RAWR, EVERYONE! No one killed me for last week, so that's good. Let's just…keep that mindset, okay? Good.

I just gotta say: I watched Nomad of Nowhere, and holy crap I am hooked. These characters are already my children, and I will protect them with my life. You can almost certainly expect fanfics once there are a few more episodes out.

Anyway, enjoy!

The families went home the day after Yule. Winter had to leave first thing in the morning in order to catch the shuttle that would take them to Atlas by the next day.

"And remember to keep emailing me updates," she was saying as she tacked up Steele.

"Of course, Winter!"

Specter's tail was twitching, and he whistled sadly. "Do you have to leave already? We barely got to talk."

"Being in a Flight Squad is demanding work," Steele replied. "I'm sure we will see more of each other in the summer, if Weiss can negotiate things so that she can stay with the military instead of her father. I hope my Winter suggests it to her."

"Wouldn't that make her father sad?" Specter asked. "Actually, where are her parents? Were they too busy to come here?"

"Yes," Steele muttered. "That's one way to put it…"

Salty emerged from his stall, scuffing the ground with a webbed paw. "Well, have fun with your army stuff."

Steele snorted. "The Atlesian Army is a different branch from the Flight Squad." He glanced sideways at the water dragon. "I…hope the rest of your recovery goes well."

Salty blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah. Thanks."

Weiss and Specter walked Winter and Steele to the courtyard, where Winter pulled her sister into a slightly stiff hug. "Keep your eyes open," she said quietly. "And take care of Specter. Dragon Riders need to be vigilant right now. Remember, keep quiet about the tech unless Ozpin tells you otherwise."

"I will," Weiss promised, closing her eyes and nuzzling a little against her sister's shoulder. She had missed her so much! "Will I see you at the Dragon Festival?"

"If my flight is sent, yes," Winter replied. "I hope you make a good impression. You're the second Ice Rider, after all. Show them what you and Specter are capable of."

"We will, though aren't I technically the fourth?"

Winter rolled her eyes as she drew back. "Snowflake was a glorified pet, and Glacier doesn't even have that honor. We are the only true Ice Riders."

"Of course." Weiss inclined her head. "Have a safe flight." She stood as straight as she could, hands folded as she watched her sister and Steele become smaller and smaller in the pale blue sky. Once they were out of sight, her shoulders slumped and she sniffed quietly.

Specter nudged her gently, letting out a soft whistle. "I'm still here, Weiss. Don't feel lonely."

Weiss wrapped her arms around her dragon's neck, hugging him tightly and allowing a few tears to fall on his cold scales, where they quickly froze. Footsteps caused her to quickly wipe her face. She saw it was Taiyang, Ruby, Yang, and Qrow approaching, followed by their dragons.

"Yeah, yeah, Tai," Qrow grumbled. "I don't need you to mommy me. We'll just stick around until Salty's all healed up."

"You need to be healed as well, Qrow!" Taiyang scolded. "Don't think I haven't noticed how wobbly you've been on your feet."

"Hey, Weiss!" Ruby zipped over, hugging her teammate. "Did Winter leave already? I wanted to say bye."

"She did," Weiss said, glad that her voice didn't tremble. "She may be at the Dragon Festival, so we can look forward to that." She glanced at Qrow. "I never did find out why you two don't get along."

Qrow snorted. "Isn't it obvious by looking at us?"

"Not really," Taiyang commented. "Weiss and Ruby are quite different, yet they're close friends."

"Weiss is way less of a stuck-up priss than Winter, and Ruby's way less of a drunk than me," Qrow said dryly. "There are differences here, Tai."

"My sister is not a stuck-up priss," Weiss huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "She simply takes herself and her position very seriously, as she should!" She smiled when Specter nodded his head sharply and whistled his clear agreement.

Salty suppressed a laugh at how the young ice dragon was trying to mimic his Rider's pose by angling his wings outward slightly and cocking his head. "It was very nice meeting you, Specter." Salty then turned to Fang and Storm. "And you. It's too bad I didn't get to see much of Pit."

