_______*Inside the Void space.*_______
Two eyes opened to reveal golden mist flowing from their sockets in place of eyeballs, the owner of the eyes groaned and placed a clawed hand on her head before rolling to her side, unfortunately for her, she happened to roll off the bed and onto the cold hard floor.
A yelp of pain awoke all of her other senses as she blinked, her eyes changing from golden mist to dark blue eyeballs as she quickly stood up, she looked around at her surroundings and saw a small room with a few beds, lights that could change brightness and multiple medical cabinets.
"I must be in the infirmary." She muttered.
As soon as she talked, Galesh noticed that something was off, she looked at her arms and legs and saw that she was her brown wolf disguise, with a growl, she spoke. "Computer, report." She ordered angrily.
"All systems are functioning at one hundred percent Councilwoman, and I am glad that you are awake." The computer replied.
Galesh walked out of the infirmary and into the hallway connecting it to the main room, she walked towards the main room with annoyance. "Computer, why am I in this body?" She asked.
"Your true form sustained incredible damage madam, this body however has not, as such it was best suited for your needs until your real body fully healed." The computer explained.
Galesh looked around and walked to the center of the room. "Where is Estalli? what happened while I was out?" She asked.
"After your defeat, lady Estalli carried you to the ship and placed you in the infirmary, she stayed behind madam, to learn about Lyaroa." The computer stated.
"WHAT!?" Galesh threw her fist down on the holographic table in front of her and sparks flew as the device broke, she took a few deep breaths as the computer repaired the damage in seconds. "Get on her on comms." She ordered.
After a few seconds, an image appeared over the table, it was Estalli, and she looked concerned. "Mother?" She asked out of disbelief, she regained her composure and spoke. "I'm glad that your awake." She said.
Galesh gave Estalli a cross stare and spoke. "What in the hell are you doing Estalli? I warned you that Lyaroa is dangerous, so you stay behind on your own?" She shook her head. "You had best have a good reason for something so stupid." She muttered.
"Mother I......I know what you told me, and I trust you with my life, but I need to know what she is like, if anything I can at least learn why she won't face justice." She replied.
"Naïve child!" Galesh snapped, making Estalli flinch. "She won't face justice because in her eyes, she wasn't in the wrong! she acted on an instinct in the heat of battle." She sighed. "Despite what she did, I cannot blame her for it, the only one to blame for Huralo's death was himself."
Estalli looked down in thought as Galesh spoke. "Estalli......if you won't come back, then at least be careful down there, there's only so much I can do to protect you in my current state." She said calmly.
"I'll be careful, just don't take any action against them mother, they tend to fight mainly in self defense." She said before cutting the connection.
Galesh sighed to herself as she walked to a nearby bench and sat down. "Computer, chart a course for-Aaaahhhh!"
Without warning, Galesh felt an incredible amount of intense pain pass through her body, she collapsed to the floor as it enveloped her, it only lasted a few moments, but the after effects lingered, a sharp pain in her chest that wouldn't leave. "Councilwoman?" The computer asked, it's tone indicated concern.
Galesh breathed heavily as she slowly sat back up, she grunted as she leaned against the holographic table. "Computer, run a scan for my family, check for lifesigns." She ordered as she tried to catch her breath.
The computer took a few moments, and then spoke. "There appear to be no new developments, your parents and other relatives are alive or dead, depending on who you ask about." The computer stated.
"My children then." Galesh ordered.
"Estalli and Lyaroa are alive and well madam, Wilhelm is overworking as usual." The computer stated.
Galesh sighed. "What about their children?" She asked curiously.
"Madam, as you know Estalli never had a child, and Wilhelm adopted a child, who is still alive, Lyaroa had two children however, one is a creature known as a Velociraptor, and the other is a young female bat that has arms and legs, both are alive." It explained.
Galesh sighed as she stood up, she stared at the table. "Computer, scan for Anseri." She ordered quietly, her voice had a sad tone.
"Madam......you know as well as I do, that nothing will change the result from last time, little Anseri is either dead, or does not want to be found." It said.
Galesh grit her teeth, knowing the computer was right. "Scan anyway." She ordered.
After a few moments, the computer replied. "Nothing madam, I cannot locate Anseri, but I can tell you that she is alive." It stated.
