It seems almost like yesterday that I first entered the FanFic archives with my own stories. Actually, I think it has been one year to this day itself.

To all you readers who are writers yourselves and have stayed on FanFic for over a year, congratulations, and please, please, PM and share with me the experience of being an old timer. Words are what make the world go round, after all!

Anyway, I'm coming closer to the end of writing this. It is sad, but the end is really nigh. I'm dedicating this chapter to my brother Periosha, who has put up with my consistent badgering, but has still delivered me such fine words and sentences of being my favourite co-writer. Perry, I always love working with you! )

So sit back and enjoy!

Chapter 21: The Wolf Breaks Free

Darkness gave way to light in a myriad of dazzling colours and undulating shapes, right before the gift of sight came back to him. He blinked, turning the lights into distance and objects with proper shape and mass.

Phelan stretched his now-free arms and legs, feeling the liberty of a soaring bird with nothing to hold him back.

And in front of him stood the brighter side of the end of the world, blocked by the undistinguishable figure that instantly materialized into the kindness of his mother.

One minute Phelan felt the cold shiver of death creeping up his furry pelt, the next all that bleak and cold darkness was replaced by the warmth of his mother's hug.

"Phelan, you shouldn't be here. Even so, you can't stay for long. We've got to get you back." There was no mistaking the tone of fear and anxiety in her voice.

"Back to where?"

"To fight the Darkness, of course! We can't let him win!"

Phelan remained as still as a statue, until his mother shook him from his frozen state.

"Phelan, you know of the phrase 'stay away from the light', don't you? Well, this is a good time as any to stay out of it!" she exclaimed, and Phelan knew that no amount of exaggeration masked the solemnity behind her words.

"But, I don't understand. I mean, I'm supposed to be dead, am I?" asked Phelan.

"Barely; you're on the brink of it. But we can get you out of here and back into your conscious self. You've got to hurry, before you slip into another dream or worse, the afterlife!"

"Why not?"

"Because the longer you stay in a dream that's further away from your conscious mind, the more you will be convinced that you're living in reality instead of a fantasy."

"And that means if I'm dying, but I stay for too long in a dream that's in a dream within another dream..." Phelan started, his mind a little fuzzy at comprehending the deeper levels of context.

"You will die in the end, but your mind would have wandered too far to return to its original body to host it back. And that could mean the end of your existence."

Phelan nodded, rather nonchalantly. "Oh."

It wasn't the kind of oh that was filled with inquisitiveness and wanting to understand more, but it was more of a dejected, I-couldn't-care-less sort of oh.

"I think... that's just fine with me," he said, earning himself a look of disappointment.

Phelan's mother stared in confusion as her son hung his head with the guilt of shame.

"Sweetheart, is something bothering you? You never go down without a fight; it's in your blood."

The world was suddenly swimming before Phelan's view. A single tear trickled down his nose.

"I give up on this journey. Every time I face the Darkness, I'm always at the losing end. It knows me too well, every one of my moves and thoughts. I might as well tell it what colour's my underwear every day."

"Son... you mustn't let the Darkness get to your head so easily," reassured her calm and soothing voice.

"But it already has. I can't beat this thing, Mum... I just can't," Phelan said, before throwing himself into his mother's arms and breaking down in her warm embrace.

The fallen warrior cried until he was sure his eyes were wrung dry, but he allowed himself a small smile as his mother reached out and wiped his tears away, making him feel completely safe and innocent like being a child again.

"To defeat the Darkness, you need more than just your wits and strength – you need to unlock the light that's been trapped into the chasm of your soul and let it shine throughout your body."

She might as well have given him the entire list of Einstein's formulae to memorize, because this wasn't making the slightest of common sense.

"You cannot win this battle until you conquer your greatest enemy – the doubt that shrouds yourself."

As the atmosphere died down to a silence, Phelan's mother made her son close his eyes.

"Phelan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember how I really died?"

Her question caught him off by surprise as he stared with widened eyes.

"Of course I do! You were killed by that fox when I was only three and we were picking berries for the winter."

She shook her head, forlornly.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Phelan, but that's not what really happened. You've only been deceiving yourself."

