FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any related material. This is a work of fiction. Any references or connections you may see here are purely accidental. This story is adult themed and is intended for mature audiences only.

Have you ever taken your time to muster a candle up close? I mean, frankly speaking, it is nothing more than a simple contraption made from wax wrapped cotton thread. And while the flickering fire on a single wick can almost be too pathetic to look at, it can burn for hours.

Even in the darkest of places.

Add a few more and you can even light up a desk. Take a few dozen and you can brighten up a whole room.

Use it to start a wildfire, and even the darkest corners of this world can be set alight.

I think that even the smallest candle should never be belittled for what it is:

A Symbol of Hope.

It was October when I met her for the first time.

The month of the wicked, I had been told.

A month of changing seasons, were uncertainties tend to become commonplace and any form given guaranty held no promise.

The full force of icy rain and cold winds had already driven away even the most devote of pilgrims who usually used to come in flocks to visit Blackstone Abbey on their pilgrimage. I couldn`t help but to watch in awe as the empty trail behind a large pair of iron frontdoors slowly transformed into nothing more but a foggy silhouette of itself, as the nights came earlier, the weather grew harsher and my own share of the supper probably colder.

Still, there was no food to be taken unless my daywork was done! Abess Merlot had always been strict on that particular rule.

So I raked!

Diligently collecting the last bits of foliage and filth our hazelnut trees had shed onto the cobblestone clad path beneath it. A large flock of Murkrow had already nested on their barren branches, curiously examining my tiring handiwork with their red, piercing eyes.

'Get home before the Murkrow fly.'

Probably a saying that every mother tries hammer into the skulls of her children at least once. Not that an orphan like me had tocare about any of that! The chores were all that mattered.

Sighing with delight, I already imaged myself inside the cosy mess hall, warming my numb fingers on a fresh filled bowl of hot and steamy soup. Thinking back, It is easy for me to find happyness in little things. Probably because they had been the only sources I knew of.

Then, she suddenly appeared in my life.

My carefully raked bundle of leaves was scattered in an instant as a noisy Vulpix skittered right trough it, happily yipping as if she was about to hunt down some imaginative prey. The red furred mischief maker had been a part of the abbey for as long as I could remember. Maybe even longer. Nobody knew for sure why she ended up living here, but up until now, all attempts to apprehend the surprisingly cunning foxling had failed miserably.

I couldn't do much more but groan as I watched her gleefully obliterating my carefully crafted pile I had almost spend an hour on.

“For the love of the lord... cease it! Begone! Foul creature!"

It was supposed to sound like a threat, but my body was already quivering with cold, making it sound more like a hushed request than everything else. To tell the truth, I hadn't even remotely expected to faze her. The fact that she not only paid heed to my words, but actually replied to them amazed and startled me at the same time.

“Foul creature? Who do you mean? Those are really great words coming from someone wrapped in nothing but rags!"

Any girl would have taken offense on a remark like that… Even trough her statement was painfully on point.

“S...shut it! I was nearly done. Now I have to start all over again!", was all I replied in the most angry tone I could muster, as I swayed the old rake in a rather unwomanly fashion in her direction But all she did was gracefully evading my sweep, delightfully smirking at me while even more leaves scattered around.

“Well, that was fun! Let`s play again some other time."

That pesky Fox even had the nerve to mock me!

She scurried away before I even got a chance to reply. For a bright red coated fox, she was surprisingly sneaky. No wonder that even the Abbess didn't knew where she was hiding all the time. Sighing, I stoically started my work again from the beginning. Sisyphus couldn't have been more proud of me.

By the time I arrived at the mess hall, the chimneys had already been put out in order to conserve what little wood and coal we had for the even colder days. The cold soup did little to warm my numb fingers.

I really hadn't expected that things could get any worse, but the will of the Lord sometimes works in mysterious ways as the Vulpix continued to appear on an almost daily basis. Whenever I did chores on my own (which used to be quite often), the little devil would somehow sneak up on me, no matter the time or place. Sometimes she just decided to spectate, which was fine by me. On other times, however, the pesky fox to 'play' some her little games on me. Her harassments resulted in more cold meals than I was able to count, while her actions seemed to grew even bolder with each time she emerged victorious.

