Here's chapter 15 and this one's an original, meaning it's Oc and not only that this'll shed some more light on Chris's past. Which I'm sure it has been something many of you have been wondering about.
Like what was Khan's story? Well, you're in luck, because now you get to find out.
Chapter 15
Ending and Beginning
As of the moment a small camp fire was put out by a much younger Chris. He and his father Khan had finally just finished eating a large Mute fish that the older hybrid had caught earlier that morning.
In fact once they were done eating, the two of them had just finished a raft that took most of yesterday to build. It was just finished earlier that morning. Right now, the two of them were going further out to the coast, and the quickest way of doing so would be by water.
" How does the raft look? " Chris asked his father who was sitting on a rock who'd just finished carving a paddle.
" It'll do us just fine. " Khan replied standing up and headed towards the raft. " Come, this'll take a long while. " Both of them got together. " On the count of three, push it. "
" Yes sir. "
" One...Two...Three! " The two of them pushed it into the water and quickly hopped on board so the current didn't fully take it away. Once on the current, Khan took his newly made paddle and started using it to help them move.
" This raft is working good. Which means we did good on constructing this... " Khan commented sounding very pleased as he paddled. But he then looked to Chris who was quiet. " You're awfully quiet... Something on your mind? " Khan asked.
The young hybrid was a bit hesitant for a moment. " I...heard you talk in your sleep. "
" Oh. What'd you hear? "
"...You talking with mom... "
"...No...I wasn't... "
Chris glared at his father upon hearing this. " Don't lie to me...You were! And it's not like you'd care if she was still around... "
" Watch your tongue! " Khan snapped with a firm voice keeping his focus on the river. " Until our journey is over, one of us must remained focus. "
" How am I supposed to know? " Chris retorted back. " It's been three weeks since she's been gone and you haven't shown any trace of grief whatsoever! "
Khans face hardened. " Don't take my silence as a lack of grief. Mourn how you want, let me mourn in how I know... "
" You could've just told me... "
" ... " Khan remained silent for a moment. " You do not know my ways... "
" And who's to blame for me not having a better understanding? " Chris questioned bitterly not caring if his father was glaring at him. " Half the time growing up, you weren't always there...Mother was...And each time I tried to come to you, you only pushed me away, and you only came to me when you wanted to. "
" I have my reasons for that Chris... " Khan said bitterly. " And I had to address that... "
" Even so, it still hasn't made up for the lack of time we ever spent together...And I get deep down...I might not have been what you always wanted... " Khan's look softened a bit upon hearing those words. ...I just thought...That maybe...After all this, things would be different...But looks like I was wrong... "
" Chris...I never attended to push you away... " The father assured his son putting a hand on his shoulder.
The child smacked it off turning to him. " Then why did you? " Chris looked him right in the eye.
" It's not easy to explain... "
" Try me... " He absolutely refused to not loose focus. As for Khan he lowered his gaze before refocusing it on his only child.
" My son...Listen close...I have a beast inside of me...At first, I always had to make sure to keep it in check. To keep it under control..., It kept growing stronger...At times, I'm not able to keep it contained and it wasn't easy...I couldn't keep my guard down...Not for a second...It took much effort and now, I don't worry about it... "
" Beast inside of you? " Chris was confused. " I don't understand... "
Khan sighed and stayed silent for a moment and raised his right arm. Closing his eyes, it enlarged into a white striped paw. Chris gasped at what he saw and grew more amazed as his father returned it back to normal.
" You're part Mute? "
" Yes... "
" Why didn't you tell me? "
" As I said, it's not easy... " He leaned forward placing a hand against his sons cheek. " I only wished to spar you from this burden...But your mother and I already knew that couldn't be avoided... " He resumed paddling. " Now that you know...It's more crucial I teach you how to control your inner beast... "
Chris's eyes widened in shock as he tried to absorb this new knowledge. " Mine...I'm part mute...Did mom know about this? Was she like us? "
" No...She was human all the way... " Khan replied while using the large stick to push the raft away from a nearby rock. " Even from the beginning when I became what I am now... "
" Cool...So I guess we'll be taking short lessons now and then depending on what's going on? "
" Yes. It'll depend. You will learn...soon enough... " Khan paused for a moment. " .And, Chris...I-I miss her too...I know it's been hard, for both of us..." Khan paused for a moment with a solemn expression. " If I had it my way, It would've been me that didn't make it, not my Aura...Even now I ask myself 'why couldn't it be me?' " He put a hand on his sons shoulder. " Let's put aside whatever we have for her wish...Can we at least do that? " He said continuing to guide them through the currents.
" Okay... "
Dream end.
At that moment Chris woke up rubbing his eyes smacking his lips. He looked around to see the groups current camp, which was in an old apartment complex.
It has been almost two days since the group left the Chevere Sisters home and the Eyeball Woods. As they already agreed, the group decided to head the sister's words for Chris to find his 'anchor'. Something to help remind him of who he was once he fully transformed into a Mega Tiger. Deep down, he was not very thrilled about returning to his old home.
But he knew eventually that this day would come, the sisters were right. If he was to move on with his life, he'd have to do this. Not just for his parents memory, but for himself as well.
With a long sigh, he made his way out grab some air and something to eat.
An hour later after catching breakfast and eating it, the group was walking through another part of the city.
Compared to the rest of the remains of the human civilization, nature was more prominent. Tree's of all different sizes were all around them, most notiably the ones who's trunks touched the ground itself. It also had including some moss, large mushrooms and also a variety of large flowers much like the ones Kipo saw when she first went with Chris to find Wolf. The area was also filled with small creeks letting water flow, through the very tree's themselves.
Dave whistled impressed. " Wow...You got a nice neighborhood man... "
" I'll say, this place is nice... " Benson commented as they stopped in front of a low slope. One by one they each jumped down.
" Chris how long has it been since you were last here? " Kipo asked as he caught her.
" I don't know...I lost count... " Chris replied continuing to lead the way forward.
" You clearly know this area very well...Why did you leave? " Wolf questioned.
" It's... " Chris was having a difficult time answering that question. " It's not easy to say... " He replied moving aside a whole bunch of leaves, and much to their luck they found what they were looking for.
" Is that it? "
" Yeah...That's it... " Chris quickly answered Kipo's question.
In the distance there was a wooden cabin, the same one where he and his parents had lived at the time when he was younger. It was also the same place where they held his mother's funeral. It had clearly seen much better days, as it was now covered in all sorts of vegetation showing nature was reclaiming the area itself.
Chris stopped for a minute and took a deep in inhale before exhaling. " Guys...If I stop moving, just push me, okay? " He got multiple replies as he continued forward to it until he was at it's door step.
He tried opening it, but it was clearly locked. So with a grunt he kicked down the door breaking the henge's making the piece of wood fall forward causing a large cloud of dust to be made.
Once it cleared, Chris entered his home, for the first time in many years. It was filled with a numerous amount of dust and moss was starting to grow on a few different places.
He slowly began to gaze around his surroundings. The memories were still etched into his mind, in a room just to his right was a chalkboard. He remembered how his mother schooled him, teaching him what she knew.
