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Hello all, here's the next chapter of the series. A big thank you to Dasher Cheetah for helping me with this story. I really could not write without him. As usual there is gay sex in this, if you don't like it don't read it. Enjoy

Through the Horizon: Love, Lust, and Change

Bane walked though the city . . . his city. He was taking a tour of it, viewing the repair efforts. Besides, any reason for getting out of his office and quarters was a good reason. He had been feeling shut in and it was affecting the wolf. The damage was bad, but not irreparable. The inhabitants of Accendo City were indeed very optimistic about the future, for several reasons. The first was the newly repaired shield that was holding back the ocean and giving the city space for green areas. Large areas were being built with grass, flowers and many other varieties of trees and vegetation. Part of this was to help with oxygen production, the other reason was psychological. All three races were never meant to be sealed away from nature for extended periods of time. They were all used to and needed open air, sun and the smell of growing things. Being under water limited the amount of sunlight they could receive so these green areas had multi-spectrum lighting for the plants. The light had the added benefit of helping regulate the city's inhabitent's biological systems. Circadian rythums that set hormone and chemical balances were aided by the light and helped eliminate the effect of depression caused by lack of sunlight.

Taking a deep breath, Bane admitted to himself that it satisfied a primal need too and he was satisfied that the cost was well worth the price. It took a large amount of power to run the lights, air filters and plumbing needed for this. Even with the reactors repaired and online, the limits of what they could produce were being approached. This problem had been solved, due to a recent discovery by Ron. During the attack, part of Accendo Tower had been damaged. A support wall had given way, a tunnel discovered and with it, an underground complex.

Ron had long suspected that such a structure existed but had not had the time to look for it. The fox had been far too busy making repairs of battle damage. Not to mention the neglect the city had fallen to when it's former inhabitants had fallen to their own experiments gone wild. Obviously it wasn't included in the city's central blueprints and blasting out random walls had been out of the question. The newly discovered tunnel led to areas where there was access to tunnels connecting the cannons as well as several experimental labs.

One housed something Ron had called a Zero Point Reactor, or ZPR for short. Bane didn't understand it or the principals behind it but it provided unlimited energy. Ron said it was dangerous but useable until he could afford more time to studying it further. Bane had ordered its activation. It was a step above the crystal core technology and every step counted. Despite the danger, Bane had faith in Ron's skills. He knew the fox would get it operational and his trust had not been misplaced. As a result, there was more than enough power to run the city at full capacity. Population had become an issue because the crystal reactors simply could not keep up with demand. They had been built with the demands of a scientific research facility in mind, not the capital city of an Empire! The influx of personel,politicians and civilians had threatened to overwhelm the abilities of the underwater city to cope with the demands placed upon it. However this discovery, along with updates to the cities power grid, greatly expanded the power capacity.

Bane paused and looked into a courtyard that had been almost completed. He could see several citizens already on it, enjoying some free time. It was a good sight to him, a welcomed sight. Life under the sea wasn't as romantic as one might think. Having green grass and trees helped a lot. He continued his walk deep in thought. He was well aware of the progress of the repairs and truth be told, his walking tour was a thinly veiled excuse to avoid a meeting with the chairmen of the Council of Planets.

The chair, an elderly fox from a recently joined fox planet, was not satisfied with the progress of the newly formed empire and wanted a better name. His council had taken a vote and had put together a short list of suggestions they thought would be a better choice of names. Rather it was their idea of a short list. In total, it was about fifty names and each was more absurd than the last. Bane was quickly learning one of the major drawbacks of being in a position of power. It was that stupid people get elected to high offices and having them killed is usually frowned upon.

As he was reviewing mentally ways to hide the bodies, a set of paws wrapping around his chest startled him back to reality. "Hey there babe, what brings you to the medical building?" Bane looked around to realize Seamus was the fur who had violated his space and he was indeed in the medical building, though he had no idea of how he had arrived there. He looked around the lobby area, which is where he had wandered to. It was being painted a warm blue, the lighting was being updated, and the furniture was being replaced. Bane turned and looked at Seamus as he said, "Dear, is there anything else you want? Maybe rebuild the entire building?"

Seamus laughed and responded,"Well, it needed doing and don't tempt me. I would be lying if I said I hadn't considered it. This facility needs updating, the tech may be advanced but the décor is not. Besides, the psychological effects of color on people is well known and helps promote calm and well being."

