Cass is Tariq’s child! They are non-binary! And also full of rage. Probably with reason.
(sorry Tariq :()
~
Cass panted, spear spinning to deflect the knives as they leapt to defend their brother.
There were too many of them. Already the rest of the crew was beating a retreat.
“Ivan, go,” they hissed, whacking away another nightchild.
“There’re too many of them,” he whispered back, lunging under a whip to punch one in the throat.
Cass looked around. They were surrounded – when had that happened? – and no other NightGale was in sight.
“With me, then.” They prepared to stop time for them, concentrating on the skill they weren’t good at.
The nightchildren closed in around them, and the two NightGales stood back to back as they fought on.
Cass was hit in the side, a knife getting past their defences. They stumbled, leaning on their spear. Ivan yelped, a whip cutting across his scalp.
Cass closed their eyes, trying to muster some energy.
<Is this how you will end? Beaten to death by these lowlifes, these scum?>
A blue spark flickered in their eyes.
<You cannot finish here like this>
A knife – several knives – raised around them as they slumped to the ground, exhausted.
And then Tariq appeared, deflecting the knives with his father’s sword, his sister’s knife. The nightchildren fell back under his assault, especially when he was joined by his lucario.
“Go!” He pulled his children up, pushing them after the lucario as it cleared a path for them through the fight.
Cass blinked, grabbed their brother’s hand, and used their father’s gift of speed to run. They didn’t look back as Tariq turned to the fight, defending their escape. They didn’t look back as Ivan stumbled, only tugged him on after the lucario. So they didn’t see that Tariq had already been wounded, didn’t see the blood pouring between flickering pieces of armour as he fought on, defending his family as he always had.
They only turned to look back when they were clear, when they realised that Tariq hadn’t been with them. They turned just in time to see Tariq fall, a whip around one foot and a knife in his back.
“Dad!”
The lucario grabbed them by the collar as they started to run, back towards the fight. They sagged in its grasp, holding their brother as he screamed for their father.
They were coming. The Nightchildren had finished with Tariq, and now they were coming to finish his children.
Cass stepped forward and reversed their grip on the spear in their hand. They would no longer spare their lives. “Look after my brother,” they said to the lucario as they set their feet on the ground, waiting.
When the Nightchildren reached them, Cass was ready and waiting. They stabbed and sliced, heedless of their attacks. Ivan was safe behind them, behind the lucario too as it watched for any creeping Nightchildren. He fought to control himself, fought to keep the tears and the fear at bay.
Cass fought on, light as a dancer on their feet as they brought everything to the front. The armour they wore was light, was part of them.
They couldn’t keep it up forever. They exhausted herself, and even Dialga couldn’t keep them going.
Cass dropped to their knees, spear rolling in their loose grip. They wouldn’t let it go entirely, wouldn’t let themself be killed without a weapon in their hand. Ivan moved to protect them now, punching and kicking with the ease of long practice and the swiftness only a Dialga blessed taught by lucario could manage. But he was young, and though the lucario helped, they were only two against a group. Eventually he, too stumbled and fell.
“Cass–”
“I’m sorry,” they whispered, reaching out to him. “I’m sorry.” And then they pulled his strength, his speed, into themself, and let Dialga in once more.
Like a snake, they shot out and brought one Nightchild down before they reared up, roaring, to attack and attack, again and again… they would never have stopped if Ciara hadn’t appeared, reuniclus holding onto her back, to grab the two of them and teleport away.
The lucario growled and flexed its fists, fighting on for its master, its friend, its family.