"Then she must have had a child, and that child must be dead." Galesh sighed sadly. "Nothing we can do about it right now though, for now set a course for the Karne system." She ordered.
"As you wish madam council woman, but just like you said, there isn't much you can do in your current state." The computer reminded.
Galesh nodded. "I know, but I would rather be close by in case Estalli needs help, I won't lose another daughter if I can avoid it." She said the last part quietly.
______*The world of Oglan, Ashlock city.*______
Nightmare and Shade walked out of the train station and were out in the streets once more, as they walked, Nightmare noticed that there were many different species, but not many Night Wolves. "So Shade, how come there aren't many Night Wolves?" She asked quietly.
Shade looked around as they walked. "My kind were shipped out across the planet as slave labor, we only recently freed ourselves from those shackles and it will be a long time before we can be in one place without fear of death." He explained.
Nightmare watched as a large airship flew over the city, it was very large and had what appeared to be cannons on the underside. "Why do I get the feeling that that airship isn't here for show?" She asked.
Shade chuckled. "You wouldn't be wrong, I caused quite a bit of trouble here in Ashlock, the military doesn't really like me." He said.
Nightmare looked at Shade. "So, what happened next?" She asked.
"As you might recall, Sonya didn't like me one bit, and Nocturne wasn't sure what was going on." He reminded.
_____*some time ago, one day after failed bank robbery.*_____
Nocturne walked through the school to the classroom quietly, he had insisted that he go to school anyway, even though he was still shaken up.
As he neared the classroom, Nocturne was breathing shakily, and Shade spoke up. 'Perhaps you shouldn't have come, your barely holding it together.' He stated.
Nocturne gulped and stopped walking as the room started to spin. "No, I can't back down now, I came this far." He stated as he took a few deep breaths and the room stopped spinning.
Once he was feeling better, Nocturne headed to the classroom and walked inside, he walked to his seat and sat down. "Hey Nocturne......you alright?" Shay asked.
Nocturne stiffened, but he calmed down once he remembered who was talking to him. "I......I just need some time to think." He replied quietly.
Shay looked at Nocturne with concern. "Well, if you need to talk, let me know ok?" She said.
Nocturne nodded as the teacher entered the classroom, he started class as normal, allowing Nocturne to focus on something other than the bank robbery.
The class went on normally until it was over, and once it was over the students went to their next classes, Nocturne was silent as he walked to his next class. "Hey Noc!" Shay called out as she walked up to him. "Hey Shay." He replied quietly.
"How are you holding up?" She asked out of concern.
Nocturne looked at Shay and blinked. "I've been better, but I'll be alright." He replied, his voice still somewhat shaky,
While they were busy talking, Nocturne bumped into someone and fell to the ground. "Watch where you're walking freak!" Said an agressive voice.
Nocturne rubbed his head as Shay spoke out angrily. "Don't give us that crap Jonas! you intentionally stood in his way!" She snapped.
"Stay out of this Gearbox!" Jonas shouted as his grabbed Nocturne by his chest, bringing the Night Wolf cub to his feet, so he could stare the eagle straight in his eyes. "You made me drop my stuff freak, pick it up like a good little Night Wolf." He demanded smugly.
Nocturne managed to force Jonas off and glared at him. "No." He stated defiantly.
Jonas smirked. "Since when can a Night Wolf say no?....then again, when is a Night Wolf ever a kid? you really are a freak! even for your race!" He taunted as he grabbed Nocturne again with an even stronger grip.
Shay's left hand balled into a fist and it trembled violently. "Let him go Jonas." She demanded.
Jonas looked at Shay and then at Nocturne. "What, you have to let your girlfriend fight for you? or are you too scared because of the robbery?" He asked snidely, his grin was vicious.
"We're just friends Jonas, now let me go already!" Nocturne snapped.
Before the situation could escalate any further, a large pair of hands forced Nocturne and Jonas apart. "Break it up you two!" Demanded the teacher.
The teacher in question was Grell, a large rhino who was also the school coach, he was known for his strict nature, and his hatred of senseless violence. "Jonas, get to practice now! your already on thin ice!" He ordered.
The eagle grunted and walked off without a word, leaving Nocturne and Shay with Grell. "Get to class you two, before you run late." He ordered, and just as quickly, the two hurried to class.
