Rawr, everyone! Today is the last day of the Week of Solora's Return, and you get another Dragon Tuesday in one week! Don't expect this every week, though. I'm only doing the double updates for "Once in a Shattered Moon" because the backlog is totally done.

Enjoy!

Yule Eve was the following morning, and Qrow was allowed to walk around under the close supervision of Taiyang. He grumbled loudly about not needing crutches, but didn't actually toss them aside, as he frequently threatened to do.

Ruby stayed by his side every minute, begging to know details about his mission. "Come on, Uncle Qrow! You can tell me! We're all Dragon Riders here!"

Qrow chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Easy, kiddo. You're not quite old enough to hear all the top-secret goods."

"Am too!" Ruby pouted, folding her arms.

"Hey, don't give me the look!" Qrow said, turning away with a huff. "That's not fair."

Ruby tried running to Qrow's other side, still pouting, and was rewarded with a hand to the face. "Hey!"

"Gotcha!" Qrow snickered. "There is good news: Your Yule presents didn't get destroyed during that fight we got into. I got you the good stuff, too."

"Uh, you don't mean whiskey, right?" Ruby said doubtfully.

"Come on, Ruby," Yang snorted. "You think Dad would let Qrow live if he did that?"

"I promise you I wouldn't," Taiyang piped up. "Slow down, Qrow! Don't strain yourself."

"Ugh… I'd say you're just like my mom, but I wouldn't know anything about that," Qrow grumbled, though he did slow his pace.

"Do you wanna meet Storm?" Ruby asked, bouncing up and down. "She's so awesome!"

"Hell yeah! Let's go see if Salty's feeling up to it. He got the worst of it last night." Qrow grimaced, feeling a familiar sense of guilt as he wondered what he could have done differently to protect his dragon.

When they got to the stalls, Salty was already awake and warbling eagerly for Qrow. "Rrrow," he purred, nuzzling his partner as gently as he could, glad to see him up and walking already. He turned toward the rest of the family, his heart as light as air for a moment as he took in the familiar faces. "Tai! Ang! Rrroo!" The girls had grown so much!

Ruby ran over and carefully hugged the water dragon. "Hi, Salty! I'm so glad you're okay. Do you want to meet our dragons?"

Salty bobbed his head. He had been looking forward to meeting the new dragonets.

"I was hoping to meet the ice dragon too," Qrow admitted. "Where are your teammates?"

"Oh, Blake's hanging out with Sun and Neptune today," Yang said.

"And Weiss is meeting with her sister," Ruby chirped. "They haven't seen each other in person in forever, so we're letting them get caught up one-on-one."

Both Qrow and Salty let out long, simultaneous groans. "Tell me the Ice Queen isn't sitting with us on Yule…"

"Tell me that frosty prick won't be in the stall next to mine…"

Taiyang snickered, though his eyes were stern. "Yes, she will. You'd better be on your best…" He paused, then groaned. "Actually, we might be doomed no matter what."

Tempest and Quake, meanwhile, were both snorting with laughter under their wings.

"You two wait here," Ruby said. "We'll go get Storm and Fang!" She and Yang ran off toward the dragonet stalls.

Once they were out of earshot, Taiyang turned to Qrow. "I know a lot of what happened is confidential, but-"

"She's involved, Tai," Qrow said, shaking his head regretfully. "I'm sorry."

Taiyang's shoulders slumped. "You talked to her, then."

"She hasn't asked about you, so don't bother asking if she did."

"I know that!" Taiyang snapped, his eyes blazing with anger and a heated mixture of regret, past love, and searing hatred. "I stopped expecting anything from her a long time ago. Just tell me she's not the one who hurt you."

"No, but she's with the people who did." Qrow put a hand on Taiyang's shoulder. "There's a shitstorm coming, Tai. It's not gonna be pretty when it hits."

Taiyang placed a hand over Qrow's and managed to crack a smile. "Has there ever been a pretty shitstorm?"

Qrow burst out laughing, then put his free hand to his bandaged side, grimacing. This caused both of his crutches to fall to the ground with a clatter. "Ugh… This sucks…"

Salty warbled softly, taking a step closer, ready to let his Rider lean on him if necessary. "Rrrow? Gud?"

