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Hi people. Feeling better. Will start producing more content at a faster pace. Especially now that my summer classes are over. Never take voluntary classes for college. Total waste of time. At least in my experience. I already knew the entire courses worth of information so I just kinda sat there and got an A, then walked home and got tired. And that was my entire college summer session. I guess if you have ambition for that kinda stuff go for it but seriously my state is supposed to have like some of the best colleges in the U.S and I already knew everything in the course book without evening opening it. Just wasted time. Anyway that's just my brief update so my time management will be better from now on at least until the fall classes start. School sucks. I'd rather just be starting my career rather than running through meaningless math and literature Shut up me. Try and be humble. At least I have electives. Enjoy the chapter. Also. Blake's weapon by far is the most confusing. The mechanics of it just don't make sense. I'm no super engineer, but I know for a fact that the blade of a katana at that goddamn length doesn't just disappear into the size of a fucking knife, like wtf happened to the rest of that weapon. The law of conservation of mass just doesn't support how that shit happens. Then again nothing anime ever makes sense. Just ask anyone about Superman vs Goku. Every side is just fucking wrong. Enough of my rambling. Interestingly though I didn't know Monty made the weapons stick to their back with magnetic strips. It's clever seeing as though Halo uses the same mechanic for holding guns. And he did make Haloid. That certainly clears things up. Random shit sticking to people's back would have annoyed the shit out of me. Ok now this got too long. I need to shut up. Here' the chapter.

Blake had a dream. Not a dream persay, but something she envisioned. She could no longer sleep, so dreams were no longer possible. But her mind projected something for her to experience still. It was no hallucination. No daydream. She couldn't afford to have something of the sort here. She would no doubt get killed. It was almost a memory. A foreign memory. All the senses were there. Like she had experienced it herself.

It only struck her once. But when it had, it made her feel sick. She was standing at the edge of some stone cliff. The area in front of her was nothing but a void. A large circular void was claiming the world ahead. It grew in size until it could swallow a building. She was just something in it's ever expanding wake now. It grew louder and louder, but the darkness never stretched thin. It only became darker the more she looked into it. Why hadn't she moved? Why hadn't she looked away? She couldn't. She wasn't there. The shadows swallowed her as she fell. There was no sound, There was no sight. There was just the darkness taking over. Deeper and deeper as she fell into the abyss.

Blake's ears twitched. She blinked at the stimulation. This place was never still. The swamp never rested and her ears picked up everything. She dismissed the vision planted in her mind. Whatever force that seemed to be dwelling there didn't seem to be bothering her at the moment. She needed to take advantage of that. She had found the tower. At the top of a mound of dirt and stairs. Several purple creatures were dead when she arrived. She guessed that was a good thing. But that also meant something else was here to kill them.

She stepped up to a small fireplace. It was warm to the touch, but not warm enough. Whoever had been her had left. The time she took to get here probably meant they had moved on from this location quite far. She looked to the sky.

There were only two more towers. Another had gone out shortly before she arrived. She can't make sense of any direction here because each tower was in an obscure direction from the last. To put it simply they were in a triangle. So unless someone was lucky enough or unlucky enough to just stumble across these towers, that meant they were going to them directly. But why? Who or what needed to put out a fire? They kept these things away. Her eyes widened in realization. They had killed the purple things. She turned to the dead body of one nearby.

She had no name for these things. She could just call them demons, but that was a broad term. They weren't grimm. Just human like monsters. So monsters they would have to stay. This monster she approached was one of the more animalistic ones. It had no weapon of cloth. It probably just crawled and clawed like the rest. She had even managed to find one in between the two however. It walked upright like the ones with weapons but simply jumped at its enemies. Mostly her.

She inspected the body. Blood was long since spilled but she tried not to touch the dried blood anyway. The wounds were long slashes and cuts along limbs. Even long stab wounds through the torso. Weiss or Ruby could replicate these wounds. And so could she. They clearly had good weaponry. Far above the rotten wooden spears and swords the monsters used. Maybe the one that killed her? It's possible. Lot's of things were possible. Not to be cliche, but Blake had a methodology for expecting the unexpected.

She expected nothing. Anything expected, was no longer unexpected. That's the way she liked to keep it.

