Chapter 1

So I've read a few of the SOTC fics and some of those were really awesome. And that made me think, somebody has to do a fic where they play the game! But nobody did...which made me sad. So I figured I might as well take up this honor and give it a try. But what character did I know that would wanna do this. I just so happened to be watching RWBY at the time and I realised, why not Blake!

Beacon's resident bookworm loves a good story and the plot behind this game is phenomenal so, yeah let's do it!

Obviously Blake isn't a gamer so that's why I will be doing my best to convert the game to Novel form. I've gotten a good enough idea and I think I know where to take this. It won't follow canon however so I guess this is an AU but if I have to put a time period on this, I'd say about the beginning of Volume 2.

Alright enough talk, let's get down to it!

Disclaimer:RWBY is owned and created by Rooster Teeth and Shadow of the Colossus is owned and made by Sony and Team ICO.

'Normal Speech'

'Thoughts'

'Reading'

X.x.X.x.X.x

Blake couldn't sleep. Plain and simple. She just couldn't bring herself to shut her eyes and let her mind sink in on itself to recharge and relax. It wasn't that she was suffering from insomnia but she was just too troubled to sleep.

With the back of her head rested on her pillow, Blake could only stare straight up to the bed, miraculously held up between the legs by small stacks of books, the sound of Yang's loud snoring coming from on top of the mattress. She could hear Ruby's soft snores coming from her right as the young girl seemed to have picked up her own habit of sawing logs. Weiss lay still and quiet on the lower bunk, sleeping peacefully like the princess she was raised to be. Although slightly distracting, the girls loud sleeping habits weren't what was bothering her-in fact it was actually a good background noise-she was just...having one of her nights again.

She promised herself that when she came to Beacon, she was changing herself, that she would do her best to make up for all the wrong she'd done in her past. She wanted to forget everything that she'd ever done but she learned too soon that it wasn't possible. She'd never be able to rid herself of all the guilt, no matter what she did she'd always remember the horrible crimes she committed, all the people she hurt...she wished she could undo so much. Just thinking about it caused a dull and painful ache to pound in her heart. But, that was the point of coming here, to start over! To make a better life for herself and further her goals of equality amongst humans and Faunus. She just...she just wanted a second chance. Was that so wrong? So why was it so hard for her to just move on, she wanted this more than anything, so why did she feel so...empty? She already knew the answer.

'Adam.'She thought morosely.

Her best friend and mentor. The one who taught her everything she knew about combat and stealth, The one she walked that dark road with. He was everything she strived to be at the time. Determined, fearless, and willing to fight for what he believed in. She looked up to him, wanted to be like him in every way possible. He was a great man, somebody she'll never forget, but the Adam she knew was gone.

Like the cause of the White Fang, at first he was peaceful and patient, wanted nothing but to coexist and live peacefully with humans. But overtime, when the peace and negotiating wasn't working, he started to get impatient. And that impatience eventually led to anger. He was quickly becoming fed up with being ignored and pushed around without getting anywhere. He didn't smile as much anymore and his face was set more in a permanent frown or scowl. He looked like he was ready to snap on anyone and anything and she was actually afraid to approach him on some instances.

Then the new leader took over and that's when things really changed. They demanded that they start using new tactics, more aggressive means as to get the people's attention and make their voices heard. If a soft voice and a gentle hand wouldn't get their attention, then maybe a loud voice and a threatening hold would. She was reluctant to do this, but Adam...he was more than willing and eager to start. That should of been a warning sign for her, but she just blindly followed him into this new way of life, and she paid for it.

What were once peaceful sit-ins and protests became violent riots and destructive acts of vandalism. It was no longer about getting respect through peace, but through fear instead. What was worse however, was that it was working. Slowly but surely, Faunus were getting the privileges and treatment they wanted, but at the cost of people being afraid of them.

This wasn't what she wanted, not for the Faunus, not for herself, and especially not for Adam.

The bed groaned as she turned onto her side, her fingers digging into the pillow in a white knuckled grip.

Adam. His anger and resentment towards humans only seemed to flourish under the new leader's could see just how much he enjoyed venting his deep seeded hatred in a way he thoughts was actually helping his people. In his mind, he was a hero, but Blake could see what he was really becoming;he was turning into a monster. Wanting to do more and more harm to humans for no real reason at all. He looked for any reason he could to retaliate against them. Blake felt guilty for this too. She saw and recognized that he was spiraling downward and yet...she didn't do anything. She didn't try to stop him or calm him down, she just let him completely envelop himself in his new world. Maybe if she had said or done something...he wouldn't be…

"Oh Adam,"She cried into her pillow.

She felt her guilt constrict her torso and her eyes started to sting. How could she not have done anything? Why did she have to ignore the issue?

Why did she run?

She was a nothing but a coward. That's why she always ran.

Biting her lip to keep from it trembling Blake turned her face into the pillow and silently sobbed.

"Move up to the next car. I'll set the charges."

"What about the crew members?"

"What about them?"

Her breath hitched. It's not fair...it's just not fair...why can't she just have her friend back? Whatever that THING was, it wasn't Adam. At least not anymore. She felt a slow burn of anger start to build inside her chest. It was all those ignorant human's fault! They took him from her...no that's not right. She took a few a moment to compose herself and felt the fire inside flicker and slowly die.

Blake wasn't racist, but it was hard not to give into those feelings sometimes. A life of dealing with hatred and prejudice gave you a lot of tolerance for it, but emotions can flare from time to time and that could lead to thoughts she didn't mean. She just had to remember, she has a team, a human team, who were like a second family to her. And they were nothing like what the White Fang would have others think. They didn't deserve that hatred. Not even Weiss who was actually trying to be more lenient in her opinion. Plus it'd be hypocritical of somebody who was fighting for equality to be racist. After a few minutes of letting her inner turmoil out she lifted her face from her pillow and wiped her eyes of the leftover tears.

She cast a look around the room and sighed when she saw that the clock on top of her dresser read 3:20. She should really try to get some sleep. Flipping her pillow over to the dry side she laid her head back down and was embraced by the cool pressure of the other side of the pillow. The cold embrace helping to lull her mind into submission.

