FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 60: The Manassas Incident (While She Was Away Part Six)

Day 182 continued (evening)

"I simply don't believe it." The minotaur said to me.

"Every word of it is true Tauren!" I protested.

"How could a simple trip to a museum shoot someone back into the past?!" The bull asked.

"I can't explain that. But that is what happened." I said poking at the spinach on my dinner plate.

"Well Tauren he and the others were gone for two days." Lurie added.

"Yes and everyone was searching for all three of you. We even tried you tracking chip and there was nothing! It was like you left the planet!"

"That was because I wasn't in the present I was 118 years in the past. Here I took some readings and pictures!" I said presenting the trio with my PDA. This is what World One looked like during the war."

Tauren, Sorren and Lurie were impressed by the pictures I had to show them and the environmental recordings my PDA had made during my time in the past.

"How did you manage to get back?!" Sorren asked.

"That part was sticky Primrose, Cody, I had were captured by the Legion faction along with a local physician and forced to work in their medical unit. We were stuck there for two days until some acquaintances of ours from the Alliance faction freed us. Otherwise we would still be stuck in the past."

"They did that out of the kindness of their own hearts?" Lurie asked.

"No they wanted to come back with us. They had overheard where and when we were from and wanted a ticket out of the hell- hole they were in. We agreed. The two helped find the elevator-time machine and came back with Primrose, Cody and myself."

"Alex you know how unbelievable that sounds?" The bull said to me.

"Tauren, you know I am not a liar, it is the honest truth. But I am worried though that by bringing them back with us, it might have altered our present."

"You mean the timeline?" The coyote girl asked me.

"Yes." I said to the three. "What if Auggie and Iya were supposed to do or participate in something amazing during their lives? Or they had children that were supposed to do something extraordinary?"

"Let's find out." Lurie said getting up from the high table. She headed to the monitor in the great room.

The coyote- girl assisted me in performing another detailed search on the two soldiers we had come to know from the Alliance. Like in the museum, the only thing we found were their names, the two supposedly had died in the destruction of Field Hospital. Neither had any other living relatives; Auggie was an orphan and Iya's family had died during the civil unrest following the collapse of the government.

"That's all you were able to find?" Tauren asked.

"Nothing more love." The 'yote girl said.

"Perhaps they were meant to come to this time period because they were supposed to do something important with their lives here." Sorren interjected.

"I didn't think about that." I said to the pensive dragon. "That is probably why I haven't noticed any changes. Well I think I haven't noticed any changes." I said looking suspiciously at my three friends. "Hmmm.... Lurie what do you do for a living?"

"What?" The she beast said.

"Indulge him love." The dragon said to the lady coyote.

The coyote female sighed. "I am an engineer here in Castle Wundagore in service to the High Evolutionary and his empire here on Counter Earth."

"Tauren what is your position here in the castle?"

"I run the holding center where criminals, prisoners and the condemned are held awaiting their Final Judgement from the master." The minotaur face-palmed.

"Sorren what do you do here in the castle?"

"I still am a cook in the cafeteria feeding our master and his subordinates."

(All was as it should be.)

"While I was gone was their any news from Lady Ursa? Has she completed her missions? Is she coming home soon?" I asked shifting directions.

Tauren, Sorren and Lurie looked at me like I had just put my head on backwards.

"Who is Lady Ursa?" Sorren asked me.

"The Knight of Wundagore who adopted me seven months ago after I emigrated here." I said disturbed.

"There is no such beast here in the castle! You are a test subject and favorite experiment of Lady Vile." Sorren said to me.

"Lady Vile?!" I asked looking at the dragon. "Who in the world is that?"

"You know, the scorpion woman- she is a scientist here in the castle."

I stared at the goofy dragon as if he had two heads and was now growing at third.

"You know Lady Vile, she has been studying you since your arrival here on Counter Earth- something about observing human reactions to scorpion venom. I think she has been stinging you daily and observing the results. She left you with us to recover for the next several days before beginning the next round of experiments- Remember?"

