Wildfyre arranged her things, carefully placing them into her backpack. Sliding the canvas bag over her shoulders, she took a good look at her surroundings. It might be her last look.
     Onix Amberwind, the black hedgehog, was snoozing soundly in their bed, his arm flopped over the place where she had last been laying. His black fur made him look like a shadow across the homemade quilts, and his quills shook slightly as he twitched in his sleep, a smile creeping across his blue muzzle.
     Wildfyre sighed softly. It would be hard to leave him. But she had to. Some things were just too important to ignore. Besides, if all went well, she'd be coming back.
     With that, she gave Onix a kiss on his forehead, and tucked him into bed a bit more. She carefully removed her ear ring, with her clan beads, warrior's feathers, marriage beads and firstborn's tassle, and laid them on her pillow. She almost cried--that ring and all its parts had never been seperated from her before. With that, she blew out the oil lamp and wandered out of the burrow and out into the light.

 Covenant

All Sega charas. (c) SegaOA, Inc.
Onix Amberwind and Void Helsar (c) Ravendark
Hunter of Souls, Wildfyre, Fire, Wind, Earth and Water Helsars and Sh'Rion (c) 1998 C. Gast
Used without permission.

     It was nearly midday by the time Wildfyre reached the Great Jungle. She took a deep breath of air and savored it. It felt like home, even though her true home was a waterless desert. But something about the lush, thick undergrowth, vine-tangled trees and animal cried called to that great cat inside her. That was something even DeNara couldn't have taken away from her when he put her into her robotic body.
     Soon she approached a small cave, and climbed into it. It was thick with soft cool moss along the bottom, and mushrooms of all sorts sprung from the floor. She sat down and put her pack to the side, and began to pray.
     No sooner had she started then she felt an ominous prescence. She turned and looked behind her.
     Reclining against the wall was a solid black echidna, with incredibly long locks, crimson slitted eyes, and a pale white muzzle that sported black lips. He looked up at Wildfyre and smiled casually.
     "You're nuts, you know that?" he laughed. "What do you think you're going to accomplish in this futile little gesture?"
    Wildfyre ignored him. "Simple, Hunter. I'm trying to find out if what my forefathers said was true."
     Hunter smirked. "Hah. Just and old wives' tale. Trust me on this one. Would I ever lie to you?"
     Wildfyre frowned. "Every chance you got you did."
     Hunter's expression took on a look of mock hurt. "What's wrong, Tarani? Can't I hold your interests anymore? Don't you still love me like you used to?"
     "I think you could say that. When you let DeNara kill my body and place me in this metal mockery for sport, I finally realized what kind of creature you really are," Wildfyre replied emotionlessly.
     Hunter grinned maliciously. "Do think anyone is even going to -listen- to you, after all you've done?"
     "That's for me to find out, isn't?" Wildfyre answered, getting annoyed. "Now get out of here, and leave me in peace!"
     Hunter merely laughed and faded away.
     Wildfyre returned to her prayers, more determined now.
     It is said no prayer to the Father goes unheard....and this was no exception.
     Wildfyre felt herself began to change. She dropped to hands and knees as her artificial skin tore away, and her frame began less anthropomorphic. Her face widened into a wedge-shape, her mouth and jaws lengthened and grew whiskers. Her hands and feet turned into heavily-clawed paws, and her frame turned into that of a sleek, powerful Sand Tiger.
     Wildfyre roared in surprize, and saw her reflection in a pool of water in the back of the cave. Her fur was a sandy gold and white once more, with dark black stripes all over her hide. She was a sand tiger once more, but one that was not as developed as her kind were now. She tried to ask why, but found herself making rumbling poks and murrls instead.
     Then, in the reflection, she saw the awesome figure of a male sand tiger standing next to her.
     Wildfyre skittered back, swishing her tail nervously and her ears partially flattened in surprise and wariness.
     "Don't be afraid," the male thought to her. "I'm the guardian of your fire helsar."
     Wildfyre thought back, What has happened to me?
     The male chucklepurred. "You asked for the test of strength. We are going to give it to you. If you pass, you will prove that your helsar will not be used for evil, and that no shadow can ever tempt you into giving it away. Fail, and you will die in the form you occupy at the time."
     Wildfyre took a moment to let it sink in. She nodded. Very well then. But I have one question--
     "Yes, you will be returned to normal if you pass the test," The male said, answering her thought before she could finish it. He turned to the opening of the cave. "Good luck, noble daughter. Your first test lies with your first meal." With that, he bounded out of the mouth of the cave, into the underbrush and vanished, making no sound and leaving no tracks.
     Wildfyre sat on her haunches. She wasn't hungry right now, so she guessed that her test would have to wait a few hours. She flexed her claws and walked out of the cavern. She tested her muscles, doing a few leaps and sprints. She felt powerful, awake....alive. She took off through the great jungle at top speed, enjoying the primal instincts that were awakening within her.
