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"Our Parents"
By Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

Adapted from the stories of Aranelion and Elianaron Brokenstar, as told to them by their mother, memories of their father, and their own personal knowledge.

Part 3: The Resolution

    Later that same night, our father’s eyes finally struggled open once more.  He was tucked into his bed, his shoulder no longer burning with pain as it was popped back into joint, and his ankle bandaged and secured holding his broken bone into place.  As he regained awareness, he remembered falling from the Master Emerald’s Altar to the ground below.  He also remembered why he fell; Aerealei was in danger, pregnant, and in need of his help…the only question now was, what happened to the letter?

   He sat up fast, cringing abruptly as the muscles and bones in his shoulder and upper arm still ached and ailed him.  As he massaged it slowly, he heard a voice.

    “No need to fear Armundae my friend, for I have the letter.  You fell outside my window, and I was the first to your aid, therefore you needn’t fear the village finding out your secret.  Only I know of it now,” the voice said.

   It was none other than the Guardian speaking to him, and as our father looked to find him, he stepped up beside the bed, the letter folded neatly in his hand and continued, “Seems you have quite a problem on your hands my friend; already her own kindred have abandoned her, and we’ve yet to take the proper steps in absorbing her into our own tribe.  What do you propose should be done about this?”

   Our father’s eyes widened in horror; he frowned and quickly snatched the letter back from the Guardian with the hand of his uninjured arm.  He growled, “Who gave you permission to read my letter?  What is happening to me is nobody’s business but my own.  This is my problem, and I have to deal with it myself.”

   Raising an eyebrow and letting out a sigh, the Guardian sat down beside him and said, “Don’t give me that attitude Armundae, for arguing with me is what got you into trouble last time, and I can only surmise that that was when the conception of this issue was carried out, am I right?  You are my Captain, and as such, I am more involved with your problems than you care to acknowledge or accept.”

   Although our father was angry, it wasn’t towards the Guardian that he extended his anger.  His glare and frown slowly melted into a look of distress on his face as he tried to hold back any tears that threatened to spring up on him.  He slammed his fist down on the bed and cried, “Oh…what am I to do?  I just can’t leave her there; I at least have to go check on her and make sure she is okay, and that she has everything she needs to be comfortable.  Until I straighten things out with the village elders, this is the best I can do for her.”  He lowered his eyes, and murmured, “Look at me; I’m a shameful Captain, and now I can’t even look after the maiden I have given my heart and future to as well as our child that now grows inside her.  I’m…I’m…inadequate.”

   As our father turned away to weep, the Guardian wrapped his arm around his shoulder, hugged him and said, “Don’t say that dear Armundae; it’s not as if you intended for things to happen this way.  You were merely following your heart and where the love it sprouted guided you, and you can’t feel shame or inadequacy for that.  You have a problem on your shoulders now, but, instead of mourning it, you must embrace your problem and take the steps to making it right.”

   The two of them looked to each other, a glimmer of hope flickering to flame in our father’s eyes after hearing the comforting words of the Guardian.  His tears dissipated and as he caught his breath, a smile limped on to his face.  Sitting erect once more, the Guardian smiled in return and said, “That’s the spirit Armundae.  Now, from what I’ve gathered Aerealei has been abandoned by her kindred.”  Pausing, he added, “Blessed are you enough by being forgiven and accepted for your faults by our brethren.  Seems Aerealei is not this fortunate.  Since we have not had ample time to talk to the village elders about bringing her into the tribe, I’m not sure if telling them she carries your child will help our case or hurt it.”

   Our father, still optimistic but worried for our mother, lowered his eyes, his smile weakened and replied, “I’m worried about her; she needs me my friend.  Somehow, someway I have to be there for her.  Even if it’s just a short departure to make sure she is alright…I can’t go on without knowing if she’s okay.”

   Both echidnas were silent for a moment, and the Guardian, after inhaling and exhaling deeply looked to our father and said, “Go to her Armundae.”  Our father quickly looked to the Guardian, his eyes threatening to spill over with tears of joy and disbelief at his words.

   The Guardian smiled, nodded and said, “She needs you Armundae.  My son is now here, and is coming along just fine.  In these few weeks you’ve given me so much time with him, more than any guardian should be blessed with.  I feel I owe you the same kindness.  Why don’t you go check on her now, and when the time comes later for your child to be born, you shall return to her again and be with your family.  In the time that passes in between, you and I shall take our concerns to the village elders and see what we can do about reuniting you with her permanently.  All shall be at peace when that time comes I believe, so until then, go Armundae…Aerealei needs you, and so does your unborn child.”

   “Are you…are you serious…?” our father asked, his words shaky.

   With a nod, a reassuring smile, and a soft laugh, the Guardian replied, “Go with my blessing my dear Armundae.”

   Only a short pause followed his words before our father, though his arm still ached with a dull pain, lunged forward and quickly snapped the Guardian up into a tight hug, an elated smile and an ecstatic laugh all that was needed to convey the sheer joy and gratitude that flooded his heart, and the Guardian knew it, smiling warmly as he hugged him back in return.

   After one more wave of gratitude and appreciation our father took off late in the night, making his way to Valordian as quickly as he could.  As the Guardian promised, he covered for our father, and at the same, began to discuss the delicate situation with the village elders, who, while he was the final decision maker in the village, would have most of the bearing on whether or not Aerealei would be accepted into the village; at the same time, however, the Guardian was sure that considering Armundae’s important ancestral line that his child would be much easier to integrate into the tribe.

   Of course, our father wasn’t worried about that as much at the time as he was about getting to our mother’s side.  However, at the same time, he knew that it was most likely that the Valordian hedgehogs would be on the look out for him and should he be discovered he could be imprisoned, or much worse, killed.  As much as our father disliked fighting, he dreaded those possibilities even further, and for that reason took both his sword, Akrenar, and his daggers, Tempest and Twilight, with him, ready to wield them in battle should the need arise.  He was amongst the best and finest of the echidna warriors, and was not to be taken lightly, and being one the Captains of the Guardian, this was a power and reputation he couldn’t afford to be without.

   It was early evening when our father arrived at the edge of Valordian Forest.  His progress was slowed with his injured ankle, and he knew now it would be a handicap should he have to battle to defend himself, so he had to take the time to be as cautious as possible.  He made his way around the edges of the forest instead of entering near the mouth of Valordian River where he normally met our mother.  From her letter he knew that she was in some shoddy dwelling well beyond the borders of the village, and thus he was hoping he could find her without stirring up attention.

   Still, it was like walking blindfolded into darkness when he entered the forest on its eastern edge, trying to find our mother.  It quickly grew dark as day gave way to a moonless night, and our father only had his extra sharp vision and hearing to see him through.  As he wandered deeper into the woods, he had to do his best to make sure he didn’t stray close to the village, having to work off memory to find his way around.  After searching for our mother for an hour or so, he began to fear that perhaps she was being guarded in anticipation he would come to her aid.

   Then again, if that were true, how could she get the letter to those wandering foxes anyway?  Our father tried to relax his nerves, but was taken by surprise when his injured foot got snagged by a large tree root, causing him to fall hard to the ground and clench his teeth shut as he let out a scream from the pain.

   He looked up slowly, reeling in pain, and sat up, rubbing his ankle as it throbbed and pulsed in aggravation.  He muttered some foul words in the echidna tongue, but was quickly silenced as he looked up.  Before him now was a small cottage, poorly built, with only a dismal little candle providing light in one of only two windows that could be seen.  Our father stood up slowly.  It looked like this loathsome place was thrown together in a rushed and careless manner; a pathetic attempt at trying to provide our mother a place to live that the hedgehogs considered a blessing and a courtesy, as opposed to throwing her in a jail cell for her sins.

   It was here that our mother had already spent a good couple of weeks, writing that letter to our father through tears and sorrow at her situation, only blessed by the fact that she was able to convince those two young fox boys to deliver the letter to him.   Now that our father had finally found her, he wasted no time scrambling to his feet and running to the door, despite the fact that his broken ankle now ached with a pain even more severe than before.

   He quickly knocked on the door, crying, “Aerealei, it is me, Armundae.  I’ve come to you,” in a bittersweet whisper.

