Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait. I hope to get four chapters, including this one, out this week.

I got the idea for this from a scene in the old Annie film

"Marin?" Nash's voice called, echoing through the Kastle mansion.

"In the kitchen, dear brother!" Marin called back. Closing the front door behind him, Nash went to find his sister- and the source of the delicious smell wafting through the halls.

"What's that smell?" he asked as he walked into the room.

"It's a new rib recipe I'm trying out," Alito said, popping up from behind the counter in the middle of the room. Alito was surprisingly an excellent cook, which was more than Marin could say. The only decent thing she could make was Mac and Cheese.

"Smells good," Nash told him. "Marin, where's Iris? I want to give her something."

"She's at karate practice."

"Oh- she's WHAT!?"

Marin got up from her seat and went to get a glass of the cupboard. "Kite called today and said-"

"Whoa, hold on! Aren't you going to explain why Iris is taking karate?"

"I am explaining it to you," Marin said impatiently, selecting a glass and filling it with water from a pitcher on the counter. "Kite called today and said that Hart is taking karate at a local community center- so he can protect himself in a fight- and he wanted to know if Iris would like lessons too. Hart would be more comfortable with a friend, he said. I asked Iris and she said yes. That's all there is to it."

"Why do nine-year-olds need to know how to do karate?"

"I guess it was Kite's idea of ensuring Hart's safety- considering what happened with Vetrix- but I don't think Iris went to learn how to fight. I think she just went to support Hart."

"I hope you're right," Nash sighed, helping himself to his own glass of water. Shortly, there was the sound of a motorcycle entering the Kastle's front yard.

"That must be them," Marin said. She and Nash went to the front door, curious as to what they would find there.

"You're majesty!" Iris's voice called, sounding muffled. The little girl pulled off the helmet that Hart had lent her and slid off the motorbike. She ran to Nash and attached herself to his leg. "I missed you, you're majesty."

"Well, I missed you too." Nash said. He turned to Kite, "Thanks for taking her along."

"Hart enjoyed having her along. Didn't you, Hart?"

"Yes. Thankyou for coming, Iris. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Hart. You're welcome. Oh, goodbye Mr. Kite."

"Goodbye Iris. Rio. Shark." Kite nodded to each of them in turn before zooming out the front gate.

"We have got to stop leaving that thing open," Shark muttered as they headed inside

"Your majesty, guess what I learned today?" Iris asked excitedly once they were in the living room.

"What?"

"This! Hi-yah!" Iris shouted, before landing a stunning blow to Nash's shin.

"Ahh!" The former emperor was knocked clear off his feet. Both Marin and Iris gasped.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, your majesty," Iris said, eyes wide. "I didn't think it would work."

"Yes, well, now you know it does," Nash said as Marin helped him to his feet.

"You should probably sit down," Marin told him, seeing that his face had gone white.

"Good idea," Nash said hobbling over to the couch. When the color did not immediately return to his face, Marin had him elevate his leg before going into the kitchen to fetch an ice pack.

"Will you be alright, your majesty?" Iris asked, peering up at him with concern.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Iris, there's something I want to- oh, thanks sis." Nash said as his twin returned with the ice pack and placed it on his leg. After shifting around a bit, he continued, "Iris, you're like family to me, just like all the other Emperors, but you're also… well, you helped me get through some of the toughest times in my life." He paused, remembering the horrible war all those centuries ago. "Anyway," he said, clearing his throat. "I wanted to give you… that is…well, here." Nash took a small jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to the small girl. Gently, as if she feared she would break the small gift, Iris opened the box.

"Oh, your majesty!" she gasped. "It's beautiful." Iris pulled out a shark-tooth shaped locket, hanging on a delicate silver chain. Iris turned to the person she loved most in the world, beaming. "It's just like yours, isn't it?" she asked, holding up the gleaming fang to compare it to Shark's older one.

Nash nodded. "Yes. I thought it was about time you had something nice to wear- plus it's a locket, so you can put something in it."

Carefully, Iris opened the locket to reveal its empty interior. "I know just what to put in it," She said. "I'm going to put a small version of a picture of you and me in it, Nash."

The Barian King looked at her in surprise. "Iris, you-"

Iris smiled at him. "Well, we are family now. Will you put it around my neck?" While she stood very still, Shark clasped the delicate chain around Iris's throat. He had gotten the locket on a chain rather than on a cord like his to add a more feminine touch to it.

After the youngest member of the new family had run off to look at herself in the mirror, Marin turned to her brother. "How's your leg?"

Nash groaned. "I think I'm going to have a large bruise there for a long time."