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Chapter Eighteen

"The Cub I Never Was"

By

Furry Sith Lord

Each step was excruciating to take as he forced himself to continue. His whole body hurt and his sleep schedule was out of order since he had to adjust his routine. He only walked at night because he would be less visible and that seemed safer than traveling during the day. He was afraid that if he was seen he'd be captured by slavers and sold off to some species.

Everything that happened was a blur and the last thing he could remember was waking up in the forest with all his clothing gone. Without status he would be what slavers sought to capture! An easy slave no one would care about if captured.

He still had a lump on his head and the blood was dried on it now. When he first woke and felt the pain he could not remember how he had been injured. He guessed he was thrown against a tree but why or how he still could not remember clearly. If he had to guess, he might still be in shock.

Each day he would sleep covered up and hiding so that no one would find him and everynight he would make his way in the direction he felt his home was. He did not know if he was correct but some inner instinct told him the direction to travel and so he did. Each night before he began he would think about it and want to just quit and let himself get captured but he knew he'd never see his family again if he did and they were more important.

He had a few near misses when he wandered close to a couple of slaver camps but that had taught him to be more aware of what was going on around him. He was covered in scraps and scratches from twigs and branches that cut him in his travels and as he slept. He could feel blisters on his feet and knew after he got home he'd have to see the vet to get checked out.

The main thing he wanted was to get home, get dressed, but after a long hot bath to ease away his tension. He was not sure how long he had been walking. It felt like an eternity as one night seemed to turn into another. The thought of his family was the only thing that pushed him to continue.

Lou fell to his knees as he at last saw the mansion and cried softly. He was overcome by the happiness that he had made it back safely and now everything he had been through would be at an end. He was tired thirty and for the first time he realized how hungry he was. He was tempted to grab a handful of grass to munch on.

He tried to rise and his legs were shaky under him but he put as much strength as he had left to force them to work. He walked towards the entrance and glared at a security guard that was about to approach him. The guard just stared dumbfounded as if he was seeing a ghost and the guard suddenly saluted him.

Several others ran to see the deer stripped down to his pelt walking towards the entrance. One of the guards cried out in shock at the sight of him. Lou wondered what was wrong with them to be this flabbergasted at seeing him.

A couple of servants screamed at the sight of him and ran away and he started to wonder what was going on. There was no reason for any of them to be acting this way unless Leggo had been up to mischief in his absence.

Leggo sat at Lou's desk and he tearfully looked at a picture of his husband. He wanted to announce his passing but after Tyger had been hurt by that damn machine his father in law told him to bring him to, he had again delayed things so Tyger could be apart. Tyger loved his father as much as Leggo did and it did not feel right to keep him out of it while he was recovering.

Lyon had been blocking anyone from disturbing his brother while he recovered. Leggo feared that Lyon blamed him personally but the lion cub had said nothing. Now he and Dash were patrolling the door like sentries to stop anyone from disturbing his sleeping brother.

"I know I've given up, a hundred times before. But I know a miracle, isn't something to ignore." Leggo sadly sang as he sang the main song from their wedding years ago. Lou was walking by and paused as he heard the sad pitiful wailing song of his husband. It moved his heart beyond words and he knew how much Leggo must have missed him in his absence.

"You take me for a Fooooool, you take me for a Fooooooool" Leggo sang as he howled the last part. Unseen Lou walked in still stripped to his pelt and began to sing the next verse.

"I never anybody till I knew you, I never knew anybody till I knew yoouu. I know when it rains, oh it pours, I know I was born to be yours." Lou sang out and Leggo looked at him screamed and hid under the desk. Lou raised an eyebrow and casually walked around to see the big wolf curled up in a ball shaking.

Lou playfully looked at him and tried to guess why he was so upset.

"If you think I'm mad for sitting at MY desk, relax, I understand you missed me." Lou said and Leggo looked at him in stark terror.

"What is wrong with you? You're acting like you've seen a ghost." Lou said trying to remain as calm as possible to relax Leggo. "Tell me what's wrong."

"You... you can't be here!!!"

"Oh?" Lou asked.

"You're dead!!!!!" Leggo cried and it took a second for it to register what he had just said. Lou then burst out laughing and he laughed so hard he had to wipe tears from his eyes.

"I'm what?!" Lou tried to say as he was finally able to stop laughing.

"Will tried to rescue you from the humans," Leggo started to say

"The what? did you say human? Do you mean Hooman like they named their village after the boy that BH murdered in front of me?" Lou interrupted and suddenly realized there was a lot going on that he had not heard while he was trying to get home.

"It's been all over the news! BH has become someone called Reverend Lord and he leads the hairless apes but they now call themselves humans after their prophet was murdered by some unidentified fur.

