3rd Pov
The Grimm slowly walks and stops in front of them. One of its fingers twitches. The horseman suddenly lets out a horrifying scream that which covers the entire village of Kuroyuri. The horseman gaze at them then twitches up its head. The Nuckelavee sees a wounded Qrow leaning on a tree and an exhausted and wounded Cyra. The Nuckelavee uses one of its arms and Cyra was tossed away into the wall. Cyra spits more poison. Jaune quickly rushes toward Qrow. The Nuckelavee uses one of its arms to grab Jaune. Jaune dodges the grimm's attempts. He grabs Qrow by the shoulder. The Nuckelavee charges at Jaune. Nora nods to Ren. Ren took a breath and closes his eye. He touches the ground and uses Both of them to become grey and the Nucklavee doesn't see them.
Ren: "Just get him to safety!"
Jaune slowly walks away from the grimm as Nora fired three shots at the Nucklavee. The grimm turns its attention towards them and gave chase. The grey on Jaune and Qrow fades away. Jaune slowly puts Qrow down near one of the houses. As Jaune was about to join back, Qrow grabs his hand. He stares at Jaune for a while then rolls his eyes away and let's go. Ruby shoots up towards the grimms head only to be grabbed by the Nucklavee arm and smashed her down. Nora tried going around it but was also grabbed by the Grimm. The Nucklavee screams again in pain as Ren shoots behind it with his dual pistol. The Nucklavee turns its attention towards. Ren. The Grimm grabs Ren's weapon making him immobile. Razor climbs to the top of a building.
Jaune: "Guys! Keep moving! Go in a circle!"
Razor change his claws to gatling gun mode starts to shoot at the Grimm, Nora also shoots the Nucklavee. The Grimms scream at Nora causing it to let go of Ren. Ren quickly ran to his left. He shoots the Nucklavee and draws back its attention to him. Nora dodges the Nucklavee arms as it tried to grab her. Ruby shoots to gain the Grimm's attention. Everybody was running around the Nucklavee to confuse it. Jaune got close and cuts one of its legs. When his sword hits its leg it turned into smoke. The horse Grimm notices him and kicks him back. Jaune gets back up and inserts his sword back inside his scabbard.
Ruby: "What are you doing!?"
Jaune pulls up his sword along with the scabbard. The scabbard had transformed his sword into a two-handed sword. Jaune ran back towards the Nucklavee with his sword. Ruby grins and shoots the Grimm with her scythe. The Nucklavee screams in pain as Jaune gets closer. He jumps towards one its leg and cuts it. The Nucklavee puts some distance between the others. The Nucklavee flails it arms around and knocks everyone away it then stretched its arm and grabbed Razor before slamming him into the ground and then flinging him into a building. The Nucklavee slowly retracts its arms back. The Nucklavee's spine suddenly rectracts out making it more fearsome as it screams even more loudly. The Nucklavee's screaming was so loud that nearly everybody had to cover their ears just for their ears to not go deaf. Ren quickly runs up the tree. He shoots the grimm. The Nucklavee toss one of it's arms at Ren. Ren tries to jump towards another branch but was caught by the Nucklavee's arm. He was sent back into one of the buildings. The Nucklavee readies its other arms to kill Ren.
Nora: "Ruby!"
Ruby readies her scythe. Nora jumps onto Ruby's scythe. Ruby spins her scythe and shoots making her spin even more powerful as Nora jumps towards in front of Ren causing herself to be caught.
Nora: "Stop looking!"
Ren quickly looks away.
The Nucklavee pulls back its arm where Nora is. The Nucklavee smashes Nora into the ground and tosses her Away. Nora's aura drops into the red. Ren furiously tries to cut himself from the Grimm's grip as uses the blade of his pistol. He then stuck his blade into the Grimm's arm and shoots away. Both Cyra and Jaune came up behind and slashes the Nucklavee's leg. The Nucklavee screams in pain. Ren pushes off the Grimm's grip on him and lands on his back. He quickly ran towards the Nucklavee. He slashes away as its arm went on him.
Ren: "Haaa!"
The Nucklavee lands a direct punch on Ren's face. He was tossed back but he went charging up again at the Nucklavee angrily.
Jaune: "Ren! Knock it off!"
Ren ignores Jaune and continues charging at the Grimm. The Nucklavee retracts one of its arms and grabs Ren by the leg. The Nucklavee drags Ren around which causes him to drop his weapon and hit his head. The Nucklavee toss Ren away and he lands beside Nora with his aura going down. Both Nora and Ren slowly get up. The Nucklavee readies to charge at them. As the Nucklavee charged towards them, Nora leapt at Ren and pushed them down into a house. Ren looks out to see Jaune holding the Nucklavee off but he fell back. Ruby shoots the Nucklavee. The Nucklavee uses one of its arms to grab Ruby but was cut off by Cyra. The Grimm uses its other arm to grab them. Razor was slashing along its body. Ren was about to join back into the fight but Nora holds his hand back.
