Chapter 28, Another Path.

The sound of the Academy Bell rung out over the grounds from it's high tower, signifying the day's end. It was at this time most of the students were already making their way to their dorms. For what would be the Team Trials would begin the following day. Their most vital part of their short semester at the Academy. Of the Journey they would soon take. And those they would take said journey with.

Following their fellow students to the dorms, Pyrrha walked along the path with Auron, Hanako and Keith. Uttering a sigh of relief, Keith placed his hands behind his head.

"Awe man, I'm beat." He said.

"I hear ya," Auron insisted.

"As soon as we get to our room, I'm hitting the showers and then it's lights out for me."

Keith moaned in agreement, nodding his head.

"We will need our rest for tomorrow," Hanako said, reaching down to grip her Katana.

"Especially with what the Team Trials will bring. We can only hope that the four of us will be able to prevail."

Pyrrha glanced to Hanako. Seeing her gripping her Katana, the young prodigy could sense the fear in her voice. She had been with Auron and his friends for only a short time. And she could already tell the three of them were close. Much like she once was with...

Jaune.

Pyrrha glanced to the side, frowning. Remembering the promise they had made to one another. A promise that they may never be able to keep. It was clear that Auron, Hanako and Keith had made the same promise to each other. A promise which she wanted to help them follow through to the end.

She reached out her hand and placed her hand atop Hanako's shoulder.

"Try not to worry, I'm sure we will." Pyrrha insisted to them.

She then glanced back at Auron and Keith.

"How can you be so certain of what is to come?" Hanako asked, curiously.

"It's just something I was told when I was little," Pyrrha insisted to them.

"That those with the strongest will for each other are destined to always be together. Even if they are apart..."

"The fates will always guide them back to each other." Auron finished.

Pyrrha glanced to Auron in awe.

"The Will of Bonds." He said.

"You know the Will of Bonds?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.

Auron nodded his head.

"Yeah, a long time ago," Auron insisted to her.

"When I was a kid, my mom told me me about the Will of Bonds. She said it was the Will of Bonds that brought her and her team together. And it was what she said would do the same for me when the time came."

Pyrrha glanced to the side. Her mother had also told her the same thing long ago. The Team Trials were all but fates guiding one to those they were destined to be with. That those who you share a special bond with you were destined to stand by your side in your journey to being a knight. Who's fates were destined to intertwine.

She wondered if her destiny was with Auron and his group.

"The fates are the ones who determine once's destiny." Hanako said.

"But that doesn't mean what they chose is what we want it to be. Regardless of the Will of Bonds. We might not be destined to be a team."

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes.

It was true the Fates were the ones who determined ones fates; regardless of how much you think you care for someone. Only to strongest of bonds are what make a team. Yet it was the Fates who determined who was destined. And thus the possibility could still lie that Auron and his friends were not meant to be a team.

That was to be the choice of the Fates themselves.

"Oh, that's right." Pyrrha said.

She then glanced up at them. The three of them glancing away, frowning. Whatever hope and anticipation they once had rivaled by their concern at the possibility. They were so wrapped up in them being a team, that they had forgotten it was the Fates who decided that.

"But that doesn't mean we should lose hope." Pyrrha said, hoping to raise their spirits.

"There's still a chance we can be together. And regardless if we're destined to be apart, you all still friends."

Auron, Hanako and Keith glanced up to the prodigy. They then shifted their gazes to each other, pondering the words of hope she had spoken to him.

"She's right, we can't lose hope," Auron insisted.

"There's still a chance we can pull this off. Even if we don't, we're still friends."

Hanako narrowed her eyes, gesturing a nod of her head.

"Yes, of course." she said with a nod of her head.

"Hell ya, friends to the end!" Keith proclaimed, gathering Auron and Pyrrha into her arms as he brought them in for a hug.

Pyrrha and Auron glanced up at him, laughing in his tight embrace. Though the moment for Pyrrha was to be short lived as her thoughts had turned back to Jaune. Glancing to the side as she hoped that one day she would see him again and if their fates would intertwine.

The four of them came up to the entrance of one of the dorms. Pyrrha came up to the steps. Only to then pause as she glanced over into the courtyard. It was there she saw Blake standing off near the trees, her head narrowed wit arms folded against her chest. Pyrrha frowned. She then glanced up at Auron, Hanako and Keith.

