FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Jeez, I almost forgot! Thanks to all the people who helped me out to get me out of the LONG writer's block. Special thanks goes to Wraithe(Ver'tis, now), Ama, Fritz, and all others. I must also thank my good friend Kergiby who reminded me what kind of a story I had going on. As always, constructive comments and criticism is always appreciated. Hope you enjoy!

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There was an awkward silence after the informant from the Children of Eryth gave us the tragic news of our parents' death. It hit us like a stone wall, and I found myself unable to speak. Brother then reacted, taking a slow step, with a steely gaze on the informant. He raised his hand, as if to reach for some unseen object and his eyes suddenly clouded over. "So they're gone? M-mom and Dad?" The informant nodded sadly, before looking away. Brother turned around and rushed toward the closest solid object that wasn't a fur. Lifting his fist, he punched the tree in our yard with all his strength, a painful thud coming from the impact. Collapsing to his knees, brother gave a pained cry of agony, a cry that echoed within my soul, and softly began crying. I would have begun crying right then and there too, but Riley took my hand and hugged me firmly. Just what exactly had happened?

The informant, a black lab, shuffled uncomfortably in his spot, as if he had more to say. I broke the embrace with Riley and nodded towards the black lab, understand his movements. I slowly padded over to Darryl, and gingerly took his hand, seeing how the skin on some of his knuckles was just gone. Right now, I was all he had left. I knew that for now, at least I had Riley, but for Darryl, I was all he had left. "Ya' can't lose hope yet kids; it's still possible that ya' parents are alive." A ray of hope filled me, and brother's eyes regained some of their fire. "We just don't currently understand what's happened. Your parent's back-up was alive and well, and reported that a Zanados fired a strange beam at them, and they just...slowly disintegrated. We're not sure if they are just gone, or have been sent to another location." He looked down, as if ashamed to crush our hopes again.

I sighed a bit, but my hope remained undiminished. "If anybody could find a way to survive that, it's our parents. We thank you for your message." I clasped my fingers together and bowed, as was tradition when receiving a message of such heavy burden.

The black lab nodded to me, and then placed his hand on mine. Carefully, he pried my fingers apart, and then taking my left hand, kissed my palm and turned. This was tradition as well, and was sort of a silent apology that was offered to the family of lost ones. "Ya' also have someone else to speak to before ya' go." The Labrador signaled another fur, which treaded briskly toward us.

The fur was a tall, but lithe, brown fox. He had sharp green eyes and a look of pure business on his face. Looking sternly at brother and me, he began speaking, a small German accent noticeable in his voice. "I am Einsdrey. As you are currently considered orphans as a result of an incident concerning the organization, we of the Department of Hunter Advancement have begun moving paperwork for you to stay in your home and live in your designated area. Unfortunately, this paperwork takes time. For the moment, we have placed you under the foster care of the nearest Hunter family...Let's see their name..." Einsdrey reach into his side pack and pulled a small paper. "Ah, here we go. Lonpenny, that's their name." I nearly jumped in shock. Darryl and I were going live with Riley?!

"Is this a joke? I'm a Lonpenny!" Riley said, a bit confused at the turn of events.

"Ah...I assure you it isn't, Mr. Lonpenny. Now, would you mind helping these boys gather their things?" Einsdrey said, signaling to us and the house. Riley merely nodded and signaled to my brother and me.

Taking brother's hand, I dragged him inside. Looking about the house, I felt crushed by the wave of longing I felt. I wished I could see my parents' faces one last time. I noticed Darryl touching the walls, door knobs, and picture frames on our way to our room, as if trying to take hold of the remnants of our parent's presence. "Well be back, you know." I said softly. Darryl sighed and nodded.

Taking the lead, Darryl pulled me in our room, and we pulled out a pair of suitcases we kept in our closet. Opening them, we turned to our individual sides of the room, and began going through our drawers. Choosing what to take was hard. Everything in the house suddenly had meaning. The pictures, the toys, and mementos were all powerful reminders. I finished first with Riley's help, but still felt unsatisfied. I wish I could take more, but my own reminder flashed in my mind. We'll be back. Placing my suitcase by the door, I rushed up and helped brother with his picking, which wasn't any easier. When we finally finished, the several members of the Children of Eryth ushered us out, and placed us in a car. Turning back, I uttered a goodbye to the memory of the house that represented our happy household.

