A/N: So, in short, there is too much for me to say to say...it's been almost a year this February that I've updated. But I'll just do a TL;DR for this.

:Old Laptop is crappy piece of 8 year old technology, no writing accomplished, got this new AMAZING laptop just this New Year gaming for motivation sucks because time taken away, Job...and was attacked while walking to work so I've been recovering from that while worrying about medical bills.:

There's your TL;DR, I hope you enjoy this chapter as most of it was written since the early part of last year but...laptop issues. Thank you as always for the support that has been shown this past year and may there be many more updates to come! Clothes Please should be updated soon. As always.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or it's characters, they are the sole property of Monty Oum and Roosterteeth

Also a tiny warning for this chapter: May contain hints of attempted assault.

The world of Remnant may look all sunshine and rainbows, but underneath the false exterior of society lies within the darkness that real reality can be just as horrifying as any fictional book.

Let us delve now into the dozing Jaune Arc mind.

The night before they would explore the school grounds had them all placed in bed in the middle of the night. Everyone else was having a peaceful nights' rest.

On the other hand, a certain faunus was gripping his sheets in fear. No, he was not awake, but right about now he probably wished he was from the terrible nightmare he was having.

10 years ago

Forest outskirts of Vacuo

A young seven-year-old Jaune hissed at the foe before him. Circling him on all fours. What little of his tail there was, swished dangerously. He would do it this time!

Standing up on both his legs he jumped in front of the log before him. Puffing his chest to lean forward.

"Raaaawwwrrr!"

The butterfly, not even the slightest bit impressed, flapped its wings once in retaliation minding its own business.

Clearly disappointed, Jaune dropped his ears to his head from not getting a reaction at all.

"Stupid butterfly." The young cub, crossing his arms in defiance.

It was nearing night time and soon he would have to go home, but the last rays of sun turned the sky a brilliant orange. The young faunus had been out practicing his 'roar'. But as of late the only sounds to come from his mouth were weak growls not even close to a roar. He sighed, he supposed it was time to head back home.

He had just wandered outside of the woods owned by the Arc family. Their war from years past, left them with some entitlement and not without a fight did they tussle over their right to have it. The right that Jaune's great-great grandfather who gave his life for said war was not a poor man and worked his fair amount in life to acquire and estate and several acres of land for his own. That also didn't go without how popular it made his family name known, and Faunus alike revered them and humans as well. The late Arc and future generations only wished this leniency that they were granted could be passed to all Faunus for equal rights.

Jaune knew even at his very young age that his family was a rare one, being one of the only few Lion Faunus families left in existence. And their rare gene of having multiple faunus traits shown on their body. Plus with the outstanding efforts during the war years past in generation, as such; they were treated with...well more acceptance than other Faunus.

But not as much as you would think.

Jaune knew the way back home so he wasn't lost. He used his sense of smell to follow, sniffing every now and then for the right way. On his little trek once he came to another point where he needed to smell, another scent invaded his nose. And it was very pleasant. Almost alluring in a way, and lure it did. Veering off from his intended path.

He knew he was going the wrong way but this smell carried his feet away in another direction. The little lion was oh so young and still susceptible to the smells around him. The woods became thicker and daylight waning to darkness.

When Jaune reached the source of the smell, he found himself in a small clearing covered by trees, but the smells' source still not visible, the little boy searched around and unknowingly stepped on a pile of leaves.

"UWaaahh!"

A spring from the false leaves set sprang forward onto his small body, making go to the floor in a ball on himself. This was a hidden trap. Now frightened and very confused to what was going on.

"Hey Guys! We got one!" An older males' voice started moving towards him. Through the thicket, a large man with a long rifle across his back pushed his way past the branches and to look on at the prize. A few seconds later two more men entered the clearing with the trapped boy. When one took a fair look at their prize, he immediately was saddened.

"Ah man! It's just some kid that got caught in our trap." Kicking the ground in anger, one moved closer to set Jaune free seeing as it was just a little boy upon glancing at him, no harm done. But was stopped by their leader with a hand on his shoulder.

