//------------------------------//
// New Plan 
// Story: My Son, My Soldier, My Hero 
// by That_Random_Pony 
//------------------------------//


"Are you sure?" Jaqeluu asked his little brother. 

"I'm sure," Draco nodded, turning to his mother, his aunt, Moon, then Ember. "I… I want to train. To end this before anyone else gets hurt."

Jerosh scoffed a bit. "Even with your power we'll suffer millions of losses," he informed them. "But they're willing to do what is necessary if it means the end of the bloodshed."

Figanti stood up and came closer to his nephew. "The training you may have received will be nothing compared to our average routines," Figanti warned. "What we put you through was what any other warrior would experience. There is Signa training, and then there is the training a Doshu'um goes through. Your father started when he was four cycles. You're eleven cycles now, and weaker than most Signa your age. But if you can overcome it, you will be stronger than the League, stronger than Jerosh, and stronger than all the Makti before you."

"To help you keep up with your training, we'll be injecting you with small amounts of thermite," Fermot explained, showing him a vial filled with an orange liquid. 

Celestia eyed the vial questioningly. "What does thermite do?" She questioned. 

Rather than explain it, Agner pulled out a small injector and put the vial into the needle. He aimed it at Draco and fired, the needle hitting Draco's arm and injecting the liquid. Draco winced and the others gasped. As the last of the fluid entered his bloodstream, Draco grunted and felt… energy. It was subtle, but he felt his levels jump.

"What was th-at?" Draco's eyes widened as he heard his voice deepen slightly. 

Celestia stepped forward. "What did it do to him?" She asked. 

"On our planet, there is a bountiful and beautiful flower known as the Vutoke flower," Fermot said. "Instead of perfumes or incense, it produces a liquid made of raw energy."

Agner took over from there. "When it touches Loki'irian blood, it multiplies the proteins and vitamins in our bodies," Agner explained. "It stimulates growth and multiplies our power, speeding up the aging process to create a basic Signa warrior."

Moon's eyes widened in shock. "It can age you and make you more powerful?" He questioned.

The brothers nodded again. "If you could create warriors with plenty of power, why are you losing a war?" Luna asked next, the brothers taking on a more serious demeanor.

"Using thermite is seen as dishonorable," Figanti told them. "No matter how much we use will be seen as a means of unnatural training. And to age him appropriately… we'll need to use about two gallons of it until he matures."

"Mature?" Draco questioned.

"Yes. You'll fall ill, and for a week your power will jump from weak, to powerful, to exponentially incredible, and you'll be unable to control it all," Jerosh explained. "There is a room that will keep you contained, but as Doshu'um you'll be facing the power of your ancestors. Hundreds of Makti, stronger than any of us, and all of their powers channeled into and out of you. There will be no controlling it, only baring through it."

The idea of a hundred different, powerful beings funneling into him sounded terrifying, but it sounded very similar to Ember's Illness Passage. "So that's why your Illness never spread to me," Draco said to her. 

"So then I can be with him when that time comes, right?" Ember asked.

Jaqeluu shook his head. "He doesn't simply have an inner struggle. He'll have the past Makti AND the Ashla," he told them. "Their powers will need to be exerted somehow, and the force of a sneeze or cough would knock down buildings. His body temperature will reach below zero, then soar pass two hundred. He'll feel as though his limbs are ripping apart, his headaches would drive a regular person mad, and he'll be strained to the very end."

Fermot could sense the fear in his youngest brother, and the concern in the others. It was one of his rites after all. "We're being honest to make sure you know what you're up against, brother," Fermot smiled, placing a hand reassuringly on his brother's right shoulder.

Draco had learned that placing your hand on someone's parallel  shoulder was a warm and affectionate gesture, mostly between family and friends. A gesture to family alone was placing your hand on the opposite shoulder, as Fermot was doing now. 

"And we're going to make this easier," Figanti added. "To make sure you can handle what we'll be throwing at you, we're going to extract the Ashla."

Their ears perked up immediately. "You… you're going to take it out?" Draco asked slowly. The brothers nodded again, and Jerosh stepped forward.

"Jaqeluu has taught me to battle mentally, and since you still need to train in that area, I'll be keeping the Ashla under control until you learn to do so yourself," Jerosh assured him. 

Draco felt delighted that he could get rid of the creature inside of him. But one thing still lingered in his mind. "How long will I have to come with you?" Draco asked. 

Their smiles faded completely, and he knew he wasn't going to like it. "One cycle… two years," Agner translated. 

He just got back on track with his life, he was happy with Ember, he was able to keep Rainbow and Twilight as close friends, and he was training the Solar Guard and Lunar Guard. After the whole invasion he missed, because he and Ember were visiting King Draco and her uncle as they did annually, he decided to shape them up and give them better training. Everything was alright, but now he was going to spend another two years of his life training for a war that would last however long after. But he was doing this to protect Ember, his mother, his aunt, Moon, his friends, family, the world, and the galaxy. If he didn't… they would all die because he wouldn't sacrifice some time. 

