Hunting or Bust

Dust 79: How We Cope

((((((((Hunting))))))))

"Ruby? You okay kid?"

No. No she wasn't. Hearing it wasn't all a dream. Remembering what happened and being filled in on the rest...

It left the young Huntress at a loss. She was reeling and honestly quite thankful she was in bed. She closed her eyes and tried to process everything she'd just heard. After a moment she looked up at her uncle and waited, "Is there anything else?"

"Do you want anything else?" Qrow questioned, "Honestly kid you look like you're gonna pass out again."

"No I don't mean about my magic eyes." Ruby rubbed her eyes before looking at him again, "I mean what about everyone else? Did anyone else get hurt? Did anyone else...did we lose anyone else?"

"Ruby, you shouldn't worry about that right-"

"Uncle Qrow!"

She sounded whiny and demanding, but her voice was dry and she was dealing with a stubborn man so she didn't care how she sounded. But her screaming seemed to have attracted her dad's attention as he walked back into the room. His eyes immediately turned on Qrow with an accusatory glare. Before he could start throwing blame, Qrow spoke, "She was asking me what else happened while she was out. I tried to get her away from it but she's your daughter."

Taiyang still looked frustrated but turned to Ruby after a moment. He knelt down by her bed and looked up at her, "Ruby, you don't have to worry that right now. I want you to get some rest right now and-"

"I remember what happened. I remember seeing Cinder and Pyrrha's weapons and..." She paused, "The ash." She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked to her guardians, "I want to know what else happened."

The two looked between each other before they stood up. Taiyang leaned in and kissed her head again before shaking his head, "Not yet. We'll tell you when you recover a little. For now just focus on healing, alright?" He jostled her hair and looked her in the eyes, "Can you do that for us?"

Ruby stayed silent before giving a small nod. Taiyang gave a thankful smile and told her he'd be back soon after a trip to the store. As he walked out, Qrow followed behind and left the room. After they were gone, Ruby was left to alone. She looked over at her sister's empty bed and realized she had the whole room to herself. They really did just want the best for her and hope for her to recover.

But what she wanted were answers.

The first thing she noticed as she stood out of bed was how sore and achy she was. She hadn't moved in days, and even then her whole body felt like it had been put through the ringer. The second thing was that she felt dirty and heavy – probably from not brushing her teeth or even showering after all this time. When she had the chance she was definitely going to fix herself up. But first…

Gently sneaking through the hall so she didn't cause any noise, she approached the spare bedroom in their house. It was usually where Qrow stayed after a particularly bad night out – if he didn't just pass out on the couch. But if she was a betting girl, then its current occupant would have to be-

"Yang."

There she was. Her magnificent, bright older sister was sitting up in bed staring out the window. When she spoke up, she got Yang's attention enough for her to turn her way. Her vibrant, immaculately kept curtain of hair was now matted down and losing some of its luster. The bright lilac eyes that always looked at her with pride and joy were dull. She looked ragged, and Ruby doubted she looked much better after being in bed for so long.

And she still didn't have an arm. Any hope that it was just part of her imagination after a particularly terrible nightmare was dashed when she saw her sister's arm end in a nub with bandages wrapped around it.

"Hey." Yang had no energy in her voice as she greeted her, "You're up."

Ruby immediately felt the need to be with her. She ran over and jumped on the bed to envelop her in a hug. Her little arms squeezed around her big sister shoulders tightly even as Yang didn't return the gesture. She pulled back, spotting the tears forming in the edges of her eyes and feeling her heart break at the sight of it. The first things that came to her mind was that she was glad to see her okay and doing better. But she stopped those thoughts, realizing that her older sister had been gravely hurt and would never recover what she had lost. As she wrestled with what to say and stared into her sister's heartbreaking expression, she welled up with emotion and cried.

"I'm so glad you're safe." Ruby sniffled, "I was so scared when I saw you. You were hurt and I-I didn't know what to do. Me, Weiss, and Naruto were going to hold off all the Grimm while you guys got taken by the ships." Ruby felt a small smile come to her face as she wiped the tears away, "I guess Naruto really did distract that big Wyvern from getting any of you."

Yang murmured, "It just cost him everything."

"Hmm?" Ruby hummed, "What do you mean?"

Yang's eyes widened as she looked up at her, "Ruby, didn't they tell you?"