"Hold up." Walking ahead of his younger comrade. Upon closer inspection from their captured prize, he laughed. "We got a faunus." The tone it held made Jaune's ears flinch back. He had hoped this wouldn't turn ugly.

"But, what do you want us to do with him? We caught him instead of actual game."

"I don't think you understand boys, he is game." The dark chuckle left the little boys' heart racing. They weren't really going to...no, they wouldn't!

"J-just...just let me go! I didn't mean to trigger your trap!" Jaune tried to plea desperately. His mother, his family had warned him of humans that wished ill upon their kind. He had gotten the random bully treatment from other kids his age at school. He just didn't know he would be encountering grown-ups who felt that way so soon.

"You see boys, We don't just have an ordinary faunus here, he's a lion." Sauntering over to Jaune with the rifle across his back. Waving his hand down to the protruding tail coming from the bottom of the boys shorts. He could see the sinister smile the man gave him.

"And as you know, lions are rare. Hell, you don't even see any outside of the zoos." Clearly getting his comrades attention. They all nodded in agreement to their leaders words.

"So how much do you think they'd pay for a lions' tail?" Flicking out a large hunting knife from his pocket. Rolling it over dangerously in his hands. "This is definitely better than catching some deer skin to sell. You know how those cushy rich people in Atlas are. Finding something rare makes the money pour out." Moving over to the poor trapped boy. Jaune shivered with fear before the mans' eyes. He saw them..cold as night move over his body and down to his tail.

"Hold him."

His other hunters moved in and restrained the now flailing boy from underneath the net trap.

"N-no! Why are you doing this mister! I just wanna go home!" The crying boy sobbed from underneath the net. No matter how hard he tried he knew he was no match for a much older adult.

"Well it's simple..." The leader sneered, bending down to take a hold of the net that covered Jaune's backside. Grabbing a hold of the net and cutting out a hole big enough for him to pull his tail out. Feeling a large hand grip his tail sent Jaune to try to curl back in towards himself, but the pain fro his grip was too much to bear as he yanked for it to come out.

"You're just an animal, a filthy little faunus, no one will miss ya." Brandishing his knife near the base of Jaune's tail. "'Sides, your tail is a much rarer prize." Trying to straighten out the wriggling tail in his grasp. The head hunters cohorts held his arms and legs down.

"To us, and many others, you're just another animal, a freak." Those words hit the little boy in the core of his heart. Tears streaming down his terrified face. He froze, even more when he felt the cold steel of the knife at the lining of his pants, getting under the fur of his tail. Were they really about to do this?! A faunus he was, but yet still only a child.

The world knew no sympathy when everyone's vision is skewed between black and white.

For a brief moment he felt pain...

Jaune awoke with a start from his sleep, Jolting up in bed with force. Thankfully he hadn't shouted in his sleep as the others were still fast asleep, blissfully unaware of their leaders' late night dream. He felt positively sick from the memory. Hissing under his breath for letting this even slip.

He peeked over to the clock on the stand, reading a solid half past five in the morning. Detaching himself from the bed. He could feel just how much he perspired under his onesie, and now it clung to him uncomfortably. He needed to ditch it, or rather, it was early enough now seeing as there was no way he was going back to sleep, to wake up. Despite the fact that lions generally sleep a heck of a lot, Jaune was sometimes an early riser. That dream sure did...bring back a bad memory, and just the day before classes even started.

He hoped this school was nothing like his younger years. I mean, they were all aspiring young adults training to become the futurenoble huntsmen and huntresses. They could surely know how to grow some sense of mind, right?

Heh, he sure hoped so. Now, to gather his things and make his way to the showers without anyone up at this time. Using his heightened vision to slip through quietly in the dorm room with bag in hand, carefully inching himself out of the door and shutting it as quietly as possible with the tumble lock silently clicking into place.

Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't as quiet as he thought, a pair of eyes watching him from the moment he first awoke.

Jaune knew possibly no one in this academy was awake at these hours, unless you had early risers who like to take morning jogs and exercises before classes started. He shuddered at his own thoughts. Finding the male showers he looked both ways down the expanding hallways making sure noone was coming. Deeming it safe with a sniff, he slipped in and disrobed himself from his sleeping attire.

