RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.

Warcraft belongs to Blizzard Entertainment.

Chapter 3: Silly Little Whelps

Alexstrasza stood in the kitchen of the Xiao-Long household, staring quizzically at the meal grid covering a portion of the wooden counter. There were five black metal rings on it varied in size. The one in the center was the largest. To the side was a row of small switches. Each of these switches had a small illustration of the black glass next to it. But instead of five rings, each only had one.

"You use this to cook your meals?" She asked the man who was currently rummaging through the cupboards along the wall.

"Pretty much." He said in a casual manner as he stood up in the aisle dividing the cupboards lining the wall and the dining table, a frying pan in each hand and a pink apron over his torso. She found his choice of garments even more strange than the tools he used.

"And you say you use a fire elemental crystal to heat up the pots from below? Like a miniature bonfire?" She said surprised by the large abundance of primal elemental crystals. Such pure embodiments of the elements were rare on Azeroth. Being most often found within the Elemental Planes. Yet these people had them in both abundence and variety. It went to such an exctent that they took the crystals for granted in a way.

"Yup." He replied, placing the pans on the front corners of the stove.

He turned to her with a quizzical look of his own. "Why so curious?"

She gave him an amused smile, which caused him to flinch. "I was just appreciating the odd simplicity of this contraption. I have seen similar objects made from some of the younger races back on Azeroth, but their technology is rather esoteric."

"You must have some high-tech stuff then." He guessed, walking over to the fridge. Upon opening it, he noticed the dwindling of their supply of eggs, sausages and other essential food items.

"Yes. High technology that still makes even my aged mind spin."

"Aged?" Tai gave her a scrutinizing once over. "I don't see an old lady here."

Alexstrasza giggled at the jest. It wasn't that good, but she still found the attempt amusing.

"So, are you going to join us for breakfast this time?" Tai asked, lighting a fire under both pans.

"Oh no. I wouldn't want to impose. You've already done me a great service by allowing me to stay in your home." The Dragon Queen protested as she observed the process. It was a novelty to her. Since she normally ate her meals without any preparation.

"Come on." After cracking an egg and spilling its contents into the now sizzling pan, he gave her a concerned look. "It's been three days and you haven't eaten a thing. Now I guess that might be fine for now, with you not exactly being a normal person, but as I recall you said you were on the mend. I don't' see you recovering anytime any sooner if you avoid eating just because you can't change back."

Alexstrasza huffed in conceit. It was true, she had avoided joining them at their nightly dining. She felt that it would mean overstepping her bounds since she had no means of repaying them at the moment. Her abilities were still limited due to the blunder of her mad brother. And while she could change her limbs back into a draconic form, as of now she lacked the necessary power to completely transform back. In other words, she was stuck as a human until her strength returned to her.

For the past three days, she had been resting, wandering around the house getting a view of the island from the safety of the yard. Were it not for the company of the children in the evenings, then her stay would have been quite dull.

"Do not concern yourself with my wellbeing. I can go for a long time without sustenance. I am still a dragon, even if I look like this." She replied forcing a smile to try and gesturing to her form to banish his concerns.

He let out a sigh as dropped an egg into the second pan. "They're getting worried about you."

Bringing out a third pan, he placed it in the center of the stove and lathered it with a thin layer of amber oil. "The girls are young, but they're smart. Especially Yang. She had to carry her weight around here and she knows that not eating isn't the best idea."

Dropping a pair of large sausages into the new pan, he began to mix water and a wide variety of spices into a small bowl with a wooden spoon. "I get that you want to show some gratitude by waiting until you can get your own food, but making my kids worry about you isn't the kind I want. I don't mind cooking for an extra mouth for a while if it gives them peace of mind."

Flashing his teeth, he gave her a cocky smile. "Besides, I don't want to explain why some of the local farmers livestock suddenly went missing. You won't find many wild animals on Patch."

"And I lack the stamina for a flight to the mainland." She finished his thoughts for him, knowing where he was heading with this.

"Hey, I'm just reminding you of what you told me. You've never been hurt this way before and you have no idea how long it would take before you'd be able to turn into a dragon again, much less if you want to fly to Vale. Don't think I haven't caught you stumbling up the stairs." He pointed the messy spoon at her before dumping the resultant sauce into the sausage pan.