"OH NO!!!!" I screamed as I ran out of the great room in front of the amused trio.

"Sorren, you can be such a moron." Lurie chided the goofy dragon. Tauren nodded.

The dragon just grinned.

That evening I hid under the bed fearing that the timeline in the present had been drastically altered. Tauren, Lurie and Sorren tried their best to reassure me that there was no one named Lady Vile, that the timeline was still intact and nothing had been affected.

That night I slept on top of Tauren cuddled by Lurie and Sorren as the three comforted me. They were also concerned that my mistress had been away for too long. It would be a another week before I found out how she had made out on her missions. As before, I focused on my studies, assisted professor Love's students on their fund raising and tried to stay out of trouble as best I could including unexpected encounters with hidden time-machines.

Day 188 (morning)

"Well here it is our final house!" The chubby wolverine-boy said.

"Good." I responded. "We have been all over this community selling and selling if we didn't outsell the others I am going to be quite upset."

"Look at this house." The panda-girl said. "Such a intricate design."

"Actually, Lee it may look like one house, but it is really divided up into housing units see, there are three here." I said to her.

"They are called town houses." Milo added. "Smaller houses that cater to those with small families."

"Oh." The panda-girl said blushing.

"Well why don't you take this one?" I said as Lee climbed the steps and knocked on the door.

The door of the brown looking two story townhouse was opened by a middle age couple who looked like they were in their fifties. But what was odd about them was the clothing they were wearing on this warm August day. The female had a worn looking face- blond hair with small wrinkles. She was dressed in black skirt with black boots white top and animal print coat. The male had an expensive looking blazer and dress pants. Their attire looked like it may have been more appropriate for Gaia than Counter Earth.

"Yes?" The female said. "Oh look dear! Children of animals!"

Panda Lee was thrown off by the couples greeting but tried her best to recover.

"Good morning sir, madam. I am Panda Lee Ling, This is Milo Silver and Alex Winter. My classmates and I are selling cookies to raise funds for a trip to the Space Museum in World Four."

"Really?" Please, please come in and tell us all about it!" The male said.

So the furry children and myself accepted the couple's invitation and followed them into the dining room of their home.

Despite the structure looking quite contemporary for a townhouse and for the neighborhood, the interior was quite different very metallic looking- metal hallway, structures and doors. Dare I say it, it looked like the interior of some spaceship in a science fiction movie. The couple watched us eerily as we walked through their domicile.

"Did you decorate this yourself?" Milo asked the couple."

"Why yes dear." The female answered.

"Interesting design." I added.

"Yes we like to think that it is."

"So children tell us about this raising of funds." The male asked us.

"Well Mr. uh-"

"You can call me uh, Manassas. Hue Manassas. This is my companion Cassia- Manassas." He said as we sat down.

"Milo, Lee and myself are raising funds for a trip to the Space Museum in World Four." I said to the couple who stared at me and the furry children quite oddly.

"What is the Space Museum?" Mrs. Manassas asked.

"From what I understand it highlights space travel on this world from the launch of the first weather instruments to the High Evolutionary's arrival. Our professor has been wanting to take us there, but the museum is several hours away and she would also want to take time to explore the city afterwards." Milo said.

"So we are selling cookies to in order to afford lodging for the trip. Could we interest you in a couple of boxes?" The panda-girl said smiling cutely at the couple.

"What are cookies little creature?" Cassia Manassas asked.

(Is she serious?)

"Well they are a type of dessert or snack one could eat after having a meal." Milo started to say.

"It would appear that this one likes snacks a lot." Mr. Manassas said as he started feeling up Milo. "His face, stomach, rump and genitals are all quite round!" He said poking the chubby wolverine- boy's face, tummy, bottom and groin through his clothing.

"Um, thanks?" Milo responded surprised.

"Oh and look at this one! Her face is so symmetrical!" Mrs. Manassas said grabbing Lee by her cheeks. "I especially love her bottom- the way it carelessly swings side to side as she walks!"

