Chronicles of the Nytes:
Episode 001:
Brotherly Love
"No family ever had a fight like this...." 
Prologue:
Lightning lit the sky for miles in every direction. Torrential rains drenched the battlefield. Several bolts of energy struck the ground around the two embattled figures, sparks flying in all directions. None would have guessed that these two powerful lions were brothers, one good, and one evil, nearly identical in every aspect. From this distance, one wouldn't know that these two were mirror opposites of each other, one good and the other evil. Nor would one have guessed that this battle had raged for hours. 
A quick slash to the chest sent one of them staggering back, blood running down through his fur. Deep growls came from both competitors, each drawing blood from the other. Several minutes have passed since this battle started, and neither showed signs of slowing. A spinning kick to the head staggered the other, blood trickling from his crumpled muzzle. The larger lion attacked again, lasing out with a series of kicks and punches. Most were blocked by the smaller lion, a few swipes drawing blood from his arms and legs. 
Blood splattered across the ground, soaking the grass where the two big felines dueled. More lightning illuminated the area, thunder sounding like cannon shots echoing through the canyon below. A clothesline technique sent the smaller lion skidding on his back through the muddy earth. He looked far worse than his brother. 
Nytelion slowly rose to his feet, although to this day no one knows how. His body was badly beaten; a whole in his left side, several claw marks across the right side of his chest, one leg broken, the other badly torn apart, his right arm had one long gash from shoulder to wrist, his left arm four deep cuts, his face had one lone claw rake over his right eye, his left ear was missing, and his tail hung by just a thin, blood drenched thread of fur. Basically a walking corpse, this adolescent lion somehow still had the will to fight. 
Heat admired his slightly older brother's determination, "I'm impressed, brother." His voice was deep and cold as the rain that soaked them both. "But you should learn when it's time to just lay down and die." Nytelion didn't answer, he couldn't. All his energy was being used to focus on keeping his body from falling apart. Or so it seemed. 
Heat slowly withdrew his bow-staff from its sheath on his back, "Say hello to mom for me, dear brother." Swinging his weapon high over his head, the younger lion focused all his fire energy into a single point. Driving his staff into the ground, Heat unleashed his, "FISHER!" The ground split, fire erupting from the force of Heat's chi attack. The gap grew quickly, racing for the older feline at an alarming rate. Nytelion reacted with reflexes faster then any cat should have. A split second before the earth split beneath his paws, he calmly stepped out of its path. His fur singed by the searing heat, Nytelion did not so much as flinch when the earth shook beneath him. Heat stared in disbelief. 
"Now it's my turn," Nytelion's voice was faint, but audible. The sound of his Lightning Staff being drawn from its sheath could be heard over the driving rain. An extremely large blot of lightning streaked across the sky as the feline focused on his special technique. 
It was over before Heat could even think about moving. Nytelion's Lightning Lion's Claw had sliced his body in twain. In one swift movement, Heat's older brother had closed the gap between them, sliced through his body, and continued with a follow through motion for several paces thereafter. Even now, the young feline was already beginning to walk away from his brother corpse as it fell, almost in slow motion, in two different directions. 
Finally, he thought to himself. My nightmare is over. I can finally rest in peace. 

Little did he know that his nightmare was just beginning... 
Chapter 1:
I awoke in a cold sweat, panting hard. That dream had been haunting me for the past decade now. Ever since my brother had turned against me, things had never been the same. A paw on my shoulder caught my attention. I jerked away and was ready to attack when I saw it was just my mate.
"What's wrong, N.L.?" my little vixen asked softly. She sat up and looked down at the soaked sheets. "That dream again?" I just sighed and nodded my head, looking away from her. She put her arm around me, "Don't worry so much about it. It'll go away."
I looked at her from the corner of my eye, "Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to fight your brother someday." I pulled away from her and tossed the sheets aside. 
Being able to see in the dark, I found my shorts and slipped them on, "I'm going for a flight, I'll be back soon." I walked out of the room before Nytefox could stop me. She hates it when I go off on my own like this, no matter how much I tell her I need the time alone. As I walked down the hall, my body slowly changed. Dragon-like wings began to sprout from my back. Morphing is what we call it. The ability to change shape at will. It was a talent given to me by a higher power for who knows what reason. Now halfway down the hall, my wings were almost complete. I turned the corner and grabbed my Lightning Staff from its place on the wall.
