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The

next day dawned with the couple in bed, the covers on the floor, and she having

a new form. The little gray koala had been her choice, but this one was not. It

was one of those times when her changes proved to be inconvenient. She was

still gray, but hardly fuzzy. She was now a porpoise and none too happy with

it. "This is one reason I like having your magic. I guess I'll spend the day in

the ocean. Care to join me?"

He ran

his fingers along her smooth rubbery flesh. "Maybe. I think, however, that I

had better act like the mayor for a while, and maybe drop in on Huntchy. I'm

certain I can find you as long as you don't wander too far from the harbor."

She nuzzled him lovingly, and with a flash, was gone. He lay there thinking for

a moment or two.

He had

tried his best to die. It was too bad he would never see Alma again. He didn't

hate her; not for doing what she thought was right. But she got to eventually die,

leaving him to linger in a half dead state for centuries of real time. Jon-Tom

the zombie. That was essentially what he was when they had found him. He could

hardly imagine some archeologist stumbling upon his tomb only to find a still

living corpse body inside. Then he chuckled aloud. Maybe the girls shouldn't

have rescued him. He had started the Red Riding Hood legend, and the werewolf

legend, and now the Arthurian legend. Why not the curse of the mummy!

So,

failing in that, that left him as to what to do with his remaining life. His

desire to do good remained, but he had so much unfinished business across the

temporal expanse it was hard to find closure without knowing what life would be

like for these lovers should he never reappear. Eve seemed to believe that

everything would work out. But how much time would it take? He felt like; how

was it? He read it once; like too little butter spread over too much toast.

Thin and worn. Of course, that was just a fictional character. But the two of

them shared some commonalities.

He

steeled himself for his mayoral duties, though he had no idea what they might

be today. Sybeele seemed to handle a lot of it all by herself. He dressed in

his normal attire and accessories save one thing. He had laid claim to the

sword, the one to be known later on his home planet as Excalibur. He was glad

they had saved it. It was one of the few things he had done as of late that

gave him a sense of accomplishment. He had admired other's work in metal craft,

but now he had an object of beauty he could be proud of. The magic part of it

hardly mattered. He was back up to snuff as far as that was concerned.

The

sword was fairly hidden amongst the folds of his cape. He doubted many would

notice it right away, if at all. He drew in a deep breath and stepped out into

the sunshine. He nearly collided with old Phoutag of the Mechanics Guild. "My

pardon, Lord Mayor! I was hoping to catch you home. It is my understanding that

you have been busy, and I do hate to bother you with trivial matters."

Jon-Tom

looked down kindly on the old badger. "If a guild master has a question, it can

hardly be trivial. What can I do for you?"

The

badger looked embarrassed. "It has come to my notice that you and your wife

seem to be much more than you let on about. There is always talk of magic when

people refer to you. Therefore, if I can be blunt, there are several projects

the guild is engaged in that are faltering. I was wondering if you would endeavor

to assist us with finishing them."

The

tall human's face soured just a little. "I see. I'm always a sucker for helping

people, but what does this have to do with me? If I help you, who's to say

someone else won't come along and ask me for a favor. Pretty soon none of you

will know how to deal with your problems and I'll be gone. I use my power at my

discretion. Even then, things can go awry. I'd suggest you stick to doing

things as you always have done and pass that information along to your

students. I sympathize, but that doesn't mean I'm going to interfere outside of

the expectations of my job."

The

badger scratched his head a little. "You make a good point. Still, I felt I had

to ask. You can't blame me for investigating any possible resource to exploit

for my needs."

The

human cracked a grin. "No, I don't blame you. I admire you for having the

courage to ask. Now, if you don't mind, I have to make a house call." With that

he strode off towards Huntchy's. On the way, he paid attention to the various

shops strung along his way. One in particular seemed to carry a dizzying array

of goods. The sign above the door said Qurlis, Vawret and Cupperiff. He decided

to do some shopping.

It

wasn't as if he couldn't spell something into existence. It was that he liked

the sensation of doing something normal. He had bought a small silver trinket

when he first came here, a piece made by one of his wife's classmates. It was

nice to look at and know someone else made it.

