"Well you don't have to go." Jamie replied.
"Besides, it might be best if you were here to keep an eye on Jak just in case. We don't need him doing anything rash, though he might be beyond that point there's still a chance if I know him as well as I think I might. You're probably the best choice in terms of keeping him in check."
"Of course, but I don't want you down there alone."
"I won't be alone love." Jamie replied though he knew Jack only trusted Angel so far. Jack shivered and hugged Jamie.
"Be careful."
"I will be. Love you." He kissed Jack before he left; Jack shook a little, rubbing his arms.
Merix eventually stopped his game with Roxas when his father sternly looked at him to get him to eat, and chuckled along with his mother. Later, Merix was laying down as it was nighttime, he had the itch to go and prowl but he had Roxas in his arms; he wouldn't leave without telling him where he was going of course but he looked just so comfortable laying there that Merix didn't dare move a muscle.
Jack grunted as Jakoul walked into him with Rin, who was wailing up a storm; not good on his headache... not good at all.
"Jak, dear, watch where you're going." Gale said gently while trying to hum to his son to calm him down. Jack grunted, shaking his head.
"Jakoul all you have to do is tell him something amazing, it always calmed Roxas." Jakoul attempted it by telling their son how far the moon was.
"I don't think that's what Jack meant love. I think he means to try and distract our son the same way they have with Roxas... it's worth a shot."
Jamie closed his eyes and reached out, but not to Angel... but to the other whom he knew was still here. The other Gale.
"Yo! Darkwing Duck!" Angel nearly snarled at Gale's call, anyone with half a brain who'd heard of that knew it was meant as an insult since that was, quite literally, the stupidest superhero ever to grace the airwaves.
"What do you want now." Angel really had come to hate Gale, but because Jamie had told him not to, he had refrained from cutting out the cur's tongue.
"Jamie is waiting for you." Angel frowned at the news but nodded and headed topside. What could Jamie want? Angel appeared on the surface and wasn't surprised to find that Jamie was, indeed, waiting for him at the "gate" or rather, what had once been Jamie's gate to the world below. It was the place where he had taken his own life. It had taken him almost half an hour to reach the place. Why Jamie was there wasn't clear.
"What brings you to this 'delightful' spot?" Jamie frowned a little at the reference but then began explaining quietly what he had in mind. Angel listened, for once, without a single comment; a thoughtful frown gracing his features as Jamie explained everything...
"My god Roxas, you're amazing!" He said as Roxas pulled out a souffle. Merix was rather surprised at this as until now he'd had no idea what a souffle even was...
Jakoul screamed out in pain as Jack was trying to clean his wound from a dog bite, a stray pack had come by; he'd recognized one of them as Niko, who bit him. Gale had tried to warn Jak about the pack, but he hadn't listened. After a moment Gale murmured softly.
"We have to go find Jamie. He's calling to us." Gale wasn't sure how else to explain what he felt just then. Jakoul nodded and sighed.
"Jack, I am gonna go get groceries. Please care for Rin while I am gone." Jack stared suspiciously at him but sighed.
"Okay."
"I'll lead you to him." Gale says, directing his love from the cavern to where Jamie was waiting for them in Russia. Jakoul winced, his bite throbbing; like clockwork, as soon as one is gone the other was and the baby started crying. Gale soothed their son over the bond with a lullaby. Jamie wasn't alone. Angel stood waiting with him.
"Nasty bite there. " It's Angel's form of greeting. He grinned.
"You were right Jamie. He's definitely stuck on him and I mean that literally." Unlike Jamie, the guardian of the underworld could see Gale. Jakoul looked at Angel, tilting his head as he had a feeling as if they'd met... Angel smirked a little as he touched the wound, sealing it as if it had never been.
"You don't remember. It's written all over your face bucko... eh. Don't matter much. You and I never got along in that place you USED to call home anyway."
"Huh." Jakoul was confused in many ways though his eyes lit up at his healed hand.
"Guess you haven't forgotten everything. Eh, come on... let's get you two lover boys separated and one into a body."
"Huh." Jakoul was still very confused by all this in so many ways.
"This will make a little more sense soon." Jamie replied as Angel led them both through the gate and into the depths of the realm he called his own. Granted, the place was no paradise... there were still shrieks of pain and groans, but none came from any soul that was innocent and the workers greeted Angel with admiration and respect rather than stark fear. Jakoul was not sure what to make of this place; knowing only that he didn't understand it nor like it. Jamie didn't say anything as they're led to one of the cells.
