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Chapter 5

Rukan sat in the dark of the interrogation room with a frown on her face as she smoked letting only the burning ember at the end of her cigarette light the corner as she thought. She sat back in her chair with a sigh as she looked at the tiger at the end of the table before speaking softly, "Just like your family to screw everything up isn't it Mr. Masters? Do you realize the trouble you have caused Black Knight as well as the principal government of the free lands?"

Clayton sat at the table grumbling to himself as he shook his head, "Was just a prank lady come off it."

Rukan stood up and slammed her fist into the metal table leaving a dent as a slight glow appeared for a moment in her pink eyes, "Just a prank!? Boy you have no idea what you are dealing with here! You want to be the single cause of a new Cataclysm?! That's all your family needs isn't it, another psycho to feed the darkness exactly what it needs?"

Clayton jumped at the punch to the table and the mark it left behind. He looked nervous which made Rukan smirk as she nodded, "Ready to talk boy? I'm not stupid enough to believe that Ridley being bunked with you was a random happenstance. What does Edward want and how does he plan to get it?"

Clayton frowned and shook his head quickly with a laugh, "You think Uncle Ed would tell me anything? Man you are a stupid bitch!"

The sound of a blade unsheathing itself could be heard as in the blink of an eye Clayton had a wakazashi against his throat as the black figure stepped out from the shadows showing his completely white eyes. "In the days when the world was new, when my people were gathered in our greatest triumph as a civilization... dishonor and lies came at the cost of a tail boy. Speak your peace."

Rukan nodded slowly, "Do it or we bring the psyker in... Ever had someone in your head so deep all your secrets are laid bare for them to see?"

The tiger swallowed hard as he was sweating now as he sat completely still. The blade at his throat was sharp enough to split a single strand of fur in half lengthwise. He spoke softly, "Look I don't know. All I know is that Ed wanted Ridley for Angeltech. He said Ridley was special and could be the key to a discovery."

The sword slipped back into its sheath as Masatoshi stepped back into the shadows and he nodded as a pair of purple eyes in the corner started to glow slightly and a feminine voice spoke up, "He's telling the truth... but... I can't see into him. He has an inhibitor in his body somewhere. I can't seem to pin point it either. It's a new model."

The purple eyes walked forward as a silver spotted grey lynx stepped into the light twitching her wing membranes under her forearms.

"It's okay Kade... We got what we need. We can focus on Angeltech and Semling now," Replied Rukan with a nod.

A black muzzle appeared out of the darkness and red eyes laid themselves on Clayton chilling the tiger to the core. The fennec grinned slightly as he shook his head slowly, "Then we have the answers we needed before... We find Hikari and this whole mess is cleaned up once and for all."

Clayton actually pulled back as Raine reached out for him smirking. The Tiger was genuinely afraid of Raine as the fennec laid the cursed kusari kama on the table with a chuckle, "You're not going to be bothering my grandson anymore are you? I've become quite good at controlling these you see... but every once in a while... they hunger for blood."

Clayton looked like a cat about to be dropped into water it couldn't escape. Real terror reflected in his eyes as Raine tugged on the chains and the kama's disappeared into the marking on his arms, "Get him out of here..."

The Tiger was taken out by a couple of black knight officers and the lights to the room were turned on as it was clear there were many more in the room than originally though. On the far wall next to Rukan was Ashe as well as a grey smooth skinned dragon with yellow eyes. He was tall, probably about 8 feet with only a pair of torn jeans on.

With Masatoshi was a husky frowning deeply as he fixed his black suit and adjusted his tie before moving to take his glasses off and speaking, "Then where do we go from here? The emergence of Reiko is problematic. It will only stir up the remnants..."

Raine nodded with a frown as he leaned over the table for some time, "Rukan how did she seem?"

"I wouldn't say she's malignant. She seems protective of Ridley in a way. She only emerged to keep him safe. I don't think she's an enemy but at the same time I recommend caution because she certainly isn't on our side. It won't be long before she can use her latent abilities again making her a more formidable opponent than her brother ever was," Replied Rukan with a frown.

Masatoshi spoke softly as he set his pair of blades on the table, "What is she protecting him from? It is dangerous to leave her to her own but it may be our only choice. What of this Que then?"

Kade smiled and nodded, "He is genuine. I snuck into his classes the past two days. He is intelligent but easily dislodged when faced with paranormal circumstance. I feel he could be a powerful ally but... He has feelings for Ridley. There are on the surface at the moment but I feel the potential of them growing deeper."

Raine looked to Kit and smiled slightly with a shrug, "I guess you were right about it being genetic... I think our best course of action at the moment is to keep our hands out of the cookie jar. We have worked a long time for this and soon we will be victorious."