The young Huntress tilted her head in confusion. Tell her what?

"Naruto…he died fighting that thing."

…

Ruby blinked a few times before her eyes slightly trembled, "W-What?"

"It ate him." Yang let out with a heavy, haunted sigh, "He drove it away from the ships carrying people off a-and it just ate him. It died later over the city but no one found anything left of him. He's just...just gone. Him. Pyrrha. Penny. So many others. Beacon!" She exclaimed in a panic, "It's gone. All gone."

Ruby nearly tumbled out of the bed at the news. The news about her friend's loss almost had her hyperventilating before she caught her breath. Pushing down the sob that threatened to break, she looked at her sister, "W-What else happened?"

Yang closed her eyes, "Sasuke lost a hand. Kiba's in critical condition. Tenten had to be taken home with the rest of Haven. Jaune barely talks. Ren and Nora are struggling to keep Vale together. Weiss...she was taken."

"Taken where?"

"Home. Atlas." Yang groaned, "Her father came down from Atlas to take her back. The rest of the world is broken now. The last thing they saw was our school being attacked and all these people being killed. Now the tower is gone, the Kingdoms are separated, and the Grimm are everywhere. So he came here, demanded Weiss come with him, and now she's gone. Atlas...it's so far away."

Weiss was gone? She didn't even get to say goodbye.

Ruby shook her head, "And Blake-"

"Blake." Yang nearly seethed her name as she shut her eyes and clenched her fist, "She ran away."

"What do you mean-"

"I mean she ran!" She yelled as tears pricked her eyes, "Sun said so! He was keeping an eye on her recovery and then she just slipped away! Maybe she got scared or just couldn't handle it - I don't know! But she ran! Abandoned us! Left us when we needed her a-and-"

Yang trembled in anger as she was hunched over in her bed.

"Yang," Ruby whispered with watering eyes, "You can't really mean that."

"She's gone, Ruby. Everyone left. We lost our friends. It's over."

"It isn't over." Ruby refused, "There's still something that can be done. There has to be."

"We lost." With a sigh Yang rubbed her eyes and stared ahead, "That's just what happens. We had a good run. We did a lot of good and came out on top more times than expected. But our number got punched and we lost. Hard. That's just what happened."

"B-But Yang-"

"Just-" Yang took a deep breath, "Just leave me alone, okay?"

...

Ruby sadly walked to the door so her sister could have some time to herself. Looking back, she saw Yang staring out the window again as she dwelled on everything that happened.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Ruby walked into the bathroom and sighed, rubbing her eyes dry again before looking in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy and the rest of her looked ragged. She really needed to freshen up.

Turning the faucet on and letting the water heat up, Ruby looked herself over and shook her head. She breathed into her palm and smelled her breath before recoiling in shock at just how bad it was. She pulled the mirror open and grabbed her toothbrush and paste. As the sound of the sink's rushing water filled the bathroom, she prepared a glob of the minty product.

She stared down as the water rushed.

She stepped in the ashes of her friend's remains.

Naruto smiled at her as he asked her to trust him.

Penny's broken, mangled form lying on the ground.

Grimm everywhere.

Panic and fear everywhere.

She tried to help but she couldn't.

She thought she had done something to help but it had only prolonged the inevitable.

Torchwick told her that Huntsmen and Huntresses were just the tools prepared to die.

How many of them could have died?

How many people did because she and the others failed?

Did she kill Naruto?

She helped him get up to that monster. She might as well have driven him to his execution.

What about Pyrrha?

She was supposed to be fast but she didn't get there in time.

And she let Penny die. Why didn't she slip away from Mercury faster?

Was it because of her?

Didn't she do enough?

Was all she did never going to be enough?

How was she-

"Ruby!" Qrow yelled as he barged into the bathroom, finding his youngest niece on the ground hyperventilating. He dropped down and picked her up, "Ruby say something!"

"U-Uncle Qrow!" She cried out his name as her fingers dug into his shirt, "W-Why did this happen?!" She wailed, "Why?!"

"Ruby-"

"T-Tell me it'll be okay." She sobbed, her tears soaking into his shirt as she buried her face, "Please tell me it'll be okay!"

"It'll be okay." Qrow stroked her head, "This won't happen again. It'll take some time but we'll recover. We'll learn from this. We'll catch the people who did this and we'll make sure they don't hurt anyone ever again. We won't lose anyone else. Things will get better."

