FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Mr. Katz hummed to himself as he connected Frosty's collar to the supercomputer responsible for processing and storing collected data. Offloading mission data was standard procedure after a field agent returned from another timeline, but Frosty's was especially relevant, given what had transpired.

Not long after Frosty had made his hop, he'd disappeared off the grid entirely. It was a worst-case scenario for a test. They attempted to contact him several times without success. More than two hours lapsed before they were able to locate his signal, only to lose it once more. After another hour, they finally succeeded in locking on to Frosty's signal long enough to extract him.

The small ocelot was anxious to pore over the data that Frosty's collar had collected. Fortunately for Frosty, details about his experiences and memories were encrypted and accessible to him alone. Mr. Katz would only be able to view what the collar had learned about the timeline Frosty had been sent to.

"Let's see what you've been up to while you were gone," Mr. Katz mused as the data began to transfer to the server. The cheetah's collar had been synched somewhat recently, so he anticipated it wouldn't take long.

The ocelot's eyes widened when he saw how much data it actually contained. The process would likely take hours. He browsed what was immediately available, resting his chin in a thumb and finger as his eyes scanned from one timestamp to the next.

The data was all over the place, the times were all over the place, and he was surprised to discover that it spanned a much wider window than three hours.

"Well, now, isn't this interesting...?"

* * * * * * * * * *

Frosty rolled over in bed and reluctantly reached for his phone to silence his alarm. He was grateful to feel well-rested, but anxious about seeing what the phone had waiting for him. He'd woken up in his bedroom as he'd done so many times already, but he'd also fallen asleep here after returning from work.

"Please be different."

He paused a moment, holding the phone screen to his chest, then hesitantly lifted it to peer at the display. The anxiety melted away within moments. His phone indicated it was the morning following the CATS test, and the only notifications waiting for him were a number of concerned text messages from various coworkers checking up on him.

Frosty breathed a sigh of relief. Everything had worked out, just as he'd been promised.

When he lowered his phone, he yelped and slid backwards on the bed when he was greeted by a familiar pink bunny. He hadn't noticed her seated on his bent knees, now hovering in the air in the exact same position. How long had she been there?

"See? I told you I could fix it!" Spacey beamed.

Still clutching his phone, Frosty stared for a long moment, recalling what it had taken. He could vividly see the swirling, crackling cloud in his mind. "I had my doubts. You looked like you were putting a lot of effort into it."

The rabbit giggled. "Hardly!"

Frosty blinked. "You said it would take a bit of work to fix."

"Only a little bit, yes. That sort of thing is child's play," she grinned.

Frosty dropped his phone and began waving his arms around himself. "You're telling me all of that energy you were summoning, all those forces at work, pulling a broken world back together and fixing time itself is mere child's play?"

"You got it! I barely have to lift a finger for something that trivial. Fixing an incident that spans several multiverses, that's something else entirely."

Frosty's mouth fell open. "You're telling me all that energy, the flashing, the roaring..."

"...is purely for show!" Spacey finished for him. "I like to put flair into my demonstrations."

The cheetah leaned forward, resting his face in his hand. "I will never understand you."

Spacey touched a finger to her cheek thoughtfully. "Funny, my associates say the same thing. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know everything's exactly as it should be!"

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that," Frosty breathed. He considered for a moment, then looked to her again. "Uh, out of curiosity, what's gonna happen in the other timeline? Since you fixed everything, it'll be as if I was never there, yeah?"

"Uh huh!" Spacey quickly nodded. "Well, more or less."

Frosty furrowed his brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The small pink bunny looked to the side, placing her arms behind her back. "Iiiiiiiii may have...taken some liberties putting everything back together."

"...such as?" he pressed, suddenly concerned again.

With a wave of her hand, a floating television appeared in the air beside Spacey. Frosty blinked in confusion. The monitor looked strikingly similar to the one he had on his computer desk.

"I'll show you," she offered as the display began to glow faintly.

Frosty pointed at the monitor. "Uh...is that a TV?"

Spacey looked appalled. "This isn't just a TV, chee! It's my Transdimensional Viewport!"

"Not a television then," Frosty clarified. _Though he quickly noted the initials were, indeed, TV. _"So, what's this trans...dimensional...viewer thingy for then?"

Spacey huffed and folded her arms indignantly. "Transdimensional Viewport! It's not difficult. And this allows us to peek into other timelines in the multiverse. Allow me to demonstrate."

