WAM!

Thunder clapped as yet another Beacon Academy student was sent sailing through the air before landing in an unceremonious heap. There were screams of panic to see if the student was alright. When all they got was an agonized groan their peers were satisfied that the student was, luckily, still alive.

"Another win for Miss Valkyrie," Glynda said less than enthused.

Nora wiped the sweat from her brow as she hoisted Magnhild over her shoulder, a victorious grin on her face. With the extramural tournament still on the horizon everyone was in the midst of making themselves a better Huntress/Hunter with each passing day.

"A bit more reckless than I'd like but I suppose to that it is one way to get results," Glynda continued as she mulled over Nora's battle records. They were near perfect aside from the occasional loss to one Pyrrha Nikos. "We still have some time before class is dismissed, would anyone else like to face Miss Valkyrie?" Glynda asked the crowd of students who sat in the bleachers. The only answers she received were averted gazes and the occasional cough, even members of team RWBY dared no volunteer.

"C'mon, I'll take you on with one hand tied behind my back!" Nora shouted as she pointed her hammer menacingly at the crowd of students. It did nothing to lift their spirits as she had hoisted her weapon with only that hand.

Still there was nothing.

"Guess that's it then." Glynda shrugged. "Class dismissed."

"Chickens." Nora blew a raspberry as the crowd before she turned for the locker room.

Then she heard it. Was it a whisper or a shout. But someone had definitely said it. The one world Nora hated more than anything in the world. "...Gorilla..."

"What was that?" Nora growled, her voice completely void of her usual singsong tone. "Who said it? Who called me a gorilla?" The slammed the head of Magnhild into the arena floor, the resulting shockwave shaking the entire venue. "C'mon speak up." Her eyes had become like that of a beast watching over its prey. Gone was the happy-go-lucky Huntress, exchanged for this cruel unforgiving executioner.

"Miss Valkyrie," Glynda barked, the echoing stamp of her heel calling all to order. "Simple trash talking I don't mind but, as your teacher, I will not have you threatening my students and your classmates. Do I make myself clear?" Glynda's emerald eyes bore into Nora like venom through the girls veins.

"But-"

"No buts," Glynda cut her off before she even had the chance to speak.

"Yes ma'am," Nora said bitterly.

"Good, now hit the showers," Glynda said with an authoritative point.

Knowing that this battle was lost Nora reluctantly marched off to the showers. But she could still hear them, the snickers and jeers. Even when she had disappeared into the locker room she could hear it, echoing inside her head. "Gorrila," they called her. Her fist rammed into wall, leaving behind a sizeable crater. A few student jumped at the booming impact before quickly gathering their belongings and fleeing, not wanting to be caught in the path of Nora's rampage.

She tried to push it from her mind when she entered the shower. Drown it all out under the water as she soothed her muscles. She wanted to wash it all away, to forget. But memories never wash away as easy as dirt.

Gorilla. Monster. Unladylike. Boorish.

Nora had heard it all long before she came to Beacon.

THUD.

Went a student as they hit the gymnasium floor.

"Aww yeah, Nora wins again!" Nora said as she held up her two fingers in the shape of a v for victory. She was covered in cuts, bruises and she was even breathing heavily. Yet, her smile was still radiant as could be.

In the years that would lead her to attending Beacon Nora attended training camp after training camp to improve her skills as a huntress. She needed to, if she would ever make the cut.

Nora was presently struggling with staying focused during her sparing matches. Every time she picked up Magnhild her whole body began to shake as every nerve in her body caught fire. She remembered that day. The Grimms. The destroyed town. Only difference was that in her mother's place stood Nora, too terrified to know what to do. No matter how many times she pushed that thought from her head, it would always come creeping back.

"Sloppy as ever," her coach said as he marked notes. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that if you expect to attend Beacon with you...'boyfriend'."

"He's not my boyfriend," Nora groaned under her breath. "Ren and I are just friends, it's not like that." Even with her explanation Nora cheeks still flared red.

Lie Ren was a completely different story. He stood faced against multiple other Hunter hopefuls. He was outnumbered, surrounded and with everyone exactly where he wanted them to be. Ren took in a deep breath before it all begun. The first student charge only to have his weapon easily deflected before they were disarmed of it and sent flying into another student. Two already down. The next one came, a sweep of the leg sent them tumbling across the floor. Three. Two more tried to flank him, but with precise movements Ren narrowly escaped harm's way as he gripped their arms and slammed them together for an instant double KO. Five. A mountain of a boy swung their greatsword, wanting to cleave Ren in two. All it took was a finger. With an Aura infused finger Ren halted the hunters blow and countered with strong kick. Six. Not wanting to squander the opportunity, he hefted the sword in one hand and hurled it at his next attacker. They were down before they even knew what hit them. Seven. From his blind spot appeared another, but like lightning Ren slipped into their guard and unleashed a blast of Aura from his fist sending them skyward. Eight.

There was only two Hunters left. They only had one option left to them. They held up their hands in immediate surrender. Just like that it was over. A matter of seconds and Ren had single handedly defeated eight opponents without even breaking a sweat.

