FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Author's note: This is a crossover piece I did using characters that have appeared in Sonic Fox's "Chronicles of Sonic Fox" series. I have written it in the format of one of his own chapters, but this is not canon to that story unless he decides to treat it as such. Nik is copyright of Sonic Fox. Sheba is copyright of Drakowolf. Shawn is copyright of myself. Warning: This story contains scenes of explicit sexual description! If you are under 18, or whatever the legal age is in your area, reading this content is at your own risk of being struck by lightning. You have been warned. If you don't like what you see in the tags, don't read.

Now for the story!

Wizards and Warriors

Once again, Nik found himself unable to find sleep. For the third night in a row now, he prowled the corridors of his ship, barefoot.

Man, insomnia sucks, he thought.

It was strange, he'd never really had trouble sleeping before. Now, he was once more wide awake as Alex and Jimmy slumbered away in their beds.

It had been several weeks since he had killed Guardian Bear and fought Sky Coyote in the world of dreams. It had ended with yet another goodbye, as Sheba, Tella and Art had gone in search of their own destiny. He hadn't known the two wolves for very long, and the small dragon for even less time. Still, it had been sad to see them go. He and Sheba had shared something in the brief time they had had together, and he wished them well in their travels.

The silence of the ship pressed in on him as he padded aimlessly along the metal flooring. It was getting downright frustrating, drifting with no real destination in mind, just hoping for a clue. Nothing had popped up since the last incident, the strange markings on his body lying dormant. He almost wished for another Remnant member to suddenly appear in front of him, just for something to do. Their ranks were starting to grow thin, pared down at his own hand. He felt a bit apprehensive, as the time was surely drawing near when he would have to fight Omni Dragon himself. He hoped he would be ready when that time came.

His hand clenched into a fist as he thought of the Remnant leader. He was going to be a powerful foe, he would need every ounce of strength he could muster in order to defeat him. But, once Omni Dragon was dead, all of this would be over. He sighed, running a and through his head fur. And then...what?

It wasn't a question he had given much thought to yet. After all, all of his focus had been on tracking down the Remnant. But what about after? Assuming he survived the confrontation, where would he go? Going back to Earth was out of the question. He had no place there anymore. He was a lone survivor of a dead race. Hunting down his own kind.

He found himself at the control deck of the ship, and sat down in one of the chairs with a sigh. Leaning back, he gazed out at the endless ocean of stars. So many places to go. None of them that he could call home.

His thoughts once more turned to Sheba. The words that the wolfess had spoken in his mind during his battle with Guardian Bear stuck with him.

_"Transfer your anger into strength, not the other way aroun_d", She had said.

It had seemed to work, the wolf within him had not appeared in that battle. And yet, the wolf had also not appeared when he had TRIED to change. In the past, the wolf had always tried to take control when he was enraged or distressed. Why had it not come when he had tried to summon it? If it hadn't been for Tella, Sheba and Art, he would have died there. If he was to fight Omni Dragon, would he be able to do it without the wolf's power? Of course, if the wolf DID take over, that was almost as bad. He might end up hurting his friends, and what if he couldn't regain control? The thought of that...thing, being released again was terrifying. The seductive power, the boiling berserker rage...It was all there somewhere, hiding beneath his blue fur.

He idly scratched an itch in his shoulder. Still no sign of sleep. Suddenly, he stopped, looking down. That itch... His markings were pulsing, signalling Remnant activity somewhere across the worlds. He had to act fast, before the feeling faded out and he couldn't home in on it. Racing back to his room, he threw on his armour and grabbed his weapons. No time to wake the others, the pulses were already slowing. Reaching down within himself, he tapped into his inner sense, feeling the source of the pulses. No...no...there. He felt his sense catch and stop, and he grabbed ahold of the 'edge' of the pulse wave. Releasing his power, he opened a portal and stepped across dimensions.

The other side of the portal was almost pitch dark at first, and Nik stood still for a moment to allow for his eyes to adjust to the low light. He could see now that he was in a narrow, unlit alleyway filled with trash. There was just enough light coming in from the far end for him to make out the brick walls on either side and the mix of detritus on the ground. He forced down disgust as he made his way forward carefully, wincing as unknown things squished underfoot.

Stepping out of the alleyway, he took a look around. The light above him was one of the few that were working, but from what he could tell, most of these places were old warehouses of some sort. There didn't appear to be anyone around, making him think it must be pretty late at night here as well. _ Odd,_ he thought. I don't recall ever being here before, but this dimension feels...familiar somehow.

Suddenly, he caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. Spinning towards it, he noticed a figure crouching in the shadows of one of the warehouses. He stared in disbelief, rubbing his eyes. It couldn't be... Could it?

"Sheba?" he called out.

The figure turned towards him. It sure looked like...

"Nik?" came the voice in his head.

"Sheba!" he replied, running towards her. It really was her!

Reaching the white wolfess, he pulled her into an embrace. "I can't believe it's really you!"

"It's good to see you again too Nik," she said, returning the gesture a bit hesitantly. "It seems that once more our destines are intertwined."

He pulled back a bit, looking her up and down. She looked the same as when he had last seen her, except she was now clad in nothing but a thin white robe of some sorts. It appeared to be some sort of sleeping garment.

"I take it you couldn't sleep either?" he asked.

She looked down at her clothing, "Yes, I was awoken by an odd...tugging on my spirit. I felt drawn somewhere, and I used the emerald. So... now I'm here. Wherever, 'here' is," she said, looking around.

"I'm not entirely sure either, but..." he trailed off.

She glanced at him. "You feel it too, don't you? This place... it seems...like I've been here before. Not HERE specifically, but, this world. It feels...something like the world I used to live in. Before..."

"Wait, you're from Earth originally as well?" he asked.

She nodded. "I don't know for sure. It's very possible, but my memory of that time is too fuzzy for me to know. Is that really where we are?"

Nik shrugged. "I'm not sure. So many of these places look so similar, it's hard to tell. We won't know until we find somebody."

She nodded, laying a hand on his arm, "I don't know why I'm here yet, but if you're here, the Remnant must be also. I think I will go along with you for now."

Nik nodded, grateful for the offer of assistance, "I'd be happy to have you with me Sheba. Now, why don't we see if we can find anybody and get a better idea of where we are."

The pair walked slowly between the buildings, peering in between for any signs of life. The sky off in the distance was brightly lit, and they could catch glimpses of skyscrapers towering in the darkness. Off to their left, water lapped softly at dock pilings. This was obviously a very large city, and it was surprising that no one was around, even though it was late.

Suddenly, Nik's ears perked up at a sound from one of the warehouses they passed. He held up a hand to stop Sheba, straining to hear. He could just make out the sound of two people arguing, and then a muted crash. Sheba met his eyes, obviously, she could hear it too. Motioning for her to follow, he crept up to the door in the side of the building. It was unlocked, and he pushed it open carefully, wincing at the grinding noise it made against the concrete. They were standing in a small room, some sort of shipping office. There was a desk with a computer and a phone, and two blue painted doors leading out into the warehouse. "Let's split up," Sheba whispered. "If I find anything, I'll speak inside your mind."

Nik nodded, taking the door on the right. He pulled it open slowly, glancing through the crack to see if anyone was nearby. Seeing that it was clear, he stealthily slipped into the main storage area of the warehouse. Rows upon rows of neatly stacked crates were arranged on shipping pallets, piled too high to see over. He couldn't see Sheba, so wherever her door had led to, it wasn't here. He heard another thump, then a voice saying, "God damn it! Another one?"

