Good afternoon, my lovelies! You know, I'm really glad I decided to update this fic weekly here. The canon-verse is starting to leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, and I honestly think that many of the AUs on this site are doing a better job of actually showing and developing these characters than Rooster Teeth is. I'll spare you a rant, though. I ranted enough in my recent update of "The Fate of Remnant."

My recommendation of the week is a series that I've only read the first book of (since the library system in my hometown sucks). This book stands out to me because it is a love story between a human and a dragon. A pretty believable love story, I might add. I'm talking about a trilogy called "The Tales of Lanen Kaelar" by Elizabeth Kerner. I've only read the first book, "Song in the Silence," but I hope to get my hands on the others soon.

Anyway, enjoy!

Ruby's heart was soaring and racing every bit as much as Tempest was as they flew through the air. Yang sat behind her, ready to take the reins if necessary, but knowing that she likely wouldn't have to. A few dragon-lengths away, Taiyang rode on Quake, who also bore the padded carrier that held Ruby and Yang's eggs.

Both girls kept stealing glances toward the carrier. The heat pads they had used for the eggs had been regularly adjusted, so that they were set to hatch the following day, just like the Beacon eggs that would be given to the other students.

It took all of Ruby's self-control to keep from bouncing up and down in the saddle. I can't believe it! I'm going to Beacon. I'm going to Beacon right now!

Yang, sensing her sister's excitement, hugged her lightly from behind. "Easy, sis," she called through the wind. "Save the squealing for when we land."

"I know, I know," Ruby replied. "I just can't believe this is really happening! We're gonna be the best Dragon Rider team of all time!"

"Don't forget, we'll be with two other people," Yang said. "You're gonna actually need to socialize."

"Nope!" Ruby declared. "I'll just become friends with their dragons and let them put in a good word for me."

Yang rolled her eyes. "You probably could pull that off," she sighed, laughing a little.

When Beacon came into view through the clouds, both girls fell silent. Tall, white, and magnificent, it reflected the rays of the sun, striking the eyes with a golden radiance. The forms of dragons could be seen flying in the distance.

Tempest let out a loud roar and started to fly faster. She remembered this place. This was where she had hatched. For a moment, her memory brought forth a familiar face shrouded with a white hood. Her fins drooped for a second, but she quickly fanned them out again. She was carrying Summer's children, after all. She couldn't afford to be distracted.

The two dragons landed. Quake sniffed the air and scratched eagerly at the ground as he, like Tempest, smelled his old hatching place nearby.

Taiyang patted Quake's neck before sliding off. "Okay, pal. You can walk around once we get everything unloaded." He turned to his daughters. "Why don't you two walk Tempest around? I'll take your eggs to the hatchery and fill out the paperwork. The tour starts in an hour, so you have plenty of time to start getting acquainted with your new home."

Ruby jumped off of Tempest's back. "Omigosh! Yang, look! That's gotta be the elemental stables. Oooh, and there's a flight obstacle course!" Ruby bounced around, staring at everything with starry eyes.

Yang grabbed the back of her sister's hood to keep her still. "Hold up, sis. Don't run in circles, or you'll be asleep for the tour!" She grinned at Taiyang. "You go ahead. I'll keep her from running into a wall."

Taiyang laughed. "Looking at you two reminds me of my first day here." He hugged both of them. "Quake and I will find you and say goodbye before we leave. Walk Tempest around the courtyard, but stay away from the stables. The other dragons might react badly to a newcomer."

"Dad, we know," Yang groaned.

"Right, right. Just making sure." Taiyang walked with Quake toward the hatchery.

Tempest, meanwhile, was practically dancing on her small feet, waiting for Ruby and Yang to start walking. "Rrroo! Ang! Com!"

Ruby laughed. "Okay, girl. Why don't you show us where to go?"

Tempest bobbed her head and set off at a brisk pace across the courtyard. Ruby and Yang had to jog to keep up. The wind dragon walked with a bounce in her step and eagerly sniffed the air, appreciating the old and new smells of her childhood home. The earth and surrounding air were the same, as were most of the buildings. However, the dragon smells were almost entirely new. The only one she recognized was the slightest trace of an ancient earth dragon. His scent alone caused her wings to shake and her head fins to lower in submission. "Rrrak-nnnar," she whispered.

Yang looked up. "Raknar? Who's that?"

"Oh, that's Ozpin's dragon, Ragnar," Ruby replied. "Remember? He was there when Ozpin talked to me."

