Okay, before we get off the ground I need to do some housekeeping and explain a few things. SO! Here we go. Firstly, thank you to everyone who's giving this fic a chance despite an abundance of OCs. I'm trying to keep things interesting and new characters people haven't seen a thousand times before seemed like a good way to do this. I would like to state now for those worried it might take this route, even thought outside of Jett and Jaune's harems there's no real plans for what the ships will be, I can confirm here and now though none of the ships will feature an OC with a canon RWBY character.

Next order, the Sky I am writing frequently in this fic is not Sky Lark, the negatively perceived character from Cardin's team, but instead Jett's older brother Sky Blue, a former Beacon student in his own right and leader of Team SKBL who we will meet later. Team SKBL is from the original version of this fic and I have no intention of getting rid of them.

In a similar vein, Neptune is not the male Neptune from canon but instead a separate person entirely, she's not an OC though but is actually a character from the Hyperdimension Neptunia game series. All the members of Jett's team will be from this game and you may even see others from it pop up. This was done because I wanted to give him an interesting team that was different to the ones you usually see OCs with in these types of stories because I know people don't like OCs just being thrown into a canon team for the sake of it and I didn't want to be the guy that did that so I thought it better to create something that didn't make things go down that route and for another plot-related reason I won't share this early.

Please stop calling them the canon characters in your reviews, because they are not. I understand it may not have been so clear this early in the story, so I can understand the confusion which is why I wanted to make a note of this here. This DOES NOT mean that the canon Neptune and Sky will be excluded from the story, Not that the canon Sky had a big part in it past being Cardin's henchmen to begin with but it's like in our world when two people have the same first name and in a world where everything name-related has to be color themed I imagine that a fair few people have the same first name. It'd be like John or William in our world type thing. Common names that a lot of people have. Heck, even where I'm from, Sky is a very popular boy's name.

Anyway, thank you for listening to my spiel and let's get on with the chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own RWBY or anything associated.

Chapter IV: The Stage Is Set

The auditorium cleared out rather quickly, Jaune, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Joan, Ren, Pyrrha and Nora all part of the first group to get out. This would not last long since the Schnee Heiress and mysterious amber-eyed young woman made short work of going off in their own direction.

"That was pleasant," Jaune muttered darkly.

"Coulda been worse," Joan added from her brother's side.

"C'mon guys! There's no need to let a couple of bad interactions ruin your entire first day here!"

A little taken aback by Yang's upbeat response, Jaune conceded that she made a good point. You weren't going to get along with everyone and despite the awkward and mostly negative meeting he'd had with Weiss and the near non-existent meeting to the amber-eyed girl he'd gotten off to a good start with many other people. Jaune walked out of the door slowly and -

"Oof!"

The young man stumbled forward slightly, the rush of people around them had forced the crash but luckily, he managed to readjust his footing and round himself so he didn't end up on the ground.

"Sorry about that," Jaune said, looking at the fallen young man. He offered a hand to him, and the other took it. The move seemed reluctant at first but slowly the other reached up and clasped Jaune's hand in his own, allowing the knight to pull him back to his feet. In theory that was the outcome meant for the duo however the second their fingertips connected everything would change.

Twin blazes of light, one crimson and the other sapphire danced vibrantly around the other. It was impossible to see the mass of shape beneath the intense hue. The two lights twisted into the shape of a blazing hurricane then just like it had never happened the vision forced to a halt.

The two boys had not released their grip on the other, their gazes locked in an intense fashion. Mirrored expressions divulged to the other that they had seen what their alternate had. Jaune's brow lifted into an arch and of the two, he was the first to speak, "What was that?"

"I'm not sure myself," Jett answered, "That was weird."

The two finally released each other's hand and stepped back from each other. Silence reigned for a second, and Jett was the one to break it this time, "Sorry for stopping so suddenly. This crowd is insane. I'm Jett Blue."

"Jaune Arc, nice to meet you."

"You too man, apologies again."

They then went their separate ways, Jaune following after his sister, Ren, Nora, Ruby and Yang whilst Jett followed after the small amethyst-haired girl that had been beside him. Jaune's attention remained locked around the orbit of the strange vision that had surfaced. What had happened? All that blue and all that red? Jaune's gaze dipped on his right forearm and his cerulean orbs narrowed. Was it? Could it be? There's no way, was there? A soft emerald hue threatened his skin and the Arc quickly covered the back of the hand with the palm of his other hand.

"You okay?" Joan asked her brother quietly.

Jaune looked up from his hand and spotted that all of the group around him had varying levels of concerned looks on their visages and all of those were pointed in his direction.

"I'm alright," he said quietly. One thing certain, Jaune would need to keep an eye on this Jett guy if they ran into each other again. If that other side of him was reacting to his presence then he had to deduce that he might be tied to the other side of him. Could he be-? Was that possible? And if so, which one?

