FSE

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Remedy

"Oh my gods, you two kissed?!" Gwen exclaimed almost loud enough for anyone within earshot distance to hear, though luckily there weren't a lot of furs about in the campus.

"Shhh!" Xun put a finger to the girl's lips, head whipping about frantically, checking to see if there was an all time gossip spying on them. "Not so loud...and yeah, we did. It was amazing, let me tell ya. By the way, thanks for cleaning up."

The ferret waved off the gratitude with a smile. "Hey, it's no big. What are friends for? I mean, your parents would have flipped had they seen all that!."

And they would have, if not for everyone restoring everything back to the way it used to be. The moment the siblings woke up and healed each other of their wounds, they heard no screams, no shouts, nothing. It was peaceful, and their parents were delighted to hear that Justin had made not only one, but two friends in one day.

Everything went as usual. They got dressed, ate breakfast, made casual conversation and headed off to school. Of course, after getting there, Xun made somewhat of a promise last night, which is why he's on the campus grounds talking with Gwen before the bell rings.

Xun laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, they wouldn't have been happy upon seeing that."

"Mhmm! So, back to the matter at hand. Did one of you ask each other out?" She inquired with a wink, giggling like a schoolgirl who just had her first crush.

"Ahh...well," the panda hesitated and rubbed his left arm idly, his eyes darting to the ground, "no, not really."

Gwen gasped, putting a paw to her mouth in the most dramatic fashion possible. "What?! Why not? That was your best chance!"

Xun couldn't help but blush further as he tried to explain. "I know, I know! It's just..." He sighed, his spirits beginning to dampen now. "I don't know..."

The ferret came up and gently hugged him, her head only reaching up to his stomach. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here for you. But seriously, what's stopping you two from dating? Society? Screw that!"

"I'm not worried about that!" He snapped and immediately regretted it after seeing the hurt look in Gwen's eyes. "Sorry," he pinned his ears down to his skull, "it's just that...ya know...I swore to myself that I wouldn't go out with anyone unless I was certain. And with Rowen coming back and kissing me and confessing his feelings...it's a lot to take in. I think I'm certain he's the one, but at the same time...I just don't know."

Gwen's expression became one of concern as she cupped her chin, thinking. "Yeah, I can see how that would be really overwhelming." She said with a nod of her head, then suddenly she perked up, a flash of determination in her eyes. "I have an idea! Why not ask him out when we're all at the mall this weekend? Or, better yet, kiss him again and see if sparks fly!"

Xun's mouth hung open, his left eye twitching. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "D-Did you not hear...ANYTHING of what I just said? Let me repeat myself, I AM NOT SURE!"

The ferret winced from the loudness of his voice but still had a smile on her face as she looked up at him and poked him on the chest. "I heard you loud and clear, mister. But don't you think for a second that I'm not gonna help."

"Well...I mean, I never said you couldn't Gwen, but--" Loud shushing sounds came, cutting off whatever protest he had.

"No, I don't want to hear it. I refuse to believe that this guy isn't the one for you. He's a childhood friend that has come back to Manitoba after being away in Europe for eight years and has a major crush on you." She moved out of the way and pointed at the lion who was talking to Justin and his two friends. "How can you not be sure about that? Look at him, he's a total dreamboat!"

Xun gazed at Rowen now and in an instant, everything that happened from last night flashed in his mind. And in reaction, his cheeks and the tips of his ears began to burn, having no choice but to avert his eyes or else he'd have a raging hard on. He glared at the smiling ferret. "I hate you. I hate you so much right now."

Gwen's smile became wider, having taken the retort as a full on compliment. "See? You are sure. Now that that's cleared up, we can--huh?" She stopped mid sentence and turned around, gasping in shock. "Oh, no."

The panda raised a brow, wondering why the girl suddenly cut herself off like that until he heard what sounded like cheering and looked up to see the beginnings of a crowd forming a ring around three furs. He couldn't tell who exactly was in the open space because of the distance (they were on top of a hill), but he recognized the lion standing on the left side was Rowen. Behind him was a canine that appeared to be an Australian Shepherd. And at the far right was a grizzly bear he knew all too well.

"That has to be Kota. Ugh, that boy gets on my nerves!" Gwen groaned then let out a sigh and cupped her chin in thought again. "But why would he go after Rowen? I mean, he's always targeted you, so..."

Xun didn't let her finish that thought as he rushed on down toward the crowd, anger filling him with each hurried step. 'I'm not gonna let that bastard lay a finger on him!'

~ ~ ~

Rowen sighed with a small shake of his head, not at all liking how this morning turned out for him. He was in such a good mood too. Now it was ruined because he just so happened to save someone from getting beat up, but he wasn't going to point the blame at the victim. No, it was the grizzly bear's fault for picking on someone small and weak and thinking he could get away with it. He despised people like that with a passion. "Look, I don't care how bad of a day you had, but that does not mean you have to take your anger out on others!"

Kota snorted derisively, cracking a smile as he came up dangerously close to Rowen. "And? What ya gonna do 'bout it? He didn't watch where he was steppin' and then you come along tryin' to front."

'Oh gods, he's really talking like this...' If there was anything the lion hated more than bullying, it was rich kids trying to be gangsters. It took everything in his power to not walk away in disgust. "What I intend to do is all up to you. As for "trying to front"," he took a deep breath and glared at the other, "I'm assuming you meant my interference, which I'm glad to have done. And if I recall, it was YOU who bumped into him."

Kota opened his mouth to retort, but didn't get far as everyone in the crowd gasped and rushing footsteps could be heard. Just as he turned to see just who it was that caused this, a fist collided with his cheek, sending his body flying. Naturally, there were cheers and jeers that followed as his body hit the ground.

