FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Leo was awoken from his slumber by a strange icy chill. At first he thought it was just a draft, but as he stirred in bed, he noticed that indeed, the air inside his room had become quite chilly.

"Flippin' 'eck!" Leo muttered to himself, "How on earth did this room become so cold...?" The young wolf tried to cocoon himself in the blankets to prevent the cold air from nipping at his skin, but this hardly helped. Frustrated, Leo got out of bed, slid a hoodie on over his head, and went out into the hall to check the thermostat. When he reached it, he discovered that even though it was on, it had only been set to seventy-two degrees. "Something is not right here..." Leo thought to himself, "There's no way this humid weather could have dropped this low overnight." 'Creak!' This unexpected noise made Leo jump and turn around in the direction of the main door to the hallway. As Leo stared at the door, he felt an eerie feeling that he was being watched; that someone was right behind that door. His best solution would be to go to Angel, as he felt safe with her. Besides, he was sure it would be much warmer in her room. But before he could move, the main door began to slowly open. "Mother...?" the wolf asked, trembling with fear. It had it be her; who else could it be? As the door opened, Leo's eyes widened with fear and he gasped in shock. There in the doorway stood a tall male beaver dressed in a tattered uniform. His eyes shone emerald green and he had a scar on his left cheek. Leo wanted to scream and run for his life, but instead, he found himself frozen like a statue; as though a spell had been cast upon him. As the beaver slowly approached the petrified wolf cub, Leo saw he had a good-natured smile on his face.

"Don't be afraid, Son;" said the beaver, "I'm not here to hurt you." His voice sounded friendly and reassuring, which calmed the young wolf down. It was then that Leo recognized the beaver standing before him.

"Are you Colonel Eric Duncan...?" Leo asked him, having found his voice.

"The one and only!" the beaver replied, lifting his hat, "I bet your wondering why I'm here."

"Um... Yes indeed, Sir." Leo replied; his fear turning to curiosity.

"Well, Leo;" said Eric, "I thought I'd pay you a visit as you showed great interest in my statue earlier; and I'll bet you'd like to know all about my story." Leo thought about it, then said,

"I'd love to. But... one question; how do you know my name?" Eric smiled and said,

"It's my job to know." He gestured towards the couch and said, "C'mon now; let's sit down." Leo nodded and went to sit down with Eric. Eric then began his tale.

"I grew up in a time of great turmoil; the American Civil War. I'm sure you've heard of it."

"I did;" said Leo.

"Anyway..." said Eric, "I was born in Massachusetts; one of the union states, so when the southern states seceded from the union, I was rather upset. Partly because I was upset at how the South was treating slaves, and partly because I was afraid that such secession could weaken both nations if we were constantly waring." He drew in a breath and said, "I joined a regiment at the age of ten; of course, they weren't so comfortable with the idea of giving me a gun, so I was the drummer boy."

"Is that where you became a Colonel?" asked Leo.

"Not really..." said Eric, "The war ended when I was fourteen, so I was still too young. But, thanks to my bravery in service, the army was gracious enough to let me stay in the army."

"Then what...?" asked Leo.

"I reached the rank of Colonel in eighteen-seventy-three;" said Eric, "But by that time, I felt like the army was growing soft."

"How so?" asked Leo.

"They were always praying to God for strength and victory;" said Eric, "I was of the mind that if we wanted to achieve victory, we had to work out and train more; it was our strength and will that would help us achieve glory, not God's. But no one listened to me. Afraid that I might be given a dishonorable discharge for heresy, I decided to leave on my own; keeping my rank and dignity." He sighed and continued, "But it didn't end there... Everywhere I looked, the churches were beginning to have more than enough influence in the towns they were in. Heck, they even printed 'In God We Trust' on our coins during the war."

"So what did you do?" asked Leo.

"I headed west..." said Eric, "West to the lands untamed. I found a lovely piece of land in this very valley by the sea. I was about to spread out the blanket and have a picnic, when I said to myself, 'This is it! Why not build a town here? Why not build a town and keep it free from the overbearing hand of the church?' So that's what I did."

"And how did you come up with the name 'Firewall City'?" asked Leo, "When I think of a firewall, I think of a strong barrier between the engine of a car and the driver behind it. As far as I know, cars weren't around in the eighteen-seventies."

"You're absolutely right, Son;" said Eric, "I was thinking that since those God worshiping types were always claiming that Hell was full of fire and that sort of thing, I wanted the name to represent a barrier that would keep out the rule of God and keep my town under the rule of man."

"Wow..." said Leo, "That's... pretty intense."

"It was;" said Eric, "It wasn't easy getting people to come to my town, but some came... and they convinced more to come, and so on and so forth. Pretty soon, we were a real town." He sighed again, and took a moment to dab the scar on his cheek. "And then..." he said, "The church finally moved in."

"Did you object to it?" asked Leo.

"Not really;" said Eric, "That would have made me a dictator. I told the people of the church that they could have their church, but I would never institute the laws of the bible into the laws of my town."

"I'll bet they weren't too happy about that, were they?" asked Leo.

"They weren't;" said Eric, "But I survived that little debacle. Through the years, my town grew into a real city. I figured that if I could get through that, I could get through anything. So after years and years of careful planning, I announced that I would run for president of the United States."

"What year?" asked Leo. Eric suddenly looked very grim and said,

"Nineteen-o-four..."

"Oh..." said Leo, "Is that when... it happened...?"

"It sure is..." said Eric, "While I was on my campaign tour in some of the southern states, some overzealous bible worshipers banded together and kidnapped me out of the hotel I was staying at. They said that they would never allow a godless heathen the likes of me to perpetrate my heresy on their nation. I tried to fight... I put up a good one too; but there were too many of them..." Eric became very sombre, and Leo was sure he could see tears forming in the beaver's eyes. "They overpowered me..." said Eric, "and beat me to death."

