3rd Person POV:
In the ruined remains of Kuroyuri, Team RNJR and Y/N are slowly backing away to the dead sakura tree that Qrow's currently resting on as the Nuckelavee approaches them.
The Nuckelavee's various body parts start twitching before it let's out a shockwave roar causing all the ex-students of Beacon to flinch from it's intensity.
The Grimm turns and looks at Qrow and begins running to him.
Jaune sheaths his sword and makes a run for Qrow. The Nuckelavee lashes out with one of its arms, able to extend it at a far reach. Jaune avoids it and gets Qrow upright, but the Nuckelavee is heading right for them.
Y/N gathers her Aura and launches a energy slash at the Grimm hitting it directly as it turns it's attention to the wolf faunus.
Y/N: (to Jaune) Get him to safety!
Jaune nods before walking away with Qrow while the battle resumes. He sets Qrow down behind a building and narrows his eyes at the wounded man before turning to leave.
Qrow grabs him by the hand, but falls unconscious before he can say anything. Jaune gives Qrow another look before rejoining the fight.
Jaune makes it back to the fight as he sees Ruby shooting at the creature before getting slapped into the ground by one of its arms. Y/N is grabbed next before the Nuckelavee lets them both go and turns around when Ren fires at it from its other side with StormFlower. It uses both hands to grab both of Ren's and prevent more shots.
Jaune: Guys, keep moving, go in a circle!
The team follows this plan as the Nuckelavee lets go of Ren when Nora fires at him. They all soon start circling the Grimm, with everybody using their guns as Jaune runs in slashing its foreleg.
The Nuckelavee uses its hind hooves to kick Jaune back, where he lands near Ruby. He then sheathes his sword confusing Ruby.
Ruby: What are you doing?
Suddenly the side-blades of his shield are released as Jaune then inserts a Hard-Light Dust crystal into an opening on his sheathe as the dust further extends his blade.
(Ignore the Volume 7 Picture)
Ruby smiles at Jaune's development before firing at the Grimm, Jaune then runs in again and lands a slash on one of its hindlegs.
The horse portion of the beast roars while the torso uprights and its head cocks to look at Jaune a bit stunned. It then extends both of its arms and swings them round, creating a rotary attack that knocks aside Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Ruby as Y/N blocks the attack with her blade landing a slash on one of its arms.
The Nuckelavee pulls back its arms in pain before it's torso curls in on itself and the spines on its back extend several inches further out. It then roars into the sky, causing Jaune and Ruby to cover their ears.
Ren runs up the cherry tree and fires from one of the heavier branches. He is immediately pushed against a building wall by one of the creature's hands.
Nora: Ruby!
Nora runs over to Ruby before jumping onto the flat side of her scythe as Ruby spins and uses the momentum and recoil of a fired shot to send Nora outward in time for her to prevent the Nuckelavee's second hand from landing its fatal blow on Ren.
Nora ends up dangling by her grip on Magnhild, which is pressed into the wall of the same building, slightly higher up than Ren.
Ren looks up at Nora.
Nora: (pulling her skirt to hide herself) Stop looking!
Ren: (covering his eyes) Ah-ugh.
Nora grins to herself.
The Nuckelavee flings Nora around until she is knocked to the ground with her Aura depleted. Ren uses StormFlower to slash at its wrists before stabbing the blades into its flesh before firing repeatedly at the rest of its arms.
Jaune comes up from behind the creature and slashes at its hindleg again as Y/N uses the chance to slash it its other with her own blade. It roars, but does not release Ren, who digs in its hand again with his blades and uses the leverage to shove the hand off of him.
He lands on his back but quickly bounces onto his feet and runs in slashing at the arms. It knocks him back but he continues to rush at it.
Jaune: Ren! Knock it off!
He ignores Jaune and runs in again, as the Nuckelavee extends its arm towards him with the claws ready to pierce him.
Y/N: Stop being reckless!
Y/N moves in front of him despite the pain in her leg as the Nuckelavee grabs her before slamming her into the ground multiple times breaking her Aura as she's left lying on the floor unconcious.
Ruby: Yui!