The ride to Riley's house was quiet. My brother, usually a sign of power and confidence, looked downcast and depressed. I took his hand in mine, and said "It'll be okay big bro." He nodded at me and looked out the window.

"I wish it would rain right now," he said sadly.

We arrived at Riley's house, and had to wait inside the car for the members of the Children to explain the situation. Riley stayed inside with Darryl and me. After a bit, the doors to each side of the car opened, and then we were helped out. The Lonpenny's introduced them selves to my brother and me, and we were quickly placed into a small guestroom, with two medium sized beds, giving my brother and me just enough space for each other. Plopping onto the bed, we laid down exhausted from the day's events. I heard Darryl sigh. "You're all I have now, little bro...and...I'm scared. Now that mom and dad are gone, I don't know what to think anymore. I always thought they would be there for us, but I guess I took them for granted. What if I fail again? I can't even begin on how painful it would be to lose you...I must look pretty pathetic to you right now, no? Look at me, your older brother bitching, when you just went through the same thing I did..." Darryl gave a frustrated sigh.

Unsure of what to say, I waited a bit to see if Darryl spoke again. When I heard nothing, I simply said, "...I'm scared, too."

Darryl looked at me from his bed and grinned weakly at me. "I hear you little bro."

I heard a knock at the door, and I saw Riley's dad peek his head in the room. "Are you kids alright?" I looked at the older tiger, and nodded, a weak smile plastered on my face. I wondered if Riley's dad looked like him when he was younger, just like how Dad looked like Darryl in his older pictures. "Alright, get some rest. You can sleep in as well; you've been excused from classes for the next few days. And the bathroom is down the hall." We thanked Mr. Lonpenny, and he closed the door, leaving us to ourselves.

Once the lights were out, and I heard brother's deep breath signaling his sleep, I could finally let myself cry. At first, it was scary letting myself to drown in my sorrow, but the crying then became my vent. Here, in the silence of the night, away from Riley, and with my brother asleep, I could let my sadness out. My quiet cries filled the room, and I thought of the all the crazy happenings from the day. What exactly happened to our parents? My S-Ray, why had it turned to ice? What troubled me most were the ramblings of that Royal Zanados. Nothing made sense. At this point I was too exhausted to think about anything, and I drifted into sleep.

I woke up the next morning alone in the room. Slightly opened shades allowed brief slivers of light to illuminate the room, and I admired the light blue coloring on the walls. It was the perfect color to describe my mood. Flipping over from my belly, I leaned over and looked at the small digital clock and read "12:42pm." I sighed a bit and pushed the blankets off of me. It felt so strange and alienating to be in this room. The fact that I was alone didn't help. Slowly, I let my hands and feet drag themselves off the bed, and I walked around the quiet house. The house was colored in pleasing light colors, with warm shades of blue and white providing a homely feel. Padding over to the kitchen, I found brother and Mr. Lonpenny speaking together. Brother had already dressed, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a grey long-sleeve, an empty plate in front of him.

Mr. Lonpenny turned at me and gave me an awkward smile. I must have looked bad. "I see the sleeping beauty has awoken. Breakfast was made a while ago, but I can whip you up something quick, like bacon and eggs if you want." I simply nodded and I rubbed my groggy eyes. Mr. Lonpenny moved from his chair to the stove said in a cheerful tone, "Coming right up!"

"Where's Riley?" I asked sleepily.

"He doesn't have an excuse to stay here. Due to the fact that he's not family, he had to go to school, unfortunately." Mr. Lonpenny answered over the sizzling of the food. Turning down the heat on the stove, he looked over at me again. "He told me to take care of you, and I will! To the best of my abilities! My wife had to head out to the office today."

Darryl smiled weakly at Mr. Lonpenny's comment. "We really appreciate you having us, especially on such short notice."

The older tiger simply beamed. "Anything to help out the Children!" he said warmly.

