Jaune stared at the pyramid like academy in front of him. Sweat poured down his forehead as he stood in the hot desert sun. He had an uneasy feeling. Was he really prepared for this? I mean just a couple of months ago he was shown as a fraud to the entire world at the Vytal festival. And of course the minute that everyone in Vale saw that, they started protesting.

Not only for the fact that he was a student, but team leader also. They even started criticizing Ruby for being too young. They disqualified team JNPR from the Vytal festival, and many people began to demand that Jaune be kicked out of the school.

Even his friends started treating him differently. They were more evasive of him, kept shutting him out, ignoring him. It was as if they were completely different people. Ruby was even starting to act cold to him, like Weiss cold. His first friend at Beacon started to hate him. Pyrrha tried to defend him as did Nora and Ren, but everyone else shunned or taunted him.

However, Ozpin stood up for him. He said he knew about the transcript and kept him because he showed leadership abilities. Of course the media didn't care if Jaune showed abilities. They only cared that Ozpin knew of the transcripts and still allowed Jaune to be a leader. And so, with all of that going on for about a week, Jaune did the only thing he could do.

He quit. He packed his bags, talked with Ozpin, who disapproved of Jaune's decision, and left Beacon. He even made a big media announcement about it. Of course, people were still mad at Ozpin and continued to insult and berate Beacon.

The Vytal festival continued like normal though, and eventually people cooled down, but people still kept their new opinions about Beacon.

And Jaune blamed himself. How couldn't he? Not only did he get himself kicked out of Beacon, he destroyed Beacon's reputation and nearly got his friend expelled.

Well… ex friend now. Once he left Beacon he changed his scroll number, and made sure to never contact them again. Why should he stay in contact with the people that wouldn't stand up for him? Team RWBY obviously didn't care about him, so why should he care about them?

As for his team, the reason he cut off connection to them is so they don't worry. He sent them one last message on his scroll, telling them to not worry, focus on their own stuff at Beacon. He then changed his scroll number so they wouldn't worry, or at the very least, know he won't return the calls. But he only told himself that to fool himself. He knew what he was doing was selfish. But sometimes being selfish was a necessary sin.

Jaune is shaken out of the thoughts of his old friends when he feels a hand placed on his shoulder. It belonged to a brown skinned person with a grey/purple gradient shirt, with a purple scarf. His hair was black at the roots with the left side slicked down and slowly turned into grey.

It was the other leader Jaune and his team faced at the festival. Brawnz Ni was his name. "Are you ready?" He asked. Jaune sighed.

"Probably not," He said. "Don't know why your headmaster want's a fraud in his school though."

"Well, she doesn't view you as a fraud," Brawnz said. "Neither do I. Aside from just having your hammer girl hit us in one go, the rest of the match you were very strategic. You knew your teams' weaknesses and strengths."

"But this is Vacuo," Jaune retorted. "Where the unspoken rule is 'If you can survive here you can live here.' And I can't survive here."

Brawnz put a hand to Jaune's mouth. "Two things: don't ever let anyone here catch you saying that. They'll see you as a target. And Two: you can survive here. You're a huntsman Jaune. And even though you may have faked your way into Beacon, Ozpin kept you because you could survive." Jaune nods his head. Brawnz takes away his hand.

"So… shall we?" Jaune said with fake enthusiasm. Brawnz nods.

"Now because of your… popularity, people are going to be staring at you. Don't give them the satisfaction of staring back. Keep your eyes forward. Ignore any whispering." Jaune nods his head and the two begin to climb the steps up to the academy.

As they reached the top, Jaune was huffing a little bit from the minor workout as the stairs were about fifty steps to the front door. Brawnz seemed unaffected probably due to him going up and down them all the time.

Brawnz waits for Jaune to catch his breath. Once he does he gives Brawnz the thumbs up and they walk into the academy. As Brawnz leads the way to the headmaster's office, Jaune can spot a few eyes looking at him from his peripherals, however he ignores them and keeps his eyes forward.

Brawnz looks over his shoulder a few times, glad seeing Jaune ignore prying eyes. As they walk through multiple hallways and a lot of turns, Jaune finally messed up.

A big student around six foot three purposely bumps into Jaune's shoulder. The force turned Jaune around and the student turned around with a scowl on his face. Jaune made eye contact with him.

"Watch where you're going!" He said with his arms out. Jaune looks at the giant before him. He had tanned skin and black hair that was spiked upwards in the front and slicked in the back. He had green eyes and had a very muscular build. He was wearing a Black T-Shirt that had red skull with a white dagger in its mouth. He had an unzipped grey hoodie on as well. He had a belt buckle that said "RIP" and wore grey cargo pants with black sneakers.

And the most noticeable feature on him was the bull horns.

Jaune looked at the guys eyes for a split second and then turned away, but that was enough to provoke him.

