The Ends

                             By

                         Fox Cutter

07/06/1999:

"You look preoccupied," Oria said as she placed a paw on the
back of my neck.

I turned my head around to look at her, and gave her a
smile. She was leaning over the back of the couch, her hair
hanging loose, and cascading down around her face, framing
it perfectly.

She returned the smile, then leaned forward for a short
kiss.

"To answer your question," I said as we pulled out of the
kiss, "I do have a lot of my mind."

"With Little Fox?" she asked while walking around the couch.
She flicked her tail at me as she sat down.

I draped my arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer.
"Among other things. I'm hoping he actually shows up. Then
there is Samantha."

Oria tilted her head slightly. "Is everything all right with
her?"

"Apparently so," I answered. "Her arm is regrowing pretty
much as expected, but there is something else." I paused,
thinking about it for a moment. "I really shouldn't even
know about it, but I was concerned when the doctors
mentioned there was something strange, so they told me."

She nodded. "You don't have to tell me if you don't wish
to."

I thought about that for a moment. I had no reason to tell
her what I had discovered. It was clearly something personal
to Samantha, if she even knew about it. I could safely let
the conversation be at that point and time, and it would
have no effect on anyone, or anything at all.

Except for me, and the way I felt about it. I had to get it
off my chest, and I knew Oria could keep it private as well
as I could.

"Samantha has a tail," I said.

A puzzled look slipped over Oria's face. "You told me that
already, something about her telekinesis."

I nodded, "yes and no. Her brain is wired for a tail, and it
seems to have, bonded somehow with her tek ability. So, she
tries to move her tail, and moves the cloth one instead,
just like you or I would. It's almost physically real for
her."

She leaned against me, clearly thinking about this. "That is
very strange. Did she have the tail first, or her
telekinesis, and how did they bond like that?" she rubbed
her chin. "Do the doctors have any explanation?"

I shook my head. "They are just as baffled about this as we
are. They have never seen anything quite like it before. I
worry they're going to be poking and prodding her about it
as soon as she's awake. My guess is that she's not going to
take it that well."

"Who would?" my wife snorted.

I nuzzled her gently. "Very true."

She nuzzled me in return. "And how are you feeling? Is that
headache gone?"

"For the moment," I replied. I had been fighting a nasty
migraine for the last few days. With the judicious
application of aspirin I had managed to beat it down to a
dull ache, enough that I could ignore it for the time being.

"That's good," Oria said, snuggling up against me. "You're
always so down when you're in pain."

I stroked the back of her head, as I both heard and felt a
soft purr running through her. "Not to mention when I'm not
sleeping very well."

She nodded. "That should be taken care of in a short time.
Once you find out about Little Fox you'll have no reason to
stay up nights."

A small smile crept over my face. "I suspect your right," I
replied, though privately I was starting to suspect no such
thing. It was really beginning to worry me. I still had not
completely recovered from the year I spent without sleeping
at all. I just hoped that I wasn't returning to that state.
I was already planning to see my doctor about it, if the
situation didn't change soon .

I held her for a few more, brief moments, before my watch
let out a beep. "It's time," I said to no one in particular.
It was something we were both already well aware of.

We rose from the couch, and started towards the fold room. I
was barefoot at the time, something that was becoming more
common for me around the house and at the shipyards. Yet
another part of Oria's culture I had started to emulate
without consciously deciding to.

The walk was quiet. We just held hands for the short
distance down the hallway with our bodyguards falling into
step behind us. They had started to keep a closer eye on us
then usual, after the discovery about the Golem spell. We
all worried that some leftover part of the HammerHeads were
involved with it. It was hoped that somehow it predated
their fall-- that it was just an old spell left unattended.

Jadith was waiting for us inside the fold room. Her console
was already out and opened, ready to try this silly little
idea of mine to try and find Samantha's world.

"Are you ready?" I asked her, even though the question was
redundant.

She nodded, and brushed a stray hair from her eyes. "Just
give me the word."

I paused for a moment, taking a slow breath, suddenly
feeling very nervous about all of this. I had no idea if my
double would be willing to help me, or if he had even gotten
the message. If he didn't show up this time, we would just
try again in another ten days.

"The word is given," I said.

She keyed in a short sequence on her controller, and the
fold opened in the middle of the room. It was small, holding
at just an inch in size. If he wasn't coming, it would only
last a few moments before it fed back on itself, and
collapsed.

