A/N: All right, it is time to get chapter three over with, as we finally meet up with all our heroes!
REVIEW RESPONSES
ashthetyto: Why, thank you. Dark was what I was hoping to achieve.
sailor-starlight101: Yes, there will certainly be parts that will be scary.
FtDLutz: Your welcome.
Godzilla Fan 2012: Thank you.
jjhatter: Thank you for your very long review, it was fun to read. But you found chapter one to be too long? Dude, it was 3,000 words, even shorter than the first chapter in Between Brothers. I'm glad you are growing fond of Nix, I am starting to get attached to him myself.
sonicfighter21354: Thank you, the dream was pretty chilling.
Elete12: I agree with you…although I never thought Halo 4 would be rated M for scenes that were less gory than the dream.
Synchronized Harmony: I'm touched you find that you found it dreadful [;)]. I will try my best.
X1Mobius: Thank you, the dream really surprised everyone. And don't be too quick to judge LaRoche, there is more to him than meets the eyes.
Thekiller10: Thank you, I appreciate your enthusiasm!
LydeaBlaze: Will do!
I do not own Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole and their beloved characters
I do own Harris, Fatal, LaRoche, Pip, and Alice, as well as my interpretation of the character in this chapter.
Chapter Three: The First Step Into Eternity
INSIGHT INTO THE THEOLOGY OF DARKNESS
DATE: Copper-Rose Rain, Month 2, Day 14, Year 720
SUBJECT: The Line of Morality
Good and evil…such a trifling thought when you thought about it.
For nearly two decades I had studied the two ultimate representatives of these two beliefs, the ever so noble Guardians and the now treacherous and horrid Pure Ones. As I studied darkness, I had learned that these two groups have complete opposing views of this ideal.
The Guardians see it as nothing more than evil, nothing more than a corrupting agent that plagued the souls of many like a virus, destroying their identity and turning them into nothing more than a shadow, black and hollow, like an eternal void…suffering a fate far worse than death. But despite their honorable beliefs, their thoughts of darkness and unwillingness to see what lies in darkness make them no more than cowards.
However, the Pure Ones, they see darkness as power…which is understandable, as without emotion and conscience, you become unbounded, able to accomplish anything that your mind is set to, and not feel guilt or shame in what you done…something that kept the darkest beings such as the great Lord Metalbeak alive after his horrid defeat in the Battle of The Ice Claws…but it came with a heavy price, a price that he paid with his soul…and his life.
When it came to darkness, I had come to the conclusion of what define us and darkness. It is similar to standing before a fork in a crossroad…we can choose to fear darkness for the sake of our identity, but regret never knowing what lied within the alternate path…or we can accept it, and embrace it's power and brilliance, and rise to great heights…but lose pieces of our ourselves along the way, no longer recognizing who we are.
This was what birthed the famous 'line of morality', a proverbial divide that differentiate us good owls from the evil owls. Which side we take is not a decision we make, but what was laid out for us the moment we hatch, and no matter how much you can say otherwise, you can't change it. If you are meant for great things, you are in luck…but if they seen something dark in you, although you deny it yourself, although you try to prove them wrong…you will end up becoming one of many pawns within darkness's chess game. The notion of the word 'redemption' is nothing more than lies…evil cannot become good, and good cannot become evil, therefore, the 'Line' cannot be broken…at least, not without the gravest of consequences. This was proven many times within my studies, as specimens such as the Boreal Owl Grimble, an owl who was forced against their will to break the 'Line', met his untimely end, as well as the great king Metalbeak, who had descended into madness and died. Furthermore, another owl, which grew weary of his side of morality, tries to accept darkness as it was his old friend…but in the end, was destroyed for the fraud he was… serves that mangy fuck right…
Excuse my coarse word in that last sentence…to this day, I still hadn't forgiven him for what he done to me…and now that he was dead for a month…I could not be happier. Regardless, it was shown that those who try to descend into darkness dies in the end…therefore; it goes to say that those who try to accomplish the opposite will meet their ends eventually. There had been no evidence of this…but from I had witnessed, the attempts of breaking this line had been in only one direction into the depths of darkness…and I am confident that it will remain that way.
Redemption is nothing more than words of a naïve fool.
Entry End
V.
The moon began to rise, beginning the night at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, as owls started to arise from their slumber and start their nightly routines as citizens of the old tree, be they a mere resident of the tree or a Guardian, rising up every night to perform good deeds. However, as mentioned before, tonight was a momentous night for a special Barn Owl as he was to be wed to a beautiful owl. As happy as Kludd was that this day had finally come, he was growing nervous, which was natural for most grooms before their wedding, and his daymare from earlier did not help his case. He was lucky enough to had not suffer another one when he returned to sleep, but the daymare left him shaken still…all he could think of were those golden eyes he saw in dream's self, the cold, bloodlusting, merciless eyes…they reminded him so much of the Deathbringer when he and him exchanged stabs, seeing the soulless orbs of yellow stare into his own eyes, piercing him in the soul…those eyes plagued his mind so much that he did not notice the call of his brother's voice as he then shook him.
"Kludd!"
"Huh?" The scarred Tyto jolted as he looked to his brother, whose beak was marked with concern.
"I was wondering if you were alright, brother…" Soren asked, "You seemed to be out of it."
"Oh." Kludd muttered, cursing himself for blanking out, "I'm fine, Soren…just tired is all."
"Did you not get much sleep?" The young barn owl questioned.
"I guess not. I simply must be anxious about tonight." He lied, not wanting to concern his brother with these dreams. For all he knew, these dreams would be nothing than that, dreams.
Fortunately, his brother did not see through it, as he smiled, "I don't blame you, Kludd, it is not everyday that you get married."
"Yeah…married…" Kludd lightly chuckled, before letting out a sigh. The more he heard the word 'married', the more anxious his gizzard become. Fortunately, it was just him and his brother in his hollow, as the two were prepping for the wedding. Definition: Soren was making sure that his brother did not collapse due to nervousness as his duty as his brother and his best owl, chosen by Kludd himself.
Soren could easily sense how tense his words were as he said, "You need to relax, Kludd, this is just your wedding…"
"I know." Kludd sighed, "But tonight I am taking a very big step...and it scares me...a whole lot."
