not coming back! She couldn't- I couldn't- but she- I never- just, how the fuck are you two so calm?!" His chest heaved with the exertion, with the pain clearly tormenting him. He trembled, eyes glassy and hollow, lips quivering with every haggard breath.

They didn't respond.

Softer, he mumbled, "How can you tell me to just 'move on'? I can't move on. It was Pyrrha. I- I can't forget her." He fell to his knees, utterly lost, broken. "How can life go on now?"

They didn't respond for the longest time. How could they?

"We've lost a lot of people, Jaune," Nora said quietly. Jaune didn't move- he had become almost catatonic, staring blankly at his open hands resting in his lap, eyes dull. It suddenly felt as if she was watching something far too personal- so, she averted her gaze, keeping her eyes fixed upon a small ladybug that had settled on her collar. It had flown in through the still-shattered window. It moved so idly, its red, black-spotted back shining in the daylight- on any other day, she'd show it off excitedly. Now, however, it wasn't the time.

Ren continued for her, "We watched our families die when we were young."

She sighed. "The people who took us in were Huntsmen. Some of them were killed, too," Nora said.

"They asked us to do some awful things."

"They made us do some awful things. We don't speak about them, now."

"We've seen innocents die as well." Ren sighed, placing his hand on Jaune's shoulder in solidarity.

Nora grabbed the blond's hands, squeezing tight as she stepped closer, looking up into his face, willing him to see the sincerity in her gaze. She carefully picked up the washcloth Ren had dropped and continued to wipe away the remnants of blood on his hands. "But that doesn't make Pyrrha's loss easier. We loved her, Jaune. More than anything."

"She was family." Ren's voice shook, although he kept his eyes trained firmly on a cloud in the sky. "She is family."

Tears filled Nora's eyes, and she immediately tried to blink them back. She didn't like crying. She was sick of it. Yet, Jaune's eyes grew wide, seeing the uncharacteristically vulnerable expression on her face. Swallowing heavily, she murmured, "And we miss her more than anything. Gods, Jaune, you have to know that."

"Pyrrha will always be our family," Ren reiterated. "But so are you. You and her…"

"We love you, too," Nora whispered. And she did, she truly did- she loved Pyrrha a bit more, she knew it- but Jaune was like a little brother, someone who she wanted to protect and nurture. She wanted Jaune to grow up strong, and now that Pyrrha wasn't…

Oh my god, she really won't be here anymore…

…now that Pyrrha wasn't here anymore, Nora knew that she had to be the one to ensure that Jaune grew into the Huntsman Pyrrha had always wanted him to be. The redhead had believed in their leader, more than anyone- it was Nora's duty to follow that dream until the very end.

Jaune's eyes were wide with shock. "Guys, I didn't-"

"It's okay," she soothed, squeezing his hands tighter.

"And it's okay to cry about it, Jaune," Ren murmured gently. The blond's shoulders shook slowly, growing more and more violent as the sobs began to wrack his entire frame with grief. "It doesn't make you weak. It makes you human."

"We've all lost something. A lot of things," Nora whispered, brushing Jaune's hair out of his puffy, reddened eyes. "But we're here together. We've made it this far. We have to keep going," she gulped, "whether we want to or not." She paused, taking a deep breath, choking the tears. In the quietest, calmest voice she could muster, Nora added, "Pyrrha would want that."

At this, the blond's eyes overflowed, and he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Nora's and Ren's necks, clinging onto them for dear life. Nora traded a broken look with Ren over Jaune's shoulders, and a sob worked its way up through Nora's lips as she saw thick, slow-moving tears flowing down Ren's cheeks, too.

"Yeah," the dark-haired boy whispered, his sorrow and grief all Nora could see. "She would."

What other choice did they have?

And so, life continued on without Pyrrha.

The sun still rose, the clouds of smoke above Vale eventually clearing away to clouds heavy with late springtime rains. The flowers still bloomed, and the rebuilding projects made the city beautiful again. Although the Grimm still flocked to Beacon day after day, their progress re-establishing Vale as a viable living space marched on.

Jaune healed. He still cried, but only at night, when he thought they couldn't see. He didn't blow up at them anymore, though. Nora sometimes poked Ren awake, and they would crawl onto his tiny cot with him and lay on top of him until he protested, giggling. He wasn't alone.

Ren never cried again. He was sad, but he didn't cry. For that, Nora was grateful.

Nora continued being her bubbly self, bringing laughter to the camp as they slowly pushed the boundaries of the safe zone all the way to the outskirts of Vale. They found meaning in the work, and toiled away straight through the hottest month of Vale's (oddly early) summer without complaint.

Nora had planned so many camping and beach trips for their little family, awaiting the early Vale summertime with Team JNPR. Every time she saw just how bright and sunny the world could be as she continued helping with reconstruction, she ached inside. It was insane to think of- her original plan had been to put Pyrrha in a cute bikini and make Jaune drool over her. The redhead would've protested, and she'd have blushed in that way that always caught the blond's eye, and Nora would've orchestrated the whole affair with an evil glint in her eye.

It's not like Ren would have stopped her, anyhow. He'd just sit under a beach umbrella embarrassedly, and she'd go back to him afterwards and sit with him and sigh, because he wouldn't realize that she was in a swimsuit- he'd look at Nora and just see her for who she was, and she'd boop him on the nose and continue to love him for his denseness anyways.

But that wouldn't happen now. And in the end, Nora, Ren and Jaune never went to the beach under that sweltering Vale sun, before the odd storm season began.

It wasn't okay. Nora wasn't happy, not truly- but over time, the emptiness in her heart began to heal. She had lost everything and everyone, in the past, over and over and over again. Her life up to that point had been punctuated by loss, after all. But she knew that there would be light again. She had picked up the pieces in the past, and she knew she could do it again. Ren and Jaune were still by her side, at least.

That didn't mean it was fair that she couldn't ever see her best friend again.

And even though she affixed a smile to her face every time she interacted with civilians, grinning wide and putting all of her energy and trademark cheeriness into her tasks from the Huntsmen rebuilding Vale, it didn't stop her from pausing and drawing in a shuddering breath every time she caught Jaune looking up at Beacon's broken silhouette in the distance. Every time she saw that longing, broken look on his face, she couldn't help but purse her lips and swallow down the sadness in her own heart.

She was too scared to ask, but she knew. Jaune had either figured out Pyrrha's feelings for him, or had understood how much he loved the redhead, during the Fall of Beacon. Or maybe it was both. Nora didn't know which one would be worse.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The sky completely cleared of the smog which had polluted it by the end of April. By early May, the people had learned to breathe again, and the children were allowed onto the streets of Vale once more. By mid-May, the shopping centres downtown reopened, and the trade with other Kingdoms had resumed. Farmers were able to begin preparing for the harvest before the storm season right on time, and life had gone back to normal. Although a huge chunk of the work was thanks to Professor Goodwitch's Semblance, the woman's telekinesis enough to rebuild half the city as the days wore on, Nora was proud to have pitched in as much as she did.

They even managed to try holding one noodle night once their old favourite shopkeep reopened A Simple Wok. The food was delicious, but they all found themselves leaving fairly early- with only Nora, Ren and Jaune, along with a surprise appearance from Team CFVY, it didn't feel right to continue their Sunday night tradition back when they were in Beacon. Now that Team SSSN had gone back to Haven with the other exchange students, and Team RWBY had completely disappeared, as Weiss had gotten shipped back to Atlas only a few days after the Fall, their original crew had fallen to less than half the usual numbers. The effort was worth something, though.

It was near early June when the realization struck Nora one day. Jaune hadn't cried in weeks. Ren hadn't been needed to manage the civilians' emotions in nearly as long. She was no longer as empty. While Beacon's skies were still darkened above the Cliffs, and the onslaught of Grimm homing in on the Grimm Dragon's presence never ceased, and the school remained inaccessible- meaning, all of their personal effects, identification, and extra weaponry were all lost- they were rebuilding a new home for themselves in Vale.

It was a terrifying thing to realize, that they were slowly moving on. The thought of Pyrrha no longer sent a wave of silent grief over the trio, although they still didn't bring her up very often. It was just a bit too soon to say anything about the girl. Still, the fact that they were able to show up to their assigned workstations and carry out their duties with a smile on their faces meant a lot.

"Do you think we'd ever get paid for this?" Nora murmured absently one day. It was their lunch break, and the entire construction crew who worked to restore old apartment buildings for civilian housing were enjoying a meal together.

Ren shrugged. "I think the free food and board will have to be our payment. It's not like we need much else."

Jaune mumbled around a mouthful of bread, "Yeah, and what would we need the money for anyways?"

Nora rolled her eyes. "I dunno. Buying clothes? We've been in nothing but these for months!" She gestured at her tattered skirt, which had definitely seen better days.

The dark-haired boy sighed, gazing mournfully at his own stained green jacket. "I suppose having some new wardrobes would be nice. Everything we owned is still at Beacon, after all."

The moment he mentioned their school, however, Nora and Ren immediately glanced over to Jaune. The blond hadn't reacted, still chewing contemplatively. After a few moments, he swallowed, then added, "Yeah. I think I need new jeans."

Nora leaned over to look at the boys legs, a chortle slipping past her lips on instinct. "It's not a think situation anymore, Jaune. Uh, you need them, like now."

The boy stretched his legs, smoothing his jeans as much as he could. Clearly, he had grown a surprising amount even in the short while they had been working in Vale- the hems of his jeans ended woefully short above his ankles. The blond gazed mournfully at a ragged hole he had torn in the inner thigh of his pant leg. "I grew a little."

Ren reached over and patted him on the shoulder supportively. "You've grown. That's good for your age."

The blond waved away the hand dismissively. "I'm not a kid," he whined, but a smile appeared on his face good-naturedly only a moment later, and Nora couldn't help but beam.

A wry chuckle from behind them caught their attention. Nora swivelled in her seat, waving cheerfully at an amused Professor Goodwitch who watched them from the doorway. The Huntress shook her head ruefully, approaching them with a kind smile. She paused once she stood behind Jaune, just close enough to see just how painfully short his pants had become. "Miss Valkyrie is right, Mr. Arc," she chuckled, amused. "Please buy some new clothes. All of you could use them."

Ren smiled, although his brow was furrowed. "We don't exactly have the means right now," he admitted.

"Yes," the Huntress acknowledged, "you two were scholarship students to Beacon, after all. And Mr. Arc, I'm familiar with your family situation- how many siblings? Seven?" When the boy nodded, she continued, "However, we finally have received the full response of support from the Schnee Dust Company, so I'd say you are now more than capable of purchasing a few simple outfits."

Nora exchanged looks with her team. Everyone seemed equally confused. "What the hecky does Weiss' dad have to do with us?"

Professor Goodwitch pointed with her riding crop at the nearby bulletin board. "Haven't you read?" When they all shook their heads slowly, she rolled her eyes. "Honestly, students. I'd have hoped you would keep up with what was going on around us, even if we are no longer explicitly testing you on the material."

The orange-haired girl chewed her lip, eyes darting quickly over to Jaune. Just as she would have expected, the blond stared at his exposed ankles numbly. They often avoided the bulletin boards. Although they had healed a lot since the news first struck, it still hurt to see that the pages of obituaries never ceased.

The woman's eyes softened, and she leaned against a corner of their table. "To honour the work that all of you students put into defending Beacon during the Fall," she explained, "the Schnee Dust Company is providing all of you with some bursaries. It likely won't be enough to cover the loss of your belongings, but it should be enough to help restock your closets, at least. It will most certainly be enough to help you buy some new pants, Mr. Arc." Her last phrase was mildly teasing, and the blond blushed.

"That's… how will we collect it?" Ren asked. Quickly, the dark-haired boy launched into a full discussion about the specifics with the Huntress. Nora tuned it out, focusing on poking Jaune's bare ankles with a mocking grin. The blond groaned and protested every time, but he didn't pull away, long having become accustomed to her antics.

The orange-haired girl only tuned back in when she heard a number fly through the Huntress' lips. "I'm sorry, how much are we getting?!" she gasped incredulously.

The woman raised her brow and repeated the number. Nora nearly fainted. "Oh. So I wasn't mishearing it." She spun around to Ren, grabbing the boy's collar. "Ren, we're going to be rich."

Although he had nowhere near as volatile a reaction as her, his eyes gleamed in surprise and excitement as well. "Have we ever had that much…?" he pondered quietly.

"No! The answer's no!" She jumped up onto her seat, propping one foot against the back of her chair. Her gestures drew the attention of the other workers briefly, but soon, everyone went back to their own meals. They had all long grown used to her silliness. "Do you know what this means?"

"New clothes?" Professor Goodwitch laughed quietly.

"New armour?" Ren asked curiously.

"New pants, okay, lay off it," Jaune pouted.

"No, sillies!" She jumped off the chair, looking excitedly up at the window of their barracks down the street- still broken, sadly, but home nonetheless. She wiggled her eyebrows wickedly. "I'm gonna upgrade Magnhild." It had been so long since she had gotten enough money to spend on improving her hammer. This is gonna be awesome.

Their old professor laughed aloud at that. "Good to see you haven't changed, Miss Valkyrie," she said fondly. "If you'd like, I'll introduce you to a good smith. She can likely take care of what you need."

So, after their shift was done in the housing district that afternoon, the trio ambled over to the addresses Professor Goodwitch had provided them. The bank gave them all their bursaries from the SDC (as in, they gave Ren and Ren alone the funds for everyone, since he was the responsible one) and they made their way to the freshly-reopened smithy. The blacksmith they met upgraded Magnhild in a heartbeat, intrigued immediately by thoughts of how to incorporate Nora's Semblance into her weapon choice. They even took in Ren's twin StormFlower blades, ready to hone the edge and increase their firepower. While the woman worked on that, the trio then entered the new shopping centre for the first time. Soon, they were outfitted in new sets of armour, clothing, ammo, plus all the spares their hearts could ever desire.

"Are you sure you don't want to get anything new, Jaune?" Ren asked gently. Other than searching for essentials and then, of course, new pants, the blond had refrained from purchasing any new armour or weaponry.

The other boy shrugged. "I mean… I don't know. These were all family heirlooms from the Great War, right? I'd feel bad throwing them away."

"That hoodie isn't an heirloom, and that armour's getting pretty small on you, too, though," Nora laughed. "You're going to have to exchange it either way!"

Jaune rolled his eyes, pushing Nora away playfully. "We'll get there later, Nora. I got my jeans. Now leave my wardrobe alone!"

The orange-haired girl laughed, twirling around with shopping bags in hand and an ample supply of explosives for Magnhild on her back. The blacksmith would be done with the hammer soon, and then, she'd feel completely ready to take on the world again. As it was, she felt light and free, now that she finally wasn't stuck wearing the same tattered clothes over and over- the tailor had taken one look at Nora's bubblegum-pink aesthetic and decided to hand-stitch a silhouette of Nora's hammer onto the back of her spiffy new black jacket. Combining that with the most comfortable, fluffy socks she had ever worn, cozy lace-up white knee-high boots, and a pink (battle) skirt that would make Weiss and Ruby proud, she felt like a new person.

What made her even happier, though, was Ren. Although the colours were the same as before, now, he looked so much older- so much more mature. The boy ditched his old wardrobe completely, instead adopting a green vest with a long tailcoat trailing behind him on top of a black sleeveless turtleneck. Long fingerless gloves were secured by bracers above his elbows, and the boy's white pants were tucked into tall, open-toed boots. How he had somehow managed to retain the aesthetic of his family's culture in clothing he found in the middle of Vale, of all places, she didn't know. It didn't matter, though. It suited him perfectly. In her eyes, he looked wonderful.

As they stepped out into the waning sunlight, however, the boy sighed. "I feel like there's something missing," Ren mumbled, staring at his reflection in the centre's window.

"There's one other thing you can do right away!" the orange-haired girl giggled. When he gave her a confused look, she pointed at her own head.

The boy understood instantly, nodding. With hesitant fingers, he reached back and tugged on the tie holding his hair back. Somewhere along the way, however, his hair became tangled and stuck.

"Do you need help?" she quipped cheerfully, looking up into his face.

He stepped back, then relaxed. "Okay," he murmured, a small smile on his face. Nora's heart blossomed, and she quickly ran behind the taller boy, reaching up to undo the hair tie she had watched him do and undo every day for the past ten years. With tender fingers, she untangled the long, thick black strands, running her dainty fingers through them as she extricated the red hair tie. Finally, it was free, and she stepped back, allowing the boy enough space to shake out his hair.

Now, his long hair cascaded freely down his broad shoulders, all the way down to the small of his back. It was thick and lustrous, shining ethereally in the sunset light. Her heart melted, and she longed to reach out and touch it, run her fingers down from his head to the tips of each strand. She longed to bury her face in the crook of his neck, feel his hair falling against her skin-

But that wasn't to be. He wasn't ready for that.

Instead, she booped him on the nose. "C'mon, guys, we gotta go pick up our weapons!" she cheered excitedly. Ren nodded and began to walk over, but Jaune didn't follow for a moment. She spun around, ready to drag him over if he was still fixating on the length of his new pants.

He wasn't, though. Instead, the blond was wearing a wistful, longing expression as he watched Nora, as he watched Ren walk away.

Nora's heart plummeted into her new boots. She could instantly visualize what he was imagining- she could still remember how often Jaune would help Pyrrha brush her hair. He really did love her, didn't he?

But now, he couldn't be affectionate with Pyrrha.

If you only had realized how you felt earlier, Jaune. I would've loved to watch you two be cute, too. I would've never you guys live it down, but… It… it would've been perfect.

But the 'if only's wouldn't help anyone. So, she gently grabbed his elbow, and with a light-hearted tone, she teased him about his old, greying hoodie he refused to get rid of until the boy snapped out of it.

After retrieving her hammer and Ren's blades from the smithy, they finally returned home to put away their new haul. However, there was still daylight remaining, and nothing to do.

"How much do we have left?" Jaune asked, opening his little wallet.

Ren pulled out his own wallet and removed the remaining Lien from their combined funds. Splitting it into three portions, he pushed the largest pile to Jaune. "You need to save more than us for when you finally buy new armour," he explained dryly.

The blond made a move to protest, but Nora silenced him with a quick clap on his shoulder. She quickly picked up one of the smaller piles and pocketed the Lien, jogging to the door. "I'm gonna go out, and no one can follow me!" she shrieked, darting down the hall as quickly as she could. There was no way the boys could catch up with her, which was ideal.

Nora was a girl of few wants. That made the current situation ideal- she already knew where she wanted to spend her extra remaining Lien. The family-sized box of Pumpkin Pete's was easy to find, along with a few freshly-printed copies of the newest issues in Jaune's favourite superhero comic series. On the complete opposite end of town, the traditional Mistralian patissier tucked into the corner of the market was fairly surprised to see someone of her colouring so knowledgeable about his desserts, but he was more than happy to hand off some of his recommendations.

Giggling with her haul stowed carefully away in her bag, she skipped home just as the evening lights finally flickered on, illuminating the streets. She left the cereal and comics on Jaune's cot and the nicely-wrapped box on Ren's, then left to wash her face. She got ready for bed in record time, slipping on her headphones and listening to music for a bit on her Scroll before Ren finally entered their room again.

"Gee, I wonder- what's that on your bed?" she said aloud, grinning coyly. The boy rolled his eyes, but sat down on his cot and pulled open the box anyways. His eyes widened, darting back and forth between the box's contents and Nora's face, searching for answers in her smug smile.

Finally, he whispered, "…how did you find it?"

"You just need to learn what's in the shopping district, Ren! They opened tons of things before the Vytal Festival, and some stuff is still around!" She giggled as he picked up one delicate, lotus-shaped dessert, the pounded rice cake bending slightly even in his cautious grip. He placed the piece carefully onto his palm, face unreadable.

Well, unreadable to most. Nora had long memorized exactly what every twitch of his brow, every blink of his eye, every tremble in his lips, all meant. She knew he was mesmerized with the traditional sweets of his native village. They had been hard to come by outside of Mistral, and she had been meaning to pick them up in Vale before the tournament when she first realized that a traditional confectioner had appeared for the Festival- unfortunately, she had never found the time, and things had lead them to their current state.

It was alright, though. He put the dessert back in the box where the three other pieces sat, then left the room. In five minutes, he returned with a tray of two teacups, filled with the most authentic Mistralian tea he could find in the Huntsman barracks' shared kitchen. Handing her one cup, he knelt on the floor in the teeny space between their beds, pulling the same treat out- then, he took a small bite of the sweet, chewing slowly, savouring the mild flavour.

She knew that these desserts always reminded him of more innocent days.

He blushed, then beckoned her over wordlessly. She grinned wider, obediently taking a seat by his side in the tiny space. When he held out the rest of the dessert between slender fingers, she ate the rest appreciatively, but she remained quiet rather than loudly enjoying the dessert- it wasn't respectful to the patissier to be overdramatic. Instead, she quietly chewed, drank her tea, and swallowed. She wasn't the biggest fan of rice and sweet bean cakes such as these, but sharing anything with Ren made it taste sweeter than usual.

The boy continued in that way- he would eat half, then feed her the rest. The movement was so automatic. Nora marvelled at their closeness, and how calm Ren was- despite the fact that her heart was racing a mile a minute, the boy was moving so naturally that it was as if he barely even noticed her presence.

She didn't mind. She was a constant in his life, and he in hers. If this sort of closeness was alright with him, that was all she could ever ask for.

Soon, the tea was finished, and it was time for bed. Jaune still wasn't back, but they didn't question it- now that the skies had cleared of smog, the boy spent a lot of time on the roof of the barracks at night. They knew that he just wanted to be closer to Pyrrha. He had spent so much time with her on the roof of their dormitory throughout the school year, training and stargazing and chatting, so it just made sense. They wouldn't ever disturb that moment for the blond.

However, as Nora was about to go to bed, she found a little box stashed under her own pillow. Lifting it up, she gasped. It was one of the same brands of chocolate that Nora used to always buy at Beacon- she would buy tons of varieties with whatever leftover spending money she had, stashing boxes and boxes all around their room. Ren always scolded her when he found them- the sugar wasn't good for her, he had always griped- but she had always managed to keep a special, assorted box hidden away in the boys' closet, right under their noses.

Her heart wilted momentarily. She had always shared that particular secret stash with Pyrrha.

Glumly, she opened up the box. The coconut flavour caught her eye instantly.

Ren murmured, "Was that one Pyrrha's favourite, or yours?"

She lifted her head, surprised to see the boy watching her as he tied up his hair for the night.

He continued, "The coconut and the almond ones were always missing. I'm assuming Jaune didn't take them- he… can't find his own socks half the time." Those last words were said with a dry, but affectionate chuckle, having shared most of his living space with the blond for nearly a year now.

"Wait…" The gears in her brain slowly turned, then reach the solution. She jumped up in her bed, crawling to her knees. "You knew about that box?!"

He laughed. "I figured I should let you keep one, at least. You didn't touch that one very often, so I thought it was okay."

Her stomach warmed instantly. He bought me these with his share of the Lien. Before she could outwardly pout and gripe, Jaune burst into their room. His hair was a mess, his eyes wide and frenzied… but there was a spark in them, too. There was life. He was genuinely excited.

"Guys, Ruby just called," he cried. "I have no idea how she got through, but- but- but Patch's winter is almost up, and she wants to go to Haven."

Nora and Ren traded confused looks. "Okay, first off- how the heck is it so hot here and yet still snowing there?"

Ren immediately replied, "Because Vale gets rainstorms after early summers due to our more temperate location yet proximity to the tropic lines, and Patch is farther north, next to glaciers of ice- and ice-Dust- deposits. Their cold seasons last longer, in exchange for fairly stable springs and summers."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, nerd." Turning her attention back to Jaune, she pressed, "But, Haven. Why would she want that?" the orange-haired girl laughed. "Does she… want to go to school there?"

He shook his head frantically. "It's… she thinks that something big is happening, and she thinks that if we want our answers, we're gonna have to go there." His gaze jumped back and forth between his two teammates, growing more and more resolute.

"It… it would make sense, in a way," Ren murmured thoughtfully, running his fingers through his ponytail. "They attacked Beacon and destroyed the CCT. If they're aiming to truly cut off international communications for good, Haven would be the next best target."

"It's not like anything can get into Atlas right now," Nora scoffed. The borders were growing tighter and tighter around the northern Kingdom, ever since the Fall of Beacon. "And Vacuo… well…"

In unison, they all shrugged and mumbled in exasperation, "It's Vacuo."

"So… Haven makes sense, I suppose," Ren mused.

They were all quiet until Jaune finally announced, "I don't want her to go alone."

Nora glanced between the two boys- Jaune, determined and stubborn, and Ren, calm and understanding. Neither of them would speak, eyes locked in an odd stalemate. Therefore, it was up to her.

She slapped her thighs, drawing their attention with the harsh sound. Giggling, she raised her hand. "Well, Ren and I need to hunt some people down in Anima, too. Someone needs to start picking up our phone calls again!" She winked at the dark-haired boy, reaching out and tugging on the magenta streak in his hair mischievously. "So, looks like our team is going to Haven! When do we leave?"

The two boys' expressions melted as they looked at her- Jaune, with relief and gratitude, and Ren, with joy and resolution. Jaune murmured, "Well, they have enough Huntsmen here to keep Vale safe. And we've been here for almost three whole months- why not hitch a ride into Patch tomorrow?"

"We've just restocked, so this would be the perfect time," Ren agreed solemnly.

Nora fell back onto her bed, kicking the mattress excitedly. "We're taking a road trip! Let's do it!"

Jaune's eyes softened, and he smiled at the duo. "Thanks, guys. I've been… I've been getting pretty sick of sitting here, doing nothing." He stared out the window wearily. "I just want some answers."

"And we'll get them, don't you worry!" she quipped, and that was that. Before Jaune could grow despondent and lost in his thoughts once more, she leaned over to his cot, picked up his pillow, and tossed it at the boy. While he spluttered, she crawled under her covers, pulling out her Scroll. Quickly, she jotted down all the last-minute errands she'd have to do the next morning- talking to the professors, getting them all off construction duty, letting the kitchen know that they'd no longer need to make her extra-big portions. It was such a short list, but it came together naturally.

We'll take it from here, she thought, satisfied with the result. She dozed off sometime while listening to Jaune and Ren get ready for bed, and by the time they turned off the light, she was fast asleep.

She wasn't usually the type to dream- perhaps it was due to the taste of Mistralian sweets on her tongue, but she reawakened outside of a lovely Vale-style pastry shop. In the back of her mind, she instantly wanted to walk in and find whatever it was that was making that heavenly smell waft out through opened windows- yet, her feet stayed still. She glanced down. Her bare knees were blue and swollen and bruised and scratched. She looked back up. The window ledge was barely at her eye level.

Oh.

She knew where she was.

She ran around the back, and this time, her feet complied, tiny body moving lithely towards the dumpsters behind the store. Glancing around, the coast was clear- so, she swiftly darted towards the small trash bin on the side of the back door to the kitchen. There were always unsold loaves left in there.

They would have thrown everything out two days ago. I wish I could've come here then.

But she had been incapacitated back then. Everything had hurt too much- so, it was either bread sitting in a dumpster for two days, or it was nothing. She squeeze her arms around her ribs momentarily, feeling bones through thin, pale skin. She could no longer afford nothing.

Her search proved meager. There was only two loaves in the small bin, and one of them was completely green- so, she picked up the other one, dusting it off. The smell of mold clung to it like a second skin, but underneath it, she could sense faint traces of stale, yeasty goodness, and that was enough for her. She held it tight to her chest and scurried away.

In the back of her mind, she knew that looping around the back alleys would only result in getting caught. Unfortunately, she wasn't in a dream- she was in a memory. All she could do was wait helplessly until she ran straight into the chest of a tall boy, falling backwards.

Three boys stared down at her. She tried sprinting away, but they blocked all routes of egress, meaning that she was forced to watch as they closed in on her. They snickered, taking in her beaten-up body, her starving face, her wary, fearful eyes.

The tallest one swiped for her bread, and she scuttled back, clutching the loaf tight.

"Where'd you get that bread? I didn't see you pay for it, thief!" he jeered, laughing with his friends.

The shortest one giggled, "No, look, it's all moldy!"

The first boy chuckled, "I think she got it from the trash!"

Their third companion cried, "Lemme see!"

All she could see were their eyes. They were staring at her, eyes glowing with a mocking hatred that burned her, terrified her. Why were they so mean? Why wouldn't they just leave her alone? All she wanted was some bread. Her tummy rumbled again, the scent of the stale bread still utterly appetizing. It had been so long since she had eaten…

The third boy reached out with a wicked grin, his hand growing closer and closer to her face. She shrank back, but he didn't move away. On instinct, she leaned up and bit his longest finger, eliciting a yelp from the boy. "Ah- she bit me!" he squealed, recoiling instantly.

Next thing she knew, the boy had pushed her backwards, and she stumbled onto the ground painfully. Her old bruises ached, but her mind raced, focusing on the loaf which flew out of her hand upon impact- if she didn't hurry up, if she didn't bring back some bread, there would be new bruises awaiting her, and no meal in sight. I don't want this, leave me alone, go away…

As quickly as she could, she crawled back to her feet, hugging the bread to her chest. She cowered, shutting her eyes tight. Please leave me alone…

But the boys wouldn't quit. "Where'd she come from?" the short one mocked. "She's dressed all weird!"

The tallest one guffawed. "I bet she's abandoned! Like a dog or something!"

She opened her eyes wide, pleading with them silently to just go away. They paid her no mind, so wrapped up in their own cruel words.

The third boy pouted incredulously, "Does that mean I have rabies?"

All three boys chuckled, but Nora's eyes honed in on a new, fourth boy standing behind the menacing trio.

Unlike the first three, who were clearly the children of the working class, this newcomer was distinctly part of the upper-class in the village. His clothes were neat-pressed and clean, his black hair pinned up primly in the back. He was smaller than the boys, but his face was open and honest and innocent, displaying all of his horror front and center when he realized what was going on.

She nodded towards him, begging for help with her eyes. Please, please do something.

But the boy just stood and stared. Quickly, the bullies saw her gaze resting behind them, and they spun around, catching sight of the wealthy boy. Once they set their eyes on him, though, the newcomer yelped, panicking, and turned around- running right into the legs of one of the strongest warriors of Kuroyuri, Li Ren.

Nora blinked slowly at the boy. The resemblance between man and boy was clear. Is that… his dad?

"Father?" he murmured in shock, voice high and nervous and accented like all the other upper-class families of the town.

The man looked away from his son, glaring at the three boys. Then, he turned his eyes onto Nora, and she cowered. She knew those eyes. Those eyes didn't want her there. Those eyes belonged to every single adult who had ever seen her this side of Anima. People who looked like her… they belonged far, far away, in the northern reaches of Atlas. Not here.

I don't want to be here, please let me go-

"What is happening here?" the man boomed. Nora took her cue- while the boys stood still, unsure of where to go or what to say, she grabbed the bread tight and scurried down the steps behind them. The steps led to the canals, which would lead to the irrigation streams, which would bypass the sewers. Then she'd find her destination.

But before she could set foot on the ground after leaping down the last five stairs, the world warped around her and was suddenly dark. Flames burned the sky, filling the air with ash and smoke, the cinders catching light upon entire buildings. The screeches and howls of Nevermores and Beowolves echoed through the air, and she shuddered, crawling underneath the nearest cover- the porch of a nearby building.

In the back of her mind, she knew what was going on. This was the end. But in the moment, her dream-self was still naught but a little girl, wrapping thin, frail arms around her own malnourished torso, biting back the fearful screams.

Suddenly, another horrifying screech erupted from above her, and she shuddered, sobbing quietly. It's the Grimm, it's above me, it's right above- it's going to eat me, save me, someone, please-

And then, out of the blue, a light touch on her shoulder stole her attention. She gasped, but her eyes were met with a warm, caring smile. "Hey!" the son of Li Ren murmured. In his magenta eyes, there was a sense of peace, of comfort, burning deep within.

He didn't intend her any harm. "We have to be brave," he calmly explained.

The Nevermore cawed again, and she heard sharp talons dragging down the shingles of the roof. It was going to find them any minute now.

She whimpered, then looked back at the boy. His clothes were still fairly pristine, and his hair was still unruffled- but there was a maturity to him now which had been missing earlier that day. And she knew in that moment, from the very depths of her soul, that those eyes would never again fail to stand up for her. They'd protect her until the end.

Okay.

She threw her arms around him on instinct. She just wanted to be safe. After a moment, he reciprocated, and she was drawn into the most comforting embrace she had ever experienced. Strangely enough, the sensation of fear slowly ebbed away, numbing. It was replaced by peace, by restful thoughts.

We'll be okay.

The giant, bird-like Grimm stalking them from above let out another cry, albeit softer. Nora clutched the boy's jacket tight, awaiting their demise. Yet, after a few thoughtful pauses, they heard an annoyed screech and the powerful flapping of demonic wings as the creature took flight.

They had made it.

The two children had scant time to celebrate. She had barely dislodged herself from the boy's arms when she saw the most terrifying image she had ever seen. With her limited vision, all she could take in were four massive hooves, clopping slowly down the road beside the porch they hid underneath. On either side of the equestrian-like figure were two long, trailing hands, clawed fingers twitching as they dragged against the cobblestone road.

As the creature moved on, Nora locked eyes with the little boy. "I'm scared..." she whispered, desperately fighting back the urge to sob once more. It was all too much.

With a gentle, saddened expression, the boy replied, "Me too." Out of nowhere, he made a move to leave their covered porch, and she grabbed his arm, whining in protest.

Please don't go.

"It's okay," he soothed, all confidence and determination.

She gasped and panted for breath, the exhaustion from the night's events quickly settling in. All she could do was furrow her brow and watch him crawl out from their hiding spot, crying softly.

Thankfully, he only went a few feet away, coming back quickly. He knelt before her, presenting what he had gone to retrieve- a small, wooden hammer. Holding it out to her with both hands, he smiled. "We'll keep each other safe."

We'll keep each other safe. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at the innocuous item. It could've been mistaken for a children's toy, it was so small.

Yet, it was something for her. No one had ever given her anything of her own before. And this strange boy now wanted to stay with her? He wanted to protect her? She looked down, noticing a large hunting knife tucked into his sash. It clearly didn't belong to him, but he followed her gaze to the weapon, then gave her a sad smile.

He's serious. We'll protect each other with this. With trembling fingers, she took the mallet from him, holding it against her chest lovingly.

"What's your name?"

This hammer is mine. He gave it to me. We'll take care of each other. The thought brought happy tears into her eyes. For the first time… maybe there was something in this world that cared for her, after all.

She looked back up to him, a foreign sensation pulling her lips. She… she was smiling. How long had it been? But looking at this sweet little boy, with his little purple streak matching the sweetest pink eyes she had ever seen, it felt natural. It felt right.

"Nora," she whispered at last.

With a little laugh and a nod of the head, he replied, "My name's Lie Ren. We'll protect each other from now on, okay?"

She nodded back, slow but sure. "Always."

That word brought mirth to his eyes, those magenta hues disappearing behind happy crescent moons. "Always," he agreed.

And then, her eyes opened again. The ceiling above her head belonged to her barracks. She rolled her head over to her right. And, just as she had suspected, she felt Ren's fingertips brushing against her hair with the movement- she could see his pink Aura swelling up his arm from where it hung awkwardly off of his cot, barely reaching hers, casting his Semblance into her being.

No wonder all the fear in her dream had dissipated so naturally. Ren had sensed her discomfort, even in his dreams, and he had cast his Semblance over her, keeping her safe and warm.

Her heart surged with warmth for the boy. Carefully so as to not wake him, she grabbed his hand, pressed a gentle kiss to his fingertips, and whispered, "I'm okay, Ren."

He must have heard her subconsciously, as the pink Aura began to recede, and her emotions were fully hers once more. The warmth didn't fade, though. So, she fell back asleep, holding onto his hand contentedly. It was a little selfish of her to continue the contact, but he wouldn't mind.

When she awoke early the next morning, though, she regretted not tucking the boy's arm back into his cot. Ren was still sleeping when she opened her eyes and sat up, still holding onto Ren's hand- but Jaune was already sitting upright, eyes glassy and broken as he watched her and Ren's easy intimacy. She suddenly felt ashamed.

If you only had realized how you felt earlier, Jaune.

She swallowed.

If only I had forced Pyrrha to tell you earlier.

Jaune made no move to get up, frozen solid. She glanced back down at Ren's sleeping face.

…Will I one day run out of time with you, too?

The warmth from the dream faded in her gut. She didn't want to think about running out of time. Not with Ren. Never with Ren.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Settling things in Vale barely took them the morning. Although they had indeed purchased everything they could possibly need for their trip the day prior, they decided to head out in their older garments instead of their new wardrobe- "We might as well wear them in the snow rather than ruining new clothes," Ren reasoned. It made sense, so the trio packed away their bags with their new gear, mentally preparing for the last few snows of Patch's winter.

Professor Goodwitch and Professor Port simply smiled when they approached the Huntsmen before the morning shift, clapping them all on the shoulder as they explained their upcoming visit to Ruby.

"We also think we're going to head home to Mistral," Ren added, "So it'll probably be a while before we stay in the city again." Ruby had mentioned that she didn't want anyone to know their goal of visiting Haven, so the foursome was content to use the two childhood friends' trip home as their excuse.

"What fun! Well, you've done more than enough here in Vale. We'll miss you, but you need to go spread your wings. You'll do great things, Team JNPR!" the rotund professor guffawed, shaking Jaune's hand vigorously.

They all twitched. It had been three months since the Fall- three months since they had last ever truly referred to themselves as Team JNPR. Nora cast a quick glance over to Jaune. Their leader hadn't spoken much all morning, ever since he saw her and Ren's exchange. At the mention of their old team, a cloud was cast over his features. He wasn't okay.

It'll be a long time until we're really okay, huh?

The Huntress quickly realized the source of their discomfort. Cutting in front of her colleague, she assured the trio, "You'll be fine. Ensure that you are prepared for the trials ahead- the journey to Haven, especially now that each Kingdom is more hesitant to allow airships into their borders, will be arduous. You may have to travel by foot."

"You're visiting Miss Rose first, correct?" Professor Port inquired. Kindly, he added, "Check in on Miss Xiao Long for me as well, will you? I'm worried about the girl. Dealing with her injury can't be easy."

The blonde woman nodded in agreement. "We are all worried about her. But, these things take time. For now, you three should get on the boat to Patch. Work hard."

The atmosphere had darkened considerably over the boys. Time to shine. "Yes, ma'am!" Nora saluted brightly, grabbing Jaune and Ren's arms. The two boys had been more sullen ever since they had used their team name. So, before they could react, she bolted towards the docks at the west end of the city, ignoring their surprised yelps of protest as she dragged them along. She knew that the professors wouldn't mind their abrupt exit, a belief that was only supported when she heard the two laugh good-naturedly at their speedy departure.

As they ran, shouts and cheers of encouragement and well-wishes trailed behind from the other Huntsmen, students and civilians who saw them pass. With their heavy bags and newly-upgraded weapons, it was clear that they were leaving Vale. Nora couldn't help but grin, listening to their words. These people had made Vale feel almost like a replacement for Beacon, and for that, she would never be able to show the full extent of her gratitude.

Soon, they were already climbing up the boarding ramp after Ren hastily shelled out the money for their tickets. As they settled into a corner of the passenger deck, Nora leaned dreamily against the window to watch the waves as she yawned, still a little sleep-deprived.

Ren pulled his pack off his back and onto the floor, making a mental checklist of all the items visible. It was a sturdy hiking bag, perfect for the massive journey they would eventually undertake- everything from a bedroll to extra ammunitions to first aid kits to rations were carefully stowed away for any eventuality. "I think… we're all set," he said at last, sinking into his seat. "We're ready."

Jaune nodded resolutely. "Yeah. Let's do it."

"Woohoo, off to Patch!" Nora bit back a yawn, raising one fist in the air drowsily as a cheer before giving herself back into the arms of sleep. The ride to Patch would be at least a few hours, so they had more than enough time to relax.

The next thing she knew, Ren was gently shaking her arm. "We're here," he murmured. She rubbed her eyes and roused herself, slinging her own heavy travelling pack over her shoulders and trudging out after them.

However, the moment they stepped off the boat, her face automatically lit up in joy and wonder. "What the heck is wrong with this place?!" she shrieked, immediately running down the docks.

"Nora, be careful!" Ren called nervously after her. She ignored the frantic footsteps of her teammates following her, eyes solely focused upon the prize ahead of them- a giant snowbank.

Without a second doubt, she leapt in the air, cried, "Cannonball!" and tucked herself into a ball, letting herself fall twice her height deep into the giant snow drift.

The stinging cold was bitterly refreshing, biting into her bones instantly. She shuddered and crawled out of the snowbank, unable to keep the smile off of her face despite the fact that her body began to shiver almost on contact. "Whoo! That was good," she grinned wickedly.

Ren and Jaune were on her in seconds, brushing snow off her shoulders and helping her back onto the paved, cleared road. "Nora, you know that the snow's going to be melting here soon, right?" Jaune sighed, exasperated. He launched into a whole tirade about protecting her pack and not rushing off alone, but Nora tuned him out. As he spoke, light filled his face, and soon, the boy was grinning despite himself. Her heart swelled.

No. We'll be okay.

Finding Ruby's home should have been fairly simple with the directions the younger girl had supplied Jaune the night before. It was definitely a little ways away, but after asking for clarification for the fourth time, they found themselves cresting a hill on the seemingly-never-ending, frozen trail, finding a forest below.

"Forest! Trees!" Jaune scoffed. "See, guys? I told you we'd figure it out."

Ren sighed, shaking his head, and Nora rolled her eyes. "Ren, you're on map duty next time," she muttered, giggling when she heard the blond's affronted splutters.

The trail they were following eventually brought them straight through the thicket, the trees around them barren and stark black against the snowy, silent landscape. The last few snows were the hardest in Patch, Ren explained- but apparently, afterwards, the spring would melt seamlessly into the summer, and it would be beautiful until late fall. Definitely not the worst conditions to live in year-round, but Nora was already missing the temperate sun of Vale and Beacon.

The little cottage belonging to the Xiao Long household was easy enough to find, and it didn't take long to confirm that it indeed housed the person they were looking for. They had barely stepped forward into the clearing surrounding the quaint, wooden, pastoral home before the door burst open and an eager voice screamed, "Jaune! Nora! Ren!" A blur of rose petals flying on the wind later, and Nora, Ren and Jaune were all tackled into a giant huddle in the snow with a screaming sixteen-year-old practically lying on top of them.

Ruby lifted up her head, silver eyes practically shining in the reflection against the snowdrifts around them. A wide, innocent smile lit up her face, inciting a smile back from the new trio. "Oh my god you guys, I can't believe you're here! You're actually here!" Then, happy, relieved tears filled her eyes. She glanced over to Jaune. In a softer, quavering voice, she repeated, "You're here."

Nora looked over to the blond, heart melting as she saw the tears filling up his eyes as well. He didn't get to see her at all during the Fall, she realized. The blond had left their group fairly early with Pyrrha, after all, and the dark-haired girl had only regained consciousness briefly on the airship out to Vale after turning the Grimm Dragon to stone, when Jaune was already in Vale. She was unconscious the entire time he was around. It made sense that seeing Ruby, one of his closest friends from Beacon, would make him so emotional.

"You're really okay," Jaune whispered. Carefully, he reached out and gathered the younger girl in his arms, relieved, sobbing chuckles breaking through his lips. "I was so worried."

Ruby returned the hug fervently for just a moment before she began to shift uncomfortably. She never liked being held for too long. "Okay Jaune, time to let go," she muttered awkwardly. The blond blushed and released her, letting the girl spring back up to her feet, dusting herself off. "Come on! Let's go inside, it's chilly."

Laughing and bright, the four old friends wandered into the cottage. The moment they entered, they were greeted by a wash of warmth from a comfortably burning fireplace. An enthused voice called, "So, Ruby, these are your friends? Well, welcome to the Xiao Long's, boys and girls! I hope you enjoy your stay. I made quiche!" Standing at the door to the kitchen was a tall, tanned blond, the man grinning from ear to ear. Despite the freezing weather outside, the man wore a t-shirt, vest, and board shorts, clearly accustomed to the late winter chill. In his hands was a freshly baked, steaming quiche, large enough for the four of them to share- or at least, for Nora to fill up on. She was starving. "Please, make yourself at home!"

Ruby sighed, immediately embarrassed. "Guys, this is my dad."

"The name's Taiyang. Call me Tai," he introduced.

She rolled her eyes. "Dad, this is Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren- they went to Beacon with me-"

However sometime during her words, the man's expression fell away into one of distrust and annoyance. "Sweetheart," the man muttered, rushing forward. Firmly, he put the quiche down and reached out to Ruby, yanking his younger daughter towards his side. The girl yelped in surprise, but he paid it no mind as he put on a strained smile. "Sweetie. Ruby. You didn't tell me some of your friends who were coming here were… boys?" His eye twitched.

Nora immediately snorted. She took a step behind Ren and Jaune and quickly waved to get the man's attention. Once the angry paternal stare was fixed upon her instead of glaring holes at the two young men shifting uncomfortably in his doorstep, she pointed between herself and Ren frantically. Ren and I. Not Ruby, she pantomimed. The man nodded imperceptibly. Next, she pointed between Jaune and Ruby. Jaune and Ruby. Not a thing. She crossed her arms repeatedly. In her mind, all she could say was, No way are Jaune and Ruby a thing. Arkos or whatever the heck Jaune called their team attack is the only thing I would have allowed at Beacon, and it's the only thing I'll allow now!

Instantly, the man's demeanor softened once more. "Oh, well, a few boys aren't the worst," he chuckled nonchalantly, utterly relaxed and welcoming again. Ren and Jaune traded horrified looks as Nora sneakily stepped back up to join them, winking at Ruby as the younger girl fought to contain her sniggers, having seen the whole thing by her father's side.

"C'mon guys, let's go eat," Ruby waved them over. Nora eagerly followed, her stomach grumbling excitedly. Thankfully, she didn't miss the scathing glare Tai cast towards the two uneasy boys anyways, clearly conveying the message of, I'm watching you two, anyways. She liked Tai. He was funny.

The moment they properly crossed the threshold of the house, they were ushered to the bathroom one by one to get changed and dry off. Once they were all in their pyjamas, towels around their shoulders and slippers on their feet, they were finally allowed to eat. The food was delicious, the hot cocoa warm and soothing. It was lovely to be in such a quaint, loving household- pictures of Ruby and Yang lined the walls, and Nora had a blast cooing over how tiny the two girls looked. Tai was exactly what Nora would have imagined him to be- he was the perfect explanation as to why Ruby and Yang were usually so perky and open. The doting father was more than happy to oblige the orange-haired girl's curiosity, pulling out his favourite photo albums of his daughters before Ruby exiled him to his bedroom.

He called back in a chipper voice as he made his way up the stairs, "Stinky boys get to sleep on the couch, by the way! Nora can join Ruby in her room! No boys allowed upstairs!"

"Dad!" Ruby shrilled.

The man's laugh floated downstairs, lighting up the entire room. Ruby huffed and crossed her arms, slumping back into her chair. "Whatever. Ignore my dad. If you guys wanna take our guest room, that's totally cool."

Nora snorted. "How the heck would he have taken it if you had to room with boys at Beacon?"

The younger girl shuddered. "He'd have dragged me home and locked me up in my bedroom until I was thirty. He's so weird!"

Everyone laughed at that, but the air was still a little tense from Tai's sudden callback to the reality of their situation. Sighing, Ruby clapped her hands together, attempting to brighten up her expression to lift the mood. "So… what've you guys been up to in Vale for the last few months?"

Jaune shrugged, sending her a small smile. "Not much. We just helped a bit with the construction, that's all."

"We couldn't leave it all to Professor Goodwitch's telekinesis, after all," Ren added wryly.

Nora blew them both a raspberry. "Speak for yourselves, I basically fixed the entire power grid myself!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air. "And did I ever get thanks for it? Nope! Nuh-uh!"

Ren rolled his eyes. "Um, Nora, you got Magnhild upgraded for barely anything yesterday- I don't think you need to complain."

"Still!"

They continued to talk and catch up for over an hour after that, and Nora loved it. The conversation was inane, silly, unimportant. They laughed, they teased, they joked. It felt like they were all crowded around the kitchen island again in their little floor lounge, back in Beacon. It felt like home.

Ruby giggled, punching Jaune on the shoulder. "But anyways, look at you, Jaune- you've bulked up!"

It was true, now that Nora was looking at it- in addition to growing taller, the boy had put on a decent amount of muscle while performing the hard labour required in their work to rebuild. The blond shrugged, checking out his own shoulders meekly. "You think?" he asked. "I-I mean, it's been like three months of picking up lumber and bricks and stuff, so I guess…"

The younger girl hummed excitedly. "Yeah, I bet the girls would've been all over you," she teased innocently.

Instantly, Jaune's face closed up, his tone cold. "I wouldn't know." Under his breath, he muttered, "I'm not interested in anyone else."

Oh, Jaune.

Ruby froze, face clouding over in worry. Nora laid a gentle hand on Jaune's arm. "Well, either way," she inserted herself in the exchange awkwardly, "we're here now!"

"You… certainly are."

The new voice came from the doorway, and the four of them swivelled around in their seats, surprise overtaking them all. Jaune leapt to his feet, and Ren and Nora quickly stood up after. Ruby just crawled onto her knees, clutching the seat's back, peering over it nervously. "Sis, you're awake," she murmured.

Yang stood at the doorway, staring blankly at the wall. "Yup." Tight-lipped and lifeless, the blonde girl meandered past them all, heading straight for the sink. Nora's heart sank into the floor, seeing the bandages covering her wound go all the way up the stump of her right arm. The girl, who had always looked so fiery and cheery at Beacon, had faded out. She was wearing browns and blacks, her skin pale and her trademark, vivacious blonde locks limp. Nora watched Yang's silhouette outlined by the snow outside of the kitchen window as the girl took a drink of water at the sink, and she couldn't help but chew her lip and sigh.

She missed Yang. She knew it wasn't fair to the girl- it wasn't fair at all to come right out and say, Hey, lighten up, it's not so bad, so let's play a game! but seeing her so utterly broken hurt Nora inside. She missed her friend.

"Hey, Yang," Jaune whispered.

"It's good to see you again," Ren added.

Nora finally said, voice wistful and sad, "I hope you're feeling better."

"I'm not," was the deadened response. The blonde continued ignoring them, making a beeline back out the door. They could hear her heavy footfalls lead up the stairs, all the way to her bedroom, where the door slammed shut.

Ruby winced. "Sis… isn't doing too good," she finally chuckled, although her voice was devoid of joy.

And just like that, the room was dark and quiet, all the previous light sucked away.

After about a minute of uncomfortable silence, Nora murmured, "When do you think…?"

"It'll take a while longer. Give her time." A sigh from the doorway caught their attention again, and everyone went on guard. It was just Tai again, though- the man leaned against the frame, hands tucked into his pockets.

"Dad…"Ruby mumbled.

The man walked over and ruffled his younger daughter's hair. "It's just her stubbornness, sweetheart," he soothed tiredly. "Would you mind grabbing some tea for me?"

Nora winced in sympathy. It sounded like he was saying that more to convince himself than Ruby. When Ruby stood to make some tea, the man slid into her freed seat momentarily, muttering under his breath, "Yang… so much like her mother."

That piqued Nora's interest. She didn't know a lot about Ruby's family history- all she knew was that the two girls were actually half-sisters with different mothers. It explained just how different the girls looked. Their personalities for the most part, though, were clearly the result of a lifetime of love from the weary man sitting beside them- it was clear that he had given his all to his daughters.

But what was the bitterness in his voice at the mention of Yang's mom? What had happened to the woman? Nora's fingers scrabbled against her worn skirt, itching to ask the question. No, Nora, she scolded herself internally. It's not polite. Don't dig things up. Almost as if reading her thoughts, she glanced at Ren, seeing the boy sending her a pointed look. She wilted underneath it, pouting. Okay, okay. I really won't. He raised a brow. She nodded sagely, and he finally looked away, satisfied.

When his daughter returned with a cup of tea, the smile was back on the man's face. "Dad, give me my chair back," Ruby whined.

Tai simply patted his knee. "My little girl can sit here, can't she?"

"Dad, why are you like this, oh my god," she groaned, yanking the man to his feet.

Laughing, Tai held his hands up in surrender and walked away. "Enjoy your night, kids!" he called lovingly.

"Thanks!" "You too!" "For sure!" "Go away, dad!" they all called, Ruby's voice soaring over them all due to her exasperation.

With the kitchen quiet again, but the mood lightened considerably, Ren folded his hands on the table. "So, what's the plan?"

Ruby leaned forward in her chair. She lowered her voice. "We need to go to Haven. Something's going on, guys. I need to know what is happening with the Academies."

"But how do you know it'll actually work?" Nora asked, sitting criss-cross on her chair. "It's not like there's really a glowing sign over Mistral in the sky saying 'We'll be hit next'."

The younger girl replied quietly, "I talked to Uncle Qrow. He didn't say anything explicitly, but he hinted at it. He said it'll be better to find out the truth myself, and that the truth is waiting for me in Mistral." She softened, climbing to her feet. Quietly, she quickly poured the four of them little glasses of milk, then pulled out a small jar of cookies in the cupboard. Offering one to each of them, she held a cookie in her mouth, replaced the jar, then took her seat again. Dipping the cookie in the milk absentmindedly, she added, "I know it's not fair to ask, but I'd… I'm kind of scared of going alone. So, thanks, guys."

Nora, Ren and Jaune all looked at one another, small smiles on their faces. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget that the leader of Team RWBY was two years younger than them- she had been by their side from day one, after all. It was rare that they got to see her vulnerable side, usually so hidden away by her chipper demeanor.

"Anytime," Jaune soothed.

The girl beamed back.

"Does your dad know about your plan?" Ren asked.

Ruby shook her head. "No. Just- I'll tell him eventually, guys. Don't say anything for now." From the look in her eyes, though, it was clear that she wouldn't. Nora chewed the inside of her cheek, but said nothing. It wasn't her place, after. With Yang to worry about, it was up to Ruby how she dealt with her family.

The younger girl said, "We can take a boat to Mistral once the snow clears enough to reach the northern dock. That'll be, at the latest, in a week."

Jaune snorted out of the blue. "Um… why take a boat all the way around the northern half of the Sanus continent when we can just… take a train? Y'know, across the middle?"

Nora giggled. "Yeah, the trains work just fine going to the east coast. We might as well."

"It'll cut at least two weeks from your proposed plan," Ren added reasonably.

Ruby spluttered. "Oh, it wouldn't be that bad! I was just thinking about having the least amount of transfers."

Jaune mumbled around a large mouthful of his cookie, "No point making it longer than it has to be."

Nora and Ren nodded, and Ruby pouted. "I call shenanigans," she complained. "It's not fair! There's three of you!"

Nora sing-songed, "Sucks to be you, but we! Are! Taking! A! Train!" She thumped her fist against the table with each word to punctuate it.

Ruby stuck her tongue out at the orange-haired girl, but soon her expression fell once more. "Speaking of Uncle Qrow, though…" She paused, sighing heavily. "I told him to- after the Fall…" She gulped heavily. "Did… he give you her stuff?"

Jaune froze, his eyes trailing to their packs, which were all leaning against the sofa outside in the living room. Nora reached over and squeezed the blond's hand reassuringly, and he spared her a wan smile. The boy had ensured that the black cloth-wrapped bundle of Pyrrha's armour was placed in the most protected part of his hiking bag. That was the first thing he had made room for- there had never been any doubt that she was coming with them, wherever they went, forever. "Yeah," the blond whispered thickly.

"Good." The girl swirled a piece of her cookie in her milk numbly. "I told him to."

"Thanks."

They were all quiet. Finally, it was Ren who murmured, "What happened that night?"

Ruby sighed, burying her head in her hands. Her lip wobbled, and soon, they could all see that she was fighting to keep her distress and tears at bay. "Cinder… killed her. Then, apparently I froze the Wyvern? I'm still… kind of lost, myself."

Nora and Ren traded horrified glances. They had never heard who had been responsible for Pyrrha's death- everything had always been vague surrounding the details of their loss. "Wait- Cinder? Who the hell is Cinder?" the orange-haired girl cried.

"Cinder Fall," Ren muttered. The three of them shifted to watch the quiet boy's expression darken. "She was from Haven, remember? She was on the same team as-"

"Emerald and Mercury," Jaune breathed, glaring at his fists. He bit his lip, then pounded his fist against the table, making them all jump. "Pyrrha never liked him! You could tell- don't you remember their match? After she fought Cardin and his team? She was so uncomfortable after that!"

With that, Nora remembered. Cinder, the girl with golden eyes. She never said anything whenever they had run into the trio, leaving Emerald and Mercury to do the talking for the Haven team. But it just… it didn't make any sense. "But wait, are you- the Grimm Dragon was waiting on the top of Beacon Tower, right?" Nora scoffed, the disbelief tangible in her mouth. "Why wouldn't it attack Cinder?"

The air was silent.

She laughed again, shifting uncomfortably. "You cannot possibly be saying that it was Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury who were responsible for the Grimm? Not just the White Fang?"

Ruby said nothing, dipping her last tiny sliver of cookie in her milk absently. "Emerald made an illusion. Made Yang think that Mercury was attacking her at the end of their match during the Festival. They wanted the Grimm to wake up- there were so many people there. Yang didn't attack him intentionally. It was self-defence, guys. You've gotta believe me." With shining eyes, she looked up at them, tears dripping slowly down her face. "I think they made Pyrrha see something weird too, to get her to freak out, to… kill Penny. They figured out she had polarity- Mercury wouldn't let me stop the match when I realized it was all rigged. They hacked the system. They planned everything."

That truth bomb struck them all down to the very core. There was just no way. The story sounded absolutely impossible- how could just three people achieve such widespread chaos? Destroy so many lives?

"So… Penny was killed after Yang's match as the tipping point to incite chaos, to bring the Grimm, is that it?" Ren clarified soberly.

The girl nodded miserably. "I think they found out about her being a robot. But- but Penny was my friend!" She sobbed, taking deep, heaving breaths. "I loved her. I wanted her to meet all of you guys so badly." She broke down, burying her head in her hands. "She wanted to go to Beacon with us next year. She wanted to stay with us. She was so sweet. And Cinder used her! And then she… Pyrrha…"

As Ruby quietly cried, Nora looked at Ren, incredulous. "So, I get how that happened," she said tightly. "But you can't possibly tell me that it was Cinder who took down Pyrrha. I mean, it… it's Pyrrha! There's no way."

"It makes sense," Jaune muttered miserably. She looked at him, hollowed out and broken. The remains of his cookie had long ago dissolved into his milk, but he made no move to fish it out. "There was this weird basement under the school- some kind of vault, I guess- but Ozpin took us down there. Pyrrha knew what it was. But…"

Nora leaned forward, watching the blond with wide eyes. He had never spoken about what had happened that night to her nor to Ren. "But why would you go there in the middle of the fight?"

Jaune shrugged. "I think Ozpin had a plan to fight back. I- I dunno," he muttered, burying his head in his arms on the table. "There were some tubes, and this giant machine, and they told me to stand guard. Next thing I knew, Pyrrha was screaming in one of these pods- gods, I almost broke down, she was in so much pain. I've never seen her that hurt." The boy was now openly sobbing alongside a teary-eyed Ruby. "It was all some top-secret plan. That's why Oz kept talking to Pyrrha all the time, guys!"

"But," Ren whispered, "what were they doing to her?"

The blond shook his head. "I wish I knew. But, if you say it was Cinder," he shuddered, turning back to Ruby, "I believe you. After all… there was this other girl down there. I don't know who she was. She was sleeping, I think. Cinder came and killed her. Suddenly, she was super powerful, and Oz told us to run, so we did, but…"

"But what?" Nora pressed quietly. There was too much happening, and her head spun as the boy's words fell out of his mouth, rushed and frantic.

He looked up, despair evident in bloodshot eyes. "She killed Oz, guys."

That thought chilled the entire room. Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, the leader of all the headmasters across Remnant- killed by a student? They had known he had lost his life- Professor Goodwitch had announced that to the camp soon after she brought Pyrrha's affects to them- but no one had known how.

Suddenly, the lights all flickered on. Nora blinked. They had been seated at the dining table for so long that the sun had already set, and it had been almost pitch-black in the kitchen- yet, they hadn't even realized it, so engrossed in their own thoughts. Standing at the doorway in a fluffy robe and pyjama pants was Tai once again, one hand on the light switch, face twisted into a look of heartbreak. "You… you kids doin' okay?"

Nora pursed her lips, watching the concerned man wearily. He looked so guilty, as if he knew something that they didn't.

They didn't respond, so he stepped away. Before he left, however, he hung back in the doorway of the kitchen and dining area. "You three… you're from Mistral, right?" When they nodded, he continued, suddenly somber, "Ruby… told me. About… Beacon. You're all more than welcome to stay here, for as long as you like." His eyes shined meaningfully, and Nora reached out for Ren's sleeve subconsciously, gripping onto it with all her strength to avoid thinking of the lump that emerged in her throat at his sincerity. "I don't know if you have people waiting for you or not, but I'm always happy to welcome any friends of my girls. My home is your home. If you ever need anything, let me know."

"Thank you," Ren murmured. Even his voice trembled as he spoke. "We appreciate it."

The man nodded, then wandered away. The four of them didn't move for a long time after he left, though. There was a lot to process.

Cinder had been the one to kill Pyrrha.

Then, it was as if electricity had been shot through her core. Suddenly filled with more energy and power and drive than ever before, Nora sat upright, eyes flashing determinedly as she bore a hole into her glass of milk. It wasn't anger in her heart- she had long learned how to avoid hate, after years of suffering. Instead, it was just bitterness, frustration, and steely resolve. It was the first true goal she had held for herself since the Fall. Finally. I know what to do.

She was going to make Cinder Fall pay for what she had done to Nora's family.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Nora shifted, lifting her thighs off her hands to get some blood flow back into the digits, annoyed. "Come on, Ren, hurry up," she groaned, slumping over. She dropped her chin to the dining table, pouting as she watched Ren wave his spatula dismissively at her without even turning around. "I'm hungry," she moaned again, thumping her chin repeatedly against the table.

Nearby, Ruby opened up a cupboard and pulled out a bottle of syrup. Nora's eyes lit up, and instantly, the girl tucked the entire bottle underneath her hoodie, sticking her tongue out at Nora. The orange-haired girl growled, but Ruby didn't budge. "Wait until we're done, Nora," she demanded loftily. Nora dignified that with another growl and a pout.

Jaune laughed, poking Nora's head. She moved her head to the side on the table, giving Jaune enough room to place a plate, fork and knife in front of her. "Almost there," he said. His stomach grumbled quietly as well, and Nora bolted upright in her seat, pointing to the blond fervently.

"Guys, Jaune's hungry too, doesn't that mean we can eat?" she complained loudly.

Ren sighed, turning off the burner on the stove. He moved the skillet off the heat after placing the last pancake onto the giant stack on the countertop. "We're done, Nora," the boy intoned. He and Ruby brought the large plate over to the table. "Everybody else gets the syrup first."

"Okay, Ren," Nora muttered glumly.

Ruby cheerfully placed two pancakes on everyone's plates and pulled out the bottle of syrup from her sweater, handing it off to Jaune when she was done. Eventually, everyone got some food, and Nora was free to enjoy her pancakes at last.

"I'm gonna go see if Yang wants any," Ruby called. "Save some stuff just in case."

Nora nodded quickly, cheeks full. It had been months since she had enjoyed Ren's pancakes- they hadn't had a free kitchen to commandeer during their stay in Huntsmen's barracks in Vale. It was absolutely delicious and she wanted all of it.

Still, she jumped up and grabbed an extra plate, placing two pancakes on top just in case. Jaune raised a brow, impressed. "Wow. Learning restraint?"

Nora sneered at him. "Puh-lease." She quickly tilted the large central plate onto hers, dropping the rest of the pancakes onto her own plate. With gusto, she cut through a bunch of them and shoved the huge cuts into her mouth, humming, pleased. Jaune just rolled his eyes and scowled, chewing on his own measly two pancakes bitterly.

"Why do you even try, Jaune?" Ren chuckled, long having been accustomed to Nora's antics.

The girl banged her fists on the table, mock-upset. "When someone gives you food, it is survival of the fittest! You must grab however much you can! That is how life works!"

The blond pouted, but he didn't have time to reply when Ruby came back down. She shook her head when met with hopeful gazes, so everyone sighed and continued eating their pancakes.

It had been almost a week since they had begun to impose upon the Xiao Long household. Tai was more than happy to accommodate their presence, gladly playing the chivalrous host. Jaune seamlessly fell into a comfortable relationship with the man, often bantering with him and trading bad jokes. They could all tell that the man appreciated it- Yang's dry, awful puns had clearly come from her father, but in her current state, she wasn't in the mood to joke around with anyone. Each time Jaune tried his hand at terrible wordplay, Tai's eyes would light up with gratitude. The man missed his daughter sorely, but all he could do was wait- so, having Ruby's kind friends around brought a little light back into his world.

It was for that very reason that Nora felt absolutely no shame in eating all of his pancake syrup. Ruby had already warned her father about Nora's appetite, so he should've been prepared, she insisted every time she got dirty looks from her teammates and looks of shock and wonder from the blond man.

Cutting another small piece away, Jaune murmured, "This might be the last time we do something like this before we head out, huh?"

"Well, I mean, if we end up anywhere with a real kitchen I'm sure we could figure something out!" Ruby chirped.

Jaune sighed. "Well, my place is pretty out of the way if we're heading to Haven, so that won't be it," he pondered aloud. "What about you two? Do you think we'll pass through your home?"

Nora glanced over at Ren. Their history was… a little more complicated than most. Ren said smoothly, "Our village was destroyed by the Grimm when we were young."

Jaune nodded, face softening. "I remember you guys saying that."

Ren continued, "After that, we were taken in by a bunch of people. We were raised to be mostly nomadic."

Cool, that's a doable story. Cheerfully, she played along, "We did a ton of camping, but that's not very good for cooking. Not a lot of electricity aside from when we came upon Dust!"

Ruby's eyes were wide. "Oh, wow," she breathed, fork positioned right below her mouth. "I had… I didn't know."

They both shrugged. It was the past. The orange-haired girl giggled, "So, get ready for a lot of camping, everyone!" She sighed dreamily. "I love camping."

"When you're with friends," Ren added quickly. The boy thoughtfully watched Ruby eat her pancakes for a moment.

Nora nudged him with her elbow. "What's on your mind, bub?"

The dark-haired boy shook his head. "Just thinking about our supplies." When everyone quirked a brow in curiosity, he explained, "I packed enough food in our bags for if… if Pyrrha was with us. Ruby eats the same amount, I've noticed, so I think it'll work out for us."

Without even thinking about it, Nora commented, "Yeah, Ruby, we've got you covered now that your team isn't here-" and instantly, she dropped her fork and covered her mouth with both hands with a small squeak. The younger girl had frozen, fork mid-stab into a piece of her pancakes.

No one had had the courage to ask about Team RWBY, to ask about why Ruby had asked them to help versus her own team. No one had even brought up Team RWBY whatsoever since coming to Patch. And, seeing her reaction, they knew it had been the right choice- it was as if the very mention of her team had broken the girl.

After one long, agonizingly-silent minute, Jaune muttered, "Hey, Ruby, pass the syrup?"

She complied. They finished their meal in silence and went to bed, a sense of trepidation and loss hanging over them all. They were leaving any day now- the snow had grown lighter and lighter over the past few days. But were they ready for the journey? Nora didn't know. They had all lost too many people in the Fall. Three months wasn't enough time for those wounds to heal completely.

They finalized their plans the next afternoon. The group had been quietly chatting about potential routes using some maps Ren had picked up in Vale, trying to make it seem as casual as possible whenever Tai strolled on by. Ruby hadn't told him about her trip to Haven, so they had to lean into the idea that the three Mistralian kids were going on a road trip together after leaving Ruby behind.

It felt a little discomforting to be looking at a map of Mistral after so much time living in the heaven that was Beacon. There were too many familiar landmarks, too many villages, which Nora could remember so vividly from her childhood. Most of them weren't happy memories.

After the destruction of Kuroyuri, life was a blur. The creatures had stalked their trail relentlessly anyways, hunting them without rest. It was all the little boy could do to throw them off the trail by masking their presence and emotions long enough for them to sneak away, over and over again. Somewhere along the way, they came upon a few more dead villagers who had tried to flee- the carcasses had been rotting, bloated and blue and horrifying. The flies had buzzed, one landing on Nora's cheek.

They had both vomited beside the bodies. They had been scared. But, they had found a real hammer and a small pistol and some food amongst the belongings of the dead, and that had been the difference between life and death.

She could still remember the first time they managed to encounter Huntsmen in the middle of the forest, Ren on the brink of exhaustion after over-using his Semblance to mask them from all the Grimm. She had tried to use his knife to stab one of the warriors. The man had laughed, and after figuring out Ren's Semblance and seeing Nora's will to fight to protect the boy, he had taken them in without a second doubt.

Her eyes ran over a small dot on the map indicating a tiny settlement. That was where the man had first brought them. She snorted, checking the date of publication of the map. Ren cast her a curious glance, and she pointed to the date- it had been made over ten years earlier. Ren's eyes clouded over in discomfort and recognition, but to Nora, the image of that settlement still lingered in her mind, a sense of pride and strength surging within her.

She didn't ever regret burning that place to the ground eight years earlier.

It was then that the front door swung open, a chilly wind blowing some snow through the frame before a snow-covered figure stomped into the cottage. As the door slammed shut behind the figure, however, Nora felt her mouth dry up, suspicions growing. Standing in the doorway, stamping his loafers to shake off the excess snow, was Qrow. The man shook his head, tossing most of the built-up crystals in his hair onto the sopping welcome mat.

"Uncle Qrow, welcome home!" Ruby cried, throwing her hands up in the air excitedly.

The man chuckled dryly, leaning his weapon against the wall without even looking at the girl. "Heya, kid," he said warmly, hanging up his cape on the coatrack, "how's it going-" As he spoke, he turned around, taking in the sight of Jaune, Nora and Ren watching him carefully for the first time. The man's expression froze for a moment before growing muddled. While there was obvious discomfort on his face, there was also a hit of rueful pride when his eyes fell onto Ruby once more.

Nora frowned. She didn't want to see Qrow. All she could ever think of when she remembered the man was the day he and Professor Goodwitch had delivered Pyrrha's armour to them. That wasn't exactly a day she wanted to be reminded of constantly.

Qrow shoved his hands into his pockets, ambled over to the four teens, and took a seat on the sofa armrest beside Ruby. Affectionately mussing her hair, the man crossed his arms and looked over the map and travel routes marked down. "Hm," he muttered, "looks good."

Jaune frowned. "What are you doing here?" he said lowly.

Qrow raised a brow, mildly amused momentarily. "Um, blondie, last time I checked my family lived here," he pointed out. Nora turned to Jaune, worry growing in her chest when she noticed the tension in his neck, his proverbial hackles raising in response to the Huntsman, his expression growing darker by the second.

It's not just me, then. "Jaune," she murmured as a warning, reaching over and tugging his sleeve. At her touch, the boy seemed to snap out of it, shaking his head quickly. The anger faded, replaced quickly with subdued bitterness, frustration. She looked back at Qrow, heart sinking further as his eyes filled with understanding, regret.

With a heavy sigh, Qrow ruffled Ruby's hair and stood up. The man commented, "Where's the old man, Ruby?"

"Who're you calling 'old man'?" Tai protested from the top of the stairs. "I'm the same age as you, man."

"And yet, I'm so much cooler," the more somber man snickered, standing up.

Although his tone had been light, as Tai came down the stairs, it was clear that he was not happy to see Qrow. His expression was set, only hardening further when he saw his fellow Huntsman interacting with his daughter and friends. "Qrow. Kitchen. Now."

Instantly, Qrow understood what was going on. Nora glanced uneasily at her friends, growing concerned- what was going on? Yet, they had no choice but to sit still and watch as Qrow shoved his hands into his pockets again, slouching on over to the kitchen where a stern Tai awaited him. The blond man commanded, "Kids, stay there. We need to discuss something."

Ruby frowned, fidgeting with the map in front of her. "Guys, what was that about? Did something happen with Qrow in Vale?"

"We didn't hear about anything," Jaune replied lowly, his eyes still reflecting resentment towards the Huntsman that had brought them Pyrrha's remains.

Nora stood up, stretching briefly before tiptoeing to the door of the kitchen. Ruby frantically waved her back, hissing, "No, you can't! Dad said to-"

"Look," Nora soothed, beckoning her teammates over, "if there was anything we were good at at Beacon, it was spying."

The younger just gawped at them as the trio snuck in unison over to the kitchen door, seamlessly stacking their heads on top of one another behind a potted plant by the door so they could all listen in as closely as possible. After a few moments of chewing her lip and debating with herself, Ruby finally gave in and joined them, plopping herself at the bottom of the stack. As quiet as mice, they all leaned forward, listening in to the conversation curiously.

"-have his cane?"

"Yeah. We recovered it in the basement… but she was dead. We really were too late."

"Qrow, I cannot believe you," Tai whispered furiously at the far end of the kitchen. They all had to strain to hear, the words were so contained.

"Believe what exactly, Tai?" the weary Huntsman replied.

Tai scoffed. "I cannot believe you went along with Oz. I cannot believe you let him choose Pyrrha-"

"Pyrrha knew the risks," Qrow cut in bitterly. "She knew what she was getting into."

Nora looked up at Jaune, the boy's expression concentrated and horrified. They're talking about what happened that night. They know.

"It doesn't matter, she was a child!"

"She was a grown woman, Tai. Calm down."

"She was the same age as Yang, Qrow. My daughter! My little girl!" Tai spluttered incoherently for a moment.

"Yang's not exactly a kid anymore, either. She made her choice- that's why…"

"You expect me to just say 'oh I guess it was a casualty of war, all for the greater good'- no way. No way can I do that." He sighed, then added, losing some of his fury, "They're all just kids. She was their teammate, Qrow. You of all people know how it feels to have a teammate taken away. And at least we were adults, we had already graduated when we found out everything- how the hell do you think they must've all felt? They're just kids."

"Tai, she made her choice."

"The kids won't say her name. They always look like they're about to cry." Now, Tai just sounded as if he were on the verge of tears, too. "I know Ozpin has his plans, and I know that you are all doing something so important for our world- but she was just Yang's age. People loved her."

It was quiet. Nora felt something hit her head- glancing up, she saw the tears beginning to trickle down Jaune's face, stacked above hers. Ruby's face below hers was in a similar state. As quietly as she could, she motioned to Ren to take Jaune back to the couches, and she moved to guide Ruby. As they floated silently back to their previous seats, however, they heard Qrow whisper, "I know. I'm sorry, Tai. I wish it could've been different. I thought it was gonna be different."

Quickly, Nora took a tissue from a nearby box and wiped Ruby's cheeks, holding it over her nose. Obediently, the younger girl blew her nose, and Nora whispered, "They're walking out. Can't get caught, right?" On the other couch, Ren was making sure Jaune wiped his face in the same way.

In a few moments, the two men walked out of the kitchen. Avoiding eye contact with the four teens, Tai stumbled back upstairs, and Qrow ran his hand through his hair, exhausted. "Time to go," he muttered.

Ruby teetered to her feet. "Heading out already, Uncle Qrow?" she asked thickly.

The man grunted in affirmation. "I'll be back at some point. Got some rounds to do. If I don't see you kid… take care."

"'Kay," she murmured softly. "…Love you. Be safe."

At that, Qrow spared a glance over his shoulder at the heartbroken quartet watching him. His smile wasn't convincing at all, thanks to his furrowed brow and the shaky sigh that slipped past his lips. "Love ya too, kiddo." And with that, he wrapped his cape around his shoulders, picked up his weapon, and entered the elements once more.

The moment the door shut behind him, Ren had already pulled out his phone. "What're you-" but the dark-haired boy shushed Jaune before the blond could interrupt, pressing numbers and putting the phone on speakerphone before anyone could blink.

Nora leaned forward, looking at the contact ID when he held the phone out. "Why're you calling Glynda?" she murmured, confused.

"If both Ruby's dad and uncle know, then Glynda must too. There's no reason Ozpin wouldn't keep her in the loop. She was his right-hand at Beacon."

Everyone glanced at one another, wary but curious. The phone began to ring, the shaky connection between the island of Patch and Vale causing the signal to drop out intermittently. Eventually, though, the other end clicked, and the blonde's voice murmured, "Glynda Goodwitch speaking," in a tinny, yet still stern voice.

Ren held a finger up to his lips to shush the crowd watching in antsy anticipation, awaiting their answers. "Professor?"

"Mr. Ren. How may I be of service? Have you left Patch yet?"

"No," he said smoothly, worry lines etched deep into his brow. Nora's fingers twitched. How she longed to smooth those lines away- No, not right now. Stop it, Nora.

The boy continued, "We had some questions, and we think that you may have the answers."

"Well," she replied, "if I can help, then I'd be happy to."

"Thank you," he said cordially, then paused, clearly trying to formulate the best way to breach the topic. "We were wondering-"

Before he could say anything else, however, Jaune interrupted him abruptly. "Why did Professor Ozpin choose Pyrrha?"

Silence.

After a few painfully-slow heartbeats, the Huntress replied, "…Mr. Arc. I'm assuming Miss Valkyrie is there as well. If you haven't left Patch yet, then am I wrong to assume Ruby is present too?"

No one answered, looking at Jaune worriedly. The blond's frustration was nearly tangible, the tension so heavy they could feel its weight hanging on their shoulders. At last, the woman murmured, "I wish I could give you more information, but I'm afraid now isn't the time."

"What the hell is that suppo-" But the woman hung up, and they were left listening to a dial-tone.

"She knows what happened to Pyrrha." Nora wasn't even fully aware of who had said that- the words may as well have come out of her own mouth. She was numb. Everyone seemed to be in on this- was it a conspiracy? Why would all the adults just not tell anyone?

Why didn't Pyrrha tell anyone? Why didn't she tell me?

But there was nothing else they could do. It was Ren who moved first, folding up his map and packing it in his bag neatly. "We need to move soon," he said quietly.

Ruby nodded. "In two days. We'll rest tomorrow, then leave after that."

Nora pumped her fist determinedly. "It's time to figure out what in the world is even going on."

"Who knows," Jaune breathed. The blond looked dizzy, as if he were about to collapse. He tottered to the bathroom, leaving the other three behind.

On instinct, Nora reached for Ren's hand as she watched the blond's back disappear around the corner. Long fingers wrapped automatically around her own, squeezing comfortingly. She let out a long, slow breath.

"We'll figure it out," she repeated quietly.

"We will," he asserted.

And that was that. Two more days, and then, they'd start their journey. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

After just over a week in Patch- a week of blissful innocence, of making pancakes and eating milk and cookies and making awful jokes and playing video games- it was finally time to go.

Nora regretted leaving. In the end, Ruby never told Tai about her departure. The blond man just innocently assumed that the Mistralian youths would be heading off that day- he had mentioned something about baking some dessert for lunch as a treat before they caught the ferry Ruby had mentioned, which could carry them straight between Vytal and the north side of Sanus all the way to Anima. The orange-haired girl didn't want to think about how the man would react upon seeing all of their belongings gone, and, worst of all, the bed of his youngest daughter empty, when he awoke that morning. He was a good man. He didn't deserve the suffering he had been dealt in life.

It almost hurt more, though, to not say anything to Yang. During their entire stay there, they had interacted with the injured girl only once after that first reunion. She had never stepped foot out of her room, aside from using the bathroom. It hurt to know that she was explicitly ignoring them as her eat her meals alone in her room, refusing to let Jaune and Nora in when they had attempted to talk to her.

Everything was different now.

When they asked Ruby about it the night before their departure, the younger girl had merely smiled. "Yang's still hurting. She needs Dad right now, and Dad can't really focus on her while he's still trying to pretend that everything's normal and okay for me. I just… it's best this way."

They hadn't argued. It wasn't their place.

Dawn was just breaking over the horizon when Ruby finally opened up the door. Ren shivered- he, Jaune and Nora had already been outside waiting for the younger girl. While the snow had begun to melt, making a fast pass over spring straight into the summer months, the early morning air was still frigid and icy.

Nora noticed his trembling. "We'll be walking soon, silly," she said warmly, smiling up at him. He just relaxed, a gentle smile on his face. Seeing that expression, Nora reached up her gloved hand and quickly tapped him on the nose, whispering, "Boop!" before he could roll his eyes and avoid it. When he simply shook his head wryly and focused on Ruby locking the door behind her, Nora felt herself wilt a little. She hadn't been booping him as often as before, she realized suddenly. She hadn't been booping him as much as back when they were in Beacon. It wasn't as if her feelings for him had waned- if anything, the Fall and the months following had only grown to strengthen her love for him. How could she not adore someone who worked so hard, who was so noble and kind, who accepted her and all her flaws, who made her a better person, even in the worst of times?

There were so many more reasons to be happy back then, though.

She shook her head. There was no time for that pessimism- not at the onset of their journey. It was her job to keep the smiles coming, to keep the party at ease. Everyone else had far too much on their minds. She was proud to play that part.

Finally, Ruby turned to the group, letting out a deep sigh.

"Hey," Jaune whispered, keeping his voice low. They couldn't afford to let Tai or Yang hear their departure.

"Hey, Jaune." She looked wistfully at the winding road behind Nora and Ren. "Haven's a long way to go."

The blond nodded. "I know. But it's the only lead we have."

The girl frowned, regret blooming in her eyes. "And you're sure you wanna come along?"

Ren chimed in, "The journey will be perilous, and whether we'll find answers at the end is entirely uncertain."

"But we wouldn't be here if we weren't up for it," Nora added. We need the answers. We need to know.

Ruby took one last look at her home. When she turned back, Nora knew that she was a little overwhelmed by the concerned gazes the three of them sent her way, their eyes all reading the same thing. Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye?

The younger girl paused, then nodded determinedly. "Then let's get started."

There wasn't any going back.

So, they began the long journey up the trail through the snow-covered forest. Ruby walked without hesitation.

There wasn't any going back.

About halfway to the edge of the forest, however, Ruby veered off the main path. There was a small foot passage to the right, veering to the edge of the cliffs a ways away. Obediently, they followed her, not bothering to ask any questions- they had all silently agreed to avoid talking any more until they were clear of the forest completely so as to not alert any possible pursuers.

Their side venture was fairly short. In only a few minutes, Ruby guided them into a clearing, one half of it a jutting cliff face looking out over the water, looking to Vale in the distance. There was a simple rectangular stone buried in the ground. Curious, the trio trailed behind Ruby, peeking at the writing on the small monument over the kneeling girl's shoulder.

Nora read the words Summer Rose and immediately backed away from it, wrapping her arms around herself awkwardly. It was a tombstone. It was Ruby's mother.

Well. That wasn't what I was expecting.

Ren quickly fell in beside her, trading weary glances as Ruby murmured quiet, loving words to the tombstone. Then, in a few moments, she stood again, looking a little less guilty. C'mon, she mouthed, waving them back into the woods. Jaune reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. Then, he turned to the grave and bowed his head respectfully. Nora could barely hear the words he whispered under his breath.

"We'll… do our best to bring her home."

Nora bowed her head as well, along with Ren. They repeated the same words, sharing a knowing smile before going after Ruby.

After that, the journey was relatively straightforward. There were two ships that headed towards Vale- one went straight to the docks that linked to the downtown centre, while the other ship docked at the continental train station. There were barely any passengers for the latter, and the weather provided no delays, so the foursome found themselves comfortably seated upon a train heading to the other side of Sanus before lunch hour.

Oddly enough, there weren't any Grimm who bothered them on their journey. While it was true that majority of the Grimm on the continent had long ago begun trekking over to Beacon, it was still strange. They didn't even see any Huntsmen on board who could have been hired to protect the passengers, so to have an entirely uneventful trip was surprising.

They welcomed the calm. The food was complimentary, as the journey took almost 36 hours of chugging along the tracks. It wasn't delicious, but the fact that they were able to eat in their own private room made it feel cozy, safe. Ruby and Jaune played card games. Ren read a book, and Nora was able to snooze periodically on the boy's shoulder, so she was happy.

During the journey, they decided to finally ditch their older, bedraggled clothing, changing into the new supplies they had picked up in Vale. Ruby surprised them all by showing off a new wardrobe of her own, proudly announcing how the outfit had been part of a teeny shopping spree courtesy of her father to celebrate her recovery. After getting changed, they felt renewed, ready to face the journey ahead with new vigour.

It was only once they were on the boat on the other side of the continent, basking in the refreshing sea breeze after being so long trapped inside the train, that they thought to see if there was any airship that could take them even partly across Anima. The best answer they received was from a deckhand, the young man mopping up a spill of something or the other on the portside passenger deck. "A few of the villages have rentable ships," the young man explained, wiping the sweat off his brow. "You can commission pilots pretty easily these days- with all the Grimm stirring up trouble in Vale, not a lot of people are travelling lately. It's cut tourism a bunch."

"But what about airborne Grimm in Mistral?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Not too many lurk in Anima these days. They all migrated the moment the ice storms broke at the end of winter," the deckhand supplied. His eyes darkened worriedly. "But the land itself isn't too safe, y'know. The forests are full of monsters."

"If you're talking about the Grimm-" Ruby tried, but the boy shook his head.

"No, not just Grimm. I wish Grimm were the worst of the lot." He sighed. "If you're crossing a large distance, a ship's probably your best bet over land."

The group looked around, finding confirmation in each other's eyes. "Then, we're off to find an airship," Jaune announced.

Nora nudged Ren with her shoulder, heart sinking a little when he nodded. He knew what she was thinking of, what the 'worst of the lot' could be. They were more than familiar with the worst the continent of Anima had to offer. So, the thought of taking an airship and avoiding that hassle entirely sounded like a pleasant dream.

The boat docked without any complications. Other than a few hired hands and the odd straggling civilian, there was no one around, the majority of the port left deserted at that time of day. It was odd, though. Jaune murmured, "Don't fisherman need to be working, or… something?"

"And feed who, kid?" a nearby elderly man chuckled in a gravelly voice. "There's no one around for miles other than a few villages, and now everyone's borders are tighter than a Grimm's-" His companion cleared her throat, cutting him off. He caught himself and continued, "Now that trade's tight, there's no point. The fishermen all migrated to Argus for the season."

"But there's still people around, right?" Ren asked.

The man's companion, a slight, older woman, shook her head. "Not many, honestly. Only those who are passing through usually come here. It's not safe, not with the Huntsmen shortage, anyways."

That phrase piqued Nora's attention. "How could there be a Huntsmen shortage?" she scoffed, propping her hands on her hips. "There were so many of them around only a year ago!"

The man raised his hand, pointing towards a poorly-maintained bulletin board near the entrance to the port, alongside the main road leading out of the area. "A year ago, Beacon wasn't overrun by Grimm, Vale wasn't a mess, and I could watch my favourite news channels on the CCTS, kid. Can't even call my grandkids now. Things change fast 'round these parts." With that, the man walked away, the woman trailing worriedly behind him.

Before anyone could respond to the odd encounter, Nora shifted the straps of her pack on her shoulders and jogged over to board in question. It was just an old posting board- while Beacon and other major centres usually enjoyed the luxuries of holo-screens and district-wide Huntsmen locators, allowing any Huntsmen in an area to check in and post their availability for and progress on missions so that the community could reach out if they needed help, smaller areas like southern Anima were far more old-fashioned. Huntsmen just carried headshots of themselves and posted them on community boards such as this one if they were planning on staying in an area for any amount of time.

When they had been shipped off to Beacon nearly a year earlier, they had known most of the faces that would post upon each board. They had travelled so extensively throughout Anima with those that raised them, that aside from the Huntsmen who stayed in the major city centres, they were familiar with at least the names of most Huntsmen on the continent.

Yet, on the board, barely any photographs remained. There were clearly the remains of many headshots on the board- almost all of the slots had at least a little unique scrap of paper in it- but none of them were whole. Many of the photos were cut apart, or the names were crossed out ominously with black marker. Nora felt a chill run down her spine. It didn't look like a posting board anymore- it looked like a hit list.

"Are they all…?" Ren's unspoken question shocked her back into the present.

She scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "There's no way that all of these Huntsmen were taken out. There's just no way!" But her words didn't assuage Ren's concerned expression.

The boy said quietly, "Do you see any of them on here?"

She quickly scanned the board. None of the names which they were looking for were present. Happiness immediately surged forth, but it quickly replaced with uncertainty once more. Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed the number she had long-ago memorized. Ren watched her expectantly, but when the phone beeped, signalling that they were out of range in the boonies, all she could do was sigh and shake her head, replacing her phone back into the pocket of her skirt. "No answer."

"We'll find them." They nodded in unison, then turned back to Jaune and Ruby, who had followed them up the path at a much more leisurely pace.

"Everything okay?" Jaune asked, worry plaguing his face.

Nora gave him an enthused thumbs-up. "Let's get this party started!" she cheered.

Ren pulled out the map from his bag and spread it open momentarily. "We have a few miles before the first village- good news is, we'll likely be able to ask about the airships over there."

"Sounds good!" Ruby pumped her fists in the air. "Let's go!"

So, the foursome began ambling down the road, away from the port and into the woods. It was beautiful springtime on the continent of Anima, and they set off exuberantly, enjoying the shimmering light falling through the leafy Mistralian forests. Jaune and Ruby oohed and aahed at the wildlife and the gnarled trees, so different from the tall, upright, imposing figures in the forests around Beacon and Patch. Thankfully, the path was peaceful, the road clear, and making their way through the trees was an easy task.

"This is kind of exciting though, huh? Huh?" Nora pressed everyone, grinning up into everyone's faces. The last time she had wandered through these trees, she had been on a mission with their guardians. The time before that, she had been hunting down some Grimm. And years before that, when she had first wandered the road near the western port to Sanus, she had been running.

Every single time, she had been with Ren. And now, they were there together. They were almost 18 years old and the sky was blue and the air was crisp and their friends were by their side and they were there, together.

Life wasn't all that bad.

She skipped a few paces ahead of the group and turned on her heel, mind racing a mile a minute. "Y'know, this is just like what our first mission was supposed to be!"

The others stared blankly at her for a moment. Ren was the first to realize what she meant- his eyes softened wistfully. "Shadowing a sheriff," he murmured, referring to the mission they were supposed to embark upon directly after the Beacon Dance.

Despite the fact that she had brought it up with all the best intentions, however, a shadow fell over Ruby's face. "Sorry you guys couldn't go to that. I know you were excited for it," she said quietly.

Nora stumbled a bit, lost. "Wha- no, no it's okay! We wanted to help."

Ren hummed in agreement. "We're proud to have helped you all during the breach. No one team would've been able to take that on alone."

It was true. Nora sobered up as she recalled the chaos which had ensued after the White Fang had caused an underground train to ride straight into downtown Vale, unleashing hordes of Grimm straight into the city centre. The death toll had been massive, the injured even greater. It had occurred right when the first years were going about their first official missions as teams. Team JNPR had been boarding the airship which was going to take them to a northern, rural county to trail a sheriff that was dealing with a pesky Grimm outbreak.

The body count had given even Nora sleepless nights for a while. After the Fall, though, the memory seemed almost trivial- almost like a warm-up to the horrors that would plague the city in barely a few weeks' time.

Jaune's expression was muddled, confused. Nora cocked her head to the side, peering up at him. "What's up, Jaune?" The blond shook his head. She sighed. "We're a team, Jaune. That means you've gotta start sharing those angsty confusing thoughts so we can figure it out together, right?" Ruby and Ren chuckled in agreement.

After a moment, Jaune just whispered, "That was… going to be our first mission. We never got to go on a single mission as..." Team JNPR.

"Oh Jaune, that's… don't focus on stuff like that."

Ren added, "We're here now. That's what matters.

The words fell hollowly on deaf ears, and they continued walking in glum silence.

By twilight, the road was broken up by a rest stop. It was supposedly halfway between the port and the first real village they would stop in, meaning that it was the perfect place to rest and relax for a while. The change in pace was welcomed by the group, who had no idea how to recover their momentum after Jaune's heartbroken comment.

"How long do you think until we've reached an actual town?" Ruby asked worriedly. The sky was darkening, and the map had indicated that they would've reached the first settlement by now. "Do you guys know?"

Nora shook her head. "Last time I was in the area, I got there in like… half a day." She paused, digging back into her memory. "But I was also running. And maybe kind of sick? So don't take my word on it."

Examining the map, Ren narrowed his eyes, then looked to Ruby determinedly. "We should be nearby. Since you have your speed, do you want to check ahead? We'll grab your bag."

At the prospect of moving faster than a brisk, comfortable walk, the younger girl perked up considerably. "Sounds like plan. Get a room booked for us!" She tossed her bag towards Nora, the orange-haired girl catching it with ease and slipping it over her shoulders so that her own pack sat on her back and Ruby's covered her entire front. She patted Ruby's bag as if it were a baby belly, and Ruby rolled her eyes, giggling. Then, the girl leapt up in the air and disappeared in a flurry of red rose petals drifting away on the wind, a speeding bullet flying down the trail.

The group adjusted their packs on their shoulders and pushed open the door to the inn, taking note of the hours of the general store to its right. They could double-check supplies at the store the next morning before heading out.

The inn was a tidy place, made of old, but well-kept wood, not a single speck of dust to be seen. Jaune and Ren immediately walked over to the counter, speaking to the innkeeper about lodging fees. As they dealt with that, Nora wandered over to the typical Huntsmen board, heart sinking further as she saw the state of disarray it suffered. It was similar to the board outside of the port, although the innkeeper had had enough sense to clean up the slashed pages and crossed out names a bit.

Her pale blue eyes darted over the list, searching for the names which had been haunting the back of her mind. Kalian… Howl… Caelus… where are you guys? But they weren't there.

Instead, her eyes homed in on one name near the bottom of the list. Instantly, her heart grew cold, focusing on each letter and how the thick black marker which bisected the name horizontally marred what remained of the poster. Distantly, she heard Jaune call her, the boy tugging on her sleeve- but she refused to move, mind a million miles away, left behind in a small cell in a camp in the northeastern-most point of Anima, with sinister yellow eyes watching her every move.

God, she hated golden eyes. It wasn't just Cinder, was it?

Ren's voice cut through the haze. "Nora, what is it?"

She pointed at the name on the wall. His expression hardened. "Good riddance," he spat lowly, uncharacteristically bitter.

Jaune's eyes also followed her finger, landing upon the name in question. "Sotz? What kind of name is that?"

A sick sort of triumph bloomed in her gut as she heard him vocalize the name. "It doesn't matter, Jaune," she muttered. "He won't bother anyone anymore." Then, she sighed, pulling a smile back to her lips. "Well, do we have a room or what?"

The innkeeper, who had been watching them with curious eyes, nodded slowly. "But I'm afraid we don't have much to offer as of amenities, even next door. Our merchant hasn't been by lately. I wonder if something's happened…" Bringing his attention back to the Huntsmen board, the man added, "You lot Huntsmen? Want to add to the board? Gods knows we need more Huntsmen around, there's been such a shortage lately."

"Why's that?" Jaune asked. "There's usually a ton of Huntsmen around. Did everyone go to Vale to help?"

The man shrugged. "If only." He leaned his elbows on the counter, eyes falling down the list wearily. "For the last few months, every set of merchants or travellers nearby who comes to rest at this ol' stop comes by with IDs for some warriors or the other. I've spent the last six months taking name after name off the board. The world's goin' mad."

"But… how is that even possible?" the blond protested. "There's no way that could be happening to every Huntsman that goes out on a mission."

"And yet, here we are." He pointed a finger at each of them in turn, voice dropping low, causing the three teens to lean in. "They keep finding the bodies right off the roads, you see- in the best camping locations. If you kids are staying on the road, I'd advise you to stay out of the old camping grounds set up along the main way. Find places that are denser with trees for the nights. It'll be harder, but it would be a darn shame to find your IDs brought to this hut." He clicked his tongue, frustrated. "You all are too young to be left out there like that."

They were all silent for a moment, processing what they had just learned. It just… didn't seem real. They hadn't heard any news of this back when they were in Beacon- how could something like this have been happening for months?

Jaune broke the silence, murmuring, "I'm going to wait for Ruby outside. She should've come back by now." He shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered outside.

The innkeeper sighed and nodded towards Ren. "Let me know when y'all are turning in for the night, I'll give you the keys."

Nora turned her attention back to the board, her heart still heavy. It didn't feel real to see that name crossed out. Pointing to it, Nora asked the innkeeper, "When did this happen?"

Humming in thought, he replied, "Sotz? A few months ago. We found his Huntsman's ID and one of his knives. There were some other Huntsmen here at the time who could positively identify it, so I went ahead and struck his name."

On instinct, Nora reached an arm up to the back of her neck. Before her hand could even reach it, though, Ren's hand had already found its way there, gently massaging against the barely-visible scar at the bottom of her hairline right at the nape of her neck. The dark-haired boy asked the innkeeper quietly, his own eyes locked similarly to the notice on the board, "Who were the Huntsmen here at the time?"

"Don't remember. They looked pretty average- just passing through. They didn't stay for long."

Nora snorted. "Well, that certainly means that it wasn't the people we're looking for."

"You can't exactly miss those three," Ren murmured fondly.

Before they could continue, Jaune burst back into the inn's lobby. "Guys, come quick!"

Immediately, the duo complied, rushing out of the door. The blond pointed frantically at a rising pillar of smoke in the sky. It rose starkly even in the darkness of night, glowing grey and ominous in the light of the crumbling moon. "That's where we sent Ruby to, isn't it?"

Nora yanked her phone out of her pocket along with the other two, the three of them connecting a group call to Ruby as quickly as possible. The call rang and rang, and they nervously awaited her to pick up. It took a few tries, but finally, there was a click, and Ruby's photo icon glowed green on their screens.

"Ruby!" Jaune cried, relieved. "We saw smoke!"

Tightening the straps of his bag over his shoulders, Ren said, "Heading your way."

"Don't start without us!" Nora chirped, unhooking Magnhild from where it was hanging underneath her pack.

Ruby panted quietly on the other end of the call, and the three of them shared a nervous look. Finally, the younger girl said, "You better hurry." She hung up, the sounds of howling and screeching Grimm echoing through the line right before it cut off.

Jaune's face was pale. "We've gotta go- dump your stuff onto the side when we get there and help Ruby!"

"Got it!" Nora said, and Ren nodded confidently. It was go-time.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

By the time they broke through the trees, the battle was in well underway. Only a few straggling Grimm remained. Even from the edge of the trees, the trio could hear the gunshots from Ruby's Crescent Moon scythe echoing through the burning village. People watched fearfully from the bushes on the outskirts of town, not daring to step out in case the shadowy monsters caught their scent.

The trio hadn't fought together ever since the Fall, having always been sent on different little missions around the borders of Vale. It was a little exhilarating for Nora to think that they were finally going to be on the battlefield again. Their team had always worked together so flawlessly, after all.

Immediately, they tossed their bags at the feet of a family who was hiding near the edge of town. "Watch this," Ren said gently, casting his Semblance quickly over them. The cowering civilians calmed down instantly and nodded, seeing their drawn weapons and determined faces.

"Huntsmen?" one man muttered.

Nora shrugged, extending Magnhild's hilt. The giant hammerhead hit the ground, and she stepped on it, winking at the onlookers. "Close enough!" she cheered, pulling the trigger under her finger. An explosion from under the barrel of her hammer launched the girl into the smoke-filled skies over the town, allowing her to arc through the air, still standing on the top of her weapon.

As she hit the peak of her graceful ascent over the burning buildings and screeching Grimm, the orange-haired girl caught a glimpse of a fluttering red cape running from a slew of monsters. "Found you!"

A giant Ursa roared and began running straight for Ruby while the girl was preoccupied with a flock of smaller Nevermores. Nora grabbed the handle of Magnhild with both hands, a gleeful grin spreading across her face as she began to fall towards the ground once more. Flipping in the air, she watched as her descent lined up directly with the path of the Ursa. At the exact moment the Ursa was under her, she pulled the trigger on Magnhild once more, adding extra speed and momentum to her blow as she crashed her hammer down onto the bear-like monster's skull, shattering it into pieces of bone and dust.

"Nora!" Ruby cried brightly when she heard the explosion. "You guys just made it." The younger girl quickly leapt on top of a nearby shed and began pumping bullets into a few oncoming Beowolves, cheering when they turned into black hazes instantly.

"Are you okay, Ruby?" Jaune yelled, slashing his way clumsily past a few Boarbatusks in a nearby alley.

"Hey Jaune! I'm all good!" Ruby called back, slicing the head of a Beowolf clean off its shoulders.

Nora quickly bashed a few more Grimm as she ran to the blond, fighting off a small Death Stalker. "Where's Ren?"

"Protecting the civilians!" the boy replied, avoiding the swiping claws of another wolf-like Grimm.

Suddenly, the biggest monster within the horde emerged, a giant King Taijitsu slithering up to the trio. Its fangs dripped and glistened with red, vibrant blood.

"Take it down!" Jaune screamed, dodging as best as he could when the deadly serpent struck, missing him and crashing its head into a nearby building instead. The creature then hissed and reared its head back high, too far for them to reach.

On instinct, the orange-haired girl cried, "Shield!" as she ran towards him. The word fell out of her mouth naturally, as she had said it a hundred times before in the heat of battle.

And Jaune's sword and shield suddenly fell by his side, arms limp, watching her with wide eyes. Then, seeing her speeding approach, he scrambled to pick up his Crocea Mors once again, holding the shield above his head and bracing himself.

She jumped onto the shield, feeling the boy's muscles tense as he leapt upwards, giving her a flat platform off which she could catapult up to the King Taijitsu's horrifying head. However, the boost he gave wasn't enough to bring her to the demon's face. It was only then that Nora realized her mistake.

Oh, Pyrrha.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled the trigger on Magnhild, giving her the extra propulsion she needed to reach the height she wanted. Stepping onto the snake Grimm's face, she bounced high in the air, avoiding its snapping jaws by a hairsbreadth. Then, she pulled it again, spinning head over heels and slamming her hammer straight into its skull. The beast flew onto the ground with a screech, crushing a few smaller Grimm underneath it. Taking the moment of weakness, Ruby leapt onto the Grimm's face and fired round after round into its eyes until the monster finally dissipated like all of its fallen comrades.

The King Taijitsu was the most problematic one of them all. After that Grimm was killed, the remaining monsters were merely fodder. But it wasn't a victory, not to Jaune and Nora. They were both witnesses to the truth behind their manoeuvre. Ruby congratulated them on the smooth assist, but they couldn't put their hearts into their smiles.

The act of throwing Nora up in the air using a shield- it wasn't Jaune's attack with Nora. It was Pyrrha's. Pyrrha, who could jump higher and run faster and hit harder than any of them. The best warrior Nora had ever seen, the one who had her back no matter what.

Nora's lip wobbled, and she took a shuddering breath as she folded Magnhild back up and clipped the hammer to her belt. There was no time for this. She slapped her cheeks and perked herself up, then rushed over to Jaune and Ruby, as the duo had begun scrambling over to where Ren awaited them.

A few of the town's residents had left the safety of Ren's Semblance, rushing forward with buckets and hoses connected to the town's water pumps. One man in particular loaded up a rifle with ice-Dust, firing shot after shot from a watchtower at the edge of town towards the worst of the flames. It was perfect in subduing the towering pillars of fire and smoke.

As more and more civilians came forward to begin damage control of the buildings themselves, Nora caught sight of the dark-haired boy she was looking for. "Ren!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck quickly. After giving him one squeeze, she let him go, letting the introverted boy have his space.

Ren simply chuckled and brushed her hair out of her eyes before turning to Ruby and Jaune. "Ruby, are you alright?" he asked.

Ruby nodded vigorously. "I saw that there were Grimm attacking, so I just jumped in. It wasn't anything I couldn't-"

But Jaune suddenly punched the younger girl lightly in the shoulder, effectively cutting her off. She pouted and reeled back, rubbing her arm pitifully as the boy shook and clenched his fists tight. "Don't ever run off like that again," he whispered. "You can't do that again."

Everyone's expressions softened. "Jaune…"

"Call us," he insisted. "If you see a fight, call us. You can't go into a battle without us knowing."

"…Okay, Jaune," the younger murmured at last, digging her toe into the dirt road guiltily.

Thankfully, their awkward silence was interrupted by the family whom they had left to guard their bags, their belongings in tow. Handing off their packs, one man said reverently, "Thank you all so much. We thought we'd never get our home back."

"Where's the town Huntsman?" Ren asked.

The man shook his head. "He left a few weeks ago to pick up some ammo or the sort. We haven't heard from him since."

The foursome traded worried looks. What in the world was going on in Mistral with all the Huntsmen?

The man continued, "Is there any way we can repay you for taking care of our home?" The man's children crowded around his legs, looking up at them with wide, thankful eyes.

Nora nudged Ren as she slipped her bag onto her back once more. The dark-haired boy stepped forward, smoothly and politely negotiating for free board for the night and an updated map. The man, who was one of the village leaders, was more than happy to provide that for them- he introduced them all to the small village's innkeeper, an elderly woman who waved them in with a welcoming smile.

The inn had been largely untouched by the Grimm. That meant that once the people had sorted out their next steps in rebuilding their homes, the four teens would be free to relax for the night in their temporary accommodations.

As the village leader handed them the aforementioned map, he pointed out a few of the nearby villages. "These guys are all looking for new Huntsmen, you know. They might also know where to get that airship of yours. If you're looking for places to barter services, though, we'd all gladly accept you lot in a heartbeat."

"But what's happening to all the Huntsmen?" Nora cried, throwing her hands in the air. "It just doesn't make any sense!"

The man sighed. "I wish I could tell you, miss. The world's not exactly what it used to be." He grimaced, then spat on the stone walkway. "My bet? Bandits."

Nora grit her teeth. "Great," she muttered. Ren looked similarly displeased. She clenched her fist for a moment, shaking- then, she relaxed, putting a smile back on her face. No matter how much the thought of the lawless bands of criminals who posed such a problem to the fragile peace of the settlements of Mistral made her sick, there was no point getting riled up. If she showed her anger every single time she heard of bandits in the wild woods of Anima, she'd lose her mind. "Oh well. Time for dinner!"

Taking that as their cue, they turned in for the night. The innkeeper made them a simple, yet delicious dinner, and they were able to enjoy the quiet meal. However, there was a tension that hung over them all, stemming from Jaune. The blond hadn't spoken much since the fight. Nora knew why.

As she took their plates and shooed them upstairs to the guest rooms, the elderly innkeeper said joyfully, "So, what's your team name?"

"Pardon?" Ren replied, brought out of his thoughts by the sudden question.

"You know, your team name. Oh, don't tell me you're surprised! Even an old lady like me understands how Huntsman Academies work- four to a team, right? That's you lot!" She gestured cheerfully at the foursome staring up at her, slack-jawed. Ignoring their shock, she pressed on. "My grandchild went to Haven, you know. We were real proud of the boy. So tell me, what do I call you?"

Ruby stirred her tea with a spoon, brow furrowed and face grim. "I guess… we're a team now." Lifting her face to her friends, she murmured, "So… what're we called?"

"But… we're JNPR, aren't we?" Nora whispered. But her eyes drifted over to Ruby's hunched figure, and she knew that she was very, very wrong. The thought had never even occurred to her. Who were they now? For so long, her family had been called 'Team JNPR'. Even after the fall, they had all quietly thought of themselves as such.

With Ruby though, they were a four-man team once more. So who were they now? Who were they without Pyrrha?

"We… we're sort of a new team," Ren attempted to clarify for the confused, expectant woman.

It was suddenly too much. Nora frowned, slamming her fists on the table childishly. "But- but- JNPR! We're still here, aren't we?" She pressed her hands to her chest against the heart-shaped window in her shirt, pulse rising anxiously. "We're still here! We're okay! We're still together! We have to be JNPR-"

"Stop it, Nora!" Jaune screamed at last.

Nora froze, eyes wide. Her mouth fell open in shock as the blond slammed opened palms against the table with a resounding thud, rising to his feet so jerkily that his chair fell back and clattered behind him. His face was red, anger practically rolling off of his figure in waves. She reached out a hand, but he pushed it away, fuming. "Don't. We're not JNPR any longer. Don't say that."

"I'm s-sorry," Ruby whispered, and all eyes fell on her. She looked up at them all, tears shining in her eyes. "I… I can't replace her. I'm so sorry for asking you t-to come with me." She staggered to her feet, avoiding the reaching hands of the old innkeeper who tried to guide her back to her seat. "I- I can't replace Pyrrha. I'm so sorry." Then, there was a rush of rose petals as the girl activated her Semblance and flew out of the door, leaving it flapping on its hinges limply.