"Wow. He must be old if Tempest remembers him." Yang patted the wind dragon's shoulder. "It's kinda cool, huh? Going to school where our parents went. Seeing our dragons hatch in the same place Quake, Tempest, Salty, and Phoenix hatched."

As she named her mother's dragon, her thoughts went to her own fire egg. She had the fireproof satchel at her side, ready for when her dragonet came into the world. Will I be anything like my mom? she wondered. For all Raven's faults, anyone who had known her agreed that she was an incredible Dragon Rider.

Ruby noticed her sister's expression and nudged her side. "Hey. We'll do great. I know it!"

Yang shook herself and grinned at Ruby. "Of course we will! The Grimm should be shaking in their stupid skull masks."

Ruby started to say something else, but her words turned into an excited squeak as she pointed. "Sis, look! A Rider team! Look at those dragons!"

Yang turned just in time to see four dragons landing in the field to the left of the courtyard. "Hey, they look like upperclassmen. Let's say hi."

"Okay, but you do the talking," Ruby insisted. She walked eagerly toward the dragons, clicking once to Tempest to get her to follow.

The upperclassmen team had started moving toward the stables, but paused when they saw the girls and dragon approaching. One of them, a girl who had just replaced her removed riding goggles with a set of shades, strode over, grinning easily. "Hey. Are you transfer students? You look a little young." She glanced at Ruby. "No offense."

"None taken," Yang replied. "We're actually first-years. This is our mom's dragon, Tempest."

Tempest nodded her head once, letting out a warble of greeting in the direction of the other dragons.

The girl lowered her shades and eyed Tempest. "Ah, right. Now that I look at it, this dragon is a bit older than ours." She nodded slowly. "Well, she's a beauty. Tell your mom she did a good job."

Ruby smiled. "Will do." She looked over the girl's shoulder. "Um, is it okay if we meet your dragons?"

The girl nodded. "Sure thing." She whistled, calling over a deep bronze fire dragon with bright orange eyes and short black horns. "This guy is Java. Say hi, Java."

Java's small ears twitched with excitement. "Hi!" He leaned close, sniffing both girls. He blew a hot puff of air across Ruby's face. "Gud mell." Good smell.

Ruby giggled, scratching under the fire dragon's chin. "Thanks, boy. Aren't you gorgeous?"

Java snorted, bobbing his head happily.

His rider laughed. "Don't compliment him too much. His head's big enough. I'm Coco, by the way. Come and meet the others." She led Ruby and Yang toward her team. "You must be totally hyped, huh?" she asked. "I remember when I was a freshie just a year ago. Nothing quite like seeing your dragon for the first time, you know?"

"I can't wait!" Ruby said, forgetting about her earlier plan to let Yang do the talking. It was much easier to talk when dragons were the subject, after all. "How advanced do the flying lessons get?"

"They're pretty boring during the first year," Coco said. "It's all about staying in formation and adjusting to wind patterns. We're gonna start on some more advanced stuff this year, though."

Ruby was then introduced to Velvet, a slightly-timid rabbit Faunus who led a gorgeous, cream-colored wind dragon with soft green eyes. "This is Meringue." She looked over Ruby's shoulder. "Um, may I introduce her to your mother's dragon?"

"Sure," Ruby replied. "Tempest is super friendly. She helps out with the hatchlings before my dad has to sell them."

"Oh, you're from a broodery? That's amazing!" Velvet led Meringue over to Tempest.

Ruby took a moment to appreciate the differences between the older and younger dragons. Meringue's head fins were larger in comparison to her still-growing head, and her wings looked more awkward as they sat on her back. Tempest, on the other hand, was the very definition of grace as she touched noses with the cream-colored dragon.

Yang, meanwhile, was getting acquainted with Yatsuhashi, a larger, quiet young man who led a red-brown earth dragon with dark brown eyes. "Behave yourself, Mocha," he murmured to the dragon before looking at Yang. "She can be nervous around strangers," he explained. "She seems to like you, though."

"I probably smell like my dad's earth dragon," Yang said, giving Mocha's nose a light pat.

Mocha huffed loudly, but didn't back away. She sniffed Yang's hair curiously and let out a cautious purr.

The last Rider was a blind man named Fox. Ruby was only slightly surprised when she noticed his eyes. Blind Riders weren't unheard of, as dragons were very adaptable and often learned to see for their partners when necessary. His dragon was a dark blue, almost black water dragon with deep green eyes. "This is Trifle," he said in a quiet voice.

Trifle bent his head to examine the newcomers. "Nnnice," he decided promptly.

Ruby stroked the tendrils coming from the dragon's snout. "I like the theme you guys have with the names."

