We do not own RWBY or any other copyright content. All rights to it go to Monty Oum, VIZ Media, and their original owners. All OCs are owned by us.
Writing credits go to Uzumaki Ricky, Monsterhuntergod, Sharad the hedgehog, and Traines, as well as Kima Whitehawk Jordan on Facebook. And a very special shoutout and thank you to 501awezome and Mega Ghost on Fanfiction.Net for all your support.
Tiger King and Dragon Queen
Volume 1 Chapter 28: Soul of Silver
Another day of classes at the illustrious Academy of Beacon. Azura soon was hard at work making dinner for his friends. However, with such a large task, he needed help. As he cooked, an egg nearly rolled off the counter of the dorm kitchen counter, only to be caught by the slender hand of Trivia. She put it back on the counter before giving her cousin a smile.
'Clumsy as always in the kitchen, I see?' Trivia signed before adjusting her apron a bit.
Azura chuckled at his cousin's teasing. "Just missed an egg, Trivia. That is all." He replied, going back to making fried egg pizza.
'Glad to see my little cousin finally getting into his own groove. Tora Kuni is far too stuffy for us free living types.' Trivia signed before cracking her knuckles to get to work on dough for another pizza.
Azura smiled and nodded. "I will admit things are a bit stuffy back home. That is why I am hoping to become the head of the clan and fix that. So where are your teammates, Triv?" He replied as he finished the toppings on one pizza and started working on another.
'They are off in the town tonight. Much as I do enjoy causing trouble in clubs, bars, and movie theaters, it's nice to spend some time with my little cousin.' Trivia answered with a cheeky smile.
Azura chuckled as he started adding sauce and cheese to the pizza. "Well, consider me honored that you took time out of your mischief to spend time with me, dear cousin." He shot back with a grin.
'The true art of mischief is keeping people on their toes. If they suspect what you're going to do, then you're not doing it right. Why do you think Aoi hasn't caught me in seven years?' Trivia signed in between throwing the dough up to make the pizza crust.
"Clever, Triv. Very clever." Azura replied with the same grin on his face as he began adding sauce, eggs, and other toppings on top of the cheese.
'Just because I don't look like I listen to Yuri, doesn't mean I don't listen to the old goat.' Trivia signed with a smile.
Azura chuckled as he stuck two of the pizzas in the oven. "Be careful calling him that, Trivia. Remember: The walls have eyes and ears." He replied.
'The walls can bite my tiny tushy for all I care. If the walls had eyes and ears, then their deaf cause of Sylver's lumbering elephant ass.' Trivia signed back in annoyance at the ancient shinobi wisdom.
Azura had to bite back laughter at that. "Good one, Trivia!" he replied as Trivia spun one last pizza on one hand before setting it down in front of him.
'Seriously, what's up with that northern buffoon? He's even more insufferable than usual.' Trivia shot back in annoyance as she twirled a chopping knife. Ready to enact her annoyance upon condiments and ingredients.
Azura's smile slipped a bit at that. "I have a few ideas, but nothing that I can confirm. Honestly, I am getting a bit worried." He replied as Trivia thinly chopped him some pepperoni that she then passed to him.
'Azura. You need to talk with him.' Trivia signed bluntly, stabbing the knife into the cutting board for dramatic effect.
Azura nodded as he began putting the cheese on the pizza, then set to laying the pepperoni slices on it alongside the eggs. "I'll talk to him tonight after dinner." He assured his cousin.
"What did you do Azura, buy out the whole grocery store?" The familiar voice of Zhan asked as the rest of Team AZRE walked in to witness the culinary crafts before them.
Azura smiled and turned to his teammates. "I simply picked up what I felt I needed. Remember, I am making fried egg pizzas for six teams." He reminded his partner.
'He just wanted an excuse to make pizza.' Trivia signed with a cheeky grin.
Azura chuckled. "Well, I have been told that I make an incredibly good pizza. Especially with help from my favorite sous' chef." He replied a bit teasingly.
'Flattery will only get you somewhere, Azura.' Trivia cheekily signed back.
"Um, Azura? I don't want to be rude but…" Ember began before being caught off guard by her teammate.
"Who's the tiny ice cream girl next to you?" Rena asked bluntly.
"Oh, this is my adopted and favorite cousin Trivia Vanille-Sōtora. Trivia, these are my teammates. The big guy is Zhan Vulkan, the military girl is Rena Septim, and finally is Ember Hedda." Azura replies, introducing the four to each other.
Trivia got the pizza dough in one hand and began to spin it as she then bowed before continuing to spin it as she answered. 'Pleasure to meet you three. Though, if you must know about my appearance, it's by choice. Well, the hair, not the eyes.' Trivia signed with one hand before slamming the pizza dough onto the counter.
"How did you do that?" Zhan asked, surprised at her hand eye coordination.
'Oh, this? Very carefully. And years of practice, thanks to Auntie Verdant.' Trivia playfully answered.
"Well, we are happy to finally meet you. Azura isn't one to talk much about his family." Ember answered kindly.
