Fawkes
"No!! Don't punch him now! You stupid space guardian man! Noooo! He's waking up! He's waking up!! You're doomed! We're all doomed!"
The foolishness of this man could give the Old Man a run for his money! They had finally bested the powerful purple alien, but this fool allowed his emotions to get the better of him. You're not supposed to jeopardize a mission on this scale, even if your loved one dies at their hand. This man posed a threat to half of the entire universe's lives and was ultimately doomed to destroy them with his actions.
For what it's worth, these movies, which are layered within Father's memories, are fascinating to watch. It was like a wealth of untapped knowledge and entertainment! Not too long ago, the Old Man and his worthless allies were returning to the cave system known as The Hidden Grotto, as I advised. They had a run-in with that powerful monster of a man, but the Old Man finally heeded my counsel. I had to bring my mother to help him realize the value of his life. They barely managed to escape, but after their petty spat, the two of them continued their journey.
The moment they entered the cave, which took too long for my taste, they decided to waste even more time drying their clothes. Nonsense if you were to ask me! However, the Old Man is a rather particular man when it comes to dry clothing. He hates having his clothes wet, but his blood is alright in his eyes. I must confess that it is times like that which make me question my mother's judgement!
Speaking of my mother, the wonderful, but scary Goddess Sine, abruptly left after my father returned to confront that human monster. She mumbled something about a nuisance popping up and needing to deal with it, but she did show me a new trick. Some may question the morality of invading my father's memories and watching these "movies", but I'm sure he'd approve. I learned from his memories that if he isn't aware, then it won't harm him, or something that affects him.
Either way, it wouldn't matter. He can't possibly expect me to run around a cave and a forest all day. A growing fox needs intellectual stimulation, and that includes... "No way! Did he pull the moon down?!"
Right before my eyes, I witnessed the purple alien utilize his magic to rip open the heavens themselves and pull the moon toward their world! My mouth went agape as the level of destruction on display was equal parts frightening and thrilling. I wonder if Mother could do that, or if there is someone in our world who could. If they could, then I need the Old Man to get powerful pronto. If someone were powerful enough and crazy enough to do so, then I want the Old Man to put a stop to it. Power like that should be unattainable in this world, but you never know what monster lurks in the darkness.
I rocked back and forth in my seat as I watched our heroes continue their battle with the alien, but things were bleak for them to the point that I didn't want to watch further. My eyes blinked, and as I desired, the magical box froze the movie. While Mother was capable of unveiling memories without the assistance of the magic box, I, on the other hand, was not so powerful yet. While it was true that I was capable of accessing them, I was only able to do so with the assistance of the Visual Magic Box or television, as he called it.
The specifics are lost to me, but with my mother's power, I was able to direct the desired memory to manifest on the screen. Digging too deep was off the table, but Mother did assist me in directing several movies onto the screen.
Growl!
'It's about that time… Yes! Snack time!'
A smirk appeared across my face as my focus shifted to my stomach. While the sound wasn't outwardly loud, my acute hearing could hear the slight rumblings of my hunger. That was a benefit of having a kitsune as a parent. While he isn't fully aware of it, the hunger of our nature is both magical and biological, especially after a battle that required such intensive repair.
The magic needed to direct the Old Man's healing is less than one might expect. Whether it was due to his race or Astral Art, I was unsure, but either way, it changed nothing. During my travels throughout the Mana Space, I noticed several weak disturbances in his mana. I initially thought it was harmful, but when I attempted to redirect them, I was blasted away.
My actions against it instead caused whatever to happen to happen even faster. I was curious, so I followed the disturbed mana until it reached its endpoint, and it was then that I realized that it was the mana needed to heal him. The Old Man's healing mana was absolute and even overcame the anti-healing properties that the Ravager's knife possessed when he stabbed him.
I was unaware of those properties during the battle, but upon reflection, I noticed them. There was a reason the Old Man struggled to heal in that battle, and those properties were the reason. I considered bringing it up with him, but…
Groowwl!!
Leaping from the couch, I landed near the table that sat in front of it. At first, I thought it was weird that a table would be placed there when I initially wandered the place. From the Old Man's memories, I learned that this modest place was the home that he had previously resided in. You see, to my surprise, The Old Man isn't originally from this world.
To think that other worlds or dimensions exist, but I could only assume that it is natural. Powerful beings exist, such as Gods, so I wouldn't doubt the existence of other worlds. His world was simpler, and this house was reminiscent of that. The color was bland, but he had a collection of colorful and interesting portraits on his wall. My personal favorite, other than the movies, was the delicious food hidden inside a large magic box.
When I first stumbled across this building with the mana space, this container was one of the first items to hold my attention for more than a few seconds. I had no idea what it could be at first glance, but I was pleased when I found out. That same gray magic box that I now stood before contained some complex spell that both restocked food and cooled it, so that it would last longer than it usually would. It is a fascinating discovery. The only complaint I have is that it's too tall for me to reach comfortably. I wish there were a smaller version of that cooling box.
