A/N: Hey y'all! We're back! I've finally gotten a break to get back to writing this monstrosity.

I wanted to give a little overview of how this volume is going to go. This fic will likely finish around chapter 40, with half of that time dedicated to pre-reunion and the rest for post-reunion. I'm excited to finally get to fully flesh out Renora's backstory and give them closure, and I know that a lot of you are super excited to see their reactions to learning the truth about Oz.

I'm also going to go back to a schedule in order to give myself some guidelines. Chapters for this fic will be out every Sunday, just like with Laws of Attraction last year. If additional chapters are already ready, then they'll be out in between, but Sunday uploads should always be happening.

Let me know what you think!

What We Call Home

The moonlight was enough to illuminate the balcony of the manor completely, washing it in its pale, ethereal light, painting the world silvery-white and grey. Nora smiled, squeezing Ren's hand knowingly as they stepped out together, wandering towards their leader who was lying on the ground, eyes staring up at the heavens.

As she approached one side of Jaune and lay down, she said, "What's goin' on, Jaune?"

Ren obediently took a seat cross-legged on Jaune's other side, closing his eyes and turning his face up to the moonlight. "You should be saving your energy. Our journey to Argus begins tomorrow, after all."

"I know," Jaune sighed, a rueful smile on his face. Nora traded a worried expression with Ren, though, seeing the deep crease only grow between Jaune's furrowed brows.

"Jaune," she murmured, laying her head back onto her hands, "are you… having second thoughts?"

The blond snorted, shaking his head. "No. I'm with you, with Ruby, all the way. We've got a duty to see this through," he said somberly. "I was just thinking, that's all."

"About?" Ren asked.

"…do you remember what day it is?"

"…Thursday?" Nora offered.

"She's not wrong," Ren added lightly.

At that, Jaune's face melted into a small, warm smile. "No, guys- okay well yes, but..."

"But?"

Quietly, he explained, "It's already the second week of September. Like… it's been a year since initiation."

Nora froze, eyes falling to the wayside. In the darkness, it was hard to tell, but the trees lining the edge of the balcony would be glowing red come sunrise. It was becoming autumn yet again.

"…It's been quite a while since the Fall," Ren whispered.

Six months without Pyrrha. The sheer thought of it was barely comprehendible. How could that much time have passed since Pyrrha had been taken away from them?

And we didn't even find out what happened to Cinder.

She tossed the thought away. They could figure out how to pursue Cinder later. For now, their destination was Argus. The Relic had to be kept safe. And we've got to make sure Howl and everyone is safe, too, she thought resolutely.

"It's hard to believe it's been a year since we all met," she said, rolling onto her side and propping her head up on her palm. She grinned cheekily at the two young men, adding, "You ever figure out a landing strategy, Jaune?"

Immediately, Jaune's face broke out into an annoyed, but amused grin. "Oh, bite me," he muttered without malice. "I was right, wasn't I? It's the season for terrible call-backs."

"Vomit Boy, you're self-aware," Ren said nonchalantly.

Nora practically screeched with laughter at the unexpected quip as Jaune sat upright, punching his best friend on the shoulder lightly. "What the heck, Ren?!" he complained. "Not you too! You're supposed to be on my side, right? C'mon!"

Ren shrugged, a tiny smile pulling his lips. Nora bit back her giggles and sighed happily, leaning her head onto Jaune's shoulder and pointing at the moon. "Either way, we're gonna kick butt again tomorrow!"

"I could do without some butt-kicking, thanks," Jaune groaned. "We've had far too much kicking lately."

Nora shrugged. "But now we have, like, a healer, don't we, Mr. Aura Amplifier?" She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "We can take on anyone!"

"Together, we'll be fine," Ren agreed.

Jaune took a moment to look at them both carefully, a mix of emotions spread across his face. Finally, he sighed, clearly giving up on whatever argument or point he had been trying to make. "Yeah. You're right. We've been through a lot, but…" He turned his face back up to the moon, eyes glazed over slightly. "I wouldn't take back any of it."

Nora smiled, nodding and laying down on her back. She knew what Jaune was seeing as he looked up at the moon. He probably doesn't even notice he's playing with Pyrrha's ring right now.

