FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Complicated love

A series by mavinator5

Okay, quick note, some of the stuff I wrote in the first chapter will change now. It's nothing big, just a few logical changes. Please forgive me, but I hadn't foreseen how the story would play out beyond the first chapter. If you need help comprehending any of the changes or you notice something's way off, please leave a comment. Oh, and another thing, Karma weighs 600 pounds, not 350.

Chapter 3: A new friend for my friends.

So, when we last left off, Karma and I were curling up to sleep together. The next few months passed in the same fashion. We would play as much as possible during the day, and she would hunt when I had to eat. Then at night she would sleep with me. However, we realized that there would be an easier way to live, a way that would keep her safer from prying eyes. She would sleep during the day, while I'm at school, and at night she would hunt, leaving after she had helped me fall asleep by lying beside me. In the morning she would try and be back before I left for school, and we would play as often as we could. There were a few close calls and mishaps that happened during the two years up until today, but those are stories for another time.

Right now...

'So, what's you're excuse for not waiting for me today?'

"Um, it took you too long to get back? Anyway, forget that, I have some news that I think you may want to hear."

Her gaze remains as fierce and hostile as before. 'This had better be good.'

I smiled. "It is. But I would appreciate if you would get off me first, not just because I'm scared of you leaping up in triumph when you hear my message, as such crushing my limbs, but you're kind of heavy."

She moved off me, her face showing mild curiosity. 'Alright, what is this message?'

"You remember, 2 years ago, when we first made the deal with Charles? Remember how he said he might consider extending the experiment? Well, the new PM decided to follow up on that offer. He said that you could come with me where ever we want, and we can-"

I was interrupted but her yowl of pure triumph as she leaped into the air. 'I'm free to go anywhere now? I don't have to hide? I can come with you to your school and sit with you in class and listen to a wall of white noise that I don't understand but it doesn't matter since I'm with you?'

While she had been jabbering on she had knocked me to the ground and hopped on top of me again. Now that she was done thinking she started licking my face again. 'I'm going to have to change my sleeping habits. From now on I'll sleep with you at night again, then during the day I'll come with you to school, and once school is done we'll come home and I'll hunt, and we can play while we're at school and after I hunt...' She was still licking me, which forced me into thoughtspeak.

'So, am I forgiven for leaving early?'

'NOT A CHANCE! And I know the perfect punishment. Tomorrow, you're not taking the bus.'

'Um, how do I get to-'

'You're going to ride me to school!'

That was followed by a really tense silence.

'What, you don't like the idea?'

'Not particularly, no. You're a tiger, not a horse.'

'Doesn't mater, that's your punishment. You'll tell me where to go. In fact, from now on, you'll always be riding me where ever we go. You don't even weigh 150 pounds, and my race is larger and stronger then the average tiger.' She smiled at me mischievously. 'Unless, of course, you have another reason you don't want to ride?' That tone was back, again.

I had never figured it out, what it meant. She kept that a closely guarded secret, but I had the feeling that she was using it more often now a days. It had appeared earlier, when she had thought about sleeping with me, too.

'Are you ever going to tell me what that tone means? And can I get up?'

She refused to get off me this time, lying down so that her whole body basically covered mine, and continued to lick my face. 'Nope to both of those. Anything else you want to tell me?'

'Ya, were going to meet the prime minister and his daughter after school on Friday. She's going to be our new friend from now on, and she's going to be living here for sometime.'

'I see. So, what shall we play today?' The day basically degenerated into playing with karma until 4:30. Although I've never really specified what we do, it's pretty easy to imagine. We play games like hide and seek, tag, you know, little kid games, and we also talk a lot, sometimes for hours at a time.

'Alright sweety, I got to work at 5, so I should eat now.' Good thing I didn't have to shave, I would never have time.

'Awww, really?'

'You should probably eat now too, since you won't have time tonight.' I winked at her.

'Oh, ya!' She smiled back at me. 'See you tonight, Macky.' She loped over to the forest with new found energy.

I was smiling as I jogged back towards the house. I was late, so I found a quick meal, some fruit, and changed into my work clothes. I managed to get back on track and arrived at work at 4:55.

I work at MacDonald's. Like most people, it's my first real job. It's been about 6 months now that I've been working. As you know, the money is mostly being saved for university. However, I still take some of it for myself.

Anyway, when I got into work today, I was pleased to see that my co-workers were some of the good people, as opposed to the slackers I'm sometimes forced to work with. As I arrived, the store was empty, so we started cleaning stuff since there was no one to serve.

It stayed like this for most of the night, and by 8 we had already finished clean up. The manager, realising she had too many workers and was probably loosing money, asked if anyone wanted to go home early. Since I figured going home early meant some time to play with my friends tonight, I volunteered.

'Yo, Karma, I'm coming home early.' I thoughspoke on my way home.

'Yay, what's the plan?'

'I was hoping to play with my friends, if they're online, but assuming they're not, are you almost done hunting?'

'I'm already back, silly. I'll meet you half... Um, Macky, there's a car outside your house.' She sounded worried

'A car? Is it someone we know?' I hurried my pace.

'I don't know. The car is black, with tinted windows. Someone's getting out. It looks like a man, in a black suit.'

'Hm, I have an idea of who it could be.' I was almost home at this point, and I could see the man myself. He was at the front door, knocking. 'Don't let him see you just yet, but I don't think he's bad.'

The front door opened and the man entered. I waited a brief moment before entering the house myself.

"...should be back by... Oh, there you are, Maverick. A man from the government is here to see you."

I wasn't surprised. I had a feeling that my discussion with the PM had got cut short by my principal, and I assumed this man was here to tell me some additional information.

As he turned, I saw a look of surprise wash over his face. He managed to dispel it in an instant, but it had definitely been there.