"What?" he started. "The fraud can't say sorry? Thinks he's so big that he faked his way into Beacon that he can do whatever he wants?"

With the raised voice a couple of more students turned their heads. Brawnz turned and gulped. "Come on Jaune," He mumbled. "Just keep walking."

Jaune tried to move past him but the student grabbed Jaune by the hoody and pushed him back. "Nuh uh, you're not getting out that easily."

"I didn't do anything," Jaune said.

"You apologize to people when you run into them."

"But you ran into me." The faunus cocked his head slightly.

"So? That doesn't mean you can be rude."

"What do you want from me?!" Jaune raised his voice and the faunus smiled. He picked Jaune up by the sweatshirt and raised him in the air.

"Nothing. I just want to prove that you don't deserve a second chance." The bull faunus cracked the knuckles in his free hand. "And I'm going to do that right now." He raised his fist and pulled it back ready to punch Jaune. It didn't help that a crowd was forming, half of whom were egging him on.

"Enough," a voice that carried authority said. Everyone turns and sees an olive skinned man wearing a brown scarf so that it covers the lower half of his face. He had brown hair that was in a crew cut. He was wearing a black robe like shirt with what looked to be scorpion like patterns. He also wore black jeans and brown boots. "Put him down Malcolm."

The faunus student named Malcolm gets a smirk on his face but drops Jaune, who falls on his butt. "Whatever you say Mr. Jett," he said. Mr. Jett walks up to the group and stares at the student's.

"I would like to remind everyone to treat each other fairly," he started. "Even new students. You will never know if you will need their help, and they let you die over something petty." A couple of students had guilt on their faces and others ignored or didn't show it. Malcolm however had a smirk on his face. "Besides, we will see if he is a fraud sooner or later. After all, most frauds die here within days."

Those words seemed to go right into Jaune's ears and into his soul. He thought Glynda Goodwitch was up front but that was something else. The crowd that started to gather dispersed. The faunus named Malcolm turned away but when he was halfway down the hall and turned to Jaune. He pointed his middle and pointer fingers to his eyes and then pointed to Jaune.

Brawnz walks over to the blonde and helps him up. "Are you all right?"

"Just dandy," Jaune said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Who was the teacher?"

"Mr. Jett," Brawnz explained. The two continued their walk to the headmaster's office. "He's our fighting instructor."

"Well something tells me he isn't going to like me." To Jaune's surprise Brawnz laughs.

"That's what all first years thought of him. Hell even some of the second and third years are scared of him. To say he's a blunt person is putting it lightly." They finally reach an elevator and Brawnz presses a button.

"Oh sweet merciful Gods an elevator!" Jaune said.

"What do you mean?" Brawnz said in a playful tone. "This is just to get to the stairs to her office." Jaune looked at Brawnz and handed him his sword.

"Hit me as hard as you can with that thing. I'm not taking more stairs." The two laugh as Brawnz hands Jaune his sword back. "Anyway, I just think the fact that I got publicly humiliated on live television doesn't help my case."

They hear a ding and enter the elevator as it opened up. They enter and Brawnz presses the button to the Headmaster's office and the doors close, sending both of them going up. "Jaune," Brawnz started. "People are going to treat you like dirt because of that. However, one thought is going through everyone's head."

"What's that?"

"Why does our headmaster want you here?" Jaune actually stopped and thought about that. If he remembered correctly, Brawnz said that the headmaster wanted Jaune. He just encourages Jaune more. But then a thought popped into Jaune's head that made him in a sour mood.

"Maybe its pity," Jaune said in a sad tone. The elevator stops and opens up. Brawnz motions out the doors.

"Let's find out,"" Brawnz said. The care in his voice perked Jaune up a little and they walk down a hallway. It was decorated with various forms of art from statues of grimm, to hand painted canvases. Jaune stared at them and even saw a grimm bone mask on display. At the end of the hallway was a wooden door. Brawnz knocked loudly on the door and the two waited for an answer.

"Come in!" a female voice said. Brawnz opens the door and walks in, Jaune right behind him. The room was filled with books as high as the ceiling which was a good five meters. A ladder was connected to a book case and piles of paper littered the room. Jaune saw in a corner what looked to be a small bed with a couple of blankets. Jaune saw a sword and shield hanging on a wall behind the desk that had a serpent coiling around a sword.

The desk itself was nothing special. Just a wooden desk with more modern technology stuff added into it. Behind the desk was a woman with a book in one hand a glass of what looked to be dark red wine in the other. The woman herself was wearing what looked to be just a normal white T-shirt and a black vest that was buttoned. She had Dakr hair that was dyed a light blue at the end of her tied ponytail in the back.

She looked up from her book and gained a small smile. She closed the book and placed it and the glass on the desk in front of her and stood up. She does a little bow to Jaune and Brawnz.

"Mr. Arc," She said straightening herself. She had a semi-formal tone but also one that had a friendly and warming tone in it. "Very nice to meet you. Mr. Ni, thank you for bringing me Jaune."

