FSE

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--Fen--

When I was younger I was less aware of what I was compared to the other students in my class. I knew that my cloaker allowed me to grow and shrink but that didn't matter. I never took it off at school so, as far as I was concerned, I was the same as them. Every now and then someone would find a micro in the forest bordering our playground or some students had pets that were Requoran. It was those times that I felt most uneasy. Some students were innocent enough; they'd call us cute or remark on how they wanted to have one as a pet. Others would repeat what I assume their parents thought about us: Thieves, pests... I recall one student discussing how he managed to get the fox Requoran he had as a pet. That his parents had found it digging around in the trash and caught it. That they'd found out the fox was only one of a population of Requorans that'd been living in the walls of their home. Over time, I'd hear more stories like this. Stories involving us being found filthy and taking what isn't ours, stories of us begging to be forgiven for supposed crimes and then repeating them, stories of us attempting to poison or otherwise disable 'innocent' homeowners. It's not that these stories were told more than those depicting us as innocent and deserving of care or even respect. It's just that the former hurt more than the latter. It reminded me of what people thought of my kind. It reminded me of why no one could ever find out about my cloaker. Standing there and listening to the news reminds me of the feeling I always got back then when they'd slander us. I'm not a thief, I've never begged for a single thing in my life. I've worked for everything I have... why's it okay to pretend that the bad things are all that define us as Requorans?

The attack left Natbur's right arm in a sling and cast. If that isn't bad enough, after the attack was carried out and government facilities locked down a pair of Requorans were found; one of them a government employee that'd managed to stay beneath the radar somehow. The employee, a weasel, had what the media termed sensitive research that, it is being assumed, was being passed off to the Requoran found with him, a female wolf. They don't discuss what the research was, but they hint at it being research that could be used to build weaponry. Whether any of it is true or not doesn't really matter. Not to them, at least. The female wolf, named Evette, had previously owned a cloaker and lived somewhere in the same area I grew up in. The weasel, William, was from out west and had worked as an assistant of some sort in the Bureau of Science. The attack and discovery of these two Requorans led to an interrogation that pointed the government's attention at Kupai, the largest of the underground cities. They didn't need much reason to attack us in the first place so it's not hard to imagine how easy it was for them to make the decision that our last remaining bastions would be destroyed.

"How long has this been on? Why didn't you wake me up!?" I ask, my heart starting to pound in my chest.

"We just turned to it. I... haven't had enough time to believe it," Sy mutters before we fall silent again. My eyes stare at the screen, re-reading words and listening acutely to everything the reporter says. Kupai, Bohenma, and Isol were the big ones though there were several smaller that'd also been 'dug up' over the last few days-- apparently it'd been kept quiet by the government until just now. The reporters don't go into great detail about how it was all carried out, but from the sound of it they threatened to kill anyone who stayed inside-- I bet through gas or something similar. Once they'd extracted what I can only hope was the entire population, they began manually uprooting what they could of each city. The only relief I feel is when I hear that, instead of killing everyone, they simply rounded them all up and are holding them. Not that that's much better, but maybe they have some sort of fighting chance. I really hope they do, our population can't take much more of a beating. The reporters begin speculating on what will come of this disaster; destruction of Requorans both with and without cloakers, enslavement, or even worse. One speculates that we might be worth keeping around to use in experiments. I hear Naki grumble and grab the remote but I grasp at his hand.

"Wait!"

"Comeon, Fen. They're just trying to scare you guys. They don't know what's going to happen," Naki grumbles. "This is just stupid."

"I..." He clicks the television off but not before I hear one reporter say that Natbur would be speaking later tonight.

After he turns the television off I feel even worse. My chest tightens more and a heat rises up to my neck. I shift but Naki pulls me to him and rubs at my side. "No one knows what's going to happen, Fen. We have to wait... let's not listen to the news until they have something real to report."

"It doesn't matter!" I shout before bringing my voice down and lowering my ears. "They don't need much of a reason to hurt us. They might even decide to just finish what they didn't during the war..."

"We don't know that," Naki protests.

"I think Naki's right. It'd be better to wait for the facts, y'know? I know it's scary and all but listenin' to a bunch of guys thinkin' up worst-case scenarios doesn't help anyone," Motley says.

"This is crazy... who would attack the PM?" Sy asks.

"Probably no one," I growl a little. "I bet he's lying. Who would be so fucking stupid that they'd try to murder him?"

"There's no reason for him to want to kill us, though. We don't have a military or anything... at least not as far as I know," Sy responds. "It'd just be a massacre."

"He's a norm. I bet he hunts us all the time. Why'd it take him so long to tell us? A few -days- ago is when this happened according to the reporters," I state.

"Don't jump to conclusions... we don't know what all this means yet. Maybe it'll be okay, we don't know what they're planning," Naki says.

"I wish I could I could believe it'd be okay," I say as my mind races; imagining what's going to happen, imagining another war, another genocide. "We have to call our parents, Sy. It... it might be time to go home."

"What're you gonna do if you go home?" Motley asks.

"I don't know... but our parents might have a plan. They used to live without their cloakers so... so if anyone knows what to do it'd be them."

"Now comeon, you're just being silly," Naki says, rubbing at my arm. "I know it sounds bad but you still have us. I mean, you won't have to go living on the streets or something," he mutters.

I try to grab at the remote but he tugs it away. "It's lunch time, let's go eat and relax and then we can come back and watch more, alright? Comeon, you don't need the stress right now and all these guys are gonna do is talk about how terrible everything -might- be. We don't know anything until we get an official announcement so... let's just go try and relax.

I frown at him, then shift my head towards the door. Maybe he's right. "Fine."

We get dressed and I talk to Sy about calling our parents. I want to know what we're going to do about this and I'm surprised they haven't already called. My mind wanders to thoughts of staying with Naki but having to leave my cloaker off. Hiding away in his pockets whenever I want to go anywhere and having to stay in his house for fear of being found out. The images only make me angry, though, and I try to take my mind off of it. I hope this isn't what it looks like. I hope they aren't -really- thinking of starting another... war.

The walk to the restaurant reveals some changes to the area around the university. We hadn't been downtown in several weeks and I recall reading an article in the school paper about some unease with the Requoran population. There are definitely more police than I last recall but they're mostly stationary or driving around. We walk past a few that only really glance our way. At least we aren't public enemies... yet. Any gratefulness I might've felt dies again when we arrive at the place we chose for food. Plastered on the front window is a sign reading:

"Requorans will not be served."