"Well... aren't you a pretty one?" The voice sounded exactly like Jamie's. It was obvious though it wasn't because the voice had come from within the cell. Jakoul tilted his head, who was that?
"So what I was told was true... you really got a body of your own Jakoul." From the dim corner of the cell a pair of glowing purple eyes studied him.
"Don't be rude Gale." Jamie said.
"Far be it from me to be rude to my former partner..." He snickered and stepped into the light. Aside from his purple eyes, he looked like a mirror image of Jamie, he was dressed in one of the black robes though. The only thing he lacked, that might have reminded Jakoul of this place and brought to light his memories of it, was black feathered wings. Jakoul gasped, backing up; he didn't like this Gale. He was scared of this Gale and backed up into Jamie as he stared at the other.
"Easy Jakoul. It's alright." Jamie murmured reassurance while Gale stood on the other side, peering at what seemed to essentially be his former self. Jakoul squirmed, protesting against the other's prodding into his center; his center was light at the moment, with a hint of dreams and darkness. At the epicenter was Jakoul, the bad side.
"NO!" He shrieked out, it took three tries before he forced him out; it was a weak try from Gale since his powers were weak from his cell.
"You're going to regret trying that."
"Oh really? What more could you POSSIBLY do that you haven't already done?" He sneered. Angel smirked and disappeared, he come back with two china dolls.
"What do you think... the pink dress or the purple one?"
"Pink." Jamie replied without hesitation and Angel nodded with a smirk before slipping into the cell with the doll in hand. Gale just stared at him in bored confusion until Angel began the spell... only then does what is intended dawn on him and he shrieked in anger... though by that time all his shrieking managed to do was slightly shake his new vessel... the doll. Jakoul shook as the body collapsed and the doll shook.
"W-what did you do?"
"Soul transfer. I AM pretty much Death now... it comes with the territory." He moved over to Jakoul and touched his shoulder. Moments later the body that had been lifeless began to stir a little, there were minute differences though as the eyes that opened aren't purple or Jamie's brown, but silver with hints of blue. Jamie noted that aside from still looking a little like him, Gale's soul had changed some of the features, not only the eyes, but the previously brown hair was now silver tinted too. Jakoul gasped, tears slipping down his cheeks.
"G-gale." Gale blinked, adjusting to the new body.
"This... is a little weird... but thanks." Angel just grinned.
"It was Jamie's idea." Gale smiled over at Jamie while Angel left with the now-possessed doll. Jakoul was still shaking, his seal was cracked; this was bad. Angel came back a few minutes later.
"You look like you've seen a ghost or worse. Not that I blame you after that blighter... Looks like you need a patch job too." Gale and Jamie looked at him, baffled and he sighed.
"Eh, well, his darker personality instead of being corralled like yours Gale, it's... well... kinda withheld." Jakoul screamed out; as soon as that seal cracked, the other Jakoul would try to escape. Angel put a hand on Jakoul's shoulder.
"You've got a few choices my friend... the first being to deal with it like your mate... or I could attempt to put it in a doll for ya... or just heal that seal. Your call." Jakoul shook his head.
"I-I'll deal with him." He grunted.
"Fair enough." Angel shrugged and walked off, Jamie frowned a little, wondering what Angel meant and looked over at Jakoul while Gale stood; he swayed a little, still unused to his new body. Jakoul swayed along with him from wooziness that the other induced. Gale righted himself and moved over to his love. Jamie looked at Gale.
"Will you two be okay if I return to the surface?" Gale nodded.
"Alright. I'll wait for you both back at the house then." He headed back.
"Our son missed you love." He hugged Gale. Gale smiled a little.
"I never left."
"I know, let's go home." He nods and slips an arm around his love to give support as much as get.
Jack was worried, he hadn't even gotten close to calming down Rin. Jamie arrived at the house to a fussy Rin.
"Oh dear." Jack winced in pain as the cries grew louder; Jakoul finally arrived with Gale; smiling, he took his baby from Jack's arms. Gale quietly coos to his son, getting him to calm down a little. Jack smiled at that then thought about his own son who was on the edge of maturing now.
"It went about as smoothly as can be hoped." Jamie murmured, nodding to Gale.