The Nuckelavee then grabs Ren, slaps him on the ground, causing him to lose his grip on StormFlower, and flings him to land next to Nora. Ren's Aura also depletes, and he collapses next to her.
Nora pushes herself up, and after a moment so does Ren. His intent is entirely on the creature but Nora tackles him before he can do more and drags him under the nearby building.
Y/N slowly starts to wake up hearing the sounds of fighting as blood runs down her face from a cut on her head.
She stares at the sky feeling a sense of familiarity with these circumstances as she reaches out for something.
Y/N: (This again...?)
Flashback~
After losing another match against Raven, Y/N lays on the ground injuried and defeated as all she can do is look up at the sky.
Y/N: (I couldn't beat her this time either)
L/N: (She's like five Cinders put into one body)
Y/N: (Can we really do this in four months?)
L/N: (I don't know)
The wolf faunus continues to stare at the sky as a Raven with red eyes can be seen flying above them.
Y/N: Akane...?
The Raven continues to fly as Y/N reaches out towards the sky.
Flashback End~
Y/N: (I lost again...)
Y/N soon finds herself going back down into the depths of her inner world as she makes it to the very bottom.
Y/N: (I've drowned again...)
She reaches out for the surface seeing a glowing light above feeling as if the light is calling out to her.
Y/N: (Why do I always find myself here?)
Y/N: (What is it that I'm lacking?)
She stands up looking up at the light calling for her, feeling a word resonating in her soul.
Y/N: (Strength...?)
Y/N: (Strength...Strength....Strength....)
Her eyes dilate as she subconsciously starts rising from the depths making it to the surface as the light from before makes contact with her as everything goes white.
Y/N awakens in the real world as she turns to see Jaune uses Crocea Mors to block the Nuckelavee's front hooves from its forward gallop toward Ren and Nora. It pushes him down and follows with extending its arm out behind him to Ruby, attempting to snatch her.
Y/N: (I'm back here...?)
She suddenly feels an intense amount of pain on her back as Aura continues to hit her back.
Y/N: Gah! What is this feeling...?
She feels another burst of Aura on her back as leans onto a wall for support as two more bursts of Aura hit her.
Y/N: D-Damn it...AHHH!!!
Suddenly the Aura materializes into mutliple small blades that form together into a pair of silver wings.
The wings form as Y/N looks into a small puddle seeing her reflection within.
Y/N: (Are these wings...?)
She suddenly feels a burning feeling emanating from the wings as golden Aura radiates off of them.
Y/N: (It burns...)
Her attention is drawn back to the fight as Ruby evades the Nuckelavee reach by jumping onto a roof and firing at it, and has to jump out of the way again as it makes a second attempt to snatch her.
Y/N: (Here goes...)
She takes off at high speeds feeling the increase in power as compared to her usual wings of water as she gets between Ruby and the Nuckelavee arm blocking its reach by using her wings to defend knocking its arm back.
Ruby: Y-Yui?
Y/N: I'll explain later, we need to take this thing down.
Ruby: (smiling) Right!
Back with Ren and Nora, the both of them rise underneath the building as Ren's eye are only focused on the Nuckelavee as he sees Ruby and Y/N distracting it while Jaune slashes at its legs.
Ren attempts to rejoin the fight but Nora holds him back by the wrist, her head down.
Ren: Nora, let go! Nora, they're going to get hurt if we don't--
Without even looking up, Nora slaps Ren. He stops and turns to face her, and she finally lets go, putting her hands in her lap.
Nora: No. I won't let you kill yourself like this. After everything we've been through, I won't let it end.
She raises her head, but Ren sees his memory of Nora as a scared little girl before blinking and seeing her normally. Like back then, she has tears in her eyes.
Nora: Not like this.
Ren sighs and pulls the knife his father gave him out of his boot. He holds it in both hands. Nora places her hand on the hilt with his and closes his fingers around it. She looks at him with a fierce, determined expression.
Nora: We can do this.
Ren looks at her before nodding in agreement. Together they step out from under the building. Nora picks up Magnhild and the two are promptly joined by Ruby, Jaune, and Y/N.
Ruby: Ren. Jaune and I can take care of its arms.