Apparently that comment had hit a tender spot on the eleven year old panda.

"WAAAAH!!!" Lee said as she got up from the table and ran out of the house in front of the surprised couple.

"Lee! Wait!" I said running after her.

I caught up with her a few houses away.

"My bottom does not swing side to side carelessly as I walk!!!" She sniffed.

"Um, yes it does sweetie." I said. "That couple was just being honest."

She looked at me as if she was about to cry- again.

"But don't get me wrong. You are a giant panda as you age you are going to get a lot bigger- every thing is going to get a lot bigger." I said trying to back peddle.

"WAAAH!!!"

"Alright! Alright! What I mean is that your butt is the appropriate size and shape for your body type." I said trying to console the sensitive panda.

"What makes you such an authority on ursine physique?" Lee asked me sniffling.

"Well.... let's just say that I have an affinity for bears."

"Is it because you are in dating one?"

"Whoa! Where on Counter Earth did you hear that?!" I asked the panda-girl.

"It is common knowledge, well according to Cody and Arthur."

"Yes Lee, I am in love with a bear. She keeps me warm at night and satisfies me in ways that you can't even begin to imagine. So I am quite versed in ursine physique including posteriors and yours while big, is quite cute.

"Not helping Mr. Alex." The panda-girl said tearing up again.

"I mean everyone is different and has their thing. It would be a boring world if everyone was the same. Milo eats a lot and is chubby. While you give good hugs and your butt swings side to side when you walk. I personally think it is adorable in an non-pedophile type of way."

"You really think so?"

I nodded. As Milo caught up to us.

"Are you ok Lee?"

"Um huh."

"Well- how did you do?" I asked.

"Hue and Cassia bought out our remaining boxes- we sold out of everything!"

"Milo that is great!" I said complimenting him. "Hey, is there something wrong?"

"There is something weird about that couple." The wolverine-boy said.

"How so?" Lee asked her friend.

"After complimenting you about your head and rump, they said my parents should have named me snacks instead of Milo because of my waistline. They also liked how my butt was proportionally shaped to my face, stomach and genitals- however, they thought my tail was ugly. Who talks like that?!"

"To each his own 'Snacks'. (That nickname does suit him). I guess we should hook up with the others and head back in. My feet are killing me." I said.

That morning Milo, Lee and myself managed to outsell Primrose, Minka, Cody and Arthur as well. They were all jealous. Professor Love was very impressed; the trip to World Four was secured.

That afternoon....

"Excuse me sir can you help me?" A human female said as she disturbed a rather large reptilian looking creature that was cleaning out its den.

"Yes what is it?!" The creature said annoyed.

"Sir I trying to get back home but I am completely lost; I have no idea where I am right now." The girl said to the anthropomorphic scaly creature.

"You are in the Swamp of Despair." The creature said as it continued to clean out its den.

"Uh where is that?!" The girl said noticing the creature's very long claws.

"Next to the Forest of Fear and the Oasis of Agony." The creature said as it resumed sweeping.

"I haven't any idea where any of that is!" The girl who was dressed in a yellow shirt with blue pants said.

"What is the last thing you remember?" The reptile said as he stopped sweeping and turned his attention to the hazel-eyed blond teenager who was wearing clothing he had never seen before.

"I was on my way home from visiting some relatives and my car broke down off of the interstate."

"What is a car?" The reptilian creature said cocking its head to one side.

"It is a device used to transport a person from one place to another." The girl said as she stared at the green scales all over the creature and its long tail. "Anyway my car broke down on a country road. I was hoping that I would run across someone else, another driver perhaps but it didn't happen. Instead I encountered a mysterious looking aircraft about a mile down the road."

"What did it look like?" The reptilian creature asked.

"It was spherical in shape and very metallic looking. I tried to flag it down. It slowly hovered toward me before hitting me with a beam of light. The next thing I remember I was walking through this swamp."

"I think I can answer you questions." The reptilian creature said as it carefully approached the girl. "You are not where you once were; you have been taken from your homeworld and deposited on another two galaxies away."