"Hello, Mr. Mailhot. My name is Smith Wood. I was sent here with some additional information regarding your new privileges." He held out his hand, which I shook. "Is there anywhere we could talk?"

"Certainly, why not right here?" I led him to the dinning room table and took a seat across from him.

"So, I shall get strait to the point. Although you are allowed to bring your tiger with you anywhere in the country, we cannot allow you to exit the country with her. Also, you cannot bring her into a location where she would be hazardous, for example the kitchen at your work place, since her hair would get in the food. Obviously, we assume you will take the situation into consideration and judge for yourself what places are appropriate and what places aren't." I nodded.

"Good. Now then, here is your certificate proving you are allowed to have your tiger with you, as well as one in card format so you can carry it with you." He handed me a piece of paper and what looked like a drivers licence, with my picture. "Should anyone ask you for proof of your permit, you are to show them that.

"Along the line of rules, there are a few more. First, your tiger is not allowed to harm anyone unless it is a form of defence for you, others around you, or itself. Second, if it is to go out in public, you must be with it as much as possible. Third, whenever out in public, it is to wear its collar at all times, the special one your father has constructed, and you must always have the leash with you and ready to be used in case of an emergency. Beyond these, she is technically considered a citizen, as opposed to a pet, and as such must follow our laws. Any questions?"

"Um, not really. Oh, yeah, on Friday I'm going to meet the PM's daughter right? Anything I should know in advance?"

"Yes, she's a nice girl, but not trained to be a guard like us, so she may be a little surprised when she first see's the pair of you. Asides that, consider it like meeting a new friend, and be casual.

"Well, if that's all, I'll be on my way. It was pleasant meeting you, Mr. Mailhot." He held out his hand again, which I shook again, and he made his way back outside to his car.

'He's gone Karma. You want to come watch me play league with my friends?'

'Naw, you have fun. I'll be gone for a bit, but I'll be back before bed.' She came down the stairs and proceeded to the back door, which I opened for her. 'See you soon Macky.' She said as she bounded over to the forest.

'See you.' For the first time since learning my request had been accepted, I turned to my mother. "You knew." I gave her an accusing glare.

She smiled back to me. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Congratulations. So, what's your plan now?"

"Well, tomorrow I'm going to ride her to school, she insists, and show her off to everybody. Also, on Friday, we're going to get picked up by the PM to meet his daughter."

"Yes, she will be living with us from now on, wont she? I need to think of where she's going to be sleeping and about a bed, and clothes, food..." She smiled at me. "Don't worry; I'll have it all ready before she gets here. Now go have fun with your friends."

I smiled back and thanked her, then proceeded downstairs. We all met up on Skype and gamed for the next hour and a half, and then it was time for bed.

"Hey, Maverick, you said we would learn about your "kitty" tomorrow, right? But how does that make sense? Are you going to bring her to school?" Asked Tom.

"Something like that." I answered, trying to remain mysterious but thinking that it would be her that will be bringing me to school. "Just be at the front door tomorrow morning. You'll understand the moment you see me."

I said goodbye to my friends and made my way over to the living room.

'Are you almost back, Karma?' I thought to her.

'I'm just making my way out of the forest now.' I could see her through the backdoor. She sounded slightly distracted, so I assumed she has something on her mind 'Did you have fun with your friends?'

'Yep, we won three games in a row.'

'Well done.' She was already at the door, which I opened for her, and we proceeded upstairs.

When I came to my room after brushing my teeth, I found Karma already laying in bed. She turned her head as I changed into my pyjamas, but before I got into bed with her, she asked me a question.

'Maverick' The fact alone that she used my full name made me realise the seriousness of the situation instantly. 'Our life seems really monotonous, don't you find?'

Not the type of question I was expecting. 'It is a little repetitive; is that a bad thing? And besides, today clearly proved that it's not as dull as you think. What's bothering you?'

'I want... I want something more out of life. In my old tribe, we lived everyday to survive, fighting the other predators for pray, sometimes going hungry for days because we couldn't catch enough. But most importantly, we hunted, we lived as a whole, and I can't help but feel that you and I don't spend enough time together. Sure, after today we will be together far more often. But I want you to be with me when I'm living my life as a tiger, not just when we play together. Do you understand what I'm saying?'

I didn't answer immediately, taking my time to consider her question. She didn't seem to mind.

'So, you want us to live more like you would have lived had your tribe not been destroyed?'

'Yes, but not making the transition all at once. Little bits at a time.'

I smiled and took her head in my hands. 'Then tomorrow, I'll come hunting with you after school, although I don't know how much help I'll be.'

Her face lit up. 'Really? Thanks Macky. I'll show you everything I know.' She had started licking my face again.

'Alright, and as time passes, we'll integrate more of your culture into our lives. But for now, its bed time, so budge up and make some room.'

She shifted so I could lie down next to her, and started licking me again the moment I was settled in. I snuggled into her chest while she curled around me, sharing her warmth with me, and I fell asleep to the rhythmic laps of her tongue.

I woke around 2 am because of a bad dream. I had been searching, although for what I can't recall, and I ended up stepping in a nest of spider. I hate spiders, they terrify and disgust me. The nest itself had been filled with tarantulas, the second scariest ones after the black widows.

My breaths came in huge gasps; my body was shivering uncontrollably, despite Karma's warmth.

'Macky!' She thought, alarmed. My panic must have woken her. 'What's wrong?' She tightened her embrace on me and gave me soothing licks across my forehead.

'Bad dream.' I thought back. It came rushing back now, and spilled across our mental link, so she saw everything I has seen.

'Don't worry, Macky, I'm here. I'll protect you from them.' I felt her paws and tail stroke my back in a reassuring manner. In my head I saw her pushing herself between me and the spiders, growling at them and squishing any that came close. My breathing began to slow and my shivering lessened until I was back to normal, taking strength from Karma's presence.