"It will be fine, Kludd. You had came a good way since six months ago...and besides, I doubt marrying the once queen of the Pure Ones is more frightening than going talon to talon with a hagsfiend." He attempted to joke, hoping it would lighten his mood...but judging by his brother's grim stare, it did not...and as he thought about it, he figured it wouldn't, as he shudder at the memory of that hagsfiend. The Deathbringer was indeed one of the scariest owls that he and Kludd had ever faced, and from what they witnessed in their fight, they both decided to not tell anyone about him coming back, to create the assumption that they only fought Skarmoris...which was only half-true...but regardless, it did not change how haunted they were by the hagsfiend.
Feeling the need to change the subject, Soren merely said, "I wonder what is taking the others so long."
"Well, you know Digger and Twilight…they're probably goofing off somewhere…" Kludd muttered.
"Who's goofing where?" A voice dumbly asked, prompting Kludd and Soren to look at the entrance to find a burrowing owl (the origin of the voice) and a great gray owl coming in.
"Nothing, Digger." Soren answered, "I was wondering where you two got off to."
"Getting something to eat." Digger replied simply, prompting a roll of Kludd and Soren's eyes, of course Digger would make breaklight his number one priority, "But it was hard to eat while listening to Twilight play his darn lute…" Digger continued as he glared at Twilight, his great gray friend, who was appalled.
"Well, excuse me, Digger! I was getting in some last-minute practice before the wedding, Madame Plonk was strongly insistent that I was at my best." Twilight growled.
"Then why you picked me to listen to you?!" Digger snapped, "The first thing I would ever want to hear in the dusk is the sound of food going down my throat or Gylfie, not that infernal racket!"
"Oh will you just give it a blow about Gylfie?! You and her had only been dating for six months, and just because she is busy helping our other Pure One friend this morning and unable to spend time with you is no reason to take out your anger on my music!" Twilight bellowed.
"Why, you mangy sprink…!" Digger yelled as the two began one of their many arguments.
Soren and Kludd merely watched in amusement as the two fought. The scarred Tyto could not help but see the resemblances between him and Soren and those two; despite Digger and Twilight being different species, those two acted like they were brothers at birth, and even though they fought, it was merely light-hearted, and the two would simply brush it off like it was nothing. Kludd wished he could have such a relationship as good as theirs with his brother, for all of last year and possibly a year or two before, he had spent loathing Soren, and when he had became Metalbeak, he made it his ultimate goal to end him. Even though he had no longer decided to pursue that goal (and not a moment too soon, he might add), he still regretted ever trying to act on those thoughts. Soren said that he had forgiven him and always will, he could not stop feeling that Soren still held a bit of mistrust and hate towards him, which he could understand. He did almost take away his girl-made-fiancé Otulissa as well as Eglantine, their sister, away from him…but regardless, Soren treated him like his older brother back before being snatched by the Pure Ones.
"Here's an idea, pal! You need to stop parading Gylfie around like she some sort of prize, and take after me and Strix!" Twilight bellowed in Digger's face.
"Don't be a hypocrite, Twilight! At least I don't obsess over my girl like a fan boy!" Digger countered, pressing against his beak. Twilight growled in response to his insult.
"Uh, guys?" Soren meekly asked, feeling the need to stop them, "Could we focus on my brother here? It is his wedding tonight."
"Huh?" Digger and Twilight turned to the brothers, their anger immediately disappearing, and upon seeing Kludd, they realized what Soren meant, as Twilight gasped, "Oh, right! How is the lucky lad faring tonight?!"
"Not well." Kludd answered quietly, "I am just feeling a bit nervous is all…"
"That's all? Well, I have a sure-fire remedy for that! A fine wet-poop joke oughta cheer you up!" Digger cheered.
"Digger, please, our friend does not need to hear one of your dull jokes. What he really needs is a good dosage of my music!" Twilight suggested as he held up his lute.
"No! No more!" Digger snapped, "You will just make things worse for him!"
"Oh, and I'm sure listening to jokes about seagulls is any better!" Twilight sarcastically smarmed.
"Laughter is the best medicine!" Digger defended.
"Yeah…only if your jokes were funny to begin with!" Twilight sneered.
"Guys!" Kludd shouted, growing sick of their bickering, immediately drawing the two arguing owls' attention once more, seeing the exasperated look on his face. "With all due respect, even after six months and all I've been through, I still don't find both your jokes and music amusing!" Twilight and Digger gaped in shock, as Kludd lowered his voice, "And even if I did, it probably wouldn't make me feel any better about this."
"Well, I'm sorry, Kludd…but honestly, you need to take it easy a bit…" Digger suggested.
"Digger's right. I am pretty sure Nyra is feeling just as nervous about it as well." Soren agreed.
"I don't know if I can…" The scarred Tyto muttered.
"It's quite simple, lad." Twilight reassured, "All you must do is…well, do it. And you are home free, for there are two steps in the mating ceremony: step one, the wedding itself (can't skip that part, y'know), and then step two…" He trailed off as he gestured to Kludd, who was well aware of what he was suggesting, but was hesitant of answering.
"I will have to…to…er…" Kludd tried to say, but the next few words just felt so wrong to his gizzard.
"Oh, come now, chap! Just say it, it will make you loads better!" Twilight encouraged.
Kludd let out a frustrated sigh at Twilight's insistence to say something he felt he wasn't ready to say, but just to satisfy him, he tried, hoping that it would help, "I will…have to…m-m-ma…mate with her." As soon as he said it, he zipped his beak shut, quite embarrassed by what he just said. Here he was, moments from marrying the love of his life, and already is he speaking of doing unspeakable things to his soon-to-be mate. It was not the fact of doing it that scared him (he knew clear well that it was part of owl courtship), but to say it right now just seemed wrong to him.
Upon seeing the glance on Kludd's face, Digger immediately sensed his discomfort and snapped at the Great Gray, "Oh, that's just great, Twilight, now you got him even more nervous! You know how some owls are when it comes to those kinds of things!"
"Well, excuse me for trying to ease the lad!" Twilight grunted as he closed in on the burrowing owl's face again.
"Come on, guys!" Soren groaned as he inched his way between the two bickering owls, "We shouldn't be fighting, not tonight!"
"That is right, son."
