A/N: Well guys, two things happened recently.
First the artwork I commissioned of the Jaeger, Diamond Banshee, was finally completed. FIVE Months after I commissioned the artwork. I doubt I'm gonna ever hire that artist again. You can see Diamond Banshee on my Deviantart page.
Second, I'm back to grinding away a new skill on Runescape again. I wonder how long it's going to take me to get a certain cape back. Oh well. At least the skill is afkable to get some writing done.
Anyway here's the new chapter. Enjoy!
[...]
The transport flew over the Emerald Forest at a pace that rivaled that of many Quickwings on Vroengard. Aaron stood by the door watching the trees roll by beneath them. Ruby stood on the other side staring at her feet. The older Rider looked at the younger with concern. Her emotions had been all over the place since he found Everyone in the clearing. Now, she was equally likely to explode in rage as well as to collapse on the floor in depression. Still, as much as Aaron was concerned for Ruby, he was also glad she was at least beginning to realize what her dragon means to her.
Next to Ruby stood Teresa. Even though she had her eyes closed, it still felt like she was watching everyone around her. Taking Nalia's advice, Aaron was wary around the Claymore. Whatever Nalia had sensed was surely powerful, though it made Aaron wonder what it was.
They arrived at Beacon Academy faster than Aaron expected. Only five minutes after they left the clearing, the transport was settling down in front of the school. If Cerise was so close, why did it take the healers so long to get there? Also, if they were healers, where was the necessary equipment they were supposed to bring? Aaron knew he didn't know what most medical equipment of Remnant did, or even looked like, but surely they would have things to wrap wounds and dress them on the spot. He only saw something like that from what Teresa and Elena had brought with them. There wasn't anything inside the transport that looked like that. Aaron concluded that his, Ruby, and Teresa's transport never was intended to treat Cerise.
Something is definitely wrong here. Aaron thought as he stepped out of the transport. Ruby jumped out and immediately started walking with a purpose toward the center of Beacon. Her mood was made up now, she was furious. She stormed her way across the campus grounds, with Teresa following moderately behind her and Aaron keeping his distance. About halfway to the tower at the center of the school, a group of four casually moved to intercept Ruby. "Hey Ruby, you're back," one of them said, "I thought we planned to-"
"Not now Jaune," Ruby growled. The other group just stared.
Aaron tried to walk past unnoticed, but at least one of the four saw him. "Who is that guy?" the one called Jaune asked his group as the Rider walked by.
"And why is Ruby acting so grumpy?" a female voice chipped in.
"I can't help but feel the two are related," the other woman said.
"Professor Silver might know what is going on," the last guy in the group said.
Aaron quickened his pace to catch up with Ruby. Several people around the courtyard watched the three with interest, probably the combination of Ruby's less than normal attitude and a new guy, with both of them being escorted by one of the teachers. As much as Aaron wanted to keep a low profile, that wasn't exactly possible anymore. He lost an egg that was found by a local and the hatchling was severely injured. Ruby and Cerise needed protection, and as much as he was able, instruction. Also, the people on the transport had seen two dragons in a land where there were none. They might be professional enough to not say anything, but Aaron didn't want to take that chance. Better to 'go public' on his own terms.
As the three of them entered the tower, Ruby walked up to a pair of silver doors. She pushed a button by the side of them then crossed her arms, still facing the doors. Aaron raised an eyebrow at the sight. Why was she just standing there? Where were the handles on the doors? Soon a ding chimed and doors opened on their own accord. Both Ruby and Teresa walked into the small room on the other side. They both turned around and Ruby gave Aaron a strange look.
"What, you've never seen an elevator before?" she asked with only a slight hint of her normal tone sneaking in.
Aaron walked into the 'elevator' and the doors closed behind him. Immediately after, he felt himself moving upward at a surprising pace. "You have some strange magic here," he said. Ruby looked up at Aaron in confusion, then shook her head. Her anger was rising with the elevator. Soon it would spill over if she couldn't control it. Aaron remembered a time where his rage boiled over in a populated area. The result wasn't fun to deal with.
There was another ding and the doors opened to reveal an office space with many metal cogs rotating around each other. If they served a purpose other than decoration, Aaron could only guess. Two people were already in the room. One of them was a middle-aged man wearing mostly green clothes, glasses, and holding a cane. Professor Ozpin, Aaron guessed. The other person was a woman in a purple cape, a puffy white shirt, and a black skirt. Both looked up at the new arrivals.