Ruby's voice trembled before she whispered, "N-Now tell me the truth."

Qrow looked down at her before staring at the ceiling, "The truth is that I don't know what happens next. I'm not sure what people are going to do now. The ones that did this...they'll probably get away with more before we can find them. And the pain," He whispered as he patted her head, "It won't ever disappear. Not really. This is something you won't ever forget. But it gets easier. And you'll get stronger. The pain will ease over time. And you'll do everything you can to make sure it doesn't happen again. Because that...that's all we can do now."

The crying girl sobbed and hugged her uncle tightly as he gently squeezed her back.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

His intercom was ringing.

He was receiving message after message on his console.

He had meetings booked solid for days to come.

All with the exact same lines of questioning.

What happened?

How could he let this happen?

Did he want this to happen?

Was he trying to lead a military occupation of Vale only for it to end in a massacre?

Why had he allowed a robot to join the tournament?

What was going to happen to the CCT now?

He didn't have an answer. He didn't know what to tell them that would satisfy them. That would put them at ease.

He had done what he had done hoping to help. He thought it would be in the best interest of the people.

But now the world was crumbling, and Atlas was isolated at the top of it.

"Ozpin," Ironwood whispered fretfully in his darkened office as he hunched over his table, "What now?"

How many times had his old friend been in a situation like this? Everything slipping through his fingers while others pointed and demanded answers. Answers he couldn't give without risking everything.

While she stayed in the shadows...anonymous and free of blame.

...

No more.

He swore...to whoever or whatever heard him...that she wouldn't win again. Not as long as he drew breath.

James Ironwood would overcome this evil. At any cost.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

The red and brown leaves had finished falling and now were covered in a sheet of snow.

Fall had passed and winter had taken its place.

It had been weeks since the Fall of Beacon and the world was still recovering.

Communication had suddenly cut off while images of Atlas attacking, Grimm overrunning, and fires taking Vale were burned into everyone's memories.

Grimm numbers had increased around the world because of the general sense of unease.

Communication was harder now, but in this part of the Kingdom it never really was all that important.

The odd thing about living after the world ended...was how things seemed to go back to normal so soon.

He felt worse for the people in Vale - the ones who lost everything and were struggling in these times. He wished there was something he could do...but he was just a kid.

He stared out blankly through the window as the faint light in his room illuminated the snowflakes falling by the windowsill. The fields and trees were filled with snow now. If there was one upside to working on a farm during winter was that there was still work, which meant he didn't have to focus on what was happening out in the world right now.

But he was still worried.

He wished there was something he could do.

In all the books and stories he read the heroes stopped the calamities from happening. But this time the tragedy happened, and people had to recover after it. What about those heroes? The ones at the center of it? Were they still going to fight? Was there something they still could do?

Was there something he could do?

What was a little farm boy out in the sticks supposed to do to help the world?

"Anything we can to help."

Yeah, in the end that was all that mattered. That there was something they could do to help make things right.

...

Huh, where did that thought come from?

"Oscar, are you still awake up there?"

"Oh shoot." The young freckled boy panicked, "Y-Yeah, sorry! I was just reading!"

"Well that's fine but make sure you don't stay up too late!"

"I won't!" Oscar sighed and looked down at his book before closing it up and turning off the light.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

He slipped his pants on after coming out of the shower. After that he slipped his shirt on and made sure it was comfortable. And now came the shoes...

It was harder to tie a knot with one hand than most people expected. Even if he did make them they were a lot more uneven and wild than they had been once before.

After fixing both shoes he leaned back into the side of the bed and just waited in silence. All he had to do now was wait for Kiba to finish preparing and then they'd be off.

The gentle purring by his ear drew his attention from the ground and up towards the bed he'd been given. He spotted a familiar white cat, Icicle, that had been visiting his room for the last several weeks. Apparently this room was one where some of the animals liked to sneak in and cuddle up for a nap. And not many of them had been deterred from that habit despite the fact he was sleeping in here now.

"Meow."

Icicle quietly meowed by his ear, beckoning him to pet her fur again like he did sometimes when she visited. He reached out to hold her-

He stopped midway when he remembered there was nothing on that arm left to pet.