The

moment he walked through the door, he was greeted by a flurry of clerks. "Good

Morrow sir! How might I help you today?" cried one. "See here sir, we have the

finest silks in from across the sea! Aren't they lovely?" called another. He

held back a smile lest they think he was mocking them. However, their eagerness

was mildly amusing.

Then

they scattered like the wind. The newcomer, a pika, carried an air of

authority. "Good day Lord Mayor. I am Qurlis. How my we help you today?"

"I

don't really know. I'm mostly here to look. I've been having some rather

interesting experiences in my job so that I've not had time to properly

investigate my new town. And now that I think of it, I suppose I should get a mating

present for a friend."

Qurlis

smiled at this news. "Why, that's wonderful. We have many items that are

suitable as such gifts. Of what species is the lucky pair?"

"Equine."

"Good,

good! We have some wonderful pieces just for the equine form, from blankets to

personalized shoes. All made locally of course. Who is the lucky couple?"

Jon-Tom

was looking around and answered rather absently. "Trio. There will three

getting hitched, so to speak."

The

pika paused. "I hope the Lord Mayor isn't playing a trick on me. No one can

have more than one wife."

Jon-Tom

turned his gaze upon Qurlis. "Really? That's news to me on two fronts. The

first; I have more wives than you'd ever want to think about. Secondly, as

mayor, it's my job to know all of the laws that govern this region. I'll have

you know there is no law on the books against a multiple marriage."

The

pika's eyes narrowed. "Certainly you jest sir. The old mayor was quite adamant

about such things. He said it was monogamy or else the wrath of the gods would

rain upon us."

The

tall human shook with laughter. "Gods? No, no

gods. Just one goddess. And I'm sure she won't mind"

"Goddess?

As in the old stories? Let's say I believe you sir, no disrespect intended, but

why wouldn't she mind?"

Jon-Tom

sniffed diffidently. "Because she happens to be one of my wives little one. So

you can take it from me, she won't mind. Some creatures after all have more

love to share than others. Huntchy is right up there."

"Huntchy

sir! But he was in love with twins... And one of them is male!"

"Yes,

his is and one of them is male. For your information, the only law on the books

about marriage pertains to who can perform the ceremony. And for horses, they

don't get married, they bond. I know, for I was once paired with a lovely

little mare."

The

pika fell to the floor in a dizzy heap. "I'd never call you a liar sir, but

what you tell me is too much. Are you saying you would be willing to perform an

officially sanctioned pairing between two males?"

"Or two

females. I grew up far differently, mind you. But something dawned on me a long

time ago. If a male and a female of two different species can get married here,

with no chance of producing children, then why not two of the same sex and the

same species? Or a different species? It boils down to the same thing."

"Yes

sir, yes it does. I don't disagree with you sir. Vawret and Cupperiff! Front

and center you partners of mine. We have the Lord Mayor here, and he needs to

be shown the royal treatment!"

Vawret

and Cupperiff were rodents as well; respectively an agouti and a pacarana.

"Good day sir", they chirped in unison, "how can we help you!" The pika shushed

them. "The Lord Mayor will from this day forward have free pick of anything

from the store. I hope you will honor my decision because the His Lordship will

be granting marriages to same sex couples...or trios." He spoke his words quietly

and with reverence. The other two gaped at him and then to the human.

"Is

this correct sir? Would you really do this for us?

He

smiled. "I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing my job. And there is nothing in my

job, or any law on the books which prohibit same sex marriages, or bondings, or

whatever term your species uses. As long as you apply for a license like anyone

else does, I'll deny no one. Period."

Jon-Tom

had seen a lot of things in his life, but he was rather convinced the three

were going to get it on right there on the salesroom floor. They barely

restrained themselves. In the end, they regained their composure long enough to

thank him profusely. Then they grabbed

the original clerks, told them to agree with anything the Lord Mayor said, and

left for their private apartments above the store. Jon-Tom made a few

selections and ordered the items to be delivered as soon as possible. But,

despite their protests, he paid in full. On his way out, he glanced at the

receipt. He grinned uncontrollably at the logo, a large Q-V-C.

He

arrived at Huntchy's house in a few minutes time. He paused outside the doors

leading to the chamber he had occupied a few times already. He had to gear up

his mind to grapple with the fact that as far as anyone here was concerned, he

had never been gone. It was hard to tackle the concept when in reality he was

gone for...well; a life and a death. He drew in a breath, held it and then let it

out. He allowed his knuckles to rap sharply against the door.

