Blood of the Father

History Revealed

Author's Note: Before I begin, I just want to make a clear distinction between the two M'teras; the tiger of the northern will be called either White or the White One. The southern M'teras will be called Black or the Black One; this is all due to their fur color. Nothing weird is implied, so I don't want to receive any reviews that deal with race.

The path to the village was a long one and Fox kept his shotgun close even though he had cover from the trees. Andromeda had retreated to his Comm and Kai kept close to him as they walked, Fox looked up and a giant panther dropped from the trees; he was the same panther that had brought him in.

"Fox, I have something to report. My scouts have indicated to me that there is a small party on its way to intercept you on the way to the village."

"Can we stop them?" Fox asked and the panther looked away.

"I fear for your life this time; the Black M'teras is giving them most of her power and I do not know if you will survive."

"But what about yours? What can he do?"

"I am trying to contact him…" The panther paused and he touched his head. "Yes, there is a party coming here…No, I do believe that they have the Black's power behind them. Yes O Holy One, it will be done." He removed his paw and the panther drew his dual obsidian blades. "The White One will give us support and I will rally my warriors. We will fight for your cause and I will protect you with my life since you have looked after one of our own." He nodded to Kai and she nodded back. "I will alert you when they arrive." The panther leapt back into the trees and Fox and Kai began running down the path.

The panther sheathed his blades and looked out over the forest top, there was no movement and his muzzle creased with worry. He ducked down into the foliage and kept over the two figures that we had sworn to protect. Fox and Kai were still running down the path and the panther smiled, he saw the village in the distance and the White One's power would be increased. He dropped down next to them and his powerful frame easily matched their pace.

"Fox, I see that the way is clear and we are almost safe." Fox nodded but then he stopped. Kai and the panther also ground to a halt and Fox had his shotgun out, he was sniffing the air and a frown creased his muzzle.

"What us your name?"

"I am called Nico." The panther answered and Fox looked around.

"Nico, where is your patrol?" The question hung in the air and the panther felt fear touch his heart. "Kai, do you know how to use this?" Fox tossed her the concealed blaster and she shook her head. "Aim the front end and pull the trigger right there, it will fire a small bolt of energy and it will kill the creature that you aimed at."

"Fox, I can't kill." His ears twitched and Fox picked up sounds of the party.

"Kill or be killed Kai." He pumped the barrel and Nico drew his blades.

"Let them come, I will defend you until my last breath." He let out a loud growl and Nico bared his teeth as the party appeared in front of them, they were heavily armed with spears, swords, shields, and wood armor. Nico was a bit unequipped for this but he spun the blades around his paws with amazing skill as Kai took a step back. "Come you bastards so that I may feast on the lust of battle!" Nico yelled and the party surrounded the three. A fox held out his long blade and he pointed it at Nico.

"Your patrol was no match for us; I hope you put up a better fight." He said this with quite a bit of pride and Kai accidentally loosed off a shot, it slammed into a feline's head and he fell to the ground, most of his skull burned away. The party's shock was quite evident and they didn't know what to make of this.

"How can you kill someone without touching them?" A canine asked, his spear quivering slightly.

"Like this." Fox charged them and he loosed a shot, the birdshot slammed into the fox leader and he was killed instantly. Nico roared as he also ran into the fray swinging his blades and Kai managed to fire another round. It felled a feline and Fox hit a button on his shotgun, a blade came out the other end and he used it as a melee weapon. The party was quite demoralized after seeing their leader killed and some sat down, their weapons out in front of them and their paws on their heads. Nico had taken a slash to the chest but he lopped off a head and he turned, Fox and the panther met with a clash of obsidian and metal and the panther stopped.

"Is it over?" Kai asked as they disengaged from one another. Fox looked over the prisoners and they numbered five.

"Yes. Will you be ok?" Kai was still shaking from the bloodletting but she managed a nod.

"Yes, here take this." She handed him the blaster and he holstered it as one of the prisoners cried out.

"The M'teras has left us; she has not given us victory." His face was turned down and he wailed. "We are lost!"

"Put a sock in it, we aren't going to kill you." Fox said but Nico growled.

"Speak for yourself vulpine." He made to move but Fox put out his paw.

"Nico, he might be some help to us. Why don't we let the M'teras decide?" The panther growled again but he let up on his blades. "Ok, get up." The five quickly did and Fox covered them with the shotgun. "Go ahead and tell the M'teras that we are coming."

"He already knows." The panther intoned and Fox smiled.

"Of course."

