FSE

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Well, I'm back. Here is a new story to show for my absence, had to download google chrome just to post it mutter grumble.... Anyways, this is part of a larger story that eventually melds into the Naruto universe by Masashi Kishimoto. Since the rest of the story doesn't focus on furry per se, I will decide whether or not to post the remainder of this chapter and the other chapters of the story based on the reception this gets, and if people wanna see the rest. The whole story will be posted up on fanfiction.net regardless, under the Naruto section with the pen name Kroqgar.

Now, while this story doesn't have anything explicit in it, it is still of an adult nature, so I would urge an audience under 18 (that is somehow on this site, you little rulebreakers!) to close this page and look at something else. Naruto (if/when I post anything related to it) is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, not me.

Also, last note, if you've read my stories before you know that I like to incorporate music into them. This one is no different, but I'm not saying anything beyond just be ready to play it or find it if you don't already have the song. I strongly urge you to not scroll down and read ahead to find out what it is, just enjoy the surprise. Have fun!

(A/N: Truly sorry about the epic spacing. Copy paste directly from word was a fail decision, but I can't see how to change it now. Hell, in word there was only one space between these damn paragraphs. If anyone knows how to fix this without having to go through and manually change it all, the info would be much appreciated.)

Twilight. The time of day where the lines are blurred. When night and day meld into one glorious fusion of bright and dark, where the stars chase the sun out of his domain.

Twilight. When reality blurs at the edges, and where the impossible becomes the improbable.

Twilight...the time when loneliness, when utter and complete loneliness, stalks the streets, looking for a victim.

Twilight. The time when loneliness, when utter and complete loneliness, very rarely succeeds.

Chapter 1: Everything Is Never As It Seems

Harry Parkinson sighed as he leaned against the counter. He hated the Wednesday shift. After four o'clock no one ever showed up. He wondered why the owners wasted money on electricity keeping the store open those three extra hours anyway. No one ever asked for his opinion.

The rain pounded down outside. This further irritated Harry. Usually he liked the rain, the sound of it drumming in sheets across the roof normally set his soul at ease, as it helped him to find that calm center that every human has. But whenever he was working at the locally owned convenience store that he so despised, the bright whiteness of the lights that thrust its way past his eyes and directly into the pain center of his brain always cancelled out the rain's soothing effects. He couldn't even look outside, and find his peace in the millions of short-but-well-lived raindrops that fell from the heavens to nourish the earth, as the recently installed floor to ceiling "window-walls" were completely covered in running water, courtesy of the owners not bothering to put any sort of covering or awning anywhere outside of the door. Thinking along this line caused Harry to grit his teeth in mild anger, as this lack of coverage usually meant that customers came in soaking wet on days like these, prompting him to work harder for the already small pay he received.

So caught up in his steadily darkening thoughts, Harry failed to notice the blurry figure approach the door from the pouring rain outside, or the beeping sound of the automatic doors opening, or even the brief but intense noise of the pounding rain outside. No, what really got his attention was the faint but noticeable sound of dripping. Water falling off of someone onto his clean, washed, dry floors.

With a world-weary sigh, he focused his attention onto the person who had just walked into the small convenience store, idly wondering if it was going to be condoms or cigarettes, as it always was this time on a Wednesday.

"Hey there, how can I help...?" Harry trailed off as he got his first look at the costumer.

They were soaking wet, water dripping off drenched clothing onto the floor. He looked to be about six feet tall, an imposing enough sight already. He had slightly broad shoulders, but was not a large person. He seemed very thin actually, to Harry, but not dangerously so. He was wearing shoes so dirty that their make was undistinguishable, and ripped, muddy jeans that had had faded so much that if they were not dirty they would almost seem white. He was wearing a gray zip-up jumper with a hood, which was currently pulled up. On his hands he wore thick, black, woolen gloves, and Harry spared a quick thought of sympathy to the man who wore gloves in this heat.

But what really caught Harry's attention was the man's face. Or rather, the lack thereof.

Underneath the hood the man wore a very dark red bandanna over the bottom of his face, and a large, impenetrable pair of black sunglasses obscured the top half. The odd thing though, was how far out this bandanna came. The bottom of it was tucked into the jumper, but it seemed to protrude a good five or so inches from the man's face.