   Our mother, forced to live in a small, one room cottage, perhaps only a little bit bigger than a jail cell, looked up at the door, already crying, but now overjoyed to hear the comforting voice of our father’s again.  As she rose from her bed, no more than a low table covered with a straw-stuffed mattress and pillow, she quickly walked to the door, opening it slowly, and murmuring, “Oh my Armundae…is it really you?”

   Once the door was fully ajar, our father stood before her, his eyes glassy, his smile warm and true but quivering with weakness and shimmering with love.  She stared at him, her own eyes still filled with tears that now spilled over, a smile still shy to grace her cheeks.  He took her hands in his own, a lone tear falling from his eyes, and whispered, “Yes, my love; I have returned…how could I not when I read of your troubles.  This is something we both share and shall face together.  I’m here for you now, so don’t be afraid.”

   After he spoke, our mother still could not smile; instead, her lips began to quiver, her eyelids pursed shut to suppress her tears, and she let out a soft cry, “Oh Armundae…,” before falling into our father’s arms, hugging him tightly as her tears consumed her, dripping onto our father’s chest and soaking up into his fur.

   He closed his eyes, inhaling a breath slowly as he tried to keep his own tears in check.  Our mother was there for him, being strong when he was weak, but now the tables were turned, and he had to return to her the same kindness, even if the situation was affecting him almost as deeply as it did her.  Exhaling slowly, he shrugged off the pain in his ankle, for that kind of pain was not enough to hold him back.  He glanced over her head and saw the bed she was forced to sleep on, and after giving a quick look over the place she was now forced to call home, his heart was sickened at what his affair with her had done to her standing in the hedgehog village.  Before, she was the most loved and admired maiden in the tribe, and now that she had given her heart to an echidna, and now carried his child, she was reduced to the title of a common criminal, and it killed him inside.

   He gathered his strength, holding back his tears and hugged our mother in return, kissing her gently and whispering, “It’s okay now…I’m right here for you.  Everything’s gonna be alright…I promise.  We’ll get through this together.”  Looking up, he cringed slightly as his ankle continued to ail him, but shaking it off once more, he picked our mother up, holding her securely in his arms, and walked her over to her less than comforting bed, sitting himself down and continuing to hold her as she let her legs stretch out on the bed beside her.

   She sniffed a few times, looking up at him, noticing him wince a little as he finally rested his foot.  She looked down and could see the bandaging work on his ankle, and she let out a gasp as she looked up at him. “Oh Armundae, you’re hurt.  Don’t tell me you ran all the way here from Angel Island on a broken ankle?”

   Our father, trying to keep her in good spirits grinned at her and said, “Well, I ran only half the way; the rest of the way consisted of a tortured and slow limp with echidna curse words filling the air.”

   “Oh Armundae, it’s not funny…you should be resting your ankle and not carrying me across the room.  You poor thing…how did it happen?” our mother asked.

   Letting out a sigh, our father replied, “If you must know, it is because I fainted and fell off the top of the Master Emerald’s Altar.  I’m quite alright Aerealei…besides, it’s not like this is too large of a room to carry you across anyway.”  He paused, the two making eye contact as he added, “I’m floored and appalled that your kindred are treating you this way.  My own brethren are more than forgiving, and one day Aerealei, I’ll take you away from here so you can see Angel Island at last.  There, you won’t have to deal with this misery…I just have to work things out first.  I simply had to come here though as soon as I got the word…”

   As our father stopped speaking, the two remained locked in each other’s gaze.  Our mother was the one to break this gaze, lowering her eyes, slowly looking to the floor and closing them.  Tears fell from her eyes once more as she whispered, “I’m so sorry Armundae.”

   “Sorry?  Whatever for?” our father asked.  He placed his hand on her shoulder as she sat up beside him.

   “This must have caused you so much trouble back home…I just, I had to tell you about this.  I’m sorry if it got you in trouble,” our mother whispered.

   Our father let out a distressed sigh, wrapping his arms around her and saying, “Aerealei…how could you think such a thing?  This is our child you’re talking about…our future.  We’re in this together, and you don’t need to apologize for it.  Even so, my kindred are hardly as angry with me as you think…it’s not nearly this extreme.”  He glanced around at the living conditions our mother was now forced to accept, and was only further rattled.  Shaking his head, he continued, “I think part of my time here for now should be spent sprucing this place up a bit.  It’s inhumane what they’re doing to you.  It shouldn’t take much to reinforce and stabilize the structure…and fixing up the interior shouldn’t be so bad.”

   He stood up and began looking over the floorboards and wall paneling.  Our mother dried up her tears, stood up and said, “Armundae?  I’m…I’m exiled to this house.  I can’t go back to the village at all…unless…”  She paused, our father looking back to her as he waited for her to speak.  “They told me…as long as I come back…alone, they’re willing to forgive me.  Though I shall be nothing more than a spinster in their eyes forever, they told me if I got rid of the baby by any means, they’ll be willing to overlook this sin.  If not, I’m on my own…as long as we both live.”

   Our father turned to our mother, a shine of disbelief in his eyes.  As he walked back up to her, he replied, “You have nothing to fear Aerealei.  For now, we’ll do our best to build up and improve this excuse for a shack so it is more comfortable.  Perhaps by the time our child does come, I’ll have worked things out with my kindred, and you won’t have to put up with this isolation anymore.  We can finally be together on Angel Island.  Don’t you worry, I’m going to take care of everything.  I’m here for you now.”

   “Oh…Armundae…,” was all our mother could manage to speak.  Our father did his best to maintain his warm and encouraging smile, and leaned forward to kiss her, bringing more comfort to her heart than any words could hope to offer.  Now our mother knew that everything would turn out alright in the end.

   After that night, our father stayed in Valordian for the next four weeks.  Over that time, his ankle healed, and so did our mother’s heart.  Since she was left in isolation, no one would ever come by, and thus our father did not have to worry about being discovered.  He got to work quickly, dismantling that lowly and slapdash excuse for a dwelling, and quickly, but with painstaking attention to detail and strength in the structure, built her up the kind of homes they had on Angel Island.  It was much larger and safer than the one from before, and even the ones the hedgehogs of her village called their best and most superior.

   At the same time, he worked on securing a warm and comfy interior for her home.  It was two rooms wide, and our father had to find some way to find a bed for her to sleep on, a basin to wash the dishes for her he also had to locate, and basically had to find all the comforts of home that she would need, and yet the wandering foxes from before would help him again.  He sent them to Angel Island with a message for the Guardian.  He pleaded for the Guardian to send him along the things she would need for her home, writing that she was almost set, and after this, he would return to his post, even though it meant leaving her again until the birth of their child only a few months later.

   The Guardian was growing to admire our mother, and as he prepared to send to our parents the finest the echidnas had to offer, he at last went to the village elders with the proposal to integrate our mother into their tribe.  It was a step that would end up saving our lives in the end, even if it doesn’t make sense at this point how it would do so.  The Guardian’s care for his friend, had already transferred to our mother, and soon us; the care and forgiveness of all the echidnas would soon be extended to us and our mother.

   Within days the echidnas had prepared and armada of volunteers to bring these supplies to our father, and once again, the wandering foxes would lend a hand.  Since they didn’t want to attract the attention of the Valordian hedgehogs, they took the supplies within a mile or so of the east border of Valordian Forest.  Then, the foxes and our father took over bringing the supplies in at a steady pace.  Once this was finished, Aerealei’s new home was now warm, cozy, filled with light, and much safer and comfortable than before, much better than even the village leader of Valordian could hope to offer, for the echidnas, were much better off than most of their contemporaries, which was part of why they were so revered and respected.

   The two parts of our mother’s home included the front room where she would prepare meals and spend most of her day, sitting in a rocking chair doing anything from knitting, to writing, to painting.  Perhaps their greatest gift to her was a simple piano, about the size of a small stand-up piano of today, which she loved to play.  She now had a couch to lie down on, a table to eat off of, and cabinets for her new dishes, a basin to wash her dishes, a rug for the floor, and oil lamps to replace that sad little candle from before.  Her house was much better than before, on the standard for living level that the echidnas lived by.

