We do not own RWBY or any other copyright content. All rights to it go to Monty Oum (God rest his soul), VIZ Media, and their original owners. All OCs are owned by us.
Writing credits go to Uzumaki Ricky, Monsterhuntergod, Sharad the hedgehog, and Traines.
Return of the Dragon Warriors
Volume 1 Chapter 8: A Mystical New Beginning
Willow and her family waited feverishly in the hallway of the hospital, both for admission to Weiss's room and for Klein to return with refreshments. Though the manor had many health services that most others would not have access to, Willow didn't want to risk anything. Yet even now, as she sat on the chair in the hallway, even though she knew she had made the right choice, her heart sat in the pit of her stomach. She jumped a bit when she felt a hand grip on her own. Looking to her left, she saw Winter with a faint smile looking at her.
"It'll be okay, Mother. Weiss suffered no major damage, so she should be fine." Winter told her.
Willow's face remained unchanged by her daughter's supportive words. "It's been three hours, Winter. What if she is in a coma? Then all this was for nothing…" She replied dejectedly.
Winter shook her head. "I'm absolutely certain that it isn't that serious, Mother. She's most likely just exhausted. After all, we don't know what kind of toll… whatever that was takes on a person." She reassured Willow.
Whitley walked over from across the hall and put a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Mother, Weiss will get through this. All we can do is hope. And as bad as we are doing, Silfrdrengr's got it worse. We couldn't bring him." He replied.
Willow flinched at that, looking down in concern. "There's still so little we understand. Both about Siflrdrengr and the changes Weiss is going through after bonding with him…" She admitted worriedly.
They then heard the sound of footfalls down the hallway from them. The trio turned to see Klein come back with some hospital drinks.
"Apologies Masters, but these were the best the Hospital had to offer." Klein explained.
"That's perfectly all right, Klein. I'm used to much worse in military rations." Winter replied before accepting her drink from him.
"... You didn't get grape flavored, right?" Whitley asked sheepishly. "Hospital grape flavor is the worst."
"Not to worry, Master Whitley. I got orange, just in case." Klein replied with a smile.
Willow reached out and gingerly took an orange juice from the tray Klein had them on. "Thank you, Klein." She said modestly, before beginning to take a drink.
Klein nodded as Winter and Whitley took theirs before taking the last one for himself. "Of course, Mistress Willow." He replied as the four of them began sipping on their drinks.
It was moments later that the doctor came out, a smile on his face as he removed his surgical mask. "Thank you all for your patience." He told them.
Willow immediately sprung to her feet. "How is she?" She frantically asked the doctor.
"Worry not, Miss Schnee. Other than the damage to her eye, she merely suffered severe exhaustion. Even then, by some miracle, her eyeball itself was undamaged, so all she'll have to deal with is a scar." The doctor assured the clearly worried mother.
The four let out a deep sigh of relief as the doctor opened the door for them. To their relief, Weiss was already sitting up in the hospital bed, bandages over her eye. She seemed perfectly fine, if a bit uncomfortable in the hospital gown that now adorned her petite form. Turning to look, she was surprised to see her family and Klein. However, her expression soon turned to subdued joy as she gave the four of them a smile.
"H-Hello everyone." Weiss squeaked out.
Willow immediately handed Klein her drink as she walked over before pulling her daughter into a hug. "I'm so relieved that you're okay, Weiss…" She told her middle child, tearing up a bit.
"Mother, please…" Weiss whined in embarrassment.
Willow then pulled back, gently placing her hands on Weiss's shoulders. "You did incredibly, Weiss. Not only did you exceed my expectations by defeating the Arma Gigas, but you did so by awakening some mysterious new power." She told her daughter, a small smile on her face.
Weiss sat there in shock at hearing that. "Wait… you're proud of me?" She asked.
Willow nodded. "Yes, I am. By holding your own so well against the Arma Gigas, you proved my concerns unfounded. You're more than ready for Beacon." She told the younger Schnee woman.
"... I don't know how to take this." Weiss replied, still in shock.
Willow giggled a bit. "That is unsurprising. We can discuss this more when we get home. As soon as the doctor has cleared you to leave." She told her daughter, a small, amused smile on her face.
"And how long is that going to be?" Weiss asked curiously.