Both Aaron and Teresa stepped out of the elevator calmly, but Ruby exploded past them. "Why did you make us leave Cerise out there?" she yelled. Her anger poured off her like a waterfall.
Aaron looked at Ruby in shock. This was not the same person he met in the city. Teresa put a calming but firm hand on the young Rider's shoulder. "Ruby, you need to calm down," she said with a bit of concern.
Ruby just shrugged off her hand. "You knew that Cerise was severely injured. That wasn't the medical Bullhead you told Weiss you were sending. They didn't even have any medical gear on there! You had cameras out there too! Why'd you let them get so close? Why didn't you tell me before it happened?"
The woman standing next to Professor Ozpin contorted her own face in anger. "Mind your tongue, Miss Rose," she scolded. "Keep your emotions in your own head as well," She rubbed the top of her head like she had a headache.
"Calm down Glynda," Ozpin soothed as he stood from his chair. "Ruby has every right to be angry with me." He took a sip from his mug, then set it down on his desk. "I will say, Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck were supposed to join Professor Silver and her daughter after they left, but you arrived just as they were preparing to leave Beacon. I did have a medical transport being prepped at the same time as the one that picked you up. Which one I sent depended on him." The man looked at Aaron.
Ruby stared up at Aaron, her rage redirected. The older Rider just stared back at the other man in confusion. "Me?"
The other man nodded. "I'm sorry, let me introduce myself. I'm Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy. This is Glynda Goodwitch, my right-hand woman." Ozpin gestured to the woman standing next to him, who just nodded. "And of course you have already met Professor Teresa Silver."
"I'm Aaron Benson, Rider of Nalia Quickwing," Aaron responded. "Now, how do I fit into this?"
"You have been recorded since your arrival here two weeks ago, including when you healed your own dragon after it was ambushed by Deathstalkers and a Nevermore."
"'She,'" Aaron corrected as he crossed his arms. They were being watched the whole time? "So, you know where we came here, that I can heal severe injuries, and I'm guessing you know where we sleep at night. What else do you know about us?"
"I know you have been into the city on several occasions, I know you ran out of a bombed building, escorting one person out and while carrying another. I know that you killed a creature called a Yoma that attacked you in a back alley. Both happened this morning," Ozpin picked up his mug from his desk, took a small sip, and then looked Aaron in the eyes. "I know you aren't from Remnant."
Aaron blinked twice but otherwise had no outward reaction. This man knew more than he let on. Then again, a green dragon appearing in the middle of a forest in a world where dragons don't exist would tip anybody off. Ruby was listening to the conversation while trying not to explode again and calm herself down. "Again? Seriously?" she eventually asked.
Aaron looked at the younger Rider in surprise. "What do you mean by again?" he asked.
Ozpin took another sip from his mug. "Believe it or not, Mr. Benson," he began, "you and your dragon are not the first individuals from another world. Professor Silver and her daughter are also from another world, as well as two other students at this school."
Aaron looked at the silver-eyed professor. She returned a smile before speaking. "Both me and my daughter are from another land that currently doesn't have a name, but has five named regions. Our world is plagued by creatures called Yoma and Awakened Beings. A corrupt organization, only known as the Organization, creates us Claymores to fight the Yoma and Awakened Beings, but I feel like their true goals are shrouded in shadows and secrets. We left that land to seek refuge and a new life away from what felt like the slavery of the Organization. We believe there have been others who have done the same before us and more to come."
Ozpin set his mug down. "The other two arrived here merely by accident and currently have no clue how to return to their world. I'm sure they will tell you their story in due time. As said, what is your reason for coming to Remnant?" he asked.
"That's a long story," Aaron sighed. "Most of how we got here I will only speak with Nalia about. But you are right, I am not from Remnant." He stopped himself before he said anything further and stretched out his mind to his dragon. How much should I say? Can we trust these people?
Considering they haven't tried to kill us since we've been here, we can trust them a little, but don't give away everything. We need them to like us. She responded.
Aaron mentally nodded, then focused back on those in the room. "I'm from a land called Alagaësia. Nalia and I are members of the Dragon Rider Order; defenders of the land from war, crime, and other disasters. To put forward a comparison to here, we're the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Alagaësia."
"We aren't exactly here by choice," Aaron continued slowly. "We were betrayed by several of our own. I don't know the details since we were away from our island at the time, but our Order fell in a matter of hours." Aaron looked at his feet and dropped his voice to a whisper. "As far as we know, we're the only ones left."
