Author's Note: YES. I'm back! And I'm proud to say it! If most of you didn't know where I was, well, I was across the country on a break. I met amazing people, rude people, crazy, fun, fantastic people. And fortunately, I had a BLAST. I've also played this whole video game called The Last Of Us. It's an amazing game.

You know the old saying, you got to read some to write some. Well in my case read AND watch. Well, I did. A little bit of why I left was to get inspired. Which, I am. I have already written out the whole chapter of the end of this story. Open for tweaking and perfecting of course. I have a whole notebook filled with ideas to fill this story. I'm happy to say my computer was fixed while I was gone and hopefully we have no more problems.

During my break, I've witnessed some pretty awesome things. I have the right "mood set" for upcoming chapters. And to clear it up, I'm about ready.

Let's continue people : )

-Triggers and Too Much Smoke-

"You can almost touch the nostalgic air."

-Tigress' POV-

No.

"Well damn, if it isn't the striped beauty that got away."

But he's right here.

"Blain?" I murmur. And he cracks a genuine smile. Before I know it, I'm off the ground and enveloped in a vice tight Blain hug.
"Heh… Blain…" I say with a smile, not really able to move my arms. This was the fox who allowed me to experience fun, and force me to break out of my shell. Just a little bit. He looks just a slight different. Still buff and tall for a fox. And the scar on his lower stomach brings back an unwanted memory that I have to shove away again. Blain is here, and there shouldn't be anything that would spoil my mood.

He finally sets me down. His smile is tugged at a bit and I prepare myself for the shouts. "Yeah, you're not getting off of this easy." He says and I nod a bit guiltily. I stand back and take another look at him. His lip practically trembles. I eye him and I sigh. "I'm sorry. Okay? I am. I really am. I shouldn't have left like that and I know that now. But I'm glad I left when I did."
He nods but not in full understanding or agreement. I didn't blame him nor did I have the place or right to. Standing here sort of killed me inside, knowing Blain is like a brother and I left him injured and in a confusing time. And in attempt to lighten the mood, he cracks another smile. Only to have it fall into another confused and slightly hurt expression.

His attention is snapped away from me and focused on something behind me. I brace myself for questions.

"Who are you?" Said Seytu's demanding voice. Blain's eyes widened and his mouth dropped a bit as well.

"Your mother's old teammate. Who are you?" Blain said teasingly in the same tone. I wanted to smile.

"An… An old teammate?" Seytu said. He walked up and stood by my side to let me know he was staring me down. I took me a second to give up pretending. "Yeah. An old teammate." I said still not meeting his eyes.

Blain crosses his arms and pulls out a famous Blain smirk. "Is this the little twerp? Kind of tall for seven years of age, mate." I smile and Seytu glares at him. "I'm eight and three quarters."

Blain smiles at his challenging voice. "Same difference." He said, winking. Which through Seytu over the edge a little too much. I felt a slight anger build up in him as he prepared to charge at him. I placed my hand on his chest, holding him back.

"Trust me. You don't want to spar with someone who's been in Luna for a great deal of his life." I mutter. Blain stuck out his tongue in agreement, pissing off Seytu a little more.
"Wait, did you say Luna? You mean this is an old teammate from Luna?" Seytu exclaimed.

"That's exactly what she said. A Luna warrior. Now with an official rank as team leader." He stated. Official rank was brought to my attention. "Really? Master throwing out ranks now?"

"Well, just to call the shots. Nothing big really. Where I got these bands." He says holding up his arm. I understand now. But the happiness returns to me again. "Well, I'm glad you're here Blain. It's been… too long." My voice was out of my control and it cracked.

Blain knew why.

But he didn't bring anything up. "Just promise me to not be that stupid again." He tried to use a smile that would cheer me up. So I smiled back and offered my pinky and pointer. And like old times, he took them in his. "I promise."

I guided him to my house and led him inside, me being the last to enter. But I was only halfway inside when an unfamiliar voice called my name. "Master… Tigress?"

I looked behind me and searched the hills. Was that Raynor? Frina? The voice was sort of hushed by the wind.
I then noticed a figure reach its way into my view. A feline. But one I did not know.

And could it be possible that the feline was… a thylacine? It's impossible.
"Master Tigress, may I talk to you?" he called out again. I waved away Seytu and Blain to go on ahead. They should get to know each other anyways. I walked to the feline to meet him halfway. "May I ask who you are?" I say finally reaching him. He was about my height and even had a few stripes to trace down his back. He said nothing about who he was, instead he said, "So you're Tigress, huh?" I was confused. "Yes and who are you?"

He began to remove his gloves and a smirk tugged at his lips as he eyed me from head to toe. He finally spoke once he saw I was getting impatient. "Where does your memory begin, babe?"

Babe? Great. "What… are you talking about, you know who I am so who the hell are you?" I could feel myself begin to yell at him. I guess I never truly got my anger under control. But what kind of disrespectful prick come out of nowhere and call me…

"Call me Shoi. And I asked when your memory begin. It is exactly as it sounds." His smirk was gone and his eyes were serious. He made me angry. And I knew it showed. "Well Shoi, I still have no idea who you are. Why would you expect any information from me? From where do you come, and what business do you have with me?"
He looked around not really looking for anything. Something Daze would do. "I knew your mother. And… in a way, your father."

And on cue, the world seemed to stop. As well as my heart. But I snapped out of it and grew into a certain anger that even I've never felt before. "Who the hell do you think you are coming out of nowhere and talk like you've known me my-"

"Believe me, Tigress. Actually… If things were different, we would have been good friends and I would not have been meeting you just now." He sounded almost sympathetic. But I was still breathing too quickly.
"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to. But you have to listen." I said nothing. Seytu is being watched by Blain. I don't really know how that friendship was forming. But he must have had tons of questions. And Blain… well… it must hurt him to see his best friend… his brother once more… without him actually being here.
I felt a paw slip into mine. A Dai Lin move, but he was nowhere around. His dark grey eyes stared into mine. "Please, Tigress. It's about time you started to hear some type of truth.

I growl and snatch my paw away. To which he did not fight for, but I followed him to a more quiet and distanced place.

-Blain's POV-

I couldn't shake the thought. Brother. "So how old did you say you were, little man?" I paced around the cozy kitchen, finding a spot in a cozy chair.
"Eight and three quarters. I'm about to be nine." His green eyes are too piercing. Too familiar. But too demanding to be anyone else's but his.

"You're still a little squirt aren't you?" His grey fur looked too much like his too. But the stripes said Tigress. He gave me a devilish look in his eyes. "You may be a Luna Warrior, but my mother and D have been teaching me Kung Fu for some time now." I smiled at him and picked at the dirt on my paws. "Well, while your mother is a very skillful warrior, I've been in the business way longer than you, mate. Who is D anyway?" He crosses his arms. Man, if looks could kill.

"I'm not going to give you any information."

I chuckle. "Well what is your name, warrior?" I asked with a bit of sarcasm. I enjoyed screwing around with his head.

"Seytu." He grumbles. I think about the name. It sounds so familiar. Simple… and magnificent. "What're you staring at?" He says. "You're creeping me out."
I laugh a little. "Nothing. Well Seytu, in exchange for your friendship, how about I teach you some Blain moves?" I say with just a hint of cockiness. His eyes widen. "S-serious?"

Nay Wan, Nay Wan, Nay Wan.

I give a smirk and bare my teeth in a challenging way. "Very serious."

"A vessel that's been independent for this long?
I sure hope that does not cause trouble for the future."

It's time to wake up,
FROM BLOODY SUFFERING AND A MISSING CONSCIOUS.