So, this past weekend I found this Anime called How to Keep a Mummy, and my gosh, it is so cute! It also make me wish even more I spent more time with hatchling Cerise... So much more adorableness...

Ruby hefted Crescent Rose off the workbench and looked it over. If felt as heavy as she remembered it, and all the paint and mechanisms looked to be in place. She flicked a switch and it all compacted down into travel form. Nothing grated against each other, and it was faster than before. She extended her old weapon once more, and nothing popped off.

"Only a few more things to test." Ruby grabbed an ammo mag from the bench and left the shed. She walked a ways into the woods around her house and made her way to her makeshift firing range, a rock with a target carved into it. She aimed at the exact center of the target. The new auto-scope zeroed in and showed exactly where the bullet would land, not that the spells she added to the gun would let her miss anymore. She pulled the trigger and a single round flew out the barrel. A new hole appeared dead center in the rock with a plume of smoke.

Satisfied with the first shot, Ruby fired fourteen more times at the rock. She inspected the places she had to repair her scythe. Nothing popped out of place and nothing was worn down. With that out of the way, she set her sights on a nearby tree. She charged it and sliced at the trunk a few feet off the ground. She faced her target expecting to see it falling over. Surprisingly, the tree still stood. The Rider blew on the tree, and then the trunk separated from the stump. It landed and kicked up a cloud of dirt.

"Crescent Rose," Ruby raised her first weapon in front of her, "I missed you, sweetheart." She hugged her weapon and started the walk back to her house. "I'm sorry I let you be cut like that. I failed you. But you're back now. I have to introduce you to your sister, Máni Bláto. She's made completely of brightsteel and magic, some of which I put into you too. I think you'll like each other."

Ruby continued to talk to her beloved weapon all the way back to the house. Cerise lay in the front yard with a dragon's best attempt at a smirk on her face. I believe this is is where Yang would say get a room.

"Bleh!" Ruby stuck her tongue out and shivered. "Not about my babies! Don't put that image in my head."

Cerise laughed at her Rider. Then I won't say that in reference to your weapons.

"Please, don't make that joke at all…" Ruby folded Crescent Rose back up to travel form and hooked it to her belt. She pushed her way into the house and checked if anyone was in the living room. Viki sat watching VNN, which was running a story on how the lasers on Atlas battleships were being installed on more ships, and even… Paladins.

Ruby looked at Crescent Rose, then back to the projection. It showed a Paladin with a cannon on its arm shoot a laser at a mock up Deathstalker. The fake Grimm exploded and the concrete wall behind it shattered as well. The Rider looked back at her weapon, with gears turning in her head. "Crescent Rose, how would you like to be Remnant's first laser sniper rifle?"

Viki turned her head back. "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. Just planning future upgrades to my weapons." Ruby skipped up the stairs and down the hall to her room. She had some research to do. She pushed the door open to her room. Yang sat on her bed holding her head in her hands. "Sis, you okay?"

Yang shook her head, keeping her hands glued to the sides. "Weiss summoned Halcyon again… He's still there."

Ruby jumped to her sister's bed and latched onto her. Yang freed her arms and returned the favor, only much harder. "I'm here, Yang. I'm here." Ruby rubbed her sister's back. "He'll be here too. You'll be back together in no time."

"I know," Yang said through clenched teeth. "That's not what I'm worried about… It's been a while. It's coming any second. He's going to…" Yang gasped and curled over as far as Ruby let her. She groaned and tried to break free. "He's gone… he's gone…"

"No, he's not. He's in Atlas with Weiss. You'll bring him home before you know it."

"I didn't get to say anything to him… He didn't get to say anything to me… Oh my gosh, how hard is this for him? I've never asked."

"I'm sure he's more worried about you. To him, it's only been a few hours, right? You've been his only concern since then."

"What if this doesn't work?" Yang shook her head. "What if it ends up killing him for good?"

"Yang," Ruby pulled back and turned Yang's head so they looked into each other's eyes. "Don't say things like that. Don't think so negative." She mentally switched languages. "Dr. Polendina and Weiss will figure out how to bring Halcyon back. He will get his artificial EldunarÍ. You two will be happy together again. I'm looking forward to the two of you making fun of me and Aaron again."

Yang stared at Ruby and her mouth hung open. "You really think so?"

"Would I be able to say this if I didn't?"

