Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Monster Hunter, only how the story goes. The characters and world of Monster Hunter belongs to Capcom. The only thing that I do own are the OC's of the story. I do apologize for any errors in grammar and/or if I was not accurate in reference to something.

A/N: A bit of a filler chapter before we get to the next story arc. Like another chapter, this one came to me at the last minute just as I was getting started on the first chapter of the Greatest Jagras Liberation.

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Chapter Twenty-Two: Repaying a Favor

Jacob returned to the boat after he and Grumper parted ways once again. The Anjanath had most likely gone off to hunt. The human on the other hand, was returning with the book he had found on the Celestial Pursuit. He came down to the living quarters and set the book down on the table. Remembering the other two journals, he went to retrieve them. Once he had them in hand, Jacob set them down next to the Handler's journal on the table. He wondered a lot about this commission and what had happened to them. But he set that aside for now as another thought came to mind. One that lived high up in the Ancient Tree and had gotten him out of his mood. Taking the Dual Blades and the shield, Jacob departed from the boat once again that day.

When he stood on the cliff before the openings, Jacob looked up to see a shape flying away from the nest. He saw that it was Mama Rath and figured that Papa must have been left at home with the trio. Thinking this could be the best way to repay the Rathalos, Jacob made his way up to the nest.

…

After a short climb up the tree, Jacob came to the opening that led up to the Rath's nest. From the bottom of the slope, he could hear the three getting a little rowdy and could only imagine how the father must be feeling right now. Carefully making his way up, the teen came up the slope and stayed low when he came to the rise. When he looked over the top, he could see Papa Rath laying down next to the dam and looking down the slope a little he saw Samson, Diana and Verda all screeching or trying to bite one or the other. Papa Rath seemed be greatly focused on the three and not on the rest of his surroundings. But from his spot, Jacob could tell that he was looking a little wound up from the three.

Going in, Jacob quietly made his way towards the Rathalos. When he was next to the Flying Wyvern, he kneeled down and carefully placed an arm on Papa's head and said, "Seems like you could use a break, huh?"

Papa Rath gave a light grunt when he turned his right eye to the human. Getting up again, Jacob moved in front of the Rathalos and the Flying Wyvern raised his head. The commotion brought the three siblings out of what they were doing and all three rushed up to the human. Jacob glanced down to them for a moment before looking back to Papa, "Go on. Go and find Mama. We'll be here when you guys get back."

Papa Rath looked the human in the eye before looking down at his three children. Deciding to trust in Jacob, the Rathalos growled down at them. He gave Jacob a grateful look when he turned his head to the human once more. Then he opened his wings and took to the air. Samson, Verda and Diana opened their wings as if to follow after their father, but Jacob moved in front of them and said, "Hey, hold up there.

"He and your Mom will be back." He assured them. The three looked to each other with knowing looks before looking up to Jacob again. Getting an idea about what was about to happen, he moved his shield arm up as he questioned, "Really? Again?"

He got his answer when he ducked and a fireball collided with the shield. The sudden attack made the teen stagger back a few feet and he lowered the shield. He looked where the projectile had hit and saw it still smoldering a little. He glanced to the one who did it and a little smoke could be seen from the Pink Rathian's maw. If it weren't for the fact that he had a soft spot for these three and their parents, Jacob would have sworn that he wouldn't do this job. Jacob commented, "Still be the first one to have a go, eh, Diana?"

For some odd reason, Diana got in a bit of a mood when she screeched at the human. It really surprised him and her siblings when Samson and Verda jumped a little. He yelped when she leaped into the air and came at him with her jaws wide. Jacob kept the shield between them and she bit on the metal. The young Rathian was giving him a bit of a glare as she growled. Quirking a brow he said, "A bit of a change from how you usually start your little game.

"What's gotten into you, girl?" The teen questioned before shaking his arm to make her let go. After a few shakes of the shield she let go and dropped to the ground. Jacob had to jump back to avoid getting nipped by her sharp teeth and raised the shield again when Samson came in with a glide before swinging his clubbed tail. The appendage bounced off the shield and the Rathalos flapped his wings to keep himself from crashing into the ground.

Jacob was a little unprepared for when Verda came in from the side and grabbed the hood of his cloak with her talons. She was using a good deal of her strength to pull him. Figuring that it was a ploy to keep his focus on her, he reached with his other arm for the Rathian while keeping his shield arm to the other two Raths. Verda released the hood to keep out of his grasp and Jacob backed up when the other two came at him again. They stopped when Jacob placed the shield in front of him again and challenged, "Alright, who's going to attack first, huh?

