"Y-Younger brother?! Are you insane, Father?!" Fawkes's voice was more shocked than anything, and I don't blame him.
Having your father adopt the being that attempted to put you on a T-shirt was not the most optimal outcome that you would desire. He was bloodthirsty for vengeance, and I can understand his reasons. However, when I fought Ghidorah, I realized it was not necessary to wipe him from existence when another path existed. If he had been a mindless beast who sought nothing but the destruction of both of us, then I would have likely added this creature as my first kill.
I would prefer not to kill needlessly, but I am not above the nuclear option when necessary. This battle was one of those times when I did not need to press that big red button. As I clashed with Ghidorah before, I recognized the spark of intelligence deep within his mind. He spoke to me not out of arrogance or malice like Drajkovane, but out of genuine curiosity. I would do what any sane person would do: put myself in his shoes.
He was starved, and in his mind, we threatened his desire to live. While he threatened ours, it was inadvertent. Ghidorah was a creature born of Miasma, which naturally meant it was constantly in a state of Miasma Madness. When he declared that he needed to eat the strongest to become the strongest, I realized that he was capable of thought. He was capable of intelligence and reason, which, ironically, made him more reasonable than Drajkovane, who wouldn't take the offer made to him.
I outstretched my hand and pointed in the direction of the raging emerald flames, and with a swipe, they dispersed. Not even a linger of smoke remained, and in its place was the new form of Drajkovane. If I were to compare the two forms of him, I would say the difference was night and day. His scales were bright pale, which reminded me of an albino crocodile.
His features were relatively the same. Ghidorah retained his long, scaly tail, with its ridged plates that ran from his spine to the tip. His eyes were brighter than the sky, and his size had grown by a few inches. I would say that he could probably look Sine in her eyes. His gaze moved around the environment as he attempted to figure out where he was and what had happened to him.
The claws were smaller and more refined, leaving more room for his hands to be able to grip without tearing whatever he was holding. The muscles beneath his scales were tighter and more pronounced, but overall, he had been upgraded. While his physical appearance had changed, the most defining alteration in his creation was his presence. A portion of the emerald flames that spawned him lingered around his mouth, dancing while he slowly opened and closed his maw.
"Some may claim that I am, but I would never take that plea. What you see before you is the newest addition to our family," I said while scratching underneath the small fox's chin. "A lost being now found, so I suggest you work through your feelings. I'm certain someone as magnificent as you would be capable of guiding Ghidorah on how to be a Spirit Beast."
Fawkes shifted his weight when Ghidorah finally laid his gaze on him. "Hungry? No... longer?" Ghidorah grumbled. He outstretched his hands and glanced down at them.
"That should be the case," I responded, looking up at Fawkes. "What do you think? You are my fox in the chair, so tell me. How is he as a Spirit Beast?"
There was a silence from Fawkes. I could hear him humming before the fox leaped from my shoulder and hesitantly approached him. His tail was puffed out, and his nose led the way. Ghidorah noticed his approach and calmly watched his elder brother. After a moment of careful sniffing, Fawkes turned his head toward me and frowned.
"He doesn't smell like the same creature, and his presence isn't overwhelming with that hostile mana. However, it remains within him. Why?" Fawkes's head lowered slightly as his gaze shifted to his hind leg.
"I may understand that I have failed you in protecting our domain, but... to replace me? I promise, Father, that with time I can get stronger."
I was taken aback by his statement. The usually confident smirk of the Fawkes I had met would have surfaced by now. This Fawkes was downtrudden. I recognized that mood. Doubt had crept within the mind of the young fox, and for good reason.
Fawkes's knowledge of his capabilities was likely the driving force behind his smug behavior. He thought he knew all, but he forgot that he was merely a cub in the grand schemes. While I didn't believe he was capable of guarding my mana space, it wasn't really his responsibility. That wouldn't prevent him from bearing it.
There was no point blaming anyone else for this misconception, since ultimately it is my responsibility. I thought back to our first meeting, and while it has only been a few hours, I had forgotten how strongly those young foxes imprint on their parents. He may have taken on a strong front, but I think my words, my rejection of him, brought about a sense to prove himself.
That desire for validation may have influenced his decision to take on the Miasma Kroc when he would've been better off doing something else. I approached him and then crouched down to lift his face toward my own. I didn't know what to say to him since I had never had a child before, so I did what I believed he needed.
"Our time together has been full of strife and nearly ended on several occasions today, but I am glad to have had you by my side. Your yelling is annoying, but I understand how much you care. That is why I accept the reality before us," I brought my hand to his face and cupped it underneath his chin. "A father should ensure his son has the tools to succeed in this world or any, so that is what I am doing. You are my heir apparent, and as such, you need a retainer to make sure you develop that power you've just promised me. In the world I envision, you will be revered for your magnificence. Oh, how I can see it now. A world where Fawkes is powerful and larger than any fox! You may be a spirit beast and I a Kitsune, but there is one thing we have in common."
Fawkes' eyes began to tear up, but I quickly wiped them away. His sniffling softened as his tail slowly wagged behind him.
"What might that be?" he asked, resting his front legs onto my thighs.
"We are Nicholsons. Your great-grandmother created the blueprint by showing tenacity in the face of conflict. Your grandmother built upon the foundations with perseverance, and I intend to make the house in which our lineage resides. As I build this house, I will show you the skills and knowledge needed to improve and expand in a way that only you can, so I say this: Watch me."
