The fox from hell: the tail of the once great demonhunter

She nooded but looked guilty as she followed his movement. "Um...Azrael.... Can you help me, please? I can't...I can't move my legs." She said, embarrassed that she looked down at the floor.

Azrael smiled picking her up. "I got ya" he said holding her as well as the time relic. "Take us home" they suddenly went through time again this time appearing at their house. Ignis and Skoll were asleep ruby was the only one awake

Ruby was sat on the couch. There was no way she was able to sleep, knowing both of their parents, present and future were out there, facing death once again. She was envious of the others, as even little Nova was able to settle enough for sleep. Suddenly, she heard an unusual whooshing noise from outside so she glanced out of the window. From the dark, she was able to make out two silhouettes. Her heart pounded as she felt a small glimmer of hope as she instantly rushed outside. 

It was pouring with rain as she rain outside. "Mom....dad...god please, let it be you...." she whispered to herself.

Azrael still looked pained. But he started to walk towards the house. He looked up to see his daughter running towards him. "Hey princess.... We're home" he said before his legs started to shake.

Before she even processed it, she was crying rivers, the salty tears streaming down her face as she raced towards them with an urgency when she spotted her father struggling. 

Roxanne was concerned too and looked guilty for a moment before looking to her daughter. "Hi...Ruby." she greeted softly.

"Mom..." she replied, looking to Azrael. "Here. Let me." without a response, she took her own mother into her arms, her lips quirking at the irony. "Right, now. I'm playing the adult by saying you're both resting up."

Roxanne managed to smile at her, brushing a hand down Azrael's chest in assurance.

Azrael nodded. "You make us both proud ruby.... Could you get your brothers.... I know I'm gonna collapse any moment now..." His legs gave out right under him as he fell to the ground. "Ow"

Ruby grunted, marching back towards the house with the same urgency. When she got inside at the foot of the staircase, she looked apologetically at her mother. "Cover your ears." she instructed before taking a deep breath. "Boys! Get your asses down here and help me!! Mom and dad are back!" she yelled, silently apologizing to Nova also.

Roxanne gave a small chuckle before one of her legs slipped from Ruby's hands as she cried out in pain as it dangled.

"Dad needs help! Hurry up!" she bellowed.

There were thuds and slams upstairs and the boys ran down and past them to go help their father up. "We got ya dad."
"Don't worry" they both helped him into th house carryin him upstairs. 

Azrael sighed. "Careful ratchet threw me pretty hard" he warned

Roxy snorted, looking between them. "Is it bad that I kind of feel like royalty here?" she joked, smirking to Az. "I mean look at us..."

"Don't get used to it mother." Ruby quipped, carrying her upstairs.

Azrael sighed. "It feels like it but as soon as thy leave it will be just you and me again" he said as the boys lay him in bed. "Princess after you set your mother down could you get me some pain killers and a glass of water?" He asked "boys I need you two to do something for me"

"Got it." Ruby responded, lying her mother on the single bed in the bedroom across from her and Azrael's. "Do you need anything too mother?" she asked as she pulled up a cover over her.

"No, I'm okay...well, apart from ticked off because I can't move and this is something I have to wait out." Roxy huffed. "...Go and help your father."

"Right. Okay..." she breathed, going downstairs to fetch the painkillers and water before heading towards her father. "Here you are."

The boys walked away with there task

Azrael smiled. "Thanks ruby" he said taking he painkillers and drinking the water. "So do you want to hear the good news? Or whould I let both your parents tell you."

Ruby perked up, looking to him. "B-Both of our parents? Are...are they alive?" she asked delicately, perching on the end of the bed with wide eyes as her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she thought it was going to burst. "Is mom....alive?" she whispered, vulnerable now.

"She's alive but a little weak from her condition. She needs to rest and eat something when she wakes up." He said. "Ratchet tricked you to thinks she was dead by shooting a pillow. She was in a healing take when we found her"

Ruby shivered with relief, bending her head down with a shaky breath, clutching the bed covers in her fists. "Oh thank god....Thank you....thank you god..." she repeated, sniffling. "Ignis will be so....relieved...it was horrible seeing him react like that. He hasn't turned like that for years."

"When was the last time he turned?" He asked sitting up to look at ruby. "I know I'm not your favorite parent but you can still take to me ruby"

Ruby looked to him shyly, fidgeting on the bed. "Well, I say turned...I meant half-turned or the last time he lost control like that. Well, it was when...mother was being harassed by these group of guys when I think she was pregnant with Nova. They wouldn't leave her alone and Ignis must've thought they were going to...you know..." She said, grimacing.

Azrael nodded. "I think I understand... Your uncle... He  had a similar problem to your brother... It wasn't all a problem is he's trying to protect some one. But a trick to know with anywhere form is how to calm them down. I use to jump on your uncles back and wrestle him to the ground before calming him down. It works every time. Though I bet your mother has a gentler aproach..." He sighed. "... If you don't mind me asking... What did I do to make you favor your mother?"

She looked to him then. Didn't he see what happened? "You should've seen it father...she calmed down his rage just by using the right words. She's just amazing..." Ruby breathed, then blushed. "I can't help it...I've always found mom to be an idol to me...sometimes I just want to be her you know...and I'm always trying to find ways to impress her..." 

She looked away. "I don't know dad...you always just seemed fixated on the boys, training them and all. You never really, gave time for me and Nova. This was this one time where we were going to play frisbee but...on the morning I woke, you were outside teaching Skoll how to properly use his sword...it just...kept going I guess..."

Azrael looked to her. "After your father get better I want you to punch him in the face for
Me. And one thing you should know about me. Is I'm never too busy to be with you kids.  All you have to do is drag me away. Your mother is able to do it. So you can too. I promise I'll make time for you and move in the future and I want you to hold me to it"

Ruby turned shy again. "Thank you...dad. I just..thought you didn't love me as much because I wasn't part demon like them...." She said quietly. It sounded stupid as she heard it.

"Just because your not half demon doesn't mean I dot love you. I know I can't speak for my future self. But all you need to do if talk to your dad about this. I know I would take the time if you needed to talk"

She nodded, creeping to him a little as if unsure of herself. "Okay...I will..." Ruby said softly, looking to him like she wanted to hug him but she refrained, fiddling with the hem of her top. "Thank you." She whispered, giving him a small smile.

"Anything for my little princess" he said smiling. "Speaking of little princess. I know your behind the door nova."

Ruby then grumbled, moving away with a pout. "Why'd you spoil the moment by calling me that." She frowned.

Nova peeked her head behind the door, breathing a chuckle as she nibbled her thumb. "I saw mommy...but she sleeping now...daddy." She smiled playfully.