FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(This is a reposting of an old story I did. I made a few changes and spruced a few details. Hopefully it's better than it was, though I admit it's still a tad bit sappy, I still like it.)

Several months passed, perhaps even a year, though they weren't really keeping track of the time. Jake kept busy hunting with Ken, tending his beloved rosebush (which by some green-thumbed miracle of Jakes had turned green and blossomed as if it had always grown on a cliff side), and anything else they found to busy themselves with, perfectly happy and content even if work was hard. Nights were usually spent curled up around the fire talking, or love-making, Ken always watching over Jake like a loving guardian angel. So much time had passed that they really didn't care anymore, nor did it matter to them. It was enough that they were together, they were surviving, and they were happy.

One morning Jake woke up in the usual grog, thinking perhaps he had only dreamed of the wonderful lovemaking the night before, but smiled when he realized greatly to his pleasure that Ken's arms and legs were wrapped about him, the bigger dragon's now soft shaft was still filling him. He lay there for a few minutes, just enjoying the situation. It wasn't long though before Ken woke too, and after sufficiently rousing his brain, hugged his mate close and kissed him on the nose. Jake purred in response and then groaned as Ken reached back and lightly stroked around the edge of the stretched tailhole with his finger. A few more moments passed, and Ken gently pulled out of his lover, massaging Jake's buttocks and rubbing soothingly over the anus with his thumbs to relax it. After that was done, he patted Jake's rump and chuckled.

"Well, last night was great, now back to life."

"Hey, this life beats a genetics lab any day."

Ken yawned and then motioned at a pile sitting in the corner.

"Speaking of which, I figure it's about time we get to analyzing the info on that disk."

"I'd just as soon let it keep its miserable secrets," Jake grumbled back, "Chances are we're timed to die after a while."

"Ick, don't talk like that. You make us sound like a trial period on demo software." Ken joked, pulling his laptop and a pair of portable solar panels from under one of the blankets in the said pile and sat down cross-legged, flipping it on. Jake rolled over next to him, resting his head on Ken's thigh and staring at the eerie white screen as Ken clicked through files, eventually opening a decryption program and running a check on the disk. A small box popped up asking for a username and password. Ken entered Steve's name and then stopped.

"Jake, do you know his password?"

"Nope . . . you don't?"

"No. Hmm."

"His mother's maiden name?"

" . . . nope, not it."

"Sister?"

"Nope"

"Brother?"

"He didn't have one."

"Father? Grandparents? Pets?"

It took them a long time, but finally they had worked through all his hobbies, relatives, pets and common words that they could think of, but all to no avail. Every time it came up negative.

"Oh DARN this thing!!" Ken roared, aiming a hit with his fist at the laptop which was pre-empted by Jake.

"Come on now, we need to be patient. I'm no hacker, but I know that we'll lose all chance if we smash the thing."

Ken sighed and massaged his eye ridges tiredly, nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just upset I guess."

Jake reached over and hugged Ken, who took him into his arms and pulled the little red dragon onto his lap, rocking him softly for a few minutes. Both appreciated the nearness of the other, but the mind of each was wandering off onto its own tangent, both trying to think of what to do next. A strange look came over Jake's face, his brow furrowing slightly.

"I . . . I wonder." He half-whispered, leaning over to the laptop and resting his hands on the keys for a moment before typing. "It would make sense . . ."

>>Dragon

[Password Denied!]

>>Dragon1

[Password Denied!]

>>Dragon2

[Password Denied!]

>>Dragon3

[Password Denied!]

"Aww, what's the use!" Jake growled, flopping back against Ken's chest. Ken grew thoughtful for a moment, still staring at the screen.

"No wait . . . wait a minute . . ."

>>1Dragon

[Password Denied!]

>>2Dragon

[Password Denied!]

>>3Dragon

[Password accepted; Decrypting Files . . .]

"YOU DID IT!!" Jake screamed with delight, throwing his arms around Ken and kissing him and doing football victory hoots. Ken chuckled and nuzzled him.

"So would have you if you hadn't given up so quickly. Now, let's get into this stuff . . . D-Tran. Hmm, sounds like a promising folder . . . d1sum.txt . . .

"Section 1: Overview

This section gives a general overview of the attributes as were tested out successful by the computer.