Taking a seat next to brother, I leaned on his great chest, and let myself rest there. Brother snickered a bit, and hugged me. "I was talking to Mr. Lonpenny, Locke. Remember how you wanted the Department of Weapon Knowledge to study your S-Ray?" I nodded briefly. "Well, Mr. Lonpenny has some buddies up there, and they'd be willing to do the study for you, whenever you want! Pretty cool, huh?" Darryl said, impressed at Mr. Lonpenny's connections.

I was still really tired, but I knew that this was a personal favor out to me. I smiled happily and thanked Mr. Lonpenny, especially considering that getting a group to study especially strange cases like my S-Ray could take several months to do. "I really appreciate this favor," I said.

Despite the good news, I couldn't help but stare unhappily outside to the shining sun, bitter at what had been taken from brother and me.

Brother and I didn't go to school for another week. Slowly my mood improved and I found it bearable to talk to people again. At the same time, Riley had been courting me, always checking up on me. I grew to adore his presence. He brought me my homework, took notes on all my classes, and spoke to me when ever I needed. I honestly couldn't say whether I loved him or not. We had only known each other for about a week. That honestly wasn't much time to fall in love with a guy. Not only that, my brother and Riley fought each other like cats and dogs. Between the two of them, I felt like some highly prized toy that they were fighting over...and yet.

"Locke...?" I heard Riley call out to me.

"I'm in here." I called out to him. Darryl was on his bed catching up on his reading for his English class, and when I looked up at the door, the lithe tiger stood there with a warm smile for me.

"You're looking better." He said softly. Reaching out, he nuzzled my cheek and then leaned over to kiss me. I heard Darryl snort a bit, as if annoyed by Riley's presence. I paused, slow to react because of the numbness I felt inside. I just felt so tired. Turning my head, I shunned Riley's advances dead cold. Riley frowned, a bit hurt that I didn't return the kiss. Turning away, he muttered "Guess I was wrong though..." and then sat at the edge of my bed. He looked unsure of what to do anymore, as if his plans had been smashed to pieces.

"I just need some space Riley." I said calmly.

Riley sighed deeply. "I know Locke. I just miss you. I'm just getting tired of waiting." he said impatiently. "I miss the shy and warm person I met at school a week ago. I miss him. Not this cold bitch you've become." He said frustrated.

I heard Darryl jump off the bed and before I knew it, I heard a loud smack. "Don't you call my little brother a bitch!" Riley looked shocked, and I could see that even with his fur, that his cheek was bright red from the backhanded slap my brother had given him.

Riley's fur bristled angrily and then he yelled back, "Well look at you! You're fine now, why isn't he?! I want the person I fell in love with back! Not this imposter!" he pointed an accusing finger at me, and I felt as if he had pierced my heart with it. With that, my boiling point had been reached.

"Shut up! Both of you have been pissing the shit out of me! You both can't stop squabbling over me and I am tired! I JUST NEED TIME!" I snapped. Glaring over at I Riley I yelled "Get out!" and pointed at the door.

Riley opened his mouth, shocked, realizing the harsh words that had been said. He looked like he wanted to take the words back, but under my glare, found himself powerless. Dejected, he left the room, shoulder drooping. I heard Darryl snort and mutter, "Serves him right..."

I turned my glare to him as well. "You too!"

Darryl looked surprised as well. "B-but-"

"OUT!" I yelled. I watched as he swiped his book and left the room stomping angrily.

Once they were both out, I sighed a bit. For the longest time, I paused and thought of old poems my mother had once told me. She had always loved literature. Taking the most memorable poem to mind, I softly muttered a few lines. "The weight of the worldis love. / Under the burden / of solitude, / under the burden / of dissatisfaction / the weight, / the weight we carry / is love." I paused, reflecting on the lines of the poem. When I had first heard it, it had meant nothing, but now, I felt like everything had to do with it. Love was the reason I felt so heavy. I brooded over this for a while, when I heard a knock at the door. "What?!" I snapped.

Mrs. Lonpenny stuck her head in. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Oh! No, no, I'm not...I just have a lot on my mind. I'm sorry I snapped at you." I said apologetically.

She merely nodded understandingly. "It's alright. The reason I'm up here is because the men that Oliver said he'd contact are at the door for you."

"Oh! I better get down there then. Thanks Mrs. Lonpenny." I said, hopping of the guest bed. Heading for the door, I felt something take hold of my hand. I looked back to see Mrs. Lonpenny holding me.

