-Chapter 21-

Truth, Forgiveness, & Dragon Boats

?

Knuckles groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, preparing for his latest moment of consciousness. Ever since that ninja's trap had knocked him out, he'd been going in and out of lucidity on and off. He wasn't sure how many times this made, but it was getting old.

"Ohhhh man…" he let out as he sat up and rubbed his head. "What's happening now?"

He blinked blearily as he took in his surroundings; a vast and endless void of spiraling, twisting colors. Well, he called it a void for lack of a better word. He wasn't floating around in an empty space… well, he was in an empty space, but he could feel a solid floor under his feet, even if he couldn't see it. It was a strange, disorienting place… one that was becoming unpleasantly well-acquainted with.

"Great, this place again," Knuckles groused. "Just what kind of power was that ninja packing any…Agh!"

He held up his hand as a beam of rainbow light shot from the center of a swirling, neon-yellow vortex.

"The hell's goin' on? What is that?" He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light, allowing him to get a better look. It turned out the beam of light wasn't a beam at all, but a bird. Specifically, it was a mass of light in the shape of a soaring phoenix, the Chunese variety, as seen by its short, backward curving crest and long, elegant tail feathers…one he instantly recognized.

"Is that… the Gaia Phoenix from Kat's tattoo?" He raised his arm to try and block out some of the light. "I mean, I guess it makes sense. We were in Chunan when I got knocked out, but why…What the!?"

Knuckles recoiled in shock as he noticed something off about his arm: it was green. In fact, his whole body was green.

"Chaos Knuckles?" he let out, remembering the powerful god-like form he assumed during the battle with Enerjak. "But, when did I… H-How…?"

"...ckles…"

"Huh?"

"Knuuuuuuuuckles…"

Knuckles looked up to see a reddish-colored ball of light floating toward him. "Wait…Tikal, is that you?"

"Knuuuuuuuckles…" the ball wailed eerily, its voice not Tikal's, but an older man's. "Knuuuuckles... Whyyyy… you mus… waaa… uuuu…"

Knuckles blinked in confusion, holding up a hand to his ear as he moved some of his dreadlocks out of the way. "I'm sorry, what?"

"...sai...ar…sti…waaa…uuuuu…"

"I can't understand what you're saying!" he demanded. "Speak up!"

The ball replied by ramming into his head, letting out a loud, comedic HONK! upon impact.

"Ow!"

"I said, why are you still here, you lazy cuss!?" the ball shouted, its voice clearer and much more ornery. "Stop standin' around lookin' all gobsmacked and wake up already!"

"Wake up?"

The ball bonked Knuckles in the head again, once more with a HONK! "Ya got maize growin' in yer ears or somethin'!? I said wake up! Do ya wanna leave your sister alone after what she's just been through?!"

"Kat…" Knuckles smacked both cheeks, remembering what was going on… and what he'd been seeing. "Crap, you're right! I gotta move!"

"Here, lemme help ya."

HONK!

"Oof!"

"Wake up!"

HONK!

"Ow!"

"Wake up!"

HONK!

"Agggh!"

"Wake. Up!"

HONK!

-X-

"Alright, already, I'm up, I'm up!"

Knuckles blinked, realizing he was actually awake. He looked around, seeing he was in Kat's family home. "Huh? What is this place, some kind of old Chunese hospital?"

"Knuckles!" Before he could react, there was a flash of pink and he was tackled onto the futon he was on.

"Julie!?"

"Oh my gosh, you're finally awake!" Julie-Su exclaimed. "Aurora, Knuckles, it was like you were dead! I felt like I was empty!"

"Easy, easy, it's okay..." Knuckles returned the hug. "Sorry I freaked you out, but I'm back now."

He perked, remembering the last thing that happened before he was knocked out.

"Fugg! Julie! Where's Mom!? I gotta..."

"Knuckles?"

Knux and Julie turned to see Lara-Le in the doorway. She held a hand over her mouth, and tears of relief filled her eyes.

"Oh Knuckles… Thank the Walkers…"

"Mom!"

Knuckles went to hug his mom, only for Lara to quickly push him back onto the futon.

