4From Strongest Flame, Comes Wildfire
By Mardrena
Tanya:: "You know, for some reason, I thought once Mia had the baby, Ryo'd be less stressed. If anything, he's even more stressed than before! I swear, you could stuff coal up his butt and he'd crap diamonds!"
Rowen:: "BWAH HAH HAH HAAAH!"
Kento:: "I don't get it…"
Rowen:: "She's saying-she's saying *sngk* that the internal pressure in Ryo's *hff* is strong enough to convert carbon into diamond *hee* which is physically impossible by the way-but still haaah haaa!"
Ryo:: "You guys do know I can hear what you're saying…"
Tanya:: "Butt out! This is a private conversation!"
Ryo:: "No it isn't!"
Bak Thraplek chuckled richly as he listened in on the dialogue over the open channel. "It is good to see the Ronin in such high spirits of late," he drawled.
"There've been no incursions by Ouagli's forces in the past forty-five days, and Mal Daggur's fleet remains in hiding. I'd dare say the enemy is on the back foot," Miz Paufan remarked.
"Optimism is not folly, but it would be folly to assume our threats are behind us," Bak and Miz looked behind them as Kaosu entered the comm. room. "Talpa knows how to bide his time and re-assess his situation, and from what I have learned, your Mal Daggur is equally cunning."
"It would seem they've entered a stalemate. You were not with us at the time of the Siege of the Ramahatesguad. Both refuse alliance with one another, and both will not suffer the other," Bak explained. Miz Paufan swished his tail behind his chair. He found Kaosu interesting and always liked hearing the revived monk's voice.
"Talpa prefers to consolidate his own power by removing all opposition, even those who would otherwise serve as allies. He craves absolute, unchallenged power. It is both his strength and weakness: he remains difficult to unseat, and yet he hinders the advancement of his goals."
"It is said…by the Thangiens…that Roth could easily destroy Ouagli," Bak began, using the mythical name Thanged used for the Dark Emperor. He stepped away from the console and raised one arm towards the ceiling. "That with but a thought, she could call down a great shaft of light and smite his fortress from the sky!" He made a sharp, forceful pulling motion to illustrate. "But, she chooses not to, for she believes Ouagli must remain as a test to mortal resolve. Like any parent, if too overbearing, the child cannot learn their own strengths."
"That is a rather interesting perspective. As much as I wish otherwise, I fear that Talpa will continue to plague this Mortal Realm, and that not even the youngest, most innocent of mortals will escape this conflict…" Kaosu lamented.
"Waba! Waba!" Little Ryu babbled as he sat on the floor infront of the large white tiger. Whiteblaze stared down his nose at the baby, who currently patted the wide triangular nose. Possessing an uncanny strength for an infant, Ryu placed both of his little hands under Whiteblaze's upper lip and pulled up, exposing the sharp teeth. Whiteblaze remained still, knowing Ryu would get it out of his system soon. His eyes widened when Ryu let go of his lip and reached up and grabbed the bridge of Whiteblaze's nose. Little Ryu apparently had a thing for noses. Whiteblaze took it in good humor and smiled when Ryu began patting his nose.
Whiteblaze frowned and leaned his head down slightly, pushing his nose into Ryu's tummy. Ryu giggled shrilly as Whiteblaze sniffed. Whiteblaze scowled and rose to all fours, leaning down and carefully hooking his teeth into the loose folds of Ryu's onesie. Ryu held onto the tufts of fur along Whiteblaze's face and chin as Whiteblaze carried him to the changing table.
Despite Ryo's pledge not to "let the tiger do the babysitting", Whiteblaze had proven himself quite proficient in the changing of diapers. Ryu squirmed and giggled uncontrollably from being tickled by the whiskers and fur as Whiteblaze grabbed the zipper with his lips and pulled down, nosing the outfit open and pulling the onesie off of Ryu. Using his teeth again, he peeled open the tabs of Ryu's diaper and lifted Ryu up with his nose and pushed him away from the soiled diaper. Holding his breath, he pulled the corners of the diaper together and grabbed it gingerly with his canines then carried it over to the disposal bin, pushing down on the pedal with his forepaw and opening the bin before dropping the diaper in.
He used his jaws to pop open the canister of baby wipes and pulled one sheet out with his teeth then carried it to Ryu and, draping it over his muzzle, nosed the baby's bottom. Ryu couldn't contain his delight and giggled gleefully. When he finished, Whiteblaze disposed of the wipe in the bin then rose up on his hind paws and reached for the can of baby powder on the supply shelf, tilting his head sideways and closing his jaws around the can. He leaned back down and shook his head a couple times, showering Ryu's bottom with powder. Ryu waited patiently and waved his arms, gazing about idly. Whiteblaze finished and replaced the can on the shelf then padded over to the bag of fresh diapers and pulled one out. He placed it on the table and reached up with one forepaw, extending a claw to hold down one corner and nosing it open. He pushed the fresh diaper along the table close to Ryu then nosed it as close as possible to Ryu's legs. Ryu began giggling again as Whiteblaze used his nose to lift Ryu off the table slightly and pushed the diaper under his bottom with his paw.
He set Ryu down and nosed the diaper close and pressed the flaps shut with his nose. He grabbed the onesie with his teeth and proceeded to slip it back up over Ryu's body. Ryu's flailing arms found the sleeves and he slipped back into the garment easily. Whiteblaze grabbed the zipper with his lips and pulled it shut. Ryu closed his arms around Whiteblaze's muzzle in gratitude and Whiteblaze grabbed the folds of the onesie again and lifted Ryu off the table, carrying him over to the crib. He rose up on his hind legs and set Ryu carefully in the soft fleece blankets, releasing his hold on the onesie. Ryu however, didn't seem to want to let go of Whiteblaze. Whiteblaze crooned reassuringly and rubbed Ryu's chest with his nose gently.
Ryu eventually let go, feeling sleepy, and yawned. Whiteblaze backed away and lay down on the carpet beside the crib. The two fell into peaceful slumber, though Whiteblaze always kept his ears alert and remained vigilant for any threats.
"I find the continued existence of the son of Ryo of the Wildfire troubling. The boy must be eliminated before he is able to mature," Talpa stated with his underlings standing at attention.
