Happy Dragon Tuesday, everyone! Here's a nice little chapter where nothing really significant happens. *whistles innocently*
For my recommendations, I've decided that I'll either recommend something, give a dragon fact, or name a favorite dragon character, just for variety (and until I get my hands on some new books). Today's shout out is to Sunny from the Wings of Fire series. She's a SandWing dragon and one of the chosen "Dragonets of Destiny," who are meant to end a war between the three heirs to the SandWing throne that has sucked in all of the other dragon kingdoms. She's the most optimistic of the group and is wholly dedicated to the prophecy and her duty to end the war. The fifth book, which is from her point of view, solidified her as my favorite of the dragonets. She's kind-hearted, but intelligent, and is often misjudged by those around her, which is something I can relate to. Also, her appearance is very close to how I'd imagine myself as a dragon.
Enjoy!
As Team RWBY walked on the path away from Beacon, each holding the end of a new leash leading to a halter that snugly held each of their dragons, they noticed an increase in activity around the airship station.
"Huh. Think we're getting an important delivery today?" Yang wondered while trying to keep a firm grip on her leash as Fang strained against his gold-colored halter. "Chill, you little shit. It's not like this is killing you."
"I guess so," Ruby said, squinting. There were several armed guards pacing around the landing strip. For a moment, she thought she saw Ozpin entering the nearby building. "Have there been more attacks lately? Is that why there are so many guards?"
"I guess so," Yang said. She and Ruby had told Weiss and Blake about the incident at the Violet Broodery. Apparently, there were similar attacks on brooderies and Dust shops happening throughout Remnant.
"Winter recently contacted me," Weiss said. "Father has apparently had to double his personal defense budget just to get Dust shipments through. There have also been many attempts to steal other bits of SDC technology."
"Sounds like someone's trying to breed their own dragon army," Yang muttered.
That's exactly what's happening, Blake thought, suppressing a shudder as she thought of the mutated hatchlings Adam was probably producing at that very moment. Stay calm. Dragonmaster Ozpin is investigating the matter. You've done all you could.
She pushed her worries aside, instead smiling down at Pit, who had adjusted well to his new purple harness. "Let's get going."
The sun was shining and the pleasant morning aromas of fresh baked goods and coffee wafted from the open doors of various shops. Both Ruby and Storm gravitated toward a bakery that smelled very strongly of chocolate. Storm sniffed the air, tugging on her red halter and squeaking excitedly.
"Easy, girl," Ruby laughed. "Let's just see if they have a- Yes!" She spotted a sign in the shop window that had a silhouette of a dragon on it, marking it as a dragon-friendly establishment. "Guys, let's go in here!" she called over her shoulder as she entered the shop.
An older woman was tending the counter, and looked up with a smile as Ruby came in. "Welcome to Muffet's Bakery. Arachna Muffet, at your service." Her gaze went down to the dragonet. "Well, now. Isn't that a pretty little hatchling?"
"Thank you!" Ruby said with a bright smile. "Her name is Storm."
"Good name." Muffet walked over, reaching into her apron pockets. "Here you go." She handed Ruby a blue biscuit. "A blueberry tart made with dragon-safe ingredients. Give her a little treat." She peered over Ruby's shoulder. "Oh, you have your whole team with you."
Weiss and Blake had followed Ruby into the bakery. Yang was lingering a few feet away from the entrance, not wanting to risk bringing Fang in.
"Thanks," Ruby said, accepting the biscuit. "Storm, sit."
Storm immediately sat down, nose twitching eagerly as she stared at the small pastry. Ruby tossed it at her, and she snatched it out of the air gladly. It was sweeter than the apple treats she was used to, but still very good.
Seeing Storm getting a treat, both Specter and Pit started shifting their paws and chirping.
"Well, aren't I popular today?" Muffet chuckled, withdrawing three more biscuits. "And, are my eyes deceiving me, or is that a little ice dragon?"
"Yes, ma'am," Weiss said. "Specter, sit."
Specter obediently sat down, though his black eyes were fixed on the biscuits.
