"Ozpin, we need to contain her! Not let her play family with the Arc boy and the Mistrali champion!" General James Ironwood spoke over the intercom. He was responsible for the safety of Remnant, and he wasn't pleased that a dragon of legend was left to do as it pleased, no matter how much Ozpin said she was inoffensive… mostly.
"James, the girl is just a few days old, and is really attached to my students. Taking her from them would not only put a terrible stress in a child, it would make me having to deal with them all… and Glynda. Believe when I say my dear headmistress WON'T allow anyone to even think of hurting her niece, be it physically or emotionally."
"At least let me send a squad to keep an eye on her!" James insisted.
"There's enough eyes on her already. Besides, the Festival draws near, and once Mr. Arc gets married, she will be no different than a Faunus."
"I hope, for our own good, that you're right, Ozpin. Who'll be the bride?" Ozpin took a long sip on his coffee, and James noted something was being hidden from him. "Ozzie, who's the bride?"
"Oh, look at the time, I have a Festival to organize, bye." James sighed wondered exactly what Ozpin was hiding. A wild thought crossed his mind, but he dismissed it as ridiculous.
"General, I strongly recommend we capture the creature and keep a strong watch over her. If the legends are true, she could turn to be a bigger danger than the Grimm." James turned to look at Major Auburn Samuel Howl. He was young and ambitious, and was always jumping at the chance of getting some glory.
"We aren't moving, Major. You need to remind we are here over the kingdom of Vale invitation, and the Atlas Army won't make a move without their consent." James stated and the Major kept his serious face.
"Sir, why not ask for the Council permission then. This Ozpin is rather prone to use… unsafe methods to deal with dangerous situations." James sighed both because the Major got on his nerves but also because he had a point. "Or at least, send a recon team to keep an eye on the POI."
"Fine, you can have a monitoring vehicle and a surveillance team. But you're not to engage with the POI unless she pose a threat to the civilians, are we clear?"
"Crystal, sir."
…
"OK, where's the vehicle?" The Major asked as he prepared his surveillance team, eager to get into action and maybe get a promotion. Of course, surveillance wouldn't be enough, but with lucky and maybe a little push, capturing the dragonet would give him the needed proper report.
"Sir, are we really going to need this all?" One of the soldiers asked as he loaded a steel cage on the windowless white van.
"Our orders say we need to interfere in case the target attacks civilians." The Major justified as he prepared a spray with pheromones. His orders didn't say he couldn't create the situation, after all.
"And are we sure we want to bring the prototype? She's a bit… odd."
"But she's combat ready, and according to the general the target is able to defeat a b-class Grimm on its own. Now stop complaining and let's move!"
…
"I'm bored…" Tia complained as her family and friends were busy preparing for the Festival of Dragons, putting booths up for several activities.
At first, Yang tried to convince them to do something easy, a kiss booth. While at first every girl said no, but when she said they feared no one would ask any of them for a kiss when she's up, their competitive nature kicked in. They only stopped when Glynda said if the girls did it, Jaune and Ren would have too, prompting Nora and Pyrrha to back down, and then remembered Yang that Ruby would have to participate too. That was enough for the blonde to give up the idea. Too many people to punch right in the kissers.
Now Tia wanted to help, but she not only got Jaune's motion sickness, she got his clumsiness too, and after hitting other students too many times in the head with wooden planks, she was relieved from duty. But now she was sitting around bored while her family put a cooking booth up.
"Sorry, honey. But we need to help here." Pyrrha said to her daughter while she used her polarity powers to fix some nails.
"But everyone is busy!"
"Why don't you go to the library then? Read a book maybe?" The redhead suggested.
"I want to go to the forest!"
"Not alone, we already talked about it. You can go anywhere without Grimm, though." Tia brightens over her mother's words.
"I'll go somewhere safe then." Tia said, and Pyrrha nodded, giving her a few lien.
