FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The warm shower water felt so good on my unwashed fur. The grime from the last two days slid off of me as I soaped and scrubbed myself. Ben was waiting outside in my dorm room. I wanted to have a proper restart to our relationship. I didn't know if he felt the same. I turned off the water. I had a tendency to lose track of time in the shower if I was thinking too much.

"Mark..." Ben's voice came from inside the bathroom, on the other side of the curtain.

I held my breath. The noise of the shower must have covered up his entrance into the room.

"Mark I... wanted to tell you that you were... right about me."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He was silent for a moment. My heart thumped in my chest excitedly at the possibilities.

"I'll show you," he said, pushing the curtain aside to step into the shower next to me.

The entire motion was fluid; planned. Ben was naked; his athletic body so very close to mine. He looked away from me sheepishly and toward the curtain as we stood in the shower together. He took both of us by surprise when his arms wrapped around my shoulders, hugging me tenderly. Did I really want this? My goal had been friendship before, but I hadn't thought Ben would be interested in me physically after... after what I did to him at the gym. Despite my unease at the situation, I let my hands slide down his back, enjoying the feeling of his soft, silver fur and muscles under my fingers. My still wet brown fur matted his chest and he sighed happily when my tongue ran along his neck and shoulder. He kissed me then, our lips pressing together tightly while my tongue slide around his like two coiling serpents. My stomach was in turmoil. I didn't know what to think of Ben's actions and I wondered what he was thinking. His fingers kneaded my muscles, eliciting pleasured, muffled moans from my lips. Both of us stiffened; our erections jutting up between our moist bodies and poking each other. He broke the kiss suddenly. I didn't want it to stop and I began moving to pull him back into it, but managed to prevent myself. I also didn't want to presume anything this time. I imagined he would like it better if he was in control. Ben sank to his knees and gripped my shaft in his hand, stroking it slowly as he looked up at my panting face.

"I want to repay you for showing my how good it feels to be on the bottom," he said.

A gasp escaped my mouth as his lips closed around the head of my meat. His fingers slid around my sack, pulling it down and away from my groin. I groaned in pleasure above him, my rod oozing pre-cum into his hungry maw. His tongue was incredible. It writhed against the underside of my bearhood, right at the most sensitive spot. Air escaped my lungs in ragged gasps as Ben bobbed his head. I kept my hands pressed against the shower wall, fists clenched tightly at the sensation. I wanted so much to grab his head and fuck that hot mouth until I came down his throat. But I also wanted him to enjoy it. I wanted him to stay with me afterward. So I let him do as he pleased even though it felt strange to give control of the situation to him. I watched, mesmerized as the wolf's head moved on my thick erection. He was making small whimpering sounds as he suckled on my length. His hand tugged on my nuts and a loud moan fell from my mouth. God, I was so close...

I erupted into Ben's muzzle, my thick cum sliding down his throat as he greedily swallowed. He tugged and squeezed my sack, trying to get all of my potent seed from those nuts. My tongue hung from my mouth; my eyes closed as I leaned against the wall. I could feel every pulse of my bear meat against his wriggling tongue. When the last of my juice oozed from me, he slowly drew his lips back up my shaft, squeezing the length with them to get every last drop. The feeling on my sensitive dick made me shudder. Ben stood; ears red from blushing.

"Thanks," I said, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thanks for showing me that you care."

"Mark, do you... want to be my... boyfriend?"

I could hear the embarrassment in his voice. It clearly wasn't easy for a tough guy like him to ask that kind of question. It wasn't easy for me to say yes, either.

"Um... sure... I guess."

He pulled away from me to look me in the eyes.

"You guess?"

"Ben, when I said I wanted to start over, I meant as friends..." I watched his eyes fall sadly. God damn it. I was going to fuck things up again.

"I mean... I don't know what I mean. Maybe we should just take things slow for now."

The wolf nodded.

"As long as I can be with you, I think I'll be happy."

I forced a smile. This was not the kind of relationship I had in mind. We left the shower and I dried myself. Maybe I did want to be Ben's boyfriend, but he would want to top at some point and I wasn't about to let that happen with him. I opened the door to my room and Ben and I both froze. Sam was sitting on my bed, the wolf's orange-tipped tail swaying lazily back and forth.