I paused as she took hold of my hand in a tighter grip and held it for a sec. She sighed deeply as if she wanted to say long. "Listen honey. I don't know if the hurt will ever stop, but I can tell you that it will get better. You have your brother and my entire family to help you. Don't cut yourself off. We all want to help." She then let go of my hand let me walk away. Were I not about to talk to some really important people, I would have cried right then. Instead, I had to hold all those feelings in for just a bit longer.

As I went out to the living room, I spotted three men, two of whom were wearing masks concealing their entire faces. The one without a mask was of average height, and looked like Yorkshire. It was hard to place an age on him; he was mostly covered by a long coat and only his tail was visible. Despite this, I reasoned that he must have been in his late forties. He held a small note pad in his hands and after taking a short look at me; would quickly jot some small note down. Closing the doors and the windows, one of the men signaled toward to the living room. We all moved in silence. I couldn't help but be intimidated by the men in the masks. I just couldn't help but wonder why they need to hide not only their faces, but their species. Everything about them was covered. One was very big, almost as big as my brother. The other was short, looking just a few inches taller then me. Upon reaching the living room we all sat down. The Yorkshire extended his hand, and gave a polite smile. "I'm Professor Lyan Temird. It's a pleasure to meet you. I was the man that Oliver contacted from the Department. I've heard quite a bit this mysterious S-Ray of yours, Locke. Now, I've wanted to see it first hand...would you mind showing it to me?" he said, a strange curiosity in his eyes.

I simply nodded and went through the familiar motions I usually went through to summon my S-Ray. When the S-Ray appeared, I was glad to see it had returned to fire. It felt wonderful to feel this warm heat and the power that came back in my hands. I noticed a small motion by the larger of the masked two. Leaning down towards the professor's ear, he whispered something and the professor nodded enthusiastically. "Is anything wrong?" I asked.

"No, no dear boy, this is absolutely incredible! I've only seen this S-Ray for a few minutes, and it has already evaded most of the common factors of a normal S-Ray!" He stood up and took off his coat, reaching for several objects from the internal pockets of the coat. I took notice of the professor's frame, about the same size as the smaller of the masked two. His fingers were long and spidery, and upon a closer look, the professor's entire frame was thin. After pulling out a small machine that looked like a PDA, along with a few other strange objects, he turned to me and said, "Now, Locke, I'm going activate these sensors to you to measure your vitals. Don't be alarmed..." I had expected plugs and small suction cups like you usually see in a hospital, but instead the professor approached me with a few crystals. He quickly pressed a few buttons on the PDA-looking device, and then snapped his fingers. The crystals all floated for a few seconds before they began to hover around me, spinning like leaves in the wind. I saw the two masked figures pull out similar devices of their own. After a few minutes, the devices all emitted a small beep, and I suspected that whatever the stones had been doing around me was done, as they stayed in stasis, held aloft by some mysterious force.

The professor stared at his machine and paused, as if in surprise of something. He pulled out some small reading glasses reading the small text on his device over and over. He turned over to the smaller of the masked two. "Just...what are these readings?! I've never seen anything like them..." The professor's face began to scare me. He looked at me with a strange look in his eyes, as if unsure of what to think anymore, and sat down on the couch. The professor sighed and then glared at me, a serious look on his face. "Sit down, Locke." He said, his voice sounding a bit tired. Unsure of what to think, I did as I was told. "I had been hoping to simply find out some special S-Ray, and depart, helping you define your Ray, give it form. See, upon some first appearances, an S-Ray is just a blob. It's like a floating piece of metal, with no shape or form. These are S-Rays that come from people with a unique or hidden talent, which has yet to present itself. It's theorized that since the talent hasn't revealed itself, then the S-Ray will do the same. We thought this was the case when we first looked at your orb of fire...but it's not. It's something completely different."

"Then you're telling me that this is my S-Ray? Just...pure fire?" I asked, curiously.

The professor thought for a second. "It would certainly seem that way. Perhaps with practice, you make it into something else.

