Prodigal Son

Confrontation

Blumiere was reassembling the practice dummy when Timpani flung open the door. Blumiere turned around.

"How did you? That door was locked!" Blumiere exclaimed.

"IT DOSN'T MATTER!!!" Timpani shouted, "WHY DID YOU TAKE THE PICTURE!!!"

Blumiere sighed.

"Timpani, I can explain..."

She crossed her arms.

"Do you remember that night?" Blumiere asked, "The night when you were taken away from me?"

Timpani shook her head no.

"We were supposed to meet up with each other by the cliffside where you first found me. But my father had caught me." Blumiere explained, "We never meant to have a child. But things happened... and we had a son. My father found out. You know how he despised humans for the sole purpose that they would produce impure blood, which was exactly what we had done. He cursed you and then..." Blumiere gulped, "And then he killed him, our son, in front of my eyes. I watched the life drain from his body. I was helpless." He took out the photo from his pocket and sighed, "I hoped to keep this from you. I made an effort to forget about him for a good reason."

Timpani shook her head.

"Blumiere... I know that I haven't seen what you have. You had to suffer through the disappearance of me and our son." Timpani relayed, "But forgetting about the ones we lost is wrong! We need to take what time we had and cherish it."

Blumiere sighed. He handed Timpani the photo and the notes he received.

"I'm sorry." He told her. "I'm going out tonight. Don't try to follow me."

Blumiere grabbed his staff and walked out of the room, leaving Timpani alone with the photo. He passed Nastasia in the hallway.

"Don't let Timpani out of your sight." Blumiere told her, "I don't know if I'll return..."

With a swish of his cape, he teleported away. Nastasia hung her head and made her way to find Timpani.

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Blumiere appeared in the midst of a desolate plain. The trees were black and charred, ashes floated in the wind. Ruins of castles and homes were scattered everywhere. The sky was a blood-red color, fitting for the scene that would soon unfold. Off in the distance, an old bell tower chimed.

"So you decided to show your face?"

Blumiere turned around to see Dimentio standing across from him, his mask bearing its normal glint of mischief.

"I am not here to fight. I am here to protect my family." Blumiere stated.

He drew his staff.

"You already failed at that." Dimentio retorted.

Dimentio pulled out a small knife.

"DRAW!"

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After peeking into a few different rooms, Nastasia found Timpani sobbing on the floor of the training room.

"Timpani? Are you okay?" Nastasia asked.

"I failed." Timpani told her, "I failed to save him."

Nastasia looked next to Timpani and saw the notes Blumiere had received.

"Oh, Timpani..."

"I couldn't save my son, and I can't even save my husband!" Timpani cried, "I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER HIS NAME!!!"