"The damage you took fighting the Arma Gigas was minimal, young miss Weiss. You can leave as soon as the paperwork has been completely filled out." The doctor explained to her.
Weiss let out a deep sigh at hearing that. But a smile soon crossed her face at remembering what her mother said. It felt good.
Several Days Later: Schnee Manor Library
The Schnee family and their butler maneuvered through the entrance of the vast library, trying to find the section the target of their interest would be found in. As they did, they couldn't help but think of their young dragon. He had been vehement about wanting to see Weiss as soon as she got home and, as soon as she had returned, nearly tackled her to the ground while in the form of a Mastiff the size of a rhinoceros. The weight of him had nearly crushed her and would have if not for her Aura.
'WEISS!! I've missed you!!' Silfrdrengr's voice boomed in her mind.
"Silfrdrengr…! Too… heavy…!!" Weiss groaned, petting him gently.
'Right. Sorry. Stupid fat body growing so quickly. Just a few months ago, I could at least get to the size of a Fortune Mastiff. Now… I'm just fat…' Silfrdrengr said frustratedly
"You are not fat, Silfrdrengr. You're just big boned." Willow chided him playfully.
"Can Dragons even get fat?" Asked Whitley.
"Question for later. Right now, we need to head to the library and find that book. Along with any others we can find on Dragons." Winter replied curtly.
"How many books did father randomly buy about dragons?" Asked Whitley.
"Oh, it was not random, Whitley. Before we got married, your father showered me with gifts of such nature, since he knew of my fascination with mythology and magic." Willow told her son.
"... I was going to ask a question, but now I don't want the answer." Whitley replied with a deadpan look.
Willow raised an eyebrow. "And what question might that be, dear?" She asked the Schnee boy.
"Forget I said anything." Whitley said, waving his hands in front of his face.
"Let's focus, people. We need to get deeper into the library. Silfrdrengr, please get off Weiss." Winter told the transformed Dragon.
'But fluffy…' Silfrdrengr tried to plead.
"Fluffy and heavy…" Weiss groaned from beneath him.
'Yes ma'am…' The dragon sighed before getting off Weiss and backing away.
Getting up, Weiss brushed the dog hair off her clothes. Adjusting her combat skirt, she looked up. "Right. To the Fantasy & Mythology section!" She bellowed out, pointing in the direction of that section of the library.
With that, the Schnee family and their butler made their way through the library. Walking past grand, extravagant bookcase after bookcase, section after section, they made their way deeper in. They made their way past various sections, from Adventure novels to Horror, Classic literature to Non-Fiction. Finally, after several minutes, they found themselves in front of the Fantasy & Mythology section.
"That's a lot of books…" Whitley said dumbfoundedly.
"What we're looking for should be under 'D' for 'Dragon.' Let's get started." Weiss told them.
Before they could get started however, Weiss felt something touch her shoulder. Something… slimy. She slowly turned around to see a titanic, white and silver octopus squished into the width of the aisle they were standing in. Trembling, she forced the rest of her group to look at it.
"AHHH!" Weiss cried out, jumping back.
"Help me, sister!!" Whitley yelled, jumping into Winter's arms.
'Everyone, relax! It's just me!' Silfrdrengr's voice echoed in their minds, with the octopus waving its arms about.
"What the hell are you doing, Silf!?" Weiss shrieked out.
'I was worried!' Silfrdrengr explained.
"Young dragon, I was about to turn you into calamari." Willow said in frustration, putting her hand over her now rapidly beating heart.
'Sorry, mama Willow…" Silfrdrengr replied, looking sheepish in octopus form… somehow.
"Can you turn into anything smaller than that?" Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Or at least less frightening?"
'I can't. This is the smallest I can get at my current level of transformation magic. My body's growing too quickly for my skill level to keep up.' Silfrdrengr explained.
"Alright, fine. Just don't knock over anything." Weiss answered with a sigh.
'I guarantee no promises. It's awkward being an octopus. How they manage to coordinate nine brains, I'll never know…' Silfrdrengr explained.
"Excuse me while I look up how to get octopus slime out of carpet." Klein said before heading off to do some research.
"Why did you… you know what, I don't want that answer either." Whitley said with a sigh. "Let's just find a book already."