In the kitchen, there were many memories there, such as him attempting to cook, playing games with his parents and a variety of things with his father. Such as sharpening wood into arrows and chipping stone into spear heads.
Chris gently placed his forehead against a wall. He sighed in content closing his eyes. " Even after all this time...It still feels like home... " From behind the others heard what he said and they each exchanged a look clearly concerned for their friend as he stayed in that position for a few more minutes until he turned around to face them.
" Alright, let's start looking... "
With a nod they all separated, going into different parts of the house. Benson, Dave and Wolf had the lower floors while Chris, Kipo and Mandu checked the upper floors.
" You know...This place is really nice Chris... " Kipo said as they went up the stairs.
" Aside from the dust and moss am I right? " He asked jokingly getting a small chuckle. " But seriously, you would've loved this place back when my parents were still here..." They entered the upper floor and there were two doors one at the end of the hallway and another to the right.
" So which room belongs to who? "
" The one straight ahead was my room, and the one on the right was there's. "
" I call your room! " She dashed through going inside making Chris chuckle at how excited she was picking up Mandu and began to pet her which the pig enjoyed.
The inside of Chris's old room was also covered in dust and all around there were wooden carvings of different animals, old pictures hanging on the wall drawn when he was little.
" Huh...Not what I expected, but still nice... " Kipo commented as she looked around and picked up the animal carvings. " What were these? "
" Those were my toys... " Chris replied. " We didn't have much, so dad made them and I sort of made some of my own...Which turned out badly... "
She held back her laughter picking up a very skinny tall horse with a crooked neck, and a small head. " W-What this supposed to be? "
" That was supposed to be a giraffe... " He replied with an annoyed expression as they started looking around, every nook and cranny he could find. In an old cupboard Kipo found nothing but old clothes, while Mandu searched under his bed which was full of dust bunnies.
" Okay, clearly nothing in here, let's check the other room. " Chris advised and that's what they did, leaving his old room and went into the same room where his folks used to sleep.
" That's a pretty big bed... " Kipo noted because it was a pretty impressive sized mattress.
" Why you say that? " The silver teen questioned.
" Well, growing up in the burrow, finding a new mattress wasn't to easy... "
" So, what you had like the same one from when you were like a little kid or something? "
She waved her hand a bit. " Eh... "
" Never mind...Forget I asked... " He said before beginning the search. Chris began to look through the closet while Mandu was scouting underneath the bed and shelves. Kipo meanwhile opened a drawer and immediately blushed at what she was seeing. After a moment she closed it and quickly shook her head to get whatever happened out of her mind.
" What happened to you? "
" Don't ask... "
" Hmm? "
" This is fathers journal.
He started reading it out loud: " My name is Khan Fang, for those that are reading this, please do so. For those that have asked themselves questions, on why this all happened in the first place. I will tell you why.
To start, for most of my life, I was born and raised underground, like the rest of humanity. . he burrow, I lived in with my friends, and my wife, was the DNA burrow, a large laboratory, underground apartment complex. This was used by scientists to study mutes and the mutagen that created them.
The reason for why it was built, so that humanity could live once again on the surface. " He turned the page. " Over 200 years prior, was an event dubbed as The Great Mutant Outbreak of 2017. While it's not clear to what the cause was, the outbreak itself caused creatures to mutate far beyond their original size and intellect, rendering humans comparatively weaker and much lower on the food chain. Humanity fled to safety and formed underground communities called Burrows. In the wake of the outbreak and humanity's mass exodus from the surface, the newly-emerged mutes assert their power as the planet's dominant creatures, while banding together with their unique mute sub-types. Abandoned remnants of humanity still linger on the surface, either maintained and utilized by mutes, such as motorcycles and other vehicles, or overrun with mutated, deadly flora and fauna. Very few people survived the outbreak, and fled to burrows, with the apocalypse beginning on October 23, 2020. "
He turned the page again continuing to read.
" We worked effortlessly to try and reverse the mutations. But instead, we few decided to change our course. At the time, I was only but security, doing what I did best, keep people in line and killing any mute that broke out or breached the burrow. As for my wife, she was the burrow's leading field team experts. "
15 years ago.
In the city of Las Vistas, a man hole cover was opened. Emerging out of it was a much younger Khan, his skin was more pale, and he was wearing a zip up burrow suit like everyone else. He quickly scoured the area looking. He got out the whole and looked down.
" Its safe. You can come up. "
" Phew, I'm glad to get out of there... " Aura said in relief as she was helped up by her husband. " It was starting to reek... "
" The feelings mutual... " Another voice agreed, the voice belonged to none other then Song Oak, Kipo's mother. " You okay down there? "
Leo emerged out taking a nice deep whiff of fresh air. " Yeah...totally...totally...Just thought my nose was gonna fall off or something... " His wife helped him up. " How are you so used to that Khan? "
He shrugged his shoulders. " Comes with the job I guess? " He then goes over to a building that has a large amount of vegetation grown onto it. They started to climb up the vines of a tree.
" How do you feel Song? " Aura asked as they were climbing up.
" I feel great! I can't believe were doing this! " She was beyond excited.
" Finally! " Leo felt the same way and paused. " Wait! I left the stove on! We have to go back! "
" Leo! "
" I'm just kidding! " They were interrupted by Khan clearing his throat and was already on top. " Sorry. " They eventually got onto the top of the roof. After clearing some leaves, the group was given full view of the night sky at it's best.
" Oh my gosh, the stars...Oh my gosh, the moon! " Song was beyond thrilled to be up and then a flock of mega flamingo's were seen flying through the air. " Flamingos! "
" Oh and they have two heads! " Leo pointed out.
" Oh, I hope they get along with each other... " Song joked and gasped again upon seeing a sleeping mega corgi laying on a building. " A Mega! How tall do you think it is? "
" Maybe three hundred feet? " Leo guessed as Song jolted down some notes. " No wonder we ended up hiding underground. "
" You should see the Mega Bunnies. Some of them get bigger then that. " Aura mused.
" Oh my gosh, I bet the baby's are adorable... " Song gushed over the thought.
" Yeah they are, aren't they Khan? "
He turned his head avoiding eye contact. " Maybe they are, slightly cute... "
" Aww, you big softy.. " Aura gave him a hug making him grunt in annoyance but didn't show any signs he was enjoying it.
" But hey, now that we've figured out how to reverse the mutation, you could have one as a tinsy tiny house pet... " Leo said almost sounding a bit sad.
" Right...A pet... " Song was feeling the same way she slammed the book shut. " We can't do this right!? "
" NO! " Leo agreed.
" Please tell me you both agree to!? "
" Well, it ain't there fault for being what they are now... " Aura admitted while Khan waved his hand doing a 'meh' sign.
" Oh I'm so glad you said that! " Song was relieved to hear what they said. " Hugo said me and Aura's name today. He can think! "
" We can't take that away from him! " Leo was a hundred percent onboard.
" From all of them! " She motioned her arms to the sky.
" Then we won't! " Leo reaches out for the journal and takes it. " We'll hide this...And we'll tell our team we have no idea how we did it and that it could take years to replicate. And it's not any one else can do what you can Song. " He put a hand on his wife's cheek making her blush loving the affection.