"Erm…Master Talpa…if I…may be so bold…" Bautan began cautiously, drawing sideways glances from the Brothers and Kylyra. Talpa himself tilted his head in Bautan's direction, uttering an annoyed grunt. Bautan cringed then re-composed himself and twiddled his fingers together. "Are you sure it is wise to devote so much resources and concern to such a relatively small threat? He is merely a babe, after all…" Talpa did not reply immediately, and that worried Bautan even more, causing spectral sweat to flow down his brow.
"Do you think me irrational, Bautan? Incompetent, perhaps? You assume I have lost perspective?" Talpa rumbled. Bautan grimaced and waved both hands.
"I assure you, I mean no slight!" he sputtered hastily.
"I must echo Bautan's concern," Admiral Duratin spoke up suddenly, drawing the gaze of Talpa. "The energy we have been able to harvest in secret as of late has waned. What once proved a net gain has turned into a net loss. We are able to maintain our standing forces, but we cannot expand them either. We still have merely half of our strength from before the Totalitary's attack. Were we to face them as we are now, we would no doubt fail."
"Our infantry and support fleets can only do so much. Without enough Nether Spirits, we stand little chance against a full-scale attack by the Totalitary, let alone Mal Daggur's forces," General Duratir added. "Their numbers have been slow to replenish after sustaining terrible losses, during both the Thangien's siege and successive defeats."
"Your concerns are noted, and dismissed," Talpa snapped crisply, and the Brothers nodded in submission. "I need not vast armies to eliminate the babe, for he is deeply entrenched within the Ronin Warriors' dwelling and surrounded by allies. I need but a single, swift, powerful strike."
"Did Dygra not have a fearix?" Kylyra spoke up suddenly. She'd taken to wearing several scarves around her neck, and her formerly gleeful demeanor had turned dour after her latest defeat. Bautan glanced at her, knowing she chose to speak last to curry the most favor.
"Hmm…yes…the devil-cat would certainly make a formidable assassin. Its strength surpasses even that of Razzarr and Haxxle. Dygra's Dark Dimension remains yet intact. The devil-cat need only be seeded with a hunger for the blood of Wildfire's babe. Bautan! Travel to the Dark Dimension at once and retrieve the fearix!" Talpa ordered. Bautan nodded and turned to exit the throne room. The corner of Kylyra's lips turned up in a smirk.
So this is what I have been reduced to…running errands like a page. We Nether Spirits were supposed to share in the triumph of the Dynasty…to preside over the Mortals alongside Lord Badamon, once Talpa's right hand… Sadly, those dreams died with him… Bautan scowled in regret, remembering vividly how Ryo of the Wildfire had used Inferno to first disorient the Nether Spirits then land a fatal blow to Badamon, incinerating him from the inside out. Since then, we are little more than fodder. No doubt the increasing boldness of Mortals is to blame, along with the ever-expanding circle of allies the Ronin have drawn to themselves…
I must keep such thoughts to myself…Master Talpa has little sympathy for dissent…Though I do find it troubling that he is increasingly loathe to confide his counsel in us. Bautan squared his shoulders as he entered his laboratory and drew a scroll from his shelves. He unfurled it on his worktable, displaying an ink painting of a vicious four-legged beast with a long thick tail tipped by a spiked ball. Bat-like wings unfurled over its shoulders, and two vicious tusks jutted straight out of its mouth. Bautan gulped nervously. I almost pity the babe…
Tanya paused when she walked past Ryo's room and noticed the crib empty, though Whiteblaze still napped on the floor. She continued walking but paused again when she saw Ryo's room empty, and Mia had already left for work. She noticed Anubis seated at the dining table and she walked down the stairs, scratching her head. "Hey, Anubis. Where's Ryo? I thought he came home from patrol same time as the rest of us?"
"Mia tasked Ryo with performing a duty only he is capable of enduring," Anubis replied simply. Tanya wrinkled her nose then glanced from side to side, thinking. Her expression lightened and she grinned widely. "He had to take Ryu to the doctor," they said simultaneously. Tanya chuckled richly a few moments and shook her head.
"Maaan, I don't envy Ryo that…" she commented.
"WAAAAAAHHHHH WAAAH WAAAH!"
"AHHHHHAAAAA!"
"EEEEE!"
Ryo scowled irritably, the only guy in the room. He glanced sideways at the woman holding her child in her arms, the child screaming at the top of his lungs. She clearly looked embarrassed and distraught and tried futilely to calm her babe, especially since his screaming made everyone else in the room scream. Yeesh, kid, you trying to break glass there? Ryo rolled his eyes and sighed. He glanced down at Ryu who, oddly enough, did not cry but instead plugged both ears with his fingertips and looked equally annoyed as Ryo. Yeah, I feel you kid… Ryu had yet to ever scream for any reason since Whiteblaze tended to him at virtually all hours, and Mia had the speaker system set up as well. Ryo sighed again and glanced up at the wait counter. He ended up having to take Ryu to a pediatrician, since pediatrics happened to be the one field Charles O'Connor did not specialize in, and therefore couldn't offer anything other than a referral.
He blinked and looked down when he felt movement and he stared wide-eyed in surprise as Ryu had turned himself over and began clambering over Ryo's arm and knee towards the screaming infant next seat over. Ryo found this surprising, especially since despite all of his and Mia's coaching, they had yet to get Ryu to crawl on his own at home. They tried leaving him on the carpet and enticing him with gestures or Whiteblaze, but the boy seemed content to merely sit in place and calmly assess his surroundings. Part of the reason for today's checkup stemmed from Mia's concern about his development, and yet here Ryu crawled on his own in the wait room.
Ryo's gaze followed Ryu as the boy braced one hand against Ryo's wrist and raised the other, curling his tiny fingers into a tiny fist. *SMACK!* Ryo's eyes went wide in shock as Ryu punched the screaming baby in the cheek, and immediately the boy ceased crying. Silence fell over the wait room with the utter cessation of crying and Ryu crawled back into Ryo's lap, rolled onto his back, and clasped his hands over his tummy contentedly. Ryo stared wide-eyed at Ryu then glanced awkwardly at the woman sitting next to him, who stared back, startled. The baby seemed similarly shocked and stared up at the ceiling, drooling idly. Ryo averted his gaze and scooted himself away in his seat slightly.
"Ooookaaay, here comes the Pegasi coming in to land at Mazzan…" Ryo said in a sing-song voice and maneuvered the small feeding spoon towards Ryu's mouth. Ryu opened his mouth and lipped the pulped carrot off of the spoon.
"Ryo…what are you doing…?" Sage muttered as he stared sideways at Ryo, who sat in a chair opposite of Ryu's high chair.
