Standing on the edge of the ramp leading into the Atlesian airship, Evan, wearing his Atlas uniform, stood face to face with many people. To his left, he saw Winter give a small smile, her posture a little more relaxed and less on guard than how she usually carried herself. In addition, Pietro was there holding a large white and black case to his side. To his right, he saw the Ace Ops.
Clover looked at him with a proud smile, while Harriet had a smirk across her face. Vine, while his face didn't reveal anything, Evan could briefly see an instance of sorrow flash by in his eyes. Marrow and Elm both stared at him with a bittersweet look.
"Thanks for all the help, you guys. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for your assistance." Evan declared as faced Winter and Pietro, extending a hand forward.
"The pleasure was all mine." Winter replied as she grabbed his hand, giving a firm handshake.
"And don't think that you can start slacking off while you're in Vale. I've heard that the Vytal festival is going to have some fierce competition this year. You're going to be representing Atlas, so put all of your focus in order to come out on top!" Winter continued.
"I wouldn't worry too much. After all, you're going to be wielding some of the best weaponry that Atlas has to offer. These are the Energy Amplifying Gauntlets, or the E.A.G. Mark I. And while you're there, please let Penny know that I miss her." Pietro explained as he held the case up for Evan to grab.
"Will do. I'll tell her as soon as I-WOAH!" Evan cut himself off as he took a step back to steady him after grabbing the bulky case.
"Sorry. I wasn't expecting this thing to be so heavy." Evan said.
"Heh heh. It's alright. If you ever need any help with repairs while you're in Vale, there are some assembly manuals within the case, alongside some spare parts and tools. If you give it to Penny, she'll be able to easily figure out and fix any problems. I also put a copy of your goggles in there as well, in case they get damaged." Pietro replied with a smile.
Placing the case to his left. He turned to the Ace Ops. "Thanks for being there for me. I hope that we'll be able to see each other soon rather than later."
"Hey, I'll be cheering you on, kid, through the whole festival! We all will be! You're going to knock their socks off!" Elm exclaimed as she gave him a big hug as he was lifted into the air.
Returning it back, Evan was placed back down on the ramp.
"I'm with Elm. I think you'll do great, man!" Marrow yelled with glee as he raised his fist into the air.
"You're an honorary Ace Ops in my book, Evan. Never forget that." Clover called out.
"Don't go too crazy on them, Evan. They might lose their minds at seeing a laser shooting, flying guy with a tail." Harriet said.
"I concur, although I wouldn't use those exact words." Vine muttered.
"Are you all set to go, Evan?" Ironwood called out from the top of the ramp.
"Yeah, I think so." Evan nodded as he grabbed the E.A.G. case and walked up the ramp and stood with the general inside the airship.
As the ramp began to fold and slide back into the ship, Evan cupped his hands together as he yelled out towards the small group on the ground, "I'll make you proud!"
As the ramp and doors closed, Ironwood placed a hand on Evan's shoulder.
"You've certainly come far from when we first met Evan. I'm certain you'll make us all proud in the days ahead. Now, I would recommend that you get yourself comfortable. There's a few small rooms on the right of the ship that you can get some sleep in. It's going to be a long flight until we reach Beacon Academy. Once we arrive I'll introduce you to Headmaster Ozpin. He's rather interested in meeting with you." Ironwood elaborated as he walked away and headed towards the front of the ship.
Lifting the large case off the floor, Evan maneuvered his way over to the right hall. There were dozens upon dozens of doors, most of which were closed. He eventually found an open, unoccupied, and clean room. Ironwood wasn't lying when he said they were small. The room was like a long storage closet, he could touch both the left and right walls with ease. The room had a bed with sheets and a pillow. There was a little dresser to the side of the bed. The area was barren besides that. It was clear with the sheer quantity of doors outside, that these rooms were designed purely for providing sleep, and nothing else besides that.
