The Fall Project
War
Return
The cheerful sing of birds echoed through the walls, pulling Yang from her deep and peaceful slumber. Flickering images of her past dream remained, giving her a sense of joy as she woke. She opened her eyes to the morning sunlight beaming through the open window, letting out a yawn as she started to sit up on the bed.
She brushed the velvety soft sheets aside with a wave of her arm and stood, stretching her arm and loosening her legs with a few practiced motions. For whatever reason she felt extraordinarily well rested, despite the recent affliction of nightmares that seemed to take hold every so often. This morning felt pretty good.
As she pulled one of her clothing drawers open, a thought occurred to her; She didn't own any velvet sheets for her bed, nor could her dad afford anything so luxurious on just a teaching salary, which meant that there was nothing in the house that could come even close to the softness she had felt just a few moments ago.
But that means…
Whirling around in shock, she took in the sight of a deeply slumbering avian faunus. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if this wasn't some figment of her imagination.
To her admittedly pleasing astonishment, he was still there. With one golden wing draped over his abdomen and the other hanging over the side of the bed, he looked peaceful, more so than she had ever seen him before. She smiled at the realization that last night wasn't a dream at all. A rush of emotions surged in her heart; excitement, happiness, anxiety, fear, and just a twinge of anger.
Her heart fluttered at the thought that he really did come back just to see her, that he needed her like she needed him, but suddenly a rush of worries flooded her mind. What would her team think of him spending the night uninvited like that? I mean all they did was sleep, but not everyone would believe that! Though she supposed it was her own fault, with all the inappropriate jokes and innuendos she always made...
Just then, she heard the pounding footsteps of Taiyang Xiao Long as he approached her bedroom door. Thrown into a panic, she did the first thing that came to mind and charged for the door just as the knob began to turn, throwing her shoulder against the hard wood.
"Hey Yang, it's time for breakf-OW! Hey!" he exclaimed as the door slammed against his nose.
"Sorry! Sorry..." she hesitated, pressing her foot against the door to keep it from opening. "I uh… I'm not dressed!"
"Oh, okay sorry," he called from the other side. "I'll knock next time."
"Thanks. I'll be down in a little bit, I just have to..." she paused, glancing over at Milo again, who had just begun to stir. "I just need a few minutes," she declared, biting her lip in a hope that he wouldn't press his way inside.
A few seconds passed before he responded. "It would be good to see you up and about today, Yang."
The young woman instinctively huffed in irritation and grit her teeth. Why was he always pushing her so much? Couldn't he see that she just wanted to be left alone? She cursed under her breath, realizing that she had just contradicted herself. The last thing she wanted was to be alone.
Letting out a long sigh, she lightly tapped her fist against the door in contemplation. "Okay Dad, just… I'll be down soon."
"Okay but I have to go to work right now so I'll see you tonight." The footsteps retreated, allowing Yang to breathe a sigh of relief because of the close call. She could only imagine what would happen if her father opened the door to a strange young man in his daughter's bed.
As the would-be disaster played out in her mind, Milo stirred again. He yawned and dizzily sat up on the bed, stretching his arms and wings wide. For the first time, she was able to behold the sight and splendor of his golden wings. His wingspan was vast, seeming to reach clear from one side of the room to the other. He let out a pained growl as he stretched, forcing him to let his sore wings hang loosely.
Yang couldn't help but remember all the pain of the past month, the depression and anxiety that felt never ending. All that suffering she had to endure even when he seemed to sleep off all his troubles in a single night.
Such a thing called for only one course of action.
Yang put on her most alluring grin and climbed up onto the bed, making his head snap in her direction and his eyebrows raise in surprise. Even as she flaunted her beauty, teasingly crawling closer each second, his eyes never left hers. When she broke the barrier of personal space, inching toward him, he faltered for just a moment, glancing down below the neck. Her grin grew wide, knowing she had ensnared him even as his gaze returned to her eyes and his wings slowly began to curl around her frame.
Just as she pressed a hand to his chest and drew them closer, her lips only inches from his, his eyes narrowed and he squinted slightly. She nearly panicked as he caught on to her odd behavior and tried to read her true intentions. Sticking true to the plan, she smiled and pushed hard, making him let out a sharp gasp and his arms flail as he fell off of the bed and hit the ground with a hard thud.
Oh the sweet, sweet taste of vengeance.
Yang raised her chin proudly, giving Milo a wide and mischievous grin as he looked up at her from the mess of limbs and feathers on the floor.
