Chapter 1:

C'est la vie, C'est la Guerre…

C'est la Mort.

"Yes."

Twang! The string snapped from the gently relaxed fingertips that had drawn it.

Pfssst. The soft fletching of the arrow whistled shortly, a mild hiss of the bite to come

Thud! The fingers had been soft and the fletching plush but this sound was harsh and cruel, the breathless gasp that it brought was no less so. Yet the genuinely bemused smile was by leaps and bounds worse. Amber eyes twinkled with delight and the rush the dark haired young woman felt was as invigorating now as it had been when she'd first buried her knife deep in the same spot of her adoptive 'Father's" chest. He'd made the same gasp, the same grasping twitch of hands no longer under command of a mind that had fled before the shock of the strike. She could get used to this.

The red hair of the girl kneeling before her was as bright as the blood flowing from the base of the shaft. It was a slow bleed; the arrow was tight in its path and while surely fatal had not caused such a spout as to ruin the raven haired woman's dress, though perhaps such a pretty red would only have augmented the fine garment but that was not to be. C'est la vie.

The gleam of the assailant's eyes met the diminishing shimmer of her victim's. She almost felt sorry for the poor thing. Had she just stayed with the rest she could have lived a few minutes longer, maybe kissed that blonde she was so obviously pining over. They could have shared their final moments at the hands of the Grimm. But she had chosen this death when she challenged her on the top of that tower. C'est la guerre.

As the light of consciousness finally left those pain filled eyes and the head of the scarlet haired warrior dipped low, the body limp, the other girl stepped forward and with the gentleness of a loved one caressingly swept a lock of hair from her pretty face she touched her head and deemed to give her absolution. And to grant herself another rush. C'est la mort.

"No!" a cry from the side of the tower brought the raven witches hair whipping about as she turned to see the fury of a young girl with black and red hair and a red cloak explode in a blinding flash.

"What!" the glimmer of elation at a fresh kill was replaced in the amber eyes with fury and disbelief while her pretty face contorted to match her ugly soul. The night gave way to the encroaching ambush of light that swallowed the surround. The light expanded, the woman in the red dress shielding her eyes from the flash as the dragon that clung to the side of the destroyed tower cried out in pain and the night was filled with a flare greater than all the stars in the sky, purging the scene only to yield again to the black.

...There was silence.

Shadows swam in and out of focus; Trees and rocks and shrubs turned solid and liquid in waves from holding shape to collapsing beneath their own weight. It was a dizzying sight. Yet as everything pulsed and moved and faded and formed one thing stayed constant among the chaos. In the center of the scene rest a large greyed stump, petrified with time, and upon it a single red bloom with its green salk vibrant and damp with dew.

A rose.

With a sudden stillness falling over the previously turbulent grove the rose turned toward the few gleams of light that pierced the canopy and slowly opened its petals. a small gust of wind and three petals fell from the rose, one scattering to the ground as the other two rested upon the dead wood of the stump before a single tiny drop of red fell from a thorn along the stem to ripple across its surface. The ripple boed out and became a wave that disturbed the eerie sudden calm of the grove. As the wave passed, the scene snapped, and her eyes opened with a start.

Ruby sat upright with a deep gasp grasping at her side for her Crescent rose only to find nothing but a deeper panic at the absence of her weapon. This was but a momentary rush as her eyes darted about her surroundings brought her fluttering heart from thunderous palpitation to a softer thrumb in her ears at the familiar sight of her old bedroom. Though her panic was subsiding slightly her confusion was no less intense as she tried to gather her bearings. The task was made harder by the sudden jolt of pain that pierced her head, an intense sting unlike any headache she'd experienced before. It was accompanied by a loud ringing in her ears that left her cradling her head in agony with a sharp inhale of air through gritted teeth. Her room was exactly as she had left it. But why am I here? she pondered, Last thing I remember, I was-. she glanced up at the sound of the door opening and a tray and bowl crashing to the floor.

"Ruby! You're awake!" the jubilance in the voice of the blonde haired man standing in the doorway was the first ounce of true excitement and joy she'd heard since the attack on Beacon had begun. Taiyang Xiao Long was in his usual attire as he crossed the room in two long strides to embrace his little girl with wet eyes, "You're back! You're safe!" he assured as he hugged her close. Ruby let out a startle cry but after a moment she rallied and returned the embrace with gusto.

"D-dad, what's going on?" she asked after they finally released one another,

Tai held her at arm's length and looked her up and down, "First thing's first, are you okay? Are you in any pain?"

"Well," she groaned as she gingerly messaged her temples, "My head is f-fuzzy and I ache all over but I think I'm okay."

Tai sighed, "Oh thank God!"

"What happened to the City, to the school?" Ruby questioned.