"Feeding the baby, what does it look like I'm doing?" Ryo calmly replied and fished out another spoonful for Ryu's waiting mouth.
"No…it looks like you're doing something completely different, something I find very disturbing…" Sage commented tightly. Ryo continued feeding Ryu, undeterred.
"Oh come on, didn't you have a younger sibling you had to care for when you were little?"
"…NO…" Sage half-growled, not liking to mention anything about his childhood.
"Oh good, you're already awake! Is he eating okay?" Mia asked as she entered the dining room and set her work bag down.
"Yup. For a little guy with no teeth, he sure does eat a lot," Ryo remarked and set the spoon down and looked over his shoulder to give Mia a quick kiss. "The doc said there wasn't anything to worry about besides the fact that he's gonna grow like a beanstalk from here on out." As he talked to Mia, Ryu leaned forward in his seat and reached out with his left hand and pulled the spoon towards him with his fingertips.
"Oh you think he's eating a ton right now, just be glad he doesn't have any of Kento's genes, then we'd really be in for it," Rowen teased as he came downstairs, overhearing the exchange. Ryo chuckled merrily and turned back to Ryu. He blinked when the spoon had disappeared from where he'd left it and he noticed Ryu holding it in his left hand. The babe currently leaned forward in his seat with great effort and reached out with his right hand, wiggling his fingers towards the jar on the table. Ryo glanced from him to the jar several times, confused. He reached up with one fingertip and gently nudged the jar towards the boy. Ryu grabbed the jar by the mouth and pulled it towards him, almost tipping it over. He grabbed the spoon by the neck and awkwardly began spooning out food into his mouth.
"Well would you look at that! Ryo, how old is he again?" Sage exclaimed.
"Four months…" Ryo replied, staring at Ryu in shock.
"Sounds about right. Though, according to my mom, I started at three. Then again I was born a certified genius…" Rowen shrugged and walked towards the kitchen.
"Yeah…" Ryo muttered uneasily as he watched Ryu feed himself. He remembered how Ryu had opened his eyes almost immediately after birth, and the deliberate way in which he seemed to act in certain situations, such as the wait room.
"Hey there, how's my favorite nephew," Tanya greeted as she came downstairs, followed by a sleepy Kento. Kento stretched his arms and yawned before noticing Ryu.
"Someone's taking a page out of my book. Hey, say hi to Uncle Kento!" Kento leaned over and wiggled his fingers. The now-empty jar of pulped carrot smacked him in the forehead, knocking him onto the floor. Tanya let out a sinister-sounding giggle. Ryo glanced back at Ryu, who seemed to have trouble keeping that last mouthful in his actual mouth. He kept moving his lower lip, trying to catch some that dribbled onto his chin. Ryo watched this a few seconds before rolling his eyes and reaching for a towel.
"You're trying to stuff it all in. C'mon, that's enough. You're making a mess of yourself," Ryo scolded and gently wiped Ryu's chin and mouth. He set the towel down on the table then carefully lifted Ryu out of the high seat, setting him against his shoulder. "Okay, c'mon, get it out of your system…" Ryo muttered and gently patted the boy's back. Ryu stared off into space disinterestedly. "Come ooon…" Ryo coaxed.
"BRAAAAAAAAAP!" Ryo grimaced from the loud outburst and turned to face Mia.
"Okay, I'm fairly certain that comes from your side of the family."
"Excuse me!? I'm not the one with a sister who burps like an ocean liner!" Mia paused in picking up her bag and heading out the door and put a knuckle on her hip. Tanya caught that remark and halted on her way to the kitchen.
"*censored* YOU!" she screamed a rather lengthy cuss word and flipped the bird.
"LANGUAGE!" Mia and Ryo shouted at her simultaneously.
"Bah! He's too young to know what it means!" Tanya retorted and threw up her arms and stalked into the kitchen.
"…what day is it today?" Kento muttered feebly from the floor. Sage glanced down briefly then returned to sipping his tea. He glanced at Ryo again as he kissed Mia goodbye on her way to work. Ryo certainly seemed like a different person since Ryu's birth. Being a dad had revived a long-dormant side of him. Sage sighed, wondering about what might have been before dismissing such unhealthy regrets from his mind. He glanced upstairs.
Cye had yet to join them that day.
"Bhazzak! Now Dynasty launches major offensive, of all times!?" Ita Tarmvun hissed under her breath as she and Miz Paufan monitored the situation on the console's main screen. Night had barely fallen and the Ronin had barely finished eating dinner together before the alarms went off signaling attacks in multiple parts of the city. Various blinking markers on the map indicated the separate teams and engagements.
"I know what you mean. Even the Captain's taken some of the others to assist. Why now of all times? Were they planning this all along?" Miz commented, remembering Kaosu's comments about Talpa biding his time. At that same moment in Kayura's personal chamber in the residential hall, Kayura and Kaosu both sat on a woven map meditating with the Staff standing infront of them. Without warning, the rings began clanging, alarming Kayura out of her trance. She sprang to her feet and snatched the Staff off the floor, leaving Kaosu startled by her sudden departure. In the Comm. room, Ita winced and glared out the corner of her eye. She rose out of her seat and looked over her shoulder.
"Miz, take helm," she ordered and stalked out of the room. Miz looked confused but did as told, with Ita being third in command behind Bak and Naz. "Gauraax Kayura? What is noise?" she demanded when she saw Kayura come out of the residential hall.
"Something's tripped the wards! There's something up top that poses a threat! Mia and Ryu are asleep, they might be in danger!" Kayura shouted as she ran towards the cable lifts.
"Miz, issue disengage request for Gauraax Ryo and Gauraax Tanya! NOW!" Ita shouted into her gauntlet communicator before chasing after Kayura.
Mia shifted in the sheets uncomfortably when she thought she heard a strange sound, like a scraping coming from the roof. She sat bolt upright when she heard a sharp growl coming from the baby monitor and flew out of bed, running for the nursery. Whiteblaze stood on all fours facing the window, hair raised and claws unsheathed. A flash of lightning from outside displayed a horrifying silhouette of a four-legged form with unfurled bat-like wings. Mia lunged for the crib and scooped up a sleepy Ryu, who yet remained unaware of the danger. She turned and ran out of the room with Whiteblaze following behind her merely seconds before something burst in through the window, lunging straight for the crib and smashing it.