'Thanks.' I thought back. She started purring, happy that I was felling better. 'Go back to sleep Macky. I'll guard you until then, and I'll wake the moment you need me.' Happy to have her with me at night again, I lay my head down and slowly sank back into sleep with her paws still stroking my back.

I slept soundly through the rest of the night and woke to find her smiling down at me.

'Anymore bad dreams, Macky?' She inquired.

'No, you kept them at bay. Thanks for last night, Karma.' I turned to look at my clock, wanting to see the time, and I was surprised to find that it was already 7:15.

I gasped. "Why did no one wake me?" I shouted. I tried to get up, but Karma pinned me before I could move.

'Don't forget, Macky, you're riding me today, as well as from now on. You don't need to leave so early anymore.' She winked.

My stomach noted uncomfortably at the thought of riding on her back to school. 'Are you sure about that?' I asked. My voice trembled noticeably.

Her face turned reassuring. 'Don't worry; you'll be safe with me.' She moved in and gave me a lick across the forehead, like she had last night.

It didn't help much.

I got up and went down to breakfast. My family had already finished, and my brother was already gone, so I made myself some waffles. Karma lay on the floor next to me, impatiently waiting for me to finish. Once I had, I put my dishes in the dishwasher and went upstairs to brush my teeth. Then I gathered my things together and changed, taking as much time as I could. It was 7:30 when I ran out of reason to delay.

"Alright, I'm as ready as I'm ever going to get, let's go." I put on my jacket, slung my bag over my back and made for the door. Karma was a half step behind me, her whole body quivering from her excitement. I could feel it in her mind.

As I stepped outside, I was surprised to find that it was much warmer then yesterday. I went to take off my jacket, but before I could, I felt Karma trap one of my hands with her tail. 'You may want to keep that. It may not be cold now, but when we're moving, the wind will be much worse.'

I nodded, and then sort of waited. 'So, what now?' I asked.

Her smile turned mischievous. 'Why, you get on, of course.' She turned slightly, indicating her back with her tail.

I was about to mount her when I remembered her collar. 'Hold on, I need to get your collar, and the leash.' She frowned, unhappy at the delay as much as the collar. 'Consider yourself lucky. If it wasn't for this, I doubt you would be even allowed to come.' I took it off the kitchen table. It was a circular piece of reinforced steel. Gray and about half an inch thick, it fit snugly around her neck. Although on the outside it appeared pretty bland, on the inside it was a huge battery, as well as a small chip that allowed me to control it through the remote, or the "leash".

'I don't like this thing; it rubs uncomfortably against my neck.' She said.

'I know, but it's the only way. Alright, I've got to test it.' I looked down at the remote. It held about 10 buttons, as well as a finger scanner. It would only operate while my finger was on the tester, no exceptions; however, I had never had to use it.

The ten buttons on it weren't labelled, but my father had drilled their meanings into my head. He had refused to give me access to the controller till I could list them all every day for a week. The first three were nothing more than a slight buzz, a warning signal, getting slightly more powerful as I went down the remote. The next one was a small jolt of pain, about as bad as a pinch, that hit her around the neck. The fifth button was a larger shot of pain that felt more like a jolt of electricity, supposedly. The sixth was a nerve scrambler, which froze Karma in place and negated any feeling at all in her body. "Not for extended use." my father had told me. The seventh button was an emergency release button which freed Karma the collar should something happen. The eighth and ninth button had no purpose yet, they were just there in case it ever needed additional functions. The tenth button was a mystery. My father had told me that I was only to press it if the sixth button failed and I needed to physically overpower her. "It will also drain the battery VERY fast, so avoid it at all costs." He seemed very proud of this button. The collar, if left on but without pressing anything, could last over 400 hours before it needed to recharge. Each button drained a bit more power than the last, however none took up a very large amount asides the last one. The remote used batteries and would beep constantly every few minutes if they needed to be changed soon.

'Alright, here comes the level 2 warning.' I warned her. I placed my finger on the tester and hit the second button.

She jumped a little. 'Are you okay?' I asked, removing my finger from the button.

'Yeah, it's just a little surprising. Can we go yet?' She turned towards me again and gave me an impatient look.

'Alright, alright.' I slipped the remote into its pocket and attached it to my pants. Then I looked back at her. '...How do I?...'

Her patience snapped. Without warning, she slid around on her forepaws, knocked my legs out from under me, and, by some magic, managed to get me straddling her, all in under two seconds.

'Good enough?' she asked, her tone mocking, impatient and with the Tone.

'Don't do that! It's scary!' I thoughtshouted.

'Don't be a baby.' She said. 'Can we go now, or would like to check your rear view mirrors too?' She gave her rump a playful shake, making me lose my balance and fall on her neck. I turned slightly red at the suggestion.

'Just tell me where to hold.' I said, averting my head.

Her smile faded a bit. 'Sorry. Just, um, grab some fur I guess? Or I suppose you could loop your hands around my neck. Just don't grab the collar, I don't want to choke.' I tried knotting my hands in the fur but it wasn't thick enough to get a good handhold, so I reached around her neck instead. After squirming around a bit, I managed to get in a pretty comfortable position.

'Not bad so far.' I said. 'Okay, take it slow at first.'

She started walking forward, letting me adjust to her swaying body and alternating shoulder blades. It was actually really comfy. 'A little faster.' She started trotting a bit. There wasn't really a noticeable change. 'Faster.' She started to run, but even so I was still enjoying it. 'Faster!' I thought, my happiness clear in my mind. She sped up till we were easily going at least 70 km/h. 'Wow, you can go this fast with me on your back?'

'Want to see full speed? I won't be able to hold it for long though.' She said, clearly happy that I enjoyed riding her.