"Whoa!" Nora boomed as she entered the ring of victims. "You were are like zoom! Then you were all bam! Then swing and-"

Ren poked the girls nose. "Calm down," he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

"But Ren, you were so cool," Nora said still sounding as excited as ever. "Why don't you ever teach me how to do stuff like that."

"I have," Ren said bluntly. "It takes years of practice."

"But I don't want to wait years," Nora groaned. "I wanna learn noooooow." Her mouth raced on and on as she flopped back and forth between moods.

"Good work Ren," their coach said. "You can expect a recommendation from me when you apply to Beacon."

"Thank you, sir," Ren said with a bow.

"Way to suck up Ren," Nora said as she elbowed him in the side.

"Was I?" Ren asked completely aloof.

"Just like...a WHOLE LOT," she added as she ruffled his hair, which lacked its iconic magenta streak...for now.

While Nora and Ren seemed to be far off in their own affectionate world they remained ignorant of the bitter and jealous glances.

"Ren is so cool. Why is he always with her."

"She's not even that pretty."

"Or that great of a huntress."

"And the way she swings around that hammer."

"Yeah, like a gorilla in a dress."

Nora had heard that. Her smile immediately fell from her face. She had heard it day after day. The other Huntresses would always tease her when they thought she wasn't listening. Call her names. Tell her how it was such a waste for Ren and her to be together...despite them not being together-together. They smiled and pretended to be her friend when they were face to face but Nora new the truth. She had heard every word, felt every knife in her back. But she couldn't fight them. If she did she knew that everything would only get so much worse.

"So how do I look?" Nora asked, her tone coming across as excited and merry before it all faded. "It's bad isn't it?" she asked, this time exasperated.

"Um..." Ren tried to form words but he had nothing. He wanted to find his words but at the same time he didn't want to say anything hurtful.

Nora had gone out into town and had purchased various make-ups and beauty products. When she thought she had everything she needed, Nora hastily returned to their home and applied everything she had acquired. Due to an upbringing with only boys and extremely untrained hands the result...was not pretty.

"I look like a clown don't I?" she asked with a heavy sigh.

"No comment," Ren said as he stifled a laugh.

Nora sighed again before she ventured off to the restroom to remove abstract art piece from her face. Moments later she slunk back to where Ren awaited and sank into a chair as she rested her head face first on the table.

"Nora?" Ren asked with a worried tone. "Are you alright?"

There was another sigh. "Ren, be honest with me?" The girl paused as she needed to force the words out. "Do you think I'm a gorilla?"

Ren raised a brow, confused by the remark, having no idea where it had come from. "While I'll admit you're strong, I wouldn't call you a gorilla. You've trained hard to get to where you are now, so it's only natural for you to overpower the other huntresses. Also, seeing as you aren't coated in fur or make strange grunting noises I doubt I could ever confuse you for a gorilla."

"Ha ha," Nora said sarcastically. But the comment had did its job. She wasn't sulking anymore, Nora was even smiling, even if it was just a little. But she had more questions to ask, more things to be sure of. "...Do you think I'm unladylike?"

Again Ren raised a brow again. "No. You're just as much a lady as any other girl I've met. Just because you fight Grimm and swing a big hammer doesn't mean you aren't a lady." His answer came so nonchalantly, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "Plus," Ren added as he approached Nora from behind and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You're the sweetest girl I know. You have an amazing heart and no matter what you always keep smiling."

Nora could feel the heat rising not only in her cheeks but where Ren touched her as well. She gently touched her hands to his, their fingers unintentionally interlocking. "Ren..." she spoke his name softly as every nerve in her body shivered. "Am I...pretty?"

When Nora looked up to meet Ren eyes the boy looked away. Was the surprise she saw? Nervousness? A hint of embarrassment to match her own? She could never tell. "Of course you are. You're the most beautiful girl I know."

Nora's heart skipped a beat. Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew his words were sincere. She felt a warmth swelling in her chest. 'What is this?' she asked herself. There was something to this air between Ren and her, though she couldn't quite place it.

"Hey Ren," Nora said his name again, the song back in her heart. Ren let out a glee filled grunt. He knew what was coming next. "Boop," Nora said as she poked his nose as she had done hundreds of times before.

"Nora! Are you in here? Nora?" Ren's voice echoed.

Nora's eyes snapped open. She was still in the locker room's shower, the water long since turning to an icy cold. She turned off the stream and grabbed her towel from the rack as she stepped into the room open air. Everything was cold. The air. The floor. But not Nora, even after stepping away from the cold waters her entire body burned.

Before her stood Ren, doing his best to avert his gaze, a red hue growing in his cheeks. "We were waiting for you," he dragged out, his thought all scrambled. "But even after class let out you didn't come out."

"You didn't have to wait for me," Nora admitted, embarrassed. Exactly how long had she taken?

"I know that," Ren said. "But I wasn't going to leave you either. I'd never leave you."

Nora felt her heart skip. How many times had he done that to her? But should she have expected anything less from her best friend? He could always put a smile on her face, make her knees weak, and her heart skip.

She was chatelaine and she wanted no other knight in the castle of her heart.

"Ren," she sang his name as she sauntered over to him.

"Yes Nora?" he sighed, but he gave in. Ren knew what she wanted and he was more than willing to accept. His eyes met hers and the girl smiled.

"Boop."

TBC