Gain Healing the revival of midnight

by violent-sorrow

set in s2 just after Danni was cleared of trying to kill Tai-san. Midnight, the tormented former locust has left the city, with his past hot on his heels who knows what could happen

The legend He was running, it felt like he was running for his life, the all of a sudden he stopped it was all around him now, the sense of danger filled the air followed by the smell of burning timber, from behind him he heard a faint voice call out a warning but stop mid sentence next came the sound of light feet on the floor of the forest looking around he saw smoke and he knew that could only mean one thing. His greatest fear in the entire world Fire, he edged forwards through what he thought was an open clearing but when he got there he saw that the entire wood was a blaze, midnight woke with a jerk breathing quickly and heavily "calm my young friend calm." A strong voice ordered, the voice was such that midnight could do nothing but try and obey, as his breathing slowed a pair of firm hands laid him back down, as his head went down his eyes caught on a face above him, the boy turned his head and smiled "I see the fire didn't damage your eyes." The strong voice said again, except this time it wasn't just a voice it was coming from the boy above him, the boy with long dark hair and eyes as sharp as a hawk "whe..." midnight tried to speak but all he could do was cough "I'll explain everything as soon as you've rested, you may be awake but your still weak." The boy said, "I'm... midnight." Midnight coughed "well then midnight, I'm pride and you're at the home of my tribe." Pride said gesturing around himself, midnight managed to look around, hundreds of curious eyes stared at him from around the forest clearing, finally his eyes returned to the one named pride "how did you find me, I mean what happened?" he asked stopping for breath mid sentence "didn't you hear me warning you? No matter what does matter is that your alive." Pride explained, midnight closed his eyes "it would be better for all if I were in eternity now." He moaned trying his best to sit up, finally pride helped him and sat beside him "and why is that midnight?" came a voice from behind them "because, my tribe don't want me anymore, bray said I wasn't wanted or needed." He said as the girl came round him "midnight this is dolphin she's the tribes healer, she helped you back to health." Pride introduced them, dolphin curtsied "hi, and thank you." Midnight said bowing in his half Japanese style "midnight I know you have only just recovered but you are returning to health quicker than any one I have yet seen." Pride complimented, midnight smiled a little "thank you pride, it was said before the virus that I had the reflex and healing of a leopard." He replied, suddenly a gasp came from behind him, midnight stood up and turned but a bit to fast he cried out in pain, pride shot forward to catch him but midnight waved him off and got painfully back to his feet slower than before he turned, as he came to face the sound a familiar voice interrupted his pain "h..Hello midnight." Amber said before hugging him as tight as she could, midnight could not speak was he in the grip of a hallucination if so he never wanted it to end, amber moved back but didn't release him "no midnight your not dreaming, I'm flesh and blood my friend." She said hugging him again "Amber!" he exclaimed finally, amber smiled "you know this boy eagle?" a boy exclaimed from behind her "yes rat, midnight, midnight was the best friend of one of the leader in my old tribe." Amber replied "eagle?" midnight asked, "a lot has changed since you last saw me midnight as you can tell, I believe it would be better for you to follow me." Amber suggested, midnight nodded but then stopped suddenly "what is it?" dolphin asked, midnight searched his person "my chakram and sword, were are they?" he exclaimed searching around "safe in my hut midnight I'll fetch them after you've spoken to eagle." pride replied placing his hand comfortingly on midnight's shoulder, midnight sighed and nodded before following amber or should that be eagle up the steps to her hut after the happy reunion in which midnight had explained that he would rather die than ever return to the mall the young warrior was sat by the small river that outlined the gaian's world, he sat there for some time thinking as he watched the calm water flow by him, the occasional sound of cracking branches underfoot aroused him to the presence of another boy "good evening midnight." Prides strong voice said as the scout stepped into the clearing "is it?" midnight asked "what's wrong midnight?" pride asked sitting down "eagle told me that normally you appreciate everything around you." He continued, "what's wrong pride is that I have no where to go and judging by the amount of pain a simple throw of my chakram caused me no strength to defend myself." Midnight explained "I thought eagle had asked you to join us?" pride exclaimed, "she did." Midnight replied "and?" pride urged "and I'm not sure, she's built a whole new life for herself here I don't want to ruin it." Midnight replied before skimming a stone across the water "you could to, start a new life I mean, the old you was a city dweller and from what I've heard from eagle you loath it now, join us, please midnight." Pride pleaded "do you always plead a boy you hardly know to join your tribe?" midnight asked "no but your not a boy I hardly know, eagle has told me a lot and I know we could be friends." Pride explained, midnight thought for a while then spoke again "okay pride, and please its Andros." Midnight requested "Andros?" pride exclaimed, "Yeah my real names andros.2 he replied, "okay Andros, wait there I'll go tell eagle of your decision then we begin." Pride said getting up "begin what?" Andros asked "your training." Pride said before running back into the forest, when he was sure pride had left Andros turned back to the water "here that Karone, I acknowledged my old name I told pride to call me Andros." He said taking out his locket, in the woods dolphin had heard midnights voice and decided to check up on him, when she entered the clearing she made sure he couldn't hear her and sat down ready to listen "its like I have another chance, a chance to make you and Zhane proud of me, and I'm not gonna blow it, not this time sis I swear." Andros swore kissing his locket, suddenly a branch under dolphin's hand cracked Andros span into a fighting stance and scared the young girl but she relaxed when he doubled in pain "take it easy Andros." Dolphin said, "You've been listening." Andros accused "sorry but you interest me." Dolphin replied, "You want to tell me why?" Andros asked signalling for dolphin to sit by him "of course, its because you seem suited to our world and yet your from the city, 2 dolphin explained before stopping for breath "while you were unconscious I noticed your locket, I was going to ask you who was in it when you woke but I didn't want to spoil your reunion with eagle." Dolphin asked "my locket hold the one thing that keeps me alive, keeps me fighting." Andros replied "what?" dolphin asked "my kid sister." Andros whispered, "Oh, I'm sorry, when did she pass over?" Dolphin replied "SHES NOT DEAD." Andros protested but he relaxed when he saw dolphin's expression "she was kidnapped long before the virus, I swore on my life to find her no matter what obstacles were thrown in my way." He explained "and you will, I can tell, nighting gale, she's what you might call the shaman of our tribe said she'd seen a hole in your heart, a longing if you will." dolphin replied "what heart?" Andros asked "Andros you ready?" pride asked stepping back into the clearing "I won't tell a soul." Dolphin promised before skipping across the stepping- stones in the river "yeah I'm ready." Andros replied, telling dolphin had made him feel a little more ready to learn about her people she and pride seemed to taken to him in some way like they could see good where he couldn't. "Eagle Mountain! Andros exclaimed fearfully as the mountain came into view "this is were eagle told me the old her departed." pride explained, Andros nodded "were ebony made us all think she was dead." Andros agreed "I was thinking we could do the same for midnight." Pride explained, the more Andros thought about it the more he agreed, "I guess there are some questions you have about me pride, I hope I'm well enough to answer them all." Andros noted "sure Andros, I was wondering how you come to be so used to our world when your from the city?" pride asked "ah!" Andros sighed, "Another secret I've been hiding for too long." He thought "pride, stop a moment." Andros said out loud, the scout stopped a little way ahead of Andros and waited for him to catch up "what I'm about to tell you can't go beyond the two of us, not even eagle knows." Andros explained, "I promise Andros." Pride promised and strangely Andros believed him "way back in my ancetory I'm related to a warrior known as Callisto." He said it wasn't a lie but it was only a half-truth, pride merely shrugged "I have heard of her and her deeds but that doesn't mean you are the same Andros." He replied, Andros sighed with relief, it was dusk when they reached the peak of the mountain and the sun was going slowly down behind the mountains "we'll spend the night here and set do what's needed in the morning." Pride explained, and so the two friends settled down round a fire that pride had made, as Andros settled his head down to sleep he heard pride singing "One day with your memory beside me and your spirit to guide me, I will be free." he sung over and over as he dropped to sleep, Andros lay awake for sometime that night thinking about his past going over the times as a child when he'd tried to grow up too fast. When morning came he had only had a few hour sleep but still when pride shook him he raised as if he'd been sleeping all night, after a breakfast of berries and water pride turned to Andros who had pulled out his sketchpad "there." He said after a while, turning the pad so pride could see his finished work "its me as my old self, the locust I was." He said describing the scene he'd depicted "what are you going to do with it?" pride asked, "first I'm going to