Fox walked into the village and immediately the prisoners were confiscated by the locals, they took them away and Fox saw the M'teras walk in front of him.

"Greetings my mercenary, I see you have fared well against the Black."

"Yes but Nico's patrol was lost." Fox replied and the M'teras looked saddened.

"I am deeply in regret for that Nico, they were good warriors I'm sure." He touched the panther's chest and Nico felt the M'teras power flow through him.

"Don't feel that it was your responsibility Holy One. I take all the blame on myself." He dropped to one knee and the M'teras smiled.

"You are a very trustworthy and loyal companion Nico, I am glad to have you as a friend." He looked at Fox and the merc felt power emitting from him. "Fox, I would like to talk to you and Kai in private. Nico, start assembling warriors, the Black may attack and I want to be ready."

"Yes my Lord." He walked off and the tiger motioned for them to follow him. They walked up the long stairway on the tree and the tiger placed his paws behind his back as the two stood behind him.

"So Fox, did you find anything interesting when you were captured?"

"If I hadn't told you, the Black M'teras might be starting a war with you." Fox replied and the M'teras turned his head slightly.

"Well then we will be ready, won't we Fox?" He smiled slightly and the tiger turned around. He looked at Kai and she lowered her head, the tiger walked over to her and he lifted her head up. "Kai, it is great to have you back." She looked up and the tiger glanced at Fox. "Thank you for protecting my sister Fox."

Fox was speechless for a moment.

"Uh, you're his sister?" She nodded and the tiger laughed, it was a deep bass and he removed his paw.

"Yes she is." He paused and the M'teras looked into his mind. "I see that she has given you a bit of history on our past. I knew my parents while Kai was still a little kit, when they died I was severely heartbroken but Kai was too small to know. I am thirteen years older than her you know." He walked over to the railing of the room and he looked over his village.

"Brother, M'teras, I would like to take my leave to see Traa."

"Of course, I would like to talk to Fox alone for a while anyway." Kai left and the tiger beckoned for Fox to sit. He did and the tiger remained standing. "Fox, does it bother you that I can look into your mind?" Fox was silent for a minute then he responded.

"It depends, if you look at just what I am thinking now, no. But if you delve into my memory without asking yes." The tiger smiled and he held his paw out, the M'teras seemed to study it and it glowed blue as he focused.

"I used to not be this powerful, and then I had the leadership of this village thrust upon me. My parents were the leaders of the village and when they died, I became the Master or M'teras in my language." The blue intensified and he raised his paw, a blue beam shot out of his paw and it lanced into the sky. He let out a yell and the light dissipated as the tiger let out a long sigh.

"What was that?"

"The Black M'teras is powerful; she tried to make an attack on me just now." He said and the tiger held his head. "I am sorry if I have looked into your mind when you did not want me to."

"It is ok, I guess." Fox said as he looked around.

"I can sense that you would like to get back to Kai, you are released from my presence." Fox nodded and he walked back down to the village.

Traa ran out of the hut and he leapt into Fox's arms, yelling happily.

"Fox!" He yelled and Fox looped his arms around the little feline.

"Hey Traa, you miss us?" He put the kit down and they walked into the hut. Kai was sitting down on the floor and they joined her as she pulled a basket up. Kai handed out food and they ate in silence for a moment, Traa finished his portion and he leaned against Fox, the vulpine put an arm around the little feline and Kai moved over to sit next to Fox. Traa closed his eyes and he fell asleep as Fox stroked his head.

"Wow, he really likes you."

"Well, I must be a very likable character." Fox replied and he looked into her eyes, she seemed to have an effect on him that was quite unexplainable. "Uh Kai, you don't have any power in you do you?"

"Just like my brother but I am weaker than he is. He has been in training since I was born but I have only been trying to sharpen my skill for a few years, he has had a little over a decade." She explained and Fox looked down at Traa.

"Wait a sec, then how is Traa your brother?" Kai had a sheepish look on her muzzle and she explained.

"He really isn't, that is only a half truth. Traa is like a brother to me but he is actually an orphan; notice that we don't look alike. When his mother died, I adopted him and he still thinks that I am his mother, which is why we have such a close relationship." Traa woke up and he looked at Kai.

"I'm tired mommy." Kai sighed inwardly in relief, he had not heard her. She held her to her chest and Traa buried his head in her soft fur as she walked into the only other room. Kai laid Traa down and he fell asleep on the leaf bed, Kai walked back over to Fox and she sat down next to him.