" Aww, honey. It's true. "
" She ain't wrong about that. " Aura chimed in as the husband and wife embraced one another.
" We'll hold them off for as long as we can. " Aura said and gazed up at the sky. " I just wish this wouldn't be the only time we get to look at the stars... "
" It won't be, we'll find another way to live up here. " Leo reassured her and as they were going for it, the mega corgi suddenly started howling gaining they're attention. " We'll just have to be extraordinary. " He hugged his wife some more and the group watched as more mega dogs appeared all of them howling at the moon.
Back in the present.
" So wait, that means my parents and your parents all came from an entire burrow of scientists! " Kipo exclaimed happily.
" That would explain a lot about you and your dad. " Wolf commented.
"Ahem. " Chris gave them a raised eyebrow. " Do you want me to read this or not? "
She chuckled nervously. " Sorry, go ahead. "
" Thank you. " Chris turned the page. " After making our decision, we hid our knowledge away from everyone else and we strived to find another way for humanity to live up on the surface. Leo and Song already had an idea, but, they also wanted to try something else. "
Inside of Leo and Song's apartment Khan and Aura were inside. Just now they told them of a crazy plan they had come up with.
" What exactly do you want me to do? " Khan asked wanting them to repeat what they just told him.
" Khan...We figured out how we we can alter the mutagens to favor the growth horomone combined with the mutegen enchanced dna of Apex Predators...But, we also learned, that we can merge it with a humans DNA. "
" No, absolutely not! " Aura objected already knowing where they were going with this. " What you suggest is already dangerous, but this, this is a no-no! No-No-No! Your putting my husband at risk! "
" We know...But, Khan it's your choice. "
" Well he ain't go- "
" I'll do it. " Khan cut her off. "
" Khan, think about this! " Aura cupped her husbands cheeks who didn't flinch at all. " You do this, then you'll never be the same again! "
" Some of us are clones, Aura, you know this. How are we not already not normal? " Khan countered. " Is this, how you want to live for the rest of your life? Confined to this very place? Because that's not what I want, not anymore. "
Aura sighed rubbing her temples. " No...I don't...But as long as I have you I'm fine. "
Khan got up grasping his wife's hands. " Aura, I know you are unsure about this, but trust me, after living down here for so long. I'm at my limit, I no longer wish to hide underground. "
" But there's a reason for that. "
" And what then? " He countered. " Are we supposed to just keep living down here until it's all over? No, it's not going to be. If means, giving up a part of what I am, then so be it. "
Aura sighed in defeat returning the gesture. " Alright, I'm with you dear. All the way. "
" What available samples do we have available? " Leo presented the options they had managed to sneak from the lab.
" We have, Jaguar, Falcon, Monkey and Komodo Dragon. " Song anwsered.
" But... " Leo spoke up brining out a fifth. " We also have this... "
Khan raised an eyebrow. " Which is? "
" Tiger. " Leo presented it and passed it to him.
" Hmm... " Khan picked the vial and stared into it.
" You always did respect them, and they're also your favorite animal too. "
" That's...true... " Khan admitted. " This will be the one then. "
" Alright..." Song nodded her head. " Let's get started... "
...
Chris took a pause reading the journal trying to absorb this new information. " So that's how my dad became part mute. " Chris was not expecting this one bit. " Do you know what this means? "
" Your dad was the very first human hybrid. " Kipo anwsered. " And my parents made him into what he is! That's so cool! Oh, I'm so jealous! "
While she was excited Wolf, and Benson weren't feeling it. " Yeah...Real cool... " He managed to speak up.
" Hush up! " The bug demanded and looked to Chris with an eager look. " Come on. This is getting good. " Dave clearly was enjoying the story instead.
" Let's see...Ah here we go. In the first week after the procedure was done, we all waited to see what changed about me. The first week nothing, but by the seventh- "
Right now, the Oak couple was having some lunch and before long they heard a beep. It was coming from one of their devices.
" Who's it from? " Song asked.
Leo replied back walking back to her. " It's from Aura... "
" What does it say? "
" It says: Guy's you might want to see this...Like right now. " They both exchanged a nervous look and with the message received the two of them quickly rushed out and kept calm so they wouldn't get any suspicions.
Minutes later they knocked on the door and instantly Aura anwsered. " Come on, come on. " Aura got them inside their apartment and locked the door once they entered.
Leo was the first to ask. " Aura what's the matter? "
" Just take a look at this... " She motioned to her husband who was sitting on their bed without a shirt on. With a signal, she made him turn around.
" What are you-Whoa! " Leo was surprised to see what he was looking at while Song was excited. Khan's long white hair now had black streaks all over it, now resembling very much like.
" Stripes... " Song approached and examined it up close. " These are stripes! The tiger mutagen is starting to go in effect. When did these appear? "
" Just earlier this morning. " Khan awnsered turning around.
" Khan have you felt anything else? "
" I've been on edge, hungry and I feel...stronger as well..."
" And there's the incident... " Aura mused. " He grew fur on his arms! "
" Wait fur? " Song wanted to her friend to repeat what she said.
Aura only sheepishly rubbed her arm. " Yeah...First it was there then bam! It's gone. "
" I've also been able to see my way in dark... " Khan added.
" Okay, so the effects of the mutagen are defiantly going into effect, much faster then we anticipated... " Leo said in a worried tone pacing back and forth. " Did any one else notice? "
" No. But he did get a lot of comments on his stripes. Luckily we were able to convince them that it was hair dye, we made. Luckily they bought it. " Aura reassured. Her mood then grew more down. " Also...We need to talk... "
This got the Oaks attention as Khan continued to speak where his wife left off. " Were going to leave the burrow... " Leo and Song exchanged a look of shock with one another.
" Are-Are you really sure that's a good idea? " Song was now more worried. " I-I mean-Not that I'm against it or anything...But I thought that we would all go together. "
Aura sighed upon hearing this. " I know, I know...But now since the signs are showing...We can't just keep making up stories...And there's another issue... " She slowly put a hand over her stomach. " I'm also pregnant... "
Song was very happy for her friend who would eventually be a mother, but at the same time she was sad. It made sense, because it was well over seven weeks since Khan was given the mutagen. Even though it took weeks for any signs to be shown, one thing was for certain, the new life growing inside would be a hybrid. The only thing that made this different from their plan was that this child would come into the world by natural means.
Leo sighed hearing this news. " When are you going to leave? "
" Tonight. " Khan responded. " I know this wasn't originally part of what we were going to do. Finding about me is one thing, but if they do and learn Aura is pregnant, you already know what there going to do. "
Back in the present.
Chris paused once again absorbing more information.
" So your parents left their burrow...Not just for their safety but for yours as well... " Wolf was put in thinking mode. " Kipo's parents clearly knew the danger there as well... "
" But who were they hiding from? " Kipo questioned. " They didn't say who it was. "
" We don't know that yet... " Chris spoke up. " It could've been Scarlemagne, but we don't have any anwsers to that question yet... " He continued reading by turning the page.
