Chapter Text
Yang the dragon
Just another peaceful day for Jaune, like many after he took stewardship over his family's vacation cabin. He took it as a test, to show his father he could manage a household by himself. It had a serene view over the the rolling hills and forests of Valois, the city of Vale was only a few days walk, less if on horse back, nothing could ruin it.
"Heya there tall and blond" Jaune jerked his head over to the newcomer, she was a tall woman, beautiful with long blonde locks that reached her lower back and exotic lilac eyes, she wore a plain dress and a confident smile. "I happened to notice a cave in your back yard and wondered if it was occupied" that only confused him more, yes there was a cave, it was quite spacious even. "No?" he didn't know where this was going. "Well I'll be your new neighbor then, oh I'm Yang by the way" she reached out and captured his hand in a brief but crushing shake. "I'll be moved in by next week" she turned around and moved briskly back down the road away from his cabin. Standing there blinking Jaune turned back to his chores, mulling over that strange encounter.
A week later Jaune woke up to a loud crash from his back yard, throwing on his clothes and grabbing his sword he busted out his door. What he saw almost made his legs give out, a huge dragon stood in his yard, it was as large as his barn, with golden scales and horns that stuck out of it's head. In it's mouth was a tarp and in it's claws were two chests. It hadn't noticed him yet thank god, instead it meandered into the cave in his back yard and deposited it's cargo. What happened next made him doubt his sanity, the dragon began to glow and shrink revealing the woman from last week, albeit with extra features. She turned and waved at him with a smirk, Jaune couldn't believe his eyes, she had scales on her limbs and running up her sides, draconic wings and a set of horns all the same gold that the dragon had. But above all, it seemed the transformation didn't include clothes.
Yang looked down and took notice her lack of apparel too, screaming she dove into a chest and pulled out a gown, throwing it on quickly. "Don't think that was on purpose, shifting doesn't exactly come with instructions" Yang said red-faced. Jaune nodded, still overwhelmed by this recent insanity. Yang started to unpack her cargo revealing that the chests were filled with clothes and sheets, and the tarp had what looked like an assortment of knick-knacks. "See mortal, this is the start of a great horde, and you happen to be lucky enough to be a part of my domain" the dragon proclaimed. Jaune stared at her, on one hand her horde looked like a pile of junk, on the other could he say no to a being known for it's capacity to destroy. He eventually gave a shaky nod, fearing what tribute she would demand. "Awesome, I'll be Yanging around here while I unpack" she laughed at her own pun, seeing the dismissal Jaune walked back to his cabin in a stupor.
The next couple of days were nerve racking for Jaune, Yang had departed and returned a couple of times, bringing back with her more odds and ends. As Jaune saw her collection grow he grew more confused. Only a few items looked to be of value, the common denominator seemed to be that they were all shiny, were dragons just overgrown magpies? Eventually they spoke again. "So human, good news, I'm putting you under my protection" Jaune wasn't sure if that was good. "What I want from you is to cook what I bring and listen to my favors" at least she doesn't want a tax Jaune thought. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to her cave. "First order of business, I can't keep calling you tall and blond" he took a breath. "I'm Jaune, Jaune Arc" he sputtered. "ARC, like Arthur arc? my mom and dad told me about him growing up" Jaune's eyebrows raised "Yeah, He's my dad, wait, my dad never told me he knew a dragon". Yang deflated a little. "My deadbeat mother is a dragon... I was raised by my dad and stepmom, Taiyang Xaio-long and Summer Rose" her confidence returned to her by the end of her sentence.
"My dad told me stories about his adventures with them!" Jaune was excited now, he loved those stories "Summer was a monster hunter, and he said Taiyang was a martial artist". Yang's eyes lit up "They are! mom told me Arthur was a knight, a templar against the undead" Yang thought knights were the coolest. Jaune nodded excitedly then paused. "Wait, who did you say your birth mother was?" Yang froze "I didn't" Yang knew this was coming. "It's Raven, Raven the slayer is my birth mother" she spit out. Jaune felt his eyes go wide, the most feared dragon in the world had a kid? Yang went on "that deadbeat coward ran away after I was born" it appeared Yang had some things to get off her chest. "She just left, had some excuse about not wanting any weakness" now the flood gates were open. "Didn't leave anything, not even any tips, I've had to figure all this stuff out myself, mom and dad did their best but they can't breath fire, or transform, or fly, and they don't have this weird need to collect things" Yang took a few breathes. About halfway through her hair began to glow, Jaune nervously placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, I think you're doing just fine, especially without guidance" Jaune gave her a gentle smile. Yang caught him in a hug. "Thanks man, now, how about I catch us dinner, I better not catch you dragon your feet" she gave him a nudge and took off. By the gods what has his life come to.
While having dinner in Yang's cave the next day (a whole moose Yang found somewhere) she asked between bites "So, I've heard all about your dad, what about the rest of the family?" Jaune swallowed his considerably smaller portion. "My mom is a cleric of the goddess of healing and fertility, and I have seven sisters" he explained. Yang's eyes bugged out of her head "seven? I have one and that's enough" Jaune smirked. "Yeah, they're a handful, but I love them all, mom and dad met out in the field, he was sent to aid a town under siege by the undead, she was already there helping out". Yang finished the leg she was working on. "My parents adventured together for years, my birth mother hid as a human while she was with them, after she left my stepmom got with my dad and Ruby came along shortly after". "She took up the family trade, she's a monster hunter too, and she does some tinkering here and there".
Yang gestured to her 'horde' "It was time for me to spread my wings" she smirked "there wasn't enough space in that house for my stuff and nowhere on Patch to really be myself". Yang looked vulnerable for a second "I have no idea what I'm doing, to be honest, Ruby had her career lined up, mom and dad still wanted to stay active, I was kind'a lost". "So I decided to start a horde" Yang threw her arms and wings wide, knocking a few things off the table. "And now that you're used to seeing it, any thoughts" Yang looked him in his eyes. Her collection was... Interesting to put it lightly "It's a good start, where'd you get it?" Yang beamed. "Relic armor found in a ruin" must be that dented chest piece and helm "treasure from the kings estate" was she talking about those shiny plates? "loot from some merchant convoys" The silver wear maybe? "The most prized possession of a great blacksmith" that explains the anvil. "And anything that caught my eye" Yang looked smug "do you have something to donate?"
Jaune gave a nervous chuckle "I don't have many valuables here, but if we ever stop by my family home maybe" Yang smiled at that "deal". Jaune and Yang wrapped up their meal, waving goodbye Jaune returned to his house, before he could enter he felt a tug on his arm. "It's getting a little too cold at night, It wouldn't bother you if i slept in your living room?" Jaune sighed, what did they say about inches and miles.