'Do it.' I thought back. She really started moving now; hitting what I assumed was 105 km/h. The wind was freezing, cutting, yet somehow it only added to the exhilaration. She managed to stay for a little over 10 seconds before she had to slow down again.

'WOW! That was amazing! How fast do you manage without me?'

'That's pretty much my max, but I can do it longer without you.' She responded. 'So, are you going to consent to riding me from now on?'

'I had a choice? Of course I'll ride you.' Suddenly, I noticed our surroundings. 'Have you been running in circles this whole time? We haven't gone anywhere...'

'Of course. Don't forget, I have no clue where we're going, or what you have planned for when we get there.'

I gave her the directions to get to my school, telling her to stop a little early so I could prepare myself. Then I set about planning exactly what I wanted to do. In the end I decided that keeping it simple was probably the best option.

With my plan set, I suddenly realised that every person we passed along the way had a bewildered look on their face. Seeing it from their point of view, I couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

'What?' Asked Karma.

'Well, just think about how this looks to a regular person. A person riding a tiger, they must think they've stepped into wonderland.'

I heard her thought-giggle. 'Got to admit, it's a rare sight. We're almost there, so what's this plan of yours?'

'Relatively simple, really. All you're going to do is walk down the sidewalk. Then I'll say hi to my friends, and we'll go with flow from there.'

'You've had five minutes to think that over and that's really the best you came up with?' she chastised.

'Hey, we don't need anything more than that. I thought you said it would be good enough just being with me; now you want a grand entrance too?'

We had stopped at the bottom of the road leading to my school. Suddenly, I saw an opportunity to have some fun.

'Well, if you do want a big entrance, feel free to make it as grand as you can.' I unwrapped my hands from around her neck and sat up strait on her back. 'Just make sure you don't throw me off.' I knew that she would be tempted into something.

She paused for a few moments, collecting her thoughts, and then quite to my surprise, she started walking forward normally. I started to wonder if she did have anything planned when we had reached the buses. Finally, we got in range of the students. At first, most were too absorbed in their own conversations to notice us. However, eventually a member of the group would spot us, and then either stare dumfounded till the others turned too, or asked them to confirm that they weren't insane.

We kept moving forward at a steady pace, slowly attracting more attention, until I saw my friends. Tom and Trisha just stared, dumfounded, like a lot of the people around me. Chet was shaking his head, muttering what I assumed was something along the lines of "Should have known". Sarah just observed us calmly, a faint smile on her lips.

That's when Karma decided to roar. Lucky us, she didn't give it her all, or most of the students would have been on the ground, covering their ears and screaming in pain. However, it did attract the attention of every single person there, as well as most of the students in the school, who, in less than a minute, had pretty much all assembled around us. Tom, Chet, Trisha and Sarah all came to the front. The silence was perfect, everyone waiting for our next move.

I took a moment to compose myself, and then I got off Karma and went up to my friends.

"This" I said "Is my kitty."

"Pleased to meet you." Said Sarah. She moved forward and lifted her hand in front of Karma, who butted it lightly with her head.

"WHAT THE ****!" Said Tom. "WHY, MAVERICK. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?"

"Oh calm down, Tom. Why would he tell us? There's no reason for it." Chet Came up and fist-pounded me. "Why didn't I assume this? Knowing you, I should have thought of it." I just smiled back.

'Well?' Asked Karma. 'What do they think of me?'

'Sarah, the one who offered you her hand, said pleased to meet you. Tom asked, by yelling, why I kept you a secret. Chet said he should have seen this coming. Trisha hasn't said anything yet.' While I told her the situation, I turned to Trisha. "Hey, Trish, what sup?"

She just kept looking at Karma, lost in thought. Finally, she said "I give up. How did you manage it?"

I smiled. "It wasn't easy. I'll tell you later. What class do we have first?"

"Math" said Chet. He turned and forced the circle to part as he walked towards the school. Trisha followed him, then Tom, glancing back and giving me a hard stare. Finally, Sarah went, leaving me to follow.

'Common' I said to Karma, walking after my friends. She followed me, glancing around at the ring of observers.

'Why are all these people here?'

'To see you, of course. You're now a celebrity, and so am I. Hope you're ready for this. Common, we have math now. Good thing you can't understand this, it would drive you crazy.'

I lead her into the school, which was pretty empty since everyone was outside. The few students and most of the teachers that were still inside gave us no more than a passing glance. 'They must have been warned about her.' I thought 'That or they don't care.'

We made it to my locker with no problems. I grabbed my things for math class and set out. Since we had arrived later then normal, but still early, there was only a few minutes left until the bell. I sat down at my desk, and then realised that I didn't know where Karma would stay. The teacher, Mr. Sabourin, was already siting at his desk. He had barely spared me a glance when I came in, but I knew from the tautness in his shoulders that he was curious and wanted a chance to see Karma up close, so I decided to give him one. (As always, the conversations between the teachers and me are in French)

"Mr. Sabourin, I need to ask you a question."

"Certainly, Maverick. What seems to be the problem?"

"Well, you see my tiger here?" It was a redundant question; it's pretty hard to miss a 600 pound tiger sitting less than 3 feet away from you. "Well, she's going to be coming to class with me from now on, and I wanted to know if there is anything special I should do about it."

His eyes hadn't left Karma since I indicated her. "Can't she just sit next to you?"

"I'd be more content if she had enough room to lie down or to stretch should she need it. So I thought maybe it would be best if I changed desks to one that is closer to the back or the sides of the class."

He reluctantly agreed to my proposition, and then indicated the only unoccupied desk in the class. It was in the farthest corner from him and had a huge amount of space around it. As I sat down, I realised another good reason for my new spot; it was MUCH harder for the other students to stare at me. However, until the bell had rung and the national anthem/prayer had finished, not one set of eyes hadn't seen Karma for at least 30 seconds. Once the teacher actually begun the class, the other students had to sit watching him. Even so, for more than half the class I could feel the eyes of someone on me.

