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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 2099228" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 173: A FamilyIt was amazing that Akan and Shadow had set out to deal with Ket and Nine, but upon arriving got caught up in...other thing. Truthfully, Shadow had expected it, though not like this. Ceremony, formality, and other annoying things attached with being a member of the royal family, not to mention that she was technically next in line to be the Empress, were all what she had expected. Akan had even been warned of it, though he didn’t completely grasp what it was they were going to have to be dealing with.    But never in a hundred years would he have expected to arrive and completely forget about Ket and Nine. He had never anticipated anything like this happening...but here he was, sitting and still slightly numb as his...adopted father talked on. Adopted wasn’t exactly right, but Akan couldn’t think of what was right, so it worked. Currently, Cole was probing Akan to talk with the assistance of the Force. He was also very good at it.    “You still haven’t told me what she’s done,” Cole was saying, patting Akan’s shoulder and giving him a very fatherly look. After a moment of Akan turning away, Cole grinned and raised up his other hand, “Fine, you don’t have to tell me. Its not that hard to figure out, anyway. You feel alone, don’t you?”    Akan turned back enough for Cole to see the surprised expression on the young man’s face. Cole’s grin grew when Akan mumbled, “How do you know...?”    “I may be old, but I’m no fool, boy,” he paused a moment to shift to a more comfortable sitting position. After it was obvious that he was using the Force to dig a little deeper, Cole went on, “From Marix, yes? She stopped talking with you?”    Seeing the reaction from Akan’s expression when the words were spoken only proved Cole right. He very awkwardly reached over and drew the boy into a hug, “I know this is hard on you, but you’re home now...the both of you are. You have to understand, though, that the person you knew is not the daughter I knew. I wish I could have known her when you had the chance to...life could only have been better for her there,” he sighed, “Here it is...difficult. Her every move is watched and she has many responsibilities...should she make a wrong move, she could be killed. She is probably...probably believes that it is best to remain silent to protect the both of you.”    As usual, things happened right when they needed to. In this case, the door on the other side of the room opened up and the Empress walked in. She stepped calmly into the room, the two guards quickly taking up positions on either side of the door as Shadow entered last. For a moment, the Empress simply looked down at her mate and her newest son, immediately knowing what was the problem. The boy looked like a mess, both physically and through the Force. He felt terrible.    “Leave us,” she said sharply in Alraxian to the two guards. When they hesitated, she gave them a sharp glare and they then quickly exited.    The Empress then turned her gaze to her daughter as Cole explained the situation as he knew it. It sounded as if they were linked very strong. A rare gift, and one that neither of them likely understood.     Shadow was conveniently staring down at the floor. Akan looked up past the Empress to Shadow, opening his mouth to say something but finding that the words disappeared. When nothing came out, he stared back down at the rug helplessly. Shadow hadn’t even looked at him. She didn’t want to. He might see her tear stained face or her still red eyes...if he noticed...the thought just trailed off into nothing.    “Aren’t you at least going to look at him?” her mother asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had gathered in the room. But there was more than just words with that, the question almost burning into Shadow’s skull...just as her mother had intended. Her face slowly turned a bright shade of red before she spun around and bolted out the door.    “Bring her back in here, now!” the Empress growled at the top of her lungs after her fleeing daughter. After a short series of growls and other sounds, the two guards moved back in the room carrying the struggling Shadow between them. They tossed her to the ground violently and she landed on her hands and knees just in front of Akan and her father.    The Empress then gave a growl and a glare between both her daughter and the guards before signaling them to leave again. Once they were out of the room, she looked up to the ceiling slightly, “Thor, seal the room I’m in.”    [Yes, my lady.] a soft, very Loki-like voice echoed through all of their minds. In a silence that followed, Shadow slowly and carefully looked up and saw Akan. Saying he looked terrible would be like asking Darth Vader if he had a thing for black.    She turned to look away, suddenly disgusted with herself. After a moment of quick decision, Shadow opened the link up to him just slightly. It was enough that some of his thoughts seeped into her mind and she became even more sick with herself. But a little colour returned to Akan’s face, and at the familiar feeling of someone else’s thoughts(no matter how odd that had been before), his own mind started to make a little more sense. Such a small thing as the link had such a powerful effect...so much so that Akan couldn’t help wondering if it really was small.    Seeing some life returning to the boy, Cole looked up to his mate and nodded slightly. The Empress returned the nod and very carefully sat down next to Shadow before awkwardly putting an arm around her lost daughter. Softly, she said to her daughter, “Its alright. Please tell us what’s wrong, Marix...”    As Shadow’s mother spoke, all of them could feel the Force weaving its way through her words. A simple trick, yes, but one that was very helpful. It rarely failed to work, as it did not force the subject to speak but instead soothed and calmed them so that they truly knew it was alright. Shadow looked up slightly, her voice barely above a somewhat hoarse whisper, “I shouldn’t have come back...I...I’ve already failed all of you...”    Her mother brought her into a tight hug, “You’ve failed no one, Marix. You have only just arrived, and there is nothing you can do yet. You know that...”    Shadow nodded slightly, enough for her mother to decide she had said what she needed to say before turning to Akan. The Force flowing through her words for a second time, the Empress asked, “You are my newest son, Akan, and I would not have you suffer anymore. Tell me what is wrong.”    He looked up some, first to Cole then to Shadow then finally to the Empress. Though, for at least a moment, he could have sworn he was just looking at an older Shadow. But it passed, and he found his voice, quietly answering, “I’m alone here...”    At that, the Empress raised an eyebrow, looking to her mate but speaking to Akan, “You don’t look to be alone. Perhaps you should give things a chance here. You should know by now that you have a family here, and that means you’ll never be alone.”    Akan didn’t nod, but he at least looked like he accepted that. Seeing this, the Empress looked between both Akan and Shadow and spoke more sternly, “Links are not something to be taken for granted. They are far more important than either of you seem to understand, and learning that may take years.”     Then she pulled away from her daughter and looked to Cole. He nodded and they both got to their feet. Before leaving the room, the Empress spoke in a much more formal tone, “I’ll be sending a few people in two hours to prepare the both of you and make you look presentable.”    And then the parents left. Akan and Shadow just sat there across from each other without moving or saying anything for at least ten minutes. Then, finally becoming aware of the silence, Akan stumbled out a word, “S...Shadow..”    His voice was forced, and Shadow could hear the tears being fought back. Slowly, he moved over and surprised them both by hugging her, saying quietly, “I’m sorry...I should listen to what you say more. Especially here...I’m sorry for being so...arrogant.”    There was a short moment when Shadow just sat there, perfectly still and with an emotionless expression on her face. It was long enough that Akan couldn’t help but worry her old ice cold manner had come back for good. And then in a second, it faded away and her lips curved into a trembling smile. She hugged him back, resting her head on Akan’s shoulder and ignoring the tears. She had no idea what to apologize for first. Instead of trying and knowing that she’d mess it up anyway, she simply allowed their link to do the work.    A few more minutes went by and Akan sat back slightly before a question found its way into his head. The Empress had mentioned something... “Why do we have to be made presentable?”    Shadow bit her lip, though the weak smile managed to stay, “Remember that thing about you having to swear allegiance? Well, you have to do it before they’ll let you set foot on the planet. I think we’ll be getting there later tonight...”    “Oh...” he trailed off a moment, slightly worried about what all of that really meant. Not that he could avoid it, “And after that...?”    “Get the latest intelligence and then start our hunt as soon as possible.”</blockquote>

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