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And part two. Once again I hope you enjoy it. As always comments are appreciated and requested.

Oh, and for anyone who is curious, the song I mention in this story does exist, and my favorite version of it is performed by Mary Fahl. It can be found on iTunes and also on youtube, at least it was the last time I checked.

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Continued from 'Blurring the Lines'...

Smiling pleasantly, I stared up at the swirling clouds far above me. Already, the drifting mass was tinged with yellow and orange as the sun set on the far horizon, just behind the mountains. Tonight was going to be my last night before returning to the other world to finish out the school year, and, for once in my life, not wanting to leave wasn't making the time speed up. Instead, today had seemed to last forever, which was why I was smiling. I was lying in a hammock on the sundeck, and had been for what seemed like half a day, and yet, though it had already been late afternoon when I had started, it was only now that the sun was setting. My companions were all busy somewhere in the house or out in the gardens, all except for Natalie that is, the red panda girl napping in the next hammock over, her ruddy red fur catching the highlights of the setting sun, her lovely, wine-red silk robe blending the colors of light and fur in an almost perfect pattern. About an hour ago, I had set aside the novel I had been reading, deciding to just let my mind drift for a while instead, doing my best to think about nothing at all, an activity which was actually very fulfilling here in my paradise.

"You still awake?" the voice of my wolf half asked, stirring my tranquil thoughts back to activity.

"Yep." I confirmed, and the white furred wolf stepped into view beside my hammock. "Just contemplating those clouds up there."

"Good times." He remarked dryly and I smiled, looking up at him.

"Is there a reason you decided to interrupt?" I asked, and he returned the grin, smiling down at me.

"As a matter of fact, yes." He replied, offering me his hand. "Scott is on his way over with his other half. He should be here in a few minutes."

"Alright." I said, taking his offered hand and letting him pull me to my feet. His tug was strong, pulling me upright fast enough to give me a head rush and I held still for a few moments, my head spinning, before letting go of his furry arm. "Lead the way."

By the time Scott had arrived, I was seated on the edge of the porch railing outside the front door of my house, dangling my legs over the side. Scott and his wolf companion were both clad in shorts and T-shirts of light tan as well as sandals, preferring the western style of clothing to my more eastern tastes. Seeing that I was waiting for him, he smiled and all at once, I couldn't help but marvel at what a change had been worked in him since I had first brought him here. Before, he had always been sort of quiet, morose almost, his eyes shadowed as if he was perpetually short on sleep. But now, it was like I was looking at a totally different person. And, I reflected, maybe I was. I knew I had changed since I had come here.

"Just the men I wanted to see." He commented, nodding to Ronan who was sitting beside me. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Alright." I replied, hopping off the railing to walk beside him, the blue folds of my robe rustling as I walked. Behind us, our two wolf companions walked side by side in silence and I waited for my friend to begin. But, as we paused to look out into the lush gardens that grew near my house, he seemed reluctant to start. "I take it this isn't an easy subject?"

"No," he said and then shook his head. "Well it is and it isn't. Well, actually, I guess it depends on you." Raising an eyebrow at him, I waited for him to clear up what he meant and he grinned sheepishly at me. "Well, I guess I should just come out with it. I don't want to go back."

"To our original world you mean?" I asked, and he nodded. "Well that is nothing new. I have trouble going back every time too."

"No, you don't understand." He replied, starting to walk again. "You see, for you, there is just as much in the other world for you as in this one. You have a family, and a future there, things that draw you to it. But for me, there really isn't anything there that I want anymore. The happiest moment I have ever had there was just before you pulled me in here the first time, when I realized you were telling me the truth. And ever since, when I go back, I just...I just can't seem to see the point anymore."

"Oh." I replied, surprised. "Well, I think you are selling it short. There is plenty for you there. I mean there is college, and then a job afterward, and I am sure you could find something that...." But Scott was just shaking his head.

"That is the thing," He said, "I was only going to college because it was what people expect you to do these days. I didn't really have any interest in it. And now, I know what it is I want out of my life. All I want is to stay here. I'm happy here. It's the only place I can say that I have been truly happy. But, it's your world, not mine. I am just a visitor."

