Sunday, August 30
POV: Aaron
Aaron looked around the amphitheater. He was surprised that it was mostly full. Only the first-year teams were required to be present, but Aaron saw many older students as well. Why are they all here for me? he asked himself.
Nalia answered anyway. Because you are strong and different. You took down a Nevermore all by yourself. Not many students can claim the same. When you healed that deer though, people knew you had a different mindset from the rest of them. Most people here would have looked over it. Word must have spread from the other first year teams. Aaron felt a wave of superiority wash off his dragon. Also, you have me. The first dragon on Remnant. They want to know where I'll end up.
You know, you're not wrong. Aaron's eyes settled on the first-year team leaders. They all stood with their hands behind their backs facing the stage. From what Aaron could see of Ruby's face, she was trying and mostly failing to hold back a smile. The older Rider took it as a good sign.
Finally, Professor Ozpin stepped to the center of the stage and faced Aaron. "Aaron Benson, please step forward." The Rider complied, stepping up onto the stage and stopping a few feet in front of the headmaster. He clasped his own arms behind his back.
"You have placed us in an awkward situation here," Ozpin continued. "You are the only new student for this semester, and you have never attended a combat school on Remnant. Yet here you are, passing your initiation with flying colors, and accomplishing what no other first year has been able to do on their own.
"As for team placement, you chose the white knight, the same as team RWBY." Aaron blinked and fought to hold back a smile of his own. Ozpin turned to the team leaders. "Ruby Rose, please step forward." Ruby stepped out of the line of team leaders and onto the stage. She stopped beside Aaron and gave him a sideways smile. "Ruby Rose, will you accept Aaron as a member of team RWBY?"
Ruby looked slightly offstage. Aaron followed her gaze and saw the rest of the team. Yang was giving two thumbs up while Blake and Weiss just smiled and nodded. The young leader smiled herself and turned back to Ozpin. "On behalf of my team, I accept." That elicited clapping and cheering from the crowd, most of it coming from teams RWBY and JNPR, Yang and Nora in particular.
Ozpin smiled and nodded. "Congratulations, Aaron and team RWBY. I hope this arrangement will be fruitful for all of you." Ozpin turned and left the stage through back door. Aaron and Ruby returned to the amphitheater floor and were mobbed by the rest of their team.
"Welcome to the team, Aaron!" Yang said as she slapped his back. It nearly knocked the wind out of Aaron.
"The extra set of hands will be appreciated," Blake chipped in.
"Just try not to bring us down too much," Weiss joked.
Aaron scoffed. "Bring you down? Nalia and I will help bring team RWBY to new heights." There was silence for a few seconds. Well that fell flat, he commented to Nalia.
"You might want to leave the jokes to me," Yang said. "That was sad." The newly expanded team started walking out of the amphitheater with people on all sides saying variations of congratulations.
Near the door, team JNPR and team Gray caught up with team RWBY. "Hey guys, congratulations!" Jaune said. "So, you're a team of five now. I think that may be a first."
Nora quickly stuck out a finger and slowly moved it past each member of the other team. "Don't think this automatically makes you better than us," she scolded.
Ruby chuckled. "If you're counting dragons, we're actually a team of seven now."
"Apparently, in order to join our team," Yang started, "you need to at least have a kill assist on a Nevermore." She turned to Ruby with a smirk on her face. "Sorry, but Cerise isn't a full member." Ruby elbowed her sister in the gut.
Pyrrha turned to Aaron. "You took down a Nevermore singlehandedly. Not many students can do that, and none of them are first years. That is an impressive feat."
"If I went all out and just unleashed everything I have, I could easily take down like five dozen giant Nevermores." Zach said.
"Of course you can. You've got bullshit levels of power, Dickwad." David said, staring at his brother.
"Shut up, Asshole. That is an order." Zach said.
"Nah."
"Ok, you get to clean the Olympus then."
"Fuck!"
Aaron rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. "Well, dragons aren't the only large flying creature where I'm from, and they aren't as nice or intelligent as dragons. We're trained to take them out." He purposefully left out being able to read the creature's mind. The longer he could hold that advantage, the better. Even though he trusted JNPR, there were other ears around that could be hostile.