Merix yawned.
"So when are your parents coming to get you?"
"End of the week." Roxas replied drowsily.
"Oh."
Jakoul hugged Gale and his child close.
"I saw Niko again; he bit me." He hated that fact Jack, himself, knew Jamie would have to disperse him some day; he was, after all, his creation. Jamie sighed a little at that.
"I kind of figured that with the bite I saw he had." Jamie nodded in Jakoul's direction.
"I still can't imagine what went wrong with him..." He muttered.
"I do, he went stray; he never came back and also we sort of forgot them." Jamie shook his head.
"The collar should have tied him to you so he wouldn't go stray... something went wrong with the collar I guess."
"I don't like this Jamie, not one bit."
"Me either, I'll deal with him."
Niko snarled at his pack to get moving, an immortal was coming. Jamie headed out to find the wayward snow dog. Niko snarled at Jamie, when he found him his fur was black and an angry red mark wrapped around his neck; even made of snow, he had blood. Jamie didn't approach him directly, instead he knelt down to the dog's level, holding out one hand cautiously. The dog snarled hair raised in a dangerous way he bit at Jamie hard, but Jamie pulled away just in time; the dog growled more and attacked viciously this time. He dodged the attack, using an icicle to keep from being bit. He didn't attack back though, he was too busy trying to get rid of the collar first. Niko growled lowly, tail flicking angrily. It took him a while but Jamie managed to get it off. Niko barked, shaking, but the red tint in his eyes was gone and the blackness faded from his fur.
"Easy boy... easy..." Jamie murmured gently, hoping to coax the dog to keep him from attacking again. He bared his fangs, licking them, but he calmed down; finally recognizing Jamie and his freedom showed now in his eyes. He walked over, smelling like death, covered in the blood of other animals. The reunion was okay, that is until his mate and his pups come out and he became protective again and bit Jamie's leg, just not hard enough to maim this time.
"Ow... geez... I'm not gonna hurt them." Jamie pulled back, wincing as he iced the bite. He whined and the female walked straight up towards them; she was a half coyote wolf mixed with the power of the sun. It was clear it was a spirit and the pups were a mix of sun coyote, dog and some snow except one with grey fur; it looked nothing like Niko or the female. Jamie gently pet Niko on the head, looking at the female but he didn't approach her or the pups.
"She's pretty." He wagged his tail and licked Jamie's face happily; his breath smelled like meat of other animals. Jamie gently scratched on ear.
"Sorry about the mess you got into. Looks like you did well for yourself though." Niko happily sniffed at Jamie; the pups came over and he allowed them to interact with him. The littlest one with grey fur had bright green eyes and was a little shy, but yawned cutely. Niko picked him up and set him by his mother; it was clear this pup wouldn't make it through winter it was sickly, a gangly little one. Jamie felt a little sorry for the pup, but nature was nature. Niko sniffed, licking the pup; he finally had an idea, maybe Jamie could do something. He picked up the pup, the female thought the same, and the other pups scattered behind their father as he gently set the pup in Jamie's hands. It was so little, it was obviously sick, yet still a beautiful pup. Jamie looked at the pup then at Niko.
"Well... I can try, but I can't guarantee anything boy. I'm not Mother Nature." He gently ruffled the pup's fur and concentrated, allowing his light to flow into the tiny pup. The pup was cold already; it was a little late, the pup was dead before he could really do much. It didn't stir again. Niko looked down, the mother had tears coming down her face. Jamie sighed.
"I'm sorry boy." Niko lay his snout on top of his dead pup before he cried his sorrow in the form of a howl. Jamie sighed, the least he could do was bury the pup and he did. Jack waited for Jamie to come back, wondering what was taking so long. Jamie returned not long after.
"Things should be better now, though I kind of feel bad for him... aside from the mess he was in because of the collar... he lost a pup."
"NO! That's horrible!" Jack said from the kitchen, he'd been looking for something to eat but hadn't any luck in what he was really hungry for. Roxas sat on the couch in the living room with a dazed look, of what could only be described as "giggling happiness," on his face.
"I know. I tried to save it, but I wasn't in time. These things happen unfortunately." Jack sighed.
"Oh, well me and Rox are gonna go hunting; it has almost been a full month since our transformations, strangely."
"Alright, be safe." Jack nodded; Roxas had a dopey look on his face.