All of this information zipped through Harry's head quite quickly, in separate pieces. He then assembled them into the big picture. It was nearly nighttime, in a deserted late night store, and a masked man just walked in. No fool, and quite fond of living, Harry immediately but at a measured pace raised his hands into the air, whilst subtly moving his left leg so at a moments notice he could lift his knee and press the alarm button hidden there.

"Do not be afraid sir, I will not harm you unless you force me to".

This gave Harry pause. Not only were the words spoken with eloquence, but the man had a very measured and mellifluous voice. This was the voice of someone who would do bad things if he had to, but only if he had to.

"What do you want?" asked Harry, surprised at the calmness of his own tone. The demeanour of this man was not threatening, so he was surprisingly unafraid.

"I just want a loaf of bread. That's all. I don't want money, or conflict. But I don't have any money myself, so I am going to steal it," the man said, with surprising determination, "I have a knife, and will hurt you if I must, but I just want to get the bread and leave". And with that, the man walked over to the bread in the corner of the store, and grabbed one of the loaves.

While the man's back was turned to him, Harry had ample time to press the alarm hidden under the counter, and alert the police as to this theft. He felt sympathy for the man who clearly needed bread, but as his hand moved toward the button he thought that this could cost him his job that, irksome as it was, he needed. As his finger hovered over the button however, he saw the stranger bend over to pick up the bread, and in the moment the man's wet clothing clung to him, and Harry could clearly see his ribs standing out. This man was starving.

Harry was at heart a good guy, and it was this inner kindness that caused him to flick his hand back up in the air before the stranger turned around, and that caused him to do nothing as the stranger walked to the door, cast him one more glance over his shoulder, and sprint out into the rain and out of sight.

After his heart rate slowed down a little, Harry sat back down behind the counter. Dropping his head into his hands, he breathed a sigh of relief, and hoped the owner's wouldn't miss one loaf of bread. Idly he wondered why the man had a circular hole in his pants just below the waist.

The man cast one quick glance back at the convenience store through the driving rain from the space between two buildings across the street. With hearing far better than normal, he had heard the indecision of the shopkeeper, as his hand slipped towards what was undoubtedly an alarm beneath the counter, but he had not heard the distinct click of a button being pressed, which drew a smile onto his covered face. There was still good in the world.

Banishing such happy thoughts from his head, he turned his back on the light and sanctuary of the convenience store, and walked further into the shadows of the concrete jungle. As he trudged through the lightening rain, he glanced skywards. It was nearly dark now, the sun almost completely gone. Only then could he truly be himself.

The further he walked, loaf of bread clutched tightly to himself under the drenched jumper, the more run-down the area became. Street lights that were once bright and operational now didn't shine at all, if not broken or just completely gone. He had always wondered what someone would want with a street light. The buildings around him grew steadily more boarded-up-at-the-windows as he walked, and he had not seen another living soul for some time.

After a time the pitch darkness became even too much for his sharp eyesight in his dark sunglasses, and he took a cautious look around before removing them, and pulling both the hood and bandanna closer together, to hide everything except his eyes. Large eyes, with yellow irises.

He treaded further into this dilapidated area, always cautiously sticking to the shadows and the alleys, lest one lost person sound the alarm. Stealthily, he moved onwards until he came to a large, two story house. The house was crammed in between two other, larger buildings, and it had seen better days. The paint was long since gone, the wood beginning to sag from the weight of age. The windows were all boarded up, and the door was crisscrossed with two large planks of wood on which had been crudely painted "Abandoned". Peeking his head around the corner of the alley across the street he was hiding in, he took one last look around, before quickly sprinting across the street, and up the stairs of this run-down house. As he got to the door, he quickly removed the bottom half of it from place, pushing it backward into the house where it fell with an echoing thud. He squeezed himself around the wood, and quickly replaced the door behind him, once again leaving the illusion of an abandoned home to the world.

Once inside, he breathed a sigh of relief. Home.

