Blood of the Father

Resurrection

Just one thing before I start, Fox did not 'get it on' with the panther M'teras, Mr. Stylin. Just wanted to clear that up.

"M'teras, you're alive." It was the only thing the figure could say. The panther looked down on her dead body and smiled, it was a dangerous smile and the figure knew that. He kneeled down and the other three also did so.

"What were you going to do? Try and take away my rule from this village?"

"No, please do not think that." He answered quickly. His answers either damned him or put him in good graces with the panther. "I merely was discussing your…er, fall." The panther walked around them and she let her tail curl around the figure's neck.

"Please, elaborate."

"We were just saying that if you survived, you would be back in control." He felt the tail tighten and she purred, he looked up at the panther.

"Don't lie to me; you remember what happened last time." The scars still were on his head and he started to shake.

"Yes M'teras." He lowered his head and the panther took a step near him. She placed a paw on his head and he felt that she knew he was lying.

"I'll give you one more chance, are you lying to me when you said that you didn't want to take control of the village?" He chanced it and shook his head.

"No." She bent down and squatted in front of the figure. Her paw ran over his face and he smiled, maybe she didn't know. The panther moved her muzzle to his ear and she laughed quietly.

"Here is your reward." Her tail tightened suddenly and he felt his neck constrict as he clawed at the fur around his neck. "Traitors don't get a second chance." He choked and the other three looked on in horror as she kissed him, preventing him from getting any oxygen. He fell to the ground and the panther stood up as she wiped her lips, it was like she was trying to get a foul taste off them. "Now, let's get started shall we? How is the troop training?" When she received no answer, her paw went out and she opened their minds.

"M'teras, we have not…ahhhh! Started yet." He said and they grabbed their heads. "Please M'teras, have mercy!" She closed her paw into a fist and the speaker fell to the floor, weeping.

"Mercy? I will administer mercy when I feel that you three are ready for your task. Now, I want you to start prepping the warriors that we have, the war is about to begin."

Fox sat down in the hut and Traa was on his lap, the little feline had missed Fox so much and he had his small head buried in Fox's chest fur.

"I'm sorry if I scared you Traa." Fox said and the little kit looked up at Fox.

"I'm glad you're back." He hugged the merc and Kai smiled at them. Fox felt the kit wearing at his hard heart that being a mercenary had caused. He hesitantly hugged back and it felt good to show some love, so he gave in to the kit. Traa let him go and he crawled over to Kai, she held him to her chest and Fox felt a twinge of envy.

"Were you worried about me Kai?"

"Oh course I was Fox. When I heard that you were with Black, I felt extreme despair in my heart." Traa jumped off her and he ran out into the village. Kai crossed her legs and she placed her arms in her lap. "Come here." Fox scooted over to her and she looked at him. "Fox, I really, really missed you. Did Black hurt you?"

"Yes, she poisoned my mind, I was beginning to believe that she was right and the White One was wrong. Her power is incredible and I have faced her in several dreams, she is powerful but I have been able to suppress her." He unstrapped his Comm and Fox laid it on the ground. "Hey Andromeda." The hologram came out and she smiled at them.

"I see you're back to your old self."

"Thanks to you. If she hadn't been there, I would probably be dead now." Fox said to Kai. "She pushed Black off the bridge."

"So Black is dead?" Kai asked and the M'teras appeared literally in front of them.

"Whoa, how long have you been there?" Fox asked as he recovered from his surprise.

"When you sat down. I have some bad news Fox, Black was not killed." His jaw dropped and the M'teras sat down. "Somehow, she lived. I don't know how but she is back and is warring with my soul with new fury." He paused and touched his head. His eyes closed and his claws glowed blue as unsheathed them; Fox saw his mouth move slightly as he spoke the quiet language.

After a while, he lost the blue glow and his claws retracted as he opened his eyes.

"I have won this time but she had new power backing her, I don't know how she acquired it but it was quite powerful this time." He sighed and Kai looked at her brother.

"So, will she attack us?"

"I do know for the moment, I will go mediate long on this dilemma." He rose up and vanished.

"You know, he used to not be able to do that." Kai said and Fox shook his head.

"Well, he is the M'teras." She laughed and looked at him.

