Part Two
Danny, the Watcher, and the Guardian
"Bagheera..." Danny breathed in awe.
The big feline yawned, displaying a full set of flesh rippers and a thick purple tongue. The feline wiped his face with a dragon's forepaw, unconcerned by the strange new creature watching him. This new creature smelled interesting but was unimpressive. A kit no less. What's more, this kit on two legs was under the Watcher's protection which made it, whatever it was, off limits. Not prey. Not a challenger. Already bored, the feline stood and made a move to leave when the Watcher climbed atop the kit's head and gave the old Guardian a reason to stay.
Danny sat perfectly still as Pichu began to bounce and incessantly chirp at Bagheera. The boy didn't understand. His little yellow friend once again sounded anxious but not afraid.
Even though he didn't understand, the boy paid very close attention. He'd learned a lot about body language over the last several months. And it became abundantly clear that Pichu knew Bagheera. Otherwise, why else would this massive predator tolerate a bite-sized meal fussing at him? He wouldn't. If living around Lobomon, and Pakkun, and to be honest his sister too, had taught him anything, it was that predators don't suffer fools. They eat them. Or take their skulls. Or a combination of those two things.
Bagheera chuffed and rolled his head away as if he'd heard this strange argument before. Pichu grew more frantic as if afraid Bagheera might leave until finally, with a particularly loud chirp from Pichu, the big cat faced Danny fully and stepped into his personal space. Danny froze and held his breath, taken aback by Bagheera's size. He was taller than Baymax which put Danny at shoulder height to the big cat. Danny swallowed but refused to shrink away as Bagheera sniffed his face then lowered his massive head and took a deep inhale of Danny's bare chest. The big cat paused, his big wolfy ears twitching forward as he scented the boy's chest again. Danny ignored the flutter in his stomach, but as frightening as the moment was, the boy found himself wanting to touch Bagheera's big fluffy ears. He briefly wondered if those ears were as soft as they looked and almost lost the battle of wills to keep his hands at his sides when Bagheera took a step back and the weird tension evaporated.
Once again Bagheera chuffed and turned away. Danny wondered what to do. He didn't want Bagheera to leave, but he didn't want to annoy the big cat by following him either. The boy needn't worry. After taking half a dozen steps, Bagheera halted and glanced at the boy from over his shoulder. Danny smiled, shouldered his soggy backpack, and caught up to the big cat.
At Bagheera's side, Danny hesitated, but when the big cat's ribs brushed his shoulder, the boy tentatively wove his fingers into the fur of Bagheera's chest and allowed himself to be led through ShitThorn Forest.
...
"... you'd like our family..."
The old Guardian expelled a heavy sigh through his nose. Aside from the Watcher, he'd never known a creature who could yap so much. It didn't help that after the war and the death of his mistress and her kin, the Guardian had spent centuries alone. It made him a little strange and more than a bit cantankerous. But now he no longer had to be alone, not with the news the Watcher brought him. A new Keeper had been found, and though it was faint, he could smell her on the kit. The Keeper. The one who bore the furere. His mistress.
"My sister's a bit bossy and really weird, but she's the best, and even cool- er, sometimes. Oh!" Danny hastened his steps to keep up with Bagheera's long strides. "And then there's my dads! Aldough, I don't call 'em that. My sister says even though we're a family, Lobomon and Pakkun wouldn't understand cuz the Yachu are more the hit it and quit it types... whatever that means." he said with a shrug. "Oh! And then, and then, there's Baymax!" At this Danny suddenly faltered in step, forcing the big cat to stop and stare at him. "Baymax... didn't look so good when I las saw him..."
Scenting the kit's distress, the Guardian grunted and circled him. At this, the kit stiffened somewhat, and the old Guardian could smell his exhaustion and anxiety. He touched his nose to the kit's temple, and the kit sagged so hard in relief he nearly crumpled to the ground. The Guardian huffed. This would not do. At this rate, they would not make it to his mistress before the light faded. He couldn't leave the kit behind, for he belonged to the Keeper, which left the Guardian with only one option.
Bagheera nudged the backs of Danny's legs and the worn-out child was so out of it, the unexpected bump sent him staggering, and Danny would've kissed the earth had Bagheera not caught the child's backpack in his jaws.