She thought back to when she first died. Was that person being merciful or merciless? If either the case she wasn't going to let that happen again. She looked to all the dead bodies.

Will they come back?

Stepping over the bodies she sighed. Not like it mattered. She would just have to kill them again.

'Vwoosh'

The noise actually caught her ears this time. They tiny flame sparked in her hand again. It was black this time. She just kind of stared at it. It was the only thing she could do to make it go away. She just held her hand below her gaze. She turned her hand over and watched it dance as it shifted around to always stay on top. Fire always moves up. Good to know gravity didn't change. She had tried to interact with it. The only thing she found she could do mas move it from hand to hand. It was like a muscle. The more she practiced it the less effort it took. She focused the presence in her other hand and watched as the flame went out and appeared in the other hand almost instantly.

It was a neat little thing. She had no special name for this either. But she could only perform this trick a few little times. It was like something out of the imagination. If she believed it was there, there it was. But eventually it took strength and some effort from flexing her literal hand itself. Soon after it just disappeared. She assumed it was because she couldn't identify the link between her and it. It was like magic. If you didn't know magic, you can't do it. It was the only thing she could compare it to. Remember seeing cartoon of super heroes or anime where characters used some kind of special power? Then you tried to perform it yourself and it never worked no matter how much special power or energy you put in it? Well this was the opposite.

Blake actually knew there was a special power she could use to make this appear. She just didn't know what it was. She had to learn. Because the strength in her hand wouldn't be enough to preventing it from disappearing. She flicked it over into her left hand. It was only then could she feel the presence of the flame in a different form.

One of the monsters on the ground was still alive. It gripped at her leg with its boney, skinny hands. It's fingers were cold and gripped her hard just like the sudden fear gripped her herself. She gasped in surprise and turned around. She tried to pull her leg from its grasp but couldn't. Trying to reach the weapons on her back she struggled and fell over. Still with the monster gripping onto her ankle it gave a gross grunt as the dying creature held on for whatever reason. She tried to push herself away with her hands. But the sudden fear coming with the surprise couldn't manage to let her off her back. Panicking the first reaction she had was to bring her leg closer to herself it hopes of the monster not severing off her ankle.

Unfortunately the monster came with it. As the monster neared her body she instinctively held up one of her hands in an attempt to keep it's head away from biting her ankle off. What happened next she couldn't imagine would actually come from the tiny flame. She let out a short scream of shock, and in response the flame grew. It grew into a thick, dark black mass and burned with her fear. And almost as if it screamed with her, the fire exploded forward and flushed over the monster's face in a roar of flames. The monster gave a quick low gurgling scream before falling limp a dying in front of her.

She lay on one arm on the dirty ground keeping her back just off the dirt. She held her hand in place just like she had when she cast the flame. The small combustion was short and quickly faded just as fast as the monster's life. It was black. Just like the flame. She gasped suddenly realising she stopped breathing. She turned her palm over to her face to look at the flame in her hand. She quickly looked to the monster, to the flame, and then back and forth again. Double taking she realized that yes, she actually had done that. Standing up rather fast she steadied her breathing and just looked at the damned thing once more.

What are you?

The fear subsided and the flame grew tinier and tinier again until it was in it's original size and eventually disappeared. She kept looking to the freaking monster she just burned and then tried to conjure the flame once more. And just like a kid once more, she forced her hand forward in an attempt to bring forth the power she had just seen.

"Come on… come on…..!"

Failing to bring forth the flame again she grew frustrated. "What the hell is wrong with this? It grows with fear?!"

Suddenly it exploded with anger again. This time it wasn't as powerful, and wasn't black. But the flame burst from her hand just like before. But it responded with a different force. The thing danced in her hand uncertainly. It flickered with it's light battling the blackness until it died again. Blake drew in a deep breath. She didn't understand this thing. It only came when certain sensations arise. Anger was one of the feelings she was scarce of, and frankly so was fear. The reason she read so much was to pick up on those feeling in a way she couldn't. They were so buried underneath her dedication and her duty she was practically pushing back her human side to achieve what she knew she never could.

And that's when the flame dwindled. She tried to understand this. But the only thing she could link to this flame were these feelings. And she would never let her feelings get in the way.

