Night Fang mumbled to himself as he felt someone nudging him awake. Normally, he would've heard who was coming thanks to his wolf traits. However, thanks to the spirit that had tried possessing him, he'd lost them. Now Fang was just a regular guy, and he was quite happy with that.
"I'm up. I'm up." Fang said with a yawn, stretching as he rose up from his bed. He perked up a bit when his nose caught wind of a familiar sound. "Though you could've just opened the door. For my sniffer, the scent of bacon is inescapable."
"And here I was hoping I would get to lick your face to wake you up." Aria Blaze answered with a smirk as she stared down at Fang. "Just a little payback for the licking you gave me while you were in your wolf cub form."
"Guess I gave you a memorable first kiss, huh?" Fang asked with a grin. The only reply he got from Aria was a pillow playfully thrown at his face. "Girl, you know you love me."
"Which is why I don't need to say it. To think, all I had to do to get a boyfriend was try and take over a world. I guess bad girls like good guys." Aria said with a smirk as she made her way to the kitchen. "Unless, of course, you're willing to howl out your own declaration at the top of your lungs? Maybe I need to get kidnapped for you to tirelessly pursue me."
"You're saying that like you know I'd make it to you." Fang said with a chuckle as he sat down at the table and immediately began scarfing down his bacon. "Care to explain?"
"You're the most determined person I know, Fang." Aria said with a genuine smile. "And you're my good boy."
"Darn right I am!" Fang said proudly. Unaware that he was still holding a piece of bacon in his mouth. An opportunity Aria took advantage of as she chomped the portion that was hanging out! "Hey!" Aria's response was a mischievous chuckle, and Fang couldn't help but let out a laugh. He probably would've done the same.
However, unknown to the couple, they were being watched. The same malevolent spirit that had tried to possess Fang watched the couple with an envious gaze. His lips curling into a snarl as he glared at the couple.
"I have taken the power of the wolf from the cub. I would have thought that he would be distraught over losing his gift." The spirit growled as he clenched his fists! "And yet there he is. Living, smiling, laughing like he hasn't lost anything of value! But not just him, no, the cub's father also does not share the hate I carry! Both father and child bear no anger towards the humans like I did! They did not lose what was ripped away from me by them! It's not fair. . . IT'S NOT FAAAAIIIIIR!" And the spirit let out a furious howl! All of the town heard it, and the spirit knew.
"So they know I am here, do they? Good." The spirit growled as he advanced towards Unityville! "Let them face Savage Howl! Especially you, cub!" Savage Howl's eyes narrowed at the prospect of clashing with Night Fang again. "You do not know the pain of loss that I do, but you WILL. And when you do, you will be all too glad to surrender your will to me! Then we shall carry out the one thing, the ONLY thing that has allowed me to remain in this world! My vengeance against humanity shall be done!"
Meanwhile, Fang had summoned his Duelist Arm! A battle-ready look on his face when the gauntlet materialized on his arm. He'd heard the howl, he knew who he would soon be facing. Though he lacked his wolf abilities, he had no intention of simply rolling over to the malevolent spirit that would most assuredly rampage!
"Aria." Fang said sternly. "Stay here. You won't have to worry about snapping me out of a possessed state this time around, but this is a fight that's been coming for a long while. It's something that I have to do on my own."
"Save your logic." Aria said with an understanding look on her face. "I already understand. You don't need to-AH!" Aria was shocked when something busted down the door, and snatched her from where she was standing! And when the middle siren sister finally comprehended what had grabbed her, she found herself being carried away by Savage Howl! "Fang!"
"Aria!" Fang cried out as he dashed outside to see Savage Howl carrying Aria slung over his shoulder! "So. It looks like you finally decide to show your real form. I had a feeling there was a connection between us, but the girl has nothing to do with this! Let her go!"
"So you finally realize the ties that bind us." Savage Howl sneered. "I am Savage Howl. The first one of our pack to be given the gift of the wolf. But you are wrong about the girl. She has everything to do with us."
"What are you talking about?!" Fang snapped as he stared down his ancestor! "Give me a straight answer, dammit!"
