A/N: Hello, its been a while. I don't exactly know how many people like stories like this, but as stated before it is based off of a dream and theories of one of my friends. When I realized what the next fewchapters entailed I swapped the rating from T to M.

TRIGGER WARNING

If you get easily disturbed by addiction, depression, suicidal thought or actions, etc. caution is advised. This isn't called a tragedy for nothing.

Sickness in Silence

Ozpin was true to his word. Two days later JNP got a commendation from Ozpin himself for taking on a mission that was above the combat level. Every person on teams JNPR and RWBY got metals. The ceremony was shorter than was expected. Nora was still in the hospital, though she looked like she was doing better than before. Jaune being the leader of team JNPR accepted the reward meant for Nora since she couldn't attend.

Jaune did not look good either. When he accepted his reward he paled. He didn't feel like what happened was reward worthy. Was their honor in running? Was their honor in his friends dying? Jaune took the reward only because it was what was expected of him. Jaune knew that the ceremony was being shown throughout Vale.

"-Jaune Arc, for keeping calm in the face of danger and thinking of his team before all else. Without his leadership we would have surely lost more hunters and huntresses in training than we had."

There was a round of applause when Jaune walked up. He was not dressed up, nor was his hair combed. He knew he was required to do this. He knew what it meant for normal people. This was his silent protest to the ceremony while his mind was completely in revolt.

Jaune looked over at team RWBY, well what was left of it. Yang wasn't here either, so it was just Blake and Weiss. Ozpin managed to get through all of the rewards. Ozpin showed no emotion. He gave the rewards out, shook each hand, and continued to the next person. Finally it was over. Now Jaune could go back to the hospital and check up on Nora.

"And Finally!" Ozpin kept going, "We shall not forget those who fell in this endeavor. To dare to face the terror of the grimm and gave the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep Vale and its citizens safe! Ruby Rose and Lie Ren by order of Councilwoman Merigold are awarded a posthumous hunter license. We will remember them for their sacrifice."

Jaune understood. They deserved to be remembered, but it hurt. When two portraits were put out on stands, and the awards were set next to them Jaune couldn't stand to look over. He knew he would see his two friends faces looking back at him. Both faces of those who he failed to get out of the tunnel in time.

"That concludes the rewards ceremony. There will be a reception afterwards with drinks and food for all that have attended." With that Ozpin stepped off of the stage. The portraits of Ruby and Ren stayed up on stage. Music started playing while people mulled around talking, eating and drinking.

Jaune made his way towards the exit, which of course had to be on the other side of the large-roomed building the council approved for the ceremony. Jaune almost got out when a hand grabbed his arm. He turned around to see the headmaster himself, still sporting his coffee and cane. Jaune failed to hide his scowl.

"The hunters I sent found the collapsed tunnel. They just reported back via scroll not two minutes ago. I'm sorry to say there were no bodies to recover"

Jaune scowled again, but nodded, turning back to walk away.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Ozpin asked behind him. He should have just walked away, but he couldn't. He still was hurting, and that hurt needed an outlet.

"I hate you because of what you've done. Don't you get it!? I know the council ordered the mission, but you could have said no! I know that you sit up in your tower and play with peoples lives like they mean nothing! You can't even shed a tear for the loss of your own students!"

Jaune knew he should stop. His anger controlled him, pushed along by pent up feeling of inadequacy and grief. It was too much. Ozpin just stared at him with glossed over eyes. He wasn't listening. It only fueled Jaune more.

"We are suffering because of what happened, yet you look at it like simple losses! Pyrrha cried and barely leaves Nora's side! Yang hasn't even came back to the dorm in two days! Heck, Nora still hasn't come out of her coma, and the group of friends that I had have been shattered. Face it Ozpin, you caused their deaths!"

Ozpin was quiet after Jaune stopped yelling. They had a crowd. The building which was loud before was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. All eyes were on the two.

"Young man, I don't know what you think you know, but I have felt this loss. I feel loss for all those that have come through my school only to meet a tragic end. It is unfortunate, but I represent all of Beacon. I have to stay strong, or all of Beacon would fall."

Jaune could believe it, but what Ozpin said did not matter. He was an object of aggression, nothing more. Ozpin did not deserve sympathy. He had screwed up, and that screw up cost his friends their lives.

Ozpin sighed, knowing that he couldn't get through to Jaune. Grief is hardly the best time to do so.

"OZPIN! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BABY GIRL!" Both doors to the building broke open, the crowd that was around Jaune and Ozpin scattering and screaming as they tried to escape. Tai Yang stormed in, his eyes promising pain and his fists steaming.

