Blood of the Father

Morning Attack

Fox awoke sometime later and it was still dark out, he looked at the crimson display on the Comm and it read 5:00. Kai was still asleep and she subliminally nuzzled his neck as he carefully detangled himself from her.

"I'll be back Kai." He whispered and Fox stood up. He took his shotgun and Comm and he walked out of the hut. The moon was still up but over the horizon as he walked through the silent village. He stood in the path and Fox closed his eyes, he breathed in deep and the clean air filtered into his lungs. It felt so good since Corneria's was going down the hill.

"Fox, what are doing up?" He opened his eyes and the M'teras stood before him; the white tiger was armed with an obsidian blade and his royal looking loincloth was gone to be replaced by a far simpler one.

"I had a dream, of both you and the female." The M'teras had a knowing smile and he crossed his arms.

"Yes, it was only a test Fox, I had to see how you would perform and now I know." Fox felt immense power flow around him and the M'teras looked around. "My home, is it like yours in any way?"

"No, my planet Corneria is quite different. It is one giant city and there are no forests like this one. Metal buildings line the horizon and the air quality can't compare to this." The M'teras nodded and Fox looked around. "I'd rather not leave here."

"Well, I could take you in; you would never have to go back to Corneria again unless you really are needed there." The offer was tempting and Fox considered it.

"I'll look into it."

"Kai and Traa would probably like to have it so." The statement took Fox off guard and his jaw dropped.

"Kai and Traa? But how…?"

"We are linked though a bond that cannot be broken. That is all I can say." Fox was left with questions and the tiger knew this. "So, what were you doing when you got up?"

"I was going to go to my ship. I have some questions, so can I ask them while we walk?"

"Yes, of course." They walked out of the village and down the long path, Fox asked while they walked.

"So how long has this rivalry been going on?"

"It all started a few years ago when my parents were still alive. I don't know much since this was passed down orally to me but I do know that there was a sort of insurrection in my parent's village. That led to a small war and part of the original tribe broke off. That's how the southern Ripars came to be." Fox stopped walking and he looked at the tiger.

"Wait a sec, so the southern Ripars are related to you?"

"Yes," He paused and Fox saw the M'teras close his eyes. "The panther M'teras is however not. She is a distant line from me but by no means are we related." They continued walking and the M'teras answered every question.

They approached Fox's ship and he clicked his Comm, the silvery shield vanished and he walked up the hatch.

"Come on, it won't bite." The M'teras tentatively walked on with him and Fox took off his shotgun, he opened a weapons locker and there laid an array of firearms; long bladed swords, pistols, blasters, energy swords, a worn rocket launcher and a few sub machine guns. Fox replaced his shotgun and he threaded a sword through his belt, it was an energy one and the blade was stored inside the hilt. He also replaced his pistol under his arm and the M'teras took a sphere off the wall.

"What is this?" He held a plasma grenade in his paw and Fox took it from him.

"Careful with that, that is a high explosive device." The tiger gave him a look and Fox explained. "Big explosion." He made a gesture with his paws and the M'teras shrugged. Fox stuffed a few in his belt and he took his crimson vest off a hook, he replaced it after some thought and he took off a blade off the rack. Fox closed the cupboard and he spun the blade in his paw. "Get rid of that sword and try this." He tossed the weapon to the tiger and the tiger caught it like an old friend.

"Wow, it's so light…"

"Let's try it out outside." They walked out and Fox took the obsidian blade, he adopted a hostile pose and the M'teras smiled. "Go on and hit me." The M'teras took a soft swing and Fox retaliated with a savage strike and the M'teras was taken off guard. "Come on, you can do better than that!" The M'teras swung and they were engaged.

Man, this tiger is good. Fox thought as he swung the blade behind him, the M'teras yelled as he parried the blow and Fox ducked as a lethal swipe went over his head. Their blades clashed again and Fox repeatedly struck, the tiger sidestepped and he lashed out, the obsidian blade broke and a fist around a hilt slammed into Fox's chest. He fell to the ground and the M'teras held the blade over him.