"You stay in bed, young man," she said sternly. "You've been out for days."

"Wait, days!?"

"Yeah… That fight with Rantao? It was four days ago," Julie explained awkwardly. "And the final showdown... three days ago. You've been out since then."

"What!?" Memories flashed in Knuckles' mind, fragments of a boat crash, a bloody fight, and fire engulfing him. "The showdown… Crap! Mom, where's Kat!? I need to talk to you AND her. Dad's planning to..."

"They already know, son."

Knuckles paused as Locke and Wynmacher slowly entered, the former holding an ice pack to his head.

"Dad!"

"I'm glad to see you're finally awake," Locke sighed with relief.

"Indeed," Wynmacher concurred. "We were all quite worried about you."

"Dad, what happened…?"

"To my face?" Locke finished. He adjusted the ice pack, revealing the massive shiner that had made it necessary in the first place.

Knuckles gave him a blank look. "Let me guess, Kat figured out your plan and socked you."

Locke shook his head. "Not quite. This... is from Kathryn's friend. I think the only reason she left it at that was because that damned pheasant nearly incinerated me."

"Pheasant? Incinerated?" Knuckles perked as he got a flash of an image of his father engulfed in flames, shielding Kat from an attack. He looked ill at ease. "Flare…"

That gave everyone pause.

"Yes…" Lara confirmed. "How did you know?"

"Son? Are you alright?" Locke asked worriedly.

Knuckles jumped before snapping back too. "Y-Yeah… A-Anyway, what about Kat? Is she alright?"

At that, they all fell quiet. Then Julie pointed next to Knuckles. In a futon right next to him, Kat was still and quiet.

"Kat!" Knuckles was by her side in an instant. Fortunately, she looked uninjured and was breathing steadily. She simply looked extremely tired.

"Whew!" the younger echidna let out. "What are…Hm?"

Knuckles perked as he felt a strange, tingling sensation deep in the back of his skull. The same tingle he felt whenever he felt a Chaos Shard or Emerald was nearby. The tingle drew his gaze toward Kat's stomach, where he saw what appeared to be a golden light resting at her core, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"Huh?" Knuckles blinked, rubbing his eyes before looking again. "That... wasn't there before. Or... at least... I couldn't see it before…"

"So... you can see it too."

Knuckles looked over his shoulder to see Bunker lying across from him and Kat, Cinder right beside her. The tortoise was wreathed in bandages, but no longer looked to be at death's door. But what really caught his attention was a cord connected to her core. The cord shone bright gold and seemed to be filling Bunker up with energy, as seen from the way it pulsed and undulated toward her. Curious, his eyes followed the cord along the floor to its source and found that it was coming from Kat's own light, like a sort of mystical IV.

"Ohaiyo, Knuckles-san!" Cinder greeted cheerfully.

"What the?!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Cinder… Bunker… what is that?"

The two Shijin Warriors paused.

"What's what?" Cinder asked.

"Knuckles, what's wrong?" Lara asked, confused.

"C-C-Cord... Kat... Gold... Bunker... tied..."

"Knux, are you okay?" Julie-Su asked.

"Perhaps he needs more bedrest?" Wyn suggested.

"Do you not see the line of glowing energy connecting them!?"

"Son, what are you talking about?" Locke questioned. "There's nothing there."

"Wait...what?"

Knuckles looked between Kat and Bunker, and then his family. Aside from Bunker, none of them seemed to notice the tether.

"B-But… how do you not see it?" he uttered.

"Because they cannot," Bunker replied. "I am unsure how this came to be, but it would appear that your slumber has allowed you to grow attuned to the mystic energies of our world. Enough that, when such power is utilized, it manifests itself into a visible spectrum to your eyes."

Knuckles blinked. "Mystical energies… you mean I can see Chaos now?"

"But how?" Locke cut in. "Only the wisest of the guardian elders are capable of such a feat. Not even I have reached that level."

"As I said, I do not know." Bunker sighed, her eyes downcast. "All I do know is that things have reached the point of no return. It is impossible to hide the truth, especially after this."

"Truth?"