Alexstrasza did not drop her smile. He was correct, plain and simple. She saw no point in arguing with him for the sake of virtue when he had the moral high ground. His offer was both practical and generous. "If it brightens the little ones day. Then I'll gladly attend for that alone."

"Great." He said pointing to one of the chairs at the dining table. "Take a seat and I'll get you a plate."

The Dragon Queen complied and walked around the kitchen. Her steps were slow and careful. Her body was still weak and sometimes she would trip over her own feet.

She took a seat at the dining table opposite Taiyang and waited patiently as he put sliced bread in the device called a toaster. What charming names humans come up with.

Within minutes he had prepared four plates of eggs, sausages, toast and strips of meat called beacon.

"Kids! Breakfast is ready!" He called out.

A series of thumps could be heard before the two came rushing through the door, nearly hitting the wall as they passed the threshold. "Kids. No running in the house." Tai warned.

"Sorry, dad!" They both said only half listening to him.

The girls gasped as they saw Alexstrasza sitting at the table. "Aunty Strasza!" Ruby cheered, running up to her.

The Dragon Queen smiled brightly at the mention of her allotted nickname. It started on the second day when the little one kept failing to pronounce her full name. When the elder sister got it correct, the younger began to focus more of the latter syllables. Then in a discussion on the man from the portrait she earned the title of aunty when they discussed how their uncle was not exactly a direct blood relative to Ruby. The name stuck and Alexstrasza had no complaints. The last time she was called aunty was during a surprise visit to her sleeping sister over three centuries prior. Merithra was not expecting her to be there and addressed her that way by accident.

"Good morning, Ruby." She gave the girl an affectionate pat on the head. Turning to the elder greeted her as well. "Good morning, Yang."

"Good morning." She replied politely but still in good humors.

They took seats to either side of the Dragon Queen. Ruby to her right and Yang to the left. Neither wanting to be obstructed from the living dragon in their midst.

"You're eating with us today?" Yang asked in a concerned manner.

"I am."

"Yay!" Ruby cheered as Taiyang placed the plates in front of each of them.

The children picked up their forks and prepared to stab at their food with a level of enthusiasm only found in youths, but their father stopped them. "Wait. What do we say before we eat?"

Both girls looked slightly admonished before they replied, "Thank you for the food."

"Better." He grinned before taking his own plate and sitting to Yang's left.

Alexstrasza tilted her head slightly. "Why did you ask them to thank you for the meal? Is that some sort of custom you have here?"

"In a way." Tai replied, stabbing a strip of beacon with his fork. "Its not strictly a cultural thing, but a lot of people do it. There's no reason to do it or not to do it."

"Then why enforce it in your household?"

"To remind them to be grateful for what they have. Nothing comes for free."

Yang perked up after munching down one of her eggs. "There are lots of people who don't have a nice house."

"That's right, Firecracker."

"I see." Alexstrasza nodded in understanding. She had seen the suffering of mortals in the state of what they call poverty before. It was truly a sad sigh. No home. No purpose. No food. Usually, these people are looked down on by their better in society. Deemed as failures and undeserving. It gladdened her that at the very least this family acknowledged this happening. It was a small comfort but at least they understood that.

Looking at her plate, she examined it quickly. Decided she wanted to try the egg on toast first she picked it up gingerly. Biting down on it, she almost gasped at the crunchy texture of the bread and the flavor of the yoke. She could taste the spices spread on top to balance it out. It was good.

Next, she looked at the beacon. Remembering her extended visit to Quel'thalas, those factors of table etiquette that she saw as completely mundane and unnecessary returned to her. While she was a dragon, and preferred a more natural state of living, she was also a queen, thus she felt it more appropriate to show the less wild races that her kind were not animals.

Her fingers took hold of the fork with dexterous precision and brought it down on the beacon, piercing its rough meat. This food item was crispy, but it had a nice tang to it.

Finally, the sausage. When she took a bite, a flavor that did not resemble meat touched her tongue along with the actual meat. Looking at the bitten sausage, she noticed a yellow substance melting out of it. Cheese. They somehow managed to get cheese in the sausage so the flavors would blend together. Very clever. It was certainly more entertaining than her time among the High Elves and Night Elves. Both were so strictly traditional that her visits eventually tuned out any form of feasting that they offered her. Good thing Tyrande was understanding at the time.