"No, it's your world too, I told you that already." I said, trying to think of something else to say. The trouble was, he had a good point. Looking at it from his perspective, there really wasn't anything for him in the other world. And, in truth, it would be such a simple thing to give him what he wanted. And yet, though I almost told him to stay right then, something held me back. Trying to buy a few moments to think, I tried a different tack. "But, what about your brother?"

"We haven't spoken in about a year." Scott replied. "He and I don't exactly see eye to eye. For one thing, he hates furrys and everything to do with them. Besides, he has his own family to take care of now. No, I have given this a lot of thought. It's what I want. Its all I want."

"Well, I can't say I blame you, now that I hear the reasons." I stated, looking up at the sky once more. "For the moment, lets assume that you stay. What exactly am I supposed to tell people who ask where you have gone? If you recall, we still have two months of classes before summer break."

"I know that." He said, seeming somewhat sad at being reminded of it. "Tell them whatever you can think of. I honestly have no desire to go back and finish out the year. What use would it be to me?"

"Thanks, that's a lot of help." I replied, rolling my eyes. Finally, seeing that the last bright edge of the sun was about to slip beneath the horizon, I sighed and shook my head. "Give me until tomorrow morning to figure this out, ok?"

"Sure." He answered, smiling. "In that case, can we stay here tonight?"

"That was going to be my next suggestion, yes." I said, leading the way back into the house. "I will tell Xin to set two more places for dinner."

***

The stars lay in their forever familiar positions above me, my eyes tracing the shapes of the constellations I had grown up with as I lay beneath them, seeking wisdom. As always when I was troubled, the tiny glittering points of light gave me comfort; much comfort, but no counsel. Down below the hammock where I lay, my companions were all nestled into their rooms, and somewhere in the house, Scott and his wolf were snuggled up closely together, all of them sleeping peacefully, all untroubled. But, here I was, under the stars, unable to rest. Scott had certainly left me with quite a puzzle, a puzzle he hadn't even intended to give me. Though I tried my hardest to find one, there didn't seem to be a reason why I couldn't grant him his request, and yet, even so, I felt an incredible reluctance to do it and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. Which, of course, was why I was up here in the cool night beneath the stars rather than down below, sandwiched between Ronan and Keira, snuggled up with my tiger and my wolf. I sighed once more and put my hands behind my head, returning my thoughts to my friend, trying to ignore the feeling of longing that was pulling me constantly towards the stairs and my usual bed.

Off hand, I could think of a dozen possible reasons why I would be this troubled, but all of them were things that I hoped I wasn't feeling. Foremost among them of course, was jealously. As much as I loved my family, and enjoyed the other world, our original world, there was a very serious temptation to say to hell with it and stay here. And Scott was free to do that, whereas I would have this terrible feeling of guilt for it if I gave in. I liked to think that I was a better person than to begrudge my friend a chance to finally be happy but I was beginning to suspect that that was the real reason I didn't want to do it. Shaking my head once more, I tried to think of reasons besides my own selfish impulses, but everything I could think of really didn't seem to lead anywhere.

I knew that it wouldn't be very easy to deal with people inquiring about Scott just vanishing overnight, but that in itself wasn't enough to make we want to deny him such a thing. And then, instead of trying to think of reasons why not, I tried to think of all the reasons that it would be right to give him what he wanted. He had been my friend for years and years, since middle school in fact, and he had always been one of the best people I knew. No one disliked him. I couldn't think of anyone who was more deserving of getting the happiness that he sought. And he was right, there wasn't much to tie him to the other world, just a few responsibilities that were made empty by his lack of interest in pursuing them. Myself and the rest of our circle of friends were the closest thing that he had to a true family in the other world, and none of them would have hesitated to give him this, if they had known about it. And yet... My thoughts kept going back to the same inescapable conclusion. Something was holding me back. Heaving a sigh, I let my thoughts trace that loop through another few repetitions, closing my eyes and trying once more to perceive a way out of it, to find a way to stop the loop from continuing.

"I didn't think that anyone else came up here this late." A voice suddenly said, making me jump so badly I almost fell out of my hammock. Whirling my legs over the side to recover my balance, I looked about wildly for the person who had so suddenly interrupted my quiet thoughts. Standing over by the stairs was a feminine figure that was only an outline in the darkness, her face hidden by the night. At first, I didn't even recognize the voice, but as she stepped forward towards me, she spoke again and I relaxed a little, settling my feet onto the cool decking. "You really should learn to relax, dear one."