Most prominently is energy control, using a meld of psychic and physical manipulators, the eyes and arms being the primary and most effective means. Details on the nature of the manipulation can be found in psy1.txt. The form can do practically anything regarding the energy available surrounding him, provided the necessary knowledge of concentration is achieved. Rudimentary forms manipulation comes naturally and is mostly telekinesis and bolts of lightning-like energy, along with low-level clairvoyance and telepathy. Said forms have been wired into the brain for convenience purposes, and will be used unconsciously by the subject, though it may also be voluntarily controlled. Higher forms of manipulation include more accurate energy attacks, defenses, and physical manipulation/manifestation such as an energy beam wielded as a weapon a shield, or lifting multiple objects with psychokenises. Abilities are limited by experience, and the mental capacity for concentration of the subject. Other uses are also possible and are discussed in psy1.txt as well.

Also prominent is the muscle strength, and the body's natural abilities being accelerated. The body still needs food, but has been switched to a hybrid physical nutrition and psychic energy support system, allowing both for accelerated healing and longer periods without food. Concerning muscular abilities, the strength of the muscle is also supported by the psy-nature system, allowing for 120x increased strength to that which is physically possible from muscle of the same size on a purely physical system, and indefinite endurance. This body form can lift a maximum of approximately 3 tons and this can be increased with concentration and normal exercising.

More advanced abilities and their relation to the body are discussed in psy1.txt."

Ken sat back a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Well . . . certainly something to think about. I'm guessing it's talking about me, since it describes me so well. Let's see what they have on you shall we?"

With that he flipped to the next document in line, d2sum.txt.

"Section 1: Overview

This section gives a general overview of the attributes as were tested out successfully by the computer.

This form is not as powerful as the other two, also having a psy-nature hybrid system, but being weaker in most respects, sacrificing strength for a faster regeneration rate, longer starvation periods and somewhat stronger mental psychic abilities. Extended time without food or water (timed to be 3 days) will turn on the form's psy sustenance mechanism, where it supports itself almost completely on psy energy. This mechanism however, blocks out other uses of psy such as telepathy or psychokenises as all concentration is consumed in keeping the body alive. Again however, the ability to perform multiple tasks at once is determined by the subject's concentration capabilities. After a period of 6 days after the mechanism has been activated, the body will be put into a mentally imposed coma, allowing all available energy, both psy and what remains of the natural, to be used in supporting and protecting the body. This and similar mechanisms are discussed in greater detail in psy2.txt. This form has all the psychic abilities of form 1, save for telekinesis, but to a slightly higher degree. This form also has increased strength, though not to as great an extent as form 1."

The two sat silent for a moment, and then Jake spoke up.

"That explains why I healed so quickly."

Ken nodded, closing the file and then clicked file, d3sum.txt, waiting as it opened. Slowly his lips moved, and eventually sound emerged from them.

"It also explains why you were so sickly. You got food every once in a while, but it wasn't enough to keep you healthy, and the psy support was never initiated because we kept giving you food at odd times . . . but . . . but . . there are only two of us . . . ."

"Section 1: Overview

This section gives a general overview of the attributes as were tested out successfully by the computer.

This third form combines the positives of both the previous forms, both strength, ability, and regeneration. (Note: I have found a neural formula which increases the mind's ability to voluntarily wield it's psychic faculties, and I have integrated this into the genetic code. I have added it to the genome of form 1, and if it tests out safely, then I will add it to this form as well. It is this form I intend to transform myself to, the other two forms will be tested on my colleagues, which I will do soon, as the DNA base code has been discovered, and we will not have use of the lab much longer for those purposes. I have only had time to compile form 2 into a single fluid, form 1 is still in separate sections, but only a fraction of a dose of each is required for transformation)."

Neither of them read any further, stunned that Steve had been planning this for some time. Ken's face grew sad and sober, somehow grieved that the information he needed to convict Steve was spelled out before him. A single tear slipped from his eye as he stared at nothing in particular, his mind unearthing years of memory and friendship, only to be ripped apart by this Steve he didn't even know existed.

"Why? Why would he do this?"

Jake looked up at Ken and nuzzled him softly.

"I don't know . . . this was Steve's scientific mind talking, it describes everything as if it were a test tube. Maybe . . . maybe he just wanted to grant our wishes. I remember hearing you say a few times you wished you were a dragon . . ."

Ken looked down at Jake nestled in his arms and smiled sadly, stroking the red cheek with a paw.

"Well, he did grant that, and if he hadn't he would have deprived me of one of the most beautiful dragons I've seen."

Jake smiled back up at him encouragingly and leaned his head against Ken's chest, then grew thoughtful again.

"Ken . . . what are we going to do with this information? Where do we take it? How do we get it there?"

"What's more pressing is how do we know if and when Steve transforms himself and if he will be able to find us when he does."