The last part wasn't a total lie. Brom was still alive, as well as masters Oromis and Glaedr, but all were disabled in their own ways. Still, it had the desired effect on the people in the room. Ruby's anger completely vanished, the one known as Glynda gaped, while both Ozpin and Teresa just nodded in sympathy.
"We've been running for three years. Somewhere along the line, we found a way to leave Alagaësia behind. We intended to find help from another kingdom, or at least other Riders to bring back, but now that we're here, I know there is no easy way to get back." Whether Aaron liked to admit it or not, the only true part in his latest statement was that they were running for three years. Still, the other people in the room sent their sympathy in their own ways.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" Ruby asked.
Aaron scoffed. "It's not exactly something I want people knowing, and really, would you have believed me before the clearing?" Ruby just looked down at her feet and mumbled something Aaron didn't catch.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Ozpin said, "but now we need to talk about what to do now."
Aaron looked at the older man. "The way you say that sounds like you already have an idea."
"This part is for both of you, or rather, your dragons," Ozpin looked at both riders in the room. Ruby immediately looked up with a mixture of hope and skepticism in her eyes. Aaron just recrossed his arms. "There is a warehouse that has been cleaned out in the expectation of building a new dorm building in its place for the next school year. However, now I feel that the space would be better served by housing your dragons."
Both Riders looked at Ozpin in surprise. "Yes!" Ruby blurted out. She immediately covered her mouth and recomposed herself. "I mean, that would be very much appreciated."
Nalia, Aaron called out, what do you think?
She didn't respond immediately. It would make us visible, which is what we've been looking for since we've been here. But, we would also be dependent on this Ozpin. Also, what are the odds that a warehouse has been cleared out just when we know we need a place of safety?
He definitely has a plan, and we're involved somehow. No one would do something like this with no strings attached. So, do we go along with this?
Another pause. What about you? If you're out on your own, that defeats the purpose of having a shelter in the first place.
"What about me?" Aaron asked Beacon's headmaster.
"I understand that you also need a place to stay, but what I have to offer you comes at a price," Ozpin said.
Here it comes, Aaron thought.
"The only way I can get you a place to stay is for you to attend Beacon, as a student."
Aaron was surprised again, but not as much as the younger Rider beside him. She looked back and forth between Ozpin and Aaron. "What?" she asked either one of them.
"You would be treated like any other student," he continued, "and as such you will need to go through an initiation trial before you start classes. If you fail, though, there is not much else I can do. But you will not be alone, Professor Silver's daughter will be taking that same initiation with you, along with a few others."
He's placing a claim on us. I don't like this, but still… Aaron thought back over the past three years, it's been so long since we've felt safe.
Aaron felt his dragon's longing over their mental link. Ruby and Cerise will need someone to teach them. If Ruby trusts Ozpin, I think we should too. She is smarter than she lets on. And… I'm tired of running and hiding. There is no point if there is a place for us to stay free of danger.
The trial they have planned can't be much more difficult than the training on Vroengard anyway. Aaron turned his attention to the headmaster. "We accept, and thank you for your offer." Ruby beamed up at the other Rider. She could barely contain herself if the emotions she put out were any indicator. Both Ozpin and Teresa had faint smiles while Glynda wore a slight scowl. Apparently the second in command of Beacon didn't approve.
"I am glad to hear it," Ozpin stated. "There is a room in the dorms you can stay in. I'm sure Miss Rose can show you the way."
Ruby looked up at the headmaster. "Um, me?"
"Room 315. I'm sure you know the way." Ozpin calmly said.
All of a sudden Teresa's faint smile vanished and was replaced with an angry glare that could instantly scare the scales off of any dragon. Luckily, it was not aimed at either Rider.
"Ozpin, a word," Teresa growled.
Ozpin calmly nodded, but Aaron could see a bit of sweat forming on his forehead.
"While I do understand Mister Benson needs a place to stay, I would like you to at least discuss it with me before setting someone else up in the same room as my daughter before her initiation."
"Professor Silver, I understand what you are saying but, Team's CLOD and GYCR have yet to go through their graduation ceremony," Ozpin explained. "Thus the only place I could place Aaron is with Elena. I'm sure both Miss Silver and Mister Benson will behave themselves and it is likely if they pass their initiation, they would end up on the same team."