I paused and thought for a second. At this point I was unsure if I would get any response, but I decided to at least try to draw out the chilly orb and see what the professor thought of it. "Professor, what...about...this!?" I said, attempting to focus while speaking. A cold gale swirled around my orb, and the fire glazed into a cold, and small ice ball. I marveled at the beauty of the chilly little ball, and the effort that went into making it.

The smaller of the masked men moved forward and stared at the cold orb for a bit. "Huh, ice." I heard behind the mask. "What a coincidence," the masked man continued. Turning over to the larger of the two, the masked person spoke, "Hey, this too odd to just ignore, man. His powers even coincide with ours. We don't we take him under our wing?"

The professor looked over at the larger of the two. "I agree. You'll definitely be of help deciphering this boy's S-Ray powers."

The larger masked one thought for a bit, and then spoke, his voice deep, even through the mask. "I guess it should be fine. I was already planning on it anyways, seeing as his primary orb was fire." Turning over to me, he looked at me and asked, "So do would you want us to teach you how to use your S-Ray? I assure you, you'll definitely learn SOMETHING." To prove his point, he lifted his hand, and I saw fire burst and start to grow over his fingers, until it covered his entire hand. Holding it in the air, he closed his hands into a fist and snuffed the fire out.

I knew this was a rare gesture, so I nodded wholeheartedly. "Good answer." The smaller of the masked two said. "I'm guessing now would a good time to show our faces. Come on Jason! Together now!" Lifting their hands, they pulled of the black masks and showed their faces. The smaller was a rabbit, his fur a bit squished by the mask. I was surprised by the color, a white so pure, it almost looked blue. He smiled a warm smile and began unbuttoning his coat, throwing it haphazardly. Underneath the black coat was a silken long sleeve shirt, the color of periwinkle. He had a matching pair of pants and a strange pair of shoes that were bright blue, dotted with yellow stripes and stars. Although he was my size, he had the same build that Riley did, and I felt bad for our previous encounter. Staring at his face, I was most shocked by the color of his eyes, which were a steely blue, a color so off setting, it was like they had some secret power. I would probably have started drooling had he not stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "Hey there, the name is Cameron Greeves, and I'll be your tutor with ice. It's nice to meet you!" He said enthusiastically. I shook his hand and turned to my other instructor.

He was a canine, but I couldn't tell what kind. Just looking at him was strange because something about him was...off. He had dusty looking brown pelt, with sooty black patches that reminded me of a hyena or a coyote. Even then I couldn't place any kind a breed on him. I classified him as canine to the mutt power and left it at that. I liked looking at the guy's face though, because there was a cool confidence about it. He had bright red eyes, and was well built, though it looked like he had a build preferring agility then strength. Every now and then, I had to stop myself, because I could have sworn that there was a real fire in his eyes. "The name's Scott Romell." He said gruffly. I raised my hand to shake his, but that never happened. Instead, I was pulled into a rough hug, and felt myself get noogied by my instructor. He chuckled to himself, and then let me go. I stared at my future tutor, the strange-looking canine with a bizarre knowing smile, and had to wonder why something about him was familiar. I pulled myself out of my thoughts when I realized that he was looking at me like some lost family member, and then he slapped my back and said, "Kid, you and I are gonna have some fun!" He had already taken his black coat off and I admired the clothes he had on. Unlike the elegantly dressed Cameron, he was dressed much more casual. He had what I defined as the biker look: a black leather vest, partially covering a shirt that had a flaming skull, and black pair of jeans, with some slick black boots to top it off. As if to make sure the look was secure, he fished out of his pocket a red bandanna and tied it on the top of his head. I smiled back at him and laughed lightly.

"Better!" Scott said. "You've been looking all gloomy the entire time, kid! It's great to see you finally crack a smile..." He turned to Cameron. "Hey Cam, how else should we dazzle our new student?"

Cameron laughed a bit and said, "How about you tell him our nicknames?"

"Oh yeah! Most people don't know our names since we rarely show our faces. So people decided to give us some nicknames...mine's Periskios." he said, a proud look on his face.

My mouth nearly dropped. "You guys are the Periskios the Flaring, and-"

Cameron then cut in "Krysintios the Icebane, yes."