Kludd and Soren perked up as they looked to the hollow entrance, where a bigger barn owl entered the hollow with something draped over his shoulder. It was Noctus, Kludd and Soren's father. Upon seeing the older owl, Twilight and Digger ceased their arguments, but not before exchanging one last bitter glare.
"Oh, hello, Da." Soren greeted, quite grateful that he arrived when he did.
"Hey there, Soren. How's Kludd doing?" Noctus asked, as he noticed the worried glance on his eldest son's face.
"Not so well, I'm afraid. Just a bit of pre-wedding jitters, I think." The younger Tyto explained.
"I see." Noctus said, "Soren. Could you and the two boys excuse me and Kludd for a moment?"
"Of course, da." Soren nodded as he turned to Digger and Twilight with an ordering glance that the two easily knew that he wanted them to leave with him. With that, the three owls left, leaving the two barn owls alone in the hollow.
Noctus took a glance at Kludd, taking note of the concern etched in his son's face, as he let out a sigh, shaking his head with a smile.
"So, what seems to be the problem, son?" Noctus asked, secretly relishing being able to say the word son to his eldest one, given how he thought he was dead for about a year.
Kludd looked up at his father, and deeply calculating his thoughts into words, he simply said, "It's just that…I'm scared…I mean, I know I love her…but…" Kludd groaned inwardly as he continued, "I made so many mistakes in my life…and I'm afraid…that I might mess this up. That I might ruin it…" He finished, as he looked downward again, a bit embarrassed of being scared like this.
The father gave a look of sympathy upon his eldest son's plight, and only chuckled as he firmly placed a wing around him, as Kludd glanced up to his father again, feeling a bit of warmth enveloped him.
"Oh, Kludd. I was just like you when I was getting married to your mother. And I was just as scared as you are right now when it came to mating, afraid that I would mess something up. And just like us right now, my father took me aside and told me to do one thing and one thing alone." Noctus said in a reassuring tone.
"What?" Kludd asked, actually curious.
"To trust my gizzard." Noctus answered simply, "It is like I told you back then, it is feeling through our gizzards that the voices of the ages speak to us, and tell us what is right."
Normally years before, Kludd would have simply scoffed at this and said it was nothing more than gibberish…but after the epiphanies he had over six months ago, he had finally learned to accept some of his father's teachings, and honestly, he could use the comfort in his words. Still, he felt a bit uneasy.
"I don't know, Da…I don't think I can…" Kludd confessed.
"Kludd, Kludd…" Noctus soothed, as he unfurls his wing from around him and placed them firmly on his shoulders, "In the time I known you, you had grown from a young owlet into a fine, young owl, and like you, I was apprehensive at first. But you must realize that although the mating process is intimidating at first, it is actually quite simple. Let me ask you this, Kludd…how much do you love Nyra?"
"More than anything!" Kludd answered instantly, "More than anyone can possibly imagine."
"Well, I may have not known Nyra for a while now, but I do know that she loves you as much as you love her, and if she didn't, she wouldn't had asked you in the first place. To be mates with someone is to say that you're each other's true love and that you want to spend the rest of your life with each other. And mating, in an actual relationship, is meant to strengthen the bonds between them. Heed my words, Kludd, if you could defeat Skarmoris, you can certainly do this." Noctus finished as he gave a smile to his son.
In that moment, Kludd's nervousness evaporated, ignoring the shuddering he got when he heard the name Skarmoris, for it reminded him of Deathbringer, as he looked up at his father, "Thank you, Da. You're right. I can do this. I'm ready…"
"Glad to hear it, son." Noctus nodded, as he then suddenly grabbed the 'thing' that was draped over his shoulder by the string, "Here, I brought you this." He placed the object on Kludd, who was confused at first, but after Noctus finished placing it on him, Kludd looked at the thing and let out a silent gasp.
It was a wedding cloak, ones commonly used by owls when they are getting married. This one in particular was green, color faded from being aged, and on the back was what seemed to be an intricate insignia of an owl, a Tyto owl to be exact.
"Wow…da…this is…well…" Kludd tried to word, but was unable to.
"I know." The elder barn owl nodded, "This cloak belonged to your grandfather when he was married, and when I was being married to your mother, he gave this cloak to me…and now son, it's your turn. And do know…I am proud of you."
Kludd smiled at his father as he heard those last five words. He had strived to hear those words from his father for so long, even pushing him to become Metalbeak. Ever since after he recovered from his wounds, he could easily tell that his father was trying to make up for all the lost time and all the neglect he had caused him, while he himself tried to make it up to him as well. But now, as he heard those words, he could not help but beamed with pride.
"Thanks, father…" Kludd nodded, the word 'father' finally sinking in.
Soren, who was watching the scene with a smile of his own, came in and asked, "Are you ready, Kludd?"
Kludd and Noctus took a glance at Soren, and then at each other, as the scarred Tyto gave another nod, "I'm ready. Let us go." With that, the two Tytos left the hollow, as Kludd, now reassured, was ready…ready to take the first step towards the rest of his life…all the while wondering how Nyra was faring right now at this moment…
Meanwhile, in a hollow on the opposite side of the tree, a barn owl was dealing with her own bout of nervousness as she was unintentionally tapping her right claw in a nervous tick. Nyra let out a heavy sigh. The good news was that she was not as nervous as her male counterpart was, but still, it did not change the awkward feeling in her gizzard.
That said feeling was nothing new to her, however. Ever since she was allowed to live here, she always had felt uneasy, which was completely understandable, I mean, it is not every day that the queen of the feared enemies of the Guardians is living in the same tree as you. As she lived here, she had always been feeling like that she didn't belong here, being subjected to gazes of fear, distrust, and sometimes, anger. Of course, her to-be mate Kludd had to deal with these as well, but in his case, it was not as bad, which was also understandable, as he was brother to Soren, a trusted Guardian, while she was once mate to Metalbeak, or as she used to call him, Surtr, the king of the Pure Ones.