With that, the four humans – and one dragon-turned-octopus – began to search the section for the books they needed. Looking down through the 'D' subsection, they tried to find the books they needed. Soon, they finally came across the first one as Weiss tried to reach up and grab it. However, it was too high for any of them to reach. Rather than wait to get a ladder, Silfrdrengr used his tentacles as a platform to lift Weiss to reach it.
"Thank you, Silfrdrengr." Weiss said with a smile before grabbing the book. "You can lower me now."
The dragon-turned-octopus nodded and slowly began to lower his tentacle for Weiss to get off. Once he had brought her low enough, she hopped off the cephalopod appendage as the five of them headed for a more open area to begin reading. Finding a nice, open spot with a table and chairs, Silfrdrengr turned into a less… disgusting form and the five crowded together to begin reading. Silfrdrengr turned into a Rottweiler the size of a small bull elephant and peered down over Weiss to read along with his family.
"Now then, here we are. Draconic Bonding." Weiss muttered as she flipped to the correct section.
"It says here that 'After bonding with a mortal, a Dragon can grant their Dragon Warrior partner the ability to use Magic. This usage of Magic differs from other types of Magic users in that the source of the power is from the bond between Warrior and Dragon. Unlike witches and wizards, who use potions, elixirs, and other such mystical mediums to channel magic, the magic comes from within them through the bond, much like Mystics who call upon the power of an Elemental. However, unlike Mystics, the source of the power is not a being inside of them, nor is it inherent to them like a Sage.'" Willow read off, becoming more and more interested in the subject at hand.
"It also says 'This method is different from that of Magicians, especially Shugenja, in that they are not technically borrowing the power from an outside source. Dragon and Dragon Warrior are one, both their powers are usable by the other and the strength of their power comes from their bond. The type of Magic the Dragon Warrior can use is dependent on the type of Magic inherent to their Dragon.' Fascinating…" Whitley said with an amazed smile.
'So, what you're saying is the stronger our bond is, the stronger our magic gets?' Silfrdrengr asked.
Winter nodded. "That appears to be the case based on what this book is saying, Silfrdrengr." She replied, nodding thoughtfully.
The titanic hound dragon then turned to look at Weiss. 'Well, pucker up, then.' Silfrdrengr said simply.
"Lick me and you're sleeping on the floor for the next week." Weiss replied with a grossed outlook.
'... I haven't been able to sleep on the bed in a year. I was already on the floor.' Silfrdrengr deadpan replied.
"Focus, you two." Winter sternly ordered.
"Yes ma'am." Dragon and Warrior replied in unison.
"We will need to work out a training regime for you two to work on focusing and training this new power before Beacon. We can't have you two going to Beacon with this ability still raw and untrained. There is no telling what kinds of problems that could cause." Willow explained.
"I can help with that, Mother." Winter offered, catching her mother off guard.
"Thank you, Winter. Weiss, how does it feel to know that you have magic now?" Willow replied before turning to Weiss with a smile.
"I never imagined it in my life. But how hard can it really be?" Weiss said with a smile.
Several Weeks Later: Schnee Manor Training Hall
Weiss closed her eyes and focused, raising her hand before her. In front of her was a modified Schnee training android, one that they had altered specifically to handle her new abilities. Concentrating, she felt for the mystical flame of power within her that connected her to her Dragon. Soon, her eyes glowed with mystical might as she opened her eyes, her noticeable slash mark scar over her left eye visible as clear as day from the illumination. Her eyes glowed an icy blue as she raised her hand palm up, large spheres of ice manifesting in midair.
Then, with a snap of her fingers, Weiss launched the orbs of ice at the android. The machine tried desperately to dodge and weave around the literal hailstorm that came down around it. However, a meteor of ice hit it in the leg, freezing it in place. Seeing her opening, Weiss smiled as she put her hands together, her eyes and hands now beginning to glow a metallic gray. Pulling her hands apart, a metallic, black iron lance manifested from between her hands. Grabbing it, the graceful duelist spun and threw the polearm with all her strength. The spin added extra strength behind her throw as her lance impaled the android through the chest, the force of the attack ripping off its still trapped leg as the machine was pinned to the far wall of the training hall.
"Weiss! Teatime!" Came the echoing call of Willow's voice through the training hall.