Bane shook his head and laughed to himself. Seamus really had no other choice but to be gay. No straight fox could ever have this much style or design talent. Bane pulled Seamus into a kiss and the fox tensed a bit, then melted into his wolf's arms. Bane gently parted the kiss and looked deeply into the fox's eyes. Within them he saw a fire burning, a fire of love and passion.

Within Bane's eyes, Seamus saw the same. The two were deeply in love and it had happened so fast that both were a little dazed by it. Seamus had helped to heal one of the many wounds that Bane had suffered. Scott's death had left the wolf empty and miserable. He couldn't even sleep in his own bed for missing the company of his beloved Scott. Seamus had come along and helped to heal that. Seamus never could or would replace Scott. He knew that but he could be all of what Scott was and more. This helped fill the hole in Bane's life and so their love helped heal the wolf in ways that neither Ron or Dasher could. The two had such a deep connection already that no other could understand or comprehend it. The two would even finish the other's thoughts. Bane smiled and held the fox's paw as he said,"I am stealing you for lunch, my love."

Seamus smiled up and said,"I would like that very much." Leaving the medical building, the two walked toward the commercial district. A nice restaurant was in order for the in love pair and perhaps they might even take the rest of the day off. Both smiled at the other, knowing what would become of this lunch date.

Ron sat in his office reviewing reports of the various teams he had deployed throughout the city. At the end of each shift, the team leaders were required to submit a report. Contained in it were details of activities, jobs done, how long it took them to do it and any comments on those jobs. Most of them were standard in nature and overall not that interesting. The only reason he read them at all was to see if anything he needed to lnow was contained in one of them. Since the discovery of the underground complex, the fox was curious if there were any other hidden secrets but thus far the city had refused to give any away.

One good discovery was that there were two different types of drones. Repair drones, which were orange, and construction drones, which were orange and red. Everybody had noticed the color difference but had not thought it significant.

As he closed the last report of the day, his office door opened and in walked Dasher Cheetah. The cheetah swayed his hips a bit, as he often did around Ron and took a seat on the opposite side of the fox. "Good evening dear, I hope your shift has gone by relatively uneventful?", Dasher asked.

Ron chuckled and responded,"There is no such thing as uneventful when you work as chief engineer, but it was close. How was your day?"

Dasher rolled his eyes and said with a sigh,"I am starting to hate democracy. I spent my day reviewing complaints of every kind sent by every type of person imaginable to the government about almost every topic imaginable. They must think we are some type of fix it all service or cosmic complaint department!" Dasher took a deep breath and blushed when he realized he was ranting.

Ron sat in his chair with an amused smile on his muzzle. Calmly, he suggested,"Well dear, why don't you hire a staff to review mail?"

Dasher sat in his chair and blinked with surprise. He hadn't given that any thought. However now that the government was expanding and his workload was too, the harried cheetah decided that was exactly what he would do. Jumping up, he ran around the desk and pulled Ron into a hug as he exclaimed,"Ron you are brilliant!"

The fox smiled and said,"I know." Dasher laughed as the two walked out of the office and towards Ron's quarters. Ron did not yet know it, but the cheetah had an itch that the fox would scratch. Dasher wrapped his tail around the fox as they arrived at Ron's door. A small tent formed in Ron's pants displaying that he had gotten the message fully.

Bane and Seamus sat in the restaurant that had been chosen for the evening. It was called the Scarlet Rose and it was indeed an upscale joint. Fine food, fine booze, and good times were there to be had by all. Bane and Seamus were no exception. Bane sipped his drink as Seamus enjoyed his second. Bane smiled at Seamus over the top of his glass. He could see that the alcohol was affecting the fox a bit more than normal. Granted this drink was stronger than he usually drank.

The two ate their steaks and talked softly. Bane reflected that it was very nice and had a flash of regret that he had not done this with Scott. Pushing that thought out of his mind, he concentrated on Seamus and what he had now. The green fox was not only striking in appearance, he was smart.

The pair finished eating and strolled leisurely and walked back to their home. Seamus rested on Banes shoulder and Bane unlocked the door. As Bane opened the door, Seamus went to walked though it and stumbled to fall back side down on the floor. Bane tripped over the fox's out streched foot to land on top of him. Bane raised his head and looked down to say,"Seamus my love, you're drunk."