"Oh gosh..." said Leo, "That's awful."

"Yes..." said Eric, "Sadly, I don't even know what happened after that. It's just an endless black void for me now."

"Wait a minute!" cried Leo, leaping up from the sofa, "If you don't even know what happened next, how are you here?!?"

"Well, you see;" said Eric, forming a smile, "I'm not really a ghost; I'm a figment of your subconscious mind manifested as reality."

"So this is a dream!" said Leo.

"Yes it is," said Eric, "But the troubles you face in your dreams are very real. In fact, you're a bit like me, aren't you?"

"I am...?" asked Leo, "How..."

"Well," said Eric, "You went through most of your life afraid to speak out; a fear that was brought upon by your wretched mother; and reinforced by that bastard of a boyfriend she had."

"You got that right..." said Leo, "But... we're not really the same. I lived in constant fear of them, and they still haunt me in my nightmares." He sighed and said, "I wish I could be as brave as you, Eric."

"But you are brave, Leo;" said Eric, "You just don't realize it."

"Really...?" asked Leo.

"Indeed;" said Eric, getting up as well, "You were brave enough to go to Angel and tell her about your situation. It was because you were brave that you are in a better place now."

"Gosh..." said Leo, "You're right! I am brave!"

"That's the spirit, Boy!" said Eric, "And whenever your mother tries to haunt you again, just stay strong. Remember to keep your beliefs and stand up for them."

"Thanks, Eric;" said Leo as he gave the beaver a hug.

"Aw..." said Eric as he hugged the young wolf back, "You're welcome, Son."

"I wish I could have had you as my father..." said Leo.

"Well..." said Eric, "Sadly, I don't think that's possible, but there's no reason you can't be me."

"How so...?" asked Leo.

"Well..." said Eric, "If ever you find someone who is in the same position as you were, do what you can to help them; and tell them that they can be strong too if they stand up for what they believe in. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, Sir, Colonel Duncan, Sir!" said Leo, delivering a salute.

"Ha-ha! At ease, Son." laughed Eric, "Well, I best be going now. Stay strong!" He walked over to the end of the hall, walked through the door, and closed it behind him.

"Wow..." Leo said to himself, "This has been one interesting dream..." Not knowing what else to do, he went back into his room, took off his hoodie, and clambered into bed. The cold didn't feel so biting now, so Leo was able to close his eyes and drift back into slumber...

*****

'Knock-knock!' the sound of something tapping on the door woke Leo.

"Huh...?" he moaned. He then realized that there was a little bit of sunlight streaming into his room, and he was properly warm again.

"Leo!" came Angel's voice from behind the door, "We're meeting the Goldharts in the city today!"

"Oh right!" said Leo as he perked up and began to get out of bed, "Should I get a move on?" he asked.

"Not really!" called Angel, "I thought I'd wake you now so we wouldn't have to rush."

"Oh..." said Leo, "Thanks!" He untangled himself from the mess of covers and went in for a shower. Leo relished a good shower; it was nice to get drops of sweat and the like out of one's fur. As the warm water cascaded over his body, he thought back the strange dream that he had had. Should he tell Angel about it...? He thought about it, and decided not to; as nice as she was, if he told Angel about that kind of dream, he was worried she might think he'd gone mental; especially if he was having full conversations with furs long dead. With his shower finished, Leo dried himself off, brushed his teeth, and chose a white sleeveless shirt and a pair of green shorts to wear that day. After slipping his feet into his sandals, he walked out into the main room to find Angel waiting for him. She was wearing a white tank top and jeans with her sneakers; she looked like she was ready for a day on Firewall City.

"Good choice in attire, Leo;" said Angel, "Forecast says it should be warm today."

"That's why I brought this stuff!" said Leo. The two of them had a quick breakfast, took the elevator down to ground level, and hopped on a bus to head in to the city.

"Okay then;" said Angel, "I've just heard from Bobbie; she says that she and the others should be there just a few minutes after us." She then noticed Leo staring out the window and said, "You've been awfully quiet this morning, Leo."

"Oh... have I?" asked Leo.

"Yes..." said Angel, "Is everything alright?"

"Just fine;" said Leo, "Just a little nervous about telling Chrissy how I feel, I suppose."

"Well, that's perfectly normal;" said Angel, "Just remember that she likes you for who you are; there's no need to pretend to be anyone else."

"Right;" said Leo, "I'll remember that." It wasn't long before the bus arrived in the city center. Leo and Angel got off the bus and marveled at the amazing sights; it was like something one would expect to see in a futuristic movie.

"Let's see..." said Angel, "We're looking for Margarita's Coffee Shop; shouldn't be too hard to find." Luckily for them, it wasn't; Margarita's Coffee Shop was a tall building that consisted mostly of windows for the outside walls. Leo and Angel went inside and had to fight to keep their jaws from dropping. There were several small tables for two, larger tables for groups of four, and even six. In the center of the floor plan was a giant decorative fountain that had a lot of coins down at the bottom. There were green plants to provide an eco-friendly touch, and up above was a second level that encircled the building, and even had an outdoor balcony.

"Good morning;" said a salamander, dressed in a smart uniform, "Welcome to Margarita's Coffee Shop. Can I get you a table for two?"

"Um... no, actually;" said Angel, "We'd like a table for six if possible. Some friends will be joining us shortly."

"How soon...?" asked the salamander.

"Right now!" said a voice. Leo and Angel looked behind them to see Bobbie, Elizabeth, Ryan, and Chrissy. The first thing that stood out to Leo was Chrissy's wheelchair, and the Royal Air Force roundels on the wheels. He also noticed that she was wearing a green t-shirt with what looked like a yellow tank top over it. She also wore bright magenta shorts and a pair of white and pink sneakers. Leo guessed this was purely for cosmetic reasons as she couldn't walk.

"Hi, Leo!" she said, "So good to see you again!"

"Nice to see you too, Chrissy;" said Leo, "You too, Ryan."