"I guess I kind of deserved that," he chuckled, shaking his head in spite of himself.
"Kind of?" she challenged, her smile disappearing in an instant. "You 'kind of' disappeared when we needed you, Milo. Where did you go? What was so important that you needed to leave us behind?" The words flowed from the heart, far quicker than she could process what she was saying.
He hesitated, scratching at a long scab on his left forearm; his first scar since Vale. "I…" a long pause followed with Milo gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, trying to find the right words. Finally, he let out an exasperated sigh and sunk deeper into the floor. "I'm not ready to talk about it."
Yang had to hold back her seething rage. She knew that her eyes would be bright red, glaring down on him with a fiery anger that she knew would hurt him… something she didn't ever want him to see. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she willed them not to fall. "I needed you here, Milo."
He averted his gaze, suddenly finding the floorboards an interesting piece of architecture. The guilt in his expression was clear. "I didn't think you felt that way."
"Oh, that's a load of crap and you know it!" she yelled, "After pulling you out of your own shell, being a friend when no one else would, and forcing you to act like a human being, you just leave? Look at this!" she exclaimed, exaggeratedly waving the stump of her right arm. "I became useless the moment this happened and you weren't there to help! Do you have any semblance of an idea what that did to me? Think I'm sounding selfish? Well if you had the guts to face me in your darkest moment, then I would've helped you too!"
Yang bit back the tears again, trying to enforce her will… but this time it didn't work. She felt weak. She is weak.
Milo stared at the ground, unable to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry, Yang," he said, his voice barely rising above a whisper.
She shook her head. "Why did you even come here? Aren't you still in love with Pyrrha?"
"Pyrrha is in love with Jaune," he countered, shaking his head. "And it wasn't Pyrrha's home I went to."
Yang breathed, letting her anger go. Her nerves twisted her stomach in knots as she contemplated asking her next question… But she had to know. "Milo, that's not what I asked. Who do you love?"
The question hung in the air for an eternity, both Milo and Yang staring at each other, the latter anxiously awaiting a response. With his brow furrowed and his mouth locked in a deep frown, it was clear that he did not like this question.
"It's not that simple."
His response was cold, with empty words that seemed to darken the morning light. It hurt, making her heart fall deeper through her chest and into the poison that she recognized as despair.
She wiped her eyes and forced herself to breathe. "Just… Promise me one thing." A slight nod of his head signaled her to continue. "Promise me that you won't run away again. That next time you think you have to leave, you'll come to me instead."
Milo paused, carefully considering her request. After a while, he gave a smile as he reached up and cupped her cheek. "I think I might have an idea, but it'll probably drain all the energy I've got."
"Wait, why would a promise drain your-" Yang gasped when his other hand rested on her heart, and she felt the rushing tide of his aura rushing into her. Like a raging river, it filled every crack and crevice of her being, making even the emptiness of her heart seem to fade. She almost didn't hear the words he spoke, only recognizing a few things she read in a textbook at Beacon.
"...Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
Yang felt their souls bind, bringing to light all the emotions he was feeling and revealing each others' pain; Milo felt the shock and despair of her crippling wound and the loneliness of the days that followed, while she felt emotions that at last made her understand him. She felt his anger at so many people that had wronged him, along with the sadness of losing his family and regret. Both for not helping his friends and something else that he kept buried, hidden from her sight. Underneath it all there was fear. Fear of losing the only person left who seemed to care about him, fear of being cursed to die alone and hated by the people he called his friends.
Even though she didn't fully understand why he felt that way, she could feel the honesty of his promise, a vow that he would always protect her even when he was just as lost as she was.
Milo's aura subsided as he slumped and fell forward in exhaustion. She caught him with ease, feeling invigorated by the adrenaline pumping through her blood. He mumbled something unintelligible before passing out completely, leaving her with the task of hoisting him back up on the bed.
While Yang wasn't exactly sure how she accomplished it, she managed to get him, along with all six of his limbs, up on the bed and in a comfortable position. Once she was done, she flopped onto the bed and wiped away a few beads of sweat from her forehead.
What did Milo just do to her, anyway? At first it seemed like some kind of soul-merge, something that might make them linked in some way, but after the connection faded everything felt normal. At least, she hoped everything was normal.
Only one thing was certain; Milo meant what he said. Her questions would just have to wait until the young man wakes up again. For the time being, it might be a good idea to get everyone together so he only has to explain himself once…
Yang rolled to her side and grabbed her scroll, quickly typing out a mass text to her friends. "Hey guys, I've got some news..."
