Visitation By: Fox Cutter 10/05/1999: Samantha sat sprawled out on the couch, one leg hanging over the end, and the other resting on the floor. Her left arm hung off the edge of the couch, and was gently petting Rhea's scruff as the lioness slept on the floor. At the same time, Samantha was using her telekinetic power to pet Rhea's ears. The young woman had her eyes half-closed, and seemed to be just staring off into space as I walked into the living room, but as I approached a small smile spread over her face as she turned to look at me. "Hello, Oriana," she said in a neutral tone. I returned her smile and glanced at her feet, "Comfortable?" "Enough. It would be better if I could have a smoke, but the world isn't perfect," she said, working her fingers deeper into Rhea's fur. I crossed my arms and took a few steps closer to her, "Neither is that couch, but it's close enough for now. I would like to keep it that way." She frowned, and let out on exaggerated sigh as she swung her leg off the arm of the couch and onto the floor. "Better?" she asked in a snide tone. "Much," I replied in the same fashion. She and I were hardly what one would call friends. I put up with her because Fox asked me to, and she put up with me because it was my home. Samantha took her hand away from Rhea, folding them both in her lap, but still keeping her telekinetic power working the lioness's ears. "I'm glad you showed up I wanted to talk to you." I flicked my tail and took a few more steps into the room, "And why is that?" I asked. A smile played across her face, "I need your help." "Really? For what?" I asked, a little bit worried that she would ask me instead of my husband. "You'll like this one, it helps Fox," she said, her cloth tail flicking beside her on the couch. I smiled at her. Now I was interested. "Help him in what way?" "It turns out that he and I have mutual friends," she said as she stood up from the couch, stopping her handless petting of Rhea. The lioness finally woke up and gave the human a displeased look as Samantha walked away from her and the couch. "He has some information that your husband needs." "But?" I prompted, moving to stand toe to toe with the young lady. I was still unsure what she was proposing, but my curiosity was raised, along with my ears. "But... he's incommunicado at the moment," she replied. "So I need your help to get to him." I nodded, "I see, and how can I do that?" A wide smile played over Samantha face, the kind that gave me a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. The kind of feeling I used to get back before Fox was exiled, when he would suggest going on an adventure. "You see, he's in the Maximum Security Prison inside of the Marble Hall." It took only a moment for my mind to make the connection between what she had told me and what I knew. "Grasion," I said with a soft snarl. She nodded, and chuckled softly, "Most people have that reaction to him, it seems." "I have my reasons," I said through clenched teeth. "Of course, and Fox has his own reasons, which is why he won't go and see the man on his own. So I decided to get the information to help him, to thank him for getting me home." I nodded, flicking my ears forward a bit as a small smile played over my face. "What do you have in mind?" I asked. "Just a small chat. He knows me and I know how to deal with him. I can get the information Fox needs," Samantha said crossing her arms. I smiled, then let out a heavy sigh as reality set in, "Except that I can't get in to see him. Fox has clearance to get into the prison, I don't." "Oh," she said, her smile fading, her cloth tail falling to the floor. My expression matched her's. "I'm sorry. It is a good idea, and if I could help with it I certainly would." Samantha shrugged. "It was worth a try," she said. "Perhaps you could get Fox to have them let you in?" "What would I tell him? It's not like we have many friends inside," I answered. "Just Grasion and a few former Hammerheads. No one I would want to see in my spare time," I paused for a second, flicking my tail as I thought about it. It occurred to me that the Guild might have some contact inside the prison, and that could get us inside. I was about to turn and address Santhara, who was in her ever-present position a few paces behind me, when I found that Rhea had joined our little party. <> she sent, a strange smirking smile on her large muzzle. I glanced at Samantha, then back down to the lioness, "How?" I asked. <> she asked. I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked down at her, "Used to be?" I asked. <> she said as if she was explaining to a small child. Samantha shrugged, "A sperm and an egg?" she suggested, not completely aware of the history between Fox and Rhea. "You started as a part of Fox," I said. <> She replied happily, <> "How?" I asked, "You don't exactly look like him, and you don't have the shifting ability that he does." "What about the Matrix unit?" Samantha asked. "If that can make Fox's bodyguard look like a human, surely--" <> Rhea sent, cutting her off. <> "And what would that something be?" Samantha asked, annoyed by being cut off. <> the lioness replied as she turned her large gray eyes up to look at me, her tail flicking gently against the floor. I shook my head, "Don't look at me like that, I maybe able to do magic, but I don't have the training to use