"In time, cub." Savage Howl spat. "If you want to reclaim what you have lost, be it the wolf abilities or the woman, come to the Everfree. There, we shall see whose fangs are sharper." And with that, Savage Howl sped off to the Everfree Forest. With Night Fang immediately giving chase!
"Hold on, Aria!" Fang said to himself as he hit the ground running! His gaze hardening with unbreakable determination! "I'm not leaving this fight without you! Even if it kills me, I'm not coming out of this without you safe and sound! I promise you that. But more importantly, this is a promise I make to myself too!"
It wasn't long before Fang found himself within the Everfree, and it wasn't that hard to find the trail of Savage Howl either. All fang had to do was follow the series of slash marks on the trees. Unsuprisingly, Fang found himself at the mouth of a cave.
"How fitting." Fang thought out loud. "I'm heading into the belly of the beast, and here I am standing at the mouth of a cave. No sense in delaying this any longer."
And Night Fang walked into the cave without any hesitation. As he ventured down the cave, Fang felt like he was being pulled toward somewhere. It was the only way he could explain how he was navigating the cave so easily despite the lack of light.
"The further in I go, the more I feel like I'm being watched." Fang muttered to himself. He then saw a faint bit of light ahead of him. "Looks like I've made it to the den." As Fang stepped into the light, he saw Aria with her back against one of the cave's walls, aiming a defiant glare at Savage Howl. As for Fang's angry ancestor, he was sitting in front of Aria and facing Fang. His eyes closed as if awaiting Fang's arrival.
"So you've come after all, cub." Savage Howl said as he opened his eyes. "I picked up your scent the second you were at the mouth of the cave. You are no coward, I'll give you that. It's quite bold of you, coming here to rescue your mate. You remind me of myself. Perhaps that's why it was so easy to wrest control from you."
"And all the times that you tried, I never yielded to you!" Fang growled as he raised his gauntlet and got into a fighting stance! "The only way you'll fully make me your puppet is over my dead body!"
"I've no use for you dead, cub." Savage Howl scoffed. "My rage makes me more than tangible. And ripping the power of the wolf from you has granted me even greater speed and strength!" As Savage Howl trumpeted his advantages, his appearance became more bestial! "And yet you are still so brazen as to bare your fangs against me? You either hold no fear, or are completely stupid!"
"Then I guess I'm a brave idiot!" Fang snapped as he charged at Savage Howl! However, Howl was too fast and side-stepped Fang's swipe! Slashing the Element of Determination in the back! "AGH!'
"First blood is mine, cub." Savage Howl smirked as he flexed his claws. "If you are wise you'll-"
"RAAAAGGGHH!" Fang roared as he pounced on Savage Howl! Slashing wildly with his gauntlet! "You may have taken my wolf abilities, but I'm still going to fight you tooth-and-claw!"
"Away with you!" Savage Howl snarled as he swiped at Fang's chest! His claws striking flesh as Fang stumbled away clutching his wound! Further adding to the brutality, Savage Howl kicked Fang in the gut while he was staggering to his feet! "Yield! Yield! YIELD!"
"Nnngh. . .N. . N-" Fang picked himself up enough to defiantly glare in Savage Howl's face. "Never." And for his defiance, Fang was put on the receiving end of a brutal kick to his face!
"Why?!" Savage Howl grabbed Fang by his hair, and slammed him against a nearby wall! "WHY?! I've taken the power of the wolf from you! I have your mate as my captive! Why?! Why will you not submit?!"
"It's simple really. . . " Fang groaned as he glared at Savage Howl! "Because I won't let myself become a monster like you. For all the times you tried to make me rampage, I fought against my won body. I might not have to deal with you trying to wear me like a suit, but there's not a chance in Tartarus that I'm going to let you back in! Keep the power you took from me! All I'm here for is Aria!"
"You. . . came only for her?" Savage Howl asked, surprised at Fang's response.
"Why else would I come?!" Fang snapped! "You don't have any idea the kind of enemy you've made in me! Because when some idiot hurts or tries to take away people I care about, I'll never rest until they're safe again!"
