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Finale: Clear Waters

"But I see your true colours

Shining through

I see your true colours

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colours

True colours

Are beautiful like a rainbow"

_ _

True Colours

Cyndi Lauper

1986

---

The manacles were tight... and painful.

Natalia patted them lightly and gave Jacob a faint smile. "Not too tight, are they?"

"I can still feel my fingers so that's a good sign," Jacob responded with a smile.

She shrugged. "Think this'll work?"

He nodded firmly. "I need to talk to Balthazar one on one. I'm not sure if he's the real enemy here anymore. After what Sierra - I mean, Siren said..."

Natalia nodded and sat down beside him. The transport plane was packed with the other Branded save one. Rex and Nathan were slapping on unsecured manacles on each of the Branded. There was a slew of loyal ANVIL soldiers there for appearances as well.

"I believe you, for what it's worth," she responded. "Nathan is still a little too thick skulled to see what's right in front of him but we'll get through, eventually. Once we get to Novaria, we'll get this whole mess sorted out."

"At least the mess with Balthazar," Jacob answered with a sigh. He bounced his head against the headrest lightly. "I'm starting to feel like we'll have no choice but to join the Rebellion..."

She punched his shoulder lightly. "Hey, you said it yourself, right? Don't let anyone else tell you what path you're going to take. Your path, your interpretation, right?"

"I guess so," he responded with a shaky smile. He let out a heavy sigh. "Still... This is messed up."

"I can tell."

A soft shuffling made them both turn towards Joanna who approached them. She sat down on the other seat beside Jacob.

"Could we have a moment in private, Natalia?" she asked

The Elemental Lord of Light nodded and rose. Before she left, however, she turned to Jacob and said, "You know what the previous Elemental Lord of Light said before he passed away?"

"What?" Jacob asked.

"Light and Darkness are just shades. Just because something is darker or brighter, doesn't change what it is." She nodded towards the still floating city of Angelsea. "No matter who rules on the throne of the Elemental Lord of Water, that won't change who they are or, for that matter, what Angelsea is. No matter what mask Siren wore, she was still Siren. I'm sure our newest Water Lord will maintain who he is."

A shadow of a smile crossed Jacob's features. "Thanks."

With those words, Natalia stepped out of the transport. Nathan mentioned that they were leaving soon and was quickly gone as well.

Given a moment of semi-privacy, Joanna said the one thing that sent Jacob's heart leaping for joy, "He loves you."

Jacob spun to face her, eyes wide. "What?"

"He's just way too stubborn and proud to say it. He loves you." She flicked an ear towards the exit. "Go to him." With deft fingers, she unshackled his wrists. "And get him to say it even if you have to use these." She pressed the manacles back into his paws.

Suddenly filled with determination, Jacob sprang to his feet and bolted after Nathan. Before he could escape, however, a scaly hand seized his wrist.

He turned towards Max.

"Max..." he growled dangerously.

"Just wanted to say," the dragon said, offering him a surprisingly warm smile. "Thanks."

Stunned by the dragon's sudden friendliness, he said, "Um... you're welcome."

Then he turned and was bolting out of the transport.

"Reaper! Where are you going!?" Nathan shouted.

"I'll be back!" he cried back, shooting down the airstrip towards the nearest door. "Just give me five minutes!"

"That's not enough time!" Natalia shouted. "We'll give you fifteen. An hour if you're going Brand Form! Are you going Brand form!?"

Jacob stumbled slightly and just ignored her words, smiling brightly as he reached a door into one of the hangers of the airstrip. He placed his paw against the doorknob.

"Oasis. Elemental Lord of Water's room."

He twisted the doorknob -

"We wanted to thank you as well."

Jacob paused and spun.

A Drowned stood there, his features bright and smiling.

"For what?"

"For believing in us... and defending our right to live. We had known only pain and the lust for vengeance for so long that it felt nice for someone to defend us like you did."

Jacob smiled back. "I was like you, you know."

"We know. You too were consumed by vengeance and the need to get even. We were blinded by our desire for destruction that we didn't see who we would tear apart in the process. Tell us... What convinced you to put that all aside and grow up?"

For a second, he thought about mentioning his father... but then, he realised the true cause for his transformation.

"There was this guy who beat the snot out of me and told me, in pretty harsh words, that I was being a baby."

The Drowned laughed softly. "We are grateful you were much kinder." He nodded firmly. "We will keep Angelsea afloat and make sure it is protected against MODD and Balthazar. This city is safe with us. If you ever need a safe haven..."

Jacob grinned broadly. "I just might take you up on that offer. Now if you'll excuse me..."

He spun and threw open the door, stepping inside.

The Elemental Lord of Water instantly spun around, eyes wide.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" growled James Canis, dressed in his new attire.

Lieutenant Joul rolled his eyes, a knowing smile on his muzzle. He swept up the papers he had gathered and headed for the door. "I'll just leave you two alone, shall I?"

Before Canis could protest, Jacob was upon him, pressing their lips together. Canis met the kiss with equal passion but it still felt like a kiss goodbye. When they parted, their eyes met.

Logically, Joul should have been the next Elemental Lord but Joul had insisted they couldn't just promote him. Siren never took over another Lieutenant. It would not make sense as the Lieutenant's Seal and Siren's would be incompatible and would continue to throw suspicion on them. So, they needed someone who was equally as powerful but had suitable control over water... and a known loyalist of MODD.

