The next morning
Bucky slowly woke up and jumped a little. The entire area was covered in thick fog. "Nix," he said, gently shaking her. Phoenix came awake and sat up when she noticed the fog. "What's going on?" she wondered, a hand going to Bucky's chest. "No idea," he said, arm going around her to hold her close. The shifter reformed a shirt and looked around. A low growl issued from the fog. The two spotted a pair of glowing gold eyes. Bucky's face went pale when a massive white tiger stepped into view. The White Wolf had seen an adult male Amur tiger before in a zoo. This male was twice that size. An ethereal-sounding birdsong issued from above. A phoenix with the look and size of a harpy eagle came into view, eyes glowing red. It circled the area before coming in to land on a dead tree. Falling stones behind them made them look at the hill. Seiryu, eyes glowing blue, was clinging to the rocky face of the skull. From in front of them, Genbu came from the fog. His two sets of eyes were glowing in opposing colors. The black tortoise's eyes were glowing brown while the brown python's were glowing black.
"They're…not here," Phoenix said, looking at the beasts. "You sure about that?" Bucky asked. "Yes. I don't feel their auras at all," she responded. "Are they…the High Kings? I recognize Seiryu and Genbu," came the next comment. "The phoenix is Suzaku, High King of the South. The tiger is Byakko, High King of the West. Mother reports directly to him since we're in his Domain," came the reply. "What is going on?" Phoenix then mused. She looked up at the hill and her violet eyes widened. The skull's eyes were glowing a gentle white. Far from looking spooky, it was almost inviting. She was prevented from saying anything when Byakko spoke.
"My brothers, we have a problem," he said, stalking around and tail lashing in agitation. "What news have you?" Suzaku inquired. Byakko didn't answer right away. He just growled low and long. The others could tell he was trying not to roar. Byakko was a laid-back soul most of the time, content to smith weapons and raise orphans in addition to his duties as High King. "We missed one," he then replied. "Explain," Seiryu said from his place on the skull. Byakko's temper got the best of him then and he swiped at a downed tree. It broke under his powerful paw and he snarled. "Brother," Genbu said impassively. The tiger's ears pinned back, tail still lashing. He took a deep breath before turning to face his fellow monarchs. "The Queen of the Unicorn Nation was assaulted…by a kelpie," he said. The others' shock was palpable. Even Genbu's passive expression showed his own surprise. "What do you mean 'assaulted by a kelpie'!? We killed them all!" Seiryu raged, bearing his teeth at Byakko.
"I'm not lying about it. I was told by the Queen herself. Not only was she assaulted by a kelpie but she was also kidnapped by a human. For what purpose, I don't know but that's the least of our problems. There is a kelpie running around my land and this doesn't bode well for the various equine populations across the Continent. And if the kelpies return, it's only a matter of time before they cross the sea to Island Reptilia. Quetzalcoatl must be warned," the tiger insisted. "There's no point warning the Sovereign. We need to find this kelpie and we need to kill him. He cannot be allowed to start his species anew," Genbu interjected. Silence between them fell before Suzaku ruffled his feathers. "Lord Renshu…," he suddenly said. "What does that Behemoth have to do with anything? Especially since he's been dead since the Faction Wars," Byakko said, annoyed. "He had a kelpie in his Keep," the High King of the South replied. The other three looked at him baffled.
"And why were we not told? Why do you know?" Seiryu asked, his own temper simmering under the surface. "I found out by accident and he was locked in a heavily enchanted cell. I didn't think he could escape. You know the Earth Lord's Keep is surrounded by a lake of fire," Suzaku fired back. "Does this kelpie have a name?" Genbu asked. The phoenix was quiet for a moment, gauging the temperaments of his fellow monarchs. Seiryu was clinging to Golgotha's face even harder than before. Genbu was passive as only he could be. Byakko's gold eyes were zeroed in on him and his restraint was close to snapping. "It's Thanatos. The chiefest and greatest of his kind and the last of the Original Twenty-Five," he revealed. That was all it took for the High King of the West. Bucky and Phoenix watched as he launched himself at the tree where Suzaku was perched. The bird took flight just as the tiger slammed against the tree and brought it down. Quick as a flash, Genbu was in his false human form, python ever-present, and he summoned a claymore to his left hand.
