FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Crrrrrnnnnch...

The noise was still echoing in his mind when Frosty snapped awake. He blinked in confusion when he realized he was back in the guest room of Prince Fomo's palace. Or was it Prince Wuff now? His memories of what he'd just woken up from were fragmented and jumbled. He couldn't be sure what had actually taken place. Everything he'd experienced felt like a perpetual fever dream, and strangely, the more he tried to think back on it, the more difficult it was to recall.

"How did I end up here?" he asked aloud, looking around the room.

Attempting to piece together the events that lead to this moment was beginning to make his head hurt. It was a surreal feeling. There were so many experiences and events that seemed to be just on the fringes of recollection, but the more Frosty tried to focus and remember, the stronger the headache became.

Maybe a walk around will help clear my head. It took more effort than anticipated to get himself out of bed, he quickly discovered. It was so warm and comfortable there. Something told him he belonged here, compelling him to remain.

_ No, I need to get up,_ he persisted. After what felt like a monumental effort, eventually Frosty succeeded in sitting up and pulling himself away from the bed. As he did, that warm, comforting feeling felt like it was being ripped away. Once he was fully on his feet, he felt a void. Something was missing.

The gentle tug returned to him, as if another presence was asking him to get back in bed. Perhaps he should, he considered. He didn't like the emptiness he was feeling. It was almost...cold.

"Maybe...just a little longer..." The pull grew stronger, and to his surprise, Frosty realized he was sitting on the bed once more. He couldn't recall making a conscious effort to do so, but the pleasant comfort had returned as a result.

"How..." Perplexed, he once again moved to stand, and found it was just as difficult as it had been the first time. When he finally succeeded, the cold, empty feeling crept in once more. What was making him feel this way? It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

Frosty got his answer when he turned to investigate. Heaped up on the bed where he'd just been resting was the cheetah's silvery CATS suit. It was lumpy and misshapen. The suit was filled out with a warm mass, which Frosty realized seemed to be the source of the pulling. It was as if the contents themselves were reaching out for him.

Puzzled, he reached out, feeling the curious sensation growing as his hand neared the suit. When he touched it, there was a brilliant flash of recollection and a vivid memory returned to him. Frosty could clearly recall his encounter with Forest now. He felt a wave of euphoria rush over him as he thought back on how good it had felt to slip down the wuff's throat and let his friend digest him.

It seemed right, to find himself in that role. And as Frosty dwelled on that thought, he felt more connected with the mass occupying his suit on the bed. The memory continued playing out in his mind, beyond what he had previously experienced.

The cheetah's contentment grew as his mind was filled with images of Forest lounging on the royal throne, hunched over his soft, churning belly. The wuff was so pleased to have him, and all the while, he could almost feel his friend's belly continuing to digest him. He was aware of his former self beginning to squeeze deeper and further render down in Forest's gut, his softened mass beginning to divert to the wuff's hips and waistline.

The scene abruptly skipped forward. He now found Forest in the guest bedroom, crouched over a slimy CATS suit, wagging quickly as he strained. Frosty could feel himself blushing hotly as his friend shuddered and groaned at the remains of the spotted "bunny" beginning to push free beneath his tail. Little more than a thick column of waste, everything seemed to fell into place as he witnessed Forest relieving himself of what was left of Frosty. The epiphany was reinforced when a black collar emerged, coiled several times around its former owner.

Somehow, he could sense how good he'd made Forest feel, how much the wuff was reveling in this moment. When Forest finished his deed and rose from the bed, everything felt complete.

Frosty was one again left with the realization that this was where he belonged. His mind thought back on what Forest had said upon finishing. "Thanks for being so good for me, Kitty Litter."

Kitty Litter. That's all he was now. Frosty looked over his discarded CATS suit once again, now understanding the draw he was feeling. Then something else clicked in his mind.

"Wait, am I dead?" He'd had unusual experiences after being devoured before, such as being stuck as sentient padding for a time on a predator's hips. But nothing like this. He was actively looking over what remained of his encounter with Forest.

He quickly dismissed the possibility that he was dreaming. Everything felt too real, the emotions too pure to be his imagination. If he wasn't dreaming, what came next? He couldn't shake the desire to embrace it, to accept his fate and let himself be drawn in. The feeling of being where he belonged was pleasant, comforting for some reason. But fear of the unknown kept him hesitant.