"No. . . no, no no!" Savage Howl growled! "This wasn't how it was supposed to go!"
"What are you talking about?!" Fang asked
"You CAN'T be here for just the woman!" Savage Howl roared at Fang's face! "You HAVE to be here for your power!"
"And why's that?!" Fang spat in Savage Howl's face!
"BECAUSE YOU ARE LIKE ME!" Savage Howl screamed as he tossed Fang to the ground! "I, like you, found love when I was among the living. She was a common human, but she captured my affection all the same. We even had a cub of our own. But, my happiness was not to last. A bitter suitor of hers stole her from me, and I was hellbent on getting her back. I fought through the brutes he'd hired to stand in my way. Bloodied, battered, but I was anything but broken. But when I faced down the scum that threatened my mate, all I saw was the lifeless body of the woman I loved at his feet. Grief had me in its grip, and the instant it held me was more than enough to allow the bastard to finish me! Though my body failed, my spirit refused to leave! I would not rest until I'd claimed vengeance! Seeing my vengeful spirit terrified the bastard to death. Quite literally I might add. He may have died that day, but my hatred would not be sated! I am, because of the likes of him, forever alone in this world!"
"If you hate that person so much. . . " Fang groaned as he slowly rose to his feet. "Then why are you inflicting the same wrongs that he did to you, onto me? If you're so much better than him, then let me and Aria go."
"I cannot!" Savage Howl protested! "You must become my host!"
"And why does it have to be that way? It doesn't!" Fang pleaded! "Why are you so dead set on using me like a puppet?!"
"Because I don't want to be alone!" Savage Howl roared! "My mate was taken from me! My cub grew without me to see them through it! Even you, who stand before me, lived a life without me in it! The entire family you belong to went without knowing me!"
"Don't you understand?" Fang asked with a pained look on his face. "You're only alone because of yourself. You've let your hate anchor you to this world. If you had just let go, you would be reunited with your beloved. The only reason, the true reason you're alone, is because you can't let go."
"But I have to hold on!" Savage Howl screamed! His eyes beginning to water. "If I let go. . . I will have nothing left in this world."
"There's already nothing for you here." Fang answered with a calm tone. "Perhaps you don't love your mate as much as you claim if you're so willing to pass up the chance to reunite with her."
"You dare?!" Savage Howl snarled! "She was everything to me!"
"THEN PROVE IT!" Fang screamed! "Let go of your grudge! The one responsible for it is dead and buried! You have no reason to linger in this world anymore!"
"I wounded you. Used you." Savage Howl muttered as he staggered at Fang's words. "Why? Why would you try and release me from my hate?"
"Because I'm determined to help my family find happiness." Fang answered resolutely as he charged at Savage Howl! Ripping through the spirit without any resistance! "Leave this world. There's nothing left for you here."
"It ends. . . " Savage Howl said as he fell to his knees. "But I feel no peace. . . what is this?"
Both Fang and Savage Howl turned to face Aria as she was singing. A purple glow coming from her entire being. The sound of the melody soothed Savage Howl's wounded spirit, but it did far more than that. Savage Howl looked up, and saw the spirits of his mate and his child waiting for him. And he left with them without any hesitation. Leaving the manifestation of the wolf powers to pounce back into Fang!
"Rest in peace. You deserve it." Fang said with a relieved smile before he was enveloped in a bright light! When the light faded, Fang found that he'd regained his wolf ears and tail, but he also now possessed a pair of bat wings on his back! He was also surprised to see red-violet magical constructs in the form of claws around his hands. But all that was pointless when he saw Aria, and scooped her into his arms. "I guess I'm your good boy forever, huh?"
"That doesn't sound bad to me." Aria said with a loving smile. The second one she'd ever given Fang. "Because I know you're going to never give up on me."
"On us." Fang corrected her as he flew out of the cave. "Y'know, I think it's time."
"For what?" Aria asked. Her answer came in the form of Fang locking his lips with hers.
"A real first kiss." Fang said with a grin as he admired Aria's blushing face.