The Best Things Happen in the Dark

N

I hugged myself as I waited outside a room with someone very important.
"Quite an interesting turn of events, right Nattie?" The man on my right asked.
"Yes... I-I guess it is." I responded, staring at the floor in front of my feet.
The door opened and the man walked inside the small room, with me following.
"Ruby Rose," he said, looking at a girl with black hair and red highlights sitting at a table. He leaned over the table close to her. "You... have silver eyes." I leaned against a wall. The girl, Ruby, I'm assuming, didn't know what to say. The man stood up. "So! Where did you learn to do this?" A woman with glasses and blonde hair held up something, showing the video footage of the girl fighting.
"S-Signal Academy." She responded, staring at him.
The man with silver hair closed his eyes. "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" He opened them.
"Well, one teacher in particular," Ruby said, regaining her voice and confidence for the strange and slightly awkward situation layed before her. If I was in her position, I would still be shocked.
"I see..." the man said, putting a plate of cookies he had been holding in his right hand down on the table.
Ruby hesitated for a moment, but picked one up and ate it. She started eating the others.
"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before." The man explained. "A dusty, old crow," he looked up.
"Mmmm! Thash mah unkul!" Ruby said with a full mouth. I blinked, mouth open slightly. I was not always one with manners either, but I tried my best. She gulped and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, that's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal." She gave a regular smile. "I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. Now I'm all like, watchaaa!!" She started karate-chopping the air from her seat.
Ozpin smiled. "I noticed." He looked to me. "Nattie... why don't you wait outside?"
Feeling my cheeks get a bit warm as Ruby's eyes fell upon me, I nodded. "Y-yes, Professor."
The blond haired woman in the room opened the door. "Be careful. Don't go too far."
I smiled. "Thank you, Professor Goodwitch." I left.

Walking slowly down the street, I discovered many shops. They all held clothes, Dust, food, even hardware. It seemed this would be a good place to live.
But I already had a home. And I loved it more than anything.
My feet gently tapped against the ground with each step. I may have been a little old for mary janes, but I loved them dearly. Their dark black, mixed with my soft pink and white laced dress... well, it really reflected my personality.
'Sweet, kind, and caring', my father would always say.
"Reflecting your soul, your nature. The colors you wear, your hairstyle, and kind eyes show promise for a bright future. But are you still sure you want to spend it as a Huntress, Nattie?" A voice asked from behind, tapping my shoulder.
I turned to see Professor Ozpin. We both smiled to one another. "Hello, Professor."
"Why are you do formal when we're out?" He questioned, moving to my left side and walking with me.
I took a minute, staring at the ground in silence. Our feet stepping on the stone ground and murmured voices of the street gave a late night feel. "Yes," I said, barely above a whisper.
Ozpin looked to me. "One-hundred percent?"
I nodded. "Of course, Ozzy."
He looked at me, grinning. "There you go, unwinding a little." He nudged me with his right arm.
I smiled shyly. "Ozpin...?"
He looked at me for a moment. "Yes?" He looked ahead of us again.
"Have you... ever... I mean, how would you..." The sound of his cane, currently held in his left hand, tapped along the ground one second ahead of us. "... how would you have been if my dad never helped me?"
With the next tap, the world immediately fell silent. The tap echoed a few seconds as Ozpin stopped walking. He didn't meet my eyes, smile fading. "I...?" He asked, gray hair hiding his eyes from my position. "Well... I would have been empty. I made a promise to your father to protect you. If I failed to do so... I would have an overwhelming regret that would last for all my years, Natalia." He turned to me, ruffled my hair, and smiled. "Got that? As long as I'm around, you'll be safe. After all, you are my students."
I smiled, face feeling warm. "Yeah... I got it." Whenever I was with Ozpin, I felt comforted. Calm. Almost complete. I loved him like family, and my father back at Beacon joked about it.
He smiled kindly. "Good. Now," he sighed, eyes closing and removing his hand from my head. "I'm going to leave you here, and you shall catch the next ship to Beacon Academy with Ms. Rose, the girk from earlier with the scythe. Understood?" He raised an eyebrow at me.
I blinked. "W-wait, what?"
He raised both his eyebrows. "Understood?" He asked again, only with a slightly different tone in his voice.
I sighed, his light colored eyes relaxing me. "... yes, Professor."
He smiled. "Good. I'll tell you're father hello." He turned and walked away.
There was something about that man... something that made me feel whole.
Some reason why I needed him.
But actually... did he need me as well?