"What the what now?" The human female said.

"You had an unfortunate run in with the Kree, they are a race of mischief makers who like to kidnap species and deposit them on other worlds like this one." The reptilian creature said. "You are a long long long way from home ah..."

_"Julie." The female said noticing the reptilian creature's sliver-like eyes. _

"Yes, you are a long long long way from home Julie."

"OH NO!!! What am I going to do?" The human female said as she started to sob.

"If I were you, I would forge alliances with like minded individuals, seek out allies and befriend the creatures I encountered. Doing that would probably lead to some sort of grand quest of discovery, adventure and friendship while searching for the Kree to send me back to my own world from this place." The reptilian creature said to the sobbing teen.

"Please sir would you help me? You appear to be quite knowledgable about this world and I really need a friend to help guide me on this quest." Julie said as she approached the reptilian creature who was a good two feet taller than her 5'5 height.

"We have encountered your kind many many many times before and in each and every instance it has never ended well for my kind. So a law was established through out this realm." The reptilian said to the startled human female.

"What law is that?" Julie asked the huge lizard-like, crocodile-like, reptilian creature.

"That if my kind were ever to encounter any of your kind, they were to be killed on the spot no questions asked." The creature said regarding the human female coldly.

Julie had just enough time to register a look of horror on her face before the 7' reptilian creature she had been talking to in the Swamp of Despair ended her quest permanently.

**SLICE!!** **SLICE!!**

"Eeew gross!!" Lurie shrieked.

"That is all sorts of wrong!!" I shouted at the viewscreen.

"Sorren, this is the last time we let you chose!" The bull said to the dragon.

"What?! I thought that movie had it all! The classic fantasy set up, stranger stranded in a strange land. She seeks out like minded individuals to help her get back home and they share a grand adventure and learn some interesting life lessons along the way." The dragon said.

"Actually the beings she encountered were not all that friendly and ally-like." I said piling on.

"Sorren, they sliced that girl up six ways to Sunday!" The coyote said to the dragon.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Come on in it's open." Tauren said.

"Hi, can Alex come out and play?" I heard a voice in the hallway say.

(Why does this keep happening?)

"Arthur, Minka I have had my fill of ghost hunting." I started to say as a panda and wolverine entered the great room.

"We are not them. How about some stalking instead?" Lee asked.

"Milo, Lee? What are you doing here?"

"Friends of yours?" The minotaur asked.

"Yes, they are students of the professor's." I said to Tauren.

"Which group are they again? The Ghost Hunters?" Lurie asked me.

"Or is it the Time Hunters?" Sorren teased.

"Alex we wanted to talk to you about that couple we met earlier today Mr. and Mrs. Manassas. I did some checking and I can't find their names in any human database on Counter Earth at all. They don't exist!" Milo said to everyone in the room.

"Perhaps we should call them the Mystery Hunters." Sorren and Lurie said in unison.

"Everyone these are my friends Milo and Lee. Milo and Lee these are my dear friends Tauren, Sorren and Lurie."

"So what are you saying?" Tauren asked.

"They are not who they appear to be; something just seems to be off about them- even for humans." The panda-girl said.

"Besides who on Counter Earth is called Manassas? " The chubby wolverine-boy said.

"So what do you propose?" I asked.

"Some surveillance of the couple just to make sure they are on the up and up and not rebel spies." Milo said cheerfully.

"Here we go again." I face palmed.

I looked at the trio.

"Go keep them out of trouble." Lurie said.

"Just be back before nightfall." Tauren added.

"Oh and we will let you know how the movie turns out." Sorren said giggling.

(There was more movie?)

Reluctantly I followed Milo and Lee out of the castle.

"Guys how did you find me let alone get here?"

"Oh Minka told me where you live." Lee said smiling.

"And Flo was nice enough to give us a ride."

There was that red van again and the familiar female orangutan.

"Greetings fellow true believer!" She said fist pumping me.

