The True You

by Axathr

A remixed fanfic in honor of Ryker. For those of you who are new, read Light In My Darkness to better understand the main characters. Story won't be a simple rewrite, but will take place in different arcs (so if you like long stories with slightly long chapters, here you go) and the plot will be as unique as possible from LIMD's plot. Rated M for blood, gore, and explicit language.

1. Chapter 1

For those still looking forward to The Hidden Flame, we're not sure about continuing it. Our co-writer has been out of contact for a while now and until we get word from him, THL will be on hold for a while.

Shoutouts to the following (and thank you for those who sent their condolences): TristanLeo, LigerHorse, gwojo, NightTheWatcher, AuraCaster, and sunny1234!

*note-Did some final edits and additions to this chapter the night before, saved it on a document app, opened it up later with plans to post it here only to find out that the app glitched out and didn't save! T.T Pissed me off SOOO VERY MUCH. Had to redo a lot of this!

Read, review(if you'd like), and enjoy...

"Speech"-Verbal Speech

Speech-Mental thoughts/Conversations/Sarcasm, emphasis

"Speech"-Verbal Speech from flashbacks

Speech-Mental thoughts or conversations in flashbacks/Otherworldly Speech

Speech-Attacks (moves)

Chapter 1: The Calm and the Storm

Orange-yellow to red leaves of autumn settled all around the forest, the setting sun complementing the beautiful scenery perfectly with its dimming rays. The trees were tall and thick, they had the capability to easily make one lost in their journey through the forest. Birds of many kinds were sounding off with their variety of chirps and calls. Every now and then, a squirrel would chit-chatter with its companion. One could hear the slow moving river off to the west which led to three large waterfall of significant height, each were separated by rock paths. The crashing falls dropped off to a single large pool where the surface underneath the water was completely absent of any dangerous rock spires.

And yet, with all this, it's barely scratching the surface of the entirety of the landmass known as Zenith which was a part of Moonfyre, an ancient continent. Zenith had several forests, though most of them paled in comparable to the one at subject. One could say that this forest was a paradise among few that had been present since the Grove, known for its winds that were rumored to whisper one's innermost desires at the heart of the forest, was rather more bustling than usual compared to its other days. It was normally very quiet. Perhaps, the forest was responding to an unknown force of sorts. After all, it wouldn't be that surprising, as there were many mystical beings in Zenith.

The Fenrir returning to the large cave hidden behind some forest foliage, being one such being. Humans usually describe them as large and vicious predators, always seeking out to sate their hunger through the flesh of man. The people of Zenith were very cautious when it came to the Fenrir, they usually kept their distance and only resorted to violence if one came too close to their liking. Such event was common at this time, and the Fenrir were nearly extinct with only very few remaining. It was amazing, really, that the humans were able to kill off as many as they did with the Fenrir not being a force to be reckoned with.

In the cave, the large canine placed his recent kill, a deer, onto the stony floor. He didn't mind the few droplets of blood that splattered on his forelegs with him dropping the deer, he could always clean his asphalt-colored fur later after they finished eating. At the sight of them, his mood heightened and the cave became slightly lit with the blue runic flames trailing all around the entire left side of his body, including his bat-like wings and left horn.

I'm back, and with a rather plump one as well. he announced to his family, nuzzling his mate. She was about the same size as him, standing about three meters tall on all fours. Her silver fur was spotless, save for the red runic markings that decorated her muzzle and around her eyes. She held an atmosphere of grace and authority, whereas her mate stood with pride and ruggedness. Her scarlet red eyes contrasted nicely with his cool blue ones, the former resembling ruby gems and the latter resembling icy fire. While she had a lean body and lacked horns, her mate was moderately muscular and had horns that were sprouted into two straight spikes that can easily gore something or someone. It was clear who was the faster one of the two large winged wolves, though it was also obvious who was physically stronger. They were both equally wise though, their minds sharp and as mature as they had been when the two reached adulthood many centuries ago. It was as they should be, the Fenrir's lifespan lasted for a few millenias.

I can see that, love. Midnight, the female adult Fenrir, said to her mate. It would be more than enough for us and our pups. As expected of my daring hunter. Shadow chuckled, the sound resembled two rocks being clashed together along with the deep baritone of a growl, at her last statement and looked in between his mate's forelegs. He was amused, seeing one of his two pups eyeing the deer with hunger.