Ren: "Nora. Let go."
She wasn't letting go of Ren's hand as he keep struggling to went back.
Ren: "Nora! They're going to get hurt if we don't..!"
Ren was interrupted by Nora as she back-handed Ren towards his face. Ren was a bit stun and Nora lets go of his hand.
Nora: "No. I won't let you kill yourself like this. After everything we've been through... I won't let it end."
Nora looks up at Ren. Ren sees the little Nora from his past, crying. He blinks one more time and Nora was crying.
Nora: "Not like this."
Ren finally realises his mistakes and hangs his head down. He looked back up and took out the knife that his father gave him when he was little. He holds the knife in his hand sadly. Nora
fold his hand into gripping the knife.
Nora: "We can do this."
Ren stares at Nora and nods in agreement. He and Nora steps outside from under the house. Jaune jumps back and Razor, Cyra and Ruby rush to join them. The Nucklavee gaze at them. Ruby sees the knife in Ren's hand.
Ruby: "Ren! Me and Jaune can take care of its arms."
Razor: "I'll take care of the legs."
Nora: "I'll take care of the horse.
Cyra puts her hand on Ren's shoulder.
Cyra: "Go.. kill that thing.."
Ren nods.
Ren: "And I'll take care of the rest."
Nora ran up towards one of the buildings and jumps onto the roof of the building. Ruby shoots the Nucklavee grabbing its attention. The Nucklavee lunges its arm at Ruby as she jumps from house to house. She then leapt from the house and shoot herself up. The Nucklavee's arm was stuck. Ruby sees her chance and shoots herself down. She brings down her scythe on top of one of the Nucklavee arms that were stuck. She holds down her scythe tightly. The Grimm screams in pain. Jaune stood in front of the Nucklavee. The Nucklavee lunges its other arm. Ren knocks the arm down with Jaune's shield and holds it down. Razor sprinted at the Nucklavee using his claws to cut away at the legs eventually separating them from the body making the Grimm scream in pain again.
Ren: "Nora!"
Nora falls on her back. As she falls back with a grin, she spins her hammer and nails down on the horse's head. The Nucklavee shrieks even more pain. Ren slowly walks up to it. He pulls out the knife from the side of the Nucklavee's body. He made his way and stood in front of the Nucklavee. The Grimm screams at him loudly. Ren just kept staring at it hatefully. He swings the knife by cutting one of the Grimm's arms.
Ren: "For my mother."
Ren holds down on the horn of Nucklavee and cuts off the other arm.
Ren: "For my father."
He swings again at the chest.
Ren: "For all those that you've slain."
He closes his eye and cuts the Grimm's head off clean.
Ren: "For myself."
Finally. The battle between the Nucklavee has ended as the black smoke rises from its body and finally disperses. Ren sighs deeply when Nora lunges at him happily and hugs him. Ren hugs her back. Jaune looks at them happy as they finally won. Razor fell on the ground in exhaustion. Ruby quickly runs to find Qrow still breathing.
Qrow: "It's... quiet. Good job kiddo."
In the courtyard, they see two wood and metal airships coming into land, with Nora pointing towards Cyra's direction. A man in a brown flight suit with an air tank on his back calls a few personnel with him, one carrying a stretcher and another one carrying a med-kit. With Qrow on the stretcher with Ruby walking alongside them, her hand on Qrow's shoulder.
The two rescue ships take off, and they held on as they raised back up into the sky.
A while later, Cyra smiled as she see the flourishing city before her as she then fell asleep because of her condition.
Ruby: "We made it, Uncle Qrow."
Nora and Ren sit on the edge of the open rescue airship, their legs dangling. Nora is looking out at the city, feeling happy. Ren is watching her, begins smiling and puts his hand on hers. She gives a slight startle but turns her hand over to hold his. She looks at him and gives him a smile, and he smiles back. Nora scoots closer and rests her head on his shoulder.
Timeskip
As soon as they landed down in the city, Qrow and Cyra had been rushed to get medical help from some of its staff.
After Qrow and Cyra were finally treated back to their normal condition, they were transferred to the place the others were staying. It was pretty much a large building that consisted of numerous numbers of rooms, and even a spacious backyard with a fantastic view of the mountains. The past few weeks of travelling were incredibly eventful, but they were still thankful none of them at least died on the way.
Ruby walks into a double bed accommodation. It has barren furnishings: two beds, a large desk and a nightstand. Qrow sleeps under the blankets of one of the beds. Ruby sets the collapsed Crescent Rose on the empty bed and walks over to Qrow, putting her hand on his head.
She walks over and sits at the desk, picking up the pen and writing on the notepad.