Jett, on the other hand, had taken the opposite route to Jaune and his friends. Astonishment was evident on his face. His eyes were opened a little wider and he was barely registering the excited words of Neptune due to being so focused on the interaction with the blond-haired boy a few moments ago. Another one? At Beacon? Was he-? Could it be true? He had to be. There was no mistaking that feeling. He was one of them, but which?

So focused on the thought of the other neither Jaune nor Jett were paying a great deal of attention to the others around them. Joan spared several concerned looks at her brother's direction long after the others had jumped into the next topic. Jaune was usually on the quiet side but this was uncharacteristically so, even for him. He'd seemed fine moments ago. Did the boy he helped have some kind of weird semblance or something? Hoping to draw him back out of his thoughts, she grabbed Jaune's shoulder, "You in there?"

Jaune launched back a little then faced her in shock, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"You totally zoned out on us," Yang cut in from their other side, "Is being around such beauty dropping you into dizzy daydreams already, ladykiller?"

Jaune's body lurched forward. His foot caught on a small dent in the ground and he quickly found his footing again. Laughter rang throughout the air and the Knight turned his head right in time to hear the musical laughter rolling off Yang's lips.

"Very funny" he grumbled.

The group of nine wandered deeper into the campus, not many words were exchanged since each of the new Beacon students were focused on familiarizing themselves with the layout of the Academy. Jaune's gaze lingered on a statue. The statue in question depicted a large man outfitted in a large set of armour. He stood stoically, gripping his sword and shield tightly. Jaune turned down toward the nameplate of the statue and locked eyes with the words inscribed upon the shining golden plaque.

'The Shining Beacon of The Blazing Yellow Death - Sol Arc.'

The name of his ancestor staring back at him did not surprise the boy. He had heard many tales over the years of Sol. Sol Arc was one of the first Huntsmen to ever attend Beacon and was one of the foremost heroes in an earlier war between the human and Grimm. The Grimm were still numerous in the modern era of course, but Sol Arc was a primary reason behind them not having overrun the entire world.

"Jaune!" Joan called back, "You coming?"

Jaune nodded once, finally turning away from the statue of their ancestor. He turned and fell into step behind the others, pulling up the rear of the group. His hands fell to the back of his head and he slowly advanced with his friends through Beacon Academy.

The door slowly pushed open, Jaune walking through into the open of the large room. All around he spotted sleeping bags lining the flooring of the room. This was the first time he could see the true volume of the first-years attending Beacon Academy. The amount wasn't likely near the amount a standard school could expect but for the strict entrance criteria this one had he was a little taken aback by the sheer number of people around the room.

Across the auditorium, Jaune catches a glimpse of one of the girls he'd met earlier in the day. Ruby was dressed in white pajama trousers adorned with images depicting strawberries and a simple black tank top. Upon closer inspection, Jaune took notice that she was clutching a small book in her hands.

"It's like a big slumber party!"

Jaune's attention was pulled away from Ruby at the sound of the new voice. Yang had crashed down next to her sister. The Knight took note that unlike Ruby, the golden-haired brawler had chosen tight-fitting black shorts and an orange tank to serve as her pajamas.

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys, though," Ruby responded to her sister. She was so focused on the book in her hands that she didn't even look up from what she was writing.

Yang took a second to pause and look around the room. A purr escaped the young woman's lips as she looked around the room at several shirtless and muscular young men splayed around. She even shot a glance Jaune's way, openly smirking at the young man who was currently dressed in black pajama trousers and a sleeveless black shirt.

"I know I do!" Yang's train of thought shifted back into Ruby's direction and she glanced at the book in her younger sister's hands, "What's that?" She asked.

"A letter to the gang back at Signal," Ruby divulged, "I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"That's so cute!"

Ruby hauled her pillow across the room at her sister. It soared through the air and smacked Yang directly in the face, making her fall backward down onto her sleeping bag. A grunt flying from the blonde brawler's lips mid-takedown as an indication that Ruby's shot had essentially knocked the wind out of her.

"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends to school with me. It's weird not knowing anyone here."

"What about Jaune? He's really nice and pretty cool. Plus one friend! Speaking of which," Yang looked up from the conversation she was having with Ruby, her eyes falling on the Knight, "You gonna stand up there all night, or are you going to join us, Ladykiller? There's a free spot here."

"O-oh right, sorry about that. I'll join you guys," Jaune said quietly. He quickly stepped over the two of them and dropped down into the empty sleeping bag directly to Yang's right. He lay back on it and placed his hands behind his head to give him some elevation, finding his comfortable spot right as Ruby was giving her answer to her sister's previous statement.

"Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend, back to zero."

"You can't have negative friends," Yang cut across Ruby, "You just made one friend and one enemy, right Jaune?"

Stunned that he'd been dragged into their conversation so quickly, Jaune fumbled on his sounds for a couple of seconds, then he nodded, "Yang's right, Rubes. Besides, it's only been one day. You've got friends all around you, you've just got to meet them. At least that's what my mom always used to say."

"A wise woman," Yang agreed, "She and Jaune are right, Ruby."

