FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Ok... a friendly warning for my readers, this is the longest chapter of them all. It's 90 pages of A4 + 37 more pages for the epilogue. Yeah, I wrote the whole deal as fast as I can, believe me. No, please, believe me =X

I know I'm going to miss the characters in this story. To be honest, I was having a lot of fun writing this story, and I grew so attached to it I was upset somewhat that some characters didn't get the chance to develop much throughout these parts (Claus, for example.) An idea came to me, by a great reader - thank you, to make seperated short stories for each side character, dealing with thier part in their own conflicts. But, after writing this much, I think I want to write in another genre to refresh my mind. Was thinking a detective story... mehh

Also, a fair warning: (R18+)

Yes, this is an adult story, with male/male action (with mild drama squeezed in between for the sake of the story), bad language and mild violence (in yiff at times), so if you are disturbed by such things, or simply get a turn off by some, do yourself a favor and don't proceed. Consider yourself warned.

---

"Boss! Tell me the truth or I'm out of here!"

"Silver, calm down, there's a good explanation for this-"

"Gemik, shut your trap and stop holding me!"

Silver pushed the chameleon aside, still looking furiously at that silent purple dragon. It didn't take the chameleon more than 3 seconds to stand in his way again; Lernar's anger might mean things going seriously bad. Faint black smoke began to rise from the dragon's closed muzzle, his patience was clearly wavering.

"Silver, listen to me."

"You back o-"

"You have all the right to get angry, but stay reasonable; picking a fight on the boss will give you more burn marks, not answers."

"... tch... fine, I get it. Unhand me, already."

The young red chameleon smiled awkwardly, releasing the wolf's stiff arms as a moment of silence suddenly emerged. Silver had all types of questions right now, and it didn't seem like Lernar is planning to go anywhere. The canine took a deep breath then stared back at him with solidity.

"Boss, tell me honestly, is it true that EVA became FEVA?"

"Yes."

"..."

"Is there anything else?"

The wolf's anger gauge increased a bit, that was a cocky way of putting it, not that he really doubted it right now.

"What I mean is..."

"Hmm? What did you mean?"

"Why hide it from us?"

"Because FEVA isn't EVA."

"What?"

"EVA used to run by humans, but now Feronica handles everything."

"And?"

"You know that FEVA has more than a factory, right? There's a lab that does a lot of scientific and biological research."

"I know that, I also know their discovery of a way to purify the air; Eden."

"Eden Mark2."

"Mark2?"

"Eden was a project initially started in EVA, to gain the power of recycling air, water and soil; the most important elements for survival."

"But EVA got destroyed."

"I'm fully aware of that, but we're not EVA, Moonbeam."

The wolf remained quiet for awhile, not satisfied with the answer completely.

"And Yzmar?"

"... what about Razorfen?"

"Why did you hide it from him?"

"..."

"Damn it, Boss, it feels like you're using him."

"I'd be lying if I said I'm not."

"What?!"

"Moonbeam, listen carefully, I know exactly how this pictures me in your eyes, but it's all for-"

"For the good of the factory?"

"..."

"I'm so fucking fid up with this shit! You're not thinking about anyone, you're just thinking about FEVA, aren't you?"

"I never said that-"

"You're acting it!"

"..."

"Shit, I risked my fucking hide for those engines. And today, I really thought that I would die trying. Boss, I saw my demise there and still rushed to stop it! And now I find out..."

The wolf paused, surprised at himself as his body began to shake, his hands and legs didn't look stable at all and he soon got down on his knees, breathing hardly. Just the memory of him running inside the flames horrified his body again.

"Your anger baffles me, Moonbeam."

The wolf looked up at the frightening dragon, but not feeling frightened at all; his eyes brimmed with anger at that remark. Lernar seems so awfully calm, it made him boil more than he did between the burning engines.

"It does?!"

"I should be the one angry here; you breached protocols of safety measures and acted out of idiocy..."

He paused a little, pointing with his left clawed thumb to the spaced-out owl.

"You both are to be punished."

"For saving the factory's ass?"

"For ignoring the necessary procedures in emergency situations."

"Are you trying to change the subject? I'm not done with you, Boss."

"You're not?"

The dragon sighed, walking slowly around the office to sit on his cozy armed chair; answering his every inquiry while standing wasn't his idea of doing things the easy way.

"Fine, have a seat and let's address everything you have."

"You knew Yzmar would have left FEVA, didn't you?"

"I've hidden it from Yzmar to protect him."

"Protect my burnt ass!"

"Moonbeam, do you know the goal of your human friend?"

"..."

"The contract that FEVA signed with that human, it was for him to work with us until FEVA succeeds in accomplishing Eden Mark2's first phase."

"I don't get it."

"The letter he sent days ago, his intention to break the agreement, I had this feeling that it wasn't genuine."

"It... it was a fake?"

"Yzmar's goal was to make Eden Mark2 happen."

"What?"

"Telling him about EVA would have destroyed his aspirations-"

"But doing it like this is just like a stab in his back! It was EVA who-"

"I told you already, Moonbeam. FEVA is not EVA, don't mix EVA's responsibility with ours. If you think the two are one and the same, you are highly mistaken."

"... but..."

"FEVA is trying to 'correct' the blunder EVA created, EVA created a disease, a killing chemical accident gave birth to medicine's worst hellish enemy; an unknown illness. Why do you think FEVA wants to finish Eden Mark2 so badly?"

"So, this Eden you speak of, it should be powerful enough to cleanse Velencia from The Grim?"

"The aim of the first phase is air circulation, and that means purification from all smog, gases and other chemicals. But we can only hope so."

"Hope so?!"

"Moonbeam, we'll never know unless we try, and if it doesn't then we'll make it even stronger, Feronica took it upon herself to do just that."

"... just for the planet."

"Exactly so. FEVA's lab needs us to give them the power supply they require. In fact, the beta blueprints are already complete and built up... but the lab can't test it yet; a powerful _engine_is essentially required. The factory - we - are lagging behind."

"..."

"Are you still mad at me, Moonbeam?"

"... yeah, I'm still a little pissed off."

"I see, I'm sorry to hear that."

"God... damit! All this is just too sudden."

"I didn't wish to bother anyone with that little additional detail."

The dragon no longer relaxed his back on the chair, looming forward and resting his fierce long muzzle on both his claws.

"That aside, I think it's about time we discuss other matters."

"..."

"What really happened here?"

"I have no idea, I swear I checked all the engines before stepping out, all of them were down. But the fire alarm was off and the fire system didn't get activated in time when the fire broke-"

"Moonbeam, I'm not asking about that."

"... oh... um, I just thought I had to take responsibil-"

"Silver Moonbeam, you do know our protocol... 'Safety First' rings any bell?"

"..."

"You and your friend there put many other lives in danger by your foolish acts. Gemik couldn't focus on his job properly because some idiot mistook fire for a lewd nude dance floor. The explosion would have taken your lives should it occur."

"I'm sorry, but-"

"You two will be fired for such insolence."

"!!"

"I was hoping you could convince me otherwise."

Silver shivered a bit, the dragon was not kidding at all and clearly not in a good mood right now because of what happened, and maybe because of him peaking at the file on his desk too. But he wouldn't fire them, the factory needs all the help it can get right now. Still, that alone wasn't reassuring.

The wolf stood quiet, his fist rolling tighter. His mind looked through all the records and past experience, trying to reply with a high ground. But he suddenly forgot about all that; the owl turned to the dragon and smiled, still having his right hand holding the side of his bandaged head.

"Sorry boss, but I don't regret my actionz."

"... Excuse me?"

"NOPEZ! Not one TIIIIIIIny little bit."

"Zincfield, do you realize what you're saying here?"

"Yes, boooooooss~!"

"Explain yourself."

"Based on your factz about Eden, if the Mechanicz Department got blown up, then it would have delayed us a couple more monthz."

Silver turned to the happy owl in surprise, the guy was actually following the flow of discussion all along, and here he thought the bird was almost out of commission. The chameleon stood there quiet for the most part, observing in silence the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"That may be true, but-"

"Why, 'ed _iz_true, boss, don't try to deny iiiiiiit~"

"Zincfield, I appreciate everyone's hard work, but you're the head of the Information Department, I need to rely on you to have better judgment."

"Judgment? What's that, boss?"

"... *sigh~*"

"The point iz! I'm really sorry if I made anyone scaaaared~, and I'm sorry but I see nothing wrong with what Sylvie and I diiiiiiiiiiiiid~"

Silver couldn't believe what he heard, this guy... this... carefree thing! Just listening to him now is... Was this really Zed? He sure still has his gay way of talking, but even the boss can't seem to be winning this conversation in his favor anymore.

"You want to get fired, Zincfield?"

"*GASP~* FIRED? ORLY?! Of course not, or I'll be no different than FRIED CHICKEN!"

"... huh?!"

The owl suddenly began laughing, he hopped out of the couch and hit Silver's left arm playfully.

"Get it, Sylvie? Fired? Fried? Owl and Chicken?!"

"... ugh... yeah... eh-heh~ g... good one."

The wolf looked at the dragon, who in turn looked back at him in awkward gawks, and they both sighed out, shrugging. Zed is Zed, you cannot change this guy, you simply cannot. And the dragon can't afford losing someone as brilliant as him, but why must priceless people be such a pain up the tailhole?

"Zed Zincfield."

"Yes, boss?"

"I'm going to... *sigh~*"

"..."

(God, I can't believe I'm saying this...)

"... Yes, boss?"

"I'll forget about this ever happening."

The chameleon, standing way at the rear near the door, smiled gladly in surprise; the innocence of Zed actually worked! The wolf didn't believe what their strict dragon just sprout out, and a stupid question just had to come out of his muzzle.

"P-Pardon, Boss?"

"Moonbeam, I think you both have already suffered enough for what you've done. You got yourself almost burned alive and an iron board fell on Zed's head when he tried to hack into the system and reactivate the fire sprayers."

"... ouch. W-wait, did you say ha-*yelp~*"

The owl closed his eyes in a bashful smile again, nudging his friend's arm with his elbow, barely able to stay still.

"Yeah, that's right. I was able to do it, but that board was kinda heavy on my heeeead~ I would have been a goner if boss didn't show uuuuuup~"

(Why are you so proud about it then, you asshole?!)

"... Sylvie, you ok?"

"I am, except for that elbow targeting a burned spot."

"... oh... wopsy."

The dragon coughed in a low gist, getting their attention.

"Anyway, I think it won't be fair to give you another punishment."

"... th... thanks, boss."

"BUT! I don't want this happening again, am I clear on this one, you two?"

"..."

"I want to hear an answer."

"Y-Yes, boss!"

"YESSSSSSSIR~"

"... alright, I want you both to take it easy today, attend to your wounds properly; your freaking blood scent is filling my nostrils and my office."

The wolf turned about himself, sniffing a bit. What blood scent? They sure got injuries but he can't sniff anything, do dragons have sniffing abilities THAT sensitive? The dragon looked away in distress and swayed with his claw for them to be dismissed, and Gemik shortly came to the two heroes and showed them out the office, saying that Lernar was already handling some urgent matter with the lab.

As soon as the door got closed, Lernar noticed that the chameleon didn't leave with them. The dragon grunted as he stood from his chair, staring out his window on the factory's field.

"Gemik, you too, kid."

"Huh? Why, boss? I'm totally fi-"

"I can smell your blood too."

"..."

"Even if I can't smell it, I can see a wound on your right hip."

"!!"

"How did it happen?"

"Err, an... umm, just a nameless accident at home, really."

"You sure? I've noticed you didn't attend to it yet, it might get worse."

"It's ok, it just opened again from the heat of the burning engines."

"I see, don't push yourself too hard. Take a breather now and then."

"Right'o!"

The dragon soon heard a voiceless gasp, it was too low in tenor, and it came from Gemik. He looked back at the young chameleon, he was covering his mouth with both hands, but as soon as his boss turned to him, he smiled, bowed then excused himself to leave.

The dragon hummed to himself, wondering about that strange reaction from him. It's as if he said something he shouldn't, like being rude or saying a taboo word...

... or giving the wrong reply to the wrong person...

+++

'I'm... d... damn, that hurts.'

The rain kept falling, Nature was pestered for all the filth that gathered over the city and found it only necessary to wash everything up. His ears can pick the showering sound as those drops crashed down the ground, and his face can feel the wind decreasing his temperature as it blew all over his wet body. But only the pain signals his body sent to his brain clued him enough; he's not dead.

'... shit... my heart almost stopped.'

Turbo twitched, realizing that he fell down face-first, thrashing his hurt arm between his muscled body and the muddy ground. He slowly pushed at the soil with his left paw, placing one knee to the ground while swinging the other leg and planting it to stand. Once he was back on his feet, he realized another thing; there was a new wound on him, a bullet wound up his right shoulder untied the bandage, and his right arm was now dangling down to his side. For his surprise, it didn't feel all that painful. Maybe he was going through some decreased pain sensitivity state, or else his fractured arm would have killed him with pain by now.

He looked forward to where the human was, and his muzzle almost instantly whined in sadness; Ramzy was sitting on the ground, extending his right leg forward and bending his left knee up. His right hand rested on his face covering the right half, the other hand rested upside-down near him, and the gun was on a puddle of rain water. The tiger soon began walking again, just looking at him like that agonized his heart. He stood in front of the gun, and made do with just catching his breath.

The human's body suddenly jerked, scared of the gasping voices.

"No, stay away!"

His white eyes kept darting everywhere, unable to make anything around him. His sight was gone, completely gone, he can't make anything but strange blackness. He soon felt a paw holding his wrist, and he quickly screamed in terror, trying his best to back off and break that grip. The tiger jolted in pain, and his grip lost its power, releasing the human's arm unexpectedly, making him end up turning and falling on his face to the sludgy dirt.

Turbo didn't even know what to say yet, nothing came to mind so he can make this any easier, the things he did to change him like this all made it very difficult for him to speak. He blamed himself for his mate's agony, he was dying to make things right, but he didn't know where to start in fixing him.

"Everyone's... *chuckle~* too fucking selfish."

The human suddenly began laughing.

His laugh kept getting stronger and louder, eventually entering a hysteric state, unable to stop, banging his fists on the pond and splashing it many times. And the tiger stood there in horror, every cackle sent a shiver stronger than the previous one.

"They just think of their own fucking selves, don't they? They all come and take a piece, and then leave the unwanted me like trash. What about me? I gave my knowledge to FEVA, my life to The Grim, my youth to some scoundrels, even my love... Turbo, I gave you the only thing I kept for myself! Yet all of you keep running after me, wanting more, wanting to break me, wanting to break Hell loose on me! What about me? I want something too!"

The hitting on the ground finally stopped, the pain stopped him from doing this any further. The continuous laughter stopped momentarily, his expression returned hurt, weak.

"I wanted to live... is it a sin? Why can't I live? Leave me alone."

Turbo stood quiet, getting that question echoing in his mind many times, with every time it echoed up his mind, a new pain introduced itself inside his soul. He wanted his lower jaw to start moving and talk to him, but the laughter returned, still unable to stop.

"I have nothing left anymore, I'm as empty as anyone can be, I lost everything... Yeah, that's it! Go ahead and laugh, World, why won't you? You won this game, I admit defeat!"

"..."

"Ironic, isn't it? Just as soon as I realize the rules of this game, I find out that I'm already losing. But I don't care, I'll laugh it out, I tried my all."

(Ever experienced how it feels when you give your all but receive pain in the end? ...well, that's the story of my fucking life.)

"!!"

The tiger finally sat down with his knees apart, the human's legs extended under his figure as his left paw reached for the human's shoulder, pulling at it. Ramzy didn't resist, he wasn't able to sense anything at his current state. But the paw pulled strongly and quickly, forcing the human's upper body to face him, and the next thing Ramzy could feel was slimy warm linen kissing his face.

"... Tur..."

Turbo halted there, over his motionless knees, over his lover's lifeless legs. His paw moved to his back a little and pulled, getting him more inside his cradle. Then suddenly, the big cat began to growl, his right arm wriggled a bit as he did, then roared, finally moving it despite the injuries, wrapping it behind Ramzy's back to join the left arm.

His heavy breather returned in Ramzy's ears, tired, painful and long gasps. The human got confused, this tiger wasn't actually planning for anything other than... a hug? The laughter vanished, just like that, confronted with an alien reaction. This idiot is still at it, even when the human became crazed out by his unfortunate struggles, this person is still as warm and gentle as his mind remembered it.

As his mind remembered it... the mind he suddenly lost gradually came back.

"Why?"

The tiger was still quiet, all kinds of 'Because!' answers pushed amongst themselves to see which will reach the tiger's muzzle first, but Turbo didn't want to answer him just yet; his vision was still dim, he needed a bit of time to recover or else he'd black out on him in the most crucial of moments.

Shortly, Ramzy's eyes widened; the smells of Turbo began to give him his sight back, his hands were attached down with his body in the tiger's embrace; moving was out of the question. There was no explanation to be heard by his ears yet, and so his mind tried to explain this on its own. He tried, but failed, he tried again, failed again... he tried one more time, and his eyes went teary, strange tears dripped off of his white eyes, a strange feeling filled his soul with pain.

Just like that time on the ship... what was this pain? It's new.

"Why?"

His throat felt so sore and dry even though this shower of a rain kept his body moistened, Ramzy was only able to call out that one word, hoping his voice was higher than the rain and reached the tiger's flattened ears, hoping it made sense. Again, no reply, Turbo kept sitting lightly using his knees and feet, holding him in the middle of his hug, right at the center. Ramzy tried to move, but - as he expected - Turbo's arms instantly stiffened up on the weakest hint of a break attempt.

"... w... why?... *sob~*"

(When will you learn that you can't push this tiger away anymore?)

"!!"

The human shuddered, those words ringed in his mind just as he most craved for an answer. But the answer he was searching for was already in his memory, and his mind was reluctant to remember it until now. He gulped, not finding much drool in his mouth to help his dried up gullet. He wanted to keep laughing, laughing until his final stupid and hopeless breath, but he couldn't bring himself to do that now. Something odd was happening to his body, as if his body had a different idea in mind, as if it had a mind of its own.

"Why am I unable to..."

(That's how having a mate in your life feels like.)

"I... I'm not worth-"

(Mates, although couples, have only one soul. If that soul gets as small as a scratch in it, both mates feel exactly the same amount of pain...)

It's no good, whenever his mouth gave a reason or an excuse, his memories demolished that justification with something Turbo already said way before. There was no need for the tiger to repeat himself, that's what Ramzy began to believe at that moment, Turbo wanted him to remember those words himself.

"But... th... there up that building, you... *sniff~* you've-"

(... I'm being a little bit too tough about the whole thing, I should ease up on my end, too.)

"But I... really thought that... *sob~* you started to... h..."

(I love you, Yzmar. I really, really love you, Yzmar.)

"*Sniff~* You..."

(I love you, Yzmar, I love you with my whole being. You know I do. And nothing will change that, nothing in this world will change my love to you... never.)

"T... Tu... *gulp~*..."

(I'm prepared to do anything for my mate, there's actually nothing that I wouldn't try for your sake.)

The human closed his eyes strongly, those questions were answered way before, so it was his fault after all. It was his silly mistake to make assumptions. No, he can't blame Turbo; it was he who kept it hidden from the tiger, making it much worse for Turbo to discover it alone. He was guilty in front of his mate from day one, he has no right to throw ANY little amount of responsibility at Turbo. Turbo was awesome, he tried everything, damn it! Thinking back on those short days they had together, even when he started punching him on the ship, those were the happiest days of his life ever since he lost his mother.

All thanks to Turbo, Turbo was just wonderful in every single way. For someone as great and brilliant as this tiger, Ramzy wasn't honest with him one bit, being Yzmar completely deceived him. It was he who destroyed Turbo, not the other way around.

"I'm sorry."

"..."

"I'm... not Yzmar... my real name is Ramzy, I... *sniff~* because of The Unseen, I-"

"Shut up..."

"... Turbo, please lis-"

"Shut up shut up SHUT UP!"

"*Sniff~* Turbo... please, I don't have much ti-"

A big shout suddenly shook the human's soul inside out.

"SHUT THE FUCK UUUUP!!"

Ramzy finally dropped silent, listening in fear at the tiger above his head breathing heavily and tiredly. Fatigue was written all over his body, and the red spots on his worn-up uniform supported the fact. He soon heard those slight jerks and shivers coming from the big bad man himself.

