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Chapter 3: Beginnings of Strength
"Come on (Y/N)! You can do it," Ruby encouraged as the little guy beat his wings as rapidly as he could, trying to pull himself and the books he was carrying into the air. It had been about two weeks since the young faunus had begun living with Team RWBY and he was slowly starting to grow. Along with putting on a few pounds, (Y/N)'s true personality was starting to peek through. Though he was still nervous around strangers, he was becoming much more playful and affectionate around the girls, Team JNPR, and Coco and Velvet who often came to visit him, and he wasn't as afraid as he was before. The girls were more than happy by (Y/N)'s progress and continued to encourage his growth. They had begun training him in combat and furthering his education (mostly Weiss would tutor him while Blake began instilling a love for books). His flying had greatly improved as well, though he could still only fly very short distances before becoming tired. Today, Team RWBY was working on endurance training and had added their ward to the regiment, hence why Ruby was coaching (Y/N) in flying with such a heavy stack of books. The boy struggled a bit as his wings began to ache.
"Ruby it hurts!" He whimpered.
"Just a little longer (Y/N), then we can stop!" She promised. The dragon tried to continue but an unfortunate circumstance prevented that.
"Ah- AHCHOO!" (Y/N) tumbled out of the air and landed on his bum. That alone wasn't so bad, but a few of the larger book knocking him on the head was. He dropped back gripping his head.
"(Y/N)!" Yang called out as she, Blake, and Weiss ended their sparring session to race over to his side. Ruby was there first, helping him sit up.
"Are you ok? Where does it hurt," for a bit, (Y/N) couldn't see much but black and strange moving blobs of colors. He could tell the silvery white one was Ruby, her scent was clear as day to him, but he could also tell who the one's coming towards him were even if he couldn't smell them. The red one was Yang, the teal was Weiss, and the gray one was Blake.
"Are you ok (Y/N)?" He heard Weiss's voice ask as he felt a hands in hair combing for bumps. He blinked his (E/C) eyes a couple of times before his vision went back to normal. He then shook his head.
"I'm ok," Blake pulled him to his feet.
"I think that's enough flying for one day,"
"Agreed," Weiss commented as Yang scooped up (Y/N) and placed him on her shoulders.
"Come on, I think all this training has earned him a treat! Who's up for ice cream?" Ruby jumped into the air.
"Yay! Ice cream!" Blake didn't seemed too thrilled.
"Are you sure Yang? We've never taken (Y/N) into town before,"
"Well, I think it'll be a good experience for him," Weiss argued. "Besides, I think our little boy has earned a sweet treat for all this hard work!"
"Alright, ice cream it is!" Yang cheered as she began running off with the now confused boy.
"Yang, what's ice cream?"
"We still have much to teach you my pupil," Ruby retorted.
(Timeskip)
"Slow down (Y/N)!" Weiss giggled. "You'll give yourself an ice cream headache!" (Y/N)'s face was smeared in (F/F) ice cream as he devoured his bowl. His eyes were bright and happy.
"But it tastes so good!" Blake grabbed his face and began wiping it clean.
"Even still, you have to eat it slowly, or you'll end up like Ruby,"
"BRAIN FREEZE!" The team leader screamed as she rubbed her temples fiercely. The girls had taken (Y/N) to a small dessert shop close to the school, being careful to conceal his wings and tail to avoid attracting attention. After taste testing every flavor with Ruby, the dragon had settled on (F/F) while Ruby got cookies and cream. Yang had gotten a small vanilla ice cream while Blake got tea and Weiss had a coffee. Once (Y/N) was cleaned up, he continued his assault on his treat until it was all gone.
"Wow (Y/N), your sweet tooth might be as big as Ruby's!" Yang said, almost impressed. Ruby pointed her spoon at her sister.
"I will not relinquish my title so easily sister," everyone laughed as the girls got up to use the restroom quickly before they left, leaving (Y/N) to pick at his empty bowl. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman paying at the register when a tub of ice cream fell out of her bag. As she began to leave, he ran over and picked up the small container and gently tugged on her skirt.