With a snap of her fingers, the screen flickered to life. There was nothing to be seen at first, but as Spacey's antennae wiggled and began to glow, an image appeared. Frosty recognized it immediately: it was Levina's home. He could see and hear the vixen humming as she tended to her plants.

"So...why are you showing me this?" Frosty inquired.

"Just watch," Spacey replied, pointing to the screen.

The vixen's ears perked, then she lifted her head. Moments later a group of horsemen emerged from the tree line. Their horses were decorated with the colors and insignia of the Kingdom of Purrsia, the four feline riders bearing the same sigils.

Levina straightened up as they approached, and though she was unarmed, Frosty knew she had magic at her disposal. She looked wary as one of the riders dismounted.

"Levina Bellerose?" the rider inquired.

She hesitated, then nodded. "I am. What is your business?"

The rider unsheathed his sword, eliciting a gasp from Frosty. The vixen's eyes flared, and she took half a step back, clearly ready to defend herself.

To both of their surprise, the rider pointed the tip of his sword into the ground and bent down on one knee, holding the blade upright. It was a sign of respect, Frosty knew. "We are envoys to the Kingdom of Purrsia. The Prince has sent us to deliver you a decree."

Levina still looked wary. "What is the nature of this decree?"

The rider rose to his feet, then reached into his cloak, producing a wax-sealed scroll which he extended to her. The sigil of Purrsia was stamped in the wax. Levina still looked tentative, but she stepped forward and accepted the roll of parchment. As she broke the seal and unrolled the document, the rider continued speaking.

"Levina Bellerose, by royal decree, under the order of Prince Frosty Snowcat, authorized by His Royal Highness, you are summoned to the royal palace of the Kingdom of Purrsia. You have been invited to join the royal court and serve under His Royal Highness as a Court Arcanist."

Levina's eyes grew wide, scanning the document while the rider addressed her.

"This is not a compulsory role. The Prince has requested to meet with you personally to discuss it further. Do you accept his invitation?"

Frosty could see her hands trembling as she read the decree over and over again. The royal document appeared to be genuine. After a moment she lifted her head and cleared her throat, stammering for a moment.

"I-I..."

"Do you accept?" the rider pressed.

After composing herself, she enthusiastically nodded. "Yes! Of course, I accept! When am I expected?"

"You will have a week's time to prepare for your journey. A royal coach will be sent for you, but...ah...due to the nature of your location, it will be necessary to meet it in the town of Emervale."

Levina still looked stunned. As she discussed the arrangements with the head rider, the image faded out, leaving the screen blank. Frosty processed what had just happened, then looked to Spacey.

"So, that was your doing, I take it?"

Spacey nodded. "Yup! I saw what took place between you and Levina. Something told me you would've liked a better situation for her."

He chuckled. "Well, the thought had crossed my mind. What else did you 'fix?'"

Another image appeared on the viewer. This time it was of Prince Fomo, who was lounging in his throne, cheek propped on the back of a hand. He looked quite pleased with himself. To Frosty's surprise, two cheetahs came into view with him, one white and the other brown. He recognized both of them immediately: Prince Frosty and Lady Catherine. More surprising was how they were both dressed. Prince Frosty was wearing a slinky pink silk outfit befitting someone belonging to a harem, while Lady Catherine was dressed in matching robes, though hers were a golden hue.

Both cats approached the throne, bowed respectfully, then proceeded to seat themselves beside Prince Fomo. They were both wearing matching elaborate golden chokers, which the Prince fastened a pair of leashes to; one for each cat.

"I'm honored to have you join me," the mouse crooned. "The question is, who's going to be the main course, and who's going to be dessert?"

Prince Frosty and Lady Catherine looked to one another, sharing flustered expressions.

When the screen vanished again, Frosty's mouth was hanging open at what he'd witnessed. Spacey couldn't help giggling at his expression.

"Like I said, I took some liberties."

Frosty laughed. "You know what? I'm fine with this. If Lady Catherine isn't such a nasty person, I consider that a win for everyone involved."

"Well, I'm glad you approve, chee! It did take a little effort to rework her attitude, but it's nothing beyond my capabilities. By the way, you may want to answer that."

Frosty raised an eyebrow. "Answer what?"

Moments later the cheetah's phone began buzzing on the bed and the screen lit up. He looked at it suspiciously, then to Spacey.

"Good luck! I'll let you handle this!" she announced, then both Spacey and the viewer vanished with a pop and a puff of glitter.

"Oh, come on!" Frosty swiped his hands through the air quickly to disperse the cloud, but it lazily settled onto his bed, the golden specks shimmering brilliantly on the fabric. "Uuuuuugh, it took me months to get it out of my clothes last time!"

