Safira tried not to fidget too much as she waited in line to finish her Signal application, though she couldn't really help but swallow nervously despite herself. It had been a little over one month since she had arrived on patch and had started living as a guest of the Xiao Long and Rose family-she had never managed to find out why they had three total last names to their family- it was time for her to move in to the dorms offered by the school. That was, of course, assuming she passed the transfer exam.
Not to say that she didn't enjoy her time in their log mansion or whatever you wanted to call it, but the family was just so active that she wasn't sure if she could keep up. If Ruby and Yang weren't playing tag or some other game where they ran around at breakneck speeds then they were playing video games on their Scrolls. And if they weren't doing either of those two things then they were training with their father. Safira had tried hard to remain in the background during the day, after all she was a guest and didn't want to incontinence them anymore than she needed to, but every time she just tried to watch Ruby or Yang would see her, call her over, and after she shook her head and politely declined they would simply resort to dragging her along.
It was fun of course, so much fun. Almost as much fun as the last time she had made friends. But it was also exhausting and made her heart hurt sometimes, and it was at those times that she had to rely on Sarah to help her with the pain. And a part of her hated that, that she was forcing her sprit sister to use up her precious Aura just so she could play. Sarah of course said it was fine, that she was happy to use the stuff for whatever Safira needed, but now that she was moving out Sarah shouldn't have to waste any more of her energy on her.
Assuming of course that I manage to pass this test. Safira couldn't help but think, her depressing thoughts making her sigh in an attempt to release her nerves. She had already taken a standard test testing her general knowledge, such as basic math and history, but now she had to take a test to see if she could join the Huntsmen/Huntress course and gods only knew how hard it would be.
"Relax Safira, you'll do fine." Sarah commented from somewhere off in the distance, the older girl having said that she was going to go and look around while Safira waited.
"That's easy for you to say. What if its some really long test? What if I have to show some kind of really hard Aura technique? What if its math?!" Safira couldn't help but complain back, Sarah laughing though their link at her expense.
"Like I said, don't worry about it. And if worst comes to worst you can just ask me for the answers." Sarah answered easily, Safira nearly gasping in shock at what the older girl was implying.
"Sarah! I can't cheat on my entrance exam!"
"I'd wouldn't necessarily call it cheating. More like your making use of an information source available to you and only you." Sarah answered back. "But if you're really that worried, why don't you try some breathing exercises to pass the time. Taiyang did teach you a few after all."
"…I guess." Safira relented as she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, trying to get as much air into her lungs without making much noise.
And thankfully, it wasn't long until she was called up. "Number thirty-two, Safira Ha-Neul, please come to the front." A bored sounding woman called out over the loudspeaker in the auditorium they were currently seated in, Safira only jumping slightly at her name as she stood up and quickly made her way to the desk they had indicated. Once there, she met the bored looking woman the voice belonged to, a woman with frazzled looking pink hair in a loose bun and eyes that had too many bags underneath them.
"Safira Ha-Neul?"
"Y-Yes!" Safira answered, trying hard to keep her nerves out of her voice.
"Alright, please place your hands on the panel before you so we may determine if your Aura is active." The tired looking woman commanded as she gestured to a fancy looking machine sitting on the table. Safira nodded once, gulped audibly, and placed her hands on the handprint spots the lady indicated. The strange machine made a really loud clicking noise followed by a sound like it was powering up before the green light on the side of the device light up for a second.
"Alright then, Aura confirmed. Congratulations on your entrance to the Huntress courses." The tired woman congratulated before handing the shocked Faunus a slip of paper. "This is your dorm room number and a list of first year classes that you will be attending. Please go put your things in your dorm and proceed to the auditorium for new student orientation…number thirty-three Auburn Hacket, please come to the front!" The woman continued on, Safira continuing to stand there in confusion up until the woman glared at her, the young Faunus fleeing a second later.
