Blake Belladona sat on one of the couches in the orphanage, her knees pulled up to her chest. She could hear the children laughing in the background as they played some game or other. How could they forget so quickly? She shuddered. It was just a few hours ago that some of them... That we... Guilt twisted in her chest and her eyes burned. When some of them were almost killed... All of a sudden, a hand touched her shoulder, and she jerked back and looked.

Staring back at her with a compassionate look in his eye was one of the strangest faunus that Blake had ever seen. Long, dark blonde hair that reached his waist, his arms were bare, showing lean, powerful muscles. From the waist on up, he looked like a very handsome man. What made him so strange though, was from the waist down was the body of a horse. When he was standing, he towered over everybody else. Blake had never heard of a faunus that had this much of an animal trait, which was surprising to her. Considering how much he stood out, she would have thought that she would heard of him sooner.

The faunus gestured to outside of the orphanage, "Would you like to go for a quick walk? I think it would help clear your mind." Despite his looks, he had a nice, 'grandfather' atmosphere around him, which was very surprising seeing as how he didn't look that old. Blake thought about it before giving a nod, and walked out with him.

They walked in silence for a bit, eventually walking near an empty park, before the centaur spoke up. "They don't blame you, you know." Blake flinched at the words, before replying softly "They really should. You were the hero there, not us."

The faunus hummed softly. "Perhaps. However, there is more than one type of hero. You are here, and none of the others are here. You wanted to make sure that they were alright, that they made it back safely. That counts for something, I would think." She whirled around to look at him, "And that makes everything alright!? After what just happened? They should hate us for what almost happened! They have every right to hate us!" She shouted with tears starting to fall, with the guilt twisting in her chest.

He smiled gently at her. "Of course it doesn't make things right. But, the people whom you say have every right to hate you do not, in fact, hate you. If they who have that right don't hate you, then by what right do you hate yourself?"

She turned away from him and looked to the night sky, and just watched the stars as she considered just how the day had gone so badly.

FLASHBACK

There was a warehouse within the Industrial District. Currently, it filled with Dust that mined through exploited faunus labor. While not unusual, this particular group was particularly brutal to their workers. The goal was simple. They wanted to steal a portion of the Dust for themselves, and they would blow up the rest. They were aware that there would be guards there, but they thought they could still take them on without too much difficulty. She and Adam were amongst the best.

She and Adam had brought several of the recruits with them so they could get used to the idea of doing stuff like this. They would scout out the place, see where the opposition was, and Adam and Blake would take on the opposition while the others would plant the explosives and move the cargo out. They picked a time when the police were patrolling farthest from this area, and they were usually pretty dependable on their timing.

As they broke into the warehouse and the men started grabbing some crates and planting the explosives, that's when things started going wrong. Several crates in the back burst open, showing three Spider Security Droids. Two of them looked like the basic model, while the third had some serious upgrades added to it. Both Adam and Blake immediately charged the droids, trying to grab their attention while ordering their men to hurry and plant the explosives. And thus their dangerous dance began.

Blake had fought the Spider Droids before, and it was definitely not on her favorite list. Excellent defense, coupled with a strong ranged attack. By focusing on the joints and the sensors she could do damage, but usually it was Adam who would take them out with his Semblance once it was charged. Until then, it was a dangerous game of dodging and blocking.

After several minutes of this, one of the Droids had been taken out, and the second wasn't looking too good. The Upgraded model had taken damage, but wasn't slowing down yet. Once the other men gave the signal, she and Adam broke off and ran out of the warehouse. They were followed as expected, but at least they wouldn't be blown to pieces. Blake was already calculating the chances of them making a run for it to get away from the Droids, when all of a sudden she saw several flashes of light seem to slam into the weaker droid, causing it to explode. Looking to the side, she saw a man on a horse wearing armor, charging at impressive speeds around the droid to get to the warehouse. He fired a few more shots at the droid with a bow (she did a double take at this. How could that thing do that much damage?), and she heard him shout "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Stunned, they watched him charge into the warehouse, not listening to her when she shouted for him to stop. She only just barely missed the next attack of the Spider Droid. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the man on the horse make it out with, her eyes widened, children! She was unable to get any more details before the warehouse exploded in a huge fireball. The explosives they had brought wasn't that bad, but with them being so close to that much Dust, it was only natural for it to grow bigger.

As soon as she was able, she looked towards the man on the horse, only to realize that she had seen wrong. He wasn't a man on a horse, he was a horse faunus! and he was shielding the kids from the explosion with his own body. Soon after that, he came back up and pointed an arrow towards the Spider Droid, which was now focused on him. In a dangerous voice, she heard him say "I don't know what you are, but if you value your existence of the next few seconds, you will not point that at these kids." Right as the Droid was about to shoot, Adam charged up it and attacked it's head with the rest of the energy he had stored up, and that was enough to bring her back into the fight, as she focused on it's "knees". To top it off, the centaur then let his arrows loose, which somehow ripped through the armor, ultimately killing it.

