A/N- Still alive.

Firstly I would like to give a shout out to thefoolswriter for the helpful advice they've given me. I really appreciate it.

Secondly, a few reviewers have been telling me that there is a plot hole in a previous chapter regarding the Shade Titan. This however is not a plot hole, he was intentionally left out of that chapter. His mention was foreshadowing.

Thirdly, just a reminder that the side stories is still going.

And lastly, I may FINALLY be getting my hands on physical copies of the Inheritance Cycle, and just as the final season of Attack on Titan is releasing so this will hopefully help the story.

Now that that's out of the way. Happy Reading Everyone!

UPDATE- Been reading the book, and it turns out baby Dragons can puff smoke immediately after hatching. So I've fixed that here.

Wings of Freedom

Chapter 26

Armin and Mikasa sat on a couple of chairs, taken from the dining area, with their Dragons piled up on them as they stared wide eyed at Roy and Eren.

The two Riders in question were now sitting on the surviving couch with somewhat blank and exhausted expressions, as their Dragons draped their wings over them and Scarlett set her head in Eren's lap.

Everyone was struggling to process the story they had just told and make since of it.

Armin cleared his throat to brake the silence that had settled over them "so…you woke up in that…place…fought the Shade and somehow spoke with Mr. Yeager?" he said, trying to make sense of the crazy events.

Eren hummed as he nodded "yah, that about sums it up" he replied and Scarlett hummed as she looked up at him "do we know how this is possible though?" she asked and Roy groaned as he rubbed his face "yes and no" he said before looking down at the now healed skin of his palm. He then shook his head as he reached out to the table and grabbed a still steaming mug of tea and taking a sip to calm his nerves "I have no idea how any of this is possible, aside from that it's all tied to those parasites in your necks, but…I think I'm starting to understand all the other oddities that you've all experienced" Roy explained as the sweet smell of the tea wafted up to his nose with the steam and the light of the fireplace casting a warm glow over his pale face.

The kids gave Roy a moment to collect his thoughts as he sat their motionless. Eventually he sighed and looked up to the kids "I think it should be obvious at this point that these parasites are the cause of all this. I still don't know exactly what they are but they are magical in nature and it's in opposition to the Dragon magic now flowing through your veins" Roy began, prompting Armin hum in thought "how do you mean?" he asked.

Roy rubbed his forehead as he tried to think how to explain "look, magic isn't just a collection of words in a foreign language. It is life energy it's self and sometimes it can even have a mind of it's own. The Spectral Dragon that appears during Agaetí Blödhren is an excellent example. And like any form of life, it reacts when threatened" Roy began as he leaned forward in his chair and set his tea down "when you bonded with your Dragons, the two magics clashed with one another!" he said while punching his fists together for enfaces "the two powers then went to war within your bodies. That's what caused the extreme pain you felt and made you pass out. Now fortunately, the Dragon magic won out in the end, taking root deep within you" Roy explained.

Everyone took a moment to ponder Roy's explication "but, if our magic won in the end, then why is it still effecting them" Scarlett asked with worry. Roy grimaced in response "because for as deeply rooted as the Dragon magic is within you now, these parasites were just as deep, and it couldn't completely burn them out. In fact, judging from what I've see just in the three of you, I'd say these things have most likely been with you since birth" Roy explained.

Armin rubbed his chin as he pondered this "so everything that's happening has been a reaction to these things in our necks" he summarized and Roy nodded "exactly. Just because the magic failed to completely remove it at first, doesn't mean it's stopped trying. Eren's early transformation is a result of this. The magic is trying to purge these things from your bodies" he explained.

Everyone seamed to let out slight sigh of relief at hearing that they may not have to worry about these parasites for much longer. Roy groaned though as he pinched the bridge of his nose "of corse that's not the only thing that's happening as a result ether. The effects left over by the parasites is also having an effect on your magic. You all developing telepathy so early is one such side effect. Your minds are already adapted to it." Roy explained.