Now now, son, wait for your brother to join us before we eat. Shadow said to the black pup. The pup was about the size of a normal adult wolf. Though, he still had the proportions of a young pup such as his barely developing muzzle and harmless paws that lacked the claws his parents had. His wings were miniature in comparison to those of his parents', they looked inproportional and too large for the rest of his body though that was normal. The pup did not have the runic flames or markings like his parents, though he would soon have them with growth. He did not have any horns yet, though his parents knew that they would grow just as fierce as Shadow's, perhaps more. All in all, the pup was as healthy as he can be. The one peculiar thing about him though, and Shadow was very proud of it, was the fact that his son had white irises instead of the red or blue of his parents. It was a sign, proof that the pup would be the one to fully master the Void.

Of course. I know that, Father. Shadow's son replied as he sat patiently, waiting as his mother turned around to procure his little brother. A family rises, eats, hunt, and sleeps together. Shadow felt his chest swell with pride at his son's response. Father, when will I able to hunt with you and Mother?

When you and Vulcan are old enough. As of right now, neither of you are ready yet and your mother, as well as myself, must rotate everyday with one leaving to hunt and one staying to look after the two of you. Shadow chuckled again at his son's crestfallen expression, the latter's ears twitched and his tail was tucked in with disappointment. As subtle as the movements were, Shadow could always see through his son's well guarded emotions. Do not worry, son, it won't be long before you are old enough. I'll take you with me on a hunt to teach you our ways of tracking and taking down our prey while your mother takes care of Vulcan. By then, it won't be long before he, too, becomes old enough to join in on the hunt. At this, the pup's expression became neutral and his tail began to subtly sway back and forth in eagerness. His son guarded his feelings rather well for one of his age.

Would you move aside for your younger brother, please? Midnight told her son. The black pup instantly moved to the side and sat back on his haunches as his mother gently released her precious cargo from her jaws to the floor. Another black pup, this one smaller and lacked the abilities to open his eyes, settled on the floor with a whine in response to the sudden cold of the ground. His ears were floppy unlike his older brother's erect ears, and he had two small stumps where his wings would soon grow on his back. His tail was barely a lump of flesh as well, and he did not have any fangs like his older brother. Midnight settled on her side as carefully as she could next to Vulcan, the latter sniffed around while being visually blind. Finally, after a few moments, he found one of his mother's teats and began suckling for milk. We may eat now, little one. Midnight told her winged pup.

Now that he had permission from his mother, as well as his father, the older pup and his father began to dig into the deer. While he was only able to tear very small strips at a time, his father tore large scraps of meat of which he transferred to his mate's mouth to help her eat as he fed himself. Thank you for hunting for us, Father.

Yes, thank you for hunting, love. Midnight told her mate in addition to her son's thanks. Shadow only let out a pleased growl as the family continued to eat.

…

Why look, Vulcan's about to see the world for the first time. Midnight suddenly told her son and mate, the two males looked at her excited expression. She was on her side again, with Vulcan settling down against her as his head turned to and fro as if he was looking for something.

About time, Vulcan. Shadow joked as he sat next to Midnight. The winged pup only remained silent as he watched his younger brother struggle and whine. Several moments passed, with only Vulcan making a sound. Suddenly, and the parents both voiced their excitement, Vulcan stopped swiveling his head and his eyelids began to tremble before opening. The older pup instantly recognized Vulcan's eyes. They were as red as their mother's own eyes.

He has your eyes. Shadow commented lovingly to his mate as Midnight touched noses with Vulcan.

I know he does. Midnight said, her mental tone was that of a pleased mother. Hello, Vulcan, my little one, how is your first time seeing with your eyes? Vulcan only tilted his head in curiosity, sniffing his mother and registering her scent as the one who was always feeding him milk. You recognize me, don't you? Vulcan gave a small yip, their mental conversation allowed universal understanding of sorts. That's right, I am your mother. Look, little one, your father wants to see you. Vulcan looked to the right, seeing Shadow for the first time. Again, he registered Shadow's heavy male scent as the one who was always taking care of him whenever his mother left to hunt. Knowing that Shadow was his father, Vulcan yipped and tried closing the distance between them. However, his legs wobbled and Vulcan tumbled forward. Shadow caught him just in time with his nose.