Be it a muddy trail of pawprints on a freshly moped hallway,

stolen pieces of meat from the kitchen,

small scorch marks on freshly washed clothes

or broken dishes I had been cleaning just a moment ago.

I prayed to the heavens in what little time I had, begging the Lord and his servants to free me from the burden of this red menace.

But to no avail.

As matters grew worse, I finally turned to my sisters and, of course, Abbess Merlot herself for help, but all I ever received were cold gazes, as well as hours scolding and lecturing. While the Abbess accused me of hiding my own clumsiness behind filthy lies, which in turn granted me even more wore work as a means of retribution, my sisters had simply chosen to stay silent. It must have been blessing for them to finally have nasty fox of their shoulders, while the extra chores certainty added to their leisure time.

With the exception the Lord, I had to deal with the troubles at hand on my own

–

It was November when I got met the real her.

The month of lost souls, I had been told.

The first snow had coated the land under a blanket of serene silence, broken only by the occasional cry of Murkrow, as they searching for food and company alike.

The first cold days had left most of the Abbey deserted, transforming the few heated rooms it possessed into small islands of communal activity, while surrendering everything else to stone clad solitude. My usual chores were replaced with boredom, for I wasn't allowed into most of the rooms my sisters used to spend their time in, be it to stitch, weave or to study a book. It was also the first time in a long while were I found the quiet time to read for myself. I knew that there was but one book for me, and I had spend my whole live reading it. I knew every line, every phrase, every space and every single splatter of ink that got imprinted on it's well used, yellowed pages. The content of the book had long since become a part of me.

That fact was never going to change.

What changed with time however, was the way I interpreted its statements.

My little closet was next to one of the chimney vents. It may smelled of burned wood and charcoal, but it kept the cold away.

As long as I was wearing thick clothes…

And wrapped myself under a blanket…

I never noticed her entering my room, nor did I ever found out how she was able to sneak up on me like that.

It was a strange situation which follwed. For a while we just sat there, staring at each other. Albeit my stare must have looked more like a judging glare than everything else.

“What do you still want, fox?"

I watched her six tails swivel around as she liked one of her paws, then draping it over her head in an attempt to clean herself. Her fur bore speckles of coal dust here and there. Maybe she stayed on one of the chimney shafts.

“do you know that it took me quite a while to find you?! C`mon, let's just play again! I'm sooooo bored!"

My eye twitched, and I bet that I would have thrown something at her, if not for the fact that all my hands could reach was the only book I ever had. And to defile it for said purpose would have been sacrilege.

Sighing, I tried to calm my nerves by taking a deep breath. But the sight of her carefree little snout alone infuriated me.

“Why don't you annoy someone else for a change? There are no chores for me to handle, no work you could possibly destroy and I also bet there is no mockery left you could possibly throw at me!"

I nearly huffed in annoyance as I pulled my blanket closer, undermining my statement.

“Dear Lord, why did you impose such a burden onto me? Is this a test of fate?"

The Vulpix just cocked her head at my little outburst.

“I have always wondered, what's his name?"

“H-Huh?" I looked at her in surprise. Was this another attempt to mock me?.

“This Lord you are all are always fussing about. What is his name?"

I could see a hind of curiosity in her large brown eyes. If she was not going to stop her attempts to harass me, then I could least educate her a little.

Sighing, I beckoned her to come closer. “Our Lord is known by many names and yet itself, he has none. To name him would be an act of arrogance and defi…

“Bob!"

Bet she must have loved the look I had on my face.

“Did… you just… assume that our Lord and saviour is called… Bob?"

The small fox happily yipped in response.

“Always liked that name! Simple as it is on point. If there is anything you cannot grasp in this world, just go with Bob instead!"

All I could do was to shook my head in denial, silently hoping for some form of divine retribution raining down on her.