And yet, the air still hung heavy with a peaceful tranquility, the air clear and comfortingly warm, carrying the last traces of the summer soon to pass. The autumn was already well on its way, and while Nora knew that seeing the reddening leaves and the brilliant golds of the trees would be nothing more than repeated punches to the gut in the wake of Pyrrha's memory, she also knew they'd all be alright.

They had grown up over the past year. Kalian's going to be surprised. Howl, too.

Caelus wouldn't. He'd just go storm-diving with her again. It was going to be awesome.

With that thought, they all separated for the night, ready to catch some shut-eye before the long journey ahead. Argus was located far to the northwest, and it was going to be quite a voyage to get there.

The next day, the journey down to Mistral Central Station was an uneventful one. With the panic and hubbub after the attack on Haven having died down, the group managed to make it to the station easily, their bags and weapons all packed up and ready for the long train ride.

"Y'know," Jaune murmured as they stepped through the wide double-doors of the station center, "I'm going to miss that house. It was good to us."

"Pft, I'm not," Nora deadpanned, skipping ahead. The very thought of making progress on their quest was more than enough to quash any feelings of nostalgia she could feel about saying goodbye to Mistral in general.

To her surprise, Ren murmured, "I will, too." When she cast him a confused glance, it surprised her to see a light flush on his cheeks as he looked away.

She rolled her eyes, face immediately splitting into a wide grin. Leaning over to murmur into his ear, she said, patting her bag knowingly, "It's okay, Ren. I still have the dress."

Cackling at his instant flush, she wandered ahead. Qrow had mentioned that their train would be on platform 10. Thankfully, it took barely a second to find signage that indicated where to go, so she waved to everyone else and began to wander through the bustling station.

People were lining up left and right to buy tickets and snacks while they waited for their trains, giving her plenty of things to watch. The whole place smelled wonderful- street vendors were selling sugary, doughy fried somethings and she was going to get her hands on some no matter what.

Station first. Find the platform. She glanced back. Leave Jaune with the bags, then buy snacks. With that plan in mind, she continued on her way.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a large holoscreen. Numerous screens were situated around the station, high enough to see easily over any crowd. It simply listed all of the platforms and incoming trains for the awaiting passengers, but one line repeated on every single board was enough to strike a pang of loneliness into her heart.

VALE - OUT OF SERVICE

Her lip wobbled for a moment. She had to press her lips together tight, consciously smoothing out the crease in her brow before the others caught up to her.

Despite all of her pride for her teammates and for her friends and for Pyrrha, by the gods she missed Beacon. What she wouldn't give to return things to a year earlier- to get to experience her sisterhood with Pyrrha all over again.

But those days were over.

She didn't have any time to mope, thankfully. The others caught up to her quickly, herding her with smiles and enthusiastic gestures towards their platform, where the Argus Limited- a majestic train, filled with all the comfort and luxury needed to travel to nearly the other side of Anima in style- sat waiting. They managed to find two large, empty benches back-to-back by their carriage. Nora plopped down next to Oscar, sticking her tongue out at Jaune and Ren as they took a seat on the other side of the bench.

"Watch my stuff!" Yang called as she rolled her motorcycle over to the cargo bay.

Nora took the opportunity to lay her belongings down beside an unsuspecting Oscar. Ruby moved in tandem with her on the other side of the bench, immediately meeting her eye and grinning evilly as the younger girl patted Jaune's hair as if he were a child.

"I'm hungry," Nora explained.

"I need souvenirs. Yang and Dad collect them," Ruby explained.

Simultaneously, they saluted a very bewildered Oscar and Jaune. "Take care of our stuff!" the two girls cried, scurrying off.

Nora giggled as she heard Jaune's complaints fade into the din of the station while she made a beeline for the nearest food stall. She had priorities. I'll get you some, don't worry.

Ten minutes later, Nora was back at the bench, handing Oscar and Jaune a delicious cinnamon-sugar pastry as thanks for guarding her belongings. The boys huffed and rolled their eyes, but their smiles was good-natured, so she knew all was forgiven.

Handing another pastry from the giant paper bag in her hands over to Ren, she paused, counting the heads present. Yang was back from storing her bike, but Ruby, Qrow and Blake were gone. Qrow's probably getting a drink before we head out, she thought, unimpressed. Ruby's still buying souvenirs, probably… "Where's Blake?"