"Wait a sec, that's it? No duels with a teacher? No written test? No math?" Safira couldn't help but complain as she followed the posted signs pointing in the direction of the first-year dormitory.
"Well, to be fair, they can't really know how much training any kid has when they come in and they are supposed to be training you. So, they probably just want to make sure everyone has the bare minimum of requirements to join the program and start weeding out people as time goes on." Sarah explained as they made their way out of the gym the huntsmen course's exam was taking place in, the young Faunus shielding her eyes from the sunlight before taking a look around.
Signal was apparently the perfect example of a modern school according to Sarah, though Safira couldn't help but be curious how the spirit even knew what a modern school looked like. Every building was completely square and made out of some kind of white marble. Each building was filled with large, clear, windows that would help to let light in. The campus itself was just like the rest of Patch; green, grassy, and covered in thick tall trees. The air, while far colder than Safira was used to, was still nice and warm in the sun and cool in the shade making it an incredibly desirable prospect to simply take a nap in the grass.
It was so nice here that it was practically paradise compared to Menagerie, and Safira was going to enjoy every second of it.
But now wasn't the time for naps, now was the time to try and figure out where she'd be living for the next six years.
"Hmmm, lets see, I'm in room…316 of dormitory D…so that should be on the third floor, right?" Safira thought out loud as she wandered through the campus looking for said building.
"Should be yes, that's the dorm for the incoming freshmen if I remember correctly. Just go put your stuff down and let's head to the auditorium like the woman said." Sarah answered, sounding pretty bored with everything that was going on, Safira giggling quietly at the spirits deadpan tone.
"Ya, I guess I should. This bag is getting pretty heavy anyway." Safira agreed as she adjusted the bag.
Sure enough, Safira's new room was on the third floor of the newly vacated dormitory D. and while the young Faunus wasn't exactly too keen on having to climb three sets of stairs a day just to get back to her bed, she couldn't exactly complain when Sarah reminded her that she could always use exercise considering her future plans. Thankfully, once she arrived on the third floor, it didn't take her long to reach her assigned room, an unassuming door in a hallway filled with similar doors, and waved her Scroll in front of it to unlock it.
Opening the door to the pretty standard dorm room, Safira was surprised to see her roommate already present sitting on one of the beds. The girl was taller than Safira by a good head and a half but look didn't look like she had been training as much as the young Faunus, her limbs far thinner than even Safira's. her hair, a fiery red color that was almost pink in its intensity, was done up in an impressive braid that was hanging off to the side. Her outfit was clearly from some kind of boutique and probably cost more Lien than the entirety of Safira's wardrobe, as the Faunus had lived most of her life with homemade clothes or buying something on the rare occasion when the ships brought such things to Menagerie.
The girl looked up from her Scroll at the noise of Safira entering the room and almost instantly the young Faunus picked up on the other girl's disgust and annoyance. Her lips twisted slightly into a scowl, her eyes narrowed, and her body tensed slightly but noticeably…all signs that pointed to a fact that Safira was really hopping wasn't true.
So, she tried to ignore the signs the other girl was giving off when she smiled and held out her hand. "Oh, you must be my roommate. I'm Safira Ha-Neul. Its nice to meet you." She greeted, trying hard to sound as friendly as possible. She could feel Sarah hovering nearby, the older girl's suspicion and mutual dislike leaking though their link briefly before the spirit managed to get ahold over her emotions.
But what Safira had been dreading came to pass, as the girl stared at Safira's outstretched hand for a moment, clicked her tongue, and crossed her arms in a clear dismissal. "Great, of all losers I had to get stuck with, I had to get one of the animals." The girls scoffed, Safira flinching at her words and tone. "Look Faunus, since we're stuck together for the next six years, I'm going to just spell this out for you now so you can get it through your thick skull. I'm Tuli Ansger and I'm going to be the best Huntress of our generation. And I can't afford to have something as stupid as a room reassignment on my record if I'm going to do that. So, here's how this is going to work. You stay on your side of the room, you don't talk to me, and above all don't touch my stuff, and I won't acknowledge you in any way. Deal?"