Part of me already knew that it wasn't going to happen.

The small fox just continued to yip happily at my feet

“Everyone can put a name on anything. It can be a carrier of purpose, of responsibilities or even of hopes and wishes. Mine is Fira by the way. What is yours?"

I hesitated for a moment, pondering if it would be truly wise to reveal your name to the strange, talking fox.

In the end, honesty had gotten the better of me.

“It's Li… Lisette.", I nearly whispered.

The Vulpix smiled brightly in return.

“See? Now we aren't just some strangers anymore!"

--

The following days almost became routine for me and the little red devil. I did all the small chores I was expected to complete early in the morning. Then some time later, Fira would eventually show up and indulge me in some kind of grand scheme on how to pass the day. On particularly stormy days, we nearly yelled at each other in order to drown the howling winds which would traverse the deserted parts of Blackstone. On the clear and more carefree days, we often whispered to each other as we observed the flock of Murkrow, which had chosen to reside in an old tree not afar from my rather smallish window.

“Must be nice being a Murkrow.", I stated, almost dreamingly as I admired their pitch black feathers.

Small Fox beside me just chuckled in return. Mustering her posture nearly made me chuckle as well, as I had offered Fira the only stool I had, so that the smaller fox could lean her frontpaws, as well as her chin onto the wooden ledge. And while most of her body looked lean, scrawny even, the display of unwavering confidence had never once left her face.

I nearly blushed as she caught me staring.

“How so?"

Smiling, I pointed at one of the few dozen pairs of birds amidst the barren treetop.

“Just look at them! Cuddling and rubbing at each other to share their warmth.", I had to stop for a moment in order to lower my voice again, earning a smirk from my cheeky companion.

“And if spring comes, all of them are going to soar into the skies together. Seeing them like this, I never really understood why they are often described as evil harbingers... or even common thieves. Their actions stand for everything the church is preaching!"

“You... are wrong Lis.", I heard Fira reply, almost sounding melancholic.

“So very wrong."

“These guys are not like you lot. They don't rub against each other for affection or other superficial stuff. Those Murkrow just want to keep themselves from slowly freezing solid onto the branches they are sitting on. They are not flying in a flock because they care for each other, but in order to ease their burden. Their course of action is anything but noble. And no matter the circumstances, it they are never kind to their brethren."

Her sudden change in tone made me shiver on the inside.

“W-What do you mean by that?"

Her head gestured to the far side of the tree. “Did you ever notice the lonely white one near on the lowest hanging branch?"

“The… white one?"

Squinting my eyes as hard as I could, I finally took notice of the pristine white Murkrow, as it pressed and rubbed itself into what looked like a small nook,

all alone.

“They call them Snow-born. Murkrow that had fell out their nests before their wings got strong enough to fly. Normally, most of those hatchings perish as soon as they are left on their own.

But… sometimes...", she paused.

“Sometimes?", I inquired, nearly leaning against her.

“Sometimes, a small number of them have tremendous luck. If spring comes late, and if the hunters are still too lazy inside their dens, then few of those hatchings can survive by hiding inside snowy ridges until their wings grow strong enough to fly. Their feathers slowly turn white during that time.

They never change their colour for as long as they live."

I mustered the white one again. “So it's feathers are like a sign then? A sign that the lord had helped them to overco..."

“No, there isn't such a thing!"

Fira`s surprisingly harsh interruption genuinely surprised me.

“If anything, It's a curse! What good does a white feathering for a bird that has to fly trough the night?! It will always be the tainted one, always the one to be shunned."

The little Vulpix looked surprisingly emotional.

On instinct, and even trough the little devil reeked of mouldy wood and charred charcoal, I pulled her into my arms.

“You're warm...", I muttered. Dragging my hand trough her bright red coat, I noticed how thin she really had been beneath it all along.

With her eyes closed, she snuggled closer onto my neck. I couldn't help but smile, as the feeling of her fragile body pressed onto mine slowly melted my heart.