The older Rider turned to Ruby. "So what now, boss?
Ruby held up a finger. "First, it's still just Ruby. No titles needed. Second, we need to celebrate that you've been added to the team!"
"What did you have in mind?" Yang asked.
"Since it's already almost time for-" Ruby stopped in mid-sentence, as if to recollect her thoughts. "-for our normal afternoon activities, why don't we order in some pizza and watch one of those Spruce Willis movies we haven't gotten to on Scrollflix."
Weiss crossed her arms. "So, a regular day but with pizza?"
"There's not much else we can do while waiting," Blake chipped in.
The heiress sighed. "I suppose."
"Great!" Ruby whipped out her scroll. "I'll place the order. My treat." She looked over to Jaune and his team. "You guys want in?" Aaron looked at the younger Rider with surprise. He would have asked them along anyway, but Ruby should have asked if there would a problem with outsiders seeing the eggs.
"It's the last day before classes start again," JNPR's leader said. "Why not?"
Yang cocked her head. "I might be missing something here, but when did you get the money to pay for a meal for all of us? Dad's already on us for not talking to him about getting all that food for Cerise her first week."
Ruby tried to hide her head between her shoulders. "I've recently come into twenty-five-thousand Lien."
The whole group stopped in their tracks and turned to look at Ruby with varying degrees of shock on their faces. "Ruby, it's not okay to rob banks!" Nora said. Ren brought a hand up to his face, as did team Gray.
"I'm not forgetting about a loan, am I?" Weiss asked.
Ruby laughed. "No, it's half reward money for finding the all the Faunus last week. Aaron should have gotten the other half."
Aaron's mouth dropped slightly. "I haven't heard anything about this."
"I'm sure it's either gone into your bank account or student account."
Aaron opened the account app on his scroll. Sure enough, slightly under twenty-five-thousand Lien was his to use. "Well, that covers my weapons, and then some." He rubbed the back of his neck in apprehension. "I'm not sure I can accept this."
"Why not?" Yang asked. "You're now a Huntsman in training, and that's how the professionals are paid." Aaron looked at Yang like she had two heads. "What? Don't tell me Dragon Riders don't get paid for their actions."
"Typically we don't." Everyone in the group stood surprised again. "We grow most of our own food on our island, we don't have use for a lot of possessions, and we build everything ourselves. Occasionally people will offer us food and coin for the things we do, but at the end of the day, we just give it all back to those who need it."
"So, you're like a super-non-profit?" Jaune asked.
"Essentially, yes."
For once, Weiss looked at Aaron with approval. "That's a very well-run organization you're a part of," she said. "Not needing any outside support is impressive."
Aaron shrugged. "It worked back home, but I have a bad feeling it won't work out here."
"Putting your own lives on the line while expecting nothing in return," Ren commented. "If only more people here shared that belief." The rest of the group nodded their agreement.
"Well, let's not keep the dragons waiting, let's move!" Ruby started walking toward the Dragonhouse again. While Aaron turned to walk he caught a brief look in Yang's eyes. They were filled with sadness and longing. It was the last day in the two week stretch where eggs normally hatch. It seemed Ruby's mental state wasn't the only one he needed to watch if none of the eggs hatched that day.
Yang shook her head and her dejected look disappeared. "So Aaron, I take it you'll be moving in with us?"
Aaron looked at the blonde with a confused look. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"All teams share a room here. I admit, it will be a little crowded with a fifth person, but we could make it work." Weiss shot her teammate a look.
The Rider looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm going to have to talk to Ozpin about that."
"Why? You don't like us?
"Back home, a guy sleeping in a room with four girls who he isn't related to isn't…how is it said here…socially acceptable, especially in that tight of a space."
Something clicked in Yang's head and she faced straight forward again, turning slightly red in the cheeks. "Well, that got awkward." Team Gray burst out laughing. Even Ponda was laughing, even though no sound came out.
Ruby turned her head back. "We've slept in the Dragonhouse at the same time. What's the difference?"
"We were on opposite sides under our own dragons' wing, not literally on top of each other. There is a huge difference." Ruby just shrugged and looked forward again.