'Adam, i'm sorry I didn't save you,'She thought drowsily while resisting how heavy her eyes felt.'But I can't let you continue with all this madness. So I promise, I WILL stop you. No matter what.' With those final thoughts her eyes closed and with no fight left in her, she was finally able to sleep.

Morning

The morning came all too soon in Blake's opinion. But that could be because she stayed up for most of the night. It's a good thing that today was Sunday and she didn't have to get up for classes. If she did, she'd probably be so tired and grumpy that she'd have to deal with Yang making angry cat puns at her expense. And on no occasion was she in the mood to deal with those. So with her face mostly covered by her sheets, she continued to lay in her bed with her eyes sealed tight in an attempt to get some extra rest.

"Yang Xiao Long, get out of the bathroom this instant!"

Her brow twitched as she realized that it might be a little more challenging than she thought.

"Sorry Weiss, can't hear you over the sound of my hairdryer!"

With a grit of her teeth she came to the understanding that it was just downright impossible. She lifted her head to glare at the source of the disturbance and saw Weiss standing in her nightgown in front of the bathroom door with a more than perturbed look on her face. Apparently Weiss wasn't fast enough to get to the bathroom before Yang, who was notorious for occupying the bathroom the longest out of all of them. It was an unspoken rule in team RWBY that if you want to use the bathroom at all in the morning, you had, absolutely HAD to get in the bathroom before Yang. Unfortunately for Weiss, she did not.

"You've been in there for almost two hours now! Other people have to use the bathroom too!"Weiss ranted.

"Ya snooze ya lose Weiss!"Yang teased.

Weiss growled in barely restrained anger at her obnoxious teammate and rounded on the leader of the team. Ruby, who was just sitting and watching the spectacle unfold, jumped to have her partner's cold blue eyes suddenly turn to her.

"Ruby, get her out of there!"Weiss commanded.

"Why do I have to do it?"She whined from her place on the top bunk.

"Because she's your sister and you're team leader! Now do your job and get your sister out of the bathroom!"

"But-"

"Do it!"

With a dramatic sigh, the girl dropped down from her bed and trudged over to the door. And not for the first time, Blake had to wonder who was the real leader of this team. When Ruby stood in front of the door she raised a fist and knocked loudly."Yang, you need to get out of the bathroom!"She called.

"Don't wanna~"She sang back.

Turning to Weiss the youngest member shrugged.

"I tried."

Weiss visibly seethed in fury at this.

Blake rolled her eyes at the display and sat up in her bed. Ruby, seeing Blake rise, smiled and waved.

"Morning Blake, sleep okay?"

"I guess,"She lied while wiping her eyes.

"You guess?"Weiss said with a raised brow,"You should have. It's nearly ten o'clock. You slept in."

Blake's eyes widened a little at this. A glance at the clock confirmed that it was 9:51 AM. She had gotten about seven hours of sleep, and it only felt like two minutes, please don't let this be a precursor to how the day is gonna be.

"Yang get out!"Weiss roared.

"Why don't you make me snow queen!"

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard what I said!"

"Don't make me bust this door down!"

"Believe me Weiss, I would LOVE to see you try."

"..."Blake could only stare with a tired expression as her teammates continued to argue from both sides of the bathroom and Ruby tried her best to calm down the two girls.

"Oh yeah,"She thought in dismay,"It's gonna be one of those days."

Beacon Hallways

It was about another hour before they actually left the room. Yang had gotten out of the bathroom about twenty minutes later and miraculously they had gotten Weiss to not murder her as soon as she stepped out. Though that did not stop the minute long earful that Yang received from the heiress. She just bore all of this with a smile on her face that said she held no regrets for her actions. And Blake believed she didn't. After everyone else's brief bathroom time, they left and made their way to the cafeteria to grab whatever they could for breakfast. All the while Weiss glaring daggers into Yang's' head. The blonde girl would often turn around and smile with a teasing wink, and that only seemed to sharpen Weiss's glares even more. Blake could only sigh at the behavior.

After her shower she had woken up a little more and did her best to make it look like she hadn't cried herself to sleep the previous night. She did her best to hide it from her teammates, and it looked like nobody noticed, but she knew her team enough to realize that if they wanted to call her out on it, then that means that they would do it on their own time. Luckily that means no where in public.

She walked in the back of the group, mindlessly keeping pace with the three girls in front of her as they talked among each other, and she was left alone with her thoughts. But unfortunately all she could think about was last night.

"I promise, I will stop you."

Her own words echoed in her head as she remembered her solemn vow.

She felt her mood start to drop as her eyes lowered to the ground and she could only stare at her team's shoes as they continued their fast pace. In all her life Blake had done some horrible things. Some she doesn't ever want to think about anymore, but she hasn't ever crossed that line. She's fought in countless battles against Grimm, robots, man and faunus alike, but she never actually killed anyone before. She felt herself shudder at the thought of it. She had done her absolute best to avoid taking that step into the abyss. For that, truly, can never be undone. But Adam…

He done it more times than she cared to know, and she just turned her head. If she was gonna face him someday, then she needed to cross that line. She needed to fall into the abyss. He was too far gone, the old Adam was dead and buried, he would never change himself. He'd never take to being arrested and held captive, he would go down fighting to the last breath. Even though he changed, he was still stubborn.

It was her fault that he was like this now, she wasn't a good friend and wasn't there for him so nobody was there to stop him from being consumed in his own emotions. She had to make up for that, she had to make things right again. And there was only one way to do this...she had to kill Adam.

The old Adam would be sickened and appalled at what he had become, he'd probably be begging Blake to end him. But could she really do it? Could she really look her old friend in the eye and take his life? Would she be ready, or even able to stand against him? Her fists clenched at her sides and her eyes narrowed. She seethed at her weakness, self-hatred polluted her heart and a heavy feeling dropped into her stomach. How would she be able to raise a hand against her once close friend? She'd probably be too afraid, she'd probably run. Like she always did.

"Blake!"

She started and looked up.

Three pairs of eyes were staring at her cautiously.

