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Discussions & Decisions

"So you really don't remember any of that?" Justin asked, a brow raised in curiosity.

Xun's mouth was slightly agape as he stared at his little brother in disbelief at what he had just heard. Out of everything that has been happening this month, this one experience really took the cake. "I...died? A-and somehow came back to life and kicked some major ass?" The words coming out of his mouth sounded incredulous even to his own ears.

Justin nodded and pointed to the bracelet. "All thanks to Diànw? ti?nsh?, or whatever it is that keeps helping you out." He cupped his chin, contemplating as he stared at the object, then looked up at his brother. "We should get some information on what it is we're dealing with. Besides..." he reached out with a paw to touch his sibling's chest, in the location where his heart was, looking on with a somber expression, "it scares me not knowing what's going on with you."

"Believe me, I know..." Xun's brows furrowed as he took hold of his brother's paw to give it a gentle squeeze before letting go. He wanted to know about whatever it was that's sealed inside of the bracelet as much as his little brother does, but life and school will always be in the way. "I want to find out too, but who would we even ask? It's not like we can go up to anyone and ask if they know anything about a mysterious accessory on my wrist."

"True..." Justin hummed, the gears in his head turning. Suddenly, he brightened up. "Oh! There's my history teacher Mr. Varner! I can get him to help us!"

"Huh? Why him?" Xun inquired, cocking his head a little. "You really think he'll believe us?"

"Of course he will!" Justin replied, a beaming smile on his lips before a hint of crimson appeared on his cheeks. "I mean, why wouldn't he since he has, no pun intended, history...with us, remember?"

Confusion showed in Xun's eyes for a moment, wondering what on earth his sibling was talking about until his ears perked up, various images having flashed in his mind. Soon, his own cheeks were burning red and he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Oh, yeah...I forgot. I guess he's our man, then."

Hearing this, the young panda threw his arms in the air triumphantly. "Great! I'll let him know after class once the weekend is over with!" He began to move, getting himself out of his brother's bed to stand and stretch.

"Sounds like a plan. Heh, what you told me was amazing still! Sounded to me like I went full god mode!" There was pure excitement in Xun's eyes, the information he was told earlier making him think he was some sort of superhero. "So wait, did my body really glow? Man, I can't believe I missed out on something so epic!"

"You...you are so weird, I don't know where to begin. You, James and Damien are so alike." A soft sigh escaped Justin as he slowly shook his head, a small smile on his lips. Suddenly, his ears perked up.

"Good morning, boys! Come on down for breakfast!" Amanda's voice rang from below, alerting the brothers.

Drool immediately began to accumulate and drip down the panda's muzzle as he got out of bed to find and slip on a t-shirt. "We'll talk more about this later."

Not saying anything more and giving only a nod in response, Justin hurried himself out of the bedroom to get himself dressed.

As he watched his sibling leave, Xun made his way out of his room and across the hall, already heading down a flight of stairs into the kitchen where food was on the table, ready and waiting. "Good morning!" He greeted and took his seat, trying hard to wait for Justin.

"Morning! Did you sleep well?" David inquired, his eyes glancing up and away from the newspaper he was currently reading.

"Yup! I'm guessing you two are off work this weekend?" He asked, getting a nod from both parents.

It was always refreshing for the two teens to see and spend time with their parents every once in awhile. Sure, they worked to keep a roof over their heads but it never got to a point where their jobs consumed their lives. And whenever they did get days off, everyone would spend it either at home or somewhere else. This was one of the many reasons Xun loved his parents so much.

"Good morning!" Justin's voice rang out as he hurried down the stairs, breaking the older sibling from his small reverie. As he sat down, he already started digging into his plate.

"It's so nice to know my cooking is delicious." Amanda sighed happily before sitting down.

As usual, they all chatted among themselves, mostly about the teen's grades and how they were doing at school. It all went smoothly until the topic of significant others came around and their mother had a wide smile on her face.

"We heard from Rowen that you two are dating." She said, giggling like a schoolgirl and making her son slap a paw to his forehead and groan.

"Mom, please..." Xun begged, his cheeks burning red. He didn't want to talk about this, not now.

A deep chuckle was heard, coming from David who was also in good spirits. "Better tell her now or she won't let up. You know how your mother is when it comes to things like this."