He placed his prize, one slightly battered loaf of bread, on a small table just to the right of the door that he knew from long habit was there, even though he could barely see a thing. He pulled the gloves off his hands, grateful for the rush of air between his fingers. He placed them next to the bread on the table, and looked down at his hands in the dark. He could not make out any details, but he knew what he would see. Large hands, strong hands, capable of both crushing and caressing. Long, sensitive fingers. This was not why he wore gloves. He wore gloves because of the claws, short but sharp, that extended from the tips of his fingernail-less fingers. He wore gloves because of the covering of solid black fur on his hands. He wore gloves because he was different.

He unzipped his jumper, and shouldered it off, revealing a malnourished but impressive physique. Even though he was quite thin he seemed quite strong. The stained gray t-shirt he wore underneath did not cover the fur on his arms. With the hood covering his head gone, one could make out the black-furred triangular ears sitting almost proudly on top of his head. He hung the jumper on a hook protruding from the door behind him, not worrying about the water it dripped onto the floor. He bent over and removed his shoes, revealing feet covered in black fur, clawed like his hands, and placed the shoes to the side of the door to dry out in the patch of sunlight that appeared there through a small hole in the wall.

As he was reaching up to remove the bandanna from his face he reached out to the table with his other hand, and felt around before finding the object he needed. His finger closed around something oddly shaped, plastic and long, and he held it almost like a gun. With a click of his finger on the trigger, the cheap gas lighter sprang to life, barely illuminating his surroundings but bright as day for the sharp eyes of the being holding it. The light revealed a strong hand removing a dark red cloth, and beneath that cloth was this being's most startling feature. A long, straight, black-furred muzzle, tipped with a wet black nose. As the creature breathed a sigh of relief at being able to breathe easy again, sharp, white teeth were briefly visible. Almost as an afterthought, this creature loosened his jeans and lowered them slightly, and reached behind him. With a yank and a wince, then a quick look of relief, he then readjusted his pants and fastened them again. Not wishing to waste the gas in the lighter, he grabbed the bread and hurried off into the house. The wan light of the small flame revealed the black, furry tail of a wolf protruding from the hole in the back of his pants.

This beings name was Kroqgar (pronounced crock-gar) and he was sixteen years old. To all outward appearances, he was as much a large black wolf as he was a man.

He moved quickly through the house, not pausing to glance at the sparse furniture covered in dusty, mouldy blankets. He paused before a large, intact door, before turning to the brickwork on his right. He counted upwards and across from the doorknob, before stopping on a particular brick that looked the same as the rest. He reached up and with a few quick shakes removed it from its place, making sure to catch any falling dust or mortar. He reached into the hollow behind the brick, deposited the fallen debris there, and closed his fingers around a small, metal object. He replaced the brick before swiftly inserting the key into the lock of the door, and in one smooth, practiced motion unlocked and opened it, revealing a stairway and a light at the bottom. He stepped over the threshold, dousing the no-longer needed light, and closed and locked the door behind him, putting the key on a nail next to the door.

Kroqgar swiftly descended the stairs and turned right, going through a doorway into a small room, perhaps 25 meters square. Two thin mattresses were rolled up in the far corner, the illumination provided by a few candles sitting on a table against the left wall. Sitting on a dresser that had seen better days were a few odds and ends, a brush, some batteries, a bit of wire. That dresser held the clothing and most of the other worldly possessions of Kroqgar and his roommate. That roommate was currently standing in front of a clearly old but well taken care of sink, washing a few mismatched plates and cups, as well as some clothing. At the sound of the door to their little home closing, she turned around and smiled. She was his best friend and closest and only companion.

With the big smile he always got upon seeing her, Kroqgar waggled the bread in front of his face and said "Merry Christmas."

The roommate sighed to herself as she stood over the sink, slowly washing a plate over and over. She took care not to spill any of the slightly gray water on her once-bright-but-now-dulled pink t-shirt, or on her snug and worn pair of jeans, for she hated wet clothes. She stared down at her ugly reflection in the water. Kroqgar often told her she was beautiful, but she knew he was just saying it to make her feel better.