"Damn idiot...don't you ever try to hurt Rowen! Got it?" Xun shouted at the other bear who was slowly standing up, rubbing his damaged cheek. His were like daggers when he glared. The two of them stayed like that for awhile, sneering until finally the grizzly sucked in his teeth and walked off. And with him gone, the crowd soon began to disperse, leaving only the three of them behind.

"You didn't have to do that, you know. I can handle guys like him just fine." Rowen said as his body relaxed and smiled warmly at the panda, "but thank you." He turned to the Australian Shepherd and went up to him, giving him a thorough inspection for any injuries. Luckily there weren't any. "Glad I saved you before he could do any damage."

The dog nodded, tail wagging in pure joy. "Thank you so much for this. I don't know how to repay you for your kindness." He bowed his head in gratitude, then straightened himself and held out his paw. "My name is Jacob, but please, call me Jake."

The lion returned the gesture, introducing himself in turn, but just as he did that, he felt something...off. He didn't know how or why, but he felt something coming from the shepherd and just as quick as it came, it vanished entirely. 'What...was that just now?'

There wasn't any time to ponder on this however, for Xun came up beside him with everyone in tow. "Sorry about that, I was worried about you." He said with a flush of his cheeks before taking notice of the person standing in front of them. "Oh, you're that Australian Shepherd I saw just up the hill. You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Although we should probably head inside...the bell will ring in," Jake pulled his left arm out to his face, looking at a wristwatch before putting the limb down to his side, "just a few more minutes."

Having heard that, everyone went inside of the building and introduced themselves, the canine being very polite and kind but despite this, Rowen couldn't shake off the feeling he had just a few minutes ago no matter how hard he tried. And the more he thought about it, sinister chills went down his spine.

"Oh, that's cool! I just noticed that your eyes are different colors." Damien piped up, bringing the lion out of his pondering for him to pay attention.

Sure enough, the dog's eyes were truly different hues. The left eye's iris was light blue while the right was light green. It would have been unsettling, but with how he looks (his fur color being a mix of light and dark brown with white) and thanks to his species, it looked rather appealing.

"It's almost like viewing at the earth and sky." Justin chimed in, apparently in awe at having seeing something like this for the first time in his life. "It looks good on you."

"Yeah, they look alright, I guess." Cameron chimed in, not at all seeming to really care.

Jake blushed. "Umm, t-thank you for the compliments, truly. And I'm very glad to have met all of you. I really should get going though, don't wanna be late and all. I'll see you guys later!" He waved goodbye to everyone and headed down the halls.

"Wait!" Gwen shouted after him, making the boy stop in his tracks and look over his shoulder. "Do you wanna sit with us at lunch? I mean, seeing as this is your first time here and all at this school, so..." She rocked herself side to side, watching and waiting on the other's answer.

He responded with a shrug and a charming smile. "Sure! I don't know anyone here, so why not? Anyway, I really have to go now. See ya!" And with that, he walked through the halls again, disappearing into the crowd.

"Speaking of which...we should head to class too. Come on guys." Justin said and went in the other direction with Cameron and Damien on either side.

"Well, there they go." Xun sighed and strolled through the halls with the other two close by. "I'm glad we're gonna be making a new friend though. He seems like a pretty sweet kid. I wonder what kind of Mage he is...probably air."

Gwen raised a brow. "Umm, I don't think he is, hun. I didn't sense any magic in him. So more than likely he's a mundane."

The panda stopped mid-step, his face wearing an expression of surprise. "Wait, really? Aww man...oh well, I still like him regardless."

The two friends continued to animatedly converse on their way to homeroom. Rowen didn't add anything to the changing topics, for his mind was more focused on the dog. 'Just what was that? There's some sort of power coming from him, I'm sure of it. But he's not a mage, otherwise I would have sensed energy. And the fight...ah!' It was his turn to stop in the middle of the hall now, causing both Xun and Gwen to turn in confusion. "He's faking it...it's all an act." he muttered quietly to himself.

"Umm hey, are you alright?" Xun inquired, breaking the other boy from his thoughts. Both furs had the look of concern written all over their face. "You seem a little bit off today."

"Oh! No, I'm fine. Really. Was just thinking on what we'll be doing today is all...sorry." To emphasize that he truly was doing alright, he smiled and went ahead of them, causing the two to look at each other and shrug before following. 'That's what it is. He's hiding something, but what?' He thought with an increasing frown as they headed to class.

~ ~ ~

It was quiet in the classroom; something Justin always loved when it came to school because his mind was free to think. It was perfect to him in his eyes. The silence, the peace and tranquility of it all.

Unfortunately good moments like these could never last and today, as of this very moment, it was just that time. The reason for it being is because of Damien passing note after note after note in a consecutive manner, all of them with questions such as what movie he liked, video games he loved to play, favorite thing to eat.

At first he thought it was cute and harmless. It didn't bug him at all, not one bit. But this was before the bell had rung and everyone had come inside and were seated in their assigned seats. Now that class had officially begun, he was starting to get annoyed and wanted so much to slap the canine.

"Damien," he whispered harshly after turning to the right, facing him with a glare, "do your work, please."

Damien flipped his ears back and pouted in response with his arms folded across his chest. "No, I don't wanna. It's boring. And besides," his mood quickly changed as he smiled, tail wagging in speed, "you said it yourself last night. So I'm doing exactly that."

Justin facepalmed and quietly groaned, instantly regretting his choice of words. "I know what I said and really, I do like that you're trying. But right now is not the best time, okay?" He looked into the husky's sapphire eyes, pleading.

It didn't take long for Damien to let out a heavy sigh. "Fine..." he turned his attention to his own notebook with a pencil in paw and soon began working along with everyone else.

'Thank you.' The panda mentally sighed in relief and went back to his schoolwork. Minutes passed by. He was almost done until suddenly he felt a sharp sting on his right paw, causing him to gasp in pain and instinctively squash whatever bug had bit him. But as he lifted up, there was no insect or an impression of a bite mark. 'What the hells? I know I felt...'

