Chapter 1: Harsh Beginnings

Authors Note – Well guys, since this was my first A&O fanfiction, I've been looking over it and decided it's time to give this story a little 'polishing' if you will. I'm re-naming most of the chapters but the characters will remain the same. Plus I have updated my name since posting and I want to try a little more with symbolism. I really hope you enjoy this version as you did the original.

Nothing is quite as painful, sometimes, as being bound by earthly chains and living as both a condemned and a worshiped soul. The constant willingness to lay your life down for another just so that you may spread your own wings and soar away from all of the problems you've been tangled inside of and forced to endure like barbs in your sides. What binds us here can sometimes be a fear of what lies beyond and losing all the things we've fought for. Ironically these vines are fragile and can be broken at the flick of a claw, ending a life that so desperately tried to cling on. But there are also vines that hold back weak spirits, those who pray countless nights in the hopes that their sands of time will drain, and they will perish. Sadly though, their prayers go unanswered and they remain among the living as shallow forms of their once confident and gay pasts.

Such was the life of a dark mass of fur that was now teetering on the edge of a void of inescapable claws and fangs attempting to tear his being to thin shreds. He was a wolf born on this day three years prior to what is happening now and was raised in a 'royal' family to his content. His father and mother were the noble leaders of a very southern pack that had been passed down through generations. They worshiped a god named Pyro, the king of all phoenixes and while they had a great deal of respect for the entity, there was always an underlying scent of fear and resentment lingering in the air.

But this was not our pursued. He sensed something different about the god, something closer to himself, as if he had been wrapped in the arms, or more so the wings, of Pyro. He often wondered if this was what the rest of his pack felt, but could never quite muster the question without getting sidetracked by some outside force. His father often told him that he was always too distant from himself and needed to come back down to Earth and keep his mind out of the clouds.

"Midnight pay attention, if you ever want to have any hopes of taking over the pack you need to learn what I have to teach you,"

"But papa, I don't like always having to learn stuff, why can't I go out and play with the other pups,"

"Because you were born into a higher purpose than that son, you are special in many ways that I cannot tell you right now. One day though, the time will come when you are asked to step into my position and take control of the pack and protect it from those who wish to harm our way of—MIDNIGHT PAY ATTENTION FOR GOODNESS SAKE," but the pups mind was already gone, floating around in the whispering winds, drifting between hidden rays of sunlight. There was a bird overhead, and its eyes were fixated right on the younger giving him the sensation that something more than a hawk was watching him.

That day it was bright and sunny with only a few patches of anticipated rain, but today, that rain was pouring all around him. It drowned out every single inch of his figure and would sometimes become strong enough to block out his vision. When he was blinded he would always recount the time he spent with his father learning the things he needed for life in the pack. But even more than that, he remembered his brother.

"Don't worry Alcanus, I'm going to find you," he whispered inaudibly to himself. Any other day he could have just gone to see his brother like anyone else in the pack. But this time it was different. Today he and his brother had been separated on their morning patrol and forced to complete opposite ends of the packs territory, little did they know their lives were about to change forever, but by the end they would both be dead.

As soon as Midnight had met up with another patrol of wolves, his own friends jumped him and tried to kill him. Leading them was his father Pykros. Had he not been trained so well, he would have been killed almost instantly, but he slipped away virtually unscathed, but he feared that the same thing had happened to Alcanus. He forced his way through the forest, pushing the bushes out of his way as fast as he could.

"Midnight, what are you doing over here? Is something wrong?" Alcanus asked. His cherry red fur gleamed dimly in the mid-afternoon sun and his hazel eyes fell into worry and fear.

"Alcanus, we have to go now," Midnight urged.

"Where are we going what happened?" Alcanus asked.

"Away, I just got attacked by dad and that new-comer Ricoh," Midnight explained choking back tears.

"WHAT-"

"Hush, we can't draw attention this way, I'm hoping I lost them through the forest but they will be able to track our scents," Midnight glanced quickly over his shoulder to see if he was being followed and pushed Alcanus forward. Alcanus took the hint and joined his brother in a brisk, almost deadly silent slither through the forest, running towards the western edge of the territory.

"Midnight, why can't we just go around the territory, it would be a lot safer that way," Alcanus asked.

"We can't do that, we'd be passing through other packs and we don't want any more problems right now, at least to the west we'll be safe, I hope," Midnight said keeping out an observant eye for anyone who might try to attack them. As far as he knew, there was no one to the west of their pack, and if there was maybe they would at least shelter them.