Coco laughed. "Well, since our team name is "coffee," and most of our names have to do with desserts, we figured our dragons should get on board." She ruffled Fox's hair. "Now, all we need is for Foxy here to change his name."

Fox, clearly used to this treatment, swatted lightly at Coco's hand. "Not happening."

Coco grinned, then turned back to Ruby and Yang. "Well, we're gonna head to the stables. Two freshmen are fine, but if we keep hanging around, the airship will come and we'll be freaking mobbed. Good luck!" The team waved and led their dragons toward the stable area.

"Bye!" Ruby called. She looked at Yang, grinning excitedly. "This is going to be so awesome!"

Yang nodded. "Yeah. And look at you socializing."

Ruby shrugged, glancing to the side. "It's easier with dragons around…"

Yang laughed. "Well, we'll just carry your dragon with us everywhere, and you should be fine." She peered over her sister's shoulder. "There's Dad and Quake."

The girls ran back over to Taiyang, who hugged them both in turn. "Everything's arranged. Just wait here for the airship, and you'll be taken for your tour. Talk to Glynda Goodwitch afterward, and she'll tell you where to go for your hatching tomorrow." He looked fondly at them, breathing a sigh. "You're going to do so well." He hugged them both once more. "Remember, you can always call home if you need anything. And write often, okay?"

"Okay, Dad," Yang said, leaning into Taiyang. Then, she walked over to Quake. "Take care of things for me, old man."

Quake snorted loudly, then leaned in to nuzzle Yang's front. "Ang. Be gud."

"Hey, who's my dad here? Him or you?" Yang hugged the large earth dragon around the neck. "See ya, buddy."

Ruby, meanwhile, was looking up at Tempest. This was the one part of coming to Beacon that she had been dreading. Ever since Summer's death, Tempest had essentially chosen Ruby as her companion. Since Ruby first learned how to walk, she had spent practically every day with the mighty wind dragon. Would Tempest even be able to function without her?

"Hey, girl," she murmured, touching Tempest's nose. "I need to stay here, okay? I'm going to learn to be a Dragon Rider, like Mom and Dad. You understand, right?"

Tempest lowered her head, letting out a low moaning noise. Her eyes were downcast and sad. "Rrroo. Go," she sighed, closing her eyes as Ruby rubbed her forehead.

"Yeah. I have to go." Ruby blinked back tears as she hugged the wind dragon tightly. "I'll be back, though. I'll have my own wind dragon. You'll have to teach it everything you know, okay?"

"Rrroo safe," Tempest murmured, moving back to fix her gaze on the small human. "Safe. Gud?"

Ruby nodded vigorously. "Yes, Tempest. I'll stay safe. I promise." She kissed Tempest's snout. "Take good care of Dad, Quake, and the others, okay?"

"Rrroo," Tempest sighed, then turned toward Yang. "Ang. Safe." She backed away as Taiyang got on Quake's back. "Bye."

"Bye, girl!" Ruby waved as the two dragons ran through the courtyard, effortlessly taking to the sky. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Tempest glanced over her shoulder one last time before disappearing into the clouds.

Yang hurriedly wiped her own eyes, then gave Ruby's shoulder a shake. "Hey. Come on, lighten up. The airship's coming."

Ruby sniffled, rubbing her face against her sleeve and forcing a smile. "They'll be okay, right?"

Yang nodded. "Of course they will. Now, let's go meet our future classmates. I'll do the talking."

They approached the airship as several people their age came off. One of the boys immediately bolted to a nearby trashcan. "Think he's another student?" Ruby asked.

Yang snorted. "I hope not. If he can't handle an airship, there's no way he'll handle a dragon."

Ruby noticed another wind dragon flying a distance away. "Ooh, look at-OW!" She took a hurried step forward, only to run smack into someone else.

"Oof!"

Ruby fell back, hearing a thump as the person she had run into did the same. "Ow… I'm sorry." She looked to see a dark-haired boy sitting up, a dazed look on his face. A small girl with ginger hair stood near him.

"See, Ren? You ran into someone. I didn't."

"Only because you were dragging me," the boy groaned, rubbing his head. "Sorry about that," he added, nodding at Ruby.

"Oh, it's fine. I technically ran into you." Yang helped Ruby up while the ginger girl helped the boy up. "I'm Ruby. This is my sister Yang."

"Hi!" the ginger girl chirped. "I'm Nora, and the klutz is Ren."

Ren rolled his eyes at her.

