Rawr, everybody! This chapter is coming at you in the wake of the Volume 5 trailer, which is admittedly leaving me more excited than apprehensive, which is a good sign! Not saying there isn't apprehension, but there's enough excitement to keep me going. I'm looking forward to learning more about Oscar and Raven's characters (because I may or may not have plans for them in this fic…) Also, Oscar is adorable, and I want to pat his head, give him cookies, and protect him from all the scary things. So, yeah! Hype train!
(Though, what's with the floating islands. Did we jump into Atmos from Storm Hawks, all of a sudden? How does that work in this universe?!)
Ahem, enjoy!
It was early in the morning when a drowsy Jaune received a text from his eldest sister Mary. "Hey, scrawny! We're here! Swing by the guest stalls once you get your lazy ass up."
His heart leaping, he jumped out of bed and started rummaging in his dresser while calling out to the others. "Guys! Wake up! My family's here!"
Nora, of course, bounced from her bed almost instantly. "Ooh, yay! That means five new dragons, right?"
"That's right. Ren, Pyrrha, wake up!" Jaune was hopping around as he pulled his jeans on. It was strange just how much he had missed his family. Just a few months ago, he couldn't wait to get away from his mother's constant reminders to pack his socks, take his nausea meds, go to bed at a reasonable time…
Ren groaned as Nora started bouncing on his bed. "Give us a minute…"
Pyrrha yawned as she sat up. "Jaune, why don't you go ahead of us. You should have some time with your family before they meet us anyway. We'll follow. Just text where you are."
"Ah. Right." Jaune grinned sheepishly as he looked at Ren and Pyrrha's tired faces. "Take your time. I'll see you guys soon."
"I'll make sure they're up and moving, boss!" Nora said with a smart salute.
"I can always count on you, Nora!" Jaune laughed as he pulled on his hoodie and ran out the door.
He rushed to the arenas, which were now full of larger versions of the freshman stalls. As he stepped onto the turf-covered area in front of the first group of stalls, the ground started to shake. He turned just in time to see five huge, fully-grown dragons barreling toward him. He scrunched his eyes shut and braced himself for impact.
A hard snout knocked him flat on his back and a loud, booming voice roared in his ear. "AWN!" Hot air buffeted Jaune's face.
Finally opening his eyes, he looked up to see his father's fire dragon, Ignis, grinning down at him. A huge, muscular beast, Ignis had always been very affectionate with Johann's children. Truthfully, he could be a little too affectionate, which was why the two youngest children hadn't been formally introduced to him yet. Nothing would be worse than an accidental injury of that nature.
Ignis's brass-colored eyes blinked as Jaune sat up. The winter sun shone on his dark red, bronze-flecked scales, making them shimmer. Eagerly, he nuzzled his partner's only son. He had missed the boy so much!
"Hey, Iggy!" Jaune patted the fire dragon's snout, wincing a little as the large dragon playfully bit his other arm. No blood was drawn, but he was incredibly aware of the lethal power of those jaws as razor fangs pressed into his hoodie.
"Iggy!" A deep voice called out. "Back off and let the others have a chance!"
Ignis growled sullenly and stepped back, though not without shoving Jaune to the ground again.
Brazier, a fire dragon with patches of shining copper and milky white on her scales, bent her head to sniff at Jaune's hair. He smelled like dragons, many dragons. Young dragons. It was a good smell. Would she get to see the young dragons? She had always loved playing with the others when they were little.
Ore, a deep brown earth dragon with a dark gold underbelly, politely waited his turn before leaning in to gently lick Jaune's face. A low purr rumbled in his throat as the boy patted his neck. He had always liked this one, and he liked him more now that there was a strong earth dragon smell surrounding him.
Next came Blaze, a pale orange fire dragon with a single red stripe running down her back from the tip of her nose. She barked loudly at Jaune. "Awn. Safe?"
Jaune grinned as he hugged Blaze around the neck. "Yes, Blaze. I've been safe. I promise."
Blaze huffed with satisfaction. "Gud." She allowed him to hug her before stepping back to let Flurry have a turn.
Flurry, a mostly-green wind dragon with patches of blue and gold, was bouncing on her feet by this point, and didn't hesitate to tackle Jaune to the ground for the third time. "AWN! GUD!" She started licking his face like a giant puppy.
Jaune batted at the wind dragon's face, sputtering as the large tongue temporarily halted his ability to breathe. Thankfully, he heard footsteps before Flurry was pulled away.
"Easy, girl. Easy. We don't want to kill him so soon after exams." Autumn Arc patted her dragon's shoulder, rolling her eyes. "Hey, bro. How're you holding up?"
Jaune stood up, glad that he could finally hug his sisters. "Exams almost killed me, Weiss fainted due to a lack of sleep, and Scarlet was making Sage carry him around. So, not too bad."