Placing the case at the foot of the bed, Evan shifted himself among the covers. The pillow felt solid enough under his head and the mattress had some give to it.
"Sleep? This is one of the biggest days of my life! There's no way that this bed will make me-zzzzzzz." Evan said before he was out like a light.
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With a light tapping on the door to his room, Evan rose from his slumber and forced himself out of the bed. Standing up, Evan's stomach let out a large growl.
"I hope Beacon's cafeteria is as good as Atlas's." Evan contemplated.
Pushing his drowsiness and hunger to the side, Evan opened the door and was faced with an Atlesian soldier.
"We will be landing momentarily. General Ironwood wants you to meet him in the hangar." The soldier explained in a dull voice.
"Oh, I-I'll be right down. Just let me grab-" Evan started to say as he went to grab the case.
"Don't worry about that. We'll have someone pick that up along with the rest of your belongings from the cargo hold. When we land, they'll drop all of it off in your room at Beacon Academy while you're with the General." The soldier said as he interrupted the young teen.
"Thanks." Evan stated as he left the small confines of the room. As he turned out of the hall, he felt the entirety of the ship shift downward slightly while he walked.
"Huh. Guess that guy really meant it when he said that we would be landing soon." Evan thought to himself.
Then, Evan saw him, the General, standing close to the entry ramps in the hangar. His walk becoming a slight jog, Evan approached the tall man.
"Hey there. I was just told by one of your soldiers to come down here. I hope that I haven't been keeping you waiting for too long." Evan questioned.
"No, no. You're quite alright. I hope you're ready, it's a bit of a walk to Ozpin's office." Ironwood replied.
Suddenly, the floor vibrated as the doors to ship opened up revealing the tall shining towers of Beacon Academy. Evan gazed in awe at the site, the building seemed to pierce the sky itself with its height. In the distance he could see various people around his age either walking about or staring at Evan and Ironwood.
"Welcome to Beacon Academy." Ironwood stated.
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As Evan and James entered the elevator, Evan turned towards the General.
"After we talk with Ozpin, do you need me to do anything else with you today? Because, I'm starving after that long flight." Evan questioned.
"Unless something else comes up today, you'll be free to spend your time however you want. You can roam the campus, meet up with Penny, or enjoy the sights and activities that Vale has to offer. The main thing that you're here for is to compete in the tournament, which begins in a couple of weeks." Ironwood explained as he pressed the top button on the elevator.
"You won't have to worry about school work either. I've set you up with a similar situation that Penny is currently in. To Beacon, you both are transfer students that still are technically enrolled in classes back in Atlas. The two of you are well ahead of your studies back in Atlas, and as such don't need to take any additional classes at Beacon unless you desire to. Although, there is a sparring class with Ms. Goodwitch that you're certainly welcome to join." Ironwood continued as the elevator soared upward.
"Wait, there's a class where you practice fighting?! I think becoming a huntsman sounds pretty amazing if that's a class I can take! I'll gladly join that class if I'm able to." Evan gushed aloud.
Ironwood let out a hearty chuckle in response. As the elevator came to a slow stop, the doors opened as the two stepped out. The room was wide and spacious with moving gears throughout the walls around him. In the ceiling, behind green glass, were even more gears which casted various moving shadows throughout the space. At the end of the room was a metallic desk and chair along with a large clock face window. Standing there were two individuals, a man and a woman. The man had gray hair and wore a mostly black ensemble with a green neckpiece. The woman had yellowish hair and wore black leggings with a white shirt along with a purple cape.
"Come in." The gray-haired man stated.
"Ozpin! Glynda! It's good to see you both." Ironwood exclaimed as he walked forward, extending his hand out towards the gray-haired man.
"Hello, James. I wasn't expecting you to arrive for another day at least." Ozpin explained as he shook Ironwood's hand.
"Well, Atlas has been busy lately as of late. My top scientists have been creating some extraordinary devices. They've created a more advanced engine that helped to cut down our long travel time." Ironwood replied.