The kids all absorbed the information and Mikasa looked down at the marks on her palms "so I guess I was passed out longer because I bonded with two" she said absentmindedly but Roy looked to her with a grim expression "actually Mikasa, you passed out longer because there was more magic fighting for dominance from both sides" he said and the kids looked to him with worry and confusion "what do you mean?" she asked and Roy held his grim gaze "when I examined your parasite, it wasn't as weak as the others, as if it hadn't been in hibernation like Armin and Eren's. For whatever reason it was active and stronger. And had you not bonded with two Dragons then the bonding process might have failed" Roy warned and Mikasa's eyes widened as she unconsciously held her Dragons closer to her.

Thalia growled lowly to herself as she thought on this "we will have to be careful who we present before the remaining eggs" she said and Roy nodded in agreement.

Scarlett hummed as she looked between everyone "what about your father and the cellar? He did say we could find answers there" she asked and Roy growled as he stood up and walked over to the fireplace "yah. Answers to the Titans and how he knew of Dragons, maybe even on the government and why they want everyone trapped her. Everything we've been searching for, just a short flight away. And of corse it's in the one place we can't go!" Roy fumed before punching the wall with enough force to splinter the wood.

The others felt their spirits fall a little at that too. There was no way they could go back so long as the Shade Titan still roamed there, and there was no telling what surprises it might have left for anyone who went snooping around there.

Armin suddenly perked up a little though "but at least there's some good that's come out of this" he said and everyone gave him funny looks "Armin?" Eren asked and the boy looked at them like it was the most obvious thing in the world "come on guys, don't you see? We now have a way to kill that thing" he said with resolve.

Everyone just continued to give him confused looks "Armin, what are you…" Roy trailed off before blinking with realization and looking at Armin in shock "oh no, your not seriously suggesting we use that…other place, to attack it are you?" he asked and Armin nodded "you said it yourself. We don't know if we can even kill it with it's Titan body. But in there, you and Eren were able to attack the spirits directly" he explained.

Roy, Eren and their Dragons all blinked as they stared at Armin, stunned, then looked to their partners before looking back to him "it could work. And you did say you were able to preform magic that you otherwise would not be capable of" Thalia admitted with a bit of hope and Roy rubbing his chin as he thought it over "aye, but it would still be a colossal undertaking. To take on all those spirits, we would need an army of mages or at least a large team of full fledged Riders" he pondered.

The others started to look a little more hopeful at his words "so we stick to the plan and recruit more Riders, then go after it!" Eren declared with a little excitement. Roy held up his hands in a placating gesture though "whoa, calm down Eren. We still have a few more hurtles to overcome. Firstly being finding a way back into that place" he said.

Eren simply looked at him with confusion though "but, can't we just get back in like before?" He asked but Armin cut in "it won't work Eren. If everything plays out the way Roy thinks it will, then these parasites in our necks will be long gone by the time we find new Riders, and by the time they're ready to fight, their's might be gone to" he explained and Roy nodded with a grunt "aye, the one in your neck Eren, seams to have been rendered brain dead by what you did in that place. The connection is still there but it's little more then an echo. And the rest of you will be completely free of them within a few weeks if you develop at the same rate as Eren, or months at the most if we factor in Scarlett's wild magic" he explained.

The kids and Dragons that were old enough to understand what was happening, all fell into contemplation at the elder Rider's words "so we need to overthrow a corrupt government, recruit new Riders, train them, then find a way back to that place and then killed the Shade Titan" Mikasa summarized with a predatory cunning while counting off on her fingers.

Thalia rumbled in a agreement "yes, but we must also learn as much as we can about that desert realm. It would be foolish to simply dive in blindly again. Especially now that the abomination knows that we are aware of it and can fight there" she warned.

Roy nodded in agreement "aye, and on that note I suggest we get some rest and recover. Since all the eggs that were going to hatch have done so, me and Thalia will leave for Wall Rose tomorrow for supplies and to search for Mr. Yeager and hopefully find some answers" he said and everyone gave nods of agreement.

Later, Eren was sitting at the entrance to the tree with his legs hanging over the edge as he gazed out at Wall Rose in deep contemplation dad…how long did you know and why didn't you do anything about it? he thought while absentmindedly stroking Scarlett's scales, as she lay curled around his back side and resting her head in his lap.