Seamus gave a drunken laugh as he replied, "And your sexy!" This comment was followed by a groping of the wolf's rump.

Bane smiled and said with a slight growl to his voice,"Just remember you started this." Bane got up and picked Seamus up into his arms.

"Oh my, what strong arms you have.", Seamus said gayly.

"All the better for holding you with my love.", Bane told his foxy.

Seamus giggled and ran his paw down to cup and fondle Bane's furry balls though his pants as he said in a sultry tone,"Oh my . . . what big balls you have."

"All the better for blowing great amounts of seed into you with, my love.", Bane growled louder to his lover.

Seamus once again giggled and ran his paw down Bane's pants. Seamus smiled and realized the wolf was already hard. In a more breathless voice he murmurred,"Oh my . . . what a large cock you have."

"All the better for making love to you with my foxy.", Bane whispered into the ear of his love. With this Bane placed Seamus in the center of the bed and leaned over the startled fox. Seamus smiled and wrapped his arms around Bane's neck pulling the alpha into a passionate kiss. Bane ran his tongue into the fox's maw and Seamus sucked on it gently, making Bane moan.

With one paw, Bane gently wrestled with his pants until the button gave way. He smiled and let them drop, then kicked them to the side. Seamus smiled and quickly removed his as well. The fox then wrapped his legs around the wolf's torso, giving Bane's meat full access to his eager pucker.

Bane smiled as the tip of his thick, leaking meat rubbed at the fox's warm entrance. Bane smiled and parted the kiss as he gently pressed the head of his meat into the fox. Seamus moaned and panted as the head of Bane's cock entered his love hole. Bane paused a moment for his foxy lover to adjust. He looked down lovingly, seeing the pleasure on Seamus's face. Bane slowly slid his twelve inches, deep into his lover. Bane wrapped his arms around the fox and held him as he gently worked his meat in and out of his lover. In this moment, they were not two but one. Joined in body and soul, neither being independent but united together by lust and love.

Seamus's more modest maleness grew erect, emerging from its furry home and Bane moved his paw to grasp it. He gently stroked his lover's foxhood in time with his own motions. The scent of sex filled the room and saturated their nostrils. Bane's knot had barely begun to grow at the base of his cock, sliding in and out of Seamus' tight ring of muscle. Seamus moaned in pure bliss as he felt Bane's meat slide in and out of him. His warm depths caressed it as if welcoming a familiar friend home. The additional pressure made Seamus gasp with pleasure. Seamus looked at Bane, looking into his lovers eyes and moaned out,"Bane, my love, my life, my world...will you knot in me and tie us together?" Bane gasped and murred with delight and desire. He nodded in response and gently pushed his knot into his lover, holding it there as it quickly swelled towards it's formidable girth. Seamus cried out for a moment, then moaned as Bane's knot filled completely and locked the lovers together. Bane pleasure peaked and he grunted as he spilled his love deep into his beloved foxy.

With this, Bane collapsed on top of his foxy and Seamus wrapped his arms around his wolf lover, squeezing with his legs as he pulled Bane into him harder. Both knew they couldn't live without the other. Seamus stroked Banes head fur as the wolf grunted time and time again, coating the fox's insides with his warm juice. Seamus murred happily and smiled as they laid together, still locked together in love. The pair kissed and caressed each other as further orgasms added to the semen already in the fox's bowels, filling him beyond what he had ever experienced before.

It took a half hour before Bane finally finished and his knot went down, permitting him to pull out. Seamus smiled with love and satisfaction as he felt Bane's meat withdraw from him, to slide back into Bane's furry sheath. Seamus held his pucker tightly shut, wanting to keep his mate's gift in him as long as he could. Despite his efforts, a little trickle of the wol's white seed escaped to drip downwards, into the fur of his tail base.

Nobody could ever understand the depth of love between them. No matter what either, did the other would never leave. They needed each other on a level so deep that they themselves barley understood how primal and essential it was. Seamus smiled as he drifted to sleep. His lover had already beaten him there. The two slept, wrapped in each other's arms; protected from the world and their respective responsibilities.

The pair awoke from their pleasure induced sleep and smiled a little blearily at each other. After a brief shower and grooming, they dressed and each headed back to their own departments and responcibilities.