Autumn laughed as she hugged him back. "Wow, I can't wait to finally meet these friends of yours. They sound like a riot!"
Jaune greeted June, Sapphire, and Mary (who punched him affectionately on the shoulder as a greeting) before turning to his father. "Hey, Dad."
Johann grinned, pulling his son into a tight hug. "You're looking good, Jaune. I can already see those Dragon Rider muscles forming!"
Jaune smiled proudly before looking around, noticing a certain absence. "Is Mom bringing Katie, Jenny, and Silvia on an airship?"
"Yeah," Johann sighed. "Silv still can't go near a dragon without getting scared. They'll be going straight to the guest building."
Jaune shook his head sadly. Johann had tried introducing Silvia to Ore, the gentlest of the Arc dragons, when she was two, but she had burst into tears at the sight of him. She was four now, and her opinion of the giant beasts hadn't changed in the slightest.
"I was actually hoping," Johann continued. "That we could introduce her to one of the dragonets when she gets here. Maybe seeing smaller dragons wouldn't be as scary for her."
"Well, if it's small you want, Twiggy's your girl," Jaune said confidently. "Actually, I'd vouch for any of the JNPR dragons, except maybe Ao Guang. He might be too hyper for a first meeting."
A shadow passed over Johann's face. "Yes, your runt… Can we take a look at her?"
Jaune felt his heart clench nervously. Whenever he talked to his dad about his dragon, there was always an edge of something in Johann's voice. Whether it was disappointment or worry, Jaune couldn't be totally sure.
They got to the stalls, and Jaune opened Twiggy's. He peered in to see the brown and green earth dragon curled up in the corner, glaring at the door. "What's wrong, girl?" he asked, stepping in.
Twiggy snorted, pointing her snout at the door while shivering pointedly. She didn't want to go outside today.
"Oh, is it too cold?" Jaune asked.
Twiggy bobbed her head, warbling quietly. Jaune always understood her.
Jaune knelt down and patted her back. "Would it be okay to come out for a few minutes? My sisters and dad are here, and they really want to meet you."
Twiggy perked up at this. Jaune had sisters, like how Twiggy and Freya were sisters? She wanted to meet them! She also felt a ripple of confusion at the unfamiliar word, "dad." What was dad? She knew about several things from listening to the older dragons, such as the concept of having mates when you're older and the idea of fighting monsters (which she really wasn't sure about). They had never spoken about "dad" before. Still, Jaune didn't seem scared, so this dad was probably not a bad thing. Slowly, Twiggy stood up and stretched.
"Good girl," Jaune muttered, scratching under her chin. "Don't worry. There are fire dragons outside. They can keep you warm if you need them to."
More dragons? Now, Twiggy definitely wanted to go outside! She trotted out after Jaune, stopping short when she saw the five huge dragons looking down at her. Her ears flattened and she crouched down so that she was closer to the ground. The dirt shifted a little as she reflexively started exercising her earth powers.
"It's okay," Jaune promised. "They're all family."
Johann stepped forward, holding out his hand for Twiggy to smell. "Hey, there," he said in a soft voice. "I'm Jaune's dad."
There was that word again. Twiggy sniffed curiously at the human. He smelled of dragons, like Jaune. She looked at his face, and let out a chirp of surprise. This man looked like Jaune! He was much older, but he looked and smelled so similar to Jaune! Feeling her fear fading, she stepped forward and stretched her neck out to lick his face.
Johann chuckled, patting the dragonet's snout. "Good girl." He examined her for a moment, his smile turning into a frown. "Hm. Definitely smaller than she should be." At this point, the other dragonets were likely the size of small elephants. Twiggy was barely the size of a horse.
"She's healthy, though!" Jaune interjected.
"True, but she could use a little buffing," Johann murmured, scratching his chin. "Feed her more red meat."
"I have been…"
"You should also see about exercising her more. Beacon has gyms, right?"
"I've been doing that too."
"Also-"
"Dad!" Mary cut in, rolling her eyes. "Chill. He knows what he's doing, just like we did."
"Ah, right." Johann rubbed at the back of his neck. "Sorry. It's a dad thing."
Twiggy, meanwhile, got up the courage to walk toward the sisters and the dragons. She looked up at the three towering fire dragons, and the earth and wind dragons. They were so big and strong! Would she be like that some day?
Ore rumbled gently. Twiggy would definitely continue growing. Even if she was smaller, she could be a fighter, especially if she learned how to run and fly fast.
Twiggy barked eagerly. She was fast! She was very fast!
Brazier chuffed softly as she leaned down to look at the dragonet. This one was adorable! She liked her already.
Ignis swatted at Twiggy gently with a large paw, knocking her to the side. He crouched down, his tail lashing back and forth with excitement.