change my appearance." He explained as he sat down in front of pride who began to slowly paint his face, when he was finished Andros looked at his reflection in the stream "Andros, why are you afraid of the mountain? Ambers alive, doesn't that make it less deadly." Pride asked "its not because of eagle, there was a girl living here once, her name was jade, she said we were meant to..." pride nodded he understood "let us begin." Pride said as he passed Andros his new clothes, when they were finished Andros looked like a new man, his hair was down and over his shoulder and his clothes were now blue instead of the midnight black, carefully pride and Andros dug a grave next to the one that was supposed to have contained amber and carefully dropped the clothes and the cloth with his old face pain, it to the whole "ready?" pride asked as he produced a box of matches from his pocket "as I will ever be." He said before stepping forwards, staring into the darkness of the grave Andros swore he could see scenes from his past, he shook them off "you do it Andros." Pride said passing the matchbox to his friend "goodbye midnight," Andros cried "you were the end of so many innocent lives and the Bain of those who survived, I shall not miss you in the slightest and I'm sure the city won't either." He continued before dropping a lit match into the grave, when the fire had died down Andros and pride were read to leave "the final touch." Andros said as he took tai-sans chain from around his neck and dropping it into the grave before turning to catch up with pride "you aren't dreaming eagle, it's really me." Andros said smiling at his friend's expression It was a few days after Andros had buried his past and already the young warrior felt at home, it was quiet late in the day and Andros was still not sleepy as he headed towards the beach, when he arrived he stood there for some time thinking "I've done it, by aldrea, I've finally done it!!" he cried as the water lapped at his ankles, turning he headed back into the forest, he made camp "Pride won't mind I hope!" he groaned "No pride won't mind!" pride said coming round Andros "What the!" midnight exclaimed, suddenly he heard the sound of a fight Grabbing his sword he re-sheathed it, leaping into the trees he headed for the noise with pride following on the ground, as they neared the fight he caught some of what was said "Come on freak! Lets see what you've got!" "Pride stay here, your not equipped to fight!" Andros demanded as he crept closer to get a better look, but what he saw almost knocked him out of the tree, stood a little way in front of him in a clearing surrounded by a thuggish looking mob was his old friend tiger "What is he doing?" one of the thugs asked as tiger stood ready you fight "You hold someone at club point and you don't even know how to fight? Pathetic!" Andros laughed as he leapt to the ground in front of tiger, readying his sword he looked back to check that tiger was alright, looking on from his place outside the clearing Pride saw the look of fear cross the faces of Andros's adversary's "But.... You're supposed to be..." "Dead? So you know who I am!" Andros asked, "Who doesn't Midnight!" the lead thug said, Andros smiled they didn't know him THAT well "You know who I am but I don't know who you are?" Andros asked "We're the hyenas!" One of the gang cried, "And I'm lydecker the leader!" the lead thug said, Andros gave a satisfied laugh "Yeah I've heard of you clowns!" he said "Wanna join us? We need a warrior like you!" lydecker asked, Andros pulled a face "You attack a friend of mine, destroy this part of the forest and you expect me to join you! Get real!" he replied, lydecker shook his head sadly "Ain't that just a crying shame, we don't take no for an answer!" he said before charging Andros, blocking every move lydeckers club made Andros looked back to tiger who was watching as though he was seeing a mirage "Your not seeing things old friend, it really is me!" Andros announced kicking Lydecker in the groin, turning he strode to tiger and held out his hand, tiger took hold and immediately smiled "I thought you were dead!" he said engulfing Andros in a great male bear hug "In a way I am!" Andros replied, "Andros!" pride called from the clearing as lydecker came back for a third try on his life, turning Andros shoved his sword straight through lydeckers chest, pushing the boys body away and off his sword he looked down at it "Another wasted death!" he sighed, turning he smiled as evilly as he could, at this the rest of the hyenas bailed as quick as their legs could carry them, turning Andros saw that tiger was confused "Like I said old friend, in a way I'm not the boy I was, come back to our camp I'll explain!" Andros requested leading the way to the makeshift camping area "Tiger, this is another good friend of mine, pride, pride this is Tiger a very formidable warrior!" he introduced the two, Tiger didn't seem in the least bothered, turning to Andros he scanned him "No matter how hard you look I'm no illusion!" Andros said "Then why did you say you were dead?" tiger asked "I'm dead to the city! That part of me is finally no more!" Andros replied, tiger understood Andros's relief at losing his old ways "And what's with Andros?" he asked "That's my real name, you see tiger, I've changed since you last saw me, I've left the mall rats and the city for good, and I am trying to regain the boy I should be, not the boy I have to be!" Andros replied again, Tiger nodded "I'll tell bray, he's frantic!" Tiger said getting to his feet, Andros leapt up also "No! Tiger you cannot tell bray or any of the other rats that I live!" he demanded "So what you want me to make up a story!" tiger asked, Andros smiled "Glad you should ask!" he said taking a burn piece of cloth from his sheath "Your head scarf!" tiger exclaimed "It was damaged in the fire that pride saved me from, take this and my warrior token to the mall, tell the rats you met a traveller who told you about the fire, then leave!" Andros requested, tiger nodded, at the edge of the forest he turned "I will miss you old friend!" he said holding out his armoured hand "And I you, but don't count me out just yet! We'll meet again!" Andros agreed taking tigers hand. As he watched tiger walk off towards the city Andros was joined by pride "We should get back, we've been here half the night!" he said, Andros nodded, and turning once more towards the city that reached for the sky he allowed a tear to fall "good look my friends!" he whispered before catching up with pride back at the gaian camp andros sat alone on a rock beneath eagles tree he was cleaning but also sharpening his sword, as he sat there he didn't notice eagle and pride watching him, or rather they didn't think he noticed them "you should have seen him eagle, he dwinled for a while, he's trying to find another way of fighting!" pride explained "he's a warrior for gods sake steel and blood are all he'll ever understand!" wolf complained, at the back of the congraation in eagles hut sat a little girl, her haird was as long and golden as arora from the fairytales, her name was coral and she took difficulty in finding evil in anyone, standing up young coral coughed "Andros want's to change he will wolf, you did!" she said before walking fericly away from the hut and down towards andros, Andros was singing to himself as coral approached "allegen feilds calm and green with lovebirds singing so serene!" he mumbled "hello andros!" coral stammered seeing the glinting sword in his grasp "i know why your scared coral, i heard wolf, but i am gonna change and i'm gonna make that flea bitten jerk eat his words!" andros said looking up at the young girl, Coral smiled "you wouldn't still be here if you'd decided against it!" coral gigled as she sat down at his side "mind if i tell you a story coral, it seems to fit todays happenings!" andros asked "that would be lovley!" coral agreed, placing his sword back in its sheath andros turned to coral and smiled "okay i guess you've heard i fight like xena well....!" it was a few days later and Coral had started listening to andros's storys more and more "aren't you getting tired of hearing an old warrior tell tales of his mentor?" he asked her finally "no, but if you bored of me!" coral requested, Andros smiled as he pulled his sword from its sheath and dstarted to trian "teach me please andros!" coral requested after a while "teach you what coral?" Andros asked "you said xena had a side kick, younger than her, i could be yours!" coral explained excitedly, Andros shook his head "no, no way coral! if i have to fight again i fight alone, i don't want to put anyone in danger because of me!" he demanded before walking away Andros stormed away in fury, his stories had been to disearn coral from ever picking up a sword or any other weapon but they had seriously backfired on him, as he walked towards the stream he knew imediatly he wasn't alone "Eagle!" he exclaimed as his old friend walked out from behind him "i saw you leave the rock and i knew something was wrong!" she replied "something is wrong!" andros confessed sitting down on the grass below him, Eagle joined him "want to talk about it?" she asked, Andros shrugged "when i returned from the forest that day coral agreed to listen to a story i told her, about xena, i was trying to disearn her from picking up a sword, but now she wants to be gabrielle!" andros explained "thats not your fault andros!" eagle cooed "it is amber, i should never have come back that day, i should have joined tiger and gone anywhere but away from epopel i can hurt!" he demanded pulling the sowerest look he could "oh andros!" eagle sighed with a giggle "what?" andros asked "nothing, its just been a long time since we talked and i can't believe how much i've missed it!" eagle replied, andros smiled weakly "me too old friend!" he agreed, as they talked Pride watch from eagles hut with a smile "he'll stay coral, but you'd better apologies!" eagle said when she returned to camp "for what all i wanted to do was be like him!" coral pleaded "andros fights because he has no other choice, he's trying to make sure you don't have to, and you go and want to fight!" pride explained, looking back down he saw andros tending to the wound of a fellow gaian