"Thanks," Danny mumbled, legs wobbling somewhat as he found his balance. The big cat made a noise like a breathy grunt. Curious, the boy turned and blinked in confusion as Bagheera lowered the front half of his body to the ground. Danny didn't understand. When Bayamx lowered himself this way it meant to play, but this didn't feel like play. Bagheera made an impatient noise, his lip slightly curled. Still unsure what to do, Danny came up beside Bagheera and stopped. Luckily, Pichu seemed to understand. His yellow friend hopped down from her perch on his head and landed on Bagheera's shoulder. She turned her big pearly orbs on the boy and chirped. Danny bit his lip, hesitating, only until Bagheera growled impatiently. Nervous but excited, Danny climbed onto Bagheera's back, sinking his fingers into the big cat's mane, and holding on tight as Bagheera stood.
So cooool! Danny inwardly giggled.
Bagheera quickly began to climb and scale the vines with practiced ease. Danny flattened himself, worried the forearm length thorns might cut him, but they never did, and eventually, the graceful lope of Bagheera's stride lulled him to sleep.
...
Bagheera... The Guardian had grown used to receiving names. He'd been called many over his long life, though traditionally it was bestowed upon him by the Keeper, not by their kits. Or at least he presumed this was his mistress's kit. Scent doesn't lie. Those who share lineage tend to share certain scent markers too. Even after falling into the river the scent of the kit's pride was strong. Live around someone long enough, and their scent becomes engrained in your pores, and it would take more than a quick dip to rid yourself of it. And under the various odors of the pride, the Guardian could smell his mistress who's scent shared qualities with this kit.
Bagheera... Still, it had been a long time since anyone had called him anything at all, and he decided he rather liked the name. If his mistress chose to call him something else, he would readily accept, but for now, Bagheera would do.
The kit suddenly tightened his grip, yanking Bagheera's mane. The big cat growled, but not loud enough to rouse the sleeping kit as he stopped and glanced at him. The youngster sprawled upon his back mumbled and tensed. Bagheera leaned in close and sniffed. The wounds across the kit's ribs weren't bleeding, but Bagheera wondered if they were the cause of the kit's incessant twitching.
Perched on the kit's head, the Watcher beseeched the old Guardian with pitiful chirps. Bagheera opened his mouth in a silent snarl and turned away. He didn't want to stop, but even he had to concede that the kit needed proper rest. The light was failing them, and aside from the plant life on this planet, every other living thing knew to take to the caves or risk death from the oxygen plunge the night brought with it.
Sighing, the old Guardian altered course and headed for one of his many dens spread throughout his territory. The darkness did not linger on this planet for long. And after a short rest, they could resume their journey. However as Bagheera continued his treck over vines and under thorns, he became increasingly aware of the growing stillness of the forest. His lips curled up over his teeth at the silence. They were being hunted...
...
A rare glimpse into the mind of Osh'ikeille
Fury. It boiled off his Dtoudi Shur'ie's skin, spicing the air, and making her scent sharp. His own blood sang in response. If he'd been a young blood, the potent cocktail would've sent him into a blood rage. Although when it came to his mate, it only made her all the more irresistible to him.
Osh'ikeille glanced at his mei'hswei, knowing full well that he wasn't the only one drawn into the storm that was their mate. Unlike Osh'ikeille, Uzkielle was dangerously impulsive and easily influenced by their mate's passion. Uzkielle followed closely behind Dtoudi Shur'ie, but to his credit, he appeared to be in control. Another side effect of their mate's presence.
Sensing his eyes on him, Uzkielle tilted his head to look at Osh'ikeille. Osh'ikeille gave the other hunter a curt nod then turned his attention back to their little ooman huntress. Her shoulders pinched in response, the only outward sign that she felt him observing her.
His keen eyes followed her movements. Silently marveling at how far she's come since first they met. Calmer now, her muscles slid and swelled with graceful fluidity beneath her skin. She'd gained quite a bit of muscle mass, though, still a tiny thing in his eyes however he wouldn't allow her size to fool him ever again. And despite how much she fought his training, she'd picked up on it very well, and he wondered if she was even aware of the way she carried herself. Lithe. Powerful. Dangerous. A hunter. And when it came to her kin, and her own, her determination made her a force to be reckoned with.
Osh'ikeille's eyes went to the furere on her wrist, and he bit back a growl. Whatever that thing was it had done something to his mate. True it had made her stronger, but he didn't like the way it had altered her biology, her chemistry, which also caused a subtle change in her scent. He wished to study it, but any attempt to remove the device would cause serious harm to his mate.
The hunter inwardly snarled and forced his wandering eyes away. In truth, Uzkielle wasn't the only one easily distracted by their mate, not that he would ever admit to it, though, it was difficult to keep a placid disposition, much less focus when his mate was going into estrus and every breath into his lungs was saturated with her pheromones. Paya save him.