"Natalie, what are you doing up so late?" I asked, drawing in a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. The red panda girl walked over to the hammock she had been sleeping in that afternoon and sat on its edge, mirroring my posture before replying.

"I come up here all the time. Most nights in fact." She answered, flashing me a smile. "I like to stargaze. Sometimes I even sleep up here. But this is the first time that anyone else has been up here."

"I'm trying to figure something out." I said, answering her unspoken question, sagging backward in the hammock so I was laying on my back with my legs over the edge. Tracing the path of a shooting star with my eyes, I continued. "Its proving difficult."

"Mind some company?" She asked and I shook my head. Smiling, she lay back in her hammock, and I settled back into mine as well. For a little while, we were both silent, and she lay so still that for a moment I thought she had nodded off, but then she looked over at me and spoke once again. "Have you been up here since dinner?"

"Unfortunately." I replied. "Staring up at the stars usually helps me think."

"I can understand why. You know," She began, "If you have been up here for such a long time, maybe you need some help solving your conundrum."

"Maybe." I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

"Well?" She prompted and I smiled, giving in to her gentle prodding.

"Scott asked me if he could stay today." I said and when she nodded I continued. "Forever."

"Aha." She replied, shifting so her hammock began rocking gently. "So that is why you seemed so reserved during dinner. And let me guess, you don't want to let him?"

"Yes." I confirmed. "And I don't know why. I mean, he has been my friend for years. How can I deny him this?"

"I don't know if I have the answer." She replied, looking over at me for a moment. "Have you tried not thinking about the problem? I find that that always helps me."

"Yeah." I replied, sighing once more. "Its just frustrating."

"I can understand that." Natalie said, and we fell silent once more, staring up at the endless ceiling of stars.

And then, after a few minutes of silence passed between us, just as I beginning to run through my thoughts once more, the panda girl started to sing to herself, quietly but beautifully, her rich voice stilling my thoughts in an instant. The song that she sung was called 'Going Home', and since the first moment I had heard it, it had evoked images that had never failed to bring me to the brink of tears. It was one of my all time favorites, but somehow, in this quiet moment, my companion's voice was a more beautiful sound than any other I had heard, filled with so much feeling that every word seemed to resonate within my heart. The song was only a few minutes long, and Natalie only sang it once, but when it was over, I couldn't help but smile, all the worrying thoughts gone from my head in an instant. When my companion had fallen silent once more, I felt my heart soar in my chest, even though tears were in my eyes.

"Natalie, that was beautiful." I whispered and she looked over at me, surprised at my tone.

"Thank you." She replied, looking over at me, a look of concern on her face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I managed, wiping at my eyes and clearing my throat. "I've just never heard that song sung so beautifully before."

"Are you..." She began, sitting up once more and leaning towards my hammock. "Are you crying?"

"No." I replied, looking away and swinging my legs up into my hammock so I could swing away from her, hiding my confused emotions.

"You are too." She insisted, sounding shocked. "My songs have never had that effect on anyone before."

"I can't help it." I stated and she slid from her hammock, kneeling beside mine instead, holding it still. Her eyes seemed to gleam in the pale moonlight and she gently caressed my cheek with her fingertips, turning my head to face her. Smiling at her despite the tears, I reciprocated the gentle caress with my fingertips, feeling her smooth fur beneath my hands.

Then, without a word, or even an acknowledgement between us that we were going to do anything of the sort, I scooted over in the hammock and she climbed in with me, lying down on her side, giving me a gentle kiss as she settled in. Turning so I faced her, I found myself suddenly admiring her form in the moonlight. Like all of my female companions, she was beautiful, slim and shapely, but, there, in the cool moonlight, she seemed to take on an even greater loveliness, her deep red fur seeming to trap the moonlight within it, each hair almost like a red tinted mirror. The black mask that surrounded her eyes and muzzle seemed almost the opposite, darker than dark, highlighting her eyes. And more, her eyes were an almost luminous hazel, nearly glowing in the starlight in colors so rich that I couldn't even think of words to describe them. And as she lay beside me, her silk shrouded form so close, and yet not quite touching my own, I suddenly saw something in her I had somehow always known was there, but had never quite acknowledged. And as I saw it, I sucked in a breath in surprise, the air filled with the subtle scent of wisteria blossoms that always seemed to cling to the woman who lay beside me, and finally I understood something, something that I had missed since I came here.