"Why? We haven't done anything." I growl a little but Naki grasps at my shoulder and pulls me away.

"We'll go somewhere else," he says gently. I tug out of his grip, though and look into the window for a moment at the people inside. None of them are Requoran, of course.

"They don't want us, Fen. Let's go somewhere else," Sy says. I frown into the window, watching the people in there eating and wondering if they all think this is fair somehow. I pull back from the window.

"Don't let it get to you," Motley says gently. "They ain't worth it anyway, we'll take our money somewhere better."

I feel Naki's hand wrap around mine and I grab hold in return after a moment. I don't look at him, but I'm happy for the support. We start walking but I don't pay attention to where. Instead, I'm staring around at people we walk past and storefronts. Some are talking about the news; they cast glances at Sy and me when they walk past. Others are laughing as if nothing happened today, going about their lives because they won't be affected. I don't notice many Requorans walking around. The few I do see look just about as happy as Sian and I. The first two are with a Neotrian I assume is a friend of theirs as they stick pretty close to him. The three walk around in their own group-- and quickly.

The storefronts are mostly the same as before but I notice a few have followed suit with the lunch place from before; Requorans aren't allowed inside.

"Here, too?" Sy states suddenly, calling my attention to him. He's stopped in front of the movie and gaming store we visited on our first day here. Right on the door, the same sign from before: "No Requorans."

I just stare at it for a moment, readying to go in anyway. I want answers, I want to know what the hell gives? We were welcomed a month ago and now this?

"I wonder how long they've been here?" Motley asks. "Did they just post these?"

"I don't know," Naki states. "We've been on campus for so long..."

"Does it matter? This isn't fair," I say. "We should go in anyway, what're they gonna do about it?"

"We shouldn't, Fen," Sy says. "Comeon, let's just go..."

"We could ask them why. There has to be some kind of reason and I'm tired of just seeing the damned signs," I state, looking at Sy. It's only now that I realize why Sy wanted to leave. He's staring at an officer walking over to us. It's a wolf Neotrian.

"Gonna have to ask you guys to go ahead and move on," he says with a bassy voice that rivals Motley's. His size reminds me of Orin; probably a bit taller. Naki's a bit shorter than him too. I instantly feel threatened. It takes a lot of control to keep my hackles down.

"Why aren't we allowed?" I ask as calmly as I can even as my pulse rises and my ears pin back defensively.

"Just the rules, little guy. Nothin'll come of it if you just leave it alone," he states firmly. It's more like a threat with the way he's staring down at me. I think about letting it go but the anger makes me stubborn.

"How long have the signs been here, then? We haven't been downtown in a while... at least answer that for me. I haven't done anything wrong, I'm a student here at Phalance just like half of the patrons in that shop!"

"They've been croppin' up ever since the school year began but a lot of'em went up over the last week or two. Attacks in the west makin' people nervous... then what happened this mornin'..." he says, frowning a bit. "You guys keep out of trouble, hear? We ain't out here to get you, we're just makin' sure everyone is safe."

I start to say more but realize I'll just give him a reason to arrest me or take my cloaker or something. "Yea, alright," I say, shivering from the adrenaline rush and trying to calm myself as I walk over to join the others who'd backed off a little as soon as the larger wolf started moving towards us. The officer seems satisfied and leaves us alone. The ache in my chest and my heart-rate remain the same its been all day as we search for another place to eat. Eventually we find a restaurant that'll allow Sian and I. I text Ian and Sam to see where they are then look at my parents' number. I really want to talk to them right about now...

"You wanna call them?" I ask, staring at Sy after the waiter takes our drink orders.

"...Sure," he says, getting out of his chair.

"We'll be back," I say and we walk outside. I know it's weird to do it now but I need to talk to them. Maybe they'll put my mind at ease a little.

"Sorry we didn't call you, Fen. Its been.. a busy day," Mom says gently when she does answer. I can hear some strain in her voice. "I'm glad to hear from you, though. Are you okay?"

"I will be if I wake up and find out this is a bad dream," I sigh. "What're we going to do? You and Dad have a plan... right?"

"We're still trying to see what Natbur does. If... if it's bad then... then we'll go from there, alright? But there's no sense in fretting until we know what's going to happen."

"Should we come home?" I ask.

"Not yet, but, Fen? Stay close to Naki and Sy. Neither of you go anywhere unless he goes too, alright? I want you to be very careful. Natbur is supposed to be making a speech tonight so I bet we'll know what's going on by then at the latest."

I can't help but smile a little at her wording despite my mood. "Stay close to Naki? Never thought I'd hear one of you say that."

"Believe me, if you told me I'd say something like that three months ago I'd give you one crazy look. He's earned some trust, though. At least with me. Your dad is still another story."

I smile a little at the small victory. My mom likes him, at least. "I will, you too. I'll call you later today, then."

"Good. We love you, Fen."

"Love you guys, too," I say, splaying my ears a bit before I hang the phone up and look to Sy. I wait for him to finish before we head back in.

"What'd yours say?" I ask.

"Wait until after the speech. I'm guessing yours were the same?"

"Pretty much. I... think my mom's okay with Naki, though," I grin, replaying the words in my head.

"What'd she say?"

"That I should stick close to him," I state.

"Awwwww," he draws out and I push at him a little.

"Shut up," I say with a smirk before we make it back to the table to sit down. We tell Naki and Motley about what our parents said and order our lunches. I'd like to say I calmed down a little while eating but little things keep bugging at me. I hear people around us talking about what happened this morning and making conjectures as to what might happen next or rumors they've heard.

"We don't even know what's going to happen, Fen. Plus you know there're other options. Like hiding you and your parents or something... like we've talked about before."

I frown a little at that. It's true he'd mentioned helping us out. That's not a solution, though. Assuming we could get the collars off without them finding us then we'd spend the rest of our lives trying not to be persecuted.

"Hiding isn't really a great option," is all I say.

"It's somethin' temporary, though. Until you get protection or citizenship of some kind," Motley comments.

"That'll only take a few centuries," I reply, then lower my ears a bit. That was a bit of a bad thought. "I appreciate the optimism, really. I just... I can't hear it right now."