Nik stalked forwards, peering around the corner of each row. Another voice spoke, this time a bit louder as he got closer. "Are you sure it can't be a Canon? That's all that seems to be here."

"Yes! It has to be a Lexmark, boss was very clear!" the first voice said. "They're the only ones that use that kind of chip."

"You know, we could have just bought one, or got it out of an actual store. At this rate, we'll be here all freakin' night! But noooo, why spend the money you said! Are you even sure that they're here?"

"They both ship from the same company, they're here somewhere! Besides, they aren't out here yet. We would've had to go to Europe."

"And that would have been a problem...why?"

"Just shut up and keep looking!"

Peering around a corner, Nik finally found the source of the voices. Two humans stood in the aisle, several opened crates on the floor with broken lids scattered haphazardly. His eyes widened slightly in surprise as one of the taller of the humans pointed at a stacked crate, and it began floating into the air. These are thieves? he thought, watching incredulously as the crate was lowered to the ground.

Whatever they were doing, it was obviously not something legal. Nik decided to step in. It might not be his concern, but he figured he might as well take care of some criminals before seeking out his true goal. This can't be Earth, he thought. _Whatever they are using there, we never had technology like that. _

Nik stepped into the aisle, moving stealthily to try and catch them by surprise. Unfortunately, one of them turned slightly, and caught sight of him. Whirling, he yelled, "Hey! Hiro, check this out!" Nik identified him as the owner of the first voice, the one who apparently had wanted to break in here.

His companion turned towards Nik. He was an Asian guy, slightly taller than his Caucasian companion. Both appeared to be in their early twenties, dressed in dark long sleeved shirts and jeans.

"What the hell?" the one identified as Hiro said. "I've never seen that species before. Have you Zeke?"

"No, it's new to me as well," Zeke replied. "Hey, you blue, fox thing. Where are you from? What are you doing wandering around without a disguise? Are you even a wizard?"

"Where I'm from is of no concern to you," Nik said, wondering what the heck they were talking about. "The only thing you should be worried about is that I've caught you breaking in here."

"Well, listen to mister high and mighty!" Hiro said. "Hey, you think boss would be interested in this guy?"

"Yeah, he's an unfamiliar species. And he's not in disguise. I think we should take him with us."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Nik said, drawing his blaster.

Zeke stared at his weapon and snorted, "Feisty one eh? Think he likes it rough Hiro?"

Hiro grinned, circling away from his partner. "I think we can find out. As long as we don't damage him TOO much."

As Hiro moved, Nik saw his lips moving silently. Glancing at Zeke, he saw him doing the same thing. Obviously, these two were going to try and fight him. Shrugging his shoulders, Nik took aim and fired a blast at Hiro's thigh. The shot struck true, but it just... slid off. Hiro smiled at him, and Nik suddenly found himself on the ground, seeing stars. Something invisible had slammed into his face, knocking him down. He ran his tongue over his teeth, tasting a small trail of blood from his lip.

He somersaulted backwards, bringing himself to his knees. Immediately, he felt another invisible blow, this time crashing into his stomach. His armour protected him somewhat, but it still made him gasp for air as he struggled to his feet. The two were smiling at him, standing nonchalantly and not bothering to close the distance. He saw Zeke's lips move, and another blow hit him in the side, sending him crashing into the stack of crates.

Nick panted, groaning as he was pelted again from behind. Whatever these two were doing, it was not technological. They had some kind of power, which he had never seen in a human. Gritting his teeth, he reached inside himself to his own power, and let loose with a sonic boom. He spun, spraying the pair with blaster fire. They just stood there impassively, the only reaction being Hiro clapping his hands over his ears at the loud echoing boom. The wind from the attack didn't even ruffle their clothing as it passed, and the blaster fire just slid off as well.

"Is that all you've got fox? You honestly thought you could take a pair of wizards down with THAT level of attack?" Zeke said. Nik was starting to get a bit worried. None of his attacks were even making these two bat an eye. They were being protected somehow...

He was sent spinning backwards as another invisible fist took him in the chin, the blaster flying from his hand from a simultaneous blast. Recovering, he unsheathed his sword, ready to try a new tactic.

Hiro saw his new weapon and burst out laughing. "Oh, look out Zeke, he's bringing out the big guns!"

Nik snarled, and drew deep on his power. He focussed the sound wave through the sword, making it vibrate like a tuning fork. The sonic attack condensed, turning from a sonic boom into an ultrasonic wave. Hiro and Zeke yelled as the attack rolled over them, dropping to their knees and holding their ears. The pitch was far too high to be actually heard as sound to the human ear, but it was clearly passing through whatever protection they had.

"Silence him damn it!" Hiro yelled, the focus of the attack being on him. A small trickle of blood started to drip from Hiro's nose as Nik tightened the attack further. He saw Zeke's lips moving, and started to turn more towards him. The human made a throwing motion as Nik brought his attack to bear, and suddenly, they both seemed to be released from the effect. Nik frowned, he was still releasing the energy, but they were both getting up now, no longer holding their ears.

"You are going to pay for that one," Hiro growled, wiping the blood from his upper lip.

He whipped something out from his belt, some kind of metal rod.

"Hey! Don't kill him!" Zeke said.

"Don't worry, I won't," Hiro replied, levelling the weapon at Nik.

A long bolt of laser energy shot out, bouncing off Nik's chest armour. He ducked and rolled, feeling another bolt burn past his head fur. Suddenly, he felt like he had hit a brick wall, collapsing to the floor as something nailed him between the ears.

He attempted to jump to his feet, but a laser shot got him in the arm. He yelled as it burned a wound into the bicep, causing his sword to drop. He looked up and saw Zeke advancing on him, some kind of wand in his hand. A tentacle of light whipped out, catching him by the legs and dropping him. It burned painfully, and Zeke slashed it down again, eliciting a yelp as it drew across his face and other arm.

"Nik?" Sheba's voice came suddenly. Through the haze of pain, he saw her step into the wide aisle behind the two humans.

"Sheba! Run!" he yelled.

She didn't appear to hear him. "Nik!" she cried, stopping short at the scene.

Hiro turned towards her, looking her up and down. "What have we here? The view just got a little better Zeke!"

Zeke leaned down, muttering something as he struck Nik's forehead with the heel of his hand. A gasp came from Nik's lungs as he felt his limbs snap together, forcing him to lie completely prone. He tried to will himself to move, but to no result. He was completely paralyzed. The only part of his body with any mobility was his eyes. Zeke stood up and stepped away, and Nik threw a sonic blast at him. Once again, it seemed to have no effect. Whatever they had done to him, his sonic powers were now useless.

Zeke walked towards Hiro and Sheba. "Well, hello there sweetheart! What are you doing in a place like this?"

"Now we'll get some REAL fun," Hiro said. "Why don't you make this easy and just cooperate princess? We promise we won't hurt you if you do."

Sheba glared at them, her eyes starting to glow. "Screw you."

Hiro sighed, "Come on now, don't be like that. We just..."

He cut off as Zeke suddenly lurched forwards, tackling him to the ground.

"What the hell!" Hiro yelled, rolling over. Zeke started punching him in the face, the blows sliding off and impacting on the floor. Sheba could see Zeke's face scrunching as he rained down blows on his partner, futilely trying to resist her control.