"Yes…he is." She drew her paw across his face and he couldn't help a smile. He took her paw and gently rubbed it, Fox started to move his muzzle close to hers when Nico walked in.

"Oh…heh, sorry." Fox looked at him and Kai stood up as he growled softly.

"Yeah, this better be important." Andromeda came out of her stealth mode and she vanished into Fox's Comm as they walked outside into the village. The M'teras was standing at the entrance and Fox saw what Nico had brought them out for.

They had company.

Fire across the sky…it streaked over the forest but it did not go unnoticed. The grassy knoll a few hundred yards had a pair of eyes watched it fly over her, her muzzle contorted into an interested look and she placed her paws by her side. She whispered a few words in an unknown language and the figure, a well built lupine, walked down the knoll. Her fur was grey except for a path that ran from her forehead down to her loincloth that was white. The cloth around her waist was pearl and her yellow eyes walked into the village. It was quite a small one with only about ten or so huts and no giant tree in the middle of the village. Figures, her people, walked out and two figures walked up to her.

"Telcar fojt jimal." (The sickness is spreading, we don't have much time.)

"Cushay tinah." (If we don't leave, we will be struck down too.) The lupine nodded and she looked at them.

"Tishnay tracklo?" (Are you two feeling all right?) They looked a bit browbeaten and the second figure shook his head.

"Onay, yo tesed trfoh…" (I feel faint; I did all I could…) He fell but the lupine caught him as he passed out. She closed her eyes and her paws glowed as she healed him. It was quite a strain for her and she laid him on the ground as beads of blood dripped off her forehead.

"Teto sysnaps dastitm, hitjo!" (Get the people ready since we are leaving, now!) The figure nodded and he picked up the fallen one, they walked off and the lupine M'teras sighed. The sickness had taken them by surprise and the lupine was down to a few remaining villagers that were mostly clean. She herself was clean and could not be infected since she was the M'teras and could immunize herself.

But she could only heal one villager at a time since the energy expenditure was so great. The lupine sighed and she sniffed the air, the smell of death permeated everything and she felt sadness creep into her heart, life was so precious and something she couldn't stop was killing her people.

"M'teras, latko shino sares." (Master, we are ready.) She nodded and five villagers walked out, they had everything packed, which consisted of just their loincloths, and they looked at their leader expectantly.

"Hijokloty." (Let's go and leave this place.) She turned and they left behind the village that had sustained a plagued.

The White One turned to Fox and they saw the refugees.

"What are going to do?" Fox asked and the M'teras sighed.

"I feel an M'teras with them, I'm going to contact her and see what their stance with us is." He narrowed his eyes and he locked onto the lupine.

Greetings, I am the M'teras of this village, who are you?

I have come from the west, my village was taken over by a vile disease and we have wandered the forest for three days now.

How many animals did you lose?

Over half, you must take us in.

Are any of your animals still infected?

I don't know, I have exposed them to my power but I am young in my training, I feel that I have only partially healed them.

I am quite powerful; I may be able to heal your people.

Please, help us…

Fox saw the lupine fall and the tiger vanished, he appeared in front of them and Fox saw a great flash of light. It receded and he saw the M'teras pick up the lupine, the villagers gathered close to him and they vanished, only to be teleported to where Fox stood.

"They are clean of disease, I will take this one back to my residence." He turned to the others and he spoke instructions. "My people will take care and protect you." They nodded and mingled with the other villagers. The lupine stirred in his arms and she opened her eyes as he looked down into hers.

"Did you cure them?"

"Yes, they are pure and so are you." She smiled and closed her eyes again. "Fox, Kai, come with me." They walked up back to the tree and he lay the female down on his bed.

"What did she say to you?"

"The lupine is an M'teras; she came from a village that was infected with a disease. She told me it killed most of her people. I purified their bodies so my people have no chance of catching the disease." He sat down in a chair and he rubbed his muzzle. "I'm going to have to tell her about Black." Fox and Kai sat down and the M'teras looked at them.

"How do you think she will respond to this?"

"I do not know. Her power is many times weaker than mine and I doubt she could stand up to Black's." They watched the lupine and her body started to shake. "Hold her." White said and he placed a paw on her head. His eyes closed and he spoke the ancient language as his mind aided hers.