"About Kaitian's power and the true nature of its origins."

"Sensei…" Cinder pleaded.

"I understand your concern, young one." The tortoise reached out, gently petting the young pheasant's head. "But they bore witness to the truth and are owed an explanation. More than that, they are A-tian's family. If anyone can be trusted with this secret, it is them."

"Secret? What are you talking about?" Knuckles demanded. "Kat got her powers from being exposed to the energy of the Master Emerald."

"Her strength and fortitude, perhaps. But her fire?" Bunker shook her head. "Forgive me, but Kaitian's flame comes from a far stronger and far more ancient force than the spirit of an Echidna priestess."

"Older than Tikal?" Knuckles shook his head. "I am so confused. Can we just… start from the beginning? What exactly happened while I was out?"

"Buckle up, Knux," Julie began. "This one's a real doozy."

-X-

Meanwhile… in the forest outside Kat's house…

Jian sat crouched atop the highest tree in the forest she could find, her eyes scanning the wilderness for any sign of orange fur or blue feathers. It'd been three days since Rantao and Flare had been defeated, and while Kaitian's adoptive family told them that they were nowhere to be found, she wasn't taking any chances. That, and she needed something to keep focused, lest her mind start wandering back to less pleasant thoughts, such as the festival and what she… almost did that day.

"What would she have said if she saw you now?" she sighed.

"Jian…"

She perked, looking over her shoulder to see exactly who she was expecting to see.

"Dulcinea."

"Mobium for your thoughts?" the dragon asked, wings softly flapping.

"I haven't seen any sign of Rantao or Flare," the tigress replied. "Whatever Kaitian did to them in the forest three days ago, they're nowhere near the village."

Dulcy smiled. "That's good." Then it vanished. "But, that's not all you're thinking about, is it?"

Jian prepared to deny that, only to remember what a mess that made. "No… no, it's not."

She let out a yelp as the branch she was crouching on wobbled as Dulcy took a seat next to her.

"So… you wanna talk about it?"

"If I say no, will you drop it?"

"Jian… it's clear you're carrying a heavy burden, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that the path from inner turmoil starts with a friendly ear.

Master Bunker's words. She should've expected as much from the old kame's student.

"I'll be honest…" Jian began. "I'm still getting used to this whole 'team' thing. Back in the Raiju, everyone was only out for themselves. You were expected to pull your weight all the time. Nobody looked out for anyone or worked together unless the missions required us to, and even then, everyone involved just did their part of the plan."

Dulcy let out a sympathetic hiss. "That sounds like a horrible way to live."

Jian nodded. "It was. But, that's simply how things were. If you didn't like it or couldn't handle it, you were dead. One of the reasons I'm glad to be rid of it." She hung her head in sorrow. "But even though I left the Raiju, the Raiju hasn't left me."

"I can imagine…" Dulcy leaned back. "It's to let go of that toxic mindset, especially when you've lived with it for so long. I know a bit of what that's like."

"Jiaolong Zan." Dulcy perked at Jian's mention of…him. "I looked more into him after the battle at Suzaku. You were his mate once."

Dulcy let out a shuddering breath. "Yeah. One of the worst mistakes of my life. Entitled... Arrogant… Manipulative… Frankly, he and Rantao would get along well, were she a dragon."

"From what I've heard from Cinder, he'd get along well with Flare."

"I can see that." Dulcy snickered. "Anyway… To make a long story short, Zan convinced me to cut several people I cared about out of my life. My old friends… Shifu Bunker… even my parents." Jian's eyes widened, but she remained silent. "He claimed he was 'protecting my honor', and me, being young, dumb, and eager to prove myself, believed every word he whispered in my ear."

"Isolation," Jian replied. "Cutting you off from any support network. It was the same with us. We were taught to 'sever all ties with the outside world and the weak, pathetic masses.' Taught that such connections were only weakness."

"Zan said the same thing, more or less. He told me I needed to cast aside all the 'undesirables' in my life. That I should only associate with those who were 'worthy' of being friends. Basically, only people he approved of."

"And let me guess; they were people like him who constantly agreed with him and belittled you for even attempting to step out of line?" Jian asked contemptibly.