"But... I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Sometimes, the memory is too painful to bear that you block it with thoughts of lesser pain and more of that which gives you reassurance. Which you have done successfully, my son, but it cannot help you overcome your fears."

"I've never forgotten it! I'm not afraid!" declared Phelan, puffing out his chest to prove it.

"Then close your eyes, and think hard. Think back on the day it happened."

Once darkness overtook him, Phelan reached deep, and there he saw glimpses of it.

A stream of panther-black fur, the glint of the claws that lashed out, the cacophony of screams that were drowned out by the flow of blood, but everything else was a short circuit. The flashes of light were too bright for him to see anything, but nothing could compare to the pain that shot straight through every inch of his nerves.

He snapped back into reality, and screamed in terror.

"I – I can't think any more!" he yelled, holding his head tightly as though it would shatter into pieces from the fall of his knees. "It hurts! I don't want to remember, Mother – it hurts so bad!"

Her heart close to breaking, Phelan's mother knelt down to her son's level. She sensed the fear knotted tightly in her son's trembling fur as she gently lifted his arms away from his face and looked deep into his quivering gaze.

"Close your eyes again, dear, but this time, clear your mind and let yourself go. Trust me."

She placed her fingers on the sides of her son's head and slowly began to move them, rotating in a circular motion. Counter-clockwise, she decided, was the best way to let the bloodstreams relax and to allow the nerves to receive more effective stimulation of incoming thoughts.

It was an old treatment for shock, but it was certainly doing the job well, as Phelan's eyes had widened and turned a cloudy-white, like the surface of a gleaming pearl.

From deep inside the oyster of his mind was his subconscious being pried slowly, one layer at a time, to reveal the distant thoughts of a life long cloaked in the shadows of absence.

Memories of a forgotten past...

The young chipmunk stared out into the open and wide fields of green, with huge blinking eyes like an owl's. Beside him was his mother, watching over him as she would any protective mother; fiercely guard his life over her own.

Phelan took in the newfound wonders as patiently as any child would when he is allowed to go outside to play, letting his curious nose breathe in the scents of nature, as well as listening to the symphonies of the sounds every living thing was making. Today was his first day out in the forest, as his mother had one day promised she would take him exploring. This was going to be the rest of his home, after all.

"Do you like the forest, Phelan?" she smiled, looking at her pride and joy through the clump of berries she had gathered for tonight's supper.

"It's beautiful, Mummy!" beamed the little chipmunk.

"When you grow up, my son, this whole forest will be yours to run around, to play with and have a family of your own."

"Aw, Mum, I don't want to have another family! I want you!" little Phelan pouted as he ran up to his mother and embraced her. "I love you, Mummy."

The chipette smiled as she ruffled her son's forehead.

"Phelan, someday I won't be around anymore to watch over you. But that doesn't mean I still won't love you any less than I do right now."

"Really? I don't want you to go, Mum! I'll miss you!" Phelan was close to tears.

She reached out over her neck and unhooked the silver chain she had been wearing her entire life. As she put it over her son, she saw that Phelan looked in awe at the moonstone that caught the light of the sun, and now the whole necklace seemed to appear to be part of the moon itself.

"This belonged to your father, but he gave it to me and said that a part of him lives inside this necklace, watching over us. Now," she brought her paw to her lips and kissed it, before touching the gleaming stone, "I am a part of this necklace too, and as long as you wear it, we will always be watching over you, no matter where you are."

Phelan may have been too young to understand the truth behind his mother's words, but he threw his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Mummy."

Phelan's mother was just about to reply when her ears perked up rigidly all of a sudden. She stood up tall and erect, her senses heightened with fear as she sniffed the air. Something was coming for them, and from the sounds of it, danger was fast approaching.

She turned to face her son.

"Phelan, we're going to play a game, alright?" she said, but the fear in her voice didn't suggest that she was playing out of mere fun. "It's like hide and seek, and this time you have to hide. But whatever you do, don't come out until I call for you, okay? I want you to hide yourself as deeply as possible, where I can't even find you. Do you understand?"

Phelan nodded vigorously, not wanting to disappoint his mother.

