Family Reunions, a ferp fic part 1

Five years after the war

It was a windy evening, it was all quite in the woods. Well other than a dog’s barking, Kenneth smiled as Benki was chasing a butterfly. “Chill out Ben.” He chuckled. “Leave the poor thing alone.”

Benki turned to Kenneth and kept his tug out. He barked at his master.

“Don't worry we’ll find a place to crash soon.” Kenneth told him. Benki sniffed the ground and picked up a set. He ruffed at Kenneth. “What's that boy? You found something?”

Benki barked and started running. Kenneth shook his head and started chasing him. The dog eventually made his way to a clearing with Kenneth following. Kenneth looked and spotted a cabin. “Ah sweet. Nice work boy.” Benki barked happily as Kenneth made his way to the cabin. He looked at the door and opened it walking inside. He looked around and Benki sniffed. He saw clothes, a bed, along with other seems. “Seems like someone’s been here recently.”

Just then Kenneth jumped out of the way. He looked to see that he was almost hit by an arrow. “Oh shit!” He looked to where the arrow came from and he saw a silhouette in the shadows.

"Who are you?” A female voice asked.

The voice seemed familiar to Kenneth but he was too freaked out. “Hey relax, we didn't think there was anybody in here!”

“What do you want?” The voice asked.

“We’re just looking for a place to crash a swear!” Kenneth said. The female lowered her weapon in the dark.

“What's your name?” She asked.

"Kenneth.” Kenneth replied

The female looked at him for a second. “There's something about you…” She came out of the shadows. “Have we met before?”

Kenneth looked shocked as she came out. “...Aunt Jaz?”

“Aunt?” She asked and scoffed. “I'm nobody’s aunt.”

“Yes you are.” Kenneth insisted standing up, “Let me explain. Your brother, Awesome is my father.”

Jaz frowned at him and pointed another arrow at him. “Axel doesn't have a son.”

"I'm from the future!” Kenneth told her, “We came back in time to help save the world!”

“If you're his son where is he now?” Jaz asked. Kenneth stood there silently. A look of sadness went on his face. Jaz noticed this and lowered her bow. A look of concern on her face. “W-What happened to my brother?”

“I'm sorry…” Kenneth said sadly, “He's dead...he sacrificed himself for me.”

“Axel’s….dead?” Jaz asked tearing started going down her face as she began to cry. “How could this have happened?!”

Benki had gotten a sad look on his face as Kenneth walked up to Jaz and put his arms around her.

“It's my fault!” Jaz said, “Where did he die?!”

“We were fighting this guy named Blue.” Kenneth explained, “Someone was going to kill me but he got in the way and ended up dying instead…”

“I should've been there.” Jaz cried. “It's my fault!”

"No, it's not your fault.” Kenneth said hugging her. “He wouldn't want you crying over this.”

Jaz sniffed, “I-I guess your right. But...maybe I could've done something.”

“Either way he still wouldn't want you to blame yourself.” Kenneth assured her. His stomach growled.

“Oh you're hungry” Jaz said wiping her tears, “Take a seat I'll get you something to eat.”

“Uh okay.” Kenneth said, “You sure your alright?”

"Yeah.” Jaz sniffed again, “I’ll be fine.”

Kenneth took a seat, Benki sitting next to him. After while of waiting Jaz came back with soup and a couple glasses of water. Kenneth gave a big smile.

“What?” Jaz asked.

“You used to make the best soup in the future.” Kenneth smiled taking his bowl and eating some. “It's as good now as it will be then!”

“You like it?”

“Hell yeah!” Kenneth said, “Even though we didn't always get along I've always been a fan of your cooking.”

“We didn't always get along?” Jaz asked with a frown.

“Well no but..it's was usually my fault.” Kenneth sighed, “I was a brat.”

“Oh…” Jaz said, “Well why don't you tell me about the future?”

Kenneth explained to her how the future was bad and him and others came back in time in order to prevent it. He talked about the battles they had. How he was before he ran into the team in this time and how he was when he was on the team. Jaz gave him a glare.

“Sounds to me like you've been quite the jerk.’ Jaz pointed out. Kenneth sighed.

“Well yeah.” Kenneth sighed, “But I've changed my ways.”

“You have?” Jaz asked.

“Yes.” Kenneth said, “These past five years I've been in the shadows helping people. But not only that I've been teaching myself to not get angry while also training. You see I use to her voices in my head and they would tell me that...if I didn't act the way I did I would end up getting treated horribly.”