     It also gave her time to think. What was she doing with her life, now? There wasn't much she could have changed, thanks to her having been put into a robot body, but what about the things she could have changed? She could have refused to work for Estri, for one thing. She also could have avoided Onix altogether. She could have, instead, chosen Cole's love. But now he and Estri were together, so that wasn't an option.
     Wildfyre climbed the trunk of a great tree, using her claws, and stretched out across a wide limb, swishing her tail and staring at the ground below. Her mind continued to wander.
     There was Skytail, too. He'd pursued her hand in marriage, yet, afraid, she'd turned him down. What if she'd just sucked it in and said yes? And there was Crocbot. Though she didn't care for all fo his ways, she had shared a rapport of spirit with him, and he had treated her well.
     But one thing nagged at her from the back of her mind.
     She wasn't sure she loved any of them in return.
     Why is it, she pondered mentally, I am so dead inside? Why can't I love anything? Perhaps I've just been a robot far too long.
     And then something else popped into her mind. How old was she now? Fourty five, fifty? She may not look that age, but her mind was every bit that age, and perhaps she had just reached the conclusion that she simply didn't care about finding a mate anymore. Many furs her age do the same.
     But then again, Onix was what, a century or two old? and yet he still pursued relationships--but he was the most unnatural creature Wildfyre'd ever met--a golem made flesh. And their cultures were vastly different, something that would normally drive a pair apart. Things that deserved capital punishment in her culture were commonplace in his. It bothered her at times, but she had cared about him enough to ignore her discomfort. But slowly, that small uneasy cry in her soul had grown louder, louder, until it was painful scream.
     Wildfyre roared, unable to cry. What was she to do? Swallow her discomfort and stay with Onix, or leave Onix in search of someone who was better suited for her, and break his heart? It was a loose-loose situation.
     Wildfyre felt a cool hand stroke her headfur. She growled and bristled.
     "Sounds like you really stepped in it this time," Hunter purred.
     Wildfyre growled warningingly at Hunter, and moved herself out of his reach. He stood on the end of the branch, balanced on one foot like an aborigine and seemingly light as a feather. His locks writhed in the breeze, like long black snakes. He smiled warmly at her.
     "You know, I could always take you away from all this," he cooed softly. "Why not just forget about him, and come with me? We'll go back to Downunda, where you belong, and I'll ressurect a a nice sand tiger male for you. You can restart your race.... all you have to do is give your helsar to me."
     Tarani Wildfyre flattened her ears and thought, No Hunter. Tempting as your offer may be, I will never relinquish my helsar, my -birthright-, to you! It's a sacred gift from the Father Himself, to me and my kind. Not to you! With that, she leapt out of the tree and dashed into the undergrowth.
     Wildfyre finally found herself getting hungry. She sniffed the air, tracking for prey. The sound of goats bleating made her stomach rumble. She turned and slowly crept through the undergrowth, coming upon a herd of dozens of normal goats. She sized up the herd, choosing a very old buck goat. It would no doubt be tough and stringy, but these goats were owned by someone, and she would not take a kid, a fat nanny or a strong young buck goat, as they were of value.She would simply cull an old, nearly useless animal, and leave the rest in tact.
     She hunched down, pupils widening...the old buck drew close, and with a single pounce his neck was snapped and he was dead. Wildfyre drug him from the frightened herd, using her helsar to calm them. I am sorry I must take one of you, but I am hungry. I will kill no more from your herd.
     The leader of the herd, a black buck goat, bleated back and nodded. He understood, in his primitive mind.
     But the sound of the goats had drawn attention to Wildfyre. A young jaguar cub ran to his herd, and nearly collapsed with terror at the sight of Wildfyre. He ran calling back to what could only be his parents. Before Wildfyre could even move her meal to a safe spot to eat, the whole tribe of jaguars had returned, brandishing spears and knives.
     Wait! Wildfyre thought, I was going to repay you--
     A spear landed in Wildfyre's left haunch, burying in past the leg bones. Wildfyre roared in agony, dropping her dead prey and trying to paw the spear from her leg. She bled profusely, and roared loudly, which only seemed to frighten the natives more. They threw three more spears, each burying themsleves in her flesh.
     They do not understand...I cannot hurt them... Wildfyre thought, beginning to stagger and pant, blood dripping from her tongue. The leader of the tribe walked up to her, brandishing a sword. With a quick slice, her throat was cut and her lifeblood gushed onto the thirsty ground.
     With her last breath, she managed to gurgle, "I forgive you" to the now frightened and shocked natives...
     Her eyesight dimmed, and the last words she heard were "What have we done?".....