"And his equally arrogant, entitled family," Dulcy replied with equal venom. "Even after I finally worked up the nerve to leave him, I could still hear him and his screeching gecko of a mother snapping at me over every tiny thing I did for months."

Jian winced in sympathy as Dulcy shuddered, in rage as well as fear. "How did you manage to get away?" she asked.

"He got bolder and he raised a hand to me. It was a wake-up call." The dragon smirked. "He was missing three fangs and several scales when I was through with him."

Jian smirked at that. "Good."

"Still… the damage was already done," Dulcy continued regretfully. "I was so ashamed of myself for letting him control me like that… It took me forever to face any of my friends and family again. It took me a week to work up the courage to face my parents, and I hadn't even seen or spoken to Shifu before the mission in Suzaku."

"I see." Jian was silent for a moment. "It would seem... I misjudged you. I thought you were just another stupid, bull-headed dragon. That you would only get in my way. That's why I was so insistent on handling Rantao on my own."

"It was more than that though," Dulcy cut in. "Rantao hurt you, more so than any other in your clan. And... someone you cared about too."

Jian cringed. "Yes... she did. But I'm not ready to talk about that. Not for a while, at least."

Dulcy made to argue but decided against it and simply nodded. "Alright," she replied. "Just know that I'm here whenever you are."

Jian nodded back. "Understood."

"Welp!" Dulcy hopped off the branch, taking flight again. "I'd better get going. Need to get back to the Nest before nightfall."

Jian perked. "You're leaving?"

Dulcy nodded. "With the Raiju getting involved, things are about to get serious. I need to report this to Elder Glint and the other members of the Council as soon as possible. I've already told Shifu and Cinder, and they understand."

"What about Kaitian?"

Dulcy sighed. "Kaitian has… enough on her plate to deal with. She doesn't need to know about this right away."

Jian thought for a moment. "That's true."

"I'll let you know what happens once I finish up," Dulcy promised as she prepared to fly off.

"Wait!" Jian called out, stopping the dragoness before she could get too far away. "Dulcine…haaaa…Dulcy, thank you. For what you did three days ago. If you hadn't, I would've done something terrible."

Dulcy simply smiled back. "Hey, what are friends for?"

With that, Dulcy flew off into the distance, leaving Jian alone in the treetops with her thoughts.

"You should've been here with us, Hazuki. You'd have liked it." Jian looked up to the sky, a smile coming on her face and a few tears in her eyes. "I know I do."

-X-

"And that's how it all happened," Julie concluded, leaving her soulmate utterly flabbergasted.

"Wait…" Knuckles cut in. "So, the ninja that attacked us was one of Jian's old teammates from when she went to assassinate Cinder and her blood siblings… who was then captured by her brother and locked in the dungeon… Only for said brother to let her go so she could kill Kat and steal her power… because it belonged to his family and she somehow… stole it."

"Or so the blue bird believed," Wynmacher corrected. "As I recall, when he confronted her, she told him that whatever she took was freely given."

"He also mentioned a name," Lara recalled. "Suzaku, I believe it was."

"But, that's the name of his kingdom," Knuckles remarked. "Kat said it used to be a real force to be reckoned with before it fell on hard times."

"No…" Cinder shook her head. "The Kingdom of Suzaku is so named for its founder. The First Entei, the Sacred Flame, and the Cardinal South… Suzaku the Phoenix. One of the Five Gods that shaped Yurashia back when Mobian kind first learned to walk upright."

The echidnas froze in stunned shock as soon as the words left Cinder's mouth, especially those who had been present at Flare's attack.

"A…god?" Knuckles let out.

"Wait…" Lara cut in. "Are you saying that Flare's talk of having divine blood was not some delusion of grandeur?"

"Any divinity of the royal family has greatly diluted over the millennia," Bunker answered, her hand still on Cinder's head. "The closest to such lofty titles would be young Cinder here, though even she pales in comparison to Suzaku herself."

