Chapter Fourteen: the Reunion.

"i can't think of anything meaningful to say."
"oh what the hell, detilos?"
"oh my god, just start the chapter already!."

-Detilos
-Neowolf
-emperorwolf

(I apologise for the lack of a proverb)

kevin laughed, carrying his friends back to his house, carl and syrus had gone back to their own home after they parted at a cafe.

benson was also laughing "i bet you might have had a chance of winning, if you'd hit ME and not the TOWER!"
"oh, come on, ben. i WOULD'VE WON!"
khyber laughed "at least you didn't get gang-bashed."
lily smiled "but you got us back, peter, with that grenade!"
as kevin entered the clearing, everyone noticed the elderly canine sitting at the doorstep.
"who're you?" kevin asked.
the white wolf on his knee spun and stood "patrick khyber?"
khyber stood upright in kevin's paws "yes? what is it? ... did something happen to my mother?"
the wolf smiled "no.... but, close."
"then what?" khyber asked
"mr. khyber... this old dog... don't you recognise him?"
khyber looked closely, and his eyers widened "it... can't be..."
the wolf nodded "it is. i present to you Mr. Aeon Khyber, your father."
everyone was taken aback

lily stammered "wh-wh-what? but peter's FELINE!"
khyber was tearing up "ariha dyona lia morra trega..."
the old dog smiled "...grinta ferria netta kohha zeria."
"bring me the real truth..."
"...and break every single illusion"
"kevin... put me down... over there.."
"why?" kevin asked
"b-because... that's my... m-my..."
the old dog chuckled "it's true... i'm his father."
lily wasn't convinced "hello!? peter's FELINE, FE-LINE!!"
"he takes after his mother." Aeon stated
the white wolf jumped down.
"he was in the strells, he's been looking for you for years."

soon, they were inside, on the second floor, at the dining table.
"so... your mother dumped him, and you never saw him again?" ian asked khyber
"yes... she told me my father had died."
Aeon sighed "patrick, i'm very sorry. this was back during the ravaging, a cross species, cross size relationship was frowned upon, she had two choices: either leave me, or face punishment. i told her that i couldn't let her be punished... so she said she loved me... and had to leave me... we planned to meet up again once the ravaging was over, but..."
khyber nodded sadly "law #44: no hybrids..."
"yes, son... you had to be kept secret. although law #44 has been abolished, your mother..."
"yeah... she can't travel, she's lost the use of her arms and legs..."
"i know... the medical facility sent me a letter ten years ago."
amelia interjected "so, if he's a Dog/Cat hybrid, why isn't he more...?"
Aeon sighed "he takes after his mother, he has canine features, but they are less prominent and less noticable than his feline ones. he used to be able to... shift between... but i'm unsure about that now."
khyber stood, he looked like he was focussing internally "i... still..."
there was a small flash, and khyber looked distinctly more canine "...can!"
amelia stared "oh... that's creepy... he still LOOKS like himself!"
khyber flashed, returning to feline form "i can't hold it for very long, though..."
Aeon patted his son gently on the head "oh, patrick... it's because you're only partially changing."
everyone looked at Aeon curiously, even the white wolf who'd come with him.
"what do you mean, dad?"
"look at me, patrick. your canine DNA came from me, what's the difference between me and your canine form?"
benson raised his arm "is it the size?"
"precicely, little fox."
khyber facepalmed "of course, of course, of course. it makes total sense!"
"you don't have to try right now, son. it's just... wonderful to see you again."
khyber smiled at his father "same here... dad."
benson turned away crying
Aeon noticed "why is he crying?"
khyber sighed "ben lost both his parents shortly after he was born, he had his grandfather, but he lost him too, seven years ago."
Aeon closed his eyes "you've had things rough, haven't you?"
the white wolf walked over to Aeon "sir, we'll lose our window in five minutes. are you staying?"
Aeon's head slumped, ears drooped "... i understand... i'll have to leave."
khyber panicked "why?!"
"the way i came here, it ... leaves in five minutes. if i'm to return home, i must leave now."
"b-but..." khyber began to cry.
"i'm sorry, son. i wish i could stay, i truly do, but i must leave... please tell your mother i love her."
Aeon stood.
the white wolf waved to them, and in a flash of intense white light...
they were gone.
khyber reached for where they had been standing "no... not again..."
ian walked over to him "they're gone, they jumped." he put his hand on khyber's shoulder "it's sad. i know."
"i... i hadn't seen him... for so long... and now... he's gone again."

