Author Note:In the end of season 3 there was a moment when Nora shoved Ren out of the way and took a blow for him. This is inspired by that moment.

The first time it happened they were still kids. Ren and Nora had only been at a combat based middle school for a few months. They hiked together every morning from their village to make it to class on time. The pair returned separately in the afternoon. Nora had joined a couple clubs, so she stayed late most days. Ren wasn't interested in the clubs, or socializing, so he set off for home right after the final bell.

Most days he suffered from delays.

Ren didn't like to think of it as bullying. The other kids were just borrowing his money and giving him friendly trips to the cement. He was dealing with it in his own way, which was by not doing anything about it at all. When Nora asked where the scratches came from he always came up with some excuse. Something like, it happened during training or, he was cooking and his hand slipped. He didn't think Nora bought it, but she let it slide.

One day Ren was walking home as usual. He'd made it away from the school and thought he might be safe for the day when an obnoxious voice called after him.

"Hey flower boy!" A group of five older students sauntered towards him. Ren could only stand there and dread their approach; running had never done him any good. "You leaving with my money?" The tallest of the pre-teens sneered.

"No." Ren hung his head, digging in his pockets for some change. He was halfway through handing over his cash when another voice called his name.

"Ren!" Nora waved from a distance. She skipped past the older boys and straight to his side. "Club activities were canceled for today, so I tried to find you earlier but you were gone, and I thought we could walk home together." She stopped for a breath and glanced down at his hands. "What's going on Ren why're you taking the stuff out of your pockets?"

The older boys broke out in snickers. "Aww flower boy, I didn't know you had a little girlfriend." The tall one who appeared to be the leader smirked. "I guess since there are two of you now the price has doubled." His eyes glinted in the late afternoon light. "Fork it over." The other boys chuckled as Nora cast her gaze quickly between them, putting the pieces together in an instant.

"Leave us alone." Ren found the courage to say. He wasn't alone here, Nora stood by his side. He wouldn't back down with her there.

"What was that?" The leader puffed out his chest and stepped into Ren's space. "I don't think I heard you right."

"Go. Away." Ren stood as tall as he could and gave his best glare. Nora mimicked his posture, sparks crackling in her stare. What was the bully to do but punch Ren in the face?

It hurt.

The fight only lasted about ten minutes, but to Ren it felt like hours. After being punched in the face he staggered from the blow, but recovered in a few seconds. Nora had already pulled a small hammer from who knows where and was smacking a bully upside the head with it. Ren grabbed a stick from the ground and struck out at the leader.

He fought and fought, struggling to keep his aura protecting him from the blows. Nora, as far as he could tell, wasn't actually taking any hits. She dodged each attack with ease and hit back with double the force. She'd proven far more effective at knocking out older students, having defeated the four followers.

Only the leader remained standing. Ren and Nora faced him across a small area, surrounded by his unconscious friends. They lunged together, trying to combine their skills in a meaningful way. It worked out somehow, and after a solid hammer blow to the head the bully was down for the count.

As the dust settled around them, Ren wondered what Nora would say. Was she mad that he never told her? Was she happy about getting to fight? He had a feeling it was a combination of both.

"Ren! Look out!" Huh, that wasn't what he was expecting. Before he could figure out what to look out for she'd shoved him to the ground. He couldn't see what happened, but the sickening thunk that followed was unmistakable. From his position on the ground Ren couldn't catch Nora as she fell, but he could leap to his feet and confront the culprit. One of the older students woke up, and he brandished a baseball bat with a tilted grin.

Ren mindlessly knocked out a few of his teeth before scooping Nora onto his back and staggering away. Their home was pretty far away, but he could make it if he focused. It gave him plenty of time to think.

He owed Nora a lot for today. She helped more than she even knew. It went beyond just helping him with the fight; she gave him the courage to start it in the first place. She saved him from getting his head smashed in with a baseball bat at the cost of getting injured herself. That was his fault, wasn't it? He owed her an apology.

It was clear Nora had been taking training seriously. She fought so well, and all he did was get her hurt. Ren decided, as he clutched his unconscious best friend to his back, to not let this happen again. He needed to be strong enough to protect her too. Ren couldn't let any of this, the bullying, the fighting, or Nora getting knocked out, happen again.

He'd made it about half way home when Nora stirred. "Ren, what happened did we win? Of course we won we're awesome." Ren lowered her gently to the ground, giving Nora the chance to walk on her own. She accepted with relish, bouncing as if she'd never been injured. "You're not hurt Ren, are you?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine." He would heal.

"That's good I was worried. That was a great fight though. You were like, pow, and I was like, bam, and those bully's were like, nooooooo. If they mess with us again I'll make them wish they were never born." Nora punched the air in time with her retelling, giving the last part extra aggression. "It got a little dicey in the end there, but we're still in training. Next time we'll clobber them!" Ren was more likely to describe the situation as a complete disaster.

"I'm sorry." He brought one hand up a few inches, thinking to feel for bumps on her head, but was unable to complete the motion.

"Just don't forget we're in this together." Nora reached out and intertwined her fingers with his outstretched ones. She slowed her pace to match his as the pair walked under the setting sun. They still had some distance to go, but Nora was always able to fill the silence. They made it home and started planning for things to come.

For Ren, things changed that day. He increased his training to become faster and stronger so that he would never miss anything. If he was more aware of his surroundings and able to react to them, then he would be able to protect Nora.

Even as Ren threw himself into training, he missed the most important factor. No matter how strong he became, Nora wanted to protect him too.