"I'll see you all at the Trial tomorrow." Pyrrha said.

Keith turned to Auron, brushing him with his arm. He glanced to him and saw Keith gesture his head to her. As if he was encouraging him to ask her. Auron turned back down to her.

"You know, the Dorms aren't assigned yet," Auron insisted to her.

"If you like, we stay in ours for the night."

Pyrrha smiled and nodded her head.

"Thank you, but I'm already staying in one of the dorms." Pyrrha insisted to them.

"Oh, well, our door is always open." Auron insisted to her.

Pyrrha smiled and nodded her head to them.

"Thank you." She said before she turned and walked off into the courtyard.

Auron once more received a nudge from Keith. He glanced back at him, squinting his eyes to him, curiously.

"What?" he asked, curiously.

Blake was glancing down at the scroll, which was laying shut in her hand for the longest time. Continuing to ponder Adam's words. She had been told to blend in until Martial law had been lifted. To not draw any attention to herself for the time being. Though after today that would prove to be much harder then she would have anticipated.

There was also the matter of trying to locate the vault. Though that may also prove to be harder the not. There was no telling where it was that the vault was hidden and with the kingdom weary of the White Fang, she would no doubt raise much suspicion amongst the staff and students. If she was to find the vault, the dark of night would be the best time to do so.

Blake's eyes then shifted to the side. Once more torn between her loyalty to the White Fang and the realization of what they were doing. She gripped her scroll tightly in her hand, questioning if what their doing was for the better as Adam had always said.

"Blake?"

Blake was startled at the sound of their sudden voice, glancing back to see Pyrrha standing behind her. She then gave a sigh of relief.

"Pyrrha." she said.

She then turned to face the prodigy, slipping her scroll into her pocket.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Pyrrha apologies.

Blake shook her head to her.

"It's fine, I was just..." She insisted to her.

There was moment's pause as Blake glanced down at her pocket. Pyrrha squinted her eyes, curiously

"Just what?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.

Blake shook her head.

"Nothing." She insisted to her.

Pyrrha frowned. Despite Blake's insistence, it came with a look of contempt and sadness. What she could only assume was from the Military arresting one of the Faunus students and their encounter with Cardin and his gang. She must have been hurt by what had happened. Despite her saying that she was used to such things.

Pyrrha came up to her. She placed her hand firmly over Blake's shoulder. She glanced up to her.

"Blake, you know that you can talk to me." She said.

Blake frowned, narrowing her eyes.

"What is there to talk about?" Blake asked.

"You saw what happened."

"Yes and it wasn't right," Pyrrha insisted to her.

"They were out of line."

Blake glanced up at Pyrrha. She sighed, shaking her head.

"It doesn't matter." Blake insisted to her.

Pyrrha shook her head.

"Well it should." Pyrrha insisted to her.

"You didn't deserve to be treated that way."

Bake turned away, pulling back her shoulder.

"No, but it's never going to change!" Blake exclaimed to her, wrapping her arms around herself.

Pyrrha paused at Blake's sudden outburst.

"You can't change the way people think," Blake insisted.

"The Realms will always believe that the Faunus are lesser then them. You people will always believe that they are superior over us!"

Hearing what words that Blake had proclaimed to her, Pyrrha squinted her eyes in disbelief. She shook her head in utter confusion. For her to be treated in such a way and just do nothing, believing their was no hope. How could she allow for this to happen to her and her people?

"How can you say that?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.

There was a moment pause on Blake's end. Facing away from Pyrrha, as to hide the look of guilt for her sudden outburst. She had let her anger and frustration get the better of her. As if she was trying to convince herself that everything Adam had been saying about Humans were true. But even still, she could not deny that they were all lies.

She then shook head.

"I- I don't know." she said, tears emerging from her eyes.

Pyrrha came up to Blake, placing her hand atop her shoulder. She then turned Blake to face her before embracing her in her arms. Blake was taken back by the sudden gesture. She glanced down at Pyrrha, who continued to hold her close.

"It's alright, Blake." Pyrrha said to her.

"It's okay."

Blake narrowed her eyes before leaning into her embrace, letting her tears flow.

Pyrrha help Blake came up to the stairway of the dorms. Pyrrha turned to face her as she whipped away her tears with sleeve of her coat.