Flying splinters stuck in Mia's hair as she ran downstairs screaming. She headed for the closet and the entrance to the Roost. The lights in the dining room went out suddenly and Mia paused in the dark. They flickered back on and Mia's eyes widened when she saw a child-like version of Kayura standing in her path: Kylyra.
"Now…where do you think you are going?" Kylyra purred. Mia panicked and backed away. Whiteblaze placed himself between them and growled angrily. Mia ran for the door, and Whiteblaze ran with her. Despite his instincts demanding he battle Kylyra, he knew he had to protect Mia and Ryu at all times. Mia scooped up her keys on the way outside.
Where's Ryo? RYO! I NEED HELP! Mia's mind panicked and her heart raced. Weren't Kayura's wards meant to repel such attacks? Was Kylyra able to slip past because of her unique powers? What was that thing upstairs? Mia saw her car just up ahead and gasped in relief. Relief quickly turned into horror when a robed figure descended into her path.
"There will be no escape for you this night, mortal woman…for you or the babe," Bautan smirked. Whiteblaze roared and lunged, claws splayed. Bautan squawked and threw up his hands, unleashing a crackling net of violet energy that snared Whiteblaze and held him squirming midair. Whiteblaze roared in protest and thrashed mightily but Bautan lowered him to the ground and kept him pinned. Mia turned to go back inside but saw Kylyra standing on the front stoop.
"This might be easier than we thought. We might not have needed the fearix after all." Mia clutched Ryu close to her breast, and the boy seemed more irritated than afraid. Her heart fell when everything fell into place: the reason why Talpa had staged multiple attacks across the city, the same way he'd attempted the night she gave birth. Even if Ryo responded to a distress call, there was no way he'd arrive in time to intervene. In seconds, she and Ryu would die.
A little girl with black hair bound in a single ponytail ran over and put herself in between Kylyra and Mia. She wore a worn-looking pink tank top and bleached denim shorts and held up what looked like a blue blanket taut between her hands. "You leave my sister alone!" the girl declared. Mia blinked in confusion.
Sister? Wait, who is this kid? Mia wondered as Kylyra dismissed her own confusion and chuckled menacingly.
"Who are you to threaten me, little girl?" Kylyra chuckled and closed her eyes, not seeing the way the girl coiled up her blanket. "OW!" Kylyra cried out when the girl smacked her in the face, using the coiled up blanket like a whip.
"Only you would let a child deter you so, Kylyra. I will finish this myself," Bautan sniffed.
"You will do no such thing, monster. Stay away from my grandson!"
What is going on here? Mia watched an elderly-looking woman stalk towards them and place herself between Mia and Bautan. Though wrinkles etched her face and her hair considerably grayed, the woman held herself tall and bony-looking fingers gripped what looked like a rolling pin tight in one hand.
"You don't remember me, but I remember you," the woman stated to Bautan.
"It-it cannot be!" Bautan stammered incredulously, moving backwards slightly.
"It's because of you I look this way. You tried to kill us, tore my family apart, it took all of the strength I had to keep my last daughter safe. Now after all these years we've found our family again, I won't let you take that away again!" the woman growled.
Is she…I thought…I thought Ryo said she was dead! After that fire…after he and his father were left alone…did…did she fake her own death to escape the Dynasty? And this girl… Mia glanced over her shoulder at the little girl-who looked at least seven or eight- standing steadfast against Kylyra. Wispy black bangs hung over defiant bronze-brown eyes, and age-grayed strands, almost lavender in color hung over vivid bronze-brown eyes. This…this is Ryo's Mother! and a sister he never even knew he had!
"Out of the way, old woman! Lest you be-AACK!" Bautan squawked, barely drifting back in time to avoid a savage swipe by the woman's rolling pin.
"I don't know if spirits have privates but I'll enjoy finding out!" the woman snarled.
Well I guess that's where Tanya gets her temper…
"If I have to go through you to kill the babe, then so be it!" Kylyra declared and stabbed with a sword. The little girl skipped to the side nimbly and lashed her coiled blanket around Kylyra's wrists, yanking her swords off-course, causing them to stick into the ground.
"Mia, now's your chance! Get back inside!" the woman shouted over her shoulder.
"This is absurd! Fearix, come here!" Bautan called out. Mia had just barely stepped towards the now-clear door when she heard a chilling growl and saw something land on the ground.
Two large straight tusks jutted forward out of a mouth dotted with few other teeth. A pointed tongue ran along the edges of thick fleshy purple gums. It glowered at Mia with glittering green eyes with yellow slitted pupils. A long thick tail tipped with a spiked ball lashed behind powerful legs. Dark fleshy-colored wings unfurled from its shoulders. The top of its head almost resembled a helmet, smooth and hard with two spikes jutting from the back of the skull in place of ears. The devil-cat stalked towards Mia, snarling hungrily.
"MIA!" the elderly woman cried in horror. That instant of distraction gave Bautan a window to seize her by the wrists, paralyzing her and forcing her to drop her makeshift weapon. Kylyra managed to subdue the little girl by snaring her ankles with one of her sword whips and yanking her off balance. Whiteblaze thrashed against the energy snare, roaring furiously at the sight of the monstrous devil-cat stalking closer to Mia.
The two tusks protruding from the front of its upper jaw came closer, inch by inch, to Mia's chest where she held Ryu. It's lower jaw shuddered in anticipation and it seemed to purr in perverse glee. While Mia remained frozen in terror, Ryu squirmed in her arms and pulled himself up slightly. She blinked when she saw him curl his fist and raise it as the two tusks drew within a hairbreadth from them both. Ryu's fist shot out and he punched the devil-cat in the nose.
The fearix blinked, looking confused by the sudden strike. Ryu punched the nose again, and even though he had no hope of causing damage, apparently the gesture befuddled the monster. Mia gasped in surprise when she saw a red light coming from Ryu's forehead. The fearix recoiled slightly and the light radiated through the yard.
"Bautan! Is that what I think it is?" Kylyra demanded.
"I…I cannot believe it…yet it is there for all to see! This babe…he…he is an Armor Heir!" Bautan stammered. Mia blinked in shock and stared down at Ryu. "The power of Wildfire courses through his veins! For him to Ignite at such a young age…no wonder Master Talpa wanted him disposed of!" Sure enough, the Heart of Virtue burned brightly on Ryu's brow.
"Then all the more reason to finish him off…" Kylyra narrowed her eyes.