Bane smiled as he saw it was very late at night. They had enjoyed away the day and he was fine with that. Even emperors needed personal time and he had not been shirking his duty. He reached the control room to find Lucian sitting in the command chair. He walked over to the dragon and said with a relaxed tone,"Hello Lucian, how is the city this evening?"

The dragon jumped a bit, it was obvious that the wolf had startled him. Lucian smiled at seeing who it was and said,"Good evening Bane. We are fine and things are running smoothly, for a change. The improvements to the power system have boosted our efficiency tremendously and two of the eight green projects were just finished."

Bane nodded, looking over the displays and asked,"Anything I need to know?"

The dragon paused and considered the days events before he answered,"Not that I am aware of. Your new secretary arrived today, if that counts?"

Bane nodded and said,"That does count indeed!"

Lucian chuckled and said with a grin,"In that case, you might want to go up and meet your new assistant."

Bane nodded and walked towards the elevator that led to his loft office. As the doors opened, the newly renovated lobby greeted him. Before, it had been simply another entrance way, now there was a waiting area, a desk for his assistant complete with phone system and computer. To one side was a snack area complete with coffee pot, a small fridge stocked with soda and water, as well as a couple of appliances to prepare small edibles.

Bane looked around impressed when suddenly a voice came from a closet that hadn't been there before, startling him,"Hello sir, you must be Bane Accendo." Bane jumped a bit and then spotted the white wolf stepping from inside the darkened closet. The wolf continued,"My name is Kyo Accendo. I was sent by Emperor Black to serve you, as payment for services you rendered him." The wolf bowed to Bane and Bane was instantly struck by two things. First, Kyo was simply beautiful! Bane had never viewed such a beautiful wolf in his life and second, he was an Accendo!

Bane reached out his paw as he said,"It is very nice to meet you Kyo. I look forward to working with you." Bane had a warm smile on his muzzle and Kyo took Bane's paw firmly and shook it. Both smiled, looking each other over and taking the other's measure.

Kyo dropped his gaze first and turned to his desk as he said,"Sir, I have several messages waiting on you. Would you like to hear them?"

Bane nodded and turned towards his office door while saying,"Follow me to my office and lets talk in there." Kyo nodded and followed, his data tablet in hand. Bane took his seat and said,"Now, what do you have for me."

Kyo consulted his tablet and then spoke up,"Sir, Minister Dasher called earlier for you but I told him you were not in currently. He said he wanted to speak with you about him having a staff of his own. Engineer Ron sent you a coded message, I had it uploaded to your private network. Finally the Chair of the Council has tried multiple times to contact you. He left several angry messages that I also uploaded to your terminal."

Bane nodded and asked,"Have I gotten any mail?"

Kyo nodded and responded,"Yes sir you have. You have eighteen love letters, nine proposals, three complaints and somebody from the Human Empire has requested an audience with you."

Bane nodded and asked,"Who and why?"

Kyo consulted his tablet again before responding,"His name is Michael Richards and he is the prime minister of the human empire."

Bane considered that, nodded and said,"Tell him I am available next week and provide a list of times from my schedule."

Kyo nodded as he made a note of the directions as he said,"Yes sir. I'll have it done right away." With that he walked out of the office.

On Bane's desk was the nightly report. In it were the details from each department in the city regarding its operations. He usually just glanced over it, to be sure there was nothing that needed his immediate attention. Beside that was a fresh cup of hot coffee and a warm bagel. Bane smiled and sipped his coffee. It was better than any he had ever had and with a happy sigh, Bane leaned back in his chair. He smiled and began to read over his reports.

Dasher arose from Ron's bed, leaving the fox sleeping peacefully and dressed himself. He was aware it was late but assumed Bane would be in his office. The new emperor had been keeping late nights, trying to stay on top of his job. He slipped from the room after giving Ron a kiss on the muzzle. The cheetah walked to the elevator and took it up to Bane's office. Upon emerging from it, he was as awe struck as Bane had been. He walked up to the desk, smiled to the white wolf seated behind it and said,"You must be Kyo, Bane's new assistant."

The wolf nodded politly and said,"Yes sir I am. How may I assist you?" He didn't need to ask who Dasher was. There was only one of him in the entire empire and the efficient Kyo had made sure to learn who was likely to be important to his boss.

Dasher pondered over this loaded question, then reigning in his sense of humor he simply asked,"May I see Bane?"