"If you feel hungry, use these on the food machines. Now, do you have your scroll with you?"
"Yes, mommy, I'll call if I need help. See you later!" Tia kissed Pyrrha's cheeks and flew away, leaving the redhead to her job. The Spartan would later learn you choose your words very carefully with children.
…
Tia landed in the middle of the city, happy she didn't need to take the airship. Her mother said she could go anywhere without Grimm, and the city fit the bill. The people stared at her and commented, but she just ignored them and walked happily around. Everything was a novelty for her, and she stopped often to stare at a new shop or at someone odd on her eyes. As she walked, she stumbled on someone.
"Ah! Sorry, miss, are you alright?" Tia asked as she helped the girl she stumbled upon up.
"It's alright; I'm made of a very resilient alloy." The dragonet scratched the back of her head as the girl cleaned herself and fixed her clothes.
"Cool, whatever alloy means."
"I never saw someone like you before. You have pretty wings!" Over the comment, Tia proudly displayed her wings.
"Hehe, I'm a dragonet!"
"Fascinating! Aren't dragonets dangerous?"
"Auntie Weiss says I'm dangerous only to pets and team CRDL. So, it was nice to meet you, but I have to go."
"Wait, I was wondering, I don't know the city well, and would love to have someone to guide me."
"Mommy said to not talk with strangers."
"Oh, I'm no stranger, I'm Penny!"
"Oh, well... Daddy says strangers are friends I haven't meet yet… Ah well, I'm Tia, nice to meet you Penny." They then shook hands, both surprised with each other's strength. "So, I always wanted to try window shopping. My aunties do that lot of times."
"Oh, I always want to experience the pleasure of staring at windows and not buying anything too!" Tia smiled happily and took Penny's hand.
…
"The prototype made contact with the target!" One of the soldiers in the van informed the Major.
"I told you she was perfect for the job. She looks like an innocent girl everyone wants to protect, but it's actually the top of line combat automaton developed for the Atlas army!" The major spoke proudly.
"Do the General know she is here?"
"He said I could choose anyone I wanted. Now stop questioning your superior officers and keep following them!"
…
The shopkeeper in From Dust till Dawn saw many weird things in his long life. From scythe wielding little girls to boys falling from sky to order ramen from his stand, in one of his many jobs. He even had seen that same small girl with orange hair stop his van from hitting the scythe wielding girl a few weeks before. And now there was a little girl with horns, wings and tails acting in his shop like she was just inside a candy store.
"Oh, I'll try the yellow ones this time. I hope they taste like lemon. Grandpa, I want this much in yellow Crystals! Bite size, please!" She asked as she put half her lien on the counter. The old man quickly delivered her a brown bag. "Awww, don't you have a cuter bag?" He immediately changed it for a pink one. "Thanks, grandpa!"
"Do you use Dust for some kind of weapon, Tia?" Penny asked, but the dragonet ate a yellow Crystal and smiled as her horns became yellow. "Fascinating, you apparently absorb the properties of the Dust you consume!"
"That's what auntie Weiss said. She's always reading a book about dragons. Hmm, lemon taste." She smiled brightly at Penny, and the android nodded.
"Everyone, hands up!" A bunch of thieves entered the store, pointing guns at the clients.
"Not again!" The old man said as he put his arms in the air.
"Hey!" One of the thieves grabbed Tia and put his pistol on her head.
"Nobody move and the little girl doesn't get a new hole on her pretty head!" The thief threatened while another one approached the old man pointing a knife at him and giving him a dirty bag.
"All the lien on the bag!"
"Penny, what they're doing?" Tia asked innocently.
"I believe this is a robbery, Tia."
"A shrubbery?""
"A robbery. When people use force to take something that don't belong to them from its rightful owners, usually seeking monetary gain." The android explained in an oddly calm exchange with the dragonet.
"Daddy said taking things that don't belong to you is wrong."
"Your father is indeed correct. So would you kindly let her go and stop this robbery, Mr. Thief?" She asked, and the thief laughed.