"You okay there partner?"Yang asked."You looked like somebody slapped you in the face and ran away laughing."

Seeing that her team was worried about her she quickly schooled her feature and relaxed her tense muscles.

"Yeah i'm okay,"She lied again,"I'm just still tired, I...had a rough night is all."

"Are you sure?"Ruby asked with a crinkled brow.

"Yeah, it's nothing."She assured.

They regarded her a little longer, Weiss being the most scrutinous, before seeming to accept the excuse.

"Well that's a relief,"Yang chuckled,"It's dangerous to be around a grumpy cat ya know. But i'm glad everything's alright MEOW! Get it, eh eh~"

All of them groaned, but none louder than Blake.

"Yang, you make me embarrassed to say we're sisters sometimes."Ruby lamented with a hand over her face.

"Aww I love you too sis!"Yang cooed with glomping her sister in a tight hug.

"Yang! Choking! Not breathing!"She croaked.

Weiss shook her head in disappointment,"I feel bad for you sometimes Ruby. I really do."

Dropping her sister, who immediately gulped in entire lungfuls of air, Yang turned to the young Schnee and smiled mischievously.

"And I love you too Weiss!"She said while opening her arms for a big squeeze.

"N-no, stand back!"Weiss stuttered while backing away.

"Don't fight it Weiss, you know you want it,"

"That sounded wrong!"

"I know~"

"No!"

Ruby and Blake were then treated to the sight of a Yang chasing Weiss around the hallway with her arms open and inviting for a big bear hug, but Weiss demonstrated her nimble and quick abilities as she did her best to avoid the loving wrath of the boisterous blonde and her crushing arms.

"Get away from me!"

"Just one hug!"

"Don't you dare touch me!"

"I just wanna be loved!"

"Who do you think is gonna give in first?"Ruby whispered as she leaned over to Blake.

"Honestly?"Blake said while crossing her arms,"It could go either way. Yang really wants that hug. But Weiss won't go down easily."

"You can do it Weiss!"Ruby cheered for her partner,"Just keep running, don't give up!"

"Don't just stand there you dunce help me!"Weiss cried.

"I already got my hug today sorry, but you can make it, I have faith in you!"She smiled with a thumbs up.

"Ruby!"Weiss screamed in dismay.

Blake looked on the strange display of her teammates just being themselves and felt all her previous negativity evaporate and be filled with a light feeling of cheer and happiness. A genuine smile appeared on her face and she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. This is what she was fighting for, what she was protecting. Her team shouldn't have to suffer for her mistakes. And with that resolve, she used her determination to harden her heart and made her mission all the clearer. She would stop Adam, for her team, for herself, and for Adam's memory.

"Yang, this is my final warning!"Weiss threatened as she laid a hand on her dust rapier.

"I will get that hug Weiss, even if I have to fight you for it!"Yang grinned as she lifted her fists into a loose boxing stance.

"I would kindly ask you all, if you wish to settle a dispute, to take it out in combat class and not my clean hallways."

They were interrupted in their petty squabble by the distinguished and refined voice of the headmaster of Beacon itself, Ozpin.

The older gentleman stood before the all girls team, one hand on his cane, the other holding a mug of fresh coffee, clad in his pristine black suit and green undershirt. His neck garbed in a forest green scarf and his light green eyes partially obscured by a pair of dark circular glasses. Though they did little to hide the raised eyebrow and slightly disapproving look he was giving them.

Weiss scrambled back and straightened her spine stiffly. She looked nervous and a little guilty at the prospect of being scolded by the headmaster himself. While Yang simply put down her fists and looked completely calm about the situation.

"I trust that everything is okay here,"Ozpin said with a glance to all of them.

"Yeah everything's fine,"Yang smiled with a dismissive wave,"We're just messing around."

"I see,"Ozpin said before smiling slightly,"While I don't necessarily mind my students having their own fun, I ask that you don't do it in the halls. Besides, there isn't much fun to be had in these boring halls anyway."

"Don't worry sir,"Weiss assured,"It won't happen again."

"Yep,"Yang agreed,"Especially if Weiss just lets me get my hugs from now on."

Weiss shot the blonde an irritated glance.

"Is that what this is all about?"Ozpin asked.

"Uh-"

"Yep, she wouldn't let me have a hug, not even a little one."

"Is this true?"He asked while turning his gaze to Weiss.

"It sure is!"Ruby exclaimed.

"Ruby stay out of this!"Weiss growled.

"Well miss Schnee?"Ozpin inquired with a raised brow.

"Um...well...maybe a little."She said unsurely.

"Hm,"He said before taking a quick sip of his coffee.

"Miss Schnee,"He addressed,"I encourage my students to become close to their teams, almost like siblings. And for you to actively resist attempts to do so i'm afraid simply won't do,".

"But-"Weiss squeaked weakly.

"I think this can be rectified rather quickly if you oblige miss Xiao Long in allowing her just one hug."

Weiss could only stare at the headmaster in disbelief. She glanced to her side and saw Yang giving her a smile that looked like it was better suited for a gremlin.

She turned back to Ozpin, dread building in her stomach.

"Y-you're serious?"She stuttered.

"Most serious in fact,"He said, though the smile he held suggested otherwise,"Now, please hurry miss Schnee, we don't have all day."

Weiss glanced between Oz and Yang frequently as if mentally battling herself for how she should respond. But it seemed the part too afraid to refuse an order from the headmaster won out and with a heavy sigh turned to the smug face of Yang.

Opening her arms widely, Yang gestured for Weiss to step forward.

Weiss winced, as if doing the the action would physically harm her. She cast a look to her other teammates hoping for some help. But Ruby only smiled and gave another thumbs up while Blake was content to smile and look on in expectancy.

Internally grumbling, Weiss stepped into the young kick boxer's arms and instantly felt the constricting feeling of Yang's powerful hold around her abdomen and her feet leaving the floor.

"Ohhhh yeah, there it is, ya feelin the Love Weiss?"Yang beamed.

"I'm feeling my lungs collapse."Weiss grunted in pain.

This continued for a few more seconds before Ozpin chimed in,"That's enough miss Xiao Long."

