"Stok," Bellacruxia growled menacingly, "come here, please." The Queen raked her nails along her ivory bedpost, barely resisting in shredding her crimson sheets. As the Beta obediently came forth, she reached painfully for his coat collar. "I have summoned you here," she growled as she held him a foot away from her face, "because I want you to tell the patrols to stop trying to get my son."

"My Lady?" Stok asked incredulously.

"We know where he is, yes," Bellacruxia growled, "but now it is I who wish to take out that lightning bitch!" She growled low in her throat; even though she was in her human skin, she still emitted wolf noises now and then, as was her nature to. "I shall kill that insolent, arrogant piece of meat and reclaim my son! She has obviously poisoned his mind into thinking that I am the evil one!"

Aren't you? Stok wondered bitterly in his mind.


That conversation had taken place the day Bellacruxia was brought in from her fight with the lightning wielder; after the doctor left, the Queen had called Stok in. Now, he waited faithfully for Creena, who had left hours ago to seek the aid of this very woman who defeated their Alpha female. For years he had served as a loyal Beta to his Alphas, but now he was beginning to see things far more clearly. This Pack was indeed in disarray at its core. Stok sighed, knowing something had to be done, and that is why Creena had gone out for help.

Before she left, he had begun to notice her act differently, particularly in the mornings. Whenever he happened to walk past her, she would be wearing such a weary expression on her face that he wondered if she had gotten any sleep that night. Other times, when they slept beside each other at night, she would slink off into some secluded area the next morning, particularly a bathroom most of the time. He was concerned but oblivious to her true condition, as is the case with most fathers-to-be.


"Allow me to get this straight," Larxene said calmly, "you want US to help YOU?" She sneered for the most fleeting of moments, but allowed her expression to look thoughtful. "How can we trust you?" Her lithe form rested on the windowsill, but her posture remained taut with alertness. Axel and Zexion were on either side of her, like two guardians to their own leader.

Creena looked up at Larxene in her cat skin. "Because I have seen how corrupt Bellcaruxia and Ranik have made our Pack."

"Ranik?" Zexion repeated softly. "Your Alpha male, perhaps?"

Creena nodded and continued. "I hadn't even been born and they were already leading. But I know that the Pack wasn't always like this, simply because of how proud the Santor line was since generations and ages ago."

"If that's the case," Axel put in, "then are there any who wish to return to the old ways, whatever they were?" The Flurry Of Dancing Flames had asked a good question. "If there are, there might be shifters in your Pack who may help you in...overthrowing Bellacruxia and Ranik?"

Once again Creena nodded.

Larxene stood up, but Axel alone noticed her hand almost move to her stomach when she rose. Her voice was clear though, and she spoke. "You're an Omega, correct?" she pointed out. "What makes you think they'll follow you?"

The panther shook her head solemnly. "I don't intend for them to follow me," she replied quietly. "They are going to follow my mate, Stok, who happens to be a Beta."

"A Beta?" Zexion repeated. "Normally Betas don't take an Omega as their mate... But to continue."

Creena nodded at the Schemer. "As I said," she continued to Larxene, "they will follow him...and you, Larxene."

This came at Larxene like a brick in the face. Flustered, she cried, "What?!" She felt Axel touch her hand, but she waved it away. "I can't assist in leading them! For one thing, aren't I the one they despise? Aren't I the one who apparently kidnapped their heir? I'm not exactly very popular with your Pack, you know!"

"If we explain things to them," Creena reasoned, "along with help from Stok and maybe even Strafe, perhaps they will listen." For the first time Creena felt panic and bile rise in her throat. What if Larxene refused? What would happen after that?

"That naivete of yours," Zexion said smoothly, "will get you nowhere."

"Sora was naive half the time," Axel muttered grimly. "And look what happened." Rising to stand beside Larxene, he said to Zexion, "Think! If we have at least some of the Pack on our side, just think of how it can help us! I know there's no guarantee any will join us, but it's worth a shot in my book! Who knows more about the Pack than the Pack themselves?" Turning to Larxene, he murmured, "Think about it, Larxene: if we go through with this and succeed, we won't have any trouble with them anymore." He saw in her eyes a swirling desire that could sweep away all the obstacles in her path to protect a certain boy. "Strafe will finally be safe."

Larxene closed her eyes slowly and thought. Hard. One would think that she would have jumped at such a prospect, but no, this was truly not her decision to make if the rest of the Organization were to get involved. That was up to her own leader, Xemnas. But didn't he say that he would take action when the Pack showed themselves here again?

"Hold on," she heard Axel say. She quickly turned to him, but he was already stalking purposefully through a portal. Larxene tilted her head to the side until he reappeared, Strafe at his heels.

Strafe's eyes lit up when he saw Creena. "Creena!" he exclaimed jubilantly.

"Why is it that he has a lisp with our names," Zexion grumbled, "and not theirs?"

The Cub Prince bounded toward the ebony panther and wrapped his arms around her neck. "I haven't seen you in a long time!"