Because of what become of her mate, she had done a lot of horrible things in the last couple of years, from kidnapping to murder. Heck, the last few murders she committed still lingered in her mind, with images of Grimble, the owl that they forced to join the Pure Ones, killed when he helped Soren and Gylfie escaped, Allomere, the traitor who she had sent the bats upon to feast on upon realizing the arrival of the band, and finally, Biggs, one of Maurice's (who was her friend) henchowl, who she went a claw through to save Soren from his vengeful wrath for killing his younger brother, Wedge. Now, as it was hard for her to believe, she was now being trained to become a Guardian alongside her fiancé, herself a completely different owl in comparison to the one she was a few months back, and was moments away from being mated to her new love. But still, she cannot help but feel that bit of guilt pervading her soul…the king, Boron, said she and Kludd would find a way to make up for all the awful things they done…but the question lingered, how could she-
"Nyra?"
Nyra snapped out of her own thoughts as she looked to the Elf Owl, known as Gylfie, who was looking at her with a confused look, and she was not the only one, for in the hollow they were staying in (courtesy of Gylfie's, which was actually quite a good size for an Elf Owl), there was her, Gylfie, and two Short-Eared Owls, who was gazing at her with the same expression, although the shorter of the two owls looked as if she wasn't as curious as the rest.
"Are you feeling okay? You were staring off into the distance for a moment there." Gylfie asked.
The white barn owl merely flushed in embarrassment, "Sorry…I guess I blanked out there for a moment."
"Well, you shouldn't be, tonight is your special night!" Gylfie explained with a cheer in her voice.
"I know that." Nyra nodded, "I guess I am just a bit nervous, especially since I hadn't seen Kludd all week."
"Well, that's understandable, lass." Nyra turns to face the taller Short-Eared Owl, whose name was Strix Struma, ryb of the navigation chaw, as well as the warrior chaw. "But don't worry, just a hour or so more and you and the lad can spend the rest of yer lives together."
Nyra couldn't help but smirk, out of all of the owls in the Ga'Hoole tree (Kludd, his family, and the band excluded), Strix had taken quite a liking to the Tyto, and admired her finesse in battle, which was actually a lot better than she had expected (given how most Pure Ones were known for dirty under-talons tactics), and eventually was dubbed one of her favorite students. Even more so, in all this time, Strix never even brought up the past of her wrongdoings, and treated her like she was just a new Guardian-in-training.
"Of course. After all, it's not everyday you get married for the second time." The shorter Short-Eared Owl explained matter-of-factly, a bit of smugness in her voice, prompting a frown from Nyra.
The other Short-Eared was Otulissa, a young Guardian, and to be mate of Soren, Kludd's brother. Unlike her teacher (her favorite one at that), she was not as forgiving of Nyra. Of course, she doesn't hate her, for she was grateful for bringing Soren back to her safely and intact, but Nyra could easily sense the mistrust emanating from her. Why it was that Otulissa was willing to be one of her bridesmaids was beyond her…
"Otulissa…" Gylfie warned.
"No, its fine, Gylfie." Nyra defended, "I must admit, I never did expect to actually find someone after…well, you know…"
"Aye," Strix agreed, "No one should had ever have to go through what you did…"
"Yes…but now, and hopefully, this will be the last time I wed." Nyra said, her heart secretly crossing her talons that it would be true.
"I hope for your sake that you are right," Otulissa explained, "Although I am curious…what was your first wedding like? You know…with him?"
Nyra sighed, "Well, it was beautiful…well, for a wedding arranged by an army. It was actually…quite nice, especially how it was all arranged by Maurice…" She paused for a moment when she remembered her old friend, "And the ceremony…being up there with him, his handsome golden eyes looking at me…it was divine…" She closed her eyes as she remembered the details, smiling deeply.
"Were you nervous?" The young short-eared owl asked.
"Oh yes." Nyra said, opening her eyes once more, before frowning, "Although it was not as bad as it is now…"
"How so?" Strix questioned.
"Well…" The white Tyto began, rubbing the back of her head, "At my first wedding, I was surrounded by soldiers that I had trained with and lead…while now…"
"You are surrounded by owls that possibly hate your gizzards?" Otulissa finished in a bored tone.
Gylfie and Nyra looked at the short-eared owl with annoyed glances as Nyra continued, "Yes. Although I don't like to be reminded of it, it is true…" Her annoyed glance dampened, "I wouldn't be surprised if there were someone at the wedding who would want me dead."
"Come on, Nyra, the owls here aren't like that. Sure, they might not like you, but I doubt anyone would go as far as to chuck burning coals in your face." Gylfie tried to cheer her up, only for the white Tyto to shudder at the thought of an owl doing that.
To inadvertently making matter worse, Strix added, nervously chuckling, "But on the outside chance that they do…I had Bubo locked away all the coals."
"How comforting…" Nyra muttered, not feeling a bit better at all.
Gylfie, Strix, and Otulissa shared concerned glances, as Gylfie tried to cheer her up, "It will be alright, Nyra. You have us, Digger, Twilight, Soren, and better yet, you have Kludd. As an owl once said, 'Those who mind doesn't matter, and those who matter don't mind.'"
"The lass's right. The only owls you need to be concerned with are yer friends." Strix agreed.
"Indeed." Otulissa nodded, ditching her bored attitude, "Kludd is very lucky to have you. Makes me wish that tonight was my wedding."
A small smile appeared on Nyra's beak as a tear strikes her eyes, "Thank you. You're right…"
"Now, lass, no need to get emotional. Tonight is a night to be happy!" Strix soothed, "All we need is to add the finishing touch and you will be ready!"
Just as Strix Struma said the last sentence, another owl, a barn owl, with a red cloak draped over her shoulder, along with a young owlet and a blind snake made their way into the hollow. The elder barn owl was Marella, Soren and Kludd's mother, the owlet being Eglantine, her fiancé's little sister, and the snake was Mrs. Plithiver, nursemaid to the family.
"Hi, Nyra! Hi, Ochy! Hi, Gylfie! Hi, Strixy!" Eglantine greeted in a chippy attitude, prompting a small smile from the four females.
"Sorry that we're late. We were adding a couple last touches to the cloak." Marella apologized.
"Oh, it's quite fine, dear." Strix shrugged off, "I take it that a good job was done on it?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Mrs. P asked, "Nyra, if you would please."
The white Tyto was a bit hesitant at first when Mrs. P addressed her. She always had a bit of a phobia with snakes, due to their slimy texture and the fact that one could get killed by one bite of their fangs. It certainly didn't help that she and the others were attacked by an unruly Black Racer back in the Poison Briar Bog. Even now, despite many reassurances from her fiancé and her to-be family, she still felt uneasy around the blind snake…
"For Pete's sake, Nyra, she doesn't bite." Otulissa said indignantly, growing impatient.