And suddenly Weiss was dropped to the ground taking in generous amounts of air.

"There, that wasn't so bad was it?"Yang said with her teasing smile.

A cold death glare was what she received for her troubles.

A glare that was also shared with Ruby when she started to giggle uncontrollably at the poor girl's expense.

"Alright now,"Ozpin said with a good natured laugh,"Let's all calm down. How are you girls?"

"Good!"Ruby chirped.

"Great!"Yang beamed.

"Besides a little ruffled, I am doing well."Weiss grumbled while dusting herself off.

"Alright."Blake said.

Ozpin nodded.

"That's good to hear. I was just taking a walk around the campus for a bit of exercise, too much paperwork can be hazardous for one's health after all,"The headmaster joked.

"I believe it,"Yang said,"We have Oobleck as a professor remember?"

"Oh come now,"Weiss admonished,"It isn't that bad."

"It really is Weiss. He assigns an essay every other class."Yang deadpanned.

"It could be worse,"She replied.

"No it couldn't."Ruby stated.

"Quiet you!"Weiss rounded on Ruby with a miffed expression on her face.

"What did I do?!"She asked incredulously while holding her hands up placatingly.

"Don't you even start!"Weiss exclaimed,"You have been a horrible partner as of late! You haven't been helping me at all!"

"B-but,"She started,"I can't choose sides, i'm the team leader, i'm supposed to be neutral!"

"Oh really? Then how come you cheered for me to escape but didn't help me when I had to submit myself to your sister's bone crushing bear hugs?"

"Don't act like you didn't like it,"Yang teased.

"And you! I have just about had it with you today! First it was you with the bathroom and now you nearly break my ribs with your unbearable strength!"

"And it's still early,"Yang said with a bright grin.

Ozpin looked on in bemusement as the three girls dissolved into another argument amongst each other. He could tell that they held no real anger or malice, and it was rather amusing to hear them argue amongst themselves for such a trivial manner.

He turned his eyes to the final member of team RWBY and he frowned when he noticed that she had lowered her head down and her eyes seemed to be vacant as if she was a thousand miles away. Ozpin recognized that look. Having worked with huntsman and being one himself a long time ago, he learned a lot of things in his life. Many of them from mistakes he's made himself. So he was very familiar with that look on her face, he himself had worn it a great many times. It was a look of deep contemplation, not just an internal debate however, but a war with your very soul itself.

He had also noticed her tired appearance, the slight slouch in her shoulders and the almost unnoticeable tilt to her stance. As if holding herself up was a bit of a challenge.

To anyone else she seemed completely normal, but any seasoned huntsman worth their salt would recognize her fatigue from a mile away. He felt a brief stab of worry in his stomach and he decided to act upon it.

"If you are all finished!"He called over their argument. Seeing he had their attention, even Blake's, he continued,"I suggest you make your way to the cafeteria. Breakfast i'm sure is long over but I am pretty sure that lunch will start soon enough."

The rumbling of stomachs was all the answer needed.

The culprits looked down and blushed in embarrassment and Ozpin barely held in a chuckle. Just as they made to leave he stopped them,"Miss Belladonna, I would like a word with you if you don't mind."

Blake jumped at being called out and gave the headmaster a cautious look as if she wanted to refuse but didn't know how to word it.

"It will only be a minute I assure you."He promised. She still seemed unsure but nodded regardless.

He was about to speak when he was made aware that the rest of team RWBY was still in the vicinity.

"If you'll excuse us,"Ozpin said as he turned to them,"I wish to speak to miss Belladonna alone."

They looked apprehensive about the whole thing but Blake spoke up.

"It's okay,"She said,"I'll meet you guys there. I won't be long."

The three looked between each other before slowly turning and walking in the direction of the mess hall.

Ozpin waited for a bit to assure that they were perfectly out of earshot before turning to the black themed girl. She looked nervous as he stared into her amber eyes, probably a little unnerved at having to talk to the headmaster of the school.

"You have a very good team miss Belladonna. I hope you realize this."He stared.

The girl relaxed a little at the easy topic."Yeah, I do. They may drive me crazy sometimes, but I wouldn't trade them for anything."

Ozpin nodded at her answer.

Gesturing for her to follow him, Ozpin lead her a little ways down the hall to a wide cushioned seat in front of a tall window.

He took a seat at one end and waited for Blake to sit opposite of him.

Blake sat at the other end of the seat, her back straight and her fingers clasped on her lap.

"You have no reason to be so tense miss Belladonna. You are not in trouble."He calmed.

"Then why am I here?"She questioned.

"Is it so wrong for me to simply want to speak with my students?"

She remained silent.

"Alright then,"Ozpin thought unsurely.

"So,"He began,"How are you doing miss Belladonna?"

"I'm doing alright sir."She said stiffly.

He nodded, but he already knew that it was a lie. Nevertheless, he pressed on.

"I hope that you are doing ok after that little...incident you had at the end of last semester."

Blake tensed a little more at that. The incident that he was referring too was when she had her argument with Weiss and ended up running away from her team. That whole thing had spiraled out of control when she ended up meeting the young and playful monkey Faunus Sun Wukong who had ended up spending two days with her and keeping her company. From him she learned of a potential dust robbery that would take place at the docks and that it might've been the White Fang. So after a long stake out they were rewarded with the proof that it was indeed the Fang committing the dust robberies and what was worse was that it was being orchestrated by notorious criminal Roman Torchwick. Acting on impulse, Blake jumped into the middle of the crime and instigated a fight. With Sun as her backup they held them off for as long as they could but Torchwick was skilled and cunning and eventually got the upper hand on them. The next part was fuzzy to her, but Blake knew Ruby showed up with that strange girl Penny who, through some means, was able to finish off the remainder of the White Fang's forces and even took down a few bullheads.

But after everything was said and done, the police arrived and the White Fang grunts were arrested, unfortunately however, Torchwick escaped as soon as he arrived. Yang and Weiss showed up as well and once the team was reunited and they soon made up for the harsh words that were spoken. It was a stressful experience, but at the end of it, she received the acceptance she was so afraid she'd never get. She supposed that it was all worth it in the end.

