"... My name is Ash, and I have done terrible things."

…

Two coffins were lowered into the cold ground, and a pale hand placed a red rose on top of one. A larger, slightly-darker hand grabbed the pale hand's wrist and gripped it before loosening its hold and taking the smaller hand instead.

"Our parents were weak, foolish, trusting." A young girl with short, black hair and amber eyed announced, frowning. "But don't worry… I will ensure that we do not end up like them, little sister." Another girl, younger and with longer black hair, looked up with dark grey eyes that were filled with tears, but she slowly nodded and gripped the older girl's hand.

"Yes, sister."

…

"I've stolen."

…

The grey-eyed girl looked up, older now, as a pale woman with black and red eyes and dark veins that stood out on her skin walked around her, examining her carefully as the amber-eyed girl watched from the side.

"... You will require a great power in order to properly support our cause." The woman announced, and the grey-eyed girl closed her eyes. "You are still weak."

"I'm sorry, my lady."

"Do not despair, child." The pale woman chided, and the girl opened her eyes as the woman gave a dark smile. "I know what must be done."

…

"I've... Killed."

…

The grey eyed girl gazed down at a white glove on her hand, her eyes filled with tears as she tugged on the end of it. It wouldn't come off.

"You must do this." The amber-eyed girl stated coldly. She was forcing a nearly-unconscious young woman to stand and pinning her arms behind her back. "We haven't much time."

"I-I can't." The grey-eyed girl announced, her expression flashing with panic. "This… This isn't right!"

"DO IT!"

"Why?!" The grey-eyed girl demanded, looking up at her sister. "This is wrong, and you know it!" The amber-eyed girl glared at her younger sister.

"In order to gain the power you need to survive in this world and stay by my side, dear sister, you must finish her - NOW!" She snapped, and a gloved hand was extended. The grey-eyed girl raised her free hand to her mouth to avoid screaming as a portal opened in her hand and a beetle spat on the injured woman's face. Red light began being siphoned out of the unconscious woman, and the grey-eyed girl closed her eyes as it entered her body and pale orange flames laced with grey began flickering around her eyes. The light stopped coming, and the amber-eyed girl let the corpse she was holding fall to the ground before looking up at her sister, smirking devilishly. "Excellent work, sister."

"... Thank you." The grey-eyed girl whispered, looking up as her tears stopped falling. The fires around her eyes went out, as did her last spark of innocence.

…

"I've lied."

…

The grey-eyed girl folded her arms behind her back and looked up at her sister with a frown as a file was handed to her. Ash looked down at the file and blinked in surprise, then she looked up at her sister again.

"... Do not disappoint me." The amber-eyed young woman ordered curtly. The grey-eyed girl frowned, then she gave a small smile.

"I won't… "I'll see you after the mission." She said, and the amber-eyed young woman blinked in surprise. "Promise." Slowly, the amber-eyed girl gave a small smile and rested a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"It's been a long time since I've seen your smile." She whispered, then she pulled her sister into a hug. "Never forget that I love you, sister." The grey-eyed girl hugged back, frowning as she gazed at the wall but forcing her tone to be sincere.

"I won't… And I love you, too."

…

"I've run."

…

A green-haired girl with red eyes groaned as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, and her eyes widened as she looked up to see a boy with grey hair, eyes, and clothed gripping the hand of the grey-eyed girl. A warehouse was in flames, and the smoke was building up.

"What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" The boy demanded as the grey-eyed girl struggled. "Do you have any idea what Cinder would do to you if she found out about this, let alone Salem?!" The grey-eyed girl looked up at the boy, glaring.

"I'm done being used to hurt people, Mercury! This is not a life I want to live!"

"Not everyone gets a choice!"

"Everyone gets a choice! And this is mine, so what's yours?!" The grey-eyed girl snapped, and he blinked. Then, he frowned as he released her wrist and raised a hand to the side of her face.

"... That spirit of yours always did get you into trouble." He spoke quietly, and she blinked. "And I loved it... But this is what I am, now. You know that, right?" The girl remained silent. "But you're right, it doesn't have to be you."

"And we're like cockroaches, us grey lunatics." She gave a small smirk. "We don't die easy... Don't count me out, just yet." Her smile fell. "Mercury-"

"Don't." He told her, his eyes narrowing, then he sighed. "You realize that, if you do this, the next time we meet…" The girl slowly nodded, and he sighed again and closed his eyes. "Run, now - before I change my mind."