"Stand down!" he barked, pointing his weapon at Byakko. "You stand down, Genbu! Allianna was assaulted by a kelpie! She was under MY protection! I failed the First Queen! I promised to protect her bloodline! I will go to the Afterworld after the End, knowing I will have to face her! Allianna is just a child! She's only just become Queen! Thanatos got her! You know what that means! He seeded her with his spawn! He destroyed the First Queen's house!" the tiger raged. "ENOUGH!" roared Seiryu. Byakko nearly jumped out of his fur but Genbu was unmoved, a testament to his character. The dragon looked at each High King in turn before he spoke again.
"We're playing right into the Enemy's hands fighting among ourselves. If the four of us don't keep ourselves united, we will fail our mission. Remember where we are. Enough blood has been spilled on Golgotha and I'll be damned if any of ours stains this holy land. What's done is done. I don't know how Renshu managed to capture Thanatos but it's too late for that now. It's his damn fault we're facing a problem that can go bad really quickly if we don't do something now," he dressed them down.
His blue eyes went to meet Byakko's golds. "I remember how you felt for the First Queen and how disappointed you were when she decided to remember her place. She chose Macedon as her King. She put her kind over you. You graciously rolled with it because you are wise. Your oath to protect her family through the ages has withstood everything. Don't let Thanatos take that from you. Let the Unicorn Nation care for its own and focus on the real issue. We have a kelpie running around and we need to find him before he does this to some other mare," he said. The tiger just let his head fall, eyes closed. Genbu lowered his claymore and rested a hand on Byakko's head. "Allianna is an adult, brother. She's not a child anymore. We know she's strong enough to weather it. We have seen the indomitable spirit of the First Queen in her. She will overcome," he said. Byakko just glared at the ground. "I'll never forgive him. I wanted to keep her eyes in my life for all my days. Thanatos took that from me. Orono…was everything to me," he said, quietly.
Bucky looked over at Phoenix. She looked overwhelmed and she was staring at the apparition of the High King of the West. Tears were falling unknowingly from her eyes. Bucky himself had a lot of questions. What was this? Why were they seeing this? Who was Quetzalcoatl? What was Island Reptilia? Where was it? Was he understanding correctly that Byakko had feelings for Phoenix's most ancient ancestor? Did Allianna know? The fog started lifting then. The apparitions started to fade and so did the light in the eyes of the skull. The White Wolf looked at Phoenix again. She was staring into space. He waited patiently, taking in things as well. "I…I had no idea," the shifter spoke. Bucky turned her face towards him. "Let's save it for later. That was a lot. But what was that?" he asked, talking about the experience as a whole.
"I've never heard of this ever happening to anyone who's come here," she responded. Phoenix knew her entire perception of Byakko had been completely upended. He was a bit of a recluse with only Genbu outstripping him there. He was the inventor of blacksmithing and had a soft spot for orphans, often taking them in and raising them as his own. She never dreamed he was capable of romantic feelings. But if it was true, the reason he hadn't really looked for love was because he was carrying a torch for a female who was long dead. Seiryu was the only Master with a known romantic history. Rumors were flying about Suzaku and Genbu but they weren't substantiated because of Suzaku's particular circumstances and Genbu was just a blank slate outside his contributions to science and art. He wasn't just Genbu the Wise among the populous. He was also the Mysterious King Genbu.
Bucky met Phoenix's eyes. She regarded him in kind. "Who is Quetzalcoatl?" he then asked. "Legend has it he was a winged serpent, the largest flyer in the world. He was apparently the only one of his kind. He's mostly known for being a wanderer and was at the center of a conspiracy theory where a female named Quetzalpatlatl also existed but he killed her. No way to know what is true and what isn't. I don't know why the Masters would bring him up as if he were still alive. He was reported killed around the end of the Faction Wars. I don't know what Island Reptilia is either. I've never heard of it," she explained. Bucky lay back, his face screwed up in confusion. "Why is everything connected to the Faction Wars? Your mom said the Saurians went extinct not long after they ended. You said the Kirin Nation vanished around the same time. Now there's this Quetzalcoatl figure popping up as having died around then as well. Add in this island you've never heard of and this is pretty damn suspicious," he said.
"I'm not worried about that, to be honest. I'm more concerned for His Majesty, Byakko High King. I had no idea he felt something for my ancestor. I wonder if Mother knows," Phoenix said, shifting back. "Hell, did your ancestor know? Nothing in that freaky vision or whatever that was made it obvious one way or another," Bucky responded. The chimera looked back up at the skull hill. The man looked at her in turn. "We need to go, Bucky. We need to go right now," she said, with a sense of urgency. He didn't question her. He got to his feet after pulling his shirt and boots on. He waited for Phoenix to drink from the pool below the rocky face of the hill for the trip back. He filled his own canteen and then draped the blanket on her back. Mounting her, the two looked at the hill again before turning to the north. Phoenix worked herself up to a gallop. Bucky looked over his shoulder to watch Golgotha shrink into the distance.
