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 1: Frigid Reception
Long ago in the distant past, when the Gods still chose to associate with the World of Man, Dragons roamed the Mortal Realm. Created from the cast-off scales of the Dragon King and Elemental King of Yang, the mighty Lord Bahamut, they were pure magic given flesh. They worked and lived alongside Man, tilling fields, growing food, hunting, and acting as their protectors and staunch allies in their war against the beasts of darkness and shadow known as the Creatures of Grimm. Each Dragon's mystical might corresponded to one of the eleven elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Ice, Nature, Metal, Gravity, Yin, and Yang. Upon finding a suitable human partner to function as their sibling-in-arms in the war against the Grimm, the Dragons would bond their souls and life force with that of Man in a sharing of power and soul, creating the champions known as the Dragon Warriors.
However, one day, Man rebelled against the Gods after being deceived by an immortal woman, seeking to take eternal youth and immortality for themselves. As punishment, the Gods of Light and Darkness descended from the Heavenly Realm and wiped out all of humanity. Shocked, saddened, and infuriated by such callous destruction of life, the Dragons rebelled against Heaven. Soon, most of Dragonkind in the Mortal Realm was driven to the brink of extinction before Lord Bahamut intervened on behalf of his children. Pleading with the gods for amnesty for his children, Lord Bahamut promised limited contact with the world of man by Dragonkind if his children were to be spared.
Hearing the pleas of the Father of Mortal Dragons, the Gods accepted Lord Bahamut's terms. Most of the surviving Dragons left for the World of the Gods, leaving a mere Remnant of what was left of the Mortal Realm behind. Those few Dragons who remained behind, when Man was reborn from the ashes of the old world, hid themselves away. Some took the forms of other beasts, some cut themselves off from humanity in isolated pockets of the Mortal Realm, and some even took the form of Man to hide amongst them.
Until humanity could learn once more about the existence of Dragons, they would have to fend for themselves. Forced to stand alone against the darkness. To stand against the immortal witch and her horde of Grimm without the aid of Dragons and Magic. In this modern era, in the frozen far north of Solitas, is where our story truly begins.
Out in the frozen tundra of Solitas, a single airship bearing the initials "S.D.C" touched down on a landing platform built into a frozen mountain. As the ramp came down, an occupant dressed in several layers of white and icy blue winter clothing stepped out into the unforgiving cold. With the hood of his thick snowsuit up, a pale-faced young boy with blue eyes and short white hair looked out at the airship pad covered in snow and ice. This young man was none other than Whitley Schnee, one of the three children of the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company of the Kingdom of Atlas.
Whitley hated the cold; even with several layers, long winter socks, a fur-lined coat, and hard nail boots on, the arctic blast that hit him felt like daggers in his soul. Gritting his teeth as he stood on the airship pad, he looked at the squat, high tech structures before him. Rails with bustling electric Dust engines hauled cars full of rock, metals, and Dust ores from deep below the ice. Where terra firma lay, ready to have its bounty reaped for his family's benefit. Yet his mind was not on that, and he was caught off guard when the mine supervisor spoke to him.
"Young master Whitley, is everything all right?" The mine supervisor asked him, seeing him lost in thought.
"Yes. I am fine. Let us get out of this cold to begin the inspection. My teeth feel like they are going to shake themselves out of my mouth." Whitley curtly answered, and soon he began to follow the men inside one of the buildings.
The artificial heat and droning hum of generators was the greatest feeling he had ever felt in his life. An aura of cold clung to him as they walked to a terminal for another train line. This one was made for men, not rock. The white painted engine hummed, eager to go as the doors to the small passenger car hissed shut after Whitley entered, and they made their way.
"I apologize that my father could not make it. He became… a bit busy suddenly." Whitley explained, trying to hold back his disdain for his father that coursed through his veins like venom.
The mine supervisor nodded in understanding. "It's perfectly fine, sir. We understand. Just between us, none of us really like your father all that much. Bloody slave driver of a man, that one…" he replied, grumbling out the last part.
"On that, I can sympathize. If you think he is bad here, you should see him in his own home." Whitley answered with sympathy painted on his voice and let out a more relaxed sigh.
"I can only imagine how much of a nightmare he must be to live with. Pardon me if I'm overstepping, but I can understand why your oldest sister Miss Winter got out from under that man's thumb as soon as she could." The supervisor replied, pulling down two Schnee Dust Company hard hats to put on before holding one out for Whitley.
"She was the lucky one…" Whitley cryptically said, ending the conversation as he took the offered hard hat and put it on. Everyone knew there was no more to be said.
As the car swayed gently, Whitley looked out the window. The pale ice had turned into granite rock, illuminated by pale lights that were hard to see even through the crystal-clear windows. He knew his father was cheap, but he did not think he was that cheap. Even Faunus would struggle to see in this dim light. Yet all these thoughts were halted as the small train ground to a halt and the group of supervisors, inspectors, and foremen helped Whitley out into the mine.