"It doesn't look like they wanna shake hands and make up," Sy states. "Looks like they just want to be rid of us.. or maybe worse. Who knows what they're doing to the Requorans they captured in the cities."

"He's probably just trying to be careful after being attacked. I mean, Kupai and the other underground cities have been there for a while now and left alone for the most part... at least as far as I know. If the attackers or those two that were stealing research could be traced back to them then it only makes sense that they'd go after those areas. I mean, it's a security risk if they don't," Naki says.

"You're not agreeing with him, are you?" I ask slowly, uncertain as to whether I want the answer.

"I don't agree with how we've treated Requorans in the past... and I think there's a lot we could do to make up for it, but... I'm just saying the underground cities were kind of a risk and if someone really -did- use them as a place to plan out an attack or a way to steal research then... it makes sense that they'd go after them. That's all."

"The underground cities were the last place we had to call our own! Even if someone hatched a plan using one of them as a base that doesn't mean destroy all of them! And what about all of the Requorans he captured? Why capture them?"

"What else would you do with them?" Naki replies, seeming a bit defensive now. "Maybe they tried to steal something big. He didn't kill them, though. That means he doesn't want them dead..."

"No, he just wants to torture them all," I mutter. I'm happy when our food comes because it interrupts that conversation. I don't really want to go back to it. We change topics while we're eating but I can't help but hear the other conversations going on around me. Most brush over the topic but others talk at length. The overall mood seems to be weariness... of us. "Why are they causing trouble again?", "You'd think they'd have learned after the last war", "I don't have anything against them, but this is getting ridiculous".

Some have a bit of sympathy; "I hope the innocent ones are released again", "If I were a Requoran I'd probably try to kill him too. Did you hear about what happened in those registration lines?"

The weary outweigh the sympathetic, though. I wish I could turn around and explain to them but I keep my head forward, half-listening to the conversation Motley and Naki are having and eating my pasta. Ian texts me back and asks if I'm alright. He also notes that he and Samantha are free if Sy and I wanna hang out. We take them up on the offer but Naki says he's going to go back to the dorm with Motley, who has football practice in about an hour. Naki and Motley wait for Ian and Samantha to make it to us before leaving. My anxiousness won't leave and I can't help but feel none of this will end as well as I want it to. The increased police activity here means that it's no doubt worse in other places... and they already said there's military presence in some cities out west. What are they going to do?

--Naki--

I admit, seeing the extra enforcement out is a little surreal. I know Fen feels it ten times as much as I do, too. I don't really want him to go off with Ian and Samantha because I feel better about his safety with him next to me but I don't want to add anymore stress to what he already has... and who knows? Maybe it's for the best. He's known them longer than he's known me. Maybe they can fix his mood.

Motley and I make it back to the dorms and he starts getting ready for practice.

"What do you think I should do?" I ask him, sitting on the couch and staring at the television. I have it off for now. Don't feel like listening to the media hype this up any more.

"You can't really do anything. Just be there for'em, man."

"I know but... I can hardly talk to him about it without him jumping down my throat. I mean, Natbur's not the best but it's not like he was just going to grant them all citizenship right off the bat. Much as I... hate to admit it, that wouldn't make any sense. It just seems like.. he just wants me to agree with him about everything. Y'know-- Requorans are all innocent, the government should just give them citizenship, things like that... it's not like I -don't- think they should get it. Or... at least, he and Sy. I just..."

"Of course he feels that way. Fen isn't thinkin' about other Requorans, he's thinking about his family and Sian and Sian's family. Probably feels threatened. You would, too."

I frown a little at that. He's right.

"You don't have to agree with little Fen, but having you there to support him is all he needs right now. Y'can argue about what's right and wrong another time."

"Yea, you're right," I say, giving a nod and sighing. "How's football going? Are there any Requorans on the team?"

"Huh? Oh, actually yea, there's two of'em. They seem to get along well enough but I haven't really spoken to either. Practices ain't bad, I was aching after the first day but I'm gettin' used to it again. It'll be awhile before I get a chance to start but... you were right, it does feel nice bein' back on the field again." He gets his sports bag together, zipping it up before he walks into the other room to get partially changed.

"When's your next game?" I shout after him.

"Next Saturday," he answers before coming back in with his girdle, pads, and cleats on. I chuckle a little, recalling the old ratty school uniforms he used to wear.

"Lookin' good, even your practice uniforms look better than your old game uniforms did," I laugh.

"The department actually has money to spend on stuff unlike back at our old school. Pretty nice, eh?" He grins.

"Very nice," I agree.

He picks his bag up and flicks his tail to the side. "Alright, well, time to go. Seeya, Naki," he waves, walking out.

"Have fun!" I shout after him before pulling my cellphone out again. I'd been texting back and forth with Khole since we sat down for lunch. With Fen so worried I began to worry about about how Khole would be faring, even if he'd been less antsy than my wolf in the past. I don't actually know what to make of his responses, though. I know he used to live in Kupai so I'd think he'd be pretty... pissed. He doesn't seem happy but I don't sense anger either. I invite him to come over to watch Natbur's speech with us. I wanna talk with him anyway.

I'm actually happy to have some time alone while I wait for Khole to come over; gives me time to think to myself for a while. I turn the news on to see where they're at. There's a male squirrel settled on a seat next to one of this news channel's reporters. Next to the squirrel's hand is a coyote Requoran. I turn it up to see what's going on.

"So this used to be a Class A micro, right? He had an MMD," the reporter, a female skunk, asks while holding a finger covered in something sticky-looking beneath the coyote's muzzle. The coyote is obediently licking from it.

"Yes, he was a co-worker of mine, in fact," the squirrel says, reaching to pet over the coyote's head while the Requoran's tongue runs along the stuff on the skunk reporter's finger. "During registration he was fired so I offered to take him in as long as he gave us his cloaker; that's their word for MMDs. His name is Caramel, for the color of his fur. My kids picked it."

"How has he adjusted?" She asks.

"Really well, I think. It was rough, at first. He wasn't willing to do some things and he was antsy about staying in a cage. There were a few websites and internet videos on training micros but most of them seemed a bit extreme considering the situation. Instead, we worked to make the cage feel less... cagey, and compromised on a few things. He gets time to himself to relax, there're times we give him his cloaker and take him out at Neotrian size so he's not always just hanging out in the house and we pay him enough that he can buy what he likes. The boys love'em to death and he doesn't have to worry about finding a place to stay. It's a win/win if you ask me."

