A few days have gone by since Issei started living at Beacon. Ozpin had given him a Scroll and some lien, as well as access to the library. He spent the first day there, trying to become more knowledgeable about his new environment, which he learned was called Remnant. He learned about the different kingdoms, Dust, Grimm, the Great War, Aura, Huntsman, Faunus (this world's demi-humans/yokai), the Schnee Dust Company, and the Vytal Festival Tournament. It was hard for him to focus but with nothing else to do he did his best to remember the details, since this was common knowledge in this world. Once his study session was over he spent time exploring the campus and figuring out where everything is. He saw a few students around, which he could only assume to be the upperclassmen that were already admitted to the school. He saw their various weapons and armor and thought that he might want to get a change of attire to fit in, since all he had were the clothes he wore on his date. Thanks to the fact that Faunus exist, Issei was able to use his wings without getting any strange looks, so he flew to the town where he met Ruby and found a shop nearby that sold clothes. He couldn't help but hold back a laugh when he was looking through the Huntsman gear as he thought that he might have walked into a cosplay store, but unlike his world, combat clothes were more of a necessity here. He picked out a red jacket and green undershirt, along with some black pants and red combat shoes. Issei checked himself out in the mirror and thought it wasn't half bad. I usually just fight in whatever I'm wearing, except for my uniform for the Rating Games. I don't think I look half bad, Issei thought.

[Can't disagree with the color choice either,] said Ddraig.

So what do you think about our situation?

[Ozpin is hiding something, but seems genuine in wanting to help people.]

So it wasn't just me who thought he was a little too agreeable. Do you think he knows something about why we're here?

[Hard to say. We don't have enough information. We should do some digging once you enroll into this academy proper.]

Yeah, I'll do that. What do you think we should do about our powers?

[We can claim it's our semblance, or that it's a function of the Gear.]

Do you think we have an Aura? If it comes from the soul then it should be possible for us to manifest it, right?

[I'm not sure. It could be possible, but we don't know how to unlock it.]

We could ask Ozpin to help, or maybe we could figure it out from others as we learn.

[Hmmm…]

What's up?

[If you can unlock your Aura and Semblance, then it could be possible for me to do so as well, since it comes from the soul. He he, I could unlock a new power I didn't even know I had.]

For real?! What would that mean for me?

[Possibly it would be like you getting two Semblances. Maybe even two Auras.]

Hopefully that's not gonna raise any eyebrows, Issei thought sarcastically.

[... I've been meaning to ask, you've been unusually calm since we got here. I haven't heard you say anything about wanting to see your women since your conversation the other day. What's the deal?]

I don't know. I've just been focusing on getting by in this new world. I do think my mind's been clearer since I got here, but I'm not sure why. I just feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

[Heh. It's probably because you finally got laid before all this. You graduated in more than one way, and as a dragon your instincts more than likely filled you with a sense of satisfaction with your "conquest" and "domination" of your mates.]

So, what? My mind is clear because I'm not worrying about losing my virginity anymore? Some kind of post-nut clarity?

[A crude way to put it, but essentially.]

That's dumb, but makes a bit of sense.

[Hey, I'm not your brain. That's just my best guess.]

Fair enough. We should head back; it's been a long day. With that they went back to Beacon. The next day was spent wandering around the town and getting to know the landmarks, since he didn't get to the day before. He saw the store that he helped the other day and checked in with the clerk to see if he was alright. The man was grateful for his and Ruby's help and gave Issei a red Dust Crystal as thanks. He told him to come again when the shop was fixed and that he and Ruby would get a discount next time. After wandering around for the day, he went back to his dorm to prepare for the next day.

Finally, the first day of the academy had arrived. Issei went to the front entrance to see who was arriving at the school. He was hoping to find Ruby so that he would have someone familiar to talk to, and after looking around he found her talking to a blonde in a somewhat revealing outfit. She has a nice rack but nowhere near as good as the girls back home. Wonder what her connection to Ruby is? thought Issei. As he was approaching a group of people appeared near the blonde and they all ran off leaving Ruby alone and off balance. She fell over onto another girl's luggage carrier. The girl was in a white dress and had white hair. She reminded Issei of a devil noble with her presence, and she had a scar on her left eye. Wonder what the story behind that is… He watched as the girl in white flipped out on Ruby and inadvertently caused Dust to fly into Ruby's face, causing her to sneeze, then promptly explode the both of them. Issei had to hold back a laugh from that but was also worried about her. He then saw they were fine and was about to intervene when the white girl started going off on her again, when a girl in black came up and seemed to break it up. Issei noticed that the girl in black had cat-like eyes and wore a bow perfectly where a pair of cat ears would be. Is she a Faunus or is she just really into the cat motif? Ruby tried to thank the girl in black, but she left before she could say anything. Ruby looked down and Issei decided it was time to actually make his presence known. "That was quite the show Ruby," Issei said slightly amused.