While her duty as protector of Azeroth was her absolute priority, she still got bored from time to time. Such novelties were so refreshing. It brought back memories of her time hiding among mortals several decades before her imprisonment. Dwarves, Gnomes and Humans all had a remarkable level of creativity. Should her kind ever meet their final days, she would be relieved to leave Azeroth in their hands. But she wasn't on Azeroth right now.

It may have only been a few days, but she had already begun to wonder. What if she couldn't return home? What would she do then? Would she take up guardianship of this world? Hide herself away from this strange world like a frightened whelp? Or would she just carry on in a fruitless endeavor, eventually driving herself mad?

That thought reminded her of her fallen brother. How the corruption of the Old Gods twisted his mind into obsession with that foul artifact and then evolving into an insatiable need for domination and control over everything.

Would she go down a similar road if she were deprived of her purpose? Would she chain life itself in a cage and hold it hostage? Denying everyone their freedom in order to prevent what is natural because of her grief over her failure to uphold the duty bestowed upon her by the Titans?

"Aunty Strasza?"

A voice summoned her from her thoughts. Ruby was looking at her with a ponderous expression. "Is the food icky?"

Alexstrasza blinked and stared at her raised hand with the half-eaten sausage still impaled on the teeth of her fork. She must have been lost in speculation.

"No, my dear. I was just lost in thought."

"You sure?" Taiyang interjected. "I could make something else if you prefer? Maybe some premium rare lamb?"

"No." Alexstrasza shook her head. "Your food is excellent."

He took the compliment and raised his head slightly as he boasted to his children. "See girls. Not even a mighty dragon can resist my cooking."

Both children giggled at the jest to which Ruby countered. "You only know how to cook so well thanks to Mommy."

The comment caught the man off guard and Alexstrasza caught both signs of grief and embarrassment on his face. She also noticed him glancing at Yang. Was he worried about her?

"Yeah." Yang said with a smile of her own. "Mom was the best and she was always better than you at making cookies."

The strained expression on his face cleared away as he took an overly dramatic look of pain as he placed an open palm across his chest. "It's true! I could never beat your mom."

He said it with a look of playfulness, but Alexstrasza would remember that look of extreme concern.

She watched the family joke and play. Wondering if all mortal families acted this way. Then coming to the logical conclusion that they did not. Mortal families and causal relationship dynamics were as varied and different as the five different dragonflights and the protodragons before them.

She looked to the girl in red by her side and saw those silver eyes watching her with a fascination that the Dragon Queen found adorable.

"Can you turn into a dragon yet?" Ruby asked out of the blue.

"Ruby." Tai said, now becoming autoreactive again.

"But daaad." The girl whined. "I want to fly with Aunty when she turns back into a dragon."

"I've already told you, no. Absolutely no flying."

"But…"

"It is alright." Said the Dragon Queen to the little girl. "Once I recover, I shall show you the skies."

Those silver eyes widened with a sudden burst of excitement. "Really!?"

"Now hold on." Tai interrupted. "I don't want to be rude, but you can't expect me to let you take my daughter with you to do something so dangerous."

As he requested, she took no offence. Even understanding his woes. If one of her children were so fragile then she would do everything in her power to keep them out of harms way until they became strong enough to brave the world's dangers.

"You need not worry about me putting her in any form of danger. I would not be so irresponsible as to allow a child to do anything potentially lethal." She answered with a smile.

"Aww." Ruby groaned and Yang also looked downcast.

"So, I shall make sure she is perfectly safe as I fly her around the isolated parts of the island." The Dragon Queen, making Ruby's mood do a one eighty degree turn.

"Yay!"

"That doesn't change my mind. I'm not letting either of them ride around on your back while you're over a hundred feet in the air." Tai said firmly.

"Who said anything about them riding on my back? I was planning to hold them in my claws."

"How is that any different?"

"Believe me, Taiyang. Once something is in my talons, they do not escape unless I wish it." She flashed him a smile that was somehow genuine but also hid a small hint of predatory nature. While she defended life, she still had to eat, such was nature. She was not ashamed of it.

The father groaned as he rested his elbow on the dining table. "I'll take you at your word. The fact that I find them reassuring even in the slightest makes me want to see a psychologist to see if my depression has affected my sanity."

