This baby took me a year of running around about how and where to start this story. Such a bad case of writers block! Anyway, hope you all enjoy it and please feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Black Trailer

Part 1

One week before RWBY Vol 2...

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Headmaster Ozpin said with all the inflections of his usual calm as he sat in his office chair. "I know for a fact that Tomb Academy, your academy, is one of the best private schools in the world. Why would your mistress want to come here?"

The man Ozpin was talking to took in a gentle breath and sighed like someone slightly annoyed by a buzzing insect. Ozpin understood that the man, a Mr. Glass, was a butler of sorts. The price of his gray suit was only outmatched by the gold in his rimmed glasses and his diamond cufflinks. His blond hair, slicked back down his head, had a near impossible shine to it. The man smelled of three things; money, power and pride.

"What do you know of the houses Krypts and Koffins, Headmaster?" The man asked in his curt, unmistakable posh accent.

Lacing his fingers together and rested his hands on his lap, Ozpin eased back into his chair. "Influential families, very much into traditions, train highly skilled Hunters and take themselves very, very seriously."

"They are an order, Headmaster." Glass emphasized. "Nearly eight centuries old and have devoted their entire existence to fighting the Grimm. The intertwined history of both families are drenched in blood and carved in stone from endless battles, a written legacy that will survive long after you and I are dead."

"Like I said, they take themselves very seriously." Ozpin repeated with a partially concealed smirk.

Mr. Glass removed his spectacles with an immaculately clean white glove before looking Ozpin in the eye. "Those you call 'Hunters' are what we call 'year one rookies'. Those you call highly trained experts we call runner ups. When our students leave Tomb Academy, Headmaster Ozpin, they are not merely hunters. They are Reapers!"

"Are you calling Beacon inadequate, Mr. Glass?" Ozpin fought the urge to roll his eyes. It seemed everyone believed that their school was the best.

The man grinned in a way that made his blue eyes glint sharply. "It's all relative. The cat may not be a lion, but that is of little difference to a mouse."

"I'm afraid you still haven't answered my original question." Ozpin insisted. "If your school is as great as you boast, why does Ms. Ebony Koffin want to attend my academy?"

"Because Vale is lovely this time of year." Mr. Glass replied with a smile.

"Mr. Glass..." Ozpin's patience was paper thin, "I don't have time for games."

"And I do not have answers." Glass casually admitted. "My Lady did not give her reasons and I did not ask. The Koffin family requested that I handle her affairs and see to it that she got her wish. Yes, it defies her own family traditions, as you say, but she is not a prisoner and can do what she likes. Now, is that sufficient for you, Headmaster?"

"Frankly? No."

"And why not?" Mr. Glass gave an exaggerated sigh.

"Because Beacon isn't a restaurant. No one, not a Krypt or a Koffin or a even a Schnee can simply walk in whenever they like. You have to earn a place here, Mr. Glass. That means passing tests and evaluations, just like everyone else." Ozpin leaned forward on his desk as he spoke. "Ms. Koffin can put in an application for next year, and if she passes the entrance exams, she will be welcomed."

"Nonsense!" Mr. Glass waved his hand dismissively. "The school year has hardly begun! You're barely halfway through the semester. Ms. Koffin has more than enough time to catch up with the curriculum and be at the head of the class by autumn's end. Surely you have allowed students to arrive late before, haven't you?"

That was true, but Ozpin had no desire to say so out loud. In fact he did have other students that would be needing a warm body to make a complete team, but only if...

"Be reasonable, Mr. Ozpin." Mr. Glass said, his tone almost degrading. "Having a Koffin attend your school would be a great honor. Imagine how it could boost your reputation."

"If I cared about that, I'd take on more Schnees." Ozpin commented.

Mr. Glass grinned. "Schnees are good for spending money and moving Dust. We only care about the art of war. And having my Lady here will appear to others to be a credit to your fighting education."