Storm sighed. "He told me that Blake was trying not to intrude on Ruby and Yang's family time. I don't get it, though. She wouldn't have been intruding."

"People sometimes worry about things they don't need to worry about," Quake explained. "And they can think less of themselves than they should. Dragons have that problem too."

Tempest leaned down to nuzzle both Storm and Fang. "You take good care of Ruby and Yang. Understand?"

"We will!" Storm promised, running forward to press her head against the older wind dragon's shoulder. "Come visit anytime!"

"Of course," Tempest said, gently nudging the top of Storm's head. She turned to Ruby and Yang, a lump rising in her throat. "Rrroo, Ang," she rumbled in the human tongue. "Safe. Gud."

Ruby and Yang hugged the wind dragon around the neck, and were lifted off the ground by her strong forelegs as she hugged back. They then hugged Quake, who rumbled gently and shoved each of them playfully with his broad snout as they backed away.

"Take care," Ruby sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Rrroo," Tempest sighed. She hated leaving the small human, but felt better about it this time than before. She has Storm now. She doesn't need me looking after her. She nuzzled Ruby once more before turning away.

Taiyang hugged his girls one more time, then gave Weiss a hug. "It was great meeting you, Weiss. If you want to visit during summer break, just let me know. We always have room."

Weiss stiffened only briefly before hugging back. She noticed Taiyang's backpack wriggling. "Thank you, sir. May I say goodbye to Zwei?"

"Ah! Of course." Taiyang unzipped his backpack.

Zwei immediately popped his head out, yipping cheerfully and licking Weiss's hand as she scratched his ears.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much!" Weiss cooed. "You be a good boy, okay?"

Zwei whined, pressing his head against her hand.

Taiyang chuckled. "Tell you what? If I need to go on any missions, I'll send him here. Oz said that it won't be a problem. How's that sound?"

Weiss's eyes lit up. "That sounds wonderful!"

Zwei growled sullenly as he was pushed back into the bag, but was quiet when Taiyang climbed onto Quake.

Qrow ruffled Ruby and Yang's hair. "If I go soft and die because of Tai's constant worrying, I'll expect you guys to sue on my behalf."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Just get better, and stop taking stupid risks."

"Oh jeez, you really are starting to take after him!" Qrow groaned. "I'd better go before I start seeing double!" He climbed onto Salty's back.

Salty rolled his eyes at his partner before licking both Ruby and Yang's cheeks. "Rrrow dum," he muttered, causing the girls to giggle.

"I heard that, you snarky sea serpent!" Qrow snapped, giving his dragon an affectionate pat on the neck.

"Good alliteration," Weiss commented.

"Be good, girls!" Taiyang called. "Remember to keep me updated!"

"We will!" Ruby waved. "Bye!" Her breath hitched when Tempest gave her one last sad look before taking off. Her shoulders trembled minutely once the dragons were out of sight. "Poor Tempest. Maybe we can convince Dad to let her stay here."

"With you here, Tempest is the only thing Dad's got to remind him of Summer," Yang reminded her. "Let's let him have that."

"You're right," Ruby sighed. She smiled when Storm nudged her shoulder and warbled gently. "Come on. Let's find Blake. We should exercise the dragons before it gets too cold.

…..

As Ren approached Ao Guang's stall, he could hear the excitable water dragon bouncing around inside. When he got closer, there was an insistent bark. "I'm coming, I'm coming," Ren chuckled as he undid the lock.

Immediately, he was tackled into the snow. Guang licked his Rider's face eagerly, planting his large paws on either side of Ren's body.

Ren sputtered and batted at his dragon, laughing as he was finally allowed to sit up. "I know yesterday was stressful. Things will get back to normal now."

Truthfully, Ren was relieved that Yule was over. Spending it with his friends and Jaune's family had been wonderful, but there was just too much pressure involved with all the socializing, gift giving, and so forth. He was content to just be with his dragon and his friends, living from one day to the next.

Of course, reminders of the previous day were everywhere. Team CRDL had been absent from breakfast, and people were already whispering about Tornado's attack on Jenny. Most people expected to see gun-toting Council representatives storming the school grounds within a day or so.