"Just calm down, Little Rose, everything is going to be fine." he assured while seated on the bed beside her with a hand on her shoulder, "The Huntsmen and Huntresses have cleared the city and Beacon is quarantined. The tower was damaged but it still stands, thanks largely to you!"

"I don't… what do you, what did I do?" Ruby held her head as a deep throbbing echoed through her head. She tried to think back to the night before and found the events playing through her mind like a horror movie she couldn't escape. She saw the dragon attack, remembered how a griffin had taken Torchwick from the top of the Airship, replayed the screams of the city in her mind, and finally recalled the call from Juane. She closed her eyes tight as she replayed sprinting up the tower as fast as her semblance would take her and finally felt the throb build to a crescendo as she re-lived the scene she had seen at the top of the tower, heard the bow snap, and saw the world turn white. Ruby gasp in shallow short breaths as the memory subsided, "First Penny, then I was-Cinder she- O God! Pyrrha, what happened to Pyrrha!?" she pleaded but her father could give no reply, nor meet her gaze.

Tai shifted to the bed and held the young girl closer as the tears began to build to a flow, streaming down her face as she sobbed in heaving breaths into her father's shoulder. There was nothing more for Tai to add, not at that moment, nothing that would ease the pain for his Little Rose and it tore him apart. Ruby would simply cry for the first time in years. And Tai would simply be there for her to cry on now as he had back then. After all; what more could he do?

The cracked door to the hall revealed the he was not the only one. Qrow stepped back to rest his weight against the wall behind him as he looked at his niece, crying full stop for the first time in years. He hadn't seen her shed a true tear at anything since that black day her mother died and yet here was that dark scene before his eyes again. His bones creaked against the strain of his tightly clenched fist as he felt warmth on the tips of his curled fingers and a stinging in his palm; followed shortly thereafter by the slow creep of blood seeping through his tightened fingers.

To the blackest hell with that bitch, Qrow thought as he grabbed his wrist to stop his fist from shaking in fury, for what she did to those girls! To Amber! What she did to my kingdom! He bit his lip hard, For making my niece cry like this again. For all of it. I'm gonna tear her apart! A single crimson drop fell from his hand to the floor, a stain on the wood to match the stain on their lives this had become.

Ruby fell asleep again through her tears as her tired body was unable to take the strain. After almost an hour Taiyang gently moved the sleeping girl off his lap where she had balled onto the pillows. Qrow entered the room at last, "She's a strong girl, Tai, she'll bounce back."

"She shouldn't have too." the scruffy blonde retorted as he stood and walked to the door, "It's almost lunch time, keep an eye on her for me." he quietly requested as he pushed past the rarely sober hunter. Qrow grabbed the chair and spun it about on one leg before saddling into it backwards, leaning on the back piece as he watched the young girl snooze.

"No, they shouldn't have too." Qrow looked down to his palm, examining the now dried smear of blood and the closing wounds on his calloused hands. Reaching into his back pocket Qrow pulled a grey handkerchief and wrapped it around his palm. Tightening his hand into a fist a few times Qrow felt the tinge of pain from the wounds reopening as the grey was spotted red. He clenched down hard and basked in the pain. He continued to look at his palm and with every thought of damage he'd seen or been responsible for in the battle he'd clench down to feel that sharp sting again. A small atonement and one that was entirely self-serving.

After a light snooze interspersed with soft sniffles and sobs Ruby finally opened her eyes again near half an hour later. Turning over in her bed she found the smiling unkempt and bearded face of her favorite drunkle. "Uncle Qrow." she forced a weak smile.

"Hey kiddo," he replied reaching out to pat her softly on the head, "You know you really did us proud out there."

Sitting up Ruby glanced around the room, "Where's dad?"

"Fixin' lunch, should be ready soon, you must be hungry?" Grrrgrgrr! Ruby's stomach answered for her. "I figured, it'll be ready anytime now, just wait a minute."

Ruby nodded and let a slight genuine smirk shine through however her eyes were cast down at her lap where her hands fiddled uneasily. After several moments of silence she finally broke the quiet, "Uncle Qrow, what happened out there? Dad said I did something but, what?"

"What do you think?" he quizzed.

Ruby thought back, "Well. I know I got up to the top of the tower, and then," she took a gulp of air at another wave of panic as the memories hit her but this time she held her ground against the scene, "I- uh. I got to the top of the tower and saw Cinder shoot Pyrrha. That big dragon Grimm was there too… I… I was so angry at them I- ugh!" as she remembered the fury she had felt her vision fell out of focus and her eyes burned for a brief moment, Qrow took a sharp inhale of breath as he saw his niece's eye flash brightly for a moment. Ruby grabbed her eyes with a gasp. "I don't remember what happened after that though."

Schreech Qrow pulled the chair up flush with her bed and took one of her hands in his, "Ruby… what was it Ozpin first said to you?"

Ruby thought back for a moment then contorted her face in confusion, "He said… 'Do you know who I am?'"