Ruby's face lit up when she saw him. "Issei! Thank goodness. I thought I was gonna be all on my own on my first day." She then made an embarrassed face. "You… saw all that?"

"Yup. I was trying to greet you when all that chaos began, and it became hard to just "jump in.""

"Yeah, it looked like a complete mess," said a third voice. The pair looked at the source and saw a blonde boy who walked up to them and extended a hand to Ruby who was still on the ground. Ruby took it and got up. "Hey, my name is Jaune. Jaune Arc," he introduced himself.

"I'm Ruby Rose."

"I'm Hyoudou Issei. Just Issei is fine."

Ruby let out a small laugh. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?" asked Ruby.

"What?" asked Issei.

Jaune looked embarrassed as the three began to walk around the campus. Jaune had to explain himself as Issei was curious why he threw up earlier. "—Look, all I'm saying is, motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on," said Jaune.

"Look, I'm sorry, Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind," said Ruby.

"Oh yeah? What if I called you Craterface?" Jaune snapped back.

"Hey! That explosion was an accident!"

"Well the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."

Both Issei and Ruby chuckled. "Do they?" they both asked.

"T-they will! I-I mean, I hope they will. My mom always says that-. Never mind," said Jaune a bit defeated.

"Piece of advice. Don't bring up your mom complimenting you to a girl you're trying to impress. Makes you look like a momma's boy," said Issei.

"What's wrong with liking my mom?"

"Nothing, but it makes you seem dependent on her and her opinion, rather than you having confidence in yourself."

"Oh…"

Jaune seemed a bit down when his mistake was pointed out to him. Ruby was feeling a little left out and tried to change the conversation. "Sooo… I have this thing," she said, pulling out her scythe.

"Whoa! Is, that a scythe?" asked Jaune.

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle."

"A what?"

"It's also a gun," she said while cocking the rifle.

"Oh. That's cool."

"So what do you got?"

"Oh, uh. Well I got this sword, and I got this shield too," he said with the sword's sheath widened into a shield.

"That's actually really smart," said Issei, looking at the shield.

"So what do they do?" asked Ruby as she touched the shield, causing Jaune to almost drop it and the shield to change between the sheath and the shield randomly.

"Uh, the shield gets smaller so when I get tired of carrying it I can just, put it away."

"But doesn't it still weigh the same?" asked Ruby.

"Y-yeah…"

Issei couldn't help but sweat-drop at Jaune. "W-well, even if it weighs the same, being able to change the shape to make it more convenient to carry is still a benefit in of itself," said Issei, trying to throw Jaune a bone.

Jaune appreciated it by showing a smile. Ruby just chuckled while looking at her weapon. "Well, I'm kinda a dork when it comes to weapons. I did go overboard in designing my baby."

Her baby? thought Issei.

"Wait, you made that?" asked Jaune.

"Of course! All students at Signal Academy forge their own weapons. Didn't you make yours?"

"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."

"Sounds like a family heirloom to me," Ruby said a bit awkwardly. "Well I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Sometimes, simple is best. My gauntlet is also a hand-me-down of sorts," said Issei, raising the Boosted Gear that he summoned while they were distracted. "You're not alone in that."

"Oh? Did your family fight in the war too?"

"No, I didn't get this from my family. It's a, different, kind of hand-me-down."

"Different?" asked Jaune.

"The Gear has a will of its own, so to speak. The person who made it wanted the person who wielded it to have a chance against strong foes. It even has the ability to adapt based on the user's will, although it only works if the user is strong enough."

"That sounds amazing!" said Ruby excitedly as she was now staring at the gauntlet with great interest.

"Yeah, but because it has all these great benefits to using it, its choice in wielder can be a bit random. I guess it has to be picky in order for it not to fall into the wrong hands."

"Can it talk?" asked Jaune.

"Huh?" Issei responded; a bit caught off guard.

"If it has a will of its own, can it talk? Things like that usually have, like, a spirit or A.I. in it. At least, that's what all the shows I watched growing up told me," said Jaune sheepishly.