He felt refreshed and good as new, even if he had t left the stall yet with the hot water still pouring down on him. He would have been inclined to enjoy more but a stray sound in the near area caught the attention of his left ear. Now tensing up, swiveling his ears in every direction to hear more

There it was! A faint sound of a locker being swung open.

'Oh no'

Someone else was here. If he had truly known how much time he'd eaten up trying to clear his head he would have been out sooner. Peeking around the corner to swiftly see who it was. Around the tiled stall was another young man, a light blond Mohawk in hairstyle and a grungy get up. Jaune went back to his makeshift hiding spot so he would not be detected. What was someone doing up this early?!

His only make or break was his mind working a mile a minute to formulate speedily grabbing his towel and his new clothes on the bench just a few feet away from him, into his locker. He could fit in it actually if he thought about it-

A quiet rustling was heard away from him, then he heard a shower head turn on. Jaune exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding in for the longest time out finally. Hurrying to turn his own stall off, drying himself off hastily. He left the steam behind and grabbed his clothes in a rush to put them on. He half almost ripped his black hoodie in two trying to pull it over his head in a hurry. Gasping for air now that it was finally over his head. He could breathe just a bit easier now that he was fully clothed. Gathering up his sleeping wear and putting them in his locker, he went off to see the rest of the school, now that he was up and dressed for it.

'Of course, I would manage to be up before half the school was awake.' Thinking to himself as he rolled his eyes. The corner led to...another hallway. Sagging his shoulders in annoyance. He had to admit, some parts of this school looked smaller on the outside than the inside. Hm? Turning another corner, he always guessed with such high tech around the school, going up and down the floors would be elevators, but he found stairs instead. Looking down the spiraling staircase that just seemed to him to go on forever and ever, he shrugged and hopped over the ledge one floor at a time to make this quicker. Bounding over the final edge and stealthy speed walking off through the hall just enough to go through the double doors.

Exploring had never been Jaune's forte since he was little, but the curiosity in him just wouldn't leave him alone. He had to know what the rest of this school looked like, to know where he was at all times. He hated not knowing exactly where he was, it made him feel...lost. He wound up outside, just as the sun was rising. Taking a long sniff into the air to familiarize himself in these surroundings. He knew this place was seperated off from the main city, on its own little isle. The sun was making its way up, peeking over the distance. He was led out to a generous ledge leading to the cliffs from their initiation. Running over to the ledge to get a good look off, he felt at peace from the suns warming rays coming to blanket over and start the day. Still, he was used to sleeping for much longer periods. But now that he was out and about, today was a new day.

He wondered how his family was doing now that it was another day without him. Half of his sisters had thought him to not undergo the life of a hunter like they had with his timid and shy demeanor. Even more so his parents letting him pursue this career. But that was for another time.

It was getting much later in the morning now and he probably guessed his teammates were waking up to get their stuff to prepare for school, much less his own. Remembering how he left so suddenly in the waking hours, heh guess he should probably head back right about now. Turning his way to go back inside, pushing the double doors aside, a glorious smell wafted to his nose.

"Breakfast time!" Well there was one thing to be excited about on the day...before the first day, of the beginning of his huntsman career. Following his nose down the winding corridors with ease, closer to the smell. Being a little side-tracked, he didn't notice a pair of very strong arms wrap around his front from behind his back. Temporarily being scared to death.

"Jaune!" Almost leading to an very unmanly like squeal, he stopped short of it coming when he realized who it belonged to. Pyrrha coming up as well, laughed lightly at their bubbly hammer-wielders antics.

"Nora, I think our leader would like to stand...on his own two feet." The quiet voice replied, revealing the ravenete, with pink strands in his hair to call out to her. Nora immediately let go of their slightly frazzled leader, breathing a heavy sigh of relief from being let go, and thankful it was just them. "I uh, was actually coming to see if you guys made it out of bed yet, wouldn't want you to miss breakfast!" He passed off casually.