"Hi Flo, how is it going? Performing double duty?"

"For sure!" She said to me. "What is the plan?" She asked the two cubs.

"Observe and report." Milo said. I visited the couple a few hours ago under the guise that I needed more information from them about their order. When they weren't looking I placed a probe in their kitchen."

"So we are spying on citizens now?" I asked the wolverine-boy. "Isn't that a crime?!"

"Against beastials yes. Against humans no." Flo said. "But look at what the probe recorded."

The orangutan played back the last few hours of footage in the couple's house. We observed them sitting at an octagonal kitchen table staring at each other and that is all that they did- for the next two hours.

"Really? Who does that?!" Lee asked me.

"They are in love?" I responded.

"Wait, there's more." Flo said.

We watched as Hue Manassas stood up from the kitchen table and walked side ways like a crab out of the room!

"Who walks like that?!" The wolverine-boy asked me.

"Ok, you two that is really intriguing." I responded.

(Ok, ok the cubs had me- that couple is weird.)

"Arthur would say serious mysterious!" The female orangutan said.

So Flo drove us back to the Manassas' house where we parked out front and observed them. For the next hour or so.

"Milo what are you expecting to see?" I asked.

"I don't know but I will know when I see it!" He said to me.

So we waited and waited and waited. Around 4:30 the front door of the house opened and the couple appeared. They closed the door and descended down the steps to the sidewalk in front of the house. Stopping only to adjust their torsos which were leaning off to one side after descending the stairs.

(Wait, what?)

"Odd." Lee said. "It is like they are wearing disguises."

"Yes it is but why wear disguises?" Flo asked.

"Give them some room and then lets observe them at a distance." I said not believing the words that were coming out of my mouth.

So Flo, Milo, Lee and myself stalked Hue and Cassia Manassas. We watched the couple go to a local gym where they 'worked out' for a hour.

"See there is something wrong with them! That is not how you use a running machine!" Milo said to Flo handing her a binocular type device.

"Alex." The orangutan said. I looked through the binoculars to observe Hue Manassas bench pressing the running machine as those in the gym looked on!

(That ain't right.)

The couple then went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. What was weird was that they didn't order anything at all. They just sat and stared at each other.

(That also ain't right)

Afterwards they went to a opera in a local park and grew bored with the performance.

"Are you kidding me?" Lee said surprised. "Who falls asleep during the March of the Furries?! That is one of the most beloved operas of all time!"

I looked through the binoculars and yup the couple had fallen asleep in the stands while the crowd was cheering and remained so after the performance had ended.

The couple then decided to walk around in the park after the performance that summer evening. Flo parked the van and let Milo, Lee and myself tail the couple on the local walking trail.

We watched as they walked past joggers, sunbathers and cubs all who seemed oblivious to them.

The furry children and I decided to follow them a bit longer on the trail as it veered right into some vegetation.

"Careful you two it would be very bad if we were to be discovered." I warned Milo and Lee.

"Alex Winter, Panda Lee Ling, Milo Silver you are following us? Why?" Came a female voice to my right. It was Mrs. Manassas carrying her torso by its waist?!

"I figured you two out!" Milo said confronting the pair. "You are body snatchers!"

"Body snatchers Milo? Really?" I asked the wolverine-boy.

"No you are aliens wearing bad human disguises!" Lee said in accusatory tone.

"Lee where did that come from?" I said to the panda-girl. "They are just a very weird couple that is all."

"Mr. Alex it is the only explanation that makes sense- they speak weird, they move weird and their mannerisms are weird."

"It seems we have been found out dear." Hue said to Cassia.

"It appears to be so." Cassia said to Hue.

Mr. Manassas snapped his 'finger' there was a bright beam of light that flashed down from the sky on all of us. We were levitated off of the ground gently sucked up into the beam like particles of dust being pulled into a vacuum cleaner.

(Nice trick.)

When we came to Milo, Lee, Flo and I were lying on the floor in one of the bedrooms of the Manassas' house.