Grumbling to himself, he looked to his phone again. To his surprise, Mr. Katz was calling.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Frosty. How're you feeling?"

"Relieved," Frosty replied honestly. "What's up?"

"So, strange question. You're at home, yeah?"

Frosty raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?"

"Mhm. That's what I figured. I cross-checked your location in CATS, but just wanted to confirm it with you. Reason I'm asking is because we're receiving a remote distress signal."

"Well, that's not good, but why call me about it?" He was even more puzzled now. Mission ops wasn't his deal.

"Because it's your distress beacon," Mr. Katz replied. "From the timeline that you were inadvertently sent to."

That caught Frosty's attention. "Excuse me?"

"I didn't stutter," the ocelot chuckled. "We can't make heads or tails of it, either. Your location beacon is reporting just fine, we even ran several diagnostics to confirm, and everything looks normal. But for some reason, an identical beacon is being sent from the timeline we had to pull you out of."

"That sounds less than ideal. What's the plan, then?"

"Well, I know you're enjoying some time off, but would you be able to swing by?"

Frosty sighed away from the phone. "Sure. I'll get there as soon as I'm able. Hopefully nothing else happens in the meantime..."

* * * * * * * * * *

"Curious." Mr. Katz had hooked Frosty's collar up to a computer, and after several more tests, there appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary with it. When they compared its data against the other signal, they were a perfect match, aside from the timeline it was coming from.

"So, what does it mean?" Frosty asked. He was seated next to the ocelot, peering over his shoulder as he worked even though he hardly made sense of what was displayed on the monitor.

"Hard to say. Perhaps it's related to the unusual data we offloaded from your collar yesterday."

Frosty glanced over. "Unusual how?" Mr. Katz hadn't yet informed Frosty of his discovery.

"Unusual in the sense that on our end, CATS clocked the test at a little over three hours long. Your collar, on the other hand, had gathered several days' worth of information. That's quite the discrepancy."

"Oh. That. Remember how I said I'd seen some stuff the past several days?"

Mr. Katz nodded, but before he could ask for clarification, an alert appeared on his screen. "Hold that thought." After reviewing the notification, he glanced over to Frosty. "The plot thickens."

"Huh? What do you mean?" the cheetah asked.

Mr. Katz didn't answer. Frosty watched him rapidly navigate several screens, then he typed a command into the console that made the cheetah's hackles raise.

> Initiate Lockdown

As soon as the ocelot confirmed it, an alarm sounded, accompanied by a blue warning light in the room that faded in and out continuously.

"Mr. K, what's going on?" Frosty asked with greater urgency.

"There's an emergency extraction request coming in." He looked to Frosty again. "I wouldn't normally ask you to do this, especially on your day off, but would you mind being in the barrel, Frosty?"

"The barrel" was the airlock leading to the CATS chamber, and the request surprised him.

"Why me?" It was unusual for a field agent to be in the airlock during an emergency extraction. Typically, a team made up of security members and a medic would handle it. Everyone else was expected to report to their assigned workspaces and remain in place until the lockdown was cleared.

The ocelot gave Frosty a knowing grin as several CATS team members began to rush into the room and scurry to their assigned consoles. "The extraction request is coming from your CATS signal. The same one we've been investigating today."

"Uhhhhhhh..." Spacey said she'd fixed everything. Was that not the case?

"You don't have to; I just have a hunch that we might want you on hand."

He'd been so hopeful that this nonsense was over with. Frosty sighed and nodded. "Okay, sure. I'll go get suited up..."

* * * * * * * * * *

Frosty wasn't sure what he was meant to do. Field agents were never involved in a lockdown, whether it was an emergency extraction or an unauthorized hop. He was flanked by four security team members in the airlock, along with a medic standing beside him with a bag of supplies. He felt severely out of place.

The lockdown indicator in the airlock turned solid blue, no longer blinking. Mr. Katz came over the intercom a moment after. "Airlock doors have been secured. Proceeding with extraction."

They were now effectively locked in. The doors would only open if someone in the control room authorized it. It made Frosty uneasy, knowing that if things went south, he might not be able to escape. But that's why the security team was there, stun guns at the ready should they be required.

Frosty listened to the muffled whine beyond the sealed door as CATS spooled up. He'd been through so many hops that he knew the process by heart, but still jumped a bit when a brilliant flash filled the chamber. Thankfully, the airlock door was shielded, dimming the energy discharge enough that they weren't blinded.