"You think this is a viable solution for the micros that were captured last week?"

"Definitely. I think once they're cleared and all that they could be adopted into Neotrian families and taught how to be household servants or pets-- not exactly, y'know, like normal pets but just... help out around the house and help take care of the kids or any number of other tasks they're perfect for. Not only that but we've learned a lot about him over the last few weeks. We've been able to adjust to his needs so that he's comfortable and understand more about his perspective as a Requoran."

I can't help but notice they're not really asking Caramel any questions, just kind of... petting him. I'm really happy Fen isn't here to see this... but it is interesting. I remember wanting to try keeping a micro as a pet when I was younger, the idea struck more than once. I knew my parents wouldn't let me, though. Not when we were struggling just to feed ourselves some days.

"I notice he's not really talking, was that part of the training?" She asks.

"Well, not really. He's probably a bit camera shy. This is the first time he's been in the public eye. You want ask him some questions?"

"Sure," she says, pulling a smaller device from below the table and settling it nearby the coyote. "Hello, Caramel. Just speak into that device there, okay?" she smiles a little. Caramel stares at the squirrel for a moment before lowering his ears and walking forward.

"Hi..." he says very softly.

"So how did the training go. Are you happy?" She asks.

He promptly nods. "Yea, I'm... really grateful to Nolan and his family for taking me in. It was hard to adjust b-but i-it's much easier now..."

"This is too cute," the reporter chuckles. "May I pet him?"

"Be my guest," the squirrel, apparently named Nolan, says.

She reaches forward and pets over Caramel's head, causing him to lower his ears and sink a bit beneath the weight of her finger.

"Do you miss your old life?" she asks and at that he freezes up for a moment. It's quick, but I do notice a nervous gaze up towards the squirrel-- he doesn't even move his head, just his eyes. The squirrel just smiles, though, and gives what I assume to be a supportive nod but there's no being certain.

"Well, yea, I do. Of course I miss a lot of the, uh, independance... but Nolan and his family have been supportive and patient with the transition and I'm happy that they're willing to work with me on the harder parts of our uh... arrangement," he states before taking a step back; ears still flat. I can feel his anxiousness.

"He's been really proactive even when hesitant. Like I said, my kids really enjoy having him around and he's quickly becoming part of the family," the squirrel states.

I hear a knock at the door so I turn the television off now. I replay the interview in my head, though. I don't think turning them into household pets or servants is really the answer but-- I admit there's something attractive about a Requoran as a pet. I can't say I don't understand why someone might try it... on top of that, there are Requorans like Otto. Otto seems to be fine with where he is. I wonder if it's because of the way he was raised? A quick look through the peephole reveals Khole and I open the door.

"Hey," I say, letting him in. "So... uh-- everything is alright?" I ask him, closing the door and walking in to settle on the couch again. I prop my feet up on the coffee table and he sits next to me.

He looks at me for a moment, "Well, kinda seems like everything's falling apart, doesn't it? I guess I'm alright. I'd heard about Kupai from my parents already. Things had been heating up around there for a while now. Remember when we were chalking with Rae and Otto? They were texting me that day. Things only got worse from there. I guess it couldn't be avoided, though."

"Why do you say that?"

"Neotrians don't trust us. The cities were only allowed to remain because we begged hard enough towards the end of the war and someone high enough had some pity. Even then there were always people keeping an eye on us. What we could do outside the area reserved as our land was pretty harshly limited by your gov. I actually wonder how those two spies managed to get out..."

I nod a little, folding my hands together. "Are you going to go back to your parents if things get... y'know, worse? You have some sort of plan?" I ask even if I'm not certain it's any of my business.

"Why?"

A little doubt washes over me. I don't want to pry, but I guess it's too late now. "Just wondering, really. I want you to be safe, that's all."

A grin appears across his muzzle. "That's sweet of you. I don't know, things're a bit crazy where they're at. Plus I doubt I'll be any safer there than here."

"Are you worried about them? Your parents?" I ask.

"Worried about-- Oh, no, they'll... they'll be okay. What about Fen? What'll he do?"

"We're still... not sure. He called his mom and dad and they're pretty much waiting to see what Natbur says later today. I know I've said I'd protect him before but I didn't think something like this would happen so soon. I don't know if his parents would even let me... let alone come to stay with us should... y'know."

"Yea." He nods a little, seeming a little distracted.

"You never did answer what you'll do."

"I don't know. Could I stay with you?" he asks gently.

I actually freeze up for a moment. It'd crossed my mind to offer it if he didn't have anywhere else but I didn't think he'd be so upfront about it.

"It's okay if n--"

"Of course you could." I answer.

"Thanks," he states. "Getting back home would've taken a lot of work anyway, and who's to say they'll even let me fly after what happened?"

"That's true," I respond.

We spend the next few hours talking about classes and a project Beign has coming up. I get him to talk more about his life out west but we don't get too far into it before he offers to try his hand at the football game Motley and I like to play. I figured he just doesn't want to think of home too much so I agree. He's not exceedingly good at the game but he picks it up pretty quickly. Fen coming in with Sy is what makes me realize how long we've spent playing the game. They said they wouldn't be back until around time for Natbur to speak.

They seem to be in higher spirits even if the mood is still noticeably somber. I don't know if I really want to hear what Natbur is going to say but I know it's for the best if we're aware. It won't be long now so we all find places to sit. Fen takes his cloaker off and I hold him in my lap. We chat while the reporter talks about what may or may not be said today, about the potential for another, admittedly smaller war; about the increased violence and police/military presence throughout the nation.

At some point we all just go silent and wait for it to start. I feel bad for Fen because I know he's afraid and I wish I could protect him from this. I don't know what to say though, so I just pet at him to try and comfort. I don't think it's working too well since his heart is beating hard enough for me to feel his chest pounding. I let out a small sigh. I hope everything is going to be alright.

It's not too much longer before our Prime Minister comes out and the crowd on the television quiets down.