"Give up, I have beaten you." Fox looked at him quizzically and the M'teras realized what he was doing. The blade dropped from his paw and he shook himself, it was like he was trying to rid his back of some foul demon.

"M'teras?" Fox asked and the tiger clutched his head.

"Fox, get away from me…Something is happening." Fox quickly stood up and he took a step back as the M'teras fell to his knees. "No…no…NO! You can't do this!" He screamed and figures melted out of the wood.

"I can and I have." Fox whipped around and the panther had her paw out, she had an evil grin on and the tiger screamed again.

"NO, YOU SON…OF…A…BITCH!" He yelled and the tiger flopped to the forest floor.

"What have you done to him?"

"He'll be fine don't worry but you," She walked around Fox and touched his shoulder as her paw traversed around his neck. "But you I must say are a bit of a mystery. I don't know whether I should kill you or take you to my village." She looked down at the floored tiger and her grin widened. "Hmm, it seems that the northern village is defenseless." The panther looked at him with her golden eyes and she was in a bind.

"Are you going to kill him?"

"I might, his life is still useful though." She peered into Fox's mind and he tried to resist. "Don't, it will only make it hurt worse." She forcefully wrenched control and he cried out, Fox fell to his knees and she walked over to him. The M'teras placed a paw on his head and Fox was locked under her control. "Hmm, so you have figured out that the northern and southern Ripars are one in the same, what else has he told you?"

Fox screamed in complete agony as she delved extremely deep. The panther purred as she had an odd affinity for pain of others and the panther's claws came out. They rested against his skull but she did not drive them in as she did not want to shed his blood…yet. The panther removed her paw and Fox let out a heavy sigh as he fell on all fours.

"Well, you have told me quite a bit my mercenary friend. Now, what should I do with you?" He looked up and Fox saw that her warriors were armed but nothing that he couldn't handle.

"I want to join you." The M'teras mused at his statement and she quickly read his mind.

"Really? Well, this sure is interesting. How do I know you aren't lying?" Fox didn't have an answer but instead took advantage of the moment, he whipped out his sword and he swung it at the M'teras. The blade ripped through her shoulder and she was blown back as he pulled out a grenade, he activated it and Fox threw it at a warrior. It was adhesive and he clawed at it as he ran into a group. They screamed as blue enveloped them and Fox let out a yell, he hacked a warrior close to him and the M'teras screamed. "Kill him and protect me!" Fox rolled and he picked the long blade up, he lashed out and the warriors were slaughtered as Fox's dark side made itself known.

"Come on, try and kill me!" He yelled and the animals were hesitant to attack. The blood was running down her shoulder and Fox threw the blade, the M'teras used her powers too late and the hilt of the sword smacked her upside the head. The warriors lost their morale and they ran as Fox dropped his swords, the energy blade slid back into the hilt and Fox walked over to the fallen tiger.

"Hey, are you ok?" He shook the tiger lightly and the M'teras stirred.

"Whoa, what the heck?" He sat up and he saw the panther. "Did you kill her?"

"No, just knocked her out." They walked over to the panther and he saw her wound.

"What did you do? Slice her up?"

"Yeah, I took a chunk out of her shoulder," Fox paused and he continued. "She was going to kill me and you too." The tiger squatted down and he placed his paw on her shoulder, the blood ran between his paw and he closed his eyes. He started speaking and the language files did not have the translation.

"Kettsnak laoslof mejaki." White said he concentrated, he said some more complicated syllables and the blood stopped it flow. White opened his eyes and he removed his paw, the blood was gone but a scar was there and he sighed. "Fox, I know what you are going to ask. I just can't let her die even though she is my enemy." The tiger stood up and Fox saw the panther wake up.

"Why, why did you do that?" She asked and White placed his paws at his side.

"Because, I couldn't kill you; you and I are from the same line, I couldn't kill a Ripar." The panther stood up and she looked at her shoulder.