The young Dragon hummed as she tilted her head to look up at Eren "relax Eren. One way or another we'll get answers, we just need to be patient" she said.

Eren broke out of his thoughts with a laugh as he turned his gaze down to her "relax and be patient after everything that just happened? You first" he challenged with a slightly playful tone that Scarlett was happy to hear, so she decided to ignore his jab at her own character flaws "well it's ether that or continue brooding as usual" she jabbed back "hay, I'm not brooding" Eren countered, to which Scarlett simply gave him a disbelieving look "you brood more then anyone I've ever met" Scarlettdeadpanned.

Eren's face heated up a little with embarrassment "you've only ever met eight people, three of which can't even talk yet. Heck, you're only six weeks old!" Eren shot back and had to pause as he himself remembered how old she actually was. Eren tended to forget Scarlett's actual age sometimes with how well she spoke now.

Scarlett growled playfully at her Rider in response and puffed dark smoke at him from her nose, mimicking her mother's habit, but still lacking a flame of her own "true but I do know you" she responded.

Eren just looked down at his Dragon for a moment before laughing lightly "yah, I guess I can't argue with that" he said with a small smile as he resumed strolling her scales on her neck and she purred like a cat in response "whatever happens, just promise me you won't loose that flame in your heart" she said and Eren smiled as he nodded "I promise" he answered.

Scarlett purred happily as she nuzzled her Rider "good" she said and then stood up "now, since your feeling better, how about we go out for a while?" she asked and Eren smiled "like you even need to ask" he replied as he stood and went to get his Dragon's saddle.

Meanwhile, Roy and Thalia were going over the supplies they would need to get and planning their search for Eren's father.

The two looked over at Eren and Scarlett as they got ready to fly, with Thalia keeping a keen eye on how well Eren was strapping down the saddle "those two really are close for such a young pair" Roy commented before going back to checking inventory "indeed, I am glad that my hatchling has found such a good match" she agreed but her eyes narrowed a little as they became slits "however, I am concerned about what we have discovered so far and how it will effect our plans going forward" she added.

Roy sighed as he looked back to Eren and Scarlett, then to the others "aye, it seams that each time everything starts to settle down, something else comes up and stirs things up again" Roy groaned "but I'm not too concerned about the kids though. That's not to say I'm not worried but I do believe the kids will be fine" he said and Thalia gave a thoughtful hum "yes, they certainly are a strong brood" she agreed as she watched her hatchling leave with her Rider.

Meanwhile, Armin and Mikasa watched Eren and Scarlett take off from their place on the balcony, leaning on the railing. Armin's Dragon once again resting on his head, though it was getting a little bit more awkward as the hatchling got bigger.

Mikasa's black Dragon was lounging lazily over her shoulders while it's sibling rested in her arms. Their rivalry momentarily forgotten in the face of everything that had happened today.

Armin sighed as they watched Eren and Scarlett soar through the sky and absentmindedly rubbed his nape "things just keep getting more and more complicated don't they?" he asked and Mikasa grunted in acknowledgment as she scratched under her grey Dragon's chin, eliciting a soft purr "hard to believe that it was only weeks ago we were living normal lives" she said but was caught a little off guard when Armin laughed a little in response "we lived in a world full of giant cannibals that ended not even a mile from our homes. And now Dragons and magic from a land so far away it might as well be another world, has been added into the mix. Can we really call what our lives were like before "normal" knowing what we do now?" Armin asked with a somewhat hollow smile.

Mikasa cast her eyes down towards the ground and the wandering Titans below as she pondered Armin's words "yah…I guess we've never known what normal really is. Maybe what my life was like before meeting Eren, far away from everything, was closer to it, but we were still trapped in here" she answered as she looked back up at Eren and Scarlett, flying over the trees "but where's the fun in being normal" she replied with a small smile.

Armin's own smile filled with a little life upon hearing that "yah…I may not like how we got here, but…I wouldn't go back to the way things were for the world. Even with what we're up against" he replied and a determined expression set in over them both "we'll pull through this, and discover the truth" he said as he turned his gaze to Wall Maria we'll figure this out. Then we'll be free.