The lesson of that day was about fractions. Like you know, I'm good at math, so I was only half concentrating on what the teacher was saying. The other half of my focus was on Karma.

'Hey, are you going to be okay sitting here doing nothing for over an hour?' I asked.

She purred lightly, causing another wave of head turn as every person who was in earshot looked at her. 'So long as I'm with you, I couldn't care less what we're doing.' As the heads turned away, she lay down on her side and placed her head in my lap. I started scratching her around the neck and behind the ears, which, of course, made her purr louder, and that attracted more stares, which quickly turned into looks of shock. The teacher, realising that most of his class wasn't listening, called for their attention.

'You would think' She said. 'That they had never seen a person pet their animal before.'

'Well, I doubt they've ever seen someone pet their TIGER before.' I responded, moving my hand and scratching one of her favorite spots. This caused her to purr even louder, but at this point I only got a few stares, which pleased me.

The class continued like that; me petting Karma, thinking with her and semi-listening to the teacher. At some point Karma asked me if what I was doing would become a nuisance to my studies. I told her that, should it ever get to that point, I would tell her and refocus. By the end of class my hand was tired, but my mood was great. Class had passed much faster than normal, yet I had still understood everything. I stopped by my locker and got my books for physics, but when I went to leave, I saw a group of girls waiting nearby. I had never noticed any of them before and I'm sure none of them had ever spoken to me before, so I decided not to stop and speak with them.

They didn't give me that option. Before I'd gone more than ten steps, they had me surrounded.

"Hey Maverick, what's up." One of them asked.

I was considering how best to end the conversation quickly when Trisha, seeing my predicament, came to my rescue. "Maverick, we don't have time to dawdle; we need to get to physics so we can ask Mr. Bleh about that question." She went to clear out of the circle, steering me with her, when the girl closed up around us.

"Hey, we were talking with him." Said the same girl who had spoken before.

"Well that's great, Alejandra, but we don't have time to waste, so if you would be so kind as to..."

"No I don't think I will." She clearly wasn't in the mood to be told what to do. As she stepped forward, a low growl escaped Karma's lips. All eyes turned to her as she glared at Alejandra. It was so unexpected that I was even surprised. 'What are you doing?' I asked

'Isn't she bothering you?' She asked.

'Well yeah, but...'

'Then let me handle it.' She moved forward, forcing Alejandra and the other girls to move. 'See? Simple.' She wrapped her tail around my arm and pulled me forward causing me to pull Trisha forward.

Once a good amount of distance separated us from them, I turned to Trisha. "Thanks."

"You should thank her. I didn't even do anything." She indicated Karma. "I did the right think, right? I assumed you didn't want to speak with them."

"Yeah, I wasn't sure how to get out of that." I responded 'Thanks Karma, I don't know what I would do without you.'

'You wouldn't have to worry about that without me because I wouldn't be there to instigate it.' She thought back, then turned and smiled at me. 'But I get what you mean. You're welcome.'

Once we got to physics, I went to take my seat, which, lucky for me, was already in the back corner. However, when I got there, Karma thought 'I have a better idea.' She moved my chair and then lay down where it had been. Sweeping her tail along her back, she said. 'Have a seat, or even lie down if you want.' Shaking my head, I lied down on her back, realising that she was the perfect height for me to work at the same time. As the lesson started, I started scratching her neck again, which brought on another wave of purring. Once again, the whole class turned, and the teacher had to call their attention back to the front. I quickly realised that this was MUCH better than a normal chair for a couple reasons: 1; I can lie down. 2; It's warm. 3; I'm getting a free massage while I scratch her. 4; It's much softer. 5; She fits the contours of my body better.

'Oh, this is niiiiice.' I thought to her.

'Glad you enjoy it.' She thought back, still purring.

I had to focus more because physics, although 90% math, is annoyingly complicated for some reason. As such, I couldn't speak with Karma as often, but I still managed a few phrases during the lulls of the teaching. Asides that, the class went along about the same as our math class.

As the bell rung, I attempted to get off her, but she thought 'Don't bother, let me carry you.'

'But this is starting to get excessive. I can't let you do everything for me.' I protested.

'Why not?'

'I'll get lazy!'

She giggled. 'You're already lazy. Besides, you're repaying me by scratching me. I don't think you realise just how great that feels. Now grab your things, and tell me where to go.'

I sighed and grabbed my binders, and then I led her to my locker to store them, grab my lunch and go to the cafeteria. As we walked down the halls, I got a lot of weird looks. I began to feel uncomfortable, and I started to ask Karma to let me walk again, but she cut me off.

'Don't let peer pressure get to you, Macky. They don't know that I insisted on carrying you. Now where do you usually sit?' I directed her to our table, and when we got there, I insisted on sitting on the bench. She sighed but let me off.

I was the first one there, but that was normal. I took out my lunch and then I was hit by something I hadn't even thought about. 'What about you? What will you eat?'

'A tiger can go for days without eating or drinking, Macky. A few hours won't hurt.' She smiled and then sat down at the head of the table, since it was the only place she would fit.

Satisfied, I took out my sandwich and began eating. Our table filled quickly, since my friends weren't ones to dally. Since our table is located in the furthest corner of the cafeteria, most students had no excuse to come see Karma. That didn't stop them from trying. The tables around us were filled to bursting, and almost every eye in the caf was focused on us.

"So, when do we get to hear the tale?" Asked Tom. He had calmed down somewhat since this morning, which was reassuring.

I told them most of the story, from the point when I found her in the woods till yesterday when I met the PM. However, I left out a few details like the fact that she slept with me at night.