Icicle must have gotten impatient and opted to jump down in his lap instead. Surprised by her sudden forward attitude, he surrendered and started stroking the cat's back softly.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts and expectations but now they were all surrendered with this little one. The anxiety and worries he'd been feeling over the past few weeks had been much more manageable with her and her friends coming to visit him. He now understood just how essential support animals were for healing and coping with pain.

This had been nice. Nicer than he thought possible. Back with his parents and brother they were always on the move, camping and staying out of public places for long. When he was with Itachi they lived moving from hotels to motels to wherever they could purchase a bed for money. When he was part of the Uchiha it was back to camping, bunking with others and building trust with them. And when he was working as a thief with Naruto they traveled from one of Wilsk's safe houses to the next on command. Finally he ended up in Beacon, which stood as the place he had called home the longest.

This was his first time living in a house. Now he could understand the appeal. Cozy. Stable. And the people here were far kinder and more accepting than most - despite his heritage.

He was going to miss this place. And he knew for certain Kiba felt even stronger about it than he did.

But he had to go, and Kiba wanted to go with him.

He just hoped that he would be forgiven for taking their son and brother away.

The knocking on the door drew his attention as it slowly swung open, Kiba standing in the doorway. He still had the bandages around his throat and it would still be some time before he could talk again, but he didn't let that injury slow him down at all.

He whipped his head aside and asked the silent question of if he was ready? Sasuke nodded, lifting the fluffy white cat off his lap and standing up. He grabbed his bag, swung it over his shoulder, and gave Icicle one last gentle pat before following his friend out the door.

They walked through the hallways of the Inuzaka household, home to dozens of animals and strays that didn't want to stay in the pound for the day. Sasuke has been kept very busy over the last few weeks paying attention to all the other animals they took care of. He walked by photos of a small, content three-person family that looked happier than believed possible.

Until they arrived at the door, and faced the two Faunus women and big white dog that waited for them there.

Kiba silently approached his mother and sister. They didn't shed any tears or try to stop him, already hearing about their plan to leave and working things out with them a few days prior. They were still scared and feared for their family, but they had faith in him to take care of himself.

Tsume ran a hand through her son's hair as she hugged him tightly, her dog ears perking up on her head as she did. She pulled back and patted his cheek as she gave a weak smile, "You're not done healing yet so don't go pushing yourself, you got it?" Kiba silently nodded as his mother just sighed, "Damn, it just ain't the same without you being able to argue back. I think I'll miss that most."

Kiba rolled his eyes and smiled before turning to Hana. His sister hugged him tightly next and made sure he felt it. When she was done she lifted his chin and stared at his bandages, "You have a schedule, right? You know how often you need to change those?" He took her hand and nodded, "Alright. Geez Kiba, you're really making me fight every medical instinct I have just letting you go like this. It's killing me."

Kiba smiled and shrugged to his older sister before she pulled him in for another hug. After they finished Kiba knelt down and faced Akamaru. The canine seemed the most heartbroken by his best friend's departure and immediately stepped in to nuzzle and lick his face.

As they said goodbye, Tsume turned to Sasuke, "You take care of yourself too kid."

"Of course." Sasuke offered his hand.

"Don't do that." The stern older woman denied and immediately stepped in to hug him. Sasuke was startled by her familiar movement before the Faunus woman pulled back and smiled, "You've helped out a lot in these last few weeks, and your Kiba's partner in all this. Basically makes you family." She patted his shoulder, "I'm putting you in charge of watching out for my son. And if you do, I promise he'll look out for you and have your back."

"I know." If there was one thing he knew for certain after all of this, it was that they had each other's backs, "I'll make sure he comes home someday soon."

"I'll hold you to that. And when you two come home, we'll have a feast." Tsume promised and pushed him off towards the door.

Sasuke and Kiba approached it together, "You ready?"

The tattooed teen nodded. He then walked his fingers through the air.

"We'll walk the first stretch. But we have to stop off somewhere close."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

The last time she had come to visit in the snow she had been attacked by Beowolves. Young and inexperienced and barely more than pups but a horde of them nonetheless. Still, she had her friends at her back to protect her so she could have this time.

"Hey Mom." Ruby whispered as she approached her mother's gravestone on the edge of the cliff. She knelt down and wiped the snow off the top to see the rose insignia and the words that marked her grave, "Sorry it's been so long. I've been...things have been difficult lately."