The passing of those moments were marked when Jadith said,
"The fold is holding stable."

"Open it the rest of the way."

A few more buttons were pressed, and in the space of a
heartbeat, the portal opened to its full size. As the colors
shifted and swirled inside of it, the surface parted like
water, and slowly my double stepped over the threshold.

The fold closed behind him, and he unslung a pack from his
shoulder. Something had happened to him between our last
encounter and now. He had been hurt badly. In one paw he
held a heavy walking stick that he rested most of his weight
on, and was using to aid a rather weak leg. Behind him, his
tail looked strange, like it had been broken, and not set
right.

But his eyes, his eyes we're smiling; there was a great pain
behind them, but more happiness.

He took a short step towards me, and let the smile spread to
his face. "Fox, Oriana, it's good to see you both again."

I smiled in return, and walked over to him. He grasped me
and gave me a short hug. "How are you two doing, and can you
introduce me to your friends?"

Oria walked over to us, and placed a paw on my shoulder. "We
are both doing very well. This is Jadith, Ravindar, and
Santhara," she pointed to each in turn as she spoke their
names. Jadith then introduced herself. The tigers stayed in
the background for the moment.

"Welcome to our home," I told him, "You'll be here for a few
days, so I hope you enjoy your stay."

He nodded, looking us both over, then breaking into a larger
smile. "Is that a wedding ring I see?"

Oria laughed and wrapped her arm around me. "You don't miss
a thing, do you, and we have to thank you for it. If it
wasn't for you, we would never have ended up together."

He smiled, and let out a soft chuckle. "Too bad I couldn't
come to the wedding."

I reached over to my wife, taking her paw in my hand. "Well,
we've only been married on Hr'raal," I said, pausing as
Little Fox raised an eyebrow. "Oriana's world," I explained.

She picked up where I left off. "We've had some thoughts
about having a second ceremony here on Prid, something a bit
more formal, and all our friends can be in attendance."

He smiled. "Well, I hope I receive an invitation."

"And how are you doing?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I nearly got killed last winter. I can't walk
upright unaided anymore, and almost tried to kill myself
afterwards, but at the time it wasn't worth the effort." He
smiled, "but I'm much better now."

I could see in his eyes that he was serious about that; a
slight twinkle in them matched the smile. Whatever had
happened, he might not be recovered from it yet, but he was
doing a good job of getting there.

"I'm glad you came. As you can imagine I would not have
asked you here if I didn't need your help."

He nodded, and tapped his cane against he floor. "Yes, I
gathered it was important, as you told me no one would be
able to come through the fold with that spell." A slight
frown creased his muzzle. "It goes without saying that I was
quite surprised when I got your message."

"We didn't open the fold enough to get through. In fact we
didn't open it any more than an inch, just enough to get a
cross bow bolt past the event horizon. Anything further than
that, and the fold would feedback and close, just like it's
suppose to."

"I see. Still, that's not what you told me."

I nodded, "Yes, but I didn't know better at the time. We can
arrange something better for when you return if you would
like."

"Yes. I would like a chair, please." He grimaced, shifting
more of his weight off his bad leg and onto his cane. "I
fear I can't stand much longer."

I turned to speak, but Jadith was already leaving the room.

"I'm sorry," I said, turning back to face my vulpine double,
"I didn't mean to aggravate your injuries."

He shook his head. "It's not your fault, it was the hike to
the fold that did most of the damage. I didn't dare bring
anyone else."

"What about Ryan and Sam?" I asked, regarding the two other
people in his world who, I knew, at least in some way knew
about the fold.

He shook his head. "Sam got herself killed in the assault on
the Keep. Ryan joined the Long Scouts after the same
assault. He's on patrol now, and won't be back to the keep
for some time."

"I see," I said, then stepped aside as Jadith brought in a
chair.

"Thank you, milady," Fox said with a smile, and a nod of his
head before settling himself down into the chair. He
stretched his weak leg out, and let out a soft sigh.

"We have some pain killers if you would like them," Oria
offered.

"I think that would be a good thing right now," he responded
with a smile and a flick of his ears. "As much as I respect
the healers at the Keep, they have yet to discover anything
as truly useful as aspirin."

Oria nodded, and slipped out of the room, Santhara following
just behind.