From what Whitley could see, the mine was reinforced with thick wooden beams to keep the tunnels from collapsing. Mine carts on rails stretched across the floor of the tunnels as heavy mining equipment could be seen scattered everywhere. Mining picks, shovels, and dusting brushes could be seen being held by different workers, obviously meant to save money on jobs that could be more cheaply done without proper mining equipment.
"Cozy place." Whitley said sarcastically.
"Believe me, sir. It was a lot worse before your father was forced to update it closer to safety standards." One of the foremen, a white-tailed arctic fox Faunus, told him as he picked up a clipboard.
"I am surprised I am here and not the Kaiser's inspectors, honestly. Though, knowing father, he would have a heart attack if that day ever came." Whitley said with a frustrated sigh. "Lead the way to what I need to see."
Another foreman, a small-tailed bear Faunus, nodded and motioned him down a tunnel. "Right this way, young master Whitley." The foreman told him.
The small posse of powerful men soon made their way, showing the young Schnee various parts of the mine. Whitley took out his tablet and made notes of various things, but it was clear his heart was not in it. But no one dared to say anything.
For Whitley, he seethed under all the layers of clothing he was wearing as he went on the tour. He was out here while, back home, his father flummoxed over Weiss's fourteenth birthday. The man did not actually care about her birthday; he just cared about looking good for the aristocracy of Atlas. And mother? The less Whitley thought about that, the better. The only thing he was looking forward to now is seeing Winter again, alongside spending time with Weiss despite their strained relationship.
However, as they looked at a tunneling machine, Whitley stopped writing and thought to himself, why did he himself care so much about the birthday? The last time Whitley tried, Weiss shunned him for the day, and they were on the rocks ever since. Why, after that, should he care? Yet, even as he thought that he paused. Some part of him, no matter how distant, still wanted to try. She was his sister, after all. They were family. Whatever that meant as a Schnee…
'Okay. Hypothetically, maybe, if I wanted to get her a gift, what should I get her? I mean, I could send a servant to get it… no, that would look bad. I would be no better than Father if I did that. But what am I going to do? It is so close…' Whitley thought, not paying attention to where he was going, and running into a support beam. "Ow…"
"Are you all right, sir?!" One of the inspectors asked him in concern, rushing to his side.
"I'm fine…" Whitley said, trying to hide his annoyance at his own clumsiness.
"Please try to be more careful, sir. There are a lot of hazards in this mine, and you don't have your Aura unlocked yet." The inspector warned him, reminding him of his vulnerability.
"Thank you for reminding me. Carry on." Whitley said, his eyebrow twitching slightly at being reminded of his own failings.
The tour continued, now showing the machines that sifted and sorted material from the mines to be processed elsewhere. Monstrous conveyor belts connected to an entire train yard full of stone-bearing cars. The process would have impressed him in its scale and technological complexity… if he did not have something else on his mind.
"What should I get her? Father gave her a credit card; she can already buy whatever she wants. A pony? No, that is too stereotypical. Jewelry? No, she has a box full of that. Something about grandfather, perhaps? No, I do not know anything about him. What could I…?" Whitley muttered to himself as he saw something that snapped him from his thoughts.
There, sitting atop a pile of Dust crystals in a minecart, was the strangest and most beautiful looking stone he had ever seen. It was large, about the size of a medium-sized watermelon. It was also oddly shaped, smoothly carved into an oval shape. But the most striking thing about it was the pattern on it. It was a gorgeous, icy blue with metallic silver snowflakes on it. It almost looked like an egg to him…
"No, it's far too large for that…" Whitley muttered.
"Is something wrong, sir?" One of the inspectors asked him.
"What is that stone over there?" Whitley asked, pointing to the odd blue stone.
Looking at it, another inspector raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that? One of our workers found it deep in the mine. Nearly broke one of our picks on it when he hit it in the wall of the mine." The inspector told him.
"Broke a pick?" Whitley asked in shock.
The supervisor nodded. "Yeah. We even nearly damaged a drill trying to get it out of the wall. That thing is harder than a diamond." He added.
Whitley stood there, before letting out a smile. "Well, if it is not Dust, then it should not belong here. I will get rid of it myself." Whitley said, finally getting his answer to his dilemma.
Later at the Schnee Manor: Weiss's Birthday Gala
It was a rare day to see the vast Schnee Manor stuffed to the gills with guests yet today was such a day. From top to bottom, the upper crust of Atlas wined and dined. From simple old money, movie stars, and industrialists, to ancient nobility older than even their own family. Warriors with the blood of heroes and seers of forces few can imagine. Even some of the Kaiser's own men were among this great horde of importance. Yet all of that was a moot point for Whitley, who had his own mission to perform.