"Thanks;" said Ryan, "If you've never been here before, you're in for a real treat."

"Nice to see you again, Angel;" said Bobbie, "How are you and Leo?"

"We're fantastic;" said Angel, "We're also looking forward to what this coffee shop has to offer."

"Well then;" said the salamander, "You can go ahead and pick out the table you want." Bobbie led the way past the fountain and over to one of the tables for six. Angel, Ryan, and Leo sat on one end, Elizabeth, Bobbie, and Chrissy sat on the other end; but not before Bobbie helped Chrissy out of her wheelchair and sat her down in the booth.

"So..." said Leo, "Does a waiter come by to take our orders...?"

"Not quite;" said Ryan with a sly smile. At that moment a screen at the end of the booth flashed on and a computerized voice said,

"Greetings, Patrons; Welcome to Margarita's Coffee Shop. Please input your desired order."

"Wow..." said Angel, "That's really something else." she thought for a moment and said, "I'd like a tea, please; milk, but no sugar."

"I'll have a hot chocolate;" said Ryan, "Dark chocolate, light cream." Leo thought for a moment, then said,

"I'd like a hot chocolate with milk, please."

"I'll take a decaf with milk and sugar, please." said Elizabeth.

"I'd like an espresso with milk and no sugar." said Bobbie.

"I'd like a hot chocolate with marshmallows, please." said Chrissy. The screen then listed everything they had just ordered.

"Please press button to confirm your order." said the computer. Angel did the honors, and the computer said, "Your order has been processed. Thank you for choosing Margarita's Coffee Shop."

"Wow!" said Leo, "That was so cool!"

"Firewall city has always been at the forefront of pioneering technologies in the United States;" said Elizabeth, "And that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Really?" asked Angel, "What other modern marvels can be found in this city?"

"Well," said Elizabeth, "Our public library has a machine that can print out copies of books for a fee. So if a child loves a book so much that they don't want to give it back to the library, they can pay a fee, and the machine will print a copy for them that they can keep forever."

"That sounds cool;" said Leo.

"It is;" said Ryan, "Especially considering that it's much easier than trying to hunt the book you're looking for down in a bookstore or on the internet."

"And it's not just the grown-ups that get cool stuff;" said Chrissy, "The school we attend, Turner Middle School, has a lot of groundbreaking gadgets too."

"Like what?" asked Leo.

"Well;" said Chrissy, "There's an electric eye on the ceiling of every classroom that can automatically detect if a homework assignment hasn't been completed."

"Wow..." said Leo, "I'll bet that one's popular with the students."

"Well... Not really;" said Chrissy, "But it sure is popular with the teachers."

"But I'll tell you one thing that's popular with us students;" said Ryan, "The bike garage!"

"Bike garage?" asked Leo.

"Yep!" said Ryan, "Instead of a boring old bike rack, our school has a giant multi-rack that rotates like a ferris wheel. That way, up to sixty bikes can be stored in the same place."

"There are even places to store roller skates, skateboards, and scooters;" said Chrissy, "It's the coolest thing."

"And the best part;" said Ryan, "Is that the whole system is equipped with a security system that is so tight, it only operates with the sight of an eye. It's kinda like a thumbprint scanner for your eye."

"Wow!" said Leo, "I wish my school had one of those things."

"It does sound like something Crystal and I would have enjoyed in our youth;" said Angel, "Might have made going to school more enjoyable."

"Who's Crystal?" asked Bobbie.

"My sister;" said Angel, "She and I were so tight in our younger days." At that moment, a rabbit arrived, carrying their drinks on a tray.

"Your drinks!" she announced, "Three hot chocolates, one tea, one coffee, and one decaf."

"Thank you so much!" said Leo as he and the others took their drinks. Once the rabbit had left their table, Angel continued,

"As I was saying;" she said, "Crystal and I shared almost everything together. We were almost always in the same classes in school, we slept in the same room for the longest time; heck, there was a time when we were both interested in the same boy at school; and the funny part is that neither one of us knew that the other was interested as well!"

"What happened once you found out?" asked Elizabeth.

"I'm not proud to admit this;" said Angel, "But we had a row. Ultimately, this was what caused the boy to lose interest in both of us. So, we apologized and made up with each other; realizing that sisterhood was much more important."

"Reminds me of my dad and my uncle;" said Elizabeth, "They shared a lot of things when they were young too."

"Or of our friends Casey and Joey;" said Ryan, "They're brothers, and they share everything together." He paused and said, "Not that they have a choice in the matter..."

"Yeah..." said Chrissy, "It's kinda set in stone."

"Why?" asked Leo.

"I... really don't think I should talk about why;" said Chrissy, "But if you ever chance to meet them, you'll see for yourself."

"Okay then;" said Leo. He had to admit that his curiosity was aroused, but the chances of actually meeting Casey and Joey just by chance were nil, so he decided not to dwell on it. He took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Oh wow..." he said, "This is so good; creamy and sweet."

"Mmmmm..." said Angel after taking a sip of her tea, "This tea is delicious; you colonists know a thing about good tea after all!"

"Maybe when we visit you in England;" said Bobbie, "We'll see if you limeys know a thing about good burgers!" Everyone laughed.

*****

Ten minutes later, Leo, Chrissy, and Ryan had finished their hot chocolates and were itching for some fun.

"Hey, Mom;" said Ryan, "Can Chrissy and I show Leo the Comic Coliseum? I think he'll love it."

"Comic Coliseum?" asked Leo, "Is that a comic store?"

"Only the coolest comic store on the west coast!" said Ryan, "You have got to see it to believe it."

"Can I go, Mum?" Leo asked Angel, "Please...?"

"Of course, Leo;" said Angel, "You go ahead, I'll take care of your hot chocolate."

"No need;" said Bobbie, "It's on us today." She turned to Ryan and said, "Go ahead, Son; just remember to be careful crossing the square, okay?"