Was this it for him? Or was this simply another detour before he experienced another loop?

Drawing his hand away from the CATS suit on the bed, Frosty looked at it for a long moment, then at his hand. He felt disconnected again. Colder. He didn't like it. But what was his alternative?

Sighing, Frosty looked to the mirror in his room. Stepping away from the bed, he approached it to look himself over, and was surprised when he saw...nothing at all. It was like he was gazing into an empty void. Neither he, nor the bedroom he was standing in reflected in the mirror.

"...the hell?" Frosty turned to look over his shoulder and was greeted by the guest bedroom. When he looked to the mirror again, there was nothing. Curious, he reached out to touch the mirror and was greeted by the smooth, cool glass surface. It was solid as expected, and the mirror moved when he pushed it.

Okay, so I'm not a spirit. At least, Frosty didn't think he was, given that he could still interact with his environment. But it still didn't explain the lack of reflection. Shifting the mirror further yielded the same result. No matter where he stood, or where it was positioned, it remained empty.

_ What if...? _ Grabbing a candelabra from the table, Frosty thrust it into the mirror. The glass shattered immediately, several fragments falling at his feet while the rest remained in place, albeit cracked throughout. The only thing that changed was the fact that he could now see the wall through the hole he'd smashed. But anywhere that the glass remained was still empty and featureless. To his surprise, the shards on the floor behaved the same way. Each fragment was blank, surrounded by stone floor tiles.

"Well, this just got a lot weirder," Frosty murmured.

He couldn't help wondering what else was amiss. Looking to the bed, he could still feel the urge to return to himself. But the desire was overshadowed by uncertainty. There was also something else. He couldn't quite identify what, but...something felt off about this place. Perhaps it was related to the unusual behavior of the bedroom mirror.

"I need to get out of here." On reflex, Frosty reached to his neck, only to discover his collar wasn't there. His neck was bare, and upon inspecting himself further, he realized he wasn't wearing his CATS suit, either. He was nearly fully nude. Why hadn't he noticed sooner?

A gentle subconscious tug reminded Frosty why. Resting on the bed was his CATS suit, and protruding from the open neck, nestled among what the wuff had turned him into, was his collar. Technically, he was still wearing them. Rather, his former self was, not the current manifestation standing in the room.

That made contacting CATS or requesting extraction out of the question. That brought another question to mind. Since he'd been digested, his collar should have been sending a distress signal, assuming that the issue preventing him from anchoring wasn't still a factor. If so, would someone respond to the signal to rescue him? If not, would he be reformed instead?

The third possibility, which he'd already considered, was that he was simply waiting for another loop to occur, which would likely happen regardless of his actions.

Shaking his head quickly, Frosty returned to his previous statement. "I need to get the hell out of here." Standing around, letting his mind wander wasn't doing him any good. He scanned the room and quickly located a robe to cover himself with, then cautiously opened the bedroom door.

To his surprise, the corridor was empty. The guard he expected to be posted outside his room was absent. Strange. A cold chill ran up Frosty's back as he looked up and down the hall, ears perked. Everything was dead silent. The lanterns in the halls were still lit, but there seemed to be no other signs of activity.

The uneasy feeling that had been hanging in the back of his mind grew. He had to find Forest. Frosty emerged from his room and walked quickly through the corridor, pausing at each intersection to peer around the corners and listen. The result was always the same: total silence. The further he got from the bedroom he'd been staying in, the stronger his apprehension became.

When he reached the royal hall, he was again met with a surprising lack of guards or activity. Without bothering to check his surroundings, Frosty burst through the double doors and ran inside.

"Forest?" Frosty peered about, feeling that chilling sensation again. There was nobody in sight. No guards, no servants, or any sign of the wuff. He abandoned caution and called out louder. "Forest!"

There was no answer. Rushing back out, Frosty began jogging through the corridors toward the Prince's royal bedchamber. When he reached the door, he firmly knocked and waited, but was again met with silence. He yanked the door open and peered inside, finding another unoccupied room.

"...the hell is everyone?" Frosty asked aloud.

His mind was beginning to race. There had to be someone here. The royal palace would never be fully uninhabited. After a brief search he was able to locate the kitchen. Empty. The bath house, also empty. No matter where he looked, the outcome was the same. It was as if everyone had packed up and left at the same time.