Jaune pointed backwards to a footbridge connected their platform to the next. She climbed onto her knees and leaned over, wrapping her arms around Ren's neck as he nibbled delicately at the snack. Over the railing, Nora could see Blake, her cat ears flicking back and forth as she spoke to Sun, Neptune and Ilia.

Nora pouted; Sun hadn't been around very much for their last few days in Mistral, having headed back to meet up with his own teammates, all of whom had been living in the outskirts of town over the summer. Ilia seemed nice enough the few times she had stopped by the manor, but Blake in general had been more than a little shy around everyone after their reunion, so prying too far into who Ilia was amidst the mess which was the battle of Haven seemed to be a bit out of the question for the moment.

In a blur of red rose petals, Ruby was suddenly standing in front of them once more, holding something behind her back. Yang stood, watching her little sister in barely-concealed anticipation. "And?" she asked at last when Ruby refused to speak.

Proudly, Ruby presented a small brown bag emblazoned with the station's logo, squealing excitedly.

Weiss, seated as primly as ever with her suitcase on her lap, rolled her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, although that was likely due to the thick muffler she had wrapped around her neck and the pale tights she wore. The girl must've been overheating in the station, still warm in the late summer's heat. She muttered, "What an absolute waste of time-"

Yang cut her off, rushing forward. "What did you get me?"

Ruby sang, "You'll have to wait and see!"

"No fair!" the blonde cried, but Ruby merely stuck her tongue out and evaded her sister's attempts to rip the bag from her hands.

Nora laughed, throwing herself in between the two easily. They had a tendency to forget where they were, after all- the amount of times they had been thrown out of restaurants back when they still went to Beacon thanks to the sisters' antics was almost embarrassing in the hindsight. So, to distract them, she announced, "Oh, I can't believe we're taking the train to Argus! The beautiful northern coastline..." She paused, jumping in front of Ren. "You think it's too early for beach season?"

Ren shook his head sadly. "Too late, unfortunately, but we will be one step closer to Atlas."

From her spot on the bench, Weiss muttered, "Well, I'm glad you're all excited. But I don't think you appreciate the trouble I went through to leave Atlas."

"I know you're worried, Weiss, but trust us," Ruby said gently, standing by her teammate. "Team RWBY won't leave your side for a second! I promise."

Nora smiled on instinct as the Ruby and Weiss traded empathetic smiles. It really felt good to have everyone back together again.

Suddenly, a brash, overconfident voice drawled, "No one's gotta be worried with us around."

Nora turned to face the speaker. Ignoring Oscar and Jaune completely, two young men in their mid-twenties strolled up to Weiss, Ruby, Nora and Yang. Held over each of their shoulders was a weapon- for the speaker, it was a spiked metal club, while his partner held a golden rifle. Each man wore a cocky, self-assured grin, winking and appraising them unabashedly.

Propping a hand on her hip, Nora asked plainly, "And… you are?"

The first man explained cockily, "Why, Dee and Dudley of course. The Argus Limited's very own Huntsmen. We'll be keeping everyone safe as we pass through Grimm territory."

She crossed her arms, unimpressed. These two clowns think they'll protect us?

"But, for a generous tip," Dudley added, "we can make sure your passenger car gets extra special attention should things… get dangerous." The man winked at them, and Nora could feel a bit of her soul leave her body in disgust.

"Yeah, I got a tip for ya," Qrow growled nearby. The two Huntsmen turned to look at Qrow who was emerging from a nearby stall, a look of weary annoyance etched into the frown on his lips. He sauntered up to stand between them and the Huntsmen, his hands tucked in his pockets. "Buzz off."

Nora bit back her smile. There was something oddly sweet about how Qrow had immediately positioned himself, whether he realized it or not, between his nieces and the Huntsmen specifically.

Taking a moment to glance at the two young men, Qrow added, "Looks like Mistral's really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days."

Dee hissed, "Hey! You're talking to a-"

Qrow cut him off, raising his professional Huntsman license up so the two could see it clearly. "A professional Huntsman, right." The two men immediately deflated while Qrow tucked his license away, crossing his arms. "Well, it seems one of you 'heroes' left the staff entrance to the caboose wide open. It'd be a shame to lose your job before it even started."