After they were in history class and sitting down, Nocturne worked hard to calm down. 'Why did you stop me?' Shade asked.
"Because Jonas isnt worth it, he's just a bully." Nocturne replied mentally.
The teacher spoke soon after she finished writing down some words on the blackboard. "Today's lesson is on the fourteenth dynasty, when Lo Wind the last Emperor of Oglan ruled." The teacher stated. [1]
______*after school.*______
Both Nocturne and Shay sat outside the school, waiting on their rides home, and they were passing time their own way.
"Favorite color?" Nocturne asked.
"Already told you buddy, yellow." Shay replied.
Nocturne tapped his chin. "Favorite food?" He asked, knowing he was out of ideas.
Shay looked at Nocturne with a serious expression. "Blood." She stated creepily.
At this, Nocturne stiffened, but quickly calmed down. "Yea, crappy question." He muttered.
Shay put her arms behind her head as she lay in the grass. "I got one for you." She stated.
"Oh yea, what?" Nocturne asked.
Shay looked at Nocturne. "What do you think about Night Wolves?......other ones, not you." She asked seriously.
Nocturne stiffened instantly, Shay was usually careful about that topic around him, with a deep breath, Nocturne answered. "I'm......not sure what to think about them." He replied honestly. "I haven't known many of them, we don't really have family, since we're made and not born." He continued. "If i'm being honest here? I don't think it matters what I think." He said finally.
Shay sighed and say up. "Well, doesn't seem like my parents are showing up, I'll just walk back." She said.
Nocturne stood up. "Guess I should do the same, but isn't it dangerous in the city when your alone?" He asked.
Shay tapped her head. "Not when you have shortcuts like mine." She grinned. "Come on, I'll show you one." She offered as she walked.
Nocturne began following Shay away from the school. 'This is a bad idea.' Shade said.
'Its better than sitting around.' Nocturne countered.
The two classmates walked together as they neared the city.
______*some time later*______
Shay and Nocturne walked out from a small wooden hut in an alley and found themselves near Sonya's apartment. "This is my favorite shortcut, it takes me very close to home, it's a secret but I figured you deserved to know." She stated.
Nocturne walked out onto the street with Shay, and he spotted Caravan heights. "Oh hey, that's where I live." He stated as he pointed at the building.
Shay blinked. "Huh, small world." She muttered.
"You live there too?" Nocturne asked.
Shay shrugged. "Meh, I sneak out all the time, a hotel is cramped and boring, at least outside I can be myself more freely." She replied.
Nocturne smiled and walked quickly, he checked both sides of the street before quickly running across with Shay, the two friends walked to the hotel and talked. "Have you ever considered that maybe you need to fight back more often?" Shay asked.
With a sigh, Nocturne answered. "I can't, if a Night Wolf attacks someone, that's grounds to be killed." He replied grimly.
Shay watched as Nocturne kicked a can on the sidewalk. "So that explains why you didn't hit Jonas." She muttered.
As they reached the hotel, the two of them started to walk to their respective apartments. "Where is everyone?" Nocturne wondered, as the hotel was oddly empty.
Shay looked around curiously, there was trash littered about, belongings all over the floor, and even some hats and jackets on the floor.
"I don't know." She said quietly.
Nocturne shrugged. "Oh well, I'll be right back." He said as he walked down the stairs that led to the basement.
"What are you doing?" Shay asked.
Nocturne pointed downstairs. "The lost and found container is down there, anyone can take anything from it." He said as he walked down the steps.
Shrugging, Shay followed her friend down the stairs. "You go down here a lot?" She asked.
"I check down here every other day." Nocturne replied easily.
The two of them quickly found the lost and found container, and Nocturne sifted through it.
As the Night Wolf looked through the lost and found, Shay spotted something. "Hold on." She said, she reached her hand in and pulled out an expensive looking camera. "Ooh, nice." She grinned as she examined it.
Nocturne then spotted something that caught his eye, he grabbed it and pulled out a cool looking black jacket with dark gray fur trim, the best part was that it was his size. "This is definitely mine." He said as he held it in his right hand.
With their new possessions in hand, Shay and Nocturne walked back upstairs.
Seeking a topic for discussion, Nocturne looked at Shay's camera "How's the camera?" He asked.