Jaune looked at Ozpin. "It seems justice has come for you. Goodbye headmaster" Jaune moved out of the way at Tai Yang slammed into Ozpin. Jaune walked out the opening where the doors used to be. Jaune was glad he called Tai Yang. He was lucky that Blake knew how to get in contact with Ruby's father. Ozpin was unlucky that he had held off on telling Tai simply because he didn't know if the man could handle more grief.

-0-

Yang couldn't calm down. She was angry, no angry did not give it justice. Pissed? Better but with not enough rage to convey her feelings.

Yang had been out in the forest behind Beacon killing every grimm she could get her hands on. She had slaughtered. No matter how much she killed though, she could never get the anger out of her head. Everything hurt, inside and out.

Ruby was gone!? No! Not possible! Blake betrayed her!?Her team just sat in the dorm doing nothing!? She couldn't stand any of it. All the thoughts in her head coalesced into her beating down any grimm that she found or that found her. She even shot at a bird that had been following her around. She swore she hit it, even if she found no trace of it afterwards.

There was only one time where Yang felt calm, and it was more of a 'force yourself to be calm' than actually being calm. Yang had been taking nightly visits to Nora, watching over her for some time while she slept before going back into the forest.

The first night Yang slept in the forest the grimm had tried to take advantage of her sleep to kill her. That didn't end well for them. The teachers say that grimm are mindless, but after that first night, the grimm seemed to leave her alone while she slept, what little she did anyway.

Here she was. Another night walking into Beacon to visit Nora. She didn't see anyone on the way in. It made sense, not many people would be here at this hour. She opened the room to see Nora still sleeping on the bed. She had less tubes in her than before, that was good. It showed that Nora was improving, even just a little.

"We miss you, you know" a voice said from behind the open door. Pyrrha sat in the chair in the corner of the room the open door blocked. "You didn't even show up to the ceremony today"

Yang could hear how tired she was from her voice. Not just because it was late. "What's the point in going? Nothing they say will bring them back. Her back…. I just don't want to deal with it"

"Politics and feelings never mix. I understand that" Pyrrha said.

Yang shut the door behind her and watched Nora for a bit. They just sat there. Neither looked at the other. Finally after half an hour Yang got up intent on going back to the forest.

"You should see them" Pyrrha said before Yang could shut the door, making Yang stop in her tracks. "Your team is broken, so is mine. I can't understand the loss you must feel, but I lost a friend too. Your team has lost one member, don't let them loose another"

Yang shut the door. What did she know? Ruby was everything to Yang. When her father broke down after Raven left it was up to her to raise Ruby. When Ruby was lost she didn't just feel sad or loose a friend. She had lost two things, a sister and a daughter. She didn't know how to deal with this, what the proper response was.

Nothing could cheer her up. She blamed everyone, but most of all she blamed herself.

Yang walked down the hallway, heading out of Beacon. Going around a corner she crashed into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry" The green haired girl said. She had darker skin that contrasted her white shorts with two pistols on her backside. "I'm Emerald. Wait, I know you, yea, you're Yang right? Yang Xio-Long?"

Yang looked around annoyed. "Yes I am, now let me through, I not in the best mood right now" Yang tried to move to the side, but Emerald got in the way. "I'm sorry about your sister. I didn't see you at the ceremony today"

That touched a nerve. Yang had to hold herself back. This girl doesn't know what she's talking about. Its fine. No need to go off. You can get rid of your anger when you get back to the forest.

"Ozpin made a bad call" Emerald said. "I can't believe he got your sister killed. Pretty terrible of him"

Stay calm Xio-Long. Stay calm.

"Was her death painful? Did she die tragically?"

Yang was shaking. Don't do it. Don't kill.

"Ozpin didn't even look sad. How does it feel Yang? To have her blood on your hands?"

Yang's eyes that were a slight red now turned bright again as she punched Emerald between the eyes, causing the girl to fly down the darkened hallway. Yang had had enough, Emerald had pushed her too far. She wanted to go beat the crap out of Emerald. To show her that that kind of talk was not going to fly. Instead she ran down the other hall, and out into the forest.

Ozpin didn't look sad? Was her sister just an acceptable loss? She needed to let off some steam.

She wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

-0-

Emerald watched from the side of the hallway as Yang went from simmering to boiling before punching straight ahead and running off outside. "So, what do you think?"

"An excellent performance. I think you really made a new friend" Cinder's voice sang from behind her.

"Thank you mame. What about the girl?"

