A/N: After hearing the news about Monty Oum's deteriorating health, a friend and I started writing this fanfiction to help us cope with our conflicted feelings about the news. This will be an on-going tribute to Monty Oum, a good man, and one of the biggest inspirations I have ever had. Rest in peace, friend.
(Collaboration with Slayer_ONE)
Lie Ren walked through the vibrant, leaf-scattered forest of Forever Fall, lingering just a few steps behind his bubbly partner and childhood best friend, Nora Valkyrie. Scarlet leaves crunched underneath them as Nora picked up her pace, and skipped ahead through a barrage of tall, crimson trees. The boy rolled his magenta eyes as his friend disappeared from sight, her voice echoing through the forest as she hummed a cheery tune just a few yards away. He picked up his own pace to try and catch up to her, knowing that if he allowed her to get too far ahead, she would probably find a way to cause trouble, and draw the unwanted attention of creatures of Grimm.
"Nora," he called after a moment when the humming was no longer audible. "We're supposed to stick together!"
He and his partner had been assigned patrol duty in the Forever Fall for the weekend by Professor Ozpin, and today was their first day on the job. His other two teammates, Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos, were on the opposite side of the cliffs, patrolling the Emerald Forest, despite Jaune's protests to be assigned somewhere much less dangerous. The four teammates had agreed to meet up at noon back at the school to brief each other on their encounters, though up until that point, both Nora and Ren had found that the Forever Fall was rather docile that morning.
She can't have gone too far, Ren thought to himself as he trekked forward, searching for any signs of his partner's whereabouts. She's probably just hiding in another tree again, waiting for the right moment to jump out and startle me.
He smiled at the thought as he pushed past long, flimsy branches, and into a clear patch of matted grass. He took notice of the absence of leaves, an oddity in a forest like the Forever Fall, where leaves could usually be found coating every inch of the visible ground. The patch appeared much more purposeful and regularly-inhabited, a likely resting site for one or more Grimm.
If she's gotten this far, then she's probably already disturbed the sleeping monster and figured out a way to draw it out from its bed.
He stopped to listen for the familiar sounds of Nora's grenade launcher, but after a few moments, the sound did not come, and he readied himself to press on when a different sound suddenly caused him to rethink to his course of action. A loud hiss filled the air and sent a chill up and down the boy's spine, the same feeling he'd had during initiation when he encountered a King Taijitu in the Emerald Forest. He withdrew his weapons from his long sleeves as the hissing became louder, and he narrowed his eyes in determination as he scanned his surroundings, actively seeking out his enemy.
Let's just get this over with.
Uncoiling StormFlower, Ren turned to face the large, two-headed Grimm as it moved into view. Bullets rained down upon the beast as it slithered and attempted to ensnare its prey. With practiced grace, Ren slid across the giant scales and continued to pelt the large Grimm with projectiles. Soon the creature shook him off, but he landed on his feet without fail, StormFlower still in hand. Explosions sounded throughout the forest just seconds later, and Ren smiled at the familiarity of the sound, and of his friend's unusual antics.
Now to finish this and follow her carnage, he thought, planting his heels firmly into the dirt as his gaze clashed against the beast's. We're supposed to be working together.
Ren dodged another of the serpent's attacks only to be hit from behind, his weapons flying from his hands. The green-clad boy turned in shock at the young Deathstalker at his back, and frowned as both of the large Grimm set their sights upon him.
"Nora!" he called out, knowing that warding off both creatures would be a difficult task without his partner to aid him. Ignoring the pain in his right bicep from where the scorpion-like Grimm had struck him, Ren rolled away from the two beasts, the black head of the snake impaling the ground where he had just stood. Ren raised one hand to block the deadly stinger of the Deathstalker before he blocked the attack of the white head with his other, teeth attempting to reach his palm. With a grunt, Ren jumped backwards and let the two beasts attack one another, the stinger of the Deathstalker hitting the mouth of the white head of the King Taijitu. The larger Grimm roared out in pain as the venom began to course through its body, but it returned its sights on the Aura-wielding boy as it slowly died. Explosions began to sound closer as Nora hurried toward her best friend's location.