"It's said that when the stars align, the Phoenix herself will be reborn anew, with their fiery plumage to mark them as her heir," Cinder continued, her eyes falling on Kat's bright red hair. "As my brother told me, once the child became of age, they would be graced by Suzaku's call, and would be granted her greatest gift… her untold mastery of the flame."

"Of course, the Entei believed that Suzaku would choose one of her bloodline to inherit the power," Bunker went on. "When Cinder was born with her orange plumage and greater mastery of fire, many believed her to be Suzaku reincarnate."

"I see…" Wyn nodded. "So when Flare accused Kathryn of 'stealing' Suzaku's flame, he was actually furious that she was the incarnation. Yes, that makes sense!"

"But why has she never said anything?" Lara asked. "Not once has Kathryn said a word about her fire or its origins. If anything, she seemed almost eager to declare that they were the result of Tikal's blessing."

Bunker nodded at that. "To put it simply, such power is not without risks, as you have seen. There are those who seek the power she wields. Especially here in Yurashia. As such, her mother and I swore her to secrecy."

Bunker grimaced as the room again went as silent as the grave, the echidnas looking at her in disbelief.

"Wait...you knew?" Knuckles exclaimed. "Kat's mom knew!?"

Bunker nodded. "Yes. Kaitian was brought to me not long after her abilities manifested. I was tasked with helping her to control her power. Of course, when I first met her, the most she could do was create sparks or start a campfire. Now…"

She undid one of the bandages on her arms. This revealed a cut that was visibly healing. To the others in the room, it looked as if it were closing on its own. To Knuckles, he could see the golden light stitching it together.

"Whoa..." Knuckles let out.

"Amazing…" Lara chimed in. "I've never seen Chaos Healing mend severe wounds that fast before."

"Suzaku was more than a warrior," Bunker explained. "She was a healer without rival, likely why she chose an apothecary's daughter. Speaking of…"

As the last of the wound closed, the golden light retracted, untethering from Bunker. Only then did the golden glow from Kat finally fade away.

"It would seem I'm finished healing, meaning Kaitian should awaken any moment now."

As if on cue, the girl began to moan. She stirred, her eyes slowly opening.

"Kat!" Knuckles cried in relief.

"Ugh… my head," Kat rubbed her head, slowly sitting up. "What... I'm... back home?" She looked to see Knuckles sitting up. "Knux? Knux!"

The two embraced happily.

"You're awake!"

"Yeah..." Knuckles replied. "We both are."

"Kacchan!" Cinder cried out as she sprinted over to Kat's bedside, throwing her arms around her.

"Cinder!" Kat cried out in joy and relief. "Oh, thank Gaia, you're alright!"

"We all are, dear," Lara said, struggling to hold back tears, along with Wyn.

"Mom, Wyn, Shifu, what happened? How did I get back home? Where's Flare and Rantao? And… Locke." she perked, going pale as she recalled what happened. "Oh Gaia, LOCKE! Flare, he… Is he here? Is he alive?"

"On both counts, dear." Locke soothed.

"Locke!" Kat tried to get up, only to immediately collapse. "Oh jeez… Haven't felt this weak in a while…"

"I can imagine," Locke soothed. "You've been asleep for three days, Kathryn."

"Three days?" Kat blinked. "Then what happened to Flare and Rantao? And why aren't you... crispy?"

Locke shrugged. "I fear Flare and Rantao… disappeared after they were beaten, but I doubt they will be causing trouble."

"Especially after you vanquished them with your amazing Phoenix power!"

"Wynmacher!" Locke and Lara chastised.

"My power?" Kat let out a small laugh. "Oh man, I blacked out again, huh? Guess my inner fire got pissed off."

Knuckles stared at his sister, examining her body language for perhaps the first time. She was lying so easily, like it was second nature at this point, but he could see how she was subtly looking them all over. It was the same thing she did when appraising an enemy. Just how long had she been doing this? How long had this secret weighed on her?

"Well… at least we managed to stop them before it was too late. I guess Shifu healed you, Locke? She did a good job. Like nothing ever-"

"Kat…"

"Yeah…?" Kat paused as she saw Knuckles giving her the most serious expression she'd seen him give. "Something wrong, Knux?"