They snuck in under the cover of darkness and took over a small mining city and captured a police station.. They are holding the city hostage with the modern weapons they stole from the police station." Leggo exclaimed as he stuck his head up from under the desk. He still had his snout covered by it and he spoke to Lou with his ears lowered. Lou looked at him pitifully and reached out with his hoof to make Leggo stand and he brought him in close to kiss him.

Leggo was stumbling and unsure at first but after a few moments he seemed to recover and he slightly more aggressively kissed back. Lou felt the wolf's grip and he seemed to be unwilling to let Lou go; he wanted to kiss him for all it was worth. Lou did not struggle in the slightest because he was feeling the same in his own way. Eventually they separated when Leggo prepared to mount Lou by sweeping everything off the desk and planting themselves right there. Lou resisted at this point because he was desperately in need of a shower.

"Sorry but I need a shower badly."

"I don't care but if you want I can give you a tongue bath." Leggo said as he smiled with a wolfish grin.

"Stop acting like a puppy! You know how gross that is."

"Gross for who? I like the way you taste plus it's not like my tongue hasn't been around your cock or I haven't had it enter your backside before." Leggo said and Lou blushed slightly.

"I'm usually cleaned out before you've done that and like I said, I haven't had a bath in weeks. Calm your dicklet and let me get situated, cleaned up, and tonight I'm gonna fuck you like you haven't been fucked in weeks." Lou said with a sinister smile.

"I haven't!" Leggo said and saw Lou roll his eyes at the smiling wolf. "What happened? Where have you been this whole time?"

"I'm not fully sure but here's what I remember of how happened. I was stripped to my pelt tied to a table. I was trying to escape when a large bull entered. He tells me he overheard the plan that they were going to chop me up and eat me. Then one of them was to be a decoy in order to lure in anyone trying to rescue me.

We heard one of the hairless apes, or humans now, coming. Something hits me and I wake up alone in a forest. I have a headache and there is a lump forming whereI feel a tender spot that is bleeding.

Because all my clothes are gone I feared being found by slavers so I cautiously tried to get back here without being seen. I just arrived and see everyone acting... like you when they see me." Lou explained.

"BH told Will that they had killed you for trespassing after their prophet was killed. He tried to save you but when he entered the hut they had tied you up in, they found one of them dressed like you waiting to capture the team.

BH swore they killed and cooked you and fed you to every one of those...." Leggo said sadly as he lowered his ears again. He feared being yelled at for falling so easily for the trick.

"Now that makes sense. I can understand why everyone thinks I'm dead. How many know? You didn't publish it, did you?" Lou asked calmly. Leggo was looking at his feet and Lou was suddenly afraid of what he was going to say.

"No, I was waiting for Tyger to recover." Leggo said softly.

"Wait! What's wrong with Tyger?!!!"

"Well... I got a letter from your father,"

"Wait! MY father sent you a letter?!!!" Lou interrupted.

"Yeah. He said he knew you died and that there was some family business I needed to know about." Leggo said and Lou almost turned white. "He said there was a machine in a warehouse and..." Lou's ears lowered and Leggo stopped and looked at his husband curiously. "Are you alright?" Leggo asked as he lowered his own ears.

"What was this machine?!" Lou asked timidly.

"It produced a vast amount of power but the letter said it could never be turned off or it..." Leggo started.

"... would blow up." Lou said finishing the sentence and this made Leggo jump a little.

"You know about it?" Leggo asked.

"Yes... Many years ago before we graduated from Bearlyn Academy, I found a cub laying on our lawn. Not just any cub but a rare white fur species." Lou said.

"Eastwood!" Leggo said and they both looked pale in color.

"Yes, Eastwood. He claimed that there was an accident and he was sent back in time only it was not him but a clone made of pure energy. I later watched him die as his energy ran out. Before he died he convinced my top scientist to help him build that damn machine in hopes of getting him home. His death ended that dream.

I spent my life after my father died trying to cover up that... that thing to prevent it from causing trouble. I heard the warnings and felkt the need to heed what they said so I kept it running but prevented anyone from ever getting near it again.

Was there an accident with Tyger there?" Lou asked impatiently. Leggo looked at his feet and this infuriated Lou more.

"WAS THERE AN ACCIDENT WITH MY SON!!!!!!!" Lou shouted and Leggo ran back under the desk.

"FATHER!!!!!!!!!!!" Lyon said as he burst into the room. Lou turned and smiled at him and Lyon jumped almost the entire length from the door to the desk and hugged his father. Lyon sobbed into Lou chest and Lou rested his head on Lyon's and rubbed his back as the young lion sobbed.

