Chapter Text
Clive touched down softly beside a group of fellow students at the landing pod; a surge of elation coursed through him. He somehow survived. He prays he may never have to do that again! Clive had never felt such relief at finally having his feet firmly planted on solid ground. In stark contrast, those unfortunate students who had failed to board on time hung suspended in mid-air, held captive by an enchanting purple gravity magic that stopped their descent.
"Those who didn't make it into the landing strategy in time failed the test and were disqualified from entrance. Please find your nearest exit to your left and follow the school entrance next year. Thank you for your time and effort. For those who have successfully landed in the pod have passed and may proceed with us to the school entrance," Lady Goodwitch's voice was firm yet reassuring. Clive felt a surge of gratitude towards the blonde student who had guided him safely; without him, he would have failed on the spot and in turn his mission.
"Whoop, whoop, suck it losers," one student said to the others as they left.
"Should've brought an extra Parachute, dumbassess," another mocked at the failed students.
The students in this school are vicious, Clive thought to himself.
Beacon Castle was larger than life, way bigger than the castles of his old home, with a color theme of majestic black-and-green, featuring a soaring clock tower that chimed melodiously, sending ripples of sound through the air. Its playful notes awakened a bridge in the distance, which gracefully descended to welcome the new arrivals. As Clive walked along the bustling sidewalks, he observed his peers dressed in what he presumed were the school uniforms.
The boys wore a sharp black blazers complemented by striking red ties. The girls donned their own variations: tailored black blazers paired with flared red skirts and white blouses. Some of the girls wore sleek black stockings; others wore playful, short socks that revealed their legs.
The skirts were daringly short yet stylish, but short nonetheless. Clive hoped he wouldn't see anything he wasn't supposed to during training with his female peers. While the students had different body types and various races and species, the uniforms they sported shared a common look, similar to the old academies of his old home, where students were expected to all look the same. Clive didn't want to admit it, but the world of Remnants and the school beacon was way more diverse than his old home. Clive had a feeling this world would be more accepting of others who differed from each other than his old home.
Students here have defining traits that set them apart from one another: their different skin tones, animal races of the Faunus, and shapes and sizes of each male and female. They have widely different hairstyles and hair colors. What truly caught Clive's eye most about the students was the weapons they carried. A dazzling and
strange array of designs and functionalities that was more than just a sword and shield. Some were sleek and practical, while others were simply ridiculous.
Clive marveled at the Hunter training castle that loomed ahead, a structure more grand than any he had previously encountered. The castle was imposing yet Venerable. Its imposing black stone walls were adorned with striking green, a color theme similar to the Kingdom of Vale, identical to the Upper towns and cities that Clive and Joshua have visited. Around it, other buildings stood guard over older Hunters and Huntresses, and Clive could feel a magical space within some areas, like a forming barrier. The pathway led to a vividly yellow brick road, lined with blooming flower gardens that burst with color, guiding the way to the school. Breaking Clive marveling of the castle was a bird student screaming next to his ear.
"OH SNAP!! A FIGHT IS GOING ON!"
" Please, everyone, stay in line, "The robot caretaker spoke, but it ran hollowly as the students. Ran toward the battle. Clive didn't pay much mind, as he had seen plenty of fights in his days and would much rather be indoors, but the crowds of students pushed him toward it anyway. Since he is here, he might as well see what he is dealing with and the type of fighters he will be expected to fight in school.
" Come on, man, you DO NOT wanna miss this !!" A blonde male monkey student, whose shirt was unbuttoned, playfully pushed Clive on the shoulder. Clive didn't try to fight it, but at the same time, he was trying to regain the feeling in his feet and the safety of the ground. Despite that, Clive felt moved because he was finally surrounded by people his age.
" Ok, Ok!" Clive ambivalently agreed.
—
Students gathering towards a fight between two combatants, two girls who seem slightly older than Clive. One of the girls reminded Clive of Jill only slightly differently; she sported long white hair that she tied to the side. A white dress, along with a white dress with red fabric that loped out from the inside, along with white boots.
She fought with a rapier to get Clive's knowledge from the time he was there. The white-haired students appear to be from Atlas due to their white, red, and blue color scheme and more winter-appropriate outfits. The Faunus cat girl she was fighting against is more of a tropical fashion. The cat girl had a graded of purple to black tights and black boots, a short black vest with a white tank top and a black scar and a black bow tie that went along with her black hair but the fire price could tell that the raven hair girl was a cat famous as her tail ( that had a purple bow warped around it) that moved along her fighting style of a more flexing doges style.