"I'm not sure if Dad or Qrow have come around to visit but some bad things happened. You probably heard already but Beacon...Beacon isn't around anymore. I - we really did everything we could to try and save it. To protect the school you and your team came from. I fought as hard as I could. Yang fought as hard as she could. We did everything we could to try and save it, but in the end it wasn't enough. Beacon's gone. Vale is falling. And Yang was hurt. Hurt so bad that you wouldn't even recognize her as the Yang that came to visit you months ago."

Ruby looked down with a forlorn expression and pressed her hand into the snow. The icy burn of it on her palm, unprotected and unshielded with Aura, caused a quick shiver through her arm before she pulled back, "It feels like she's lost something. Not just her arm...like the spark that made her herself has faded away. I-I know she'll get it back one day, but right now she doesn't believe she'll ever be like she was."

"What would you do if you were still here?" Ruby questioned softly, "I have this idea that somehow you'd be able to help her better than anyone. I imagine you going into her room and somehow getting her out where me, Dad, and Uncle Qrow all failed. She wouldn't be fixed immediately because that would be too easy, but she'd be willing to try and get better. And then I could help her too. And slowly she'd start to smile again, and I could start to get my sister back. A-And things would start making sense again."

Ruby took a shaky breath in before shutting her eyes, "Am I doing the right thing by leaving? I don't think I can help and there's still so much we need to do, but is it right to go? I know I need to help other people and try to save the world, b-but even leaving right now when things are so bad and my family needs me feels - feels wrong." She looked down at the gravestone before sighing, "You always would have chosen to save the entire world if you had to make that choice. It's the right thing to do, and I want to follow your footsteps, but I'm finding it harder and harder to do this."

"At least I won't be alone." Ruby looked over her shoulder and spotted JNR watching her from the bottom of the hill, "My friends really helped me through this when I needed them. They came to talk to me. Make sense of things. Helped me realize that I wasn't alone feeling like this. And we decided what we could do together to make things right. I'm glad they're by my side...even if they should hate me." She admitted under her breath, "I cost them their friend. Because I wasn't fast enough. Because I couldn't do what I needed to do. I think you would have really like Pyrrha, Mom. She was the same kind of person as you, a true Huntress."

"And you would have liked my other friend too. He was Mr. Minato's son. He was always smiling and always made me feel like I had a friend and he had the cutest little fluffy ears!" Ruby giggled to herself fondly at the memory. Her smile faltered however as the memory reminded her that he was gone and she had a part in it.

The smiling faces of their lost friends. The memories of what they had before things changed. They left her wanting and sad...but also stirred her on to never stop.

She lowered her head before standing up, "I have to go now, Mom. My friends and I are going to Mistral and then to Haven. The people who did this said they came from there so we thought we could find something if we went looking. It's gonna be a long journey...and to be honest we don't know what we're going to find or even what we'll do if we find anything." She chuckled, "Dad and Yang would have a fit hearing us do this without a proper plan. But we've decided already. There's something we have to do, and we can't do that waiting here. So we're going now...and I promise we'll be back someday."

She turned away and looked back at her mother's grave with a smile, "Wish me luck, okay!"

((((((((Hunting))))))))

The next hour had been a quiet, thoughtful walk towards Patch's port. There was a ship making its way over to Vale within the hour and they would be on it. From there they'd walk over the eastern end of Sanus' landmass before arriving at another port city and charting a trip to Anima. And from there it was all the way to Mistral.

So while Ruby, Jaune, Nora, and Ren did discuss a few things like what they brought and a general outline of their plan, they walked with the looming weight of their future journey pressing down on them. It wasn't long until they spotted the port and the boats being used to ferry supplies and people between Vale's ruins and Patch.

They hadn't expected to see familiar faces when they arrived.

"You came!" Nora exclaimed with joy and relief as she broke away and ran towards her friends. Her shoes crunched along the snow as she charged in and hugged Kiba, Sasuke stepping aside and watching fondly at their reunion. Ruby and the others quickly picked up their speed to join them as Nora pulled back, "Are you doing better?"

Kiba rubbed the bandages on his throat and turned his hand in a so-so manner.

Ruby was glad to see her friend up and moving again, especially since the last time she saw him was on the brink of death in Tenten's lap. As Nora turned and hugged Sasuke next, the young redhead noticed that the older boy looked well and healed as well. But she also noticed that his left sleeve was tied into a knot at the end of his wrist.