It became even stranger as he made his way toward the main entrance. The palace looked dirtier and unkempt. Surfaces were covered in an increasingly thick layer of dust, the lanterns in the corridor grimy and dimly flickering. When Frosty pulled on the front door, it resisted him. Grunting, he firmly tugged until it opened with a piercing shriek, the hinges noisily grinding as if the door hadn't been opened in decades.

The sky outside was overcast, looking as if it might storm at a moment's notice, but he stepped out anyway. The sight that greeted him was a stark contrast to what he had seen previously. The paved walkway leading from the plaza to the palace was overgrown with grasses and weeds. The elegant pond was choked with algae, fountain dry. Tall hedges and trees were gnarled and overgrown, in desperate need of pruning.

Most unsettling of all was the silence. There wasn't a sound to be heard. No birds, no voices, not even the rustling of a breeze. It was eerily calm, he realized.

"What is going on here?" A feeling of dread was creeping in. Something felt seriously wrong.

As he moved through the plaza, Frosty realized the sky was growing ominously dark. He crossed the plaza despite it, more concerned with figuring out what was going on than the possibility of being rained on.

At the opposite end of plaza, Frosty paused when the gate that secured the palace grounds greeted him. It was anything but secure now. One of the doors was barely hanging from the hinges, the other fully detached and lying in the pathway. Beyond the gate, he could see the first buildings that bordered the royal palace.

He still couldn't hear a soul, and as he looked over the nearby structures, it became clear why. The homes and shops looked uninhabitable. Windows were broken out, walls were crumbling, roofs sagging or fully caved in in places. The city surrounding the palace looked like it had been abandoned for ages.

"Hello?" He listened for several moments but heard nothing. Frosty called out louder with the same result. It didn't make any sense. Last time he came through here, he'd been dazzled by the lush gardens of the palace plaza and the activity beyond the palace wall.

As Frosty proceeded through the gate, he felt another chill that made him shudder, as if an icy breeze was rolling over him. Except there was no wind to be found. In the distance, a flicker in the clouds caught Frosty's attention, then another. He paused, watching the intermittent flashes. The last thing he needed was to get caught in a thunderstorm, especially considering that many of the buildings nearby looked like they might collapse at the slightest provocation.

Despite how nervous he felt, he continued walking down the empty, uneven road. The farther he walked, the worse the buildings got. Some were now fully caved in, others little more than piles of broken rubble.

Frosty considered turning back, glancing over his shoulder at the palace overlooking the city. The sight of it startled him. It looked nearly as bad as his immediate surroundings. The courtyard plaza was almost fully overgrown now, appearing impassable in several places. But he'd just walked through, and it didn't look nearly as poor as it currently did. He couldn't wrap his head around it. It was as if time was passing alarmingly fast, the decay and overgrowth accelerating.

Frosty's ears perked when he felt a rumble. On reflex he looked to the sky, expecting thunder, but when it happened again, he realized it was occurring beneath his feet. It was faint initially but became clearer when he took a few more steps.

An earthquake? No, it seemed too intermittent. The rumbles grew more pronounced as he continued walking, prompting Frosty to stop in place. He could clearly feel the ground trembling, it wasn't his imagination. Frosty scanned his surroundings, tail anxiously flicking, but he wasn't able to identify a source despite the rumbling continuing to strengthen.

A brilliant flash made Frosty jump. A clear bolt of lightning reached from the clouds in the distance followed shortly by the first sound he'd heard in some time: thunder. He had to find cover, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable and exposed where he was as another bolt of lightning struck nearby. None of the buildings close to him appeared to be trustworthy, but he had to do something.

Frosty turned and began to hurriedly jog back toward the palace. Small stones were beginning to dance across the roadway, and he could hear ominous pops and groaning from the homes he passed. Before long, loose debris began to fall to the ground.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap...!" He picked up his pace, but it was becoming more difficult to keep steady as the shaking grew more violent. Frosty tried to ignore what was happening around him, catching glimpses of buildings beginning to crumble as he sprinted past. The sky was now filled with frequent lightning strikes all around him and increasingly loud thunder crashes.