A couple of hours later…
Phoenix had long slowed to a walk by the time she stopped to give Bucky a break. He got off and cracked his back. "Doing okay? That was some heavy stuff we saw," he spoke up. "I'm fine now. I've been thinking about it a lot trying to make sense of it. Like, I knew the High Kings were made aware of Mother's assault but I never thought about what happened after. Then there's the idea that Byakko felt romantically for my ancestor. I can't help but wonder if she knew," the chimera responded. Bucky looked around at the featureless Flats. "Imagine his surprise when he first met you. You have your mother's eyes and by extension, your ancestor's," he mused. "Byakko didn't react to me at all but he's old and doubtless he's an expert at hiding his emotions. It's silly but I feel horrible that I'm the last descendant he'll ever see," Phoenix sighed.
Bucky closed the distance to wrap his arms around her neck. "Don't carry that burden, Nix. Nothing about this could be helped and we're still running on very little information about this. Let it go," he said. Phoenix rubbed her neck against his chest before she froze. Bucky heard it, too. Suddenly, something huge rose out of the endless plains and stretched into the sky. "What the hell," Bucky choked when he saw it was a gigantic snake covered in golden armor. What got him even more terrified was the number of heads he was seeing. He saw eight in total. The snake noticed them and brought his heads down. Bucky noticed his heads were more dragonish than snake-ish but he was undeniably a snake. "A human? You continue to surprise me, Phoenix," he said, the centermost head handling the communication.
Bucky swallowed, his eyes dodging to each head. Phoenix looked relatively unphased once the initial shock wore off. "Bucky, this is Yamata no Orochi. He's the shogun of the Doku Shogunate. Basically, the big boss of all the venomous snakes on the Continent. Lord Genbu rules the constrictors," she said. Orochi looked at the man, almost bored. "Pick a head and stick with it, human. You're distracting," he said. Bucky, cowed, focused on the main communicator. "How the hell did you manage to hide?" he blurted out, baffled that the Flats were able to cover his presence. "Tall grass and you both not paying close attention to your surroundings. You better make tracks quickly. We're not alone here," the Shogun said, drolly.
Eight elemental kabuto helms phased into existence. The main head had one with a fire symbol on it. The others were noted as plant, ice, sand, rock, water, shadow, and light. Things then went sideways fast. A large black shape erupted from the landscape, aiming at Orochi. The Shogun hissed loudly, several of his heads catching the thing that came at him. Bucky was on Phoenix's back in seconds and she was trying to get away. It was harder than it looked because of the chaos. Bucky happened to see what had attacked Orochi. It was another giant multi-headed snake. Unlike Orochi, this one was smaller (not by much), had seven heads, and was clearly a water moccasin. The two were duking it out as if their lives depended on it. Orochi was utilizing magic connected to his kabutos. The moccasin was relying solely on strikes. The two got tangled up, steamrolling the environment. Phoenix had to dodge a lot.
"Who or what is that!?" Bucky shouted as they barely missed getting crushed. "Kusanagi! He's Orochi's second! He hates it! Wants to be Shogun!" she explained. She didn't get much more out when Kusanagi's tail came down and sent them both to the ground. Bucky's military training kicked in and he rolled away, none the worse for wear. Phoenix tumbled and her tail was partially ripped in half, hanging on by a thread. She stumbled several times trying to get to her hooves but the crash and the general chaos sent her into survival mode. Orochi noticed and his anger was made clear. Seven of his heads lashed out and he bodily threw Kusanagi away from them both. The two continued to fight as Bucky raced to where Phoenix was. She looked fine aside from her ripped tail. Without hesitation, the White Wolf took his large knife and cut the dead weight off. He then snatched the closest curled horn and got her to trot away from the battling snakes. The two had nearly made it to the moorlands when things went down so they climbed the first hill before stopping and looking back.