Andros spent the next few days learning yoga from pride "saluting the sun!" he named the move he first showed andros, andros didn't question the names or the moves because pride had told him that thinking about yoga made it seem irrelavant and weird, it was a few days into what would have been an adult week when andros saw them, he and pride had been out scouting the area "so pride, didn't you ever live in the city?" andros asked, Pride shook his head "we lived in a house in the southern province, i was heading to the city when i found the gaians!" pride replied, as the came to the road that lead to their trading area andros suddeny pulled pride back into the trees "what is it andros?" pride exclaimed at andros's unexplained movment "chosen! a greoup of them, i thought they'd been defeated ages ago!" andros replied pulling his sword from his sheath "Andros you promised!" pride demanded, andros nodded "i know pride and i wish i had another way... hold it pass me the rock by your foot!" andros requested re sheathing his sword, when he had the rock in his grasp he aimed at the falled sheet of mettal that lay strune at the other side of the road, it clanged straight to place and the two chosen members darted towards the sound "may come in handy one day!" pride said as the two dashed back to the camp they arrived back at the home of the gaians in double quick time and pride headed to tell amber what he'd seen, Andros meanwhile headed to his hut "stupid, stupid stupid stupid!" he cursed himself as he took his sword sheath from his back and began to change from his aromour to his new gaian clothes, as he was changing he didn't see coral and some of the other teen gaians looking in the crack of the makeshift curtians "he's so dreamy!2 she sighed leaning back "Hush up!" one of the older girls demanded as Andros advanced on the door, he walked straight past them as if they weren't even there and headed straight for eagles hut, when he arrived he heard wolf "told you blood was all he knew!", at this the door opened and andros entered "eagle you need to call a tribe meeting, if the chosen are back we need to be careful!" he explained before leaving, pride hurried after him "andros! andros,don't listen to wolf he's all hot air!" he pleaded "well this time he's dead on! pride if it wasn't for you i would have grabbed my sword and probably run it through the two chosen we saw!" andros replied "but you didn't and as long as i'm around Andros destroyer of tribes is no more!2 pride replied stopping andros in his tracks, andros gave pride a stealy smile "guess i have no choice but to scratch my working alone as well as my warrior ways!" he replied defeatedly "and i guess i'm gonna be kinda your side kick as well as youga teacher!" pride replied hanging his arm around andros's neck with andros having agreed to pride being like a sidekick they both knew that it mean pride having to learn to fight "follow me pride!" andros requested leading the way to his hut, once inside he opened his long weapons chest "choose a weapon!" he requested, pride looked along the inside of the long chest "can't hit the side of a cyclops witha bow and arrow!" he shooks his head, finally he chosen a staff "this is seriously getting like xena!" andros said as he lead pride bakc outside the next day pride decided they should try and finish the mission they started yesterday "pride can i ask you something?" andros asked his friend as they walked through the forest "ofcourse andros!" pride agreed "would you please duck!" andros requested pulling his dagger from his side, tossing it over pride he embeded it in the tree next to him "corala snake if i'm not to mistaken, way deadly!" andros explianed. having traded for the food they needed andros and pride returned to the camp, in time for eagles meeting she was talking about zoot and the chosen "Andros explain!" coral asked "may i?" he asked looking up and eagle, eagle nodded knowing andros knew more! "a while back in the city my only remaing friend was abducted by zoot worshippers the chosen, their fanatics and very hard to fight, but most of all their faith is the hardest to get, they think zoot is the saviour of this world!" he explained as he sat through the pars on eagle balcony, Eagle smiled "your the only one who knows about them, and the other dangers of the city, eagle don't you think it would be best for andros to remain in the camp!" grey owl asked, eagle looked sceptically at andros "he's not much of a home kid!" she replied but andros stopped her "i was thinking the same thing grey owl, my scout outs with pride have just been to get me used to the surroundign areas!" he replied, eagle smiled "better yet, Andros i appoint you my advisor!" she said tapping him on the shoulder, both wolf and andros looked up in shock "but i... but he...!" wolf couldn't speak so instead he got to his feet "you'll regret that desicion eagle mark my words!" and with that he ran from the camp "wheres he going?" grey owl asked "back to his master like a good dog! he was never a loco he's just a two bit loser who works for the guardian of the chosen!" andros replied "Then shouldn't we..." "no way he won't give away his only escape from the chosen!" andros replied as the tribe desperesd In the days to come pride and eagle agreed that Andros finally felt at home in the gaian's, but behind closed doors that wasn't the case, finally he decided it was best to tell eagle about his lack of sleep knowing she had said she was always there for him, as lifted the curtains that separated his room from eagles he saw pride was there "Ah Andros, glad your awake, we'd like to talk to you!" pride said as Andros pulled his hair up into its usual tail, Andros was shocked "Have I done something wrong pride?" he asked "No, its just... we're worried about you, we're your friends Andros and we've noticed you've not been yourself these past few days!" eagle replied for her friend, Andros gave a defeated sigh "Their back!" was all he needed to say, eagle knew immediately what he meant, but pride didn't have a clue "What are back Andros?" he asked "The nightmares pride, I thought I was over them, but it seems my leaving the mall has sparked their return!" Andros replied, eagle saw her friend was in the dark and decided to explain "I believe I don't need to tell you about Andros's past as a loco, well in the old life he was haunted by visions of what he had done, vivid memories playing out as if it were only yesterday, helping bray deal with Trudy kept him busy and gave him a reason for his attitude change, but I noticed and helped all I could!" she explained "I guess the dreams stopped when they were replaced by those of martins death, but their back!" Andros sobbed as calmly as he could, Pride nodded "Is it the chosen?" he asked "Only explanation pride, their connection to my past sparked the memories to awaken!" Andros replied, pride thought for a moment "Andros where were you headed just now?" he asked, Andros frowned "Ares and artemis?" eagle asked, Andros nodded, turning to pride eagle said "Andros is part Greek, he used to have two carvings of the gods Ares and artemis, I guess he was going to his own hut to pray because he hasn't got those statues here!" eagle replied as she sat back "I'll accompany you!" Pride volunteered "Thanks pride but..." "No buts Greek or not I'm your friend!" pride replied "and besides we're like the amazons! Artemis was their goddess wasn't she?" he continued, Andros's jaw dropped, eagle smiled Back in the city the guardian had seized the mall and the rats were at a stand still with him on the beach, In the hotel that the chosen had captured a little girl sat on a makeshift throne surrounded by guards "Guardians girl, we are able to move to the mall, they have been defeated!" a messenger said as he stepped up fearful of displeasing her "Is the supreme mother there?" guardian's girl asked "Yes, she and the divine child are safe!" the messenger replied "Who the hell cares if she's safe, it is the child who matters!" guardian's girl cackled as she rose to her feet. Inside Andros's room that had been made into a shrine to Ares the Greek god of war and artemis the Greek god of the hunt Andros stood he had asked pride to remain outside so he could be alone pride had agreed thinking it was because Andros was a solitary person when it came to his faith, but he had been only half right, taking a deep blue candle from his pocket he lit it, as he did so silver sparks flew from it "This is no ordinary candle!" general kinwon had told him long ago, as Andros sat there his mind began to wonder to his childhood before, but not the virus, before he had left his home planet "Oh Ares, Artemis! I ask you to protect my friends back in the mall, salene and cloe and patsy even gods forbid lex and ebony, but especially Trudy and tai-san, something tells me they are having the worst of it since I left... since I left the city I have had time to think and although I do not condone his actions I cannot help but see why bray began loving danni, he's only human, and so look after them both!" he requested, turning to the un lit candles to his right he lit them one by one "I call upon the three fates, the maiden, the mother... and the crone, you took my friends from me and now I ask you to take care of them beyond the veil!" he said. Outside pride had left and was on his scouting rounds of the forest his tribe dwelled in, little did he know Andros's past was about to become his own future. It was about a week later and pride had not yet returned, evens so, Andros had convinced eagle he was sane enough to return to his duties as her advisor, as they were about to sit down Andros heard prides call "He's back eagle!" he replied leaping to his feet, as they ventured to the door of her hut they both heard the familiar voices from below "Ebony... Lex... Dal and oh no!" Andros recognised each of the unwanted voices and so he remained in the doorframe as eagle stepped onto the balcony "Amber!" Bray exclaimed, Andros shook his head "The fool should have stayed in the city!" Andros thought as eagle pushed past him "Damn you bray!" he cursed as he gathered the courage to pass pride and go and see his old friends, finally he stepped onto the balcony, as he had expected he too was greeted by the shocked gasps eagle had received, leaping to the ground Andros landed face to face with ebony, looking him up and down she gave him a smoulder look "You may be dead, but your still cute!" she said as he turned to lex and dal "This is not your place mall rats!" he demanded "go home!" he continued before walking away, he walked a little way before stopping "Don't you even try the sympathy trip with me bray save it for eagle!" he demanded turning to bray who had stepped towards him "Lex if you want to ask me anything I suggest you hurry up and stop stammering!" Andros demanded, ebony smiled "Didn't know you were the type lex!" she said. The next day Andros woke and hoped his encounter with his old friends had been a dream but as he stepped out of his hut he say bray was leant against the tree ahead, it looked as thought the ex eco warrior had been waiting for him, as he took the first step on the way to eagles hut he heard ebony cough, turning he saw she was walking towards him "You've got some explaining to do Midnight!" she demanded, grey owl snickered from his hut, looking over ebony huffed "He's right you know ebony, the boy you know is dead, he died in a forest fire, the names Andros, that's my real name the one I was given at birth, you know the one you never wanted to know!" Andros replied "No matter what you call yourself we want to know why you left! We were their when amber so call died but not you, for all we know there was no forest fire!" lex demanded, looking through her window Andros saw that eagle was in no mood to talk! "I'll tell you what you want to know... when I'm on the business end of a thunderbolt!" he protested before rushing to eagle "Your late!" she snapped as he entered "Didn't know I was being timed!" Andros snapped back sadly, eagle gave him an apologetic look as Andros took his place behind her "So pride, you gonna explain what in Hades is going on here? Or would I be better asking the spirits of lives past down there!" he asked "And up here midnight!" dal replied from the window "Dal!" Andros exclaimed, calming down he replied flatly "midnights dead" "I heard" dal replied "So call me Andros!" Andros requested, as the morning progressed Andros saw that the tribe were about to be thrown into a war he had tried to escape from "We were there when he died pride!" Andros demanded and pride fought the mall rat's corner, suddenly the sounds of a scuffle were heard from below "Five, four, three