She wanted to speak up and greet her friends again as well after all this time. But she hesitated, fearful of the idea that if she did, they'd treat her with scorn and anger for what she did to their leader.

"We're so glad you two could make it." Ren said, "When we told you we were leaving today we didn't think either of you would be healed enough to make the journey."

"In all honesty we're still not at our best." Sasuke admitted as Kiba gave a frustrated nod, "We should probably still be waiting and recovering."

They were hurt just as badly as Yang was in the attack but they were forcing themselves to move around. It was only looking at them that Ruby realized how reckless it would have been to drag Yang along with them. They should still be resting and recovering...but they were probably too anxious to just sit down and do nothing.

"Well, if you guys are coming with us, then we'll make sure to watch out for you." Jaune said to them, "It's a long journey to Haven so we'll be with you every step of the way."

Ruby and the others nodded in agreement, promising their recovering friends to have their back along their journey. But Sasuke and Kiba looked at each other before turning to them.

"We aren't coming with you." Sasuke said, "Kiba and I are taking a different route. We're going to Vacuo."

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise as the others looked at them in shock, "What?"

"Why would you go to Vacuo?!"

Sasuke pulled out his Scroll and passed it to Jaune. Ruby stood on her toes to look at the screen as he started swiping through profiles and names, "What are these?"

"A list of capable, potential allies."

"Where did you get this?"

"It was my get-well present." Sasuke said as he took his Scroll back, "Kiba and I still aren't fully recovered, and even though we're ready to get moving again, we'd only be holding you all back while we need to take our time. So we decided on a different course; we're going to go around Remnant and try to recruit these people to help us. Against Suigetsu's people, the White Fang, and Cinder. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"B-But there were so many names." Ruby whispered uncertainly, "How long will this take you?"

"We don't know for certain." Sasuke shrugged, "We'll move as quickly as possible to get through them, but it'll still take time. But when we're done, we plan to have a lot of people by our side." The Uchiha gave a strong, determined nod, "We'll have an army of people ready to back us up when we come to join you."

"But you don't have to go by yourselves!" Nora cried out, her eyes watering as she looked back at them, "We can still stick together! You don't have to go off on your own! You can stay with us and join us and...and..." Nora's eyes filled with tears before she turned to look up at Kiba, "We promised we'd look after you."

...

The tattooed boy silently leaned in and pulled her into a hug. As Nora hid in his chest and hugged back, Kiba reached out and pulled Ren in as well. They stood together in silence, embracing each other and silently saying goodbye.

Ruby's eyes watered as well before she looked up at Sasuke. Instead of the eyes filled with disdain and hate she expected to see from the man whose friend she killed, she found understanding and trust in his expression. She whispered, "I'm sorry for what I did."

"Don't blame yourself. You never would have hurt him or brought him pain - even if you tried." Sasuke stepped in and gently hugged her, Ruby resting her head in his chest as she closed her eyes, "I don't know if me or Kiba or even Tenten telling you it's okay would be enough to ease what you're feeling. So instead I'll ask you to do what he can't anymore. Be the amazing Huntress you were meant to be. Help those that need it wherever you go. And make sure not to let what happened to us happen to anyone else. Do that...and you'll be honoring his memory and the memory of everyone we lost. Can you do that?"

Ruby sniffled and nodded into Sasuke's chest.

She stepped away and Jaune walked in to give Sasuke a hug next. Once they were finished, Sasuke walked over to Nora and Ren as Kiba approached her and Jaune. Again they hugged their injured friends, wishing them luck and hoping for the best in the separation of their journey.

Jaune wiped his eyes, "Our ship doesn't leave for another hour. Do you think you guys can wait until then?"

Sasuke nodded, "Our ship doesn't leave until later today. So let's make this count."

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Sasuke and Kiba stood on a port and waved goodbye to the ship sailing away. The Uchiha lowered his arm and sighed as Kiba kept looking out over the sea. He patted his silent partner's back, "Are you sure you want to come with me? You might be able to catch up to them on the next ship-"

Kiba looked at him with a stern glare. He shoved a thumb into his own chest before knocking his fist into Sasuke's sternum. As they stood in silence, Sasuke could see the unwavering determination in his eyes.

"It's gonna be a long journey. And from personal experience I can tell you Vacuo sucks."

Kiba smirked and shrugged.

"Well, I'll be glad to have you by my side."