As soon as the fight was over, Adam turned to the centaur and said "Thank you for your assistance, we were very grateful for it. We need to leave quickly, but if you are ever interested in joining the White Fang, you'll have my recommendation.", not noticing that the centaurs eye's had narrowed.

She tried to speak up, "Adam, we can't leave just yet, what about the kids?" Adam turned and glared at her, "What about the human kids?" putting emphasis on the human part. "Besides, they already have him to look after them. The cops will be here any second, so we have to move!". And with that, Adam and the others started moving out. After a little while, Blake turned to him and said "Go on ahead, I'll meet up with you guys later."

Adam stared at her for a bit, and she could practically feel his eyes narrowing before he gave her a nod and ran off.

Blake dashed towards the kids and looked them over. "Is there anybody hurt?" the centaur stared at her for a bit, and then his stern look melted off his face and he stepped out of the way. There were four kids, between the ages of eight and twelve. Three boys and one girl. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the blood and the scared looks on them.

The centaur spoke up, "Bobby here has the worst of it I fear. Head wounds tend to bleed a lot, which is where most of it is coming from. The other have smaller scratches and bruises. However, your friend is correct in one sense. This is not a place where we want to be anymore. Hurry, help me with them." Soon, three of the kids were on the centaurs back, while she carried the young girl. The centaur turned to her once more and said "We live in an orphanage a little ways away. Follow me. Oh, and please, call me Chiron."

Chiron's voice broke through her thoughts, "Are you finished making yourself feel even more guilty?"

She gave him a small glare. "It's our fault that they got hurt! If you hadn't been there, they would have died, and I would never have known about it..."

Chiron was silent for a bit, "Yes, it is your fault that were injured."

Her breathing hitched. His words felt like a great weight on her shoulders.

"However, it is also the fault of the company to have such dangerous droids waiting in a warehouse. It is my fault not being faster in noticing the kids were missing and that they had decided to go on an adventure. It is the fault of the kids themselves for following you inside a warehouse at night because they heard somebody fighting, and wanted to see how cool it was." He shook his head. "Poor Johnny is a bit of a fighting fanatic. Once he wakes up tomorrow, I have no doubt he'll ask for your signature or something, so fair warning. But, I digress." He looked her in the eye. "Seems to me that if we're stacking the blame on people, that you're not the only one that's going to get a share. You are still young. It is expected to make mistakes. Thankfully none were injured this night, and you need to learn the lesson here. That way, such a mistake isn't made again, with more serious results..." He looked sadly to the side, seemingly lost in a memory.

They stayed silent for a while longer, looking at the stars. Then Chiron spoke again, "Despite all of this, I get the feeling that there is something more that is eating at you. You don't need to share it, but if you would like to get it off your chest, I am here to listen."

Blake stayed silent and thought for a bit. For some reason, she was very comfortable with this faunus that she had met only a few hours earlier. As she had thought earlier, he really did have the aura of a kind grandfather, or a sympathetic teacher. While she would normally hate talking to people about herself, she found that she wanted to talk to him about it. "It has to do with Adam. My boyfriend."

Chiron didn't say anything, and just looked at her with a calm look.

"I've been in the White Fang pretty much since the beginning, when it was a peaceful organization. As the years went on, people became more frustrated with the lack of progress, and when the leadership changed, the white fang became more radical, and violent. Adam is one of the supporters of the violence. He says that it's actually showing results. And it is! But it's because people fear us now." She went quiet for a bit.

Chiron hummed thoughtfully. "I take it that you do not approve of the way things are going?"

"... I've participated in the violence. And I think that there are things that need to be fought for. But this?" She looked at the ground. "It's getting results, but I don't want people to fear us. And... I'm worried about Adam. I've been worried about some of the things he's been saying for a while, but tonight? He had the time to offer you a place in the White Fang, but couldn't be bothered to make sure a CHILD was alright after an explosion of our own making!" She started breathing heavier, "It would be one thing if it was just a timing thing, but it was what he said. 'What about the human child'. If it was a faunus child, it would be different. He doesn't care that a child, regardless of race, nearly died." The tears were flowing freely now. "I didn't think he was like that. I've tried talking to him about it in the past, but he refuses to listen." More tears dropped. "I loved him, and it hurts me to see him doing this."

She felt arms wrap around her, and realized Chiron was kneeling his horse knees so he could give her a hug, which she returned. After a few minutes, he let her go. "Do you feel better?" To which she nodded.

He sighed, "I'm not going to pretend to have a good answer for you. Matters of the heart are rarely straightforward, and the answers are often different for different people. You say that you have tried to talk to him about this?"

Blake nodded once again, "The few times I've brought it up, he's been almost violent. I didn't realize it at first - he complained when the White Fang was peaceful, and was overjoyed when Sienna took charge." She closed her eyes and thought for a couple minutes. "When I had first met him, I think I liked him because he seemed like the embodiment of justice, after everything he went through. After that, I believed he was passionate. My parents warned me away from him. They told me that he wasn't like that, and that he was full of spite." She gave a self-mocking laugh. "I guess that's another thing they were right about."