I thought you wanted to be a part of the team, Nalia said to Aaron, a hint of amusement in her mental voice. Why are you so hesitant to join? This place obviously doesn't have the same views on this as Alagaësia.
It's hard to ignore that part of me, Aaron thought back. Another thing, what would people think of me if we go back?
Nalia laughed. Worrying about your image doesn't suit you. However, I will relent. More of you for me that way.
Don't get too excited. I still have my room in the dorm. I'll see you soon. Aaron broke the connection and focused back on the conversation his team, JNPR, and Gray were having.
POV: Ruby
Ruby lead the large group into the Dragonhouse. She still couldn't believe that another person was added to her team. The fact that Aaron was teaching her for two weeks, and most likely for many more to come, could make things a little awkward, but the younger Rider was sure she could figure something out.
For once, Cerise didn't pounce her Rider on sight. Instead, she marched straight up to Yang and snorted hot air in the blonde's face. Not part of team RWBY? Well, I'm part of team ANCR, where you have to catch criminals to be a part of it. As such, you aren't a member.
Yang put her hands on her hips and smirked. "You know, that can easily be fixed."
"This isn't a competition," Ruby said and turned to her dragon. There were time when she showed wisdom beyond her age, and others when she acted like a little kid. The young Rider didn't know how fast Cerise would mature out of this stage, but she hoped it wasn't fast.
Jaune looked around the large room with a confused look on his face. "No chairs?" he asked.
Aaron shook his head. "Not yet. Never had the Lien to buy any. Now though," he slowly turned in a circle on the spot, "I think I could make this place a little more livable for those who don't need incredible amounts of space just to move."
Nalia snorted smoke at her Rider, throwing him into a coughing fit. Are you calling me fat? Everyone in the room burst out laughing, except Aaron who threw his hands up in mock surrender.
"It seems dragon females aren't so different from human ones," Ren said when the room calmed down.
Us dragons have a reason, Cerise said as Ruby sat down on one of her outstretched legs. We have a reputation of beauty to uphold, and very few are scared of a dragon whose wings can't support their own weight.
"You don't think that we don't have the same problems?" Yang challenged.
Cerise looked Yang in the eye. We are the most beautiful creatures alive. Even the elves say that. From what Ruby says, human definition of beauty changes every ten years, if that. Dragons have held our title for millennia. The dragon raised the corners of her upper lips. We win.
Yang blinked a few times, then slowly clapped her hands. "Well played, Cerise."
"So what were we watching again?" Nora asked no one in particular.
"Apocalypse is a good one," Weiss suggested, then turned to Aaron. "It's in space, which you seem to really like now." Aaron smiled and nodded his agreement.
Jaune just sighed. "You have a problem with Galaxy Wars, but not that movie?"
"I have a problem with Galaxy Wars when it's compared to Galaxy Trek. Science fantasy is not the same as science fiction! Trek is based off real world-"
"Squeak!" a sound interrupted Weiss. She froze in place, as did the rest of team RWBY. Team JNPR just looked around the floor, Ruby could only guess they were expecting rodents of some kind. Team Gray, however, snapped their heads to look right at where the eggs where held.
"I wouldn't think you'd have a rat problem in here," Pyrrha confirmed Ruby's suspicions.
"That wasn't a rat," Ruby said softly. She slowly stood up while never taking her eyes off the saddlebag that contained the two eggs. It was currently strapped to Nalia's saddle, and it was moving. The green dragon dropped to the floor and her Rider jumped up to his spot on her back. Aaron opened the saddlebag and carefully pulled out the golden egg. He slid out of the saddle and walked to an open spot on the floor.
"Is…is that a…" Jaune stammered.
"An egg?" Pyrrha finished, just as shocked.
"Yes, it is," Aaron said as he laid the egg on the floor. "One of the three Nalia and I brought with us. The first hatched for Ruby, the third is still resting." He nodded down at the shaking egg on the ground. "This one is ready to choose its Rider."
The older Rider looked at the unbonded girls of team RWBY. "Please stand an equal distance apart from each other and the egg." Weiss, Blake and Yang shot looks at each other, then rushed over to the egg and took up positions around it. Ruby was right behind them.