"Wow." Said Trisha. "What are the odds? You're probably one of the luckiest guys in the world, assuming you wanted this."

I smiled back at her. "She changed my life, mostly for the better, and I wouldn't change it for the world." I turned my head and winked at Karma, who smiled.

Once I finished, I deliberated on what to do next. Normally I would go to the computer lab or the library and read some manga or work on homework, but today I had a strange feeling that it wouldn't be a good idea. Instead, I decided to do something different.

'Hey, want to have some fun?' She nodded, curious. 'How bout we go for a little run until class starts again?' She nodded again, happy. 'I just need to stop by my locker first.'

"I'll see you guys next period." As I got up, everyone around us seemed to bristle with anticipation. We walked through the caf, down the hallways and stopped in front of my locker. I then stored my lunch box inside and grabbed my coat. As we walked outside through the back door, I put it on. Once we were out, we took our time walking towards the front of the school. About half the students seemed to be watching us, some trying to disguise their scrutiny, others just flat out stalking us.

'Got anywhere planed, or can I take you somewhere?' She asked.

'You can take me wherever you want. Just keep it reasonably close.' I responded as I approached her. She turned slightly and I hopped on, quickly assuming the same position I had this morning.

'Ready?'

'Go!'

She took off, running to wherever she had planned. I have to admit, riding her felt amazing. I could see myself doing this a lot in the future, especially during the summer when we're visiting our cottage, since it's surrounded by a big forest and wide open plains, as well as a small lake.

Eventually we reached a forest. Karma slowed down till she was walking, so I decided to relax. I flipped over on to my back and watched the trees above, trusting her to keep me centered and safe. Subconsciously, I reached up and started scratching her neck, which made her purr.

'Where are we?' I asked. As a response, she moved under a tree. Attached to a low hanging branch, I saw a small pink ribbon. 'Oh, here.' She had brought me to where we had first met. I had never removed the ribbons from the trees.

'Yeah.' We both remained silent, remembering that day over two years ago, along with a few other events that had happened here. I'll tell you about one.

In the year following her adoption, after Charles and I had made the deal, we had come back here to morn her mother and her tribe. I remember it like it was yesterday...:

It was a particularly cold summer day. We came to the clearing by the same way I had arrived when I first found her, following the coloured ribbons. She was padding silently beside me, her thoughts a whirlwind of pain and sorrow as she pictured the life she could have lived, the family she could have known, the tribe she could have learned from... Tears fell from her eyes, disappearing instantly into her fur.

Once we arrived at the location I found her, she crouched low to the ground, still silent, and traced a small symbol in the ground. It resembled a heart with two diamonds on either side and a claw piercing the center. Once she was finished, she lay there, grieving. I crouched next to her and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her, comforting her, and sharing in her grief. I can't remember how long we stayed, but eventually she brushed my side with her tail, and I rose. She did the same, and we turned around and walked back to the house. It since that day, we had returned the next year on the same day, and we would return again next year, and the year after.

'We've experienced a lot more then we think, haven't we?' I asked.

'Indeed' She responded. I could tell that she was remembering the same thing I was.

We stayed there for half an hour, but eventually we had to return to school. I flipped over again and she began running.

The rest of the day passed in the same manner as the beginning. We would go to class, I would lie on her and listened to the teacher, and we would get stared at by the class. Once the day was over, we returned home, I removed her collar, I did my homework, and then it was time for me to fulfill my promise. I pulled on a sweater to protect me from the wind and the bugs, as well as some long pants for the same reason.

"Karma, you ready to hunt?" I asked her.

'Oh yeah! Let's go. I'll show you all my stalking and killing techniques. You can even eat with me!' She thought, grinning.

I laughed. "You know I can't eat raw meat, silly. I wish I could something to help you though."

'Oh, we'll find you a job, don't you worry. Now common, we only have so long.' She bounded over to the back door and waited with a small, playful pout.

I chuckled lightly and walked over to open the door for her. Once we were outside, she gestured for me to get on. 'All the good pray lives deeper in the forest, so I need to take you there.' She explained when I didn't understand.

"If you insist." I hopped on her back and let her carry me. She went really deep in the forest, and I finally understood why she was usually late returning in the mornings. It was over a half hour before she finally slowed down.

'I usually go further in, but I thought we might stop early, since this is your first time. So, there are a few key points to remember when hunting. First and foremost, you must be as quiet as possible, or all the pray will run before we can even get close. It's easy for me, since I have years of practice and soft paws that are easier to work with. Because you need shoes, and because this your first time, we need to start by making you a silent hunter. Try and walk to that tree without making any noise.' She said, indicating a fairly large oak.

I slid off her side. The moment my feet hit the ground, I heard a loud crunch. Ignoring it, I stepped forward slowly, carefully examining each spot before I placed my foot. It took far too long for me to reach the tree, and even with my careful preparation, I still made noise on almost every step.

I turned around to look at Karma, disappointed with my performance, but to my surprise she had disappeared. 'Hm, where did you go Karma?' As a response, I fell flat on my face as she pounced on my back.

'THAT is how you move silently. Now, I'm aware that you've never done this before, but please put SOME effort into it.' She giggled, knowing that I had indeed tried my best. 'It'll come with practice, maybe, but for now, I'll have you stand still and watch as I stalk them. Now let's see, how could you be helpful...? Oh, I got it; you can scare them in my direction. When my tribe hunted together, they always had some of the tribe circle around to make the pray run the wrong way. It was an almost full proof strategy. I'll just put you on one side of the clearing then I'll circle around and attack from the other end. Sound good?' She asked.

