Rawr, everybody! First of all, I'd like to thank you all for not teleporting through my computer screen to murder me last week. This next chapter will have some of the aftermath of Tornado's death, plus another look at our favorite villainess.
Enjoy!
A shadow descended over Beacon Dragonry, one that was felt throughout the weeks leading to the Dragon Festival. Tornado's death had changed everything. Dragons were clinging to their siblings and friends at the end of the day, wondering if they would suddenly lose someone close to them. The older students spent more time with their dragons, who mourned the loss of a young dragonet. There was a rift between the professors and their dragons, one that showed in every interaction.
Worst of all were the freshmen. A sense of panic had fallen over any Rider whose dragon was even slightly deformed, or who showed even the merest sign of abnormal behavior.
"Rain's tail twitches when she gets excited. That won't attract the Council's attention, will it?"
"Lava's always chasing birds. That's not a sign of too much aggression, right?"
"Hurricane's left fin is slightly bigger than his right fin. I hope that's normal…"
The dragons of that year, those who were Tornado's age, were shaken to the core. They had been born at the Dragonry, and had been taught over the course of their short lives to trust their Riders and the professors, and yet one of their own was dead. One of their own was dead, and it had apparently been allowed by those in charge!
They were so confused and numb, most of them barely reacted when they were moved to their new, permanent homes in the elemental stables.
Ruby was stroking Storm's neck as she glanced at the new bedding and filled food and water dishes. "This is nice, huh girl?" she asked, trying to force some cheerfulness into her voice, but failing miserably.
Storm flicked a fin weakly, pressing her head against Ruby's side. She couldn't stop thinking about Tornado. That day kept playing over and over again in her mind: Specter's distressed whistle, the sound of a dragging body, Pit's stall swinging open, the sound of a spike being driven through a dragon's skull, Barracuda's anger, Mudslide's mournful keen, which had turned into an echoing cry that still rang in every dragon's head days later.
She had heard about cullings, and knew that the Riders were afraid of them, but had never thought that they'd actually face something so awful. They were only dragonets! No one would hurt a dragonet.
And yet, those humans had. They had looked right at Tornado and killed him without hesitation.
Ruby looked at her dragon's distant eyes, and couldn't do anything but hug her. She had cried for hours when Ozpin gave the announcement to lock up the dragons, huddled in Yang's arms as she imagined poor Tornado's last moments.
In the aftermath, the team learned of what Pit had done, and Blake had become more terrified than ever.
"What if they figure out what he can do?!" Blake had asked. "What if they realize what he is?"
"Don't worry," Weiss said. "Ozpin will…" She trailed off, realizing that none of them had much faith in Ozpin just then. "We'll figure something out," she finished lamely.
Ruby held Storm tightly, trying to push away the terror that coated everything and everyone around her. "I'll keep you safe, Storm. I promise. Anyone who wants to kill you will have to kill me too."
Storm whimpered, wrapping a long foreleg around Ruby. She didn't want Ruby to die to save her! Why did the world have to be so full of death?
Ruby stayed for a while, but Storm was tired and showed no interest in playing or exercising the new freedom that came with an open-air stable. So, giving her dragon a kiss on the snout, Ruby left. On her way out, she saw a stall right by the door, a stall whose nameplate had recently been taken down. Her throat tightened and she hurried away.
Storm stared at the wall. She knew that there were other wind first years in this barn, but didn't bother seeking them out. Judging by the lack of movement, the others were feeling the same way she was.
Minutes later, however, she saw someone new enter the barn. It was Sky.
The Rider walked like he was asleep, head moving woozily this way and that. He stumbled into the empty stall near the entrance, staring at the ground as if it held the deepest secrets of the universe, then sat down in the bedding.
Storm was just thinking about walking over when another, taller figure entered the barn. It was Gust's Rider, Doctor Oobleck.
The professor found Sky immediately and sat down next to him. "You're drunk," he noted.
"What's it to you?" Sky mumbled. "It's not like I'm your student anymore."
"No, but Ozpin has offered you employment and housing. Since you're here, I'm guessing that you accepted."
"Are you gonna tell me how grateful I should be?" Sky growled. "Because, if you are…"
"No," Doctor Oobleck assured him. "Nothing of the sort."