"I knew it! Our fearless leader is always looking out for Team J-N-P-R." Nora exclaimed enthusiastically. He of course was happy to see them, gesturing towards what he would know as the cafeteria doors.

"That being said, I'm starving! And it smells like...eggs and bacon!" Flinging the cafeteria doors open, he was assaulted with, the smell of other beings in the room, well plus food.

"Wow, that's a good nose." Ren noted, following behind his leader happily as they went to collect their trays. Everyone from yesterday's initiation ceremony seemed to have made it out okay. A few scratches here and there, some even sporting bandages, but thankfully no one was dreadfully hurt. But it was all more to the point of becoming future huntsmen and huntresses.

After grabbing their trays and setting themselves down to dig in, much to Jaune he happily began eating without a care in the world. Pyrrha seeing her leader eat so quickly with a smile on his face made her heart warm. "Slow down there, or else you'll end up choking on it." Patting his back after he coughed a few times from the inhaliation of the breakfast. The teenagers tail hung off the end of the bench, brown bristled end tip, swayed lightly near the surface of the floor.

"Wfhell, nhow that we know erfryone made it out sthhcafe...excuse me, now that we know people we know..." After gulping down the food, gestured towards the approaching Team RWBY. "Have made it to actually being here-"

"Hey Jaune!"

"Sup, Vomit boy."

"...Arc."

And as ever, Blake gave a small wave. Back to all of them. Once Ruby's rather enthusiastic greeting wore off, the rest of JNPR greeted them back. More so with more food stuffed in Jaunes mouth. While he knew Yang was being playful, he sneezed a slight agitation from Weiss in her greeting. But he would leave it alone for now. Eyes slipping to Blake as they seemed to have an understanding when their eyes met for a few brief seconds.

Ren, seeing his leader about to attempt to speak with a mouth full of food again and risk spraying it everywhere, moved in to cut him off. "Anyone unpacked yet from your team?"

"Eh, we'll leave that for tomorrow, today we gotta find out what's up with this place." Took her place on the other side of the table, waving over Ruby to sit next to her. The others say in unison, taking in the merry chatter around them.

"And seems like lion boy here is starved to death." Having a jab at his bloated cheeks. Jaune almost had the comment pass him, hastily wiping away the crumbs ad swallowing the rest of his food. "S-sorry, guess I'm just used to home. And uh, fair warning, I do have a bit of an appetite.." Proof show, a gloved hand gestures down to his ridiculously clean plate from when they sat down just five minutes ago.

"You have a friend in Nora then." Ren smirked, eyeing his partner from the side. Well, she was there.

"One of these days Jaune, we're gonna have an all out eating contest-oh! With pancakes yeah! Ren can provide those quite easily I mean he's like the best cook in the work...at least by my standards. I mean he is pretty great!" Immediately catching on to how that might have sounded to their jaded friend. "I mean that in not a bad way Ren, not at allll!"

"Yes Nora, I got it." Poking at his own food.

"Looks like someone is way too into their food." Yang tried to pole fun at Jaune.

"Ywea, vwell mmhschomeoge is-"

"Jaune we can't understand you, it's just a bunch of garbled words with food mixed between." Blake cut him off trying to help keep him from further spreading food about the table. Jaune stopped his talking and gratefully swallowed.

"Sorry, habit again." Laughing while slowing down his pace just a bit. "So, the school's not so bad yet, I mean, no booby-traps, or hidden doors anywhere."

"What makes you think there's hidden places?" Ren inquired.

"Have you seen this place? it's...huuuuge!" Jaune flailed his arms about a bit at the grand size of the place. Everyone around him just looked on either a bit strangely or that look you would give one of your most adorable friends.

"Looks like somebody didn't really get out a lot when they were younger." Yang smiled back to him. "Don't worry, where we came from it wasn't so big either, but now that you mention it this place is one of the most prestigious schools, this side of Vale." Everyone mumbled about their own reservations on the school. It was the 2nd school in all of Remnant to finally abolish the set rule of Faunus segregation. Vacuo being the 1st, their laid back continent was one of reverence for all Faunus, it being a sort of safe haven where the...least amount of racism was present.