After talking with her teammates, they decided that it would be a good idea for them all to meet over dinner and hear Milo's tale. Until then, she and Milo didn't do much of anything. When he woke up, he took the quickest shower she ever thought possible and put on a fresh set of clothing, somehow managing to put fit a shirt through his wings. His entire afternoon was spent stretching the soreness out of his wings.
Meanwhile, Yang put on a few movies in the living room. Unfortunately she wasn't feeling great, so she ended up watching a bunch of sappy romances that had happy endings every time. She couldn't help but think how pathetic she must seem to him, to her friends, even to her father… But without her arm she felt useless, without purpose. Just an empty blob of nothingness.
It was about halfway through the second movie when Yang felt a slight movement in the air; the only telltale sign that Milo was now standing beside her, silently watching the screen with a blank expression.
Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment because of her chosen movie, an old classic where an evil prince was trying to marry the princess before the hero could get there and stop them. They only had to wait for the preacher to get through the ceremony.
"… Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us to-ge-tha, to-day..."
Yang was about to turn it off, but was astonished to hear Milo snort, trying to stifle his laughter at the preacher's over-embellished speech impairment. She turned to him and saw his wide grin, wondering if he actually might've seen this movie before.
She felt a pit in her stomach grow as a question came to mind, but she managed to swallow her fear. "Do… do you want to watch with me?"
His grin faded, and he stared at the screen for several seconds. "It's almost over, isn't it?"
A smile grew at the corners of her lips. He has seen it before. "Yeah, but we can just start over."
"Sure," he said and sat beside her as the movie started from the beginning.
For several hours they said nothing, not wanting to spoil the pleasant company they shared for the time being. As time passed they drew closer, until Yang was able to lean toward him and rest her head on his shoulder.
She knew this wouldn't last forever, and savored every passing moment.
After a few hours Ruby came home, bringing along Weiss, Blake, and the other teams as per their arrangements. With an almost imperceptible sigh, Milo separated himself from Yang's side as they piled inside, quietly withdrawing to the kitchen to set up the dining wares while she greeted them.
He occasionally peered from around the corner, noting what changes they've made over the past month. Ruby let her raven-colored hair grow out, falling past her shoulders to the center of her back. It also just occurred to him that she was still growing, and had added an inch or two since the start of the year.
Weiss hadn't changed much. If anything, she seemed to be more humble; her chin wasn't held quite so high, though she lost none of her confidence.
Blake surprised him with the absence of her bow, leaving her cat ears in plain view for all to see. Milo supposed she thought that after the events of Vale, people would be less judgmental of a huntress-in-training.
His gaze passed over Jaune and Pyrrha, instead resting on Nora and Ren. The bubbly young woman leaped into Yang's embrace, exclaiming her joy at seeing her on her feet. Ren, however, was staring straight back at Milo with a distrustful glare. He didn't know what he did to earn that kind of hatred, but decided that it wasn't important enough for him to ask about.
Cade looked to be in good spirits, and the twins were doing their funny 'talking at the same time' thing. Mike apparently added electric-blue lightning bolts to his jacket and sword scabbard, which also had an impressive looking machine gun attached to it. Etched into the metal on the barrel casing was the name of the weapon; Thunderlord. Milo chuckled at the overly-dramatic name, knowing that it was something Mike no doubt decided upon after just a few seconds. Gabe also let his hair grow out and combed it back into small curls at the base of his neck. He had also donned a dark red duster; the same color of Cade's armor.
Mustering some courage, he stepped around the corner and stood next to Yang, acknowledging everyone with a nod.
What Yang neglected to remember, however, was how she would explain Milo's sudden appearance to her father. And so, when Taiyang opened the front door and locked eyes with the Avian Faunus standing in very close vicinity to Yang, he did the first thing that she and Ruby expected him to do.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!"
The moment he charged forward, a shower of rose petals fluttered to the floor around him as Ruby leaped onto his back, screaming for him to stop. "It's okay Dad, he's a friend!" Milo's eyes were wide with surprise and he found himself instinctively reaching for his swords, only to realize that he left them upstairs in Yang's room.
"NO ONE COMES CLOSE TO MY KIDS AND LIVES TO SPEAK OF IT!"
Yang met his charge and tucked her shoulder low, holding him at bay as best she could. "Dad! Dad it's okay!"