"I was wondering when you two would finish up in there," he said.

"How the fuck did you get in here?" I asked angrily, pulling the towel tightly around my waist. I could have sworn I locked the door.

Sam smiled and Ben hid himself behind me.

"I came looking for you," Sam said. "I need to tell you something vitally important."

I stared at him. I didn't know how to make him leave. I didn't want to get into a physical confrontation. I sucked at fighting.

"It would be easier for me to show you, actually," he continued.

The older looking wolf held out his hand to me. He must have been crazy. Ben spoke before I did.

"What the fuck, Sam? Why are you being so creepy?"

"Hm. I suppose I should have expected some resistance." His orange tipped tail drooped as he stood from the bed. "But we can't afford to waist any more time."

He was next to me in an instant. I never saw him move. His hand gripped my wrist tightly and we were suddenly surrounded by a tunnel of flashing light. Colors whizzed around us, too numerous to count or name. Ben was nowhere to be seen and it felt like we were traveling very fast. My towel flew off; lost to the wind and speed. What the hell was going on? I looked up at Sam, his face was focused on what lie ahead. The speed at which we traveled was so great that I could barely lift my free hand. I had to loosen his grip on me. I didn't want to be taken. I strained to reach his hand around my wrist. Slowly my free hand rose against the pressure of the wind. With centimeters to go, the wind stopped and my hand bumped into his. He looked down at me and I suddenly realized I couldn't breathe. I clutched my throat, trying to gasp. The tunnel of light had vanished and stars surrounded us in a sea of black. Sam clutched me to him and the need for air seemed to vanish. I knew I wasn't breathing, but it was as if I no longer had to. He turned me around and I saw Earth beneath my feet.

***

When the doctor brought the recording from Hugh's implant into the waiting room, I suggested that my squad and I watch it in private first. I didn't want the civilians to see any possibly confidential information. So we sat in an empty examination room and watched the PRD. The footage showed Hugh taking Marcus to an all animal club in the city. He was being honest about that it seemed. When they left the club, they returned to Hugh's apartment and went to sleep. Hugh received the phone call from Dunham that night and then awoke at four forty-five in the morning. Everything from the crash site and both he and Marcus staying in the medical wing of the base was intact as I remembered it. When Gregor had entered the room everything appeared normal for several minutes and then the implant went to two seconds of blackness before the day seemed to start over again. Hugh woke up at five thirty this time, but he changed the clock on the microwave in his kitchen to read five AM. Marcus awoke shortly after and the two of them had coffee. It would have been nice if the recording had sound. It looked like they argued about something. Marcus was angry at first, then he became embarrassed about something. He turned to leave, but lurched and collapsed, blood dripping from his ears. Hugh took him to a nearby hospital and then left after Marcus was admitted.

"Richards, go to that hospital. Marcus may still be there," I ordered.

"If he's not, sir?" then radio us and we'll figure out where to meet up.

The feline left the room and I turned my attention back to what Hugh was doing. When the lion reached his apartment, it seemed like he knew exactly what he was looking for. A silver disc was lying on the floor in his living room and he picked it up along with a small black notebook. The implant went black for another moment and then Hugh was in what looked like a junkyard. Blood dripped from him when he looked down at his wounded body and then he hobbled out of the yard towards the UEA campus that we could all see in the distance. The implant's image changed again. This time it showed a black screen with a human-like creature on it. The being was silver and the only features on its face were the white eyes. It was more than a little creepy. The eyes narrowed and then the creature spoke in a voice that sounded metallic.

"Staff Sergeant John Oliver. My name is Orion. If you want more answers I suggest you talk to the good professor. I think you'll find him in a much more agreeable state by now."

The recording ended and I started barking orders.

"You two go back into the waiting room and take those civilians out of the building. Try to find Marcus's dorm room. Someone on this campus must know where it is."

"Where are you going?" Rolf asked.

"To have a chat with Hugh," I said.

***

The globe stretched out under us, massive and blue. I looked at Sam, confused and bewildered.

"What do you think?" He asked. His lips never moved as the words bounced around in my mind.

I couldn't form any coherent questions. The sight was baffling to me. My brain tried to reason an explanation.