"Fa...faa.....father.... everyone was fibbing! They said you died but I knew you weren't!" Lyon said as he sniffekled and used a free paw to wipe his nose.

"Of course you did. You are my smart, brave, son and no one fools you, not the best football player in the world!" Lou said as he kissed Lyon's head and Lyon hugged him harder. The hug was so strong that Lou tried to hide that he winced in pain from it.

"Nobody fibbed except that evil white wolf from the TV. The one that the hoom... humans follow. He told everyone that I was dead and no one... except my brave Lyon could see through his lies. Have I told you how much I love you?" Lou asked tenderly and Lyon nodded. Lou hugged him tighter.

"Can I get in there?" Leggo asked shyly and he stretched out his arms but Lyon looked at him angrily and would not leave Lou.

"Lyon, where is your brother?" Lou asked and it snapped Lyon out of his anger.

"He's in his room! He just woke up!!!" Lyon said and he started to run towards the door then stopped and turned to look at his parents. He saw the look on Leggo's face and he ran back and grabbed their paw and hoof and pulled them to follow him. Leggo gave Lyon an extra tight squeeze and it was returned.

My whole body hurt as I woke up in my bed and I had difficulty seeing clearly at first. It took a few minutes before my vision returned to normal. I saw my brother run into the room pulling the paw and hoof of my dad and my father.

"Dammit, another dream." I said and was surprised that my father came and sat next to me.

"Why do you think you're dreaming?" Lou asked.

"You died and it's my fault." I said sourly.

"Why do you blame yourself?" Lou asked and he put his hoof on my knee though it was covered by my blanket. I felt a strange sensation I don't ever remember feeling in a dream before. Ben walked in and did a double take and nearly fell over.

"Oh my Paws!!!!!" he shouted and we all turned to look at him. "Does anyone else see this or am I going crazy?" Ben asked his voice on the edge of breaking. I felt a bit jealous as Lyon and my dad went over and hugged him. I don't know why but suddenly I wanted a hug...

"Told ya that my father wasn't dead!" Lyon scolded Ben and I flinched as I watched them. Dash suddenly marched in.

"Hey, I heard you finally woke uuuuuup..... JEEPERS!!!!!!!!!!" Dash screamed as he saw my father. I had to admit this was very elaborate for a dream. I wondered if my psyche was trying to tell me something. Have I been missing my father so much that I created such an elaborate dream to try and make myself feel better.

"What is this? Are you guys trying to prank me or somethin?" Dash exclaimed and walked over to my father and pointed a digit at his chest. "Listen bu-ud! I loved the old guy very much and for some actor to just walse in here and dress up as him..." Before Dash could finish my father grabbed him and pulled him close to hug him and kissed his forehead.

"I think I better explain something to all of you..." My father then went on to explain everything he could remember about what happened. At one point my dad left the room and returned with a robe my father could put on.

We were all amazed at hearing what really happened. Our hatred for BH grew the more we learned about his deception. At one point the maid walk in and saw everyone but showed no reaction to seeing my father.

"Bout time you got home." She remarked then left to make everyone some snacks. I then saw an adult snake slither into my room. He paused to use his tail to adjust his glasses. He then used the tail to remove the hat he was wearing as he shyly looked around. My father rose and them embraced each other.

"Thank science you're alive!" he said and I saw his tongue stick out as if tasting the air.

"Turns out our adversary lied about killing me. I'll tell you the story later." My father said then the snake turned and stared at me.

"Oh my scales, it looks just like him. The resemblance is uncanny!" he said.

"Excuse me everyone, can we have the room please? Justin and I need to discuss a few things with Tyger about the.... accident." My father asked and everyone except the three of us left with my dad closing the door behind him. My father held up a finger than walked to the door and gave it a solid kick.

"Ouch!!! No need to be so grumpy.... sheesh..." We heard Dash's muffled voice. My father waited a few more seconds then looked out into the hallway to make sure we were alone.

"Tyger, this is Justin Reptillia-G. Have you ever met him before?" My father asked. I shook my head after I stared at him closely. He looked sad and lowered his head and used the tip of his tail to rub his nose.

"Maybe when he was younger, by chance?" My father asked.

"I'm sorry I don't ever remember knowing a snake. Why do you ask?"

"It was worth a shot." Justin said.

"Why?" I asked again and my father put his hoof on Justin's shoulder and he smiled.

"I had been waiting and hoping for this moment. Did you ever see the message I carved into the machine?" Justin asked me.

"Oh, it said something about string theory. I believe." I replied and he smiled at me.

"Exactly. I carved it into the machine. The reason I did it was so that you could find me."

"Who me? Why would I need to find you?" I was confused.

"I have a long story to tell you and I want you to listen to the whole thing before you say anything. OK?" He asked and I nodded. "Have you ever heard of the name 'Eastwood'?" I nodded again remembering the letter sent to my dad.

