A/N: I remember being around 11 and, being a giant Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts fan, watching the first Dead Fantasy videos on YouTube, being utterly amazed at how incredibly intricate all of the fight scenes were. I didn't know who Monty Oum was- I just wanted to see my favourite characters battle. They were absolutely magical to watch.

The reason why I bring them up is because every single time I need inspiration to write RWBY fight scenes, I just rewatch Dead Fantasy. Monty, your work is still just as amazing to me as it was back then, well over a decade later. Cheers, dude.

Am I changing this fight a lot from canon? Yes. Because they're competent fighters, not slapstick idiots at this point like V4E1 made them out to be. That being said, I probably wrote and rewrote this entire fight scene probably four times. I'm very sick of it. Also, some of the later scenes were adapted from LoA. No point rewriting everything that's already serviceable.

It's been about a month since the last update, so here's a longer chapter. In the future, I hope to update this on Sundays, but that's tentative.

Let me know what you think!

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.