Nora: Yui and I can take care of the horse.
Ren: And I'll take care of the rest.
Nora points at Y/N signaling that she wants to go up as the wolf Faunus grabs her and two ascend into the sky.
Ruby uses herself as a target until she manages to pin an arm to the ground with the tip of Crescent Rose. Ren's knife is flung and embeds itself into the body of the Grimm.
Jaune is positioned to be the next target as Ren uses Jaune's shield to pin down the other arm.
Ren: Now!
Jaune strikes his sword through the Nuckelavee's arm into the ground.
Ren: Nora!
Up in the air Y/N let's go of Nora as she freefalls using the momentum to land the killing blow on the head of the horse part using Magnhild. Ren retrieves his knife and walks before the trapped Grimm.
Ren: (For my mother)
He cuts off the Grimm's left arm.
Ren: (For my father)
He cuts off the Grimm's right arm.
Ren: (For all those that you've slain)
He strikes a gash into the flailing torso.
Ren closes his eyes.
Ren: (aloud) For myself!
He opens his eyes and swings with the knife, beheading the grimm. It dies in a pillar of black smoke. Ren drops the knife and breathes out a sigh of relief only to be tackled by a giggling, triumphant Nora. He hugs her back and gives a single laugh.
Ruby runs into the alley where Qrow was left during the fight. She breathes a sigh of relief that he is still alive.
Qrow: It's quiet. Good job, kiddo.
Jaune: Guys! I think I hear something!
In the courtyard two wood and metal airships are coming in to land as Team RNJR and Y/N look up.
Nora: Helps on the way.
Y/N: Thank Gods...I wasn't gonna last much longer.
Her wings dissappers as she passes out her mask falling off her face.
Jaune: Is that....?
Nora: No way!
Ren: I thought she...
Ruby looks at her face as her eyes widen in shock.
Ruby: Y/N...?
Y/N finds herself back in the inner world as she wakes up feeling warmth on her head.
Y/N: (It feels warm)
???: Master...Master...
Her vision is disoriented as she sees Asuna and Maria but the image soon changes to a silver haired girl with beautiful golden eyes that looks about the same height as Weiss as she also has a white wolf tail with a gold tip.
???: Are you okay, Master?
Y/N: Y-Yeah.
Y/N realizes that she was laying on the girls lap as she starts blushing.
Y/N: (sitting up) I-I'm sorry.
???: It's okay, Master I wanted you to properly rest while being in here.
???: Miss Yasuno told me you usually like lap pillows.
Y/N: Yeah...
A silence passes as Y/N is a little fearful of having another desire other than her vengeful side.
Y/N: W-What desire are you?
???: Oh! (sits up holding her skirt doing a bow) I'm your desire for strength.
Y/N: Strength?
???: Your need to move past your feelings of helplessness when pushed beneath the depths, those emotions are what called me as your wish for strength to remain in the surface along with your comrades allowed me to manifest here.
Y/N: I see...
???: Did I do something wrong, Master?
Y/N: No! No! You didn't do anything wrong at all. It's just me.
???: Master, do you not desire strength anymore?
The girl grasps one of Y/N's hands looking at her with pleading eyes awaiting her answer.
L/N: (What do you want to do?)
Y/N: I...I do desire strength, I just don't want to hurt you.
???: I don't care if you hurt me, I want to become your wings Master.
???: Will you let me?
Y/N: I...
Y/N's hand shakes in fear as Yasuno appears in the inner world and holds it along with the young girl she has a small smile form on her face.
Yasuno: It's okay, you can do this.
Y/N has a shocked expression before calming down and forming a smile of her own.
Y/N: (to the girl) If you really want to, then I'll happily let you be my wings.
The young girl eyes light up as she embraces her master as her wolf tail is wagging happily.
???: Thank you Master! I'll be your wings everytime you need me to.
Y/N: (petting her head) I'm sure you will.
The young girl realizes how close she's gotten to Y/N as she backs away and recomposes herself while blushing.
???: C-Could you give me a name?
Y/N: "A name"?
???: I...I don't have one like Miss Yasuno, so can you please give me one?