"Don't cause too much damage out there, N.L.," a voice called from behind me. I turned and saw a silvery gray form...Nytewolf. I gave him the one-fingered salute with an evil looking sneer. He just laughed and went back into his room as I headed out the door. 
The cool night wind rippled through my mane as I lifted off the ground. I could smell the scents of the students that we had taught martial arts to many hours ago. It was only 3:00 A.M. now and the sky was clear. The moon shone brightly, lighting up the ground far below me. I didn't need the light though. I had flown this path many times before, so often that I could fly it blind. I had a good head wind tonight; this would be an easy flight. Below me trees and buildings streaked by, along with the occasional fur or human. I liked being alone like this. It gave me time to think about the future. Time to just relax and not have to concentrate on any one thing. I quickly found my landing spot and descended. 
Practice. That is what I really came here to do. To release my anger where no one would get hurt. My wings began to shrink, the thin scales returning to my golden brown fur. I had morphed into different forms so often that I could now do it with liquid fluidity. My eyes began to glow a pale shade of blue as I channeled all my anger into my special technique, the Lightning Slash. Slicing my staff through the air, I sent out an arc of lightning energy. This energy was so hot that it could melt rock. The six-foot long, pure white arc of energy cut right through the tree I was aiming at. Splintering it down the middle, the tree feel to the ground in two different directions, splintered wood flew in all directions. The arc, now less in power, faded and died just a few feet from its second target. The sound of the previous impact lingered in the canyon for several seconds as I breathed a bit easier. 
The Lightning Forceball. A ball of condensed energy, usually about the size of a basketball, but depending on the user, it could vary greatly. Focusing most of my depression and anger into this one technique, I let it fly from the end of my staff. Tiny sparks arced up from the surface as it flew through the air on its silent path of destruction. Past where the tree had stood, the fireball burned a hole deep into the canyon wall. I felt better. 
Just as I was about to take flight again, something in the sky caught my eye. Three figures, a silvery gray winged wolf, a well-endowed fire red vixen, and an also well-endowed pure white cat. My three best friends, Nytewolf, Nytefox, and Nytecat. Those weren't their real names; in fact Nytelion isn't even my real name. To tell the truth, we've all forgotten our old names, it had been so long. My three friends landed, raising a small dust could. They wouldn't have come out here at all if something wasn't up.
"We've got big problems," Nytewolf panted. He looked up in the direction they had come from. I followed his gaze, and then I wish I hadn't. 
Chapter 2
Heat. God how I hated that name now. My brother, born just 30 seconds after me. He and I were the only two cubs in the litter. He had many of the same powers that I did, and a few that I didn't. My brother I thought. Has the time finally come for us to do battle? Is there no other way? He descended from the sky, landing a few yards from us. And then three other forms landed behind him. The Tigress Triplets, Tagra, Black Blaze, and White Blaze. Their beauty was breath taking, and afforded them many victories in battle. But my only concern now was my brother.
"What are you doing here, Heat?" I growled, putting my staff back in its sheath. Nytewolf, Nytecat, and Nytefox all stood by my side, all ready for the imamate war. Heat laughed, "I came here to prove to you once and for all that furs were put in this dimension to rule over humans with an iron fist."
"Then you woke up!" Nytewolf taunted back. He was always a smartass.
"You shall die first," sneered Tagra. "Little Wolfy!" Out of the corner of my eye I could see Nytewolf's eyes change from their normal state, to a pure blue glow of anger. I could smell the rage coming from his body.
"No one calls me 'Little Wolfy' and lives!" his howl resounded off the walls of the canyon. Overhead, thunderclouds had formed, threatening a storm. Nytewolf and Tagra both morphed into their winged forms simultaneously and charged each other, each leaving a fading vapor trail behind them as they made a 90 degree turn straight up, just seconds before impacted with one another. They soon disappeared from view.
"Hey pretty kitty, wanna play?" Black Blaze taunted at Nytecat. Those two had a grudge that went all the way back to kindergarten.