"Oh . . . I didn't think of that . . . but how could he get away with doing it? What possible excuse could he have for transforming himself, and after the bad name he gave us about insanity, how could he prove that he won't be insane once he is transformed?"

"Simple, he'd be making a sacrifice to help find us before we do something terrible like blow up a nuclear plant or something. Not only that, everybody considers him the final authority and so whatever he says about this goes as far as the public and media are concerned . . . and . . . considering that, and the case he made against us, somehow I doubt granting wishes was what he had in mind . . . unless it were his own."

Both fell silent at this, thinking deeply, in fact, neither of them spoke very much the rest of that day, constantly in a silent reverie of thought as they mulled over resurrected fears in their mind. The fears hung close about them that night as the two laid in one another's arms. Eventually though, slept laid its peaceful, overpowering blanket over them both, drawing them into a deep slumber, their last thoughts being of each other.

*****-*****-*****-*****-*****

There was a sudden jerk as Jake sat bolt upright, breathing hard and his eyes wide with fear. Something was wrong, Jake could feel it in his heart, and something was close, it tingled in the marrow of his bones. The cave and outside it were dead silent, and the only light came from Ken's sleeping form. Jake felt terribly isolated, alone in a place as dangerous as though a gun were being held to his head, the trigger even in the act of being pulled, and the feeling was static, not changing, not leaving, if not getting worse. Jake tried to shake Ken awake, and to his horror for a few moments nothing happened. Then slowly his eyes opened, and he gazed up at Jake, and they grew wider as they saw his alarm. Neither said a word, but in a moment, all was communicated to Ken who immediately checked the fire to make sure it was out, then crept over to the tarp and pulling a corner aside. His searching eye found nothing, and he bent down, pulling it open even wider, till finally the tarp was completely removed. Nothing but a full moon and starlight filtering into the cave through the outer bushes. Jake crawled up behind Ken, who was still cautiously scanning the line of trees in front of the cliff . . . nothing. Jake began to shake with fear, fear for Ken, as if he could see some fatal blow coming down on him, till finally he tackled Ken and slammed him onto the ground. The only sound was that of the two hitting the hard rock, but tension was great. Ken hugged his mate reassuringly, and looked out again, his glowing white eyes having their own look of fear. Jake continued to get worse, the terror filled feeling becoming even more unimaginably real each moment, his shaking coming to a point of being almost seizure-like. Suddenly Ken grabbed him and shook him hard.

"Jake! Jake stop it! Let go, don't fear it!"

"I- I- can't, no I can't! I won't Ken I wo-" *WHACK*

Jake sat stunned as Ken's well-aimed punch sent his thoughts reeling out of the horrific stupor. In a moment, Ken and laid on top of Jake, holding his head in one hand and stroking the place he had just hit with the other, gently but firmly pointing his head at the moon, not letting him look anywhere else. He nestled his head on top of Jake's and spoke soothingly.

"Just look at the moon Jake, look at it. Isn't it beautiful? Shhh. Just look at the moon."

Jake's eyelids were slowly pulled shut as Ken's mind tenderly overpowered his, filling his mind with beautiful scenes and blanketing it from the fear. As the dreamy intoxication took him over, his last sensations were that of his mate holding him softly and stroking, and an unintelligible yet calming voice whispering to him like a wind through the trees. Eventually all thought faded into a peaceful land of nothingness except for feelings of a beautiful somewhere.

*****-*****-*****-*****-*****

The next morning Jake found himself wrapped up in a warm blanket near the back of the cave. The tarp had been removed and sunlight was streaming in through the cave entrance, the warm glow making him blink as his eyes adjusted. He moved his tail to get up and it hit something solid. He looked down and found Ken scrolling through some documents on the laptop.

"Ken . . . Ken, what happened last night?"

"Last night? Jake, that was a day ago, you've been asleep all this time."

"An entire day? I've been asleep over twenty-four hours? Why? How?"

"You went into a traumatic shock . . . I think your mind needed time to repair itself. It was a probe."

"A what?"

"Steve is transformed Jake, and he's looking for us. We shouldn't have waited so long on reading what he did. That's what I've been doing all this time you've been asleep, and a few more attacks came, but I was able to passively repel them."

"Probes, attacks . . . what are you talking about?"

"He's using psychic abilities to try and find us, just as I feared. He was making you afraid, imposing an artificial threat to get an emotional response that he could detect, kind of like the ping pong that computers use to keep track of each other. I think he knows the general direction it came from, but I don't think . . . I hope he doesn't know the location. I'm afraid that even if he got the general direction he'll notice the park here and remember our trip. I've taken a risk in waiting for you to wake up instead of just moving us. I've found out a lot about how everything works . . . and thankfully, how to use what I'm able to do now. I was just finishing when you woke up . . . Steve did a lot of work on this, he's got a whole theory on how the megaverse works."