"Remember, don't come out until I tell you to," she repeated herself, before hugging her son as though this would be the last time she would see him. "I love you, sweetheart," she sobbed, kissing Phelan's forehead.

Then she disappeared into the trees.

Phelan sprinted as fast as his furry little legs could carry him. He scurried in and about the nearby bushes, climbed up and down small trees, trying to find the perfect hiding place.

"Mummy's so fun!" he laughed to himself as he tried hiding under a bed of moss. The moist moss dampened his fur, causing little Phelan to jump out of his hiding space, forcing to shake rigorously.

"Aw, yucky mosh! My fur's all wet!" He whined, pouting as he scurried away from the moss.

He kept on running until he heard a twig snap. Freezing in his tracks, little Phelan's heart began beating wildly.

"M-monster…" was all in his mind as he stood perfectly still. Fear numbing his nerves as he heard a rustle among the leaves. In panic, he hid underneath a nearby pine, concealing himself with the branches and the leaves.

"M-mommy… t-there's a m-m-monster…" he mumbled, tears beginning to form in his eyes as he prayed for his mother's call.

As the rustling grew louder, Phelan began sobbing louder. He curled up into a little ball as tears stained his mahogany brown fur. He was about to scream when he heard a voice echo out through the forest.

"Phelan!" The voice, assumingly male, called out, ringing confusion in Phelan's ears.

"Phelan!" It called out again, "Phelan, where are you?"

Phelan couldn't believe it! There was another chipmunk that knew him? But how could that be? Unless…

"D-daddy?" Phelan uttered, straightening himself to look out through the branches. He noticed a shadowy figure cross through the forest; its voice still crying out the same line.

"Phelan! Phelan! Where are you?"

"Dada!" Little Phelan cried out, jumping out of his hiding place and sprinted toward the figure. The shadow seemed to not hear Phelan, and leapt through the forest, with Phelan on hot pursuit as he chased the figure through the forest.

The figure managed to lead Phelan into a small thicket. Thick, thorny bushes formed a small perimeter around it. The little chipmunk began feeling exhausted from all his running, but he was far too tempted by the figure to stop running.

"Dad! Wait for me!" He cried out, and as he called, the figure stopped in its tracks, and Phelan ran toward it.

"Phelan?" it called out, making Phelan run faster toward it.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Phelan exclaimed, jumping and finally tightly hugging the figure.

"I missed you, Daddy…" he half-sobbed, leaning his little head on the shadow's shoulder.

But what Phelan didn't expect was that he heard the figure laughing… but not your ordinary laugh… it was cackling menacingly.

"Dad? Are you okay?" He asked, a little scared as well as concerned.

"Yes…" the figure replied, "But you won't be…"

"What do you-?" But Phelan's question was cut short when a violet circle surround him, and four black tendrils erupted from the ground below him, tightly binding his paws and legs, securing him tightly to the ground.

"Wah! Dad, help me!" Phelan cried, immediately bawling his heart out in fear. The figure simply laughed louder at the little chipmunk's face; its shadowy eyes now glowing a crimson red.

"Now, little Phelan…" it smirked, "I shall give you something very… special…"

The sky around them suddenly grew dark, storm clouds brewed all across the horizon, and the shadow began laughing maniacally as the moon created space amongst the clouds to reveal itself; its shine glowing brightly and heavily above Phelan.

The shadow then flicked its wrist upward, causing another tendril to emerge from the ground, gripping little Phelan's neck and forcing him to look directly at the moon.

It then began chanting strange words in some foreign language.

"In nomine tenebrarum do tibi potentias nocte. Dark servireDomino novum bene!"

Once the final chant was said, the moon's light began shining and bored deeply into Phelan's eyes, causing the little chipmunk to scream in total agony. Phelan then felt he was pierced by a lot of needles, the tendrils that had bound him then pierced his innocent mahogany fur, pumping something alien into his blood stream, causing the little chipmunk to cry out in terror as every nerve in his body was shocked with violent volts of electricity.