Fight…FIGHT! Mia didn't know what to think when she heard a voice in her mind she'd never heard before. He is your SON. FIGHT! PROTECT HIM! YOU ARE HIS MOTHER! PROTECT HIM! the voice ordered, sounding simultaneously like a babbling brook and a crack of thunder. Anger replaced fear and Mia's face contorted with rage. She balled her free hand into a fist and drove it with all her might into the beast's nose.
"You get away! YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY SON, YOU HEAR ME! YOU STAY AWAY!" Mia shrieked as she punched repeatedly, the blows jarring her to the shoulder. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM! I WON'T LET YOU LAY SO MUCH AS A SINGLE CLAW ON HIM! YOU STAY AWAY!" The fearix blinked dumbly from the continued hits.
"I was afraid of this…fearixes are prone to becoming disoriented when faced with a different target. It was tasked with killing only the boy…" Bautan muttered. "Fearix, kill both the mother and the babe!" Bautan ordered. The fearix snarled and lunged forward slightly, forcing Mia to back away. "Kill any who oppose you…" Bautan added as the beast closed in.
Just then, a silvery-armored form rammed into the fearix, sending it flying. Instead of skidding on the ground, it sprang into the air and unfurled its wings, flapping them briefly before coming to land on all fours. "Blackblaze!?" Mia blinked in shock.
"Help's on the way, Mia! Ita, get her to the Roost!" Kayura called out as she arrived.
"GAURAAX MIA! HANG ON!" Ita Tarmvun shouted as she ran towards Mia, arms held wide. Mia didn't know what to think as Ita scooped her and Ryu into her arms and pelted away from the house and towards the slope leading down to the abandoned road.
"Fearix! Stop them!" Bautan ordered. Blackblaze tried to tackle it, but the fearix flapped its wings and sprang out of reach before landing on the ground and bounding after Ita. It gained on her rapidly. Ita glanced over her shoulder and scowled then did something unusual: she rolled onto her back and began sledding down the slope using her smooth shell, gripping her tail to steer. Ryu squealed in delight from the ride while Mia yelped in surprise. They arrived at the bottom of the slope near the entrance tunnel. The first security door slid open and Ita sprang to her feet and ran inside, the door closing behind them.
Ita set Mia down carefully and made a rare smile when Ryu waved his hand, grabbing for her moustache. She leaned down slightly and began speaking in the Thunthen language, cooing and humming. In that moment, Mia got the brief impression that at some point, Ita herself had once been a mother. The moment ended abruptly when the security door shuddered and two spike-like bulges formed in the dererium plate. The bulge grew larger from another blow.
"Impossible! Door solid dererium!" Ita exclaimed wide-eyed.
"It's that thing! I think it's one of Dygra's beasts. They're capable of damaging dererium!" Mia remarked, stepping away from the buckling door.
"Must get you safe. Inside! Beast has six more doors!" Ita said and led Mia further down the tunnel into the main cavern. Mia glanced at the door, Bautan's remark repeating in her thoughts.
Back outside, the fearix rose up on its hind paws and scrabbled furiously at the thick sheet of metal, rending deep grooves in the door. It threw its head back and roared in rage at being denied. Blackblaze approached from behind and the fearix turned in his direction. Blackblaze drew out a Soul Sword and tensed to pounce. The fearix spread its wings and sprang into the air, but instead of engaging Blackblaze, it glided above him and landed on the slope, bounding straight back towards the estate.
"The woman cannot hide for long. The fearix will not stop until it seizes its prey!" Bautan taunted as the elderly woman squirmed in his grip. "Gaagh! What the-" Bautan grimaced and flinched when something splashed his face.
"Hey Bautan!" Bautan glanced to the side and saw Cye of Torrent standing several feet away. He didn't have gasoline, but he dropped a now-empty bottle of oil to the ground and held up one clenched hand, lifting his thumb to strike a single match. He smirked mischievously. Bautan's eyes widened and he recoiled in realization, releasing the woman. Cye flung the match at him and Bautan's robes immediately caught fire.
"AAH! AAH! AAH! AAAH!" Bautan shrieked and flailed his arms madly before vanishing. The energy snare holding Whiteblaze dispersed as a result and he rose to all fours.
"Bautan!" Kylyra exclaimed in protest.
"As for you…try picking on someone your own size!" Cye lunged, clawnchers raised. Kylyra had to recall her sword whip from the little girl's ankles and spring away as Cye used the blades of his harpoons to slash at her. Kylyra tried to spring back to put distance between them, but Cye fired his harpoons repeatedly. The fervor, almost savagery with which he attacked surprised Kylyra as she barely stayed ahead of the harpoons striking the ground. She scowled and tried to duck under the line of fire and charge Cye. Just as her swords blades came close, he caught them between the blades of his harpoons and wrenched each clawncher to the side, snapping the blades in half.
"Enough of this! Fearix, kill them all!" Kylyra commanded before vanishing.
"Where is my son and daughter!" the elderly woman demanded as Cye approached. The little girl pushed herself to her feet and dusted her legs off
"The battle's too thick for them to disengage. Help is on the way, though. Taking care of Bautan and Kylyra was the easy part…" Cye looked up as the bat-winged fearix landed on the lawn some distance away. It glared at them hungrily. "Now we have *this* thing to deal with…" Cye put himself between the fearix and the woman and child.
Loud clanging drew his gaze to the side as WILDCAT barged in and plowed into the fearix, bowling it over and sending it skidding onto its back. It scrambled to its feet, thrashing its tail and tearing up chunks of grass. Before it could steady itself, Whiteblaze pounced and dug his claws into the beast's spine. His jaws clamped down between its shoulders and the fearix bellowed in pain, flapping its wings furiously. It rose into the air and tilted sideways slightly, trying to throw Whiteblaze. Blackblaze arrived and sprang into the air, slashing with the Soul Sword in his mouth and severing the wing limb between the joint and the shoulder halfway. The fearix sagged towards the ground, its wing hanging limp.
"Let's get you two inside before this thing gets any ideas," Cye and the woman and child backed towards the door. The fearix spotted them and snarled, lunging mightily. The woman screamed in alarm but the fearix jerked and landed on its stomach suddenly. WILDCAT held its tail fast between her jaws. The fearix rolled onto its side and curled up, pulling itself towards WILDCAT and sinking its teeth into her shoulder. WILDCAT grunted in pain and let go of the tail, and the fearix promptly smacked her in the chin with the spiked ball. It attempted to rise to its feet only for Whiteblaze to dig is claws into the wing shoulders and bite it in the back of the neck. Blackblaze dropped the Soul Sword from his mouth and lunged for the fearix's throat.