a heavy silence fell over the room.

kevin had an idea "why don't we go to the strells? meet him there?"
amelia shook her head "at this time of year, the roads to the strells are blocked. it's impossible"
kevin looked at ian "what about for an angel?"
ian shook his head "i can't do that kevin. angels without grace cannot teleport."
khyber looked at benson "t-technomagic?"
benson's ears flattened "no... i can't... i can't build a teleporter... i'm dreadfully sorry."
lily raised a paw "how about..." but then he stopped "ohhh, but break ends next week."
"back to school..." kevin moaned
"and to particle construction..." benson groaned. "and i'd just gotten my fur all nice and soft, too!"
"and to the library..." the girls said sadly.
ian sighed "i'll have to speak at the council again. i have NO idea why i became a politician."
khyber stood shakily "thanks for trying, guys... i guess it's back to the technical support line for me..."

everyone fell silent.

khyber's phone rang.
he answered it "hello? ... oh, hello mother... yes... i'm sorry, i'll be returning next week."
khyber's expression clouded over "mother? ... i-... i met father... yes... yes... no, i don't know how he got here, but he's gone again, he didn't have a choice... yes mother ... no, i don't blame you. ... no, i really don't, he explained everything. ... a-huh ... a-huh ... i see. by the way, he asked me to tell you that he loves you. ... please stop crying. ... please mother, please stop crying. ... yes, i know... i'll leave for trenga tonight. ... okay mother. ...goodbye."
the call ended "i'll have to leave for Trenga tonight. i'm sorry everyone."
ian and the girls nodded "yeah, we'll go with, we need to get back to Gentiki, too."
kevin looked on sadly "you're leaving?"
"we're sorry, kev. we'll be in touch through the web."
the giant german shepherd nodded sadly as he let them out the door, and they drove off.
benson stood at his heel.
"you okay, kevin?"
"seeing all this... makes me think of my own father. he'll flip when he finds out i've spent break NOT studying..."
the little fox leant against his heel "like i said, i can help you study... but..."
kevin knelt, then sat beside his friend. "it's okay... i know... between being hunted, and having to travel so far... it'll only get harder for you... why does the bad stuff always happen to good people?"

they stared off into the evening sky.
why... why did they have to suffer?

---

Neowolf, now back in full uniform, landed back in the grey room.
once again, Helior, Bordos, and his master sat at the table.
"welcome back, Neowolf, how was your day off?"
"i met the duke of blades."
helior choked on his tea.
bordos dropped his honey bun.
the brown wolf simply stared, a cheesecake slice halfway into his mouth.
"i ... met Aeon."
helior steadied himself "y-you met Aeon?! he's been missing for twenty nine years! where was he?!"
"twenty... nine...?"
the brown wolf nodded
"then, i know where he went and why."
"what is the answer, Neowolf?"
"his family."
the brown wolf snapped his fingers, and he and Neowolf stood in a new area, completely white.
"elaborate."
"what'll you do if i tell you?"
the wolf bowed his head
"you're not going to try and bring him back... are you? that's not it."
"all of the assistants who went full... had to be... killed"
Neowolf glared "you can't do that, his son-"
"ah, i know, i'll bring his son in..."
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT."
the air rippled, the brown wolf looked around, afraid.
and in walked a blue feline, clad in the same clothing as Neowolf, only white.
"Heritos, reporting for duty, emperor."
the brown wolf sighed. "i need you to take over for me, heritos, i need to return to the flow for a while."
"yes, emperor!"
then the brown wolf snapped his fingers... and they reappeared in the grey room, without him.
bordos glared "heritos..."
heritos sighed "from now on, i'll be commanding the shay opperation."
helior stood "Heritos, The Dark One Clad In Light... Neowolf's predesessor."

Neowolf frowned.
the game had changed.
things would become worse from here on in.

(Author's challenge!)
considering the information provided, what year was the ravaging taking place, and why was it an issue for the Khybers? remember, the "present time" in the story is currently 2014.

the winner gets to Cameo in a later chapter.

also, can everyone tell me why they think Heritos is "Dark One Clad In Light" ...?
the fact that he's blue is irrelivant.

see you next chapter!!