" We managed to make our escape and we knew that we had to quickly hide. We wandered through the surface for days, and those days turned to weeks and then months...Which would eventually lead to our child's due date. Eventually, by a twist of fate, we made some friends... "
Right now the two were seen making their way through the forest, Khan was carrying a large backpack also wielding a spear for protection. Right behind him, Aura was nearby, her bump was now fully noticeable.
During they're stay on the surface, they stopped taking shelter whenever they could. They'd only move if they had to, but now they had to find somewhere to hunker down. The inevitability of Aura going into labor was soon drawing near. But because of the state she was in, moving around had become difficult. Every once in a while they'd had to stop so she could catch her breath and calm down, so it wouldn't trigger an early labor through stress.
" Khan? "
" Hmm? " He turned around to face her. " Do we need stop? "
" Yes please... "
" Alright... " Planting the spear into the ground he set down the backpack using it as something for Aura to sit down on.
" I'm sorry... "
" Don't be... " He handed her a canteen for her to drink. " You don't have to be sorry. It's okay. " She passed him back the canteen. " We'll find
" I hope so...
All the sudden a loud roar was heard and quickly enough Khan
Khan roared swinging the edge of the spear around telling the boars to back off.
But then the boars stopped and kneeled down sniffing Aura, primarily her stomach. The two of them exchanged a look with one another and then the red one sat down confusing them both.
" What's it doing? " Khan asked.
" I think it wants to offer us a ride... " Aura said with the blue boar jerking it's head to it's companion. " Khan, maybe we should see where they want to take us... "
Khan shook his head and bluntly said. " No... "
" Khan, I could have this baby any day now... " Aura argued. " And we haven't been able to find anywhere we could stay...These boars aren't as dumb as they look, they know something, so come on please? " Khan looked into the eyes of the boars looking for any signs of danger. While his logical side was telling him to leave, another part of him, said to go. It could've been his mute side, influencing him, but he knew that something had to be done. And they didn't have much choice.
" Fine... " Khan helped up her wife and with the blue boars help they got her on top and then it opened its mouth. He grunted in annoyance already seeing where this was going and got into its mouth.
Minutes later Khan was dropped out of the pigs mouth covered in drool.
" You okay? " He looked over to his wife and gave her an annoyed expression. " Never mind... " The red boar sat down and Aura slid off being caught by her husband in the process.
" Whoa...The cheese just told me we got company... " The two of them looked over to see the voice originated from Ida who had just exited out of the cave with her sisters.
Florabel walked forward and placed her hooves onto Aura's bump splattering cheese on it. She gasped in excitement. " The cheese tells me, that they also have another addition on the way! "
Hearing this Bev clapped her hoods in total excitement while Ida walked forward placing her hoove on Aura's bump as well. She hummed. " And I thought for a moment the cheese was messing with us...How long are you exactly? "
" I've count up to at least 8 months and eight weeks. " She replied back.
" Well isn't that just precious? " Florabel exclaimed in a kind tone and looked over to Khan placing a hoof onto him. She gasped once again only this time in surprise and shock. " Oh my...Oh my... "
" What is Florabel? " Ida never heard her sister act like this before.
" This gentleman before us, is something unique all on his own... " Curious to know what she was talking about the two other goats proceeded to touch him.
" Oh boy... " Ida was already having a bad feeling about this.
" Come on look on the bright side... " Bev said rather cheerfully. "...This don't happen everyday..And he ain't gonna eat us! "
" Um...Excuse me? But who are you? "
" Oh, right, I'm Ida. And these are my sisters, Florabel and Bev. Bev's the short one by the way. "
" Mind if we ask for your names? " Florabel inquired.
" I'm Aura and this is Khan my husband. "
" We know, the cheese told us... " Bev commented confusing the two of them. " But you two sure picked a bad time to come up here though. "
" Yeah, giving birth on the surface, ain't exactly a good idea... " Ida chimed in.
" We didn't have a choice... " Khan said. " Staying in our old home was to dangerous. "
Aura spoke up grabbing their attention. " I know this is a lot to ask, but may we stay here for a while? "
" We would very much appreciate it... " Khan said. " Will you help us? "
" Say no more. " Florabel replied in a kind tone taking Aura's hands. " Your more then welcome to stay for a while even after your baby is born. "
Back in the present Chris was cut off by Dave giving off a loud burp earning a look from everyone.
" Excuse me... " The bug said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
" Are there going to be anymore of that? " Chris asked in annoyance. " Because I can stop right now. "
" No-no-no! " Kipo waved her hands rapidly. " Keep reading! This is getting good! "
" Alright..." He clicked his tongue in annoyance. " Where was I... " He was tracing the words with his finger trying to find where he paused. " Ah, here we are. " Clearing his throat Chris continued to read his father's journal.
" In the following days after the sisters were kind enough to let us stay in there home, we grew very attached to them. It was honestly a bit strange, despite other Mutes hating humans, the three of them, don't hold anything ill towards us at all. Either because they were raised in solitude, or they knew that there were good people among the ones who gave us a bad name. " He turned the page. " They also knew of what I was, and they offered to help me tame my inner beast. How they knew this, is beyond my knowledge but it mattered very little. Because thanks to them, I was able to learn more about what new ability had to offer...As the days seemingly went by, something wonderful happened... "
It was the middle of the night, the outside itself was illuminated by the moon light including a lit fire. Khan was outside the cave sitting by the table, despite his calm demeanor, he couldn't exactly hide what he was feeling, uncertainty? Nervousness? He didn't know, maybe it wall the above.
The painful screams that erupted every once in a while was a reminder of what was going on for the last eight hours. A big moment was happening, and that was the fact, that he was about to become a father.
While he was worried about what could possibly happen, Khan wasn't showing it. He trusted the sisters. Despite them only knowing one another for only a short amount of time, it almost felt like they were a part of their growing family. While he didn't admit it, Aura already knew, since he was just that kind of guy.
" Khan... " He quickly turned over to Ida and stood up approaching the goat.
" How- "
" Everything's fine... " She reassured him and smiled. " Aura's done. Come on... " She lead him into the cave, inside her two other sisters had just finished cleaning up whatever mess was made, despite blind, these goats knew what they were doing. How they knew, Khan didn't care about that one bit.
" Right in there... " Bev pointed to a doorway that had a sheet acting like a substitute door.
" There ready...Also, it's a boy..." Florabel said and with no hesitation he slowly walked through
Laying in the bed was Aura, her hair was a mess, and she very much exhausted, but despite this she was keeping her gaze focused on a little rolled up blanket. She then diverted her attention to her husband and gave a warm smile. " Khan...Come on...Meet your son...Chris Henson Fang. " Slowly he kept walking, making sure not to make to much noise. Gently he sat down on the side of the bed and gazed at his-no, their child. Unlike Khan's white albino skin, the infant was a grey silver, the little guy's small amount of hair was a much lighter shade of the color itself.
" Do you want to hold him? "
" Yes... " Slowly she handed over the newborn to her husband. Upon doing so, his sons eyes opened gazing at his father for the first time. Gently he caressed his thumb on the side of it's cheek and the child was happy to receive this attention As he continued to do this, all the sudden the infant's right hand suddenly turned into a paw.
