This next chapter is in omniscient 3rd person, mostly revolving around Nod and Ronin. I know you guys wanted to see some more Ronin, and I did too. I think this might be exactly what I need to get out of my rut. Hold tight, more MK Nod coming up soon! Thank you guys all so much for understanding. I'll tell Buddy you guys are thinking about him lol.

Nod hopped back onto Zeeba and flew back to his restoration site. He and Ronin were rebuilding houses today. It would have been work for the Queen, if she were old enough, but obviously she wasn't. Nod held his head up and let the wind fly through his hair, relishing the wind's grab on every part of his body as he accelerated. He may be a bonified Leafman now, but he still loved racing. Nod never got to do it anymore, seeing as how he never had enough time, the track needed rebuilt and the Leafman had sworn off of that, and Bufo wasn't around to run it. He'd split town after he squealed to Mandrake. He would've been arrested for treason and possibly executed, but for now he was just in an unofficial exile. Nod spotted Ronin pulling up house walls with some other troops, and steered Zeeba to the ground. He hopped off of her and ran up next to Ronin, grabbing the empty vine and pulling on it with all his strength. Together, the Leafmen pulled up the wall and it stood sturdily.

"Hey," Ronin greeted Nod. "Have a nice lunch?" he asked with a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Yeah," Nod answered with a smile. "MK gave me yours, it's in the saddlebag," he said, motioning to Zeeba, who was fastened tight with the other birds.

"Mhm, I'll get it later," Ronin replied. "We need to get more of these walls up."

The two men went to another destroyed house, and attached the vines to the walls, so they could pull it up. They started to tug, and felt the weight of hundreds of pounds in their muscles.

"I went to take MK to meet my mom today," Nod said with some difficulty, sweat showing on his brow.

"Did you now? How'd it go?" Ronin grunted.

"I'm not sure. Well? MK came out crying," Nod groaned, tugging his hardest on the vine. Finally, the wall came up and into place. It was completely exhausting work.

Ronin let his breath out in a sigh of relief. He placed his hands behind him on his back and stretched. If Tara were still here, he would've had the pleasure of going home to a massage, probably. But.. Tara wasn't here. He raised his eyebrows at Nod's news. But internally, he knew that that must mean something had gone well. Ronin shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "Nod, I think we should have a talk," Ronin said seriously. The way MK and Nod carried on wasn't sanctioned. She was the Royal Advisor, and until Alisia was old enough to make her own decisions, MK would act as Queen. Ronin knew what he had to do to make this alright, but it almost pained him. He didn't know if Nod was ready. It was a huge responsibility.

Nod gave Ronin a suspicious look. "About..what?" he asked curiously.

Ronin looked around and then looked tiredly at Zeeba. "Come sit with me a spell while I eat my lunch," he said, practically limping towards Nod's young hummingbird.

Nod's insides were churning. Ronin never asked him to do something like this unless it was an extremely special occasion. Did he do something wrong? No.. Ronin would be angry if he'd done something wrong.. Ronin seemed kind of.. conflicted.

Ronin leafed through Nod's saddle bags until he found his lunch, and dropped himself onto a stick with a groan. Nod lowered himself carefully onto the stick across from Ronin, watching him carefully.

Ronin took a bite into his lunch, swallowed and then grabbed a drop of dew. He offered a drop to Nod and he took it, sipping slowly.

Ronin looked down, his brow furrowed, unsure of how to say what he needed to say. He started with, "Nod, I'm promoting you to the Official Royal Protector or the Adviser and her Queen."

Nod's eyes widened, but then Ronin continued. "And I think you and MK should get married."

Nod started to choke on his dew, with huge, chest thrusting coughs. Ronin's eyes widened and he reached his hands out for his adopted son, but he knew it had just gone down the wrong pipe. It would be over soon.

"Ro-" cough "-nin" cough "I can't just-"

"I know it's a big step," Ronin's voice took on a soothing tone, "But-"

"Big step!? We're not even dating! I can't just—"

"Nod, listen to me lad—"

"Go from more than friends to marriage in one step!"

"Lad, listen to me," Ronin's voice grew stern, and Nod was temporarily snapped out of his panic mode. "Nod. I'm saying this for your own good. You and MK's relationship is not sanctioned. It's only because the Queen is so young that the Council has not yet gotten involved. You know how they are!"

Part of the reason that Ronin and Tara never could have truly been together was because of the Council. They were a group of crotchety old Jinn who still firmly believed in ruling the way they had in the Middle Ages—one Queen, and one King of royal blood. Ronin was not of royal blood, and if the Council had ever gotten physical proof of Ronin and Tara's relationship, he possibly could have lost his job.

Ronin sighed. "Nod, I don't want you to make the same mistakes I made. If you love MK—"

"I do. I do love her. It's just.."

"Scary, I know. I know it's scary. But it's not going to be like this forever. You understand what I'm saying, don't you Nod?"

Nod sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess. I know what you're saying. I just.. I think I need a little time to absorb it and reflect upon it myself," he contended.

Ronin nodded, satisfied. At least he'd made the boy think. "Well you can do that while you're working. Go help the guys, your break was twice as long as everyone else's," he said seriously, taking another bite out of his sandwich.

As he watched Nod's eyes narrow and return to work, he felt a pang in his heart for all the chances he'd missed. He had been as young and as in love as Nod is once and he hadn't made the most of it. There had to have been something he could have done.. something that would have saved Tara. Something that could've let them be together. He had to save Nod now, from making the same mistakes he had made. Ronin sighed and shook his head, eating some more. "Crazy young pup," he thought.

Well, what did you guys think?