Sighing with annoyance, I stood on my hind legs to reach the handle of the cooling box. I trapped my paw around the handle and, with a creak, I triumphantly pulled the door open. My eyes gleamed with desire as the magic box revealed its contents. While a majority of the items were currently unseen due to my small size, I know they had to be as tasty as this tasty red fruit that I stumbled across. I believe it was called a "strawberry" and was always shielded within its see-through barrier. Oddly enough, the barrier contained no magic and was punctured easily by my powerful jaws.
My tail swayed energetically as I maneuvered the strawberry's barrier into my mouth and dragged it out of the odd magic box. While gripping it was not simple, once I was able to puncture holes into the shield properly, I was able to pull it with me easily. One thing that I noticed is that after a set amount of time, the door of the box would close by itself. I never dwelled on that feature, but I remained grateful nonetheless.
Trotting back into the room with the television, I began ripping the strawberries' defensive barrier into shreds. Since my jaws were extremely formidable, it took mere seconds before the fruit was sent flying in all directions. The silly fruit thought that escaping from Fawkes the Magnificent was an option, but they were quickly proven wrong. Without exception, the deliciousness of the strawberries graced my tongue with their juicy sweetness.
I was elevated, and things couldn't get any better than this moment. Waddling over to the couch, I wiggled my hips in preparation to take my spot back on the comfy throne. I was more than ready to continue watching the movie and see how the heroes overcame the purple alien. The heroes always end up victorious, but I was curious about how they'd do so this time.
'That is… odd…'
The moment I was wound up to enact my leap, an odd sense of power rushed over me. The shelves shook, and the glass rattled from the feedback. My eyes narrowed as I turned away from the couch and looked toward the window near it. There was something peculiar transpiring in the Mana Space, and not only was it affecting the items within it, but the mana itself felt denser.
"Did it just get warmer?" I asked, but no one answered. I could sense the answer nonetheless.
Without expectation, the temperature within the Mana Space has remained a comfortable warmth and a respectable coolness, fitting my desired environment. That was due to my direct guidance to the Old Man's Mana Space. Since I was his heir, certain liberties were allowed to keep me able to sustain myself with the freedom that I deserve. However, the temperature had begun to shift without my consent.
Climbing onto the couch, I scrambled over to the window and pulled it open with my paws. I peeked my head and spotted a peculiar fluctuation of mana forming in the sky. Overcast clouds darkened the once-bright sky, and a breeze shifted the trees. There was something amiss.
Jumping down from the couch, I ran down the hall and burst through the small flap into the door. My eyes narrowed as the wind whipped up into a reckless fury. It was as if my presence ignited it into a whirlwind. The clouds above begin to twist and turn, forming the beginning of a cyclone.
"What is going on here?!" My voice erupted as I sprinted away from my father's old home.
Those might have been my thoughts turned reality, but that cyclone roared in response. My eyes widened as a column of air began to churn the clouds above. The mana it radiated was unnerving. It was as if I was staring down the might of my father's magic, but I knew that wasn't the case. Father's magic was richer and sharper in comparison. I was formed in it, so I was certain that whatever was transpiring was not his doing, and that meant only one thing.
The air pulsed, parting the clouds' atmosphere. It was raw and repulsive, as if something alien had burrowed its way through the Mana Space's natural defenses. Bolstering my footing against an intrusive gust, I glared toward the forming intrusion. I needed to do something, and I needed to do it fast. However, that decision was too slow. Two hands pierced the clouds and overcame the resistance of the mana.
Unable to react quickly enough, I was forced to witness something pierce the clouds and fall from the sky. My eyes traced it, but I wasn't able to discern what it was. It flickered in and out of existence and crashed into the ground with a heavy thud. The impact kicked up dirt and debris to fly, but it didn't deter me in the slightest.
The mana around the area was thinning, but I had no way to discern the reason now. The overcast clouds above began to dissipate as Father's mana slammed into them, and with it, the temperature started to settle to normal. Whether it was a failed entry or not, that didn't change anything. I needed to report this immediately.
I turned my gaze towards the mountain in the distance before briefly glancing back at the crater. A decision had to be made, and my instincts told me that my decision here mattered.
'This is my realm, and I should protect it, but…That mana it's producing is…terrifying. It's faint, but its presence wards even me off.'
I weighed each decision, and before long, I found that a decision had been made on my behalf. My eyes narrowed as I leapt to my right to avoid a fracture forming in the ground. With my incredible speed, I circled the crater before sliding to a stop.
'An attack with an announcement? How cowardly!'
I had no interest in dealing with cowards, so I focused my mana to issue a link to my father. It would be essential to inform him of the breach and guide him on how to address it. Most of his mana had recovered to the point that he had enough mana to dish out Deciet Realm on himself, and have him deal with it for me.
"Hey, Old an-"
My mind whipped backward as magical feedback blasted my concentration. Stars blotted my darkening vision as I regained my senses. Blood trickled down my nose, and my tongue tore through my saliva. It took every ounce of my strength to keep myself from passing out where I stood.
Gravity gripped my limbs, threatening to pull my body down to the grass. However, I persisted and regained control of my limbs. I shook my head, clearing it from the lingering effects of the previous feedback. My timing couldn't have been better as I was forced to leap away from another forming fissure. It was unfortunate that my landing wasn't as graceful as I anticipated. I slipped briefly, but I regained my footing. I regained my focus as the vile whisper manifested from the crater.