"I can't go home," Sky continued, slumping against the side of the stall. "Can't. Parents'll just say it was for the best. 'Just get a new dragon, Sky.' Yeah, get a new dragon and watch that one die too!" He slammed his fist suddenly against the ground, causing a nearby dragon to jump.
"Mister Lark." Doctor Oobleck gently took Sky's wrist, examined his knuckles for bruises, then let go. "That wouldn't happen. We'd make sure-"
"Don't make promises you won't keep!" Sky snapped, suddenly turning his anger on the professor. "Ozpin promised me he'd do everything in his power to save Tornado! Everything!"
"Releasing him wasn't within his power, you know," Doctor Oobleck pointed out, even as memories of Gust flinging herself against the door of the stable made him wince.
"Because bowing to the Council is more important, right? Because he needs to stick around to protect other dragons that aren't Tornado, right?" Sky snorted. "How well is he gonna protect Barracuda, huh? Or that runt Jaune Arc was stuck with? Or is the Council already coming for them too? Will Ozpin be sucking the guy's cock while he shoots the spike gun next time."
"Now, hold on!" Doctor Oobleck said, his eyes flashing. "You have no idea what Dragonmaster Ozpin goes through to keep this place safe. He isn't perfect, but he's saved more dragons from the Council than any dragonmaster who has ever lived! He has sacrificed everything to make Beacon what it is."
Sky listened, then shrugged a shoulder. "I don't care. I already said I'd take the job. Just don't talk to me. I don't want any of you coming near me. If I need help with anything, I'll go ask Blake's dragon! At least he's reliable. He showed more guts than any professor, parent, or cop I've ever met. A fucking baby dragon has more of a spine than any of you!"
He stood abruptly, sneering down at his former teacher. "How does that feel, Doctor?" He stomped off, his gait still unsteady.
Doctor Oobleck watched Sky leave, listening for the sound of any other students approaching. When he heard nothing, he put his face in his hands and wept.
Storm did stand up then, along with several other wind dragons. A cream-colored one was closest to the door. "I'll find Gust," she said shortly before running outside.
The other dragons shifted, unsure of what to do until Gust arrived. It was Storm who left her stall and trotted over to Doctor Oobleck. She lowered her head and nudged his arm, warbling softly.
When he looked up and saw the silver and white wind dragon gazing at him with such concern, he sobbed even harder. "I'm sorry," he gasped, placing a shaking hand on Storm's brow. "I failed you. We all failed you."
Storm stared hard at the professor, feeling an unclenching in her chest. She remembered how Ragnar had spoken of the Council, of how they were higher than even the dragonry professors. They had more control, more power than even Ozpin himself.
It was then that she realized it wasn't a matter of trust between the students and professors. It was just an example of cruel reality. And the reality was that the professors were broken inside because of this. They had done everything they could to prevent this, and had still failed, and that knowledge was killing them. They hated what had happened, and blamed themselves even though there was nothing else they could have done without making things worse.
These ideas were complex, and Storm couldn't put words to most of them. The main thing she understood, however, was that she pitied them.
She didn't forgive them, because it wasn't her place to do so. That was up to Sky, Mudslide, Barracuda, and Tank. Perhaps they would forgive, though it was likely some of them never would.
Still, she pitied the powerful, but not powerful enough professors. How many times have you failed? she wondered.
She was still confused, she was still shaken, and she was still afraid. But, she pushed that aside as she licked at Doctor Oobleck's wet cheeks, comforting him, letting him take whatever meaning he wanted from it. If he thought she was forgiving him, that was fine.
Doctor Oobleck made a strangled noise in his throat, clenching his eyes shut as even more self-loathing crashed down on him. Even now, they care. We do not deserve dragons. We never did.
It was then that the cream dragon returned with Gust, who took a step toward her weeping Rider.
Storm looked up at her at the same time the professor did. "He needs you," she said simply.
Gust stared down at her Rider. Memories of being pushed into the stable were still at the front of her mind, as were red-hot, angry thoughts of Tornado and the Council. But, as she looked at her partner, she finally was able to move past it. This had happened before. It would happen again. Even if part of her hated him and the other professors for it, her love for her Rider would always outweigh any feelings of anger, betrayal, or grief.
She nudged him gently with her nose and beckoned toward the door. "Bart," she growled. "Com."