two!" Andros counted defeatedly, as he reached one bray burst through the door and was subsequently grabbed, Andros sat back as he battled his words with eagles "Leave us!" eagle demanded finally, Andros got to his feet but eagle stopped him "Not you Andros, your part of this!" bray yelled at him, Andros shook his head as though to say bray was being pathetic, as eagle explained why she hadn't chased her past Andros was watching lex and ebony through the window "You don't miss them Andros! If you did you'd have stayed!" bray demanded pulling him from the window by his collar, Andros knocked bray into a seat before replying "After danni's trial you and danni made it crystal that I wasn't wanted, even blaming me for trying to poison my ex!" Andros demanded before slamming the door behind him, that day as he sat at the little stream he was joined by ebony "So I know why you left, but what's with the Indians in the forest?" ebony asked "We're called the gaian's ebony, and pride saved me from the fire, that's how I found my chance at a life worth living!" Andros explained, "Your not xena you know, its gonna take more than dropping your sword to erase your past!" ebony demanded "And what about you ebony? Its your fault ambers here in the first place, you fooled her, just like you have me so many times!" he demanded leaning forwards, suddenly ebony kissed him before getting to her feet, Andros followed her to the meeting, he didn't really listen because he knew what both sides would say, suddenly he noticed that both sides were looking at him "Andros! What do you think!" coral demanded, Andros looked at both sides longingly "I know I'm gonna regret this!" he mumbled rising to his feet "Eagle I hate to say it but brays right, the chosen are psycho, they'll scow ere every forest in tribeworld whether they know theres a tribe their or not, they'll take the whole land unless we do something, I guess I'm saying I'm with the mall rats on this one!" he said defeatedly, bray gave him a friendly smile but Andros walked away, Andros's words hadn't mattered one bit it was decided the gaian's would not aide the mall rats and yet Andros didn't give up, he kept at eagle until finally it was the hour before the rats were to leave and eagle was sick of hearing Andros's voice "If your so sympathetic then get going, join them in their suicide mission, I'll still be here you if you survive the city!" she snapped literally pushing him down to the steps, Andros was too fumed to bother what she had said "Maybe I will then, I'm a warrior and for the first time since you guys took me in that side of me can come in useful for our tribe!" he yelled, both bray and pride stared up at him as his ran to them, he gave pride a innocent look before turning to bray "I will never forgive you for what you did, but that's past and I want to help you now, tai-sans life is at stake!" he said lifting a bag of clothes onto his back, turning to pride the friends embraced "Be careful my friend, I will see what I can do about eagle!" pride requested "Don't bother pride, she's always been stubborn!" andros replied before joing dal and bray at the edge of the camp "the dangers of the chosen city await!" dal joked flatly. it was a day later and miraculously pride had talked eagle into aiding the fight, Andros was sat on his 'bed' thinking "whiplash!" Dal said from the door "what dal?" andros questioned "your feeling the whiplash of being back in the city, its written all over your face!" Dal replied sitting beside andros "guess i am... i never thought i'd have to come back to this aweful place, i thought that part of my life was over by ares!" andros explained, Dal nodded "soon it will be, we'll win the chosen and get the mall back!" he said, Andros shook his head "dal, you were always smart, can't you see the look in eagles.. i mean ambers eyes whenever bray walks in the room, no things won't be over that easily!" he replied before getting to his feet, as he walked around the base he was joined by pride "have you heard of eagles desicion?" he asked "no but i'm sure as hell i'm not gonna like it!" andros replied "shes leaving to get back up!" pride said flatly before speeding on ahead "thats it! i knew this was gonna happen!" andros demanded as he trianed "what was going to happen?" bray asked leaning against the door it was days later and the rebels were still shaking in the wake of dals death, never the less andros was still on top form, "he's never let death phase him since a... i mean since martin!" lex said as pride and he watched andros training with ebony, Pride nodded he knew that again andros had taught himself to be xena like, suddenly a scuffle was heard at the door, looking up the four rebels saw something they had dreaded, bray was stood side by side with Trudy. "the supreme fruitcake!" ebony demanded as she and lex battled with bray, andros however was staring past them and straight at pride who was tending to trudy "this stinks and i know what of!" he said finally "yeah, fruticake! andros snap out of it we need your vote!" lex demanded "yeah andros, you always stuck up for trudy let hear what you have to say!" ebony demanded, Andros leapt to his feet "i think i don't have to listen to this rubbish, she may be evil but shes a person and she was once a mall rat!" he cried before storming over to trudy, taking the cloth from pride he knelt down so trudy could see him through her tears, as her eyes focused on who he was they widened "Nightmare!" she cried throwing her arms around him, andros knelt there with trudy smothering him "humour her!2 he scophed. that day andros left his weapons in the base and went for a strol around tribeworld as a civilion, as he was walking around he noticed that he had been seen and was being followed by several what looked like armed police chosen guards, pratorians as he would come to know them "are you jerks lost?" he asked, at his word the guards jumped him, with his burns still as painfull as the day they were formed andros was easily subdued, he was dragged into the mall unconsious, as he linp form was tossed infront of the guardian a few of the remaning mall rats gathered "it really is a small world!" ellie scoughed as the guardian decended the stairs to andros's body, as he took the final step he stopped dead "zoot be praised!" was all he said before having andros's form taken to his private room, the mall rats were left to talk among themselves "only one boy in the entire land has hair like that!" Ryan demanded "and don't forget the locket!" Alice added andros awoke to find himself in a great hall all around were staues of the diffrent gods "where am i?" he demanded "where do you think Andros?" came a sweet voice from his side, turning andros was greeted by the most beautiful young girl he had ever seen "who are you?" he asked in awe "everyone knows me! though few have ever seen me, i am clotho the maiden!" the young girl replied, andros was in even more awe "of the three fates!" he exclaimed, clotho nodded eligantly "but why, why come to me!" andros asked "because you are in your prime you warrior!" clotho replied, Andros gave her a weak look of sceptasism "have you made amends of your past? have you found Karone?" clotho asked stroking andros's hair behind his ears, the feel of her hand shocked him, andros shook his head sadly in answer "then your life is not yet over!" clotho continiued before kissing him gently on the forehead Andros woke with a jerk, looking around he saw he was layed on a bed in the mall surrounded by chosen guards "damn it!" he cursed "praise zoot you are well!" the guardian cooed from the shadows infront of the bed "Zoot nothing Jaffa!" andros demande, the guardian hissed but didn't reataliate, as andros sat up the guardian stepped from the shadows "you must drink!" he demanded "i like to experience life in all its agonising glory, i do not want to dull the sensation in any way!" andros replied trying to sound calm, but his heart and mind were both screaming he was in the room with a vertiable draco, the guardian could see andros was shaking and so had one of the guards carefully draped a cloth around his shoulders, as andros tried to protest he imediatly noticed the clothes he was dressed in "what in zeus's name!" he exclaimed "your clothes are ripped!" the guardian said showing andros his top, andros fumed but he knew that if he moved against the guardian he was a dead man and as clotho had said he had more to live for than a suicide attempt, "Take him down to the others!" the guardian ordered, as the guards pulled andros to his feet the guardian stopped "we shall speak once you have had time to think!" he said as andros was dragged away, breaking from the guards Andros made his own way down to the fountain where Alice and Ryan were sat "how long have i been here?" he demanded "well either you'r a ghost or you've been here three days!" ryan snapped, Andros faultered but only to be caught by alice "he's no ghost ryan, he's another amber!" alice said as allie, may and salene joined them in the mall andros had been shown his room "this is impossible!" Allie said as she brushed up against him "what, me being here or me being her and almost dying infront of you?" andros asked, allie smiled "neither, you not speaking to tai-san!" she demanded pulling andros so he faced her "she was devistated when you left!" she continiued "but she moved on! she moved on and married lex, i'm not dumb allie you did this with salene but it won't work with me, i'm not gonna mess with something i agreed a long time ago to leave alone! tai and i were over even before i left the mall, she made it quiet clear our destiny's were diffrent!"andros protested freeing himself from allie's grip, as he turned he walked straight into tai-san who was walking towards him with a bowl of water and a cloth "even so, you will always be dear to me!" she said as she heard his final words, Andros couldn't speak he wasn't prepared for a confrontation with tai-san just yet! and so he scrambled to his feet and dashed away. as he sped away a tear fell over the scar below his eye, he dashed it as quick as it had come "i can't have this! i have to find may!" he demanded andros walked around the mall to clear his head "clotho!" he cursed unknowing of the fates true role in his life, as he walked he kept his head down so as not to be inclined to do anything stupid like attacking a chosen guard "By zoot!" Luke exclaimed angrily as he was rudly knocked down by him "zoot nothing!" andros huffed as he heaved luke back to his feet, looking up breifly andros was shocked "well if it isn't the much talked about lutenant luke!" he hissed "i know you, your the betrayer nightmare! the guardian tlaked of your tretary!" luke explained, Andros hissed making luke step back quickly "betrayer, i like the sound of that, only i didn't help his downfall!" andros said before carrying on his way. in her room tai-san had called may to her "you wanted me supreme mother?" may asked "may, has mid... andros been to see you?" tai-san asked, May shook her head "no, but if he does i'll tell him you want him!" she agreed before walking away, silently she was cursing tai-san and the guardian even thought she knew why tai-san had agreed andros sat byt the cage staring at the emptiness "thats me to a t!" he said to the air "not if you help me out!" may suggested as she joined him "about time may! i want you to get a mesage to lex!" andros demanded "i know i know tell him whats happened!" may said sitting down "but first i want to know something?" may requested "sure what?" andros asked carelessly "do you still love tai-san?" may asked, andros jolted "..... thatsa none of your buisness!" he replied "it is if its gonna affect the plan!" may asked, andros nodded " do i still feel for tai-san... well may the truth is i don't feel anything, oh bits and peices yeah but nothing solid!" andros replied before getting to his feet up in the guardians private chambre tai-san was sat listening to the guardian ramble "he was the mighty ones greatest fighter, and i know he can be again!" he said finally ending "Mid... i mean andros is not the boy he was guardian, even i can see he is not the boy i knew and certianlly not the nightmare who served zoot so loyally!" tai-san replied, the guardian sat beside her with an expression of pure hope "but when the mighty one acended the great nightmare pledged to look after his woman Beth Rose!" he explained "did he?" tai-san asked sounding slightly supprised "yes supreme mother!" the guardian replied before walking to the door "Bring him to us!" he demanded to cain who took off like a shot, when he returned a short while later andros was bound with his hands behind his back "fuitel efforts