Yang's throat visibly constricted. "Thanks, Ruby." She hugged Ruby again, even tighter than last time. She sobbed over her sister's shoulder as she got a mini back rub. Ruby hummed as Yang got quieter. Irolon had to be saying something too.

After a while, Yang pulled away and ran an arm under her eyes. "Thanks guys. I needed that."

"No problem. If you need anything, I'll be right over there doing research." Ruby pointed to her desk. She set Crescent Rose on her dresser beside Máni Bláto, then sat at her desk to start her initial research. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't anything on her first search. Atlas probably didn't want anybody building their own versions of their strongest weapon. Well too bad for them. And since Ruby couldn't see any of their specs, it would be completely her design, and they couldn't sue her.

Her Scroll rang while she was watching her third video of the Vytal firing on Grimm. She looked at the caller ID and answered the call. "Hey dad."

"Hey, Ruby. How's it going there?"

"For me, Crescent Rose is back together, and I'm researching how to make lasers like Atlas has. And Yang's…" Ruby looked back at her sister. Yang laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. "Weiss summoned Halcyon again. She's not in the best place."

Her dad stayed silent for a few seconds. "Oh. Anything I can do?"

Ruby faced her research again. "Call and ask her later. That's something she needs to say, not me."Ruby paused. "So you coming home early?"

"Uh, no, but this does have to do with school." Papers shuffled on the other side of the line. "Remember when you had to sign up for a Huntsman mentor in your first year at Signal?"

"I chose Uncle Qrow right away. I take it quite a few people asked for me?"

"You, Yang, Pyrrha, Velvet, all the heavy hitters in the three teams. Something tells me that you'll recognize someone who requested you. Violet Calrow."

Ruby took her focus off her research. "When's the first session?"

"I'll put you down for her. As for the first session, her physical training time starts in fifteen minutes. I can have her meet you in the selection armory."

"That works. Is there anything I should know before I go in?"

"There's a handbook that I'm legally required to tell you about and send you, but I'm not sure how many people use it. I looked through it recently, and honestly, I'm starting to see it's outdated. No wonder Qrow wanted to get rid of it when he worked here."

"You gotta admit, Uncle Qrow knows what he's talking about."

"Yeah. The old bird's hardly ever wrong."

"Aren't you two the same age?"

"Touché. I'm sending you the handbook now." A blue envelope appeared in the right side of Ruby's vision.

"Just got it. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I'm sure Violet'll be glad to hear that. Talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye." Ruby hung up then grabbed her weapons and hooked them both to her belt. "Cerise, you hear all that?"

Yes. Cerise hummed again. Little Violet's all grown up.

"She's thirteen. I'd hardly call that grown up." Ruby picked up Crescent Rose, left her room, and walked toward the front door. "We'll have to swing by the hospital to tell Aaron and Nalia we'll be a little late, but I think they'll understand." She told Viki where she was going before heading out the front door. Cerise knelt right outside and her Rider jumped directly into the saddle.

As discussed, Cerise flew toward the hospital before Signal. Nalia no longer had her face pressed against the side of the building. Instead, she sprawled out in the grass beside the hospital. She looked up at Cerise. You two are early.

Not exactly, Cerise responded. A student at Signal chose Ruby as their Huntsman mentor. We're just here to say that we're going to be late.

Nalia's head drooped. Aaron wants to get out of the hospital. He's had enough time in there.

And we want to take him home. Ruby shook her head. We will in an hour or two, but the sooner Violet starts her weapons training, the better.

Violet? Nalia raised her ears and wings. That changes things. I'll let Aaron know what's going on. She rested her head on the ground again and faced the hospital.

Cerise turned toward the other side of downtown and flew toward Signal. Only a couple of minutes later, she landed in the grassy area to the east of the main building. Ruby dismounted and looked around her old high school. Not much had changed, except the light posts had been switched out for the translucent kind seen in parts of downtown Vale. So many good memories in such a small time… if only her 'friends' from here didn't turn out to be jerkfaces.

She shook her head and walked toward the armory, or what passed for one at a combat school anyway. It didn't have any inhouse firearms at all, but it had at least one of almost every melee weapon ever invented. For prospective Huntsmen and Huntresses, that's what they needed at this stage.

Ruby walked in the front door. As expected, quite a few teenagers roamed among the racks. Most of them looked her way and whispered to each other. The Rider looked among the assembled faces as well. She didn't see Violet in the main room, but then again, she was a few minutes early.