The raven-haired girl had two style weapons that she had never seen before: two flat swords, and one of them, the short one, had a ribbon in it.
"I know it was you who robbed my family partnership, just attend and turn yourself in. You white fang scum!" the atlas girl shouted with her nose in the air like a typical noble snob.
" I have no idea what you are talking about! I didn't rob anyone, you are a bigot if you think all cat fangs look the same and are criminal. Besides, I would be more worried about the labor laws your company has towards the faunus than humans," the cat girl crossed her arms.
"How dare you! I have, you know, no issues with the faunus citizens, the workers of our family company are well treated, the same as the humans and robots. But it's you, white fang terrorists, that are only making life harder for everyone involved, and trying to use the racism card is pathetic. There are more human white fang members than Faunus. A terrorist is a terrorist!"
" screw you, you have no idea what you are talking about, you Schnee and the 1% have been making life harder for everyone, and think you all know better than anyone else. It's distracting how you all are disconnected from reality. I was just going to class."
"Oh, please don't you dare try to play dumb, I know it was you who broke into the shop, there are no other cat Fanus that survive the cold climate, and the one on the camera footage looked like you. I also know you were part of the bombing on the Ice Crystal in the shopping district because you were on the security footage. Now, you're surrounded before I make you."
The two traded blows as if they were in a dance. Clive looked on in a mused manner; it was nothing like the fights back in his home when fighters usually just tried to kill each other with underhanded methods.
"So this is the dust heiress Weiss Schnee? Why is she in Beacon Academy?" the monkey student on Clive's shoulder asked
"Well, duh, this is the best school in the kingdom." Another student, a blonde girl with long blonde hair and purple eyes, smiled proudly, arms crossed. Clive and the monkey student looked behind them; the student behind them appeared to be an upperclassman. Both students straightened themselves to show more respect for their seniors.
"Oh-oh, you're the queen bee of the school, Y-Yang Rose!" the monkey student stammered, shaking.
Yang winked and smiled, "The one and only, anyways, it's part of an exchange program between the kingdoms,"
"You mean Vale and Atlas became a joint partnership?"
"Yeah, not just that, rumor has it the king of Vale and the king of Atlas are really tight and planning on joining their kingdom together as a peace treaty of the Yellow Brick Road war to mend old bridges."
"Seriously, that happened a decade ago when my parents attended here; they're still not over that?"
"Well, they are trying to get over it, soup for brains! Which is why the heiress of the dust company is here!" Yang Rose laughed
Clive looked onward into the fight ahead of them. The Dust heiress was skilled, there was no doubt about it, but the Faunus girl held her own against her.
----
"You're part of the White Fang, aren't you?!" Weiss screamed.
"What are you talking about? You're attacking me for no reason!" the cat faunus yelled back.
The air change, as if it were a magical barrier, surrounded the students and the combination.
"What is this? "Clive thought. "Some kind of magic barrier?"
The students cheered loudly as if watching a show before their eyes.
Shadows danced as the night came alive with tension. The cat-like Faunus crouched low, her ears twitching as she locked eyes with a white-haired Atlas student, a sword reaper. The blades of their weapons gleamed under the sparks of their blades.
As the fight erupted, the black hair girl dashed forward, her agility allowing her to weave between the strikes with feline grace. She flicked her wrist, summoning her weapon – a pair of black flat blades that mirrored each other, along with a long black ribbon. The heiress student responded in kind, her rapier gleaming as she elegantly countered the black-haired girl's attacks, each movement reminiscent of a ballet dancer, fluid and precise.
The heiress student was like a snowflake caught in a storm, dazzling yet deadly. The raven-haired student, refusing to be outdone, leaped up in the air. From above, she pounced down, a purple slice wave coming down, catching the actual student off guard.
The Atlas student was ready for her opponent's approach. With an elegant twist, the heiress deflected the attacks, countering with precise strikes. The battle escalates, with each combatant growing more intense and soon becoming more violent, much to the coward's excitement. Clive too watched on, holding his growing excitement at bay, but watching with bated breath, he wondered who would win the duel. It seemed both were very close. The two next, Clive, however, yelled and cheered like two drunken nincompoops at a tavern. The final moments drew near; the raven-haired student had out maneuvered the white student into a vulnerable position, her blades poised to strike.
