It's time, everyone! The hatching is here. In any dragon story, the moment when a dragon hatches is one of the most important parts. Therefore, to keep from skimming over anything, I split the hatching into three chapters. The first will focus on Team RWBY, the second will be Team JNPR, and the third will be Team SSSN.
My recommendation this week is a shorter children's book by Bruce Coville, "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher." It's a story from a series of books about a magic shop. This one, of course, focuses on a boy who buys a dragon egg and tries to hatch and raise it in secret. It's a nice, heartwarming boy and his dragon story. Nothing else to say, really. Give it a read.
Anyway, enjoy!
Blake's ears twitched under her bow as they caught the sounds from outside. Over the past few days, the mostly-empty campus of Beacon had started to show signs of increased activity. Certain students started visiting the place with their dragons, preparing to get them settled in their old stalls. The stable hands were working twice as hard to get the elemental barns in order. Blake often volunteered to help, for which they were very grateful.
Of course, most of her time was devoted to caring for Pit, who continued to live up to his name.
She sat on one of four floor pads, which were positioned next to four deep inclines in the wall. Three of these were empty, but had different bags of padding nearby: sand for the future water dragon, downy feathers for the wind dragon, and scraps of special fireproof cloth for the fire dragon. Pit's, which was at the end closest to the door, was lined with fresh hay, which the little dragonet was taking immense joy in throwing around.
"Can't you keep your bed neat for a second?" Blake asked, and was promptly answered with several pieces of hay being tossed at her face. She laughed, a light, happy sound that came easily to her during those precious moments alone with her dragon.
As she took a sliced apple from her feeding bag, she glanced toward the window with a sigh. These past few days had been a true blessing. Free of Adam and his abuse, free of the cries of doomed dragonets, and free to bond with her new partner, Blake couldn't remember a time when she had been happier. Truthfully, she didn't want this to end.
But, it would. The next day, after the hatching, she'd be given three roommates and Pit would have to befriend three new dragons.
She knew that it was inevitable. She had agreed to Ozpin's terms, after all, and becoming a Dragon Rider involved being trained with a team. Still, she couldn't help but wish that she could just remain on an empty campus, just her and a young Pit, forever.
Pit squeaked angrily, and Blake realized that she had been holding the apple slice for almost a minute. She smiled apologetically and tossed it to him. His green muzzle snapped it easily out of the air. His yellow eyes closed contentedly as he chomped on the fruit. As soon as he swallowed, he was barking for more.
"You are a greedy little guy," Blake said, bopping his nose before holding out another apple slice.
As Pit ate, Blake marveled at how much he had grown. Upon hatching, he had been about the size of a large textbook. Now, he was as long as her arm, not including his thick tail, which was almost the same length again.
I hope he won't bully the other hatchlings, she thought. Ozpin had cautioned her that, since Pit was older, he might try to assert dominance over her teammates' dragonets. She hoped that wouldn't be the case. She didn't need any extra conflict.
Looking at Pit's proud expression and knowing his assertive personality, however, she had a feeling that there would be trouble in the future.
Pit, of course, was merely content to keep asking for more food, chirping loudly as the light reflected off of the silver freckles that dusted his back.
…..
Ruby awoke before the sun even rose the next morning. Sitting up in her sleeping bag, she smiled up at the long, dark expanse of sky above her. The stars were only just starting to fade as the first traces of pinkish-orange appeared on the horizon.
All new students had been taken to the giant stone arena at the edge of campus near the elemental barns, and had been told to set up their sleeping bags. According to Jaune, this had been where he had undergone the sight test and had been accepted into Beacon by four of the professors' dragons.
Thinking back, Ruby wondered if she had undergone a sight test of her own. She remembered Nautilus scrutinizing her closely after the encounter with the egg thieves, and Ragnar had definitely said something to Ozpin before their initial conversation. I guess it was a mix, she thought. Since I definitely proved I could handle a dragon during that fight. I wonder if anyone else ever was admitted because of both combat and sight.
