Blood of the Father

Warring Forces

Fox held up the shotgun as the ten warriors stopped, they couldn't figure out what the shotgun was for and Fox began backing up.

"Stop, the M'teras has ordered us to stop you from escaping. We will use lethal force is necessary."

"So will I." Fox whispered and he loosed of a shot, the impeding sound was deafening and Kai let out a yell as one figure was blown back, red carpeted the dark green and he lay dead. The nine stared at their dead comrade and the storm only increased in intensity as Fox took Kai's arm. "Come on, let's get out of here!" He yelled and they ran down the path in the woods, Fox turned on the flashlight and the path was illuminated as Kai looked at him.

"How did you kill back there?"

"I'll explain later, we need to get back to the village."

"Fox, I don't know the way back in the dark, I can't see and I need light." Kai said after they ran for awhile.

"Andromeda, where is the ship?" The hologram came up and she flashed different colors.

"About a half a mile away, keep going down the path and I'll tell you where to go." As she finished, a spear thudded into a tree trunk a hairsbreadth away from Fox's head and they ran as there was angry yelling behind them. Fox turned around and he fired again, they kept running and he heard Kai panting beside him as Andromeda piped in. "Turn here, the ship is unlocked so get in and I will raise the shield."

"Ok, ahhh!" Fox yelled as a spear slammed into his shoulder and he stumbled, the shotgun fell from his paws but Kai picked it up and she helped him into the craft.

The shield came up and they were safe as Fox sat down in the small med bay, Kai looked at his wound and Fox's right arm hung limply at his side. Andromeda appeared and she walked over to Fox, her paws gently caressed his shoulder and she produced a needle. The vixen injected some liquid and Fox sighed as the pain melted away.

"How is your arm Fox?"

"I don't know, I can't move it." He replied and Andromeda took the spear out of his shoulder, she quickly patched him up and injected more liquid as she examined his arm; through her eyes she was giving him an x-ray and she frowned.

"This is no quick fix; I give you a few days before it heals. I think you broke it badly but the nerve endings are shot so you won't feel anything from here down." She touched his elbow and Fox nodded.

"What can you do now?"

"Well, nothing for the moment, but give me a sec." Fox nodded and he saw Kai touch her head, the M'teras wasn't contacting her however.

"Catch her Andromeda." Fox said as he saw the signs of battle shock. The vixen quickly walked over and she caught the feline; Andromeda set her down in a chair in the med bay and Kai started to shake. "Give her some of the cool down liquid." The hologram pulled out a needle and she quickly injected Kai, the feline sighed as she passed unconscious.

"You were the same way Fox."

"Well, I had never killed anyone before, now it is just like nothing to me."

"It's a good thing that I knocked her out, she wouldn't understand this." Andromeda plunged her paws into Fox's arm and her body flashed red as she began working internally.

"Hey, go easy on me."

"Shut up, you've had worse than this." She said it with a smile and Fox gritted his teeth as she fixed his internal structure. Fox felt a presence in his head and the M'teras spoke.

Fox, where have you been?

"We were captured by the southern Ripars and I will be in my ship until the storm breaks. Kai is with me and she will be kept safe. I have also learned that the southern M'teras is planning a war, they are building up their forces." He said that out loud and Andromeda looked at him funny.

They have an M'teras? How powerful is he or she?

"Very, she is panther, the exact opposite of you." The M'teras didn't speak for a moment and Fox kept down a yell as Andromeda kept working.

Then we must prepare. How soon can you return to the village?

"Tomorrow at the earliest but I have sustained a few injuries."

Not a problem, will you need warriors for an escort?

"Yes, cover us in the trees would you?"

Yes Fox; bring Kai back alive. The voice faded and Andromeda stopped working.

"Ok, that will do for now. Give your arm some time to recover and it will heal entirely." Fox nodded and Kai stirred, he walked over to her and she opened her eyes.

"Oh…what happened?"

"You had a touch of battle shock, is that the first time you've seen someone die?" She nodded and a fit of shivering overcame Kai. "Get a blanket Andromeda." The vixen vanished and Fox took her paws. "Look at me Kai." She couldn't and her shivering intensified.

