AN: This story has been in the works for several years, has undergone massive updates and changes since first being worked on and is slowly being finished.
I'm posting this one in tandem with finishing up "The End War Perpetuate" and "Facing Loss" and uses some of the same characters mentioned there, from before the events of "The End War Perpetuate". This also will hint at the distant future of LeonLocke from "Fallen: Hidden Agendas" and what he ends up involved with. As mentioned in my bio, if you haven't watched Shadow Raiders: War Planets, much of this will not make sense to you.

The Beast Planet was gone.

A last minute decision by Sternum, the elder brother of Emperor Femur of planet Bone, who had been on a prison planet for several years prior to the incident in which Cryos, Femur, Jade and Graveheart had all been stranded on said Prison planet and worked to reconnect with each other. They had found out the truth of Femurs treachery regarding how Femur had earned the kingship of Bone; and Sternum had activated the randomized teleport engine of the Prison planet as the maw of the Beast slowly closed around it, and sent the dreaded black sphere far from the clustered travelling worlds of the alliance and randomly into space after he, Femur, Graveheart, Jade and Cryos had used the teleport pad from the Prison planet, to the one on planet Rock. Their new peace seemed certain to last, as the leaders of these worlds; four planets, countless ships and six different races -not including the single survivor of Planet Tek, Tekla- worked together toward rebuilding what had been lost to them, and finding a new solar system in which to settle.

Pyrus, Prince of planet Fire, the world that had been sacrificed to slow the beast planet to allow the other three worlds of their system –Ice, Rock and Bone– to locate the warp pads to access their planetary engines and move them to safety, had been hit hardest. Were it not for Tekla, the princess of the lost planet Tek, having fought a battle inside her own mind against the agent of the Beast planet known as Lamprey, the cluster would have never located the warp pads and learned of the existence of their world engines. They would have seen their system fall like hers, and so many others.

The Firians, having no planet now, had come to call the crimson battle moon home, though the cramped conditions and lack of natural temperature regulation had caused many to resent their confinement. Few made their discomfort and distaste for being indebted to planet Rock public, as they knew their young Prince to be doing his best, and had also recently lost the last family he had, when the Vizier sacrificed himself and planet Fire to the Beast. That loss remained close, always hovering at the back of his thoughts, reminding him how alone he was, despite his fellow world leaders who were his few and closest friends.

There had even been a mourning ceremony, to honour the Vizier's courage and sacrifice, which was extended to also honour the many lives lost in the many battles against the Beast. It had been held on Rock, the planet with the most stable atmosphere and average temperature best suited to the majority of the alliance, with huge pyres lit and roaring as the many Firians who had been saved needed a visible reminder of their strength, which helped raise morale of all races. Cryos had equated the event to what had been intended during the Golden Jubilation, which had been a horrendous event in which an attempt had been made to create peace in the Cluster, but had been sabotaged by the father of Femur and Sternum.

Pyrus had been so quiet, that his friends gathered around him –some showing obvious signs of discomfort due to the heat from the nearby pyres– had been concerned that he was going to leave several times during the ceremony. Only after everything had been said and done, the celebration of the lives that had been lost had begun in earnest, members of all the gathered races enjoying a variety of music, songs and food from all of the alliance worlds in excess, did Pyrus seem to disappear.

Graveheart had been the first to notice, feeling responsible for the young Prince as he was so much like the younger sibling Mica that Graveheart himself had lost years ago, likely at the same time Pyrus had lost his father, Emperor Magmus. He caught up with Pyrus in an alley that reminded him, rather painfully, of one of the last days they had been on Planet Fire, when Lamprey had used Jades weapon to murder a Firian in an attempt to frame her and destroy the alliance from the distrust created therein. That had not worked, much to the chagrin of the Beast and its agent, and even earned him strangely unexpected thanks from the old Vizier for his aid.

Graveheart cleared his throat, to let Pyrus know of his presence, the young Prince turned briefly with a start, barely visible moisture glistening on his face as it slowly evaporated. The motion was almost done out of shame, as Pyrus hid away as he wiped his face, but Graveheart quickly moved and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't be ashamed," He said quietly, so only Pyrus could hear. Pyrus tensed under his armour-gloved hand, then relaxed, turning slightly toward him but did not meet his gaze. "You're so much stronger than any of the rest of us, as I've said countless times." Graveheart paused, moving to lean against the wall next to Pyrus; shielding him from view using his larger size, should anyone else look for them. "I know I'm not anyone to be giving advice to a Monarch, or even a Firian, but you have kept everything together. I told you about Mica... This event helped me realize that he wouldn't want me to dwell on his loss, but his life. You helped me out of that depression Pyrus. It might feel hollow, useless even, that they are gone and you have so much else you wanted to say, but never got the chance." Graveheart stopped again, looking over to Pyrus, fresh tears could be seen, but he obviously still listened to the Rockian.

"Think of things like this, they are still out there, and when we pass on ourselves, we will see them again. Or you never know, they could always be listening, from wherever they are, and hear and see us making fools of ourselves." Graveheart earned himself a smile and slight chuckle from the distraught youngster, who wiped his face again, sniffling once. He let Pyrus gather himself, calmed and felt reassured that he was not alone, and if it were up to any of the other world leaders, he never had to be again.

"Hey Graveheart..."

"Yeah?" He looked over to Pyrus just before he was suddenly caught up in a hug.

"Thank you." And with that, Pyrus let go and motioned back out of the alley. "Let's go enjoy ourselves; I know I spotted some people I want you to meet." The rest of that night had gone smoothly, despite Femur and Sternum getting into a drinking contest and needed to be carted out on stretchers, as they both passed out at nearly the same time. After that night, Pyrus seemed to enjoy being with his extended family and even began efforts to commandeer a Bladewing from Cryos to have it changed to a larger ship, combining technology from Fire and Rock while adding even some Bonean organics. A concept that Tekla fully supported and offered her services to streamline. That initial idea extended and branched through the entire Alliance, Bonean ships slowly being grafted with extra mechanics and the size and maneuverability of Rockian vessels adjusted, eventually even the Aurora was slated for and taken into a battle-moon space dock for upgrades.