The two Huntsmen took a moment to stare open-mouthed at the caboose before Dudley cried, "I... I didn't do it!"

Dee scoffed, hitting his partner in the shoulder before walking away. "Come on, dummy."

As the two men's bickering blended into the sounds of the busy station, Oscar murmured thoughtfully, "You know, sometimes the burden of saving the world feels overwhelming." He flashed a rueful smile at them all. "But then people like that come along and make me grateful that it's our jobs and not theirs."

As everyone hummed in agreement, Qrow asked, "So, you kids ready to go? Bike all loaded up?"

"Yep!" Yang replied.

Weiss said, "Just waiting on Blake. As usual."

Nora took a moment to hand out the rest of the pastries she had gotten for everyone before skipping over to Jaune and Ren, taking a seat right between the two. Settling the bag on her lap, she began to eat the rest of the pastries with gusto, practically inhaling the rest of the fried twists.

Jaune watched her in impressed amusement. "Nora, please breathe."

"Breathing's for the weak," she huffed around a mouthful of cinnamon-sugar delight.

Jaune rolled his eyes, leaning back and looking at Ren over her head. "So, are you excited to go to Argus, Ren?" he asked.

Nora took another bite as Ren nodded sagely. "I guess we haven't told you."

"Told me what?" Jaune asked, confused.

Swallowing her bite, she said, "Have we told you about the people who raised us?"

Jaune shook his head. "Not really, no."

She traded looks with Ren. We should tell him, right?

Might as well, he seemed to say.

She turned back to Jaune, explaining, "Well, they're Huntsmen. We've been asking around, and apparently they might be in Argus!"

Ren nodded, focusing on one of the holoscreens with the train schedule shining from it. "Perhaps Howl is going to Sanctum," he murmured. "He always wanted to teach. Or do research."

"Yeah," Nora nodded enthusiastically, "but… do you think they're actually going to stay there for a long time?"

"Probably not," he replied, a weary smile on his lips. "I doubt they'd give up."

"Give up on what?" Jaune asked, eyes wide and curious.

Nora took another bite, a little less enthused this time. It was Ren who responded for her. "Revenge," the boy said simply.

Jaune's expression immediately hardened. She sighed, leaning her head on Ren's shoulder. Maybe we shouldn't have used that word… Although he hadn't spoken much of it, she knew that Jaune's mind was still wrapped up in the fight against Cinder- and the lack of a conclusion to it. When she caught his bitter glare, she smiled, trying to ease the tension growing in him. "I mean, Sotz is gone, right?" she said quietly. "And we found Varin."

"Still not everyone," Ren replied.

She took another contemplative bite. Yeah. We still haven't found Nick and the rest of their followers…

And until they were found, she knew that their old guardians would never stop looking for them.

Jaune moved closer, lowering his voice to not alert Team RWBY. "But… what happened?" he asked, brow knitted together in concern.

Before they could continue, an announcement bell chimed on the speaker systems. "All passengers for the Argus Limited, please head to the platform now," the announcer called.

"Alright kids," Qrow called, waving Blake over as she finally descended the stairs and rejoined them all, "get onboard. We're going to Argus."

Ruby and Yang cheered, slinging their bags over their shoulders and leading the charge to call dibs on the beds in their shared room. Weiss and Blake followed suit, with Qrow trailing behind them. Nora grabbed Jaune and Ren and charged into the train, calling out to Oscar, "C'mon, little-boy-Oz! We've gotta get on the train!"

Oscar flashed her a grateful grin, and she beamed back as he shuffled with his own pack to join her. "Can I stay with you guys?" he asked nervously, shifting his weight and avoiding eye contact. The Relic shone at his hip, conspicuous and glaring in the dim station lighting.

She waved off his concern. "C'mon, you're one of us, aren't you? Join our cabin!"

The beaming smile on Oscar's face was enough to answer her.

After that, it took barely any time at all for the train to begin rolling. Nora and Jaune giggled, dragging Oscar with them and pressing their faces against the glass to watch the train pull out of the station. Ren laughed quietly at their antics, adding, "Nora, let Oscar go," when the younger begged to be removed from their stack at the window.