     Wildfyre awoke once more in the cave, this time a spirit being of red fire standing before the Sand Tiger she'd met before.
     "I must have failed," she said to herself.
     "On the contrary," the tiger replied, "You have passed."
     "You mean I was supposed to die?" Wildfyre asked, incredulous.
     "Yes. But you showed that you can think clearly even in pain, and despite the fact that the tribe was harming you, you did not harm them in return. You know well, and can live the lesson of 'turn the other cheek.' The Father is proud of you," the tiger smiled.
     "What do I do now?" Wildfyre asked, hiding her happiness inside.
     "You've a few more tests to go through before you're done," the tiger explained. "It's time now for the next test."

============================

     A blue dragoon with white bone-plates of armor and pink wing membranes appeared.
     "I will take you on the next part of your test," the dragoon whistled gently. With that, he reached out a wing and touched Wildfyre, and her form began to shift into that of a red dragoon with golden wing membranes and white bone-plates.
     "Your next test will come in battle..."
     Wildfyre found herself flying in a legion, or wing, of red dragoons. She was a soldier ready for battle against a legion of black dragoons. They were at war now, because the blacks had claimed to be perfect, and the reds their servants, and the reds had claimed to be perfect, with the black as their servants. As they flew on to fight, their shadows raced across the canyon in the great unknown, over clouds and rocks and sand and scattered bushes.
     "Get ready to fight, Sunwings!" the lead crimson dragoon shouted. "The Nightwings are just up ahead!"
     Sure enough, on the horizon were a wing of pure black dragoons, led by a large and powerful dragoon she recognized as the commander of the legion. He roared his battlecry, answered by all the red dragoons, and the fierce battle began. Flames lit up the sky from the Sunwings, and the boom of powerful sound blasts from the Nightwings thundered across the horizon. Wildfyre fought hard, taking a few blasts of sound in order to protect the commander, and giving as much as she got. In the milling of red and black, the commander of the Nightwings dove down on Wildfyre, knocking them both from the skies and into the canyon with a crash....
     Night had fallen when Wildfyre finally awoke. She could see the lights in the sky, and hear the roar of of the sound blasts. The battle was still raging. Strewn around in the canyon were the bodies of the dead, red and black.
     Next to her was the inky hide of the commander. He moaned softly, his wing bent at an odd angle. Her instincts screamed at her to kill him, but she shook her head and coughed, and moved over to him to see if he would live. His wing was broken, and he had a few bangs and bruises, but he'd live.
     "Hurry up and kill me, Sunwing," he said softly. "My wing is broken, and I will be killed if I return."
     "No...no more fighting," Wildfyre said, getting up on her haunches.
     "Why not? We are at war," The commander said, coughing and wincing as his wing was shifted accidentally. He managed to get up onto his haunches.
     "And for what reason?" Wildfyre asked. "Look around you, Commander. Your people are dying. So are mine. And for what reason? Because we both think we are perfect." Wildfyre sighed sadly. "If any of us were perfect, we wouldn't be killing each other now."
     But in her looking away, she hadn't seen the wicked gleam in the Commander's eyes. He lept upon her, holding her down with his enormous weight and Wildfyre screamed in shock and surprize.
     The Commander laughed. "Now will you kill me?" He coughed up blood, his strength waining.
     "No...no I will not, not matter what you do to me," Wildfyre said quietly. She nosed through the dirt and found the herbs she'd been looking for.
     "Eat these, they will lessen the pain," Wildfyre said, placing them in the Commander's mouth.
 He chewed on them, the pain on his face lessening as his body calmed. "Why? Why are you doing this? We are enemies..."
     "Deep down, we are not, Commander. We are the same kind, whether we are red or black," Wildfyre said quietly.
     "Maker bless you child...you are far better than I...far more....perfect...."
     With that, the old Commander closed his eyes forever.
     Wildfyre returned to the base of the Sunwings. The battle had been a draw, with heavy casualties on both sides. The cave was filled with the cries of mourning and of the wounded, and Wildfyre felt sick.
     "You made it back!" the Commander of the Sunwings exclaimed upon seeing Wildfyre. He curled his neck around hers in a hug, and looked her over. "Are you alright? I don't want one of our precious females injured..."
     "I am fine, but oh, I'm going to clutch soon," Wildfyre said with a grimmace of pain.
     "Clutch soon? Goodness, that would be a blessing! We need more troops!" The Commander said with surprize and happiness.
     "No, no, these will not be troops," Wildfyre said, shaking her head.
     "What do you mean?" The Commander asked, puzzled.
     "These eggs were sired by a Nightwing," Wildfyre replied mournfully.
     "WHAT?" The Commander said, bristling. "It was the Commander of the Nightwings, wasn't it? He did it just to provoke us even further...we'll kill all of them for this outrage!"
     "You listen to me!" Wildfyre snapped. The Commander jumped. "There will be no more senseless killing! Neither of our kinds are perfect alone! But maybe together, Sunwing and Nightwing will both be perfect!"
     "You are too distraught and weary to be speaking clearly," The Commander said, brushing off her angered retort. "We will mount another attack soon enough. You rest. We'll beat the Nightwings at their own game--your clutch, the Nightwing Commander's own offspring--will fight against him!"
     Wildfyre wanted to protest, but she was taken to a clutching cavern, where she collapsed in exhaustion.
     Wildfyre awoke, with fifteen cream-colored eggs next to her. She didn't remember laying them, but she had obviously arranged them properly. The morning sun shone down on the nest, warming them and Wildfyre. She felt better. It probably wouldn't be long before the young hatched, as Dragoon eggs developed quickly with enough sunlight.
     The Sunwing Commander stepped in and necked Wildfyre. "Are you alright love?"
     Wildfyre nodded. "The eggs are going to hatch soon. And I think you'll see what I'm talking about once they do."
     The Commander was puzzled, but agreed to hold off the attck until the young were hatched. Much as he wanted vengeance for the desecration of his mate, he would at least honor her wishes, and see if maybe, just maybe, she was on to something.
     One of the eggs began to rock. Then another, and another, until all fifteen were moving together in the rhythm of hatching. Soon the first shell cracked... and a solid white dragoonette pushed out of the shell, chirping softly. Then another hatched, pure gold. Then green, then blue, the purple, then red and black, yellow, grey, sand, silver, pink, mottled greens like leaves, orange and black striped, and a mountain camoflague. A rainbow of hides.
     "Maker! Look at them! They are all colors!" the Sunwing Commander cried in surprize and joy. "But I thought the legends said only a perfect Dragoon pair could bring about the Colors!"
     "It was perfect," Wildfyre said, "Because it was from two perfect Dragoons...both our kinds are perfect...we must stop fighting, beloved."
     "Send out the decree!" The Commander shouted to a couple of curious soldiers who had entered just moments before. "We make peace with the Nightwings today!"
     Wildfyre felt herself fade from her body once more...