She ignored the comment. Whatever hardships he had gone through before she arrived were his business. Alexstrasza had no right to pry into his personal business. He had been nothing but accommodating and she planned to return the gesture in kind.

She noticed the little girl on her right, fidgeting and looking disgruntled.

Leaning over she asked Yang. "Would you like to go flying too?"

Yang gave a quiet nod and smiled. Alexstrasza smiled back. The girl was the same as her sister but was far more fearful of her father's disapproval. But it made no sense to separate such close siblings.

"Fine. But only when you are fully recovered." He pointed a finger at the Dragon Queen. "Nothing less than one hundred percent. I won't trust my girls to anyone who can't protect them incase the Grimm decide to stick their noses where they don't belong."

Alexstrasza accepted his terms without complaint. She was still in the dark about these Creatures of Grimm he keeps bringing up when he talks about dangerous situations. It would be prudent of her to inquire about this, but it was not a topic on should discuss while eating.

"Welp. I need to take the children to school and go shopping for groceries. Eat up, we have to go."

The Dragon Queen blinked when she realized he was referring to her as well. "You wish for me to accompany you?"

"If you want to stay stuck in the house, be my guest." Taiyang shrugged. "I just thought you would like to see more of Patch, since you need to find some way to get back home."

Alexstrasza thought on his proposal for a moment. It was a beneficial strategy for her overall plan, and she had nothing to lose in such an undertaking.

"Very well. Just allow me to finish my meal."

Taiyang gave the same encouragement to the children as he stood up and cleaned his plate before walking off.

The Dragon Queen examined the strange metal wagon as she approached it. Currently parked outside the back of the building was a four wheeled vehicle that appeared to be capable of self-locomotion. The front half had four seats and a flexible metal covering, the second half was made of wooden planks for carrying cargo. It was called a truck. A simple name.

Taiyang sat in the right front seat, his hands on the wheel that was supposed to be used to guide the machine. Evidently it used a system of axels and gears to alter the angle of the wheels that carried it.

"Hop in." He gestured as the girls watched her from the back seat.

The seats were comfortable, and she found they were made from a darkened leather of fine quality.

As the machine roared to life, she found the constant vibrations caused by the ever shifting gears that comprised its engine rather awkward. She was used to stillness when she was not in motion. This was a new experience for her.

When they took to the road, she studied the environment. The lush greenery and collection of houses dotting the landscape. It was as humble as you would expect from a small town. Once they reached the edge of the town a much larger one came into view. With buildings so large that she could not hide her surprise.

Some were five stories high and extremely long. Most impressive in her opinion. They were neat and uniform in their construction archetype. All following similar methods surrounding their architecture and the materials used.

She drank in the strange new environment with a curiosity she had not experienced in centuries. Mortals were fascinating in their way, but they became predictable after some time. Following the most successful method until one defied the norm and created something new that eventually replaced the current status quo.

Some things were still in the prospects he understood. She recognized a marketplace they passed by. Rather than food stalls, there were dining areas where people sat together. Some in pairs, a man and a woman. Others had entire families gathered around one table.

There were buildings displaying dresses covering life-sized dolls shaped like females. A means to demonstrate the beauty of the garments, no doubt.

Some only displayed exotic spices and others displayed weapons. The variety of what she saw in that brief instance was stunning. Mortals valued material items, which was for certain, but she always underestimated the extent that went.

That thought reminded her of Malygos' concerns with the Night Elves of yore. The empire they had before the sundering. While they were not so attached to material items as humans were, they still had their vices. Their addiction to the magic of the Well of Eternity was the prime example of this.

She remembered the Spellweaver's complaints about this during their gatherings on the Dragon Isles before the Sundering. How he was worried about the ever growing avarice of the Elves and their arrogance in ignoring his warnings. The predictions he made for the slow crumbling of their nation was a dark notion but even his intellect underestimated how far they were willing to go.

This behavior was emulated by the humans desire for material things. Rather than seeing them as simply useful items that can better their lives, they see the attainment of these items as the reason for living, purely so they can boast and say that they have said item. Then again, while she saw displays of beauty and wealth, she also spotted many items that clearly held a purpose but simply did not understand what it was. Perhaps people were more practical in this world.