"I can tell that you are confused. This is a Dream," he told me.

It seemed too real to be a dream. I could feel the biting cold of space around us.

"I assure you we are Dreaming. Well... you are at any rate," his voice was calm; soothing. I wanted to listen. "I need to tell you, Marcus. You have a gift. Do you remember the in the subway? When you created a snack by thinking about it?"

I remembered thinking I was hungry and then finding a granola bar in my pocket.

"It may be difficult to accept, but you created that snack. You also brought us here."

I wondered how this was possible. I didn't immediately believe him.

"Skepticism is natural for your race. You should also know that my name is actually Orion. I am an outsider on your planet."

I looked away from the planet and Sam's features had changed. He was no longer a wolf at all. Instead his entire, toned, human-like body was silver where light from the planet hit him. He was nearly translucent in shadow and I could barely make out the stars behind him through his body. His eyes, glowing white, were kindly gazing at me. He had no mouth that I could see and, when I curiously looked down, nothing there either. What a shame- I quickly tried to erase that thought from my mind, but I heard Orion chuckle. I could feel heat rushing to my cheeks.

"Marcus. Something very unfortunate will happen to your planet today. There is only one way to stop it."

I looked at him quizzically.

"When you wake, I will be knocking on your door. You need to do everything I say. It is the only chance this planet and your entire species has of survival. Do you understand?"

I reluctantly nodded. What choice did I have? If he was actually knocking when I woke up, it meant that everything he told me was true. If he wasn't, then I could pass it off as a crazy dream and get on with my life.

"We don't have much time. I will see you upon waking."

Orion clutched me tightly and the brightly colored tunnel surrounded us again. My stomach leapt into my throat as we plummeted back toward the planet.

***

I opened the door to the hospital room where the sleeping Hugh lay and cautiously approached the bed, letting the door close behind me. We were alone in the room. I touched the lion's shoulder to wake him.

"Hello, Oliver," Hugh said. "I was wondering if you would actually follow my advice."

"Orion, I presume?" My eyes narrowed as I let a hand drop to the handle of the pistol at my waist.

"Tsk, tsk, John. I didn't think you were the shoot first type. Besides you wouldn't want to hurt the poor Professor, would you?"

I grimaced.

"What do you want?" I asked, snarling.

Hugh smiled.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. You have played your part admirably and I must thank you for bringing most of the pieces together."

"What are you talking about?"

"Marcus Dunham is Lemniscate; the eternal circle. By existing, he ensures his own creation and existence. He is the key to unlocking the true power of the universe. Do you think for one moment that I would pass up the chance to take all of that power after gaining only a tiny fraction of it?"

"Are you saying Marcus is God?" I didn't believe him.

"No. He is not something as mundane as the notion of your human god. He is capable of so much, but also of making mistakes as well. He needs a guide; a teacher."

I frowned.

"And that teacher is you?"

"Of course. How else am I supposed to achieve the power of the universe unless he thinks he can trust me."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You're sick in the head. Why are you telling me this anyway?" I asked.

"Because I know that you won't live to pass along the information," Hugh said grinning wider. "But if you want to try and stop me, then by all means, take the shot. Shoot Hugh right between these eyes. I'm a hideous alien on the inside, remember?"

I drew my pistol and pointed it at the smiling lion, finger twitching against the trigger. My face contorted with determination... But what if Orion was lying? What if he wanted me to shoot him? The alien had done nothing but deceive since he had possessed the professor after all.

Hugh sighed.

"Ugh, all of you humans are so boring. If you won't get rid of this shell, then I will."

I kept the pistol trained on the lion as Hugh's eyes rolled back into his head. I wasn't prepared for what the alien had planned. The lion's formerly grinning features went limp as his face turned upwards to the ceiling. My eyes widened in shocked horror as a silver fist and forearm erupted from the lion's mouth. The lips widened around the arm as it emerged, like the lion's flesh was little more than a rag. The silver hand opened, stretching the long fingers as Hugh's left arm reached up to grab the side of the lion's mouth. It pulled, opening the feline muzzle wider than seemed possible as Orion's silver face slid out into the open. Hugh's head deflated against the alien's back like an empty hood. My hands shook; fear filling my entire being. I wanted to run, but my legs would not listen to the pleas of my mind. I did manage to back up when Hugh and Orion slid out of the bed to stand before me. The alien's shoulders emerged next and once both arms were free, it pushed the rest of Hugh down until it stepped out of his empty, sagging husk like an old pair of pants.