"Ms, you dropped this!" He told her. The woman turned around and (Y/N) held out the container. She was rather short, probably as tall as Ruby, maybe even shorter, and she had dark hair and green eyes, but for a moment, he swore her eyes shift, one brown the other pink. For a split second, (Y/N) eyesight faltered as he saw a black swirl in her place, before it returned to normal. The woman smiled happily at him and took back her container. She patted his head sweetly before digging into her bag and pulling out a small tube of (F/F) ice cream and giving it to him. (Y/N) shook his head.
"Wait! This is your's though, I can't take it!" Still she didn't speak, instead smiling, ruffling his hair, and walking out the door. He wanted to go after her, but he didn't have the courage to go anywhere without his guardians.
"(Y/N)!" Ruby called to him as the team stepped out of the bathroom. He quickly ran back to them.
"Where did you get that tub from?" Blake asked him, eyeing the container. He pointed at the door.
"A nice lady gave it to me," Weiss looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Um, sweetie, I don't think you should take that,"
"Don't worry," the cashier called from her spot. She was a sweet looking lady. "That young lady is one of our regulars and she just bought that tub. I would've seen if she'd done anything to it," she smiled kindly at the boy. "You've got quite the little gentleman there, he was nice enough to give that girl her ice cream back," Weiss looked a bit better then.
"Well, ok. But from now on (Y/N), no more taking sweets from strangers," he cocked his head in confusion.
"Why not?" Blake grabbed his hand.
"We'll tell you when you're older,"
(Back at Beacon)
After returning back to the school and taking a relaxing bath, (Y/N) was curled up comfortably in Weiss's bed, since it was her turn to sleep with him, playing with Zwei while the girls did their homework.
"Ugh, I'm so bored!" Ruby complained.
"You had your ice cream, now do your work," Weiss scolded, not even looking up from her notes. (Y/N) just ignored them and rolled a ball to Zwei who would then roll it back with his nose. Eventually, Zwei abandoned the game and jumped on (Y/N), who began to laugh as the corgi licked him. Yang smiled from her bed.
"Having fun you two?"
"Lots!" (Y/N) replied hanging his head upside down to look at the blonde. Blake closed her textbook and glanced at the boy.
"(Y/N), why don't I read you a bedtime story?" She offered. Blake had taken on the duty of reading to (Y/N) almost every night since his arrival. He nodded happily before jumping from the bed and running to the book shelf to pick out a new story.
"What about this one?" He said while holding up a book called 'Ninjas of Love'. The cat faunus immediately turned red before running up and shelving the book far out of his reach.
"Um, that one's not for kids. How about this one?" She asked while holding out 'A 1001 Vacuan Twilights' (Yeah, be prepared for a lot of parody titles). (Y/N) nodded and climbed into Blake's bed. He spent the next hour cuddling the older girl while she read him a story about a faunus wining the heart of a human princess with the help of a wish granting creature. Once Blake was sure he was asleep, she book marked the page and tucked him into Weiss's bed before kissing his forehead.
"Good night (Y/N),"
(Next Day)
(Y/N) was quietly walking up and down the corridors of Beacon by himself. The girls had class with Professor Goodwitch that afternoon and the strict blonde teacher wasn't too keen on having someone so young and inexperienced in her class just yet. Usually, Team JNPR or Coco and Velvet would watch him in the girl's absence, but Team JNPR was in the same class and Team CFVY was out on a mission, so the dragon boy was left to his own devices. (Y/N) enjoyed the peacefulness of the hallway and just spent most of his time admiring how pretty it was. He wasn't afraid of getting lost since he could just follow his own scent back to the room.
"Admiring the decor (Y/N)?" A voice asked. The boy looked and saw Ozpin at the top of a staircase. (Y/N) actually hadn't seen the headmaster since his first night a Beacon, but he wasn't too nervous, he was old enough to understand Ozpin didn't have to let him stay at Beacon.
"Hi Professor Ozpin!" He greeted as the teacher walked back down.
"I'm glad to see you've adjusted well to Beacon, though I am surprise you've become confident enough to be on your own so soon. Ms Xiao Long rubbing off on you?" (Y/N) nodded.
"Yes sir! The girls are in class right now and Professor Goodwitch doesn't like me seeing the bigger kids fight," the headmaster chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose Glynda wouldn't think it healthy for you to witness that just yet," he paused for a moment. "(Y/N) why don't you join me for some tea. I'm very interested to hear about your experience at Beacon thus far,"
"Um, ok?" He answered while following the white haired male to his office. (Y/N) was amazed by the size and design of the room. His eyes were wide with wonder. Ozpin chuckled at his reaction and led him over to a small table with a tea set. He poured a cup of tea for (Y/N) while sticking to his usual mug of coffee.