Just a little longer.
Ren dodged the attack of the black head before ripping out its tooth, stabbing its eye, and forcing the poisonous tooth through the snake's large head, just as he had done back in the Emerald Forest earlier that year. The remaining white head cried out in agony before collapsing to its death, and pinning the small boy to the ground.
No no no!
The snake trapped the boy beneath it as it slowly disintegrated to dust, the poison finishing it. A sharp pain radiated through Ren's body just as a thunderous explosion filled the air, and the cry of a Deathstalker was summoned forth from its hellish jaws. Ren remained motionless on the ground as the King Taijitu finally vanished without a trace, explosions erupting around him.
Nora grinned mischievously as she fired grenade after grenade at the weaker Grimm, bone armor cracking as the explosives pierced its defenses and tore it apart. Once the monster was destroyed, Nora finally turned her gaze to her friend lying on the ground.
"Sorry Ren, I saw a Beowolf and I just had to ride it... Though it did take me back to its pack, so that's just more Grimm gone from the Forever Fall!"
The girl's joyous smile transformed into curiosity as Ren remained unresponsive.
"Hello? Rise and shine sleepy head! I know that using so much Aura can be tiring, but here's not exactly the best to place to sleep..."
The curious look turned into a frown.
"Ren?" She walked over to her partner, noticing a tear on his right sleeve. From the tear, she could see his punctured skin, but although the gash was small, it bubbled with a black venom, an immediate sign of poisoning. If there was one thing she had learned at all from Professor Port, it was that Grimm venom was the most dangerous and fastest-spreading venom of all, and even just a drop of the devastating liquid was all it took to seriously harm—or worse, kill—any mortal being.
"Ren?" the pink-themed Valkyrie whispered out again as she fell to her knees, her heart beginning to race as she examined the wound more closely. It's just dirt, right...? No, dirt wouldn't be bubbling like this...
She lifted a hand to the unconscious boy's forehead, his skin beginning to emit much more heat than normal, a fever already starting to ravish his body. She took a deep breath, not used to seeing her friend like this, and she tried her best to keep it together as she pulled out her Scroll. She dialed her leader's number, although she knew he was probably the last person on Remnant to know what to do in a situation as dire as this.
"Nora? What did I say about calling to say 'hi' in the middle of a mission?" the boy answered after the third ring, his voice slightly high-pitched in anxiety as it usually was when he was assigned to Grimm patrol. "I'm freaking out enough as it is!"
The orange-haired girl ignored his comment as she worriedly watched her partner sleep. "How fast can you and Pyrrha get back to Beacon?"
Her leader just paused, a hesitance to his next words. "...Why? Is this is trick?"
"No games. Just get to the school as quickly as possible, and you'll see when I get there."
Jaune sighed. "Nora? Is everything okay?"
She swallowed. "Just peachy! Don't worry! I'll see ya soon!" She didn't want to let on that something had happened to Ren, her mind still not allowing her to think of the possible outcomes of his deteriorating condition.
Jaune wasn't buying into her act, however. "Nora! Did you do something... explosive? Where's Ren?"
Nora let out a nervous laugh, not used to having to deal with this type of emergency. If she told her leader what had happened, surely he would panic, which was the worst thing to do when standing in the middle of a Grimm-infested forest.
"He's right here!" she told Jaune, her voice beginning to crack. "We'll both meet you back at the school. Ten minutes tops, okay? I'm hanging up, now!"
Before the other boy could respond, Nora ended the call, and stuffed her Scroll away. She scooped her arms underneath her friend's surprisingly light body, and propped him tightly to her side with one arm as she used her free hand to steady her weapon in place. She stepped onto the head of the hammer, and launched the weapon upward, taking off into the air above with her friend in her arms, in a hurry to get back to the school. She landed on the ground toward the forest's entrance, and turned her hammer back into grenade launcher form, storing it on her back to carry Ren bridal-style and minimize jostling. She started running through the Forever Fall on her way back to Beacon, leaves slathered under her feet.
Gotta get to Beacon, they'll fix him good as new, she told herself as she ran past several small Beowolves, ignoring their howls and their pursuit until she was out of the forest and running toward the large, castle-like academy. Everything will be alright.