When he reached the palace gate, Frosty scrambled beneath the stone archway, feeling it would be the safest place for him to shelter. Turning back, the cheetah's eyes widened as he watched devastation unfold before him. Entire buildings began to collapse, clouds of dust rising from the rubble. Clutching to an alcove in the archway, Frosty flinched and ducked away when the half of the gate still standing broke loose and crashed to the ground, narrowly avoiding being flattened beneath it.

There didn't seem to be an end to the destruction. Hell was being unleashed. It was difficult to stay on his feet, as violently as the ground was shaking. Through the thickening dust of collapsing rubble, Frosty watched as the street in the distance began to crack, break apart, and eventually split open entirely.

"Oh, God..." To his horror, the rift that had opened continued to widen, crumbling into itself until collapsed buildings began to topple into the growing expanse and disappear entirely. Frosty yelped as the shaking grew intense enough to topple him as well, catching his fall and promptly clambering into the corner of the archway.

He didn't know what to do anymore. He had no contact with CATS and was trapped between an ever-growing chasm and an overgrown courtyard. There seemed to be no escape from this catastrophe. Frosty could only look on as the crack in the middle of the city moved closer. He knew if attempted to retreat to the palace, it would be impossible to outrun the advancing rift through the thick overgrowth.

More and more of the city disappeared into the earth with each passing moment. It was happening faster now, and things only grew worse from there. As lightning bolts continued streaking through the air more frequently than he'd ever witnessed, the thick black clouds began to part much in the same way as the earth itself. Streaks of golden light shimmered in the sky at the edges of the growing divide, giving way to total darkness. The sky itself appeared to be tearing open.

Frosty was so captivated as he watched the calamity unfold that he didn't immediately notice crackling sounds in his immediate vicinity. When they grew ominously louder and the earth beneath him began to fracture, though, his ears perked up and he looked to his feet.

He pressed himself tightly against the base of the archway as he watched a series of cracks propagate across the stone pavement, directly down the center of the path beside him and continuing toward the palace. If he wanted to run still, it was too late. The cracks grew larger until the ground began to split open, much as it had done farther down the road.

"No, no, no, no," Frosty repeated over and over as he watched the crevice continue expanding. As the earth parted, cracks began crawling up the archway itself. Small bits of debris began to shake loose and fall over him.

"Oh, shit." The archway was no longer a safe place. He threw himself to one side just in time to avoid a chunk of stone falling on his head, only to watch a large fracture split the arch fully in half. Scrambling to his feet, Frosty moved to sprint out from beneath the archway into the overgrown plaza, but a growing crack in the pavement caught his foot and sent him toppling forward onto his stomach.

The deep, groaning pops that he heard next made Frosty's neck bristle, looking up just in time to see a significant section of the arch break free, followed by another larger segment. Time seemed to slow as he watched the enormous stone slabs falling toward him.

It was too late to escape. Even with his best lunge, he knew he wouldn't be able to get clear. The entire arch was collapsing over him.

Fuck.

All he could think to do was tightly clench his eyes and wait for the inevitable. The sounds of the earth shattering and splintering, of thunder filling the air were deafening, and the ground was shaking as violently as it ever had.

Just when he expected to feel himself being crushed beneath the heavy debris, everything abruptly halted. The world returned to dead silence and the shaking stopped all at once. Frosty was so paralyzed with fear that he didn't even realize he hadn't been pulverized until a high voice spoke up.

"Goodness, chee, looks like I got here just in time!"

His eyes snapped open and Frosty lifted his head. He let out an alarmed squeak when he nearly bashed his head into the chunks that hadn't crushed him, but instead were frozen in the air mere inches above. Exhaling raggedly, he scrambled forward on all-fours until he was able to stand, well clear of the shattered arch.

To his surprise - and immense relief - a short, familiar figure was calmly seated on top of the floating debris that had threatened to bury him. A pair of small antennae were standing erect, tips glowing pink between large bunny ears, a cloud of golden sparkles shimmering in the air around her as well as the broken archway she was perched on. The bipedal pink bunny with was beaming, looking quite pleased with herself as a pair of small fairy wings lightly flitted behind her.

Frosty stared for a long moment, still in shock from what he'd just gone through. Puzzled, the short rabbit tipped her head, large ears leaning to the side. "Uh, hello? Chee? I'm pretty sure I didn't freeze you, too."

Being directly spoken to snapped him out of it. "Spacey, what...how..."

