Master Swoop walked in front of Theo and stopped in front of him. He laid a hand on Theo's shoulder.
" You are not weak for wanting to come to me. Nor are you weak for wanting to be held. There is no crime in wanting and needing comfort." said Master Swoop. Master Swoop felt Theo move forward underneath his hand and he opened his arms. Theo stepped in and Master Swoop once again picked him up like a baby. Theo wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his head in Master Swoop's chest.
Master Swoop slowly levitated off the ground, over to Theo's vine covered entrance. " Loft?" asked Master Swoop.
" Yes." said Theo. He floated through and landed in the loft. They both stiffened. " Why can I suddenly sense RJ when I couldn't before?" asked Theo. " Because you severed your emotional ties with him. You felt close to him and when he hurt you, any closeness you had evaporated. In your animal spirit's mind, he was family, pride, in the case of us cats. You were pack in his case. Now that he's hurt you, you perceive him as a threat. Now, you will always be acutely aware of him and know exactly where he is." said Master Swoop.
He snapped back in and blinked. " Master Swoop." addressed Master Lope. The formal greeting told Master Swoop there was someone in the room besides his brother and RJ. " Master Lope." addressed Master Swoop. " Young Dominic is here." said Master Lope. Theo shook in Master Swoop's arms.
" Easy there Kitten." murmured Master Swoop. In Theo's ear.
" Master Lope I wish to speak to you. Are you free?" asked Master Swoop. " Yes. Shall we go?" asked Master Lope. Master Swoop turned around and levitated off the ground once again. He suddenly felt a foot connect with his back and he fell backwards. Theo flipped himself out of his arms and across the room. He slid to a stop before he hit the wall. He knew in an instant who it was that had kicked his mother in the back.
Master Swoop flipped himself upright and landed on the floor. He turned around walked towards Dominic and stopped. He was positioned so that if Theo had to jump, he'd have a clear shot into his arms. " I see you fallow RJ's teachings." said Master Swoop. " He told me Theo was hiding something and that you knew what it was." said Dominic. " Indeed, but that doesn't mean you have the right to corner him." said Master Swoop. He felt the crippling grief coming off Theo in waves and tried to do damage control. He knew Theo needed someone in his corner that wasn't someone RJ was close to.
" Does Theo matter to you?" asked Master Swoop. " What?" asked Dominic. " If it came down to helping Theo or being RJ's student which would you choose?" asked Master Swoop. " RJ's student. I respect him enough to fallow his teachings." said Dominic. He turned back to Theo and grabbed his shoulder in a bruising grip. Theo let out a broken sob and sunk to his knees. The last link he had to someone who was potential family shattered into a million pieces.
Dominic squeezed and Master Swoop had it. " Lioness uncaged." hissed Master Swoop. Underneath his breathe. A moment later, his animal spirit separated from his body and attacked Dominic. He hit the wall and unleashed his rhino spirit. The two went at it and Dominic smirked. That cat was no match for his mighty rhino. But alas, he never guessed how far a mother would go to protect their child.
The lioness took the rhino down and Dominic was left in shock as his animal spirit was absorbed back into his body. Master Swoop absorbed his lioness spirit back into his body and opened his arms. Dominic sat slumped next to Theo and Theo launched himself into his mother's arms. He wrapped his arms around his neck and his mother held him like a baby.