"Psy....cic." Zeke managed to get out. Sheba growled and tightened her control, wishing she knew more about the power these two had so she could attack more effectively. Nik was still lying on the ground, unmoving.

Hiro kicked upwards, throwing Zeke off of him. Suddenly, he vanished with a loud thunderclap. She heard an identical loud noise right behind her, and spun to meet the attacker. She raised her arms to block his strike with her forearm. As soon as the blow hit, she gasped in shock, feeling her limbs drawing together. She toppled over backwards, managing to keep her hold on Zeke's mind as she crashed into the floor.

Hiro looked down at her, using his foot to slide her nightgown up further from its skewed position. "Much better!" he said with a lecherous smirk, baring her nether region. She glared, and Hiro was thrown back as Zeke crashed into him, this time whipping him with that weird weapon of his.

"She STILL has you?" Hiro said, stepping back from the blows from the glowing whip.

Sheba pressed him harder, he obviously could be affected by this weapon somewhat.

"She...ba." She heard Nik groan. Glancing over, she saw him shaking, his markings pulsing. Her eyes widened, "No Nik!" she yelled into his mind. "_You can't let the wolf out! It will destroy you!" _

"I have to!" he replied, his fur starting to darken.

"No you don't! Fight it!"

The slip in concentration had caused her to let up on the assault on Hiro, and suddenly, there was a thunderclap and he was standing above her again.

"Looks like we have to do this the more boring way," he said, crouching. "Sweet dreams." She tried to switch her control to him, but it was too late. He muttered something, slapping her across the face, and she felt her consciousness fade...

Shawn sighed as he wandered slowly through the streets. It had been some time since he had been to New York, and he had enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of the city. Now though, it was truly getting late, and he was in a much quieter part of town. _ Should probably head home_, he thought. He had been in the city to visit some friends, and had decided to walk around a bit before leaving. He started to speak the words for home, building the familiar teleportation wizardry.

Suddenly, he stopped. Had that really been... There it was again! The pulse of a released spell. It was faint, coming from the direction of the water a couple blocks over. He always his detection spells on, even when he wasn't on assignment. Any chance to stumble on a dark wizard was a chance worth taking. He changed the wording of his teleport spell and activated it, disappearing in a silenced puff of air.

He popped out in the middle of a bunch of old brick warehouses, right on the waterfront. He stood still for a moment, waiting. There was another pulse, much stronger now, and he ran towards it. _ These feel staccato, like battle spells_! He thought. He stopped in front of one of the warehouses, waiting for another indication. He felt the pulling again. Next one over. He thought, sprinting towards it. He beelined towards the pulses, running straight at the warehouse's outer wall as spoke the word to summon his spell wallet to his hand. He drew out several of the cards that represented pre-prepared spells, tossing the first into the air and activating it just before he hit the wall.

He felt an odd itching sensation as he went right through the brick, the atoms of the wall and his body moving aside for each other. He skidded to a halt at the scene before him. There was a long, wide aisle made of stacked crates. Several of them were scattered on the floor, debris strewn around. Not far from where he was standing, another human was drawing back his leg to once more kick a blue form lying on its back on the ground in front of him. He didn't recognize the blue creature, but it was furry and bipedal. It had odd white markings on its shoulder, which were glowing. A ferocious snarl was on its face, but no sound came from it. It appeared that they were inside a silence circle for some reason.

Another human was standing over another rigid form, this one pure white. He tossed a piece of white cloth behind him, apparently ripped from his victim. Shawn could see the nude form of what appeared to be some kind of anthropomorphic wolf. A female, definitely. She appeared to be asleep, as she didn't respond at all to her molester.

The human standing over the blue creature noticed him first and leaped back from his victim. "Aw, hell no! Hiro, we've gotta jet! It's him!"

His partner turned, eyes widening as he saw Shawn. "Shit!" He yelled.

Shawn didn't move, a slight grin coming to his face as both their lips moved rapidly. There was a pair of thunderclaps, as they both vanished. Almost instantly, they reappeared right where they had been standing, shocked expressions on their faces.

"Nice try, I already put a warp lock on this place. You're stuck," he said.

They glanced at each other, then turned to run. Shawn placed a hand on his sword hilt, drawing it slightly out of its invisibility cloaking. The two humans slammed into a solid wall of air halfway down the aisle, bouncing off and landing hard on the concrete. Shawn stepped forwards, drawing his blade completely.

Suddenly, there was a howl of rage, and the creature on the ground leapt to its feet. Shawn looked at it in surprise, noting that the silence circle had apparently been released. He, as it was now apparent, was no longer blue, but a dark black. He was also a lot larger than before. His visage was completely different, now definitely recognizable as a wolf's, and filled with bloodlust.

The wolf caught sight of Shawn, and charged towards him with a howl of rage. Shawn was a bit taken aback at the victim turned attacker, and responded by grabbing him with Air. "Hey! I'm on your side!"

The wolf glared at him, straining against his bonds. Shawn sighed, he didn't have time to reason with this creature. He removed another card from the wallet and pulled it in half. The two parts separated slowly, but once they were apart, the snapped into full form again, duplicating the spell. Striding forwards, he tapped the wolf lightly on the nose, releasing the paralysis spell. The wolf's howl was cut off as his jaws snapped shut, and Shawn let the Air dissipate as the wolf fell to the floor.

He felt several killing spells bounce off his shield, and he turned back towards the two dark wizards. One of them was pointing a gun at him, and he threw up a wall of Air to spare his shield, even though the shots weren't that powerful. The other had a Rowan wood wand in his hand, which indicated to Shawn that he was pretty low level.

"Seriously, that's the best you can do?" he said as several more shots impacted the wall of air. "I invented that spell. Why don't I show you a real one?"

He activated the wizardry, allowing an identical gun to drop into his own hand. Making a hole in his wall of Air, he hit them each with a shot. The much stronger version of the killing spell slammed into the pair, throwing them back. It hadn't been enough to break their shields, but it had definitely done some damage. Shawn waved a hand, activating the spell that let him see working wizardries. There, two spheres came into sight around them, not all that thick, but they were pouring more power into them.

The one with the gun, Hiro, according to his partner, burned off his last few shots. Shawn put a bit more into his wall, feeling it shudder at the impact but hold. He let it dissipate as Hiro's gun dissolved. Hiro switched to a car antenna, firing off laser blasts as Shawn advanced. Shawn snorted, shrugging off the relatively weak energy shots. He responded with another pair of shots from his own gun, then a fireball that encompassed both of them, burning fiercely against the wall of Air they were pressed against.

The shorter one dove sideways, rolling out from the attack. Hiro ran the opposite direction, sparks still clinging to his shield, attempting to flank Shawn. Cracks spider webbed along his shield. Shawn pulled on Air through his sword, striking Hiro with a vibrating blade of solidified air, throwing him against the crates. There was a sound like breaking glass, and Shawn leaped forwards. With the shield gone, he was now able to snap a spell-lock on Hiro, trapping him in place, unable to use any wizardries.

"Look out! Above you!" came a voice from behind. Shawn spun around, looking up. A forklift was hovering above his head, the residues of a levitation spell surrounding it. It began to fall towards him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the blue creature, now returned to normal, getting to his feet. The paralysis must have dissipated when he reverted back, as it had been tagged for the other body.