   The back room of her home was where she slept and was also where the two of us would later sleep beside her.  The bed was covered with the finest of echidna linens, a far cry from that bed of straw she was left to.  Our father had come through for her, strengthening and building up her house, and through the help and care of his kindred, he turned it into a home, which lasts her to this very day.

   There was something else that was sent along however.  Our mother was provided with the means to raise garden of flowers, as well as an orchard of fruits and vegetables around the back and sides of the house.  Now she had fresh fruit and vegetables to eat, as well as rations of food and water the echidnas sent along as well.

   Our mother was overwhelmed by the response from the echidnas, and after a month’s stay, our father was ready to go back to Angel Island for awhile.  Before he left, our mother told him, “You…you be sure to let every last one of them know, how indebted I am to their kindness and generosity.  I pray that each and everyone one of you are blessed for your charity; you were there for me when my own kindred had turned their backs on me, abandoning me to die just for following my heart and where this love chose to lead me.”

   Our father responded with a smile and a kiss.  Pulling back he said, “I’ll be sure to do that Aerealei, for I have to do some thanking as well.  This was all the work of my friend the Guardian I’m sure.”  He paused, looking northward and said, “Don’t you worry; I’m going to work things out…I’ll take care of everything…and when the time comes,” he started looking towards her slowly growing belly, then looking back up to her eyes, “I’ll be here for you both again.”

   Their exchange of smiles, and a warm giggle from our mother lead up to that final goodbye kiss.  As they withdrew, our mother replied, “I know…you have from the very beginning after all…I trust you, and this love, with all my heart.  …I love you Armundae.”

   “And I love you, my dear Aerealei.  You…you hang in there until the time comes alright?  I promise you I’ll be here when you need me,” our father answered, patting her hand gently.

   “I will,” our mother replied.  They hugged each other once more, and with that, our father returned to Angel Island, where he would stay until the time came for our birth, for you see, the hedgehogs had segregated our mother from their tribe, and this meant she was condemned to give birth to us on her own.  It was going to be a scary time for both her and our father, and yet he had work to do before then.  It comforted him with the knowledge that our mother was living comfortably and safely until then.

   When our father got back to Angel Island, he could tell right away how much the Guardian had done in his absence.  The village elders were ready to speak to him about the situation with Aerealei, and the child they were expecting, and unlike the hedgehogs, the echidnas, as was said before, were forgiving and understanding of Armundae, and like him, were ready to take the steps towards making things right.

   Over the next couple of months, our father, along with the help of the Guardian, talked things out with the village elders, and asked their kindred what they thought of bringing our mother into their tribe.  True to the echidnas’ nature, they were both ready and willing to help our father and mother any way they could.  Because of this, and the approval of the Guardian, by the time all was said and done, the echidnas of Angel Island, were ready to bring our mother, as well as us, into their own with open arms.

   With everything going so well those last few months were much easier to pass.  Our mother would write to our father every week or so, with the friends she made, the wandering fox brothers, delivering her letters for her.  She would tell him how she was doing, and how their ‘child’ was growing inside of her.  At the time, they had no way of knowing they had twins coming along, and infact, it wasn’t until near the very end of her pregnancy that she could even begin to guess such a situation had come to her.

   In one of the last letters she wrote to our father before we were born, she said, “It’s so strange my love, for sometimes I feel as though those little kicks repeat themselves almost abruptly.  It is as if it is taking its little feet and kicking me in rapid succession, one after the other, and yet, a third kick will occur soon after far from where the two kicks land.  It’s so strange Armundae.  Sometimes I feel as if it has sprouted a third leg to kick with, or perhaps balls up its little fist in an attempt to get a reaction from me, almost as if it is reaching for my hand with its own.”

   Heaven bless our mother; only later would she discover it was actually the two of us both taking a kick at her, of course, the way she described it was much more heartwarming.  She missed our father, and she let him know in that letter that the next one she wrote would probably be quite short, asking for him to come to her side as quickly as he could.

   The night our father was reading that letter, he was on guard for the Guardian.  The Guardian’s son, and our future friend and comrade, Hinsei Hidama, was a little over two months old at this point, and our father had done his best to make sure the Guardian was able to spend plenty of time with the young guardian prince, not just in return for all the time he was given with Aerealei, but in preparation of time he was going to spend with her in the weeks to come.

   Reading the letters from our mother comforted him, especially when he couldn’t be there for her as his child grew inside of her.  He smiled weakly, but warmly, able to close his eyes and picture her in his mind, even when she was miles away from his sight.  He knew the day was coming soon, and come the middle of August, it arrived.

   That final letter was rushed to Angel Island, arriving there on a night much like the one just described.  Our father was on the guard, trying to relax as best he could, when one of the fox brothers, who now traveled freely between Valordian and Angel Island, bounded half way up the steps to the Altar with the letter in hand.  Our father, being a Captain knew that only the Guardian and the two captains were allowed on the Altar unless it was a special situation, so he quickly rose, meeting the fox brother near the top step.

   “Don’t go any higher son,” he said.  Taking the letter, he opened it and said, “You seem worried, is Aerealei alright?”

   The fox brother was silent, but looked up to our father and said, “Just read the letter Sir Armundae; my brother is staying with her until you arrive.”

   When he said this, our father didn’t even need to read the letter.  Still, he opened it, skimming over it quickly, then looking to the fox brother with a slight look of dread, but mostly a look of happiness just waiting to break free.  He folded up the letter and said, “Go, quickly, and tell the Guardian I need to speak with him.”

   Shortly after this, the Guardian arrived at Armundae’s home.  The other Captain had already taken over his post, and our father, while he waited for the Guardian, put his cape on, as well as his belt that held his sheaths for Akrenar and Tempest and Twilight.  He was ready to leave, but before he could turn to leave, he was face to face with the Guardian.

   “So, the time has come my friend.  Go with my blessing; I shall be thinking of you both.  Just make sure your stay is not too long alright?” the Guardian said.

   Our father nodded, and without another word between them, our father took off for Valordian, speeding into the night with all the strength he could muster.

   It took him a little less than a day and a half to arrive in Valordian, and he was pretty exhausted when he did so.  Once he got to our mother’s home, he fell to his knees, desperate for an unstrained breath and a drink of water.  Our mother came to his aid.  She stepped outside of her home, heavily pregnant, but managed to stoop low enough to help our father to his feet.  She helped him inside the house, getting him a drink of water, allowing him to rest until he recovered his strength.

   The evening before we were born, our father and mother were doing their best to soothe over their nerves by talking.  Our father felt bad for not being there for her, but she did her best to cheer him up, while at the same time, she was overwhelmed with fear at what was to come that night.

   As it got dark, the two of them were on the verge of falling asleep, but were still fighting off their fatigue as they talked.  Nearing the end of the conversation, our mother finally spoke to our father of her growing suspicions at what was really going on inside her womb.

   “I’m just sorry I couldn’t be there for you the whole time Aerealei.  At least after this you can spend time with me on Angel Island.  Things will be better then,” our father said.

   Our mother let out a laugh and a yawn and said, “That’s true Armundae…but don’t worry, I’ve been alright by myself…and the fox children have been a big help with the gardens and all.”  She paused, and then said, “Umm, I just…want to warn you Armundae…I can’t be sure without the opinion of a physician, but, I think I know why the little kicks I’ve felt have just…felt different.  I—I think I’m carrying twins inside me now…I just, thought I’d share that with you.  I just remember how it was for another mother in the village before this happened…her pregnancy with her twins just reminds me a lot of my own.”

   As she stopped speaking, rubbing her belly gently, our father was silent, unable to speak until she looked to him for a response.  He smiled, letting out a sigh and replied, “Well, I might wanna get more water then don’t you think so?”

   He did his best to comfort her, and after awhile they were both able to drift into a light sleep, but not for long, for soon our mother went into labor, and neither of them could sleep then.  It was pretty scary for them both; they were alone in this, when everyone else around them had the help of a local physician.  Our father never mentioned why he didn’t ask one of the doctors on Angel Island to come with him, or why he didn’t try to bring mother there ahead of time, but even so, they both made it through okay, and so did we.