Muffet approached, holding out her hand. She smiled when Specter delicately took the biscuit. "Such good manners."
After feeding Pit and giving Ruby a biscuit to give to Fang, Muffet returned to the counter. "Let me know if there's anything you want."
Of course, Ruby couldn't resist buying a bag of chocolate chip cookies. Weiss ended up choosing a vanilla scone from the glass case in the front. Blake got a lavender cupcake.
"You know, it's good to see students walking through here and bonding with their dragons," Muffet said as she wrapped their orders. "Does the heart good." She handed the three their bags. "You take care, okay?"
"Thank you! We'll definitely be back!" Ruby called as the three exited the shop. "Here, Yang." She handed Yang the last biscuit while opening her cookie bag.
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Ruby, isn't it a bit early to be eating chocolate?"
"Uh, no. No, it isn't," Ruby replied. "Never speak such blasphemous thoughts again." She popped a whole cookie in her mouth. "Uh…Did I use 'blasphemous' right?"
"Yes, you did. And don't talk with your mouth full!" Weiss scolded. "Honestly, you're supposed to be our leader. Show a bit of dignity."
Yang, meanwhile, knelt on the ground by Fang. "Want a snack, buddy?"
Fang sniffed curiously at the biscuit, ears flicking.
Hm. He seems to be in a better mood than usual. I wonder… Instead of tossing him the biscuit, Yang tried holding it in her palm. She waited, hardly daring to breathe.
Fang licked his teeth before darting forward, eagerly snapping up the biscuit. The fruity, sweet taste combined with the fresh air around him was almost enough to make him start purring. Almost.
Yang winced as her dragon's teeth grazed her palm, leaving a few scratches. Still, she was internally rejoicing. He didn't bite me intentionally! He just went for the food! We're actually getting somewhere!
The four continued through town, stopping at The Vale Boutique to let their dragons look around. Fang snatched a rubber toy in the shape of a bear from one of the shelves and refused to drop it, prompting Yang to purchase it. "Maybe it'll make him want to chomp on me less…"
Weiss eyed the claw polish, debating on whether or not she wanted some for Specter. She thought back to her lessons, which largely involved him scratching at blocks of ice. It would probably flake off within a day.
Pit expressed a liking for a large, expensive pillow that Blake refused to buy. "You'll be too big for it in a month," she protested when he stared up at her with his large yellow eyes. "Once you stop growing so quickly, I'll get you more stuff."
Storm, of course, was chomping a cookie from one of the treat samples. Ruby giggled. "Don't eat too much. You'll get sick."
Weiss gave Ruby a dry look. "And how many of those dozen cookies are left in your bag?"
"No comment."
Eventually, they ended up at the park, which had a fenced-in area that allowed them to let their dragonets loose. Pit immediately started sniffing around, digging at the dirt with his claws. Specter padded over to a pond and became fascinated with the goldfish swimming near the surface. Fang found a sunny spot, lying down and chewing contentedly on his new toy. Storm elected to curl up at Ruby's feet and take a nap.
Blake withdrew a book from her satchel, prompting Ruby to ask what it was about. "It's about a woman who is reborn as a dragon, and ends up bonded to her grandson."
"Ooh. That sounds interesting. Can I borrow it when you're done?"
"Sure."
Weiss was keeping a careful eye on Specter, hoping that he didn't try actually catching one of the goldfish. She hated to imagine what all those small bones would do to his digestive system.
Yang was watching Fang, an amused smile on her face. Twice, another dragonet would approach and try to take his rubber toy, only to be repelled by an enraged hiss.
It was early evening as the team walked back toward Beacon, feeling a little tired but completely content with the day. A slight whoosh of air above them was their only warning before any semblance of peace was shattered.
A loud boom sounded, causing them to look up. An airship was overhead, teetering as it flew. The reason for this became clear as a burst of fire lit up the sky.
"Someone's attacking the airship!" Weiss squinted, trying to get a good look at the dragon. It was a gold-scaled beast, from what she could see, but it was too high up to tell anything else.