"Raine you gave away our funding to him... how are we just going to wait," Asked Rukan slightly annoyed.

Raine smiled, "Raiden had a cache hidden in Japan. Masatoshi and I will be leaving tomorrow to gather up what we can find and bring it back."

"You trust them Raine... these... originators," asked Ashe a little bit of worry in her eyes.

Raine stopped for a moment to think. He didn't know if he trusted them but he had no other choice, "I have to Ashe... We all have to. If what they say is true than we could bring about a better future for everyone. One of true freedom and unlimited possibility... it's our destiny as the marked... We need to find where the phoenix's flame is being held and free her. Then we can complete what we started. We can end the cataclysm."

Everyone nodded slowly as Raine put his paw on the table and smiled, "It's been a long time since we have all been together... and I am so happy to see most of us here today. I know the hardships we have been through have been many but... they are almost over. Our victory over the Yamitsu will soon be complete."

"I... I know what I have to do," Said Ridley softly as he came out of his unconscious state. The room was dark but he could see the outline of Que there standing next to the bed. It took time for all his senses to come back completely as he shook the sleep from his head.

It was then that the black fennec realized he felt sheets against his bare skin and fur. A blush appeared on his cheeks as he sat up and pulled the covers close to himself with a yipe and he backed against the wall on the far side of the bed. He looked back to Que only to see him completely naked as well which only made the fennec yip again as he shook his head.

"Wh... What happened!? How did I get here!? Why am I naked!? Wait... WHY ARE YOU NAKED!? OHMYGODWEDIDNTDOWHATWETHINKWEDID," Shouted the scared fennec as he pressed his back against the wall only to yipe in pain as he felt the wings being crushed. He quickly looked over his shoulder seeing the new appendages and his eyes went wide, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

Que had his hands up and his ears back as Ridley went into his panicked state. The yellow fennec stepped forward shaking his head, "Calm down I'll explain everything. I promise it all makes sense... well... most of it. No we didn't do anything. Just sit down okay?"

Ridley was nearly hyperventilating before he nodded and sat back down in the corner of his bed as Que sat on the edge with a deep sigh.

Que went over the past few hours in his head before he started to speak, "I was on my way to the party when I saw one of the cheerleaders had a flat. I pulled over and helped her put the new tire on when I saw all the black knight vehicles speed by in the direction of the party."

Ridley nodded slowly before speaking, "It wasn't that terrible rabbit that works as Semling's secretary and Clayton's girlfriend was it..."

"Uhh... now that you mention it I think it was," Replied Que nodding slowly.

Ridley sighed and slumped, "It was a setup... They distracted you so you wouldn't be there to stop them. Clayton and his friends locked me in a room with this hyena girl. She was a total whore trying to pin me down and take what she wanted... I blacked out when she slapped me..."

Que nodded as he looked out across the room with a sigh, "Well when I got to the frat house Rukan was carrying you out. You were covered in blood and red markings as well as your new additions... I set you down in... fucking hell my car's gonna be covered in blood..."

"I... I'm sorry," Replied Ridley softly as he was starting to calm down while the events were being explained to him. His heart rate was no longer making him feel like he was going to lose whatever he ate that evening.

Que shook his head looking a little frustrated with himself, "No no no I don't blame you or anything Ridley... It wasn't your fault what happened. I shouldn't have said that... I'm sorry sometimes I'm a little dense."

"Don't say that. That's a self-defeating thing to say... it'll only make you feel bad Que... what happened next," replied the black fennec his ears perking.

"Well... I brought you back here and saw you were covered in blood from head to toe. I don't know whose it was but I couldn't just leave you like that... so I uhh... I washed you in the shower as well as myself. I was just about to leave when you woke up," Said the yellow canine as he turned to face Ridley.

Nodding slowly Ridley frowned at the events that had happened. He felt bad about Que's car but he was more worried about why he was covered in blood. He pulled the covers away from his top half and looked down at himself only to see the markings have spread to cover his entire body. He frowned a little more before speaking, "What do they mean..."

"I don't know," Said Que softly as he stood himself up and looked out the window. Seeing it pitch black outside; he decided it was most likely a better choice to stay here tonight. "Hey you don't mind if I like crash on the couch downstairs or something do you," asked the yellow canine softly.

Ridley nodded slowly, "Yeah you can stay... hey umm... what you saw..."

Que nodded and smiled, "I won't tell anyone about your panties..."