"…I…Y-yea…I guess that works." Safira muttered, trying not to cry at the various insults her new roommate was throwing out. It had been foolish of her to think that just because the Xiao Longs and Ruby had been so nice that everyone she would meet here would be just like that family.
Tuli continued to glare at her for a second more before she sighed once again, stood, and pushed past the green-eyed Faunus. "Well I'm going to the Auditorium. Don't follow after me too soon, I don't want anyone associate me with someone like you too soon." And with that the red head slammed the door shut, leaving Safira staring at the ground in despair.
"…You know, I can haunt her if you want me to. I did get some good practice on that little brat Adam after all." Sarah deadpanned after a moment, Safira realizing a humorless laugh at her best friends' tone.
"N-no, at least not yet…also, when exactly did you haunt Adam? You never mentioned that before." Safira returned, her own eyes narrowing in suspicion as Sarah turned away.
"Oh, you know…anyway. You should follow your bitch of a roommate's example and get your stuff put away and get down to the auditorium. Maybe you can find some nice Faunus who will be your friend."
"Yeah…maybe." Safira agreed after a moment, even if she didn't really feel like that was going to happen. "And I'm not dropping that whole haunting Adam thing. Your explaining that."
"…Drat, I was hoping that you'd get distracted from that."
Finding the auditorium hadn't been too much of a challenge, as there were giant arrows all over the place pointing in the general direction of said building, but boy was it a lot bigger than Safira was expecting. They called it an auditorium, but looking up at it the young Faunus couldn't help but compare it to a mini stadium. A description that Sarah agreed with as well. The seats rose far into the air, to the point where Safira was certain that only Faunus like her dad could actually see the center ring. Speaking of, the center of the massive auditorium held a circular raised platform, one quite similar to all the ones Safira had seen online in Huntsman tournament videos. This place was an arena for watching fights and was clearly built to accommodate every single student in the school and then some.
Safira couldn't help but freeze slightly as she walked into the part of the stand dedicated to first years. There were so many kids sitting there, talking amongst themselves, laughing, yelling, or just sitting quietly, that the young Faunus couldn't help but panic slightly. Any one of the humans could be someone who was like her roommate…or worse. She couldn't even see the Yang, the one living human she knew here that she knew wasn't an awful person. Without even intending to Safira placed a hand over her neck, the same place where the man had held his knife, as she struggled to take a step forward
But before she could freak out too much, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, the larger hand squeezing slightly in reassurance. And just like that, Safira's mind calmed. The young Faunus smiling slightly before taking a deep breath and making her way though the sea of kids to the first open spot she could find.
Thankfully, both the people on her sides barely gave her a second glace as she squeezed in between them. The young Faunus chatted with Sarah for a while before finally, a loud beeping noise echoed from the loudspeakers, nearly the entire stadium quieting down at the unexpected noise.
"All students, please quiet down. We will now begin the welcoming ceremony for all new and returning students. Please direct your attention to the central arena for an address from our headmaster, Professor Lama." The voice introduced, the surrounding students beginning to applaud with Safira following suit only a second later. Slowly, as if he was just out for a Sunday stroll, an elderly man started to make his way onto the center of the stage where a microphone was waiting the man was pretty old, not as old as the Elders from back home but not as young as Mr. Taiyang or her own dad. His head was mostly bald, with only a little bit of very grey hair on the sides of his head. He was also a lot rounder than Safira had been expecting considering that Signal was supposed to be one of the best schools in Vale but maybe he was more the headmaster for the regular classes? He was wearing a really elaborate robe than Safira had ever seen, even compared to the Faunus Elders, so the man clearly wasn't all that poor.