Chiron smiled sadly at her, "It's often strange how often that happens regarding parents and their kids." He then looked at her. "With all of that in mind, do you know what you are going to do now?"

She sighed, "I'm not sure. I still want to help the faunus, but I'm not sure how now."

Chiron smiled at her, "Would you like me to give a recommendation?" She looked at him inquisitively. "Take a break. You have a lot on your mind, and a lot of stress within you because of all of this. Tell Adam that you would like to be away for a while so you can think through things. Then, come here, and stay at the orphanage for a time."

She blinked, startled at this. "Why? What would that help?"

He laughed softly, "A couple of reasons. First, it would be beneficial for you to get away from the stress of trying to work within a terrorist organization," giving her an arched look after saying that. "Second, it would appeal to your desire to help the faunus. I don't know if you noticed, but the orphanage actually contains more faunus than humans. I only came to this city in the last week. Before I got here, poor Sierra was trying to manage all on her own. Ever since I have arrived, I have been helping teach the kids and keeping them entertained. I am quite the storyteller apparently" he said with a bright smile. "And lastly, I would like to make you an offer. I would like to take you on as a student."

That really startled her, and she looked at him in confusion. "A student? For what?"

He hummed to himself for a bit, searching for the right words. Eventually he smiled, "To be a hero."

The simplicity of the statement shook her, and she stared at him as she thought about it.

He continued speaking, "I know I don't look it, but I have seen quite a few things, and I have taught a lot students, many of them becoming quite powerful." His eyes glazed over for a second, his voice becoming nostalgic. "I haven't had the opportunity to teach somebody lately, and I have found that I truly missed it." He looked directly at her and smiled, "I see a great amount of potential in you, and your attitude impressed me. You care for the people, and you haven't let bitterness ruin your life. True, you are already quite skilled. But I think that you have the potential to become more." He brought his hand up and held it out to her. "What do you say?"

Blake stared at the hand for a bit, and then looked back at Chiron. "Umm, thank you very much for the offer, but can I give it some thought first?" He smiled at her again, "Of course, the offer shall remain open." She took his hand, and he brought both of them back up and they started making their way back to the orphanage. Once they reached the orphanage, he said "You can stay the evening if you'd like, and then make your way back to your base." She shook her head, "No, it'll be better if I make it back tonight. Tomorrow, I'll talk to Adam, and..." She gave a deep breath. "I'll tell him that I would like some time to myself for a bit to think about things. I'm not sure I'll accept being trained by you, but I think I will accept the offer to help out here for a little bit" He nodded, "Very well. I wish you the best of luck in that conversation."

And with that, Blake ran into the night, heading back to the White Fang base.

Chiron watched her leave and gave a sad sigh. It always hurt to see people with these kinds of problems. There was rarely an easy way to solve them, and they almost always ended badly. Some time away to think things through hopefully would help. And it would be even better if she accepted the idea of being his student. A grin grew on his face. It had been so long since he had last taught somebody like that. Teaching the orphans various classes helped quite a bit, but he had a feeling that teaching Blake would be a rare experience. He believed that she really did have the potential to reach as high as some of his other students.

And speaking of his other students, his grin grew into a smirk. He did have an ulterior motive in wanting to teach Blake. In life, he was known as the Teacher of Heroes. Many of his students went on to do great things. A few did some terrible things, but the ones that excelled went on to become amazing heroes. As he taught them, he grew bonds with them. Bonds that he could still sense on good days. And his bonds were telling him that a couple of his students had taken on students of their own, and he wanted to see who turned out better.

Chiron didn't let it come out often, but he did have a competitive streak within him.

The next evening, Chiron opened the door of the orphanage to see a bruised and cut up Blake leaning against the door, gasping for breath. "Is the offer to let me stay still open?"

Authors Notes:

I'm going to be honest, this one was hard to write, and I really am not sure how well I did. Please let me know what you guys think. This is the first time that one of the main characters actually interacts with one of the Heroic Spirits, and I am starting to deviate from canon.

Blake will still join Beacon, she will just get some extra training beforehand. Several other characters will have similar events happen. Also, this event will have happened about 6 months before the time that Blake left the White Fang in canon.

For the timeline, I am messing with it in a few more ways. I am saying that Cinder received half of the power of the Fall Maiden around the same time that this is happening with Blake and Chiron. Blake talked with Adam and stated that she wanted some time to think, and Adam became angry and possessive and didn't want her to leave, so she had to fight her way out. Soon after this happens, Cinder is going to meet with Adam and force him to work with her. I am not sure how much time passed between the train episode where Blake originally left Adam, and when she arrived at Beacon. Do they ever state how much time passed? If not, I am assuming around two... three months, which means that Chiron will be training Blake for 8-9 months. She will not be vastly different/more powerful than canon- that is definitely not my intention, but some things will be different.

Does this make sense to everybody?

Hopefully everybody enjoys this chapter. And if you don't, let me know what I did horribly wrong and I'll see about getting around to changing it before the next chapter comes out. Thanks everybody!