"And what you will do, little girl? Now shut up or this freak will see what looks like inside her head!"
"Hey! I'm no freak! I'm a dragon!"
"Shut up freak!" The thief pressed his gun against her horn, and Tia smiled as sparkles started to come from them.
"Piiiiii…. Kaaa…. CHUUUUUUUUU!" A series of flashes of light could be seeing before the bandit holding the dragonet fall on the ground unconscious and twitching a little, with a brand new afro. Tia eyed the other two thieves, which traded looks before pointing their guns against her. The guns suddenly split in half and they saw Penny aiming her swords at them.
"Please, surrender peacefully and wait for the proper authorities to arrest you." The thieves tried to run, but one was entangled in the thin wires of Penny's swords and another was being held in the air by Tia's tail as she used it to grab its leg.
…
"Interesting. She shows a rightful behavior to act when she saw wrong doings. I wonder if this is about her nature or Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos influence on her. And also the fact that not all Dust infused powers manifest in the form of dragon breath is outstanding!" Dr. Oobleck said from across the street as he kept taking pictures.
"Excuse me, sir, can you explain what are you doing?" A police officer that came to attend the occurrence asked him.
"Oh, just doing some research officer." He explained without stopping with the pictures.
"Are you involved with the robbery?"
"Preposterous! I'm just following a study subject!" Oobleck said, but the officer grabbed the camera… filled with Tia and Penny's pictures.
"Sir, you need to follow me to the precinct."
…
"Thanks grandpa! I'll come here often! Your Dust crystals taste the best!" Tia said happily as the owner of the store rewarded her with some extra Crystals.
"Thank you for your kindness." Penny added and they both bowed before leaving the store as the police took the criminals with them. The two walked around for a little bit, happily chatting around.
"You know, I'm glad I met you, Penny. You're my first friend I made on my own." Tia commented, and the android grabbed her hand and smiled, staring Tia in the eye, and making them both curve their backs.
"You called me friend!"
"Of course, silly! We're friends now! Oh, mommy said friends exchange scroll numbers! Let do it!" With this the two girls pulled their scrolls and after a few swipe added each other to the contact list.
"My first scroll exchange! So exciting! I can't wait to tell friend Ruby I made a new friend."
"Oh, I have an auntie Ruby! What a coincidence!" Tia commented. "So, what we do now?"
"Hmm…. How about the park? I heard it is a prime meeting point for friends."
…
"Sir, it seems the prototype and our target are… friendly."
"What? They aren't supposed to be friendly! She's supposed to capture the target!" The Major complained.
"But sir, the target hasn't acted in a dangerous way. In fact, the fact she stopped a robbery shows…"
"Stop questioning me! I see this demands a drastic measure!"
…
"And this is what auntie Yang calls a selfie." Tia said as the two friends shared pictures.
"Thanks Tia. Your family seems quite interesting, and fairly similar to some friends of mine." Penny wondered as the two sat in a bench on the park as families played around.
"Oh, we need to invite everyone to a big meet up! And then… Eeeewww… what is this smell?" Tia asked as someone in a heavy coat passed over her. "It's smell like cat piss."
"I believe it's a type of hunting pheromone used to attract wild beasts." Penny determined with her sensors and remote database access.
"Why someone would spray it here. Ewwww. Let's go somewhere else!"
…
"Wait… that don't make any sense! She should have attacked me and everyone else I sprayed this thing on! It work with wild cats and according to information she is like a cat!" Major Howl questioned, and then turned around.
"Meow."
A cat.
"Meow."
Another cat.
"Meow."
Lots and lots of cats.
"Go away!" He shooed the cats, and they all jumped on him, biting and scratching. "AAAAH!"
…
"Awww, it's getting late." Tia lamented as she saw the sun would set soon. "I've to go home now."