"No. before that."

"Hmmm. uh- something about my eyes?"

"Bingo, just like Summer."

Now more confused than ever Ruby could do little more than blink a few times, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Qrow leaned in and lowered his voice, "If I recall, you loved fairy-tales, right Kiddo?" she nodded, "Well, then this will knock your socks off; see, if you believe Oz, and you really ought to, some of those stories are true. One of them that we know to be true is a tale of a tribe of Silver Eyed warriors, really heros, kid." He sat up straighter and reach over, grabbing a picture of Summer Ruby had on the night stand, "See, these warriors were said to be so mighty they could paralyze Grimm with fear with just a look. Your mom was one of them, and now, so are you."

He handed the picture frame to her so she could look at her mother's face, "But, what's that got to do with Beacon?"

"Well that's harder to answer, can't say for sure exactly what happened but something up there triggered your powers, which lay dormant all this time. Whatever that was made a huge light spread all across the city from the top of the Tower. Every Grimm in town just stopped and stood stock still for a minute, and that's what allowed us to turn the tide. That huge Dragon flew off the moment that light cleared, taking that Witch with it apparently."

Ruby clutched the photo close to her chest, "But, how do you know I did that?"

He smiled widely with clear pride, "Cause, Kiddo, i've seen that light before. When we were training way back when our team got bogged down on a routine mission in our second year. We were surrounded on all sides. Tai took a Ursa claw to the chest, he was in bad shape, and Raven and I had depleted our Aura's as well. Summer was the only one left standing. I thought it was over until your mom charged the Grimm and the whole place lit up." he beamed at the memories that came flooding in.

Knock Knock "That's not the only time Summer pulled out butt out the fire." Tai chimed in as he entered carrying a green tray with a bowl of piping soup, "And I know she'd be beyond proud of you for carrying on her legacy." He added setting the tray across her lap with a kiss to her forehead. "Enough about all that, there will be time later. For now, eat, you need your strength."

Ruby wasn't sure if she could but tentatively placed the picture back on her bedside table and picked up the spoon, "Things are never going to be the same, are they?" she questioned flatly, knowing full well the answer.

Tai and Qrow exchanged silent glances, "Better eat up, it'll get cold soon." was his only reply. Ruby obliged.

Ruby's gentle rasp at the door went unanswered. How long she stood there waiting she could not tell. Facing monsters and villains was one thing but this? This tested her courage to the breaking point. There was only one other time she could compare the feeling to; her first time facing a Grimm in battle on her own. She had been 12, wandering out into the woods to test out her newest configuration on Crescent Rose. Her father had told her not to go out but she was just so excited to see if the expanding blade worked right. She was practicing on a grove of trees when a Beowolf's growl made her heart skip a beat. Looking back on it now that Grimm was nothing. A runt probably kicked out of the pack it would barley be taller than her now but back then it was a monsterous and insurmountable foe. The door before her felt the same way now.

Taking a deep breath She gently reached for the knob and opened the door to her sister's room, "Yang?"

The golden haired wonder was lying in her bed, propped up on a mountain of pillows as she looked out her bedside window at the forest beyond. She did not turn, did not speak. She gave Ruby no indication that she had even heard her. The younger sibling stretched her neck and tightened her throat, preparing to call out again, pleading inwardly not be abandoned. She stopped just shy of voicing her thoughts. Resigned, Ruby turned to leave. Closing her eyes and steelign her own nerve the older girl replied softly, "Ruby…"

Ruby nearly fell to her knees as the relief washed over her. She catapulted herself across the room to embrace her older sister. The rush of relief was more than she could have asked for. Yang, while not reacting to stop her sister, did not return the hug with full force. She croaked through the tears that had begun to flow, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

While Ruby put her entire being into the gesture Yang barely moved at all. That's not to say she didn't feel the same rush of relief her sister had, nor that it had not been the most pleasant feeling she had experienced since the battle had begun, but the numbness masquerading as calm she was afflicted with dulled even this sweetest of moments. She barely grazed her sister's back with her arm before withdrawing. When Ruby's cry of jubilance came she could not contain the cold from seeping ever so slightly int other reply, "But I'm not."

Ruby stepped back at the almost icy reply and struggled to process it against all she knew of her sister. She knew Yang had been hurt, knew she had lost an arm! Still she had dared imagine that her sister might also have lost her fire. Trauma is a terribly fickle thing; and worst of all it's contagious.

"It's all gone;" Yang continued, pulling Ruby through the thoughts she had already wrestled with once herself, "The school, Penny," Yang's trademark was her strength but in all this she sounded fragile as glass, "Pyrrha," she was very near tears. "And…" AT first Ruby thought Yang would raise what remained of her arm but as the girl simply averted her eyes from her sister Ruby realized it was more than a single limb she was reverencing.

"Yang," Ruby was slow and methodical in her words, "where are Weiss and blake?"