"You healed me…" Fox saw a glint in her eye and he tackled White as she let out a blast from her paws. "You should have killed me when you had the chance." Black said and Fox stood up. He brandished his blaster and she smiled. "You know what will happen Fox…" The panther placed her paws on her chest and she rippled as the tiger stood up. The panther turned her eyes skyward and Black vanished into thin air, Fox fired off rounds but the M'teras placed a paw on his shoulder.

"She is gone Fox." He stopped firing and the merc holstered the blaster. "I wonder if I did the right decision?"

"I don't know, maybe I should have killed her." He added the last part quietly and White placed his paw on Fox's shoulder.

"Careful Fox, I can feel dark energy inside of you building. You must resist this and eliminate it; if you don't it will take possession and you will end up like Black." Fox looked at him and he felt anger build.

"Are you accusing me of going on her side?"

"No Fox. I just want to tell you that if you don't resist her, she will take control of you and you will do something that you will regret later."

"I won't turn to her side, it won't affect me."

But it already is. The M'teras thought. "Fox, since she had some contact with you, there has been a subliminal effect and I can feel her start to work on your soul." Fox had enough of this and he shook his head.

"Enough of this, I have to get back to the village." He started it walk but the M'teras stopped him.

"No, we are settling this now." He forcefully blasted some energy into Fox and the merc was thrown to the ground. "I'm not having you go to her side, after all that. You need to listen to me Fox; I will not let you leave until you have confronted this."

"There's nothing to confront!" He yelled and Fox stood up. "And why the Hell did you do that?"

"Fox listen to me. I can feel the Black M'teras starting to take control; you must halt your anger and take control back from her." He quickly said and Fox felt the world haze, he touched his head and he saw Black before him.

You're mine my little vulpine…use your anger against him; I will reward you heavily if you do. The voice spoke into his mind and Fox closed his eyes. He felt both powers war at his soul and he cried out as one of them won, Fox fell to the ground and the M'teras walked quickly over to him.

"Fox, are you ok?" He asked and Fox replied his answer.

"Yes…I am fine." Fox rose up and there was a different light in his eyes…

A vile one. He lashed at the M'teras with his energy sword and the white tiger jumped back.

"No Fox, this can't be happening!"

"It is and I will destroy you!" Fox held the blade over his head and he rushed the tiger. The M'teras forcefully let out some energy but it had no effect as Fox just pushed it away. He was under Black's control now and the tiger did not know if he would survive this. "Come and die!" The energy blade whooshed over his head and the M'teras sighed.

"I'm sorry Fox." His paws stretched out and he let loose with all his power, Fox was engulfed in it and he couldn't stand up to that, Fox dropped the blade and he fell to the forest floor. "I am so sorry Fox." He walked away and the vulpine lay on the floor, his breath was coming in shallow pulls and he woke up eventually. His head swam and he tried to stand, he couldn't and Fox flopped back down on the forest floor.

"Oh Hell, what happened?"

"The White One tried to attack you, you tried to defend yourself but he overpowered you." The Black One said behind him. The panther walked over to him and she squatted down next to the merc. "You are under my charge now, my little merc." She touched the top of his head with a paw and more of her dark energy flowed into Fox.

"He tried to attack me?"'

"Yes, that is why you had to fight." She purred and the lie was beginning to sound truthful to Fox.

"Where did you come from?"

"I was watching you two, I will take you in Fox. The White One has betrayed you when he knocked you out." Her paw touched his chest and she moved her muzzle close to his. "I will take care of you Fox and together we will overcome the White One." She purred seductively and Fox looked at her.

"But why would we overcome him?"

"Because he has hurt you here." She touched his fur over his heart and the darkness seeped in. "Come to my village, I know last time wasn't what I wanted but it will be better." She stood up and the panther helped Fox up. She gathered him up in her arms and complicated syllables left her mouth. The fur on both animals rippled and Fox felt the panther's head under his muzzle. She pressed herself to him and they vanished.