Turbo? Crying?

However, the human remained quiet, not being able to actually do anything but remain in his hold. He tried to break it once, but the kitty was stubborn to keep the human's cheek and face fastened with his strong torso, forced to listen to his words and heartbeats.

It was just like with Marcus, the tiger can see it now. He hated the humans because he believed it was them who persuaded his friend, it was them who stole his best friend from him, a friend that could have possibly been more than a friend, and his dear guardians. But here it was, happening again, and he wasn't planning on repeating the same mistake once more.

"You're... not Ramzy."

"..."

"You're Yzmar... ok?"

"No I'm not, I'm-"

"Shut up! I fell in love with Yzmar! I hate this Ramzy fake!"

"Can't you see?! Yzmar IS the fa-"

"FINE! THEN I WANT THAT FAKE BACK, I DON'T WANT RAMZY!"

A gasp escaped Ramzy, followed by a sulk in the furry's embrace. The cradle got tighter, it hurt Ramzy somewhat, stinging in some places, but the human dared not make a remark.

"I want my fake Yzmar back."

"..."

"I want my heart back."

"You're really selfish too, just like the rest."

"I don't care about how wrong I am right now, I just want him back."

The tiger's muzzle moved, easing the hug just a little so he can place his short snout on the human's white hair. His tongue quickly jumped out, licking slowly at his head and hair. His body missed him, it almost died out of agony at the idea of not finding that alluring presence nearby. His tongue wanted so much to lick at his face and lips, he wanted to rub his muzzle and purr at his tummy and chest, but was also afraid that this might not be the best time.

"I want Yzmar back... I promised him many things that I didn't keep yet."

"..."

"I promised Yzmar that I'll protect him, that I'll always be with him as long as he lives, that I'll be his support whenever he needed me..."

The human couldn't make a single sound, remembering those oaths and vows his lover almost always took it upon himself alone.

"I... I also happen to have promised Yzmar... that I'd teach him."

"... teach?"

"Teach him how to be my mate."

(... teach me how to be yours.)

"!!"

"It was him who asked me, I'm sure Yzmar still remembers since it was this one thing he openly asked me for, and I want to keep it... I couldn't believe it. You know, I was so happy when he asked me. I want to keep that promise so much, not because it will make him a better lover, it's because Yzmar wanted it himself."

"... *sniff~*..."

"Yzmar also promised me that he'll... *sniff~* teach me how to cook in return... *short weak chuckle~* I... honestly want him to keep his promise too, I hope he will."

"... *whimper~* but I..."

Turbo's face stiffened again, wondering about all this rubbish he's saying right now even though he should be saying something more ensuring. His mouth just went on about feeble things that he quickly thought about, he should put more effort into this; it's his bloody mate he's talking about.

The tiger once again hugged the human tight inside his chest, almost merging his bulky body with the man's skin. Their hearts drummed faster, being so close to the surface, almost like they wanted to get out of their chests so they can kiss passionately in the rain, kiss until they get stuck together and end up becoming one big heart...

One heart in between two bodies.

"I didn't get what I want, Ramzy. I wanted Yzmar, only him. I kept telling him how I loved him all the time, I know he understood that in every time I said it, I kept saying it anyway. But now I see Yzmar slipping away from me, I don't want to be alone without him, I don't want to even think about that."

"..."

"That's... that's what I want... can't you see, Ramzy? We want the same thing."

"You and... Yzmar."

"Ramzy... please... become Yzmar once again. I swear, I'll cross my heart this time, I'll hold your hand tight, I'll never let go, I'll always be there."

"..."

"Fucking please."

"You're... *sniff~* impossibly selfish."

"No, you're wrong; Yzmar wants this too, I know he does."

"..."

"You can hate me or hit me as much as you like later... but please, become the Yzmar you once were, bring him back. Do... *gulp~* do whatever you wish after that, I won't force you into anything anymore. Become who you really want to be, become yourself."

"But I killed your..."

"I know, and I know Yzmar kept carrying that guilt inside him all the time, even up until now. But dying alone like this isn't the answer, it won't make anyone happy, it won't make me happy. If Yzmar wants to amend, then he'll need to live. Let him live, Ramzy, let him live with me."

Well, that was the only problem the human had up his mind, he can't live with him anymore. His time was short from the very first day they found one another, it was already too late when they made that bond.

The human opened his mouth planning to speak, but his voice cowered back by a strong thunder, rendering him weak and shivering strongly in-between Turbo's tired yet protective arms. He sighed, feeling the rain slipping around Turbo's form just to meet him under the muscled chest. Turbo was almost covering the human under him from the rain, but the drops of water insisted on reaching out to every corner.

He relaxed, feeling all his laborious flee attempts slowly taking his pain to more than he can adhere. His eyes closed slowly, Turbo felt his body losing force and resistance slowly, but he didn't mind the human to rest for a bit. After all, there was some strange presence behind the tiger's back, a presence that wasn't quite noticeable 5 minutes ago.

Turbo slowly swished his tail at the pond behind him, feeling the gun the human dropped, and quietly retracted his tail back, dragging it close. Keeping the hurt arm around his mate, he stood up on his feet again and pointed the gun, which was now in his left paw, backward, tilting his body a bit to the left while still keeping himself as a shield for Ramzy.

His paw hesitated a bit; the one who was sneaking on his back appeared familiar, pointing a gun in his turn and wore the same cop uniform. But the aura wasn't familiar, anger almost took a form all around him. Everyone would wonder why his finger didn't press on the trigger yet if they didn't know about the two being friends.

Close old friends.

"Ben!"

The penguin was silent, his eyes appeared pissed off from behind the visor for a number of reasons. He didn't bother to wear a helmet; penguins love Winter anyway. He was panting, clearly tired to some point. Unknown to Turbo, Benjamin had to sneak by every police checkpoint he came across, his colleagues would recognize him and will stop him on sight as long as he kept that uniform covering his body.

"Finally... damn it, man."

"How did you find me?"

"You're still wearing your visor, I just tracked it... you're not that smart, huh?"

"That's..."

"I know that already, it's your father's! You weren't there for the bowling bag, you actually went to the point of snatching your father's gear. Looks like keeping that LCP with you wasn't enough, you just had to steal something else."

An annoying grunt escaped the tiger's muzzle, a grunt that thankfully wasn't loud enough for the penguin to hear. His friend was so concerned about him, he analyzed everything in his mind and even concluded the usage of his father's visor. A moment slipped by before the penguin change his attention to his 'other' target.

"Turbo... is that him?"

"..."

"Hand him over."

"He's not-"

"DID YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?!"

"!!"

"HAND HIM OVER! AND THAT MEANS NOW, BUDDY!"

Why? Just when he almost regained control of things, now he needs to face his old friend like this? His attention changed to Ramzy in his hold for a bit; his body was slipping down for a fall, but the tiger grunted and fixed his grip on him with his broken arm. He turned to Ben again, making sure his standing point covered Ramzy's figure from the penguin. The pain his arm sent to his brain was unreal, but some forceful essence still moved that tiger's body, his true desire to stand to that which he treasures the most kept those feet strong and standing.

"Are you deaf?"

"I won't do it."

The penguin took a long breath, sensing his anger near explosion.

"Turbo, he's a criminal."

"... he's innocent."

"He's a human!"

"He's my mate!"

"HE'S-*short inhale~* THE FUCKING MURDERER OF SIR AUTUMN! THEY KILLED YOUR FATHER!"

Ben fixed his aim, not believing how different Turbo started to act. It's just like Marcus... fucking hell, it's all happening again! Another friend of his was suddenly doing things without any sane explanation.

"You refuse to hand him over?"

"Ben, just listen to me for a second, man."

"Nothing you say will change the facts, dumbass!"

"You don't even know the facts, Benjamin. He's innocent, believe me."

Suddenly, Turbo freaked out as his friend actually fired his gun, scoring a clear hit on the tiger's pistol to knock it off his paw. He returned his gun to his belt, clearly planning this to be a close fight rather than firearms, and took out his iron knuckles, attaching them to his gloves.

"Shit... Ben, stop."

"No... fucking no, I allowed you to do as you please, Turbo. Twice, I did that only for you. Twice, you dig? It won't happen a third time; I'm gunna kick your golden ass until your brain climbs up to your head again."

"... you won't even try to understand, will you?"

The penguin began drawing closer, slowly, with anger and hostility. Turbo found no other way at this point, he drew quickly near a tree, carefully resting his mate's back on it to at least use the branches as cover from the rain. He turned to his old friend, with a broken arm and a hurt shoulder, not having a slight feeling of fear.

"I see you're prepared for this, too."

"I have no choice, Ben. I won't let the world hurt him, not even you."

"You fucker, you'd help a criminal? Do you need me to refresh your memory? He's one of them-"

"Ben, I hated him too, I really did. But I didn't know him back then."

"And now you do?!"

"I told you, his journals-"

The snare penguin's beak almost broke from anger, his clawed feet quickly thrashed at the ground, splashing the muddy earth with every strong step. His eyes were furious, words didn't seem to be the answer anymore.

"BEN, STOP!"

"I TOO DON'T WANT THIS, TURBO! BUT IF YOU'RE GUNNA BE A BIG ASSHOLE-"

Reaching the tiger, Ben quickly made a backturn, 360 degree twist with his right arm extending strongly, giving a back punch that the tiger quickly avoided.

"-THEN I'LL HAVE TO BEAT SOME FUCKING SENSE INTO YOU!"

"*Grunt~* Ben! Ben, I don't want to hurt you!"

"Neither do I, you fool!"

"Shit!"

The bird's movement quickly caught up with the struggling tiger, following him with blow after blow. As half-assed and handicapped as he was, Turbo succeeded in avoiding most of them, only couldn't send any attacks of his own. Throwing a punch was hard enough, but in his state he wouldn't be fast enough to catch Ben's movement. Some of the damned penguin's strikes connected, making the task even harder on the tiger.

A punch blocked only meant another one coming. Standing from a fall only meant the fight continuing. Only a couple of seconds elapsed, and the tiger already began to understand how narrow the road he took so blindly was. But not for a second did he regret it, he'll do anything, he'll...

His mind paused, getting a strong 'right straight' from Ben, ringing a bell on the tiger's cheek (no, not an idea or remembering a thought, the _other_bell) and sending him two feet back, thrashing on the mud again. How many times now? Four times? Five? Maybe five, yeah. This one was the fifth fall since they fought. The tiger gritted on his teeth, cursing this guy's speed and mobility, and soon adding his hard-headed characteristic to the blaming list. The blood wound in his tongue opened, tasting blood yet again in his mouth, hinting him that he's still alive, not necessarily at his best. He stood up again, looking back at Benjamin who didn't believe how insistent his friend was.

"Stop standing up again, damn you... STAY DOWN!"

"I'll never-*spit~* never hand my mate to anyone."

"... you... idiot."

"If the world wants him, they should WALK ON MY LIFELESS BODY FIRST!"

Another screaming dash from the penguin, making a short simple leap with a flailing kick aimed to the same hurt cheek, ringing yet another bell inside his brain from the blow. Blood splattered from his closed muzzle, but that's about it. Turbo stood still, planting his feet firmly to the wet soil. Fixing his eyes on the penguin, Turbo raised his tired left arm, sending a punch that was way slow to connect. Taking a couple of steps back, the cop stood still in his spot, baffled at his friend.

"What's-*pant~* wrong?"

"... you..."

"Yes, I know I can't even-*cough~* hope to beat you now. But I'm standing firm, so come... *pant~* I won't back down."

"Already panting, yet you want this the hard way?"

"*Pant~* I'm... I'm going to-*grunt~* protect him."

"... Turbo."

The penguin stopped, looking in resigned glares at that strong look on his friend's face. He was panting heavily, holding his almost lifeless right arm, but his feet were strong and alert, prepared to take a defensive action whenever necessary. A great sense of responsibility brimmed from his strong eyes; no one would keep that kind of eyes in his state.

"You... you would go this far, Turbo?"

"..."

"For a stinking human?"

"Ben... you don't know-*pant~* shit about him, how ill-fortuned he is."

Turbo stood straight again, catching his breath since he saw his friend cooling off, dropping his guard. He walked to his friend, managing a pat on his shoulder. His jaw opened for an explanation to be said, but his sudden ache in his stomach only sent a heavy surprised grunt. The penguin's limb moved even faster than a tiger's reflex, getting a strong strike that bent the muscular form forward.

"Gaargh!?"

"Sorry, Turbo."

"Ben-*cough~* you... b... *cough~*"

The tiger dropped down on his knees, still his body refusing to give up, coughing several times by the sudden lack of air. He raised his head a bit, making out the penguin as he turned and walked away, going for the unconscious Ramzy.

"Ben... *grunt~* Ben!"

"..."

"Shit, Benjamin, what-*pant~* the fuck is wrong with you?"

"My thoughts exactly, yo!"

"You've already ruined things with-*pant~* Marcus! Don't repeat that mistake!"

The sturdy steps of the penguin halted, replaying that sentence over his head several times. Then his head shook left and right, turning back at the tiger. His anger didn't ease yet, trying to keep things under his control.

"Stop kidding around."

"Oh, am I?!"

"You're just giving out excuses."

"And you aren't?"

"Marcus is a different story altogether!"

"No, Ben-*pant~* you know you TOTALLY blew things up back then."

"... I... didn't-"

"I fucking thought he was dead, damn it. You shot his head!"

"Because he was about to shoot you, dude! I only pointed and pressed the trigger! I wanted to save your ass!"

"Then why hide him? The malice almost consumed me! I needed answers back then and I couldn't for the life of me find any... not that I give a shit about them anymore."

"You blame me for that? I had to hide him, man. The police thought he..."

Wait...

The police...

The police thought he was a criminal, but Ben was his close friend, he knew deep down Marcus wouldn't do such a thing without a good excuse. It was clear later for him that Marcus was being blackmailed... the gray cat didn't tell him the details, but Benjamin respected his situation and didn't want to press on the matter more than that.

And now, this human here, he never gave them trouble at all. And Turbo seems ready to protect this human with his life. He wanted the high chairman to change his mind for this man, he dashed inside the ship disguised for this man, he broke that arm for this man. Turbo believed this human to be pure at heart, and that would explain many things.

He finally got hold of him, but the penguin just happened to show up again in the most decisive moment. Just like 8 years back... so that's how the scene was 8 years ago...

"It's... because of me?"

Turbo remained silent, watching that penguin slowly losing the urge to arrest Ramzy. It's somewhat true, Benjamin had a feeling all along, and those eight years were filled with a strange sensation of regret and remorse. So, from the start, it was he who destroyed everything between Marcus and Turbo. But Marcus pointed that gun at the tiger, he really feared that his friend would die if he doesn't act fast enough, his freaked-out aim just happened to be the cat's head.

(It was... me? Heh.)

But suddenly both their visors received a call, it was the headquarters. Looks like a call has been sent to every active visor in the city, and it simply required any updates on the fugitives. After it, though, the voice of the eagle chief echoed in everyone's visor too.

"Benjamin, do you copy?!"

The icy bird stood still, silent, his face sulked lower, not planning to reply.

"Benjamin, stop rejecting our calls! We're using a wide call only to get to you, we know you can hear us."

"..."

"Officer Ray, you had your orders to be suspended from duty until further notice. Then why are you still out there, in your uniform, with a gun and a visor? If you keep this up, you give me no choice other than issuing an order to arrest you on sight."

Ben shivered, they found out about him too. This will be a bad turn in his career, the high chairman must be so pissed right now. Damn it, everything's getting so messed up and complicated.

But wait...

If he can arrested this human... maybe...

On the spot, Turbo noticed that thinking glare on his friend, and he himself didn't need much smart up his head to know what the damned bird is thinking of right now.

"Ben..."

"..."

"Ben, d-don't do it."

"..."

The penguin slowly raised his right hand, the destination was clearly to the side of his head, the base of the visor fastened on his ear and right eye.

Turbo suddenly felt his heart pounding fast... is this it? He managed to get this far? His mate was in his hold right there, all he needed was Ix, that dog is the only one who can make this work... but now everything will perish because of Ben again?! The penguin's hand rested on the visor slowly, Ben's eyes were still shifting a lot on the ground, still thinking about his options.

"Ben!"

"..."

"Ben, don't! I BEG YOU! HE'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM!"

"..."

The penguin closed his eyes, a slight unexplained smile was all Turbo could see on his dark beak.

"BEN, DON'T MAKE ME KILL YOU, DAMN IT!"

"Come in, HQ."

"BEN, YOU... YOU FUCKING FOOL! NO!"

Although raged and angered, he couldn't do it. That fucking penguin, he knew Turbo won't do something like that. He couldn't bring himself to do it; he can do anything for his mate, but this guy was his close friend... his mate wouldn't want it like this either. But why? Of all people around him, it seems that he get betrayed and hurt by the closest... like young Ramzy, trashed and raped by his own father.

So this is what it feels like, to get stabbed in the back by the least expected.

"This is HQ."

"Officer R... I mean, Benjamin Ray is speaking..."

"What?! Ben, is that you?!"

"Giving my report, Chief."

Turbo felt his heart slowing down rather fast, his breathing stopped in an instant as time almost froze a bit. It was the time he should decide what to do: look at that penguin in horror as he gives them in... or...

+++

"What happened?!"

Silver shrugged at the burdened bunny, shaking his head.

"Nothing, dude. Would you guys stop asking?"

"What do you mean nothing? Look at your fur, you're..."

"Drop it, will you? I told you it was nothing."

Claus turned to Zed, still freaking out as he eyed the owl, but his feathery friend smiled at him and waved weakly with one hand.

"Yoohoooooo~"

"Zed, you'll tell me, won't you?"

"Abooooooout~?"

"C'mon, Zed, don't act dumb!"

The rabbit pointed at the owl's bandaged head, almost looking like a mummy unfinished with its wrapping.

"Why is THAT there?!"

"... it's... umm... for THE RAIN!"

"Huh?!"

The owl quickly got up from his spot and rushed towards the toilet, throwing a quick word for his need as Nature called him. The white hare appeared so worried and feeling left out, he turned to the wolf and bear, but both of them weren't giving him much; Silver refused to talk about it, and Kuma was - surprisingly - shaking and silent, sulking in a corner without falling to sleep.

"What's wrong with you guys all of a sudden?"

The falcon came shortly afterwards, looking long at the warehouse's big shutter door. He had a quick word with Gemik a second ago, and maybe it was best to leave Claus in the dark about this one.

"Just give them a break."

"But Flok-"

"What's important is that everyone's safe and not hurt... well, much."

The wolf looked away in annoyance, taking a secret glance at his arms and legs. The burning marks on his fur were so clear, his nice silver fur coat got ruined totally, looking like a silver hyena now. He began cursing that dragon again in his mind, those flame-breathing flying lizards don't get bothered at all when it comes to heat. He was just behind him, carrying an unconscious Zed in his left arm while handing the wolf his right to turn that stupid valve, his scaly hand didn't even hiss at the burning iron.

"Kuma hates Silver."

Silver, as well as the other two, turned to the spacing-out bear. His slight shivers disappeared, and his hurt face turned into a hollow gaze at the ponds of rain falling around their shaded spot. The wolf's eyes got narrowed, baffled at this idiot.

"You said something?"

"Kuma really thought Silver was..."

"... what's with you?"

The bear shivered again, this time it was visible and strong. He quickly turned to the wolf and gave out a free Bear Hug. A small gasp was heard from Silver's lungs, but the hug was so fierce it blocked the passage of air to carry out any more gasps. The bear eased a bit, still having his face and muzzle resting on his wolfy friend's left shoulder.

"Kuma... feels sorry for Silver."

"... Kuma-*cough~* sorry for what? For every time you crush my bones like this? Or for every time you smother my face in your man-boobs?"

"Silver is... such an idiot."

"... huh?"

"Kuma... likes Silver."

"..."

"Kuma wants Silver to be ok."

The wolf silently turned at the falcon and rabbit, his eyes a bit wide as he inquired them with voiceless looks. The two turned to each others, quiet themselves too, and then back at Silver. Flok gave a shudder while closing his eyes, wondering about that possibility, but Claus was silent still; it really looks that way.

(Silver, I think he's... you know...)

