I've seen Incredibles 2 twice now. Great movie, I would even say it's… incredible! Aaaaayyyyyy… I'll show myself out and drop this on the way.


Aaron shook his head. "There's no footage at all besides the stuff that was leaked to the Mistral media?"

In the mirror, Sun crossed his arms and grimaced. "There's nothing. The manager says the cameras weren't cooperating for the past month. They'd come on for a few minutes, then go off. No pattern. She had to post guards outside. Those guards were found dead in the break room. Then there's the fact that the recording equipment was clawed to hell. The techs here can't get anything out of it."

"Alagaësian Grimm. Has to be. So glad they weren't in the real attack." Aaron faced Weiss in the second mirror. "And the charges?"

"I ran all the serial numbers," Weiss said. "They're all ours, but they were on the convoy the White Fang raided months ago. We couldn't have placed them."

"Not that anyone here thinks you did." Sun shrugged. "You couldn't have been here for what, a half hour? You physically couldn't have set anything like that up."

"At least they didn't detonate." Aaron returned his attention to Weiss. "Any updates with the vault?"

"Unfortunately not." Weiss shook her head. "One second, all androids and guards are doing what they should. The next, they're all dead, shut down, or destroyed… and Pruma's gone. We have no idea where. The tracking spells I put on her are gone. She could be anywhere." She dipped her head. "Then again, I doubt what I can do is anywhere close to what the rest of you can do."

Aaron sighed. "We're going to Alagaësia to bring the news to Islanzadí, Oromis, and Deynor. They'll need to know about this."

Weiss shifted on her feet. "How's Ruby taking this?"

Aaron clenched his fists. "People are saying she's a murderer or otherwise unstable. How do you think she's doing?"

"Most people here know she'd never do that," Sun said. "I don't know how someone else got a laser weapon, but I know Ruby would never kill someone surrendering."

"She'll be happy to know that." Aaron paused. "Sorry for taking you away from your honeymoon for this."

"It's not your fault." Sun shook his head. "You didn't stage a coup against Menagerie." He looked to the side. "I've got to go. The Missus is calling me." Sun walked out of view, and Aaron cut the energy keeping that spell active.

"I've got to go too," Weiss said. "I'm meeting with my head of security and our liaison with Atlas. We need to get this figured out sooner rather than later. Keep an eye on my sister for me."

"Don't worry, I will." Aaron cut the energy flow to Weiss' mirror and left his room. He heard what sounded like a news report coming from downstairs. His shoulders slumped. Ruby was at it again.

Aaron stopped at the top of the stairs and looked into the living room. Ruby sat on the couch hugging her knees, with Zwei resting by her side. On the projector, VNN ran a story on the failed coup. But like all news stations the past week, they always ran the security camera footage of Adam being shot by something that could only be a handheld laser.

"Ruby, why are you still watching this?" Aaron asked as he finished walking down the steps.

"In case something else comes out." Ruby turned her head around. "No luck so far."

"I just talked to Sun. That doesn't sound like it will change anytime soon."

Ruby sighed and rested her chin on her knees again. "I didn't kill him. I'm not a murderer. I'm not unstable."

"Someone set you up, and that same someone wanted Adam dead." Aaron grabbed the remote off the end table and shut off the projector. "If we're going to speak with Kings and Queens, it would not do to have you feeling sorry for yourself."

"I know." Ruby shook her head. "But I need to know what people are saying about me. We're picking up Lord Däthedr and Barst in two hours, right?"

"Yes. We'll need to establish when or if we will pick them up after our meetings."

Ruby shook her head. "Back to politics." Her Scroll rang. She set her legs on the floor and pulled her Scroll from a pocket. "Rider Ruby Rose… Whoa, whoa, Jaune slow down. What's happening?" Ruby's jaw dropped, but it still managed to form a smile. "I'll be right there! Just stay by her side. I'll do what I can when I get there. See you in a few." She closed her Scroll and ran for the door.

"Ruby, what's going on?" Aaron asked.

"Not much." Ruby beamed back at Aaron. "Except Pyrrha's gone into labor! I'm heading to Vale to help out." She jumped and pulled the front door open. She ran outside and jumped directly onto Cerise saddle. The dragon took off not a second later and flew straight for the mainland.