Time he couldn't make up.

"And we'll fight as long as it takes to beat the Arthanians, right?" The brothers nodded, and Draco turned around to his family and lover. They gave him unsure, saddened expressions. "The sooner we start… the faster I can come home."

His true family looked a bit saddened at the word "home." "If you choose to live here, that's your decision," Fermot smiled half-heartedly. "So will you train?"

Draco looked down to Ember, holding her claws and looking into her two-toned emerald irises. She sighed softly, leaning her head against his chest. Moon knew how much being with Draco meant to her. She had wanted this ever since she was fourteen, and Draco since he was thirteen. Even if they weren't blood cousins, they knew each other like brothers, and he knew that his brother only did what he had to do. Now, he needed to do what needed to do for the galaxy, not just for them. But he still wanted permission from her. As Ember thought, Draco looked to them. Celestia came close and placed a wing around him, nuzzling his cheek.

"I always knew you would be destined for great things," Celestia softly said. "And I knew that one day I would have to let go. I never thought you'd take up a throne… but you must do this for all of us. We'll always be here for you."

Luna wrapped her wing around him as well. "You're more qualified than any of us to do this," she smiled. "You can count on our support. And I'll keep an eye on your mother."

Draco chuckled softly, looking down to Moon. His cousin was bigger than his mother now, and stronger and more muscled than ever before. Draco hugged him warmly, knowing through their bond that Moon understood better than all of them. They separated, all except for Ember who still leaned into him. Draco guided her gaze back up to him, even as she kept her eyes closed. He would wait all day if he had to, and she knew this as she opened her eyes.

"After all we've been through… I thought we'd finally be done with all the fighting and training," she said softly, fiddling with his hands.

Draco chuckled softly and nuzzled her. "I'm a warrior. It's in my blood… it's in your blood… and it's what we were made for," he whispered. She giggled softly, looking into his cosmic-hazel eyes.

"I know… and it was getting a bit boring around here," Ember laughed, Moon doing the same. "But… promise me we'll be together… we'll fight together, just like we used to."

"And me," Moon smiled. "Don't think I'm letting you two in there without me. We still have a score to settle, Draco."

"Midnight. You can't-"

"Mother," Moon interrupted. "We have gone through much more than most cousins can say, even before we knew. We're brothers. And I won't sit here while they fight. I know we just settled back in… but I need to do this. Please, Mother."

Luna went to say something, but Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Luna… we can't keep them apart, no matter how much we want to," she smiled. "They'll watch out for each other. And I know they'll make it back."

Luna turned back to her son, who had a pleading but stern look in his eyes. She smiled gently and kissed his cheek. "If this is what you want… then do what you must," Luna sighed. Moon nuzzled his mother lovingly.

"I'll be fine mother. I'm still going to be around for the next two years," Moon chuckled. "But we'll have each others backs. Just like old times, right?"

"Just like old times," Draco laughed, looking down to Ember. "I promise… when this is all over it'll be fine. We'll be done with all this fighting until some other war starts or something."

Ember shook her head and laughed. "Let's hope it's just some thugs," she said.

Draco nodded and kissed her lips, turning to his brothers. "When do we start?"

"In two weeks. The first week will be to recover from the extraction process," Figanti said. "The second… to spend with your loved ones."

Draco nodded, turning to Jerosh. "I'm going to make sure Derekosh didn't die for nothing," he said resolutely. "I don't know if I can ever warm up to you as brothers… but for our sake I'll try. I'll train as hard as each of you and I'll make sure that those who died didn't do so in vain."

They wished they could believe him, but their youngest showed very little trust in them, and they didn't even know him well enough. But their parents' words echoed in each of their heads, no matter how angry they were at him for getting Derekosh killed. They were just angry at their brother… and brothers still loved each other after conflicts. For the sake of their parents they would try to become as close to him as possible, whether or not he accepted them as such. 

"Tomorrow we will begin," Jaqeluu announced. They nodded and the brothers soon left, riding their Nera'ak to the low orbit shuttles.

"Are you sure you can handle it, Jerosh?" Jaqeluu questioned. Their eldest brother nodded.

"If he could contain it, I'm sure I can keep it just as tame," he said. "But make sure none know… and do not regard me using its presence."

"We should not do so with Reku'un, either," Fermot called to them.

"Perhaps Jerosh should just become Doshu'um," Agner shrugged.

"And violate the tradition that has kept our race alive?" Jerosh snorted angrily. 

Jaqeluu sent a wave of peace through their minds, aided by Fermot. "Reku'un will learn his true responsibilities in time," he smiled. "Just have faith in him. He can do this."

I know you can.