The man finally arrived at the center of the arena and coughed into the microphone in order to quiet the applause. "Thank you…to all our returning students, I hope that in your time away from this institution you continued to hone your intellect. To those of you who are joining us this year. I welcome you with open arms to Signal, one of, if not the greatest learning institute in all of Remnant. Here you will find knowledge to aid in your growth, instructors who will lead you to greatness, and to those of you who will become the next generation of Huntsman, I thank you for taking your first steps to becoming a guardian of mankind. It is through your blood and sweat that will keep the flames of humanity burning brightly…"
For the next thirty minutes the man continued to talk about how thankful he was to those who had joined the school and continued to talk about how great the school was. Safira had tried to pay attention, she really had, but after listening to him repeat a line about how "The future was theirs" for the third time she started to doze off. It was just so boring! Surely, they really didn't need to sit here for this long!
Thankfully, the man finally paused as he surveyed the gathered teens, Safira refocusing due to the silence. "So welcome, one and all, to Signal's forty second year of classes. I wish each of you the best of luck in your studies. You may take the rest of the day to orient yourselves and prepare for classes tomorrow. You are dismissed." Professor Lama finally finished, the young Faunus not even remotely surprised to hear quite a few sighs echo from her surroundings, including both her and Sarah.
"Well that was one of the most boring things I've ever had to float through…so what now?" Sarah questioned as Safira stood and joined the crowd of new students shuffling towards the exits.
"Well…maybe just explore around? Figure out where stuff is like the cafeteria and my classrooms? Maybe look for those Faunus you promised me would be here?" Sarah eventually decided, Sarah shrugging her shoulders with a disinterested "Eh, sure."
It didn't take long for Safira to figure out where everything is, as just like with the auditorium there were signs all around campus directing new students to all the major buildings. Over the course of the next few hours Safira managed to locate most of her first-year classes, the cafeteria, and a gym that was specifically for Huntress training. She did find a place called the "workshop" that Sarah explained was probably for making and maintaining her future weapon, but since first year students weren't required to have weapon training until their third year she wasn't exactly all that interested in looking inside the dirty looking building.
And it was towards the end of her tour, as the sun started to get low in the sky, that she found something that caused a smile to spread across her cheeks. A group of Faunus, five of them to be specific, had gathered around a picnic table that was just outside of dorm D and while she didn't know for certain if they were freshman, she could at the very least try and talk to them.
Putting on her most welcoming smile, Safira walked up to the group. "Hello, are you all first years too?"
One of the boys sitting on the table, a boy with a giraffe tail, turned to stare at her. "Yea…you a Faunus?" he questioned in an almost accusatory tone.
"Yes! I actually moved here from Menagerie for the Huntress course. I'm Safira Ha-Nuel, Where are you all from?" Safira answered, still trying to sound as friendly as possible. It felt weird to have a group of people look at her like she was talking to them with some sort of angle or like she was going to insult them, but considering how her roommate had treated her, maybe it wasn't so strange for Faunus to be suspicious at first.
Thankfully, the looks of the gathered Faunus cleared up immediately the moment she declared what race she was from. "Wow, that's pretty impressive! Most of us are just part of the general courses, but Gul here is part of the Huntsmen courses. My name's Snow by the way." A girl with some kind of antlers waved her hand at a boy who was grinning confidently at her, his teeth far pointier than a normal person.
"Heh, that's right names Gul Bordo and nothings gonna stop me from getting' famous! So sorry about this girlie, but I'm not gonna pull my punches during training so don't you dare hold back either!" the boy, a shark Faunus if Safira had to guess, challenged. Safira giggling at his antics.
"Of course, same to you. I'd hate to beat someone without trying." The green-eyed girl returned. Oh, thank the gods that I managed to find some Faunus who are decent people. Safira thought, Sarah mirroring her thoughts a second later.
"Heh, I told you there was nothing to worry about." The teenage ghost said from her side, Safira almost nodding unintentionally but catching herself at the last minute.