" He is...like me... "
" I know...But come on, that little paw is adorable... " Aura smiled as they watched him return to sleep. " Khan, you know what this means right? "
" That we are now parents? "
" Well, yeah, that. And this is a sign. " She leaned forward and her husband handed back the child as she rocked him. " It means humanity can have a chance to live on the surface once again... "
" I hope so... "
" Khan... "
" I'm just being honest Aura... " He replied back focusing his gaze on their son. " So many don't even have hope no more... "
" And some are just afraid...Khan...We've seen so many things since we left our burrow, and we know that the Mutes are just like us...There's good and there's bad...Were not so different from one another...The sisters are an example of that... " Khan hummed in agreement and with that heard the two continued to enjoy the moment they were having, welcoming their new child to the world itself. It might not have been the one like two hundred years ago, and while others took refuge underground, this was another start.
A start to show, that humanity itself would eventually once again, live as they did for centuries, on the surface itself.
After a long time reading, the journal had finally run out of pages with his father's hand writing. And so he closed it and looked to the others in surprise. " I know the Chevre Sisters knew my parents...But this is a surprise... "
" Chris, they helped deliver you! " Kipo exclaimed happily before raising an eyebrow in confusion. " But why didn't they say anything? "
" Maybe it slipped their minds? " Benson guessed shrugging his shoulders.
" Or maybe they knew we'd find out anyways... " Wolf assumed and from the way she saw it, she was right on the money. " What about you Chris? How do you feel? "
" I don't know... " He looked over his shoulder and saw that the sun was setting in the distance. Immediately he got up and head towards the door. " We should probably camp here for the night. "
" Where are you going? " Benson asked as he exited out the door.
" What else? Grab dinner. " He replied bitterly closing it behind him. As he left, everyone exchanged a concerned look with one another.
...
four more weeks had now passed. The father and son's journey was hadn't gotten easier. They had to loose the raft they made to continue on foot, and that only made their travels a bit slower.
Also since they were in un familiar territory, they didn't know what to expect. For this reason, the two of them were on full alert, and to pass the time to get their minds off of things, Khan instructed Chris on how to control on what he called 'inner beast'. Aside from seeing in the dark, his enhanced senses, he proved to be a very quick learner.
In only a matter of days, Chris was able to make his arms transform into paws and revert them back to normal. But that's all he could mostly do for the time being, any more lessons would probably have to wait later.
Right now though, according to Khan they were now almost finally close to their final destination.
Out of the mountains and forests, the two of them were now along side the coast line. The smell of sea salt filled the air, compared to the city, it was full of life. There were large seagulls with four sets of wings, Mega Crabs that walked through the water, their legs the size of tree trunks. The fish there were also massive.
" So...this is the ocean... "
" Beautiful isn't it? " Khan asked.
" Oh yeah, defiantly. Whoa! Check it out! " In the distance they saw a Whale jumping out of the water getting some air, not like the ones in books, but a Mega. It was practically the biggest damn thing they'd ever seen in their whole life's. A whole body could easily supply ten or fifty burrows that'd last for years.
" The whale's are gigantic! If they're that big, I bet the sharks are like that too! "
" Well lets not try to push our luck with that... " Khan said finding it a bit amusing, but how couldn't he? The child had never seen marine life like this, aside from fish but that was it. " If anything the whale's probably have their quarrels with them. "
" Huh, that's actually a good point..." He never thought about it that way and began to jot down some notes on that theory. Khan looked over his head and paused making his son pause as well.
" That book, you've had it this whole time? "
" Well, Yeah...Mom always had this with her when we were out and whenever we saw a mega she always added something to this. It wasn't much, but for us it was fun. "
" She's not here anymore though... "
" I know... "
" So why do you do it? "
" Because I enjoy doing it... " Chris said with a smile. " And I don't want it to be something that makes me sad... "
Khan hummed at his response and they continued on. " Thats...a really mature way of thinking Chris...I'm very pleased to hear this. "
" Your welcome...I guess... " He whispered the last part and then noticed something. " Hey dad? Is that where were going? " He pointed to a decent high enough peak that was very close to the shorelines.
" Yes... " Khan confirmed still keeping his gaze right over at that direction. " That is where our journey will finally end... "
" So...We finally did it... " Khan put a hand on his shoulder and nodded.
" We did...Chris... " The young hybrid and watched as his father walked up to him and knelt down. He then presented the ash sack. " Carry them... " Without hesitation, the boy slowly accepted and nodded his head, not speaking a word. But Khan knew, his son was thankful.
And with that, the two of them made their climb up, and after a bit of hassle, they finally got on top of the peak.
" Wow... " The child was in awe of the view he was seeing. He always saw pictures of the ocean, and breath taking beaches. But actually seeing something like this in person for the first time, ever. There were no words to describe it, but they also knew they came here for a reason. To honor deceased loved ones final wish, and today, that wish would be fulfilled.
Khan exhaled deeply as Chris lifted up the sash and opened it. " Father... " He was willing to help him do the honors by holding it.
Instead the older hybrid shook his head. " No..." He put a hand on his son's shoulder. " We do it together...son... " Chris nodded his head and then without rush, he took the first grasp of his mother's ashes. His father proceeded to do the same.
All Chris had to do, was open the palm of his hand and watch it fly with the wind, as did Khan. Chris took his second and last hand as did his father and they both watched as the remains of the matriarch scattered to the wind and off to the sea, forever becoming one with the world itself.
Khan put an arm over his sons shoulder as they watched it disappear in the distance. A single tear rolled down from his eye. " Goobye Aura... "
" I love you mom... "
" We now fulfilled your mother's request...Come... "
" Dad...What made this place so special? "
Khan paused taking a good look of the ocean, as the waves gently plowed against the rocks. " This place...Holds many memories for me, and your mother. "
" Like what? "
" I proposed to her here... "
" Huh? I thought you both were already married. I don't understand... "
" We were. But I didn't give her a proper one. Originally I couldn't, and she already knew what I was going to do... " Khan kept explaining as they walked back to the spot where they climbed up. " The reason why was because...I was...embarrassed. "
Chris held back a laugh. " You? Embarrassed? "
" You'll understand what I mean if you do fine someone who your willing to spend the rest of your life with. " Khan countered. " Fighting is one thing, but love, is much more harder then it looks. But she also loved the ocean... " He paused and took a glance at the surrounding areas. " She always dreamed of seeing it, wanting to feel it's breeze and to her, it also brought hope. "
" Hope? " Chris wasn't expecting this. " Why? "
Khan pointed outwards. " Beyond these waters, are other kinds of people, places that are different then here. She always was curious to know if there were others out there. "
" So that's why she wanted her ashes scattered here... " Chris was now beginning to understand. " This place held so many memories for the both of you. "
" That's right... "
" So what do we do now? "
" Now...We go home... " Khan anwsered and just like that the dream had ended.