Amanda scoffed. "Well excuse me for wanting to know what goes on in our children's lives! I have to say though, you picked a real good looking guy. Oooh, the muscles on him!" She sighed and put a paw to her cheek as she looked elsewhere, ignoring the flat stare from her husband.

"What am I? Chopped liver? Hmph! Although, you do have a point...he does look rather handsome." David grumbled, a crimson shade appearing on his cheeks after admitting such a thing.

Xun was mortified. This was the exact sort of thing he wanted to avoid ever since he started to go out with Rowen. "Why are you two like this? Just why?" He sighed and hung his head low, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Justin looked equally uncomfortable, if not more than his brother. He glanced over to him, a pleading look in his eyes. "Tell them how you two met so this can stop and not escalate!"

With a heavy sigh, Xun relayed how he and Rowen met, making sure to add every single detail for his mother. "He's been great so far and I still really like him so that's a plus!"

"Ohhh that's so cute!" Amanda squealed, apparently overjoyed by what she just heard. "Reminds me of how David and I met all those years ago...still love him to this day, despite his flaws and luck when it comes to betting with me."

"Love you too, honey." David said in a flat tone, while giving her a hard stare to which she intentionally ignored.

"Oh don't be like that! I'm just teasing." She smiled and gently placed a paw on his arm, the expression on her face being that of kindness and radiating warmth. "Now," she glanced over to her eldest son with a sharp look, "remember to use prote--"

"Mom!" Xun interrupted, the desperation clear in his eyes as his cheeks and the tips of his ears burned even hotter. "I got it, thanks." He loved his mother, truly, but sometimes she was a bit too much.

Amanda smiled and giggled. "I just want you to be happy and safe, that's all sweetie." She sighed happily before her brows suddenly furrowed and the joyous expression she had moments ago turned to one of seriousness.

David became the same soon after, confusing the two boys and making them wonder what was going on. There was a tense moment of silence before he opened his mouth to speak. "Speaking of safety, what happened yesterday? Rowen gave us some details, but we know you're withholding vital information from us."

Amanda glanced at her husband; a quick, subtle flash of annoyance in her eyes before focusing back on her children. Otherwise, she said nothing.

"That's..." Justin started off, looking at his parents in the eyes, then hesitating, his mouth having stopped moving. Quickly did he avert his gaze, looking very uncomfortable.

Xun narrowed his eyes, his uplifted mood having turned sour at the sudden change of topic that he didn't wish to talk about. He knew this would come up, but it was much too soon. The gears in his head turned as he thought of a way to be as subtle as possible, but nothing came to mind. "I can't--" He began, then stopped as a paw was held up by his father.

"I already know what you're going to say. We appreciate that you want to protect us and not get ourselves involved in whatever is happening, but we're your parents. It's our job to look after you and make sure you're safe." David frowned, a heavy sigh rolling out before looking between the two teens, concern and love showing in his warm, amber eyes.

Amanda nodded. "That's right, we love you. We were worried sick the moment we heard Justin was kidnapped. You two have no idea how much I wanted to come over and raise hell of my own!"

For a brief moment, the old man cracked a smile at what his wife just spilled. "And we all know how this mama bear gets when her cubs are in danger." He chuckled while she let out a soft bit of laughter before quickly growing serious again. "We won't force you to tell us, but the truth will come out eventually. We want to protect you just as much as you want to do the same for us. We're a family aren't we?"

There was silence for a long moment, Xun's gaze downcast as he thought on this. His heart felt heavy and his mind was left in a hazy fog. He couldn't deny what his father said, no question about it, and that's what hurt him the most. "We are...there's no doubt about that, but I'm not saying anything, not now anyway. I promise I'll tell you two everything, but right now I just want to confirm something first."

"Yeah, we promise!" Justin chimed in, getting a surprised look from his sibling before getting a smile and nod from him.

Both parents sighed softly, David being the first to speak up. "Alright, fine. But you better keep to your word, the both of you!" He ordered, immediately getting a 'yes sir!' from the two.

"Well!" Amanda clapped her hands, springing everyone to attention. "Now that that's out of the way, we should plan on what to do this weekend!"