Teresa just glared at the headmaster for a moment. "If he as much as does something I don't approve of, there will be hell to pay."
Ruby leaned closer to the older Rider. "It was nice knowing ya, Aaron," Ruby whispered in a joking manner. That didn't dampen how scared Aaron felt.
Ozpin reached into his desk and pulled out a brand new tablet of some kind. "Mister Benson, please take this Scroll. It will help you get into your room and do a few other things as well."
As Aaron took the 'Scroll,' a message appeared on a screen on Ozpin's desk. "It looks like your dragons are on their way here." The two Riders immediately turned back to the elevator and entered it. "Oh, and Aaron, welcome to Beacon." The elevator doors closed and the box started to descend.
A tense silence filled the elevator for a few seconds. "So," Aaron finally spoke up, "care to explain why I felt like I was going to die at any second?"
"Something happened to Teresa and her other daughter, Clare, before she arrived on Remnant. Yang covered my ears when Teresa told us that part, so I don't exactly know what happened. But, after that part of the story was told everyone was so angry. Then Teresa said that a bandit was about to do 'the act' to Clare, she not only slaughtered him but the rest of the bandits he was with. I believe she doesn't want something like that to happen to Elena," Ruby explained.
Aaron thought about what Ruby had said. After a few moments, it finally clicked. There was only one other serious crime he could think of besides murder that can cause a parent to lash out like that. Aaron nodded as the elevator dinged and opened on the ground level.
While they both left the building, the older Rider tossed an idea through his head. He needed to teach Ruby how to be a Rider, but he didn't know how to proceed. "Ruby," he eventually said. She turned back to look at him, with an apparent smile that was forming on her face. "I know this will sound weird, but, I would like to be your mentor."
Ruby blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Do you know what it means to be a Rider? Do you know what you can do now that you are one? Do you know how much you mean to Cerise and vice versa?" Ruby shook her head to all the questions. "I know I wouldn't exactly be qualified to teach back in Alagaësia, but times have changed there, and I'm the only other Rider here, so I'll ask again," Aaron looked Ruby right in the eyes, "Ruby Rose, can I be your Rider mentor?"
Ruby thought about it for a moment, or rather, pretended to. "I don't see why not!" she said cheerfully. At that moment a roar rolled over Beacon. Aaron smiled and looked in the direction it came from. Nalia came soaring over the school, with a 'Bullhead' right behind her. She circled the landing area a few times before touching down. The gray transport landed on the pad next to her.
Students ran outside to see what made that roar, several with weapons drawn. Aaron noticed that many of the Faunus students immediately put their weapons away upon seeing Nalia with looks of shock and awe and, surprisingly, hope. Aaron wondered why they were acting like that. The four Aaron and Ruby ran into earlier were among the large group of students. "Uh, Ruby, what's going on here?" Jaune asked, a hand on the pommel of his sword.
Ruby just smiled up at him. "Well, a friendly dragon just landed."
Jaune looked at Ruby in confusion. "Friendly? How can you know?"
A small red-scaled head poked out from behind Nalia's. Cerise let a soft, high pitch roar and jumped off the larger dragon's back. Ruby's face lit up again. "That's how." She started running to her dragon, who was doing the same thing. The two met, and due to Cerise' larger mass, she tackled her Rider to the ground.
If the students didn't have their weapons drawn before, they did now, all were pointed at the red dragon. Only one group of four students moved in a non threatening way. While many of the students held their breath, these four were holding back their laughter. A few students looked up when the doors on the Bullhead opened up and the rest of team RWBY and Elena stepped out. They froze in place staring at Ruby and Cerise, Yang burst out in laughter, startling almost everyone in the audience. "Hey Aaron, does this happen a lot?" she called.
"Until they're about six months old," he responded as he walked up to Nalia. Aaron felt the tension in the air slowly draining away. He heard parts of several conversations, a good chunk of them wondering why Ruby's team wasn't coming to her aid.
Well, at least they aren't trying to kill us right now, Nalia said to Aaron. That's already an improvement from Alagaësia.
That could change very quickly. Aaron put a hand on Nalia's snout and she hummed low and long. While the gesture was personal, it also helped convey that they weren't threats. For the most part, it worked. When Aaron turned around, most people lowered their weapons, those that still had them raised were unsure. Aaron smiled. There are times when I like to be wrong.