Jaune didn't follow her. His voice broke as he whispered, "Pyrrha's not coming back, dammit." And then, he stormed away, stomping up the stairs angrily, each footfall heavy and inconsolable.

Nora slumped back in her seat, watching what her careless words had wrought. What… what do we do?

Ren stood up, sighing heavily. His expression was strained, clearly trying to hold back his own pain in order to retain his composure. "You go check on Ruby," he murmured, pushing his chair under the dining table and righting Jaune's from where it had fallen onto the floor. "I'll go talk to Jaune." With that, he nodded to the innkeeper and lightly ran up the steps to find their blond leader.

Nora sighed, running her hands down her face tiredly. "What the heck is happening?" she whispered dolefully.

The innkeeper pulled out the chair across from Nora, taking a seat with a look of concern. "Dear, what in the world was that all about?" the elderly woman asked, clearly befuddled by the explosion her innocent question had caused.

All the orange-haired girl could do was sigh. "We went to Beacon," she said simply.

Immediately, the woman's eyes widened behind her glasses, and she brought a hand to her mouth to cover the gasp that slipped out involuntarily. "Oh- oh goodness. I… I didn't know." Her croaking voice was sincere, heartbroken for the four teens. "Were you all okay?"

The girl shrugged. "Our… me, and Jaune, and Ren… we were on the same team. Team JNPR." She snorted through her nose, but there was no joy- only weariness. "Ruby's from Beacon too. But her team… isn't exactly okay right now. And we… We… sorta lost… one of our teammates." The words tasted acrid in her mouth.

Empathy flooded the woman's knowing gaze. "My grandchild was killed half a year ago," she murmured quietly. "You know he only became a Huntsman after my son was killed? We're just innkeepers and carpenters in this family- not exactly warriors. But after he lost his dad, that dumb boy trained and trained, and got into Haven." Her eyes misted over nostalgically, and she smiled an exhausted, lonely half-smile. "But the boy got killed by bandits a while back. It's been six months." She reached out a wrinkled, leathery hand, grasping one of Nora's tenderly. "The loss doesn't get easier, dear. It never does. But you're all still alive. That counts."

The orange-haired girl smiled wistfully at the older woman. "Yeah, I know." And she did. Pyrrha wasn't the first person she had ever lost. It wasn't mature of her to hold onto Team JNPR- she knew it, no matter how much she wanted to cling to the peace of the past. But life wasn't fair. No matter how much she wanted it, her redheaded sister was never coming back. She'd give anything to be able to hold her best friend again- but there was no point in wishing for something she could never have.

The innkeeper could sense her resolve, smiling proudly at her. "You knew that without me saying it, huh?"

Nora chuckled dryly. "Yup. Pyrrha wouldn't want me to be sad. She was hurting so much when we were at school because of her own problems. I always just wanted to make her day a little better, to make her smile. I know she'd want the same for me."

The woman's eyes widened. "Pyrrha… Nikos?" When Nora only smiled ruefully at her, the elderly woman let out a deep, weary breath. "Even we knew of her, you know. It's the boonies, but… a lot of people in Anima were rooting for her."

"I know." But Nora's voice wasn't sad- she was just proud. "She was the best."

And the innkeeper smiled, and Nora's heart swelled joyfully. "It sounds like you were good friends."

"Yup!" She giggled. "The best."

Their conversation was interrupted by footfalls on the steps. Nora suddenly jumped to her feet. "Oh shoot! Ruby!"

"Well, go find your other friend! She needs a team, right?" The innkeeper winked, and Nora saluted and jumped to the foot of the staircase, waving brightly to a calm Ren and an embarrassed Jaune.

"She was the best," the blond mumbled.

"And we'll never forget her," Ren soothed.

The other boy exhaled heavily. "I was harsh, huh."

Nora rolled her eyes, bonked him lightly on the head, then waved the two of them outside. "Let's go check on her," she instructed. Jaune followed without complaint, but Ren had the gall to mutter, "Wasn't that your job?" to which she could only stick her tongue out and blow a raspberry.

They found Ruby leaning against a fencepost behind the inn, tears silently rolling down her face. When she saw them round the corner, she drew in a shuddering breath, wiping her cheeks clumsily and sniffing loud. Nora's heart melted when she saw just how small the younger girl looked, curled up against the wooden beam. Without a word, the orange-haired girl walked right over to Ruby and took a seat by her side, pulling her into a one-armed hug and drawing her head onto Nora's shoulder. The younger girl quaked under her touch, but didn't pull away.

Ren and Jaune quickly followed. Ren placed a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder as he crouched down by her other side. Jaune knelt down in front of Ruby, regret clear on his face even in the dark of night.

After taking a deep breath, Jaune whispered, "I'm sorry, Ruby."

"It's… it's my fault," Ruby wheezed, sobbing audibly at last. "I- I couldn't save her. She was your teammate, she's our friend, and I- I- I'm so sorry, I wasn't strong enough, I-"

Nora gave her a knock to her head with her own, startling the girl into silence. "Hush," she insisted. "You saved all of us, Ruby. Your eyes stopped the dragon, right? Why would we blame you?"

The girl's face twisted up in pain. "But, Pyrrha-"

"Pyrrha knew what she was doing," Jaune said quietly. Sometime during the exchange, his own tears had begun to flow once again. "She left knowing exactly what she was getting into." He gulped. "And she did it anyways. I… no one could've stopped her, I think. So… don't blame yourself."

Ren nodded sagely. "We're a team now, Ruby."

At that, Ruby began to wail in earnest, her youth showing so plainly that Nora's heart broke. She gathered the younger girl in her arms, hugging her properly. She shook and trembled in her arms, but Nora didn't let go.

Over Ruby's shoulder, she saw Jaune pick up a nearby twig. Carefully in the dirt, he wrote JNPR in the ground. The letters quickly darkened in spots as his tears hit the ground, but he persevered. After staring at the letters for a moment, he took the twig back to the letters.

With the shakiest hand, the blond drew an extra line under the P of their old team name. "…Junior?" he read quietly.

Nora patted Ruby on the shoulder to make her pull away, pointing to the letters. "JNRR!" she repeated to the girl.

Ruby whimpered, wiping her eyes dry to see it. A storm of emotions brewed over her face. In the end, though, a brilliant smile broke out over her lips, and a stumbling chuckle fell out of her. "JNRR," she repeated.

"J, N, R, R," Ren mused. "That works."

And then, Jaune's arms wrapped around Ruby and Nora, and Ren joined in on the hug. They sat on the ground for a long, long time. Nora basked in the warmth of her new team, ignoring the few trails of tears that fell down her cheeks, too.

We'll never replace you, Pyrrha. You'll always be with us. But we've got a mission to complete. Isn't that right?

She knew Pyrrha would have beamed at those words. The redhead was always so proud of how united their team was- they were, and would always be, the perfect family.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The next morning, everything was different. The innkeeper could even sense it- there was a heightened air of camaraderie that hadn't really been there before. As Ren checked out and Jaune made sure that everyone's packs were fully stocked, the innkeeper winked at Nora while handing Ruby a little bottle of sunscreen. The bright, pale girl wasn't ready for the sun Mistral would bring, after all. "So?" the elderly woman asked. "You young'uns figured it all out?"

"We're Team JNRR!" Nora announced proudly, saluted the woman with an enthusiastic beam. As she said this, everyone paused, sharing a tender smile amidst their work.

The wounds from Pyrrha's loss still hadn't healed- but after suffering the stagnation that leaving those wounds caused, feeling the edges of it shift, move, find life from within- it felt good. They were still alive. They could move on. And their wounds were finally getting enough oxygen to fully heal.

"Sounds good," the woman crooned, straightening Ruby's hair affectionately after the younger girl had finished slathering sunscreen clumsily over face. "You kids be safe now, y'hear?"

"Thanks a lot, ma'am," Jaune replied with a smile. With that, the four of them left the inn, heading out of the village at last. It was time for their journey to begin fully.

The map the kind villagers had provided was more than enough to guide them to the next town. The weather persisted, giving them clear skies that gave no indication of the fire and smoke columns which had tainted the sky the night of their earlier battle. The next few days were nothing but playing games on the road, of mindless chatter- Nora's favourite part was definitely finding berries growing in the woods, since Ren could always remember which ones were poisonous, and Nora went to bed with a full tummy without even needing to dip into their provisions excessively. Each evening, they would circle around a cozy campfire off the main path, quietly chattering. Nora was infinitely grateful that Ren had insisted they bring some cooking supplies, despite how Ruby had been so against it- although pots and ladles and cubed stock added more than a few pounds to their packs, it was wonderful getting to curl up with a hot bowl of food each night.

By the time they reached the gates of the next village, they were light-hearted and jovial, despite being more than ready to find an inn once again. Although the town borders were small, it was quaint, well-maintained, and the agrarian community was more than happy to welcome Huntsmen (although technically still in-training) to deal with the problems bothering their livestock. Apparently, a large Grimm had been rampaging through the area, sweeping past their village a while earlier in order to head for other townships.

Nora's fingers twitched for Magnhild excitedly when she heard that it had been a Geist. Geists were so rare, the shadowy creatures masters of possession and animation. She hadn't seen one for almost three years- not since Kalian got his butt kicked by one, but that more fun to watch than anything. Howl saved him anyways. She pouted at the memory. Dumb Howl. He should've let me join in!

Jaune clasped his hands humbly in front of the village leader, whom they had met by mere accident after walking past the woman while she was chopping firewood. "So does that mean we can have a place to stay for the night if we take care of the Grimm tomorrow? We haven't actually slept in beds since we left the last village."

"I'd like a mattress," Ruby added glumly, cracking her neck side-to-side. She hadn't yet mastered the art of sleeping on thin bedrolls, and was constantly complaining about soreness after sleeping on roots by accident.

"Well," the prim woman hummed, "we can't exactly guarantee that you'll be successful in the extermination, so if you'd like board, it might be better to just pay…"

They all traded glances. Nora poked Ren's pocket which contained his wallet, where they kept most of their shared funds. They had to save as much of their money as possible- there was no point spending all their Lien before they reached the Kingdom of Mistral, after all. It was so much easier to barter services in order to get lodging.

The air was still for a moment, the woman glancing over each of them expectantly. Finally, Jaune shrugged, pointing at the dark-haired boy to his right. "Ren… can cook?"

Immediately, Nora cheered at the thought of Ren's cooking, giggling as Ruby covering her face embarrassedly with her palm and Ren pinched the bridge of his nose in shame at their leader's silliness. However, his words seemed to have a positive effect on the stern village chief- the woman quickly broke down into hearty peals of laughter, finally chuckling out, "Is that so? Well, in any case, I'm sure if you want a few free nights here, you could make yourselves busy with our smaller problem for now. There's a small murder of Nevermore that have taken up residence right in the older oaks outside of our borders, and they've been harassing our cattle and our farmers. Get rid of those, and we'll be good to go."

"Don't you have any Huntsmen?" Nora asked.

And, just like the rest of the people they had met by that point, the woman had the same answer.

"Something's going on with the Huntsmen of Mistral. I couldn't tell you what it is, but let's just say we haven't seen your sorts around for a long time. We'd appreciate all the help we could get."

This sent a jolt of concern through Nora. She frowned, casting a worried glance towards Ren. The boy clearly felt the same way, pulling out his phone quickly and punching in the long-memorized numbers while Jaune gathered details on the Nevermore nest. The quiet boy crossed his arms, holding his phone up to his ear- but after a moment, he brought it down, shaking his head wearily. "No answer?" Nora mumbled, more of a statement than anything.

They had little time to fret about it. Jaune waved them all over, pointing out the location of the nest on their map. "It's a little farther into the forest, on the edge of a nearby clearing, apparently, but we should be able to reach it through this path."

"But can't they just… y'know, fly away?"

Ren hummed thoughtfully. "Not if we trap them underneath the canopy. No Nevermore can stay mobile in the trees."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Nora cried, jumping tall. She clenched her fists, feeling excitement surge through her body. This is what she was built for. "Let's just knock 'em back into the trees, and block their way until they're taken out!"

The other three traded amused glances, while Nora puffed up her chest proudly. "You're not wrong," Ren sighed at last.

With that general game plan in mind, Jaune was quick to devise a strategy. He had always been their best tactician- it warmed Nora's heart to see him planning out an encounter, just like he used to. He's okay, Pyrrha! she thought to herself. He's doing okay.

And he was. By the time everyone had understood their scheme, twilight was just on the cusp of the horizon, and the forest had begun to quiet down of its normal wildlife, leaving behind the growing squawks and screeches of the avian Grimm, the blond's eyes were fiery and lit up with determination. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" the others cheered, and soon, they were on their way.

The plan worked perfectly. Ren masked their presence, allowing them to sneak up to the Nevermore nesting ground unnoticed. Then, it was only a matter of Jaune capturing their attention from within the trees, Ruby using her speed to zip past and slice down all the trees supporting their numerous, lofty nests, and Nora hammering each falling tree, nest and demon under the cover of the canopy above so they couldn't fly away. Then, the extermination began.

The entire conflict took less than five minutes, aside from the one, final giant Nevermore that headed the flock. It had been slumbering over a nearby ridge, choosing to fly over right as Nora murmured happily, "Well, I guess we're all done for the day!" After its horrifying screech filled the air, though, they had quickly darted up into the trees, and the orange-haired girl had stepped onto Ruby's scythe blade, the younger girl spinning around and sending Nora flying towards the creature. Then, Nora hammered its head down into the treeline, Ren blinded it with StormFlower, Ruby sliced its wings clean off, and Jaune decapitated the maimed demon, leaving behind nothing but acrid smoke and ash and an eerily-still forest in the night.

"Can we eat now?" Nora groaned, totally unfazed by the conflict. It was so quick, after all- how could it have even dented her energy?

The others saw it differently, though, as they gasped and panted for breath. Jaune showed her a shaky thumbs up, and she grinned wide, wrapping Ren's arm over her shoulder to help the tall boy limp back to the village. Jaune and Ruby clung to each other exhaustedly, complaining mockingly the entire way home about how unfair it was that Nora was still raring to go. "Why is food the only concern with you? Were you not even hit once? I just want to sleep!" Jaune groaned. "I got beaned in the head by a baby Nevermore! This day sucks."

And she simply chortled haughtily, and they all laughed, finally entering the village with cheer and joy in their faces.

The villagers fed them wonderfully as thanks for dispatching the Grimm. And, when they were asked who they were, they announced that they were Team JNRR of Beacon, and the words felt so right in Nora's heart that she couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the meal, although her teammates attributed that joy to the fact that they gave her extra portions happily. It wasn't JNPR, but it was something else- something that now felt whole, tangible. And that was more than she could've ever hoped for, without Pyrrha.

The village chief was more than happy to provide accommodations for the teens that evening. "Hell, stay longer if you'd like," she insisted as she showed them her guest room. "God knows we needed those little demons taken care of."

There were only two beds, but each one was fairly big. Nora slung her arm over Ruby's shoulders excitedly. "Sleepover!"

Ruby smiled sweetly, eyes soft, and Nora grinned back. Ruby was one of them now, and she was going to make sure the younger girl knew it.

The older woman crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. "I told you kids- we could all use a few more hands around here." Raising a brow, she added as an afterthought, "Not for cooking, mind you. We're good enough on our own. Stay, and you earn your keep as fighters." As she walked out of the room, she muttered under breath, "Goddamn kids telling me they'll cook for keep- what is this, Vacuo?"

Jaune blushed, and everyone chuckled ruefully as they unpacked their toiletries and pyjamas. It was all in jest, though, and they knew it. So, now that their lodgings were secured and food in their stomachs, they were more than ready to settle into bed.

It was barely two minutes after they had turned off the lights when Ren muttered, "So… by the way… JNRR isn't colour-related."

"Oh my god, Ren," Nora groaned, tossing one of her gloves, which had been resting on the nightstand between the two beds, at him.

Ruby simply snorted, and in the darkness, Nora could see Jaune's silhouette sit upright, pick up his pillow, and smack Ren lightly. "Come on, Ren," the boy grumbled. "Does it really matter?"

"Well, traditionally all the teams were named after colours, just as all children are, after the Great War-"

"Okay, cool story Professor Oobleck, but it's late!" Nora insisted, throwing her other glove at him. She giggled evilly when she heard a soft yelp- direct hit. "What would we even be called, anyways?"

"Well," Ren mused, "Since this is sort of Ruby's mission, shouldn't she be at the front?"

"But I'm the leader," Jaune whispered pitifully, and everyone chuckled on instinct, each person instantly able to imagine the classic dejected pout that always accompanied that tone. Nora was happy to hear it, though- the name JNRR was one he was proud of. He was their leader. He had brought them together in the end, and she would follow Jaune forever, just as she had promised upon meeting him at Beacon nearly a year earlier.

The quieter boy continued, "If she's at the front, then 'ranger' would work, right? R-N-J-R?"

"Okay wise guy," Nora began, swinging her legs over the side of the bed to face him, "'ranger' isn't a colour, duh."

Jaune paused, cocking his head as he leaned back against the wall behind him. "Well, rangers are associated with forests, and wildlife, so I guess… it's green?"

Ruby mumbled, "I think it works either way. It doesn't really matter what we're called." The seriousness in her quiet voice calmed the other three down, and everyone paused in their antics, allowing her to speak. "What matters is that we're together, right?"

Even in the darkness, Nora could see Jaune's bright smile flash. "You got it, Ruby."

"So, since we don't care, we're going with JNRR! Glad we're agreed," the orange-haired girl cheered, basking in the amused snorts of her friends as everyone settled back down. Nora tucked herself back under the covers, smiling victoriously to herself. Anyways, it's JNRR. JNRR's cooler than RNJR, anyways. And with that thought, she contented herself to her dreams.

The Mistralian air really was getting to her, as she was vividly whisked back in time once again. These dreams had become more and more frequent over the past few days since arriving on Anima- too many memories were associated with the greenery they found themselves traipsing through day after day. Some of them were lovely, and warm, and wonderful.

Unfortunately, that night, she found herself somewhere she had never wanted to return to.

The world drifted away, and the next thing she knew, she was freezing. Her bones were protruding from her skin pitifully under her stained white t-shirt, and she wrapped thin, frail arms around bruised, bony knees with what little strength she had. "Ren, I'm scared," she whispered.

"Don't call for him," a roaring voice guffawed from the edge of the clearing, out of view. "You get to just sit tight here, girlie."

She curled in on herself, wishing more than anything that she could simply disappear. Sitting alone in the center of a wide open area surrounding by trees, the shadows on all sides were more than enough to haunt her nightmares forever. She winced, tugging the cuffs which dug into her ankles. She just wanted to get them off, they hurt so much- the wounds weren't allowed to heal, constantly opened and reopened thanks to her eternal bindings, the scent of blood dizzying her constantly. Why did they keep staking the chains binding her into the ground? Why were they doing this to her?

It was a pointless question. She knew why they kept trapping her in open areas. She knew why they kept leaving her alone, separating her from Ren. She knew what new contracts meant, and she was terrified.

From the sidelines, she heard Ren's quiet voice sob, "Nora, wait for-" and then, a resounding slap cut through his words, silencing him with a pained yelp.

"Silence, brat!" an authoritative voice commanded. "Do as you're told. You want her safe? Then hide us."

There was a whimper, and Nora sobbed aloud, "Ren, help me," tugging even more desperately at the chains. Unfortunately, the iron stake in the ground trapping her in place had been dug in too deep, and she couldn't free herself.

The bushes rustled, and she glanced up, terrified. Glowing red eyes exited the shrubbery, flashing in the darkness. In the light of the moon, the fangs of three large Creep Grimm were revealed in the shadows, tinted red with blood of victims past and the wash of red from their eyes.

Nora trembled, tugging at the stake in the ground even more frantically. "Please, please, I'll be good, I'll fight, please let me go," she begged, voice rising into hysterical octaves. "Please!" The reptilian Grimm stepped closer and closer, and she gagged, retching her achingly-empty stomach's meager contents onto the ground by her side as the pungent scent of their flesh, the heat of their heavy, panting breaths, and their low growls and excited clicks, approached her.

If they didn't do something, she was going to die, manacled and chained to a stake in the ground.

And then, a flash of light appeared. The biggest Huntsmen of the crew stepped out into the clearing, glowing blue for a moment before slamming his hands into the ground. The energy which shot out of his hands sank into the earth, and the ground between him and the Creeps began to roll and ripple, as if the earth itself had turned into an unrelenting ocean's tide.

That included the ground underneath her, too. She was picked up by the force of the shockwave, and all she could do was hold onto the stake and pray- pray that she'd be alright, that she'd land, that the monsters wouldn't eat her and that Ren would find her. She shut her eyes and held on and cried, the world spinning and flashing in the dead of night all around her.

It was finally over when she heard a bone-chilling voice cackle, "Good job, kiddo. Let's go save your little friend, hm?" Each word dripped acid and venom, and Nora flinched just from hearing it.

But then, familiar arms and safety and love wrapped around her, and little Ren was sobbing into her hair as the chains were undone. "Nora, I'm sorry," he wailed.

Now that she was back where she belonged, she collapsed against him, voice rising as well as her cries grew. She paid no mind to the promise of food from the Huntsmen watching their exchange with sickening amusement. She had Ren back, and she was okay, and that was all she could hope for.

And her eyes opened.

Back in reality, with Ruby breathing softly by her ear, Nora sighed, knowledge of the world now not enough to ease the racing of her heart. She knew why she had been caught in that situation back then. She knew why those monsters had manipulated her and Ren for those few scarring years.

Eight-year-old children were the perfect forms of bait- imaginative enough to conjure monsters in their mind beyond compare, yet old enough to comprehend the horrors of the world. Their fear was palpable, tangible- and, for Grimm, delicious.

She had been bait affixed to the lure, and Ren, the camouflage hiding the hunters.

The thought made her shudder.

Almost mechanically, she sat upright, reaching over to her pack, which was resting against the side of the bed. She removed her large headphones and Scroll, pulling out the device and slipping out of bed as carefully as she could, avoiding any unnecessary movement so as to not wake Ruby. Popping the headphones around her ears, she tiptoed out of the room into the hall.

The house was dead silent. Leaving all of the lights off, she made her way to the balcony on the second floor of the house. She couldn't hide her pleased smile when she saw stairs lead up from it to the roof, and she followed them happily, taking a seat upon the shingles as gingerly as possible. No point in waking up everyone sleeping still, after all.

There was only a little bit of music still saved up on her Scroll. She had spent so much time listening to music on the CCTS that she had gotten rid of most of the songs she had once saved onto the device itself. She sighed, scrolling through her meager collection. There had been no way to know that she should've kept all of her old playlists- how was she to have realized that the CCTS would fall?

Still, she managed to find a few nice songs to relax to, and she leaned back against her hands, tilting her face up towards the sky. It was a clear night once more, the crumbling moon and stars shining even more intensely than normal. She closed her eyes and let herself drift away in the melodies playing in her ears, focusing on the feeling of the gentle breeze brushing her hair against the nape of her neck, on the texture of the roof tiles under her calloused fingertips.

Sometimes, she wished that she could have forgotten the memories which haunted her. At least that way, she wouldn't have to think about the dark days anymore. However, she knew that there was no need to forget the sadness of the past. There had been plenty of joy in her life- after all, she had only found a reason to live after the fall of Kuroyuri.

The air shifted ever so slightly, and she couldn't stop the loving smile that quirked up her lips. "Hiya, Ren," she whispered.

Gentle hands removed her headphones and slipped them down around her neck, pulling her hair up to rest overtop of the connecting headpiece. She opened her eyes and smiled as Ren took silent steps to sit on her right side, the boy staring up at the stars. From her seat, his face was awash in the moon's light, his thin pink eyes glittering in the starlight. Her heart swelled up, and she reached out a careful hand to brush his hair behind his neck, allowing it to slowly sway behind him in the nighttime air.

"I felt you leave," he murmured. "You… you've been dreaming more lately, haven't you?"

Oh, how she wanted to lean on his shoulder. She didn't, instead, reaching over a finger and gently tapping the boy on the nose. "Boop," she whispered, confirming his words with the action. Of course Ren understood. He always did.

"What happened?"

So, she told him. There was only one secret Nora would ever really keep from him, and that was of her feelings towards the boy. Aside from her love for him, she knew she could always lay her heart bare for him to see. He'd stand by her always, no matter what.

When she was finally done recounting the memory, Ren stated calmly, "Those days are over, and they'll never be back."

Pale yellow eyes, surrounded by hundreds of beady red, flashed in her mind. "I know. He's gone. We survived him." Nudging his side playfully, she added, "We've survived everything, huh?"

"Always," the boy affirmed, but there was a hint of sadness in his smile as he looked up at the moon. Nora shifted, following his gaze. She knew why he would be sad. The moon was beautiful indeed, but it would never be as magical as it had been once upon a time- before Pyrrha was gone. The image of her ashes floating away on the wind against the light of the moon still burned in Nora's mind.

It hurt.

"But still," Nora pressed onwards, "why are we still looking for them?"

Ren was quiet for a moment. It was hard to pinpoint exactly why they needed to find the Huntsmen who had protected them for so long after they found freedom from their initial jailors. As children still, they had been nothing more than burdens to the crew for the longest time, their guardians not allowing them to fight until they were so much older. Sending them off to Beacon must've been the greatest blessing, allowing the Huntsmen to finally continue on their own journey without the two teens weighing them down.

And yet, when Ren finally replied, Nora already knew his answer. After all, his answer lay in the memories they shared. It lay in Howl's piercing, analytical eyes, normally so blank, appraising their skills with something one could only call pride; Kalian's surprising kindness, the man's normally fiery temperament warm and soothing whenever they had nightmares; Caelus' infectious laugh, encouraging Nora and Ren to misbehave, even joining in on their tomfoolery, because hell, they were kids and he'd be damned if they didn't enjoy themselves. It lay in the feeling of home the Huntsmen had always cultivated amongst themselves.

Home.

Those Huntsmen had been the first people to ever give her a home. And, while her place wasn't really with them anymore, she wanted to show them how much she'd grown- how far she'd go to defend the places, and the people, to which her heart belonged.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Recuperating in that small settlement was wonderful, but they had a goal- they were still without leads on a possible airship. The village chief knew of one that had been used to shuttle supplies a few villages down, but that vague comment was so similar to the previous ones they had heard. "Don't worry, guys," Jaune murmured, unable to hide the dejection in his tone. "We just have to keep going."

"Progress forward still means we're closer to Haven," Ren commented after a moment.

Ruby nodded determinedly. "And anything is better than nothing."

Nora grinned, slinging her pack on her back and skipping to the roadside. "Well, then what are we waiting for?"

And so, they set forth. The journey was fairly easy walking- only rarely did they encounter any semblance of sloped ground, meaning that all they ever saw was dirt roads, the paths winding through gnarled roots and soft vines. They stayed off the path at nights, making camp where necessary, taking heed to hide their presence off the main roads. The lack of Huntsmen in the area was concerning- whether it due to the influence of bandits, or some other, more sinister forces, they didn't care to find out.

The next village they stumbled into came after a few days of monotonous plodding, and they reveled in the fact that not only were the townsfolk able to put them up for a night, but their fee was nothing more than taking down a small pack of Beowolves. The skirmish was even easier than their scuffle with the Nevermore flock the day before. In fact, it was so simple, Nora was almost bored- although, when asking her how the fight had gone, the villagers weren't as comfortable with her after she complained, "They broke so easily, they're no fun."

Just like the previous village, the impact of the wandering Geist was seen throughout the area. An entire section of town had been trampled. "It's possessed rocks! It looks like some titan, or something else hellish- if you can, the entire community would be safer," the mayor pleaded with them. "Please, if you can find it, get rid of it. I'm sure anyone would be happy to pay you handsomely."

The prospect of finding a Geist- and with it, both excitement and a nice reward- was dimmed that night, however, as Jaune inspected his armour sadly. Although he had bathed and bundled up in his nightclothes, his tangled, shaggy hair dripped water sadly onto his armour laying in his lap, the boy sitting cross-legged on his small cot. The worn leather binding the metal together was cracking, the metal plates dented and spoilt, the white tint almost scratched away from the numerous beatings it had taken. The blond's hands shook as he glanced over it sadly, fingers resting within one particularly large dent the latest fight with the Beowolves had left in his breastplate.

"Jaune, what's wrong?" Ruby murmured, resting a hand on his arm.

Jaune shook his head, a weary smile emerging. "I just…" He snorted, but there was no joy- just tiredness. "Pyrrha used to help me fix dents like this."

Nora, who had been brushing her hair before bed, put down her brush and walked over to Jaune's packs, rifling through his stuff. The blond didn't even notice her rooting through his belongings, although Ren watched her with saddened, albeit curious eyes. The dark-haired boy didn't stop her, though.

Soon, she found what she was looking for- pulling out a comb, she tossed it to Ren, next searching for another towel. The boy instantly knew what she meant, and he chuckled, sitting behind Jaune. Nora found the towel, throwing it to Ren as well.

Ruby gingerly pulled the blond's armour out of his hands. "We'll get you new armour, Jaune," she said calmly. "You didn't upgrade anything yet, right?" As she spoke, Ren began drying the blond's hair with the towel, ignoring the blond's spluttered shock at the sudden contact. They all knew, though- once he fell into a funk about Pyrrha, he'd drift off, not realizing where he was or what he was doing if he was left to his own devices.

"You can't get sick, Jaune," Ren explained quietly as he continued cleaning up the blond. "Also, stop tracking water everywhere."

"Hey!" the blond replied. Still, Jaune's expression relaxed a little, and he smiled, allowing himself to be treated like a child.

Nora sighed in relief. Angsty crisis averted. We're all good. She picked up her own hairbrush once more, untangling the final few knots among the orange strands. "We saved all that money for Jaune's eventual upgrade," she pondered aloud, "so now, all we need is a blacksmith!"

"Oh, but I didn't see one here," Ruby pointed out. "Maybe the next village has one?"

"Well, if it's too much Lien, we can always just hunt more Grimm. We've been doing a pretty good job so far."

Ren hummed quietly. "We'll likely need to," he explained. "Your sword wasn't cutting through the Grimm today. We should probably upgrade everything, not just your armour."

The thought of giving the blond new weapons lit a spark in Nora. "Ooh, what should we give him?" she asked enthusiastically, eyes shining.

Ruby's expression was just as excited, silver gaze shining wholeheartedly. "You're a lot stronger now, Jaune," she began her long ramble, "so we could totally get you a ranged weapon, too! I know you like the classics, Crocea Mors is like, a family heirloom and all that jazz, but just imagine-"

Nora shot her arm up in the air. "Let's get him a grenade launcher!" she grinned evilly. "He can hold his own now, it'll be good-"

But Ruby held up a hand, walking over to Jaune, who was still allowing Ren to comb his tangled hair like a frustrated father. She clapped Jaune's shoulder, which had clearly bulked up since their first days in Beacon. The boy was far stronger than he had been during initiation nearly a year earlier.

Ruby grinned. "Who needs a grenade launcher," she asked, "when we can get him something like Coco's Gatling gun!"

Nora instantly leapt in the air, high-fiving Ruby. "Amazing!" Her mind raced with possibilities. "Oh, or maybe… a torpedo launcher?" Satisfaction bloomed in her chest when she heard Ruby's delighted squeal at the prospect. "Jaune, you're going to be a tank."

"Guys," Ren cut in, drawing everyone's attention from where he was draping Jaune's towel over the back of a nearby chair, the blond's hair oddly smooth and tidy now, "do you really think we should give Jaune a gun?"

Instantly, everyone turned to look at the blond. He looked over their matching, doubtful expressions quickly, then sighed, a wry smile on his face. "You're not wrong," he admitted good-naturedly with a light laugh. "I'll… stick with just a sword, thanks."

And suddenly, it was the Vytal Festival again, and everyone's smiles were so genuine that the room seemed to glow.

"Cool. Transforming sword it is!" Ruby announced, ignoring Jaune's feeble attempts of protest. Of course Ruby would want the next generation of Crocea Mors to transform- it was Ruby, after all. The girl lived to see cool, unique weapon modifications.

With that, they went to bed, the prospect of finding a blacksmith elsewhere calling them. The townsfolk were sad to see them go, but the four youths were able to leave with heads held high and hope in their hearts when the mayor confirmed the presence of an extremely skilled blacksmith the next village over.

Thankfully, this village- Midoyuri- was only a day's walk away, and they reached the borders by nightfall. It was odd seeing another settlement so close by, but this town was a veritable hub, compared to the other areas they had travelled through. It was bright and sprawling, fields small and communal, the friendly faces of the citizens putting their hearts at ease as they wandered through, trying to find an actual inn.

It was also a sudden, almost jarring shift, in regards to the cultural presence in Midoyuri. Unlike the previous towns they had visited, the people of this small community were distinctly Mistralian, their clothes and mannerisms much more reflective of Ren's upbringing than anyone else's. While the other areas had contained folk who were dressed in much more familiar attire, for the first time, it truly looked like they were truly on Anima, rather than Sanus. Ruby regarded everyone with quiet oohs and aahs. Jaune simply smiled and nodded amicably at those they passed- he was raised on Anima, albeit closer to Mistral itself, after all. And Nora smiled bright and wide, ignoring the inherent frustration that rose up in her throat when she saw the people whispering 'foreign Huntsmen' to one another as the teens passed by. The only 'foreign' one was Ruby, but they'd never see that Nora was raised on Anima.

They found their destination fairly quickly. And, as all information passes in small towns, word of Huntsmen and Huntresses in town reached the mayor before they had even finished checking in. As an elderly man with neat grey hair pinned up in a simple bun, thick prayer beads around his neck, and a traditional red robe indicating his role in the village, the man bowed his head politely. "Hello, young Huntsmen, young Huntresses," he murmured. "We welcome you to Midoyuri."

There was want in his eyes, though- plaintiff and worried, barely concealed by his veneer of calm stoicism. Nora poked Ren's back discreetly, and the boy stepped forward, bowing back to respect the elder. After initial introductions, the dark-haired boy stated, "We are looking for any airship that might be able to carry us to Haven. Do you have one, or know of one nearby?"

The man hummed thoughtfully. "Well, Shion Village had one, once upon a time. That's the next village if you head northeast."

"I know that village!" Instantly, the map was in Jaune's hands, and the quartet crowded around to look at the village in question. And, as if the fates were finally smiling down upon them, it looked like the trek would be possible by lunch if they left early the next day.

When he saw the eager smiles everyone shared, however, the mayor added hastily, "But please, stay here for the night. We will offer you free board- we just need Huntsmen."

Nora stepped forward, blood already beginning to crackle with excitement. "The Geist?"

"Ah," the man sighed, relaxing visibly. "You have heard."

"We have," Jaune said sadly. "It's caused a lot of destruction along the coast, apparently."

The man nodded sagely. "It's… the creature has decided to stay around our village. It has cost us gravely."

Immediately, Nora's heart sank in her chest. She had heard this story time and time again throughout her life- she and Ren had faced this same situation in nearly every village they had ever visited in their youth. Now, with the Huntsmen shortage, it wasn't surprising to hear that the same thing was happening still. "Any victims?"

"Two children."

The air grew cold in the room, empathy and sadness shared tenderly in that moment. It wasn't fair.

Still, they all nodded in unison. This hunt could take them days, since Geists moved quickly. If they hurried out of town at dawn, though, they'd be able to make it to Shion in good time, potentially finding their airship, making the journey to Haven so much easier- but it didn't matter. After the breach of downtown Vale, after the Fall, they just couldn't leave behind any more victims. "Give us details," Jaune pressed.

The man's face eased, and he bowed his head once more. "Truly, thank you. What can we do to aid you on your journey?"

Immediately, Ren and Jaune stepped forward, gathering information on the Geist's current whereabouts and bartering for free room and board. Ruby chimed in, "We heard you have a blacksmith- can we get armour here?"

The man softened. "He'd be happy to help. After you're done here, go to see him. I'll go visit him and tell him of your situation." There was something so profoundly sorrowful in his words, but Nora knew what he was trying to say.

Were the children… his?

As Ren and Jaune sorted out the rest of the details, Ruby listening in eagerly from the sidelines, Nora wandered over to the Huntsmen's board located on the wall of the inn, just like all the others. In her heart, she prayed to see the faces she so desperately longed to see- but just like all the boards they had found up to this point, it was dismal and scattered, the names crossed off over and over again. She quickly pulled out her phone and tried calling Howl again, but there was still no response- they were out of range. The beeping on the other line did nothing to set her heart at ease.

Soon, the mayor headed to the door. "I shall see to the blacksmith," he announced. "Please head over there when you are ready."

They nodded and smiled, bowing lightly to show their respect. Ruby murmured, "Cool. Let's ditch our stuff, then go see him?"

"Not entirely," Ren said. "The Geist is a decent ways away, and we don't know how far it's travelled since the last sighting. We'll put away anything non-essential to basic camping, but we need to be ready to hunt it for a few days."

Nora pumped her fists at her side. "Ooh yeah, we're on the trail."

Jaune nodded, showing the other three the estimated location of the Geist. "It was spotted here, here, and here," he indicated with his finger, "so we'll set off from the eastern path tomorrow morning."

"Sounds like a plan!" Ruby propped her hands on her hips. "Off to the smithy!"

After leaving behind their belongings in their shared room, they wandered across town to the workshop in question. It was a humble establishment, the metal anvil sign hanging above the door and the smokestack puffing out clouds of smoke out the back of the building the only true indication of its use. Without those, they would've thought it was just another home. "I guess this is it?" Jaune murmured, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. Unlike everyone else, he had kept his stuff with him.

Nora poked his arm. "Why did you take all your stuff, anyways?" she asked, crossing her arms curiously. "You coulda just left it back in the room."

But Jaune ignored her, brows creased as he reached for the door handle. Nora frowned, glancing over to Ren. The other boy looked equally perturbed, but they both said nothing, following their leader inside.

A bell above the door rang when they stepped in. The room within was separated into two by a long counter running nearly wall-to-wall, weapons lining the rafters upon the customer's side of the room and wares on display behind the counter. It was warmly lit, comfortingly so, and the heat which seemed to hang in the air was welcoming, rather than muggy, despite the summer heat that was beginning to stifle the continent.

"We're closed," a gravelly voice from the back called, but once the speaker stepped out from the backroom, spotting the four teens standing nervously before his long counter, the man's expression softened. He was a Faunus, two large horns jutting out of his forehead before his dark hair. The bearded, dark-skinned man sighed, putting the cloth he had been holding in his hands over his shoulders. Walking up to the counter, he rested his hands upon it, leaning forward heavily. Nora frowned, seeing golden eyes flashing underneath proud brows, but she shook it off quickly.

"The mayor told us you might be able to help us," Jaune murmured politely.

The man nodded tiredly. "You lot came at a good time," he replied, although his voice was far less abrasive than a few moments earlier. "We've needed Huntsmen for a while. I'm happy to do whatever you folks need."

The blond walked up to the counter, removing Crocea Mors from his hip. "I was hoping to get some new armour, and upgrade my weapon," he explained. He laid his weapon on the table, moving to undo the clasps holding his breastplate together.

The man held up a hand, shaking his head. "Kid, if you're serious about taking on the Geist, you'll need what little protection you can get," he said wearily. "Bring your stuff back to me after it's done." He paused, appraising the quality of Jaune's armour from a distance. "Actually, I'll just make you a new set from scratch. The metal from that there won't be very useful- it looks like it has seen better days."

Jaune nodded, chuckling. "You've got me there." Running a hand along Crocea Mors' sheath, he said, "But could you work on this?"

"Won't you need it against the Grimm?"

Nora giggled, "Nah, we'll be fine even if Jaune doesn't have a weapon."

"Hey!" he shrilled in response.

Ren held up his hands peacefully. "Tactics, Jaune. You're better with tactics."

"You'll be fine without a weapon. You're the strategist," Ruby attempted. The blond pouted, but acquiesced anyways.

The Faunus man sighed, running hands along long, tied-back black hair. "Well, I'll leave it up to you."

"Before you begin," Jaune said, pulling off his backpack quickly, "would you be able to incorporate something else?" He began working to undo the straps on his pack, searching through the contents quickly.

The man frowned, tapping his fingers onto the countertop. "Not sure what you mean, but we'll take a look."

While Jaune rifled through his bag, Ruby murmured, "We heard that there were victims… Did you know them?"

And those golden eyes softened, grief shining through for just a moment before it settled into weary acceptance. "My niece and nephew," he said quietly. "Cutest kids in the world. The Geist tore through the woods they were playing in before we even knew it."

"We're so sorry," Ruby whispered. Nora hung her head in respect. The blacksmith gave them a wan, strained smile, but the crease in his brow didn't smooth away.

Finally, Jaune found what he was looking for. He took a few deep breaths before righting himself, placing a familiar cloth parcel onto the counter. Nora's eyes widened, and she reached over and gripped Ren's bracer before she could stop herself. The other boy looked just as alarmed. She shuffled closer to him, bringing her eyes back to the parcel, watching as Jaune unwrapped it with trembling fingers.

Ruby saw how visceral her reaction was, looking between the two childhood friends and Jaune in confusion. "Wha- what is it, guys?"

Ren reached a hand out and clasped Ruby's shoulder in friendly solidarity, an action which, in itself, was alarming to the younger girl. Ren wasn't exactly touchy with her. Now a little nervous, the girl turned back to the counter, eyes locked on the black cloth slowly being pulled away from its contents.

And finally, it was revealed- Pyrrha's charred circlet, her shield, her broken sword. Intrigued, the man bent over the counter, inspecting the pieces with an analytical eye.

"Jaune, what're you doing?" Nora whispered. A part of her wanted to reach out and sweep the entire parcel off the counter- who was this strange man touching Pyrrha's armour? Who was he to pick up her circlet, totally unaware of the wonderful creature to whom all of it belonged?

It was Ruby who spoke first. In a strangled voice, she choked out, "Wha- you- it's Pyrrha's stuff." Her large eyes shone, heartbreak evident in every hitch of her breath.

With his eyes trained on the blacksmith, Jaune murmured in a low, controlled voice, "Can you please use this metal to reinforce my weapon and armour?"

"Jaune…" Nora breathed.

Ren stepped forward. Nora went with him, still clutching his arm anxiously. "It's… a good idea," he said kindly. "She'll… she always wanted to protect us. You."

Jaune nodded, locking eyes with the blacksmith. "Can you do it?" he repeated lowly.

The man searched Jaune's eyes slowly, then nodded. "I'll do it justice. Want me to retain its shape and design?"

The blond reached out to shake the man's hand over the counter. When he spoke, Nora's heart shattered, hearing how it hitched. "Can you guys wait outside?"

The orange-haired girl closed her eyes, then reached out to pull Ruby back. "C'mon, Ruby," she murmured. "We'll wait for him by the door."

"But- but-" the younger girl protested, eyes still wide and shining and glassy. "But it's-"

"Let's go," Ren insisted, helping Nora guide Ruby out the door.

Once they were outside, the stark difference between the heat inside the forge and the fresh, clean air of Midoyuri struck the trio. Almost in unison, they each took a deep, quavering breath, exhaling slowly.

"Jaune brought Pyrrha with him," Nora explained after a moment. We definitely forgot to tell Ruby we were taking her to Mistral, huh…

Ruby nodded slowly. "…You'll never be apart," she whispered, although it was more to herself than to Nora or Ren.

The dark-haired boy sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against a post outside of the door. "It's probably a good idea," he murmured. "It'll lighten Jaune's load… and I think it'll help his confidence."

"Having Pyrrha by your side would help anyone's confidence in a fight," Nora added, smiling gently. The redhead's mere presence had always made her feel more confident on the field- she couldn't even imagine how much support and strength Jaune had garnered by having Pyrrha watch his back as his partner.

After a few minutes of quiet reflection and contemplation between the three, the door behind them finally creaked open, and the blacksmith stepped out with Jaune. "I'll have it ready when you kids get back. Be safe, y'hear?" he rumbled.

Nora gave him a small smile. "We'll do our best!" she chirped, but her voice was quiet. The others couldn't handle her energy anymore- Ren was too deep in his own thoughts, Ruby was still looking lost, and after stepping out of the smithy, the blond's eyes were slightly red. She didn't call him out on it, though. He needed time to himself.

"By the way, what're you kids called?" the blacksmith murmured.

Nora and Ren spoke at the same time, "JNRR!" "RNJR."

Immediately, the orange-haired girl spun on her heel, jabbing a finger into Ren's chest. "Excuse me, mister?" she challenged.

Ren rolled his eyes, then moved away, waving to Ruby and Jaune to follow him. "We should go to bed," the boy called, ignoring Nora's indignant splutters. The blacksmith simply raised a brow, crossing his arms and watching the orange-haired girl chase after her friends in protest. But, Ren was having none of it, already half-asleep by the time she reunited with him down the road.

No one asked Jaune exactly how the conversation with the smith had gone down, but when he handed Nora his pack that evening when she was piling them all in a corner of their room, it was remarkable how light it was without the burden of Pyrrha's armour within. A part of her hated it- her armour was proof that she had been there, that she had lived- that she had smiled and teased and stolen chocolate and worn face masks with Nora. How could they smelt it away?

But in her heart, she knew it was a good thing to do. While she'd never know for sure, Pyrrha fought Cinder to protect them. She'd want her armour and weapons to keep them safe.

At least, it was better than feeling haunting regret for the rest of their lives. Pyrrha definitely wouldn't want that.

The next morning, they left bright and early. The sky was bright blue, the wind whistling cheerily through the trees. They couldn't have asked a better day to hunt down some Grimm.

It didn't take long to find the beast's tracks. Before they knew it, entire paths of broken trees and shattered underbrush appeared before them. As they approached the last known sighting of the Geist, they hunkered down, leaving their belongings in a designated spot on the map. Their hiding spot was just a little ways away from the bottom of a sheer cliff face. The Geist had been spotted at the top of the hill just before their arrival in Midoyuri, so it was most likely still lurking around there.

Jaune explained their plan. "Ruby is going to go ahead and scout. When you find it," he drew his finger along the map, pointing to the ridge nearby, "you need to lure it down here. There's a solid drop into the forest below, since this cliff is apparently substantially higher, so if you can trick it into following you out here, it'll drop."

"And then," Nora cackled, "it'll be so disoriented that we can take it down!"

Jaune snapped his fingers. "Exactly. We don't know what the Geist has possessed- they said it had rocks, so we'll assume that that is at least a part of its body- so Ruby's speed is the safest bet to get away." Geists were capable of possessing inanimate objects and forming them into limbs, meaning that their foe's strength depended on current physical form. "We'll move forward and try and find a better place to wait for the ambush."

"Got it!" the younger girl cheered, passing her pack over to Nora. With a wave, the girl leapt into the air, then flew off in a blur of red rose petals and a swift wind.

"Team JNRR strikes again," Jaune murmured uneasily. Nora snickered- it was clear that he wasn't comfortable going into battle without his weapon. His fingers kept scrabbling uselessly at his side where the sheath normally would be, coming up with nothing every time.

So, the remaining trio set forth on finding the prime location to ambush the Geist. "Team RNJR," Ren muttered under his breath as they stepped forward.

"Ren, that's an awful name."

"But Nora-"

Nora groaned as she marched by his side. "I'm just sayin', there's more members of JNPR in this team than RWBY. It just makes sense to go with that one!"

The boy sighed. "But "junior" isn't a color," he insisted again.

The orange-haired girl slapped her palm on her forehead. For someone so smart, Ren could be so obtuse. "How can I be more clear?" She lingered behind him, holding out her hand to her right. In her mind, the letters of JNRR popped up in midair on her outstretch hand. Pointing to where the first three letters would fall, she read, "One, two, three. That's more than one." She pointed to the final space on her arm, where Ruby's R would be.

Ren understood exactly what she meant. Holding out his own hand, he spelled RNJR out in the air. "But we're helping Ruby with her objective. Wouldn't that make her the leader?"

She rolled her eyes, but before she could continue to argue with the stubborn boy, Jaune cried, "Guys! We need to focus." The blond had crouched down next to a fallen, mossy log, looking up at the cliff face in trepidation. Nora snickered lightly as she heard the smile in the blond's voice, though, as he added, "Also, JNRR is way cooler."

"Exactly!" she yelled triumphantly. Good ol' Jaune.

Ren just groaned, but their attention was all diverted from the silly conversation at hand when the ground seemed to rumble under their very feet. The birds in the trees squawked and shrilled in protest, flying away in a panicked blur of wings. Numerous tiny creatures bolted into their dens and burrows and nests. The rumbling grew stronger and stronger. Jaune turned around to face his teammates, and Nora grinned, nodding as she met his determined gaze.

"It's here."

She arched each finger like a talon as her hands hung above Magnhild strapped to her waist, blood pumping faster and faster through her heart. She was going to fight a Geist. God, how she wished Kalian would be here for it- she would've been able to laugh at him forever afterwards.

Time to show you all who's boss.

She was ready for it.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

It took barely ten minutes for the rumbling to swell into a cacophonous frenzy of screaming birds escaping the scene, the Geist's howls ripping through the air, punctuated by the gunfire from Crescent Rose. "They're here. Steady up!" Jaune cried, and the trio kept their eyes locked onto the cliff.

With perfect timing, they saw a bundle of rose petals on the wind shoot out of the trees at the top of the cliff face, unfurling into Ruby firing bullet after bullet into the canopy. In just a breath, massive tree trunks bowled over, revealing a hulking form of stone and granite. However, due to its momentum, the giant tottered over the edge of the cliff and landing directly into the nearby clearing, just as planned.

Ruby expertly changed direction midair, firing Crescent Rose for extra momentum as she elongated the scythe, slashing at the top of the pile of boulders upon landing, its lumbering weight shaking the earth. By her side, Jaune lost his balance and fell back onto his bottom, but Nora's eyes were fixated on Ruby, falling through the sky. Her silhouette was striking against the blue, and Nora's heart stung a little.

Ruby was one of them now. But the red of Ruby's cape wasn't the same as Pyrrha's.

She had no time to think about it further. The giant was stumbling to stand, slow to reveal its full might for Nora to see from the trees. Rather than connecting at its joints, the Grimm looked to be comprised of multiple giant rocks forming arms and legs, held up by the power of the same rancid, dark smoke that filled other Grimm. Each rock seemed to have glowing red veins, the indicator of possession, the lines glowing so ominously against the dark stone that it sent shivers down their spines. The orange-haired girl immediately wrinkled her nose as the strong stench hit her- this was definitely what they were asked to hunt. Although its physical form was totally different, she recognized the creature's face from her previous encounter with one years ago.

So, this is a Geist. Alright, Kalian. Time to show you who's stronger.

In the center of the creature's makeshift torso was a small white Grimm mask with a singular eye, glowing orange and red as the golem swivelled around to catch sight of Ruby. The moment it locked onto her form, which had taken purchase upon a tree branch at the opposite edge of the clearing, it let out another screech and began clawing at the girl. "Let's get that thing off her," Jaune commanded.

"You distract, we'll cover you!" Nora chirped, saluting the blond.

"Got it!" the blond grinned, flashing them all a thumbs-up before running into the clearing. "Hey, you want this?" he cried to the roaring giant as he approached it.

The Grimm turned to face Jaune, and even from a distance, Nora could see how the boy's face paled. She quickly stepped onto Magnhild's hammerhead and pulled the trigger, launching herself high up in the air. With another quick fire, she used her falling momentum to slam her hammer down on top of the Geist's main torso- however, the quick blow didn't even faze the creature. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ren slashing at its rocky arms when it lunged for Jaune, the blond quickly sidestepping out of reach. Ruby took the opportunity to leap back into the fray, slicing through the dark mist holding the possessed boulders together. However, the mist just reformed in the wake of her scythe, unaffected.

"Our weapons don't hurt him!" Ren announced, pulling Jaune out of the way of another jab from the Geist.

"What do we do then?" C'mon, Nora, how did Howl beat it? But her mind was drawing blanks, and she settled for spinning and slamming her hammer sideways against one of the creature's makeshift rock talons. The impact of the blow was enough to wrench it free from the Geist's hold, though, and the sharp rock flew away and into the trees.

Nora paused where she was and pointed excitedly at it. "Ooh, guys look! I knocked its finger off!" she squealed excitedly.

Unfortunately, everyone else was distracted. Ruby glared at the creature, shifting her weapon into a sniper rifle and firing off Dust-laden rounds. All that did, though, was anger the creature- and, due to the presence of metals in one of its arms, the electric-Dust charged its touch. Soon, the Geist slammed its fists down onto the ground, sending out a shockwave through the earth.

"Guys, I've got it," she insisted, leering at the creature as it turned to face her. She dodged its rocky claws, then easily swung Magnhild like a baseball bat to knock them away. In their wake, all that remained were inky dark claws of shadowy mist, scrabbling for material to fill the gaps. She didn't give it any time- grinning at Ren, she nodded, and the boy nodded back. He leapt up and slashed at the creature's face, but the golem used its other hand to defend itself. While it focused on the dark-haired boy, Nora jumped upon a nearby tree branch and repeated her assault of its arm, knocking away each of the boulders making up the limb with explosive strength.

Soon, all that remained was a weary Ren and dark smoky shadow stemming from its shoulder joint. Suddenly, a glowing red circle appeared at the base of its missing limb, the same shade as the grisly veins permeating the rocks building its body. Then, as if summoned through a portal, a giant black arm the size of the trees of the forest shot out of the Geist's shoulder.

"What the hecky is that?!" she cried.

"I don't know, but I don't like it!" Ruby yelped as the Grimm reared its arm back, then stabbed it through the trunk of a nearby tree. Wrenching it free of its roots, the golem stood upright, now waving its new arm around, the trunk's roots still heavy with dirt and moss.

The singular eye in the center of the Geist's mask locked onto Jaune, the hapless blond watching the tree-arm raised in his direction. Immediately, he sprinted out of the way, and even across the clearing, Nora could hear his pathetic cries of, "His arm is a tree! His arm is a tree!"

Despite the snort that bubbled out instinctively, Nora watched her leader, worried. Catching Ren's eye, she gestured towards the creature. "What do we do?" she cried, jumping next to him.

His eyes were narrow, thoughtful, taking in the scene of Jaune running away helplessly from the Geist, with Ruby slashing at its rock arm to no avail, quietly. "I need to test something."

She grinned. If she was always messing with Kalian and Caelus, Ren had always learned best from Howl. Ren would figure it out. He always did. "I'll distract it?"

He nodded wordlessly, eyes still locked onto the Grimm. Happily, she pulled the trigger on Magnhild, converting the weapon into a grenade launcher. "Alright, let's go, big boy!" she yelled excitedly, firing a few rounds into the back of the Geist's head. The projectiles exploded against its torso with heavy explosions, and the creature turned around, roaring as it looked for the source.

However, before the Grimm could locate her, Ren hopped onto its remaining rocky arm, taking a running start up the craggy limb. Once he was close enough, he extended his blades, leaping up and slicing at the unaware Geist's mask.

Nora jumped up, cheering as a large gash appeared in the white mask. The effect was immediate- the giant creature toppled to the ground, screaming in pain.

While it was down, the four regrouped quickly. "Okay," Jaune huffed, exhausted, "how do we do this?"

"His body is too thick to break through," Ruby cried.

Jaune shook his head, shuddering when the Grimm let out another blood-curdling roar. "It doesn't care about its body."

"Plus, Nora pointed out, "it can keep grabbing new limbs!"

"But it keeps protecting its face," the blond muttered.

"That's the only thing it's protecting. That's the weak point," Ren pointed out.

"Ugh, if we knocked all of its l limbs off at once and went for the..." Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Guys, I got it! We hit it harder!"

Ruby deadpanned to Nora quietly, "…I thought he was a strategist."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "No, seriously. It's trying to keep us from its face. If we kill the limbs, we'll have a shot to kill the whole thing!"

That brightened Ruby's face considerably. "Ah. Alright! Come on, team, let's do this."

Nora nodded, feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins. She wasn't so good at targeting specific weak points, but she was good at aiming big. She could take out its limbs, no problem. "Yeah!"

"Right!" Ren affirmed.

"Ruby and Ren, distract it. Nora- ready to try out the new upgrade?"

Instantly, Nora's heartrate spiked, and a shiver of anticipation coursed through her body. Ever since improving Magnhild back in Vale, she had been aching to try out the blacksmith's new addition to her hammer. The need to use it thus far had yet to come up, but now- she was going to relish in this. "Oh yeah," she cackled darkly.

Jaune nodded, pointed to the creature, which had finally climbed back to its feet. Ruby and Ren took their cue, leaping into the fray to keep the Geist distracted, a flurry of dizzying blades, sparks flying where the rock hit metal.

Nora flipped up a section of her hammer's grip, pressing the button hidden within. Instantly, a powerful jolt of electricity coursed through the entire weapon, settling both on the hammerhead and within her own body. Jaune nodded, the jumped into the midst of the battle, grabbing the Geist's attention while the creature tried in vain to dodge Ruby and Ren's attacks.

The orange-haired girl braced herself as the power crackled through her, every nerve ending alight, hair standing on end as her Aura surged in energy due to her Semblance.

Converting electricity to physical power was the best.

"Ready!"

The blond called back, "Use everything you've got!"

Ruby suddenly shifted into a blur of rose petals, swooping down towards Nora in the blink of an eye. The girl landed heavily on the ground, holding out the blade of Crescent Rose expectantly. Nora jumped on it, practically screeching in laughter as the younger girl used her speed to spin her blade in a circle, launching Nora up into the air faster than Magnhild's projectiles could ever carry her.

In one fell swoop, Ren sliced his way through the tree-arm, giving way for Nora to fly up and slam her electrified hammer straight into the Geist's torso. The entire clearing seemed to vibrate with the force of the blow, and Nora was sent flying back, while the deafening sound of exploding rock filled the air.

By the time she had landed back onto the ground and righted herself, the Geist, mask now barely holding together, slipped out of the rock. The red, glowing veins permeating each piece of its makeshift body retracted into its real, ghostly torso. It was a small Grimm without its possessed body- barely the size of Ruby- and without its armour, it was defenseless. It didn't even bother attacking Jaune on its way out of the clearing, the blond having been knocked over again by the force of the explosion.

"I got this," Ruby grinned evilly, jumping up into the nearest tree. Lying down on the largest branch she could find, she shifted Crescent Rose into a sniper rifle, extending its scope and aiming towards the retreating Geist before anyone could even blink. Then, she found her target and fired.

Nora sucked in a breath and watched in anticipation as the bullet flew through the clearing, striking the Grimm straight through its cracking mask, effectively downing the creature and dissolving it in just a second.

"Nailed it!" Nora cheered, high-fiving the younger when she hopped out of the tree.

Ruby mockingly flipped her hair over her shoulder. "My favourite girl is amazing, what can I say?" she cooed, affectionately hugging Crescent Rose's grip to her chest.

"I'm glad we are all safe and sound," Ren added gently. "Now, the surrounding villages should be safe, too."

Just then, Jaune finally managed to limp his way over from where he had been downed earlier. The boy spent a moment hunched over, hands on his knees, panting in exhaustion. With a heavy sigh, Jaune finally straightened up, propping his hands on his hips proudly. "Another victory for Team JNRR!"

Nora nodded emphatically, heart swelling at the use of their new name. "We all did great!"

Suddenly, Jaune slumped over again. "Okay… 'we' is a bit much considering what I really did… Yeah, okay." Almost ashamedly, he added, "Ren, I think you're onto something. I-it's just not sounding great anymore."

"Aw, Jaune, don't say that! You've gotta keep Team JNRR alive!" Nora insisted, jogging after him. "Don't let Ren or Ruby take that away from us, you've gotta hold it together!"

The blond groaned. "I want to keep JNRR," he admitted wearily, "but how can I be the leader if I didn't even do anything? You guys were able to take care of it all on your own!"

"Well, duh, silly," Nora scoffed, patting him on the back forcefully. The boy doubled over lightly, and she chuckled brightly. "We're supposed to be able to fight Grimm on our own. We're all gonna be Huntsmen and Huntresses one day, right? We've gotta all be able to hold our own."

"But why do we need a leader then-"

"Be-cause," the orange-haired girl rolled her eyes, "just 'cause we can kill Grimm doesn't mean we have direction."

"Nora's right, you know," Ren agreed as he caught up with them. "We are all capable fighters. What matters in a team is how we work together, and that all depends on us knowing how to take advantage of each other's strengths and support our weaknesses."

"And figuring all of that nonsense out is your job, mister! Especially now that Ruby's one of us!" Nora cried happily, sending the younger girl a smile. Hearing her name, Ruby's expression softened, and she beamed back. "We have proper ranged attacks now!"

"Yeah, go sharpshooting!" Ruby winked playfully, and the group shared a laugh.

"So, don't forget what we're picking up in town, okay?" Nora added at last.

Nodding slowly after a moment, Jaune hummed, finding some resolve. "…Pyrrha always believed in me."

With that sense of pride and camaraderie in the air, the group headed back into Midoyuri. The walk back was amicable and light, a weight off of all of their shoulders. There wouldn't be any more victims. The tragedy which had occurred in Midoyuri wouldn't happen again.

But Nora's mind was always a little preoccupied, shadowed with the tiniest sense of creeping guilt.

While the blond wasn't useless in a fight (a far cry from what he had originally been when they had first met) most of his success on the battlefield was owed to Pyrrha. Yet, without her, Nora didn't know how Jaune was training on his own- or if he even was training anymore.

Nora had promised to take care of him. I've gotta kick his butt and get him going again, don't I?

That realization was pushed away once they crossed the threshold of Midoyuri as the early afternoon wiled on. Awaiting them at the town's gate was the mayor, the elderly man's face perking up noticeably when he saw them returning, barely worse for wear. Ecstatic, the man held out a hand, shaking each of their hands in turn. "Welcome back," he breathed in relief, words heavy with emotion. Clearing his throat after a moment, he straightened his shoulders and nodded sagely. "We truly can't thank you enough."

Ruby brushed it off easily. "Just doing our job, sir."

The man continued, "That Geist had been plaguing our village for weeks. We were beginning to wonder if we'd have to relocate."

The younger offered, "Well, we are on our way to Mistral. You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe."

Rather than agreeing, the man simply glanced around, eyes creasing in joy as he took in the faces of his people as they went about their day in town. With an amused chuckle, he replied, "Ha. I take it you're not from these parts. Anima is a large continent. I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral. It may be safer in the Kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life. I just wish we could pay you more."

Ren stated gently, "Our previous arrangement is more than sufficient."

The mayor bowed gracefully in thanks, a gesture which the four respectfully returned. With that exchange finished, however, Nora said, "Hey, let's go to the smithy!"

"…Okay." Jaune's eyes flashed painfully, but he put on a smile anyways. Everyone immediately sensed his trepidation.

Ren reached out a kind hand, squeezing his shoulder gently. "You need your weapons, don't you?" he mused.

The blond snorted. "Yeah- or at least my shield!"

Suddenly, Ruby's stomach growled loudly. "Can we eat something first?"

The quartet laughed heartily at that, waving goodbye to the mayor and wandering down the road to the center of town. After a quick, delicious meal of rice and sweet curry served by a kind old shopkeep, they headed to the blacksmith's workshop. The chimes above the door tinkled musically when they entered, and the Faunus man stood upright, grinning proudly as he looked at them. Understanding, relief, and the purest form of gratitude filled his face. He reached down behind the counter, murmuring, "Came just in time, kids."

With a heavy clunk, he set the first piece down onto the customer countertop- a solid breastplate, far more suited to Jaune's new, taller frame than his ragged hand-me-downs. "There you go, son!" the man cheered, proudly propping his hands onto his hips. "It's gonna be heavier than you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws!"

Jaune awkwardly raised his hands, scratching the back of his head to distract himself. "Wow… Uh… I don't know what to say."

The man scoffed. "Don't gotta say anything! Just put it on!" Pivoting to the door leading to the back of his workshop, he added, "I'll go get the rest."

Jaune dropped his hands, making no move to pick up the chest piece. Nora took her place between him and Ren, looking over the chest curiously. From where it lay, she could see a beautiful gold trim upon each part of the armour, with small ochre detailing on the sides. It was a beautiful, yet practical, chest plate. However, Jaune continued to make no move to pick it up. She sighed, asking with an antsy bounce, "So… what are you waiting for?"

That snapped him out of his stillness. "Oh! Uh… right!" He walked over to the counter and unbuckled his current armour, clumsily slipping it off. "Guess I was gonna grow out of it eventually…"

"A sign of progress," Ren commented, a proud tint to his voice. Ruby moved to stand between Nora and Ren, and the two girls, still standing behind Jaune, shared a warm, gentle smile. The blond was indeed a lot different now from the boy who had stumbled his way into Beacon almost a year earlier.

"Progress." As he turned around, though, Ruby immediately gasped, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. Jaune stepped back, confused. "Wha… what is it?"

Pointing to his chest, she squeaked, "What is that?"

Nora couldn't contain the silly grin which spread across her face. How had Ruby not yet seen Jaune's hoodie? Nora had already had a field day teasing him about it, and its lovely bunny emblem, the first few days in Beacon.

She could see the impending doom fill Jaune's eyes, recognizing where this was going. "What, my hoodie? I've always had this!"

With a loud snort, Ruby squealed, "It's got a cute little bunny on it!" And with that, she dissolved into laughter, clutching her stomach and bending over.

Jaune huffed, puffing his chest out proudly to highlight the large bunny logo which took up majority of his chest. "It's Pumpkin Pete!" he protested in vain. "You know, from the cereal?"

In near hysterics, Ruby replied, "What did you do?! Send in a box top for a prize?"

Turning away from the younger, Jaune admitted, "Yeah! Fifty!"

Ruby's laughter only increased, and she ended up just collapsing onto the floor, breaking down. Nora and Ren didn't react. Nora was honestly a little impressed by the younger's restraint. Wow. She was much nicer about it than I was last September.

Ren murmured with a shrug, "Well… I supposed we don't have to grow out of everything."

Nora nodded happily. She didn't mind that after everything that happened, they were still as lively as ever. The fact that Jaune was still wearing silly, cute hoodies, and Ruby was still laughing so brightly, and Ren was still standing by her side, close and united, proved that they were alright. Life goes on.

Their attention was finally diverted away from teasing Jaune when the blacksmith returned, holding his last piece for Jaune upright on the countertop with a bang. "Can't have a Huntsman without his weapon!" Ruby got back up to her feet, and Nora and Ren leaned in close to examine the new item. "Made all the modifications you asked for."

Nora plopped her hands against her cheeks, oohing in awe and delight before propping her hands on her hips. It was Jaune's familiar scabbard for a sheathed Crocea Mors, the white metal polished to a gleaming glow. The hilt and handguard were new, the blue grip longer and more suited for its taller, more experienced wielder. The guard was also much more intricate- rather than the old, rusted (although he had always called it 'vintage' as justification) handguard they remembered, this new one was wider, with much more intricate metalwork and engravings. The sheath itself was taller, too, indicative of a much longer sword.

The blacksmith grinned proudly, pushing a trigger on the back of the sheath. With the hiss of metal gliding out of its casing, the sheath transformed into a shield- yet, there was something different about this one.

All at once, Nora and Ren and Ruby saw it. Unlike the previous iteration of Crocea Mors, this shield had a golden trim surrounding the entirety of the formerly all-white surface. The design upon the shield itself had shifted in light of this new addition, and at the bottom of the shield, near the tapered point, sat a horizontal, curved, ornate line of bright, familiar gold, in a pattern they all recognized instantly.

The golden band which ran across the lower third of the shield was that of Pyrrha's circlet, the one which had been her constant, everyday companion. Nora could close her eyes and instantly see her best friend with that shining gold sitting upon her brow, accentuating her pale skin and fiery red hair. It was Pyrrha.

The Faunus murmured, "That was some fine metal you brought me. Accents the white nicely. Where'd you get it from?"

Everyone stepped forward to stand behind Jaune, the blond's eyes trained on the circlet's design. Finally, his eyes lifted, and the amount of sheer warmth that filled his voice silently floored Nora. "From a friend," he replied, voice tender.

With that, the other three traded knowing looks and walked out of the store. "We'll let you get dressed in peace," Ruby snickered, but her tone was kind. "Wouldn't want you to show that little bunny to the world."

Jaune rolled his eyes, but pulled out another small parcel from his bag, then handed it to the trio to keep for him outside. Then, he waved the three off with a good-natured smile. "I'll be out in a few."

So, Nora, Ren and Ruby left the shop, pausing a few metres outside of the door. Ruby was momentarily distracted by some kids playing with a ball down the street, still giggling from the sight of Jaune's hoodie- so, Nora took the opportunity to pull Ren aside lightly.

"I think he's getting something else. The shield wasn't red at all. What happened to her sword?"

"You're right. He likely is getting something else," Ren mused, train of thought lining up with hers.

"…Let's not bring it up unless he does?"

"Agreed. Or if we see anything, I think it's okay to talk about it."

"Got it." She gave him a thumbs up, then stepped away, clasping her hands innocuously behind her head when Ruby finally turned back to them.

In a few moments, Jaune finally stepped out of the smithy. They all turned to face him as he drew his new, nicely-weighted sword. The sheath unfurled on arm with a light spin, turning into the larger shield they had seen inside. And, thankfully, the new chest plate fit him perfectly.

There was something else which changed on his form, though. Nora's mouth fell open when she saw a short red sash tied under the blond's belt, trailing behind his right hip a short length.

It was just like Pyrrha's old sash. She bit her lip. Oh, Jaune. You goof. You should've told us you bought that.

The blacksmith followed Jaune out of the door, gesturing to the blond proudly. "He cleans up alright, don't you think?"

Jaune sauntered to the trio, a confident smile on his face. Ren nodded, beaming gently. "He certainly does."

Nora's heart soared, seeing how happy Ruby and Ren looked. Leaning over to look at the younger girl, though, she still couldn't stop herself from quipping, "I still think a grenade launcher would've really brought the look together."

Ruby cheered, "Nothing's gonna stop Team RNJR now!"

"Team JNRR!" Nora corrected instantly.

Ren leaned over and murmured, "Still not a color."

She glowered at him, but before she could respond, Jaune announced, "It doesn't matter what we're called." Sheathing the blade within the shield, he collapsed the whole ensemble, turning the shield back into a narrow sheath which sat upon his left gauntlet. Looking over at each of them, he added, "As long as we're together."

The blacksmith crossed his arms, leaning against a pillar in front of the store. "You kids sure you won't stick around? You've been real good to this town."

"Sorry," Ruby explained, "but we've got another mission."

Nora pumped her fists in the air. "Make it to Haven Academy, no matter what!"

Ren added, "We've heard the next village over has a working airship."

Stroking his beard thoughtfully, the man hummed, "Mm… no way to know for sure. Scroll signals were bad enough out here when Beacon Tower was still up. Haven't heard from Shion Village in a while."

Ruby grinned enthusiastically. "Well, there's only one way to find out!"

With that, Jaune picked his bag up and slung it over his shoulders, and the foursome waved goodbye to the blacksmith. The Faunus waved back, and the group headed back down the road to the inn.

"Well, what now?" Ruby murmured once they had reached their rooms and finished repacking all of their belongings for the road.

Ren glanced out of the window. "Honestly, we could try and make some headway right now, but we might benefit from just staying in the inn for the night."

Nora's hand shot up in the air. She didn't want to say goodbye to the bed and bath of the inn, not yet. "I vote we leave tomorrow morning!"

Jaune nodded in agreement. "Let's take the afternoon off. We haven't really given ourselves a break for a while, huh?"

"We can't keep going forever," Ren concurred. "A break would be welcome."

As part of their reward, the mayor had gotten the inn and local grocer to replenish their supplies for the road. The innkeeper also welcomed them to stay as long as they liked, which gave them the freedom to wander town for the day.

Nora took the opportunity to go buy some of the local foods. It had been a very long time since she had been able to eat really traditional Mistralian cooking. While not all of the memories were positive, there was still a nostalgia associated to the taste, no matter what.

She was happily lying on her bed in their room in the inn, dozing on and off from the amount of food she inhaled in town, when Jaune returned at last. Ren and Ruby were still out, the boy off exploring while Ruby went to pick the blacksmith's brain again about Jaune's weapon upgrades now that they had the afternoon and evening off.

That gave her more than enough privacy to sit up and call the blond out for the glaring new addition to his ensemble as he brushed his hair behind his ears. "Jaune… what in the world is that bandage?" she asked, utterly baffled.

Apparently, the boy hadn't noticed that she had woken up. "Nora, oh my god, you scared me," he gasped, clutching his chest in shock. His other hand then strayed upwards, to the swelling, taped-up earlobe she was staring at.

"Jaune. What's on your ear." It wasn't a question.

The blond flinched, but sighed when he realized her eyes weren't going to leave the injury. With a sigh, he lowered his hand, carefully pulling away the extra gauze to reveal what had happened to his ear. Sitting in his earlobe, in a fresh piercing, was a familiar jade gem. The earring caught the light, and Nora's mind instantly recognized where she had seen it so many times before.

"Jaune… you kept it?" she breathed.

He sat heavily on his bed, next to hers. "Glynda gave it to us along with everything else," he admitted numbly.

That was a shock. "Wait… why didn't we know?"

The boy avoided her gaze. "…I kept it secret."

"What?"

Despite the guilty expression which was so clearly twisting his face, a surge of anger flared up through her. "We wouldn't be mad if you kept it," she cried, "but why wouldn't you tell us? That's a part of her!"

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I just- I panicked, okay?"

She groaned, sitting down. It was bizarre to think that something else had actually survived the Fall.

The jade stud clashed against the fresh piercing, swollen and red still, painfully. "You gave it to her, Jaune. It's yours to keep. But I wish you told us," she said at last tiredly. "I miss her, too."

"I know."

"She loved that earring... more than anything."

He froze, eyes hopeful. "Really?" he breathed.

Nora smiled, but she couldn't stop her brow from furrowing at the memory of Jaune giving Pyrrha that earring. Pyrrha had been so happy that night, when they had camped on the dormitory roof during the winter solstice and exchanged gifts. Even now, Nora could remember just how brilliant her best friend's smile had been. "Yeah, silly. Why do you think she wore it whenever she was nervous about something?"

And his face fell.

Oops. We weren't supposed to bring anything up. But she had gone too far to turn back already. When the boy didn't continue, she decided to broach the final point of confusion. "Where's her sword?"

Silently, he reached into the neck of his hoodie and pulled up a chain. Threaded through the necklace was a ring, red and gold just as beautiful as Nora remembered.

"...It's so pretty."

"Yeah."

"Are you gonna wear it?"

Jaune shook his head. "Maybe one day. When we're all Huntsmen."

She frowned, an errant thought popping into her mind. Before she could even second-guess herself, she asked, "What finger does it fit on, Jaune?"

He didn't respond.

Do I tell him how Pyrrha felt? It was more than clear, now- especially with the sash, the ring, the piercing, the pain- that Jaune loved Pyrrha. Even after all this time, his regret was still clear as day.

Would it be cruel to tell him how she felt about him? She just… didn't know.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Nora didn't bring up Jaune's new accessories to Ren nor Ruby. Jaune could show them in his own time- knowing Ren, he'd see them soon and figure out the truth behind them on his own, and knowing Ruby, she might never even notice.

Jaune was thankful. When Ren and Ruby finally returned, and they all got ready to settle in for the night, Nora perkily explained that "No, nothing happened!" when Ruby asked why Jaune had turned in early. But Nora could see Jaune's face from where he lay on his side, and he peeked out of his blankets to smile gratefully at her, so she knew she had made the right choice in letting him heal on his own time.

So, that left them with nothing but the road ahead the next morning. The innkeeper and mayor of Midoyuri saw them off, waving and promising to always have an open door for the quartet. They bowed for one final time in respect, then turned back to the road, heading down the lantern-lined, cobbled path further north to their next destination: Shion Village, where there used to be an airship.

Nora breathed in deep, enjoying the fresh morning air. Taking long strides, she fell in easily with her teammates, between Ren and Ruby.

Jaune purposefully didn't tuck his hair behind his ears that morning, letting shaggy blond fall over the gauze, blocking it from view while he excitedly ran through his checklist. "Food!"

Nora cried, "Check!"

"Water?"

"Check!"

"How 'bout ammo?"

She grinned, feeling the canisters hanging from the bottom of her pack. "Locked and loaded! Thank you, Schnee Dust Company!"

"Got the map?"

"Uh…" That wasn't in her wheelhouse, which meant, "Ren's got it!"

The boy deadpanned on her right, "No, I don't. You have it."

"Wait… what?

Jaune groaned, "Guys, please tell me you're joking."

Nora chuckled nervously as she looked back over at Ren, but the boy was just shaking his head, unfazed.

Desperately, Jaune insisted, "Guys! Guys? Guys..."

She shrugged. "Nope."

"Oh my god, fine." The blond held out a hand, forcing everyone to stop so he could kneel and shift through his own pack.

After a few minutes of frantic searching, he did indeed find the map. After repacking it without the red sash and Pyrrha's armour, Jaune had accidentally placed it at the bottom of his bag. "Oops," he murmured sheepishly, handing the map over to Ruby and repacking his belongings before they dallied for too long.

Ruby was a little quiet that day, and the next, and the next. The journey to Shion was a fairly straightforward one, if a little long- it was clear that the sheer distance was what kept the citizens of Midoyuri from trying to venture out of their home. There weren't even any Grimm to break the monotonous walk. So, the distance made her quietude stand out a fair amount.

Nora murmured to Ren one evening around the campfire, "Should we ask?"

But even Ren wasn't sure. "Let's give her time," he finally replied. "She's been like this ever since we left Midoyuri."

"What happened there to cause it?" The words had barely left her mouth, though, when she was suddenly struck with understanding- Midoyuri was where Ruby had realized that they had brought Pyrrha's armour. The younger girl was likely just wrestling with this knowledge.

But before they could continue their quiet conjecture further, Ruby asked quietly, "Hey, Jaune?"

"Mhm? What's up?" the blond asked, raising his head from where he had hunched over his bowl of watery soup.

"What's that around your neck? Did you buy a necklace?"

Nora felt herself instinctively freeze, smiling awkwardly when Ren's eyes turned to her, confused at her reaction. Unsurprisingly, Jaune reacted similarly to the orange-haired girl, pausing for one panicked moment before letting out a heavy sigh, slumping over. With clumsy, weary fingers, he pulled the chain up out from where it had been largely hidden under the neck of his hoodie, showcasing the ring for Ruby and Ren.

It took Ruby a moment to understand what it was, but Ren caught it immediately. "That's… Miló."

"Yup," the blond admitted.

Ruby blinked blankly a few times, then shuddered, wrapping her cape around herself just a little tighter. "…Keep her safe for us, okay?" she whispered in a squeak.

Jaune's gaze lifted to land on his friend, expression melting into a nostalgic, tender smile. "Always," he promised, putting the ring away.

Ruby turned in soon after that, still lost in her own thoughts. Ren went ahead to scout tomorrow's trail, leaving Nora and Jaune alone in camp for a few minutes. Other than causing her concern over Ruby, Nora had actually enjoyed the quieter atmosphere of the previous few days. She had had another concern in mind, after all- whether or not to tell Jaune about Pyrrha's feelings. He had finally healed enough that he was moving forward, but there was something holding him back from completely looking to the future and improving. If the guilt she kept catching in his eyes was from knowing about Pyrrha's feelings, then Nora wouldn't rest until his concerns were assuaged.

After all, Nora wished, more than anything, that Pyrrha had been able to tell Jaune how she felt. At least that way, the redhead wouldn't have had any regrets before that final battle.

Seizing the opportunity to speak to Jaune alone, Nora slid next to him. "Jaune," she murmured sneakily, "I need to ask you something."

Instantly, the blond was a little confused, and more than a little wary. "…okay?"

She crossed her legs, fiddling with the laces in her boots, wondering how to say it. Oh gosh. I'm not good at this kind of thing. "Um… did… that night… at Beacon… did Pyrrha tell you…?" She raised her eyes, looking at him plaintively. "Did she… say anything to you about how she…"

Jaune's eyes widened, and he let out a shaky breath as the gears turned in his mind. "W-wait… Nora, did you...?" His lip wobbled a little, and in the firelight, she could see his eyes filling with tears. "Did you know? About how… about how she felt?"

Nora sidled next to him and leaned a head on his shoulder, feeling the blond begin to shudder and shake. Still, he deserved to know the truth fully. "Yup," she whispered. "She loved you since basically day 1, Jaune." That elicited a choked sob from him. "It's okay. She wouldn't want you to be sad about it- all she ever wanted was for you to be happy, y'know?"

"I just wish I knew before-!"

"I wanted to tell you," she explained. "But Pyrrha wanted to tell you on her own time."

She wrapped him in a one-armed hug when she felt him quake further, but soon, he managed to calm himself down, wiping at watery eyes wearily. "You're right," he affirmed. "I… She did it all to save me. I don't even know why I was surprised at the time- it's Pyrrha, after all."

"Yup!" Nora chirped, smiling wide at him. "And you should feel lucky and proud that she left her heart with you!"

"Make sure you do her proud, okay?" Ren suddenly commented, walking back into the clearing. "We'll be here, every step of the way."

"Always," Nora agreed.

Jaune gave them a weak grin, wiping the few stray tears remaining, calming his breath. "Okay. Thanks."

And with that, they all turned in for the night. Nora's heart felt a lot lighter than the past few days. And, the next morning, when Jaune removed the gauze and finally showed Ren and Ruby the earring, he seemed a lot more at peace than when Nora had seen it that first night. The other two simply smiled and hugged him, making him promise to keep it safe. And Nora just smiled, the only thought repeating in her mind being, We're getting better! We're gonna be okay.

Over time, Ruby grew lively once again. It was clear that the younger girl was battling doubts and fears and insecurities of her own, so Nora made it a point to be as affectionate with the girl as possible. Although they were Team JNRR (because they'd never be Team RNJR, nope) and Ruby was one of them, Nora knew that no one could replace Yang or Weiss or Blake.

After all, she was learning that no one could replace Pyrrha, too. Of the chocolate set Ren had bought her as a gift before leaving Vale, Ruby didn't like any of the ones Pyrrha did. Those chocolates just… sat there in the box, waiting for the redhead.

However, it was Jaune who began to grow wearier over time. Although it was clear a burden had been cleared from his heart after telling the group about the earring and ring, he was still fairly exhausted every morning when he awoke. The fatigue began to take a toll on him, soon creasing his eyes almost permanently. Nora wasn't sure why it was happening- he wasn't doing anything during that day that might be causing the tiredness- but she knew he would reach out if he needed her. And if he did, she'd help him, no matter what.

They found themselves wandering through the trail the third day after leaving Midoyuri. Ruby was on the point, holding out the map in front of her. The younger was humming and hawing, but making no real comments, so Nora paid it no mind. Nora followed her happily, giggling as she saw a small family of squirrels following them sneakily through the trees, content to just stick with her team.

"So the next town is..." Ruby finally offered, "uh-huh... uh-huh..." Lowering the map in exasperation, she groaned, "We're lost."

"We're not lost," Jaune chuckled. "The next town is Shion. We'll be there really soon. My family used to visit it all the time."

The younger said, "Oh yeah. Don't you have, like, four sisters?"

By Nora's side, Jaune rolled his eyes wearily. "Uh, seven," he replied, the mere memory of his sisters tiring him out. Ruby giggled, and Nora had to bite back her own chuckle. The blond had received more than a few care packages and calls over their time at Beacon from his sisters, and while Nora didn't know much about them, based on what he had always received, his sisters were hilarious.

She quipped, "Y'know, that actually explains a lot."

"Wait, what do you mean-" he instantly protested, and she grinned, ready to tease him. Oh, how she missed doing this kind of thing-

"So," Ruby cut in, "what did you guys do there?"

Taking the bait easily, Jaune's face lit up and he stepped forward to join the younger girl in front. Enthusiastically pointing at the map, he explained, "Oh, all sorts of stuff! Over here is a great hiking trail, and over here is where we went camping all the time. I got my own tent because I was special." His pride dwindled immediately, and he muttered, "Also, so my sisters would stop braiding my hair."

"Didn't like the look?" Ruby teased.

"Yeah, they just kept doing pigtails, but personally, I think I'm more of a "warrior's wolftail" kind of guy."

"…That's just a ponytail."

"I stand by what I said."

The banter made her giggle, but as she looked up to the road ahead, Nora felt her feet deaden, turning to lead, locking her in place on the road. Her hands lifted involuntarily up to her lips, and she shuddered, eyes widening. Her heart pounded in her chest faster and faster as she took in the sight before them. And, by her side, she could see Ren reacting in the same way.

It's happened again. Please, no.

Finally, she choked out, "Uh, guys?"

The two in front simultaneously paused, asking, "Huh?" "What?"

In front of their very eyes, the skies had shifted from bright blue to a dark, menacing murky grey. Two thick columns of smoke rose from the remains of a desolated village, the watchtower by the town's gate burnt and crumbling to the ground. What trees remained standing near the entrance were all charred, and lampposts littered the ground, corpse-like reminders of those who clearly had lived here until very recently.

Her eyes trailed across the street leading through the town, catching sight of a mangled body lying by the wayside. The blood hadn't even congealed yet, still red, one rare blip of colour in the greyed-out landscape. Bright red blood was everywhere, the more she looked. It was particularly brilliant upon a signpost near the first building of the ruined town, half of the word Shion dripping and splattered with it.

Ren! Suddenly realizing what must've happened, Nora shot over to him, but the boy's eyes were fixated on the ruins of the town. Her heart broke, and she reached out to him momentarily- but the other three quickly ran forward, and she had no choice but to follow.

Jaune and Ren sprinted ahead, while Ruby and Nora lingered behind. She didn't want to be here. The scent of burnt wood and flesh and blood, and the unpleasant, acrid scent of the Grimm, lingered too heavily here. She stepped forward carefully unlike the others, taking in body after body, thrown aside carelessly along the walkway.

Finally, she glanced up at Ren. The boy had stopped running, instead stomping forward purposefully. Even from behind, she could see the hunch in his shoulders, the tension in his stride. The boy tossed his pack to the ground and continued striding ahead, leaving them behind while she, Ruby and Jaune assembled in the middle of the road.

"There could be survivors!" Ruby cried, absolutely horrified by what she saw.

While she would never get used to the sight of ruin, Nora had at least long ago become quick to recover from it. They had seen too many villages burned to the ground, too many people slaughtered for nothing, since their childhood. But she also knew that Ren would never be immune to such destruction, and spending a year and a half away from Anima had likely only made him more sensitive to these sights.

It didn't mean that she didn't hate seeing it.

"Over here!" Ren called, urgency bleeding into his voice due to his desperation. Jaune glanced back at the two girls, nodded, and the three of them bolted after him.

They stopped a few metres away, watching as Ren knelt by a young man, barely older than they themselves, leaning haggardly against a crumbling, broken wall. His armour was worn, stained with dirt and burns and blood, with a fresh wound unstitched by Aura tearing through his abdomen, bleeding horribly.

Ren placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder as Ruby breathed, "A Huntsman!"

Nora nodded. She recognized this face- his picture had been one of the few remaining faces up on the Huntsmen board in Midoyuri. Suddenly, her heart sank in her chest. This is the first living Huntsmen we've seen in Anima, and he's… almost gone. Wait- does that mean any of the others are here?

"What happened? Who killed all of these people?" Jaune asked, the horror in his voice evident.

Through a hacking, pained cough, the man gasped, "Bandits."

Instantly, Nora glowered. Of course it was bandits. Gods, how happy she'd be if she never had to deal with any of those ever again.

A line of blood began to trail down his chin, dribbling out of his mouth. "The whole tribe... Then, with all the panic..." But he began to cough repeatedly, harder and harder, and more blood began to seep out through his open wound.

Ren shook his head brokenly and turned to look back at them. Lowly, he finished for the Hunstman. "Grimm." Nora watched as a brief shot of pink Aura transferred from his fingertips into the Huntsman, soothing him of his anxieties, quelling his cough- then, he stood, walking past the dying man a few paces.

Nora turned away from the injured man for a moment with Jaune and Ruby. The younger girl said confidently "Alright, we can get him to the next village and try to find a doctor there!"

And just like that, Nora's heart sank. They don't get it.

Jaune was just as naïve. "Yeah, Ren and I can take turns carrying him."

She offered quietly, pleading them with her eyes, "I don't know if he'll make it."

But Jaune's gaze was steely when he turned to look at her. "He will. He has to."

Nodding along, Ruby added, "If we get going now, his chances will be better. I can run ahead and look for help!"

Ren's weary, monotone voice broke their discussion. "Guys..."

When they shifted back to Ren and the Huntsman, they found half-lidded, glassy, lifeless eyes staring limply at the ground. Nora raised a hand to cover her mouth, regret and frustration and weary acceptance rushing through her. They were too late.

After taking a moment to calm herself, she peered over to Jaune and Ruby's shattered, crestfallen expressions and asked, "Should we… bury him?"

But before they could respond, still reeling from the shock of losing the Huntsman, Ren strode past her with a vengeance. "We should go," he muttered lowly. "It's not safe here."

"Ren…" she called out to him. He didn't look back at her.

She clenched her fists, bit her lip, and followed him. Ruby and Jaune would need to handle themselves together in the wake of this. She couldn't leave Ren alone.

But as she walked behind him, the defeat in her heart only grew. He radiated bitterness and heartbreak. If only she could hold him! More than anything, she wanted to reach out to him, hold him close, tell him that I'm here, it's alright, I won't leave you…

But she couldn't do that to him. He wasn't ready for that- not now.

So, all she could do was come stand beside him when he suddenly halted, eyes fixated upon the ground. She followed his gaze wordlessly, sucking in a harsh breath when she saw what he was staring at.

A cloven hoof print stood out firmly in the soil, damp and muddy with spilt blood. The wide arch, split into two toes and a smaller, narrowly-separated heel, was more than familiar to them both- that image had haunted their nightmares for years and years.

Nora knew. Sometimes, even now, Ren still saw it in his dreams. He saw it far more than she ever did, after all.

The Nuckelavee, the giant, equestrian Grimm which had slaughtered and eaten everyone ten years earlier in Kuroyuri, was still alive. And judging by the size of the hoof print… it had grown even bigger.

She traded a silent glance with Ren. Unlike her, with her brow furrowed in boiling anger and bitterness, all she saw in his eyes was weariness, sadness.

He doesn't want to be here anymore.

So quietly that even she could scant hear her own words, Nora whispered, "We'll be in Mistral soon."

Ren didn't reply. Instead, he walked past the print and retrieved his pack from where he had tossed it away. Nora sighed heavily, then returned to Ruby and Jaune in the meantime. The younger was standing close to Jaune, a hand comfortingly on his shoulder while the blond blinked back tears of frustration away, eyes locked onto the dead Huntsman's corpse.

"There's no signs of an airship here," Ren said quietly when he returned to them. "We should go."

"Yeah," Ruby breathed, tugging Jaune's sleeve. "C'mon." Silently, the blond complied.

Biting her lip, Nora quickly looked over the dead Huntsman. He didn't have any affects that looked unique or easily identifiable. She hung back, allowing the others to walk ahead slightly before pulling out her Scroll. Then, before she could doubt herself, she snapped a picture of his face.

The next town they reached, she'd show his face to the innkeeper. A sick pit grew in the bottom of her stomach. Another name crossed off the list.

But with that sickening thought in mind, a shiver ran down Nora's spine. There had to be something going on in Anima, something that ran deeper than anything they knew. Why else were all of the Huntsmen being hunted down like this?

She didn't have time to ponder it further. The others were almost at the exit gates of Shion Village. She needed to catch up.

Casting one last tentative look at the Huntsman, then back at the Nuckelavee's footprint, she jogged up to meet her teammates. And for the first time since leaving Vale, she didn't know whether they had made the right choice by coming back.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

It was when Nora heard a familiar, lilting voice that she knew, once again, that she was in a dream. "C'mon, ya lazybones! Get up! The day's not gonna get any brighter, ya know."

Initially, she didn't want to move. Ren's body was warm beside her in their bedrolls, and the atmosphere in the large, abandoned cabin they had hijacked for the night was otherwise cozy and peaceful. She burrowed her head further into her blanket, pouting, ignoring the disturbance. But when she heard the rumble of thunder outside of the building, she bolted upright, a wicked grin emerging on her twelve-year-old face. "Are we storm-diving?" she cried, throwing her sleeping bag off of her. Her voice was piercing against the howling wind of the storm raging outside, and the weary lump in the bedroll next to her which was Ren was clearly unimpressed, the boy shifting and grunting, annoyed at the racket.

Someone else was just as annoyed, and soon, a small pillow came flying out of nowhere, landing right on Caelus' wide, easy-going smirk. "Hey- where'd that come from, huh?" he squeaked, frantically reaching up and grabbing the object.

Kalian sat up in his bedroll bitterly, holding out a hand. Within his palm, his Aura glowed bright red, then caught alight, the Aura-fueled flame casting gentle shadows around the tent. "Shut the fuck up, Caelus," he rumbled, using his other hand to brush bright red hair out of equally-crimson eyes.

Caelus winked, turning back to Nora. "Aw, you're just bein' a bit hot-headed this morning, aintcha? C'mon, lil' Valkyrie, let's go!" He tugged playfully on her bangs, and she tugged on his dark dreadlocks in return.

"The lightning is striking quicker and quicker," Howl intoned. "It may be dangerous. Charging is unnecessary. Our time of arrival is estimated at Friday evening- less than 48 hours. We should have enough charges stored to take us to the next rest stop."

"But that's no fun, right, lil' Valkyrie?" the other man groaned, sticking her tongue out at Nora.

Nora grinned wickedly, pulling on the stubby little poncho and rain boots the Huntsmen had bartered for her and Ren a few towns previous once the rains had begun. They were a little too big for her, but with how much she was being fed, she was sure she'd fill them out soon. Under their care, she had already grown three inches, after all! "We're going storm-diving!" she sang.

The black-haired man chuckled back. "See, she wants to come help!"

"It is raining heavily," Howl insisted, monotone. "You will be drenched."

"I'm not drying you off again," Kalian hissed, muffling his firelight again before burrowing back under his covers. "Be idiots on your own time. I'm sleeping."

In a stage-whisper, Caelus teased in Nora's ear, "Don't worry, he doesn't mean it."

"Take your fucking taser! I'm not saving your ass later!"

"Okay, okay brother, I got it! Besides, Nora'll keep me nice and safe."

The redhead growled, "She's an infant! That's not her fucking job!"

"Don't worry, I got it!" Nora giggled with a salute, holstering the fold-up hammer Kalian had got for her on her hip. She shook Ren awake. "Ren, we're going out to play! It'll be fun!"

Suddenly, Howl's eyes flashed in the darkness, green lighting up. Nora knew exactly what he was doing- running through calculations a mile a minute, his mind racing through different possibilities and outcomes of their adventures. Finally, once he decided that the risk was little enough to allow the venture, he sighed flatly, eyes dimming, clearly allowing the journey despite his disapproval. "I do not comprehend." With that, he lay back down, falling back asleep in a few weary breaths.

At her touch, Ren sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Through the fog of sleep and fatigue, he whispered, voice cracking clumsily with sleep and age, "I'll watch from the door."

"'Kay!" she chirped, and suddenly, she was outside with Caelus. The wind whipped her hair back and forth, throwing the poncho's hood off of her head. She didn't mind, though- storms energized her in a way which she could never truly explain.

Thankfully, Caelus was the same way. With his Semblance turning him into a lightning rod, able to conduct, alter, channel and guide electricity, he was the perfect one to recharge their electric burners and mobile generators. He used every storm as an opportunity to refill their tanks- but also to play in the rain. While she wasn't allowed to touch any metal, she was allowed to keep guard of Caelus while he worked.

Her time captive in the rogue settlement had taught her well, after all. She was more than capable enough to guard him.

Suddenly, as both a child in the moment, and an adult reliving a memory, she was struck by how sweet the scene was. She had never had the chance to do anything like this, not until she and Ren had been found by the three Huntsmen. But god was she grateful.

Suddenly, all she heard was a frantic cry. "Nora, watch out!"

And then, everything burned, every nerve ending alight, every fiber of her being just buzzing with energy. She collapsed under the weight of it all, twitching involuntarily upon the ground. Oddly enough, there was no fear in her heart, although she knew that something had just gone horribly wrong.

So… this is how I go?

Her eyes flashed bright white with energy, then pink power began to crackle over her skin, covering her in a thick blanket. And then, it reabsorbed back into her flesh, filling her body with a surging power.

"Nora!" she heard Ren's cracking, pubescent voice scream, footsteps splashing her way. Finally, the pink faded from her eyes, and she was able to blink and push herself upwards on her hands and knees. Rather than feeling dizzy or weary, though, she instead felt power rushing through her veins in a way she'd never experienced before.

"She's… alright? But… you were struck by lightning…" Caelus whispered in wonde, stopped in his tracks.

Raising her head, she saw the two of them watching her, wide-eyed and terrified. Beside her, Caelus had dropped his toolbox- so, she simply climbed to her feet, picked up the toolbox, and tossed it lightly his way.

She hadn't been expecting the box to, instead of soaring gently to the man, rip straight past his ear and crash into a tree behind him with enough force that a chunk blew out of the side of the wood. Caelus turned to stare at the smoking impact, then back at Nora- and with his comprehension of the pink glow that lit up her pale blue eyes, his grin was a mix of proud and absolutely feral.

"Lightning buddies, lil' Valkyrie," he cackled.

At that, the pink Aura- her pink Aura- crackled back, and she beamed.

And then, her eyes slipped open at last, and she giggled despite herself. What a weird Thursday. Rolling onto her side, she looked at Ren's form, sleeping across from her around the campfire. He seemed to be sleeping fairly peacefully, which was perfect- it had taken a long time for them to settle down after finding Shion Village.

Quickly, she sat up, glancing around the edges of the clearing they had settled into. As usual, they had camped out off the road. With Shion having been invaded by bandits, it was only a matter of time before they would run into the rogues themselves. It paid to be alert.

…maybe we should take turns on watch? She paused. …Nah.

Out of the blue, the boy sat up, rubbing his eyes and glancing over at her before she could even say anything. Silently, he looked down, checked the time, then showed her the screen of his phone- 1 AM. She could see the confusion in his eyes, plain as day. Why are you up? he seemed to ask.

Her heart melted. Of course Ren had sensed her waking up. He always did. She quickly slipped out of her covers and padded over to him, squatting beside his bedroll. "Dreamed of when I awoke my Semblance," she whispered gleefully.

The boy's expression softened, and he nodded. "Good."

She knew what he meant. It was better to dream of happy things than nightmares, after all.

Before she could say anything, though, her eyes drifted over to the other side of the campfire. While Ruby was still peacefully sleeping, Jaune's bedroll was empty. Trading furtive looks with Ren, she pointed at the roll. "Where is he?" she mouthed.

He shook his head, furrowing his brows as his eyes trailed over Jaune's belongings by his bedroll. His armour and weapons were gone, too. Based on some muddied footprints by the side of the campsite, heading off into the trees, it was clear where the blond had disappeared to.

She didn't even need to verbalize it. Silently, she and Ren stood. Magnhild was in her hand before she had even properly righted herself. Ren stepped ahead of her, following the trail stealthily while she lingered behind, keeping the campsite in view through the trees to ensure Ruby would be safe. Thankfully, Ren shook his head as they stepped forward- he couldn't sense any Grimm with his Aura in the vicinity, either. So, she turned ahead, and carefully, they padded through gnarled roots and twisting trees, following Jaune's trail. Despite the darkness of night, the way forward was still quite visible- in the midst of shadows, the path was lit up by innumerable little fireflies, the tiny lightning bugs native to Mistral. Nora felt more at ease in their midst than any night in Vale, and sensing how fluidly Ren was moving beside her, she knew he felt the same.

However, soon their silent journey was interrupted by grunts of exertion and the sound of a blade slicing through the air. Ren's eyes flashed back towards Nora, alarmed just as much as she- what was going on? Was Jaune in trouble? She steadied Magnhild in her hands, ready to confront anyone attacking their leader.

But just as quickly, a voice reached their ears, and it took all of her strength to not drop her hammer in surprise. She tucked the hammer away before she could make a racket with it. Nora sucked in a quick breath as a familiar, playful, supportive lilt hit her ears. Before she could stop herself, Nora let her hand snake out and grip Ren's, trying to quell the trembling in her core.

He was shaking, too.

Swallowing dryly, they both stepped through the remaining thicket, until they were perched at the edge of another clearing filled with starlight and fireflies- and the unnatural glow from a light-up screen. A Scroll. Standing in the middle of the clearing, Crocea Mors bared and temple glistening with sweat, eyes glistening in what could only be called tears, was Jaune. He stood in a combat-ready stance, slashing in tempo with commands given by the Scroll, where a video was playing.

Nora's hand flew up involuntarily to cover her mouth, to stifle the gasp that wrenched past her lips. Even from across the clearing, she could recognize the red hair and piercing green eyes onscreen.

It's Pyrrha.

How long had it been since Nora had heard her best friend's voice?

She wanted to collapse into a puddle on the spot. It was Pyrrha.

"I know this can be frustrating," the redhead's tinny, recorded voice said kindly. "And it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount. But… I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themself. You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning."

As Pyrrha spoke, Jaune allowed himself to relax, letting his sword hang limply by his side. He raised his head, panting heavily, and the grief and frustration upon his face brought tears to Nora's eyes, understanding and recognition dawning upon her at last.

The training videos she made him for the winter solstice holiday- he's using them.

And of course he would. The stark contrast between his skills, although mildly improved from his time at Beacon due to helping with the rebuilding of Vale, and the rest of theirs, was evident. The fight against the Geist had only highlighted the difference in his combat abilities versus the rest of the team. While he had been knocked down again and again without even engaging the Geist, the rest of them had remained on their feet, able to avoid all the Grimm's blows. If anyone needed to improve, realistically, it was Jaune. Add that frustration to the fact that they hadn't been able to save anyone in Shion, and the blond must've been broken.

But Nora hadn't realized that he had kept those training videos after all this time. Pyrrha had spent one long, sleepless night right before the solstice filming an incredible series of step-by-step tutorials on her Scroll, so that the blond could train even without her. At the start of their time in Beacon, Jaune had been far too prideful to seek help when needed- and, although that had changed over time, Pyrrha used to always tell her about how uncomfortable he was training his Aura manipulation with her around.

No wonder he's been so tired lately.

Pyrrha finally concluded, "Jaune… I… I… I want you to know that I am just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune."

The video looped back to the start.

A ragged sigh slipped through Jaune's lips, heavy and exhausted, matching perfectly with Nora's own heartbreak. She instinctively leaned over, pressing her face into Ren's shoulder. The other boy didn't move, but his hand, still holding hers, squeezed and tremored, the muscles in his jaw clenching as he fought to keep his own emotions in check.

But Jaune simply stretched his arms out to the side, cracked his neck, and finally settled back into the offensive stance described by Pyrrha's loving, tender voice.

Silently, Nora pulled her head away from Ren's shoulder and tugged his hand back towards their campsite. He complied stiffly, expression carefully controlled- but the heartbreak in his eyes was evident, too.

When they had finally made it back to the campsite, Nora whispered, "He's trying his best."

Ren hummed. "Let's offer to spar him sometimes."

She beamed. We need to make sure he grows strong like Pyrrha always wanted. "Mhm. We could all improve."

"Yeah." Taking in a shuddering breath, Ren nodded once more, decisive. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she instantly felt the edge on the sadness which had crept into her heart ease slightly, thanks to his Semblance. "Come, Nora. It's late. Go to bed."

With a bright, still teary smile, she whispered, "Okay, Ren. Night." And with that, they both went back to bed.

Nora didn't dream again that night, only awakening to Ren's gentle admonishments when she wouldn't get out of bed. "Nora, we have to keep going," he murmured. She cracked open an eye and stuck her tongue out at him sleepily, but she was awake now, and soon she was buzzing and chattering away around the campsite.

Unlike the previous weeks on the road on Anima, this morning, the air was slightly different- humid and heavy, it crackled down her spine, hair raising in the static. No wonder I dreamed of storm-diving last night! She grinned wolfishly. Storms in Vale are nothing compared to Mistral. Maybe we can go play if it hits?

The idea was tantalizing.

Jaune's fatigue was evident. She didn't bring it up- but she did pour a little bit of extra instant coffee powder into his thermos that morning as he pulled out the map (which, thankfully, they had picked up from the roadside outside of Shion before they had left) and planned out their course for the day.

When they finally got back onto the road, though, Ruby tugged her arm and pulled her behind the boys. "Nora, can we help Jaune train?" she whispered plaintively. The girl's eyes were wide and worried, silver catching the bright Mistralian sunlight brilliantly.

Nora frowned, surprised by the sudden question- but the red rimming Ruby's eyes and nose were indication enough. "You… did you see him last night, too?"

Ruby instantly nodded, frantic and concerned. "You know? Good. I- I wanna help him," she whispered, deflating slightly. "He was so sad."

"Ren and I think we should give him time," Nora murmured, chuckling as Jaune complained loudly about the map ahead of them. For all intents and purposes, the blond was just as lively as ever. "He's not a great actor, so I'm sure we'll see it if he needs help. But when we reach Haven, we should totally all spar, like old combat practice!"

Ruby grinned, bumping her shoulder into Nora's. "Sounds like a plan. Thanks."

Suddenly, thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance. Nora perked up, eyes bright and eager. Immediately, Ren groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Nora, we're not waiting outside to play in the rain."

"But Ren-"

"No, Nora. There's no purpose to it."

"Ugh, you sound like Howl!" she complained, but the grin on her face didn't abate.

Jaune and Ruby chuckled in unison, the younger reaching up and grabbing the map. "Who's Howl?" the blond asked.

"An old friend," Ren said wearily. "The only one with sense."

"The only one who was boring, more like," Nora snickered, skipping ahead. "If we can find an inn, can I play then? Since we'll have access to a bath after?"

Ren simply shook his head in exasperation, readjusting his bag on his shoulders. Pointing up at the sky, he gestured towards the numerous clouds rolling in, quickly overtaking what had just been a sea of blue. "We should find somewhere to stay. No point getting caught in the rain if we can avoid it."

Brandishing the map proudly, Ruby announced, "Alright. Come on, guys! If we pick up the pace, we can hit the next town before sunset!"

At the talk of finding another town, though, Jaune's face had fallen. "Assuming it's still there," he muttered cynically.

Ignoring his bitterness, Ruby chirped, "Of course it'll be there! This one's supposed to be pretty big!" She squinted and leaned in close to the map, trying to sound out the word at hand. "Hee-gan...bayn-a."

Nora let a giggle slip out at the terrible mispronunciation. Dang people from Vale, it's not that hard of a name!

Calmly, Ren explained, "Higanbana. It's a well-protected village with a popular inn."

Excitedly, Nora held her hand up above her head, mimicking shelter. "Which means, no camping in the rain!" And I can go play in the storm if I wanna! Yes!

"See?" Ruby smiled, glancing back up at Jaune, "everything's gonna be fine!"

That pulled a weak smile from the blond. "You know, we've had a lot of ups and downs. But things could be a lot worse. I really thought we'd see more Grimm."

"As did I," Ren chuckled.

Especially with bandits in the area still after Shion, and no Huntsmen around, Nora thought. At the end of the day, though, their journey had indeed been surprisingly safe. There was no point fretting about the dangers that could potentially find them along their journey- for now, it was time to enjoy the peace they did have. "I guess our luck is finally turning around!" Nora cried. "To Higanbana!"

"To Higanbana!" Jaune and Ren cheered back.

Ruby attempted, she really did. "To Higanbayn... ban-a!"

Make it to Higanbana, they did. The village was, much to their immense relief, thriving despite its isolation. With tall, imposing gates and a high wall surrounding its borders with watchtowers stations every few hundred feet, the center was clearly well fortified. It looked like regular soldiers and hunters were acting as the guards, though, and not trained Huntsmen.

The lack of Huntsmen stirred the familiar doubt and concern in Nora's gut. That suspicion was confirmed the moment the quartet set foot into the local inn, just as the storm finally hit the town. Their Huntsmen's board was just as jarringly bleak as the rest of the ones they'd encountered over their travels thus far. Nora scrutinized it intently while Ren haggled for board, ending up with the team offering to take care of some heavy lifting in the back room in exchange for a reduced rate.

The work was done quickly, and soon they were able to go wash up in the adjacent bathhouse and turn in for the night. Their room was on the second floor, and after enjoying some tea in the common space downstairs for a while, the four decided to head off to bed and enjoy the comforts of a mattress and shelter from the rain which poured incessantly outside. The lightning and thunder had already faded, so it wasn't like she was going to head out there anymore.

Nora had something to do before she headed off to bed, however.

"Hey guys, I'll be up in a sec. Ren, grab my pack?"