"Daddy! Daddy, pwease make it stop!" he screamed, his tears flowing freely, but the figure only laughed louder. It then clenched its fist tighter, causing the tendrils to pump more into Phelan's little body, forcing the little chipmunk to scream in absolute agony and terror as the moon's light had nearly blinded him from its eerie and unholy light.

Phelan's mother had caught wind of little Phelan's screams of agony. Panicking, she ran as fast as she could throughout the entire forest, hoping her little boy was safe.

"Phelan! Phelan!" she yelled, trying to look for her son, "Oh, Lady of Light, please, please tell me that my son is safe!"

She then came upon an open cranny in the forest. There were no trees, shrubs or any bushes that could provide cover for her, but that didn't matter to her. All that matted was that her son was safe; he was the only thing she valued more than her own life.

A snap of a twig made her freeze. She sniffed the air for any danger, but could not pick up a scent. Short, silent maniacal laughter could be heard in the air, causing her to panic.

He got to Phelan first? How? How is it possible? she thought, her mind racing to find the answers, to no avail.

"Greetings, mate of Confidence…" a voice called out from behind her, which brought chills down her spine as she turned around to see a black-furred chipmunk, his bloody red eyes boring deeply into her own soul as she looked at him with fear.

"H-how did you find me?" she questioned, trying to keep her composure.

"It was quite easy…" came the reply, "All I needed was to drive you out into the open and well, here we are…"

"Just give me back my son…"

"He's my son now!"

"No!"

The panther coated chipmunk began laughing manically loud as black lightning crackled across the darkened sky.

"YES!" he boomed, "He is one with the Darkness now! He shall be my next vessel, and I shall soon restore this world back to its dark, empty form!"

"Not while I'm still alive it shall happen!" she spat, venom and rage in her voice.

"Which is why I have to remove any obstacles… now don't I?"

Without a word, the Darkness impaled his paw right into her chest, forcing her to spit and cough up blood. The world around her now turning as the Darkness leaned into her ear.

"Join your mate in the afterlife, my dear… but not with dignity…"

The Darkness then leaned in his lips to hers, kissing her, making it difficult to breathe.

As the world drew dimmer for her, she slowly closed her eyes as images of little Phelan ran across her mind.

"Phelan… my darling little Phelan…" she thought, tears flowing from her eyes. "Don't be afraid...

"I'm… I'm sorry…"

"Mummy!" screamed Phelan through the binding tendrils.

The forest of blood suddenly dissolved all around him, the images floating around like a whirlpool before the light that shimmered like the brightest star reappeared once more with his mother standing in front of him.

Phelan winced as he got to his feet, feeling a sudden, but numbing pain spread like fire through his chest. This must be what she had meant by staying in the dream world for too long with his injuries so fatal...

But right now, Phelan could feel his pain ebbing away, being replaced not by sorrow and regret, but a burning rage that ate away at his vengeful heart.

"How could I let him deceive me?" he yelled, balling up his tight fists, ready to lunge out at something. When he couldn't find anything else to hurt, Phelan slashed wildly at the air, creating flaming arcs that left searing marks across the fabrics of dreams. "How could I have just stood there and let him take control of my own destiny?"

She just stood there with all her maternal patience, waiting until her son had cooled off a little before being able to explain.

"You were only a child, Phelan. You couldn't have done anything to fight the Darkness, or you would have gotten yourself killed."

"Kept as a pet, is more likely," spat Phelan, his sarcasm now clouding every last one of his thoughts. "And what did he mean when he said you were the mate of Confidence?"

"There's something I should have told you... a long time ago."

Infuriated, the wolf-like chipmunk turned his back on her and shut his eyes tight.

"It's about your father, Phelan."

Her words caught Phelan's attention, and she continued to speak, not wanting to delay the secret any longer.

"When I first met your father, he wasn't who I first thought he was. You could say that looks were very deceiving between the both of us. I thought he was brought here to end my life. But he approached me calmly, and told me that he meant no harm.

"He would not reveal much about himself, only that he was a member of a pack called Victory's Hounds. They were guardians who fought in the name of good, the protectors of the weak and the innocent. And he had come down to our earth with a task to protect us.