"Yeah! I remember seeing shows like that too! Well, does it?!" asked Ruby excitedly.

Issei mulled it over in his mind. He was trying to keep a low profile but, maybe having some people who know about him would make things a bit easier. He has a good read on Ruby's personality and Jaune seems like a stand-up guy. What do you think, Ddraig?

[If you think it'll help then go for it. Just be wary about what you tell them.]

I know. I won't tell them everything, but I think in time I'll be able to tell them the whole story. Issei resolved himself and smiled at the two. "Look, you two have to promise not to tell anyone about this, ok? I don't want to attract any unnecessary attention while I'm still figuring things out."

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with us, right Jaune?"

"Yeah! We won't tell anyone."

Issei took a deep breath while holding up his gauntlet. "Well? Why don't you introduce yourself Ddraig."

[Hello Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc. I am Y Ddraig Goch, but most people call me Ddraig. It's a pleasure to meet you both.]

Both of them had excited looks as they stared at the gauntlet. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh! Hi! It's nice to meet you Ddraig!" said Ruby excitedly.

"H-hello! It's good to meet you," said Jaune, a bit surprised.

[Now, I'm sure you have questions, but for now we'll be keeping things to ourselves. Just know that I help my partner in using the Boosted Gear and try to make sure he doesn't go overboard and get himself killed.]

"C'mon Ddraig, don't be so dramatic," said Issei.

[Do you want me to list the times you almost died?]

"Alright alright, you have a point."

"You almost died?" asked Jaune with a hint of worry.

"It's a long story. You don't have to worry about it. Anyways, like I said before, please keep it a secret for now. I don't want to attract attention to myself, especially since I'm starting school here basically all alone."

"Don't worry. We have your back. Plus, you're not alone. You got us!" said Ruby happily.

"Yeah! Even if we just met, you seem like a cool guy. You can count on us," said Jaune reassuringly.

"Heh. Thanks you two. I hope things here go as smoothly as this."

[Didn't you learn your lesson last time, partner? You just want to jinx yourself, don't you?]

"... I'm mad that you're right. I'm gonna shut up before I jinx anything else." Ruby and Jaune laughed at the partners' banter. Issei laughed too, and he looked at them warmly. "Y'know, you remind me of my friends back home."

"Really? What are they like?" asked Ruby.

"Well, there's a girl named Asia. She is innocent in many ways and you're kinda pure like her Ruby. And Jaune reminds me of my friend Kiba. He's a swordsman too. He actually trained me on how to use my sword, although I'm not as good as him in terms of skill."

"That's cool. What sword?" asked Jaune. Issei smirked and extended the sword from his Gear and retracted it back. "How does that fit in there?!"

Issei shrugged. He didn't really know either. He never really questioned it. "Anyways, we should probably head to the auditorium for the school meeting." The pair nodded and followed Issei to the auditorium.

As the trio entered the auditorium, they saw that the other students had already arrived. As they were looking around a girl called out to them. "Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" said the blonde who was there waving at her.

"Oh! Hey, I gotta go. I'll see you guys after the ceremony," said Ruby as she ran off.

The pair watched her run off. "Aww… Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?" said Jaune.

Issei let a laugh escape him as he pat Jaune's shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to meet other girls. C'mon, let's go find a place to watch the ceremony."

Jaune nodded and the pair found a place to stand. Issei watched the stage as Ozpin walked up to the microphone. Glynda was standing nearby behind him. As he reached the mic, it made a static sound that got everyone's attention. "I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished you plan to dedicate your lives to the protection of the people, but I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy in need of a purpose. Direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you, to take the first step."

Quite the speech, thought Issei.

[He was blunt about what they were walking into, but not so off-putting that he would scare them away. Only the fragile of ego or mind would turn away from his offer, while the strong and bold will take it as a challenge. Clever…]

It feels like there is something more to what he's talking about.

[You mean the secret that we think he's hiding?]

Possibly… We'll just have to wait and see.

Glynda walked up to the mic next as Ozpin walked away. "You will all gather in the Ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

"That was intimidating," said Jaune.

"Really? I thought it was stern but honest. Reality isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it can be close if you're good enough," said Issei.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You just need the strength to back up your ideals. I've had to learn that lesson the hard way more than once," Issei said in a somewhat melancholic tone.

Jaune looked at him concerned. "Dude, you ok?"