   On the night of August 15th the two of us were born.  Our mother was right, for she did, of course, give birth to twins that night, Aranelion was born first, and Elianaron was born after that.  After it was all over and all four of us were trying to get rest, our father and mother were talking still mulling over what to name us.

   Our mother may have been tired, but as she held Aranelion and our father held Elianaron, she was able to smile and say, “Hmm, so, that explains that third little kick I felt…aren’t they precious Armundae?”

   With a grin, our father replied, “They are both precious and nameless my dear.  This is something we’ve never discussed, let alone before we knew we were having twins.  What should we do about this?”

   “I seem to recall one night we spent together…I told you our names sounded like we were brother and sister because they began the same and had all the vowels and everything.  I know you said it kind of annoyed you when parents named their children alike, but maybe we can try something with our little ones,” our mother said.

   Our father laughed softly, Elianaron squirming around in his arms as he slept, and replied, “As long as it is tastefully done Aerealei.  I won’t stand having their names sound alike if they’re going to sound silly.  I say we combine the tongues of both our kindred into their names…names that will have simple nicknames, but will also reflect the richness of their heritage…they are the sons of a long line of Captains of the Guardian after all.”

   As Aranelion held on to our mother’s finger tightly and letting out a squeak of a yawn, she let out a giggle and said, “I agree.  Shouldn’t be too difficult I think.”

   It only took our parents a little under a day to finally name us; they never told us which one of us they named first, but held on to the story that they came up with our names at the same time, but when they were finally done and we were given our names, our father was satisfied, for our names sounded somewhat alike and were made of the same letters, but also sounded elegant and not humorous, and we also had simple nicknames, Air, for Aranelion, and Ell, for Elianaron.

   Our father spent a good month with us before he returned to Angel Island, only this time, he took us and our mother with him.  It was our mother’s first trip outside Valordian, and when they arrived on Angel Island, it was a pretty tender scene.  She was unsure at first how she was going to be treated, but was amazed to see the echidnas treat her as if she was one of their own.  We weren’t treated like the hybrid echidnas we were, but were talked about and adored like the newest addition to any echidna family.  It was a major turnaround from the hedgehogs of Valordian.

   Finally, our mother met the village elders, and while Hidama’s mother looked after the three of us, the Guardian and our father accompanied her in a meeting with them.  Of course, after all was said and done she was offered membership into the echidna tribe, and so were we, which she accepted, but at the same time, she told our father she still wanted to live in her home in the edge of Valordian Forest.  She told him she didn’t want to start a civil war should the hedgehogs find out she had come to live on Angel Island, but she would stay here with our father occasionally, and we were finally a family.

   A month or so after we were born, our mother and father were married in the traditional echidna style.  Things couldn’t be better after this, and while our mother would still take us to live in our home for a few weeks while she tended her gardens, we spent most of our time with our father.  Everything was finally working out for them and their love only continued to flourish as we grew.

   Unfortunately, the final, deadly thorn on the rose of their love was about to strike, and true to its nature, it would strike a terrible, and woeful blow.

   As we grew up, we became close friends with Hinsei Hidama, the son of the Guardian, and were friendly with the other echidna children too.  It was here that we found the most acceptance in our life, and things couldn’t be better.  Hidama was our best buddy, and it was like we were no different from the rest of them.  The echidnas will forever be the master race in our minds for their kindness and love, which is why we vowed to avenge them, after what happened to this noble race, one dark night in the fall of our seventh year.

   Of course, before then, our father began to train us to use his weapons, Aranelion was given Akrenar, and Elianaron was given his daggers, Tempest and Twilight.  It was only for sport, but he enjoyed passing his knowledge along to us.  When we were two years old, the Guardian welcome his second son Knuckles into the family.  The three families, ours, the Guardian’s, and the other Captain’s, had grown close, but it was the bond we shared with Hidama and Knuckles that would hold out the longest, when all hope became lost to a bleak future.

   Shortly after Hidama came up with our last name “Brokenstar” our mother took us back to Valordian for the fall harvest.  It would be the last time we saw our father again, for one night during our leave, Angel Island was attacked by a rogue band of mutant echidnas and hedgehogs, slaughtering the entire clan, save Hidama, who was captured, and little Knuckles, who barely escaped with his life.

   We were told of the massacre by the fox brothers, who were the first to see Angel Island perched on the edge of a cliff after falling from the sky, the Master Emerald fallen out of power now that the Guardian was dead.  They told us that our father was most likely dead with the rest of his tribe.  Our mother was devastated; our father was the love of her life…her strength, and while the two of us began to mourn, we decided that we would travel to Angel Island to find his body so he could be buried near our mother.  At the same time, we were just thankful that the three of us were spared, even while we felt guilty for it, seeing the ones we loved dead around us.

   On Angel Island we were surrounded by the bloody corpses of our friends; it killed us inside.  Everyone we knew was dead, decapitated, or missing entirely, including our friend Hidama, who we could never find, as well as Knuckles. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that Knuckles was safe, hiding in a bush, and our friend Hidama was taken prisoner by his attackers.  We gave them up for dead, and finally found the body of our father.

   He was propped up beside the Master Emerald, and we know now that he died of his injuries sustained in battle.  His vow to protect the Guardian to the death was fulfilled, for he died defending the Guardian’s body from being decapitated and maimed further, for his arm was chopped off at the shoulder.

   Our father scrawled out a quick note for us and our mother; he left us his weapons, giving Aranelion his sword Akrenar, and Elianaron his daggers Tempest and Twilight.  We never read his note to our mother, but we know it was just another testament to how deeply he loved and cared about her, a love so great it was able to bond two races together, even if all of the Valordian hedgehogs were unwilling to come along for the journey.

   We took our father’s body and weapons back to Valordian, leaving Angel Island behind for what we thought was forever.  He was buried in a corner of our mother’s garden, and was right near us in the years to follow.  We never forgot the echidnas and mourned them in the years to follow, taking our last name as Brokenstar in memory of Hidama, wearing bandages on our tails in memory of the echidnas, and vowing not to take them off until their deaths were avenged.  And so we started to train harder with our father’s weapons, vowing to slaughter every last one of the mutants who destroyed our once happy lives, and the lives of so many innocent victims in the process.

   As we grew up, the Valordian hedgehogs became increasingly wary of us, and began to threaten our mother again after awhile.  It scared us, and when we turned twelve we decided to leave Valordian and travel, looking for the mutants that killed our father’s race, as well as trying to find the acceptance we lost when they died.  Our mother was against it, but once we left, the hedgehogs left her alone, and eventually were able to forgive her and let her come among them again.  It goes to show they weren’t all bad, for they were able to accept us too once we got older.  Old wounds were healed, and once we rescued Hidama and defeated the mutants, all the old hurts were soothed away.  Finally, we found acceptance, from both humans, hedgehogs, and all our peers.

   The love our father and mother shared, not only led to our birth, but set the example of how pure and unconditional love should be.  Our father and mother loved each other for who they were, not for how they looked, or what race they were.  As the years after they first met in Valordian passed, we’ve seen many “hybrid” couples rise before us; Knuckles gave his heart to the hedgehog Amy Rose, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat formed a lasting bond, Sonic the super speedy hedgehog met and married Blaze the Cat, Hidama fell in love with Delilah Lynn the Hedgehog, even the two of us formed relationships with ‘non-hybrids’ and later our children would do the same.

   We always and forever will consider our parents the forerunners of love between different races.  They were the first to break free of the accepted tradition of falling in love and marrying within one’s race, introducing a new wave a hybrid children into the world.  Our parents had a bond stronger than any of their day, and it was able to see them through any obstacle they encountered.  Even when our father died they remained bonded, and when they’re together again their sweet and precious love will be there for them in the after life.

   So, to our mom and dad, we say, thank you for giving us life, for loving us with all your hearts, and for loving each other so strongly no matter what stood against you.  Thank you for showing the world that true love can come in any form and transcend any differences or iniquities.  Thank you for showing the world your strong and precious love, and building an example so many others live by today.  And most of all, remember, that we love you both so much, because you are our parents, and the best the world will ever live to see or remember, at least until they see you together again in Heaven.