Once Jaune and Oscar had moved to their own respective bunks in their overnight room, Ren finally joined her at the window. The wheels of the mighty Argus Limited carried the long train out of the station and onto the main tracks leading away from Mistral, snaking its way through the mountain and curving around it to begin the journey north. The view from their window was unobstructed, giving them a full look at the majestic mountainside, the silhouette of Haven Academy at the highest point stark against the clear blue sky.

"We're leaving Mistral," she murmured.

Ren placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "We are. How do you feel?"

She reached up and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Better with you," she said simply.

And she meant it. In her heart, Mistral had always been a place to fear. The streets and alleyways in the lower tiers were the stuff of nightmares, haunting her thoughts for many years. The shadowy corners, the violence and poverty, the despair and rejection…

But she was stronger now. She had stood up against those things. And, thankfully, Ren was by her side, too. She wasn't alone and afraid anymore.

Ren smiled at her through the reflection of the window, and the ease with which his lips curled upwards and his eyes creased and his thumb brushed against her skin made her melt into blissful security.

All they could do now was wait for their arrival. The journey would take a few days, so they had all the time in the world.

The train eventually rumbled past Mistral, leaving the spectacular tiered city behind, replacing it with new wondrous views. The path to Argus was largely mountainous, forests and cliff sides already blanketing in thick snow. Before their very eyes, they watched as lush greenery on one side of Lake Matsu faded away, transforming into hills and valleys and snow-covered peaks silhouetted against increasingly-cloudier skies.

"It's beautiful," Ren murmured to himself out of the blue, taking in the serene landscape before them.

Nora, on the other hand, was not as impressed. The train, which had already been rolling along for six hours, was giving her nothing by way of entertainment, confined to their tiny cabin. Ren was meditating peacefully; Oscar was off in his own world, likely talking to Ozpin; Jaune was busy reading comics which he had packed for the journey; and Team RWBY was hanging out in their own room. She was almost tempted to look for Qrow, just to stay busy- after all, she couldn't even jump on the bed in the cramped sleeper room, and Qrow was probably drinking. At least watching him had the potential to be diverting.

She groaned, climbing to her feet. Taking a cursory glance around, she sighed, slumping over. "Ren," she said, grabbing his arms and hauling him to his feet, "let's go for a walk."

Ren opened his mouth to protest, but after flashing a look at his Scroll, he sighed and relented. "I didn't realize the time," he admitted. "Let's go look for some food."

"Okay!" Nora said, immediately perking up. Looping her arm through his, she poked Jaune's cheek as the boy lay reading his comics on the top bunk. "We're going for a walk. Wanna come?"

Jaune tossed his book aside. "Why not?" Sliding clumsily off the bed, he stretched, wincing with every pop and crack of his joints as he straightened up. Finally, he waved to Oscar. "You coming?"

"No, I'll stay here," the younger boy replied absently, eyes fixated on the snowy scenery outside.

Nora shrugged. "Suit yourself!" And with that, the three of them set forth on an adventure.

The first stop was the dinner car. They managed to snag some cheap sandwiches, munching away as they walked through carriage after carriage. The layout of each one was fairly universal- aside from the dinner car which was set up like a restaurant, each carriage had a few rooms on one end with a more open lounge on the other. People were sitting together and chatting with ease, children playing in the corners of each car, with elderly folk napping peacefully in the corner stalls.

Nora grinned, chewing her turkey sandwich noisily. It all seemed so peaceful.

One face out of the crowd caught her attention. There was something familiar about the man's posture, that whitish-blond hair, the way he strolled wearily towards the dinner car. A glass of whiskey from the bar glistened in his hand, the other hand reaching up to push thin, wire-framed glasses further up his nose. She frowned, cocking her head to the side as she tried to piece together the sense of familiarity. "Ren," she asked, gesturing over to man as he made his way through the throngs of other passengers, "Is that…?"

Ren paused, looking over to the figure. His expression shifted curiously, clearly trying to place it as well. "Wait," he said, beginning to stride towards the man, "that can't-"

Suddenly, the cabin began to shake and rumble, the entire train groaning against heavy thuds on the roof. In other cabins, the faint, muffled sounds of monstrous roars and terrified screams began to resonate through the walls.

Nora scoffed down the rest of her sandwich and stood up straight, trading worried glances with Jaune and Ren. Something was happening, and it wasn't good. Can't we just have a peaceful ride for once in our dang lives?!

