RAWR! Look who's back with your favorite Tuesday dosage of dragons! I really have been away from these for too long. The plot is going to get more intense from here, so get ready!

And I have a dragon recommendation for you. I have discovered the literal cutest anime ever: How to Keep a Mummy. It's about four teens who end up adopting four mini monsters: a mummy, an oni, a dragon, and a baku. Every episode is just saturated with cuteness, and Mii-kun is my child, and the dragon is a precious big brother character, and you need to just watch it, okay?

Anyway, enjoy!

It was the day before Yule Eve, and the Xiao Long family was spending some quality time with each other and their dragons. Zwei was playing with Fang, who was still trying to figure out exactly what this weird animal was. Ruby was leaning against Tempest's side, staring glumly at the sky as Storm nuzzled her shoulder and let out a series of concerned chirps.

"Come on, sis," Yang urged, noticing Ruby's downcast look. "You know how Uncle Qrow's missions can get."

"I know," Ruby sighed. "I just really miss him." She smiled a little when Storm nudged her arm. "Hey, girl. I'm okay."

Taiyang glanced at his Scroll, hoping vainly that he'd see a text from Qrow explaining why he was late. No such luck. He'd better not be drunk under a table somewhere, he thought bitterly, then felt a flush of shame. No. He wouldn't do that. Not when his family's expecting him. That was one thing he could say for Qrow: No matter how much of a drunken idiot he was, he always put family first.

Then again, Taiyang would have preferred to hear that Qrow was drunk somewhere, rather than in danger on whatever mission he was currently on. I'll ask Ozpin, he decided. He'll probably know more.

Storm licked Ruby's cheek, then looked up at Tempest. "Who's Uncle Qrow?"

"Another member of the family," Tempest said, deciding against talking about the whole complex history of said family. "He's the Rider of our brother Salty."

"Is he the water dragon?" Storm asked.

"That's right."

Fang turned his attention away from Zwei. "Who's the fire dragon? I want to meet them!"

Tempest and Quake exchanged an uneasy glance. "Our sister…" Quake said slowly. "Is on a mission very far away. We won't be able to see her for a long time."

Storm warbled sympathetically. "That must be sad. Fang, Specter, and Pit aren't my brothers, but I'd hate to be away from them."

"They're still your family," Quake said, noticing the slight gentling of Fang's expression in response to Storm's words. "Even without the blood bond of siblings, you're family."

"What's a blood bond?" Fang asked.

"It's an inner knowledge of our kin," Quake explained. "Wild dragons use it to know who to mate with. It also keeps us from hurting our kin. No sane dragon will cause true harm to their blood relatives, especially their brother or sister."

Storm sighed, scuffing her front paw. "I wish I had that with Nimbus."

Fang nudged her shoulder. "Hey, that wasn't your fault."

Tempest nodded, her blue eyes clouding as she thought back. "I remember when Summer died. I nearly lost my mind. If Taiyang and Quake hadn't called me back, hadn't reminded me that Ruby and Yang needed me…" She shook her head. "I don't know what I would have done. Seeing a Rider hurt causes a degree of madness, which can be deadly, even if it's a lesser version of the madness caused when a Rider is killed."

Storm nuzzled the older dragon's shoulder. "I know. Nimbus forgave me. I still feel bad, though."

"That just means you're less likely to do it again," Quake soothed.

"Well," Taiyang spoke up. "Even if Qrow doesn't show up, I hope you girls are still up for going to look at the windows downtown."

Ruby perked up. "Oh, definitely! We can't miss that! It's tradition!" She paused before asking: "Can Blake and Weiss come with us?"

"Absolutely!" Taiyang exclaimed immediately. "I was gonna invite them anyway! You'd better tell them to get ready. We'll head down at five."

Ruby already had her Scroll out, and was texting excitedly.

"Hey, what about Sun, Sage, Scarlet, and Neptune?" Yang realized. "None of them are gonna have family here for Yule."

Taiyang spread his hands out. "The more the merrier! Question: Are any of these boys...piquing my girls' interests?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Daaaaad!" Ruby groaned, rolling her eyes.