The lupine hid behind a tree as the voice rang out again.

"Wolfie, where are you my little wolfie?" She pressed her back up against the tree. The panther had been friendly at first but she had rapidly tried to take over the lupine. The lupine was crying and she saw the panther's outline as she walked through the forest. "I won't hurt you, I just want to talk." She called out and the lupine kept her self to the tree as her vision went negative, the only colors were black and extreme white that she saw.

"Please don't see me…" She whispered and the panther looked all around her.

"Wolfie, I just want you to feel I can protect you. I can help you, take you in, and give you unimaginable power." She held up her paw and darkness radiated out of it. "I can sense you are near me." She turned around and her golden eyes had an inverted color as they swept around. The lupine kept still and the panther walked past her.

The lupine walked away from the tree and she snuck through the forest. She kept her footpaws quiet and light filtered in the trees, she sniffed and one scent reached her nose.

Death.

"I've got you now wolfie." A strong force gripped her and she collapsed as her body was twisted around. The panther had her paws out and she was manipulating the lupine's soul body. She screamed as something broke and the panther purred, her affinity for pain was a dark pleasure and she broke the wolf's other arm.

"Ahhhhh!" Was the scream that erupted from her muzzle.

"Now, will you join me?" There was no answer and she began to work on her spine, if that broke it would kill her mind effectively terminating her life.

"Black, this ends now." The panther released her hold on the lupine and she turned to the white tiger.

"White, how nice to see you again." The panther did not waste time on pleasantries and she reached out with her power. White blocked the blast and he started to talk.

"Black, haven't you had enough yet?"

"Enough of what?"

"Killing, trying to take over other's minds that are weaker than yours." He replied and Black growled.

"I can take over anyone's mind if I need to, you can't stop me tiger."

"I disagree; you have no right to non consensually take over someone's mind." The panther growled and they engaged in battle, a blade formed on the panther's paw and she screamed as White just smiled. The blade flew and white merely deflected it with his paws.

"Why don't you die?" She screamed and he ducked as the blade passed over him, White kept the blade at bay with his paws and the panther took a step back. "Well, I see that I just can't kill you." She gathered energy in her paws and White knew she was charging for a massive attack.

"Keep trying." He said and the panther screamed as she let it loose, white closed his eyes and the black power enveloped him.

"Yaaaaaah!" She screamed and the power dissipated as White was still there. "What…how…?" She asked as he stepped up to her. His paw landed on her head and she collapsed to the ground, he smiled and walked over to the lupine. She was whimpering in pain and he touched both of her arms, she screamed as power healed the bones.

"Please don't hurt me."

"I won't, I came in your mind to rescue you. You are no longer under influence of Black." She stood up and the scenery changed drastically, it went from a dark forest to a grassy knoll that resembled her village. "So this is where you lived?"

"Yes. This was my village." She sighed and looked at him. "Thank you for saving me." Her eyes locked onto his and the M'teras felt a new feeling creep over him.

"Well, it wasn't too hard. I'm going to bring us out of your mind." He looked up and the scenery faded.

The lupine opened her eyes and she saw into the tiger's.

"Welcome back." He said and she sat up on his bed.

"Thank you for rescuing me." She said and Fox saw the tiger pause, he scratched his head and Fox touched Kai.

"Come on, let's go." She nodded and they left the two Masters alone. The tiger coughed nervously as she took his paw, the lupine felt his power and she channeled some of it into her.

"Once again, thank you for saving me." She kneeled in front of him and placed his paw on her head. "I want you to take me in as your apprentice, to train me up in your sight and help me progress in my powers." The request was a mighty one and the tiger was taken a back a bit.

"Why do you want this?" She looked up ay him and explained.

"Back there, I couldn't defend myself. I felt so weak, powerless. Then you saved me and I feel obligated to be under you as a student." White nodded and he rubbed her head. White bent down and he looked her in the eyes.

"I will take you in, what is your name?"

"I was always known by M'teras."

"Then you shall be called Grey because of your fur color." She bowed her head and nodded.

"Yes M'teras." He rose up and offered his paw.

"Rise Grey." She did and he touched her face. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all." She accepted his touch and lowered her eyes again as he embraced his student.