Creena managed to put a paw somewhat on him. "It has been a while, hasn't it?" She could not help but feel the penetrating and watchful gaze of Larxene, which burned Creena's entire body like a hot-iron. Did Larxene really think Creena would harm Strafe, after all the panther had said? She supposed that it was because she knew her only as one of the Pack. But Creena could sense something else radiating from Larxene, though she wasn't sure if anyone else felt it; Creena felt from Larxene a strong devotion to this boy. The shapeshifter suddenly knew that Larxene wasn't keeping Strafe to endanger the Pack, as what most were seeming to think back there; no, Larxene was keeping this boy because she loved him and wanted to protect him.

Creena did not dare voice any of this; she already knew not to upset this lightning mistress. Instead, she went back to talking to Strafe. "How are you?" She noticed Larxene narrow her eyes.

Strafe's blue eyes lit up like dancing stars. "I love it here! The Orderzation are really good to me! Lark-sheen is my new mommy and Ass-hole is my new daddy!"

"And Sex-shon is the crazy uncle." Axel couldn't help snickering the remark to the Schemer, who simply glared at the pyromancer.

"Yes, yes," Larxene said, growing testy. "Enough chit-chat. We have to take this to Xemnas. Cream, or whatever the hell your name is, come with us." Before Creena could correct Larxene on her name, Zexion cut in.

"No need to go anywhere," he said. "I had Xigbar fetch Superior because I had scented one of the Pack."

Creena's head rose sharply. "You scented me?" she asked, somewhat flustered. "How?"

"I have a very keen sense of smell," Zexion explained calmly; before he had received a heart, he would have probably boasted about it. Now, he was subtle as he explained, "I am able to differentiate people simply by their scent. I can tell who is in this Castle and who's not."

Creena's eyes stretched wide. "That exceeds the sense of smell of any in the Pack!" she breathed, astonished.

Before anything else could be said, there was a knock on Axel's door, along with a "Dude! I brought the Superior just like you ordered! That'll be five-hundred munny plus tip!"

Zexion rolled his eyes in exasperation before opening the door for the Superior...and Xigbar. The Superior took in the room's occupants before looking back to Creena. "Is this our intruder?" he rumbled warily.

"Sir," Larxene began, low and meaningful, "she turned out not to be hostile. The kid hugging her and her proposition are big enough points."

Xemnas turned to the Savage Nymph. "Her proposition?"

"She wishes for our aid in a rebellion against Bellacruxia and the Alpha male."

Xemnas continued to silently stare at Larxene even after the Nymph's statement. Then, "A rebellion?" Turning back to Creena, he said, "You are asking us to overthrow your leaders? We can't go and overthrow leaders off their thrones. It is this Bellacruxia who we have a problem with."

"Huh?" Axel lifted a red eyebrow. "Haven't you noticed that it isn't just Bellacruxia who has been attacking us?"

"They are merely obeying their leader, Axel," Zexion clarified. "They are obeying by fear and or blind devotion. We know nothing of the Alpha male."

"Exactly," Xemnas concurred.

"But Ranik allows Bellacruxia to do what she does!" Creena almost wailed. "He didn't care when Bellacruxia had me kill a Packmate! He was only mad that he wasn't the one to do it after he heard the story behind it: that the Packmate didn't avenge his fallen comrade, who was killed at Larxene's hands!"

Larxene didn't even flinch; she remained devoid of any remorse for protecting her lover and Strafe that day.

Creena felt Strafe hold her neck tighter as he asked quietly, "Who did you have to kill?"

Creena took a shuddering breath before answering, "One of my dearest friends... Ston."

"Ston?!" Strafe whimpered. "No no no!" Strafe remembered the times when Ston, another Omega, would sometimes play with him when the others were busy with other duties.

Larxene noticed Strafe quiver, and before she knew it she had placed a slender hand on the boy's shoulder. The Savage Nymph caught Creena's clouded gaze, but she paid no heed; all her attention wanted to go to Strafe at the moment. Suddenly, she turned to Xemnas. "Don't you see?" she hissed. "They will stop at nothing and no one to get him back! They'll kill us all before they get Strafe just for the sake of killing us! But that's not what wants me to strike back!" Larxene growled, the sound tight and powerful. "I will say this right now: I will help in that rebellion because it is my duty to protect this child!"

Xemnas was barely suppressing his stunned and baffled expression. He had always known Larxene to be headstrong and sometimes quite a handful, but never committed to something -or someone- so big as a child. After eternities he smiled, the small gesture of praise toward his now lowest-in-rank a rare treat all its own. "As I've said before," he rumbled in his deep voice, "I will take action when the Pack arrived again. And although their next appearance," here he glanced at Creena, "was due to something we did not quite expect, we will still hold a meeting in regards to this." He looked at Larxene. "And I am rather proud of you, Larxene."

Larxene only held her intense gaze with the Superior, saying nothing; her mind and heart was on Strafe at the moment. But there was something in the back of her mind that she barely caught hold of. Something dark and foreboding.

With a sick but whispering feeling, she knew that history would repeat itself.


A/N: Hahah, it seem history is kinda repeating itself, is it? -gasp-