Speak of the devil, Ren thought as he led Ao Guang toward the field. He could see Sky walking Tornado through the frosted grass.

Another figure, one that Ren quickly recognized as Glynda Goodwitch, approached Sky. Tornado hissed. The professor said something. Sky's shoulders slumped and he put a hand on his dragon's neck. After a moment, both he and Glynda led Tornado back to the stalls.

Ao Guang chirped nervously, taking a step back. He didn't want to risk the scary wind dragon seeing him.

"Easy, boy," Ren muttered. Against his better judgement, he stayed where he was until Sky appeared on the path back to the school. "Sky!' he called.

Sky jumped, his eyes wide and a guilty look on his face. That expression turned even more pained when he saw who it was. He looked around, as if seeking an escape, then let out a sigh. "Just get it over with."

Ren frowned. "Get what over with?"

"You're gonna beat me up, right?" Sky asked. "Or have your dragon drench me so I'll be frozen by the time I get back to the dorms."

"I'd never do that!" Ren said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't use my dragon to attack people."

Sky winced. "I…" He looked up at Ren, and Ren was surprised to see tears spilling down his cheeks. "I didn't tell Tornado to attack that girl!"

Ren was taken aback. "I never thought you did," he said, surprised when he realized that was true. Despite the many things Team CRDL had done, the only one Ren could imagine hurting a child was Cardin, and even then, it would likely be the result of a prank gone horribly wrong.

Sky's shoulders relaxed. "Tell Jaune, okay? I don't like him, but I didn't want his sister hurt."

"Why don't you like him?" Ren wondered. "Why don't you like any of us?"

"Because you're a bunch of hippies who would rather coddle your deformed dragons than learn to fight with them! Because you're harboring a runt that will only make the rest of Beacon look bad and get itself killed in battle."

Ren felt a hot bubble of anger inside him, which he tried to control. "Twiggy may be small, but she's one of the finest dragons I've ever seen. And don't be so quick to talk about our 'deformed dragons.' Tornado may be physically fit, but no one can pretend he's a normal dragon anymore!"

Sky stiffened abruptly, his mouth turning into a thin line. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists. Ren realized after a moment that the Wind Rider was trying to keep from bursting into tears and was immediately ashamed of his outburst. I can't lower myself to their level like that, not when there's a real danger of Tornado actually dying… That was a terrible thing to say.

It was Ao Guang who stepped forward, touching his muzzle to Sky's shoulder, purring gently. "You're not a bad one. I can tell," he said, even though he knew the human wouldn't understand. He still remembered Sky's aloof, but not unfriendly attitude during their day training together. It was Tornado who was crazy.

Sky made a hiccupping noise before wrapping a shaky arm around Guang's neck. "Hey, gum-gills," he sniffled. "You're okay, you know that?"

The corner of Ren's mouth twitched. He could imagine Team CRDL taunting Guang with a name like "gum-gills," but Sky sounded purely affectionate when he said it. He watched his dragon comfort the other teen before asking: "What was Professor Goodwitch talking to you about?"

"Saw that, huh?" Sky muttered. "She told me to put Tornado back in his stall. He has to stay there till the Council examines him."

Ren's heart dropped. "Then what?"

"Then, he'll either be ruled as okay to continue training, a candidate to be retired to a broodery, or…or…" He wrapped both arms tighter around Ao Guang's neck, letting out a sob. "My parents… They want to just have him culled without bothering with an inspection…so I can get a 'better' dragon. I don't want a better dragon! Tornado's aggressive and has a short attention span, but he's mine!"

Ren walked over, placing a gentle hand on Sky's back. "Two of those options end with Tornado being alive," he soothed. "Even if he's sent to a broodery, you can visit him whenever you want. The Council surely won't bar you from that."

"My parents…"

"Are wrong," Ren finished. "There is no better dragon for you than Tornado, because he is your dragon. That's that."

Sky took a shuddering breath and nodded. After a moment, he quickly took a step back from Ao Guang, looking around with a suddenly frantic look on his face. He ran his arm over his eyes and straightened up. "Um, don't tell anyone about me falling apart just now, okay?"

