The REDS of war

Volume Four Chapter Ten

Nora smiles at Ren. "We always have."

On the path to Kuroyuri, Rei and Jaune lift Qrow. They turn to Nora and Ren, who are on the path through the mountains to Mistral. They nod and Nora waves. Ren starts to turn, looks back one more time, and then runs. Nora follows.

An aerial shot shows the split Team RRNJRS going in separate directions before the visual focuses in on the larger group.

Ruby places a hand on Jaune's shoulder; confidently, offering comfort. "They're gonna be fine, Jaune."

Jaune sighs. "You don't know that."

"Positive thoughts. Rainbows, ponytails... childhood fun." Rei tries to lift his own mind, though it doesn't help much even for himself.

Ruby turns forward, her expression saddening. Moving forward, her step leaves an imprint on the ground, shortly after overlapped by Rei's and Jaune's own. The visual pulls back again, revealing that their footsteps tread over another, larger mark—the same one discovered in Shion.

A cracked signed bearing the name Kuroyuri rests against ruins. An upwards pan and several cuts show the dilapidated village. Ruby Rose, Rei Ferrari, Sky Grimoire, and Jaune Arc walk down the road, carrying Qrow Branwen on a stretcher. They pause and look unhappily around.

"Oh, man." Jaune says eyes slightly wide.

Ruby tries not to look to deeply into the city. "Come on." They continue forward. "Any of these places look like a pharmacy?" She asks.

"It's... honestly hard to tell." Jaune says.

Among the ruins is an abandoned bicycle. Rei sighs seeing the wreckage, the ruin, and likely what was once death. "Ren really didn't want to come here, did he?" Rei says, mostly to himself, though they hear it, the only other noises being footsteps and Qrow's coughing.

Jaune takes a moment. "Uh... didn't seem so."

"Do you know... why?" Ruby asks.

Jaune sighs. "I think I have a pretty good idea..."

The two continue on and the image pans away from them to show a withered waterlily on the ground atop a miniscule puddle.

Flashback (Oh hey look, the Episode Transcript)

A pretty waterlily in full bloom floats on an aqueduct in the town center of Kuroyuri. Ren, as a child, looks eagerly at it with a smile.

An Ren: (laughing lightly) Why, hello, little Lie. Are we trying to catch a fish?

Ren: I've found a flower on the water!

An: Oh, I see!

Ren rushes over to his mother.

Ren: Can we take it home and plant it in the garden?

An: Oh no, sweetheart, that flower lives here.

Ren looks down dejectedly and An rubs his head.

An: But I'll tell you what you can do. Take this Lien and go find something nice for your father's return. He's been hunting for quite some time. I bet that the journey's been very tiring, don't you?

Ren: (taking it) Yes.

An: Do you think you'll know what he wants?

Ren: I think... he wants a water flower in the garden!

An: (with a chuckle) Why did you have to inherit my sass?

She gives her son a playful nudge on his bottom as Ren turns away on his new mission to find a gift for his father. He crosses the planks that serve as a bridge over the aqueduct. An watches him go with a smile.