"Hey," Damien whispered and gently poked the boy, making him jump in his seat and glare. "Sorry. It's just...are you okay?"

"Did something bite you?" Cameron asked, staring at the panda's paw intently as if he was searching for something that wasn't really there.

Justin raised his right paw and experimentally twisted it a few times, even tapping it with a finger but there was nothing. "I don't know...but whatever happened, it's gone now." He gazed at the two furs across from him to his right, noticing their worried looks and smiled. "Guys, I'm fine. More than likely it's my mind playing tricks on me since I slept late."

Cameron shrugged. "If you say so. Just don't come crying if something does happen." He said, ignoring the hard look from his friend.

"If something does go wrong, I'm right here to take you to the nurse's office." Damien gave a smile and a wink, making the boy blush under his fur, then went back to his notebook.

The panda did the same afterwards and tried picking up his pencil, only to find out he couldn't move his fingers. His eyes became wide like saucers as he tried again and again to move them, but to no avail. He was numb. 'Okay, so this is reality. But there's no need to panic...I'll just use the left arm for today.' Putting his right arm to his side, he continued with his work until the bell signaling for lunch came and hurriedly packed everything inside his bag before coming out into the halls.

Damien yawned with a stretch of his arms, curly tail fluffing out with him before coming back down with a satisfied sigh. "So glad it's time to eat. I was getting bored and hungry. What about you, sourpuss?"

The cheetah gave him a look and that was all it took for him to shiver and take back the name. "Starving." Was all he responded with and walked ahead, again not waiting for the two of them.

Not saying a word, Justin followed while he stared at his hand in confusion, wondering what could possible be going on for it to be numb. He was barely paying attention to what anyone was saying or being aware of his surroundings to the point where both furs had to nudge him a couple of times. And each time this did happen, he would apologize and tell them that he was alright, but he felt deep down that the facade wasn't going to be able to last.

Eventually they made it to the cafeteria and the newest member to their table was around, casually chatting with Xun about something in particular.

Damien kept giving worried looks over to Justin as the three of them were in line waiting for their food and he opened his mouth. "Okay look, I know you've been saying that you're fine and all, but from the looks of it you're not and--"

"I. Am. Fine." Justin said through gritted teeth with a vicious glare that could melt off faces.

Cameron arched a brow and pulled his friend away, whispering close to his ear. "I know you're trying to help and believe me mutt, I want to also but I get the feeling this is something that a nurse can't look into." His blank expression did not change from the angry reaction he was receiving. "Just trust me on this one."

Damien growled. "Well, what do you suggest we do? We can't just sit here and do nothing while this...whatever it is happening to him go on for too long." He looked at the panda with his ears pinned down to his head, whining softly.

"I know, but we're at school right now, idiot! And I know what you're thinking. He's not going to want to go home so he doesn't miss anything."

"Uuuugh fine. We'll wait and see what happens from there."

Nothing more was said between them as they were next in line. After each person picked out what they wanted, the three of them sat down at the bench and immersed themselves in conversation, eating as they did.

"Oh hey, little bro!" Xun greeted with his usual beaming smile that could light up a room and regarded the dog that was to his left. "Jake here was just telling us about how and why he moved here."

"Cool! So where do you live?" Justin asked with a tilt of the head while somehow miraculously flexing his right hand below the table for no one to see. In that instant, he wanted so much to share the good news, but kept quiet so no one else would worry. 'But how? Just a moment ago I couldn't feel anything, let alone move my fingers.' He thought in confusion, then shrugged it off as a bad case of nerves and brought his right arm out to the table and ate his food with it.

As soon as he did that however, Jake stared at the panda for a moment and that was all it took; a few seconds until a smile bloomed on his handsome features. "I live in the downtown area of Winnipeg, just a few blocks around the corner of what seems to be a popular bakery. Do you guys know anything about it?" He inquired with an arched brow.

"Oh that's where their father works! He owns the place, selling all sorts of pastries and bread." Gwen answered, her information confirmed as the two pandas nodded.

"A place where my father is beginning to visit quite often I might add." Rowen said with a shake of his head, chuckling. "Sometimes he comes home with tiny bits of crumbs stuck on his face. And when he's trying to look professional, it just fails."

"Aww that's cute. Speaking of your dad, I haven't seen your parents in a long time since you moved away. Or your home for that matter..." Xun cupped his chin in thought.

Another chuckle ran through the lion. "You can come over whenever you feel like it. As for my house, well, I'm warning you now it's pretty big. My parents on the other hand divorced each other just a little over two years ago." Everyone around the table winced at the news but he smiled reassuringly. "Oh no, it actually went over very smoothly. The two of them just fell out of love. It happens. There was no big dispute and if anything, they care about each other and my feelings."

Gwen sighed in relief, along with everyone else. "Well that's good to hear. Most don't really end well. And I'm assuming your dad has official custody of you since, well, you mentioned him a couple of times since you've been here." Rowen simply nodded in confirmation to her assumption.

Damien rubbed his chin with a mischievous smirk on his lips. "Now this makes me wonder if--aah!" he exclaimed, jumping up a little in his seat and glared at the cheetah next to him.

Cameron was unphased and simply stared back, unflinching as he munched on a bag of chips. "You know why I did that, muttbrain."

"In any case, we're getting a little sidetracked here." Xun gave a nod to the dog, prompting him to continue.

"Oh yes, my moving here. As much as I would like to keep going," Jake began to stand, "I have to use the restroom, so if you would excuse me please." He maneuvered out of the bench and strolled into the bathroom.

Not a full minute passed before Rowen stood up from the table and made his way to the same place. "Sorry, I have to go as well."

Xun tilted his head. "Huh. I guess the two of them really had to go."