"I see Ms Schnee and Ms Belladonna have instilled a respect for tea in you. Not many children your age have a taste for it," (Y/N) smiled.
"Yup! Weiss and Blake have been giving me plenty of flavors to try out! Blake says it helps keep me calm,"
"Well, let's test your knowledge. See if you can deduce what flavor I've served you," (Y/N) grabbed the teacup and took a modest sip. He smelled flowers and the taste was light.
"Jasmine?" He answered unsurely. The teacher smiled.
"Correct, but which type of jasmine tea?" (Y/N) took another sip and really focused on the flavor.
"Jasmine green tea?"
"It seems Ms Schnee and Ms Belladonna have taught you well. So how has your experience at Beacon been (Y/N)?" The boy smiled boldly.
"It's been great! I've never felt so happy in life! The girls have been nicest people I've ever met, Team Juniper, Coco, and Velvet have been fun to be with too! A few people make fun of my tail and wings, but Yang and Nora always scare them for it!" Ozpin smiled at his enthusiasm.
"I see. It's hard to believe that merely a few weeks ago, you were almost entirely shut off from the world. You've come very far in such a short time," the boy rubbed his head.
"Well, I still have a hard time with people I don't know, and the sight of needles still scares me, and I have nightmares about the dark place," the headmaster took a sip of his drink.
"(Y/N), that's more than reasonable. What you've experienced in a few years is more than what most people would experience in a lifetime. Considering what happened and your demeanor now, your will is much stronger than most I've met. And I've met many people in my life," (Y/N) blushed.
"Um thank you sir,"
"Now, it's come to my attention that Team RWBY has decided to begin training you in combat," he nodded eagerly.
"Oh yeah! Yang's been teaching me how to fight with my hands, Blake's been teaching me how to move like a ninja, Weiss has been teaching me all about using dust, and Ruby's been helping me with flying! I'm not...that good at it yet, but I'm definitely better at it than I was my first time,"
"Yes, I'm quite aware of your little incident with one of the light fixtures," the dragon gasped in horror.
"You know about that?"
"My boy, very few things happen in this school without my knowledge. In any event, I am glad to see you've grow stronger,"
"Yang says at the rate I'm going, I'll unlock my semblance in no time! I can't wait to see what it is!"
"Ah yes, unlocking one's semblance is an important step in becoming a huntsman or huntress. It's like opening a gift,"
"What's your semblance Professor?" Ozpin gave him a mischievous smile.
"Perhaps I'll tell you one day (Y/N), for now, you should focus on your own training. Have you had any signs of unlocking your semblance yet?" (Y/N) thought back to the day before, seeing the different colors in place of his friends and the lady from the shop. He still hadn't told the girls about it yet and he didn't know how Ozpin would react to the news.
"Well, there was this one thing...," Ozpin looked at him curiously.
"Go on,"
"Well, yesterday during training, I hit my head and I couldn't see right for a little bit. It was dark, but I saw colors moving towards me. There was this silver and white light, and I could smell it was Ruby, but the other lights, I could tell who they were. It also happened to a lady I helped at a shop later,"
"I see. Can you describe these colors or lights?" (Y/N) scratched his head, trying to remember.
"Um, they felt warm and they seemed to follow their person," Ozpin nodded knowingly.
"I think I understand what you were seeing (Y/N)," (E/C) eyes widened.
"R-really? Did I unlock my semblance," the headmaster laughed, shaking his head.
"I'm afraid your semblance will need a bit more time (Y/N). No, what you're experiencing is use of one your powers as a dragon faunus,"
"One of my powers?"
"Yes. I'm sure you're aware by now about the many legends of your kind and the many powers they wield. Some of these rumors are just that, but many still are grounded in fact,"
"How do you know?" He asked curiously. Ozpin leaned back in his chair.
"I've met one or two dragons in my time,"
"You have!? But Professor Oobleck said dragon faunus have never been seen before! A lot of people don't even think we exist!"