Conversation began the moment she said that. However, Xun didn't give much input as he had something else on his mind. He glanced at his father across from him. 'Just what were you trying to tell me?'

~ ~ ~

Rowen panted heavily, sweat dripping down his bare chested form. With a deep breath, he rose one of his paws and with it, streams of water from nearby jars flowed towards him, collecting just enough for a large bubble, floating in mid air. After taking a few steady breaths and relaxing himself, he focused on the liquid being before him.

"Remember, think of how cold winter is when the season comes. Let that feeling become reality, springing forth from the tips of your claws." Graham instructed as he watched the young lion with a scrutinizing gaze.

Not saying a word, various images flashed inside of the young lion's mind. With each one that came, a sense of overwhelming coldness washed over him, causing the bubble to ripple and shift. From the bottom, its liquid form slowly began to change into a solid shape, becoming clear like crystal. Suddenly, his arm started to slightly shake from the effort and his breathing started to become heavy.

"You're almost there! Keep at it!" Graham shouted out in encouragement.

The bubble, having almost been completely frozen, wobbled and shuddered before bursting, sending water and small shards of ice everywhere. Rowen, who's fur now became damp, sighed in frustration. "Eight years and still no progress...gods, what is wrong with me?"

Graham strode over to the young lion with a towel in his paws and wrapped his arms around him in a warm embrace. "Hey now, don't talk like that. Mastering an advanced form of an element takes time, I've told you this."

Drying himself off, he gently pried himself out of his father's grasp, not at all wanting to be touched at the moment. "I know dad, but I need to get stronger if I'm going to protect Xun! Or you for that matter! Or anyone! I can't do anything while I'm like this!"

Rowen had already made it known that he was dating the panda, to which Graham fully approved of, who wanted nothing more than to have his son happy. It was a rather touching moment until the old man started to go on about his adventures while he was in college.

A heavy sigh rolled off Graham's tongue as he shook his head. "I understand son, but not every mage learns a new spell overnight or in a few days. It takes years for some, if not most. And give yourself some credit! You were very close to freezing water entirely!"

There was no denying that. He had made some progress but to him, it just wasn't enough to feel any satisfaction. "I guess so...can I try again? Maybe this time I'll--" his words were cut short as he became embraced again and his lips locked with the other feline.

Breaking himself away, Graham smiled a warming smile at the teen. "That will be a no I'm afraid. Yesterday and today, you've been busy with training. Pushing yourself like this isn't going to help you, only harm."

"But dad...I'm so close! You said it yourself just now! Come on, I can do this!" Rowen pleaded, wanting very much to push his limits, despite his father's warning. This was his desire, his goal to protect what's dear to him.

"Rowen..." Graham sighed with a slow shake of his head, a small smile appearing on his lips as he gazed at the young lion. "You really do take after me. My parents warned me of this moment the day I met your mother. Told me that my stubbornness would come to haunt me and low and behold, they were right."

"And my mom's sharp tongue, her attitude, her ferocity..." Rowen chuckled at the defeated look his father displayed. "Hey, at least I'm not that bad! Unlike her when she really gets angry." He shivered as his mind recalled all those moments where his mother wreaked havoc upon anyone who got her upset, whether it was family or a complete stranger that rubbed her the wrong way.

Graham shuddered as well, for he had to try and calm her down whenever she had those spouts. Most times, it ended up unsuccessful and wound up getting the fury directed at him. "I'm still grateful to the gods to this day that you don't share that part of her." He sighed, then reached out to gently touch the young lion's cheek, a warm smile on his lips, though his eyes told a different story.

In an instant, Rowen grabbed hold of his father's paw to give it a gentle squeeze. He had seen him like this before whenever his mother was brought up. Feelings of guilt started to pile on his conscious. "Dad...I'm sorry."

"Hm? Oh no, I'm alright, promise. It's not your fault. Although you resemble me, I see her in you and the love we hold for one another." His ears flattened at that and his smile began to fade a little as he removed his paw. "Well, used to anyways...but let's not dwell on the past. Have you found any information about this...what did you say it was again?"