"Milo, Lee, Flo are you alright?" I asked standing up.

"AIIEEEE!!!" The panda-girl screamed.

"OH MY GOSH!!!" The wolverine-boy screamed.

"Far out." Flo said.

I turned around to see what they were staring at and wished I hadn't at the far end of the room were two large eyeballs surrounded by spikes and tentacles!

"WHARG!!!" I screamed stepping backward falling over the cubs.

"Extraterrestrials!" Flo said standing up.

"Typical." A female voice came from the large yellow eyeball tentacle thingie on the right.

"Judging one by the way they look is one of the last form of prejudices." The large red eyeball tentacle thingie on the left said disappointed.

"Mr. and Mrs. Manassas?" Milo said finding the courage to speak. "What are you?"

"I knew it they are aliens!" Lee said.

(And once again I learned conclusively there was life elsewhere in the universe.)

"Please oh please be friendly!" I blurted out fearfully.

(Wait, I am not sensing any danger. I guess they are.)

"Uh why are you here on Counter Earth?" Milo asked the extraterrestrial couple.

"And disguised as humans?" Lee added.

One eyeball looked at the other.

"Please we mean you no harm." Flo added.

"After our meeting, earlier today my charges grew suspicious of the two of you." I said finding my courage.

"Suspicious how?" Hue Manassas asked.

"The way you spoke, walked and how you constantly adjusted your disguises." Milo admitted.

"They weren't convincing enough?!" The female eyeball asked.

"No." Lee said. "Wait the disguises, the secrecy- you are refugees aren't you?"

"Why would you want to leave you world?" I asked the couple.

"Because our world is no more." The female finally answered.

"Dear?"

"We have been discovered Hue."

"Our world was ruined by THE NEO a previously unknown force that destroyed our civilization and the planet. Not many of our kind survived. Those that did fled." Cassia said.

"We spent time looking for a hospitable planet to settle down on. The search was long, we ran low on resources and supplies and decided to settle down here and blend in with the population despite them being xenophobic- that was until you discovered us." Hue said.

"I see. The disguises need a little work to become totally convincing I said to the two because this world has strict laws against extraterrestrials."

"We know." Cassia said.

"So what do you think of Counter Earth?" Lee asked the couple.

"It is quite beautiful and your civilization despite having a few wrinkles, overall is very stable."

"How long have you been here?" Milo asked.

"One of your years." The female replied. "But since we have been discovered we will have to start over again."

"I don't follow." I said.

"In order to continue to hide in plain sight, we will have to erase your encounter with us from your memories." Cassia said as I was unceremoniously levitated toward her.

"We are sorry but it is for our own protection." Hue said.

"You mean you are going to make us forget ever meeting you?" Milo asked.

The being nodded (if that was a nod.) at the wolverine- boy's question.

"So we are going to forget all that occurred today?" The panda-girl asked.

"Not just today Lee, everything since your first thoughts. Unfortunately we can't sectionalize or categorize thoughts by what you call time." Cassia said wrapping her tentacles around me.

"WAIT!" I said to the beings. "Please, if you erase our minds you will destroy us, our personalities, our very being- what makes us who we are!"

"It can't be helped it will be for our safety." Mrs. Manassas as she proceeded to erase my mind.

There was a slight buzzing noise. It felt weird like my brain was being tickled and being reset to factory default.

"Alex!" Milo, Flo and Lee screamed as Cassia finished gently placing my still body on the floor.

Groggily I stood up.

"Mr. Alex!" Milo screamed.

"Oh no!! His mind has been wiped!" Lee screamed.

"Wow! A complete reset!" Flo said.

I paused and looked around at my surroundings a little confused.

"What are we going to do?!" Lee screamed. "I don't want to be mind-wiped!"

"Relax, it doesn't hurt panda child." Cassia said as she approached.

"Besides you will get to start over!" Hue said as he also approached.

"I don't want to start over!" Lee sobbed. "I like who I am and what I know!"

"I know! Abject begging!" Milo said to the terrified panda-girl.