"You…you…killed him. Ended a life just like that…" She started to cry and Fox put his arms around her. She leaned into his shoulder and the tears flowed freely onto his shoulder as Andromeda came back, Fox wrapped her up and she sat in the chair, shaking.

"It was either him or us Kai, now would have liked to die today?"

"No…no I wouldn't have." Lightning lit up the sky and the rain pelted the craft.

"Kai, we'll have to stay here tonight, my room is over there so when you are tired go ahead and lay down."

"Ok but where will you sleep?"

"I'll find a place." Kai nodded again and she walked off, her fur was pretty much dry and Fox looked at Andromeda, the AI was smiling and Fox crossed his arms. "Shut up."

"Oh come on Fox, you know you want to." He shook his head and Fox laid down on the gurney, he closed his eyes and Fox passed into the world of darkness.

He awoke sometime later and his arm still felt a bit sore but Fox sat up as lighting lit up the inside of the craft, eerie shadows played over the walls and Fox slid off the gurney. It sounded lie the rain had stopped but the lighting and thunder kept booming as he picked up his shotgun, Fox had dropped it when they had entered the craft and he slung it over his shoulder as the hatch opened. He walked out into the cold but not frigid breeze. The wind ruffled his orange, white and brown fur and he held the shotgun in his paws, something didn't feel right and Fox could feel a presence…

"FOX!" The yell thundered along with the lightning and he whipped around, the cry came again but Fox couldn't pinpoint it as it was all around him.

A touch on the shoulder…Fox instinctively lashed out behind him but the butt of the gun hit nothing but air.

"What do you want from me?" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Thunder answered him but it formed words.

"Your body to die along with the rest." Fox knew that voice and he turned his head, the panther M'teras stood a few feet behind him and he turned around, the shotgun leapt in his paws but the M'teras seemed to push the birdshot away with her paw. "You know that is useless, mercenary." Fox felt fear start to claw at his heart and he fired again, this time using the secondary fire. Two shells left the barrel but the M'teras pushed them away as well. "I can see into your heart, you are afraid of me, you have never known this kind of fear before." The panther's words seemed to cut into his soul and Fox pulled the trigger.

He was dry. The M'teras seemed to pull the weapon out of his paws and she tossed it away, lighting flashed quite bright illuminating the female's body. Her teeth shone in the light and Fox walked backwards as she raised her paw.

"What are you afraid of? I am just as much Lylatian as you, so why do you retreat?" She asked and Fox wondered; he didn't have much time to think when a pulse blew him back. He felt power smack his muzzle as he flew, Fox fell and he was unable to move as the pulse had locked up his body. "Now is the time, I feel that this may be a waste of a life, goodbye Fox McCloud." She raised her paw but bright light flashed and it was not from the lightning.

"I will allow this no further." The panther M'teras covered her eyes and took a step backwards as a shining light that pulsated with everything that was pure walked toward Fox. Fox felt his limbs unlock as the panther's power was diminished greatly.

"No, how is this possible? How can you be stronger than me?" The female asked and a white tiger brushed aside his cloak of light.

"Because, good will always prevail over evil no matter what the odds may be." The panther screamed as she faded and the tiger stretched out his paw, Fox took it and he was brought out of the darkness.

He opened his eyes and Kai was over him, she had a worried look on her muzzle and Fox remembered his dream.

"Fox, I was worried that you would never wake up. You had the most strange expression on your face and I could tell that you were in pain."

"Yes, how is the weather outside?"

"The sun is out, the rain has stopped and the M'teras has contacted me, he wants us to report back to him." Fox nodded and he walked into his room, he quickly changed his clothes and he picked up his shotgun, he replaced some shells and he strapped his Comm to his wrist. They walked out of the ship and the shield came on as Andromeda materialized beside them.

"So you're going to tag along?"

"Yes, I decided not to stay and you might need me in some odd way." Fox nodded and they walked down the path, he heard rustling in the trees and Fox knew that they were safe.

"Thank you M'teras." He whispered and they continued onto the village.

Author's Note: Well, I know I have been having a lot of cliffhangers for this fic but I promise that I will write a chapter that is more my style, what I mean is like seven or so pages. I hope you have enjoyed the ride thus far and as always, ideas are welcome.