Rowen frowned a little, not liking how the topic was dismissed so easily, but he didn't try to push. "Diànw? ti?nsh?," He answered with a sigh as he started up his lesson again, "and no, I haven't. I've tried numerous sites, only to find nothing regarding whatever or whoever that is. I would try going to a library but I doubt any would have history on the subject either."

Graham rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting...an accessory granting powers like this, shrouded in mystery. It still baffles me to know Xun survived such a fatal injury...he should have--" he stopped himself and coughed, "my apologies."

The young lion was quiet for a moment as he concentrated, then growled in frustration from bursting the bubble again. "Alright, I'll take your advice and stop. But no dad, you're right...no mortal could live from that, mundane or mage. It's impossible but something is keeping him alive and granting him these powers. Something I'm very thankful for, but it leaves me and everyone with so many questions and no answers."

The whole thing was a mess of confusion, but the real troubling thing was the demon's message as it departed. Who exactly was it addressed to? What did it even mean?

"It will all fall into place in time, son." Graham made his way over and laid a paw on his shoulder. "Best not to stress about it. In the meantime," he grinned and quickly swept the young lion off his feet before he could even react, "let's have some fun, shall we?"

Rowen gave his father a flat stare. "Yep, you sure are bloody lucky I don't have my mother's attitude."

~ ~ ~

'I wonder what that was all about.' Damien wondered as he sat there on the couch, the television displaying some sort of soap opera, the actors speaking in Spanish; a language he's still trying to use and learn professionally. He was paying attention to it some time ago, but his mind kept wandering back to what happened yesterday. He glanced over to Cameron who was in the nearby kitchen, washing up some dishes from their earlier lunch.

He had been over to the cheetah's house quite a few times a few years ago, and each time, he never felt un-welcomed or uncomfortable while being here in their humble abode. If anything, he was grateful for his friend's parents being so nice and friendly toward him the moment he was introduced to them back in middle school.

Although the place itself wasn't nearly as big or grandiose as the others in the neighborhood, it gave anyone who stepped inside that warm and fuzzy feeling. The place was definitely cozy for sure, with all of the nicely decorated items that hung on the walls and comfy looking furniture dotting every available space.

"What are you spacing out for, mutt brain?" Cameron's voice broke the husky from his thoughts, almost startling him a little. A brow was raised. "Something must be troubling you, then. Still worried about Justin?"

"No, it's not that." Damien responded with a shake of his head, frowning a little as he looked over to his friend who had just sat down next to him. "It's what that demon said yesterday...can't get it out of my head."

"I'm more surprised you're not wondering about Jake. I mean, he never gave a signal until the very last moment." The cheetah huffed after getting a questioning look for the comment. "What? You don't think that's a little strange?"

Damien scratched the back of his head. "You might be jumping the gun a little here, Cam. I get what you're saying, but no matter how much a person plans or strategize, unexpected things will happen. He just improvised is all."

This line of reasoning didn't sit well with Cameron as he narrowed his eyes, his feline tail beginning to move in a way that suggested he was getting upset. "Maybe I'm not making myself clear enough. Think about it, why wait so long to carry that out when we should have done so from the beginning? I understand there was a trap where Justin was held and something bad would have happened if one of us triggered it, but Xun would have been able to do something."

"Well you're right about that, but let's not forget about all of those demons we had to fight off in order to distract them after making a path for him," Damien retorted, his friend ready to rebuttal but didn't get a word out as he continued. "And besides, that incubus knew what he was doing. Even if we did go according to plan from the start, I doubt things would have been easier for us."

"Yeah, whatever." Cameron huffed and folded his arms, turning to focus on the television as the husky smirked in victory. "It just doesn't sit right with me, is all. It's almost like he knew that was going to happen."

"Well, after seeing how he fought, it's obvious that he has experience in knowing what to do in bad situations like that so I'm not really surprised." The husky was met with a hard glare. "What? I'm only speaking the truth here!"

Cameron placed a thumb and index finger to the bridge of his muzzle and sighed with a shake of his head. "You're not seeing the problem here, and what you just said makes my point even more clear. Jake is more than just a mundane! I've seen what he can do!"

With canine ears splayed to either side and a sigh of his own forthcoming, Damien knew this conversation was going to go into circles and blow into a full argument. "Alright, alright, I believe you. It's just hard to picture him doing anything extraordinary, other than his fighting skills. Although I'll admit, it is a little strange seeing him do what he does, despite being seventeen."