"So," Nora continued without skipping a beat. "Are you new students too? Are you gonna be Riders? What dragon are you hoping to get? I want a wind dragon, because I wanna be super fast like whoosh, you know?"

"Totally!" Ruby replied eagerly. "I have a wind dragon egg, and can't wait for it to hatch!"

"You got your own egg? Lucky!" Nora's turquoise eyes were wide with awe. "You guys totally have to walk with us on the tour! Wait, if you're sisters, do you both have eggs?" She looked at Yang. "What do you got?"

"Fire," Yang replied.

"Wow, you're brave! Fire dragons are scary. They're awesome too. They're scary-awesome. If I don't get a wind dragon, I want a fire dragon! Ooh, Ren look at that!" In an instant, Nora was gone.

"Nora, hold still for a second!" Ren called after her. He gave Ruby and Yang an apologetic look. "Nice meeting you. See you when the tour starts. Nora!" He ran after his friend, panting a little.

Yang watched them go before smiling at Ruby. "See, sis? Making friends with non-dragons is easy."

Ruby shrugged. "I don't think everyone's that nice. Well, maybe we'll end up on a team with them."

"Only if they get an earth and a water dragon," Yang said. "Even then, it's iffy. We'll probably be paired with whoever else already has eggs."

"Oh yeah." Ruby pouted. "I guess it wasn't gonna be that easy."

Yang laughed. "Come on, sis. Did you really think you'd just get to meet our teammates, and then no one else?"

"I can hope, right?"

At that moment, they were interrupted by the arrival of a familiar water dragon. Its pale blue scales shimmered in the sunlight. It blinked its milk-colored eyes, regarding the new students calmly. Several people let out excited gasps. A squeal that likely came from Nora could be heard.

Glynda Goodwitch slid from her dragon's back, regarding the new arrivals with an unreadable expression. "Welcome to Beacon Dragonry," she began. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. This is my partner, Nautilus, who I first met right here." She indicated the expansive grounds and school behind her. "We grew here, trained here, and became a true team here. Those of you gathered here today, I assume, have the same goal."

There was some shifting and murmuring in the crowd as the new students stared at Nautilus. In the daylight, Ruby was able to appreciate just how beautiful the creature was. His webbed feet had sharp, white talons. The gills on his neck opened and closed while the various webs and tendrils on his head seemed to move on their own. Wings like sails were folded neatly at his sides. A wide, flat tail sat motionless on the ground, but would likely cause the earth to rupture with a hard enough hit.

"Being a Dragon Rider is more than just fighting Grimm and riding dragons," Glynda continued. "It is about the bond you will form with your partner, and with your teammates. The people and dragons you meet here will likely be the ones fighting alongside you for the rest of your life. This is a time to be cherished, and taken very seriously." Her eyes flashed, as if she doubted the ability of the gathered students to take anything seriously. "We will begin with a tour of the grounds. Stay close."

She started on a path leading toward the stables. The students filed after her, stealing glances at the passive Nautilus. Ruby and Yang waited until most of the others had passed. Then, Ruby took a step toward the water dragon.

"Hi, there. Remember me?"

Nautilus blinked a pale eye and snorted. His face remained passive. He waited for the two girls to follow, then took a position at the end of the tour group, clearly appointed to keep people from straying.

"These first few buildings hold Beacon's brood dragons. All of our school elemental dragons are hatched from these parents. They are checked regularly for illnesses, and are cared for by an extensive staff."

The barns were large and made almost entirely of stone. The doors were wide open, and the stalls were uncommonly huge, Ruby noticed.

"Excuse me?" a sharp voice spoke up. A girl with white hair was staring critically around the building.

"Yes?" Glynda asked.

"Couldn't you fit more dragons in here? The stalls are much larger than the standard size."

"According to the law, we could fit more dragons into the barns," Glynda replied. "However, Dragonmaster Ozpin believes that certain expenses are worth the extra comfort of our dragons."

Glynda's tone wasn't reprimanding at all, but there was a tightening around the girl's eyes in response nonetheless.

The tour continued to the elemental barns. Each one was specifically made to cater to each species. The wind barn was built into the nearby cliffs and had wide, open windows on each stall, as well as a huge ramp that allowed for easy take-off. The water barn was built next to a lake, and had misters keeping the entire area moist. Moss grew on the stones and a fishy aroma permeated the air. The fire barn was in a wide space with no grass or trees. Charred earth marked the land, and everything was made of stone or metal. The earth barn, which was closest to the school itself, was made of a mixture of stone, dirt, and wood. Mud pits sat in the back, and a few brown and gray dragons were wallowing peacefully.