The small group of four Aaron had noticed earlier moved towards Cerise. The red dragon noticed the group and hummed. "How are you doing, Cerise?" one of them asked as he scratched behind the hatchling's ear, drawing out a long purr. That sealed the deal and caused those that still had their weapons out to store them away.
"She grew up fast," a female voice commented while her dark-haired friend simply smiled.
"Need some help, Ruby?" the other guy asked while watching the young Rider crawl out from beneath her dragon.
"Thanks, Hunter," she said as he helped her up to her feet. Ruby turned and held her dragon's head in both hands, looking into her eyes. They were communicating without words, the Rider's facial expression changing every few seconds. Eventually Ruby touched her forehead to Cerise' snout. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered.
Aaron took a closer look at the young dragon. Cerise was panting and her legs were shaking uncontrollably. Aaron put a hand on the other Rider's shoulder. "Ruby, we should probably get to the warehouse," he said.
Ruby nodded. "The warehouse is on the other side of campus. Our Scrolls should give us access to the building. Let's get moving." With that, the Riders and dragons slowly made their way through the crowd. People stared but got out of the way. The other members of team RWBY, Elena, Hunter, and his team formed an honor guard around Cerise, leaving Aaron alone with Nalia. He didn't mind. Cerise needed all the protection she could get, even if the crowd wasn't hostile.
We weren't as invisible as we thought, Nalia told Aaron. Blake said she saw me on our first day here. How many other people knew about us after we arrived?
Aaron thought it over. Her, Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Teresa for sure. I wouldn't put it past the White Fang to at least be searching for us.
Nalia hummed her agreement. We may have some problems in the future then. But, from what Blake has told me, many of the White Fang may be less of a problem with me or Cerise around.
How come? Aaron asked, even though he thought his dragon was just boasting a bit.
Apparently, Blake told me there was a legend that foretold of our arrival, that would bring about a warrior known as the Dragon Faunus. A good portion of the Faunus believe in this legend and some of them hold it religiously, taking vows to protect those related to that legend until it is fulfilled.
This surprised Aaron. I'll have to ask Blake about this legend then.
The group reached the warehouse without incident. It wasn't exactly a house from Doru Araeba, but the doors on it could allow access to a dragon a little larger than Nalia. Aaron couldn't even guess what needed doors that size. Probably one of those vehicles with the large boxes on the back, but even then it seemed like it was too much.
Ruby walked up to a smaller door, unlocked it and walked inside. A few seconds later, the large door opened with loud screeching sounds. Aaron winced at the sound, as did everyone else. Ruby slowly came into sight covering her ears. When the noise and the door came to a stop, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, even the dragons. "Anyone have some DW-30?" Ruby asked.
"I think it will take a little more than that to fix it," Weiss sighed. The group walked inside and Aaron took a look around at Nalia's new home. The majority of the room was a dull gray color with random stains across the floor. Lights hung from the ceiling some forty feet off the floor.
Well, at least we know why this building was being torn down, Aaron said to Nalia.
The dragon rumbled in agreement. It's still better than running from the Forsworn.
Can't argue with that.
The condition of the building was not lost on the group. "What was even stored in here?" Hunter asked no one in particular.
"Dust for sure, but judging by the floor, I'd say a little bit of everything," Weiss chipped in.
Cerise rumbled unhappily up at Ruby. "I know it's not my room, but it's better than the cave, right?" the new Rider comforted her dragon. Aaron and Nalia locked eyes. This place better than a cave? They had a lot of work to do.
"Don't worry, Cerise," Hunter said. "If Ruby could, she would turn this place into a Shatterdome." Suddenly, Hunter's friend elbowed him in the side of the torso, causing Hunter to grunt in pain.
"What's a Shatterdome?" Aaron asked.
"It's a place where my aunt works at," the man sighed.
"Oh! I almost forgot," Ruby said. "Aaron, meet Team SPHR. They're friends of ours and first years like us. Guys meet Aaron."
"My name is Aaron Benson, Rider of Nalia Quickwing," Aaron said introducing himself.
"Hello there, I'm Shade Royal," Shade said introducing himself. "This is my partner Hunter Green," he gestured to Hunter who was still rubbing his side. "We are pilots of the Jaeger, Diamond Banshee. This is Petra brown," again gesturing to the long brown-haired girl. "And Rona Ebony," the short dark-haired girl.
"Hello," they all said.