The boy narrowed his eyes, but after a moment he relaxed and did as asked. She smiled gently back at him as he left, leaving her alone with the innkeeper.

The tall man at the counter crossed his arms, raising a brow at her, unimpressed. "Look, girlie, what do you need? Your work is done for the night." The man watched her a little warily, still mildly uncomfortable with seeing how strong she was when picking up full barrels in his storeroom.

She shook her head, pulling her Scroll out of her pocket. Pointing to the Huntsmen board on the wall beside the counter, she murmured, "I have two things to ask."

"Sure, go ahead," he motioned, sorting through his files as he awaited her question.

"Do the names Kalian, Caelus or Howl ring a bell?"

The man paused, thinking to himself for a moment. His eyes raised while he pondered on those names, as if to find their photos pasted on the ceiling somewhere. Finally, he shook his head, shrugging. "Can't say I have," he admitted. "If their photo isn't on the board, then the best I can say is that they passed through here at the most. Their names would be in the book if they stayed, and," he quickly flipped through his register, "I don't see any entries for those in the last… four months."

"Cool," she replied, but the words were bittersweet. While it was good to hear that their photos hadn't been taken off the board due to their deaths, it was still worrying. Oh well. We have a lot of Anima to cover, still. "Second thing- I have a name to cross off."

Instantly, the man bristled. Dark brown eyes flashed with anger. "…We don't have many names left to cross off," he muttered bitterly.

Nora's smile faltered, brow furrowing despite herself. Scanning through the board, she found the photograph she was looking for. Quickly pulling up the picture of the Huntsman's face on her Scroll, she turned the screen to face the innkeeper and pointed at the picture on the board. "We passed through Shion Village before we came here. They were attacked by bandits, and he was the only survivor we found," she explained solemnly.

The man's eyes widened, and he wrenched the Scroll out of her hands before she could stop him. "David- no," the man croaked, zooming in on the picture in his hands. "No, he-" Glancing up furiously at her, he spat, "Did you leave him there?"

She took a step back instinctively, but recovered in just a breath. "After the bandits came the Grimm. The tracks were still fresh. He… passed shortly after we arrived."

The innkeeper deflated, all of his anger and outrage falling away at once. He collapsed his elbows onto the table, running frantic, worried hands through his hair, focusing on his breathing. Clearly, the man was trying to hold himself together, so Nora turned away, looking back up at the board until the man addressed her again.

In a few minutes, he straightened up, handing her the Scroll. "He wanted to head to Vale. Said that he'd be better there, since the world's been crazy around here lately." His voice had grown numb. "I told him to stay. I guess… I won't be able to tell him 'I told you so' this time."

"A friend?"

The man bit his lip and sighed wearily. "Something like that."

Nora understood well enough. Stepping towards the staircase leading up to their room, she nodded towards him. "I'm sorry for your loss," she murmured.

He didn't reply, so she headed up to her room. Ruby and Jaune gave her curious looks when she entered with such a somber expression, so she pushed a light smile forward onto her lips. "Man, I'm so glad we have beds again!" she chirped. Instantly, the two relaxed and turned back to their light conversation, leaving Nora more than enough space to get ready for bed.

When she slipped under her blankets, though, Ren sat on the side of her bed, looking down at her face blankly. "Heya, Ren," she murmured, giving him a bright smile. "What's up?"

"…His photo is gone downstairs," Ren whispered.

Her smile faltered for a moment. "You… were a little distracted in Shion, so I took care of it."

"Nora…"

She shook her head, rolling over onto her side to lean comfortably while looking up at him. "It's okay. I get it."

Seeing ruined towns like that hurt Ren more than it would ever impact Nora. She knew that. She didn't mind taking care of the extra stuff in order to give him some space to grieve.

After a moment, Ren's expression relaxed, and he gently pressed a large hand against the top of her head. She instantly felt a wave of security wash over her and relaxed into her pillow. "Thanks, Nora."

Extracting one arm free from her blanket, she reached up and tapped him lightly on the nose. "Boop!"

He chuckled. "You're not gonna go play in the rain?"

"Would you let me?"

He shrugged. "I'll always stand watch."

Her stomach turned into a puddle of goo, and she had to fist her sheets tightly to hold herself back from leaping up to hold him at his simple sweetness. Instead, she shook her head. "There's no lightning," she pouted, pointing at the window. And indeed, there wasn't, just a steady rainfall drenching the town.

Ren shook his head ruefully, smoothing out her hair with one last stroke. Then, he walked over to the other side of the room, leaving Nora to sleep the night away.

Tucked under warm blankets, Nora didn't dream that night.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

And so, more days passed. After that first storm, the skies remained grey, and more than once, the group had to take shelter underneath the canopy of leaves rather than walking through the main path in order to avoid being drenched. Between Higanbana and the next few towns, there was an ample distance, meaning that their days were punctuated at best with the discovery of small rest stops.

Each stop eventually boiled down to a chance to restock their supplies and maybe sleep on a mattress, rather than a bedroll. Over time, the chatter began to cease between the four. Ruby gave up on the map, having accepted her fate of never being able to properly pronounce the more traditional names of Mistralian settlements. Jaune took over that job, his nose stuck in the creased parchment, constantly fixated on where to go, where to turn, where to sleep.

Because although they didn't see many Grimm on their journey, they did find evidence of bandits. The space in Jaune's bag which had once been reserved for Pyrrha's armour was eventually filled with identification cards and unique belongings for deceased Huntsmen they found along the roadside. It was a gory job, but Nora and Ren insisted on it, and Jaune and Ruby did the best they could to support. So, at each stop, they'd open up Jaune's bag and watch the same weariness fill the proprietor's eyes as they tore down page after page from the Huntsmen boards.

It was haunting, seeing the blanks spaces left on the board grow from when they came in to when they left.

Still, Nora did her best to keep everyone's spirits up. She made them play games, teasing everyone and playing pranks on them. She leapt through the trees and made bad jokes and jabbed at everyone's mistakes, bringing light into everyone's eyes whenever they grew too silent and sullen.

By the time they passed the one-month mark since reaching Anima, though, Ruby was growing restless, and Jaune, weary. Ruby just wanted to know what awaited them in Haven, whereas Jaune continued his late-night training sessions in (what he thought was) secret.

One early morning on the road, after Jaune's seventh yawn in barely twenty minutes, Nora finally murmured, "Hey, Jaune, you sleepy butt. Do you wanna spar? It might perk you up!"

Ren and Ruby traded surprised glances, but their expressions settled knowingly, continuing on ahead so that she could speak to the blond privately.

Jaune barely lifted his head out of the map, however. "I'm alright, Nora," he replied, tone appreciative. "I… I think I'm good. Thanks though."

"I could help you out-"

"I'm fine, Nora." The words were suddenly brusque, and the blond had to pause, cursing quietly under his breath before catching up to her. "Sorry. No. I'm… I'm really okay."

"…you only want one teacher, huh?" she murmured meaningfully.

A wry smirk pulled his lips, but it didn't erase the weariness in his eyes. "Yeah. Thanks, though. Seriously."

She beamed. "No worries!" And she meant it, for Jaune still had the ring around his neck, the sash around his waist, Crocea Mors' golden tracings at his hip, and the glittering jade stud in his lobe, swelling finally receded. He was healing a little slower than the rest of them. He needed more time. That was okay.

So, she burst ahead of the group, stretching her arms up wide as she walked decidedly down the mossy path. They were likely getting close to another village- the further along they went, the road had shifted from dirt paths to old stone tiles, cracked, but clearly once beautiful. There wasn't exactly a town marked on the map, but not all of the places they had visited had been present on their charts, anyways, so it was alright.

"Another day, another adventure!" she announced brightly.

Ruby played along. "What's on the agenda today?" she replied, just as eager.

Jaune stifled another yawn. "Walking!"

Nora held out her hand, pretending she had a microphone. "With a side of...?"

"Walking," Ren deadpanned, eyes focused on the road ahead blankly.

Ruby sighed, dropping her false bravado. "Haven is a lot farther away than I thought."

Nora raised a brow, glancing at Jaune and Ren, who were similarly perplexed. The three of them had planned for the journey to take at least a few months- that was why their preparations had been so meticulous. They knew how big Anima was, after having been raised there. It was part of the reason they had decided to keep her company through the journey, after all.

Ren stepped up beside Ruby, gently asking, "Ruby? How long did you think this journey was going to take?"

The girl threw her arms up in the air exasperatedly. "I don't know! I grew up in a small area; I've never been this far away from home!"

Impatiently, Jaune insisted, "Right, but... how long?"

Innocently, she said, "Maybe like, uh... two weeks?"

The blond finally lifted his head out of the map, glaring at her incredulously. "What?!"

"Okay, fine! Three or something!" She looked away guiltily. "Look, whatever." Before she could finish her thought, though, they turned the corner in the path past some trees obscuring their vision, only to find themselves in front of a strange sight. "Hey, what's that?"

Nora took the initiative to jump on a nearby post of a fallen, tattered fence, holding her hands above her eyes to peer ahead. In the distance was the telltale wall of a town, the silhouette of multi-story buildings standing out starkly against the grey sky behind it. She frowned- unlike the previous places they had visited, the border wall was not made of wood, but of flat stone with a rounded entryway, indicating a more conservative, wealthier town.

There was no movement in the windows of the buildings she could see. Oh no. Not again.

Behind her, she heard Jaune stop walking, the rustling of the map catching her attention. "That's... strange," he murmured. "I didn't think we'd be hitting another village for a few days."

Still no movement- but the more she looked, the more the darkness of the silhouettes looked less like a trick of the light, and more like scorch marks. "Are those buildings... damaged?"

Immediately, Jaune exclaimed, "We should search for survivors!"

Nora nodded, jumping off the fence and running towards the town wall. She hopped up to the top of the wall easily, looking around from her perch for any movement. At the bottom of her vision, she could see Jaune, Ren and Ruby rush into town as well, searching for any signs of life. Nora climbed to the top of the nearest watchtower just inside the wall, but the moment her hand touched the wood, she shuddered. Her glove came away covered in crumbling black ash. Just as she had suspected, everything was dusty and burned and scorched and crumbling.

And yet, there was something off about the town. Not all of the damage came from wear and tear, or from battle- much of the town actually looked… unfinished- as if the construction of the sprawling area had been abandoned, left behind to fade away in the woods of Anima.

"Anything?" Ruby called.

Nora reported, "Nothing over here!"

Jaune cried, "No one over here, either!"

Kneeling down near a small entry shrine monument was Ren, the boy's shoulders tense as Nora jumped down from the tower to jog past the others. "It almost seems like... the town was abandoned," he said as she ran past him.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nora saw a small plaque in the center of the main road. "Hey, I think I found something!" she yelled back to the others, crouching down. The signpost was covered by a growth of ivy. As the others' footsteps slowed right behind her, she pushed it aside tentatively, reading the sign aloud. "Oniyuri?" She straightened up, planting her hands on her hips, searching her memory. It didn't ring a bell whatsoever, though. "Never heard of it."

"Me neither," Jaune confessed.

After a moment, Ren murmured, "I have."

Nora pivoted to look up at the boy, surprised. She knew for certain- they'd never visited this place before during all of their misadventures across Anima. How did Ren know about it?

His expression was bleak as he searched for the words to explain the city's emptiness. "You might think of it as Anima's Mountain Glenn, had it never been completed. Years ago, the richest members of Mistral were unhappy with how the Kingdom was being run. Frustrated with the council, they pooled their resources together to build their own city, with their own laws. They hoped that one day, it could maybe even become its own Kingdom. Many thought it would be the future." He began walking further into town, away from the other three. "I know my parents did."

Ruby tentatively murmured, "What happened?"

The boy walked to a nearby stoop of an unfinished building on their right. In a voice so soft, they could barely hear it, he said, "What always happens."

"The Grimm," Jaune breathed.

Nora's breath caught in her throat, brows drawing together sadly as she watched Ren's fists clench, the boy looking down at the ground. She could imagine what he was seeing in his mind clearly.

"Not just any- one."

"One?" Ruby asked, eyes fraught with disbelief and a creeping dread.

It was true, then. The Nuckelavee had struck Oniyuri as well. While its face and distinct shape were naught but blurry memories in her mind, she could still see its horrendous silhouetted imprinted in the back of her mind so clearly that even the thought of it sent chills down her spine. The Grimm which had demolished Kuroyuri all those years before, which had killed Ren's parents and destroyed everything he held dear, had struck this place, too.

The Nuckelavee was basically a folktale by that point, notorious, a demonic village-destroyer. Even Kalian had refused to touch the creature, and he was one of the most hotheaded Huntsmen Nora had ever met. Of course that Grimm had taken away the hope for this village, too.

A small flock of birds screeched and flapped their wings above the quartet. Nora flinched at the sudden break in the stillness of the forgotten village. Jaune clearly felt the same way, muttering, "Come on. Let's just get through here. This place gives me the creeps."

The blond began walking ahead, and after giving a worried Ruby a wan smile, Nora followed.

The walk through town was eerily silent. Nothing but the sound of their footsteps padding over broken cobblestones filled the air, but under the cloudy sky, even those sounds felt dampened, muted. Ren took the lead, while Nora hung back alongside Ruby and Jaune.

Suddenly, Ren leaned forward, holding a hand out behind him to halt them all in the middle of town. He paused, lowering his head for a moment- then, he reached down to his weapon holsters on his thighs, picking up StormFlower carefully. Without missing a beat, Nora extended Magnhild, while Ruby and Jaune readied their own weapons. They all threw their packs to the ground. Nora couldn't sense what Ren had- his Aura recognition was far greater than hers, any day- but she knew that he wasn't playing around.

And then, they all heard it- a light set of footsteps and a gleeful intake of breath were the only true warnings they had, though, of the dark figure who leapt over their heads. Nora had barely a second to take in the appearance of the newcomer. It was a man, tall and lanky, with long hair braided into a single thick pleat behind him. His dark brown jacket showed off an array of scars across his chest, and the white pants were splotchy with dirt… and hints of red.

Is that… blood?

It was too dark to tell as he spun in the air. He landed lithely on his feet in front of them, held his arms backwards to extend bladed grappling gauntlets around his hands, and cackled evilly.

Nora shuddered. On his face was a twisted, sickeningly-wide grin, and large, glinting golden eyes.

Dangit. Why are they always gold?

She didn't have time to think of anything else as he paused, locked his gaze onto Ruby, and sprinted forward.

Ren intercepted right away, dancing around the man's blades expertly while he kicked and shot at the man within close range. The stranger dodged effortlessly, and within seconds, he had knocked Ren far off to the side. Nora immediately ran towards Ren, pulling him up from the stack of barrels into which he had crashed. "Ren, are you okay?"

"He's after Ruby, but why?" Ren coughed, clambering up to his knees. Seeing that he was alright, the girl nodded, rushing back towards the battle.

It was a jarring scene which greeted her- in the few seconds she had been distracted by Ren, Ruby had been knocked to the ground, and instead, their assailant was practically holding onto and standing upon Jaune's shield, leaning his twisted grin a few scant inches from Jaune's face to examine him. A high-pitched, excited squeal slipped through his thin lips, and he raised a curious brow, ignoring the look of confusion and terror on Jaune's face.

Nora rushed towards the man, ready to strike him down with Magnhild. Before she could swing properly at him, though, he leapt deftly off of Jaune's shield and onto the hammerhead, kicking it down to throw her off balance. She wobbled, glaring at the man as he jumped off Magnhild and tumbled straight through the wall of a nearby tower. A puff of plaster dust and debris filled the air, and the group could only gather together tight and watch anxiously as it cleared. However, his silhouette was soon visible through the hole he had torn through, standing upon the broken, jagged frame menacingly.

Jaune cried, "We're not looking for a fight!"

"Who are you?" Ren demanded.

The man leaned forward, dropping to the ground and landing on his feet with a heavy thud. He chuckled darkly, standing upright and drawing his hand to his breast with enough pomp and circumstance to put the most theatrical actor to shame. Dramatically, he explained in a smooth, confident voice, "Who I am matters not to you." He pointed at Ren. "Or you." He pointed at Nora next, and she bristled. Turning to Jaune, the man continued, "Or-" Then, he cut himself off, pausing as he looked over the blond, "Well… you do interest me," he snickered, pointing daintily at the boy.

Jaune gasped, starting backwards nervously.

Posing in a mock-bow, he murmured lowly, "No, I only matter… to you." Nora followed his gaze back to Ruby, where the girl simply paused, tilting her head in confusion.

"Me?" she repeated, utterly baffled.

Seeing her complete bewilderment, the man doubled over, collapsing into a fit of frenzied laughter. "You, you haven't the slightest clue, do you? Oh, how exciting this must be!"

Ruby's expression hardened. Firmly, she asked, "What do you want?"

Upon hearing her brewing anger, the man straightened up, slipping back into his over-the-top acting once again. "Oh, the rose has thorns! My little flower, I'm here to whisk you away with me!"

Over my dead body. Ruby was her friend, dammit. Nora stalked over to stand between Ruby and the stranger, glowering at him threateningly. She tightened her grip on Magnhild, dropping her center of gravity low, ready to take the man on. "Well, what if she doesn't want to go with you?"

The man pursed his lips, unimpressed. Then, he rolled his eyes, voice oily and confident as he stated, "Well, I'll take her."

Jaune slid between Nora and the man next, holding his shield in front of him. "We're not going to let you do that."

Over Jaune's shoulder, Nora could only watch as the man closed his eyes, sucking in air sharply through his teeth. She was ready for another biting mark, a scoff, anything. But instead, the man then opened his eyes languidly, then cocked his head down, a feral grin on his face as he growled happily, a single, chilling word echoing through the air.

"…Good."

Suddenly, everything was happening all at once. The man somehow shot behind Jaune, ready to strike. Ren called out a warning, firing at Jaune's shield so that the bullets could ricochet towards their attacker- but the man simply cartwheeled straight onto Jaune's shield, spinning around freely while balanced on one single claw. Ruby tried to sneak up on him, but upon landing the man easily kicked her to the side with a sickening crunch. Jaune tried to swing at him with Crocea Mors, but he just dodged the blow and knocked Jaune aside as well after two painful kicks to the boy's head.

This entire time, all Nora could do was jump away from this quick exchange and watch helplessly, eyes frantically searching the surrounding areas. She needed to get high up, to a vantage point. She needed to distract him, or find a way to take him down with a big blow- but she needed to move fast, and she needed the others to stay away.

She wasn't great at hitting these small targets. She was good with fighting Grimm, big lumbering creatures that needed force and sheer willpower. But someone like this? Someone with quick reflexes and even quicker blades? Someone even faster than Ren, likely even faster than Ruby, even with her Semblance of speed?

Pyrrha, I wish you were here.

In the back of her mind, she instinctively summoned up the image of Pyrrha dancing her way through one-on-one combat, a deadly ballerina of glinting gold and fiery red and biting metal on the battlefield. Pyrrha had excelled in combat against other fighters. She would have been able to destroy this guy, no problem.

But Pyrrha wasn't there anymore, and it was up to them to protect Ruby.

The man turned his sights to her next, running towards her with a cackle. Over his shoulder, though, Nora saw Ruby straighten up, a fierce smile on her face. Nora knew what she was doing, nodding in anticipation. Stay back, she mouthed.

There was a reason they had ensured to stock up on lightning-Dust cartridges for Ruby's rifle, as well as for Magnhild's upgraded feature, before leaving Vale.

Before she could blink, the sharpshooter had fired a round of lightning-Dust straight into Nora's chest. The impact knocked her backwards, sending her flying back straight into a short wall behind her. Magnhild was torn from her grasp, and she collapsed, feeling the electricity course through her veins, summoning her Aura to do its work. It took a moment, but quickly, her body surged with energy, and she crawled to her feet to the sounds of their assailant's wild laughter. "Well, if that isn't ironic," he commented gleefully, clearly having no idea of what was about to happen.

The moment the giggles stopped, Nora was on her feet, Magnhild in hand, energy rushing through her veins. With a quick step forward, she rushed behind the man's right shoulder, raising her hammer as she leapt through the air, dodging his gaze.

Take this, you creep.

And with that, she slammed her hammer into the man and pressed down on the electric trigger on Magnhild, feeling all of the stored electricity in her hammer augment from within and conduct straight into her opponent. She forced her hammer down upon him, landing on her feet as clouds of dust and dirt flew up around them.

But, for some reason… she couldn't complete her hammer swing. She couldn't finish the strike. Something was blocking her.

All she could do, though, was continue bearing down on the man until the dust settled, using every last drop of strength in her supercharged body to force him into the ground.

However, he wasn't standing in front of her- not anymore. Instead, when she could finally see again, the man was crouched in front of her. Wait- then what the hecky is blocking- but she couldn't even complete the thought, eyes travelling up from the man's back, where a long tail similar to his braid had emerged from under his cloak, arching upwards to curl above and in front of him against her hammerhead. At the end of the tail was a large, dripping, black stinger, so reminiscent of a Death Stalker's tail that she immediately shifted away.

Her eyes widened. He's a scorpion Faunus?

The man's golden eyes glinted as he caught the very moment she realized the truth, smiling with pure joy. Wiggling his fingers towards her, he mockingly squealed, "Surprise!"

And suddenly, the stinger moved away, pushing Magnhild to the side, and two consecutive kicks landed painfully upon her cheek, sending her flying backwards towards the others. With a deafening crash, she crumpled against the same wall as before, shuddering and twitching in pain.

Her jaw popped and her calves buckled, and she nearly screamed. Pink flooded her vision, and she shuddered, feeling the residual electricity crackle through her bones, mingling with her Aura and mending her broken body.

As she struggled to regain her strength, she heard Ruby scream, "What is this about?! The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?"

Their assailant responded blithely, "Plastic soldiers and pawns. My heart and body belong only to our goddess."

They exchanged a few more words, but Nora couldn't hear them as her ears popped and she staggered back to her feet. Suddenly, the sounds of battle resumed, and she reached down and grabbed Magnhild as quickly as possible. C'mon, guys, I'm coming, you can do it…

When she was finally able to run back into the fray, however, Ruby was lying in a heap to the side, Ren quickly joining her. Nora sprinted forwards, grimacing as her bones creaked and protested as the sudden movement, but she didn't have a choice- the man moved to attack Jaune next, and the boy was barely able to fend off the assault with his shield. Nora leapt into the air and swung Magnhild down, firing a projectile to add momentum, but the man's stinger quickly came up and knocked her aside with a strength she still couldn't quite fathom. She had never met a person able to fend against a blow from her hammer.

What is going on?! she thought desperately, jumping back to her feet after skidding to a halt. She teetered back to her feet, but soon, Ren's body came flying back towards her. Dropping her hammer instinctively, she leapt up and caught the boy, pulling him into her lap. "Ren? Ren?!" she cried, shaking his shoulders. The boy groaned and opened her eyes, and she let her head drop against his shoulder for a moment, quelling the panic which had surged through her heart upon seeing him tossed so carelessly aside.

She raised her head, looking up at the desperate scene before them while Ren slowly blinked back into awareness. Jaune was staggering to the side, barely able to stand, while Ruby was lying on the ground, Crescent Rose out of reach, hand clutching her stomach in pain. The stranger was hovering over her, stinger raised, predatory and excited, practically salivating as he approached the younger girl.

With a tremendous cackle, the man swung his tail down to strike Ruby, and then, all that filled the air was another puff of dust and dry mortar and plaster and brick as a nearby wall burst open. Suddenly, standing between the stranger and Ruby was her uncle Qrow, his back turned to the stranger, sword held behind him to block the Faunus' stinger.

Nora couldn't see the man's face, but her heart melted when she saw the relief and adoration which filled Ruby's at the sight of her uncle.

Their assailant pulled his tail away, stepping back from Qrow and Ruby. In turn, Qrow swung his blade around, holding it at the ready as he spun to face the man.

The Faunus laughed in disbelief, his dramatic flair back once more. Holding his hands up in the air like a herald, he announced, "As I live and breathe, Qrow Branwen." He chuckled, then gave the other man a deep bow of respect, the glee in his voice evident as he cheered, "A true Huntsman has entered the fray!"

Ruby stumbled back to her feet, propping herself up on her scythe. In response to Qrow's unimpressed glance, Ruby shrugged. "I don't know, this guy's weird."

Throughout this exchange, Ren's own magenta Aura finally began to dissipate, closing up the wounds he had sustained. Nora helped the boy stand, then gathered with Jaune, the three of them holding their weapons ready for the next phase of the fight. But Nora's mind was racing with the new information their assailant had just offered her, and the knowledge was chilling.

Qrow… Branwen. Does he mean those Branwens?

She didn't have time to think about it further. She didn't know if she wanted to, either.

Qrow warned menacingly, "Look, pal, I'm not sure who you are, but you need to leave my niece alone."

Tyrian chortled, unaffected by the unspoken threat. "Why, friend, my name is Tyrian. And I'm afraid that is not possible. My assignment from Her Grace was to retrieve this young girl." The man- Tyrian, apparently- sounded almost remorseful. "So, that is what I must do. One does not upset the Queen."

Ruby asked the words on everyone's mind. "Queen?"

Qrow narrowed his eyes and growled, "Salem."

"…Who?"

Tyrian began to twitch, fidgeting, until he finally assumed a crouch. "Hmm, I think we've had enough talk now, don't you?"

Qrow's burning red eyes flashed. "You took the words right out of-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Tyrian screeched and rushed towards him.

The two men immediately began trading blows furiously. Nora, Ren and Jaune used the opportunity to catch up to Ruby, helping her up properly and checking on one another. "We have to help Uncle Qrow," Ruby murmured as Nora brushed the dirt off her shoulder.

They all glanced down. Ruby's Aura was still working on healing her stomach, which had been severely damaged by an earlier blow from Tyrian. "We've got this," Nora agreed. "You heal here."

"I've got her," Jaune nodded.

With that, Ren and Nora shared a firm glance, gripped their weapons tight, and ran towards the battle. Simultaneously, they leapt into the air on either side of him, ready to strike- but before they could even blink, Tyrian leaned back, saw them approaching, grinned manically, and spun on the ground, landing kicks on them both which sent them flying backwards across the cobblestones. The Faunus immediately continued his pursuit as they clambered shakily to their feet, but before he could reach them, Qrow intervened.

Nora's face fell as the man commanded angrily, "Don't come closer!"

It wasn't to Tyrian. It was to them. We're in the way, aren't we? Nora winced, staggering upright.

Ruby suddenly cried, "Fine!"

"Ruby, wait-" Ren attempted, but the girl had already taken off, jumping on top of a nearby building. Setting her scythe down, she peered through the rifle's scope.

She's trying to shoot him without interfering with the fight. Nora looked wearily at Magnhild. Never before had she regretted having a grenade launcher, normally so useful for striking down hordes- but in this entire fight, precision seemed to be what mattered more than anything.

In front of them, Tyrian managed to disarm Qrow. Ruby took the lull in the battle for a perfect opportunity to begin hailing bullets down upon the Faunus, but the man somehow managed to block every shot without even looking at it using just his tail.

"Guys, the moment we can help, we have to go in," Jaune muttered.

Ren shook his head. "They're both two fast."

"He lost his sword!" Nora cried, gesturing to Qrow, whose weapon was currently sticking out a wall.

"Just wait," Ren insisted, focused on the duo in front of him.

Suddenly, Qrow flexed his fist, drew his arm back, and began to punch Tyrian with the grim determination, forcing the man blindly back as if it were a bar brawl. The Faunus moaned and whined at each impact, until Qrow was able to kick him back, leisurely walk over to his weapon, and retrieve it.

Just like that, the battle was back in full swing, the two men flying around the abandoned city with such intensity all Nora could do was watch blankly. Her own bones still ached, the mere thought of rushing back it at with full strength wearing her out. The two men fell into a row of long buildings, disappearing from view momentarily. "Any ideas?" she murmured to Jaune as the blond watched the battle by her side.

"I'm thinking," he mumbled, biting his lip, eyes darting back and forth across the empty town.

Suddenly, Qrow flew through a wall and re-emerged in the central courtyard. His blade embedded itself into the ground, tearing up cobblestones as it skidded along, and Qrow perched atop in gracefully as it came to a stop.

Ruby leapt off the rooftop where she had been hiding, clearly waiting to jump into the fray.

"Guys," Ren muttered, "he's after Ruby. We need to get her back."

Nora frowned. "Ruby, get over here!" she cried, but the younger wouldn't listen, eyes fixated on her uncle. And, when Tyrian jumped out of the ruins of the building from which Qrow had reappeared, swinging at the man, Ruby jumped in between them.

Voice cracking, Jaune yelled, "Ruby!"

Ren shook his head, immediately blocking Jaune from moving forward with his arm. "We can't help right now," Ren ground out through clenched jaws.

Amused, Tyrian squealed, "Do you wish to be taken?"

The girl cried determinedly, "No! But I won't stand by and watch someone get hurt!"

Nora's heart broke at those words as the conflict resumed, a flurry of red capes and cloaks and black tails. She scared of losing him like Penny. Like Pyrrha.

Soon, Qrow had intercepted a deadly strike from the Faunus yet again for his niece. Angrily, he scolded, "Ruby! What did I say?! Get back!"

The girl glowered back. "This is my fight, too!"

But as Ruby recommenced her attack against Tyrian, there was a flash of nothing but pure fear on Qrow's face that Nora just couldn't understand. "No, it's not that," the man protested, "it's-"

And suddenly, Ruby went flying back into the wall behind her. The impact shook the beams above her, and the trio on the side could only cover their mouths and gasp as a large wooden beam fell down, aiming to land right on the younger girl.

Qrow intercepted it smoothly, slicing the beam to pieces so nothing touched Ruby. Everyone seemed to let out a sigh of relief, and Nora could see the flash of gratitude and love on Ruby's face again.

The moment was instantly destroyed as Qrow let out a strangled cry of pain. Tyrian's stinger sliced through Qrow's abdomen, and the entire group fell silent in shock.

He used up all his Aura already, didn't he? The attack landed. Nora's mind flashed back to the open wound on the poor Huntsman in Shion Village. He had died from a similar cut to the stomach. Oh gods, no, please don't do this.

Tyrian chuckled darkly, leaving his tail outstretched. However, after a moment of pure shock, Ruby took the opportunity to hook her scythe around the prehensile limb and slice the stinger clean off. The stump immediately began to spew purple fluid into the air, and the Faunus screamed in pain, reeling back and scuttling away from them all. Gone was his composure, his dramatics- now, when he stood, all they could see in his eyes was pure hatred.

"You bitch!" he screeched, staggering back towards Ruby.

Nora grinned. Now you're slow enough. She immediately strode between Tyrian and Qrow and Ruby, Ren and Jaune joining her in a heartbeat. Holding Magnhild dangerously, she glared at him. Try it.

The Faunus immediately cowered, backing up clumsily. Almost as if reassuring himself, he whispered histrionically, "She'll forgive you…" Then, he crouched low and sprinted away, clear out of town.

Suddenly, a cry of pain and the clank of metal hitting stone drew their attention back to Qrow. The man was clutching his side, collapsed onto one knee, his blade fallen away to the ground behind him. Ruby rushed to his side as he panted heavily, the girl dropping her scythe and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Uncle Qrow! Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. He just grazed me." He raised his hand, and immediately, everyone pulled back. The wound was bleeding. His Aura really is drained, if it can't heal that wound.

Nora, Ren and Jaune ran up to the duo, everyone's confusion and questions racing back to the forefront of their minds now that Tyrian had left the scene. "Who was that guy?" she cried.

Ren added, "How did you get here?"

Jaune asked, "Why are people after Ruby?!"

"Uncle Qrow? You're injured, and we'll treat you, but after, you have to tell us," Ruby pleaded. "What's going on?"

Still breathing heavily and pressing a hand against his wound, Qrow raised his head, a broken, regretful smile on his face. "What's your favorite fairy tale, kiddo?"

Nora had never heard of words more ominous in her life.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

With a groan, Qrow's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he fainted. Lying on the ground, his own red Aura didn't spark back to life.

Immediately, Jaune sprinted back to where they had abandoned their packs. "I'll get the first aid kit!" he hollered back.

Meanwhile, Ren had rushed forward, using the unconscious man's hand to staunch the open wound. "Ruby, scout ahead in the trees. Go the opposite way Tyrian ran to. We need to get out of here, and we need a safe place to bring him."

Nearing tears, the younger sniffed hard and complied, flying off in a swirl of rose petals.

"I'll grab the stretcher," Nora murmured, squeezing Ren's shoulder quickly before rushing to meet Jaune halfway, the boy's arms laden with all of their belongings.

As Jaune spread out the first aid kit, handing Ren gauze pads and triangular bandages as needed, Nora set up the collapsible stretcher from their kit. Ren had insisted on taking it. She was grateful now that they had listened.

By the time the wound was tied up and Ruby had returned, bearing news of a nearby campground, Qrow's eyes finally reopened. The man grunted, rubbing his head and sitting up. Upon doing so, his Aura flashed red, finally kick-starting and going to work on mending his injury. "You kids…" he mumbled foggily, blinking at them all. "Don't look so down. I just… wasn't expecting to fight so much."

Rather than replying, Ruby just threw her arms around her uncle's neck, trembling as tears fell silently from her eyes. Nora could see the understanding in Qrow's eyes, and the man carefully shifted to pull his niece halfway into his lap, letting the girl cry on his shoulder while he stroked her hair. "Hey, kiddo," he soothed, voice hoarse and weary, "you can't cry. I jumped in to save you, you should be cheering for me instead."

But the girl continued to sob and shake in his arms, and after a moment, he looked up at the other three who watched the exchange in relief. "Thanks," he murmured. "Shall we go?"

Finally, Ruby pulled herself away from him, wiping her puffy eyes tiredly. "Uncle, I found a place down the road we can camp in," she hiccupped. "Let's get you some rest."

"Sounds good," he smiled, ruffling her hair.

Jaune offered, "We can carry you on the stretcher. You should rest until-"

But Qrow waved off his concern. "Kid, don't worry 'bout me. I'll be fine. Let's get you all somewhere safe, though."

So, Nora collapsed the stretcher again, packing it away forlornly. Let's hope we never have to use it. Jaune and Ren helped Qrow totter up to his feet, the man stumbling almost drunkenly as he regained his wits about him. Once he was upright again, though, he sighed, reached down, and retrieved his blade with ease. "Can't forget Harbinger," he muttered, collapsing his blade and tucking it into its hook on his belt.

The walk out of town was as brisk as Qrow could manage with the wound still paining him. Although no one complained, the collective sigh of relief that passed throughout the group was audible once they were finally free of the town- escaping Oniyuri's walls was like being released from captivity. Something about the town was unnerving, stifling.

The clearing Ruby had found was well-hidden amongst the trees, protected by a wall of rocks on one side, so they hastened to make camp there for the night. Once the fire was going and the bedrolls were laid out, a pot of simple stew simmering on fire, Qrow gestured for them all to sit down on the logs they had dragged in to act as seats. They ate in silence once the food was ready, questions unspoken lingering in the air. The sun set throughout this, still hidden behind blankets of clouds above the thick canopy, plunging them into darkness with only the fire to light their campsite.

The only sound that persisted throughout was the sound of Qrow uncapping his flask, sipping, recapping it, and sighing. Over, and over, and over again, Nora twitched every time.

Once everything was cleaned and put away, Nora took her place next to Ren, sitting on the log farthest from Qrow, watching the older man uneasily. Ruby sat on the left-hand log, while Jaune was on the right. The four of them stared at the man, awaiting his speech.

Now that the battle was finished, the immediate threats taken care of, Nora's mind returned to where it had been right before the fight had escalated. There were too many questions in her mind, and it took all of her energy to stifle down the urge to just jump up and grab the man by the collar, shaking him until he explained exactly what his lineage was. With the firelight dancing on his face, casting shadows darkly across his pale visage, she'd admit it easily- she didn't feel comfortable with him.

Not while his name was Branwen.

She needed answers.

"This… isn't going to be an easy story," the man admitted, unaware of her own dilemma and mistrust. "But you've come this far, and you should know the truth about where you're going, what you're fighting for, and why we need to do it."

Nora traded worried looks with Ren. What is he talking about? she asked with her eyes.

He shook his head. I don't know.

But she had no choice but to listen. There would be time for questions about his origins later. For now, there were other questions that needed answering, more pressing ones which affected all of them, not just Ren and Nora- who was that who attacked them, and why was Qrow following them?

Taking a swig from the flask he withdrew from his blazer, the man sighed, hunching over. "I asked you kids a question, right? About fairy tales?"

"Uncle Qrow, what does that-" Ruby attempted to ask, but Qrow held out a hand, cutting her off.

"Save your questions, Ruby," he directed wearily. "This is gonna be long enough. At the end, I'll answer anything you still don't know."

"…okay." She sighed and crossed her legs on the log, waiting for him to begin.

The man ran his fingers through his hair. "You all know The Story of the Seasons?"

Everyone nodded slowly- it was a common childhood tale, after all- but Qrow didn't continue.

Finally, Ren spoke up. "An old hermit is visited by four traveling sisters." Qrow waved for him to continue, so Ren took a deep breath and continued, reciting the story from memory. "The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth and final sister begs him to look at all that he has, and be thankful.

"In return for their kindness, the man grants the maidens incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept, and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant until the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall; the four maidens."

Taking another swig, Qrow chuckled humourlessly. "Well. That's the story. Thanks for listening."

Jaune blinked at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

The man shrugged. "The story's true, kids. The four Maidens- they're real. They hold the strongest power in the world in their hands- magic. They don't need Dust."

Ruby groaned. "Uncle Qrow, this isn't funny-"

"And I'm not laughing," he cut in, effectively silencing her. "I'm serious. This sounds crazy, I know, but my job is to protect the world- and not just from the Grimm." He sighed. "How the hell did Oz always say it?"

Clearing his throat, he straightened up, adopting a softer manner reminiscent of their former headmaster. "The Maidens have existed for thousands of years. But much like in nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike. When a Maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost, and that no individual can hold on to that power forever." He coughed, then frowned. "Glynda's better at explaining that bit. Shit."

"Wait, Glynda's involved?" Jaune cried.

"And Ozpin, too?" Ren asked.

"And the other headmasters, and a few others like myself. The circle wasn't very big, 'cause Oz was pretty selective, so you can trust those involved." His eyes darkened in thought. "Mostly."

"So, you said the powers leave the Maidens," Nora muttered. "How?"

"There's a bunch of rules," the man said dismissively. "They used to say that was passed on only to young women who were important to the Maidens. We've since figured out it's all a little more complicated than that. But our organization has worked for many years to protect the Maidens, and prevent those with ill intentions from getting a hold of their powers."

He sighed for the umpteenth time that night, deflating a little. "But we let the Fall Maiden fall into the wrong hands during the battle for Beacon. And now, we've gotta do whatever it takes to ensure that Salem doesn't get her hands on them."

"Salem?"

Qrow nodded sagely. "Believe it or not, there's someone who's behind all of this."

Everyone was quiet. The fire crackled between them, sparks alighting in the air. Nora felt her eyes settle on one, tracing its arc through the sky. It was just so much to take in- how in the world could they ensure that such incredible powers were given to the right people? How did anyone even manage to find the 'right people'? How could one person be responsible for all of the suffering they had experienced throughout their time at, and after, Beacon?

How could any of this be real?

But then, horror washed over her.

She had known someone who would be strong enough to handle all of that power.

Please... please don't be true.

Before she could second-guess herself, Nora whispered idly, "Pyrrha was strong enough to be a Maiden, wasn't she?"

Qrow didn't respond to her broken query, although Ren's stricken face proved he had heard it, too. And Ren couldn't say a word to retaliate. He knew it was true.

Qrow sat back, taking another swig from his flask. "Really? No questions?"

Jaune spluttered, "Of course we have questions. This is just... a lot to take in." He hunched over, brow furrowed as he stared into the flames.

The man sighed yet again. "Sure, of course."

Ruby offered, "Okay. Let's… just make sure we get it so far." Turning to Qrow again, she said, "So these... Maidens... They're powerful fighters that don't need Dust to use magic."

"Yeah."

Nora asked, "And there are four of them?"

"Yup. Always."

Ren clarified, "Which means that, whenever one of them dies, the power transfers to someone- a female- that they cared about?"

"Whoever was in their thoughts last. Important distinction," Qrow pressed. "Best option is someone we can trust. Regardless, their souls become combined, in a way."

How it the world do souls become combined? Nora shuddered at the thought. Why would you want to combine your soul with someone else? Wouldn't you… lose who you are?

"And that's what you were trying to do to Pyrrha... the night the tower fell." Jaune finally tore his eyes away from the campfire, hands gripping his knees so tightly Nora was sure that even with his plentiful Aura, they'd bruise. "You were trying to turn her into one of them."

Suddenly, it all clicked. Horrified, Nora turned to look at Ren. He had had the same epiphany.

The vault Jaune was talking about in Patch- the one under the school. The other girl who was there, who Cinder killed. She was the Maiden. And Ozpin tried to get Pyrrha to be the next one.

…Pyrrha was going to lose her soul?

While Nora reeled from this realization, Qrow continued, "The previous Fall Maiden, Amber, had been attacked. She was young, inexperienced. And her assailant, who we now know as Cinder, somehow managed to steal some of her power, but not all of it. We were afraid that if we didn't do something, the rest would go to her as well."

Nora's eyes widened as she saw the sheer bitterness on Jaune's face, his entire expression twisted into one accusatory look of hatred. "So you forced it on Pyrrha," he muttered lowly.

Immediately, Qrow straightened up. "We didn't force anything," he insisted. "We explained the situation and gave her a choice, and she chose. You were there, you heard her."

At that, a myriad of emotions flitted across his face, until he simply could hang his head in shame. Nora watched him, shocked. You saw her say yes? She was okay with this? How?! But judging by how lost Jaune looked, he couldn't understand the truth, either. The blond swung his legs over the back of the log he had been sitting upon, walking a few metres away, taking a moment to cool down.

Nora debated on following him, but was distracted by Ruby. The younger girl murmured, "That guy, Tyrian - why was he after me?"

Yet again, the man sighed, and Nora's eyebrow twitched. I swear to god, if he sighs like that one more time…

Qrow gestured towards Ruby with his flask after collecting his thoughts. "Well, you definitely painted a target on your back with what you did at Beacon. I told you having silver eyes is a rare trait. And the fact that you're someone that was able to use them seems to have upset some very powerful people.

"Not many people know about the silver eyes." There was a sort of fondness in his smile as he said those words. Nora didn't understand it. "Those that do aren't very happy that one has surfaced. That's why I've been keeping an eye on you in order to make sure you were safe." The man waved towards Nora and Ren, and she bristled instinctively, narrowing her eyes. He frowned, then looked over to Jaune, who had stopped at the edge of the clearing, trying to calm himself down. "All of you."

Ruby asserted, "Well, then, why not just travel with us? It seems like that would've been way easier."

Without turning back to look at them, Jaune filled in the answer for Qrow. "He was using you as bait."

Almost with a smile on his face, Qrow shook his head. "Look, I wouldn't put it like that, it- it's complicated."

Jaune spun on his heel, clearly done with this whole explanation. "What is all of this? Ruby's being hunted, the schools are being attacked, all for what? What is the point of all of this? Will you just tell us what's going on?!"

The older man simply stared at him for a moment, then slouched over once again. Another sigh slipped past his lips, and Nora sprang to her feet, ready to clock him- she was so sick of hearing him act like he was the one hurting from all of this!- but Ren grabbed her hand and pulled her back down, shaking his head. She glowered, but complied- then relaxed, the boy muting her anger with his Semblance. "We need to know," Ren mouthed. She sighed, hanging her head for a moment, then settled down once more.

Qrow nodded towards Jaune. "Would you sit down? You're stressin' me out, kid."

Angrily, Jaune complied, taking a seat once more and crossing his arms. Qrow moved to take another drink, then paused, second-guessing himself. Then, he placed the flask down without drinking, murmuring thoughtfully, "Not many people are super religious these days." He capped it. "This world's been around for a long time, long enough that people have created dozens of gods. But if you believe Ozpin, two of them are actually real."

Nora paused, watching Qrow carefully. There was something in his eyes that lit up every single time he spoke of Professor Ozpin, something… warm. Something hopeful.

She frowned. Professor Ozpin was dead. Why was he still so happy to talk about the man? Why did he sound as if Professor Ozpin wasn't even gone?

But Qrow continued on despite her confusion. "They were two brothers. The older sibling, the god of light, found joy in creating forces of life. Meanwhile, the younger brother, the god of darkness, spent his time creating forces of destruction. As you can imagine, they both had pretty different ideas about how things should go. The older one would spend his days creating water, plants, wildlife. And at night, his brother would wake to see all the things that the elder had made and become disgusted.

"To counteract his brother's creations, the god of darkness brought drought, fire, famine, all that he could do to rid Remnant of life." He paused, a wry smile on his lips. "But life always returned. So one night, the younger brother went and made something- something that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything."

Quietly, Ruby guessed, "The creatures of Grimm."

He pointed at her, almost proud. "You guessed it. The older brother had finally had enough. Knowing that their feud couldn't last like this forever, he proposed that they make one final creation... together, something that they could both be proud of. Their… masterpiece. The younger brother agreed.

"This last great creation would be given the power to both create and destroy. It would be given the gift of knowledge, so that it could learn about itself and the world around it. And most importantly, it would be given the power to choose, to have free will to take everything it had learned and decide which path to follow- the path of light or the path of darkness." He leaned back, a little self-satisfied. Nora wanted to kick the smirk off his face. "And that is how Humanity came to be."

Ren frowned, clearly trying to connect the dots to no avail. "But... what does that have to do with us?"

Qrow grinned wolfishly. "Well, that's the kicker. See, the four gifts to mankind- knowledge, creation, destruction and choice- aren't just metaphorical. Each of them exists in a physical form, left behind by the gods before they abandoned Remnant, and each of them is extraordinarily powerful. If someone were to collect all four, they'd be able to change the world. That's exactly what the enemy wants.

"The Huntsman Academies were created to train generations of Humanity's protectors, but they also serve another purpose- guarding the Relics. When Ozpin's predecessor founded the schools, he built them around the Relics to act as a fortress. Not only would they be easier to defend, but they would constantly be surrounded by trained warriors. The hope was that hiding the Relics would keep mankind from using them against itself... and, of course, keeping them out of her reach." He paused. "So yeah, there's that."

"Her," Ruby mumbled. "You mean Salem?"

"That's right. Not much is known about her, and quite frankly, that's not what matters. What matters right now is that she wants the Relics, and if she gets them, it's not going to end well."

Jaune clenched his jaw. Speaking through tight lips, he spat out, "Alright. So, let's say we believe all this. There really is this crazy evil being behind these attacks, not just some thugs trying to become powerful. Why doesn't the world know? Why isn't Atlas going after them? Or Mistral?"

Nora joined in. "And why aren't we in more of a hurry to get to Haven? Shouldn't we be getting them a message?" She wilted, the possibilities before them chilling her to the very core. "What if they're next?"

Qrow caught her eye and nodded slightly, and she grimaced in return at how calm he was in comparison. "The headmaster over there saw what happened to Beacon. He's not dumb. He'll be on his guard. Besides, it takes time to mobilize forces like that. Do you really think they planned out that attack on Beacon overnight?" He was almost smiling by this point, but no one else was laughing.

How could he smile, thinking about the attack that had robbed them of their home and friends?

Pointing to Jaune, Qrow continued, "And to answer your question, it's the same reason we keep quiet about the Maidens. If the whole world knew about the Relics, about Salem, there would be chaos. We'd have another Great War on our hands, and this time, you'd have to fight."

Nora's breath caught in pain, seeing how Jaune bitterly looked away. Don't mock him for his fighting. Please. He's trying. He's hurting.

Qrow leaned back. "Look, I had the same questions, too. But ol' Ozpin would always put his foot down." That warmth was back. "'We can't cause a panic.' Heh, can't tell you how many times I've heard that." The man reached down and retrieved his flask once more. "Salem's smart. She works from the shadows, using others to get what she wants, so that when it comes time to place the blame, we can only point at each other."

Taking a hearty swig, he let his head loll back, staring up at the canopy. Nora's eyes followed his. Sometime during this whole discussion, the clouds which had covered the sky had dissipated, leaving a starry, moonlight night. "She's trying to divide us- humanity. And so far she's done a pretty damn good job."

"Alright," Ruby murmured, "so what should we do?"

Everyone looked to Qrow, awaiting his response. And, once again, the man simply chuckled and shrugged. "I don't really know."

Nora looked over to Ren, worried upon seeing the same expression of bewilderment and nervousness on his face. What was even the point of all this?

The man pressed onwards, though. "Ozpin has put a lot of trust in the headmasters. Like I said, the schools are an important part of stopping Salem. Atlas is going to be on high alert after the last attack, and Vacuo is- well, Vacuo. It'll be hard to hire thieves and scoundrels to fight against other thieves and scoundrels. Take that, add in the fact that Cinder and her crew claim to be from Haven, and I think it's likely the next target. So," and he sighed again, and Ren's arm shot out and forcibly held Nora in place so she wouldn't lash out, "we're on our way to the headmaster. Haven't heard from him in a while, even before the attack. I'm hoping he has the answers."

With that, he stood, grabbing his injured side with his right hand. With a groan, he commented, "Alright, I think it's time you kids got some sleep."

No one responded for almost a minute. Qrow didn't move, either.

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby's voice was tiny, barely audible over the crackling of the fire.

"Yeah?"

Ruby stood, eyes narrowed in thought. "This is a lot to take in, and it all sounds crazy, but... I'm willing to do whatever I can to help because I trust you." She clasped her hands in front of her chest, silvery eyes shining with unshed tears in the moonlight. "But why couldn't you trust me? Why couldn't you just travel with us, instead of this secrecy, and, and-"

"Look, this has nothing to do with trust," Qrow interjected. He looked defeated as he reached up, grabbing the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. "I- it's a long story, okay?"

Nora almost scoffed. "Seriously?" She rolled her eyes, leaning forward, not even bothering to hide her annoyance. "Now you're tired of telling us stories?"

Seeing her steely expression, Qrow wilted, looking into the fire for a long, contemplative moment.

When at last he was ready to speak, Qrow murmured, "Did you know that crows are a sign of bad luck? Old superstition, but it's how I got my name."

Then, he knelt down, picking up a stick to shift the logs and embers in the pit. Looking at him like that, Nora almost felt bad for her animosity- he looked so small all of a sudden.

Did… did I ask something I really shouldn't have?

After a moment, though, she shook her head. No. They deserved answers.

Qrow continued, "See, some people can absorb electricity and some people can burst into rose petals… and some people are just born unlucky. My Semblance isn't like most- it's not exactly something I do."

Nora leaned back, inching closer to Ren. She could feel him tensing up as well, awaiting an explanation from the older man.

"It's always there, whether I like it or not. I bring misfortune." He chuckled bitterly, dryly. With an almost manic grin, he added, "I guess you could call me a bad luck charm. Comes in real handy when I'm fighting an enemy, but it makes it a little hard on friends." He glanced over to Ruby, and suddenly, guilt crashed down on his expression. "…and family."

And Ruby's face just fell in the most heartbreaking way that Nora's eyes began to water for the girl. We… we went too far. We shouldn't have asked him that.

Not when Qrow looked like he was about to break after that confession. Not when Ruby looked close to falling over. Standing up straight, Qrow winced, clutching his right side once more.

Jaune was having none of it, clearly. "Well, you are just a real bundle of help, aren't you?"

Oh, not now, Jaune. While his anger was wholly justified- god, how she wanted to wring the truth from the man's throat rather than dance around the truth like this, she wanted to take Magnhild in hand and make Qrow talk- Ruby was breaking watching her uncle like this. Nora didn't want to hurt her if they could help it. Ruby was already so heartbroken. She didn't deserve to watch her hero crumble like this.

But Qrow merely dropped his gaze to the ground. "…Yeah." With that, he began to stumble out of their campsite.

"Where are you going?" Ren called.

"Taking a walk."

Ruby frowned, bitterness quickly replacing her shock. "There's nothing else you want to tell us?"

Suddenly, Qrow's head snapped up to look into the darkness. Nora squinted, but she couldn't see what he was looking at. Whatever it was, it quickly lost his interest, and he continued walking away slowly. "Not tonight," he replied at last.

When he finally left the clearing, though, the log which Qrow had been pushing back into the center of the fire managed to, by some odd stroke of luck, pop in just the right way so that it rolled right out of the fire. Nora's eyes widened, looking back up at the retreating man's back. He wasn't lying. It's misfortune. His Semblance is actually bad luck.

They were silent for a moment, trying desperately to process this new information.

"So, what- are Huntsmen just… human meat shields for the Relics in case Salem ever breaks through?" Jaune asked suddenly.

"You… you're not wrong," Ren muttered, standing up. He shuffled over to Qrow's side of the fire, using an unlit branch to coax the burning log back into their fire pit. "But, Jaune- are you sure that Pyrrha was asked to be one of the Maidens?"

Jaune hung his head in his hands, not responding for a long time.

While he thought about it, Qrow's final confession finally washed over Ruby. Nora quickly walked over to the girl, wrapping her up in a hug before the younger collapsed to her knees. She gently lowered Ruby to the ground so she could lean back against the log numbly.

"I always wondered why Uncle Qrow never stayed at home too long," she whispered. "I always wondered. But this… misfortune? How is that even fair?" She looked up with glassy eyes at Nora, and the orange-haired girl could only press her lips together in a line, unsure of what to say. "He- he's never been able to stay at home in case he hurt us, Nora. That's… how lonely has Uncle Qrow been? I never knew, I- I-" She paused, sucking in a shaky breath. "I was really mean to him just now, wasn't I?"

Suddenly, a low, keening sob slipped through Jaune's throat, stealing away Nora's attention. The blond finally seemed to come to life, falling down onto his knees, leaning back against his own log. Ren was next to him in a heartbeat, a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Jaune," Ren soothed, "talk to us. What happened? What do you know?"

Through long, drawn-out breaths, Jaune mumbled through his hands, still covering his face, "Pyrrha asked me whether she should… should 'save the world' if it meant giving up… 'herself'."

Nora almost leapt to her feet. "What?!" she cried. "When was that?!"

"During the Vytal Festival!" the blond moaned, voice hitching. "Before the finals round."

Nora's mind flashed back to the Vytal Festival Tournament, racing through her memories. The finals round? That had been the day after the doubles round- that had been the day of the Fall.

And then, Nora remembered.

Her hands slipped to cover her mouth, and she fell back onto her bottom, pushing herself back until she was leaning against the log. Ren looked up at her, startled beyond compare- instantly, the boy was by her side. Jaune and Ruby, on the other hand, were so wrapped up in their own painful realizations that they never even noticed.

But Ren was by her side. "Nora, what is it?!" he asked desperately, alarmed.

A part of her felt immense guilt, seeing the concern on his face. This was why she didn't like showing her sadness. This was why she wanted to stay strong, no matter what.

She didn't want to see that expression of fear, the one that Ren had always worn for years after they escaped Kuroyuri, ever again.

But now, she couldn't stop it, her mind fixated on one evening, months earlier. The night of their doubles match, after Pyrrha had returned from Professor Ozpin's office, she had found Pyrrha in the middle of the night, sobbing her heart out on the dormitory roof. The redhead had been barefoot, in thin pyjamas, shivering and crying and clutching her weapons to her heart with such desperation and grief that Nora had spent the night holding her best friend and crying with her, too.

That was the night she was given the choice, wasn't it?

She had often wondered what had happened that night. But now, knowing the truth- knowing that Pyrrha had been granted an ultimatum, to either accomplish her dream and potentially lose everything that made her Pyrrha, or feel as if she had let the world down irrevocably- knowing it didn't make anything better.

Because Pyrrha had tried to save the world, and she hadn't been able to. And yet, she had still given everything up to fight Cinder. Now, knowing how unfair the fight between Cinder- a Maiden- and Pyrrha was, it just made it sting all the more.

Why did Pyrrha have to die?

She didn't know anymore.

Ren didn't protest when Nora cried on his shoulder for a little while that night, just venting out feelings which had long been buried deep within. He didn't mind. He was trying not to cry, too.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Nora knew what it was like to beg.

She didn't know how she ended up off of Mantle- at least, she assumed she was born on Mantle. With no real birth certificate, it was hard to confirm anything. However, judging by the way her incredibly pale skin and bright orange hair contrasted with absolutely everyone she had ever met in Mistral, it was pretty safe to say that she didn't belong on Anima.

So, she begged.

No one wanted to take her in. Her eyes were cursed, they said. She didn't really know what 'cursed' meant- she was just hungry, after all- but her eyes, big and round and the palest blue, like the ocean in the early foggy morn, threw people off. Mistralians were superstitious folk, after all. And what was different usually meant ill-intentioned.

But she was just a child.

It was hard to find benefactors with looks like hers. The world wasn't kind to her. On the rare instance that she was taken under someone's wing, she'd obey every word, praying with all her heart that if she was good enough, maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't throw her away again.

Inevitably, they did. They all did. And she was left begging again.

The people living in the slums just outside of Kuroyuri, leeching from the waterways and the relative safety the hunters who protected the village instilled, weren't kind people. They skulked in shadows. They were quick to anger. And they sent Nora on more little 'errands' and such in town than she could even remember at the end of the day. Her teeny fingers were deft and sticky, and she was easily able to nick supplies, as long as her hood was pulled up and her eyes weren't peeking out.

She was never caught. She always did a good job. But those who took her in would beat her anyways. Life could only be lived while hungry and bruised and mottled and blue, eyes wide in terror and hair dirty and shorn short to hide its colour.

But god, did she dream. She dreamed of life being different- of being able to afford the little pastries in the cake shop rather than the moldy ones in the trash, or being able to wear the pretty clothes in the boutique windows in town rather than the rags she could find in dumpsters. She dreamed of not having to beg anyone for food, for shelter, for them to not hurt her anymore. And sometimes, when she couldn't dream, broken and tattered and praying that she'd live past that night, she beg the gods for help. She didn't know what 'gods' were, but she often heard her benefactors wish for things over the years.

She didn't know if it would work or not. But no one listened to her anyways, so it didn't hurt to try.

The one thing she never dreamt of, nor asked for, was real human connection. The heart doesn't look for what it never had.

That was why meeting Ren mattered so much to her. That night, amidst the howls and screams of the burning Kuroyuri, she had met Lie Ren, and he had given her that toy hammer, and he had held her in his arms. He had been just as frail and scared as she was. But he hadn't let her go.

He was the first person in her life who offered connection, unconditionally. And she'd never let him go, either.

I can't let him go.

Out of nowhere, red eyes and grinning teeth of white, sharpened bone appeared behind her eyelids, long, draping arms dragging behind giant equestrian hooves. Orange glowed behind those eyes, and the creature's face jerked back and forth- and then, it screamed.

With that single, gut-twisting sound burned into her mind, she opened her eyes. Birds were chirping in the trees. There were no screams filling the air.

Sitting up slowly, she sighed, running her fingers through her bedhead to smooth it out. I didn't think I even remembered what it looked like. Seeing the creature's hoof prints so recently had likely been what had brought it back from the deepest recesses of her mind. Where had she seen the prints? They were in Shion, and Ren saw them in Oniyuri-

And then, everything from the night before came rushing back, and she understood why her face felt so stiff, her eyelids puffy.

Oh, Pyrrha…

She glanced over at Ren, who sat up in his sleeping bag wearily. He looked just as exhausted as she felt. "We should probably get moving."

Jaune propped himself up at the other boy's words. "Yeah, yeah."

Nora's eyes were drawn towards a tree just past their immediate circle around the campfire. Leaning against the base of the trunk was Qrow, the man coughing louder and louder. Nora squinted- she didn't remember him coming back from his walk last night.

Then again, much of the previous night was fuzzy in her memories. All she remembered was the haunting realizations which lingered on, souring the taste in her mouth, making her feel ill.

Qrow coughed even louder. Ren and Jaune turned to look at him, and Ruby quickly scurried over to her uncle's side. After his coughs settled, Nora watched tensely as he lifted his hand away from his mouth.

Even from a distance, she could see that he had coughed out almost purplish blood.

"Well," the man mused in a croaking voice, glancing up at Ruby wryly, "that's unfortunate." And just like that, his hand dropped limply to his side, and his head fell still.

"Uncle Qrow? Uncle Qrow?!" Ruby immediately dropped to her knees, shaking his shoulders. "Guys, he's sick!"

The other three were by her side immediately. Ren gingerly lifted up the man's right hand, which was still pressed into his wound. Seeping through the gauze and the bandage on top was tinted blood, almost plum-coloured in its hue.

Jaune shuddered involuntarily behind Ren, quickly looking away, while Nora could only gawp at the sight. It was completely and utterly unnatural, the colour sending chills down her spine. "What… what is going on?" she breathed.

It was jarring to see how weak and pale Qrow looked, and how terrified Ruby was growing by the second.

Ren bit his lip, looking away from the wound angrily. "I should've realized that the stinger was poisoned," he muttered. "It makes sense. All of that purple liquid that spewed out of his tail must've been something."

Ruby whispered, "Guys… what do we do? We have to save him." Her eyes grew wide, glassy, horrified. "I… I can't do this again. I can't lose Uncle Qrow, too."

"We're not going to lose him, Ruby," Jaune reassured immediately. He frowned, then nodded decisively. "Ren, Nora- set up the stretcher. Ruby and I will pack up camp. Grab something to eat while you work, you'll need your energy."

"We're going to be walking quite a while if we don't know where we're going first," Ren murmured. "Where's the map?"

Jaune sighed, jogging over to his pack. "It should be-" And then, he paused. "It- it's not here." Frantically, the boy began searching through each pocket, digging and digging and digging- but no map turned up in his pockets. Looking up at them plaintively, he cried, "I think I dropped it."

"Where?!" Ruby shrilled, growing more and more distraught. "We have to have another one, right?!"

Ren shook his head. "We only got one from that village a while back, remember? At least, only one that actually showed more updated paths. Following our original map, we'd like get even more lost looking for settlements that don't exist anymore."

"We had it until before we hit Oniyuri…"

Nora cut in, "The empty town is huge. We'll never find it!"

The despair on Ruby's face was heartbreaking. "Well… what should we do?"

Jaune groaned, ruffling his hair angrily. He picked up a sheaf of papers in his bag, then threw them angrily to the side, scattering them in the air. Then, with that out of his system, he stood up, eyes flashing with self-hatred and frustration. "We continue with the original plan," he announced. "We'll go back to the main path. We'll walk as fast as possible, and we're bound to find a rest stop somewhere."

"He needs medical attention. We have no way of figuring out what sort of anti-venom he needs," Ren pointed out.

Nora's eyes fell to the blond's gloved hands, clenching into fists so hard he trembled. "I know," Jaune whispered.

Everyone was frozen still for a moment. Nora stood, dispelling it. "What the heck are we waiting for? We have to get going!" she yelled, racing to where she had packed the stretcher away. Dangit. I can't believe this is happening. Ren quickly joined her, and soon, the stretcher was assembled, and they managed to roll Qrow onto it. The man didn't stir.

And although the night before, all Nora could focus on was her frustration towards the man, now, she just felt fear. He had gotten injured protecting them- and Ruby, her friend, his niece. He didn't deserve this pain, and neither did Ruby.

"He's burning up," Ren commented. He placed a damp compress on the older man's forehead, but Qrow didn't react.

By then, the camp had been packed up, backpacks were adjusted, and everyone was ready to go. Harbinger was tied to the bottom of Jaune's bag, and Ruby kept the first aid kit hanging off her belt so she could easily replace the gauze on Qrow's abdomen. "He's not waking up, guys," she squeaked.

"We'll make sure he's okay, Ruby," Nora murmured. She grabbed the front end of the stretcher, but Jaune stopped her.

"No, Nora. You cover the back, and Ren's in the front. Ruby and I will carry him."

"But-"

He shook his head, motioning for Ruby to grab the front end of the stretcher. "You and Ren are both the fastest at dispatching groups of Grimm, and the ones who know these backroads well. We'd be emitting a lot of negative energy right now if it weren't for Ren-" he flashed the other boy a tight smile, who nodded tersely in response, and Nora noticed for the first time the pink glow which wouldn't leave Ren's hands- "so I want him to save his energy as much as possible. We can carry the stretcher."

Suddenly, Qrow's eyes blinked open, and everyone locked their gazes onto him. "Wha- what's going on?" he coughed, more purplish blood dribbling out the side of his mouth.

Ruby tenderly pulled some gauze out of the first aid kit and wiped his mouth, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "We're getting you some help, Uncle Qrow, don't worry," she whispered.

The man's eyes lifted up to meet hers, and the amount of affection on his unguarded, pained face was hard to even process. "You've done so good, you know that… Ruby? Love ya, kiddo." He blinked when Ruby gasped, choking down a sob. "You… got into Beacon so young… Oz is gonna be so impressed with you…"

The man's eyelids fluttered to a close, and he went back to a fitful slumber once more. Ren pulled Ruby away and directed her back to grabbing the stretcher. "He's hallucinating," he murmured. "We've got to get going, fast."

Nora gripped Magnhild in its grenade launcher form tightly, ready to pop off the safety by the trigger at any second. Jaune was right- they were spewing negativity. If it weren't for Ren, they'd be sitting ducks. The problem was, though, that no matter how much better Ren had gotten at using his Semblance to mask large groups for extended periods of time during their work in Vale, he was still just human. He was going to run out of his own Aura eventually.

And when that happened, she would need to defend them all.

So, they began their hike. Without a map, suddenly every twist and turn seemed ominous. Every branching path felt like a death sentence, the noose hanging around their necks growing tighter the further they walked. Qrow continued to awaken at random to babble, but as time when on, he grew more and more incomprehensible. And for the four able-bodied teens, the sound was even more painful than the tense silence between the four of them.

What could they say, when they had no real hope of saving a dying man?

Walking onwards was agonising. If it weren't for the fact that Higanbana, the last place where they had actually seen a functioning medical centre, was days and days behind them, they would've turned back in a heartbeat. However, with no way to ensure that Qrow could make the long journey- which would be exponentially slower now that they had to carry the tall man the entire time- they had no choice but to keep walking forward.

As the road carried on, Nora's grip on Magnhild grew tighter and tighter, until she knew that the lines on the metal grip were likely imprinted into her hands even through her gloves. The landscape began to reflect their growing darkness, the cloudy sky dreary and depressing. The farther along they walked, the lush greenery and thick canopies above which had outlined the majority of their journey began to fade away, replaced with withered branches and dying plant life. It was as if the land itself was fading, wasting away.

It reminded her of the remainders of Oniyuri and Shion. It reminded her of Kuroyuri.

Nora wasn't surprised, though. The farther along they went, the more Grimm tracks they found. She kept her eyes glued to the trees initially, the thick trunks more than enough to give the creatures the cover they needed- however, with how sparse the plant life became, her eyes became fixated onto the ground.

The moment they saw the tracks of the Nuckelavee, Qrow's death warrant would be signed. There was no way they could defeat it and save Qrow, too. Not when Kalian and Howl and Caelus had always steered clear of the creature-

Not when Ren was so broken.

The further along this unknown path they went, the more Ren's shoulders tensed. She could sense his agitation, his anger, his frustration at not being able to do more for the injured man lying in the stretcher. More than anything, Nora just wanted to run to the front of their convoy and hold onto Ren, because in his stooped posture, she knew that the familiarity and sense of dread was sinking into his bones, too.

They knew this road. She didn't know how, and she couldn't place why, but something about the twisting path and gnarled, barren, skeletal trees on either side clicked with something in her memories.

She didn't like it.

It must have been far worse for Ren. Unlike her, he had never truly moved past what he had lost that night in Kuroyuri. After all, while she had gained her whole world that night- him- he had lost everything he held dear.

By mid-afternoon, there was still no signs of an upcoming village. The winding path they had followed was growing darker and drearier by the second. The journey had affected all of them- Qrow's hallucinations were worsening, and Ruby and Jaune were growing fatigued as they carried the stretcher silently.

After Qrow woke up for the nth time, groaning and shifting and weeping in his delirium, Ruby whispered, "Just hold on, Uncle Qrow."

The man seemed to hear it, but register the words, he didn't. "Tai," he gasped, "She's not... coming..." He grunted in pain, shivering and shuddering, sweat dripping down his temples as the toxin invaded his body further. "Tai." He began to cough repeatedly, then grew limp once again.

"He's getting worse," Jaune murmured grimly.

Ruby chewed her lip. "How much farther?"

Instinctively, Nora wanted to cheer her up. "We've gotta be close," she reasoned, but even she wasn't convinced.

Ren shook his head in front of the group, still stalking with hunched shoulders ahead of them all. "Without the map, there's no way of knowing. But I feel like we're close to something." With those words, Ren's footsteps slowed, and he paused. Quickly, he holstered StormFlower, alerting everyone else.

"What is it?" Ruby asked, confused.

The boy ran wordlessly ahead. Nora followed him without hesitation, hanging Magnhild in its place behind her back. Something was going on.

Ren paused at the end of the path, where it split into opposite directions. In the center of the two new roads was a signpost. Nora quickly scanned the boards as she caught up to him. Higanbana is where we came from, yup, she thought. There were two boards pointing to the right-hand path. Kuchinashi, and… Her heart leapt into her throat, joy blossoming from every pore. "Hey, hey! Mistral! We're on the right path!" She eagerly skidded to a stop next to Ren, pointing to the signboard. However, the boy simply stared at her, not sharing in her joy whatsoever.

What's… what's wrong? Quickly, she looked over to the right-hand path in question. It looked to be extremely mountainous- the exact opposite of what they'd encountered thus far, and one of the worst possible conditions through which they could carry a stretcher.

But it wasn't that which Ren fixated on. Instead, he turned away, shifting back to glance at the single left-facing sign. Nora's eyes flashed over to it, and her heart, which had been so excited just seconds before, fell into her boots. "Oh..."

Scratched out with a knife like so many names had been across the Huntsmen boards along their journey, the left signboard carried the name Kuroyuri.

No wonder this felt familiar. This… this must be the path we followed to escape back then.

A chill sank into her bones at the thought. She had never wanted to return.

As the encumbered pair drew close, Ruby called, "Does it say how close?!"

Ren sighed bleakly. "No. And it looks like the path takes us up through the mountains."

The pair set Qrow's stretcher down gently. Jaune's eyes flicked down to the unconscious man, worry etched into his brow almost permanently. "Guys, I don't know if all of us can make that climb," he admitted.

Ruby paused, then rushed up to the signpost next to Nora and Ren. Pointing at Kuroyuri's signboard, she begged, "Okay. Well, what about this place? Kuro... Kuroyuri? Can we get help there?"

Jaune jogged up to join them as Ren lowered his head, clenching his fists. Nora could only stare at his back as he stepped forward, hiding his face from the others. Ren, we can't-

"That village was destroyed years ago," he muttered.

Jaune offered, "But if it takes us around the mountains, it's the best bet we've got."

Sternly, Ren insisted, "It will take too long!"

Ruby's eyes flashed towards Nora, helpless and wide, praying for her to respond. Nora couldn't. What could she say?

Please let it drop, we can't go that way, please don't fight-

"The town would have had a doctor, right?" the younger girl maintained. "Or maybe we could scavenge for medicine!"

Nora bit her lip, watching each word add fuel to the painful, fiery memories in Ren's heart. She knew why he was fighting this.

But Jaune and Ruby didn't know, and it wasn't their fault that Jaune lit up at the idea of medicine. "Right!"

Guys, just stop, please-

That was enough. Ren shut his eyes, lowering his chin as he cried, "We're not going to find anything! We just have to press on!"

That was likely the loudest, most emotional phrase they had ever heard Ren speak. The boy didn't yell. He didn't shout. Even in combat, his words were piercing, but contained. Ruby and Jaune were stunned into silence, the former clutching her hands in front of her chest as she realized the truth- that Ren truly wasn't going to budge.

Jaune, on the other hand, was growing defensive, confused. Cutting between Ruby, who was close to tears again, and Ren, the boy standing firm in his bitterness, the blond exclaimed, "Ren, why are you acting-"

That was enough for Nora, too. She couldn't put Ren through this.

Cutting Jaune off, she stepped up beside Ren from where she had been watching the three of them crumble. "We can split up," she said smoothly, placing a tender hand on Ren's shoulder. The boy looked back at her at the contact, befuddled by the suggestion.

Ruby was just as confused. "Huh?"

Nora explained calmly, "Ren and I can cut through the mountains while you and Ruby take Qrow around through the village."

The alarm in Jaune's eyes was heart-wrenching. "No, we're supposed to stick together! We keep each other safe!"

God, how Nora wanted to agree. She felt the same way- how did Jaune think they had felt, watching Pyrrha and Jaune disappear during the Fall? Of course she wanted to stick together!

Ren was glaring at Jaune. She could feel him trembling under her hand.

But Qrow was dying, and Ruby didn't deserve to lose someone else. Not while they still had a chance.

"We don't have time for safe! If we make it to Mistral, we'll bring back help! If we don't, we'll at least have a better view of the land! Up there, we can see if there's somewhere else we can go!" She looked up at Ren, praying that he would look back at her.

After a moment, he did. The confusion and grief in his eyes was clear, so she shone him a simple, understanding smile. And he returned it, affection boundless. His tremors ceased. He calmed down.

She dropped her hand from his shoulder, relaxing a little. We'll be okay.

With the barest of movements, he nodded. We will.

The moment was broken as Qrow began coughing once again, even more distressingly than before. They all looked over just in time to see the man's head lift up, then loll back against the stretcher, stilled once again. Thankfully, his laboured breathing could still be heard- but he wasn't getting any better.

They needed to move.

Jaune glanced back at Ruby, then turned to Ren. Through tight lips, he whispered, "Okay." In an instant, all of the defensiveness and animosity fell away. Jaune stumbled up to Ren, and the two of them embraced one another in a tight, warm hug, Jaune clutching the slightly shorter man against him desperately. After a moment, they let go and stepped back. Through teary eyes, Jaune begged, "Just take care of each other."

Nora stepped up to stand beside Ren once again, beaming at him. "We always have," she murmured lovingly.

So, the plan was set. Ren couldn't sense any Grimm presences within the vicinity, so they were safe for the moment. Nora reached out and hugged Jaune, feeling the tall blond shiver and quake in her arms in fear and concern. She held Ruby tight, whispering, "It'll be okay, you'll see," gently into the younger girl's ear, while Ruby could only sniffle and squeeze her tightly back. But soon, Jaune and Ruby were once again holding Qrow's stretcher, standing on the left-hand road heading to Kuroyuri, with Ren and Nora on the right. Jaune looked back at them. Nora waved goodbye. Ren ran off first, and she had no choice but to follow- and with that, she said goodbye to Team JNRR once again.

You have to be safe. You have to come home, Jaune, Ruby.

Because losing Pyrrha had been unfair and cruel. This whole journey, based on the truth Qrow had revealed to them the night before, would be unfair and cruel. Nora had already met her quota of 'unfair and cruel' thrice over in her lifetime, and if she lost those two, too…

No- I can't think about this. We've gotta reach Mistral.

The path was hilly and unforgiving, but they ran along the trail as quickly as they could. No words were spoken, but every once in a while, as they climbed higher and higher along more treacherous peaks, Ren's eyes would shift over to the west- towards Kuroyuri.

Soon, the path began to circle around the mountain, and the forested area where Jaune and Ruby had been heading slipped out of view. After that, Ren's tension seemed to ease slightly, and Nora was able to relax at last.

However, as they circled higher up the mountain, the climb was growing more and more difficult. The wind whistled around the peaks, and even though they were running and jumping and keeping their heartrates high, Nora was still shivering, the chilly wind sinking into her skin, raising gooseflesh on her bared legs.

Ren finally slowed upon a stone outcropping, where the walking path had dwindled to naught but the faintest traces of footprints of the past. Nora sighed in relief, seeing his stillness- slowing down, she tottered up to him, letting her head and arms hang limply in front of her. When she finally reached his side, he commented, "We never get the easy path, do we?" He wasn't bitter, though- now that he had gained enough distance from the prospect of visiting Kuroyuri, he had calmed down immensely.

Nora stretched her arms, resting them behind her head. The wind rustled her orange hair, pushing it off her shoulders behind her. An idle thought popped into her mind- It's never been this long before. Verbally, she chuckled, "Easy's no fun anyway." Dropping her arms to her side, she turned to him, voice gentle. "You okay?"

With a quick nod, Ren hummed. "And you?"

She clasped her hands behind her back, taking a moment to study him. You're okay. We're both okay. And Qrow and Ruby and Jaune are gonna be okay, too. With a small, earnest smile, she murmured, "I've got you here, don't I?"

Bewilderment flashed in Ren's eyes at her sudden tenderness. She didn't mind. Stepping past him with a wave, she walked over to where the beaten path naturally ended up- a jagged cave opening a way's down. "Come on," she admonished playfully. "There's more than one way up a mountain."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Nora grinned. Hopefully the storm would hold off in their area until they made it somewhere safe. She could storm-dive later.

By the time she reached the cave's entrance, however, Ren had barely moved. She rolled her eyes, pausing in front of the rocky formation. To her surprise, a stiff breeze swept through the entrance, flying out at her from somewhere. Tiny leaves and bits of debris and dirt rode the wind, and she had to dodge light branches more than once. Turning around, she pointed at the opening. "Hey! There's wind blowing out of this cave!" Ren quickly caught up with her, and she asked, "Think it might lead to the peak?"

Ren paused, scrutinizing the entrance. "I suppose there's only one way to find ou—ah!" He staggered back as a large piece of fabric suddenly flew out of the cave and covered his face. Nora stepped back, giggling into her hands gleefully- and suddenly, any last bits of worry or concern floated away on the wind behind them, replaced by the confidence that Ren's presence always created in her heart.

As Ren spluttered and pulled the large strip of yellow fabric off of him, draping it over his open hands, he muttered, "Yes, yes. Very funny." But as his eyes fell to the fabric itself, he stilled, expression clouding instantly, tense posture returning.

She frowned, stepping closer to him. "Hey," she coaxed, "what's wrong?"

"This is the symbol for Shion Village."

"Shion?" She leaned in, taking a closer look. Indeed, there was a flower symbol upon the edge of the banner- one she faintly recognized hanging in front of Shion. "But that's... that's the village where we found the Huntsman. It's weeks away from here!" Suddenly, the boy dropped the banner and hurried into the cave. She threw her arm out, but she couldn't grab hold of him in time as she cried, "Ren, wait!"

Immediately, she jogged after him. Thankfully, the interior of the cave was fairly wide and tall, and it was very easy to follow his pounding footsteps through the dank, windy cavern.

She found him paused in a circular room at the center of the cave. On the other side of the cavern was the source of the wind flow- an exit west, nearest to Kuroyuri. But Nora's attention was captured by something else within the cavern entirely.

The entirety of the large, hollow cave was filled with more than a hundred bloodied, broken weapons. Swords snapped to pieces, jagged and glinting in the faint light, littered the ground; arrowheads and polearms were stabbed into the dirt layer at the base of the cavern's wall; lances and shields were strewn about, dented and broken. Banners lay across the ground, tattered and torn, almost like discarded trophies of tribes conquered.

And, near the very back of the round room, was a giant pile of corpses in various stages of decomposition- some were skeletal, and others were still purple and bloated, flies buzzing about. Pools of congealed blood dripped into the pocks in the ground. The stench was horrifying.

She covered her mouth and nose with a hand and tried her best not to gag. She had seen a lot of horrible things in her life, but nothing quite like this. "Oh my gosh…" She caught Ren's eye, the boy's dark eyes wide and alarmed. He quickly stepped forward, retrieving an arrow which lay upon the ground in front of them. Nora could see what he was confused about- the arrow wasn't covered in blood. However, it did smell like rot and decay- like the Grimm.

As she walked up to him, her footsteps dragged to a halt. Ren had been so fixated on the arrow that he hadn't seen the far more terrifying thing just a few feet away.

Tracing the ground in clotted, bloodied dirt, was the indentation of the cloven hoof of the Nuckelavee.

This must be its lair. Now that she knew that, she spun around, the dread and anxiety creeping up within her. Her fingers twitched, ready to grab Magnhild at the slightest movement. Yet, it was clear that the freshest prints, made in yet-to-congeal blood, were heading undeniably in the direction of the second exit.

Towards… Kuroyuri!

Quickly, Nora bolted towards that other exit, Ren hot on her heels. The exit ended in a ledge overlooking the forest below, with no discernable footpath to go down into the forest. As they stood at the mouth of the cave, however, they could see the treetops rustling below them, heading off west- straight to the village. Flocks of birds sprang into flight as the trees rustled along, the warning howls of numerous animals- and, if she focused, some Grimm, too- filled the air.

In the distance, they could see Kuroyuri's empty shell.

Without Ren blocking their negative energy, it must've picked up their scent, especially with Qrow in the mix.

Ruby and Jaune and Qrow were in danger.

Ren shook his head, eyes impossibly wide. "No…" he breathed, unable to tear his gaze away from the determined swaying of the treetops below.

Nora reached out her hand and gripped his tightly. After a moment, he returned the hold with even more fervour, his muscles locking up around her fingers.

Before she could say anything, an ear-splitting, haunting scream echoed through the air, almost sounding like four voices layered on top of one another, howling in agony. Whatever animals had not fled earlier made their move then, escaping the warpath of the formidable Grimm.

"We're going to save them," Nora stated firmly.

"It's going to-"

"And we're stronger than back then. We're going to save Ruby and Jaune, and then we're going to get Qrow out of here."

"Nora-"

"Ren, I am not going to watch my teammates die again!"

Those words shook the boy to the core, and he stared down at her, utterly shocked.

She softened, reaching up to cup his cheek lightly. "We'll look out for each other," she murmured, repeating the sentiment that Jaune had insisted upon before their separation- the sentiment that Ren had shared with her that night in Kuroyuri.

That seemed to break the boy's stupor. "That monster won't take away anything else from us," Ren hissed. He released her hand, and Nora grabbed Magnhild. They didn't have time to find a nice way down, so there was only one real option.

A part of her almost laughed. I guess this is what landing strategies are all about, huh, Professor Ozpin?

She extended the hammer's grip, then placed the hammerhead on the ground, pointing the barrel of the grenade launcher back into the cave. Stepping onto the hammerhead, she left enough room for Ren to join her. Silently, the boy walked onto Magnhild's hammerhead, looping one arm around the hammer's shaft and the other around Nora's waist. She grabbed hold of the arm around her waist, cinching it closer, thanking the heavens for her strength- even though Ren absolutely hated leaping on her hammer, at least she was strong enough to anchor him onto it with ease.

"Let's go."

With that, she pulled the trigger, shooting out an explosive force through Magnhild which sent them flying in a graceful arc through the air straight towards the forest line near the town. The wind whipped past them, their hair and jackets flying back with the sheer acceleration. This was comfortable for Nora. She knew exactly when to step off the hammer and land gracefully. She just had to tell Ren when the best moment to let go of her was, too.

With barely any seconds to spare in their fall, she looked up at Ren. The boy's expression held a mixture of fear, loathing, denial, and pure, unadulterated anger. It was an expression she had never seen from him. Even during the attack on Kuroyuri back when they were children, Ren's smile and calm demeanor was what had helped keep her sane. But this? This wasn't Ren. His eyes glinted manically in the waning afternoon sunlight peeking through the grey, foreboding clouds, and Nora wanted to weep. He looked as if he were ready for vengeance. He looked like a child who had let a wound fester for far too long.

The trepidation in her stomach only grew, and grew, and grew.

She couldn't lose him- she couldn't.

So, Nora begged once again. If there really were two gods who had created Remnant once upon a time, she begged for them to be kind to her for once. She begged them to not take Ren away.

But if they didn't answer, it was up to her to protect Ren. Her grip tightened on Magnhild's handle, heart growing cold, eyes steely with determination. And I won't let him down.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Their landing was far from graceful, but graceful and lithe weren't what they were looking for- speed, on the other hand, was needed. So, the moment their arc almost brought them to the trees, Nora tightened her grip on Ren's arm and cried, "Hold on!" as she pulled the trigger one more time, bringing them clear over the town wall surrounding Kuroyuri. They both landed with a tumble, rolling back to their feet and dashing immediately towards the center of town.

While Nora could normally keep up with Ren, today, she could barely keep abreast with him, quickly lagging behind. The boy was using his longer legs to the fullest, sprinting as if his life- and Ruby, Jaune and Qrow's- depended on it.

The streets were eerily similar to Oniyuri's abandoned roads, except for the fact that all the damaged and broken buildings were in such disarray due solely to attacks, and not because construction had been abandoned. Kuroyuri had been thriving when it fell, after all- the prosperous white walls now grey and blackened with soot and grime and dried blood from nearly a decade earlier.

Strangely enough, Nora felt no attachment as she ran through these streets. She recognized them, of course- that was the easiest fruit stand to nick apples from, over there was the bakery where she had first seen Ren, and on the opposite side of the road was the mayor's house, whose belongings left carelessly by his open windows had always gone mysteriously missing thanks to her quick fingers and the malicious orders from her 'caretakers'.

But the ruined, emptied streets of the skeletal city didn't belong to her. Seeing the rampant destruction and decay didn't impact her heart. What did hurt her, though, was Ren's frantic pleas, the boy whispering, "Not again, not again," over and over again like a perverse mantra.

She couldn't even imagine how crushing it was for him to be walking back into this town again, to be returning to the same old nightmare as a decade ago.

After passing through yet another arch, they found themselves in the central courtyard in the middle of town. It was the widest area, the home of the majority of the businesses and workshops. Nora knew what was waiting for them there- a huge cherry blossom tree in the center of beautifully manicured gardens.

When they came to a stop, panting for breath and muscles screaming for rest after the intense climb and equally-intense fall, Nora's eyes fell upon the cherry blossom tree. It should have been bright green in the summer months, having passed the blooming season already.

It was dead.

However, her heart still soared, seeing Ruby and Jaune standing nervously beside the tree. Qrow was leaning against the trunk, still clutching his stomach, still coughing- but he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

Spinning around to face their resounding footsteps, Ruby's eyes lit up. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Did you hear that noise?" Jaune squeaked, one hand on Crocea Mors' hilt. "What was that?!"

By her side, Ren suddenly fell to his knees, trembling. "No," he breathed.

Ruby started forward, alarmed by his sudden collapse. "Ren! What is it?!"

Nora froze, watching as Ren's panting breaths turned from tiredness to horror. Before her very eyes, Ren's face grew ashen, mouth falling open, eyes locked onto a far-away point in the courtyard.

Ren's senses, and his ability to detect Auras and Grimm, had always been far better than hers.

After a second, she heard it, too. Heavy footsteps, plodding slowly along stone, scratching claws against wood and heavy, thick breaths, all began to creep towards them from somewhere on the other side of the central district.

Nora's back stiffened at the sound. While seeing the remains of Kuroyuri hadn't affected her as much as she'd originally thought it would, hearing those footsteps again brought back all of the fear and dread she had experienced as a child.

Jaune paused, finally catching it, too. "Wait, you guys hear that?"

Weakly, Ren protested, "No…" then he hung his head, clutching his arms around his torso.

"Ren?" Nora squeaked, bending down on one knee next to him. The boy didn't lift his face. The footsteps grew closer and closer, though, and soon, Ruby and Jaune's horrified gasps drew her attention. She caught sight of the creature which had plagued Ren's nightmares his entire life.

Two clawed front feet, followed by two cloven hooves, came to a stop. At first, all they could see was a horse-like shape, the boney Grimm mask acting more as a full helmet making up the entirety of the creature's head, rather than just covering a part of its face. Glowing red lights, malicious and swirling underneath the mask, pulsated with every huffing, loud exhale, streams of black smoke rushing through its nostrils. The creature's ribs shuddered and shook, each bone acting as an exoskeleton over the Grimm's dark flesh- and overtop its bony spine was a flowing mane of black mist.

But the Nuckelavee wasn't a horse Grimm. No, the Nuckelavee, the giant, unique monster which had survived for over a decade in the woods and legends of Anima, the creature of Grimm that even the strongest Huntsmen did their best to avoid, was more like… a cavalryman.

"Drop your bags," Jaune whispered. Silently, Nora complied. She then tugged Ren's pack off his shoulders for him, the boy still collapsed and motionless.

Heaped onto the back of the horse-like main body was a hunched-over, humanoid torso. Bones jutted out of its back alongside what looked to be over a dozen arrows, lances and blades. Two long, gooey arms hung carelessly down either side, so lengthy that they dragged onto the floor. The human-like torso quivered, rattling against the horse's back eerily- then, with sudden, jerky movements, the torso lifted, revealing an unsettlingly-humanoid, yet horned, Grimm mask. The same red glow pulsated through markings on its mask, the eye sockets revealing burning, deadened orange orbs. The mask's sharp teeth opened up, revealing gooey strands of black Grimm flesh oozing and pulling apart, the same fire from the horse's mouth within the human's mouth as well.

Ren raised his head, eyes filled with such despair that Nora almost crumbled. No. We have to stay strong, you can't-

With uncannily sharp, angled motions, the Nuckelavee's head snapped back and forth, until its eyes came to rest on the horrified audience. Then, it opened its mouth wider, and let out another terrifying scream.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose.

The two long, dangling arms by the creature's side began to twitch and shudder, and they shot forward, stretching far beyond their original length to reach out for the quartet.

"Scatter!" Jaune yelled, and immediately, the group sprang apart, narrowly avoiding the beast's clawed hands. Nora grabbed Ren's shoulders and practically tossed him to the side on her way.

"We have to take it down!" Nora yelled. Dragging Ren to his feet unceremoniously, she pulled StormFlower out of his holsters and shoved the bladed guns into his hands. "C'mon, Ren. We've gotta fight."

Those pleading words seemed to awaken the boy at last. He shook off the fear and shock and crouched down, ready to fight, eyes blazing.

"How do we take it down?" Ruby cried, eyes wide and frantic as she used Crescent Rose's gunfire to propel herself up to a low rooftop nearby, trying to gain a vantage point.

Jaune was staring at the Grimm intently, but Nora could see the boy's knees shaking. She didn't fault him for his fear. This Grimm was the most horrifying one any of them had ever seen- the fact that the torso atop the horse was so human made its presence just that much more terrifying.

Finally, the blond called, "Let's bait it out. We have to see how it fights!"

"Got it!" Nora cried.

And with that, they all rushed in. Swinging their blades, they went after the giant creature with blow after blow, desperation and fear fueling each strike. At each attack, though, the monster was easily able to block their strikes and retaliate with twice as much force. They danced around the creature, but nothing was making even the slightest dent.

That was until Nora was finally able to plant one solid swing from Magnhild against the horse's ribcage after an electrifying pulse from her hammer, sending the creature flying straight off its feet into a nearby building. The structure was downed in an instant, collapsing into a puff of dust and flying shard of wood. "Nora, you did it!" Jaune cheered breathlessly as the four of them retreated back near the dead cherry blossom tree.

However, the Grimm didn't stay down for long. Soon, through the cloud of debris and smoke, the clopping of its hind hooves and its silhouette, punctuated by its heavy, angry breathing and glowing red marks, were approaching them yet again. Once it finally cleared the dust cloud, it paused, still twitching just as grotesquely as before. Nora had to fight the urge to curl away from it- everything about the monster sent her fight-or-flight reaction screaming to the nth degree.

Suddenly, the Nuckelavee leaned back, letting out another piercing roar. They all flinched, covering their ears as the sound threatened to deafen them permanently. Then, the Grimm straightened up, jaw clicking open and shut wetly as it stared between them… and the unconscious body of Qrow.

Jaune sheathed his blade and bolted towards Qrow before anyone else could react, dodging one of the demon's arms. He managed to reach the man and dragged him to his feet, draping one arm over his shoulder. The Grimm roared again and began to gallop towards the pair.

Nora gasped, looking over to Ren for an idea. How could they stop the charge?

Ren's eyes were frantic, but after pausing and taking a breath, he knew what to do. He dropped to the floor, sending his Semblance through the ground to block Jaune and Qrow's anxious presence from the Grimm's senses. A wave of pink Aura covered Jaune and Qrow's bodies, and just like that, the Nuckelavee paused, cocking its head from side to side in confusion.

"Just get him to safety!" Ren commanded tiredly. Nora frowned, then gripped her hammer tighter.

He's too tired to keep using his Semblance. We have to distract it. So, she switched Magnhild into a grenade launcher and began pumping all of her remaining rounds into the monster. Once the monster began to scream and direct its attention towards her, she charged ahead, engaging the giant Grimm once more while Jaune staggered off, carrying Qrow to safety behind a nearby building.

Ren and Ruby leapt into the battle with just as much vigor and sheer desperation. They fired bullet after bullet into its black flesh, slashed and sliced at its arms and bony coverings, but nothing seemed to affect it. Every time they stilled to catch their breath, the creature would lock its sights onto them, capturing them with its tentacle-like hands and slamming them onto the ground painfully.

Nothing was working, and with each passing, haggard breath, Nora's heart sank further and further in her chest.

The creature had caught Ren in its grip for the umpteenth time when suddenly, she heard Jaune scream, "Guys, keep moving, go in a circle!"

Nora nodded. She didn't know if it would work, but she trusted Jaune. So, she fired another round into the Nuckelavee's back to distract it, then began to follow Ruby's already-running figure.

Soon, the three of them had settled into a manageable pace. Spinning around the creature clockwise, it was easy to fire at it without letting the monster grab hold of any of them. While they distracted it, Jaune drew his sword and ran up, slicing its leg- but it threw him back before he could do any real damage, and he fell to the floor.

Thankfully, he didn't remain downed. Instead, he climbed back to his feet, sheathed his sword, and pressed a button on Crocea Mors. Suddenly, the grip extended, the shield projected a honed edge, and Jaune was holding a two-handed longsword, ready to cut the monster down.

Nora grinned. Those upgrades were good, huh. As the boy landed a firm strike against one of the beast's haunches, it screeched in pain, actually leaping away from the boy in retreat. They could actually have a chance at taking it down.

And then, the monster extended both of its arms and began to spin in a circle, knocking down every single one of them before they could escape. Everyone yelped and cried in pain, their Auras draining faster than they could recover.

Nora winced and climbed to her feet as the creature howled again, its multi-layered voice sending chills down her spine. We need a different plan, she thought, watching the creature carefully.

However, before they could say anything, Ren ran forwards, firing at the creature on his own. "Ren, wait!" she cried, but the boy didn't listen. He jumped into the dead cherry blossom tree, leaping between branches when the Grimm tried to grab him.

What is he doing? We have to regroup!

Jaune clearly agreed with her sentiment, screaming, "Ren, get back here, you can't fight it alone!"

But Ren's eyes were murderous, and Nora knew that he couldn't hear them.

Why is he fighting alone?

Her heart stopped in her chest, sickening realization crashing over her as the boy flipped and dance and slashed and roared back.

Oh my god, this is revenge for his family.

He couldn't do it on his own. There was a reason no one had been able to down the Nuckelavee- fighting alone was a suicide mission.

She had to stop him. But how?

He managed to evade most of the Grimm's attacks, slicing at its arms whenever the opportunity arose, but he was exhausted, and soon the fatigue led him to make a misstep. Before they could all blink, the Nuckelavee had pinned the boy to a nearby wall, immobilizing him with one writhing extended arm.

Her hackles raised instinctively as the creature began to flex and curl the other arm, twitching, ready to strike. "Ruby!" she hollered, grabbing the girl's attention.

Thankfully, the younger understood her unspoken command. She held the blade of Crescent Rose out, and just like they had multiple times before throughout their journey, she launched Nora towards the boy using a spin of her scythe.

Nora felt her eyes water, the wind irritating them as she flew through the air. She didn't care. All that mattered was that time began to move in slow motion in her mind, and she saw the monster throw its other arm out, claws extended, ready to rend the flesh from Ren's bones.

You're not going to touch him.

Just in time, she intercepted the blow with Magnhild, using it to shield herself from the strike. The force of the attack was bone-rattling, and for just a second, everything went dark- but just as quickly, she was awake and alert, hanging onto the bottom of Magnhild's handle. The hammerhead was pinned by the creature's other claw, leaving her dangling from the wall above Ren.

She squeaked, regaining her balance and tightening her hold on her hammer before risking a look down at Ren. The boy was looking up at her, pure surprise and wonder on his face. However, as she felt the telltale breeze around her legs, her mind slipped away from the battle for a moment and she quickly felt her face flush a deep red. "Stop looking!" she squealed, crossing her legs and folding them up. Don't look up, I'm in a skirt!

Immediately, the boy let out an awkward whine of his own, covering his own eyes.

When she saw that reaction, she smiled lightly. There was some colour in his cheeks from embarrassment, and the quick reprieve had taken his mind off the battle, too. He wasn't glowering like before.

Suddenly, the Nuckelavee sprang back to life. Her panicked cries filled the air as the monster twitched and spun, lifting her up by her hammer and flinging her around. The world spun as she made contact with the ground once, twice, three times, each time being thrown against the cobblestones below with enough force to break them- and to almost entirely deplete her Aura.

By the time she landed, everything was dark. The amount of force which had struck her- it rivalled even the beating she took during the battle for Beacon. Her Aura kick-started the healing process, and she winced, feeling a whining gasp slip through her lips as ribs began to knit themselves back into wholes again.

However, she didn't have enough time to rest. A sudden crash and cry of pain by her side caught her attention, and she forced herself up on her hands and knees, looking over at Ren's pained figure. He had been flung off to the side, just a scant few feet from her. The boy raised himself up, clearly injured- his own pink Aura was going haywire, trying to mend the wounds sustained- but he wasn't backing down.

He didn't even turn and look at her, injured beside him. His eyes were solely focused on the Nuckelavee, all of the silly embarrassment from just moments ago having vanished, instead piercing the creature with pure hatred and rage once again.

In return, the monster pawed the ground with its two front feet, getting ready to mow them down. Nora glanced around- Magnhild was within reach, but she couldn't see StormFlower anywhere. Yet, Ren wasn't backing down. Is he… gonna rush it without a weapon?!

He's going to die.

She didn't think beyond that. The Grimm reared on its hind legs before racing towards them. Ren crouched and got ready to pounce, as if he was planning on wrestling the giant monster barehanded. So, Nora stood, and using all of her remaining strength, she leapt forward and tackled Ren underneath the nearest building.

She blinked slowly, lying on top of Ren for a moment before the boy slid out from under her.

Ren, you can't do this.

Completely ignoring her presence, he tried rushing back out to face the creature. The sounds of the battle continued on, Ruby and Jaune's panicked cries filling the air in their absence. Immediately, Nora grabbed Ren's wrist, pulling him back when he tried to rejoin the fight. She could feel how tense he was, veins popping out of his hands and neck in exertion. His Aura flitted across his body, wounds still nowhere near fully healed, and yet, he kept tugging away from her, trying to free himself.

She allowed her head to fall forward, disbelief and pure grief coming together into a twisted smile on her lips. She just couldn't believe it.

"Nora, let go!" Ren spat, more malice and frustration in his voice than Nora had ever heard before. Each word stabbed into her soul, chipping away at her.

Ren, please, stop it. You can't.

"Nora, they're going to get hurt if we don't-"

That's it.

Without warning, without even bothering to raise her head, Nora slapped him across the face with the back of her hand. The air underneath the raised building suddenly stilled, and she heard him slowly shift, shuffling towards her in a crouch.

She had never hit him before- not outside of sparring. Not without a smile on her face, without rushing over and checking if he was okay afterwards.

Not while she was so close to tears.

The back of her hand somehow stung more than any of the wounds caused by the Nuckelavee.

She released his arm, dropping her own hands into her lap.

"…Nora?"

"No."

She heard him sharply intake breath, but she couldn't bring herself to raise her head. Her eyes were locked onto her hands, fingers curled up slightly in her lap. She was shaking- god, how she wanted to be strong, to calmly explain how dangerous his actions were. But the only thing in her mind was that almost a decade ago, Ren had been here to hold her when she the most scared she'd ever been, and he was the most important person to her, and she loved him so much-

And if she didn't do anything, she was going to lose him.

"I won't let you kill yourself like this," she whispered, feeling the tears well up into her eyes. She couldn't stop them. "After everything we've been through, I won't let it end." Finally, she raised her head, meeting his eyes with her own- watery, the palest blue.

When they had first escaped Kuroyuri as children, Ren had said her eyes were pretty. Not cursed- pretty.

Please understand, Ren.

She nearly sobbed. "Not like this."

If she lost Ruby or Jaune, her heart would break. She'd crumble and fall, weep and scream- but she'd recover one day.

If she lost Ren… who would she become?

Ren's eyes widened upon meeting hers, his brows drawing together as he finally understood just how broken she felt. But Nora knew- he didn't truly understand just how deeply the fear of losing him had invaded her heart.

God, she wanted to tell him.

It wasn't the time. She had never confessed her feelings openly to him because he had never been ready, and she wasn't about to pressure him into giving her an answer right then and there. They had more important things to worry about.

But as Nora watched Ren's mouth fall open in regret, absolutely shell-shocked in her distress, another face slipped into Nora's mind. Pyrrha. Pyrrha wanted to say it. Pyrrha wanted to tell Jaune. She was supposed to have four whole years to tell him, a lifetime to tell him how she felt.

Her own tears finally spilled out, trailing down her cheeks, scalding in their heat. …is this how Jaune felt, watching Pyrrha go that night?

The thought made her sick.

There's never enough time, is there?

Ren sighed, hanging his head in weariness and shame. After taking a moment to collect himself, he raised his eyes again, plaintive and frightened. He quickly reached down to his right boot, pulling out a long, curved knife from its sheath within.

His father's knife lay across his open palms. The boy's expression was a mix of emotions- frustration, fear, hopelessness. Nora smiled sadly. She knew all he wanted to do was protect his loved ones, and ensure that he never lost anyone to the monster outside ever again.

And she was going to make sure that that desire was fulfilled, no matter what.

Gently, she folded his fingers around the hilt of the knife, holding his hand with her own. He looked up at her, confused, but she simply wiped her tears away and grinned determinedly.

We've lived through imprisonment and abuse and neglect and loss and suffering. We're going to make it.

She simply wouldn't allow anything else.

Don't worry, Pyrrha. I'll make sure to tell him when he's ready.

For now, all she said was, "We can do this."

The boy's eyes searched hers, worried and nervous. But soon, she grinned, and his brow furrowed in resolve. Together, he seemed say to say as he nodded.

Always, she nodded back.

With that, they stepped out from underneath the building. Nora walked over and retrieved Magnhild, while Ren simply stood, his father's knife clasped firmly in his hands. Seeing them walk out, Jaune ran over, relief clear as day on his face. Ruby soon scurried to join them, the four standing off against the Nuckelavee, the nightmarish creature pacing in front of them.

"Ren," Ruby called, Crescent Rose at the ready, "Jaune and I can take care of its arms."

Nora tightened her grip on her hammer. "I'll take care of the horse," she stated firmly, glancing over to the boy.

Ren sucked in a deep breath, then relaxed. His previous wild anger and hatred had dissipated, leaving behind nothing but calm determination. This was the Ren they all knew and loved. "And I'll take care of the rest," he agreed.

Nora caught his eye. Be safe, she mouthed.

His eyes softened. Okay.

With that, she turned on her heel and sprinted to a nearby building. The Nuckelavee's main body was slow. Unlike during the fight with Tyrian, who was too small and quick of a target to land a solid hit on, this creature fought from a fairly stationary position.

She was going to relish in destroying it.

As she climbed to the highest rooftop above the central courtyard, she heard the creature roar and scream as Jaune, Ren and Ruby all worked together to pin the creature down. As she reached the apex of the building, Jaune managed to stab through the creature's only free arm, eliciting another scream as the blond bore down on his sword, holding the creature's arm down. It struggled, but Ruby had already caught its other long, extending limb, meaning that it was effectively trapped.

"Nora!" Ren cued.

She turned away from the courtyard, holding Magnhild with both hands, taking a deep breath. Her feet were planted firmly on the edge of the roof. Using her remaining Aura, she could feel the Grimm's presence right below her, stuck in place.

Caught you.

And so, she pulled the upgraded trigger on her hammer, feeling pure energy and power rush through her body from head to toe, before letting herself fall backwards, unable to stop the excited grin slipping onto her face. The orange-haired girl felt the wind rush past her face, and she chuckled as she dropped from the large height. Her momentum only increased as she fell, and she flipped, her laughter ringing out louder and louder as she pulled Magnhild's projectile trigger and swung her hammerhead down onto the horse-like mask with every ounce of strength she could muster.

The humanoid torso screeched in agony, and she had never felt more powerful as the horse's body collapsed to the ground, motionless.

When she finally stood up again, Ren was standing in front of the humanoid mask. It screamed into his face, its pain piercing and earth-shattering. Ren didn't even flinch, heart completely calm.

Her eager smile fell away, replaced by pure awe and pride.

With a few quick strokes, Ren sliced off both long, tentacle-like arms, ignoring how the creature writhed and twisted. He slashed across the torso's glowing, bony chest plate, revealing more black flesh and smoke oozing out of fiery innards.

And then, he sighed, murmuring just loud enough for her to hear, "For myself."

He beheaded the Nuckelavee in one quick strike, and the humanoid torso slumped over the horse's back, quickly dissipating into black smoke. The rancid scent of the Grimm filled the air, mist rising into the clouds, wafting away on the wind. Soon, the entire shadowy, fleshy mass had disappeared, the glowing red marks peeking through white, aged bones dulling and fading away forever.

The Nuckelavee, the nightmare which had haunted her and Ren for years, was finally dead.

She dropped Magnhild the same time Ren dropped his knife, both weapons landing on the ground with a clatter. But while Ren hunched over, absolutely exhausted, Nora took off running towards him. Before he could evade, she launched herself towards him, tackling him to the ground for the second time in five minutes.

But this time, there was no fear or concern in her heart. They had won. They were alive.

And Ren was still by her side.

The giggles which spilled forth from her lips couldn't be contained as she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his collarbone. She kicked her feet up in the air behind her gleefully, joy only skyrocketing when she felt him relax underneath her, his arms wrapping around her back just as tightly.

They were alive. She couldn't tell if she was crying, but she didn't care.

The gods might not give us time, she thought happily to herself, but dammit, I'm going to make time.

Suddenly, Jaune called, "Guys! I think I hear something!"

Nora unwillingly released Ren, helping the exhausted boy to his feet. "It's… an airship?" she murmured out loud.

"…Two of them," Ren breathed, picking up his father's knife from by their feet.

And so it was. Two large Mistralian airships, wooden and rustic, so different from the Atlesian Bullheads and carriers which they were so accustomed to seeing from their time at Beacon, were flying towards the central courtyard. As they approached, the duo could see red lights flashing from their wingtips and bow, the light flashing in time with warning tones, indicating that the ships were coming in to land. In the emptied clearing where the Nuckelavee had been lying only minutes before, the two ships touched down, the air currents pushed off from their mighty wings rushing past Nora.

She turned to look at Ren. "We made it," she whispered.

He nodded, in awe of the sudden help.

One of the crew members came out, and Nora immediately ran forward. "Please, we need to get to Mistral," she cried overtop of the sound of the whirring engines. "We have someone who was poisoned!" She pointed to where Jaune had stashed Qrow during the fight- from around the corner, Ruby popped out, waving the crew over.

The man looked them all over, sending his crewmates out with a stretcher once the rest of them exited the vessels. He removed his helmet momentarily, running a hand through short black hair, muttering, "What in the world are you all doing out here? There's some fearsome Grimm in these parts. You wouldn't want to get caught by-"

"The Nuckelavee," Ren finished for him. "It's dead."

With that, the man stopped in his tracks, examining Ren and Nora's battered forms. "You… you lot killed it?" he breathed in shock.

Nora retrieved Magnhild, folding it up and stowing it away on her back. "Yup!" she saluted cheerily. "You're welcome!"

The man scoffed in disbelief, his words laced in awe. "That… that monster has been around for years. How did you…?"

Ren looked over to her, catching her eye. "We just… fought together," he murmured meaningfully.

Nora's heart almost exploded out of her chest.

The crewmember simply shook his head, absolutely stunned. His team was bringing Qrow back to one of the vessels on a stretcher, with Ruby walking alongside him. Jaune had gathered all of their packs, along with StormFlower, handing everyone's belongings to each person. Ren holstered his guns and added, "It won't destroy any more lives, don't worry."

"In that case," the older man sighed, "we've got to give you the royal treatment, huh? Don't worry. We'll get to Mistral quick and save your friend there. Climb on board- I've got to call ahead to the emergency hospital so they can prepare treatment for him."

Smiling wearily, the duo boarded the second airship. Jaune followed Ruby and Qrow onto the first one, and soon, they were up in the air, soaring over the forest. Below them, the skeletal trees around Kuroyuri disappeared, the forests turning lush and green once more. As the evening fell, the clouds upon the horizon had begun to lift, light shining in the distance.