it, let alone know how to cast an illusion like that." "You can do magic?" Samantha said, her eyebrows lifting, "I'm impressed. I'll have to show you a few things." She then turned her attention to Rhea, "Don't ask me, either. I was never good at illusion spells." Rhea nodded her large head, and rose to all four feet, <> This time I was able to see exactly where she was going. "You're right. Ken might help, especially if it would help Fox." <> she said the last part with some disgust; she hated being leashed up like the animal everyone thought she was. "Why not just shift here, and skip the collar?" I suggested. <> she replied, her mental voice a bit terse. I nodded, it did make some sense, but there were other ways we could slip out unobserved, so I knew it wasn't just that. Personally, I thought she would rather be on a leash than shift forms. I found it interesting that she would pick humiliation over discomfort; Fox was the exact opposite. "All right, I'll get you your things," I told her as I left the room, Santhara following a few steps behind me as she always did. Fox was in his office working on something for the ship yard, so I wasn't worried about accidentally running into him. Once inside the bedroom, I gathered up some of the clothing that Fox and Rhea shared, the norm- shift stone, and Fox's CSC ID card from the corner of his dresser where he always kept it. Folding the norm-shift stone into the clothing, I tucked everything against my chest and slipped out of the room. I took a moment to stick my head in the office and tell Fox to keep an eye on the children, then picked up Rhea's collar and leash from the peg in the kitchen. Everyone was waiting for me when I got back to the living room. Samantha had her jacket on, and was impatiently fingering the outline of her cigarettes. Rhea was sitting next to the front door, her ears lowering slightly when she saw the collar in my paw. <> Rhea said, stretching her neck forward. <> I nodded, and handed the rest of the things to Samantha. Bending down onto one knee, I wrapped the thick leather collar around Rhea's neck, and fastened it. Then I attached the lead of the leash to the back of the collar. <> she said as she rose to all fours. "You can still change your mind," I told her as Samantha handed me back the clothing and opened the door. <> she responded as padded through the doorway. <> I nodded, and stepped to the side as Santhara closed the front door. The Taxi hadn't arrived yet. but that was to be expected; it always took a few minutes for it to show up. Samantha was waiting at the edge of the driveway, lighting one of her cigarettes. I walked up to her, making sure to stand upwind. "What do you see in those?" I asked. She gave me an annoyed look through narrowed eyes, "Look, if this is the big 'smoking is bad for you' speech, just stuff it. I've heard it too many times to count." I blinked in surprise, I hadn't expected that kind of reaction from her, not that I even knew what to expect, but it wasn't something so hostile. "It's a simple question. You're the first person that I've ever meet who even does it. I was wondering why," I said. Samantha paused for a second, her hostility fading away as she took a long pull on the cigarette. "I do it because I enjoy it, and because it annoys some prim and proper people." I smiled slightly, "I see... why is it enjoyable? It seems like it wouldn't be." "It really isn't at first," she said, smoke trailing out of her nose as she spoke, "but that's just the smoke itself. When the nicotine hits the system, it's a pleasant experience, though it can make you a little light-headed the first few times." "It's a stimulant," I said, watching as the taxi turned on to the drive way, and moved up towards the house. Samantha nodded, and dropped the remains of the cigarette to the ground, grinding it out with the toe of her shoe. "It can be slightly addictive as well," she said. "How interesting," I replied as the taxi came to a stop in front of us. It was the same hyena morph that we usually had as a driver, who smiled as he saw us. I opened the back door and let Rhea climb onto the seat. She moved carefully so as not to rip the slick plastic seat covers with her claws. Once inside she took up two-thirds of the back seat. Samantha glanced over my shoulder, then towards the front of the car, where my bodyguard had the passenger side door open. "This could be tricky," she commented. "There is room for two of you up front," the driver said in accented Prid Standard, indicating he had learned the language instead of having an translator, "I may be big, but I don't take up that much room," he patted his gut as he spoke. Samantha looked at me and rolled her eyes, "I'll take the middle," she said, as she pulled her jacket close and slid into the front seat. Santhara squeezed in next to her and pulled the door closed. I climbed into the back seat, pressing in next to Rhea, and told the driver where we were going. "Next time you bring your pet with you, tell us ahead of time and I'll bring the larger cab," the driver said as he pulled out onto the road. <> Rhea said, rightfully annoyed. The driver just nodded, and drove on in silence. I reached back, stroking Rhea's scruff as she nibbled on her tail tuft. I think that the car made her feel a little claustrophobic, a problem that Fox never had, but he