   Love,
             Aranelion and Elianaron Brokenstar

Description
"Our Parents"
By Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

Adapted from the stories of Aranelion and Elianaron Brokenstar, as told to them by their mother, memories of their father, and their own personal knowledge.

Part 3: The Resolution

    Later that same night, our father’s eyes finally struggled open once more.  He was tucked into his bed, his shoulder no longer burning with pain as it was popped back into joint, and his ankle bandaged and secured holding his broken bone into place.  As he regained awareness, he remembered falling from the Master Emerald’s Altar to the ground below.  He also remembered why he fell; Aerealei was in danger, pregnant, and in need of his help…the only question now was, what happened to the letter?

   He sat up fast, cringing abruptly as the muscles and bones in his shoulder and upper arm still ached and ailed him.  As he massaged it slowly, he heard a voice.

    “No need to fear Armundae my friend, for I have the letter.  You fell outside my window, and I was the first to your aid, therefore you needn’t fear the village finding out your secret.  Only I know of it now,” the voice said.

   It was none other than the Guardian speaking to him, and as our father looked to find him, he stepped up beside the bed, the letter folded neatly in his hand and continued, “Seems you have quite a problem on your hands my friend; already her own kindred have abandoned her, and we’ve yet to take the proper steps in absorbing her into our own tribe.  What do you propose should be done about this?”

   Our father’s eyes widened in horror; he frowned and quickly snatched the letter back from the Guardian with the hand of his uninjured arm.  He growled, “Who gave you permission to read my letter?  What is happening to me is nobody’s business but my own.  This is my problem, and I have to deal with it myself.”

   Raising an eyebrow and letting out a sigh, the Guardian sat down beside him and said, “Don’t give me that attitude Armundae, for arguing with me is what got you into trouble last time, and I can only surmise that that was when the conception of this issue was carried out, am I right?  You are my Captain, and as such, I am more involved with your problems than you care to acknowledge or accept.”

   Although our father was angry, it wasn’t towards the Guardian that he extended his anger.  His glare and frown slowly melted into a look of distress on his face as he tried to hold back any tears that threatened to spring up on him.  He slammed his fist down on the bed and cried, “Oh…what am I to do?  I just can’t leave her there; I at least have to go check on her and make sure she is okay, and that she has everything she needs to be comfortable.  Until I straighten things out with the village elders, this is the best I can do for her.”  He lowered his eyes, and murmured, “Look at me; I’m a shameful Captain, and now I can’t even look after the maiden I have given my heart and future to as well as our child that now grows inside her.  I’m…I’m…inadequate.”

   As our father turned away to weep, the Guardian wrapped his arm around his shoulder, hugged him and said, “Don’t say that dear Armundae; it’s not as if you intended for things to happen this way.  You were merely following your heart and where the love it sprouted guided you, and you can’t feel shame or inadequacy for that.  You have a problem on your shoulders now, but, instead of mourning it, you must embrace your problem and take the steps to making it right.”

   The two of them looked to each other, a glimmer of hope flickering to flame in our father’s eyes after hearing the comforting words of the Guardian.  His tears dissipated and as he caught his breath, a smile limped on to his face.  Sitting erect once more, the Guardian smiled in return and said, “That’s the spirit Armundae.  Now, from what I’ve gathered Aerealei has been abandoned by her kindred.”  Pausing, he added, “Blessed are you enough by being forgiven and accepted for your faults by our brethren.  Seems Aerealei is not this fortunate.  Since we have not had ample time to talk to the village elders about bringing her into the tribe, I’m not sure if telling them she carries your child will help our case or hurt it.”

   Our father, still optimistic but worried for our mother, lowered his eyes, his smile weakened and replied, “I’m worried about her; she needs me my friend.  Somehow, someway I have to be there for her.  Even if it’s just a short departure to make sure she is alright…I can’t go on without knowing if she’s okay.”

   Both echidnas were silent for a moment, and the Guardian, after inhaling and exhaling deeply looked to our father and said, “Go to her Armundae.”  Our father quickly looked to the Guardian, his eyes threatening to spill over with tears of joy and disbelief at his words.

   The Guardian smiled, nodded and said, “She needs you Armundae.  My son is now here, and is coming along just fine.  In these few weeks you’ve given me so much time with him, more than any guardian should be blessed with.  I feel I owe you the same kindness.  Why don’t you go check on her now, and when the time comes later for your child to be born, you shall return to her again and be with your family.  In the time that passes in between, you and I shall take our concerns to the village elders and see what we can do about reuniting you with her permanently.  All shall be at peace when that time comes I believe, so until then, go Armundae…Aerealei needs you, and so does your unborn child.”

   “Are you…are you serious…?” our father asked, his words shaky.

   With a nod, a reassuring smile, and a soft laugh, the Guardian replied, “Go with my blessing my dear Armundae.”

   Only a short pause followed his words before our father, though his arm still ached with a dull pain, lunged forward and quickly snapped the Guardian up into a tight hug, an elated smile and an ecstatic laugh all that was needed to convey the sheer joy and gratitude that flooded his heart, and the Guardian knew it, smiling warmly as he hugged him back in return.

   After one more wave of gratitude and appreciation our father took off late in the night, making his way to Valordian as quickly as he could.  As the Guardian promised, he covered for our father, and at the same, began to discuss the delicate situation with the village elders, who, while he was the final decision maker in the village, would have most of the bearing on whether or not Aerealei would be accepted into the village; at the same time, however, the Guardian was sure that considering Armundae’s important ancestral line that his child would be much easier to integrate into the tribe.

   Of course, our father wasn’t worried about that as much at the time as he was about getting to our mother’s side.  However, at the same time, he knew that it was most likely that the Valordian hedgehogs would be on the look out for him and should he be discovered he could be imprisoned, or much worse, killed.  As much as our father disliked fighting, he dreaded those possibilities even further, and for that reason took both his sword, Akrenar, and his daggers, Tempest and Twilight, with him, ready to wield them in battle should the need arise.  He was amongst the best and finest of the echidna warriors, and was not to be taken lightly, and being one the Captains of the Guardian, this was a power and reputation he couldn’t afford to be without.

   It was early evening when our father arrived at the edge of Valordian Forest.  His progress was slowed with his injured ankle, and he knew now it would be a handicap should he have to battle to defend himself, so he had to take the time to be as cautious as possible.  He made his way around the edges of the forest instead of entering near the mouth of Valordian River where he normally met our mother.  From her letter he knew that she was in some shoddy dwelling well beyond the borders of the village, and thus he was hoping he could find her without stirring up attention.

   Still, it was like walking blindfolded into darkness when he entered the forest on its eastern edge, trying to find our mother.  It quickly grew dark as day gave way to a moonless night, and our father only had his extra sharp vision and hearing to see him through.  As he wandered deeper into the woods, he had to do his best to make sure he didn’t stray close to the village, having to work off memory to find his way around.  After searching for our mother for an hour or so, he began to fear that perhaps she was being guarded in anticipation he would come to her aid.

   Then again, if that were true, how could she get the letter to those wandering foxes anyway?  Our father tried to relax his nerves, but was taken by surprise when his injured foot got snagged by a large tree root, causing him to fall hard to the ground and clench his teeth shut as he let out a scream from the pain.

   He looked up slowly, reeling in pain, and sat up, rubbing his ankle as it throbbed and pulsed in aggravation.  He muttered some foul words in the echidna tongue, but was quickly silenced as he looked up.  Before him now was a small cottage, poorly built, with only a dismal little candle providing light in one of only two windows that could be seen.  Our father stood up slowly.  It looked like this loathsome place was thrown together in a rushed and careless manner; a pathetic attempt at trying to provide our mother a place to live that the hedgehogs considered a blessing and a courtesy, as opposed to throwing her in a jail cell for her sins.

   It was here that our mother had already spent a good couple of weeks, writing that letter to our father through tears and sorrow at her situation, only blessed by the fact that she was able to convince those two young fox boys to deliver the letter to him.   Now that our father had finally found her, he wasted no time scrambling to his feet and running to the door, despite the fact that his broken ankle now ached with a pain even more severe than before.

   He quickly knocked on the door, crying, “Aerealei, it is me, Armundae.  I’ve come to you,” in a bittersweet whisper.