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
With a growl of frustration, Yang took a one-handed fistful of her father's collar and lifted him in the air, her eyes glowing bright red. "Dammit Dad, shut up and listen!" she screamed. "I was depressed all this time because I was waiting for him to show up! So now that he's here, at the very least, you're not gonna lay a finger on him until I get better! GOT IT?!"
A long, shocked silence followed once Yang let go of her father's collar. Everyone exchanged glances, not knowing what to do while they awaited Taiyang's response. He gave Milo a deadly glare before turning to his eldest daughter. "We'll talk about this later, Yang," he said and moved into the kitchen to prepare their dinner.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and settled, quickly finding a comfortable place to sit while they waited for dinner. After a few seconds of deliberation, Gabe and Mike stood and walked over to Milo, each grasping one of his forearms in a warrior's handshake. "We missed you, buddy. Welcome back."
"Good to be back," he responded with a smile.
Cade stood with a sigh and grasped the young faunus' forearm in greeting. "Try not to run off again," he ordered, earning a nod of the affirmative.
Many of them turned to Milo, a question hanging in the air but few willing to ask it. The young man looked around, seeing the not-so-friendly looks from each of his friends. "I guess I have some explaining to do," he admitted with a sigh. "I spent the first week or so killing Grimm, until I decided that I should be going after the people responsible for the attack on Vale… So I hunted down anyone I knew was a part of it."
"Alone?" Ruby nervously asked.
He chuckled and traced the scab along his left arm. "Yeah, but I was acting from rage and made a few mistakes. In the end I only managed to defeat one." His gaze seemed to drift, staring into the distance with a solemn look in his eyes. "Turns out hate and anger only brings pain and regret."
He shook the dark thoughts from his head and looked back up at his friends. "Eventually I snapped out of it and decided to come here."
The air of the room hung still for what felt like an eternity, until Jaune finally broke the silence. "That's it? Don't get me wrong but I feel like you would've done more."
"Uh, does there have to be more? I wasn't really thinking rationally so no, I don't have much more to add," Milo explained.
Weiss hesitated for a moment before speaking her mind, "I have to ask… Were you involved in a large shipment of Schnee Dust that was recently stolen?"
"No," he responded with a shake of his head, "but I know where they're keeping most of their stockpile."
"Really?" she asked hopefully. "Is it vulnerable? Could we-"
"I think this isn't the time or place to talk about that kind of thing," Milo suggested, pointing a thumb in the direction of the kitchen. The heiress pursed her lips, not admitting that he was probably right.
"So how did you manage to get into Mistral without anyone noticing?" Gabe asked.
"Oh, well I figured that everyone would be watching the skies so I walked in instead," he replied plainly.
"What?!" Yang exclaimed, remembering all the days she spent watching the skies for his return.
He flinched, a slight smirk growing on his lips. "Yeah, I just wrapped my wings around my body like this..." he lifted his arms, folding his golden wings across his chest and around his back. The longest feathers ended up behind his legs, pointing downward a few inches from the ground. "I put on a coat and walked through the main gate. Honestly, it shouldn't have been that easy."
"Hey, I was saving that!" Taiyang suddenly yelled from the kitchen, "How did you even find it?!"
Suddenly, a dwarf-like young woman came running around the corner, shoveling scoops of ice cream into her mouth with a gleeful happiness in her eyes as she narrowly dodged the Huntsman's attempts to snatch the bucket from her grip. She danced her way over to Cade, using the young man as a shield.
"Neo!" Cade chided the young woman, trying to pull the ice cream away from her. She snapped her teeth at his extended fingers and pointed sternly in his direction, giving them both a deadly glare. "Neo that doesn't belong to you. You agreed to follow all the rules!"
She stabbed the spoon into the frozen treat and raised her hand, shaking it back and forth as if to say 'kind of'. Cade rolled his eyes, "Look, I'll get you some ice cream later tonight, okay? Just give it back."
The young woman's gaze flickered between him and Taiyang, until she finally let go a disappointed sigh. She sniffled before handing the Huntsman the tub of ice cream, wiping away a fake tear as he made his way back to the kitchen. Not a second later, she pulled out her scroll and sat in Cade's lap, tapping away without a care in the world.
"Little gremlin..." Yang grumbled under her breath, clearly unhappy with the fact that Neo was now a member of their circle of friends. It had come as a surprise to them all, but the young woman seemed harmless enough so long as Cade was nearby and there as an adequate supply of frozen treats. They were careful of course, keeping a close eye on her until she proves her devotion to the cause. All save for Cade, who trusted her completely. Since they all seemed to accept her, so did Milo.