As the night was about to consume the world outside of my window, I threw one final glance towards the white Murkrow. As I looked closer into his eyes, however, I flinched in surprise...

for it almost felt like it had tried to return my stare.

–

It was December when I finally decided to become a pariah.

The month of reverence, I had been told.

The Abbey became lively again as the holiest of festivities was drawing closer with each passing day.

Every sister, even the usually stern looking Abbess, had been smiling more often than usual. The choir was singing loud and brightly inside the chapel, where the smell of holy incense and the soft glow of candlefire intermingled into what could only be described as an atmosphere of holy reverence.

They had even allowed someone like me to take part in their rites. The howling stormwinds that bashed at the outside walls only challenged us to sing even louder and brighter, while the scent of cinnamon and almond carried a promise of sweet treats.

But even with the brightest lights and the (sometimes) genuinely warm smiles my sisters returned to me, I still felt out of place.

Even while singing with the sisters, the feeling of worry and dread never left me.

Fira suddenly disappeared at the first day the festivities had started.

There had been no sign of her.

No annoyed sisters.

No pranks and tricks anywhere inside the abbey.

And even abbess Merlot was surprisingly calm.

It was as if the earth had opened up and swallowed her whole. I had searched for her in every corner of every floor in every building, checking every vent, nook or hole she could have scurried into.

But all I could find were cold, unused resting places.

My sadness and worries grew with every day she was missing, as all of my singing, smiling and… even the praying become nothing more but hollow gestures to please my sisters.

Blackstone Abbey felt more like a prison on each day that it became brighter.

On Christmas eve, I decided to commit one of the greatest sins possible in what would be my final effort to find my treasured friend.

I was going against Abbess Merlot`s strictest of orders.

There was but one place on the holy ground which I hadn't searched yet.

The forbidden basement beneath the Chapel.

My whole body was shaking as I sneaked alongside one of the plainest looking tapestries that adored a small portion of the eastward wall. Few sisters actually knew about it, but it was nothing more than mere disguise, designed to hide the old and misaligned, round stairway behind it. I nervously glanced around while manoeuvring the small candle I had snatched from one of the candlebearers behind the stale brown coloured tapestry.

Disobedience,

Thievery.

Even the absence of the little red tempter only seemed to nurture my growing sins.

Had she been the real devil all along?

Fira! The great tempter who relentlessly tries to lead us astray. I chuckled at the thought. No, there was no way for her to trick me in such a manner.

Since when had the true devil ever shown kindness to anyone?

The staircase ended in what looked like a mirror to the wide hallways above.

Only darker, more abandoned…

and rotten.

There was a time in this world when false preachers had preyed on innocent souls.

Torturing them,

Breaking them,

And finally ending their short lives in agony.

This had been one of the many places where such atrocities had been committed. My little candlelight threw nasty shadows on the broken apparatuses which long ago had been created to serve only one dreadful purpose.

There were no windows, and the air felt stale and cold. I shrieked every time my feet stepped on something other than the black tiled floor. Be it rusty chains, or generation old fragments of bones. The later ones did nothing more but to crumble into dust as my sandals stepped on it.

With all the strength I could muster, I tried to call her name, but every time wanted to call her from the bottom of my hear, my screams turned into nothing but whispers. Afraid of waking something I wouldn't be able to comprehend.

My hope was beginning to dwindle in the same way the candle in my hands was loosing its height.

Mustering my will once more, I looked at it's flame, collecting my thoughts. Never in my live had I felt so afraid. If Fira was down here, against all the possible odds, then she would probably be afraid too.

I had to do for her.

For the final time, I took a deep breath to take in all the dead air around me, letting it become a part of me.

The scream that followed could have woken the death. It danced around in the hallways… jumping… reflecting… growing stronger. Filling every corner of this truly forsaken place with my desire to meet her.

Nothing.

The silence which followed carried almost as much meaning as the scream itself. I waited as my eyes started to water. The faint voices in my head told me that she wasn't here either. How stupid it had been for me to assume my friend had taken as much as a single step inside of these unholy hallways.