Aaron watched his girlfriend fly off, then reached into his left pocket. His fingers brushed against a box that up until yesterday he did not own. Maybe Ruby would be in the right mood in Du Weldenvarden. Several other steps of the process had already been completed, some of them scared him to no end. All that was needed was the final setup and the action itself.

But now definitely wasn't the time for that. Ruby was off to help bring another life into the world. Aaron wasn't sure about what the process was on Remnant, but among humans in Alagaësia, the only man allowed in the room was the father, or a Rider if something went wrong with the delivery. Ruby was fully capable of helping Pyrrha through it. Aaron being there would be unnecessary.

For the next hour, Aaron watched the continuing coverage of what people thought happened in Menagerie. Not much had changed, except that an 'expert' on VNN said that if Ruby made a laser sniper, it was possible that someone else could do the same thing. But he didn't get much farther than that before the anchors spoke over him.

After about an hour of flipping through the news channels, Aaron left the house and walked to Nalia's side. "Think I gave Ruby enough time?"

Nalia hummed and blinked, her pupils huge. I think so. I've heard elves can sing a baby into the world in no time at all. Ruby isn't quite that good, but I have every confidence in her.

"I thought so too." Aaron paused. "And… the other thing?"

Nalia hummed and nuzzled her Rider. I can't say for sure, but I think she'll be super excited.

"Just don't tell Ruby or Cerise about this." Aaron climbed up his dragon's side.

Nalia laughed. I wouldn't even think of it. That is something they need to hear firsthand. She jumped out of the yard and flew toward the mainland. We'll take it slow just in case, let Ruby do her magic.

Aaron smirked. "Are Yang and Halcyon getting to you?"

Nalia's wings hitched for a fraction of a second. I think they're getting to you. No pun was intended.

I thought it was pretty good, Irolon chipped in.

Of course, you did. Nalia snorted. You were in Yang's head for quite some time. She hummed. Pyrrha is going to be a mother. She will do great.

It's not like she won't have help. She'll have her team, and several others to help out.

"Not to mention a few dragon bodyguards for the baby." Aaron patted his dragon's side.

Nalia looked back at her Rider. There is that too. Her eyes diverted to somewhere behind her, then faced forward again. Aaron could feel that his dragon was having a conversation with someone, probably Irolon, but he was not a part of it. He didn't interfere.

Aaron stayed silent the rest of the flight. Nalia landed on the Vale General ramp next to Cerise. The Rider dismounted and descended to skyway level. He stretched his mind into the building to find his destination. He found Ruby, surrounded by all members of JNPR, and the presence that was growing inside of Pyrrha for the past eight and a half months. Aaron couldn't help but smile. Everyone in that room was happy if not downright joyful. It was infectious.

Aaron, come on up, Ruby said, almost like she was in a dream. Everyone's here, and he's beautiful.

I'm on my way. Aaron stopped at the reception desk, but that was only for formalities. He climbed the stairs two levels and walked through several halls until he found the room everyone was in. The Rider knocked on the door twice, then pushed it open.

The first thing in the room he noticed was how beautiful was Ruby sitting in a chair, smiling down at a baby in a towel. Her smile spread from ear to ear. She caressed the side of the baby's face. The baby gurgled, and Ruby giggled. She looked up at Aaron. Her eyes gleamed like he never saw before. "Come in and close the door," she said. "We don't want to startle him."

Aaron stepped inside the room and guided the door shut behind him. He finally noticed everyone else in the room. Nora leaned forward on her wheelchair, her elbows on her knees and chin in her hands. Her pursed lips and shaking arms showed just how much energy was built up inside her. Ren held a hand on his fiancé's shoulder and smiled at the baby. Jaune leaned against the bed holding his wife's hand, his eyes directed toward his firstborn.

Pyrrha sat up in her bed, not at all looking like she just gave birth. Her eyes were alert, there was no hint of any sweat, and she was breathing normally. Her eyes were locked on her baby, the biggest smile she had ever sported on her face. "How'd it go?" Aaron asked the new mother.

"Wonderfully." Pyrrha took her eyes off her newborn. "When I first got here, it was… painful, then Ruby walked in and took all the pain away." Pyrrha faced Ruby. "You really do have a wonderful voice."