Whoa. Hold on now, son, you haven't learned how to walk yet. Shadow said with amusement, which was also mixed with amazement. Like his older brother, Vulcan was already trying to walk at such a young age. And he nearly succeeded too. The only difference between him and his brother was that the winged one tried to walk without his parents knowing. The result was a painful faceplant to the ground and his whine of pain caught their attention immediately. That was when they realized that he had tried to walk. Shadow then nodded as Vulcan resorted to simply sitting as straight as he could on his haunches, the former raised a paw and indicated to the older, winged pup on the side. He is your older brother, Vulcan. The two of you will always have each other's backs in times of trial.

Vulcan looked at his brother, finding him to be impressive. He had wings like his parents! Vulcan wanted wings too. Vulcan yipped at his brother as the latter's scent registered as the one who was always sleeping next to him and at one point, drank milk from their mother as well. Trying again, though failing, Vulcan hobbled/crawled over to his older brother and with extreme curiosity, inspected the latter's wings.

Hello, brother. Vulcan almost jumped at his brother's voice, finding it strange that it sounded almost monotone. However, he could tell that the older one cared for him greatly. Like your name is Vulcan, my name is Ryker. Vulcan yipped in response before suddenly shivering, wanting warmth. The older pup, Ryker, enveloped Vulcan with a wing and Vulcan buried his head against Ryker's foreleg in appreciation. Shadow and Midnight were very happy at the sight, they noticed that Ryker had just barely of a smile showing. One day, Vulcan, as I have learned, you'll be able to talk like the rest of us. Ryker said as Vulcan simply let out a small playful growl of sorts.

As the two played, with Vulcan nibbling Ryker oh so ferociously and Ryker being as gentle as he could be with the red-eyed pup, their parents nuzzled each other. We made great and beautiful pups. Midnight said to her mate. Shadow, pleased as well, growled his agreement.

That, we did, my dear. He shifted his attention to the two pups. Ryker was on all fours, allowing Vulcan to try and nip at his tail. That, we did. He then nudged their pups' minds with a small gentle, mental probe to get their attention. Come now, we are going for a walk and then we're going back to the village.

Ryker nodded and beckoned his brother to come along, their playtime was over. Midnight turned around and hung her tail low. Vulcan almost instantly got the idea and latched onto the end of her tail, using it as a support so that he could walk. They knew that with time, as Vulcan watched the way they walked and ran, that he would be able to do the same on his own without the tail.

Ryker, on the other hand, was focused on his father's words. He was disappointed that they were going back to the village so soon. They usually spent their entire weekend in the forest, as a little hideout from the humans. Every week on the weekends, his family would go to the forest and take upon their true Fenrir forms since the forest kept them safe from human eyes. He onced asked his mother why they couldn't just stay in the forest for safety from then on. His mother answered that the humans would connect the dots with their disappearance, as Fenrir were known to have the ability to take on human forms, and would take it so far to burn the forest to look for and kill them. It was as his father had said once, "Humans, among many others, fear what they don't understand, especially so when they can't force upon their control."

Ryker, we are going, little one. Midnight called out to him. Ryker snapped out of his thoughts, apologizing to his parents before following the three of them out of the cave. Soon, he thought, he and his family would gain the freedom as all should have and they wouldn't have to hide anymore.

…

Vulcan nearly fell on his rump at the sight of his parents in their human forms. He whined for his parents to come back and protect him, and even wobbled to hide behind his brother. Ryker, understanding his brother's shock, calmly explained to Vulcan as best as he could that the humans before them and their parents were one and the same. Once Vulcan settled down, Midnight and Shadow transformed back and forth to allow Vulcan to register that they were indeed the same. Vulcan didn't understand how they did it, but he knew that they were still his loving and caring parents. His mother, as a human, had long platinum fur...or hair, and stood at the height of around 5'10". She had very light skin and retained her scarlet red eyes. She was slender, though one can see that she was not just a frail woman with the lean muscles that she had. She also had a modest gray dress on. His father stood tall as well, about 6 feet tall with black hair that reached his shoulders along with the same icy blue eyes. Shadow had light skin, a light beard lined his face and lower jaw. One could see that he was very built. He wore a simple blue shirt and dark pants.