"My heart fell for him, not because he was mysterious as the stars above, but because he was earnest and true. He even abandoned his wolf form and took on an appearance like us chipmunks in order to stay with me and. I knew I did the right thing by letting him choose me as his mate, because we were blessed with the greatest gift ever – you."

"Where are you getting on with this?" Phelan asked, though he half-feared to know the answer that he was expecting to hear.

"Your father... was a wolf."

Phelan's mouth hung in astonishment, letting his brain wash over the sudden facts like a raging tide.

"But, why? Why did you keep this from me? Why didn't you tell me who my father was?"

She pulled her son closer.

"I told myself to wait until you were a little older. I was afraid that you couldn't handle the truth when you were a young chipmunk. But now that you have learned of the many things of the world and the powers that were given to you, I thought that now would be a good time as any, when you had learned to accept the extraordinary in your life."

If her words were true and his father was indeed who she said he was, then that could only mean one thing...

It would shatter the very fabrics of his realty...

But it would also explain everything about him...

Phelan pushed himself away from the warmth of her hug and buried his face in his paws, mumbling over and over to himself.

"No, no, no, it can't be! This isn't possible. It's not true! Mother; I'm not who you think I am."

"And what is it I think you should be?" she said, looking inquisitively at her son.

"I can't be... I'm not a hybrid, am I?"

Her warm smile and gentle nod was comforting to know, but it also meant the truth.

"Yes... yes, you are. But above all this, you are a blessing."

"Somehow, I don't see myself that way…" he mumbled, barely above a whisper. He turned his face to his mother as he crouched into a ball, quietly whimpering as he sniffled. To think, his father – let alone part of himself – was a wolf? He could hardly believe his ears.

"What's wrong, my dear?" his mother asked, clearly worried about her son. Her ears perked up when she heard a quiet sniffle come from Phelan, making her sigh softly as she approached him, putting her paws on his broad, wolf-like shoulders.

"I know this is rather difficult to take in…" she gently whispered into his ear, making him sigh as she kissed the side of his head. "You had to know the truth eventually. I believed that now was the perfect time to tell you…"

"You were going to tell me when I'm close to being dead?" he half-growled, his eyes avoiding contact from hers. "Isn't that rather late of you to explain that I was born a freak of nature?"

Phelan then laughed harshly at himself as he looked into his mother's eyes.

"Some blessing I turned out to be…" he spat, cursing himself as he looked at his feral paws. "I'm nothing more than a cowardly chipmunk! I'm not even the brave wolf that my father was… how pathetic of me!"

His mother's grip on his shoulders tightened as she heard him speak, grabbing the mahogany furred chipmunk's attention. He turned his head to face his mother, looking into her gentle spring green eyes. Seeing them didn't make him feel better. He tilted his head back to the ground when he felt his mother's claws scratch on his shoulder.

"Phelan…" she growled, making him hesitantly face her. Her calm spring green eyes were now slant and disappointed, and had lost the feeling of gentleness. He quickly looked away from her face, making his mother sigh heavily.

"Look at me…" she growled again, making him flinch as he slowly looked up at her, making their eyes meet.

"Do NOT say that you are pathetic, my son…" she continued, this time with a much gentler tone.

"What makes you say that, mom?" he asked, still not feeling better.

"You have done many wondrous deeds, my son…" she cooed, rubbing her cheek against his, making him sigh happily.

"You have become a brother to those chipmunks who have taken you in during your darkest hour. You saved their lives many times from the evils of the Darkness. You even made amends with Soron for the crime you never committed intentionally! You made them feel 'complete', Phelan. I can sense the great love that you and Soron shared after he adopted you as his brother. The same feelings I can sense from Alvin and his brothers, as well as their girlfriends.

"You made a difference in their lives, bringing them to adventures they would have never done on their own because you have been taking great care of them all with your strength.

"But the greatest of your achievements, perhaps…" she cupped her paw on his cheek as she kissed him, "was your sacrifice to save this world from the flame and evil of the Darkness. Thanks to you, light can finally shine freely, and everyone free from becoming slaves of evil!"