Jadith took a short step closer to Little Fox. "Have the
healers there been able to help much?" he asked.

He tilted his head to look at her. "The traditional ones
have been of some aid, restoring what little movement I do
have. I've avoided the LightBringers, and other magical
healers."

She nodded, I could see that she wanted to ask what to her,
was the next logical question, but she held her tongue. Such
things would have to come later.

There were a few moments of silence, which Little Fox cut
through with a quick question. "So, how exactly can I, a
simple librarian, help you, a man who has access to the
whole of the known universe?"

I smiled. "Simple. You can help me get a friend home."

He looked confused for a moment, but shifted his attention
as Oriana returned to the room with some pills, and a glass
of water.

He thanked her as he took them from her paws, quickly
swallowing the pills. He downed the glass of water right
after, returning it to Oria with a smile.

"Now, how exactly can I help you find your friends home?" he
asked, flicking a few drops of water off his whiskers. I
noticed he was missing two from the right side of his
muzzle, a small scar was located where they should have
been.

"Not 'find' exactly. We know where it is. It's the way there
that's the problem. You see, you're the only one who knows
the way there."

His ears flicked forward for a second, then started drifting
backwards as he took in this information. "Do you mean, my
Earth?"

I nodded. "She is from the same universe, the same world,
but she was stolen from there. She doesn't know how to get
home. You opened a fold from there to the world the Keep is
on."

"So that means that somewhere up here," he tapped the side
of his head, "is the way to get her home."

"That's the long and short of it. If you're willing. I know
it's a long shot." That was a bit of an understatement. The
last time we had met, I offered to teach him how to use the
folds, an offer that he rejected on personal grounds.

He sat quietly for a moment, hopefully thinking over my
request. If he turned us down, I had no one else to turn to.

Finally, he spoke. "I would be willing to learn to use the
folds to help your friend."

"You no longer fear running?" I asked, referring back to our
last conversation.

He smiled. "I only just stopped running Fox. Lately, I've
decided to start trying to live. It seems to be a worthwhile
experience."

"A very good lesson to learn," Oria said.

I nodded in agreement. It was the same lesson I had to learn
once myself.

"Love," I said, turning to face my wife. "This could take
some time, and it's best he and I do this by ourselves.
Right now distractions can get in the way."

A smile filled her face. "And I'm a distraction, am I?"

I laughed. "For me, always." Then I gave her a quick kiss.

She pulled away, and nuzzled my cheek for a second. "I'll
bring you something to eat if it gets too late."

"Thanks." I then turned my attention to the others.
"Ravindar, that goes for you as well. Jadith, I'll call you
when we need you."

She nodded. "If you would like my help just ask. I've had to
learn this more recently than you.

"True, but it's something you never forget," I responded.
"Now go on, all of you."

She nodded again, and followed Oria out of the room.

My bodyguard was the last one out of the room, waiting for
everyone to leave before he followed them.

"So, where shall we begin?" Little Fox asked with a sharp
smile on his muzzle.

I chuckled, "I would like to say the beginning, but that
never works in these kinds of situations. So we'll just have
to jump right to the end."

* * *

With his face in his paws, Little Fox asked, "How long have
we been at this?"

I put down my sandwich, and checked my watch. "About seven
hours."

He let out a long sigh of frustration. "Feels longer. I wish
I could get this," he said adjusting his hind legs. Which
normally would have been strange, but at the moment he had
four of them.

After we had been at this for a couple hours, Fox shown me a
new trick he had learned. Shifting himself into a fox'taur,
to take the pain from his leg. It had surprised me (though
not as much as his starting to strip for what seemed like no
reason before he changed forms). From that point on he had
satisfied himself with lying on the floor.

In this new form, his body was whole, both his leg and tail
were healed completely. The only remnant of his injuries was
his missing whiskers, something I suspected would follow him
though his forms like my eye color did with me.

I smiled up at him, which wasn't that far away, as I had
taken position on the floor myself, out of convenience.
"Don't worry, it takes time."

"I suppose you speak from experience?" he asked.

That was the question I had been dreading since we hit the
second hour. As it was, I started to blush slightly. "Well,
no. I managed it pretty much on the first try."

He looked up in surprise. "Really? How did you do that?"

"I have an insane amount of control over my abilities as a
Natural. I don't have much in the way of power, but what I
do have I can wield like a finely honed blade."