"It's missing a few parts, but I actually have some of those, it shouldn't be hard to find what I need." Shay replied.
As they reached the second floor, Shay quickly walked to the third door on the left and tried to open it, but to her dismay, it was locked. "Great." She muttered.
Nocturne blinked. "If you want, you can hang out with me until your parents get back?" He offered.
Shay sighed and then nodded. "Alright, let's go then." She replied as she followed her friend.
Nocturne and Shay stepped onto the third floor, where he lived, they walked down the long hallway and neared Nocturne's apartment.
For some reason, a very foul smell filled the air making Nocturne and Shay cover their noses, as well as fight the urge to gag.
Nocturne walked to his apartment with Shay following, as they neared the apartment, they saw that the door was destroyed.
In a worried panic, Nocturne lowered his arm and charged into the apartment, the entire place was trashed and a few windows were broken or cracked.
Shay entered the apartment and blinked. "Wow, nice lifestyle." She commented dryly.
"What is that smell?" Nocturne asked as he looked around, seeing no sign of anything that could cause the horrid smell.
Shay walked in cautiously, being careful not to step on anything, or at least nothing that wasn't broken. "Maybe a different room?" She suggested.
Nocturne nodded and walked to the bathroom, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside, there were signs of a struggle in there, as was evident by the smashed mirror.
Otherwise the bathroom was intact, Nocturne slowly moved to the bedroom and held his nose as he neared the door, as the smell was very potent near the door.
Shay stood behind Nocturne, who gulped and gripped the doorknob, with a shaky breath, Nocturne opened the door and his eyes widened at the sight behind the door.
Nocturne and Shay screamed in terror at the sight of Sonya's broken and lifeless body, her head was bloodied and her tail was cracked, her face was one of fear as her once life filled eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
_______*later that day.*_______
Nocturne blinked as he sat on the bench outside the hotel, the police were here in force as they examined the crime scene and interrogated witnesses, who were locked in various rooms in the hotel.
A detective finished speaking to another officer as a gurney transported bodies to the medical examiners vehicle, he looked and saw Nocturne frozen in shock on a nearby bench with Shay, he walked over to speak to him.
"Hey......you alright?" Asked the detective when he got closer.
Nocturne looked up at the owner of the voice, it was an alligator wearing the traditional blue garb of the force. "No.....I'm not, she cared about me, took me in when no one else would." His hands shook as he spoke. "Look kid, I know your in pain, I understand that, but I need to know what happened." The detective stated calmly.
With a deep breath and a few gulps to keep vomit down, Nocturne answered. "Shay's family didn't show up to take her home, but me?.......I waited a pretty long time for Sonya, but she never showed." He shivered.
"We went home on foot after a while, when we got inside there was no one around, at first I thought that maybe it was just a quiet day, so I went downstairs to look through the lost and found like I usually do, after that, we went upstairs."
Nocturne took a breath and continued. "Shay couldn't get in because the door was locked, so we went to the apartment I stayed in, there was a horrible smell coming from the apartment but we pushed past it, we went looking for the source and that's when we saw......." At this, Nocturne drew a blank and he retreated to his own mind.
Shay placed a hand on Nocturne's shoulder. "We saw her dead on the floor." She looked at the detective. "We need to be alone right now." She stated, her hands trembling and her voice cracking.
With a sigh, the detective wrote something down on a tablet and looked at the kids. "Is there someone you want me to call?" He asked.
Shay looked at Nocturne who was still frozen in fear. "My parents, last name Greenfield, first names are Doug and Judy." She said as she tried to comfort Nocturne.
"It's going to take time, but he will heal eventually." Said a male voice from behind them.
Shay looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall Night Wolf with gray fur and red eyes. "Who are you?" She asked as she clutched Nocturne protectively.
"My name is Shade, and I'm Nocturne's protector." He stated as he walked around the bench and kneeled down. "Nocturne, what are you thinking right now?" He asked.
With a slow turn of his head, Nocturne looked at Shade. "Why didn't you protect her?" He asked, with a hint of anger in his voice.
Shade placed a hand on Nocturne's knee. "I am bound to you, I can't go far from you." He then stood up. "We can't stay here anymore Nocturne, with Sonya gone, there is nothing stopping the government from going after you." He stated.