"Do you need me to walk your room?" Pyrrha asked, glancing to her.

Blake shook her head.

"I haven't really gone to the dorms yet."' she insisted to her.

"So you don't have a room yet." Pyrrha assumed.

Blake nodded her head. Pyrrha glanced to the side, pondering what to do. There weren't many other rooms that were left. Not to mention, with Blake in such a state, she didn't wish to leave her in the company of some strangers. When it was then an idea came to her. She turned back to Blake, taking her by the hand.

"Come on, you can stay with me." Pyrrha insisted to her.

Pyrrha then turned, pulling Blake along to the entrance.

Qrow was fast asleep in the arm chair, having been watching the news on the flat screen. Though he was too lost in sleep to listen to what the News anchor was saying. The day's event having to exhaust the Atarian knight, resorting him to his drinking flask which he was holding in his right hand. The desperate need to be relieved of King Larr's deception forced him to turn back to alcohol.

The door to the apartment then opened as Pyrrha and Blake came inside from the hallway. It was there they found Qrow, fast asleep in the arm chair with his flask in hand. The sight of which caused Pyrrha to look upon it with disapproval, seeing Qrow drinking again after he promised that he would stop. She sighed, shaking her head.

Pyrrha came up to Qrow.

"Qrow, wake up." She said, shaking his shoulder.

Qrow uttered a faint groan as leaned up his head. He then turned and saw Pyrrha standing next to him.

"Oh, hey kid..." Qrow groaned.

He then glanced down, where he then noticed that he was still holding his flask in his hand. He then sighed, narrowing his head.

"Dammit." He cursed.

"This isn't what it... I wasn't..."

Pyrrha only continued at Qrow, disappointingly. Causing Qrow to sigh in defeat, knowing there was nothing he would say to convince her. Pyrrha came up to him, placing her hand over his shoulder. He glanced up at her. Though it was not the look of disappointment that he was met with. But rather one of understanding.

"It's okay, you don't have to apologies." She reassured him.

Qrow sighed, nodding his head.

"Thanks kid." he said, smiling.

He then glanced behind her, where he saw Blake standing behind her.

"Who's this?" Qrow asked, curiously.

Pyrrha glanced back at Blake.

"This is Blake, I told her that she could stay with us till the team Trials." Pyrrha insisted to her

"Blake, this is Qrow."

"Ah, nice to meet ya." Qrow said.

"Um, you too." Blake said back.

She glanced down at Pyrrha.

"You two live together?" Blake asked, curiously.

Pyrrha nodded her head to her.

"Yeah, he's the one that's been training me." Pyrrha

"He's sort of a friend of my family."

Qrow nodded his head.

"That's right, old friend of her father." He said, drunkenly.

"Right." Blake said, unsure of what to say.

"Hey, don't mind me," Qrow insisted to her.

"The more the merrier. I sleep here anyway, so there's plenty of space."

Qrow then turned and walked passed the two young women, making his way toward the kitchen.

"I was about to cock up some roman, you two hungry?" Qrow asked, curiously.

Pyrrha shook her head.

"It's alright, we already ate at the cafeteria." She insisted to him.

Qrow shrugged.

"More for me." he said, taking out a pot from the bottom Kitchen drawer.

Blake glanced back at Pyrrha, smirking humorously.

"He seems... uh..." she said, struggling to find the right word to say.

Pyrrha smiled, nodding her head to her.

"I know." she insisted to her, rubbing the back of her head.

Blake sat down over the bed that stood across from Pyrrha's. She glanced back up at her as Pyrrha came up and sat down across from her. Pyrrha glanced up to her.

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.

Blake narrowed her eyes, brushing her black hair behind her ear.

"I'm just... not really used to this." Blake insisted to her.

Pyrrha glanced to her, curiously.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.

"It's just... no human has ever been this kind to me before." Blake insisted to her, glancing up to her.

"All my life, your people have treated my like an outcast. But you didn't. Your the first human to have ever treated me fairly."

Pyrrha smiled, nodding her head.

"Why are you so being so kind to me?" Blake asked, curiously.

Pyrrha stood up from her bed as she came and sat down next to Blake.

"Because... it's what's right." Pyrrha insisted to her, glancing to her

Blake glanced to her, squinting her eyes with a sense of hope.