Sighing, Osh'ikeille tempered his male urges and refocused. One of their own had been taken and that didn't sit well with Osh'ikeille. Osh'ikeille remembered losing kin to the hunt, especially when he himself was a young blood. You couldn't intervene, not that he'd had the conscious of mind to do so. In those days, he'd been controlled by the blood rage just like any young blood making them dangerously unpredictable, foolhardy, and cocksure. If your kin fell or was taken, you might've felt the pang of loss, but it only fueled the madness.
This was different. And if he were honest with himself, Osh'ikeille wasn't sure how he felt. In his long life, Osh'ikeille had sired many offspring, but aside from taking pride in the formidable hunters they would become, he never felt inclined to rear them. It wasn't normal for males to step into the role of caretaker for a suckling. Males sired offspring, but they did not rear them, that was left to the females until the males could make warriors out of them. Yet his ill-tempered mei'hswei had easily fallen into the unnatural role of rearing the ooman suckling, and the naked truth of it all was that Osh'ikeille found himself in the rare position of envying his mei'hswei because he hadn't been able to do the same. But now that the little mischief maker had been taken from him, he realized just how protective he'd grown. It was a strange feeling. One he didn't fully comprehend, but he was starting to.
His mandibles retracted behind his mask. Danny, although the name wasn't suitable for one so cunning, had been taken. Hunted. And Osh'ikeille had failed to protect him.
A low growl simmered in his chest, causing both his mate and his mei'hswei to glance at him. Their feelings mirrored his, and Osh'ikeille suddenly felt the drive of the hunt hit him the way it had when he was an unblood. Uzkielle snarled in mutual sentiment, and the mei'hsweis shared one of those moments where no words are needed to understand one another.
Dtoudi Shur'ie stopped. And her mates did the same without question. She met their eyes, sensing the change in the tone of the pack and the hunt, and in turn, reciprocated with a feral flash of teeth, and activated her active camouflage and moved off. The mei'hsweis did the same and followed their mate. And together they melted into the forest...
A/N: Hello lovelies! I apologize for the long delay but my writing time has become almost non-existent and precious these days with the baby coming. I will continue to try and update this story as often as I can. Thanks for all the love and support. I don't have sufficient time to edit, so please ignore mistakes. :)
sempy: Lol, I'm betting Nina's gonna think the exact same thing ;)
angel897: Glad you liked it! Thanx for the love! :)
KTCameleon: Thanx, KT! Happy you enjoyed it! :)
sousie: Lol, Pred-mobile. You're probably right XD
Tenfangirl: Awe, thanx for the love! Lol, I think I bought the Pred plushie off of Etsy and the Xeno off of Amazon. Haha, I saw a facehugger plush but didn't buy it. Yet. ;)
Luna Silvereyes: Lol, thanx! More on the gauntlet later. :) Haha, I don't think Nina could handle an 8yr old Danny forever XD Glad you liked my description of the Mothra/Venamoth and the terror Danny went through when it took him into the sky. I'm glad I was able to capture Danny so well. He really was forced to grow up fast, but I don't think he'd trade his life for anything. Haha, I really enjoyed writing that little snippet about how Nina was fairing. She makes me laugh XD Bagheera is gonna be a big presence ;)
Kay: Awe, I'm glad you enjoyed Danny's little segment. Hope you enjoyed the second part too. I thought the dad part was funny. While I was in that boy's head, I realized he really does think of the twins as father figures, even if he never verbally says so. Lol, I had to add another predator. I've been seeing Bagheera come into play in this story for awhile. I think he'll be a nice addition to the ever-growing family. Oh, and wait till you see Precious's next addition! ;D More to come says, Precious. Much more! Ah, thanx :) I think its totally awesome that you can share the AvP universe with your son! I hope I get that lucky with my daughter. Lol, I think I found the Yautja plush on Etsy and the Xeno on Amazon. :D Chi'ytei!
write more soon: No worries. I will :)
Sleepyhallow01: Possibly ;)
sexyshewolf: Yup yup. Lou-dte Kalei is child maker. I got the translation wrong in that chapter. I was looking at the wrong word when I wrote it.
Guest: Eeee, thanx!
DystrVction: Danny's pretty good at accumulating furry friends. But the Guardian's not necessarily for Danny :)
Crazy4manga: Hi! Hi! Not sure how far you made it into the story yet but thanx for the love :)
DeadlyNightshade97: Of course, Danny wants to keep him, lol. But Bagheera isn't necessarily for Danny. Haha thanx! I had fun with that little Nina bit :) Thanx for the love!
helloabby04: Thanx for the love! Hope you liked the update :)