Kyo consulted the intercom. His conversation and the reply he received were both muted be the technology. Dasher found it interesting that tho Kyo was only a few feet away, he could not hear him speak. He didn't understand how it worked but it was interesting, none the less. Bane asked Dasher to be ushered into his office. Dasher followed into Bane's office and took a seat while Kyo brought Dasher a cup of coffee and then excused himself from the room.

Dasher smiled and told Bane,"I am jealous, for a number of reasons."

Bane chuckled, catching the unspoken meaning and said,"Yes, he is wonderful at his job. I have only known him for a few hours and I already love him to death. Anyway, what brings you to my office this late?"

Dasher grinned and then said,"I wanted to ask you about turning my position into a department."

Bane nodded and said,"You are the Minister of State. As such, your time is too valuable to be spent dealing with the small details that I know can swamp you, if you let them. You need a secretary and a staff at least, to handle things for you. I have put a lot of responcebility on your shoulders, my friend. I didn't intend for things to get this big. It sort of just happened. I want you to have time for yourself too. Even with your energy, you can burn out if you let yourself be over whelmed by this job. You hire who you think is necessary."

Dasher nodded and asked,"Do we have the finances for this? And I need to know if there is any problems in who I hire? I mean, will there be any problems in having a human or a wolf under me? *cough* I mean working for me." Dasher tried to hide a blush at the unintended innuendo.

Bane chuckled and consulted his computer,"Yes we do have the funds. Several of the newer systems have started paying their taxes now and we have increased income due to the new replication technology. As far as anyone under you . . . " The wolf grinned as Dasher looked away and fought a laugh trying to break free. Bane continued,"There may be some who might chafe at working for you but you don't have to put up with that sort of thing. You will be free to fire anyone who does not like their job. This is not something I will allow, Dasher. Bias is an evil I intend to stamp out, any time it rears it's ugly head. Ability is what counts, not species and any who can't accept that can get the hell out of this empire. I have confidence in your abilities and that is why I chose you for this job." Bane contined in a teasing low voice,"The fact that you are good looking and a great lay has nothing to do with it."

Dasher giggled and blushed a little, then leaned forward with a gleam in his eye as he challenged back,"If I'm such a great lay, then why haven't you called me in for a 'staff' meeting in such a long time?"

Bane laughed and winked, then went on,"You missed your chance, kitty. Seamus and I are becoming quite close and I won't do anything to chance hurting him. As far as the future goes, who can say but for now, our personal staff meetings are on indefinet hold.

Dasher looked at Bane, who once again felt as if the cheetah was examining his soul and nodded with a broad smile. I see. . . well let me be the first to congratulate you both and I wish you well.

Bane gulped quietly and felt the item in his pocket. Yes, it was still there and no, it did not show. How the hell had Dasher picked up on something he hadn't told anyone yet, let alone the one he had intended to be the first he told? It was eerie and a little unsettling but it also confirmed what Bane had been thinking all along. Dasher was the right person for his job. He could tell if he was being told the truth and even if there was information being hidden from him. That ability made him invaluable to both Bane and the empire. Bane took a deep breath and said,"Thank you but I expect you not to speak of it to anyone, please?"

Dasher smiled and leaned forward, putting his hand on Bane's and giving a light squeeze. The cheetah said gently,"I won't, dear. Your secrets are my secrets and I owe any loyalty I possess, to you and not the empire. You can trust me, Bane."

Bane felt his throat tighten with emotion. Tho they had only known each other for a few months, this cat, this unique individual and he had been thru some grueling times, some wonderful times and had saved each others lives. Hearing him declair that their friendship meant more than anything else to him, made Bane want to tear up with emotion. Instead, he kept control of himself and looked Dasher in the eye firmly for a moment, then just nod slightly. It was enough to communicate all that he couldn't trust his voice to say without cracking and Dasher just smiled easily back at the wolf.

Bane cleared his throat and sat back as if nothing had happened between them and Dasher went on,"Also, I have been in contact with the Chair of the Council of Planets. He seems intent on stirring things up. One of the other members contacted me and informed me, apparently he isn't satisfied with you and wants you replaced, by himself of course."

Bane nodded and looked serious as he said,"Well, we knew it was only a matter of time until opponents arose. What are our options on dealing with this situation?"