Ridley blinked a few times as he had meant seeing him covered in blood. It hadn't quite sunk in yet that Que had seen more than just him naked. He blushed heavier than ever before speaking, "Err... I was actually talking about me being covered in blood and stuff. I'm sure the other students would just be more afraid of me if that became public knowledge."

The yellow fennec chuckled slightly as he had mistaken the question and let a small cat out of the bag before he had intended. He shrugged slightly and smiled, "Well you did look kinda hot in them..."

Ridley blushed more making the red marks glow to his dismay. He hid himself under the covers and shook his head, "Don't be mean..."

"No I'm serious if that's something you're into I'm okay with it... really. I wouldn't lose interest over a silly think like the clothes someone wears," Replied Que as he reached up and pulled the covers away to unhide the black and glowing red fennec.

Ridley looked upset but at the same time more confused than anything, "Lose interest? You're interested in me?"

"course I am... you didn't notice," replied Que.

"No... I didn't... I... I've never been close to anyone being a Diam and all," Said Ridley softly as he tensed up in the situation.

Que smiled a little and tilted his head to the side getting in a little closer with a nod, "no one? Never?"

Ridley shook his head as his heart began to beat quickly again. He backed away only slightly as he could feel Que's breath on his muzzle. He gripped the sheets tightly seeing the yellow fennec crawl onto them. The moment seemed to slow as lighter canine spoke softly, "Well... I guess we'll change that to one..."

The black fennec felt lips against his own making his heart skip a beat. He closed his eyes slowly as his heart fluttered and his stomach turned like it was full of fluttering moths. He gripped the comforter tighter as the lips were pushed more firmly against his own. The surprise melted away like butter in a hot pan making the black fennec close his eyes and loosen his grip.

Que slowly took Ridley's paws into his own letting their fingers intertwine as they slowly tilted down letting Que lay on top of the black fennec, careful of the wings of course. Que deepened the kiss for a few moments before pulling back and smiling to Ridley with a nod, "I think I'm crushing on you..."

"Think? I think that think went out the door a few seconds ago Que," Replied Ridley still not sure what to do. He was a nervous wreck and his markings were glowing like a lightning bug in heat.

They both chuckled slightly in a nervous tone as they lay there looking into each other's eyes. Que found Ridley's new black on red on black eyes strange but he saw the same soul behind them. The twinkle in them showing that he was excited at what was happening while the tense body he lay on told him the man was nervous. He understood completely as to why of course.

Ridley broken the silence before speaking, "I... I don't know if I'm..."

"You never know until you try... give me a shot Ridley... I promise to treat you well," said Que softly cutting Ridley off. Que liberated his right hand and softly put it on Ridley's cheek rubbing his finger through the fur, "I'm not gonna hurt you... just let me in..."

"I don't know if I'm... you know... into guys... Que I can't do this," Said Ridley nervously as he closed his eyes tearing up. He needed this, he knew that already but he just couldn't commit to a relationship. He had too much going on in his life not to mention the eternal life problem.

Que looked a little upset before speaking, "Why not?"

"Que I'll out live you... There is no way you will ever live as long as I will. And look at me... Who knows what I'll be next week or month... You'll be poked prodded made fun of... it's not fair. I can't let you do this to yourself," Said Ridley softly as he shook his head.

Que slowly stood himself up with a sigh as he walked to the door to the downstairs and slammed it behind him. Running down the stairs Que slumped on the sofa in the sitting area closing his eyes and covering his face with his paws. He was upset with himself knowing he had pushed too hard too quickly and spooked Ridley.

Ridley sat in bed on the second floor with guilt in his heart as he knew he has just crushed Que. He wanted so badly to go down and explain everything but knew that would only upset the fennec more. He laid himself down and looked to the ceiling as tears began to run from his eyes onto the pillow below.

Kade stopped in the hallway and held her chest tightly as she shook her head letting a tear run down her right cheek. She soon had to take a knee from the overwhelming emotion as the lynx next to her reached out and helped hold the woman up, "What's the matter child?"

The lynx and bat hybrid looked up with teary purple eyes shaking her head slowly, "I... I don't know. I just feel terrible mum..."

The grey and silver spotted lynx shook her head and took the hybrid into her arms with a frown, "You went in too deep didn't you? Who were you in last?"

"Que... I think something terrible has happened mum... I think his heart is broken," replied Kade softly as she sat down with her back against the white wall of the Black Knight headquarters. She pulled her legs close to her chest and began to openly cry and rocked in her mother's arms.

"Shhhh... Be still... everything will," The lynx trailed off as her purple eyes opened wide as she held her own chest shaking her head, "N...no!"

The purple eyes of the lynx remained wide as she stood up and shook her head, "Kade I'm so sorry! I... I have to go!"