The rest of the crowd in their current cabin had immediately taken to staring out of the window, so there was no chance of spotting anything. "We need our weapons if something is going on," Ren said lowly. With that, they immediately began weaving their way through the increasingly-frightened passengers, passing through car after car. Everywhere they looked, people were pressed up against the windows or huddled together in fear.

The moment they managed to retrieve their weapons from their sleeper cabin, they bumped into Oscar, the boy pulling his head back in from the window. A pale sheen had taken over his expression as he chewed his lip nervously. "What's going on?" Jaune asked, ready to peer up out of the window himself.

Before the younger boy could explain the situation, however, the entire train began to rock precariously upon the tracks once again- this time, however, the sounds of terrified screams was accompanied by the distant rings of gunfire.

Nora rolled her eyes, walking purposefully towards the emergency exit in back of their current cabin. "C'mon, folks, let's get rolling," she called back to the three boys, pulling out Magnhild. The scared passengers moved instinctively out of the way for the foursome as they all drew their weapons behind Nora, heading towards the exit.

"Please stay away from the windows!" Jaune called out to everyone. "Stay together and stay hidden!"

Mutely, the worried passengers nodded and obeyed. Nora grinned and popped open the emergency exit on one side of the train, breathing in the rush of icy mountain air that flooded in. "Let's go!" With that, she stepped out and grabbed hold of the ladder rungs that led to the top of the carriage.

As she climbed, however, the train itself seemed to come to life. The grinding of gears and plates reverberated through the metal as sheets of protective armour extended around each carriage, covering every vulnerable side. The windows grew barred by gridlocked iron extending from hidden cubbies. It was clearly the train's built-in defense system coming into play. Shrieking cries that could only belong to the Grimm grew ever louder as the sound of gunfire quadrupled all of a sudden, leaving no space in the air to hear herself think.

Once she reached the top of the train car, she groaned, looking at Ren and Jaune's stupefied expressions. It was snowing heavily, every breath forming a cloud of vapour. It stung to even breathe, her body not ready for the pure chill after being inside the toasty cabins for so long. She had to squint to avoid getting blinded by the snow and ice, her fingertips already freezing just by touching the ladder.

Oscar ran further up the train to speak to Qrow while the three of them hung off the sides, just taking in the battle sprawling all around them. Countless Manticore Grimm, their winged, lion-like forms stark against the cloudy sky, filled the air. Automatic turrets were the cause of the increased gunfire, the machines striking down Grimm after Grimm. And, of course, Team RWBY and Qrow were already on top of the train, slicing through the monsters relentlessly.

"Why is it always something?!" Nora cried.

From the back of the train, Ruby looked over at them, her expression grim and determined. "Just keep it towards the back!"

Whipping out her weapon, she began firing grenade after grenade at the Grimm, destroying them one by one. Jaune joined her, guarding her blind spots using his shield as the creatures fired balls of fire from their gaping maws. She sighed, slumping over for a moment. I wanted another sandwich, too…

Still, there was no time to waste. Jaune wasn't ready to battle on a moving train like this, and Ren's weapons were built for speed, but likely wouldn't be very effective in this situation. "Ren!" she called, holding her hand out towards him as another Manticore began diving towards the trio.

Ren looked flabbergasted for a moment, pure fear in his eyes. It struck Nora as odd- what was Ren so nervous about? They had fought Grimm their whole lives, and yet, she had never seen this expression on his face. It was a different fear she had seen on his face than when fighting the Nuckelavee, too.

The panic faded in the blink of an eye. Nodding, Ren grabbed her hand and swung her around, using his momentum to throw her into the air while Jaune guarded their rear. Then, once airborne, she lithely flipped around, extended Magnhild into a hammer, and brought the hammerhead down in a crushing blow onto the Grimm's skull, shattering the horrifying white and red mask.

A faint echoing screech cut short any thought of further attack. Oscar screamed, "Tunnel!"

Nora froze, looking back up towards the front of the train. Extending high above them was a huge mountainside- in the distance, she could see the rapidly-approaching tunnel, the size just large enough to accommodate the Argus Limited. Looking back at the Grimm, her eyes widened in shock as she saw the Manticores all retreating, leaping off the train and extending their wings, trying to slow down enough to avoid crashing into the mountainside.