Nytecat hissed and bared her claws, "Don't sing it, bring it, pussy wussy." The pair leapt at each other and missed, rebounding off the canyon walls like liquid steel. They passed each other again and again, each time gaining ten feet in height until they disappeared over the top of the canyon opening. Just four furs left.
Nytefox narrowed her gaze at White Blaze, "Come on, bitch, let's rock!" She sounded as though she really didn't want to fight as fire energy spiraled down her arm and a red glowing sphere formed in her right paw. Suddenly she was struck by a blast from White Blaze and sent flying back. The tigress followed close behind my little vixen. They both disappeared around the bend behind me. Now it was just my brother and I. 
The wind moaned through the canyon like the cry of a thousand restless souls. The dust blew up to my waist as I stood facing my brother, my tail and mane flowing behind me. All the days of training, all the weeks of sweat, all the months of injuries, and the years of tireless practice...nothing had prepared me for this moment. Looking at my own flesh and blood and knowing that one of us was going to die in just a few minutes was not an easy thing to comprehend.
"I'll give you one last chance, brother," Heat had started to walk toward me. "Join us, and together we'll rule this planet."
Well, that was all that I needed to hear. Heat was no longer my brother. I no longer knew him. "What's happened to you, you're not my brother anymore. You're just a demented monster." I started towards him, my eyes shifting to their glowing state. This would be a battle to remember. 
A missed punch to the head, block his kick, counter with a slash to his chest. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I fought my brother. He knocked me back against the canyon wall with a kick to my ribs, two of my ribs cracked from the impact. No time to feel pain, I leapt up to avoid his next attack, his fist smashing against the stone wall leaving blood spatters from his knuckles. He roared up at me as I front flipped over him and came down, my claws digging deep into his back. He arched his back in pain as his blood poured out on my paws. The four large claw marks in his back only enraged him further. Thunder rolled from the sky, vibrating through the canyon like cannon blasts.
"You've been practicing," Heat sneered through the pain. He kicked his leg back at me, caving in my stomach. I doubled over from the sudden attack, ripping my claws out of his back. Heat spun and kicked me in the face with his other foot, my muzzle crumpled like an accordion, a trickle of blood running from my nose. I fell flat on my back, raising a small cloud of dust. He pounced at me, his claws fully extended. I caught him by his wrists and, using my foot, sent him flying over my head. He hit the canyon wall with a loud smack, sliding upside down to the dusty floor. With a grunt I rose to my feet, holding my ribs with one paw. I licked away the dust covered blood trail from my nose as I approached my brother. He too rose to his feet, blood running through his mane from a gash in the back of his head. The fun was just beginning. 
Heat mumbled something that I couldn't quite understand. With a gesture of his paw, he sent a condensed ball of flame directly at my head. I ducked, the fireball singing my mane. Four bolts of lightning arced from the tips of my fingers, striking my brother in his arms and legs. His roar of pain echoed off the stonewalls as he was lifted up by my electric attack. His body glowed with my energy as I threw him back against the canyon wall again, his body convulsing spasmodically. Rain started to fall as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. I leapt at my brother, pinning him to the stonewall with a powerful flying kick. I could feel his ribcage shatter under the force of my kick, thunder sounding from the dark sky upon my impact. I landed softly on the ground, turning away from my badly beaten brother as he slumped to the ground. That was a mistake. I don't know how he managed to throw that big of a fireball, but the next thing I knew, I was face first into the canyon wall, my back now the void of fur and burning hot. I managed to duck Heat's sucker punch to my head and counter it with an uppercut. The blow to his muzzle staggered him, allowing me time to charge up a fireball. My paw glowed red as the sphere formed in my hand. I launched the projectile at my brother, but he used his teleport, disappearing right before my eyes. He reappeared right behind me. Grabbing my tail, Heat dragged me backwards, lifting me off the ground and throwing me like a rag doll. I flipped myself over and rebounded off the wall with my legs. I was met head on by one of Heat's fireballs. It knocked me back against the cold, unyielding stone wall again. Another bolt of lightning arced across the sky as I struggled to free my embedded body from its granite prison. 