She made her way to the training section of the armory and pushed the door open. A single girl sat on the opposite side of the room, and one of her extra ears was red. Violet wore some dark blue jeans and a light purple jacket over a red Frying Pan t-shirt. She looked up from her Scroll and her eyes met Ruby's. A huge smile broke over her face. "Ruby!" She stood up from her bench and jogged over.

"Hey there, little 'yote." Ruby knelt down and met the girl in a hug. "It's good to see you again." She pulled away and looked Violet up and down. "Frying Pan, huh? Good band."

"I know, right?" Viki held her arms out to her sides. "They are so under appreciated."

"I completely agree." Ruby stepped back and crossed her arms. "So, you want to be a Huntress?"

"Yes!" Violet didn't hesitate for a second. "I've wanted to for a long time!"

That… didn't sound right. "Can you tell be why?"

This time, Violet hesitated. "Well, I, uh, want to be like you… and…" her head and ears drooped. "I don't want anyone to feel like I did. I want to be a Huntress detective. I can do so much more that way."

And that was more than any thirteen year old should have to know. "Violet, I can tell you this now." Ruby rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. "If you want to be just like me, you're holding yourself back." Violet tilted her head up and her mouth hung open. "Truth be told, I wanted to be like either of my parents or my Uncle. Two of them told me the same thing. Everyone has their flaws, and some of them are huge handicaps. If others try to take them on, it doesn't go well. That, and the world would be a very boring place if everyone was trying to be the same person."

Violet's shoulders slumped. "Okay…"

"But that other part," Ruby squeezed Viki's shoulder, "that is something to build on." I just wish you didn't have the reason.

"With that said," Ruby straightened up, "what kind of weapon were you looking at, or were you looking at any?"

Violet trailed a foot on the ground. "A massive sniper-scythe…"

"I think I know which one you're talking about." Ruby unhooked Crescent Rose from her belt and extended it to scythe form. "I know what I just said about copying people, but with weapons, you never know. My Uncle Qrow uses a scythe, and my mom had a sniper. For me, they worked well together."

"Really?" Violet looked between the weapon and the Rider. "I can use your weapon?"

"In here, yes." Ruby handed over one of her two prized possessions. She showed Violet how to properly hold the weapon, then took a few steps back. "Okay, show me what you got."

Violet blinked and looked at the weapon in her hands. "Aren't you going to show me how to use it?"

Ruby shook her head. "The weapon chooses the Huntress. You'll know if a scythe isn't the right weapon for you with a few swings." She turned around and walked to the room's control panel. She activated a simple program that made a dozen immobile holographic Beowolves appear in the room. "Okay. Clear the room, and we'll see about this."

"Okay…" Violet faced the targets and rushed them, or it looked like she tried to anyway. Her charge ended up more like a jog. She reached the first Beowolf and swung Crescent Rose around. The barrel of the weapon struck the hologram's side, and moved with the weapon. Violet almost spun completely around before the blade cut through the Beowolf.

The rest of the dozen holograms ended up in much the same way, except the one Violet speared through the head. She was slow the whole time, her strikes never confident. It was like she was moving through syrup. She never figured out the range she needed, and she needed to pull the weapon just a bit to cut through. But through all of that, she didn't sweat, she didn't pant, and she didn't slow down, not that she could get much slower.

As the last hologram disappeared, Violet shook her head and returned to Ruby's side. "I don't think a scythe is for me." She handed the weapon back over. "It's too big. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Ruby took her weapon and checked the point. It wasn't bent or dulled in the slightest. Her new wards were holding on the old head. She collapsed her weapon and hooked it to her belt. "I went through quite a few weapons myself before I settled on a scythe. I tried my fists like my dad and Yang, but I was a terrible fist fighter, and honestly, I still am. Then I tried a buster sword like my uncle, but it just wasn't right. A scythe fit me perfectly."

Ruby faced the weapon wall. "So, if Crescent Rose was too big…" She scanned the weapons for something that would fit the style she just saw. Two weapons caught her eye, but she dismissed one of them. She picked a hand-and-a-half sword off the wall, not too different from Redemption in weight and length. "Try a sword. They're pretty common, and unless the curriculum has changed since I've been here, you'll be using swords like this in basic training classes, and then I'll help you with whatever weapon you end up using for real." She held the blade flat in her hands and held it out to Violet.