Nora took a seat on the edge of the airship's open hold, letting her feet hang over the ledge. The fierce wind blowing through her hair felt delightfully refreshing, and she breathed in deep. It was so clear up here- so different from how stifling the forest and village had been. She could finally breathe again.

Ren took a seat by her side, and she flashed him a quick smile before turning her head back to the front, looking ahead.

In the distance, after what felt like forever, Nora could finally see it- the first city she could remember ever wandering through. As a child, it had looked terrifying in its grandeur, but from up there, the city of Mistral was glorious, built into the face of the tallest mountain in the region. The unique architecture of the locals, with their distinctive timber frameworks and patterned glazed roofs, were visible even from far away. The waterfall pouring through the side of the mountain and falling gracefully into a breathtaking river below, winding through the city, was absolutely magical, sparkling white with rainbow hues glittering in the misty spray.

And at the very top of the mountain was a CCTS tower at the very center of an imposing set of buildings. Although she had never seen it in person, she knew what it was.

They were going to make it to Haven. Their journey had ended.

Suddenly, she froze, eyes popping wide open, back stiffening as if lightning had struck her yet again. A warm, large, callused hand covered her left hand, which she had been leaning back upon. Trying to stop herself from trembling, she looked down to her left, seeing Ren's own partially-gloved hand covering hers tenderly.

She gave up her pretenses. Allowing her fingers to shake, she turned her palm upwards, grabbing hold of his hand gently. He squeezed her palm, touch cozy and warm and perfect in hers.

Had he ever reached out for her outside of a moment of duress?

Unable to keep the expectant smile off her face, she raised her eyes to meet his. Waiting for her was Ren, magenta gaze full of something she could only call adoration, a tiny, hopeful smile of his own mirroring hers.

Is it time?

She squeezed his hand. He squeezed back.

Carefully, she released his hand, and he stopped short for a moment, smile falling away into heartbreak instantly. She almost broke out laughing- instead of pulling away, she simply slipped her fingers between his, intertwining them, holding him close.

The relief on his face was tangible, and she almost cried.

It's time. We made it.

She scooted closer to him. He didn't pull away. She leaned her head against his shoulder, nuzzling into him, peering up at his face.

And, for the first time, he leaned his head onto hers, his smile just as gentle and loving as hers.

He feels the same way.

Everything in this moment was absolutely perfect.

The Nuckelavee was gone. Ren was at peace for the first time in their lives, and Nora knew, with all the confidence in the world, that he wouldn't have nightmares about Kuroyuri anymore. He had avenged his family at last. They had survived that demon of their memories. They had won.

And Ren was still by her side, closer now than ever before.

It's now or never.

With the least movement possible, she turned her cheek and pressed her lips against his bare shoulder. I love you.

He didn't move away.

Instead, she felt him shift- hesitant, shy. She sucked in a breath, holding still.

His lips pressed against her temple, and he nuzzled into her hair. The tears spilled from her eyes at last, and she just giggled, stupidly happy at the sensation.

Immediately, Ren pulled away. "Nora, what-"

But she just wiped her eyes and beamed at him, hugging his right arm to her chest, their fingers still interlaced on her other hand. She couldn't speak.

Pyrrha, I told him. We're okay. I waited, and I did it.

Pyrrha would've been so happy for her.

But Ren's left hand, curious and careful, reached up and wiped her tears away with his thumb. Nervously, he cupped her cheek, lifting her face up to look at him. She held her breath, their noses only a few inches apart.

His eyes were searching, wondrous. He tried to say something, but the words caught in his throat, and he blushed.

"Ren, it's okay," she soothed instinctively. And it was. She didn't need him to say anything. This moment didn't need words to affirm how they felt.

He bit his lip, then relaxed, pulling his hand away from her face. After a moment of deliberation, he reached up and tapped her lightly on the nose.

"…Boop," he whispered.

She bawled harder, losing all her strength.

He really loves me, too.

With that, Ren began to laugh aloud, squeezing her hand reassuringly. He wrapped his other arm around the back of her head, holding her sobbing face against his chest. "I'm here, Nora," he chuckled, but his voice was so loving that she only cried harder.

After a lifetime of waiting, everything was perfect.

Pyrrha... I did it.

The rest of the journey into Mistral was a blur. By the time they landed, she had calmed down. When Ruby and Jaune saw her puffy eyes, they were alarmed, but Ren quickly reassured them that everything was alright.

He didn't let go of her hand the entire time, either.

One of the paramedics in the hospital recognized Qrow as one of Professor Ozpin's agents. "He comes to me whenever he's injured on a mission in the area," the woman explained briskly. She was a talented doctor, as it turned out- within the hour of his arrival, she had managed to deduce exactly what curatives the man needed, simply based on the his blood sample and the description of a 'scorpion Faunus' venom'. So, Qrow's condition was stabilized by nightfall, and they were able to bring him to a rest house. "He usually stays here during his trips. I believe it's normally reserved for visiting Huntsmen from Beacon, so it works out perfectly for you all."

With that taken care of, they were able to tuck Qrow into one of the beds upstairs and unwind a little. Ruby smiled at them all, murmuring, "I'm gonna go sit with Uncle Qrow until he wakes up," before disappearing upstairs. Her relief and accompanying exhaustion was clear as day. She needed some rest.

Jaune sighed, dumping his pack onto the living room floor. "I'll be upstairs, too," he said, although his expression was a little more troubled. But he clearly wanted some space, so there was no point pressing further.

Nora nodded. "Okay!" She waved at the two of them, then walked out the back door of the house.

There was a patio out back which gave them a wondrous view of the city. It faced east, meaning that the sunrise would likely be breathtaking. I'm gonna watch it, she promised to herself. How long had it been since they had had the time to simply watch the sunrise and sunset peacefully?

"This place," Ren murmured carefully. "It would've been our home if we chose Haven Academy."

She hummed in response. "I'm glad we chose Beacon."

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling gently at her.

She nodded, grinning softly. "We met Pyrrha and Jaune and Ruby and everyone there, after all."

"…even though we were far from Caelus and Howl, and Kalian?"

Nora chuckled. "We'll find them. We've made it to Mistral, right? That doesn't mean we have to stop looking."

Ren's eyes scanned the city. "You're right," he murmured ruefully. "We'll find them."

"They're family, after all."

She couldn't bite back the smile that emerged automatically as Ren shyly grabbed her hand again. "Family," he agreed.

After a few minutes of simply enjoying the brisk evening air, Nora pushed away from the balcony. "Jaune's probably moping huh?"

Ren snorted lightly. "Let's go find him."

Just as expected, when Nora creaked open the door of the boys' bedroom, Jaune was seated on the floor, leaning back against the bed. A frustrated scowl painted his lips as he stared at something on the wall opposite. Glancing over, Nora saw Crocea Mors propped up by the door, the shield and sword fully expanded, Pyrrha's circlet facing Jaune.

Upon seeing them, though, Jaune's expression relaxed slightly, a self-deprecating smile on his lips. Nora walked forward, slipping next to the blond. As she settled in beside Jaune, she saw Ren unsheathe his father's dagger, leaning it against the wall next to Jaune's shield. She leaned her head against Jaune's shoulder, while feeling the bed dip behind her back as Ren took a seat on the mattress, his hand reaching down to rest upon her shoulder.

"That is my father's dagger," Ren murmured after a few moments of comfortable silence. "The Grimm we fought- it's known as the Nuckelavee. It haunted Mistral for years."

"You've… seen it before, haven't you," Jaune replied solemnly.

"Yes. That monster is what destroyed Shion, and Oniyuri- and Kuroyuri."

"Bandits did it all first," Nora added. "But that Grimm always came after."

Jaune sighed. "…Kuroyuri was your home, wasn't it? The one that was destroyed."

"It killed my family."

Jaune froze. Nora patted Jaune's knee comfortingly, not bothering to move her head from his shoulder. "It's okay, Jaune. You didn't know."

"I'm sorry for forcing you to go there in the end, anyway."

"It's okay," Ren insisted. "I'm… I'm glad we went. No more people's lives will be destroyed by that creature ever again."

Jaune didn't respond, eyes drifting from the dagger to his sword and shield.

Quietly, Nora murmured, "Pyrrha would be so proud of you, Jaune. Your training is paying off."

At the mention of her name, Jaune began to silently weep, and she reached a hand up behind him as he hunched over, patting the boy's back comfortingly.

"She loved you."

He cried harder.

"But don't be sad anymore, Jaune. We… don't know what's coming next, with the… Maidens, or whatever. But she died fighting for what she believed in. And we've all gone through far too much to be sad, right?"

Ren kindly added, "And she's still here with us. Always."

They let Jaune weep with tiny, knowing smiles on their faces. They had made it to Mistral. They had gotten Ruby there, safe and sound. And although the journey hadn't been smooth, the wounds from the Fall of Beacon were healing properly at last. There would be time for more questions and answers about Professor Ozpin's role, and Pyrrha's loss, later. For now, they'd rest.

Eventually, Ren swung his legs around the bed to rest behind Jaune's head. The blond leaned back against his legs, tuckered out from the tears. "She'll always be here with us," he whispered. And he reached up and pulled the red and gold ring, still hanging around his neck on that thin chain, out from his hoodie, clutching it tight to his chest.

Nora smiled, content. They were together. And that was all that mattered.

-end of volume 4-

Chapter Text

She was going to lose it.

Qrow waxed, “The City of Mistral…” His voice reverberated with the same nostalgic glow it had carried for the last thirty minutes, ever since they had left their lodgings. It echoed off the dimly-lit stone walls, the pathway illuminated only by the boxy, ornate lanterns posted every few metres along the sides of the ceiling, the lights casting multiple dancing shadows around them as they walked forward.

“Ugh, it’s about time!” she scoffed instinctively. We’ve been in the tunnels forever! “Whose idea was it to walk again?”

Ruby and Jaune chuckled a step ahead of her, but Ren turned to look back at her, sensing her unease. Seeing how her brow was knitted, her mouth pressed in a grim line, his eyes softened. “Well, we did face many obstacles,” he soothed, reaching back with his hand sneakily and holding it out.

Her lip wobbled, and she quickly reached out, gripping onto his like a lifeline. The boy squeezed her hand gently before releasing it again, avoiding the others’ detection.

Ren knew.

He continued, “Broken airships, destroyed settlements... “

Jaune chimed in, “Oh, and, you know, all those people and monsters that tried to murder us.”

On his right, Ruby scoffed, “Pfft, we were fine.” Nora’s nose crinkled in amusement as she saw Ruby’s knowing, mildly accusatory look at Qrow as she added, “Only one of us almost died.”

Over his shoulder, Qrow retaliated, “Hey.”

Nora rolled her eyes, propping her hands onto her hips and raising a brow at Ren. Only ‘one’ of us?

Sensing her gaze, the boy glanced back at her, smiling gently. “Hey,” he murmured, a flash of guilt in his eyes quickly overtaken by gratitude.

The orange-haired girl giggled, feeling her expression soften for what felt like the first time during their whole trip through the tunnels. Ren had made it. The Nuckelavee was dead.

They were in Mistral at last, and they were finally together-together. Everything would be okay.

Everything will be okay. We’ll be out of here soon enough. She breathed in deep, closing her eyes and centering herself for a moment. The dim corridors and dark tunnels of Mistral were always enough to put her body in fight-or-flight. Despite having been back to the city years after her childhood there, even smelling the mountain air was enough to send her into a mild, hidden panic. She hated it, but it was inevitable. It’s okay, I’m almost out of here.

Jaune asked, “So, how much farther to Haven Academy?”

Qrow replied, “Almost there. But I figured I'd take you kids on the scenic route.” As he spoke those words, the group finally found themselves in front of two massive double doors, the thick wood only marked by two large, round brass handles. On the wall to their left was inscribed a small sign, barely legible in the darkness: Elevator UP to Haven Academy.

Grabbing both handles, Qrow flung the doors open, flooding the tunnel in blinding light.

Nora winced, feet glued to the ground for a moment. Ruby, on the other hand, was just a little bundle of excitement. The younger girl jogged exuberantly onto the platform of the lift, giggling as she finally reached the railing opposing the doorway.

Still, Nora didn’t move for a moment. I… don’t want to go out.

A gentle hand on her shoulder squeezed, and Ren’s soft voice murmured in her ear, “We’re almost there, Nora. Let’s go.”

Gritting her teeth, she nodded resolutely, following the others out onto the elevator platform without looking back.

As Ruby cooed over the splendour of the view, the rest of the group joined her at the edge of the platform. “This... is... awesome!” Ruby shrieked, jumping in the air.

Nora walked up to the younger girl’s left, looking out into the distance. Ruby was right- from up here, the view was beautiful, indeed. The unique architecture that was so prevalent on Anima had originated in Mistral, after all- beautiful pagodas and palace-like structures sloped up the steep, mossy mountainsides of the city, filling every nook and cranny with tall, statuesque buildings, all white paint and earthy brown wood and red clay shingles. On the upper levels, where they stood, one could see the valleys extending as far at the eye could see, with the clouds peeking over distant hills giving space for rays of sunshine to light up sparkling waterfalls and winding, elaborate staircases.

Mistral, from up here, was indeed a beautiful city.

Qrow chuckled, “It's certainly something.”

His niece, leaning over the railing to peer at the lower-level marketplaces, pointed down below. “Oh my gosh, look at all the weapons!” she squealed.

The markets of Mistral were famous for their products and diversity- everyone from every walk of life could be found in one of the seven large Mistralian markets. If you needed anything, you could find someone along the lower levels to help you with it.

Nora chewed her lip as Qrow explained, “Vendors here'll sell you just about anything... whether they should or not.”

Yeah. Yeah, they will. Quickly, she averted her eyes from the marketplace below, despite the bustle of the crowd and the calls of vendors sounding lively and bright from their elevator platform.

“They really made the most out of these mountains.” Jaune whistled appreciatively.

“Every inch,” the Huntsman replied warily. “Stay away from the lower levels.”

I know. She knew full well what the lower levels, the slums, of Mistral were like.

She sighed shaking her head. She hadn’t expected being back in the city to affect her like this. After all, it had been years since her life on the street, and she was so much stronger now.

She felt a light touch against the small of her back, and instantly, a wave of calm washed over her. To her left, she saw Ren show her a small, knowing smile. His right arm glowed pink as his Semblance flowed into Nora, and her negative emotions were soothed instantly.

The last time we were here, Kalian and Caelus almost set half the city on fire to protect me. No one’s going to mess with us now. We’ll be fine.

Qrow added, “The higher up you go, the nicer it gets.”

She put on a wide smile, mustering up all her energy to announce, “And we are going up!”

The elevator ride itself was fairly peaceful. It was one of the few lifts that carried visitors all the way up to Haven Academy, which sat upon the highest peak in the heart of the city- and, with it being mid-summer, there were no students coming in and out of the school grounds, either. So, Nora was able to enjoy some quiet, keeping her eyes fixed on the horizon as the sounds of the markets faded away into the distance, replaced by the loving chatter between Qrow and Ruby.

It felt good to listen to the two of them banter like that, with Jaune’s occasional quips breaking their circular conversations every once in a while. Despite the battle in Kuroyuri having raged less than a week earlier, the image of Qrow’s helpless, deathly-pale expression was still burned into everyone’s minds. And, while Nora still didn’t trust him- he was still a Branwen, after all, and she still hadn’t gotten the answers she wanted from him in regards to that factoid- she wanted Ruby to be happy. Ruby was her friend. Ruby deserved to have her uncle by her side.

It didn’t mean that she had to enjoy being so close to the lower levels, though. Thank goodness our lodging house is pretty high up.

Finally, they exited the platform and walked through towering wooden gates, into the giant, enclosed campus of Haven Academy.

Nora looked around curiously, taking in the view. She had never been there before, so the cluster of black-roofed, white-walled, traditional Mistralian buildings was new to her. Just beyond the gates was a large, perfectly-manicured courtyard leading up to what looked to be the central building of the campus, the walkway lined with tall, sloping lanterns. Peeking out around every corner were low, sculpted trees, their branches thick and gnarled like arms poking behind each building.

She paused alongside the others, Qrow’s slow, weary footsteps trailing behind. Over the edge of the central building stood Haven Tower, the CCTS’ oddly-Valean design in sharp contrast with the silhouette of Haven’s architecture.

She winced. It stung seeing the intact CCTS tower.

Ren paused at her side. “We’ll make sure this one stays safe,” he whispered, as if reading her mind.

She nodded. “We will.”

After all, that was why they had come to Haven Academy in the first place- to protect the CCTS. To find Professor Lionheart, the headmaster of Haven, and to develop a countermeasure to the inevitable attack from Salem’s forces.

To protect the Relic.

For Pyrrha.

With that, the group stepped forward again towards the central building.

Oddly enough, despite the lack of students around, the door was completely unlocked. “Hello?” Ruby called hesitantly. Qrow slipped ahead of them, walking down red, gold-trimmed rugs with hunched shoulders and hands tucked into his pockets. He said nothing, however, and the only sound in the hallways was the dull plodding of their footsteps.

Ruby tried again, cupping her hands around her mouth, voice nervous. “Hello?!”

Nora paused by her side. “Maybe try… louder?” she offered. She didn’t know why it was so silent, either.

“There doesn't seem to be anyone here,” Ren observed, puzzled.

Jaune offered, “Well, I guess school isn't really in session right now. Maybe that's it.”

Qrow shook his head from up ahead. “No, this isn't right,” he said lowly. “Come on.” With that, he broke into a nervous jog down the long corridor ahead.

“Wait for us!” Ruby cried, and the four of them hurried after the man after traded worried looks. Something was wrong.

After what felt like a maze of stairs and corridors and winding paths, the five of them finally reached a pair of wooden double doors. On the side of the hall read the nameplate Leonardo Lionheart: Headmaster. Qrow paused ahead of the rest of them, leaving them to linger behind. Nora tensed as the man pulled out his sword, spinning it deftly and extending the blade.

Something is really wrong here, Nora thought, watching the man lower his stance, ready to strike. Where was the headmaster? Weren’t they supposed to meet him by the entrance?

“Get ready,” Qrow growled, all business. “There could be trouble.”

The quartet nodded and drew their own weapons. Nora squinted at the door, pointing Magnhild’s grenade launcher at the double doors, ready to blast whoever could come their way.

Taking a deep breath, Qrow raised his foot and kicked the doors wide open… revealing a terrified man, his thick mane and beard of grey almost standing on end in shock as he took in the sight of the five armed fighters. The man opened his mouth, threw his hands in the air, and let out a pathetic scream.

Nora, Jaune and Ruby yelped as well. Who was this man?

Suddenly, Qrow fell backwards, off-balance after kicking the door open. Almost in response, the strange man’s eyes rolled back into his head, his hand fell upon his heart, and he let out a warbled cry before collapsing on the ground as well.

Nora stared at the prone duo, dropping Magnhild’s muzzle towards the ground. “What the heckie…?” she murmured, absolutely dumbfounded.

As Qrow pulled himself back together, sitting upright with a start, Ruby mumbled, “Uh, Professor Lionheart?”

With a cough, the man sat upright, glaring at Qrow as he came back to his senses. “Qrow! For crying out loud, you nearly scared me half to death!”

Qrow stood, his mouth set in a grim sneer. “Me? Why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance?”

That seemed to shock the man. “Huh?” He reached into his coat, pulling out a small pocket watch with trembling fingers. His eyes lit up in understanding as he read the time. “Oh, right. Apologies. I guess time slipped away from me.”

Qrow deflated. “You're joking.”

The man finally pulled himself up to his feet, and Nora tucked her weapon away. As everyone else did the same, she asked the question which had been plaguing them throughout the trip. “Where is everybody?”

Almost as if he had finally caught sight of them for the first time, the man softened, his tone growing kind and welcoming. “Ah, you must be the students Qrow mentioned.”

“Yes, sir,” Ruby replied with a salute. “Ruby Rose.”

Jaune, Nora and Ren introduced themselves similarly, eliciting a chuckle from the older man. “A pleasure to meet you all,” he rumbled. “Leonardo Lionheart, at your service.”

Lionheart, schmionheart, what kinda scaredy-cat are you? Nora scoffed, waiting for Qrow to kick things off.

Giving them all a little bow, the headmaster explained, “I'm afraid most of my staff is currently away until classes resume, but-“

The other Huntsman leaned forward, stepping into Professor Lionheart’s face. “What? Leo, you can't be serious,” he hissed. “Who's guarding the Relic?”

Panicked, Professor Lionheart whispered, “Qrow, the children-“

“Already know,” Qrow stated coldly, words rushing out in disbelief. “I filled them in. What do you mean your staff is away?”

It almost took a moment for the information to process in the headmaster’s mind. “You... filled them in?” he breathed, glancing worriedly over the four former students waiting behind Qrow.

Nora glanced around. Everyone looked uneasy and confused. Putting on a wry air, she leaned over to Ruby, murmuring, “So, is this not going at all like anyone thought it would?”

The younger girl, who had been clutching her arm anxiously as she watched the exchange, giggled involuntarily at that. “Uncle Qrow,” Ruby called, “can we… talk inside the office?”

At that, Qrow shoved a finger into Professor Lionheart’s chest accusingly. “That’s a good idea, Ruby,” he stated lowly, pressing the other terrified Huntsman further back into the office so that the four of them could enter.

After a few moments of shuffling around, the headmaster had seated himself behind a wide mahogany desk at the far end of the room, allowing the former students to filter in. Qrow shut the door behind them all, muttering, “Settle in, kids.”

Nora shrugged. The circular room was quite spacious, the high ceiling lined with books and trinkets and the warm afternoon light filtering through multiple windows lining the headmaster’s side of the room giving it a homey glow. She spotted a small couch on the right side beside a coffee table, so she made a beeline there. This is gonna take a while. Might as well get comfy.

While Qrow remained standing in front of the man’s desk, Jaune and Ruby flanking him on either side, Ren joined her on the couch, settling in beside her. She flashed him a quick grin before turning her attention back to the tense exchange in the center of the room.

Professor Lionheart took a few minutes to organize his thoughts. Finally, he sighed, “I have to say, Qrow, this all seems very reckless- even for you.”

Qrow immediately quipped back angrily, “No, reckless is leaving one of the Relics completely unguarded. It's not checking in with Oz for ages!”

“There was nothing to check in about before the fall of Beacon, but since that day, Mistral has been in chaos!” The man stood from his chair, and even from where Nora was sitting, she could see how tightly his fists were clenched at his side. Quickly, the man hid them behind his back, taking a few breaths to calm down. “Vale wasn't the only Kingdom to suffer that night. Everyone was watching. Every house in every Kingdom saw that poor girl ripped to pieces, saw monsters crawling over the city, Atlesian Knights attacking citizens... and then nothing.”

His voice dropped to a whisper, his brow furrowed in frustration. “You could feel the dread in the air. With all that negativity, you can imagine what it was like when the Grimm came for us.”

He walked towards one of the many windows behind his desk, focusing on a point far in the distance. “Mistral's territory is the widest reaching in the world, you know, and that makes it infinitely harder to protect. We lost so many great Huntsmen- teachers from this very institution. And it's only gotten worse.”

Ruby asked, “What do you mean?”

Leaning on the window, the man continued, “We may have dealt with the Grimm, but the Mistral council's still at odds with representatives from Atlas. First, it was the Dust embargo, now it's the closing of borders.” He pivoted back to face Qrow once more. “I'm not sure what happened to James in Vale, but it seems to have only worsened some of his more unfortunate tendencies.”

Nora frowned. James? Like… James Ironwood? What does he have to do with this all? I mean, yeah, the Dust embargo made it hard to get supplies, but-

Professor Lionheart sighed heavily. “And, on top of everything, we still don't know where the Spring Maiden is.”

“All the more reason we need the Huntsmen and Huntresses here!” Qrow insisted.

The two men glared at one another, the air practically crackling with tension.

Ruby snapped first, moving closer to the two of them. “Okay! Okay. Things are bad; they're bad. But we can figure this out,” she soothed. “Why is the Spring Maiden so important?”

Deadpan, the headmaster muttered, “I thought you filled them in.”

Qrow sneered, “Mostly filled in. Look, there's a lot to cover, okay?” As he spoke, he pulled his flask out of his jacket, taking a quick drink. “I quit teaching for a reason.”

Nora wrinkled her nose in disgust. The last time she had seen him drink from that flask had been that night around the campfire. It had only been about a week earlier, but… it was hard to dissociate the look of that flask in his hands with the sound of her heart falling apart, learning the truth about Pyrrha.

That seemed to cool some of the anger bubbling in the air. Professor Lionheart took a seat at his desk once more, rubbing his temples. “The four Maidens each have the power to perform feats of magic, and they are the only ones capable of reaching the Relics,” he explained quietly.

“What?” Jaune scoffed.

Qrow pulled the flask away from his lips, staring at the floor bitterly. “The Relics are each locked inside a chamber that can only be opened by a specific Maiden. Winter for the gift of Creation, Summer for Destruction, Fall for Choice and Spring for Knowledge.” He took another swig. “Spring is the problem.”

At her side, Ren asked, “What happened to her?”

The headmaster smiled, thin-lipped, tired. “She was determined, at first, when she inherited her powers, but the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for the child. She... ran. Abandoned her training- everyone. That was over a decade ago. There's no telling where she could be now.”

“I... know.” Qrow finally tucked his flask away. “At least... I have a pretty good idea.”

The other Huntsman stood up, eyes wide with shock and hope. “Are you serious?”

Qrow mumbled, “It's not exactly good news.”

Professor Lionheart walked around the desk, all of the animosity and weariness melting away. Delighted, he cried, “What are you talking about? This is incredible news!” He grabbed onto Qrow by the shoulders, shaking him joyfully. “After all these years! Where?!”

Without missing a beat, Qrow shoved the man away from him, walking towards Ruby. “I did some digging around. Looks like, after Spring ran away, she was picked up by bandits- specifically the Branwen tribe.”

“Raven,” Professor Lionheart muttered, hunching over again.

Ruby gasped, while Jaune queried, “Yang’s mom?”

Nora’s heart began to race in her chest. The… the Branwen tribe? Are we going to have to go find the Spring Maiden there? She glared at Qrow. So you are part of them.

Ren reached over, covering her hand with his own. She paused, searching his expression- but all he did was shake his head silently before returning his attention to the debacle at hand.

Equal amounts of dread and anticipation began to bubble in her gut. I know it’s not time for that fight, Ren. But… if we’re going to hunt down the Branwens, we need to find Howl and Kalian and Caelus first. They’re not missing this.

But as Qrow replied in confirmation, Nora’s heart grew uneasy again. Yang’s mother? Did that mean that Yang was technically part of the tribe? Did that mean that Qrow was an important part of the tribe, too?

She glanced at Ruby. Are… are you involved, too?

She didn’t want to think of what that meant.

Before she could ponder further, Qrow wandered over to the projection screen input on the headmaster’s desk, plopping his Scroll on top. In a few clicks, a holographic map was projected above the Scroll, displaying a world map of Remnant.

Qrow clicked the Scroll, then crossed his arms as a section of Anima was expanded in greater detail. “That's about where they've set up their main camp,” he said dryly. “It's where they fall back to after raids and scouting missions. Raven's managed to gain a lot of followers since she returned to the tribe, and I'm sure when the Spring Maiden showed up, it only made things easier.”

Nora’s heart grew cold. That camp… was just northwest of Kuroyuri. They had been a mere stone’s throw away from the Branwen Tribe.

After examining the map, Professor Lionheart walked over, patting Qrow on the shoulder. “Well, Qrow, I've got to hand it to you. With these coordinates, we can mount a retrieval force and head out in a few weeks.”

“A few weeks?” Qrow repeated incredulously.

With a few taps to his computer, the hologram vanished, and the professor walked back to sit behind his desk. “That’s right.”

“Leo, maybe you didn't hear me,” Qrow said, voice dark and barely restrained. “My sister has the Spring Maiden, and I know where she is.” He placed his hands on the desk, glaring down into the headmaster’s face. “We need to go, as soon as possible!”

To his credit, the headmaster only flinched when Qrow knocked off everything on his desk. Clearing his throat, he said authoritatively, “And perhaps you didn't hear me. This Kingdom is in shambles. ‘As soon as possible’ does not mean tomorrow. It means, as soon as I can convince the council that I need Huntsmen more than they do. Unfortunately, bandit tribes aren't very high on their list of priorities when the threat of war is just on the horizon.”

“Then damn the council. We'll do it ourselves. You and I are trained Huntsmen and these kids aren't exactly pushovers.”

Nora grinned, jumping up off the couch. “Yeah!” I’m not missing a hunt of the Branwen Tribe. Not after everything.

Much less enthused at the prospect, Ren stood. “Perhaps there's a more peaceful way to approach this?” he suggested softly.

She frowned, but he cast a stern look towards her out of the corner of his eye, and she sighed, nodding.

Qrow continued, “We need to get Spring as far away from here as possible. And Raven isn't going to give up her most prized possession without a fight.”

The headmaster sighed. “Unfortunately, you and your sister are evenly matched. And I'm not the fighter I used to be. No offense, but these students and I can't take on an entire bandit tribe and a Maiden that's no doubt had years to hone her skills. We need to be positive we can apprehend Spring, because if we fail, Raven and her tribe will scatter. And we'll be lost.” Raising one finger, he stated firmly, “We get one shot at this. And it needs to be perfect.”

They stared one another down for a few breaths, until finally, Qrow let out a world-weary sigh. Dryly, he commented, “You know, Oz wouldn't be happy with any of this if he were here.”

“Perhaps you're right. But he's not.” Professor Lionheart glanced down at the table, brows knitting into an almost guilty expression. “I'm doing the very best I can.”

“There has to be something we can do,” Ruby insisted, growing frustrated.

Jaune finally stepped forward, and Nora’s eyes fell onto his figure worriedly. Although he seemed fine, she could hear the tremor in his voice as he pried, “What about Cinder? She came with Emerald and Mercury from Haven. Do you have anything on them?”

Quietly, the Huntsman replied, “We pulled their files after the Fall of Beacon. Nothing but lies and forgeries.”

Nora’s eyes jumped back to Jaune, her heart falling to the floor as she saw his fists tighten so much that she could hear the squeaking of the leather in his gloves. Although he hadn’t said as much throughout their journey, she knew- a part of Jaune had agreed to this whole journey in the order to find Cinder.

If Haven had no leads, who could lead them to her?

Wearily, Qrow stepped back. He had had enough. “Well, I can't say this has been a warm reunion, Leo.”

“I'm sorry. I know you've all traveled a long way. But I will do everything I can to help.”

Nora stood as Qrow shifted towards the door. Gaggling behind Ruby, she watched quietly as Qrow rolled his eyes, his voice losing its bitter edge for a moment. “Sure. We'll stay in the city for the time being.” The man took out his Scroll, waggling it playfully at the headmaster. “Local comms are still up. Keep in touch.” Gesturing towards everyone else, he called, “Come on, kids.”

Wordlessly, they all began to file out of the room, each person quietly going over the info they had just learned in their minds. It was a lot to take in, but either way, as Nora followed the others down the hall, it was clear that they all shared one singular sentiment.

Something is not right here.

Chapter Text

The walk back through the winding corridors was a silent one. The air was tense, heavy with the sound of footsteps, clinking weapons in their holsters, and lost leads. Qrow's frustration was the most palpable of them all, his shoulders hunched and hands tucked angrily in his pockets once more. They understood his resentment- their conversation with Professor Lionheart had essentially told them nothing, leaving no choice but to sit and wait for his word to proceed.

Nora hated it, too.

As they finally reached the entrance hall once more, she slowed to a stop, groaning, "So, what do we do now?"

Qrow sighed bitterly, turning around and pointing at the quartet behind him. "You four head back to the house," he commanded. "I need a drink." And with that, he stormed off ahead, kicking open the front door of Haven's main builing, mumbling under his breath.

Nora traded concerned looks with the others as the door swung loudly shut behind the Huntsman. "He's… not okay, huh?" she murmured.

"Oh, Uncle Qrow…" Ruby sighed, holding her hands over her heart.

Ren said, "Do you think it's wise to let him drink heavily so soon after his recovery?"

Jaune shook his head, shrugging as he began to walk towards the door. "Look," he called authoritatively, "he said we should go back to the house. I say we listen. Maybe he'll figure out what to do."

Ruby opened her mouth to disagree, then decided against it. "Yeah," she agreed glumly, "let's go back home."

With that worrying send-off, the group began to make their way back through Haven's campus, back down the lift, and back through the maze of tunnels. Rather than taking the long way around, however, Ren alerted everyone once they reached a fork in the path. "We'll use this," he explained. "It's much shorter."

"But what if I wanna look around again?" Ruby asked, but the tall boy shook his head somberly.

"Ruby," he replied evenly, voice kind, "Qrow wants us at the house. We'll go wait there in case something comes up, okay?"

And Ruby deflated yet again, following Jaune down the path Ren pointed out. Ren, however, hung behind for a moment until Nora caught up with him. Then, they walked behind their leader and friend, keeping a few paces away to let them think.

"Thank you," Nora murmured, bumping her elbow into his side.

Ren feigned innocence, but she could see the tiny smile which wanted to appear on his lips. "What do you mean?"

You always know. "You made us go straight home so we don't go through the city like that again," she said simply, trying to bite back a goofy, loving grin. "Thanks."

Ren shrugged, but when Nora reached over and tapped his nose lightly, his cheeks flushed pink and his breath caught. That was all she needed to know that he had offered that path with her in mind.

Upon returning to the same lodging house they had occupied ever since arriving in Mistral with an ill Qrow in tow, Ruby ambled upstairs without the rest of them. "I want to think," she announced, waving goodbye to everyone as she made her way to the top. They waved her off- she was just going to read comic books from the local library, and they all knew it. Normally, Nora would go bug her to see what she was reading, but right now, she had more important things in mind.

Ren noticed her quietude, but said nothing. Instead, he simply sat with her, reading a book in the living room while she slipped on her headphones and began to listen to some music on her Scroll.

There were so many thoughts racing through her mind. Qrow was a part of the Branwen Tribe, and Ruby and Yang were related to them, too- they didn't have any leads on Caelus and the rest, meaning that their status was truly unknown, and that worry gnawed at her despite herself- the trail on Cinder had gone cold, and she didn't know how to help Jaune (nor herself) deal with that-

And, right now, there was nothing she could do until some council made up their minds.

By the time dinnertime rolled around, she had only worked herself up further. Jaune had wandered upstairs over the course of the day, leaving behind Ren and Nora in silence. And, despite trying to contain her frustration, the moment her playlist ended for the seventh time, Nora bolted upright. "Ren," she whispered hotly, "we have time now. Let's go look for them!"

"Nora, we need to stay here-" Ren cut in, but she stamped on the ground, pouting.

"No, Ren, don't you see?" She began pacing the room, finally letting out all of the thoughts which had been stewing inside for the entire day. "You can't expect me to just... not take this chance! We made it to Mistral! We finally have a sort-of lead!"

"We have to wait until Professor Lionheart and Qrow tell us what's going on with the Mistral council," Ren reasoned, walking towards her.

"Ren, it doesn't matter!" she insisted. However, a part of her was confused- why was she feeling so agitated all of a sudden? Yes, she wanted to find Kalian and Caelus and Howl, and yes, she wanted to find the Spring Maiden and face off against the Branwen Tribe, but…

Ren's eyes narrowed as she blazed on, continuing to wear a hole in the foyer in her pacing. "Everyone spent years hunting down the Branwens, Ren. They pillaged everyone! And- and I remember the map Qrow showed Professor Lionheart. I know where their main camp is, we don't need Qrow to show us the way-"

"You heard him, right? There's not enough Huntsmen to go around after the Fall." He reached out, grabbing her wrists and halting in her tracks. She froze at the sudden touch, relaxing slightly when his hands glowed pink and his Semblance blanketed her in warmth and safety. Once she had calmed down a little, Ren whispered, "Nora, we can't do this alone if we're really fighting a Maiden. What's going on?"

She let out a shuddering, frustrated exhale. "I-"

"It's okay," he soothed, voice gentle. "What is it?"

She slumped over, taking a moment to think. Why am I acting like this right now?

It took her a few moments to find the words. There were too many factors to keep track of, too many emotions to keep in check.

What if everyone needs help? What if Qrow was involved in everything they did back when we were helping hunt bandits? What if…

"Nora," Ren insisted, "we saw Sotz's poster, at least. He was positively ID'd, Nora. He's gone."

She let out a shaky breath. "…I know." She had seen the poster with her own eyes, after all.

Ren stated firmly, "You're not going looking for them now. We're going to wait to see what Qrow says, and we'll act accordingly."

She searched his eyes for a moment, trying to find solace. But… what if we can't find them? she asked silently.

He smiled. We haven't given up hope yet. We won't give up hope now. They'll be fine.

She collapsed back onto the couch with a groan. "Fine!" she moaned, crossing her arms angrily. "Just know that I am ready to go at any time."

From the stairway, Jaune snorted as he came to join them. The sound effortlessly broke up the tension in the room. The blond made his way towards the other sofa, looking amused, if a little concerned. "Nora, you're always ready to go."

She shrugged, flashing him a dangerous grin to distract him from the crease in her brow. "What can I say? I came to party."

Ren took a seat by her side, smiling knowingly at her.

Fine. I'll wait. But the moment we get a lead, I'm not waiting for anyone.

Suddenly, a dull knock from the door caught their attention. Instantly, the smiles slipped off their faces. Nora glanced over to Jaune, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

Magnhild was in reach. If this person was anyone dangerous, she'd take them out.

With that unspoken delegation taken care of, Jaune rose to his feet. Carefully, he reached out, unlocking and pulling open the door. Nora leaned over to Ren, trying to get a good look at the newcomer.

To all of their surprise, it wasn't an armed soldier, nor a Grimm, nor Cinder- not even Qrow. Instead, it was naught but a short, fourteen-year-old boy, dressed in the rumpled and patched clothes of a farmhand who was working through some hand-me-downs. A splash of freckles covered his nose and cheeks under large, anxious hazel eyes, bright and nervous against his tanned skin and dark hair.

Jaune glanced back at Nora in confusion, and she shrugged. She didn't know this boy. Looking over to Ren, it was clear that he was the same.

All that was left to do was to collect information. Jaune asked, "Can I... help you?"

"Um... yeah," the boy began hesitantly. "Is… there a Ruby Rose here?"

Immediately, Nora stood, with Ren following suit. She narrowed her eyes, tensing up, ready to strike out. The last time someone had been looking for Ruby, they had tried to kill her, and had nearly killed Qrow in the process. She refused to take any chances. "Why?" she growled darkly.

Flashing them an embarrassed smile, the boy said, "Well…"

Suddenly, a familiar figure fell into view from behind the other door, drunkenly teetering. He grabbed the boy's shoulders for support, a silly grin plastered onto his face. "I found him!" Qrow cheered, snorting into his hand and throwing his head back in raucous laughter.

Nora just blinked. "Um…"

Qrow stumbled into the house, barely able to maintain his balance as he made his way across the living room and foyer.

The boy pointed at the cackling man, looking highly uncomfortable at the man's earlier closeness. "I think- her uncle could use some help," he offered.

The drunken Huntsmen swerved his way across the floor until he tripped and fell backwards onto the long red couch where Jaune had been seated just a moment ago. Throwing one leg upon the armrest, he dropped his hand over his eyes. "Whoa, ugh." He sighed. "I found him," he repeated, turning away from them all.

Ruby's voice echoed angrily from the top of the staircase. "What is going on out there?!" Nora had to fight back a giggle as the younger girl stomped her way down the steps and into the living room, angrily protesting, "Can't a girl read her comics in peace?"

Almost in response, Qrow let out a hearty burp and chuckled before falling asleep upon the sofa. Noticing him at last, Ruby sighed, putting a hand on her forehead in annoyance. "Qrow, did you get drunk again?"

The man in question seemed to start up for a moment, holding one hand above his head nonchalantly to wave off her worries. "Mayyyybe," he slurred.

"Oh," the boy at the door muttered, stepping into the living room at last. His gaze was fixated on Ruby. "You… have silver eyes."

Ruby glanced at the boy, frowning in her surprise. When she looked over to Nora and Ren, though, Nora couldn't give her any explanation. They still didn't know why a little boy was there, either.

Finally, the brunette demanded, "Who... are you?"

As if in on some amazing joke, Qrow chuckled drunkenly from the couch. Nora had to fight back the urge to throw a cushion at him, propping one hand up on her hip, unamused.

Sensing the odd mood in the room, the boy's curiosity shifted back into discomfort. "Uh," he began, "well… My name is Oscar Pine."

Qrow chirped, "Wait for it..."

The boy- Oscar, it seemed- studied his scuffed boots for a moment before bringing his gaze back up to the group. "But you probably know me as... Professor Ozpin."

Nora just gawped at him, while Ruby and Jaune gasped audibly across the room.

Qrow, on the other hand, was relishing in the sudden reveal. Chuckles quickly grew into hearty guffaws until he punched the air, all victorious bluster and pride. "I did it!"

And then, he rolled off the couch and landed face-first onto the floor with a thud, silenced at last.

Her hands flew to her mouth, and she squeaked in surprise.

Groaning, Ruby crossed the living room and hauled her uncle back to his feet, supporting his weight under her tiny form. Nora raised a brow, watching the younger girl's well-practiced movements. She had clearly done this multiple times in her life. "I'm gonna get him some water," Ruby called, muffled under the drunken burden leaning on her shoulder.

After the pair disappeared around the corner, Jaune turned back to Oscar. "You… you did just say that you're Professor Ozpin, right?"

"Well," Oscar shrugged, skirting the low table at the center of the room to take a seat on the armchair in between the two longer couches, "I mean… sort of?"

As he took a seat, Nora pointed at the object held in his hands. "Oh my god, Qrow gave him Ozpin's cane."

Oscar extended the cane in response, leaning it against the side of the armchair before settling primly in the chair. "You… you recognize it?" he murmured, almost in awe.

Jaune held out an accusatory finger. "I don't believe it."

Nora narrowed her eyes, a mischievous glint growing in her heart. "Let's test him?"

Jaune nodded resolutely. "What happened during initiation?"

Oscar's eyes bugged out for a moment, his ears flushing a deep red as he stared at his hands.

When he didn't respond, Jaune groaned, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Okay, who is this kid really? Ruby, get your uncle back in here, this kid isn't-"

"You didn't know what a landing strategy was."

Nora stilled, as did the other two. What?

Oscar took a deep breath, finally lifting his head up. "You didn't know what a landing strategy was… Jaune Arc."

Oh my god.

Instantly, Jaune paled, staggering backwards. "H-how did you-"

Nora immediately grabbed Magnhild, triggering it to open into a hammer. Brandishing it menacingly, she frowned at the young boy. "What happened to me and Ren?" she said lowly.

Oscar gulped, visibly shaking as he looked at the menacing steel of Magnhild clutched in Nora's hands. Still, he closed his eyes, breathed in deep, and then stated firmly, "You and… Ren," and he nodded towards Ren, who narrowed his eyes back at him, "found each other within minutes of landing. Glynda… I think was her name? She didn't think you were a good match but… you were. Always."

"What did Jaune wear to the dance?" Ren offered, putting a hand on Nora's shoulder. "Tell us."

The reply was faster this time, the younger boy snorting lightly as if an image just appeared in his mind out of the blue- like a long-forgotten, yet fond memory. "You… wore a dress?"

Jaune bristled, stepping back.

At that, Ruby wandered out into the living room once more. "I've got him at the table with some water. He'll be fine," she chirped. Her expression fell awkwardly as she took in the combative atmosphere in the room. "Um… guys? What's going on?"

"We're seeing what he knows," Nora explained, bringing her eyes back to Oscar.

Ruby joined the trio in front of Oscar, watching him curiously while the rest bore daggers into him. Oscar flinched visibly under the scrutiny, curling into himself. Suddenly, however, the boy's eyes flitted back up to the four of them. Before they could ask another question, his eyes flooded with tears- but these weren't tears from the pressure, or the newness of the situation, or the discomfort.

They were tears of guilt.

Ruby softened first. "What… what's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down a little to peer up into his face.

Oscar's mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to find the words. Finally, he whispered, "I… your friend." He turned to look at Jaune. "She… she danced with you that night. She's not here."

No one responded, watching him carefully.

Nora's grip on Magnhild loosened as she watched the young boy's face twist in sorrow. He looked so lost and helpless and confused, unable to comprehend what emotions he was clearly feeling inside.

Ren put a hand on her shoulder. "Put it away, Nora," he murmured. "I… I think he's telling the truth."

Those words seemed to be enough to dispel the unease in the air. Oscar was crying for Pyrrha. He didn't know Pyrrha, but he was crying because she wasn't there with them. That was enough to prove his good heart.

She complied, setting the hammer down once more. "…Well… I guess if magic is real, then…"

The younger boy sniffled and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand, clearly trying to calm himself.

"…no, that still doesn't make sense. Even if magic is real, why is Oz such a little cute boy?" She paused, tilting her head. "Is that weird of me to say about Ozpin?"

"So it really is him?" Jaune breathed, stepping closer once more.

In just a second, everyone was standing right in front of him, barraging him- and each other- with questions.

"Did he age backwards?"

"He's possessed!"

"Or reincarnated!"

"Oh! Isn't it weird?"

Oscar clasped his hands together on his lap, dropping his gaze clumsily. He was clearly overwhelmed by the sudden influx of questions, not knowing how to respond. At last, he croaked out, "It is very weird, yes."

"Okay, okay," a husky voice chided from the kitchen. "Let's all just take a second and remember that this is very overwhelming for everyone." Qrow stepped out around the corner, blinking bleary eyes at them. In his hands was a cup- presumably of water, thanks to Ruby- and, despite looking dishevelled and slurring his words slightly, he looked fairly coherent again. How are you even standing so quickly? Nora glanced over at Ruby, but the girl seemed unfazed, as if her uncle always recovered that fast.

Together, the four of them took a step back from Oscar's chair, flashing him wry, nervous smiles and laughs. Oscar glanced back over his shoulder, flashing Qrow a quick smile and thanks.

Nora tugged Ruby's arm, and the two of them took a seat on one sofa while Qrow settled into the other. Ren stood by Nora's side, while Jaune remained on his feet across the living room from Oscar. Nora's focus was Qrow- the man staggered still, but he seemed ready to have a proper conversation at last. Like I'll trust you, she thought on instinct. A beat later, however, she sighed internally. No. I've gotta stay positive. I've gotta wait for news. Then we can figure out what to do.

Out of the blue, Oscar blushed. "Ah, sorry! It's just… I've never really met Huntsmen and Huntresses before."

Ruby smiled empathetically. "Well, uh… we've never met a person with two souls! So, first times all around."

Oscar smiled shyly at her and Nora, visibly relaxing until Qrow cleared his throat. "Not to break up the whole 'getting-to-know-you' game," he explained apologetically, "but we need to have a talk. Mind showing us your little parlor trick, kid?"

Any comfort Oscar may have felt faded away. He groaned, slumping over in his chair. "Yeah, okay. Just so you know, I'll still be here."

Nora traded a confused look with Ren, but he didn't know what to expect, either. So, they all focused their eyes on Oscar as the boy sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes. Then, as if a surge of electricity had risen through him, the boy's body straightened up in the chair, his entire form enveloped with a mixed white and green Aura.

Oscar opened up his eyes, and Nora gasped lightly. His formerly hazel eyes shone a brilliant gold, recognition flitting behind his irises until a smile grew upon his face.

Nora shifted uneasily in her chair. Something in the air had changed- something in Oscar had changed.

She didn't need to wait long for the answer, however, as the boy relaxed, placing his arms on the armrests. He took in a long, calm breath before he spoke- and when he did, it no longer sounded like Oscar. Instead, it sounded like multiple voices- a million voices, all layered on top of one another in perfect harmony.

They all recognized the most prominent voice, however.

Before their very eyes, Oscar's lips opened, and Professor Ozpin- their deceased professor, the former headmaster of Beacon Academy- murmured warmly, "It is so very good to see you again, students."

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Nora glanced up at Ren, unable to do anything other than blink and wait for him to pretend like nothing weird had just happened.

He looked just as perturbed as she felt. Great. We’re all crazy then.

Jaune stepped forward first. “Wait- what just happened?”

Ren asked hesitantly, putting to voice their disbelief, “Professor... Ozpin?”

The same low, even-keeled voice continued emerging from Oscar’s young face. It was almost unnerving, and Nora found herself shrinking away into the couch cushions as he explained, “Correct. And though I may be the one speaking, Oscar is still present mentally. He's merely handed over the control, so to speak.” Leaning forward and clasping his hands together, he added ruefully, “I'm afraid this all must be very perplexing.”

Nora jumped in, trading panicked looks with everyone else. “And alarming, and bizarre, and just really kind of hard to believe overall!” she cried.

Rather than trying to soothe her, the young boy (man? Child? Adult? Professor? Oh, I don’t like this, Nora groaned internally) chuckled. “It's good to see you children still have your sense of humor.” However, his face quickly fell into a frown, his voice lowering wearily. “I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already. I'm sorry.”

After a moment of disarmed silence, Ruby said, “I mean, it's not your fault.”

Sorrow twisted Ozpin’s face. “It's all my fault.” He ashamedly hung his head.

Nora frowned, listening carefully to his voice. It almost sounded like before, as if there were multiple voices speaking out at the same time. Underneath the many layered tones, she could pick out Oscar’s saddened voice as well. It was utterly uncanny.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nora could see Qrow’s expression fall as well, the older Huntsman quickly excusing himself to the kitchen to avoid whatever it was that Ozpin was going to say.

After taking a shuddering breath, Ozpin murmured, “I told you once that I made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet, and I wasn't exaggerating.” Shaking his head, his voice slipped back to normal, then became layered yet again.

It’s like a bad CCT recording, Nora thought, grimacing as he continued to speak. “I'm... cursed. For thousands of years, I've walked the surface of Remnant, living, dying, and reincarnating in the body of a like-minded soul. The Professor Ozpin you all met was not my first form and clearly wasn't my last. It's... an extraordinarily strenuous process on everyone involved.”

They all gave a moment for the words to hang in the air- heavy, weighted. This… this just can’t be real, she thought to herself.

Finally, Jaune asked, “So who... what... are you?”

Ozpin smiled, but there was a bitterness in it that set Nora on edge. “I am the combination of countless men who've spent their lives trying to protect the people of Remnant.” As he spoke, Qrow sauntered past, this time handing Ozpin a small, steaming mug. Ozpin took it without question, his eyes long having glazed over with memories- and, clearly, regrets- of the past. With every rebirth, my soul is eventually merged with another and I am changed, but my memories stay with me. This curse was bestowed upon me by the gods because I failed to stop Salem in the past.” Sighing, he looked up at them, resolve hardening his expression. “But we must stop her now.”

Ruby murmured, “And how do we do that?”

Surprisingly enough, a small smirk appeared on Ozpin’s face. The man crossed an ankle over one knee and leaned back, looking utterly at home. “We start... by ensuring the safety of the Relic of Knowledge.”

“Is that the one located in Haven?” Jaune asked, crossing his arms.

Ren sighed, walking around to sit on the armrest of the couch between their team and Ozpin. Ruby shuffled over on the couch to make space for him, but he shook his head. “So Haven really is going to be the next conflict zone,” he murmured sadly.

Nora leapt to her feet. They had already discussed this, hadn’t they? “This is perfect!” she cheered, running to Ozpin’s other side. “We were stuck at a dead end, but now, we can just take little-cute-boy-Ozpin to Lionheart and have him set things straight!” She grinned, propping her hands on her hips and looking over to Ren. Then we don’t have to waste any time, right?

Ren simply rolled his eyes and shook his head tiredly. Ozpin seemed to agree with that response, murmuring uncomfortably, “Please… don't call me that.”

From behind Nora, Qrow added, “We're not sure that's the best idea.”

Nora pouted, groaning as she stomped back to the couch, filling the space between Ruby and Ren. “Fine,” she grumbled under her breath. “Waste our time, then.”

If Ren heard her comment, he didn’t respond. “But I thought the headmasters all took their orders from you.”

Ozpin nodded slowly. “That was the intention. Four lieutenants I can trust, especially during times of reincarnation. But Qrow told me about your meeting with Leonardo.” He pushed himself up to his feet, clasping his hands behind his back as he strolled across the living room, his back to the others. “He isn't just behaving irrationally, he's disobeying specific instructions I had left him. Something's wrong. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't want to rule out any possibilities, either. No one outside of this room knows that I've paired with Oscar, and I think it may be best to keep it that way.”

Qrow offered, “Play things close to the chest until we get a better hand.”

“Precisely,” their old headmaster agreed. Spinning around to face everyone, his expression seemed grim, set. “Now, we have two steps ahead of us. The first is enlisting the aid of more Huntsmen.”

Ren stated, “But the Mistral council-“

“Doesn't own every Huntsman in the Kingdom,” Qrow interjected, “and I've been here enough times to know where we can find some more.”

“So long as they're trustworthy,” Ozpin insisted sagely.

“You can trust them to put up a good fight,” the man growled back. “I'll throw together a list tonight.” He leaned back, his arms behind his head as he propped a foot up on the low coffee table. The moment his foot touched it, however, one of the legs snapped clean in two, and his tea spilled sadly onto the woven mat on the floor.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Good luck with that,” she muttered over the sound of breaking porcelain. Her mind was already racing in a completely different direction, all avenues reaching on main question: Who is he going to find for Huntsmen?

A quick glance over at Ren told her that he was thinking the exact same thing.

Qrow groaned, pushing up his sleeves to begin cleaning up the spilled tea. While he worked, Ozpin said, “After that, we can move on to step two.”

She stood warily as Ozpin walked back to the armchair he had been sitting in. “What’s step two?” she asked, moving to stand with the rest of her team opposite to Ozpin.

Rather than taking a seat, however, Ozpin merely reached over and grabbed his cane, brandishing it towards them almost menacingly. “Getting you four into fighting shape,” he announced.

Nora raised a brow, looking over at her teammates. They all shared similar expressions of confusion. “But, uh, we already know how to fight,” Ruby squeaked.

Dramatically, Ozpin pointed the end of his cane right in Ruby’s face, forcing her to lean back to avoid the hit. “You can only fight so long as you have Crescent Rose, but you're still lacking in hand-to-hand combat.”

An embarrassed smile crossed her lips. “Well, uh, yeah,” she chuckled with a shrug.

Shifting targets, the Huntsman then spun his cane to point at Jaune. “Mr. Arc, I'm glad to hear you've improved, but sorry to say, you've yet to unlock your Semblance.”

Nora’s heart ached for the sorrow and regret in Jaune’s eyes as he looked away, ashamed.

Ozpin continued, “All of you still have a ways to go before you're ready to pose any real threat against Salem and her forces. And though Oscar can give me temporary control, he'll need to strengthen his body and his Aura.” Finally pulling his cane away from their noses, he spun it around expertly until it landed upon the floor, a smooth thud echoing in the house as he leaned on the cane. “He'll inherit my muscle memory in time, but practice will expedite the process.”

Ruby frowned, perplexed. “But if Qrow's out looking for Huntsmen, then who's going to teach us?”

Out of nowhere, the Huntsman leapt backwards into the air, landing gracefully onto the armchair. With an air of total ease and nonchalance, he began to twirl the cane, a relaxed grin on his face. “Well,” he mused, “I believe I was the headmaster of Beacon Academy.”

And that was all it took for the novelty of the situation to wear off on Nora, leaving behind nothing but a stark realization of what this whole situation meant. It hadn’t hit her yet- but now, after hearing the reality of it all, the only things in her heart were bubbling, brewing frustration, and bitterness, and anger.

It… was his fault, wasn’t it?

A part of her tried to keep calm. Getting angry wouldn’t do any good, after all- what was the point of lashing out? It was her job to stay calm, and stay upbeat, and make sure everyone else was happy, and-

No.

No one else noticed her drop in mood. Oblivious, Ozpin said, “We have approximately one month before classes resume at Haven. If Salem were to plan an attack, it would make sense that it would occur prior to students' return. It's not much time, but it's better than nothing.” Holding his cane still, he announced boldly, “Just don't expect me to go easy on you.”

And then, his eyes glowed that same bright, unnatural green and white, and a familiar, high voice began to yelp in fear as the figure lost his balance on the chair. Stumbling, he fell backwards, dropping the cane and knocking the armchair clear on its back. Oscar groaned in pain, making no move to get up. “You've gotta be kidding me,” the young teen mumbled.

They all moved to look at him, ensuring he was alright. When it was clear it was mostly his pride which had been damaged, Qrow stood tall, stretched, and sauntered into the kitchen to dump the pieces of his shattered mug and the dishcloths he had used.

Ruby helped Oscar back to his feet, and Qrow finally re-emerged from the kitchen. “I’m heading off, kids,” he called, sauntering to the door. “I’ve got some calls to make before it gets too dark.”

“Be safe!” “Good luck!” “Please don’t get drunk again!”

He waved without looking back, closing the front door and leaving them with Oscar, who was looking thoroughly embarrassed.

The moment that the lock clicked behind Qrow, however, Nora finally let her contained anger out. She stormed up Oscar, balling up her fists to avoid striking out. “You,” she growled. “Turn back into Professor Ozpin. Now.”

“Wha-why?” Oscar protested, backing away from her.

Ren was by her side immediately, his firm grip on her shoulders. “Nora, you can’t blame him-“

“I need to know why you chose Pyrrha!” she cried. “Bring Ozpin out. We need to talk to him-“

To her surprise, Jaune joined Ren and held her back. “Nora, no,” he murmured, his voice rising in mild hysteria. “Stop it.”

She paused, glancing up at the two boys in shock. “What… but we have to know!” she insisted, stomping her foot on the ground. “You… you can’t just…”

Pyrrha is gone because of the Maidens.

Ren sighed. And then, the next thing Nora knew, his arms had wrapped around her in a warm embrace, turning her away from Oscar. “Ren…?” she breathed, cheeks instinctively flooding with heat. Is… is Ren hugging me? In public?!

She could feel his voice rumble through his chest as he asked, “Oscar. Can you ask Professor Ozpin to answer a few questions for us?”

Oscar paused, eyes darting between them all. “Is… is Pyrrha the girl who was with you all?” he whispered mournfully.

“She was,” Ruby whispered, clasping her hands nervously in front of herself.

Nora’s heart fell. She could hear how thick Ruby’s voice had gotten- a clear sign that the girl was approaching tears.

“Still with us,” Jaune murmured. Even without looking, Nora knew that he was likely clutching the ring with all his might.

Finally, Ren let her go, gently squeezing her arms in solidarity as he turned to face the younger boy.

Oscar relented, “Okay.” And, with a flash of green and white light in his eyes, the familiar voice of their old headmaster emerged past Oscar’s lips. Ozpin said, “What did you want to ask?”

He’s here. Her mouth grew dry as she turned to face the boy, but Jaune stepped in before she could even speak. “We don’t know the whole story,” he said tensely, “but we know enough about the Maidens, and the Relics, and why we have to protect it all. We get why it was so important to make sure the Fall was protected. But… why did it have to be Pyrrha?” he whispered, clenching his fists, face tight and withdrawn. “She was so scared-“

“I know, Mr. Arc,” Ozpin replied, taking a step back to lean against the wall. He let out a long, haggard sigh. “I know. We just… we were desperate.”

“To not let the rest of the Fall’s powers into Cinder’s hands?” Ruby murmured.

He nodded, leaning heavily upon his cane for support. His mouth was twisted into a weary grimace as he spoke. “We asked Pyrrha to think on it- but before even hearing our limit, she agreed.”

“She didn’t even think twice, did she?” Ren murmured wryly. He placed a comforting hand on Nora’s shoulder. “She wouldn’t have said no.”

It was somewhat gratifying to see the sadness in Ozpin’s face. “You knew your teammate well,” he said gently.

Jaune snorted. “It wasn’t enough to save her.” Looking up angrily, he added, almost accusatory, “After you lost… Cinder killed her. At the top of Beacon Tower.”

The sadness on Ozpin’s face grew a thousand fold, twisting Oscar’s expression into one of solemn grief and regret. “…I see.”

“Pyrrha’s gone because of this whole thing,” Nora whispered. “She shouldn’t have had to do it.” Reaching up to clutch Ren’s hand still resting upon her shoulder, she said, “You could’ve chosen any girl in Beacon, but you chose her.”

“She was the most suited.”

“She had so much to live for!” Jaune cried angrily, stepping forward.

Immediately, Ruby rushed between him and Ozpin, holding her arms out protectively. “Jaune,” she begged, “don’t- it wasn’t anyone’s fault!”

After a moment of trembling and glaring at the former headmaster, Jaune finally relaxed, head drooping low and body losing energy. “I know.”

He did. They all knew. Pyrrha was just that kind of person- the one who would happily step up to defend anyone who needed it. Her dream had been to protect others, after all. She had longed to be a Huntress who was able to bring peace to everyone in need.

But Pyrrha had also just been finding herself for the first time at Beacon. Nora remembered it all so well- showing Pyrrha different kinds of chocolates since her mother apparently hadn’t let her eat a lot of sweets growing up- long weekend mornings spent braiding her red hair in silly ways because Nora never had the patience to grow her own hair long enough to do fun things with it- watching heaps of bad action movies to keep Jaune company, while Nora made faces the whole time trying to get Pyrrha to laugh because god, Pyrrha hated those movies- Sunday noodle nights when they would link arms and skip into town with everyone and put on more casual clothing, giggling the whole way down because Nora always forced Pyrrha to wear cute outfits to get Jaune’s attention-

Nora staggered back, plopping onto the armrest of the long couch she had been seated upon earlier. “This whole thing is so unfair,” she whispered.

Knowing Pyrrha, she didn’t have regrets going to face off against Cinder.

It didn’t mean that they didn’t have regrets for the life they were supposed to have lived by Pyrrha’s side.

Ozpin’s smile was strained. “I know,” he replied quietly. “I know. If I could go back in time and save her, I would. But,” he added bitterly, “unfortunately, unlike my own curse of reincarnation, time is not such a thing which can be manipulated like that.”

An eerie silence settled over the room. Finally, Ruby stood. “Hey,” she murmured. “You’ll be staying with us, huh?”

A flash of green light brought Oscar back. “…Yeah,” he breathed. Any doubts of whether Oscar was still aware of what was going on while Ozpin was in control vanished into nothing- the sheer horror on his face was proof that he had listened to every single word.

Ruby’s smile was tight, but she waved him along anyways. “C’mon, Oscar. If you’re okay with it, there’s an extra bed in Qrow’s room. You can share with him.”

“Okay.” Obediently, Oscar trailed after Ruby up the stairs, but not before casting one more broken, sorrowful look at the remaining three in the living room. He paused, as if listening to something, then called out, “He says he wants to begin training tomorrow.”

And then, they went upstairs.

Jaune stretched, not a speck of energy left in him. “I’m… going to bed,” he mumbled.

“’Kay,” Nora replied, still slouched over on the armrest of the couch. She was utterly drained emotionally. She didn’t want to move.

After Jaune’s door shut upstairs, however, Ren grabbed her arm and tugged her to her feet. Wordlessly, he guided her upstairs onto the large balcony, then popped back inside. In a minute, he returned with a blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders and guiding her to sit down.

She complied with all of this, not bothering to fight. She knew what he was doing. This was what Ren always did when she was truly too angry or frustrated, but couldn’t deal with the source of the issue the way she wanted to. It was rare, but over the years, the movements had still become efficient, practiced.

Without a word, he sat down beside her and guided her head onto his shoulder. Placing a hand on her hair, she saw a tinge of pink light from his Aura envelop her body, swathing in her soothing calm.

Hearing Professor Ozpin’s voice had brought to light more feelings than she could’ve expected. “I miss her, Ren.”

“As do I,” he murmured. “But he didn’t intend for this to happen.”

“I know. Oscar’s innocent.”

“He’s one of us, now.”

“Yeah.”

“…Why did you call him that?”

“What?” She sat up straight, thinking back to what she had said. “What did I call him?” Before Ren could answer, however, she realized what he meant. With a weary, but now quite gleeful giggle, she nestled back against his shoulder. “He’s a little-cute-boy, it’s true!”

“Nora…”

“What?” she mocked innocently.

In the evening light, she could see his ears turn pink as he bit back his protests. Ren’s jealous, she cooed silently, and she smiled despite the weariness and the sadness in her heart. It had been a busy, tumultuous day- but they were closer to their goal than ever, and that had to count for something.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The next day, once tempers had settled and sorrow had subsided, the group found themselves integrating Oscar into their little circle with more ease than they could’ve imagined. They didn’t have much else to do while they waited for Qrow to return from his hunt for Huntsmen to join their cause, after all.

Although the boy was much younger than them all- it was odd to see just how small he was at 14 years old- he seemed far wiser than his years at times. Whether that was from Ozpin’s presence in the background, or just due to Oscar’s personality, they didn’t know.

At least he had a good sense of humor. When Nora started stealing pancakes from Jaune, the blond barely awake at the dining table, Oscar could barely bite back his amused smile. And, when she motioned silently for him to pass more table syrup with which she could enjoy the delectable treats, Oscar complied with nothing but a devilish grin and a silent snicker.

Little-cute-boy-Oz ain’t that bad. Nice.

“Isn’t it… y’know, weird?” Nora asked again.

The younger boy chuckled awkwardly. “It is, but… I guess…”

“It is what it is,” Ren supplied as he brought over another stack of pancakes for the group to share. He did send Oscar a bit of a warning glance as he pushed the stack towards Jaune. Nora almost squeaked from holding back her laughter. Oh my god, she thought, practically shaking in her seat, he really is jealous! Of what, this little boy? What are you doing, Ren!

It felt good to have something like that to laugh over, though. She’d never seen Ren wear his heart on his sleeve like this. Little by little, the wounds from Kuroyuri all those years ago were healing.

She was so proud of him.

Everyone nodded, small smiles on their faces. Oscar didn’t choose his lot in this game- but he was their ally now, and they’d work together to the end.

However, working together meant being strong enough to do so. The moment dishes were washed and bellies were full, green and white light flashed from Oscar’s eyes, and Ozpin’s voice emerged from the young boy’s mouth. “Well, students- are you ready to begin your training?”

Nora nodded, feeling herself instinctively tense up when she heard his voice. You gotta let go, she kept chiding herself. There’s no point being angry. It’s done.

It was hard, though.

Still, she brought out Magnhild and waved everyone to the balcony. “We can totally train up there! It’s such a nice day today.” she called, skipping up the steps two at a time.

Behind her, she heard Jaune chuckle, “Yeah, we probably shouldn’t train in here- we’ll break furniture.”

“Let’s avoid damaging our host’s property- but isn’t there a room downstairs we can use?” Ren pointed out.

There indeed was a large storage room they could easily clear for training. However, Ozpin shrugged. “I’d say we enjoy the good weather while we can.” They all agreed, and the group wandered up to the second floor, ready to take on whatever challenges their former headmaster sent their way.

They had all been expecting a fairly light training session. Other than Jaune, none of them had really been training extensively since the Fall- there had always been more than enough combat as it was to keep their skills sharp for the most part. Maybe they had all become soft after lacking Professor Goodwitch’s iron rule over her sparring classes, though, because when Ozpin said he was going to train them, he was not making light of the situation.

“We only have a month at most before the attack on Haven Academy,” he boomed, tapping his cane on the ground with such ferocity the balcony seemed to tremble. They all flinched in the face of his intensity. “We must be ready.”

And thus began a long, wearying day of sparring, only accompanied by quick rests. There was never a match not happening on the balcony- the only downtime people had was when they were spectating another fight, taking notes and critiquing form as they watched one another square off. It was a long, daunting day.

“How the heckie did we do this all day back at Beacon?!” Nora groaned, lying flat on her back after a particularly exhausting bout against Ren. The sky was starting to darken, with the evening sky setting a lovely ambiance to their mind-numbing training.

The boy coughed out, massaging healing ribs, “I… think… we were… more in shape… back then.”

“You’ve got to be much stronger,” Ozpin announced. “I think Oscar is ready to go again. Miss Rose- if you would.”

Ruby pouted, laying Crescent Rose on the ground affectionately before standing up and taking the center floor. Ozpin had been forcing her to fight hand-to-hand all day against Oscar, since their levels of proficiency in physical combat were the closest out of everyone else. As the match began, Nora whistled from the sidelines when Oscar managed to land quite a few decent hits on Ruby, despite having had little training before that day.

Jaune commented, “Man, Oz wasn't kidding. Oscar's picking up on this stuff fast.”

Nora nodded, leaning on Magnhild while she watched the match. It was true- compared to that morning, he was already becoming fairly proficient. It was as if he’d already had years of foundations built into him.

Ruby managed to land a solid blow on Oscar, sending the boy flying backwards with an audible thud. Nora winced- it sounded painful. However, the boy simply remained on his back, glaring at the sky for a moment before crying, “Why didn't you tell me?” before quieting down again.

“I think he’s talking to Oz,” Nora whispered to Jaune.

“It’s so weird,” Jaune replied, eyes transfixed to the scene.

“Let it go, you two,” Ren murmured lowly from where he sat, cross-legged and eyes closed in a meditative trance. “You’ve got to get used to it at some point.”

“But it’s weird…” Nora repeated, pouting. Still she turned her attention back to the fighting pair as Oscar’s eyes flashed with light, indicating a soul switch.

Ozpin straightened up, a wry grin on his face. “Not bad, Miss Rose. But Oscar doesn't have the years of training that you do. Or I do.” His body shimmered green for a moment as his Aura formed a defensive layer upon is skin. Then, he began to slowly march towards Ruby.

Nora watched in nervous anticipation. Ozpin himself had only come out to fight a few times throughout the day, and each time, he packed a punch.

Ruby realized it, too. She squeaked, “Oh, ha, well, maybe we should uh... take a break!”

He paid her no mind. This battle was no different from the others. Within ten seconds of beginning another fight, Ruby was already knocked clean off her feet with a firm head butt, and Ozpin stood victorious.

“Ouch,” Nora muttered.

Calmly, Ozpin offered, “The next time you want to throw a left cross, remember to push off with the appropriate foot. And as always, do be aware of any openings.”

Ruby groaned, trying to sit up carefully while her Aura knitted any bruises away. “Got it,” she coughed out.

With a flash of light, Oscar re-emerged, and immediately the young teen fell to his knees, panting and exhausted. Ruby immediately shuffled over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in worry. “Hey. Are you okay?”

Nora leaned Magnhild against the wall, ready to go help the boy up to his feet. Oscar croaked, “How is this so exhausting?”

From his tranquil corner, Ren explained, “Your body isn't used to this kind of training, not to mention generating a defensive Aura on your own.” Ruby and Oscar straightened up as Ren opened his eyes, finally watching the weary pair. “It takes intense concentration at first, but in time it will become second nature, allowing you to deflect attacks and gradually heal your wounds. After that, you can begin focusing on your Semblance, whatever that may be.”

Oscar staggered to his feet. “Semblance?”

Nora grinned, hopping forward. “You know! Like your very own superpower!” Oscar’s face showed no sign of recognition, so she barreled onwards. “Everybody's got one. It's just a matter of finding it and mastering it. Ruby moves super fast, electricity makes me stronger, Ren can mask emotions, and Jaune...” She paused, running out of steam immediately as she stumbled her way through the rest of her sentence. Has Jaune even found his Semblance yet?

As if reading her mind, Jaune’s face fell. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, admitted, “I can't do anythi-“

“Jaune's like you!” Ruby interjected instead, grabbing Oscar’s hand and dragging him over to the tall blond. “He hasn't found his Semblance yet, but we all know he will. And you will, too. We all just have to try and help each other get stronger.”

“Cool,” Oscar murmured, glancing around at each of them with shining, eager eyes.

Ren smiled. “A common philosophy is that a warrior's Semblance is a part of who they are. Some say your personality and character can define your Semblance while some claim that it is the other way around. Of course, there are still many who don't see a connection at all.”

Nerd. Nora added, “It's hard to know when you know sometimes. Ren's Semblance was unlocked from intense stress.”

“And mine kicked in during training one day,” Ruby said.

Turning to Nora, Oscar asked, “And what about you?”

Her mind flashed back to Caelus’ dumbfounded, then absolutely jubilant expression when she was a child. “Oh,” she chuckled fondly. “Struck by lightning. Didn't die. Crazy Thursday.”

Her thoughts lingered on them for a moment before focusing back on the situation at hand. We’ll go storm-diving soon, I just know it.

Jaune sighed, his frustration clear as day. “I just don't understand what's wrong with me. I train. I meditate.”

In a flash, Oscar’s eyes glowed before Ozpin explained, “Don't worry, Mr. Arc. Your journey is far from over.” Glancing at everyone else, he added, “And the same might be said for all of you. Unlocking your Semblance isn't the end. It can still grow and evolve. Providing you're willing to put in the work, who knows what could happen.”

With a smile, Ruby stated, “Then let's get back to it.”

And so, that was how they spent their days in that lovely, quiet manor high in Mistral. The days, while not the most exciting, were productive, at least. Occasionally, they found Qrow wandering through the manor in the dead of night, but for the most part he was off in the depths of Mistral, leaving the kids to their own devices.

Nora wanted to sneak off and conduct her own hunt for Kalian and Caelus and Howl, but Ren stopped her every time. “We can ask Qrow based on the list of Huntsmen he finds,” he insisted. “Let’s wait until we have more information.”

Each time, she pouted and crossed her arms and sulked, but she always listened and stayed behind to train.

With not much to do other than train, the five of them began to see steady improvements in one another. It wasn’t life at Beacon, but it certainly felt nostalgic to have a training schedule in relative security again.

“I wonder how Vale is doing,” Jaune murmured one day as they paused for lunch. “Is everyone still protecting it? Are they all going back to school?”

“Maybe the staff have made headway with taking back Beacon,” Ren murmured.

They all traded glances, unsure of what to say. Finally, it was Ozpin who spoke up, taking over Oscar for just a moment. “Based on what Qrow has told me about the situation at hand, it seems that Beacon is unreachable for now. Therefore, after establishing a safe zone and getting Vale up and running again, I’m sure that Glynda would assign everyone to positions around Vale while she went to another Academy. Knowing that James is still alive, I’d assume she chose to help at Shade.”

“Shade, huh?” Nora murmured. She didn’t know much about Shade Academy- only that its students were… interesting.

Either way, they had no way of finding out. So, they focused on what they could control- training for their battle at Haven.

After a week of training with Ozpin, the man woke them up with wide smiles and small envelopes. Confused, the group looked between one another, taking an envelope each.

“Is this going to be for training today?” Ruby asked, clumsily tearing open the side of her envelope.

Ozpin shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “No. You should always take chances to rest when you can, and you five have earned it. I managed to acquire some of my stored funds, which I’ve given to each of you.”

Nora’s eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead. “You’re… wait, is this money?” Ripping open the small packet, her eyes bugged out of her head when she counted the amount of Lien hidden within.

“This is far too much,” Ren murmured, tensely staring at Ozpin.

Jaune nodded frantically. “Yeah- there’s no way we can take this!”

Ozpin held up a hand, closing his eyes firmly. “You do not live as many lifetimes as I have without generating some capital for… special situations.” He chuckled. “You do deserve it. As Huntsmen and Huntresses, which you all are- despite the circumstances of your education- you would be normally able to make much more money that what I’ve given to you here in just a few missions. Due to the importance of staying safe and ready to fight later this month, however, none of you are able to take on any missions for now. So, this is merely compensation, if you will.”

“So,” Ruby mumbled, “what should we do with it?”

Ozpin smiled, his eyes so oddly fond and wizened within Oscar’s young face that it threw Nora off. “I recall you all used to go down to Vale for… what did you call it- Noodle Sundays?”

“Sunday noodle nights,” Jaune corrected quietly, his brow furrowing at the memory.

“Yes, that. Glynda told me about it.” Empathy radiated from every pore. “Why not carry on with that here? No better place than Mistral.”

“Mistral is known as the land of noodles,” Ren murmured. “The man who owned A Simple Wok learned everything from here.”

Ruby smiled as Ozpin returned control to Oscar. “Then, why don’t we do it? We can spend the day exploring Mistral, and then, we can meet up somewhere for dinner?”

“That actually sounds like a lot of fun,” Jaune admitted finally. “We haven’t exactly explored the city at all.”

Nora cheered, the possibilities of what they could do that day practically endless in her mind. “Perfect! Let’s all meet up…” She pulled out her Scroll, opening up a map she had downloaded weeks earlier upon their arrival. Pointing to the nearest marketplace, she insisted, “I’m sure we’ll find a good place around here.”

Ren held up a hand before anyone could get too carried away. “Before you run off,” he explained sagely, “just… don’t go to the lower levels.”

Instantly, Nora deflated. The option hadn’t even crossed her mind- but as it was Ruby, Oscar and Jaune’s first time in Mistral proper, that probably was a smart thing to say. “It isn’t safe down there,” she mumbled. “Stay up the mountain, okay?”

Ruby and Jaune traded a concerned look, but soon, they nodded. “Cool. Let’s head out!” Jaune announced, ushering them all upstairs to grab whatever they needed.

So, the five teens headed out of the manor for the first time without Qrow since their arrival. Ruby sent her uncle a quick text telling him they were heading out, to which he simply parroted the same advice Ren had shared with the group.

Within a few minutes, they reached their first fork in the road. Nora propped her hands onto her hips and grinned, tugging on Ren’s arm. “So, where do ya wanna go, Ren?” she asked, pointing in each direction without giving him time to respond.

Oddly enough, Ruby and Jaune shared a meaningful look. “Oh, y’know,” Ruby murmured coyly, “I remember there being an article on this cool marketplace down that way.” She pointed towards the right-hand path which would bring them to a slightly classier area of Mistral. “You should check that out, guys.”

“Ooh, sounds fun. We can make fun of all the snobby people,” Nora giggled.

However, as she said that, Ruby and Jaune both grabbed Oscar’s arms, much to his surprise. “Guys, wha- what are you doing?” the younger boy protested.

“Yeah,” Nora cried, “where are you all going?”

“I wanna visit a weapons shop down here!” Ruby cried hurriedly. “Have fun without us!”

Jaune waved over his shoulder at Nora and Ren, a smug grin on his face. “You two be safe, y’hear?”

“Guys, what-?” Oscar continued to demand, but the two older teens simply giggled evilly and dragged Oscar down the left path towards the middle-class district, leaving nothing in their wake but Oscar’s confused cries.

Nora blinked at their friends’ odd departure. “What in the world was that about?” she asked, baffled.

Turning to Ren, however, it was clear that the boy understood what was going on better than she. His face was flushed, eyes wide as he watched the empty space where his friends had stood moments before.

Nora pouted, poking Ren’s arm. “C’mon, tell me.”

The blush in Ren’s face was spreading like wildfire on his face, his ears practically neon. Quickly turning back towards the right path, he gruffly said, “Nora, let’s go.”

She froze, staring at his stiff movements. Suddenly, it all clicked into place.

“Oh my god, Ren,” she whispered, shuffling up to stand beside him, “is this a setup?” He didn’t respond. “Is this… like… our first date?”

Ren covered his face with one hand, embarrassment oozing from every pore. With his other hand, however, he held it out to Nora. “I didn’t think they were serious,” he groaned. “Just… let’s go, Nora.” His voice was strained and squeaky, the boy clearly too flustered to function.

Oh my gosh, this is so cute! Every fiber of Nora’s being wanted to take a photo of Ren’s face at that moment, wanted to crystallize that moment in her memories forever. However, the boy seemed to be steaming with embarrassment, unsure of where to look.

So, squashing her giddiness down, she quietly took his hand and leaned her cheek on his arm. “Let’s go,” she agreed gently.

Ren finally lifted his face, and the sheer warmth in his eyes made her want to melt.

And so, with his hand in hers, Nora and Ren made their way to the more affluent marketplaces of Mistral. They found their way through winding corridors until they entered a large bazaar. There were no makeshift street stalls here, aside from the few quaint stores which thrived on tourists at the corners. Instead, each side of the square was lined with elegant stores showcasing their wares through beautiful displays in the windows, with large silken tapestries welcoming customers in. At the center of it all was a lovely stone garden, the bonsai trees immaculately pruned into art itself alongside sparse rock formations and bamboo fountains filling up a central pond.

Leaning against Ren’s arm, Nora whispered, “This is fancy.”

“Let’s take a look,” Ren encouraged, pulling her along.

Nora had to bite back a giggle as she saw his eyes light up. On the other end of the square was the sign for a traditional Mistralian sweets shop. Well. I know what I’m doing with my money. It wasn’t every day that she could buy Ren sweets made by master artisans, after all.

Still, there was a ton of things to see before they reached that side of the square. Leisurely, the pair began to wander through the stores, examining whatever caught their fancy. Ren warned her multiple times not to touch anything- normally, she would’ve pouted and protested at that, but this time, she listened well. If she broke anything… well, that would mean no sweets for them, at the very least.

It gave her an excuse to hold onto him instead, after all. Ren’s cheeks never lost their flush the entire time. I could get used to seeing this, she thought happily.

The boy never seemed to find anything that really drew him in. For her, while there were many trinkets and baubles that caught her eye, she didn’t find anything of use either. “Everything here is so fancy-schmancy,” she whispered to him in a jewelry shop. The amount of jade and gold surrounding them was making her dizzy. “It’s not practical.”

Ren bit back a smile. “At least they’re not trying to sell us anything,” he offered, guiding her to the exit.

“Well, duh,” she retorted, “we look like Huntsmen! Not like we’ve got any use for this stuff.”

It was true. All of the other shoppers were clearly the upper-class of Mistral, dressed in delicate robes and gilded sashes. The women looked poised and elegant, tittering over the finery offered by the bazaar, while the men remained at their sides, stoic and firm in their muted garb. It was a far cry from Ren and Nora, whose garments allowed for movement and freedom with their weapons holstered for all the world to see.

Ren’s eye caught something. “Wait here, Nora. And don’t touch anything,” he chided pre-emptively before heading to one of the smaller street stalls. Nora nodded with a smile, clasped her hands behind her back, and began examining the window displays in nearby stores.

And then, Nora saw it, and her eyes widened in awe.

Tucked in the window of a beautiful little dress shop was the loveliest Mistralian gown she had ever seen. It was a traditional, everyday robe for the upper-class- nowhere near the fanciest thing she had seen in the stores lining the square- but there was something about it that drew her in. The silk was dyed a pale pink fading to a deep lavender at the bottom, the colours splashed together as if it were a watercolour painting. The inner robe was a pretty off-white, the tracings of golden embroidery so faint on the inner collar that it seemed to catch the light like a kaleidoscope. White and magenta sprigs were embroidered along the edges, with a delicate white sash of embroidered lace on silken cloth holding the robe together.

She grabbed her arm unconsciously, eyes transfixed upon it. It truly was a breathtaking dress.

For a moment, she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She had always been able to imagine Ren in Mistralian robes, but for the first time, she imagined herself beside him, wearing that dress. Her hair was longer and held up by a wooden pin, and the pink of the dress matched her current skirt so she knew it looked wonderful on her skin- and beside Ren, in her mind, she finally looked like she belonged.

“Miss, may I help you?” a high, soothing voice asked.

She nearly jumped in shock as her daydream shattered, turning to look at the speaker. Out of the store had stepped a petite, breathtakingly-beautiful woman dressed to the nines in an intricately-woven traditional dress. The woman bowed to her, her back completely straight with the motion. “May I help you with something, miss?” the woman repeated gently.

Oh god, she works here. “Oh- oh no, I’m fine,” Nora said quickly. “I’m just- just looking!”

The woman smiled politely without showing her teeth, pinks lips curved just enough to maintain her aura of completely serenity. “You seem to be quite taken with this dress,” she murmured.

Nora chuckled weakly. “It’s… it’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is. This style is not as traditional for common apparel these days, although it is well-suited for it depending on your… status.” The woman looked Nora up and down, taking in the girl’s decidedly Valean gear and Atlesian colouring blankly. “Mistralian women are well suited for it- it was made with darker hair and eyes in mind, to accentuate the contrast between them and the lightness of the dress.”

And just like that, Nora’s positive mood was shattered.

“Oh, I-“ Her face felt hot and flushed, blood racing to her cheeks so quickly it left her dizzy. Quickly spinning on her heel, she caught sight of Ren, who was heading back to her from the street stall he had been examining momentarily. “I need to go.”

“Thank you for your patronage, miss,” the woman replied evenly, her smile never reaching her eyes.

Nora scurried over to meet Ren, her mind racing. I grew up here. I’m just as Mistralian as everyone else. Why does this always happen?

But she wasn’t Mistralian. With her pale complexion (I always look, I know- how the heck am I supposed to be a pretty as Pyrrha or Ruby or Yang or-) and her orange hair (no one has hair like this- it’s not natural to look like a damned carrot) and her eyes (if I ever hear someone else say that they’re ‘too pale, too empty, too dangerous, that they carry the ghosts of the sea’ I’m going to lose it) she would never belong.

“Nora, I told you to stay- Nora?” Ren’s voice immediately shifted from chastising to concerned as she ran up to him, immediately grabbing onto his arm and tugging him towards the sweet shop.

“Let’s go there, then meet up with everyone, okay?” she asked quietly.

“Nora, we still have time-“

“Ren, let’s go.” She bit her lip and pulled him forward. “Please.”

Glancing up at him, she could see the worry and confusion in his eyes. She told him nothing, however. She simply plastered a smile on her face and walked into the sweet shop with him, pointing at all of Ren’s favourites without a word and paying with Ozpin’s gift before he could stop her. Then, as they left the square and headed towards the meeting place, she pulled out a sweet wrapped in a leaf and held it up to him. “Eat,” she encouraged, moving far too speedily for him to retort.

With furrowed brows, Ren complied, taking the sweet and savouring it quietly. “Thank you, Nora,” he murmured. Soon, they found the spot where they were to meet the group. So, they took a seat near a fountain, opening up the spread of sweets. “They’re going to spoil our appetite,” he said wryly.

She blew a raspberry at him. “I don’t care! It’s not every day we get to eat this, right? C’mon, live a little!”

He rolled his eyes, but his smile grew, and he began to delicately eat another. She ran off to a nearby vendor and picked up tea for the two of them, and soon, they were laughing and sharing desserts until Nora’s spirits were lifted. It didn’t matter what that crotchety woman had said- Ren wanted her, and that was all that mattered. Screw tradition, she thought as she sipped her tea, pushing the thought of the dress out of her mind.

The other three finally showed up, eyes shining and grins devilish. Clearly, Oscar had been filled in on their nefarious plans while they had explored the weapons markets. As they giggled and shared their finding, hey managed to find a noodle place able to seat them all in one booth. The rest of the evening was spent sharing stories of past Sunday noodle nights in Vale with Oscar, reminiscing about better times.

It felt good.

Still, they had to return to the manor eventually, and the next day, training resumed. It was surprisingly easy to fall back into the punishing routine. Their days spent in the manor grew mechanical and dull, but over the next two weeks, Ozpin tried his best to ensure they were all engaged. He was a bit reckless, but Nora had to admit- he was indeed a good teacher, at the end of it all.

It was a little hard taking him seriously, though.

“Please do not forget to do your meditation exercises- Miss Valkyrie, what seems to be the issue?” their former headmaster asked one evening, one eyebrow raised expectantly.

Nora, who had been fighting back the urge to laugh, finally let it out. “I’m sorry!” she wheezed, doubling over. “I know it’s been weeks, but I can’t take it seriously!”

He frowned. “Whatever do you mean?”

She clapped her hands delightedly together. “Little-cute-boy Ozpin’s so sewious when he’s twying to teach,” she cooed, giggling.

Jaune and Ruby merely sighed, long since used to her antics. Ren’s neutral expression soured, but it only fuelled her laughter further.

Suddenly, Ruby’s Scroll buzzed. “Oh, it’s Qrow!” she reported enthusiastically, reading his message. “We have to buy ingredients for dinner this weekend- he’s hoping to get all the Huntsmen together then.”

“With what money?” Nora asked.

Ruby flashed them all a devilish thumbs-up. “He’s loaded up my account. Time to make it rain Lien!”

“Um, Ruby,” Jaune chuckled dryly, “I don’t think you can ‘make it rain’ on a grocery store.”

She pouted. “Don’t kill my vibes.”

Ozpin sighed. “Alright. We should only need a few people to go-“

“I’m going!” Ruby insisted, her hand shooting up in the air.

Jaune said, “I can go too. I might as well help carry bags.”

Their teacher nodded. “I can’t imagine needing more-“

“Um,” Ren cut in, “we’ll need more. We’re all going.”

Oscar’s young face frowned, confused. “But why-“

“Have you seen how much Nora eats?” Ruby giggled.

“Hey!” Nora protested. She wasn’t angry, though.

Opzin shook his head in amusement, then allowed Oscar to take over again with a flash of light. “Shopping, huh?” Oscar said after a moment.

The group nodded and giggled and began planning what to buy, excitement emanating from every pore. They were so close- the end of the month was drawing near, and they’d meet their reinforcements soon. As the five teens bickered and argued and playfully fought over the dishes they’d cook, Nora couldn’t help but trade a small smile with Ren.

We’re almost ready for the fight.

She was so ready to knock Salem’s forces down a peg or three. They’d do Pyrrha proud.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The weekend finally arrived where they were to make their infiltration plans with the newly-recruited Huntsmen. The amount of ingredients everyone bought was utterly obscene- “What are we doing, feeding an army?” Nora kept asking as they pulled everything out of the refrigerator- so they had to begin cooking early in the evening in order to have it ready in time.

“Oh, I haven’t had hotpot in so long!” Ruby squealed excitedly.

Ren nodded. “When in Mistral, right? Nothing like sharing a meal together in order to forge trust.” Nora ignored the boy’s pointed look when he added, “If we still have enough ingredients.”

“Nora,” Jaune called from the dining table where he was laying everything out for their guests, “please don’t eat everything.”

Nora rolled her eyes, popping another piece of the carrot she was currently slicing into her mouth anyways.

The dark-haired boy sighed and continued stirring his pot of broth. “Alright, the first batch is just about done.”

“Awesome!” said Ruby. “Now we just need Qrow and we'll be all set.”

Continuing to sneak carrot slices, Nora mumbled, “Do you really think he's gonna bring that many people? This is a lot of food.”

The younger girl shrugged. “Uh, I don't know, but it sounds like we could use all the help we can get.”

Before they could continue their conversation, the front door creaked open in the living room. “I'm back!” Qrow’s voice called.

Ruby immediately perked up, eyes shimmering as she replied, “Be right there!” After a brief scolding from Ren about burning the omelet side dish, Ruby hurriedly grabbed the tea tray Jaune had prepared earlier and sauntered into the living room.

The moment the girl was gone, Nora stepped towards Ren and bumped him with her hip. “Looking good, Mister Chef,” she teased with a wink.

Ren immediately frowned, but his face reddened slightly, much to her amusement. “Nora, please-“

“-‘do nothing to the cook’. I know, I know. I bought you that apron, remember?” She brought over the carrot slices (whatever was left) to him, ready to add them to the soup when a shattering sound came from the living room. With a start, Nora, Jaune and Ren looked at the doorway in panic, immediately setting down their spatulas, pans, and teacups in favour of kitchen knives as they headed to the doorway.

To their surprise, it wasn’t unwelcome intruders who had made Ruby drop the tray. Dripping tea and crumbling sugar cubes and shards of porcelain lay everywhere on the wooden floor, but it didn’t matter- in the center of the mess stood Ruby.

And, holding the girl tight in her arms- her arms- was Yang Xiao Long, the blonde looking stronger and more confident than ever with a prosthetic arm shining in the light.

The spectating trio placed their knives on the counter and walked over, careful to not disturb the moment. Nora’s heart swelled in a myriad of emotions- joy, relief, shock, confusion, gratitude- as she saw the two sisters embracing one another, tears rolling down their cheeks as they reunited at last. And, behind the two girls stood Qrow, and- even crazier- Weiss Schnee, the girl looking battered and bruised and oddly uncomfortable.

After a moment, the two sisters let go and motioned towards their third teammate. “Weiss,” Ruby whispered.

With love radiating from every pore, the pale girl rushed over and joined her friends in a hug, the three young women holding onto one another and giggling and sniffling.

They’ve… found their way back to one another. They did it. Nora’s heart was going to burst. She couldn’t be happier for Ruby. The younger girl deserved to have her teammates by her side.

After all, JNRR could never replace Team RWBY. And that was okay.

So as to not disturb the moment, Oscar appeared from the stairwell on his tiptoes, creeping over to Jaune, Ren and Nora. “Are… are they her teammates?” he whispered.

Jaune grinned fondly, his eyes never leaving the three girls. “Yeah. The blonde is Ruby’s big sister, Yang, and the other one is Weiss Schnee, their teammate.”

“What are they doing here, though?” Oscar asked, confused.

Nora skirted around Jaune and lay a hand on Oscar’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter,” she said quietly. “All that matters is that they’re together, right?”

Ren nodded, quiet happiness radiating from his smile. “Indeed. They look like they’ve been battling. Let’s get them rested up. Then we can hear the story.”

As the girls continued to quietly embrace and whisper to one another, Qrow approached the rest of them. “Hey, kids,” he said softly, his expression gentler than they’d ever seen it before. “Change of plans. No one else is coming tonight, but we have these two here.”

“No one?” Nora asked, alarm bells immediately ringing in her brain. How could there be no one- you spent weeks looking!

He held up a hand. “Long story, short answer- Oscar, grab some grub for us to-go, then meet me upstairs. I’ve gotta chat with Oz. Meanwhile, you three,” he added, turning to Nora and her teammates, “Would you mind getting a warm meal in these two? I doubt they’ve eaten in days.” His eyes softened. “And you all deserve a chance to catch up.”

Nora bit back her questions, sighed, and then saluted Qrow cheerily. “You’ve got it!”

With that, Oscar and Qrow set to their own work, while Nora finally approached the trio of girls who were finally releasing one another. “Where’s our hugs?” she asked, propping her hands on her hips defiantly.

Weiss and Yang traded rueful looks, giggled, then held out their arms. Nora immediately leapt forward and crushed them both in her embrace. “Oh, I can’t believe you all made it here,” she said against Yang’s shoulder.

The blonde laughed, patting her on the back before releasing her and turning to give Jaune a hug. “I know. It’s… been a ride.”

Jaune chuckled and gave each girl a hug in turn. To Nora’s surprise, Weiss didn’t turn away, instead embracing the tall boy like an old, true friend. I guess she’s mellowed out a bit, huh? she thought wryly, remembering all the times the pale girl had completely ignored Jaune at Beacon.

Once initial greetings were finished, they set to work. “You two need to come with us,” Nora shrieked. “The boys will finish cooking, and we’re gonna get you showered and wash your clothes and get you spick and span!”

Yang opened her mouth, clearly inclined to protest, but one look at Weiss’ muddied dress shut her up. “Yeah,” Yang finally said. “Probably a good idea.”

So, the two girls of JNRR dragged Weiss and Yang upstairs, setting them up in a guest bedroom and washing and drying their clothes. After an hour, the two young women were back downstairs with the rest of them, with a whole array of food laid out elegantly upon the table.

“Is anyone else coming?” Ruby asked, her expression falling a bit.

Ren shook his head. “Qrow said he’ll give us details later.”

“For tonight, he said we should just relax. Catch up,” Jaune added.

Nora pushed Weiss and Yang to take a seat. “Yeah- I have so many questions,” she groaned. “And I’m so hungry, so let’s eat!”

Once everyone was seated upon cushions on the floor around the low dining table, and bowls were filled up with noodles and broth and vegetables, everyone burst into chatter. The two new girls wanted to hear all about the adventures of Team RNJR- “Team JNRR, thank you very much,” Nora insisted with a pout- so they began to recount everything that had happened ever since their departure from Patch. They left out their struggles for the most part- no one needed to know the amount of trauma they had lived and relived throughout their journey across southern Anima- but the fun parts were still more than enough to fill the air with joy.

“How do you lose your map at a time like that?” Yang cried, throwing her hand up in the air in exasperation.

Jaune rolled his eyes. “Believe me, I've asked myself the same thing ever since.”

Everyone laughed at the blond, who could only giggle sheepishly in response. Nora grinned, pride blooming in her chest. “Hey, but you made up for it, Mister Muscles!” she cried, thinking back to the fight against the Nuckelavee in Kuroyuri. “You shoulda seen this guy take a giant Grimm head on!”

Jaune chuckled. “I couldn't have done it without Ruby wearing it down.”

Said girl scoffed, “Uh, me? Did you see Ren during that fight? He was out of control!” She waved around a carrot slice emphatically while she spoke, drawing a pout from Weiss as broth flew over the table.

Ren shrunk in on himself. Solemnly, he murmured, “I'm sorry, I may have lost my temper momentarily.”

Nora dragged a hand down her face as she realized what Ren had misunderstood. Thankfully, Ruby understood it too, adding hurriedly, “No, no! Out of control as in ‘awesome’!”

“Oh.” He took a moment to process her words again, then smiled gleefully. “Thank you.”

Laughter burst out across the table, and the stories continued flowing while they ate their food. Soon, they landed upon the tales of Weiss during her time cooped up in Atlas over the past months. She had been practically kidnapped and jailed by her father, stripped of her title as heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and then had found herself illegally escaping the Atlesian embargo on a cargo ship which suffered a terrible crash- and to make it even wilder, she had then been found and taken as hostage by Yang’s mom in the Branwen Tribe. This cannot be real. It sounds so fake! Nora gawped at her as Weiss explained how, using her Semblance of summoning fallen foes using glyphs, she had accidentally summoned a Boarbatusk of all things in the middle of a fancy SDC charity event in order to take down a woman mocking the Fall of Beacon.

Ruby gasped, eyes bugging out of her head. “You did not!”

Weiss buried her face in her hands, clearly mortified at the memory. “Yeah, right in the middle of the party,” she groaned.

Yang cackled, “Please tell me you let that lady have it.”

“Of course not! Even if I did really want to,” Weiss protested after a moment.

Nora crossed her arms, shaking her head. I refuse to believe that Weiss Schnee of all people acted out at a fancy event! She lives for those, doesn’t she? And since when can she summon things?! “No way, I don't believe it,” she insisted.

Suddenly, a growl and a lick of breath touched her ear. Turning to the right, Nora’s heart leapt out of her chest as the ghostly, boar-like figure of a giant Boarbatusk materialized beside her. “Wha-!” she yelled, losing her balance and falling onto Ren’s lap. The boy shook with laughter underneath her, righting her in her seat before piling more noodles into her bowl. Nora pouted, but ate her noodles anyway amidst the teasing laughter of her friends.

By the time dinner was properly winding down, their gazes finally fell upon Yang. Nora could feel herself shrinking away from the questions at hand, alongside Jaune and Ren. How are you? What happened after we left? Are you okay? The blonde had been nothing more than a shell of her former self after the Fall of Beacon, refusing to talk to them and falling apart more each day. It had been soul-crushing, watching her deteriorate over the short period of time she and her teammates had stayed at the Xiao Long-Rose household in Patch.

Thankfully, the girl seemed as vibrant and proud as ever. Once she realized the elephant in the room, Yang stood up, rolled up her sleeve, and proudly showed off her new arm- a yellow and silver prosthetic matching her weapon. They all applauded in awe as they watched her move it as naturally as a real limb, the light reflecting off of it mirroring the shine of her hair. Apparently, General Ironwood of Atlas had sent it to her as a gift after the Fall, and she had spent many weeks training with it against Taiyang to ensure she was stronger than ever.

“It's not a replacement for the real thing, but I'll make sure to make good use of it,” she concluded.

Nora could faintly hear everyone’s amazed comments, but she had tuned it out long ago. The moment Yang had said that it was just as strong as the original, she knew what she had to do. Bouncing in her seat, she waited for her chance to strike.

“-just as strong?” Nora heard Ruby say.

Yang hummed in agreement. Got it.

Nora sat up and slammed her elbow on the table, holding her arm out waiting. “Wanna bet?” she growled, a wicked smile crossing her face.

“Nora, please,” she heard Weiss mutter, “now’s not the time…”

But it didn’t matter. Yang’s eyes flashed red, then back to lilac, and the girl practically sprinted to a sliding halt before plopping herself down across the table from Nora. Yang grabbed Nora’s hand, a cocky grin on her face, and squeezed. Old habits died hard- and when Nora and Yang were together, it only meant one thing.

Arm wrestling.

Damn, it is strong! Her brows furrowed together, competitiveness flaring up inside her. That means I’m taking you down!

So, their bout began. Their friends cheered and hooted and hollered, supporting their respective teammates. Nora tuned it out, focusing on staring deadlocked with Yang. “It definitely feels like the original, I'll give you that!” she huffed after nearly a minute of struggling against the cybernetic arm.

“Yep,” Yang smirked, “but, it does have some new features!”

She snorted. “Oh yeah?”

Suddenly, there was a robotic clink, and Nora felt herself fly backwards and crash into the wall. But… but I’m still holding on…? She groaned, straightening up while the others watched worriedly. When she finally opened her eyes, her Aura flickering away as the bruises she would’ve gotten otherwise finished healing up, she saw, still in her hand, Yang’s arm.

What-?! She screamed, tossing it back at the blonde who only laughed heartily in response. “You didn’t say it was a rocket arm!” she shrieked after a moment.

Yang winked. “Can’t tell all my secrets before the match.”

The conversation died down into a happy lull, now that their stories were shared and their bellies were full. Jaune tottered to his feet, picking up pots and bowls and stumbling to the kitchen. “Ugh... We ate it all… Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick...”

Yang teased, “Easy there, Vomit Boy, I believe in you.”

Jaune rolled his eyes, walking towards the sink. “Oh, we're doing nickname throwbacks now. Wonderful,” he grumbled sarcastically.

To her surprise, Weiss giggled openly. Nora bit back her surprise, instead offering, “I mean, the Ice Queen seems to like it.”

Immediately, Weiss’ expression soured, but when Ruby and Yang giggled along, Weiss’ smile returned. “I so did not miss you people.”

Nora gasped, cupping her face in her hands adoringly. “Oh my gosh, she really does like it! What went and warmed your heart while you were gone?”

The girls continued to exchange banter playfully, teasing one another until Ren finally spoke up. “It's been a long time. We've all grown in our own ways.”

“You really think so?” Ruby asked.

Nora sobered up, leaning forward to pay attention to the boy as he continued, “Well, think back to when we were all at Beacon; would you say you ever did anything foolish or embarrassing? Or do you think you were perfect?” As everyone began to reflect- and subsequently flush and groan in embarrassment- he explained, “Well that embarrassment- that desire to go back and tell yourself not to be so stupid -that just proves you're not the same person you used to be. You're smarter, you're kinder, you're stronger, and you're not done growing yet. None of us are.”

It was true. All of them had been on incredibly painful journeys. Although Yang and Weiss had told them only fun or exciting portions, Nora could sense that they were hiding bits of their tales, just as she and the rest of her teammates were. There was no point in sharing everything- but despite it all, seeing that there was still so much to have loved about their journeys made her proud.

But you’re on your way, Ren, Nora thought fondly, her heart aching as she looked at him. He had grown so much over the past few months. It made her so, so proud. I love you.

Everyone took a moment to ponder what he said, shocked at the little speech. Then, Ruby chirped, “Yeah, turns out Ren gets real deep when he feels like talking.”

Everyone giggled, an ease settling over the room.

Nora stood, raising a brow. “Well, hold on, I thought I was pretty great in school!”

Yang said, “Even at the dance? When you spilled punch all over yourself in front of-“

Instantly, she regretted saying anything. Leaping over the table, Nora cried, “Yes, especially the dance! Thank you, Yang!” Just shut up now, please! She frantically began blasting a song from her Scroll to block out Yang’s next words so as to not conjure up the image in anyone’s mind. If she could go back in time and stop herself from spilling dark punch all over herself and, subsequently, Professor Peach and Professor Pearson while they were dancing (far too suggestively, she would add- apparently the two old professors did that every tournament to make the kids cringe, and it worked) while she was trying to lead Ren to the dance floor… ugh. It was terrible.

Okay, Nora redacted silently as everyone laughed, not terrible. Pyrrha and Jaune were so cute that night. The very thought of it still warmed her heart like nothing else.

Suddenly, Qrow’s voice boomed from the stairs. “How can six kids possibly make so much noise eating dinner?!”

The whole group turned to look at Qrow and Oscar who had finally emerged from their conversation upstairs. Nora turned off her music with a sheepish smile to let them speak.

Jaune, who had returned from the kitchen a few seconds before, murmured, “Is… is it time to talk?”

Oscar nodded once. “Ozpin wants to share next steps. And,” he added, nodding towards Yang and Weiss, “we have to make sure everyone is filled in.”

Everyone’s face fell, becoming serious and stony in a heartbeat. Without a word, they all headed to the living room on the second floor of the manor, since it had more seats for the larger group. Nora took a seat beside Jaune quietly.

Oscar hung back, waiting until Yang and Weiss were seated before approaching them. “You’re… Yang and Weiss, right? I’m Oscar,” he said clumsily, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

Jaune had explained over dinner who Oscar was, so the two girls simply nodded and smiled. “Nice to meet you too, Oscar,” Weiss offered.

Yang, on the other hand, was unusually cold. “Nice to meet you.”

Oscar flinched at the deadness of her tone, retreating to the armchair Ozpin always gravitated towards during their discussions. His eyes flashed, and Ozpin’s voice murmured, “Miss Schnee, Miss Xiao Long. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

Weiss’ eyes widened, her hand flying up to her mouth. “It’s… true,” she murmured in shock. “You really are Ozpin.”

“Yes.” He nodded gravely. “And I must tell you something important.”

“My mother already told us,” Yang muttered.

Nora frowned, trying to sort out all the ties in her head. So- Yang’s mom is Raven Branwen, who’s Qrow’s sister, who is the leader of the Branwen Tribe of all people, and Yang and Ruby don’t know her well, and Raven and Qrow worked for Ozpin till Raven left, and she kidnapped Weiss and Yang and then they teleported to Qrow using a portal she made with her sword to get to us ‘cause Yang was trying to find Ruby.

She sighed. Maybe it was due to the amount of carbs she had just consumed, but she was getting a headache.

Ozpin and Qrow traded worried glances. “Then let us compare information.” Without further delay, Ozpin began to recount the tale of the Maidens, and the gods, and the Relics, and everything else Qrow had told them that cold night around the campfire in the wilderness. It stung hearing it a second time- but the fact that it was coming from Professor Ozpin’s mouth, and not from Qrow Branwen, almost made it worse for Nora. It made it all so much more… real.

As he spoke, Weiss’ expression grew more troubled, while Yang closed off completely, crossing her arms and glaring at the floor.

Finally, Weiss asked, “So, the Maidens. Magic. Salem. It's all true?”

Qrow hummed in affirmation.

Ozpin leaned forward to look past Weiss at Yang. “Miss Xiao Long, is this more or less what your mother told you?”

When Yang didn’t respond, Weiss said, “For the most part.”

Suddenly, Yang jumped in accusingly. “You forgot something. You forgot to tell everyone what you did to Qrow and my mother.”

Ruby gasped, clearly caught off guard. Jaune picked up on that confusion, asking, “What is she talking about?”

Qrow groaned, pushing his hair back wearily. “Oh, great.”

Ozpin seemed a bit perplexed. “Hm, that's not a secret I thought she would give up so easily. Your mother must trust you a great deal.” Yang only responded with a dark scowl, so he explained to the group, “My ability to reincarnate, though a curse, isn't without a few key benefits. Much like the Maidens, I too possess a certain... ‘magical’ power.” Standing up, the former headmaster wandered over to Qrow, his cane clacking against the wooden floors with each step. “Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to "see" more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I... well... gave them the ability to turn into birds.” He chuckled ruefully. “Rather ridiculous sounding out loud, isn't it?”

Nora frowned. Birds? Um… Qrow’s just a guy.

Ruby prodded, “Uncle?”

“You turned them... into birds,” Ren repeated slowly.

Nora frowned. “Alright, now you're just messing with us.” A bird doesn’t look like a person. What the heck are they talking about?

It was a little stab to the heart, however, when Jaune muttered angrily, “What else is new?” at her side. His frustration over the whole situation hadn’t waned a bit.

Weiss cut in, “He's telling the truth. We saw it. Yang's mom... changed, right in front of us.”

Changed into what? Nora thought, baffled.

At the mention of her mother again, Yang glared pointedly at Ozpin. “Why would you do something like that? I mean, what is wrong with you?”

“Yang, that's enough!” Qrow cried. “We made a choice. We wanted this.”

Yang’s expression shifted into hurt disbelief, but she backed off anyway at his harsh tone.

Ozpin turned to Qrow. “May I?” When the taller man nodded, Ozpin said gently, “Granting this power to them was no trivial task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information on Salem's plans, as well as searching for Maidens when their hosts became unclear.”