She needed to get inside. Now.

"Go!" Ruby commanded, spurring them all into action. Nora gulped, clutching Magnhild tight and rushing back to the emergency exit she had taken to get onto the train. Her heartbeat pulsed and pounded in her ears, every footstep rattling her bones in the icy air as she tucked her weapon away, looping her arm through Jaune's and swinging him around to the ladder. He smiled in thanks, the glint in his eye panicked and flustered as he began descending as fast as he could amidst the onslaught of ice and snow. Nora and Ren followed, scrambling to get inside.

They ended up in the same car as Team RWBY, the seven fighters taking a moment to catch their breath. However, an agonized scream of pain was ringing through the neighbouring cabin, so when Ruby rushed in, Nora and the rest followed suit without question.

Oscar was kneeling on the floor, frantic and terrified next to Dudley, one of the Huntsmen hired to guard the train. The man was seated on the floor, leaning against the door to the next cabin. His forehead shone with sweat, tanned skin pale and tight as he clutched his left arm. A garish purple bruise was spreading on his arm, the tiny sparks of Aura dancing across his skin clearly nowhere near able to heal what looked to be a broken arm.

She winced. She knew what it felt like to have depleted her Aura. He must've been in a lot of pain.

Qrow, however, did not share that sympathy. Pushing past Ruby, Qrow strode towards Dudley and picked the man up by his shirt, shoving him aggressively against the door. "I said," the man growled, "turn those damn things off!"

Dudley cried out in pain. "Those things are keeping us alive!"

"Us, sure, but they're putting the passengers in danger!"

"I'm the one they hired for this job, okay?! I'm in charge here!" Dudley spat, trying to retain any semblance of authority he may have held.

Qrow sneered, "Forgive me if I'm not exactly reassured."

The two men continued to bicker and fight, their voices rising in the heat of it all. Nora watched worriedly as Ruby looked out of the window to the tunnel's entrance behind them, then examined the cabin they had all landed in- it was full of passengers watching the debacle. The civilians were terrified.

We have to stop them, she thought absently, still a little stunned by the speed at which everything had changed from a peaceful train ride.

"His arm's broken, isn't it?" Jaune murmured behind her. Ren hummed in confirmation.

"What happened to the other guy?" Nora asked quietly, looking around for Dudley's partner Dee.

Weiss shook her head grimly, and Nora flinched. They hadn't been able to prevent all casualties after all.

It was Ruby who approached Qrow and Dudley, stopping her uncle's rage with a simple hand to the shoulder. To Dudley, she asked quietly, "Please just shut off the turrets."

Jaune joined her, holding out his hands. They glowed white with his Aura, his Semblance manifesting and drawing more power from Dudley's. "Trust us, we know what we're doing."

Dudley's yellow Aura began to glow in response to Jaune's amplification Semblance. The man watched his arm begin to heal mutely for a moment, casting anxious eyes across the cabin to look at them all. After a moment, he seemed to have found what he was looking for. "…Fine," he conceded at last.

With the Huntsmen no longer arguing, it was clear that the passengers were slightly less perturbed- but only slightly. With their fear still permeating the air, the Grimm would track them down the moment they were exposed on the mountainside again.

Well. I guess that's what Team JNPR is for. Nora smiled fondly at Jaune as he used his Aura calmly, working to set the other Huntsman's arm whilst Dudley shut off the turrets using his Scroll. He had learned well.

Turning to Ren, she placed her hand on his shoulder, keeping her voice as calm as possible. The fear she had seen in his gaze atop the train still lingered in her mind. "Ren," she said softly, "could you use your Semblance to mask everyone on this train? With the guns off and emotions hidden, they might lose track of us!"

The thought sparked an idea in Ren's mind. He had learned to spread his Semblance across entire rooms and buildings during their time helping the rebuilding efforts in Vale, after all. Just as quickly as that light appeared, however, it died again, his magenta eyes growing clouded, his brow furrowed in doubt. "Hm, I never attempted to affect this many people."

Nora let out a weary breath. The Argus Limited was a huge passenger train. Maybe it was asking too much.

Ruby jumped in. "Well, you've never had Jaune's help before."

"He could amplify your Aura!" Weiss added.