"I'm okay, buddy," Qrow assured him as Taiyang hurriedly picked up his crutches. "We've been through worse."

Salty tossed his head. That was definitely true.

When Ruby and Yang returned, their dragons immediately bounded over to Salty, eyes wide and inquisitive.

"Omigosh, are you okay?" Storm whimpered when she saw his injuries.

"What did you fight to get those?" Fang asked, his tone more admiring than anything.

Salty chuckled. "You must be Storm and Fang. I'm Salty. Nice to meet you." He turned to Storm. "I'm fine. It's just a few scratches. Nothing to worry about. As for who I was fighting…" He heaved a sigh as he looked at Fang. "I was battling other dragons."

Fang's green eyes widened. "How many?"

"At least a dozen. Two fire dragons were in the lead."

"Wow!" Fang's tail swished excitedly. "Will I be able to fight off a dozen dragons when I'm older?"

"I didn't fight them off," Salty said, his eyes flashing. "I was lucky to escape with my life. You'll need to be cautious once your battles begin. Understand?"

Fang nodded, though he couldn't stop imagining this scarred water dragon facing an entire flight of rogue dragons alone. It was a pretty amazing image.

He'll learn soon enough, Salty thought sadly. "So, how are your lessons?"

"The wind dragons are flying now!" Storm chirped. "Nimbus is the best in our class. His wings are huge, but he can't see very well."

"Really?" Salty tilted his head. "How does Ozpin hide that?"

"Not sure," Storm admitted. "I mean, most of the dragons have something to deal with, so maybe he's used to hiding stuff."

"I see…" Salty's fins flattened. That didn't sound good at all. He wondered if Qrow knew. Probably. Ozpin tells him basically everything he knows, after all. At least…everything we know he knows… I'll ask Ragnar later.

"Okay, Salt. Stop hogging." Qrow limped over to Storm and Fang. "Heya, there. I'm Ruby and Yang's uncle." He held out his hand for them to sniff, smiling when Storm immediately licked his palm. "Friendly, aren't you?" He glanced at Fang. "And what about you? Giving Yang a good bit of trouble?"

"He's such a little shit," Yang affirmed.

Fang growled, sticking out his tongue.

"Language, Yang!" Taiyang scolded.

"Daaaaaad!"

Fang ducked his head and let out a huff of laughter. "Yeah, Yang. Language! Don't be like Huo!"

"Oh, shut up, Fang!" Yang rolled her eyes at her dragon's amused huffs and yips.

Qrow snickered. "These are some good dragons. You'll be killing Grimm like maniacs with these two. Lemme know when I get to meet the others."

"Everyone's letting their dragons out after breakfast tomorrow, so you'll definitely get to see all of them then," Ruby said, bouncing up and down. "It's gonna be so awesome!"

"I remember when we did that," Taiyang noted. "Had to be careful of the scuffles, especially at this age. A fight could be deadly with how big their fangs and claws are now. Do any of your dragons have rivals they might fight with?"

"Well, Fang and Huo have some tension," Yang said. "And most of the dragons on our teams hate Team CRDL's dragons."

"Yes, you've mentioned them." Taiyang's brows creased. "I hope Ozpin is aware of this problem."

"He is, but there isn't much he can do," Ruby explained. "Since they have dragons already, he can't expel them. And I heard Cardin's dad has been threatening to sue Ozpin." She clenched her fists. "Cardin's the worst! At least the others care about their dragons. They've been taking care of Mudslide, because Cardin just left her here!"

Qrow shook his head. "Gotta love the system we got. As long as an asshole can fight and pay a ton of money, they get everything they don't deserve handed to them on a silver platter."

Storm glanced at Fang, her fins twitching. "I didn't know Mudslide was just left here."

Fang looked uncomfortably to the side. "Yeah… That's… That sucks."

"I feel bad for her, but…I can't be friends with someone who would attack Twiggy." Storm curled her tail around her feet, shaking her head in confusion.

"Being her friend might make her stop," Tempest noted.