“Meeewl..."

My eyes snapped open. It was faint, but could hear it. It sounded weak, yet determined.

It wanted to be heared.

I softly closed my eyes to focus solemnly on the animalistic sound. As much as these walls helped me to amplify my own voice, the harder they made it to follow another. What little wax on the candle remained was nearly at the end too. I didn't even know if I could make it back.

Not that I cared at this point.

The voice was growing fainter as I followed It's trail. And as the hallway bended for the last time. I ended up somewhere I hadn't expected.

Next to me appeared a second stairway. The sight of creepy devices soon replaced with that of barrels, crates, large shelfs and sacks filled with coal. I was about to read the description on one of the crates as the desperate call finally sounded close.

The small light of the candle made it hard for me to navigate, but in the furthest corner, captivated in what looked like a small rusted cage, I had finally found her.

And the sight had nearly broken hear heart. A wire had been looped around her neck. Marks of scratches indicated that it had been collared awfully tight. A bowl with untouched, grey and foul smelling slime resided beside her.

She forcefully clenched her eyes together as soon as I put the small candle beside her filth covered face. Who knows who long she had been left alone in the darkness.

While the cage had been loosely fastened, the wire around her neck proved to be a challenge.

I could see her yipping for air like a madman as soon as I was able to take it of.

“T-Thought I was a goner for sure. H...How did you find me?"

I was nearly in tears as I cradled her in my arms.

“Y-You w-wouldnt show up for days! Ive searched everywhere for you! I...If it wasn't for your calling, then I doubt I would have been able to find you."

Just as Fira was about to reply, one of ears twitched in the direction of the second stairway. The concerned look she wore on her face made any use for further words obsolete.

I nearly dropped the poor Vulpix as we scurried behind one of the larger wooden barrels. Just as a second second candlelight appeared on the stairway, I extinguished mine, engulfing us in visionless darkness.

A pair of voices could be heard, sounding like two of the sisters I knew from the choir.

“I mean, why does it have do be us who have to look after that despicable spawn?! Blasted creature nearly seared my new cloak! Even mocked me afterwards!"

I could hear a soft giggle coming from the fox beside me.

“Calm down, Brianne. The Abbess gave strict orders not to involve the orphan. She seemed to have taken a liking on that vermin! Lord knows what she does with that beast. Besides, I made sure to collar her extra tight. I would be surprised if she could as much as bark back at us."

For the first time in my life, I felt anger welling up inside of me.

“It's only fair enough that the brat does everything else around here. Alas old Merlot has grown far to lenient with her. Saw her lingering around in the chapel too."

I could hear their footsteps as the sisters finally emerged from the stairway.

“Lord be my witness! I had to sing alongside that brat today! Had to refrain from slapping her each time she tried to sing louder than me. The girl has to know her plac..."

The rant was cut short by a pitched scream of her sister.

“For the love of the Lord! That little hellspawn escaped! Quick, get the sisters! We have to find her, or the Abess will have our heads for this!"

As the light of their candleholder vanished, the darkness that came felt surprisingly comforting. There was nothing I could see with my eyes. There was nothing more but the seeping cold of the stone floor beneath me, the rancid smell of ale and oils which had been spilled. And if I concentrated hard enough, I could hear my own heartbeat.

Somehow, breathing in this rotten air was filling me with more tranquillity than all the glimmer and false hospitality of the Abbey ever had.

I was finally coming to terms that my place in the world had to be anywhere but here.

–

Still, at that moment, there was only darkness around us.

I softly played with (what I assumed was) one of Fira`s many tails, making her yip with contentment.

“I don't suppose you know the way out out of here, dear fox?"

The reply I got was struggling, until Fira winded herself out of my grasp.

“Not exactly but… I suppose I could lend you a tail, dear Lisette."

Then, there was light.

Or rather, a glow. Fira had erected all of her six tails, each one carrying a smallish blue-greenish glowing, ghastly looking flame. Watching it dance in midair carried an almost otherworldly feel with it. The light was cold in comparison to the warm light of a church born wax candle. If anything, it could be best described as a dead light.