She seemed to know exactly what he intended to say despite his sputtering. "How did I freeze time, you mean? Easy! I just halted the process. I could tell it to start again and barely lift a finger."

Frosty's mouth fell open. He blanked for several seconds, then gazed around his surroundings. Indeed, everything seemed to be perfectly frozen in time. The cracks in the ground had stopped spreading, the clouds of dust rising from the town were fully still, and several of the buildings had halted mid-collapse. It felt like he was standing in a still picture.

"You're welcome," she eventually added. "You've made a proper mess of things here, chee. You're lucky I even found you before this timeline completely collapsed."

Frosty's ears snapped up and his gaze shot to Spacey. "Excuse me?!" He looked flabbergasted. "I'll have you know this is not my fault! Uh...this time." His confidence deflated somewhat when he sheepishly added the last part.

The small pink rabbit folded her arms, antennae flicking lightly. "Is that so?" She floated up from the floating rubble and zipped through the air toward Frosty, a trail of glistening gold sparkles following in her wake. Her wings buzzed as she hovered at eye-level with him. In her "fairy" form, she was barely a foot tall, but still found a way to be imposing enough to make the cheetah lean away.

"Look, I know I've been a royal pain in the ass for you, but-"

Spacey tsked and wagged a finger in his face. "Language, chee."

Frosty blanked again. "Wh- You tracked me to a collapsing timeline and stopped time just to scold me?"

_ _ "There could be kids watching," she countered.

"God, I sure hope not," Frosty balked, considering everything he'd gone through. "But seriously, I mean it. I've been going out of my way not to get involved in things here, yet somehow I keep getting dragged into everything."

Spacey rested a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Hold that thought. I'll be right back."

Before he could even think about objecting, Spacey vanished, accompanied by the sound of a cartoon bubble popping and a puff of gold sparkles. Frosty once again found himself alone in this world, but everything remained frozen in place. Mere moments later the pink bunny reappeared with another "pop" and nodded to him.

"Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time, chee," she announced. "It would still be nice to hear a 'Thank You.'"

Frosty raised a finger for a moment, paused, then lowered his hand again. "Thank you for coming to my rescue, Spacey. Also, what the heck? You were only gone for, like, two seconds, how could you possibly have found anything that quickly?"

Spacey straightened up, wings buzzing rapidly. "Are you questioning my abilities, chee?"

"U-uh...n-no? ...maybe a little?"

"I can leave you here, if you prefer."

Frosty's ears shot up again and he rapidly waved his hands in front of each other. "No! No, let's not do that. I'm sorry. Please don't erase me."

Her stern expression melted into a sweet smile. "That's what I thought."

Frosty sighed heavily. "Look, I've been through some shhhhhhhhtuff...I'd rather you not tease about that. I've been at my wits end trying to figure out how to get out of this whole debacle."

"Well, the good news is, I can fix all of this!" she cheerfully replied.

Frosty lit up. "You can?!"

The pink bunny nodded. "It's gonna take a bit of work, but I sure can! Buuuuuuut..."

The cheetah's ears fell again. "...but?"

Spacey smirked and turned slightly, still gazing at him. "I don't think you're gonna liiiiiiiiike it."

Another heavy sigh, then he shook his head. "Spacey, I'll be honest, I don't care what it takes, I just want everything back to normal."

Spacey's grin widened. "Only if you promise to stop giving me so much extra work."

Frosty groaned loudly and threw his head back in frustration. "Hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnh, fiiiiiiiiine! But no promises," he quickly added.

The small bunny giggled. "Good enough! For what it's worth, that wasn't the part you're not gonna like. Close your eyes, chee."

"What? Why?" Frosty looked skeptical and suspicious of her response.

"Close. Your. Eyes," she repeated.

"O-okay, fine," he mumbled, and did as he was instructed.

"Good! Now, just relax, keep your eyes closed, and..."

GULP.

It happened faster than he could react. One moment he was standing before Spacey, now his entire body was being squeezed and crammed into a slimy, tight passage. His eyes snapped open, but there was nothing to be seen, only hot, slick darkness and the sensation of rippling muscles clenching against him. It was a very familiar sensation, and Frosty began to squirm and fidget as he felt himself being pushed along.