Frustratingly, she dismissed the new experience at the sudden change in atmosphere. The third towers fire finally went out. She looked up with concern. It had gone out in the time it took her to get here, and then mess around with this new fire. So soon? She was wasting time. She looked at the moon once more. The piece that moved in place, the fires going out in the sky, the world crashing together. The flame that appeared in her hands. This had to mean something. Something was happening. Maybe this place could start to make sense after all.

'Vwoosh'

She looked at her hand again. And this time, she made the fire herself.

Maybe there is a reason.

Blake felt better. Different, but better. Suddenly, she heard a loud shifting. Two large forces were moving slowly in the distance. By the sense of the sound, she could tell whatever they were, were moving with a lot of force behind them. Suddenly a gust of wind blew forward. It picked up leaves of the musk of the swamplands it's direction. The wind was strong enough to pick up her hair and make her close her eyes. She shielded her face with her arms in an attempt to keep her eyes open. Then, it stopped. Just as fast as it came, it left. Blake looked around. She hadn't left the spot she was standing. She was still about to leave the first fire tower, still over the monster whose face she burned, still just standing there. Then the wind came back.

'Kill them'

It whispered in her ear with menace. No, into her mind. She quickened her breath as the wind kept steady. Whatever it was that kept the wind coming, was telling her to go in that direction. But who? Who did she need to kill?

Blake took off in a sudden bolt in that same direction. The wind blowing against her face being the only guide for as to where she needed to go. Her eyes narrowed like that of a stalking predator. Both her ears were listening. For anything. Only picking up the wind constantly moving against her she was ever vigilant. She didn't know what was drawing her to wherever she was going, but she knew it was a force she hadn't felt before. Through water and dirt and trees she didn't care about staying off the ground. She only ran past whatever got in her way in an attempt to get there faster.

Where where where? Where is it?!

A light flared in the distance. It was a fire. She could see this. She ran, and jumped and dashed even faster. Finally she arrived. There were two giant stone doors, pushed open by whatever unknown force. This was what she heard. This is where the wind came from. There were three lit fires covering the land before the door in stone dishes. She wasn't here fast enough. They had already gone through. She drew her weapons. The path forward split off into different directions, going up to god knows where.

Taking her first step forward she fell forward onto one knee. An immediate haze took over her. She was sensing something. The haze left and she had a moment of clarity. Turning around she looked to see where it is she was exactly. She was only going further into this swamp. But there were so many things she had just skimmed right over. Behind her was another bridge sloped into the water, leading up into another stone brick structure. More swamp, and another stone brick structure she had completely passed over. This didn't make sense. Why didn't she remember seeing this? She had felt the calling of her soul to this very spot only for her to realize, everything else was dead.

She heard the screams of the things up ahead. The pain, the terror, everything became present. Where was she? What was this place? She had just come to this very spot to up till now, everything else was dying and being killed. Should she really go forward? Was this calling to her what everything else in this swamp was feeling? Right up until the point it died?!

She heard more blood curdling screams. Some were different. Not just the monsters she was used to. The path before her was lit with a new light. Everything for Blake changed all of a sudden. Behind her was everything cleared out by a force other than herself. She could very well die again. Should she really be going any further into rotten forest? Even the forest itself was dying. She looked back. The path back to her fire she came from was a long one back. Everything, at least almost everything was dead in its way. She could just go back. And rest at her fire. But then why did she feel the need to go through this stone gate?!

'Clang'

Her heart beat faster.

'Slash'

Her eyes searched for an answer.

'Scrape'

She walked forward.

'Ring'

She drew her sword. She didn't know what lied ahead. She knew it was something bad. Something she couldn't explain allowed her to know. She felt what was up ahead. There were some things this world couldn't prepare her for. But this was one of them. What she wasn't prepared for is what came after.

The path ahead was long and dirt mostly. There were stones making steps. The stairs only lead to more dirt. She kept climbing the path until she reached a new sight. There was a clear stone brick pathway leading to the place. This was where she was being called to. The giant huge building. There were bodies. Some of new creatures. Some of the purple monsters. Then something she didn't expect to see.