Ruby asked, “Okay, so, have you done this with others- like General Ironwood? Or Professor Goodwitch?”

Walking over to stand beside Yang, Ozpin shook his head. “As helpful as that might be, unfortunately, it is not that simple. My power is finite, and if I'm being honest, dwindling. The amount that I gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule.” He looked away, a hint of shame flitting across his face. “You see, centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who I hoped would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens.”

…wait. Nora frowned, reeling from the information overload. But- but if he gave the first Maidens their power, then…

Ozpin barrelled onwards after a moment of silence. “Miss Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you. To any of you. There are just some matters that I prefer to... ‘play close to the chest’.” He glanced ruefully up at Qrow. “I believe that's how you phrased it?”

The other man chuckled, voice hoarse and dry. It was clear that this conversation was draining to have to listen to for him as well. “Yeah.”

Looking back at Yang, Ozpin said, “Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest.” He looked exhausted, a face that broke Nora’s heart a little. Although it was Ozpin’s voice, it was still little Oscar’s face speaking, and she didn’t want him to go through this.

Ozpin turned away from them all. “Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat.”

No one spoke. When it was clear that no one would step out of the conflict to come, the Huntsman turned back around, gratitude shining in his eyes. “Very well, then-“

Yang cut him off by standing up suddenly, fists clenched tight, eyes boring holes into the wall across from her. Ruby called her name, but she didn’t respond, simply taking a moment to collect herself before finally stating, “If Ruby sticks around, then I will too. If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she somehow always knows the right thing to do.” She flashed her little sister a small smile. “But, if we're going to help, if we're going to keep risking our lives, no more lies. No more half-truths.”

Nora nodded enthusiastically in agreement as the conversation carried on, but realistically, her mind was miles away, still focused on one little detail that everyone seemed to have forgotten far too easily.

And then, it came to her, startling everyone else. “Oh. Raven? Qrow? They're birds!” She leaned back, satisfaction coursing through her. “Cracked it!”

Qrow sighed. “…sure, kid. Anyways, you all will be free tomorrow, but rest up- tomorrow evening we’ve got a date with Leo. Gotta meet him at Haven.”

Nora glanced over at Ruby, who was staring at her uncle with a worried expression. “With or without weapons?” the younger girl said quietly.

Their hearts all simultaneously sank as the man’s eyes darkened. “With. Something’s wrong, and we’re gonna get answers, whether he likes it or not.”

They sighed, nodded, then headed back to the dining table one by one. “I think we have some fruit in the fridge,” Jaune announced. “Dessert?”

“Heck yeah!” Yang agreed.

Weiss, on the other hand, looked almost green at the thought of more food. “I’ll stay to hang out, but I don’t think I can eat another bite.”

Team RWBY, Jaune, and Oscar filed into the kitchen, slowly rekindling the bright energy that had filled the room before their conversation with Ozpin. However, Nora hung back, reaching out to grab Ren’s sleeve before he could join everyone. When he looked down at her quizzically, she insisted, “I’ve been patient for weeks, Ren.”

The boy’s eyes softened, magenta smiling lightly at her as they stood together and turned to face Qrow. “Can we ask you something?” Nora asked hesitantly.

The man’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead, but after a moment, he nodded his head. “Yeah, kids. What’s up?” He took a seat on the armchair Ozpin had vacated, crossing an ankle over a knee.

She took a seat on the couch closest to him, while Ren sat down on the armrest right beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, allowing her to take the lead. She nodded resolutely, then turned to Qrow, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Why aren’t there any Huntsmen here?”

Something flashed in Qrow’s eyes- something sad, almost broken. He had managed to evade that question with the rest of the group, but Nora needed to know. He immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Clasping his hands together, he fiddled with the numerous rings on his fingers before he finally murmured, “There were… some complications.”

“How so?” Ren asked, voice even. Nora reached up and grabbed the hand on her shoulder- despite the fact that he sounded calm, he was trembling slightly.

Qrow shook his head. “I, uh… they’re all on missions right now.”

“That’s impossible,” Nora replied instantly. “Unless you went to find, like, three people, there’s no way that no one-“

“I know,” Qrow cut in, looking up at her with resignation in his red eyes. “I know it’s not natural. I…”

“Were they all killed?” Nora asked point-blank.

He winced, but didn’t respond.

She narrowed her eyes, pressing onwards. I don’t like you. “Do you know how they died? Was it Salem? Was it the Grimm?” She paused, taking in a shaky breath. “…Was it the Branwen Tribe?”

At that, Qrow started, nearly jumping out of his seat in shock. “What- what do you kids know about-“

“We know, Qrow Branwen.” She leaned her head against Ren’s side, chewing on her lip bitterly. “We grew up in the forests of Anima. We know your tribe.”

She wouldn’t tell him how their guardians had hunted his people for years. That detail wasn’t necessary to the story.

“Look,” he muttered, casting nervous glances back at the group chattering away in the kitchen, “they’re not my tribe. I left, okay? Raven- Yang’s mom- may be my sister, but she sure as hell ain’t family.” Letting out a long sigh, he slumped over in his chair slightly. “I, uh… I doubt it was the Branwens. They’re good. Not that good.” Leaning back in his chair, he surveyed them both with a curious expression. “I didn’t peg you as Mistral kids.”

She winced. Not the first time I’ve been told that. “I know.” He doesn’t seem like he’s lying about this. I still don’t like him, though.

Ignoring her comment, he added, “Look, I talked it over with Oz. We’re taking precautions to figure out what’s going on, but for now, we’re on our own.” With a bitter smirk, he added, “I’m not telling you to bring your weapons tomorrow for no reason, okay?”

She glanced up at Ren, meeting his equally-concerned gaze. Something’s wrong. This is all wrong.

Ren sighed after a moment, turning back to Qrow. “May we see the list of names?” he asked.

That caught Qrow’s attention. “Wait, why? Do you know any Huntsmen in Mistral?”

“Sort of,” Nora said slowly. “We’re… trying to find some people.”

Qrow cast a long look between the two of them. Eventually it seemed that he found was he was looking for, as he reached into his pocket, pulled out his Scroll, and handed them a list of contacts. Each name had a strike through it as they crowded around the screen, checking each one.

Caelus… Howl… Kalian…

Their names weren’t on there.

“Find what you’re looking for?” Qrow muttered.

Ren shook his head. “No. Any idea of where else we might look?”

Qrow sighed, standing up and stretching languidly. “Look, kids,” he said exasperatedly, “I’ve had a rough few weeks. Between refusals and getting lost and wasting money on streetears and… other things,” and his voice fell bitterly, “I’m not in the mood. Good luck searching, but you two- don’t get into anything dangerous. We need everyone we can for tomorrow night.”

She nodded, handing back his Scroll. “We’ll figure it out, don’t worry.”

Qrow was clearly worried, but after a few moments he let out another sigh and staggered up the stairs, calling to the rowdy group of teens in the kitchen, “Don’t stay up too late!”

“Okay, Uncle!” Ruby cried back before the sounds of laughter filled the air again.

Before they headed off to join their friends, Ren sighed, murmuring, “Well, that’s one option we can try tomorrow.”

She frowned. “What’s that?”

He shrugged. “Streetears. He mentioned one. I’m sure we can get to one tomorrow, but…”

Nora frowned, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt while she processed what that meant. Streetears were plentiful in Mistral, if you knew where to look. She could remember one location in particular- one which Howl had gone to a few times for reconnaissance on missions.

But it was in the lower tiers of Mistral.

Taking a shaky breath, she flashed him a small smile. “We’ve got a mission to do, Ren,” she murmured.

He grinned, nodding resolutely. “We’ll find them.” He reached over and grabbed her hand for a moment, squeezing tight before beckoning her over to the kitchen. I’ll take care of you down there.

I know you will, she smiled back.

With that unspoken promise of their trip to follow, they walked off, ready to rejoin their friends and celebrate their reunion.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Nora spent that night wrapped up in thought as she lay in her bed. There were just so many things to think about after all- who would've thought that Yang and Weiss would have found their way back to each other? How could anyone have guessed that Raven would be able to get Yang and Weiss all the way to Mistral?

Her heart grew warm thinking of the two girls' arrival to Mistral. Ruby hadn't smiled that much in months- it felt truly wonderful to be able to see her actually be the happy, bubbly person she used to be at Beacon without any reservations. And Nora had missed her friends- even Weiss, admittedly.

All they need is Blake, and they'll be whole again.

A pang of grief hit her heart- powerful, unexpected. She ran her fingers through her hair, staring up listlessly at the ceiling. They might be complete again one day. Team… RWBY.

I guess JNRR isn't really a thing anymore. We got Ruby to Mistral. We're done.

…She missed Pyrrha.

The moonlight filtering through the curtains caught her eye, and she sighed, rolling over, thoughts clouding. Despite all of the joys of the day, there were still so many questions. Why had everyone been so upset about Qrow and Raven? She still didn't really understand what he meant by 'turning them into birds', but at the end of the day, Nora didn't truly care- she had seen Qrow play video games with Ruby and tease Jaune's clumsiness and come back drunk out of his mind. His normal life didn't seem to be suffering because of whatever Ozpin had done, so what was the big issue?

Rolling onto her other side, her thoughts drifted towards the list Qrow had shown her and Ren. How could all those Huntsmen go missing? What was going on?

She let out a frustrated groan, kicking her feet up into the air and pouting. "This is so annoying!" she yelled into the darkened room. Thankfully, Ruby had decided to spend the night in the same room as Weiss and Yang, so there was no one to disturb with her cries.

Eventually, though, Nora tuckered herself out by flailing and yelling until she fell into a deep, dreamless slumber, only opening her eyes with the rising of the sun, a rush of energy flooding through her again as her thoughts drifted back into focus. It was going to be a long, long day.

That morning, everyone was split up doing their own thing. Jaune decided to train a bit more by himself, so he was off in the dojo quietly practicing. The girls of Team RWBY hopped between coaching Jaune and chatting amongst themselves, planning to take a little bit of time to go explore the city of Mistral before night fell. Oscar and Qrow were engaged in serious discussions from the early morn, leaving Ren and Nora to plan their trip to the lower levels as precisely as they could.

"We'll start on this path," Ren murmured, pointing out where they could go on a digital map. "If we get split up for any reason, meet back here. We shouldn't need to, but just in case… You need to stay behind me- don't let go of my hand. If you're sure the information broker is around this area, we'll need to make sure we remain unseen as much as possible. We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves." He handed her a large robe, worry in his eyes. "I borrowed this from our hosts- it should hide your face and hair. You're sticking with me, okay-"

"Ren," Nora chuckled, grabbing onto his hands instead of the cloak, "I'll be fine."

His eyebrows were knitted together, but with a sigh, he relented, backing up. "I'm… Okay, Nora. Are you ready?"

She grinned, slipping on the robe with its large hood anyways. It was far too big, falling into her eyes- still, she pushed it up slightly and sent him a wink. "As long as you're with me."

Ren relaxed a little, turning his attention back to the task at hand. "We need to pay for the info-"

"I've got it covered," Nora said. She hadn't spent any of the money Ozpin had given her, aside from buying sweets and tea for Ren during that one day into the upper markets. "This should be more than enough Lien."

"You sure you want to spend all of it?"

She blew a raspberry at him, waving off his concerns. "As if I had a ton of stuff I needed to buy, anyways."

He pouted, looking skeptical, but finally he nodded. "Right. And we've already tried calling them while in Mistral-"

"And we get nothing but dial tones," Nora pointed out.

He tugged on a cloak of his own to cover his face, ensuring his weapons were ready, just in case. "Let's go." And so, they set off on their adventure to find an information broker, taking the steps into the lower levels of the city without looking back.

Her heart was pounding in her ears with every step they took, electricity practically jolting through her veins in trepidation. How could she be willingly going back? What was she doing?

It'll be fine, she repeated over and over as Ren led her to their destination. We'll be fine. She concentrated on the shape of Magnhild hanging in its holster at her waist and the sensation of Ren's gloved hand covering hers any time it grew too much.

The trip down couldn't have taken more than thirty minutes. Still, by the time they arrived to the main street in the lower tiers- the slums, they essentially were- she was already exhausted. "Well," she murmured to Ren, "might as well get lookin'."

Nora remembered these streets. They were dark and looming, filled with ramshackle buildings and people eager to take advantage of the poor souls who came wandering in. Poverty was clear in every corner of every street, with the homeless far outnumbering those with proper housing. The scent of alcohol and unwashed bodies and vomit lingered in the air, no matter what they passed by- bakeries, grocers, schools. Despite the fact that it was nearly always raining down there due to the misty spray off of nearby waterfalls in the mountainside, it always smelled like piss and regret, and she hated it.

As they walked, Ren held her hand tight and kept her tucked behind him. His protectiveness brought a smile to her face- he had never truly known these streets at a very young age as she had. If anyone needed protecting, it was him. Then again, no one's bothering him, she realized distantly, watching as he seamlessly wove his way through the crowd with her close behind. If I didn't have this hood, it might be different.

Although Ren was being extremely vigilant, Nora found herself slowly relaxing as they wandered through the streets of Mistral that late morning. Yes, it was familiar- she remember passing through that alleyway, hiding behind that butcher shop, begging at that woman's doorstep since she always gave soup to the strays, even the unusual ones like Nora. But the streets were no longer large and daunting and scary to her.

She was too powerful for the streets to scare her like they used to.

Slowly, she reached up and tugged Ren's arm. "Hey, Ren," she whispered, pulling him to the side of the street to avoid anyone's eye.

He frowned, looking at her face carefully. "Is anything wrong?" he asked, worry setting in.

She shook her head. "No, silly. I just…" Her face heated up a bit as she muttered, "I just wanted to say, thanks. I'm not really nervous anymore being here." She snorted. "Mostly because we could probably kick anyone's butt right now, but… also because of you."

He blushed, but his concern never left his face. "Still, we must remain on guard." Glancing around, he asked, "So. You said that there was a… symbol?"

She nodded. Howl and Kalian and I went here before- what was it again? It had been over five years since she had been to this part of Mistral, but she could remember what it was, couldn't she? She pouted, looking around at passersby in hopes of finding inspiration. What was it…

And then, she saw it. Tattooed on the back of a petite woman walking past them was a black spider web, the inked lines clean and thin and menacing against her pale skin.

Nora grinned, baring her teeth. "Found it."

Ren peeked over his shoulder, spotting the woman as she entered a small, unassuming bar. "A spider web?"

"That's the one." Nora reached down and patted her thigh where her wallet was still firmly strapped under her skirt. "You ready?"

He nodded. "Let's get some info." So, they entered the pub, ready to get the information they needed. Holding her breath, Nora squeezed her eyes shut as they passed through the entryway. What would they find inside?

…It was honestly a little bit of a let-down in the end. The establishment itself was a nice-enough place, looking clean and tidy despite the less-than-reputable clientele. Everyone seated inside seemed to bear the same tattoo somewhere on their bodies- Nora spotted the woman they had followed taking a seat in the corner, laughing jovially with a few other customers. They looked like rough-and-tumble folk, but there was an alertness about them.

"Play nice," Ren murmured. "This could go south quick."

"I got it," she replied, walking towards the back of the pub.

Near the kitchen sat a large table occupied by a single heavyset woman, backed by two bodyguards. The woman peered up at the pair through fake lashes, a coy smile on her lips as she fanned herself with a purple lace folding fan. "May I help you, darlings?" she drawled, watching them with amused cunning in her eyes.

"We're looking for some people," Ren stated quietly.

Nora stepped forward, pulling the envelope out and pushing it across the table to the woman. "That's enough, right?"

The woman motioned to one of her bodyguards, who quickly stepped forward, counted the money, and placed the Lien in front of the woman. Upon seeing the stack, she leaned forward, an eager, curious expression on her face. "Oh, customers. You've come to the right place. Lil' Miss Malachite will take care of you any day." She leaned back, crossing her arms as she watched the pair. "So- who're you looking for?"

Ren pulled out his Scroll, showing Miss Malachite a saved photo of Caelus, Kalian and Howl. The trio had been posing victoriously beside a waterfall, their faces radiating positivity (well, Caelus' face radiating positivity- Kalian was always pretending to be grumpy, and Howl barely showed emotion at all) at the camera.

Oh, please say yes, Nora prayed fervently. Please say you can find them. We need to know if they're okay! We've gotta find them!

Miss Malachite hummed, eyes flitting over the photograph rapidly. After a few seconds, she leaned back yet again. "My spiders will find what you need. Come back by Wednesday and we'll have your information," she cooed, waving pudgy fingers at them. "Tata for now, sweeties."

Ren bowed slightly to her, whilst Nora simply settled for a quick nod. "Thank you. We'll be back." Then, after Ren had pocketed his Scroll, they exited the pub and entered the rainy street.

Nora's heart was pounding in her ears in unease, but she couldn't help but grab both of Ren's hands and squeak, "We've got it, Ren!"

He grinned happily. "I doubt we'll leave the city by then- our meeting with the headmaster tonight will only be a planning meeting, after all." He paused, face clouding slightly. "If all goes well."

Nora beamed, nodding emphatically despite his gloom. However, before they could discuss it further, her stomach growled and she slumped over dramatically. "Can we eat on the way home?" she implored.

Ren's eyes softened. "Of course, Nora. Let's get to the middle tier marketplaces."

"Okay, Ren!" She looped her arm through his, the sense of unease she had felt at the start completely washed away. She knew she'd survive in the streets of Mistral now- she had Ren by her side, she was strong, and they had a potential lead on their former guardians. It was turning out to be a great day.

"Your treat, right?" She paused. "I mean, I did just spend all my cash on info. That might not come through." She frowned. "Maybe giving it all wasn't a good idea…"

Ren rolled his eyes, but didn't argue- and when they arrived at a steamed dumpling stall on a sunnier side of the mountain, Ren paid for hers without hesitation.

When they finally arrived back at the house, it was mid-afternoon. Ren was sleepy, so Nora shooed him off to take a nap before they met up with everyone else. The boy refused, instead heading to the balcony to meditate a bit. She grabbed his cloak from him before he left, but he forgot to tell her from exactly he had taken them. I'll just fold 'em and pop them on his desk. He can give it to the owners after.

Entering Ren and Jaune's room, the blond was nowhere to be seen. It was easy enough to tell which bed Ren was using- despite all the time they had spent together, Jaune's bed was still a disaster each day, while Ren's bed was always neatly made. She rolled her eyes, wandering over to his empty desk with cloaks in hand.

To her surprise, there was a beautiful box sitting upon the desk. White parchment with golden filigree lined the edges of it, a familiar symbol painted with a calligraphy brush on the center. Where do I know this symbol from? she thought, tracing her hands over it.

At the side of the box sat a small note. She bit her lip- it was clearly a gift or something for someone. It wouldn't be good to peek, she scolded herself. Still, her hand reached for the note, the girl unable to restrain her curiosity.

Before she could pick it up, however, Ren's voice roared, "Nora!"

Immediately, she placed the robes on the desk and took a wide step away from the box, grinning sheepishly. "Hiya, Ren!" she squeaked. "Just putting the cloaks here! You didn't tell me where to put them, you silly-billy."

Ren looked at her deadpan, not reacting to her statement. She sighed, relenting- when he looked like that, there was no point pretending. She slouched over, pointing to the box. "I didn't mean to look, but what is that?!"

Ren let out a long breath, pinching his nose. Still, he walked past her, placed the note onto the box, and picked the whole ensemble up. "I suppose I should commend you for not reading the note," he muttered.

"Oh, don't say it like that," she protested. If ya gave me ten more seconds…

He raised an eyebrow suspiciously at her, but gestured for her to sit on his bed anyways. Grinning, she complied and took a seat, bouncing in place as she waited for the big reveal.

To her surprise, Ren placed the box and note on her lap. "They're for you," he said quietly, looking away from her in embarrassment. "I was going to give it to you after tonight's meeting, but… I guess we'll do it now."

Nora stared at him, confused. "What the heckie could you possibly buy me in this thing?" she cried, rapping on the box with her knuckle. "This looks pricey."

"It was," he admitted, "but I thought it would be… nice."

She frowned, searching his face. It didn't seem like a prank (although why Ren would play a prank on her, she didn't know- he wasn't Ruby) and it didn't seem like anything had gone horribly wrong (oh my god is he breaking up with me? No, no way-) so she instead focused her attention on the note.

The note was certainly written by Ren. It read:

I saw you looking at this the other day. I hope you like it. –Ren.

She squished her cheeks with her hands, trying to remember what in the world she had been looking at that could necessitate such a grand box. They had barely left the house over the past few weeks, only popping out for groceries here and there-

Oh my god.

She dropped the note, pulling off the lid of the box with shaking fingers. Inside lay sheets of fine tissue which she removed gingerly, peeling back the layers until she found what sat within.

A familiar pink cloth fading into lavender with little sprigs of embroidered leaves on the edges met her eye. On top of it all sat a traditional Mistralian hairpiece- a pin small enough to twist and clip short hair back, the lotus flower inlaid on the clip the same blue as her eyes.

She gasped, feeling her eyes filling up with tears. Instantly, she pushed the box to the side, staring up at Ren breathlessly. "Ren, I can't-"

He frowned, panic crossing his face. "Wait- is that the wrong one?" he asked, rushing to look at the box. "I thought this was the one you were-"

"No, no, Ren," she laughed, stopping him in his tracks, "you're right- but…" Her mind was racing. He's gone once or twice out with just Jaune- he must've bought it then! The dress from the small boutique in the corner of the market had been absolutely gorgeous- was this what he had spent all of Ozpin's money on? Why would he do it? "You know I can't wear this, right?"

Ren paused, confused. "Why not? Sure, it's not for a mission or anything, but-"

She sighed. She knew that Ren never really understood the gravity of who she was- of her difference. "This dress is really beautiful," she murmured, tracing the embroidery with a careful fingertip. "But it's meant to go on… y'know… someone from Mistral. Some high-class, tiny, dark-haired beauty." She stood, mimicking the serene bow the worker at the boutique had done before her. "I'm not the target audience."

He still seemed baffled. "…Okay, why is that?"

She groaned, flipping her bangs out of her eyes. "Look at me! I'm not one of those women! I'm…" and she gestured wildly to herself, not knowing how to put it into words.

He stayed silent for a few moments, eyes closed as he analyzed the situation. She bit her tongue and sat back down- he needed time to think.

When he was finally ready, Ren murmured, "If you would like me to return it all, let me know," he stated evenly. "But… if your concern is that you don't look 'traditional' enough, I don't think it's a concern at all." He blushed, looking at his feet timidly. "I… think you'd look good in it."

With that admission, he quickly put the lid back onto the box and pushed her out of the room. "I'm going to take a nap after all," he said hurriedly. "See you later."

That was all it took to flip everything in her. Nora was left standing outside of his room, her racing, cheeks bright and eyes shining with a giddiness she had never felt.

Ren wants me to wear that dress. He thinks I'll look nice in it. It doesn't matter to him if I'm not Mistralian.

She took in a deep breath, then practically squealed in glee as she skipped down the stairs. If Jaune was still training, she'd join him- she suddenly had a ton of energy she needed to put to use, and smacking some technique into Jaune was certainly a good way to do it.

Eventually, night began to fall. Qrow gathered everyone in the living room, starting by saying, "Leo says that he has an update on the Mistral Council." He then explained the situation with the other Huntsmen he had tried to find to the larger group at last. "That's why we're going in alone," he concluded. "I have my suspicions as to what's going on, but we'll only know tonight."

Jaune raised his hand worriedly. "Are we sure Oscar should go? I thought we weren't going to tell Professor Lionheart about Ozpin-"

"I'll stay in control unless we really need Oz," Oscar explained, holding his cane close to his chest with both hands nervously.

Nora smiled, sidling over to Oscar. "It's okay, little-cute-boy Oz," she whispered in his ear. "We'll back you up if you need anything- but you won't. You're a good fighter."

Oscar stepped back momentarily, but his face quickly broke out into a grateful smile. "Thanks, Nora," he beamed, but his face quickly grew clouded. "But… will we really have to fight? Who are we fighting?"

Nora pressed her lips together, glancing at Qrow. She knew what he was thinking, based on the previous night's conversation.

Professor Lionheart… might have something to do with all the missing Huntsmen.

The ramifications of that were far too big for Nora to even begin to process. She sighed, shaking the thought out of her head.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ruby asked, looking around determinedly at the group. "Let's go get our answers."

Qrow smirked, ruffled Ruby's hair, and gestured to the door. "Alright, kiddos. Grab your gear. It's time to go."

So, for the second time ever, Nora followed Qrow up to Haven Academy as the light of the moon began to illuminate the grounds.

At the start, the group was lively and full of energy, thanks to the addition of Yang, Weiss and Oscar to their previous group. Ruby excitedly played the tour guide, parroting the same information that Qrow had shared with her the last time they had walked this route to the new members of their team.

While Nora enjoyed her friends' banter, she couldn't help but keep an eye on Qrow. No matter how loving the man was towards his nieces, no matter how much of a support he was to their group, she just couldn't shake the mental association she had created between the Branwens, and Ozpin, and the Fall, and Pyrrha- with Qrow in the center of it all.

It made her uneasy.

By the time they reached Haven's grounds, in stark contrast to when they had left the house, everyone in their group was silent. The luxury and splendour of Mistral's moonlit mountainside quickly faded amongst the sinking realization that had struck them all about halfway up the elevator ride.

It's too quiet.

Other than the creaking of the elevator, they couldn't hear anything in the upper nor middle tiers of Mistral. Even Haven, which should have been preparing to bring students back in just a few weeks, betrayed no sound or sign of life.

Something was definitely wrong with all this.

Nora stayed acutely aware of Magnhild's presence in its holster and Ren's footsteps by her side as they crossed the wide courtyard of Haven Academy and headed towards the main building.

The door swung open easily and the group entered the front hall without a fuss, filing in to stand before the central staircase silently. The last time they had been there, Nora hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings, having been far too wary of their few numbers and the distinct lack of their contact waiting for them.

This time was different. She looked up slowly, examining the room they stood in with all the time in the world. The front hall was simple for the most part- the main attraction was a lovely white marble statue of a woman between the two sides of the central staircase, the golden chains around her hips and wrists catching the light as she held up the central landing platform at the top of the stairs. Other than the statue, however, the entire room was decorated in muted greens and browns, maintaining the traditional Mistralian look with ease.

Finally, her eyes fell to the figure standing at the top of the platform above the statue. Guess he decided to greet us this time, she thought wryly, narrowing her eyes at Professor Lionheart. The man was dressed innocuously, every bit as defenseless as he had been in his office weeks earlier.

The man shuffled, grabbing his wrist nervously as he watched everyone file in. Nora looked at his arm- he was sporting what looked like a large cross on his bracer. Even at a distance, she could see the thick metal shine. "He's armed," she whispered to Ren.

The boy kept his eyes locked onto the headmaster. "This isn't going to go well," he said darkly.

Professor Lionheart made no move to join them on the main floor, staying perched warily on the platform at the top of the staircase. "Why hello," he called as they approached. "Thank you for…" Nora's lips twisted into a frown as the man paused, eyes flashing anxiously before stuttering, "... coming. There... seems to be more of you than last time." His eyes darted over the group, nervous laughter bubbling through his lips.

Qrow subtly held up his hand to stop the group, then stepped forward. His face, which had shown nothing but distrust and tension throughout their entire ride up the elevator, was now wearing the perfect mask of ease. He shrugged lazily, waving away the headmaster's concerns with an errant brush of the hand. "Eh, you know what they say," he drawled, "'the more the merrier'. So what's going on with the council?"

Professor Lionheart seemed uneasy still, ignoring Qrow's question in favour of glancing around nervously. "Why... did you bring your weapons?"

Nora grimaced when the man brought his own hands behind his back, as if to hide the obvious bracer on his forearm. This isn't looking good.

Qrow scoffed, still maintaining that air of naiveté. "What? Leo, we're Huntsmen. You okay?" he asked in concern.

Professor Lionheart's eyes practically bugged out of his face, a few clumsy coughs providing a cover. "Of course! Of course, sorry. Just haven't had my evening coffee." The Huntsman tried to look at the rest of them for support, but they all met his gaze with stony expressions.

Taking another step forward, Qrow ran his fingers through his hair, flashing a smile at Haven's headmaster. "Look, it's nice to see you, but we got work to do. Are we getting support from the council or not?"

And then, everything changed.

Suddenly, Yang called, voice hesitant and confused, "Mom?"

Without missing a beat, Qrow raised his weapon and fired off a shot to the upper-right wing of the main hall. Through the smoke emerged a dark bird, eyes flashing red as it swooped down to fly behind Professor Lionheart-

-and when it re-emerged on the other side of him, there was no longer a bird. It was a woman- donning a black and red getup, feather streaming down her back from a high headpiece, and a long blade strapped to her hip. On her face was a mask which made Nora's blood run cold, her fingers twitching automatically to the reach for the trigger to extend Magnhild in her hands.

It was a full-face Grimm mask. It was too much like what the White Fang wore. She hadn't seen one since that day- since the Fall. Before she could really process it all, however, Ruby muttered, "Raven…"

Finally, it clicked.

Oh my god. That's Raven. That's Yang's mom. That's the leader of the Branwens. Her eyes jumped between the masked figure and Qrow, heart thudding louder and louder between her ears, the words from the night before coming back in full force. They're birds. Ozpin cursed them to turn into birds.

But how? Are they… are they even human anymore?

They're birds.

"They... they really are magic..." she breathed, barely able to speak.

How could she? It was all well and good to say that magic was real and that they were fighting for a cause, but… to see it right in front of her was terrifying.

The woman took off her mask, revealing a face that made Nora recoil. It looked so much like Yang's, just with a colour scheme to match Qrow. The woman's red eyes were bored, nonplussed by the fact that there were eight trained fighters staring her down.

Nora froze, memorizing that face, carving it into her heart forever. It's your fault that everything bad happened to me and Ren. They came from your tribe. You were responsible for creating them, right? Do you even have any idea how much suffering they've caused?

She nearly jumped when she felt a light touch on her arm. Sometime during this turn of events, Ren had reached over and gently pressed his fingertips against her skin, sending his Semblance through her body. Instantly, she felt the nerves fade, her heartbeat calming down. Ren's mouth was pressed into a bitter, thin line as he regarded Raven.

He feels the same.

Raven called out, "If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting."

To Nora's surprise, all elements of calm were gone from Qrow as well. He gripped his blade in both hands, ready to strike. "What are you doing here?!" he growled.

Raven's mouth curled up into a wicked smile as she began to saunter down the staircase, keeping her eyes locked on Qrow. "I could ask you the same thing. You've been scheming, little brother. Planning to attack your own sister."

"Leo…" Qrow gasped, turning back to Professor Lionheart. "What have you done?!"

The other man, still standing at the top of the staircase, guilt oozing off of him. "I-I..."

"Leo did what any sane person would in his position - he looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice. And it seems you all have too," Raven interjected, sending a pointed look towards Yang as she stopped in front of the statue, level with their group.

Qrow stated darkly, "You have the Spring Maiden."

"I do."

He sighed, folding his blade and placing it back into its holster. "Then hand her over and let's work together! We can beat Salem!"

Nora nodded along. If she has the Spring Maiden, then we can just move on, right? The Maidens are powerful- if we're sure one's on our side, it's better than nothing.

Raven didn't seem to agree, sneering, "All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!"

"You're wrong," Ruby called, stepping forward.

Ruby, she's not- Nora traded looks with Ren, who looked equally worried. I don't think she's safe, Ruby…

The younger girl continued on her grand speech. "We've done things that most people would call impossible, and I know the only reason we were able to do it is because we didn't do it alone! We had people to teach us, people to help us, we had each other. Work with us. At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try together. Please." She held out a hand, imploring for the woman to join them, innocence and hope radiating from every pore.

Raven stared at the offered hand for a moment, eyes clouded. Then, she muttered in disgust, "You sound just like your mother," and pulled out her sword, slicing the very air beside her.

Before everyone's eyes, the world itself seemed to tear apart along the arc of her blade, opening up to a dark void surrounded by a blood-red Aura. And, before anyone could react, a large ball of fire flew out from the darkness, landing squarely in Ruby's chest and sending the girl flying back.

"Ruby!" Yang cried, rushing over to her sister.

Nora made a move for the girl, but immediately froze in place as a figure stepped out of the portal Raven had created. Her long, one-armed dress was just as red as Raven's eyes, dark, short-cropped hair hanging low over one eye. However, it didn't hide enough of her face to hide her identity. Nora knew immediately who it was, her entire body turning numb and cold and empty. People kept talking, but she barely heard anything after the newcomer's first words.

"Hello boys and girls," Cinder Fall cooed, golden eyes flashing with inner fire.

She killed Pyrrha.

Other people stepped out of the portal in a line- one face was new, while two were more familiar. Nora instinctively snarled at Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai, remembering the chaos the pair had caused throughout the entire semester leading up to the Fall of Beacon. Pyrrha never liked you, she glowered, watching the four newcomers form a line by Raven. And then you ruined the festival for Yang, and you messed with Coco, and-

She ground her teeth together, feeling hot tears welling up in her eyes, breaking the cold spell binding her body. She glared at each of them in turn, remembering the information Ruby had given them all the way back in Patch. Mercury- you made Pyrrha so uncomfortable, you were the worst- and Emerald, you used illusions? And you were the reason Pyrrha killed Penny. You hurt her, you tricked her…

Her eyes finally dragged back to Cinder, a hatred she had never felt before welling up in her core. She hated this woman. She hated her more than the Grimm, more than the Nuckelavee, more than Salem or whatever the monster they were fighting was. She hated Cinder more than even Sotz and his gang- more than the Branwens, more than anyone.

Cinder took Pyrrha way from us.

It didn't matter if it was Pyrrha's choice to enter that fight. It didn't change the fact that Nora wasn't going to be satisfied until she got to break this woman into pieces.

Suddenly, the front doors of the main hall creaked. Nora turned around just in time to see an unfamiliar giant, muscled man closing the doors behind him, reporting evenly, "The White Fang is prepping demolition and securing the school grounds. No one's getting in, and no one's getting out."

She looked nervously at Qrow, whose face had paled considerably since the addition of Cinder to the group. He has no idea what to do. Why the hell is the White Fang here, too?

Weiss muttered faintly, "This was all just a trap?"

Ren tensed by her side. "It appears so..."

Qrow was shaking in anger, his voice scant above a whisper. "Raven, tell me... how long have you been with them?"

Cinder stepped forward, and Nora tensed, lowering herself to the ground as the woman sauntered towards them, a smug smile on her face. "Aww, don't take it personally, little bird. Your sister was a recent addition. The lion on the other hand..." She gestured towards Professor Lionheart, giggling leisurely. "Entrance into the Vytal Festival was a real treat. Leonardo's been sending Salem all sorts of information for a very, very long time. Isn't that right, professor?"

"Stop it..." the man begged in shame.

"It was you," Qrow breathed, his eyes growing wide as he approached the statue. "You sit on the Mistral Council. You had information on every Huntsman and Huntress in the Kingdom, and you gave it all to her?" Professor Lionheart tried to speak, but Qrow screamed over him, "I couldn't find any of them, because you let her kill them!"

Nora wanted to gag. They had been right. All of those Huntsmen… all those names crossed off on that list…

Caelus, Kalian… Howl… she bit her lip, glaring up at the man on the staircase. They didn't get you, too, right?

Cinder kept rambling on condescendingly. "Aw now, don't beat yourself up about it, Lionheart. I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would've found them on their own eventually."

"What is wrong with you?" Jaune suddenly asked, head hanging low and body trembling with barely-contained rage.

Nora immediately straightened up, her heart plummeting to the floor as she realized the blond's situation. Jaune sounded near tears. Jaune- don't, please, don't-

"How can you be so broken inside... to take so many lives, and then come here and rub it in our faces like it's something to be proud of?!"

She wanted to run to him, but her legs wouldn't move. She wanted to comfort him.

There was no way she could.

He was there. Pyrrha saved him from Cinder.

What guilt was he bearing?

He doesn't need to feel guilty.

The grief in his heart said otherwise, clearly.

"Jaune..." she whimpered, eyes falling back to Cinder.

The more she looked, however, the more she didn't understand it. Cinder had been so quiet at Beacon. She had been quiet, and unassuming, and not that strong, right? So how was it that she was able to hurt Pyrrha? How was it that she had been able to win, against Pyrrha? Nora's Pyrrha? Her sister, her best friend, Pyrrha Nikos?

It just didn't make sense.

She quickly glanced over at Ren, a sense of overwhelming anxiety rising up into her throat like bile. Nothing made sense.

Jaune lifted his head at last, tears pouring down his cheeks unfiltered. "All with that damn smile on your face!" he screeched, voice cracking in agony.

Magnhild was in her hands before she even knew it, Qrow's voice registering in her brain without the words accompanying it. She was far too focused on Jaune- her leader, her friend. The boy who had been broken inside since the Fall.

Jaune's expression grew manic, eyes widening in pure rage as he screamed hoarsely, "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did! Do you hear me?! Well?! Say something!"

Nora finally looked back at their opponents. Despite all of her grief, all of Jaune's tears, all of their agony… no one standing before them had shown any reaction whatsoever. They were completely and utterly removed from it all.

After the longest moment of Nora's life, Cinder finally replied to his heart-wrenching declaration.

"Who are you again?"

And that was when Nora knew that she was going to destroy Cinder Fall.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The air was still for one long, long moment, Jaune's eyes widening in slow, sinking understanding. Nora felt the air itself escape from her lungs, her body wanting to shrink inwards as the implications of it all settled upon her shoulders, pushing her into the floor.

This woman had taken away Pyrrha, and yet, she didn't even remember Jaune. Jaune and Pyrrha had been together that night, when Cinder had stolen the Maiden's powers from the last Fall Maiden.

She didn't remember any of them, did she?

Finally, Jaune's tears spilled anew onto his cheeks, jaw clenching, eyes shining in pure, scathing anger. He let out a guttural scream, the sound strangled in his throat. From his side, he pulled out Crocea Mors' two-handed, upgraded blade, the golden edge sharp and shining in the lantern light.

"Jaune, don't!" Nora cried, keeping her eyes locked onto the entire group standing before them. Everyone's eyes were locked onto Cinder, awaiting her reaction to his aggression.

The woman in question merely smirked. Raising her hand, a glowing, fiery blade of obsidian materialized out of nowhere, her eyes fixated upon Jaune amusedly. Nora read the whispered words on her lips, her grip on Magnhild growing so tight it was almost painful.

"Come, then," Cinder mouthed; and so, Jaune screamed and rushed ahead, swinging his blade upwards to meet Cinder's exposed left side. However, without even flinching, she block his blow with her blade one-handed, expression betraying no strain.

Despite all of the strength and muscle and combat prowess Jaune had gained since the Fall, he was no match for her.

"Jaune!" Ruby cried, eyes wide and panicked. As if her tiny, terrified voice were a spell, the stillness amongst the rest of the audience was broken, and chaos erupted.

Emerald pulled out twin blades and began to fight against Ruby, blocking the younger's path to Cinder.

Yang immediately rushed forward to help her sister, but Mercury got in her way.

"I'm coming, Jaune!" Nora called, glancing over at Ren. The boy nodded determinedly, the two crouching low and getting ready to intervene in the fight that was beginning to gain momentum between Cinder and Jaune.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nora could see Raven muttering commands to the other newcomer, who nodded and sauntered towards Weiss.

Nora leapt forward, dancing around Mercury's spinning form as he fought evenly against Yang, his kicks and her punches cacophonous in the large hall. I have to get to Jaune! Ducking low, she slid on the floor, narrowly missing being struck by Raven's blade as the woman began to attack Qrow, the man screaming and crying as he yelled at his sister.

Nora paused, taking in his expression for a moment- he looked genuinely broken, utterly betrayed. Maybe he's not one of them, after all.

She had scarcely time to breathe when Ruby's body came flying towards her. She held her ground, ready to catch her friend when suddenly, a giant white glyph appeared vertically in the air scant inches away from Nora's nose. Looking over, she saw Weiss' concentrated expression as the pale-haired girl set up numerous glyphs for Ruby to use as footholds against Emerald, all the while dodging her own opponent's attacks.

Suddenly, Nora's eyes snapped upwards. "Oscar?" she called, glancing around. The younger boy was nowhere to be seen amidst the clashing of blades and firing of bullets happening all around her. Nora's eyes darted back and forth, trying to catch sight of him, but he wasn't on the main floor.

Whatever. Ozpin will keep him safe. She grit her teeth and stepped on her hammerhead, ready to leap to the other side of the hall where Jaune was still fighting Cinder. Jaune needs help. If she took out Pyrrha, then there's no way he can do this alone. He's not ready to fight Cinder!

A quiet voice in the back of her mind whispered, Are any of us?

She ignored it. She didn't have a choice. She had always found a way to be strong enough- that fact wouldn't change today.

Before she could press the trigger on Magnhild that would send her flying, however, a giant hand grabbed her arm and squeezed. Nora screeched, her defensive Aura shattering in an instant- the force of the grip on her arm felt enough to shatter her bones. With no remorse, the hand yanked her backwards. She yelped, losing balance and tumbling to the floor, rolling back to an upright position to glare at the veritable beast that had entered the fray.

Her arm ached fiercely, her body glowing as her Aura desperately tried to perform damage control. Ren was by her side in an instant, pulling her up to her feet, eyes locked on the large man in front of them. It was the man who had entered last- the one who had mentioned the White Fang earlier. His large figure was as broad-built, his scarred, muscled arms in a simple olive-green outfit as he squared off against the duo. His presence unsettled Nora- unlike the absolute chaos taking place behind him, screams and grunts of pain filling the air, the man was a brick wall, completely at peace.

"Who are you?" Nora hissed, brandishing Magnhild menacingly.

The man seemed unfazed. "Hazel. Hazel Rainart." He sighed heavily, a strange look in his eyes as he looked down upon her and Ren.

She frowned, trying to place his expression. She took a step back after a breath, confusion taking over. In Hazel's eyes was a deep, profound regret.

The man murmured, "I don't wish to fight either of you."

"Nor I you," Ren replied.

Nora grimaced, gripping onto Magnhild a little tighter. We need to get to Jaune! Her eyes darting between Hazel and Jaune in the background, she cried, "But we will if you're with her!"

Hazel stretched, a deep scowl embedding into his face as he cracked his neck and knuckles. "Very well."

Before either of them could react, Hazel was upon them. Nora tackled Ren out of the way on instinct, narrowly avoiding the man's giant fists from crashing down upon them. Rolling back to her feet, she glared at Hazel, watching his approach carefully. The man was slow to move, but struck quickly once he had gained momentum. Her lips curled into a sneer, Hazel's features fading into a blur in her mind, his eyes only focusing on his movements and his outline against the earthy tones of the wall behind him.

I've taken down big guys like you before. Don't mess with me.

Her mind flashed back to a long, long time ago. She had taken down men bigger than Hazel. She could do this. Hold on for just a little longer, Jaune. We'll be there soon. Trading a determined look with Ren, they crouched, ready to begin their assault.

They never got a chance. A strange glow caught their attention- to her left, Weiss was kneeling down, trying to summon what appeared to be a giant suit of armour using her Semblance. Before she could finish casting, however, her opponent sliced through the Aura-filled apparition, a giddy, smug grin on her face as Weiss' expression fell into panic.

She's being overwhelmed. Nora felt fear rise up in her throat like bile. She couldn't even react properly, however, before Qrow's body flew in from the other side of the hall where he had been sparring with Raven, the man crashing into Weiss the moment she knelt down to try her summoning again.

"They're all too strong," Ren muttered, cold and weary before their fight had even begun.

Nora gulped. Her friends were strong. How in the world were they getting overwhelmed just seconds into the battle? This can't be happening!

In their moment of distraction, however, Hazel appeared like an angry deity, the man looming over them. No anger shone in his eyes- merely acceptance. With that same disappointed look, he knocked Ren's StormFlower out of his hands, picked the boy up by the neck, and held him two feet off the ground.

"Ren!" Nora cried, immediately jumping into the air. She leapt onto the stairway banister and flipped midair, firing Magnhild at the apex of her jump to send her spinning downwards towards Hazel. The man didn't even flinch at her approach- he simply stood, watching her with a bored expression, hand still crushing Ren's windpipe while the boy's eyes bugged out of his head, his frantic flailing growing weaker by the second.

She grit her teeth, slamming her hammer down onto Hazel's arm. The man barely reacted, his Aura shining for a moment, absorbing the blow easily. His fist was still curled around Ren's throat.

Her eyes widened in horror as she alighted onto her feet once more, feeling his eyes following her carefully. What… what is this guy? No one just brushed off Magnhild. It just… didn't happen.

Yet, here he was, staring at her impassively.

Not even the Nuckelavee could hold its ground. No Grimm can. Nothing can. I'm… strong. Why isn't he reacting? What is going on?

The taste in her mouth was ashy, metallic. It was fear. They're not human. Salem's forces aren't human. Her heart sank.

At last, something in her attack seemed to make him react, however. He dropped Ren, letting the boy crumble to the floor. Nora was in front of him in an instant, wielding Magnhild protectively. "Stay away from him," she hissed.

Ren stumbled to his feet, grabbing StormFlower with shaky hands. "I'll… I'll hold him off," Ren croaked, the marks from Hazel's grip still not healed around his neck, red and raw and painful against pale skin. "You go to Jaune."

"But Ren-"

"Go!" His eyes pleaded with her, but seeing her worry, they softened. "I'll be careful."

She searched his face for a moment. It won't be like Kuroyuri, right?

I'll be safe, he responded silently with a nod.

Nora looked over to her leader, heart plummeting when she saw the blond crawling back along the floor while Cinder cackled loudly, "I'm starting to remember you. You're the dense one that can't tell when he's out of his league!" before striking at him again.

He can't take her on alone.

So, Nora bit her lip, nodded once, then bolted away from Hazel and Ren, running opposite to where Jaune was battling Cinder. She leapt up, kicking off one of the pillars to jump onto the balcony which surrounded the perimeter of the room. The moment her feet hit the railing of the balcony, she stepped off onto Magnhild's hammerhead and flung herself back across the room to the statue, too high up for Hazel to intervene this time.

She landed on the floor just a few metres away from Jaune, ready to run into the fight. The blond's face was shining with sweat and tears as he dodged the relentless, mocking assault of Cinder's obsidian, burning blade, the woman's lips moving quietly as she attacked him. I'm coming, Jaune.

"Emerald!" Hazel's voice roared through the field authoritatively. "Get the hammer-girl!"

Nora spun around, catching sight of Emerald and Ruby. The younger girl was on her knees, clutching desperately onto Crescent Rose. Her shoulders heaved in exertion as she caught her breath, her body glowing red as her Aura fought to repair whatever wounds she had sustained fighting Emerald.

The green-haired woman narrowed her eyes as she looked at Nora. "You were friends with Pyrrha Nikos, weren't you?" she said quietly, triggering her two guns to extend into long blades as she approached Nora carefully.

Nora snarled, "Don't talk about Pyrrha."

Emerald grinned, unaffected by her anger. "Good. You are the loud one."

And suddenly, Emerald was gone from the room. Nora blinked in confusion, gripping Magnhild tight as she spun around, trying to find the other girl. Suddenly, Ruby's voice appeared in her mind. She uses illusions. Dammit!

Nora could've reminded herself of that all she wanted. It didn't change the fact that when she turned back to face Ruby, and instead found Pyrrha Nikos standing there in all her glory, Nora's heart shattered.

"P-Pyrrha…" Nora breathed, taking in the sight of her best friend for the first time in months.

It… was her. Long red hair tied up in a flowing ponytail, bangs framing a golden circlet and brilliant jade eyes set in pale skin, a tall nose and thin lips curved in a kind, sad smile, figure tall and strong and inspiring, shining in golden and bronze and mahogany armour-

It was Pyrrha.

She wanted to scream.

Nora's eyes fell to Pyrrha's hands. Miló and Akoúo weren't there, the gloved fingers instead reaching out to Nora invitingly, her best friend beckoning her to her side.

You're not Pyrrha.

Her stomach heaved, emotion rising in her with sizzling stomach acid, heat rendering her dizzy. She was going to be sick.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when a shrill scream cut through the air. At the edge of the room, Weiss was on her knees, screaming in pain as her opponent sent electric charges through her body at close range.

Nora wanted to help her- wanted someone to go help, at least. But Qrow was getting destroyed by Raven, the woman relentless in her attack- Ren was playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Hazel and he was losing- Yang looked near tears as she fought through her frustration against Mercury, the boy's twisted grin never leaving his face- and she still didn't know where Oscar was.

She wanted to help. But she still couldn't move, feet almost glued to the floor in place. Pyrrha's face was too much. She just didn't know what to do.

After a moment, Jaune's voice rang through the hall, sobbing, "Stop messing with me!"

Nora's eyes snapped over to Jaune, who was still attempting to battle Cinder. He looked absolutely bedraggled, but she was as calm as ever. The only difference now was that she was no longer wielding a blade of stone. Now, her blade was made of flames.

Nora almost fell to her knees, barely balancing with Magnhild as a support. She knew those flames. She had seen them only once before, the image having imprinted itself into her mind forever.

Those flames had been at the top of Beacon Tower, silhouetted against the moonlight, sending away the ashes of what used to be Pyrrha Nikos into the wind.

And, just like that night, suddenly everything went white as Ruby screamed.

Nora shut her eyes immediately, wincing at the intensity of the light. Is that what froze the Wyvern at Beacon? Are those her eyes?

She barely had time to ponder that when the light disappeared. Looking up frantically, she saw Emerald standing over Ruby's slumped body. The younger was clearly unconscious, fallen awkwardly to the side while Emerald glared on.

But Pyrrha's image was gone.

Oh, Pyrrha…

She missed her best friend.

But it didn't matter. She had to protect her friends now. Swallowing down her vomit, she straightened up, taking a deep breath. Twisting around to look at the scene, it was clear that the sudden light had confused everyone- but Cinder was reacting badly to it, the woman screaming in pain and clutching the one arm covered in a long sleeve. Jaune was taking the opportunity to try and slash at the woman, but she dodged, leaving him vulnerable to another attack as Cinder stood. The woman looked enraged. I've gotta help.

God, the distance between her and her teammates had never felt so large in her life.

Jaune was lying on his back, panting for air when Cinder stepped on his chest plate, forcing him back down. "Did you think you actually had a chance against me?!" she roared indignantly. "You?!"

Nora took two steps towards Jaune, but a crushing weight knocked into her from behind, stealing the wind from her lungs. She gasped as she fell to her stomach, the weight rolling over quickly and familiar hands pulling her to her knees. "Nora!" Ren gasped, wincing as his own Aura sparked along his flesh, desperately knitting back together whatever had been broken by his fall.

"You children shouldn't be here," Hazel announced. "You don't deserve to go through this." He seemed regretful.

Nora scrambled up to her feet, quickly activating the lightning-Dust charge impulse in Magnhild's grip. A surge of electricity crackled through her, fueling her Aura and strength mid-air as she brought the hammerhead down onto Hazel's face-

But the man caught Magnhild's handle without missing a beat, tossing her aside like a ragdoll. She crashed onto the ground painfully, twitching as every movement sent flashes of agony jolting through her spine. I'm running low on Aura…

Ren was cast aside just as easily, the boy landing a few feet from her. For a moment, he didn't move. "No, Ren- get up," she whispered, crawling over to him and shaking his shoulders. Thankfully, he responded, eyes fluttering open at her touch. "We've gotta get up."

He coughed, clutching his stomach where pink sparks were dancing frantically across his skin. "Nora-"

"No!" Jaune screamed, cutting Ren off. The sound resonated across the main hall, sending chills down her spine.

Dragging Ren to his feet, Nora turned around just in time to see a fiery spear leave Cinder's hands. Her heart fell into her boots, knees turning to jelly as pale blue followed the trajectory- straight across the hall, a self-satisfied smirk on the woman's face as it landed in its target.

The burning weapon embedded itself clean through Weiss' abdomen, emerging through the other side.

Not again.

Nora's feet stumbled forward automatically a few steps, watching in unabashed horror as Weiss' body shuddered and shook for a moment. Blood spilled from the wound, her white and blue and grey dress steeping in red before the scent of burnt flesh filled the air and the blood stopped. The area around the spear began to char, turning black and mottled before the spear disintegrated in to ashes, and Weiss slumped over onto the floor motionless.

She was going to lose someone again, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

"Weiss!"

Nora barely registered Jaune's blond hair flying past her as the boy bolted towards the fallen heiress, the panic in his face radiating off his body.

It certainly was affecting Nora. Her entire body was shaking. What should she do?

Beacon had never been like this. They had trained and trained and trained, but Beacon had never prepared her for this.

I'll just make it worse- Jaune's crying- um… Ren can help. Her eyes darted over to Cinder, the woman's smirk sickening to see, illuminated by magical fire shining in her eyes due to her Maiden's powers. She's still a threat. She shifted, her gaze falling to the floor- to Ruby, still unconscious. Mercury was still being occupied by Yang, but Emerald… People are after Ruby. We have to protect her.

"Ren," she whispered, reaching out and tugging on his coat, "go to Jaune and Weiss."

His voice was just as terrified as he replied, "Nora, I-"

"Go to Jaune." There was no room for debate.

It couldn't have been more than a second long, but that moment felt like an eternity for Nora until Ren nodded at last, sprinting to join their leader. The moment he left, she hurried over to where Ruby still lay on the floor, unmoving.

To her surprise, Oscar skidded down the stairs and rushed to Ruby's side as well, shaking her shoulders frantically. His green Aura was shimmering around his whole body- he still was a little slow to heal his wounds. He clearly had been in conflict until then. Nora caught sight of Professor Lionheart tumbling down the stairs and crashing into Hazel. Oscar must've been fighting Lionheart. She winced, thinking of the betrayal of it all. I wonder how Ozpin is taking all of this…

As Nora skidded to a halt on her knees beside the unconscious girl, Oscar cried, "Ruby, get up! Get up! We need you!" Unfortunately, the younger girl didn't seem to respond to any amount of shaking or calling for her.

Nora grabbed Ruby's hand, squeezing tight. C'mon, Ruby, she thought fervently, you've got to get up…

Finally, Ruby's eyes fluttered open, mouth twisting into a grimace as she began to stir. Oscar's expression grew plaintive, his voice cracking as he begged, "Ruby! You-"

"Ozpin!" Hazel roared suddenly, his voice booming through the large hall.

Nora shifted around to look at the giant man, concern rising up in her throat. "Um, Oz," she murmured, "do you… know him?"

Oscar didn't reply, simply clambering to his feet and extending his cane, eyes locked on Hazel's approaching form. Nora felt a chill run down her spine as she watched the man approach; he looked completely different than he had just minutes before. It was like watching a domesticated animal turn feral and sick, teeth bared threateningly. Any and all traces of calm were completely gone, his face seething in unrestrained rage as he gnashed his teeth and glared daggers at Oscar's petrified figure.

Hazel cried, "You thought you could hide from me?!" The man's eyes flashed angrily as he ripped his coat off, reached into pouches hanging from his belt, and withdrew four large, uncut lightning-Dust crystals. He rumbled, "You'll pay for what you did! You'll die over and over again!"

What the heck is he-

And then, Hazel stabbed the Dust into his arms, completely ignoring the dripping blood trailing down his arms to stain the wooden floors. His body hunched over, grunts of pain and exertion passing his lips as the crystals began to glow, resonating with his Aura.

Nora watched the scene unfold in horror. You can't just inject Dust into you! I can't even handle lightning-Dust straight!

And yet, here she was watching Hazel's blood vessels begin to glow under his skin. The man's head snapped up, dark eyes now glowing unnaturally-yellow with the new addition of Dust to his Aura. An unholy roar ripped past his lips, the sound aimed straight for Oscar.

Ruby. Nora tucked Magnhild away for a moment, scooping the still-unresponsive Ruby up in her arms. "Oscar," she breathed, "you have to run. Get Oz to help."

Oscar nodded, brandishing his cane feebly as he retreated to the other end of the hall, eyes still locked onto Hazel's hulking form.

Glancing around, she spotted Qrow, who had been watching the whole affair with the same horrified expression as everyone else. "Help Oscar!" she screamed to the Huntsman, running to the side of the room to avoid the man's rampage.

As she lay Ruby back down away from the fray and pulled out her hammer yet again, she heard Cinder cry, "Leo! Open the path to the vault!"

Oh no- we have to stop them! Looking around frantically, she craned her head, desperate to find even one person who could put an end to it all. There wasn't anyone, though- she had to protect Ruby, Ren and Jaune were staunching Weiss' wounds, Qrow had listened and was defending Oscar against Hazel-

Yang!

The sound of creaking gears and shifting stone caught her ear. Looking back to the front of the room, Nora gawped at source of the noise- the statue of the woman between the two staircases was moving downwards into the floor. Standing in front of it was Raven, her subordinate who had fought Weiss, and Cinder.

Nora froze. Was that the entrance? It must be an elevator… but if that's the vault, then that means one of them's the Spring Maiden. Her eyes fell on the woman Weiss had been fighting, heart sinking in disbelief. There was no reason for the subordinate to be going down with them, unless… Did- did we leave Weiss to fight a Maiden alone? What did we- what did we just do?

And now, Weiss was unconscious, having been too exhausted from her fight against a Maiden of all people, only to be stabbed by another one. And they had all been too powerless to stop it.

Someone had to stop them. She clenched her fists in her lap, feeling hot tears well up in her eyes. Gods, how she wanted to fight Cinder- she wanted to run up there and destroy that woman, and just put an end to it all-

But Ruby was vulnerable.

We can't lose anyone else.

She turned back, finding Yang's golden hair amidst the drab hues of the hall. "Yang!" The blonde turned to look at her, expression blank and confused as Yang's gaze fell onto the trio going down to the vaults. Nora scoffed at it for a moment before it all clicked. That's not just a Maiden… nor the person who killed Pyrrha…

That's her mom with them, too.

Nora couldn't even begin to imagine what Yang was feeling, being forced to watch her uncle fight the mother who had abandoned her.

The fight against Raven is Yang's fight, isn't it?

She chewed her lip, sighed, then screamed, "Stop them! We've got your team covered!"

Yang seemed to agree, bracing herself to run after the trio of women heading towards the descending statue. Nora grinned, but before Yang could get anywhere, Mercury and Emerald blocked her off. Dammit!

Ruby began to stir yet again, so Nora had little choice but to turn her attention back to the younger. "Ruby, c'mon," she whispered urgently. "You've got to get up." She could hear Qrow's strained groans of pain as he continued to fight Hazel, the sounds of Yang's prosthetic arms meeting Mercury's metal boots ringing in between her ears. "Our friends need help- c'mon."

She hated this- she felt so helpless. It was like the Fall all over again, when all she could do was watch her friends continue fighting with no way to reach them. It wasn't fair.

The sounds of Hazel screaming in rage as he hunted Oscar raised the hair on the back of her neck like nothing else- it was terrifying. She almost missed the brick wall she had fought earlier as compared to the demon that was chasing the younger boy around. "Run, Oscar- don't fight him!" she screamed, watching the younger boy dart around Hazel's onslaught.

He didn't seem to hear her, too focused on dodging Hazel's attacks and trying to speak with him. Suddenly, Hazel managed to land a clean hit on the boy, knocking him against the wall roughly. Before the next hit could land, Qrow intercepted the attack, but soon both he and Oscar were lying on the floor, wincing in pain. Hazel roared, "Tell him, Ozpin! Tell him how you killed her!"

Nora frowned, unsure of what to do. What was Hazel talking about? Why did he hate Ozpin so much?

It doesn't matter. She continued shaking Ruby, pulling the girl's head onto her lap while she tried to awaken her. Her skin was worryingly pale, her Aura slow to spark and knit the wounds she had sustained while fighting Emerald. She's not going to last a ton longer in this fight, Nora realized.

Her eyes flitted back up to Hazel and Oscar. The younger boy looked pensive for a moment while Qrow charged on ahead, attacking Hazel for the nth time. The larger man's eyes were glowing yellow, lightning-Dust crackling through the air around him as he blocked every attack from Harbinger with disturbing ease. Then, Oscar stood, yelling, "Did she know?"

Nora's eyes flew over to Hazel, who had stopped at the brusqueness of Oscar's tone.

Oscar continued, "Did she know the risk of being a Huntress?"

Hazel's eyes bugged out of his head, anger rolling off of him in waves. "She was only a child! She wasn't ready!"

Nora winced.

Surprisingly, Oscar didn't back down, not breaking eye contact with his opponent. "She made a choice! A choice to put others before herself!" Bracing himself for the attack to come, he added loudly, "So do I."

Despite all of the chaos happening around them, a small smile pulled at Nora's lips. His words felt nostalgic, almost unbearably so. He's grown up real fast these past few weeks.

Hazel seemed much less impressed. "Then you've chosen death!"

Nora bit her lip anxiously, surveying the field for a moment. Yang was still fighting Mercury and Emerald, Qrow was fighting Professor Lionheart, and it looked like Ozpin had taken over in the battle against Hazel- the younger boy's movements were suddenly much more precise, powerful, and dangerous.

They can't last forever on their own, she thought nervously, looking back down at Ruby. "Come on, Ruby," she begged, "wake up! We've gotta go help everyone-"

Suddenly, she heard a gasp. Turning to face the sound, she could only blink in awe as she took in the odd scene in front of her. Off in the corner where Jaune and Ren were staunching Weiss' wounds, the girl had begun to glow- but the glow was coming from Jaune's hands. Is that… his Aura?

Finally, the girl laying on her lap began to shift. "Ruby!" she cried, immediately helping the younger to her feet. "How are you feeling?"

"Nora?" Ruby mumbled, hand covering her head, expression twisted in discomfort. "I… what happened?"

"Emerald knocked you out," she explained. "Your eyes began to glow- but are you okay?"

Ruby grimaced, tottering upright. "I guess, but…" The girl's wide silver eyes surveyed the battle quickly, eyes finally falling onto Jaune, Ren, and Weiss in the corner of the hall. Her expression shifted into one of horror immediately, screaming, "Weiss!" The girl rushed over to the trio, falling to her knees beside Weiss' body. Nora hurried after her without hesitation.

Up close, though, the shine of Jaune's Aura was finally properly visible, the radiant white light extending from his hands and ebbing over Weiss' whole body. The most brilliant lights of all concentrated themselves around her wound. The unconscious girl was breathing, her cheeks filling with colour, her own sparks of a light blue Aura beginning to flash and dance around her body.

His Aura is… healing Weiss? Is this his Semblance?

Nora's eyes fell onto a different light glowing around them all, her heart stilling for a moment as the colour sparked a floodgate to open in her mind. It may have been a trick of the light, or perhaps just wishful thinking, but the more she stared at Jaune's sheathed Crocea Mors, the more it looked like there was a different colour there.

A black Aura.

Tears surreptitiously filled Nora's eyes, blurring the scene in front of her for a moment before she blinked them away. The colour was gone, but the memory remained. Pyrrha's still with us.

"What happened?" Ruby nearly sobbed, looking at her teammate. "What's going on?!"

Ruby was still reeling, but the smile which split Nora's face was contagious amongst the rest of the group, everyone's eyes lighting up as Weiss' breathing began to grow more regular, more even. "I think she's going to be okay! She seems to be stabilizing," Ren soothed.

Despite not getting the full story, hearing that caused a large, relieved smile to grow across Ruby's face. However, the sounds of battle still raged on in the center of the main hall where Yang, Qrow and Ozpin still fought. Just a quick look was all that was needed to see that they were quickly losing strength, taking more hits than they were able to dish out. Ruby took all of this info in sagely, brow knitted in thought, until finally, she lifted Jaune's hands from where they had been covering Weiss' wounds.

Nora's cheeks hurt when she saw that the girl's injuries, so dire just minutes before, were completely healed over.

Ruby ordered, "Whatever you're doing, don't stop!"

Jaune nodded. "I won't."

"Good," Ruby replied. "Oscar needs help."

Ren stood, pulling out StormFlower from their holsters and glaring at Hazel, who was still attacking Oscar relentlessly. "I'm on it," he said quietly.

Ruby nodded, glancing back at the blond kneeling in front of her. "Jaune and Weiss still need cover!"

Nora extended Magnhild and stood, taking post beside Ren. "No one's gonna touch 'em," she smiled determinedly.

Ruby's eyes flitted over to Yang, who was struggling against Mercury and Emerald still. She announced, "Okay, make it happen, RNJR!" With that order and a soft, hopeful smile in her eyes, she leapt forward, cutting smoothly in front of the duo battling against Yang in order to protect her sister.

Nora rolled her eyes. It's Team JNRR, Ruby, she thought to herself, but she sent Ruby and Ren off with a smile to help their friends as she took her position, guarding Jaune and Weiss from the battle.

At that point, Raven, Cinder, and the Spring Maiden still weren't back yet. And Hazel and Lionheart are still threats, she realized somberly. No matter how much damage they caused to Hazel, the man was still completely unaffected. He seemed fueled by nothing more than Dust and rage. It was unnatural, and watching Qrow and Ren and Oscar fight him couldn't be good for her heart- every blow from Hazel looked strong enough to kill.

Professor Lionheart, on the other hand, was hiding as much as possible, taking every cheap shot he could whilst remaining hidden from the main fight. The man's desperation was honestly pathetic.

Still, if either of them turned their eyes to Jaune and Weiss, it was her job to defend them. "You guys doing okay?" Nora asked, tense.

"I- I think so. She's coming to. I just wish this would go faster," Jaune groaned, shame and frustration oozing from every pore.

Nora scoffed, trying to squash down the heartbreak that wanted to rise up in her chest. Jaune's guilt, and the shame in his voice when he had first engaged Cinder- it was still fresh in her mind. But it wasn't the time to address that now. "How about you don't complain and just be thankful you unlocked your Semblance when you did," she scolded lightly, trying to maintain some humour in her tone.

"My Semblance?" the boy parroted behind her.

Oh my god, Weiss was right all this time, he really is kind of a dunce- "How else do you think you're healing her, dummy?"

Jaune simply stared back in disbelief, mouth agape as he looked back down at Weiss. The girl's body was glowing a breathtaking mix between Jaune's white Aura and Weiss' pale blue. "No. I don't think I'm healing her," he murmured. "Our Aura heals our bodies. It feels... it feels more like I'm using my Aura to amplify hers!"

Wait… using your Aura? "Wait, aren't you worried about running out?"

To her surprise, Jaune simply smiled, a flash of grief and nostalgia painting his eyes in a memory that Nora couldn't even begin to imagine. Sucking in a deep breath, Jaune finally chuckled, "Pyrrha once told me I've got a lot of it. I still believe her."

The faith in his voice was reaffirmed instantly when Weiss suddenly stirred, her eyes opening slowly. "Jaune?" she rasped.

Nora smiled. See, Jaune? Whatever it is, you've got your Semblance.

She had little time to appreciate the quiet victory before Ren let out a piercing scream, and her eyes snapped back to him. He was pushed against the front door of the hall, lighting crackling through his body, eyes bugged out in agony as his voice cracked. Then, he screamed, falling face-first onto the ground.

He wasn't moving.

"Ren!" she cried fearfully. He didn't respond, didn't get up.

"Go!" Jaune commanded. She glanced back, unsure, but his expression was confident. "I've got her!"

She nodded stiffly before sprinting towards Ren without a second though. You've gotta be okay, Ren. Get up!

Qrow quickly joined Ren by the door after being thrown back by Hazel, the man struggling to climb back to his feet. Meanwhile, Hazel was cornering Oscar. "Hiding behind the face of a child? A monster like you must be stopped!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ren beginning to stir. Relief immediately washed over her. Okay. He'll be okay. I just need to distract the big guy. Hazel's hand reached out to grab Oscar, but Nora leapt into the air, bringing Magnhild back down onto his arm. While it didn't seem to hurt it, it certainly served as a decent distraction- the man glanced up at her, his rage chilling as he focused on her as his next target.

Nora sneered back, not to be intimidated. Don't you dare hurt Ren! She propelled herself up into the air, shifting her hammer into its grenade launcher and firing off multiple rounds at the man. Explosions of dust and flooring and smoke filled the air, leaving Oscar coughing as he backed away, trying to catch his breath- but when the air cleared, Hazel still seemed unaffected.

She frowned, running around the man with Magnhild at the ready. What will it take for this guy to just fall?! She jumped back in a few times, testing out swings against his sturdy frame. Every single time, however, he simply batted her away.

Finally, she had had enough. She wasn't making progress like this. Fine. Let's play. She opened up the switch on Magnhild's handle and pressed it, feeling electricity course through her veins as she ran towards him and leapt up into the air, ready to slam her hammer onto his skull once and for all.

She didn't get to. The world spun as she felt him reach up and, as if there wasn't any electricity conducting through the hammer at all, grab the handle of her weapon, flinging her down to the ground. She crashed onto the floor with a thud, the wind knocked clean from her lungs as Magnhild flew out of her reach. Dizzy, she tried to push herself off of the ground-

And then, a large hand grabbed the back of her head and slammed her face onto the floor. She heard the crunch of her nose before she felt it, screaming soundlessly as her mouth filled with blood. Her Aura began running in overdrive, quickly repairing the damage, but her brain was already flooded with pain and fear.

She couldn't move. She was so strong, easily able to take down any Grimm- but the weight on the back of her head could not be pushed off, no matter how much she gasped and struggled through the tears blinding her.

She felt helpless.

It's just like back then.

In her mind, Hazel's hand transformed into one of her old captors. His golden eyes flashed in her mind, his rumbling laugh and earth-shaking Semblance rippling through the floor in her memories. Nick, you bastard, she thought, screaming internally.

How many times had that beast held her down in that bandit camp, screaming in her ear, cackling away while Sotz and the rest just laughed?

Suddenly, she was snapped back to reality as Hazel yelled, "How many more children must die for you?!" and Nora's whole world went white with electricity, her voice back only just to scream again, the jolts of lightning frying her body from the inside out. Her nerves endings were firing like wildfire, her body twitching and jerking around with each wave of electricity.

He was trying to kill her with the lightning-Dust embedded into his arms.

Finally, her Aura and Semblance kicked in, the power speeding up the healing of her nose and renewing her strength. Not today.

With her newfound strength, she clambered to her knees and grabbed Hazel's wrist. She heard him grunt in confusion, a sick sense of satisfaction rushing through her as she stood upright, positioned herself, and channeled everything she had into throwing the giant man clean over her shoulder. He didn't respond in time, allowing himself to be tossed across the room like a ragdoll before rolling over on the floor.

Gasping still, she wiped the blood from her nose away on the back of her glove, retrieved Magnhild, and waited for the man to stand up. Thanks, you bastard, she thought bitterly. I needed that lightning. Little sparks danced across her fingertips, and she had to shake them out, preparing herself for the man to get back on his feet.

Oscar began to move again, pulling himself upright enough to look at her. Ozpin's low, weary voice was the one who spoke, however, as he muttered weakly, "His Semblance... he can block out pain. It's how he is able to handle injecting so much Dust into his body."

Her eyes fell back onto Hazel, who was already climbing back onto his feet.

That's not fair, but fine. She looked over at Ruby and Yang, who were still fighting against Mercury and Emerald, the pairs constantly clashing against one another. No one is in the vaults. If Yang doesn't go, then I will. I have a date with Cinder, and this guy is standing. In. My. Way. "I don't need him to hurt," she glowered, stepping towards her opponent.

Hazel turned, looking back at her. Pure hatred flared up in his eyes as he glanced between her and Ozpin. Starting slow, the man began to charge towards her, picking up speed with an intent to kill plain across his face.

She didn't hesitate, picking up speed as well. "I just need him to go down!"

The man was just a few feet away from her. She stopped short, planting her feet on the ground and bringing Magnhild up behind her. With both hands, she pressed the trigger on Magnhild, felt the electricity course through her yet again, swung the hammerhead back, pivoted her body, and put her entire weight into a swing going straight into Hazel's stomach.

Hazel didn't stand a chance.

With her renewed strength thanks to his lightning, the sheer power of her blow sent him flying. It didn't matter whether he was a monster or not, whether he could feel pain or not- nothing could stand against the intensity of her strike, lightning arcing off her hammerhead and his chest where they had come in contact before he crashed straight through the wall and into Haven's quad. The entire front wall of the building began to crumble, puffs of sawdust and drywall and caving stone filling the air, obscuring Hazel's landing outside.

Amidst the cloud of debris, Nora bolted towards Ren, placing her hand on his shoulder. He was on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. "Ren, are you okay?" she asked, brushing his hair out of his face.

The boy turned his face up to look at her, a weak smile on his lips. "Just… give me a minute," he breathed before looking down again.

Nora nodded, happy to sit when him while he caught his breath and centered himself. While she waited, she glanced around, watching the others carefully. Oddly enough, the fighting on the other side of the room seemed to have ceased. Ruby was staring somberly at the hole in the wall, while Emerald and Mercury watched Hazel stagger to his feet outside. The pair seemed absolutely dumbfounded, giving Yang a much needed reprieve while she paused for a moment, clearly exhausted. Qrow and Oscar were on their hands and knees as well, slowly staggering to their feet with little success.

She searched for Hazel's hulking form outside the school. It was easy enough to spot- the crystals in his arms glowed ominously in the evening light. Soon, however, two red crystals joined the mix, and the man's beastly cry rang through the air as he stabbed what could only be fire-Dust into his arms as well. He's a monster, she thought, eyes shifting to the strange figures behind him.

Her breath caught in her throat. Standing behind Hazel was a line of soldiers in familiar Grimm masks and white robes. She knew those robes- they had covered the grounds of Beacon the day of the Fall. She had fought against countless of those soldiers.

It was the White Fang.

"I forgot they were even here," she whispered, prompting Ren to look outside. Concern flooded his expression as well, the boy's lips pressing tightly together while he tried to ready himself for the battle ahead.

The one good piece of news, however, was that Weiss was finally sitting up beside Jaune, the girl slowly moving, finding her strength once more. You did it, Jaune.

Suddenly, she heard yelling outside, accompanied by the loud beeping of police force airship sirens from above the school. Spotlights and landings markers could be seen outside the high windows in the main hall, the whirring of rotary blades and the crackling of gravity-Dust filling the air. "Adam Taurus," an authoritative voice called over loud speakers, "this is the Mistral Police Force. Lower your weapons and surrender peacefully."

"Well," Nora said, climbing up to her feet to guard Ren while he recovered, "that takes care of that, I guess? The White Fang ain't gonna be doing this again." She watched as everyone else got ready to do the same-

Except for Yang.

The girl's eyes were wide, fixated upon the row of White Fang members outside. Despite the flush that had covered her skin earlier due to the exertion of battle, Yang was now as pale as a sheet, trembling, lilac eyes wide as she peered into the darkness outside.

"Yang, look out!" Ruby cried, blocking an attack from Emerald before the green-haired woman could cut into Yang.

The blonde turned around, snapping out of her fearful stupor and joining the fray once again, charging towards Mercury relentlessly.

Nora pulled out her grenade launcher and began to fire at Mercury and Emerald, distracting them to give Ruby and Yang the upper hand in the fight. As she did so, however, she saw Jaune's face break out into a wide smile as Weiss stood at last, the girl standing tall and proud.

She was alright. Jaune had saved her.

With long, graceful steps, Weiss walked to the center of the hall in front of where the statue had been initially, her rapier held out in front of her. With a flourish and a spin, the girl danced in place, took a knee, and stabbed her blade into the floor, a giant, intricate glyph appearing behind her. This glyph was bigger than anything she had ever seen- bigger than what she had used the Boarbatusk.

What in the world is this?

Emerald and Mercury seemed to take notice of her actions, the duo simultaneously rushing forward to put an end to Weiss' summon. Before they could get anywhere near her, however, the two sisters stepped forward and defended their teammate, knocking their foes back and away from Weiss while she concentrated.

The entire front of the room around the staircases seemed to glow in pale blue light centered on Weiss, her hair whipping around at the force of it all as the Dust particles from Weiss' Myrtenaster blade danced and fused with her Aura, seemingly more powerful than ever. Jaune was right- he did amplify her Aura. It's like it fully restored her!

"Oh my god," Ren breathed, watching the summon take shape. "How is she…"

"Can't she only fight things that she's defeated before?" Nora breathed, eyes wide in awe.

And, as Weiss stood upright, the form in the Dust began to harden, shining with power and life and Aura. Giant wings formed, flapping gusts of wind at the rest of them who could only watch, dumbfounded. A segmented body the size of multiple men solidified, thorny, spindly legs extending from its body with tapered, knife-like claws at the tip of each appendage. Fangs snapping and gnashing out of a Grimm mask began to spray spittle into the air, and a stinger extending from the abdomen seemed to glisten in the lantern light.

Weiss had summoned a Queen Lancer- a type of giant, wasp-like Grimm which Nora had only fought a few times before, and never alone, at that. When the heck did she fight that thing? Nora wondered, absolutely taken by the surreal scene before her.

The heiress had an annoyed expression on her face. "Can you handle these two?" she called to Ruby and Yang, gesturing to Emerald and Mercury, who were watching the beast solidify in quiet horror.

Ruby grinned wickedly. "Take out the big guy!"

Weiss frowned, and Nora could feel the anger rolling off of her body as she stared out into the courtyard of Haven, where Hazel was speaking to a few of the cloaked White Fang members. And then, the pale girl raised her blade and pointed it towards the man's back.

At her command, the Queen Lancer extended its stinger like a hook-shot through the hole in the wall. And, with the most satisfying impact, it speared its long, rope-like stinger straight through Hazel's back, the glowing, serrated point coming out through his stomach, glowing in the darkness outside.

"Payback," Nora muttered, confidence rising through her as she extended Magnhild into a hammer once more. She could see the grisly colour of Hazel's blood dripping onto the Queen Lancer's stinger, and for once, the man wasn't immediately pulling away, his trembling and shock evident even at a distance. It was hurting him.

We can do this. We can win.

She glanced over to Ren, the boy looking hopeful despite his obvious exhaustion. She saw Jaune's face across the room- the pride in his expression was breathtaking. We're going to make it out.

She wasn't going to lose anyone else.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Hazel tried to move. He couldn’t. It didn’t matter if he could feel pain or not- he was caught, and there was no way for him to escape.

A quick motion of Weiss’ blade brought the stinger, and Hazel’s speared, gutted body, flying back into the large hall. The Queen Lancer ripped the needlepoint out of Hazel’s side with an audible squelch, blood dripping off the tip of the jagged point as it retracted almost entirely back into the creature’s abdomen.

Jaune took the opportunity to run over, rejoining her and Ren. “Are you two okay?” he asked quietly.

She nodded. “Sure am. But Jaune- how much Aura do you still have?”

The boy smiled confidently. “Tons left. What do you need?”

She gestured to Ren who was barely tottering to his feet. “Get Ren back in fighting shape,” she commanded. “I’ll guard.”

“Got it!” It took a moment, but the boy figured out how to reignite his Semblance in his hands, pressing them against Ren’s shoulders. The white Aura began to spread throughout Ren’s body, and soon enough, a pink glow began to resonate with it, healing Ren’s wounds.

Nora smiled, satisfied as she returned to the battle. However, everyone seemed to be staring at something, the battle momentarily ceasing in favour of looking at the hole in the wall. Nora frowned, following their gazes cautiously.

She didn’t need to be cautious- just surprised. Confused. Uncomfortable.

Standing atop the rubble from the broken front wall was Blake Belladonna, the Faunus girl looking back at them all in just as much abject confusion. She looked older, wiser- just like the rest of them. But why in the world was she even here?

“Yang?” her familiar voice called, eyes transfixed upon her former partner.

An idle thought entered Nora’s mind as she fought to process it all. Is this what Yang meant back in initiation? Can we have like, one minute before something else crazy happens?

It didn’t look like that would be the case. Abruptly, Ruby screamed, pointing towards the vault, “Yang, go!” to which Yang complied instantly, the blonde taking full advantage of the confusion.

Nora almost cackled as Mercury reached out, grabbing her prosthetic arm as she ran past, only to have her release the lock on it, leaving the boy behind with a fake arm as she leapt down into the vault.

Go fight, Yang. You’ve got this. Because Raven wouldn’t let her daughter die, right?

Nora’s blood ran cold, suddenly very unsure. “Wait- we can’t let her go alone-“

Ruby called back to the rest of them, “She’ll be fine! Our job is here!”

Chewing her lip, Nora nodded at last. “But after we’re done here, we’re going after her,” she muttered under her breath.

Jaune heard her. “We’re not leaving her behind,” he said resolutely. Suddenly, the entire building seemed to shake, the tremors coming from below. “Gotta work faster, people!”

Finally, Ren was able to climb back to his feet. Weiss had turned her Queen Lancer against Hazel, Mercury and Emerald, the two retreating to hide behind Hazel against the giant Grimm with their backs next to the hole in the wall. With the fire-Dust he had injected into his arms, Hazel attempted to fight off the giant creature, but Weiss made it dance around his attacks easily.

Professor Lionheart was perched atop the stairs again, shooting fireballs at the Grimm and at Oscar, who was dodging the attacks feebly while trying to regain enough strength to properly continue the fight. Nora made a move to go up the stairs, but she saw a bird fly in behind the man, shock stopping her short for a moment as the bird transformed seamlessly into Qrow. The man landed and slashed at Haven’s headmaster without hesitation. I will never get used to that.

So, all that needed to be taken care of was Mercury and Emerald, the two firing at Ruby and Weiss from a distance. Nora wanted to run forward and engage the two, still feeling energetic from the heavy dose of lightning she had tasted earlier. However, the Queen Lancer was firing spines in that direction, and there was no way she was going to throw herself in the way of an incoming Lancer attack- it was gruesome enough just watching it happen, since Hazel was taking the hits almost faster than his Aura could heal him.

So, she and Ren stuck to firing at the two from the sidelines, distracting them from attacking Ruby.

“You guys okay?” Jaune asked, extending his shield to block the shots coming at them.

Ren coughed, and Nora groaned exasperatedly. “I want to go fight them,” she grumbled, “but Hazel’s there!”

Ren sighed in response to Jaune’s question. “Surviving.”

She added, “I don't know how that big guy is still standing. He recharges his Aura faster than I've ever seen!”

Qrow flew down to support Oscar, giving Professor Lionheart the opportunity to turn his attention to the Queen Lancer. Firing wave after wave of fire-Dust attacks, he managed to push the beast backwards into the hole torn in the wall. Weiss was unable to move the Grimm away in time when Hazel roared, leaping forward and grabbing the Queen Lancer. The moment his hands connected with its Aura-filled body, he began frying it with the fire and lightning still fueling him onwards, shattering the summoning into pieces which dissipated into nothing.

Weiss’ face fell as the creature faded, almost forlorn at the defeat. Before she could set about making another one, however, a dark blur jumped forward through the misty remains of the summoning, knocked Hazel to the floor from behind, and came to a halt beside Ruby and Weiss.

Blake stood, quietly checking in with her teammates for a moment.

The inaudible reunion was quickly ruined by Hazel letting out an angry cry, charging towards the trio. Nora nodded to Ren, then charged forward- now that the Queen Lancer was gone, it was safe to approach. We can finally take them down.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Qrow chasing after Professor Lionheart. Haven’s headmaster had ducked into a side corridor, leaving the rest of them to face off against Hazel, Mercury and Emerald. With everyone back on their feet, however, it wasn’t an issue. They could do it- leave the Huntsman to Qrow.

Making sure that Ren was steady on his own, she sprinted towards Ruby. The girl caught her eye and nodded, running to meet her whilst Weiss and Blake immediately began weaving around one another, heading towards Hazel without hesitation. Ruby planted herself on the ground, spinning around Crescent Rose’s blade. Nora grinned, leapt upon it, and allowed herself to be thrown upward like a spiralling, speeding bullet as Ruby finished swinging the scythe in an arc.

It brought her so much joy to watch Emerald’s look of pure fear as Nora flew towards her. She uses illusions, huh? Fine.

She wouldn’t let Emerald use Pyrrha against her- never again. So, Nora simply closed her eyes, building up momentum as she fell through the air, heading straight for where Emerald and Mercury were standing. Haven doesn’t really need good flooring, right? She grinned, sensing the ground coming up to meet her. Professor Goodwitch wasn’t around to yell at her for breaking stuff- she could get away with it.

Magnhild’s impact on the ground was deafening. She grinned, firing another grenade to propel her away from the impact site. Opening her eyes, the entire area was covered in dust and rubble, the sounds of coughing filling the air as people moved away from the destroyed section of the floor.

Out of the debris, however, a streak of black and silver shot towards Nora. She dodged, glaring at Mercury as he righted himself. However, Emerald was nowhere to be found. Where in the world-

Off to the side was Emerald’s unconscious body, lying in a twisted heap on the floor. Nora didn’t feel an ounce of regret, instead focusing her attention back onto Mercury. The sounds of clashing steel and Hazel’s piercing roars continued to fill the room behind her as Ruby and Weiss continued to battle the giant man. A quick glance over told her that Jaune was working to help Oscar recover his Aura, while Ren had disappeared, likely following after Qrow.

A dark blur landed beside her. Nora shot a wink at Blake, the girl smiling tensely back. “Let’s ruin his day?” Nora murmured.

“As much as he’s ruined ours,” Blake replied evenly, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes before she readied herself to take Mercury on.

“You owe him for messing with your team during the tournament, too,” Nora mused aloud. At that, Blake’s eyes grew steely looking at the boy, likely remembering the trauma the finals round at the Vytal Festival had caused her teammates. Ruby had told them during their time in Patch that his legs must’ve been prosthetics, that Yang had never actually hurt him.

They had been disqualified anyways.

This is for Yang, Nora thought distantly.

And with that, the battle began.

It became quickly clear that while Mercury was an incredibly powerful fighter, there was no way he could keep up with both Nora and Blake. While her reflexes had slowed down slightly due to fatigue, the ample electric charges Nora had conducted had amped her strength up to eleven. Meanwhile, Blake was barely phased by Mercury’s onslaught, having not had to fight for very long. Her energy gave the duo an advantage. As Nora slammed her hammer into pillars and walls and floorboards, narrowly missing Mercury every time, Blake was always there to intercept the distracted boy and throw him back into the path of Nora’s hammer.

Soon, the boy seemed to be getting far too frustrated with the jumping duo. Annoyed, he turned his gaze around the battlefield, eyes falling onto Ruby.

Nora caught Blake’s eye, who nodded imperceptibly and leapt forward. The Faunus girl jumped beside Ruby, grabbed her, and suddenly, the two girls looked locked in place.

Nora grinned wolfishly, shooting Magnhild to propel her back up to the second-floor balcony. She knew what had just happened- Blake’s Semblance left perfect copies of herself and whatever she was holding in its place, giving Blake time to slip away unnoticed. The girl had already pulled Ruby out of the way, giving her time and space to focus on fighting Hazel without the danger of Mercury nearby.

Mercury was clearly too fatigued by the entire battle, the normally-perceptive fighter kicking Blake’s false form with gusto, extending his leg outwards. Perfect, Nora thought, jumping off the railing once again. Using another shot from her hammerhead to increase her speed, she aimed her hammer and crashed it down, right onto Mercury’s still-extended leg.

It was like it was happening in slow motion: Magnhild’s hammerhead landing forcefully onto Mercury’s calf; the shattering of Blake’s clone from both Mercury and Nora’s impacts; the look of sheer confusion on Mercury’s face twisting into one of absolute surprise; the sound of metal crumpling; the satisfaction which blossomed across Nora’s chest as she saw the metal limb skew, boot bending backward-

Got you.

The boy collapsed instantly onto the ground, protecting his head and neck from the shrapnel undoubtedly flying out towards him once Nora landed. She grinned and jumped away, watching Mercury spit and swear, fury radiating from every pore as he frantically pulled up the leg of his pants. He didn’t seem to be in pain. Underneath the material, however, metal shone, wiring broken and completely useless with bits of a prosthetic hanging uselessly off the skeleton. Upon seeing it, the boy simply crawled to the sidelines, cursing under his breath, the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The door into which Professor Lionheart had run off slammed open, but the figure who stepped out was Qrow, the man’s face gaunt and pale and more than a little stricken. Ren soon followed, and they both stumbled over, joining back up with Oscar and Jaune. They’re all too exhausted, Nora thought sadly. Yet, at least Ren and Qrow had the sense to begin firing away at Hazel, trying to wear his body down, if not his will.

However, the addition of Ren and Qrow’s bullets to the already-endless assault against Hazel seemed to set the man off the edge. Roaring angrily, he reached down into the pouches by his waist. From the sidelines, Nora heard Mercury scream, “You’re going to die!” but the giant man didn’t respond, too focused on the battle around them. The crystals shining in his hands were bright blue- ice-Dust.

The orange-haired girl sprinted to rejoin Blake, Ruby and Weiss, who had paused to regroup. “We can’t take another wave of this, guys,” Ruby murmured, watching Hazel fumble with the ice-Dust crystals.

Nora groaned. “Let’s stop it, then!”

Weiss sighed, then closed her eyes, concentrating. Her hair began to move lightly in the wind conjured from her Semblance as she began to summon numerous glyphs are the room, shining white and black as she infused them with her Aura and with gravity-Dust. “Do what you’ve gotta do,” she muttered wearily. Using the Queen Lancer had clearly taken more out of her than they’d thought, despite the Aura amplification from Jaune.

Ruby and Nora nodded at one another. “Team RNJR?” Ruby murmured.

Nora rolled her eyes. “I think you mean ‘JNRR’, you dork,” Nora teased.

Then, without hesitation, Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose and leapt into the air, using one of Weiss’ glyphs as a platform. She shot forward, using her Semblance to speed her up into a red blur in the wind, barrelling her scythe straight into Hazel and sweeping the man clean off his feet with a well-placed hit to the knees. The man tumbled, having been too distracted with the ice-Dust crystals he had just jammed into his arms, his veins beginning to grow blue under his skin.

At the same time, Nora jumped from glyph to glyph, landing on a black gravity-glyph. The symbol positioned right above Hazel worked its wonders, throwing her downwards like a rocket at the man.

And just like that, Nora swung her hammer downwards, slamming the hammerhead right into the crystals and driving them all the way through Hazel’s arms.

The sound of clattering Dust on the ground, the echo of snapping bone, and the strangled scream of pure, unadulterated pain which finally ripped free from Hazel’s lips was the signal.

The fight was over.

As Nora flipped lithely back onto her feet, rushing towards Ren and Jaune, she could only wince as Oscar’s eyes bugged out of his head and the younger boy threw up at the sight of Hazel’s ruined form, a pool of vomit growing by the second. “Did we do too much?” she asked Jaune.

The blond looked absolutely green, eyes glued to the staircase and away from Hazel’s writhing body. “I’m not even looking,” he repeated over and over again, lurching every once in a while to fight down bile.

Ren sighed, turning Jaune away from the sight and going to comfort Oscar. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake were still standing in a line, watching coolly with weapons drawn as Mercury and Hazel crawled over to Emerald. Mercury had managed to right some of the damage done to his prosthetic, but it was clear that he could do naught but hobble- Hazel’s eyes were wild and feral, but the gaping wounds in his arms had yet to heal. Emerald’s eyes were quietly flitting open, the girl clumsily climbing back to her feet, but still in no shape to fight. The trio took on their fighting stances anyways, but it didn’t matter.

It was over.

Qrow crumbled to his knees, absolutely exhausted. Oscar jumped in front of him, trying to guard him from any potential attack. The boy looked absolutely terrible, however, his tanned skin gaunt and sallow, barely able to maintain his balance without leaning heavily upon his cane.

Ruby pointed Crescent Rose’s barrel at them all threateningly in an arc. “That’s enough! Just give up,” she demanded.

Mercury snarled, attempting to remain upright- soon, however, he had fallen back onto the ground. The grey-haired boy slammed his gloved fist onto the ground in frustration, glaring up at them bitterly.

Emerald’s bright red eyes were shimmering in unshed tears and waning hope. “It’s not over!” she cried anyways. She sniffled, wiping away the blood which ran down her cheek from a gash by her eye, her Aura long having since run out. “Cinder will come back. She’ll have the Relic, and she’ll stop all of you! She won’t let us down.”

As she spoke, however, her eyes landed onto the center of the staircases, widening in anticipation. Nora shifted to watch as well, hearing the familiar shifting of gears and grinding stone. Someone’s… finally leaving the vault. Her heart fell to the floor. Please, please let it be Yang.

She didn’t know who would arrive.

Her fears were quickly assuaged as long blonde hair emerged, riding the elevator atop the statue all the way to the top of the staircase. Yang stood confidently facing the ruined hall, not a scratch to be seen. In one hand was a curious artifact- a golden, intricately-woven lantern, the inner light glowing an ethereal, almost neon blue.

Cinder, Raven, and Raven’s henchman were nowhere in sight.

“Yang,” Ruby breathed, her relief palpable even across the battlefield.

Nora wanted to scream in joy. She’s okay! She made it! It took quite a bit of effort to blink away the tears which welled up in her eyes. She made it out with the Relic.

Not everyone was as pleased. Emerald immediately began to cry, long, thick lines of tears rolling down her cheeks without restraint. As if all life had been sucked out of her, her weapons slipped from her hands and the girl crumpled to her hands and knees, breathing heavily as her tears dripped onto the floor.

Mercury finally tottered to his feet. He reached out for his partner, whispering, “Emerald, get up- we need to go.”

The girl didn’t respond, only grabbing the sides of her head and shaking, eyes still transfixed on the elevator. Yang began walking down the stairs, but Emerald’s eyes didn’t move, focused purely on the empty space where she had expected Cinder to be just moments before.

“Emerald!” Mercury repeated, more urgency in his voice this time.

It was as if she couldn’t even hear him speak. Nora frowned, taking a step back as the girl’s red eyes began to dilate in front of them. Nora could feel the hair rising on the back of her neck and arms, and she began to sidle away, ready for an incoming attack.

What Emerald did, however, was decidedly not an attack. Instead, a guttural, raw scream tore out from her throat, and then, she vanished.

“What the-“ Nora cried, hearing similar words of confusion and trepidation ripple through her friends.

Their words all died in their mouths, however, as the ground where Emerald had stood began to emanate a thick, inky black smoke, tendrils of darkness curling upwards into the air. The scent of rancid, rotting flesh and congealed blood began to flood the room. In the blink of an eye, that darkness solidified into black fabric, spinning around and sending gusts of wind to nearly knock them off their feet.

Nora barely held her stance against the assault. “What is this?” she whispered, the words stolen away from even her ears by the wind spiraling out from the darkness before her.

And then, from within the dark fabric came pale arms lined with purple, sickly veins. Grey hair in an intricate bun emerged beyond that, the body growing from nothingness before them becoming larger and larger until they had to crane their necks backwards in order to see it. The creature’s face seemed to be gritted in pain, skin and flesh and bones moving and shifting so unnaturally that Nora was going to be sick watching it move, the fluidity of its limbs almost too reminiscent of the Nuckelavee’s jarring motions.

Finally, the image stilled, and the creature opened its eyes. It was a woman with black eyes, red irises glowing like the Grimm. The figure leaned her head back, neck close to snapping. With more intensity than any Grimm Nora had ever heard of, the monstrous figure glared down at them all, her jaw dropped unnaturally as she screamed, the sound reverberating through Nora’s very bones.

Nora slammed her eyes shut and covered her ears, but it was too late. The sound was already a part of her, the pure despair in those red eyes embedded into her mind forever.

Only one thought filled her mind, so sudden, so invasive- but there was no other way to explain the ramifications of the nightmare before her.

We’re going to die.

Eventually, the scream died away, leaving behind nothing but horrified silence in the room.

After a few moments, she was finally able to open her eyes. Everyone looked just as shaken as she was, but otherwise, the group was unharmed. Nora spun around, searching for their opponents. However, no matter where she looked, she couldn’t see Emerald, Mercury, nor Hazel. A faint part of her protested their disappearance- shouldn’t they go after the trio? They were weak! It was the best time to strike- with Mercury’s leg like that, they wouldn’t move far, either…

She couldn’t open her mouth to suggest it, though. The only thing she could focus on was the memory of that figure; those burning, pitch-black eyes, those tendrils of darkness.

Blake was the one who finally put to words what they were all feeling, although her tone carried more confusion than the rest as she stuttered, “Wha- what was that?”

She doesn’t know about the Maidens or anything, Nora thought numbly, trying to shake that horrifying image from her mind. They all glanced at one another, the trembling unanimous amongst them all. The face they had seen… that had been the face of a true monster.

Although she had never seen it before herself, the sinking feeling in Nora’s gut betrayed who that figure had been.

“An illusion,” Ozpin muttered at las, “but an accurate one. That… was Salem.”

That’s… what we’re fighting?

It just didn’t feel real.

Still, there was no time to dally around- so, they sucked it up, crawled to their feet, and tried to push the image of Salem out of their minds.

“Where’s Cinder? And Raven? And the other girl?” Nora asked Yang as the blonde finally reached the group. “How are you still okay?”

Yang’s gaze hardened for a moment, taking a second to reattach her prosthetic arm which Jaune had found lying on the ground. Then, she told them- there had been no battle in the vaults. By the time she had arrived at the bottom, the vault had been opened, and everyone had disappeared.

“Good thing the Relic wasn’t taken,” Qrow murmured wearily.

Nora had to bite her tongue so hard it bled to hold back her screams of anger.

Cinder must have escaped.

The next few minutes were a blur, now that the sounds of combat had finally ceased from within the hall. The Mistralian Police Force, along with Faunus who had come to put an end to the White Fang’s attacks, began to stream into the building, helping them all out and surveying the damage. The police easily figured out how to begin cleaning up the school and processing all of the rounded-up members of the White Fang. The nearby paramedics were more than happy to take charge of Nora and the rest, wrapping blankets around their shoulders and helping them outside.

Once they were seated at the benches outside in the quad, giving more than enough space for the officers to get their work done, it was time for proper reunions. Blake gave everyone shy, nervous hugs, spoke to Oscar briefly, and then returned to her team. Nora smiled as she watched Team RWBY sit away from them all, quietly catching up with one another. They’re finally together again.

Ruby’s face had never before radiated more happiness than when she looked around at her teammates, together at last.

Eventually, Sun Wukong came over as well, having helped Blake lead the Faunus in the charge against the White Fang. The duo later explained that they had found out about Adam Taurus’ plans- Sun was more than happy to tell them all the tales of how they fought against the White Fang in Menagerie, the small landmass dedicated to the Faunus south of Mistral, and how they had recruited soldiers to fight against Adam Taurus, the leader of the splinter cell of the White Fang which had attacked Beacon.

While he spoke, Blake merely smiled and nodded along, sitting between Ruby and Weiss on one side with Yang on the other, the girls simply basking in each other’s presence.

Blake’s parents came and went, too, the Chieftain of Menagerie decreeing the cleanup of Haven Academy as something that the Faunus would aid in. They finally left after leaving Qrow with a few words to watch over Blake. After the fight had ended, the girl had decided instantly that she would be going with the group without even hearing about the Maidens- she didn’t really need to know the details right away, after all.

She had seen Salem. They all had. And if her team was fighting that monster, then Blake said she wanted to be there, too.

So, they trudged home to the manor, unsure of their next steps. While they walked, Ruby murmured the whole story to Blake, giving her a quick rundown of everything they had learned over the course of their journey. Blake listened silently, tight-lipped and unsure as she followed along, face even paler underneath the light of the crumbling moon.

When they reached the manor, however, she finally spoke up. “I’m… I’m sorry for leaving you all,” she whispered. “And I’m sorry you had to learn all this alone. This all sounds crazy, but… I believe you. Can I- can I come with you?”

The rest of the girls in Team RWBY simply traded looks, soft, weary smiles on their faces. “Of course you can,” Ruby whispered.

Nora crossed her arms. “It’s your duty,” she said simply, smiling at the girl.

Blake’s eyes were watery as she nodded, fervent and earnest, before Ruby pulled her upstairs and began to show her to one of the spare rooms. Qrow sighed, trudging up to his room as well. Jaune helped Oscar limp upstairs, the younger boy absolutely exhausted after his very first battle. Nora’s eyes followed them all the way up the stairs, warmth in her heart.

Soon, it was just her and Ren in the living room. Nora didn’t realize that she had been clutching one arm until Ren’s fingers gently pried her grip away, the intensity of her own hold leaving bruises forming in her skin. Her Aura was far too weak to heal her wounds anymore.

“Nora,” he murmured, pulling her hands into his, “what is it?”

She finally tore her eyes away from the stairs, a smile automatically slipping onto her face. “Nothing, Ren,” she replied. In just a few moments, the fatigue from their battle finally crashed into her, and she slumped over, letting out a weary sigh. “Just tired, that’s all.”

“No,” Ren replied. “What is it?”

It took her a few moments of watching his face to realize that his image was blurring- that she was crying. Stuttering, she took a step away, quickly trying to blink away the tears. “I’m- I’m fine, Ren-“

“Nora.” His voice was patient, albeit exhausted. He wasn’t going to assume, but he wasn’t going to let it go until she told him, either.

She bit her lip, then sighed, giving in. Meekly, she stepped close, pressing her face into his chest before he could react. She knew it would make him uncomfortable- he still wasn’t used to the physical contact between them that she wanted- but damn, she needed the contact. She just needed to feel that he was there.

Taking in a shuddering breath, she whispered, “They’re all together again.”

She felt his arms wrap around her after a moment’s hesitation, his chin resting on top of her hair. “Yeah,” he murmured, voice rumbling in his chest. “I’m proud of them. Ruby hasn’t ever been the same without her teammates.”

“I just…” She sniffled, long and hard, the image of the girls holding each other’s hands and looking so fulfilled still painted in the back of her mind. “I’m so happy for them, but…”

“It’s okay, Nora.” He stroked her back gently. “It’s okay.”

I hate this. I’m not supposed to cry. I have to be strong- that’s my job- I have to make sure Ren and Jaune are okay-

But she had seen Pyrrha that night. In Emerald’s illusions, in Crocea Mors- but that was it. Pyrrha had been there just as tricks of the light, games played in her mind. Pyrrha wasn’t there anymore.

She wanted her best friend back. It hurt so goddamn much to not have the redhead there. “It’s not fair,” she whimpered, feeling the sobs rise up out of her mouth. “Pyrrha- Pyrrha’s still with us, but I just- I want her with us! And I’m so happy RWBY is together again, and it’s so good that Blake’s okay, and we got the Relic, and Jaune got his Semblance, and everyone’s safe, but Salem was terrifying and all the bad guys escaped and Cinder- I just-“

She was just rambling, and Ren knew it. “You wanted to beat Cinder.”

“Exactly!” She slammed a fist weakly against Ren’s shoulder in frustration, shame and disgust and bitterness rising up into her throat. “We were so close. We could’ve gotten her. She was there, and now who knows where she went-“

“It’s okay-“

“It’s not, though! We failed Pyrrha!”

“Hey.” Ren pulled back away from her, looking firmly into her face. “That’s not true.”

“But,” she cried desperately, “Cinder is probably still out there-“

“And that’s a problem for a different day.” He pulled her back into his arms, movements clumsy and awkward, but earnest nonetheless. “And that day, we’ll be stronger.”

She let out a long, keening sob against his collar. It was just too much.

In her mind, she could still perfectly visualize the illusion Emerald had conjured to distract her, and the very thought of it, alongside the image of Team RWBY walking up the stairs… it was enough to shatter her heart to pieces, and she didn’t know how to fix it.

She had been strong for so long. “I’m sorry, Ren,” she sobbed into his chest. “I promised Pyrrha I- I wouldn’t cry, but-“

He held her without a word, giving her the space she needed to cry. He didn’t have any Aura left to calm her down, so all she could do was weep. And, a few minutes after she began to sob properly, she could feel his own body shaking, his own grief and weariness and shock breaking him down, too.

She had been strong for so long, but now? She just wanted her best friend back. And unlike with Team RWBY, she didn’t know if she would ever be able to make that feeling go away.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

"Atlas is our destination. It's the only place we can leave the Relic now."

The sounds of shuffling bodies against the hardwood floor and the sharpening of metal filled the silence. The living room table had been moved to the side that morning when everyone came together at last, needing to perform maintenance on their weapons and unpack (physically and emotionally) what had happened the night before.

Nora pouted, leaning back onto her gear bag far enough that she could look at everyone else upside-down, blood rushing to her head. The bag was certainly bulky, but the rest of the furniture in the living room was taken, so it had to do. At least the floor wasn't too cold to lie upon, the morning sunshine streaming in through the window enough to heat up the place fairly well.

"We need to take the Relic to Atlas?" Ruby didn't bother to look up, too focused on polishing Crescent Rose in its case as she knelt on the floor.

Nora looked around at everyone wearily. She had barely slept, and her eyelids still felt incredibly puffy after her breakdown the night before. Can't we do this tomorrow? she groaned silently.

"That's what Oz said," Qrow affirmed, leaning back into the couch cushions.

Atlas, huh?

It barely took a moment for her, along with everyone else, to realize the problem with that plan. Everybody's eyes immediately fell onto Weiss, the girl freezing in place at Qrow's words, hand paused as she placed a Dust cartridge in Myrtenaster's case. "You've got to be joking," she scoffed, the look in her eyes quickly transforming into fear.

Nora slid back down her bag, focusing on the ceiling. Everyone was too tired to be interesting enough to hold that position upside-down, after all. Holding up a finger, she said wryly, "I mean, bright side, we finally get out of this house!"

She heard the heaviness of Weiss' sigh and snickered, but the pale girl didn't respond.

Qrow said, "Well trust me, I'm not crazy about it either. And without the Spring Maiden here to seal the Relic back in its Vault, it's our best option."

Ren chimed in, "Atlas may be the safest kingdom we have at the moment, but their borders are closed. General Ironwood called everyone back." The skepticism in his voice was clear. After all of the embargos and restrictions, getting into Atlas would be nigh-impossible.

Nora rolled her eyes, closing her eyelids and sinking into her lumpy bag- Grenade charges are not comfy, she pouted- as Qrow replied, "Eh, not everyone. The city of Argus is a ways north of us, and it's the primary trading port between Anima and Solitas. They've got the largest Atlas military base outside the Kingdom. There's no way they'd leave it abandoned, and if we play our cards right, I think there's a good chance we could convince them to escort us straight to Ironwood."

Blake added, "I mean, we do have the missing heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

"Ex-heiress, actually," Weiss clarified, her voice not hiding her bitterness.

"True, true," Yang replied. Nora grinned, hearing the smirk in the blonde's voice as she quipped, "But if there's a chance of reward money, I say we go for it."

She snickered at the sound of Weiss' annoyed grunt, the pale girl slamming her rapier's case in frustration.

Footsteps, accompanied by the sound of a clicking cane against hardwood, entered the living room as Ozpin called, "Hopefully the first option will suffice."

"Glad to see you're feeling better," Qrow said, presumably to Ozpin.

"Likewise," the former headmaster murmured, "and while I'm sure we could all use more time to recover, I'm afraid time is of the essence."

"Right," Blake said. "As long as that thing's out in the open, its power could fall into the wrong hands."

"Speaking of," Jaune asked, "what does it do exactly? Qrow never really told us."

Curious, Nora rolled over to lie on her stomach. Propping her chin onto her hands, she kicked her feet up behind her and watched the younger boy. Her heart sank in her chest a bit, seeing the dark circles around Oscar's eyes, the limp in his gait. The battle in Haven had not been kind to any of them- her Aura was still barely recovered- but it had been the worst for him.

Sighing in exhaustion, Ozpin said, "Of course." Nora craned her neck upward to see the Relic which he had hung from his hip.

After the battle had ended and Yang had retrieved the lantern from the vault, Ozpin had refused to let it out of his sight. Now, however, he held up the glowing gold and blue lantern for the group to see. Before their very eyes, the object grew in size, until it was the size of Oscar's whole torso. Ozpin's voice rang clear and true through the manor as he explained, "The Relic of Knowledge has a wonderful, and incredibly dangerous ability. Its user can ask any question, and the lamp will provide an answer." He set the object down onto the table, where it balanced perfectly upright. Nora frowned, trying to get a better look at it from her position on the floor. The way the object bobbed up and down made it seem as if it were floating.

She rolled onto her back again, looking up at Ozpin. A few people chorused their intrigue and awe at this explanation, eliciting a chuckle from Ozpin. "Indeed. However, it's not without drawbacks. The lamp cannot tell of events that have yet to happen, and it will only ever answer three questions every one hundred years."

"Well, I guess that's not so bad," Yang thought aloud. "Adds a lot of pressure though."

Nora leapt to her feet. What kind of nonsense was that- three questions only? There was probably some way to get around that. After a moment, she had her answer, zipping around the room to speak to everyone. "Then let's put it to a vote!" she cried. "What should we ask first? Oh! Can we ask for more questions?" Kneeling down beside the Relic, she squished her cheek against the table, taking in the unearthly glow of the lamp close-up. "Can we ask for more questions?!"