"Bunker didn't heal Dad, you did."

That gave Kat pause. He could almost see the gears turning in her head.

"I don't see how that's possible. I don't have any Chaos Emeralds with me, so I couldn't have been the one. Plus, you just said I was out for three days."

"Kathryn..." Lara began gently. "We know."

Kat froze.

"Master Bunker told us the truth. About the true origins of your fire."

Kat's fists clenched, her face becoming a mask. "How much do you know?"

"Suzaku's call," Julie said plainly, causing Kat to pale.

"Shifu!" The pure panic on the girl's face was almost alien.

"I'm sorry, Kaitian," Bunker apologized. "But after what they witnessed during the battle three days ago… we couldn't keep it a secret any longer."

"But… But…"

"Kathryn…" Lara began. "We're not upset, just… worried. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Kat looked torn between fear and regret. Then, she let out a long breath, one that was almost like she'd been holding it for years.

"I... couldn't… I swore I wouldn't. I swore on the graves of my ancestors that my secret would never leave my lips. If anyone knew the truth about where my powers came from, especially the likes of Eggman or... or worse…"

"Right..." Julie nodded. "Considering what he did the last time he learned about some ancient, primordial, elemental deity..."

"And he's the least of my concerns," Kat went on. "Guys like Flare… rulers who believe themselves entitled to everything they see, and those who have no qualms in taking what they want… Yurashia is rife with them. And me, a half-breed farm girl… I wouldn't stand a chance."

The echidnas wanted to argue, but they realized she was right.

"How long?" Knuckles question. "How long have you kept this secret?"

Kat cringed, curling up on her futon while hugging her knees. "Since I was seven…"

"Seven!?" Knuckles cried out. "You mean you've had fire powers since you were… and you… and Bunker… and your mom… By Aurora…"

"Wait," Lara interjected. "Kathryn… weren't you twelve when your village…"

She couldn't bring herself to finish, she didn't need to.

"I wanted to…" Kat's voice was quiet, laced with so much pain. "So many times, I wanted to fight back. But Mama… she held me back. She said it was too dangerous. So… I didn't. Even… Even at the end… I still held back…"

Kat lowered her head, in sorrow as well as shame. The echidnas took in their adoptive tribesman's state. She was shaking, openly crying, and holding herself. The lanterns illuminating the room began to dim, the flames flickering out in response to her pain.

"A secret so great she couldn't use it to protect her family…" Wynmacher muttered, shaking his head. "I see now why she embraced the lie so easily. With it, she didn't have to hide anymore, and she would not be forced to stand back and watch any longer."

"By the Walkers…" Locke whispered.

"Kat…" Knuckles cut in. "It's okay, I know what happened was horrible, but…"

"It's not 'okay', Knuckles!" Kat almost screamed, startling him. "I've had this power for years! I could have done something, anything! But I didn't! And because of that, Mama, Baba, and all those people died! They're all gone, I'm all alone, and it's all my fault!"

Kat's words pierced Locke's chest as he was reminded of what put her in this condition in the first place: his hand in the destruction of her family's beloved boat, and more importantly, that he still had one last thing to do.

"Nonsense!"

…only for Wynmacher to beat him to it.

"Wyn…!" Knuckles began, only for the senior Guardian to continue.

"Lady Bunker said that you could only make sparks as a child. I know little of the power your enemy possesses, but given the mark it left on you, I can make a guess. A child could not have stood a chance against such a foe."

That gave Kat pause.

"Your mother was wise to hold you back. Nay, she was brave to sacrifice herself to keep you safe. Few have the courage to do what she did, putting the health and safety of another before their own. Had she not, you likely would have fought and died with the rest." He took a breath to settle himself down. "And as for this talk of you being alone, have you so easily forgotten that entire kingdom of brothers and sisters in arms you have waiting for you back in the West? The family you found on the floating island? The one here now?"

Kat sniffled, wiping her eyes.

"I haven't forgotten… But being here… in this big, empty house…" She gestured to the entirety of the room. "Being in a place that was once filled with warmth and laughter… seeing it reduced to this… cold, lifeless state… It hurts… so much without Mama and Baba…"

"That's why you never went back," Lara realized, eyes full of compassion and empathy. "When we first arrived, I questioned why you never came back. Why you chose to live in the ruins of Echidnapolis rather than this beautiful villa."