The wolf jolted in response, this can't be true... can it? It's not just the doctor now, but his friends too think this could really be the case; Kuma clearly seem to be acting way out of himself when Silver is involved. Well, Silver too had difficulty telling Turbo about it, and ended up acting strangely himself (like hell would he accept giving some other guy a bath!) His thoughts returned to his body again when the hug tightened more.

"Ack! Kuma, that's... quite enough... *grunt~*"

"..."

"Ok ok, I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I-"

"Kuma likes Silver."

"Eh?"

"Kuma finally said... Kuma likes Silver."

The bear slowly broke the hug, amazed at himself too, his muzzle was getting rosy. He looked back at the confused canine and immediately broke his gaze, turning away in embarrassment. He acted out of his emotions again, he really did it this time and said what he didn't dare to say since many months together with his friends.

Silver called his name in a low tone, and the bear suddenly sprinted away.

"Gahh, Kuma hold on! I'm not angry, come back here!"

The wolf soon found himself running after him. He didn't know why, he couldn't give the least of a damn about Kuma. But there was something... special about this furry, Silver couldn't explain it to himself let alone telling others. He... admired the bear... for some reason. He liked the way he always stays innocent and easy-going.

Claus ran behind him soon after, getting worried about them both; one of them was too emotional and the other didn't appear half alright to the rabbit's eyes. As for Flok, he stood at his spot, sighing out loud. If he ever becomes a father one day, he'd so pray for his child to be a girl, and nothing like these guys. He brought one talon on the wooden bench as he rested his butt on the edge of the table, a little bit caught at the rain drops and how they drip from the giant tree near him.

A little away from the tree, there was a white owl with a golden-framed monocle fixed on his right eye. He was clearly hiding from his friends, his eyes were still, ankered to the ground with both his arms down and his hands in front of him, one resting over the other. His black beak was closed tightly, and his body didn't move from his hiding as he witnessed the whole scene between the bear and his... friend.

He stood there, silent, letting the rain brush at his feathers gently. He wasn't ready to get back to his friends, he never wished for them to see his sad beak as he always used to look in his best and happiest around them.

+++

A loud thunder flashed in the next second, deafening the tiger from his friend's words through his visor. But something was strange.

Odd.

The smirk on Benjamin's face disappeared, his face was nothing but serious. The gushes of rain crashing down returned, and with it the voice of Ben saying short things like 'Yes' and 'Understood' kept traveling to Turbo's ears.

The snare penguin ended his report, looking away for awhile. The look on his eyes was familiar, there was a sulk, a... a painful and hurt face. The damned ice-aged bastard must have done it again!

"B... Benjamin?"

"You better hurry."

"!?"

"Just go, get out of here. Take my bike and disappear."

"Ben, what... did you do?"

"I didn't tell them, just... get the fuck away from here quickly, didn't you want a doctor to see your mate?"

"..."

"Yo, if you want a weather briefing about what just happened, then NOW ISN'T THE BLOODY TIME FOR THAT!"

Turbo looked at his penguin friend in surprise. If he counts his good intentions 8 years ago when he shot Marcus, then this makes it the third time, the third time this penguin tries to step out of his way to help him... and Nature only knows how many times he did it without anyone's knowledge.

"Ben, what about you?"

"... Shit, man, it's not like I'll die or anything."

"..."

"Go, get going, my key's over the back wheel, as usual."

Turbo's mind soon remembered his mate's state, a quick glance at the penguin's face told him that Ben was having things under control a bit. He went to the human, carried him up and used his back to support Yzmar's weight over his body. Another look at the penguin happened, and Benjamin was looking at him back in trusty glares, hinting to him with his muzzle to move on.

"Go, someone needs to delay them a bit to lose your track."

"Ben..."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"... thanks, man. I'll pay you back for this."

"*Grin~* I won't look forward to it, though."

The tiger soon sprinted, using his pain as a desire to get moving. His right arm swayed randomly as he ran, he can no longer feel it attached to him, completely dead and unresponsive. He didn't care, Yzmar was with him intact, that's all that mattered.

He hopped on the bike, making sure his mate was secure in front of him as he placed his paw on the grip. He thanked the Heavens that Benjamin was left-handed, or else he'd find difficulty in driving this thing without his right arm. The blue motor coughed a bit, but it wasn't long before the bike darted away.

Turbo's heart suddenly began to hurt, the speed of the thing and the air hitting his uncovered face tingled with his injuries. Driving a bike was harder than he thought it would be, given his handicapped condition. About 10 minutes later, his head felt like it won't be able to handle it anymore, and - at the next turn - the bike suddenly slipped out of his control on the wet road. The body of the bike turned horizontal, sending Turbo away as his body coiled and curved until it came to a stop. He hardly picked himself up, turning his fatigued sight left and right. The road was almost empty; only crazy people would want to stay out in this weather for long.

"Yz..."

He turned about, finding the still body of the human not far away from his. He crawled to him, feeling the rain getting exceptionally stronger now. He used the only arm that he could, flipping his body so his face met the falling rain, then he hovered his form over him, shielding him from the rain, wondering what his next step should be.

His mind was starting to slip again, the blows he took from Benjamin only added to the broken arm and gun wound on his shoulder. Thinking became impossible. He could only manage to make a limo stopping by, and a couple of furries in black suits helping them both inside. But that was the last thing he could make before everything turned blank.

The limo moved quickly, there were four furries inside, one of them being a cocky hyena with a messy hair style. They all remained quiet all along the journey, and the vehicle made a stop finally in the hospital's parking slots.

As confused and puzzled as everyone were when they looked at them, they didn't dare to question them; those furries in black looked important and on a mission by the way they moved and silently marched inside. The tiger and his mate were unconscious, placed kindly on two wheel chairs pushed by two hulking horses. There was a hyena leading the pack, while the last furry in suit handled a lot of telephone calls and jotted several times in his small notebook, probably a schedule of some sort.

The hyena looked left and right at the receptionist, then stated that he was looking for one doctor in particular.

"Sir?"

"Yes, I'm looking for a doctor by the name of Doctor Schneider."

"S-Sorry?"

"I'm sure you know him."

"Uhm... there isn't a doctor with tha-"

"What's going on?"

Ix quickly received news via a quick phone call from the security, news of the human and the tiger returning to the hospital were enough to get him running to the hospital's door. He looked long at the hyena, and his dark eyes widened slowly, his tongue suddenly got tied up. Zephyr took out an already used small hanky to dry up his face a bit more, looking at that terrorized look from the doberman.

"Why, hello there, red eyes."

"Z... Zephyr?!"

+++

The tiger opened his eyes slightly, he felt himself floating in... space.

Everything around him was white, there were levels and shades of white, almost suggesting several rays of light beaming around him. There was also an occasional flicker of yellow. Turbo soon found himself standing on green grass, and it was grass as far as his eyes can see, nothing but grass. He knelt down, brushing at it, remembering that color that was once his mate's distinctive uniqueness.

"It's... it's his color... my mate's..."

As his thoughts slowly developed to remember him with his hair losing its green, the grass gradually died under him. The once beautiful green grass turned a bit grayish, becoming fragile and breaking in his paws easily. It freaked the tiger out, making him take a couple of steps back, turning all around him to realize in horror that the grass was really dying.

"... mate."

"I'm here."

Turbo turned around himself again, wanting to see the owner of that reply. But no good, nothing but dying grass however hard his eyes tried to distinguish in this strange place. He called Ramzy, but no reply met him this time. He gulped hardly, baffled at the reason why he picked Ramzy and didn't say his mate's name, then he tried again.

"Yzmar."

"I'm here."

"Where? I can't see you."

"But I'm right here."

"Man, I... *sniff~* I can't see you."

"Then close your eyes."

"Wha..."

"Go on, close them."

Putting his entire trust in him, the tiger closed his eyes, his thought only focusing on breathing. His heartbeats slowed down, relaxed. The grass began to disappear and the light grew dimmer, but he didn't open his eyes, he wanted to see him.

He'd do anything to see him.

"Turbo, you can open your eyes now."

"... Yzmar."

"Don't be afraid."

Turbo opened his eyes, finding himself floating again, but the white lights turned black now, and he was... naked, unhurt, and somehow glowy from his orange fur. His eyes didn't wonder about that much, as it was busy looking at that delicate body surfing in space just over his... or was the tiger over him? Directions were almost impossible to make out.

"Yz..."

"I'm here, Turbo."

The human was naked too, feeble and thin just the way he always looked like. Ill but pure, his white eyes as chaste as snow, they were scary a bit, like the eyes of a ghost, the eyes of someone who doesn't exist anymore. But Turbo didn't want to think that way, he extended one paw, touching his check softly, brushing at him slowly, thankful that he can actually feel him. The human closed his eyes, allowing Turbo to brush him after all this time of being away. He raised his hand to support that paw on his cheek, then looked back at him with a smile.

"I... I've missed you."

"Was it really me?"

"... yes... why?"

"Did you miss me, Turbo?"

"Of cou-"

"Or did you miss the feeling of affection?"

"..."

Just say it!

The tiger only needs to tell him that there was no one else in his mind but the human, but that answer felt so hard to pronounce. Flok's words travelled across his mind again, and somehow he was afraid that maybe he'd give the wrong answer. He looked back at the human, worried, scared. He wanted to answer him, but words can never be enough.

He reached at the human's left hip slowly with his other paw, his mate didn't seem to mind. Turbo then started circling his right paw behind his neck, and finally pulled the human to himself, hugging his figure and placing the side of the human's head to his torso.

"Here's my answer."

"..."

"I hope you can... hear it."

"... *giggle~* loud enough, I'd say."

"... Yzmar, I..."

The human wrapped his arms around Turbo, brushing his cheek on the tiger's big furry chest.

"I know... actually, I knew it all along."

"... you did?"

"I wasn't sure, though. You-"

"Then be sure now, Yzmar."

The human looked up, meeting the yellow gazes that kept bathing his head from the first second he got dragged in his cradle. The tiger looked long in his eyes, trying his best to pick the right words.

"Be sure that I will never release your hand ever again."

"When you did that before... I was... scared."

"You'll never be anymore, you will be with me."

The human smiled, pushing gently at the tiger to break this hug. Although he wished for his mate to remain there, Turbo eased up, his paws finally disconnected from the human. He looked long in his eyes as the human's smile still didn't die... but... something was strange.

His eyes were crying...

Only his lips smiled, but those eyebrows were edging downward, pain had a faint clue on his face. The scar bled slowly, but the feeling of contentment filled his figure. He began drifting away slowly, and the tiger looked at him in longing stares already, not satisfied yet.

"W... where..."

"Turbo, thank you for what you did for me."

"Wait..."

"I will never forget you all, I-"

"Don't go... Yzmar, don't... not after all this."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear this! You're so unfair, you know that?!"

A surge of anger suddenly overlapped him, emotions could not be controlled inside him anymore.

"You call me selfish, but what about you?! Always deciding on your own, thinking that your sacrifice will make things better, thinking that your death will make me happy!"

"..."

"Well, it won't! It will just dig the wound deeper in me. You might think your simple let-go act is selfless but it's not, don't you dare..."

The figure of his lover gradually fainted, alarming him yet again of what harsh words his muzzle is picking. His mate was slowly becoming one with the dark void and he's just throwing the blame on him now of all times?

"No, Yzmar wait! I didn't mean... c-come back, please!"

"... I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"W-where are you going?"

"I... *chuckle~* I honestly don't know yet."

"... when will you come back?"

The human looked at him long in confusion, missing the point of the question. The tiger's face was firm again, even though he always was the strong type, his eyes felt as if they were on the edge of crying.

"What do you mean?"

"If you need to go, then when will you be back?"

"... I don't know if I'll ever be back."

"Then I'll be waiting."

"... why..."

"I'll wait for you forever, Yzmar. Until you come back, or until I... until I find you."

"..."

"I know you realize this by now but..."

"... Turbo."

"Mate, I... I love you... fuck, I can't think of anything else... I love you, Yzmar."

The tears didn't stop falling from the human's face, his smile sprinted wider and his eyes almost closed in thankful gratitude, pulling the tears down on the tiger's face as well.

"Me too, Turbo."

"You too what?"

"... huh?"

"Say the words."

"... what words?"

"Tell me that you love me."

"I just said th-"

"No, you said 'me too'. Tell me that you love me, that you'll be back for me."

"..."

"Yzmar, please... *sniff~* it's not hard. Say the words to me... say..."

+++

"I love you."

The squirrel nurse shuddered at the words this sleeping tiger just spoke out, he looked at him in boredom and embarrassment; how would anyone be THIS fucked-up and think about something thwarting like that? Wait, there's a tear too, slipping out his closed right eye! Not that this guy was the only odd situation around here, the squirrel soon turned to his bat friend as he took the patient's clothes with him.

"Hey, I hope you're not planning on 'suckling' his clothes."

The dark-brownish bat turned in shock to his college, putting on a repulsive attitude while the tree-climber knew damn well how his friend acts.

"*Gasp~* Are you accusing me of something out of doubt?"

"I don't just DOUBT, buddy; you always do it without anyone looking. I work here day and night with you; I know you!"

"UH! I would never! Maybe I would if he was a hot chick but-"

"Just face it, Gharm. I know you have that urge to taste blood, being a bat and all."

The bat looked long at the uniform, eyeing the stains in particular.

"But it will get washed off anyway, it'll be a waste..."

"..."

"See? No one would know the difference."

"But have some sympathy towards our patients. This one here had his arm broken in addition to all those injuries."

"Ah, he'll be fine, they all do."

"What the... why are YOU a nurse?!"

"I just wonder if Doctor Ix would do anything."

"... yeah, he said he wouldn't look into his-"

Suddenly, a doberman came inside the room, pissed off, short on sleep, tired and simply isn't in the mood for joyful chitchat.

"You two, out."

"... pard-"

"I said out! Out out out! Get out! Go on, out!"

The squirrel quickly pushed on his friend's back, forcing him out as he bowed in apology at the dog and closed the door behind them. The bat didn't seem very pleased with this, but as soon as he remembered the patient's uniform still in his hands, he didn't seem to be willing to share his thoughts with his friend... and a smirk hid itself quickly as he walked to the nearby washroom, saying to his friends that he'll wash the patient's clothes from the stains.

Drawing closer to the bed, the doctor kept his gaze firm and upset. He knew exactly what he told him before he walk out, and just as he thought would happen did happen, another black-out. He soon bent his knees to look at the patient's condition written on the bed's footboard. This tiger brought Yzmar back, at least. He was successful, and it's only right for Ix to help out a bit on his part.

(You blockheads better have a fucking explanation ready.)

+++

"Silver?"

"?!"

The wolf came back from yet another 'daydream', he looked around himself to see other engineers drawing close to him, puzzled. This is becoming frequent it's starting to pull an embarrassing blush from under his burn-marked muzzle.

"What's the matter, dude? You looked spaced-out for a bit... again."

"Uhh, nothing."

"... you sure you don't want to take a rest? I mean, you did dash inside burning fire."

"Hey, less chatters, more fixing. C'mon, let's move."

The different engineers looked amongst themselves and shrugged, returning to their engines. The wolf sighed out, this is the third time... or the forth? Damn it! Ever since Kuma said what he said, things became really hard to focus on. He was caught time after time spacing out, and he sighed in relief that they at least can't tell what he daydreamed about.

(Seems I do have something for chubbies after a... Wait! Focus, damit!)

He slapped both cheeks with his lightly-bandaged paws a couple of times to keep his focus, but ended up getting his paws somewhat stingy. Work now, think later. He turned at the engines again, watching everyone as they examined their respective iron boxes. The image of the fire came back to his mind, making him feel surprisingly cold. Maybe it was the cold of fear, he thought.

(Damn, the sounds of those flames flicking near me... sheesh.)

He turned to that accursed valve that didn't want to turn when it really counts. This was the main engine, damn it. It should be perfect and operational in every situation...

(... hold on!)

Perfect and operational... in every situation? He looked up, a lengthy investigative gawk filled his eyes, then he turned around at the several engines around him, then back to the ceiling, and finally at the valve. His eyes soon opened wider and wider, remembering what he discussed with Yzmar in that particular test run; the one he finally found out about the strange metallic sound.

"THAT'S IT!!"

The whole warehouse stopped momentarily, looking at that sudden shout's owner boasting for nothing. The wolf had a strange smile on his muzzle, as if he discovered something critical.

Gemik appeared from his invisible form near Silver, looking at him with a tilted face.

"Silver?"

"Gemik, I think I got it! Damn, it's actually too fucking easy."

"You think you got... what?"

"Damn you, Gemik! Focus with me here! I'm talking about them engines."

"... and?"

"It's... you see, we need to put... and then widen the edges a bit to..."

The wolf paused a bit, realizing that he's actually 'throwing' some words out because of his thrill. He closed his eyes and began chuckling, slamming his forehead with the back of one paw and shaking it left and right.

"God damn it! It's just too fucking easy even Yzmar overlooked it!"

The wolf didn't waste time on the baffled chameleon and the rest of the engineers, he turned around and dashed away from the engines, making his way to the stairs. He needed to get to Zed in the Information Department, he needed more data on what he just found out. And - if his idea was really true - then they should speak with Lernar afterwards; getting the damn dragon's permission should be easy if it was supported by the Information Department's senior.

+++

The human had a dream too.

The graveyard he so hated surrounded his being, it looked as gloomy as ever... if not more gloomy. The full moon looked somewhat bigger and pink in color, almost ready to bleed itself and ruin the dark sky. But the chilly wind and mood didn't change at all, just the way he remembered it.

Just the way he hated it.

The cloaked figure was facing him several meters away, taking out his sand watch. The sand at the upper part was coughing its last dotty crystals through the glassy neck. The epitaphs themselves appeared scared, Ramzy almost swore witnessing some of them slowly vibrating, weakly trying to move away. He looked up again at his face, and his mouth opened to throw its first greeting.

"So you're The Grim?"

'...'

"You're the disease created by a stupid mistake from mankind?"

'To HaVe a hUmAn aS My sAcRiFiCiAl lAmB ThIs tImE...'

His hooded head tilted down a bit, the fiend almost laughed out.

'I ThInK ThE LiViNg cAlL It... IrOnIc.'

"... will I ever feel pain again?"

'...'

"I just don't want to feel that anymore. If death will guarantee to keep the pain away from me, I'd so hap-"

'No, you can't!'

The human turned back in surprise, that voice was so familiar, the voice of the person that got him caught in everything. Claus was standing near him, as white as ever and with some radiance. Not just the hare, Flok was there too, Kuma, Zed and Silver were there too. All were naked, pure, glowy and smiling at him in warm gazes. They looked so angel-like, their sparkle eased a small spot of the troubling cemetery. The spot they stood on changed into a faint pillar of light, a barrier that didn't allow anything through.

"Y... you guys."

Something was strange; they all smiled at him, their simple smile on their muzzles and beaks sent warmth all across his body. It felt like their feelings and thoughts transmitted themselves forcefully inside Ramzy. A smile finally climbed the human's lips, he shook his head at them, turning again to the shady disease and walking a bit away from them, leaving the pillar of light they created.

"Thanks, everyone, but I'm afraid I have no say in this."

'Yzmar... don't give in to your illness, y-'

"Guys, please... *sniff~* don't make this any harder than it has to be."

He gulped hardly, feeling the desire to hold on to his life, but there's nothing he can do anymore. The hourglass was empty and began cracking to bits now. It should turn upside down again for his life's second half to begin, but that was not so for The Grim was already entitled for that. All the sand rested down in the lower half, his time was up, and with it his deadline was finally met, shattering the lower half of the sandwatch and letting the sand slip between The Grim's bones. The debt had to be paid.

'MoRtAl, If yOu dEsIrE To sAy aNyThInG ElSe, NoW Is tHe tImE.'

"Will I feel pain again?"

'PaIn?'

"I... I don't want to..."

'PaIn iS OnLy a pHySiCaL FeElInG, yOu wOn't fEeL AnYtHiNg aFtEr iT FeEdS.'

+++

'Merciful Nature, his arm is...'

'Claus, don't worry, it's not that ba-'

'I know... but...'

'It's ok, he just needs rest.'

"... ungh~ *grunt~*"

"Oh hey, he's coming to."

The tiger opened his eyes on his friends' voices, but soon narrowed them again from the brightness of the room. Was it morning?... no, those sharp lights are the ceiling's. He looked a bit to the left, staring outside the window behind the see-through curtain. The skies are still dark, he couldn't tell night from day without a watch, and the world was still raining. Any longer than this and some sewers were bound to burst open.