"No doubt a result of our newest guest here, I can imagine." Ozpin said as he gestured towards Evan.
"Heh. Nothing gets by you I can see." Ironwood retorted.
"This is Evan. He's been with me in Atlas for a bit over a month so far. He has been currently training to become a huntsman and is going to be participating in the tournament during the Vytal Festival. Evan, this is Headmaster Ozpin and this is Miss Glynda Goodwitch." Ironwood continued as he introduced the two individuals to Evan.
"Hi there." Evan said as he gave a small wave towards the two adults.
"It is nice to meet you." Glynda added with a warm smile.
"Greetings Evan. I hope that you've not found my school to be too overwhelming. Many new students are stunned at the sheer size of Beacon." Ozpin asked aloud.
"It was a bit of a shock, but I think I've been processing everything pretty well. So you're Miss Goodwitch? Ironwood mentioned your class on the way up here. I'm a bit raring to go for a spar or two against some of the students here." Evan admitted.
"I can see that you're a bundle of energy. If you'll excuse me, I'll be outside. I have to go sort out some of the rooms for our new arrivals." Glynda explained as she walked towards the elevator, her heels clicking against the floor.
"While I don't mean to impose anything on you, but I would highly recommend that you keep your true origins mostly to yourself. Aside from Glynda and myself, no one else knows about your extraterrestrial past here at Beacon. For all intents and purposes, you are a monkey faunus from Atlas. With how Remnant is currently, the idea of aliens existing out there wouldn't exactly go down well." Ozpin explained.
"Sure thing. *GROWL*" Evan said as his stomach roared out in hunger.
"Is the cafeteria still open currently, I think my appetite needs to be quenched pretty soon. Would it be fine if I go grab something to eat?" Evan questioned the two men.
"You are excused." Ironwood replied with a slight smile.
"Thank you so much. It was nice to meet you!" Evan added as he turned towards the elevator.
"And to you as well. You'll find your dorm room on the 4th floor alongside the other first years and transfer students." Ozpin reminded the teen.
As Evan entered the elevator and the doors closed. Ozpin turned to face Ironwood as he poured some coffee into two mugs.
"Now, why is it that you've come all this way to Vale, General? It's a rather rare sight indeed when a school's Headmaster travels alongside their students to attend the Vytal Festival. From what I recall, they also tend to not bring legions of troops with them as well." Ozpin asked as he grabbed one of the mugs for himself and passed the other mug to Ironwood.
"Dropping the formalities, I see, Oz." Ironwood replied as he accepted the drink from Ozpin.
"I simply wanted to be courteous with our new guest, until he left us with time to properly discuss the current situation with each other." Ozpin quickly explained.
"Well, you can imagine some of my concern over some of the recent events that have been playing out in the streets and back alleys of the city below. I felt that you might have needed some assistance with that. Regardless, I think we both know exactly why I brought them with me." Ironwood elaborated as he narrowed his gaze.
"*Sigh* Despite what I've told you about...her...in the eye's of the public, we are still in an era of peacetime. Such large displays of strength are going to start making people question why you came so...overprepared." Ozpin replied as he drank his warm beverage.
"But you've read Qrow's message. If he is right then we need to-" Ironwood raised his voice as he continued on.
"If it is true, then what we need to do is tread carefully and act appropriately. This is the Vytal Festival. A celebration for all of the kingdoms to come together and appreciate our newfound peace. And such a thing cannot be so easily done if your airships are constantly hovering over the people of Vale." Ozpin advised.
"I'm just being wary about the bigger picture. Don't you understand?" Ironwood stated as lowered his voice and let his shoulders fall.
"Of course I do, which is why it is our duty as Headmasters to train our future's best defense against the forces of Grimm." Ozpin explained.
"Trust me Oz, I am doing just that." Ironwood replied.