"I don't know where I got it." Ruby slowly stood up. "I'm sure you heard me sing before Cerise hatched for me." She stepped toward Aaron and stopped by his side. She leaned over and held out the bundle in front of her boyfriend. "See? Isn't he cute?"

Ruby was right. The baby boy had big green eyes, just like his mother. A tuft of his father's blonde hair stuck out of his head. His cheeks had the normal baby chubby cheeks and then some. He shifted his gaze from Ruby to Aaron. His arms and legs shuffled and the edges of his lips twitched up for a second. Aaron brushed his mind against the baby's. He was happy in the way only babies can be.

"What's his name?" Aaron asked as he brushed a finger against the side of the baby's head.

"Rusty," Pyrrha said, "named after my grandfather."

Rusty turned his head toward his mother's voice. He whined and wiggled in Ruby's arms. "I think Rusty wants to go back to his mommy." Ruby walked to the bed and handed Rusty back to his mother.

Pyrrha took her baby back and held Rusty close to her heart. She rocked from side to side. "Did you miss mommy?" She asked the baby. "I missed you."

"Daddy missed you too." Jaune reached a hand out rested his index finger in his child's hand. Rusty's little fingers wrapped around it.

Ruby made a squeaking noise with her mouth shut. Her Scroll rang and she whipped it out of her pocket and covered the speaker with a hand. She brought it to her ear and walked toward the door. "Rider Ruby Rose." She pulled the door open and left the room.

Aaron stood near the back of the room, letting the new parents faun over their newborn. For once, Ren was more talkative than Nora. Then again, if Nora opened her mouth, all her built up energy would explode out. That wouldn't be good for the baby or her. Aaron didn't really have anything to say. He knew how to work around animals better than kids, especially newborns. This was out of his comfort zone, but everyone else in the room was more than happy with this.

The door opened again, and Ruby stepped inside with her head drooped and her lips out. "Our plans have changed. We need to leave now." She looked at Aaron. "There's been a development with Vale's and Mistral's council. They've heard that there's no Grimm in Alagaësia and they want land. Neither Barst or Däthedr liked it. Apparently when they refused, one of the councilmen called Barst a barbarian and Däthedr a pixie. Both of our diplomats want to leave Remnant as soon as possible."

Aaron sighed. "We're going to need to let others in Alagaësia know the spells to get to and from there. We can't be doing this forever."

"I know. It's a pain." Ruby faced everyone else in the room. "Sorry guys, we've got to go."

"Good luck on the other side." Pyrrha nodded on the Riders. "I know how much you two don't like the politics side of things."

"Safe flying." Jaune faced his newborn. "Say bye-bye to Auntie Ruby and Uncle Aaron, Rusty." He raised his baby's arm and made it wave.

Ruby's smile returned and she bent down to Rusty's eye level. "Bye-bye." She gave the newborn a fingers only wave. "See you later." Aaron raised a hand and shook it side to side a little. Then Ruby grabbed his other arm and pulled him out of the room. She continued to pull him through the hospital until they reached a stairwell. Once inside, she turned around and shook Aaron's arm by the elbow. "Aaaarooooon! He was sooooo cute! Why didn't you say more?" It didn't sound like she was accusing him.

"I've had more time with animals." Aaron shrugged as best as he could with one arm being treated like a protein shake. "I've barely had any time with babies, and I definitely haven't delivered any. That is solely a woman's duty in Alagaësia."

Ruby's smile faded for a fraction of a second, then returned in full force. "Well, you'll have a lot of time to work on that with Rusty and Blake's baby coming up!" She released Aaron's arm then walked down the stairs. "Let's go! Onto…" Ruby froze midstep, then her whole body slumped, "…politics. Ugh. I'm done with my free trial of adulthood. I'd like to cancel my subscription."

"I don't think it works like that, Ruby."

"I know. I had to try."


Ruby was glad she wasn't in the Bullhead with the pilot. Däthedr and Barst were not happy at all. While the elf on the outside appeared passive, even a gentle touch of his mind revealed the fire raging inside. But at least he kept it contained. Barst was raging against just about everything. The Bullhead being loaned from Vale would probably need some new equipment when it returned to Vale. Dealing with them for only five minutes on the ground tempered her attitude from the hospital.

I'm actually looking forward to meeting with Shruikan now, Ruby told her dragon.