Vulcan was so engrossed in his parents changing into humans and the concept of clothes, he didn't notice that Ryker had changed as well. "Father and Mother will teach you how to change as well, brother." The sound of his brother's physical voice was so foreign to Vulcan, he jumped. Turning to see his brother, Vulcan saw that Ryker stood at the height of around four and a half feet with the body equivalent of a boy of seven or eight years. With short black hair, his bangs almost covering his eyes, and his strange white-irised eyes, Ryker was light-skinned as well and wore a simple black collared shirt and pants. Do not worry, Vulcan, I'm still your brother. THe same Ryker.

Vulcan yipped as he was reassured that his family was still there and didn't struggle when Midnight picked him up. She smiled and touched foreheads with him. Remain calm, little one, we're going to change you to look like a human as well. Vulcan closed his eyes, feeling warm energy fill his body. He felt himself change, his legs changing into two different pairs of limbs and his muzzle retracting. He felt his ears change shape and shrink and the fur on his body thinning before changing into tiny hairs. When the rest of his body finished adjusting, he opened his eyes to realize that his form was quite different from the rest of his family. His entire body felt...flabbier, and he felt much weaker in this form. Vulcan then realized with shock that this form was familiar, as if he experienced it several times before.

They all saw him as a child of a couple years. His eyes, as expected, retained their color and on the top of his head, he had a full head of hair. Upon closer inspection though, they realized that the tips of his hair had a reddish tinge to them. "Must be because of my mother's hair." Midnight mused as she noticed the red tint. Ryker nodded at the information. It was the first time they saw the reddish tint in his hair. Ryker had thought that he saw it earlier when they went on their walk and figured his eyes were tricking him.

"It's time to go back." Shadow announced, Midnight and Ryker following him out of the forest as Vulcan tried to talk incomprehensibly all the while.

Their house was about a half-hour walk-though they had flown for about an hour prior-from where they transformed earlier. It wasn't large, being a one-story house with only three rooms. The kitchen and living rooms were directly next to each other, with the dinner table being in the living room by the couches. There was a hallway that led to the three sleeping rooms, one room belonged to Midnight, Shadow, and Vulcan while another room belonged to only Ryker. The third room will not remain vacant for long, Vulcan was fairly close to being old enough to have his own room to himself. And if he ever decided to start crying, Midnight and Shadow's room would be directly across from his.

They had a moderately sized rectangular backyard, enough to mark a mile with about eight laps all around. It was all grass with only two trees, one tree on each end of the backyard. Towards the center of the backyard, there was a bare patch of land that was perhaps a few meters in radius. There were signs of struggle on that patch of land, as if there had been several fights on that area.

In all, their house was fairly average, perhaps slightly above average, among the rest of the village. The entire village was home to a few hundred people, and the houses were arranged all about the side of a mountain. All the homes and architecture were of beautiful work, they were of something similar to Roman architecture though less...dramatic. The people of the village were usually very amiable to their neighbors, and there was always something to be done in the daytime. Very rarely would one find the village quiet with no work being done. Horses were always being led through town with carts and the like for trade and a way for transportation, couriers were constantly running back and forth among the road to deliver messages, and the village's own soldiers-the mayor had asked for volunteers to protect the village if the need ever arises and they were promised handsome pay-were always standing vigilant in their posts.

Ryker, after making sure with his parents that they had nothing to do for the rest of the day, went to the backyard. Finding the bare patch of land that his father, and occasionally, his mother, and him always trained on. Though Ryker was so young, Shadow deemed it necessary to teach his older son self-defense. This included hand-to-hand combat and soon, he was going to introduce swordplay into the mix. On the weekends, whenever they left for the Whispering Grove, Shadow would teach his son how to efficiently defend himself with his weapons...Ryker's claws and fangs. By the end of the weekends, the dummies that they always use would look as if they were put through a paper shredder and then some.

Sitting down in the center of the circle, Ryker began to relax in the calm atmosphere. His thoughts running rampant, he inwardly smiled at the images of his father and mother, and his little brother, of course. They were his family, and he loved them dearly. To him, there was no one else he could ever want in their place. They were his home, his sanctuary. With them, he had nothing to worry about in the world.