The flash of sunlight reflected from one of the billboards made her flinch. She was not used to such things yet. Having spent years chained in a cave, sudden bursts of light were a phenomenon she was unprepared for.

When she felt her body lurch forward on its own, she had to force herself to stay rigid to stop herself from hitting the dashboard. The vehicle had stopped.

It was a large, rectangular building made from red bricks and a green tiled roofs. Around it was a series of smaller buildings and a small field of bright green grass. The grass was remarkably neat. Like a well kept mane. This section of the town was walled of with a thick fence with a sort of bladed wire.

That was when she noticed the gate. Children were walking through. All of them carrying zip up bags on their backs. A large man stands guard at the entrance, his gaze sweeping the area like a vicious predator protecting its territory.

This made Alexstrasza smile. Protecting the children was the most important job anyone could do in her eyes.

The eyes of the large man found her, and she noticed them narrowing. He was suspicious. That was good. She was a stranger and no real protector trusted strangers to be around children they were charged to protect. Whether they be man or woman.

"Alright, girls." Taiyang said, turning to look at the back seat. "Time to go."

She followed his gaze and saw Yang and Ruby grab bags of their own. Both hopped out of the truck and Tai stepped out as well. Feeling like she should go with the motion she stepped out too.

Stepping around the front of the car she was gifted with the sight of both girls giving their father a loving embrace. "Bye, Dad." They both said in disjointed unison.

"Bye girls. Have a great day."

The smile she was wearing was genuine and it only got bigger when the girls ran over to her and hugged her legs. "Bye, Aunty Strasza." Said Ruby.

"Have a nice day." Yang said politely.

"I hope you both have a wonderful day." The Dragon Queen said with delight.

"And no more talking about dragons at school Ruby." Taiyang cut in.

The young girl turned around and pouted. "But its so cool! No one else knows a real dragon."

"Ruby. When you say you know a dragon, people think you're talking about a Grimm. That might make the teachers worried and then they'll call huntsmen to our house. Do you want strangers to mess up our house?" Again, with the mention of these Grimm. Were they really that much of a threat?

"You and Aunty Strasza can beat them up if they try." She responded, swinging her small fists in front of her. Alexstrasza saw Yang smile slightly at the action, like she wanted to join in.

"Do you thinks that's fair to her? She's still hurt from her crash."

His words took some of the fire out of the girl. That saddened the Dragon Queen, but she was not disheartened. Kneeling down she quietly told the child. "Think of it as a special secret. Something only you and your sister have. Something so precious that you can't share it. Can you keep a secret?"

The girl nodded vigorously. "I can keep a secret. No one will ever know."

"Me too." Yang said, trying to sound cool for her sister. "If anyone wants to know, they'll have to go through me."

While Taiyang just sighed, Alexstrasza kept on smiling as the girls ran off to the crowd of children. She noticed some of them watching her. This was her first time here so it made sense they would be curious.

"So, this is the place where the children get their education." She said, turning to Taiyang.

"Yup. Though I can't say it's the best system."

"Why not?"

"I've found that experience and failure are the best teachers. Certainly, taught me a thing or two when it came to being a father." He answered as he walked back to his side of the truck.

They both sat inside, and he started the engine again.

"What are your plans for the day?" She asked knowing that he was not just going to drop the girls off and return to their house. He was out most of the day so he must have other things that required his attention.

"First thing we are going to do is get some groceries." He answered reversing the out of the driveway by the gate, careful not to bump into anyone. "Then I'm taking you back then I'm going to Signal to teach my class."

"You are an educator as well?"

"Yeah."

"Then why do you not simply educate you children yourself? Why trust it to another and use your skills on those who are not yours?" It was a practical question. In every flight, the whelps are nursed by caretakers, but their education is the charge of their parents. It ensures a personal bond is established. Since whelps developed quickly after hatching, they only need to be nursed for several days to a few weeks at most. Hence why the role of teacher is more important. It gives the whelps a firm understanding of tradition and the personal touch of the parent encourages the child to think for themselves. She remembers the feral looks some of her offspring gave her moments after she took to the sky to confront Neltharion. How they looked like wild beasts before they instinctively recognized her.

"I would if I could. Trust me, I would love to spend all day with them." He sounded upset by his own statement. "But I need money to take care of them. It's an annoying process, but I have to pay for the house, food, water, dust. The list goes on."