Nearby, Nalia had looked over the warehouse. She found a suitable spot in a corner in the back and settled down as best she could. Aaron walked over to his dragon and removed all but one of the saddlebags in preparation to bring them to his new room. The last one contained the two remaining eggs. He checked inside just to make sure they were still there. Sure enough, one gold and one green egg rested peacefully. Aaron placed a hand on each one, knowing the dragons inside would take comfort in the presence of a Rider. Breathing a sigh of relief, he grabbed the removed bags and walked to the door.
"You ready?" Ruby asked as Aaron reached the group.
"I got everything I need," he replied.
"Okay! This way to your-"
No! Cerise interrupted. Aaron noticed the surprised look on Team SPHR's faces. Most likely it was the first time they have heard a dragon's mental voice. Everyone turned to look at the young dragon. She was laying in the corner right by the main door, too exhausted to move any farther. Her eyes were wide and pleading. Stay!
Ruby walked up and knelt by her dragon. She gently caressed Cerise' head. "I'm not leaving you like that again. I'll be back in ten minutes, maybe less." Cerise hummed and licked her Rider's cheek.
"Hey Ruby," Shade called out. "If it's alright with you, we can keep an eye on her till you get back."
Please, Cerise asked.
"She doesn't mind and I'm okay with it," Ruby said. She stood back up and fast-walked back to and out the main door. All the other two-legs followed behind except for Team SPHR, who tried their best to make the small red dragon comfortable.
As the group walked, many other students stared at Ruby like she suddenly grew a second head. Seeing Cerise tackle her and Ruby being okay with it must have struck an unusual chord for them. Ruby didn't notice the attention she received or didn't care. Still, no one stopped the group anywhere across the school.
"Elena, are you going to tell us who made that outfit you're wearing?" Yang curiously asked.
Elena smiled. "Mom made a deal with a second-year student named Coco, who was starting to slack in her grades. Mom said that if she could make me a new outfit that I liked, she would get enough extra credit so she wouldn't fail."
"Why did you change the color of the grip on your claymore to green?" Ruby asked.
"It was something I should have done when I was still working for the Organization," she said. "The grip color helps other Claymores know if you're either an offensive type or defensive type. I'm a defensive type but my claymore's grip color was wrong, so I went and fixed it."
"But why is Teresa's blue?" Yang wondered out loud.
"That has more to do with her former rank in the Organization," Elena explained. "Normally, a Claymore's grip color is either red or green, but if she becomes a single digit in rank her claymore's grip is to become blue."
"What was her former rank?" team RWBY asked in their own ways all at once.
Elena smiled while silently chuckling. "Number one. And that was long before she had unlocked her Aura."
All of Team Ruby each had their own versions of shock on their face.
"What was your rank?" Aaron asked.
"Second from the bottom. Number forty-six," she said sadly. "I wasn't with the Organization long enough to attempt to raise my rank."
"Don't worry," Yang comforted the young Claymore, "by the time you graduate Beacon, you will be a lot stronger. And that's without your semblance. Just wait till you unlock it."
"And what a day that will be," Ruby said joyfully. "Oh here's the dorm building."
Ruby led the way through the dorm building and stopped by a room labeled '315.'
"Uh, Ruby, why are we in front of my room?" Elena asked.
"Apparently, there aren't any empty dorm rooms. So, Ozpin is making Aaron bunk with you until initiation day," Ruby explained.
"Mom isn't going to be happy about this," Elena sighed.
"She wasn't," Aaron confirmed.
"Well I'll show you around then," she said as she unlocked the door with her Scroll, while Ruby took off to a room three doors down. "I haven't been on Remnant for very long, so I don't have that much stuff."
Elena opened the door and they both stepped inside. It was rather large for both of them. But then again, there were four beds in the room. A couple of desks rested against the wall next to the entrance to the room. All of the walls were the same shade of off-white. The only real color in the room came from the red curtains and bedding. For the people of Remnant, it was probably rather bland, but for the two that lived without a place to call home for the last few years, the room might as well have been a mansion from their respective home worlds.
Aaron noticed a small hole on the floor next to one of the side beds. Before he could ask about it, Elena walked over and stabbed her claymore into the hole. Then, she simply sat down on the floor and laid back on her sword.
"Sorry, force of habit," Elena said. "I'm still not used to sleeping in a real bed and this is how I used to sleep."
Aaron nodded in understanding.
"Now some ground rules for both of us till our initiation day," she began. "Your bed is on the opposite wall of mine, mom's rule not mine. Always knock before entering the bathroom. And finally, changing clothes only happens in the bathroom. Simple enough."