"Aren't you too young to be reflecting, little one?" Ryker smiled as he turned around to face his mother. She was smiling with amusement, the same warm smile she'd send him, his father, and Vulcan every day.

"I like to think, Mother." Ryker replied, his smile became wider when Midnight sat next to him with her legs crossed, an arm holding her son close to her side. "It helps me know…"

"Know?"

"Yes. It helps me know what to say and do at the appropriate times." Midnight shook her head, her amusement only building. "Is that wrong, Mother?"

"Of course not, Ryker. You just remind me of your father. I imagine that you are intending to keep your mind focused and quick to react?" Ryker nodded. "With this, you are also honing your awareness and thus, becoming more adept in combat should you ever get in a fight. Like I said, you remind me of your father. His way of thinking, his goal to protect us, it bled into your genes, practically." She laughed at Ryker's sheepish expression. "I can tell your intellect is going to grow even more so, as well as your physical strength. In the future, Ryker, you are going to be looked up to. You will be followed. Like a true alpha."

Ryker grinned at his mother's words, happy with himself. "I won't ever let you or Father down, Mother. And I promise to protect Vulcan and will always be there for him in the future." Midnight hugged him.

"I know you will, and you'll never let us down, Ryker. Come now, I want to continue teaching you how to cook. After we're done, you can do whatever you'd like. Your father will be busy with Vulcan for the rest of the day today, so no training."

Later on that day, Ryker was preparing to read a book in his room. He never got the chance though, as someone knocked on the door to the house. He heard one of his parents go down the hallway and unlock the door. A moment later, it opened and Ryker could hear his mother saying "Ah! How are you doing today, little one?" Ryker immediately set down his book, smiling as he recognized the voice of the person who responded.

"I'm doing good! Thank you, Mrs. Fang." a feminine voice replied. "And you?"

"Just fine, thank you for asking." Midnight answered happily. "May I ask why you are here?"

"My mom and dad let me walk here!" was the cheery answer. "And I saw you all come back from your trip." A moment of silence. "Um, I was wondering if I can play with Ry?" As Ryker left his room, he immediately thought of all the times he and his only friend in the village play in the backyard. He heard his mother chuckle.

"Of course, Roxanne. He should be right-Oh, and there he is." Midnight beckoned Ryker to come over as Roxanne stood patiently at the doorway. The moment Ryker reached his mother's side, Roxanne threw herself at him and hugged him tightly.

"Missed you, Ry!" she said with a giggle. Roxanne stood a head shorter than Ryker, with black hair and silvery gray eyes. She was lightly tanned and wore a purple dress that reached to her ankles.

"Missed you too." Ryker replied albeit more calmly, though the smile on his face gave away the fact that he was really happy to see her. "Mother?" Midnight nodded.

"As long as you two are in the backyard where I can see you." Midnight said warmly. At this, Ryker nodded and led Roxanne to the backyard where the two immediately started a game of thumb war. As usual, Midnight thought as she sat down on a chair and sipped her tea, Roxanne would always come in the afternoon and leave towards the late evening to return home before her parents begun to worry. It became a routine to all of them, including Roxanne's parents, so it would be strange if Roxanne were to suddenly not come one day.

Midnight remembered how the Ryker and Roxanne met, smiling at the adorable memory. It was the first time they brought Ryker along with them on their errand runs in the village. The entire time on the errand run, he wouldn't leave his parents' sides. He was too wary of everyone, not really the most social of children. On one of their last stops at the market, Roxanne bumped into them, lost. Midnight shook her head, remembering that the girl had cried waterfalls and wanted her parents, how she didn't want to be alone. It was then, Midnight and Shadow noticed the plain stare Ryker had given her when he would normally avoid looking at other people. Then, of all things to happen, Ryker walked up to the girl and hugged her, comforting her. She had eventually calmed down and later, they found her parents. The next day, on another errand run, Roxanne had actually went looking and found them, asking Ryker if he wanted to be her friend and play. The two hit it off and since then, the two were the closest of friends.

The one thing that eluded Midnight, however, was where Roxanne came up with the nickname she had given him. "Ry"? It was certainly not something she had ever called her son before, unfathomable with Shadow. The more Midnight thought about it, the more her amusement rose.

"Roxanne?" Midnight turned to see Shadow holding a sleeping Vulcan in his arms. She nodded, smiling as she returned her attention to the playing due. "To think he'd actually grow close to a human."