"They're just friends, Dad," Yang said with a laugh. "Honestly, most of us are betting that they're gonna end up with each other by the end of the year. I mean, Neptune's been pining for Sun since the beginning of the semester, and Scarlet and Sage are basically married."

"They just don't know it yet?" Taiyang guessed, thinking back fondly to his own teenage years.

"Exactly."

As Ruby and Yang headed back to the stalls, they noticed their dragons stiffening. They turned to see Team CRDL walking nearby, and also grew tense.

The bully team didn't look in their direction. They seemed totally focused on exercising their dragons. As they walked across the field, Ruby noticed a very dejected-looking Mudslide trudging through the snow between Tornado and Tank. Tank had a wing draped over his sister, and the steam coming from his scales showed that he was heating himself up to make her more comfortable.

At least someone's looking after her, Ruby thought.

At five, Teams RWBY and SSSN met up and got on the next airship downtown with Taiyang. Unfortunately, the part of Vale they were going to was too small even for the dragonets to be comfortable. Still, it was nice to have a night out with just the Riders now that the dragonets' stall anxiety had disappeared.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Sun said, leaning back on one of the comfy seats. "I'm gonna eat all the food! Everyone knows Yule cakes and candies are the best."

"We'll have to keep an eye out for those candied chestnuts you like so much," Neptune noted.

"Dust yes!"

Zwei was bounding in circles around the ship, loving that he was allowed to go for a ride without being in a suitcase. When Weiss held out her hand, he immediately trotted over and sat down at her feet, panting as she eagerly petted him.

"Oh, you're such a sweetie! Yes, you are!" Weiss cooed.

"Would you look at that! All it took to thaw the Ice Queen was a dog!" Sun laughed.

Weiss glared. "Mister Xiao Long, does Zwei know the command 'Sic him?'"

"I'm afraid not, kiddo," Taiyang laughed.

Even the landing platform was surrounded by rainbow, twinkling lights, and it only got better as the group walked down the street. Lights were wrapped around every pole, turning them into pillars of shimmering radiance. Every other post was topped with a set of lights in the shape of a snowflake, something that made Weiss smile. Each shop window was decorated for the season, from the toy shops with their working toy trains and realistic toy cities, to the coffee shops with their plastic trees clad with handmade ornaments and holiday sketches by local artists. Even the hardware store at the corner had created a scene straight from Yule folklore, with a figure representing Gaia made of colored pipes and holly lying on her back in her deep, yearly slumber. A horse and carriage trotted by, all dolled up in fake holly and ivy.

And the smells! It was like being hit in the face with a mallet of cinnamon, gingerbread, and chocolate fumes. Besides the coffee houses and sweet shops, there were several portable stands run by dedicated people who were more than willing to brave the cold in order to get business from the food-craving passerby. After only a minute, everyone's mouths were watering.

Taiyang grinned as he noticed the hungry looks on the kids' faces. "Okay, here's the deal: I'll get us all gingerbread from our favorite stand, but you're on your own for anything else."

Everyone agreed. "Favorite stand?" Blake asked. "Sounds like you're an expert."

"Of course! We come here every year," Taiyang said, leading them confidently to a stand that had been set up in the lawn by the library. "Hey, Joe!" he greeted. "Give us two boxes this time."

Joe, a chubby, red-cheeked man with a bright smile, let out a booming laugh. "Picked up some strays, did you?" He started packing up two medium-sized boxes with fresh, steaming gingerbread.

"Watch it! These are all up and coming Dragon Riders."

"Ah." Joe nodded sagely. "In that case, take some cocoa on the house." He placed the boxes on the counter and set about filling up nine cups.

"Thank you, Joe!" Ruby chirped.

"Is that Ruby? Sweet Dust, you get taller every year!"

"She'll never be taller than me, though," Yang said, resting her arm on her sister's head, snickering when this prompted Ruby to start angrily swatting at her side.

