The Horrors I've Seen: What Might Have Been
To those of you new to my gallery, my first submissions ever were in a series called The Horrors I've Seen, which has since been deleted. Maybe in the future, or in another life, the story might have gone this far....
Cast
Fenris: Me.
Sophie: Kitsuchan.
Fenris straightened up as he approached the door to Sophie's room, having mentally rehearsed what he was going to say. He rapped on the door with his knuckles, calling, "Sophie?"
"Yeah? Come in, Fenris," Sophie said, lying on her bed while reading a bit from the texts that the Resistance allowed her to carry.
The Houndoom morph walked in, nodding at her and keeping a straight face. "The observatory's empty this time of day. I was going to go for a walk, if you wanted to join me."
"Yeah...I haven't been out of this room in a while. I'd love to go on a walk with you," the seventeen-year-old Pomeranian replied, using a bandana to blind her third eye.
Fenris nodded again and waited for her to come to him. As they walked down the halls, Fenris ignored the looks they received. He'd heard the whispered rumors surrounding him and Sophie, but since they were effectively stuck in space surrounded by resistance furs, he'd done nothing about them. Sophie hung onto the Houndoom morph's arm. She gently smiled and laid her head upon his bicep, quite happy that she had the time to go out with her boyfriend. Also though they had a mild romance between them for the last year, duty prevented them from going out on anything like this often. "Hey, Fenris...what have you been doing lately?"
He snorted lightly. "The only thing they'll let me do: security. Meaning standing around a bunch of oafs who they'd trust to put a bullet in my head if I wandered too far. Not like there's anything to guard against on this damned ship. We're in orbit around the planet for God's sake," he grumbled.
Sophie looked down. "I'm sorry I asked..." she said under her breath, letting go of his arm to give him a hug from behind as they reached the elevator. "I'm sorry that you're patronized."
He sighed and nodded, accepting the hug. "I'm used to it...don't let it worry you too much." He was quiet for a moment as they entered the elevator, which was thankfully empty. "What about you...I've been thinking of you."
"Well...ummm..." she stammered, "I've been studying...ancient languages...ancient cultures..." she said out loud and then whispered, "wedding dresses...nurseries...."
Fenris raised an eyebrow. "Sounds...fun," he said, trying to keep a straight face. He didn't really understand why she studied such things, but if she could make it work, more power to her.
Sophie smiled as they walked into the observatory. "The sky is really nice when you are about to retire," she said a bit timidly, trying to start up some conversation.
He nodded, stepping out with her and into the observatory. "When I came into space, it was the first time I'd seen the stars...I'd only ever read about them." He looked to the setting Earth, which was still completely blanketed with the clouds from the Minotaur invasion almost seven years ago. "Such an ugly sight...."
"I know..." she trailed off, coming about his front and putting his arms around her, "but I don't care what people say about you...you're a really good guy."
He held her against him. "You're wrong, you know...but thanks for caring anyway," he said quietly, resting his chin on top of her head. God he hated what she did to him sometimes...so why did he keep coming back...? She was calculating some things in her head, like why did he insist that he'd never be good enough? Why is it that she could never do anything that could snap him out of his circular thinking? Now wasn't the time to think of such things, though. She had a desire and she wasn't going to back down...not now.
He rubbed her back a little before he gave the top of her head a kiss, then let her go from the hug and moved to sit down against a wall, looking up at the stars. "I wish they'd tell me what we're doing here in space...sooner or later the Minotaurs'll find a way to get here."
"I vote on later...they've had me monitoring Earth transmissions, and the Minotaurs just seem to be taking this as a low threat. They think that we ran away," Sophie said, digging through her pockets.
"Yeah..." he trailed off, looking over at her. "What are you doing? You seem really...preoccupied tonight," he asked.
"Looking for something...I promised to give you tonight..." she muttered, perking up. "Ah-ha! Found it!"
Fenris sat up straighter, waiting. "Yes?"
Sophie walked up to him, got to her knee, and took out a gold ring. "Fenris...will you...be my husband?" she asked, smiling hopefully.
The Houndoom looked at her in shock. "Wha...what is this...?" he asked, feeling his stomach tighten in apprehension.
"A ring...I held onto it for a very long time...hoping to give it to you someday...."
Fenris looked into her eyes for a long while before he continued, "You're...you're serious? You want me, of all people, to be your husband...."
"Yes...I feel like we belong together...and I really do love you from the bottom of my heart..." Sophie said.