Walking over to the intercom, Weiss pressed a button to activate it. "I'm on my way now, Mother!" Weiss told Willow through the intercom with a smile.
After dispelling the ice and metal she made in the training hall, she walked over to wipe the sweat off her face. With a deep breath, she then headed over to the garden. At the table was the rest of her family seated at a glass circular table and luxurious chairs. At the table was a full afternoon tea spread. A big pot of tea at the center and surrounded by platters of finger sandwiches, warm scones, cakes, and pastries. The mere sight of it made her stomach growl more than the actual training did. Bowing politely as she walked over, she then sat in the open seat between Willow and Winter.
"How has your training with your Magic been going, Weiss?" Winter asked her younger sister.
"It went well. Though I still think I can do better. Having two types of Magic to balance makes things… tricky. They have similarities, but subtle differences. And in the heat of things, it can make it easy to mix the two up. I honestly don't know how Silfrdrengr does it." Weiss explained as she scrambled to put food on her plate.
"Well, he is a dragon, elder sister Weiss. Wielding Magic likely comes more naturally to him than it does to a human or Faunus." Whitley pointed out as he helped himself to a finger sandwich.
'This is the Food God in your presence! I demand tribute!!' Came a wobbling, cartoonish voice into the four's heads.
The four rolled their eyes as Willow spoke up. "Fine. Take some, Silfrdrengr." She replied, taking a large platter of food over to a massive bush where a huge, clawed finger was sticking out.
Gently, she put the platter on the tip of the claw, and it swiftly disappeared into the bush. Then the clawed finger unfurled from the bush again, revealing a completely clean platter. Not a single crumb remaining upon its glistening China exterior.
"Right. Giving this to Klein when he gets back. No one put food on this one. It's dirty." Weiss warned as she set it off to the side of the table.
'Now then, Weiss. How's it going with your Metal and Ice Magic manipulation training?' Silfrdrengr's voice asked his Dragon Warrior.
"... Did you not just hear me?" Weiss asked annoyedly.
'I did. I just want specific details.' Silfrdrengr replied cheekily.
"I was as detailed as I could! I don't naturally flatulate magic like you do!" Weiss snapped at her hidden reptilian companion.
'True. Has the Cold Comet Storm spell gotten easier to use? Or the Black Iron Dragon Lance spell?' He asked, genuinely curious.
"A bit… not as much as I'd like though…" Weiss sighed, putting an elbow on her table.
"Well, keep at it, Weiss. I'm sure it will get easier the more you practice. Right, Silfrdrengr?" Willow replied with a smile.
"How will I practice at Beacon without everyone knowing that I have a Dragon?" Weiss huffed in annoyance at her mother.
It was at that moment that both Weiss and Whitley got notification beeps on their scrolls, indicating that they had both gotten a message. Taking out and opening their scrolls, they swiped to bring up the notifications. Weiss then immediately broke into a smile at that.
"Good news. I have been accepted into Beacon Academy as a First-Year student." The Schnee heiress informed her family, a happier tone to her voice.
"As have I, dear sister. As have I." Whitley replied, turning his scroll to show her as Weiss's smile grew.
"That is wonderful news!!" Willow cheered before hugging the two of them with an arm each.
"Mother…!" The two groaned, blushing lightly in embarrassment.
"Hush, children. This is a wholesome, sober memory." Willow said before tightening the grip.
The two blushed as Winter giggled slightly. "We'll need to get you both packed for the trip." She remarked with a small smile.
A thought then came into Weiss's head. "Wait… how did you get in, Whitely?" She asked in shock.
"I applied with mother's consent after Master Sylver gave me his approval at how my training had progressed." Whitley replied with a smile.
"... Clever boy." Weiss answered.
At that moment, Whitley got a call on his scroll that he quickly took. "Hello?" He asked curiously.
"STOP CALLING ME MASTER!!!" Sylver's voice rang out from the other end of the line loudly enough for all of them to hear.
This caught the rest of his family off guard. However, they didn't bother asking. As they were unsure if they really wanted the answer.
One Week Later: Vale City Airship Port
"And do please remember to call me on the weekends. I want to know everything." Willow explained excitedly.