"Those two are just too cute together." Midnight sighed as she set down her cup. "What would you like for dinner, love? I checked out inventory. I can make beef stew, porridge with meat, grilled venison..." Shadow chuckled, being sure to keep his tone to a minimum to avoid waking Vulcan. He thought about the choices his mate gave him, seemingly not being able to choose. Finally, Shadow shrugged and lightly rubbed her shoulder with his free hand.

"Whatever you'd like to make. In the end, the meal will be divine anyways." Midnight smirked at her mate's reply. He was a smooth talker then, before they got together, and he was a smooth talker now.

"You and your silver tongue." Shadow only kissed her cheek as she stood up, the latter rolling her eyes and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. "You think you're so witty."

"I try." Shadow replied with a smirk, watching his son and Roxanne play in the backyard. "I mean, you weren't able to resist me all those years ago." Midnight playfully sighed exasperatedly.

"We've had this argument before." she laughed. "I believe you were the one drooling over me. Why, you were trying to impress me with your horns which were barely maturing." At Shadow feigning an expression of confusion and hurt, she continued. "And you tripped over your words every time I sent a wink your way or a bat of my eyes."

"Now you're just exaggerating."

Outside, Ryker and Roxanne were simply sitting down in the grass. The latter nudged him with an arm. "Hey, you want to see something cool, Ry?"

"Sure, Roxy." Ryker replied as he shifted his body to face her. He watched as she plucked two thick blades of grass from the ground. She then carefully overlapped the ends of the two blades of grass and folded one end over the other. Following that, she folded the remaining end over the folded end. Roxanne continued to do so until the two blades of grass were one and looked similar to a stack of cards at a glance. The girl then pulled on both ends of the strange result and allowed Ryker to see what came of it.

The two blades of grass became the shape of a double helix and when turned one way, the strands seemed to have a never-ending illusion of twisting downwards or upwards. "Where did you learn how to do that?" Ryker asked. Roxanne didn't answer at first, for she raised the grass double helix and spun it with her thumbs while simultaneously, loosened her grip on it. Her creation spun in the air and hovered for a moment before separating back into two blades of grass and falling to the ground.

"I saw someone do it." Roxanne shrugged. "I thought it looked really cool." Ryker nodded and, to her surprise, made a second grass double helix in seconds. "It's not fair, you always learn so fast." she pouted. Ryker only laughed softly as he spun the grass out of his hands, the strands floating back to the ground.

"My parents say the same thing. It's not always a good thing for me. When I learn something new, whatever it is, and master it, something more challenging gets thrown my way." Ryker thought of his lessons with his father on self-defense and internally winced. He remembered mastering how to avoid a sweep of the legs then right after, being taught on how to recover from being thrown over one's shoulder. He had lunch with bruises that day...though, there wasn't a time where he came from training unscathed. Ryker's father was harsh, for his own good of course. His mother was a bit more lenient, but she mainly taught him how to cook on his own. Ryker, however, saw his mother beat his father in a spar on more than one occasion. The most recent occasion between Midnight and Shadow, Ryker winced at the thought of it.

He'd never knew that a punch to the diaphragm could cause someone to double over as well as potentially give them lasting dyspnea...And he had never knew that his father was able to give so many cries of suffrage.

"Anyway," Ryker said to Roxanne, "how are your studies coming along?" Roxanne's expression darkened.

"Well, but too tiring." Roxanne then scowled at Ryker's amused expression. "It is! I'm studying as much as the cattle leave behind their wastes!" And it was true. At home, Roxanne spent most of her time studying and her parents allowed her to do whatever she'd like only after the few hours that is taken away from her day. Hell, if she wanted, she could recite an entire passage from one of her books if she wanted to. And that was another thing. Being literate was such an important thing in her family, they practically drill the knowledge in her head in hopes that she wouldn't forget in the future. And with that, came with more vocabulary and words that had no business being in a child's diction.

"You shouldn't fret so much, it'll only serve you better in the future." Ryker replied. Roxanne's fiery expression fell and she nodded reluctantly in agreement. "I'll always be here to help, Roxy. You can come to me whenever you'd like." At her beaming expression, he added. "Well, except on the weekends." At his last statement, the girl raised an eyebrow. She had actually been wondering about that.