'Don't mind my grumpy old Azu. He's just still getting used to the freedom life can provide. Don't worry, I'm working on that.' Trivia answered cheekily.
Sprinkling the cheese onto the dough now that it was ready for him, Azura chuckled as he began putting the eggs and pepperoni down on the cheese. "That she is. I am very much enjoying the freedom now." He replied, taking two pizzas out of the oven before popping two more in.
"We are all charmed…" Rena muttered as she crossed her arms. Already not taking a liking to her.
'So, Azu. Where's your girlfriend?' Trivia asked, turning to look at her cousin with a knowing smile.
Azura blushed at his cousin's teasing and nearly spilled sauce on the counter. "Y-Your silence would be greatly appreciated, Trivia…" he nervously said as he began adding cheese and toppings.
'Joke's on you. I'm always silent.' Trivia signed with a smirk.
Azura sighed and chuckled. "I suppose I walked right into that one." He replied, moving onto the next pizza.
"You want us to get the word out that the pizzas are getting done?" Rena asked.
Azura nodded. "That would be greatly appreciated. And see if anyone has any preferences for what they would like on theirs." He replied.
"With all the work that you two are doing, it's honestly an insult to have to change anything now. The food is enough." Ember said before heading out to spread the word.
"Let's get this over with." Rena grumbled.
"Don't knock free food, Ice Queen." Zhan said.
"I'm not Weiss." Rena growled.
"And yet you're being colder somehow." Zhan quipped as the two went out the kitchen door.
Azura smiled at that as he and Trivia got back to work. It did not take much prodding to start attracting the other teams, and rapidly they made their way to the floor kitchen. Two of the stragglers, more due to distance than actual hunger, were on a dangerous collision course. As a streak of silver and a streak of crimson rounded two separate corners, they slammed straight into each other.
"Ow! Watch it!" Ruby yelled in pain from under her cape as she rubbed her butt.
"Did something hit me?" Sylver asked, rubbing where Ruby bumped into him.
"Sylver! How is it that you have Zodiac senses training, and you can't tell if someone ran into you!?" Ruby yelled in annoyance.
"My senses don't work for tiny things quite yet." Sylver responded, not seeing Ruby's point. "Even if they are adorable when feisty."
Ruby blushed at that as she got up. "Can you watch where you're going so you don't put someone in the hospital, please?" Ruby asked, dusting herself off.
"If they got sent to the hospital for bumping into someone, do they really have a place here?" Sylver questioned, very confused.
"But what if you did that in the city and ran into someone? Someone who was just walking down the street? You never know who might be around the corner, so you have to be careful. That's why I wasn't going full tilt." Ruby explained as annoyance started to set in.
"Of course not. If you were, we'd both be on the ground." Sylver responded with a smirk "With you probably on top of me." Sylver added without thinking.
Ruby blushed bright red at the sudden and very vivid imagery given to her. Realizing he said the quiet part aloud, Sylver jumped to correct his mistake.
"S-Sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I said the quiet part aloud!" Sylver frantically replied.
"I-It's okay… I take it you were heading to get pizza too?" Ruby asked, trying to move on from the embarrassing part of the conversation.
"No, I was going to the opera. Of course I'm going for pizza" Sylver remarked.
"Sorry." Ruby nervously answered.
"You're a stranger to sarcasm, aren't you" Sylver commented.
"Are you of all people saying that?" Ruby asked as the two began to walk together.
"What? What'd I say" Sylver asked with a chuckle.
"Do you even hear yourself speak?" Ruby asked, knowing the answer already, but wanting some confirmation.
"Am I a deaf person? No. No, I am not. My ears aren't full of chocolate… again" Sylver responded thinking of an incident at Signal involving the two of them.
"Why do you have to bring that up again? You almost stained my cloak because of that." Ruby groaned out at the mention of that.
"You were the one who brought the dog. Uh… 'Pie,' was it?" Sylver remarked.
"Zwei. His name is Zwei." Ruby corrected him.
"I could go for some pie. Maybe ice cream too." Sylver commented, his mind wandering.
"Having dessert before dinner spoils your appetite." Ruby said.
"Isn't that an urban legend? Or do you speak from experience?" Sylver inquired.
"Yes." Ruby nervously answered.
"By the way, where are we going again?" Sylver questioned, having completely forgotten.
"This floor's kitchen." Ruby politely reminded him.
"Oh, right. Gotta go mooch off the tiny Tiger Boy's cooking" Sylver joked.
Ruby giggled at his joke as the two made their way over. By the time they had arrived, the rest of the teams had arrived and already got to eating. Luckily for Ruby and Sylver, Azura knew his friend's appetites, and kept up the endless pizza conga line. Sitting down next to each other at the makeshift long table, they soon got plates full of pizza from the others.
"Hector, Daphne, Whisper. It's rude to eat without your leader" Sylver commented, getting all their names wrong.
"Not even gonna answer that." Hunter muttered as he kept eating, not even paying attention to Sylver because of that.