Cerise growled. You would think Barst would control his emotions. I do not know how long he can keep a diplomatic position if he is like this.

So you're saying all I need to do is have a temper tantrum in public and I don't have to do this anymore?

I'm talking about Alagaësian politics. You would fit right in anywhere on Remnant.

Unfortunately. Ruby shook her head and looked at the citadel courtyard in front of her. The giant gates were already open. Cerise, Nalia, and the Bullhead landed in the courtyard. The Riders dismounted their dragons and Barst stepped out of the Bullhead. He wasn't screaming his head off anymore, but his teeth were still bared and his fists still clenched.

A familiar and welcome face walked out of one of the towers. Brom had a few armor plates covering his shoulders and chest, but nowhere else. He also wore a lot more blue. "Are we expecting an attack, Brom?" Ruby asked.

"Nay." Brom shook his head. "But I will be leading an attack on a bandit camp in the next week. I was waiting for you to arrive before setting out with my men." He shifted his gaze toward the Bullhead. "It appears Barst is irritated."

"That is an understatement." Aaron walked up to Ruby's side and crossed his arms. "I will not repeat the things he called Vale's council once we met up with him."

"Brom," Ruby started, "I would like you to hold your departure for a little longer. You will need to know some of the things we're going to tell King Deynor."

"My men are waiting on my word. They will need to wait a little longer."

"Good to hear." Ruby turned around and walked toward the massive gates. The dragons and other Riders followed her. Barst stayed a few dozen feet behind Cerise' tail. At least he knew not to listen in on Rider business. "How have things been here?"

"As well as can be expected. The cities have stabilized, and now accept Deynor's rule. Things are returning to the way they were before Galbatorix seized power. Trade is being discussed with Surda, the dwarves, and the elves. The particulars are still being discussed, but we are expecting the outcome to benefit all involved."

Ruby nodded, thankful that Brom didn't go into further detail. She didn't understand Remnant economics. Everything from Alagaësia would break her brain if she tried to understand. Loud sniffing behind her caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder at the dragons. Both Nalia and Cerise had their snouts raised and turned them in every direction.

"What of the new Riders?" Aaron asked. Ruby returned her attention to the people beside her.

"They are all in Ellesméra training with Oromis," Brom said. "The shepherd and the elf are progressing as anticipated. The Surdan…" He shook his head. "From what Oromis has said in his letters, he resists Oromis' teachings. He treats his dragon like a pet or a possession."

Ruby clenched her fists. "How often did that happen on Vroengard?"

"Very little, and many of those Riders changed their actions and beliefs after spending several months with their dragons. Most of the Forsworn did not treat their dragons like that, with the exception of Yasdal and Glaerun."

"So what do we do about it?"

"Empower the dragon, or make the Rider see how much their dragon means to them. Neither are easy to do."

"If anyone can do it, it's Oromis," Aaron said. "He was one of the better instructors on Vroengard."

Cerise yipped and stomped a foot. Nalia did the same a second later. Ruby stared at the dragons. Both of them held their wings and heads high. Cerise looked down at Brom. How many eggs have hatched?

Ruby dropped her jaw and she whipped her head toward the golden doors at the end of the hall. More hatched?

"Two wild dragons have broken free of their shells," Brom said with a smile. "Both in the past month. One male, one female. All signs point to them liking each other."

A huge smile burst onto Ruby's face but disappeared just as quickly. "Have they left the citadel yet?"

"Nay. The Eldunarí that we have saved from themselves are not strong enough to reach outside these walls. Inside, we may keep an eye on them." Brom's shoulders fell. "I am sure you are aware of the problems of raising a dragon in a confined space."

"No fresh air, no hunting, no survival skills." Ruby shook her head. This just advanced the timetable considerably. "Let's meet with Deynor quick, then I need to speak with Shruikan."

If it's all the same with you, Nalia started, I would like to see the hatchlings.

I would as well. Cerise hummed.

"Go ahead," Ruby gestured at the doors at the end of the hall. "But leave our problem to me." Both dragons nodded, then walked past the Riders.

"Shall we proceed?" Brom gestured down a side hallway. He walked down it and the Riders followed. The route was the same as it was when the Riders visited before returning to Remnant the first time. It appeared Deynor's temporary throne room wasn't so temporary after all.