~ ~ ~

As soon as Rowen reached the restroom, he saw the dog standing near a urinal looking calm as ever. Before going up to him, he made sure to close the entrance door and ward it with a soundproof spell so no one would eavesdrop. He checked every single stall and found no one. The space was empty, save for the two of them, just how he wanted it. After doing that, he leaned against a nearby wall, glowering at the boy. "Look, I'll only say this once and I would like to be answered. Who are you?"

Jake didn't answer right away as he flushed the urinal and zipped up his pants before going over to the sink, washing his paws. It was such an everyday thing to do, but in the lion's eyes he could see that each action was meticulous as if he had been practicing this over and over until he got it exactly right.

He didn't rush the dog, nor threatened him in any way because he knew the best way, when it comes to gathering information, is to simply wait and the answers will come. But it only worked sometimes. And as of this very moment, he wondered if it could be successful.

Shutting off the water, the dog went about drying his paws until he was done, then faced Rowen, his whole demeanor and the look in his eyes completely changed. "I commend you for waiting, truly I do. Usually I would have had to beat some sense into a mindless brute who thinks he can overpower me. Now, to your question, I can't answer that. Otherwise I would have no choice but to kill you."

In an instant, the atmosphere became deadly silent and cold. Rowen's heart sank to the pit of his stomach and felt his mouth go dry. And the feeling from earlier intensified to the point where his legs visibly shook. He tried to will himself to stop, to not look so vulnerable in the face of who could be a potential enemy, but he couldn't. 'This kid has to be joking...right? He can't be serious!'

"I am serious," Jake said, making the lion look at him in complete shock. "Don't worry, I'm not a telepath. You're just very easy to read right now. And it's amazing, considering that I couldn't earlier because of how subtle you were." He took a few steps forward until he was close to his face. "Also, yes, I am acting to throw everyone off. I'm surprised you saw through this though, but that makes me admire perceptive people like yourself."

A loud growl rumbled from deep within Rowen's throat. Joke or not, this kid was dangerous and he was not going to stand here and be a frightened cub. He raised a paw but didn't get far as his wrist quickly became caught in a tight grip and forcibly bent in a way that made him groan in pain. "H-How did you know what I was going to do?"

"Because I know you and the others are Mages and no, I'm not divulging that sort of information either." Jake responded and released the other's wrist. "But what I am going to tell you is that instead of worrying about me, you should be more focused on Xun's brother."

That left Rowen dumbfounded at this piece of info. "What's going on with Justin?" He was so confused at the suddenness of everything right now. How could a mundane like him know what they were? And what knowledge could he possibly have on the young panda?

Jake arched a brow, then let out a heavy sigh. "Seems you aren't as perceptive as I believed you to be. In any case, he's tainted and the infection is spreading but at a drastically slow rate. Why, I haven't the faintest idea and as to what creature is causing this, I've already identified it to be hellhounds." He cupped his chin in thought. "Tell me, how many bite wounds did he have on his body?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't have the chance to check at the time." Rowen replied and then shook his head. "Anyway, how do you even know all of this? What are you?"

The dog simply blinked and sighed once more, putting a paw to his forehead. "I've already explained that I cannot answer that. You'll just have to trust me. Now I don't care what you think of me as, but I am willing to help with this dilemma."

For a long moment the lion was silent, considering on what to do. Deep down he knew he wouldn't be able to take Jake on by himself, even if he wanted to. There were so many unanswered questions that he wanted to dig out, but there was no way to get them. Despite this, the one question that burned in his mind was the dog's true objective in all of this. Unfortunately, there was no possible way of obtaining that either. With this in mind, there was only one thing left to do. "Fine...I'll trust you. For now, at least."

Jake nodded, as if he expected that sort of answer all along. "Good, now that things are settled, will you please take out the ward and unlock the door?"

With no hesitation or even a retort, Rowen did just that and followed him out into the cafeteria. Just as the two of them sat down, they were getting strange looks. "He wanted to know everything about Winnipeg."

"Yeah, sorry about that everyone." Jake rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess I was too nervous to ask out loud to you all."

Conversation picked up again and as much as Rowen participated, he couldn't stop looking over at Justin. The panda was smiling and seemed to be in perfect health. 'But he's only doing this so no one would worry.' He thought and turned to regard Jake who was also in high spirits. 'I suppose I'll have to take his words at face value.'

~ ~ ~

Justin flipped through a page in the textbook in social studies class, his last period of the day before school was over. He was sort of disappointed that both of his friends didn't share the same period (despite having the same teacher), but at the same time it felt good to have a little bit of solitude.

The teacher in question who was going into detail about the Cold War was Mr. Varus, a tiger in his early thirties who appeared to be very muscular under his suit and in good health.

From time to time, the young panda would look up from his book and ogle at the man, his mind being comprised of many lewd thoughts before he shook his head and have his eyes glued to the book. This wasn't normal behavior for him and he knew it. Normally he wouldn't give any male figure (no matter how sexy they looked), a second glance because of how much he wanted to focus on his work.

But now it was a different case and the problem with his arm from earlier came back with a vengeance, this time all the way up to his shoulder. 'What the hells is going on? I was just fine at lunch!' He thought with a rising panic that was beginning to boil and burst at the surface and growled in frustration, not even realizing how loud he was being until the teacher spoke his name. "Yes?"

"Are you alright, son? Is something or someone bothering you?" He asked, his expression being one of worry. The rest of the students also gazed at him.

Justin blushed, not at all liking how everyone was staring at him like he was some sort of freak. "Uh...y-yes, I'm fine. Please, continue." He responded, the tips of his ears now turning crimson.

It took a minute for the teacher to turn around and resume, but it did the job for the whole class went back to paying attention to the subject.