"Control seems to be the one thing I'm lacking," he
commented.

I nodded, "Not for lack of power." I thought back to some of
the almost successful attempts he had made. He was by far
one of the most powerful naturals I'd seen. "It seems that
in regards to our power, we're opposites to each other."

"So it seems," he replied, then finished the last bite of
his own meal.

"You ready to call this a night, or do you want to try
again?" I asked, setting my plate aside. I hadn't finished
my own food, I just didn't have the stomach for it.

He sighed, looking over the piles of books and papers that
covered the floor around us. During this little educational
outing, I had pulled every book I had on opening folds, and
a few that Jadith had as well.

We had some sporadic luck throughout the day, and now into
the night, but nothing definite. We had been making
progress; Little Fox could almost open the fold in a
controlled manner.

"I'm feeling better now that I've gotten something inside of
me," was his immediate response. He then paused to think for
a moment. "I'm ready to try again, if you want to put up
with it again."

I motioned to where the fold was. "Go for it."

He nodded, and closed his eyes, folding his paws in front of
his body. He locked his fingers tightly together and slowly
took in a deep breath and held it.

I watched as he concentrated, his ears pulling back as he
clenched his eyes closed even tighter. His whole body was
tensing up, then everything relaxed in a wave moving from
his tail to his ears.

He pushed his paws out, palms spread open, his fingers
splayed wide, and in that instant a portal burst into
existence in front of us.

Little Fox let out a cheer, knowing before he even opened
his eyes that it had been a success.

A large smile played over his muzzle, as he looked at his
creation, before it snapped close. It had only existed for a
few seconds at the most.

"Damn," he muttered. "I couldn't keep it open."

I stood up, reaching out with my hand to touch the place
where the portal had been. It was still hot, and oh so
easily traceable. It took only a moment for me to learn
where the fold had gone, and it wasn't back to Metamor.

"Should I try again?" Fox asked, his voice carrying a mix of
excitement and despondence.

"Perhaps later I think. For now though, that's enough."

He looked surprised, and I explained to him about how to
close a portal so it couldn't be traced. It didn't take him
a moment to realize that was something he hadn't done, and I
knew where to go.

"Time to go get Jadith, if she's still up. We'll go scout
out the place, and track down Samantha's fold."

Little Fox nodded and stifled a yawn. "You won't mind if I
skip this part? I don't think I can face going back home
again."

I nodded. "Sure. If you like I can show you to a room. You
can crash for the night."

"I think that's a good idea," he said, slowly rising up to
all fours, stretching his legs out as he did so.

"Perhaps you should shift back to a morph form. Might save
some explanations."

"I think I have a better solution," he replied with a smile,
then suddenly shifted into a nonmorphic fox. right before
the remainder of the clothing he had been in fell onto his
head.

I laughed softly as he dug his head out, looking a bit
embarrassed by that. It was probably the first time it had
happened. I noted that I was right; he was still missing his
whiskers.

"I forgot you could do that," I said, gathering up his
discarded clothing, and cane. I opened the door. "Come on.
Let's go."

We went out into the hallway, with him hanging by my side.
Ravindar was, of course, waiting by the door for me, right
where I suspect he had been all evening.

He said nothing about the fact that I carried my friend's
clothing or that I had a small animal following me. After
being around me and my friends for as long as he had, I'm
sure he came to the correct explanation on the first try.

I escorted Little Fox to one of the spare rooms, and let him
inside, setting his stuff down next to the bed. He just
jumped up and started to burrow under the covers.

"You should remember where the bathroom is, and the kitchen
is to the left. You can't miss it. There are towels in the
cupboards next to the shower. Feel free to get cleaned up in
the morning if you want."

He stuck his head back out and nodded at me, before
burrowing back in.

I smiled and let myself out of the room, leaving him to
sleep.

After that I went to check on Jadith. I found her in her
room, sitting at a desk and reading a novel. Her door was
wide open, so I just knocked on the frame.

She looked up, and asked, "How is it going?"

"I got an address," I said with a smile. "Care to go
hunting?"

She snapped her book closed, and set it on the desk, picking
up her console in the process. "I thought you would never
ask," she answered with a smile.

-----

This story is copyright 2002 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy
reprints limited to one per person, all other rights
reserved. This story may not be distributed for a fee except
by permission of the author, and this copyright notice may
not be removed.