"If that's what you want," Ren said, his brows creasing with sympathy. Doesn't think he's allowed to show emotions… Parents who don't care about his dragon… And his reasons for hating us honestly sounded like something he was reciting. Usually, his pity for the members of Team CRDL was reserved wholly for poor Mudslide, but now he started wondering just how unfortunate the human Riders were.

"But, tell Jaune what I told you," Sky continued. "You know, that Tornado was just messed up yesterday. Yeah… It was just a mess-up. The Council will see that, right?" His grin was too big and edged with desperation. "I gotta go. I need to…I need to get a muzzle for…" His lip trembled again, and he quickly walked away.

Ao Guang let out a low, worried growl as he looked at Ren. Muzzle? Muzzles are parts of our bodies… Why does Tornado need another one? And…what was that about him being "culled?" He had heard the word spoken before, but always in hushed tones, and never when he or another dragon was standing close by. Two options…alive…

His eyes widened as a horrible realization hit him. Was Tornado going to die? He looked down at Ren, barking and whimpering, wishing he could somehow talk to his Rider.

Ren jumped a little, then placed a hand on Ao Guang's shoulder. "Easy, Guang. There's nothing we can do. Ozpin will do what he can to help Tornado."

Ao Guang immediately relaxed. If Ragnar's Rider was taking care of things, there was nothing to worry about. Tornado would be okay, and remain as bad-tempered as ever. Or maybe Ozpin will help him be less mean! That would be nice, especially for Sky. By the time he and Ren reached the field, his worries were all but forgotten.

…

Jaune woke up early to see his family off. Originally, the Arcs had planned on staying later, but Tornado's attack had left Silvia deeply disturbed. She barely spoke when Jaune held her while they waited for the airship. "I'm gonna miss you," he murmured.

Silvia gripped his shirt, but didn't say anything.

"Will you come back and visit soon?" His heart shattered when she shook her head. "Why not?"

The toddler sniffled. "Too scary. Come home with me."

"I can't, kiddo," Jaune said, kissing her cheek. "I'm going to be a Dragon Rider. I'll be saving people from Grimm and bad guys. Isn't that cool?"

Silvia shook her head. "Home."

Jaune's shoulders slumped as he handed Silvia back to their mom. "Will you write to me, at least?"

Silvia shook her head. "Can't write good," she mumbled. "I'll draw a picture instead."

Jaune smiled. "You always draw the best pictures."

This elicited a tiny smile.

Jenny tugged on Jaune's coat. "Jaune? Say goodbye to Twiggy for me, okay?" Due to Silvia's presence, Jaune had left his dragon in her stall.

"I will," Jaune promised. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah!" Jenny grinned. "I can't wait to tell everyone I was attacked by a dragon!"

Joan glared sternly. "You will do no such thing. What happened yesterday isn't a laughing matter." She looked at Jaune. "Be careful, sweetie. Take good care of Twiggy."

"I will, Mom," Jaune promised. He ruffled Katie's hair when she moved closer to him. "Hey, Kate. You'll come visit Twiggy and me, right?"

"Yes!" Katie said excitedly. "You can teach me to ride her when she's bigger."

"I sure will!"

The airship arrived then, and Jaune hugged his mother and younger sisters in turn. "Bye, Mom," he murmured.

"Goodbye, Jaune," Joan replied. "Talk to your father before he leaves, will you? He really didn't mean to insult Twiggy yesterday. He was just upset."

"I know." Jaune stepped back. "See you!"

He watched the four get onto the airship, his stomach feeling like there was a rock lodged at the very bottom. Mom's a lot more freaked out than she's letting on. And Silvia… This is such a mess. He wanted nothing more than to cuddle with Twiggy in her stall, but he forced himself toward the arena to find his dad.

As predicted, Johann was tacking up Ignis for the journey home. The fire dragon noticed Jaune and let out a happy warble. "Awn!"

Johann turned around, his expression unreadable. "Did your mother leave?"

"Just now," Jaune replied, waiting for his dad to make the first move.