Aaron nodded as he threw his bags on his bed. A thunder of footsteps running past the door caught Aaron's attention. "Would someone please explain what's going on here?" he heard Jaune yell in the hall. Aaron walked out of his room to see the commotion. Team RWBY minus their leader stood by their room. Across from them stood the four that tried to talk to Ruby earlier.
"Sorry about Ruby," Yang apologized. "She's had a rough day."
"You remember that night when Ruby 'fell out of bed?'" Weiss asked. Jaune just nodded. "That was the night Cerise hatched for her."
"Cerise? The dragon?" the red-haired girl asked.
"Why didn't she tell us? I bet that dragon was cute when it was young!" the orange-haired girl rambled.
"She," Aaron cut in. All the other students looked over at him, just noticing the Rider in the hall. "Cerise is a she. As for why Ruby hid her, I'm sure she had her reasons."
"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met," the red-head said.
"My name is Aaron Benson, Rider of Nalia Quickwing."
Jaune nodded after a second's hesitation. "Well, I'm Jaune Arc. This is Pyrrha Nikos," he gestured to the red-head, "Nora Valkyrie," the orange-haired girl, "And Lie Ren," the other guy with a pink stripe in his hair. "We're team JNPR, first years like teams RWBY and SPHR."
Aaron looked over the newly introduced team, then nodded. "Well met, team JNPR. I'd stay and chat longer but I need to get back to my dragon." He turned around and started walking back to the dragons' warehouse.
"Well met? Uh, you guys know if he's from the same place as Professor Silver?" Jaune asked someone quietly, but Aaron heard it anyway. The Rider shook his head. He added the phrase to a growing mental list of things he needed to stop saying. As much as he hated having to cut even the smallest ties to his home, he needed to blend in. Well, as much as he could with a green dragon following him everywhere.
Instead of walking straight to the warehouse, he wandered around the grounds for a while. He thought he recognized what some of the buildings were. A forge, an armory, the buildings with the stacked bedrooms. Then there were a few that were large enough for several dragons the size of Master Glaedr. With no dragons native to this land, why would buildings need to be that size?
Eventually, Aaron set his sights on the warehouse. He didn't realize how long he walked around, the sun was setting over the ocean to the west. His stomach rumbled for his attention for the first time, and the Rider realized he hadn't eaten since his meal with team RWBY nearly eight hours ago. During that time he expended a lot of energy healing Cerise. He knew he'd be eating like a Kull in the morning.
Be quiet when you open the door, Nalia said as her Rider approached. The others are already asleep. Aaron opened the human-sized door slowly and looked to his left. Sure enough, Ruby had her arms wrapped around Cerise' neck while a wing covered the girl.
Aaron smiled at the sight. Her arms are going to be sore in the morning. He quietly walked up to Nalia and already lifted a wing for her Rider.
By the way, Ruby left a little food here for you if you're interested.
That caught Aaron's attention. Where?
I moved the box to your usual spot. Somehow Aaron didn't notice the small red box by Nalia's belly. He opened it and saw four light brown circles with black spots scattered around each. Aaron smiled. The last time he had cookies was before Vroengard.
She say what the black spots were? Aaron asked.
I think she said 'chocolate chips,' or something along those lines. Aaron cautiously took a bite, then his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The cookie was nice and warm, whether it was from being fresh or from being so close to a fire-breather, Aaron didn't know or care. He guessed the chocolate chips were something only Alagaësia's elite had access to if even them. Aaron stuffed the remaining cookies into his mouth, then collapsed against Nalia, satisfied.
Well, that was something, Aaron thought happily.
Little Cerise had some too. She had the same opinion.
Aaron took a look around the warehouse. I'll see what I can do about this place while we're here. Get these stains out of the floor, add some color to the place, and just make it livable in general.
Well, you don't have to worry about that now. Rest. We're all tired.
Aaron yawned. Well, good night Nalia.
Good night Aaron. Nalia dropped her wing, sealing her Rider in for the night.
[...]
A/N: Wow that was a bit longer than I expected. Anyway, I hope everyone here has had a good indoors Easter this year.
After checking my notes, there should be a few chapters before a big reveal and right after that is when season two of RWBY begins with the long-awaited arrival of another group of individuals. I hope you all are excited.
Everyone stay safe and try to get through these troubling times wisely.