Nearby, she noticed Yang stirring. She nudged her sister's shoulder, smiling when those lavender eyes opened. "It's today!" she whispered, her voice charged with excitement.
Yang grinned, sitting up immediately. "I am so ready!"
A gust of wind pushed their hair back, and they looked up to see Nautilus's pale eyes looking down at them from a perch between two pillars. The water dragon took a deep breath, and they barely covered their ears before a deep, almost song-like roar echoed throughout the arena.
Around them, people were jolted awake by the sound, some jumping to their feet while still asleep, then blinking in confusion as to why they were standing.
Ruby and Yang were already rolling up their sleeping bags and standing up. A few other people were doing the same, obviously having woken up before Nautilus's call. Heavy footsteps at the arena entrance signaled the approach of several other dragons.
Ozpin was walking in the lead, the ancient-looking Ragnar at his side. Behind him were two more men and two dragons, one wind, one fire. All three dragons were carrying special egg containers strapped to their sides. Ruby watched as they were detached one by one and opened.
Before she could approach, however, Glynda's voice called from the entrance. "Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Weiss Schnee. Please come here."
The three ran over. Glynda beckoned for them to follow.
"Your eggs are in the egg barn near the main campus. They have been placed in individual rooms, so that the bonding process won't be hindered by any distractions. Food bags have been placed in the rooms. You will want to feed your dragons immediately after they hatch." Her words were as brisk as the pace she set as they walked across the grounds. "Miss Schnee, special accommodations have been made for your ice dragon. Since it will need to be cooled down immediately, there is a bucket of ice water, and the food has been chilled."
"Thank you, ma'am," Weiss promptly replied.
"After you have bonded with your dragonets, you will go to your room," Glynda continued. "You have a teammate already waiting for you. She has an earth dragon that hatched a few days ago."
Ruby blinked. "Wait, what?"
"Special circumstances. Don't ask," Glynda said firmly. "If you wish to know your dragon's sex after it hatches, bring it to me. It really doesn't matter, but many people like to know. You don't need to name it right away, but you should probably give it a name within the next week." She stopped outside the egg barn. "Any questions?"
"Uh, where are the rooms?" Ruby asked.
Glynda pushed the doors open. A few older elemental dragons sat on stone pallets, keeping watch over the machinery which, until recently, had been filled completely with eggs. A few non-elemental eggs were being incubated, but the barn was largely empty. Just inside, there was a door leading into a thin hallway, which had a dozen small doorways leading into tiny rooms. Three of them had closed doors. "Miss Schnee, you are in the closest room. Miss Rose, you will be in that one. Miss Xiao Long, your egg is in the furthest room." The tiniest of smiles came to her face. "Good luck."
Weiss took a breath, then walked swiftly to the first room, entering without a word to the other two girls.
Ruby and Yang exchanged an excited glance, then entered their respective rooms.
After closing the door behind her, Ruby turned to see her egg. It was sitting in a small divot in the wall, which had a heated pad beneath it and was lined with soft, dragonet-safe materials. To her left was a bag of what looked like baked apple slices. Soft, warm, and easy to chew, Ruby thought.
The only other thing in the room was a small, padded pallet, which had several towels and a thick blanket hanging from the walls nearby. This was obviously there to place the dragon after hatching, so that the fluids could be cleaned and the hatchling warmed.
Ruby walked over to her egg, feeling her heart thumping against her rib cage. In the days since the injection, the shell had changed from its natural bronze color, and now was almost pure white. The slightest hint of pale gray appeared in tiny swirls across the surface. She placed a hand on the shell, biting her lip as she felt a tap on the other side.
"Hey, Storm," she said. "Are you ready to come out yet?" Another tap answered her.
Of course, the dragon would hatch within the next few minutes. The heating of the egg had been carefully managed, so that the timing would be exact. Still, it felt right to ask.
"I really want to meet you, Storm," Ruby murmured. "Can you come out? Please?"
Tap. Tap tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap- Crack!