"You could stay the night at my place?" Shay offered. "My parents won't mind that." She added.
Nocturne nodded slowly. "Yea.........ok." He replied blankly.
Shade looked at Shay. "You do realize that Nocturne is technically an illegal experiment? if you are found with him in your apartment, it could spell disaster." He said.
"Unless you plan on living on the street, I suggest you listened to me." Shay replied.
Shade blinked and then chuckled. "Even with everything going on, your still holding it together, fine, I agree." He relented.
Shay let out a sigh of relief, but when she looked up Shade was gone. "Where did he go?" She asked curiously.
"He's my shadow." Nocturne said blankly as they looked at his shadow, it was Nocturne's size, but it looked like Shade.
Shay blinked. 'How did I never notice that?' She wondered.
Soon, Shay's parents showed up and they both were extremely concerned. "Shay! are you alright?" Judy asked.
Judy was a lion just like Shay, the only difference was that she was more of a pale yellow where Shay was more of a pale orange close to her fathers color, her eyes were brown.
Doug was large and his mane was thick and brown, he was orange and had green eyes. "I'm fine Mom." Shay said as she held Nocturne's hand in an attempt to comfort him.
"And who's this then?" Doug asked.
"Nocturne, he's a friend from school." Shay answered.
As if coming out of a trance, Nocturne stiffened and let out a breath. "I lived here with Sonya before she......" He stopped himself before he put himself into another state of shock.
Judy knelt down and looked at Nocturne's eyes, she examined them closely and sighed, she then whispered something to Doug.
Shay watched with concern as her parents spoke quietly, they soon looked at the kids. "Nocturne, do you have anyone to take care of you?" Doug asked.
Nocturne shook his head. "Not anymore." He replied.
'What am i? chopped liver or something?' Shade asked mentally.
"Well, you can stay the night I suppose." Doug said.
Shay stood up and sighed. "Why can't we just let him stay? one night won't be enough time for him to recover." She said, her voice had an annoyed tone to it.
"It's fine, thanks." Nocturne said quietly.
______*later that day, 11:00 PM*_______
Nocturne stood by the window of the apartment, his mind was a complete mess as he stared outside.
'Nocturne, I'm sorry about Sonya, I know how much you cared about her.' Shade said.
With a sigh, Nocturne turned around and walked to the couch. 'Shade, I want you to promise me something.' He replied.
Shade appeared as an image in the nearby mirror. "What is it?" He asked quietly.
Nocturne looked at Shade with a fire in his eyes. "I want you to help me find the person who did this, and we will make them pay." He replied angrily.
"Are you sure about this?" Shade asked quietly. "Your safety is more important, and this will take you on a dangerous path." He added.
Nocturne growled. "Sonya was one of the few people I cared about, and now she's gone, her killer is still out there, and I will find him, with or without you." He replied.
Shade disappeared from the mirror. 'Then I will help you, but this won't end well for you.' He said grimly.
Unbeknownst to Shade or Nocturne, Shay had seen the entire thing, she sighed to herself and sat on her bed, she rubbed her eyes. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" She asked herself quietly.
_______*Ashlock City, present day.*_______
Shade walked with Nightmare into an alleyway, he stopped near a peculiarly colored wall and looked around for anyone watching. "Keep an eye out." He said.
Nightmare kept watch as Shade tapped the wall, a small hiss was heard and Shade spoke. "Come on." He said.
Walking through the now open secret passage, Nightmare followed Shade as he led her through a strange series of pathways leading down, soon though, they reached a wooden door with a yellow omega symbol and a purple moon just above it.
Shade knocked on the door seven times, five in a row, and then two three seconds later.
The door opened ever so slightly and a distorted voice replied. "Name?" It asked.
"Shade." Replied the Night Wolf with a knowing smile.
The door closed and then five seconds later, it opened and a small pale yellow cheetah girl that was a foot shorter than Shade stood, she was wearing blue jeans and a gray shirt, her eyes were a dark blue and she was grinning.
To Nightmare's surprise, the cheetah jumped up at Shade and kissed him, when she was done, she spoke. "Welcome home." She said.
The cheetah saw Nightmare and blinked, she then looked at Shade after getting down. "Who's this?" She asked with fake jealousy.
Shade rolled his eyes and chuckled. "This is Nightmare, a friend of mine, Nightmare this is Amelia, my girlfriend." He introduced.