Eventually the final bell rang and with that sound, the young panda packed up his things and made it out into campus grounds. He knew where everyone was waiting so he turned to his right and joined up with the others near the parking lot.

"Hey there! Feeling better?" Damien inquired after bounding up to him with Cameron close by, his curly yet fluffy tail doing its usual thing.

"Looks like it." The cheetah said with a shrug.

The young panda didn't answer for a long time, just stared at the boy with complete lust. Faintly, he growled and got up close to him before grabbing the back of his neck and gently pushed his face onto his own, their lips meeting one another. Everyone turned with a mixture of shock and surprise.

In reaction, Damien's eyes went wide, his tail and fur fluffing out. He closed his eyes and softly moaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Justin before parting. "I thought you wanted to get to know me better first."

"I know, but I couldn't wait that long." He giggled as he held onto the husky and whispered softly into his ear. "Besides, I want to see you naked," he held out his left paw, claws extending outward, "and see you drown in your own blood!"

An expression of confusion crossed Damien's face before he was roughly shoved out of the way by Cameron who jumped back just in time from being scratched. "Alright, I take back what I said..."

Rowen came up beside the cheetah along with the others. "What's going on?"

"Justin, what are you doing attacking your friends like that!" Gwen shouted in both anger and concern.

"Yeah, what's going on with you? This isn't funny." Xun said with a glare at the young panda.

"That isn't the boy you all know and love. This is the taint that's beginning to spread at an alarming rate." Jake said as he stepped in, causing everyone except for Rowen to gawk at him. "I know what you're all going to ask, but now is not the time or place." With that said, he rushed over to Justin, effortlessly dodging a swipe and placed a paw on his forehead.

Justin growled ferociously and then suddenly, he stopped, going stock still. In the next instant, his eyes slowly began to close and darkness overtook his being.

~ ~ ~

Xun rushed over to catch his little brother, just before he could hit the ground and nuzzled him fiercely as if doing such a thing would break whatever was going on. With him in his arms, he slowly stood up and walked over to Jake, ferocity in his green eyes. "Alright, I don't know what the hells is going on but don't you EVER manhandle him like that again."

The dog stood his ground, unphased and unflinching as he gazed up at the panda. "You were too slow to react. And we're pressed for time as it is. Now, does anyone here have a vehicle that they can drive and has enough space?"

Xun growled and grumbled, but otherwise bit his tongue for it was the simple truth and he hated it.

Gwen tentatively raised a paw. "I do, but it's a Prius...which is too small..heh." She nodded toward Damien and Cameron with a smile. "But it can fit you two no problem. That is, if you want a ride home."

"Well, I would like to, but Justin..." Damien gazed at the boy, a soft whine coming out.

"He'll be fine, mutt." Cameron said with a roll of his eyes and regarded the ferret. "We'll take you up on that offer."

The girl took out her car keys. "Great! Let's go! Umm...what will you guys do, though? I mean, where are you going to go to get him treated?"

"We'll be going to my sister's clinic shop in the downtown area. She has everything I need to fully cleanse out the taint." Jake answered with a confident nod and smile.

"Oh, okay! Alright then, I'll see you guys later I guess. Text me what happens, hun!" She walked over to her car with a wave goodbye and the two boys following after her.

"In any case, I have a Ford. It has enough space to accommodate." Rowen answered as he fished out his car keys and twirled them around a finger, already walking to his truck.

As everyone hopped inside and put on their seatbelts (with the exception of Justin since he was knocked out and was laying on his brother's lap), the lion quickly turned on the engine and got out of the parking lot. Driving down the road, everyone was silent, not knowing what to say to each other.

Surprisingly, after a few minutes, it was Jake who broke the silence. "I know that all of this news is very sudden and shocking to you, Xun. But believe me, I'm here to help in any way I can."

"Well I've already figured that out when you put my brother to sleep...somehow. As for everything else," he shrugged and gently rubbed his brother's head, "I don't really care about to be honest. I just want Justin to be back to normal again. Actually...I do have one question." His eyes shifted toward the lion.

"Don't even ask it because I have no idea either. And yes, that's why we were in the bathroom for so long." Rowen answered with a sigh as they began to enter downtown. "So, where do I go?"

Jake directed him with accurate details, almost like he was a global positioning system. And with his directions, it didn't take long for them to reach their destination. "Here we are, my sister's clinic center." He turned around and looked at the two pandas, raising a brow. "Odd...it's happening again."

"What's happening again?" Xun asked with an arched brow of his own.

"The rate at which the taint is progressing...it's slowing down drastically." The dog said, cupping his chin as he began to explain further. "I had assumed that someone within the group was causing this intentionally or not. I just didn't know who, but now I do know and that it was you, Xun Ling."

"Wait...what? What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Xun was thoroughly confused by this piece of information. He couldn't make a lick of sense out of it. 'Me, slowing down some taint? Jeez, if it isn't one strange thing after another.'

"It could be because of that bracelet you have on your wrist." Rowen pointed out with a glance at his rearview mirror.

Jake cocked his head to the side in the typical canine fashion until he noticed what the lion was referring to. "I see...interesting. Now, as much as I would love to divulge on this matter further, we have a boy desperately in need of a cleansing." With that said, he took off his seatbelt and got out of the truck before shutting the door, then headed inside the medium sized building.

A soft sigh fell out from Xun's lips as he gazed down at his little brother, wondering how things could have gotten so bad. He raised his right arm, peering at the jade bracelet in disgust. "All because of this thing...I hate it."

"Hey now, it's not all that bad. At least it's keeping your sibling from getting any worse." Rowen said and turned to Xun with a bright smile.

"Yeah, you have a point." He chuckled and took off his seatbelt before positioning his arms under Justin to properly carry him. "Umm, do you mind getting the door for me and holding him for a quick second, please?"