and yet so determined!" the guardian sighed "drop dead jaffa!" andros said as blood spat from his mouth, the guardian had ignored his remark and yet was still angered "who struck him!" he demanded to cain, turning cain pulled the guilty chosen boys round to the front of him "you did not fight back?" Tai-san asked tending to andros's wound "walked right into an ambush in your room... the jerks bound my arms and leg and kicked me in, luckily my lifes made me harder than their hatred!" andros spat without raising his eyes to her, Tai-san knew some of his hatred was directed at her "in the old day..." the guardian began to the frightened chosen but a look from andros seiced his speech 2take him away!" he demanded and the chosen members who had struck andros were dragged away kicking and screaming, turning to andros the guardian saw the love and care that tai-san was putting into treating his wounds, looking up andros finally and scowled at tai-san, the guardian smiled "you may be a prisioner ... andros but you haven't lost the old fire in your eyes, you love being hated! it fills you with fire!" the guardian proclaimed, looking down from his divine speech the guardian heard andros mumbling "hate is chaos chaos is destruction!" andros repeated, the guardian smiled before sitting beside the now bandaged andros "do you remember the time you first saw me andros? hmm? you struck me down like i meant nothing to you!" he said, tai-san looked on in disbelief, she knew andros had known jaffa before but he had never confessed about batteling him "i asked for nothing but a chance to earn you resepect and what did you do? you struck me to the ground and stood over me laughing!" the guardian continiued, andros covered his ear but it didn't stop the guardian from digging up his painfull memories of nightmare "i didn't know it then, but by striking me you were demanding i do better, the mark of a warrior the greeks called it!" the guardian contiued showing andros his scar, andros had had enough, he leapt to his feet and span to face the guardian "i'm not nightmare, he's dead, he died with zoot! i'm not nightmare!" he cried frnatically as the guardian contiued to remenice, Tai-san ran to andros's side but the guardian had struck a chord andros was a wreck within seconds tai-san took hold of andros's chest and hugged him as tightly as she could, the guardian stood by smiling "he will be one of us, he cannot fight his true nature!" "nature!" the word swam in andros's mind, slowly the memories began to return, there in his own past he should have seen his chance, as the days rolled on Andros endured more and more physical and mental pain at the guardians hand, every blow wether it be verbal or physical cipped away a little of Andros's sanity until when the guardian had had enough and left Andros to stew on his past with one last "praise be to zoot." Andros could barley comprehend where he was, getting shakily back to his feet he looked down at tai-san "tai-san!" he said pleadingly "come andros!" tai-san said leading the shaking boy back to his room, once he was seated on the bed she turned away "Andros!" she whispered as she moved his hair behind his ears but andros didn't reply "i love you!" she cooed before leaving the room, andros was left shaking and crying to himself "i've never seen him cry before!" ryan said "i didn't know he could!" Allie replied "whatever the guardian said up there really struck a chord with him!" alice replied taking the glass of water from her sister before walking ahead into the room, sitting down beside her old friend she passed him a glass of water, andros took it shakily "i'm not him anymore alice" andros said in a voice that sounded to alice as he was begging her to agree "no andros, your not that monster, he died the minuet you first set foot in the mall!" alice agreed allowing andros to lean against her, she sat there with her sister watching from the door, Andros the great warrior who tried to hide his feelings and lonliness crying into her arms the next day Alice returned to Andros's room expecting to find the young warrior up and training as he had done the times before but as sh entered the room what she found didn't agree with what she knew of andros, the young boy was sat up in bed on his face was a expression that could only be defined as a smile "Andros?" Alice asked, Andros looked up "don't look so scared Alice, my trauma yesterday kickstarted my mind, i've been doing a lot of thinking!" he replied "oh, about what?" alice asked sitting down, andros's smile dimmed "the wacko of zoot, and myself! i am sorry you had to see me like that yesterday!" he apologised "you weren't yourself its okay!" alice replied, andros shoock his head "but i was alice, for the first time in years i knew i didn't have to pretend, that the state i was in proved i was stilla child, that i was a freak a loner in allie's terms!" andros replied, Alice smiled "that theres no reason in hiding your feelings?" she asked, Andros blinked slowly "it will take a while for me to... you know!" he replied, Alice nodded just the a loud knock was heard, openeing the door alice was knocked aside as lutenat luke entered "andros you are requested to remain in your room today!" he said before turning to leave "wheres your knife luke?" alice demanded, Luke turned round confused by alices remark "she means aren't you going to have a go at me for breaking down, its not what the guardian told you i... the betrayer was like is it?" andros explained, Luke went rather pale at this "Andros no matter how you hate me i am as human as you!" he replied, andros laughed slightly but not at luke. after the cerman andros was left alone in what luke had called the prayer room, but in no way was he going soft to zoot he was thinking about home about his planet he hid it well but he knew the guardians torture had opened the cage in which his old demons were kept, but he swore to himself then and there that if it took every last breath he had he would not inflict the horror of his former self upon the calm and peaceful and caring gaians... if he ever saw them again as andros was deep in his memories luke was at the guardians quaters "have at it man!" he kept telling himself as the guardian paced "and he didn't say a word against what you said?" the guardian asked, luke shook his head "all he said was that zoot would have been proud of you!" he replied this news stopped the guardian in his track "did he give a reason?" tai-san asked from behind luke "no that was all he said supreme mother!" luke said before escorting her back to her room so the guardian could think andros was now sat beside alice at the fountain "sabotage!" he exclaimed happily as allie produced a strip of rope from the farm "not quiet but when they try and lift things onto the hay loft it will be!" allie replied as the timer on the bomb device ticks away Andros stood side by side with alice bracing himself "get this clotho!" was all he could think "soon andros! you shall rejoin the one true god! what do your weak and crippled have to say about that?" the guardian asked crazed, Andros opened his mouth to quote ares but alice moved to speak "his gods say the same as the rest of us guardian your a mad man!" alice protested, suddenly a cry was heard from the highest blacony, glancing up andros and his friend were shocked "POWER AND CHAOS!" the figure cried, andros's head snapped round could it really be him... just then andros's eyes became acustom to the light "Bray!" his mind screamed but he didn't speak, turning to look at the guardian andros and alice saw the once 'mighty' guardian was now a drooling jibbering wreck, as tai-san deactivated the bomb a cheer spread around the room the fact the right side had won sunk in like a ton of bricks, everyone was cheering, all excpet andros a few days later Andros was sat on the stairs that led from the centre of the mall to the café, he still couldn't believe he was back in the mall "that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude!" pride cooed as he came up beside andros "what the hell does that mean?" andros asked "that you are finally thinking about yourself and not other, the notion of your impending doom back there kick started the human side of you!" pride laughed calmly "whatever! the quicker we get back home the better suddenly i hate the city even more!" andros said before storming away in the direction that the 'mallitia' had taken the guardian as andros walked through the mall his old friends called him from either side but all he heard was the guardians words "men like us can never forget!" he had said, but andros had forgot and he had tried to earn forgivness "we may never be able to forget, but i'll sure as hell never end up like you, you phsyco!" andros said calmly as he stood beside the guardians confinment "zoot?" was all the guardian said, bending down andros smiled "not zoot guardian, zoots nightmare, the one side of his greatest allie that aided his down fall, you see guardian, even were i am from good always conquers evil in the end!" andros said slyly "he is not evil not anymore, just ill!" tai-san replied from behind andros "get real tai-san!" andros demanded before storming away, the next morning andros slunk into the cafe without a word to anyone, he looked rougher than any of the mall rats or gaians had ever seen him, as the young warrior seated himself at the back of the room he was imedatly joined by Pride and may "i'd prefer to be left alone pride, i'm not in a people mood today!" andros requested "are you ever?" ebony demanded, pride ignored her and turned to andros "do i look like a sap to you? your wanting to bury yourself in guilt like you were when i first met you, well andros that isn't going to happen, tonight we leave for home!" he announced, Andros leapt up in his saet "YES!" he cried, from the other side of the room trudys frown deepened one of the reasons she had returned was to be near andros and now he was going away again! when evening finally came andros and pride were both set to go, as they were passing the stairs they heard eagle say she was a mall rat again, turning to face her both pride and andros's bright smiles became trudy like frowns before the swept from the room, amber tried to follow but they were already out of the sewer! "women aren't worth it!" pride said finally "wish i'd realised that after ebony!" andros laughed slightly as andros walked through the forest his mind drifted to his dream as night fell the two friends rested under a great oak, as they talked andros began wonder what a noise was he heard in the distance, silencing pride andros rose to his feet and drew his sword "come on bray you can do better than a fallen pine tree!" andros demanded as his old friend picked himself from the ground "that i can!" bray replied before running at pride, andros remained still knowing his friend could handle bray and to allow bray to release steam, when bray was subdued andros helped pride to his feet "yeild bray! its the only way to come out of this alive, pride knows every move i do, unless you explain yourself he has grounds to return your attack!" andros demanded ad pride stood rready to fight "wheres amber!" bray spat as andros pulled him to his feet "amber? shes not in the mall?" pride asked "she and trudy have been kidnapped!" bray relied "and the first person who sprang to mind was pride! nice way of trusting people there bray, you haven't changed a bit!" andros sighed, pride wasn't listening "shes not with us!" hje said "or are you blind as well as dumb?" andros finished, bray nodded he could see pride was telling the truth and so he turned away and began towards the city "we'll return with you!" pride protested catching up with bray "like i'm gonna need a scout and a warrior with a bad attutiude whose on a guilt trip nearly every day!" bray replied snapishly "we're not coming back for you bray we're returning to help in the search for amber and trudy!" andrs said, pride turned to andros "i saw what the city does to you andros, you don't have to reutrn, your work in the city is done!" he said "remember my promise pride, i go where you go and likewise, besides amber helped me through my worst times!" andros said before the three of them set off towardss the city A few days later the two friends were stood talking in the centre of the mall when May slunk up behind them "Hi may!" Andros said even though his back was turned to her "Wish you weren't so good Andros, you ruined my surprise!" may complained as she released prides eyes, Pride smiled "Its still a surprise to see you may, a happy one at that, I thought I'd scared you off!" pride said giving her a kiss, looking at Andros pride saw his friend pretend to throw up