Realizing she was keeping the headmaster wait she stuttered out a quick,"Y-yes sir!"

Ozpin however noticed her pause and hesitation, he figured that whatever was troubling her had to be tied to her past. He knew from the first moment she applied for a spot in the school that she had a troubled upbringing, but he never could've guessed what she'd been through. Born into a world that hated and feared her, she fought for what was right, and then was turned into a something she wasn't to get what she sought after. Ozpin had always kept an eye out for her just in case her past started to catch up to her and she couldn't deal with it on her own.

Usually he'd allow her team to try and help her, but miss Belladonna was good at hiding how she was really feeling. But not good enough to hide from him.

"Have you been sleeping alright?"He asked for her reaction.

Blake started again and looked away from him.

"I've...had a few rough nights,"She mumbled,"But it's nothing serious!"

Ozpin raised his eyebrow.

"I see. It's not serious, that's why you have slight bags under your eyes. Or that you're tense and have to visibly try to keep standing."

Blake's heart stopped and her eyes visibly widened.

"I'm a little more observant than your teammates miss Belladonna,"He informed,"You'll have to do better if you want to fool a huntsman of my age."

Leaning forward a little, he looked her straight in the eyes and said,"Now then, I would appreciate if you started telling me the truth, so I might be of some help to you in anyway possible."

Blake felt her heartbeat speed up. She had not expected the him to see through her so easily, and so in a way, she was completely vulnerable to him. Blake was used to being able to hide herself from others, being able to conceal everything about herself. But Ozpin...he could always see her, no matter how good her defences were.

That's why she always felt slightly uncomfortable around him, he was the only one who knew her completely.

Swallowing nervously she tried to meet his eyes but was having trouble looking into his soul piercing gaze.

"I understand if this makes you uneasy,"He said,"But if I can't trust you to open up to your team, then I am your next best option. Now please, Blake, will you tell me what is bothering you?"

Some of the tension left at hearing how calm and patient he was being with her, and so she steeled her resolve a little and spoke softly,"I...I've been having some trouble sleeping these past few days."

His silence told her to continue.

"Not that I have insomnia or anything, I guess I've just been keeping myself awake."

"Why is that?"He asked calmly.

She took a few seconds to answer,"...I've just been thinking...about...all the things I've done."

He nodded in understanding.

"I came here looking for a new chance,"She said with a sad frown,"And I feel like i'm slowly earning that, but that doesn't excuse all the things I've been involved in. My history with the White Fang, it still exists. And it always will."

She stopped to take a breath when she heard her voice start to quiver.

Ozpin just watched with a neutral expression and let her compose herself.

Blake took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes when she felt them start to tear up again.

"It-it feels like I don't deserve to be here. Like I've had it too easy here,"She whimpered,"How can I have so much? I have a team that loves me, and a place to sleep and feel safe. It's not right."

Her face started to crumple and she buried her face in her hands to hide her grief.

"I should be able to move on right?"Came her muffled sob,"I should be able to just go on with my life. But I can't...I just can't."

Ozpin, throughout her confessions, had stared at her calmly, but in seeing her break down, his eyes shown with pity and he frowned at her torment.

Sniffling she put her hands down and just let her tears run down her face.

"All I've done is run away from my problems. I ran away from my team, the White Fang, even Ad…"She stopped.

Ozpin sat up.

"You mean to say Adam Taurus, don't you?"

Her silence spoke volumes.

"I understand you two were partners at one point, but I have a feeling that it was a little more than that,"Ozpin said.

Blake nodded slowly.

"He was my mentor. And my best friend."

Ozpin waited for her to continue.

"We were close in the White Fang,"She said sadly,"He taught me a lot about combat and stealth. We supported and helped each other. We were almost a couple at one point."

"Do you feel guilty about leaving him behind?"He inquired.

Blake tensed. She felt her anger start to burn again, slowly but surely building into a raging fire.

With her teeth grit she remembered the monster that had replaced her best friend.

"What about the crew members?"
"What about them?"

With her eyes alight with her fury she looked at Ozpin and said,"I don't regret it."

Ozpin was a little surprised, but didn't allow it to show.

"He was one of the main reasons I left,"She growled,"The Adam Taurus people see on the news, that's not the Adam I knew. He was nothing like that...thing!"

Oz had started to feel his heart rate pick up, that look in her eyes, he understood her feelings. And that's what scares him.

"It's my fault for not stopping him from going off the deep end,"Blake lamented."I wasn't there for him when he needed me, and I have to live with that. But i'm gonna make it right. I'm gonna stop him."

His heart stopped.

With his grip a little tighter on his mug he asked her,"And how do you intend to stop him?"

Blake stared straight through him, her eyes overshadowed with something dark and menacing, and in a light growl she replied,"By whatever means necessary."

Ozpin stared.

He matched her gaze in intensity and didn't avert his eyes from her.

"Whatever means necessary."

The words sounded off in his head. But they weren't her's.

He finally turned his eyes away and leaned his back against the cool glass window.

"Whatever means necessary,"He echoed in a hollow tone.

Blake watched the headmaster warily. Her words seemed to have deeply disturbed him in some way. She watched as he turned away from her and seemed to contemplate her statement.

"Professor?"She called nervously.

He didn't seem to hear here.

"Professor Ozpin,"She said a little louder.

Still nothing.

"Professor!"She said while placing a hand on his shoulder.

He acknowledged the touch by slowly moving his eyes down to her hand, the action seeming to almost robotic in nature, before moving his eyes back to the invisible point he had been staring at.

"You can go now miss Belladonna."He droned.

She was slightly put off by the tone of his voice but didn't refuse as she rose from her seat and walked away, casting him one last look before leaving.

And so, Ozpin was left alone, with nothing to occupy him but the thoughts in his head, and the ache in his heart.

Teacher's Lounge

"Ah, there you are, I need you to sign a few things while you're here,"Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy headmistress of Beacon and right hand to Ozpin stated in a professional tone as she walked into the room.

