Roman served his purpose wonderfully and bowed out at a good time, considering how little relevance he would have had after v3 (plus, I love the ironic and symbolic way he got knocked off). If by some weird decision he had been crammed in v4, all I can imagine is Roman and Neo following RNGR around Anima in a hot air balloon, interrupting the storyline at random times to steal Zwei after performing a dramatic 'duet' XD
Yeah, I know the backgrounds on the two pictures are different. I also should have put Zwei in the photo too but I got lazy (and yes I know he was with Tai, but still). Side note 2: Imagine Nora as a Pikachu (or tinkaton) trainer!
You gotta admit, Zwei may not seem like he has much in common with Pikachu, but they are both in the top 1% of their species. With that OP god-among-corgis on their side, they would be unstoppable.
In the very same place where it all started, he could have lost it all.
Isn’t the very point of being a huntsman to fight for life, and by extension, to fight for love, without shying away from it?
Perhaps it was prudent to avoid such attachments, but hadn’t they already spent their lives protecting others in spite of the danger they faced as children?
How is that any different from giving into love no matter how much hate there is in the rest of the world?
Isn’t that what being a huntsman is about? Protecting life and nurturing love in a world in which those are becoming more and more sparse?
Ren looked over to her, his gaze softening at the sight of her hopeful expression, her slight smile as she looked out at the main hub of Mistral for the first time.
They had made it.
Finally, after all those months, team RNJR had made it to Haven.
But as Ren looked to Nora, the wind whipping through her short, orange hair, her bright turquoise eyes brightened by the sights before her, he knew that he wouldn’t have made it anywhere if it weren’t for her.
With a clear mind, a conscious thought, and a certain heart he reached out and placed his hand on hers.
He watched as a jolt of surprise seemed to run through her, herself quickly calming as their hands wrapped into a hold. Ren didn’t say a word when she looked at him with regard in her eyes or when she slid over to rest her head on his shoulder.
He only smiled.
The two stayed like that until they landed in the hangar bay, enjoying greatly the moment of peace after so many battles.
Aside from Ren offering his hand to help Nora off the airship and her reply of ‘thank you’ as her hand slid into his, the pair of them stayed silent.
With, of course, a blush on their cheeks as they held hands, an unspoken regard shared between them as they walked along a hallway.
“Ruby texted that our room is #446 and that she left the room key under the mat,” Nora said as she tapped at her scroll, “her and Qrow are in #447.”
Ren only nodded, stopping slowly when he saw the number 446 etched onto a small slate of wood, a door right next to it.
Nora noticed his slowed pacing quickly, turning to face him for their eyes to lock into each other.
“Nora,” Ren said as he took her other hand.
“Yes, Ren?” Nora prompted.
“About today, ” Ren started, Nora’s expression softening into concern as she listened attentively, “being in Kuroyuri, it…it reminded me of a lot of things I’ve tried to forget. My father…my mother…the day I lost them…the day I lost everything, but…I’ve always remembered the moment I met you.”
Nora’s lips parted as her expression neutralized, her eyes searching his.
Ren tightened his grip on her hands, taking a couple steps forward, his voice softening as he continued.
“I have to thank you Nora, for everything, it’s long overdue.”
“Ren…you don’t need to…” Nora said, her voice almost a whisper.
“But, I do,” Ren insisted, “looking back, I hardly knew a time when you weren’t by my side. Everything else was so much easier to forget, to repress, to hide, and to secret away, but you made it so that my life was joyous…I could hardly believe, hardly remember the years before. It was such a distant memory, but you were always real, either right in front of me or right beside me, someone I could reach out and touch. You have been the one thing I could always count on, you have always been there for me, and you have been my family. Even in times where hope was sparse, you were there.”
Ren started to look nervous, Nora noting the change as he continued nonetheless.
“It’s…well…it’s been a while now that things have felt different, like it’s the same, but something entirely new. I’ve been afraid in the past of hurting you because of it, but…the truth still remains…”
Ren took a hand to cup Nora’s cheek, the touch of it and a deep breath seeming to calm his nerves.
“Nora,” he said with a smile, Nora’s eyes lighting up because of it, “I’m in love with you.”
Ren watched for her reaction, searching her turquoise eyes as they started to water, a great smile starting to curve her lips.
“Hey guys!” they heard Ruby exclaim, prompting them to separate as they shared distinct looks. If Ruby were right in front of them she would have seen that she obviously interrupted something, Nora looking as if she were about to say something to Ren. It was as if the pause button was pressed upon them, both Nora and Ren anticipating what would happen next.
“Did you get my text?” Ruby asked when she had approached them.
They were in the hallway of an inn. They couldn’t be surprised or upset that they were interrupted.