"It is a time of uncertainty within our nation and I have little doubt that many of our affected citizens have been uncomfortable with increased law enforcement and lack of communication from us as to why their areas saw such an increase. We wanted to be certain that we knew what happened, how it happened, and that we could properly respond to the attacks without giving Requorans time to prepare. Had we not felt these to be indispensable in ensuring our ability to minimize damage and maximize our ability to respond, we would have announced the attacks and what our response would be immediately. I assure you, these measures were and are purely to help ensure the safety of Neotria's citizens and we will be decreasing law enforcement presence and releasing more information about the attacks and our response as the situation across our great country stabilizes. As many of you know, a few days ago I was attacked by a group of Requorans and, on the same day, important classified research was nearly stolen by a Requoran mole and his accomplice. We were able to trace these two back to the same subterranean city. We also have evidence to suggest that the attack and attempted theft may have been a coordinated effort. Regardless of the motive behind the attack, or whether it was coordinated, it has become obvious that Requorans are becoming too hostile to ignore. We have taken steps to ensure that there are no more Requorans hiding within the governmental body. We have captured and are currently learning about what those who had managed to infiltrate us knew and what their motives were. I know many of you are worried about your families; for while I doubt we have any fear of large-scale retaliation from the Requoran population, the number of small attacks may in fact increase. This is why we've increased military and police presence for the time being."

He takes a moment to shuffle his notes around during which I notice Fen's fist clenching. I hope he gets to the point soon.

"In response to all of these events we have come up with a response that will hopefully mitigate further attacks and bring us a step closer to solving a conflict that has gone on far too long within our borders. Within the coming days, I will sign into law Executive Orders 4033 and 4034. These will provide the groundwork for further legislative action but, for now, I think it's important that we act quickly in response to a threat to order within our nation. Executive Order 4033 will take effect tomorrow and will authorize counties to begin directing their Requoran population, particularly at-risk populations, to leave their property and prepare for removal to temporary exclusion zones that will be defined on a per-county basis. Executive Order 4034 will authorize the internment of Requorans throughout the nation by military chaperone. Requorans within county-based exclusion zones will be moved to zones designated by my cabinet and I in order to remove them as a threat to local populations."

He continues to talk for a moment but a subset of the crowd begins clapping and making more noise than he can speak over for a moment. He smiles a little and looks around before holding his hand up and trying to get everyone to calm down. Once they're quiet again, he continues. This is actually happening. He's threatening to take them all away...

"During this time, it is expected that chaos may erupt. We ask that our citizens exercise the utmost caution in their daily commutes to and from work, school, or extracurricular activities. The police have been given special instructions on how to deal with any resistance to the orders and will be on their guard throughout the process. Please cooperate with them and understand that this is a necessary step to ensure everyone's safety. We understand that it will be a great burden on the nation but we ask our citizens to be patient and see the greater good that this will bring. We will post details of the orders as soon as they are finalized. Thank you for your understanding and God bless."

Reporters begin to comment on the speech but I turn the television off. I feel myself quivering a little, but Fen is pushing my fingers away. Before I know it he's full-sized again.

"I... I'm gonna call Mom and Dad," he says quickly, grabbing his phone and moving towards his room. I want to say something but I don't know what. I give Sy a glance but he's already collecting his own phone. He walks out after Fen and the rest of us are left sitting there. I don't go after him. I... don't think I could comprehend what he's feeling right now. We'll have to see what his parents say. I look at Khole for a moment, sitting there in silence. I don't even know what to think. I divert my gaze away from him for a bit, leaning back to stare up at the ceiling. "This is a nightmare..."

"I wish it were," Khole says gently. He shifts a little and crosses his legs, resting his hands folded in the middle. I peer at him to see him staring down at his folded hands then sigh and stare up at the ceiling again.

"Maybe something'll happen. It can't always be bad... can it? Things have to look up eventually..." I mumble.

I feel his gaze on me now, but I don't return it. "We need Neotrians to speak up with us," he states.

--Fen--

"Comeon, answer," I growl into the phone, hardly able to keep myself together. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. Their solution is to round us all up then what!? My brain can't help but think the worst. We're going to be killed. They're going to round us all up and -kill- us. I replay Natbur's words in my head over and over again but no matter what I do it just pushes me closer to wanting to scream at someone... or cry. I can't figure out which. What are we going to do? What's going to happen?

"Fen?" Mom calls over the phone and I snap out of it.

"Mom, did you hear?" I ask frantically.

"We watched," she says gently, I can't read her tone too well. "...It's time to come home. Much as I hate to say it... it's unavoidable now. We'll see if Naki can bring you back as I don't think we'll be able to drive. At least not safely. I bet they're not going to let us leave the county of our own accord anymore. At least not without an Neotrian."

"What's going to happen? How're we going to..."

"We'll get through it, Fen. We will. I promise," she says gently. "We've been through bad times before, alright? We take it one step at a time... Naki will bring you and Sy home and we'll go from there," she states firmly. That reminds me.

"Naki did... mention that he'd help. He'd hide us with his--"

"Wait til we're home, Fen. We'll talk when you get here. It's alright, please try to stay calm. I'm going to call Naki now, alright? It'll be okay, we haven't been sitting on our hands this entire time."

I nod a little, frowning. "Alright..." I hang up, staring down at my phone before looking to Sian. I don't know what to say. He looks at a loss, too, but the look on his face is definitely anger. I sit down on his bed, trembling and trying to get my emotions under control. I see him walk over and I move over so he can sit down next to me. He leans against my side and I immediately wrap my arm around his shoulder, holding him close. "It just can't be easy, can it?" I say weakly, ears pressed to my skull and tail wrapped around my side.

"I know," Sian says. "Every time we get a leg up..."

"We'd made it, Sy! We're in college-- it'd been a little rough but so far things had gone great. We were -right- there and now this... and I don't think they're going to let Naki help," I sigh, looking down. I might lose him. This might make me lose Naki.

"Why not? It doesn't seem like a bad idea to me..."

"Dad probably doesn't trust him and... we'd have to live at his house. They'd never go for that. Not in a million years."

"Well at least they'll finally have to tell us everything instead of hiding it," he says gently. "They've been hiding things since registration."

"Yea," I mutter. "I just can't believe this is it. This is the end. After this we'll probably end up without our cloakers on the fucking streets... or in a cage somewhere or..."

"I don't think they'd make a plan like that. Probably end up living in someone's wall or something. Bunk up in a restaurant and steal food in the evenings..."

"Doesn't matter. It won't be good no matter what."