"Otulissa…" Gylfie warned.
Nyra gave a short glare at Otulissa, but instead of rebutting, she bowed her head, as Marella and Mrs. P unfolded the cloak, and the white Barn Owl eased her head into the cloak's slot. As soon as her head was through, she returned to an upright position. She spread her wings slightly to show off the cloak, "Well? How do I look?"
The other females looked in absolute awe. Despite the owl they were admiring was once their enemy, they were quite awestruck by her beauty. The cloak was a crimson color, a shade or two lighter than the Tyto's brow, and black swirls laced the sides of it while a black insignia of a Tyto was sewn into the middle, much like of her to-be mate's cloak.
"Wow…Lass, you look brilliant…" Strix complimented.
"Yes, I cannot even think of a word that can describe you right now." Gylfie gaped.
"Indeed…" Otulissa trailed off, impressed herself, before muttering to herself, "I cannot wait to see how I would look at my own wedding…"
"An excellent piece of work if I do say so myself." Mrs. P nodded, "It took me, five other snakes, a couple of owls, and lots of silk to create it."
"I can certainly tell." Nyra said as she gave her cloak a twirl, "Although…I feel a bit different…"
"It's called feeling girly, Nyra." Marella explained with a smile, as she sighed, "This certainly brings back old memories of my wedding day."
"You looked pretty, Nyra." Eglantine complimented, herself awed by her beauty.
"Thank you, darling." The white Tyto smiled, quite touched by the little one's compliment.
One of the little lights that shone in her position of being hated and mistrusted by everyone around her was her soon to be sister-in-law, Eglantine. The little owlet took to her older brother's loved one rather quickly, given how the older Tyto saved her from falling to her death while escaping the Pillar, and even though she was not a part of the family yet, Eglantine already treated her like her big older sister. In fact, she endeared her by calling her darling, like her mother once did for her back then.
Nyra gave a deep sigh. She wished that her parents could see her now. Her father died in the line of duty during his service as a Pure One, once an old friend to her late mate Surtr, while her mother suffered a mortal injury to her spine during a freak forest fire that enveloped her home in the Beaks. Since that awful night, she had no family left except her general Surtr and her old friend Maurice, and even then, she had lost them both a while back, leaving her alone once more…but not for long. She was only an hour or so from being mated to Kludd, the owl that stood by her side through the worst…and when they become mates, she will officially become one of the Alba Family, and she would never be alone…not any more.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Marella addressing her.
"Uh, Nyra?"
"Hmm?" Nyra snapped back into focus.
"Are you ready for this, dear?" The motherly owl asked, "Feathers preened, cloak donned?"
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Alba." The white Tyto addressed, still not comfortable by addressing her soon-to-be mother in law by her name or by the universal term 'mother', "All I am waiting on now is for the owl to give me away…"
"Did someone mention me?"
All the females quickly turned to the entrance of the hollow to see an old Screech Owl leaning against the hollow's entrance, his usually-ruffled feathers now preened and smooth and the same cocky smirk on his face.
"Ah, Ezylryb, impeccable timing, as usual!" Strix Struma exclaimed.
"Yes, and do you look quite stunning." Marella nodded.
"Thank you, Mrs. Alba. I was merely trying to appear more presentable." Ezylryb shrugged off.
"Oh, you are being too modest, Lyze." Nyra slightly chuckled, "You looked quite nice."
"That I do. But not as nice as you, my dear." Ezylryb let out a silent snigger as he looked Nyra over, "You certainly are shining with radiance. Kludd is one lucky owl to become mates with someone as yourself."
"Lyze, please…" Nyra blushed, "This…all this…it's not that much…"
"Nonsense, Nyra." The Whiskered Screech Owl said, a bit amused by her newfound modesty, "It's the littlest things that make the difference."
"Well…if you say so." Nyra sighed, as she gave a faint smile, "Thank you, Ezylryb…"
"Whatever for?" The old owl asked, although his face seemed to betray his wonder.
"For everything." Nyra answered, her eyes misty with joy "…But mostly for being the one to give me away…"
Ezylryb sighed as he placed a wing on Nyra's shoulder, "It is the least I can do…for an old friend of mine. He would be proud of you, you know, as I am right now of you."
The white Tyto's eyes tear up a bit, before she wiped them quickly, and smiled, "Thank you, Ezylryb." Despite all the differences she had with him, especially given that he was the one that scarred Surtr and humiliate him, she had grown to like and respect the old owl, who had became like a fatherly figure to her. She found it quite laughable that she wanted to kill everyone that were in her presence right now before, and now, she was getting married in the sanctum of her once-enemies. It was a great irony, it was…but honestly, she did not give a damn.
"Well, Nyra…if everyone here is ready…I believe there is an owl waiting for you…as well as a lovely nurse waiting for me…" The old owl added the last part with a chuckle.
All the females merely chuckled as they knew that Ezylryb himself had recently began a relationship with the tree's new nurse, Alice, an elderly Screech Owl who was quite experienced in her line of work, given how she had successfully saved Kludd's life after he suffered his nearly fatal wound, but could be quite as fierce as him when need be…one owl was all too familiar with that. But nonetheless, Ezylryb took Nyra's wing into his own and, followed by everyone in the hollow, the group processed to the wedding hall…
Due to it being nearly dusk, the halls were practically barren, no one to be seen for a couple of feet. It was a perfect environment for two owls, who were walking through the empty halls towards an unknown destination, to talk in peace.
One of the two owls was quite recognizable, as his feathers were completely snow white with black spots dotting his body, although they were a bit faded with age, and his sage-like expression and his brilliant golden eyes would easily help anyone deduce that the owl was Boron, the king of Ga'Hoole.
The other owl was younger and slightly smaller than Boron, but not by much, and was covered in dark reddish-brown feathers, except around his chest and lower beak, which was a grayish-white. His most notable feature was his two ear tufts, slightly swaying with each step that the young owl takes, thus dubbing him a Northern Great Horned Owl. On his talons were brilliant well-polished copper battle claws, making a metallic click with each tap on the floor.