   Our mother, forced to live in a small, one room cottage, perhaps only a little bit bigger than a jail cell, looked up at the door, already crying, but now overjoyed to hear the comforting voice of our father’s again.  As she rose from her bed, no more than a low table covered with a straw-stuffed mattress and pillow, she quickly walked to the door, opening it slowly, and murmuring, “Oh my Armundae…is it really you?”

   Once the door was fully ajar, our father stood before her, his eyes glassy, his smile warm and true but quivering with weakness and shimmering with love.  She stared at him, her own eyes still filled with tears that now spilled over, a smile still shy to grace her cheeks.  He took her hands in his own, a lone tear falling from his eyes, and whispered, “Yes, my love; I have returned…how could I not when I read of your troubles.  This is something we both share and shall face together.  I’m here for you now, so don’t be afraid.”

   After he spoke, our mother still could not smile; instead, her lips began to quiver, her eyelids pursed shut to suppress her tears, and she let out a soft cry, “Oh Armundae…,” before falling into our father’s arms, hugging him tightly as her tears consumed her, dripping onto our father’s chest and soaking up into his fur.

   He closed his eyes, inhaling a breath slowly as he tried to keep his own tears in check.  Our mother was there for him, being strong when he was weak, but now the tables were turned, and he had to return to her the same kindness, even if the situation was affecting him almost as deeply as it did her.  Exhaling slowly, he shrugged off the pain in his ankle, for that kind of pain was not enough to hold him back.  He glanced over her head and saw the bed she was forced to sleep on, and after giving a quick look over the place she was now forced to call home, his heart was sickened at what his affair with her had done to her standing in the hedgehog village.  Before, she was the most loved and admired maiden in the tribe, and now that she had given her heart to an echidna, and now carried his child, she was reduced to the title of a common criminal, and it killed him inside.

   He gathered his strength, holding back his tears and hugged our mother in return, kissing her gently and whispering, “It’s okay now…I’m right here for you.  Everything’s gonna be alright…I promise.  We’ll get through this together.”  Looking up, he cringed slightly as his ankle continued to ail him, but shaking it off once more, he picked our mother up, holding her securely in his arms, and walked her over to her less than comforting bed, sitting himself down and continuing to hold her as she let her legs stretch out on the bed beside her.

   She sniffed a few times, looking up at him, noticing him wince a little as he finally rested his foot.  She looked down and could see the bandaging work on his ankle, and she let out a gasp as she looked up at him. “Oh Armundae, you’re hurt.  Don’t tell me you ran all the way here from Angel Island on a broken ankle?”

   Our father, trying to keep her in good spirits grinned at her and said, “Well, I ran only half the way; the rest of the way consisted of a tortured and slow limp with echidna curse words filling the air.”

   “Oh Armundae, it’s not funny…you should be resting your ankle and not carrying me across the room.  You poor thing…how did it happen?” our mother asked.

   Letting out a sigh, our father replied, “If you must know, it is because I fainted and fell off the top of the Master Emerald’s Altar.  I’m quite alright Aerealei…besides, it’s not like this is too large of a room to carry you across anyway.”  He paused, the two making eye contact as he added, “I’m floored and appalled that your kindred are treating you this way.  My own brethren are more than forgiving, and one day Aerealei, I’ll take you away from here so you can see Angel Island at last.  There, you won’t have to deal with this misery…I just have to work things out first.  I simply had to come here though as soon as I got the word…”

   As our father stopped speaking, the two remained locked in each other’s gaze.  Our mother was the one to break this gaze, lowering her eyes, slowly looking to the floor and closing them.  Tears fell from her eyes once more as she whispered, “I’m so sorry Armundae.”

   “Sorry?  Whatever for?” our father asked.  He placed his hand on her shoulder as she sat up beside him.

   “This must have caused you so much trouble back home…I just, I had to tell you about this.  I’m sorry if it got you in trouble,” our mother whispered.

   Our father let out a distressed sigh, wrapping his arms around her and saying, “Aerealei…how could you think such a thing?  This is our child you’re talking about…our future.  We’re in this together, and you don’t need to apologize for it.  Even so, my kindred are hardly as angry with me as you think…it’s not nearly this extreme.”  He glanced around at the living conditions our mother was now forced to accept, and was only further rattled.  Shaking his head, he continued, “I think part of my time here for now should be spent sprucing this place up a bit.  It’s inhumane what they’re doing to you.  It shouldn’t take much to reinforce and stabilize the structure…and fixing up the interior shouldn’t be so bad.”

   He stood up and began looking over the floorboards and wall paneling.  Our mother dried up her tears, stood up and said, “Armundae?  I’m…I’m exiled to this house.  I can’t go back to the village at all…unless…”  She paused, our father looking back to her as he waited for her to speak.  “They told me…as long as I come back…alone, they’re willing to forgive me.  Though I shall be nothing more than a spinster in their eyes forever, they told me if I got rid of the baby by any means, they’ll be willing to overlook this sin.  If not, I’m on my own…as long as we both live.”

   Our father turned to our mother, a shine of disbelief in his eyes.  As he walked back up to her, he replied, “You have nothing to fear Aerealei.  For now, we’ll do our best to build up and improve this excuse for a shack so it is more comfortable.  Perhaps by the time our child does come, I’ll have worked things out with my kindred, and you won’t have to put up with this isolation anymore.  We can finally be together on Angel Island.  Don’t you worry, I’m going to take care of everything.  I’m here for you now.”

   “Oh…Armundae…,” was all our mother could manage to speak.  Our father did his best to maintain his warm and encouraging smile, and leaned forward to kiss her, bringing more comfort to her heart than any words could hope to offer.  Now our mother knew that everything would turn out alright in the end.

   After that night, our father stayed in Valordian for the next four weeks.  Over that time, his ankle healed, and so did our mother’s heart.  Since she was left in isolation, no one would ever come by, and thus our father did not have to worry about being discovered.  He got to work quickly, dismantling that lowly and slapdash excuse for a dwelling, and quickly, but with painstaking attention to detail and strength in the structure, built her up the kind of homes they had on Angel Island.  It was much larger and safer than the one from before, and even the ones the hedgehogs of her village called their best and most superior.

   At the same time, he worked on securing a warm and comfy interior for her home.  It was two rooms wide, and our father had to find some way to find a bed for her to sleep on, a basin to wash the dishes for her he also had to locate, and basically had to find all the comforts of home that she would need, and yet the wandering foxes from before would help him again.  He sent them to Angel Island with a message for the Guardian.  He pleaded for the Guardian to send him along the things she would need for her home, writing that she was almost set, and after this, he would return to his post, even though it meant leaving her again until the birth of their child only a few months later.

   The Guardian was growing to admire our mother, and as he prepared to send to our parents the finest the echidnas had to offer, he at last went to the village elders with the proposal to integrate our mother into their tribe.  It was a step that would end up saving our lives in the end, even if it doesn’t make sense at this point how it would do so.  The Guardian’s care for his friend, had already transferred to our mother, and soon us; the care and forgiveness of all the echidnas would soon be extended to us and our mother.

   Within days the echidnas had prepared and armada of volunteers to bring these supplies to our father, and once again, the wandering foxes would lend a hand.  Since they didn’t want to attract the attention of the Valordian hedgehogs, they took the supplies within a mile or so of the east border of Valordian Forest.  Then, the foxes and our father took over bringing the supplies in at a steady pace.  Once this was finished, Aerealei’s new home was now warm, cozy, filled with light, and much safer and comfortable than before, much better than even the village leader of Valordian could hope to offer, for the echidnas, were much better off than most of their contemporaries, which was part of why they were so revered and respected.

   The two parts of our mother’s home included the front room where she would prepare meals and spend most of her day, sitting in a rocking chair doing anything from knitting, to writing, to painting.  Perhaps their greatest gift to her was a simple piano, about the size of a small stand-up piano of today, which she loved to play.  She now had a couch to lie down on, a table to eat off of, and cabinets for her new dishes, a basin to wash her dishes, a rug for the floor, and oil lamps to replace that sad little candle from before.  Her house was much better than before, on the standard for living level that the echidnas lived by.