“These voices, were they anyone you know?” Jaz asked.

“It was my own and...my mom’s…” Kenneth said.

Jaz frowned, “A mother wouldn't tell her child to behave the way you told me you did.”

“You don't understand.” Kenneth looked down, “My mother is the reason I was like that.”

Jaz raised an eyebrow. Kenneth looked at her and continued, “I used to live with my mother in the future before I went to live with you and dad. Growing up she used to beat me. She had a lover who would do it too. They would always beat me, barley feed me, and she didn't even give me nice clothes. I spent a lot of time outside the house. I never told you or dad because I was too scared. Then the urge came…”

Jaz had her hand covering her mouth from what she was hearing but she took it off to ask him, “The urge?”

“The urge….I started developing this urge to beat...not only that...but to kill.” Kenneth explained, “I took my anger and frustrations out on animals choooing them up with the axe I had.”

“Oh my…”

“Yeah, when dad finally found out he had me move in with him.” Kenneth said, “It was the angriest I’ve ever seen him.”

“I'll bet he was angry.” Jaz said.

“So yeah I took my anger out on animals.” Kenneth continued, “Dad took really good care of me. He made me feel as though I could do anything.”

Jaz smiled softly at that.

“My mom she always appeared in my head.” Kenneth said, “It didn't become too severe until the day dad died in the future. She told me that the others would blame me. See me as being too weak to protect him. She said even if he didn't die it was going to happen anyway. People were gonna look down on me see me as the weak link of the team. Dad had that problem where he felt like he was the weak link. Feeling bad about what happened to my uncle. He had at one point happened the king of Drama because he made him feel as though he was unimportant having just left him out when the team helped stop an attack on the castle. Not only that there were people on the team who weren't too fond of dad.”

Jaz had a sad look on her face, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had her brother at one point felt this way? She had always told him what happened wasn't his fault but did the king really left him out? Did other people on the team not like him?

“A darker version of myself along with mom came from inside my head and told me that I would suffer the same fate if I played by the rules.” Kenneth said, “If I wasn't more aggressive. I was angered by this and ended up trashing my room. I left the room and then you and I got into it…”

“...What do you mean?”

“While I always said that we should kill the people who stand in our way and we set people who see lowly of us straight you thought differently.” Kenneth said, “You said that I had it all wrong and that it was all in my head. You told me that in life there would be people who didn't like you and sometimes you would just have to accept that. This angered me more. You told me that I shouldn't let that get to me.”

"Which is right.” Jaz told him sternly, “If people see you as weak or brush you off, you don't act like a child or an asshole. The way I see it, the only thing that should do is drive you to become stronger. You don't do what you did. You work harder until you prove them wrong.”

“My father in the future...he eventually learned that.” Kenneth told her, “He was angry with the king and others looking down on him until he one day realized that it didn't matter to him. He worked hard, he trained hard, he became a better person. At the end of the day he didn't care if people didn't like him or saw him as weak, he only cared about keeping the peace in the world. He was willingly to help even those who thought of him...I didn't believe in that. I thought that if people were going to look down on me then I was gonna show them what for. So I killed people. I took pleasure in doing it. When I joined the team in this time I was at first angered that I couldn't fight because the enemies were stronger but then I realized when dad died that...it could've been me and I wasn't thinking because of my stupid lust.”

Jaz frowned. Kenneth looked at her.

“Jaz...can you tell me about my uncle?” Kenneth asked, “Fantastic?”

Jaz rolled her eyes at the name, “Fantastic wasn't his real name. He was where your father got the idea to call himself Awesome from. You're uncle was...a dick. He wasn't ever a dick your father but he would treat others as if they were lesser than us. He thought that he owned the land and thought of himself as a gift from the Gods.”

“I see…”

“His arrogance caused him to end up with a girl he didn't really bother to learn much about before getting himself killed.” Jaz huffed, “I never had the best relationship with him because of his behavior. He always gave your father bad advice which would cause him to do something stupid.”

“Oh…” Kenneth said.

“Yeah.” Jaz said, “Regardless he was my brother as well and I do miss him dearly.”

“I could see why.” Kenneth said and sighed.

“I'm sorry for all that you've been through with you mother, Kenny.” Jaz told him, “While you have yourself to blame I'm sorry for what happened on the team and if you don't have the best life in this time.”

