The airship terminal in Vale was crowded with students heading to Beacon. Teenagers from all over Remnant, carrying weapons of every shape and size, all chasing the same dream of becoming huntsmen.
Jaune stood in line, his small pack on his back and Crocea Mors at his hip. Compared to some of the elaborate weapons around him, his sword and shield looked almost plain. A girl nearby had a massive hammer that apparently also transformed into a grenade launcher. Someone else carried what looked like a staff that split into nunchucks.
'Show offs.'
"Next!" A tired-looking attendant waved him forward. "Name and acceptance documentation."
"Jaune Arc." He handed over his letter.
The attendant scanned it, typed something, and nodded. "You're cleared. Airship Three, boarding now. Welcome to Beacon."
Jaune followed the crowd onto a large airship, finding a spot near the window. The cabin filled quickly with nervous students. Some clustered in groups, already knowing each other from combat schools. Others stood alone, looking just as uncertain as Jaune felt.
Not that Jaune felt uncertain. He knew what was coming. He'd watched this episode dozens of times.
The airship lifted off smoothly, and Vale fell away below them. The city sprawled out in organized sections, then gave way to forest and countryside. In the distance, Beacon Academy sat on its cliff, overlooking the ocean.
A hologram of Glynda Goodwitch materialized in the center of the cabin. "Hello and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy."
The speech continued, the standard welcome message. Jaune tuned most of it out, scanning the cabin instead.
There. Near the back. A girl with bright red hair in bronze armor, standing perfectly straight. Pyrrha Nikos. Four-time Mistral Regional Tournament champion. Invincible Girl. His future partner if he could manage it.
And over there, looking slightly nauseous. Blonde hair, purple eyes, clearly not handling the flight well. Yang Xiao Long. Probably about to throw up on...
Jaune looked to Yang's left and bit back a laugh. A girl with black hair and a bow was doing her best to ignore Yang's increasing distress while reading a book.
Blake Belladonna. Former White Fang member, current brooding teenager with trust issues.
'Target located. Now I just need to find Ruby and Weiss, and I'll have spotted the whole main cast before lunch.'
Which meant Ruby and Weiss were probably on a different airship. They'd all meet up eventually.
"So," someone next to him said. "First time flying?"
Jaune turned to see a guy about his age with brown hair and a relatively simple sword at his hip. "Yeah. You?"
"Second time. Flew once to get to the entrance exam from my hometown. Name's Dove. Dove Bronzewing."
"Jaune Arc."
"Nice to meet you! Man, Beacon. Can you believe we actually made it? I heard the acceptance rate is like ten percent."
"Pretty selective," Jaune agreed.
"Yeah. My whole family thought I was crazy for even applying. But here we are!" Dove gestured to the window. "Look at that view though. Totally worth it."
Dove kept talking, friendly and enthusiastic. Jaune listened with half his attention, the other half focused on the approaching academy.
Beacon was even more impressive in person. Massive towers, sprawling grounds, the iconic CCT tower rising above everything. The airship descended toward a landing platform where dozens of other ships were already docked.
"Attention all students," Glynda's voice announced. "Please proceed to the main auditorium for orientation. Your belongings will be taken to the ballroom where you will be spending the night before initiation tomorrow."
The airship landed and the doors opened. Jaune followed the crowd out onto Beacon grounds.
It was surreal. Actually being here. Walking the same paths he'd seen in the show. Knowing that in this building somewhere, Ozpin was watching through cameras. That Qrow was probably lurking around drunk somewhere.
'Welcome to Beacon Academy, where the headmaster is an ancient wizard, the drunk uncle has bird powers, and initiation involves getting launched into a forest full of murder monsters. Perfectly normal school.'
But that was months away. Right now, he just needed to get through initiation and form his team.
"Hey, wait up!" Dove caught up to him. "You know where the auditorium is?"
"Just follow everyone else."
They joined the stream of students heading toward the main building. The crowd was enormous. Hundreds of students, all first years, all hoping to make it through initiation.
The auditorium was massive, built like a theater with tiered seating. Students filled in, chattering nervously. Jaune found a spot in the middle section. Dove sat next to him.
"So what's your weapon?" Dove asked. "I saw the sword. Does it transform?"
"No, just a sword and shield."
"Really? That's pretty old school. I respect that though. Classic weapons are underrated." Dove patted his own sword. "Mine's pretty simple too. Sword with a dust mechanism for elemental strikes, but that's it. No crazy transformations."
"Sometimes simple is better."
"That's what I keep telling people!"
The lights dimmed. A spotlight illuminated the stage.
Professor Ozpin walked out, Glynda Goodwitch behind him. The headmaster looked exactly like the show. Silver hair, glasses, carrying a cane that was definitely also a weapon. His presence commanded immediate silence.
"I'll keep this brief," Ozpin said, his voice carrying easily through the auditorium. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."
He paused, looking across the crowd.
"But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."
'Still the most cryptic welcome speech I've ever heard. "You're all useless, good luck." Thanks, Oz.'
The speech was exactly as Jaune remembered it. Short, cryptic, vaguely inspiring.
Ozpin left the stage. Glynda stepped forward.
"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins in the Emerald Forest. Be ready."
The assembly was dismissed. Students filed out, heading toward the ballroom. Jaune followed, his mind already planning.
Tomorrow. Emerald Forest. Launch pads would send them flying. He'd need to make eye contact with someone mid-air to establish partners. Pyrrha if possible, but he'd take anyone competent if he couldn't manage it.
Then get to the ruins, grab a chess piece, fight through Grimm, and return. Simple in theory, terrifying in practice.
The ballroom was enormous, already filling with sleeping bags and students claiming spots. Jaune found an empty section near the windows and set up his bag.
"Not bad digs," Dove said, setting up nearby. "Better than the barracks back home."
Around them, other students were getting ready for bed. Some were clearly friends from combat schools, clustering together. Others, like Jaune, were alone.
He spotted Yang across the room, talking animatedly with a group of girls. Blake was in a corner by herself, reading. No sign of Ruby yet, which made sense. She was two years younger than everyone else, probably feeling out of place.
And there, near the stage, setting up with practiced efficiency. Pyrrha Nikos. She was alone too, despite being the most famous person in the room. People kept glancing at her but no one approached.
Because she was the Invincible Girl. A prodigy. An untouchable champion.
And also lonely, isolated, and desperate for someone to treat her like a normal person.
Jaune considered walking over and introducing himself, then decided against it. Tomorrow would be better. Make eye contact during the launch, establish partnership that way. It would feel more natural.
The ballroom lights dimmed around ten PM. Students settled into sleeping bags, nervous whispers filling the space.
Jaune lay back, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow everything would change. Teams would form. His story at Beacon would really begin.
And somewhere, counting down in the background, his next quest timer was already running. Two to eight weeks until the system pulled him away again.
But that was future Jaune's problem.
Present Jaune needed sleep. Initiation started at dawn, and he needed to be sharp.
He closed his eyes and let exhaustion take him, the murmur of hundreds of nervous students fading into white noise.
Tomorrow, he'd prove that six months of brutal training and one dimensional adventure had been worth it.
'No pressure.'