"There are no truly evil dragons, even if there are evil people," Quake said. "We do as our Riders command, but we try to avoid hurting each other if possible. If you help her, she may be able to get through to her Rider."

"Maybe," Storm muttered doubtfully. I don't think anything can get through to that human.

Qrow stretched his arms. "So, who wants to hear about what happened at this one inn on the way here?"

"No," Taiyang said flatly.

At the same time, Salty let out a sharp bark. "Rrrow! Dum!"

Everyone but Qrow burst out laughing.

….

Winter arrived precisely at noon.

Weiss and Specter stood in the courtyard, staring at the approaching form of Steele. His metallic wings glinted in the cold sunlight. As he drew close enough to see the two, he fanned out his frills and let out a piercing whistle.

Specter was bouncing up and down with excitement. He couldn't believe it! Another ice dragon! He was finally meeting another ice dragon! He had seen the moving pictures on Weiss's Scroll, of course, but this was actually real!

"Calm yourself, Specter," Weiss scolded, though she knew she was feeling even giddier than him at that moment. She hadn't seen Winter in person in years. The day Winter had disowned their father and joined the Atlas Flight Squad had marked the last time Jacques would allow any contact between the two. Weiss, of course, had continued talking to her sister in secret via email.

When Steele landed, Weiss couldn't keep from running over. "Winter! Steele!" she called out.

Steele rumbled softly, bowing his head to look at his Rider's sister. She had certainly grown in the years since he last saw her. He looked at the bouncing ice dragonet with some disdain. "Would you stop that?" he growled. "We are two of the only three ice dragons in the world. Show some dignity."

Specter stopped immediately, ducking his head.

Winter slid effortlessly from her saddle and gave her gear a cursory check before turning to Weiss. Her hands were behind her back, and her head was tilted upward, so that she was looking down at her sister. "You've gotten a bit rowdy since last time we spoke."

Weiss felt her own spine straightening automatically as she regained some control over her composure. "Hello, Winter. It's lovely to see you again."

A small smile came to Winter's face. "It's good to see you too." She cast an appraising eye over the courtyard and the school. "Hm. A decent enough establishment. I know Ozpin has a good reputation."

"He and the other professors have been teaching us very well. Professor Goodwitch hasn't had any trouble with your instructions."

"I'm pleased to hear that," Winter said. "And, how are you?"

"Well, I believe I did well on my exams. Specter has been perfectly healthy since his hatching. Your recent training video-"

Weiss was interrupted by a sharp pain and a moment of blackness. She yelped, putting a hand to her head, which Winter's palm had already retreated from.

"Not your lessons, you boob! I mean, how are you? Are you getting along well with your teammates? Are you making any friends? Have you or have you not been seeing anyone romantically? You hardly bring that up in your emails, and it's getting rather vexing!" Winter snapped.

Specter, meanwhile, let out a hiss at the sudden strike to Weiss and lunged forward, only to be stopped by the new ice dragon's paw.

"Be still," Steele said, though not without a hint of kindness in his voice. "Have you never seen an alpha swat their siblings?"

Specter growled, but sat down, seeing that Weiss didn't seem scared or sad. "I don't like seeing Weiss hurt," he muttered sullenly.

"Of course not, but my Winter would never harm her," Steele assured him. "She loves her sister even more than she does me. Now, my name is Steele. You are Specter, correct?"

Specter blinked up at Steele, still confused by his last comment. The older dragon seemed totally unconcerned with the idea of his Rider loving someone else more than him. Does Weiss love me the best…? Specter wondered, his stomach twisting.

Steele glared down at the dragonet. "Do you not know how to answer your elders?"

"Oh, uh, yes!" Specter said, quickly sitting upright. "I'm Specter."

Winter was watching Specter, nodding her head slowly. "Your dragon is certainly protective of you."

"That goes both ways," Weiss said, smiling gently at her dragon.

"Of course, it does," Winter replied briskly. "Now, do show me around the grounds. I'm familiar with Beacon only due to pictures and accounts from other soldiers. I will also need to inspect your quarters, and your dragon's."