"Oh, sure! Sorry." The lion quickly turned off the engine and grabbed his car keys before getting out and opening the side door. Reaching inside, he grabbed hold of the young panda and carefully brought him out. "Huh, he's pretty light."

Xun couldn't help but let out a light hearted laugh as he stepped out of the truck and slammed the door shut. "That's because you have a lot of beef in your arms, muscles." He held out his arms, his sibling brought back into them once more.

Having done that, the two of them went into the building. Inside, it looked just like any other clinic; the walls were puke green, the tiles on the floor matched the color of the ceiling which was white. Chairs were lined up neatly against three sections of the walls. In one corner there was a potted plant. There was a table with magazines and to top it off, the place faintly smelled of old herbs and spices.

There was no one around, save for a female Australian Shepherd wearing a lab coat at the receptionist desk who was talking quietly with Jake about something in particular. It was safe to presume this was the dog's sister. After Xun cleared his throat did the two stop what they were doing.

"Oh, hello! I'm Holly, Jacob's older sister. He's already informed me of what's going on so whenever you're ready, you can head into the back." She informed them with a smile, her eyes taking in the two boys, then being stuck on Rowen. "Oh my, you didn't tell me you had such cute friends!"

Jake sighed and shook his head, then turned around to head down a small corridor. "Don't get your hopes up and Xun Ling needs to fill out the appropriate forms first. I'll come and grab him in a few minutes." He said as he disappeared around a corner.

Xun looked to Rowen on his right and passed Justin over to him before coming up to the desk. Now that he was having a closer look at Jake's sister, he noticed that she had very pretty light blue eyes and her complexion made her look incredibly innocent. "So your brother is some sort of doctor or something?"

"Yup! The correct term you're looking for though, is practitioner and he's very skilled at it." She turned in her chair and picked up two pieces of paper, along with a clipboard and pen, then swiveled back and placed them on top of the desk, to which the panda grabbed, already filling out the paperwork. "It's so strange..."

"What is?" Rowen inquired and instantly seemed to be regretting it, for the girl looked up at him and her smile became wider, giving him a wink. He blushed under his fur.

"My brother..." Holly's smile began to diminish a little and her gaze went downward. "For the longest I can remember, he never had any friends growing up. Basically a loner and preferred to keep it that way. Many times I've wondered why he was like that, but whenever I asked, he would just keep quiet. But now," her attitude was upbeat again, "I see that he isn't like that anymore. And I want to thank the two of you..well three for being his friend."

Finishing up on the forms, Xun passed everything back to the girl and had his little brother back in his arms. "Well, your sibling seems nice enough and it's no problem. Oh, by the way..how is he a practitioner? Does he have a degree?"

Holly hesitated, looking over at something in her work area only she could see. "Well, that's..."

Before an answer could come out, Jake peeked in from around the corner. "I'm ready for you now. Come." He ordered and then disappeared again.

Xun trailed after Jake, then stopped halfway as he turned to regard the lion for a moment, wearing an expression of worry. "Uhh..." he stammered out, "I'll be back, it won't take long."

Rowen nodded with a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere. Go do what you have to do."

"Oh yes, you don't have to worry about your friend here. I'll make sure he stays right where he is.." Holly giggled with a bat of her eyelashes, making the lion blush under his fur. He started to look uncomfortable.

The obvious display of the girl's attempt at flirting almost made Xun angry, but he brushed it off as he had other matters to attend to. With a shake of his head, he made his way down the hallway and into an open room where Jake was patiently waiting, seated on a stool. Immediately, the smell of herbs incense became stronger and he felt a faint stir of magic, but couldn't identify where it was coming from or the source. "Wow, it smells nice in here..."

The room had the usual examination table with two wooden desks on opposite ends of the wall, filled with various lab equipment. There was a mortar and pestle,conical flasks of different sizes and shapes, a few beaker and a couple of other things that couldn't be recognized.

"Set him down on the table and take off his shirt." Jake instructed, getting a glare from the panda, to which he shot back. "Either you do as I say or I cancel what I'm doing and let you watch as your brother suffer. Choose carefully, Xun Ling."

Xun growled and did what he was told after shutting the door, not at all liking the dog's tone or attitude one bit. 'I can see why you never had any friends. Downright evil...' He thought as he pulled off Justin's T-shirt and gently laid him down on the smooth surface. "There, happy? And don't call me by my full name like that, it's weird."

"As you wish." Jake stood up and walked over to one of the flasks, one that the panda recognized to be a florence flask, already being held over a small fire with a support ring around it. There was some strange green liquid inside that was being stirred. "So tell me," he spoke up after a moment of silence and turned to face Xun, "how did this happen?" He inquired, then sighed at the notice of hesitation and hard look he received. "I understand that my words can be harsh, but you have to trust me. And in order for me to help you, you have to help me. I have to know what creature caused this."

A long silence followed. He gazed down at his little brother's sleeping form, watching the rise and fall of his chest, listening to him softly breathe in and out. It was like nothing had ever happened to him. Eventually he let out a long sigh, then looked away to regard Jake and relayed everything that transpired last night. The only thing he left out was the tad bit of intimacy he shared with Rowen.

The dog's face was impassive at first as he listened, but then it became more and more grim until finally he was frowning. "You are a horrible excuse for a brother. And for one such as yourself to claim and act like you're the protector is unacceptable."

"Excuse me?!" Xun shouted with a roar, stepping up the dog until he was close to his face. "Who the hells do you think you are? You don't know me! And you don't know Justin like I do! I can protect him!"

"Really? Then why is here looking like he's on his own deathbed? From what you've told me, he should be dead already!" Jake growled out, a snarl on his face before calming down with a huff.

All of the anger that Xun suddenly had quickly fizzled out as he took in those words, his eyes wide. "Wait...really?" He stepped back and looked over to the young panda, then back again, his ears flicked back on his head. "He'd be gone...?"