James Canis.

"How's it feel, 'Siren'?" Jacob asked mockingly.

Canis grimaced and pushed him away. "Bad enough I have to pretend to be that bitch but just thinking about a girl in me..." He shuddered and sat back in his big recliner seat. "Seriously, a man should be in a woman not the other way around."

"Any opposition to a man being in a man?"

"Hell no."

Jacob grinned but it was only brief. "So... I'm heading to Novaria."

"Like we discussed a week ago," Canis said with a nod, his features still. "You're going to go with Nathan and Natalia, pretend they captured you so you can get Balthazar to come over and pin him down." His features darkened. "Expecting any interference from 'Jacob 2'?"

"I still like calling him 'Sam'. I don't have a middle name. And maybe. He pops up whenever he wants to."

"Right. How's your dad taking it?"

Jacob was pleased to hear Canis finally believed him about his father being a spectral Animus. Though he had barely talked to Spectre since Sam's big reveal, he was adamant to give his father space. This was as much a shock for him as it was for everyone else. Hell, the Sam that had been so cheery, cocky and kind in a way had turned out into a mass murdering psychopath that would have killed thousands of kids just to save someone he held dear. Was that heroic... or just desperate?

Wow... he kind of turned into me...

"I'm giving him some space right now," he answered. "Maybe once he get out of this rut, you could meet him."

"So you're going to rub the fact that you still have a father and I don't, asshole?"

Jacob smirked. "You had a mother only she turned out to be a raging psychopath that was keen on taking over the bodies of everyone in this city!"

"And your father is an disembodied spirit taking the shape of your guardian wolf-angel from another dimension that's not even your biological father!"

They were both grinning at one another at that point but the awkward silence that came all too soon. Jacob broke the silence by reaching into his coat and retrieving a folder. He set it down on the table and pushed it towards Canis.

"What's this?" the Alsatian asked.

"Remember that file that we found on Triton stating how Sierra set you up to be turned into a Drowned and Walter saved you?"

"Thanks for reminding me."

"Well..." Jacob smiled faintly. "Sierra signed this document well after she was taken over by Siren."

"And...?"

"I guess... If it's any comfort, it really wasn't Sierra that flagged you to be killed. It was Siren. The real Sierra was dead long before that."

Canis rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that, Reaper. Instead of remembering the person who effectively raised me as just a caring figure that was taken over by a malevolent water-based parasite that didn't have the common decency to die, I get to remember her as that very same water-based parasite without any of the sentimentality." His frown deepened and his voice was just oozing sarcasm. "Again, thanks."

"But," Jacob said, jabbing the folder with a claw. "You should read the file more. Specifically the dates."

Slowly, Canis took the folder from him and flipped it open.

"Sierra was already in her late teens by the time her mother died, those dates prove it." Jacob said calmly. "I know you were pretty young by then but I think you remember Sierra as she was before Siren took over her."

"I can read."

Ignoring the jibe, Jacob said, "I know it's not much but maybe you can draw comfort from the fact that even though it was a distant relationship, you can hold on to that image of Sierra."

Canis shut the file. "That's stupid. I didn't know Sierra. I just knew Siren and all that affection she showed me was just an attempt to get my body as part of her revenge plot against Balthazar. I'm not going to hold onto some distant fantasy that I knew who Sierra really was when, in reality, I didn't."

That brought a smile to Jacob's face. "I'm glad to hear that." They stared at one another for a good, long moment; not saying a word. Canis' anger was incredibly transparent and it just made Jacob smile.

"I'm... going to miss you," Jacob confessed.

"Yeah, well I'll probably be too busy to miss you," Canis answered, waving his paw absently. "I've got a city to run now, apparently. Plus MODD is going to be asking questions. So you better be quick and stop Balthazar or MODD. If not, I'm going personally find you and fuck you up in the ass for sticking me in this shitty job."

Translation: 'I'm going to miss you too so don't take too long.'

"Well... I've still got my door teleporting thing. I can come visit every day if you want."

"Don't expect me to be here. Like I said, I'll be busy. Also don't be disappointed if you come in here and I'm undressed and already spent. I'm not your personal whore that you can just pop in on and fuck with."

Otherwise: 'I'm going to be thinking about you every day.'

"Okay then," Jacob said, taking a deep breath. "I love you."

"Fuck off."

His smile wavered. He had hoped, in the privacy of this room, Canis would finally be able to say it. He wanted to shout at him, demand he say the words but he didn't think that would be right. Forcing back the tears, he gave Canis one last nod and turned for the door.

He pressed his paw against the door and uttered the coordinates.

As he pulled the door open, he spied Nathan and Natalia standing at the base of the transport plane. Nathan was speaking into a phone, shouting from all appearances.

An idea hit him.

Jacob quickly searched his coat and found what he was looking for; the phone Canis had given him earlier where he and the Alsatian had exchanged a rather heated exchange via text messaging.

He typed in three words into the phone and hit send.

Beep-beep.

Canis picked up his phone and opened it. His eyes brightened and a smile touched his lips. A tear rolled down his cheek and he replied.

Beep-beep.

Jacob regarded the message, a brilliant smile crossing his features.

It read:

'I love you too.'