"She has….potential. Lets see if she can handle herself" Cinder walked up beside Emerald a grin forming on her face. "Until then we are students, its late, and I'm oh so tired. Come along Emerald, we must not be late for our morning classes"

Emerald took one look back where Yang had just left. Cinder must have a plan for her. She always did. Once Cinder had found out about the mission that had taken the lives of one Ruby Rose and Lie Ren, Cinder had been making a plan incorporating Yang.

They got back to their dorm room. Emerald was still standing when Mercury came into the dorm.

"And where have you been? Hitting on some poor poor teenager?"

"Maybe I did, but unlike a certain someone, I can multitask. Cinder, he's here"

"Good job Mercury" Cinder sat down on her bed and threw back her hair. "He can come in now"

Mercury opened the door and a boy came in. Emerald recognized him easily since it has only been a couple of hours since she saw him last. He still wore his combat gear. His sword still at his hip and his blond hair messy.

"Hello, my name is Jaune. I was told you wanted to meet with me?" Jaune stuck out his hand in greeting.

"Hello Jaune, I'm Cinder" Cinder said making no move to get closer, shake hands or the like. "I have a proposition for you concerning the headmaster that we both know you love" The second part was so laced with spite and sarcasm that Emerald thought she might choke. Emerald looked at Jaune, who had drawn back his hand, and now had both of them clenched, steel in his eyes.

"I'm listening" he said

Cinder smiled.

-0-

Pyrrha was not the best when it came to talks it seemed. She tried. She knew she wasn't that inspirational, but she knew people looked up to her. She hated that she had to hide behind the persona of being a champion. She was pushed into place on top of a pedestal and never meant to be moved. That is what she chose Beacon over Haven. She wanted to leave it all behind her.

When she got friends she vowed to protect them. She knew there would be trouble, knew that some days would be better than others, but this? This was the last thing she wanted. Her friends were broken. Jaune, who was normally goofy to a fault now walked around with a perpetual snarl on his face. His eyes had changed from one of love to one of revenge, and that made her worry the most.

When she broke down and cried, Jaune tried to comfort her, but it wasn't the same as before. It was the same touch, it might have even been the same words, but it felt wrong. It was an experience that made her know that things had changed, and that made her cry even more. The invincible girl, the untouchable goddess of victory had broken. Not because of some match, but because of her feelings.

Now she sat and watched Nora. She was always so hyper, always so kind. Pyrrha wondered how this would change her. The doctor said that she was addicted to something that they had to rid from her body, but they also said it was connected to her aura. Pyrrha didn't exactly know what that meant, but the doctor seemed to be stumped as well.

She was lost in thought when something brought her attention back to the real world. A sound of rustling. She looked up and heard a moan. Nora was awake! And moving!

"Uh, everything hurts" Nora said in a moan.

Pyrrha had tears in her eyes. She quickly moved over to be next to Nora. Pyrrha grabbed her hand, giving it a little squeeze. She knew she had tears in her eyes. For the first time since the tunnels, tears of joy. "Welcome Back"

Maybe things weren't as bad as she thought

-0-

Ozpin was not having a good night. Tai had gone all out on him, causing a scene and making the already tedious relationship with the Vale council even worse. Like always they demanded immediate answers, but denied all interference. He himself was obviously the cause of all their problems. Seriously if they could implicate him for puberty and cancer Ozpin was sure it would be in the tabloids ASAP.

Merigold was the best one of them, but even she had breaking points, blaiming Ozpin for escalating the fighting when Tai attacked by fighting back when she knew that Ozpin could have subdued him. He could have, but that would hardly have settled the issue, and Tai would have been even more furious.

Either way he still had paperwork to finish, so he made his way back to his desk. He was tired when he pulled up the information from his computer. There was also the communication sent from the team to investigate Mountain Glenn and find Miss Rose and Mister Ren.

He quickly pulled it up so the communication would stop saying it was new information. The last thing he wanted was more work. He was about to close it when something caught his eye. The team had sent pictures back of what they found. Several fire dust rods Beacon had supplied the team lay at the bottom of a pit. Next to them was two puddles of blood and torn cloth.

It looked like a gruesome end, much to the reports findings. Something didn't seem right though. The way the blood was on the ground perhaps? Maybe it was the exact placement of the cloth pieces? He didn't know. He was too tired. Being as old as he was and with as late as he is up, it is a miracle he isn't asleep at his desk by now.

If on cue he felt his head get heavy and fall on his keyboard in the middle of typing a report. He was just able to turn his head before his eyes closed. He looked back at the image that in his head did not look right.

His entire being told him something was wrong

-0-

And that is it. More problems. Cinder has gotten involved! Everyone brace for cover!

Yang may have more problems, but Nora is awake! Now how will she be?

Also every college student understands Ozpin's struggle in trying to stay up writing a report. Been there, done that.