There was a person clawing along the ground. Heading along the path to where the doors of the massive building lie. The doors were calling her. The blood ran along the path they crawled. They weren't the purple monster, and they weren't the body she had just stepped over. It had no wings, and had no spears or sticks, and now, not even its legs. It had dark black almost dark charcoal like armor. It almost seemed immortal in its struggle to keep going forward. It's wide sword in hand it tirelessly dragged forward.

Blake slowly approached the dying thing. She attempted to touch it but was met with a low grunt, almost as if threatening her. It was in no condition to do so. Lazily swinging its sword it an attempt to fend her off, Blake kicked it's sword away. She then kicked it's shoulder and flipped it over onto it's back.

It's face looked like a representation of death itself. It scowled at her. Its hand glowed a bright pale from a red substance on it's hand. It reached for her in an attempt to grab her, but blake just bat it's hand away with her sheath. Stepping on its arm to hold it still she held her sword to its throat.

"What, is this place? What am I?!", Blake demanded.

The thing only gave a strange noise as it groaned and died. She had heard something. Something she didn't want to believe. She had heard in it's low groan of distress the word "Red"

It's limbs fell limp. It died just like the rest of the life around here. It was the thing she was most familiar right now. Except the thought that came back with the color she thought she heard.

'Red…'

She let out a shaky breath as she uttered the words she tried not to think.

"Ruby…?"

Blakes heart was beating wildly out of her chest. No. She couldn't. It couldn't be Ruby right? She can't be the one she felt this evil link to. The fire in Blake grew too intense. It formed outside her closed hand around her weapon. It didn't grow. It stayed on her hand. But it surged darker and stronger than ever. Without realising it Blake walked towards the open doors that lead into the building. The sounds were loud. The clashing of steel sounded. So many bangs of splashes sounded from within her calling.

She didn't want to go forth. She didn't want to go in there. Especially if it was Ruby. Because if it was Ruby, if she was the source of this corrupted voice in her head, she would have to kill her.

Her heart shook, her breath shuddered and her gaze fell down. She felt it. She knew she had a link with someone that was in there. Something screamed at her not to go in there. But another told her she needed to stop this. There were some kind of forces in there that she had to stopped. There were two strong presences in there. She didn't know which one she had to kill. But she had to stop one of them. Her soul demanded it. And she stepped into the building.

She could feel her heart. Her senses falter. She knew the person. Someone she cared for very much. Suddenly the clashing stopped, and a huge sword pierced the flesh of the only other person in the room standing. The blood spilled to the puddles on the floor making horrifically huge pools. There were far too many bodies she saw in there. The amounts of blood everywhere were ridiculous. This was the root of the evil. But this gave her the same feeling as the memory she had. The one forced into her mind. Being swallowed by the abyss, not being able to stop from being drawn her in. This was the abyss. This is what was calling her. The roaring in her ears, the wind calling from the swamp, the blackness, the blood. It all made sense to her now. This was her abyss.

But she knew if she went in there, she would never leave the same. Maybe she would never leave at all even. A scream welled up in her throat, but could never find it's way out. It was his name. Then the other thrusted his sword farther through his chest. And he gave out a bloody, coughing scream.

Tears welled up in her eyes. And he fell to the floor. The one who was responsible turned to her. It was him. The one who had killed her. The bodies on the floor were almost identical. But she could tell. She could see it in his eyes. The same hat, sword, dagger and armor donned in realization. She had found the person who killed her. And now, she had found him killing the one person she expected to never see again. At least not in the likes of this.

"ADAM!"

And Blake's flame would never return from black.

I'm sorry this chapter is short. But the next will be a long chapter. I promise. This chapter was focused solely on development of Blake's character. I have a plan for each character. Their paths are separate, but they are bound by fate here. There will only be more darkness in the future. Hence the fate of the dark soul. But hey, Blake finally showing some humanity right? Both in the literal way and the dark souls way. It's ironic right? The one who strives for equality between both races is the most human in nature, but tries to hide it anyway? At least I think it's ironic. Blake tries to distance herself from literal human qualities so much, she tries to find the things she hides in her books. I know. Because I'm the same way. Blake used to be my favorite character until season 4 where she started acting weird and her face made the expressions of characters from star fox. Now it's Qrow. Also pretty close. Except, ya know, he buries it in alcohol. But everythings good in moderation….. Blake is not gonna be in moderation. Just a heads up. Until next time everyone. So like, a few days. See ya.