"But let me ask you this: Do you really think that your children can win a war?" Ironwood asked as he turned and walked away.
"Forgive me, but that's rather ironic considering our newest guest that you've brought with to Vale." Ozpin retorted.
"Evan is not like the other students and you know it! Each of the students here is like a candle flame: bright, fierce, and unique in their own ways. But they are all so very fragile. Evan is a raging bonfire: strong, intense, and powerful. I've seen what he is capable of. He could be the piece that finally turns the tables on our enemies. With him on our side, that bonfire could finally be able to burn the witch that you fear so much." Ironwood declared as he turned around to face Ozpin.
"That may be true. But remember that he is still a child as well. Children, no matter how strong they seem, are bound to make mistakes eventually. I just hope that you will be there for him when he does so." Ozpin concluded.
Contemplating Ozpin, Ironwood stood there for a moment before quietly walking out of the office, the gears still moving and clicking together.
Suddenly, an intercom on the desk came to life as a voice came through the speaker.
"Headmaster! A huge food fight has broken out in the cafeteria! Who do you want to send down to break it up?!" The voice asked.
Sighing heavily, Ozpin replied, "Send Miss Goodwitch."
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As Evan walked outside the campus of Beacon, his shoes tapping the concrete below, he wondered to himself, "Where exactly is this darn cafeteria!? Wish I had a map or something on me."
In the distance, he saw two students walking slowly ahead of him in the midst of conversation. One of them was a blue-haired teen with a red and black uniform. The other was a yellow, slightly spiky, haired teen with blue jeans, and an open white shirt, showing his abs off for the world to see. As the two were talking with each other he noticed the yellow-haired teen had a yellow monkey tail, much like his own, swinging from side to side.
"So that's what a monkey faunus looks like! If he had spiker hair and dyed it black, he probably would look identical to whatever species that I'm supposed to be. Maybe they know where the cafeteria is." Evan thought.
"Hey!" Evan called out as the two teens looked behind them. Seeing Evan, he continued, "I'm new around Beacon, and I'm trying to get something to eat. Do you know where the cafeteria might be?"
"Oh yeah! We're about to head there anyway. You're welcome to join us. What's your name?" The blue-haired teen asked.
"Evan." The young teen stated.
"Cool. My name is Neptune." The blue-haired teen added.
"The name's Sun. Wait a second, I see that tail of yours. You're a monkey faunus like me, aren't you?" The yellow-haired teen questioned.
"Yep." Evan lied.
"That's awesome! You don't see many monkey-type faunuses around these days, so we gotta stick together." Sun exclaimed as he looped his arm around Evan's.
As the trio continued onward, Neptune asked aloud, "So you're from Atlas right? That uniform is a dead giveaway. What's it like up there? Being in a place with so much ice and snow just freaks me out."
"I mostly stayed inside Atlas pretty often. Anytime I got to head outside, it was freezing cold and kind of boring. You see one frozen icy landscape, you've kinda seen them all." Evan replied.
"I also see that you've partially copied my awesome style with those orange goggles. I'm glad to see that others are following my fashionable and handsome look." Neptune explained as he pointed towards his own goggles and the ones strapped on Evan's forehead.
"Well I mean-" Evan tried to say before being interrupted by Sun.
"Hold up, you guys. We're here." Sun said as he pointed to the doors to their left.
Entering the building, Evan watched as various students run out of the cafeteria. Various benches and tables were flipped over with food discarded everywhere. On the other side of the massive hall, numerous tables were stacked up to form a huge pile. Three other students stood next to the pile but at the top, an orange-haired girl stood there cackling, "Aha ha ha! I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"
At the end of the hall he was at, he saw four girls standing at the ready. The one in front, a small girl with black hair pointed menacingly at the orange-haired girl as she clutched a milk carton in the other.
"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be…delicious!" The black-haired girl cried out, crushing the milk carton, as the other three girls yelled out in agreement. Rushing forward, the girls grabbed various food off the table to use as make-shift weapons.