Cye and the woman and child watched, transfixed by the struggle as the fearix tried to stab Blackblaze with its tusks, but merely dented the plates covering his neck. The fearix thrashed and growled, letting out an almost pitiful-sounding moan. WILDCAT tackled it from behind and sunk her claws into its hindquarters, keeping it pinned. Whiteblaze tightened his grip on the back of the beast's neck and Blackblaze similarly clenched his jaws, drawing precious life blood-or whatever firey ichor passed for such-from the devil-cat's throat. The fearix's spasms became weaker and it sagged onto its stomach. Its eyes opened and closed weakly and a shuddering sigh emanated from its gaping maw. It let out a final rattling groan before going limp altogether.
"You can let go of it, Whiteblaze. It's dead," Cye said softly. Whiteblaze and WILDCAT released their death grips while Blackblaze was slower to back away. "What on earth was this thing?" Cye asked and glanced at Kayura, who stared down at the still corpse.
"A fearix. They're a hybrid between a manticore and a dragon. I didn't think any more existed in this day and age…it seems Dygra kept one among her twisted pets. They're nicknamed 'assassin-cats' or 'devil-cats' for a reason, since once they have the scent of prey, they are utterly relentless." Unlike other monstrosities, the carcass did not dissolve or burn.
"CYE!" Cye looked up when he saw Ryo and Tanya arrive, in full armor. "Mia! Is she-?"
"Ita took her down to the Roost," Cye began and stepped away, giving Ryo a full view of the elderly woman and little girl. His eyes widened when he saw her face and he dropped his swords. Cye kept out of the way and smiled warmly, quietly bearing witness to the reunion.
"I-I have to be dreaming this…this can't be happening!" Ryo stammered as he approached the woman and slipped off his helmet, letting it drop onto the ground before he threw his arms around her shoulders.
"I'm so sorry…I wanted to be there with you…for both of you…I wanted us to still be a family…now after all this time…if only your father were here," the elderly woman croaked.
"MOM!" Tanya ran over and hugged the woman as well, peeling off her helmet and flinging it to the side. The woman removed one arm from Ryo's shoulder and draped it over Tanya's back, clapping her hand against Tanya's shoulder plate. "We thought you died…" Tanya whispered, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.
"I had to. To everyone, in order to protect her…" the woman pulled away slightly.
"Hey there…who might you be?" Tanya asked and knelt down to greet the little girl.
"Kayli. You're my big sister, right?"
"Yes, yes I think so. I didn't know I had a little sister."
"Neither did I. I'm Ryo. Wow, look at you! Mom must've had you just after the fire for you to be so big!" Ryo patted Kayli on the head, measuring how tall she stood compared to him.
"Cye…what's going on?" Kayura asked in a hushed tone as she walked over to stand beside him. "These are relatives of Ryo?"
"His mother, and sister," Cye replied, Kayura raised both eyebrows in surprise. "After the fire that separated Tanya from Ryo and his father, his mother fled into the woods to live in hiding. She tried to contact them, but when she found out she was pregnant, she had no choice but to stay in seclusion until she gave birth and could raise her last child. I first saw her in my vision, but I didn't find out she really existed until just recently. I've been visiting them in the early morning, telling them about what's happened in the time since then."
"KAYURA!" Kayura jumped when she heard her name screamed and she saw Mia come out from the front of the house, still holding Ryu in her arms.
"Mia! You're alright! Hey, listen, this is my mom, Renee Sanada! She's alive, after all this time! I-" Ryo stepped away from Renee, leaving her with Tanya and Kayli.
"KAYURA!" Mia screamed again, walking past Ryo. "Is it true?! What Bautan said? Is it true?!" Mia demanded as she confronted the Staff Bearer. Renee nodded at her son, indicating he should tend to his wife first. Ryo followed at Mia's side and glanced from her to Kayura, who looked dismayed and reluctant. "Is it?!"
"Kayura…what's going on? What is she talking about?" Ryo asked, puzzled. "Cye? Do you know anything about this?" Cye remained silent and folded his arms over his chest.
"Mia…" Kayura began sympathetically and frowned.
"TELL ME!" Mia shrieked, her entire body shuddering with fury. Kayura stared into her eyes sadly then moved the Staff forward, bringing the ornamented head close to Ryu. The rings began clanging and the orb glowed brightly. Ryu reached up towards the rings, trying to grab them as they moved. A glowing red mark appeared on his forehead and burned brightly. Ryo's eyes widened in shock when he recognized the symbol.
"When it comes time that Ryo should pass into the Afterworld, the Armor of Wildfire shall pass onto Ryu, for in him burns the Heart of Virtue. He is the first Armor Heir to Ignite in this age," Kayura explained solemnly and pulled the Staff away, the mark dimming at the same time.
"…no…No! NO!" Mia stammered and shook her head, taking a step back.
"Mia…" Ryo began softly.
"HE'S A CHILD! He's just a baby! He isn't even a year old yet! How can you expect him to live that kind of life-!" Mia cried then choked back sobs and gulped down her cries. She sniffled and blinked tears from her eyes. "…Who am I kidding…it's in his blood…" she laughed weakly, remembering that brazen fiery-haired man who had intervened to protect her in her mind during the Dynasty's attack on the hospital, a young man she now knew would be her grown son. All of those events she hadn't been able to understand at the time made sense now: Reiou's secret augury, the Soul Hunter's remarks.
"Mia," Ryo placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him. "I know I'm going to die in the End Tide, but that doesn't mean we still can't be a normal family until then," Ryo assured and smiled warmly. He glanced to the side at his mother and two sisters as Tanya let Kayli sit on her shoulders. Kayli scolded Tanya on the merits of only having one ponytail as opposed to two and gripped both Tanya's ponytails, lashing them like the reins on a horse. Tanya tilted her head to one side and snorted back a retort. "At least, as normal as can be had around here…" he chuckled. Mia laughed weakly and she shifted Ryu in her arms slightly.
"Baba, baba…" Ryu burbled and waved a hand through the air.
"Oh? Hey Blackblaze, I think someone wants to say thank you," Cye teased. Blackblaze approached Mia, looking surly as usual. Whiteblaze observed warily from off to the side while WILDCAT nursed her damaged shoulder.