On that que Chris woke up and groaned rubbing his face and looked to see everyone was still asleep. Being as quiet as he could, the silver teen opened up a curtain and saw that there was a still of bit of darkness left. But he knew that in a little short while the sun would soon rise.
Once it did, he and the group would continue searching for his anchor. But deep down, the whole purpose of returning to this place, to confront his 'inner darkness' as the sisters described it.
Chris knew eventually the day would come where he'd have to finally face it, just not like this. So many different emotions were flooding through him, so much that he honestly didn't know what to do.
With a sigh, Chris went back to the room, not long before he noticed something underneath the counter of the kitchen. Pulling it out, he discovered it was a case and inside was an acoustic guitar. He remembered this instrument, his mother would sometimes play it when they were outside at night looking at the stars. He really did miss those times.
And so, with nothing else to do, he made his way out of the cabin and gently closed the door. Once outside he found a spot where he could see the sun rise. With a bit of adjusting he found what he was looking for and started playing a gentle tune. With the right feeling, he started to play.
" I feel so extraordinary...Something's got a hold on me...I get this feeling I'm in motion...A sudden sense of liberty...I don't care 'cause I'm not there...And I don't care if I'm here tomorrow...Again and again I've taken too much...Of the things that cost you too much. "
I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun
My morning sun is the drug that brings me near
To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear
I used to think that the day would never come
That my life would depend on the morning sun. "
As he continued playing, the memories of his family started pouring out. He didn't know why, but he couldn't deny what was happening. He remembered his mother's smile, home schooling him, and even teaching him how to cook. He also remembered the days when his father would always smile, teaching him everything he knew. He also recalled the entire journey he and his father shared carrying out the matriarch's ashes.
" When I was a very small boy
Very small boys talked to me
Now that we've grown up together
They're afraid of what they see
That's the price that we all pay
And the value of destiny comes to nothing
I can't tell you where we're going
I guess there was just no way of knowing
I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun
My morning sun is the drug that brings me near
To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear
I used to think that the day would never come
That my life would depend on the morning sun. "
" I feel so extraordinary
Something's got a hold on me
I get this feeling I'm in motion
A sudden sense of liberty
The chances are we've gone too far
You took my time and you took my money
Now I fear you've left me standing
In a world that's so demanding. "
More memories continued pouring in, the day when his mother passed, and also loosing the chance to become an older brother. He then recalls the final fight he and Khan shared, ultimately leading to his end.
" I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun
My morning sun is the drug that brings me near
To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear
I used to think that the day would never come
That my life would depend on the morning sun
I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun
My morning sun is the drug that brings me near
To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear
I used to think that the day would never come
That my life would depend on the morning sun. "
Chris finally stopped placing the instrument down, all while tears poured from his eyes and finally let out his emotions. His misty eyes looked up to the sky and saw that the sun had now finally risen bringing light to a new day.
Unknown to him, the group had been woken up by his song, hearing every single word. They were also was touched by what he did. Dave cried into Benson's shirt with the teen returning the favor, he was crying a bit to. Even Wolf, though she wouldn't admit it, but now, she knows that deep down, despite her past. There were still loving families in the world today and their bonds were real. She even wondered for a moment if she had loving parents like Chris and Kipo did.
Speaking of which, the said Burrow Girl, slowly walked to him and knelt down sitting right beside him. He looked over to her for a moment. " I didn't mean to wake you...I just got a lot on my mind. "
" It's fine...It was nice actually...real nice...So, do you want to keep looking? "
" I don't know if we should, there's nothing left here anymore... "
Kipo kept silent for a moment thinking strongly on what words she was going to us. " Chris, the sisters said you had a wall blocking you...And we have to... " She then asked a very hard question. " What happened to your parents? " She got no response as he only continued looking forward wiping away his tears. " You don't- "
" No...no..." Chris cut her off. " After everything we've been through, it's only fair... " He sighed sadly taking in a few moments of silence before explaining. " First my mother died... "
" How? "
The silver teen looked very hesitant and looked away turning to the outside. " Childbirth... " His anwser shocked not only Kipo, but the rest of the group nearby who could hear them talk to one another. " Her...and the baby too..."
Kipo did her best to hold back some tears. " What...What Did you do? "
" We did a warrior style funeral, we cremated her body and she had a request...To take her ashes and scatter them to a special place...Right near the ocean, and that's what we did...It took a while to get there, so as you'd expect it'd take just as long to get back home...But along the way, things took a turn for the worst... "
Right now, the father and son were seen making their way through the river on another raft they made. It did take longer to make this one compared to the first, but the reward was well worth it as this would help them travel much faster then on foot.
It has now been over three days since they scattered their loved ones ashes out to the ocean. Their current objective, was to return home. But while doing so, there was a lot of questions rolling through Chris's mind.
" Father? "
" What? "
" Now that we scattered mothers ashes, what are we going to do now? "
" We will decide on something. " Khan replied. " Preferably, I'd like to continue your training. "
" Sounds good to me... " Chris liked the sound of that idea. " Oh...Hey, I know I never asked, but how did you meet mom? "
Khan hummed at that question and then chuckled. " She saved me. "
" How? "
" With her voice...You see, your mother was a lot of things...And a nurse was just another number of her talents. "
" Mm-hmm. "
" When I first heard it, I could've sworn it was angel, and sometimes, I always thought she was. Aura always had a smile on her face, she was happy. After an 'accident' I was taken in for treatment, and that's when heard her humming, and then her voice...It was a breathtaking... " Khan smiled at the memory. " Even in dark times I went through, she gave me hope and love. "
" Wow...You actually just told me a good story. " Chris said making his father chuckle in amusement and before long the two of them had finally gotten to a decent spot. They knew it'd take a while to get home, but compared to the journey itself, it'd only take a while to arrive home, just not as long though.
" Okay, so let's find a spot for the night? "
Khan nodded his head. " Yes.
...
After many hours of walking, night time had now settled in and as of right now, the father and son had set up camp. A small camp fire was burning close by them, providing more light and warmth. They had also just finished eating.
" How long do you think it'll be till we get home? " Chris asked gazing at the sky.
" Hopefully not to long... " Khan replied. " But it's safe to assume we will arrive there as long as we keep a good pace. "
" Not slow, and not to fast right? " Chris asked getting a chuckle of amusement from his father.
" Right... " He then sighed taking in the night sky. " I see Leo... "
" Hmmm? " Chris looked up to the sky. " Where? "
" There... " Khan pointed it out.
" Oh, yeah, now I can see it. That was mom's birth sign right? "
" Correct. "
" What was yours again? "
" Draco. "
" You got the dragon? Oh geez, I'm jealous. " Khan chuckled again.
" Don't forget, you were born under Scorpio, it's not to bad. It all just depends on how you feel about it... " Khan said before gazing over to his child. " Also...Chris? "
" Hmm? "
" I know this hasn't been easy you, neither has it been so for me. But, listen, sometimes, when you fight, you don't fight because the world makes you. We fight, for our future. Not matter what, even in the darkest days, we steel our will and hold onto our hope. Every moment we have, always counts, and that's why...I want you to know... " He put a hand on his shoulder. " I'm proud of you and so would your mother. "
Chris smiled upon hearing those words. " Thank you father. " The young hyrbid stood up and began to walk into the woods.