Qrow stroked his chin thoughtfully, having calmed down from his earlier outburst. "Yeah, that's an alright plan."

"Don't look so worried, Ren. You can totally do this!" Nora insisted, standing in front of him to look up into his face.

Ren's frown, as slight and doubtful as it was, softened tenderly into a small smile.

Out of nowhere, Ozpin's voice broke the quiet moment. "I'm afraid there's one complication... The Grimm are also attracted to this." He gestured towards the Relic, still glowing as it hung from his belt.

"What's that?" Dudley asked.

Qrow spat, "None of your business," over his shoulder before approaching Ozpin, crossing his arms. "Oz, are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't you tell us that?!" Yang cried, absolutely appalled.

The guilt on Oscar's young face broke Nora's heart, competing against her immediate indignation at the realization rising up within her like bile.

If… if the Grimm are attracted to the Relic, then we're responsible for this, aren't we? We put all these people in danger.

Ozpin started, "I-"

But Ruby cut in, firmly stating, "It doesn't matter right now. Every second we're on board this train, we're putting everyone else in danger." Her eyes trailed over to Nora and Ren, steeling with resolve. "Get the passengers to the front cars; you'll still mask the emotions and kill the turrets..."

Nora's heart sank. Please, no-

"…we just can't come with you." Ruby's smile faltered. "If we cut the back cars with us and the Relic on them, we can deal with the Grimm. You just make sure the rest of the train makes it safely to Argus."

Finishing up with Dudley's arm, Jaune stumbled over to Ruby, his eyes growing watery. "…Only if you'll promise you'll meet us there."

"Promise."

Nora ran forward, throwing her arms quickly around Ruby's neck. "Stay safe," she whispered.

Ruby immediately hugged her back. "You too, Nora. Look after them?"

Nora beamed, pinching her friend on the cheek. Look after her boys? "Always." Then, she quickly gave the other girls and Oscar a hug, then ran towards the cabin behind them.

They had an evacuation to begin.

They didn't have long; it was only a matter of time before the tunnel opened up once again and exposed the train. They needed to be ready to detach the train and mask the passengers the moment they entered clear air once more. So, starting with the cabins furthest back, she, Ren and Jaune began ushering people to the front of the train. Valuables were abandoned, and cargo left behind- more than one small child wept as they lost a toy or blanket in their own sleeper cabins. They had no choice, but Nora's heart broke with every single tear she watched the civilians shed.

It's to keep them all safe, she kept repeating to herself. We'll keep them safe.

If Ren and Jaune were amplifying Ren's Semblance to protect the passengers, then it would be her job to protect her boys.

After what felt like an eternity of riding through the mountain tunnel, the passengers were all secure in the frontward carriages. The trio climbed to the top of the train as the Argus Limited exited the tunnel at last. Nora opened up her Scroll, awaiting the signal while Jaune and Ren stood at the center of the front carriages, watching her intently.

Nora's heart plummeted into her boots as she watched Blake drop into the space between the rearward carriages. A resounding twang filled the air as the Faunus girl cut the connections between the train cars, and then, it seemed the girls of Team RWBY, along with Oscar and Qrow, were falling further and further behind. At the mouth of the tunnel, a stream of Manticores rushed forward, and from the speakers of Nora's Scroll, Ruby's voice cried, "Now!"

She steeled herself and turned to Ren and Jaune, nodding. On her cue, Ren knelt down and placed his hands on the train while Jaune grabbed hold of Ren's shoulder. Their Auras glowed and mingled together in the snowstorm, and then, Nora felt all of her anguish and worry for her teammates fade away, cooling into a dull ache as Ren's Semblance spread across the entirety of the train.

She slowly walked towards them, keeping one eye on the signal strength displayed on her Scroll. Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss' signals were still strong- the rear end of the train was still in reach.

"They'll be okay," Jaune said quietly, his words barely audible amidst the wind whipping past their faces.

Their signals were halfway depleted.

"We'll see them again," Ren agreed.

Their signals were almost gone.

"In Argus."

The two young men nodded solemnly, Ren's Semblance cooling the shared grief they would've otherwise displayed. It ached beyond measure to say goodbye- but their friends weren't alone. And Team JNPR had a job to do.

We have a lot of reunions to plan for.

Their signals were gone.