A sparkle of disbelief and joy showed in the cheetah's eyes at that moment. "See? He's not normal by any--" any further attempt at letting his friend see the bigger picture halted as a finger was held up.

"However, what we do is strange too so can't really fault him for that." Damien smiled, his curled tail wagging a little at the scowl he was receiving.

"And here I was, hoping to get through that thick head of yours." After blowing out his breath, Cameron turned his attention to the screen ahead of the two.

Although he was paying attention as well, Damien couldn't help but replay the words that were spoken. 'Who was he referring to?' His brows furrowed the more he thought on this, then quickly shook his head. 'I'll get an answer to that sooner or later.' Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted as he heard the sound of a door being unlocked.

As it opened, a male cheetah who looked like Cameron but older in appearance came inside, holding a few plastic bags in his hands. "Good afternoon you two! Mind helping out with the groceries? There's only a few left."

Both teens immediately got up from where they sat and headed out the door. Damien was greeted by his friend's mother who gave a warm smile and wave as she passed them by with bags in her own paws. As they grabbed the remaining that sat in the car and shut the doors, they came back inside. "That's all of them!" He announced with a bright smile.

"Thank you Damien, it's good to see you here." The female said and turned her attention to Cameron. "How's the tutoring going? Is he progressing well?" She asked, having switched her language to Spanish.

Cameron nodded with no hesitation or making a snarky remark like he usually did, prompting him to also speak in their native tongue. "Yes, mama, he's doing alright. He's picking things up quickly, but has a hard time remembering is all."

The male elder cheetah cupped his chin, nodding thoughtfully. "I see, he'll come around with all of us helping like we've been doing." He flashed a smile at the husky, earning him a wag of his tail.

Damien obviously had no idea what all was being spoken, but he caught a few words here and there so it wasn't a total loss. His lessons were definitely proving fruitful and beneficial thanks to not only his friend but Henry and Isabella as well as they taught him during some time in the 6th grade.

He could still recall to this day how he asked them all to teach him on how to speak and read the language, something he spontaneously blurted out after hearing Cameron say something to him in Spanish one day in class. No one, not even himself, knew he would get so interested after hearing one word that was strange sounding and new to his ears. From that day on, he was treated to -as they called it- the "Mendez experience".

Cameron turned to the husky with a nod, switching to English. "You're still learning, but you'll get the hang of it as we go along." He focused his attention to the bags before grabbing a few, then headed off towards the kitchen. "So how was work today, dad?"

Henry's expression soon turned deadpan as he did the same. "Oh it was fine as usual, save for me having to be the only one with common sense in the building and not falling apart at the tiniest thing."

Isabella sighed with a shake of her head, a small smile on her lips. "Oh dear, we all know you don't mean that. I still say it's wonderful that Graham gave you an opportunity to work with him. And besides, you're the best of friends!"

Henry scoffed and rolled his eyes at that. "Just because we were colleagues doesn't mean a thing. I don't save his ass every time out of a whim. What do you take me for? Jeez." He huffed after closing the refrigerator, having been done with storing the groceries.

'Man, and here I thought Cam was bad.' Damien chuckled to himself, knowing that the apple didn't fall too far from the tree when it came to father and son.

"Umm, dad...you said something like that last time we asked you about work." Cameron chimed in, getting an annoyed glare from his elder. "W-what? It's true!"

"Tch! That perv would be lost without me around to handle things." He grumbled, then looked off to the side, his gaze downcast. "Although I will admit, he does get serious when he needs to...and none of you better repeat what I just said to him!"

"Well I don't remember what he looks like, so no worries from me." The young cheetah responded with a shrug.

"Speaking of which, why don't you bring your son around the job some time, dear? For old time's sake?" Isabella inquired as she smiled at her husband.

The elder cheetah sighed, again, rolling his eyes. "Alright, alright, I'll do that when the opportunity presents itself. But don't get mad at me when he tries to hit on me like he always does."

Isabella laughed softly, the sound being almost like music to the husky's ears. "Now you're being silly, he stopped doing that years after he moved from here."

