Lest we forget, you're not like them.

You never were, and you never will be.

They will never accept you.

My eyes shot open, I sat up and wiped the sweat off my forehead, and quickly grabbed my pillow and quickly held it against myself for support. My chest was heavy, as it felt I had been choking, it took me several minutes to regain my breathing.

It was just a dream. The same dream that had reoccurred since I had joined team RWBY.

It was recently discovered that I was Faunus. A secret that I could never imagine revealing to just anyone that I had just met or anyone in general for that matter, but knowing the members of team RWBY had slowly changed my mind. People like Ruby and Yang I had learned, were fairly accepting of the Faunus, well, more like pitied them, but it was better than hatred and resentment. Previous encounters of people finding out that I was a Faunus did not go over as well as I was mocked, mistreated, and abused.

So, I had originally expected the same, coming into Beacon Academy. I had hid myself under the silly appearance of a big black bow. In the end, I was comforted by Ruby and Yang, with full support and understanding.

Although at first, things didn't run over smoothly with one of my teammates, Weiss. She may have seemed like a conceited princess, but there was something else about her that deemed her…innocent. Whether it was something about her icy eyes, or by the way she walked, I couldn't help but care more and more about her opinion.

In the end, she did not care. Which was a relief, but that's not the end of my story.

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location…

"Tch, some group of kids ruined my plans upon taking the dust from some of the Schnee cargo loads. I swear, they're getting a lot weirder by the day." Torchwick lit up a cigar, as he walked towards a desk where Adam was seated.

"Another mission, ruined by a bunch of runts, who does Beacon think they are fooling sending children to do their dirty work?" Adam commented, as he now moved in order to give Torchwick his seat.

"Believe it or not, some of those runts were Faunus's, some monkey boy, and another girl, a black cat, little red, and a creepy robotic looking girl…" Torchwick started to trail off into a ramble as he started to describe the fight between them all. Just before he could get any farther into his story Adam stopped him in his tracks.

"A black cat Faunus, you say?" Adam interjected as Torchwick continued to comment on the persona of the said cat girl.

"Yeah, purple ears, long black hair, bright yellow eyes and-"

"I'm going to take my leave." Adam interrupted.

"And do what exactly?"

"I know the Faunus girl. She was…well, a very important project for the White Fang." Adam replied as he tightened his fist. "I intend to bring her back to the White Fang, where she rightfully belongs."

No matter how hard I tried, these thoughts of what I was, what was to come would not falter. I could not let up. I could not let what was inside to consume me.

It had been several days since we arrived at Vale. The tournament had started and everything was going smoothly. Although my thoughts were shattered, I had remained an important asset to the team in tournament fights.

"Hey! Good job on that last one, Blake!" Ruby said as she gave me one of her lively smiles and a pat on the back.

"Are you kidding?" Weiss added, "The strategy was simple, and she made it more difficult than she needed to be, if she had only been thinking we wouldn't have almost lost Yang!" she scolded as she crossed her arms.

"I would've been perfectly fine, Weiss!" Yang said in a cheery matter as she pointed at her own face to show how little bruises there were and then gave a thumb up.

Weiss rolled her eyes, although she knew Yang was capable of such feats; she just couldn't let me get away with some of my slip-ups. They were teammates after all.

Although I did not mind criticism at times, I couldn't help but sneer at Weiss and reply, "I was doing what I could, but as for you…" I trailed off; giving her the same snotty look she was giving to me.

She stepped closer to me, now being several inches from me she smiled and in a snarky manner said, "Oh? So, you'd like to talk about how good I was doing, hmm?"

"You know that's not what I meant." I said meeting her face, now inches apart.

We both stared at each other for several seconds before Ruby decided to step in and move us back into our respective spaces.

"Now you guys, I understand that this tournament is putting us under a lot of stress, and we are all trying our best here! There is no need for us to fight, leave that to the arena!" Ruby nodded her head in agreement with herself. "We all have things to work on; we just need to keep our heads straight!" Ruby pumped her arm up in the air excitedly, while Yang just looked on and patted Ruby on the back for a speech well said.

Weiss gave a small, "hmph" and proceeded to steal glances at me while we continued on our way.

"I'll make sure to keep my head straight in the next fight." I lowered my head, lately; my head was nowhere near being kept on straight. I thought that letting my teammates know one of my secrets, of me being Faunus would release this stress, but the secrecy didn't end there and my stress only grew.

Nightfall came, and again so did the nightmares. The only thing that could ease my restlessness was a walk around the Vale tournament area.

I got out of bed and robed myself, making sure to make as little noise as possible while slipping on my favorite pair of slippers. I walked out the door and looked back; it seemed that everyone was asleep. Or so I thought. I shut the door as slowly as possible and slinked out of the resting area and headed outside.

Outside, it was colder than usual. How odd. I breathed out, and watched my icy cold breath linger. I walked around the tournament area and observed my surroundings, there wasn't anything new, but I just passed the time as best as I can.