They reached the room and Brom pushed the door open. Ruby stepped inside and looked around. New banners and paintings hung on the walls, with torches in between them. Any bare wall space had been painted white. The throne and podium had not changed. It felt much more welcoming now, much better than the dungeon feeling before.

Deynor stood up from his throne. "Ruby Shadeslayer, Aaron Benson, welcome back to Alagaësia."

"Thank you for welcoming us again." Ruby gave Deynor a polite bow. "But we cannot stay long. There is a situation on Remnant that requires our attention. If at all possible, we would like to be back there tomorrow morning. That is why we did not just drop of Lord Barst."

Deynor raised an eyebrow. "What kind of situation?"

"There are two actually, but I believe they may go hand in hand. During an attempted coup in the territory of Menagerie, I fought the rebel leader. He was surrendering, but was killed in such a way that points to me as his murderer."

"If he led a coup, what rights does he have? He should be executed for his crimes." A small smirk formed on his face. "The irony of my words is not lost on me."

"It is not that simple." Aaron stepped forward. "Punishment for crimes is substantially different between here and Remnant. In two of the four Kingdoms and Menagerie, capital punishment is rarely used, and only on the most severe crimes, and after deemed guilty by a jury of their peers. Much like when a criminal surrenders here, they must not be killed. Here, depending on the crime, it could be seen as justice. On Remnant, killing someone with their hands behind their head is murder."

"Someone leaked the footage to the media in the Kingdoms, now people on Remnant have seen someone with a laser weapon kill a defenseless man." Ruby crossed her arms and refused to look down. She hoped her real feelings didn't show on her face or voice. "Until we can clear my name, the Rider's influence on Remnant will be greatly reduced. Even then, it may take a long time for things to recover.

"At the same time this happened, someone broke into the Schnee Dust Company's most secure vault and took Pruma."

Deynor's eyes locked in on Ruby's. "Do you have any idea who?"

"Nothing certain but we have a good guess. The Shade Salem has been trying to kill us since just after we killed Galbatorix."

Deynor sat back down on his throne. "Considering I have not received reports of a large number of former slaves dying, Pruma is still alive."

"But now she is likely with someone with similar feelings toward us," Aaron said. "Having one of the Forsworn working with Salem in the first place is bad enough. But with the curse on Pruma, we can't touch her. We have to hope Salem doesn't have a way to defrost Pruma."

"That's a big question right now." Ruby bit her tongue. Deynor didn't know about the Maidens, and Ruby didn't have the time to read him in. If Salem had the Spring Maiden under her control, Pruma could very well be walking around soon.

"I would send an envoy to Ellesméra now," Deynor started, "but I believe you intend on flying there when we are done here."

"We do, after we meet with Shruikan." Ruby nodded. "Since we have Lord Däthedr with us as well, we would prefer to fly sooner rather than later."

"Of course." Deynor nodded. "I would not keep the elves waiting. I wish you luck in finding and capturing Pruma."

"Thank you, your Highness." Ruby gave another polite bow and so did Aaron. They left the room, and Brom followed after them.

"How could Weiss let Pruma go free?" Brom growled. "She knows what kind of danger the curse poses."

"She does," Ruby agreed, "but she hardly let Pruma be taken. That vault was one of the most secure on Remnant. Most people don't even know it exists, much less where it is."

Aaron clenched his fists. "Weiss took to Viki right away. It wasn't long after that that she thought of my sister as her own. She doesn't want anything to happen to Viki any more than we do. If Pruma dies, there's a good chance Viki does too."

"Which is why we need to get back and start our search for real," Ruby continued. The golden doors loomed in front of her. "But we can't just ignore everything else we do either."

The doors swung inward, and a small yellow streak ran past the opening, followed by a brown one, then Cerise. Ruby stepped inside and stared after her dragon. Cerise growled at the two hatchlings in front of her, but with no menace in the growl or her emotions. The possibly two-week old hatchlings, however, growled back as hard as they could, but they still sounded cute over scary. Nalia snorted off to the side and approached the hatchlings. Both young ones looked to their elder and silenced. Nalia growled and clawed at the ground, and made all sorts of other sounds that only a dragon could understand.