'Really, that's it?' I asked, surprised. 'I thought I was coming out here to help you hunt. I do realize this is helpful, but is this really all you wanted? I mean...' I trailed off into silence. I felt sort of letdown. I had expected to be, well, I don't really know. I guess I was dreaming of running in next to her, killing by her side. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there wasn't really anything I could do, since I'm human. I slumped to the ground, depression raging through my mind and numbing me.

She walked up next to me and nuzzled my belly, causing me to giggle a bit despite myself. 'One day you'll be able to run into battle with me, I hope.' I realised that she had peered into my thoughts. 'But for now, all you can do is help. Maybe we can integrate another part of my life soon enough; training. I'll train you as my parents would have done for me, had they lived. Does that sound good?' I could tell by her gentle, loving thoughts that she was trying to comfort me. I reached out and hugged her back, overjoyed because I knew she would always be with me.

'Thanks sweety.' I thought. She responded with a loud purr as she continued to nuzzle me, giving me an occasional lick. After a few minutes I got up. 'I'm ready. Where are they? I feel strong enough to take on a whole pack of deer.'

She giggled again, happy that I was better. 'Get on.' I did, and she continued her run. 'Once we get there, you need to get off silently, and then wait for my signal. Once you get it, just do your best to look intimidating and run at the deer.'

'Sounds simple. They won't stand a chance!' I thought. I was still sad inside, since I knew that my dream would probably never become a reality, but it was still nice to be with her, and I would forever treasure these moments; alone with no one around to judge us.

Once we arrived, she stopped to let me off, then begun her long circle around. I tried to see what we were hunting, but I was hidden behind a line of trees and underbrush. I waited patiently, standing stock still and keeping completely silent. After what seemed like 5 minutes, I started to worry. Why wasn't she in place yet? She couldn't possibly be in danger, or she would have said something.

'Karma? Why is it taking so long?' I asked. No response. 'Karma!' Still nothing. 'KARMA!!! Answer me dammit!' When she didn't, I ran into the field, no longer caring about the hunt. The field ahead was empty. No prey, no people, no Karma. I started to run around in panic, shouting with both my voice and my mind, trying to get her to answer my summons. I rushed over across the field, where she was supposed to be waiting, and stopped dead at the sight that greeted me.

First I saw Karma, lying on her side, unmoving. Next to her were two older men with large rifles, debating something I couldn't hear. I didn't see any blood, but I was still enraged and horrified.

"HEY! What are you doing?! Get away from her, NOW!" I shouted as I sprinted towards Karma and the men. Once they heard me, they both turned around quickly, looks of fear in their eyes, which quickly changed into arrogance and contempt as they realised that I was just some teenager.

"Back off, kid. We bagged this catch, and we're going to get the spoils for it. Now turn and leave, unless you want to get tranqued too." As he said it, I saw the tranquiliser dart sticking in Karma's side. I sighed in relief, glad she wasn't dead, and turned my attention back to the two men.

"Leave her be, she's mine." I said as I pulled out my wallet to get my licence out. I took it and tossed it to the closer one. "You have no right to take her away." I waited as he inspected it and then passed it to the other man. They shared a few words in private, casting annoyed glances in my direction. "If you refuse, you'll find that I have a friend in the form of the PM that won't take too kindly to your actions." I said.

After another quick word to his friend, the first man turned his rifle on me. "Well, you can tell him all you want in dreamland." He said as he pulled the trigger. I didn't even have time to flinch before the dart suck into my chest. First I felt the pain, but it was quickly replaced with a wave of lethargy as I felt myself falling. I hit the ground hard, yet I felt no pain. I tried to lift my arms, to move my legs, but it was like trying to swim in concrete. I found that my thoughts were dimming; it was becoming more and more difficult to string two ideas together, so I stopped trying...

...

...

But I wasn't asleep?

It was like a dream. You can't think, can't control your body. You're just along for the ride.

"**** man, why did you have to shoot him? Now we're in deep ****." Said one of the two.

"Shut up. Just kill him and get it over with. If he never wakes, he can't tell anybody what happened." The other one responded.

"No way, I'm not killing some kid. Do it yourself."

"..."

"See? What do we do now? This kid said he knew the PM. If he gets back home, we're doomed. WHY THE HELL DID YOU SHOOT HIM?"

"SHUT UP! It's too late to do anything about it. Let me see if he has any ID... Oh wait, that card he gave us... Say's his name's Maverick. What was that garbage about him owning the tiger?... Oh ****, he wasn't joking."

"Well, you know who he is. Now, can we do something about it?"

"Let's just leave him. He can't possibly identify us after seeing us for a few seconds. We've never done no crimes. Even if he does, it'll just be his word against ours."

"What about that thing?"

"If it really is his, best just leave it be, it'll only spur him on to try and find us. Too bad, it would have bagged us a pretty penny..."

"Don't do it. It's not worth the risk. Let's get outta here before it's too late." With that I heard footsteps, slowly getting further away from us.

I tried to think again, but I found out that it was still too much of a hassle, so I lay there, waiting for the drugs to wear off. It took a long time. Eventually I managed to start counting. One, two, three... At the start it was difficult and sporadic, but eventually I fell into a pattern. 245, 246, 247... I kept going, slowly managing to rationalise more and more patterns of thought, such as anger at the two men that had left us in this predicament. 3748, 3749, 3750... I saw Karma twitch. I tried to send a message to her, both verbally and mentally, but to no avail. 5026, 5027, 5028... I managed to move my arm a little. I could see Karma shivering, her tail twitching, her ears swiveling.

'M-Ma-Macky-y?'

I tried again to think to her, but it was a useless endeavour. I waited, watching as Karma slowly slid her paws under her body. It took her forever, but she managed to get herself standing. I could hear her laboured breathing; I could practically feel the amount of strength and concentration the simple action of standing was costing her. She stood panting as she slowly swept her head from side to side, searching for me. Since I was behind her, she had to turn on her paws to see me. She stumbled along the way, forcing herself to return her paws below her so she could stand again. Finally she stood facing me. 5204, 5205, 5206...