Ruby jumped, but didn't pull her hand away, for the tip of a tiny snout was pressed firmly against it. She didn't even notice that her palm had been scratched by the broken eggshells until a little tongue darted out, lapping at the blood. She withdrew her hand, watching with wide eyes as the snout pushed further out, the egg tooth falling off as the rest of the egg shook. A leg pushed out. Then, with a firm shake, the dragonet shed the rest of its prison.
It was perfect. Slender and tiny, with a whip-like tail and fins that, if unfolded, would have been bigger than its tiny head. Like its shell, its scales were white with the faintest swirls of light gray, making it look like a wisp of cloud. Its sky-blue eyes opened, and Ruby fell in love immediately.
"Hey there," Ruby cooed, reaching out her uninjured hand to touch her dragon. "Hey, Storm."
Storm opened its mouth and squeaked, taking a clumsy step forward and pressing its head into Ruby's palm. It nuzzled against the warm skin, a rattling purr rising in its throat.
Quickly, Ruby reached for an apple slice and held it out. It was immediately snapped up by Storm's tiny jaws. As it chewed, it started shivering a little.
Gotta dry it off now. Ruby carefully reached in, not caring when the egg goo got on her arms, and picked up little Storm, who squawked once, but didn't protest otherwise. The squawk quickly turned to another purr as Ruby started rubbing it down with the towels.
Storm actually leaned into the towels, acting like a dog getting dried after a bath. All the while, it was never quiet. Squeaks, chirps, and purrs escaped its snout at intervals as it gazed adoringly up at its partner.
Ruby only realized she was crying when Storm extended its neck and licked her cheek with a long, pink tongue. She smiled, scratching the tiny creature under the chin. "I'm okay. I'm just so happy, Storm. We're going to be best friends. You'll see."
Storm's wide, trusting gaze was all the answer she needed. Then, those perfect blue eyes fell on the apple bag and it let out a high-pitched, demanding chirp.
….
Weiss sat on the small pallet, staring at the white and pale blue egg with a mixture of anticipation and fear. She thought back to that last night before she left, and the coldness of Glacier's breath on her face. Is it really in an ice dragon's nature to be so vicious? she wondered. Will mine be like that from the beginning? Will the bonding process even be the same?
Perhaps, I should have gotten a regular water dragon. She shook her head, pushing away the thought as soon as it arose. No. You are a Schnee. You can handle this. You must handle this.
Still, she flinched when the egg cracked for the first time. Mentally berating herself, she stood and walked over, staring at the rupture that had appeared on the smooth surface.
Crack. Another line ran across the shell. Still, nothing came through. Weiss started to reach for the egg, then stopped herself. Her father had always told her that a dragonet had to hatch on its own. If it couldn't hatch, it wasn't strong enough to live.
This caused a new fear to arise: Would her dragon be the one fluke from her father's broodery? Would it die in the shell, unable to get out?
Then, another firm tap sounded, and the egg shards fell aside, almost neatly. Sitting in the middle of it, shaking its head to dislodge a glob of egg goo, was her dragon.
At first glance, it looked like a miniature version of Glacier. However, as Weiss looked closer, she saw several differences. Where Glacier's scales were an oppressive white color, this dragonet's scales were more of a very faint blue shade, like a winter sky reflecting off of a sheet of ice. Several darker bumps rose on its back and down its tail; the beginning of its sharp spines. Its eyes were as black as frostbite, hiding the pupils entirely and giving its otherwise-beautiful face a slightly unsettling look. Its wings and frills were almost transparent, only turning a shade of pinkish-blue when the light of the incubator shined on them in a certain way.
Looking at the incubator, Weiss remembered that she had to cool her partner off quickly. Pushing aside her nervousness, she picked up the dragonet, which curled up against her chest without protest. She placed it on the pallet and knelt in front of it, wetting a cloth in the ice bucket, and began wiping down the pale blue scales.
The dragonet closed its eyes as some water dribbled across its face, but it was making a breathy whistling noise, which Weiss knew was an ice dragon's way of voicing approval. Relief flooded her, and she allowed herself a moment to appreciate the fact that this was her dragon. The events in Glacier's barn had almost made her forget that.