Henry sighed with a slow shake of his head as he brought up his paws before letting them fall to his sides. "Honestly, you're too optimistic at times," he walked over to her, grinning from ear to ear as he closed the distance and embraced her, "but that's why I love you."

As the pair exchanged a quick kiss, Isabella turned to the husky. "Would you like to spend dinner at our place today? It's lovely having you around."

Damien scratched the back of his head as his ears tucked into his skull, his eyes focusing elsewhere. "Uhh sure, but I don't know...my parents are kind of getting strict about me staying at someone else's place in the evening, sorry." He didn't dare to look up into her eyes, for the guilt he was feeling was already tearing him apart.

There was truth in his statement though, for his parents really didn't like him spending time away from home. Ever since they got back from their trip, the atmosphere and their general mood towards him got worse. He asked them why they were getting so strict on him, only to be told that his grades were slipping -which was false because he's improving quite a lot- and that he needed to study more.

Cameron frowned a little at that, something that didn't go unnoticed. "They weren't against it before, so why now?"

Before the husky could answer, Henry had already spoken. "I'll call them up and ask if you can. I'm sure they wouldn't turn it down if we return you home at a reasonable time." He smiled, then took out his phone, already dialing as he went outside.

Damien inwardly groaned as he rubbed an arm, his mind going haywire at the thought of his parents being upset. "I hope I'm not causing you any trouble..."

Isabella shook her head, giving a reassuring smile. "Not at all! But I agree that it is strange for them to not allow this when there was no problem to begin with." She cupped her chin in thought, brows furrowing. "I wonder what changed..."

"I don't know, but we're going to my room for a bit." Cameron gazed at the husky with a knowing look, gesturing with his head as he turned and walked down the corridor, prompting him to follow.

Quick on his heels, they entered a room on the left side before closing the door. Damien looked around the room, having forgotten how tidy his friend tended to be. He didn't stray for too long, his attention now focused on the cheetah in front of him with an expression of concern. "I know it's weird, but can I ask something first? Did you let them know what happened yesterday?"

Cameron shook his head. "No, didn't want them to worry. The alibi I thought of on the way home worked enough that they didn't get suspicious." A grin spread across his muzzle, obviously having been proud of that, only to frown a moment later. "Aside from that, I really think you shou--"

"No!" Damien shouted out, a rumbling growl letting loose before sighing with a slow shake of his head. "I know they're not good people, but they're my parents." He smiled ruefully as he rubbed an arm. "Besides, I only have to deal with it for two more years, so it's okay. I'm working on getting a football scholarship anyways."

"You idiot! Waiting for that to happen isn't going to make anything better!" The cheetah retorted, his tail lashing as he became visibly upset at the topic. "Honestly, you're making this--" his ears perked at the sound of a door closing, then looked towards the husky. "We'll continue this later."

As the two of them exited the room and out into the living room, Damien felt extremely anxious and nervous. "So, uhh...how did things go?" He tried his hardest to keep his voice from shaking.

Henry slowly shook his head, the expression on his face telling the husky everything he needed to know. "No dice, kiddo. I tried reasoning with them, even to the point that you'll come home early if need be, but they refused." He sighed, tail drooping. "I'm not sure why they're so insistent on you not being able to stay, but we can't deny their wishes all the same. I'm sorry."

Damien's heart dropped to his stomach after hearing the news, his world crumbling before his eyes as dread began to take hold of him. "Oh...it's alright, you tried your best." He responded, his voice that was once full of life, now ringing hollow in his ears and everyone around him. With a small smile, he made his way over to the door, his whole body trembling but he held himself together to the best of his ability. "Thanks for letting me spend some time with you, it was great."

"Of course. Be careful on the way home." Isabella said, then looked to her husband, taking one of his paws. "It's alright, we'll see him tomorrow."

Cameron grumbled under his breath and walked over to stand by his friend before turning to his parents. "I'm going with him to keep company."

Henry smiled and nodded. "That's fine with us, as long as you're safe coming back."

"Dad, this is a very peaceful neighborhood, I'll be fine." The young cheetah chuckled, then turned to face Damien with an unreadable expression. "Let's go."

