Bath Time
Bathing dragons can be a hazardous affair. Should the dragon object, you are likely to be on the receiving end of claws, teeth, and fire breath, any one of which could be fatal. It is therefore advisable to make bath time as enjoyable for your dragon as possible.
– Raising a Dragon: A Rider's Guide.
X X X
Weiss peered into her reflection in her dragon's scales. Unlike some dragons, Myrtenaster quite enjoyed bathing. Indeed, her dragon loved nothing more than a nice, hot bath along with some teeth cleaning and scale polishing. And for all that her dragon was perhaps smaller than she should be for her age, she was also wonderfully proportioned.
Yes, Myrtenaster was a truly enchanting dragon. From her long, slender neck to her graceful wings and tapered tail, the white dragon was the very picture of draconic elegance. It was only fitting, of course, since Weiss was herself no slouch in the elegance department.
Deciding that it would be prudent to give the dragon one last buff with a suitable cloth, Weiss steadfastly ignored the chortling from one of her teammates and her dragon.
"You know," Yang drawled. "You spoil her rotten. It's no wonder she doesn't like clawing things on missions. She's probably worried she'll chip a claw or something."
Weiss scowled. "Yang, I'll have you know that Myrtenaster doesn't claw things that often because she has no need to. Unlike some dragons, she's incredibly adept at magic and not only draconic magic but also the magic wielded by humans and Faunus."
Myrtenaster gave Yang her haughtiest look and then used one wing to pull Weiss closer, so the girl could buff the scales along the base of her skull. It was an easy spot to miss, but both of them were perfectionists.
At Yang's feet, Ember Celica snorted inelegantly and rolled over in the pool she was bathing in. Like most solar dragons, she had golden scales although they had a tendency to shine like the sun when she drew upon her powers. It made stealth missions almost impossible, but the raw power she possessed had always made her far more suitable for straight up combat. And unlike some dragons, she was perfectly content clawing things to bits.
Grinning evilly, Ember Celica splashed some water at Myrtenaster. The smaller dragon huffed, and a glowing shield appeared to ward off the liquid before several bolts of magic raced toward the solar dragon. Ember Celica rolled her eyes and swiped the attacks away with her tail. Amongst dragons, solar dragons were amongst the most durable, and their natural resistance to magic was incredibly high.
"Hey," Yang said, poking Ember Celica on the snout. "None of that. You're here to have a bath." She lifted her dragon's jaw and peered into her mouth. "Good grief. You've still got bits of Grimm stuck between your teeth." She reached for one of the instruments used to clean dragon teeth. Frankly, it looked more like an instrument of torture, but dragons' teeth and gums were as durable as the rest of them. "Now, hold still, so I can get it out."
"Hmph." Weiss turned her nose up at Yang, an action Myrtenaster mirrored. "Unlike some dragons, my dragon can use magic to clean her teeth."
"Yeah. Now. But we all saw how it went while she was learning."
Ember Celica snickered. That had been funny. Myrtenaster had almost exploded herself.
A sudden roar caught their attention, and they both turned to see how the leader of their team was going.
"…" Weiss sighed. "As troublesome as your dragon can be, Yang, Ember Celica has nothing on Crescent Rose."
X X X
Ruby fought the urge to wipe the water off her brow. She couldn't afford to get distracted. Her foe would definitely take advantage.
"It's bath time," Ruby growled.
Circling her in the pool like a winged shark was Crescent Rose. The red dragon was using her wings and tail to slice through the water, and Ruby was hard-pressed to keep track of her.
"I said –"
Crescent Rose leapt out of the water and slammed into her back. The pair tumbled back into the pool, and Ruby grabbed her dragon around the neck and dragged her into a headlock as she fought to get her feet under her. Spluttering and shaking the water from her face, she hauled Crescent Rose up, doing her best to pin the dragon's jaws shut and trap her wings against her side.
The dragon, though only six feet long, was having none of it. Crescent Rose snarled, and the pair went back into the water with a huge splash. Beneath the surface of the pool, a mad struggle ensued. Ruby hastily cast a spell to let her breathe underwater and then rounded on her dragon.
For a moment their eyes met, and then the battle was joined, fist against claw. In the end, though, there could only be one victor…
"Hah!" Ruby cried, brandishing her scrubbing brush like a spear. "You're going to get clean whether you like it or not!"
Crescent Rose burst out of the water with a roar. Never!
X X X
Blake sighed morosely and glared at her dragon. As a cat Faunus, she'd never been especially fond of being dunked into water, but Gambol Shroud had never been the easiest dragon to deal with. If she was going to get a bath, then she would only agree if Blake ended up having one too.
The black dragon looked at Blake and grinned. Apparently, suffering was okay, so long as it was shared.
"Why can't you be like Ember Celica?" Blake asked. "She doesn't mind having a bath. Or what about Myrtenaster?"
Gambol Shroud's response was to dissolve into shadow and vanish into the depths of the pool. Blake spent a moment staring at where her dragon had been before sighing.
"I can wait all day for you to come back," she said. "Come on."
X X X
Author's Notes
As always, I do not own RWBY, and I am not making any money off of this.
Ah, yes, bath time. For dragons. It should be noted here that Myrtenaster has won best-in-show dragon at the last three competitions she has attended. She might be small for her age, but she is incredibly well-proportioned and elegant. Indeed, apart from her size, she is basically perfect from an aesthetic point of view. She possesses what most consider to be the ideal proportions for a dragon of her type.
In contrast, Ember Celica is larger than most dragons her age and comes across as somewhat brawny and broad. Gambol Shroud has a slimmer, more streamlined look, and Crescent Rose is basically the dragon equivalent of a ragamuffin. She really does look quite scruffy.
Just a reminder, but you can also find me on Amazon as L. G. Estrella. If you like humorous stories, you'll find plenty over there.
As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.