was significantly smaller than she was. She glanced up at me, and flicked her ears forward as she continued to chew at her tail. I leaned back, and let out a soft sigh. I hoped this little trip would be worth it, and more importantly, I hoped we didn't get caught. This was not going to be something I could easily get us out of. In an effort to break the silence that filled the car, I leaned forward and asked Samantha, "How did you find your way into the multi-verse? Fox told me that it wasn't by choice, but I don't know all the details." "It was by choice," she replied, sounding annoyed that I had even asked the question. "Oh," I replied, sinking back into my seat. She nodded, and pressed herself back against the seat. She stayed that way for about a minute before she stared to shift in place. A moment later she twisted around, giving me a harsh look. "Do you really want to know?" She asked. I nodded, not that it was quite true, but it would be interesting to hear. She took in a deep breath, and let it slip out as she calmed herself. "It was by my choice, but not like how you chose it. I was young, and board with my normal life. As if in answer to my wishes I had a fold open up in my bedroom, which I later learned was no accident of fate. Out walked this handsome man by the name of Dillen Serina. He was tall, dashing, and very mysterious. For a girl my age he was irresistible. "He offered me an adventure, the chance to get away form it all, and like a fool I took it. I just ran away from home for some excitement," she sighed and shook her head. "I fell for his act, hook line and sinker. Once on the other side he told me I was going to help him break into a laboratory, to steal some drugs. I was to use my abilities as a natural to help them slip past security. "It was during the mission that I truly learned what I was there for. I started to object to what he was doing, and he slapped me around in return. I was just a tool for him, a necessary tool, but one that was expendable. He made it clear that he had gone to a lot of expense to get me, including putting the fold in my room, and that he would get his money worth out of me." "I'm glad you got away from him," I said. She smiled, "So was I. It took two months before I was finally able to jump through a fold without him right behind me. I was gone, scattering to the winds. It was a month before I realized that he knew how to get me back home. I spent my time after that track him down, and planning how I was going to torture the information out of him." "Now that no longer necessary," I told her. A dark smile passed over her face, "No, it's not. I can just jump right to watching him die." I nodded, understanding why she would feel like that. With that said, she turned back around, a smile on her face as we lapsed back into silence. A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of Ken's apartment building. It was a long squat structure that looked in need of repair. Ken's place was on the second floor, and took up most of it. I had only been up there once, before; back when Fox had first been cursed. We piled out of the taxi, and I told the driver to wait for us. He didn't seem to mind, being used to this sort of thing from the family. He was even prepared, having brought a book along. The four of us made our way up the stone steps, to the second floor. A wide hallway ran the length of the building, and it had only two doors. One was of regular wood, and the other thick steel. "He might not be home," Santhara pointed out as I rapped on the steel door. The sound echoed unnaturally loud through the hallway. "Then this will be a short trip," I replied as I took a step back from the door. A few moments later, the door slid aside, revealing Ken. The dragon looked a bit flustered when he saw us, but quickly regained his composure. "Hello, Oriana, Rhea, what can I do for you today?" "We need a little help. Can we come in?" I asked. He paused, glancing back over his shoulder, "Well... I suppose you can, but I am in the middle of something at the moment." "It's all right, Ken, we can wait," another, familiar, voice said from behind Ken. The dragon nodded, and stepped aside. Standing a few feet behind him was the same silver-gray ocelot morph that had helped Fox when he was soul sick. He was currently adjusting the tie of his suit, and smiling at us. "I'll wait for you in the kitchen," the ocelot told Ken, and turned away, walking out of the room. Ken nodded, and motioned for us to come inside, "So what can I do for you?" he asked. <> Rhea sent as we all pushed inside. Ken raised an eye ridge as he led us into his laboratory, his wings pulled against his back. "Why? And it better be a good reason; this is not something I would do lightly." Samantha pushed past me, a smile on her face, "It's a good reason. Do you mind if I smoke?" Ken waved her on, and she lit up as she told Ken the basics of our little plot. While that went on, I took Rhea to a small side room and helped her to change into her morphic form. "How interesting," Santhara said from just inside the door, watching as Rhea pulled her clothing on. "Is that stone how Ravindar was turned into a tiger last month?" Rhea smiled, "Yes it was, and it was nice to have him join us like that." The tigeress nodded, her ears folding slightly in thought. Once Rhea was satisfied with her