Y/N: Okay.
Y/N then starts examining the manifestation trying to think of a name.
Y/N: (Should it he something about her hair...? No, about her eyes...?)
She then thinks back to the sensation of the wind on her face when using the young girls wings to fly.
Y/N: How about...Sanae?
???: "Sanae"?
Y/N: I love feeling the wind on my face when I used your wings to fly.
???: I...I really like it!
Y/N: Okay then, Let's do our very best for each other Sanae.
Sanae: Right!
They both hold hands along with Yasuno as everything soon goes white.
Y/N awakens on a bed as she looks around seeing she's in a bedroom before heading over to the window seeing the clouds meaning their flying.
She then realizes her mask is gone as her eyes go wide from shock.
Y/N: (My mask is gone!)
She looks behind her reflection seeing Ruby standing behind her.
Y/N: (turning around) Rub-
Ruby doesn't give her a chance to talk as she pushes Y/N into the wall and kisses her as the wolf faunus is in shock before giving in to the kiss.
Ruby then releases Y/N before embracing her.
Ruby: You're here. You're really, really, here.
Y/N: I...
Ruby: Uncle Qrow told me about what happened to you.
Ruby: Why didn't you want me to see you?
Y/N: I...
Ruby: Why try to keep being alive a secret from us?!
Y/N: I...
Ruby: Why Y/N? WHY?!
Y/N: I DON'T DESERVE TO BE WITH YOU ALL!
Y/N: (crying) I promised you all I was gonna come back, but I went off because of my own selfish desires and tried to get revenge on Cinder.
Y/N: I let my own needs take over and...and...Asuna and Maria had to pay the price!
Ruby: Y/N...
Y/N: They died because of me! And I don't want to hurt you all like I did them!
Y/N: Someone like me doesn't deserve-
Ruby then slaps Y/N before placing her hands on her cheeks.
Ruby: Stop being so stupid!
Y/N: R-
Ruby: You've always been like this! You always try to make yourself out as this bad person that deserves to be alone!
Ruby: The Y/N I know is this sweet girl that I'm completely in love with! You always try your best for others and everytime I'm in trouble you always protect me each and everytime!
Ruby: Y/N, I love you!
Y/N: But...
Ruby: If you make one more stupid excuse on why I shouldn't love you, I'll slap you again and again until your Aura breaks!
Ruby then kisses Y/N again as the two start crying in happiness of being truly reunited.
Timeskip~
With Y/N now asleep, Ruby walks back into her room with Qrow asleep on one of the beds as 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.
Ruby: 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.
In Atlas an Atlesian Pilot counts Lien.
Atlas Pilot: Okay, you 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 as Ruby continues writing.
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.
The Airship takes off as the scene changes to Menagerie as Blake is in her father's office. She places a small chest on the desk and opens it. Inside are various objects, including a flag with the new 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.
Yang is seen boarding the same boat Blake did to get to Menagerie. She's looking down at a ticket and a photograph of Team STRQ, along with one of the guns Y/N used to have as she leans on Bumblebee.
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.
At the Rose Xiao Long household Taiyang 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 and Y/N. On the photo, "New Friends!!!" is written with a heart shape drawn near the writing.
Ruby: (voiceover) We've all lost something, and I've seen what loss can do to people.
Jaune is looking down at his scroll with an saddened expression of Pyrrha sitting on a wheelchair.
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.
In the Airship Weiss is 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.
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, who is sitting in a chair with his arms behind his head in a relaxed position.
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 drives Bumblebee 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 lands on a rooftop in Menagerie in the night, as Corsac and Fennec 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 snaps her fingers, having defeated at least the two Beowolves disintegrating on the ground in her continued training. Mercury is leaning on the wall with his arms crossed. Emerald 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 and I found a really amazing surprise too.
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 rest 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.
Ruby: (voiceover) 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 is seen riding down a path on Bumblebee, before coming 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 smiles as she continues to ride her 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!
Ruby: (voiceover) Now that we've made it across Anima I really think things are gonna start going our way.
The scene changes to Y/N and Ruby staring at the sight of Mistral holding hands sharing a smile.
Volume 4 End~