RWBY Character Anthology

The Lengths of their Shadows (Ren & Nora)

As children, they were on the same length; from their heights to the length of their shadows.

And yet...

Wide strides and broad shoulders paled in comparison to her petite form.

Since when did their pace become so unmatched?

Nora struggled to walk the same pace as Ren; taking note of the subtle changes in his body.

In their earliest memories together, they walked the same stride. The same height; shared the same meals. The sense of comradery born out of a shared experience, from the loss and tragedy to the ostracised and outcasted.

To her, he was the first to shed light on her dark and isolating world.

To him, she was the first to demonstrate where inner strength lies.

Hand in hand, they were inseparable. Childless parents sought to adopt the boy, as he was most favourable and obedient. And yet, despite it all, he would not agree unless they took her in as well.

Hand in hand, they complimented each other. Over time, his learned how to be patient; as there was no one else who could keep up with her energy. And over time, Nora understood him the most, as she was the only one who could read his quiet expressions.

The first time their shadows were unmatched, Nora declared her first resolve.

"Hey Ren," she declared with excitement. "From this point forward, we're gonna be huntsmen!"

Though ever silent, he knew he needed to catch up. The ever-present changes in her physic, compared to the slowness of his growth, he saw her bloom into something far more than just a friend. Though troubled at first, afraid of the possible changes in their friendship, the words of his father taught him how to be brave in acceptance.

Following her resolve, he made the extra effort, whether it be training or chore-handling; he made it a point to find ways to catch up to her.

Before Nora ever realized it, Ren became more than just family to her. From the smallest gestures to the usual compliances, Ren never failed to match up with her antics.

As time passes, his existence grew ever more present, ever more diligent and something that could never be replaced by anyone else.

He read through her cheer and saw through her happy facade. Knowing her all too well that her grief that she once had was channelled through her hyper-activeness.

And upon acknowledging it, she knew that there was no one else but him that she could see spending her entire life with for the rest of her days.

The strides they made were unmatched. The height of his stature grew. Before they knew it, his shoulders broadened and her features blossomed.

As they looked back at the lengths of their shadows, hand in hand, they continued to walk in uneven strides.

A/N: I don't usually touch cannon couples. I feel like if ever ships I don't really mind/care about become canon I don't often make fanstuff out of them. But, rewatching volume 4, I couldn't help but imagine the things that they went through to get this far. So, yeah. I hope you enjoyed this piece. But I must admit, I feel as though this one's not my best piece.