But her conversation with her spirit sister was cut short when a different girl, a nervous looking kid with black hair, raised her voice. "U-um…excuse me, but are you really a Faunus? I don't see your trait anywhere and umm…" The girl trailed off and looked away, Safira blinking in confusion for a second before she realized that ever since Tuli's verbal lashing earlier she had been holding her wings as close to her body as possible.
"Oh, sorry about that, I was trying to keep them hidden since my roommate…ah, never mind. But here they are." Safira tried to explain before simply giving up and relaxing her wings, the tension leaving her shoulders as her wings unfurled slightly. "I didn't mean to hide them but…um, is something wrong?" Safira couldn't help but ask as she looked into the shocked, pale faces of the gathered teens before her.
"Y-you…you have w-wings?!" Gul half shouted; his eyes wide as he leapt to his feet and pointed over Safira's shoulder.
"Y-yes? Is that a problem?" Safira asked, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous.
"Y-Ye- I mean n-no! Not at all your highness!" Gul quickly denied, his words only adding to the winged girls shock.
"Wh-why does he know that nickname too?" Safira couldn't help but question Sarah in shock, the spirit taking a moment before answering.
"I don't think they are using it as a nickname Safira."
"We didn't mean any insult your grace! I-I-I never meant to insinuate that you were less than what you are!" The nervous looking girl, now looking infinitely more nervous as she bowed repeatedly and started to edge away from the still confused Faunus, the others beginning to follow the girl's example.
"W-wait! It's fine! I don't think like-." Safira tried to correct their misconception as she reached out for the group, but no one seemed to be listening.
"Please forgive us! We won't bother you anymore with our antics, please excuse us!" Snow apologized and with a level of coordination that would make full trained Huntsmen jealous, the group of Faunus turned and fled, leaving a very confused and hurt Safira in their wake.
"But…but I just wanted…" Safira muttered, almost to herself, her hand falling back to her side lifelessly. For a second the only sound was the wind gently blowing though the twilight, but eventually Safira heard Sarah sigh heavily as she hugged the girl from behind.
"…I'm so sorry Safira, it looks like we both underestimated how important the legends about winged Faunus are." Sarah apologized, Safira laughing lifelessly as she shook her head.
"Yea…I guess we both did." Safira replied as she looked up into the slowly darkening sky. "I think…I think I'm just going to go to bed early today. I'm kinda over today." She decided as she turned to go back into the dorm, Safira remaining silent but sending feelings of comfort to the younger girl.
Just as before it didn't take her long to get to her room, the young Faunus slowly opening the door to find Tuli sitting at one of the desks once again on her Scroll. The other girl didn't even bother to look up at the Faunus's entrance, and in all honesty, she was kinda glad she didn't. she really didn't want to deal with anymore disappointment tonight.
Slowly getting ready for bed, Safira slipped underneath the slightly scratchy bed sheets and turned to face the wall before finally allowing tears to silently gather in the corner of her eyes. She had been foolish, so utterly foolish. Not only had she underestimated how mean humans could be, she hadn't even thought about how other Faunus would think about her. they probably thought about her like she was some kind of descendant of the gods or something stupid like that, and there probably wasn't anything she could do to convince them otherwise. She had been hoping, praying, that shed get a chance to make new friends here, some who would be like Blake and Adam and not care about her apparent status, but once again she was all alone.
And it was then, just when she was about to start sobbing, that she heard her constant companion begin to sign a song for the first time since she was a little girl. The song was just as off key at parts as it was the last time she had heard it, and considering how many times the older spirit resorted to humming in place of words she had forgotten more words since she had heard it last…but the sad yet hopeful song was just as comforting now as it was during the worst of her nightmares.
Even though she didn't turn around or acknowledge the comforting gesture, she still smiled though the tears as she drifted off to sleep.
So I couldn't find anything online about how long schooling in Remnant lasts, but for this story I'm assuming that a student studies at Signal for 6 years and Beacon for 4 to graduate at 20.
Until next time!