"I am so glad that you could make it up here." Boron smiled, "I hope things back at Cape Glaux hadn't been too tasking."
The Horned Owl chuckled, "No, everything has been going quite smoothly. Hadn't had much problems in a long while."
"Well that's good to hear, Shard." Boron nodded, "I take it that Parzival and Bryony couldn't make it?"
"Naw." The owl named Shard said, "Parzival is too busy focusing on whether we should focus on hunting or training. Bryony…eheh, she's quite occupied herself."
"Oh, yes, I heard. How are the little ones?" The king questioned with a smile.
"Still hadn't hatched yet." Shard simply answered, "But they are close, I can feel it."
"Yes, it is quite a feeling, being an expectant father, isn't it?" The snowy owl asked.
"Oh yes. But Bryony is more excited then I am." Shard churred, "In fact, she had been obsessing over them like any normal mother would."
"I bet she is. She always had been quite the owl to take care of things. I wouldn't expect any less of the captain of the Tyto Resistance squadron."
"Yeah…" Shard agreed, before looking at him curiously, "But enough about me and my life, how's things here? It must have been a year or two since I've been here."
"Oh, nothing much really. Aside from the fight against Metalbeak, there hasn't been anything worth noting…" Boron shrugged off, before he added, "Well, except for one thing…"
"Yes, I had been hearing rumors back at the Cape…it is true? That you actually took two Pure Ones into your home and accepted them as Guardians-In-Trainings?"
"Indeed." The Snowy Owl nodded, "But not only Pure Ones…the king and queen."
"You don't say!" Shard exclaimed, quite surprised, "Glaux, I must had been gone for about a century or something…"
"Rest assured, I honestly did not believe it myself, but yet it did happen." Boron asked, "Even more shocking, those two are actually getting married tonight."
"Really?" Shard noted, "But how is everyone else in the tree taking it?"
Boron paused for a moment, before continuing, "It could be better…some of the owls are quite happy for the couple…while others…let's just say that the wedding will not in high attendance."
"I see." Shard frowned, before donning a smirk, "Well, I personally would like to meet the two."
"That can be arranged," Boron chuckled, "The wedding is actually being held in the wedding hall in a couple of minutes. You are welcome to attend if you want."
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose…" Shard denied, trying to be polite.
"Nonsense! I am sure they wouldn't mind." Boron smiled as he wrapped his right wing around Shard and leads him to the wedding hall.
"Okay…if you say so…" Shard awkwardly answered.
The two made their way to where the wedding is to take place, as Shard let out a silent gasp at the sight. The hall was beautiful, putting it simply. Special, color-stained ornate glass windows laced around the wedding hall, with one giant window behind the altar. Even more so, there were all kinds of flowers, most of them placed in urns at the corner of the room and a trail of them surrounding the altar and around where the guests (Shard presumed) were to stand. Torches were lit as to add a bit of a glow upon the chamber, the light reflecting off the glass windows.
"Wow…" Shard gaped.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Shard. It seems like LaRoche outdid himself…"
"LaRoche? Who is LaRoche?" The Horned Owl asked, not recognizing the name.
Instead of Boron answering, a loud shout echoed, "NO, NO, NO! THE RIBBONS DON'T GO LIKE THAT!"
Shard jumped as he looked down the hall were the shout came from, only to see a small Elf Owl who was looking up at the ceiling where a couple of owls who were attaching ribbons to the ceiling. It was safe to judge from the angry expression on the Elf Owl's face that the owls with the ribbons weren't doing a good job.
"DAMN IT! WE NEED TO GET THIS PLACE SHIP-SHAPE WHILE WE STILL POSSESS THE CAPABILITIES IN OUR CRANIUMS! SO DO THE RIBBONS AGAIN AND DO IT RIGHT!" LaRoche barked viciously. The other owls quivered in fear as they did as the small owl commanded.
Shard was slightly perturbed by the small owl's temper, as Boron, taking note of his shock, set his mind to ease by saying, "That is our new ryb of the Search And Rescue Chaw and parliament member…LaRoche."
"New ryb?" Shard asked, turning to face Boron, as a troubling thought came to his mind…before shaking it off, "I heard that the tree was to receive a new owl…but…" Shard looked at LaRoche, "When I heard about him, I pictured him a bit…bigger…"
"To be honest…" Boron started as he leans towards Shard, and whispered, "We all did…"
LaRoche oversaw the ribbons being hung as his anger slightly dissipated, "Much better! Now go see what taking Plonk and her choir so long to get here!" The owls did as such, as LaRoche began looking around, "Where's the hagsmire is Pip?! I sent him out a couple minutes ago to fetch some orchids! Honestly, I can't trust that little twit to save my life…"
"Um…LaRoche?" Boron merely addressed, unsure of how wise it was to ask him in this state.
The Elf Owl quickly turned towards the direction of the voice, and as soon as he did, his angered expression quickly changed to that of a jovial one, as if he was peeling off a mask, "Ah! Your majesty! So glad you could make it!"
"So am I, LaRoche…so how's the preparations are coming?" Boron asked.
"Swimmingly, swimmingly." The Elf Owl answered repeatedly, trying to hide the stress in his voice, "Everything is about pitch perfect! All we need now are the guests, the music, the orchids, the best owl, the bridesmaid, and of course, the-hey, who is he?" LaRoche quickly changed the topic as he took note of Shard, giving him a suspicious stare.
"Oh, pardon me," Boron exclaimed as he introduced, "This is Shard Grayeth (Gray-eth), captain of the Cape Glaux squadron, senior Guardian."
"I see." LaRoche said, his stare still standing, as he held out his talon, "LaRoche Dursley, once-advisor to king of Kuneer, now serving as representative here as a Guardian."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dursley." Shard politely addressed as he shook his talon.
"I know…it is always a pleasure." LaRoche smugly remarked as he released his talon, "So what brings such a highly-acclaimed soldier here on this fine night?" He asked.
"Just visiting." Shard shrugged, "I hadn't been here in about two years, and when I heard that we had ex-Pure Ones here, I had to check it out."
"Really? You came…to see the Pure Ones?" LaRoche asked incredulously, a bit of venom in his voice.
"Yes." Shard answered, unaware of LaRoche's sarcasm, "I was hoping to attend the wedding, in fact."
