Now what exactly happened when Grimoire and Nina was away? Well, let's see.
That day he had taken out the weapon. He had seen it before, when Father showed him everything that they had when they left the small mountain place. And he had seen it again when they got to the canyon inn.
His father explained what it was.
It was a gun. And Father said the gun belong to VincentChaos.
When he held that gun, that day, he felt like Father was right. It felt… familiar in his hand. He knew how to hold it, how to work it, and how to use it.
He even knew that things called bullets went into it.
It was that day those intruders attacked.
How dare they attack the canyon. How dare they kill the creatures who lived there.
How dare they try to kill what belonged to it.
It was almost pure magic, the way he used that gun. It was like an extension of himself.
Each and every bullet was not waisted. It killed the intended in a single shot. All of the bullets were used that day.
All of them.
And they ran away. They would be back. The stench of ill intent soaked them.
He had counted the days they were gone. He counted those who died and those who were wounded. Some said it was a miracle that so few had died. Yet many were still injured.
Healer began to teach him how to take care of the wounded. The creatures of the canyon taught him how they give respect to their dead and to the planet.
It felt… strange to heal, and not to kill. A similar sort of strange of the play fight he did with Little Guardian that first night. Yet it was different.
Many of the creatures of the canyon thanked him for protecting them. For healing them.
Seto thought that this was good. Seto said that Father would be proud of him. Little Guardian called him a 'hero'. He does not think that title fits him, but he would tolerate it.
"Thank you for saving my love." The strange colored Guardian of the Canyon said to him, that day, a week later.
Her fur was a dark grey, her eyes a deep brown. Her flame flickered red orange and yellow just like the others.
She was round with so many life growing inside her.
"I'm sure you've noticed, but my fur is different. I'm not from this canyon you see. I'm actually from the mountains. When I became old enough, I went out to go see the world. That's when I came to the canyon, and met my love." She explained to him. He did not know why she was telling him this. He listened though. He was… curious.
He nodded as he went on to redo her mate's bandages around his legs and head. She licked her mate's muzzle.
"I'm… quite nervous by nature. However my curiosity of wanting to see the world won over that nervousness. When I met my love I was skittish. We were still young. Still are. I think a part of me was relived when he asked me to stay. I had my fill of traveling. It was fun but perhaps at the end of the day, it was not for me."
He nodded once more, showing off he was still listening.
Her throat rumbled with a maybe laugh. "Even now I find it hard for myself to open up to the others. Yet here I am, talking to you. You have quite the set of ears."
He nodded again.
She laughed fully at that. He didn't know why that was so strange.
Her laughter died down. Sadness crept into her voice. "We are expecting a litter. We weren't planning having one so soon as Nanaki is currently the youngest. Everyone comes together to help raise a litter, no mater how big or small, but we thought that when Nanaki becomes a bit older, perhaps not as… energetic as he is now, we would try to have a litter of our own. And, well… we ended up getting ready for one sooner than expected."
Red eyes left red stained cotton to saddened brown eyes.
"My love is everything to me. I don't know how I…" she paused, her voice getting rough. "I don't know how I could move on should he die."
Her head bowed down, her forehead touching her mate's. "So thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my beloved." Salt reached his nose.
He did not know that one could cry out of happiness.
He had reached out a hand, and stopped. Everything was so strange. But something told him that it would be good to… lay his hand on her back.
He did.
She still cried.
He had let his hand stay there for a moment more, but then something caught his attention.
He could sense the life growing within her.
He blinked. He sniffed. He tilted his head, and leaned closer. He counted… blinked and counted again.
"Eight." He spoke aloud.
The sobs turned to sniffles. "Hm?" Her head went up.
"Eight." He repeated. He moved his hand from her back to her side. "Eight lives."
The Lifestream that gave them their spark was small, but they were growing. They would grow bigger and bigger and by the time they grew as big as they could, they would reach their limit. And when they died, they would give more back to the Lifestream. This old knowledge swept him. He had… forgotten how the Lifestream could grow.
It felt… good to see the Lifestream grow.
"Eight… lives? Eight cubs?" Her voice sounded far away.
He turned his attention back to her. Her eyes were wide.
"Oh my… a big litter. We're going to have a big litter." She sounded… shocked? Yes, shocked. She then began to mutter to herself. "Big litters aren't rare. Not rare at all. But they're not common either. But so many little ones. Will I be able to produce enough milk? I know I have enough… I know I was getting big, perhaps four at most… but eight? That's a big litter… that's a big litter…"
At that moment Healer came over. "Is something the matter?"