"And I indeed need to return to mine. It was a pleasure to meet you, Tia. I'll trade messages with you often, if that is alright with you." Tia hugged Penny, and the android hugged back.
"Of course, silly, we're friends. Well, I'll… Penny, is that a windowless van?" Tia asked as she eyed the suspicious vehicle.
"Indeed it is. It has being following us for some time now." The android stated, unaware the vehicle belonged to the Atlas Army. Her orders were just to approach the dragonet. And wait further instructions.
"My family says windowless vans are trouble."
"You go back to your home, I'll check the van. Don't worry, I'm combat ready."
"But… OK, but call me to say everything is alright." Tia shared a hug with Penny and flew away. As soon as the dragonet was out of sight, the android got to the van and opened the door, to see the Major being treated for scratches and bites, and smelling like cat piss.
"What happened?"
"Nothing! Hey, why are you here? Where's the target?" The Major questioned as his assistant put band-aids on him. "Ouch!"
"Sir, the target showed no signs of being dangerous to civilians. I believe it would be better to let her go." Penny stated rather chirpily.
"And since when you can question orders? You'll do as I command! OUCH!"
"I suggest we consult with the general then." Penny stated with a finger on her chin.
"No, no nonono. No need to bother him. I'm commanding the mission, and we won't just go back to base to bother him with details."
"But that won't be any trouble as he is by my side." Penny said as she moved to the side and Ironwood stared down at the Major. The man gulped hard and tried to smile.
"Oh, General, hello. Good night today eh?"
"We are going back to the airship were you will report to me why despite my orders to just keep watch over the dragonet, you took Penny with you and interacted with her."
"Oh, she's so nice! We even took a selfie!" Penny showed the picture on her scroll, and the General smiled at her.
"I see. Glad you made a friend, Penny. And you, Major, we will have a long talk about your career future." The General closed the van's door and the Major started crying.
…
"Dr. Oobleck?" The police man asked as he entered the jail. The doctor raised and came close to the bars.
"So, can I go now?"
"Yes, you can. We confirmed your story with Beacon, and your coworker came to get you." The officer said as he opened the cell.
"Ah, good Peter, always trustworthy."
"Actually, it's a woman, and a very pretty one." The officer said, and Oobleck returned to the cell and closed the door.
"Actually, I'll stay here. Stabber here is a good person to talk with and the food is actually not bad." The sound of steps could be heard approaching, that familiar sound of stilts against the concrete. "Do you have a reinforced cell? One who can withstand an earthquake? HELP!"
…
"You were in the city?" Pyrrha asked as she started checking to be sure her daughter wasn't hurt.
"You said I could go anywhere without Grimm." Tia explained and the Spartan sighed. It was clear her daughter was smarter than she looked.
"Yes, you said, Pyr. Now we know we need to be careful with our words with our little one." Jaune said as he petted the girl. She smiled and then showed them her scroll.
"Look, I even made a new friend!"
"Isn't that… Penny?" Ruby asked as she stared at the screen.
"Oh, so you know her? She's nice! We walked around the city, bought Dust, and stopped a shrubbery!"
"You did what?" Jaune asked in confusion.
"We stopped a shrubbery!" Tia reinforced.
"Oh, we should see that movie again!" Nora commented to Ren.
"I don't think it's proper to Tia, with the nuns and the castle." Yang said as she put Tia on her shoulders.
"How do you stop a shrubbery?" Ruby asked, and they all started a long discussion about shrubberies and the proper way to stop them.
…
"I see, so that is the girl they were talking about." Cinder wondered from behind a stall.
"So what? She's not that impressive." Mercury dismissed. "Besides, it's a little girl and I hate children."
"Really? I always expected you would love them considering you have the same level of intellect." Emerald retorted. "Anyway, what you want to do, Cinder?"
"If this girl can be as powerful as she is now, getting her on our side would be advantageous for us. I'll think of a plan for tomorrow." Cinder eyes flickered and she smirked as she saw the group still discussing shrubberies.