“W-we did, ” Ren answered for Nora, Ren right in assuming that he was just a bit more coordinated than Nora at the moment.
Yet Ruby apparently did notice something, giving them a quizzical look before obviously disregarding it entirely.
“These rooms are just until we find something more permanent, ” Ruby said, "but they seem really nice. They even have fresh cookies in the lobby.”
“Y-yeah, ” Nora stammered, Nora and Ren looking like they were waiting for something.
“I was thinking we could all gather for dinner, “ Ruby continued, “a real meal might be nice. I’ll let you know when Qrow wakes up so we can go celebrate, I mean…we made it…after everything…”
Ruby looked sad for a second before she added with a smile,
“Things are starting to look up.”
Her smile lingered for a bit longer as she looked upon the pair, before unlocking the door in front of her with her key and opening it.
Nora looked as if she cold barely contain her excitement as Ruby closed the door behind her, jumping around like a small child on the brink of an accident.
So, as soon as the door latched closed, Nora practically jumped into Ren, pressing her lips onto his with her arms loosely hung around his neck.
Luckily, Ren had gotten used to Nora excitedly barreling into him like that, only staggering back a couple steps at the momentum. He hugged her around her waist as he closed his eyes, continuing the kiss that just felt so right.
There were so many times that she had hugged him in a similar way the past, Ren remembering well resisting the urge to just kiss her.
What a fool he was then, what a fool he was even just earlier that day.
They released from the kiss, keeping their short distance between each other as they shared a chuckle, their soft gazes locked into each other.
“I feel the same, ” Nora said, “exactly the same…about you…every word, Ren. I love you.”
Ren kissed her at those words, both of their hands moving downwards to clasp into each other with a tight hold.
“We stay in this hallway long enough, “ Nora said as their lips retreated, their foreheads gently touching each other, “Goodwitch will come all the way from Vale to scold us for public displays of affection.”
Ren laughed, not a small chuckle, but a real laugh. That sound hadn’t rung in Nora’s ears since they were at the Beacon fairgrounds getting cotton candy and popcorn.
It was such a simpler time then, the Vytal Festival Tournament running smoothly, the conflict of the semester before with rampant Grimm seeming to be extinguished.
There were a lot of things that had been lost out of that illusion, things she missed greatly.
Yet, the hand that held hers as she grabbed the key from under the mat, as she unlocked the door, and as she gave a warm, thankful smile to her love, was a familiar hand and a loyal hand. It comforted her greatly, and the fact that she still had it to hold comforted her even more so.
It would be hard to lose him, sure, but it would be even harder to have never had his support and his care over the years, and now she knew that Ren felt the same.
They always knew they would stay together, just as they had promised as children.
But to now be together-together was more than they had ever hoped, Nora’s blush still on her cheeks as she pushed open the door. Even when Ren reluctantly let go of her hand, the knowledge that there existed still a love shared between them made her blush even more.
Yet, there was a danger to it all that they knew well, the pain of which they could see in their teammate Jaune as he stared with sad eyes at the crest on his shield.
He had lost Pyrrha to the cold grasp of death mere minutes after their own first kiss.
The loss of their teammate was so unexpected, so devastating that they had almost lost hope. Pyrrha Nikos was the last person to deserve such an end, being one of the most selfless and kindhearted people they had ever known. The loss of her friendship and her positivity was detrimental to the team once known as JNPR.
If it weren’t for Ruby Rose and the hope she instilled within them, the drive to keep moving forward, they may have submitted to that instinct to fear and to doubt everything, to simply let the division happen instead of fight for unity.
Nora and Ren had by know learned from that loss to fight to stay together, and especially, to cherish those moments of love and of friendship instead of avoiding them.
As they sat looking at the emblem on Jaune’s shield, at the dagger of Ren’s father, there were many moments that they recollected in their hearts where they could have done more. They didn’t know how much they had taken them for granted until it was too late.
No one ever does.
But there were other memories too. Memories of happiness and joy, memories of eating pancakes and Nora commandeering all the syrup for herself, memories of watching team RWBY play board games in the library, memories of just walking around campus, around Vale, just drinking in a glowing sunset or a starry night sky.
Jaune, Nora, and Ren would never forget the first times they showed off their semblances, the time they danced together at the ball, even those quiet moments in the dorm when just the presence of each other was soothing.
Nora certainly would never forget when she spilled punch all over herself, hating so much that such a wonderful night was cut short.
But they are more than just memories, they were expressions of friendship and companionship, the three huntsmen each glad they were a part of it, glad they knew the girl named Pyrrha Nikos, who would recall those memories with just as much of a smile if she were sitting with them.
After all, to know love and to have lost it is infinitely better than to be its’ stranger.