"Yeah, sorry. Didn't mean to bring the mood down. Let's go see Ruby. Maybe we can meet that blonde she's hanging out with," suggested Issei and the two went to meet their friend.

The pair walked around and saw Ruby, the blonde, and the white-haired girl who was yelling at Ruby earlier. As they approached Ruby saw them and waved. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Ruby. What did you think of the speech?" asked Issei.

"He kinda seemed like he wasn't all there. Like his mind was somewhere else."

"I'll say," said the blonde. She looked Issei up and down and smirked. "Hey, I'm Yang. Ruby's older sister."

"Sister? You don't look anything alike," said Issei confused.

"We get that a lot. We're half-sisters. We have the same Dad," explained Yang.

"I see. Sorry if I touched a sensitive topic."

"No worries man. It's all good. So, you're the guy Ruby wouldn't shut up about," said Yang with a smirk.

Ruby blushed and started play-hitting her sister. "Yaannng! It's not like that!"

Issei couldn't help but smirk. "So, what did she mention?"

Yang saw his smirk and got what he was doing. "Oh nothing. Just that you two had a fateful encounter at a dust shop, that ended with you guys kicking butt and you saving her from a gang of "ruffians"," she said in an over-dramatic tone.

"That's not how I said it at all!" Ruby complained while blushing and stomping her foot.

Yang and Issei started laughing at Ruby's tantrum and fist-bumped. "I can tell we're gonna be good friends," said Yang.

"I'm fine with that. I'm Issei by the way. Hyoudou Issei, but my friends call me Ise."

"That's a unique name. And who's your pal trying to hit on the Schnee?"

Issei turned around as Jaune was awkwardly trying to talk to the white-haired girl. "That's Jaune. We met up when I ran into Ruby earlier."

"Wait, isn't that Vomit Boy?" asked Yang.

Issei and Ruby chuckled. "Yeah, that's him," said Ruby.

"He's not a bad guy. Just horribly awkward," said Issei half-jokingly.

"Yeah well, if he keeps that up, he's gonna be in for a world of hurt," said Yang.

"You got that right. I think I'm gonna try to help him so he can avoid that," said Issei.

"Got experience with girls, huh," said Yang slyly.

Issei had a wide and confident smile. "You've got no idea."

That caught her interest as she was now curious what he was talking about. "I'd like to hear that story."

"Maybe later. For now, we should probably get ourselves situated for the night," suggested Issei. The girls nodded and they all left the auditorium.

Later at night, all the first years were in the Ballroom. Most had changed into their pajamas and some people were either talking or messing around. Yang and Ruby were currently laying in their spots, with Ruby writing a letter and Yang being as carefree as always. "It's like a big slumber party!" said Yang.

"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys," said Ruby.

"I know I do," said Yang suggestively as she eyed the various boys in the room showing off their physique or rough-housing. She then notices what Ruby was doing. "Is that a letter for the guys back at Signal?"

"I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Awwww, that's so cute," Yang cooed at her younger sister, earning a pillow to the face.

"Shut up! I didn't get to bring my friends to school. It's weird not knowing anyone!" Ruby said, distressed.

"C'mon Rubes. There's no reason to stress out. Things are gonna be fine."

"That's easy for you to say. You're all I have."

"What about John and Issei? There! Plus two friends."

"Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend."

"First, that still leaves you at one, second you don't make negative friends. You just have two friends and one enemy."

"That's not reassuring," Ruby said dejectedly. She looked around and noticed something odd. "Speaking of which, I don't see Issei here."

Yang looked around and didn't see him either. "Yeah, you're right. I wonder where he- Oh! There he is!" she said as she spotted Issei walking in with a small bag. "That's weird. He's in regular clothes. Does he plan to sleep in that?"

The man in question was looking around the room until he spotted Yang and Ruby and waved at them. The pair waved back and gestured to him to come over. He obliged and went to them. "Hey you two. How are you guys adjusting?" asked Issei.

"I'm doin' fine. Ruby here is having an existential crisis," Yang teased.

"Am not! I'm just, worried, if I'll be able to make friends here," said Ruby.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" teased Issei.

"No no! You're my friend! I just meant-" Ruby panicked.

"Hehe, I'm just messing with you Ruby. I know what you mean. Don't worry about it." Issei looked around and spotted the girl who helped out Ruby before when she exploded. "If you're so worried about making friends, why don't you start with her?" said Issei as he pointed at the girl reading a book. "She helped you out earlier, right?"