Then, those unsettling eyes blinked up at her, and the dragonet snapped firmly at the air. Weiss jumped, then realized that her hatchling was staring at the nearby bag of cold apple slices. She smiled shakily. "Of course. My apologies."
She took a slice and held it out in her palm, holding her breath as the dragonet eyed it. She let the breath out when the dragonet, rather than biting her or snapping up the apple, took the slice from her palm delicately. She had another one ready by the time it swallowed. It took it with the same carefulness, and chewed in a way that was almost polite.
Weiss handed it another slice, then set about drying off its scales while it ate. When she finished, she saw that her dragon was looking up at her, head tilted inquisitively to the side. Her heart warmed and she smiled down at it.
"You don't seem so vicious, do you?" she murmured.
The dragonet blinked its black eyes up at her.
Weiss sat down on the pallet, gently drawing her partner into her lap, watching the tiny creature curl up like a cat. She started stroking its back slowly. "I still need to be careful," she muttered aloud. "But I think we'll be okay." She looked down at the hatchling. "What do you think?"
The ice dragon didn't reply. It just nuzzled against her palm, letting out another happy, slightly eerie-sounding whistle.
…
Yang barely closed the door before a loud, insistent crack caused her to hurry over to her egg. Another crack preluded the egg breaking almost completely in half. The shell halves were shoved to the side by large, impatient wings. The dragonet shook its head, dislodging the egg tooth and throwing it across the room.
It was gorgeous! Like its shell, it was almost pure red with streaks of shimmering gold going down its back. Its eyes were like green flames as they blinked up at Yang. The beginning of its horns were obvious by the brown nubs at the top of its head near its flicking ears.
Yang smiled. "Little firecracker, aren't ya?" She reached for her dragon, only to yelp when it lunged forward, sinking its tiny, sharp teeth into her hand. She let out a long hiss through her teeth. Though new hatchlings had small fangs, they were still sharp enough to pierce skin.
"Okay. You're hungry. I gotcha," she gritted, reaching for the bag of apples with her free hand and grabbing one.
Smelling food, the dragonet released Yang's hand and turned in the direction of the bag. It opened its mouth, and Yang found herself tossing the apple slice rather than handing it over. The way the hatchling snatched it out of the air told her that had been a smart move.
After a few more slices, Yang knew it was time to pick up her new dragon and transfer him over to the pallet. A few minutes ago, she would have gladly done so. Now, looking at those sharp teeth and claws, she wasn't so sure. She reached for the hatchling, which responded with a growl.
She frowned. Elemental hatchlings weren't supposed to be this hostile, were they? She reached out again and received another hard bite for her trouble.
She could feel a red hue coming to her eyes. "Okay, you little shrimp," she muttered. "You'd better pipe down before I dump a bucket of water on you. Do you want to spend the rest of your life covered in goo, huh?"
The dragonet blinked at her change in tone, then opened its mouth, letting go of her hand sullenly. It glared at her as she picked it up and moved it to the pallet, but didn't thrash around anymore. It waited passively for her to wipe it down, then curled up with a huff, closing its eyes.
Yang knelt next to the pallet, her heart sinking as she looked down at the tiny creature before her. Was this how things were supposed to start? Was this the magical moment she was supposed to remember forever?
She quickly shook herself. Chill, Yang. Mrs. Violet said that fire dragons are a bit harder to train. You never had Mom around to tell you how a fire hatching is. This is probably normal. This little guy'll love you by the end of the week.
Encouraged by this thought, she placed a hand on her dragon's back, trying not to let it bother her when it responded with an annoyed hiss.
The hatching chapters have definitely been fun to type. You'll find out the names of the hatchlings in chapter 11. Also, if it helps, I'll post a little thing in the Author Notes showing the names, descriptions, and partners of all the dragons so far.
If you like what you see, and would like to be five chapters ahead in this story, please consider pledging to my P/atreon, which is Solora Goldsun.
Peace out!