He looked at the ring she presented and hesitantly reached for it, withdrawing his hand once before he carefully took it from her fingers. He studied it for a few moments before he said, "Sophie, you do know that just about everyone hates me...and you'd really put yourself through that? Why?"
"Because it hurts too much to see you go through it and not do anything about it," the Pomeranian replied firmly, kissing the back of his hand.
The Houndoom was quiet again, twirling the ring slowly in his fingers. He heaved a sigh and looked up at her. "I...need to think about it. Can you give me just a few days?"
"Yeah...sure..." Sophie said with a now fake smile, her heart sinking a bit.
He looked away, knowing that he had hurt her feelings. "I'm sorry, but...I don't want to put you in that kind of situation without thinking if it's the right thing to do first."
She nodded, starting to stand up. "I know...it's too soon...."
"Hey, c'mere," he interjected, taking her wrist and pulling her down for a kiss.
Sophie giggled and blushed, tilting her head to deepen their kiss.
Fenris murred down her throat and cupped her cheek, slowly pulling away from the kiss and looking into her eyes. "You're a sweet girl, Sophie...and you're about the only person I can really trust, whatever happens."
"I'm glad that I have your trust...thank you."
A few days later, Fenris came to Sophie's quarters again. The last three days had been hell; he could barely concentrate on his work, and often snapped at whoever gave him any grief. He had made a point to avoid Sophie, to have as much time to think as he could get. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Yeah...come in...." Sophie's quarters were in a mess, very unlike her. She was in her bed and in her "I'm sick" sleepwear, a hot water bottle next to her on her bed. "Oh, h-hi Fenris..." she said before going into a sneezing fit.
The Houndoom blinked off her indisposition and made his way to her bedside. "What's wrong...?" he asked, taking her hand.
"I just caught the flu...don't worry about it...the doctors say that if I take the medicine the full week...I'll be fine," she murmured, smiling tiredly.
He nodded and stroked the back of her hand with a thumb. "Well...maybe I can cheer you up."
"Nono...you have a job to do...I'm fine here..." she said with all three of her eyelids drooped, trying not to be a burden on him.
"...I think you've been out of it. It's nighttime. I have the whole night to spend," he replied.
"But...Fenris..." Sophie started.
"Just...c'mon, let me stay for a little while. I'll even read one of your books to you," he continued, standing up to look for something good to read.
"O-okay..." she said quietly, knowing that it was useless trying to stand him down.
"Lemme see...damn, this place is a wreck...where are your books?" Fenris muttered.
"Underneath the scrolls," she replied, pointing to the book stack.
Fenris picked through her books, reading their title out loud as he saw them. "Advanced Genetology, Chicken Soup for the Canid Soul...." He paused and took out Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes, holding it up and cocking his head at the Pomeranian.
"What? I like children's stories," she answered his unasked question with a slight blush.
He snickered and put it back, going through her books some more until he picked out Chicken Soup for the Canid Soul. "How's this?"
Sophie nodded. "That's good."
The Houndoom sat next to her on the bed and opened the book. "Heh, maybe I'll even get something out of it. Lemme see here...." Sophie snuggled up in her covers, smiling tiredly over to Fenris. "...All right, here we go."
He crossed his legs and began to read a story about a slave girl and her owner, who secretly loved her and always made sure she didn't have to work as hard as other slaves. Sophie started tearing up in the middle of it. "...Eh?" He closed the book and looked down at her, cocking his head again. "Sophie?"
"Y-yeah?" Sophie said, dabbing her eyes.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No...i-it's just beautiful..." she said, taking a handkerchief next to her mattress and blowing her nose.
"Okay...." Sensing this wan't going very well, he set the book aside and took her hand in his. "Maybe...we should just rest...okay?"
"Okay," she whispered, lying on her side. "Thank you for reading me that. It was really nice."
"Sure. Anytime." He moved to lie on his side behind her, hugging her against him.
"I love you so much, Fenris...it hurts to see you like this..." Sophie said, covering her third eye.
Suppressing a flinch from her words, Fenris nonetheless cocked his head. "'Like this'? Being kind to you? Would you rather I go back to how I used to treat you?" he asked.
"No...I meant seeing you be maltreated by the Resistance. It's not fair," she explained, holding onto him tightly. The Houndoom morph was quiet at that, his eyes focusing into the distance and his brow furrowing in thought. "Sorry..." Sophie said, rolling on top of him.