"I hear you there," he says. "It'll be okay, though, Fen. Its been me and you since day one and no matter what we always have one another." He says, no doubt trying to lighten the mood.

It works somewhat. I can't help but crack a little smile at it even if it's a somber grin. "I thought you hated sappy stuff?"

He flicks his ears a little. "Way to ruin it..."

I shake my head a little, chuckling. "Hey... what about Rory?"

"What about him?"

"Haven't you been... y'know...?"

"Oh... no, I can't work up the nerve," he furrows his brow. "Guess I won't be figuring it out now." I'm a little surprised at that. Sy isn't the type to be cautious the way he seems to be now. I let it go, though. Things are gonna be hard enough without us recalling every single thing we're going to miss about college.

Mom calls Naki and talks to him about taking us home. He agrees to it so we pack our bags and get ready to leave. Naki's car doesn't have a lot of room so we keep to packing clothing and things we'll need with us should we have to flee-- whatever our parents plan to do. The mood is somber at best, I go between being pissed to wanting to cry but I try to hold it all back. It won't help. It's already going to be hard enough saying bye to everyone.

"She only said that she wants me to bring you home. Whether they're even considering letting me help... I don't know," Naki states. I'm leaned against him, head rested against his torso while his arm remains wrapped around my side. We'd be leaving to my house in the morning.

"We have to convince them. I don't think their plan'll be any better no matter what it is. I mean, what can we do? No matter what, we have to leave our house. No matter what we can't keep our cloakers on anymore. No matter what we -have- to get these collars off and that'll mean people might come looking for us. I really think that... we'd be safest with you," I say, frowning as my chest tightens. Why's it have to come to this?

"I want you to stay, too. If you go on the run I'll never be able to stop worrying about what happened to you... but we'll have to ask them and see what happens. At least they're trusting me to bring you back. That's... something."

"Yea," I sigh.

I try to change topics but I can't stop thinking about what's going to happen. My mind stays on it, I can't focus on any other topic. Would we end up in an alleyway somewhere? Would we resort to stealing? Begging? I'm sure Naki notices but all he does is squeeze me a little more firmly in his arms. He reassures me that it'll be okay but I know he's not certain... no one can be.

"Khole is going to be staying with me," he states eventually.

"He is?" I ask.

"Yea, it's not really safe for him to travel back home in this kind of climate. He might end up captured and taken to some exclusion zone between here and his parents' home. So I'm going to keep him with me."

"What about his parents? What did they say about it?"

"I don't know," he responds. "Khole doesn't seem keen to talk about them much."

"I wonder why... but I think you're right. Probably not safe to travel alone..."

We sit out there and talk for a while longer, most notably about how we could get our plan to work but also what'll happen to Requorans. I have trouble sleeping that night. In fact, I don't get but a few hours before it's time to get up for the drive home.

~Sunday~

Motley stays behind so he can continue with practices but, before we leave, we get a rather surprising hug. "Take care if I don't see y'guys again. I think I will, though, so I'm not too worried," were his words. I only wish I could be as confident about that as he is.

Ian and Sam come over to say goodbye. Ian is noticeably pissed but he seems to try and hold it back and, instead, hugs Sy and I extra tight.

"You guys gonna be okay?" Ian asks. "I'm sure someone would take you in while this blows over. I'd be happy to if Naki isn't."

"We're going home to figure out what we're going to do. Thanks for the offer, though. You know I'd take it in a heartbeat. We'll be okay, Ian. I'll call you whenever I can to talk."

"Yea, definitely. If you ever get into trouble you can come over, we'll take care of you," Ian states. "So don't hesitate... even if it's just for food or something. You sure you don't want us to come back with you? We could.. it's not like missing a few classes is gonna be a big deal."

I smile a little at that even if it makes me sad to think that someday in the future we -might- be in a situation where we're without food. I can hardly imagine begging even if it's a friend I'm begging to. "I won't hesitate," I say. "And... I do want you with us but... it'll just make things harder. Mom and Dad are on edge and I bet we will be too. There won't be any room in our house... it's gonna be one big fucking mess. I'll let you know what's going to happen, though. You'll be the first I call."

"Well... alright, Fen." He hugs me one more time and I return it as firmly as I can. "It'll be okay," he says.

Sam is much the same; hugging and reminding us that they're happy to help us out in any way they can. It's nice to hear them say it; it comforts me a little to know that there are options out there. We have friends that could keep us safe if need be. After a while longer we get into Naki's car to be driven back home, waving to Ian and Sam as they shrink away into the distance. As they disappear I can't help but replay how Ian would pick on us, as well as that 'dreaded' day he came around to being nice. The day he discovered our secret. I recall every time he'd defended us since then; warding off potential bullies and hanging out with us downtown, at the movies, or concerts. I hope this isn't the last time I see the mouse. This can't be the last time.

Khole seems the most level-headed of the Requorans in the car. It's actually a little disconcerting that he doesn't see this as being as damning as I think it is. We make small conversation but most of the way home is filled with a sullen silence that only serves to continuously remind me of what's happening and what could happen.

As soon as we make it home I'm immediately hugging Mom. She smiles and squeezes back. "I'm glad you're okay, hun," she states while petting down my folded ears.

"I'm glad -you two- are okay," I say in return, sighing. "It was a rough night.."

"It was for all of us," Mrs. Connerly states while she helps Sy get his bags into the house.

"Yea, we didn't get much if any sleep ourselves," Mom says. "But we'll talk about it. Let's get your stuff into the house," she states. Naki helps out so we get everything in one trip. After we get everything in, Dad comes over and we hug.

"You alright?" he asks gently and I give a little nod. My chest is still tight and my heart rate is up but so is everyone else's.

"I'm okay," I say. "I just want to know what we're going to do."

"We're going to talk about that," he says. Mr. Connerly comes out of the back room with a look I rarely see on his face. The fur around his eyes is rough and he's glaring down at a notebook. As soon as he sees us, though, his trademark grin appears over his muzzle.

"Good ta see you boys. Er... and who is this?" he asks, looking to Khole who'd taken a seat silently and been watching for... I don't know how long.

"That's Khole," I state. "He's a friend we met at college."

"Hello, nice to meet you all."

"A Requoran, too. Nice to meet you," Dad says. "Do... you plan to come with us or something? Where're your parents?"