Every one of my companions shared something of me, as if each represented a trait that I honored, something that I adored in life. In Cayden was embodied my warrior spirit, the talent for the martial arts that had given me such discipline. In Xin, it was my love for cooking, in Keira, my appreciation of grace and pure beauty. And in Natalie, the quiet girl who always seemed to sort of drift through the background of our group, always there and yet almost unnoticed, was embodied my love of Nature, of the wild places where I loved to wander.

And it was more than that too. Of all the things that I had seen in my lifetime, I had always considered nature to be the most lovely, the most sublimely beautiful. It was only there that I had ever found peace in the other world. There had been moments, when wandering in the mountains, when I had stopped beside a waterfall, or in a flowering meadow, or in a grove of golden aspens set against the brilliant blue sky, when I had suddenly been struck by the simple beauty of what I had seen, rendered speechless by the sight. And in this world, it had always been Natalie who had wandered with me. It had always been she who had walked in the soft rain at my side, who appreciated those serene moments in the wild as much as I. She and I had always seemed to have a connection that none of the others had ever shared with me, not even Ronan or Keira, the two with whom I spent most of my time.

Smiling at what I had suddenly understood, I moved forward, gently kissing her, drawing her closer. She returned my embrace at the same moment, her arms holding me close, returning the gentle kiss with one of her own. When our lips parted, she smiled as well, a smile that was not broad or slight, not really mischievous, but warm, loving, a look of such wondrous depth that I felt myself tearing up again. Seeing my emotions come to the surface once more, the panda girl hugged me close, nuzzling my neck gently. The hug seemed to last for a warm eternity, an eternity that I never wanted to end, every breath filled with her sweet scent, finding immeasurable comfort in her soft, warm fur. Then, finally, when my eyes dried up at last, Natalie released me, lying back in the hammock and I joined her, the fingers of one hand intertwined between us, staring up at the stars.

"Thank you." I finally whispered and she smiled, resting her head against mine. "I feel so..."

"I know." She whispered, squeezing my hand gently. I smiled once again and we both fell silent for a while, searching the sky together, wandering in the void far above the world, between the glittering points of light.

Far above us, in the inky black, I noticed one, then another, and another star shooting across the sky. And then they came in a torrent, dozens, hundreds, an endless shower of white streaks that lit the sky. And as I lay there watching them, I remembered that night, almost a year ago now, that night in my favorite meadow, the dark night with no moon, and no clouds, when I had made my fateful wish on that single star. And finally, it occurred to me to wonder how it was that my wish was the one that was granted that night, the wish that had somehow given me all of this.

"What are you thinking about?" Natalie suddenly asked, rolling onto her side once more, the curve of the hammock leaning her over onto me. "You seem far away."

"I was just wondering," I replied, looking at her once more, finding her green and brown eyes bright against the dark backdrop of fur. "Why is it that I was the one who got his wish granted? Why not someone else?"

"That sounds awfully close to feeling sorry for yourself." She teased, tracing the neck line of my royal blue robe with one claw, making me shiver. "We can't have that."

"Well, how is it that I deserve this place?" I asked, persisting in my thoughts. "I mean, I'm not all that special."

"Wanna bet?" She asked, rising up on her elbow. "How many people in the other world do you think would have shared this place with someone else, even a person who is a good friend, like Scott? Many would have kept it to themselves. Most people never would have even thought of sharing it and yet you not only shared it, you are considering allowing a friend to stay here permanently even though you can't. And besides, you are special to us, and who cares about the rest?"

"Well..." I started to say, and then I felt her hand nonchalantly slip under one edge of my robe, gently resting on my bare skin, the soft fur that covered sending a sudden thrill down my spine, dissolving the reasoning I had been working up for my question in an instant. "I guess it doesn't matter."