Before long, Taiyang called for them all to the dining table, where a small feast had been made. Most of the young huntsmen in training ravenously plowed through their food. Including Milo, who grabbed one of everything available. For a moment he chuckled and took a sip of water. "You know, I had to hunt while I was away. Sometimes you could go a day or two without finding anything… and sometimes it's too easy to confuse the sound of Grimm with the sound of an animal. So thank you for all this," he concluded, nodding in Taiyang's direction.
"So… what now?" Ruby asked.
Milo smirked at the question, "It's funny you mention that, actually. I think the danger these days is growing, and anyone who denies it is an idiot. If you would let me, I'd like to train with all of you; to help you work on your weaknesses and bolster your strengths." He turned to Yang and gave her a coy smile, "Starting with you."
"Me?" She gasped, "But I'm… I-I mean..." she hesitated, placing a hand on the stump of her crippled arm.
"That's why, right there," he said, pointing in her direction. "Since when was Yang Xiao Long one to hesitate? It's time for you to get back in the fight, and I'm gonna make sure that you're stronger than ever."
"Yeah!" the twins exclaimed, giving each other a high-five while Cade threw a threatening glare in their direction.
"And how do you expect to do that?" the blonde brawler asked.
He frowned, meeting her gaze with a fierce glare of his own. "I guess you'll just have to trust me," he said, and his gaze softened. "I know you don't want to be a bystander in all this, so I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're ready. Even if I have to drag you outside and take you through a roller coaster every day until you start training again."
Yang collapsed into her chair with a groan, accepting the fact that Milo would live up to his word. The next few weeks were going to be brutal...
How could they let him back in like this? No investigating? No making sure that he's the same person who stopped a bomb from killing them all? Just listen to the little that he has to say and leave it at that?
It was absurd, naive, and idiotic.
Not to mention the fact that if Ren were to speak his mind with Jaune, he would be ridiculed by the young leader. So, if no one would believe him, he would take matters into his own hands. To prepare for the inevitable, and be ready to act when the time comes.
It was a difficult start, figuring exactly how he could prepare to go against something that can't die. But then it occurred to him…
Everyone has a weakness.
So, what was the weakness of a nigh-unstoppable engine of destruction born from fire and damnation? Well, the only way to pursue a legend was to study it's origins, and that wouldn't be possible in today's textbooks. Ren would have to ask a far more ancient source of information if anything was to be gained.
After some digging, he found that there was an elder of a village about a dozen miles to the southeast of the city, and some people had take to calling him the 'Keeper of Knowledge'. There, one could find a small library filled with the old legends and fables of eastern Remnant. While he tried to convince Nora to let him go alone, she simply refused. Knowing that she would quite literally follow him all the way there no matter what he did, he relented.
Unfortunately, no Bullheads could be spared for a 'pleasure excursion' to a library, so they had to walk. The entire trip was spent in silence on his part, save for the occasion question he had to answer through Nora's incessant chatter. Fortunately, the road was kept safe because of the close proximity to Mistral, meaning that the way was completely absent of Grimm.
Ren simply took in the forest, breathing with the air that flowed through thick branches and brush, always moving forward as the sun slowly passed above their heads, stopping only to eat. Just as the sky started to turn to a bright orange, the sun meeting the edges of the treetops, the light brown of a clay archway could be seen down the curve of the path.
The ancient arch served as more of a traditional piece than anything, with the words 'Welcome to Shira-Shinoji' intricately carved into the wooden frame in old Mistrali. The rest of the quiet village followed suit, with the same architectural design as the arch. Ren took it all in stride, quickly turning toward a familiar building at the center of town, kindly waving at any passersby that greeted them. Eager to find the knowledge he sought, the young man leaped up the few first steps of the building's small balcony and glanced at the library's welcome sign before pushing the door open.
The dusty scent of parchment and musty furniture filled his lungs, not altogether unpleasant after a long day of traveling. Flame-less candles hung from intricate chandelier at the center of the room, illuminating the dark wooden shelves with a soft glow. Every wall was covered with a bookshelf, each shelf overflowing with scrolls, books, diaries, and more.
The so-called 'Keeper of Knowledge' was certainly living up to his name, and this was only the first room.
"Did we have to go to the library?" Nora protested with an exaggerated sigh.
Ren quickly shushed her and nodded his head. "Yes we did. This is the only place I can find what I'm looking for."
"What is it you seek?" a voice called from the adjacent room, making Ren cringe in embarrassment.