Yang cast her gaze her her lap, her left hand resting in solitude there, "Weiss' father came at took her.

"Wha-what do you mean?" Ruby tried to put on a smile but it cracked and crumbled.

Yang 's eyes had always been full of fire; literally when she had her semblance going,and even the cool and haunting lilac they naturally were was like the burning base of a candle's flame. Now, though, They were like dull frozen lakes, She began to fill her sister in with no more tone or feeling than an off handed conversation at a coffee shop, "With the tower gone Vale can't communicate with the outside world. The last thing everyone saw was Grimm attack the city." Ruby had a general understanding of this from her talk with her Father and Uncle but hadn't yet given much thought to the consequences or how they could hit her personally, "Everyone thinks Atlas was behind it, so Weiss' father came and took her back to atlas where he thought it'd be safe.

That took a while to process. Ruby was confused not by the happenings, those were simple to understand, but by the intent behind them. Had Weis gone willingly? Had Anyone tried to stop her or her father? What about the other countries? Would this mean war? Taking a chapter from her combat training she pushed the questions aside and did what she was had learned; attack the moment! "But what about-"

"And Blake ran!" Yang cut her off. Ruby's attack had been countered and she found herself mentally and physically retreating. Yang had been so forceful suddenly, so angry, that the ice in her Eyes had broken for a moment and the fire beneath had lashed out in harm. Ruby took several steps back from her Sister, whose breathing was becoming heavier and more sporadic.

"What does tha-"

Yang threw her hand up in dismissal, "Sun saw her! After we got back to the city. She just…" THe rollercoaster had come full circle as the fire was extinguished with pooling wet tears. Yang's voice cracked, "Ran!"

A lull in the conversation gave Ruby time to pull herself together. She could see the damage that this was doing but had very little hope of stopping it. Deciding it was better to rip off the bandage she pressforward, "But why?"

"I don't know!" a clearly annoyed Yang replied, "and I don't care." the second line was almost a shameful admission as the older girl choked on the words and averted eye contact.

"There has to be a reason why she-"

"No! There doesn't." Yang had become openly hostile and blunt with squared shoulders and her back to her sister aws she gazed back out the window, seemingly exasperated by Ruby's naivete, "Sometimes bad things just happen, Ruby."

There was very little else to say. Ruby had hoped to gather strength from her mountain of a sister even though the moment she had laid eyes on her had told her that mountain had crumbled. Instead she had tried to build her back up with what little strength she herself had. It was only now, with her sister's back coldly to her, that she realized that yet again she wasn't strong enough.

Near quivering and with another step toward the door Ruby dared to press forward, "So what do we do now?

Yang whispered in a near scoffing tone, "We…?" If she had kept that same bitterness Ruby might have given up entirely. However, at the last moment, something made the cold numbness in her heart abate, if only for a second, and she strained to return even the slightest bit of warmth to her voice, "You can do whatever you want. I-" that tiniest bit of care took all she had, "I'm just going to lie here."

Ruby backed away to the door, careful not to make a sound, "Okay… I love you."

With that tiniest gesture, a hand reaching out to her beloved sister, Ruby retreated and fled down the hallway to her own room. Yang felt the brush of other words, and held them close to herself as she watched the red leaves fall to the forest floor.

A drop of blood rolled from his chin and fell into the moldering air of dawn before splattering against the ground. The drop came from a streak of red that started just above a golden eyebrow and trickled slowly down the side of a young yet masculine face. He was breathing heavily and the brisk morning air showed mist at his gasps.

"Come on, Jaune, this is enough. Let's call it a morning." a sturdy voice urged from the side of the kneeling Jaune Arc. Cardin Winchester cast a large shadow though even he was bent and propped on his mace's hilt. "You're aura's hit or miss," he took a deep breath in, "and even I get tired of wailing on ya." he breathed out as he tried to stand tall and look tough but nearly stumbled as he slung his mace across his shoulder. Though Cardin would be loath to admit it Jaune wasn't a pushover he could spar with without using real effort, not anymore.

"No," Jaune wheezed as he wiped the blood from his brow once again, leaving a red trail on his white gauntlets. He'd been absolute in his morning training regime that Pyrrha had created for him, though with the dormitories in ruin and the Campus overrun the usual rooftop was replaced with one of the cities open parks. Over the past few days the opponents had changed; Velvet, Neptune, and now Cardin. He had hoped that this latest opponent would have the stomach to keep going when the others had walked away. That was looking less likely now. "We're not done yet." he spat resolutely as he struggled to his feet and closed his eye. Reaching deep inside himself he conjured an image, conjured a voice, conjured the feeling of hands and hair and, at last, of lips. Breathing in deeply he felt a heat on his brow as a light enveloped his body once again and the wound sealed such. "By your shoulder…" he breathed out quietly to himself as he took his stance and readied his blade. "Now! Come on!"