Nightmare looked at Shade in disbelief. "Didn't know you had it in you buddy." She commented.
"Let's not leave the door open, come on in." Amelia said as she walked through the open door.
Nightmare followed Shade and whistled in amazement.
They were in what appeared to be some kind of underground civilization, or at least part of it, the room they were in now was some kind of observation deck. "Whoa." Nightmare said as she approached the glass.
Looking down at the underground city was breathtaking, the lights of the city shined dimly giving it a very beautiful appearance, and on the streets there were many Night Wolves but few of other species. "Really is something ain't it?" Amelia asked.
Nightmare nodded. "It's amazing." She replied.
"It took us four years to carve the caves out and put up the proper supports, and then three years to build the city to what it is now." Shade replied.
"Wait, three years? that doesn't seem possible." Nightmare replied.
Shade chuckled. "It is when we have technology and stolen resources, remember Nightmare, we aren't exactly welcome on the surface." He said as he walked to the door to head to the city. "Hey Amy, where's Nocturne?" He asked.
"He's at home, probably making out or being lovey dovey with his girlfriend." She replied, winking at Shade.
Nightmare and Shade walked through the door and headed to the city. "So, when did you meet Amelia?" Nightmare asked.
"A month after I got back, she's sort of the guardian of the secret entrance." Shade replied.
Nightmare nodded. "It seems like things worked out for you all here, or am I wrong?" She asked.
Shade chuckled. "Things have worked out here, hell I can't even remember what the actual reason was for me not coming back." He replied jokingly.
As they walked in silence, Nightmare had one more question. "How long has it been since we seperated?" She asked curiously.
"Eight years." Shade replied.
Nightmare stopped. "That's not good." She said quietly.
Shade stopped walking and looked at Nightmare. "What's wrong?" He asked.
Nightmare sighed. "It's been around twenty four for us." She replied.
Shade blinked and shrugged. "It's just a time difference, Lyaroa will notice sooner or later." He said calmly.
Nightmare followed Shade. "That's assuming Lyaroa isn't still traumatized." She whispered.
The two walked until they were in the city, at which point Shade spoke. "Welcome to Alabaster, second city of the Night Wolf Confederation." He stated.
Nightmare and Shade walked through the streets, and as they walked, Shade was welcomed back by many of the people, but one thing that she did notice was that there were no foxes, but there was just about everything else.
"So uh Shade, are there any foxes on this world?" Nightmare asked.
Shade shook his head. "Nope, that's one of the reasons why your getting confused glances." He replied.
The two walked for a while, Nightmare was taking in the sights of the city, there were many shops or restaurants, and even a bunch of apartments and houses, there were business buildings and what appeared to be an arcade.
"So where are we going exactly?" Nightmare asked.
Shade stopped and picked up a newspaper. "We are going to see Nocturne." He replied.
Nightmare followed Shade as he read the paper and walked, to her surprise he didn't hit anything on the sidewalk and he was easily staying out of other people's way, as though he did it commonly.
It didn't take long before Shade stopped at a walled off house, it was a two story house, with brown walls, what appeared to be a window a room at least and a black front door, the yard was well kept and the grass was green, given life by the artificial sun at the top of the vast cavern.
"Nocturne's place." Shade said as he walked to the front door, pushing the gate open.
Nightmare followed and Shade rang the doorbell.
Around ten to eighteen seconds later, a brown Night Wolf with orange eyes opened the door, he wore a purple hoodie and had dark blue pants on, he was easily two feet shorter than Shade and seemed much more.......alive, then other Night Wolves. "Hey Shade." He said, he stepped aside and let them come inside.
"Who's your friend?" The Night Wolf asked.
Nightmare sighed. "I'm Nightmare, and you?" She asked.
The Night Wolf walked over to a blue chair and sat down. "I'm Nocturne." He then pointed at the sleeping lion on the dark green couch. "That's Shay." He continued.
"I was telling Nightmare here our story." Shade stated as he leaned against a wall.
Nocturne scoffed. "Which part? the bad one or the bad one?" He asked.
"I left off on the promise I made to you, to find Sonya's killer." Shade replied.
Nocturne sighed and rubbed his eyes. "That.......was a tough time." He said quietly.