"Years ago your father, when he was still a fawn nearing graduation, found a white tiger cub passed out on his lawn. He was delusional and mumbling in his sleep and said the name Eastwood. We thought that was his name so that's what we called him.

He didn't meet me until much later but your grandfather felt pity and helped him recover. When he woke he was confused at first but after some doing he was able to convince us that he had been sent back in time because of an accident that was caused by a machine that his dad brought him to." My eyes opened wide. "We found out that the accident had made a clone out of pure energy and had been sent back in time with all the memories and experiences of the original.

He later died as his energy ran out but not before setting certain things in motion, like building the machine. He was also my best friend! I never had a friend before because most species thought I was a nerd and disliked me. I guess because he was a rare white fur species, he understood what I was feeling. He told me his secret but I never knew his real name. I always thought it was Eastwood.

He... you! liked to listen to my favorite radio program. A Toast To The Coast was the name and at the time I was very naive and thought it was a real show. They would tell stories of outrageous things and claim the governments were trying to hide the truth. People would call in being part of the show and tell their stories to add to the excitement. You and I never missed a show after we became friends.

We never knew what would happen when you faded away. I had hoped you might wake up here and remember the experiences we shared." Justin explained. I sat there dumbfounded trying to process everything.

"I'm actually glad you don't, I was very mean to you and am ashamed of my behavior. Little did I ever know I had met my own son." My father explained.

"The Eastwood I knew died back then and I need to stop pretending." Justin said and he sniffled. Lou leaned in and hugged him. He turned to slither away and I frantically thought about what I should do.

"Wait!!!" I cried out. They stopped and looked at me. "I may not be Eastwood but I am Tyger. I would like to be your friend." I said as I stuck out my paw. He used his tail to wipe away tears than shook my paw.

"I would like that. You were always a genius with science so perhaps we can share ideas sometime." he replied and I smiled.

"Perhaps now that the summer has begun you can get some experience as an intern for Justin. Everything we've developed is because of him." My father said. Justin blushed and tried to hide his face.

"Only because of the experiences I learned from you." he said to me and now it was my turn to blush.

"What was that show you were telling me about? Toasting something?" I asked.

"A Toast To The Coast. The host had a stage name of Arty Carnabell, strange I know. He passed away a long time ago and they've had other hosts but none were as good as him. We can dig up some old shows and listen together.

I remember one with a guy called Mad Mikabeans that was the world's first time traveler. I think you'll get a kick out of it." Justin said. He smiled at him at seeing the gent reliving his youth in a way.

Justin had his own family now he met a girl in college and they both loved science and decided to tie their tails together and hatch a few eggs of their own. Having a family filled the temporary void Eastwood had left but deep down both he and Lou knew he missed his friend. Tyger may never be as close to him as Eastwood was but at least now that everything was revealed they could all ove forward.

"There is just one last thing to take care of," I said firmly and they both looked at me. My father was more interested and he was my focus at this time. I had thought about things long and hard when I thought he died and knew I had to finalize things.

"You... win, sir." I said and my father raised an eyebrow at me.

"Excuse me?" He asked curiously.

"The bet, I surrender, you win and I'll hold up my end of it." I said and my father raised an eyebrow at me. It took him a moment then he smiled as he remembered it.

"Let's call it a draw. Since it was interrupted it would be unfair for either of us to declare ourselves the winners or losers. I will stipulate a few things.... however." He said and my tummy got that sinking feeling as I knew he was turning into his old self again.

"Go ahead." I mumbled.

"Rather than working with me, you will intern for Justin for the time being. Justin and I interned together and that was what led us to finish the machine." Justin blushed slightly and began to slither away trying not to be noticed. "To pay my end as soon as we both feel better I'll teach you how to tend my garden. I hope you will come to love it as I do and keep it growing in the family. There is a story behind how my father first gave it to me. I'll share it as I teach you to respect it." My father said,

Justin continued down the hall and in a nearby room he saw the rest of the family. He said nothing but overheard the rabbit boy talking.

"I give it 5...4...3...2...1..." He counted then a second later he heard Tyger and Lou yelling at each other. "Told ya." The rabbit said. They turned to look at him slithering by.

"Are they always like that?" he asked politely.

"Are you kitty-ing me? Judging by the sound level, they are both so glad to see each other they could burst." The older White Tiger said. Justin stared at him with his mouth open

"Eastwood? Is that you?"

"Sorry my name is Benyamin." he replied and Justin shrugged.

"Why must you be so difficult!!!!!" They all heard Tyger shouting loudly. This made the family burst into laughter and Justin smiled before slithering away.

To Be Continued...