"This place wasn't home anymore, Mom." Kat leaned back, still sniffling. "It's not warm... not like our hut, or my hammock on the shrine. I may have grown up here, but everything that made it special is gone."

"Yes…" Wyn put a gloved hand to his chin, his face scrunched in thought. "And there is still the matter of the loss of your family's boat."

"Wynmacher!" Lara shouted.

"Gah! Cursed mouth!" he cursed.

"Mmmnnexcuse me…" Just then the door opened. "Is that a bad time?"

"Old Man Jing?" Kat wiped her eyes, slowly standing up. Wyn helped to stabilize her so she could hobble over to the older man. "What brings you here?"

"I came to speak to you and your mother about the order that was put in a few days ago," the woodworker explained. "I've assembled the required materials and finished drawing up the plans, but I still need you to give the go-ahead before any work can be done."

"Order?" Kat asked, turning to Lara, who shook her head.

"Fu Yao! The blueprints, bring in the blueprints!"

"Coming, gramps!" At that, Fu Yao scurried into the room, clutching several, large, rolled-up scrolls with him. "Hey, Kaiitian…" he greeted awkwardly as he stopped to catch his breath.

"Yao?"

"That's me! So… dumb question, but are you feeling any better?"

"Physically, for the most part…" Kat sighed. "The less said about the rest of me, the better."

"Right… Gramps, maybe we should come later."

"Later, schmater!" Jing snapped. "If there was ever a good time for her to see these babies, it's now! Now, show her the plans, boy!"

"Plans for what?" Kat asked, a wily grin creeping over Old Man Jing's face.

"Your new boat, of course."

Kat paused at that. "New… boat?"

"Yeah… we heard about what happened to yer old one… such a tragedy." Jing shook his head mournfully. "But lucky for you, your new echidna pappy was generous enough to put down a pretty little deposit for a replacement!"

Kat perked. "Wait… my echidna pap…" She paused, turning to Locke, who was looking away, his face beet red.

"It… was my fault it was destroyed, so the least I could do was provide proper recompense."

"Proper recompense nothing! Bushy-browed sunnuvagum paid double what we normally charge! Hell, he even lugged the old lumber up from the river so we could get the color and shape just right!"

"Mr. Jing!" Locke snapped.

"Fu Yao, plans!"

"Right!"

With impressive speed, Fu Yao pulled out one of his scrolls and rolled it out along the floor for everyone to see.

"Whoa…" Knuckles let out.

"Hot damn…" Julie-Su chimed in.

"You drew that up in only a few days!?" Wynmacher cried out.

"Amazing…" Lara whispered in awe.

"I toldja, I'm Shengcun's resident 'crackpot inventor' and Sage of Wood! I'd ask whatcha think of it but from Kaitian's face…"

Jing turned to Kat, who was staring in dumbstruck silence at the plans laid out before her. A hand covered her mouth, and she looked on the verge of tears again. However, the sadness was replaced with stunned shock and a hint of gratitude.

"It… It looks exactly like my family's boat…" she let out. "Locke… you…"

"Don't," the Head Guardian cut in. "There's nothing more that needs to be said. I…" He sighed. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. Rantao and Flare's manipulations may have caused the incident during the race, but it was my selfishness and desperation that gave them the means to make it happen. I was so terrified of losing my old family, it almost cost me my new one. If you still despise me, you are free to do so. I have more than earned it."

Much to his surprise, Kat picked him up and then hugged him tightly.

"I don't hate you. Not after this. Thank you, Locke."

Locke paused, processing what he'd just heard before returning the hug, tears welling in his eyes. A few seconds passed before he let Kat go.

"Wynmacher…" he announced, turning to his fellow Guardian before bowing at the waist. "First and foremost, I apologize for what happened to you at the river. And I thank you for being there for Lara, both this time and in the past. Despite my previous misgivings, she could not have picked a better man to be her second husband."