Her mother's words struck a few chords in his heart as he remembered his time on Earth. Meeting Soron during that terrible storm, he and his family adopting him as a brother. How the two of them became the best of rivals, to enemies after he unintentionally murdered the entire tribe...

How he ran to the Seville household on that dark, stormy night. How warm their hearts were when they accepted him as a Seville. Sleepovers, being a part of the family; how he basked in their laughter and relished every moment of it. How school-life was like, despite how temporary it was, he still enjoyed it.

Fighting with the Darkness, his other half, as well as his 'brother' Soron in that warehouse. The feelings he had for Brittany, how his heart was shattered when she and Alvin were reunited, and the consoling comfort Soron gave him afterwards. And the final battle tonight – during Halloween – was the most painful and epic battle he and Soron had ever shared. He even brought his brothers and the chipettes into the jaws of the dragon, yet they all survived.

But through it all, every deed etched into the fabrics of his timeline was well worth the struggle.

A small grin etched on his face as he licked his mother's cheek lovingly, like a wolf pup would do to his mother to show affection.

"Thanks, mom…" he smiled, tears of happiness streaking from his eyes. "I now understand the meaning of my existence on Earth, and I've never been happier with my decisions."

"I'm sure your father would be proud…" she cooed, nuzzling her face against his cheek, making him chuckle lightly. "Not only have those qualities made you a brave chipmunk, but also a true 'wolf' in our eyes, my son…"

His eyes went back as he backed away from her, looking at her surprised. A small smile began to tint on his face. Suddenly, a group of silent howls could be heard from the distance. He turned around noticed that there were three wolves sitting up proudly in the darkness, their snouts pointing towards the black sky as they sang in unison.

The wolf in the centre had a lush pelt of mahogany fur and forest green eyes, looking somewhat like Phelan. The wolf to his left had crispy brown fur and hazel brown eyes, and looked so serious and well-put, similar to Soron. The third and final wolf on the right had iridescent silver fur and cerulean eyes; his size was somewhat much larger than the two wolves beside him as they howled in the darkness. Wings of angelic grandeur sprouted from their back as they stood with regal pride, continuing to howl.

Phelan's mother smiled lightly as she wrapped one arm around Phelan's shoulder, while using her other arm to address the majestic sentinels.

"These are some of the wolves in Victory's Pack, my son. This is Sorrow…" she spoke, gesturing to the wolf on the left.

"Raconteur…" she pointed to the silver furred wolf.

"And finally…" she sighed lightly, "that is Confidence… your father," she smiled, gesturing to the wolf in the centre.

As Phelan looked on at the magnificent wolves in awe, the one called Confidence nodded his head lightly and the corner of his mouth rose into what appeared to be a warm smile.

In unison, the three wolves howled once more, this time their bodies beginning to vanish into the darkness. Phelan, now filled with a new burning heart, stood proudly and listened to the echo of their voices as he howled along into the darkness that surrounded him.

Knowing that his father was a wolf, Phelan howled once more, this time with pride as he felt a breeze of warmth comfort him while the darkness around him began to fade...

The first strains of consciousness came back to him in a blinding flash, and when Phelan opened his eyes, he realized the annoying presence of those accursed chains, still holding him back in place.

Rage fuelled his veins, and he threw back his head in a howl. The call of the wild fuelled his veins with newfound strength, and as he pulled harder, the chains shattered with a deafening explosion. Phelan's wrists may still have been shackled, but at least he was free.

The Darkness could only stare as his captor, once broken and defeated, was now prowling around on all fours; baring his teeth as he snarled, like an enraged animal that had broken free from its cage.

"No – this is impossible! You were supposed to perish by my hand!"

Having the shackles around his wrists proved to be a major advantage for Phelan as he struck the Darkness blow after blow. The chains danced dangerously under the control of Phelan's arms, like a deadly serpent flailing about in mid-air waiting for the right moment to strike. There was no way the Darkness could fight back without getting lashed by the stings of fury from Phelan's whip-like skills.

He was tired of living in his captor's shadow; tired of being bound by the strings that held him away from his destiny. Now the wolf within him was fighting for something deep within his heart, and he watched as the Darkness skidded to the ground after a series of Phelan's barraging blows.