Ruby: (in her thoughts as she writes) "Hey sis, I hope my letters have been reaching you and Dad. Hand-written stuff's never been super reliable, but I guess it's all we've got these days. Anyway, in case you haven't been getting them, I want to say I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I know you told me it was a reckless idea, and after everything I've been through, I can definitely say you were right. It's been hard, on all of us, and I'm not just talking about the monsters we fought out here."
Meanwhile
Upon arriving on one of the air hangars for cargo ships, Weiss walks on ahead, with her weapon and suitcase in hand, along with Zryan behind her, who was making sure they weren't followed or seen. An Atlesian pilot was about to board his ship when Weiss called out to him. Zryan stood guard just a few meters away from them as Weiss hands the pilot a sum of Lien. As Raiden came flying in before transforming in mid-air and landing next to his brother and "friend".
Atlas Pilot: "Okay, you two can hide out back in the cargo hold. I'll take you as far as I can, but if we get caught, you're on your own. Understand?"
Weiss nods affirmatively and begins walking forward, only for Raiden quickly run towards her to interject.
Raiden: "Would you mind if you give us a moment?"
The pilot gives the Grimm boy a sceptical look before he shrugs his shoulders.
Pilot: "Sure, take your time."
Raiden grabs the former heiress' arm as he drags her to a secluded area of the hangar, much to Weiss' annoyance as she forcibly removes her arm from the boy.
Raiden: "I figured.... Maybe—"
Out of the blue, Weiss suddenly starts hitting him repeatedly in the chest.
Weiss: "You, sly, conniving, DOLT! Do you have any idea how worried I was when I saw you leave?! And aren't you supposed to be on house-arrest with the Lycandra's?!"
Raiden: "I... Well— Y-You see, I—"
But before Raiden could even finish answering Weiss' question, Weiss herself threw her arms around Raiden quite tightly, nuzzling her head against his neck. It took Raiden for a moment to register the sudden change in the situation before he finally hugged her back.
Weiss: "I don't care. As.... As long as you're here with me..... I'm happy."
They stayed like that for a while as they were approached from behind.
Zryan: "Aww how cute."
Weiss and Raiden quickly separated from each other as Raiden was glaring but blushing as well.
Raiden: "Zry buzz off."
Weiss: "Wait you know him."
Raiden: "Yea he's my... Older brother."
Weiss looked at Zryan as he took off his mask and as he smiled at them she then realised he looked so much like Raiden.
Zryan: "Sorry to ruin the moment but I think you guys should go now just for safety."
As they walked past Zryan, he whispered something in Raiden's ear.
Zryan: "You should really shoot your shot little bro."
With that, they boarded the shuttle and flew off. As Zryan watched, however, he knew he couldn't stick around for long so he decided to fly off before he was spotted.
Ruby: (voiceover) "Every step we made took us further and further from the things we knew. And every morning we woke up wondering, if just over the next hill would be something good or something terrible."
Meanwhile
Sun and the Belladonnas were inside Ghira's study. Blake is carrying a small chest, places it on the desk and opens it. Inside are various objects, including a flag with the new White Fang emblem, one with the claw marks and the flag of the old White Fang emblem, a spiral notebook and a book.
Ruby: (voiceover) "It's scary not knowing what's going to happen next. And the things we do know now—just how bad it can get—it almost makes it all worse."
A few meters away from the Belladonna house, Brisa was walking along a small stream of the river, and sees her reflection settle in. A memory flashes in her head as she remembers what her mother used to say.
Flashback
A young Brisa is seen peeking in her mother's room, watching as her mother, Ariel was looking at some papers looking a bit dejected. Young Brisa was curious about it. Ariel noticed a presence as she looked at her daughter.
Ariel: "Bria what up?"
Y.Bri: "What are those?"
Ariel: "Just something connected to my job love that you may inherit. However, I want you to never change ok? Always remember to be yourself. Okay, Brisa?"
Y.Bri: "Okay~!"
End of Flashback
Finally making up her mind, she takes out her old daggers as she remembered her time in the lab and everything after that she then dropped the unneeded daggers in the water. She looks down at her reflection again as she faintly smiles at her renewal of self.
Brisa: "I'll be myself and will depend on my own strength, not some silly old daggers... to much blood has been spilled because of these daggers... I will tell everyone the truth in due time....."
She shakes her head ironically before she heads back inside the house.
Meanwhile
Yang and Josh are on the same ship Blake and Brisa took to Menagerie, looking at a ticket and a photograph of Team STRQ, with their motorcycle nearby.
Ruby: (voiceover) "You told me once that bad things just happen. You were angry when you said it, and I didn't want to listen."
Taiyang Xiao Long stares at a framed photo of Team STRQ.