Kenneth shook his head, “Don't be sorry. I know that I had this stuff coming, if people don't like me that's fine, I've earned that.” He had a determined look on his face, “What I care about is going around and protecting the innocent. Whether they like me or not I'm there to help them. I've trained for the past five years and I'm more stronger and skilled now then I was then. I've long since stopped with my anger.” He gave a smile, “I've found and have been able to contain peace within my heart.”

Jaz gave him a soft smile. “Well I'm glad to hear it.”

“So am I.” Kenneth nodded, “No need to hate the world so something I brought upon myself.’ He yawned.

Jaz chuckled, “Sounds like your tired. Why don't we call it a night and do something tomorrow?”

Kenneth smiled at her, “Yeah I'd like that.”

Jaz got up and went to another room. She came back with a pillow and a cover and handed them to Kenneth. He got them and sent them up on the floor, he put his head on the pillow and had the cover on him. He was able to fall asleep quickly as Benki went next to himself and fell asleep as well. Jaz smiled to herself before going to her room.

The Next Day

Jaz had waited for Kenneth to wake up and they two had eaten breakfast and were now out in the woods along with Benki. Jaz had a basket in her hand as she was riding on her horse.

“What are we doing?” Kenneth asked.

“We’re going to pick apples.” Jaz told him with a smile, “Its relaxing for me.”

“Picking apples?” Kenneth asked, “That's relaxing?”

“For me it is.” Jaz told him, “I love apples and it find it fun to pick them.”

“Oh, alright then.” Kenneth nodded. Benki walked happily next to him.

Jaz made her way to an apple tree, she spotted a villager there who was picking apples and she walked up to him.

“Hello there sir.” Jaz smiled.

“Way nice to see you, Jaz.” The villager said. He looked at Kenneth. “Friend of yours?”

“Nephew.” Jaz told him. Kenneth nodded at the villager.

“Well hello there.” The villager waved at Kenneth.

“Name’s Kenneth.” Kenneth smiled.

“Ah that's a nice name.’ The villager said. “Jaz!” Another voice called, this was from an old woman who walked up to the three, “So nice to see you again dear.”

“You too.” Jaz smiled, “This is my nephew, Kenneth.”

Kenneth waved. Benki barked.

“Well Jaz I insist you and your nephew come over for lunch.” The old woman said.

“Oh no, we couldn't.’ Jaz said.

“Come on, I insist.” The old woman said.

Kenneth shrugged, “Sounds good to me.” Jaz looked at him shaking her head with a smile, “Alright I guess we can come.”

“Oh wonderful.” The woman replied. “Come along.” She started making her way towards her house with Jaz and Kenneth following. As soon as they reached it she introduced them to her husband and got started on making the sandwiches. Soon the four were at the table enjoying them.

“These are great.” Jaz said as she took another bite of her sandwich.

“Thank you dear.” The woman smiled, “But it's nothing really.”

“What are you talking about?!” Kenneth exclaimed, “These are amazing!”

“Well thank you young man.”

“So Mrs, how do you and Jaz know each other?” Kenneth asked.

“You're aunt is quite the traveler dear.” The woman said, “She’s been here plenty of times and has chased off people who wanted to do harm to the village. She’s also helped around the town and has helped me and my husband around the house.”

Jaz shrugged with a smile, “It’s just what a do.”

“That's cool to hear.” Kenneth said taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Yeah it's is.” The old man said, “Tell us son, what have you been doing before you ran into your aunt?”

“I've been doing some traveling myself.” Kenneth said, “I've been helping people and have been disappearing.”

“You must get lonesome.’ The woman said.

“Nah it's cool.” Kenneth said, “I got my buddy Ben over there.”

He pointed to Benki who was chewing on a bone. The old woman smiled.

“You're aunt has been staying here for the past few years.” She said, “In her cabin nearby I mean, are you staying with her?”

Kenneth was about to take a bite of his sandwich and put it down. He looked at Jaz. “Uh...I don't know.” Jaz smiled. “Well of course you can stay...if you want?”

“Are you kidding?” Kenneth asked, “I'd love to.”

Jaz smiled brightly when he said that.

The night went on as the two chatted with the two old folks, Jaz had already been in a good mood like almost always but she was out in an even better mood when during this. Kenneth expressed an interest in wrestling and told a few jokes here and there making the two laugh. Jaz was truly enjoying herself as she smiled at him.

She had someone to be around and help out around the village. She was already surrounded by friendly faces but it was nice to be around a relative after so long even if they did just meet. This would be quite the adventure