RWBY's Monstrous Education

Vaal Hazak

"Do we really have to see the zombie dragon?" Ruby asked.

"You won't see it as a zombie when we're done." Katana assured them.

"But it's so gross and horrifying! Not even the worst Grimm is that menacing!" Weiss cried out.

"Now, now, students. Perhaps you're judging the creature too harshly based on its appearance. Perhaps there's more to it than meets the eye." Ozpin told him. After all, he had basically the reverse of this scenario in his life, his lovely wife Salem turning out to be a horrible despot seeking to control and divide humanity.

"Professor Ozpin's right. That's the same problem many people have with Faunus. We were profiling the monster before we knew anything about that. Even animals shouldn't be profiled like that. Blake agreed.

Katana smiled at this. "Alright, then. Let's begin." She said.

The familiar logo of Strawfoot appeared on the screen as he began to speak. "For today's research mission, I find myself returning once again to the Rotten Vale. This is a place of death. A place of decay. The final resting place for so many countless Wyverns and even more than a few Elder Dragons. But the more time I spend here, the more I understand that this Rotten Vale can also be strangely, darkly beautiful." He explained as a place full of corpses, bones and rotting flesh all around, before the familiar book known as Strawfoot's Monstrous Compendium was shown.

The students shivered at the view of the view they got of the Vale. "It's full of bones and rotting flesh! How could it possibly be beautiful?!" Weiss cried out.

"Strawfoot has been shown to have a unique view on the world, but I don't see how anyone could see this glorified corpse pile as beautiful." Winter agreed.

"Perhaps we simply haven't seen it from the right angle yet." Ozpin reasoned.

"Indeed. Remember, the entire reason Katana had us watch this was to look beyond the surface and find hidden beauties." Glynda added, although she, too, was having trouble seeing this place as anything besides disgusting.

"This cavern we stand in now is illuminated by the lambent pools of Cerulean acid, likely a byproduct of the decaying Elder Dragon, Dalamadur." He continued as a hunter was shown walking through a large cave, indeed lit up by admittedly beautiful pools of blue liquid as he said. "Travelling deeper into the Vale, we can witness an eerie red light, which leaks through the surface, cutting through the effluvial waves in crepuscular rays. A breathtaking display of natural beauty." He added as a beautiful red light, similar to that of a setting sun, were seen beyond a strange opening in the back of the Vale just as he had explained.

"Pretty..." Ruby said in awe.

"I'll admit, I'm a fan of the red light. I wouldn't mind a lamp with that color lighting." Cinder agreed.

"Wow, who knew acid could look so awesome!" Nora said.

"Just remember not to swim in it, Nora." Ren reminded her.

"I'm not THAT crazy, Ren!" She insisted, pouting.

"So, what's a Dalamadur, then?" Yang asked.

"Two to Seven mile long snake." Katana said, leaving everyone absolutely shocked. [1]

"That. Is. AWESOME!" Yang said excitedly.

"You see, it's human nature to fear what we don't understand. It is often the case that this fear of the unknown is a health evolutionary adaptation for our species. It is a fear that often prevents us from putting our own lives at risk. But sometimes, this fear can hang heavy on our eyes, an opaque shroud obscuring our true sight, a dark lens distorting our own perceptions. Lost in our own terror, we often fail to appreciate the natural beauty all around us, the breathtaking diversity of life we find in this new world." Strawfoot explained as the hunter continued to observe the stunning areas with the blue acid.