Even though the path ahead would be long and painful...it was a relief knowing he'd have a partner by his side again.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Ruby stared out over the edge of the boat at the distant seas and fog.

"They said we'd see them again in Haven with an army at their side." Nora giggled softly beside her as she leaned against the railing as well, "I'm holding them to their word on that. If they don't have at least a hundred people with them when we see them again, I say we rub it in their faces."

"If we see them in Mistral rested and recovered, I say that will be a win." Ren said by their side.

Jaune stood with Ruby's as they looked out at the horizon, "Haven is a long way to go. We got quite a journey ahead of us."

Ruby looked down over herself, "Maybe we should get some different clothes?"

"And some upgrades to our weapons?"

"Yeah," Jaune looked down at the chunk still making from his weapon, "I definitely need to get this thing looked at."

Ruby felt a more natural, genuine smile come to her face as she looked between her friends - her new team. As they stood together, their eyes set on the far away land of Anima, she made a silent promise to herself...

That things were going to be different.

((((((((Epilogue))))))))

"ARGH!"

There was a splatter of blood along the snow before a Grimm dropped dead, already fading away into dust.

Naruto clutched his bloody shoulder, the claw marks slowly sealing up as his waning Aura tried to do its job.

"Shit, let my guard down." Naruto murmured in a panic as he wiped his hand in the snow and cleaned off the blood. His ragged clothing and ripped pants clung to his dirty, unwashed body. His longer, unkempt hair framed his face as he looked around in fear, "C-Can't rest. Can't rest. Can't let my Aura disappear. Always in a pack. Always in a pack."

His feet crunched into the snow, one foot covered by his scratched up boot while the other was covered in a poorly made substitute of wood, leaves, and fur. The young fox searched his surroundings, "Cover. Cover. Have to find cover. Can't let them find me. Need to hurry before - fuck, calm down." He growled to himself, "Can't let them feel me. Can't let them find me. Need to hide before they find me."

He spun around and tried to find his baring only to see snow and forest! Tree after tree after shrub after tree! The same fucking thing he'd seen every day for weeks! If he stayed out here like this any longer he'd die from the cold!

If he didn't focus his Aura to shield him, he'd get frostbite or hypothermia! But if he wasted his Aura then he wouldn't be ready for the next Grimm attack! So he had to find cover! A cave preferably! Or a tree he could hide up! He had to-

Too late.

Before it even growled or made its presence known, Naruto felt his instincts ring like an alarm. He spun around, finding an Ursa Minor, Ursa Major, and a pack of Beowolves staring to surround him.

The blond's shoulders sagged in despair as he realized he was cut off again. He looked down to his hand at his only weapon left, Stabby, cracked and dull from weeks of fighting for his life. He lowered his head and gritted his teeth...

"No."

He channeled his Aura as his eyes hardened in anger, "I will get back. I will get back. I will get back! I WILL GET BACK!"

"RRRAAAAOOOWWWWWW!"

"WWRRRRAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

As the monsters charged in and attacked, Naruto dashed in to meet them. With the same desire in his heart that had driven him for weeks.

To get home to the people he loved, no matter what.

((((((((Hunting))))))))

Done

Damn, finally made it. This...this was both a weight on my shoulders and a relief to finally unburden myself with. We've passed the biggest benchmark in the series so far.

So, I start off with a schedule. I won't be writing for this story for a few weeks or months just so I can focus on other things. But it isn't an indefinite hiatus. I have an outline of what the next volume will be, and I just want to work out a few kinks and details out before I come back.

And I also want to do those character shorts I promised. It'll be four chapters, updated on the Hunted or Busted short story, over the course of July 21st - 24th with the first chapter of Volume 4 coming out on July 25th.

So with Volume 4, I hope to change a few things up. It'll be in a more episodic structure, with every few chapters focusing on just one storyline instead of everyone. It'll make more sense when you actually see it for yourself.

Also, how should I write it? Usually I write stories in a 3rd person omniscient view, where we see it from the viewpoint of everyone present. But over the last few chapters I've been doing limited, sticking to just one person's experience at a time. I thought that would be appropriate considering how narrow and constricted our characters were going to feel in this time of panic.

Do you all have a preference? Would you like me to switch things up or keep things normal? Do you not care and just want me to write the damn things already? Please let me know.

Until I see you again in July...

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Thank You and Bye