Brawnz waves his hand a little. "Of course." He is silent for a moment before he adds on. "I truly believe he deserves to come here." Jaune turns to Brawnz with a mix of emotions on his face. He doesn't know whether to be happy that Brawnz is willing to help him, or mad and depressed because he feels the need to help.

"Even if you said he didn't deserve to be here my mind wouldn't have changed Brawnz," the woman said. She walks around her desk and holds out her hand. "Belinda Nyx, headmaster of Shade."

Jaune notice she was wearing a black skirt that stopped just above her knees, but also had calf high white socks with black sneakers. However what caught Jaune's attention were her eyes. Her eyes were normal white and her iris was a yellow color, but it appeared her pupils were black slits.

Not only that, whenever she opened her mouth Jaune noticed that two of her teeth were fangs, and her tongue seemed to be shaped a little bit differently. These were small things that most people wouldn't take a second glance at, as her beauty actually covered up these small factors. Jaune wasn't most people. He shook her hand which felt very smooth in his hand.

"Jaune Arc," he said. "But I guess you already knew that." She gives a small chuckle. "Miss Nyx, may I ask you something?"

"Of course!" she said happily. "What is it?"

"You're a faunus, is that correct?" Jaune asked. "To be more precise, a reptile one?" Brawnz looked at him as if he just grew a second head. Belinda laughed.

"Very perceptive Mr. Arc!" She said proudly. Jaune could feel a tiny warmth in his chest grow, due to the praise. "Yes I am. I'm actually a snake faunus."

"It took me a few weeks to realize she was a snake Faunus," Brawnz said. "And you found out in a manner of seconds." Jaune gives a nervous chuckle.

"Well after spending so many years growing up with sisters you tend to read people a little bit easier," Jaune said. Nyx claps her hands together and gets their attention.

"All right, introductions aside," she said. "Brawnz, I would like to discuss Jaune's initiation here. May we discuss this in private?"

Brawnz nods his head. "Of course Miss Nyx," he said. He walks towards the door, but not before giving Jaune a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Jaune nods back and Brawnz takes his leave.

The door closes as Brawnz left and Nyx goes back to her desk and sits down. Jaune pulls out a chair and sits across from her. She picks up the glass of red liquid she had before and offers it to Jaune. "Red wine Mr. Arc?" Jaune shakes his head.

"I'm not old enough," Jaune said. To his surprise she lets out a giggle.

"You truly are vanilla Mr. Arc." Jaune raised an eyebrow to this. "If you don't want to drink just say so. But my philosophy here is 'If you're old enough to fight the hell-spawn that threatens the world, you're old enough to drink.' What do you say?" Jaune shakes his head again.

"I'm glad for the offer, but I would only take it to be polite." Nyx smiled at the response.

"Polite, and truthful. Respectable traits. Of course they can be weaknesses as well." She takes a small sip of the wine and sets the glass down, letting her words sink in for a moment. She noticed Jaune tensed up at her words. "Relax Mr. Arc, anything can be a weakness."

"I guess that's true." Jaune scratched the back of his head as he said that.

"Anyway, I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Jaune nodded his head. She motions for him to speak. "Ask away."

"Well…" Jaune couldn't think of which question he wanted to ask. He wanted to ask about what he would do here, what would happen if he got through initiation, what was initiation. Of course, those were the last questions on his mind. The most important one, was the one he decided to ask first. "Why do you want me here when I'm a fraud? Someone who faked his papers and then gets publicly humiliated and drags down a school's reputation for it. Why risk it for me?"

Belinda closes her eyes and puts on a straight face. She hums a little tune. Jaune could feel his heart beat faster with each second that passed by. Finally, she smiled and looked Jaune straight in the eye.

"I believe the risk I took will be worth it," She said proudly. "Jaune Arc, whether you know it or not, you have your family's fighting spirit in you. After all, why are you here if you didn't want to come here?"

Jaune didn't know what to say to that. What was he doing here? Why did he come to Shade when he still felt the way he did with Beacon? Nyx notices Jaune's lsight change and smiles.

"Any other questions Mr. Arc?" She asked. He shakes his head.

"No," Jaune said standing up. "My questions can wait until after." Nyx raised an eyebrow.

"Wait until after what?" She asked rhetorically. She knew exactly what he was going to say. But she knew that not only would she be happy with his words, but he would also. Jaune takes a deep breath and grows a confident smile.

"It can wait until after initiation. What is it, and when do I start?"

To be continued.

A/N Hey guys! So welcome to "Jaune Goes to Shade." I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I am enjoying writing this. I like NDGO and BRNZ in season 3 and I wanted Jaune to go to a different academy. So thus, this story was born! Now i'll try to get a chapter out every week for the first arc, and with Summer just around the corner that should be pretty easy to do. Anyway I hope you enjoyed and I will see you in the next Chapter.