Shawn reached out, halting the falling forklift by grabbing it with Air a couple feet above his head. He raised an eyebrow at the remaining dark wizard, then whipped the suspended vehicle forwards. It smashed into the other human, the forks embedding into the stack of crates, pinning him. Shawn saw his shield splinter, and stepped forwards, following through with an Air scythe to shatter it. He snapped the second spell lock over the stunned human, readying him for transport to a holding cell at headquarters.

Job finished, Shawn turned towards the pair of anthros. The blue one, which he could now identify as some kind of fox, was kneeling by the female. She was sitting up, the effects of the spell she had been under gone with the capturing of their attackers. The fox handed her the discarded garment, and she slipped it back on, holding it closed as she got to her feet.

"Now that that is taken care of," their rescuer said. "How about you two let me in on who you are and what you're doing here?" This human was slightly shorter than Nik and Sheba, slim but athletic looking. He was dressed for what looked like a night on the town, untucked button up shirt and trendy jeans.

Nik glanced at Sheba, then said, "I'm Nik, this is Sheba. We heard these guys arguing, and figured we should stop them since they seemed to be thieves."

"Okay," he replied. "But what are you doing HERE, on Earth? No disguises? Where are you from? I take it you aren't wizards?"

The line of questioning was very similar to what Hiro and Zeke had said, but one part caught Nik's attention. "Wait, Earth? This isn't Earth. Earth doesn't have people with...crazy magic powers on it."

The human stared at him. "What? So you're claiming that you're from Earth too? But, you are not human. Earth doesn't have any anthro races. In fact, I've never even seen your particular kind before. How did you get here? Can you tell me where you are from originally?"

Nik clamped his mouth shut, the constant interrogative questioning starting to irritate him. Sheba was looking at the human a bit suspiciously. "How do we know we can even trust you?" she said.

"Trust me? I just saved your cookies from burning didn't I? No no no...hang on. This has gotten off to a bad start. I'm going to finish taking care of these guys, and then we'll start over."

Turning, the human muttered something, and Nik jumped as a book appeared in his hand suddenly. He flipped it open to the back, and started pressing on the page. Glowing symbols started floating in the air above the book, and he ran his finger through them, causing them to knit together. With a wave of his hand, the symbols flew over and touched first the Hiro, then Zeke, who were both still standing frozen in place. As soon as they were touched, they vanished, the symbols evaporating in their wake.

"What did you just do to them?" Nik asked.

"I sent them to holding cells at my headquarters. Look, I should probably start over by introducing myself. My name is Shawn, and I am a wizard and an agent of the Dimensional Balance Watch. Are any of those terms familiar to you?"

Nik shook his head, and Shawn let out a sigh. "Okay, reader's digest version. A wizard is someone born with a source of magical power. The DBW is an organization that, among other things, hunts down wizards who have gone bad. Like those two you just had the misfortune of meeting."

"So, are wizards common here?" Nik asked.

"No, not really. And most people don't know we exist."

Sheba was still eying him with distrust. "That doesn't prove anything to us. How do you expect us to trust another human after what those two just did?"

Shala'tokai umatha dana'caram. He replied.

The phrase had a certain...weight to it. Nik had no idea what the words meant, but somehow...there was an implied meaning. A sense of "Trust me."

"Did you just say something along the lines of 'You can trust me?'" he asked.

Shawn nodded, "Something to that effect. I cannot lie in the Wizard's Speech. You may not have understood the words, but you felt the implication of them, correct?"

Nik nodded.

"Here," Shawn continued. "Maybe this will also help convince you. Let me see your injuries."

He stepped forwards, and Nik allowed him to part the fur on his arm to examine the laser wound, wincing slightly. There was no blood, as it had been instantly cauterized. The other burns on his face and legs ached dully, and he could feel that one of his ribs was cracked from where Zeke had kicked him.

Shawn flipped through the pages of his book, finally stopping at one and starting to mutter in the strange language of his. Nik gasped in shock as a tingling sensation spread through his arm, and before his eyes, the wound closed up. He glanced at Sheba as the tingling spread to his face, and he could see the suspicion in her eyes fade, to be replaced with fascination.

Finishing with Nik's injuries, Shawn turned to Sheba. "What about you? Are you hurt at all?"

She shook her head.

Shawn nodded, "You know, you two are pretty lucky. If it had been a higher up dark wizard you had stumbled upon, rather than a couple of lackeys... Well, they wouldn't have toyed with you at all, they would have killed you or captured you immediately."

"Those two were lackeys?" Nik said incredulously.

"Yes, I doubt either of them had a power rating above three. Trust me, there are things out there that would make those two seem like teddy bears."

"You sure dealt with them pretty easily it looked like, so how high is your 'power rating'?"

He shrugged, "I'd...really rather not say..."

"Oh, come on!" Sheba said, "I bet its really big..."

Nik looked over at her, wondering at the odd statement. She had a strange gleam in her eyes.

"Well, if you really must know, I'm rated at sixteen," Shawn said, a bit reluctantly.

Sheba gave him a toothy grin, "Wow! That seems pretty strong!"

Shawn just shrugged uncomfortably, "Anyways, back to my original questions. You say you are from Earth?"

"Yes," Nik replied. "At least, I am, sort of. Sheba isn't sure. But, this isn't like the Earth I know."

"Are you sure about that? Where specifically on Earth are you from?"

"Compass City."

"Never heard of it, but hang on a sec." Shawn muttered a few words into the pages of his book. It gave a brief flash, and he said, "Got it. Here's a coordinate set for a Compass City. Why don't we take a look?"

"Um, sure? Why not I guess," Nik said.

Shawn nodded, and began to speak again under his breath. He pointed first at Sheba, then at Nik. Shawn finished speaking with a single emphasized word. With no further warning, the warehouse blinked out of existence around them.

The three winked back into existence with a muted puff of air, into an outdoor area. They were standing on grass at the edge of some trees, the edge of a cliff in front of them. Looking over the cliff, the twinkling lights of a reasonably sized city were visible. Nik could barely contain his shock. "It's...this is...how did you?"

"Looks familiar I take it?" Shawn asked.

"This is my special spot! How did you know about this?"

He shook his head. "I didn't. I just looked for the name you gave me, and these are the coordinates that came up. The manual must have locked onto here somehow."

Nik didn't reply, just staring out over the place where he had grown up, memories flooding back. It really hadn't been all that long since he had left here, but it felt like years.

Sheba's voice came inside his head, "This is were you are from?"

"It used to be."

Her response seemed a bit sad, "I wish I could answer that question for myself."

Nik broke out of his reverie as another thought struck him. "Wait, but this can't be. You...you're people, they didn't exist in my world!"

Shawn shrugged, "How are you so sure? I could say the same of you. I believe I told you that most people aren't aware of our existence. Are you positive that this is your home?"

"Well, home isn't really the word...I have very little attachment to this place. It is where I grew up though. But I know now that it's not where I'm from originally. I thought I was a human, but, not that long ago, I changed. That's when I left. Home for me now...is my ship. That's where I came here from."

Shawn nodded, "I see, now it begins to make sense. See? Both of us learned something unexpected about the world we thought we knew today. So you spent your life here growing up as a human, than transformed?"

"More or less. It's a bit of a long story."

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. My only question is, why have you come back? And how?"

Nik sighed. "Have you ever heard of the Remnant?"

Shawn shook his head.

"They are...what is left of my people. All of us have the power to move between dimensions, as well as unique special abilities. I am hunting them down. They are evil. They kill without remorse, and will do anything to achieve their goals. If I don't take them out, they will kill me because I refuse to join them. I was drawn here because I sensed the presence of one of them."

