Felt that I should do something creative in honour of Monty. I'm a bit out of writing practice, or more accurately, horrendously out of writing practice but hopefully this is worth something.

Nora sat on the floor, silently staring at the paved tiles beneath her knees as her friends stood around her. None of them knew what to say, there was nothing any of them could say, and so they were content to simply stand in silence in a shared sorrow. The room was quiet, the only sound came from the muffled noise of the fighting outside and even that seemed to fail to permeate the room.

Nora's eyes traced the coiling designs in the tile, idly following the pattern as she steadfastly refused to look up, refused to see. Every now and then she heard one of her companions shift, move to say something but be unable to find the words and simply keep the silence.

The muffled noise of the clash outside grew louder. Blake and Weiss exchanged a worried glance and in silent agreement noiselessly slipped outside to aid team SSSN in keeping them undisturbed.

Nora was lost, set adrift without the constant presence of Ren. For as long as she could remember he had been her companion, her best friend, her rock and now she was rudderless in a storm. She still had Jaune and Pyrrha, and she was eternally thankful for that, but it wasn't the same.

Yang and Ruby both moved off, the former wiping away the latter's tears as they moved to join their team, leaving Team JNPR alone in the room.

They remained in silence for a while longer, Nora lost in her grief as Jaune and Pyrrha offered her and each other comfort as best they could, silently supporting each other simply by their presence.

Pyrrha was the first to move, stiffening her chin and wiping away her tears before moving to join team RWBY. Somehow finding a measure of purpose in a way that Nora didn't understand, leaving her and Jaune alone in the room.

Nora felt a hand clasp her shoulder and looked up for the first time, meeting Jaune's wet blue eyes with her dry ones.

"Nora..."

She watched as he struggled to find more words to follow, to express the depths of his own emotion but was unable to do so. But he didn't need to; she understood, taking comfort in his presence. Jaune settled for simply squeezing her shoulder, a shared understanding passing between them. Then he too moved off, leaving Nora alone in the room.

She slowly raised herself up and made her way to the altar, her steps small but resolute until she came to rest in front of her friend. With a deep steadying breath, she began.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality,"

Her words were soft, filled with a deep sadness, but unwavering. Even as she delicately laid a lotus blossom upon his chest, her hands did not waver, filled with the strength that so many associated with her and a surety of action.

"Infinite in distance and unbound by death,"

Her eyes filled with tears as she gently crossed his arms over the flower.

"I release your soul."

With the final words her breath caught in her throat, her voice shaking for the first time as tears finally began to spill from her eyes. The noises from outside, the fierce clashing of battle, was somehow drowned out by her gasping breaths, impossibly loud in the empty room. Nora's strength was fading, her legs began to shake and her tears came in a flood, her sorrow immeasurable in its depth.

As she cried, the lotus began to softly glow with magenta; the colour of his eyes, the resonance of his very soul. The flower slowly faded away, disappearing in a facsimile of the Grimm but somehow infinitely more peaceful, more human.

Nora felt a presence brush against her, gently encompassing to take away her pain and soothe her grief. She closed her eyes and felt its familiarity, the same presence she had known her entire life.

"Bye-Bye Ren."

There was a soft warmth, what could only be called a hug, and then it, like the flower, began to fade.

The flow of Nora's tears ebbed, she felt simultaneously lighter and far heavier as she stared at where the lotus had been, content to simply stand in silence as a goodbye to her friend.

But her silence was to be disturbed; with a thunderous crash a King Tajitu erupted through the door, sending her friends skidding across the floor. With a soft sign, Nora turned from her vigil. She stepped onto the base of Magnhild and launched herself at the Grimm.

"Smash!"

The hammer connected with the black snakehead and promptly detonated it, the same way Ren had done in the Emerald Forest so long ago.

Nora stood in the shattered doorway, watching the fighting outside as her friend gathered themselves and came to stand beside her. Jaune and Pyrrha took up positions on either side of her and the others flanked them.

With a small smile, a complex mix of sorrow, resignation, hope and happiness; Nora led her friends forward to rejoin the fight.

RIP Monty, thanks for everything