   The back room of her home was where she slept and was also where the two of us would later sleep beside her.  The bed was covered with the finest of echidna linens, a far cry from that bed of straw she was left to.  Our father had come through for her, strengthening and building up her house, and through the help and care of his kindred, he turned it into a home, which lasts her to this very day.

   There was something else that was sent along however.  Our mother was provided with the means to raise garden of flowers, as well as an orchard of fruits and vegetables around the back and sides of the house.  Now she had fresh fruit and vegetables to eat, as well as rations of food and water the echidnas sent along as well.

   Our mother was overwhelmed by the response from the echidnas, and after a month’s stay, our father was ready to go back to Angel Island for awhile.  Before he left, our mother told him, “You…you be sure to let every last one of them know, how indebted I am to their kindness and generosity.  I pray that each and everyone one of you are blessed for your charity; you were there for me when my own kindred had turned their backs on me, abandoning me to die just for following my heart and where this love chose to lead me.”

   Our father responded with a smile and a kiss.  Pulling back he said, “I’ll be sure to do that Aerealei, for I have to do some thanking as well.  This was all the work of my friend the Guardian I’m sure.”  He paused, looking northward and said, “Don’t you worry; I’m going to work things out…I’ll take care of everything…and when the time comes,” he started looking towards her slowly growing belly, then looking back up to her eyes, “I’ll be here for you both again.”

   Their exchange of smiles, and a warm giggle from our mother lead up to that final goodbye kiss.  As they withdrew, our mother replied, “I know…you have from the very beginning after all…I trust you, and this love, with all my heart.  …I love you Armundae.”

   “And I love you, my dear Aerealei.  You…you hang in there until the time comes alright?  I promise you I’ll be here when you need me,” our father answered, patting her hand gently.

   “I will,” our mother replied.  They hugged each other once more, and with that, our father returned to Angel Island, where he would stay until the time came for our birth, for you see, the hedgehogs had segregated our mother from their tribe, and this meant she was condemned to give birth to us on her own.  It was going to be a scary time for both her and our father, and yet he had work to do before then.  It comforted him with the knowledge that our mother was living comfortably and safely until then.

   When our father got back to Angel Island, he could tell right away how much the Guardian had done in his absence.  The village elders were ready to speak to him about the situation with Aerealei, and the child they were expecting, and unlike the hedgehogs, the echidnas, as was said before, were forgiving and understanding of Armundae, and like him, were ready to take the steps towards making things right.

   Over the next couple of months, our father, along with the help of the Guardian, talked things out with the village elders, and asked their kindred what they thought of bringing our mother into their tribe.  True to the echidnas’ nature, they were both ready and willing to help our father and mother any way they could.  Because of this, and the approval of the Guardian, by the time all was said and done, the echidnas of Angel Island, were ready to bring our mother, as well as us, into their own with open arms.

   With everything going so well those last few months were much easier to pass.  Our mother would write to our father every week or so, with the friends she made, the wandering fox brothers, delivering her letters for her.  She would tell him how she was doing, and how their ‘child’ was growing inside of her.  At the time, they had no way of knowing they had twins coming along, and infact, it wasn’t until near the very end of her pregnancy that she could even begin to guess such a situation had come to her.

   In one of the last letters she wrote to our father before we were born, she said, “It’s so strange my love, for sometimes I feel as though those little kicks repeat themselves almost abruptly.  It is as if it is taking its little feet and kicking me in rapid succession, one after the other, and yet, a third kick will occur soon after far from where the two kicks land.  It’s so strange Armundae.  Sometimes I feel as if it has sprouted a third leg to kick with, or perhaps balls up its little fist in an attempt to get a reaction from me, almost as if it is reaching for my hand with its own.”

   Heaven bless our mother; only later would she discover it was actually the two of us both taking a kick at her, of course, the way she described it was much more heartwarming.  She missed our father, and she let him know in that letter that the next one she wrote would probably be quite short, asking for him to come to her side as quickly as he could.

   The night our father was reading that letter, he was on guard for the Guardian.  The Guardian’s son, and our future friend and comrade, Hinsei Hidama, was a little over two months old at this point, and our father had done his best to make sure the Guardian was able to spend plenty of time with the young guardian prince, not just in return for all the time he was given with Aerealei, but in preparation of time he was going to spend with her in the weeks to come.

   Reading the letters from our mother comforted him, especially when he couldn’t be there for her as his child grew inside of her.  He smiled weakly, but warmly, able to close his eyes and picture her in his mind, even when she was miles away from his sight.  He knew the day was coming soon, and come the middle of August, it arrived.

   That final letter was rushed to Angel Island, arriving there on a night much like the one just described.  Our father was on the guard, trying to relax as best he could, when one of the fox brothers, who now traveled freely between Valordian and Angel Island, bounded half way up the steps to the Altar with the letter in hand.  Our father, being a Captain knew that only the Guardian and the two captains were allowed on the Altar unless it was a special situation, so he quickly rose, meeting the fox brother near the top step.

   “Don’t go any higher son,” he said.  Taking the letter, he opened it and said, “You seem worried, is Aerealei alright?”

   The fox brother was silent, but looked up to our father and said, “Just read the letter Sir Armundae; my brother is staying with her until you arrive.”

   When he said this, our father didn’t even need to read the letter.  Still, he opened it, skimming over it quickly, then looking to the fox brother with a slight look of dread, but mostly a look of happiness just waiting to break free.  He folded up the letter and said, “Go, quickly, and tell the Guardian I need to speak with him.”

   Shortly after this, the Guardian arrived at Armundae’s home.  The other Captain had already taken over his post, and our father, while he waited for the Guardian, put his cape on, as well as his belt that held his sheaths for Akrenar and Tempest and Twilight.  He was ready to leave, but before he could turn to leave, he was face to face with the Guardian.

   “So, the time has come my friend.  Go with my blessing; I shall be thinking of you both.  Just make sure your stay is not too long alright?” the Guardian said.

   Our father nodded, and without another word between them, our father took off for Valordian, speeding into the night with all the strength he could muster.

   It took him a little less than a day and a half to arrive in Valordian, and he was pretty exhausted when he did so.  Once he got to our mother’s home, he fell to his knees, desperate for an unstrained breath and a drink of water.  Our mother came to his aid.  She stepped outside of her home, heavily pregnant, but managed to stoop low enough to help our father to his feet.  She helped him inside the house, getting him a drink of water, allowing him to rest until he recovered his strength.

   The evening before we were born, our father and mother were doing their best to soothe over their nerves by talking.  Our father felt bad for not being there for her, but she did her best to cheer him up, while at the same time, she was overwhelmed with fear at what was to come that night.

   As it got dark, the two of them were on the verge of falling asleep, but were still fighting off their fatigue as they talked.  Nearing the end of the conversation, our mother finally spoke to our father of her growing suspicions at what was really going on inside her womb.

   “I’m just sorry I couldn’t be there for you the whole time Aerealei.  At least after this you can spend time with me on Angel Island.  Things will be better then,” our father said.

   Our mother let out a laugh and a yawn and said, “That’s true Armundae…but don’t worry, I’ve been alright by myself…and the fox children have been a big help with the gardens and all.”  She paused, and then said, “Umm, I just…want to warn you Armundae…I can’t be sure without the opinion of a physician, but, I think I know why the little kicks I’ve felt have just…felt different.  I—I think I’m carrying twins inside me now…I just, thought I’d share that with you.  I just remember how it was for another mother in the village before this happened…her pregnancy with her twins just reminds me a lot of my own.”

   As she stopped speaking, rubbing her belly gently, our father was silent, unable to speak until she looked to him for a response.  He smiled, letting out a sigh and replied, “Well, I might wanna get more water then don’t you think so?”

   He did his best to comfort her, and after awhile they were both able to drift into a light sleep, but not for long, for soon our mother went into labor, and neither of them could sleep then.  It was pretty scary for them both; they were alone in this, when everyone else around them had the help of a local physician.  Our father never mentioned why he didn’t ask one of the doctors on Angel Island to come with him, or why he didn’t try to bring mother there ahead of time, but even so, they both made it through okay, and so did we.