"C'mon, be nice and say hi," Ryo chided. Mia held Ryu out towards the Nether Tiger. Blackblaze decided to humor the babe and glowered at him from under his helmet. Ryu reached out and patted the black tiger's muzzle. Cye watched the scene from off to the side and smiled. Then Ryu grabbed a handful of Blackblaze's whiskers and tugged strongly, pulling part of Blackblaze's upper lip up at the same time. Cye winced sympathetically and Blackblaze's eyes popped wide open in alarm. "Gaah! Watch the nose!"
This is the first of a series of three "bridge" episodes set in the interim between Fight Alone and the next series. I originally planned to release all three at once but ended up having to do significant rewriting. While this officially concludes the Legacy of Wildfire miniseries, other storylines will be touched on from here on through the rest of Age of Defiance.
Top 10 Animated Series that inspired Age of Defiance
Since FFN rules prohibit the posting of "Top 10 lists" I decided to tack this on here at the end. These are animated shows I watched in my youth that provided inspiration for various elements present in the Age of Defiance universe.
10. Pirates of Dark Water
Move over Pirates of the Cashgrabean, this show was the *censored* back in the day. Presenting a vividly realized world, nuanced characters, and intricate plots, they just don't make them like this anymore. The series follows a young prince and a ragtag group of companions on a quest to save the world from sentient, devouring goo by obtaining ancient magical treasures, all the while pursued by a monstrous pirate captain and his equally monstrous henchmen. As is the fate with many animated shows of such creativity, the show ended without a resolution, though on a relatively positive note with most of the treasures recovered and the forces of evil at bay.
In particular I remember an episode where an aging alchemist embarks on a foolish quest to distill a potion of youth from Dark Water, reasoning that "some good can be obtained from evil". She succeeds largely and steals the treasures from Ren in order to prevent him from interfering with her plans. She gets it into her head to marry the pirate lord Bloth, deeming him handsome for some reason (perhaps to have very ugly pirate babies?). However, literally halfway down the aisle, she begins to decay due to the Dark Water. In the ensuing battle, with her dying breath she presents Ren with a bouquet of flowers for him to keep "in remembrance". It is later revealed that she hid the stolen treasures in the bouquet, but Ren decides to take the treasures and throw the bouquet into the sea, reasoning that "it's better to let go of some memories". So tragic…
Funnily enough I remember reading a crossover fic years and years ago where Kento was stealing minga melons from Niddler…
9. Sky Surfer Strike Force
This is a very fun, very obscure series full of exciting action, outlandish plots, and unique characters. Interesting note, many voice actor vets are present including Michael Donavan (Sage), Paul Dobson (Anubis), Ward Perry (Rowen) Richard Newman (Cale), and Matt Smith (Dais). Though fairly short-lived, it provided a rich source of ideas for elements in AoD such as the Thangiens, the Mutant Warlords, and an as-yet-to-be-revealed set of new Armors as well as future characters. Unfortunately the series ended without a clear resolution so we never do get to find out what really happened to Jack Hollister's dad or the identity of Cybron.
Probably the episode I remember best is where the Sky Surfers thwart an attack by Cybron's mutant BioBorgs and attracts the attention of a second-rate performing magician. The magician follows the BioBorgs back to Cybron's base and offers his services if he's turned into a BioBorg. Cybron agrees and has him undergo the procedure, turning him into the BioBorg Abracon with powers on par/surpassing the other BioBorgs like Replicon. Abracon is tasked with stealing a magical ancient artifact and succeeds in delivering it to Cybron, but his overconfidence becomes his downfall as the curse attached to the artifact strips him of his power. This provided the inspiration for Jennifer Carole/Black Hawk's backstory!
8. Voltron: Defender of the Universe
Who didn't grow up with this series? Full of heroes you hated to love and villains you loved to hate, pieced together from multiple anime series, Voltron had generations of kids following the adventures of brave space explorers and their battle against Planet Doom on behalf of Planet Arus. The show wasn't without a hefty heaping helping of child-friendly censorship and budget trimming, with battle scenes being reused heavily and multiple plot elements and characters being altered from their originals. Regardless, it had its fair share of violence with enemies-turned-robeasts being slaughtered wholesale (or exploded in grandiose fashion like Commander Yurak).
One of my favorite episodes involved the lovesick creep Prince Lotor launching yet another attack against the Voltron Force. During a training session with Princess Allura piloting Black Lion and Keith piloting Blue Lion, Allura is knocked out of commission and Lotor orders the capture of Blue Lion, intending to capture the Princess he assumes is piloting. Keith turns the tables, however, and uses Blue Lion to bite the crap out of Lotor's personal ship leaving the pervy prince incredulous as he thinks a delicate prize like Allura cannot possibly fight so viciously. Kento's Avatar form is loosely based on Prince Avok's robeast form from "My Brother is a Robeast" with other elements from the Third Dimension episode "Grey Lion".
7. Spiderman the Animated Series
This. Show. Was. *censored*. Awesome. Flying in the face of gratuitous censorship of the day, this series lasted for a healthy amount of seasons and showcased a myriad of plot points and characters directly from the comics. Though the animation is a bit dated by today's standards, it possessed a rare and rich world and cast of characters. One of the few animated shows allowed to end on a relative high note, it didn't escape hefty censorship in reruns in later years. A lot of the more sci-fi elements present in AoD are inspired from this series (I would argue the closest and truest to the original spirit of the classic comics unlike SOME RECENT ENTRIES…)
I somewhat suspect the reason it took literally years for the Ronin Warriors OVA's to be released in America had to do with the presence of the Twin Towers in some shots of Manhattan. For that same reason, one line of dialogue in particular where Kraven the Hunter, tasked with tracking a mutated Peter Parker, reveals to the Punisher that he discovered Man-Spider's lair by "detecting the scent of debris from the terrorist attack" was completely omitted in later airings.
6. Conan the Adventurer
I loved this series. I never saw the movies with Arnold, nor read the classic novels, but this was bread and butter for me as a child. Each episode seemed to cram so much into such a short period of time. There's some animated shows that last only one or two seasons but seem to explore quite a bit, whereas others can drag on for over 200+ episodes with very little progression (YES I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU INU YASHA!). Despite being toned down for young audiences, many elements of the series remained fairly faithful to the source material of the classic novels, albeit with changed names/locations. Michael Donavan represent as the beefy, brusque barbarian.