Weiss and Whitely stood in front of the platform as their mother lectured them, each with their luggage around them. Weiss wore a simple, yet frilly dress and three-inch heels, with her sword hanging at her side via a small loop. Whitely, however, was far more heavily equipped. His weapons hung at a thick leather belt embroidered in flowing golden lines of the Tenrō. He wore a shockingly simple set of white shirts and pants, but it was what was over it that made him stand out. Over his check and each major segment of his arms and legs he wore strapped vests, gauntlets, and greaves each with pouches to put plates into for protection.
The two Schnee siblings rolled their eyes and smiled. "Yes, Mother." Whitley told her.
"And don't forget to eat your lunches before initiation starts. You want to have full energy for the test without letting your guard down." Willow continued undaunted.
"Yes, Mother." Weiss told her with an exasperated smile.
"Honestly, Winter. Kids these days are so ungrateful for advice." Willow said in a huff.
"Mother. They will be okay." Winter countered.
"I hope so. I hope so." Willow said with a sigh. "All right. Run along now. I'll miss you, but I don't want to make you miss your airship."
At that, catching Willow off guard, Weiss and Whitely hugged her. After the brief shock, Willow returned the hug. Then they did the same with Winter, who more rapidly returned the hug. Then the two waved to them and gave their final goodbyes before stepping onto the airship. The interior was simple, but surprisingly comfortable. Bench seating with cushions covered the walls as they had ample windows. Their shoes glided across plush carpeting.
Soon, however, they ran into a familiar looking wolf Faunus. He was clad in a simple sky-blue leather northern raider's vest over a wool and linen navy-blue tunic with gold trim. He wore wool and linen sage green pants with a pair of brown boots. On his forearms, he wore sky blue leather arm bracers. On his head, he wore a simple black beanie. His silver-colored hair was long and shaggy, contrasting his well-brushed silver-furred wolf tail and brilliant silver eyes. At his hip, he had a wide-bladed, seemingly sheathless claymore as his weapon of choice with a quiver on his back that had the top of a bow sticking out of it.
"Master? What are you doing here?" Whitely asked in shock.
"Stop calling me… oh, forget it. Hey, Whitley." Sylver replied in annoyance before giving a small smile.
"So, you're Sylver Tenrō. The Faunus warrior prince who taught my brother how to fight." Weiss replied, looking Sylver over and assessing him as a potential future comrade.
"And you're his sister Weiss, huh? Not gonna lie. I thought you'd be taller." Sylver replied after quickly looking her over. "Whitely. You didn't tell me your sister was short-short."
"I… didn't know it would be relevant." Whitely nervously answered.
"... Fair enough." Sylver answered reluctantly.
"I'll have you know I am a modest 4'11", you brute!" Weiss snapped out in annoyance.
"That's not the only modest thing about you, I see." Sylver said with a raised eyebrow.
Weiss blushed and glared at Sylver as she resisted the urge to slap him.
"Boyfriend!!" Came a chipper cry through the airship, only for Sylver to be sent to the floor in a flurry of rose petals.
Before them, lying on top of Sylver, was a petite, average-sized young girl who appeared to be about fifteen years old. She wore a mostly black combat skirt with red trim at the frills, a dark colored corset that blended into her combat skirt with red string holding it together, a long, red-colored hooded cloak, a belt with a silver rose and ammunition clips at her hip, and mostly black knee-high boots with red tread and laces. Her hair was dark colored with red tips, and her eyes were a brilliant silver, just like her boyfriend's.
"I missed you so much!" The girl said as she snuggled into Sylver's chest.
"Ruby! How many times do I have to tell you this!? Stop running off to tackle-kill your boyfriend!!" Came a somewhat frustrated, feminine voice.
"I dunno. How many times have you snuck off to go on accidental dates with yours, Yang?" The now named Ruby replied cheekily to the source of the voice.
"He's not my boyfriend!" The now-identified Yang's voice replied in embarrassed anger.
"I mean, I am a boy. And I am your friend." Came a calm, refined masculine voice.
"Not helping, Azura!!" Yang's voice replied again.
The first to walk through the doorway was a girl significantly taller than either Schnee was expecting. Standing three-fourths of a foot over Weiss, she had long, golden locks of hair trailed behind her as lilac eyes scanned the room. Tall, knee-high boots, a purple bandana, and orange socks trod on the carpet, with short black shorts showing off a scandalous amount of leg. A brown belt and flaps sat at her side with a flaming heart made a midriff with her brown jacket and golden shirt underneath. A pair of fingerless black gloves covered her hands as large golden bracelets hung at her arms. She fiddled with an orange scarf around her neck as she found herself with unexpected company.
