Author's Note: So, this was sitting, unfinished, in my Google Drive for maybe 2 years. A bit of backstory surrounding this fic: It was at a time where Volume 3 had just ended and I had no idea where the series was heading. Despite my track record of writing Lancaster fics, I was actually a hardcore Arkos shipper, but I saw the red flags of death way before the end of Volume 3 reared its head. I started thinking inwardly about situations out of my control, and what I'd do to change them. If I had a hint of what I should have done, maybe things might have turned out differently.
"Jaune,
Follow these instructions carefully. Today, you will be flying to Beacon academy, make sure you stay close to a trash can or a toilet. When you get off the flight, almost immediately, you will hear an explosion. Instead of running away, I want you to calmly walk towards it and talk to the first girl you see when the smoke clears. While getting ready for initiation the day after you land, there will be a girl with white hair wearing white clothes, it can't be hard to miss. I know what mom said, but again, try not to act cool, you'll end up looking like an idiot. I can't tell you what will happen during initiation, but all I can say is that everything will be alright.
Do some training, trust me, you'll need it. You need to remember that you're starting at a handicap compared to everyone on that ship. Having the strength to take down a grimm isn't enough. I can't tell you why, but you absolutely need to unlock your semblance before your first mission. Unfortunately, the rules prevent me from mentioning the important bits, but I can tell you how to improve. Remember these instructions and burn this note as soon as you finish reading it. No one must find out about its existence.
-Jaune"
'This is definitely a joke,' Jaune thought as he stared at the letter dumbfounded.
Jaune looked around, waiting, for anyone to jump out and yell 'got you.' But no one did. Thinking nothing of it, he decided to shove the letter into his backpack before throwing his duffel bag over his shoulder.
"Don't worry mom, I'll be okay," Jaune said softly as he walked down the trail before stopping to briefly look back at his family's home, "I'll be a hero just like dad was."
The dim glow of morning soon came as Jaune trekked to the airship station. He looked up in awe of the massive Atlesian-manufactured transport as he stood in line waiting to board. The area was filled with the loud buzzing chatter of excited students, either showing off or talking about the possibilities of what might happen during their time at the academy.
The knight looked around and took in the luxurious decor of the airship. He eyed a single trash can and hastily took the seat closest to it, not wasting any time getting comfortable in his small corner. Jaune dug through his bag to pull out the note and ponder the meaning of the small piece of paper.
'It's gotta be one of the girls playing a prank on me,' Jaune thought to himself, 'but the handwriting is too much like mine to be fake. And why would I need to stay by a trash can?'
"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister's going to Beacon with me," Jaune looked up to see another blond hugging another girl clad in black and red, "this is the best day ever."
'Must be nice going into this with people you know,' Jaune thought to himself, reminded of his circumstances, 'Maybe it's better that I'm on my own. If I can get through Beacon with my own power, then I know I'll become the hero I'm meant to be.'
After sitting anxiously for longer than he'd like, the knight put away the note once again and stood up to take in the view. He watched idly as the scenery of the lush green forest below went by while the view of Beacon Academy slowly crept into the corner of his eye. Jaune turned his focus to the tower that overlooked the rest of the campus, absentmindedly staring while he sorted through his thoughts.
'So that's Beacon, huh? The place where some of the greatest warriors and heroes are made,' Jaune rested a hand against the glass panel, 'But what if I don't measure up? I know can't do anything that those transcripts say I can do. Hell, I don't even think I can kill a Grimm on my own. Oh God, what if someone notices?'
Jaune continued to doubt himself more as the airship approached Beacon's landing strip, the headmaster's tower began to seem more like a surveillance tower waiting for him to make his first mistake. He hadn't even stepped one foot into the school, yet its eyes were already watching and waiting to expose him for the fraud he is. Despair and anxiety began to well up in the young huntsman to be. He looked away feeling uneasy, losing his footing as soon as he attempted to step away from the window. Quickly losing his bearings, his eyes darted around the ship to look for the trash can he had sat close to earlier only to find it on the other side of the spinning room.
"I guess the view isn't for everyone," Jaune heard the same voice as he made a beeline for the trash can.
As he emptied his guts into the metal bin, he heard the girl in red shout, "Oh, Yang, gross, you have puke on your shoe."
'Shit, well, I guess I'll have to apologize for that later,' Jaune thought, as he felt the ship land. Still feeling queasy, he managed to hold down the contents of his stomach long enough for him to gather his belongings to make it to the first trash can he saw on the ground.
"Turbulence got to you, huh?" Jaune turned his head slightly to catch a glimpse of bronze armor before resuming his vomit session.
"Sure, let's say that," the young knight replied in between retches.
"If it makes you feel any better, many huntsmen and huntresses that I've encountered struggle with motion sickness as well," the voice came again. Unable to respond, Jaune simply held out a thumbs-up, "Well, I hope you feel better soon. I'll see you around, I guess."
Spitting out the last of the bile that remained in his mouth, shrugging off the incident by blaming the turbulence. He popped a couple breath mints to get rid of the taste of vomit that lingered. Turning to face Beacon Academy's entrance, wondering what sort of challenges he'll face during his time here.
'I'll probably be doing a ton of training, maybe I'll get good enough to kill a Grimm, although that is in the job description. I wonder if I'll meet any cute girls,' Jaune continued to let his thoughts wander until the sound of a small explosion caught his attention. His eyes widened while his jaw dropped, the breath mints threatening to fall out, realizing the legitimacy of the note, 'No way.'