Milo, Lee and Flo dropped to their knees, and paws and begged and begged the approaching extraterrestrials not to erase their minds. When that didn't work, they glommed onto the weird couple's tentacles and cried.

"Please Mr. and Mrs. Manassas if you wipe our minds how are we supposed to remember to deliver your order?" Lee said groveling.

"Order?" Hue Manasass said looking at Cassia.

"The cookies you ordered." Milo said jumping in.

The couple looked at each other.

"Well, I was looking forward to the cookies." Hue said to his mate.

"As was I dear." Cassia said.

"Besides if you spare us, we could teach you how to better blend in- how to walk, talk and not to draw suspicion to yourselves!" Lee pleaded.

The red eye looked at his mate, the yellow eye as if there was some unspoken conversation taking place between the two. It was then that I realized what the furry children and I had seen from Milo's probe. The couple in their human disguises weren't staring off into space at their kitchen table they were having a telepathic conversation!

The extraterrestrial couple 'talked' amongst themselves for a long time before agreeing.

"Very well. There won't be any further wiping of the minds today." Hue announced.

"You two are telepathic!" I exclaimed.

"Alex Winter you are unaffected by the mind-wipe?" Cassia Manassas asked me.

"Yup pretty much."

"That should have been a enough to completely erase the mind of any indigenous human on this world." She said to me surprised.

"Who said anything about me being an indigenous human?" I asked.

"Thank you for sparing us!" Lee said as she tried to hug the weird couple but only managed to grab one or two tentacles.

"One moment dear." Mrs. Manassas said as the two of them resumed their human disguises- the original forms disappearing as their human forms reappeared.

Milo and Lee both hugged the couple afterwards. Flo and I on the other hand shook their 'hands'.

"I truly do love your head Panda Lee it is so symmetrical." Mrs. Manassas said.

The furry children gave the couple a few pointers about how to blend in on their new adoptive planet before we left for the evening. Milo and Lee said that they would come by in the next few days with their orders and if the couple liked they could visit for a bit.

On the trip back to the castle I reflected on our discovery- one of the biggest discoveries in Counter Earth history- right up there with the lost city and like the lost city I couldn't tell anyone.

"It all makes sense!" I exclaimed.

"What is that?" The panda-girl asked me while Milo and Flo looked on.

"The strange comments the couple had made about your head and posterior and Milo's round anatomy. They found them fascinating because their kind doesn't have heads, posteriors or tummys as we know them."

Milo and Lee nodded.

"So what happens now?" Flo asked.

"We try to keep their secret as best we can under threat of mind-wipe." Milo said.

In totality a secret that big would be a big pain to keep. But we didn't have to for long. A day later Milo and Lee did deliver all those boxes of cookies the couple had ordered. A week later when the furry children went to visit the couple again they had disappeared leaving only a crudely written note saying that THE NEO, the thing that had destroyed their world, was coming.

When Milo and Lee told Arthur, Minka, Cody and Primrose of our discovery, The Ghost Hunters and the Time Hunters refused to believe a word of it. Which was quite amazing in and of itself. That was until Flo showed them the probe Milo had left in the weird couple's house. It had taken a picture of Hue and Cassia in their 'real' forms as the couple was preparing to leave a week later.

Based on their encounter with the extraterrestrials Primrose and Cody nicknamed Lee and Milo The Alien Hunters. Naturally professor Love was confused by all these nicknames her students were calling each other. When she asked for clarification the furry children just smiled. I guess they all knew if they had said anything she wouldn't have believed them anyway.

Lady Ursa returned from her month long missions the same week Hue and Cassia disappeared. So I was with Tauren, Sorren and Lurie one more week pondering the weird couple's warning- the world destroying thing called THE NEO which had destroyed their world was coming, as was the big cloud- phantom cascade that had devastated Counter Earth two years ago and in its past as well as ONE which I had learned about at the Sura concert some months back. These were ominous times for Counter Earth indeed.

To Be Continued....