Ruby looked over and saw the girl from before. Yang saw where they were looking and decided to take the initiative. "Sounds like a good idea to me!" she said while dragging Ruby along. Issei followed along as Ruby tried to break free from Yang's grip with no success.

The girl in question looked up from her book to see the group coming towards her. What's going on now? she mentally complained to herself.

"Hey there! I was told that you two might know each other," said Yang while gesturing to her sister.

The girl stared at Ruby a bit before speaking. "Aren't you the girl that exploded before?"

"Uh, yeah. My name's Ruby, but you can call me Crater- uh wait. That's not what I meant to say."

Issei couldn't help but chuckle at Ruby tripping over herself. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder to help her calm down. "Don't stress Ruby. Just talk like you normally do." Issei looked at the girl and couldn't help but feel like he was talking to Koneko or Kuroka. "Nice to meet you. I'm Hyoudou Issei. Most people just call me Ise," he greeted with a smile.

"... Blake Belladonna." She gave Issei a once over. "There's something strange about you."

Issei tilted his head curiously. "You wouldn't be the first to say that to me, but what do you mean?"

"I'd like to think I'm good at reading people, and when I look at you, I see someone who has been through a lot more than someone our age should have."

"Speaking from experience?" Blake flinched at the question and Issei saw he touched a sore subject. "Sorry. That was rude of me."

"No. It's not your fault. It's nothing you have to worry about," Blake said, trying to end the discussion.

Yang decided to try and pick the conversation back up. "Well I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister. I like your bow."

"Thanks," said Blake curtly.

"So, what are you reading?"

"Well, it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over the body."

"Man, doesn't that sound familiar," said Issei quietly.

Blake heard him though and turned her attention to him. "What do you mean?"

Issei was startled a bit at Blake hearing him, but it seemed to confirm his suspicion. She's definitely a cat-girl, err, Faunus, he thought to himself. "I mean, my seniors from back home who I inherited my weapon from said something along the lines of it having a soul, and those who wield it having their souls bound to it."

Blake seemed to take interest in this. "And? Did what they say hold merit?"

Issei gave a wry smile. "Well in some ways, they were right, though I wouldn't say I have to fight for control over my body like your story does."

"You sure those guys just didn't like their weapon too much?" asked Yang skeptically.

"What's wrong with appreciating your weapon?" asked Ruby to her sister almost in an accusatory tone.

"Nothing Rubes, I swear," said Yang defensively.

Issei couldn't help but let a laugh escape him as he watched the girls. Ruby and Yang noticed him and started laughing with him. After a bit Ruby asked something she was curious about. "Hey Issei, where are your pajamas? Are you sleeping in your normal clothes?"

Issei rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed expression. "Well the thing is, I didn't buy pajamas when I went clothes shopping. I usually just sleep in a t-shirt and my underwear."

His words caused the girls to blush with Yang and Blake looking a bit interested. "Oh really~," said Yang in a flirty tone. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your experience with women you were talking about earlier, would it?"

"Yaanng!" said Ruby, trying to stop her sister. Yang's words seemed to get Blake more interested.

"Well, I was sleeping like that before I started sleeping with girls. After that-" Issei was gonna explain but had his mouth covered by Ruby.

"Stop! Stop! I don't want to hear anymore!" she begged.

"I do!" said Yang.

"Me too," said Blake quietly.

"What is with all the noise over here?!" asked Weiss. "You! Of course it's you," she said exasperatedly.

"Oh, hey Wiess," said Yang casually.

"Don't you realize how late it is? Some of us are trying to get our beauty sleep." The three girls started going back and forth with Issei and Blake giving each other a side glance seeing this probably wasn't going to end soon. Issei made a gesture and Blake took the hint as she reached for the candle near her and blew it out.

Another chapter for this story. So, after much consideration and research for the story of RWBY, I decided that instead of just sticking to what the plot, (what you could call a plot from the disjointed mess that is the later seasons), is telling, that I would add my own elements to the story (unrelated to the other dimension stuff with Mythos and his group). After reviewing the plots of the later seasons as well as seeing other peoples reviews and critics of the plot of RWBY, I decide to try and add some things to it to fill in for the blanks, especially considering certain things in the story haven't been fully explained (cough, Salem's goal, cough). Looking at the story from a distance there is a lot of empty space that could be used so I plan to do that for this story, although that won't happen until later in the plot. So for now things will be sticking close to the original for now just like with my other stories, but look forward to what happens in the future. I look forward to the comments as always. : )