The Elf Owl merely gave a scoff, "Listen to me, kid, you would be better off wasting your time elsewhere."
"LaRoche!" Boron snapped.
"What?" Shard asked, shocked by his hostility, as he asked LaRoche, "What did I say?"
"Please excuse LaRoche, Shard. He has a very distinct hate of the Pure Ones, and ever since we accepted the two six months ago, he still hadn't got over it." Boron apologized, casting the occasional glare at LaRoche.
"I'm sorry, your majesty, but I am not the one who made the stupid mistake of taking those two criminals into the tree! Honestly, I just know that those two will pull something bad when we least expect it!" LaRoche snapped, trying to defend himself.
"Wait, wait, wait, I'm not getting this…" Shard exclaimed, "You hate Pure Ones with a passion…yet you are organizing their wedding?"
"Well…I wanted to refuse, really wanted to…" LaRoche answered awkwardly, "But I didn't want someone saying I did nothing for them. And besides, it's not like this is my best work and all…" LaRoche finished with a smug sense of superiority.
"Oh, I'm sure Kludd and Nyra will be disappointed to hear that." Boron sarcastically muttered, noting how beautiful the place looked.
"I heard that!" LaRoche growled, "I don't even know why I bother with this wedding. It's pretty obvious that once Kludd bites the dust, Nyra will find another male to croon over."
"Now wait just a moment!" Shard defended, "How do you even know that?! I may had a few bad experiences with Pure Ones, but I wouldn't go as far to say that they don't know love!"
"Please, Shard. It's Glaux's design. Those Pure Ones are incapable of feeling love and all that sprink. Them and their stupid ideals of purity, when they probably don't know what 'purity' means!" LaRoche snapped angrily, before composing himself and smugly quipped, "Although I wouldn't expect you to understand."
"What's that suppose to mean?!" Shard growled, realizing that he did not like this owl.
"Simple. I spent my first couple of months here since...well, you know...browsing the archives. Only took me two and a half weeks to memorize every single Guardians, rybs, and students that had been brought up in this old sapling, and when I heard your name...I knew I remembered it somewhere…your ryb...it was none other than that filthy slipglizzle, Allomere!" LaRoche finished with a accusatory glare.
In a chain reaction, Shard's body immediately tensed at the name, as he looked away, scowling, "So what? He taught lots of students"
"LaRoche, I think you shouldn't..." Boron tried to change the subject, but LaRoche interrupted him.
"Hey, hey, hey, I am not trying to be uncouth or anything," LaRoche defended, although his voice seems to say otherwise, "I would be ashamed too if the owl that had saved me as a owlet..."
"LaRoche..." Boron warned, his voice growing stern.
"Taught me everything about being a Guardian…" LaRoche continued.
"Shut up..." Shard growled, obviously growing upset by his words, as he started to shudder with rage.
"And in the end, BAM! He betrayed you all for this dingy little-" The Elf Owl was about to finish before...
"That's quite enough, Mr. LaRoche!"
The three owls jumped at the shout and turned to see a Whiskered Screech Owl, a female one at that, her feathers preened to a great degree and a lovely white flower tucked over her right ear tuft, and a stern glare obviously staring at the Elf Owl.
"Oh, Alice, so nice of you to join us!" Boron chimed, ignoring the tension, "And not a moment too soon, thank Glaux!" He thought to himself.
"Thank you, your grace. I had no intention of missing this wedding...although I had intentions of not having to deal with this little git again." Alice growled at the Elf Owl.
"Great to see you too, Alice." LaRoche sarcastically sneered, "But I was merely stating facts is all…"
"For crying out loud, LaRoche. Hadn't you done this already six months ago with the last lad?" Alice snapped, "You never seem to learn, do you?"
"What can I say?" LaRoche smugly remarked, "This tree had a tendency to draw owls with bad connections."
Shard was about to screech in his face to shut up, had not Alice close in his face, instantly surprising the Elf Owl.
"You see here, LaRoche. I patched you up, and I can easily tear you apart. You thought what that Pure One did to you was bad? Well, what he did will be a tickle compared what I will do to you if I hear one derogatory comment about anyone tonight...do I make myself clear?" Alice threatened, her voice dripping with more venom than a cobra.
Shard and Boron were caught off guard by her threats, as LaRoche, having experienced this kind of anger before, merely gulped, "Okay, okay…but by derogatory comment-"
"LaRoche..."
"OKAY!" LaRoche backed away, as he tried to avoid her murderous gaze, "I think I…I…recheck the floral patterns…you know them owls…" He slowly backs away, chuckling, "Never getting them right…" He finished with one last chuckle before flapping away to the altar to do as such.
As soon as the mean Elf Owl left, Alice turned to the two male owls, and immediately, like peeling off a mask like LaRoche, her angry gaze shifted to a soothing, happy one as she apologized, "Sorry about that. I guess I went a little overboard..."
"That's quite fine, Alice, I'm sure our guest doesn't mind, does he?" Boron shrugged as he turned to Shard.
"Oh no, not at all…" Shard admitted, actually relieved that the owl was gone.
Alice took note of this however as she explained, "Now don't you pay LaRoche any mind. He is never one to consider one's feelings before saying what is on his mind."
"I won't, trust me..." Shard nodded, as he glared at where the Elf Owl went, "What is that owl's deal?"
"I honestly don't know." Alice answered, shaking her head with a smile, "Everyone seems to have a different theory. I personally think he has something shoved far up his-"
"Ahem." Boron cleared his throat, stopping her from finishing that sentence.
"Right." Alice said, getting his point, "Who may you be? I never saw you around the tree before."
"Shard Grayeth, ma'am." The horned owl answered, shaking her talon, "Captain of the Cape Glaux squadron."
"Oh please, dear, I'm not one for formalities. I'm Alice Monroe. A nurse here at Ga'Hoole."
"Alice Monroe? As in the famous 'Guardian Angel' Alice Monroe, the greatest nurse of the century?" Shard repeated in awe.
"There is no other." Boron said matter-of-factly.
"Stop, you are embarrassing me." Alice smiled, blushing a bit, "I would like nothing more to be treated as a humble nurse. That's all I am really."
"I wouldn't say that!" Shard exclaimed, still shocked, "What brings someone like you to this tree?"