Oh, no. I am not having this, Frosty thought. _Eaten by the Prince several times , poisoned, stuffed up a murderous cheetah's snatch, poisoned again , turned into a bunny, devoured by someone that's not even supposed to be here, nearly crushed, and now THIS?! _

He was being devoured by Spacey, of all people. A multidimensional fae bunny barely a foot tall (he'd never personally witnessed her "tall" form) was effortlessly swallowing him down. How she was managing it was beyond him, but in only a few gulps he was fully encased in her throat and spilling into her belly. It was as tight as he might expect a pred his size to be, surprisingly, but that didn't ease his grumbling any. Pushing his hands and feet into the slimy surroundings as he was quickly dispatched, he fumbled around in the darkness, earning a delighted shiver from his "rescuer."

"Ohhh, gosh, chee. You sure are a wiggly one. No wonder they like you so much!" she giggled.

"Spacey, this is not fixing things!" Frosty protested, giving another firm shove and stretching.

"Sure, I am!" she reassured. "Just settle in, I'll have you right as rain in no time!"

"I am not okay with this!" he persisted when he felt her hands pushing back at him.

"You agreed to it. You said you didn't care what it takes, after all!"

The bunny's stomach clenched against him, followed by a surprisingly hearty belch for such a small creature. Giggling again, Spacey timidly excused herself, then resumed kneading over him. Blushing brightly, Frosty folded his arms across his chest with a grumpy pout. She wasn't wrong about what he'd said, but he still wasn't thrilled with his current situation.

"This is the worst," he grumbled, the inside of Spacey's belly becoming warmer and gooier as she continued to paw at him. Wet gurgles could be heard often, growing louder as the muscles worked. He could feel the familiar tingling sensation creeping over him as fluids were massaged into his fur, and soon he recognized he was starting to soften. It was happening alarmingly fast, too.

How could this possibly be helping?

Spacey giggled quietly and gave her belly a hug. Frosty was surprised at how much she was able to wrap her arms around him, given that he was five times her size.

"I know you've had it rough, chee, but I promise everything will work out," she reassured.

Hearing her echo Forest's own words captured his attention. The wuff had promised the same, now Frosty found himself being digested by a multidimensional being after everything in this world had quite literally come apart. On the other hand, Frosty knew his friend was often right about it, despite having challenged Forest's optimism earlier.

He allowed himself to relax somewhat, physically and mentally. Considering everything that he'd experienced in his lifetime, of all the seemingly hopeless situations that he'd wound up in, he was still here. Things had worked out.

The epiphany seemed to trigger a change in Frosty's surroundings. The slimy walls continued rhythmically rippling and squeezing him, but soon he noticed something new. A different sensation of something gently tugging at his consciousness, not only his physical form. The warmth of Spacey's body began to encompass him more fully, in a way he'd never experienced with any other predator. It felt like she was drawing him in, body and mind.

He felt strangely connected with her now.

"That's better," she cooed. "Just relax, chee. Let's take a closer look, so I can get a clearer picture of what I'm working with."

Frosty was unexpectedly thrust into a vision, as if he was daydreaming, but much more vivid and tangible than idle thoughts. It fully superseded the awareness that he was still cramped in her stomach, still being digested. He was now standing on the CATS platform moments before his test hop. He heard Felix's voice, but it seemed to come from all around him, rather than his earpiece.

"Try not to get eaten."

With a brilliant flash, the scene blanked out, then he found himself in Prince Fomo's bedroom. It was the first incident in a long series of incidents, and he was looking on as if he were an invisible third presence in the room. Upon being shoved into the mouse's jaws, everything went dark, then opened to another encounter: his first steamy fling with Lady Catherine. Blushing hotly, he felt embarrassed to relieve the experience, knowing that Spacey was accompanying him on this journey.

"Goodness, chee! We can't show that here!" Spacey wasn't present with Frosty, but he could clearly hear her voice.

The scene vanished in a puff of golden glitter. When it cleared, Frosty found himself in Prince Fomo's throne room, bound and listening as the Prince delivered Lady Catherine's sentence. He watched the mouse swiftly devour her, then it was his turn.

Another change of surroundings. Now Frosty found himself in his own bed, purring and kneading on his own stomach as Kanin was being digested. Then he was in the bathroom, shivering and fidgeting on the toilet as he pushed out what was left of the bunny.