"I assure you everything's in perfect order." Weiss had made absolutely sure that her part of the room and Specter's stall were spotless. "Where would you like to go first?"

"The arenas. I would like to untack and settle Steele in for the day."

The four started toward the arenas while Weiss answered Winter's questions. "It really wasn't that dangerous," she said regarding the fight with the thieves who had attempted to steal the P.E.N.I device.

"Are you aware of what the device is that you saved?" Winter asked, her eyes flashing.

"Um…"

"The correct answer is no," Winter said firmly. "Whether it's true or not. Understand."

"Of course, I do!" Weiss replied quickly. "We haven't said anything- I mean, we don't know anything about it!"

"Good." Winter looked at the stalls with a passive expression, though her eyes darkened when she saw a certain water dragon. So, Qrow Branwen is here. Wonderful…

Steele drew himself up and narrowed his eyes when he saw Salty. The water dragon cocked his head at him, giving him that stupid, challenging look. "Greetings, Salty," he said, nodding curtly.

"Steele," Salty replied, keeping his voice cool and casual. He stretched in a slightly exaggerated manner before lying down again.

Tempest suppressed a giggle, exchanging a knowing look with Quake. "Hello, Steele. Nice to see you again."

"Good to see you too, Tempest. And you, Quake," Steele said politely before turning back to Specter, purposefully pointing his back at Salty. "So, are you getting on well with your teammates?"

"Oh, yes!" Specter said. "Storm in particular. She's very kind to everyone."

"Are you the alpha?"

"Uh…" Specter thought about lying, but couldn't bring himself to do so. "No. Pit's the strongest and the smartest, so we listen to him usually." He was surprised when Steele gave him an approving smile.

"It is good to know one's place," Steele noted. "Even if that place isn't at the top." He twitched when Salty snorted loudly behind him. "If you'll excuse me, I need to retire. We will speak again."

"Of course!" Specter said, nodding eagerly. "I'll see you soon! Uh, I mean…" He tried to stop his tail from thumping. "I hope you rest well, Steele. It was lovely meeting you."

"Likewise," Steele said, inclining his head.

As Winter led Steele to the nearest empty stall, Specter approached Salty. "Hello. I'm Specter, Weiss's dragon. I heard you're the dragon of Ruby's…uncle? Was that it?"

"Yes," Salty replied with a smile. "I'm Salty. Nice to meet you."

Specter frowned when he noticed the fresh injuries on the older dragon. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a scuffle." Salty didn't feel like explaining the whole thing in front of Steele. "You're certainly friendly. Didn't expect that from an ice dragon." He could practically feel Steele glaring at him after that comment.

Specter tilted his head. "Really? I try to be pleasant with everyone unless they're being stupid or crude. There's this water dragon named Barracuda." He shook his head. "She definitely deserves the rough edge of my tongue."

Salty let out a laugh. There it is. "Well, you keep being pleasant, kiddo."

Winter returned to Weiss. "Let us retire Specter now. Then, you can show me the rest of the school."

After returning Specter to his stall, which Winter deemed as "adequate," the sisters walked around the school. At one point, Weiss asked something that she had been waiting to discuss in person.

"Winter…what is your opinion concerning the Faunus?"

Winter cocked an eyebrow. "What is yours?"

"I asked first!" Weiss protested. When Winter continued to give her a cold look, she sighed. "I've been realizing that practically everything we knew before is wrong. I've become good friends with a few Faunus. Sun Wukong, Velvet Scarlatina…" She omitted Blake's name, of course. "Even issues concerning the White Fang might not be as black and white as everyone thinks."

"You're absolutely right," Winter said immediately.

"Really?" Weiss perked up. She had never discussed the Faunus with Winter, and had assumed that her sister's opinions had been similar to her own former opinions.

"Of course," Winter said. "The Atlas Flight Squad may not have as many Faunus as the Squads in other kingdoms, but they are there. I have fought alongside several worthy Riders, then watched them face ridicule and harassment on the streets." Her fists clenched for a moment, and a crease appeared on her brow.