Dasher pondered for a moment before he answered,"We could buy him off but then that may cause more issues than it solves. We could try to co-opt him into the empire, give him a greater position of power but then he will have more power to use to stir up trouble if he so desires to. The easiest and most efficient way to deal with him is to simply ignore him. For now, he is not really a threat. He has only a very lose collection of followers, many of which have began to doubt him. Give him time and he will deal with himself."

Bane nodded his agreement with the assessment. He always valued Dasher's insight into situations. Nobody really knew how old the cheetah was and appearance didn't mean much of anything. Bane knew he had age upon him and wisdom to go with it. Dasher knew he had Bane's ear and would rather die than abuse that privilege. The two sat and discussed the events of the past few weeks. Dasher was aware that former admiral Black, was now Emperor Black but he wasn't aware of how or why. It was not public knowledge how that had come to be. Therefore he posed the question to Bane.

The wolf sat thinking for a moment and decided that if anyone in the empire not only needed but deserved to know, it was him. Telling Dasher to keep the information confidential, Bane told him,"Well it happened like this Dasher. A few weeks ago Black was standing in his office in the central government tower. Tho he had lost a fleet and failed to accomplish his orders, Lord Whitepaw still considered him to be a valuable tool in maintaining his rule so he had been ordered to return to the capital. He was looking over the city, and thinking of its inhabitants. As he did so, the door opened and in stepped Lord Whitepaw. He wanted Black to organize the next wave of strikes against us. Now Black has no love for us or our cause, you understand. However he was aware of the attack on us by the Scavangers and that many worlds had been wiped clean by them. It was only a matter of time until the Wolf Empire was attacked in its turn. Furthermore, the war effort had nearly bankrupted the empire. Its citizens were jobless, homeless and many were hopeless. When Whitepaw wouldn't see reason, Black simply had the royal guard, who was loyal in truth to Black, assassinate Lord Whitepaw. With that one stroke, Black became emperor and the war effort against us was halted. Since then we have traded a bit and Kyo is one of those trades. I gave him some tech, and he gave me Kyo. Kyo knows all of the goings on of the empire. It was a show of trust on Black's part that he gave me access to such a source of inside information."

Dasher nodded and gave a soft whistle of surprise, then said,"And I'm guessing this is not widely known?"

Bane shook his head and told Dasher,"We decided to keep this secret for now. Both of our people would not benefit from knowing this right now, so we agreed to not tell it."

Dasher nodded again and thought about it. In his mind he was reviewing the information given to him by his friend and leader. Former enemies were now friends. It was unusual but not unexpected. Dasher spoke up after a moment,"Really, it was the only possible outcome. The game changed, you two no longer could afford to be at each others throats. You were the only power that could rival the wolves. The humans are practically bankrupt by the war effort and the Fox Empire is so disorganized they are incapable of launching any major offensive or defensive effort."

Bane nodded agreement and said,"That's the conclusion we came to as well. Shortly after he took power we had a conference call. We discussed our options and the possibility of being allies. After informing him of the scavenger's capabilities, we agreed we were better together than at each other's throats. Divided, we would be much easier pickings for the scavengers. We will still need to deal with them at a future time but we now have that time to build in. As for the Humans and Fox, we haven't decided what will become of them."

Dasher chuckled and said,"Sounds as if you two are dividing up the spoils of war."

Bane laughed as he replied,"Not at all but their empires are on the verge of collapse. Neither of us really has the resources to save them and neither of us are sure we should."

Dasher nodded with agreement to that and asked,"What of the Draconian Empire?"

Bane paused for a moment as if reluctant to divulge that information but he answered,"I have been in talks with them. They do not approve of my alliance with Black. They see him as a black hearted liar. However, they have dispatched a representative who should be here within the week. We will discuss our current status and at that time I will attempt to make them understand my decision."

Dasher chewed his lip and said,"I can understand your decision to make an alliance with the wolves. I would be lieing if I said I liked it but we cannot hope to defeat the Scavangers alone. Even with our highly advanced weapons, we hardly made a dent in them."

Bane said,"Yes, which is why I had to swallow my dislike for the man and cease our active war with him. Everybody is so damned worried about my alliance with him. Has anybody paused to think how I feel about this?"

