"I would like to know EVERYTHING that has gone on," Mother Glen said firmly, "and I will not any police protocol excuse, either."
The lions all gulped nervously, not the fact of telling her, but from the fact that Mother Glen sounded somewhat aggressive in her speaking, which was a rare thing, indeed.
"Might as well," Julie spoke from beside one of the medical beds, with most of the present wolves aiding the pack's doctor not noticing Millie, Maxine, and Robyn's conversation, "Kurse kidnapped a yacht full of people, most of them from outside the US and definitely outside of Glendale. The battle is likely to become an international incident when their countries learn about what happened there."
"That's if they tell," Zack countered, "they might be too frightened by all of it. Most people don't believe in magic any more. They might just clam up to hide it."
"Can't gamble on that," Darla spoke, "this could all unfold quickly, considering what Kurse did to innocent people as well as the Pack and the Pride. We'll all likely need to put some good "PR" on this, let everyone know the valor that we exercised and that it's finally come to end the Curse."
The whole debate that went on made Mother Glen's brain spin. Her question had been specifically aimed to the Pride... yet the various Pack members present seemed willing to answer as well... and their debate had all hinged on what had likely been a battle. Which had to be the explanation for why both the Pride and the Pack were so badly banged up.
"So what happened? How did all of this start?" Mother Glen asked, willing to let the wolves answer, if it finally got her some clue as to what was going on, and likely upsetting her granddaughter, on a day that should be joyous.
"You know of the game, Transform or Dare, Mother Glen?" Bernie asked and waited for the large muscular lioness to nod, "well... it appear's the thing's be "alive" for years. "Intelligent" in a way, and gaining power over the years with every turn used..."
"And recently enough turns of it were used to make the game fully sentient... taking on the personalities of the witches killed all those centuries ago," Wanda continued, "the "witches" existed as a sort of "shadow" and attacked the Pack directly for some reason... why they hated the Pack so much is unknown."
"My daughter, Amy, defeated the attack and "killed" one of the shadows," Zack picked up, "driving the remaining two out of Glendale... but they then attacked an island that part of the Pack was looking after in accordance with an experiment on the adaptability of the Gold Deer. The two shadows then enslaved everyone there..."
"Including our mate," wolf Megan, Ashley,and Margot added.
"My niece," Julie added, while she, Darla, and Fran (in her sleep) shuddered, "and others."
"My brother-in-law and sister were not about to let the remaining two get away with attacking the Pack and then enslaving part of it and went to the police to get the Pride's help in rescuing them," Isabelle finished.
"We agreed to help," Brian spoke.
"It was the civilized thing to do," Felicity nodded, "and this occurred at the same time as Madame Serenity arrived with Trevor as his original attacker had been killed, and they learned of the attack. He then insisted on going with Amy to face the shadows of the last two witches and their familiar... saying something about a descendant of the familiar named Judas..."
"Though while this was all going on, the remaining two shadows somehow merged themselves with their familiar into a singular being, known as Kurse," Darla added, "and sent my niece to a yacht passing by the island. There she abducted the yacht and its passengers and added them to those already enslaved on the island."
"Your..." Mother Glen gasped.
"It was not of her volition I assure you," Julie and Darla said together, "and our niece suffered heavily. When Kurse sent her and several chimeras, who were children from the yacht, to attack the manor again, my daughter/my other niece and my other niece/my daughter broke Kurse's hold on her..."
"And Amy freed the chimeras from Kurse's control," June finished.
"But before that... Alphas Jensen and Kaylee sent my mates, after learning that Amy-chan could restore lupmen trapped by the game as statues, to the gallery to restore those there that had been caught," Yamato spoke from his bed, "and while there, there was a misunderstanding between myself and your granddaughter."
"YOU attacked Penny!?" Mother Glen, Sonia, and Maxwell growled and then turned on Yamato, claws ready.