"Sure thing, Mom!" said Ryan.

"And one more thing;" said Elizabeth, "We'll all meet up at the statue of Chief McShaw by the fountain in the square at four o' clock. Does that sound fair?"

"Sure, Aunt Beth;" said Ryan, "We'll be there." He and Leo exited the booth, and once Chrissy had been set back in her wheelchair, the three kids left the coffee shop to head for the Comic Coliseum. As they headed down the sidewalk, Leo turned to Chrissy and said,

"Chrissy, do you want me to push your wheelchair for you?"

"Sure;" said Chrissy, "How nice of you to ask." Leo was a little surprised; he had almost expected her to refuse and say that she could do it herself. Regardless, he stepped behind her, took the handles in his hand, and gently pushed her along.

"So..." said Leo, "Pretty interesting choice of paintwork on your wheels, Chrissy; RAF roundels and all."

"Thanks;" said Chrissy, "I got that paintjob at the Firewall City Orphanage when I stayed there. You probably won't believe this, but I didn't even ask for it; the staff asked if they could do it as a way to cheer me up."

"That was really nice of them;" said Leo, "You were lucky you found Bobbie and Elizabeth; the same way I was lucky to find Angel."

"Yeah..." said Chrissy, "I guess we're both lucky that way."

"If you don't mind me asking..." said Leo, "Where did you come from before coming to Firewall City?"

"I was born in Pennsylvania;" said Chrissy, "For the longest time, I lived on a quiet street in a quiet neighborhood. Then, when I was eight, everything changed."

"Is that when you lost the use of your legs?" asked Leo.

"Yeah;" said Chrissy with a sigh, "Happened so suddenly, it was like I was one person on Monday, and a different person on Friday."

"I wish I could say I know how you feel..." said Leo, "But... I can't, because... I didn't go through what you went through."

"It's okay;" said Chrissy, "I understand. Besides, I can't say that I know how you felt when you... when you..."

"When I what...?" asked Leo.

"Well..." said Chrissy, "When you got that scar..." Leo looked at his left shoulder in such a way that he could see his scar. "I'm sorry...!" Chrissy said, quickly, "I put my foot in my mouth..."

"No, no, it's fine..." said Leo, "We're just being honest with each other is all." Chrissy looked back up at him and smiled.

"Thanks..." she said, "For being so understanding."

"Hey, you guys!" called Ryan, "We're here!" Leo looked up to see a rounded building that was five stories high, and built to look like the coliseum in Rome. Leo read the title of the building in bold black letters, ' THE COMIC COLISEUM'.

"Wow!" he said, "Do you think they'll have any Bathound comics?"

"Does a sunburnt pig smell like bacon?" asked Ryan.

"HEY!!" yelled an angry voice. The three pups looked up to see a large and angry pig wearing a wife-beater shirt, and sporting a very red sunburn. "I resemble that remark!"

"Do you deny it...?" asked Ryan.

"No;" said the pig, "I just resemble it." He then stormed away.

"Okay..." said Leo, "That... just happened."

"Yeah..." said Chrissy, "We better go inside."

"Trust me, Leo;" said Ryan, "You're gonna love this place."

*****

The moment Leo entered the Comic Coliseum, he omitted a small gasp of excitement. Surrounding him were shelves of comics upon rows of shelves. There were posters almost as big as him displayed on the walls that consisted of heroes and villains from various superhero films and anime shows. There where even giant statues of iconic comic characters.

"What do you think, Leo?" Chrissy asked him.

"This place is incredible!" Leo exclaimed "It puts the comic shop I go to back in Watermane to shame. This shop must be at least ten times bigger."

"That's not all of it, Leo;" Ryan informed him "There's an upstairs with DVDs of movies and complete series collections, and even a down stairs, that has a lot of anime and manga books."

"Alright!" said Leo. "I can never get enough manga; Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and Akira are my favorites."

"Same, Man;" said Ryan, "I freaking love_Attack on Titan_." After glancing around in awe a few more times, Leo turned to Ryan and Chrissy and said,

"Okay, Guys, do you know which one of these shelves contains the Bathound comics? I'm looking for a graphic novel called Knights of Barkistan."

"I'm glad you asked;" said Ryan, "Follow me; you're going to be amazed." Wheeling Chrissy in front of him, Leo followed Ryan through a small crowd to a computer monitor. "There you go;" the pup told him, "Just say the name of the comic you're after into the mic."

"Right then;" said Leo as he approached the monitor. Leo then said in a clear voice "I'm looking for Bathound: Knights of Barkistan." To Leo's amazement, the title and picture of the graphic novel appeared on the screen as well as the price (which showed $14.99) and a map to the shelf of where the comic was located. "Oh my..." Leo chuckled to himself, "The library at Watermane should definitely have one of these. It would make finding books for homework a million times easier."

"Well, we actually have one of these things in our public library, and one or two in every school in the city." Chrissy informed him. After taking a quick photo of the map with his phone, the three canines made their way to the shelf where the graphic novel was located. In a short amount of time, Leo had located Knights of Barkistan. He beamed to himself as he held the graphic novel in his paws. It was a rare deluxe edition as well.

"Anything else you're after, Buddy?" Ryan asked him. "This place also sells T-shirts, board games, mugs, and drinking glasses."

"Did you say mugs?" Leo asked, "Because if there are mugs here, then I hope I can get one for my mum. She's been very nice to me this year and deserves another present, next to that hot water bottle case I got for her."

"Follow me then" Ryan replied. Ryan led Leo through the maze of shelves until they reached a wooden shelf with a variety of mugs and drinking glasses clustered together.

"Now... which one I should get her?" Leo asked as he scanned the shelf. He almost chose a dark blue mug with Captain America's shield on the front, when he spotted a different mug through the corner of his eye. It was a mug with the Bathound villainess Harley Claw, on the front: in her classic jesters' outfit. "All right!" Leo exclaimed, "Harley Claw is one of Mum's favourite villainesses; I'm so getting her this one."