He walked to the other side of the first room and through the hallway, turning toward the sound of the Elder's voice. Through the labyrinth of halls and doorways, he somehow came to a room with a small oak desk against a window, the Elder reading an extremely large tome in a language Ren didn't recognize. He sat with a slight hunch in his back, the simple white robes flowing to the ground around him.
Before he could introduce himself, the old man spoke with a thick old-Mistrali accent. "You both carry the walk of a warrior, and you seem to have arrived on your own. You must be young Huntsmen, to have come so far without guidance." He turned from his book and studied them both with deep, grey-blue eyes, revealing his balding head and short, grey beard. "Welcome and good fortune, young Huntsmen," he announced with a bow of his head, "I am Kengi, a pleasure to meet you both."
"The pleasure is ours, Master Kengi," Ren said, bowing low out of respect. "My name is Lie Ren, and this is Nora Valkyrie. I have come seeking knowledge and council to better prepare for the future."
Kengi hummed his understanding and reached for his trusty cane, shakily pulling himself to his feet. "Very well, how may I be of assistance?"
The young man hesitated, guilt rising in his heart as he turned to Nora. "I need to speak with Master Kengi in private, Nora."
Her eyes widened for a moment, then her brow furrowed as she started to protest. "But I though we were supposed to stay close from now on… in case something happens again."
He smiled, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes and resting a hand on her shoulder, noticing the slight tint of red in her cheeks. "I know you're worried, but I'll just be in the next room. I promise it'll be fine." She huffed and whirled around, stomping out of the room and down the hall to peruse the shelves for something she might find interesting.
Once she was out of earshot, Ren turned back to the Elder. "Do you remember the legend of The Great Deceiver?"
The old man pondered for a moment, seeming to look into the ether for the right answer. "Ah, yes. The Dragon and the Phoenix; an old legend from an age long passed."
"It's more than just a legend, isn't it?" Ren suggested.
"Some may believe in it more than others," the old man said with a grin.
Ren took a deep breath. "I have found the Phoenix."
A long, silent pause followed, the defined lines of the elder's. "How can you be so sure?"
"I watched him die and rise again from the ashes, renewed and remade into the engine of destruction that he was born to be." The elder's eyes narrowed as Ren explained, frowning sharply as he continued. "I need to know how to defeat him when he turns on us."
"You are certain this Phoenix will turn on you?" he questioned, "Has he or she given any indication of doing so?"
"No, but it is only a matter of time. His story doesn't add up, and I'm trying to prepare for the worst. Please, Master. I need your help."
"Very well, " he sighed and waved Ren forward as he waddled through the hallway, turning left about halfway to the exit. Moving to the corner of the room, he knelt to the ground with a finger on his chin, muttering something about old knees. "Ah, here we are," he said, pulling an old scroll from the bottom of the shelf.
He carefully pulled the parchment open and set it on the table, revealing a long page of text with thousands of unfamiliar characters on it. "This is the story of our two Legends; Ancalagon the Vast, and Ares the Undying." He paused for a few moments as he continued to read, shaking his head as he went. "Most of this is written in proverbs, though it does speak of their immense hatred for each other except for a single warning; 'Beware the day these two foes find a common enemy, else all in their path find only devastation.'"
"Yes but I don't know who the dragon is and even if I did, I still need to know how to defeat him! Can you see anything that might help?" Ren pleaded, quickly becoming impatient.
"It only says that eventually Ancalagon defeated his brother and bound his wings with great stones, then threw him into the sea. The crushing depths swallowed the Phoenix, sealing him away until the ravages of time could claim him."
"That hardly helps," Ren groaned. If the only chance was to subdue him, they would first have to defeat him. Unless… there was more to this than Ren could see at the moment, a hidden weakness in the text.
"If I may offer a piece of advice..." the Elder declared, closing the scroll with a practiced twist of his wrist. "...I ask that you remember that not all is as it seems."
"What do you mean?" the young man asked with a look of concern. "I am trying to stop an evil thing from happening. I'm trying to keep history from repeating itself."
"Evil? Light is light, and darkness is darkness… but good and evil depend on where you are standing," the elder explained. "Do the members of the White Fang not believe that they are good?"
Ren's eyes furrowed, he couldn't hardly believe what he was hearing. "Are you suggesting that his intentions are not evil?" he challenged, giving the elder a steely glare.
The old man simply sighed and shook his head. "I am merely suggesting that you keep an open mind."
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
-Luke 15:31-32