Doctor Oobleck stood up and followed her out, keeping one hand on her leg. "I'm sorry," he kept whispering as his dragon led him away. "I'm so sorry."
….
Cinder read the latest news report from Vale with a slight frown. "The first culling of the year," she murmured. "Such a tragedy. Such a preventable tragedy." She noted the name of the human Rider, who was apparently now working as a stable hand at the dragonry. Because he has nowhere to go, I'm sure. He won't have any love for Beacon or Ozpin after this. That will surely be useful in the near future.
She and Strike were waiting on the outskirts of the White Fang's latest research lab. Even though she was funding it, she wasn't allowed on the property without an escort. As if I could be kept away, she thought with a smirk. But, I suppose I can let the animals have their delusions of control.
Strike was pacing back and forth, rumbling softly. She didn't like these White Fang creatures. They were cruel and smelled of rotten dragon eggs. She preferred the bandits. At least when the bandits visited, she could see Phoenix.
Cinder turned just as a cloaked Faunus with large fox ears appeared on the path. "Greetings, Lady Cinder," he said, bowing his head respectfully. "I'm glad you came so quickly."
"You said you have something to show me?" Cinder asked, cutting straight to the point as Strike fell into step behind her.
"Indeed. Do follow me." The Faunus beckoned her down the path, which wound this way and that, like a deer path would, before ending at a half-underground bunker. Instead of entering the bunker, however, the Faunus led Cinder around the back, to a fenced-in area of forest. "Brother! Come out, and bring our little prize."
A second Faunus, who had a large, bushy tail, emerged from behind a tree, where a large pond had been built. He looked toward the pond and clicked his tongue. "Forward, Harbinger. Forward."
There was a splash as a dragon hatchling poked its head out of the water. It was tiny. It couldn't have hatched more than a day ago, and yet it was swimming!
As the dragon wobbled closer, trying to keep up with the bush-tailed Faunus, Cinder felt a thrill unlike anything she had felt in a long time: This dragon was a hybrid. A living, breathing, successful hybrid.
It was a deep, bluish-green color with patches of brown dotting it, making it look like a map of a strange set of continents. Its eyes were a soft gray color, with a ring of teal just around the pupils. It had a stocky build, large feet, and a tail as thick as a tree trunk. It also bore head fins, gills, and the beginnings of fins going down its back.
The tailed Faunus picked up the dragon, stroking its map-like scales. "An earth/water hybrid, the first to pass Leader Adam's inspections. Made possible with your generous donations, of course."
The Faunus with the fox ears gestured grandly. "Lady Cinder, meet Harbinger: the first of many hybrid dragons who will fight for your cause and ours."
Cinder held out a hand for the blunt-nosed dragon to sniff. When it moved closer, she examined its eyes. Already, she could see a deep potential for intelligence, one that was far greater than any other elemental she knew. "Perfect," she murmured. "And who is its Rider?"
"I am," the tailed Faunus said. "Though he did bond to both of us, my brother is more of the nurturing type. He cares for and feeds Harbinger, while I see to the training aspect."
The other Faunus's ears flattened a little. "Leader Adam has higher officers who will require hybrids, and we know your subordinates take equal priority. We were lucky to be allowed even one."
Cinder silently noted the edge of jealousy in the Faunus's voice. "And what are your names?" The eared one introduced himself as Fennec Albain, while the other was Corsac Albain. "You are to be congratulated, Albain brothers. This is a feat that hasn't been achieved in years. You named this dragon well, for he will be the harbinger of a new age for all of us."
Corsac grinned. "I quite agree."
Cinder reluctantly bade Harbinger farewell, promised the Albains that they would be remembered for their creation, and got on Strike's back. She would be leading a raid on the border of Mistral, and it would be rather rude to be late.
As she flew, Cinder mentally created a list of what needed to be done next. Raid the broodery. Have a discussion with Adam concerning giving my subordinates first crack at the next hybrid. And…
She thought of that poor, dragonless boy at Beacon. And tell Raven that she has a new recruit waiting for her in Vale.
ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL!
There's your Mass Effect reference of the day. Anyhoo, the stakes are rising, folks! Pit is no longer the only hybrid on Remnant, and Sky is already in a downward spiral. What else can possibly happen between now and the Festival? What will happen during the Festival? Stay tuned!
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!