"Mhmm." She confirmed and gently traced my ribs with her claws, sending a familiar thrill down my spine. "You shouldn't be thinking that way. Don't second guess this world. You deserve it, or you wouldn't be here, so leave the matter be."

"I wish it were that simple in my head." I replied, kissing the tip of her nose.

The panda girl didn't even say a word, just smiling instead, the hand that was under my robe beginning to trace a circle across my chest. Before I could move, she had shifted over a little further so she was weighing down my arm, draping one leg over mine and nuzzling under my chin, her other hand groping for the knot that held my robe closed.

Then, as I opened my mouth to protest, I felt her warm tongue suddenly trail up my neck, making a gasp take the place of the words. Grinning slyly at me, the red panda girl kissed me again, a gentle, thrilling touch, but I felt her tongue slip past my lips, and her taste suddenly filled my mind. It was sweet, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it tasted like. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before, but wondrous and delicious. The taste so occupied my mind that I barely even noticed when she undid the knot of my sash, pulling open the robe, both hands tracing my now bare chest, the light touch of her claws drawing goose bumps from my flesh as they trailed across me. When she finally broke the kiss, leaving me panting, I was nearly naked, only the sleeves of my robe holding it on me. And then, moments later, one of her warm hands trailed down my stomach, gently outlining my belly button as she pushed herself upright in the hammock, nearly straddling me in the process. When she was sitting up all the way, the panda girl paused, staring down at me expectantly. Grinning like a fool, I reached out with hands that suddenly seemed clumsy and uncoordinated, shivers of anticipation running through me like waves of lightning. My fingers fumbled at my lover's waist for the knot that held the wine red robe closed, and then, I felt my grin widen when I discovered that it wasn't a knot at all. It was just a single cinch, just barely enough to hold it on her body. Trembling at the sensation of her claws on my skin as she trailed them down my torso once again, I pulled her sash off and pushed the folds of her robe aside, revealing her silky furred body to the moonlit night.

Grinning broadly, silhouetted against the shooting stars, the beautiful red and black furred panda slid the sleeves of her robe off her arms and allowed the garment to drop over the edge of the hammock, moving with a sort of sinuous, seductive grace. I started to undo my own robe, but I was trembling so badly by then that I couldn't seem to get my arms to work right. After a few moments of watching me struggle with a task that should have been simple, the nude anthro took pity on me and guided my arms out from within the billowing sleeves, teasing the cloth from beneath my body until she held my robe in her hands. Then, with negligent glance over the edge of the hammock, she dropped the blue garment on top of her red one.

Moments later, with a motion like a graceful forward stretch, she leaned down onto my body once more, her breasts pressing against my chest, her nipples erected by the cool night air, her fingers laced together above my head. Then, kissing me gently once more, the panda girl shifted over so she straddled my hips, resting her moist slit against my rigid member, grinding gently against me as she settled her weight onto me, her hazel gaze filling my eyes. I started to reach out to draw her closer, to hold her to me, but before I could move, she gently pinned my arms above my head with her hands, trailing kisses down my neck to my collar bone, grinding herself against me once more, her fur tickling my whole body.

Slowly, with an almost tortuous speed, Natalie trailed her tongue along my chest, making me shiver as the gentle night breeze washed over us, making me arch my back so our bodies were pressed together. The panda girl ground against me once more, a little harder then she had been, licking one of my nipples as she did so, making me gasp, my heart starting to thud out a rapid beat in my chest. As she did the same on my other side, just as a faint night breeze washed across the rooftop, I groaned, pressing up against her with my hips, grinding back against her. But, with a coy grin on her lips, the panda girl stopped grinding, shaking her head for me to stop before leaning back down towards my chest. With gentle motions that sent chills running through my body, she began to tease me again, kissing and teasing my flesh with her teeth, every slight change in position making her crevice shift on my penis, the combined sensations making me groan.

And then, finally, after what seemed like a pleasant, arousing forever, she pushed herself back up, finally freeing my arms from her grasp, trailing her fingertips down my body as she rose back into sitting position. Knowing what was coming next, I rested my hands on her thighs as she lifted herself upward, one hand caressing my cock, lifting it upright, brushing it against her labia until it nestled against her opening.