They sat down on a nearby picnic table, admiring the lights on the towering pine tree that stood by the library. Upon closer inspection, they saw a cluster of paper ornaments made by the local schoolchildren. They walked around it, munching on their warm gingerbread and sipping some pretty decent cocoa.

"You know," Scarlet noted. "I hate ginger on its own. Put it in bread and cookies, though, and it becomes amazing!" He looked around eagerly. "Oooh, everything is so pretty! Why can't it be like this all the time?"

"It wouldn't be as special if it was like this all the time," Sage pointed out.

"Not true! I'd never get tired of it!" Scarlet took a contented sip of cocoa.

Sage ruffled his hair affectionately. "Well, you're pretty special yourself."

Scarlet's cheeks flushed in a way he knew had nothing to do with the cold. He leaned happily against his friend's side. Over the past few months, he had gotten more and more physically close to Sage. The lack of complaint from his best friend made him wonder if maybe there was something more to this. He found himself hoping that there was.

Blake was staring up at the tree, adjusting her hood and scarf before taking another swig of cocoa. The cold was still weird to her, even after being in Vale for over a year. She had to admit that the feeling of drinking a hot beverage while out in the cold was quite soothing. She wished she had a cup of her favorite tea handy. She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Having a good time?" Taiyang asked, smiling gently.

Blake returned the smile gladly. "Yes. Thank you for inviting us."

"Oh, don't worry about it! All of my daughters' friends are part of the family, as far as I'm concerned." Taiyang patted her back lightly. "I know it can be hard being away from your own family during the holidays."

"Yeah," Blake agreed, noticing with relief that Taiyang didn't seem to be planning on asking why her family wasn't there. He was excitable and happy, but knew when not to pry. She liked that. He and Dad would get along well, she found herself thinking with a pang of sadness.

Weiss walked over with Zwei trotting at her heels. "Sir, Zwei ate some gingerbread that fell in the snow. Will he be okay?"

"Totally," Taiyang said, not showing any real concern. "I mean, he once managed to steal an entire dark chocolate bar from me without getting sick. I swear, that dog has a stomach of steel."

Zwei yipped cheerfully, wagging his short tail.

After finishing their snacks, the nine walked down the street, stopping at each window. Scarlet had to be dragged away from a display of ornaments done by a shop that sold expensive Atlesian crystal.

"It'll add such a touch of elegance to the room!" he insisted.

"No, Scarlet," Sage said firmly. "Just one of those costs half of our tuition!"

Neptune slipped away at one point, only to come back with a large, fragrant paper bag. "Hey, Sun. Look what I found." He held out the bag, which was filled with steaming candied chestnuts.

Sun's eyes lit up. "Thanks, dude! You're awesome!" He plunged his hand in and popped three into his mouth, yelping in pain as the hot sugar stuck to his mouth.

Neptune groaned. "For the love of Dust! You do that every year!"

"Mmph. Nuh mah faul!" Sun protested, trying to cool his mouth without spitting out the chestnuts. "They thso gud!"

"You need tastebuds to enjoy them, you know," Neptune said dryly, popping one into his mouth after blowing on it first. The familiar texture of crunchy, cooked nuts coated with the hard, sticky candy stuck to his teeth. He savored the sweet, nutty, slightly smoky flavor while Sun managed to swallow his own, only to reach for the bag again. "Oh, no you don't!" Neptune snapped. "You're waiting for them to cool, unless you want me to blow on them for you, since you clearly aren't going to do that yourself."

Sun's eyes glinted as the perfect dirty joke came to mind. "So…"

Neptune realized his mistake immediately and facepalmed. "Sun, no."

"You're saying you want to blow my-"

"Sun, I swear I'll eat these all by myself if you finish that sentence!" Neptune snapped.

Sun pouted. "You're no fun."

"Hey, I bought you a giant bag of chestnuts. You have zero complaining rights."

"Fair enough." Sun blew loudly on one of the chestnuts under Neptune's watchful eye before popping the treat into his mouth.