"Yeah, I really didn't get out much.." The end of his tail swished lightly, setting his fork down on the tray. All of these people around him was a bit more than he was used to; having to hold the side of his head. "Home was never like this for training.."

Some of them gave him quizzical looks. Ruby was the first to speak. "Jaune you didn't go to Signal Academy, before coming here to you know, Beacon?"

"It's not uncommon Ruby to hear of kids being homeschooled by their own parents for Hunstmen training." Ren reminded. "Some Huntsmen and Huntresses are approved to teach their own kids or relatives."

"Oooh! Ohh! My Uncle Qrow has one!" Ruby enthusiastically jumped in. She realized a little late that everyone was staring..just a tiny bit. Yang pulled her back down by her hood lightly. "You know because, he's also a Huntsmen so he..kinda teaches at-"

"Ruby! Ixnee, on the schuntsmen-ey!" Yang tried to communicate to her little sister. The red head shook her head in understanding. Zipping her lips with her fingers. Jaune seemed interested none the less. This was the first group of people who he was actually hanging around and he felt sort of...happy about it. A smile made his face turn up, watching them all converse amongst themselves.

Breakfast time soon passed and the teens found themselves wandering about the rest of Beacon. More specifically outside into the garden area. One that was kept up to date and filled with a myriad of flowers, and water fountains littered about. Other students were about doing the same thing, some here and there.

"How many flowers does this place have anyway? I haven't seen this many even in Atlas." Weiss commented.

"I wouldn't go picking any though, I hear the groundskeeper is just a tiny bit strict." Yang reminded. Pyrrha looked back and forth, searching for someone, namely caught up in their flowerviewing of the gardens that someone had gone missing. "Yo Pyrrha, anything slide past you?"

She had almost missed Yang calling to her. "Oh I'm sorry, it's just...you didn't happen to see where Jaune went..did you?" Rubbing her arms slightly in worry.

Yangs' brightness in her face had turned down just a bit. Looking behind herself and then past Pyrrha. "Uhhh, that's a pretty good question.." Yang hadn't really seen him except for when he was trailing behind them all when they entered.

"Yang.." The buxom blonde was brought out of her thoughts and was settled on the frown adorning Pyrrha's face. The way she had said her name just now was filled with fear. "We have to find him."

"I...I know that." She too held a bit of fear in her voice.

"There are people here who, don't particularly like that he was made a team leader." Trying to get it across Yangs' head. She could only go through what happened the previous night when they were going to their assigned dorm. Some people gave him the face of disgust, even with his back turned, she had looked around to see their grimacing faces.

For once, she had liked that no one was noticing her as the athlete, Pyrrha Nikos, from Mistral. And the stares were taken off of her.

Just, she didn't want it this way.

While her thoughts were turning to worse things, she was grabbed by her hand, looking down she saw a yellow gauntlet gently tug her along. "Come on, we gotta get the others and find him. No matter what this school for training warriors into future Hunstmen, they'll all still act like a bunch of kids when it comes to this."

Feeling the gentle tug, Pyrrha went on with her and began calling out for him.

Well least to say, Jaune Arc was somewhere where he didn't expect to end up...but he wasn't complaining.

Off to the side away from the rest of the myriad of flowers in this seemingly endless gardens was a small pathway. One he may or may not have been curious about when he tripped and fell revealing an opening in the bushes. Being curious, he ventured down the pathway and a small hill leading towards to..well, this.

A small rounded off area but was filled sunlight, enough radiance to shine off a particular bush of-

"White Roses."

Jaune never really understood some beauty of flowers, well he was sitting here cross-legged, just staring at them. But something about them captured his attention for a moment in this silence. His right fluffy ear flicked, an light presence landing upon it looking up. A small butterfly had landed on him and chose him as a resting spot. He was reminded of his dream instantly but tried to shake the bad thoughts away.

"Hey now, my ear isn't a flower, no matter how appealing it looks." Of course it was directed at the insect and anyone else around would assume he was crazy. He sighed aloud. How in the world did he stumble upon this place again? Looking around for any details, he wondered...maybe he should get back to his team. He did take an off route tour to what looked like a secluded area...away from others...and these flowers weren't with the rest.