"Extraction successful," Mr. Katz reported. His voice sounded surprised when he added, "Uh...stand by."

When the light subsided, they saw a white cheetah standing at the center of the CATS transmission platform, seemingly identical to Frosty in every way. They were even wearing the same CATS suit and collar.

One of the security guards in the airlock looked back at Frosty, then into the chamber again. "Yo, is anyone else seeing this?"

The cheetah inside looked rather dazed and thoroughly confused at what had just happened, more so when they began to survey their surroundings, eyes darting about. They were clearly out of their element.

"No way," Frosty breathed. "There's no freaking way." He stared for a long moment, trying to make sense of why, and how this had happened.

When he stepped toward the airlock door to get a better look, his movement grabbed the other cheetah's attention. When their eyes met, they stared at one another for a long moment. Frosty saw the other cat say something, but the sealed airlock door made it too quiet and muffled to understand.

Mr. Katz came over the intercom in the airlock again. "Sorry for the holdup. We're, uh...a bit stumped on how to proceed. This has never happened before."

Frosty had an idea. He reached for the intercom beside the door and punched in the code for the box in the CATS chamber. When it connected, he waved at the other cheetah through the window. "Hey there. You look a bit lost, friend."

"I'll say! Where in the Nine Hells am I, and what sorcery brought me here?" the other cheetah shot back.

The reply confirmed his suspicion, but he had to be certain. "Prince Frosty, I presume?"

"Depends on who's asking." The cheetah inside cautiously walked down the steps from the platform and approached the airlock door. Once the two were face to face, he scrutinized Frosty for several seconds. "I feel like we've met somewhere."

With the intercom occupied, Mr. Katz contacted Frosty directly via his CATS link. "Friend of yours, Frosty?"

He muted the intercom. "Not exactly," he replied. "We had a couple run-ins during my little excursion the other day." Frosty tapped the mute button again to speak to the Prince. "We've met, but you probably don't recall much of it. I have to ask, how'd you wind up here?"

"That's what I'd like to know! I discovered this strange garment and choker in my room and presumed them to be gifts, but when I tried them on, I ended up here somehow."

The reply resulted in more questions than answers. Prince Frosty couldn't have known how to use the CATS hardware, but more importantly, it shouldn't have been there to begin with. Clearly there were remnants of his visits that hadn't been fully patched up. He'd have to discuss those loose ends with Spacey at some point, wondering what else might be lingering in Prince Frosty's world.

Mr. Katz spoke to Frosty again. "We'll have to look into that. It's likely going to take some time to sort it all out."

"How much time?"

He could almost hear the ocelot shrugging. "Who knows, with these things? Like I said, this has never happened before; there's other anomalies that we've been investigating for years."

Frosty sighed and rested his head in his hand. Anomalies like Fomo, and more recently, Kanin. They still hadn't figured out how the mouse had ended up in this timeline, and the bunny's mystery was a new development. "Fantastic. So, what's the plan, then?"

The other cheetah folded his arms. "I don't know if you're talking to me or someone else, but you tell me. You seem to have a better understanding of what's going on."

Whoops. He'd forgotten to mute the intercom this time. "Uh, one moment." He muted the box and turned away from the airlock door to conceal the conversation, jumping a little when he was greeted by the security team and a now-unnecessary medic. Frosty had forgotten that he wasn't alone.

"Erm, as I said. What's the plan, Mr. K?" Then he gestured to the guards. "Can y'all, like, point those somewhere else? You're making me nervous."

The security members looked to one another, exchanging bemused looks, then shrugged and lowered their stun guns. They could be drawn easily enough if the situation turned hostile.

"Well, we can't just leave him in there," Mr. Katz eventually replied. "And I don't think it would be wise to send him back, since we'd still have the issue of CATS hardware floating around where it ought not. Feel free to weigh in on this, Frosty. You say you've met; do we have any reason to be concerned about him?"

"Aside from him mysteriously hopping here to begin with?" Frosty pondered for a moment. The Prince did overtly threaten his life for divulging details about his relations with Lady Catherine, but only for that specific instance. "Overly concerned? Probably not."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mr. Katz replied.

"I don't think he'd deliberately cause any trouble, if that's what you're asking."

"Would it be safe to assume that it won't be necessary to confine him?"

"What, you mean quarantine?" Quarantine was the polite term for a holding cell, rarely used, but available should they experience a hostile visitor. "No, I don't think that will be needed."

"Give me a moment to consult my team, then," Mr. Katz offered.