It struck her suddenly. We can ask it where Kalian and Caelus and Howl are!

Ren muttered, "They're not wishes." Not a chance, Nora, his eyes read.

Nora sat back on her knees and rocked back to her feet, glaring at him. Don't ruin my fun, she told him silently, propping her hands onto her hips with a pout.

Ozpin seemed to find the exchange amusing, however, as he laughed, "I'm afraid you won't be able to ask it anything at the moment. The questions were used before I sealed it away."

She groaned, throwing her hands up in the air silently. What's even the point of the dang thing then? Slumping over, she stomped back to her bag and lay back down onto the floor.

"Well," Ruby offered brightly, "at least now we know what it is. And we'll be sure to keep it safe!"

There was a chorus of agreement from around the room. After twenty minutes of silent working and weapons maintenance, she yawned, climbing back to her feet as people began to close up their bags. The chatter drifted away from the Relic which was hanging once more upon Oscar's hip. I guess we just get to go now-

"Hold it," Qrow called, stopping everyone in their tracks. There was a sobriety to his voice that was a little bit alarming. Nora immediately sought out Ren's face, frowning as the boy shrugged at her. Qrow beckoned them all to focus, so Nora lay her bag by the side of the room and walked over to the couch upon which Ren was still seated, taking perch on the armrest. She placed a hand on his shoulder, waiting tensely for what Qrow was going to say.

The Huntsman sighed, pushing his greying hair out of his face. "So. We're going to Argus. We'll be leaving in two weeks- the Argus Limited will take us there."

"The whozit-what-now?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to the side.

Qrow stared at her blankly. "A real big train, kiddo," he said bluntly, ignoring her mildly-offended pout. "I've already arranged our fare as a favour with the Mistral Council, so don't worry about that."

"Ok, but there's something else. What is it, Qrow?" Yang asked, settling back into the couch beside Ren.

The man held out his Scroll, holding up a message onscreen. It was too tiny to read at a distance, so Qrow explained, "You can't say a word of what happened last night. To anyone. The official reports will be coming out soon- I spent all night fabricating things to get them to understand."

"So what is the official report going to say?" Ruby asked, worry clear in her voice. "We can't just tell them about the Relic…"

"You're right, kiddo. We can't." Qrow dropped his Scroll onto the cushion beside him and let his head loll back against the couch. "It's not finalized yet, but the Faunus Militia of Menagerie are going to be lauded as the ones who thwarted the attack."

"My… dad is taking credit?" Blake murmured, brow furrowed in confusion.

Qrow nodded sagely. "Yup. It's not entirely untrue, after all- we didn't know anything about the White Fang attack which was orchestrated. Ghira said that since he and your little ragtag team of fighters stopped that assault, and since they promised to help with the rebuilding, they would take the questions from the press." His eyes were kind, rueful. "It's gonna be good PR, that's for sure. Maybe it'll soften some of the more… unsavoury opinions about the Faunus in the lower tiers around here."

Blake grimaced, but she nodded and stepped back at last.

Qrow continued, "So, if anyone asks, we just happened to be there. Leo was a long-time acquaintance of mine- no one will suspect anything."

"Professor Lionheart is dead, right?" Jaune asked hesitantly.

The man's face clouded, along with Ren's. "…Yeah," Qrow muttered. "Undoubtedly Salem's doing. I couldn't find any Grimm nearby, but it reeked of Grimm in his office when I… found him."

The room was somber, tense, as they all processed this information.

It was Ozpin who finally spoke. "What Leonardo did was… unacceptable," he said quietly. "He has put so many people in harm's way due to his actions. He allowed Salem to hunt down Huntsmen- that is likely the cause of the Huntsmen shortage on Anima as of this moment."

Nora's fingers tightened their grip on Ren's shoulder involuntarily, images flashing in her mind. They had seen so many message boards, so many Huntsmen's profiles, so many dog tags… all of those lives had been lost due to Salem.

It didn't feel real, still- the image they had seen last night still felt like nothing more than a bad dream. There was no way that monster had been real, right?

Ozpin added, "That is why I told you, students. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat." His eyes were heartbroken as those words crossed his lips.

Before the previous night, Nora hadn't understood the gravity of those words. Now, however, they rang far too clear for her. Retreating meant doing what Leonardo Lionheart had done- what Raven Branwen had done.

Yang murmured, "Vernal- Raven's follower- was dead in the vault when I got there. Cinder and Raven… weren't, though."

"That means they could've escaped." Weiss leaned back on her hands, staring up worriedly the ceiling.

Nora shook her head. "Or it could mean that Cinder stole the Maiden's power from what's-her-name, and now…"

"She's got both Spring and Fall," Qrow said lowly.

Yang fidgeted uncomfortably, fidgeting with her prosthetic.

"Salem was… terrifying," Weiss murmured quietly. "I knew it was bad, but I didn't think…"

"That she'd be such a monster," Yang finished for her, clenching her fists on her knees.

"This goes so far beyond any of us, doesn't it?" Jaune laughed, but there was no mirth in his eyes.

Ruby stood, looking around at everyone frantically. "But that just means we've gotta keep going, right?" she implored.

Ozpin's eyes shone brightly as the two spirits switched before Oscar's voice said, "Exactly. I may not be the best fighter, but even I know that we've got to do whatever we can."

Everyone somberly thought back to the night before. Hazel and Emerald and Mercury- the fight against them had been terrifyingly difficult. They may have won, but that didn't mean that they would always be able to win against that trio. And that was not even counting the fact that they hadn't even properly fought the two Maidens present.

When they had fought one of them, Weiss had almost died.

Finally, Qrow slapped his hands down onto his knees, startling everyone. "Alright kids, your new tasks before we pack up," he announced, stretching his gangly limbs as he stood. "You're going to need new clothes- it's cold up in Argus. Dress warmly. Pack food and supplies for the road, in case something happens. Make sure your weapons are tuned and stocked in case we meet Grimm along the way. The journey's either gonna go real easy, or real rough." His mouth twisted into a bitter grimace. "With me around, in all honesty, it's probably the latter." Pointing a finger at Ren, he added, "We also gotta eat for the next few weeks. Getting groceries is your job."

"Mine?" Ren repeated, eyebrow raised.

Qrow shrugged. "You keep these dummies in line. I've seen you in the kitchen."

Nora sniggered while Ren merely shook his head.

"Other than that," Qrow said at last, pointing at the door, "go live your lives. You have two weeks before we leave Mistral, and I don't know when we're coming back. Rest, relax, do whatever kids gotta do- but make sure you're ready to go when the time comes."

Everyone nodded in agreement, silently taking that final order as the cue to disperse. Soon, with their weapons cleaned and their plans set for the next few weeks, everyone began to file upstairs, chattering quietly about what they were going to do to pass the time.

Before Nora and Ren could leave, however, Qrow motioned for them to stay. Trading glances, they quietly obliged, moving to sit on the couch near him to listen to what he had to say. The man picked up his Scroll again, searching through files with an odd look of defeat on his expression. "You two were looking for some Huntsmen, right?" he murmured.

It felt like it had been forever since they had last spoken to Qrow about this. "Yeah, we are," Nora replied.

Qrow nodded, still searching through his files until he finally stopped, stumbling upon what he had been looking for. "I was able to get some of Leo's files," he began, holding his Scroll out to them to see. "It turns out that not all of Mistral's Huntsmen have been officially confirmed as… neutralized." His lips twisted, almost as if he had a sour taste in his mouth as he said those words. "Many of them are MIA, or at least, they weren't on Leo's radar."

"Which means," Ren said slowly, "they weren't on Salem's, either."

Nora quickly scrolled down through the list until one familiar portrait stood out to her, burning red hair and fiery hooded eyes standing out from the crowd. "Kalian's one of them, Ren," she murmured, reading the text by his image. His location was completely unknown, but his last mission had been completed properly. He hadn't been 'lost on a mission' like everyone else. There was a high chance that he had just been living his life with the others, completely unaware of the witch hunt Salem was running against the Huntsmen.

We're going to find them. The hope which flushed through her soul began to burn, embers catching alight. Even if Cinder had gotten away, they at least knew that Kalian was likely safe- and if he was safe, Caelus and Howl were, too. The thought of Pyrrha's murderer escaping still sent white-hot fury crashing through her heart, but for now, Nora had to focus on what they could accomplish- finding their former guardians.

Qrow took back his Scroll and stretched, sauntering towards the door. "You kids don't do anything reckless, okay?" he called back to them over his shoulder.

As he walked out of earshot, Nora murmured, "So. Wednesday?"

"Wednesday," Ren said, pulling out his Scroll. They still had a few days until their appointment with Miss Malachite, and even more time to kill after that. "So- what now?"

She rolled her eyes, walking up the stairs without hesitation. "We go to sleep!" she announced. "I'm still exhausted from yesterday!"

Ren followed her obediently, an eyebrow quirked upwards. "Nora, you're not going to be able to sleep tonight if you nap now, and we both know it."

Feeling emboldened by the newfound hope from the list procured by Qrow, Nora glanced over her shoulder and winked teasingly at Ren. "Aw, are you just angry 'cause you can't join me for my nap?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him, all in gest.

The boy's face had never grown redder in his life.

Nora cackled her way back into the room she shared with Ruby. When the other girl pointed out how flushed she looked, however, her laughter died down to a rosy giggle, disbelief at her own comment the only thing she could focus on. Oh my god, I cannot believe I said that.

The very thought of teasing Ren like that would've been unimaginable just a few weeks earlier. But everything's different now, Nora thought idly, sprawling back onto her coverlet. The very thought of how close she had grown with Ren over the past month still caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach, and with the knowledge that Haven and the Relic were safe, she was finally able to actually think about her relationship with Ren.

Ruby came over and poked her forehead slowly, a snide grin on her face. "You having fun there, Nora?" she snickered, leaning on the bed beside the orange-haired girl.

Nora winked. "One day," she sang airily, "you'll know what it's like to grow up."

Ruby rolled her eyes and headed towards the door. "Oh my god, you're just like Yang sometimes," the girl laughed, waving as she stepped outside. As the door was closing, however, Nora heard Ruby say, "Hey, Ren, are you okay? You look like you have a fever…"

Nora snorted, rolling over onto her stomach and squealing silently. Almost two whole weeks of just hanging out and looking for clues. This won't be bad at all!

And, as predicted, it wasn't. Nora lounged around for the next few days, allowing her Aura to recover completely. She had gotten far too used to feeling completely drained while working to restore Vale, and it was a terrible feeling. She wanted to give herself the time she needed early on so that she would be ready for when they set forth to Argus.

It was a good choice. Wednesday seemed to roll around in the blink of an eye, but when it came time to head back down into the lower tiers of Mistral, Nora felt more than ready. With Magnhild on her hip and the same cloak around her shoulders as before ("Just in case," Ren insisted worriedly, and she was more than happy to oblige) they headed back down into the cesspools of Mistral.

Miss Malachite's headquarters were just as packed as their last visit, but Nora paid them no mind. As long as they didn't bother her and Ren, she wouldn't bother them.

Miss Malachite's eyes flashed excitedly when she saw them. "Ah, the little darlings are back," she cooed, beckoning over one of her bodyguards. The man listened without hesitation, taking a quiet order from her before disappearing into a back room. As Nora and Ren approached the table behind which Miss Malachite sat, the guard re-emerged and lay down a Scroll next to Miss Malachite.

The woman pushed the Scroll over to Nora and Ren with one ringed, pudgy finger. "There's your info, sweeties," she purred, pulling out her fan. The woman brushed her blond hair out of her eyes, unfurled the purple lace fan, and covered the bottom half of her face, peering over the edge of the fan with curious eyes. She was clearly still alert, looking for something in particular within their reactions.

Nora didn't care, though. Let the woman do what she wanted. As long as she has info, it's all good.

Ren grabbed the Scroll and brought it closer, letting Nora take a look. There were a few photos on the screen, all of which were focused on the train station Nora recognized that they themselves would be visiting soon. The Argus Limited sign above the station bay made that clear. None of the images were timestamped, but as Ren silently point out with a finger, based on the dates on the newspapers some of the waiting passengers were reading, the photographs had all been taken quite recently- a few days before they had arrived in Mistral, at most.

And, in all of the pictures, Nora found familiar faces staring back at her.

She immediately tugged on Ren's sleeve, eyes wide and sparkling as she began jumping in place. How could she not? How could she hold back? "Ren," she squealed, "they're going to Argus!"

His eyes lit up, a relieved smile crossing his face. "So it would seem," he murmured, stepping away from the table. Tugging Nora backwards, Ren said to the information broker watching them, "Thank you for your assistance. We'll be going now."

Nora stayed behind for a moment, taking one last lingering look at the photographs. Caelus' braided hair seemed even more wild than usual, his grin stretching from ear to ear; Howl's expression would be considered stern by anyone else, but she could practically hear the lilt in his voice based on the tiny smile curling his lips; and Kalian's scowl was present as ever, but in the photo, he was handing a little girl a balloon, avoiding the girl's wide, toothy smile with a light, clumsy blush on his cheeks.

They were all alright, for better or for worse.

She finally allowed Ren to pull her out of the tavern, the two slipping back into the street as obscurely as possible. "I can't believe how lucky that is," she thought aloud. "We're going to be able to find them, Ren!"

"It's certainly a good turn for us," Ren replied evenly.

Nora smiled, bumping her shoulder into his lightly. Even though he sounded calm, the smile on his face just wouldn't fade away.

As they turned the corner, almost back at the long stairs which would begin their journey upwards back to the tamer parts of Mistral, however, a rank stench suddenly hit Nora's nose. She immediately backpedaled, furrowing her nose and looking around. "Ren, do you-"

"Yeah," he muttered, smile replaced with a tense grimace. "That… that's blood."

And something more, she thought to herself. Magnhild was strapped in its holster as always, so she pulled the weapon out, keeping it tucked out of sight underneath her cloak as she began following the smell. Ren did the same, keeping StormFlower hidden, but she could hear the slight clink of the blades leaving their sheaths around his thighs.

Ducking into an alleyway, the source of the scent was quickly located. Nora swallowed down the disgust which immediately rose up into her throat. Despite the scant lighting amidst the perpetual rains in lower Mistral, the bloated corpse was easy to make out, the congealed blood and swarms of flies surrounding it an easy giveaway.

Ren reached over and raised the collar of Nora's cloak before doing the same to his, putting an immediate barrier between their faces and the stench. "His throat was slit. We should go, Nora," he murmured.

She didn't move, eyes transfixed on the man's stern jaw, the bloodied purple hair, the large, solid swatches of indigo ink marking his arms and face. "Ren," she whispered, not even bothering to look at her partner, "isn't that… Varin?"

Varin had never been happy as a member of Sotz's gang- always too hotheaded, too egotistical, to ever stoop so low as to feel comfortable in their presence. But Nora remembered Varin well. He had been incredibly powerful- having a Semblance that essentially caused invisibility was a scary thing to have to face, especially as a child. He had always been in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike- to take whatever glory he saw was his.

And yet, here he was, lying dead in an alleyway in Mistral. Varin would have been incredibly difficult to take down. Who had been responsible?

She didn't know- however, even with all his strength, Varin had never explicitly hurt her nor Ren. For that, she couldn't help but feel sorry to see him like this.

There was one off thing about the corpse, however- almost matching his hair, the flesh around his neck was almost purple. It wasn't due to the rotting of the corpse, though. There was something else foul in the mix.

Ren put it into words for her. "That's the same colour left when Qrow got stabbed by Tyrian."

But Ruby had cut off the scorpion Faunus' tail, right? How could he have done this?

Ren silently pulled her away, gripping tightly onto her hand. It was one thing to hear about it, to see the names crossed off the boards and the lists on Qrow's Scroll- it was another to see Tyrian's work first-hand. His fingers were trembling in hers as they made their way back up to the manor, the two of them immediately going to their rooms to process what had happened.

The next day, they got Qrow to take them into a Huntsmen's mission center. Using his ID, it was easy to open up the lists of Huntsmen still active around Mistral.

They reported his death. Qrow said nothing as Ren spoke to the weary clerk, the man tight-lipped and weary through it all.

Nora winced, seeing the clerk nod sadly at Qrow. It clearly wasn't the first time he had been there in recent days. How… how many people did you try and find, Qrow? Although she wondered, though, she didn't bother asking. He wouldn't have told her anyways.

But, like everything else, time moved onwards, and soon Nora and Ren were simply spending their time with their friends. Seeing Team RWBY together again made Nora's heart burst with pride. The four girls had all changed so much, but it was all for the better. Ruby was more confident, but more knowledgeable, too. Blake wasn't as reserved, laughing and smiling freely after having stood up against the White Fang. Yang was much mellower, her anger slow to burn compared to before, and Weiss was kind and patient and much more empathetic. Everyone had grown, and they spent most of their time together, catching up and trying to reconnect after suffering the distance that had separated them all so cruelly.

It would've been a complete lie to say that Nora wasn't jealous- she was, undoubtedly. It still made her feel happy to see Ruby and the rest smile like that, though.

Jaune and Oscar found their own routine, too. Ever since Ozpin had designated their next destination, Oscar had been in control full-time, giving the young boy more than enough time to practice sparring with Jaune. The duo training together worked out surprisingly-well- Oscar was able to work on his stamina in combat, while Jaune was able to work on controlling his Semblance by revitalizing Oscar's Aura every time the boy was ready to run out. The two seemed to spar for hours, and their skills were improving by the day, having found new determination after the fight at Haven.

Qrow was working with the Mistral Council and with Ghira Belladonna most days. Most nights, however, he went off into the slums, only coming back in the wee hours of the morning. Ruby was losing sleep by waking up every time to get her uncle tucked into bed and sobered up by his next duty, but she never called him out on it. Nora had told Ruby quietly about the list of Huntsmen Qrow had had to report. The younger girl's eyes saddened and she went straight to give her uncle a hug, but she didn't bother him about drinking nightly after that.

He needed to cope. Nora could respect that, even if she didn't approve of the methods.

Overall, their life in Mistral wasn't what she had expected to experience when heading out from Patch all those months before, but now, Nora was content to simply spend time with whoever was around most days, giving Ren some space to relax whenever he needed it. They often took walks together in the middle and upper tiers, exploring the safer nooks and crannies of Mistral's sprawling mountainside city. It was the adventure Nora had always dreamed of having, back when her days had consisted of begging for scraps and pity.

Now, she was strong, and Ren was by her side. Haven's rebuilding process was already underway. They had won one battle, at least.

Only one more fight left in Mistral, she told herself over and over again, trying to prepare herself emotionally for when she finally did it.

The last day before they boarded the trains, Qrow banned them from training. "Go out!" he insisted, frustrated. "You kids need to go out and live a little! Go wild! Just… y'know, don't get in trouble."

"Don't get caught is what he's trying to say," Yang commented, winking at the others.

Qrow rolled his eyes good-naturedly and shooed them away from the downstairs hall they had turned into a practice dojo. "Get out and explore the world. You have 24 hours left till the train departs." And, after reluctantly wiring each of them a little bit of money ("You better not spend it on something stupid, you ingrates," he groaned when Ruby tackled him in excitement) the group went their separate ways, eager to check out Mistral one last time.

Nora told Ren to wait downstairs, holding her breath the entire time as she got ready for their outing. All their bags were packed- for Nora, there was only one thing left in her bedroom, still not packed away.

It was now or never.

Her fingers shook as she closed the bedroom door behind her, the delicate box sitting on her table. As she removed the lid, however, she heard a knock on the door. "Ren, don't-"

But Ruby and Yang were the ones who walked in instead. Wordlessly, they smiled, closing the door behind them and coming to join her in front of the box. "C'mon, Nora. Did you really think we would leave you hanging?" the blonde chuckled, whistling when she looked into the box.

"What in the world are you two doing here-" Nora protested, but Yang held up a hand, cutting her off.

"You took care of my little sis when I couldn't," Yang murmured quietly, eyes shining with warmth. "Let us help you, okay?"

Ruby reached over and grabbed Nora's hand. "Go enjoy yourself today!" the younger requested, eyes sparkling as she looked at Nora.

The moment was startlingly touching, and Nora's eyes misted over before she could stop it. She stiffly nodded, feeling utterly out of her element- still, when the two girls motioned for her to start removing her jacket so she could put on the dress inside the box, she complied.

It took a little manoeuvring, but eventually, the gorgeous pink Mistralian robe was on, the white sash tied in a lovely (if a little lopsided) bow. Her orange hair was pinned back onto the nape of her neck in a simple, elegant twist, and, although Nora had no idea where she had procured it from, Yang managed to doll her up in some minimalistic makeup. They had even managed to find little slippers for her, the silken material so unusual compared to her combat boots.

Finally, the two sisters took a step back, proud smiles on their faces as they looked at Nora.

The orange-haired girl shuffled over to them, immediately grimacing when she felt the fabric constrict around her legs. "Guys, I don't know," Nora whispered. "Isn't this like… a little too much? It doesn't suit me at all!"

"What are you talking about, Nora?" Yang laughed. "You look smokin'! You could give any of those 'refined young women'," and she curtsied mockingly, adopting a silly affectation for those words, "in the upper levels a run for their money."

Nora chewed her lip, staring at her hands. "It's… not weird?"

Ruby grabbed her hands while Yang opened the door, the younger girl murmuring, "Pyrrha would be so happy right now."

Any retort Nora could've made immediately died in her throat, choking up slightly at the thought. She hadn't ever really discussed her own insecurities with Pyrrha- with the thought of Ren finally falling for her having felt so far away back when they were at Beacon, there had never been any point- but the mere mention of her name was enough to conjure up the image of the redhead.

…Pyrrha would've loved this. They're right.

Pyrrha had always adored her and Ren together, after all.

She stepped out into the hallway, only to be greeted by an excited Blake and Weiss, the two girls biting down their words of approval. Weiss jammed a thumb towards the stairs. "He's getting impatient," she whispered, her glee oozing out of every pore.

Nora gulped. Well. Time to see what he says.

And so, she began taking careful steps down the stairs, the slight swishing of her dress and slippers against the wooden floors the only sound in the house as the four girls upstairs held their breaths.

Ren was sitting on a couch, facing the front door. Halfway down the steps, the floorboard creaked, alerting him of her presence. The boy glanced over his shoulder, muttering, "Nora, what took so long-"

And his eyes fell onto her, words drying up in his mouth, eyes widening into saucers as she finally reached the landing. He jumped to his feet, walking around the couch to face her properly.

Nora flashed an awkward grin at him. "…Does it not suit me after all?" she offered, trying to break the tension as she approached him. "I mean, that's fair, but-"

Ren's fingers were shaking as they tilted her chin up to look at him. Swallowing thickly, the boy could only stare at her in awe. Nora melted at the touch, at the sight of his pure, adoring shock.

"…Let's go?" he murmured when he finally found his voice again.

She smiled fondly. "'Kay, Ren."

So, he held out his arm for her. She grabbed onto it with a giggle, and the two headed out of the manor. Before they left, however, Nora made sure to look back over her shoulder and wave triumphantly at the four girls who were silently screaming, smiles impossibly wide and expressions full of pure joy as they watched the adorable nature of the couple.

Ren took her everywhere- they wandered from the lowest tier (the lowest they would dare to go without Nora's weapons, her hammer stowed away with her belongings in the manor) all the way to the upper marketplaces. They walked slowly, savouring the sights and sounds and smells- trying tea at different teahouses, people watching, strolling through the gardens that littered the more well-to-do areas of the city. Some people stopped to stare at Nora, her skin too pale, hair too fiery, eyes too blue to be wearing such a traditional gown, but Nora didn't care.

After all, Ren wouldn't stop smiling. She had never seen him so at peace.

And so, they meandered the day away, finally ending up in a small, secluded balcony garden outside of an area populated mainly by fabric stores. The view was breathtaking as the sun set, rays of golden-red melding so seamlessly into a cloudless, moonlit night sky. By their side was a tiny pond, a few lovely magenta lotuses floating serenely at the water's still surface.

As evening turned to night, Nora found herself enraptured by the moon. It felt odd to be looking up at the moon like this. How long had Nora associated the image of the moon with the Fall- with Pyrrha? How long had it been since she had been able to truly, properly bask in its glow?

She didn't know.

A tiny part of her screamed, Isn't this sorta like forgetting Pyrrha?

She shook her head. That sentiment wasn't true, not at all. Pyrrha wouldn't want Nora to feel sad forever about her loss. It had always been Nora's job to keep Pyrrha smiling, after all. It wouldn't do for Nora to let her sister down.

"I'm glad we did this," Nora murmured, eyes locked onto the pieces of the crumbling moon, shining ethereally in the darkened sky.

"Did what?" Ren mused.

"This." She gestured to the dress on her body- it was fairly tiring to wear, requiring proper posture for the material to stay upright, and the slippers were starting to chafe, and she felt more than a little naked without Magnhild, but… she still felt beautiful. She felt like she belonged. "Today was…"

"I'm glad, too." Ren paused. "This… this was everything."

She frowned, looking up at him. His profile in the waning light was striking- stern, solemn, yet more expressive than ever before. "What do you mean?"

He reached down, squeezing her hand lightly. "My goal for so long was to get revenge for my parents," he said slowly, picking each word out with painstaking care. "All I wanted was to make sure that that kind of tragedy never happened again."

"Well, we sure did it," she laughed gently, squeezing his hand back. "We took it out."

He shook his head. "But now, we're still fighting. And I'm happy to do it, but…" He let out a long, contemplative sigh, eyes falling to the side.

Nora leaned around him, watching where his eyes focused. He was looking at the tiny lotuses blooming in the pond. Glancing up at him confused, she asked, "But…?"

"I guess I just didn't have a real, tangible goal for the past few weeks," he admitted at last. "So now, it feels nice."

"What does?"

He smiled, eyes soft. "Having a goal again."

She hummed, leaning against his arm. "And what's the goal, mister? Lay it on me."

He snorted, and she felt his hand pull away, only to reach up and rest in her hair, holding her head against his side. "We'll make a world where we can do this."

She froze. "What, and not have adventures anymore?" she scoffed after a moment, pulse quickening as the implications of his words began to sink in. He- doesn't really mean that, right…?

He shook his head. "We'll always be fighting- as Huntsmen, or otherwise. But… I've decided."

"Decided on what?" Her mind was racing a thousand miles a minute.

"This kind of peace with you- that's why I'll fight Salem."

"…So you just want me to wear this dress again, is what I'm hearing. Jeez, I didn't know you disliked my normal outfit that much-"

"Nora…"

"Yes, Ren?"

When Ren reached over and cupped her cheeks, his fingers burning just as hotly as the red flushing his face all the way to the tips of his ears, and he kissed her under the moonlight, Nora felt the heat from his touch transfer into her pale skin, her heart finally finding true peace for the first time since stepping foot back into Mistral. Her mind was made up, too.

They pulled away for a moment, quietly panting for air. She could still feel his lips just millimetres from her own, his breath warm against her skin.

"Wow, Ren. First kiss in the moonlight? That's a little cheesy, even for you."

He simply kissed her again, but he couldn't hide his smile against her lips.

She was going to find her guardians, yes- she would fight forever to avenge Pyrrha, yes- but as Ren's lips moved perfectly against hers, and she felt herself melt into his arms as if she was born to be in his embrace, she knew that she was going to help Ren fulfil his goal, too.

She didn't belong in Mistral, and that was okay. She belonged with her team, her friends, and with Lie Ren, and she couldn't think of a better place to be.

-end of volume 5-

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The moonlight was enough to illuminate the balcony of the manor completely, washing it in its pale, ethereal light, painting the world silvery-white and grey. Nora smiled, squeezing Ren's hand knowingly as they stepped out together, wandering towards their leader who was lying on the ground, eyes staring up at the heavens.

As she approached one side of Jaune and lay down, she said, "What's goin' on, Jaune?"

Ren obediently took a seat cross-legged on Jaune's other side, closing his eyes and turning his face up to the moonlight. "You should be saving your energy. Our journey to Argus begins tomorrow, after all."

"I know," Jaune sighed, a rueful smile on his face. Nora traded a worried expression with Ren, though, seeing the deep crease only grow between Jaune's furrowed brows.

"Jaune," she murmured, laying her head back onto her hands, "are you… having second thoughts?"

The blond snorted, shaking his head. "No. I'm with you, with Ruby, all the way. We've got a duty to see this through," he said somberly. "I was just thinking, that's all."

"About?" Ren asked.

"…do you remember what day it is?"

"…Thursday?" Nora offered.

"She's not wrong," Ren added lightly.

At that, Jaune's face melted into a small, warm smile. "No, guys- okay well yes, but..."

"But?"

Quietly, he explained, "It's already the second week of September. Like… it's been a year since initiation."

Nora froze, eyes falling to the wayside. In the darkness, it was hard to tell, but the trees lining the edge of the balcony would be glowing red come sunrise. It was becoming autumn yet again.

"…It's been quite a while since the Fall," Ren whispered.

Six months without Pyrrha. The sheer thought of it was barely comprehendible. How could that much time have passed since Pyrrha had been taken away from them?

And we didn't even find out what happened to Cinder.

She tossed the thought away. They could figure out how to pursue Cinder later. For now, their destination was Argus. The Relic had to be kept safe. And we've got to make sure Howl and everyone is safe, too, she thought resolutely.

"It's hard to believe it's been a year since we all met," she said, rolling onto her side and propping her head up on her palm. She grinned cheekily at the two young men, adding, "You ever figure out a landing strategy, Jaune?"

Immediately, Jaune's face broke out into an annoyed, but amused grin. "Oh, bite me," he muttered without malice. "I was right, wasn't I? It's the season for terrible call-backs."

"Vomit Boy, you're self-aware," Ren said nonchalantly.

Nora practically screeched with laughter at the unexpected quip as Jaune sat upright, punching his best friend on the shoulder lightly. "What the heck, Ren?!" he complained. "Not you too! You're supposed to be on my side, right? C'mon!"

Ren shrugged, a tiny smile pulling his lips. Nora bit back her giggles and sighed happily, leaning her head onto Jaune's shoulder and pointing at the moon. "Either way, we're gonna kick butt again tomorrow!"

"I could do without some butt-kicking, thanks," Jaune groaned. "We've had far too much kicking lately."

Nora shrugged. "But now we have, like, a healer, don't we, Mr. Aura Amplifier?" She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "We can take on anyone!"

"Together, we'll be fine," Ren agreed.

Jaune took a moment to look at them both carefully, a mix of emotions spread across his face. Finally, he sighed, clearly giving up on whatever argument or point he had been trying to make. "Yeah. You're right. We've been through a lot, but…" He turned his face back up to the moon, eyes glazed over slightly. "I wouldn't take back any of it."

Nora smiled, nodding and laying down on her back. She knew what Jaune was seeing as he looked up at the moon. He probably doesn't even notice he's playing with Pyrrha's ring right now.

And yet, the air still hung heavy with a peaceful tranquility, the air clear and comfortingly warm, carrying the last traces of the summer soon to pass. The autumn was already well on its way, and while Nora knew that seeing the reddening leaves and the brilliant golds of the trees would be nothing more than repeated punches to the gut in the wake of Pyrrha's memory, she also knew they'd all be alright.

They had grown up over the past year. Kalian's going to be surprised. Howl, too.

Caelus wouldn't. He'd just go storm-diving with her again. It was going to be awesome.

With that thought, they all separated for the night, ready to catch some shut-eye before the long journey ahead. Argus was located far to the northwest, and it was going to be quite a voyage to get there.

The next day, the journey down to Mistral Central Station was an uneventful one. With the panic and hubbub after the attack on Haven having died down, the group managed to make it to the station easily, their bags and weapons all packed up and ready for the long train ride.

"Y'know," Jaune murmured as they stepped through the wide double-doors of the station center, "I'm going to miss that house. It was good to us."

"Pft, I'm not," Nora deadpanned, skipping ahead. The very thought of making progress on their quest was more than enough to quash any feelings of nostalgia she could feel about saying goodbye to Mistral in general.

To her surprise, Ren murmured, "I will, too." When she cast him a confused glance, it surprised her to see a light flush on his cheeks as he looked away.

She rolled her eyes, face immediately splitting into a wide grin. Leaning over to murmur into his ear, she said, patting her bag knowingly, "It's okay, Ren. I still have the dress."

Cackling at his instant flush, she wandered ahead. Qrow had mentioned that their train would be on platform 10. Thankfully, it took barely a second to find signage that indicated where to go, so she waved to everyone else and began to wander through the bustling station.

People were lining up left and right to buy tickets and snacks while they waited for their trains, giving her plenty of things to watch. The whole place smelled wonderful- street vendors were selling sugary, doughy fried somethings and she was going to get her hands on some no matter what.

Station first. Find the platform. She glanced back. Leave Jaune with the bags, then buy snacks. With that plan in mind, she continued on her way.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a large holoscreen. Numerous screens were situated around the station, high enough to see easily over any crowd. It simply listed all of the platforms and incoming trains for the awaiting passengers, but one line repeated on every single board was enough to strike a pang of loneliness into her heart.

VALE - OUT OF SERVICE

Her lip wobbled for a moment. She had to press her lips together tight, consciously smoothing out the crease in her brow before the others caught up to her.

Despite all of her pride for her teammates and for her friends and for Pyrrha, by the gods she missed Beacon. What she wouldn't give to return things to a year earlier- to get to experience her sisterhood with Pyrrha all over again.

But those days were over.

She didn't have any time to mope, thankfully. The others caught up to her quickly, herding her with smiles and enthusiastic gestures towards their platform, where the Argus Limited- a majestic train, filled with all the comfort and luxury needed to travel to nearly the other side of Anima in style- sat waiting. They managed to find two large, empty benches back-to-back by their carriage. Nora plopped down next to Oscar, sticking her tongue out at Jaune and Ren as they took a seat on the other side of the bench.

"Watch my stuff!" Yang called as she rolled her motorcycle over to the cargo bay.

Nora took the opportunity to lay her belongings down beside an unsuspecting Oscar. Ruby moved in tandem with her on the other side of the bench, immediately meeting her eye and grinning evilly as the younger girl patted Jaune's hair as if he were a child.

"I'm hungry," Nora explained.

"I need souvenirs. Yang and Dad collect them," Ruby explained.

Simultaneously, they saluted a very bewildered Oscar and Jaune. "Take care of our stuff!" the two girls cried, scurrying off.

Nora giggled as she heard Jaune's complaints fade into the din of the station while she made a beeline for the nearest food stall. She had priorities. I'll get you some, don't worry.

Ten minutes later, Nora was back at the bench, handing Oscar and Jaune a delicious cinnamon-sugar pastry as thanks for guarding her belongings. The boys huffed and rolled their eyes, but their smiles was good-natured, so she knew all was forgiven.

Handing another pastry from the giant paper bag in her hands over to Ren, she paused, counting the heads present. Yang was back from storing her bike, but Ruby, Qrow and Blake were gone. Qrow's probably getting a drink before we head out, she thought, unimpressed. Ruby's still buying souvenirs, probably… "Where's Blake?"

Jaune pointed backwards to a footbridge connected their platform to the next. She climbed onto her knees and leaned over, wrapping her arms around Ren's neck as he nibbled delicately at the snack. Over the railing, Nora could see Blake, her cat ears flicking back and forth as she spoke to Sun, Neptune and Ilia.

Nora pouted; Sun hadn't been around very much for their last few days in Mistral, having headed back to meet up with his own teammates, all of whom had been living in the outskirts of town over the summer. Ilia seemed nice enough the few times she had stopped by the manor, but Blake in general had been more than a little shy around everyone after their reunion, so prying too far into who Ilia was amidst the mess which was the battle of Haven seemed to be a bit out of the question for the moment.

In a blur of red rose petals, Ruby was suddenly standing in front of them once more, holding something behind her back. Yang stood, watching her little sister in barely-concealed anticipation. "And?" she asked at last when Ruby refused to speak.

Proudly, Ruby presented a small brown bag emblazoned with the station's logo, squealing excitedly.

Weiss, seated as primly as ever with her suitcase on her lap, rolled her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, although that was likely due to the thick muffler she had wrapped around her neck and the pale tights she wore. The girl must've been overheating in the station, still warm in the late summer's heat. She muttered, "What an absolute waste of time-"

Yang cut her off, rushing forward. "What did you get me?"

Ruby sang, "You'll have to wait and see!"

"No fair!" the blonde cried, but Ruby merely stuck her tongue out and evaded her sister's attempts to rip the bag from her hands.

Nora laughed, throwing herself in between the two easily. They had a tendency to forget where they were, after all- the amount of times they had been thrown out of restaurants back when they still went to Beacon thanks to the sisters' antics was almost embarrassing in the hindsight. So, to distract them, she announced, "Oh, I can't believe we're taking the train to Argus! The beautiful northern coastline..." She paused, jumping in front of Ren. "You think it's too early for beach season?"

Ren shook his head sadly. "Too late, unfortunately, but we will be one step closer to Atlas."

From her spot on the bench, Weiss muttered, "Well, I'm glad you're all excited. But I don't think you appreciate the trouble I went through to leave Atlas."

"I know you're worried, Weiss, but trust us," Ruby said gently, standing by her teammate. "Team RWBY won't leave your side for a second! I promise."

Nora smiled on instinct as the Ruby and Weiss traded empathetic smiles. It really felt good to have everyone back together again.

Suddenly, a brash, overconfident voice drawled, "No one's gotta be worried with us around."

Nora turned to face the speaker. Ignoring Oscar and Jaune completely, two young men in their mid-twenties strolled up to Weiss, Ruby, Nora and Yang. Held over each of their shoulders was a weapon- for the speaker, it was a spiked metal club, while his partner held a golden rifle. Each man wore a cocky, self-assured grin, winking and appraising them unabashedly.

Propping a hand on her hip, Nora asked plainly, "And… you are?"

The first man explained cockily, "Why, Dee and Dudley of course. The Argus Limited's very own Huntsmen. We'll be keeping everyone safe as we pass through Grimm territory."

She crossed her arms, unimpressed. These two clowns think they'll protect us?

"But, for a generous tip," Dudley added, "we can make sure your passenger car gets extra special attention should things… get dangerous." The man winked at them, and Nora could feel a bit of her soul leave her body in disgust.

"Yeah, I got a tip for ya," Qrow growled nearby. The two Huntsmen turned to look at Qrow who was emerging from a nearby stall, a look of weary annoyance etched into the frown on his lips. He sauntered up to stand between them and the Huntsmen, his hands tucked in his pockets. "Buzz off."

Nora bit back her smile. There was something oddly sweet about how Qrow had immediately positioned himself, whether he realized it or not, between his nieces and the Huntsmen specifically.

Taking a moment to glance at the two young men, Qrow added, "Looks like Mistral's really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days."

Dee hissed, "Hey! You're talking to a-"

Qrow cut him off, raising his professional Huntsman license up so the two could see it clearly. "A professional Huntsman, right." The two men immediately deflated while Qrow tucked his license away, crossing his arms. "Well, it seems one of you 'heroes' left the staff entrance to the caboose wide open. It'd be a shame to lose your job before it even started."

The two Huntsmen took a moment to stare open-mouthed at the caboose before Dudley cried, "I... I didn't do it!"

Dee scoffed, hitting his partner in the shoulder before walking away. "Come on, dummy."

As the two men's bickering blended into the sounds of the busy station, Oscar murmured thoughtfully, "You know, sometimes the burden of saving the world feels overwhelming." He flashed a rueful smile at them all. "But then people like that come along and make me grateful that it's our jobs and not theirs."

As everyone hummed in agreement, Qrow asked, "So, you kids ready to go? Bike all loaded up?"

"Yep!" Yang replied.

Weiss said, "Just waiting on Blake. As usual."

Nora took a moment to hand out the rest of the pastries she had gotten for everyone before skipping over to Jaune and Ren, taking a seat right between the two. Settling the bag on her lap, she began to eat the rest of the pastries with gusto, practically inhaling the rest of the fried twists.

Jaune watched her in impressed amusement. "Nora, please breathe."

"Breathing's for the weak," she huffed around a mouthful of cinnamon-sugar delight.

Jaune rolled his eyes, leaning back and looking at Ren over her head. "So, are you excited to go to Argus, Ren?" he asked.

Nora took another bite as Ren nodded sagely. "I guess we haven't told you."

"Told me what?" Jaune asked, confused.

Swallowing her bite, she said, "Have we told you about the people who raised us?"

Jaune shook his head. "Not really, no."

She traded looks with Ren. We should tell him, right?

Might as well, he seemed to say.

She turned back to Jaune, explaining, "Well, they're Huntsmen. We've been asking around, and apparently they might be in Argus!"

Ren nodded, focusing on one of the holoscreens with the train schedule shining from it. "Perhaps Howl is going to Sanctum," he murmured. "He always wanted to teach. Or do research."

"Yeah," Nora nodded enthusiastically, "but… do you think they're actually going to stay there for a long time?"

"Probably not," he replied, a weary smile on his lips. "I doubt they'd give up."

"Give up on what?" Jaune asked, eyes wide and curious.

Nora took another bite, a little less enthused this time. It was Ren who responded for her. "Revenge," the boy said simply.

Jaune's expression immediately hardened. She sighed, leaning her head on Ren's shoulder. Maybe we shouldn't have used that word… Although he hadn't spoken much of it, she knew that Jaune's mind was still wrapped up in the fight against Cinder- and the lack of a conclusion to it. When she caught his bitter glare, she smiled, trying to ease the tension growing in him. "I mean, Sotz is gone, right?" she said quietly. "And we found Varin."

"Still not everyone," Ren replied.

She took another contemplative bite. Yeah. We still haven't found Nick and the rest of their followers…

And until they were found, she knew that their old guardians would never stop looking for them.

Jaune moved closer, lowering his voice to not alert Team RWBY. "But… what happened?" he asked, brow knitted together in concern.

Before they could continue, an announcement bell chimed on the speaker systems. "All passengers for the Argus Limited, please head to the platform now," the announcer called.

"Alright kids," Qrow called, waving Blake over as she finally descended the stairs and rejoined them all, "get onboard. We're going to Argus."

Ruby and Yang cheered, slinging their bags over their shoulders and leading the charge to call dibs on the beds in their shared room. Weiss and Blake followed suit, with Qrow trailing behind them. Nora grabbed Jaune and Ren and charged into the train, calling out to Oscar, "C'mon, little-boy-Oz! We've gotta get on the train!"

Oscar flashed her a grateful grin, and she beamed back as he shuffled with his own pack to join her. "Can I stay with you guys?" he asked nervously, shifting his weight and avoiding eye contact. The Relic shone at his hip, conspicuous and glaring in the dim station lighting.

She waved off his concern. "C'mon, you're one of us, aren't you? Join our cabin!"

The beaming smile on Oscar's face was enough to answer her.

After that, it took barely any time at all for the train to begin rolling. Nora and Jaune giggled, dragging Oscar with them and pressing their faces against the glass to watch the train pull out of the station. Ren laughed quietly at their antics, adding, "Nora, let Oscar go," when the younger begged to be removed from their stack at the window.

Once Jaune and Oscar had moved to their own respective bunks in their overnight room, Ren finally joined her at the window. The wheels of the mighty Argus Limited carried the long train out of the station and onto the main tracks leading away from Mistral, snaking its way through the mountain and curving around it to begin the journey north. The view from their window was unobstructed, giving them a full look at the majestic mountainside, the silhouette of Haven Academy at the highest point stark against the clear blue sky.

"We're leaving Mistral," she murmured.

Ren placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "We are. How do you feel?"

She reached up and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Better with you," she said simply.

And she meant it. In her heart, Mistral had always been a place to fear. The streets and alleyways in the lower tiers were the stuff of nightmares, haunting her thoughts for many years. The shadowy corners, the violence and poverty, the despair and rejection…

But she was stronger now. She had stood up against those things. And, thankfully, Ren was by her side, too. She wasn't alone and afraid anymore.

Ren smiled at her through the reflection of the window, and the ease with which his lips curled upwards and his eyes creased and his thumb brushed against her skin made her melt into blissful security.

All they could do now was wait for their arrival. The journey would take a few days, so they had all the time in the world.

The train eventually rumbled past Mistral, leaving the spectacular tiered city behind, replacing it with new wondrous views. The path to Argus was largely mountainous, forests and cliff sides already blanketing in thick snow. Before their very eyes, they watched as lush greenery on one side of Lake Matsu faded away, transforming into hills and valleys and snow-covered peaks silhouetted against increasingly-cloudier skies.

"It's beautiful," Ren murmured to himself out of the blue, taking in the serene landscape before them.

Nora, on the other hand, was not as impressed. The train, which had already been rolling along for six hours, was giving her nothing by way of entertainment, confined to their tiny cabin. Ren was meditating peacefully; Oscar was off in his own world, likely talking to Ozpin; Jaune was busy reading comics which he had packed for the journey; and Team RWBY was hanging out in their own room. She was almost tempted to look for Qrow, just to stay busy- after all, she couldn't even jump on the bed in the cramped sleeper room, and Qrow was probably drinking. At least watching him had the potential to be diverting.

She groaned, climbing to her feet. Taking a cursory glance around, she sighed, slumping over. "Ren," she said, grabbing his arms and hauling him to his feet, "let's go for a walk."

Ren opened his mouth to protest, but after flashing a look at his Scroll, he sighed and relented. "I didn't realize the time," he admitted. "Let's go look for some food."

"Okay!" Nora said, immediately perking up. Looping her arm through his, she poked Jaune's cheek as the boy lay reading his comics on the top bunk. "We're going for a walk. Wanna come?"

Jaune tossed his book aside. "Why not?" Sliding clumsily off the bed, he stretched, wincing with every pop and crack of his joints as he straightened up. Finally, he waved to Oscar. "You coming?"

"No, I'll stay here," the younger boy replied absently, eyes fixated on the snowy scenery outside.

Nora shrugged. "Suit yourself!" And with that, the three of them set forth on an adventure.

The first stop was the dinner car. They managed to snag some cheap sandwiches, munching away as they walked through carriage after carriage. The layout of each one was fairly universal- aside from the dinner car which was set up like a restaurant, each carriage had a few rooms on one end with a more open lounge on the other. People were sitting together and chatting with ease, children playing in the corners of each car, with elderly folk napping peacefully in the corner stalls.

Nora grinned, chewing her turkey sandwich noisily. It all seemed so peaceful.

One face out of the crowd caught her attention. There was something familiar about the man's posture, that whitish-blond hair, the way he strolled wearily towards the dinner car. A glass of whiskey from the bar glistened in his hand, the other hand reaching up to push thin, wire-framed glasses further up his nose. She frowned, cocking her head to the side as she tried to piece together the sense of familiarity. "Ren," she asked, gesturing over to man as he made his way through the throngs of other passengers, "Is that…?"

Ren paused, looking over to the figure. His expression shifted curiously, clearly trying to place it as well. "Wait," he said, beginning to stride towards the man, "that can't-"

Suddenly, the cabin began to shake and rumble, the entire train groaning against heavy thuds on the roof. In other cabins, the faint, muffled sounds of monstrous roars and terrified screams began to resonate through the walls.

Nora scoffed down the rest of her sandwich and stood up straight, trading worried glances with Jaune and Ren. Something was happening, and it wasn't good. Can't we just have a peaceful ride for once in our dang lives?!

The rest of the crowd in their current cabin had immediately taken to staring out of the window, so there was no chance of spotting anything. "We need our weapons if something is going on," Ren said lowly. With that, they immediately began weaving their way through the increasingly-frightened passengers, passing through car after car. Everywhere they looked, people were pressed up against the windows or huddled together in fear.

The moment they managed to retrieve their weapons from their sleeper cabin, they bumped into Oscar, the boy pulling his head back in from the window. A pale sheen had taken over his expression as he chewed his lip nervously. "What's going on?" Jaune asked, ready to peer up out of the window himself.

Before the younger boy could explain the situation, however, the entire train began to rock precariously upon the tracks once again- this time, however, the sounds of terrified screams was accompanied by the distant rings of gunfire.

Nora rolled her eyes, walking purposefully towards the emergency exit in back of their current cabin. "C'mon, folks, let's get rolling," she called back to the three boys, pulling out Magnhild. The scared passengers moved instinctively out of the way for the foursome as they all drew their weapons behind Nora, heading towards the exit.

"Please stay away from the windows!" Jaune called out to everyone. "Stay together and stay hidden!"

Mutely, the worried passengers nodded and obeyed. Nora grinned and popped open the emergency exit on one side of the train, breathing in the rush of icy mountain air that flooded in. "Let's go!" With that, she stepped out and grabbed hold of the ladder rungs that led to the top of the carriage.

As she climbed, however, the train itself seemed to come to life. The grinding of gears and plates reverberated through the metal as sheets of protective armour extended around each carriage, covering every vulnerable side. The windows grew barred by gridlocked iron extending from hidden cubbies. It was clearly the train's built-in defense system coming into play. Shrieking cries that could only belong to the Grimm grew ever louder as the sound of gunfire quadrupled all of a sudden, leaving no space in the air to hear herself think.

Once she reached the top of the train car, she groaned, looking at Ren and Jaune's stupefied expressions. It was snowing heavily, every breath forming a cloud of vapour. It stung to even breathe, her body not ready for the pure chill after being inside the toasty cabins for so long. She had to squint to avoid getting blinded by the snow and ice, her fingertips already freezing just by touching the ladder.

Oscar ran further up the train to speak to Qrow while the three of them hung off the sides, just taking in the battle sprawling all around them. Countless Manticore Grimm, their winged, lion-like forms stark against the cloudy sky, filled the air. Automatic turrets were the cause of the increased gunfire, the machines striking down Grimm after Grimm. And, of course, Team RWBY and Qrow were already on top of the train, slicing through the monsters relentlessly.

"Why is it always something?!" Nora cried.

From the back of the train, Ruby looked over at them, her expression grim and determined. "Just keep it towards the back!"

Whipping out her weapon, she began firing grenade after grenade at the Grimm, destroying them one by one. Jaune joined her, guarding her blind spots using his shield as the creatures fired balls of fire from their gaping maws. She sighed, slumping over for a moment. I wanted another sandwich, too…

Still, there was no time to waste. Jaune wasn't ready to battle on a moving train like this, and Ren's weapons were built for speed, but likely wouldn't be very effective in this situation. "Ren!" she called, holding her hand out towards him as another Manticore began diving towards the trio.

Ren looked flabbergasted for a moment, pure fear in his eyes. It struck Nora as odd- what was Ren so nervous about? They had fought Grimm their whole lives, and yet, she had never seen this expression on his face. It was a different fear she had seen on his face than when fighting the Nuckelavee, too.

The panic faded in the blink of an eye. Nodding, Ren grabbed her hand and swung her around, using his momentum to throw her into the air while Jaune guarded their rear. Then, once airborne, she lithely flipped around, extended Magnhild into a hammer, and brought the hammerhead down in a crushing blow onto the Grimm's skull, shattering the horrifying white and red mask.

A faint echoing screech cut short any thought of further attack. Oscar screamed, "Tunnel!"

Nora froze, looking back up towards the front of the train. Extending high above them was a huge mountainside- in the distance, she could see the rapidly-approaching tunnel, the size just large enough to accommodate the Argus Limited. Looking back at the Grimm, her eyes widened in shock as she saw the Manticores all retreating, leaping off the train and extending their wings, trying to slow down enough to avoid crashing into the mountainside.

She needed to get inside. Now.

"Go!" Ruby commanded, spurring them all into action. Nora gulped, clutching Magnhild tight and rushing back to the emergency exit she had taken to get onto the train. Her heartbeat pulsed and pounded in her ears, every footstep rattling her bones in the icy air as she tucked her weapon away, looping her arm through Jaune's and swinging him around to the ladder. He smiled in thanks, the glint in his eye panicked and flustered as he began descending as fast as he could amidst the onslaught of ice and snow. Nora and Ren followed, scrambling to get inside.

They ended up in the same car as Team RWBY, the seven fighters taking a moment to catch their breath. However, an agonized scream of pain was ringing through the neighbouring cabin, so when Ruby rushed in, Nora and the rest followed suit without question.

Oscar was kneeling on the floor, frantic and terrified next to Dudley, one of the Huntsmen hired to guard the train. The man was seated on the floor, leaning against the door to the next cabin. His forehead shone with sweat, tanned skin pale and tight as he clutched his left arm. A garish purple bruise was spreading on his arm, the tiny sparks of Aura dancing across his skin clearly nowhere near able to heal what looked to be a broken arm.

She winced. She knew what it felt like to have depleted her Aura. He must've been in a lot of pain.

Qrow, however, did not share that sympathy. Pushing past Ruby, Qrow strode towards Dudley and picked the man up by his shirt, shoving him aggressively against the door. "I said," the man growled, "turn those damn things off!"

Dudley cried out in pain. "Those things are keeping us alive!"

"Us, sure, but they're putting the passengers in danger!"

"I'm the one they hired for this job, okay?! I'm in charge here!" Dudley spat, trying to retain any semblance of authority he may have held.

Qrow sneered, "Forgive me if I'm not exactly reassured."

The two men continued to bicker and fight, their voices rising in the heat of it all. Nora watched worriedly as Ruby looked out of the window to the tunnel's entrance behind them, then examined the cabin they had all landed in- it was full of passengers watching the debacle. The civilians were terrified.

We have to stop them, she thought absently, still a little stunned by the speed at which everything had changed from a peaceful train ride.

"His arm's broken, isn't it?" Jaune murmured behind her. Ren hummed in confirmation.

"What happened to the other guy?" Nora asked quietly, looking around for Dudley's partner Dee.

Weiss shook her head grimly, and Nora flinched. They hadn't been able to prevent all casualties after all.

It was Ruby who approached Qrow and Dudley, stopping her uncle's rage with a simple hand to the shoulder. To Dudley, she asked quietly, "Please just shut off the turrets."

Jaune joined her, holding out his hands. They glowed white with his Aura, his Semblance manifesting and drawing more power from Dudley's. "Trust us, we know what we're doing."

Dudley's yellow Aura began to glow in response to Jaune's amplification Semblance. The man watched his arm begin to heal mutely for a moment, casting anxious eyes across the cabin to look at them all. After a moment, he seemed to have found what he was looking for. "…Fine," he conceded at last.

With the Huntsmen no longer arguing, it was clear that the passengers were slightly less perturbed- but only slightly. With their fear still permeating the air, the Grimm would track them down the moment they were exposed on the mountainside again.

Well. I guess that's what Team JNPR is for. Nora smiled fondly at Jaune as he used his Aura calmly, working to set the other Huntsman's arm whilst Dudley shut off the turrets using his Scroll. He had learned well.

Turning to Ren, she placed her hand on his shoulder, keeping her voice as calm as possible. The fear she had seen in his gaze atop the train still lingered in her mind. "Ren," she said softly, "could you use your Semblance to mask everyone on this train? With the guns off and emotions hidden, they might lose track of us!"

The thought sparked an idea in Ren's mind. He had learned to spread his Semblance across entire rooms and buildings during their time helping the rebuilding efforts in Vale, after all. Just as quickly as that light appeared, however, it died again, his magenta eyes growing clouded, his brow furrowed in doubt. "Hm, I never attempted to affect this many people."

Nora let out a weary breath. The Argus Limited was a huge passenger train. Maybe it was asking too much.

Ruby jumped in. "Well, you've never had Jaune's help before."

"He could amplify your Aura!" Weiss added.

Qrow stroked his chin thoughtfully, having calmed down from his earlier outburst. "Yeah, that's an alright plan."

"Don't look so worried, Ren. You can totally do this!" Nora insisted, standing in front of him to look up into his face.

Ren's frown, as slight and doubtful as it was, softened tenderly into a small smile.

Out of nowhere, Ozpin's voice broke the quiet moment. "I'm afraid there's one complication... The Grimm are also attracted to this." He gestured towards the Relic, still glowing as it hung from his belt.

"What's that?" Dudley asked.

Qrow spat, "None of your business," over his shoulder before approaching Ozpin, crossing his arms. "Oz, are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't you tell us that?!" Yang cried, absolutely appalled.

The guilt on Oscar's young face broke Nora's heart, competing against her immediate indignation at the realization rising up within her like bile.

If… if the Grimm are attracted to the Relic, then we're responsible for this, aren't we? We put all these people in danger.

Ozpin started, "I-"

But Ruby cut in, firmly stating, "It doesn't matter right now. Every second we're on board this train, we're putting everyone else in danger." Her eyes trailed over to Nora and Ren, steeling with resolve. "Get the passengers to the front cars; you'll still mask the emotions and kill the turrets..."

Nora's heart sank. Please, no-

"…we just can't come with you." Ruby's smile faltered. "If we cut the back cars with us and the Relic on them, we can deal with the Grimm. You just make sure the rest of the train makes it safely to Argus."

Finishing up with Dudley's arm, Jaune stumbled over to Ruby, his eyes growing watery. "…Only if you'll promise you'll meet us there."

"Promise."

Nora ran forward, throwing her arms quickly around Ruby's neck. "Stay safe," she whispered.

Ruby immediately hugged her back. "You too, Nora. Look after them?"

Nora beamed, pinching her friend on the cheek. Look after her boys? "Always." Then, she quickly gave the other girls and Oscar a hug, then ran towards the cabin behind them.

They had an evacuation to begin.

They didn't have long; it was only a matter of time before the tunnel opened up once again and exposed the train. They needed to be ready to detach the train and mask the passengers the moment they entered clear air once more. So, starting with the cabins furthest back, she, Ren and Jaune began ushering people to the front of the train. Valuables were abandoned, and cargo left behind- more than one small child wept as they lost a toy or blanket in their own sleeper cabins. They had no choice, but Nora's heart broke with every single tear she watched the civilians shed.

It's to keep them all safe, she kept repeating to herself. We'll keep them safe.

If Ren and Jaune were amplifying Ren's Semblance to protect the passengers, then it would be her job to protect her boys.

After what felt like an eternity of riding through the mountain tunnel, the passengers were all secure in the frontward carriages. The trio climbed to the top of the train as the Argus Limited exited the tunnel at last. Nora opened up her Scroll, awaiting the signal while Jaune and Ren stood at the center of the front carriages, watching her intently.

Nora's heart plummeted into her boots as she watched Blake drop into the space between the rearward carriages. A resounding twang filled the air as the Faunus girl cut the connections between the train cars, and then, it seemed the girls of Team RWBY, along with Oscar and Qrow, were falling further and further behind. At the mouth of the tunnel, a stream of Manticores rushed forward, and from the speakers of Nora's Scroll, Ruby's voice cried, "Now!"

She steeled herself and turned to Ren and Jaune, nodding. On her cue, Ren knelt down and placed his hands on the train while Jaune grabbed hold of Ren's shoulder. Their Auras glowed and mingled together in the snowstorm, and then, Nora felt all of her anguish and worry for her teammates fade away, cooling into a dull ache as Ren's Semblance spread across the entirety of the train.

She slowly walked towards them, keeping one eye on the signal strength displayed on her Scroll. Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss' signals were still strong- the rear end of the train was still in reach.

"They'll be okay," Jaune said quietly, his words barely audible amidst the wind whipping past their faces.

Their signals were halfway depleted.

"We'll see them again," Ren agreed.

Their signals were almost gone.

"In Argus."

The two young men nodded solemnly, Ren's Semblance cooling the shared grief they would've otherwise displayed. It ached beyond measure to say goodbye- but their friends weren't alone. And Team JNPR had a job to do.

We have a lot of reunions to plan for.

Their signals were gone.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

"I'll stay on our radar," Dudley muttered quietly, avoiding eye contact with the other three.

"If anything happens," Ren said, humourless in his exhausted pallor, "you need to let us know."

Nora immediately bristled at the sight of Dudley's lower lip curling into a sneer, her fists clenching by her side. They had spent the last six hours on and off the roof of the train, driving north through the ice and snow, and yet he had the gall to reject their help?!

Thankfully, the sneer quickly faded in resignation as Dudley's shoulders slumped over, the man massaging his temple and turning away from them. "Fine," the man said at last, clearly ending the conversation.

Jaune jabbed his thumb towards the door. "Let's go." His eyes roved over Ren's pale, haggard face. "We should get some rest."

Thankfully, their sleeper car had been further forward on the train, leaving all their personal belongings intact. Nora was quick to run to the dinner car to fetch some warm food for Ren. The long spell outdoors in sleeveless clothes would be easily enough to knock him out with a fever with his Aura so low, so she needed to get him warmed up as soon as possible.

As she carried a tray of soup and sandwiches for her teammates back to the cabin, her heart continued to glow with pride nevertheless. They had managed to pull it off. For six hours, they had cloaked the train periodically, with Nora managing to single-handedly fight off the few Griffin Grimm that had been able to find the Argus Limited despite their best efforts. Her boys had done an amazing job, and although Ren was exhausted and Jaune worse for wear after using so much of his Semblance, she knew that they were proud, too.

The passengers knew that they had been the ones to protect the train rather than Dudley. Perhaps that had been the reason for the older Huntsman's anger. Their panic had taken a long time to subside, necessitating Ren's Semblance for far longer than Nora would've liked. Thankfully the panic had died down after she explained to the passengers their plan on the speaker system; the passengers had banded together and worked to calm down, easing some of Ren's workload.

The food, piping hot complementary as thanks for their protection, would be nowhere near as satisfying as the beams and words of appreciation she received on her way, countless people standing up to open the doors from one cabin to another so that she could focus on carrying her food. Everyone was alive thanks to them and they didn't want her to forget it.

Just as quickly, however, was her crash back into reality. Not everyone. Dudley's partner had been lost. And Ruby and Yang and little-boy-Oz and Qrow and-

No, silly, she thought wearily, too tired to properly scold herself, they'll be fine. We'll see them in Argus. She couldn't let herself dwell on everyone's safety. They'd be alright. They had each other, and Nora would see everyone again.

Still, casualties had been kept to just one. That in itself was better than to be expected after facing off an entire pack of Manticore Grimm. Her mind flitted over to Kalian and the crew. I can't wait to tell you everything. She could see their pride now- seeing her protecting an entire train with Ren! Caelus wouldn't even be able to handle it. Hell, even Howl would be impressed.

As she wandered through the narrows halls of the train, her eyes roved over the faces of the passengers, the warm mahogany embellishments on the furniture, the drab, blurry paintings lining the cabin walls. The last time she had been on a train like this had been a few years back. Their destinations hadn't been big towns, the train nothing more than a tram carrying passengers between decently-sized settlements on the south side of Anima. Still, she remembered the journey with fondness.

It hadn't just been Caelus and Kalian and Howl. There had been others back then, too. But they were gone now.

I guess it's not so bad. At least Ren and I were more prepared for the Fall. At least we could be there for Jaune.

As she finally entered the carriage with the team's sleeper car, she paused, cocking her head. There was a man standing in front of their room, his profile in clear view. Her heart jumped up into her throat as pale fingers brushed back equally-pale blond hair atop his head, trimmed short and neat against the sides and back of his head. Thin, wire-framed glasses seemed lightly tinted in the dark train carriage, his skin standing out even more against a dark suede pea coat. Nora glanced down at her outfit, the splash of whites and pinks and pale blues so vibrant compared to the man's drab green slacks and leather boots.

The only colour she could see on him appeared when he held up his left hand, fingers curled, ready to rap on the door; a distinct splash of orange on the end of his sleeve, practically glowing in the warm, dim lighting of the cabin.

This was the figure she had seen before the attack from the Manticores. She cleared her throat. "You're… Carob, aren't you?"

Carob Wood lifted his eyes after a moment to look at her, movements sluggish and dazed. Instantly, Nora sighed, recognizing the outline of a flask in his coat pocket- the same outline she had grown so used to seeing on Qrow. He hasn't changed. Still, the narrowed eyes which peered at her through tinted lenses, framed by thick blond lashes and enough distrust to unsettle even her, seemed to relax slightly upon seeing her face. "Little Nora Valkyrie," he murmured slowly, tucking his right hand into his pocket and waving in greeting. "It really was you who saved the train. I heard it was a group of young Huntsmen, but to think it was you-"

She strode forward, smiling in camaraderie at the middle-aged man. "I mean, you certainly weren't doing anything," she said. Despite the frankness of her words, she couldn't help but relax in relief. The tattoo on Carob's hand, the mark on his sleeve- it really was him.

Okay. We're okay. We're on the right track. Argus was going to bring them answers after all.

The door swung open suddenly, Jaune sticking his head out of the frame to see Nora holding the tray. The tall boy sent a confused look towards Carob, sidestepping the elder to help Nora. "Hey, I got this," Jaune said, quickly relieving her of the tray while she scooped up the towering stack of sandwiches she had been balancing precariously upon it. Pointing at Carob with his chin, Jaune asked, "A friend of yours?"

She nodded brightly. "Yup! C'mon. We're eating dinner." She nudged Jaune with her elbow to return to the room. "You too, mister." Her voice was mockingly-commanding, ordering him into the room.

A smile quirked his lips, but he wordlessly complied, following into the sleeper cabin after Nora and Jaune.

Ren was seated on his bunk, resting his head against the side of the bed frame. When they walked in, however, he quickly slipped down to kneel on the carpet, clearing aside Jaune's small pile of comics and Nora's backpack so that they could set the trays on the floor, as there were no tables in the cabin. The shadows under his eyes were evident, a pang of regret striking Nora's heart when she saw just how clumsy his movements were. "Ren, after dinner, you're sleeping, okay? No buts."

Ren smiled. "I won't argue with that," he replied. However, as Carob stepped in behind them, Ren's eyes widened, back straightening involuntarily while Jaune carefully placed the tray of soups on the floor. "You-"

"Of course Little Ren would be here, too," Carob laughed, the tint in his glasses unable to hide the amusement in his eyes. "You two always were inseparable."

Jaune glanced uneasily between Nora and Ren, hand inching towards Crocea Mors, the sheathed sword resting on Jaune's bunk. "Um, guys, who is this?"

Carob nodded at Jaune in greeting, leaning against the wall with crossed arms as Nora took a seat beside Ren. "I'm Carob Wood. I'm an old ally," he said to their leader. "Don't worry- I'm here to chat. Haven't seen these kids in a while."

Glancing worriedly between Nora and Ren, the younger nodded. "Jaune Arc. I'm their teammate."

Nora rolled her eyes, twisting her body to look at Jaune. She waved the boy over before busying herself with setting up dinner for Ren. He looked barely capable of balancing upright on his knees, he was so tired. "We said we were looking for our mentors, right? Carob is one of their old teammates."

"We travelled together often when we were younger," Ren added, obediently taking the covered soup from Nora and removing the container's lid.

At that admission, Jaune's face immediately melted in a genial smile. "Well, in that case, welcome!" He picked up one of the many sandwiches Nora had carried over from the dinner car, offering it to the man. "You're welcome to join us for dinner. I can't guarantee you'll get a lot after Nora's done with it, but…"

The elder waved his hand dismissively despite the small smile in his eyes. "I'm good. But, us traveling together was a while back," he said, heaving out a heavy, clearly-intoxicated sigh. Nora wrinkled her nose at the scent of whisky trailing him into the room. "You all did well, protecting this train."

"And why weren't you helping?" Nora cried between mouthfuls of her sandwich. "You and I totally could've kicked butt! With your lightning and my-"

"He has lightning too?" Jaune threw his hands up in the air in disbelief. "Does everyone have a lightning-related Semblance?"

"You would know that they're more common than most elemental Semblances if you paid attention in Professor Goodwitch's Aura classes," Ren hummed, pouring out cups of tea for everyone from the thermos Nora had brought.

Jaune pouted like a young child, but Carob chuckled humourlessly at their banter, his smile falling away in the blink of an eye. "I wish I could've, but I'm not a Huntsman anymore."

Ren frowned, spoon paused halfway to his mouth. "What do you mean?"

Carob shrugged, and Nora winced, mouth twitching into a frown despite herself as he reached a hand into his coat and pulled out a flask- the metal shining in the light of the cabin, cool metallic silver reflecting into her eyes.

"…Snow and Star's deaths weren't your fault." She kept her words crisp, leaning back against the bed behind her.

"Neither was Cara's," Ren added.

None of the deaths suffered by Sotz and his gang had been Carob's fault.

It had been ours.

She wouldn't say it, though.

But, as the man unscrewed the cap of his flask and tilted it back, throat bobbing as he took in a few weary gulps, Nora knew his thoughts on the matter.

There was something unnerving about watching Carob finally stop, letting out another world-weary sigh, bony, callused fingers twisting the cap back onto the container. The movements were robotic, too smooth for the bleary eyes watching them all. The actions were practiced, automatic.

Nora was getting pretty sick of seeing alcohol plying every adult she knew. She missed the straightforward, unyielding rigidity of Professor Goodwitch. She missed the espresso-drunken Professor Oobleck. She even missed the prideful clumsiness of Professor Port, and the kind, yet iron-like words of Professor Peach. None of them had walked around Beacon with glasses in their hands, flasks in their pockets.

"If you're not fighting, then what are you doing?" she asked, unwrapping another sandwich and taking a hearty bite.

Carob replaced the flask in his hand with a small notebook. "I'm writing again," he said. "It's not exactly lucrative right now, but it'll do." Nora briefly glanced at Ren- the boy seemed to have heard the weight to those words, too. But with Jaune sitting there, still clueless as ever as to what they had gone through, it didn't really feel right to bring it all up. They could find another opportunity. They had many days on the train left, after all.

As they spoke, however, Jaune's Scroll began to ring incessantly. Immediately, Nora leapt to her feet, rushing for Magnhild while Jaune picked up the call, crying, "Dudley, what's happening?"

"More Grimm spotted on the radar!" Dudley's voice cried, anxious and tinny through the speaker.

"How many?" Jaune asked instantly, climbing to his feet.

Nora already had hooked Magnhild to her waist in its holster, walking towards the door despite straining, still-frozen muscles. "Jaune, orders?"

The blond screwed up his face tight, only opening his eyes to look worriedly at Ren. The other boy was far too tired to get on top of the train once more, let alone use his Semblance. "Ren, go to Dudley and get on the speaker system," he said at last. "You work on calming the passengers down. Maybe it'll make them think you're using your Semblance again- like, a placebo effect? Then Nora and I can climb back onto the train."

Ren nodded sagely, but the moment he climbed to his feet, he lost his balance. Surprisingly, despite his intoxication, Carob's arm darted out and helped the boy keep his balance. "I'll take you to the conductor's room, then," the man said.

With the plan settled and Crocea Mors in Jaune's hand, Nora nodded at Ren and Carob and burst out of the room. The nearest emergency exit was at the end of the next car, so she rushed through the connecting doors and swung open the latch, pulling it up just as Dudley's command to armour the train seemed to go through, the metal plates returning to the sides of the cabin.

Thankfully, the monsters which had decided to approach the train were once again nothing but Griffins. They were much stronger in the air, but due to the onslaught of ice and snow from the perpetual snowstorm blowing through the mountain passes lining their way to Argus, their wings could not sustain their flight for long. So, the two creatures landed near Jaune and Nora, growls and snarls echoing through the frigid air.

Nora grinned. "Ready, Jaune?"

Jaune looked green. "I think I ate my sandwich too fast."

She snorted. "Let's go!"

The first one took little effort to take down. She managed to jump off of Jaune's shield and smash the creature's head down onto the top of the carriage, keeping her strength in check to not knock the train off balance. Then, with it pinned down, Jaune ran forward and sliced clean through its neck. No fuss, no mess, the rancid ashes streaming off into the wake of the train rumbling forward.

The second one was smarter. It jumped and dodged their attacks, lashing out with its curved claws of rigid bone. There was no contest, however, and soon Nora had managed to sweep the creature off its feet, sending it teetering off the edge of the train.

Nora shifted Magnhild into a grenade launcher, firing off a Dust-laden explosive with relish. "And stay out!" she called mockingly.

To her surprise, the creature's body began to disintegrate before her attack even landed as its mask suddenly shattered, crumpling under the assault of bullets. She frowned, turning around only to find another figure standing on top of the train.

Her smile couldn't be restrained as recognition kicked in. She should've known Carob wouldn't be travelling alone. "Oliver?" she said as she walked over to Jaune, bracing him with a hand on his shoulder as the blond promptly kneeled over the edge of the train and threw up the contents of his stomach.

Bright, keen eyes looked over to her, his warm, umber-brown skin glowing in the pale afternoon winter light. Full lips curved into a friendly, eager smile. "I came to help!" the fifteen-year-old boy cried, holding up a gun that still looked far too big for his body, even after all these years. "Carob told me that you could use the help."

Nora rolled her eyes, patting Jaune's back until he could totter back up to his feet. "Let's go inside, Jaune," she said, shivering as the ice continued to strike her bare shoulders.

Still looking pale and weary, Jaune complied, and she helped him follow Oliver down the nearest ladder and into the first cabin they could reach. Then, they all rushed to JNPR's cabin where they could set aside their weapons and dry themselves off. Ren had already returned after calming down passengers throughout the train, stating that no other Grimm were detected.

The soup was still fairly warm somehow, and Nora, wrapped in a blanket, immediately began scarfing it all down as Carob took his place once more leaning against the wall. Oliver slipped down beside Jaune, a genial smile on his face. "I'm Oliver," he explained. "I'm going to Argus with Carob."

Jaune looked a little overwhelmed by the new faces coming in one after the other. "And… you guys also know Nora and Ren?"

"Where's your father?" Ren asked when Oliver affirmed Jaune's question. Nora nodded- while it was good to see Oliver, the boy having been even smaller than Oscar the last time they had seen him, she had been used to dealing with his father, an old friend of Howl's.

Oliver's smile twitched. "Dad died."

She gasped, looking at Ren. The boy looked similarly shocked. How had they managed to take him out? Who had done it?

One look at Carob's resigned sigh told her the answer.

"Oliver wants to travel with Howl and the rest now that Gregory's gone," Carob shrugged, fingers tapping mindlessly against the outside of the pocket containing his flask.

Nora's smile nearly split her face in two. "Ren," she cried, tugging onto his sleeve, "that means the intel was right!" Seeing Jaune's confusion, she explained, "Our guardians, Jaune! We were right! They're going to be in Argus!"

They're okay. They're safe. Salem hasn't found them yet, unlike all those other Huntsmen who she picked off because of Professor Lionheart.

Despite his fatigue, even Ren had to beam at the thought. "We're lucky they're safe."

"But why didn't they pick up their Scrolls?" She frowned, pulling hers out. The signal was still weak, too weak to contact anyone away from the train. "A check-in would've been nice. But wait, why are you all meeting up?"

"You received intel, and so did we." Despite his aloof, still hazy manner, Carob's grin was feral- a hunter seeking its prey. "We have unfinished business with Sotz's gang."

Nora's hackles raised almost instinctively at his name, but she bit it down, instead focusing on drinking up her soup. When her bowl was drained, she said brightly, "Well, you don't need to worry anymore! He's dead."

And then, strangely, Oliver and Carob traded looks of disbelief before Carob began to cackle. His gruff, thick voice rang hollow, filling the cabin with a strange air of unease. When the sound finally died down, his expression fell somber, calculating. "What are you talking about?"

Swallowing down a meager bite, Ren explained, "We found a Huntsmen's board with his photograph. He was pronounced dead-"

"He's not," Oliver muttered, a flash of anger in his eyes. "He found a way to kill my dad."

"This guy you're looking for," Jaune asked, absolutely baffled by what was going on, "is he going to be in Argus?"

"Apparently he's made a new setup in the outskirts of Argus."

And everything in Nora's body went numb.

Carob continued quietly, eyes glazing over as he explained the situation. "He must've been trying to throw people off the scent, but Howl left us a trail. Sotz is in Argus, then they're moving on. They've been stirring up some pretty terrible business, and it would be in everyone's best interest if we finally managed to shut it down."

"…Varin's dead," Ren said. "We found his corpse in Mistral. Murdered in a back alley."

Oliver paused, then turned to look up at Carob. Oliver hadn't ever interacted with Varin, so it was fair that he didn't know. Carob simply sighed, massaging his temples. "Good riddance," the man said. "One less headache to deal with."

"He wasn't the worst of them," Nora found herself saying. She felt detached, however- detached from the whole world, body hollow. "He didn't hurt us…" For fun, she added silently, dreamily.

Carob brushed off her quiet words. "He still helped kill Snow, and the others. You should hate him more." There was understanding in his eyes, though. He knew what Sotz and the rest had done to Nora and Ren.

Then, Carob straightened up, beckoning to Oliver to join him. "We'll bring you to the crew once we're in Argus," he said. "For now, it's late. We have a few days left in the journey. You kids need to get some rest." Cracking his neck to either side, he glanced out the window. Mutely, Nora's eyes followed his gaze. It was dark outside; night had fallen without any of them noticing it in their little sleeper cabin. "If other Grimm attack, it won't be that hired Huntsman taking care of it, I'm guessing."

"It won't be you, either," Nora scoffed, but there was no heart in it.

Carob smiled- bitter, weary. "You're right."

And with that, he gestured to Oliver, who obediently stepped out after a rueful wave to the trio seated on the floor. Then, the man closed the door behind him, leaving a completely mystified Jaune, an exhausted Ren, and Nora, who knew that there would be no rest now that she knew what monsters they were truly heading towards.

He's alive.

She almost wanted that demonic form of Salem back as her opponent. At least then, the monster they were approaching wouldn't know what she looked like when she was broken.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The next few days seemed to pass in a murky haze. Ren recovered his Aura fairly quickly, thanks to Jaune helping him with his own Semblance. The two boys were back on their feet by the next morning, ready to defend the train should they need to.

Nora, however, hadn't quite recovered from the emotional blow Carob and Oliver's visit had landed upon her. How could she have calmed down? While it was wonderful to know that they were on the right track and would soon enough by reunited with their former guardians, there was no joy to be gleaned from the prospect.

She couldn't be happy knowing that with every moment she spent on that train, she was growing closer to Sotz.

Jaune didn't ask many questions about the situation. He was wrapped up in his own thoughts, his fingers constantly tapping onto Team RWBY's contacts on his Scroll to try and reach the girls. No matter how many times he tried, however, he received no relief. More often than not, Nora caught him playing with Pyrrha's ring, the red metal from Miló shining in the light from the windows as he stared forlornly at the screen.

Jaune was still learning to handle grief. He lacked all of their years of loss, so Nora wanted to give him time.

It didn't mean she was an expert in it, though. Ren understood her pain. The second night aboard the Argus Limited, she woke up in the middle of the night, blankets sweat-streaked, bangs clinging to her forehead. Ren was seated at her bedside, stroking her hair and watching out of the window into the darkness. When she stirred, croaking his name as the images plaguing her nightmares fled her mind in the light of reality, Ren's gaze fell upon her and he smiled. "We'll be okay, Nora," he whispered reassuringly. "We're stronger now. Even if he's in Argus, we'll be able to fight him this time."

He knew exactly what was haunting her. She sat up, looking at the boy in awe. "…You've changed, Ren," she whispered back.

He frowned, perplexed. "Is… that bad?"

Nora chuckled, grabbing onto his hand and lacing their fingers together, leaning back against the wall of her bunk. Even without his Semblance, his touch was comforting like nothing else could ever be. "No. I'm proud of you."

And he beamed, ears growing pink and eyes creasing into tiny crescent moons in a rare, unguarded smile, his other hand reaching out to brush her hair out of her eyes. "And I, you," he replied.

A few months ago, Nora wouldn't have wanted Ren to see her scared like this. He had spent years seeing her fearful, long after they had burned down Sotz's camp and run away, long after her abuse at the hands of so many others had come to an end. The last few years, however, she had grown stronger- happier.

She just never wanted to be a burden while Ren had his own nightmares- the Nuckelavee, Kuroyuri, all of it- to deal with.

But Ren was contented, freer now. If only she could say the same.

At least Carob never brought up Sotz again. There would be time for discussions later, once they reunited with everyone. While Jaune preferred to stay in their sleeper car for most of the trip, Nora and Ren often met up with Carob and Oliver for dinner, learning more about the boy's training and Carob's writing. "I'm making memoirs of the team," he explained when Nora finally inquired further. "Snow and Star never got to tell their stories to anyone else." The man sighed, elbows on knees and head in hands, another glass of whisky dripping onto the coaster in front of him. "I still don't know how I survived, and Cara didn't."

The conversations with Oliver and Carob were often tinged with sadness. Every fiber of Carob's being seemed to scream regret and heartache, and yet, the man continued to refuse to pick up his old gun. He hadn't even let Oliver join the fray when the Manticores attacked, too worried for the young boy until he had verified that Nora and Ren were present. No one wanted to suffer any more grief, which was a sentiment Nora could wholeheartedly understand.

"I'm sorry about your father," Nora said quietly one day as Ren and Carob went to the dinner car to grab seconds for the group. "I didn't know him well, but he was Howl's friend, which means he was pretty great."

Oliver's lip wobbled, a sight which grounded yet again how young he truly was. "I miss him," Oliver whispered. "Howl told me that Dad wanted me to stay a kid as long as I can, but how can I do that when the guys who hurt him are still out there?!"

Nora nodded, smiling wanly. "We were at the Fall," she said quietly. "I know how hard it is to just sit there and watch."

His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat as his face clouded with fear. "No- you and Ren and that Jaune guy- you were all-"

"It was hard. Really, really hard. But we're here now, and we've found something to keep fighting for." She snorted ruefully, waving off the air of tension and heartache shrouding them both. "But how the heck can we keep fighting when Ren and Carob aren't back yet?! I heard they were serving cake for dessert today, and I want some!"

The way the younger boy's face split into a relieved smile eased the hurt Nora was trying to hide.

Still, their journey couldn't last forever. Their time on the train lasted four days in total, only stopping once at a trading post to restock on supplies for a scant few hours. They were lucky to have avoided all future Grimm encounters, the lack of skirmishes giving the trio time to properly rest and rebuild their Auras.

By nightfall of the fourth and final day, the conductor of the train announced upon the speaker system, "We are now arriving in Argus."

"Guys," Nora asked, glancing between Ren and Jaune worriedly, "what's our plan?"

Ren hummed, brow furrowed in thought. "I suppose we were just originally planning on following whatever Qrow and Ozpin deemed best. They have been able to provide us accommodations and guidance thus far."

Jaune smiled sheepishly, slinging his backpack over his shoulders and tightening the straps. "I think I might be able to help with accommodations."

Before they could press further, the voice on the speaker said, "Please remove all your belongings and head to the nearest exit. Workers will be along to aid you in the unloading of larger cargo." The voice continued to politely recite the instructions, guiding Nora and her teammates out of the door with backpacks and weapons in hand.

What hit her face first was the distinct chill of northern Anima, the icy air mingling with the scent of the sea breeze. Situated on the coastline, Argus' climate was nowhere near as frigid as the treacherous mountain passes through which the Argus Limited travelled, making it far more pleasant than her time exposed to the elements on top of the train cars in the ice and snow. She breathed in deep, relishing in the cool scent of salty waters and snow-capped roofs, all mixed distinctly with a delicious, yeasty scent curling onto the platform from around the corner. More cinnamon-sugar twists! I love train stations.

As they walked onto the platform, what awaited them outside of the train was not what they had expected, however. Rather than the friendly faces of station staff helping with the Argus Limited, a line of armed, armoured Atlesian soldiers blocked the way forward. A small checkpoint had been set up near the exit of the platform, a screening booth that shouldn't have been there to the left, with a small detainment area on the right. Nora frowned, eyes roving over the setup in confusion. "Is this what is supposed to be here, or…?"

Ren shook his head, eyes steeling. "No. I doubt they would normally do this to a passenger line."

Their questions were quickly answered when a voice rang across the giant platform through a loudspeaker. Gruff and orderly, the voice barked, "All Huntsmen aboard the train, please report to the screening station. All Huntsmen aboard the train, please report to the screening station."

Jaune's shoulders slumped. "Guys, it's because of the train," he said, exasperated. "We should've guessed."

"But we only did what we did to protect-" Nora began, but a figure stepping in front of her cut her off.

Carob raised a hand, silencing the trio. "I still have my Huntsman license," he said smoothly, pushing his tinted glasses up his nose. A smirk curled onto his lips, every pore oozing confidence. "You told me why you cut the train. It was the right decision. I'll take responsibility."

Ren started, "But you-"

"I am perfectly capable of explaining the situation to them," Carob insisted. "Besides, you kids aren't Huntsmen officially, are you?"

Guiltily, they all looked away. "Not like it was our choice," Nora pouted.

"Then it's up to me. God knows the hired help can't do a damn thing useful during this trip." They all glanced over to the screening booth, where Dudley had already appeared, apparently receiving a harsh, painfully-public dressing down on the platform.

With that, Carob stepped forward, Oliver trailing behind and beckoning the three of them to follow. "We still all have weapons," he explained. "Might as well go before the screening booth finds them and gets mad."

His point was valid, so the trio obediently followed Carob and Oliver to the soldiers standing expectantly at the booth. Nora's heartbeat began to quicken as they approached the soldiers. Although they were still on Anima, the soldiers all bore Atlesian uniforms. How long had it been since she had looked at those soldiers? How long had it been since their weapons, mechanized suits, automated troops and airships had become the stuff of nightmares?

She hadn't properly seen Atlesian soldiers since the Vytal Festival- since the Fall of Beacon. And the last time she had seen them, most of them had been hijacked by Cinder's forces, turning them into her enemies.

Still, they had no choice but to obey. She had known that they'd see Atlesian forces here. It just hadn't hit her until they had entered her sight. No point in causing a fuss now, I guess.

The moment they arrived, Carob immediately slid out his Huntsman license and began to explain the situation, maintaining a calm demeanor.

"So you're saying," the soldier grunted in half-disbelief, "that there was absolutely no way to avoid cutting off half of the train?"

Carob tucked his hands into his pockets, smiling icily. "Yup. The Grimm invaded the rear cars, so we evacuated passengers to the front half of the train and cut off the rear carriages." At least the man had the sense to wear even a mask of remorse upon his face as he added, "It's too bad, really. I'm sure lots of cargo was lost. Still, we prioritize life as Huntsmen- and as soldiers as well, correct?"

The soldier's frown deepened. "We'll have to send people to retrieve the loosed carriages. We cannot possibly leave it on the tracks- the train cannot make a return trip along the same path and we need the way to be cleared for freight."

"Well, I leave it in your capable hands," Carob replied, nodding cordially.

Glancing at the four younger fighters behind Carob, the soldier growled, "And they are…?"

"Students," he replied calmly. "Students, and my godson." He gestured for them to show their own licenses, so Nora, Ren and Jaune pulled out their Scrolls, flashing their Student Huntsmen permits to the man.

The man waved them over to the screening booth, getting them each to scan their identification and licenses so that they popped up on the nearby terminal. After a long scrutinizing look over their credentials, the soldier at the checkpoint finally sighed and waved them off. "Thank you for protecting the passengers," he muttered with rote politeness. "Leave the retrieval of the train to us."

"Will do," Carob said, waving the group over to the exit of the platform.

Once they had crossed the threshold of the station, Jaune let out a long breath. He looked vaguely dizzy, disoriented after being under such intense watch by armed guards for so long. Nora silently reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing in reassurance. "You okay, Jaune?"

He smiled wearily at her, but the appreciation in his nod was clear.

Carob turned around, stretching his arms high above his head. His joints popped with an audible crack, and Nora and Oliver chuckled at his groan of relief. "Well," Carob said, turning around to face Nora and Ren, "what is your plan now? Where are you kids headed?"

Nora paused. Throughout their conversations, little information had been shared between both parties as to why Nora, Ren and Jaune were even heading to Argus. She looked over at Ren. Should we tell him? she asked silently.

Luckily, the growling of her stomach interrupted any conversation they may have had as the scent of freshly-baked pastry wafted into Nora's nose yet again. She chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Can we talk over food?"

Carob rolled his eyes. "Alright- I'll treat you all."

The rest of the group cheered and followed their noses to a nearby stall in the grand station, so similar to Mistral's in all except colour scheme. Where Mistral Central Station had been painted warm, earthy tones, with brick walls and golden undertones to the olive paint of the walls, Argus Station was much more refined and cool in its colour palette, using icy greys and blues to balance out tan brickwork.

Nora took this all in as she sank her teeth into her food with gusto. Ren watched her with warm amusement, then turned to Carob, allowing his own food to cool first. "We're trying to get to Atlas," Ren explained to the duo. "We have a mission. We were separated from our allies when we cut the train, so our goal is to secure a route before we regroup with them here."

Carob hummed, stroking his goatee in thought. "I mean, it won't be easy getting off Anima. Even harder to get into Atlas right now," he muttered.

"The embargos," Jaune said sadly, ripping apart his own pastry half-heartedly. "But we've got to try and find a way to get to Atlas before Ruby gets here. We won't have a lot of time once they do."

Oliver frowned, piping up for the first time since seeing the officer. "You're all doing something important, huh?"

Nora nodded with gusto, wiping some sugar off her lips. "We're on a mission, too," she explained. "Finding out that everyone was also going to Argus was a coincidence."

"And that mission is…?"

"We can't really say." Jaune's smile was apologetic, the boy still clearly awkward with the two new faces in their group.

"Well," Oliver said kindly, "you can always come with us! If you don't have anywhere to stay, that is. It'll be great to have everyone together-"

"Actually," Jaune interrupted, holding up his Scroll, "I think I can get us somewhere to stay for free. It's one of my sisters," he clarified to Nora and Ren. "Saphron lives in town and has been begging me to visit her for years now. I don't think she'd mind if we crashed at her place."

Carob seemed lost in thought, his eyes glazed over, drifting far away. Finally, he grunted as he straightened up again and pulled out his Scroll. "I'm sending you some places you can check out for transport." His fingers flew across the thin screen of the device, and soon, Ren's Scroll was dinging like crazy. "Even if this is a mission that would gain sympathy from Atlas forces, I'm not sure how much luck you'll have with the military, but you can give it a shot- their airship base in off the pier, north side of town. Until you find a way there, however," he finished, tucking away his Scroll, "let me know if you have free time. You've got some grumpy old Huntsmen to see."

Nora nearly jumped in excitement. A part of her wanted to scream and demand that they go to see their guardians right then and there. What else had they been waiting for all this time?

Turning back to look at Jaune, however, changed her mind. He had been so lost, drifting aimlessly ever since they had lost contact with Team RWBY and the others. Maybe some stability, some familiarity, was what he truly needed. Planting her hands on her hips, she announced, "You better! We'll let you know what we find!"

With that, Carob and Oliver waved goodbye, strutting off into the crowd.

Jaune's expression melted into one of embarrassed, but heartfelt, gratitude. "Thanks, guys," he murmured. "I… I think I really need to see Saph right now."

She smiled, leaning against Ren's arm as she took another bite of her pastry. "Go on, give her a call!"

"Just remember," Ren warned, "you can't say anything about the Maidens."

"Right." With a determined look, he held his Scroll up to his ear. After a few moments, his eyes lit up. "It's ringing!" A moment later, he said, "Saph? Hey!"

Immediately, the blond held the device away from his ear, wincing when a tinny, piercing shriek echoed through it. "Yeah, I'm in Argus- it's a long, long story. I was wondering if we could-" The boy turned and walked ahead, eyes following directional signs through the station to guide them out and to his older sister's home. Halfway up the staircase out of the station, he turned and flashed a thumbs-up, mouthing, "I got us a place to stay!"

Nora grinned, looping her arm through Ren's and following along. "He needed this too, huh?"

"He hasn't been away from his family, ever. It'll probably do him good to be grounded again," Ren replied, an adoring smile on his face as he looked at their leader, skipping up the steps of the station with excitement.

The sights and sounds of the city were overwhelming for Nora after four days trapped on the dimly-lit Argus Limited. There were so many people, so much noise- she decided it was easier to just focus on Jaune's back ahead of them and Ren's arm in hers as they wandered through the streets of Argus. There would be plenty of time to explore later, if the list Carob had given to Ren was anything to go by.

After wandering through the maze-like streets, eventually a soft, surprised voice caught their attention. "Jaune- Jaune, is that you?"

Nora lifted her chin, looking at the source. The speaker was a short woman standing on the opposite street corner, wearing a sleeveless vest that could not have been warm in the wintry air. She tucked dirty blonde hair behind her ear, blue eyes that were far too much like Jaune's brightening as she recognized the tall boy across the street. A wide, easygoing smile grew positively radiant as she threw up an arm, waving excitedly at the trio. "Jaune! Oh my goodness, get over here!"

"Saph!" Jaune cried, suddenly dropping all of his barriers to run unabashedly towards the petite woman, crossing the street at a dead sprint without sparing a glance to traffic.

"Jaune!" Nora laughed, tugging Ren's arm to follow along. She had never seen Jaune react like that before, the boy tearing towards the older woman without a second glance. It took barely ten seconds for the boy to end up with the woman, wrapping her in the tightest embrace.

As Nora and Ren finally crossed over to the other side of the street, Nora was taken aback by the tears rolling down Jaune's cheeks, the shuddering of his shoulders. "Saph, you're okay," he cried softly, clutching onto the woman brokenly.

Saphron seemed to be in a similar state, tears of relief and joy streaming down her cheeks, the smile on her face too bright to bear. "Jaune, you're here," she laughed, the sound strangled through a clogged throat. "I can't believe it." Pulling away from him, she held his shoulders and looked up at his face, pride and happiness oozing from every pore. "Oh, you're so much taller! And stronger, too- look at you." She reached up, wiping her cheeks clumsily and ruffling his hair, despite the automatic pout it drew from him. "My baby brother is all grown up."

Nora leaned her head on Ren's shoulder, taking in the sweet moment before them. Yeah, we definitely made the right choice to go here rather than to meet up with everyone right away. She hadn't seen that kind of spark in Jaune's smile in ages.

Stepping forward, she waved brightly at Saphron. "Hello! I'm-"

"Nora, right?" Saphron sniffled, looping her arm through Jaune's as Nora had with Ren. "And you're Ren. Jaune's told me, and the whole family, all about you, see- all about your adventures at Beacon." Her smile wobbled for a moment, threatening to crumble before she reigned her emotions back in. "I'm Saphron Cotta-Arc, this loser's older sister." When Jaune pouted, she poked his cheek playfully. "I haven't really been able to contact anyone for months, especially with the CCTS down internationally, so I didn't hear what happened to you all. It's so good to see you all safe."

"It's wonderful to meet you, too," Ren said politely. Even he couldn't help but smile seeing Jaune and Saphron's adorable reunion.

Saphron beckoned down the road. "C'mon- you're all coming to my place. You're on a mission, right?"

Jaune nodded sheepishly. "I wish I could tell you more, sis. But are you really alright with our friends joining us at your place once they get here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you planning on throwing a rager?"

"Um… no."

"Kidnapping Adrian?"

"No."

"Stealing my wife?"

"Wasn't the plan, no."

Saphron shrugged. "Alright, you're all welcome!"

Nora piped up, "Who's Adrian?"

Over her shoulder, Saphron grinned cheekily back at them. "The man of the house," she said with a wink.

Ren frowned, quietly asking Nora, "Didn't she say she had a wife?"

Nora shrugged. "Maybe… Jaune's family is… into… unusual relationships?"

Ren sighed, but they followed the two siblings who immediately launched into chatter regardless.

The Cotta-Arc home was a decently-sized, two-story affair. There were three extra bedrooms, giving them more than enough room for when the rest of the group rejoined them. Nora oohed and aahed appropriately as they climbed up brick steps and entered the cozy dwelling, warm yellow light washing over pale walls and giving the entire place a homey look.

"You can make yourselves comfortable wherever you like," Saphron said, heading straight to the kitchen to wash her hands. "I had just finished making dinner when you called, Jaune. Perfect timing!"

"You cook?" was Jaune's only response.

"Crockpot meals count."

"No way they don't-"

Immediately, Saphron and Jaune entered a light squabbling match, leaving Nora and Ren to explore and giggle. There was so much to see- she knew that this house belonged to just Saphron, so it wouldn't have all of Jaune's childhood belongings, but man would it be fun to snoop!

It didn't take long to find something- however, what she did see was unexpected. "Ren," she called, holding out a hand blindly behind her, unable to tear her eyes away from the mantelpiece. "Ren, please."

With just those words, Ren's touch appeared in hers, the boy leaving the bookshelf to meet her. "Nora, what is-" And his words fell away, dying on his lips just as hers had.

There were nearly a dozen photos on the mantelpiece. Most of them clearly belonged to the Arc family- that was the only reason so many nearly-identical blond children would be in the same photo- although a few of them focused on a russet-skinned woman and her supposed family. Other photographs depicted Saphron with the woman, presumably her wife, holding a baby; in another photograph, the baby was highlighted, smiling innocently at the camera in polka-dotted pyjamas.

And then, at the end of it all, was a photograph of Team JNPR.

Nora recognized the picture. She had gotten Yang and Weiss to take it at the end of the Beacon Dance. Nora had been wearing her one fancy dress that Kalian had bought with her, much to his embarrassment, and Ren was awkwardly posed at her side, unsure of where to look. Jaune was on the other end of the photograph, wearing a white dress. Nora snorted on instinct. Even now, the absurdity of the dance still baffled her. Jaune had worn that white dress after losing a bet with Pyrrha, and thus had stolen the show, ill-fitting bodice and all.

But none of that mattered- not when Pyrrha was in frame.

Nora would never understand why Jaune hadn't fallen for Pyrrha on sight. Hell, if Nora hadn't had Ren in her life, maybe she would've fallen for the redhead. How could one not? Her long red hair, normally so perfectly coiffed, clung to her forehead slightly after a long night of dancing. Bright green eyes stood out from her pale skin, normally so porcelain; but after the excitement of that evening, her cheeks had been flushed and filled with so much life. A long, fitted red dress with a tall slit in the thigh revealed creamy white skin, her curves on display with all the grace in the world. Beside Pyrrha, Nora looked like a little girl playing dress-up.

More captivating than anything else, however, was Pyrrha's smile. For the first time in weeks, at the Beacon Dance, Pyrrha's smile had looked real.

And here she was, on display in the Cotta-Arc living room.

"Jaune sent me that photo to prove he had worn the dress," Saphron said, stepping out of the kitchen with a tray of cocoa in hand. "I had packed it as a joke in his bags. Who would've thought he'd actually wear it?"

"He looked surprisingly good in it," Ren commented.

"Oh please," Nora scoffed, "lilac is so not his colour!"

From the kitchen, Jaune yelped, "Hey! Lilac looks great on me."

"Nope," Nora replied, picking up the frame and stroking her thumb over their faces lovingly. "Pyrrha was right. Periwinkle blue's better."

"Oh come on," was the only reply.

Ren chuckled at the silly exchange. "You can't argue with Pyrrha for that."

"You should just be happy to have been able to wear it at all," Saphron insisted as she set down each cup onto their coffee table in the living room. "Everyone on your team is so good-looking, so of course you needed my dress to help you out!"

"Oh, c'mon Saph," Jaune groaned, following his sister with another tray laden in plates of spaghetti. "I sent the pic as a joke, but that didn't mean you should frame it!"

Saphron blew a raspberry at him. "Oh, c'mon. Why wouldn't I frame a picture of my cute widdle baby bwother-" she cooed, giggling at his immediate glower, "-doing so well at Beacon Academy?"

Nora smiled, joining the duo and taking a seat, helping Saphron pass out the plates. "Thanks for letting us stay here," she said earnestly. "It's really kind of you."

Saphron rolled her eyes. "As if Huntsmen aren't taking care of us civilians each and every day? Please, we're always happy to help." She ruffled Jaune's hair just as he took a bite of his spaghetti. "Especially if you're Jaune's friends. You're always welcome in my home."

"Thank you," Ren said, bowing his head in appreciation.

Saphron waved off his words and gestured towards the food. "Don't let Jaune outpace you- go on, dig it!"

With that, it was time for dinner. Nora found her eyes drifting back to that framed photograph on the mantelpiece, her eyes landing upon Pyrrha time and time again. And, halfway through dinner, Nora caught Saphron's eyes flitting between them all, her expression clear as day as she silently counted. One, two, three Huntsmen students. Not four. There was no doubt the woman already knew who Pyrrha was and what had happened.

It didn't change the fact that Saphron's eyes filled with so much anguish as she finally settled on looking at her little brother. Nora recognized that look, mirrored in the way Nora used to look at Ren, in the way she looked at Jaune and Ruby- in how she used to look at Pyrrha. Saphron just wanted Jaune's pain to go away. She also knew that there was no way to ever help him.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Once upon a time, the Branwen Tribe’s reach covered vast swathes of Anima. Their tribe’s power had extended far and wide. Their name was one to fear.

This was not the legacy Nora knew them by. No, by the time Nora had learned what the Branwen Tribe was, they had already lost the majority of their power. Their old ways, their infamy and fearmongering, had crumbled into divisions as the central powers fought amongst themselves for control.

But with every revolution came vultures, splinter groups using the Branwen name to justify their own crimes popping up left and right. Nora knew that Sotz had once upon a time been a part of the Branwen clan, truly- his bitterness and rage had been proof of that. The ugly burn mark left by former Branwen leaders covering his right eye, eyebrow long since singed off, scar raised in purple welts stark against pale skin, did nothing but augment his bloodlust.

Sotz had been a unique one amongst most of the tribe members. He had gone to Haven Academy. He had been a Huntsman before giving it up in all ways but name.

Nora knew this was a dream. She had always been short, yes, but she had definitely grown since she was ten- since she was a child looking up at Sotz’s leering expression, glaring at him despite how her knees quaked together. With that awareness, it was naught but a detached fear that she felt, settling over her like a cloak, but not truly penetrating her heart.

It still made her want to vomit.

She held it in, however, as she felt a familiar hand in hers. Ren. The boy stood beside her, fingers laced in hers, squeezing with as much strength as he could muster- which, admittedly, was not much after their wearying day.

Sotz’s face split into a wide, predatory smirk. A voice from behind her growled, “The girl’s a fighter. Let’s just use her.”

She glanced over her shoulder, wincing under the glare of the clean-cut, muscular man. Sculpted arms folded across a built chest as Varin narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing every flaw in her tattered clothes, her scrawny form. “She managed to take down that Beowolf. The boy wasn’t bad either. Rather than just having liabilities to feed, you might as well put them to use.”

“This isn’t the Atlesian military,” Sotz said, rolling his eyes. “Calm down with your strategies, Colonel-“

“Shut your mouth, welp.”

It was an old routine. Nora had seen it time and time again. She always wondered when Varin would say enough; the former Atlesian soldier clearly hated himself enough as it was for losing his standing in Atlas. Sotz’s jeers only poured salt into the wounds.

Yet, he stayed. Perhaps it was because a thieving Huntsman still had it easier than a traitorous one. Perhaps.

“They’re plenty useful as bait,” Nick said from his seat on the floor, refilling his cup with rum for the fourth time that meeting. He downed half the glass, the ruddy glow painting his cheeks visible even in the dim tent. “Let the Grimm enjoy watching them squeal.”

She felt callused, rough hands seize her cheek, jerking her face upwards. She flinched, trying to pull away, but the hold was too strong. “You know,” Sotz murmured, his breath hot and foul in her ear, long tongue flicking out between parched lips, “she’s coming along nicely. She could always pay her keep in other ways.”

Nora knew he didn’t mean her combat skills.

She was going to be sick.

Nick’s guffaws shook the poles holding up their ramshackle main tent. “Don’t go too far,” he roared in amusement. “Those eyes will curse you!”

In a heartbeat, the point of a dagger’s blade was mere centimeters from Nora’s eye. She froze, breath caught in her throat, watching the tip of the weapon shine in the low light cast from their weak gas lanterns. One move, and the blade would be in her skull.

Her heart pounded in her ears, the edges of her vision going grey and fading into static as she tried to ignore the weapon so close to puncturing her cornea. The shaking of her knees was almost painful, her toes and fingers going numb as dizziness began to set in.

“If she tries it,” he hissed, “then her eyes can go.” His lips curled into a sadistic grin, leaning closer and closer until his face was all she could see along with the dagger. “She doesn’t need to see for the boy to fear for her. Maybe it’ll even be better that way.”

“The girlie won’t even see the Grimm? I love it!”

Varin spat on the ground, pushing past Sotz through the flap of the tent. “Make sure you don’t go too far,” he said as he left, bitterness oozing from every word.

Sotz dropped Nora’s face and her knees gave way, the girl collapsing to the dirt floor. Ren was beside her in an instant, holding her tight as she trembled. “Nora,” Ren whispered, “it’s okay.” He didn’t let go of her, somehow mustering up enough of his Aura to cast his Semblance on her to calm her down before the bandits beat them for attracting Grimm with her fear when they weren’t supposed to.

But it wasn’t okay. None of their followers would protect Nora should Sotz act on those words.

Nora’s eyes opened and she sat up in her wide bed, taking a moment to collect herself and process the memory. Her forehead was streaked in sweat, heart beating against her ribcage with such intensity that she felt physically pained. Every move she made sent stars swimming through her head, and trying to swing her legs off the side of the bed made it even worse.

It had been a long, long time since she had awoken with such vivid dreams- such vivid memories. But Carob’s eyes had been true when he had said those words. Sotz was still alive. She was in his grasp, after eight years of trying to piece herself back together again in his wake.

No- not ‘trying’. I made it. Ren and I made it.

Finally, she glanced at her Scroll. It was quite early- not enough for Jaune to be up, but probably enough for Ren to be meditating and trying to wake himself up for the day.

Her guess was correct. She stumbled into the room he shared with Jaune, barefoot in her pyjamas, pushing open the door just wide enough to stick her head in. “Ren?” she whispered, trying to keep a smile on her face.

Ren was already dressed, seated cross-legged on the floor by the window at the other end of the room. At the sound of her voice, however, he silently stood, striding across the room in just a few paces and slipping out of the door. Without a word, he guided her back to her bedroom and sat her down on the bed, closing the door behind her with one hand and extending the other to her, his palm already shining magenta with his Aura.

With a grateful smile, Nora grabbed onto his hand, sighing in relief as his Aura danced along her skin, encasing her in the safety of his Semblance. He didn’t say a word, simply taking a seat beside her and holding onto her hands with his own, concern painted clear as day on his face.

When her heartbeat finally settled, she took in a deep breath, leaning against his shoulder. “I… um…”

“What Carob said is still on your mind.”

“He’s in the city, Ren,” she breathed. “He’s here.”

Ren lay his cheek atop her hair, his warmth soothing her more than his Semblance ever could. “And if we find him, we’ll do the same thing we did last time. This time, he won’t be escaping,” he said. There was no hesitation in his voice- only firm, unyielding anger.

Nora couldn’t restrain her smile, giggling despite herself. After Sotz’s eye on Nora had turned predatory, Nora and Ren had wasted no time whatsoever. It hadn’t been safe for Nora to stay there anymore.

So, the two of them had stolen back Ren’s father’s dagger, grabbed as much money as they could, and set the entire camp on fire. All it had taken was Nick’s stash of higher-proofed alcohol, a few matches Ren had managed to nick from their sundries, a few rags, and Nick’s complacency when drinking around Nora and Ren.

The whole thing had gone alight right under his nose while Varin and Sotz had been off collecting more Huntsmen missions. Nora and Ren had never looked back, Nora using her growing strength and speed to catch game and protect them both from Grimm, and Ren using his Semblance and wits to hide their tracks from the gang and Grimm alike. Weeks had been spent like that, the two ten-year-olds hiding away in caves and nooks and hidey-holes as they made their way through Anima’s forests.

“I doubt we need to run as much,” Nora chuckled. “I mean, we’ve gotta get to Atlas at some point, too.” Ren hummed, the sound reverberating through his chest and into Nora. She took another deep breath, finding calm at last. “I should probably get dressed, huh?”

“Jaune will be waking up soon.” Ren squeezed her hands, finally retracting his Semblance and standing to give her privacy.

Before he left, however, Nora murmured, “Should we try calling Howl and everyone?”

Ren paused, then surprisingly enough, he shook his head. “Let’s go through Carob for now,” he said. “We don’t want to do anything that might give them away if they’re in the middle of an operation.”

She groaned, but they both knew she didn’t mind. There was a lot weighing on both of their minds, but for now, they had a mission; find a way to Mantle. They could check in with Carob after exhausting their current resources.

After all, if their guardians were indeed hunting Sotz down, they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

A quick shower later, Nora skipped downstairs to the smell of fried eggs and bacon. She smiled, walking over excitedly to the kitchen. However, it wasn’t Saphron in the kitchen; instead, a woman just a bit taller than Nora stood by the stovetop, gazing intently over small, red-rimmed spectacles at the sizzling contents of her pan. “Saph, bring Adrian downstairs-“ she began, stopping short when she turned to see Nora instead of Saphron.

“Hi!” Nora waved sheepishly. “I’m Nora.”

The woman, who was clearly Saphron’s wife from all of the photos from the mantelpiece, relaxed after a moment, a welcoming smile illuminating her tawny face. “Hey! Saphron told me about you all.” Beckoning Nora over, she pulled out a stack of plates. “I’m Terra, Saphron’s wife. I hope you’re feeling a bit better- Saphron told me that you all were exhausted after your trip.”