"Well, I never!" Spacey huffed indignantly. There was another vivid burst of fairy dust that banished the scene away. "By the way, who was that bunny?"

"Kanin," Frosty replied sheepishly.

"Hmm, strange. I don't know any Kanin. Noted!"

The next encounter was Frosty and Lady Catherine in the royal carriage, a memory that was whisked away even faster than the previous. His dreamy experience with Forest appeared and disappeared just as quickly.

"Chee!" Spacey scolded.

"You said you wanted a better look!" Frosty protested.

The experience that came next was new to him. He watched the scene between Lady Catherine - posing as him - and Prince Fomo play out. Frosty couldn't stifle his giggle at the end result. It was rather vindicating to see the spiteful cheetah get what she deserved.

Now Frosty found himself standing in the woods, wandering until he stumbled across Levina's private hideaway. His cheeks flushed again as he was reminded how full he felt, and how good it was to be that stuffed, especially considering that she had fully consented to it.

Spacey didn't say anything, but Frosty could almost feel her shooting him a disapproving stare.

"Okay, that one's on me," he admitted. "But she was fine with it!"

With a "hmph" the scene faded and brought Frosty to his next encounter, trying to figure things out with Forest. Everything froze in place and Spacey faded into view, arms flailing.

"WHAT IN THE HEL- ahem...HECK IS HE DOING HERE?!"

Frosty shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe you should ask him yourself."

"Believe me, I intend to! For goodness' sake. That wuff is a handful to deal with. He makes working with you look easy."

Frosty blinked at her. "Uh...thanks, I guess?"

Spacey let out an exasperated sigh and swept a hand through the air, trailing glitter as she moved them to the next scene. Frosty was now looking over himself as a bunny, the latter sprawled on the floor of the bedroom. He heard a giggle, then looked over his shoulder to see Spacey floating in the air behind him.

"If you ask me, you do make for an adorable bunny."

"I didn't ask!" Frosty protested, cheeks blushing.

"Maybe we should explore this sometime." The pair watched as bunny-Frosty met with Forest, then was summarily devoured. Spacey frowned. "Or not. It's hard enough keeping you around, as-is."

"Good idea!" Frosty blurted.

An ominous shiver raced up Frosty's back when his memory of being digested by Forest faded. He knew what was coming next. Spacey stuck around as they observed the world tearing itself apart at the seams. It wasn't an experience he was keen on revisiting. Frosty turned his head away, unable to watch as the arch he'd been sheltering beneath began to crumble and break.

Everything halted again, as it had done the first time. When he realized it had stopped, he looked back to see Spacey perched on top of the falling debris as she'd done before. A cloud of glitter was hanging in the air around her.

To his surprise, the bunny turned her head to look directly at him. "Fancy meeting you here."

Frosty was dumbstruck. He heard a giggle behind him, then looked over his shoulder to see Spacey still floating in the air behind him. Quickly snapping forward again, he confirmed she was also sitting atop the piece of the broken arch.

"Nice work, Spacey," the bunny behind him called out.

The bunny seated on the debris gave a thumbs-up. "Happy to help, Spacey!"

"Please stop this immediately," Frosty requested, resting a hand on his forehead.

"Sure thing!" both Spaceys replied in unison. The twin bunnies buzzed toward one another and crashed together, merging into a single bunny. She turned to Frosty after taking a long look around. "Things really went downhill fast, huh?"

"I'll say," Frosty mumbled, a bit shaken at having relived what he thought would be his end.

"The good news is, as bad as it seems, I can fix all this!" she happily announced.

"Uh, what's the bad news?" Frosty cautiously asked.

"Hold on tight, chee. You're in for a ride," she warned.

Clapping her hands together, Spacey's antennae wiggled and begin glowing pink. Closing her eyes, golden glitter began appearing in the air, calm and serene at first. It slowly began to gather and rotate around the pink rabbit, picking up speed until there was a sparkling orb of fairy dust swirling around her, seemingly shifting in every direction. Spacey was almost completely obscured now, only allowing brief glimpses through the glimmering haze. It gave her a threatening, ominous aura.

"Uh, Spacey?"

She didn't respond, making Frosty feel increasingly anxious. He didn't know what she was doing or planning to do. As the mass of churning dust began to grow, he took half a step back, then raised a hand and closed his eyes tightly as it expanded toward him. Wind rushed through his fur as the cloud passed over, only for the air to grow still once more.