"You almost spilled the beans."

"I know and I plan to tell him when he is older."

"I see." Fox said and Kai looked at him.

"So when are you going to fix your ship?" Fox shrugged and Andromeda appeared, she was cross-legged beside them and she had her paws folded in her lap.

"Yes, when are you going to?"

"Andromeda, could you give us some peace?" The vixen laughed and she vanished. Fox looked at his Comm and he frowned. "I know you are still there, get out of your Stealth Mode." A flicker flashed before them and Fox shut off his Comm.

"You know, I never even thought I would see anything like this that was so…advanced." She handled his shotgun and Fox touched her paw.

"Oh be careful, that will kill you." He said as he brushed her paw away from the trigger. Fox set the weapon aside and he took her paw, it was so soft and fragile and Fox looked at Kai. "You know that you have a really soft paw." He took hers with his other paw and Fox rubbed it as Kai smiled.

"You like my paw?"

"Yes, I love you Kai." His muzzle dropped and he couldn't believe that he said it. "I mean…uh, I mean, oh Hell." Kai touched his forehead and she moved her paw down his muzzle as she smiled.

"I know Fox, forgive me since I looked into your mind and I saw it." She moved her muzzle close to his and nuzzled his check.

"Kai, um, I don't want to take this too far."

"Don't worry Fox." Night had fallen and even though it was quite tropical, a cool breeze filtered in and Fox shivered.

"So, where do I sleep?"

"Right here unless you want to sleep with Traa." Kai replied and she lay down on her back.

"Well, I guess I don't have any options do I?" He fell to his side and Kai did something quite unexpected, she looped her arms around him and placed her muzzle underneath his.

"Goodnight Fox." Her tail entwined with his and Fox sighed, it was kind of odd to have a half naked feline sleeping next to him but what could he do? Fox closed his eyes and he placed his paws on her back as they fell into a dreamscape.

Fox crouched low as a wave of plasma shot over him, he rolled to the left and fired his shotgun. Like before, the Black M'teras just brushed it away and thunder crashed as Fox stood up. They were on a floating platform in his dream and thunder and lighting were colliding in the sky above them.

"You cannot win; you know that to be true Fox." The M'teras said and she launched another wave of energy. Fox leapt over it and he was starting to get tired, the M'teras seemed to have limitless energy but he was strapped for it.

"No, not like last time." Fox whispered and a bolt of lightning seemed to home in on him, Fox saw that the M'teras was controlling the storm but the lightning moved slower than normal. Fox leapt out of the way and the electricity sizzled when it hit the ground.

"Fox, your time is coming. I can feel the fear in your heart, I can feel you are getting tired and most of all, I can feel despair. No one is coming to help you not even that damn tiger." The M'teras stretched out her paw and the shotgun was wrenched from him as she fondled it. "Hmm, let's see how good you can do against your own weapons." The M'teras loosed off a shot but it was harmless since the range was too long.

If she gets close, I'm done for. Fox thought and he realized his fatal error. The M'teras fired as she walked and Fox began felling the birdshot graze his fur. She was pumping the barrel and Fox did something desperate, he ran up to the panther and sidestepped the shot. Fox placed his paws on the shotgun and he tried to wrench it free.

"What are you doing Fox? You know you can't beat me!" The M'teras was powerful and she tried to break his hold with an equal amount of force.

It was then that Fox used a mercenary skill, it might have been a cheap shot but it worked. Fox slammed his foot paw into her stomach and the M'teras was taken by surprise, she reeled back and Fox took the gun. He hit her across the face with the butt and she fell to the ground, he cocked it and aimed the gun at her.

But something prevented him from pulling the trigger.

"You have me, go on and kill me!" She said and Fox slung the shotgun on his back and he took a step back.

"No, because then I would become like you." Fox saw the M'teras stand up and the panther-figure fade, the female features were replaced by male ones and the pitch black fur turned to pure white fur.

"You have passed the test Fox; I know your allegiance lies with me now." The White One stood before him and Fox immediately fell to his knees, he couldn't say anything and the M'teras placed a paw on his head. "Fox, there will be dark times ahead and the Black One will try to deceive you and hurt you. Do not listen to him, it will only bring destruction."

"M'teras, thank you." The tiger withdrew his paw and he faded as the dreamscape vanished.

Author's Note: Ok, so it was only six pages. I hope you liked this chapter and be prepared for the ones coming up. I have a regents tomorrow so if any of you are still doing that, good luck. As always, ideas are appreciated as are story ideas.