'Now that I think of it, I am off by myself and this may belong to someone very important and-holy crap I'm in a restricted area and I'm gonna get detention on not even the first day of school for looking at flowers!'

Rushing to his feet and kicking up dirt along the way to race back towards the mouth of where the hedges opened up. He planned to dive through the hedges to come out on the other side and hopefully, no one would notice. Making a break for it, thrusting himself off the forward foot and leaping through the hedges.

What he didn't expect was to collide into someone walking through at that exact moment.

Tumbling over with the unexpected someone to the ground and landing on his back. Opening his eyes up to asses the damage, the same butterfly from before fluttered across his face.

"Hey you!"

'Oh here we go.'

Feeling himself be yanked up by the front of his hoodie, he got a good look at him from the front. Taller than his own self, muscular, metal armor with a...phoenix engraved on the front? He knew this guy. Well sort of, they went before them when team names were announced.

"A-ah, I'm sorry...C-Cardin was it? I didn't mean to run into you like that!" Of course his desire to not want any confrontation make his voice hitch now. Sounding apologetic to the other teen.

He huffed in jaune's face, about to set him back down on his feet and be on his way but took a good long look at him.

Cats' eye, fuzzy rounded ears. From the way he opened his mouth and showed his teeth, small sharp canines. His eyes drifted lower to the brown tipped tail hanging between his legs.

"W-would you mind you know, um, letting me go please?" A slight sound made it's way to his ears before Cardin could hear it but he would as well. It rose up into the air to find the direction the voice had come from.

"Jaaauuunneee!"

It was faint but it was his teammates calling for him. Cardin also spotted his ear swiveling to a general direction of the sound. He grimaced.

"I don't think so, cat boy."

'And heeeeere we go.' In the back of Jaunes' mind somewhere, he knew he wasn't just going to get away. The expression of fea turned on his face. Instinctively grabbing for the hand that held him up, but he was in no way trying to forcefully break free from him...yet. No better way to anger a bully than fighting back. The lion faunus gulped whatever saliva there was piling in the back of his throat so he could say something.

"L-look guy, I just wanna get back to my team, no trouble at all, r-right?" Also what a great time for his stuttering nervousness to come back and slap him in the face. The ominous grin Cardin looked at him with told him all he needed to know and he knew that crazed look in his eye too well.

The next thing he knew, he was shoved roughly to the ground, hand at his throat with the massive boy on top of him leaning down on one knee over him.

"I don't think so, Arc." Even more so, he knew his name too. "Listen, as team leader to team leader, you should know there's a bit of a...'initiation', for when faunus team leaders are chosen."

"But, we've already been initiated." Jaune tried haggling with him, the grip on his throat tightening.

"Well you see, it was just put in...today. Effective, oh well I dunno..." Looking around as if passing time by with a friend, then got frighteningly close to Jaune's face, making his ears fall back. "Immediately."

His heart raced behind his chestplate. He was honestly stuck in a rut with another human student where no one really ventured. And he was about to hurt him. But what would the teachers say if this did escalate? The most he could do his scratch his hands up holding him to get away with his claws when they were out. But a sap story from Cardin about how he was 'attacked' by a faunus would have more...believability, than a faunus being attacked.

That weighing feeling in Jaune's mind was starting to eat at him. Why would they believe him? He was just another faunus with faunus rights and...and...

'No one would still really care.'

The urge to fight back sunk back down into the depths and the grip on the hands locked around his neck loosened.

"It's a special initiation, and since it seems like I'm the only team leader around, I'll do it." Chuckling lowly under his breath. "Now...hold still.." Raising his fist back to begin beating on the faunus.

Jaune closed his eyes waiting for the pain to come, like he was used to it.

When he thought he felt air rush by and coming to his face, he winced, but felt no blow.

"Arggh!" He opened his eyes back up quickly, seeing his offender nowhere near him, leaning up to take a good luck. That was Cardin's voice in pain alright.