"We're finally going to see what a baby dragon looks like!" Nora yelled. Ruby turned back to look at her. The orange haired girl was grinning from ear to ear and shaking all over. Ren stood behind her, most likely ready to restrain the human lightning rod if need be. "I bet it's going to be as cute as a puppy!"
Ruby smiled. "You aren't far off." She turned back to look at her teammates. They were all staring at the egg intently, watching to see if any cracks appeared. Mentally, they were all radiating excitement. Yang, though, had something else the others didn't: anxiety. Ruby turned to look at her sister. She didn't notice it before, but there was a slight amount of fear in Yang's eyes. Ruby was worried for her sister. There was a good chance the dragon wasn't hatching for her, and she wanted it the most of all of them.
Cracks started appearing along the surface of the egg, and the squeaking inside intensified. Those waiting to see if the hatching was for them shifted on their feet. Soon enough, some of the cracks met up and a piece fell outward. A full foot stuck out the hole, and the loudest squeak yet erupted from inside. Instead of gaining leverage on the edges like Cerise did, the paw returned to the egg and the shaking started again. Another piece of the egg fell away not an inch away from the first, then another.
The egg rocked violently on the side farthest from the holes, shot forward, and a head and two front legs shot out of the holes. The underside of the hatchling's head fell to the floor. It then looked back at the egg and whimpered. Ruby tried to suppress a laugh as she took out her scroll. She didn't get enough pictures of Cerise when she was that small, she wouldn't make that same mistake again. The scene in front of her was too comical and cute to pass up.
The small dragon crawled back into the egg and started gripping the edges and forcing them outward. After a few more seconds, the hole was big enough for the hatchling to crawl out of. The small golden dragon stood proudly in the center of the triangle and 'roared' at the ceiling. Even in the muted light of the room, and with egg fluid coating its scales and wings, its scales shone brighter than either of the older dragons in the sun. Small spikes ran along its spine. Deep blue eyes took in the room. Its golden wings hung at its sides. All those on two legs smiled at the sight, and Ruby was snapping pictures.
Nalia hummed and her head came into Ruby's vision close to the floor. The golden hatchling looked up at the much larger dragon, curiosity in its eyes. Welcome to the world, little one, Nalia said.
The small dragon squeaked again, then started looking around the room, or more specifically, the triangle around it. Its eyes passed over Weiss, causing the heiress' shoulders to slump slightly. However, the hatchling's eyes stopped on Blake. It cocked its head and sniffed the air. The hatchling took a few hesitant steps toward the cat Faunus. Blake stared down at the small creature slowly moving toward her with her mouth agape.
Yang quickly took in a breath, and her eyes looked took a forlorn look. Still, it was slight enough that Ruby could barely pick out a difference. Still, something didn't sit right with the young Rider. The hatchling was being curious about Blake, most likely because she kind of smelled like a cat. Also, it didn't give off the same feeling that Cerise did when she saw Ruby.
After a few more seconds, the hatchling turned away from Blake and continued its scan of the circle. It kept turning until its eyes met Yang's. The hatchling squeaked up at the blonde and took several rapid steps toward her. Yang looked at her sister with a nervous yet hopeful expression, an unspoken question in her eyes. Ruby just smiled and nodded.
Yang's face lit up and she knelt down to the hatchling's level. She slowly stuck her right hand out to the small dragon. Her shoulders visibly tensed up as the small dragon approached. The hatchling sniffed Yang's hand, then brushed its head against it.
Yang stayed in that position for a few seconds, though Ruby could tell her she was in severe pain. Then she started to visibly shake, and her face contorted. Ruby slammed her scroll back in a pocket as her sister started to fall backward. She hooked her arms under Yang's armpits to keep her from hitting the floor. At that point Yang didn't even try to keep the pain under control, and shook uncontrollably in Ruby's arms. Her arms and legs jerked around. Tears streamed down from her clenched eyes.