clothing, we returned to the laboratory. Samantha was half-way through a second cigarette, and Ken was working on a spell. Ken glanced up as we entered. "Almost done," he said. "I guess you convinced him," Rhea told Samantha. She shrugged, and took a long draw, "I'm good with people that way," she replied. We sat down next to Samantha, and waited for Ken to be finished. The dragon moved fast, his wings flexing quickly as he worked. He seemed agitated; I wondered why, but decided it wasn't my place to be asking. Silence filled the room as Ken worked, I tried to start up a conversation, but Samantha just hushed me, and offered me one of her cigarettes. I turned her down, not really interested in filling my lungs with smoke. She took it in stride, and continued to smoke on her own. "Come here, Rhea," Ken said as he stood up, and stretched out his wings. The lioness stood, and walked across the room. Ken placed one of his paws on her shoulder, and used his other paw to pick up a thick gray paste. He smeared the paste through the fur on Rhea's nose, then above her eyes. Wiping his paw clean, Ken took her other shoulder, and wrapped his wings tightly around her body, obscuring her from view. He started to whisper strange words as light grew around Rhea. It soon became bright enough that it made the wings' membranes glow. With one last sharp word, Ken folded his wings back, revealing Fox standing in Rhea's place, looking very nervous. "It worked!" Ken announced, seeming slightly surprised. "You doubted yourself?" I asked. He shrugged, "It's not an easy illusion, and it's been a while since I knew Fox intimately enough to do this kind of spell." Samantha nodded, snuffing out her last cigarette. "He looks a bit younger then he should," she commented. Ken nodded. "It's the best I can do. Just keep anyone from looking too closely," he said. "I won't need it that long," Rhea said, the voice sounding exactly like Fox, but the tone and pacing was still that of the lioness's. "I need to use your hard line," she said. "Go ahead," Ken replied, sitting down, looking a little pale. I walked to his side, touching the edge of his muzzle, "Are you all right? You don't look well." He nodded, slumping forward, "I'm all right. The spell took a lot out of me, but it was worth it. I would like to be there with you, but I don't think I have the energy." "And your friend is still here," I said. A smile flashed over his muzzle as he quickly nodded his head. His eyes glowed brightly for a moment as he said, "Yes...I had almost forgotten." "So, who is he?" I asked. Ken chuckled again, and glanced away, he started to say something, but closed his muzzle as soon as Rhea walked back into the room. "I got the four of us clearance," she said, holding Fox's ID card, "but we had better hurry." "Right. Let's go, then," I said as I stood up, my question forgotten for the moment. Rhea nodded, but instead of joining me, she walked over to Ken. "I won't be needing the spell anymore. I was able to arrange everything over the phone." He nodded, and reached out to touch the illusion around her. With a simple word, the image of my husband fell away like dust, leaving Rhea behind. "Thank you for your help," she said, brushing her paw over her face, knocking away the dried remains of the paste used in the spell. "I would do anything to help Fox," Ken replied. A smile spread across her muzzle, "I know," she said, reaching out to touch the side of his face. The dragon blushed red through his green scales, and hid his own smile. "You had better get going," he said. Rhea nodded and pulled away from him, running her paw through her hair. "I had better change back first," she said, taking my arm and leading me out of the laboratory, and back into the small room where she had changed before. I helped her out of her clothing, and back into the collar when she had returned to all fours. Once that was finished, we said goodbye to Ken, and headed back down to the still waiting taxi. As we piled into the vehicle, I told the driver to head to one of the lesser used entrances to the Marble Hall, and in moments we were on our way. <> Rhea sent as we drove. "Why me?" Samantha asked, twisting around in the tight front seat to look back at the lioness. <> she explained, chewing on her tail once more. "What kind of prison allows guns?" she asked. "The kind we're going to," I answered. "They hold a lot political prisoners, so a lot of the visitors come with protection." Samantha nodded, "It still seems odd." <> Rhea said. She thought about that for a few seconds, the nodded her head. "I see. I'm glad I brought my guns with me." "You're like me," Santhara said, a smile touching her muzzle. "You never take them off." I reached down, touching the side of my hip where my needler would hang, on the occasions that I wore it. I suddenly felt a bit under-dressed. I decided that a change of topic was in order, "So Samantha, you never told me how you know Grasion." A dark smile played over her face, pulling her features into an odd look. "Well, it was back when Cain and I were working together," she said, then paused, as if she was wondering if she had said too much. "Go on," I prompted. I didn't hold her working with Cain against her, but I didn't like to think about it. "Cain needed something special, and decided to call on Grasion. Apparently they had worked