"So, you are paid for educating others?"

Tai sighed as he turned a corner on the road and sighted a large building with oversized glass windows. "Yeah. I'm a retired huntsman so I qualify for training the next batch of fighters who want to apply for the job when they get older."

"What do you teach?" Alexstrasza asked, genuinely curious.

"Nothing special." He shrugged. "My focus is on physical exercise. If you want to make a career out of fighting and risking your life against monsters, then you need to understand that the world does not pull its punches. That means being in top shape and not whining about the small things. I'm strict, but it helps drill the lesson in quickly. It's better that they learn this young."

"One must be accustomed to pain to withstand the hardships of life." She finished for him.

"Yeah." He muttered not looking her way. "About that. I'm sorry about what you went through before you came here."

"You mean my imprisonment?"

"Yes." He said warily, not wanting to upset her over a traumatic period in her life.

"You need be sorry about something you had nothing to do with." She said with a carefree smile. "Granted, it was terrible, and I shall likely never forget those years I spent trapped in darkness. But I am free now. Far from home yes. But free. At long last."

Her words appeared to have worked as she noticed some of his tens muscles slacken.

"Good to hear. I have to say, its pretty impressive to see you shrug off something like that so quickly. Things like that would leave someone a broken mess."

"You shall find that I am not easily broken." She said with an air of confidence that made him laugh.

She felt the sudden force of her body's inertia pushing her forward as the car stopped.

"We're here." He said stepping out.

"Is this your local market?" She asked as she stepped out into the mass of cars, parked in neat columns in front of a large building with a large archway built in front of the entrance.

"It's called a shopping mall here." He clarified without her asking. "Stay close to me. You don't want to get lost in the crowds and you might want to get rid of the cape."

Alexstrasza glanced back at the white cloak she had adopted as a part of her new guise. It was pure white, like an unblemished pearl. "Is there a reason I should?"

He looked dejected for a moment before he regained his composure. "It's nothing too important. Just that my wife wore that wherever she went and if you wear it in there, people might get the wrong idea."

"I understand." Alexstrasza said, not even needing to hear the reasons for this way of thinking. Human relationships were hard enough to understand. Add a fallen mother to the mix and it was best not to stir the pot too much.

With a small gesture of her fingers, the white cloak faded away into nothing. The act made Tai look nervous. "Is something the matter?" She asked him.

"Nothing. I'm just worried about someone seeing you do that. Let's try to keep that out of the public."

"Is magic taboo in this world?"

"No." He said with a nervous smile. "Just rare. So rare that most people don't believe it exists. And those that do aren't exactly the best people to be around." She noticed his last words had a slightly venomous edge to it. Whomever he was referring to must have ended their relationship on a sour note.

While further knowledge of magic would be useful to her mission to turn to Azeroth, if they planned to use her to achieve their own ends then it was best to avoid them. Better she goes by her own means.

"Very well. I shall keep my abilities secret."

"Good to hear." He put on his cocky smile again. "Let's go then. I want to see what you think of our 'marketplace.'"

Alexstrasza sat in the living room of the Xiao-Long household, sipping a cup of tea while examining a book that was supposedly meant to be a guide to basic Valeish. The common language that was spoken around this island. The Dragon Queen understood the spoken language just fine, she was fluent in multiple languages, including the language of the nomadic Tauren and Trolls. She even picked up some Orc Speak while she was captured.

But the written language was a different beast. She never had to commit anything to parchment or stone with her own ands or claws. Not a big issue back on Azeroth but here she found this barrier to be very frustrating. She couldn't read any of the signs that Taiyang had shown her at the mall. It was the first time she had been embarrassed in centuries.

Thus, she was determined to learn how to read and write as the humans did. If not for the sake of blending in, then for the sake of sparing her dignity. It did not look normal for grown human woman to be incapable of understating basic literacy.

She had spent most of the day learning this alphabet as the humans called it. Twenty-six letters that needed to be memorized as the foundation of their language. It was simple enough as she repeated the process over the course of the day. Engraining the symbols into her mind.

It had humbled her when she had requested Taiyang to purchase one of these for her but unlike most others, she was capable of swallowing her pride for the sake of her own goals.