Ozpin sat very still for several minutes staring at the rude man sitting opposite him. The silence was only broken by the clicking of large, moving gears in the transparent floor and ceiling that made up the mechanisms of Beacon's clock-tower.

"No. You are a snake of a man bloated with arrogance, Mr. Glass. You and the people you work for believe themselves so much better than everyone else in all of Remnant. You think you have been fighting the war against the Grimm alone? You think calling your warriors Reapers makes them better than the Huntsmen and Huntresses who give their lives for others on a daily basis? It does not. I don't want your poison in my Academy. So take the next flight back to those islands you came from and feel free to jump out of the plane without a parachute along the way!" At least, that was what Ozpin really, really wanted to say.

The reason Ozpin decided not to tell the man off was because he was a rather good judge of character. Mr. Glass was a person Ozpin would gladly dip in gravy and feed to a savage pack of sewer rats. But that was the problem. Ozpin was judging the wrong person.

"Before I decide anything," Ozpin finally replied, "I would like to meet Ms. Ebony Koffin myself. Where is she?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ebony Koffin had been waiting outside the office of Beacon Academy's headmaster Ozpin for half an hour, growing more and more nervous with each passing minute. She absentmindedly scratched the side of her head where her white, crown-like antlers connected to her temples. Ebony, like all Koffins, was a Faunus.

The dark haired young woman tried to distract herself by looking out the windows to the breathtaking views beyond. Ozpin's office was located in Beacon Tower, by far the most prominent structure in the entire academy, allowing anyone clear sight of gorgeous landscapes for miles. Ebony could see the Forever Fall forest to the north, its distant trees an eternal shade of red. The nearby Emerald Forest was to the east, as was the grand city of Vale, glistening in the late afternoon sun.

It's a big world. She pondered as she gazed in awe into the distance. And I haven't even seen a fraction of it. Maybe once I do, things will get better.

The 'end of school day' bell rung throughout the academy, and minutes later students began pouring out of the surrounding building and into Beacon's white courtyards and lush gardens far below. Ebony was so high up they all looked like grains of sand moving about in an ever expanding pattern.

It surprised Ebony just how much she really desired to be down there; another tiny speck amongst so many others that she would be lost in the numbers, one more unknown face in a crowd. If only she could experience that!

Hopefully, if all goes well, I will.

Behind the young woman the door to Ozpin's office finally opened. Ebony turned to see Sable Glass emerge from the room, prim, proper and absolutely livid. Though he kept the muscles of his face smooth and placid, his eyes were the raging infernos of an offended man. It was something Ebony had come to recognize.

He closed the door behind him none too softly.

"The nerve of that man!" Mr. Glass seethed through clenched teeth. "And to think this is the best they could fine to be headmaster at this...this...daycare!"

"He said no?" Ebony asked, unconsciously holding her breath.

"...Not exactly." Mr. Glass begrudgingly admitted. "It seems a man's word carries no weight around here. He said he would not allow you to join merely based on Tomb academy's recommendation, but rather that you must prove yourself, whatever the blazes that means!"

A moment of relief allowed Ebony to breath again, her insides no longer twisting. "So he wants me to take a test?"

"He didn't clarify. But he does want to speak with you, ask you questions and the like." Mr. Glass pushed his golden spectacles up the bridge of his nose.

"Oh..."

Mr. Glass approached his mistress until he was standing directly in front of her, arms behind his back, towering over slender frame. "All I can recommend is that you be honest, milady. Tell him why you want to come here, of all places."

"I don't want to be accepted to Beacon out of pity, Sable." Ebony said firmly, staring at a space on the floor just in front of her feet.

Mr. Glass placed an arm on her shoulder. "Of course. You are a Koffin, Ms Ebony. And Koffins earn their place. No need to tell him everything, just enough so that he thinks he understands you."

With a silent nod Ebony headed toward the door, grasped the knob, turned and entered.