"Indeed. Don't misunderstand (Y/N), your kind is exceptionally rare and it has been many years since I've met someone like you. Even to my knowledge, you could very well be the last of your kind," (Y/N) tail and wings drooped sadly.
"Oh," He then perked back with curiosity. "Well, do you know what is wrong with me?"
"Nothing is wrong with you (Y/N). As I said, this is one of your abilities that come with your breed: the ability to sense the soul,"
"The soul?"
"Yes. The few dragon faunus I did meet demonstrated the ability to not only see the soul, but peer into the intentions of the person. The colors you saw represent the greatest aspects of that person," (Y/N) tilted his head in confusion.
"But, wouldn't the soul match the color of a person's aura? Like Yang, her aura is yellow but her soul was red,"
"The soul is the most truthful representation of a person's self and its color, while not always matching the aura, will match the person's greatest strength. Ms Xiao Long's greatest traits are her strength, her passion, and her drive. Red is the color that best represents those aspects,"
"Oh, then what about Ruby? He soul was white and silver,"
"White is the color of purity and innocence, things Ms Rose has an abundance of. I assume most soul's, including your own now, start white. As for silver, it is best known for representing a desire for experiencing life,"
"What about gray and teal. That's what Blake and Weiss were,"
"Gray in terms of Ms Belladonna, likely represents intelligence as well as dignity. As for Ms Schnee, teal refers to sophistication, discipline, as well as defiance. Keep in mind (Y/N) that colors can have many different meanings and the soul can change color as a person changes themselves," (Y/N) took another sip of his tea.
"You said I would be able to figure someone out just by looking at them. How could I do that?"
"I'm unsure myself. From what I gathered, your abilities will develop in time with training, as well as unlock gradually through instinct. Why don't we practice? I want you to try and see my soul," the boy looked crestfallen.
"Well, I don't know how to do it on purpose," the headmaster smiled.
"That's quite alright, just concentrate on my form, try and see beyond a physical appearance," (Y/N) did as he was told, trying to gaze beyond. The world around him did grow dark, but there was too many flashes for him to make any sense of Ozpin. He frowned and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, it's all one big blur," Ozpin nodded.
"I thought as much. Let's just say, I've been through a few lifetime experiences myself,"
"Oh. Well, Professor if I'm going to start getting superpowers out of nowhere, how am I going to tell when I get my semblance?"
"(Y/N), believe me when I say, when your semblance is unlocked, you'll know,"
"Oh, ok,"
"Now, class will be ending soon. I think you should return to your dorm to greet your caretakers,"
"Thanks for the tea," (Y/N) said as he got out of his chair.
"You're welcome. Feel free to join me again if you have anymore questions," The dragon nodded and headed towards the elevator door when it opened revealing a very tall and bulky man (Y/N) did not recognize.
"Ozpin, I was hoping to-," the man cut off as he saw the smaller boy in front of him. "Is this the boy?" The headmaster stood up and walked next to young male.
"Indeed. (Y/N), this is General Ironwood. He is the headmaster of the academy at Atlas. He'll be staying till the end of the Vytal Tournament. General, this is (Y/N). He is currently a guest here at Beacon,"
"Nice to meet you sir," (Y/N) bowed in respect like Ren had shown him. Ironwood nodded.
"Likewise (Y/N). Ozpin, if I could have a word?"
"Of course. Run along (Y/N)," (Y/N) gazed at the general intensely, like he had done with Ozpin. This time he was able to faintly see a chestnut color from the center of his form. He smiled before turning back to Ozpin.
"Professor, what does brown represent?" Ozpin smiled slyly.
"Reliability, though stubbornness might not be far off either. Now, off you go," The boy quickly scurried to the elevator. Once he was gone, Ironwood turned to Ozpin.
"That's the dragon faunus you told me about?" Ozpin sat at his desk.
"Indeed,"
"He doesn't appear to be very threatening,"
"Of course not, he's just a boy. However appearances can be deceiving. (Y/N) is a dragon, so he will become powerful no doubt," Ironwood leaned over his desk.
"Should we be concerned?"
"Very much so. There's a reason dragon faunus aren't found often on Remnant. From what he told me, he's already starting to unlock his abilities. It won't be long until her forces take notice of him,"
"Are you sure? One child hardly seems noticeable," Ozpin sighed.