At this point I really hoped that this wasn't a dream. These guys were legends. Even Mom's and Dad's status of fame and prestige was nothing compared to these too. They were so powerful that people in the Children of Eryth had nick named them after powerful demons. It was like meeting someone out of a storybook. And they were my teachers.

Scott laughed a deep throaty chuckle. "Man, you should see your face, kid!" Seeing how I was losing any cool points I had against these two, I made the best effort to keep my composure. Scott just slapped my back again and said. "Alright then, I'm tired of showing off. I want you to know that our training won't be easy. We'll always have an eye on you, and training will always be on. You'll have to keep school and training in balance, as well as a secret."

Cameron continued, "You're officially excused from fighting Zanados. If you are ever in a fight with one, it WILL be as a fighter, not a scout. As our protégé, you will fight in every fight you are in. You are special. Don't forget that. Every day after school, you'll head over to the park near here. Whoever you find will be your teacher for today. As Scott said, training will always go on. Even when we are not there, you will always have an assignment. We'll decide on a future spot that we will encrypt messages to you. Not only that, but prepare to have no social life. That life is dead. You're weekends are ours." I didn't feel the need to correct Cameron and tell him I already didn't have a social life. He continued. "You're training will begun at the end of next week, when your return to school is expected. Until then, rest well. Remember, you can no longer participate any fight as a scout. We'll be watching." Cameron picked up his things and the forgotten Professor Temird walked out the door with him. Scott seemed to have something else to say and stayed behind.

He paced around for a bit before he felt comfortable to begin talking to me. "Alright kid. There are few things I have to tell you. First and foremost; don't ever lower your guard when you're with Cam. Even if he's my partner, I know how he can be. He didn't just take you under his wing out of the kindness of his heart. He definitely wants something. I just don't know what..."

His voice trailed of, as if in thought, when a thought occurred to me. "What about you, Scott? What's your reason for taking me under your wing?"

Scoot looked at me at me with a face attempting to hide shame. "I can't tell you that, Kid. Sorry. You'll just have to trust me for now. "

I felt like I had been placed on some strange mission. What was I supposed to say? I thought about it for a little bit when I decided what had to be done. "Scott, I'll trust you for now, but you have to promise to tell me someday.

Scott thought about for a sec, and then nodded. "Alright, that sounds reasonable. I promise to tell you all the truth when the time is right. Wanna shake on that?" I nodded and as I extended my hand I felt myself pull into a similar embrace like last time. There was no noogie this time though. "I feel bad for you because your training is gonna hurt. Just know that this will be worth it in the end." He ruffled my head and gave me a card. "Your partners will need that if they wanna keep up with you. They're both use a sword of some type, right?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" I said curiously.

"Joseph won't train anyone else but sword users. There is just nothing he can teach people that aren't sword users." He said nonchalantly.

"Who's this Joseph guy?" I asked.

"Joseph de Leon is the person you know as Get'Melick the Windborne. He'll be an excellent tutor to your brother, and that other guy...That guy you like." The mischievous grin on his face told me he thought it was funny that I liked Riley. I was still trying to take in the fact that in my hand I held the number of another of the Erythian Demons "It's all fine by me, kid. Anyways, it's critical these guys keep up with you. The point of this is to make you good, but you can't always be good if you don't have a buddy to watch your back."

I nodded in agreement. "Is that all, Scott?"

"Yeah, that's it. I'll see ya' later kid." He said, and walked out the door.

I stared at the door, dumbfounded. I paused, trying to take in what had just happened. My study revealed very little of my weapon. In fact, the only known thing about it was that it was overly special. Next, Riley, my brother and I were to be taught by living legends. Finally, one of my instructors suspected the other.

...But it wasn't just that. I wasn't absolutely sure, but it was possible that I could finally give up my grief. It just needed to start with something special and critical. Perhaps it was the fight with Riley, or the small words said by his mother. Maybe it was finding out I was to have legends try to decipher my S-Ray. I don't know what it was, but in the end I knew. It just didn't hurt anymore.

Walking back into the kitchen I found Mrs. Lonpenny. She looked up from the chicken she was deboning, and smiled. "Anything on your mind, hun?" she said sweetly.

I shook my head to her. "Not really, miss. I just wanted to say thank you. I think...I think I'm gonna be fine from now on." I said calmly. Those were not only meant for her, but for myself. "I think I should talk to your son."