"Yes, he would be if not for you." Jake turned around and paid attention to the flask again, this time turning off the flames and stirring the liquid around once more before grabbing the top neck and bringing it to his face, staring at the contents intently. Seeming satisfied with the results, he placed it back on the ring. "Normally with a Mage, a single bite from a hellhound would take three whole days for them to become a thrall. It takes time for the taint to spread because of the natural magical resistances you have. Now if we take your brother's case, who has had several, along with claw marks...it's devastating on not only the body and mind, but his very lifespan. I'm not even discounting the disrupted energy flow."

"Oh...but wait, I mentioned that I got damaged too, so shouldn't I be in the same state, if not worse?" Xun questioned, trying not to think about the bracelet on his wrist.

Jake cupped his chin in thought. "Yes, you very well should be. But you're not. Which is, in itself, a miracle if you will. Otherwise there would be graves for the both of you. As to why your body is immune to the effects, I do not know. But I can only theorize that the accessory on your wrist there is the source of not only you being alive and well, but to the progression of the taint."

The panda looked at the bracelet for one second, then back at the dog, his expression showing mass confusion. "Okay, I don't know what's going on and I have no idea what to tell you. All of what I have told you? That's it. Nothing more to add."

"I see...very well. Excuse me while I go fetch for a suitable cup." Jake went over to the door and pulled it open, walking out of the room. It was only two minutes that he was away before coming back in with a plastic cup and coming over to the flask, bringing it out of the support ring and pouring the contents out. Having done that, he set the flask down on the desk and came over to Justin's right side while Xun was at his left. "Now, I need you to place a strong binding spell because once he wakes, he'll try to kill us."

"Umm...alright, but I have a question..." The panda began to blush under his fur.

"If it's about him kissing the husky, don't worry. He's sixteen, it's normal for a boy his age to be sexually active. Now bind him. Once he drinks this, it'll make what I have to do really easy." Jake leaned over slightly and pressed something below the examination table, for the top part of it slowly raised, making Justin come into a sitting position.

With a nod from the dog, Xun raised a paw, the magic in him beginning to stir. In an instant, ethereal purple chains began to shoot up from the ground and wrap tightly around Justin, but not enough to actually suffocate. After accomplishing that, he sensed the magic he felt earlier, this time stronger and nearby. With a look toward the cup Jake was holding, he knew it was that and it made his nose itch. "What's in that stuff?"

Jake grinned as he answered, "just some simple medicine with a strong kick to it," and placed his paw on top of Justin's forehead again, effectively having him open his eyes. Only they weren't topaz anymore, but blood red and immediately he let out a horrifying roar that was unlike anything they or anyone had ever heard.

Xun covered his ears, groaning at the loud, insufferable noise. However, it lasted for only a small moment as Jake quickly brought a free paw over and pinched the bridge of Justin's nose before shoving the cup into his mouth. "Well...okay...that's...anticlimactic." He remarked, oddly disappointed as he watched his brother drink down the liquid.

"Now Xun, didn't you hear me? This is to make what I plan on doing next easier. It's not over yet." He stated and kept his paws right where they were until he took the cup away and checked the inside. With his grin never leaving, he released his hold on the boy's nose and carelessly threw the cup on the floor. "I will clean that up later."

The panda watched Jake place a paw upon his brother's chest and then close his eyes. For a long, agonizing moment, it looked like nothing was happening until he felt magic stir in the air. No, it wasn't magic as he had thought it was hours ago. It was power, but where was it coming from? As he pondered and looked around for the source, a soft, yellow light gradually began to glow and form around Jake. "What's going on...?" He stared, shocked at what he was witnessing. Then in the next instant, his bracelet and eyes started to glow like they did the night before.

Justin groaned. Whatever it was that was inside of him tried to resist, making him thrash around violently, the chains holding him down clinking from the action. However it was no use, for Xun held him down with ease. This only made the boy shake himself harder and give out another ear shattering roar.

Bullets of sweat appeared on Jakes head as the light around him began to shine ever so brighter, the power he was somehow creating increasing in volume. As he opened his eyes, they glowed just like the aura surrounding his form. Soon, a pulse of light was seen at the spot where he had his paw and veins of pure light began to quickly traveled across the young panda's body.

With everything that's going on in front of Xun's eyes, he didn't realize the lab equipment around the small space begin to levitate until he saw one smash against the wall, almost hitting the focused dog. In his awareness, he casted a field of energy around him, causing the objects to bounce back and smash onto the floor. Luckily there wasn't anything in them.

Another roar came from Justin as the veins of light traveled up to his neck, then slowly upward onto his face. His thrashing only increased, the act being desperate now as he tried to escape the inevitable.

Suddenly, the door opened and Rowen stepped inside. "What's going...oh gods..." His mouth hung open at the scene playing out. Holly came in beside him and instantly, her reaction became the same.

Whipping his head around, Xun raised a paw, pushing the two slightly away before slamming the door shut with his magic and returned his attention to what was going on. "Hurry up, Jake!"

In answer to the panda's shout, Jake gave a roar of his own, the light finally reaching to Justin's eyes, the red color completely giving over to yellow. And with one more horrible sound that seemed to last for ages, black smoke rose out of his mouth in waves and stuck onto the very ceiling, coating it in pitch darkness. The young panda fainted afterwards.

Xun looked up and automatically raised his right paw. And with a soft glow, the large shadow began to slowly vanish until there was nothing else left. Putting his arm down, he gazed at the two furs, watching the light fade and with it, his own glow disappeared. Instantly he wobbled from the amount of energy he discharged and held onto the examination table for support. He was breathing heavily. "Did...did that do it?"

Jake was out of breath as well, for he was slumped down on the table along with him. "Yes...it was successful. Good work on the binding." Sweat matted his fur, and the stains on his clothes proved it took a lot of strain on him.