"The maidens are individuals themselves James. It is their power which draws our enemies.  (Y/N) I'm afraid will be no different. She will either see him as a weapon to be used, or a threat to be dealt with. For now, he must be protected and kept secret,"
"I could have him sent to Atlas if need be. He'll be well guarded there,"
"No! Powerful or not, his mental health is just as important to keep in check. He'll be in better shape if he's kept with people he trusts. Besides, with all do respect James, your kingdom is not exactly the most kind to faunus," Ironwood looked slightly embarrassed.
"Right. Still, I could have a guard assigned to him. If he's as important as you say, he should be watched closely,"
"No, we mustn't draw attention to him. I trust my students to watch over him,"
(Elsewhere)
(Y/N) was lost in his thoughts as he walked back to the dorm. He was both excited and scared about Ozpin's words. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going and walked directly into someone.
"Oops, sorry," he quickly apologized. Looking up, he saw a black haired woman with amber eyes. She smiled.
"That's quite alright. But do pay attention to where you're going next time,"
"I will, sorry again," Just as he was about to continue on, he caught sight of two familiar faces.
"Oh, hi Emerald, Mercury," he greeted. The green haired girl smiled sweetly.
"Hi (Y/N)!" Mercury just waved him off.
"Hey runt," he pouted at the name. Emerald pushed him aside.
"Just ignore him (Y/N). I'm surprised to see you all alone. Didn't go on another panicked flight did you?" He rubbed his head bashfully.
"No, I'm definitely in control enough of my wings that that will never happen again. I was just talking to Professor Ozpin. I'm on my way back to the dorm now,"
"Talking with the headmaster. Not in trouble are we little one?" The other girl teased. (Y/N) quickly shook his head.
"No! He just wanted to talk to me about my stay here ms...who are you?"
"(Y/N), this is our other teammate Cinder," Emerald introduce. "Cinder, this is (Y/N)," Cinder smiled sinisterly.
"It's wonderful to finally meet Beacon's resident dragon. You've become quite the hot topic around the school you know," (Y/N) shrunk his head back in embarrassment.
"Really?" Emerald laughed.
"Don't worry, we haven't told anyone about the lighting accident," He let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. I should get back now. It was nice meeting you Cinder!" He held out a hand to shake. Cinder took it.
"Likewise (Y/N)," the minute she touched his hand, (Y/N) felt something ominous in the pit of his stomach. He was able to see Cinder's soul. It was black, but unlike the woman at the shop who's soul was light enough to be almost gray, Cinder soul lacked any sort of light, it was just darkness outlined by blood red. It sent chills down the boy's back as he quickly let go of her hand and the apparition vanished. Cinder looked at him in confusion as well as Emerald.
"Something wrong (Y/N)?" Cinder asked.
"Um, I think I can hear Yang calling me. Bye!" He said as he quickly sped off down the hall, getting as far from them as he could. Something about Cinder wasn't right, he didn't know what, but he didn't need Ozpin to tell him that a soul was not meant to be that color. Eventually he made it back to the dorm and entered. The girls were there, dropping their books down. They looked at him in surprise.
"Oh, there you are (Y/N)!" Ruby greeted him. "Out for a walk around the school?" For a moment, he didn't know what to tell them. Eventually he settle on:
"Yeah, I also got to talk to Professor Ozpin about some stuff,"
"Professor Ozpin?" Weiss asked. "What about?"
(Y/N) then explained about his meeting with the headmaster, as well as the development of his new ability. Ruby's eyes widened with excitement.
"Wow (Y/N)! You're already starting to get special dragon powers! That's great!" Yang smirk.
"So now you can peer into souls and see everything bad a person's done? That could be great if we need some blackmail,"
"Well, I don't think that's how it works, but Professor Ozpin did say with practice I would be able to 'sense the intention of a person', whatever that means,"
"While I think you should've told us about this ability as soon as it started appearing," Weiss lecture. "I am glad you're getting stronger!"
"By the way (Y/N), are you ok?" Blake inquired. "You seemed shaken and out of breath when you came in here," for a moment, he wondered if he should tell them about Cinder, but he decided against it. He didn't know anything about her yet and he had just started using this ability. Besides, if she was friends with Emerald, she couldn't be that bad.
"Oh no, I was just...really excited to tell you guys about this!"
Little (Y/N) know, this was a decision he would only come to regret for the rest of his life.