"Your mom's a big DC fan, isn't she?" Ryan asked him.

"One of the biggest fans in England for sure;" Leo replied, "She's been reading and collecting Bathound comics since she a cub. I guess when she was growing up she was kind of a tomboy." He thought a moment, then said, "Now that that's all settled, I wouldn't mind seeing the manga books on the bottom floor."

"Sure; we'll head down there now;" Ryan said. "Hopefully, they might have some manga books on offer."

*****

In total, the 3 pups spent a solid hour rooting through every inch of the store; just in case there was anything else on offer. As they browsed, they chatted about their interests in comics, anime, and cartoons. When it came time to leave, Ryan had bought a new card set for a trading game he was into, and Chrissy had bought the latest issue of her favorite comic, The International Flying Squadron. After Leo had paid for his gifts, they excited the store. It was then that Leo realized he was a bit peckish. Like an answer to his prayers, Ryan asked him,

"Say, Leo, do you enjoy Mexican food?"

"I love it, with a capital L;" Leo replied. "I can't get of enough tortillas and mashed avocado."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I have some tokens for free meals at Craneos;" Ryan explained, "It's a Mexican restaurant that serves some great food."

"You up for it, Leo?" Chrissy asked him. "It's about a 10 minute walk from here."

"Count me in;" Leo replied, "Craneos sounds promising." He thought a moment, then asked, "By the way, why is it called Craneos?"

"Oh, it's Spanish for skulls;" Chrissy explained to him, "Without giving too much away for you, there are a lot of paintings of skulls there."

"C'mon!" said Ryan. "I know a shortcut there."

"Are you sure you want to push me for ten minutes?" Chrissy asked Leo.

"I'll be fine;" said Leo, "Don't you worry." And he was fine. For the entire walk to Craneos, he pushed her along with ease; even up the occasional curb. Chrissy couldn't help but marvel at how strong and enduring the young wolf boy was. 10 minutes later, the trio arrived outside Craneos. "This place looks promising..." Leo thought to himself as he observed the tall yellow building. It reminded him of a pub in his home town of Watersmane; only it was much bigger (at least twice the size) and it had giant roses painted on the sides. As soon as they entered the waiting area of Craneos, they were greeted by a tall brown mare in a festive uniform

"Hola!" the mare said, warmly, "How are we today."

"We're good, Miss;" said Ryan, cheerfully, "We would like a table for three upstairs. Also... are you currently taking tokens?"

"Of course; we have a nice table upstairs." the mare replied, "I just need to check these tokens for you to see if they are still valid." Ryan handed the mare his tokens, which she checked and confirmed for him; they were indeed valid. She then wheeled Chrissy to a nearby elevator, which led up to the top floor.

"This way, Buddy." Ryan said to Leo and led him up a winding stair case. When they reached the top, Chrissy and the mare waitress awaited them. They then made the rest of the journey down a small corridor to a large dining room. As they entered the room, Leo became captivated by the room's interior. There where candlesticks placed in glass spirit bottles; whilst others where melted onto china skulls. There where messy canvas paintings of skeletons of various animals, hung up in frames on the stone walls that where painted bright yellow. However, the thing caught Leo's attention the most was the retro gaming systems that where plugged into TV monitors at some of the tables! These systems included SNESs, SEGA Mega Drives, PS1s, and N64s. Leo had found memories with the SNES. His adoptive aunt Crystal had one at her place, which she let him play on whenever he visited. Once they were seated at a small wooden table with a N64 attached, the mare asked them,

"Do you kids know what you'd like to order? If you're not sure yet, I'll come back in 10 minutes."

"Well, I'd like a chicken burrito, please." Ryan told her politely.

"I'll have a plate of beef quesadillas, please." said Chrissy.

"And I'll have some vegetarian nachos, please" said Leo.

"Good choices, Kids;" the mare replied, "At Craneos, we serve the best Mexican cuisine in California. Now you kids have enough tokens left for a free jug of any soft drink of your choice. What will it be?"

"Would you guys be fine with a jug of cola to share out?" asked Ryan.

"Yeah, that's fine with me." said Leo.

"Same." Chrissy replied.

"Good, good;" the mare said, cheerfully, "I'll let the boys in the kitchen know about your orders." She then walked away; her flowing tail swishing behind her.

"Before our food arrives, would either of you be up for a game of Mario Kart?" Ryan asked, eagerly.

"So long as I get to be Luigi, then sure." Leo replied.

"I wanna be Wario!" said Chrissy.

"Sounds good;" said Ryan, "Yoshi's my guy anyway."

After twenty minutes of racing, their food and drink were delivered to them by a mouse lady. They switched off the N64 before they settled themselves down at their table and tucked in.

"These nachos are delicious!" Leo said as he licked salsa from his lips. "How about you guys?"

"Oh, my quesadillas are great." said Chrissy, "By the way, since you've ordered something that doesn't have any meat in it, are you a vegetarian?"

"Well, I tend not to eat meat on holiday in case of food poisoning;" said Leo before he took another bite from his nachos. After swallowing, he said, "Heck apart from a bit of fish occasionally, I hardly eat meat. So, I might go full vegetarian eventually."

"Wow... that sounds like an achievement." Ryan exclaimed, "Veggies are nice and all, but even if I was paid, I don't think I'd last very long without a nice bit of meat in my belly."

"Me neither;" said Chrissy before taking another bite from her quesadilla, "Though, I did hear something about a vegetarian diet making you look younger."

"I remember hearing about that too." said Leo, "I'll have to look it up again." Just then, a pair of voices said,

"Hi, Ryan!" in unison. Leo looked up and...

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" he screamed as he fell backwards and almost upset his plate of nachos. Standing before him was a strange creature that had two heads, four arms, and two separate tails! The two heads looked at him, then turned to Ryan and asked,

"Who's the new guy...?" in perfect unison.