At that moment, a loud, deep roar sounded from the direction of Beacon. In the distance, the bulky form of an earth dragon took flight.
"It's Ragnar!" Ruby gasped as the airship dipped, starting to take a nosedive. "He's not gonna get there in time!" Without thinking, she rushed in the direction of the ship.
"Ruby, what are you doing?!" Weiss shouted. "There's nothing we can do!"
"There might be!" Ruby protested. "We can help get people out of the ship if they're injured, right?"
The members of Team RWBY glanced at each other. It was true that they were the closest people to where the ship was about to crash. Their presence could mean the difference between life and death for some of the crew members, depending on the severity of the crash.
"Okay, but we need to hold onto our dragons," Blake insisted.
The sound of the airship crashing caused all of them to wince. Storm howled, pawing at her head. Fang growled, sinking his teeth deeper into his toy. Specter hissed, tail lashing nervously. Pit just dug his claws into the ground, glaring silently.
"Hurry!" Ruby called as she rushed toward the ship. She could already smell smoke.
As they reached the crash site, they could see people struggling to get away from the ship. Others were trying to put out the fire. Still more were rummaging through a huge pile of silver boxes. Above, the sound of pained roars told the girls that Ragnar had reached the fire dragon and was doing battle with it in the air.
Ruby ran over to a man who was half-buried under a torn metal pilot's chair. She pushed at the chair, gritting her teeth. "Yang, help!"
Yang was over there in an instant, lifting the chair and tossing it easily to the side. Fang jumped in surprise, staring at the chair as it clanged to the ground.
Ruby knelt by the man. "Are you okay?"
The man opened his eyes, immediately noticing Storm, who was letting out a long, ongoing whine. "You're students… Good. He propped himself up on his elbows, revealing a silver box that was identical to the others that were piled up nearby. "Take this to Beacon. Just take it and run. They'll be here soon."
"They? Who's-?"
"Just go!" The man stood up, withdrawing a pistol. "They won't think a bunch of students would have it. Hurry!"
Weiss looked at the box. "That's from Atlas." She nodded at the others. "We should listen. Let's go!"
Team RWBY rushed from the crash site, Ruby hiding the box under her cloak, everyone dragging their distressed, confused dragonets as fast as they could go. They all had a slew of questions, but didn't have the breath to ask them. They just ran as fast as they could go.
Above them, they heard the fire dragon let out a high-pitched shriek. Behind them, they could hear the sound of a smaller craft landing.
At that moment, Ruby was reminded on the attack on the Violet Broodery. It had been almost exactly the same: A fire dragon attacked from above while men attacked from below. She held the silver box closer to her chest.
Another shriek sounded, this time directly overhead. The fire dragon was circling over them. As if in answer, running footsteps sounded from the crash site. Someone was chasing them!
"Faster!" Ruby urged, darting ahead. Her hair was blown back as the fire dragon swooped lower and breathed a stream of fire in front of her, causing her to skid to a halt. The box flew from her hands and broke open on the ground. The footsteps were almost where they were!
The team scrambled over to the box, trying to put it back together. Storm, still trying to figure out what was happening, stuck her head in to sniff at what was inside.
A click sounded as something metal and cold suddenly attached itself to her brow. The dragonet tossed her head, squeaking fearfully as a loud ringing filled her ears.
"Storm!" Ruby screamed, immediately trying to pull the metal plate from her dragon's forehead. It was stuck! All she could do was watch in horror as the metal spread across her dragon's brow, down her spine, and to the base of her tail. Storm pawed at her head for a moment before suddenly going still.
The footsteps had stopped. Several men were standing in the trees, their eyes fixed fearfully on Storm. The fire dragon had fled, pursued by Ragnar.
Storm blinked once, suddenly feeling calm. The metal was cool and soothing on her brow, and she could feel something gently pushing at her mind. She tilted her head curiously. It was like someone was trying to talk to her, to give her an order the way Ruby would. Who was it?