Next to her was a young man who stood over a foot taller than Weiss. He had royal azure blue hair with bangs that hung over one side of his face and dark azure-blue eyes. Visible on his face was a set of scars that looked like claw marks. He wore a white overcoat over an azure-blue haori jacket, under which a black bodysuit was visible with knee high black boots and a pair of lacquered leather bracers around his forearms. Around his waist was a thick belt and sash on which he had three samurai-style blades of different lengths.
The middle length sword on the young man's hip was a three-foot-long blade with a one-foot hilt that the Schnee siblings recognized as the signature samurai katana. The shorter sword was two feet long at the blade with a half-foot long hilt, which they recognized as the wakizashi, the status symbol blade of the samurai. The final, longest blade was massive in length, but not quite long enough to reach the length of a great sword. It had a nearly foot-and-a-half long hilt and a blade one and a half times as long as the katana. This blade was more unfamiliar to Weiss and Whitley, but it resembled a shorter version of a blade they had heard of that was known as an ōdachi. On the pommels of the blades were different colored sword tassels. The ōdachi-like blade had a red tassel while the katana had a yellow tassel and the wakizashi a blue one. On his back was a silverish white colored rotating Dust arrow quiver with a bow sticking out of the top of the quiver.
"Oh. Hi Azura." Sylver replied from the floor.
"Sylver. I'm surprised that you're going to Beacon too." The now named tall young man replied with a smile.
"I wanted to be close to my girl. What better way to be closer to her than that?" Sylver replied with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah. The only reason we believe you is 'cause you're so cavalier." Yang said after rolling her eyes.
"At least we're honest about it, unlike you two love birds." Sylver fired back with a grin.
As Yang and Azura blushed, Weiss finally spoke okay. "Okay. Who are you three, how do you know this idiot, and what is going on?" She asked exasperatedly.
Azura took a deep breath. "In order? Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Sōtora Azura, they know him because he went to Signal Academy on Patch while I've known him since childhood, and we're all heading to Beacon to become Hunters." He replied, trying to stay calm.
"Well, it is an honor to meet you all. I am Whitely Schnee, student to Master Sylver." Whitley said with a polite bow.
"Oh, so you're the Schnee boy that he, and I quote, 'was trying desperately to whip into shape in time for Beacon?' Nice to meet you." Azura replied with a smile and a polite bow.
"And I fucking did it!" Sylver said with pride, jumping back to his feet with Ruby in tow. "Before I forget, good to see you too, Strawberry Lovekin."
Ruby blushed and thumped him on his chest. "I told you not to call me that in public, you big goof!" She snapped in embarrassment.
"You can say my nickname whenever you and to whoever you like." Sylver answered with a big grin.
"I am not calling you my 'Precious Metal Wolf Prince' in front of other people… It's embarrassing…" Ruby replied nervously.
"But you just did…" Whitely said in confusion.
Ruby blushed red at the realization and hid her face in Sylver's chest before screaming in frustrated embarrassment.
"So. We all are initiates then. Quite the eclectic bunch." Weiss said confusedly.
"Wait… Azura Sōtora? Of the Sōtora clan?" Whitely asked in shock. "Holy crap we have a Sōtora in our class."
Azura sighed and nodded. "Yes, yes. Get it out of your system…" He replied as Yang gently took his hand to comfort him.
"Sorry. Master Sylver told me so much about your clan. It's exciting and an honor to potentially fight alongside one." Whitley replied chipperly.
"Wait… do you not know who I am?" Azura asked, a bit surprised.
"Master Sylver said your name, but he didn't really elaborate in the long, cold, freezing nights." Whitely explained with a thousand-yard stare.
"In that case, I think that we are going to get along just fine." Azura replied with a smile.
"Let's just hope everyone can get along well with him…" Weiss whispered into Whitely's ear.
"I'm sure they will love him." Whitely whispered back.
"Let's hope…" Weiss muttered to herself as everyone began to mingle, as the roar of airships engines continued to roar.
To Be Continued...