Running as fast as she could the lynx made her way through the base until she reached her quarters and found Raine there at the table waiting for her. He looked surprised at her expression and stood up quickly as he saw how upset she was he ran to her wrapping his arms around her, "What happened Columbia?"

"Raine... it's Kele," Said the lynx as she had to fight her tears back. She gripped the fennec tightly and shook her head, "I... I can't feel him."

Raine looked surprised and nodded, "Are you sure Junsei? You're positive?"

The Lynx nodded as her real name was spoken, "I'm sure Raine... It's just like when Jezi..."

Looking away Raine held the crying woman in his arms as the news was sinking in. Junsei was the single best psyker they had and if she was sure then something had definitely happened to their son.

The fennec held the crying woman tightly before nodding, "I'll go and see what happened okay? You stay here with Kade. She was close to her brother and is as talented a psyker as you... She will have side effects."

The feline sniffled a few times before nodding and following Raine out of the dark room into the light of the base. They turned to one another and looked into each other's eyes for a moment. No words were required between them as their eyes reflected worry and their affection for one another.

Raine walked slowly through the black desert looking about with anger in his eyes as he felt the shadow following him. He knew it was there as it always was nagging at him teasing him in any way it could.

"I saw him you know... passing through here. At least he paid the ferryman," Said the familiar raspy voice as it chuckled.

Raine spun about bring the kusari kama to bare as the curved blades flew into the darkness with the chains attached to the handles, "Damn you Raiden!"

"Oh and here I thought we were getting closer... Poor little Raine still in over his head and trying to save the world. Your boy is dead... course I wouldn't know how since you got me trapped here in purgatory," Snickered the black cloud as it solidified on top of a cactus.

The creature was rotting away as one of its eye sockets was drooping far enough to see the skull beneath. The jaws were exposed through the skin showing yellowed and shattered teeth beneath. The creature hopped down and smirked as Raine pulled the kama's back into the markings on his arms.

"You saw him... Kele? I don't believe you," Replied Raine as he shook his head.

"You are almost there anyway... though I never expected you to use the spirit world for travel knowing that you would most assuredly encounter me here," replied Raiden with a cackle sounding like a death knell.

Raine smirked slightly and nodded, "No... I came because I knew I would find you here idiot... Now tell me what we left behind at Angeltech? Why are they after Ridley? What was your contingency plan?"

"Clever to some point... but why would I tell you anything boy? What are you going to threaten me with? I'm already damned what else could you do to me," Snickered the yamitsu.

The fennec laughed softly and shook his head, "You have no idea do you? Reiko has returned..."

"Impossible! I saw her die," Replied Raiden as he began to growl low enough that Raine could hear the bones rattle inside the loose skin.

"Oh it's quite true. She's in Ridley... you know him... my grandson... just like you were... We'll get her out eventually though," Replied Raine with a smirk.

"What... You can't bring her here," shouted Raiden angry now as his eyes glowed a menacing red.

Raine chuckled as he tore a hole in the world starting to step through, "I don't plan on it... I plan on you never being reunited with her monster... Also... we're about ready to wipe out the remnants of the Yamitsu. Have a good one. You'll be seeing your men soon," Said the black fennec as he stepped through with a smirk.

The smirk faded as he looked about Kele's apartment. The place was trashed with shelves overturned and papers all over. Raine shouted into the darkness, "Kele it's your father? What happened?"

There was no reply but he could feel something nearby watching him. It made his fur stand on end as he started to work his way through the small apartment until he reached the bedroom. He saw the attached bathroom door was open and the light off. He swallowed hard stepping into the dark room feeling his paws on water.

Carefully he flicked the light on and put a paw over his mouth as Kele was floating in a tub of red water having blood spilled from cuts all up his inner forearms. Raine shook his head as his body trembled and he kneeled down picking his son up out of the water cradling his head and letting out a cry only a parent that has lost a child can make.

"Kele no! Why would you do this Kele," Cried Raine as he held the man close to himself openly crying over the loss. It was then that he saw the razors glint in the bedroom trash. Raine looked to them for some time before turning back to his dead son and running his fingers over the feline canine hybrid's eyes he closed them, "Rest my sweet boy... I loved you..."

Raine flicked the tub switch to empty the water as he walked back into the bedroom and crouched down next to the trash seeing the razors still wet with blood. He then looked to the floor and frowned deeply not seeing any red on the white carpet. He began to breathe faster and faster as he grit his teeth and knew what had happened now.

Standing up he let out a roar of pure rage seeing the power suited black figure step out of the shadows. Raine dropped the kamas into his hands as he shouted, "You're fucking dead!"