"Do you really think you can win this battle so easily? I will return, and I will find myself a new apprentice – as I always have! One with power far greater than yours! Then, you'll be on your knees, begging me to take you back in as you did when your family died!"

The contemptuous sneer in the Darkness' voice only infuriated Phelan's growl, and he pinned the Darkness down, a paw raised directly over the dark chipmunk's face.

"All these years I blamed myself, when it was YOU all along! You killed my mother, and Soron's family!

"And you should be thanking me for that, cretin! With your stupid love and distractions out of the way, I would be able to train you into the greatest warrior the world could possess! You care only about living?"

The dark chipmunk raised his head and butted Phelan, knocking him backwards. "Now look at you – you have lost everything!"

Free from his captor's grasp, the Darkness summoned another fiery orb in his claw, but Phelan was quicker. The chains proved to be a greater advantage as he lashed out and caught the Darkness off balance, incapacitating his arms and leaving the dark chipmunk slumped down once more.

"No, I haven't. Because I've got something you don't possess."

"And what, pray tell, is that?" sneered the Darkness.

"A true purpose – one that's worth fighting for," said Phelan, now towering over his former master. He loosened his grip on the chains, but he never kept his eyes off the Darkness.

"My cause to live was given to me when you 'blessed' me with your powers, I'll give you that. And you kept me in the shadows, thinking that I could never see the good in anyone.

"But now I have a family, I have friends, and I have all the love and friendship in the world. And I'll use my powers of darkness – but I'll use them against you. I'll keep on fighting, even when I'm gone. And that is my true purpose.

"Your purpose? You're only making the biggest mistake of your life!" gasped the Darkness in a throaty voice. "You cannot defeat me!"

"I am a true warrior, not of the darkness, but of the balance. That's why I have won – and you've failed."

The dark chipmunk's snarl turned into a murmuring whimper.

"Phelan, you don't have to do this. I can reunite you with your mother. Hell, I'll even throw in Soron with his parents! Come back to my side, and together, we can rule the universe in its glory; in this life and the next!"

Did he detect a note of sympathy in Phelan's heart? Whatever it was, Phelan knew how the endgame was about to play out. One had to be victorious, where the other had to fall.

"It's not going to happen," growled Phelan.

The Darkness was livid.

"Well, as the worst student I have even taken under my wing, I am obliged to tell you this – YOU SUCK!"

"Oh yeah? Then you can suck on this!"

He clenched his right fist and pulled it back, enveloping it in an aura of dark energy. With his left paw, he grabbed the Darkness by the scruff of his neck and let him have the full blast.

Phelan could feel every inch of satisfaction and righteousness flowing through his body as his punch collided against panther-black fur, muscle and nerve. The impact sent the Darkness flying through the air like a rag doll, until he tripped, stumbled over and landed just an inch from the end of the circular platform that held both of them afloat.

One split second was all it took to determine the fate of who could be the last one standing. And Phelan, seeing his chance, summoned another call of dark energy into both paws while howling like a maddened wolf.

He screamed as he cupped his hands and thrust them outwards, sending a beam of black light crashing into his enemy and knocking both contenders backwards.

The Darkness tumbled and fell endlessly into the abyss of void and space.

The look of shock on his face twisted away into a gasp of utter horror, for no matter how hard the dark chipmunk trashed or fought, he fell faster – and all he could do was open his mouth in a voiceless, eerie kind of scream.

And he fell into nothingness...

To be consumed by the very thing that he truly was...

A stream of curses sliced through the air like a grating knife, but as Phelan peered over the surface, he could see nothing but a tiny speck of black that gradually grew into nothingness before being swallowed up by the darkness.

How ironic it must be for him, Phelan thought, to have an ending such as this.

He sat down, already feeling a slight cramp in his muscles, and he proceeded to groom himself thoroughly of any cuts and bruises endured in the scuffle.

Then a wave of relief washed over him, and – whether it was a sign of his sanity returning or vice versa, he didn't know – Phelan let out a throaty and heartfelt laughter that rang throughout the dream-like silence.

Never before had he felt such freedom; so fully in control of his own life.