"Now then, brother," Heat sneered at me. "Let's finish this once and for all. Join me, and live. Oppose me, and, well...you won't be too happy with the consequences." An evil, toothy grin spread across his muzzle as he chuckled. It started to rain just a bit harder as I freed myself from the stonewall, the rocky surface crumbling nosily to dust. Looking at my brother with renewed hatred, I roared, my whole body coursing with lightning energy. Blind with hate, I charged my brother, connecting shoulder to chest, pushing him back, smashing him against the canyon wall. The sickening sound of his bones cracking filled my ears, as well as his roar of pain. He tried to kick me in the crotch, but I blocked. He managed to claw my muzzle, sending spatters of my blood to the dusty floor below us. I spun with the momentum from his attack and connected with a backhand to his head. He collapsed to the floor in a battered, bloody heap.
"I hope I never see you again," I growled low as I turned to walk away. Now maybe I could live in peace and not have to worry about fighting my brother anymore. I was wrong. 
Chapter 3
Tagra raised her paws up and knocked me in the head with a two fisted blow. A constant ringing in my ears annoyed me as I tumbled back toward the ground a bit. We were both about two miles up now. I recovered from my tumble and looked up at her.
"Don't give up yet, Little Wolfy," she sneered, her eyes glowing pale red. Her left paw was glowing with fire energy.
I growled, "My name is Nytewolf!" A compressed sphere of flaming chi energy left my paw, the air around the vapor trail that it left from my hand darkened just slightly as it became superheated by the traveling orb. Tagra countered, both flaming globes meeting in the midway between the two of us. In a blinding flash of pure blue flame, the two orbs collided and exploded, the tigress upwards several feet, and myself downward several feet. Apparently our powers were evenly matched. 
"Come on, little kitty. Is that the best you got?" Sneering up at her, I drew my paws back on either side of my body, allowing the lightning energy to swirl down my arms and collect in my paws.
Tagra hovered down to be level with me, keeping a good distance still, "Not by a long shot, wimp. FIRE ARC!" Her left paw swiped the air. A diagonal arc of fire energy, 10' in length sped towards me. Rolling to the right, the arc passed, singing the tips of my wings. I had to tuck and roll again to avoid a second arc. In screaming agony, the third arc caught me square, burning the fur off my left wing. Tagra laughed at my pain as yet another flaming arc sped towards me. This time I blocked it with the electric energy that had been pooling in my paws. The two energies dissolved in a small flash just six inches in front of me. Tagra closed the gap between us. Kick, punch, block, duck, this fight was fast, and the tempo kept increasing. Her claws were a blur as she ripped open several holes in my chest. I winched in pain as my innards were exposed to the air and blood and flesh fell to the earth. Blinded by rage I slashed her across her chest, but I only managed to rip open her shirt, exposing her blinding white fur. I tried to shield my eyes, but it was too late. I couldn't see a thing. The next thing I knew I was struck with the Soul Slash. There is nothing like the feeling of four sharp claws ripping through your body, and then seeing your own intestines spill forth from those wounds. With my last breath of life, I managed to extend my claws from their sheaths, and lash out with them, slicing the tigress in the neck. As my body fell in three different directions, I could just see Tagra gasping as her life ended. The last thing I remember seeing was the ground rushing to meet me. 
* * * * * * * * * *
I dodged Black Blaze's fingerbolts, the beams of energy just singed the fur on my side. Get it together, Nytecat, I thought to myself. I'm not gonna let this bitch beat me again. The tigress came at me. I blocked her punch and countered, throwing her to the ground. She hissed and bounced across the sandy desert floor. I was on her in a flash, my claws ripping into her side. She screamed in pain and wrapped her tail around my throat, squeezing hard. My claws slipped from her side, followed by a trail of her blood from the eight long gashes. I formed a small sphere of energy in my palm and shoved it against the tigress' back. She lost her grip on my neck and I slipped away, giving myself enough distance to catch my breath. Looking over at Blaze, I saw she was face down in the sand, a small burn hole in her back with a trail of smoke heading up through the raindrops. The smell of her singed fur filled my nostrils as I looked up to the sky. I wish I hadn't. The last thing I remember seeing was a pile of gray fur, about two feet above my head. 