"Oh..." said Ryan, "Uh... this is my new friend, Leo Savannah. He's from out of town." Ryan then directed his attention to Leo and said, "Leo, these are my best friends, Casey and Joey Weatherford."

"Hi, Leo;" said the head on the left, "I'm Casey."

"And I'm Joey." said the head on the right, "We're conjoined twin brothers."

"Uh... Hi..." said Leo, "I'm... sorry about the way I greeted you."

"Meh..." said Joey, "We're used to it." Leo could now get a slightly better look at Casey and Joey's body. Both their heads were canine, but Casey's head had a longer muzzle with floppy ears and bronze colored hair, while Joey's head had a shorter muzzle with blondish hair and point-up ears.

"Uh..." said Leo, "Would you like to sit with us..."

"Sure!" said Casey, "If you'll have us."

"No problem;" said Chrissy. The conjoined twins sat down with them, and it was only then that Leo got a glimpse of their twin tails; one was hang-down, the other curled.

"So..." said Joey to Leo, "Out of town, huh?"

"Yes..." said Leo, sitting back up, "All the way from England in fact."

"England!" said Casey, "Land of Big Ben, The Yorkshire Dales, and the Loch Ness Monster!"

"Loch Ness is in Scotland, you drip!" said Joey, "And I highly doubt that there's a monster in it."

"Right..." said Leo, still not sure what to think or say. Eventually, he decided to ask an honest question. "So, uh... how did you guys... get to be this way?"

"We were born like this;" said Joey, "Mom said something about her egg cell getting scrambled or something; though I'm pretty sure she was referring to her genetic code or something."

"And... did everyone else freak out when they saw you for the first time?" asked Leo.

"Everyone;" said Casey, "There was no way around it. People are just... you know, scared of things that they don't understand."

"And things that are so... unusual." added Joey.

"Yeah..." said Leo, "I understand that."

"But at least our parents supported us;" said Joey, "We'd be lost without them."

"Yeah..." said Leo, "I can understand the feeling."'

"Well;" said Casey, "It was nice meeting you, Leo. We're gonna catch up with Ryan if that's alright." Soon, Ryan and the twins were chatting away about games, comics, and hopes for Christmas presents.

"They are a bit unusual..." said Chrissy, "But they're really nice guys once you get to know them."

"I'm sure;" said Leo, "I just... feel sorry for them."

"Why's that?" asked Chrissy.

"Well... said Leo, "I imagine there are some things in life that they'll just never get to have, like... a moment away from each other."

"Yeah..." said Chrissy, "That's pretty much out the window."

"But..." said Leo, "I'm sure they're very glad to have friends like you and Ryan by their side."

"They sure are;" said Chrissy, taking another bite, "And we're glad to have them by our side too."

"That's great;" said Leo, "Nothing's more important than friendship." After a little bit longer, the meal was finished. Ryan tipped the waitress, but before they left, Leo assured Casey and Joey that he was very happy that he got the chance to meet them. Casey and Joey said likewise, and they parted ways as friends.

*****

All too soon, it was time for the pups to head back. Leo was full from lunch, and still smiling at his new graphic novel. From what he had seen in the past two days, Firewall City was truly a magical place.

"So now we go and meet up with our mums at the statue of Mr. McShaw?" asked Leo.

"That's right!" said Ryan as he led the way to the square.

"Just who is this Mr. McShaw anyway?" asked Leo.

"He was the finest police chief Firewall City ever had;" said Chrissy, "He retired some time ago and is living out the rest of life somewhere peaceful."

"We don't know where of course;" said Ryan, "If anyone knew, they'd be a target for crooks who want revenge on the old walrus."

"It's sad to think that people are so vindictive that they'd attack a lawman after he's retired from duty;" said Leo, "But then again... I know what some people are willing to do to those who take away their freedom and ruin their lives."

"So do I..." said Chrissy, "Well... we better make tracks if we don't want to keep our moms waiting." As she wheeled away, Leo's mind went into overdrive.

"Think, Leo!" he thought, "There's no guarantee that you'll see her after today! And she might not be committed to keeping in touch if she thinks it's just for friendship!" Leo's head began to hurt with how fast his mind was processing everything. "Go on, Leo...!" he told himself, "It's now or never!"

"Then let it be now..." Leo whispered. "Uh... Chrissy..." he said.

"Yeah...?" Chrissy asked over her shoulder.

"There's uh... something I really want to say to you..." said Leo, doing his best to hide the fear in his voice. Chrissy turned her chair around so she could face Leo properly.

"What is it...?" she asked.

"Hey;" said Ryan, "I think that burrito is making a comeback on me. I think I'm gonna slip in here and use the bathroom, alright?" He slipped away and into a general store that was on the corner, leaving Leo and Chrissy by themselves on the street.

"Okay..." said Chrissy, "That was random..."

"Well..." said Leo, "When... When I met you yesterday, I really had a lot of fun with you."

"I did too." said Chrissy.

"And..." said Leo, "I think that you are a really great person, and it's really nice to be around you."

"I feel the same way." said Chrissy.

"Yeah... that's great..." said Leo, "It's nice that you like me; Not a lot of people my age... ever... liked me like that; apart from my family and all..."

"O... kay..." said Chrissy, "This is nice and all, but you clearly have something that you want to tell me, so why bother putting it off? If you wanna tell me, just go on and tell me. You don't have to feel nervous with me."

"Easy for you to say...!" Leo thought. He took a deep breath and said, "Chrissy... I... I think I have a crush on you... No! Let me rephrase that; I KNOW I have a crush on you!" He shut his eyes out of instinct, waiting for the verdict.

"You... you do?" asked Chrissy. "For real...?"

"Yeah..." said Leo, shuffling his feet, "For real."

"Wow..." said Chrissy, "Wow... that is... so amazing!" And then came six words that made Leo's heart skip a beat, "I'm totally crushing on you too!"