"Well, that was an ordeal," Orion said, sighing and stretching. "Human bodies are so small and stuffy. What's the matter, John? No witty retort this time?"

Orion looked towards me, his eyes twinkling with malicious mischief. I gritted my teeth. There was nothing else I could do. I squeezed the trigger violently, firing several rounds into the silver monstrosity. Orion's eyes narrowed. The alien was completely unfazed.

"That wasn't very nice, John. I think it's time for you to disappear."

I turned, my legs finally obeying my brain. I bolted for the door, grabbing the handle... or at least I tried to. My hand felt nothing. Looking down in bewilderment, I saw my hand was gone and there was silver dust falling from my wrist. I could hear Orion laughing behind me. It wasn't fair. There was so much I still wanted to do. My feet gave out and I collapsed to the cold linoleum of the floor...

...and now I'm helpless here, slowly turning to dust next to the lump of flesh that used to be Hugh. My snout has started to fall away already. At least there is no pain, but... I don't want to die. Not yet. Orion is gone now and it's getting more difficult to think. I wish this had all been a dream. If only...

Out of everything I wish I could have done... I never even...

...had the chance...

...to share my true feelings...

...with Col-

***

The group of civilians and Air Force personnel were making their way across the UEA campus toward Marcus's dorm room when Orion intercepted them. The silver alien appeared in the middle of the group out of nowhere and the soldiers immediately went for their guns. Cole dove to the ground when the bullets began flying, bringing Dunham down with him. Mal had grabbed the two students and followed suit. Within seconds, there was an intense heat and then the gunfire ceased. Cole lifted his head. The soldiers were gone, a blackened circle of burnt grass left behind where they each had been. Orion's white eyes were narrowed angrily as the alien surveyed the area slowly.

"I see I have arrived earlier than expected," he said. "No matter. They will be here soon enough."

"Who-?" Dunham stammered.

"I am Orion, the alien all of you wanted to find."

"What did you do to my son?"

Cole could hear the anger in Dunham's voice.

"You must be Marcus's father. Remarkable that such a worthless creature could give birth to a magnificent being like Marcus."

Dunham growled under Cole, but the polar bear held him fast.

"You all just sit tight. Reinforcements should be arriving shortly to 'deal' with me."

Orion turned his back on them to kneel in front of one of the charred circles. Maybe Mal could get the jump on him... The tiger lifted himself off of the ground and leapt onto the alien's back. He wrapped his arm around the creature's neck and pulled back, trying to choke it out.

"That was foolish," Orion said. "Some of you are expendable, you know."

"Mal!" Cole yelled as the alien took off into the air with the tiger still clinging to him.

Upward they flew until Mal was finding it hard to breathe. His eyes were screwed shut and for the first time in a long while he was genuinely afraid for his life. He opened one eye and saw clouds below him. Gravity was trying desperately to pull him from the alien's body as they ascended.

"Should I stop here or take you into space?" Orion asked. "Would you prefer to die of shock at falling from this height or suffocation in the vacuum?"

Mal whimpered, trying desperately to hang on.

"Make a decision quickly or I will decide for you. I am on a tight schedule."

The tiger said nothing, digging his sharp claws into the alien's silver flesh. It was like digging them into rock. Orion sighed.

"Very well. Happy trails."

The alien reached backward and grabbed Mal by the scruff of his neck, pulling him forcibly from him with little effort.

"No! No, no, no, oh please, God, no!" Mal whined, clasping his hands together under his chin in prayer.

"I have news for you, human. Your God doesn't exist," Orion grinned maliciously.

The alien tossed the tiger away from him and the feline's claws vainly tried to latch onto his outstretched arm. Mal's face became stricken with absolute terror as he plummeted into the clouds below.

On the ground, Cole had forced the group to continue moving. They were almost across the quad when Orion returned. The alien appeared in front of them and Cole shielded the others with his hands, standing between them and the silver being. Orion looked around when he arrived.