Before Nora could respond, Saphron stepped into the kitchen. Nora felt a smile come unbidden onto her face as she saw the sleepy young toddler with Terra’s colouring yawning in Saphron’s arms. “Who is this?!” she squeaked, clasping her hands together, enraptured. The child was adorable, the sleepy flush on his cheeks rosy against his tanned face.

Saphron chuckled. “Meet our little boy, Adrian.”

Nora giggled as the boy raised a chubby fist up to rub doleful brown eyes. “Ooh, the man of the house. Hiya, Adrian,” she cooed.

Terra laughed. “Help me get breakfast into the living room?”

“For sure!”

The small dining table tucked into the corner of the kitchen was nowhere near enough to seat them all, especially as Jaune and Ren made their way down the stairs. After introductions and reunions were had, the atmosphere stayed light in the foyer, the group enjoying the simple breakfast Terra had prepared for them.

Saphron was wiping Adrian’s mouth when Terra asked at last, “So, what are you going to do for now? Saph said you’re waiting for your colleagues.”

Jaune smiled, tentatively glancing at Nora and Ren. “Yeah. We kind of need to get to Atlas.”

Terra choked on her coffee, dark eyes blazing. “What are you talking about?! You can’t go to Atlas right now- the borders are completely closed!”

“Honey,” Saphron said, brows furrowed in concern. “It’s for a mission. Huntsmen should be okay at least, right?”

Ren offered, “Well, we were thinking of starting with the military base. What we’re dealing with has to do with General Ironwood, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”

Terra still looked doubtful, clearing her throat and slowly picking up everyone’s plates. “I don’t think starting with the base is your best bet. Civilian craft or transport craft might be a better option… or maybe… oh, I don’t know. I guess you can start with the base, but I’m still not so sure you’ll be able to get to Mantle anyways, even if you do get an audience there,” she said wearily. “Everyone’s been a little too jumpy lately, what with the embargo, and the CCTS down and local comm lines glitching out-“

“Terra works in communications,” Saphron explained as she lifted Adrian off her lap and set the little boy onto Jaune’s. Jaune accepted the baby with weary resignation, but he smiled despite himself when Adrian beamed up at him. Nora chuckled, standing up to help Terra clean up the table.

“Yeah,” Terra said, “and then there was the whole Argus Limited incident-“

“Incident?” That perked Saphron up, the woman looking suspiciously at the three young Huntsmen-in-training. “What incident?”

Terra didn’t see Saphron’s doubtful expression as she headed into the kitchen. “Half the train was missing! Some of our repair supplies were lost on that train. They’ve sent crews to retrieve the cargo, but apparently it derailed along the line, so they’re going to have to do air retrievals in the middle of snowy Grimm country.”

Nora’s mouth dried up, voice refusing to leave her throat. The train’s second half derailed? They were stranded in Grimm country? What?!

“Everyone’s gonna be okay,” Jaune whispered. Nora looked up at him, watching him bounce Adrian on his lap with a tight smile on his face. His eyes bore nothing but frantic hope.

He didn’t have much else to cling onto, either.

She swallowed thickly and carried the rest of the plates into the kitchen after Terra. When she returned to the couch, Ren had stood, securing StormFlower in its holsters. “We should get started on our search,” he murmured. “Should we start with the military or a civilian ship?”

Jaune sighed, handing Adrian back to Saphron. He stood and stretched, making his way to the staircase. “I’ll grab my weapon,” he called.

“Grab Magnhild for me!” He gave her a thumbs-up and continued up the stairs. In his wake, Nora turned to Ren. “Maybe we should start with civilian? Qrow probably would know someone at the base. We’re not exactly convincing, especially not without the lamp.”

Ren nodded slowly. “That’s probably true.”

Terra stepped out of the kitchen, leaning against the empty doorframe and crossing her arms. “Do you know where you’re all going?” she asked, her worry evident in her tone. “If you wait till I’m back from work tonight, I can-“

“Thank you! But we’ve got a couple of leads,” Nora replied. “I’m sure we’ll figure out something!”

“Either way,” Ren mused aloud, opening up his contact menu on his Scroll, “we’ve got time. We have to wait till everyone gets here.”

Nora watched him tap on each of their friends’ contacts. There was no signal for any of them. They were still somewhere outside of Argus, out of reach from the communication towers Terra apparently manned.

Saphron looked anxiously between Nora and Ren, and Terra. “Were… were you three on the train that derailed?” she asked quietly. “I didn’t ask how your journey was yesterday- I was so caught up in seeing Jaune again and meeting you, I didn’t want to ask- but was it really your train?”

Nora smiled sheepishly. “Um… maybe?”

“It was unavoidable to protect the passengers,” Ren said. Always the pragmatic one, he explained, “Our team was separated as a way to protect the civilians. That’s why we’re trying to find an airship before they get here- it’ll be one less thing for them to worry about.”

By that point, Jaune had made his way down the stairs. Crocea Mors was strapped to his hip, and he tossed Magnhild’s compact form to Nora. She caught it with ease and clipped the hammer into its holster on her waist in one fluid motion. “Are we ready to go?” Jaune asked.

Nora melted, seeing how desperately Jaune was trying to cover his fear with a smile. “They’ll be okay, Jaune,” she said quietly. “Let’s believe in them.”

The blond’s expression softened, his smile more genuine. “Yeah. You’re right. Let’s go.”

After waving goodbye to a worried Saphron and Terra, the trio left the house, ready to take on the long list of contacts sent by Carob. Time to see what Argus is all about.

In the daylight, Argus was actually quite a beautiful city. Completely unlike Mistral, the city completely lacked the traditional flair of Mistral’s sloped, triangular shingled roofs and paper-and-wood construction, despite the similar incline of the entire settlement. Instead, the cobblestone and brick roads of Argus were neatly lined and manicured, topped with light dustings of snow which seemed to garnish every surface so smoothly it almost seemed decorative. Tiny evergreen shrubs where planted every few feet, injecting a bit of colour in an otherwise oblique cityscape. The entire city was surrounded on three sides by dense coniferous forests, the icy cold of northern Anima dulled by the sea breeze wafting in from the coastline and military base at the bottom of the hill. Brick and mortar fought off the chill, and unlike the claustrophobic atmosphere of the vertical city, Argus was much wider, much more spread out, given greater room to breathe.

The only thing that made her uncomfortable was the ever-present Atlesian forces, their base visible from almost every longitudinal street in the city going down to the harbour. It was an ugly thing, the concrete structure jutting crookedly into the sky, breaking an otherwise-scenic skyline of the ocean meeting the horizon, stretching vastly into the distance. With their presence so notable in the city, it was impossible to forget that if anything should happen, Atlas forces would be on them in seconds.

Everything about the city screamed carefully-controlled peace. It didn’t feel natural- and yet, she could understand why Saphron had settled down here. For civilians, the city must’ve been a perfect haven in a scenic location, protected by the strongest military force in the world.

After the Fall, Nora knew that this wasn’t the place for her.

Nora liked the scent of the icy sea. It was invigorating. What she didn’t like, however, was being turned down at every single location Carob had sent them.

“Oh, come on,” she groaned, plopping herself down on the curb bitterly as yet another shop owner turned down their request to rent an airship. It was impossible with the embargo, they all said. There was no way, by neither air nor sea, to make it to Mantle.

“At this rate,” Ren said, crossing off another name on the list, “we might have to go to the military before Qrow gets here.”

Jaune frowned, taking a seat wearily beside Nora. “But will they even believe us without actual Huntsmen’s licenses?” he asked, pulling out his Scroll bitterly. His student license appeared on his screen, eliciting a pout from him.

“Ren, how many options do we have left?” Nora asked, twisting around to look at the quiet boy.

Ren shook his head, a sense of defeat playing on his features that disheartened even Nora. “Honestly? Nothing except for the base.”

Nora pulled out her own Scroll, opening up Carob’s contact information. “Maybe Carob has others?”

Jaune’s stomach rumbled. “Do you think we could ask him while we get some food?” the blond chuckled awkwardly. “We’ve spent all morning on this.”

She jumped lithely to her feet. “Ooh, can we go see everyone today?”

Jaune stood as well, stretching his arms high above his head. “For sure. You all let me see Saph yesterday- let’s go visit your friends.”

The prospect lit a fire even in Ren’s eyes, and so, Nora sent Carob a message. Can we come see everyone?

It took barely a minute for the man to respond. The first message was an address, one which Ren plugged into his Scroll with ease. The second message was short, sweet, and more than enough to make her giddy disbelief bubble up again in her gut.

I haven’t told them you’re here yet. They’ll be happy.

Nora squealed in delight. “Let’s go, you two! We can’t waste any more time!”

Jaune chuckled and nodded, following after Ren obediently as the boy began to stride ahead, following the map through twists and turns of the quaint streets of Argus.

After wandering up the hill to the edge of their district and two tram rides later, it was well-past a reasonable lunch hour by the time they found themselves in front of the address Carob had sent. Jaune gulped by their side, uncertainty darkening his face. “Guys, are you sure this is it?”

Nora understood his concern. Normally, there would be no reason to be lurking outside of a small, fairly dilapidated building that was going to be demolished within the upcoming months- it was clear that the old grey apartment building hadn’t had consistent tenancy for years, judging by the sheer disrepair of the stairwells and some of the shattered windows on upper floors.

However, she also knew that this sort of building was perfect. If Sotz was around, then they would’ve wanted to set up some sort of headquarters to discuss how to bring him down outside of Atlas’ watchful eye.

So, with a tentative hand, she rapped upon the door with her knuckles and waited.

It took a few moments for them to hear anything. No, that was wrong- for Ren to hear something. He sensed it first, hands immediately dropping to StormFlower’s grips in their holsters and crouching low. Nora wordlessly flipped open Magnhild, holding the grenade launcher ready. Looking at them both in panic, Jaune drew Crocea Mors, holding the shield open, sword in hand.

Then, the door swung open, revealing no one inside.

Jaune’s breath hitched behind Nora and she spun around, ready to blast a grenade at whoever was there. To her surprise, it wasn’t a stranger standing there. Instead, pressed against Jaune’s throat from behind was a blade jutting out from a boot, the attacker maintaining perfect balance on one leg while his other was paused mid-kick. Underneath a heavy, glowing hood, green-grey eyes glinted impassively at Jaune, a thin mouth drawn into an unfeeling line.

“Hey, kids. You made it.” Nora glanced up. Carob was leaning out of a window on the third floor, watching them all in amusement. Over his shoulder, a grin split Oliver’s face as he stuck his head out the window as well, waving excitedly at the trio.

“I do not comprehend,” their assailant murmured.

Nora stepped out from behind Jaune. “Hi, Howl. We’re back.”

The calculating gaze which had been staring at Jaune as a threat immediately softened, and before she could say anything else, the dagger was gone from Jaune’s throat as Howl returned to a normal standing position. He stepped forward, looking between Ren and Nora, processing everything that was happening at light-speed. A green glow washed over his face- his Semblance at work.

Nora laughed, grabbing Ren’s hand and pulling the other boy forward. Ren complied. So, while the Huntsman was lost in thought, calculating every possibility that could’ve brought the two children back to the Ember base, Nora and Ren simply reached out and wrapped their arms around him- Ren around his shoulders, Nora pressing her face into Howl’s chest.

“What the-“ a gruff, brash voice called out in shock.

Nora felt her eyes fill with relieved tears as she lifted her face to the side, sticking her tongue out at the redheaded man who had turned the corner to see Nora, Ren and Jaune. “Hiya Kal.”

From behind the redhead came a tumble of shiny black braids, Caelus’ sepia-toned skin practically glowing as he took in her and Ren standing with Howl. “Lil’ Valkyrie?!” he squeaked in disbelief.

Before she knew it, Kalian and Caelus had pulled her away from Howl, checking her face for injuries, with Caelus eventually picking her up and spinning her around delightedly while Kalian went on to check Ren. Out of the corner of her eye, Nora laughed as she saw Jaune lean back against the wall, arms crossed and a tender smile on his face.

Nora melted in their worried affections, grabbing hold of Ren’s hand proudly when she finally stepped back from them. “We heard you needed some help kicking butt,” she announced. “Huntsmen-in-training, at your service.”

Jaune’s stomach growled again, and even Ren snorted at his ensuing embarrassment.

Howl nodded, his Semblance finally fading, his calculations complete at last. His face split into a small, adoring smile. “Welcome back.”

“Welcome home buddies,” Caelus beamed. At his side, Kalian had to fight to hide the proud smile on his own face, trying and failing to keep his normal taciturn grimace in place. And, with Jaune behind her and Ren’s hand in hers and her guardians in front of her, Nora finally felt like it was alright. She was home.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

“Damn, when Carob said he had a surprise for us, he wasn’t kidding!” Caelus’ smile couldn’t have been wider as he crashed onto a ratty couch, patting the seat next to him fervently. “C’mon, c’mon!”

Nora and Ren chuckled and complied, taking a seat beside the joyful man. He bumped his shoulder against Nora’s, pale eyes creasing happily as he quietly added, “I can’t believe you two are here. I missed ya, y’know?”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “We did too.” She took a moment to wave at Oliver when he and Carob entered the room as well, finding seats on the other empty couch. “We tried to find you all around Anima, but-“

“You know you can’t track us,” Kalian said, crossing his arms as he perched himself onto a wide windowsill. “We’re always on the move.”

Jaune gulped, nervously taking a seat on a small chair next to Ren and glancing around the room. “Guys,” he whispered, “why does it look like we’ve entered a warzone?”

Nora paused, ready to blow off his words when she finally took a moment to glance around. Jaune wasn’t wrong. They had climbed two flights of rickety stairs to enter the empty, abysmal floor of the shattered apartment complex, the walls crumbling and the scent of mildew in the air. However, alongside that scent was the unmistakeable tang of gunpowder and Dust. She shivered, feeling her Semblance crackling as her eyes roamed the empty room they had all wandered into; away from all of them, laid out neatly on a long table pushed up against one wall, were rows and rows of close- and long-range weapons, boxes and boxes of ammunition piled in the corner.

Yeah, okay. This probably seems really weird for him. It didn’t for Nora, though. The original Ember base had been doubly stocked.

“It certainly was unexpected to find you here,” Howl murmured, tapping the bridge of his nose in thought. “When Carob arrived yesterday, we had thought all he had was intel.”

Kalian scoffed, “Well, how the hell were we supposed to know you were here? You should’ve been back in Vale!” As he spoke, he dug through one of the boxes, pulling out some fruit and tossing it to Nora, Jaune and Ren. They all caught the offered food- some with more grace than others, with Jaune almost falling onto his face while trying to catch the apple and orange lobbed at him- and began to quietly eat, polishing off the food in a matter of minutes in the wake of Jaune’s growling stomach.

Ren smiled patiently at the fired-up redhead. “We couldn’t exactly stay. Not after the Fall.”

Kalian’s expression softened, brow furrowing in concern. He glanced away, unsure of what to say. In his silence, Caelus reached up and patted Nora’s hair kindly. “…you all were caught up in that, huh buddy?”

Nora nodded, but she kept a smile on her face. “We can talk about that later! For now- what intel?”

“Has Carob informed you?” After a moment’s hesitation, Nora and Ren nodded. Howl glanced over to Jaune. “Is he one of us?”

“Of course,” Ren replied instantly. “He’s our teammate- our comrade.”

Howl hummed in acknowledgement, taking a moment to study Jaune’s face. At last, he seemed appeased, leaning back against the wall. “Alright. This information doesn’t leave this room.”

“Protect the Embers,” Kalian called.

“Protect the Embers,” the rest of them murmured in unison, and Nora’s heart wanted to sing. It had been over a year since she had last heard that phrase, and it had never felt more natural on her tongue than right then, now that she was stronger- now that she was truly able to help protect them.

We can help them now. The very thought was glorious. She and Ren were no longer liabilities. They hadn’t been for years, but now, they had so much experience and training that she knew they could truly be assets in combat.

“It’s Sotz,” Howl began. Nora winced on hearing the name, but Ren’s hand was over hers in a heartbeat, squeezing gently. She cast him a quick smile as the man continued, “We’ve been following his trail for a long, long time. Our search led us here.” And with that, Howl strode over across the room to the boxes of ammunitions. In a small bag lying on top of one such box, he retrieved a rolled up paper. The paper was quickly unfurled on the ground in the middle of the room where all parties could see the diagram within clearly.

It was a map of Argus, different districts already marked up and annotated with words Nora would never be able to decipher. Howl had a way of making everything far more complicated than it needed to be, so it probably didn’t matter whether she understood it or not. Howl kicked his leg lightly, and just like that, a dagger was extended from the toe of his boot. “He is not in these districts,” he explained, quickly pointing to the northernmost areas of Argus with the blade, maintaining perfect balance on just one leg. “We have already had our people combing everywhere they might be operating out of. However, with the current embargo with Atlas, he is likely landlocked, meaning that his crew is probably operating out of the southern-southeastern side of the city.”

“What is his purpose here?”

Kalian cracked his neck from side to side, the sound resonating in the room. Jaune winced by Nora and Ren’s side as the massive figure stood, all burly muscle and flaming anger. “With all the Huntsmen being killed off on Anima, there’s been no one to keep villages and smaller communities safe,” he said lowly, stalking to the center of the room. “In the middle of that, we’ve found that there’s been a weird amount of kids missing.”

Ren repeated softly, “Kids… missing?”

Caelus nodded, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. The cheery expression on his face faded, his thick lips pulled into a harsh scowl. “The disappearances keep bein’ blamed on the Grimm, but we know it ain’t so. But, after a lot of sniffing around, we figured out it was his network.”

“Okay, wait guys- are you saying that kids across Anima have been kidnapped by this guy?” Jaune sat up, catching Nora and Ren’s attention. “Guys, didn’t we meet people who had lost children when we were trying to get to Mistral?”

Nora pouted. “Jaune, there were so many people over those months, I-“

“The blacksmith!”

Nora blinked for a moment, letting that sink in. The blacksmith who had made Jaune’s armour had lost his niece and nephew soon before they had arrived at Midoyuri. “Wait,” Nora murmured, “didn’t he say it was because of the Geist? We took it down!”

Kalian perked up at that. “You scrawny kids managed to take down a Geist?”

She grinned, immediately getting ready to launch into a long list of their conquests. “And we took down a giant Nevermore pack, and a Manticore pack on the way here, and a bunch of Griffins, and-“

“Nora, later,” Ren muttered, deep in thought.

“Sorry Ren.” She stopped her list sheepishly, but still blew a raspberry playfully at Kalian. The man’s expression quickly shifted from pure surprise to feral pride, sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight streaming in through the window.

Ren finally said, “There’s no way to confirm if it really was the Grimm, or if they found the bodies. We never asked if they managed to find the children or not- we only knew the Geist tore through the woods at that time.”

“Exactly,” Howl affirmed. “It is impossible to tell for sure without more details on the incident, but his group has been finding areas crowded with Grimm- probably sourcing it from Huntsmen request boards- and using the Grimm as a guise to kidnap children. However, with the lack of a strong CCTS signal across the main continent, it has become exceedingly simple to slip under the radar with them.”

Nora sighed, confused. “But why? There’s no point in-“

Carob cut in, leaning forward and pulling out his flask. “Why did he take you two in?” he asked, slowly uncapping the container.

“My Semblance,” Ren said, placing his hand on her knee.

“Exactly. Semblances give power. He probably regrets never getting to unlock yours, Nora- he couldn’t use you fully.”

She shuddered, her dream from the night before haunting her still. Sotz probably regretted a lot of things when it came to her. “So who’s involved? Varin is dead, so it’s him and Nick leading it?” The words tasting bitter on her tongue.

Carob held out a hand towards Nora, the gesture almost meaning to say, See? I told you, to Kalian, who stalked across the room to Nora, Jaune and Ren. Squaring up right in front of the trio, Kalian crossed his arms, peering at them down a nose broken so many times it was almost straight again. “You’re sure it was Varin?” he asked, voice low and heated in warning.

Jaune gulped, mouthing at the other two, “What in the world is going on?!”

Ren simply nodded. Kalian’s aggression meant nothing to him and Nora, after all. “We found him. It’s confirmed. We don’t know who did it, but either way, he’s gone.”

Carob cursed softly under his breath, tilting the flask back completely. The vessel was empty, however, and the man stood before anyone could stop him. “I’m getting myself another drink,” he muttered, stalking out of the room.

Nora watched him go sadly. “He’s gotten worse, huh.”

“He always wanted to kill them after what happened to Cara,” Caelus said, warm empathy etched onto his features. “Carob’s not a bad guy, ya? He’s just been having a bad time lettin’ go.”

With that thought hanging in the air, the room grew tense, dark. A cloud passed over the sun, blocking out the only source of light illuminating the room, momentarily casting them all into shadow.

Just as suddenly, Caelus clapped his hands together and jumped to his feet. He quickly grabbed Jaune’s arm and all but tossed the boy onto the couch beside Nora where Caelus had just been sitting. “Well. That’s enough for now.”

“What’re you talkin’ about?” Kalian growled, lifting his eyes up from the map Howl had laid onto the floor. “We won’t be lurking in this shithole forever, so we need to plan-“

“Lil’ buddies, what’s been going on with you two?” Caelus interrupted boldly, squatting in front of the trio. He sank his round face into his hands, watching them with adoration. “How was Beacon? What happened? This here’s your teammate, right?”

“Hi,” Jaune mumbled. “I’m Jaune Arc.”

“The leader of Team JNPR. Based on the broadcasted initiation from roughly one year ago and the Vytal Festival Tournament, the weakest fighter on the team.” Howl’s expression remained absolutely impassively while he recited this information. “Strengths include moment-by-moment strategy in combat. Overall tactical prowess unknown.”

Jaune deflated in his seat, sinking despondently into the terribly limp seat cushions. “Uh, yeah. That’s me.”

Then, Howl smiled ever-so-slightly. “Any comrade of theirs is one of ours.”

Kalian, Caelus and Oliver all smiled at the blond. Nora elbowed him lightly with a grin. “That’s our leader!”

Jaune sighed, but he couldn’t stop from smiling. “Thanks.”

“So? Tell us, buddies!” Caelus cried, the short man plopping down onto his bottom like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

Nora laughed, clapping her hands together delightedly, and then she began to speak.

It was indescribable, how good it felt to reminisce on their days at Beacon. Nora and Ren and Jaune all took turns sharing their favourite moments, from initiation to classes, to weekend noodle nights and board game parties, and all their ridiculously high-octane and low-key moments in between. Nora pulled out her Scroll with gusto, having been the avid photographer of the group. She showed the others every photograph of their adventures she had, giggling as even Kalian and Howl’s expressions softened, seeing the easygoing, peaceful adventures of Team JNPR.

“I guess it was a good thing we let those fancy guys in Haven offer to pay your entrance fees,” Kalian said. “I’m actually impressed by what you’ve managed to learn.”

“Don’t talk like we’re just an investment!” Nora scolded, but she knew it was all in warmth and good fun. She was grateful they had been given the opportunity to go to Beacon, too.

However, there was one issue that no one brought up until Nora reached the end of her album dedicated to Beacon. “We managed to see the initiation broadcast, and most of the tournament,” Kalian said, kneeling in front of them. It was clear that he wasn’t sure what to say, but he wanted to be there anyways. “I… it shouldn’t have happened.”

“Pyrrha Nikos was your friend, huh, buddies?” Caelus whimpered. The dark-skinned man looked on the verge of tears at the mere thought of it. “She’s famous around here. And the Tournament- the Fall- it was horrible to watch.”

“We were in the middle of a mission at the time,” Howl explained. “Then, due to the fall of the CCTS, a huge number of Grimm flooded into Mistral. We offered our services to do damage control for weeks.”

Kalian slammed a fist onto the ground with such force that the concrete floor caved slightly, his red Aura appearing on his hands to knit split knuckles in an instant. “We wanted to come to Vale to help, but it was too much of a damn mess everywhere on Anima- even without those bastards and their damn trafficking line.”

Caelus large, pale silver eyes were watery. “I’m sorry, lil’ Valkyrie, lil’ Ren. That’s not easy.” He sniffed long and hard. “I wish I coulda met her. She seemed like she was good to you.”

Nora softened, leaning against Jaune. “She was,” she beamed.

Kalian suddenly asked, “Have… have you all checked out the entire city?”

“You would do well to explore the residential area. The parks there hold something that may be of interest to you.” Howl’s expression remained as cryptic as ever.

The trio shared a confused glance, but they didn’t get time to ask further when Kalian stood tall, crossing his arms and scowling. “Do you know who did it?”

Jaune let out a shuddering breath. “Yeah. We…”

On instinct, Ren squeezed Nora’s hand, and Nora’s hand shot out to grab Jaune’s arm. She shook her head when he looked at her, his blue eyes widening as she silently chewed her lip. We can’t tell them about the Maidens, can we?

Ren finally said, “We fought them in Mistral. Followed their trail, but it wasn’t successful. They’re either dead or missing.”

Jaune added, “It was a woman named Cinder- Cinder Fall. Have you ever heard of her?” The three older Huntsmen shook their heads somberly, and Jaune sank back into his seat yet again, disappointment clear as day. “Okay. It’s fine. We’ll keep looking.”

“One day you’ll get peace.” Kalian’s voice softened, his voice oddly serious. Vibrant crimson eyes looked out of the window, the sunlight making his hair look almost alight. “Just don’t forget what it felt like to lose your comrade. Keep her in here.”

“Yeah. Just like with everyone else, right?” Nora stood, wrapping Kalian up in a hug. With his size, her head barely touched his chest, but she didn’t mind, and he didn’t move away.

“…like Cara.” Nora released the man and glanced over her shoulder. Carob was recapping his flask and tucking it away, leaning against the shattered doorframe. Of course he would always remember Cara- the woman with whom he had gone for countless missions had died at Sotz’s hand a few years earlier. Those wounds would always feel too fresh.

Caelus stood up. “And Snow and Star,” he offered. Their former leader and their former heart- the two who passed in battle against so many bandits and, later, Grimm, that their bodies had barely been recognizable when the Embers had found them.

“Gregory.” Oliver stood and joined Howl, smiling gratefully up at the Huntsman. Ever-gentle to the son of his former mentor, Howl nodded back, a tiny, welcoming grin on his own lips as he placed a kind hand on Oliver’s head.

“We’ve all lost people. But that doesn’t mean we can give up.” Kalian finally looked away from the window, snapping out of his reverie. He patted Nora clumsily on the shoulder until she let go completely, shooing her back to her seat on the sofa. “So. It sounds like you’re all on a mission.”

“Yeah. We’re trying to get to Atlas. It’s complicated, but it’s important- not just for us, but all the kingdoms.”

Carob wolf-whistled. “You’ve tried every place I listed?”

“Yeah. Everyone turned us away,” Ren said with a sigh.

Carob strode forward a little too forcefully, steps a little too measured- the alcohol was getting to him badly if he was concentrating that hard on appearing sober. While he settled onto the chair beside Ren, Howl tapped the bridge of his nose once more, activating his Semblance again. After a moment, he reported, “The base may be your best way. You have two options: either convince the Atlesian military to grant you safe passage on one of their vessels, or steal one.”

“Howl?!” Ren and Nora yelled in unison.

Howl shrugged. “I’m not sure which would be more perilous.”

Ren stood, walking over to the map and taking a closer look at it. “Either way, we have some time. We’re waiting for our friends- we were separated on the Argus Limited.”

Caelus’ eyes lit up and he dragged Nora to her feet. “Hey, you can stay with us with us while ya wait, right?”

Nora smiled ruefully. She would’ve loved to, if it weren’t for the fact that Jaune was looking more and more out of his element by the minute. It was growing late, too. If they wanted to get back to the Cotta-Arc house before nightfall, they would need to leave soon. “We promised we’d head back to our host’s place for dinner, at least.”

The man pouted, but didn’t fight. “Oh, okay. But make sure you come back again, ya?”

Kalian nodded, appraising her and Ren carefully. “Yeah. You’re not children anymore- you’ve grown strong. You don’t need us to take care of you anymore, but…”

“But?” Ren asked.

To everyone’s surprise, Kalian’s cheeks flushed a bright pink. He awkwardly cleared his throat and looked away. “We- we’re comrades, now.”

Comrades.

“We’ll be back!” Nora saluted playfully. The members of their old team nodded, smiling proudly as she hugged each of them in turn. With Ren, they each grabbed his forearm and shook arms before pulling him in for an embrace as well. With a high-five to Oliver and a nod to Carob, it was time for them to head home.

As they turned the corner from the apartment building and headed towards the main street with their first tram, Nora’s heart was fuller than she had felt in months. All of her anxiety and concern about her mentors was gone-

“Guys, what was all that?” Jaune’s voice rang clear across the street, sounding as if he’d been holding it inside for days.

“What do you mean?”

The blond lowered his head, clearly grasping for the words to say. “Guys, I- that was…”

Nora pulled him across the street hurriedly before he could stop in his tracks dead in the middle of the road. “Jaune?”

“I- I thought we were going to your, like, adoptive parents or something. I knew they were Huntsmen, but how did it end up like that?” Nearly hysterical, breathless laughter bubbled out of his mouth. “Like, why did we just end up in a broken-down apartment building in the middle of Argus with a bunch of people armed to the teeth and hunting some kind of- of human trafficker? And you knew the guy they’re trying to hunt down? The guy who you thought was dead or something? How would you even know him-”

“It’s… complicated,” Ren cut in, worry etched clearly on his face.

“They raised us, it’s true,” Nora added.

Ren ushered the three of them along. They were going to miss the tram if they dawdled for too long. “We’ve always helped them on whatever they were doing on the road. They’ve been on the trail of those guys for… I guess three years now.”

Jaune sighed as they finally arrived at the street stop. “You’ve all lost so many people. I just… I had no idea.” There was a clear sense of guilt in his words.

“Jaune, it’s okay!” Nora cried. “Why should you have known? It isn’t your fault!”

“It doesn’t mean it’s gotten any easier to handle loss,” Ren added.

“I know. I’m sorry.” As the tram rolled up, its headlights blaring in the rapidly-descending nightfall, Jaune added, “Are you sure you’re okay with not telling them about the Maidens and Oz and everything?”

Ren shrugged, pulling out their tram fare. “They’ve already got their mission. I don’t know if we should tell anyone we don’t have too, to be honest.”

“Besides, they’ve already got a goal. And our goal is different. No point distracting one another,” Nora sang, leaning out of the open window of the tram. The breeze felt cool on her face, lifting her hair off her neck, soothing her.

Jaune let out a long, weary breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” He flashed them a trembling smile. “So. How does it feel to have met them again?”

Nora beamed, looping her arms through both Ren and Jaune’s. “It was perfect.”

And she meant it.

Chapter Text

Sneaking

Two days were all it took for routines to fall into place.

It was almost a little frightening how quickly Nora grew comfortable in the Cotta-Arc home. The mornings were spent checking in with any and every shop, service and, more often than not, random person who had access to an airship. They scoured the streets of anyone who might be able to get them even partway to Mantle, but their words fell on deaf ears.

Carob continued to send them any information he could find- the man’s work as a writer seemed more and more suspicious by the day, with his connections to random informants making him feel more like Lil’ Miss Malachite more than anything. Still, the trio was grateful, and they continued to check in with whomever they could.

No matter what, Nora didn’t want to have to ask the Atlesian military. Something about going to them boded ill for her.

Afternoons were usually spent helping Saphron more than anything. With the best babysitter of all available- Jaune firmly believed it was him, but Nora, Saphron and Terra all firmly agreed that it was probably Ren who was the best with Adrian- Saphron liked to go grocery shopping while they watched Adrian. Or, Saphron would send them on errands, getting them to explore the city while they were at it.

None of them minded helping around the house, though. Saphron and Terra were willing to take them in so easily; it was more than they could’ve ever hoped for, to be so well-fed and taken care of for free. “At least with Saphron and Terra, we’re not sleeping in cots!” Nora pointed out.

“Or on the floor,” Ren added, laughing lightly. While they loved their former guardians, they did not miss the traveling conditions their nomadic lifestyle had wrought.

Terra and Saphron had originally refused their help, but Ren had insisted the help out around the house with chores, too. It was only right if they were taking their hospitality.

So, those few days of peace and quiet were a welcome reprieve to it all. She messaged Caelus often, checking in every morning to make sure the Embers were staying in town for the day and that there hadn’t been any major developments while they were away. If Sotz’s location was known, then Nora wanted to be in the loop.

It was easy to pretend that their concern wasn’t mounting every single day that Ruby and the others didn’t pick up their calls; whenever Team JNPR had something to do, the distraction pushed those creeping fears away.

By the third day, Nora was far too comfortable with the mundanity of it all. She sighed, shifting the three shopping bags in her hands laden with groceries from the market. “At least dinner’s gonna be great!” she smiled at Ren, the boy already looking weary despite it being barely past noon. “It’s our turn to cook!”

Ren rolled his eyes. “You mean it’s my turn to cook.”

“Pancakes!” Nora squealed, skipping ahead a few paces. “We haven’t had them in so long!”

“As long as Terra doesn’t mind Adrian eating them for dinner, I’m happy to make them,” he replied evenly. Nora knew that he was hiding his joy, however. The domesticity of their entire situation felt… right.

Ren had been right. This was why they were fighting Salem- to make a future where their biggest discussions would be what to make for dinner each day. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly at the mere thought of it, but she wasn’t ashamed. A peaceful life with Ren? She’d proudly announce her dream to the world if it meant it coming true, sooner rather than later.

Jaune wasn’t around, the boy having gone to help Saphron get some stuff sorted for Adrian’s doctor- the little boy had been suffering from an ear infection and it was worrying Saphron to the ends of the earth and back- so it would be their duty to cook that night.

At least, that was supposed to be the plan. As they re-entered the Cotta-Arc home, finding no lights as the others were still with Adrian or, for Terra, at work, Ren’s Scroll began to buzz fervently. They quickly put away all of the ingredients, checking their messages before even bothering to do anything else.

Nora bit her lip. Was it from Ruby? Or was it another potential location from Carob? Did Jaune and Saphron need anything?

The message was from Howl. Just a few words, their implications clear.

Target found. Meet at the base 1800h.

Nora gulped, reaching out half-consciously to Ren, grabbing his sleeve. “They found him,” she said, eyes fixated on the screen. “They know where he is.”

Wordlessly, Ren pulled up tram schedules with one hand, pulling Nora in for a hug with the other. “…We should message Terra about dinner.”

“Maybe instead of pancakes, let’s leave some soup or something. Something they can reheat easily,” Nora added, leaning her forehead on Ren’s chest. “We need to go.”

“Yeah.”

And so, they got to work. Their ammunitions were reloaded, weapons tuned up and ready to go. Scrolls were charged while dinner was made, the duo quietly making stew and cutting up bread for the Cotta-Arc family to enjoy that night. Nora snuck slices of carrot and celery and apple as usual, but Ren said nothing- they had to prepare for the mission ahead. She needed her energy.

“Should we tell Jaune?” Nora murmured a few hours later as they readied to leave.

Ren shook his head, but Nora could feel how torn he felt as he said, “It’s safer this way.”

She sighed, pulling out her Scroll anyways. “I’m going to tell him we’re visiting everyone. They invited us for dinner,” she said. Ren didn’t stop her, instead sending her a patient smile. So, she took a few moments to type out a message to Jaune explaining where they would be.

There’s no need to put him in danger, right?

Before she clicked the send button, her thumb froze on the screen, panic wracking her system for a moment. How would Jaune feel if he found out they lied? How would he feel if they tried to protect him again?

What was different between keeping him in the dark versus Pyrrha keeping them in the dark?

Her heart leapt into her throat. “No, Ren,” she whispered, “we have to tell him-“

Ren sighed, guiding her towards the door. “If they’re planning on executing an assault tonight, we tell him without fail,” Ren said quietly. “If it’s just planning, though, then it’s probably best to leave him out of it.” Before Nora could argue, he added, “He’s already so worried about Ruby.”

She groaned, stamping her foot in the ground. She knew it was childish. She didn’t care. “I just- why can’t it ever be easy, Ren?!” she cried.

He smiled weakly at her. “Then we wouldn’t be here.”

She slumped over, letting the tension drain out of her body for a moment before willing herself to straighten up. “Okay.” She sent the message to Jaune, tucking the Scroll away and skipping ahead. “We’ve got some trams to catch!”

The smile on Ren’s face set her heart at ease. As they set forth, she leaned over and tapped him lightly on the nose. “Boop.” And even though they were long past their old barriers of avoiding physical contact and affection, Ren’s cheeks still lit up a pale pink underneath beige skin.

Eventually, they found themselves standing in front of the same decrepit building they had visited a few days earlier. Oliver let them in with a high-five and a wide smile, ushering them up to the third floor to join the planning meeting currently well in-progress.

Caelus ushered Nora and Ren over happily. “Buddies!” he cheered, slinging his arms around their necks and forcing them to join him on the sofa he had been lying on before. “You’re right on time, ya?”

“Do you need us for an operation tonight?” Ren asked, leaning forward.

Howl nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but Kalian cut the man off before he could say anything. “We do, but only if you’re ready,” he said, unusually somber.

Nora frowned, unsure of what he meant. He wasn’t looking her in the eyes, and his bright red irises seemed overcast.

Ren took one of her hands in his. “Do you… are you sure you can see him again?” he murmured quietly. “You’ve been dreaming of them more and more lately. If you don’t want to-“

“What, you’ve been having nightmares again?!” Caelus cried. Before Nora could reply, he gathered the girl up in his arms, squeezing tightly. “That’s no good, Lil Valkyrie, you’re safe now!”

When Nora looked at Howl, his expression was painfully tender- so unlike the usual stoicism he was known for. “We’ll do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Nora’s lip wobbled. She couldn’t blink back a few tears that spilled forth from her eyes, wiping them on her gloves. “No,” she laughed, voice unexpectedly watery. “I’m going to help.” Flashing Ren and Caelus a goofy grin, she added, “What better way to deal with nightmares than kicking the nightmare’s butt, right?”

Kalian walked over and ruffled her hair, his face shining with pride. “That’s our girl,” he grinned.

So, Howl began to lay out the plan.

They had narrowed down the location of Sotz’s gang through their own investigations and the network of streetears and informants that ran throughout the city. “It’s not just Mistral who’s constantly under scrutiny from the lower levels,” Howl explained when Ren asked about it. “Everyone is trying to find cracks in Argus’- no, in Atlas’ defenses.”

Nora and Ren’s job was going to be easy. Sotz had his own informants, his own spies; he likely knew that Nora and Ren were in town. So, Nora and Ren were to be distractions, tricking them into thinking that it was only Nora and Ren who were coming to attack.

“We practically advertised that you left us to go to Beacon,” Kalian explained. “Sotz’s men won’t expect the rest of us.”

When Nora practically jumped out of her seat to protest giving away her and Ren’s location, it was Carob who stepped in. “Look, kid, what was he going to do- attack a Huntsmen Academy? If anything, saying you weren’t with us anymore got him off our trail for a bit. It was convenient.”

“Besides,” Oliver chimed in, “he’s probably going to underestimate you two alone- that’s where we come in!”

So, Nora and Ren were to go to one of Nick’s favourite haunts in Argus. Their goal was to be seen, not caught; they would allow Sotz’s men to confirm the duo were back in Argus before going to confront them. “Then,” Nora reiterated, trying to remember the convoluted plan Howl had laid out for them, “we distract the grunts, and you sneak in and take out the leaders?”

“I don’t think we’ll get into bars, even if we pretend to be full Huntsmen,” Ren murmured.

Caelus waved off their worries easily. “You two look way older than you did a year ago! So wise, so mature,” he cooed, rubbing his dark whiskers against Nora’s cheek affectionately. She shrieked and pulled away. When she had finished laughing and crawling half onto Ren to escape, Caelus added, “You’ll be able to sneak in, don’t worry. Just… know some drinks to order?”

Nora nodded brightly. “Yang likes strawberry sunrises, right?”

Ren sighed, shaking his head wearily. “I don’t like this,” he muttered, but his woes were drowned out quickly by everyone continuing to explain the plan. After all, they didn’t know when the gang would pack up and ditch Argus. The Embers needed to get this done sooner rather than later.

Eventually, it was late enough to head over to The Stormy Seas, a large, rowdy pub at the eastern border of Argus. Before they left the base, Nora sent Jaune a simple message: We’re going to hang out late with Howl and everyone, so don’t wait up for us! The blond responded quickly with a thumbs-up, leaving Ren and Nora with little else to do but obediently follow Oliver, the young man moving silently through narrow alleys and dark streets like a rat in its nest.

“How do you know this place so well?” Nora asked as they crept through dimly-lit back alleyways.

Oliver grinned, little more than a bright white smile and wide, innocent eyes in the near pitch-black darkness of the autumn evening. “Dad used to work at Sanctum sometimes,” he explained. “I used to explore while he was on missions. He said I shouldn’t go to this area, because it’s not safe, but I’m glad I always went anyways.”

Nora chuckled, punching him playfully on the shoulder. “A rebel! I like it.”

Eventually, they ended up at the bar in question. The Stormy Seas was a fairly large establishment, all dingy wood and a broken sign out front. Through the windows, it was clear that the inside was filled with cheap neon lighting and flickering bulbs, the faint outline of mismatched decorations on the wall barely visible from the outside. Even from outside the doors, they could hear raucous laughter and disorderly voices inside.

As the duo said their goodbyes to Oliver and slipped into the building, Nora let out a quiet sigh of relief. With the rowdy atmosphere of the bar, with people loudly laughing and chatting and growling at one another, it seemed that people were too busy to pay them any mind. A group of drunk men were pushing each other around in one corner, attracting the attention of most onlookers. Thanks to that distraction, no one paid them any mind enough for them to get ID’d. However, as she looked at Ren, his proud, somber silhouette outlined by dim, amber light mixed with the glow of neon signs of martinis and figures in bikinis lining the walls, she realized that it wouldn’t be an issue anyways. Kalian was right. With everything they had gone through, they indeed looked old enough to pass as young Huntsmen.

To her surprise, she barely had the time to blink before Ren’s arm was around her waist, dragging her up to the back of the bar. He guided her to sit at the end of the bar, hovering protectively at the seat by her side. “Ren, what’s wrong?” she whispered, glancing around. Had he spotted something? Had he already found Nick?

Based on the slight pink tingeing his cheeks (or was it just the neon lights? She didn’t know), it was something else. After a moment, Ren murmured, “People were looking at you.”

She snorted, waving her hand dismissively. “What in the world-“

But he quietly gestured to her right. Nora paused, following his hand with her eyes. There was a mirror hung up on the wall, showing everyone who was seated at the counter. With Nora sitting at the end, she was clearly in view.

And she didn’t know whether it was this lighting, or the fact that they were in a bar surrounded by people who were clearly old enough to be there unlike them… Nora looked completely unlike herself. She looked like an adult; strangely attractive, alluring. The light caught her hair, almost making the orange hue pulse a surreal red; her pale face and rosy cheeks were completely washed of colour, smoothed out by the glow of pink and blue signs above her. Her eyes were strikingly pale, lights reflecting off of it almost eerily, her pupils the only solid thing on her face aside from the line of her open, full mouth. All of the mismatched colours neutralized her clothes as well, shadows and highlights only accentuating her curves as she sat on that high stool.

And in the reflection, she could see other people in the bar looking at her, something in their gaze that she hadn’t ever really seen before.

No, she had seen it in one person. In Sotz.

Predation.

We need to go. The realization that Ren had stuck her at the end of the bar so that he could act as a buffer came a moment later, and unknowingly, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Then, she signalled the bartender, and as calmly as possible, ordered two strawberry sunrises. “Just like Yang likes them,” she said with a smile, trying to keep the growing unease out of her voice.

Ren squeezed her hand. “Yeah.”

So, the drinks came. They were surprisingly sweet, but the underlying taste of liqueur was cloying. Yang probably would’ve said to get the virgin ones, huh? Thankfully, they were weak enough that while she felt slight warmth at the back of her throat from the drink, nothing was actually happening to her awareness.

Nora pouted. Having a drink at a bar… this wasn’t how she had expected the first time to go. Idly, she murmured, “This would’ve been fun with Pyrrha, huh?”

Ren’s breath caught in his throat for a second before he relaxed again. “She would prefer something warm.”

“Maybe a…” Nora’s eyes skimmed the menu on the wall fruitlessly. “…I don’t know which ones are made hot.”

“Are any of them?”

“I hope so!” she groaned. “It would suck to have to drink it cold always! What do they do in Atlas?”

Ren smiled, shrugging wryly. “Who knows?”

The light conversation carried on, but despite the superficial ease they both carried, the goal of their mission stayed firmly affixed in their minds. They sat and sipped on their beverages, making sure to glance around every once in a while and search for any familiar faces. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t catch anyone they knew; still, for the better part of an hour, they made sure to quietly chat and smile, ignoring the creeping sense of discomfort that only grew with every passing minute, with every ring of the chime above the front entryway, with every clink of ice and sigh of relief and bark of laughter and angry yell which echoed through the building.

Finally, she murmured, “Do you think that’s enough, Ren?”

He nodded, taking one final look at the crowd as subtly as he could. “That should be fine.” Quickly, he pulled out money for their drinks and handed it to the bartender. Nora grabbed onto his arm gladly, and the two of them stepped out of the bar as inconspicuously as they could.

The moment the door slammed shut behind them, Nora let out a sigh of relief and sagged into Ren’s shoulder. “Oh my gosh, that was terrible,” she groaned.

He looked just as weary. “Agreed. Let’s hope that was enough, though.” Checking his Scroll, he said, “Oliver will meet us a little ways up once we’re done. Are you ready to go?”

She smiled, nodding brightly. The fresh air was invigorating after stagnating in the scent of liquor and sour, unwashed bodies for an hour. “Time to report back!”

So, the duo began retracing their steps. It was a little difficult to follow the exact route they had originally taken with Oliver, but thankfully Ren had marked down the path on his Scroll, and Nora had taken a photograph of Howls’ map. Navigating the city with so many shadows around was still a little unnerving, though.

Halfway back to the meeting point, they ducked into an alleyway they had taken with Oliver. It was dark, but it only stretched a few hundred feet, so she wasn’t very concerned. Their steps echoed wetly on damp ground, unnaturally loud in the narrow walkway.

Suddenly, a voice caught her attention. Nora froze, grabbing onto Ren’s shoulder. “Wait,” she murmured, pausing. “Did you…”

“I heard,” he said grimly, glancing at the map. Nora watched as his finger traced the route they needed to take, along with where the voice had likely come from. “It sounded like-“

“Looky here, boys and girls,” that same booming voice rang out through the air, suddenly right behind them. “We’ve caught ourselves a couple of rats.”

Nora felt ice run through her veins as she instantly lowered herself to the ground, Magnhild flying into her hand in the blink of an eye as she spun to face the speaker. Ren reacted similarly, legs tensed, StormFlower drawn. They were ready to jump. Verticality would be their friend.

After all, Nickel Point’s Semblance could tear up the earth itself. They needed to be ready to jump, otherwise they’d be knocked off balance and crushed.

Nick was just as grotesque as he had always been. In the darkness of night, it was difficult to make out his features properly; even in the faint glow of distant streetlights, Nora could still see his disgustingly-lascivious grin, chin wobbling as he guffawed. His rotund stomach protruded further from his tattered, fur-lined coat than Nora remembered, and his greasy hair was frazzled and unkempt.

With heavy footfalls, he approached the duo. Nora’s grip on Magnhild’s handle, fully extended into a hammer, grew tighter with every step. “Should we fight?” she whispered.

“Not without the team,” Ren breathed.

She nodded, thinking back to the map- to their best escape route. They both could easily climb up the side of one of the nearby buildings- there was a pile of crates just to the left behind her which would be the perfect staircase. The roofs were generally slanted and shingled in Argus to avoid trapping too much weight from snow. Nick wouldn’t be able to make a journey across the rooftops, but Ren and Nora were more than agile enough to pull it off. She and Ren would both be able to navigate to a safer part of town before jumping off into a main thoroughfare, blending in with the crowd. They’d be able to get away easily.

Nick slurred, deep voice so unnaturally pleased by his find that it sent shivers down Nora’s spine. “I knew it was you two. Goin’ for drinks, huh? I woulda bought you a round if I’d’ve known.” He laughed, gut shaking and head reared back. “Aw, you don’t look too happy to see me. You should, though- I’ve been-“ and he hiccupped, stumbling for a moment before righting himself, “-wanting to see you for so long.”

“Say nothing,” Ren said, barely audible even to her.

Nora bit her tongue, fighting back the urge to run, holding her ground. She could fight him if it came down to it. It didn’t change the fact that one of their old abusers was drawing closer.

She hated it. She hated everything about it. They needed to fight or flee, one or the other.

…She just didn’t want to freeze.

Then, Nick stepped forward and entered the light of a weak streetlamp, and Nora almost gagged.

Nick’s face in the light was horrifying. The skin on one cheek going down his chin and under his collar was mottled and twisted, puffy scar tissue clear as day even in the faint light. Nora sucked in a breath, tearing her eyes away from the sight and focusing on his hands instead. His Semblance always manifested in his hands. They had to watch his hands.

Watching his hands was a great way to avoid acknowledging the fact that she and Ren had probably been responsible for those scars.

“But look at ya, all grown up. I heard rumours, ya know,” Nick cooed, clapping his hands together excitedly. Nora frowned, tensing up as she saw that familiar Aura begin to glow, concentrating between fat ringed fingers. “The boys’ll be so happy to hear you’ve turned into such lookers, too.”

She felt Ren shift imperceptibly by her side. They would run for it soon.

Suddenly, an alarm began to scream through the air. It was the familiar siren of the Atlesian Military; Nora had heard it a few times over the past few days, always in the distance, far from the Cotta-Arc home.

Nick froze, the playfulness in his eyes vanishing in an instant, replaced by bitter hatred. “Dammit,” he growled, straightening up despite his inebriated state. Pointing at the duo, he said, “We’ll pick this up later, brats.”

She didn’t know where the boldness came from. “We will. Are you ready to have everything be burned to the ground again?”

Nick’s nostrils flared, rage twisting his face into something truly monstrous. “You’re going to burn, you-“ But the sirens were growing louder and louder. The man turned tail and walked away, shoving away his clear desire for combat in favour of skulking out of the alleyway as fast as he could.

Ren grabbed Nora’s arm. “Put it away,” he murmured. Silently, she obeyed, holstering Magnhild and following him out of the alleyway. The sirens became louder and louder- but something was off. Why weren’t any of the classic flashing lights of the military’s patrol vehicles lighting up the area?

The answer was simple. The moment they stepped out of the darkness, two familiar faces were upon them. Oliver looked halfway to tears, the teen muttering, “I called the others and they’re coming if I don’t call back in two minutes. Are you guys okay? What happened?”

Nora barely processed his words. Her eyes were locked on Jaune’s face, his expression a mix of fear and disappointment. In his hands was a Scroll. The sound of the sirens was coming from the device, not any patrol car. “Jaune, did you…?”

“This doesn’t look like ‘hanging out’,” Jaune muttered icily.

Nora insisted, “Jaune, we-“

“We’ll explain once we’re back at base,” Ren said calmly. Nora’s heart broke as she saw the pure shame resonating in his eyes as he looked at Jaune. “We need to get out of here. They might be close still.” Before stepping forward, however, Ren let out a long, heavy sigh, then reached out to brush Nora’s hair out of her face- a surprisingly tender display of affection, coming from Ren in front of others. “Are you alright?”

She smiled back, absolutely exhausted now that the adrenaline was beginning to fade away. Nick’s voice was gone completely. “Yes, Ren,” she sang quietly. “Let’s go, okay?” Turning to Jaune, she repeated, “Okay?”

There was still a myriad of doubts in Jaune’s eyes, but he reluctantly nodded. “Okay. Oliver, lead the way.”

“Got it,” the younger replied, waving them forward.

The trek back was thankfully uneventful. Unlike the road there, Oliver stuck mainly to brightly-lit streets. “If anything happens, we need liability,” he said. “I’m a minor, you’re not Huntsmen. Howl said we needed to remain visible. The military will take our side if something happens.”

With those precautions in mind, the quartet eventually made it back safe and sound to the Ember’s base. Howl immediately demanded a report, so Nora and Ren gave it easily; Howl always preferred to have the information sooner rather than later, after all. Carob disappeared to comfort Oliver, who was still far too shaken up after seeing their near-showdown in the alleyway to properly participate. Despite all that fighting the Grimm, Nora thought ruefully, he’s still not okay with fighting people.

It was fair to be scared. Nick had been one of the people to take away Oliver’s father. She didn’t begrudge him that fear. She was still shaking a little, too.

“How did you get there, Jaune?” Ren asked whilst Howl and Kalian were engaged in planning quietly. “Why aren’t you back at Saphron’s?”

“I messaged him, buddies,” Caelus said, leaning forward around the back of Nora’s chair and wrapping his arms warmly around her neck. “I thought he was in the loop so I wanted to know his Semblance. Gotta slot him in the battle strategy, right?” Disapprovingly, he added, “Lil’ Valkyrie, Lil’ Ren, you didn’t tell your friend anything, ya? He’s your comrade! What the heck’re you doin’?”

“We were going to explain before the actual mission,” Nora said glumly, melting into Caelus’ comforting hold. Looking at Jaune, she pleaded, “We wouldn’t go without telling you. Promise.” When Jaune’s hurt didn’t fade, she repeated, “Promise, Jaune. We wouldn’t do that to you. No way.”

Jaune looked like he was going to cry. “Then tell me now,” he whispered, leaning forward in his seat, hanging his head between his knees. “Please. Tell me now.”

And Nora’s heart shattered. Desperately, she glanced over to Ren, but the other boy seemed just as tongue-tied.

…okay. Okay. It was her job to keep her boys together. That was her promise to Pyrrha and she’d keep it forever. I’ll keep them together.

Sliding out of Caelus’ hold, she shifted along the couch and wrapped her arms around Jaune’s shoulders, squeezing tight. “Jaune,” she whispered, “we’ll never keep you in the dark. You need to know that. Just as you can’t keep us in the dark. We promised each other, right?”

“Never again,” Ren added. “We were planning on telling you after tonight. We wouldn’t go willingly into something dangerous without telling you.”

Jaune shuddered, tears falling from his eyes. Nora simply held him tighter. What else could she do, when he was clearly thinking that he was going to lose them, just like he had lost Pyrrha- feeling guilty and alone and in the dark? “It’s not an easy story, though,” she said.

“When is it ever?” was the only weary, cracking response.

Sighing, she looked at Ren. “Explain for us?” she breathed.

Ren shifted along the couch to wrap an arm around Nora and Jaune, too. “Okay.”

And, he did.

Ren quietly filled in all the details- everything they had been keeping from Jaune for all this time. After Kuroyuri, they had been found by a group of bandits, formerly part of the main Branwen Tribe, led by Sotz. Varin and Nick worked with him. They were fallen Huntsmen, having joined the Branwens for the clout after being kicked out by the Huntsmen’s guild. They were pushed out of the tribe nearly as fast.

“Do you know about the Branwens, Jaune? Beyond what anyone said at Haven?” Nora asked. When Jaune shook his head, she quickly outlined everything she knew about them. The information was enough to make Jaune turn green.

“But- but that’s Raven and Qrow-“

“There’s a reason I don’t like Qrow,” Nora breathed. “Association is enough.”

Ren continued on as Jaune fought to process the information, explaining how they had been treated in that camp. He explained their roles as bait, as fodder, as chew toys and punching bags. He explained how his Semblance had kept them useful, and how Nora’s strength had kept them protected from the worst of it.

Nora was grateful that he didn’t explain why they finally decided to burn the place to the ground two years after their capture.

But after weeks of running, they had managed to find a small camp in the middle of a storm. One man had been hunched over by a generator, and the moment he had seen the two starving, broken children, he had called over a redhead, and together they had scooped Nora and Ren up and taken them to warmth and safety.

Caelus ruffled Nora and Ren’s hair, planting wet kisses on each of their foreheads much to Ren’s chagrin. “And thank the Brothers we did, ya? I got my two best little buddies!” he beamed.

“So why are you hunting them?” Jaune asked, face pale and drawn tightly.

Caelus held up one hand, counting reasons off his fingers in turn. “Well, they hurt Nora and Ren,” he began, face twisting into an unnaturally vicious scowl, “they’ve been eyeball-deep in crime for years, they’ve looted most places in Anima, and…”

“Somehow,” Ren said, “they found out who saved us and took us in. They killed the Ember leader. They killed Cara, too- she had a healing Semblance- because she refused to help fix the damage left from the fire.”

“You kiddos aren’t the only one looking for revenge for your friends,” Caelus said darkly.

Nora smiled, poking Jaune’s cheek. The action startled him, his tense expression falling away into confusion. She said, “We spent like, almost seven years running around with the Embers, protecting villages and doing odd jobs. They taught us to fight properly. I think Howl was a better combat instructor than Glynda but don’t tell her that,” she added in a whisper. Looking over to Kalian and Howl and Carob, the latter having joined the other two after calming down Oliver, Nora said fondly, “They… they gave us a home and a purpose. At least, until we went to Beacon. Then we found you and Pyrrha!”

“Is the heart-to-heart done, or can we share the plan?” Kalian growled, taking over their attention. Dark circles ringed his eyes. “Nick saw you, right? He knows you’re here, so it’s time to get everything started.”

Caelus rubbed his hands eagerly together, an evil grin splitting his face. “There’s a storm coming, Lil’ Valkyrie,” he cackled, “and I’ve got so much fire and electric-Dust.”

Nora’s grin was just as manic at the mere thought of it. She was ready.

Ren murmured feebly, “Please don’t tell me we’re going to blow up all of Argus.”

“All of Argus?!” Jaune squeaked.

Before they could continue, Howl held out his hand. “That can wait. For now, you all need to rest.” He walked over to Nora and Ren, kneeling in front of them. With a small, gentle smile, he said, “You did well today.”

Nora smiled at him, then Ren. “We didn’t run,” she said.

Kalian grinned proudly from where he stood at the back of the room.

“You should go home,” Howl reiterated. “We’ll contact you when it’s time. We need to plan transport of shipment and ammunition and such first, and you need to ensure you have enough ammo to sustain a fight against their lower ranks. Good?”

There was little room for debate in his words, as always. So, everyone nodded, said their goodbyes, and headed their separate ways.

On the last tram back to the Cotta-Arc house, Jaune murmured, “I feel like we should wait till Ruby gets here.”

“We can’t,” Ren replied. “We don’t know when they’ll be moving on.”

“What they did to us? They’re still doing it to kids apparently,” Nora whispered. “Kalian and everyone’s been hunting them for so long, they can’t let them slip through their fingers now.”

“It’s pure chance we’re here at the same time. We’re lucky,” Ren added.

Jaune took in a deep, shaky breath. Suddenly, he ruffled his hair furiously, drawing the worried attention of every civilian onboard. “Ugh,” he cried at last, “I can’t stop you, can I?”

“No,” Ren smiled, “but you can know that we’re not doing this alone- not by a long shot.” Not like Pyrrha, Nora’s mind supplied sadly.

Jaune sighed, every inch of the tall, broad boy emanating absolute, dejected defeat. “…I guess we’re gonna go fight some people later, then. I’ll go polish my sword.”

His strangled yelp from when Nora launched herself at him, locking her leader in a vice-like hug, rang brightly through the air. Nora didn’t care one bit. They were going in together, and there was going to be a storm, and, and-

And when she finally faced off against everything she’d been drowning out and pushing away for so long, she’d have all her teammates by her side. There was no way they would lose.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The moment they stepped into the Cotta-Arc household, two faces honed in on their entry with nothing but subdued fear in their eyes. Saphron stood, crossing her arms and walking over to greet them. “Hey, where were you?” she cried, reaching up to cup Jaune’s cheeks. Forcefully, she moved his face around, clearly checking for any sign of injury.

“I’m okay, Saph, let me go!” Jaune mumbled, uncomfortable with being manhandled. He grimaced, trying to pull away, but she was too firm in her hold as she continued making sure he was alright.

Nora grinned wryly, leaning around Jaune to wave to Terra. “Hiya,” she called. “I’m sorry we’re late.”

“We were worried, you know,” Terra said, bouncing a confused, sleepy Adrian on her knee. “We got your message that you’d be staying out tonight, but when Jaune wasn’t here either, we couldn’t sleep.”

“We thought something might’ve happened,” Saphron said, finally letting go of Jaune. The tall boy shook his head and massaged his cheeks, pouting in annoyance at the bright red marks her grip had left on his skin.

Nora chuckled, biting back her guilt. “Did Jaune not tell you he was going, too?”

“No,” Terra sighed, pushing her red frames farther up her nose. The woman flashed a smile at Adrian, the little boy looking up at his mom happily. She continued, “We thought you two encountered trouble so Jaune went to help.”

“That’s not exactly wrong-” Ren murmured.

Nora quickly silenced him by jabbing her elbow into his gut. When he was sufficiently keeled over, she grinned brightly. “Don’t worry! There was no fight or anything. Ren and I just got a little lost while on an errand, so Jaune came to save us!”

That explanation seemed to ease both Terra and Saphron, the two women trading relieved glances before gesturing towards the kitchen. “Have you eaten yet?”

Ren shook his head. “We hope the stew was good.”

“It was, but we saved some for you!” Saphron explained, quickly ushering Jaune over to the kitchen. “C’mon, it’s late. You need to eat and go to bed.”

With little else to do, the trio obeyed, sitting with Saphron, Terra and a now-asleep Adrian while they ate reheated stew. It was still delicious, yes; but the sight of Saphron doting worriedly over Jaune, checking in with him every few minutes with concern and doting affection painted clearly upon her brow, made Nora’s gut clench.

She didn’t eat much that night.

Ren noticed, even if the others didn’t. Once she had slid into bed, letting her quiet sigh reverberate through the empty room, Ren slipped inside, perching upon the edge of her mattress. “You okay?” he said quietly.

Nora sat up and sighed, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Ren’s arm. “It just sort of hit me again, Ren,” she said after a moment. “Jaune… Jaune’s really loved, huh.”

Ren’s hand came up to stroke her hair. “Yeah,” he replied.

“…Pyrrha would’ve been just as worried about us.”

“Yeah.”

Nora took in a deep breath, then leaned back, giving Ren a doleful smile. “I just wish we had had a chance to worry her like that, y’know?”

The saddened affection in Ren’s eyes made her want to melt. “I know.” But there was little else to do other than try and rest up as much as they could. Ren left her with a loving smile, allowing Nora to curl up in her bed and attempt to sleep.

It was likely the sheer anticipation and fear of coming face-to-face with her former captors, but Nora’s sleep was anything but restful. On and on throughout the night, she opened her eyes only to find darkness still flooding her bedroom with no figures leering over her, no one nearby to threaten her safety. However, that constant fear and discomfort was the perfect fuel for Nora; she awoke with nothing but resolve and drive in her heart. They were going to finish things off for once and for all.

Soon, all of Nora’s nights were be dreamless; at least, they would be free of any nightmares about Sotz. They were going to destroy everything he had done. Nora was almost free.

After getting ready for the day, she double-checked her own ammunitions, holstered Magnhild, and made her way downstairs to find Jaune and Ren sitting in the living room already. “Are you ready to go?” she said brightly.

Ren’s face was serene as he nodded in response. Jaune, on the other hand, looked absolutely green. “Guys, I can’t believe we’re doing this,” he moaned, clutching his stomach. “I’m going to be sick.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,” Nora replied. “Aim it at the enemy.”

Jaune groaned, but Crocea Mors was at his hip, the young man ready to set forth as well. So, the trio stepped out into Argus’ residential district.

Caelus had been right about lighting up a storm; the sky was already a dark, blustering grey, the clear makings of a thunderstorm brewing along the coast.

The mere thought of storm-diving with Caelus made her want to sing.

They had a few hours to kill before Howl expected them at the base, so Nora relished in dragging Ren and Jaune to the marketplace to try out different street vendors. Ren was happy to oblige her, a strange sense of resigned peace settling over him at what they had to do that day. Jaune was growing paler by the second, the mere sight of food eventually making him throw up in the bushes on the way to the tram.

Nora patted his back as he heaved the meager contents of his stomach into a poor shrub. “You really just couldn’t hold it until we were in battle, huh?”

Jaune growled bloody murder. “I swear to god Nora, that’s so gross-“ But despite her silliness, Jaune didn’t escalate things further. The hand on his back was shaking, and when he finally stood and washed out his mouth with his canteen and took a step back, he quietly held open his arms and smiled at her.

Nora took him up on the offer in an instant, crushing him in a hug. It only lasted a few seconds, though; immediately, Jaune croaked, “Nora, that’s too much, I’m gonna-“ and then he spun on his heel, vomiting again.

Ren, who had been buying tickets for their journey, watched the entire exchange, utterly unimpressed. Nora shrugged. “I mean- I guess we can report to Team RWBY that Vomit Boy is still alive and kicking?”

Jaune almost wailed as they finally dragged him onto the tram.

Once they were seated in the old apartment complex, Nora couldn’t help but whistle at how tidy the place had become. It seemed that they were already preparing to pull out of Argus as their base was already half-empty. “Where’d you keep all the Dust?” she asked innocently, pointing at the empty corner formerly filled to the brim with Dust crates.

Kalian winked wickedly at her. “It’s a secret, punk.”

Howl began laying out his plans. They were fairly straightforward; Nora and Ren would be used as bait. Based on their intel, Sotz had a habit of never appearing on the frontlines unless absolutely necessary, so the duo would be in charge of taking down the fodder sent their way. They would have to hold their ground, but once his followers had finally dwindled down enough for Sotz and Nick to step out, Kalian and the rest would ambush them.

“All of you are going after just the two of them?!” Jaune cried in alarm. “Wait, don’t Nora and Ren need backup?”

Carob shook his head wearily. “It’s not just those two, kid,” he explained wearily. Opening up his Scroll, he pulled up a few photographs and held it out for the trio to see. The images were blurry, clearly taken in rapid succession with little chance to capture a clear shot. However, Nora could clearly see glistening claws, mottled green skin, and something akin to multiple mouths on some sort of hulking creature.

Jaune looked just as green as the monster onscreen. “What the heck…?”

Howl murmured, “They apparently have found a lackey with a transformational Semblance. He turns into that monster. Greg couldn’t take it out, so we’re going to need to be prepared.”

Oliver winced, looking down at the ground, avoiding Nora’s heartbroken, empathetic gaze.

“So,” Howl continued, “We will likely need all of us to take them out. We have followers spread throughout the city- they’ve been hiding out, waiting for us to disseminate the plans remotely- who will aid us. If you’re ever overwhelmed, let us know on the comms, and we shall provide backup either ourselves or by sending over troops.”

“I’ll provide intel and, if you need me to, sniping,” Oliver said, plastering a wan smile on his full lips. Turning to Carob, “We found a good spot for it, right?”

Carob nodded, fixing the boy’s hat more securely down onto his head. “Yeah.” Pointing to the map Howl had acquired of the area, he easily pointed out a building set in the corner of the field displayed. “This building is a warehouse with small offices on the upper floors. Oliver will stake out in the corner office.” Shifting his attention to Jaune, he added, “And you’re helping him.”

Jaune spluttered, “But- wait, what am I doing?”

Caelus grinned, slinging an arm around Jaune’s shoulder playfully. “You’ve got an amplification Semblance, ya?” he said. “You’ll help support Oliver.”

Nora sat on the edge of her seat. “Wait, Oliver, what’s your Semblance? You hadn’t awakened it when we last saw you.”

“And since when did you learn to use rifles?” Ren added.

Oliver grinned, proudly posing. “I have extreme perception! And Dad taught me how last year. He said I was a natural.”

“He can easily see without other equipment across incredible distances,” Howl explained smoothly. “This in turn aids his sharpshooting skills and use as an informant.”

“So,” Jaune murmured, “I just have to help amplify his Aura?” When Howl nodded, a quick wave of relief passed over his face. However, that quickly faded as he shook his head. “No. I need to help Ren and Nora-“

“Jaune,” Nora hummed, squeezing his arm gently, “we’ll be fine. Besides, if we’ve got communications open, you can tell us where to go based on what Oliver sees from your viewpoint, right?”

Jaune pouted, but reluctantly, he nodded, accepting his role. “I’ll make sure you’re okay,” he promised.

Ren sighed, standing up from the wobbly seat he had occupied and crouching next to the map. “Where exactly is this taking place? Where are he and his gang operating out of?” he asked.

Howl quickly pulled up a larger map of Argus and pointed at the actual location situated southwest of the city. The closest built-up area was the train station. “The old train yard,” Kalian explained. “There’s tons of cargo carriages and shipping crates unused there. Currently, the maintenance line is only being used by the Argus Limited- or at least,” and he flashed a toothy grin at Nora and Ren, “the remains of it.”

Ren flushed while Nora shrugged. “We didn’t have a choice, okay,” she said plainly.

Howl said, “You’ll be attacking from the northeastern entrance, just past the station. Try to avoid attracting attention when you get there- we cannot risk alerting the Atlesian Military until later. We will be attacking from the southern forest. There’s a wall there, but easy to scale since we have the equipment for it. If anything goes wrong, meet us in the southwestern quadrant of the train yard.”

With that, the plan was set. Nora smiled, watching as the meeting ended and every member of the Embers stood simultaneously. Caelus walked over to one of the boxes in the back of the room, quickly retrieving a large paintbrush and a can.

Everyone was dressed in drab, grey attire, completely unlike their normal, more colourful selves. Nora could only grin and bounce in anticipation as each person marked their clothes with a splash of bright orange paint- just like Carob’s sleeve.

“Protect the Embers,” Kalian called.

“Protect the Embers,” they all chorused.

She reached out for the paintbrush as well, but Caelus shook his head. “Nuh-uh-uh,” he scolded lightly. “You’ve got to stay unmarked. Can’t have the troops associating you with us early, after all.”

Nora pouted, but nodded, acquiescing. Kalian ruffled her hair, murmuring, “I’m pretty sure this does the trick, though.” She rolled her eyes in response, but even Ren and Jaune smiled at his comment, so she took it in stride.

She could not tell whether it was excitement or nerves causing her to bounce in such a jittery fashion, but either way, the sun was setting and she and Ren had a job to do. And so, they set forth, Kalian acting as their guide to the drop-off point. Along the way, Nora could barely bite back her glee as she saw numerous people in the crowd dressed in dark clothing, all with bright streaks of orange paint glistening somewhere on their attire. The Embers were truly uniting.

It almost felt like Nora and Ren had never left the Embers- this felt practiced, right.

However, everything was different now. Some of Nora’s enthusiasm died as Oliver tugged Jaune’s sleeve, the teen hugging a trombone-case-turned-rifle-carrier to his chest clumsily. “This is where we go, Jaune,” Oliver said, pointing to a back alleyway that veered off. “We’ll find the building this way.”

Biting a trembling lip, Jaune held out his arms. Nora and Ren both instantly walked forward, wrapping the boy in a comforting hug. “Be safe, okay?” Jaune whimpered. “You need to be safe.”

“We’ll do our best,” Nora smiled. Turning to Ren, she added, “Right?”

Ren’s eyes softened. “We always have,” he said fondly. Nora flushed at the words, stolen from her own lips only a few months before.

As the two young men jogged their way down the road, Kalian tapped Nora’s shoulder. It was just the three of them now, standing a few blocks down from the train station, and just a bit further from the site of the attack. Spinning around, she murmured, “Hey, Kal. What’s up?”

The redhead sighed, pushing his long hair out of his eyes. “Look, Ren, Nora,” he began awkwardly, “I…” He paused, then sighed again, silently steeling himself for whatever he was about to say. “I want you to know that if things get bad, we’ll protect you.”

Nora laughed, but her heart was warm. “We’re practically Huntsmen now, y’know,” she teased. “Aren’t you too worried?”

But Kalian’s face remained somber, a soft smile in his face as he placed his hands on Nora and Ren’s shoulders. “You say that now,” he grumbled embarrassedly, “but… you know you’re like… our kids, right? Like, Oliver is Greg’s kid. You’re ours.” He flashed a clumsy grin. “And nothing will change that, even after this mission. Even with your own mission, whatever-the-hell it’s about.” After a moment, he added, “We’re not going to let you see those bastards, okay? We’ll take them down. You’ve just got to keep their lackeys busy.”

The look in his eyes made Nora’s knees weak. It was the same look that Saphron had worn whenever she looked at Jaune, the same warmth and kindness and doting affection. Before he could say another word, Nora wrapped him in a tight hug. “Thanks, Kalian,” she murmured. “We love you, too.”

“It’ll be hard saying goodbye again after this is done,” Ren admitted.

Kalian rolled his eyes, pushing Nora off of him and fixing her hair idly. “Look, you brats will find yourselves in trouble no matter what,” he griped. “If you bring your bullshit back to Anima, though, let us know.”

Nora stared at him, deadpan. “Oh, as if we’re gonna be able to contact you.”

He chuckled half-heartedly. “I mean… you can try?”

Nora punched him lightly in the shoulder, but a message in their earpieces ended their play quickly. “You have ten minutes to get into position,” Howl said smoothly into their communications line.

Sobering up, Nora bumped her fist against Kalian’s, and Ren did the same. “See you on the other side,” she said.

Kalian smirked, confidence oozing out from every pore. “Don’t wet yourself when you see blood, Lil’ Valkyrie,” he said mockingly.

She stuck her tongue out at him, then grabbed Ren’s arm and tugged him along.

It only took a few minutes to arrive at their destination. Nora spotted two guards waiting on the inner entrance of the train yard, but no one else was there; these guards were not part of the Atlesian Military, however, lacking their uniformity and class. Little more than thugs, it was clear they belonged to Sotz’s crew.

“Everyone’s in position,” Oliver said over their earpieces.

Nora grinned, pointing at the two guards. “Let’s take them out?” Ren nodded, and within less than a minute, the two guards were unconscious, their bodies dragged away and hidden behind some empty shipping containers.

Yet, no one else appeared. Even as Nora and Ren took to walking down the main path of the train yard, no longer bothering to keep to the shadows, they didn’t see a single soul; there was naught but icy ground, fallen pine needles, and stacks of wooden slats and empty crates lining the rows of empty shipping crates and discontinued train carriages.

“Ren,” she murmured, her grip tightening on Magnhild’s handle, “shouldn’t they have spotted us by now?”

Ren’s expression was steely as he reached up, turning on his comms to ask, “Oliver, Jaune. Do you see anyone in our vicinity?”

No response.

Nora frowned, pausing in her tracks. “What? Why aren’t they responding?”

Ren grimaced and tried again. “Oliver and Jaune, where are you?”

No response.

Nora held her breath. On her Scroll, it said that the transmission was going through, so what was happening with the two boys? In the quiet, she was able to hear a high-pitched, slightly static-filled tone. “Is it jammed?” she breathed.

The boy knelt down, taking a moment to listen in as well. Soon, however, he looked up at her, muttering, “I think it is. Something’s wrong.”

Quickly, the two of them attempted calling the others, but no one picked up. It was as if all feeds were blocked, leaving only static in their wake from the moment they entered into the yard. Nora laughed weakly. “Do ya think it’s because of the storm?” she whispered.

Ren glowered at the sky, all ominous clouds and dimmed visibility- the yard was illuminated by large spotlights for now, but should there be a power outage, they’d be done. “I wish.”

The pair quickly accepted the fact that they were on their own. They’d gone through sketchier missions. It would be alright… right?

It only took a few more minutes of walking through the eerily-still area to finally find another human being- two humans, to be precise. Nora regretted going to the train yard with every fiber of her being as those humans stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Her vision tunneled, knees going weak. The first figure was Nick; she had known, somewhere in her mind, that she would see him again. The other person, though?

She knew him too well.

Fifty metres away stood the figure that had come to haunt her memories once more over the past few months, after having been free of his image for so long. A lean, lanky man stepped out into the center of the road, one hand propped upon his hips, a coy smile on his face. His pale, strawberry blond hair was limp and greasy, hanging matted around his shoulders. That same garish scar that she remembered, covering his entire eye and mouth, was still just as gruesome and twisted as ever, contrasting against pale, gaunt skin; however, now, that scar ran all the way down the side of his body, all across both of his arms, almost all of his visible flesh mottled and fire-bitten.

Nora suddenly felt as green as Jaune. She was going to be sick. They had done that to him, hadn’t they?

The man opened his eyes, just as golden and pervasive as ever, and she almost did retch, clutching onto her stomach automatically. Those eyes- how long had they haunted her?

They’re always- she took a step- fucking- she took another step- golden.

Ren stood close enough to her to feel his heat. She took in a deep breath, allowing herself to tear her eyes away from their enemy and instead look up at Ren. He was beautiful, silhouetted by the powerful floodlight filling the yard. He was by her side.

And he wasn’t crying. They weren’t children anymore.

She wasn’t a child anymore, able to be chained up and used.

Nick bellowed, “I told ya the brats were here.”

Sotz looked at Nora and Ren impassively, his smile as impersonal as if it were the first day they’d met. Then, his face lilted upwards, his eyes widening, honing in on the duo. His smile crept wider, wider, wider- teeth bared and fangs exposed, he grinned, pulling out his twin daggers slowly.

Nora felt sick.

“You’re all grown up,” Sotz called.

Her mind flashed back to that poster she had seen so many weeks earlier on the Huntsmen’s board; how could she have just assumed a monster like this had died?

“You’re so big now,” he said, walking forward slowly, sensually. Daggers reflected the floodlights filling the area, the man catching them easily as he flipped the blades over and over again.

“Ren,” Nora whimpered before she could stop herself.

Ren whispered, “It’s okay.” He sounded close to tears.

This man was nowhere near as terrifying as the Nuckelavee, and yet… how was she feeling even more helpless in front of him that that monster?

It was a silly question. She knew why- Sotz was a monster by intent. The Nuckelavee had always meant death. This man had always been nothing more than pain.

Suddenly, Sotz paused, eyes dragging slowly up and down Nora’s figure. He raised one thin brow, a smirk growing on his face. “You grew up well, little girl,” he cooed. “If only you had stayed longer so I could enjoy it.”

Ren stepped forward with a snarl, and Nora had to hold him back. “Wait,” she whispered. For what, she didn’t know- this wasn’t supposed to be happening. Her rational mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. They were supposed to be the distractions, nothing more. They were supposed to just take down the fodder.

So why were Sotz and Nick waiting for them?

“What,” Nick cackled, slapping his belly in satisfaction, “can’t hear your little friends? I thought you’d like the jammer.”

Howl, please tell us what to do, she screamed internally, clutching onto her hammer for dear life.

Suddenly, the communication line roared back to life. It flooded immediately with the sounds of gunshots and screaming pain, clashing steel and exploding Dust. Nora winced, immediately lowering the volume in her headset. “What’s going on?” she cried.

A myriad of voices stepped on each other’s words, blocking out the numerous cries that screeched in. The only command that broke through was this: “Bring them to the south end!”

Nora and Ren looked each other in the eyes. “Ready?” she whispered.

He smiled, as tender as ever to her before steeling himself. “Let’s go.”

And so, the chase began.

Nora’s legs pumped faster than she had ever run in her left, adrenaline screaming through her veins. The static in the comms quickly melded into the background, her pounding heart blocking out all other sound.

Nick and Sotz immediately gave chase, their leering calls triggering memories she had long-since repressed. Throughout it all, no other words came into her earpiece.

How are they here?! she screamed silently, dodging Sotz’s bullets. How did they know what we were-

Her heart sank. Howl disseminated their orders at a distance- if there was a rat-

“Nora, distract them!” Ren commanded. Wordlessly, she stopped in her tracks, spinning around and firing a barrage of Dust grenades at the duo chasing them. Ren used that momentary distraction to run across the duo, slicing with his blades wherever he could find purchase. Nora grinned and continued to run as both men howled in pain.

A part of Nora’s mind paused. This feels almost like initiation. That thought almost sent her into a fit of hysterical giggles, laughter barely stifled down. I can’t believe I’m missing being chased by a giant Nevermore and Deathstalker, though.

She chewed her lip anxiously, ducking into one long, open train carriage. Running along the center aisle, she grimaced and grabbed onto a nearby seat as the entire train seemed to rock in place, eventually tipping clean over to one side as the earth itself rolled in waves underneath the chocks themselves. Oh gods, they planned this- they wanted to lure me and Ren out alone so they could pick off the others afterwards-

As she smashed one of the windows of the passenger car and climbed out before the train car could tip over entirely, a loud, piercing, inhuman roar filled the air, easily drowning out the sound of gunfire erupting from the Embers’ location, locking her in place.

Ren was by her side in an instant, brushing glass off of her and dragging her forwards. “Keep going,” he breathed, already panting.

“What the heck was that sound?” she cried, glancing around fervently. The sound had come from the south end of the facility- where the others had been expecting to ambush Sotz and Nick. The roar ripped through the air once again, sending chills down her spine.

“I don’t know,” Ren muttered. “We’ll find out.”

Suddenly, a body crashed through a pile of crates in front of her. Booming footsteps dented metal as Nick kicked his way in front of them, his long jacket billowing behind him. He tucked his hands into his pockets, casual as ever. The large man was blocking their path. “Found ya,” he laughed.

Nora and Ren both frantically looked around. There were no platforms to jump onto in their immediate area- they somehow needed to outrun him.

Nick guffawed, grinning maliciously. “C’m’here, kiddos. Let’s play.”

Nora chewed her lip, stepped on Magnhild, and fired herself up into the air to avoid the spray of torn-up earth that Nick shot her way. He continued to barrage her with an assault of earth and clay, shaking the very ground beneath her feet any time she alighted back down. Ren tried to distract him every once in a while, but the game of cat and mouse they played was exhausting, quickly wearing Ren down before Nora.

Sotz was nowhere to be seen, likely hiding until Nick was defeated. Coward. She needed to get Nick airborne- in the air, he’d be useless. Spinning in the air, she grit her teeth and fired another shot on Magnhild, propelling her back crashing to the ground.

Seeing her coming from a mile away, Nick easily sidestepped her, expecting her to try and strike him. “You’ve gotta be faster than that, girlie,” he hooted, body glowing again as he charged up his Semblance.

However, she didn’t try and strike him on the way down. Instead, she simply landed with knees bent, tensed and ready to lunge forward. His eyes widened in panic as she shot forward on the ground before his Semblance was ready to fire, pressing the electrical trigger on the handle to shock her muscles; with the extra strength, she easily skidded forward the moment she touched down, swinging her hammer and sending Nick flying upward. “Ren, go!” she cried.

Ren didn’t miss a beat, jumping towards her and firing up at Nick’s body, pummelling his body and keeping it airborne. The large man’s Aura was protecting him against Ren’s bullets, but it didn’t matter; that moment of reprieve gave Nora enough time to leap high into the air again, flip midair, and slam her hammer down onto Nick’s rotund belly.

The man nearly vomited mid-flight as he crashed into a pile of wooden timber slats, stacked high and teetering. Wood and dust shattered underneath his body. Nora landed, readying herself for the man to climb out of the timber pile.

Before she could engage, the communication feeds in her earpiece sparked back to life for just a moment. It was Jaune, the boy screaming through static-filled connections, “Nora, Ren, move!”

Wordlessly, she grabbed Ren by the arm and bolted away. As they ran, she looked back at the upper window of the nearby warehouse where Oliver and Jaune had been staking out- to her surprise, she saw not a glint of a scope, but instead a steadily-glowing figure, shining white through the haze.

Jaune’s amplifying Oliver’s Semblance, she realized numbly.

That understanding was only supported with a single shot came from the building, sparking a red line across the sky until it landed in the pile of slats. A strangled scream erupted from the wood as the whole thing combusted, the bullet laden with fire-Dust hitting its mark perfectly. Nick’s screams of anguish echoed through the entire lane as the structure collapsed on top of him, the smell of ash and smoke and burning flesh quickly souring Nora’s stomach, turning her insides out.

Nick didn’t emerge from the fire.

In his wake, two blades emerged, aimed straight for Nora’s face. She dodged with a quick fire from her hammer, quickly righting herself and circling Sotz, the man mimicking her with a crazed edge in his eye. Ren quickly joined her, standing on the other side of Sotz so that the lanky man was in the middle.

Carefully, Nora looked over their options. Oh, Jaune, we could really do with a strategy right now, she moaned silently. As it was, the feed in her ear was back to pure static, so she was on her own.

No, she thought suddenly, pausing in her tracks. Ren’s here.

Ren would always be there. We can do this.

Their opponent noticed her lull, crouching low and flipping his daggers in his hands quietly. “You know, little girl, I don’t like having to find new men,” he murmured just loud enough for her to hear. “Nick was a bastard, but a useful one. You want to tell me where I’ll find a replacement?”

“That freak is dead,” she replied coldly. “You will be too, soon.”

“You think you can hurt me?!” Sotz leaned his head back and roared with laughter, cackles sending a terrifying chill down Nora’s spine. “You think that you can hurt me?!” And then, he struck.

His movements were just as nimble as Nora remembered, his blades naught but a blur of steel in the air as he danced, quickly overwhelming her. She couldn’t fight him off, only managing to land a few blows in while focusing on avoiding his offense. Ren attempted to stand between them, but the boy was quickly batted away, Sotz’s emaciated form still somehow stronger.

Nora quickly took in her surroundings. They were almost at the south end of the train yard. “Ren!” she cried, meeting his gaze. Everyone’s waiting.

“Got it!” he called, leaping on top of a nearby platform to get to the top of a train carriage. Nora followed suit, jumping into the air, stepping on Magnhild’s hammerhead, and firing herself off into the clearing. Sotz was not giving up on his chase; out of the corner of her eye, Nora could see his daggers dancing, reflecting the light of the fire that raged on behind them.

Nora shuddered instinctively, remember all of those times those blades had hurt her. The image from her nightmares, from her memories, of those blades right in front of her own eyes, cutting into her skin-

She shook her head, landing lithely on the ground without losing her speed. Her dead sprint continued, footsteps echoing noisily atop empty cargo holds.

Eventually, they were close enough to the rest of the combat that the sounds of battle echoed through to them. They must’ve sent their men after everyone else, and came to hunt me and Ren down personally, she thought, grinding her teeth in frustration. Please, let everyone be okay. Her guardians had always been incredibly strong, but sheer numbers could overwhelm anyone, and she wasn’t sure how many of the Embers’ own followers remained. We need to finish up and help them.

But only a few hundred feet away from the others was a large clearing, and soon, she had to stand on even ground with Sotz. The moment she and Ren were back onto the ground, the exchange of blows began. She pivoted on the spot, bringing her hammer down on the spot where Sotz would be landing. The man managed to dodge her by a hairsbreadth, but Ren was right there to kick him aside, sending him crashing into the side of a steel crate. Without losing speed, Nora leapt forward and caught the man unawares, sending the pointed side of her hammer straight into his side. Golden eyes grew wide in shock and pain, and Sotz’s body flew into the center of the clearing.

Ren was immediately upon him, stepping on his chest to hold him down, StormFlower’s barrels pointed at Sotz’s face unforgivingly. His shoulders were heaving, clothes and skin soaked with sweat from the heat and exertion, his hair clinging to his face, giving him a wild, manic look as he watched their opponent carefully.

Sotz looked to be faring far worse, his nose clearly broken and struggling to mend itself. His breaths came out gasping and laboured as Ren applied pressure, and the ugly, terrible burn that covered his eye and extended down his chest seemed to be glowing red, scar tissue wrinkled; a truly wretched image.

Nora jogged over to Ren, shifting Magnhild back into a grenade launcher and pointing it at the man lying on his back. “Ren, are you okay?” she cried, longing to reach out and check him over for wounds. However, she wouldn’t risk it- not with Sotz right there.

Ren nodded. “You?”

“I’m fine,” she said tightly. She was glad that she had always had far greater stamina than Ren; being able to keep her breaths even and controlled, her voice calm and collected despite her weariness, felt like a display of power in front of Sotz. She was the stronger one.

Yet, Sotz’s twisted smile only grew. “You think you’ve won?” he laughed incredulously. His voice was raw, broken and guttural and cracking, but the confidence in his eyes remained. “Oh, children, didn’t I teach you to not be so naïve?”

Nora saw it too late. “Ren, move!” she screamed.

But Sotz had already begun to glow that pale, unnatural rose gold, his Semblance drawing his Aura to his face as he unhinged his jaw, dropped it wide open, and began to scream.

Nora immediately fell to her knees, covering her ears and relaxing her jaw so that the pulsing sound wouldn’t shatter her teeth. The sound of Sotz’s voice, amplified by his Aura, was enough to render his prey immobile. She hated it- hated seeing the unnatural, cavernous opening of his mouth, hated seeing the manic joy in his eyes, hated hearing that high, screeching tone ring loud and true and strong enough to render anyone in the vicinity immobile. Cries of pain and screams of fear immediately began resonating from the nearby battlefield, the sounds of clashing steel replaced with the pathetic sobs of terrified soldiers.

Nora felt her entire body growing numb, weak. This was the sound that had rendered her motionless so many times before. I’m stronger than you, she insisted silently.

She was close enough to him. She just needed to shut him up.

So, with one quick motion, she let out a scream of pain as she dropped her hands from her ears, feeling pain strike through her skull like a piercing lance. She shoved Ren out of the way and pressed Magnhild’s trigger, watching as the hammerhead extended and slammed right into Sotz’s jaw, forcing his mouth shut.

The sense of relief in the air was palpable the moment the sound came to a stop. She gasped, crying despite herself as her Aura frantically worked to heal her damaged eardrums- it was invasive and noisy, like a million bugs crawling around in her skull. The image itself made her gag. Still, she dragged herself up to her feet, watching her opponent drag himself up, too. She knew he couldn’t use his Semblance again right away- it used far too much energy- so for now, all he had were his blades and whatever scraps of power he still held.

Then, they were facing one another, and Nora froze.

Sotz… had he always been this tiny?

He was barely taller than her. The battle and chase had destroyed his clothing; through the gaps, she could see ribs jutting through pale, scarred skin, the mottled flesh running all the way across his chest and stomach. Those scars hadn’t been made by the Branwens when he had left; they looked old, but not that old. No wonder he can’t forget us. We destroyed him.

But this waif of a man, all snarling teeth and heaving breaths and pure, unadulterated hatred in bloodshot golden eyes was nothing more than a wretch, a mere ghost of the demon that had haunted her for so many years. Or maybe that was all he had ever been.

That thought struck her like a dagger in the heart. Why had she been so afraid of this for so long? He still killed Snow and Star and Cara, she reminded herself, slowly straightening herself up. He hurt everyone.

He had hurt Nora, too. And if she hadn’t run away with Ren when she had, who knows what would’ve happened?

But did that mean she couldn’t win?

She didn’t realize she was hyperventilating slightly until a wash of calm rolled over her in the form of pink light. Gasping for mouthfuls of air, as smoky and ashen and charged as the sky was amidst the brewing storm up above, she turned to give Ren a shaky smile. “Thanks, Ren,” she whispered.

He cupped her cheek for a moment, his Semblance easing the paranoia and fear that had wedged itself into her mind as her Aura finished healing up her ears. “I’m here,” he whispered.

“You brats,” Sotz hissed, readying himself to strike.

Nora nodded towards Ren. We have to take him to the others, she said silently. That was where they intended to fight him. They need him there for their plan.

Ren seemed to be thinking the same thing. In a heartbeat, the two were back upright, sprinting away from their assailant who trailed them mercilessly. They wove through empty carriages and crates and storage boxes, heavy footfalls echoing across metal casings.

Eventually, they reached the assigned clearing. Sotz launched himself at them, almost feral in his desperate, haggard assault. Nora didn’t fear anymore, though- she was stronger than him. He was weak.

No longer was she a little girl to hold hostage in order to use Ren. She would win.

The battle raged on. The Embers’ lower-ranking members fought valiantly against whatever few troops remained, but it grew clearer by the second that Kalian and Caelus had already taken care of the majority of Sotz’s followers. The ones still standing looked terrified, with half of them breaking into dead sprints and trying to escape, half of them falling to their knees and surrendering.

As more and more people fell, a sudden crash echoed through the yard, drawing everyone’s attention. A giant, lumbering, monstrous creature was splayed flat on its back, bleeding profusely from jagged wounds and neat slices marring its entirely pulsating, murky green body. Nora watched the creature roar in pain, horrified as she took it in; it wasn’t a Grimm, so what the hell was it?!

The moment she saw Carob and Howl leap out into the clearing after it, Howl’s boot-knife and Carob’s double-tipped staff dripping with blood, she knew what it was. The monster began to glow with a muddy green Aura, the light flashing all over the creature’s body until suddenly it wasn’t there anymore. In its place was yet another corpse.

She deftly dodged Sotz’s knife and firing a grenade into his chest, sending him flying straight into Ren’s blades. It gave her enough time to glance over at Oliver and Jaune, the former’s rifle scope shining in the firelight.

You’re free now, Oliver.

Nora looked away from the monster- no, the lackey’s- pitiful form, turning her attention back onto Sotz. The Embers didn’t show mercy- not when people like Sotz existed.

Once the last few stragglers were picked off, the train yard was filled with bodies. She swallowed thickly, quietly thanking the heavens that they had had the common sense to leave Jaune up away from the combat with Oliver. He wasn’t built for this kind of carnage, no matter how much he grew stronger. He wasn’t made for it.

She continued to attack Sotz relentlessly with Ren. It was only a matter of time before their victory. Their enemy’s options were running out, Nora knew. His Aura danced pathetically upon his skin for just a few moments before fizzling out completely. He needed to run, or he would die.

Sotz’s split lips and bloody nose were bleeding all over his mouth, teeth shining red, a bloodthirsty light in his eyes as he turned to look at Nora. “I’m going to get you,” he spat, blood and spittle flying, lit up in the air by the distant fire raging which had long-since consumed Nick. “You filthy-“

Before he could utter another word, his eyes went wide, standing out starkly against his horrible scars. Amidst the steadily-increasing wind and the sound of combat all around them, Nora almost missed the quiet sounds of a few rounds shot behind her. Looking back, she froze, seeing Ren holding out StormFlower, barrels smoking slightly as Sotz toppled to the ground, clutching his knees.

She gulped. Sotz screamed in pain- however, without his Semblance, it was just pathetic, a broken, mauled creature with shattered kneecaps. Ren muttered, jaw clenched tight, nostrils flared and eyes watery with unshed, bitter tears, “Don’t you ever threaten her again.”

Nora couldn’t look away. Ren looked like a hulking beast when compared to Sotz’s tiny, shattered form.

Suddenly, Caelus was by her side. He was bloody and battered, a complete turnaround to the confident figure she had said goodbye to barely two hours before. An almost sadistic smile shone on his face as he looked at Sotz’s broken figure, but when he turned to Nora, his gaze softened. “It’s time. You ready, Lil’ Valkyrie?”

She finally tore her gaze away from Ren. Nodding determinedly, she asked, “What do you need?”

Caelus’ canines flashed evilly, smile shining bright against his dark skin. “Easy.” He pointed to the sky, then began to glow, his Aura manifesting around him, floating towards the sky. The storm clouds had grown thick above them, towering cumulonimbus columns dark and heavy, wind currents stirring the air mercilessly. In one hand, Caelus pulled out a round of lightning-Dust- the trigger. He held the other hand out to Nora. “Time to storm-dive, Nora.”

She knew what he wanted. Finally. She grinned back on instinct, taking hold of his hand. The moment she did so, he raised the Dust cartridge and crushed it in his hands, allowing the lightning-Dust to float into the air, sprinkling down around him.

The sky parted with a force so violent, a heat so indescribable, that Nora wanted to scream. Her words died in her mouth as her vision went white, the deafening sound of a following thunderclap almost shattering her eardrums a second later. The force of the lightning bolt struck Caelus immediately, the electricity conducting through his body, his Semblance- and straight into her.

She loved being supercharged like this. When was the last time she had felt a real lightning both burning her from the inside out, lighting this kind of fire within her?

The moment she could hear again, she flexed her muscles and roared with the strength imbued within her. On cue, Kalian bellowed, “Get him into the train, Nora!”

Nora wrapped her fingers around Magnhild’s handle, pressing the electrocuting trigger out of curiosity. She didn’t even feel the electricity generating within the hammer; it paled in comparison to nature itself.

Sotz was desperately tottering to his knees, his expression of pain shifting into one of pure horror. “No,” he wheezed, “don’t-“

Don’t ever try and touch me again. She grinned, swung back her hammer, and slammed it into his stomach with every ounce of strength she had in her refueled body. The blow landed so hard onto his hapless form that the crunch of his bones almost rivaled the sound of the thunder booming overhead. In an instant, he was flung across the yard, body crashing into the Argus Limited, rocking the entire train upon impact.

“He’s down!” Howl boomed across the yard.

Nora didn’t know what hit her, a sudden blur of red and fire wrapping around her. The moment that warmth touched her, however, she immediately relaxed and complied, allowing herself to be flung bodily over Kalian’s shoulder as he sprinted out of the area. When the world stopped spinning, she glanced around, catching sight of Carob hoisting Jaune like a discus out of the window and tossing him with all his strength into the distance. Howl was scooping up Oliver, the teen letting himself get carried in the man’s arms as Howl bolted across the rooftop of the warehouse. Caelus and Ren were running side by side right behind her and Kalian.

Suddenly, Howl dropped Oliver down, the boy immediately falling into the prone position and holding his rifle at the ready. “Take the fucking shot, kid!” Kalian screamed.

Nora blinked, and then, the sky seemed to split wide open. A furious clap of sound rang through the air, the static raising the hairs on her arms. Nora almost grit her teeth until Kalian whispered, “Relax. I’ve got you.”

She obeyed, holstering Magnhild clumsily and wrapping her arms around his neck. She was a Huntress, yes; but she knew that Kalian would always protect her. So, she tucked face against his collarbone and sucked in a breath, waiting for the impact.

And when the explosion hit, and she felt Kalian be flung off his feet, she felt herself drift in and out of consciousness, the force too much to bear.

The next thing she knew, she was dropped on the ground, with Ren and a whimpering Jaune next to her. “Pretend like you know nothing,” Howl reminded them. “We’ve disabled surveillance in this sector for thirty more minutes. Get back to a main street, slip into the crowd, and disappear.”

Nora shakily raised her hand in a salute, head ringing. “Yessir,” she coughed out. That’s why you didn’t let us mark ourselves, huh?

Ren was coughing from the dust and ash filling the air from the train yard. A pathetic lump was growing on Jaune’s forehead where he’d landed after his unceremonious flight at the hands of Carob. Otherwise, however, everyone seemed alright.

Howl nodded, a proud glint in his eyes. “It’s done. We’ll comb the wreckage with the fire is out.”

“You set up bombs?” Ren breathed, absolutely flabbergasted.

Kalian shrugged, brushing her sweat-streaked hair out of her face. “We had a lot of extra Dust,” he said nonchalantly. “Will neither confirm nor deny.”

After a moment, Jaune finally managed to catch his breath. “Protect the Embers?” Jaune offered sheepishly, looking to the other two for backup.

Nora and Ren both laughed, reaching out to hug Jaune in their exhaustion.

Howl smiled. “Be careful.” And just like the wind, he was gone, nothing more than a silhouette running on the rooftops. Kalian soon followed, a wicked grin disappearing into the shadows of Argus before they could blink.

Staggering to her feet, Nora strained to pull Jaune and Ren up as well. In the distance, she could see the remains of the train yard at the bottom of the hill; nothing but charred ash remained inside the skeletal husk of the Argus Limited. “Well,” Nora murmured, looking up dazedly at the plume of smoke filling the sky and blending in with the thundering rainclouds, “we’re not going back to Mistral anytime soon on that.”

The rain had begun to fall. She didn’t mind. After the sweat and heat and exhaustion; after the fire and fury and fear, the rain washed away the grime on her face, pouring down in a painful torrent.

Jaune muttered, “No one has an umbrella, right?”

She didn’t trust herself to speak. So, she smiled.

And with that, Nora, Ren and Jaune began to totter away towards civilization, too exhausted to even think of what had just come to pass. They could dwell on it later. For now, all Nora had to do was put one foot in front of the other and relish in the fact that finally, she had won.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Well. This wasn’t in the plan.

Nora, Ren and Jaune found themselves sitting in an interrogation room in the Atlesian Military’s headquarters off the pier of Argus. While a week ago, the thought of getting into the base would’ve been nothing but a pure victory for the trio, now the entire situation boded ill for them. After all, how in the world would they be able to convince Atlas that they weren’t at fault for the destruction of the Argus Limited and the train yard?

“We’re just students,” Jaune repeated for the nth time. Nora almost laughed; the blond looked like he was about to cry. “We were just ex- exploring the city, and then it all blew up.”

“Oh really?” their tiny interrogator repeated once again.

Nora sighed, leaning her cheek onto one propped-up hand as she sank back into her uncomfortable chair. She was absolutely exhausted; they had been sitting in this interrogation room for hours, and now that the commander of the base was finally here, this is what they received?

The elderly woman standing in front of them- all bluster in a slightly-oversized white Atlesian uniform, proudly displaying her rank and arrogance on her sleeve- seemed to be all bark and no bite. She was the tiniest little commander they had ever seen. Even Nora thought she was small, of all people!

They had thought they had escaped the location of the battle stealthily enough. However, the moment they had boarded a tram on the way back to Saphron and Terra’s home, sirens had gone off and soldiers were upon them. Jaune had openly wept, his eyes still a little bit puffy despite it all. That display of weakness had done nothing to stop the soldiers from announcing that their IDs had been scanned and picked up near the train yard, and that they needed to come in for questioning.

Nora wanted to bust out. They hadn’t had their weapons taken away, even when the commander of the base had entered. If they really wanted to, they could get out- they totally could-

But we need a ship, Nora mourned internally, silently mouthing at Jaune to just stop talking. The less they spoke, the less chances they had that someone would tie them into the cause of the explosion at the train yard.

“But how-“ Caroline Cordovin cried, smacking her hand on the table hard enough that it shook the lamp seated upon it, the singular light illuminating the tiny interrogation chamber flickering for a moment, “-did a trio of students oh so conveniently end up in the exact spot of a terrible terrorist attack?!”

Ren sighed. He attempted, “Ma’am, we-“

“Do not ‘ma’am’ me, ingrate,” she roared, pointing an accusatory finger at the young man. “I know of your ilk. You have come to ruin my spectacular Argus!”

“More like we’ve come to leave your ‘spectacular Argus’,” Nora muttered before she could stop herself.

Unfortunately, the elderly woman heard her perfectly, walking over to Nora’s side of the table and sneering. “You want to leave? Why, is something not to your liking?” She leaned in even closer, rage lighting up her dark brown eyes like nothing else. “Or is it because your dark deeds are already done?!”

Nora wanted to scream. “We didn’t do it,” she replied immediately. “It wasn’t our fault!”

It was Oliver and Caelus who set up the charges. Plausible deniability saves the day. The deadpan look in Ren’s eyes told her he wasn’t buying her story, however.

Neither was Cordovin. The tiny commander cried, “Oh, I bet you weren’t! Just like how I bet the Argus Limited will actually be able to carry passengers between our noble city and those heathens in Mistral- which is, it won’t be!” She glared at the trio seated glumly in front of her. “Do you have any idea how much damage to infrastructure you have caused-“

“We didn’t plant any bombs, we didn’t blow anything up, and we were just trying to escape the explosion when it happened,” Ren said quietly. “We’re very sorry that this has happened in your city, but we genuinely did not do anything of the sort. In fact, we’re actually looking for transport out of the city.”

That phrase made Cordovin stop short. “Oh, well too bad the Argus Limited isn’t going to be able to-“

“We want to go to Mantle!” Nora cried.

Everyone in the room paused, looking over to her. If the one-way mirrored windows lining the north wall of the interrogation room had been just regular glass, she probably could have seen the guards on the other side do a double-take as well.

“You… want to go… to Solitas,” Cordovin repeated slowly, one thin, over-plucked brow arched high in disbelief.

Jaune let out a long, trembling sigh. “Yeah…”

Caroline Cordovin blinked at the trio, then reared her head back, letting out a long, resounding guffaw. “You think that you might be able to find a vessel here? In my base?”

Ren offered wearily, “I mean, not right now-“

“Not ever!” the woman screamed.

Before she could continue, however, a voice on the intercom cut in, announcing, “Commander! We managed to salvage all the footage we could, but it seems like these three were indeed not involved.”

Nora had to fight back the leering, proud grin that threatened to creep up with all her might. Thanks, Howl. Adopting an air of frustration, she cried, “See?! We didn’t blow anything up! Can we go now?”

The tiny woman could have been looking at ants underneath her shoe, wrinkled face drawn tight in anger as she regarded them all bitterly. “Fine,” she hissed, tossing her grey hair out of her eyes. “My men shall escort you out. But I’d better not hear anything about you children wanting to use my ships ever again! I should never see you back here!”

“You’ll let us go to Mantle eventually!” Nora said. “Just you wait!”

“Leave, and stay out!”

And so, just like that, Nora, Ren and Jaune were promptly booted from the large Atlesian base. The giant iron-wrought gates closed behind the trio with a loud clang, the two guards posted behind the bars glaring at them from underneath large, ostentatious uniform hats.

Jaune slumped over, grimacing. It was nearly dawn with the light streaming over the horizon, painting the calm seas a breathtaking lilac. “Guys, I need to go home,” Jaune moaned, shuffling down the long road leading back to the mainland. “I need to sleep.”

“What, you didn’t like our adventure?” Nora laughed, hooking her arm through his. Turning back to look at Ren, she beamed wearily, holding her hand open for him to take. “C’mon, Ren.”

The other boy had been so focused on looking at the base- no doubt mourning their lost chance of getting a vessel to use to get to Mantle. It did sting to realize that they truly had no way to secure a ship before their allies arrived in Argus. Oh well, Nora thought, yawning as exhaustion began to take over her body as well, it’s not like we had much of a chance anyways. Why would the Atlesian Military listen to a bunch of students?

Either way, there was no way to get anything else done until Ruby and Qrow and the others arrived. The three of them had already exhausted all avenues available to them. Let’s just hope Qrow has some old contacts he can use to get a ship, she thought idly. Qrow seemed to be well-connected enough.

As she pondered this, Ren finally began following them, reaching out and grabbing her hand. With that, the trio stumbled their way back home, slipping into the Cotta-Arc household as quietly as they could. It was lucky that their clumsy footsteps, knocking into walls and doors and against corners constantly, was not heard by the homeowners. Thankfully, no one emerged from any of the rooms to scold them for crawling back into the house around dawn, and the trio was able to get ready for bed with relative ease.

Jaune almost woke his sister up when he asked, “Ren, why aren’t you coming with me- oh!”

Nora turned, regarding Jaune’s bright pink cheeks in confusion. His expression’s cause quickly became clear as she realized that Ren was not standing by their room, instead waiting with Nora to enter hers.

Beet-red now, his flush visible even in the lightless hallway, Jaune whispered hotly, “Oh my gods um- go- go have fun? Um okay I’m-“ before hurdling into his bedroom and closing the door behind him with zero grace.

Nora felt her own cheeks heat up, pulling at Ren’s sleeve. “Ren, what-?”

But Ren wordlessly entered her bedroom, slipping into her bed before she could say anything.

Nora watched him from the doorway, shifting uneasily on the balls of her feet. Despite her fatigue, her senses were now on high alert. What was Ren doing here?

Before she could ponder it too long, Ren murmured, “Nora.”

“Yes Ren?” she whispered.

“Come here.”

Swallowing thickly, she closed the door behind her, heart pounding in her ears. What was going on? Why was Ren staying with her? Where was this going-

But the moment she slipped into the bed too, and Ren lay on his side, cradling her against his chest, she understood. She knew what was happening. They hadn’t had any time to actually unpack what had happened less than twelve hours before.

Sotz and Nick and everyone… they were gone. Nora and Ren were free.

And just like with the end of the Nuckelavee, that realization somehow managed to lift a burden she hadn’t even known she had been carrying off her shoulders, leaving her light enough to drift away.

Instantly, her eyes welled up with confused, bitter tears, and she pressed her face into his collar. It was a strange sensation; they hadn’t lay in the same bed since they were children.

Perhaps that was why it was necessary now.

“He’s gone, Nora.” His voice was barely a whisper.

She paused, letting those words sink in slowly. “I know,” she replied just as softly.

“It almost feels too quick,” Ren murmured. She felt a shudder run through his body. “It doesn’t feel as if it’s real.”

“’Too quick’ was finding his picture on the Huntsmen’s boards,” she laughed wryly. “I’m surprised we believed it. As if a Grimm would be able to take him down.”

Ren snorted wryly, fingers running through her hair. “But we spent a whole year pretending it was all fine.”

“That’s because we had better things to focus on.”

“Team JNPR.”

“Pyrrha.”