By this point, Orochi and Kusanagi had kicked up so much dust, they were hard to see now. Once in a while, an elemental attack was seen, mostly fire. It was like a car crash they couldn't look away from. Eventually, though, Kusanagi was pinned down. Orochi had his eight sets of jaws nailing him to the ground, using the rest of his body to constrict the smaller snake. Kusanagi kept thrashing around but he eventually went still. "Is he dead?" Bucky asked, barely in a whisper. "If Orochi wanted him dead, Kusanagi would've been killed long ago," Phoenix responded, just as quietly. They watched the Shogun release his second before uncoiling off him and following up by picking him up by the necks. He then bodily tossed the moccasin away. Kusanagi slithered off to nurse his pride. Orochi then looked in their direction and Bucky dropped into a defensive stance out of habit. The golden snake just looked at them before phasing his kabutos out of existence and slithering off in the opposite direction of Kusanagi.
Bucky turned to check on Phoenix, only for her to have shifted into her false form when he wasn't paying attention. She pulled his head down and kissed him. Her fear and relief were apparent. Initially surprised, his adrenaline crashed and he crushed her to his body, They came down on their knees, breaking the kiss and touching foreheads. "You okay?" Phoenix asked. "I could be worse. I'm fine, though. Nothing compared to some of the crap I've gone through already. What about you? Your tail broke," he responded. "I'm okay. Just winded and a bit jumpy. Sorry that happened. I wasn't expecting Orochi or Kusanagi to be here. Orochi is usually in Genbu's North at Shogun Mountain or wandering the Great Desert just over the border in Seiryu's East," she explained. Bucky laughed a little, stroking her face. "It's fine, Nix. I knew what I was getting into by coming here. You have a beautiful homeworld but like Earth, there's going to be violence," he said.
Phoenix took a deep breath, placing a hand on his face. They took a few minutes to catch their breath and calm down. Bucky watched Orochi far off in the distance before he fell out of sight. "That was an intense battle. What was their deal?" he piped up after a moment. "Orochi is another one of the super ancient beings in this world. He's not a Master but he's just as old and powerful. He's been around since the beginning. Kusanagi…well, he's been around for at least five thousand years but we don't know where he came from or if he was around since the start. He's never liked that Orochi was given the Shogunate. He thinks he was passed over for the role because Orochi has one more head than he does. The two have been getting into fights over it forever. Why Orochi refuses to kill him, I can't begin to guess," she sighed.
After a few minutes of catching their breath and calming down, Phoenix retook her true form while Bucky went to look for the blanket he had been riding on. It had gotten thrown off when Kusanagi's tail caused them to crash. He found it with minimal issue and whistled when he saw the environmental damage. There were huge gouges in the ground and a copse of trees was completely flattened. It would take time for those scars to heal. The White Wolf shook the blanket out before he draped it on her back and mounted. They headed into the moors, hoping to reach the Glade before something else happened.
The Glade
Bucky and Phoenix both breathed a sigh when the trees came into view. The chimera worked up to a canter and before long, they reached the treeline. Marengo was there to greet them. The equines exchanged a nod as Bucky got off and they followed him in. They entered the gathering place. Allianna saw them and immediately came up to them. "What happened?" she asked, indicating Phoenix's broken tail. Bucky couldn't help but chuckle to himself at how much of a mom she was being. "We, uh, kind of caught up in a battle between Orochi and Kusanagi. We're fine, though. My tail was the only casualty," Phoenix explained as they crossed horns.
Allianna looked at Bucky for confirmation. He just nodded. The Queen sighed. "Those two…," she muttered before smiling at her daughter and stepping back. They walked towards the dais while Phoenix relayed the vision they had seen. Allianna looked surprised that they were shown a meeting between the High Kings but admitted that she should've figured it did take place and at Golgotha. The hill was a place of comfort after all. The Queen lay down on the dais. Phoenix and Bucky joined her. Allianna looked between the two and smiled. "You're concerned about something," she stated. The two exchanged a look. "What do you know of Byakko's interaction with the First Queen?" Phoenix asked.
Allianna looked out over the herd. "According to our history, they were close friends. One thing we must remember is that our ancestor was the first female unicorn ever created. Just like the High Kings, she and Macedon both awoke and their memories began. It's been said the First Queen was the first thing Byakko saw upon his own awakening. When the Nations started forming, he personally crowned her and Macedon as the first monarchs of our people. Why the interest?" the Queen inquired. Bucky swore that Phoenix's face went a little red under her fur. "Before the vision ended…Byakko called her by name. I know he's not obligated to follow tradition to keep her name unspoken but more than that…he said she was everything to him," she responded. Allianna hummed.