"Klein! Where're the gifts located!?" Whitley harshly whispered, carrying a large, gift-wrapped box. "This rock ain't light!"
Raising an eyebrow, the Schnee family butler smiled under his mustache. "Right this way, Master Whitley, and may I just say that I am so proud of you for finding a gift for Miss Weiss's birthday." He told the youngest Schnee child, motioning for the young master to follow him.
"Apologies for my improper speech, Klein, but this rock was not this heavy when I got it in the mine. It is like it gained weight." Whitley groaned as he followed their head servant.
"Do you want my help with it, Master Whitley?" Klein asked, offering his assistance.
"While I appreciate the offer, I can handle it. I want Weiss to know I got it for her. After last year's debacle…" Whitley explained, his voice trailing off to a tone of frustration.
Klein nodded in understanding. "Of course, Master Whitley. Now then, let us hurry and get your gift for Miss Weiss to the pile." he replied, motioning Whitley, again but, this time, towards the largest hall in the manor.
With a nod, Whitley was off like a bed sheet. Ducking and weaving through the throngs of high society, he mentally cursed himself for lacking his sisters' dexterity. Multiple times, he bumped into people or nearly fell flat on his face. Finally, indeed mercifully, he managed to set the gift down, adjusting the large, wrapped box to not make it look too out of place with confidence in his choice. However, as soon as he turned around, he was consumed by the shadow of his eldest sister Winter Schnee towering over him.
"Whitley? What are you doing?" Winter asked her younger brother.
"What am I doing?" Whitley asked in confusion.
"Coming in late with your gift for Weiss?" Winter asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Coming in late with my gift for Weiss?" Whitley repeated, now starting to show concern.
"Are you?" Winter prodded, seemingly already knowing the answer.
Whitley gulped nervously. "Yes… but please do not tell Weiss. I was barely able to scrounge that up from the mine trip…" He pleaded.
Winter gave a small smile. "My lips are sealed, dear brother. Honestly, I am happy that you at least got her a gift. Father and mother are nowhere in sight…" She told him, grumbling out the last part.
"How's Weiss taking things this year?" Whitley asked in concern.
Winter sighed and shook her head. "About as well as could be expected. She is currently hiding how upset and angry she is as she socializes with the guests against her will…" She sadly told him.
"She was always the best at that among us." Whitley regretfully said.
Winter nodded sadly. "Indeed. A skill all three of us have unfortunately had to develop in this household. Now then… How have you been, Whitley? Have you been eating well and studying hard?" She asked, unintentionally prying a bit.
Whitley smiled slightly. "When did you become my mother?" He playfully said.
"Since our actual mother ended up in the bottom of a bottle of vodka." Winter noted with a slight humor to her tone.
"Ah, yes. Frauline dragon, drowning in her cups." Whitley sighed as they tried to laugh before an awkward silence overtook them. "… I think Klein is about to announce the gift opening."
With the sound of an ancient gong with the personal symbol of Nicholas Schnee, a bear patterned in swirling snowflake like lines, being rung. Everyone quieted down as Weiss took to a prepared seat. Her siblings looked from afar and winced at the icy mask their sister wore, matching the cold and lifeless colors of her attire that evening. Klein motioned subtly to them to come join them, and the two siblings made their way over.
"Thank you all for coming to my birthday gala. I hope you are all enjoying the evening as much as I am." Weiss coldly and stoically said.
Everyone soon gave small cheers and claps as Klein began the process. It pained both Winter and Whitley to see this. One by one, Weiss opened gift after gift, thanking people as they were set on a nearby table. They did see she got a small smile out of Winter's gift, a new sword maintenance kit for Myrtenaster. She made a special place, nobody noticing Winter gaining a slightly warmer expression on her face for that as Weiss continued. Then, after all the others, it was time for Whitley's. Not that Whitley minded. He would hate for Klein to have to handle that sooner. Weiss reached for the ribbon, before she stopped hesitantly and looked at her brother.
"This… is not going to explode, is it, Whitley? You remember what happened last year, after all…" Weiss asked her younger brother.
"No, it isn't," Whitley answered simply, which got chuckles and giggles out of many in the crowd.
Weiss nodded before reaching for the ribbon, then hesitated again. "It is not going to eat my dress, is it? Remember what happened the year before that when you tried to get me a guard dog…" She noted, looking at him again.
As the guests kept laughing at him, Whitley cleared his throat. "I don't think it will…" He said nervously, now hoping beyond hope that it was just a simple rock.