Midnight felt as though he was losing his mind, every snapping twig and rustling leaf sent his field of vision scattering across the dense thicket of wilderness. IT was as if a massive paranoia was creeping over him and he couldn't stop it. But behind it all was something more sinister. It was a feeling that he hadn't felt since he saw the hawk all those years ago. Something about seeing that hawk had made him uneasy, and now that feeling was back. It's like some observing eye was still watching over him.

"Midnight, wait up, I can't run as far as you can," Alcanus panted. Midnight slowed down and eventually stopped for his brother to catch his breath. Alcanus was an alpha, but he just barely made it through alpha school, and probably wouldn't have without his brother's encouragement and help. Midnight, on the other hand was above that, or so he was told by his father. He never really tried for his abilities; they just sort of came naturally, something that Alcanus envied.

"How much further," Alcanus panted as he leaned down to a small creek and started to lap up some water.

"Shouldn't be too much farther, through these trees should be another-" before Midnight could even finish his statement something slammed into his side sending him rolling through the creek and into a large oak tree. Midnight shook his head and looked around for his attacker. Across from him, facing down Alcanus, was a grey hulking omega.

"Alcanus, Midnight, I can't let you two go any farther, I'm sorry, but Ricoh ordered all of us to stop you," growled his seemingly shallow and fragile voice.

"You don't have to do this, you have your own free will don't you," Alcanus shouted at him but he would not listen to reason.

"No, it does have to be this way, and if I don't kill you Ricoh will just wind up killing all of us," the fear was more apparent in that statement than in the previous. Almost instantly he leapt towards Alcanus who attempted to roll out of the way, but got caught right in the middle of the evasion. The attacker's jaws slammed down tightly onto his thin neck.

"NO," Midnight's claws sank into the omegas side and he pulled him from his wounded brother. His long fangs sank into the foes neck, right above his shoulder blades causing him to yelp in pain. Midnight didn't let go until he felt the body go limp.

"Alcanus, you're going to be alright," Midnight whispered to his brother as he grabbed a few herbs in his muzzle and started to mend his brother's wounds. The bleeding stopped eventually and Midnight used some water from the creek to wash away the blood and lifted Alcanus onto his shoulders.

"Midnight, I can walk, I'm fine," Alcanus insisted.

"No you're not, he bit you near your jugular, you're lucky he didn't pierce it, but you're still bleeding, I'm not a healer but I did what I could to stop the bleeding for now," there was a silence that passed between them for a moment before Alcanus finally spoke.

"Don't say it like that; Terry was a friend to both of us,"

"At one point he may have been, but right now he's the enemy, and if he is the enemy I must show no mercy," Midnight argued grimly.

"Midnight, how can you say that,"

"Because emotional ties weigh us down too much, especially if you're ever having to find someone you hold close. You're the only person I hold close anymore, and that's because you're my brother," there was no response from Alcanus. Midnight looked back to see his brother unconscious, loss of blood causing shock to set in.

Midnight drew a nervous and shaky breath as he picked up the pace and really started sprinting towards the edge of the territory. He could feel Alcanus' breath grow shallow against his back and his heart started racing. He pushed himself to go faster and faster, the sounds of howls growing softer behind him as the sun started to fall in the sky. Soon the full moon was up and a new sound began to fill the air. It was howling, but it wasn't threatening, it was gentle and light in the air. The scent of a new territory filled his nose and his heart skipped a beat, he didn't know how these wolves would react to two strangers barging in, would they take advantage of Alcanus' wound? Or would they help the two brothers. Then everything turned to pain.

Midnight's paw slammed head on into a rock and he tripped, rolling, and finally hitting his head into another rock. The last thing he could see was the full moon slowly fading as his eyes closed. His mind raced as he tried to force himself awake, but his body wouldn't respond. Alcanus was beside him, a pool of blood forming around him and Midnight just gave in to the darkness. He didn't know if he would ever wake up, or what would happen when he did. But he did know one thing.

His entire pack was after him, trying to kill him and his brother. He promised himself that if he did wake up, he would have to completely change the story. He couldn't let anyone know what truly happened to them and he would have to make sure Alcanus was following the same story. The sound of howling grew closer, and rustling bushes filled his ears before a light ringing and then nothing. Midnight, was now dead.

End of Chapter 1; please be sure to leave a review letting me know what you liked and what you didn't. Thanks for reading.

RH000