Her student took the weapon and returned to where she stood before Ruby activated the first holograms. The Rider activated the same program and more Beowolves spawned. Violet ran at the lead hologram and slashed through it. From there she jumped toward the second and cut off it's head. It wasn't a clean transition by any means, or clean strikes, but it was the first time she used the weapon. But as she cut through the remaining holograms, Ruby noticed how close to the hilt her student's strikes were. Only when Violet jabbed at one of the Grimm did she use the blade's full length. Her arms looked like they wanted to separate as well. Even though she was more comfortable with this weapon, it still wasn't the one.

Again, Violet shook her head when she killed the last hologram. She walked back toward Ruby. "To long?" the Rider asked before Violet opened her mouth.

Violet's head sunk between her shoulders. "That obvious?"

"To the trained eye, yes. A few years ago I would have thought you found your weapon. It also looked like you wanted to be using two weapons at points in there." Ruby took the sword back and hung it in its place. She looked over the wall again. "Let's see, up close, but not close enough to go weaponless. Small enough to be used in one hand. Dual short swords… a one handed sword and a shield…"

Her eyes drifted back to the weapon she discarded before. She now realized why the draw there was so strong. Tonfa, the batons favored by the police in Vale. There were two of them, which covered the dual wielding. They were blunt and rounded, which might be why Ruby discarded them so quickly. They'd be unusual for Huntress weapons, but then again, so was gardening and farming equipment.

Convinced, Ruby grabbed the handles of both tonfa and spun them around in her hands. These would work. She shifted her grip to the front end on both weapons and held them out to her student. "Try these. I have a good feeling about them."

Violet grabbed the handles and held the weapons at her sides. She also spun the weapons in her hands a few times and stopped them with the long end parallel with her forearms. The edges of her lips twitched upward, but they returned to their former positions. "They aren't too heavy."

"Too light can be a problem too." Ruby ran the same program once more. "Show me what you got."

Her student spun the tonfa so the long end was facing out. Violet ran forward and slammed both weapons into the first Beowolf's head, She spun away from that one and swiped the legs out from under another one. She tried jumping for a third but fell flat on her face. It took a few seconds, but she pushed herself up and continued through the rest of them. As time continued, Ruby felt her own smile grow. While not a master or even skilled by any means, Violet was comfortable with the weapons. That was what mattered.

Violet jabbed the sharper short end into the last Beowolf's eye, then stepped back. She looked at the weapons and nodded. "I like these." She turned around and faced Ruby. "I really like these."

"I could tell." Ruby approached her student. "While you were flailing all over the place, you were comfortable with them, and you adjusted with them during the fight, something you didn't do with the other two…" She paused. "And do you know what went wrong when you fell?"

Violet winced. "I got overconfident. I tried to be fancy like you."

"Exactly. The fact that you know what you're doing wrong means you're ages in front of me." Ruby brought out her Scroll and looked at the handbook her dad sent her. "How long until your next class?"

Violet looked at the clock on the wall. "Forty-five minutes."

"Okay then. I'll talk with the quartermaster here and see if I can rent a set for myself." Ruby walked toward the door, but stopped before leaving. "Hey Violet? Do you watch Mellen DeWinfrey?"

"Sometimes, why?"

"I'm going to be on her show tomorrow. They gave me a few tickets for friends and family, but Weiss is stuck in Atlas, and Blake can't make it from Menagerie. If you're interested…"

Violet's jaw dropped. "Umm, yes. Please."

"They're all digital. I'll send you an email." Ruby left the room and she walked toward the quartermaster. As she crossed the room, she watched a few students look at various weapons. Not the sword, try the sai… Nunchucks, those'll work… Steady, strong arms, try a buster sword with a sniper… She froze in place at the quartermaster's desk. Was she really judging what weapons she thinks students should use? She looked around the floor again. Some students she thought had the right weapon with a few modifications, others weren't even close. She held a smile in, or at least she hoped she did. Maybe being the swordsmith for the Riders wouldn't be so difficult after all.

Aaron stared at himself in the mirror. There was… something wrong with what he saw. His green hat and jacket looked right. The t-shirt Ruby brought him was different, but that wasn't it either. He ran a hand over his chin. "Nalia, did I have a… beard?"

No, you didn't. Nalia hummed. You shaved every morning. You didn't like how it felt on your face.

"Really?" Aaron turned his head from side to side. "This feels weird like this."

I'm just saying what you've thought in the past. This could be one of those things that you have a change in.