"Hey, welcome back."

He returned his face to the ceiling, sighing behind an almost-closed muzzle. That dream, it was troubling, it left a sorrowful feeling inside him, just when he thought he could rest. Flok and Claus were there near him, a bit glad that he at least regained his conscious back.

"Where am I?"

"In Ix's clinic... again."

"I was on the... on the way here."

"Huh?"

"Did you bring me here?"

"No, I just dropped by to speak with the doc about Silver. Me and Claus found you here by chance, really."

"... and the rest?"

"Kuma returned home, the shift's over. Silver and Zed are having a closed meeting with the boss, something big, I'd say-"

The hare suddenly shook the big falcon's thick arm.

"Flok, who cares about all that? Ask him!"

Turbo remained puzzled, just waking up from a black out didn't allow for much thinking to happen in his brain. Claus turned to him and drew closer, gripping on the bed's edge.

"How's Yzmar?"

"!!"

"Ix told us that someone brought you here, you and Yzmar."

"Could be Ben."

"So how's he?"

"I don't know, he was..."

The tiger stopped, remembering how crazy his mate was back then. The way he laughed like a maniac, and how he thought about throwing everything once and for all. His right arm shot in pain at the memory, the fracture wound and the bullet one on his right shoulder. He looked away, troubled even more; he was clearly being cared for in another room. A chocking silence hinted the bunny on his careless over-caring, and Flok looked at him with the edge of his eye, secretly shaking his head left and right. The feathery hulk smiled suddenly, trying to lift his spirit up.

"At least you both are fine, that's good, right?"

"..."

"Hey, I know Doctor Ix, he's a real pro. And up until now, he's been in this from day one, he know you guys quite well. If anyone can pull it off, it's him."

"... where's Yzmar? I want to... see him."

"... I'm sorry, but the doc himself prohibited our entry, saying that 'the human is under intensive medical care' right now and cannot be bothered."

"What does that term even mean?"

"*Chuckle~* That's what I didn't bother asking, but hey, he wouldn't do it if not for Yzmar's good, right?"

"... to hell with the 'why' part."

"Huh?"

The next second, Flok and Claus shivered at the creaking bed, the corpse lying on it finally decided to move. The tiger sat up with difficulty, grunting as he did, noticing that his left arm was being fed by some colorless liquid, the tube was connected with a plastic medical bag hanging near his bed. It looked like he'll have to pull this pole with him too.

"Turbo, easy, you didn't recover yet."

"Which room?"

"God fucking... listen to me, as much as you-"

"If you won't tell me, I'll check every last room in this fucking building."

"..."

He placed his feet slowly down the cold floor, feeling his temperature leaving his body as it connected with the ground. His right arm didn't move much, being already attended to and hanging again with the help of his neck.

"Turbo please."

He turned to the white rabbit, seeing his red eyes pleading. The look on his face showed a lot of concern, but then again, that's what Claus always look like; innocent. His left arm reached slowly to that small furry head, brushing in between his little friend's pointy ears.

"Claus, I'm fine."

"Stop acting strong-"

"I'm sorry, buddy, but I can't explain it. It's just that... seeing him right now is more important to me than myself."

"... I don't get you."

"I know, I said I can't explain it, it's really hard to put in words."

He stood up, finding his sudden loss of balance being replaced with a strong falcon arm. Flok said nothing, but his silence - in addition to not objecting on the tiger's decision much - did the talking. Turbo nodded in gratitude, and allowed his friend to lead him, taking him to his mate's room.

His other half's room.

A number of nurses stared at the strange incident, not to mention the number of nurses who tried to return them back to their room. But Flok insisted, suddenly becoming as hard-headed as his hurt pal while he and the rabbit stayed completely silent. The brawny brown falcon didn't allow any chance for an argument. He kept telling everyone that his friend needed to walk a bit and he was only helping out. But they didn't know that they were cutting their way across the corridors, and finally stopping at a room labeled Intensive Care.

"This is it."

"..."

"You ok, bro?"

"I don't know."

"Listen, I'm afraid I have to go, I have urgent matters to attend to with my family. And because Claus needs a lift, he'll come with me too, but I want to make sure that everything's ok here before I-"

"Don't worry about me, Flok. I'm more solid than you think."

"You sure can't walk right at the moment."

"I'll get you for this after I get better."

The falcon smiled, releasing his buddy as he stood for a bit near him, looking at that strange gawk from the tiger towards the door. He patted on his shoulder a couple of times, and waved for the hare to come, leaving the clinic.

The tiger stood for awhile there, not making his mind yet. He already pissed the doc off once, maybe several times before. He always appeared angry with him... how can he not be? Turbo was making the silliest of mistakes towards his mate. And now, even though the doberman treated his wounds after saying he wouldn't, Turbo left his room and was about to go against his words again.

But the reason was way stronger than regulations or rules.

He stepped forward, pulling the pole with the medical bag in it while using his elbow to push one side of the double-door open. The room had no one in it other than the human, lying on a white hospital bed with many devices and tools on both sides of the bed. Turbo could only recognize the heartbeat reader thingy, the rest looked far too complicated for him.

The room was the exact opposite: Turbo's room had little to no tools or medical facilities, this one was swarming with them. Turbo's room was bright, this one was dim, shady and lacked lighting. Turbo's room looked refreshing and smelled nice, this one was chocking, and smelled like medicine.

He didn't wonder about the surrounding too much, even if he was getting treated in a cave or a glittery castle, his eyes will drop on his mate and nothing else. He walked slowly inside, hearing that regular beating of the heart reader as he drew close to his bed centering the room.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The sound was calm, peaceful, healthy. His heartbeats were normal, beating at the range of 65 per minute. Yzmar was lying on the bed, his upper body was bare, leaving only a white silky trousers on him. The human's face was partially covered with an oxygen mask, it covered his nose and oral cavity, sending him soft gushes of life source. The transparent mask was glassy one second, and a bit whitish in the other. Compared with Turbo, Yzmar had three more tubes connected with his body. One of which the tiger instantly identified as a new supply of blood instead of what he lost. There were wires taped on his chest, reading his breathes as his torso rose and fell. As for the rest of the instruments, he didn't know and didn't really care enough to find out what they do.

Although peaceful and quite stable-looking, a tear dribbled down from the tiger's eye; his mate almost looked disabled completely. All these stuff near him just to help one man continue living, his body must be past its limits by a far notch. He didn't even 'look' that much alive anymore.

(All this because of one blasted disease...)

He drew closer, standing near him just beside the beeping machine.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The heartbeats increased a bit, shooting to 80 and sometimes 85. But nothing all that alarming yet, only his breather turned faster as a result. He couldn't take his eyes away from his lover's face, his mind kept showing him the wonderful times they shared in short days. He'd give everything he has for those days to come back again.

He reached at his mate's face, brushing his cheek softly, not being able to wait longer before he can feel his skin.

Beepbeepbeepbeep...

The heartbeats went higher again, but the tiger was still wondering, his thoughts surfed and surfed in those memories one after the other. When he tasted the human's food for the first time, when he helped him breathe, when he finally told him how he feels, when they made love, when he cared for him in his illness, when they played volleyball, when... when... it all came very vague yet very pleasant. Sweet and soft memories with him that he'd want to make more of. They were few, really few for the tiger's liking. He'd want to fill his life with these memories, he'd-

Bepepepepepepepepep~!!

Suddenly, his thoughts got disturbed by a nasty noise, the regular beeping sound was replaced with a high-waved one, it was very upsetting. He turned to the heart reader and shivered at the number... 140 bpm...

"N... no!"

Getting that recent dream evoked by his fears, Turbo found himself expecting the worst.

"NO!"

The number was getting even higher, slowly. It was abnormal, his beats were racing faster with every elapsing second. The human's skin began to look red, glittery from sweat and his lungs quickened their pace in air intake. The tiger turned to his mate, actually 'hearing' his gasps for air from behind the mask, making that red line on his eyebrow extending out again as a result.

"... a clutch!?"

A siren of warning blew across the hallways, but Turbo didn't plan to wait for help, the solution for a clutch was already near him, right? He removed the oxygen mask, replacing it with his opened jaws. It always used to work, it will work now too.

"TURBO, NO!"

A doberman dashed inside, quickly pulling at the tiger's shoulder just enough for him to break the kiss of death. Turbo didn't know why Ix, out of all people, would prevent him from that; he himself told him that his DNA was... wait...

The tiger's eyes shot wider at the heart reader, the heartbeats were increasing yet again... 174 bpm! This isn't just abnormal anymore, it was beyond abnormal at this rate. He himself didn't know that hearts can beat this fast in the first place. But why? What's going on!? This isn't right, it should go down, why is it still going up? He turned to the dog, but Ix was too preoccupied to say anything right now, he shouted back at his assistants, giving them quick instructions as they emerged after him.

"You, antibiotics vaccine, move it!"

"Doc, why?! He should be-"

"Turbo, get out of here; you're interrupting us! Hey you, prepare a shock, just in case, hurry up!"

The tiger laid his paw on the doberman's shoulder, but it was knocked off pretty quick. The doctor needed to focus, it was a crucial time, but Turbo's panicked state wasn't helping at all.

"Doctor, what's going on?!"

"You, ventilation, refill on the double if necessary! You, Aspirin and Nitroglycerin readings, I want those right now! You, pressure! Look alive, people!"

"Ix!!"

"And you..."

The last 'you' was actually addressing the tiger, he turned to Turbo with calm but serious attitude. The dog's black-shadowed red irises almost became brighter out of rage and anger, but his voice giving the orders was amazingly controlled, hinting for a professional's experience in every word... even the words that tackled Turbo in the face.

"You... you get the fuck out, you hear me?"

"Is he going to be ok?"

"Will I have to pull you out?"

"Answer me!"

"Get out, Turbo."

The tiger shortly felt himself losing it, he snatched at the dog's white coat, his face all freaked out but still dangerous and deadly. This is his mate lying on the bed there, his concerns to that single human were higher than anything else.

"You promised you'd do everything for him."

"Hey, stop it this instant-"

"You have to save him, you hear me, doc?! You fucking have to!"

The dog became strangely quiet, he snatched at the tiger's wrist and started walking outside. All his nurses and assistants knew what that meant, but if anyone delays in carrying out his commands, they'll know first-hand.

The doberman exited the room, dragging the tiger behind him, then - with one violent and quick pull - he threw the stupid idiot to a chair facing Yzmar's room. He raised one foot and quickly slammed it to the small gap in between the tiger's parted thighs, so dangerously close to his balls. He bowed to the confused orange furry and made sure his words were clear even for the stupidest in the world, pointing with one index at the very chair Turbo was sitting on.

"This chair here? It's the closest you get to him. Understand this much?"

"You have to sa-"

"Quiet, I'm a doctor, not a prophet that brings miracles. I'm working on it."

"Then why was his heart-"

"Because of you, Turbo. Your DNA is making it worse since it's incomplete."

"... I'm making it worse? I... I don't get it... before, you said that..."

The dog looked away in disturbance, telling him now will at least be better; such accidents will be better avoided when he's not around. Knowing this fool, he'd take any opportunity to enter his mate's room once more.

"He's in the last phase, The Grim will have a direct impact on his entire body should it finds the slightest resistance from Yzmar. Even your smell carries your DNA, and if he can just smell you, he's in danger."

"!!"

"Turbo, the ONLY thing that can help him is your evolved DNA."

"... then..."

"Time is short, he's in the last phase, he could... pass away in the coming few days now."

"No... *sniff~* please, how could you say that?"

"..."

"But... but you said... you said you..."

"I said it was YOU who can make it happen, Turbo. I can extract it from you and inject him with it once it's complete. But right now, your blood still carries the disease in it, that's sign enough that you're not ready."

"Then... then let me get infected again... We can make it!"

"You can't."

"C'mon, Doct-"

"Shut up for a second, you can't."

"WHY NOT?!"

"To get infected means you'll give him your DNA as well."

"Wh... why?"

"Did you forget? You need to make physical contact with a carrier to get infected. And by doing so, you'll be far too close to send him your DNA. Just getting you infected by him will put him at risk."

"Then... what about a... an injection? With his blood?"

"Won't work; you need the source now to develop an elixir inside you. Your DNA is strong at this level, you won't be infected by a mere needle."

The tiger's eyes finally gave in. A dead end, there was always a fucking wall facing him no matter what path he took. What then? Was that it? His mate will live by those machines until he... dies? Isn't there a way to save him? They seriously can't do anything? But they... they went too far... they can't...

(Ever experienced how it feels when you give your all but receive pain in the end? ...well, that's the story of my fucking life.)

"Isn't there anything..."

"..."

"What bullshit is this?! Might as well just let him die!"

"What the hell?"

"If you have no mean to save him, why hurt him? Just let him-"

Even the most professional of professionals have their limits, they just need to be ticked. Ix finally bared his fangs in anger, getting ticked, sending a punch to his patient's chest. The blow wasn't that strong, but the shock was. Turbo looked back at his face, silent, seeing those huffs and puffs of anger and anguish brimming from his eyes. There was fatigue; the poor physician didn't seem to have had his fare share of rest... for a long time.

"There is still hope, you idiot. I'm placing all my bet on your DNA's evolution before that fucking disease rips the human away from you."

"I-I'm sorry... *sigh~*"

"..."

The doberman's anger drew back a little; Turbo seems to be thinking straight again. His yellow eyes looked away, anger at himself for thinking that way was clear on his face.

"... I didn't mean to... I'm just too stressed."

"Everything is puzzling; the two of you aren't the same anymore."

"..."

"You in a police outfit, him covered in injuries, you too..."

"It's so complica-"

"I don't care what might have happened; you can tell me later. But right now, I need to do what I can."

"... *sniff~* What... what can be done?"

"I have to study his state a little more to start, but sitting in one place and worrying about it won't help."

"Please, doc... I-I've had enough..."

"..."

"I don't want to lose another... I've lost many important..."

"I know this is hard, but I hope you won't step inside his room before I give you the green light, alright?"

"Alright already... anything, whatever it takes... but please..."

"I'll do everything in my power, be sure about that."

The tiger sulked down, there was no point in going on with this. It seemed as if his part was over; he found him and brought him back, and now it was Ix's turn to bring him back in shape. The dog stood straight again, waiting for any response from the motionless muscled form. Since there didn't seem to be any hint of movement or utterance to happen soon, he turned around and entered the human's room again, getting updates and reports left and right.

Turbo remained there, seated with no other desire but to heal his heart's wound. His claws were out, his fangs dug between themselves and his feet's claws were edging to put their signature there.

He can't even see him up close, the very fact of standing near was threatening to Yzmar. Just thinking about it almost drove the tiger crazy. Waiting was all he could do at the moment, the one fucked-up thing he was so bad at.

(Mate... I'll be waiting. You'll come back to me... you will, won't you?)

+++

"Heartbeats?"

"Decreasing noticeably."

"Blood pressure?"

"Normalized, no longer in hypotension state."

"Temperature?"

"Three-seven point four."

"Abnormalities?"

"None."

The doberman turned several pages quickly, swapping his stare on the document back and forth with looking at the patient.

"Good, he's stable again."

He handed the document again to the giraffe and gave everyone permission to turn back to their work. They bowed in return and left the room, passing near a motionless tiger just outside the room with his stare almost making a hole in the ground. The door closed back slowly, hiding him from Ix's vision. The doctor finally sighed, looking back at Yzmar.

They're so close, so close it would have ended differently should things changed a little. His calculations were off because the human was already in the second phase when they first met, but even so, there should have been enough time. Maybe because the tiger's DNA quickened the process? There should have been enough time still. Maybe it has something to do with the way Yzmar acted when he brought Turbo to the hospital and ran away. They were clearly 'not' together at that point, it almost suggested a hostile nature between the two, but Turbo was still trying to bring him here.

Maybe it's not the tiger's mistake this time after all. But that wasn't the biggest concern, the dog was wondering how he should tell Turbo about his mate's condition.

A squirrel and a bat entered the room after around ten minutes, looking at the doberman spacing out. The squirrel took a step forward, trying to get his doctor's attention.

"Doctor Ix?"

"..."

"Doctor, the patient we're responsible for... why is he there outside?"

"..."

"... Doctor, is he alright to be walking about?"

"Leave him, he'll return to his room once he's tired."

"*Sigh~* fine, as you wish."

The squirrel turned to his friend the bat, he was strangely silent and... happy. His mouth was a crescent with a tongue that flicked out for just a second, licking a bit around his lips. The squirrel instantly identified those 'symptoms' and sighed in helplessness.

"Gharm, you didn't do what I think you did do, did you?"

"... huh? Wow, that sentence was funny... say it again?"

"Gharm, I'm serious! Did you?"

"Oh c'mon, I told you it would have gone to waste anyway."

The squirrel didn't like to be lectured like this by a new recruit, especially a care-free one! He turned to the spacing-out dog and stated in a bothered voice.

"Doctor, please tell him not to 'suck' our patient's blood."

"Hmm?"

"He happens to handle the patients' clothes and do the washing, but he sucks the blood out of the fabric before washing it."

The dog turned at the squirrel, still partially away, catching those two fighting amongst themselves.

"You don't understand because you're not a bat!"

"At least, I resist the urge to gnaw on everyone's 'nuts', unlike you!"

"... wow, that almost sounded... are you, like, gay or something?"

"WHAT!?"

"I mean honestly, did you just listen to yourself a second ago? Oh, just for the record, I'm totally cool with tha-"

"I'm not! And don't change the subject! You sucked off that tiger's blood from his uniform!"

"Look, I'm not hurting anyone in doing this. Besides, I wash their clothes anyway, what are you so pissed at? No harm done."

"*Sigh~* that's not the point."

"Oh drop it, will you?"

"What if someo-"

Suddenly, the doberman drew closer to the two, looking at the bat in particular, eyeing him in full alert. The new nurse didn't know if he was in a bad situation right about now or not, cowering to speak.

"Did you really suck the tiger's blood?"

"..."

"Nurse?"

"Well... not from him, but from the clothes... uhmm..."

The dog snapped, snatching at his clothes and planting fear inside him. Amazingly enough, his voice volume was still low.

"It's a yes/no question. So? Did you or did you not?"

"Y-yes, I did-please forgive me-I won't do it again-I promise-have pity!"

A flinch shuddered the bat, closing his eyes in fear, expecting some stoning to happen... or worse, biting...

But the strange silence made him open his eyes again in confusion at the dog, Ix was looking at him, but his eyes were monitoring some other things, other possibilities. His thoughts tried to analyze things quickly.

"D... doctor?"

"You sure it was the shirt of the tiger?"

"... uhh... yes?"

"You positively sure."

"..."

"Maybe it was someone else's blood on his shirt."

"... no, I would have recognized the difference in the blood scent and taste."

(... taste? oh yes... bats.)

"Wait, why are you wondering about the stain's owner instead-?"

"When did you do it?"

"U-umm, maybe... four hours from now?"

"You sure you ok?"

"... you're starting to scare me, doctor. What's wrong?"

Ix instantly shoved him aside, no time to answer oblivious people about it. He went to some drawer, looking around it. He grunted in annoyance and walked away, exiting the room. Despite Turbo's full attention at him to see what updates he might have, the dog didn't even stop, making do with three words before walking away in the lobby.

"Be right back."

He entered his office, searching for one folder he knew very well. After all, he spent nights over those pages, he knew exactly what they contain, but he needed to make sure and compare it with now. 15 minutes later, Turbo found the canine back, holding an empty needle.

"Here, give me one-needle-worth of your blood."

"Huh? What's go-"

Not in the mood for arguments, Ix instantly came closer, held his hurt shoulder in place and stabbed the needle hastily, sending a faint feeling of pain in him and not even caring enough to sanitize the spot first.

"*Grunt~* Hey."

"Shush!"

Taking what he wanted, the dog moved on again, placing a small cotton piece on the chair near him as he walked away, raising more and more questions up the tiger's head.

"Put that on the needle's wound for awhile, you should be fine."

"Did you find something?"

"... not sure yet."

"Is he alr-"

The dog turned from over 5 meters away, but his eyes flashed again in obvious loss of patience.

"Don't, You, Dare, step closer to him until I tell you to, you got that?"

"..."

"I'll be back."

+++

"Hmm."

"Amazing, right?"