together before; he's the one who gave Cain the scar on his face." I nodded again, but didn't say anything. "It was a stupid plan and the q-ball was providing some of the technology we needed. I guess he wanted to take some of his pay out in my flesh, as one night near the end of the operation, he tried to rape me. At the time, I was playing the little ditz on Cain's shoulder, and he had no idea that I could defend myself. His mistake." "I'm surprised you left his balls," I said with a grin. She smirked, "I tried, but he managed to get away after I stabbed him in the leg. Pissed him off, and he went bitching to Cain, who nearly killed the bastard for it. We had to abort the operation after that. I think Cain blamed me for it, which was part of why he tried to kill me a few months later." <> Rhea said, a touch of anger in her voice. "Why don't you like him?" Samantha asked. Rhea leaned forward in the seat, dropping her tail from her mouth, and forced a smile onto her muzzle, which showed off most of her teeth. <> "I see," she said, leaning back slightly. The lioness nodded, dropping her lips and settling back down into her seat. <> she said. The feeling of her words had changed, I could tell they were sent only to me. I nodded and touched her scruff, I had already resigned myself to finding out only when Fox was ready to tell me. That day, if it ever came, was many years distant. "So, how should we handle this?" Samantha asked a few moments later. "Good cop, bad cop?" "How about Bad cop, bad cop?" I suggested. She smiled, "And the bitch with the guns, I like it." <> Rhea said. I chuckled, and ran my paws over my lap, smoothing out my skirt. "I'll make sure to give you a proper introduction." She nodded as the taxi came to a stop out side the entrance to the Marble Hall, a simple ramp that descended under the ground and into the Hall. Behind the ramp was the beginning of a park that covered the top of the entire underground structure. We all piled out of the cab, and I told the driver that we would be a while as I paid him the fare. He gave me a wave, and pulled away, leaving us to our own devices. With Rhea's leash in hand, we started down the ramp, and into the Hall itself. It was a slow and boring decent. Soon enough we took a left turn, and followed a short hallway. At the end, I could see the heavy steel door that marked the main entrance to the Prison. A pair of guards stood flanking the door, watching us approach. Acting casual, I handed them my ID card, and the others did the same. One of the guards called inside about them, as the other keep a careful eye on us, his paw resting on the butt of his gun. I was nervous. If Rhea's deception as Fox fell apart, it would be then. If we got very lucky we would just be turned away, otherwise we could end inside the prison, as guests. After what seemed like an abnormally long time, the first guard returned and handed us our IDs. Then, without fanfare the large steel door opened, and we were ushered inside. Another pair of guards were on watch inside the small waiting room behind the door. A third guard stood near the exit, along with a nervous looking fox, wearing a badly fitting suit, who hurried forward as we entered the room. "Hello, Ms. Cutter, I'm Second Assistant Warden Ki," he said, offering his paw. I took it in mine, and gave it a firm shake. He fished through his suit pockets, and pulled out three ID badges. "Please, you and your bodyguards must wear these at all times." I nodded, taking them from his paw and passing them around. Mine showed me as a VIP at the prison, and the other two marked my companions as being armed. "I would like to see the prisoner," I said as I clipped mine on. "Of course, if you would follow me," Ki said as he hurried out of the room. We followed after him, and the extra guard followed us. "Why the escort?" Samantha asked. "Procedure. Because you are armed, he will be with you wherever you go." Rhea growled softly, and sent directly to me, <> "I was told we would meet with the prisoner in privacy," I said as I came to an abrupt stop, my arms crossed over my chest, glaring at the fox. He gulped, and pulled at his suit jacket, "Well, yes... but unless it's a matter of Consortium Security..." he shrugged. I snorted, "You do know what this man did? I can assure you everything we discuss will be a matter of the highest security," I said through clenched teeth. It was a bold- faced lie, but I wasn't going to let him know that. Ki looked a bit flustered, but simply sighed. "Yes, ma'am, I read his file. We would prefer if you kept a guard with you while in meeting with him, but we have authorization to let you go in on your own. I recommend against it, however. He may act like a model inmate, but he is brutal." "We are familiar with him," Samantha said. The fox sighed again, then nodded, "Very well, but we will keep a guard at the door," he said as he started walking down the hallway. I could hear muttering under his breath about pushy VIPs. I hid a smile as we followed after him. After another few minutes of walking, we came to an unmarked door, plain gray against the white wall. One guard was already standing by the door, and the guard who came with us joined him. Ki turned to face me, pulling a small device from his suit pocket. "This is your panic button. Hit it three times to ask to come out," he said, demonstrating