"What on Remnant is happening?!" Evan proclaimed in bewilderment as he watched the events unfold.
"What? You're telling me that Atlas doesn't do any food fights?! That's pretty sad." Sun replied.
"No, of course not! Food is meant for eating not-not…this!? I mean, I like fighting and I like food, but this is-*GROWL* Ugh, I flew halfway across the world and I'm not leaving this room until I've had something to eat." Evan announced as he rushed forward.
Looking up, he noticed a battalion of watermelons flying in the air. Leaping forward, he grabbed one of them mid-air. As he approached the ground, he broke the large fruit open and began to scoop up and feast on the red food inside. By the time he landed, all that remained was the rind. Tossing that to the side, he saw the taller black-haired girl grab two baguettes as she prepared herself for battle.
"I always needed some extra grain in my diet." Evan thought as he approached the girl.
Tapping her on the shoulder, the girl turned around, baguettes pointed at him like spears.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you going to eat-WOAH!" Evan replied before she attempted to stab him with the doughy daggers.
Dodging the attack with ease, Evan raised his knee upward in the middle of one of her strikes, knocking the baguette into the air. Jumping up after it, Evan grabbed and tore into the baguette as if he were a hairy paper shredder. Landing back to the ground, he watched as the black-haired girl and a long red-haired girl stared at him in disbelief and confusion.
"What's with the looks? I was hungry, you clearly weren't going to eat that, and-" Evan stopped himself mid sentence as he stared at a white-haired girl holding up a swordfish.
"You know what, keep doing what you're doing, pretend I'm not here. I'm going to go get some protein." Evan said, holding up his hands, as he slowly stepped away from the two girls and began to rush at the white-haired girl.
As he approached, he saw the orange-haired girl swing around a melon on a stick at the girl with the swordfish.
"I'm all good on my fruits for today, not to mention that watermelon and swordfish do not mix." Evan thought as he entered close combat with the two girls.
"Hah hah ha! So, I see another victim has come to try and knock the queen Nora from her throne. Well, don't think it won't-HEY!" the orange-haired yelled out as Evan punched the melon she was using to bits.
"What's wrong with you!? Can't you see we're in the middle of an intense fight." Nora continued.
"I could say the same thing. Food is sacred! It's meant to bring people together, not tear them apart! At least not literally! Also, I'm going to need this real quick. Don't worry, I'll return the weapon part back to you in a moment. Thank you so much." Evan elaborated as he grabbed the swordfish out of the white-haired girl's hands. Holding the creature up by its blade-like nose, Evan charged up an energy blast and launched it at the animal. In an instant, the creature came out perfectly seared.
"Ah! Cooked swordfish with no seasoning! Sometimes, it's the simplest things in life that make it worth living." Evan said before rapidly scarfing the creature down to the bone in a couple of seconds. When he was finished, what was left was just the skeleton of the creature.
"Here you go! Just as I promised." Evan replied as he handed it back to the white-haired girl who looked at him in horror.
Oblivious to her expression, Evan ran off to continue his crusade to consume more delicious food, while Nora and the white-haired girl continued their brawl with their destroyed weapons.
"Alright, I've gotten my fruits and grains for the appetizer, and my protein for the entrée. Now I need some dessert to make everything perfect!" Evan concluded to himself.
And there, sitting on the table was a stack of beautiful chocolate éclairs, completely untouched by the senseless conflict that raged on. Sitting down by one of the tables, he briefly noticed a yellow-haired girl and a black-haired boy engaged in a fierce battle with each other. With a mighty punch the girl launched the man further into the dining hall, but Evan didn't care. His mind was fixated on those wonderfully fluffy cylinders of perfection! As he prepared to pick up one of them, Evan knew that nothing could ruin this-*SPLAT*
In an instant, the blonde girl had destroyed the plate of dessert in one quick action. As chocolate icing and pastry covered his face and clothes he solemnly placed a napkin over the massacred plate as he bowed his head. Immediately, he turned towards the girl, righteous fury burning in his eyes.