Twiggy yelped, quickly hiding behind Jaune.
"Hey, don't worry," Jaune assured her. "Iggy was just playing. He won't hurt you."
Blaze rolled her eyes, smacking the older dragon with her tail. Why couldn't he remember that he needed to be gentle with the small ones?
Ignis ducked his head, growling sullenly.
"Take it easy, buddy," Johann soothed. "You can play with her when she's bigger." Again, he was doubtful as he peered at his son's undersized dragon. He held out his hand again, prompting Twiggy to peek her head out and lick his palm. She's certainly a gentle one, he thought. If nothing else, she may be able to help Silvia. He didn't want to think about the other likely possibilities concerning the future. He knew what this dragon's fate would be if Jaune couldn't make her stronger.
Flurry hopped excitedly from one paw to the other. Could she play with the little one? She promised not to shove her or hit her with her tail by mistake!
Autumn laughed at her dragon's eagerness. "Jeez, Flurry. It's like you've never seen a dragonet before."
Jaune's Scroll buzzed and he quickly took it out. It was a text from Pyrrha asking where he was. He quickly told her they were by the stalls before pocketing his Scroll. "My teammates are on their way down."
Johann grinned, pushing aside his worries about Twiggy for the moment. "Good! I've been looking forward to finally meeting them."
Sapphire smirked. "Yeah, especially that girl you've talked so much about."
Jaune's cheeks heated up despite the cold. "It's not like that. Pyrrha's just a friend."
Twiggy snorted loudly and whacked Jaune's back with her tail. She knew by this point that that wasn't true! She shook her head and gave her partner a pitying eyeroll.
Everyone burst out laughing while Jaune's face turned a shade of red that rivaled Ignis's scales. They were still trying to recover when the rest of Team JNPR arrived.
The three stopped short. "What's so funny?" Ren asked uncertainly.
"Twiggy was just acting up!" Jaune cut in before his sisters could even think of saying anything. "Isn't that right, Twiggy?"
Twiggy tilted her head. Acting up? Her? Never! She huffed at the very idea.
Johann stepped forward, deciding to spare his son of any embarrassment the girls might cause. He needs to figure out all those emotions on his own, whatever they may be. "Pleasure to meet you," he said to Jaune's teammates. "I'm Johann Arc, and that's Ignis over there." He nodded at his dragon, who barked an excited greeting.
"Hello." Pyrrha gladly shook Johann's hand. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, Rider of Titan."
Ren bowed respectfully. "Lie Ren, Rider of Ao Guang."
Nora zipped forward to shake Johann's hand. "Nora Valkyrie! My dragon's name is Freya. Do you wanna meet her?" She tried not to sound too eager, though wasn't very successful. She couldn't help it. Jaune had already said that she and Ren would be welcome among the Arcs, and this was the closest she'd ever get to showing off her dragon to a parental figure.
Johann's expression softened further at Nora's eagerness. He could see the glimmer in her eyes, and remembered what Jaune had said about her and Ren being orphans. "I'd be happy to. She's the wind dragon of your team, yes?"
"Yep!" Nora chirped. "I'll go get her!"
"Say hello to Jaune's sisters first," Ren gently reminded her.
"Oh, right! Hi!" Nora waved cheerfully to the four women as she walked by.
June giggled as Nora hurried to her dragon's stall. "Do you think we were that adorable as freshmen?" she whispered.
"I know I was!" Sapphire declared.
Johann turned back to Ren and Pyrrha. "I'd certainly like to meet your dragons as well."
The two needed no further prompting, and rushed to their stalls to let their dragons out.
Freya was yawning as Nora led her over. She glanced at Jaune, then blinked a few times as a man knelt down to examine her. Two Jaunes? That couldn't be right.
Flurry, unable to contain herself, eagerly trotted over to the younger wind dragon, chirping a greeting.
Freya warbled politely, flicking her fins in acknowledgement. There were certainly a lot of new adult dragons today. Were they going to be new teachers?
Twiggy quickly explained that this was Jaune's family and their dragons.
Freya perked up a little at this. Did Nora and Ren have families with dragons too?
"She's certainly mellow," Johann noted. "That's strange. Wind dragons are usually very flighty."
"I think the flighty trait ended up with Ao Guang," Nora giggled. "He's such a silly boy!"
As if on cue, the water dragon bounded out of his stall, making a beeline for the new dragons, barking with joy. New dragons to play with!
Ignis immediately crouched down, growling playfully and batting at the water dragon. Guang, instead of getting scared, jumped right back up again and tried to headbutt one of the fire dragon's large legs.
Brazier bent down to nuzzle the dragonet's shoulder, chuffing as he put his webbed paws on her face.
"Guang, behave!" Ren scolded.
"Oh, it's fine," Mary said, waving her hand dismissively. "Brazier loves dragonets."