Fenris then asked, "Sophie...would you be happy if you were with me, but away from the Resistance?"
"The Resistance is all we have right now...and Fenris...I have a question," she began.
He rested his arms on the small of her back. "Mm?"
"Would you...have sex with me? Because I'm in heat and I need it badly...."
Fenris's eyes squinted as he stared up at the ceiling, letting out a quiet sigh as he gently moved her off and stood up, walking to the window of her quarters that looked upon the perpetually gray, cloudy Earth.
Sophie got out of bed, standing behind Fenris in only a long nightshirt. "I'm sorry...I know the answer to that."
He looked back at her for a moment, then back out the window. "Sophie...I hate this. I hate the Resistance, I hate that the world is still run by demons, I hate that neither group will let us be together, and most of all I hate that I helped make things this way from when I worked for the Minotaurs."
She sighed, knowing where he was going with this. "Fenris, it's not all your fault. It's been this way for hundreds of years...you were just conscripted to fight on the wrong side*," she said, hugging him from behind.
"But I'm still responsible for helping, and as long as there's no safe haven, we're never going to have a place to stay, raise a family, anything, ever." He turned to face her, hugging her against him.
"Listen...keep your head up. I'll keep us in good grace with the Resistance."
"Of course you will; you're probably their best, if only, magic-user. Not to mention they know I behave better with you around." He sighed and buried his nose in her hair, sniffing it.
Sophie blushed. "Though...I'm so awkward in front of people...I just can't seem fine in a social gathering," she complained, leaning into his chest.
Fenris rubbed her back as he contemplated his next move. "...Sophie, a few days ago you proposed I be your husband, and I've been thinking about it. Now I have a proposition for you."
"What is it, Fenris?" she said, looking out to the stars.
"I'm leaving the Resistance. I'm going back down to Earth, I'm going to hunt the Minotaurs my way, and I want you to come with me. If you'll stay with me...then I'll be your husband." He didn't release her from the hug, just hoped she wouldn't panic at his suggestion.
Sophie's heart skipped a beat, but then she nodded. "All right...but only if we do it together."
A wide smile spread across Fenris's muzzle. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Sophie," he said, releasing her from the hug and digging into his pocket, pulling out the ring she gave him. "I guess...you should put this on me, then."
Sophie fumbled with the ring a moment, placing it on his finger. "'Till death, do us part...."
Looking down at his spread fingers, Fenris then looked into her eyes. "But I have no promise sign to give you."
She smiled up at him, shaking her head. "You don't need to give me anything. You already give me happiness...."
"There must be something I can give you, even if it's just...this." He leaned down, touching his lips to hers. Sophie blushed, reciprocating the kiss for a moment before going to her room's computer and requesting that an emergency pod be made for two to go down to Earth for reconnaissance. She of course didn't mention that when the pod came back, they wouldn't be on it.
As she typed, Fenris made his way over to her bed and took off his shirt, patting the mattress beside him. "Would you like to...seal our matrimony before we go?" he asked once she finished typing. Sophie's heart raced, her stomach filled with butterflies and her head nodded yes in a stupor as she slowly sat next to him. The Houndoom morph put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her against him. "I have to tell you...I can be quite...rough."
"I can manage...I'm not so delicate..." she said, blushing brightly and slipping out of her nightshirt, showing him her petite and modest body.
"I'll...try to be careful," he replied, kissing her again and laying her on her back.
An hour later, Fenris was spooning Sophie's backside, his face buried in her hair again and his arms around her. Nuzzling the top of her head, he muttered, "I love you, Sophie."
"I love you too, Fenris...I will always love you...."
The next morning, Sophie packed all her things and placed them in the emergency pod. She wiped her sweaty hair and smiled as she looked to Fenris. He smiled back at her and climbed in, what little he wanted to bring carried in a backpack he was wearing. Sitting against the inner wall of the pod, he opened his arms for Sophie to join him. Sophie got the rations that they were allowed and got in, snuggling against Fenris. "The day's finally here..." she said as they sealed the pod and shot towards Earth.
Soon she opened the door, back on her home world for the first time in over a year. "It's quiet here...."
The Houndoom stepped out and took a deep breath. "It's about to get a whole lot noisier."
* Evertide05 (4:25:45 PM): [It's been like that for about...six or seven years.]
Kitsuchan (4:26:52 PM): [She's talking about servitude and things like that. The situation only transferred from the surrent slaves to the demons]
Evertide05 (4:27:35 PM): [Ah.]