"Nothings changed with you Andros!" Lex said laughing as he sat beside them, looking at lex he suddenly realised he had work to do, bidding good day to pride Andros set off in search of Luke, he found the ex chosen sat beside ellie in her make shift office, as he entered Luke suddenly moved away from ellie

"Its not a secret anymore Luke so stop shrinking away every time someone walks by!" ellie demanded, Luke gave her a sympathetic smile but it did nothing to change Ellies determined grimace, looking up she gave Andros a sweet yet sarcastic smile

"What's up Andros?" she asked, Andros hesitated he wasn't one for getting mixed up in personal matters

"Luke said he wanted to talk to me!" Andros stammered, Luke looked up and almost immediately all the colour drained from his face he had been dreading this moment since Alice had roped him into speaking to Andros, stepping from the room Luke lead Andros as far away from ellie as he could, once Luke was confident they could be seen by most of the shops in the mall he beckoned for Andros to sit with him on the stairs

"Luke you know I'm not here for good so spit it out before I'm an adult!" Andros moaned, Luke gulped hard he was a coward but he knew what was about to come wouldn't be good for him,

"Err Andros.... You know I told you that... patsy...!" Luke couldn't bring himself to say what he had to, but one look at Andros told him that the young warrior had guessed,

"You told me she was well Luke!!!" he yelled, "all those time when the guardian sent his guards to fetch me I kept telling myself that at the end of all this I'd see patsys happy face smiling at me and now you tell me shes gone forever." Luke hung his head "look at me Luke... you lied to me!" Andros demanded forcing Luke to look him in the eyes, Luke felt the invisible rope being tied around his neck, he had seen Andros when he was angry but lex had said it was nothing compared to him when someone close to him died, and all the mall rats knew you couldn't get closer to Andros's cold heart than patsy had the day Paul had disappeared, as Luke watched the colour drained from Andros's face, not that there had been much colour their to start with, getting to his feet he descended the stair only to halt as pride walked passed, with a silent nod when he was sure his eco friend was out of ear shot he turned drawing his sword in the process "By the law of the gaian's I am not allowed to strike you unless you attack me personally, but there are those in the city who don't have the morals of the gaian's Luke, so if I were you I wouldn't go spreading the fact I let you live, or protection or no, they'd strike you out without a second thought..." he said before heading for the grate, Luke breathed an edgy sigh of relief.

tribeworld was shrouded in a veil of cool darkness, on eagle mountain a Andros knelt by a wooden star, as he knelt there he cried, for the second time in years the young 'boy' warrior was allowing his tears to flow freely, his tears fell on the freshly layed stones of the makeshift grave, weather it was his grief at the loss of a trusted friend, or the fact that the friend had been only a few years younger than his missing sister, the reason didn't matter all that mattered to the young warrior was that the young girl whose grave he had dug himself would never brighten up his dark life, she wasn't layed at the bottom of the stones but she was as good as, he had not been present in her final days but he knew she had brightened the world for the last time during the chosens occupation, as he knelt their they young warrior swore a blood oath, one that could only be broken by his own death, "I swear by the blood of every kavoran who has gone before me, I swear that the guardian and luke will die for what he did to you Patsy!" he sobbed, slowly he began to talk as though the littler girl wiere sat before him on the stones "you were so young... you would have liked my home planet pats you always loved playing and picking flowers... when I finally return home I'll bring you some star orchids, their beautiful in winter!" he said getting to his feet, brushing the dirt from his jeans he placed his deep tinted shades over his eyes and turned to the city "you took her from me jaffa... a life for a life! " he hissed, as he got to his feet Andros of ko-35 didn't know what he was going to do but as he stared at the wooden star he was determined to see justice was done,

back in the city Luke couldn't sleep, no one had seen or heard from andros in two days Pride had said he just needed to greive for his friend in his own way, but after what had been said between them Luke wasn't holding his breath

As andros walked back in the direction of the city his mind swam with memories of the little girl who had brightened his dark dark life since the day he met her! she had warmed towards him even when everyone else even amber had classed him a lost cause suddenly Andros was thrown into a violent flash back

it was mid day three day after pauls disaperance and no one had gotten a word out of patsy since lex had told her he was a goner, finally Andros found the courage to enter Patsy room and try and help

"i am the only one who knows what shes going through!" he thought as he stood in the door way

"Go AWAY!" Patsy demanded from her bed, andros moved back at her tearful tone but it didn't stop him

"i was worried about you patsy!" Andros said as he knelt beside her, Patsy slowly turned to face him, her eyes were puffy from crying and her hair hadn't been brushed in days and still as she tearfully smiled andros felt the sun rising around him

"come on now pats if you stay in here any longer you'll be an older kid by the time you come out!" andros said trying his best to smile, but as he had a lot in those days it turned a little menacing, Patsy saw he was making the effort and sat up to let him sit next to her, as he sat down patsy could contain her tears no longer she fell again andros's chest sobbing

"i wish lex had gone away not paul!" she sobbed into his top, andros comforted her as best he could, he had been right he was the only one who knew how she felt but right then and there he wished he didn't because as she sobbed it reminded him of his own sisters tears

"don't worry Patsy, i'll always be here!" he promised, looking up patsy had studied his expression

"promise?" she asked, as andros crossed his heart he knew forever was a dangerous word for a warrior to promise with.

end flashback

in the mall the rats were gathered in the cafe

"andros left to stop himself from drawing his sword on luke, its the way he is now!" Pride explained

"stop himself! he had his sword at lukes throat!" ellie demanded pointing at luke who shrank back, Lex stood up at this

"he drew it yeah, but he never touched luke let alone his throat!"

Alice sat in the corner of the room, she had seen the 'warrior prince' at his worst, a broken crying wreck, she knew the chosen falling had forced him to speed up his recovery but when Luke had hit him with the knowledge that Patsy was dead, he wasn't at full strength, she knew that whatever he did with the information, Luke in his chosen days had brought it on himself, both by killing patsy and by breaking Midnight/Andros.

When Andros finally did return, he headed straight to the place he knew they would all be, Alice sat glancing edgily towards ellies room as he got cleaned up, she knew the moment her sister and luke stepped out their was going to be hell

"don't worry alice i will not cause trouble, besides you have my weapons, so how could i?" andros asked, Alice gave him a penatrating stare in reply

"lets see, your a martial arts expert for one? and you just lost a sister in patsy so that gives you more powerfor two!" she replied, Andros shrugged before taking his weapons from alice and handing them to pride

"till we leave this cursed mall pride, i entrust my weapons to you!" he said before walking away towards tai-sans room

The next morning the Mall was woken by a serious case of dasha vou, as her ear became accustom to the sharp calls she immediately recognised them as Andros's ninja cries

"One thing hasn't changed about him, he still puts his cold heart in to his fighting!" she thought as she walked towards the fountain

"Andros!" Alice said quiet happy even though the warrior's calls had rudely awoken her, finishing a rather dangerous drop kick Andros stood up and bowed to Alice

"Sorry Alice about waking you I mean!" but its the way I wake myself up!" he apologised

"That's okay its been a while since I've seen you training, don't stop on my behalf!" she said, Andros shrugged bowing again before returning to his training, as Ned walked up behind him Andros accidentally back kicked the obese red head

"Ouf!" Ned groaned as he doubled over, Alice couldn't help giggling

"Nice wake up Andros!" Pride said as he descended the stairs from Mays room

As the tribe filed in for breakfast Tai-san made sure Andros sat between herself and lex, this made it difficult for pride to speak to him without making eye contact with may who was sat on lex's other side, lex seemed to get the message rather quickly and moved away, tai-san smiled but only faintly her heart was at war with her mind

"I broke with him, he is merely going by what I requested!" she thought looking at Andros who at that moment was passing the meat he had been given to might

"So Andros, what today?" may asked, Andros glanced over to his left at Beth who was sat with jack Back at the mall Alice was making herself and tai-san a cup of tea, as she watched her friend in the kitchen tai-san noticed in the corner of her eye that Andros had finally returned from the city

As tai-san watched Andros sat at the fountain talking to pride, it seemed to tai-san that the two had become like brother, for they were friendlily pushing each other and laughing or what you could call laughing for someone like Andros as she watched them her mind drifted back. Back to those nights of pure happiness she had shared with Andros during his time in the mall rats