Jaune and Pyrrha were already waiting for her by the time her feet hit the familiar pavement. Her teammates immediately rushed toward her at the sight of their fallen comrade, but she pushed right past them and sprinted inside, heading straight for the infirmary with her partner in her arms. She heard footsteps behind her as her teammates ran to catch up with her, and Pyrrha managed to outrun the smaller girl as they reached the infirmary, holding open one of the doors for her friend. Nora ignored her, however, and kicked open the door opposite the one Pyrrha was holding, skidding to a stop at the front desk.
"Ren's hurt!" she called out as the receptionist turned around in her chair, a look of shock painting her face at the sight of the wounded boy.
"What happened?" the woman demanded.
"Death...stalker...sting," Nora muttered, out of breath from her long race back from the forest.
"Understood." The receptionist pushed a buzzer on the corner of her desk, and a moment later, multiple medics pushed through a set of swinging doors in the back, two of them fetching a gurney from the corner of the room as they rushed toward Nora and her unconscious friend. A medic lifted Ren from Nora's arms and hastily laid him down on the gurney, other medics working to tear the shirt from his chest as they wheeled him into the emergency room.
"Ren..." As soon as her partner was out of sight, Nora collapsed into a chair in the waiting room, wiping the sweat from her forehead as her other teammates walked over to her, confusion and concern evident in their expressions.
"What happened?" Pyrrha asked.
Nora sighed, and leaned her head back against the wall. "Don't you people pay attention? Deathstalker sting..."
The taller redhead frowned, and lowered herself to the chair beside Nora while Jaune started to pace worriedly across the floor, obviously trying to gather his thoughts. "How long has he been unconscious?"
"Only like ten minutes..." Nora said. "I brought him here as soon as I realized there was venom in the wound."
"Good. You did the right thing." She offered her smaller teammate a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
Nora tried her best to return the smile in spite of the fear that was now welling in her chest. "Of course he'll be okay, he's Ren! There's... no need... to worry." Her smile faded as her words started to lose confidence. She stood from her chair, and rushed toward the bathroom, eager to get away from prying eyes as she tried to process everything that had just happened.
She took in a deep breath as she heard her teammates talking outside, Jaune, ever the pessimist, continuing to fret about their current situation.
"Jaune, will you quit pacing like that?" Pyrrha said on the other side of the door, a hint of concern in her voice as her partner's heavy footsteps finally came to a halt. "Everything will be fine."
"How do you know?" he said sharply, his nerves getting the best of his attitude. "What if it doesn't turn out fine?"
But Pyrrha wouldn't have it. "You can't think like that. It's useless, and won't get any of us anywhere."
Nora sighed as she stepped away from the door, and nervously bit her lip. Ren would want us all to be happy... He wouldn't want us to worry about him like this... But how can I not?
Jaune started pacing again. "Well, what should I do? I'm the leader, I'm supposed to know how to handle this stuff!"
"You should contact Professor Ozpin," the other girl suggested. "He's our headmaster, and he needs to know that one of his students is in the infirmary and that Nora's not... Well, she's not herself."
The orange-haired girl frowned. I'm the same as I've ever been... I'm sorry I'm not so fun right now... None of this is very fun.
"What if he blames me because I'm the leader, though?" Jaune continued to worry. "What if—"
"Jaune, stop," Pyrrha interjected, and Nora shook her head as their leader tried to put the blame on himself. "You have nothing to be concerned about. Contact Professor Ozpin, and explain to him what happened. He'll understand."
Jaune doesn't even know what happened... He wasn't there. He didn't have to fight off that monster, and didn't have to find Ren like that... Nora swallowed. Calm down, calm down, calm down.
"O-okay, Pyrrha. If you say so." His footsteps disappeared out of earshot, and Nora began pacing around the small bathroom.
He'll be okay, he'll be fine. Ren will be perfectly fine. He has to be...
Jaune walked to the front desk of the infirmary, and nervously met the eyes of the receptionist as she turned to him with a sympathetic smile.
"Yes, young man?" the receptionist asked.