"Well now. This looks much more familiar. They should be here at any moment."

"What did you do with Mal?" Cole asked.

Orion grinned.

"He should be coming back down shortly."

The polar bear narrowed his eyes at the alien. Natalie gasped in horror behind him.

"You all should be worrying about other matters, though; namely yourselves."

"You bastard!" Cole shouted as he charged Orion.

"Mistake number two," the alien said, grabbing Cole easily by the throat and lifting him off of the ground. "Would you like to take the same trip as your feline-looking friend? I'd like to show you the fear that he experienced, but alas, it seems that it isn't meant to be. Isn't that right, Borealis?"

"Unhand that human," Joel said in response.

The three civilians were all standing straighter now and their eyes were glowing white, like Orion's.

"What the fu-?" Cole started to say, but Orion interrupted him.

"I will not. You three will do as I say. Once the Key arrives, I'll be unstoppable."

"You presume much of your passed self," Draco spoke through Dunham.

"The Core has seen things, Orion," Euryale said with Natalie's voice. "Things that you can not possibly fathom. Your time around humans has corrupted you. It has driven you mad."

"We have come to end this once and for all; even if it means destroying portions of this planet to do it," Draco narrowed his eyes for emphasis.

"You can't stop me, Guardians. Though you may be Phalanx, your power pales in comparison to my own. I have seen the true nature of the universe through Marcus. It is truly glorious and it will be mine!"

There was a pause. Cole tried to stay conscious, but the alien's grip on his throat had cut off his air supply. He turned into a limp doll in Orion's hand. The alien looked confused as though something were supposed to happen, but hadn't.

"Is something the matter, Orion? Were you expecting something to happen?" Borealis asked.

"Where is he? Marcus is supposed to come to this one's rescue... I don't understand. This isn't how things happened!"

"It's over, Orion. Hiding behind that human won't save you," Borealis replied.

"You think I need to shield myself with this useless rag? I can destroy the three of you even without the full power of the Universe at my disposal!"

Orion tossed Cole's limp body aside with such force that the polar bear crashed through a nearby dorm room window. The alien began to glow.

"Come, Phalanx. Show me what power The Core has bestowed upon you!"

All three shielded their eyes as Orion exploded in a sphere of bright white light.

***

I awoke to someone pounding on my door. Blearily I pulled my uniform pants up my ursine legs and threw the shirt over my shoulders. I turned the knob on the door and Sam rushed in. The dream had been real...

"Orion?" I asked.

He seemed puzzled.

"How do you know my name?"

I tried to answer, but he interrupted me.

"No matter. We don't have much time. I need you to come with me immediately or we are all doomed."

"Come with you where?"

"I realize this may be difficult for you to fathom, but we need to leave Earth right now."

"You mean run away? Fuck that! You told me something horrible was going to happen and I need to stop it, so let's go stop it!"

The wolf looked horribly confused, but he shook it off.

"Trust me Marcus. The best thing to do right now is to leave Earth. If we stay here, the entire planet will die."

The wolf looked past me, out the window and grimaced.

"It has already begun. Quickly take my hand and you will save everything you hold dear."

I hesitated. On one hand, the dream Orion told me to do whatever he said. On the other, I hated the thought of running again. I had been running from my problems all my life. I wanted to end that trend. The window shattering behind me derailed my train of thought. I turned around to see a muscular polar bear in grey clothes lying unconscious on the floor amidst the broken glass. I reached down to help him, but bright white light flooded the room from outside, blinding me. Orion grabbed my hand. It felt like my brain was being compressed and a loud roaring noise filled my ears.

***

I rubbed my eyes as the alarm next to my bed brought me abruptly out of a very strange dream. The white plaster ceiling of my new dorm room stared back at me from above. It was seven o'clock on the first day of classes at The Academy and I really didn't want to get up. I hated new schools. I sighed and rolled over into something wet on the sheets.

"Mother fucker..." I whispered.

I slapped the alarm clock to shut it up before it woke my roomate. The wolf in the bed across the room seemed to be sleeping soundly. He had told me his name was Ben the day before. I slid out from beneath my sheets and stared down at them accusingly.

"I don't believe this shit," I said under my breath as I began stripping the small twin sized bed...