Ozpin's room was rather surprising to see; glass floor revealing giant rotating gears beneath and an impressive view of the school and lands beyond, the same as outside his office. The man seemed to always be looking down on the rest of the world from his ivory tower. Ebony couldn't help but wonder if that's how he saw himself; above the world?

"Almost everyone stares the first time they come here." Ozpin said from across the room in the comfort of his chair. "Believe me, I did."

"It's very...captivating." Ebony remarked as she walked over to the headmaster.

"Ah. I note you don't have exactly the same accent as Mr. Glass." Ozpin observed. "Yours is much lovelier."

Ebony suddenly blushed.

"T-thank you." She managed. A compliment was not what she had been expecting.

"Please, take a seat." Ozpin waited for her to comply before continuing. "How old are you, Ms. Koffin."

"Eighteen. And please call me Ebony." The dark haired girl was feeling herself grow warm.

"...I see. And why do you want to come to Beacon?"

Ebony looked Ozpin in the eye. She knew he wasn't making polite conversation. Sable would've shared all of this with the headmaster already. It was why her family sent him along with her, to speak for her. Simply saying 'I just felt like it' or 'I want to see the world' would be seen through like the flimsy lies they were. Sable had been correct in his advice; be honest...at least as much as she had to be.

"I take it Mr. Glass gave you the whole 'Krypt and Koffin' speech?" Ebony inquired.

Ozpin nodded. "He seemed to enjoy it, too."

"He's proud of my family. And so am I, of course. To be considered knights by so many throughout Remnant is very flattering. But...when you are always seen as special...well, it can become unpleasant, even a real burden over time." Ebony said carefully, doing her best not to slip anything out. "You're always trying to meet everyone's expectations and soon you realize you aren't living your life, but that of someone who no longer exists."

"...Are you trying to run away from home, Ms. Ebony?" Ozpin asked solemnly.

That remarked stung her more than she let on. "I'm trying to find a place where people will let me discover who I am, not who I'm supposed to be. I'm hoping Beacon will be that place."

She spoke with finality, making it clear she didn't intend to share anything else about her. All Ebony could do was wait and pray that was explanation enough.

Ozpin took a moment and looked down at the many papers on his desk. "As much as I appreciate you wanting to come here, I can't accept your application..."

Ebony began to feel her heart drop.

"...Without first testing you."

Hope crept back inside the young female Faunus. "I will take whatever exams you require of me."

"Good." Ozpin shuffled some sheets together into a neat stack. "A match, then. Tomorrow morning, in front of me and two other judges, you will demonstrate your fighting skills in the academy arena. It will be open to the rest of the school should any desire to attend."

A public fight. Even though it was a bit of a spotlight, Ebony was more than okay with that. Now she had a chance.

"I am grateful, Headmaster Ozpin." She said.

"Don't thank me yet. Now, if you wish, we can arrange separate rooms for you and Mr. Glass here overnight, with the cafeteria being available till 7 pm. I can also see to it that you get a tour guide."

"Thank you, Mr. Ozpin. Your offer is generous." Ebony stood up from the chair and gave a respectful bow of her antler-crowned head. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to prove my worth."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ozpin sat contemplatively for a while after Ebony left, replaying their conversation in his mind. It had been very important that he listen to every word the young female Faunus had spoken. Words, he found, were vitally important. Hearing a person speak was one thing. Listeningto them was something else entirely.

Activating his scroll, Ozpin looked at a virtual screen of Glynda Goodwitch's stoic image appearing above his desk.

"You heard everything?" Ozpin asked his fellow instructor.

"You mean all those half-truths? Yes. It seems that Ms. Koffin intends to take her secrets to the grave...pun completely intended." The blond woman said with a straight face.

"Better not let the students see that humorous side, Glynda. They might start thinking you were warm blooded." The headmaster teased.

She ignored his ribbing. "I'm surprised you didn't simply turn her away. Who will you assign as judges to the match?"

"It doesn't matter," Ozpin said with certainty, "Because no matter how hard she fights tomorrow, Ebony Koffin will lose."