Lowering his hand, Frosty cautiously opened his eyes and realized that he was now standing inside of the swirling bubble with Spacey. Her eyes were still closed, antennae wiggling in concentration, hands pressed tightly together in front of her.

Frosty involuntarily ducked when he caught a bright flash in the corner of his eye, then another shortly after. Blue streaks of energy began coursing through the golden cloud, encircling them in multiple directions like orbiting bodies. His fur began standing up; he could feel the energy in the air.

"Spacey?" he called louder, but again she didn't answer. The ground began to rumble again, the sensation of electricity dancing across Frosty's fur as the streaks orbited them faster and faster until they appeared to be uninterrupted loops.

A crackle directed Frosty's eyes downward and he watched a small blue arc jump back and forth between his fingers. It didn't hurt, but still compounded his nervousness. Soon the thin bolts were dancing along his arms and legs, building until his entire body was crackling with energy. He felt himself growing lighter on his feet, then slowly he floated off the ground, suspended in the air.

Frosty didn't like it one bit. "Spacey!" He reached out to her since she still wasn't acknowledging his calls. When his fingers curled around her wrist, the pink bunny's eyes shot open, burning brightly with energy as a brilliant blue aura surrounded both her and Frosty.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Spacey shrieked, suddenly stretching both arms outward to her sides.

There was a deafening roar and a blinding blue flash engulfed them, fully blotting out their surroundings for a moment. The roar grew louder and louder, the light fading just enough for Frosty to be able to see it brilliantly illuminating the world around them. Everything began to rumble and shake, then Frosty watched as the debris that had fallen from the archway shuddered, then began to slowly rise back into place.

The enormous chasms and fissures in the ground began to close up and shrink, then the collapsed buildings began to rise up and rebuild stone by stone, beam by beam. When the city was fully rebuilt, everything began to revert back to its former glory, the decay and detritus seeming to vanish before his eyes.

In a moment, the outside world was whisked away from Frosty, and he found himself standing in the throne room with Forest again. Then the guest room. Then Levina's hideway. It was like someone had pressed the rewind button on a movie. Everything was happening in reverse, working backwards through what he'd experienced since the beginning of the loop. And the memories were flashing by faster and faster.

It was difficult to keep up with what he was seeing, quickly becoming an incomprehensible blur. The rushing, roaring noise was overwhelming now. He looked to Spacey for an answer, but she was staring ahead as if she was looking right through him. As the blur of memories bled into one another, their surroundings brightened until everything was pure white. He couldn't even see Spacey anymore.

Just when Frosty was about to open his mouth and call to Spacey, the deafening roar subsided. The blinding light began to fade. And Spacey was gone.

* * * * * * * * * *

Frosty blinked as his vision steadily returned, arm still outstretched as it had been when he was clutching the bunny's wrist. His heart was racing, breathing rapidly. And to his surprise, he realized he could hear the familiar drone of machinery winding down. The cheetah's eyes slowly scanned his surroundings once he could see clearly.

He was standing on the CATS transmission platform.

"...did it work?" Frosty asked aloud. It wasn't directed at anyone, but he got an answer anyway.

A voice came into his earpiece. "Holy shit, Frosty, are you okay?" Surprisingly, it was Felix. "We've been trying to get you back for hours."

Frosty closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath, then slowly exhaled to calm his nerves. "Felix, you have no idea what I've been through. I have seen some shit these past several days."

The voice that responded was audibly puzzled. "Days? Frosty, we started the CATS test three hours ago. Are you feeling okay?" he repeated.

Sighing, he nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." With a quick swipe and a few taps, Frosty's collar verified his location and time. Felix was telling the truth; according to his collar, three hours had passed since the start of the test. "Look, it's a long story, and I'm really not in the mood to discuss it right now."

The CATS Lead Technician piped up now. "That won't be an issue, Frosty. We can debrief later. Just make sure you drop by the infirmary and get yourself checked out. That's not a request."

"Sure thing," Frosty replied, feeling more relieved by the second. He couldn't be sure that the problem had been resolved, but he had a feeling everything was finally right. As he turned and began to unsteadily descend the stairs from the platform, he added, "Just a heads-up, though. If you sign me up for another CATS test, I'm taking the month off..."