"During your first semester, your dragons will remain with you in your dorm rooms, which were specially-made to accommodate you, your teammates, and all four of your dragons," Glynda said after they left the earth barn. "By your second semester, your dragons will be big enough to be moved to the appropriate barns. You will be expected to take care of them. We have staff at the elemental barns, but care for the elemental dragons are primarily the responsibility of their partners. Shirking that responsibility will result in severe disciplinary action. Next, we'll look at the-"

"ARGH!" A loud yell, followed by a dull splash, caused everyone to spin around.

Someone was floundering in one of the deep mud pits, sputtering loudly and shouting for help. A red-haired girl was just starting to climb over the fence near the pit. Glynda took a step toward the fence, but stopped when one of the nearby earth dragons lifted its head. It extended an arm, carefully picking up the brown-coated figure with a clawed hand and placing it on the ground on the other side of the fence. The beast snorted in what seemed to be an amused manner.

"Omigosh, are you okay?" Ruby, who was nearby, rushed over to the boy, who was groaning and trying to wipe mud from his eyes. Using the sleeve of her flannel, she wiped his face off. A pair of bright blue eyes blinked up at her, and she caught a glimpse of blond hair. The red-haired girl came down from the fence and ran over, her eyes alight with concern.

"Ugh… Thanks," the boy muttered.

"You need to be careful," the red-haired girl said, her voice gently admonishing. "Those pits are deeper than they look."

"I noticed."

Nearby, several people were snickering. There was a group of brawny, smirking boys who were particularly obvious about their glee. Ruby glared at them.

Glynda, meanwhile, let out a long sigh. "Nautilus, if you would…"

The water dragon yawned as he walked over. He took a breath, then let it out in a gentle flood of clear water from his mouth. Both Ruby and the boy were thoroughly drenched. A blue-haired boy yelped and jumped away from the stream.

Ruby shook her hair out, laughing. "Thanks, boy." She stood up, helping the drenched boy up. Looking at him clearly, she recognized the kid who had thrown up near the airship. "Hi, I'm Ruby."

The boy shook water from his hair. "Jaune. Nice to meet you." He stared at the ground. "Uh, is everyone still looking at me?"

"Of course not," the red-haired girl lied before smiling at Ruby. "My name is Pyrrha."

"Okay, everyone. Let's move on!" Glynda called impatiently, turning and walking back up the path.

A few people snickered as they walked by. Some, however, lingered. Nora zipped over immediately.

"Were you trying to get a closer look? That's totally something I'd do."

Jaune grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, that's basically it."

The group started walking again, though the white-haired girl hung back, looking at Pyrrha with a smile. "Did I hear you correctly when you said your name was Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha smiled politely. "Yes, you did."

"As in Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Yes."

The girl's smile widened. "Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure to meet someone with such a distinguished background. I hope we end up on the same team."

Pyrrha nodded. "That would be grand, I'm sure."

Ruby ran over. "Wait, you're a Schnee? Does that mean you have an ice dragon? Can I meet it when it hatches? I've never seen one before! Oh, I'm Ruby!" She held out her hand, grinning eagerly.

Weiss looked at her hand without taking it. "You may see it, but I doubt anyone outside of my team will be able to meet it. Ice dragons are very temperamental." She glanced over her shoulder. "The tour seems to be leaving without us." Without another word, she nodded toward Pyrrha and walked off.

Ruby lowered her hand with a sigh while Yang patted her shoulder. "Cheer up, sis. Not everyone's gonna be friendly when you meet them."

"Yeah," Ruby sighed. "But I just realized something: She's got her own ice dragon egg. That means she'll probably be on our team." She looked up at Yang. "So, we'd better hope she's nice."

Yang's shoulders slumped as she realized that her sister was right. "Oh… Yeah. We probably should hope for that, huh?"

Pyrrha smiled encouragingly as they started walking again. "I'm sure things will be just fine for everyone. Remember, whatever else happens, we'll have our dragons."

The others nodded in agreement, and grew silent as they thought of the following day, when they would finally meet their partners for the first time.

I really do enjoy naming these dragons! In this universe, names commonly relate to the dragon's element, but don't necessarily have to. There is a relation for CFVY's dragons, however. Java is coffee, which is hot like fire. Mocha is chocolate, which comes from a plant. Meringue is a light pastry made by whipping air into egg whites. Trifle is a layered dessert made of fruit and cake, and is very moist.

Next week will be the chapters you've all been waiting for: The characters are going to get their dragon partners!

If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Peace out!