With a fierce determination, she closed in, her agility matched against Atlas's student artistry in combat. It was a standoff, both fighters breathing heavily. Still, raven hair, girl instinct, and ferocity shone through as she laid adults dead to rights.
"Ready to give up, princess? Go back to Atlas."
"Silence!" the Atlas student said, her blue eyes glowed as , vibrating energy surged around her. The air grew with dangerous tension; the fight was becoming more personal. More deadly. Beneath the Atlas student's feet, a white symbol took shape reminding Clive of a magic circles, barriers cast. "The battle has only just begun!" she proclaimed, her voice ringing with a fierceness as she began to position herself in a pose that looked like a summoning, her sword held at a point, close to the student's face, as she stood straight, and the circle grew bigger around her.
The student cheered, bursting with excitement as if something really important was about to happen.
"OH SHIT IT'S HAPPENING"
"NO WAY!!! ARE WE ABOUT TO SEE A SEMBLANCE FIGHT?"
"NO WAY! DOES WEISS SCHENNE- THE WEISS SCHENNE HAVE A SEMBLANCE?!!"
This is bad; she is gonna kill her. Clive thought as he prepared to jump into the fight. Still, before he could, the older student next to him and the monkey student shoved past them and peered out of the crowd as she jumped into the air, faced the two girls with a smile, and slammed the ground with a single punch. The shock wave swept the area, pushing not only the two fighters apart but everyone around the area, Clive and the monkey student included, ten toes off the ground and their backs kissing the dirt.
" Ok, girlies and fellas, save your fight for school training, get back in line and head to the cemetery, unless if you really want to fight." Yang slammed her fist together with a devilish smile on her lips, looking for a challenge. "You can fight me ?"
'Nah, I'm good, ' one student said, as if reading the thoughts of everyone around and speaking for all of them. The voice of the people, one would put it. The students got up from the fall and walked away. The excitement was gone, and the place was quiet and dreaded. Neither the students nor the fighters wanted to engage in the upper clansmen in a brawl, feeling the unspoken rule that that would be a very, very bad idea, and with the demonstrate of a single punch that have left a hole (big) crowd of students feet in the air, was more than enough proof that she was powerful; the students all left in silent defeat. The air shifted from excitement to a profound sense of loss, as if something significant had died. At least the same feeling of going to school was the same, no matter what world Clive found himself in…
"Whoa, so that the power of an upper-class man, the queen bee Yang rose, I don't want to be the receiving end of her punches," the monkey student said, helping Clive up.
"Neither do I," Clive admitted
"Oh! The name, the name Sun Wukong, by the way, it was nice to watch an almost beacon fight with ya, hope to see you around." Sun left in a different direction, leaving Clive by himself, before he got a chance to thank him for helping him up or properly introduce himself
---
Everyone walked away disappointed, while Clive continued to watch as the girls left. The cat girl looked very familiar; she resembled the image he had seen in the news when he was staying at Atlas's. However, Clive didn't dwell on it, realizing that linking the terrorist from the White Fang to the cat girl at school was stereotypical noblemen's behavior, and it was beneath him to tread the dangerous path of a judgmental person who thinks all cat people look the same. He wasn't a bigot like his mother or the people in his kingdom. He was more than that. Better than that. Just as he turned to leave, a flicker of heat crossed his mind, the same feeling of heat from the Phoenix gate. Clive found himself frozen in place, heart racing. He heard a voice, a monstrous voice that brought him anxiety and sent a fire pain within his spine.
"Looks like you've noticed more than you would want to admit, Boy. You are that woman child, don't forget your blood and don't forget your instinct." He spun around, eyes wide, but there were no monsters in the area. His breath quickened as he realized the implications, the weight of what he might have heard. The same feeling of his nightmares from the hospital, flying in the sky plane with Joshua, the moment with the twins in the unpleasant club. It was an everlasting present in the back of his mind. Ever since waking up from the hospital after the night of the Phoenix gate, it was a flicker, but that was present within his soul, and it bothered him to no end that there was something within him, a small dark flame. Was it Ozpin that was watching over him, or was it his imagination? What was the voice that just spoke to him just now? It couldn't be his own mind and voice, could it? Clive has so many questions that have lingered in his mind, and deep down, he knows he will not get any answers anytime soon.
Who is watching him? More importantly, what was watching him?