"What the hell!" He shouted. Jaune's eyes focused on the man standing before Cardin blocking his way to Jaune. He was tall, very tall, a golden gauntlet on one arm with spiked up dark forest green hair. Dark-skinned from what he could tell by an exposed arm from the long white coat he wore with...an almost green, serpent like design weaving across the back of it.

He knew who this was.

The figure simply glared daggers at Cardin, watching him get up cautiously with yellow eyes narrowed at him. From his front exposed jacket, Cardin saw he had muscle on him too, with a weird numeric symbol tattooed across his neck. They were slightly covered up but there were more designs on his pectorals. He focused in on the darkened square shapes and his eyes widened when eh figured out they weren't tattoos at all. Dark scaled reptilian skin covered his pectorals.

"Y-you're a faunus freak too!" The other male quirked his brow at his choice of words. Taking a solid step forward to him. Cardin shrank back instantly. This guy was big, and he was also another witness to what he was going to do to Jaune. Cursing his luck, he turned to leave, but not before making a remark.

"This ain't over Arc! Better be glad one of your guardians is here." Throwing his hands behind his head trudging off. The man standing in front of Jaune, finally sank his shoulders after that. He couldn't relax that much however, when a force collided with his back but he at least knew who that was.

"Sage!" The happy lion exclaimed. The aforementioned man tried to turn in Jaune's grasp, just accepting his defeat when his deep voice coughed lightly to get his attention.

"Oh right, sorry." Letting go of him so he could turn around. Sage was just a couple of inches taller than Jaune, but definitely carried ore mass thanks to his muscles. The two made eye contact and Jaune smiled. "Still not wearing a shirt huh?" Tugging on the fabric of his coat on his body. Sage only smirked.

"The sun's good for my scales." Flexing his right arm that was partially exposed. It too had a thick line pattern going up his arm and into the cuff of his coat, probably leading to the rest of his expansive scales.

Jaune took a moment to look around. "How did you find me? I didn't even hear you?"

Sage only raised his hand and flicked Jaune in the nose lightly like a small kitten, he held it like it hurt for ages.

"Oh you know, reptiles always get the jump on you when you don't know it."

"I thought Alligators only really did that in the water?"

"Well, I'm not your typical alligator." He boasted a bit. Smiling a bit. "You said something about a team? Where are they?"

"I could say the same about you. Here we are off by our lonesome."

Sage only shrugged. "Well I'm not the leader of one, you are."

A rustling sound bright Jaune out of his happy bonding time to turn towards the presence. Sage to turned to the noise.

Out through the bushes came the rest of his team and team RWBY, trailing behind. "Jaune! Oh thank Oum you're alright."

Pyrrha came forth but was beaten to the punch and collided into the unsuspecting lion. The speed she held made the alligator Faunus look stumped as to how Jaune ended up on the ground.

"Jaune we were worried about you! We heard you had gone missing and then we saw Cardin come from this area mumbling about a cat boy so we followed him into this...this..." She took a second to lol around while getting off of him.

"Are we in a restricted area?"

"I was just going to say that." Weiss commented back.

"I was going to suggest to my friend here that we get out of here now before we actually get found out." Having the dark male help him up. The others looked to him with a bit of apprehension. Jaune looked at them and smiled, about to clear this up.

"This is one of my childhood friends, Sage. He's a-"

"Also a Faunus." He claimed before Jaune could smiling to them widely. When he did, it revealed his perfect rows of pointed teeth. Almost like a-

"Shark!" Nora yelled outbreak behind everyone. She bounded up to, oh gosh he was way taller than her. Admiring the row of teeth in his mouth.

"Not a shark, alligator." Giving her a small wink to the tinier girl. Her eyes gleamed with mirth. Reaching down and ruffling up her hair. Once he let go, her hair was frazzled all over her head. "Hey Ren! This guy checks out!" Bounding off to join her partner. He sighed, waiting for her to come back over.

Blake eyed him up and down, for now deeming him okay. Their eyes met in his look towards Jaune's friends. He wasn't one to smile all of the time but eyeing her bow and it's faint little twitch atop her head confirmed his senses, though they weren't as strong as Jaune's.