The boy lowered his hand, and the grey-eyed girl gazed at him forlornly before turning and running away, vanishing into the smoke. The green-haired girl stood and stumbled over to him, her eyes narrowed.

"You let her go?!" She demanded, and he looked over at her. "You realize that they'll punish you for this, right?!" The boy nodded, then he looked off in the direction the grey-eyed girl had gone in with a glare, clenching his fists.

"Yeah. I'm counting on it... Serves me right."

…

"I'm a thief, I'm a murderer, I'm a liar, and I'm a coward. A traitor… My name is Ash." A pair of smokey-grey eyes looked up. "And I have no regrets... So you might as well finish me here."

Those were the words of a seventeen year-old girl, her hands gloved and cuffed to a steel table, her form confined to a steel chair. Still, she sat with the poise and confidence of a queen, legs crossed and tucked under the steel chair, her eyes locked with the person sitting across from her.

Her hair was long, curly, and black, the tresses pulled over her left shoulder and turning grey toward the bottom, giving off the illusion of the hair being made of smoke. The girl's outfit helped continue with this image.

She wore a grey (darker at the bottom and top, lighter toward the middle), off-the-shoulders, v-neck mini-dress with light-grey flame-like designs on the sleeves, back, and collar. There was an orange feather-like accessory on her right hip, at the top of a slit in her dress that was loosely laced with black ribbon. The strange dress ended in an upside-down triangular tail in the back, ending just above the backs of girl's knees. There was a baseball diamond-shaped keyhole on the dress' upper back at the same height as her chest, revealing a black tattoo shaped like a flame. The sleeves ended in triangle shapes, which were wrapped around her middle-fingers, with the light-grey designs on the sleeves taking over at the wrists.

She wore dark-grey leggings underneath her dress, dark-grey boots with high-heels climbing up over the leggings to her thighs. A dark-grey choker was on her neck, a silver earring with a grey gem dangling from it on her right ear while a small silver hoop resided in her concealed left ear.

The girl held her opponent's gaze, not looking away even as a white mug of coffee was set on the table. A pair of brown eyes glinted behind glasses.

"So." The man began quietly. "That was quite the confession."

"I may be a psychopath, but I'm not rude." The girl stated curtly in reply. "I speak the truth when it is asked of me."

"... You are not a psychopath, Ms. Fall. You are a confused young woman who was pressured into all the wrong choices." The man protested, folding his hands. "And I want to help you."

"Who says that I want your help?"

"Who says that I'm asking?" Professor Ozpin shot back, showing a bit of anger and frustration, before he sighed and shook his head. "It's either you accept my offer, or I will be forced to turn you over to General Ironwood."

"He'll kill me." The girl spoke, not showing any emotion. "He'd kill me in order to place my power with someone more trustworthy and cooperative."

"I know." Ozpin told her, and there was silence for a few moments. "... Ash, you would do well as a Huntress. At least consider it."

"I'm not exactly Huntress-material." Ash glared lightly, gently shifting her hands as if it to use them to provide emphasis. Ozpin chuckled quietly.

"Says the girl who ran away from her allies because she knew what she was being used for was wrong." He commented, and Ash scowled. "Is it still too soon for you? It's been two years."

"It was my sister who I ran from, in the end." Ash announced, her fists clenching. "And my sister who I betrayed by giving you all of that information." Ozpin nodded, frowning at the girl.

"And it is that information that may save you… Ash, come to Beacon. Train, hone your skills for good, turn your life around for the better, and learn to trust the world and yourself again." Ozpin pressed, and her body tensed. "You ran away so that you could have a say in your own life. Why throw it away now that you finally have the chance to shape your own destiny?" Ash held her glare for a few more moments, then finally let the uncertainty and fear show.

"... I will never be forgiven for what I've done."

"... Ash, I have made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on this planet - including you." Ozpin told her gently. "But you can move on, you can learn and grow, you can change."

"I can't change what I've become because of my choices." Ash reminded him, shifting her hands again. "I told you how it happened. You know that I'm… Not natural." Ozpin nodded in agreement.

"True... But, I will still place my trust in you, Ms. Fall." He told her, his tone warm, and her eyes widened. Silence fell for a moment, then the grey-haired sat up straight and nodded.

"Fine, Ozpin. You win... I'll do it."

More rewrites! I think I'm on a roll, with these updates in story and story-quality, but let me know what you think.

I only own my OC. Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks! :)