She was about five foot nine, so she was by no means short, but the six foot Kroqgar dwarfed her. And whereas he was solid black, from the tips of his ears to the tips of his toes, she had a bit more colour and variety. Along her back and arms, and on the top of her head, she was a fiery orange. However along her stomach and chest, as well as her jaw, underneath the top of her arms, and the inside of her thighs she was a soft, cream colour, almost a beige. She had a long muzzle, just like Kroqgar, but it was thinner and more feminine. A big and fluffy tail waved slowly behind her. The tips of her ears and tail, as well as a pair of markings that spiked down on either side of her muzzle were jet black.

She had a build that was the envy of most women, even if she was a little too thin from lack of food. She had a perfect figure, and curves in all the right places, but neither Kroqgar nor herself thought about that much.

Finally, her most distinctive feature, were her eyes. A bright, fiery, almost alive green, as if a fire danced within them (or at least it looked that way to Kroqgar). She always noticed that whenever he hadn't seen her for a while, her eyes were always the first thing he sought out, with that big goofy grin of his that always made her smile.

Her ears flicked on top of her head as she heard the door open, knowing it was him. She turned around to see Kroqgar, standing there with that big smile and a loaf of bread, wishing her a merry Christmas. With a small giggle, she threw herself into his waiting arms, and hugged him fiercely, feeling him do the same.

Her name was Whisper, and Kroqgar was the dearest thing in her heart. She couldn't imagine her life without him, and even if she didn't know it yet she was beginning to love him.

The days passed for Kroqgar and Whisper as they always had, even if they were a little hot because of the summer. They whiled away the time, talking with each other and playing simple games. On some nights, if it was really dark and quiet outside, they would both venture out to enjoy the air and the freedom. Right on the tail of Christmas New Year came again, as it always does. On this night Kroqgar and Whisper would damn the consequences, and leave the safety of their home to watch the fireworks light up the night sky, always appropriately covered up so no one would see them for what they were.

This year though, they were prepared. They had planned to sneak out on the night of December the 30th, and find an appropriate place to hide for the day so they could watch the fireworks at night, without having to worry about being seen by people. So it was that on Wednesday, the 30th of December they found themselves sneaking out of their house in the dead of night, both carrying some food to tide them over the next two days. Kroqgar was usually the one that went out to do things, and Whisper always wondered how he could stand it. The stifling clothes, the hindered breathing, the impaired vision, she disliked it all, even if she tolerated it. But it was worth it to see fireworks, especially with Kroqgar. She squeezed the hand that was leading her through the shadows, and he stopped and turned to her for a moment. His bandanna shifted on his muzzle, and she knew that he was smiling at her. Then he turned back, and they were away.

The spot Kroqgar found for them was glorious. It was an abandoned apartment block next to the river, due to be demolished in the New Year. On the roof of the building, it seemed that at one point there had been a garden, which was now overgrown. They followed a small path from the stairs to a padded bench, a wall behind it, two structures that looked like they could've been greenhouses at one point on either side, a canopy protruding from the wall behind them, leaving them completely covered on all sides and from above with an unobstructed view of the river in front of them. As they went undercover, they both removed the cloth from their faces. With a warm smile to Whisper, Kroqgar dropped down on the bench, only to have the rotting timbers give way beneath him and fall flat on his behind.

The befuddled and embarrassed look on his face would keep Whisper amused for weeks.

They spent the rest of the night investigating their rooftop sanctuary, and checking for anyone else. They bolted the door to the roof closed from the outside, so on the off chance someone came up here they couldn't get through, and Whisper made a surprising discovery of an apple tree growing in one of the greenhouses, it's branches soaring through the broken ceiling. They feasted on the old but sweet fruits, and lay there together under the stars for a while, watching the eastern sky slowly lighten. As fatigue began to take them, Kroqgar rolled out the mattress they had brought with them, and they both lay upon it, huddled together for warmth in the chilly pre-dawn. Whisper fell asleep first, wrapped in Kroqgars strong grip, her head against his chest listening to his heartbeat. As Kroqgar felt her relax in his arms, and heard her breathing slow, he looked down at her sleeping form. He often thought she was beautiful, but seeing her here now, held against him, illuminated only by the stars and the faintest hints of sunlight, he began to realize he was falling for her.

Whisper awoke late that day, just early enough to watch the sun finish its celestial journey one more time. As she woke, she wondered why her bed was high, oddly shaped, softer than usual, and moving. Wearily opening one eye, she realized that she was in fact lying on top of Kroqgar, her arms around his neck, and both of his around her.