She had been looking for Ozpin all morning to get him to get his signature on some important documents, and not finding him in his office she had come to look in the teacher's lounge.

"The order forms for the final exams have just been faxed to us, and it needs your signature to...what's wrong?"

As she walked up to him she noticed his posture, slouched forward with his hands clasped over his mouth, but the greatest clue was how vacant his eyes were. She'd worked with Ozpin long enough to recognize when he was in his moods, and it seemed like he was having one now.

"You have that same look about you that says I should be worried."She stated while eyeing him up and down.

"Did you get a call from the council?"She guessed.

He mutely shook his head no.

"Did James say he was coming over?"She tried.

He actually snickered and muttered,"I wish."

This actually surprised her. If whatever was going on was actually bad enough where he would rather deal with General Ironwood himself, then it really must be serious.

"Ok, now i'm really worried,"Glynda said as she sat across from him."What's the problem Ozpin? I haven't seen you like this for a while now."

The man sat back and slouched in his chair while smiling humorously.

"It has been a while since I've been like this hasn't it?"He asked rhetorically. He reached for his coffee and took a sip of his lukewarm beverage. It didn't matter that it had lost most of it's heat, he just needed a quick distraction from answering his assistant.

"Maybe that's an issue that should be rectified some time."He mumbled into his drink.

"Sir?"She asked with an inquisitive look.

"If only I could make up for lost time. Maybe if I had thought some things through more…"

"Ozpin, what is going on?"She asked forcefully.

His eyes were brought up to his deputy and into her exasperated yet concerned face. Her bright green eyes were locked onto his, studying and searching for the answer he wouldn't give her. If only it was so simple.

"Tell me Glynda,"He inquired,"How do you cope with everything?"

She raised a brow at his question.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his gray and unruly hair.

"How do you live with yourself? The job of the deputy to a prestigious school, being a huntress, and living with your mistakes. How do you do it?"

She blinked and looked at him strangely.

"That's a rather…"She began,"Unusual line of questioning."

He stared at her before looking to his side and muttering softly,"Yes, I suppose it is."

Glynda, having gotten fed up with his mood, sneered in anger and growled out,"Alright enough! If you are not going to tell me then just sign the forms so you can quit wasting both our times!"

Ozpin looked back at her, and seeing her face scrunched up in annoyance sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry,"He apologized,"I don't mean to make things difficult for you."

Glynda huffed.

"I know you don't, but that doesn't mean I enjoy just sitting here while you mope. I want to be of help, but if you won't let me, then I have no other reason to be here. Besides getting you to sign these papers that is."

He chuckled under his breath. Glynda was nothing if not honest, he had always appreciated that.

"I'm just concerned,"He started,"I had a rather...interesting conversation with a student and it left me a little...unhinged I suppose you could say."

"Really?"She asked incredulously,"What could a student of all people say to possibly be the cause of such a downtrodden reaction from you?"

"Whatever means necessary."

"What?"

"The student said, to make things right with their past, that they will do so, by whatever means necessary."

Glynda scrunched her brow in confusion,"While slightly off putting, I fail to see what could be the issue here."

Ozpin laughed, this time genuinely.

"You mean to tell me you don't remember how those very same words cost us a very generous amount of trouble a while ago? Especially when they have the same intention."

Glynda took a few seconds to think about his words before her eyes started to widen slightly, and she lifted a hand to her mouth in muted horror.

She looked Ozpin square in the face and spoke silently,"You don't honestly think that...a student would have the potential to…"

"No,"He said strongly,"Not as grand nor as disastrous. But they'd still go through with it. And then, they'd have to deal with their actions. They'd have to experience that same pain, everyday, for the rest of their life. And it would never fade...always just sitting in the back of their mind."He lowered his gaze to the tabletop. Glynda reached over and placed a comforting hand over his and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"So what are you going to do?"She asked him.

"What I cannot do is ignore this. You didn't see the conviction in their eyes. If this does not get resolved, and soon, then we will be having a repeat of all those years ago,"He said determinedly.

"And we would not want that,"Glynda agreed,"We have to be careful however, matters such as these hardly ever lead to a happy ending."

A happy ending…

Those were a rarity alone. Trying to find one in this was like looking for a needle in a mountain of hay. You'd be better off trying to find one in a storybook.

...wait.

"Hmmm,"He hummed aloud while holding his chin.

"Maybe it's best if I have a word with this student,"Glynda said as she looked to the side and started to formulate her own plan.

Book...story...happy ending…

"Have them attend a regular counseling session or something along those lines to keep an eye on them."

Book...ending…

"Ozpin, I'll need the name of this student you spoke of."

Book…

"Ozpin?"

His eyes widened.

"Could it work?"He thought in as his heart kicked into overdrive."To put my faith in something that could fail so easily would be a horrible mistake, but still, it might be a long shot, but it's worth a try at least."

"Ozpin!"He looked up to Glynda.

"I would like this student's name."She said.

Ozpin looked at her for a while before slowly shaking his head.

"No, no it's okay Glynda. I would like to handle this one alone."

She looked to him in disbelief.

"What? Sir with all due respect I think it would be better if you had some form of help on this matter."

He shook his head again.

"I appreciate the concern Glynda,"He said while sitting up in his chair, his conviction starting to grow."But I think it would be better if I was the one to do this. They confided in me, and I have already said too much to you as it is. I don't want to betray their trust anymore than I have too."

"B-but sir!"She stammered,"If this merits the concern you expressed earlier than I really must insist-"

"No thank you Glynda,"He said while standing with the use of his cane."I believe I have an idea. It's risky, but if done right, then I believe it could work."

He started to walk to the door while Glynda continued to try and formulate a way to make him see differently. Seeing him reach the door she called,"Wait!"

Ozpin glanced over his shoulder to look at her.

"Ok,"She sighed,"I'll trust you. But please, if you think you need a hand in anything, then don't hesitate to call for me."

"I never do."He said with a smile. And with that, he left the lounge internally praying for his plan to bear fruit.

Next Morning:Beacon Cafeteria

She had met up with her team yesterday, soon after leaving behind professor Ozpin and they had immediately taken to asking what he wanted.