He anxiously folded his arms behind his back, rocking on his heels. "I, uh, was wondering if you could page Professor Ozpin? I need to report the incident with my teammate."
The woman nodded. "I already paged him the moment the medics wheeled your friend away. He should be on his way down right now to assess the damage and to review the incident with the boy's partner."
Jaune stopped rocking, and lifted a hand to the back of his head. "Yeah, see, she's kind of acting a little weird, or at least weird for her, so I was kind of hoping I could talk to Ozpin myself... I am the leader, after all."
The woman frowned. "I'm sorry, that's not how it works. If you were there with them when the incident occurred, that would be a different story, but since she's the only one who witnessed what happened, she's the only one who can accurately recount the events back in the forest... Unless your friend decides to wake up any time soon, which unfortunately, does not seem likely."
His stomach churned. "W-what do you mean?"
"Well, I can't be certain, but a Deathstalker's sting is very deadly, and he will likely fall into a fever-induced coma, if not worse... He only just arrived, and it will take some time to assess his injuries and extract the venom. It is probably in yours and your teammates' best interest to return to your regular activities for the remainder of the day, as the medics will likely not have an accurate diagnosis until the end of the night, minimum."
Jaune nodded, not sure he exactly understood what the woman was saying, but he hoped that when Ozpin arrived, the man would be able to explain it in a way he could better comprehend. He stepped away from the receptionist desk, and back to the waiting area with Pyrrha, Nora still in the bathroom.
He's my best friend... We've been at each other's sides for practically forever... He has to be okay... As long as I stay with him, he'll be alright, right?
Nora walked over to the sink, and glanced up into the mirror, frowning as she took in her panicked appearance.
This won't do, Valkyrie... Ren would never want you to be sad... Be strong, be happy, for him... He did well. He was only doing his job.
She smiled, however forced, and stepped away from the mirror, walking back over to the toilet. She sat down on the closed lid, and rested her head in her hands, wishing all of the spinning thoughts in her head would just go away. For once, she wished she didn't have to be strong; for once, all she wanted was to be serious, for Ren to know how she felt before it was too late to tell him.
"You have to pull through, Ren..." she whispered, her breath starting to hitch.
She lifted her head as Pyrrha's voice sounded from the other side of the door again. "Well?"
"Ozpin's coming to talk with Nora," Jaune announced, and Nora felt her stomach drop. The last thing she wanted was to explain to the headmaster how it was her fault she had left Ren behind and got him hurt.
"Well I hope he's not expecting to have a full debriefing," her female teammate said, her tone more sarcastic than Nora had ever heard her use before.
"Why's that?"
"She hasn't come out of the bathroom in nearly fifteen minutes," Pyrrha explained. "She's not exactly herself."
Stop saying that, Nora thought, her teal eyes narrowing as her teammates discussed her openly on the other side of the door. I can hear everything you're saying...
"Yeah, I hope she can pull herself together before—" Jaune was cut off by the sound of a third pair of footsteps walking in their direction, these footsteps more authoritative than the others.
"Hello," a low, familiar voice said to the two after a moment. Nora leaned back against the trunk of the toilet as Professor Ozpin continued to address her teammates. "How are you two?"
"Shocked, sir," Pyrrha answered almost immediately, honest and sympathetic, as always. "We never would have guessed that something like this would happen."
"Few could have predicted this, though here we are." The older man cleared his throat. "May I ask where your other teammate is? Ren's partner?"
"Nora's in the bathroom," Jaune said hesitantly. "She, uh, isn't exactly normal..."
She couldn't help but smirk at her leader's phrasing of that last statement. Normal is so overrated... But I know what you meant.
"I'm well aware of your teammate's quirks, Jaune," Ozpin replied, his mind clearly going to the same place that Nora's had, something that the girl found amusing, despite the serious matter at hand.
"What he means is," Pyrrha interjected, "Nora's not normal by her own standards."
Professor Ozpin let out a thoughtful hum. "Thank you, Miss Nikos, I'll see if she's alright. It would be unfortunate if she fell in."
