A shattered moon hung motionlessly in the midnight sky. Crimson eyes watched as a lone figure walked through the red-hued trees.
'I used to believe in a thing called love.'
His clothes shifted slightly in the crisp, midnight wind but otherwise remained the same. A black hoodie with grey jeans and a pair of black trainers with orange highlights.
'It helped me come to terms with myself.'
A low growl emanated from the shadows of a particularly large tree behind him so he turned and faced his foe, a young beowolf. Razor sharp teeth glistened in the pale moonlight as it begun to slowly advance. It's shadowy body making it seem as if it emerged from the ground. The person did nothing and stood still as the predator begun to close in.
The others watched as the foolhardy grimm tried to take on the abnormality. Circling slowly as it assessed it's target. Suddenly it pounced, equipped with gnashing teeth and sharp claws it attempted to attack it's prey only to be put down by a single attack.
'If someone could love me then I couldn't be so bad.'
Three claws protruded through it's skull, poking out the top of its head killing it instantly before the person used the creatures momentum to hurl its dead body into a nearby tree. The tree shook lightly upon impact, it's red leaves rustling from the shock. A crow in the nearby tree took off into the night sky, the sound apparently scaring it off. The claws retracted into the boys sleeve and he continued on his journey
'I was wrong.'
The boy continued his walk through the woods until he heard the sound of someone clapping. The entrance to a small cave in the mountain was nearby, a secret he would like to keep hidden. The male turned to see a middle-aged man in a black and green outfit with messy, grey hair. He had a hand resting on a ornate cane and another holding a plain, white cup.
His eyes followed the boy's movements intently. It was enough for him to know he was aware of his particular reputation.
"Who are you? How did you find me?"
"My name is Ozpin, I have been searching for you for some time now." He said with a small hint of amusement." I only located you recently through an associate of mine."
Fiery, amber eyes narrowed at the mention of an associate. "Who might this associate of yours be?" His tone held a cautious edge and he was ready to fight at a moments notice.
"A dusty, old crow. He is very difficult to spot unless you know what your looking for." Ozpin stated nonchalant even though it was easily recognisable that the boy before him was ready to fight.
"Why are you here?"
"I wish to enrol you at my school and train you to become a huntsman." The boy raised an eyebrow under his hoodie and looked at him questioningly. The offer was serious, that much was obvious. But a larger problem lay ahead.
"Are you aware of my..."
Ozpin nodded and the boy let out a sigh. "Why do you want me? It seems you went through an awful amount of trouble to find me."
"You possess a unique set of abilities and I wish for you to use those abilities for the greater good."
The boy scoffed, "Why should I trust you? You could be leading me into a trap for all I know."
"You have no reason to trust me but I would ask that you do." Ozpin stated simply before taking a sip from his cup. The boy rolled his eyes beneath the shadows of his hood.
"I'm no grimm killing hero."
"I never said you were." A pack of Beowolves started to wander into the area and eyed the pair cautiously, ready to pounce should the need arise. Ozpin didn't seem fazed in the slightest, still relaxed against the bulk of the tree.
"You have noticed the grimm behind you, right?"
"Yes I have, it seems they are rather cautious of you." Ozpin stated inquisitively
"They don't know what I am. Everything fears what they don't understand." The boy spat bitterly.
"Is that why you dislike humanity." He turned away hiding the myriad of emotions that covered his face.
"I don't dislike all humans just most of them. Most humans don't bother to ask questions and use their fists before their brain." His voice almost broke but he held strong.
"Aren't you human yourself? You talk as if you aren't one."
A harsh laugh escaped his lips and the headmaster faced remained unchanged, despite the unease that seemed to be growing with his continued exposure to the boy."I couldn't tell you."
He then turned to snarl, baring his teeth at the beowolves who were stalking closer. Ozpin unconsciously tightened his grip on his mug and it shook with the amount of pressure he applied.
The beowolves paused in their movement and stared into his eyes. Red met amber as they locked into a fierce battle of will. The boy glared at them unrestrained but dropped into a threatening stance. A pair of wings burst forth from his back and Ozpin suddenly felt a cold shiver run through him. Just looking at them filled him with a sense of dread.
Three sharp claws shot out from a hidden mechanism inside his sleeve and readied to fight. The blade were scratched and were obvoiusly well used but they still shone like silver in the moonlight. The creatures knew better and huffed before padding away into the forest. He let out a final warning growl and then turned back to face Ozpin. "Still think i'm human?"
"I think that being human differs from person to person but in the end we are all human if we have the ability to ask that very question. Anyway we don't need to talk about such trivial matters." He looked straight into the boys eyes, grey meeting bright amber. "Do you wish to join my school and train to become a huntsman of tomorrow?"
He looked up to the shattered moon that hung in the sky, a steady beacon in the dark expanses of the night. "Can I leave if I wish?"
Ozpin took a slow sip from his mug, "I suppose that can be arranged."
"Why do you want me so badly?" The question was pure and held none of the suspicion that he had come to expect from him.
"I want to know something. Call it me being a bit selfish but I wish to see if my faith in humanity is correct."
His answer lingered in the air as the boy thought it over. The world seemed to understand the importance of this moment as the noise around them seemed to die down. The world was peaceful... the world was quiet.
"Fine." He finally answered with a small huff. "I'll take part in your experiment but don't blame me when things go wrong."
"I believe that is what I am stopping from happening but I will need to know the name of my student… for the sake of formalities."
The boy pulled down his hoodie revealing his face to the older man. His wild, black hair swayed lightly in a small breeze and his eyes shone like a live flame.
"My name is Ash… Ash Fall."