"He's so strong," she thought, looking down on his sleeping form. Often during their lonelier days, when they only had each other for company, she would break down and cry at the utter loneliness of their predicament. Sure, they would both put on a brave face for the sake of the other, but Whisper knew that Kroqgar was as lonely as her, only having one person in the world that can even see you. But he never broke down, he never cried about it, and he was always there for her, offering his shoulder for her to cry on, holding her when she couldn't stand it. With a start, she realized that she would have likely killed herself if she didn't have his companionship.

But that wasn't the only strength he had. She also knew that, purely physically, he was very powerful. She couldn't imagine breathing if he was lying on her, yet he bore her burden without flinching. He had worked tirelessly to build and maintain their home, and once, when part of the ceiling collapsed on them, he had held up a wooden beam that must have weighed at least 150 kilograms while she had escaped.

With a start, she realized that she had begun gazing at his muscles through his thin t-shirt during her musings, and her ears suddenly flushed red and lay flat against her head in embarrassment. She gently got off him and wandered off to find a secluded place to use certain facilities, and fast.

Kroqgars eyes snapped open, and he sat up in alarm at this strange new environment. This wasn't his home. As panic was just beginning to clutch icy fingers to his heart, a very familiar scent found it's way into his nostrils, and he breathed deep. Whisper. She was here. That made everything ok.

In a flash of understanding, the previous nights travel came back to him, and memory returned in a rush.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kroqgar quickly got up; only to stagger a little as his body's need caught up to him. With a slightly faster than regular step he wandered around the rooftop, trying to find a place to use as a bathroom. He was sniffing for the scent he knew would be there, for Whisper always got up before him, and had to go to the toilet. He didn't want to double the amount of already gross and smelly spots on the rooftop. The scent grew stronger as he traveled around the side of one of the greenhouses.

"Whisper?" he called out softly, just as he was about to turn the corner. He didn't want to walk in on her, as had happened before, to extreme embarrassment for both. Not hearing any reply, he looked tentatively around the corner, then breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to do his business.

As he walked back to their temporary bedroom, he wondered where Whisper was, but did not worry about her. She could take care of herself. He decided to take a look over the side of the building, down at the river where all the fireworks where going to be had. And almost fell off the roof in shock.

The river was filled with dozens, maybe hundreds of boats, all floating there, almost filling the great channel. The skyscrapers and tall buildings across the river seemed to all have their lights on, winking at him in the distance. The banks of the river, the streets, and all the ground Kroqgar could see was covered by people. People talking, people walking around, people sitting down on blankets. Quickly, Kroqgar ducked down beneath the railing. It was unlikely that anyone would see him up here, but best not to take chances.

Briefly overwhelmed by the amount of people around, Kroqgar suddenly feared for Whisper. As if on cue, he heard her calling his name behind him, and quickly walked off to make sure she was ok.

As he turned a corner around some overgrown bushes, he saw her standing there. He smiled, as he always did, at seeing her. She in turn gave a small grin, as she saw his eyes flash to hers and drink them in, before he stepped forward.

"What's up?" he asked.

"You need to come look at this" she said, not fear, but.... trepidation showing in her eyes. He could read her like a book, and this made him cautious. She turned and walked back towards the door to the lower levels of the building, and motioned for him to come to her. Silently, he walked forwards, and pressed his ear against the door as she requested.

He heard muffled voices coming from the other side.

He shot her an intense look, and she mouthed back to him with a smile and a placating gesture "They don't know we're here".

_ _

He relaxed somewhat, and went back to listening to the door. He heard lots of voices talking, seeming to be organizing something. He was debating with himself whether or not to go through and check it out when he noticed that Whisper had already unbolted the door and was slowly easing it open. With a smile at the adventurousness in her he followed her through the door and left it open behind him, in case a quick getaway was needed. They went down the stairs very carefully, wincing horribly and listening closely whenever they creaked, but it seemed that these people either didn't hear or didn't care.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw that the door in front of them was already very slightly open, and flashed each other a grin at their good fortune. Whisper darted forward and managed to get there before Kroqgar, who smiled endearingly at her impatience. As Whisper observed the new room before them, her eyes widened in shock.