Lernar was smoking his pipe in thought, facing a wolf and an owl standing on the other side of his large office. He glanced at the plans being placed on his desk again, then raised his head to the wolf.

"How did it hit you?"

"Physics 101, bitch!"

"..."

"I-I'm sorry, got carried away for a moment. Simple, really."

"Indeed, I'm ashamed to admit that but I fully agree."

"Heheh, even Yzmar couldn't see it, it's so close to everyone's snout they easily miss it. The heat of the engines expand everything inside it, since it's iron. This caused the gears to crank up, heating the engine quickly as a result. I've noticed that in the fire, when I needed to shut down the power supply."

"So what you're saying is, all we need is to make those engines 15% bigger."

"In frame, yes. Oh, and maybe add a cooling system."

"Cooling?"

"Just like the main engine. It only needs 10 engines to operate perfectly. If those 10 engines can operate-"

"I'd rather stick with 30 engines."

"... why?"

"Remember, Moonbeam. These engines are designed to support the main one. In a long run, they won't meet the main's expectations."

"..."

"Swapping between 30 engines will keep it running as long as it takes, and give the swapped-out engines time to cool off. This will do fine for the moment, we can send a report back to the lab so they can test Eden Mark2's first phase in the coming festival. We can work on developments later."

"I guess so."

Zed was silent all along, taking glances at his friend as he explained his thoughts with the dragon just like he did with him. Silver looked anxious, he was happy, and it was just the thing that the owl needed to stay smiling. Zed turned to the dragon as the later asked for his opinion, and nodded in agreement.

"Yupz, Sylvie's correct; all we need is simple modifications to all 30 engines, it will happen in no time at allz!"

"Good, then can we safely conduct another test run this week?"

"I'll talk it over with Sir Gem-"

"No need."

The chameleon appeared, as usual, just at the corner of the office, snatching a book from the shelves near him to cover his crotch. He waved with the other hand and smiled in approval.

"The engines are fine, the damages from the fire weren't that bad."

"... are you sure, Gemik?"

"Trust me, boss. It will take us one full day at best for the fixing and modifying. Those babies will be packing heat before you know it."

The purple dragon hummed in thought, emptying his pipe from the coal and ashes. He stood up, fixing his tie and reaching for his jacket as he planned to leave, marking the end of the meeting.

"Good. By tomorrow, we'll have these blueprints copied and circulated all around the factory. Dismissed."

The wolf and his friend turned back after a quick bow to their boss, preparing to leave. Stepping outside, they got surprised by many fellow workers who took the trouble of eavesdropping. They stammered in embarrassment, but they soon changed into faces of awe, teasing the two. The teasing got to the owl fast, making him blush and laugh out loud in self-esteem. But he soon noticed the disappearance of his friend.

Silver was back down around the engines, his thoughts left the warehouse for a bit and started wondering about his human pal. His mind was doubtful; something like metal expansion by heat might get many pros, but not Yzmar. The guy was identifying the slightest flaws in everyone's engine, damn it! The human had always that kind of impatient face on him, Silver could swear the human already knew about this. But there was a reason for him to stay quiet, and the wolf doubted Yzmar's knowledge about the connection between FEVA, EVA and The Grim.

"Sylvie?"

The owl came afterwards, confused at the wolf who seems to be down by something. This was a time of joy, they finally figured out the simple yet important issue that kept them from achieving their goal, but Silver was spacing out again. The owl smirked, nudging his back with his feathery elbow.

"Ooooo~ about Kumaaaa~?"

"Wha?!"

"Are you still thinking about hiiii-"

"Oh just pipe down, you dummy... it's not like that."

The owl reverted surprisingly fast to a serious owl.

"Then whatz?"

"Zed... do you think that maybe Yzmar knew?"

"... about the default?"

"I just can't shake this feeling off my head; I've seen hints from him that almost scream out this conclusion. I know Yzmar could easily spot this, but if so, then why did he stay quiet about it?"

"Maybe he really did overlook it-"

"No, Zed. Yzmar's way smarter than that, I know it."

Zed smiled, patting on his friend's shoulder as he shrugged, reassuring him that he's just thinking too much. He left Silver alone and walked to his department, exceptionally silent. He didn't know about the wolf, but Zed already had an idea about the reason behind the human's strange behavior. Although thinking about something else, the wolf suddenly left his head a bit, puzzled.

(Wait, Zed wasn't there when Kuma confessed, how did he-)

However, the wolf received an unexpected help; soon every last engineer got news of the whole thing, laughing and smacking their heads with their paws in idiocy. They slowly gathered around the wolf, who was puzzled enough as it was, and looked at him in marvels.

"W... what's with everyone all of a sudden?"

"Dude, you rock!"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I mean... shit dude, how did we all miss this little bit?"

"..."

"Pfft~, makes me wonder what good is the Information Department if they couldn't see this."

"Hey, don't act cocky; we all overlooked it. We should pay more att-"

"You think they'll promote you?"

"E-eh?!"

The wolf suddenly opened his eyes bigger and bigger, no... is... is this the reason? Zed smiled as he caught the flow of the conversation while taking up the stairs. The rest of the engineers turned around themselves and started exchanging thoughts about that possibility. The wolf stood still, stunned, memories of a past encounter also agreed.

(Sounds, right? Noticed there was a slight difference.)

(Bingo, well done.)

(But that's not all, is it?)

(Maybe...)

(Hey, are you testing me?)

(*Chuckles~* you found all this by yourself already.)

(Tch, fine then, I'll figure it out on my own.)

(Well, bro, good luck with that.)

The human didn't want to do it himself, he... he wanted someone else to do it. Why? Did he already throw all hope of living right at that point? Did he find his own achievement to be meaningless because of his disease? It just happened that he, Silver, was the one that took interest in knowing how Yzmar rolled. But now it made sense, and how he hated the assumptions that led him to that outcome.

The human wanted to pass on his legend to someone else...

A lone tear confused everyone around him, his face was tense and solid, but a tear for his friend dropped down his eyelid, shocked by the facts. Some of his fellow engineers drew closer, thinking this might be the effects of thrill, but the wolf instantly dashed outside the warehouse and into the rain, running to his bike.

(He's ok with it like this?! He already 'waved' his goodbyes to us?!)

+++

Ix was making his way to Yzmar's room, his eyes ghostly and fixed on an invisible spot in front of his snout. A needle with a strange light blue liquid was in his hand, and thoughts showered his head even stronger than rain would; he reached with his other hand to wipe those accursed drops of sweat off, but they still keep forming on him.

He stopped once he reached the hallway in which Yzmar's room was located. Turbo was still sitting there, eyeing the ground just as he left him. But it wasn't the tiger that stopped the dog in his spot, there was a strange... sweet smell in the air. It wasn't that clear, only faintly, a dark guess entered the doctor's mind, but he quickly kicked it out and made his way to his patient.

"Doc."

The dog stopped before pushing the double-door open, turning back at Turbo as the later was still facing down.

"Doc, I... I think I'm hallucinating."

"..."

"I smell something... it's so sugary yet... yet smells like my mate."

"!!"

"... do you smell it too, doc?"

The dog remained silent, that dark thought returned to his mind. He didn't want to believe it... but now someone else confirmed this strange faint sweetness near this room. The doctor remained silent for a bit, quiet, but then knew that not saying anything for awhile will make him worry.

"Turbo, get back to your room."

"I don't want to."

"You're tired-"

"Did you find something?"

"..."

"You took a sample of my blood and went off, what was that about?"

The dog took a deep breath, catching the feline's eyes finally meeting with his, firm and demanding. He came closer, laying his hand on his hurt shoulder and spoke in a lower voice this time.

"Fine, you can stay here. But it's going to be hard on you."

"... what's... going on?"

"Turbo, this sweet fragrance of your mate you're smelling... it's decomposition."

"... what does that word mean?"

"..."

"Doc?"

"Listen, promise me that you won't enter... no matter what."

"... doc?"

"Yzmar is about to fight the battle of his life, he's going to fight the curse that placed a mental chain on his existence. No matter what you 'hear' inside, do not enter until I allow you to."

The tiger's eyes opened wider slowly, looking at the dog standing straight again and turning slowly to his mate's room. The battle of his life? The order his voice commanded was vague, but it was clear the doctor didn't wish to tell him any details. The command was the only important thing Ix thought about, and Turbo was to follow his every word.

He 'is' doing all this for Yzmar, right?

20 minutes later, a wolf with silver mane (a bit ruined by burns) stepped inside the reception area, all soaked up from the rain. He stood there a little surprised by the welcoming towel handed to him. He took the towel thankfully, glancing at the waiting chairs area being almost filled up. The weather was a good weather for accidents, it seemed; many of the patients being led inside were having cuts and bruises. The human nurse cut through his thoughts, smiling at him warmly as she bowed.

"Heavy rain, isn't it?"

"Thanks. Yeah, I'm thankful for the shaded parking slots here; my bike would be missed up otherwise."

He made a quick job out of drying himself, then faced the nurse again. A more serious tone accompanied his words this time.

"I'm looking for a tiger."

"Tiger?"

"He's a patient. A friend called me and said he's being treated here, his name is Turbo."

"..."

"Miss, I'm sorry if it's past the visit hours but-"

"No, it's not that. It's... well, the patient isn't in his room."

"... then where is he?"

She sighed quietly, taking the towel from him and hinting for him to follow. She walked across several corridors before stopping right next to a long one; this hallway had many chairs on one side, and several double-doors on the other side. The wolf caught a sign being hanged on the hallway's ceiling.

"Intensive med... medication?"

"He's here."

"Mother Nature, is he alright?"

"Oh, yes. He's totally fine, he's... worried about his..."

(... so Yzmar's here too.)

"Um, just take this lobby, you'll find him here. I must get back to my work."

"Yes, sorry for delaying you, and thank you."

The wolf started walking down the lobby, passing on many closed doors and empty chairs. It looked like not many patients suffer from serious stuff, but that thought also increased his worry. Eventually, he found a bowing tiger sitting at one of the chairs.

"Turbo!"

He rushed to him, standing only 3 feet away. His right arm was treated with cast that went from his wrist to close to his elbow, hanged with linen fabric to keep it in place with the help of his neck. The other arm was fine, but it kept that paw covering Turbo's eyes forcefully. His ears were down flat, and hearing his friend's voice didn't make him move one muscle from his body. Silver was about to ask what was wrong, but soon heard some strange huffing sounds, grunts full of hurt and pain were heard faintly through the closed door facing the tiger. It wasn't that hard for the wolf to recognize the owner.

(Damn it, I hate it when I'm right. He's here because Yzmar is in...)

Silver remained there, clueless, puzzled and a little wet from the rain. He turned to Turbo, and that macho was no longer the tiger he always knew. A frightened set of muscles was the best description at that time. But a moment later made the situation pretty much clear; a shivering scream radiated from the closed door, like a human being whipped and sizzled with burning magma. Human? No... the voice was so monstrous, so demonic, that of a beast.

"The... fuck is this?!"

Turbo bowed down, reaching with his free paw to his hurt shoulder, gripping with claws out that almost dug into his own flesh and fur. His eyes shut tight, his ears lied flat and his fang almost broke his proud teeth. His mate was just a couple of steps away, crying from pain, and he was helpless yet again, unable to help him out. The only way to help him was to stay away from him, because drawing close to him would hurt him more.

The only thing he 'could' do was sharing his pain.

The screams continued, making the task he was going through harder and harder. He moved his paw to his head again, pushing down on his ears. He didn't want to hear those sharp cries of pain even though he wanted to be as close to his mate as he could. Those cries, they pained him just as much. Felines' hearing abilities were unrivaled, beating even the sharpest of canines, and hearing the human's hurt shrieks couldn't be blocked by merely laying his ears flat.

Silver asked several times what was going on, but the tiger didn't move, he remained there, shaking and barely keeping it together. The wolf lost his patience quickly, turning to that room and intending to find out for himself.

"NO!"

A blow of that word exploded from the silent tiger. The wolf halted, turning back at his friend. Turbo finally opened his eyes, they were brimming yellow and tall in ferocious temper. Red veins appeared visible, his own patience was also grasping on whatever it had left to stay still. His shout was coherent enough, and the wolf remained there.

Again and again, his bawls went on, every time sharper than before, the door shivered with every scream. It stopped for a quick break, and then a short pensive jolt, followed by howls further more. It was impossible to tell whose situation was harder, Yzmar or Turbo, Turbo that would do anything for the human to protect him, and yet always failing to do just that.

"Turbo!"

"Please, don't open that door."

"What the fuck is going on?!"

"Ix is treating him, he made an elixir finally and-"

"WHAT TREATMENT IS THIS?! IT SOUNDS LIKE TORTURE TO ME!"

"IT CANNOT BE HELPED!!"

Gritting on his teeth didn't seem to help now; his mind was completely occupied with those bestial yowls. The tiger's chest bowed even further, his voice was shaking, and a tear dropped from the rest that gathered in his eyes. Silver found himself puzzled again, but it seems that Turbo had the same thought yet there was still something that prevented him from stopping all this.

"Turbo, talk to me, damn it. What's going on?"

"Yzmar needs to be strong; the elixir just happens to hurt, that's all."

"... that's all?! He's screaming like a bloody mad man!"

"Silver, please... I can barely stand it myself, I'm going insane here."

"..."

Vibrations from his tense pelt were actually visible to Silver, the tiger raised his head slowly, looking at blank that just happened to be the wolf's feet. His eyes kept their tension, and his chest kept devouring as much air as it can, huffing in rapid succession. His voice became calm, but still alarming to the wolf, even with a broken arm.

"Please, leave that freaking door shut; I won't be able to control myself once it opens. Try to get there again and I'll kill you."

+++

Ramzy sulked down, realizing that his feet finally reached the last step of the hill and has to take the leap now. The Grim stood there before him, awaiting his reply, or his last words to be accurate.

"... just... just make it as painless as-"

'No, I have a better thing to say.'

The human shivered once again, finding yet another familiar voice reaching his ears. A bare Turbo stood in front of him, giving him his back, offering his very body to be the human's shield as he stared strongly back at that scythe going up, challenging it.

'I'd say why don't get a facial autofelatio, you faceless asshole?'

"Turbo, no... Turbo, what are you doing?!"

Remembering his dream before, the images of his mate returned when he was brutally sliced, from head to thong, by his own disease. Ramzy reached at his arm, pulling at Turbo, begging and pleading him with no avail.

"Turbo, he only wants me, don't-"

'Fuck this shit! If he's taking you, he'll have to go through me first!'

"Turbo no!"

The scythe finally stopped flying up, and the disease reached for its rod slowly, preparing to strike. It didn't matter who was in the strike; the sandwatch has finally coughed the last crystals of sand, a strike must occur. And if more than one soul was the outcome, the disease won't say no for extras.

"Turbo, please-*sniff~* I DON'T WANT YOU HURT BECAUSE OF ME!"

The tiger instantly turned, facing him in anger, his eyes were tall, animalistic fury leaked out in disbelief. Those words were his very exact feelings on a number of times.

'You don't want ME hurt because of...?! FUCKING BULLSHIT!'

"Ugh-!"

The furry quickly turned his whole body to face him, gripping on his shoulders and shaking him in anger.

'If that's true, then why wouldn't you come back?!'

"... back... where?"

'To me of course, you bastard! I kept running after you, chasing you, risking my very soul for you...'

"..."

'MOTHER-FUCKING-NATURE, WHY CAN'T YOU GET IT?!'

"But-"

Turbo didn't give him much chance to talk, he instantly hugged him, covering him with his mighty muscles away from the sight of that thirsty blade.

'You're coming back for me... aren't you?'

"Turbo... what are you talking about? Please, move away, he'll-"

'You love me, don't you?'

"TURBO LET GO OF ME, PLEASE! MOVE AWAY!!"

'I'll never repeat that mistake again.'

"TURBO, HE'LL CUT YOU T... Grim, NO GRIM, PLEASE WAIT!!"

The blade descended, cutting the air in its path to create faint whistling tornados around the place. The graves shattered from mere force, and the human's heart almost stopped when the blade was finally done with cutting air and reached the point where it will start cutting organs.

"PLEASE, NO! NOT HIM!"

'I love you, Yzmar.'

"DON'T HURT HIM!! YOU WANT ME, LEAVE HIM ALONE!!"

+++

The screams stopped so suddenly.

The wolf and his friend were preparing themselves for another outburst of cries, but a sudden chocking silence loomed over the place. There was no sound to be heard, no voices, no footsteps.

"Is it over?"

The wolf stood from his chair, not knowing which was more unbearable: hearing those screams, or not hearing a thing at all. His friend left his head slowly at the door, it was still closed, and the room behind it was still covered from his sight. A slow hard gulp followed shortly when they both made a creek, it was getting bigger and bigger as the double-door got opened. Ix appeared with his long white coat on his arm, a stern look on his face made it impossible to guess the outcome.

"Doctor!"

The dog looked at the wolf, a bit surprised to see his fur suddenly covered in burn marks. That stupid canine, he just left for work this morning and he was perfectly fine! But he kept that thought to himself for now. He shook his head slowly, taking a deep inhale and exhale as the two were almost dying to hear it.

"Heh, I said it once before, but that human... never seizes to amaze me."

"... it's over?"

"My part is over, yes. It's all up to Yzmar now."

Silver didn't wait another second, darting inside the room to check on his friend. But the tiger remained there, his eyes kept looking at the dog standing in front of him. He was clearly waiting for something, eager just like his friend but was still waiting with his body eating him to move.

"Turbo, you can now."

The tiger opened his eyes wider, that's the signal his body was waiting for. He stood up quickly, bowing slightly at him as he walked hurriedly inside as well. The dog remained outside for awhile, marveling this miracle that just happened. He checked the tiger's blood not long ago, and he found traces of The Grim in Turbo still. But now, his blood was clean, in this short period of time his blood developed faster than ever.

It's like Turbo's desire to save Yzmar did the impossible.

He wouldn't have guessed it, he might have taken this move as a final resolve if nothing worked. But he was lucky to notice it, a senile bat have sucked Grim-infected blood cells, or so he thought, without getting any symptoms. It worked out magically, if those two knew how fucking lucky they were, they'd die from the horror. Even his sudden cell decomposition stopped, there was no sweet smells in the room anymore, only chocking distillation from the air-cleansing system.

Hope was still there.

He walked inside after the two, receiving some questioning stares from the wolf. The tiger didn't care much for words, all he wanted was to check on Yzmar, sit near him and hold his hand.

"Doctor, what did you mean that it's all up to Yzmar?"

"I mean his will to live."

"His will?"

"Don't underestimate the power of the brain, it can change everything. The psychological state of the mind can affect his whole body's performance. Although the injection of the elixir was done at long last, it might take him awhile to wake up."

Turbo turned to the doberman, something about that final sentence felt strange and needed explanation.

"Awhile?"

"Depends, between several hours to... never again."

"No..."

"I can't tell for sure. As I said, it's all up to Yzmar's will to survive."

So that's why the doctor was checking on Yzmar's mental state all this time, that's why he was pressing on that 'hope' business. It made since somewhat; a person with no hope of survival will have lesser odds than an optimistic one.

The tiger returned his attention to that calm steady breathing, his paw didn't leave the human's hand, afraid of not being able to do it again. At least, the hard part is over, right? He looks fine, he's strong. Yeah, Yzmar's strong, the tiger just knew he was. He'll be fine, he'll come back. Sounds began to feel quieter and blurry... no wait, the blurry part was his vision...

+++

The scythe stopped, it halted completely just one hair away from Turbo's head. The human could see the scythe screaming, desire to rip his flesh almost pictured the object alive with a psycho killer's lust for blood. Dew formed by the chilliness of the air looked like drool on the hungry blade. But the dangerously sharp edge didn't sink in his mate, it didn't even make it past his fur, no sound or shiver from the tiger suggesting a contact.

Something was strange, it's as if time...

Stopped...

He looked long in Turbo's face, his mind was still freaking out, and the tiger was looking down at him with a serious glare. He had nothing in his mind but the protection of his dear soul mate, by keeping him surrounded in his own castle of golden muscles. The two looked slowly at The Grim, holding his scythe in place.

"He... he stopped..."

'Of course he would.'

"... what happened?"

'I'm here, mate, that's what happened.'

The Grim looked long at those two unharmed bodies, his silence suggested his own bafflement at the current change in events.

'WhAt iS ThE MeAnInG Of...'