"Samson or Diana?" He asked when he looked between the two. Diana screeched again like earlier and leapt at him. Jacob yelped as she collided against the shield and bit on the upper side while scratching at it with her non-poisonous talons. Jacob became a little worried when she gave him a glare like before. With a swift motion of his arms, he made Diana fall off the shield and she flapped her wings to keep herself airborne for a moment before dropping down to the ground. The other two seemed to calm down as did she. Carefully lowering himself onto his knees, Jacob asked, "What's the matter Di-"

The Pink Rathian gave a low growl at the name and it made Jacob not finish. He began wondering if she didn't really like the name he gave her and tilted his head when he said, "Guess that's not something you wanna be called, huh, girl?"

The Pink Rathian seemed to calm down enough to make Jacob relax. Moving to where he was sitting down, he carefully extended his slinger arm to the young Flying Wyvern and she sniffed his fingers before coming a little closer. Lightly scratching the top of her head he said, "Well, if that's not what you want to be called, then what should I call you?

"I doubt Pinkie would suit you." He thought aloud. She proved it by making herself look like she was going to hurl and growled. When the Pink Rathian returned her had to her hand, he started thinking of names. He tried the first one that came to mind, "How about Rose?

"You may be the color of one, and you also got thorn sharp claws and the spikes on your tail too." He pointed out. She seemed to like it at first, but a growl shot that name down. Using his free hand, Jacob stroked his chin while thinking some more. Then he thought up of a combo name like he did for Valiantops, "How about Rahtria? It's kind of a combination between Rathian and Tria."

A happy squeal came from the rechristened Rahtria as she turned in a circle before flapping in the air for a moment. Samson and Verda joined Jacob and their sibling. The human was going to regret asking, but he still offered, "Shall we get back to it?

"The three of you still haven't made me beg for mercy." He added while raising his shield. It made the three seem really enthusiastic as Rahtria stepped back with her siblings and Jacob got back onto his feet. Moving to where he was away from any brush, Jacob patted the shield with his free hand and challenged, "Whose first, huh?"

Three sudden fireballs from the three young Flying Wyverns pushed him back a little when they collided against the shield. Jacob quickly moved out of the way when both Samson and Verda jumped at him with their talons outstretched. While the two landed where he was once standing, Rahtria came in from behind and knocked him off his feet. Landing on his stomach, Jacob rolled onto his back and shook his head, "Sometimes I wonder if this is good for my health."

The other two Raths quickly swarmed around him and bared their teeth at him. Feeling a little outmatched, Jacob held up his hands and conceded, "Okay, I give up. I give up.

"You guys got me this time." He said and sat up. Samson, Verda and Rahtria all gave smug sounding growls as they seemed proud that they were able to best their sitter. Jacob sighed and commented, "Now I know how Zazu feels.

"At least I wasn't crushed under the rear of something." He shrugged, thinking it a good thing. Jacob laughed when all three young wyverns all pressed up against him and nuzzled against him.

…

A few hours had passed since Jacob had offered to watch over the trio. The four were sitting where they could gaze out from the nest. Two shapes could be seen turning through the air and flew higher into the sky. Mama and Papa Rath both flew up to the nest and passed over the fours' heads. Jacob, Samson, Verda and Rahtria braced themselves from the high winds before turning around to see the Rathalos and Rathian land before the dam. Mama Rath looked down to her hatchlings as the trio ran forward to greet them. The Queen of the Skies lowered her head and the three young wyverns pressed up against her.

From his spot, Jacob rose to his feet and kept his distance as he watched the family. Papa Rath looked to the boy and had an appreciative look on his face. Jacob nodded to him and carefully made his way for the slope that would get him back down the tree.

But before he could get clear of the family of five, Papa Rath's tail moved in front of him. Jacob was about to ask when the tail made him move backwards to where he was in the company of the five. He laughed again when both grown up Raths rubbed their heads against him while the three younglings pressed up against his legs. Though Jacob hardly ever said it, he was grateful for all the friends he had made. For they felt like a second family to him.

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Author's Note: I know that the renaming of Diana to Rahtria is confusing, but to be honest with you all, I wasn't too fond of Diana for her. And yes, Rahtria is a combination of two names, just like Valiantops' name. I've decided to put a small chapter before the next arc after the upcoming story arcs. The next chapter, we really do get into the next story arc. I look forward to reading your reviews. Be sure to leave a comment either about if I've done something wrong or if you want something specifically to happen. See all of you next time.