" Where are you going? "
" To get more wood. "
" Excellent thinking... " Khan was very pleased by his sons own free thinking on what had to be done.
...
With his night vision, Chris was gathering as much wood as he could, whatever they could use to keep the fire alive.
All the sudden as he was gathering, a scream was heard making the child whirled around in surprise. He knew which direction it came from, and he knew something was wrong. Dropping what he was gathering, Chris made a mad dash towards their camp. Jumping over anything that got in his way. He even tripped, getting a face flat in the ground. But he ignored it and got back up, adrenaline was rushing through his veins.
He had now arrived back at the camp, but was quick to skid himself to a halt and hid in a nearby bush.
" You have some nerve for what you did... " Chris was hearing a voice he'd never heard before in his life, but from the sounds of it, it belonged to a she. Silently he peeked through the bushes and much to his shock, Khan was tied in some sort of thick metal ropes being held by multiple figures wearing black and purple draped capes including some masks and the hood had what resembled to be bunny ears
Then there was one who stood out wearing a hooded teal cape with a black raven plague doctor style mask. This was the one who was talking. " I always thought you were smarter then the rest, but looks like I was wrong. " As this individual kept talking, Chris quickly got to work, knocking out those who were close by to even his odds in fighting.
" And what would that be? "
" You betrayed huamnity, by becoming one of 'them'. "
" I did not betray anyone. " Khan narrowed his making sure to keep her focus on him while his boy was working. " Keep your delusions to yourself. It was my decision, and quite frankly, I grew tired of living underground like a coward. "
" And do you know why we were forced to live there in the first place? "
" I do and what was the cause of it? " Khan retorted back. " Humanity has done a lot of things there not proud of, and this is one of them. "
" Which why it was up to us to fix this mistake. There is no choice for us. "
" No, there is a choice. " He argued. " There's always a choice. You just don't want to see the bigger picture. " His only response was a small wooden crossbow to the face.
" Oh I do...More then you think... " She prepared to pull the trigger.
Seeing enough Chris ran out emerging from the tree's. " Get away from him! " Using his fathers weapon he bashed a few of the hooded figures aside and leapt towards there head honcho. However there leader was a more of fighter then he gave her credit for and was knocked down to the ground. He wasn't given any chance to react as he was now being held down.
" Let him go! "
The leader of the figures walked forward in what appeared to be curiosity. She looked between Khan and Chris a few times before it dawned on her. She then laughed in slight amusement kneeling down to Chris's level locking eyes with him. " So you actually have a son? Now, it all makes since on why you left... " She reached out to grab his cheeks only for him to try and snap them off making her recoil in surprise seeing his teeth had now become sharp. She then looked back to Khan. " He's like you, isn't he? " He only glared at her.
" You have me. My son has no part in this. "
" That's where your wrong... " She brought her crossbow back out and aimed it at the child.
" No! "
" I'm only going to ask you this one time Khan...What did they do with the mutagen research notes? "
" I don't know...We left before they even began their 'project'... " Khan replied confusing Chris even further making their leader scoff lowering down her weapon.
" Maybe you don't know...But on the other hand... " She glanced over at Chris. " I can work with this. Start from scratch... "
" Don't you dare! " Khan already knew where this was going and before long two other hooded figures emerged ensnaring the young boy by the neck and proceeded to drag him away. Despite his position, Chris continued to resist it.
" I said leave my son alone! " Khan roared out. " Take me instead! "
" Why use a defective product when I can have something worth more? " The leader replied back making the father look over to his son as he continued to struggle holding on whatever he could grab that was until she pressed her foot on both his hands forcing him to let go and started to walk off with him
Khan growled in anger barring his fangs closing his eyes tight as he could. The two holding him down were starting to feel more pressure as he breaking free from their grips. " You...will...not...touch...my son! " Khan yelled out on the top of his lungs and before long his arms enlarged into tiger paws and he used them to bash away any who was foolish enough to fight him.
Before long, his eyes became feline and with a roar he planted both paws firmly on the ground. Once that happened the wind suddenly swirled around him sending everyone else flying and the ones who were holding Chris as well. While he was busy getting the lashings off his neck, something emerged out of the dust.
It was a massive white tiger standing over at least 19 feet tall,
Quickly enough, he grabbed Chris by the back of his collar and made a run for it. But as he was doing so, the leader fired off an arrow hitting the tiger right in the back right leg making the large feline grunt in pain but continued running leaving the hooded figures in shock while the leader was more intrigued.
...
After running for who knows how long the tiger eventually began to slow down and slumped down to the side making a loud thud releasing his son. With a whirl of wind, Khan returned to normal.
" Father! " Chris quickly ran over to him, the first thing he did was take the arrow out of his leg. Much to his shock, their was some sort of substance on the very tip itself mixed with the blood. That only meant one thing, poison. " Hang on dad, this'll take a while, but- "
" Chris...No... " Khan spoke spoke up his breathing was now starting to steadily grow more slow. " There's nothing more you can do... "
Chris's eyes widened in shock for what he was hearing and was trembling. " No-no-no-no! Dad come on hang in there! I'll chop off your leg If I got too! "
" Chris it's already to late-
" Don't say that! " Chris snapped he couldn't hold it back any longer tears were now flooding his eyes. " We just finally finished our journey! We were going to do so much together to make up for lost time...Losing mother was bad enough...I'm not ready! It's to soon!..." He then embraced his father. " Don't leave me too... "
" My son... " Slowly Khan returned the gesture using only his right arm sighing sadly. He didn't want things to end like this, he wanted to see what kind of a man Chris would become, and so did Aura. However, life and fate, had different plans in store. He didn't know if it was because of what he became, but he didn't care, dying was one thing, leaving your child when they still need you, that hurt a lot more. " Chris...Never once, did I ever stop loving you...I might've been not what you wanted either, and I'm sorry for making you feel that way...But, you have to stay strong & hide... " He gently pushes him back and touches his cheek. " Do what you can, just don't be afraid to live either...Promise me you will... " Chris nodded his head as his father continued talking.
" Right now, you feel alone, but the world is a large and vast place...So someday, you'll have others to call your own...When the time comes, you'll do so many wonderful things, things...that I never was able to do...Hope, lives on in you my boy...I'll be with you, even if you can't see me...I love you my son... " And just like that his hand dropped to the side, and his eyes were now closed for the last time, Khan Fang, had now died. All his son could do was cry laying his head down at the crook of his father's neck mourning for the last bit of family he had left.
Back in the present Chris had just finished telling his story. One that had left the group in tears Dave was wailing holding onto Benson as for Wolf and Kipo they felt the same way.
" Waaaaah! I love you Benson! " The bug cried out and hearing this made him smile and hugged his friend.
" I love you too buddie... "
" And that's what happened... " He looked over to Kipo. " That's why I never showed my other half. The ones that killed dad, they're still out there somewhere, I had to keep moving, stay hidden much as possible, try not to draw a lot of attention to myself. "
" I'm so sorry you had go through all that... " Kipo wiped away her eyes. " I had no idea... "
Chris sighed gently taking Kipo's hand and patted it with the other. " It's fine...I got all of you now... " He gave them all a smile that they returned back and before long they all gathered around and embraced him in a group hug. One of which even Wolf was apart of it.
