The Blood Demon leaves Ky's fur free from scarlet. It rises into the air before descending upon the crowd of Guard and Soldiers. Phoenix, seemingly oblivious to the Blood Demon wreaking havoc upon the crowd, begs his brother to wake up. The Blood Demon's jaws snap shut on a Soldier's shoulders, and it throws its head back to swallow its prey whole. Though it lacks eyes, I can't help but think that it watches the Guard and Soldiers smugly as they try to run away from it.

Brook nudges me into motion as Dove shifts into his bird form and helps Wolf get onto his back. Dove pauses, watching Brook. "Dove can carry Clap," Wolf says.

"Clap, go with Wolf and Dove, please." Brook nudges me again, this time towards Wolf and Dove.

"O-ok." I nod reluctantly, jumping up to sit on Dove's neck. Brook, you'd better be fine. If not, I'm jumping down to help you. The Blood Demon better watch out if it tries to harm Brook. Wolf wraps her arms around me, and I flinch for a moment before relaxing. With a nod from Brook, Dove takes to the air. He keeps a careful eye on the ground below him.

Dove circles the Green Grass Field, watching the Blood Demon's every move. Brook makes her way closer to Phoenix and away from the edges of the Field, where the Blood Demon is rounding up the remaining Guard and Soldiers. It eats them whole, despite the many arrows and swords flung at it. "Phoenix!" Brook calls as she approaches the black cat.

"Get the hell away from me!" Phoenix looks back over his shoulder. He's trembling, and his flames are shaky. I tense, ready to jump down should Phoenix make a move towards Brook.

"Clap, don't. You won't make it," Wolf warns. Sure I will. I break the speed of sound. That's practically teleporting, isn't it? Something like that, right? I shrug in response, but I'm still watching Phoenix to see if he'll make a move towards my unicorn stepmother.

The Blood Demon eats the last remaining Guard, who is closely followed by the last Soldier. Brook turns her attention to the Blood Demon. Phoenix snarls, crouching halfway over his brother. If the Blood Demon goes after Brook, it's dead. "What the?" Wolf's orange gaze follows the Blood Demon as it flies away, completely ignoring Brook and Phoenix.

Dove spirals down until he's low enough that he can land. After Wolf and I step down from his back, he shifts back. "I guess we didn't have to take to the air?" Dove chuckles.

"I guess not," Brook replies.

"Better to be safe than sorry." Wolf shrugs.

"W-we sh-should probably go s-s-see how Ph-Phoenix is doing," I murmur. Phoenix is pacing around Ky's body.

"He's not gonna let us," Dove points out.

"S-sure he will. Wh-why wouldn't h-he?"

"Phoenix is pissed and grief-stricken. He just lost his brother," Wolf says.

"Wolf, language," Dove warns with a smile.

"Fine." Wolf returns the smile.

"I guess." My voice trails off.

Phoenix collapses beside Ky, pressing his face into his brother's fur. "H-hey, Phoenix?" I cautiously take a few steps forwards.

"Go away," the black cat replies without moving from where he is.

"H-how a-a-are you doing?" I take another step closer, and Brook follows, trailed by Wolf and Dove. Phoenix stiffens.

"How do you think I'm doing?" He whirls around with a snarl. "Ky's dead, and he's my brother. How do you think I'm doing? Use that little brain of yours to think about how I might be doing. And don't come any closer. I don't want you near Ky when you are all the ones responsible for his death. Don't even think about it. Get the hell away from us." Bitterness leaks into his words.

How are we responsible? What did we do? I frown. Brook nudges my shoulder, and I look up at her. The look in her eyes tells me not to listen to Phoenix.

"If anyone's to blame, it's King Garonda XIV. He's the one who sent the Guard and Soldiers," Dove says.

"No! It's all of you. Ky wouldn't've summoned the Blood Demon had you guys not been almost killed by the Guard and Soldiers!"

"Phoenix, p-please be nice." I flinch at Phoenix's sharp words. Phoenix pauses, and I remember what Ky had said- be nice, please. But then the black cat shakes his head, and his fire blazes.

"We can help you find Arcane," Wolf offers.

"No," Phoenix snarls. "We're not doing anything. You go your way, and I'll go mine. I don't want you anywhere near Ky."

"B-but I th-think it would be c-c-cool to see A-Arcane. H-he seems pretty c-cool."

"No, he's not. He killed Freedom, and I'm fairly certain she's your mother. Right, Brook?" Phoenix smirks and turns his gaze to Brook.