"A vile creature exists within this hellscape?"
Skeletal hands appeared from the edge of the crater. Its stubby fingers clawed the dirt as it pulled itself onto the level ground above. The mana leaking from the creature was vile and haunting, but it was faint. There was one issue with this current situation.
"V-Vile?! Y-You dare… s-steal my nutrients and… c-call me v-vile, I-Interloper?!" I hissed, whincing at the sharpness of my tone.
As the skeleton crested the top, its body spilled to the ground like a clutter of old junk. It should've ended there, but to my frustration, once I regained full access to my ability to sense mana, I noticed how parasitic this creature was. Its presence was toxic. Green mana coiled around the pieces of the skeleton, and knitted slowly strengthening fibers around it.
Its eyes began to light ablaze, marking the air with a harsh burning order. The scent sent my fur on edge, causing my instincts to force a step backward. My head throbbed as if my brain itself was soaking in this tainted mana. This was uncommon. There wasn't much that I could sense from the skeleton, but I am starting to think that he was somehow stealing mana from the Old Man's Mana Space, so that it could exist as well.
"Your nutrients? Oh… You're a child?"
"I am… Fawkes the Magnificent! Prince of this… domain."
The skeleton's body began to condense and further knit itself together. Its parasitic nature ensured that only my father's mana was used in its reconstruction. It sickened me to know that. It was an affront to the natural order.
"Prince?"
"I-I didn't stammer. W-What are you?" I weakly growled. There was a shift in the mana. The green aura that pulsated around the creature darkened, resembling the overcast clouds.
A reply wasn't immediate, but a sense of dread washed over me once its reconstruction was complete. I once thought the creature would be humanoid, and I was correct. Well, I was accurate to a certain extent. The creature was tall and slender, its bony construct giving it a distinctive appearance. A massive bone tail and small pointy horns set it apart from the rest. Its skull wasn't human, but resembled that of a crocodile.
The maw of the skeleton oozed a dark green mist. A whiff of that mist weakened my legs and choked me upon entry. I hacked and couched, with my previous tasty strawberries threatening to make a less-than-pleasant reappearance. The way its body swayed sent a shiver down my spine, and I found myself with water leaking from my eyes.
The skeleton's maw chattered, asking, "What am I?"
The skeleton surveyed itself briefly. Its stubby arms moved with fluidity, and its tail swayed with power and grace. Its eyes lit up with a green light, an indication that Father's mana was holding this creature together.
"Y-Yeah! What are you?!" I asked again, but with firmness.
"I am hungry."
'H-Hungry? I-I don't understand… Wh-What does it mean by that?'
My blood went cold, and I took that declaration as a threat. The ominous mana that it produced made one thing evident. This thing, whatever it was, wanted a fight. Usually, I would be interested in demolishing it, but my instincts told me otherwise. My legs began to wobble, and I took slow steps backward. I blinked, attempting to refocus my blackening vision. This creature caused that feedback that nearly knocked me out. I am recovering from the damage, but I need to inform my father. I can't risk doing it in front of this thing again, and I don't have the mana necessary to do it myself.
Once again, my eyes shifted to the mountain that now stood between me and the intruder. It may be a better plan to return there in this situation, after all, Fawkes the Magnificent should know when to retreat and call for help. I am not as pigheaded and foolish as the Old Man and the Silly Space Guardian.
The creature tilted its head, but it didn't matter. With a sprint to its left, I was heading towards that mountain without allowing it to come to a consensus. There was no need to stress myself with unnecessary battle, I saw that now. I shook my head, hoping to defog the fuzziness that had begun to collect.
"M-Moth-" I caught my tongue, recalling the feedback that I received before.
'How can I-I be this careless…'
My words nearly slipped out, but the heaviness of my tongue caused the words to die immediately. It was good for that to be the case once I thought about it. That feedback I received attempting to alert Father nearly dropped me. If I were to reach out to a much more powerful being, my mind would likely explode. Not to mention, the skeleton's focus snapped to me without hesitation.
Sensing no threat, the skeleton turned away from me, shifting his attention to the mountain in the distance. Its neck creaked with its mouth snapping closed. Black fog hissed from the holes for its nose. The fog swirled before it, cloaking it like a blanket. The bones began absorbing the fog, creating a black tint for its body.
'It's e-evolving?'
My ears drooped as the oppressive mana of the creature slammed into my body. I longed to hold myself up, but my body fell, slumping against the ground with no strength left. The beast approached at that moment. Its green eyes pulsating, and black tinted body distorting the mana and air around it. My heart began to race, pumping faster to force my body into action.
Its steps sank into the ground, displacing grass with each step. A part of me desired to flee, and another part desired for me to stand and fight as my father did before. A shadow was cast over my body, but it wasn't the skeleton's body that was responsible.
'Curse these eyes…Don't quit…. Noo… Fawkes…the… Mag- never quits. I must-'
I attempted to muster my resolve, but the darkness came all the same. I suppose that sometimes the heroes don't always win in the end.