"So you have chosen death, I see." Evan's voice boomed as he got up from his seat.
"Hey, this is a food fight, and you're at ground zero. You shouldn't expect to come out of something like this with no stains. Especially when you are sitting right there." the blonde girl replied.
"You monster! You will suffer my wrath! For all the food that's suffered at your hands, I'll make you pay!" Evan roared as he charged towards the blonde girl. Narrowly avoiding her turkey gauntlets, no doubt victims of her horrific rampage, Evan sent a sole uppercut to her chin. Sending her sky high into the ceiling, Evan began to walk back towards Sun and Neptune.
However, Evan noticed as the short black-haired girl sped towards him. Picking up all of the various pieces of food off the ground into a massive tornado of deliciousness, Evan planted his feet as he resisted the pull of the windstorm as it continued on past him. As he approached the two male teens, Evan, holding back a tear, questioned them, "Is this a Vale custom or something, because I don't know if I can stand such slaughter during every meal of the day."
"It most certainly is not." Glynda announced as she began to use her semblance to repair the cafeteria.
As everything settled down, Evan and the others watched as the blonde girl emerged from the ceiling before slamming into the ground.
"Alright, who's the one who hit-oh. H-Hey Miss Goodwitch, how's it been?" Yang announced before quickly lowering her voice after seeing the teacher.
"It was me." Evan replied as he walked up to the blonde girl, her friends standing behind her.
"Say, you're one of those transfer students right? Well, I gotta admit, that was a pretty impressive attack you did to send me skybound. I'm Yang. What's your name anyway?" The blonde girl inquired as she cocked her head to the side.
"It's Evan." The young teen stated.
"Evan. Evan. Hmm…Wait a second. Monkey tail. Spiky hair. Transfer student. You wouldn't be Penny's friend would you?" Yang asked aloud.
"Wait! You guys know Penny!? How has she been?! Are you guys friends with her?" Evan questioned the female teens.
"I guess I would say that I'm friends with Penny. We ran into her, well Weiss ran into her, late last semester. The name's Ruby Rose." The short black-haired girl explained.
"Well any friend of Penny is a friend of mine. It's nice to meet you too!" Evan said with a smile.
"Honestly, you're just as unusual as Penny is, of course you two would be friends." The white-haired girl scoffed out.
"I wouldn't go that far, Weiss." The tall black-haired girl said back.
"You don't know what he did to that swordfish, Blake! He is a piranha turned human and you can't change my mind otherwise." Weiss replied as she turned her head away. In response, Yang started to laugh as the rest of the group began to join in as well, Weiss becoming even more agitated.
As Evan smiled, he heard a voice from behind.
"If you'll come with me Evan, I'll bring you over to your room. And please take a shower while you're there" Glynda explained as she pointed at the bits of chocolate icing stuck in his hair. With a look of frustration plastered across her face, all Evan could do was give an embarrassed smile.
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The room itself was decently sized. There was a central window with red curtains attached. There were four beds in there with two on each side of the room. Various dressers and desks filled out the rest of the space. Next to the window was a suitcase filled with various clothes and outfits. And sitting next to it was the case that Pietro gave to him. Opening the curtains, Evan gazed out the window at the new green landscape before him.
"You know, maybe Beacon won't be so bad after all." Evan said to himself.
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Hello once again! I hope you've been enjoying the story so far! I had a really fun time writing this chapter, especially the food fight and Evan's unusual way of participating in it. Also, thank you to everyone who's been following and favoriting the story! I didn't think that I would have so many people interested in my little tale, but thank you once again! I should be able to have the next chapter done around this Sunday or next Monday/Tuesday depending on how things go. Let me know your thoughts on the story by leaving a quick review. Until next time, see ya!