Wh... What? Did he? I frown, trying not to let Phoenix's words sink in or believe what he just said, but a little voice in the back of my head tells me that he might be right. I turn to look up at Brook. My unicorn stepmother is giving Phoenix the angriest and move furious death glare I've ever seen her give. She ponders over her words for what feels like an eternity as I wait for her to respond to what Phoenix said. Is Freedom my actual mother?

Finally, Brook speaks. "Yes, Arcane killed Freedom," she starts slowly. "Arcane killed Freedom by accident, though. He was healing her, and the Midnight Wolf's powers are something that he draws upon. Arcane drew upon and gave Freedom too much of his healing power, so he overloaded her, killing Freedom."

"But isn't Freedom, the creature Arcane murdered, Clap's mother?" Phoenix asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Arcane didn't murder Freedom. But yes, Freedom is your mother, Clap."

"So do you really want to see Arcane, Clap?" Phoenix turns his fiery gaze to me.

So Freedom's my mom and Ice is my dad? And Arcane, the Midnight Wolf, killed Freedom, but by accident when he was trying to heal her, for whatever reason. Do I really wanna see the guy who killed my mom, who I never met? Do I really want to? What if Phoenix is wrong, though? What if he's lying? He did just lose his brother. He might not be thinking straight. But Brook said Arcane killed Freedom, and she never lies. But what if Brook-. No. I'm not going there; Brook didn't lie- she never does. Arcane killed Freedom, who's my mom. Do I really want to meet him, provided he's still alive? Do I want to?

"Y-yeah," I murmur, still trying to work through my thoughts.

"No, you don't. Who would want to meet the guy who killed their mom?" Phoenix snorts.

"But I-I do. A-a-and how would y-you know what I-I-I want?"

"Even if you do, you're not coming with me. I'm going to find Arcane so he can bring Ky back. And when I get there, Arcane is going to bring back Ky, whether he wants to or not."

"We can help you find Arcane. No one has found him since he disappeared, so it will take a lot of work."

"I can do it on my own. I don't need you guys to help me." Phoenix bristles, curling his lip in the beginning of a snarl.

"Why don't you want us to help?" Dove crosses his arms across his chest.

"Go away," Phoenix growls. He turns around so he's facing Ky as he draws his ears against the sides of his head.

"A-a-are you scared?" I ask. Phoenix whirls around, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Why the hell would I be scared? I did better in that battle than any of you!" Phoenix roars. "I'm not afraid!"

"I-it seems like you're s-scared cus' you a-aren't a-answering th-the questions."

"Well, I'm not 'scared' as you say. And quit stuttering. It's annoying." Phoenix glares at me.

"S-sorry." I look at my paws.

"We're going with you, Phoenix. We can help," Wolf says. She mirrors Dove's look when she crosses her arms across her chest.

"Well, I don't need help, so that's not necessary." Phoenix sneers.

"Wh-why d-don't y-y-you want us t-to help?" I sit down next to Brook.

"Why don't I want you all to help me?" Phoenix scoffs. "Why? Cus' I don't need your help, and I don't want you anywhere near Ky. Get the hell outta here. I don't need anything from you."

"How about we all go to bed. It's been a long day," Brook murmurs.

"It's not even noon." Phoenix snorts.

"A midday nap, then."

"Oh, well, I would just love to. It isn't as if I'm not five or anything." The black cat rolls his eyes.

"And it isn't as if we just were fighting for our lives a short while a go or anything," Brook shoots back.

"They wouldn't've killed us."

"Y-you were in a-a h-headlock, Phoenix. Th-the Soldier w-was ch-choking you." They certainly looked like they were trying to kill us...

"I was letting him," Phoenix growls.

"Were you, though? Were you really, Phoenix?" Dove chuckles.

"Yes!"

"You were letting a Soldier suffocate you?"

"He wasn't going to suffocate me; I was going to escape after letting him think he had gotten me," Phoenix defends before adding on. "And then I was going to kill him."

"S-so when d-do we leave t-to find A-Arcane?"

"You guys aren't coming with me! I'm going to find Arcane, and you guys aren't coming with me! Do I have to repeat myself any more? What part of you aren't coming with me did you not understand?" Phoenix jumps over Ky as he roars.

"If you're going to find Arcane, I'd like to come with you. I would like to hear the rest of the poem," Brook says. Phoenix doesn't say anything for a few minutes. He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head, again and again, debating over what to say in reply. He looks back at the motionless form of his brother. 

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of The King's Remorse! Please vote and comment!

Is Phoenix going to let Wolf, Dove, Brook, and Clap come with him and Ky?

Will Ky be able to be revived?

What do you guys think of Ice and Freedom being Clap's parents? Any thoughts?

-Werewolf14-