So for once, she told the truth.

'He was just concerned because I seemed tired.' Is what she said. And while it wasn't technically the whole truth, it was the truth nonetheless. So she didn't have to worry about her team knowing about her inner turmoil. Having a professor, the headmaster at that, knowing was more than enough for her taste. But still, she couldn't help but think back to his reaction.

"By whatever means necessary."

It was like as soon as she said that, he'd simply shut down on himself. His eyes looked so empty that she was genuinely worried for him. She didn't mean to upset him, but he had asked what she would do and so she told him. If he didn't like his answer then that was his business.

Shaking her thoughts away, she brought her mind back to the present.

Currently, her and her team were sitting with team JNPR for breakfast in the mess hall.

After yesterday's bathroom disaster, Weiss made sure all of them were in and out of the bathroom in less than half an hour. Surprisingly, she was even able to do this with Yang. She had figured her blonde partner would give the young heiress the most trouble but was questionably lenient simply stating that,"It'd be too easy, if I wanna bother Weiss, I'll do it on my own terms, thank you very much!"

While crude and somewhat immoral, it was apparently enough of a reason for the girl. Nobody particularly minded.

And since they were early today, they were able to catch team JNPR on their way out and join them for breakfast.

"You actually took two hours in the bathroom!"Jaune exclaimed in shock.

"You better believe it vomit boy,"Yang said with a smile.

Jaune shook his head with a disappointed frown.

"You're just as bad as my older sisters. Loud, tells corny jokes, and takes forever in the bathroom."

"Sounds like my kinda people,"Yang quipped with a wink.

"It will be a cold day in hell before I allow you to meet them."Jaune deadpanned.

"It's about to get very chilly soon than."Yang smirked at the challenge.

"Would you let us visit your house Jaune?"Ruby asked with an excited gleam in her eyes."I don't really get to go to my friend's houses often."

"Maybe,"Jaune said with a smile,"I'd need to check with my folks first. We have a big family so we have a lot of room. I'd be a pretty good place for a sleepover."

"Oooh!"Nora cheered,"Did you hear that Ren? We get to go over to Jaune's house!"

"No, what I heard was that he had to ask his parents first,"The green garbed boy said calmly.

"Just think, we get to know our noble leader's origins!"

"Nora, he has to get permission first."

"I'll bet it's a castle where an army of shining knights train to fight dragons and rescue damsels in distress!"

"...you're having a selective hearing episode aren't you?"

"Jaune!"She yelled while turning to the startled boy,"When can we expect to be welcome?"

Blake rolled her eyes and laughed quietly at her friends interaction.

"Nora, we have to give Jaune time to check and see if we would be allowed to come over first."Pyrrha said patiently to her overly excited teammate.

Nora looked at her for a few seconds before gasping and nodding with secretive smile.

"Ohhh I get it~"Nora giggled,"You need time to prepare before meeting the parents, good idea Pyrrha."

Pyrrha's cheeks gained a healthy glow as she tried to stutter out her denials of the accusation.

"Eh you guys have nothing to worry about,"Jaune said with a dismissive wave,"My parents are chill. I'm sure they'll like you all just fine."

And like always, Jaune it seemed was completely unaware as to what was actually going on around him. Poor Pyrrha.

A sudden chime grabbed everyone's attention.

They all look to Blake as the sound appears to be coming from her. Blake reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll and slid it open to see that she received a message. After reading a few lines, Blake's eyes widened a fraction.

"Who's it from?"Ruby asked while trying to peak over the girl's shoulder.

"It's from professor Ozpin,"She answered,"He wants me to come up to his office."

"Really, why?"The youngest member said.

"It doesn't say."

"Is everything alright?"Pyrrha asked with a worried face.

"Yes Blake, is everything alright?"Weiss echoed with a veil of suspicion in her voice. Looks like she didn't fool her as well as she thought she did.

"I believe so,"She said while keeping her face calm.

"You aren't in trouble are you?"Ren inquired.

"You are aren't you?"Nora gasped,"What did you do? Did you cheat on a test? Did you break somebody's legs in a fit of rage? Oh! No no don't tell me, you broke into the kitchen and hijacked a whole crate of syrup to feed your raging sugar addiction!"

All at the table were silent and looked at Nora with wary eyes.

"Uhhh Nora,"Ren spoke up after a pause,"You did that last one."

Nora gasped again with an affronted look on her face.

"Lies! Scandal! Tabloid rumors! I demand proof, I demand evidence!"

Ren simply lifted a black eyebrow and with a glance under the table he saw an entire crate of maple syrup right next to the pink valkyries legs.

"Right,"Ren drawled.

"Guys, it's fine I promise."Blake assured them as she stood up."I'll just go see what he wants real quick and be right back. It won't take long I promise."

Seeing her team try to interject she held up a hand to silence them.

"Just trust me okay?"She said with a smile. Blake knew perfectly well of the irony in the statement.

Her team relented shortly after and she was glad to be rid of the worried glances she was receiving once more as she made her way out of the caff.

Elevator

It wasn't until Blake actually got in the elevator that she felt herself start to get nervous. If he was calling her in for what they talked about yesterday than Blake was starting to regret opening her mouth to the man. In all honesty, she felt it was easier to confide in him because he was an outside voice, somebody who she wasn't particularly close with and knew that he wasn't there to help but just listen. That's why it was easier to talk to strangers. Or so she had thought.

The ding of the elevator sounded as soon as she reached the top floor to Ozpin's office. The doors slid open.

"Ah miss Belladonna,"Ozpin said when he saw her."Please come in and take a seat."

She calmly walked over to his desk, taking a second to look up as the clock gears ticked and spun to their own rhythm. The sound was strangely calming.

She took a seat in front of his desk and waited for him to start.

Ozpin sat straight in his seat with a calm and inviting smile on his face. He could see that the girl was still nervous however, she always was when she was around him. But now wasn't the time to think on that, he got her here, now it's time for the next step.

"I'm sorry for calling you away from your own team once more miss Belladonna but I had something I needed to discuss with you,"He said.

"Is this about yesterday?"She asked getting straight to the point.