The gigantic figure halted as crimson ropes of iron chains suddenly appeared, snaking around his dark being like tentacles. One extremely long chain stormed around his extended boney arm, soon reaching the scythe and restraining it in place as well. The scythe screamed again, angry to be denied its meal just one millisecond from relishing in its bloodbath.

'No... YoU!! YoU'Re ThE SoUrCe!!'

Something else began to happen, the hourglass...

It flew slowly from his other hand, it levitated quietly in place, and its shattered glass and glittering dust of sand circled around it. The sand slowly returned to the lower side, and the glass joined that slow pace in putting itself together. All the while, The Grim was staring in disbelief at that miracle.

'... iMpO...'

His voice suddenly died; he kept watching that hourglass repairing itself, becoming normal, anew. It slowly vibrated, breaking invisible glassy chains that prevented it from moving, shattering those nasty chains as it turned in one quick snap.

Yes... turned... upside down. And the sand became on the upper side now, and started sliding one tiny crystal at a time, marking the entrance of the human's 'other' half of his life. The strange disease hummed to himself in thought; he was no longer able to snatch it now. Even though his scythe revolted at him, he fastened his grip, drawing it back against its will, keeping it back near him as it cried in hunger and thirst.

'HuMaN, lOoKs lIkE YoU ArE FaTeD To LiVe yOuR ReMaInInG TiMe.'

"My... my remaining... time."

'OUR time, you mean.'

"T... Turbo, what's..."

'You did it, mate... you just lived on with your hopes up.'

"I... *sniff~* but I had no... *whimper~*"

The figure of The Grim became more and more transparent, disappearing from the human's eyes. In its place, a clone of the human suddenly appeared near them, this one had his hair green just before it turn white, and his eyes were shiny jades, priceless all the same. He looked at Ramzy and his mate, smiling in relief.

"Yes you did."

"..."

"Yzmar, you might have lied to everyone, but you can't lie to me."

"... who're you?"

The tiger tugged his hug tighter, his muzzle beamed at the human's silly oblivion.

'This here is your heart, mate.'

"My..."

'I've been listening to you and to him ever since we met.'

"..."

'I knew every single incident that your words didn't match with his.'

Ramzy sulked down in his hold, even though something like that was entirely outrageous and impossible, it made so much sense when he recalled how Turbo kept running after him. It explained a lot; why he didn't fight him on the ship, why he didn't say anything in the cemetery, and made do with feeble stupid 'promises'...

Wait... why feeble and stupid? A promise is a promise, and Turbo was...

"Damn it... *sob~* I don't deserve you, not even half... *sniff~*"

'Please stop saying that, it hurts just hearing it coming from you.'

"But you've been... so good to me all this time, and I kept hurting y-"

'I'd have done more if it meant getting you back.'

The human looked up at that tiger, tears filling his eyes and falling down with his crying scar. The tiger had his eyes closed, his paw digits rubbed slowly, happy to hold him once again. Their surrounding started to shine white, diminishing Ramzy's heart, his friends and everything else, keeping only the tiger and the one in his hold, as if everything in his dream wanted to give him a private moment with his mate.

His lover.

Turbo looked down at the love of his life, never doubting for a moment that he wasn't the one, never hesitating for one second to jump in front of him and protect him from harm. It felt so great, it made the tiger so proud of himself... but all this time, it had an opposite effect on the human, wanting to disappear so this marvelous being won't get hurt because of him.

"Turbo..."

'Yes, mate?'

"... I'm..."

'I love you.'

"H... huh?"

'That's all I want to hear from you.'

"... you know I do."

'Then say it.'

"..."

'I've known it all along, mate. But you didn't say it even once. My heart kept hearing yours drumming with it, but never my ears.'

"... you want me to..."

'Yes, mate. You should know the effect of those simple three words; I keep saying them to you all the time... I love you, Yzmar.'

At this point, Ramzy was bloody sure he was the one that screwed everything up. Just that fact was enough to make him sob quietly in his lover's arms. He wants to say it, so freaking much, but every time he decides on doing so, his emotionally unstable self prevents him from doing so. Even now... only three words... they just won't come out.

He hugged that orange body strongly, receiving a tender hug in return, and a warm breath in his head. He wanted him to understand, to realize that he really do want to say them. But he didn't need to worry about that; Turbo kept breathing at his head, flicking his tongue out occasionally to get that taste and that smell deep inside him again.

"I... I-I..."

'It's alright, I'll be waiting... come back to me, and tell me those words.'

+++

A bit later, the tiger's sleep broke after a dreamless snooze, his lazy eyes making the ceiling. His mind quickly started to wonder where he was; there was a strange cut in his memories from when he entered Yzmar's room after being allowed to do so.

"Awake, huh?"

Turbo left his head a bit from the pillow, making out Ix as he gave short instructions to a couple nurses and handing them used towels, probably to be replaced by new ones. He turned again to Turbo, finally done with the little work to concentrate on the other.

"You ok?"

"... what happened?"

"You blacked out again, for some hours now."

"Is this... normal?"

"It wasn't from loss of blood this time, but I think the mental stress triggered it. You 'were' waiting just outside the room after all."

"..."

"Don't think much about it, it happens for many people. When the mind is too burdened with something, it suddenly shuts itself down to rest. That, however, doesn't happen with a few. Studies think that those few people have exceptional minds... but that's outside my field, I wouldn't know for sure."

The bed creaked as he sat up slowly, hurting his right arm a bit when it supported his rising form. He glanced at the cast and remembered it, his arm, being broken. His lengthy stare at that poor limb drove a reassuring sentence from the doberman.

"Don't you worry, it's doing fine. Just don't wear it out for two weeks and then come back to remove the casting, alright?"

"... ok."

"And your wolf friend already left, he made sure that you both were fine before he does."

The tiger's stare was occupied by void, his face was stiff and alert, yet his mind was missing. His jaw made short answers, just to keep up with the doctor, but it didn't do anything other than that. A cough escaped the dog, finally realizing that he's too absent-minded. Not able to commune with him, Ix walked by to the tiger and placed some clothes on his lap, finally getting his attention.

"Can you get up?"

"... what's this?"

"Put these on, and let's go."

"Go where?"

The dog turned away, walking slowly out the room.

"Don't you want to see him?"

(He's up!)

+++

A soft knocking at the door echoed in the room, but not replying with anything didn't prevent the knocker from stepping in after a few seconds. The doberman entered with a tiger dressed in white shirt and dim brown pants. They both stared at that bed, a human was sitting up on it. His head was attached to the big window revealing just how harsh Winter started to get. Either he was oblivious of their existence still, or he was simply avoiding giving them any notice.

"Yzmar?"

The human said nothing, his eyes were soft, and his face was normal, neutral actually. The dog sighed in a shrug, then turned to the tiger, patting on his shoulder, and whispered.

(He's all yours, tiger. I've done my job, now you do yours.)

He didn't wait for a reply, walking out on them and closing the double door behind him. Turbo waited for the doctor to leave before he started.

"Mate?"

"..."

"Mate, it's me."

The human turned his head straight again, lowering it to his lap and closed his eyes in depression. The tiger was still calling him mate, after all these things he did, Turbo was still calling him his.

The awkwardness of the silence made the atmosphere heavier and more chilly, Yzmar wasn't planning on saying anything, he asked the doctor to prevent Turbo from coming here, but he didn't need much thinking to know that Ix did exactly the opposite. And Turbo felt that any word coming from his muzzle would definitely be the wrong one. He waited all this time out his room, hearing those screams and shouts of hurt and madness, he had a lot of things in mind back then. But now, there was nothing. Even so, his body tried.

"Mate, why are you... still like this?"

"..."

A strong slow gulp followed afterwards, and then his muzzle moved for another attempt, trying seriously to reach him this time.

"Mate, how do you feel?"

Still, he was silent, his fists were over the blanket that covered his legs and knees. His fingers retracted to form punches slowly, pulling softly on the thin linen as it did.

"Mate, what prevents you further from coming back to me?"

The tiger walked slowly inside, receiving this bitter silence from the human as Turbo walked to the window, staring outside. His mind stayed on hold for a minute, giving Yzmar some time to think, then he went on.

"You're not Ramzy anymore, you wanted to change and you did change. I know all that from your diaries, I've read them both."

"..."

"I know you told me not to, but I had to do it; you were becoming someone else, and I needed clues on how to bring you back since you didn't want to share your thoughts with me."

"..."

"In those diaries, you always speak about guilt."

The human shivered, noticing how his voice didn't change into anger and rage yet. He looked at his back, feeling his own mouth tied up. The tiger left the window, walking to the bed and sitting lightly on its edge. He bent his chest forward, keeping his elbows on his knees while recalling his life in front of a baffled idiot while his feral yellow eyes focused on void.

"It's like you know everything about it. Want to know mine?"

"..."

"I had to stay strong so I wouldn't upset mom and dad in their grave."

"..."

"I lost them both, tragically. I always saw us three in everything we did; work, home, picnic, bowling, toasts... I imagined their end would be on a soft white bed, with me sitting by their side, reading something for them to please their time, giving them company. And then maybe watch them with teary eyes and an assuring smile, as they hold one another's hands and leave their son behind."

The human's heart suddenly ached, forgetting his own pain as it was faced with something even mightier. He looked at that tiger sitting softly near his leg under the bed cover, and just the look on him scared the human a little. Turbo was all covered up in bandages himself, the cast was still there, reminding him of his own actions. The side of the furry muzzle had a clear lip injury, it looked mild but already treated, only left uncovered. The tiger didn't look much better than him.

"I lost a dear friend too; Marcus. All these years, I thought he was dead, but even after confirming otherwise I just... can't bring myself to look at him the same way. My love for my close friend turned into deep hatred. It was so sick, I wish no one else would feel the same way."

The free paw moved over the white cast of the right arm, brushing over it. His eyes were still piercing the floor in front of him, but Yzmar's gaze turned to that cold gawk on the tiger, surprised by his feelings.

"I've lost those who meant everything to me, mate. I hated humans because they snatched them from me. My hatred to that race didn't come from a reasonable excuse, but meeting you changed that."

Turbo paused, taking a quick breather after realizing that his fangs, again, kept saying things and things without him thinking about it. But he didn't want to press on the breaks this time, his lips and lower jaw kept moving. The reason he didn't think about these words must be because they are coming straight from his heart.

"The news of the disease finally leaving your body is the greatest news I've heard in years. Mate, all that concerns me right now is getting you back, I don't want to lose someone dear again, I want this to stop."

"..."

"I don't care if you hate me or don't love me anymore, I don't care if you don't want me anymore, I just want you to be happy."

The human remained silent, that's exactly what Yzmar wanted for Turbo; be happy.

Turbo stopped there too, not saying any more words. He knew this part would be hard, he can't think of anything else to say. But soon, his worry about saying anything perished, he felt the human's touch on his hurt arm, it was shaky and weak. His ears picked some sobs too, and a forehead placed itself over the cast.

The tiger smiled, he knew the words even though they didn't seem like words when they squeezed themselves in between Yzmar's weeping eyes. Apology after another, sinking the tiger's heart even lower with every repetition. He raised his right arm up, and the human changed his weeping spot to the bulky right thigh, still shivering in cold regret.

As silent as he was, his right arm returned over his jolty body, brushing with his paw over his head. The human quickly changed his weeping spot again, rising on his knees and hands then quickly hugging the set of six packs. His left cheek and face buried themselves in Turbo's strong abdomen, and his cries got accompanied by a strange hiccup.

A smile of relief was all the reply Turbo could muster, he brought his other left arm to hold him in place and closed his eyes in silent thanking prayers. The human's eyes closed firmly too, a sharp blush on his face tried to hide by burying itself deeper in the tiger's form.

"You're... such an idi-*sniff~*"

"Heheh, that's the mate I know. Welcome back."

"Please... I don't mean... *gulp~* I only wanted-*hic~*"

"I can't be happy if you're not, Yzmar."

"I realize that now, I-I was a fool. A... *sob~* a burden-"

"No, never a burden, I swear. You were quite strong; you've beaten The Grim, you're finally free."

"I... *sob~* no, it was us both... *sniff~* we..."

"We made it, yes."

"My God, we... *sob~*"

"*Sniff~* we made it, love."

"Oh shit, thank you..."

The crying increased, receiving a tighter cradle from those powerful arms. Although strong and hard, he felt Turbo's arms actually sucking away his pain gently, leaving only this feeling of comfort, this profound loving sensation. His tears dropped more freely as his body remembered how much it missed that sensation.

He was alive,.

He was so alive at that moment, he was to live his life without limitations or a deadline anymore, no more handicaps.

He can finally live, and he was to do it with him.

++++++++++++

+++Epilogue+++

++++++++++++

"C'mon, hurry up! They'll start any second now!"

Zed rushed to the rest of the staff, dressed in colorful traditional clothes just like the rest. Both his hands carried a plastic bag, holding three Magnum bottles each. He sat near Flok and Claus, puffing out of breath.

"These things are-*huff~* TOO HEAVYYYYY~"

The falcon smirked, raising a much bigger plastic bag with five mighty big bottles, making the owl gulp his comment deep.

"You didn't try carrying one of them Balthazars, did you?"

"Ermm... h-HEY LOOK, FIREFLIES!"

The owl quickly left his bags near them and started running around, making Flok and Claus turn to each other and smile in victory. The whole factory staff members were present near the riverbanks, it was finally the festival day (or night... mehh) and it was - as FEVA officially stated live on air - the first public test for Eden Mark2's first phase. A lot of press and media personalities were swarming about the place, this was about to be the talk of the century.

"Hey guys."

Silver drew closer to the rest of the gang, wearing his kimono in a funny way... again. It drove a chuckle from the bunny, shaking his head at the wolf.

"Still not accustomed to it, I see."

"Never liked dressing as a lady, but I don't know about you guys."

"Hahah, kimono might look like a woman thing, but there are-"

"Yes yes, of course. Anyway, I wanted to ask you guys something."

The wolf turned around, scratched his muzzle with one index in embarrassment, drew even closer and sat down with them.

"Uhh... is Kuma around?"

"..."

"Damn it, he 'is' around, isn't he?"

"He's still avoiding you?"

Flok put on a surprised face, looking at the wolf.

"You guys are still acting like that?"

"I dunno, man. Ever since he said he... 'liked' me, he's, well..."

"Just face him with it, he's too shy to do it himself."

"I know that, dude. But I don't want to scare him or anything, he's a delicate matter, you know?"

"... keep this up, and it will start to get boring."

"Hey, I'm not joking here. Would you be serious a bit?"

Flok sighed, shrugging as he opened one berry bottle, preparing the drinks.

"Dude, it's your own love problem, deal with it alone, will you?"

"... such big help from the big guy."

"I'm not much into gay stuff, I just like my friends' company. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm straight, yo."

The hare turned to the falcon as the later started filling the glasses.

"But you helped Turbo out."

"That's a different story."

"... how so?"

"Turbo was hurting Yzmar, and Yzmar was my friend too. I couldn't stand and watch."

"We all felt that w-"

"You see, I wanted to drag them both to one room, beat the SHIT out of them, BOTH!"

"..."

"And force them to solve things right there right then."

"... wow, you sure can get scary sometimes, Flok."

"I care for my friends, I just can't understand love birds sometimes."

Silver sighed, looks like he won't get much from talking to an old geezer and a little kid. He turned around for a bit, catching that stupid owl running after fireflies, and somehow he was sure as hell that this block of an idiot won't be much help either; it would be the biggest mistake to open the issue with him.

"Say, speaking about love birds..."

The wolf turned back to his friends, tilting his head.

"... where are they?"

"You mean Yzmar and Turbo?"

"No, I mean Romeo and Jul... well, DAH~!"

"Yzmar was here before you came, he just gave a quick hey and went."

"Went where?"

"I didn't see him for awhile now, but he's most likely somewhere on the riverbanks. He should stay close for when the fireworks finish we'll start working."

"Hmm."

"... what?"

"I dunno, seems the perfect setting for love birds, wouldn't you say?"

"Hah, well, you better make up your mind with your own before you miss your chance."

Silver's muzzle turned reddish; damn it, they were right. Curse these two, was he too obvious like that? True, he had his eyes on Turbo and Yzmar before, but those two are taken, it wouldn't lead anywhere to stay like that. And Kuma was loveable despite his flaws and... well... Bear Hugs.

"Shit, you both are just too cheesy."

"You're welcome."

"Mehh~"

He soon left them, walking about in search for that baloney. But just after 5 minutes of his disappearance, a bear - in a surprisingly fitting kimono - came to the hare and bird, sitting near them in insecurity while they stared at him without a single blink.

"Is... is Silver gone?"

"Kuma, where the hell were you? He was looking for you."

"Kuma doesn't know... Kuma isn't ready."

"Sheesh, I give up; it's between one overly-shy creature and a cool cocky idiot... you both should do something about your hard-heads."

The bear flushed deeply, looking away and twirling both paws' index fingers together.

"... Kuma likes Silver, but... Kuma doesn't know if Silver likes..."

"Yes, yes... whatever."

Claus and Flok turned to one another, sighing in grief. Were they the only reasonable two in the group? They were three, but Silver was clearly out of that framework by now.

A little further across the riverbanks stood a tiger with his right arm still in cast and hanged in place. Looking at the glittery river reflecting those lights all around the festival was magical and alluring. He didn't wear a kimono because of his injuries, making do with a pair of blue trousers and a sleeveless white shirt, and it worked properly in detailing his form.

"Turbo, there you are!"

Benjamin drew to the surprised feline, making the later puzzled at his attire. The penguin was still in his police uniform, and just as if he read his face he shrugged and shook his head in helplessness as he stood near his friend.

"Eh, still on duty, what can I say?"

"At a time of celebration?"

"Us blues are... as the name suggests, *wink~* blues."

"I wanted to thank you for that day."

"Thank me? Heh, save it."

"..."

"I delivered some serious punches and kicks back then, I should be the one seeking your forgiveness."

"Hahah, you kicked my ass good."

"Wasn't an even fight though; you'd be winning with your eyes closed. Oh, how's that arm coming along?"

Turbo looked away, a slight pause puzzled the penguin before the tiger spoke again.

"It still needs more time."

"What?! No way, is it that bad?"

"No, but..."

"... oooooh, I see..."

"Wha?! What the hell do you SEE?"

"Hahah, man, what a lusty beast-"

"I don't know what came up to your mind, just now. But I assure you, you're wrong."

The tiger sighed, receiving a teasing wide smile from his friend.

"Heh, it's good to see you again, Ben."

"What are you doing here, standing all alone?"

"I'm just... having a thoughtful moment."

"You? *Chuckle~* really?"

"Hey, watch it, I ought to kick your ass for that comment."

"Man, it's been like ten days now."

Turbo suddenly noticed the emblem on the penguin, it changed... it wasn't E-ranked anymore... he looked long in his friend's face, shocked. But the penguin smiled weakly, shrugging again at his friend.

"Ben... they..."

"Yup, D-rank now."

"What the fuck?! Why did they lower your rank?"

"Dude, I was out with my gun and visor that day, what would you expect, a raise? I was supposed to be suspended."

"... yet again, because of me..."

"Hey, this is nothing. You almost appeared like a criminal to help your mate, right? Really, don't feel bad. You'll see me wearing that shiny emblem again, I assure you."

The snare penguin winked a second time, giving a thumb up at his friend's face, driving a warm smile from him in return.

"Benjamin, you're a true friend, man."

"But of course, man! Oh man, I'M THE MAN, MAN!"

Putting on that sarcastic attitude of a self-esteemed carefree made the two laugh. It reminded the tiger of the importance of going on, they went through a lot of trouble, and turning back to relive those memories was meaningless, they should just carry on.

"How... *cough~* ah yes, sweet."

They both turned to a third voice nearby. A hyena in a dark suit came closer from a parking black limousine, clapping his paws together softly in a lazy pace. The tiger's eyes instantly turned hostile, knowing that face no matter how many years might separate him from what happened. Seeing the tiger baring his fangs and showing his claws made Ben wonder about the real identity of this person.

"YOU!"

"Hello there, vicious."

"You have a pair of big balls showing your sneaky face to me again."

The penguin quickly picked up the hostility in his friend's voice, he turned to the hyena and inquired about his business, but Zephyr didn't answer to him, looking deep in that tiger's eyes, puzzled in his turn.

"Strange, I always took you for the 'hit now talk later' type, but you look quite in control of yourself."