"Nah, I'm gonna be staying with Naki," he says simply. The look on Dad's face is actually a little funny. He doesn't seem to know how to reply but, instead of get stuck on it, he just nods. "Interesting."

After greetings finish and we're all settled they pull Sy and I into the dining room. Naki starts to follow us but Dad stops him. "Sorry, but I'd rather as few people know what we're going to do as possible. You'll have to wait outside," he states. I start to stand but Mom holds my shoulder.

"Fen, it's important that we keep a tight cap on the plan or we risk someone finding us."

"Naki wouldn't tell anyone," I state. If my chest was warm before it's burning up now. "You can't still distrust him after all this..."

"Fen, don't do this now. We have a lot to discuss," she replies firmly. I know everyone is already on edge but I'm in no mood for it either.

"You guys hav--"

"It's okay, Fen. I'll wait," he states, giving me a smile. "Just do what you have to," he says gently.

"We can go and talk outside while you guys do this," Khole follows up.

"This isn't fair to him," I continue. "And, besides, why can't we just stay with Naki instead of trying to go on the--"

"FEN," Mom says loudly. I stop and stare at her for a moment. "Let it go for now. Naki can come back when we're done and stay until we have to leave, alright?"

I glare at her, but Naki and Khole are already gone. Sy gives me a sympathetic glance but says nothing as Dad closes the door and walks over to the table to sit down next to Mr. Connerly who's shuffling through the notebook he'd been staring at before.

Once again I find myself in a position where I both want to cry and shout at the same time and yet... I know that I can do neither.

--Naki--

"You alright?" Khole asks, looking up at me as we leave Fen's house and out onto the sidewalk. It's a nice neighborhood, especially compared to where I live. Everything is well-manicured and taken care of, everyone seems to own a nice car, the houses are big as anyone could need.

"Yea, I'm okay. I'm a bit used to it. His parents are iffy around me because of... something that happened over the summer. That and they haven't had the best experiences with Neotrians so... I guess I understand even if I wish they'd just trust me. I don't want to hurt anyone, I just want to be with Fen," I say gently.

"Ahh. I take it they're not just going to let you take them in, huh?"

"No," I say. "I never expected it'd be easy to convince them. Then again, I didn't think somethin' like this would happen..."

"It wasn't really avoidable," he says gently. "But hopefully it turns out well enough. Thanks for helping me out; You saved me a lot of trouble and stress."

"Don't mention it. But, uh-- what do you mean it wasn't avoidable?"

"Well, as soon as our cloakers were discovered Natbur would have to do something. Maybe not this, but it'd be something equally bad or worse."

"You make it sound like you expected this to happen... and aren't you worried? Your reaction compared to Fen's is pretty mellow..."

"I expected -something- to happen. I knew it wouldn't be something we'd like. It's not because I have some sort of foresight it's just... I have different experiences than Fen or Sian. They grew up in the Neotrian world. It's almost like they're Neotrians who happen to be Requorans whereas I'm the converse. I don't know a lot about Fen or Sian, but I think they're more idealistic than I am."

"What kind of experiences are you talking about? Your time in Kupai?" I ask. He looks away for a moment, staring at the houses across the street or, at least, that's what I assume.

"Among other things. I'll tell you about it one day if you're that interested. For now, though, I think we should be thinking of ways to get Mr. and Mrs. Fen to trust you. It'd be pretty neat to have an entire group of us and I think it'd make Fen happy."

I start to press my previous question but he does make a good point. I need to come up with ways to convince Mr. and Mrs. Luwinfe to trust me. I know Fen will try but it'll just end with him getting into a shouting match with his dad or something.

"Well, you decided to stay with me. You think that might ease their feelings a little?"

"Probably not enough, they'll just say I don't know what I'm doing. They'd be right, too. I hardly know you," he grins a bit, bumping at my side a little. I cross my arms and try to look indignant. It's hard, though, because I know he's right. I'd only met him within the last couple months.

"Then why are you going to stay with me?"

"Well, I've seen the way you interact with us for a while now. I think I'd put my faith into a Neotrian I'm at least a little familiar with than every Neotrian I might meet from here all the way back to Barli."

"Heh, well, I guess that counts for something. Now if only I could find a way to convince Mr. and Mrs. Luwfine..." We don't get through many ideas while we walk around Fen's neighborhood. Best I could come up with was the fact that Fen, Sy, and I had been living together for the last couple months and nothing bad happened to them. Really, I need to know what they plan to do if they -don't- stay with me. Could their options really be so good that living with a Neotrian you at least partially know is the lesser option? By the time Fen texts me to say they're done, we'd been walking around for an hour and a half.

The house is hushed as we walk back in; Sian is talking to his parents in another corner of the room chatting with one another gently, Fen is sitting away from his Mom and Dad who are doing something with their bags. His eyes are reddened a bit, which makes me hesitant to approach, but I do anyway.

"You okay?" I ask gently, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He looks at me and I can see the pain. He's trying hard just to hold back what he's feeling. I frown and hug him to me gently, petting down his head. "It'll be alright, Fen. What's wrong?" I ask but realize he might not be able to tell me-- at least not with his parents standing there. I frown a little and just pull him into an embrace.

"We'll figure something out," I say to him gently. I don't know how, but something good has to happen.

"Are you going to stay here, Naki?" Mrs. Luwinfe asks. "We agreed that you could stay until we have to go so it's up to you. I'll pull the blow-up mattress out and put it into Fen's room."

"I... yea, I'm staying," I say gently. It takes us going somewhere private to get Fen to talk again. Apparently he'd been rather adamant about getting them to stay with me instead of what they'd planned to do-- he wouldn't tell me what their plan was. Instead of talking about that I spend the evening just trying to cheer him up. I haven't seen him like this since he first found out that I'd eaten Requorans in the past. Khole helps a bunch; we laugh about various things that'd happened around campus. Sy joins us eventually. He's sullen but not the way Fen is. He doesn't mention anything related, though. I know he knows what happened, but for them to not say anything to us must mean it's pretty serious. That or they think their parents are listening in. One way or the other we have him chuckling by the end of the night. He's just really tired-- everyone is. I understand that. I resolve to try and ask one of his parents tomorrow. If nothing else, maybe I can get them to tell me why they think staying with my family is a bad plan.