"So he I presume, saved you from Cardin?" After getting over the initial shock of Ruby beating her to the punch she approached them Taking in Jane's appearance to see for any sign of injuries. A wave of his hand brought her face back to his.

"He's run off now, I'm fine." Funny how Jaune could from 0 to 100 real fast. To being scared almost shitless to happy and joyful when a friend shows up. Giving Sage a pat on the shoulder. "He's one of my older friends and I..honestly didn't know he was here to be honest." Gaze now turning up to him. Sage cocked his head to the side trying to think, but looked around at the place they still were.

"I would probably feel better if we left the place we're not supposed to be in at all."

Deciding to leave this place once and for all before a teacher did find them. They met back out in front of the entrance area, leading back to walkway entrance where the bullheads usually dropped off the students for school. This is where the majority of students were now in the early evening, wrapping up their day with the festivities they planned for the night.

Sage was ahead of them, walking slowly so they could keep up, but he could swear he felt a pair of eyes on his back the entire time.

"So uh, Jaune's friend, Sage right?" Ruby asked from behind her sister. He nodded ahead of them slowly, decreasing his pace to come to a halt.

"Sage?" Jaune came out to stand in front of him. Odd, the taller male wasn't meeting his eyes rather, looking away. "Something...wrong?"

The question brought him back to reality, his expression almost sad. Going back to meeting the lions' ocean blue eyes. The group was just a bit tense at the change in atmosphere around the two. Meanwhile a certain white-haired heiress watched from the sidelines this unfolding.

"Jaune, I'm here because well..." Sighing aloud, even scuffing his shoe on the ground in annoyance. "Jaune, you've known me, for a long time. And it's with a heavy heart I tell you.." The golden haired faunus was near leaning forward in anticipation. He could almost feel himself being lifted off of the ground and the wind taken out of him.

Or rather, tackled and the actual wind knocked out of him from being tackled to the ground.

Jaune was on alert again and the onlookers from his team and RWBY were in slight shock themselves. "Someone's popular for a first day." Yang commented. Some had tried their hand in helping him but a held out arm from Sage stopped them.

The weight atop Jaune was a yellow, trying to make himself stand against his 'attacker'. Until a familiar fuzzy tail wagged in his vision.

"I regret to inform you I was stalling for time." Sage let out, actually grinning.

"And he did a good job of it too!" He knew that voice, it couldn't be...

The light in Jaune's eyes brightened ten fold as he wrestled with the blond haired faunus on the ground. "Sun-gerroffofmeee!" His yell for his companion's name was short since the male shoved him back to get a better hold on him, even flipping Jaune onto his stomach and grabbing hold of a leg.

"You bet your ass it's me! I've been looking AGES for you! Who else could kick your lion-hided butt this side of VAAAAAALLLEEEAAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHH!

The terrifying shriek coming from the mouth of Sun was caused by a quick look down after everyone covered their ears. Even other students looked to them. Jaune from his leg being captured and playfully twisted in Sun's grasp on his back, had seen a fluffy appendage dangling in his face and he just could not pass the opportunity, to bite down on it. Sun's fault for leaving his tail vulnerable . Of course not hard enough to leave marks but just a little to hurt.

Pyrrha raised a brow, Nora cheered for the light wrestling match and Yang snickered at the girlish shriek coming from the monkey's mouth.

"They'll be fine..." Sage watched Sun roll off of Jaune's back when he flipped over holding his tail protectively with baby tears in his eyes; Jaune laughing aloud at his friend. It was good to see Jaune smile again.

"...Mostly."

A/N: Here's a tiny Author's note so you can go about the rest of your day.

More things will be prevalent in this universe than the actual RWBY canon universe. While new plot points have been revealed, I will work in what I can for the lore of THIS story. As I've said before, some characters will be introduced in different ways and some background for them have changed as we've seen with the introduction of Sage really early and as an alligator faunus. And Sun's appearance very early in the school year as opposed to late at the end of the first semester.

With that being said, have a Happy New Year (it's so late to be saying that but it is for me), Read, Review, all that stuff in all of the above when you read a story.

Yours Truly,

Raiken