There was a tense moment before Ignis let out an annoyed huff and shoved his partner forward. Johann stumbled, cast a glare over his shoulder, then straightened up. "Look, Jaune. About yesterday-"

"I know you were scared," Jaune said, forcing his voice to sound neutral, even though he was actually still angry. "It's fine. You didn't mean it."

"I did, though," Johann said. "That's the problem. The dragons…there's something very wrong, Jaune. I don't want to see you get hurt just because-"

"Because I got stuck with a useless runt?" Jaune snapped.

Johann winced. "That's not…" He looked away. "I'm sorry I said that, Jaune. Twiggy is a good dragon. I saw how eager she was to protect Jenny. I just hope…I hope that being a good dragon will be enough. If the Council…" He looked back at his son, his eyes full of pain. "I don't want you to have to lose her."

Jaune's anger immediately faded, and was replaced with shame. Of course, his father didn't hate Twiggy. He just didn't want his son to be a victim of the Council, as Sky was likely going to be. "I won't, Dad," he vowed. "I won't let anyone take her away."

"I know," Johann muttered. "That's what I'm afraid of." He pulled his son into a hug. "Keep your head down, and learn as much as you can. Whatever happens, I'm proud of you and Twiggy. Understand?"

Jaune felt a lump rising in his throat. "Yeah," he managed to choke out.

Ignis nudged Jaune once Johann let go, shoving the boy to the ground. Brazier and the others also took turns nuzzling him once they were tacked up.

Jaune, Johann, Mary, Sapphire, Autumn, and June walked to the courtyard together, this time with Twiggy tagging along.

"You'll come back soon, right?" the dragonet chirped, looking at the others with wide eyes.

"Of course, kid!" Ignis grinned. "You look after Jaune for us, okay?"

"I will!" Twiggy promised. She looked around, realizing something was missing. "Where are the little ones?"

Brazier cooed sadly. "They left already. Silvia was too afraid after yesterday."

Twiggy sighed. "Will you protect them for me?"

"Absolutely!" Flurry declared. "We'll keep them all safe! You just focus on growing big and strong, okay?"

Twiggy puffed her chest out, trying to look as big as possible. "I will!"

Jaune watched his family leave, only allowing the tears to fall once they were out of sight. "Why is everything so messed up, Twiggy?" he mumbled, wiping his eyes on his coat.

Twiggy whined, licking the tears from Jaune's cheeks and wrapping a wing around him to shield him from the cold. She, of course, couldn't answer his question. She didn't even fully understand what he meant. All she knew was that she was supposed to take care of her Rider.

She wouldn't break her promise.

…..

Tornado thrashed on the ground, clawing at the leather thing that surrounded his muzzle and kept it from opening fully. He hissed and spat and howled. When Sky came close, he lashed out with his claws. "SKY HURT! SKY HURT MOUTH! BAD SKY!"

Sky was sobbing as he backed against the door. "I'm sorry, Tornado! I had to! Please calm down!" He yelped when his dragon responded by headbutting him against the wall. The air left his lungs and he collapsed, trembling and holding his midsection as tears squeezed past his eyes.

Immediately, Tornado froze. "Hurt Sky… Protect Sky…" He crouched down, the bindings momentarily forgotten, and nudged his partner's shoulder. "Hurt Sky…"

Sky sat up, still gasping, and slumped against his dragon's leg. "I know," he gasped. "Just… Please… Behave tomorrow… Please…" His breaths rattled as he closed his eyes.

Tornado lay down next to his Rider, gently licking the human's face. "Good Sky. Sleep Sky."

In the next stall, Mudslide sat alone on her bed, shaking. No one had taken her out today, and Tornado sounded worse than usual. What was going on? She hated being helpless.

Cardin will make it better, she told herself. Once Cardin comes back…everything will be fine. She placed her head on her paws and fell asleep, her brother's screams still ringing in her brain.

Jeez, Solora. Cheer up, why don't you?

In my defense, I'm throwing a fluff bomb at you guys on Friday. I know how to balance things!

If you like what you see and want to join an awesome fan community while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun

Peace out!