Shawn searched his eyes for a moment, and was apparently satisfied by the answer.

"And...you are sure that this is the right idea?" he asked gravely.

"It's the only option I have," Nik replied.

"And what about you, Sheba? You came here with Nik?"

"Something like that," she replied.

Shawn rubbed his eyes. "Well, it is getting quite late. I'm assuming you two aren't going to keep looking through the night?"

Nik shrugged, "It would probably be easier to continue in the morning I suppose."

"Fine. If you wish, I will assist you. I have an extra bed at my place, and a couch. You are welcome to stay the night with me."

"That would be wonderful!" Sheba exclaimed, once more watching Shawn with that odd expression.

Nik nodded, grateful for the offer. Shawn repeated the process that he had performed in the warehouse, and the city vanished from sight.

This time, they reappeared inside what looked like a living room. A decent sized TV was set up opposite a couch, and a handful of other furniture completed the room. It was fairly sparsely decorated, and Sheba got the impression that it wasn't really used all that much. "Here, the second bedroom is this way," Shawn said, gesturing for them to follow him down a short hall. The whole place didn't seem that big, and from a passing view out a window, Sheba could see they were quite a ways up, in an apartment of some kind. She still wasn't entirely familiar with all these human structures, but had had time to adjust during her recent travels.

Shawn led them to a reasonably sized bedroom that was mostly filled by the bed and a small dresser. "This bed is actually bigger than mine, but I'll let you two decide who gets that," he said. Rummaging through the dresser, he pulled out a long t-shirt and pair of shorts and handed them to Sheba. "Here, you can have these to wear." She took the clothes with a nod of thanks. She wasn't all that concerned about being clothed or not, but it was something that anthros expected, and she had become used to it since being stuck in this body. "It's okay, we'll share this bed," she said. Nik glanced at her, and she spoke inside his mind, "At least, that's what I was hoping for..."

"Fine by me," he agreed.

"Okay, if that's what you want. Bathroom is down the hall. I don't know about you two, but it's been a long day, I'm going to get some sleep."

"Sure, goodnight. And thanks." Nik said

Sheba frowned slightly, but didn't say anything. Sleep was the last thing on her mind at the moment. It looked like she might have to wait to execute her plan though. As soon as the door closed behind Shawn, she pounced on Nik, pushing him back onto the bed.

"Wow, excited are we?" he asked.

"What can I say, I really have missed you," she replied, leaning in and kissing him hungrily. She might have to wait on her other intentions, but she definitely was up for some fun in the meantime. She really did like the fox, even if he was no substitute for Drako in her heart. A bit of action would be a great way to unwind.

She allowed her ripped nightgown to drop away, falling to the floor with the clothes Shawn had given her. Her emerald necklace dangled between her breasts, appearing to let off a glow even in the low light. Nik pulled back from their kiss, stripping off his own garments. She helped him in this eagerly, then jumped up, straddling his lap and going in for another kiss. Their long canine tongues tangled and wrestled in each other's mouths, an experience she had come to love. She began grinding her lower lips against his stirring maleness, feeling it poke her folds delightfully. One thing to be said for this body, it offered many...interesting possibilities for sexual enjoyment. The fur of his sheath tickled her clit as she slid down, sandwiching his growing cock between her labia. She reached down with a lustful growl, pressing it hard into her cleft, feeling his balls roll against the bottom of her mound.

He grunted at the treatment, hunching up against her slightly. His member prodded her clit on the upstrokes, turning her on even more and causing her juices to wet his rod. He put his hand on her breast and started massaging, rolling the nipple in his fingers and drawing a murr of pleasure from her throat. She continued to slide up and down slowly, bringing him to full hardness. Her juices were starting to flow a bit more now, drenching Nik's shaft and wetting her crotch fur.

"You know, there is one thing that I heard about in my travels that I want to try," she said, rubbing his shaft against her clit.

"Mmm, what's that?"

"I want you to try taking me under the tail."

He looked a bit surprised at the suggestion. "Are you sure? That's not a thing that all girls like."

"Yes, but I've heard it is quite the...interesting and pleasurable experience."

"Well, I don't have any objections if that's what you want," he said, stifling a gasp as she gave his cock a squeeze, sending a spurt of pre onto her belly fur.

She nodded emphatically, then got up and turned herself around, pulling her tail out of the way. Bending over, she looked back at him seductively, drawing her fingers through her dripping sex and rubbing them over her exposed tail hole. She had tried sticking her own fingers in, before, but couldn't get enough penetration to really experience it. She did that now, lubing up the tight pucker with her feminine nectar. Nick was clearly enjoying the display, rubbing himself slowly as he watched.

Deciding she was as wet as she could get, she hoisted herself back up into his lap, scooting her rear up against his groin. She could feel his shaft pressed up against her back, and Nik grabbed her hips to help as she raised herself up to get it into position. With a bit of manoeuvring, she felt his tip lodge in between her cheeks, tucking right into her little pink bud.

"Are you sure you're ready?" He asked, holding her in position.

"Yes, just go slow okay?" she said, extremely turned on by what they were about to do.

She felt him nod, and ever so slowly start to lower her down. She felt his tip pressing firmly against her entrance, demanding access to the forbidden passage. Suddenly, it popped in, the tip sliding inside and lodging tight. He stopped immediately, but it hadn't been painful. There was a very mild discomfort, but she ignored that and started working her hips to get him in deeper.

It was strange, his shaft forcing its way up past her sphincter, making her stretch around it. It was a...full feeling, but working its way up instead of down. The discomfort grew a bit stronger as he worked himself in, but she rode it out, waiting for it to turn to pleasure as she had heard. She was a bit glad in this case that he DIDN'T have a knot, as she didn't think she could take something of that size like this.

Finally, her rump met his thighs, and he rested with his sensitive head buried deep inside her. She clenched down on him experimentally, feeling him twitch and another spurt of pre shoot out. The discomfort was fading, being replaced by an odd satisfaction at the full sensation. Her vaginal walls were rippling, grabbing at something that wasn't there as she was filled through the back door. It was indeed pleasurable, and she started rocking her hips, enjoying the experience as she bounced on his lap. Nik let out a groan at her incredibly tight passage, and she could feel his pre leaking out as she ground her rear against his crotch.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Shawn walked in, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. "Hey, I just wanted to see if..." he stopped short at the scene in front of him. "Oh god, I'm sorry!" Spinning around, he moved back towards the door.

"Wait!" Sheba said, halting her motions. This could be her chance!

Shawn stopped, but didn't turn, "Yes?"

"You're welcome to join us," she said seductively. "I have another place that needs filling here... You don't mind?" she sent to Nik

"No, not at all," he replied, resting inside her.

Shawn hadn't moved. "Um, I really don't think..."

Sheba reached out, brushing his mind slightly and giving him a bit of a push.

"Well, do you really want me to?" he asked, seeming extremely hesitant.

"Yes, Absolutely!" she said.

"No better way to unwind after a long day," Nik added.

Shawn shrugged, seeming convinced. "Well, I guess. Why not?" He pulled his shirt and shorts off, baring his furless body. He took a couple steps towards the bed, but stopped short, a slight frown on his face.

Sheba reached out, touching his mind a bit more firmly to overcome his inhibitions. It was enough, and he appeared to throw caution to the winds. She grinned wickedly, it looked like she would get her chance after all! And some more fun as a bonus!

