A/N: Volume 4, woot woot! Are you ready for me to truncate/potentially alter 99% of the fights since I don't like how they're done in canon? Ohhh yeahhh.

Let me know what you think!

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.