"My mother used to say, that everyone, no matter who or what they are, are worth protecting." Pyrrha proclaimed to Blake.

"They are what a true Knight fight's to protect. Regardless if they are so different from form you. And it's what I want to be."

The words that Pyrrha had spoken had brought a look of awe and hope to Blake. She turned her head, contemplating all she had said. To hear those very words be spoken by a human no less. It was almost too good to be true. Could she believe that what this girl was saying was indeed true to form? Was it all just a trick like she had come to know humans to do?

No, it wasn't.

She knew it to be true. Pyrrha was different from all the rest. Which only added to the guilt that she herself was the one deceiving her. Pyrrha reached out her hand and placed it atop Blake's shoulder.

"Blake?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.

Blake glanced back up.

"Hmm?" Blake asked, curiously.

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes for a moment.

"I may not know what you and the Faunus have gone through here in Lothadare," Pyrrha proclaimed.

"But I just want you to know that, if anything else happens, you won't have to face it alone. I'll be here for you."

It was the dead of Night, long after Pyrrha and Qrow had gone to sleep. Though across from her, Blake's bed laid empty. Followed by the sudden night breeze that drifted into the room the open window. It was there Blake stood perched, gazing out of the courtyard which appeared desert. She glanced across to the nearby tree. It wasn't far from the window. She could jump it from there.

Just as she readied herself, she heard a faint moaning from behind. She glanced back into the room. Only to see that Pyrrha was still fast asleep. She uttered a sigh of relief. Only to then narrow her head in guilt for what she was about to do. She gazed back out the window, where she then leaped out into the night. Landing in the nearby tree, there was a moment's pause as she glanced back at the open window. The room appeared as dark and silent as how she had left it.

She sighed, glancing away with the hope that Pyrrha would be able to forgive her.

Leaping atop the roof top of the Academy, Blake perched herself over the edge overlooking the office of Headmaster Rueben. She gazed down at the Headmaster's officer. The lights were still on inside, with a single window propped open. She could see the headmaster, sitting at his desk.

There came the sound of an opening door from inside. The Headmaster glanced up from the papers on his desk.

"Professor Kallus, Professor Liorus." The Headmaster greeted, standing up from his desk.

Blake leaned forward listening to what was being said.

"Is everything in place for tomorrows Team trial?" Rueben asked, curiously.

The professors nod their heads to the headmaster.

"Yes, Headmaster," Professor Kallus insisted to the Headmaster.

"I have already prepared the spell. We should be able to proceed with the trial as planned. Hopefully without any further interruptions."

Rueben nodded his head in agreement, stocking his long white beard with his hand. The events of today and the news of the White Fang, it was certainly a sign of the times to come. There was already growing concern among the staff.

"Yes, today had certainly presented it's share of concerns." The Headmaster insisted to them.

"With the detainment of one of our students and the restlessness of the Kingdom, we can only hope no further matters come of this."

Professor Liorus then stepped forward to the Headmaster.

"To that end, Headmaster," she said.

"What of the degree from the King and the council?"

Kallus nodded his head.

"Yes, they seem really concerned about the vault." He insisted to the Headmaster.

"Especially of the rumors of an informant on Academy grounds."

"I am well aware of the Council's concerns." Rueben insisted to them.

"Qrow has already brought them to my attention and I have already saw to the matter."

"But Headmaster, should we not be vigilant?" Professor Kallus insisted.

"If the White Fang are truly here on Academy grounds-"

I will hear no further of these rumors!" The Headmaster exclaimed to them.

"It is time that we focused back on this term and leave this to the King."

The professors remained silent for a moment at the sudden outburst of the Headmaster. Only to the collect themselves, nodding to the Headmaster.

"Yes, Headmaster." The professors said.

Blake continued to watch from outside, hearing all that had transpired in the Headmaster's office. The Professor's took their leave, Rueben sat back down at his desk. Blake narrowed her head. It had became evident that the Academy was weary of the presence of a White Fang spy on Academy grounds. Thus it would stand to reason that they would keep the vault hidden until they could ensure it was safe.

The only thing she could do now was to lay low as Adam had said. Until everything had settled.

She glanced back in the direction she had come. It was probably best to head back to the dorms before Pyrrha and Qrow noticed she was missing. She then stood up and leaped along the roof tops back toward the dorms.