Flashback

Andros had told her that the first night she had crept into his room had been a dream come true

Tai-san had dressed in her darkest night gown and glided towards Andros's room, she had seen earlier that day that his aura was out of sync but also because she wanted him, the way she knew in her heart he wanted her, as she closed the door to his room behind her she heard painful cries coming from Andros's limp form, he had told her in the day many times about his fearful recurring past, slowly she crept to his bedside and sat down, Andros's eyes opened like a shot as she brushed the fallen strands of hair behind his ears, looking up he hadn't said anything but tai-san knew he was glad to see her

"Tai-san what the?" he had tried to say but she had silenced him before slipping into the covers behind him

"Its time!" she whispered as she leant closer to him than Andros could remember her ever being before

End flashback

From the fountain Andros had seen tai-san look up at him and he too had begun to think of the past even though he knew he was supposed to be listening to pride

Flashback

Andros had just returned from a rather bad fight with a jackal he was lucky to have gotten out with his life, as he entered the mall he saw tai-san asleep by the stair, as his pumps touched the first step she woke, clambering to his side with her medicine bag at hand, some how she had known he had needed it, as she led him to her room he had heard kcs wolf whistle from somewhere on the other side of the balcony, Andros smiled slightly knowing he was in good hands

End flash back

Pride saw Andros had zoned and nudged him back to reality, looking up he also saw tai-san staring at them

"Go talk to her!" he urged as Andros got edgily to his feet

Andros decided against going to talk to tai-san he still hand't gotten used to the fact he still felt for her

"lex would kill me!" he kept telling himself, but still everytime he saw the philosopher of the mall rats he allowed himself to feel that electric spark he had come to think of as his way of feeling love, finally one day he decided to get it out in the open, most of the mall rats were out campeigning for bray to become leader of the city and lex was being the self absorbed sherif he had been made, it was just himslef, tai-san and a fe others,

as he walked towards tai-sans room he kept thinking over and over

"go in tell her and get out before she throws the cauldron at you!"

when he finally allowed himself to slow down he saw tai-san was walking towards him herself

"we need to talk!" they said in unison, andros turned and signalled to his own room, once inside he shut the door

"you first!" the said again in unsion, tai-san slowly sat on andros's bed

"ladyies first!" andros said after a while but neither spoke, sitting down next to her andros allowed himself to look at her, the girl he'd given up without a fight

"shes got everything going here! then along you come back from the dead and ruin it all just like the first time!" he complained as he paced the length of the mall, as he paced he saw salene watching him

"get a good luck salene he won't be around much longer!" may joked as she and pride decended the stairs towards andros

andros was again sat on the beach, as usual his mind was engulfed in what could one day be

"someday... i'll find her!" he decreed

"if only patsy...." he couldn't bring himself to mention his little friends death just the thought of it made his anger boil

"tai-san said he'll get whats coming to him with or without me!" he thought as he got to his feet

"that he will!" came a smug voice from behind him, spinning round andros was greeted by the perfect figure of moz leader of the mall rats rival tribe the mozzies

"oh...err hi moz didn't hear you come up!" andros replied secretly cursing his remanicing

"yeah i saw, you looked a bit zoned!" moz replied

"thinking of ways to speed up luke getting whats coming to him!" andros replied with a smile

"if i'm elected leader of the city he will!" moz said

"and thats what your here to talk to me about right? voting for you?" andros asked

"if your falling off a cliff you may as well try and fly!" Andros reminded himself as he 'escorted' Moz back to the city, when they arrived they both heard lex

"this is crazy he's only just here, we throw this on him he'll bail straight away, he can't handle commitment to the past!" Bray was arguing, he knew that something had happened to Andros between when they had been reunited at the gaian camp and when bray had stood on the balconey dressed as zoot and tai-san had stopped the bomb. The next morning andros was sat up in bed beside tai-san, he had done a really stupid thing and he knew it, as tai-san woke up she saw his distress

"lex and i were over long before you and pride returned with bray! we were never meant to be!" she assured him

"thats what you said about you and i tai, my desitny is to find my heart, your... well you didn't know then and you don't know now!" he said as he pulled his top over his scarred chest

Tai-san sat in bed and watched as andros corrected his scruffy hair and replaced his tribal paint tai-san had felt something last night, felt that Andros was missing something, something important "even if is not meant to be in the long term, it is what is happening now!" she protested

"and right now you and i are all that exsist!" andros finished before returning to her side, as he did so Lex was walking by the door

"tai-san... he's back five minuets and..." he fumed as he spied on them

"they make a better couple than you and her ever did!" ebony laughed when lex told her and pride, Pride didn't seem as enthusiastic, turning from lex he marched to tai-sans room

pride reached tai-sans room in time to hear a revalation from andros

"tai-san i think meeting pride and the gaians was the best thing that ever happened to me!" he said, Tai-san smiled as pride was at that very moment stood in the doorway, turning andros jumped

"Pride!" he exlaimed

"cool it andros lex knows, he doesn't seem to taking it as badly as was expected!" pride replied

"thats weird, he'll probably get me later!" andros thought

"whatever happens andros rmemeber!"

"i can't strike him without reason or provocation!" andros chimed "we took him in, when we knew what he was capable of, we gave him shelter and support to change his ways... and how does he repay us, leaving for the gaians, but makeing us all worry sick isn't enough he has to return and stir things up!" salene moaned to ryan

"salen he's just doing what he thinks he has to do!" allie said strangley backing andros up even when he had sworn to see her boyfriends life ended and soon

"had to? so what he had to leave us hanging? he had to push tai-san into lex's slimy grasp, he had to give up on his friendship with bray!" salene asked as the two girls walked towards the exit, looking up salene screamed, hearing her scream the remaining gaians and mall rats converged

"zhane!" andros hissed as he walked the closest

"Andros, andros i argh!!!" tried to say, but it seemed he was in too much pain. Andros woke with a jerk and sat bolt upright he was soaked through with sweat, within seconds his ears became adjusted to the sounds of the dark mall and he became aware he wasn't alone he knew tai-san was probably in her lab she had decided they should be apart for the night at least

"who goes there?"he demanded into the darkness he knew he didn't have his sword at hand but he was still a warrior as the two friends talked neithe noticed Lex lurking in the shadows outside the room

"he may not be able to hurt me, but i can hurt him... alot!" he snarled before walking on, andros heard his footsteps and looked up immediatel

"he wanted to see me and I'm here but he isn't!" he thought worriedly as he skimmed a stone across the small waves finally hades appeared on one of his many chariot horses as he appeared, andros imediatly took his sword from its sheath

"i'm not here to fight, i'm here to talk!" hades assured him

"why should i believe you, your the god of death, death has no honour!" andros demanded spinning his sword from hand to hand ready to fight

"because if i was going to lie i would have sent strife don't you think!" hades asked

"okay talk!" andros said sheathing his sword carefully so as not to give hades any assurance he was trusting

"its about your little friend... patsy isn't it?" hades asked, at this andros tensed again

"what of patsy? you not content enough to take her from us you have to rub it in?" he asked, Hades held his hands up in surrender

"shes not with me andros!" hades said finally bracing himself for the worst, and the owrst came andros exploded in anger

"then where in tarterus is she hades?" andros demanded

"i don't know andros, did you try eternity?" hades asked, andros gave the god of death a frightened look

"Hades can you do me a favour? you do owe me one!" andros asked

"of course andros just don't pull your sword on me!" hades replied

"stir things up with Luke, as lex would say put the frightners on him!" andros said, hades nodded and with that the god of the underworld vanished left alone Andros thought long and hard, he HAD to get back at luke, if not for patsy than for himself, something inside him called for blood but he deneyed it appesment he he would take lukes dignity but not his life "its time to call in a favour from the leader of the mozzies!" andros explained before mounting astro his silvery grey stalion

"andros be serious here, you know what this moz friend of yours wants to do to luke! your not gonna let her do it are you? you know what the council would say" zhane peladed as he walked along side the stalion

"no zhane i won't let luke die, like amber said his guilt is will kill him before anyone else does!" andros agreed before kicking the stalion into a gallop

good luck old friend i hope shes alright... for your sake as well as lukes zhane said as andros galloped away into the rising sun

as andros raced back to the city he felt a cold wind begin to blow through his soul and heart

"oh get lost freya!" he said to the goddess of good

"please andros, you were so close, do not ruin it now" freya begged appearing as a spirit beside him

"get a life freya i won't touch the blue boy!"

finally andros reached the mall, he had stopped at the mozzie home on the way back, his joy for patsy being alive had strangly mutated into absolute rage against luke, as he entered andros looked back to make sure moz hadn't got lost in the sewer tunnels

"i know them like the back of my hand!" andros had promised, moz was there with three of her tribe brining up the rear.

suddely andros heard a worried cry echo through the mall

"LUKE!" it was unmistakably allie, looking up towards the stairs andros skidded to a stop in awe

"whats this, the coward shows his yellow face!" one of the mozzies behind andros laughed

"andros moz doesn't give a damn about your reasons for hating me... patsys death was..."