"Just fucking barely, believe me."

"Heh, figured. Well, I'm not here for a fight-"

"You better not be."

"... I'm here for a trade."

"What filth might I be interested in?"

"... hmm, let's see... how about... a gray kitty-cat?"

"!!"

"How's that for filth?"

A gray cat soon emerged from the car, walking slowly to the side of the hyena. He stopped with an arm held up by Zephyr at him, stating that he was close enough. Benjamin and Turbo got struck at the identity of this gray cat; it was Marcus, without a walking cane, and fastened with a thick belt around his stomach that held many C4 bombs with wires around it and a blinking red light.

"M... Marc?"

"..."

The penguin looked back at the hyena and found him smirking wider and wider, it made the ice bird quickly draw his gun and point it at Zephyr.

"What did you do to him?"

"I cured his dead leg, can't you see?"

"..."

"He walked on his own just now."

"Release him."

"Tsk tsk tsk, I thought I said something about a trade."

The hyena picked out something from his jacket's inner pocket, letting the penguin notice a red dot blinking under Zephyr's shirt. The hyena dropped a small covered-up needle at Turbo.

"Turbo, all I want is a sample of your... blood, in return."

"!!"

"I trust you know what I mean."

"How... how do you know?!"

"The Unseen have many eyes and ears."

"... I've got a better trade: Your head."

Turbo quickly dashed forward, but didn't get far as his friend blocked his way, barely able to hold him in place. The penguin wouldn't have been able to stop his friend if it wasn't for his still unhealed injuries.

"Stop!"

"Ben, what the fuck, dude?!"

"There's a blinking dot under his clothes."

"... a what?"

The hyena shuddered in amusement, clearly blocking a laugh that he so much wanted to let free. He nodded as he undid some of his white shirt's buttons, revealing a small gadget placed right over his heart.

"See this baby? Once it senses a marginal decrease or increase in my heartbeats, those C4s go kaboom. It's bye-bye, kitty cat."

"..."

"So? Deal or no deal?"

The cat instantly looked back at the penguin, shaking his head hinting for them not to do it. But the hyena caught that secret message; he quickly turned to Marcus and sent a knee blow to his chest, dropping him on his back while Zephyr tidied his suit again.

"Be a good trading property and stay quiet."

The cat groaned in pain on the ground, saying nothing. As for the hyena, he turned back to the cat's boiling friends and smiled silently, awaiting their reply. Turbo hated Marcus, but he didn't want this for him. Looking at Marcus now reminded him of his mate, it's almost the same problem; being involved with the wrong people. He bowed down in disturbance, snatching that needle and taking off its cover.

"Turbo."

The tiger didn't wait to listen to his penguin friend, he stabbed the needle to his hurt arm's shoulder, sapping himself a portion out, then threw it back at the feet of the smirking hyena. Zephyr bowed down, taking the needle and turned around, walking away.

"Hey... HEY! Come back here! Remove that belt!"

"Not yet, hot shot. I need to be somewhere safe before doing that, or else there won't be any point of the explosives."

The tiger growled quietly, anger was growing stronger in his heart. Before reaching the limo, Zephyr took out a red phone; the phone Turbo gave to his mate before. He threw it at the tiger, who instantly caught it with no problems, and smirked at him while giving him instructions.

"The C4 will be disabled by a phone call."

"..."

"I'll call you after I get away and give you the belt's number."

"You think I believe anything you say?"

"You think you have a choice?"

"Why involve many people in this?"

"I'm just following orders."

"... who are you?"

"..."

"Now I remember, it wasn't Ben who took me and Yzmar to the hospital that day, it was a black limo. Even now, you have no obligation to reassure Marc's safety."

"... you still call him Yzmar?"

"Why are you doing all this? What's your real intention?"

A long quiet moment of unusual silence came in, but soon broken by several fireworks. The festival was starting, but it sure wasn't a festive atmosphere with these guys. Zephyr turned back facing the inquiring Tiger, his face was shallow, the smirk was gone, somehow replaced with anger, unexplained but calm anger.

"You shitty asshole, why would you care?"

"... you got what you want, tell me this much at least."

"Fine. Me helping Ramzy? That's bull; it's just a debt repayment."

"Debt?!"

"Remember how your father died?"

"... you know about that too?"

"How can I not? That fucker was about to kill me back then."

"!!"

"It just so happens that a stupid young human dashed suddenly in the fire range, it stopped a policeman from shooting... but it didn't stop me."

"Didn't stop you? You're telling me..."

"Yes, it was I who killed that tiger policeman, not Ramzy."

"?!"

"He fired his gun, yes. But his bullet was a wild one; even from my view point behind him, I was able to make that much."

The tiger's free paw began shaking, visible to the penguin's cautious mind. Should this guy lose himself, he might put Marcus at risk.

"You're... my father's killer?"

"Your father was tailing me in person because... I was your mama's killer too."

"SAY FUCKING WHAT?!"

"Your father saw me kill her, and didn't stop at anything to get to me. You thought it was this pussy cat's doing, but that didn't bother me. He made it just as I finished her, he stood near her corpse out of shock, but that wasn't the scene that you concluded... mehh, worked for me, I guess."

Turbo turned to Marcus who was still on the ground, looking away from them all. Turbo's eyes wanted to meet his old friend's, wanting to confirm what he just heard and - in the same time - puzzled at why the cat would hide these facts, but Marcus didn't meet his puzzled gaze. The hyena sighed, shaking his head. He looked at the penguin and went on.

"As for you, Benjamin, I'm repaying my debt to you as well."

"... what debt?"

"It's because of you and your team that all Ambrosio's plans got delayed. If it wasn't for your efforts, my job in 'assassinating' him and making it look like the police's doing would be much harder."

"Why go through all the trouble?"

"We want to make the people believe that The Unseen was finally over."

"..."

"Did you see the news lately? It already worked like a gem, so I have you to thank for that. As repayment, I helped your dear friend's dilemma; he no longer in need of a blasted cane to walk. Good news, isn't it? He can fuck bitches again."

"Why would a law-breaker kill another law-breaker?"

"Why us Furries fight amongst ourselves? Why animals fight animals?"

"..."

"Funny, isn't it? But it happens, so who cares?"

The two were almost entirely quiet, this guy had the ball in his field right now, and was just acting mighty and important with his favor-returning bullshit. Zephyr finally sighed, getting to the last bit before leaving.

"And finally, Ramzy."

"..."

"I have to thank Ramzy for a lot of things I find trouble in counting right now. So I kept showing him the way out, this time being my final payment."

"What does that mean?"

"*Sigh~* It means The Unseen will leave him alone."

"... you better, you hear me? Or I'll make sure to hunt you all down."

"You won't have to, The Unseen is no longer interested in reappearing for the time being. But should you or Ramzy stick your noses in our business in the future, don't blame us when you suffer."

"What are you planning to do with my blood?"

A quick _pfft_escaped his muzzle as he shrugged at Turbo.

"Are you dumb? I just told you; don't stick your snout in our business."

"..."

The hyena looked a bit up to the dark sky, seeing those brimming colors the fireworks filled the place with. He turned around, heading slowly back to his limo as the driver got out and opened the door in preparation for him.

"Besides, it's a time of celebration, don't make me keep you all."

+++

"Kuma, what's wrong?"

Kuma looked further more in his bag, sitting near everyone as they kept taking turns in snatching one sandwich after another while gazing at the fireworks. The bear was silent for a moment, then turned to the inquiring owl, his eyes almost spoke for themselves.

"Kuma can't find his..."

"... tuna sandwich?"

The bear quietly nodded, looking back at his bag. He wondered why, he made sure more than three times to bring a pair of his favorite sandwiches with him. But now he can't find them, not even one.

"I ate them."

The whole bunch looked at the wolf as he returned secretly near them all, standing especially close to the bear. His face was neutral, no emotions on his face as he glared down at the bear. Kuma quickly panicked, the shock of him losing his sandwiches 'and' being found by Silver so suddenly like that was nerve-breaking. Strangely, however, the burned-silver-furred canine sat slowly near him, still looking at his friend's face in silence.

"Did... did Silver really eat..."

"Yes, Kuma. I ate your tuna, Zed gave it to me and I thought it was his."

Flok and Claus turned quickly to the owl, a bit angered at him since Kuma wasn't doing well lately. But Zed looked back long, finally managing a shrug. The owl did nothing of the sort, it baffled him just as much. But soon, the reason was suddenly clear to them all as they turned back at the sound of a kiss. The bear didn't care about his emotions toward Silver at that very moment; the furry near him ate his fish, and some of that tasty tuna must still be in his mouth.

The bear reached for the wolf's arms, holding them firmly and forcing them to stay side by side with their torso as his body loomed over Silver, reaching better positions for his muzzle to lock with that tuna-smelling one. A great deal of 5 minutes did the kiss last until Kuma's uncontrollable state faded, bringing Kuma back to himself and realizing just now what he was doing... and to Silver of anyone else! It happened for the second time!

The brown fuzz quickly broke his kiss, finding himself over Silver as he laid the later on the grassy field, finding the wolf out of breath and almost out of saliva too.

"*Gasp~* Oh my!"

"... *pants~*"

"Sil... Silver, d... don't get angry please. Kuma didn't-"

"I don't-*gulp~* mind."

"?!"

The wolf quickly pulled at the bear's shocked face, getting him down over his body again and ravishing at his paralyzed open jaw. The kiss got returned shortly, Kuma closed his eyes in fever as the slick tongue licked his, sending him more of the wolf's taste than the tuna. The rest of their friends watched in frightened astonishment; Silver was actually playing the submitter part, but leading the dominator on how he should play his cards and take over him. It looked strange, yet so awfully eye-catching, drawing many smirks from his friends as they turned about themselves in defeat. This couple might actually work, who knows?

The bear finally ended the second kiss, looking long at those black eyes surrounded by beautiful silver fur that got ruined in some places. Somehow... somehow, those black burned spots added to this creature's beauty in Kuma's mind; he looked more daring, more proud and dependable. Like scars that warriors conceitedly carried around, telling everyone about their risky adventures. His lolling tongue kept many traces connected with Silver still, and soon noticed Silver's right paw coming to his view, holding a sandwich.

"Kuma, I ate only one."

"... oh."

"I kept this one for you."

The bear stared at the sandwich a bit, licking his lips and breaking the trails of fresh love he had with his friend, his eyes chained to that sandwich. And, despite everyone's puzzled gazes, the bear took that sandwich and placed it in the wolf's open muzzle.

"Kuma wants Silver to have the sandwich."

"..."

The wolf grinned, knowing already what the sneaky bear was planning. He accepted the food, munching on it slowly, making sure he got that tuna spread all around his mouth, and then gulped quietly. Not longer than one second passed after his gulp, the bear instantly dived down again, initiating a third long-awaited kiss. This one, though, brought moans of desire, ignoring the colorful skies above them as their colors were already in their hugging bodies, kissing lips and dancing wet tongues. The third one was so fevered it made the three spectators uneasy. They wondered if they might want to give them more distance of privacy.

But then again, what was so private about a wolf and a bear so wildly eating from one another's mouths? They didn't seem to care much about privacy themselves for doing it here.

+++

Yzmar sat quietly, a bit far from his friends. He made do with a hearty hello and quick catching ups with everyone, but his mind was still preoccupied with many things. He took out the pendant, pulling it from under his shirt by its chain and looking at it dangling from his hold. Even after he got The Grim out, he found himself so attached to this object. How can he not be? It was the start, and now it felt like a triumph trophy.

He sighed out, extending his legs and feet in front of him and looked at the river as it reflected the lights of the fireworks. The festival was still going on, everyone was having a blast, all in traditional attire (except for him, he didn't feel much involved, anyway) and having fun.

He glanced at his friends from about 20 meters away from him, spotting Claus, Flok, Kuma and Silver all sitting together and enjoying the show on a quick sandwich meal like they did on the beach. They all seem to be back to their happy selves, he caused much pain for these guys just being friends with them, but he was thankful for their friendship. They were the strongest reason for his will to live, their happiness and smiling muzzles were worth living for. Having friends sure changed his view on everything.

He turned back to the pendant, sighing for the 5th time now ever since he sat on this spot. Not even the bright fireworks managed to hook his attention to look up. But soon, he got startled at two big, muscled, furry feet extending from both sides, and then a mighty orange arm wrapping itself around his upper torso, almost tightening around his neck. It pulled him backward strongly, snatching him a couple of inches backward.

"*Gasp~* What th-fffff~!"

The back of his head bumped on a strong chest behind him, and his back got laid on a strong form. The aroma filling his nose identified the tiger, sitting behind him with his legs apart to keep his lover's body as close to the tiger's chest as possible, and the casted arm made room for the humanoid. Yzmar looked a bit up, turning his face to the right as he did to meet the smirk on that tiger's muzzle.

"Turbo, that hurts."

"Sorry, but I wanted to pull you back to reality quickly."

"... nice try."

"So why so gloomy? The fireworks are up in the sky, not in your pendant."

"..."

The human turned his attention to the fireworks, each exploding with a soft drumming bang sound as they competed in covering the biggest part of the sky's face. He dropped silent, finding the tiger quiet too, his mind quickly rushed through the events that happened in the hospital since he woke up.

The human still felt a lot of guilt back then, even after breaking free from The Grim he thought he didn't deserve the tiger that hugged him close now. He told him on his hospital bed how he felt cowardice in facing him, but Turbo was as pushy as ever.

"Turbo?"

"Mmm?"

"Can you... take me to your parents' graves one day?"

"... sure."

"I want to give them my apologies, I... if it's going to relieve me of anything, then I want to-"

"Just live."

"What?"

The tiger remained quiet momentarily; he didn't want to tell him that it was Zephyr who killed them. He didn't plan to tell him about that encounter, he doesn't want him to remember anything from The Unseen anymore. His arm hugged the human further, enabling the tiger's muzzle to dig in his lover's head and hair.

"If you want to apologize, then live, mate. Live happily with me."

"..."

"We've been through a lot together: we cried, we shed tears, we got hurt, we expected the worst. But it's time for all that to stop, we're together, and that should make us happy."

"But-"

"I was wrong too, I never read the journal and quickly judged you, assuming everything. Assume... heh, I remember something my father used to say: If you assume, you make an ass_out of _u_and _me."

The human stayed quiet, hearing this big bulky tiger laughing over his own joke. He didn't get it, but he made do without throwing any comments. The laughter quickly changed into a relieved sigh, getting more of his mate's scent inside him as his pinky nose dug deeper, tickling Yzmar a bit.

"Bottom line is... we can make this a new page."

"... I'd... like that."

"Yeah? Then let's make it the best 'new page' in our story."

"..."

The tiger looked up again, a proud smile remained on his mouth, eyeing those fireworks some more as even bigger ones are beginning to appear. However, the human in his hold made do with staring up at him, the glittery fireworks reflected many dazzling colors on the tiger's eyes, it made him more... dazzling, outstanding. Turbo was Yzmar's fireworks, nothing brimmed more colorful in his eyes more than the tiger. There was a square bandage on his cheek, in addition to all the injuries this wonderful person have sustained. Nothing was higher in value than his mate in this person's list.

He turned to that hurt arm, remembering the dagger he sank in Turbo's body, and began wondering why he was so obscured with his feelings. If he was just this little bit more social, if only he knew how to tell him about himself all this time... He looked up at that muzzle again, still finding it hard to believe that he didn't lose such a person. A blush quickly filled the human's face when that muzzle suddenly turned down to meet his gaze, and Yzmar quickly turned away, just to find a paw reaching at his chin and forcing it back the way it was.

Turbo looked long in silence at his lover's face, but Yzmar's eyeballs looked away, he didn't meet the tiger's and knew that any resistance is futile against him.

"Mate."

"..."

A quiet moment made the human sigh in defeat, looking back at those yellow thunderous eyeballs. He groaned weakly in his hold, not satisfied with how pushy Turbo was. The feline smiled at that blush, and it was still getting deeper and deeper.

"Yzmar..."

"..."

"My love."

Yzmar shivered as that muzzle lowered further, slowly killing the small area in between. A pause overtook the tiger's muzzle, their breaths meeting one another, blowing faintly on each others' lips. He liked the feeling, the small blows of his lover brushing on his muzzle.

"You're my mate, no one else's."

The human felt himself panting at those words, the meaning was heavy and endless. It brought him to one single fact, a reality that will never change. Turbo's eyes narrowed a bit, his hold lengthened, his paw slipped down from Yzmar's cheek, brushing lightly on his neck, down his chest and then finally gripping on the dangling pendant.

"And just as much, I'm going to be your mate."

"... *pant~*"

"There's nothing in between us anymore. I love you, forever."

"For... ever..."

A frail hand went up, resting over the paw on his chest, feeling those digits attach themselves with his flat torso while his heart kept drumming with strong pounds. There was heat in that area, heat that needed to be put down. And the only way for that was what the tiger had in mind, he bowed further, planting a long slow kiss on his lips. The human instantly melted away, taken, devoured by his mate. Sounds of fireworks and bigger bangs radiated, and many shouts and cries of celebration filled the air with the colors. The festivities were just beginning.

But those four eyeballs were closed, their minds focusing on something far more colorful. The paw released the pendant, getting back up to the human's cheek and holding it tenderly in place while his fangs savored the taste of his love. Yzmar's hand felt a tail brushing against it, twirling from their side to meet his front, dancing around his chest and tummy. The left hand of the human was caged and helpless, between two clammed objects, but it didn't plan on moving anyway; his whole body came to a complete stop as the tiger above his mouth guided it once again however he wished.

Their lips disconnected, keeping only those fever-filled huffs as a connection while they gazed at one another. The human's face was all red, he gulped twice hardly, ecstasy was taking him over.

"Turbo... you... *pant~*"

"I love you, man. As much as the sky is blue."

"... huh?"

A sudden jerk of the human's body baffled the tiger.

"What did you say?"

"... what?"

"Turbo, the sky isn't blue now."

"*Chuckle~* No, I meant at morning, its color is blue, isn't it?"

"..."

"Argh, forget this, where were we?"

The tiger looked more in his face, a wide smile on his muzzle spreading ever so wider. He was about to kiss him again when the human gave another cheesy remark.

"You know, Turbo? The sky isn't really blue."

Another hopeless chuckle escaped the tiger as he looked away in defeat.

"No really, Turbo. We see it blue because of the different gases and light reflection degrees, that's why it turns a bit reddish when-"

"Shut up."

"E-eh?!"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

This time, the tiger pulled the human's lower jaw down and held it in place, giving himself the opening to dive again inside him and shut his mouth personally. Yzmar frowned, always a kiss when the tiger wanted silence from him, but he soon forgot all about it, smiling in his turn as he invited that tongue inside, feeling the tiger's enfold squeezing him tighter and tighter, driving out moans of caged pleasure and love.

+++

<...

And that's how it all happened. It feels more suited to be a fairytale, doesn't it? I won't be lying if I said that I gave up on life numerous times before, but the first time I did, he confessed. The second time, he threw a punch at my face, and then another because he felt like it. And the third...

Well, enough about that, I'm so happy I'm starting to write whatever comes to my mind. Ix helped us a lot, it only saddens me that we didn't get the chance to thank him properly. The doctor was not in the hospital anymore, makes me wonder where he went off to. Maybe working on an elixir to cure others, maybe something else...

Lernar got his report sent to FEVA labs, and news of it quickly got spread like fire in a forest. It will be hard for me, but I should honor my contract with them, I did what I could after all.

So, I think this is the end here, I've written everything I went through just to get it out of my head. What comes next? Um, that would be my personal life, mine and Turbo's. So that's the red line, right there.>

He stopped.

Putting the pen aside, he rubbed his sore hand from writing so much. He finally finished, a whole diary summarizing everything ever since he met Turbo. He closed the book, glancing at the title 'Me and Him' then slowly putting it back with the other books.

He kept looking at himself in the big mirror, something about that attire just... wasn't right. His hair was combed nicely since he just had a shower an hour ago, but it seems that he'll need a lot of time to get used to this kind of life...

Getting out of his room, Yzmar dried up his hands as he kept hearing everyone's loud voices coming from downstairs. Descending the steps, he got welcomed by the mansion's head butler, a white thick-furred dog. He was properly dressed in a dark suit, and his overly-thick eyebrows covered most of his eyes. His tail jerked a couple of times at the sight of the human.

"Ah, Young Master, your guests are awaiting you."