Team RWBY was staring into one of the many toy shop windows, which had a snowy landscape set up with tiny, lit up houses, and a train running through a tunnel in one of the mountains. In the foreground, tiny dragon and human figurines fought against model Grimm, keeping the tiny town safe.

Blake's eyes were wide as she looked at the moving train and the intricate detail of the houses, which were all unique in their design. A tiny wreath hung over one of the miniscule doorways, and Blake could count individual fake pine needles when she squinted. "Amazing craftsmanship," she muttered.

"Have you seen windows like these before?" Ruby asked.

"No. I mean, there were toymakers and carvers back home, but detailed pieces like these are rare." Blake looked around, shaking her head slowly. "The variety these large cities have… It's amazing."

"I'll have to take you to Atlas for Yule sometime," Weiss remarked. "There's one store that has tiny mechanical dragons that fly around."

Ruby gasped. "I heard of those! I want one so bad!"

Taiyang smiled secretly to himself, thinking of the various presents he had bought for his girls. He couldn't wait to see their faces on Yule.

As they reached the end of the street, Taiyang's Scroll started to buzz. He picked it up, glancing at it in case it was Qrow, but his gaze sharpened when he realized it was Ozpin's number. He answered immediately. "Yes, sir?"

The others stopped, watching as Taiyang's face paled and a stern expression replaced his easy smile. After a moment, he said: "Understood. We're on our way," and hung up.

"What is it, Dad?" Ruby asked.

"Uncle Qrow is here," Taiyang said, pulling up the airship schedule on his Scroll. "They found him and Salty on the outskirts of Vale. They're both alive," he added quickly at Ruby and Yang's stricken looks.

"Was it Grimm?" Blake asked. "There shouldn't be that many around during the holidays."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Taiyang muttered. "Okay, we can make the next ship if we run. Sorry to cut this short."

"Dude, it's no problem!" Sun insisted. "Let's go!"

They ended up arriving at Beacon before the dragon carrier, which was much slower and more cumbersome. When it landed near the guest stalls, Ruby rushed to the doors, watching anxiously. The doors hissed open, revealing a beaten and bloody cerulean water dragon. He warbled weakly when he saw Ruby, but didn't say anything else as he limped off the ship and into the empty stall nearby. He looked over his shoulder, whimpering.

As if on cue, Qrow was brought out on a stretcher, loudly complaining that he was perfectly capable of walking.

Taiyang let out a sigh of relief. "If he can complain, he's probably fine." He went to Tempest and Quake's stalls, unlocking the doors to let the dragons see their brother.

Tempest hurried to Salty's side. "Oh my goodness! What happened to you?"

Quake snarled. "Did the Grimm ambush you?"

"Not Grimm…" Salty panted. "Dragons… Many dragons… Two fire dragons at the lead… Barely was able to…" Groaning, he fell onto his side.

"Move! Out of the way!" Ozpin's commanding voice rang out as he and Glynda made their way to the stall. Glynda immediately set about examining Salty's wounds and bandaging what she could. "Qrow, if you don't let these nice people take you to the infirmary, I'll knock you out myself!"

Qrow snorted. "Good to see you too, Oz." He noticed his family for the first time and grinned wryly. "Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late!"

Ruby sniffled, wiping her eyes. "It's okay, Uncle Qrow. Just get better."

"I'm fine. I can walk right now!" He tried to sit up.

"Qrow, I got you that aged brandy you like for Yule. A whole bottle," Taiyang spoke up. "You cooperate with the doctors, or I'm pouring it all down the drain."

Qrow's eyes widened and he immediately dropped back. "Don't even joke like that, Tai…" he growled. In the end, he let himself be taken to the infirmary without protest.

…..

After an hour, Qrow was stabilized, and Salty was on the mend. At this point, Ozpin and Glynda gently shooed the Xiao Longs from the room so that they could talk to their friend alone.

"What happened, Qrow?" Ozpin asked. "I got your report on what Raven told you. Then, nothing."

Qrow let out a dusty laugh. "Heh… Lot more than nothing happened after that…" He turned his head to the side, letting out a loud cough. "I tried following her and Phoenix. Thought maybe if I could track down where she and her rogues were hiding, I'd get a better idea on who they're working with."