"What...?" asked Leo as he opened his eyes to look at Chrissy.

"Yeah!" said Chrissy, "When you helped me out on the beach and helped me build a sand castle, I could tell that you were a great person. Oh, you have no idea how much I worried about whether or not you felt the same way about me!"

"You did...?" asked Leo.

"Sure!" said Chrissy.

Yesterday...

_ Chrissy, sat alone by the side of her bed, looking out over the landscape of the west coast that led to the ocean. Her mind just kept turning back to that wonderful wolf boy she had met on the beach that day._

_ "He was so strong..." she thought to herself, "And nice too... Helping me to shore; not just anyone would do that for me..."_

_ "Chrissy!" came a voice. Chrissy wheeled around to see Elizabeth standing in her doorway, wearing an apron over her clothes. "Want to help make gingerbread houses?" she asked._

_ "Oh, sure, Mom;" said Chrissy, "But... can I ask you something first...?"_

_ "Sure, Sweetie;" said Elizabeth as she came into Chrissy's room and sat down on her bed, "What would you like to talk about?"_

_ "About Leo..." said Chrissy, "The boy I met this afternoon."_

_ "Really..." said Elizabeth. She gave a sly smile and said, "Sounds like someone has their eye on a certain someone, hmm...?"_

_ "Well... yeah..." said Chrissy, "Everything he did for me was so nice; there are not a lot of kids who would do those kinds of things."_

_ "True... true..." said Elizabeth, "Most of them these days do quite the opposite."_

_ "I guess I..." said Chrissy, "What do you call those things when someone likes someone...?"_

_ "That's called a crush, Chrissy;" said Elizabeth, "And they can happen to anyone; boys and girls, young or old."_

_ "I see..." said Chrissy, "My old mom never taught us about those kinds of things."_

_ "I can imagine..." said Elizabeth, with a hint of distaste in her voice, "But let me tell you something; soon, you'll be a young woman, and you are going to have feelings that will seem strange and foreign to you. But you can take it from me that there's nothing deviant or evil about these feelings; these feelings are all a part of growing up."_

_ "Thanks, Mom..." said Chrissy, "But... one thing I'm worried about is how do I let Leo know how I feel about him? If he goes back to England before I have the chance to tell him, I may never see him again!"_

_ "Well then;" said Elizabeth, "Why don't you just tell him?" _

_ "I probably should..." said Chrissy, "But... what if he doesn't feel the same way about me?"_

_ "Well..." said Elizabeth, "Even if he doesn't want to be an... item, there's no reason you two can't still be friends."_

_ "I guess so;" said Chrissy, "And... we can still talk as friends, right?"_

_ "Of course, Sweetie;" said Elizabeth as she got up and gave her daughter a hug, "And who knows...? Perhaps over time, friendship will blossom into love. But even if it doesn't, friendship is still a wonderful thing."_

_ "I know;" said Chrissy as she hugged her mom back, "Thanks."_

_ "You're welcome, Chrissy;" said Elizabeth, "Now, what do you say we make some gingerbread houses before Ryan samples all the candies?"_

_ "Sure!" said Chrissy. She wheeled herself to the door, when she stopped and said, "Hey, Mom! I've got an idea!" Interested, Elizabeth bent over and said,_

_ "I'm listening..."_

Today...

Leo couldn't believe what he had just heard. He was almost afraid to believe it was true.

"So... yeah..." said Chrissy, "I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way about me, but... I guess I worried for nothing!"

"Yeah..." said Leo, cracking a smile, "I guess so! Still... better than not worrying and being disappointed, right?"

"Too right!" said Chrissy, and the two of them laughed.

"So..." said Leo, "Will you be my... girlfriend...?"

"On one condition..." said Chrissy, "If you will be my boyfriend."

"Deal!" said Leo. He stuck out his fist, and Chrissy fist-bumped him.

"Hey, guys!" said Ryan, "I'm back!"

"Got that burrito out of your system?" asked Chrissy.

"Yep!" said Ryan, "C'mon; we best get moving before our moms get worried." He walked off, and Leo got behind Chrissy to push her. As he did, Chrissy whispered,

"Ryan's able to hold his burritos way longer than that; he probably just wanted to give us some privacy."

"Wow..." said Leo, "That was really nice of him."

"It was." said Chrissy. In a matter of minutes, they arrived at the statue of Chief Waldo McShaw in the square, where Angel, Bobbie, and Elizabeth were waiting for them.

"Hello, Leo;" said Angel, "Had a good time?"

"For sure!" said Leo, "We went to a comic store, and had some Mexican for lunch. I tell you, this whole city is amazing."

"It sure is;" said Angel.

"We're glad you had a great time;" said Bobbie, "We're very fortunate to live in such a wonderful city as this."

"By the way..." said Chrissy, "Mom had something she wanted to ask you, Miss Angel."

"Really...?" asked Angel.

"Yes..." said Elizabeth as she turned to face Angel, "Chrissy, Bobbie, Ryan, and I were wondering if you would like to come by on Christmas Eve for a Christmas party at Goldhart Manor."

"That sounds wonderful!" said Leo, "Can we go, Mum?"

"I... don't know..." said Angel, "It'd be a bit tricky to get back to the hotel in Christmas Eve traffic."

"Not to worry;" said Bobbie, "If you want, you can spend the night with us. Save some on the hotel fee."

"Oh, but our plane home doesn't leave until the day after Christmas;" said Angel, "Are you sure we won't be a bother?"

"Perish the thought;" said Bobbie, "We have guest rooms, and you would be our guests. Besides, between you and me, and our kids, I'd say we're all friends enough to spend some more time together before being separated by a whole continent and an ocean."

"Our house is your house." said Elizabeth.

"Well..." said Angel, "Since you put it like that... I concede! We'd be happy to come."