"Oh, nothing much, lad. Just wanting to see new faces, help other owls, and possibly find a owl to share a nest with." Alice nonchalantly replied.
"Really now? You certainly look like someone ready to spend the night with a special someone." The Northern Horned Owl stated, noting her looks.
"What, this? Oh, no, this is strictly for the wedding. My dear Ezylryb isn't one to care about looks." Alice stated with a chur.
"Wait, Ezylryb?!" Shard jumped, recognizing the name, "You mean...you are in a relationship with the L-"
The Horned Owl was interrupted by the doors to the wedding hall opening, prompting the three owls and LaRoche, who looked away from the floral arrangements, to turn to the doors, to see a small Little Owl hopping through the door, making a small sound with each hop.
"Well, what do you know, it's..." Boron began before being interrupted by LaRoche.
"PIP! Where have you been?!" The Elf Owl snarled, "I sent you to get orchids over an hour ago!"
Alice and Boron were about to scold LaRoche for his harshness, but Pip, somehow undaunted by his angry screech, started chirping in pips, for Pip was a special owl, as he suffered from an acute case of shyness. Because of this, Pip rarely spoke English, and when he did, it would be so quiet that not even bats and barn owls, known for their great hearing, could hear him. That's why he makes the pip sound, it being the only word he can say out loud, thus earning him the nickname Pip, for no one really knew his real name. However, his pips, over time, somehow became very easy to translate, allowing anyone to understand what the owl was saying when he pips.
Pip continued his explanation through pips, changing his tone constantly as if he was having a normal conversation. Everyone with the exception of Shard, who was confused, knew what he was saying, as LaRoche's angry glare daunted in a rather-surprised one.
"Oh. So the reason you hadn't found any orchids is...there is no orchids in the surrounding area of Hoole?" LaRoche slowly repeated, somewhat embarrased for some reason.
Pip nodded, and continue his speech.
"I see..." LaRoche nodded, "Well, I guess this wedding could do without orchids..."
The Little Owl pipped in agreement and pipped some more, prompting a surprise screech from LaRoche.
"WHAT?! The guests and the wedding party is on their way here?! Oh, dear..." LaRoche stressed out as he then screeched to the organizers in the room, "Okay, everyone, places! We may not like this guys but it is important that we make sure this wedding go without a hitch!"
Immediately the owls began to move around, as LaRoche turned to Pip, "Pip, be sure to lead our guest to their seats." The Little Owl did a salute as he went off, pipping all the away, to the door. The Elf Owl turns to Boron, "Your majesty..."
"I know. Honestly, LaRoche, this is not the first wedding I officiated." The Snowy Owl quipped, rolling his eyes, as he went off to the altar.
Finally, LaRoche faced Shard and Alice, "As for you two, I would recommend that you find your seats. Although it wouldn't be as hard...given there will only be like ten or twenty owls here."
Shard and Alice give a glare at the Elf Owl and his sheer rudeness, but either of them in any mood to make a argument about it, the two went off to find their seats...
As the two did as such, LaRoche let out a deep sigh as he placed his wings on the bridge of his beak, "Aye...I'll be damned if something were to go wrong today...eh, what am I worried about? What could possibly happen?"
Meanwhile, a couple of meters away from the tree of Ga'Hoole...through the mist that usually surrounded the tree, glints of silver began to pierce through, as shadowy figures were making their way through the fog. These shadowy figures in question were none other than Tytos, armed with sharp battle claws, and each and one of them donning an ominous cowl helmet of steel. Suddenly, joining under these owls, more figures began to come through the mist, as a colorful array of hawks, from the usual red-tailed hawks to sharp-shinned hawks to gray hawks, each of them armed with battle claws as well. Above all of them, leading the charge, two lone figures, followed by two less-graceful flying Long-Eared Owls and a stoic Golden Eagle, appeared...
One of them, a Grass Owl, donning a very unique helm, with only one working eye, looked at the sight of the tree and declared down and behind to his men, "Ah, there it is, men. The home of those wretched bastards and their glaux-damn notions. This is our night, Pure Ones! The night we show them the true brunt of our Tytonic might! We may not win this fight tonight, but it will bring us one step closer to complete domination! WHO'S WITH ME?!"
The Pure Ones below responded with cheers and chants at their leader's speech...but then the leader owl took note that the hawks below did not answered, as the grass owl repeated in a strict and angry tone, "I said...WHO'S WITH ME?!"
The hawks, immediately intimidated by the grass owl, instantly went into a uproar that matched that of the Pure Ones. The leader looked upon his army with glee and malice as the other lone figure following him, a red-tailed hawk, let out a sigh and sagely muttered to himself.
"This is going to blow up in our fucking beaks...I just know it."
A/N: Okay, everyone, there you have it, chapter numero tres! Here, we reunited with all of our heroes, as well as meet a new one...well, not technically a new one if you had played the Legend of the Guardians game. The wedding prep scene with Kludd and the others was inspired by a couple of Spyro The Dragon fics, namely ones from MyWayWriter and BLU0NI. Well, I hope you guys didn't mind the three weeks wait (for I was busy and distracted most of those time). Also, I given last names to Alice and LaRoche, just for kicks. FUN FACT: There is an actual hawk species named Harris's Hawk...trust me, I did not know this when I made Harris, but that's the mighty power of coincidence for ya! Anyway, I hope the next chapter won't take as long, and we will get to the good parts soon enough! READ AND REVIEW!
Note: Okay, guys, I just want to throw it out there, but I do have a forum called The Pure Redemption Saga Discussion, so if you guys have any questions, predictions, comments (beyond your reviews of course), or anything at all, please, post something in my forum! I look forward to discussing with ya!
Voice Cast for OCs
Shard Grayeth – David Boreanaz (Seeley Booth from Bones) (Note: I do not know who's Shard's actor in the game, so this will have to do)
LaRoche Dursley – Rob Riggle (Aloysius O'Hare from The Lorax (2012))
Alice Monroe – Glenn Close (Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmanitans (Live-action))
Pip – Matt Stone (Pip from South Park)
Nix – Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester from Supernatural)
Harris Hawk – Simon Baker (Patrick Jane from The Mentalist)
Artworks stuff is appreciated, deeply appreciated.