Ozpin paused.

"Because if it is,"She continued,"Then let me save you the trouble. I understand if you're worried about my intentions, but I promise, I won't bring my team into this. It's my problem, and I'll handle it."

Ozpin waited a few seconds before replying,"While that does ease my worries just a bit, I feel the need to ask;are you prepared to go through with it? If you were to encounter Taurus today, would you be able to go through with what you told me?"

The question caused Blake to stop and think about her answer.

She played the scenario over and over again last night. Every time she would imagine herself standing over him, her sword pressed against his neck, only the slightest flick of her wrist would be the end of it, and she remembered the conviction she felt, the anger and rage as she stood over him. It was the drive she needed to end it.

"Yes."She said resolutely with her heart pounding in her ears.

"And you believe that is the right course of action?"

"Yes."

Ozpin leaned forward,"And you don't believe their is any other way? Nothing else to be done?"

His question confused her, but she stayed strong.

"Yes."

He slowly nodded in understanding.

He spent the next better part of a minute just staring at Blake with a calculating look in his eye. Blake had started to feel uncomfortable with how intently he was staring at her.

"Uhhh profes-"

"Do you fancy yourself a reader miss Belladonna?"

She felt the proverbial record screech to a halt in her mind.

"Huh?"She said with a raised brow.

"You like to read, don't you?"

"Umm...yes."

"Splendid,"He said with a smile,"Then I believe you will like what I have to show you next."

He stood up and walked over to the wall to his right.

He lifted a hand and placed his hand against it. Then, surprisingly, a blue light outlined his hand as it scanned his fingerprints. Taking his hand down, a small mike opened up in front of his mouth.

"Pass code required." A computerized voice female voice droned.

Clearing his throat he leaned in and whispered,"Emerald City."

"Pass code accepted."

With that, the mike disappeared and two doors separated and pulled apart to show the contents inside.

Blake's eyes widened and she blinked in confusion to see that behind the doors was a metal book shelf completely filled with thick leather bound books.

She got up and walked to stand next to him to get a better look at the collection.

"I like to enjoy a good read every now and then as well,"Ozpin said as he looked over his shelf proudly."I don't get a lot of time to do so i'm afraid, so I have to do so whenever I can."

He cast her a look.

"This is my personal collection. I'm quite proud of all the books I've gathered over the years. Each one is very dear to me in it's own special way."

Blake looked as he pointed to various books.

"Some are very riveting biographies, others deep philosophical wonderings, some sprinklings of fiction and fairy tails. It's actually quite diverse."

Blake nodded,"It's...impressive."

"Thank you,"He smiled,"And since you yourself appreciate good literature as much as I do, you are welcome to it whenever you wish."

She blinked in surprise.

"Are you sure?"She asked incredulously.

"Absolutely, in fact, do you mind if I give you a recommendation?"

"Uh, no go ahead."

Ozpin nodded and ran his fingers around the top shelf.

"You'll have to forgive me however,"He said in his search,"I'm afraid I don't have any of the more...mature novels I've heard you like to indulge in."

Blake felt her entire body heat up in embarrassment and mentally reminded herself that she still needed to kill Yang for leaking that out publicly.

His hand slid to a stop when he reached a black book between two books titled The Last Guardian & Beyond Two Souls.

Slipping the book out he handed her the novel.

Blake calmed herself down and grabbed the book with both hands to scan the cover. The hardcover of the book was pitch black and in bold golden letters the title read Shadow of the Colossus.

She turned the book over and read the the brief description.

"The Many for the Single. Sixteen for the One. It's the Right thing to Do. It Just Has to Be."She read in her head.

"It's one of my favorites."Ozpin recaptured her attention when he spoke.

"I think that you'll enjoy it as well. It's a very good read."

"If you say so,"She said while looking the book over again. Something about it...she couldn't put her finger on it, but the book, it really interested her. It didn't look particularly enticing, the cover being simple and not really that eye catching. Even the brief description on the back was cryptic and didn't reveal too much. But still…

"When do you want me to have it back to you?"She asked.

"No no,"He shook his head,"Please, take your time. Far be it from me to make this feel like an assignment. Read at your own pace and enjoy it. I only ask that every few chapters you come and speak to me about what you think so far. Does this sound fair?"

She nodded.

"Good."He checked his scroll for the time."I suggest you hurry, first period begins in about five minutes, and I've kept you long enough now."

Blake nodded and hurried over to the elevator.

"Miss Belladonna!"He called.

She stopped and looked back.

Ozpin smiled and said,"Read very carefully, you just might learn something new."

She could only nod again, this time slowly as she took in his words, and entered the elevator.

When Ozpin heard the elevator start to descend he turned around and faced his large window to stare out at the campus.

"And now comes the hard part,"He sighed."Waiting."

That Night

The rest of the day went by in a blur. She was only partially aware of everything around her because she was so distracted by the book that seemed to demand her attention. She always got this way when she found something new to read. And having a book recommended by the headmaster himself had set her expectations a little high. When she began the book, she wanted everything to be just right. She had to have absolute silence, meaning she couldn't read in front of her team. Nothing against them, but they couldn't stay quiet to save their lives.

That and they really didn't know she had the book. She had been sure to hide it when she saw them in class. They had known she went to the headmaster's office, not the library. So seeing her with a book would make them suspicious, and then they'd really start asking questions.

So she had waited for her to team to fall asleep. And once they had, she had changed into her sleeping yukata and had turned on her reading lamp.

Resting against her headboard she lay snug in her sheets and with her knees pulled close to her chest and grabbed the black book to rest it against her legs.

She took a moment to admire the simple yet beautiful book once more before flipping open the cover.

She came upon a blank white page with the author's name and publisher.

Written by ICO

Published and edited by Sony.

"Strange names,"She thought.

And with that last thought she turned to page one.

X.x.X.x

Would you be mad at me for ending it here? I'm sorry. But this has to happen. And if I continue this story then I wanna see if I get any feedback first. Positive or negative will determine the outcome. So please people. Review and tell me what you think. I need this!

This is GhostAngel14 signing off!