The room was large, obviously a whole floor of the building, and in it were a dozen or so people, both men and women, all looking very busy. They were all wearing the same t-shirt, solid black, with some writing on the front that was unreadable from Whisper's distance. On the back there was a stylized image of the river and the bridge, with fireworks exploding in the sky, leaving fiery trails behind them. All these people seemed to be somehow involved with a large console sitting at the far end of the room that was open to the air. The console had a central screen, and buttons and dials surrounded the screen on both sides, stretching its two meter length.

Whisper moved to back away, to let Kroqgar look, but bumped into something as she backed out. She looked behind her and saw that Kroqgar had come up behind her, and leant over her to look through the barely open door as well. She realized that she was completely pressed against him, and quickly jerked forward, unable to stop the blush from spreading to her ears.

When Kroqgar felt her separate from him, he swiftly tensed up, then relaxed, oddly disappointed by the lack of contact. All thoughts along that line were quickly banished from his head however, when he gazed upon the contents of the room with a softly spoken "Woah..."

Whisper shivered as she felt the air from his statement flow over her.

As they watched the people inside the room seemed to finalize what they were doing at the console, and moved their work to connecting it with thick black wires to some machinery at the back of the room. Once that was done, they attached an odd thing to the front of the console, what just seemed to be a large amount of tubes, all pointing out toward the river. The myriad of tubes were all sitting on top of a large box placed in front of the console, but they were not high enough to impede the view of someone standing at the console.

"Kroqgar...I think this is where they control the fireworks for the whole show!" breathed Whisper excitedly.

Kroqgar looked down at her excitedly before whispering, "Come on! We don't wanna miss the this!" and retreating back up the stairs.

Once on the roof again, they propped their mattress up against the wall, so they could lean back against it, then fold it beneath themselves to lie on it. Kroqgar gave Whisper a smile before walking over to the bench that had shattered upon trying to sit on it. He ripped the still good padding off it, then returned it to the mattress, and padded their seats, so they could have extra comfort.

They settled themselves down side by side, and got ready to see the show. As they sat there, Whisper felt Kroqgar's hand grip her own, and she turned to see he was smiling at her. She smiled back.

As night truly fell they listened to the sounds of yet more people arriving far below, and gazed out at the faint stars. They heard more banging and talking, as well as the occasional shout, coming from beneath them, and knew that the fireworks were almost ready. Eventually they heard a shout, and they could easily distinguish the words that were said.

"Yeah, in a second! I just gotta put this antenna on the roof!" they heard the masculine voice say.

For a brief moment, their grip on each other's hands became crushing, as they both tensed up. Then in a whirl of action, Kroqgar was on his feet and yanking Whisper to hers.

"Whisper", he said quickly, "Hide over here and don't come out until I say it's ok" and with that he pushed her around the corner of one of the greenhouses, and out of sight of the door. She tried to call him back with piercing whispers, but he didn't listen. He walked over to the door, and leant against it, pushing his whole weight to make sure it didn't open.

Suddenly the handle of the door jiggled. Kroqgar and Whisper's eyes were both fixed on it, and they both heard the same voice say "Bloody thing's locked! Someone come up here and help me push it open!"

Kroqgar and Whisper almost cried out in relief as they remembered they had re-bolted the door behind them. They heard a feminine voice cry out "Don't worry about it, just hang it out one of the windows!" before they heard retreating footsteps on the stairs and grumbling.

Kroqgar let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and slumped against the door, feeling all the adrenaline leave his body. He laughed quietly. He then looked over at Whisper, and all the mirth in his eyes died upon seeing her. She was shaking with fear.

He got up and ran over to her, and took her into his arms. She didn't cry, nor say a word, but he could tell how shaken up she was. Slowly she raised her arms and hugged him back, her head slumping against him. He led her back to their temporary bed, and sat down with her, wrapping an arm around her. She dropped her head on his shoulder, and he rested his head on top of hers, to comfort her.