The sheer beauty it possessed as it danced above Firas fiery red tails had a rather mesmerizing appeal on it's own.

The chapel had grown deserted as we finally made our way back. Fira told me along the way that the staircase the sisters had used was leading straight to their dormitories. A wing of the building that I rarely got to enter.

“That still doesn't explain how you ended up trapped in that cage.", I emphasised my question.

But again, the fox beside me tried to evade it.

“Well… I went there. Then… stuff had happened. I was careless and thrown into that blasted cage. Why do you keep nagging on the smaller details?"

I sighed as I checked the hallway. Bet half of the sisters were searching the dormitory at this point.

“Because I had been worried sick about you, stupid devil! I searched for days, only to find you in a place I didn't even know existed."

I could see her trying to avoid my gaze.

“…Chocolate."

“Say that again?"

The look she had on her pretty face could be best described as priceless. “They…keep chocolate in that darn place. And wine… and other stuff for visitors. I...", she paused. “I j-just wanted to bring you something for Christmas. I-I mean. Its a custom, right? Not that I am into that stuff or any… PIX?!" She yelped in surprise as I lifted her up.

And again as I pressed a soft kiss on her nose.

–

She was at a loss of words until we had managed to reach the looming frontgate of Blackstone Abbey. There was, however, a small complication none of us expected.

Abbess Merlot was standing right between us and the promised freedom.

The stoic old woman was as tall as she was wide and I had never really taken a liking on her. Only a few sisters actually had.

The weather had cleared up, and the star filled sky was nearly cloudless as it granted her face with a dark blue taint.

“A-Abbess Merlot, what a pleasant s-surpise."

If her wrinkled face was even able to display emotion, then I saw none.

“Pleasant? Don't you dare lying to me child!"

“I… I..."

“Blackstone Abbey should have taught you better than that!"

I had told myself to stay strong, to stay honest. But the sheer presence of her made it nearly impossible for me to think straight.

Fira looked like she was about to strike, but I held her back. Fighting in the grounds of the Lord would be sacrilege.

Then the Abbess suddenly turned, and to our utter surprise, opened the ancient gate with the only key that existed for it.

“From the day we took you in, I tried to raise you into a faithful servant of the Lord. But instead of being thankful for the home we have granted, the food we have so gracefully given and the love we have shared with, you have never truly accepted your place in this world. Our Abbey has no need for sinners like you!" With a single motion of her arm, she flung the heavy gate open as if it was made of paper.

“Begone!

In the name of the Lord I revoke your vow.

I revoke your pledges to the Lord.

I denounce thee, ungrateful child!"

With my last bits of composure, I walked past her, not even wasting the fraction of a glare to look at her. Bet she was showing the very same hostility. I immediately shivered as my sandals pressed into the cold, untouched snow.

It was the first time I had set food outside of these walls.

Lord! I had never felt this cold before.

My companion was walking beside me, looking equally lost, but not nearly as bothered with the cold.

“W-What are we going do do now, Lis?"

I saw her nose twitch for a moment, then concern in her eyes as she mustered my already shivering form in return.

Even trough we could go anywhere but back, there was but a single trail we could follow.

The illusion of freedom.

The empty road had been located at the feet of the Blackstone Hill. The walk down had been slippery at some point, but only took us a short while. I already had to fight keep what little warmth I still possessed inside of me. There was no wind, no sound beside the ones we made ourselves. Fira was trying her best to keep me warm. But even with all the remaining heat she had, there was only so much the fox could accomplish on an empty stomach.

To gaze upon the seemingly endless road up close for the first time was something I would never forget. A thin blanket of snow had covered up most of it's generation old pavement. Shivering with cold, I looked at my companion beside me.

“Which w-way?"

Fira just snuggled closer on my legs, for the hem of my dress had already grown hard and heavy with a thin layer of icy crystals.