Her courage had convinced him to help her identify what syllables each symbol made when translated into verbal speech when he got back from training the youth of this Signal Academy.

She heard the front door open and quickly put down her cup as the rush of footsteps alerted her to what would happen next.

Yang and Ruby threw their school bags on the floor as they tackled her torso.

She laughed as they pushed her down onto the couch and giggled with delight.

"Hello, children. Did you have a nice day at school?"

"Yup." Said Ruby. "I got to play soccer."

"Soccer?" Alexstrasza asked.

"It's a game where you kick a ball around with other kids." Said Yang.

"Oh. Did you have fun?"

Ruby looked embarrassed. "I fell over when I tried to kick the ball."

She gave the silver eyed child a pat on the head. "I know you'll get better. Just don't get disheartened by it."

"She's right Rubes." Yang said happily. "We're going to be huntresses like mom remember. We need to be faster and stronger than everyone else if we want to beat up those Grimm like dad did."

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered. "Ruby and Yang! Best huntresses ever."

The two slapped their palms together in some gesture of comradeship.

"Okay, Okay." Taiyang said as he walked through the door. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"

Both children looked at him with no small amount of confusion on their faces.

The father sighed and took a short breath. "The surprise."

Both girls suddenly perked up. "Right." They said together before jumping off the Dragon Queen, allowing her to rise.

"Surprise?" She asked Taiyang as the girls ran upstairs with excited smiles on their faces.

"Just wait and see." He replied with a grin as he gestured for her to follow him up the staircase.

When they reached the girls' room, Alexstrasza heard muffled giggles coming from the other side.

"You ready?" Taiyang called to the girls behind the closed door.

"Not yet!" Yang yelled back.

"What is all the fuss about?" Asked the Dragon Queen.

"You'll see."

"We're ready!" Ruby called out from her room.

Taiyang opened the door and stepped aside for Alexstrasza to walk in and what she saw almost made her heart melt.

There the girls stood. Dressed in one piece zip up costumes that resembled scaled reptiles. Both had plush horns on top of hoodies and soft spines running down their backs ending in stuffed tails. Their hands and were covered by soft imitations of claws.

"Tadaa!" Said Yang in the yellow scaled outfit.

"We're dragons! Raaarrgh." Cheered Ruby in the red scaled outfit, as they began to run around and make childish simulations of roars and growls.

Alexstrasza covered her mouth tried to bare the sight, the two running in circles trying to imitate the behaviors of infant whelps, was adorable.

"You like it?" Taiyang asked.

"They are precious, but you didn't need to do this."

The man gave a dismissive wave with his hand. "It was their idea. They wanted to make you feel more at home. When they heard me comment on how much you liked your kids, they thought they could make you feel better by pretending to be baby dragons."

"Well, it worked." She smiled as she looked at the wild little monsters. "However, it is missing one thing."

Both girls stopped and looked at the Dragon Queen. "What is it?" Asked Yang.

"You both look like dragons." Alexstrasza grinned cheerfully. "But there is one thing you haven't done yet."

With a wave of her hand, wings of crimson flame appeared on the children's backs. The humans stared at the conjuration with wide eyes. Then with another gesture, the Dragon Queen made the girls rise into the air.

"What silly little whelps." She said with a giggle. "You forgot how to fly."

The children squealed with excitement as they began to casually soar around the room. The burning wings flapping on false winds. Nothing they touched was burned or knocked aside.

"Look dad. We're flying!" Yang could not contain her laughter and neither cold her sister.

"I can see that." He said, having calmed down from the sudden fear of his girls falling. It brought back memories of how Glynda would torture him during his days at Beacon when Qrow and Raven went too far, and he was unlucky enough to be close by.

Alexstrasza watched the children with a satisfied smile. They had done this for her. It made her realize that perhaps things would not be so bad here. Even if by some tragedy she could not return to Azeroth. She did have something here that she could dedicate herself to until she found a way home.

Deep in the forest around Patch's coast. A shape scuttled about under the shadows of the moonlight. Its treat was swift, and its step was piercing. It hissed in fits and starks as it dashed from cover to cover. Leaving tracks that looked like some giant spider had stabbed into the soil and trees. If one were to catch the tracks fresh, they would see flakes of ice and frost covering them.

"Sister." It whispered. "Do not worry, sister. I feel you."