"I-I… I think I need a nap…" the grey furred guardian said, faintly.
He thought that it was probably time to stop helping the Healer.
As he made his way out of the healing room, he walked around. He knew Little Guardian was safe, with his Grandfather, but he wanted to see Seto.
As much as he disliked it, he wanted to… talk.
Then he saw Seto. Going down a tunnel. So he followed. And followed.
And smelt that ill intent.
There was no gun. Only a body.
It was time to have these pests return to the Lifestream.
Nails grew into claws; teeth into fangs. Skin harden into armor and hair into horns. Great wings erupted from the back and red eyes burned gold.
The slice of claws against flesh, the blood that went everywhere. It felt so familiar. It was something that had been done before multiple times.
Yes.
Yes!
How could it have forgotten? It was Chaos, it was its job to kill for the Lifestream. It wasn't time yet, to end all life, but it had been so long. It wouldn't hurt, in the long run, for it to give the Lifestream back a few lives.
It cut through so many insignificant lives. Flying through the horde of the fallen, it purred. It was wonderful to see the life go back.
Wait.
What was that?
It was… a creature that wouldn't go back to the Lifestream. How dare! Doesn't that creature know how wonderful it was to go back to the Lifestream? Doesn't it know that Chaos was guiding it back?
It snarled as it dashed over to that shade. It sunk its claws into that inconsistent soul. It will make sure every. Single. Soul. Would. Go. Back.
That stupid soul shook in fear. And then Chaos tore it to pieces. That always made the souls that lingered go back easily.
It continued like this. Taking lives, and shredding lingering souls.
There was no time. It did not exist during that deadly dance. A trail of death laid in its path. Finally it came to a different ill intent creature. It was fighting another creature, something that didn't look like the ill intent one. Golden eyes stared at the bloody form. A small amount of stone was forming at one of the limbs.
It took a moment, but the Lifestream informed it that that was a protector. Ah yes, a Guardian. There were Guardians before. There would be more. As is the will of the Lifestream.
Golden eyes went from the Guardian to what it knows now as the Intruder. Chaos would make the Intruder's death beautiful for helping it remember itself.
And so it attacked the Intruder.
The Intruder stood no chance yet it struggled. Both Chaos and the Intruder struggled. Why was Chaos struggling? Chaos does not struggle.
It hadn't had a body before though.
Chaos was victorious, in the end. Chaos always was. Even when that disgusting Intruder refused to return to the Lifestream, Chaos still won. Chaos would end all life, and help Omega travel the universe. The Lifestream would begin anew and it will continue. It would continue and continue and continue until the death of the universe itself.
Ah, how wonderful that will be. When everything dies. Chaos could wait for that end, for that oblivion. And until then, it will have fun, serving the Lifestream that created it.
The Lifestream poked at it.
The Guardian. It did not forget. The Lifestream poked at Chaos again.
It did not forget!
…
Maybe it did a little.
It did not matter, it knows of the Guardian, and it will not forget the Guardian. Chaos went closer to the blood soaked Guardian, and something popped into its head.
A Little Guardian.
"…Papa." It rasped. Yes. This was Little Guardian's Papa. It had forgotten.
It smiled. Little Guardian would be happy to know that Papa returned to the Lifestream.
Suddenly a crying Little Guardian was thought. Little Guardian… crying? Little Guardian would be… sad?
It was confused. Why would Little Guardian be sad if Papa went back to the Lifestream?
It was a joyous thing, to go back to the Lifestream.
Tilting its head, it stared at the Papa Guardian a little longer.
It will have to see, if Little Guardian would be happy or not, if Papa Guardian did not return to the Lifestream.
It picked up the creature, and flew.
It flew up from the crevice, and it remembered. It remembered where the creatures of the canyon lived. And it flew. It flew and felt the poison within the Papa Guardian turning the creature to stone.
It was harder to return those who turned to stone back to the Lifestream. But not impossible. It was Chaos after all. It could kill all.
From above, it saw a gathering of creatures. And it saw one creature wearing black and it remembered.
It was… it was Father! Father had returned! It quickly made its way down, put down the Papa Guardian, and went to Father.
It was happy. Father had returned. It could thank Father. Thank Father for helping it until it remembered itself. And something wanted to let Father know that it killed. That it killed so many few. Would Father be proud? For some reason it wanted Father to be proud of it.
But it stumbled. And it fell. And it remembered why it was struggling.
This body was weak. It needed to be stronger.
It will tear this body apart, and put it back together.