"Where do you go on the weekends? Your parents always say that it's just a trip."

"It is just a trip, I promise." Ryker replied, hearing the irritation in her tone. He was glad that he knew how to work his words around, he didn't like to lie. He hated lying. "A break from everything, some peace and quiet."

"So you're all annoyed at the rest of us?"

"No. I never said that."

"Then what?"

"Think of it as a very short vacation, miniature versions of the ones you and your family go on once a year on a full moon." Ryker hoped that she wouldn't try to dig any further. He knew not to tell her about his true identity, for it would possibly result in him losing a friend. It would also result in his family being endangered, with the Fenrir species being on the line as well. To his relief, however, Roxanne seemed to accept his answer with an understand nod and returned to sitting relaxedly.

Ryker inwardly frowned about the entire situation. Friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other and in a way, he was technically lying to her about who he was. He didn't like it, not one bit. He wanted to tell her, to not be afraid of the repercussions if he did. He wished that his species could be simply left alone to their own devices, not hunted down to oblivion just because of human fear. He wanted to be who he truly was, and for Roxanne to accept him as who he is as her friend still, and continue living a calm and peaceful life there in the village.

It was all ideal, Ryker knew that. But, he couldn't help but to dream.

Three years later...

Pain. Sorrow. Anger. Guilt. Why did this happen? His family did nothing to deserve this...But it was all his fault. It was so unbelievable, to think that the amiable people of the village of Zenith would turn on the Fang family so quickly and without hesitance the moment they figured out about their true identities. "Humans, among many others, fear what they don't understand, especially so when they can't force upon their control." Even now, Ryker recalled his father's words.

Pain. Sorrow. Anger. Guilt...And then…nothing. As Ryker turned away from his former human home that was burning down, with the corpses of his family within, one word resounded in his mind. It had been since the moment the last of his family's cries sounded in the night...It was his fault. If only he had been more careful. If only he hadn't went just outside the village to rest in the forest without his parents' knowledge. What were the odds when someone leaving from the village decided to go off the path on a whim and stumbled upon seeing Ryker changing from his true form into his human form before running back to the village to tell everyone? Not even a few hours later, the majority of the village was at the door demanding blood.

Kill.

Ryker clenched his fists. He had been so...helpless when it happened. He wanted to do something, but his parents told him to remain hidden. Not long ago, he could only stay hidden as he heard his family being slaughtered one by one, his little brother's cries being the last to quiet. What had they done to deserve the humans' ire? They had always kept to themselves, and the neighbors were always so amiable despite the fact that the Fang family kept their distance. What had they done to deserve this?

Kill.

Ryker didn't care about the fact that blood was running down his hands, a result from his fingers digging into his palms. He didn't care for the irritating grinding noise that came with him gritting his teeth. He didn't care that he was breathing in so much smoke. His eyes were clenched shut, and he could still his dried tears.

Avenge your family.

Ryker grunted as his legs snapped back in the middle between his knees and ankles. As he grew in size, his clothes tore and ripped asunder. His skin began to tear in several areas, black fur erupting from those spots. Two stumps rose from his back, and another pair of smaller stumps grew on his head. The skin on his face began splitting apart starting from his nose, blood was pouring from the crack as well as from other parts of his transforming body. As his tail grew, the two stumps on his back tore free from their prisons and showered blood. They were his wings. Lurching forward as his ribcage and internal organs rearranged themselves, his small horns broke through the skin on his head as the crack on his nose grew bigger.

His claws grew from his hands and feet, now paws, and his teeth fell out one by one. Fangs and canines quickly took their places afterwards. It was then when the crack on his face branched all around before his fragmented face exploded outwards, his muzzle and the rest of his Fenrir form emerging. Lastly, his two upper canines extended until they slightly overhung his lower lip.

And so, as the villagers of Zenith celebrated the slaughter of what they thought to be the last of the Fenrir, Ryker snapped his eyes open and grunted at his violent transformation. It hurt immensely, he forgot to numb the pain. He looked up at the sky, eyeing the full moon which was somewhat obscured by the smoke and embers of the burning house. With a small snarl, Ryker let loose a howl. In the village, they stopped their celebrations immediately. Many of the paled at the sound of the howl, for they knew it was no normal howl of an average wolf. The howl..It didn't tell them of the pain Ryker felt. His sorrow. His anger. His guilt.