Shawn moved up to the bed, slowly working his shaft to attention. Sheba leaned forward, giving him a sultry look as she ran her tongue over his shaft. Nik leaned back, resting inside her and supporting her with his hands as she began to 'bring him up to speed'. Her agile tongue swirled around him, the rough surface sending tingling pleasure racing up into his groin from his sensitive head. She started licking him from balls to tip, and her masterful oral treatment rapidly brought him to full hardness.

Shawn let out a sigh of pleasure. It had been awhile, and although he wasn't sure why he had decided to jump into a one night stand like this, he was enjoying the treatment. Sheba gave him a few last licks, then pulled back, straightening up again. Her dripping pussy lay exposed, a hint of pink showing through the white fur. He pressed forwards between her and Nik's legs, positioning his tool at her eager entrance. He could just see Nik's balls lodged against her anal star, the white orbs drawn up tight.

He paused again, why HAD he jumped into this? Suddenly, he felt his hesitance fade away, and he shoved himself inside in a smooth stroke. Her passage was so wet, he hilted on the first thrust, her short furred labia pressing firmly against his pubic bush. He felt his balls brush Nik's lightly. He stopped, what had that pulling been? It was too late now, he was committed, but what had that been? Sheba growled lustily, and he felt her give him a squeeze. Looking into her eyes, he saw they were half closed, and...glowing slightly? She rocked her hips, grinding down on the double penetration.

Deciding not to worry about it, Shawn started pumping his tool into her slick tunnel. Each full thrust raised her slightly, sliding her up and then back down on Nik. He started bucking his hips in time with Shawn, and Sheba's breasts bounced a bit as she was taken for a ride. She had a jewelled necklace nestled between them, and as he pressed his body against her, he could feel its hardness against his chest. Shawn could feel Nik's shaft moving through the thin wall that separated Sheba's twin passages, and the friction felt incredible. A long moan escaped Sheba's lips, and he felt her clamp down hard, a gush of fluids flooding out as she climaxed.

Shawn and Nik continued to thrust slowly, prolonging Sheba's orgasm. Suddenly, as she was coming down, Shawn felt an odd...tugging at his mind. That was it! The feeling he had felt before! It was stronger now, and it was coming from...Sheba. Her eyes were growing a bit more brightly now. Shawn felt a flash of anger. She had manipulated him? And was now trying to delve his mind? Mentally, he focussed in and grabbed at the tugging.

Sheba's orgasmic bliss had almost made her lose focus, but she managed to hang on. Just a little more! She was questing stealthily into Shawn's mind. She could sense the source of his power, glowing, just out of reach. Maybe if she could just touch it...

Suddenly, she felt something grab onto her extended consciousness, and she yanked back, attempting to retreat into her own mind. It was too late, it had her firmly. "Mind telling me what you're up to?" Shawn's voice came inside her head. He was looking at her with an eyebrow raised, now fully aware of what she had been doing. She attempted to pull away again, wrestling for control, but he had her too firmly, pinning her inside his mind. "You have mind powers too?" she asked, hoping to distract him.

"Not exactly, but I once trained with someone who did. He taught me how to defend myself against psychic attacks. I can't form a link like you can, but once one is open, I can keep it that way." She let out another moan of pleasure, he and Nik hadn't stopped their slow thrusting. Only a handful of seconds had passed since her orgasm, and the intense feeling of being doubly penetrated was pure bliss.

She had been hoping that the sex would keep him from noticing her touch, but apparently it hadn't been enough. _ "I...see,"_ she said. Her breath was coming out in gasps, and it was reflected in her mind speech.

"You are more subtle than most, I almost didn't catch it," he said, still holding her. The sensation was akin to being pinned up against a wall, wrists locked in powerful fists. It was oddly...erotic, to be completely without control of mind or body.

"You aren't going to tell me what you were after, are you?" he asked.

She gave him a smirk and shook her head, crying out as Nik started rubbing her breasts from behind. Nik was completely unaware of the rapid mental exchange, and his thrusts were getting shorter as he drew close to the edge.

"Well, I guess I will have to teach you a lesson then," he said with a smirk of his own.

Suddenly, she felt herself pulled helplessly deeper inside his mind, and out of nowhere, a shockwave of pleasure ripped through her. She howled in climax, inner muscles working the two males embedded inside her. She could now somehow feel what Shawn was feeling as well, and it was just too much. She still felt the incredible fullness, the firestorm of pleasure from her own sensitive areas. Now though, she could also feel the intimate caress of her own muscles rippling around an organ that wasn't hers, experience the tightness of her own passage as it clamped down around Shawn's shaft. She had the sensation of Nik's cockhead rubbing against Shawn's sensitive tip inside her, through the thin wall separating them. She felt the burning tightness in his groin as if it were her own, and felt both her tunnels spasm wildly for what seemed like years.

This was all it took to get Nik to release his load, and she heard him let out a groan as he shot his hot seed deep inside her. The sensation of having his warm liquid splashing into the mysterious depths of her rear was delightful, and made her cum again, before her last orgasm had even finished.

Shawn grunted, thrusting up hard into Sheba and trying to hang on. It was hard work, splitting his concentration this way, but it was worth it for the expression of nirvana on Sheba's muzzle. He was still a bit pissed that she had been trying to ruffle through his mind without his permission, but he was getting her back with a dose of pleasure unlike any she had ever experienced. He hammered himself into her, feeling his balls draw up tight. Nik had already cum, and was just rocking his hips slowly as she milked him dry.

The sensation of double teaming a female was a new one for Shawn, and to say he was enjoying it would be an understatement. Slamming himself home one final time, he finally crested his peak. His member swelled to its fullest possible state, and tidal waves of pleasure hit as he felt his essence spraying out, coating her walls with powerful spurts. His orgasm put Sheba over a final time, and she threw her head back in another long howl. Her velvet passage was milking him for all it was worth, whatever fluids she had left to give making a mess of their conjoined groins.

He finally released his grip on her consciousness, and felt her presence slip away back to her own mind. The glow faded from her eyes, and she slumped wearily between him and Nik, barely conscious. Shawn gave Nik a grin, receiving one in turn. The fox had no idea what had gone on between Sheba and himself, and Shawn intended to keep it that way. Gently, he pulled himself out, helping hold Sheba upright. Nik laid back, slipping out of her as well and rolling them on their sides, spooning her.

Giving Nik a wave, the tired human gathered his discarded clothes to return to his own room and get some rest. It may not have been completely willing, but he certainly had had fun. He would have to keep an eye on Sheba though. He made sure to put a few warning spells in place around his room. His last thought as he collapsed into his own bed was to wonder just what she had been after.

Nik awoke the next morning to find Sheba already gone. He yawned and stretched, the arm that had been healed slightly stiff, but otherwise good as new. That had been the first good sleep he'd had in a few days. He pulled on his clothes, then found his way to the bathroom to clean up a bit.

A few minutes later, Nik followed his ears into the little kitchen, where Shawn was frying bacon and eggs. He was now dressed in a gray hoodie and jeans, hair slightly dishevelled. Sheba was sitting at the table, watching him with the same odd look on her face she had had last night. It was almost...predatory. Every so often, Shawn would glance at her, eying her warily. Nik wondered just what was going on between the two, but decided against asking.

"Oh, there you are Nik," Shawn said, seeming a bit relieved. "We were beginning to wonder when you'd wake up. Here," he handed him two plates of breakfast. Nik passed one to Sheba, joining her at the table. The wolfess was dressed in her borrowed clothes, the dark colours striking against her white fur, and she smiled at him as he sat down.

