AN: Special Thanks goes to Story's Shadow for writing this excellent and emotional chapter. Thank you my good friend.
-Secret Warriors' Base, the next day-
Vixen and Vulpine continued to talk in the room by themselves.
Daisy and Riri watched from the other side of the glass. The former's eyes narrowed slightly at Vulpine while Riri turned to her friend, crossing her arms.
"What are you thinking?"
"Nothing for certain yet."
Riri turned to see the two Foxes. Vixen smiled and laughed, which formed a small smile on Riri's face.
"She's happy."
"I don't know if we can trust him, something's not fitting in."
"I agree...but this is possibly the only one of her people left alive besides her. She's overjoyed."
Daisy turned to her, arms crossed.
"That doesn't mean she should let her guard down. She has one of the most powerful weapons in existence, the main one that gives us the best edge against Imperious. We need her focused."
Riri crossed her arms.
"They may be the last of their kind. She hasn't experienced her culture, she has no sense of her racial identity. It was destroyed. You can't understand that."
Daisy's eyes went wide for a moment, what he friend was saying finally hitting home. She didn't understand it, not at all. She groaned in guilt, placing a hand on her forehand.
"I'm an idiot."
"Yeah, you were."
Daisy sighed, nodding.
The two turned back, seeing the Foxes continuing to talk and laugh. Riri looked from them to Daisy.
"Come on, let's go be there for her. Maybe, even if he isn't who he says he is, maybe we can get some information out of him."
Daisy nodded.
The two walked through the door, with the Foxes turning to them.
Vixen smiled.
"Hey guys. Vulpine was just about to tell me about the music of my world."
"Come, sit."
Vulpine moved his hand to ask for them to sit. The two young women slowly walked over and sat. Vixen turned back to Vulpine, who smiled.
"Our music changed and evolved through the ages, but many things followed a rhythm. Harmony was always at the heart of our music."
"The music of Father's world didn't seemed to give me the feeling he said it would. It was ok, but he said it was supposed to be inspirational...to lift my spirit or fill me with the love of the being his people worshiped. I tried to feel it."
Vulpine chuckled.
"Perhaps because you were never home there. That isn't your fault. Your ancestral home and culture is what's calling to you, for you to embrace it."
Vixen nodded.
"Could you...perhaps...play some music?"
Vulpine grinned. From his robe, he pulled out a long wooden pipe with a red tassel tied to the end. Several holes ran along the pipe's length.
"One of our traditional instruments. Flutes were some of our signature instruments used."
He pulled the flute up to his lips and began to play.
The three women were enthralled by the music. The flute played something so beautiful, an ancient song that sent chills down their spines. Within Vixen, it was more, the song spoke to her spirit and felt a haunting yet familiar feeling in her blood and bones. It sounded so much like the traditional Chinese and Japanese music she'd of this world. Something about them drew her to them and now she knew why. It reminded her of home, where she was born, her ancestral home.
Vixen closed her eyes. She felt she was in a dream, envisioning her home world in its former grace and glory. Cherry blossom pedals floated through the wind through great cities, a luminous full moon shining her light down onto the land below. Her spirit soared, feeling every note of the music filling her with a sense of home she'd never know, one she wished she'd known.
A tear came to her eye.
"B-Beautiful."
Vulpine smiled and continued to play.
Daisy and Riri found the music beautiful as well, but its meaning only was felt in the Foxes.
Eventually Vulpine finished. Vixen couldn't hold back her tears.
"...J-Just that...our people's music...s-shows how much Imperious destroyed...so much meaning...the harmony of our world...lost...t-thank you for sharing that with me."
Vixen hugged Vulpine, crying.
To Be Continued...