Whisper's mind had ground to a standstill. They had nearly been caught, they had so nearly been caught. It was only through blind luck they had escaped, Whisper having had the off-thought to bolt the door behind them. As she lay in Kroqgar's arms, slowly calming down, she was still very shaken up at the near miss.

Eventually the scufflings and muffled talking from below them quieted, and all they could hear was the crowd far below them.

Finally they heard the sound they had been waiting for, that of a person talking on a microphone. "Hello everybody, and welcome to the Brisbane New Year's Party 2009!" said the unfamiliar female voice. "We all came out here to see a show so let's get it started!"

Near deafening cheers rose from all around, and Kroqgar chuckled. Even Whisper started to smile, finally getting over her scare. And then the fireworks began.

Kroqgar and Whisper both just laid there, enjoying the closeness and the fantastic spectacle before them.

At almost midnight they began to hear strange noises coming from beneath them. Grunts and groans, murmurings of "Shit shit shit shit" and "oh, fuck". They ignored them for a time, but eventually their curiosity overwhelmed them, and the two got up to have a look at what was happening.

They silently treaded over to the door, slid it open ever-so-gently, then crept down the stairs. They came to the door at the bottom, and both peered through the gap.

Steve Hughs was in hell. Sure, he was doing what he loved, he had a fire in his heart that he had to let out, and his job let his inner pyromaniac shine through. I mean, who wouldn't want to control and operate fireworks? The NEW YEARS fireworks, no less! This was his dream job. He loved every second of it.

Or he would if he didn't have to goddamn pee.

At first, as he stood there pressing button after button as they flashed up on the screen before him, he had thought he could just hold it in. He had done longer at movies before. But as the time crept by, and he drank more and more water to replenish the sweat the heat of the night and gunpowder was generating, the pressure on his bladder grew and grew. Eventually he had his legs crossed beneath him, barely keeping up with the instructions before him, murmuring "Oh shit" to himself over and over to distract himself. He only had a few minutes left, he only had to go till midnight, then the show was over. The trip to the nearest operational toilets from this high up in the building would take at least ten minutes.

Suddenly, his will snapped, and he began to frantically look around for a solution, cursing himself because he was going to miss the Midnight Flourish as it was called, the final big boom of fireworks. He saw his saviour then, what looked like a man standing at the back of the room in the shadows, peering through a door. He couldn't get a clear look at him, having to still focus attention on the screen in front of him, but he was his salvation!

"Mate! Please, for the love of God, come over here and do this for me for a few minutes! It's not too hard, just follow the instructions on the screen!" He saw the man at the back start, as well as someone else with him he hadn't noticed before, and they began to retreat.

In desperation Steve yelled out "NO! Please mate! I need to go, and if you don't cover me I'll lose my job, and never be able to work here again!"

He barely noticed the shadowy figure stop its swift retreat in his peripheral vision, and took this as an affirmative. Quickly keying in the next few commands, he took off out of the far door like a man possessed, yelling over his shoulder "Thanks mate I owe you one!"

Deep in their hearts, Kroqgar and Whisper were both good people. They were terrified when they realized the man had seen them, but could not ignore his heartfelt plea for aid once it occurred to them he didn't see them clearly enough to recognize them for what they were. When the man ran off, the simply stood there stunned for a second, before realizing that the console needed immediate attendance.

They both rushed over, and observed the console before them. It looked like an incredibly complex piece of machinery. They looked at the central screen, and saw a steadily dwindling list of commands, as each button pressed by that previous man was counted down to, then a firework or series of fireworks shot, then it started counting down to the next command.

"What the hell do we do?" blurted Kroqgar, "This thing is so complex!"

"I think we have to do what the screen says...look, it has a list of the next commands!" said Whisper, the light from the screen bathing her face and being reflected in her eyes.

"It says here we press E-12, then S-1 through 7" said Kroqgar, "And look here, each of the buttons has a label next to it.... Here's E-12!" He swiftly pressed one clawed finger down on the button, and they saw the command on the screen move from the list of upcoming commands to the commands in progress. It seemed there was limited room in the commands in progress menu, so only so many could be put in at one time.

"Look!" said Whisper, pointing at the buttons. "It's a grid! Along the top are the letters, and along the side are the numbers." She ran her finger along the top of the console as she spoke, showing the letters A to Z, then along the side, showing the numbers 1 to 12.