"It's hard to know what he meant, truth be told. The Masters have their secrets and Byakko is good at masking any of his. I don't know what good it would do to ask. It's been thousands of years since her passing. Her journals might shed some light but I'm not particularly confident she was aware of anything on Byakko's end," the Queen said before sighing wistfully. "I wish I could've known her. She was such a kind but firm ruler with wisdom and humility. I can only hope that I, as her last true descendent, am remembered that fondly," she lamented a little. Bucky's eyes went to Phoenix, the actual last of the bloodline. The chimera noticed and gave him a look. "I know what you're thinking, love, so let me remind you. I have no claim to the throne. By blood, yes, I'm related to the First Queen but that's not enough. I'm not the same species. Don't go looking to be offended on behalf of someone who isn't offended. This is just politics. Far as the Nation and the world cares, Mother will die without heirs and I won't be recorded as an official descendent," she explained.
"Not officially?" Bucky inquired. Allianna spoke up then. "I had to fight Canaan on it but I made damn sure Phoenix was recorded in my personal family tree. She was referred to as the Lost One before we met a few decades back and I learned her name. I made it no secret I gave birth to a chimera, hence why I butted heads with my former advisor prior to Tempest. Canaan was highly traditional and couldn't accept my child wasn't a unicorn. We eventually compromised. Phoenix is recorded in my personal records but official records mark me as the last of the First House and the First Queen's bloodline. Either way, whoever I choose as my successors to start the Second House will have access to both records," she explained. Bucky let it rest. He turned to Phoenix. "I'm going to take a nap. That battle we got caught in took a toll," he said. The chimera smiled and rubbed his arm with her nose. He wandered off to the den they were using and lay down.
Phoenix turned to Allianna. "Mother…I'm not a unicorn but I'm not sure if the tradition applies to me," she ventured. The unicorn placed her nose to hers. "You wonder if the name you heard was indeed hers even though it was clear from the rest of the conversation you saw?" she asked. Phoenix just nodded. "The Tree of History has a book with the names of our ancestors. If you go there and look, you will know," Allianna then said. "I believe it is so. I just don't know if it's my place to say it aloud," the chimera responded. The Queen shifted, rubbing her neck to her daughter's. "That's up to you. Our tradition is more out of a sense of gratitude than it is an obligation. The First Queen did so much for our people. Thanks to the Weaver intervening through her, she stood up to the Enemy. If Byakko felt anything for her, her courage would be the thing to win his heart. It was a lovely name, wasn't it?" she chuckled. "Beautiful…just like she was," Phoenix agreed.
She smiled in Bucky's direction. "Golgotha helped him, too. Orochi and Kusanagi's battle aside, he was in good spirits during our short time there," she sighed. The Queen nodded sagely. "I'm glad it helped you," she agreed. Phoenix took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Do you think we'll stand the test of time? He's a human and I've lived long enough to know I inherited your kind's long life. He'll age without me and we all know what happened when I tried to change that," the chimera ventured. Allianna looked at her daughter's back. Her warped, discolored scales were proof of her attempted form expulsion. "That's up to you two. I want to believe you will. You have a strong bond that weathered what you did. The Weaver brought you two together for a reason. We may never know what that is. Besides," the Queen trailed off.
Phoenix saw she was looking at Tempest. The black stallion was standing and looking into the forest, ears pulled forward. Like usual, the light seemed to die when it touched him. "The two of you have what I can never have. Between my trauma and him being the Abhorred One…we can never be together officially. I know I'm the last of the House but that doesn't give me free reign to toss it aside for my own selfish desires. Tempest knows how I feel…but he deserves to hear it from me. Thanatos did more than steal my fertility. He stole my voice. Perhaps that's why I want things between you and James to continue as they are. You deserve a better life than what you lived since you were stolen from me and like any mother, I want you to live a better life than me," she explained.
Phoenix watched her walk away, sad for her mother. The Queen deserved better. But no one ever grew up thinking bad things would ever happen to them and Allianna had some terrible evils done to her. Phoenix wondered if her grandparents, King Sunstorm and Queen Moonraine, were still around when all that went down. She never thought to ask nor did she feel it was her place. The chimera moved towards the den she and Bucky were using. He was out like a light. She considered him for a moment before taking another deep breath. She let it out with a smile. Bucky had a point. Worrying about the future wasn't going to strengthen their bond. It would weaken it and Phoenix didn't want to know how much Bucky could take before he threw in the towel. Entering the den, the chimera turned in place to lie down. She gently rubbed her nose to Bucky's temple, smiling as he sighed in his sleep and turned his face in her direction. "I'll do better, Bucky. I promise," she thought to herself before turning her attention outside.