this by hitting the button on the device. A small red light started to glow on top of the door. "Anything else, we come in, weapons drawn." I nodded, taking the device from his paw. There was a small strap that held it on my paw. "Thanks," I said as I slipped it over my fingers and pulled it tight. He nodded, and crossed his arms. "The prisoner is waiting for you," he said, and motioned for the guard to open the door. Taking a deep breath, I watched the door swing open, the guard following it inside. Straightening my back, I walked into the room. Grasion was sitting in a chair in the center of the room. His hands were behind his back, locked to the chair with a set of handcuffs, and his legs were shackled to the floor. He was perfectly calm as he turned to look at me, his pink eyes narrowing as he saw me. "Hello, Oriana," he said as I walked in, the light in the room glaring off the white albino skin of his hairless head. "I was expecting Fox," he glanced down as Rhea followed me into the room, "Or is that him?" I said nothing as I walked across the room, settling down in the second chair. Rhea took up a place next to me glaring at Grasion as I unhooked her leash. Santhara came in next, walking briskly across the room to take up a place by my shoulder. Samantha followed right after her, and that got his attention. "Cain's bimbo, now this is a puzzlement," he said. Samantha smiled as she took her own place at the side of the room, "How's the leg?" "Suddenly very painful," he said as the guard stepped out of the room, the door closing with a heavy thud. Grasion looked over the four of us, not concerned, but a little confused. "So, why are you and your friends here without Fox?" I smiled, "I have a few questions for you," I said. "Really? Then you wouldn't mind if I get comfortable?" he asked as he shifted slightly, and with a relaxed move he pulled his arms forward, free of the handcuffs. At the same time, both Samantha and Santhara both pulled out their guns. He chuckled and folded his hands in his lap, "Well now, the pair of you are well trained," he said, his eyes flicking between the human and the tigeress. He then smiled, and turned his attention to me. "So, what would you like to know?" "What do you know about The Neverending?" He paused, tapping his chin as he thought, "Well, I really can't remember, sorry." I leaned forward, smiling slightly, "Are you sure about that?" "Completely," he responded. I let out a sigh, then nodded, "Very well, if you don't, you don't. Samantha," I said, half turning my head to look at her, "Finish with his leg." "My pleasure," she said, smiling widely as she lowered her aim. Grasion's eyes flicked to her, then back to me, as if waiting for me to do something. "You wouldn't..." he started to say, but it was cut off with a yell of pain as the bullet ripped through his shin, blood spraying out over the floor. He started to shake, biting off his yell as he bent down to look at the leg. He reached down with his hand and pressed it against the exit wound. "Impressive, Fox would never have allowed that," he said, gasping softly as he tore off part of his shirt, and tied it tightly around his leg, slowing the flow of blood. I nodded to him, "Thank you." I honestly hadn't expected Samantha to shoot, and was surprised that the guards hadn't broken down the door. As I thought, Rhea rose to her feet and took a step forward. She smiled at Grasion, showing off all her teeth, <> she asked. His eyes widened slightly as he looked down at her, shifting uncomfortably as she placed her head on his lap. "Yes, I believe I do," he said. I nodded, motioning for him to continue. "I've run into it a few times," he said, trying to regain his composure, "Nasty beast. It's old, older than anything I've ever seen before. Older than most of the Multi-Verse. It acts likes a god... no, more like a custodian for all about it. It was interested in Fox for some reason, something about something it wanted him to do." I leaned forward, folding my hands together and smirking at him. "And what was this thing that it wanted?" "I don't know," he replied. "It wasn't interested in telling me, I gathered it thought it was of some importance, and that Fox was it's second choice. It wanted me to test him, to find out if he was worthy." "Worthy, of what?" He shrugged, "I wasn't fit to be told about it." I nodded, "Anything else... its home world, maybe?" Grasion shook his head, looking past Rhea and at his leg. "No, nothing like that," he said, looking a bit pale, if that was possible. "I'm going to need a medic soon," he commented. "I'll need the locations where you meet this thing before," I told him. "Right, let me think," he said, closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath. Opening them again he rattled off three fold numbers. I jumped, reaching for something to write it down, but Santhara placed her paw on my shoulder. "I'll remember them all," she said in a confident tone of voice. "Good," I replied, rising to my feet. "Do you have anything else?" I asked Grasion. He smiled weakly, "Give Fox my best." I smiled and shook my head, taking Rhea's leash as I signaled for the door to be opened. We filed out of the room, one at a time, all of us satisfied with what we had gained. -------- This story is copyright 2004 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.