"Not even close, Sugah." Dahlia replied, taking a bite of her pizza.
Looking at Jaune, Sylver gave a smile. "Janette, good to see ya'." Sylver remarked.
"It's, uh… It's 'Jaune,' actually…" Jaune spoke up before taking a bite.
"Sylver, if you don't know someone's name, then don't say one that's clearly wrong." Azura said simply.
"Oh, I know their names. I'm just being a dick." Sylver replied playfully.
'Oh look, Mt. Sylvania's arrived. Hey Viking, do an ax trick?' Trivia teased.
"I use a sword. My dad, though? He would love to ax you some questions." Sylver said.
'Wow those puns are worse than blondies.' Trivia sighed in disappointment.
"You're gonna have to be more specific. There are at least two blondes here." Sylver remarked.
"I resent that, Ice Cream Short Stack!" Yang replied, taking a slice of pizza for herself.
'Azura, can you calm your girlfriend's giant melons? She's getting uppity again.' Trivia signed to her cousin as she worked on another pizza.
"Yeah, listen to your pet here." Sylver commented.
"Sylver? You do know that Azura could revoke your pizza privileges if you push him too far, right?" Ruby asked.
"And I can revoke his right to challenge me to spars." Sylver cooly commented.
Azura glared at his friend for that. "I hate you… so much right now…" He told the silver wolf Faunus.
"Of course you do." Sylver replied with a smirk.
Ruby put her hand on his shoulder, forcing the boy to turn and look at her. "Sylver. Manners." Ruby said in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"Yes, ma'am." Sylver answered, turning his attention to eating pizza.
The sudden change in Sylver's demeanor surprised all except for Yang and Sapphire. However, most in the room were not going to punch their good fortune in the mouth. Soon, dinner went off very well with little in the way of non-standard incidents. After the colossal group of teens ate their way through an entire grocery aisle's worth of pizza and ingredients, the group began to part ways for the evening. Yang stayed behind to help Trivia and Azura clean up, while Sylver and Ruby were among the last to leave.
"I'm gonna head into town. Still kinda hungry." Sylver remarked.
"Why am I not surprised? Mind if I tag along? I'm still a bit peckish myself." Ruby asked the silver-haired prince.
"Do you have Lien?" Sylver asked.
"I have a few. Why?" Ruby asked, confused.
"I can handle it. You save your money." The Wolf Prince reassured her.
"Well, that's awfully gentlemanly of you." Ruby said with a cheeky smile.
Sylver grinned. "What can I say? I guess the stuffy Tiger Prince is rubbing off on me." He replied.
"I heard that!" Azura called out.
"I know, Blue-for-Brains! I didn't whisper!" Sylver called back.
"I hate you!" Azura called out in anger.
"Love you too, buddy!" Sylver replied as Azura groaned in frustration.
With that, the two were off. Even though both were still hungry, their pace did not exactly show it. The two meandered their way into Vale at a very casual pace. Indeed, at many points, they did more talking and laughing than walking. Neither of them knew how it happened or frankly cared. By the time that they reached the ice cream shop, it was already close to sundown. Ruby attempted to pull out her small handbag to pay, but Sylver stopped her.
"I already told you, Rubes. I'll cover it for you so you can save your money." He told her, pulling out his wallet.
"But I can…" Ruby tried to say before Sylver cut her off.
"Please. Let me do this for you." Sylver insisted, surprisingly politely.
With that, Ruby stopped. After Sylver paid and the two got their ice cream, Sylver two scoops of Rocky Road and Ruby two scoops of Strawberry Swirl, they made their way out and towards a bakery for pie. As the two talked and ate their ice cream, heading towards the pie shop, a thought hit them both harder than a Zodiac's fist.
"Sylver… did you take me out on a date?" Ruby asked in shock.
Sylver gulped a bit. "Not… intentionally. I just wanted us to hang out." He told her, just as surprised.
"How did you do that!? Oh gods, if Yang hears that this happened to me, she's never gonna let me hear the end of it!" Ruby said in a slight panic.
"Rubes, Rubes! Calm down! It's okay!" Sylver told her, trying to calm the panicking Rose down.
"I made fun of her for doing that with Azura, Sylver! I don't wanna face karma!" Ruby shot back at him.
"I won't say anything if you don't…" Sylver told his ex-girlfriend.
"Really?" Ruby asked in shock.
Sylver nodded. "We can keep this a secret between us if you want to." He reassured her.
"Thanks, Sylver. Since it's a date… want to go to the arcade after getting pie?" Ruby nervously asked.
Sylver smiled. "You know me way too well, Rubes." He playfully replied.
"Alright, let's do it! I'm getting apple pie with a big scoop of ice cream!" Ruby said excitedly as the two made their newly invigorated march to the pie shop.
"Custard for me. I'm in the mood for something as sweet as you." Sylver said with a smile as they walked together.
Ruby rapidly blushed as red as her cape. "SYLVER!!!" She shrieked in embarrassment.
To Be Continued…