After about a minute, Yang fell motionless. Ruby sighed then looked up at her other teammates. All three of them formed a defensive wall between the hatchling and team JNPR. The members of said team all wore horrified expressions, while team Gray was unclear, due to their helmets. Weiss and Blake also looked back with concern, but they saw Ruby go through the same thing before. Aaron kept his eyes on those who had never seen a dragon bond before. Meanwhile, the hatchling just cocked its head and looked at its new Rider curiously.
Another minute later, Yang groaned and rubbed the back of her head. "So that what that feels like," she moaned as she freed herself from her sister's arms. When the hatchling saw its Rider sit up, it squeaked once more and jumped up onto Yang's shoulder.
Aaron walked over to Yang and stuck out a hand. "Congratulations, Dragon Rider," he said with a smile on his face.
Yang took his hand and smiled herself. "Thanks," she said as Aaron hauled her to her feet. The hatchling on her shoulder hardly moved. As Aaron took his hand away, Yang saw the new silver mark on her own. She admired it for a moment and then nodded. "I'm not covering this up anytime soon."
"What did that dragon just do to Yang?" Jaune asked, intense worry creeping into his voice.
"Bonding to a dragon isn't exactly painless," Aaron explained. "It was actually the most painful thing I'd experienced in my life up until that moment. What comes after, though, is more than worth the pain."
The hatchling stood on Yang's shoulder and sniffed at her hair. "Hey, hey, I know what you're thinking. My hair is not food," she said almost jokingly. While her teammates chuckled, Yang blinked a few times as if realizing something. "So that's what that feels like."
Ruby patted Yang on the back. "You'll get used to it," she said, still smiling. The hatchling turned to Ruby and looked at her with a cocked head. The Rider stuck out a hand and scratched under the dragon's chin, dragging out a strange purr. "I think you'll get along just fine." She withdrew her hand and looked at the slime that coated it. "Hey Blake, could you go get us a few paper towels to wipe this little guy or girl down?"
"On it." Blake walked to the far side of the Dragonhouse to the bathroom that hadn't been shut off.
"Where can I get one of these cuties?" Nora shouted suddenly, standing on the tips of her toes. The rest of her team looked at her, shocked at the outburst. Aaron, meanwhile, shifted unsteadily on his feet.
"Nora, it may not be polite to ask such a question," Pyrrha said.
"If asked in the way most common people think, it isn't," Aaron said. Nora fell flat on her feet and closed her mouth. "However, as I said before, we do have another egg with us." He bit his lip. "If you are willing, I can introduce the four of you to it." Everyone looked at the most experienced Rider with surprise, but for different reasons.
"What about me and Blake?" Weiss asked.
Aaron turned to look at the heiress. "The egg still can hatch for either of you, but it's been two weeks. No eggs have hatched after that time in fifty years. It needs to be introduced to more candidates." Weiss then stared at the ground and wrapped her arms around herself.
Ruby turned her focus back to her sister. Yang was scratching the side of the hatchling's head. "So you think of a name yet for him?" she asked. "Or her?"
Yang smiled while looking at her dragon. "I think Halcyon here is a boy." She turned to look at Ruby. "Well Rubes, I guess we're in it for the long haul."
"I'm sure it will be worth it," Ruby said casually, then she realized what Yang really meant. Yang was a Rider now. She was immortal too.
Ruby would never be alone.
The youngest Rider threw her arms around her sister and stayed there for a while. Yang returned the hug. "I told you I won't leave for a long time," she said. "You're not getting rid of me any time soon." Halcyon sniffed down at Ruby and crawled onto her shoulder. He rubbed his face against Ruby's and purred again.
Cerise walked over to the small group and stared lovingly at Halcyon. Hello brother.
Halcyon squeaked and hopped off Ruby's shoulder. The two Riders, however, looked at Cerise in shock. "'Brother?'" Ruby and Yang asked in unison.
Yes. We are hatchmates. Cerise lowered her head to Halcyon's level. The small dragon was jumping all over the place, happy to see his sister.
"When were you planning on telling us?" Ruby asked.
Cerise looked her Rider in the eyes sadly. Hatchmates are more likely to hatch for those who are related, but it still doesn't happen that often. She lowered her eyes. I didn't want to get your hopes up, or destroy Weiss' and Blake's.