Ruby: (voiceover) "But you were right, bad things do happen, all the time, every day. Which is why I'm out here, to do whatever I can, wherever I can, and hopefully do some good."
Zwei barks at Tai, and he smiles, looking across the room at a framed photo of Team RWBY. On the photo, "New Friends!!!" is written with a heart shape drawn near the writing.
Jaune is in his room with a frustrated look on his face as he stares at Crocea Mors propped up against the wall.
Ruby: (voiceover) "But if we gave up every time we lost, then we'd never be able to move forward."
Nora and Ren open the door. Jaune smiles as Ren sets his father's dagger next to Crocea Mors. Nora sits beside Jaune and leans on him, while Ren sits on the bed behind them and rests his hand on Nora's shoulder.
Ruby: (voiceover) "We'd never have a chance to see what beautiful things the future might have waiting for us. We'd never have the strength to change; whether it's ourselves, or the world around us."
Weiss, sitting on top of her suitcase in the airship's cargo hold, gazes out into the sunset and smiles as the airship flies over the Atlesian mountains as Raiden rested his hand on her shoulder while looking out the window. In Menagerie, Blake puts down the current White Fang flag and picks up the old white and blue flag. She lowers it and smiles at Sun Wukong, who is sitting in a chair with his arms behind his head in a relaxed position as Brisa enters the room and sat down smiling at the two.
Ruby: (voiceover) "And we'd never be there for other people who might one day be lost without us. This is what we were training for, Yang, to become Huntresses, to be the ones to stand up and do something about all the bad in the world."
The Captain and First Mate smile and wave goodbye as Yang and Josh drives Bumblebee and Trillion away from the port, headed toward Mistral. Elsewhere, Oscar sits in the dining car of the train as it crosses a bridge surrounded by mountains and water. He is staring at a poster advertising Haven Academy. The poster shows two figures: a female with an axe and a male with a rifle. The poster reads: "HAVEN ACADEMY: BE A HERO".
Train announcer: "Approaching, City of Mistral."
Ruby: (voiceover) "Because there are plenty of people out there who are still lost and even more who will try to gain everything they can from their sorrow."
Ilia Amitola lands on a rooftop in Menagerie in the night, as Corsac and Fennec Albain wait for her. Ilia gets on one knee and lowers her head after they turn to face her.
Ruby: (voiceover) "Believe me when I say, I know it can feel impossible, like every single day is a struggle against some unstoppable monster we can never hope to beat."
In the Land of Darkness, Cinder Fall snaps her fingers, having defeated at least the two Beowolves disintegrating on the ground in her continued training. Mercury Black is leaning on the wall with his arms crossed. Emerald Sustrai puts two fingers on her head, concentrating as she generates a hallucination of Ruby begging for mercy. Cinder focuses a large stream of fire on the hallucination from her right hand, glaring at it with her eye glowing. Nearby, Salem is watching, looking pleased.
Ruby: (writing) "But we have to try, if not for us, then for the people we've already—"
Ruby stops and crosses out the last few words as she alters her statement.
Ruby: (writing) Then for the people we haven't lost yet.
As Ruby finishes writing, the note is shown and two tears fall on the page.
Ruby: (writing) I miss you so much. I miss Weiss and Blake too. But I think you'd all be proud to know that I made it to Mistral. All of us did, and we even ran into Uncle Qrow along the way.
Qrow pushes himself over with one arm and grunts while propping up his head with the other hand. Ruby stops writing to check on him.
Qrow: Hey, aren't I normally the one saving you?
Ruby wipes tears from her right eye and smiles down at Qrow. The narration of Ruby's letter resumes as the corner where Qrow's Weapon and Ozpin's Cane are resting is shown.
Ruby: (voiceover) He's going to take us to see Professor Lionheart, the Headmaster of Haven Academy. And he told us some things that you're gonna wanna hear, things I can't trust will make it to you in this letter. But maybe, if you join us, he could tell you himself. With Beacon gone they'll need Dad at Signal more than ever, and I know you need to focus on yourself before I can expect you to come out with me. But it sure would be great to get Team RWBY back together again."
Yang and Josh riding down a path on Bumblebee and Trillion, come to a stop at a crossroads and looking at a sign post. The signpost points right for Mistral and left for Kuroyuri, and the sign for Kuroyuri has "BANDITS" spray painted across it in big, red letters.
Yang: "You are in so much trouble when I find you......."
Ruby: (voiceover) "Until next time, your loving sister, Ruby Rose."
Yang and Josh smiled as they continues to ride their motorcycle.
Ruby: (voiceover) "Oh! Uh, PS. I'll be sure to give you the address of where we're staying in Mistral! I'd love to hear back from you and Dad, and I can't wait to fill you in on whatever's going to happen next! Now that we've made it across Anima I really think things are gonna start going our way."
End of Volume 4