Cardin groaned in frustration. Here he was wanting to call it a day because he was tired when this nut job who had just lost his friend or maybe even lover was willing to go until he dropped. A more sane person, someone who was actually Jaune's friend, would have tried to talk him off this ledge. A friend I might not be, but if he keeps this up I'll actually have to start respecting him Cardinal thought. "Alright. But you asked for it!" he roared as he advanced with mace high at the ready. He brought it down as Jaune brought his shield to bear.

The steel rang out through the woods on the south end of Beacon's campus. "Those two have been at it since sun up. This can't be healthy." A young woman with long brown hair and even longer rabbit ears tucked low close to her head commented. She sat on the top of a hill overlooking the wooded training field, her elbows on her knees as she cradled her chin.

"I know, I know! 'It's how he's dealing with this pain. We shouldn't judge, Velvet.'" standing beside her was a tall, dark skinned man, with burnt orange hair and an even more fiery orange outfit although he never actually spoke a word and just looked at the girl who spoke for him in a forcibly deepened voice, "'and we shouldn't try to stop him.'" The stoic youth maintained his silent vigil but did nod slightly in agreeance with her assessment of his feelings. He wasn't going to make any move to stop the ensuing duel below.

"But he's not dealing with it." Velvet retorted sharply looking up at the man before sinking lower into herself and resting her chin directly on her knees, "I can't imagine what this must be like for him. I don't want to."

"Are those two still at it?" a smooth voice cut in from the back of the hill. Stepping up to the crest of the hill upon which the others lighted was a woman who embodied the term fashionista. Her hair had that perfect messy to bun ratio and no one could say her outfit didn't go together with it's dark caramels and chocolate tones. Hell even the sling in which her right arm rested was flawlessly fit to be part of the ensemble. The only part of her look that showed the signs of the battle were the bandages around her arm and cheek. That and her cracked sunglasses that still adorned her well kept face. "Sheesh, that's gotta hurt." Jaune was once again knocked to the ground, "He's really not getting any better."

"Coco." Velvett turned to her leader with pleading eyes but all she received was a sympathetic smile and a gentle hand placed atop her head, the thumb stroking the base of one of her ears. Velvet, reluctantly, gave up and returned to simply watching the two boys train. Coco, for her part, crouched behind her friend and began a puppet show with the faunus' ears, something she alone was allowed to do.

Jaune took the brunt of another blow from the large boy's mace but this time his foot caught as it should and he was able to counter, striking Cardinal across the face with a swift left jab of his shield, a move Coco cheered lightly. "Take that! That's what you get for bullying Velvet earlier this year! If she hadn't told us to lay off I woulda_" she stopped as steps behind her took away the attention of the sparring match. A white bloused woman was approaching, Glenda Goodwitch looked no worse for wear but her eyes were sunken and heavy with a great deal of lost sleep and of inner pain. The younger students didn't know but Team CFVY was well aware of the close ties Goodwitch and Ozpin had. It was palpable.

"Mr. Daichi," she directed to the large young man in green armor standing beside his team, "Would you please go tell those two to knock it off? Physically, if need be." The man nodded and begin skidding his way down the hillside.

"What's up Prof?" Coco inquired, keeping the veneer of normality with her laid back tone.

Goodwitch wasn't looking at her, or the fight, but instead at the tower in the distance, "It'll be time for the memorial before long, you all need to get ready." Coco fixed her cracked glasses and shifted her weight as she let Velvet's ears droop. Below Jaune was arguing with the large Yatsu while Cardin stepped back to rest on a stump and though the others on the hill couldn't hear what was being discussed they could see Jane's shoulders finally fall as he conceded. Satisfied that her message had been received the elegant blonde turned from the scene and headed back the winding path. She didn't hear Velvet comment in the damp morning air, "She's not dealing with it either."

The battle had been hard Fought. The Grimm were one problem but the Atlas units going berserk had caused widespread destruction and panic. It was a miracle that the school and city still stood. Now, a week later, fires still smoldered here and there but the last of the Grimm had been forced out save for the huge number of specimens gathered near the southern forest edge. Huntsmen were working overtime to ensure that the defenses held as they pushed the last vestiges of the assault from the city. The tower had been severely damaged by the conflict, rendering outside communication impossible.

However the city still held its own inner network and power grid and while they were unable to send any data the city still received word from outside. Like a shell shocked soldier the entirety of Vale could hear the world around them but could not speak to it.

This made the situation all the more frustrating for Qrow, seated in the living room of his family's home cradling a black cane with a silver handle on his lap as he watched the reports roll in. He couldn't help but think that the had world spun rapidly out of control in the exact way he felt the enemy had wanted. The news from most countries played as if the Atlesian military had orchestrated the attack, with broken images and half gathered testimonies that painted the picture of an assault in the middle of a celebration of peace. The other nations had begun to posture already, gathering their forces and making their borders more terse, Haven had gone so far as to expel the Atlesian Ambassador.