* * * * * * * * * *
My back cracked loudly against the stonewall of the canyon, my yelp echoing off the other side. I caught sight of a white fist heading for my head and dodged it just in time, the fist smashing against the rock wall, a loud shattering sound emitting as I ducked and came up with my knee in the stomach of the white tigress. She doubled over in pain, giving me time to form a large sphere in my paws, about the size of a basketball. The sphere glowed pure blue, lightning energy arcing up off the surface as White Blaze slowly rose to her feet. I let the ball of energy fly, but all I hit was stone. The tigress had learned a new technique, teleportation.
"Nice try, Foxy," White's voice drifted to my ears. A fatal mistake, allowing me to pinpoint her exact position with my keen hearing. I leapt into the air, spinning my body a full 360 degrees in the blink of an eye, lashing out with my right leg. My foot connected with the tigress' head, a loud thud like a bass drum, as I landed and she reappeared sprawled out on the dirt.
I couldn't resist, "Don't mess with the best, li'l kitty." Bad move. Blaze leapt up, kicking me in the stomach. I doubled over and caught her foot just inched from my head; threw her foot to the left causing her to spin around. She did a full spin and her foot whizzed by my head again as I straightened up just in time. The tigress lashed out with punches to my head, chest and stomach. I blocked most of them, taking a few in the face. The others always said I needed practice with my speed, now I saw why. I dodged another punch to the head and countered with a dime-sized fireball to Blaze's stomach. It staggered her back a little bit, giving me time to catch her in a headlock. She quickly stuck her claws into my back, just below my kidneys. I yelped in pain, jumping forward a bit and slamming the tigresses' head into the stonewall of the canyon. A large blood spatter started running down the wall as I let the tigress slip from my grip, her body falling to the floor likes a lifeless rag doll. I regained my normal breathing, staring down at the tigress's body. She had played this trick on me before back when we were younger. She would play possum and then pounce when I turned my back. White Blaze didn't wait this time. She leapt up at me, her head leaving a trail of blood. She dug her claws into my shoulders, pressing me back against the cold granite of the canyon. 
We stood staring into each other's eyes, both filled with pure hate, my blood dripping from the wounds in my shoulders. With the last of my strength I surrounded myself with pure lightning energy. The power was too intense for the tigress and she had no choice but to let me go. My whole body glowed a pale shade of blue as I drew my lightning staff from its sheath. White Blaze looked at me with wide eyes, she knew what was coming. My words echoed loudly off the canyon walls as I swiped my staff through the air, sending an arc of electric energy straight at White Blaze. I thought sure that would have split her in half, but she somehow reflected my Lightning Slash back at me! There was nothing I could do, the technique moved too fast. The last thing I remember was my body ripping in half, the heat from the lighting so intense that the wound was instantly cauterized. Through fading vision, I saw the tigress bitch standing over me, gloating. 
* * * * * * * * * *
Heat leapt up at me, slashing my upper arm deeply; blood flying as the rain poured down. My roar echoed as I kicked my brother away from me, using my good arm to draw my lightning staff from its sheath. My eyes started to glow pale blue as Heat lunged at me, growling loudly. His claws hit the mystical wood of my staff; blue sparks flew and singed us both. My brother staggered back as I attacked, my mane smoking. I hit him with my staff across his chest. He ducked my next attack and kicked my feet out from under me. I landed flat on my back and brought my staff up just in time to block his claws from digging into my face. We glared at each other for long seconds, my eyes glowing pale blue, his pure red, his sweat dripping onto my muzzle.
"Give it up, brother," Heat growled through clenched teeth. "It's the end of the road for you and your friends." He pressed down harder against my staff, bringing his claws within a fraction of a millimeter to my nose.
Using all my strength I pushed back against him, "GET...OFF.... ME!" A surge of lightning energy through my staff knocked Heat off me. He somehow managed to rebound off canyon wall and slash my right leg as I was getting up. Using what little strength I had left, I called on my Lightning Lion's Claw. Slicing my staff through the air, I sent four arcs of condensed, super intense lightning energy at my brother. The air around the arcs grew to an immense temperature in a less than a second as they flew on their silent path of destruction. Heat leapt out of the way just in time and used his own signature technique on me, 'The Demon Lion.' 
There are no words to describe the way my body was ripped to shreds by my brother. Or the way he cut open my chest, ripped out my heart and crushed it in his bare paw. There are also no words to describe the way my spirit, and those of my friends, were caught in a void as we traveled to the afterlife. The void called Purgitory. 
To Be Continued