"It was a misunderstanding," Yamato spoke, showing no fear, and motioning for his healthy mates to stand aside, "and I have been dishonored by not acting properly... and I must speak with her if at all possible."
"To attack my baby again!" Sonia growled grabbing Yamato by the throat and lifting him into the air, ignoring Darla, Anne, and Beatrice pushing her husband back, while Eri, Akane, Umeko, and Julie rushed to get Sonia to release the wounded Japanese male.
"To apologize and ask for atonement," Yamato choked, "it is the only way I can mitigate my mistake... short of seppuku."
"Seppuku?" Mother Glen questioned.
"Ritualized suicide by disembowelment," Umeko answered, "Yamato-san is a descendant of Japanese nobility... Samurai. The fact that he allowed a misunderstanding to escalate into a battle has given him the feeling that he has dishonored himself by striking an ally. With Kurse gone, that dishonor has been at the front of his mind."
"He can mitigate it by doing hard labor at all of the Pride's houses," Mother Glen laid down the task, "doing WHATEVER the Pride wants... or he must have his legs amputated at the knees, since he has insured that my granddaughter can not use hers. NO argument will be allowed."
"HEY! Your granddaughter started it!" Akane growled back, "calling Yamato-san a thief! Accusing him of stealing someone named Kirk, who was one of your pride... we were only sent for the imprisoned lupmen and Amy-chan's powers couldn't affect the imprisoned leoman if she tried! Your granddaughter is just as much at fault for the fight as Yamato was."
"You accuse my daughter of LYING?! HOW DARE YOU!" Maxwell roared.
"Not lying," Anne implored, "Misunderstood. Please, you're in a hospital full of wounded. Is starting a fight the Christian thing to do? Is it the right thing to do?"
"Is it the civilized thing to do?" Jeff spoke up, "Penny will walk again. Most of those here look like they might not get that chance."
Sonia blinked and looked at Yamato, still in her grasp. The wolf showed no fear whatsoever, despite his wounded condition.
"My atonement must come from the one I did battle with," Yamato choked, "I apologize to you, as it is the honorable thing to do. But only the one I fought can assign atonement."
At hearing that, Sonia relaxed and set Yamato down. It sounded far more civilized then the way she and her husband had reacted. They had moved to defend their daughter, but this was not the time or place for such a fight.
"I'm sorry for the way we've reacted," Sonia spoke to Yamato, "most uncivilized."
"I would have probably reacted the same way if my daughter were wounded and I met the one who wounded her," Yamato said weakly.
"Regardless, it is "dishonorable" for Leomen to not be uncivilized," Mother Glen spoke, "there will be no atonement tasks. Our dishonor for yours is a fair trade in my opinion. We are sorry for our actions."
The near battle began to power down, as Sonia and Maxwell backed away, looking both guilty and embarrassed.
"What happened after the second attack on the manor?" Mother Glen then asked, turning her head to Brian and Gary.
"Not much to say," Gary spoke, "Trevor insisted on joining Amy and Father Paul for the fight with Kurse directly. Moja, Mbili, Tatuli, Nneli, Tano, Sita, Saba, and Nane were dropped off here so the part of the Pack protecting the manor and caring for those wounded in Kurse's earlier attacks could look after them."
"We, along with most of the Pack went to the island to distract Kurse," Bobbi spoke up, "and where we were all wounded in doing so... though Fox and Elise were killed when Kurse split their souls into four pieces."
"But they did serve to distract Kurse enough that Amy, Trevor, and Father Paul were able to kill Kurse," Felicity finished, "and Father Paul, Father Mike, and Madame Serenity have agreed to work to finally end the Transform or Dare curse."
"Good," Mother Glen sighed, "that curse has allowed more uncivilized things then anything else to happen."
Mother Glen then turned to Julie, "I'm sorry again for our reaction."
"I would have done the same to protect my own child and my nieces by my sisters," Julie told her, "even if they are indestructible."