"At least I didn't wake up speaking only in the Ancient Language." Aaron sighed, then sat down on his bed. "This is… too much."

Aaron, Nalia pressed her head up against the window, making most of the room shine green, we are helping as much as we can.

"I know." Aaron raised his right hand and watched it shake uncontrollably. "How long until I can get out of here?"

Ruby is filling out the paperwork now. You'll be out of there within the hour. Nalia's visible eye slowly blinked. Then you aren't leaving my side for a long time. You are mine until I decide to let you go.

"As long as I'm not in here." Aaron let his arm fall. Something else didn't make sense to him, but with what was going on the past few days, what did make sense? "Why is Ruby signing me out, not me?"

Nalia looked away. You… can't think clearly for yourself. Your memory is not all there.

"What are you talking about?"

When you woke up this morning, you thought you were in your second year at Beacon. Don't you remember that?

"Yeah, but I pulled out of it."

How long has it been for us since Vroengard fell? Nalia looked straight at her Rider.

"What are you talking about? Vroengard stands as it always has." Aaron winced and held his head. "No… that's… how…" The harder he thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. They killed Galbatorix for what he did to the Riders… but he did nothing to the Riders?

Nalia whimpered. This is why your team leader is signing you out. If you're seeing things and can't remember huge parts of your life… it was better to keep you in here where they can keep an eye on you.

Aaron grunted and looked away. "The sooner I get out of here the better."

About a minute later, the door opened and Ruby stepped in. "You're all set. Let's get you out of here."

"About time." Aaron stood up and wobbled on his feet. Was there an earthquake?

Ruby pounced forward and caught Aaron before he fell. "You okay?" She righted him and took a few steps back, her arms still out.

"I'm…." Aaron brought a hand to his head. Why couldn't he think?

"Are you sure you don't want a wheelchair?"

"No…" Aaron shook his head. "No… wheel. Just… time."

Ruby looked out the window at Nalia. "Well?"

He will straighten out in about a minute, with some help from me. Nalia's mind flooded into Aaron's, making him regain his balance

"Thanks." Aaron brought a hand to his head again. "That's not going to get easier for quite a while, is it?"

"No." Ruby grabbed one of Aaron's hands. "But you've got us to help you out. You didn't abandon me when I had my own mental problems, I'm not abandoning you." She took a step toward the door, pulling Aaron with her.

As they walked through the hospital, something else came to Aaron's mind. "Why didn't you use magic to wake me up?"

Ruby dipped her head. "We couldn't risk it, for more than one reason. For one, waking people up from a coma is the first place is risky. You… knew that at one point. The real reason…" Ruby bit her lip and looked around. "I know magic isn't as much of a secret anymore, but I don't want to say around so many people." She led the way through the lobby and out the front doors.

Off to the side, Nalia hummed high and long. Aaron faced his dragon and looked her up and down. Her pupils dilated to their fullest extent. Her wings and ears stood on end. Aaron. She walked forward, though her emotions said she wanted to pounce.

"It's good to see you again." Aaron walked away from Ruby and toward his dragon. Nalia bent her neck down so her eyes were level with Aaron. The Rider wrapped his arms around his dragon's snout, and she wrapped her wings around both of them. "I missed this." He put all his weight on his dragon's snout.

As did I. Nalia hummed again and closed her eyes. She sent even more of her emotions into her Rider. Wave after wave of happiness, concern, and sadness rolled off her and into Aaron. I missed you.

"And I, you." Aaron laid on his dragon's snout for quite some time. Laying on hard scale was surprisingly comfortable. Then again, it belonged to Nalia, so that probably made all the difference.

After a while, Nalia raised her head, forcing Aaron to his feet. While I would love to keep you to myself for a little longer, there are others who want to see you. She pulled her wings back, laid on her belly, and extended a leg. Climb on.

Aaron climbed up the offered leg and settled in the saddle. This was another thing that felt completely right. Redemption was hooked to the side of the saddle. Seeing his weapon comforted him in a strange way. Then again, maybe he got that bit from Ruby too. He looked through the saddlebags to see if he'd forgotten about anything in there too. There was some food, his V4, extra ammo, a map, a repair kit and… He nearly fell off Nalia's back. "Nalia, why is there an egg in here?"