" Were here for you Chris... " Kipo said.
" Yeah, we've all been through so much together... " Benson continued on.
" And that's what makes us a pack... " Wolf continued.
" Nah, were more like family. " Dave said.
" Thank you... "
Kipo then passed him his fathers journal. He stared into it and sighed going into thought. " Well, at least I feel better then I have in a long time...But, I don't understand who were those people? "
" After hearing your father's story, it's clear that it was the same ones they were worried about from their old burrow. " Wolf put in her thoughts. " But they didn't say it was Scarlemagne either though...All in all, I think we'll find more awnsers once we find Kipo's old Burrow. "
Chris nodded his head in agreement. " Okay, so it's settled. We'll spend one more night here and then we'll move on, sound good? " He got multiple replies back and with that done he got up and started walking away.
" Where are you going? " Benson asked but he didn't stop nor look back.
" There's something I need to do... " He replied solemnly
The group was curious to know what he was doing especially Kipo who stood up. " I'll go with him. "
After an hour of walking, and taking out a patch of flowers from the ground making the sure the roots were in tact, Kipo followed Chris into a small clearing that had a nice decent sized waterfall nearby.
" What is this place? " She asked looking around.
" Look there... " Chris pointed forward, in front of a tree was a large piece of stone with two other large rocks sticking out one on each side. " I made a memorial. It's not much, but its to let them know I care. " He continued to walk forward with Kipo right behind him. As they got closer, Kipo noticed some words were carved into the stone.
Khan Fang & Aura Fang
Both loving and devoted parents.
Seeing this made her a bit nervous since she normally wasn't involved in things like this. " I shouldn't be here, should I? "
" No, your fine. " Chris reassured as they slowly walked up to the grave. He sat down crossing his legs and cleared his throat and started to speak.
" Mom, Dad..It's..um...been a while hasn't it? " Not amused with his start he powered through with a sigh. "..I know, I should've come visit more often, and I admit it. I'm sorry for that...It just- It's just not that easy for me...I'm sure you both probably know that by now... " He gave a long sigh he morphed his right hand into a paw and lightly dug into the ground and set the flowers roots in the hole before covering it. He then continued speaking.
" Dad...All this time I've been doing exactly what you've been wanting me to do...Live on, and I have...But it just wasn't the same without one of you around...I miss you and mom everyday. And I mean, everyday. I miss all those times we had together. Mom, you taught me so much, with what you knew and Dad you helped me become who I am now. " He closed his eyes bowing his head to the gravestone. " Thank you both... " He raised up his head. " Also, I'd like for you both to someone. " Chris motioned Kipo to sit down which was what she did.
" I'm not sure if you both remember, but this Kipo. The same baby her dad had when he was taken to Chevere Sisters. "
" Uh... "
Chris leaned to her ear and whispered. " Just be yourself, they might not be here, but who's to say they can't listen? "
" Okay... " Kipo did just that. " Well, Mr and Mrs Fang It's nice to finally meet you both...Sorry, I'm just new to this... " She paused before continuing. " I just want to let you know that your sons a great friend. He's also been with me since I first got on the surface, I don't know if you and my parents had something planned, but whatever it was, I'm glad you did, because I met him and I made some other new friends. "
" So, you want to tell them what went on? "
Ten minutes had passed by after they told them what was going on.
" And, that's what's happened. " Kipo finished.
" She ain't kidding, " Chris pipped in. " It's true. Every single word of it... " He chuckled lightly before gaining a sad face. " Were just about wrap things up...Even though you're not here, I'm pretty sure you can both still listen, and watch over me...But, I just want to let you both know that I'm okay... " He leans forward putting his hand on the stone and Kipo joined in. " And dad, I think know what you meant now. There's others counting on me, it ain't gonna be easy, but I know we'll be able overcome the challenges ahead. So please, watch over for a little while longer. "
Chris made a sigh standing back up and gave Kipo a hand. " I'll be sure to come back when I have the chance. I owe you both that much. Love you. " With those words said he got up and began to walk off with Kipo following right behind him. He paused for a moment and turned around, and almost for a brief moment he could've sworn he saw his parents in spirit Aura was smiling, with Khan nodding his head in approval before smiling as well and disappeared.
" Something wrong? " Kipo regained his focus and instead he only smiled and shook his head.
" Nah, come on. " As they continued walking the two of them made some small talk.
" You know Chris...I might not them well like you and my parents did, but...I think they'd be proud you. "
" Yeah...Sorry about the detour. "
" It's okay. You had to do this. And now that it's done, we can try and find the burrow I was born in. Even though we don't know where it is... " She said sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.
Chris patted her on the back lightly. " We'll find it...Don't know how, but we will. " All the sudden he gained a blush for what reason, it most defiantly had to do with something in particular. The 'anwser', with everything going on, he wasn't able to give it much thought, but after these last few days, he did get some thought. He also remembered the journey he shared with his father. They lived their lives to the fullest even if the end wasn't the way they wanted it to be and they weren't afraid either.
Ultimately Chris made his choice, and for him there was no turning back. Without hesitation he gently took her hand. " Hmm? " Kipo looked down and looked back to him in confusion. " What are you doing? "
Chris blushed like tomato slightly diverting his gaze away a bit. " Giving your anwser... " It took about a few minutes for her to realize what he was talking about and then it clicked. She smiled upon hearing this before interlocking her fingers with his.
" Not trying to ruin the moment or anything... " Kipo spoke up. " But I've never done this before. "
" Feelings mutual and that's okay. " Chris replied back. " We'll be fine. One step at a time, and depending on what happens we'll do something fun. Sound good? "
" Yeah. "
To be continued
Sorry about the long wait everyone, it took a while but I finally finished it. Sometimes, making original stuff ain't easy and sometimes it is depending on what your writing about. And yes, I know the final season is here, and no I haven't seen it. So everyone do me a favor no spoilers.
I'd rather watch them myself and then I can get my mind rolling on what I want to do for the story and how it'll ultimately end.
The next story I'll be working on will be Mysterious Magic, and when this story is finished, there will be something else that will take it's place.
What is is you wonder? You'll have to wait and find out.
Now replying back to reviewers
Gabeherndon308
Thank you.
JakeChrusher
I'll fix that when I can, thanks for telling me sometimes that happens. Hope you liked the chapter as well.
rwby00p
Nah, it's fine.
Ironchef13
Correction. Don't you wish that all wish our OC characters were cannon in the shows we love, am I right?
Guest #1
Heheheh. Well I'm pleased to hear to that.
ROCuevas
Seasons 3 is coming out this month, so eventually it will be.
davidson21
Here it is.
Guest #2
Hey, this is a close to a start as any, no need to rush things to quick.
nashawnbest
Just did.
Guest #3 All chapters. Literally.
Dude, really, come on. That's a dick move, don't spoil it for everyone else. Not cool. Very not cool. :(