============================

     Wildfyre awoke in the cave again, greeted by the blue dragoon. She was once again a spirit of red fire, formless twisting flame.
     "Congratulations. You have passed your test," the Dragoon smiled.
     "By making peace?" Wildfyre asked.
     "By showing mercy to your enemy. Even though he treated you badly, you did what you could to ease his misery. And because of your mercy, you earned peace."
     "Thank you, Guardian. At least this time I did not have to die," Wildfyre chuckled. The Dragoon chuckled himself. "Well, you have three more tests. Soon, the next Guardian will come and begin your next trial. Good luck, worthy daughter." The Dragoon vanished from the cave, and Wildfyre was left to wait.

============================

     Soon the other tests came. The white wolf changed her into one of his kind; she got her leg caught in an old trap, slowly dying from blood loss. Hunter came to her several times, offering her freedom for her helsar. But each time, despite her pain and suffering she refused, until at last, her body died. She passed the test: she could withstand pain and not give in.
     The orca turned her into another orca, in the cold seas near the Great White North. There she found a calf from her pod trapped in ice, unable to surface for air. All of the pod fought to free it, but soon they gave up hope. But Wildfyre didn't give up, and breaking her jaw and skull against the ice, she freed the calf and pushed it to the surface. She passed once again, demonstrating that she would not give up on life, even if others did.
     The last test was perhaps the most frightening. The scarlet eagle came and changed her into a female eagle. She was the leader of an aerie, and faced a dire problem: a flying snake was eating all their eaglettes, and had even begun eating adults. Leading an assault on the snake, she plunged headlong into it's windpipe, suffocating it and killing herself. She had passed the final test: she sacrificed herself for the good of all the others.