I grabbed the fox by his waist and held him, so that his legs and tail dangled. Our gazes met, and I gave him a confident smile. I focused my mana, igniting emerald tendrils that flowed from me into him. His eyes widened as his orange fur stood on end.
"What are you doing to me? Wait- You don't know what you're doing..."
"There are skills inherent to me that must be shared from father to son. While you are telling the truth. I don't know exactly how I am doing it, but command over mana grants me command over spells. If our domain is breached and my ignorance of it becomes clear, I will grant you this. It isn't as powerful as an Astral Art, but I think it will do the job. Damage taken while you are here will have precedence over even my own well-being. Thus, I share with you, the healing of our kin... I think I'll call it, C'est Magnifique!"
Fawkes' head tilted sideways, causing his enormous ears to flop to the side. It was adorable to see the confusion plastered across his face, but it was worth it. His eyes took on a purple glow for a moment before I lowered him onto the ground. The flames of my power erupted from the fox's mouth, which initially alarmed me, but it was short-lived. Small black plums were coughed out of the fox's mouth before he started looking around. He appeared lost before vanishing before my eyes.
If I were being honest, I was merely trying to create a placebo effect in him. I shared some of my mana with him in reality, mending whatever injuries he had left over. Nothing I tried to do should have caused him to be wiped from existence. My heart quickened as I searched to my sides for my fox, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Damn it! What the fuck did I actually do?!"
I stepped to where he was last standing, and before I arrived there, I found something clawing onto my back. The weight of the being brought me off balance, but with the grace of a predator on the prowl, the being scaled my back and landed on my shoulder. An orange tail with its white tip, brooched sown my neck like a scarf, which told me everything I needed to know. It was Fawkes, and he either teleported or he was significantly faster than before.
"Jesus, Fawkes, don't just speedblitz me like that. I thought I had incinerated you," I huffed. "My body feels different from before. Your C'est Magnifiqueskill that you bestowed upon me is... foreign. I have yet to know what you have altered in my mana core, but I am aware of the change."
I blinked at his words. It wasn't the content of the words that changed me, but his voice. He had once used my voice, which unnerved me, but now, it was different. It was unique, as if his vocal cords had matured from the exchange. He still sounded like a pipsqueak, but it was his own voice. There was a little Louisiana twang to the fox, which reminded me of Gambit from the X-Men.
"I can see that. Your voice sounds different, which is good. I approve, but you're a bit heavier than before. You don't seem much bigger, but you are denser."
"I am not fat," he said sharply before pointing towards Ghidorah. "My eyes have been opened, Father, so I understand your perspective. Miasma isn't something that needs to be purged from his system. It needs to be harnessed and guided, and no one on the planet is more qualified to teach him about this power than I am. He is not some foul beast any longer, so I will accept him as my kin despite being more lizard than fox."
Fawkes leaped from my shoulder with enough force that he unbalanced me and dropped me onto my ass. He landed with grace before striding towards Ghidorah with newfound confidence. Perhaps, my confidence had reignited his, but he approached the larger Spirit Beast with the exaggerated swagger of a black teen. Ghidorah watched him before lowering his head towards his older brother.
"Ghidorah, I have forgiven you for your transgressions in the past, and with the power bestowed upon me as heir apparent, I shall grant you the rights of second son of Nicholson. As your elder, I expect you to use your strength to defend me and our home. Your power may create madness, but true madness comes from ignoring its usefulness. I believe it has its perks, so I will allow you to harbor such foul energy in my presence without complaint. Any questions?"
Ghidorah tilted his head before Fawkes wiggled his hips, then leaped onto his brother's shoulder. Unlike me, when the dense fox scrambled on my shoulders, Ghidorah didn't flinch. His mouth widened, and he licked his lips slowly. He pondered the situation and then lumbered in my direction with Fawkes curled around his shoulders. Witnessing the two creatures seemingly accept each other was ideal, but there was more to teach them both.
"Brother is Fox?" Ghidorah rumbled, nodding his head toward Fawkes. "I am... hunger and power?"
"In a way, yes. Hunger is not to be feared, but respected and sated. As your father, I will not allow the madness of hunger to drive you to misuse your power. Power that you will earn. Fawkes is your brother, and I will show you how to use power. I will teach you both the reason we have power in the first place," I declared, staring into the eyes of the Spirit Beast. "But madness magic bad? It lingers...untouched. Why? I was weak."
"Perhaps, but madness has its use as I mentioned, and while you were defeated, you are far from weak. I will do what any father does for their children and show you how madness magic can be used for the benefit of others. It can be used to protect yourself, your brother, and others. Just as my flames can burn you out of existence and purge miasma from this world, there must be balance. There is a reason it exists within you."
Ghidorah pressed his lips together, allowing his sharp teeth to peek. His mind seemed to be clouded with thoughts before Fawkes lightly tapped the crocodile's head.
"You have nothing to worry about. I was once weak too, but now together we will become strong enough to repel any attack on our home!"
"I have-" My words were halted as a sense of warmth rushed over my body. Emerald flames sprouted from my fingertips, which drew all of our attention. It had sprouted without my permission and flickered like dancing candles. My eyes narrowed on instinct, and my senses were ignited. Something was transpiring on the outside of my mana space, and it revolved around the sudden influx of mana that managed to flood my core.
"What's this?" I asked, but not to either of my sons. That question was for the ether, but Fawkes answered me instead, "Someone is attempting to pierce your mana space using... power similar to my mother?"