When Titan was brought over, Johann carefully held out his hand, which the dragonet politely sniffed. "Hm. You weren't kidding about how calm he is," he muttered to Jaune.
Titan blinked up at the human that looked so much like Jaune. Twiggy had just told him something about Jaune's sisters and a "dad." He wasn't sure what that meant, but he was certainly intrigued with the three new fire dragons. He approached the pale orange one with the stripe and introduced himself.
Blaze bobbed her head, bending down to sniff the new arrival. Her brows furrowed, but she didn't say anything about what she smelled. Instead, she asked him if he was enjoying Beacon.
He was enjoying himself. He liked his partner, his siblings, and their partners. The only thing they really had to deal with was a group of bullies, and that group had mostly mellowed out during the past few weeks. Only their leader was a threat anymore.
Blaze growled sharply. Were the dragons of these bullies okay?
Titan sighed. Three of them were…
Eventually, the adult dragons started to shown signs of fatigue from their journey, so Johann excused himself and his daughters to take them back to the guest stalls.
"Want any help, Dad?" Jaune asked.
"No thanks, son. Tend to your own dragons. We'll have plenty of time to get caught up these next few weeks." Johann patted his shoulder. "I'm looking forward to dinner! The food at Beacon is second to none, especially during the holidays. I hope you kids like whole smoked turkeys! They serve those on Yule day!"
Nora felt herself salivating at the thought. "Smoked turkey?"
"Oh yeah. Smoked turkey, mashed potatoes with butter and gravy, grilled corn on the cob, brussel sprouts fried in bacon grease…"
"Dad, shut up!" Mary groaned. "You'll make us hungry."
"But I didn't even get to the desserts," Johann protested, his eyes sparkling playfully.
Nora covered her ears, groaning at how far away Yule still was. "Please don't! I might die!"
Johann laughed. "Okay, okay. It's better if it's a surprise anyway. I'll see you kids later. Jaune, don't forget your mother gets here this evening."
"I won't forget!" Jaune promised. "I'll keep my Scroll on me."
After Jaune's family left, the temperature of the area became immensely colder. Pyrrha shivered. "The fire dragons must have been heating their scales," she noted. "They all seem very nice."
"They are!" Jaune said empathetically. "And you'd better expect to sit with them for dinner every night while they're here. Also, quick warning: My little sisters will not leave us alone once they're here."
Nora smiled as she urged a yawning Freya back into her stall. Johann's welcoming face and the easy acceptance of Jaune's older sisters were already making her more excited about the holidays than she'd ever been. "I think we can handle that. Right, Ren?"
"I've been through worse." Ren gave his best friend a pointed look.
"Hey!" Nora crouched down, realized that there wasn't enough snow on the ground to make snowballs, and stood up again with a pout. "Watch your back when the snow gets thicker, young man!"
Ren smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."
…..
It was early evening as the Arc dragons settled in their stalls. It was nice being close together. It wasn't quite as nice as being with their respective sibling groups, but they had accepted a long time ago that they wouldn't be seeing their brothers and sisters as often now that they weren't at the dragonries anymore.
Blaze was pacing in a circle, growling softly to herself. When Brazier expressed concern, she asked if the others had noticed anything strange about Titan.
Ore rumbled, shaking his head. He hadn't gotten close to the fire dragonet.
Ignis chirped nervously. Was something wrong?
Blaze wasn't sure. When she had smelled Titan, there had been something off about him. While he seemed to be every bit as intelligent as an elemental, he didn't smell like a fire dragon. Instead, his smell evoked memories of when she had helped to guard a shipment of brood dragons. There was no trace of smoke, no extra heat. No fire.
The other dragons shifted nervously. A fire dragon with no fire? What did that mean?
Blaze shook her head. Whatever it meant, it certainly couldn't be anything good. They'd have to keep their eyes open while they were here.
The others agreed. With that decided, they were finally able to find sleep.
Yay for more dragons! I love sprinkling bits of Arkos and Team Sloth into these chapters. Because my stories always end with them being canon. Always. No Valentine's Day rehashes here!
Speaking of canon JNPR, I just wanted to bring up something that's bugging me: Ruby has been with JNR for around ten months, considering Volume 4 and the timeskip. And it's looking like we won't be getting a full RWBY reunion for a good while yet. Ten months is already much longer than Ruby's overall time at Beacon with her team. I can't help but feel that the bonds between Team RNJR are going to end up being far stronger than the bonds between Team RWBY ever were, or ever will be at this point. I'm not sure if I'm cool with that, considering the fact that RWBY is literally the show's title. This just adds to my belief that there should have been more time, both episode-wise and in-universe, before the events at Volume 3's end.
Ah well. Fingers crossed for an awesome beginning of the season!
If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.
Praise Monty, and peace out!