"Going to patch things up, dear?" Mrs Lonpenny said with a knowing smile. "Don't worry, if I know him, he'll forgive you like that!" She said, snapping her fingers. "He should be in his room, he showered a little while ago."

I nodded happily. "Yes!"

Turning from her, I walked down the hallway that connected the kitchen to Riley's room. I pushed the door open, and suddenly several things happened at once: first and foremost, I saw Riley naked. As soon as I did, he yelped in surprise and tried to cover himself. I covered my face and yelled, "Sorry!" as I tried to rush away, but since I had covered my face from embarrassment, I tripped and fell flat on my face. Looking up, I breathed a pained sigh as my silliness, but was glad nobody saw.

Riley must have heard, because a few awkward seconds later, I heard him yell out, "Are you okay?"

I blushed at the fact that he had heard me totally eat the dirt. With hot, red cheeks, I answered him. "Um...yeah! I'm fine!" I said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. When I tried stand up, I stumbled, crying out in pain when my ankle gave a painful flare. I had twisted my ankle. I cursed myself inwardly, and tried to stand up again.

"Jeez, it sounded like you hit the floor hard." I heard down the hall. I looked back and saw him standing there in a white towel.

"Riley...um, would you help me up? I-um...twisted my ankle." I said, still blushing at seeing him. My mind flashed with the moment of seeing him naked playing over and over in my head, and I tried hard not to picture it too much. Riley walked over to me and crouched down; holding on to his towel and lifting me from the floor, carrying me in his arms. He had a goofy smile, and I could see he was lightly blushing, probably from holding me so close to him in just a towel.

Gingerly, he carried me over to his room and carefully placed me on his bed. "Well, that was kind of funny." He said a happy tone on his voice. He sat down on the edge of his bed and leaned over. His face showed confidence, but his eyes betrayed his emotions. He still looked a bit hurt. I knew this was my chance.

"I'm sorry." I said softly.

"It's fine, Locke. It should have locked my doo--"

"No, I mean about today!" I interrupted. "I've just been feeling so hurt, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You've been so wonderful to me this week. You just make me so happy. I don't want to do anything that would hurt our relationship...so...I'm sorry." I said. My cheeks felt hot, and I could help but feel so open at the heartfelt apology I had just given. It was almost ironic that I felt so exposed, when I wasn't even the naked one.

Riley looked at my face for a bit, and then said, "There...That's the person I remember. Welcome back, Locke." Riley leaned toward me and kissed me. It was full of passion, and emotion, and most of all, happiness. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him closer. Gripping his fur in my fingers, I played with it lightly, feeling the remaining moistness from his shower. Our tongues played back and forth, and I felt so happy to be holding him again, to have the guy who had dazzled me, and made me fall in love with him. Maybe it was too early to say, but at this point, I don't think I could see myself with any other. I loved Riley.

Our kiss finally broke, and could smell a light bit of musk in the air. "Riley, is this...turning you on?" I said, trying hard not to laugh. It was Riley's turn to blush. "You're such a horndog!" I teased.

"Shut up!" he chuckled. "It's just...I'm naked, and we're making out and stuff..." he said, trying not to let his embarrassment show. "I just can't help it." He laughed a laugh so contagious that it made me laugh as well. When the laughs ended, he looked down at with an intense look in his eyes. He looked as if he wanted to say something but just couldn't say it. Yet, even without saying it, I knew. I knew what he wanted to say. I decided to wait, and not steal his moment. "Locke?" I nodded to him. "I love you."

Those three words. That was the best moment of the day. The legendary warriors, getting over my grief, nothing could stack to the happiness I felt when Riley said those words. I had simply known he would say that. I smiled and said. "I love you too, Riley." He pulled me closer and we just hugged. He held me with such care and tenderness, I felt like I could easily break.

Inwardly, I felt relieved that it didn't get any farther than that. I wanted that moment to be special. I also didn't want to do it when other people in the house might hear. Riley pulled me out of my thoughts when he asked, "How did your test go?"

I looked at him and sighed deeply. "Hmm...there's a lot to say. Get dressed and call Darryl. You both need to hear this..."

To be continued...