Shawn joined them as well, and there were a couple moments of awkward silence before anyone spoke.

"So, how..." Shawn said.

"So..." Nik began at the exact same time.

They both stopped, then burst out laughing.

"Okay, you first," Shawn said.

"Alright. Um, so I guess we'll be parting ways soon?" Nik said. "I have to search for the member of the Remnant that is in this dimension. If they're even still here."

"Well, only if you want to go off on your own," Shawn replied. "I offered you my help, and that wasn't just for a place to stay the night. I can assist you in your mission here."

"That would be great! What about you, Sheba?"

"For the moment, I have no reason to be elsewhere, but I cannot stay for much longer. I will need to return to Tella and Art soon. I think I know why I was drawn here now."

"And that would be..." Shawn asked pointedly.

She smirked at him. "Not the reason you think. This place...it has given me a clue to my past I think. But for the time being, I will stay."

"Wait, you came here on your own? How?" Shawn asked.

"Yes. I used this," she said, pulling out the emerald.

Shawn looked at it curiously, stretching out his hand to touch it. Sheba yanked it back before he could, putting it back inside her shirt. "No! It's mine!"

"Okay okay! I wasn't going to take it!" Shawn said, throwing up his hands. They eyed each other warily, Sheba's eyes glowing suddenly. Shawn locked eyes with her, and the glow winked out as she growled in frustration.

"Okay, what the hell happened between you two?" Nik asked, unable to take it anymore.

"Nothing!" They both said simultaneously.

Nik shook his head. Whatever it was, they weren't going to tell.

There was a couple more moments of silence, before Shawn spoke again.

"Okay, back on topic. How are we going to find this Remnant member. Can you still sense them?"

Nik sighed, "No, not at the moment. That's the problem. Usually, whenever I enter a dimension they are close by. But this time, I was distracted by those two dark wizards. Right now, I'm sensing nothing."

"Do all your people share genetic data? If so, I could use yours to trace them,"

Nik shook his head, "No, I don't think it works that way. We are all of different species."

Shawn nodded, "Okay, so we have to go back to where you started then. I'm assuming that is where I found you?"

"Yes, that's where I came in and met with Sheba. Which was quite the surprise."

"There are no accidents," Shawn said. "You are both here for a reason. And it seems you both now know what that is. Alright. If you two are done, then grab your things and we'll go," Shawn said, standing up and bringing his empty plate to the sink.

Nik rapidly finished up what was on his plate, then added it to Shawn's. Returning to the bedroom, he strapped on the rest of his equipment, then went to rejoin Sheba and Shawn in the living room.

"Just stop it okay! I'm not going to let my guard down around you." Shawn was saying. He had his spell book in his hand.

"Mmm, well. I'll be ready, just in case," Sheba said, a devious look on her face.

Shawn sighed, and cut off what he had been about to say as Nik walked in. "Okay, we're ready then. Here, first I need to put an illusion on you two. We can't have any regular people seeing you."

Nik nodded, and stood patiently as Shawn spoke the words from his spell book. He felt a slight tingling, but that was all. Looking down at himself, he couldn't see any difference. "Did it work?"

Sheba was staring at him, "Yes, it worked. You....you look like a human."

"This is only an illusion, you'll need to be careful you don't do anything too crazy in it or it will break," Shawn said, turning to Sheba.

He started muttering in the strange language of his again, and Nik saw a shudder pass through her. He blinked. Suddenly, standing in her place was a gorgeous human female with long blond hair, dressed in tight jeans and t-shirt. Nik let out a whistle of appreciation. Sheba looked down at herself, "You approve of this form?" she asked, seeming a bit taken aback. Of course, she wouldn't be able to see it herself. "Sure, although, it's still not as good as your normal one," he replied. She smiled at him gratefully, the wolfish baring of teeth looking odd on a human face.

Once again, Shawn started speaking under his breath, getting ready to take them back to New York. In a silent swish of air, the trio vanished from the apartment.

They appeared once more in the same alley from before, and Nik frowned in distaste at the piles of refuse.

"Wow, that's pretty gross," Shawn said, voicing Nik's sentiment. "I had to make sure no one was around though, so this is where it dropped us. Don't worry about it, I'll make sure we don't have to wade through this."

Stepping forward, Shawn started walking over the garbage piles, several inches of air between him and the filth. The bags still depressed under his weight, but whatever he was walking on held. Nik shrugged and followed, Sheba taking up the rear. The reached the street unsoiled, blinking in the bright sunlight. There were a few workers in construction hats and safety vests moving around the area, but none were close, and they seemed to ignore them.

"Your species is a messy one," Sheba said.

Shawn nodded ruefully, "Unfortunately. Pollution is becoming a real problem. I've been part of assignments before to help deal with it."

Nik looked around, trying to get a feel for any pulling on his markings.

"Are you getting anything?" Shawn asked.

"No, let's walk around a bit."

They progressed slowly between the warehouses, stopping every so often so Nik could concentrate. Still nothing. Some of the workers gave wolf whistles at Sheba as they passed, but her icy glare sent them scurrying off with their proverbial tails between their legs.

Suddenly, Nik stopped dead in his tracks. There was...something.

"You found them?" Shawn asked.

"No...this is a bit different somehow," Nik replied. The feeling was...similar. But a little different. He closed his eyes, following it. He walked slowly towards it, being pulled along as if by an invisible string. The sensation was getting stronger, and he felt the familiar tingling in his markings now.

He felt someone grab his arm firmly, halting his progress. He opened his eyes, Shawn's arm holding him back while Sheba's hand gripped his shoulder. He had been about to walk off the end of one of the docks.

"This is it? There's nothing here." Sheba said.

"No, there WAS something here. A portal," Nik said, finally figuring out what the difference was. Closing his eyes, he reached out for the sensation, examining it with his power. Drawing on his abilities, he instinctually opened a gate identical to the one that had been here before. Opening his eyes again, he saw the familiar glowing portal in front of him, just off the end of the dock. Shawn looked a bit impressed. "So, that's how you do it huh?"

Nik nodded, then took a leap of faith into the portal, followed closely by his companions.

They came out in an empty field, a ramshackle looking barn and farmhouse in front of them. The entire area was completely deserted, but Nik could feel the reaction in his markings still. This was indeed the right place.

"Nik, there's someone here. I sense another mind," Sheba said. Nik nodded, drawing his weapons. Shawn stood beside him impassively, but his hand was at his side, gripping something invisible.

Suddenly, a loud screech rent the air, and something came flying out through a blown out window of the farmhouse. Nik reacted, tracking the form with his blaster, when it suddenly halted, frozen in midair. Nik glanced at Shawn, who was focussed on the frozen form, obviously the source of the attack. He had his sword hilt in his hand now, the blade partially drawn out of seemingly nothing at his side. It was impossible to tell what exactly the creature was, as it appeared to be wrapped in a midnight blue leathery material. Wings of some kind?

"No, wait, this isn't right," Nik said. "Is...that the only one Sheba?"

She nodded affirmatively.

"I don't recognize him as a Remnant member, but he's obviously the reason I'm here. I...have to do this on my own. I can't just let you fight my battle for me."

"Are you sure?" Shawn asked. "You are taking a risk..."

"Yes. This isn't like the opponents you fought off. These are foes I am used to facing. I can handle it. And you can probably cancel the illusion now, I want him to know who he's fighting."