============================

     The Sand Tiger Guardian returned to Wildfyre, who was once again a wisp of flame in the cave.
     "You've passed all the tests. You've proven yourself strong enough to carry the burden of the helsar. I am so proud of you, daughter, as is the maker. Your body is restored and waiting for you in DownUnda. But I have something extra for you. Come with me," The Sand Tiger murred to her. Wildfyre shimmered with an acceptance, and she suddenly found herself in the old NeoTech laboratory. Her body was a shimmering mass of translucent white light, waiting to join with her spirit.
     "What is this extra something you wish to offer me?" Wildfyre asked as the Sand Tiger sat down next to her.
     "Sand tigers have many colors of coat, to reflect the many colors of sand in the world. You were golden before. But this time, you may choose your color," Sand Tiger smiled.
     "I...can choose my color?" Wildfyre asked in disbelief. "That's quite an honor...color says so much among my kind."
     The Sand Tiger smiled. "Which is why you may choose."
     Wildfyre smiled. "I choose the color of the warrior caste."
     The Sand Tiger laughed heartily. "A good choice for you, Honored Daughter! So be it. You will be gold. You could have chosen the red of royalty, the most honored, and yet you did not. You choose the color of your heart. You are truely worthy of your helsar, and as such it will be red now, to reflect the royalty of your thinking and wisdom. Reach out and touch your body, and then you will awaken." With that, he was gone.
     And as Wildfyre looked around the site of the old lab, she saw that her robotic body there as well. It was just like when she had been awakened for the first time accidentally by Crocbot. She stopped a moment to reflect on her life, and what she had learned. It settled many questions that were in her heart. But most of all, she began to realized exactly what had made her feel so uneasy towards Onix...Hunter. He'd had his hand in her emotions, as she had once been quite devoted to him, and he was trying desperately to reclaim her again. But now that her helsar was strengthened...that had melted away like morning dew in the summer sun.
     "You'll regret this, Tarani!" Hunter hissed from behind her. Wildfyre shook with a start and turned around. Sure enough, he was there, but all the sweetness he had once used to try and lure her back was gone. His eyes burned with pure hate, there was no kindness left in them.
     Hunter approached her rapidly. "You'll not survive making this choice, girl. You will not escape my grasp so easily!" Oily black tendrils began to snake from his wrists. He was going to devour Wildfyre's unprotected spirit essence before she could reclaim her body!
     Wildfyre turned and ran, fast as she could towards a body. Only then could she fight Hunter.  She began to reach out for her true body, and the world around her seemed to slow to a crawl...
     Crystal shot up around the body. She could hear Hunter laugh behind her, as her hand stopped on the cold shimmering shell around her body. Before Hunter's tendrils could reach her, she quickly turned to her faithful robotic creation, Essence--the robot that had carried her soul for so long--and slipped once more under her synthetic skin. Hunter could not touch her now.
     Hunter's hateful visage turned into one of leering amusement. "Congratulations--back in your old robotic shell once more."
     Wildfyre snarled. "Not for long! I'll crack that crystal and be back in my rightful body before you can blink!"
     Hunter just -laughed-. "No Tarani. Crack that crystal and your body will shatter with it. No, the only way you'll -ever- get that body back is when I DIE!" And with that, he faded from the room, gone.
     Wildfyre sank to her knees. She was so close...and now, once more so far away. Hunter was immortal...she'd have to kill him to get her body back...and she didn't know how she was going to get out this sealed crypt...

     Then, the sounds of pounding and soldiers shouting to one another could be heard above. But Wildfyre was too much in shock to notice.
     The great seal over the vault opened, and light streamed into the vault. Wildfyre blinked, and looked up into blue eyes she'd not seen in a long time.
     Crocbot reached his hand down to her. He was just the way she remembered him--tall, handsome, covered in emerald and gold scales, with a silver, human-looking muzzle, shorter than that of a normal croc's, and long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a few strands hanging in front of his face.
     "Tarani?" he asked softly, his voice warm, but having a slight metallic reverberation. "What are you doing back here?"
     Wildfyre blankly took his hand as he hauled her up out of the crypt. A few dingo soldiers and echidna soldiers were moving rubble away from the entrance. One of the spoke to Crocbot offhandedly.
     "Looks like that mysterious tip we recieved about activity in the old Neotech labs was right...."
     Wildfyre merely looked up at the sky, and smiled.

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