Of course the negative sentiment in the air lead to a sharp increase in Grimm activity the world over. "She got everything she wanted with one move, Oz, how the hell could we have missed all this?" Qrow voiced to the void as he grasp the cane in his hand tighter.

Down the hall a soft knock rippled through the door to one of the bedrooms followed by a soft voice flittered in the air, "Yang?" After a moment of no response Ruby opened the door to her Sister's bedroom, "Yang? Are you awake?"

Lying beneath a light blue cover, her long blonde hair sprawled about her was one Yang Xiao Long, still gazing with melancholy out the window beside her while stroking the bandages on her now missing right arm, "Yeah, Ruby, I'm awake." she replied, trying to keep her tone soft and gentle but the timber held an unmistakable brittleness. She was one of the strongest people Ruby knew but at this moment she seemed as fragile and cold as ice thin as paper. Chancing a look over at her sister Yang forced a smile, "You look nice, did Dad do your hair?"

Ruby was dressed in a more formal black blouse with slacks and a long jacket with silver clasps. Her hair was pulled back behind two red pins on one side showing more of her smooth face and the back rolled up and pinned in a small tail. "Oh, yeah, he did. He's gotten better at styling."

"He's had some practice this past week, it's hard for me to brush my hair myself right now, ya know?" Yang sang with a smile but Ruby saw through it.

"Yeah, he's been really great." she agreed before looking about the room in an awkward moment of silence. Spying the black dress and shawl she'd help pick out the day before still hanging on the closet door Ruby swallowed and got back to business, "Are you going to get ready? The funeral is starting soon, we need to get going."

"Ruby, I-." Yang stopped short and took a deep breath, "I don't think I'm going, I just… I don't feel up to it."

Ruby tightened her lips to force a shallow smile, "Oh? o-okay then. Yeah, sure, that's fine. I, uh, I understand."she assured to Yang who had returned her gaze to the misty window .

"I'm sorry, Rubes." Yang added, quietly.

"It's fine… really." Ruby rocked on her heels for a moment, "But, uh, are you really sure. 'cause we've got a -"

"I said I'm not going!" Yang snapped, making her little sister jump.

Ruby opened her mouth to apologise but closed it shortly after and slunk from the room closing the door gently behind her. Once on the other side she shrunk against the barrier, leaning against the door for support as her knees failed her and she dropped to squat against it, stifling a sob by covering her mouth and blinking furiously against the tears.

She had feared that response. One; because it showed how far Yang had fallen and two; because it meant she'd have to bury their friends alone. She thought back to how Yang had told her of Weiss and Blake. Now she felt the crushing solitude she'd felt then and it was all she could do to simply hold back the tears. From the end of the hall Tai watched with gritted teeth, knowing there was nothing he could do at that moment to help.

After a few moments Ruby huffed, stifled her tears, and stood wiping her face. She'd decided before going to see Yang that not attending the memorial wasn't an option. Pyrrha had been there for all of them on several occasions and she would not leave JNPR alone to bury their friend. Her eyes and face were still puffed and had been since she awoke a week before but her face wore a determined glare as she looked to her Father who smiled broadly and motioned for her to come along. Together with Qrow they would head for the hill below Beacon Tower. The Grimm were sporadic in that area still, however the Huntresses had pushed them back to the far side of campus. And even then with so many Hunters in attendance at the Memorial only the truly foolish Grimm would dare show itself. Ruby almost hoped there would be a few beowulf's on the way, she felt she could use the distraction.

The dew clung to the stalks of grass now slicked flat beneath the trampling of feet. A few hundred had gathered on this cloudy and chilly morning at the large obsidian obelisk on the western wing of Beacon's Courtyard. Monument to all who had died in service of Vale; Huntsman, Huntress, City Guard, it did not matter. All who fought were engraved upon this stone. The Obelisk had been but a mere 5 feet tall when it was first erected several decades before but since then had been raised to its current height of over 20 feet tall. The statue had grown steadily in the years.

Arrayed before the onyx stone was the remaining students of Beacon academy as well as a good number of professional alumni and friends of the school, those that could put their grieve and worry aside for a moment at least. For every face preset, however, there was another who was not. The mass of students made the right hand column, veterans flanking to the left as the classes arranged themselves in near military lines. Each student held a single flower in hand, though they were all of different colors.

Ruby looked over at her classmates, having opted to stand by her Father and Uncle instead of join the other students, checking with reluctance to see who was missing and ho was present. Team CRDL was there and looked tense. Behind them stood CFVY, no doubt the source of the latter's apprehension. Yatsuhashi, despite Velvet's appeals for restraint, had made sure the boys knew exactly what he thought of their behavior. IRON and ORNG stood beside them, though ORNG was missing one member and all the others seemed to be actively crying. Team SKIY was missing entirely, though being one of the most senior teams they may have been on patrol. There was no if and or buts about the two teams up front, however; the vanguard of the students was taken by the two remaining members of EMLD, a third year team who had taken to the breach in the fighting and had sacrificed two lives to save thousands.