And then, with my tip nestled into her passage, she remained still for a moment, the shooting stars seeming to be getting brighter in the background, leaving her looking as nothing more than a shadow. Then without warning, she slid slowly downward, her warm body enveloping my flesh in its slick heat, just the head at first. She paused for a moment, then moved leisurely downward, sliding with a speed that made me feel every miniscule shift in texture of her passage, every small change in sensation. I couldn't help it, letting out a groan as I almost came right then. By the time our hips were flush to one another, I was shaking from holding myself back, my hands clenched on clumps of her leg fur, biting my lip almost hard enough to draw blood. With a smile that stood out against even the faint background of stars, she lifted herself back upward, the motion just as slow, just as sensuous, as the journey downward had been. Somewhere in the process, I felt my control start to slip and I sucked in a deep breath, barely holding on, every muscle in my body tense as she lifted herself off of me. Finally, when only my head was inside her, she paused once again, her grin looking almost evil in the darkness, her hazel eyes seeming to shine in the pale light.

Then, just when I thought she might be allowing me a reprieve from the pressure, letting me recover, she began to slide back down, the motion steady and slow, expertly forcing me right to the edge of the climax, her grin never fading as I shivered beneath her, trying anything I knew to hold on, to resist the sensations that boiled within me. When she was all the way on me once more, she again paused, just for a few seconds, just enough to take the edge off of the pressure, and then she was raising herself up again, continuing her slow, gentle rhythm. I began to lose all sense of time, of self or of anything except the sensation of my lover slowly riding me; every muscle tight with the pressure, shaking with sensation. I desperately wanted her to hurry, wanted to get to the end, but every time I tried to speed up, tried to thrust up into her, she would push down on me, stopping her rhythm and shaking her head, keeping me from moving until I stopped trying.

After a while, I was sweating despite the cool night, my member throbbing within her, so very close to climax that I felt like the surface of a drum, stretched tight, but still she refused me that last release, that final moment of pleasure. But even as she tortured me with her teasing fingertips, tracing my skin while she continued her slow ride, I could see that she was getting close too. She was panting already, her body giving off an incredible heat against me. And then, her teasing hands finally left my body, gently cupping her own chest, giving her breasts a squeeze as she finally started to speed up, just a little, just enough to build the pressure once more. And then, she paused at the top of her rhythm, only the barest tip of my cock within her, her fingertips closing around her nipples, pinching herself her brow furrowing. Both of us were panting, the cool cloth of the hammock seeming as hot as the noonday sun, both of us trembling so hard the hammock was starting to rock on its own. And then, finally, without any sort of warning, the panda girl thrust downward hard, taking my whole member into her in a single instant. The sudden change in speed forced me over the edge before I could react. Before she was halfway down my shaft, I came, panting hard as I finally released, my member spurting warm streams of seed up into my lover. And as I filled her with my warmth, she suddenly came as well, her panting getting louder, sounding almost urgent as her walls clenched up around me, her whole body quivering, the sound loud in the quiet night, seeming to echo across the rooftop.

I was in heaven, every spurt bringing a new wave of pleasure to me, but though I came more than I ever had before, incredibly, I couldn't seem to stop. My whole body was tense, my toes curling tightly as the orgasm continued, my hands clenched into fists as spurt after spurt of life giving fluid jetted into my lover, wild sounds that were not even close to words flowing my lips in a near constant stream, Natalie's own beautiful voice joining mine as she rode. And then, finally after who knew how long, the climax came to a shuddering stop, my body jerking spastically a few times before finally relaxing, my muscles burning from having been clenched for so long. At about the same time, Natalie seemed to grow suddenly still once more, sitting upright upon me for a few moments before slumping forward onto my chest, her silk-soft fur quivering, her chest heaving with sensation. Neither of us seemed capable of moving beyond breathing, our chests gradually slowing as we calmed. And as I lay there, I felt a very strange sense of satisfaction fill my mind. As far as I was concerned, I could lay here in this hammock with the red panda girl for the rest of my life and it would somehow be enough.

We might have laid there for hours or even for days before either of us moved, but finally, after who knew how long, Natalie shifted over a bit, sliding a little ways off of her warm position on top of me, one of her arms trailing over the edge of the hammock. I wondered for a moment what she was doing, but then, a moment later, she draped one of our robes, I couldn't tell which, over us, trapping the heat of our bodies close. And then, with my lover lying on top of me, her head nestled in under my chin, I saw the shooting stars fading into blackness and I smiled, my mind fading right along with them...