Neither Ruby nor Yang said anything for a few seconds. Eventually Yang shrugged and said, "I guess it doesn't matter now. Halcyon hatched and now we're all one big, happy family."
Halcyon circled Cerise and stopped when he saw her injured leg. He sniffed it, then snarled. The small dragon turned around and took up a defensive position in front of his sister's front right leg and searched the room for hostiles. Cerise chuckled. My hero, she thought as she bumped her brother with her snout. Halcyon squeaked and playfully batted at Cerise' snout. You don't need to worry about who did that. Ruby got them, and I've grown since then. The small dragon turned back to Ruby and squeaked in her direction.
"I think that was a thank you," Yang said. "Having a second voice in your head is confusing."
"You'll sort it out soon enough," Ruby said as she elbowed her sister. A bell rang in the room, and it took a few seconds to realize it was the new door bell. She gasped. "I forgot about the pizza!" She quickly looked over to Aaron to make sure that he didn't have the last egg out in plain sight. He gently placed it in a saddlebag and nodded to Ruby. The youngest Rider walked over to the human sized door and took care of business kindly but quickly. She walked back carrying a large stack of twelve pizza boxes.
"A little excessive, don't you think?" Aaron asked with a smirk on his face.
"I didn't want to leave Nalia and Cerise out. Half of these are just for them."
Yang grabbed the top six boxes off the stack. "That's smart thinking, but I think Cerise could eat all of these and still be hungry," she said. "If she's is anything to go by, I bet Halcyon could eat most of this too."
Ruby laughed. "I don't think you're wrong there." She set her half of the stack on a shelf built onto the wall.
"You have any soda in here?" Jaune asked.
Ruby looked straight ahead and mentally berated herself. "I knew I was forgetting something." She looked at the two stacks and groaned. "No plates either."
Weiss sighed. "Remind me never to hire you as a party planner."
"Just tear off a piece of the box for a plate," Nora chirped. "Me and Ren used to do it that way all the time."
"Nah, I got it." Zach said, as plates, cups, and a couple of two liters of soda appeared in front of him.
"Where did this come from?" Pyrrha asked.
"Our personal M510 Mammoth tank, the Olympus. You'd be surprised at what we keep in there."
"What's an M510 Mammoth?" Weiss asked.
"A 27.1-meter-tall by 32.8-meter-wide by 68.3-meter-long tank vis a top speed of 74 kilometers per hour zat veighs 484 tonnes and is armed vis 1 Mark 2457/35cm HRG "Mini-MAC" and 2 M80B Multiple Launch Rocket Systems." Gregor rattled off almost robotically.
"The Olympus is a modified one that has, on top of everything on a standard Mammoth, 20 retractable Z-510 focus turrets with an additional 10 on the bottom, 2 Z-520 splinter turrets, 2 Type-58 Plasma cannons, 2 Type-55 Anti-Infantry Stationary Guns, 2 M343A2 chainguns, and 2 M555 Gauss Cannons. On top of its additional armament, it also has flight capabilities and cloaking technology." Sakura added.
"Woah." Was all that Weiss could say.
Halcyon jumped up onto the shelf with a paper towel on his back and started sniffing the boxes. Yang took one of the boxes and looked inside. "This one's Halcyon's," she said, and the golden hatchling chirped in agreement.
"Well, everybody grab a slice so we can get the movie started," Ruby said as grabbed a plate and some pizza, along with a drink. She also grabbed two whole boxes for Cerise then sat down by her side. During the time everything else happened, Weiss set up the movie and a pause screen was being projected on the wall.
Is that what I think I smell? Cerise asked Ruby. The Rider smiled and opened one of the boxes. The dragon hummed her appreciation and quickly grabbed the pizza sized cookie from the box with her mouth.
Ruby laughed at her dragon then looked over at Yang and hers. Halcyon was going to town on a meat lover's pizza and Yang watched with an almost motherly smile on her face. She also rubbed Halcyon's back with a wet paper towel. Ruby smiled as well. She couldn't wait for her sister to fully understand what her dragon means to her, just as long as it doesn't happen the same way it happened for Ruby and Cerise.
The Olympus is an olive green Mammoth and was Gray team's home for the durration of their time in Earthland.