"... Turbo here yet?"

"Master Turbo called just a moment before, he's close by."

"I see."

The human stood momentarily at the last part of the steps, still feeling uneasy and unfamiliar with the mansion. He wouldn't have dreamt to have such a life, and it shocked him even more that Turbo has a place like this, but chose a small apartment to stay in while working in a factory. Someone with his wealth should be able to do just about anything.

"WHAT THE... now this is BULLSHIT!!"

"YIPPYYYYYYY~"

The human smiled sarcastically to himself, shaking his head weakly. It's not the kind of life he would like to lead, but things could have gone worse... much worse. Stevens, the head butler, frowned yet again at the embarrassing attitude of the guests, and thought it was his role to ask them to keep it low. The human followed shortly, entering the living room that - in itself - was bigger than his whole flat. (Of course, there's a grotesque alert here.)

"Dear gentlemen, I must ask you again to keep it down. You're in the presence of my Young Master."

Everybody smirked as they looked at Yzmar entering, while the human shook his head and sighed at the dog.

"Stevens, I told you not to call me that."

"Call you what, Young Mast-"

"That! Yes, that! Just... *sigh~* just call me by my name."

"Does the Young Master hate his title?"

"... since when did it become my title?"

"Oh, but of course. Master Turbo ordered us to address you accordingly, Young Master. You 'are', after all, the younger Master of the mansion now, am I wrong?"

Flok and Claus muffled a chuckle as the human finally gave up, waving for the butler to turn to his other work; the kind of work he didn't need to clash with Yzmar in. In other words, to beat it.

"Hey guys."

"Hey!"

The human came to the lot, sitting on the big couch that allowed him and three other furries to share. As for the wolf and owl, they were sitting on the ground, a joypad in their hands and a fighting game on the screen. And whenever they end a match, the wolf was almost always ready to swear that it was the button's fault for not processing his bashing fast enough. Zed turned back and gave a quiet 'hello' emotion with his head, receiving the 'hello' back with a nod from Yzmar, while Silver could still hardly catch his opponent.

"Gah, I give up."

"Teheh, awwwww~ C'mon Sylviiiiiii-"

"Shut it, you always use the match's countdown to your advantage."

"Nnnaahhh, you lose your focus quickly... *gasp~* you know whyyy?"

Silver quickly turned red, leaving the controller on the ground and quickly changing the subject, calling for Claus as it was his turn to try his luck. Finally noticing the human joining them, he gave a short greeting as he sat near Yzmar.

"Yo, tell me again why you left the factory?"

"It's the contract, Silver. What can I say more than that?"

"You can renew it again, no?"

"You know how FEVA is cagey about employment."

"Yeah, but you were already working there... sheesh, it's really rude to have such a short contract, it's unfair. I mean you did a lot for the factory."

"I didn't do anything, Silver, it was you who discovered the problems in the engines."

Silver looked long at the human in boredom, alarming him.

"You still try to hide it, eh?"

"... hide what, Silver?"

"Oh just admit it, you idiot. You knew all along."

"No, I'm honest, I told you I didn't know."

"You can fool everyone, Yzmar, but you can't fool me."

"... my heart told me that too once."

"What?!"

"N-nevermind!"

"Hey don't change the sub-umph!"

The bear drew closer to them, actually making a big deal of contact with his body against Silver. But it was already almost official that these guys were the upcoming couple in the group. Kuma looked long at the human, puzzled in his own way.

"So... umm, what does Yzmar plan to do?"

"As... a job?"

"... *nods~*"

"Well, I was thinking about cooking..."

Suddenly, the two fighters in the game stood still... even the two playing furries turned back in disbelief, all kinds of questioning and shocked faces turned to him, almost screaming out '_WHAAAAAAAT?'_all in one voice.

"Leave him be, it's what he wants to do."

Turbo soon emerged, taking his coat off and loosening his tie. His head was a bit glittery from the heat, but he had to go out heavily dressed because of this damn Winter. There were faint marks under his armpits, the poor guy must have been out for some time.

Not minding all that, Silver stood in the same shocked state.

"But Turbo... are you ok with this?"

"Why won't I be?"

"Dude, he's a fine engineer."

"... and?"

"COOKING?!"

"Eee-yup?"

"FOR BLOODY REAL?!"

Suddenly, Stevens appeared behind Turbo, his eyes brimming with anger.

"Please, oh 'dear' guests KEEP IT DO-oh! Master Turbo, you're back?"

"... Hello, Steve."

"Oh, p-pardon me, Master... shall I prepare something for you? Maybe a cold drink?"

"Nahh, I'm good, thanks."

"As you wish, Master."

The tiger drew closer to the group, supporting his left elbow on the couch as he stared a bit at that strong match between the two. Any challenge between Zed and Claus just has to be fierce and lengthy, both of them refused to lose to the other. Maybe the fact of them both being under the same department ties them in a lot of rivalry.

Silver looked again at the tiger, still wanting a satisfying answer.

"Really, man, why cooking?"

"Why ask me? He's just there near you."

The couch spectators turned to the person in question, the question that they all wanted an answer for was all his to address. Yzmar sighed, shrugging.

"Mmm, no real reason."

"... you're shitting me."

"Silver, I don't know, man. I like cooking, I feel happy while cooking."

"Yeah but..."

"Maybe not being able to taste anything for a long while in my life made me all that attached to it, you know?"

"..."

"Once I got rid of The Grim... erm, once WE got rid of it-"

Turbo smiled at that remark, still looking at the match.

"-I felt like I was reborn... no, it felt like I was finally introduced to Life. I want to explore it now, I have many things I want to try. Engineering was one of them, but I'm still eager for the rest."

"Cooking?!"

"Hey, what's so insulting about cooking?"

"A man that cooks is just wrong, bro."

"... no, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"No it isn't, what a deluded way of thinking!"

"*Sigh~* Fine, just go on and cook to your heart's content."

The wolf shrugged finally, why he would bother was another question he didn't find an answer to. At least, Yzmar would do the things he wanted to do, and that much was understandable. He just kicked back, like the rest, enjoying this gathering that became more like a routine every Saturday.

The human stood up stretching out, not really used to sitting around doing nothing. He looked around at his friends and asked who wanted a quick snack, and chuckled quietly when they all blasted 'me' at him. Leaving the living room to the kitchen, he felt someone following him. He smiled as that someone drew ever so closer, rubbing paws on the human's sides and advancing until they laid themselves on his flag stomach, and bringing his whole form to Yzmar's back.

"Turbo..."

"I thought you might want some help; they are our guests, and we should give them the hospitality they deserve, hmm?"

"Seems like you just wanted to follow me... for something else."

"*Chuckle~* I admit, that idea came to me, yeah."

The paws moved again, turning his body around so the human could see the face of the alpha furry who saved his life and pulled it to his. The orange paws rested on the his buttocks while slinky hands snaked up between them, one over the big bulky torso and the other at the right side of the feline's muzzle, brushing at it to receive some purrs.

The muzzle came closer, but got blocked by a hand. The human knew how eager his lover was at that moment, but doing it with guests at home wasn't the kind of 'hospitality' he had in mind.

+++

"So how was it?"

"Mmm?"

"Did you find him?"

The tiger took off the towel from his head to gaze at his mate, lying on the bed with a book to fancy his brain before retreating to sleep. The room was all stylish for the human's liking, just like any other room in the mansion, but Yzmar always succeeded in overlooking that with the help of a good book from this mansion's big library

"No, he wasn't in the hospital... makes me wonder if he left."

"..."

"I don't know why, but ever since the day of the festival, Ix disappeared."

"..."

"His number doesn't work, the nurses and colleagues in the hospital all deny having or knowing him... I don't know what happened, he just... *Poof~* vanished."

"I wanted to thank him..."

"Me too, he did so much for us."

"How's your arm?"

"Getting better, they told me not to apply much pressure on it."

"That's good to hear."

"Hey, you waited 'til evening to ask me that?"

"*Chuckle~* we had guests, it would be rude not to talk with-"

The tiger took off the lower towel and placed his right foot on the bed, rubbing the towel all along his leg and thighs to dry. The human gulped as he felt the bed vibrating, but he wanted to keep his attention to his book; he felt it a bit embarrassing to stare.

"Not even one sentence to show that you're concerned?"

"... umm, sorry?"

"Wow, you have a LOT to learn. But I'm not complaining, by the way."

"..."

"Relax, I'm just kidding."

The bed finally rocked as the tiger laid his heavy detailed body on it, and it wasn't long before he snatched that book with a 'Hey!' remark from him, pulled him closer and hugged the human to himself.

"*Aaaack~*"

"Enough reading for now, love."

"*Grunt~* Turbo, give me my-"

"Uh-uh-uh, you can't possibly read while having me near you, can you?"

"Turbo, you're still pushy, you promised not to-"

"Who was talking about not being rude to guests when you have them?"

"..."

"Now I'm near you on the bed, and you'd ignore me for some book?"

Yzmar's face turned red, then he grunted as the tiger began rubbing himself all over him, moaning in delight, in need.

"You know I'm right."

"Tch... ok ok, you win."

"Of course I win! *Rrrawr~* I'm the alpha here, I do what I want."

"... you're still selfish too."

The human gasped as the tiger began wrestling him on the bed, gradually reducing his clothing to nothing. The human didn't put much of a fight either, maybe because he knew it won't be fruitful no matter how hard he tries, maybe because he really did want the tiger to take off his clothes. Alas, they were both bare and free of any covers. The tiger kept holding that body near him, gazing at his face, miraculously stopping himself from making love to him at that very second.

"Did you notice?"

"What?"

"You scar, mate. It's beginning to heal nicely, too."

"R... really?"

"Nothing causes it to open now, it's... mate?"

The human pushed him a bit, as the tiger allowed it just this once to break the hug, and Yzmar quickly got off the double-bed to look at his face using a mirror near their cupboard. But Turbo noticed a strange short glance from the human at the reflecting surface, then Yzmar wore a troubled face. He turned quickly and leaned his back on the wall, his arms crossed and hands held both shoulders, as if he felt cold.

"Yzmar? Mate, what's... up?"

The tiger stood up from the bed slowly, noticed that look in his eyes as it closed slowly. He came to him, placing his paws over his hands.

"Mate?"

"..."

"Mate, what's wrong? Look at me."

The human shook his head, refusing to look up into his lover's eyes. His face getting more and more hurt.

"Turbo, I look... I look like a ghost."

"No, you don't."

"My eyes are white, my hair is white... I'm... like a freak."

The tiger rubbed his shoulders more, he trailed his paw on his cheek, reaching his mate's chin. Then he raised his face, slowly, forcing him to meet his yellow eyes, looking deeply in his face with a warm smile.

"No matter what color you put on, mate... you're Yzmar, you're my lover."

"... Turbo..."

The other paw went slowly down, tracing the human's left leg, then slowly still, picking and guiding it around his form, over the tiger's hips, making the human blush. The tiger soon lowered his right paw too, making Yzmar put his arms on the tiger's strong chest, locking his hands behind Turbo's neck as the human's right leg was lifted up to do the same. He felt the tiger pressing his body to the wall, caging him between it and the muscles of his body, and his human hole hanged readily at the tiger's crotch, sitting softly as it felt a feline dick extending between the crack. Yzmar blushed again, hearing the words of his soul mate.

"Green, White, or whatever... You're Yzmar, that's why I'll love you."

"..."

"I love you because you're Yzmar, mate. There's no other reason, I love you. And every time you start forgetting that, I'll have to remind you just _how much_I love you."

The paws returned to the human's rear, each groping its respected side of his ass, forcing him to moan. His grasp was strong, itchy and burning. He rubbed his crotch forward slowly, still his member was out, but he loved the effects it had on the human. Yzmar was almost jumping up a bit with every hump, and his pendant kept dancing all along. Soon their breather quickened, caught in each others' desire, connected once again in this informal ritual, the nature of their wild side.

Yzmar opened his eyes in effort, all he can see is a bulky strong chest humping at his face, and his ears caught low growl-like purrs, rhyming with his humps' advances and withdrawals. There, he felt it, his own heat rising. His thin stick of a cock finally woke up, unable to remain asleep in the middle of this disturbance... or maybe it wasn't really a disturbance at all. His heart raced, overjoyed, fevered by the vulgarity of this beast, but - at the same time - thrilled with uncultivated bliss by it.

"Ungh... T... Turb-Ungh!!"

"Yes... that's how... *grunt~* it's going to be... every time you... doubt it."

"I... *a-aah~*... your paws, it's... *moan~*"

The feral dick kept sliding around, rubbing its thickness and length over his small hole and through his crack. Again, and again, and yet again. The human's face turned so red, not believing how much his body craved for him; they did it every night, but it always felt like his body kept getting more and more anxious for the next time it loves and connects. He can make signs of sweat already forming on the tiger; keeping him in place between his body and the wall also helped in detailing his muscles more to the human. Yzmar found himself drunk at their movements, his muscles flexed, bragging with every hump, with sweat drops sliding slowly due to his friction. The smell of his masculine tiger, his sweat's earthy musk, the scent of sex... suddenly, his head could think of nothing but this very moment, his mouth parted a little for his mouth to lounge out. The throbbing dick didn't feel rough anymore; sliding at his anal's doorway made it slick and somewhat lubed. Breed, all the human wanted at that moment was to be bred by him.

One paw moved up, brushing at the human's hair backward to make him look at his face. The tiger was panting, pausing his humps a little bit.

"Ready?"

"For what?"

"For welcoming me inside, of course."

"I'm yours, Turbo. *pants~* Since when did you need permission for that?"

His muzzle smirked as it locked quickly down with his lips, slurping at him dominatingly as he returned his paw down to his rear, aiding his hole to part. It itched a bit, and the human moaned in slight pain at his thickness, as usual. He still can't bring himself to adapt to his massiveness, but maybe that's how the human liked it. His face returned drunk again, rasping and trying to conquer those fangs that entered him vigorously. Alas, the tiger was always the alpha, succeeding in winning the human's oral cavity for himself, licking at its walls and rubbing his tongue against the human's and his teeth.

Saliva filled his mouth, leaking once again from his mouth and drooling down to his chin and neck. The dick kept sliding more and more inside him, still taking it slowly to drive out the best of the human's moans. The stench cornered the two, they can smell nothing but themselves as their lovemaking was already beginning, fueling them to do more. Breaking the kiss, Yzmar rammed his head to the wall behind him, a strong loud moan escaped him, followed by heavy pants, not minding those drool lines extending from his lips to down his neck and chest.

The tiger began humping his hole for real, slow but powerful thrusts and pulls overwhelmed them. Turbo's body began to sweat even more than before, making his humps all that hearable. Squish after squish, the human cock revived between two wet slimes, frotting against their abdomens, sandwiched in desire. The human's grip around Turbo's neck tightened, his body feeling effort. Staying in that position was hard, it was tiring, but he knew it tired the tiger more. He didn't mind, for that made his sweats more ready to brush against him, extending the experience in more naughty ways.

They panted together, excitement stimulating pretty far in such a short time. The human got surprised as the body in front of him began pressing harder against him, it came closer, squashing him flat to the wall, and the strong torso of the tiger kissed Yzmar's face, forcing it too to be pinned on the wall.

The humps rubbed all over the human's pelvis, tummy, chest and face... oh, and the hole down there, let's not forget about the throbbing crazy dick blobbing and splotching with pre fluids. The human then started kissing those big pecs in his face, blushing more as the tiger growled deeply, approving. It was hard as the torso went back and forth, rubbing against his entire face against the wall, painting it with sweat drops, body fluids and sex aroma.

"Fuck, mate... that's good, keep it-*gasp~* shit!"

The human no longer needed his hands to hang himself on his lover's strong neck; there was no place to fall to anymore, the tiger's dick under him and his body crammed him with no other space for movement. His delicate hands pressed against the tiger's back, not being able to reach one another from behind for the mightiness of Turbo's muscles. The tiger humped forward, then paused, giving him time to do what he desires with his manly glands. He gritted on his jaws strongly, feeling the human's teeth grinding him, seriously wanting to milk him, a thirsty little man that have no breast nearby, and desperately suckling on another man's chest.

It felt so hot looking at him, making the tiger unconsciously hump his torso against his mouth, filling him with Turbo tastes and smells. His paws grabbed his round ass tighter, huffing in effort as the human started to get wild too. He quickly changed sides to allow Yzmar to suckle on the other nipple, and the human didn't say no, only suckling was up his mind. He didn't care what he slurped, he just needed to do the slurping.

The stench increased now that the tiger's bulky and meaty chest got lubed, and the humps at his face made it all the more sticky and wet. All those fluids began to slip down, brushing against their bodies, and finally bathing Yzmar's penis, driving it insane. The human gasped, feeling so sensitive all over, but those stinky layers of meat didn't stop. They kept humping at his entire body, frotting his rod, kissing his face and body, filling his hole and rasping in pleasure as it did.

"I... *huff~* Turbo, I..."

"*Grunt~* you ok?"

"I... *yelp~*-ve you..."

His humps stopped, only a couple of seconds did his mind start to think again. But there was no time to think, as much as his heart rejoiced, it would be even so fucking damn good if he did while continuing. His humps carried on, driving moans from Yzmar, occupying his mind again.

"What was that, mate?"

"I... ugh, I-*grunt~*"

"I can't hear you."

"I love you."

"I still can't hear you."

"I said I love you, Turbo!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!"

"I FUCKING LOVE YOU!!"

"Really?"

"I SWEAR, I LOVE YOUuu-*moan~*!"

The tiger suddenly pressed forward, harder than ever, then began humping quickly, thrashing his body all against Yzmar. The human's climax decided the time, Yzmar had no choice, bursting his love to cramp between the narrow edges of their bodies as Turbo kept on humping. His body helped in milking the human further, driving his drool to spill out and brush against his heating muscular form.

Not being able to keep it inside much himself, Turbo growled loudly, jerking up and forward in a pensive motion, chaining his dick inside to flare at its leisure. His hips kept pumping, while his chest pinned at the human, more sweat dribbled down his pecs and onto the human's face and shoulders. The paws then changed to cramp the human's hole as well, pressing against his own dick and denying any drop of his seed to spill out.

The breeding took place at long last, his whole dick inside him, emptying everything it had for the day in that one intercourse, wishing it had more cum to spare per trigger. That doesn't mean it wasn't satisfying, it kept them swarming in tornados of pink and yellow. They remained like that for a long while, and the human's ass began to feel sore, but never wanting to move, wishing the tiger could stay like this forever.

Always inside, always by his side, his body making contact with those muscles.

"I... *pant~* I love you... Turbo..."

"... *sniff~* about fucking time, damn you."

"I love you, Turbo."

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"Again."

"I love you."

"AGAIN, GOD-DAMN IT!"

"I REALLY, REALLY LOVE YOU, TURBO!"

He bowed down, easing a bit for the human to face up, and planted a kiss that didn't know when it will fade. He could swear Yzmar's mouth tasted even more wonderful now... no... not just his mouth, he was even more and more wonderful as a mate altogether. Still green about a couple's life, but he was damn worth the wait. He can feel his heart jumping to his throat as Yzmar's tongue extended out, meeting his. As if Turbo's heart want to get to his mouth and kiss the human in its turn.

He broke the kiss, looking again in Yzmar's face, feeling his eyes crying down non-stop as well. This idiot seems to finally understand.

"Yzmar... why tears?"

"You're crying too."

"It's because I'm so fucking happy right now."

"But you look sad-"

"Shut it-*sniff~* just let me cry this once."

"... I'm sor-"

"No, you've done nothing wrong... *sniff~* I just want to discard everything that happened, I'll tear it out, all of it. We'll have a good life, I know we will."

"... *sniff~*"

"And we'll lead it, together."

"Together..."

"Love you, Yzmar."

"I love you too, buddy."

The tiger sat down slowly on his knees, bringing the human's body down with his. Then they sat there, Yzmar's body to the wall and Turbo's looming over him, hugging him and brushing with his tongue on his head and hair. They remained there for awhile, finally happy with the real sense of the word.

Happiness canceled the sense of time, and the two remained there for the night...

Asleep...

Happy...

Cured...

---

Well, this is it, I take my bow to you, and I thank you so humbly for tagging along this long. And I do apologize for the unbelievable wait time I put you through, all of you.

Thank you all

(I'm just going to leave a link here about some facts within the story: http://www.sofurry.com/page/260837/user)