And finally Ruby rested her gaze on the members of JNPR still standing and her heart nearly shattered. Jaune was still bruised and battered, Ren remained stoic but she could swear his shoulders sagged, and Nora wa sporting the first melancholy look Ruby had ever seen her have. Ruby became all too suddenly aware that she'd been holding her breath since she dared glance at the other line. Trying to slowly take in more air she was struck by how silent the courtyard was and how loudly that quiet blared in her mind. It was suffocating.

Klack, Klack, Klack. the sound of sharp heels echoing on pavement rang through the deafening silence. Glynda Goodwitch strode through the center of the two groups to a wooden podium placed at the center of the monument. She wore a rather stunning dress, full length and flowing with a neck and and shoulders far more feminine than Ruby had expected her to have. It was a shame such pretty shoulders were weighed so heavily with the mass of the kingdom. Taking a deep breath Goodwitch looked to those before her and began her speech.

"We are Huntsmen." she began, the strong and confident Glynda showing herself again, as though that weight would be nothing to her now, "We fight to protect; that is our way, and we each choose it for ourselves... We fight for honor; that is our way, and we revel in the memories we build... We fight for peace; that is our way, because when the hordes gather and raise their howls we raise back stronger calls of our own... We fight for one another; that is our way, because when we stand back to back and side by side no Grimm can stand against us! No evil can break us! And no malevolence can overtake us!... We fight for humanity; because we are Huntsmen."

The crowd joined her in the final line, a silly tradition to some but it always seemed meaningful at times like these. Taking a moment after her voice had risen to its peak she gave everyone in attendance a solemn glance and a hollow smile, "Ozpin would say, 'Time has a way of testing our bonds.' and times like these certainly have. But we have not been found wanting." The smile was empty but the pride in her eyes was real, she meant every word. "We take this moment to affirm those bonds, for while we die we do not die in vain. Vale still stands, the people still live," she steeled herself, "and we will remember those who gave their all to this world."

Placing her hand on the podium and pouring aura through it seams of silver light streamed down the channels in front of the podium and flowed to beneath the Monolith. A large Silver glyph formed beneath the stone base and slowly the Obsidian spire began to rise. Beneath the last line of names at the base a new line of engraved names and symbols began to form. As the stone rose all those attending placed their fist to their chest and bowed their head in respect. After several moments the sprie came to a stop and all eyes scanned the base.

More than a hundred names had been added. Scanning the rock Ruby's eyes caught on a spear piercing a shield and her heart sank at the name next to it; Pyrrha Nikos. She heard those behind her take in a sharp breath that resounded around the crowd. "Look! At the bottom!" came a stifled gasp from behind her.

Looking down the names and symbols, some of which she recognized, to a single name on a solitary row at the bottom Ruby startled as well; Headmaster - Ozpin. Eyes darted about. Everyone had heard the rumors, heard that Professor Ozpin had been missing, but this was probably the first confirmation for many of them.

Glynda cleared her throat, "Yes, it is true. Professor Ozpin also perished in the battle. This is a fate all Huntsmen and Huntresses risk and Ozpin was no exception." she took a deep breath to convince herself before speaking again, "I won't lie, this news hurts. But we are huntsmen, we must overcome because if we do not then all of Vale, all of the world, is doomed. We cannot allow that to happen. For the people we have behind us, and for those who gave their all before us." she leaned to the front of the podium, "Are you with me?" In unison the offered the same fist to chest salute they had given their departed brethren.

After the main memorial the crowd broke up into smaller groups that headed to the field of tombstones surrounding the monolith. A number of caskets dotted the landscape ready to be lowered into the ground. Goodwitch retained her posture, shoulders squared and chin high, perhaps having gained too much experience in these things but more likely simply maintaining the strength she and the older Hunters knew they all needed to have. Qrow and Taiyang gathered beside her with Professor's Port and Oobleck along with several other professionals and teachers so Ruby took the opportunity to join JNPR out in the cemetery.

Jaune wasn't particularly interested in the speech or the memorial service, or anything for that matter. The only thing he had been able to find to keep his mind off Pyrrha was getting stronger and now being forced to stand in line and remember all the pain had him restless. Not that he's been restful lately as the memories of Pyrrha kept him from having any peace, and that how he wanted it. He wanted to remember everything; her talent for combat and teaching, her kindness and innocence, he'd never be able to forget the way she'd yell "sorry" for even the smallest thing, and he knew it was better that way.

