Red like roses fills my dreams and takes me to the darkest path

White is cold and always judged, haunted by a cruel past

Black the beast fights against the world

Yellow beauty burned away

-x-

"Ozpin."

The headmaster put down his mug. The coffee still released some steam, so much that anyone else would probably shy away from drinking it, but it was exactly how he liked it.

A little legend the students of Beacon liked to tell was that the professor and his mug were inseparable. He found it quite humorous, if not a bit true. After all, he did spend most of his time drinking coffee, doing so alongside any other activity that allowed it.

So when he didn't reach for the drink again, she knew he was going to be deadly serious.

"It`s been a long time." He said simply, without turning his gaze to the speaker "What brings you here? I hope it's not trivialities, dear."

"I have no time for trivialities, and you know it." The woman spoke, an icy edge in her voice "Don't speak to me in riddles and flourishes, like you do with your students."

"As you wish. I do remember a time when you were quite the fun-loving girl, though."

The woman didn't respond to that. He waited a few seconds, but she continued to be silent. The silence unnerved him. As headmaster of Beacon, he was not accustomed to being ignored. When he spoke to students, they were quick to answer him, often trying too hard to be formal and making a mess of themselves.

"Well, let's get to the point, then." Ozpin finally said.

"Yes." The woman agreed with no emotion "The time you've been dreading for so long is nearing. We have but a few months before It awakens fully."

The headmaster's face grew pale. A shiver ran down his spine at the mention of It. Memories back rushing to him, of bodies and blood and darkness and violence, but he was quick to shut them all out of his mind, regaining his composure.

"You could have warned me sooner." He accused, surprised to find a bit of anger in his own voice. Did he lose so much control over so little a message?

"I could have, put there was no point in doing so. There was nothing you could do before now."

"And what can I do now?"

"As you know already, our enemy is a formidable one. Humanity will need to find great heroes to face It." She said "I believe you are going to meet some of them very soon, you will know whom when you speak to them. Accept them into Beacon. Do your precious interrogation, if you want to."

"It is a useful interrogation. You would think so if you left your bitterness of going through it behind." Ozpin said, regaining a little bit of his humor.

"I left such petty bitterness behind long ago." The woman seemed sad now.

The headmaster lowered his head, cursing his choice of words.

"I'm sorry. I should know better than to remind you of-"

"It's no matter. Just focus on the future. Make sure the girls are safe until their time comes, and when it does, guide them well, for I won't be able to fulfill such a task." The woman said, although there was still sadness behind her words.

Ozpin nodded.

"I will do it happily. I already deal with students all the time. This won't be much different, right?" He asked, trying to ease the tone of the conversation.

"Perhaps. But I believe most of your students don't have recommendations from a dead woman." The woman answered, showing a bit of a smile "Have a good night, Ozpin."

The headmaster turned around in his chair, but saw no one in his now empty office. He rolled his eyes and reached for his coffee.

"And they say I am mysterious."

-x-