"You've done well, my boy..."

Phelan turned around in the direction where the mysterious voice had come from. A ray of light shown down upon Phelan, and as he shielded his eyes from the glaring brightness, it died down to reveal a brown-furred, green-eyed wolf, its wings fluttering in the air before it landed in front of him.

It was Victory's Confidence – his father. And on his back sat Phelan's mother, looking at her son like he meant all the stars and the moon above.

As the wolf came up to him, Phelan knelt before the magnificent creature the way a squire kneels before he is dubbed as a knight. He wasn't given any special titles though, but the wolf nuzzled Phelan's shoulder with his snout, and the wolf-like chipmunk reached out to stroke his father's shiny, star-glistening pelt.

"You have bested an enemy that no other has ever defeated before," said his father, and Phelan was surprised to see the glint of a smile forming on the wolf's jaw. "And though you may not understand it, this is just the beginning of a war in which you were destined to win."

Phelan nodded, but there was something else now stirring up in the back of his mind. And he needed to get it off his chest as quickly as he could.

"Dad?" he asked. "If you've been watching me all this time, then why didn't you step in to protect me from the Darkness? Wouldn't it have made a huge difference back then?"

The majestic wolf nodded solemnly, but gave his son a comforting lick on the cheek.

"I know it has been tough on you, but I had to let you make your own choices. Nobody else has the power to wield control of your own destiny, Phelan. Only you are. And perhaps what I did was wrong, but believe it or not, you have decided the fate of your brothers and their friends, and perhaps so much more."

"So much more of what?"

"You said so yourself that you found a purpose to protect the innocent from the influences of evil. For that, what you have done has been a great service – one that would make Victory's pack extremely proud of you."

As smoothly as his father put his words with such, well, confidence, Phelan was always ready to notice the catch behind everything. "But?"

"But the Darkness isn't just your only enemy, Phelan. There are plenty of other evils out there, some far greater and more diabolical than you could possibly imagine. They are always on the lookout for a chance to hurt our world, to shatter it to its very ends. It is up to you, my boy," he growled, gently but with a steep of firmness, "to not give them that chance.

"The fate of many now depends on your abilities as a guardian of the darkness – to protect this realm, and the others that are in great need of your service."

"I understand, Dad," Phelan nodded, feeling ready to take on whatever the world could throw at him. "But... where do I go from here?"

The wolf pointed with its head, and both father and son could see the light from the break of a new dawn; pulsing with many colours from above, as though beckoning the weary traveller to ascend into the unknown.

"What's beyond that light?" asked Phelan.

"Only you can figure it out yourself, son."

And just like that, it dawned upon him – like opening a chest to reveal what lay inside. This time, he knew where the end of the road was going to take him to.

Before he could make up his mind, Phelan's mother approached him, her eyes brimming with happiness.

"No mother could ever have a son like you, Phelan. You've made me so proud, and I love you."

Then she hugged him. She was crying, but it was her tears of joy that gave Phelan so much comfort, and he gently licked the tears that flowed down her cheeks.

She chuckled as she patted her son's head, a feeling that made Phelan wanted to pant with joy; to do anything for her and be the most loyal companion in this realm and the next.

"I was right when I said that you're a very brave chipmunk, my son. But I know this – you'll make a fine wolf too, just like your father," Phelan's mother said. "Make me proud, and don't ever let anything bring you down for who you truly are."

Phelan said nothing, but he smiled. "It's time, isn't it? I mean, to get going?"

Both the wolf and the chipette nodded.

The wolf-like chipmunk spread his arms and hugged both his parents at the same time.

"Thank you for everything you've done, Mum ... Dad. I'll make you both proud. You have my word."

He took one last look at them before waving goodbye.

And he walked straight into the Light...

To Be Continued...

Yup, you heard me right. Only this time, there's just one more chapter before I call it ends. The final chapter awaits! So hang on for the curtain call! XD

P.S: By the way, that was quite a surprise, don't you think? Anyway, I spoke to Victory's Raconteur, and he gave me the all-clear to use that converging idea which bridges our worlds. :)

Looking forward to all your cookies and comments,

~ Wind