It's fairly rare you see the level of gravity and violence in an animated series. Chiefly I remember when Jezmine returned to visit her parents only to find out to her horror that they served the villain, Wrath-Amon, and on top of that, her dad was a snakeman, making her half-snakeman as well. They captured her and her friends intending to turn them over to Wrath-Amon, but Jezmine's dad had a last-minute change of heart and actually tried to protect his daughter. In retaliation, Wrath-Amon overpowered him and threw him at Conan deliberately, triggering the banishing effect of Conan's Starmetal Sword and sending Jezmine's dad into the Abyss. As if that wasn't enough, he tossed her mom through the portal as well. What a dick!
5. Digimon Digital Monsters seasons 1 & 2
It is pretty much impossible to keep that song from getting stuck in your head. Following a progressing storyline, we got to see the kids come into their own and save the freaking world. One pet peeve of mine is when a character in a show is supposed to learn a profound lesson, then literally the next episode later they go back to making the exact same douchey mistake. With the DigiDestined, you saw characters fleshed out moving towards specific goals and aspirations. I specifically reference only the first and second seasons, as the third season kind of went into a weird point and things just went downhill from there for me. I'm not terribly impressed with Digimon Tri either, as it sounds like a heaping helping of retcons that uproots the high-note the series ended on unless its some bizzarro alternaverse like that one clip I saw where every 'leader' DigiDestined arrives to fight an army of MaloMyotismons and VenomMyotismons.
This series provided the basis for the Neo Ronin as well as a TBA type of new Armor. The basic design for Mal Daggur's figure is loosely based on Wargreymon among other elements from other series. By far my most favorite scene involved an older TK confronting Ken Ichijouji, the self-styled 'Digimon Emperor'. After taking a whiplash to the face, TK proceeds to calmly admonish Ken against resorting to violence…then proceeds to beat the royal pudding out of him! Even Patamon joins in, getting into a bout with the diminutive Wormmon. Yeauugh!
4. King Arthur and the Knights of Justice
This is a very old series that probably flies under the radar for a lot of people. The legendary wizard Merlin summons a team of football players into the past to take the place of the real King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable in order to protect Camelot from the sorceress Morgana and Lord Viper and his Warlords of Stone. This provided the earliest inspiration for the AnimArmors, since each of the knights used specialized magical armor with the ability to summon powerful tools or beasts, such as lion, eagle, ram, and panther. Arthur King aka King Arthur had the ability to summon a MOTHER*censored* DRAGON! How cool is that?
Unfortunately the series wasn't allowed to conclude, and we never got to find out whether the knights return to their timeline or not. The only way to return to their time involved freeing the real King Arthur and his knights from crystal prisons, and the only way to do that was obtaining the magical Keys of Truth. One knight got so desperate to return to the future, he grabbed a key belonging to another knight only to watch helplessly as the key melted right through his fingers, forgetting the magical stipulation that only an assigned knight is able to touch his destined key upon finding it. While the key could reappear eventually in the future, this set things back for the team. Dick move dude…
3. Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron
If you haven't seen this show, you haven't lived! Awesome theme song, awesome characters, awesome villains, awesome action. A fully original concept that delivered in every single episode. This provided rich inspiration for the Raider, the Rider, and the Clawnchers. Though the Glovetrix were more multipurpose gadgets, whereas Clawnchers are specialized to their respective armor: Ryo's claw darts, Sage's light blades, Kento's concussion blaster etc.
Like many shows on this list, this series met a short end because the powers that be in the parent studio deemed the show too 'violent' for kids. (I'm looking at you, Ted Turner…) I would contend that wanton censorship adversely effects children's sense of moral understanding. They aren't encouraged to think about the weight of consequences as much these days. Instead of presenting a dilemma and a resolution, most modern shows seem to want to bludgeon morality into children rather than exploring the nuances. I don't recall any kid using a chemistry set to try and emulate Dr. Viper…
2. DC animated universe (Batman Animated/Superman/Justice League/Batman Beyond/Static Shock)
Spanning almost 20 years, this franchise got it right and did it well. One of the few franchises allowed to fully explore its cast of characters and plotlines along many twists and turns. Many storylines gave inspiration to many AoD plotlines present and future. Hawkgirl is probably my favorite character. The episode I remember best was the exciting two-parter Legends from Justice League, where some members of the team are thrown into an alternate universe inhabited by peppy squeaky clean versions of themselves and equally campy versions of their adversaries. A very strange episode (with an odd Evangelion homage thrown in at the beginning…) a saccharine opening ends bittersweetly. "Tales of the Dark Knight" and "Last Resort" are second favorites.
I find it quite annoying when series are axed without a sense of resolution because of some reason or another. For example, Batman Beyond ended up getting canceled because apparently more girls watched it than boys, and the higher ups felt that girls weren't inclined to buy the toys. Guess they never heard of shounen…
1. Gargoyles
Woefully ahead of its time, this show displayed a seamless marriage of science fiction and fantasy with a star-studded cast of voice actors, stellar animation, and deep plots. In my opinion probably the best animated series of the time. Despite all of this talent, the series had a fairly lackluster conclusion with the dismal third season. Fans created a revival called the Gargoyles Saga using the episode "The Journey" as a springboard. Some of the best writing I ever found came from this fandom, though after the third season most if not all of the writers dropped off the face of the planet, seeing as how the site has not been updated since 2006…
Very mature for its audience, characters made mistakes, learned from them, sought redemption, fell into folly, and suffered incalculable tragedies. Elisa's outright grief upon discovering the fate of her brother, Broadway flying off the handle and launching into a grief-induced crusade against guns. As my sister once aptly descriped: "This show is too grown up for little kids". My favorite line, and I would contend one of the best lines of dialogue in an animated series, comes from the episode "Vows". Starting off with the wedding between off/on again villain Xanatos and Fox Reynard and launching off into time-traveling shenanigans and intrigue, towards the end when Xanatos finishes gloating about the secret to his vast wealth, his estranged father Petros takes out a coin and flips it at him. Xanatos catches it and asks what it is, Petros replies "A simple American penny. It's not worth much now, but in a thousand years, who knows? It's my wedding present to you, because it seems to be the only thing you care about." Father and son would eventually reconcile with Petros holding the line to defend his newborn grandson against the magical tyrant King Oberon. A close second for favorite quote is "It's my first real stab at cliché villainy…how am I doing?"
I've actually toyed around with doing a few Gargoyles fanfics, but so far they've remained on the back burner as I devote much of my creative energies to Age of Defiance.