***

"I wondered where you ended up last night." A voice said, drawing me reluctantly out from within the realm of dreams. I was so comfortable that I didn't even open my eyes to look at the speaker. Instead, I tucked my arms a little tighter around the soft, warm body I was snuggled with, turning my head away from the visitor. "Come on you two, you have to get up. It's time for breakfast."

"Go away." A pretty female voice replied from under my chin, her tone drowsy, and I felt the red panda girl snuggle in closer to me. Smiling at her words, I restrained a yawn and had started to drift back into sleep when I felt something tickle my nose. Shaking my head slightly, I tried to ignore it, but it was back again soon afterward and I slid a hand from under the robe, brushing at my face, surprised to find nothing there. Then, a few moments later, when it came back one more time, I finally cracked one eye, finding that the sky above me was pale, powder blue once again, obviously well after dawn. When my eyes adjusted to the sunlight, I found Ronan and Keira crouching beside the hammock, the wolf holding the stalk of a shoot of green barley, now tickling Natalie's black furred ear with the flowering tip, making it twitch in irritation. When she didn't react beyond that, the wolf, turned it over, brushing the stalk against her ear and finally the panda girl grimaced. She opened her eyes a moment later, glaring daggers at the wolf, who grinned shamelessly as she angrily snatched the stalk from his hand, tossing it in the direction of his face.

"That's better." Keira commented, a broad grin on her face. "Come on, Xin says the food is almost ready."

"Alright, alright." I said, my voice sounding thick as I yawned the words. "We will be down in a minute." When the wolf and tigriss pair had walked off towards the stairs, I looked down at the panda girl and caught her hazel gaze, unable to keep from grinning as the memory of the late night interlude came back to me. She grinned as well, giving me a gentle kiss before sliding to the side, sitting up on the edge of the hammock beside me. Following her in sitting up, I draped the wine red robe we had been using as blanket around her shoulders and her grin widened, giving me a kiss on the cheek as we sat side by side for a few moments. And as she tied her robe closed once more, I felt the stirrings of a strange warmth in my heart. I couldn't really explain how I knew it, but I knew that something had changed between us during the night, something that had set her apart from the others. Natalie stood up a few moments later, breaking my train of thought by handing me my robe. Neither of us said a word as we went down to breakfast, but as we ate our plates of eggs benedicts with the others on the veranda, we kept sneaking glances at one another. Last night had been something special, something that had never happened to me before, but I couldn't even make sense of it.

But finally, when the meal was done and it was time to leave this wonderful world, I realized that my conflict of the day before was gone. I knew what I was going to do even before Scott and his wolf companion came up to me after helping with the dishes. I smiled, motioning for the two of them to follow me into the mirror room. He looked hopeful, and yet, still a little worried as well. But I didn't bother with words, just smiling instead and his face lit up.

"I have made my decision." I said, meeting his hopeful gaze. "But I have to ask, are you sure you will never return to the other world?"

"Absolutely." He replied, his hope growing in his eyes. "There is no reason for me to."

"Alright, in that case..." I said, offering him my hand on instinct, my voice taking on a life of its own one more time. As he took it, I felt a sudden warmth surge into the limb, followed by an exciting tingling sensation running down from my shoulder like a trickle of glacial water. When the sensation reached my hand, I felt Scott's arm shiver, the tingling spreading over into him. And in its wake, I felt fur growing beneath my hand and I let him go, stepping back to examine my handiwork. Within moments, the human who had stood before me was gone, replaced by a near perfect copy of the tawny colored wolf that had been his reflection. Two tawny wolves now stood side by side in front of me, very similar, but not quite the same. The one who had once been human looked at himself in amazement, then up at me in surprise, joy filling his face. With a wide grin, he suddenly hugged me, almost lifting me off the ground.

"Thank you." He said, pulling back from the hug to look at himself once more. "I don't know what to say."

"It's my pleasure old friend." I said, and then turned to the mirror, almost reluctantly reaching out for its silvery surface. "Enjoy yourself Scott..."