"Sure." Frosty looked over his shoulder. Prince Frosty had his arms folded and was looking rather disgruntled at being kept waiting.

"Well?" the other cheetah asked.

"Uh, we're still figuring things out, sorry," Frosty sheepishly replied.

"Oh, by all means, take your time. I love being held against my will with...whatever this monstrosity is," the Prince grumbled, gesturing at the CATS equipment around the room.

Fortunately, Mr. Katz didn't keep them waiting long. "Frosty, you have a change of clothes on hand, yes? Aside from the ones you wore to work, I mean."

What was Mr. Katz planning? "I do, yes. In my suite. Why do you ask?" Each field agent had an assigned accommodation on-site, should it be needed. They were useful when medical care or recuperation was needed after a mission.

"How would you feel about keeping an eye on our guest...?"

* * * * * * * * * *

He didn't like this one bit. He was a field agent, not a babysitter. After brief deliberation with Mr. Katz (sealed by the promise of a healthy bonus), he'd reluctantly agreed to look after Prince Frosty, who was just as enthusiastic about the arrangement as his counterpart. The only reason they had agreed was the fact that the alternative was a holding cell for the Prince.

Having been relieved of the CATS suit and collar, the other cheetah was now dressed in a pair of Frosty's jeans and a tank top, tugging at the fabric and fidgeting as they waited for someone to answer the door. "How on earth do you find this comfortable? It feels like I'm being crushed."

Good question, Frosty mused. He enjoyed the snug-fitting pants because of the way they hugged and accented his figure, but that came at a cost.

After ringing the doorbell again and knocking loudly, the door eventually unlocked and opened. "Whatever it is, it better be important enough to interrupt yoga, unless you want to be mouse... food..."

Frosty immediately regretted his decision to bring the Prince here. Forest and Fomo had a spare bedroom that was always open to friends, but he knew there were risks. The biggest hazard was now taking in the sight of not one, but two identical white cheetahs and beginning to drool.

When he laid eyes on the familiar mouse, the Prince looked surprised. "Prince Fomo?"

The mouse grinned widely and stepped forward. "Just 'Fomo' will do, but I'll allow it from such a delectable chee." He looked between the two cats, belly audibly growling. "You didn't tell me you had a twin."

"Well...not really, but kind of?" Frosty replied. "Uh...it's a long story. Do you and Forest mind if he stays in your spare room for a bit? I don't have a second bed at my place."

"Oh, I've got spare room, all right," Fomo giggled, casually tracing a hand across his belly as he lifted the front of his shirt. "As it so happens, I just finished my workout, so I'm pretty famished."

"That's...not what I meant," Frosty replied with a light blush. He glanced over and noted that the Prince's expression matched his own. "Besides, aren't you on a diet?"

"Not anymore!" Fomo quickly replied. Before either cheetah could react, Fomo grabbed the Prince by the hips and tugged him closer, then swiftly began to cram the startled cat into his jaws.

Frosty couldn't believe how quickly it happened. His cheeks became rather hot as he watched the mouse greedily heft his counterpart off the porch and lift him into his mouth, hunching forward over the squirming cheetah. Noisy glrking and wet slurps filled the air as the Prince was swiftly consumed by the ravenous rodent.

In a matter of moments, those squirming feline bulges smoothly disappeared down Fomo's throat and gathered in his belly, pushing his workout shirt up. The mouse leaned his head back, drool leaking from his lips as he made quick work of the Prince's hips and legs. It was quite a sight to behold, considering that Fomo was several inches shorter than Frosty. Once he finished polishing off his meal, Fomo leaned against the doorframe to give himself a moment to get his bearings, hands pushing and squeezing at the cat-shaped gut.

A hearty belch followed, then Fomo groaned delightedly. "Ooooh, that's a good chee...you really hit the spot after being on that silly diet."

"Uh, I'm still here, you know," Frosty pointed out, still furiously blushing as he observed Fomo's squirming belly. He was too stunned by what had just taken place to be upset, and he knew that it would be pointless to try and convince the mouse to spit the Prince back up.

Fomo sealed the deal when his belly began to audibly gurgle and churn, squeezing firmly over it with both hands and visibly shivering. He then smirked to Frosty. "Don't worry, chee. I've still got plenty of room for you, too. Wanna help, in the meantime?"

His eyes were still locked on Fomo's stomach. It was already beginning to shrink. After giving the question some thought, he timidly nodded and stepped closer, bringing his hands up to aid the mouse in digesting his counterpart.

At least I won't have to keep track of him...one less loose end to worry about...