Nodding, Weiss reached out and tugged at the ribbons. Slowly and daintily, she undid the ribbon, removed the packaging, and opened the box. When she looked inside, her eyes widened in stunned disbelief as she looked upon the gorgeous stone in the box, even the guests all "ahhhed" in amazement at the sight of it. Tearing up a bit, Weiss wiped away the tears, then gave her younger brother a small smile.
"It's beautiful, Whitley. Thank you." Weiss told him before reaching out to touch it. "And it's so warm…"
Whitley stood there stunned, before having the biggest smile on his face. "You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that." He answered her.
"This gift is going in a special spot in my room, right near the window. That way, I can look at it every morning when I wake up and open the curtains to look outside." Weiss told him as she carefully picked it up to look it over.
"I wanted to get you something related to our grandfather, but I don't really remember him much. But I figured after I polished the stone up, it would look wonderful in your room." Whitley explained, a hint sheepishly. He honestly did not think it would work out this well.
Weiss's smile grew at that. "I believe it will tie the decor of my room together quite nicely, Whitley. As for the subject of our grandfather Nicholas, I can tell you about him some time. If you genuinely want to know about him, that is…" She told him with a new warmth to her expression that Whitley had never seen her give him before.
"Thank you, Weiss." Whitley smiled, and even dared to hug her at that moment, getting many heartfelt reactions from the crowd.
Weiss's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. However, finding that she enjoyed the contact, she smiled, wrapped her arms around her younger brother, and hugged him back. Everyone then, at that, began to clap and cheer, a touching end to the festivities. However, it died down the second the main doors behind them opened. To reveal Jacques Schnee walking through the doors.
Later: Weiss's Room
Klein nearly tripped and fell as he set the stone from Master Whitley on a holder the youngest Schnee child had procured. The door swung wide open and slammed against the wall. Turning to see the disturbance, he saw Miss Weiss with a most furious and wrathful look on her face. She stomped her heeled feet hard into the floor before yelling out her displeasure.
"DAMN THAT MAN!!" Weiss screamed in frustration.
"What is wrong, Miss Weiss?" Klein quickly asked with concern.
Weiss turned to look at Klein with a frustrated expression. "It's father again. He not only forgot about my birthday until the last minute but stalked into the festivities just as they were ending and made it all about him, the company he practically stole from my grandfather, and his stupid, big, fat ego! Again!" She cried out in anger.
"Miss Weiss, I would advise against using such coarse language in the future to express your concerns," Klein answered simply, causing Weiss to let out a sigh.
Taking several deep breaths, Weiss managed to calm herself down. "My apologies, Klein. Thank you for helping me regain my composure." She told him, giving a small smile.
"Anything to be of service." Klein answered her with a small bow. "Is there anything else you require of me, young miss?"
"All I would like is a small amount of leftovers from the gala, if that would be possible; and to be left alone with my gifts from Winter and Whitley for the rest of the evening." Weiss told the Schnee family butler.
"Of course. May you have a wonderful evening, Miss Weiss." Klein said with another bow, before leaving to fulfill her request.
Sighing, Weiss walked over to her gifts. Taking up the sword maintenance kit from Winter, she opened it up and then went to grab her trusty rapier Myrtenaster. Focusing on the task at hand, she began using the kit to take apart and clean Myrtenaster before then inspecting each piece with practiced precision. After two hours, satisfied with her work, she set the pieces down and began to reassemble her weapon as a knock was heard at her door.
"Is now a good time, milady?" Klein's voice asked through the door.
Taking a deep breath as she set down the pieces again, Weiss gave a smile. "Yes, Klein. You may enter." She told him.
Soon the door flung open and Klein set on her nightstand a plate full of leftovers from the party. A true variety of fine nibbles and treats for her to sample. She even noticed, despite her not telling him to make any, a cup of what smelled like Earl Grey tea next to it. This got a smile out of Weiss as Klein bowed before leaving the room as quickly as he entered.
Looking away, Weiss finished reassembling Myrtenaster before gently placing it down and standing back up. Walking over to her nightstand, she picked up the plate of food, carried it to the table in her room, and set about eating her leftovers with all the decorum and dignity expected of a lady of her status. Gently wiping her mouth after finishing her meal, she walked over to the window to her room. Daintily, she placed a hand on Whitley's gift to feel the warmth radiating off it. It was almost like a small furnace.
Giving a smile, Weiss sighed, then looked out her window at the lawn of the manor as it slowly began to rain. Soon, her gaze turned towards the cold, dead skies of Solitas as the falling snow turned to rain when it reached the artificial heat of the city of Atlas. Sighing, Weiss took the stone from its perch, nestled it into her arms, and cuddled it as she looked outside at the dreary atmosphere.
"I just wish… I just wish that something would happen. Something that will finally free me from this house…" The Schnee Lady sighed in saddened frustration as she looked at the lawn while the snow-turned rain poured down. "That isn't so much to ask… is it…?"
To Be Continued…