“D-Does that really matter? Be it left or right, the only thing awaiting us is uncertainty.", Her attempts of rubbing herself against my body grew more desperate, her voice even more concerned “How far can you even make it? Those scraps you wear won't keep you warm enough for the. You might as well go naked instead!"

The laugh we shared did little to warm my body, but it gave me the confidence needed to press on.

–

And so we followed the road leading to nowhere. I silently prayed to the lord for each step I took, for every time I had to fill my lungs with the sterile, freezingly cold air of the night. My fingers and toes had grown numb since we had left Blackstone Abbey, but it was nothing compared to the almost burning feeling which was growing in my hands and feet. Alas the pain made it a little easier to push on…

But soon I had learned that even the mightiest willpowers have a breaking point.

As I opened my eyes again, I noticed the cold touch of pavement on my cheek. It was a funny realisation at first, considering that I couldn't even remember just when or how I had tripped. I could see Fira as she rubbed her cheek against mine, pacing and yipping around, even scratching me with her clawed paw at some point.

I didn't even feel a thing.

Her cute little snout looked like she was telling me something important, while her bright eyes were full of emotion. I would have loved to hear what she was trying to tell me, but all I heard was a dulling echo as my vision slowly faded away. A flash of her bright red coat was the last thing I saw.

I tell you, dear Lord, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

–

One would have expected bells and fanfare, blinding lights and fields of gold.

To me, however, there was only void. I felt nothing at first. Neither was there the sapping cold, nor the touch of Fira`s warm and silky fur. The Abbess and her harsh words were the only thing resounding in my mind.

Could this be punishment of excommunication?

Was this the feeling of the forsaken?

Was this... hell?

Then, to my surprise, a warm feeling flooded my body.

No, it was not warm, but painfully hot. A searing touch I tried to twist and turn away from, but no matter how hard I seemed to struggle, the burning sensation only grew in intensity. Just as the feeling was about to become excruciating, it stopped just as sudden as it had started.

The nothingness came back, and with it the feeling of silent agony.

–

A vibrating feeling was the next thing I felt on my arse. But it was the pungent smell of sweat that roused me awake. I didn't know where I was, neither did I know what was going on, but the real question I asked myself at that point was a far more foundational one.

Why was I still alive?

It took me a small while to regain control over my limbs. They somehow felt warm and strong, like I had never left the Abbey. I also noticed the weight of Fira as she soundly slept in my lap, looking profoundly exhausted.

As I turned my head, I noticed a third person sitting on the same soft bench as me and at first glance, I pondered if he was one of the Lord's divine angles. But his appearance alone quickly made me dismiss said thought. He looked old, and while his hair seemed to have wandered of from his head to the edges of his cheeks and chin, his eyes looked sharp. The simple grey shirt he wore was barely holding in a belly which would have put even the abbess to shame. There was also the fact that his forearm was adored with the tattoo of a bare-breasted women. Surly nothing the Lord would approve on his own servants!

It was, however, the large and used looking steering wheel in his large palms which made me realize that I was not sitting in a small room, but instead inside a rather large and moving vehicle!

The heavy, almost foul smelling jacked that was draped over me had probably been his too.

“Ya finally awake, little girl?"

I almost blushed at his comment. His voice was loud, but also carried a certain gentleness. A smile was plastered on his face, while his eyes stayed sharp on the wintry road.

“It's dangerous for a gal like you to be out on`a night like this in the middle of nowhere! What were a even thinkin?"

Blushing, I didn't even know how to reply.

“Don't sweat it. A gal dressed like you probably had her reasons. Where are ye heading to?"

Of all the things he could possibly ask myself...

Where am I really heading to?

On that time, I learned that real freedom can sometimes become the heaviest burden of all.

The little Vulpix in my lap was still sleeping like a rock, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought that no matter where we would end up. We would always be together.

“I… guess we are on a journey now. We still have f-find a place were we belong. But that probably sounds easier said than done."

I could see him nod.

“Maybe ya right."

My saviour just smiled as one of his hands grabbed for a small leaver. Soon after, I felt that the vehicle was gaining speed.