Now that they had figured out the machine, keeping up with the commands was easy, and they even began to enjoy it, watching the fireworks they themselves controlled burst into a thousand tear drops of light in the night sky, hearing the appreciative "ooh"s and "aah"s from the crowd.

At four minutes to midnight, the song chosen by popular vote to be the song to ring in the new year was chosen, and after a brief pause, the first notes began to boom out from the massive, strategically placed speakers all around the river.

Kroqgar and Whisper didn't get to listen to music much, so the song was new to them. Kroqgar began to bob his head subtly up and down unconsciously, enjoying the song. Whisper went a little misty-eyed, and started smiling. "This is beautiful," she said softly.

"You would not believe your eyes

If ten million fireflies

Lit up the world as I fell asleep"

They kept up with the fireworks easily, always listening out for the surprise return of the man from earlier, just in case. Whisper saw that Kroqgar had the commands easily in hand, so she slowly backed up from the console and began to dance.

"I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems"

She lost herself in the music, dancing slowly back and forth, enjoying every minute of it. She rarely danced, but she always enjoyed herself when she did.

Thirty seconds before the countdown to 2010 was due to start, Kroqgar happened to glance back at Whisper, whom he'd just assumed was taking a break. His breath caught in his throat.

She was dancing, moving back and forth in a graceful fusion of skill and power, illuminated by the bursts of colour from the fireworks, and seemingly in complete sync with the essence of the song itself. Without even turning around he keyed in the last, fantastic part of the fireworks show. Whisper opened her eyes, and their gaze met. When he looked into those eyes, those eyes that almost seemed to be laughing in exultant triumph of life, he realized he loved her.

"But I'll know where several are

If my dreams get real bizarre

'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar"

Suddenly she looked concerned. "Kroq, what's that light?"

"I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly"

He looked down at the screen, and noticed it was flashing red. Whisper hurried to his side and they both read the large message flashing up.

"WARNING. OVERRIDE ACTIVATED. ALL LAUNCHING CHUTES SHUT OFF."

"It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems"

"What...what does that mean?" asked Kroqgar.

"I think it means that no fireworks can't be shot out," said Whisper, with an utterly blank expression on her face.

"But...but all these finishing fireworks are set to launch. And they are still counting down, look!" Kroqgar replied, the faintest touch of fear in his voice.

With the utter impassiveness that lies beyond fear Whisper murmured "Oh yes, they are still going to fire. They are just not going to launch."

In that moment four things happened. The crowd outside started counting down from 10, the song built to a climax, the fireworks were set alight, and the full implications of what was about to happen crashed down on both of them.

"I'd like to make myself believe"

"TEN!! NINE!! EIGHT!!"

With a slight sizzle and a sharp crack, a blinding white light shot forth from the fireworks housing, encompassing both of the terrified companions.

"That planet Earth turns slowly"

"SEVEN!! SIX!! FIVE!!"

Kroqgar and Whisper opened their eyes to find themselves inside a spinning, crackling sphere of white energy. It was moving faster and faster around them, and getting smaller and smaller, contracting towards them.

"It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep"

"FOUR!!! THREE!!!"

They backed further and further together, terrified beyond words, eyes almost blinded, senses overwhelmed by what was happening. When they backed into each other they both whirled around, completely panicked, and they both saw the fear in the others eyes. In that moment time slowed down, and everything seemed to stop for a moment. As if on cue they both stepped forward and into the arms of the other.

"'Cause everything is never as it seems"

"TWO!!! ONE!!!!"

Looking into each other's eyes, ignoring the lunacy swirling about them, they focused only on each other, anchouring themselves to sanity through the other. A happy look crossed Whisper's features.

"Happy New Year," she said, so softly Kroqgar almost didn't catch it.

In that moment, in that last desperate moment, as the sphere closed in around them, Kroqgar leaned in and kissed her.

As the swirling sphere of energy suddenly disappeared, it left behind no trace of it's coming.

"I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

Because my dreams are bursting at the seams..."

***The song Fireflies by Owl City is not owned by me. I would've said this at the start, but didn't wanna ruin the surprise.