With a wordless nod, the two teens exited the house and walked to their destination, conversation between them almost non-existent. For once, Damien didn't find this bothersome as his mind was blank, his body moving on autopilot. 'Don't know why I was hoping they would let me stay. Of course they wouldn't, now that they're home from a long trip.' A soft sigh escaped as he trudged on, letting all of his emotions go down the drain to mentally prepare himself. 'Wonder what fun, exciting things will happen once I'm home.'

Suddenly, Cameron stopped walking, something that went unnoticed in the husky's eyes as he kept going. "Damien," he called out, getting no response. This prompted him to raise his voice.

Ears perking up to the sound of his friend, Damien halted his steps to turn around. As he did this, a paw came flying in his direction, not giving him enough time to react. A stinging sensation flared on his left cheek. "Ow! What the hells, Cam? Why'd you--huh?"

"Tell me...do you think I enjoy this? Knowing that you have to suffer and I can't do anything to help?" The cheetah said, almost whispering as his body shook with visible anger, his eyes transfixed on the husky in front of him. "Do you really think I enjoy being the only one who knows this?"

"Of course I don't, but..." He hesitated, mouth hanging open as he tried to think of a good answer but couldn't find one. With a heavy sigh, he looked away, ears tucked into his skull. 'I don't like this anymore than you do.'

"But what? There's nothing either of us can do about it? What good is it if everyone knows of your situation at home? You're such an idiot that it hurts!" Cameron stepped up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Look at me, dammit! You're my friend! I don't want to see you like this anymore!"

Damien gazed at the feline, not even willing to put up any resistance. "I know, but like I said earlier--" He cut himself off as he was shoved.

"To hells with them being your parents!" Cameron roared, fresh tears beginning to streak down his face. "It's not right, and you know it! No child should ever have to go through this, least of all you! You're too good of a person for this, don't you realize that?"

The husky blinked, eyes wide in shock at what he was seeing. His friend rarely showed his emotions like this, let alone to him. "Cam, I--"

The cheetah shook his head, then came up to hug him tight. "No, I'm tired of the excuses you're making for them, tired of having to keep this a secret. You're not an abomination or whatever else they tell you, understand?"

"I...dammit!" Damien couldn't hold back any longer, the wall that he had built up being shattered as he returned the embrace and openly sobbed, crying his eyes out. "I hate it...I hate it so much. It's like a prison when I'm with them. I can't ever be myself."

He truly didn't want to go, to a place where he never felt any love from the day he was born. Having a mother who constantly ignored him, only to acknowledge his existence whenever he messed up with verbal abuse and a father who's temper was so short that any back talk would have him struck on the face or anywhere on his body.

And the reason for this is simple; he's pure blooded, sharing every single trait from them, down to his eyes. Because of this, he has to be exactly like them and not be a unique individual, something both of them drilled into his head every single day.

Cameron just nodded, not saying a word as he gently stroked his back in an effort to comfort the husky as much as possible. The two stayed this way for a few minutes until both of them calmed down enough. "I wish I could do something..."

Damien shook his head, smiling a true and genuine smile. "It's okay, I'll survive like I've always been doing. Thank you for being a good friend to me. If it weren't for you, I'd..."

A finger was pushed to his lips. "Let's just get you home, okay?"

With that said, they continued their walk and eventually came to the residence of the husky's home, their little journey having come to an end. Two cars were parked in the garage, a clear sign that his parents were indeed inside.

"I really don't want to go in, but I have to..." He sighed heavily as his tail drooped, an expression of deep sorrow evident in his eyes. He looked to Cameron, forcing a smile. "See you at school?"

"Sure, be careful okay?" Cameron gave him one last hug before letting go to watch him walk up to the door.

Damien waved in response, then turned with a heavy sigh as he reached for the doorknob and turned, pushing it open to let himself inside and close it shut. "I'm home!" He announced as he padded his way to the stairs that sat on the right side of the living room space.

"Welcome home, Damien." A female voice belonging only to his mother greeted him, her eyes glued to a book she was reading. Beth was a beautiful woman; red fur groomed to perfection, dazzling blue eyes that could charm any man, having a slim and curvaceous body still after having a child. She wore a black dress with matching heels, wearing an assortment of bracelets that glimmered in the luminescent light. Aside from her beauty, she was an astounding water mage.

