"Yeah."

"Wanna head back now?"

"We might as well."

"Okay. I can fly all of us, or just Elesse."

"I will take my own wings."

Brisingr nods, firmly. "Same."

"Alright."

She stretches, then lifts herself and Elesse into the air.

She goes slow enough on the way back that the dragons can stay in sight of her, setting them down outside the West Gate again.

It's not quite as fast as the trip out, but still quick enough.

And to human form for heading inside.

Ruby leads them back to the Elrics' place.

It's right where they left it, of course.

Ruby did not pick up keys while she was visiting, but she actually knocks this time!

It takes a dragon to make her mind her manners, then.

She figured she'd put her best foot forward for their guests.

Tch.

They might as well come in, then.

She bounces in and makes herself some tea.

"So it turns out Ellisaria and Brisingr are us alts, Elesse guessed right," she says, cheerfully.

"Huh. This alts thing is getting weird."

"Yeah. Especially if it's, like, predictable from stuff that happened in the past..."

"I think it unlikely our lives had anything in common, except in very broad strokes."

"Hm, yeah. More meant how Elesse guessed you guys were worth checking out..."

"Hm?"

"I wasn't here for that conversation? But it sounded like she figured that since El and Bellona met you guys early after getting dropped, and they're alts, you had a really high chance of being someone's alts too..."

"An... interesting way of looking at things."

"Yup. And ended up being right."

"A popular theory in my group is that someone, or something, is using us to tell a story."

"Without asking? Wow, rude." She looks up at the ceiling. "I hold omnipotent gods to informed consent standards, too!" she says, presumably to the ceiling.

"They probably already knew that, dear."