Glynda rolled her eyes. "You should have known better than to try something like that alone!"

"I figured she wouldn't hurt me. And I was right. She didn't do anything." Qrow sat upright with a groan. "I'm fine," he growled when Glynda tried to push him back. "There was a group of Riders, Oz. All rogues. I'd never seen them before. Their leader…I thought it was Raven at first, but then I saw the dragon's eyes were blue… They attacked, and…Salty just froze up. I don't know why. They brought us both down, then left. I wanted to follow, but…"

"Salty wouldn't," Glynda finished. "He was always the smarter one between the two of you."

"Yeah," Qrow admitted. "We barely made it to the edge of town before he couldn't move anymore… Is he really okay?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Qrow," Glynda assured him. "Not about your dragon."

"Good," Qrow sighed. "He deserves a rest."

"You both do," Ozpin said sternly. "While you're here, I want you to think only of your family and the holidays. After Yule, we'll talk about what to do next." He touched Qrow's shoulder. "You've done well, my friend."

Qrow grinned. "I always do."

…..

"What happened, Salty?" Tempest asked gently. She was lying at her brother's side, one large wing covering his back. Quake sat nearby, and Ignis was poking his head out of his stall. Ragnar and Nautilus listened silently, waiting for the water dragon to speak.

"We…were trying to follow Phoenix," Salty muttered. His eyelids were heavy, but he forced himself to stay awake just a little longer. "She's involved with the brood thefts. We wanted to see if we could find the others."

"Phoenix did this to you?!" Tempest gasped.

"She couldn't!" Quake growled.

"No. Not Phoenix. Others." Salty took a deep breath. "There was a group of them. Their leader was a gold and black fire dragon. When they got closer, she said to surrender. If I didn't fight back, they'd just beat us up as a warning. If I fought back, she'd be ordered to kill me. They didn't want to kill us. Raven and Phoenix are their allies, so they didn't want to make them angry."

"So, you just let them beat you up?" Ignis asked.

"I had no choice!" Salty snapped. "We were outnumbered. I couldn't let them kill Qrow!"

"Of course not," Tempest soothed. "You did very well, brother."

Quake huffed, glaring at the sky. "If only we knew exactly what our sister is up to."

"She said that these people are trying to make things better for all dragons." Salty shook his head. "But I can't believe that."

"Maybe she does," Tempest suggested. "Especially if Raven believes the same thing."

"Tell us everything Phoenix told you," Ragnar urged gently. "Leave nothing out."

Taking a deep breath, Salty recounted what Phoenix had said about the Council, about the rogues stealing eggs so that they would have dragons to fight with, and her statement that Salty and Qrow would have a place with these people if they "picked the right side."

Nautilus growled, shaking his head. "I don't like this at all."

"I never much liked the Council," Ragnar admitted. "But at least they have a code that they stick to. These lawless rebels are clearly capable of anything. We'll have to be on our guard. They may try to attack the dragonries if they get strong enough."

Tempest hissed, fanning out her fins. "If they touch Ruby or Yang, I'll-"

"Peace, young one," Ragnar rumbled. "Those children are strong and smart, and Storm and Fang are two truly fine examples of their breeds."

"Besides," Nautilus snarled. "Any invader would have to kill every professor and every professor's dragon before laying a single claw on our students." He thumped his tail on the frozen ground for emphasis, flattening his fins and letting out a growl. "And that is no easy task."

Ragnar turned back to Salty to ask him another question, but the water dragon had finally passed out. Bowing his head respectfully, he turned and flew away, Nautilus close behind him.

Tempest warbled softly. "I don't like this, Quake."

Quake nodded, digging his claws into the ground. "None of us do."

The other dragons in the area muttered nervously amongst themselves throughout the night. No one slept easy.

I should probably warn you now that a good number of future chapters are going to end on a downer note. It wasn't my intention, but things are getting darker in the more recent chapters. Just a heads up.

Man, it's good to be back! Anyway, if you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Peace out!