It took

a moment before he heard a response. He recognized the voice. "Who's there?"

The second and third voices, while sotto voce, came through clearly. Both

sounded joyful, and somewhat exhausted. "Yes, who's there?"

"Oh, no

one in particular. Just the one person who can see fit to join you happy lot in

the bonds of togetherness."

"Jon-Tom!"

Huntchy carefully opened the door. The human's eyes went up and down the figure

in the doorway. A quick inspection found him to be sweaty, and sporting a semi

hard-on. Jon-Tom knew that feeling. He hated to be interrupted during his fun

time.

"Sorry

about intruding on your reunion. I take it things are going well?" It was an

unneeded question.

Before

he could answer, two heads poked through the doorway. Both were nearly

identical. The most striking thing about them was their golden color; not like

a metal ring or a necklace, but a pale, straw colored gold. They were gorgeous!

It was like looking at horse perfection. That was quite an assessment coming

from someone who had been; and done, a few unicorns in his day. Technically,

yesterday. But this color was so unique and lovely it nearly made him cry at

the beauty of it. He was actually at a loss for words.

The

door pushed open wider. The golden head on the right spoke. It was definitely a

female voice. "Your friend seems rather stricken with something. Awe perhaps?

Or envy?" Then she giggled. The other hushed her. "Kato. Don't be rude! This

human has likely never had the chance to understand the joys of being equine.

And it's a well established fact that we are the best looking for leagues in

every direction."

"Kalos,

don't you mean erection?"

"Shut

up sister! Just because we've got our big hunk of lover back after all this

time doesn't give you the right to be flippant." He turned to the human. "You'll

have to forgive our excitability. We never thought we'd get back our wonderful

mentor. But now he says you will allow us to be paired, or tripled, if that's

the correct term. We can't thank you enough!"

Kato pushed

back into the conversation. "Yes,

thanks you so much. But I believe my brother is wrong. I think we could thank

you sufficiently if you have the time!"

"Whoa,

whoa, whoa!" the tall human cried out. "I only came by to see how you were

doing. I didn't come over to join in where I'm not wanted!"

Huntchy

got a goofy grin on his face. "You're always wanted in my house my friend. You'll

have to excuse my loves. They are full of energy and joy. It becomes quite

contagious. Please come in and we'll do our best to behave properly while you

visit. And where is Alma?"

Jon-Tom

stepped past the three equines. His nose filled with the smell of their recent

activities. The unicorn part of him nearly went berserk. His body shuddered as he fought down the need

to breed. He already had a night full of fun, and his wife was in the bay

frolicking in the waves. He had no need for a fling at this moment.

"Alma

has departed to a far region. Let me just say that she and I had a wonderful

time, but that our time together nearly was the death of me. She was

exceptional right to the finish. Outside of that, I will say no more."

Kato

was wide-eyed. "You made love to a unicorn? Huntchy told us about her. We had

so hoped to meet her when we got here. This news is a disappointment."

Jon-Tom

sucked in a breath. He really didn't want to have to explain what had happened.

Huntchy saved him from that necessity. "My dear little filly; don't you think

it's impolite to intrude on another's personal business?"

"Yes, I

suppose so. But she sounded so intriguing. Of course, so does your friend here."

Looking at him right in the eye, she asked, "My lover here says that you claim

to have unicorn blood yourself. If this is true, how is this possible?"

Jon-Tom

had an internal, mental fight with himself over this. Telling wasn't the same

as showing. His decision was a poor one, maybe due to all of the pheromones in

the room. He couldn't say after the fact. He stripped off his clothing and in

one sudden convulsive transformation he stood there in their midst, a fully

fledged, midnight-black unicorn. It was a mistake. His horse nose filled with

the smells of the room. He now had to fight this form before it acted improprietously.

His mind was trying to reign in a dappled cock that suddenly had a mind of its

own.

The

other three equines in the room stared in disbelief. Huntchy had been willing

to accept his friend's account as bragging, or wishful thinking. There was

apparently so much more to him that he had first perceived. The twins stood

there, jaws slack, tongues hanging out. Huntchy was disgusted by their blatant

display until he realized that he too was standing there like a love struck

school girl.