"shes not dead luke!" andros said basking in lukes expression

"you lied to me, to all the mall rats just like you always do!" he continiued as moz and her mozzies grabbed him, as moz passed andros she pointed up, looking up andros saw pride amber and bray looking sadly at him

"i think before you judge my work, you better follow me guys!" andros requested as moz and andros heaed out into the yard

"ready moz?" andros asked as her mozzies pushed luke into a wooden bird like cage only big enough for one human

"ready andros, give the signal whenever you want, my tribe have done as you requested." moz said walking like a geisha onto the stage behind them, andros took his acent a little more skillfully, when they were both on the stage andros pulled a fanfare horn from his pocket and released it, pride and his friends had to cover their ears the noise was so unberable, only andros seemed emune to the noise,

"LOOK!" bray called pointing around, all around them the diffrent tribes of the city had gathered or at least what was left from the chosen reighn

once he was sure that most of the city had gathered below them andros looked down

"it is finally time... for luke to get whats coming to him!" moz cried over the geers of the people of tribeworld

"let him down we'll show you what he deserves!" a demon dog cried, andros smiled

"not so fast, moz and i have spent all night on this plan, so let us carry it out, you've all brought your things like the mozzies requested right?" andros asked, at this nearly a hundered pairs of hands helf up rotten fruit and peices of stone and wood

"good!" moz said, for the first time since this idea had come to him andros wasn't so sure, glancing at pride he looked for help

"do what you will andros, get it out of your system or you'll never be free of the city!" was all pride said in reply to his friends puppy like pleading expression, andros nodded

"andros and i get first move! then i think those from the country deserve their fun!" moz said aiming a rotten peach at lukes position

"is this your revenge andros? treating luke like some... warlord would?" trudy cried above the cheers of the crowd, at her word the crowd went silent and hundreds of eyes turned to andros

"you heard pride trudy, i'll never be able to let go of this hell unless i release my anger at luke, and i swore i'd never strike him, its not the gaian, way..."

"in the old ays trudy do you know what would have happened? he'd have been killed on sight for crimes against the city!" moz continiued before turning back to luke

"hope you like rotten fruit!" she said before throwing the friut, it hit luke dead in the face

"i've got to let this go on long enough for hades to cook something up!" andros thought stepping to where moz had been

"your a warrior andros... your throw could seriously hurt him!" salene demanded from below him, andros gave a laugh

"its more humane than a sword to the face!2 he said,, at this most of the city laughed before returning to egging andros on, lifting a rotten apple from the barrel beside him andros took up a stance on the platform

"the aple is a symbol of life luke, something you and your chosen buddies took from so many of the citys people, think of that when your getting your just!" he said before spearing the apple into lukes chest forcing luke to double in pain, moz whooped and the city whooped with her.

When the city dwellers had had their fun the mall rats and gaians slunk back to the mall leaving ellie outside with luke still haning mid air, once inside moz turned to andros

"you said what happend next was my call andros!" she reminded him, at this allie gasped

"that i did moz, but remember our deal, no blood shed!" andros reminded her holding out his hand for the fem fatal leader to take, the deal done andros headed to his room, as he reached the door he stopped

"you really should learn how to follow someone better allie i know your behind me!" andros said turning, but who he saw wasn't just allie, she had salene, cloe, trudy with her

"can't face me alone so you bring back up?" andros joked

"how could you andros?" salene asked

"how could you just stand there and watch him helpless like that?" she continiued, andros folded hissil clad arms and observed salene

"easy salene, i just remembered the days i was taken and made to watch some poor tribe boy or girl suffer or tortured by him and his blue haired friends!" he replied flatly "but doing that to him makes you as bad as him!" salene replied

"no salene, i will never be like him and the guardian, never again," he said but truthfully he didn't believe his own words "that side of me died the minuet i stepped into the mall that first time over two years ago!" andros snarled, slane backed up but her place was taken by trudy

"and if i had made you watch those children being hurt, would you have let moz and her cronies dot hat to me andros? after all we've been through together?" trudy asked, andros tried to look confident but he didn't want to say what he had to "Yeah!" he said flatly

"Yeah!" he said flatly, trudy smiled slyly

"you see andros, i know thats not true, you could never hurt me your trying to seem inpenatrable because you want what you just did to stay the right thing to have done, when luke told you patsy was dead, you felt a icy cold in your soul didn't you like someone had taken your sword and run it through you, and i don't know how you found out but when you realised she wasn't dead that hurt melted slightly but it was still there right? but only it was burning hot now the pain was unberable?" trudy asked, andros stayed silent she'd hit the nail on the head dead on

"the first was greif and the second anger andros... emotions andros, your time with the gaians has given your emotions time to break free, something that never could have happed had you stayed here in the mall!" trudy said before turning away and looking at allie

"what do you feel andros? when you see the way allie cares for luke?" she asked, andros looked at allie and the times she had rushed to lukes side and backed him up flash before his eyes

"i don't know how to describe my feelings trudy if thats what you call the pain i keep getting!" andros said finally, his wall destroyed his confidence deflate he slouched into a relaxed like stance showing he had almost been defeated

"we'll help you understand your pain andros, but just ebcause your confused doesn't mean you can express your anger through outbursts like that!" trudy said brushing his fringe out of his eyes, allie looked shocked like someone had just punched her in the face, andros looked at trudy

"i wouldn't really do that to you trudy.. i don't blame you for what you did!" he said as trudy led him into his room, leaving allie and cloe stood outside.

a few hours later trudy walked into the cafe, as she did all eyes turned on here, none more than pride allie and bray

"he's sorry for not telling us what he was planning, but he thought it was the easies way for the city to get their anger out without blood being spilt!" trudy explained stepping aside as andros entered his arm was looped with lukes, it looked like andros was sincerly sorry for what he had done and was making up for it by cleaning up the mess

The next day the sun rose rather late but still the mall rats plus pride and may filled into the cafe, all except Andros and Trudy

"She's helping him deal with the changes he's going through so she says!" ellie spat, Luke didn't seem so hateful of Andros as his girlfriend did, he sat quietly tending the wounds the fruit had caused him.

Meanwhile Andros was stood behind a folding changing room as Trudy picked out some clothes for him to wear while he was in the city, she finally settled that a red Lycra top was best

"Your shirt and trousers are fine Andros!" she said as Andros examined himself in the mirror

"Check out the next Eric Draven!" may said as she passed Andros on his way down the stairs

"Nice threads Andros!" jack and Beth called from somewhere in the mall as he headed for the exit

"Hey Andros wait up!" Luke called after him, Andros stopped but only briefly

2just because I stopped moz getting her hands on you Luke doesn't mean we're the best of friends!" he demanded turning, but he turned back when Luke produced a picture that could have only have been drawn by patsy

"I found it in the chosen things still left I the mall, its you I'm guessing!"

"On a white horse?" Andros asked pondering why patsy would have drawn him in the clothes of a French musketeer and put him on what he could see was a white stallion

"Her knight in shining armour, remember Andros, you loved the three musketeers so much she did too!" salene said coming up beside him

"Shining armour? But I left when I had promised..."

"She knew you'd be back!" salene said before literally pushing Andros out of the exit

Andros decided to take a walk in the forest

"Even after the chosen ransacked this place. I still get a sense of peace and being finally at one when I'm out here!" he said to himself as he skimmed a stone into the nearby foliage, returning to the mall Andros buisied himself trying to shake off thoughts of the past "Andros, Andros." Salene called looking up Andros smiled back and turned towards her, the next thing he knew he was sprawled on the floor with lex on top of him

"It was all a joke to you wasn't it?" he demanded keeping Andros's hands to the ground so he couldn't fight back

"What are you talking about lex?" Andros asked, as soon as lex had jumped Andros Trudy had screamed and now the entire tribe had gathered at her side

"Messing with me and tai-san, you thought you could breeze in and stir trouble! Then go to the supreme fruitcake!" lex demanded forcing Andros to yield against the cold floor of the mall, Andros was lost for words

"Lex get off him!" tai-san cried from the door to her lab, lex turned and this gave Andros his advantage, flipping back to his feet he knocked lex into the railings, getting into a fighting stance he prepared to return lex's unjust attack

"Andros hold! You have an unfair advantage!" pride demanded as he raced to andros's side checking Andros up and down pride noticed he was slashed all down both his arms and his chest and he had a rather deep gash above his legs, turning to tai-san lex gave her a puppy dog look but tai-san would have none of it, walking to Andros "lex realised you would be return to the forest soon and acted on animal instinct to protect me" tai-san explained, Andros nodded, turning to lex he helped his old friend to his feet "I understand your anger Lex, but as with all things the two of us have in common, there is no need to reach for the glass yet, romeo and Juliet will dance again." He said, knowing lex would have no idea what he said, turning to tai-san the two ex lovers bowed honourably too each other, later than day in the café Andros stood up "as much as I would like to stay and catch up on old times I have obviously outstayed my welcome and so with my work done here I am going to return to the gaian camp and hopefully one day if I ever do return..." he trailed off turning to lex whose wounds had been dressed by tai-san "lex will have gotten over the fact that even with the element of surprise I still kicked his ass." He continued raising a chuckle from lex, turning from lex to bray he smiled "and that I will have the guts to admit bray is half as good a leader as amber." He said before walking from the café, on his way out he passed pride who smiled "tell hawk and grey owl their incharge until me or ea... I mean amber return" pride said, Andros nodded, and like he had so many times before headed down the stairs and out into the city and into the rising sun, as he walked he swore he heard the familiar laughter of the two young girl who drove his path, but there was no one around him, stopping at the edge of the forest he turned to look back "a half truth is better than a full lie." He said to himself before waving at an invisible friend "goodbye bray, trudy, lex may next time we meet be on better terms." He said before turning and continiuing on his way through the forest. THE END.... FOR NOW