"Why were we taught that they're inferior?" Weiss asked. "And why doesn't Father change the company's policies? It wouldn't cost him that much!"

"Do you really not know?" Winter huffed. "I thought you were less naïve than that. Father won't change because he doesn't have to. He enjoys a position of power that is partially fueled by his underpaid Faunus laborers. Even if the White Fang causes us some harm, he is able to recover. As long as he isn't personally hurt, as long as there isn't a significant benefit in changing his ways, he isn't going to."

"Even after what happened to Snowflake?" Weiss asked.

A pained expression crossed Winter's face briefly before being replaced by her usual mask. "Snowflake didn't have an impact on him, only Mother, and Father stopped truly caring about her years ago, if he ever did in the first place. She served her…purpose for him." Despite her best efforts, the sheer disgust she felt managed to creep into her voice in that last sentence.

Weiss bit her lip. "Is there no way to help her?"

Winter shook her head. "We have enough on our plates helping ourselves and protecting the people of Remnant. If a person won't help themselves, there's not much we can do for them. If Mother chooses to drown her sorrows in alcohol, that's her choice."

"I suppose…" Weiss muttered. I don't know if I could have helped myself without Winter's encouragement, though. For a moment, she found herself thinking of Whitley. What was he doing this holiday season? Was he truly as happy with his position as the favored child as he seemed to be? Before she could think too deeply about it, Winter snapped her fingers to get her attention.

"Now, then. The classrooms."

"Oh, of course!" Weiss hurried to continue showing her sister around the school, ridiculously glad that Winter seemed to approve of what she saw.

…..

"So, what's the news in Atlas?" Quake asked, trying to dissipate the static that was obviously building between Salty and Steele as the dragons sat in a cluster in the arena. The other adult dragons were totally rapt with this grown ice dragon, Flurry in particular.

"It must be exciting being in the Flight Squad," she said, fluttering her fins a little. "Was it hard getting in?"

"We had to go through several tests," Steele explained calmly. "Concerning combat ability, flying, and our bond as dragon and Rider."

"Wow! You must be so skilled!"

Salty let out a loud cough.

Ignoring that, Steele turned to answer Quake. "As for Atlas…things are not going well. I'm sure you're aware of the brood thefts."

"Definitely. Salty was injured fighting some of the Riders involved," Tempest said.

Steele turned to look sharply at Salty. "Did you recognize any of them?"

Salty's fins twitched. "I… My sister is…involved, but she didn't participate in the attack."

"I see." For a moment, Steele's dark blue eyes showed a hint of sympathy. "Those injuries look severe. I hope you're resting yourself."

Salty snorted. "I know how to deal with injuries. We might not be Flight Squad, but Qrow and I are in danger pretty regularly."

"Indeed. Well, there are a good number of egg thefts in the outskirts of Atlas, though no one has tried attacking the ones closer to the center." Steele's frills flared out proudly. "The Flight Squad is based around those areas, after all."

"And why don't you guys protect the outer regions?" Salty asked.

"We go where we're ordered to go," Steele said shortly. "But there has been some…worrying news. Winter has been in contact with some members of the company, and has found that someone may be infiltrating it."

All of the dragons stirred at this. If the Schnee Dust Company was being threatened, that could mean disaster for any future elemental dragons. "Any idea who?" Ignis asked.

Steele rolled his eyes. "If we knew, we would have arrested them already. It's just something I overheard."

Blaze warbled nervously. "Could that we why the Beacon dragonets have so many disabilities spread amongst them?"

Steele hissed. "It's happening here too, then?"

"Too?" Salty sat up. "So, Atlas Dragonry has deformed dragonets?"

At this, Steele's fins drooped and his wings trembled. "No… The dragonets that are being trained right now are all well, at least well enough to pass Council inspection."

"Then, what-?"

"They had to…go through a large number of hatchlings in order to make it so," Steele finished, swallowing loudly.

A coldness settled over the dragons that had nothing to do with the snow, and it didn't go away when they went to sleep later on.

Yeah. As I said last chapter, we're getting into some darker territory. I hope you guys don't hate me for some of the things I'll be doing in the future!

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

Peace out!