Nalia turned her head around and nuzzled the bag. It's one of mine and Irolon's. She looked up and locked eyes with her Rider. I have two more on the other side. Well, one anyway. One of them hatched! She stomped on the ground with all four legs. I'm officially a mother! I thought I'd never see the day.

"Hatched…" Aaron smiled and rubbed Nalia's snout. "Have you seen the hatchling yet?

…No. Nalia looked away. I couldn't leave your side. Ruby and Cerise offered to show me memories of him, but I don't want to spoil myself.

"Then why don't we go now?"

No! Nalia's eyes contracted to slits, then dilated back to normal size. No. Not until you've recovered. I am not going without you, and I'm not taking you long distances until you can think, walk, and talk normally again.

"Then why don't you lend me your energy? That could fix it." Aaron blinked. "Why haven't you, anyway?"

Nalia's ears drooped. I'll let Ruby explain that. She's been investigating it. She walked over to Cerise, who stood at the edge of the tree line.

Ruby had already mounted her dragon. She looked over at Aaron. "You ready to head home?"

"Yeah, but… you and Nalia said you have reasons for not waking me up before."

"Oh… that." Ruby hung her head. "Let's talk on the move." Cerise walked into the trees and Nalia followed. "When you cast the spell to stabilize the timestreams, which is a whole 'nother story, you were cut off from all of us and the Eldunarí. We couldn't send you energy. We still can't."

Aaron stared at Ruby. "How? Was there something in the spell?"

"No." Ruby hesitated, then sighed. "There was a gem hidden in the scroll the spell was in. It isolated anyone who cast the spell so they couldn't have any help. It drained pretty much all your energy... and stopped your heart. Ren made a Dust defib and restarted it, but I guess it wasn't enough. You weren't getting enough oxygen to your brain, which is why you were in a coma and you can't remember some things. At least that's what I've found in research. I'm not a doctor.

"We've been trying to crack the spell that did that to you. But we haven't had any luck. We've run everything we can think of on the gem and you, but we can't find how you're being blocked, and we can't fix it until we do. I'm sorry Aaron, but this is the hand we've been dealt."

"So…" Aaron looked at his lap. "It was a trap?"

"It looks like it." Ruby looked over at Aaron. "Does any of this ring a bell?"

Aaron shook his head. "No."

Nalia turned her head back and looked at her Rider. Aaron, listen to me. You are not to use any magic until you are stable. You are not going to exert yourself until you can stand without shaking. You are going to relax. I know this will be hard, but you will not be without help for a long time.

Aaron grimaced. "As long as I'm not eating through a tube and I can use the bathroom on my own."

At least you're being sensible. Nalia nudged Aaron's left leg. Just enjoy the ride. That's an order.

"I don't think I have a choice." Aaron paused and looked to Ruby. "I've been watching VNN at the hospital, and they're talking a lot about the assassin who killed Weiss' father. They show his mugshot every time. I think I've seen him before, but I can't remember where. Nalia doesn't know either."

Ruby dipped her head then looked away. "I've never met him, but you told me about him."

Do not speak! Nalia growled.

"No!" Ruby turned her head back to Nalia. "No. No more secrets." She locked eyes with Aaron. "You met him at least once. He was the one who ran the night you added your first scars here."

Aaron let his shoulders drop. It all came back to him. His head dropped beneath its own weight. Why could he remember the events surrounding all his kills so well? "I… I did this."

"No, you didn't," Ruby and Nalia said at the same time. "Aaron, you didn't turn him into a killer," Ruby continued. "You let a scared kid go that night. You defended yourself from the real bad guys, even though it hurt you. No one wanted what happened that night.

"Aaron, you're a good guy. You don't like fighting, you like hurting and killing people even less. Heck, you don't even like killing Grimm. If you ask me, that makes you a better person than I'll ever be. I love that about you. Aaron, don't beat yourself over this. Odds are he was already down that path. There was nothing you could do."

"That's supposed to make it better?" Aaron shook his head.

"Yes. You aren't a killer. You're a defender. You're a protector… But you can't save everyone." Ruby looked down at her dragon and patted Cerise' side. The red dragon slowed to walk by Nalia's side. Ruby stood up and jumped onto Nalia's back behind Aaron. She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you Aaron. I won't let you go back down that hole."

Aaron sighed and didn't return Ruby's gesture. "You're going to have your work cut out for you."

"I don't care. When you get back to normal, it will be worth it."

In case people are wondering, Mellen is just Ellen, not a combination of Ellen and Oprah.