“Most things in life are easier said than done. But if ya ask me, that doesn't make them any less worthwhile. And if ya don't know yea final destination, that's fine too. Those are the best kind of tips. Now get some rest. A gal like you should be sleeping soundly in these early hours."

As if on cue, a long drawn, infectious cute yawn from Fira made me succumb to one as well.

“Get some rest, gal. Ya don't have to bother about anything else in the moment."

Smiling, I pulled Fira closer as I watched the unmoving firmament trough the messy window beside me. And just as my eyelids were about to close, I could have sworn to see two pristine white specks in the night sky, as they danced around each other. Never alone.

–

I breathed in relief as I laid the pen aside, only to be disturbed by a creamy white snout as it pushed my arm away to muster my writing results.

“Two pristine white specks in the night sky? Lis! You totally made that up, didn't you?"

I couldn't contain a chuckle.

“Maybe I changes some of the less important details. But what person wants to read a boring journal anyways?"

A sly smirk adored Firas face as the Ninetails skimmed trough the rest of the text.

“You left out quiet a few of those details."

Blushing, I closed the small scrapbook before she could even add something I would regret later one.

“ This is a proper journal for everyone, not some smutty tale for adults."

“ Then what about the red one?", she asked.

Grimacing, I softly swished one of her many tails away. Why did she had to have so damn many of those?

“ You mean the crimson red Ninetails that literally popped up from nowhere, greeted you like a friend, used some weird trick s to keep me from freezing, only to vanish into thin air afterwards? Sounds like some ridiculously farfetched tale. Even for a Christmas story."

Fira pouted in response.

“ Not any more farfetched than your grand Lord Bob!"

I just sighed in defead. “Still going with that name, huh? Why are you so hooked up on getting that little piece of fiction into our little journal?"

Her replay almost sounded like a snarl as the Ninetails pressed her heavy paws on my lap.

“ Because it's what really happened that day! There are even quite afew urban legends about him."

I raised an eyebrow. “ Him? How do you know it's male?"

A blush warmed her face as she stepped down again. “D-Does that really matter?"

“ I.. guess not." She was surprisingly agitated about my inquiry.

“ Well, go on. Tell me."

Fira`s eyes suddenly took on the appearance of a child who was about to open the biggest and frilliest packed Christmas present it had ever seen.

“ There are a lot of rumours going around. Some say he is a traveller, while others claim that there is a certain place where you can seek him out. His wickedness knows no bounds, and is only surpassed by the loyalty he has for those who are either brave or foolish enough to stand beside him. Some also say that the grudges he carries can last for aeons, if not longer. There are but few who even dared to oppose him . The only rules and paradigms he abides by are the ones he has forced upon himself."

She almost looked dreamingly at her last statement. I, on the other hand, had a far more basic oppinion.

“ Sounds more like a bigmouthed sore looser to me. But I can comprehend why someone like you is prone to fall for the likes of him."

Fira just threw me a nasty glare at me in response.

Smiling, I lowered myself on her eye level. The carpet beneath us was soft. We had spend quite a few nights on it.

“ Oh come on little miss perfect… You have ridiculed my faith and beliefs with your cheeky remarks for as long as we have been together . It is only fair that I'm permitted to do the same."

Softly sc ratching her below the chin had the desired effect. Blushing, she finally succumbed to my affections.

A ushered 'Fine…' was all she stated.

I believe that everyone has a weakpoint hidden somewhere. If I look back at all the time we had spend together, and all the hardships we faced it was only natural to know her special spots as well as she knew mine. It took me only minutes turn her back into the purring cub I knew she had never ceased to be.

Yearning slowly grew into temptation as I moved my hand across her silk furred flank.

“ It's going get cold again once the chimney runs out. Will you keep me warm again?"

My call was answered as her hot tongue delightfully danced small circles around my cheek.

A soft moan escaped my lips as her tails and limbs softly pulled me into a warming embrace I never grew tired of.

“ Don't you worry Lis. I'll be sure to keep you warm, even if hell freezes over."