I slowly made my way out of the tournament area, and into Vale's town, it wasn't too far of a walk, and a little further down I knew I would be tuckered out. A few steps out of there and I felt a shiver run down my spine. A sharp stabbing pain hit my head; the pain itself was not physical.

No!

I turned around and faced what I should have sensed, what I should have seen coming, no, what I knew what was coming, but I refused to acknowledge it. Just like everything else in my life.

"Blake. That wasn't very nice of you." Adam stepped closer towards me, as I stood there stunned. "Leaving me like that. That really hurt my feelings, you know." He circled me, his fingers touching my waist as he circled; he finally stopped and stood face to face with me.

It can't be like this. If I left him once, I can do it again. He doesn't care about anyone but himself.

"Look, Adam –"he slapped me, I felt the cold air follow the hit and it stung, more than usual. "Adam! Listen to m-"another slap, "Adam! LISTEN TO ME." I quickly screamed out as I also managed to stop his hand from slapping me once more.

"You can't do this to me anymore Adam! I left you for a good reason. I won't be used by you anymore. I won't let you hurt me anymore. I won't-"Adam grabbed me by my hair and pulled me closer, and continued to keep a tight grip on my hair and my ears.

"Do you think I want to do this to you Blake? Do you think I like hurting you?" he said with a condescending like tone. "They won't accept us, they won't accept you." He whispered into my ear.

"Blake?" I heard a different voice say, and finally the owner of the voice appeared before Adam and I. He turned his head, and I did my best to look to see who was coming.

Weiss, no! Of all the people who could have followed me out here.

"Blake, are you all right? Who is this guy?" Weiss said in an angry, yet worried tone. She still seemed to be in her nightgown, but was smart enough to bring her weapon, Myrtenaster.

"Weiss, get out of here!" I pleaded, but Adam seemed to grip and pull at my hair harder.

"Weiss? Also known as the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company?" Adam seemed to be delighted now, as he threw me on the ground, and started to approach Weiss.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Don't come any closer to me!" Weiss propped her shoulders back, and positioned herself into her 'fighting mode'.

I shot up, the pain of my hair and ears being pulled still pulsating through my head, I quickly kicked Adam away from her. "Don't touch her." I clenched my fist. He can hurt me all he wants, just anyone but Weiss…as we both suffer from so-called loved ones. I knew her scar was not just a mere accident. That was easy to see. Her strained relationship with her parents, and mine with people we are nearly alike in the pursuits of reaching understandings within ourselves, and each other. As I stood several feet away from her, I couldn't help but eye her scar, which a blush now arose from her face.

Adam picked himself up, "I've had enough of this!" he roared. Adam, was a lot faster than I was and within several quick motions he unsheathed his blade and knocked Weiss's out of her hand, and now had his blade against my throat.

"Weiss, you move and I kill Blake." He threatened.

"W-what do you want with Blake? If it's because she's a Faunus and was once with the White Fang, I already know that and I don't care!" Weiss retorted, now clenching her fist.

"I guess she hasn't told you the rest of her story, has she?"

I elbowed Adam. Anything but this, not with Weiss, couldn't it have been anyone else? I didn't want to disappoint her any further.

"Not only was she apart of such activities of the White Fang, she was also our most important mission, even before she was born. As a child, I was ordered to take care of her, befriend her, and control her." He laughed. I knew Adam had always been a power-high and power-hungry kind of guy, and he was about to let loose. "Even before the White Fang and Faunus Rights Revolution, the Faunus had come up with a brilliant idea…why not infuse the Grimm, Dust, and a Faunus together?" he voice started to rise. "The result?!" his other hand found its way to my head and pulled my hair once more and threw me to the ground. "THIS!" he screamed and broke into maniacal laughter.

"W-what?" Weiss looked extremely confused, and slightly hurt.

"You still don't get it, do you?" He kicked me and rolled me towards Weiss who was still staring.

"Weiss, please…" I muttered out, "just get out of here."

"I can't do that to a teammate! I said that if you had a problem, then you should come to us, I can't leave you now!" Weiss replied.

"Tch, if you don't…I'll…"as Adam attempted to kick me once more, I rolled away from his leg, and using my semblance I quickly shot up and tackled him to the ground and bit him.

"AUGH!" Adam screamed out.

I turned my head, and looked at Weiss, "Go!" I yelled at her. As she turned I thought she would of left, but I was wrong, she picked up Myrtenaster from where it had been laying and started to approach Adam and I.

As I watched her approach, I could only feel Adam's blade go through my stomach as I slowly started to slump down on top of Adam. My eyes started to slowly water, and I could feel the mix of emotions rising. I could faintly hear Weiss screaming out my name, and I could see the pain in her eyes.

With the best voice I could muster up I yelled for her to go once more.

Within seconds of my eyes being closed shut, my body's pain intensified. I could feel my limbs tearing out of their sockets to grow, the hair on my body grew faster than one could imagine, and the feeling of my face being distorted into a mixture of a Beowolf and a cat-like Grimm. Sharp bone-like spines fought their way out of my back, along with a tail, and a mask similar Adams to cover my grotesque face.

My eyes shot open, and all I could see was black.