The sound of Justin moaning brought the attention of the two boys who looked up to see him slowly opening his eyes. "Ahh...Xun?" He croaked, his throat apparently dry from what happened. "What happened?"

Exhausted or not, Xun quickly came up and wrapped his brother in a warm embrace, the beginnings of tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh, Justin...I'm so sorry..." He sobbed, raw emotion flowing out of him and he couldn't stop as he held onto him as tight as he could.

Jake slowly stood up with a soft groan, watching the touching scene with an impassive face, but never opened his mouth. Instead, he carefully made his way to the door, staggering a few times before catching himself and walked out of the room. As he came back, he had a bottle of water in his paw and gave it to the young panda.

"Oh, thank you." Justin graciously took it with a free paw, then gently patted his brother on the back. "O-okay you're starting to hurt me now...please loosen up a little." He pleased with a small cough. After being released, he unscrewed the cap and sipped a few times, a satisfied sigh coming out. "Much better! So, umm...would anyone care to explain what happened?"

The two boys looked to each other. Jake shrugged and leaned on the desk while Xun took it away, relaying everything until it was finished. "Yeah, a lot went down today." He scratched the back of his head. "This whole thing has made me tired though."

"Huh." Justin regarded the dog with a tilt of the head, but otherwise he smiled. "It's amazing how a mundane like you know who we are without us saying anything and about my...err...condition. But thanks for what you did!"

Jake nodded his gratitude in return and turned his eyes toward Xun. "Now that we're done here, he can be discharged. A bill will be coming to you in a matter of three days, unless you want to pay me upfront."

Xun was not prepared to hear that and he panicked. "Aww man, really!" He facepawed, sighing in frustration. "Ugh, come on...cut me some slack here! We just dealt with a life or death crisis. Can you at least wait until I have my allowance or something? Also, I don't want our parents knowing...Gods we'd be grounded for months if they knew."

"Probably years actually." Justin piped up and got a glare from his older brother, effectively making him shrink back. "S-sorry...I won't say anything about this, promise. I don't wanna get grounded either."

The dog shook his head, clearly not giving up on this. "Nothing in life is free. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will sign your brother's discharge so you can go home." With that said, he left the room once again, leaving the two siblings alone.

A loud groan rumbled out of Xun, then blew out a puff of breath. "Well, it looks like we can't avoid our fate," he turned to the young panda with a smile, "but we can take whatever punishment they can throw at us. Can you put on your shirt or do you need help?"

Justin turned to his left and grabbed his T-shirt. As he tried to put it over his head, his arms trembled, then fell onto the examination table. "Looks like I'll need assistance."

The panda chuckled and helped his brother out with getting him dressed, grateful for the fact that he was okay and healthy. "Just leave that on since we'll be going home soon." He said with a stretch and a yawn, his stubby tail wagging in reaction.

Justin simply nodded, then blushed hard under his fur and looked down to the floor. "Umm, Xun? I remember what I did with Damien...uhhh is he angry at me?"

Xun arched a brow, surprised at the question. "What? No he's not. In fact, he liked it! Although not so much on you trying to uhh...tear his fur clean off. But other than that, not really." He chuckled at the memory.

"O-oh, that's great!" The young panda still had his gaze averted, but really, he was staring at his brother's crotch and with no hesitation, he reached out and groped, catching the other boy by surprise and scoot back.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" A hard blush was on Xun's cheeks from the simple action. 'I know he's sixteen, but jeez! He's more of a hornball than me!'

Justin looked really ashamed now. "I'm sorry. I won't do that again. It's just...it was right there, so I...ugh, I don't know, sorry. I love you though. And you're...kinda hot."

Xun scratched the back of his neck, feeling awkward now. He didn't know what to do or how to respond to something like that. It was so out of the ordinary. But some deep part of him liked it, even enjoyed the touch. Realizing that he was taking a while to answer, he came up to him and cupped his chin, tilted his head up and kissed him deeply on the lips. A full minute passed before he parted, a smile on his lips. "I love you too, and thanks for the compliment. Funny how it's the second time we've both had a kiss and it's with each other. And as much as I would want to keep going, we're in public."

The young panda nodded. "I understand." He said with a smile and grabbed Xun's crotch again, this time feeling up on his balls, then stopped what he was doing as Jake came back into the room.

"Alright, here's the discharge forms. Don't worry about the bill. Rowen says he'll take care of it. You should be grateful." Jake handed the papers to Xun, who graciously took them. "You're all set to go. Have a nice day."

At the very mention of the lion's name, Xun gasped and stashed the papers into his satchel before grabbing Justin's blazer and satchel. After helping him down and leading him out into the waiting room where Rowen was indeed waiting with Holly sitting next to him, he hugged the lion. "Oh my Gods, thank you for covering me. I promise I will pay you back."

Rowen laughed. "It's no problem, it's the least I can do to help out a long time friend. We're still shocked over what we saw, but I know you'll fill me in on the details. Which is why we came back here in the waiting room. Holly's suggestion. Anyway, you two ready to go?" He took out his car keys with a grin.

"Yes, pleeeease!" Xun responded with a groan, still holding onto Justin and waved goodbye to the two Australian Shepherds. "See ya at school! Thanks again for the help."

Both Justin and Rowen also gave their thanks before the three of them headed outside and got inside the truck. As the vehicle was brought to life, they drove toward the school so Xun could get his car. And after the two pandas gave their farewells, they made their way home. He couldn't stop thinking about the events however.

There was a mystery surrounding their new friend and once again, the bracelet had done something that was unbelievably extraordinary. 'I made a shadow...disappear. And help stave off Justin's taint somehow. Things just keep getting weirder.' He looked over to Justin for a quick moment and smiled as he fell back asleep. Many questions were on his mind, but he would take it all one step at a time.