Nora's eyes widened. That only happened one time... She swiped the back of her hand across her face as tears started to brim in her eyes, dreading the conversation she knew she was about to have. The man's footsteps became louder as Ozpin walked toward the bathroom, and gave a light knock on the door.
"Miss Valkyrie, are you alright?"
She blinked away a few tears. "Y-yes sir." She cringed at the crack in her voice.
"I see," he responded with a hint of sympathy. "Well, when you're ready, I would like a full debriefing of your patrol. One without your entertaining additions, of course."
There's nothing entertaining about my best friend being hospitalized... She stood up, and walked over to the door, taking in a deep breath, and pulling it open. As soon as she saw Professor Ozpin, the reality of the seriousness of Ren's condition hit her, and her eyes began to well with tears once more. She closed her eyes for a moment, and shook her head as she swallowed back the tears, not wanting the most powerful man in Vale to see her out of her element.
"Professor... Can we go somewhere else to talk?"
The older man offered her a smile. "Of course. Let's go to my office."
Nora gave him a short nod, and followed him back into the waiting room, where Jaune and Pyrrha were still seated, now silent. Professor Ozpin stopped in front of them to give them a final piece of advice.
"It may be in your best interest to return to your dormitory for the remainder of the day. I assure you the medics will update you on your friend's condition as soon as anything changes, but for now, you should both rest... Or at least get some lunch. It's just about mealtime."
Jaune and Pyrrha stood without a word, and exited the infirmary, conflicting looks of concern and hopefulness aimed towards Nora as they passed by. Once they were gone, Ozpin continued out of the infirmary, and Nora followed, her heart constricting in her chest as she left her best friend behind.
Please get well soon, Ren...
The headmaster and student walked through the empty halls, everyone else already out having lunch, or doing patrols of their own. Finally the silent duo entered Ozpin's office and each took a seat on their respective sides of the large, clockwork-style desk.
As soon as Nora was seated, Ozpin lowered his ever-present mug to the desktop, and met the girl's saddened gaze. "So, what happened in the Forever Fall?"
Nora lowered her eyes to the ticking gears that were visible through the thick glass. "Ren and I were doing our patrol like we were supposed to. We hadn't seen any Grimm for a while so I kinda skipped away to scout ahead. I found a Beowolf and had it lead me to its pack..."
Ozpin remained silent, and Nora lifted her gaze once more, only to see him raising an eyebrow in question of her tracking method.
"...By riding on its back until it took me to the rest of its pack."
A small smile traced his face, but he did not comment on her antics.
"So I started blowing them up and hitting them around with Magnhild until I heard Ren call out for me," the small girl continued. "So I ran over to where I heard him call out, blowing up Beowolves behind me as I ran until I found Ren under a dying King Taijitu, and a Deathstalker walking towards him. I then blew up the Deathstalker, and the King Taijitu vanished, and then there Ren was, lying on the ground, poisoned..."
The tears were starting to form in her eyes again, and she had to look away, not wanting to continue, but knowing she didn't have another choice. "I tried to wake him up... I thought that he was just tired after using so much of his Aura, because he lost his weapons, and..."
Nora swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing past the tears that now streamed down her cheeks, determined to finish her story. "...And then I saw the tear in his sleeve, and the gash in his arm with the venom, and—"
She cut herself off, her emotions getting the best of her, and she practically launched herself across Professor Ozpin's desk, hugging the older man as she started to sob. "I—don't know—if he'll be—okay..."
Ozpin calmly set down his mug, and gently pat the hysterical girl's back. "Nora... You did the right thing by bringing him back as soon as you noticed the signs. You identified the problem, and hastily took action. I cannot assure you enough that your partner is in good hands."
"O-okay..." Nora kept her face buried in the headmaster's uniform until the tears slowly stopped flowing. When she was finally composed enough to speak, she looked up at Professor Ozpin, and gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, sir..."
"It's fine, Nora," he told her with a slight shrug. "But you should be with your friends. I'm sure they would like to see you."
She released her grip on Ozpin's jacket, and backed away. "Yes, sir..." She started for the door, wiping away her tears, and just as she reached the elevator, she turned to the man with an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Professor."