Wyn blinked as he processed what Locke had just said. "Thank you, Head Guardian, you honor me with your…"

"Alright, enough with the flowery language," Locke cut in.

"Y-Yes, thank you, sir!"

"Just know that I'm still going to be keeping an eye on you in the future." Locke's demeanor suddenly turned grim. "And if hear talk that Lara is looking for a third husband…"

"Then I have died a glorious death in battle and fulfilled my destiny as a Guardian."

Locke nodded. "Good man." Finally, he turned to the last one he needed to apologize to.

"Son…" He let out a heavy sigh. "Walkers, where do I even start?"

"Dad." Knuckles held up a hand, shaking his head. "I think you're good. Just… don't do it again, alright?"

"But…" He paused, letting out a sigh. "Very well, you have my word."

He then turned to his…ex-wife. "Lara… I know we had our moment back in the forest, but… I want you to know that I'm glad you were able to find happiness again after everything you had been through. I know that I can never truly make up for how I treated you and Knuckles, but…"

Lara walked over to Locke, putting a finger on his mouth, shutting him up. "Locke… I think you've apologized enough for one lifetime. It's time for us to stop living in the past and move forward with our lives. That means no more apologies. No more grudges. And no more regrets."

She removed her finger, allowing Locke to smile. "Yes, you're right," he replied.

"That being said!" Lara continued. "While you may have made up for your mistakes with me and Wyn, there's still the matter of spoiling Kathryn's trip."

Locke's heart sank. "Yes… we lost so much time."

"Not to worry!" Kat cut in, her previous high spirits returning. "I know just the thing to make everything all hunky-dory again!"

She turned to Locke, her grin taking on an almost villainous edge.

"Wonderful!" Locke replied, looking a bit uneasy. "And… what would that be?"

-X-

Shengcun

SMASH!

"Ahhh!"

SPLASH!

Locke screamed as he fell from his seat and into the waters below, the assembled crowd laughing and cheering uproariously, as was the event's host.

"Ehhh heh heh heh heh heh heeeeeeeeh! Nice shot there, Kaitian!"

"Indeed! A perfect bullseye!" Wynmacher praised.

"Thanks, guys," Kat replied with a grin.

"Feel like going another round?" Yao asked.

Kat thought for a moment but shook her head. "Nah, I've had my fun, it's someone else's turn." She turned to Lara.

"Oh no, I couldn't," she replied. "I think Locke has suffered enough for one day."

"Not me!" Knuckles piped up, stepping forward. "I missed out on all the action thanks to him, so I get three more rounds with him."

"Hey! Don't hog all the balls, Knux!" Julie argued playfully. "I still owe him for locking me up in a cage!"

"Alright, alright, settle down, everyone!" Lara soothed as Wyn laughed heartily, nobody noticing as Locke surfaced.

"Gah! Walkers above! This water is freezing!" he shouted. "I'm beginning to see why they call those who agree to this 'chumps.'"

As he climbed out of the tank to get back on his trapdoor throne, he looked out into the crowd behind the counter. At his family. They were laughing. Smiling. Having fun. Not at his expense either, despite all evidence to the contrary. Kat in particular was enjoying herself as Knuckles playfully tried to snatch one of the balls from her. It was as though all the pain and fatigue from the battles when they first arrived had vanished entirely, leaving nothing but the brightly burning flame of her spirit.

"It's worth it," Locke said as he made his way back to the seat. "If you all are quite finished, I'm back!" he called out.

"Alright!" Kat cheered as she picked up another ball.

"Hey! I thought you said you were done!?" Knuckles shouted.

"One more ball, Knux. Then you can have your turn."

She stepped back, winding up her arm like she used to do at baseball practice. "Here we go…Ha!"

As the ball went flying, Locke closed his eyes and smiled.

"I accept full responsibility for what I have done."

Author's Note:

And with that, we finally reach the end of the Dragon Boat Festival arc. It's been a wild ride. We got some huge character development for Locke and Jian. Some new revelations about Kat. And the long-awaited debut of Yamaneko Rantao aka Conquering Storm from the Archie comics!

Please R&R. Until next time!