My resolve starts to falter when morning does finally roll around. I'd slept next to Fen so I have to slip out of his arms to get out. I manage to do so without waking him up and shift past where Khole and Sy sleep on the blow-up mattress to exit the room. I hear someone downstairs and pray that it's one of Fen's parents. Preferably his Mom. Unfortunately, as I step down the last few stairs I see his Dad settled at a TV table writing at a notebook similar to the one Mr. Connerly had the day before. He doesn't say anything to me so I take a moment to work up the words in my head.

"Good morning, Mr. Luwinfe," I say gently, walking over to the wolf.

He looks up at me for a moment. "Hello, Naki," he says before going back to his work. I frown a little and move to sit down at a chair perpendicular to the sofa he's sitting on. I'm quiet for a while, trying to think of the best way to ease into things. I don't want to be too forward and I'm pretty familiar with how fast he loses his patience whenever I'm part of the topic.

"Yes?" he asks, looking at me suddenly.

"I--uh. Look... what's going to happen to Fen?" I ask.

"You know I can't tell you. We went through that last night. He'll be safe, you don't have to worry about that."

"Yea but will I see him again?" I ask.

"Probably not... and that's just how it has to be. It'll be hard for you both but you're young. You'll find someone else and so will Fen. Naki, I don't really have time to talk about this."

"When will you have time? I mean... were you ever going to tell me?" No wonder Fen was so upset last night.

"Fen would've told you eventually. We're trying to make sure we have everything ready so that when we do leave here we don't have to come back. Once we leave we have to stay gone. If I get that done early -then- I can talk to you about this. There's not much more to say, though."

I sit there for a moment, trying to imagine how Mr. Luwinfe feels. I know he doesn't like me nor my family that much-- but I also know that he really cares about his family. In a way he's kind of like Fen. Stubborn and strong-headed... but only because they care so much.

"So I guess he mentioned that I offered to shelter you guys," I say, emboldened when I think of how distressed Fen looked last night.

"And you both know why that can't happen. Not only has your family murdered us in the past," he states. The word makes me cringe but I bear it. I deserve that much. "But you're in college and your family is already struggling on their own. How are you going to feed us? If we live in your dorm then we depend on -you- for everything. When you move out we'd have to come with you and stay at your parents' house. How are -they- going to feed us? Would your parents really not mind an extra six mouths even if we don't eat as much as a Neotrian would? And even assuming that all worked out somehow, what happens if you and Fen ever break up? What happens if you find someone else and now have six Requorans who are nothing but baggage?" He stares at me for a while. I admit, I don't have any immediate answers but I know I could come up with them given enough time.

"I know it wouldn't be easy but... I don't want to lose Fen and... believe it or not, I don't want to see anything happen to you or Mrs. Luwinfe or Sy's parents either. I can't prove it and... you're right, I don't have answers to all of those questions but I'm sure we could work it out. I... I don't see myself breaking up with Fen. I love your son more than anyone I've ever loved before."

"And how many is that?"

"Counting my family?" I ask in return before wincing a little. "Okay, one... but you get the point, right? These last few months at college have been the best weeks of my life. I don't want it to end like this..."

"I have to think about what's best for my family, Naki. I'm sorry. I also told you I don't have time to talk about this. Tomorrow is our last day here, you have one more day to be with Fen. Why not go enjoy it? I'm sorry it turned out this way..."

"And what if I decide that I'll stay with Naki instead?" I hear, looking towards the stairway to see Fen staring at his dad. Great.

"We talked about this last night! You know why we can't stay with him..."

"I know why -you- can't stay with him. But I don't have to listen to you... I could choose to stay with Naki."

He looks down a little, staring at the paper. I hear him growl a little but the look on his face reminds me of Fen's from last night. He's stressed and tired, he doesn't have all of the answers. No one does.

I watch his ears lower. He sets his pencil down and stares down at the table for long enough that I can feel the tension in the air climbing. "...Fen," he starts to say, seeming to struggle for the words. "....fine," he says finally, painfully even. I don't understand at first.

"If you choose to stay with Naki then I can't stop you. You're right. You... are an adult now and you have to make your own decisions. I know you don't agree with us and I know this hurts. I know the pain, I'm familiar with it, your mom and I have sacrificed a lot in the past. I'm-- we're not doing this to spite you believe it or not. We really aren't; we knew we were doing this at the risk that you'd be mad at us for a while... it'd take time for you to recover. We want the best for you, though. We've never not wanted the best for you. I'm not perfect and maybe I'm wrong about making you come. If you think you'll be happier here with Naki, then..."

He lowers his shoulders, keeping his eyes down. "I'm tired of arguing... I have to finish this and tomorrow we have to leave. If you decide not to leave with us then you make that choice as an adult. Because that's what you think is best for you." He looks up a little, staring at his son for a moment.

We both seem a little at a lack for response.

"That's not a fair cho--"

"Nothing is fair, Naki," the older wolf growls, shooting a look at me. "This entire situation isn't fair. How we've been treated isn't fair. We deal with it and move forward... it's all you can do sometimes." His gaze softens again. "You told me that you guys didn't always have food. That's not fair either, but your parents dealt with it." I frown a little, but don't have a rebuttal.

"Dad, I don't want to leave you and Mom, either," Fen says gently, his gaze softened. "But Naki is important to me too."

"We all make sacrifices, Fen. Your mom and I have made a lot in the past... and we've tried to shield you from having to do the same." He looks down again, grasping at his pencil to start writing again. "But we can't protect you from this one. Since... since you feel so strongly I'll defer to your choice. It's yours to make. You may stay with Naki if that's what you think is best. Your mom won't like it but I'll argue for you because I trust your judgement. You're a smart boy and... your mom and I couldn't be more proud."

Silence falls over us once again. I try to think of something to say that'll brighten the mood, a suggestion I could make to fix the problem... anything. Instead, though, I just stare on helplessly as Fen tries to make an impossible decision. For all of the help I was sure I could be here, maybe I'm just making things harder. No one should have to make this decision. Especially not someone who's tried so hard just to live a normal life.

I stay in that spot, looking down at my lap as I don't want to see the look on Fen's face. Eventually, he leaves the room and I look up to catch a glimpse of the sullen face he wears before he disappears upstairs again.

"Please just consider my offer before tomorrow," I say gently before I get up too. "I know you don't like it... but I really do want to help. Really."

I walk up the stairs after Fen. I need to find a way to cheer him up but, most of all, I need to find a way to fix this.