Shawn nodded and stepped back, releasing the form, which had started to make muffled shrieks. It crashed to the ground in a heap, slowly untangling itself. A bat with blue fur stood before them, glaring indignantly. He was dressed all in black leather, his wings sweeping out behind him. "How dare you ruin my entrance! You will pay in blood!"

"This guy is pretty dramatic," Shawn said. "Well, if you need help, just yell."

Nik nodded, squaring his stance as he faced this strange creature.

"Who the hell are you?" he said. "You're not a Remnant member."

The bat drew himself up to his full height. "I am Shadow Bat! Omni Dragon has shown me a glimpse of my destiny, and he has shared his power with me! He told me you would come here Sonic Fox, and when I defeat you he will give me a place at his side."

Nik snorted, "And you believed him? Tell me one thing, did you used to be human?"

"My past is none of your concern fox. For now you die!"

He held up his clenched fists, double blades popping out of the leather gauntlets he was wearing. Nik snorted. Whoever this guy was, he was completely unreasonable. Nik took aim with his blaster. Suddenly, the world went dark. There had been no warning, one moment he could see and the next he was blind. He blinked, ears twitching as he strained to see in the pitch blackness.

"Nik, MOVE!" came Sheba's voice in his mind. Without hesitation, he threw himself sideways, feeling himself impact the ground heavily. There was a breath of air from the direction he had been standing, and then a soft chuckle. Then, nothing once again. Nik picked himself up warily, circling away from where he had landed.

"Nik, he can see you!" Sheba said. "Duck!" He did so, feeling something brush over his head. "Damn it!" he swore. He let loose a sonic boom, then spun in a crouch, firing wildly with his blaster.

_"Nik!" _

He dove again, feeling a blade clink against his armour in passing, opening a small cut on his neck.

"How the hell can he see me?" he thought.

_"He's...using sound somehow. That's all I can tell. I can't see him either, so I can't control him." Sheba said. "MOVE!" _

He moved, feeling more unknown objects fly by, one of them nicking his exposed hand. "Sound! Of course!"

Nik continued his momentum, backflipping and dodging randomly away from his attacker. Reaching for his power, he built up a sonic pulse, but instead of releasing it, he held onto it. He could feel the power concentrating, and he began releasing it as slowly as he could. The sound waves stretched out as he emitted them, elongating and becoming subsonic. The low pitched noise was audible only as a faint rumbling sensation in his chest. There it was! A break in the sound wave. A place where the streams compressed against something, raising the pitch.

A fierce grin split Nik's face as he focussed on the spot, getting a clearer image. _ I've got you now you bastard._ He released the rest of the energy in a torrent, and there was a horrible screech as Shadow Bat was blown backwards under the assault. Advancing, Nik released more subsonic waves, feeling out his opponent with the echo image. The bat was picking himself up, and Nik threw himself to the ground as he caught the image of a throwing motion. Several bladed objects flew over his head, and from the ground he drew his blaster to bear. He squeezed off two quick shots, and was rewarded with a howl of pain.

The darkness vanished, evaporating away into the bright sunlight. Nik was almost blinded at the sudden change, and had to recover quickly as the bat charged at him again. He had two wounds in one of his wings, the appendage flapping behind him a bit.

Nik met his charge with a parry, stepping sideways to defer the momentum as his opponent slashed forwards. Spinning, he struck with an overhead blow, which the bat blocked with a raised claw. Stepping back, Nik firmed his stance, holstering his blaster and taking a two handed grip on his sword.

Shadow Bat screeched, coming at him in a flurry of claw swipes. Despite the two weapons, there was more fury and enthusiasm in the attack than actual skill. Nonetheless, Nik had to move quickly to block the rapid strikes, the metallic clashing filling the air. Nik stepped back, allowing his longer reach to keep the bat at bay, parrying the flashing claws.

Dextrously, Nik caught one of the claws in between the blades, twisting and levering his sword upwards. His opponent's eyes widened as one of the claw blades snapped, and he swiped across with the other to knock Nik's sword away.

Calmly, Nik disengaged under the strike and stepped forwards. There was a wet squish, and Shadow Bat stared at him in disbelief, his face inches away from Nik's. He stumbled forwards weakly, slumping against Nik as the blade supported his body. Over his shoulder, Nik could see several inches of reddened sword poking out of his back. The strike had been perfectly on target, right through the heart. He felt a weak scraping at his back, as the bat attempted to stab him, the claw sliding off his armour.

Nik gave him a shove, toppling the mortally wounded creature backwards, his sword sliding out with a sickening sound. Looking down, Nik could see the bat's blood staining his front, dripping down onto the grass.

"No...master...you promised me..." the dying would-be Remnant member gasped. His eyes rolled up, and with a coughing choke, the last vestige of life force drained out of him. Nik wiped his sword clean on the grass, before flipping the retractable blade back into its hilt. He felt a bit sad that he had been forced to kill such an inexperienced and deluded opponent, but Shadow Bat hadn't given him a choice. He had been prepared to keep attacking, even when he had been run through. Standing, he turned back to his companions. Shawn had a neutral expression on his face, and Sheba was watching him closely.

"You won, and you didn't need the wolf," she said.

_"No, but he wasn't a fully trained opponent." _

"It doesn't matter. You are strong enough without relying on the demon inside."

"You say he wasn't a Remnant member?" Shawn asked.

Nik turned back to the bat. "No, at least, not that I know of. He said that Omni Dragon gave him his power though. That worries me."

Kneeling down, Nik examined the bat. He didn't appear to have any of the white markings that all the remnant had, and looking closer, he could see that only the top half of the fur was blue. The roots were all a dark gray.

"It looks like Omni Dragon is recruiting somehow," he said. "But it doesn't look like he's...perfected the process yet."

"So, what will you do now?"

Nik got up with a sigh. "Well, Omni Dragon was here, but obviously isn't anymore. I guess now I go back to my ship."

Sheba nodded. "I too must return. Tella and Art will be missing me by now."

"What about yourself Shawn? Someone with your kind of power would be a big help on my quest," Nik said.

Shawn ran a hand through his hair, looking troubled. "I'm sorry Nik, but I can't. I have too many responsibilities here to just up and leave for an unknown amount of time."

Nik nodded, "I understand."

"But," Shawn continued. "What I CAN do, is give you this." He pulled something from his pocket, holding it out to Nik.

Nik took the thing, examining it. It appeared to be a pen, but had a small red light on the top. Pressing the tip down, the light started to blink on and off.

"That is a beacon," Shawn said. "As long as you are inside this universe, activating that will tell me where you are. If you ever find yourself in trouble, come back to this dimension and activate the beacon. Wherever you are, I'll find you."

"Thank you," Nik said, putting the device in his pocket. "For everything."

"Yes, it has been...fun," Sheba said with a toothy smile at Shawn.

Shawn smiled back a bit resignedly, giving Nik a handshake. "I wish you both luck in your travels."

Nik nodded, returning the gesture, then turned and gave Sheba a hug. "I hope you find what you're looking for," he said.

"You too Nik. And remember what I said."

"I will."

They stepped away from each other, locking eyes briefly. Sheba turned away first, pulling out her emerald and gazing into it. Her eyes flashed green, and a glowing portal opened up in front of her. Without looking back, she stepped inside, the portal shrinking away behind her.

Nik sighed, wondering if he would ever see the wolfess again. With a last wave to Shawn, he opened his own portal. It was time to go home.