A soft orange hue erupting into life caught the attention of the trio and all three of their heads shifted in the direction of the glow at the precise same moment. Together, they noticed the appearance of a dark-haired girl peering down to a rather thick novel she had clutched to her chest, her eyes darting from side to side as she read under the light of the candle she'd set alight moments earlier.

"That girl…"

"D'you know her?"

"Not Really, She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything."

"Well, now's your chance!"

"I'm not having any part of this," Jaune murmured, falling back to his sleeping bag. He ignored the sharp glare on Yang's pale features. He got the impression that the girl reading was unlikely to want to be bothered by others unless she absolutely had to be and privately, he didn't see this situation ending in anything besides disaster. Best to not get involved in Yang's harebrained schemes to force her sister into improving her socialization skills.

Ignoring Jaune, Yang took a hold of Ruby's arm and started tugging, attempting to drag the shorter girl to her feet, "Wait! What are you doing!?"

The girl in question peeks over the top of her book, amber eyes watched both Ruby and Yang closely. She spotted Ruby's unsuccessful struggle to break herself free of her sister's grip as Yang led her over to Blake's spot and unceremoniously dumped the younger girl onto the ground beside her.

"Helllooo~ I believe you two may know each other?"

"Aren't you that girl who almost exploded?" Blake asked, turning her head toward Ruby, a slight tilt to the side as a curious expression took shape on her face.

"Uh yeah! My name's Ruby!" Ruby paused, an awkward laugh released from her.

"Okay," Blake answered, her eyes already having returned to her book.

An alarmed look crossed Yang's face, she slightly turned her head to Ruby and hissed, "What are you doing?"

The panic-stricken young girl hissed right back at her sister, "I don't know, help me!"

"So, what's your name?"

"Blake," the dark-haired girl answered curtly.

"Well, Blake, I'm Yang! Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!"

The girl now identified as Blake scowled across at the two sisters, frustration evident in her slightly tanned features, "Thanks," she uttered, her tone doing little to conceal the agitation she was feeling in the present.

"It goes great with your pajamas!"

"Right."

"Nice night."

"Yes - it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book, which I will continue to read - as soon as you two leave."

"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause."

"What's it about?"

A surprised look crossed Blake's face. Evidently, this was the one question she hadn't been expecting. After a small pause, Blake finally answered the smaller girl, "Well…It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control of his body."

"Oh yeah, that's real lovely," Yang stated sarcastically.

"I love books," Ruby told Blake, "Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters… They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!'

A small chuckle left Blake and she focused more on Ruby, "And why's that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will," Ruby corrected her, "As a girl, I wanted to be just like the heroes in those books… Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"

"That's… very ambitious for a child, unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"Well, that's why we're here!" Ruby interrupted Blake, "To make it better."

Ruby barely had a chance to finish the sentence she was speaking when she was swept into Yang's fierce embrace, being squeezed against the older girl's side, "Oh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!"

Ruby desperately tried to escape from Yang's death grip, exclaiming, "Cut it out!" as she tried to break free from the stranglehold her sister had on her.

"Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to ha-"

The near wholesome scene Jaune was witnessing would come to a crashing end in the form of Weiss' arrival. Dressed in a light blue, near white sleeping dress, she stormed over to the trio gathered where Blake was seated and cried, "What in the world is going on over here!? Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep!?"

A momentary pause, until Yang and Weiss both recognized each other, shouting toward each other at precisely the same moment, "Oh, not you again!"

"Shhh!" Ruby hissed, trying to be the peacemaker between the other two girls, "She's right, people are trying to sleep!"

"Oh, now you're on my side!"

"I was always on your side!"

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!"

"She's a hazard to my health!"

Slightly away from the group of girls, a sigh left the lips of a young man. The boy with spiky, abstractly styled navy shaded hair peered up at the ceiling through his dark eyes. Silence reigned after his fellow students' argument had come to an end. Jett didn't really recognize their voices. His own thoughts were loud enough to drown out the words around him no matter how loud they were. He couldn't shake the thought of what had happened earlier during the day. The moment his hand had met the other boy's and that vision that came along with it.

This was quite vexing, especially since he knew that he needed to maintain his focus on what was really important right now, initiation tomorrow. His elder brother hadn't told him much of what was going on but he'd been told enough to know that teams were going to be assigned tomorrow but apparently the initiation changed every year so that previous students couldn't give any family members a leg up on other students who were taking the test after them.

Jett turned his head slightly, focusing his attention on his new friend. He wasn't too surprised that she was already asleep. Someone with such boundless energy was bound to crash eventually. It was a wonder she could sleep, not only through all the noise, but with such a daunting task ahead of them the very next day.

There were only a few hours left ahead of him needing to be ready for what was to come.

And ready Jett would be.

End Chapter

This one was shorter than I was hoping but it still feels like a good cut off point. We'll be starting the time in the Emerald Forest now and I'm looking forward to showing you guys my new spin on things with this version of initiation.

Next Time: Awaken, Vanishing Dragon!

See you then!