"Hey son why so... um, dreamy faced?" Jack fumbled a bit as he tried to word how one who was in love got when they'd gotten a kiss. Roxas blinked, then blushed. Jack smiled happily at this.
"Did you two kiss already?" He hugged him tightly, embarrassing him was fun for Jack. He just blushed darker. Jack smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Aww, kiddo... come on. Details, details!" He was having fun.
"Don't tease the boy so much love." Jamie replied with a smile. Jack sighed.
"Fine, fine!" Roxas punched Jack lightly in the gut, he acted as if it hurt a lot. Jamie just chuckled; Jack giggled, chuckling away at a thought, Jamie raised an eyebrow at Jack.
"Nothing okay, son ready to go eat." He said, unaware that he was attacking him all whilst they changed, as the pain hadn't registered until now.
"OW! OW! YOUR TEETH! DETACH TEETH! OW!" Jamie pried the changed Roxas off Jack.
"I know you're hungry, but no biting your father." Jamie held him by his wings so he wasn't bit himself. He managed to hand his son a chunk of raw meat to tide him over for a little while. Jack smiled and giggled.
"Better go on, that meat won't hold back the hunger for long." Jack nodded, suddenly he was tackled from behind.
"AWW, ROXAS!" Jamie chuckled a bit.
"Told you." Jack took off before Roxas ate his wings.
"STOP IT! FLY! GO HUNT DAMN IT! AHH!" Jamie shook his head, the wind plucked Roxas off Jack before he decided to take a bite out of him. Jack quivered, he didn't want to do this; he really didn't. Roxas followed Jack, eager for something to eat; Jack whined, he'd gotten so used to regular food that he didn't want to eat. Something in Roxas told him to push Jack's primal urges to kill their prey. Roxas growled in confusion when he made a kill but his father didn't join in. Jack whined and winced when Roxas tried pulling him towards the kill; he was just too used to more normal meat and if he didn't eat he would become really weak. Roxas growled a little, pointing to the kill. Jack shook his head.
"No." Roxas growled insistently. Jack shook his head again.
"No." He gasped out, body hurting now. Roxas puts his hands on his hips as if to say 'EAT.' Jack shook his head.
"No Roxas." He growled as if to say. 'I'll tell dad you didn't if you don't...'
"Not happening." He snapped. Roxas growled all the more before taking a bite himself then shoving one at Jack. Jack winced and shook his head, backing up; knowing him... Roxas was stronger than him now. He shoved the bite closer, growling.
"Eat." Jack backed up again and got ready to take flight, knowing from his glare that he'd try to force him to eat.
"NO!" Jack took off into the sky. Roxas cut up the meal, eating some of it as he flew after Jack.
"ROXAS NO!" He cried. Roxas growled, persistent. Jack shook him about, not wanting to eat but his strength was failing, badly. Eventually he overpowered Jack and forced him to eat. Jack cried out, fighting him all the way until he was forced to swallow from lack of air; Jack glared at him, it was clear he needed more than that. Roxas huffed and continued force feeding Jack the kill he'd made until it was all gone. Jack finally kicked Roxas off him; he jolted, suddenly wishing he hadn't done that. A hint of fear went through him as soon as he saw Roxas' eyes, determined and angry. Roxas dragged Jack to the next meal. Growling for him to eat. He whimpered, biting his lip; making it bleed because of his fangs, yet he still refused to eat. Roxas growled and forced it on his father again. He didn't get why Jack resisted. Jack growled and bit him then gasped when blood seeped from the wound. Jack started to take off again; Roxas squeaked a little at the bite but he grabbed Jack's tail as if to say 'and where do you think you're going?' Jack struggled, pulling at the appendage to get free; Roxas yanked Jack from the air, grounding him, growling. He whimpered, clawing at the ground as he was dragged into the darkness. Roxas force fed Jack a second kill he made... it was just a cat so it was easier to get Jack to eat it. Jack did eat it because it's a cat and the fear he felt from Roxas' demonic strength and determination. Roxas growled a little and pointed to a corner... there's a few more cats huddling in the corner in fear. Jack winced and killed at least three and ate them. Only once Roxas was sure Jack had eaten at least close to his fill did he go off to find something else for himself before he's full. Jack quivered as he had just realized the roles in demonic rank switched; Jack was no longer alpha... but Roxas was.