The hatchlings looked at each other, then growled at Cerise. They ran forward and jumped at Cerise' neck. They hooked on with their claws and jaws. Cerise yelped and tried to throw the hatchlings off, but considering she could have used her paws to pry them off in a second, she wasn't trying too hard. After a few seconds of 'struggling,' she collapsed and her tongue lolled out of her mouth.

The yellow hatchling climbed Cerise' back and roared at the ceiling, while brown poked Cerise' snout with a paw and jumped back. He let his ears fall and tucked his wings underneath him. He whimpered and faced Nalia. The elder dragon snorted and clacked a claw on the ground. Cerise took her tongue in and opened her eyes. She stood up and shook the yellow hatchling off her back. The young dragon shrieked as she hit the floor. She hissed at Cerise, but the bigger dragon hissed back, shutting the smaller one up.

Cerise snorted, then looked at her Rider. Her pupils filled her entire eyes. We're teaching them how to hunt. She added a mental laugh in there. They're fast learners.

That can't always be expected in wild dragons, Nalia said as she watched the hatchlings rejoin each other. They are run by instinct. She didn't sound nearly as happy as Cerise.

Across the room, Shruikan lifted his head and looked down at the two hatchlings. Nalia and Cerise are much better teachers than I am. He turned his attention to Ruby. But nature is a better teacher still. They cannot learn and experience all they need to in here.

"I know." Ruby walked further into the room. "That is why I'm here. We may have found a place for the wild dragons to live."

Shruikan's eyes widened and he raised his wings. Where? How soon can we move the eggs and these two?

"That's the problem. Yes, it's a savannah and desert area, and it has plenty of caves for the dragons to live in and wildlife and fish to eat, but it's on Remnant. That means its infested with Grimm. We can clear it out once, but they always come back, whether by migration or what we think are spawning pools. We would have to clear out any other place on Remnant, so that's just a given. But this place is one of the most dangerous on Remnant. At the same time, it's also one of the few places I believe dragons could thrive without disturbing any human or Faunus settlements. With the exception of the Grimm, they could live in peace. Some dragons might even like having the Grimm to fight."

Shruikan hung his head. But since the area has to be cleared, we cannot move there.

"Before we got here, I would have said yes." Ruby turned her head over to where the hatchlings growled at each other. "But with those two, we can't wait." She faced Shruikan again. "After we do what we need to in Ellesméra, we will fly back here to take you and several eggs and sane Eldunarí to Menagerie."

Shruikan raised his head so fast Ruby almost thought he jumped. Me? Why me?

"You're the protector of these eggs," Aaron spoke up. "It is your job to protect the eggs, no matter where you are. There are too few Riders to watch over the development of the wild dragons, and we are in our own crisis on Remnant. We cannot do it ourselves, so we are asking you to." Ruby flicked her eyes to Aaron. He went with that quick. They were starting to think alike.

Ruby faced Shruikan again. "Here's the part where things get complicated. Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, which unless you've taken a complete one-eighty in the past few months, you still have a lot built up in you."

Shruikan narrowed his eyes and lowered his head. Are you asking me to let go of my hate? His lips peeled back and a low growl burst from his throat, making the floor shake

"For the dragons, yes." Aaron nodded. "We no longer have time to search for another place. A dragon needs to look after dragons. We cannot ask any of our allies on Remnant to help."

Shruikan closed his lips and diverted his gaze. I… will try. For the hatchlings.

"Good." Ruby nodded. "You have until we return tomorrow to decide which eggs will come with us and which Eldunarí to take. Until then," Ruby turned around and faced the now wrestling hatchlings. "Look after them, and prepare them for a journey. It's going to be a long flight for them." Ruby walked out toward the door to the throne room, with Aaron right behind her. Their dragons growled and snorted at the hatchlings a little more, then followed their Riders.

When the doors closed behind Ruby, she sighed and let her shoulders fall. "I really don't like being so serious and a downer."

"You're still not used to it?" Aaron asked.

"Being used to it and okay with it are two different things."

"True." Aaron paused. "How well do you think you're going to get along with Rusty?"

That worked. Ruby's excitement built up inside her and she couldn't hold it in. Thankfully there wasn't anyone else in the hall. "We're going to be great friends! I'm one of his godmothers, with Nora being the other one. If Pyrrha and Jaune allow it, I'm going to spoil him so much. He's so cute! We're going to have so much fun! Here's what happened before you showed up…"


Yep, Ruby's good with kids