'M-Macky?' She thought. I managed to blink back to her, to tell her I was alive. I could see relief wash across her face as she slid to the ground in front of me, exhausted but content. We lay there for a long time, recuperating. I was pretty sure she had fallen asleep, a real sleep. 6643, 6644, 6645... I had been lying still so as to conserve my strength, and I had begun to regain some feeling in most of my body. Finally, I tried to stand. It was easier than I thought, almost like I had just woken up from a night's sleep, the only thing holding me in place being my own desire to sleep longer. I wobbled a bit once I was on my feet, but I didn't fall back down, so that was a good sign. I walked over to Karma and flopped down beside her, hugging her and feeling relieved that we had gotten off so easily. Those two could have been a much bigger problem had they decided to take a different course of action.

'Karma? Common girl, time to get up. We need to get back home; mom and dad will be scared, and we still haven't hunted.' I said as I patter her side, trying to rouse her from her slumber. It had no effect; she was out like a light. 'Oh well' I thought 'suppose I might as well follow her example for now.' I was indeed really tired. 'Goodnight Karma.' She grunted in her sleep, which I took as a response.

I lay my head down next to hers and cuddled up as much as possible so I didn't freeze, and I fell asleep with her.

I woke to a very annoying prodding in my side. 'Macky, get up, it's really late!'

"Wha-? Wha's happenin" I asked.

'You're sleeping in the middle of a forest with a tiger after getting shot by a tranquiliser dart. Sound accurate? Common, WAKE UP!' Karma thoughtshouted while she poked me in the side.

"Alright, alright, I'm up, stop hitting me. I-" suddenly everything came back to me. "Are you okay? What happened to those two men? Did you get a good look at them? We could go to the PM, report them..." I started.

'It's not important right now. We need to get you back home. It must be past midnight, you're parent will be freaking out. And you need to eat, drink, warm up... You're not in any condition to be going around chasing those jerks. Get up, I'm taking you home.'

As she spoke, I realised just how long I'd been asleep. My body felt like it had gone to hell and back. I hurt all over, my head was pounding, my throat felt like sandpaper and my stomach was literally empty, plus I was worried about Karma.

'Yeah, home sounds good right about now. Are you sure you're okay?' I thought.

'Fine, now get on! I'm worried about you and what'll happen if you don't some sort of medical attention/nourishment. ON, NOW!' She thoughtshouted, trying to force me on my feet and failing miserably.

'Alright, I'm going, give me a second.' I thought as I got up. I wobbled much more than the last time and I would have fell is she hadn't caught me. I realised just how week I was. 'Can you help me?'

As an answer, she lowered herself to the ground, careful to keep me on her back. 'That's as much as I can do. Can you get on?'

I tried. It was hard to even lift my leg off the ground, but I managed to swing it over her side. I collapsed on her back, barely conscious. 'Take it slow; I'm afraid I might fall off.'

'I won't let that happen. Just rest, we'll be home soon.' I couldn't loop my arms around her neck, but she still managed to run at a solid, albeit slower pace, making sure I was never jostled.

I realised with a start just how late it was. I could barely see anything, it was so dark. I wondered how my parents were reacting to the situation, and I feared that the cops may already be involved. I tried to remember how the two goons had looked, but I could barely even remember their skin color, let alone their faces. One was a darker black-ish colour; the other was a tan brown. I also remembered their clothing a little, but they would have already changed by now.

'Karma, did you see who those two goons were?' I asked.

I heard her growl low in her throat. 'No, they shot me before I could get a glimpse of them. I was being so careless I didn't even smell them before it was too late. Sorry Macky. I suppose if I could smell them again I may recognise them.'

'It's okay sweety, it's not your fault they were hiding so deep in the forest.' We fell into an uncomfortable silence for the next part of the ride, with only occasional check-ups from Karma to make sure I was okay.

Once again I remembered how late it was. 'Do you think my parents are okay? I hope they haven't done anything stupid.'

'Don't worry, I'm sure their fine. They probably just contacted the authorities to submit a missing person report.' Her confidence reassured me, and I sighed lightly.

'Sometimes I think they make foolish decisions when it comes to my freedom. You would think they'd have a little more faith in me.' My parent are overprotective, to say the least. They always want to know where I am, yet they don't think I should own a cell phone. It's not like I want one, but I have to admit it would come in handy.

'Your parents are just doing what they think is best, Macky.'

'I know, but still... How did it work in your tribe?'

'The same. We follow the law made by the tribe, than the rules set down by our parents. Once we found a mate, we would usually make our own rules for our new family, but normally they didn't change much since most of our tribe believes in the same moralities, with only a few small differences.' She said. 'I'm very curious about how humans can't seem to agree on anything, and why your race insists on ripping itself apart every few centuries.'

I laughed lightly, still exhausted. 'Humans are a terrible race. I really wish I had been born to a different species. Like, humans are destroying the planet; we kill not just for food, but also for pleasure. We're taking far more than our fair share of space...'

'Well, that's the perks of being the dominant species of the planet. Don't worry about proving anything to me; I already know that you're one of those rare "good humans". Which reminds me, what should I expect to meet on Friday?'

'Probably some pampered, overprotected, cocky, snooty rich kid. Odds are you won like her, and I'm willing to bet I won't be too fond of her either.'

'So you accepted this bargain because...?'

'It was this or nothing, and seriously, I can deal with her if in exchange I get you 24/7. Oh, we're here already, that was fast.' I thought as the house came into view. As I saw it, the world started to fade to black...

And done. Sorry for the wait, but I keep getting distracted. Already started to the next one, getting some inspiration recently. Hope you enjoyed it