The villagers rushed frantically to reorganize the Fenrir-killing party. Many went to procure the weapons, while others prepared to flee the village with their children if necessary. A few of the villagers, as ignorant as they were, thought that the Fenrir would not fight back like the rest of his family. That it would allow itself to be put down without a fight. But, listening to Ryker's howl quickly reminded them what they were dealing with. It didn't tell them that they were safe, it didn't tell them that the Fenrir's spirit was broken.

It told them that the hunt had begun, and they were the prey.

Later, the village was in turmoil. Flames hungrily ate away at the houses and the villagers who were unfortunate enough to get caught in them. For a fleeting moment, Ryker had wondered if his parents would have been proud of him producing his first long-lasting flames...though perhaps not so much considering how he was currently utilizing them. The group of villagers who had been assigned to take down the Fenrir had abandoned their positions and threw down their weapons in panic due to the large wolf creature rampaging around their home. Many had been torn to ribbons, others were charred or writhing in agony on the ground as the flames ate away at their bodies, and there were a few who had been trying to sneak away in hopes to escape.

Ryker was relentless and showed them no mercy, he pounced on each of them like a feral animal.

The screams of terror and agony along with the cries of mercy were soon silenced. Ryker stood in the center of it all, the ground scorched and ash polluting the air. Nothing was heard save for the cackling of the remaining flames and the Fenrir's heavy panting. Soon, Ryker shook his head as he recovered from his rage-induced haze. It was then he finally took in his surroundings. He registered the charred and mutilated corpses, the destroyed house...the destruction he had caused. Ryker's blood ran cold at the realization.

Did he really cause all this?...Of course, who else could it have been? Ryker shook his head, disbelieving. He had brutally killed-no, slaughtered an entire village. His heart rate rose again as the screams of the villagers sounded in his mind, threatening to deafen him and haunt him for the rest of his life. Ryker took a step back, noticing with revulsion that his claws were slick with blood, as was his muzzle. The Fenrir retched, disgorging the contents of whatever he had eaten for lunch earlier.

Horrified, Ryker took to the skies. He wanted to be elsewhere, anywhere but there. He flew and flew for what seemed to be an eternity to him, though it was only several hours in reality, until he landed haphazardly on his side on the ground. Ryker didn't bother getting up from the ground, despite his bruising side and legs. He blankly looked at himself, sickened by his bloodstained fur and claws. He closed his eyes. Monster...Murderer… Ryker simply shifted into his human form, he didn't want to see himself as the Fenrir who wiped out the village of Zenith.

And Ryker continued to lay there, not moving for the longest of time.

…

The boy guzzled down his bottle of water, it was unusually hot that day. Wiping his mouth and tossing the bottle into a convenient recycling bin, he resumed playing with his Noctowl. The latter was handed down to him by his sister who up and left home to become a Gym Leader. At first, he didn't think that he and Noctowl would ever get along since the latter was very close to his sister. Surprisingly, and amazingly, the two of them were actually the closest of friends.

The two played until their bodies threatened to overheat. The boy smiled as he returned his content Noctowl to its pokeball, getting up to stretch for a moment before deciding to go back inside his house. However, he stopped. The girl across the street caught his eye as she was making rather detailed drawings with a piece of chalk on her own. If he recalled correctly, she and her family moved into their neighborhood about a year ago.

Seeing her crestfallen expression, he walked across the street and the two made eye contact. The boy smiled and waved. "Nice to meet you, mind if I join?" The girl thought to herself for a moment before shrugging, breaking her piece of chalk in half before tossing it to him. "Thanks."

"No problem." the girl replied with her own smile. "You like to draw too?"

"Sure, but if my drawings are bad, don't laugh." the boy cheekily answered with a laugh, earning a laugh from the girl as well. "I'm just a kid with no skills." he modestly added. Rolling her eyes, the girl questioned him further.

"What's your name?" The boy raised an eyebrow at her before another smile creased his features.

"You first, you're the new one here." The girl glared at him, but he knew she wasn't really mad. She then continued to draw, occasionally glancing at the sky with her gray eyes.

"Roxanne, I'm from overseas. And you are?"