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a long moment, simply trying to calm down their breathing- trying to keep their tears at bay. It was a conflicted, complicated emotion in Nora’s chest; disbelief and frustration and fear and relief all tangled up in a knot sitting heavily in her gut, making her simultaneously want to fly and want to vomit.

It had been easy to ignore their past when they were at Beacon. The moment Beacon fell and they had been put back onto Anima, however, everything that they had suppressed for so long had come creeping back to them; the Nuckelavee, Kuroyuri, and the bandit camps. Sotz and Nick and Varin and… and everything.

“We… we’ve really gone through a lot, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ren breathed.

Nora sidled her body even closer to him, relishing in the warmth and security his touch brought her. Even after all these years, Ren was the one true constant in her life. Ren had stayed the same. And now that their demons were all gone, all that was left was Ren.

“…do you think I’ll still have nightmares?” she whispered.

And Ren’s forehead pressed against hers, the warmth and trust in that simple gesture finally causing the tears in her eyes to overflow. “I’m still here,” he said.

Nora fell asleep like that; tangled in Ren’s arm, her weary tears of relief drying on her cheeks. And when she awoke, Ren was blushing as he looked down at her in his arms, too embarrassed to meet her gaze but clearly too worried about waking her up to move away.

With the boldness that only being half-asleep could bring, she kissed him on the lips, making his ears shine so brightly they could have been alarm lights. “Morning, Ren,” she breathed, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

Still, he smiled, the tenderness and affection in his eyes enough to make her melt. “Morning.”

It was the start of a new day.

They went their separate ways in a daze, getting ready and filing down the stairs in their own time. It was already past noon- they had slept for far longer than anticipated.

Jaune could barely meet their gaze, face burning red the moment they walked into the living room. Ren immediately pushed aside any inappropriate questions that the blond may have had by muttering, “We went to bed right away. You did too, right?”

“O-of course!” Jaune squealed, burying his face in his hands in pure agony.

Saphron paused, looking between Nora, Ren and Jaune in confusion. Understanding quickly blossomed in her gaze, and she threw her head back, letting out the most entertained cackle possible. “Jaune, what in the world are you imagining?!” she cried, grabbing Jaune in a playful headlock despite his protests. “The walls in this house are pretty thin, so it’s not like they’re lying. What would you know-“

Jaune looked like he was going to combust on the spot. Ren was no different. Nora, on the other hand, was enjoying cackling with Saphron as she fixed herself up some cocoa.

When Jaune was finally able to recover from his pure embarrassment, he waved Ren and Nora over. “The Argus Limited’s explosion is all over the news,” he explained under his breath. “I said that we were checking out the stores downtown and got lost, and the military found us walking around- that’s why we were late.”

With that cover story established, Nora murmured, “Do you think it’s safe to visit everyone at the base?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Jaune asked.

Ren supplied, “In case we’re still being watched by the military.” Turning to Nora, he said, “I doubt they think of us as threats, however. I have a feeling that if they did think we were responsible, they wouldn’t have let us go so easily.”

Nora pouted, crossing her arms angrily. “That lady was the worst! She was such a buzzkill.”

Jaune sighed, looking already fatigued. “Guys,” he moaned, “let’s just be glad we didn’t get arrested.”

Saphron perked up from the kitchen. “Did you just say ‘arrested’?” she asked skeptically, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Jaune’s face grew ashen. Nora grinned, jumping to her feet and drawing her attention. “We’re going to go visit our friends!” she announced to Saphron. “We’ll message if we’re staying out again!”

Saphron sighed, leaning against the stovetop. “Please be careful,” she implored. “I know that you’re all basically Huntsmen now, but I worry.”

Nora beamed at her, then nodded towards Ren and Jaune. “We will!” To Jaune she said, “I want to make sure everyone’s okay.”

Jaune waved them off, barely able to cover his giant yawn. Sleepy tears pricked his blue eyes as he mumbled, “I’m going back to sleep.” Pointing at them meaningfully, he said, “Let me know if anything comes up, okay?”

Ren nodded, clapping Jaune firmly on the shoulder. “We will. Go to bed.”

With that, they went their separate ways; Nora and Ren making their way back to the Embers base and Jaune going back to his bedroom.

To Nora’s utter dismay, the derelict apartment building looked nothing like it had only two days before. No longer were there maps and scrolls spread across the long table. All munitions and boxes of Dust were nowhere to be seen, leaving the rooms they had once occupied empty, hollow. Even the tattered, ragtag furniture the crew had managed to acquire around their ‘briefing’ area were all pushed back into different corners of the building, effectively destroying any trace that people had been there.

“Where did everything go?!” Nora cried, running up to Howl.

The man was standing by the window, eyes glazed over in thought whilst his Semblance glowed green in front of his eyes. After a few seconds, the glow receded, and Howl glanced over at Nora and Ren. “You two are alright,” he breathed. She and Ren both nodded and unison. Howl smiled gently, walking towards them. With clumsy hands, he reached up and patted both of them on the head. “Good. You did well.”

“Are the kids here?” Kalian’s voice boomed. From the empty doorframe of an adjacent room, Kalian strode into their room and grinned, walking up to them proudly. He held out a hand for Ren to shake, clasping the younger man on the forearm firmly. Then, to Nora, he tried to do the same thing.

Nora didn’t take his hand; she simply launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giggling. He staggered for a moment under her weight, but Kalian was quick to squeeze back, giving her a warm hug with all his muscle and build and strength. “Okay, you brat,” he scolded lightly, “let me go.”

She giggled, letting him set her down. His face was flushed, but his smile was proud, burning red eyes soft as he ruffled her hair. “You all kicked some ass yesterday.”

Caelus entered the room from the entrance, immediately dropping the box he had been carrying in favour of running over and launching himself at Nora in the same kind of hug she had given Kalian. The latter merely groaned at the sight, shaking his head. “And you wonder where the kid learned this shit from,” Kalian muttered. He wasn’t unhappy, though.

With Nora in his arms, Caelus murmured, “Ya sleep okay, Lil’ Valkyrie?”

She laughed, shaking her head. “The Atlesian Military kept us in questioning till the morning, but I guess we did.” She tugged on one of his braids. “How did you not get caught? And why didn’t you tell us you were planning on blowing up the train?!”

He winked boisterously. “Do you really think dat I would be caught by small fry like Atlas? You’re playin’ with me, Nora!” he cried, his smile never fading just as Howl and Kalian said at the same time, “Plausible deniability,” and “What you don’t know can’t hurt you with those assholes from Atlas involved.”

Soon, Oliver and Carob had entered along with a few of their followers, a contented, hopeful smile on all of their faces. Nora waved cheerily to them both while Ren asked, “You’re all packed up. Where are you going next?”

“We’ll be setting out on foot through the mountain pass,” Howl murmured, quickly opening up his Scroll to show them a vague route. “We have contacts who are asking for help in a different mission.”

“Besides,” Kalian said, “we still need to find all of their contacts and make sure that whatever Sotz and Nick were doing is crushed completely.”

“Without their big bad leaders, they’ll be runnin’ around like headless chicken for now, though, so we’ve got some time!” Caelus cheered.

Nora smiled, opening her mouth to speak- and she froze. Surprise, followed by uneasy horror, slowly crept into her heart. What was she just about to say?

I can’t wait to get started.

We’re going to destroy them once and for all.

Nothing can stop us!

…Take us with you.

A part of her wanted to go with them.

She froze, taking a moment to reflect on that sensation. How could she want to leave Jaune and Ruby and everyone behind? I don’t, she realized immediately, the very thought of saying goodbye to her friends and teammates enough to strike agony in her heart. I just don’t want to say goodbye to everyone here, too. Not again.

She had missed them so much already; once they parted ways, when would she see them again?

Ren seemed to sense her quiet discomfort, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. “Do you know how we’ll be able to contact you?” he asked.

Howl shook his head, a small, rueful smile on his lips. “You know we cannot guarantee anything,” he said smoothly. “The main connection between here and Mistral is destroyed for now, so on foot, it shall be quite a while before we reach anywhere with a proper communications tower.”

“And with the CCTS down,” Kalian added, “there’s not much point in trying, anyways.” He frowned, glancing over them both worriedly. “Why?”

Nora tried, “I-I…”

It warmed her heart how easily Caelus grinned, pressing a warm brown cheek against hers. She wrinkled her nose, feeling his whiskers against her skin as he said, “You kids are workin’ on something right now, ya? There’s no point in worrying ‘bout us while you’ve got your own journey to complete! Besides,” and he straightened up, stretching his arms towards the crumbled ceiling, “you’ve both kinda got it figured out, right? Don’t need us no more.”

“But…” Nora trailed off awkwardly.

Kalian smiled, uncharacteristically tender. “You’ve got some shit you’re trying to do, right? With trying to get to Atlas and all that. If you ever need backup, let us know.”

“We’re comrades,” Carob called, glancing up in amusement from the small box of rounds he was organizing.

“Pfft, comrades,” Caelus mocked. “We’re family.”

Nora’s lip wobbled before she could stop it.

The bubbly man continued, “But you’ve got your own little family to care for now, so you’ve gotta hold that head up high, ya?”

Nora took a moment to glance around at the faces filling the room. Family. Always.

As always, at the sentimental moment, Howl’s expression twisted into one of confusion. “Why are you upset? I do not comprehend.”

Kalian rolled his eyes and groaned, waving off Howl’s words. “Look, kids. Take the day off. Go sleep or something, but you should relax today- whatever you are all working on can wait, right?”

“We sort of have to wait,” Nora admitted sheepishly. “We’re waiting for our friends still.”

“While you wait,” Howl said, having moved on from his previous point, “I highly suggest you check out the more suburban areas of the city. There’s something here that you need to see.”

“Something in town?” Ren asked, confused. Howl nodded, but he was clearly not going to give them more details, so Nora and Ren traded a glance and shrugged. Looking around town wouldn’t be an issue while they waited, although Nora wasn’t exactly sure where else they could go- after all, their hunt for airships and the slew of errands they had run had taken them around almost the entirety of the city already.

Oliver walked up to them, smiling gleefully. The teenager looked exhausted still, but that didn’t stop Nora from hugging him fiercely. “Look at you and your little sharpshooting skills!” she squealed. “You crushed it!”

Oliver beamed proudly. “Dad always said I’d do great,” he said quietly.

Nora grinned, fixing his paperboy hat on his head properly and squishing his cheeks. “You did amazingly,” she cooed before finally releasing him.

Carob finally stood, stretching out a kink in his back before announcing, “You kids should head out for now- we don’t want anyone tracking you. But,” he added, a wry smile on his face, “make sure you’re back here by tonight.”

Ren and Nora traded a confused look. “What’s… what’s happening tonight?” she asked.

Caelus grinned, his smile mischievous and knowing. “It’s a secret,” he sang. “Oh, and bring your lil’ friend, too!”

Jaune? “Okay, but…”

“No buts!” Oliver said sternly, surprising Nora. “You have to be here tonight, okay?”

“…Got it,” Ren said.

And with that deal being done, Ren and Nora found themselves booted from the building, with nothing more than a reminder to come back in a few hours and a knowing wink sent their way.

“They… they do know it takes over an hour to get back home, right?” Nora asked as they began to trudge back to the trams.

Ren sighed, shaking his head ruefully. “We’re going to have to go home, eat something, then bring Jaune back nearly right away,” he murmured, glum.

Nora shrugged, bumping her shoulder against his. “Let’s enjoy time with them while we can?” she offered.

His eyes softened. “Yeah.”

With that, they made their way back to the Cotta-Arc house. Jaune was barely awake by the time they came to rouse him, but he agreed to join them with little fuss. Caelus sent a message halfway through the afternoon saying that they’d be eating dinner together, too, so after telling Saphron that they’d be coming back late again- along with promising to stay out of trouble- they got back onto the tram and began the trek back to the Embers’ base.

By the time they reached the abandoned apartment building once more, the sun had begun to set. There were no lights inside the building visible from the outside. Nora froze, panic gripping her heart for a moment as they stood in front of the fire escape stairwell. “Wait, Ren,” she breathed, “did they leave already?”

Ren frowned, pulling out his Scroll. “They… they wouldn’t have,” he replied, but the hesitation in his voice was clear. Showing her the screen, he said tightly, “Their signal is still strong.”

“Guys, what’s going on?” Jaune murmured, glancing between the two worriedly.

Nora shook her head. “I don’t know.” Her head reached back, falling onto Magnhild’s handle.

They had little choice but to check it out.

So, after delegating roles silently, Jaune kicked open the door, Ren brandished StormFlower and crouched low, and Nora pointed her grenade launcher into the dark building.

No one was there.

“Ren, can you sense anyone?” she breathed.

Ren paused, feeling around with his Aura. After a moment, he nodded. “Upstairs,” he mouthed.

They shared a look to the third floor. There were no lights on. What was happening?

Silently, they crept up the stairs, bracing themselves around the derelict door hanging on barely by the hinges at the top. 3, 2, 1- and Jaune kicked open the door again, Ren was ready to slash, Nora ready to fire.

“Happy birthday!” a chorus of male voices sang.

Nora had approximately .2 seconds to take in the scene in front of her: in the darkness, Oliver was standing in the center of the room, a lit-up cake in his hands and a wide grin on his face; Kalian was leaning against the back wall with Howl, waving awkwardly at the duo at the door; Howl himself was fussing with a small wrapped box in his hands; Carob was raising a glass of liquor in a toast.

Before anyone could blink, Caelus vaulted out the door and grabbed Nora and Ren in a tight hug, knocking them back so far they nearly broke the landing’s railing from the impact.

Jaune watched the whole thing, utterly stupefied. “It’s… your birthday?” he asked, baffled.

Nora squeaked, “Ren’s birthday is in January!”

“What?!” Jaune frowned, pouting at the duo. “Why didn’t we celebrate it in January then?”

“Because-“ Ren coughed, clawing his way out of Caelus’ excited hold, “it doesn’t matter!”

Whaddya mean in doesn’t matter? Nora pouted silently. I bought you cupcakes for it! It had killed Nora to not make it a big celebration back when they were at Beacon, but Ren had insisted on not having a big party.

A part of her wilted at the thought. We were supposed to have more years to celebrate with everyone at school. That hadn’t gone according to plan.

Without a word of greeting, Caelus eagerly scooped them both up and brought them inside the building. “It doesn’t matter my butt,” he replied cheerfully, dropping the two unceremoniously onto the floor. “We didn’t get to celebrate with you when you were at Beacon, so now, we’re celebrating.”

Jaune followed them into the dark room in a daze, still completely unsure as to how to take in the odd situation. Ren was also completely frazzled, standing up in a flustered huff and brushing himself off. Oliver didn’t seem to notice how bewildered the trio was, however, happily bringing up the quaint little cake to Nora and Ren. “You two have to blow out the candles! C’mon, make a wish!”

Nora could only laugh as Kalian unabashedly pulled out his Scroll, recording the entire affair. Carob was already drinking his glass, while Howl was waiting patiently in the back, clearly holding a gift for the two of them. What did we do to deserve them? she thought, in pure awe of the ridiculousness of it all.

A part of her mind murmured, See, Pyrrha? Our weirdness came from somewhere.

She knew Pyrrha would’ve been beaming through it all.

So, she grabbed Ren’s hand and squeezed. “Make a wish with me?” she said.

After a moment, Ren sighed, resigned. Still, the good-natured grin on his face was true. “Okay.”

And on the count of three, the two of them blew out the candles, and Nora made the same wish she had made every year since meeting Ren; with a slight adjustment, of course. I hope I get to stay with Ren this year- with everyone.

Jaune clapped along with everyone, but as Carob pulled out a knife to begin cutting the cake, Jaune leaned in to Nora and whispered, “Okay, but why are we celebrating it today?” He frowned, adding, “Wait, Nora, if Ren’s is in January, when’s yours?”

She shrugged, accepting the piece that Oliver gave her with a soft smile. “I don’t know my own,” she admitted, “so we used to always just throw a little party for Ren and me together!”

Jaune’s eyes welled up with sympathy. “I mean, we could probably figure it out if you wanted-“

Nora shook her head, squeezing Ren’s hand again while she scarfed up the cake without a fork, much to Ren’s chagrin. “Why bother when I was born, silly?” Looking up at the dark-haired boy, she murmured, “My life didn’t really start till I met Ren, after all.”

Immediately, Oliver made fake gagging noises while Carob wolf-whistled. Kalian’s Scroll dropped to the ground, eyes flashing bloody murder. While the fuming redhead silently pulled Ren away from Nora and dragged him to one of the dark adjacent rooms, Caelus following only a breath after, Howl simply stepped forward, clearly unaware of what was going on. He opened up the wrapped box he had been oh-so-patiently waiting to hand off and held it out for her.

Nora laughed at the group’s antics, elbowing Jaune when even he groaned in second-hand embarrassment from her unabashed affection towards Ren. Then, she picked up the awaiting box.

Inside were two armbands, along with a thin necklace. “The bands are for you,” he said quietly. “They conduct and can store electricity, delivering shocks at timed intervals if the store is released. They should be useful.” He smiled a tender, lopsided grin. “Forgive the decorative work. We had to get it quickly commissioned.

Nora quietly picked up the two bands, examining each in turn. One was emblazoned with her own personal emblem, the same one that she had gotten printed on the back of her jacket. The other had a tiny wing cresting off the side. “A Valkyrie has wings,” he said simply.

She beamed, crushing the man in a surprise hug. “Thanks, Howl,” she whispered into his shoulder. Slipping the armbands on, she giggled- they wouldn’t fit with her current outfit, since her jacket’s sleeves were too long.

She glanced over her shoulder at Jaune. “We should pick up some new clothes in Mantle, huh?” she said fondly.

He laughed. Sometime during the exchange, Oliver had handed him a slice of cake too, and the two boys were eating and watching Nora’s reaction with warm smiles. “We probably should,” he agreed.

Nora released Howl and glanced into the box after tucking the bands away. “The necklace is for Ren?”

Howl nodded, so she contented herself to taking a seat and eating more cake with Oliver and Howl. Carob eventually brought in a pile of takeout for the group to enjoy, the smell finally drawing out Kalian, Caelus and Ren from the side room. Ren looked ashen and shaken, much to Carob’s amusement. However, when Howl handed him his gift, the smile which melted across his face was something that Nora would treasure always.

The food was delicious, and the banter, bright. Nora would treasure all of this, always and forever. After all, the monster of her childhood was gone, the people Nora loved were here, and Ren’s fingers laced through hers perfectly when they finally made the trip home.

“For an impromptu party, that was pretty impressive,” Jaune grinned sleepily as they boarded the tram late that night.

Ren hummed in agreement, leaning back against a window. Nora smiled. “Yeah,” she breathed, heart filled to the brim with contentment. “It was.”

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The next morning felt oddly serene, as if the past few days hadn’t even happened. Nora woke up, stumbled downstairs after getting dressed, and was greeted by Jaune and Ren eating cheerfully with Saphron and Adrian as Terra slipped out of the front door on her way to work. “Morning,” Nora yawned, waving goodbye to Terra on her way out.

“Morning,” the others called, moving over to give her a space on the couch. Ren stood to grab her some coffee and breakfast, flashing her a weary, small smile.

Nora could only grin back, taking in a long, deep breath. It was strange how free she felt.

They were free. We did it.

It simultaneously didn’t feel real, and still rang through her mind like the truest thought imaginable.

On her right, Jaune pulled out his Scroll, repeating his usual routine of checking on Team RWBY’s Scroll signals. He pouted and sighed when all of their names turned up disconnected. Saphron glanced over at the screen and gave Jaune a one-armed hug. “Your friends are still out of range?” she asked quietly.

Jaune nodded, his misery and fatigue showing in every movement. “I just hope they’re okay,” he whispered.

Nora grinned, reaching over and patting his knee knowingly. “They’ll! Be! Fine!” she said, enunciating each word with a pat. “You’ve just gotta believe in them! Think of all the crazy things those girls have gotten into with or without us.” She snorted. “Then again, they’re probably worried about us.”

“Which is fair,” Ren murmured. “Look at what we’ve gotten into.”

“And we made it out okay anyways!” Nora grinned, flashing him a wide smile.

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but eventually, Jaune relaxed. He smiled ruefully and murmured, “I suppose you’re right.”

“Or at least I’m not wrong!” she said, chipper.

Saphron laughed at the exchange and stood, scooping up Adrian. “Well, I’ll be taking Adrian to daycare soon,” she said. “What are your plans today?”

Ren took a seat once more, handing Nora a cup of milk coffee and a plate of food. “We were advised to go around town,” he said lightly. “We may as well. Do you have any errands for us?”

Saphron shook her head. “No, today you’re all off the hook,” she teased warmly.

The trio said their goodbyes to Saphron and Adrian, wandering the streets with little goal in mind. Now that they had successfully found every single airship in Argus, and had just-as-successfully been shot down from using them all, the group felt listless. Without chores or errands to drive them, it only made their aimlessness worse.

That was why spotting Oliver was such a relief. Nearing noon in the marketplace, Nora caught sight of a little newsboy hat perched over dark hair and a white smile. “Oliver!” she cried, dragging Ren and Jaune with her to say hello. “What’re you doing here?”

Oliver brightened up when he heard her voice, jogging over to meet her. A yawning Carob followed a step behind, the pale blond’s entire body exuding annoyance. Oliver said, “We’re getting some food and medicine.” He leaned close to the trio, adding, “He’s a little hungover, and Caelus ate the rest of the cake and has a stomach ache.”

Nora rolled his eyes. “Wow, what a surprise,” she said, deadpan. Still, her false irritation fell away nearly instantly. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Tone it down, kid,” Carob groaned, massaging his temples. She raised a brow at him and crossed her arms in response. He sighed, saying, “Well, we’re heading out soon. There’s a lot of loose ends to tie up.”

“Everyone involved in the trafficking,” Ren said lowly.

Carob nodded, looking absolutely miserable. “Yeah. We’ll let you know when we’re leaving for sure, but the base is all packed up.”

Nora’s smile faltered. She knew it was coming- over half a decade of travelling with the Embers had taught her their patterns to a T- but the thought that she wouldn’t be able to see them anymore, after months and months of worrying about them, broke her heart.

Carob sensed her sadness, offering her a wry smile. “Don’t look so glum. You’ve got your own mission, right?”

They nodded.

“Raise your head. Be proud of that mission. That’s what your team needs.” Then, he winked at Ren. “And you- keep in mind what Kal and Caelus said yesterday.”

His words only clicked a second later. “Oh yeah!” she huffed, staring at Ren. “What was that about, anyways?” Ren had never explained why the two men had dragged him off after they blew out the candles, nor why he had looked so soulless afterwards.

Ren turned completely red, suddenly very fixated on the menu of a nearby street stall. Jaune leaned over and whispered, “Weren’t they like… giving him a talk since you two are,” and he flushed, “um… together now?”

“Oop!” Her hands flew to her mouth, eyes wide. Did they really give him a talking-to for that? The twinkle in Carob’s eye confirmed it, and Nora couldn’t help but throw her head back and laugh. Her heart glowed. I guess I really am like their kid.

For a moment, she thought back, all the way to Patch, to Taiyang and how protective he had been of Ruby and Yang. The idea that she had people looking out for her the same way… it was like a dream.

“Take care of each other, okay?” And with that, Carob sent them a wave and walked away, Oliver waving goodbye as he trailed happily after the elder man.

Jaune sighed, pausing to look at the menu Ren was so focused upon. His eyes quickly fell onto the small monitor fixated at the top of the screen- it was a local news station running an article about the Argus Limited. “I still can’t believe we did all that,” he groaned, tapping on the screen of his Scroll. “We literally just went and-“

And then, he froze, eyes locked on the screen, breath caught in his throat. Nora frowned, glancing up at him. “Jaune, what-“

The most brilliant smile she had ever seen on his face appeared, his eyes filling with unshed tears as he gasped, “Oh my god, guys. There’s a signal.”

Nora and Ren exchanged shocked looks, pulling out their own Scrolls in turn. Jaune was right. Everyone in Team RWBY, along with Oscar and Qrow… their Scroll signals were growing steadily stronger.

“They made it,” Nora breathed.

Jaune immediately held his Scroll up to his ear, biting his knuckle anxiously. Nora held her breath while she waited for a response, bouncing on her toes nervously. It finally clicked, and a familiar voice murmured, “Uh, hello?”

Tears of relief slipped from Jaune’s eyes unabashedly. “Ruby! Oh, thank you! I've been checking my Scroll for your signal since we made it to the city!”

“The city? Wait…” Ruby paused, and Jaune’s eyes filled with panic for a moment as all they heard was silence on the other end. Thankfully, Ruby breathed at last, “Hey. We see it. We’ll be there soon at the front gate.”

“We’ll be there soon, so hang tight,” Jaune replied, hanging up his Scroll.

Nora practically leapt forward, dragging Ren with her. “C’mon, guys!” she squealed. “We’ve got to meet them, right?”

But Jaune was standing perfectly still, head hung low. Nora frowned, walking over and leaning around to look at him. The blond was hunched over, hand fisted around the necklace- around Pyrrha’s ring- while he sobbed silently, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he held in wails.

She smiled, reaching up and wrapping Jaune in a warm hug. “C’mon, Jaune,” she soothed, wiping away his tears after a moment, “you can’t be sad when they come in! We’ve gotta greet them with a smile, right?”

After a moment, Jaune sniffled loudly and shuddered, wiping an angry red nose on his sleeve. Immediately, Ren clicked his tongue and handed Jaune a napkin taken from a nearby eatery. “Blow,” he ordered. Obediently, Jaune obeyed, then gave them a watery smile.

Nora beamed up at them both. “Let’s go meet our friends,” she whispered. Then, she broke off into a dead sprint. They were on the other side of town to the front gate, after all. “I’ll race you!”

Their groans of lackluster annoyance echoed in the air, but Nora didn’t mind, bolting down idyllic streets with all of her strength with their footsteps trailing after her.

When she finally managed to get to the front gates of Argus, it barely took a few seconds to spot the faces she’d been looking for. “Cute! Boy! Oz!” she squealed, pointing at the young man looking worse for wear. Oscar blinked, turning around in confusion, but he had no time to brace himself for Nora’s tackle as she launched herself at the young man. “Oh, come here!”

Jaune and Ren’s footsteps echoed after her, and soon, the sounds of greetings filled the air. Nora grinned and brushed off Oscar’s dazed shoulders while Ren and Jaune hugged all of their old friends. She couldn’t stop smiling, sitting upright on the cobblestone and revelling in the sight of all of their companions.

It hadn’t even been two weeks apart. And yet, it felt like it had been a lifetime.

Suddenly, Nora’s eyes honed in on an unexpected figure standing with them all. A tiny old woman with strange, mechanical goggles peered back at her, tapping onto her goggles with a frustrated, gloved hand. Her shawl and robe was intricately embroidered at the hems, and a thick necklace hung around her neck. In her hands was a strange cane, an ominous blue skull acting as the handle. Nora frowned; she didn’t recognize her at all. “Wait, who's the old lady?”

Yang grinned, helping her up to her feet. “That’s Maria,” she explained. “She was a passenger on the Argus Limited with us, but she kinda didn’t make it to the front of the train in time.”

Maria harrumphed. “That was my choice! Don’t treat me like some old lady. I knew you kids needed some help, that’s all.”

Nora paused, looking her up and down. Maria didn’t seem particularly deadly. “Um… were you helpful?”

“I saved their lives!”

“She wasn’t,” Yang said to Nora, ignoring the scowl on Maria’s face.

Nora shrugged, saying, “Ah! You're gonna love this place!” As she spoke, however, she froze, her eyes landing on Qrow.

The man hadn’t said a word the entire time they had all been greeting one another. Instead, he stood to the side, arms crossed and eyes downcast. There was an air of something Nora couldn’t place hanging over his head; was it dejection? Heartbreak? Disappointment?

No, she realized uncomfortably, it’s shame.

But for what? What had happened during their trip to Argus? Nora quickly sought out the faces of everyone else on the team, but for the most part, her friends were smiling and lively, just as always. So why was Qrow so empty?

It made her feel more than a little uncomfortable. Qrow Branwen always carried himself with at least a little bit of confidence. To see him look so despondent rang warning bells in her mind.

Still, there was little else she could do other than wait for a more appropriate time to ask. She had a lot of questions for Qrow, after all. But that could all come later; she wanted to relish in the time spent united with everyone again.

Giving the group a grand tour of Argus was a joy in itself. As usual, Ren had all the practical information, with Jaune showing off his occasional nerdy side to fill in the gaps of whatever Ren had said. Nora tuned in only halfway; Ren and Jaune had already given her the rundown of how the Atlesian Military had supported the city of Argus in return for securing trade routes for Solitas, before Atlas’ sudden embargo and border closures.

Instead of adding to that information, Nora proudly announced on their tram ride exactly which restaurants were the yummiest and the cheapest as they trundled along, drawing amused stares from everyone. Thankfully Ruby was always eager to learn where the best eats were, the younger girl excitedly making plans for where they would go first.

The moment they stepped off the ship, however, that joy faded a little as Blake murmured, “We should probably start looking for a ship.”

Nora glanced guiltily over to Ren. How in the world could they tell them about their search?

Suddenly, Saphron’s voice cut through her thoughts. “There you are!” she called. Nora looked up, seeing the blonde woman standing across the street from the trolley stop with Adrian in her arms.

After a brief pause where Ruby lost her mind because, “Oh my gosh I’m finally meeting one of your sisters oh my gosh it’s so nice to meet you-“ Jaune introduced his older sister to everyone and explained that they had been staying with her family for the past week.

“You’re all welcome in my home,” Saphron laughed, pulling out her Scroll as they walked towards the Cotta-Arc home. “I’ll just let my wife know to pick up extra food for dinner.”

They managed to settle everyone down in Saphron’s living room with ease. Yang and Weiss were immediately taken with Adrian, playing with the little boy on the carpet while everyone else found a seat on the couches. Maria seemed more than a little confused about the strange turn of events that had led them to a quaint little home. Nora understood her silence. Qrow’s quietude, still as strong as back at the front gates, was worrying.

Ruby gasped, “I can't believe I'm meeting your sister! I have so many questions.”

Nora snorted, “Oh, I can give you the rundown later!”

“Will you guys knock it off?” Jaune cried, huffing embarrassedly.

Saphron winked at him, squeezing his cheek lovingly. “What? I love telling stories about my baby brother.”

Jaune groaned, flailing to push away his sister. “I am not a baby! That is a baby,” he said, pointing at Adrian. Rather than gaining any sympathy, however, Weiss and Yang just began to coo over the toddler, ignoring Jaune’s attempts to win over the crowd.

And just like that, the conversation carried onwards. Nora watched everyone talk from the sidelines, happy to just lean into Ren’s shoulder and enjoy their time together. “I missed them,” she whispered.

Ren smiled, nodding imperceptibly. She knew he was grateful to have everyone back, too.

Soon, Terra walked through the front door, arms laden with groceries. Everyone greeted her with a smile when she walked in, replying, “Why, hello there! Wow, quite a party; you weren't kidding. Hun, can I get some help please?”

Saphron quickly ran over to help her wife, but Nora stood up a moment later. “C’mon,” she said to Jaune and Ren, “let’s go help out. Terra’s been at work all day.”

The boys nodded, so the trio waved to the rest of their friends and made their way to the kitchen, quickly relieving Terra and Saphron of cooking detail. The ingredients Terra had brought were for sandwiches, so it wasn’t as if it were a meal that was very difficult; they simply worked together to assemble as many sandwiches as the ingredients could afford, because now that the initial glow and relief of reuniting with everyone had begun to wear off, they could all see that their friends looked exhausted. “They’ve lost weight,” Nora whispered.

“Yeah,” Jaune replied, biting a wobbling lip suddenly. Nora quickly elbowed him, and he sucked in a long, deep breath. “I know. I just- I want to ask what happened.”

“You feel it too, huh?” Ren murmured, bringing over more washed lettuce to add to the sandwiches. “Something happened when they were out there.”

“They’re skinnier and they’re sadder and they randomly have an old lady,” Nora said, leaning against the countertop. “Just what in the world did they go through?”

But there was no point speculating fruitlessly. Soon the food was ready, so Nora, Ren and Jaune piled halved sandwiches onto trays and carried them out to the waiting crowd. Qrow was rambling on, just as lifeless as could be; thankfully, Ruby quickly ended his tirade by grabbing a sandwich from Nora’s tray and stuffing it into his hands. “Shut up, there's food!”

Nora grinned and plopped her tray onto the coffee table, taking a seat and munching on a sandwich happily. As everyone began to dig into the food, humming in contentment with the first proper meal they’d apparently had in days, Terra suddenly stood, sighing. “Excuse me, I'll be right back.” Answering her buzzing Scroll, she strode out of the room.

Blake frowned, worried. “Is everything okay?”

Saphron smiled kindly. “Oh, yeah, it will be. Terra's a technician for the town's relay tower. Unfortunately, the military's radar system is also housed there.” Adrian was squirming on her lap, so she leaned over to look the toddler in the eye and coo, “Guess what's been on the fritz lately and who's getting falsely blamed.”

Terra stuck her head back into the living room. “Me,” she deadpanned bitterly before returning to her call.

Chuckling wearily, Saphron asked, “So, what's your plan for tomorrow?”

Through a mouthful of food, Ruby replied, “Well, we're trying to make our way to Atlas. We'll probably start with the military base.”

Nora bit her lip, looking back at Ren. He looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. Jaune nervously laughed, “So, we kind of already tried that, and... it didn't go... super great.”

Yang rolled her eyes. “Come on, it couldn't be that bad...”

“It was pretty bad,” Nora murmured.

Saphron sighed, standing up and stretching. Adrian stretched his little arms too, imitating her and drawing Yang and Weiss’ doting attention once more. “Look,” she scolded them all lightly, “that’s for tomorrow, got it? For tonight, you’re going to all wash up and go to bed. You’ll have to share beds, but as long as that’s alright, we’re good to go. And then, tomorrow you can talk about your mission.”

“If you need any clothes,” Terra added, walking back into the room, “let us know- we have lots of extra stuff lying around.”

“Thank you so much,” Ruby beamed. “We really appreciate it.”

Splitting the rooms was fairly straightforward; Team RWBY and Team JNPR with Oscar each took one room, while Qrow took the last one by himself. The stairs were a bit harder on Maria’s knees, especially after the long journey, so they set up a futon in the back room for the woman. It took quite a while for the crew to rotate out of the two bathrooms, however; the rest of the evening was spent desperately trying to kick start the boiler after it died following Maria’s hour-long sweltering soak.

Eventually, however, everyone was washed up and ready to go to bed. Yang let it slip that they’ve been sleeping in the frozen woods for over a week, so of course Saphron insisted on getting them cocoa and washing all of their clothes while they sipped it and cuddled under thick blankets in the living room. When everyone was finally tuckered out, and after a round of goodnights and sleep-tights and don’t-let-Ruby-go-through-Saphron’s-photo-albums-of-Jaune’s, they all went to bed, crashing harder than they could’ve ever expected.

Nora didn’t sleep, however. Her thoughts were too tangled up in the mystery of what had happened to her friends after the train was separated. Something bad happened. Something’s wrong.

She was a little scared to know what exactly it was.

The next day saw them all marching over to the Atlesian base bright and early. The tall metal gates, opened just before their arrival in order to let in a patrol car, slammed shut unceremoniously the moment they approached. Nora, Ren and Jaune hung back, hiding their faces and trying to look as detached from the others as possible. “Maybe she’ll agree to help them if she doesn’t know they’re with us?” Jaune offered.

Ren’s deadpan stare cut down that hope easily.

And, just as they feared, it barely took any time for Team RWBY to get utterly riled up arguing with the tall, uniformed officers guarding the gate. Nora strained to hear their conversation, but they were standing just a touch too far to make out exactly what was going on.

“Ooh,” Nora murmured, pointing discretely at the gate. “Weiss might be our ticket in there!” The pale girl was approaching the gate, and after a moment, the two officers nodded and jogged in unison away.

That hope was dashed in minutes when Caroline Cordovin appeared yet again. Strangely enough, she walked straight up to the tiny Maria of all people, immediately seeming to pick a fight with her. Then, when Ruby tried to calm her down, Cordovin simply leaned around her, spotting Nora, Jaune and Ren in the background.

Jaune gulped. “Oh no.”

Nora braced herself. For such a tiny lady, her voice is so loud!

She was right to have done so as the commander’s grating voice echoed down the walkway, screeching, “What are you doing back here?! I thought I told you to leave!”

Nora sneered, immediately trying to run forward. Ren and Jaune held her back much to her chagrin. “And I told you we wouldn't rest until you let us through!”

Ren nervously waved. “Nice to see you again as well!”

Jaune didn’t even bother.

The conversation barely lasted a few more minutes before the tiny woman took a step back and the gates were slammed shut once more. Everyone looked so dejected that Nora could only imagine the conversation that had taken place; even the thought of it made her blood boil. What was her issue? Couldn’t she see that they were on a mission? “Oh yeah?” she screamed at the guard tower atop the gate. “Well, your face looks... like a big dumb boot!”

“Way to show her, Nora,” Jaune said flatly.

There was no longer any point to hanging back, since Cordovin was already gone. The trio jogged up, rejoining their friends in front of the gate.

“Weiss,” Ruby was in the middle of saying, “I told you we wouldn't leave your side for a second. We'll find a way to Atlas. Together.” She placed a reassuring hand on Weiss’ shoulder.

After a moment, Weiss smiled and nodded, expression softening. Nora almost cooed at the exchange. Something really did melt her heart in Atlas, Nora wanted to giggle.

To everyone’s surprise, Qrow was the first to turn and walk away, hands tucked in his pockets and shoulders hunched. Ruby called, “So… where are we going now?”

“Yeah,” Nora said, “what's the plan?”

Nora took a step back as Qrow paused, his voice seething as he spat, “The plan? The plan just got shut on our face three times over. I'm going for a drink.” And just like that, he carried on down the long road, leaving them behind.

Ruby immediately jogged after him. “Uncle Qrow, I really think we should try and come up with something-“

But Qrow kept walking away.

“-together.” Ruby stopped short, gaze following Qrow sadly.

Jaune asked, “What's his problem? It's not your fault we can't go on.”

Nora waved her hand dismissively, feeling that familiar seed of annoyance and dislike taking root stronger than ever in her gut. “If he's gonna be a jerk then we'll just come up with something without him,” she announced. Gesturing to Oscar, she offered, “I mean, we've got Ozpin with us! He usually knows what to do.”

And yet, no one seemed assuaged by this comment. Instead, Oscar merely looked down wearily.

Ren straightened up, worried. “What is it?”

Yang ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a long, broken sigh. “We should… go back to the house.”

“This isn’t something we should discuss outside,” Blake added.

“I hope you’re ready for a long story.” Weiss’ smile was bitter.

Nora felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. Oh no.

They had been right. Something had happened, and they were finally going to talk about it.

A part of Nora wanted to run away. This felt just like it had when Qrow had told them the truth behind the Maidens. Please don’t let it be something as big as the Maidens. It couldn’t be though, right?

The trip back home was done in near-silence, the only words exchanged between any of them nothing more than niceties for holding open doors or giving up seats on the trolley. Other than that, the air remained frigid and detached, and the girls of Team RWBY and Oscar didn’t bother adding any joy to the mix.

Nora leaned over to Maria as they approached the house. “Do you know what’s happening?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” she replied. “I really wish I hadn’t been there, though.”

Those foreboding words made Nora feel sick.

By the time they were settled into their seats, an icy chill had settled over the group. No one seemed inclined to talk; everyone just sat down wherever they could, waiting for someone to break the silence.

Unfortunately, the first one to do so was Saphron, the woman walking into the front door with a smile on her face that immediately crumpled into nothing when she felt the tension in the air. “Hey, everyone,” she murmured, shifting a bag of groceries in her arms. “What’s going on?”

“Saphron,” Ruby sighed, standing up to face her, “I’m really sorry to ask you this in your own home, but…”

“You need to leave,” Weiss supplied. “We need to discuss something that no one can know about.”

“Not even you.” Yang’s smile was strained, twitching. “Sorry. Is there anywhere you can hide out for a bit?”

Saphron blinked at them blankly, finally looking at Jaune. He shrugged in response. “I trust their judgement, Saph,” he said at last. “If it’s about what I think it’s about, you can’t be here.”

Saphron let out a long, shuddering breath. With a tense smile, she joked weakly, “Wow. You really are a Huntsman, huh baby bro?”

No one laughed.

“Okay.” Quickly, Saphron put the groceries away then ran upstairs, coming down a few minutes later with a backpack. “I’ll go get some work done in a café. I’ll tell Terra to meet me there, too. Text us when you’re done, okay?”

“Sorry, Saphron,” Nora murmured.

She shook her head, uncomfortable understanding weighing down her gaze. “I get it. Take care, and let me know if you need anything.” And with that, Saphron left, leaving behind an even tenser silence than the one before it.

To everyone’s surprise, it was Maria who finally spoke up. “That’s it, kids,” she cried, waving her cane at them all. “Sit down. Let the ol’ Grimm Reaper tell you everything that happened.”

Nora was about to protest when Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang and Oscar all obeyed without a word, an unmistakeable relief playing across each of their faces. She asked, “Wait, why don’t we just ask Oz what happened-“

“Let Maria say it,” Yang said coldly, looking down at the floor.

Nora shivered. Ren took a seat by her side, with Jaune on the other. She silently reached out, grabbing both their hands, bracing herself. “Okay.”

Maria smiled, but there was no joy in her face. “Well. Your friends here had a little misunderstanding about something, it turns out. That shiny lamp you have there?” She pointed to the Relic which still hung off Ruby’s hip, as secure as ever.

Nora frowned. Wasn’t… wasn’t Oscar holding the Relic on the train? Why did Ruby have it now?

“You were all told,” Maria continued, “that it didn’t have any questions left, apparently. That was a lie. There were two. And the spirit of the lamp, Jinn, was happy to answer anything we asked.”

Jaune cried, “But why would Oz lie-“

“And so, Ruby there asked a question: ‘What is Ozpin hiding from us?’ And Jinn gave us the answer.” Maria scowled, sinking back into the chair. “I still don’t understand how Ozpin and Oscar differ, but-“

“How do you not understand? They’re totally different!” Nora cried. “Even their voices-“

“She didn’t really get to hear their voices,” Blake said grimly before turning back to Maria.

The elderly woman cleared her throat. “Do you want the story or no?”

Nora quieted down, squeezing Ren and Jaune’s hand nervously. Both of their palms were clammy with sweat- hers was probably no different. I don’t like this one bit.

“I can’t remember the entire story, so I’ll give you a summary,” Maria began. “Long ago, when magic and peace reigned, a woman named Salem lived locked up in a tower. One day, a young warrior named Ozma came to save her. And when he did, and Salem and Ozma escaped the terrible tower that had confined her, they knew they would stay together, because they had fallen in love.”

Nora frowned. Salem… as in that Salem? She shuddered instinctively as she remembered the hallucination Emerald had conjured up in Haven for them to see. How in the world could anyone fall in love with that?

“Back then, she was beautiful and sweet, and Ozma was noble and brave. However, their life together was cut short when Ozma died of illness,” Maria said wearily, as if answering Nora’s silent question. “Salem decided to beg the gods of light and darkness to save Ozma and to give her back her fleeting happiness. She started with the God of Light, he who presided over creation. She begged the elder brother over and over again, but he refused to grant her wish of bringing back Ozma, not wanting to upset the balance of life and death.

“So, Salem decided to venture to the domain of the God of Darkness; the younger brother, god of destruction and death. She begged him to bring back Ozma just as she had to his elder brother, but she made sure to make no mention of going to the God of Light first. Cunning girl.” Maria clicked her tongue in irritation. “But that cunning was victorious. The God of Darkness was profoundly moved by her prayers and so-called devotion to him, gladly bringing Ozma back to Salem. And for a brief moment, Salem was happy.

“However, the God of Light appeared, and after arguing back and forth, he explained to his younger brother what had taken place, and how Salem had tricked him. Angered and disappointed by her deeds, the gods killed Ozma again, and then turned Salem immortal as a curse for her selfishness. If she wanted to die to be with her beloved, she would have to learn the meaning of life and death.”

Leaning over to Ren, she whispered, “She doesn’t mean like, that Salem, right?”

The troubled furrow of Ren’s brow did nothing to ease her concerns.

Maria shrugged, rambling on, “But Salem’s immortality did nothing but fuel her rage and heartache. She could not die, no matter what. So, she decided to turn the people against the gods- after all, she had been successful for even just a moment in turning the brothers against each other. Humans could hate, too. So she went all across the world, showcasing her immortality and promising to anyone that would listen that they, too, could be immortal. All they had to do was destroy the brothers.”

Jaune gasped by her side despite himself, and Nora couldn’t help but chuckle. He always grew too invested in tales like this- and unlike when Qrow told them about the Maidens, this story still felt… detached. The ties between this random fairy tale and their own mission felt unclear.

“However, when her amassed armies finally came to strike against the gods in their own domain, they were crushed instantly. With a snap of his finger, the God of Darkness killed off every single person on the planet- except for Salem. She was immortal. And she was alone.”

Her words hung heavily in the air. Nora took the chance to look up at the others; to her surprise, all of Team RWBY’s faces were twisted into mixed expressions of discomfort, regret, fear. Oscar, who stood in the corner by the front door, seemed a hairsbreadth away from bolting as Maria continued to speak. “The Gods destroyed the moon, leaving behind the fragments we see now in the sky. They named this world a ‘remnant’. It was no longer whole.

“But Salem remained, slowly losing her mind until she found the pools of darkness in the Dark Lord’s domain. She decided that if the God of Light’s powers granted her infinite life, then the God of Darkness’ powers would grant her eternal death. She tried drowning herself, thinking she would die. She was wrong.

“Instead of death, Salem gained a powerful hatred. All she wanted was to destroy everything. She had tainted what had made humanity so pure in the gods’ eyes. So, they chose an adversary for her- Ozma.”

“Wasn’t he dead-“ Nora tried to whisper, but Jaune and Ren shushed her in unison, so she bit back her questions, leaned her head on Ren’s shoulder, and continued to listen.

“To Ozma, they entrusted the task of reuniting humanity. Just like the world, they allowed humans to be reborn, but this time as a remnant of what humanity used to be.” Maria shook her head in disappointment. “Humans had lost their magic. Rather than giving each human their four gifts- creation, destruction, choice and knowledge- the gods decided to manifest them into the Relics. If brought together, these Relics would summon the gods who would then judge humanity’s worth. If these half-humans managed to learn to coexist by the time the four Relics were brought together, then humanity would be made whole again and the brothers would return to our world.”

After a moment, Jaune asked, “And if they weren’t able to coexist?”

“Then they would be wiped away.”

Nora rolled her eyes, getting antsy. “But what does this have to do with Ozma-“

“Ozma was given the task of watching over the Relics,” Maria boomed suddenly. “When he was told that Salem was still alive, he accepted the task and was reincarnated. Once living again, he found that humanity was indeed a shell- and now, the Faunus lived, too. It was a completely different world. He found that no one could do magic, but eventually he found someone who could. Following rumours of a witch, he eventually found his way back to Salem. The two recognized one another immediately, and they fell back in love- but this time, it was twisted.”

That knot in her gut began to grow and swell. I’m going to be sick, she thought faintly.

“Salem didn’t know of Ozma’s task from the God of Light. Still, she managed to trick him into helping her subjugate what little of humanity remained. The two built a kingdom and became rulers, and eventually had four daughters; and these children could do magic, unlike anyone else in the world. These four little girls were blessed.”

Ruby turned away from Maria, wincing pre-emptively. Weiss covered her mouth, and both Yang and Blake cast their gazes downward, as if shutting out what she was going to say.

“Why?” Nora breathed, sitting up straighter. Everyone’s reactions unnerved her. “What happened? Wouldn’t those girls be the first Maidens? What’s the issue-“

Maria’s mouth curved into a deep, weary frown. “When Ozma cracked and told Salem about his plans, and she denounced them, the two ended up in a fearsome battle. Salem watched Ozma try and steal away her daughers. And then, Ozma and their daughters died in the ensuing battle. Their blood was on her hands.”

Ruby let out a tiny whimper at the mere thought of it.

“Ozma kept being reincarnated. At first, he tried to avoid his duty- but his lives kept repeating, and Salem kept bringing evil into the world. Eventually he gave in. The man had had enough. He tried to fight back, deciding to figure out how to use his magic and the power of the Relics to find a way to stop Salem, because if he could kill her, he could start on his task of uniting humanity at last. So he found the Relic of Knowledge and asked her a bunch of questions.”

“What did he ask her?” Ren asked carefully, fingers clenched tight around Nora’s.

“We… only heard the answer to one of them.” Blake’s voice was tiny, as if scared to be heard.

Jaune nodded encouragingly, glancing between everyone else. “What was the question?”

Maria replied, “He asked Jinn, “How do I destroy Salem?””

Nora perked up, the burden lightening off her shoulders in an instant. “What? That’s fantastic! What’s the answer, what do we have to-“

“You can’t.” Oscar whispered.

Jaune’s smile, which had been growing more and more hopeful with every breath, fell away. “What?”

Ruby cleared her throat, then clarified, “You can’t destroy her. She’s immortal. Jinn’s answer was, ‘you can’t’.”

And with that, Maria stood and began shuffling to the backyard patio. “I’m going to rest. Call me when dinner’s ready.”

Nora slumped over in her seat, feeling everything drain away. “We… can’t?” she breathed. Distantly, she felt Jaune’s hand slip out of hers, Ren leaving her side a moment later. Don’t go, she wanted to scream, but she couldn’t get her voice to leave her throat, head spinning.

Ren asked quietly, walking to the other side of the room, clearly needing to move, to pace, to distract himself. “Is that why Qrow isn’t here?”

Jaune asked, “Has he just… given up?”

We can’t win. But- but we made it so far, we’re all here- we worked so hard-

She distantly felt someone take a seat next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted black hair. It wasn’t Ren, though, feline Faunus ears flicking in worry.

Nora flinched when Blake put a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were so very golden. Nora didn’t want to see them right then.

She wanted to cry.

Suddenly, a cry of pain, accompanied by the cracking of plaster, echoed through the house. “Jaune!” Ruby yelled.

“Everything we did was for nothing!” Jaune spat.

Nora gasped silently, burying her face in her hands. It was one thing for her to think it- but to hear Jaune say it, too-

“That's not true,” Blake said sternly.

“Really?” Nora cried angrily. “’Cause it sure does sound like it.”

Blake tried to stutter a response, but Ren cut her off. He had moved across the room, leaning against the stairwell, absolutely despondent. “If Salem can't be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?”

No one replied.

Jaune rolled his eyes, sarcastically muttering, “Wow... Great plan everyone!”

Oscar had been clutching his arm anxiously throughout the entire story, looking halfway to tears. Nervously, he stepped forward. “Look, none of this is great, we know. But we're not the bad guys here.”

“Are we sure about that?” Jaune whispered.

Nora felt her heart shatter. It really was the Maidens conversation in Anima all over again. Please, Jaune, don’t, she begged. Please don’t fight.

She understood his anger, but she didn’t have the energy to face his rage and keep herself calm and understand what was happening. It was just too much.

And… Oscar wasn’t at fault, right?

Oscar’s eyes grew impossibly wide as he tried to parse what Jaune meant. “What?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Jaune said, “He's in your head, isn't he?” He began to stalk over, fury rolling off of him in waves. “Did you already know about this?”

Weiss stepped between Jaune and Oscar, crying, “He didn't know any of it!”

Jaune breezed past her, grabbing Oscar and shoving him forcefully against the wall by the staircase. Nora stood, watching the scene unfold in growing horror as Jaune cried, “How much longer can we even trust him?!”

“Jaune!” Yang yelled, disgusted.

The blond was far too lost in his panic to react. “How do we even know it's really him?! What if we have been talking to that liar this whole time?!” With each word he said, he shook Oscar’s collar angrily.

The sight of Oscar’s brown eyes filled with terrified, broken tears made Nora sob.

“Jaune!” Ruby screamed, grabbing everyone’s attention.

For one achingly-long moment, Jaune and Ruby maintained eye contact. Then, Jaune looked back down at a cowering Oscar, released him, and stomped upstairs. One of the bedroom doors opened then slammed shut, the group downstairs wincing at the sound.

Yang sighed, looking over to Nora. “Is he... gonna be okay?”

Nora yelled, “I don't know!”

I can’t stay here.

She exhaled heavily, then stood, striding across the room and stomping upstairs in Jaune’s wake. As she ascended, she heard Ren mutter tightly, “I think it would be best if we had some time to ourselves.”

The moment Nora entered JNPR’s room, Jaune was upon her. “Do you believe this?” he screamed, rage oozing out of every pore. “If that’s the truth, then-“

“Then what have we been fighting for?!” she supplied, glaring at the door as Ren stepped in after her, closing the door behind him.

Jaune fell onto his bed, gripping onto his hair like a lifeline. “What is even the point of any of this?”

Nora picked up her pillow, angrily slamming her fist into it again and again to vent her anger. It didn’t work, only serving to rile her up further. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted them,” she whispered. “We should’ve left the moment we figured out he was a Branwen.”

“Nora,” Ren muttered, pacing up and down the length of the room, “he clearly didn’t know. Ozpin must’ve lied to him, too.”

“That doesn’t make it okay!” she protested, slamming her pillow against her bed. “This is so stupid! If we can’t win, then what was the use in any of it?”

“We put all our faith into this,” Jaune yelled, stomping a foot down, “and yet, this is all we get?”

“No one could have known,” Ren sighed, barely keeping it together. “There’s- there’s just no way- everyone looked just as upset-“

She was crying. Scalding tears rolled down her cheeks, fat, wet droplets forming rivers that dripped down to her chin, snot running into her mouth, breath hiccupping and gasping as the truth behind it all finally began to sink in. Through her blurry vision, Jaune’s face had morphed into the exact same look of horror, the boy meeting her gaze through his own indescribable grief as he fell to his knees onto the floor, hyperventilating.

Nora felt Ren’s arms scoop her up, trembling under the exertion. His tears splashed against her shoulder as he dragged her over to the floor next to Jaune, the three of them curling up in the cramped space between the two side-by-side beds.

Through choked sobs that sounded more like guttural screams, Nora gasped, “If we can’t beat Salem ever… what did Pyrrha die for? What was the point of involving her in any of this?”

Ren’s arms were tight around her torso as he shuddered and shook, silently weeping in despair. Jaune gave up all pretense of anger, his betrayal just leaving him a weeping mess; Nora shudderingly gathered him into her arms, pulling his head onto her lap. His tears and snot immediately wet her legs, but she didn’t care- she simply let her cheek rest against the side of the nearest bed, muffling her near-hysterical weeping with the comforter.

Salem couldn’t be killed. And if she couldn’t be killed- if Salem was eternal, inevitable- then anything they did was nothing but a token act of resistance. She would survive long after they had died.

And yet, they were expected to dedicate what little time they had left on this earth, this remnant, to trying to stop her?

Ozpin let Pyrrha die, Nora realized in horror. Oz knew that she couldn’t win. And now, everyone else gets to be together with their teammates and if they want to give up, they can, but we- and she let out another scream, crushed under the sheer injustice of it all- we just get to suffer knowing that Pyrrha died thinking she had a chance? And we don’t get to kill or hunt down Cinder because of bullshit, and now Pyrrha’s just- we’re just-

She was so sick of feeling like this. Every single time she felt like she had come to terms with Pyrrha’s death, something threw a wrench into her emotions and showed her that no, there was no closure to be found.

She was supposed to be a hero. Her death should have been in her old age, with Jaune and Nora and Ren by her side. It shouldn’t have been like this.

There reached a point where everything felt numb. Everything just felt… neutral. Blank. Emotionless. The only thing she could feel was fatigue. Nora wanted everything in that moment to end. Just… let it end.

Maybe then she’d see Pyrrha again.

It was a few hours later, when the three of them had long stopped crying in favour of hiccupping and shuddering every once in a while, sitting slumped on the floor and leaning on one another in exhaustion, that Saphron finally dared to walk in. And when she did, the horror and heartbreak that immediately filled her features almost made Nora feel something. Almost.

She only vaguely heard what Saphron was saying. “Should you call someone?!” the woman asked, panicked.

Call. Call Howl, she thought distantly. Tell him everything. Why keep it a secret? It doesn’t matter anymore.

She was numb to it all. It didn’t matter.

Her sister was dead because of a war rigged against them from the start. Nothing was ever going to change that.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Nora awoke a few hours later from a bone-numbing slumber. Her eyelids were puffy, head fogged up too much to truly understand what was happening. As she dragged herself off her bed (when had she even gotten there? Had Saphron helped her up?), she saw Ren and Jaune similarly trying to pull themselves to their feet with little success.

The longer she spent awake, however, the more Maria’s story came back to her, and Nora wanted to shut it away. She didn’t want to have to think of it. It was awful and terrible and-

Pyrrha.

Her throat seized.

Nora blinked blearily at the two boys stumbling to their feet, then pulled out her Scroll. Quietly, she tapped on Kalian’s contact. To her relief, the man picked up, his gruff voice barking, “Nora, what is it?”

She cleared her throat, managing to croak out, “Hiya, Kal.”

Instantly, his demeanor softened, his voice dropping low as he murmured, “…Nora, what happened? Something happened. Did something happen to your comrades?”

She sniffled. “Can… can we come see you at some point?”

She just wanted to see them. They hadn’t lied to her all this time. They had never done anything but tell her the truth.

After an achingly-long pause, Kalian sighed. “We’re only here for the night.”

“I know,” she whimpered.

“Okay. Let us know. We’re in a hotel to avoid suspicion.”

“Can we meet up?”

“Okay.” He paused, then added, “We love you, y’know.”

Nora smiled a watery smile. “Heh. Thanks, Kal. We love you too.”

With that, she hung up her Scroll and sighed, dragging herself to her feet and pointing at the door. “Wash your faces then go downstairs,” she ordered feebly. “We’ve gotta see what the others think of all this. ‘Cause we can’t leave the Relic in Argus- the Grimm will come, right? People are gonna get hurt.” Her stomach rumbled, loud and angry. “…also we should eat.”

Jaune smiled bitterly at the sound. “Okay.” Ren nodded, guiding her out of the door after Jaune.

After they had all washed their faces and fixed their hair, ignoring just how reddened and raw their eyes and noses were, the trio staggered down to the living room. To their surprise, all of Team RWBY was standing by the back patio, concern shining in their eyes.

Jaune glanced around and asked, “What's going on?”

Blake frowned pensively. “It's Oscar. He's missing.”

Nora gawped at the other girls. “Wait, since when?!” Where would Oscar even go?!

Panic seized her gut. Wait, if some of Sotz’s followers survived, and they saw Oscar with us, then-

No, she told herself sternly. Besides, he’s strong on his own, and he’s still got Oz to help him.

Blake sighed, grabbing her arm and hugging herself defensively on reflex. “I…”

“We were going to start on dinner,” Yang explained, “so we tried to find him. He wasn’t with you guys, so we thought he’d be around here somewhere, but he isn’t picking up his Scroll.”

Immediately, Nora pulled out her own Scroll and tried giving the boy a call. Oscar didn’t reply, nor did he pick up when Jaune and Ren attempted to contact him.

Ruby said anxiously, “Guys, we should go look for him before it gets too dark.”

Everyone nodded. Argus was cold at night, and Oscar didn’t really have a coat- how would he fare out there?

Weiss murmured, “Does anyone have a map of Argus? It’s probably most efficient if we split it up-“

“What about Oz?” Jaune cut in.

Ruby blinked at him, confused. “…what?”

“Why can’t Oz make sure he’s okay?” Jaune repeated, lip curled in a sneer. “After all, he should be able to keep Oscar safe-“

“Oz hasn’t shown up ever since we split up,” Weiss said bitterly, clasping her hands too tightly. “He… after Ruby asked Jinn that question, he just sort of… vanished.”

Wait… so Oscar’s just out there alone? And Oz isn’t anywhere around? Nora staggered back, trying to process that information. “But… what did he say about… y’know, what happened between him and Salem? About what Jinn said?”

Yang snarled at the very thought of it. “He didn’t say anything!” she cried. “He just disappeared, and Oscar’s been confused ever since.”

Ren murmured, “I guess that proves that Oscar really has been the one controlling him all this time. Ozpin is really gone.”

“It doesn’t matter right now,” Ruby insisted, closing the balcony door almost completely. “Weiss, that was a good idea. Does anyone have a map?”

Ren immediately pulled out the one he had downloaded onto his Scroll, sharing it with the girls. “We should report to each other what we find,” he murmured, brows knitted together.

Team RWBY all nodded in assent, but before Nora and her team could head out, Ruby grabbed Jaune’s arm. “Hey,” she murmured, voice soft, sweet. “Are you all sure you’re okay looking for him?”

Weiss’ smile was the gentlest Nora had ever seen. “It’s okay, you know. If you want to stay here. We promise we’ll find him.”

“Yeah,” Yang affirmed, “if you all need some more time, that’s totally okay.”

Nora flashed them a small, weary smile. “We might’ve spent a bit too much time moping,” she winked half-heartedly. “We might as well try and find Oscar.”

Ruby wordlessly gave Nora a hug, enveloping the girl in warmth. “We’ll talk about it after, okay?” she promised, pulling back to press her forehead against Nora’s.

Nora gave the younger girl a weak smile. “Okay, you silly billy,” she replied before letting go, turning to Ren and Jaune. “Let’s go find little-cute-boy-Oscar?”

Jaune’s face was twisted with guilt. “Yeah,” he breathed. “Let’s go.”

Nora quickly looked through her Scroll, finding a picture of Oscar. The moment she found a decent photograph of him, she sent it to the Embers, asking simply, If you see him, ask him to come home, please.

Suddenly, the front door opened once more. “Oh, hey everyone!” Saphron called, an awkward smile on her face. “Ruby messaged me, so…” She paused, frowning as she took in everyone’s lost expressions. “…what happened?”

Jaune stepped forward, quickly explaining the situation to his sister. Her eyes widened in concern. “Isn’t he just a kid?” she cried before quickly agreeing to join Team JNPR for the search.

So, they said their goodbyes to Team RWBY, heading out the door after separating the nearby districts. Nora followed Ren’s lead- he was always better with maps, after all- and obeyed when he directed them down a peaceful parkway. As they walked, Nora shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “What if he ran away?” she speculated idly. “What if now that Ozpin’s gone, he doesn’t want to fight anymore?”

“Stop it, Nora,” Jaune whispered miserably. “I- I just-“

“It’s not your fault,” Ren murmured. “You shouldn’t have tried to fight him, but… if anything, it’s on Oz, not you.”

Jaune sniffled. “It’s just not fair,” he said bitterly. “I don’t want to hurt Oscar.”

“Jaune,” Saphron murmured, a tinge of horror creeping up into her tone, “what did you do? What happened?”

They all bit their tongue, focusing their eyes onto the crowd. They couldn’t explain. She wouldn’t understand. So, all they could do was call his name as they made their way down the sidewalks of Argus, searching desperately for a face they could not find.

After twenty minutes of searching, Ren murmured, “This city's enormous, he could've gone anywhere.”

“This is all my fault... I overreacted,” Jaune said, eyes glassy with unshed tears.

“I still don't really understand what happened,” Saphron said. “Was it about the mission?”

Nora bit her lip, glancing to the side. She didn’t see his face anywhere amongst the crowd. “It's... kind of hard to talk about.”

“I know, I know, "top secret".” The woman nodded miserably and sighed. “Did he... do something wrong?”

Jaune scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “No, he didn't. We just got some new information and it's going to be a lot harder than we thought.”

Saphron offered, “I mean, if it was easy, then it wouldn't be important. Right?”

They didn’t respond for a long, tense moment, eyes too busy roving the streets for Oscar. Finally, Ren murmured, “I think we're all just a bit unsure of what to do next.”

“You could stay in Mistral, get your licenses at Haven, and come back to Argus,” the elder woman said quietly. “There's a lot of good you can do here. I know your mission is important, but it's not like you're the only ones who can do it. It's not the only mission that needs doing.”

Jaune sighed, his torn heart clear on his sleeve. “It's not that simple.”

Nora finally lifted her gaze off the other side of the street, turning to look at Saphron as she stopped dead in her tracks. The woman looked absolutely heartbroken, but Nora had no way to console her. After all, staying in Argus and settling down? Going to Haven?

Those ideas didn't even feel like options; not with what they knew.

Saphron recognized their discomfort. "Well, uh... I should go pick up Adrian from daycare. I'll let Terra know what's happened, and we'll meet you later. Good luck." And with that, she walked away, her dejection clear in the slump in her shoulders, the lag in her step.

Nora took a look at the street they were on. Two blocks down was a café she had scoped out on an errand, but had never gotten the chance to visit. “Hey, there's a cafe over there. Why don't we get something to warm up?”

Jaune shook his head, a small, sad smile pulling his lips. “I'm okay. You two go on ahead.” Before they could say anything, Jaune walked away and took a seat on a nearby bench.

She and Ren followed him immediately. Sweetly, she asked, “You don't want anything?” When Jaune didn’t reply, eyes cast firmly down onto the cobblestone sidewalk, she flashed a rueful smile at Ren.

“We’ll be right back,” Ren said.

Jaune nodded numbly, leaving Nora to walk away, her eyes lingering on Jaune until they had lost sight of his bench. “He’s really beating himself up about this, huh,” she murmured.

Ren nodded, looking wearily at the sky. “He… isn’t exactly good at dealing with stuff about the Maidens.”

“It’s fair,” Nora breathed, looking ahead to the café. From where they were at, it didn’t seem like it was really busy. “I don’t want to even think about them.”

Ren’s hand found hers quietly. “I know.”

I’m so, so sorry, Pyrrha.

The café was, just as predicted, fairly empty. As they stepped inside, Nora asked Ren, “Hey, do you think he’d like some coffee or some cocoa-“

“Lil’ Valkyrie!” a voice called.

Nora paused, staring at the back of the tiny restaurant. Tucked behind a display of baguettes and sourdough, Caelus, Kalian and Howl looked up at them in amusement. Her throat closed for a moment, taking it in; the three faces looking back at her were so unequivocally caring that she just…

What are the chances they’d be here? She wanted to laugh at the luck of it all. I guess Kal did say he’d always come save us.

She certainly felt like she needed saving. She just wanted direction. “What’re you doing here?” she asked, skipping over to their table.

Ren called, “I’m getting you and Jaune both cocoa!” before ordering at the counter.

While he did that, she slid into the seat beside Kalian. With a small smile, she noticed their weapons tucked into their holsters, their travel packs resting upon the ground. “You’re heading out, huh?”

Howl nodded, his eyes glowing green for a moment. When his Semblance faded, he murmured, “We will be leaving soon. You are going to be staying here for a few days longer?”

She nodded, sighing in contentment when Kalian patted her head comfortingly. “We got your message about your friend,” Kalian murmured. “Haven’t seen him, but we were gonna come find you after that call. Seeing you here saves you the trouble of hunting you lot down, though. What happened?”

Nora looked up at him, finding concern staring back. “It’s… complicated,” she whispered. “I wish I could explain. I don’t know how to explain.”

Leaning across the table, Caelus reached out, stroking her puffy under-eye with his thumb. “What’s gotten my little girl all up in tears, hm? Where’s my girl’s smile?” he cooed, his full lips pulled into a smile.

She grinned weakly at him. “I… things have just gotten more complicated,” she breathed, readjusting her head under Kalian’s arm. “I wish I knew where to begin.”

Howl methodically sliced up his piece of a sweet pecan bread, placing one portion onto a napkin and sliding it across the table for her. She smiled, taking it gratefully while he murmured, “We checked the train before the military could arrive. They’re all dead.” His eyes were wary. “Is what you’re fighting worse than them?”

She nibbled the piece. It felt strange to not be hungry, and yet, she couldn’t take in more than a bite. “Believe it or not, yeah.”

Caelus tapped her nose, adoration clear as day on his face. “Well-“ As he spoke, Ren walked over with a small tray of drinks, sliding into the booth beside Nora and handing her one drink.

Caelus chuckled at Kalian’s reflexive defensive hold over Nora, the redhead looking at Ren suspiciously. “C’mon, man!” Caelus laughed, tossing a crumpled napkin at Kalian. “You knew it was going to happen sooner or later.”

Nora flushed, sipping her cocoa whilst Ren did the same. I cannot believe they gave him a talking to, she thought idly.

That party had only been two nights earlier. How had everything changed so quickly?

Kalian scratched his head then sighed. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he grumbled. He turned his attention onto Nora, eyes locked onto her reddened, puffy eyes. “So. When you called- what was it?”

Ren squeezed her hand, a warning clear as day. We can’t tell them. “We just found out something terrible,” she said brokenly. “Our… Pyrrha died, right? And she died fighting for what she believed in. But apparently… the cause she was told to fight for is actually kind of worthless? And…” she inhaled a deep, shuddering breath, closing her eyes. “I don’t want to think it was for nothing.”

“She was your comrade,” Howl said.

“She was my sister.”

The table was quiet, aside from Caelus’ wry comment of, “I wish I coulda met her, ya? She sounds like a good kid.”

Nora turned her face into Kalian’s embrace, relishing in his warmth. He was always warm, all fiery Semblance and kindness. It was soothing against her swollen face.

Howl’s eyes had been trained upon her, and with his arrival, Ren. “You are still going into something dangerous,” he said matter-of-factly.

Ren nodded, sipping his drink. “We told you- we need to get to Atlas. The sooner, the better.”

“It’s that urgent, huh?” Kalian murmured.

“Yeah,” Nora breathed.

For a long moment, it was just silent. Howl was the one who broke it. “You’ve both grown.”

Nora smiled wanly. “You said that before, silly-“

“You’re going to lose a lot more in the future, you know,” he breathed. Nora froze, feeling her horror slip onto her face. However, when Howl raised his eyes from his cup, green glow fading away from his eyes, he said, “That’s the life of being a Huntsmen. You two will be unparalleled. So this mission will be a success.”

Nora couldn’t help but let out a little sigh of relief. If even Howl’s Semblance was telling her that they’d figure out a way to win…

Kalian ruffled their hair, for both Ren and Nora. “You’re already on your way,” he said gruffly, but the pride in his eyes didn’t disappear.

Nora sighed, leaning against Ren lightly. “So you’re all heading out soon?”

“Yeah. But don’t be sad, Lil’ Ren, Lil’ Valkyrie,” Caelus chided. “Just give us a ring when you’re back in Anima, yeah?”

She traded a weary, resigned look with Ren. “Sure, sure,” Ren laughed quietly, slipping out of his seat. The group took that as the signal for their goodbyes, the three men standing to give each of them a long hug.

Nora felt her eyes watering, and she choked back her tears as she whispered, “We’ve got some hot chocolate to deliver. You all be safe, okay?” Because the thought of losing them too was too much to bear.

She and Ren walked to the door, carrying Jaune’s cocoa with them. Before they left, Nora turned back, looking dolefully at the trio. “Hey, guys?”

Caelus’ face wore nothing but unabashed affection. “What is it, Nora?”

Choosing her words carefully, she explained, “There’s someone hunting down Huntsmen in Mistral- in greater Anima. Please, please be careful. Don’t work as registered Huntsmen. Try and work off the grid.”

Howl’s eyes glowed for a moment. “Noted. Thank you. Be safe.”

“You too.” The duo waved to their guardians for one last time before exiting the café, shivering as the cool night air settled over them once more.

Once they were on their way again, she said, "I'm going to miss them."

"Me too."

"We... we're really loved, huh?"

Ren's eyes were soft, nostalgic. A smile that probably would not have been possible before their trip to Kuroyuri pulled his lips as he breathed, "We are."

Thank you, everyone, she thought, silently sending a prayer up to the sky. Please stay safe. Because even if this was their goodbye, as unassuming and simple and lackluster as it was... she knew she would see them again, and they'd be just as proud of Nora and Ren. “C’mon, Ren,” Nora whispered, trying to put on an air of false cheer. “Jaune’s waiting.” He didn’t respond, simply staying in step with her as they returned to the bench.

Oddly enough, Jaune was no longer seated where they had left him. Nora frowned, murmuring, “Is there anywhere nearby Jaune would have gone?”

Ren shook his head, pulling out his map. “We haven’t actually been in this area very much, so I can’t think of anywhere he would have gone,” he said. “We’re probably best just to walk around and see if we can find him in the immediate vicinity.”

“Got it,” Nora replied. She stepped forward, calling out, “Jaune?”

She and Ren called his name, walking away from the storefronts and into the neighbouring park. Finding Jaune was a fairly easy task; his blond hair and red sash stuck out like a sore thumb against the thin layer of ice that seemed to eternally cover every surface in Argus. When they finally stumbled upon him, he was standing in a clearing by himself beside some statue, glancing back at them in surprise.

Nora smiled, relaxing as she saw the faint smile on Jaune’s lips. He looked lighter than he had before they had left. “Jaune,” she chuckled, running up to join him, “why did you-“

The gasp that fell from her lips could not be contained. She paused, eyes leaving her friend and focusing on the statue behind him. It was a beautifully carved piece, towering well over three metres tall; as she craned her neck up to look at the statue’s tranquil expression, Nora felt her eyes prick with tears.

It was a statue of Pyrrha. Pyrrha, in all her refined, humble glory; her circlet adorned upon her crown, her shield clutched in her hands, her head titled downwards, a demure smile on full lips. Nora’s eyes trailed downwards, finding the plaque at the base of the statue. Stepping forward, she quietly read aloud, “In honour of Pyrrha Nikos, one of many students who fought valiantly at the Fall of Beacon.”

She… had gone to Sanctum, huh? They knew her here. No wonder they would choose her visage to honour in place of those fallen.

The thought was a strange one. Nora had never looked at Pyrrha as the prodigy she was labeled to be; Pyrrha had always been her best friend, sister, buddy to gossip about boys with while brushing her teeth. Pyrrha hadn’t been someone to make a statue of.

And yet, seeing so many people clearly missing her made her feel just a little bit better, even if it wasn’t really Nora’s Pyrrha they were missing.

Quietly, Jaune stated, “I'm sorry.” That brief happiness that had flit over his face upon seeing them was gone, nothing but regret and loneliness in its stead. “I've been a terrible leader, and a terrible friend, and I-“

“Jaune,” Ren interjected, voice faltering, “this has to stop.”

Nora looked down, emotions swirling inside her. How could she explain it? Jaune had been beating himself up for so long for not being at Pyrrha’s side at the end; they had seen it over and over again, from Vale to their journey through Anima to Mistral to Haven-

Oh gods, Haven. Jaune’s face, broken with rage and anguish as he screamed fruitlessly at Cinder, flashed into her mind. She never wanted to see him suffer like that again. “We heard what you said to Cinder, at Haven,” she whispered. “You're not being fair to yourself. We love you, just like we loved Pyrrha.” She felt her voice crack, but pushed through anyways, adopting a weak smile. “We're teammates, family.”

Ren added somberly, “We don't want to lose you too.”

Jaune paused, pondering their words with a conflicted expression. Sighing, he looked up at Pyrrha’s statue, at the serene face watching over them all. “I think- I think she knew she wasn't going to win. That she might not come out alive. But...” And, surprisingly enough, Jaune smiled. “She also knew she was the only one that could try.”

“So she did,” Ren said proudly.

Nora paused, taking in what they had said for a moment. Was there a point to fighting even if they knew they wouldn’t come out on top?

Pyrrha… you really thought so, huh? You knew there was no chance but you still fought anyways to protect us. You tried your hardest. You were amazing.

Nora smiled, relaxing. “Maybe we should too,” she said. Maybe then we can become a team that finally deserves her.

“Yeah, we should,” Jaune agreed. It was clear that something in the past twenty minutes had shifted his understanding, had changed his perception of the battle. Pyrrha had died, but they had survived, and if she wanted to protect the world from Salem, then Team JNPR would see it so.

There were worse things to fight for. And, if they did defeat Salem, Nora would finally get to have that peaceful life with Ren that she dreamed of.

Her face was so beautiful, so perfect that Nora wanted to cry, barely holding back tears. “Pyrrha may not be by our side anymore, but we can fight like she is,” she murmured.

“And in a way, she will be,” Jaune added peacefully. Ren’s calm, appreciative gaze only solidified that sentiment.

As Nora handed Jaune his drink, Ren said, “We should check back in at the house. Come on.” He turned to leave, Nora following suit immediately.

However, Jaune didn’t join them. “Ren,” Nora called softly, turning to watch Jaune. The blond lingered for a few moments at the statue, one hand on his heart- on his necklace. And when Jaune stepped forward at last, Nora bumped into him playfully, grinning at him and Ren.

The gratitude on Jaune’s face eased her worries. Not all of them, of course; but knowing that Pyrrha was still loved and cherished and remembered brought about a profound sense of relief that Nora hadn’t even known she was longing for. With a statue of her erected in that calm suburb of Argus, Pyrrha’s memory wouldn’t die. Nora and Jaune and Ren wouldn’t be the only ones who would remember her.

And, when it finally came down to it in the fight against Salem, Pyrrha’s memory would still be there to keep Nora’s heart strong.

She smiled giddily at the thought. Thanks, Pyrrha.

“C’mon,” she said, skipping ahead, careful not to spill her hot cocoa. “Let’s go find little-cute-boy-Oz.”

Ren and Jaune simultaneously hummed, “Yeah.”

As they turned the corner, Nora made sure to wave goodbye to the statue, to the café, to everything. She wasn’t alone. And maybe- just maybe- this fight was worth fighting, after all.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

The trio walked up to the Cotta-Arc home only to find everyone else waiting outside the front steps. Everyone seemed dejected, especially Ruby; her face was twisted into utter disappointment as she propped up a clearly-drunk Qrow who was struggling to stay upright upon the steps. "No luck?" Ren asked.

Blake should her head, arms crossed in defeat. "No, you?"

Nora propped her hands upon her hips and smiled as Jaune murmured resolutely, "Don't worry, we aren't going to Atlas without him."

Ruby's face lit up. "…'We'?"

They were really worried that we weren't going to stay with them, huh? Nora beamed at Ren and Jaune, the other two sharing similar smiles. On the walk back they had decided it properly; they were going to see this fight to the end, no matter what. It was what Pyrrha dedicated her life to, and they would gladly carry on in her honour.

Jaune glanced over his shoulder at Saphron, who stood by with Terra and Adrian. "Sorry we won't be staying," he mumbled apologetically.

Saphron rolled her eyes and smirked, eyes sad despite her teasing. "No you're not."

Terra suggested, "How about we get out of the cold?"

As she spoke, the front door creaked open. Nora frowned, glancing around; everyone else was outside, though. Except…

She gasped alongside everyone else as Oscar stepped into the doorframe, having donned a new moss-green coat. "Oh," he said brightly, "I was wondering when you'd get back."

Nora's eyes lit up, screaming in tandem with everyone else, "Oscar!" Nora let out a screech, racing up the stairs and tackling the teenager. "Oh you're such an idiot," she breathed, squeezing him tight until Yang pulled her off of him.

"You had us worried sick!" Weiss cried while Ruby helped Oscar to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked.

Nora leaned on Ruby's shoulder, grinning appreciatively at the new coat. It looked quite dashing on the short boy, adding a few years of maturity to his formerly-youthful figure. "What are you wearing?"

As Oscar blushed and avoided their inquisitive gazes, everyone else finally stepped into the house. Terra asked, "Is something cooking?"

Nora sniffed the air. It was true; the delicious scent of potatoes and gravy wafted out from the kitchen. Oscar explained, "Oh, uh, yeah. I thought you guys would appreciate a hot meal after... spending all day looking for me, apparently."

Stepping forward, Jaune murmured, "It's my fault we were all out there in the first place. Oscar, I am so sorry for earlier. I was way, way out of line, and what I said-"

"No, it's okay," the younger boy replied, "These past few days, I've been scared of the same things you were. I don't know how much longer I'm going to be... me."

Nora felt her brows draw together, heart aching for the younger boy. His voice wavered terribly as he said those words. Oscar's a victim in this, too, she thought. It's not fair.

"But I did some thinking, and I do know that I want to do everything I can to help with whatever time I have left." His smile was hopeful, pure.

Jaune grinned back at him, eyes soft. "Good. This team isn't the same without you, Oscar."

The warm moment was promptly interrupted by the beeping of the smoke alarm. Oscar gasped, "The casserole!"

Saphron giggled, walking towards the kitchen with Terra. "We're on it, chef."

While the two women worked on shutting off the alarm and salvaging their dinner, Ruby offered, "Uh, combat gear looks good."

Before the blushing boy could reply, however, Qrow began walking up the stairs. Ruby's joy fell away, the girl moved alongside the stairwell. "Where are you going now?" she asked sternly.

"I don't wanna get in the way o' yer celebration," Qrow slurred, pausing on the steps.

"You've been gone all day! Just sit with us," his niece implored.

Qrow paused and sighed, looking more haggard than Nora had ever seen him. Leaning over to Yang, she whispered, "Hey, what's going on with him?"

Yang shook her head, absolutely stricken.

"Look, Ruby," Qrow mumbled at last, "I'm glad you kids worked out, uh, whatever all that was. But the fact is, we're not a single step closer to Atlas."

"Actually, I think I have an idea. But... it's sort of a "no-going-back" kind of idea," Jaune stated, walking forward hesitantly.

Nora grinned, clapping Jaune on the back. Good ol' strategy boy, she cheered silently.

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Well, let's hear it!"

The boy sighed, trying to figure out where to start. "With Cordo on watch, only Atlas airships have the clearance to leave for Solitas." His cheeks tinted pink as he stuttered, "S-so, we… steal an Atlas airship?"

Nora gawped at him, alongside everyone else. The only one who reacted brightly was Adrian, the little boy giggling in Maria's arms, completely unaware of what they were talking about.

Weiss sighed, even more unimpressed than usual. "That's not just breaking the law. That's- that's definitely worse."

"How would we even get onto the airfield?" Yang asked.

Jaune held up his hands innocently. "That part I haven't quite figured out yet. But I-"

Qrow suddenly slammed his hand against the banister, making the crowd jump in shock. "Okay, stop," he growled angrily, "just... stop! Look, if this thing goes south, it's not something we can just fight our way out of. This is the Atlas Military we're talking about." He hung his head, the fog clearly dissipating from his mind, leaving behind nothing but bitterness. "For your sake, just drop this."

Nora slumped over reluctantly, chewing on her lip. Was that really it? Despite how ridiculous it was, was there really no way for them to get to Solitas after all?

"I want to hear him out," Ruby said out of the blue.

Qrow's face twisted into an exhausted pout. "Ruby-"

Ruby stomped her foot onto the ground, raising her voice. "I want to hear him out!" She glared up at her uncle, the scathing heat in her gaze enough to make even Nora feel a twinge of pity for the man. "I know you're trying to protect us- that you're afraid we can't do it- but right now, I don't really care what you think!" Qrow's mouth fell open in shock as she barrelled onwards. "Just because you don't have an idea, doesn't mean we're out of options! Oz hasn't been here to tell us what to do, but we still managed to get this far anyway. We've been in bad situations before, and we don't need an adult to come save us or tell us what to do. We just did it our way! And I say we do it our way."

The girl turned around and looked at everyone. When her eyes connected with Nora's, Nora made sure to nod and smile back, heart glowing at Ruby's bravery.

With that support, Ruby turned back to her uncle, finishing off her rant with, "And if you think you can keep up with us "kids"... we'd be happy to have you."

Qrow's eyes fell to the floor, mouth opening and closing as he sought the right words to say. Maria stepped over him, though, chuckling, "Looks like you didn't give her enough credit, either."

After a long, tense moment, Qrow finally sighed, trudging back downstairs. "I'll sit in and make sure you're not going to kill yourselves," Qrow growled. Ruby and Yang instantly cheered, their happiness lightening the mood.

With that, the group settled back in around the coffee table in the living room. Nora took a seat on the floor, eagerly leaning forward and watching Jaune and Ruby. The two instantly began tossing ideas back and forth, trying to figure out what to do with their current situation. How could they steal an airship from underneath Cordovin's nose?

Nora's head spun listening to it all, frankly. She was still a little caught up in the Embers' plan- how could she focus on a new one so soon? Let them figure it out, Nora thought, yawning and settling her chin onto the table. I trust them.

This brainstorming continued long into the night. Saphron and Terra, sensing that the conversation was probably not meant for them, quickly ate dinner after heroically saving the casserole and scooted upstairs to bed. "Are you sure you're not going to tell me what's going on?" Saphron prodded on her way upstairs.

Jaune shrugged, a rueful smile on his lips. "I mean… we're trying to keep you in the dark for… plausible deniability."

She groaned, crying as she made her way upstairs, "I was raised with a criminal!"

Meanwhile, Nora was content to sit on the floor, leaning back on Ren's legs and dozing off, the boy absently stroking her hair while everyone else engaged in discussion. Ren was just as tired as she was. When Ruby asked her what she thought, Nora simply waved her concerns off. "Just tell me what to do and I'll do it," she mumbled, closing her eyes and just relishing in the sound of her friends just being there.

And yet, something didn't feel right. It just didn't feel natural that not a week earlier, she had been fearing golden eyes and jagged knifepoints. It was surreal to think that she was just suddenly supposed to pretend that nothing had happened, when in fact… everything had happened.

Eventually, she noticed something off about the entire discussion. While the list of ideas on how to steal an Atlesian ship was certainly growing, Qrow hadn't given any input the entire time despite his offer to help. When Nora glanced around, she balked, realizing that the man wasn't even present.

Maria was the only one who noticed her confusion. "Looking for him, Nora?" the woman asked, pointing to the back patio. "He's out over there."

Nora blinked at the patio door. Did she want to go speak to Qrow? After glancing at the growing list of insane and inane ideas to which she had no idea how to contribute using her frazzled brain, she stood, shrugging. Might as well. After all, if they were going to break through Atlas embargo and become criminals together, she probably needed to clear the air on her end. At least, that sounded like the mature thing to do.

Before she could walk outside, however, Yang caught her eye, a sour scowl adorning her face. "If he's drinking again," she spat, "can you tell him to cut it out?"

"Yang," Ruby scolded, but her voice was empty.

Nora looked over to Jaune and Ren, both of them looking just as confused as she felt. "Guys," she said, "did something else happen while you were trying to get to Argus?"

"Other than Jinn?" Jaune asked worriedly.

Weiss shook her head, but her hands, folded primly upon her lap, tensed up, her fingers knotting in the fabric of her layered skirt. "We encountered a type of Grimm we didn't expect," she said neutrally. "It… almost got us, since we were a little shaken by Jinn's story."

"Uncle Qrow just got really, really drunk," Ruby added. "It was really bad." Looking up at Nora, she pleaded, "If he's still drinking, can you-"

"Um, shouldn't you be going then?" Nora asked, pointing awkwardly to the backyard. "I'm not sure I'm the right-"

"You didn't see how bad it got," Yang muttered tiredly. "He'll probably be less offended if it comes from you."

The four girls didn't seem to be budging on it, so Nora sighed and trudged over to the door. This is not the tone I had expected to go into this conversation with!

Qrow was more surprised to see her than she had expected, the man almost jumping off the squeaky patio chair he had taken over. In his hands was his flask; capped, useless, sitting limply in his grip like a child absently hugging a safety blanket. "Nora," he murmured, watching her carefully as she took a seat on the steps facing away from him, "what- why are you here? Did you decide on whatever scheme you all want to-"

"I'm here to talk to you," she said quietly.

"Oh," Qrow replied, unsure of where to go from there. "…Why?"

Nora paused, taking a moment to reflect on that. Unlike the stormy weather of a few days prior, the evening was clear and crisp; she found herself looking up at the scattered stars as she pondered that question. What did she want to know about Qrow Branwen?

After all, she already knew he had left the tribe. She doubted that he had anything to do with Sotz or Nick or any of the other terrible splinter groups, considering how Raven was the chief of the main family; he probably had never even had to deal with the smaller offshoots. It was also made clear at Haven that Qrow didn't have anything to do with the Branwens anymore.

For a moment, she debated on telling him about their past week's adventures. If she spilled it all, letting him revel in the fact that he was tied to so many people that had caused her and so many others such harm, how would he react?

He'd probably cry, she realized numbly. He already looked like he wanted to weep, his red eyes glassy and bloodshot, the tip of his nose tinged pink. They weren't kidding when they said things got bad on the way here.

Finally, she murmured, "Why do you drink?"

Qrow raised his flask after a moment, allowing the light from the porch to reflect off the shiny metallic surface. "Because… life, I guess," he whispered.

She hummed. She couldn't fault him for that answer. She understood what poverty in the forests of Anima was like. She understood what being a part of something terrible was like. If she hadn't had Ren… who would she have become? Hopefully not as grumpy as him, sheesh, she thought automatically.

Her mind began to bounce around that idea. Had Ren saved her? Had they saved each other? Certainly, the only reason she had kept living was because he told her to all those years ago in Kuroyuri. He had looked her in the eye and told her not that he would protect her, but that they would protect each other. He didn't save her; he gave her something to live for.

And then, Qrow's quiet grief suddenly seemed to make sense. "Ozpin really did lie to you, too," she said at last. She didn't need to look at him to recognize his response, a muffled curse leaving his lips when he dropped his flask in surprise. "Was Ozpin the one who saved you from the Branwen Tribe?"

Qrow glared at her, although there was no real malice behind it. "Why are we playing twenty questions?" he griped. "Go back inside."

"Was it Ozpin?" she insisted. Was he the one who told you that you're more than a bandit?

It made sense. Ozpin had brought Qrow into his inner circle, had tasked him with helping find his reborn self, had ordered him to help protect the Maidens; he given Qrow the power to turn into a bird, for god's sake!

Putting those thoughts into perspective easily wiped away any malice she could've held for Qrow. Suddenly, there was no bitterness left in her about the tribe, about his role in her childhood trauma. She just felt sad for him.

Standing up and stretching, she said, "Y'know, I didn't like you very much."

He snorted. "'S'okay, kid. I don't like me very much either."

Pointing at the living room, the light streaming through the glass door illuminating her face, she added, "But Ruby and Yang really, really love you, y'know? And even if you're scared about this whole thing- we're all scared, we're just kids!- you need to come in and help us!" She smiled, thinking of Kalian and Caelus and Howl. "Ren and I were raised by Huntsmen, the ones we asked you to search for. We found them this week, when you were gone- they were here in Argus. Do you have any idea how many times I wished I could ask them to come with us, to fight Salem by our sides?"

Qrow simply stared at her, lost for words.

Nora sighed, shrugging. "I can't put them in danger like that 'cause they don't know anything about it, but you can be with Ruby and Yang! So why are you moping out here when you can help them?!"

Red eyes fell to his flask, fiddling with the cap, unsure. "I'm- I'm not exactly much of a help-"

"But you got us this far, right? We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Ruby said you were the one who mentioned Haven Academy after the Fall." She stormed over, tearing the flask out of his hands and pointing at it. "This might make you want to forget, and maybe you have your reasons because of your Semblance and your past, but- but-" She groaned, exasperated. "Take responsibility for dragging everyone into this mess!"

Take responsibility for not stopping Pyrrha from saying 'yes'.

The words flew unbidden into her mind. She didn't say them. After all, it had been Ozpin who had tricked everyone into believing in him. It wasn't Qrow's fault that he had trusted someone.

The way Qrow's eyes shattered as he looked at her told her that he understood what she felt, anyways.

She thrust the flask back into his hands. "I just don't want Ruby to be sad. She's my friend." With that, she turned to head back inside.

"Any other pressing questions, kid, or do you just want to yell at me some more?" Qrow mumbled as she pulled open the backyard door.

Nora paused, wracking her brain to find anything she had left to the wayside. Finally, she came up with one that had popped into her mind while listening to the others brainstorm. Should I do it? He looked completely broken. Might as well. "Did Salem make all the Grimm?"

Qrow blinked at her, taking a moment to reflect before finally shaking his head. "No, I'm pretty sure those were already created by the God of Darkness. She's just able to control them."

"Oh, that's good to know."

"Why?"

As Nora walked back into the living room, she called back to him, "Because all the Grimm look like real animals, right? Like, how unoriginal is that?! If she had made them, then she should've tried harder to make something cool, ugh. If it was the two brothers, though, I guess it's okay since they also made animals and stuff."

Qrow's shock turned into genuine, throaty, heartfelt laughter which followed her into the living room, bringing a smile of wonder and gratitude to Ruby and Yang's faces. And the next day, when Qrow finally sat down with them and helped them to decide on the specifics of their plan, Nora knew that she had done the right thing in reaching out to him.

He's not a bad person, she thought, watching him interact clumsily with Ruby and Yang. They were still a little awkward around him, and he, around them. The divide between them, formed after whatever had taken place during their trip to Argus, wouldn't be healed that easily. 

Still, it was a start, and that was enough for Nora. She wanted her friends to be happy, and no matter what, Qrow made them happy. It helped that he could be useful, too.

He's like Kalian for them, she thought idly, then pouted. Nah. Kalian's better.

Still, it felt good to see everyone engaged in the plan. Nora couldn't wait to see it in action.

Chapter Text

What We Call Home

Three days were all they gave themselves. Initially, the others wanted to head to Atlas the day after their schemes were set, but Nora and Jaune refused to initiate the plan before their three-day timeline. “You need to get more solid nights of sleep and eat more food,” Jaune insisted, glaring at their friends. “You all look exhausted. Besides, we all need to stock up and relax a bit.”

“Yeah!” Nora cried, piling more food onto Blake and Weiss’ plates. She glared at Oscar until he brought another forkful of pasta to his lips. “Besides, we’ve gotta enjoy good food while we can!”

“Why?” Ruby asked, happily munching away on some garlic bread. Turning to Weiss, she whispered, “Is Atlas food bland? Oh, it’s bland, isn’t it, you’re all so stuffy-“

“Hey!” Weiss cried, tossing a napkin at her.

Nora shook her head, heaping another serving of food onto her own plate. “I don’t know about Atlas, but prison food’s definitely going to be worse, so-“

“Stop it, Nora,” Ren chided, shaking his head ruefully. “Don’t say stuff like that.”

Saphron nodded emphatically as she walked by the living room, worry clear as day on her face. “Yeah, please don’t do something stupid,” she begged.

Terra, who looked like she had lost her soul for the past few hours, could only mumble, “It’s too late. This is treasonous. I can’t believe we’re all helping you.”

Nora smiled wistfully at the couple. She didn’t like that they had eventually had to ask the pair to help them with their plans, but after talking it through over and over again, enlisting Saphron and Terra was the most efficient way to ensure that the fewest people possible were hurt.

Oscar offered, “I mean… if we get caught, we won’t say you helped us?”

Terra’s strangled groan of “You’re getting my toddler to help you hijack a ship!” was enough to ease no one’s concerns.

Qrow seemed similarly unhappy with the plan, but unlike Terra, he didn’t protest it, only offering vague pieces of advice whenever applicable. It wasn’t the greatest, but it was something, and everyone was happy to have at least one active Huntsman on board with their scheme.

Still, Nora was determined to enjoy the last few days she had in Argus. After they set their plan into action, there would be no going back, and she doubted she’d be seeing the city again for a long, long time. Over those three days, she made sure to take her friends around town, eating all the food she could and visiting the sites as much as possible. A three-day vacation wasn’t ideal, but Nora was going to get her money’s worth no matter what.

The plan simple overall. Maria had experience in piloting Atlesian airships, so Weiss would go turn herself into the base and smuggle Maria onboard in her suitcase. Saphron and Adrian would go with her to make sure Weiss boarded safely. Then, Weiss and Maria would hijack the airship. Meanwhile, Yang and Blake would go disable the nearby radar relay to ensure that no one would notice the bogey aircraft. That would give Maria and Weiss enough time to fly just northwest of Argus to the coastline, where Ruby, Nora, Ren, Jaune, Oscar and Qrow would be waiting in a clearing of trees, eventually meeting up with Yang and Blake before flying out to Solitas.

If everything went well, the entire mission would be complete in under an hour, and they’d have a smooth trip to Atlas. If it didn’t go well, then…

Nora kept Magnhild reloaded and extra ammunitions on hand, just in case. She just prayed that she had enough.

The night before their mission was set in motion, Nora decided to go for an evening walk. Ren smiled, knowing her destination. “Do you want me to join you?” he asked lowly when she told him her plans as they washed their dinner plates.

Nora shook her head. They had received a message from Howl earlier that day stating that the Embers and all their followers had pulled out of Argus, and they were almost out of reach of the CCTS. So, without their base to see, there was only one place she could want to go. “I should go myself,” she replied. Ren smiled, murmuring that he’d make sure that Jaune stayed out of trouble, leaving Nora to go do what she needed to do.

Pyrrha’s statue was just as breathtaking as ever. Nora knelt down in front of the engraved plaque at the statue’s feet, quietly tracing the letters of her name carved into metal and stone. “We’ll get to Atlas, Pyrrha,” Nora whispered, heart glowing in the presence of that kind smile. “I’ll make sure Ren and Jaune get there safe.”

Just as she had done before leaving Vale, she swore to the heavens and back that she would protect her boys. Pyrrha would have done the same, and Nora wasn’t going to let her down no matter what.

So, the next day, they cleaned up their rooms, packed their bags, and thanked Saphron and Terra. “We can’t ever repay you enough,” Ruby said. “We’re in your debt for life.”

Saphron shook her head, smiling fondly at the ragtag team standing at her front door. “Don’t worry about it,” she laughed, Adrian in her arms; then, she nodded at Weiss. “You ready to go?”

Weiss smiled back tightly, tugging on the handle of her brand-new bulky suitcase. Muffled from within the bag, Maria’s voice immediately croaked, “Be careful with me, you imbeciles!”

“Be quiet!” Weiss hushed, startling the bag’s occupant into quietly sulking.

“This is insane,” Jaune murmured, hyperventilating slightly. Now that it was time, he was more than a little anxious; face pale and withdrawn, he bounced nervously on the spot, checking a million times to see if Crocea Mors was still slung on his hip, if his earpiece was still in place.

Nora patted him on the back. “Jaune, don’t worry! We’ve done crazier things before!” she said cheerfully.

Terra glowered at them all while seated on the couch. Her duty was to direct Blake on disabling the radar system correctly once the mission was underway. “I cannot believe we’re doing this,” she grumbled.

Yang smiled sadly. “I’m taking Bumblebee, but everything else will have to stay here. Are you sure you don’t mind keeping our stuff with you?”

Saphron shook her head. “There’s a big box in our storage room with your name on it, don’t worry.”

Nora smiled. The only thing she owned other than munitions, her armbands from the Embers, and her headphones- all of which were stowed away in her pockets or already loaded into Magnhild- was the dress Ren had bought her. That dress wouldn’t make the journey to Atlas. It was unfortunate, but she had no choice but to leave it behind.

When they came back to Argus, it would be more peaceful times. At least, that was the hope. She couldn’t wait for the day she could wear it again. For now, though, they had a mission to get underway.

After giving each other hugs of encouragement and whispered promises to meet soon, the group split up. Weiss, Saphron and Adrian lugged Maria to the military base on the docks. Yang and Blake went off to retrieve Yang’s bike so they could head to the communications tower. The rest of the group followed Ruby to the front gates of Argus, leaving the borders under the paper-thin pretense of, “We’re… going on… a nature hike?”

Jaune was just as green as before their train yard heist as he tottered out of Argus at last, promptly finding a spot to be sick in the bushes.

Eventually, all the pieces were in the place. Nora took in a long, deep breath, relishing in the crisp ocean air. It was a clear, sunny day, with only a few clouds floating idly by. What a perfect day to get arrested.

The snow was mostly melted right along the coastal path to the northwest of the city, so they trudged along until they found that Saphron and Terra’s Scroll signals were growing weaker. “We’re in position,” Ruby announced over her earpiece. “Is everything okay?”

“We're on board,” Weiss replied, already sounded exhausted. Maria replied as well, but it was muffled and tinny- likely due to her confines.

Ruby turned to face the rest of the group, the evergreen treeline at her back. “Alright, we'll all watch our Scrolls. The second Weiss is out of range of the comm tower, that'll mean she's out of range of the radar too.”

Over the radio, Yang added, “And that's when Blake steps in. We're almost at the drop off.”

Jaune pumped his fist triumphantly into the air. “Yes!” he squealed, his colour returning. “It's all going to plan!” When he saw Nora and Ren watching him with slight amusement, he cleared his throat and straightened up. “I mean, uh, roger.”

Nora rolled her eyes with Ren at Jaune’s sudden excitement. It was fair, though; who would have thought everything would be going so smoothly? I didn’t even think Weiss would get on board the airship, Nora thought, awed. Shouldn’t Atlas have like, screenings or something of peoples’ bags? All they could do now was wait.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to stand around for long. Ruby kept one eye keenly on everyone’s comm signals. The moment Weiss flew out of range, she murmured, “Alright guys, this is it!” On her earpiece, she added, “Blake, you’re up.”

Blake didn’t respond.

Nora frowned, looking down at her own Scroll. Blake’s signal was still strong, and she should’ve already been at the radar tower by that point; what was going on?

“Blake?” Ruby repeated, glancing back worriedly at them. When Blake still said nothing, she tried, “Yang, what’s going on?”

After a moment, Yang replied hesitantly, “I… don’t know.”

Suddenly, Nora’s eyes caught sight of her screen again. Weiss’ signal was back in range. “Wait, guys,” she asked, holding up her Scroll, “if Blake hasn’t reached the radar yet, but Weiss is already flying back, doesn’t that mean that there’s a chance…”

“That the radars are still working,” Ren finished for her.

Ruby grit her teeth, looking up at the clear expanse of sky. The stretch of coast they had chosen as their departure was around a bend in the land, and the direct airspace above Argus itself was out of view.

Suddenly, Weiss’ voice chimed in. “Ruby, we’re in trouble. Cordo’s onto us,” she said over their comm lines. Angrily, she added, “And Maria isn’t helping! Why is the radar still up?”

“We don’t know! And Blake isn’t responding,” Ruby said.

Oscar walked towards her, panicking. “What do we do?!”

Yang’s line lit up. “Keep the ship in one piece.” And then, she cut out.

Nora groaned, running her fingers through her hair. I knew it was going way too smooth! We don’t get that kinda luck! But what do we do? We can’t just wait here. “Maybe we should fly over to help Yang and Blake first?” she offered.

Qrow’s fist hit the tree trunk upon which he was leaning, spitting out his first words of the day. “Damn it!” Nora turned to look at him along with everyone else. Her breath caught in her throat, seeing the pure fear overtaking his face as he muttered, “Cordo's gonna scramble her fighters. We've got maybe ninety seconds before they're in the air, and all over Weiss and Maria. This is all my fault...”

Jaune spluttered, “Wh-what are you talking about? Y-your Semblance?”

Stepping away from the tree, Nora could only watch, crestfallen as Qrow began to ramble on, his fear turning into pure self-hatred with every word. “Every choice I've ever made has led me here, and I've dragged you along with me. Oz, myself, the others- we're responsible for the mess the world's in now. I shouldn't have come; shouldn't have let any of you come. What was I thinking?!”

Silence.

Ruby’s voice was hard as she said lowly, “We're all in this together, and we're all going to do the best we can. That's all anyone can do. And I know it's what you've always aimed for. We would've come whether or not you'd let us, so stop talking like we're your responsibility! We're not!” She paused, walking closer to Qrow. Softer, she murmured, “But we could still use Qrow Branwen on our side.”

Qrow looked aghast at her words, then relaxed, pondering them for a moment. Nora crossed her arms and smiled, nodding encouragingly at him. See? she wanted to cry out. Ruby needs you.

The Huntsman finally smiled, red eyes glowing with weary pride. “Hm... How did you grow up so fast?”

“I had good role models,” Ruby replied instantly.

Weiss’ voice caught their attention as the girl hesitantly reported over the comms, “Guys? She's not sending fighters...” Right on cue, in the distance, the sound of gears and shifting metal filled the air. After a moment, Weiss added, “Is Cordovin... piloting that?”

“What is going on?” Ren breathed. Nora could only follow Qrow’s horrified gaze as an Atlesian military vessel flew around the corner, only to have a giant, robotic mechanical-armour suit following close behind, wading through the coastal water as if it were but a puddle. The machine was a dull brown covered in brassy plates; one arm was a prehensile hand, the other outfitted with a large cannons, gears whirring loudly.

Suddenly, a familiar voice filled the air from the machine’s loudspeaker. “It's time you asked yourselves, children: do you truly wish to defy me?”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Nora breathed. I knew I hated her, bitter old lady-

Ruby took a deep breath, then turned to look at the rest of them. Over the comms, she ordered, “Hurry back, Weiss. I need you on the ground if we're gonna take this thing down.”

As the airship- presumably carrying Weiss and Maria- swung around the coastline, the massive mechanical beast following it slowly, Weiss cried, “You're joking, right? You want to fight this thing?!”

“We've fought giant monsters before,” Ruby replied confidently. That bravado faltered for a moment as she muttered, “This is just a tiny old lady... with one very big robot.”

“You little spider-roaches thought you could creep your way to Atlas?! Well, let's see how your resolve holds out against the might of the Atlesian Military!” Caroline Cordovin announced. Her mech suit raised one lumbering arm, the hollow barrel of a cannon pointing at the ship. Missile launchers popped out from a slot atop its arm, and a singular shot was fired towards the airborne vessel.

Nora gasped, but Ruby was ready. Extending Crescent Rose into a sniper rifle, the girl easily aimed and took the shot, exploding the bullet before it could hit the airship. Her eyes bore nothing but determination.

Flipping Magnhild into her hand, Nora grinned, preparing herself for the battle. Let’s do this, she told herself. One giant murder robot can’t be the worst, right?

However, the mech had other plans, giving up on the airship and turning to face the shore. Nora gulped, watching the beast halt in front of them, raising its cannon towards their group point-blank. Rings around the cannon whirred and spun, a giant Dust cartridge locking into place inside in the hollow barrel before a ball of ice began to grow within.

“I don’t think I can take that hit,” Nora chuckled weakly, unsure of what to do. The blast would be so big that they couldn’t run in time.

Swiftly, the airship dove down behind them and Weiss jumped out, smoothly using her Dust manipulation to build a giant rock formation in front of them all. Nora nearly missed it, the motion of a giant wall of sediment solidifying before a sheet of razor sharp ice extended from the ocean surface to high above the wall.

Somehow, they were all saved.

Oscar murmured, “That was close.”

Weiss ran up to join them. The moment she was within earshot, Ruby declared, “We need to figure out how to stop Cordovin and protect the airship until we do.”

Promptly, Jaune said, “Then let's give her more targets to focus on.”

His eyes fell onto her and Ren immediately, and she groaned, slumping over. “You mean us, don't you?”

Jaune sighed, moving to get a better look around the rock wall of Cordovin’s mech. “Look at that thing. It's not designed for small enemies. I-it's probably meant for giant Grimm that come in from deeper waters. We can turn our size into an advantage. We just have to be smart.”

Ruby nodded thoughtfully, then asked on her earpiece, “Maria, can you keep the ship out of harm's way?”

“They can take my driver's license, but I won't let them take this ship!” Maria said cheerfully.

Utterly unfazed, Ren muttered deadpan, “Very reassuring.”

Oscar frowned, looking between them all and the airship still hidden behind the wall of rock and ice. “I'll be more useful if I go with her. From up high, I can try to spot a weakness,” he announced. It made sense- the boy didn’t have any projectile attacks, having only learned to fight hand-to-hand and with Ozpin’s cane.

Qrow nodded. Wryly, he added, “Well, he's not the only one who can grab a bird's eye view.”

Nora blinked. Oh yeah. He’s a bird. That idea still felt absolutely ridiculous to her.

And so, they strategized, taking advantage of the cover the rock and ice wall formed. Ruby’s plan was simple. “Make enough targets and keep moving, and she won’t be able to keep track of us. Me and Weiss will get to her mech; Jaune, Ren, Nora, you’ll distract her. Keep her off of us, keep moving until you get to those boulders down the coast.” She gestured vaguely at a few rocky outcroppings that could provide adequate cover. “Uncle Qrow, you go get to her mech from above and try and figure out her weak point. Maria and Oscar will keep the ship intact. Good?”

Nora nodded, grinning and pulling the trigger on Magnhild, electrocuting herself. She focused the power into her legs. Time to go.

When they got into position, Ruby counted them down. “3- 2- 1- go!”

And Nora sprinted will all of her might eastwards, with Jaune and Ren on her heels. The others split off to their own tasks. Cordovin’s mech stuttered, clearly struggling to keep track of everything going on. Once Nora had gotten far enough away from the rock wall to successfully divert fire from the others, she crouched down for just a moment and began pumping out grenade rounds at the machine, with Jaune screaming, “Hey! Over here!”

“What?!” Cordovin’s voice boomed across the coast, startling the few pitiable birds still remaining in the forest enough to make them fly away.