Dasher paused a moment to consider it and decided he hadn't really given it any thought. Tho the cheetah had a personal grievance with Black, he knew that Seamus had an even deeper one. The wolf had killed his companions and tortured the fox to near the point of death. How Bane was going to tell his love about this decision was going to be even tougher than convincing the dragons. Dasher didn't envy his friend that job, among a host of others that the wolf was going to have to preform. But with such a position of power and responcibility, came a lot of tough choices and he believed Bane would make the right ones for them all. Dasher sighed and dropped his head a moment and Bane thought he was going to lose the cheetah's support over this issue. Instead, as Dasher's head slowly came back up, a smile was revealed from under the brim of his black hat. Dasher said,"I suppose not Bane." With that Dasher arose and came around to hug his friend with the words,"I told you that I trust you and owe you my support. This hasn't changed that. When you make a wrong decision, be sure I will let you know it."

Bane was certain all would be well now and knew he had Dasher's support. This was a great load off of his shoulders and Bane felt much happier. He hugged back strongly and felt a little of the tension leave his body. Once again, his friend had known what to do and say to make things better and Bane was grateful again to what ever stroke of luck that had brought Dasher into his company. With this, the two friends parted. Dasher felt honored that Bane had opened up to him so much and had told him the truth of the alliance between him and Black. He had heard rumors of it of course but it made no sense to him as until now, he had been under the impression Whitepaw was in power. Knowing what he did now, he could understand why Bane had done what he did. He didn't like it but in truth, there was little option in the matter.

Bane stretched himself and stood up. He had worked late hours again. This time it was necessary, given his previous activities with Seamus. There just were not enough hours in a day to do all that he needed to. Trying to balance his job with his personal life was becoming a headache but how does one choose between the fate of worlds hanging on his decisions and the future of his own life's happiness? He was sure he didn't know. The only thing he could do, was do his best at the time and hope it was enough. He walked over to the window and looked out at his city. He could see construction drones flying around, busy at their assorted tasks. They had been a tremendous help with the construction currently going on.

He then thought of his foxy and what he had not yet done. He ran his paw into his pocket and brought out a ring. He had never really been the emotional type, however he wanted to officially tie the knot with his beloved fox. He wanted to marry Seamus and spend the rest of his life with him. He needed this, needed his foxy and needed to show him just how much it meant to him. However, he was afraid. What if he said no? What if he wasn't ready? What if it failed? So many questions raced though the wolf's mind as he considered possible scenarios.

He couldn't help but to laugh at himself. He could face down a hundred enemies in hand to hand combat and had but he couldn't get the courage up to propose to the man he loved! It was ridiculous! He made up his mind to do it right now. Until he knew the answer to the most important question of his life, all other matters would have no meaning.

He turned to walk out of his office, only to find Seamus standing behind him. The fox looked at the ring, then looked at Bane's face. It was now or never! Bane got down on one knee. Taking Seamus' paw in his, Bane said,"Seamus, my love? I know we haven't known each other for very long. I never expected to love you and to tell the truth, I never expected to love anybody ever again. You took my broken soul and put it back together again. When I didn't have faith in myself, you did. You saw something behind the pain, and god help me, you found it worth loving. In loving me, you healed me. You restored me and have loved me deeper than anybody ever has. In return, I love you so much more than words can ever express. You have captured my heart and my soul. You have captivated me, amazed me and loved me. Seamus, I never want to wake to find a day that you're not beside me. Foxy what I am trying to say is...will you do me the honor of a lifetime and become Mr. Seamus Accendo?"

The fox stood, stunned. Mouth open, he stood and looked down at his kneeling lover, forgetting even to breath! Suddenly he pulled Bane up into a passionate kiss that turned into an even more passionate embrace. Tears of joy flowed down the fox's face as he replied,"Oh baby! The honor is mine and of course I will!" The two stood in Bane's office holding each other and crying with joy. Two had become one. No longer were they simply mates, they had become so much more. Seamus kissed Bane again and Bane placed the ring he had been holding onto, on Seamus' slender finger, then led his foxy to the couch. The two lay on it and held each other.

'Finally!', thought Seamus,'All is as it should be.' With the emotional out burst over, two lovers laid together, each feeling the new and wonderful completeness and slowly fell asleep in each other's arms. Truly a new corner had been turned for both them and the empire. Together they could face any challenge, overcome any obstacle, and survive any attack. Together, they could and would overcome all in their quest to love the other.