   On the night of August 15th the two of us were born.  Our mother was right, for she did, of course, give birth to twins that night, Aranelion was born first, and Elianaron was born after that.  After it was all over and all four of us were trying to get rest, our father and mother were talking still mulling over what to name us.

   Our mother may have been tired, but as she held Aranelion and our father held Elianaron, she was able to smile and say, “Hmm, so, that explains that third little kick I felt…aren’t they precious Armundae?”

   With a grin, our father replied, “They are both precious and nameless my dear.  This is something we’ve never discussed, let alone before we knew we were having twins.  What should we do about this?”

   “I seem to recall one night we spent together…I told you our names sounded like we were brother and sister because they began the same and had all the vowels and everything.  I know you said it kind of annoyed you when parents named their children alike, but maybe we can try something with our little ones,” our mother said.

   Our father laughed softly, Elianaron squirming around in his arms as he slept, and replied, “As long as it is tastefully done Aerealei.  I won’t stand having their names sound alike if they’re going to sound silly.  I say we combine the tongues of both our kindred into their names…names that will have simple nicknames, but will also reflect the richness of their heritage…they are the sons of a long line of Captains of the Guardian after all.”

   As Aranelion held on to our mother’s finger tightly and letting out a squeak of a yawn, she let out a giggle and said, “I agree.  Shouldn’t be too difficult I think.”

   It only took our parents a little under a day to finally name us; they never told us which one of us they named first, but held on to the story that they came up with our names at the same time, but when they were finally done and we were given our names, our father was satisfied, for our names sounded somewhat alike and were made of the same letters, but also sounded elegant and not humorous, and we also had simple nicknames, Air, for Aranelion, and Ell, for Elianaron.

   Our father spent a good month with us before he returned to Angel Island, only this time, he took us and our mother with him.  It was our mother’s first trip outside Valordian, and when they arrived on Angel Island, it was a pretty tender scene.  She was unsure at first how she was going to be treated, but was amazed to see the echidnas treat her as if she was one of their own.  We weren’t treated like the hybrid echidnas we were, but were talked about and adored like the newest addition to any echidna family.  It was a major turnaround from the hedgehogs of Valordian.

   Finally, our mother met the village elders, and while Hidama’s mother looked after the three of us, the Guardian and our father accompanied her in a meeting with them.  Of course, after all was said and done she was offered membership into the echidna tribe, and so were we, which she accepted, but at the same time, she told our father she still wanted to live in her home in the edge of Valordian Forest.  She told him she didn’t want to start a civil war should the hedgehogs find out she had come to live on Angel Island, but she would stay here with our father occasionally, and we were finally a family.

   A month or so after we were born, our mother and father were married in the traditional echidna style.  Things couldn’t be better after this, and while our mother would still take us to live in our home for a few weeks while she tended her gardens, we spent most of our time with our father.  Everything was finally working out for them and their love only continued to flourish as we grew.

   Unfortunately, the final, deadly thorn on the rose of their love was about to strike, and true to its nature, it would strike a terrible, and woeful blow.

   As we grew up, we became close friends with Hinsei Hidama, the son of the Guardian, and were friendly with the other echidna children too.  It was here that we found the most acceptance in our life, and things couldn’t be better.  Hidama was our best buddy, and it was like we were no different from the rest of them.  The echidnas will forever be the master race in our minds for their kindness and love, which is why we vowed to avenge them, after what happened to this noble race, one dark night in the fall of our seventh year.

   Of course, before then, our father began to train us to use his weapons, Aranelion was given Akrenar, and Elianaron was given his daggers, Tempest and Twilight.  It was only for sport, but he enjoyed passing his knowledge along to us.  When we were two years old, the Guardian welcome his second son Knuckles into the family.  The three families, ours, the Guardian’s, and the other Captain’s, had grown close, but it was the bond we shared with Hidama and Knuckles that would hold out the longest, when all hope became lost to a bleak future.

   Shortly after Hidama came up with our last name “Brokenstar” our mother took us back to Valordian for the fall harvest.  It would be the last time we saw our father again, for one night during our leave, Angel Island was attacked by a rogue band of mutant echidnas and hedgehogs, slaughtering the entire clan, save Hidama, who was captured, and little Knuckles, who barely escaped with his life.

   We were told of the massacre by the fox brothers, who were the first to see Angel Island perched on the edge of a cliff after falling from the sky, the Master Emerald fallen out of power now that the Guardian was dead.  They told us that our father was most likely dead with the rest of his tribe.  Our mother was devastated; our father was the love of her life…her strength, and while the two of us began to mourn, we decided that we would travel to Angel Island to find his body so he could be buried near our mother.  At the same time, we were just thankful that the three of us were spared, even while we felt guilty for it, seeing the ones we loved dead around us.

   On Angel Island we were surrounded by the bloody corpses of our friends; it killed us inside.  Everyone we knew was dead, decapitated, or missing entirely, including our friend Hidama, who we could never find, as well as Knuckles. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that Knuckles was safe, hiding in a bush, and our friend Hidama was taken prisoner by his attackers.  We gave them up for dead, and finally found the body of our father.

   He was propped up beside the Master Emerald, and we know now that he died of his injuries sustained in battle.  His vow to protect the Guardian to the death was fulfilled, for he died defending the Guardian’s body from being decapitated and maimed further, for his arm was chopped off at the shoulder.

   Our father scrawled out a quick note for us and our mother; he left us his weapons, giving Aranelion his sword Akrenar, and Elianaron his daggers Tempest and Twilight.  We never read his note to our mother, but we know it was just another testament to how deeply he loved and cared about her, a love so great it was able to bond two races together, even if all of the Valordian hedgehogs were unwilling to come along for the journey.

   We took our father’s body and weapons back to Valordian, leaving Angel Island behind for what we thought was forever.  He was buried in a corner of our mother’s garden, and was right near us in the years to follow.  We never forgot the echidnas and mourned them in the years to follow, taking our last name as Brokenstar in memory of Hidama, wearing bandages on our tails in memory of the echidnas, and vowing not to take them off until their deaths were avenged.  And so we started to train harder with our father’s weapons, vowing to slaughter every last one of the mutants who destroyed our once happy lives, and the lives of so many innocent victims in the process.

   As we grew up, the Valordian hedgehogs became increasingly wary of us, and began to threaten our mother again after awhile.  It scared us, and when we turned twelve we decided to leave Valordian and travel, looking for the mutants that killed our father’s race, as well as trying to find the acceptance we lost when they died.  Our mother was against it, but once we left, the hedgehogs left her alone, and eventually were able to forgive her and let her come among them again.  It goes to show they weren’t all bad, for they were able to accept us too once we got older.  Old wounds were healed, and once we rescued Hidama and defeated the mutants, all the old hurts were soothed away.  Finally, we found acceptance, from both humans, hedgehogs, and all our peers.

   The love our father and mother shared, not only led to our birth, but set the example of how pure and unconditional love should be.  Our father and mother loved each other for who they were, not for how they looked, or what race they were.  As the years after they first met in Valordian passed, we’ve seen many “hybrid” couples rise before us; Knuckles gave his heart to the hedgehog Amy Rose, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat formed a lasting bond, Sonic the super speedy hedgehog met and married Blaze the Cat, Hidama fell in love with Delilah Lynn the Hedgehog, even the two of us formed relationships with ‘non-hybrids’ and later our children would do the same.

   We always and forever will consider our parents the forerunners of love between different races.  They were the first to break free of the accepted tradition of falling in love and marrying within one’s race, introducing a new wave a hybrid children into the world.  Our parents had a bond stronger than any of their day, and it was able to see them through any obstacle they encountered.  Even when our father died they remained bonded, and when they’re together again their sweet and precious love will be there for them in the after life.

   So, to our mom and dad, we say, thank you for giving us life, for loving us with all your hearts, and for loving each other so strongly no matter what stood against you.  Thank you for showing the world that true love can come in any form and transcend any differences or iniquities.  Thank you for showing the world your strong and precious love, and building an example so many others live by today.  And most of all, remember, that we love you both so much, because you are our parents, and the best the world will ever live to see or remember, at least until they see you together again in Heaven.

   Love,
             Aranelion and Elianaron Brokenstar