If Ren and Nora were doing any better it was only marginally so. Jaune had heard the two of them talking night after night, knew that Nora was quietly crying alot, something he'd never seen her do, and it was only Ren's semblance that allowed her to get any rest; a trick Ren had offered him but he had flatly, and perhaps rudely, denied. Team JNPR was damaged and being at the service and seeing the other teams of Huntsmen had only worsened that fact. He couldn't bring himself to look at the broken remains of team EMLD for fear that he'd actually feel thankful that they had lost two instead of him.

"Let's go, it's time." softly he broke the team off from the others and they headed into the cemetery to stand before a grave with a casket suspended over the whole by pulleys. The stone was inscribed with the circle and spear symbol and the name 'Pyrrha Nikos'. He heard small voices crying nearby and realized abruptly that there were children present as well, youths whose parents had gone to fight and not wouldn't come home. Parents grieved amongst the crowd as well, and the thought of how Pyrrha's family would soon be getting a most unwelcome message nearly knocked him off his feet. The only thing that kept him standing was his awareness of what had to be done next, and no small amount of fury and lust for revenge.

Jaune never considered himself a vengeful person until now, but with every thought of Pyrrha's smiling face he couldn't push the image of Cinder from his mind. His knuckles made a pop as he clenched his hands wanting to grasp that woman's throat and drain the lifer from her. "Jaune?" he heard Pyrrha's voice in his head, soft and sweet as it had always been, "Jaune?" his breath caught as the voice grew louder in his ears, "Jaune!"

Snapping back to the moment he looked to Nora who had her hand on his fist trying to pry it open, "Your hand!" she insisted. Turning his hand around he sw how white knuckled he'd become, his flower lay snapped in two on the ground.

"We should say our goodbyes, we'll have to leave in a few days." Ren reasoned as he bent and picked the flower up to hand the remaining bud back to Jaune. The blonde gave his friend a quizzical glance.

"What do you mean?" Jaune feigned ignorance as he plotted a private withdrawal.

Nora grabbed the base of his Jacket and tucked at it looking down, "Don't even think about it."

"You're not about to go after Cinder alone, the two of us are going with you." Ren assured.

"Three of us!" chimed in another high voice before Jaune could offer a rebuttal. Ruby had joined them at the grave side. "You're not alone in this. None of us are." she stepped up to him and took his other hand in hers, "That's what Professor Goodwitch meant by her speech, that we are all in this fight together. Ozpin, Pyrrha, Penny they all believed in this fight. We have to see it to the end."

Jaune stifled his objection, as he had no ground to stand on, and instead nodded gratefully, "Thanks guys." he stepped up to the casket. "I'm sorry, Pyrrha. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I-I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner." He placed the remains of his flower on the top of the pine coffin "I just… I'm so sorry." tears were shed all around a the other three placed their flowers. Nora had trouble letting go of hers, she had trouble letting go of such a close friend. Ren hummed a song his parents had taught him. Ruby was preparing to turn the winch after the others had said their goodbyes when she noticed more approaching.

Team CFVY came by with Velvet leading the group as she had been closer to the first years than her comrades. Next came a surprise in the form of team CRDL, a group none expected to stop by to pay their respects, Dove gave Cardin a shove forward to be the first to place a flower. Several professors and others gathered as well. By the end there was a mountain of flowers covering Pyrrha's coffin, spilling over the sides. As Ruby cranked the winch to lower Pyrrha into the ground not a dry eye remained yet smiles could be seen from her closest friends at the number of lives she had touched.

The others would leave slowly, many with a kind word to the remainders of JNPR, until at last even Ren and Nora left to visit the mourners for Ozpin by the Obelisk leaving Ruby and Jaune at Pyrrha's side. An uncomfortable silence rose up between them.

"S-so uh"

"Rub-" both tried to break the silence at the same time. they chuckled a legitimate laugh for the first time in a long time and Ruby motioned for Jaune to go ahead. "Ruby, thanks for coming."

"Ah, it's no big. It's what we do, you know!"

"Yeah." He paused at looked to the grave, "She kissed me. Right before she went off to fight. If I'd gone with her maybe..."

Ruby was shocked at the admission of their kiss. She'd known Pyrrha's feelings, of course they all had, yet she never would have guessed she'd have acted on them. What exactly am I supposed to say to that? she was brought out of her musings as he began to blame himself,"Jaune, you can't-"

"How much pain did I put her through? Just prancing about pining after Weiss while she; she only ever wanted to help others, and when she needed me the most I wasn't there!" he slammed his fist against his leg.

Ruby wanted to tell him no, but truth be told she felt the same way. How many times had she thought, If I'd only been faster, why wasn't I fast enough?! But she knew that it would eat him away as it had her. Mustering her voice she squeaked, "Jaune, I-"

"Ms. Rose. Mr. Arc."

"Professor Goodwitch?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt. Would the two of you accompany me for a while?" she asked with a sharp look, "Please."