"Wow, actually greeting me for once, I'm shocked." The young husky rolled his eyes, ignoring the sharp glare he received for the comment. "Whatever, I don't have time for this." He continued on his way, only to stop and groan inwardly.

"Don't speak to your mother that way, insolent child!" That booming voice belonged to his father, Shane, sitting across from his wife on the couch. The man had a handsome face, if not for him scowling like someone broke his favorite toy. He was clad in a white button up shirt and black slacks. Just like his son, he is also a fire mage. "Apologize this instant!"

Damien frowned, anger building within him with every growing second. Deep down he knew arguing wouldn't win him any favors, but he couldn't stop himself. "Oh, I'm sooo sorry 'mother' for not being a good, silent little boy like you and this bastard always wanted!"

Shane quickly got up and stormed over to the young husky in a fury, having already closed the distance and decked him hard in the face, causing him to fall flat on the ground. "You forget where you are, whelp? Under this roof, you're to behave and show respect!" He growled, grabbing the collar of his son's shirt to pull him up and stand.

Something snapped in Damien, his magic being unleashed as he pushed his father away. "No, I won't do as you two say anymore! I'm done with this!" He cried out and made his way toward the front door.

"Where do you think you're going? Don't you dare leave this household, you little miscreant!" Beth yelled, preparing a spell as she raised a paw. "How dare you act like this!"

With another burst of magic, the young husky countered whatever trap she was setting for him, his paw yanking the door open as he made his escape. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the shouts and obscenities that were being thrown his way. Tears began to fall down his cheeks, hoping he'd be able to catch his friend still outside.

As luck would have it, a favor from the gods themselves, the cheetah was around. After catching up to him, his mouth moved very fast, visibly confusing his friend.

"Wait, hold on! Slow down, take it easy." Cameron frowned as he noticed a bruise around the husky's left eye. "What happened? Did he put his hands on you?"

"H-he did, yeah. I couldn't take it anymore, I just--" Damien cut himself off at the sound of feet approaching and his father's voice, the tone in his voice telling him he was highly upset. His eyes went wide. "Oh, gods..."

"You think you can get away with what you did just now?" Shane growled at the young husky, making him flinch and cower. His attention soon directed itself toward Cameron who stared him down with anger of his own. "And you...get out of the way."

"Not on my life. I'm not going anywhere so you can hurt him again." Cameron moved to stand in front of Damien, defiance showing in his posture. "What you're doing is wrong, a parent should never harm their children, no excuses!"

The elder husky blinked a couple of times, shocked at what he just heard. Suddenly, he started chuckling before turning into laughter. "Unbelievable! A child lecturing me on how to be an adult, how cute." He frowned a moment later and raised a paw, magic stirring in the air. "I'll say it again. Get out of the way."

"And I've seen just about enough." A voice said out of nowhere, shocking everyone into bewilderment, all eyes searching for who spoke. Coming out from behind a tree, Henry walked over to where the two teens were, giving them a warm smile before frowning as he gazed at the elder husky. "I thought something was wrong when your son here acted strange. Seems I was right. But wouldn't it be weird for the authorities to see an altercation like this? What would they think?"

The two adults stared each other down, the cheetah waiting for him to make a move, his posture and expression telling the teens he was calm and collected. All was silent, and it felt as if time itself had stopped at that moment.

"Hmph." Shane stopped the flow of magic immediately and turned around, making his way back to the house. "From this day forward, you're disowned. Don't come back." He announced loud enough for the young husky to hear him.

"That's fine, because he has a new family!" Henry fired back, shocking the two teenagers. He looked over to Damien and nodded. "You're safe now."

Another wave of tears were shed as Damien hugged the elder feline, an overwhelming feeling of relief and joy coursing through him. Finally, after sixteen years of dealing with so much mental and physical abuse, he was free. "Thank you...both of you!"

Cameron gently rubbed his friend's back and gazed at his father. "Should we wait or...?"

Henry shook his head, flashing a smile. "I bluffed and he fell for it. Now let's go home."

Sniffling, Damien followed the two cheetahs, his heart going all aflutter and his mind being at ease. As he walked, he glanced over his shoulder, watching the back of his father until it disappeared out of sight. ``I'm fine with your decision, because I'm no longer your son.'