"Scanning." A green light embedded in the metal above Storm's brow lit up and started blinking as a flat, robotic voice spoke. "Subject: Wind dragon. Female. One month and two days old. Adjusting settings."
Storm blinked again, suddenly aware of the other humans, who had started rushing toward them. She felt an order in her mind. She needed to attack.
"Threat detected. Engaging wing gust," the voice said, though this time it sounded younger and more feminine. The light turned red as Storm stood on her hind legs and flapped her wings as hard as she could.
She was only a hatchling, but the power of the gust was definitely there, enough to cause the men to stop in their tracks.
Ruby, eyes wide, rushed over and picked up Storm. "Come on, girl! We need to go!" Whatever was happening, she knew that getting back to Beacon without being caught was more important than ever. She'd deal with whatever was happening once the danger was gone.
"Run, Ruby!" Yang yelled. "We got this." She cracked her knuckles before landing a swift punch in the stomach of one of the men as he came closer.
Fang's jaw fell open and his new toy fell to the ground. His partner could fight?!
Blake's ears flattened under her bow as she swiftly kicked another goon. "Weiss, go with Ruby!"
Weiss sniffed loudly, reaching into her bag and withdrawing a small can. "Please." She pointed it at another goon, giving him a face full of pepper spray. "You need my help."
Another goon came up behind Yang, trying to grab her arms, only to be violently tackled to the ground. "What the-AAAAARRRRRGHHHH!"
Yang spun around and almost gagged at what she saw. Fang was on top of the man who had tried attacking her, digging at his chest with razor-sharp claws, biting ruthlessly at his face, which was already a bloody mess. "Fang, settle!" she shouted. To her complete and utter shock, the dragonet obeyed immediately, bounding back to her side and growling threateningly at the other goons.
The other masked men hesitated, obviously not prepared to face dragons head-on, even if they were small ones. After a moment, they turned and ran back toward the crash site.
Yang smirked. "Nailed it." She picked up the man Fang had incapacitated, holding him by the shirt collar. "You guys follow Ruby. I think the police would be happy to question this guy." She grinned down at Fang. "Good boy!"
Fang blinked up at her, his tail wagging excitedly. He barely remembered to grab his toy before following his partner, bloodstained claws cheerfully clacking against the pavement.
Ruby, meanwhile, was rushing up the hill leading to Beacon, holding her dragonet close, panting a little with the exertion.
"Analyzing threat."
Storm blinked, realizing that the voice in her head wanted to attack. She quickly tried reasoning with it. Ruby was good! She was the best! She didn't deserve to be hurt!
"Mind waves read. Dragon Rider partner recognized. First priority: protect Rider."
Tears streamed down Ruby's face as she ran. What was going on? What was this thing on her dragon's head? What if it was hurting her?
She practically collapsed in the Beacon courtyard. "Help!" she called. "Some metal thing is attached to my dragon!"
Almost immediately, Glynda Goodwitch was kneeling in front of her. "Miss Rose, what-?" Her eyes widened when she saw Storm. "Quickly. Into the broodery." She took Ruby by the shoulder, half-dragging her into the stable for the brood dragons.
The comforting scent of hay and dragons enveloped them as they kneeled on the ground. Ruby stared up at Glynda, eyes wide. "Professor, what happened to Storm? What is this thing?"
Glynda stared down at Storm, brows furrowed, mouth in a thin line. "Something you should not have been involved with," she muttered.
Storm looked around, sniffing the air. They were safe.
"Threat level: zero," the robotic voice said. The light turned from red to green. "Combat settings now offline."
"What are you?!" Ruby gasped. "Get off of Storm!"
Storm turned to look at her, and the green light blinked. "Salutations," the voice said. "I am the Physical, Emotional, and Neurological Implant, primary draconic model, beta form. How may I be of assistance?"
I have really been looking forward to posting this chapter! It took me forever to figure out how I'd fit our favorite little robo-girl into this series, since Aura isn't a thing in this AU and there wouldn't be much reason to create a sentient android. Then, my mind went "CYBORG DRAGON HOLY CRAP!" I love my mind sometimes.
If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.
Peace out!