"YES!!" Leo, Chrissy, and Ryan shouted in unison.

"Then it's settled;" said Bobbie, "Can we see you around five or something like that?"

"Sure can;" said Angel, "I look forward to seeing you then."

"So do I." said Leo.

"See you on Christmas Eve then!" said Elizabeth as she, Bobbie, Chrissy, and Ryan headed off towards the street.

"Bye, Leo!" called Chrissy.

"See you!" called Leo. He then looked up at Angel, who had a knowing look on her face.

"Well, Romeo;" she asked, "Hast thou found thy Juliet?"

"Oh yes!" said Leo, "Turns out she worried last night the same as I did!" He laughed and said, "Mum... do you honestly think a long distance relationship between the two of us could work?"

"You know something, Leo...?" said Angel, "I think it can."

"Thanks, Mum;" said Leo, "By the way... who's Juliet? And for that matter... who's Romeo?"

*****

The past two days had been a blur. Leo and Angel had gone exploring the hills beyond the city on the twenty-third, and had gone back to the beach and Boardwalk Park on the twenty-fourth. Now they were back in their hotel room, getting all dressed up for their trip to the Goldharts' house for the Christmas party.

"This is so exciting;" said Angel, "Getting to spend Christmas with our new friends."

"Too right it is!" said Leo, "Chrissy mentioned that they have a pool, so I'm wearing my swimsuit under my shorts, just in case."

"That reminds me;" said Angel, "I might as well wear mine too. By the way, Leo, make sure all your bags are packed; we won't be coming back here tomorrow."

"Got it!" said Leo. We went into his room and tripled checked to make sure that all of his belongings were packed in his backpack. After one last look over of the room, he went over to the balcony and looked out over the city. Growing up in England, Leo had never seen a city like Firewall ever before. He could almost remember the first time he stood on this balcony just five days ago. He had taken plenty of pictures from there, but nothing would ever compare to really being there. It was at that moment that he felt an urge that he had never felt before. It took only a second to give in; he inhaled a deep breath and called out, "HEIGH-HO, FIREWALL CITY!!!" No one answered, but Leo knew that the city appreciated how much he loved it. After another two minutes, he left the balcony for the last time and joined Angel by the door.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Ready, Mum!" said Leo. The two of them exited the room, checked out in the lobby, and walked out past the statue of Colonel Eric Duncan. For a glancing moment, Leo was certain that he saw a twinkle in the statue's eye. Once at the street, Angel flagged down a cab.

"Number Eight, Russel Drive, please." Angel said to the crow cabbie.

"Ah..." said the crow, "The ritzy district, eh...? Don't worry; I'll get you there in no time flat!" As he pulled away from the curb, Leo looked at Angel and said,

"Ritzy district?"

"I'm... sure he means generally bigger houses;" said Angel, "Nothing to be intimidated about." Leo agreed and settled in for the ride. After only a few minutes, Angel surprised Leo by saying, "I also thought I'd ask you... How have you been sleeping lately?"

"Oh..." said Leo, "I've been sleeping pretty well. Being in a new city hasn't really done anything to impede my sleep intake."

"Ah, that's good;" Angel replied. "Have you had any nice dreams?"

"Not that I can remember..." Leo said, hastily, "Why?"

"Well, during the second night;" said Angel," I got up to use the bathroom and... on the way, I heard you talking to yourself."

"You did?" Leo asked, sounding rather surprised.

"Yeah;" said Angel, "So I thought I'd check in on you." She smiled and said, "When I saw you, you looked very peaceful and happy. So I guess you must have been dreaming about something good, hmm...?"

"Oh!" said Leo, "I probably was having a nice dream." He shrugged and said, "It's a shame I can't quite remember it."

"Don't worry about it;" said Angel, "There's always a chance it might come back to mind" She reassuringly placed a paw on his shoulder. "Besides;" she said, "You don't have to tell me about it; I believe that dreams are personal experiences and are sometimes best kept to ourselves." Leo felt a wave of reassurance wash over him. It looked as though he didn't need to tell her or anyone else about his encounter with Colonel Duncan any time soon.

"Say, Mum;" Leo asked, "Unless it's personal, did you have any dreams yourself these past few nights?"

"Why yes; I'm glad you asked." said Angel, "I dreamed about the time I swam the channel from England to France, back when I was in my twenties."

"That sounds epic;" Leo replied. "One day I hope I can swim the channel, myself."

"Well," said Angel, "With enough gumption, commitment, and training, there's no reason that you can't." It was only then that they realized that their cab was now driving near the outskirts of the city and up into the hills.

"Um... excuse me, Sir..." said Leo, "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"You wanted Russel Drive..." said the crow, "You'll get Russel Drive." It was then that Leo began to get nervous. Angel was nervous too; but not for the same reason as Leo. In another four minutes, the cab turned onto a street near the top of the plateau; a street that was lined on both sides with luxurious mansions. He pulled up to the mansion that was at the end of the cul-de-sac on the right side of the street. "Number Eight, Russel Drive!" said the crow. Leo and Angel stared out the window in disbelief. "Hey," said the crow, "What is this, a staring contest...?"

"Oh, sorry..." said Angel. She paid the crow and went to help Leo get the bags out of the boot. Once that was done, the cab drove off, and Leo and Angel were left staring up at the enormous house.

"Bobbie and Elizabeth live here...?" asked Leo. He looked at the mailbox, which plainly said, '8 Russel Drive'.

"Looks like they do;" said Angel.

"Wow..." said Leo, "Chrissy and Ryan were holding out on me..."

"Perhaps..." said Angel, "But I'm sure they wouldn't have invited us to their party if they didn't really consider us friends." She looked down at Leo and said, "Well... shall we go?"

"We're already here;" said Leo, "We might as well." He and Angel walked up the concrete driveway and up the path to the door.

"Well..." said Angel, "Here goes..." She pressed the button for the doorbell.

To Be Concluded...