"What's a megaverse?"

"The megaverse is the universe, including all the different planes of existence, realms . . . aww, nevermind, I'll explain later." He said, turning around and pulling Jake into his arms, a very sober and faraway look in his eyes. "Jake . . . I made something for us . . "

"Yeah? What is it Ken?"

At first Ken said nothing, but reaching over to a pile, he picked something up, then brought it before Jake's face and opened his hand, revealing a simple ring, appearing to be made of silver, but with a ruddy sheen that gave it an appearance of something other than what was made by natural materials.

"This is a ring Jake, I have one just like it made for me . . . it's a special ring, and I can't explain all that it does or why I made it, but it bonds us in a special way . . . here, put it on."

Ken took Jake's paw and gently slipped it onto his ring finger, tenderly squeezing his hand after he was done and kissing his nose, showing him the larger but identical ring on his own finger. Jake looked at it for a minute, then looked back up and gazed into his mate's eyes.

"I love you Ken, thank you. I don't know what this is, or why you are acting so very serious about this all, but I know it's something good . . . I love you Ken."

Ken smiled softly, full of love as he returned his dragon's gaze, though Jake wondered if he had noted a touch of sadness in it. He stroked Jake's cheek and kissed him, letting it linger for a while before breaking apart again. He got up and patted his head.

"I'm going to go out hunting for a little while. If you start feeling afraid, just concentrate on the ring ok?"

"Ok Ken."

Ken felt a twinge of guilt as he left his mate behind in the cave, not wanting to leave him, and not trusting Steve to leave him alone. But food was low, and there were many things he had to think about.

"Where are we going to go? We've gotten so well established here, things were going fine . . . why can't they just leave us alone? . . . should we leave now, or wait? We have evidence against Steve, but what do we do with it? Too many questions . . ."

Ken swooped down and perched on a tree branch as he spotted a deer and crept closer in his usual fashion. With a flash of his wrist and a strong bolt of energy, the stag was down, and Ken was kneeling beside it and checking it over, his mind divided between providing and protecting.

"One false move and Steve will be having the Governor call out the national guard on us . . . the Governor . . . I wonder . . ."

He stuffed various parts of the deer into the duffel bag and took to the air again, racing back to the cave as fast as his wings could carry him. It seemed like moments before he was dashing through the bushes and throwing aside the bag, his eyes scanning and finding Jake staring up at him dumbly.

"Jake, I have an idea. If we can get to the Governor, we may be able to convince him of the true story."

"The Governor? Ken, now you're really starting to sound like a crackpot."

"I know, but it's our best chance. It'll take us about a day to get there, but if we keep under cover it'll be safer than staying in one spot, and we should be able to get hold of him and explain everything. Please, we have to try it."

"It won't work . . . I mean it's absolutely silly . . ." Jake sighed and shook his head," . . but it's better than sitting here."

"Right, then we'll leave right away, today in fact."

"Alright, I'll help get things packed, heh, not that we really have much to pack."

*****-*****-*****-*****-*****

The next three hours consisted of dismantling some of their makeshift gadgets, packing what few supplies they had and generally trying to erase the marks of living that they had left there . . . but it was not fast enough. Ken was busily stuffing a few things into one of the duffels when suddenly he lifted his head, listening. Jake, noting this motion did the same. There was a noise, first faintly, like the buzzing of an unseen fly in a room, then more like the beginning strains of a harsh song, and finally a loud continuous thunder as a swarm of military helicopters broke the morning sky. Ken grabbed Jake and jumped out of the cave, swooping down and dashing into the forest. He set Jake down and gave him a shove.

"Jake! Run! Go! Don't worry about me, I'll hold them off and join you later!"

"But Ke-"

"GO!"

Just as Ken shouted, there was a blast of ammo that sent Jake flying to the ground, though fortunately Ken was able to shield him. With that, Ken flew up darting past the helicopters and flying away to the east, eventually disappearing in the distance. Jake still laid there on the ground, knocked unconscious by the shock, and there he stayed well into the day till finally he came around. Everything was hazy at first, the first thing registering in his mind being the smell of dried leaves filling his nostrils and a chill breeze stroking over his back. As his eyes fluttered open they were greeted by the sun lighting the forest scene before him like that from windows in a column filled cathedral. For a moment, the beautiful sight held his memories at bay as the light lazily shifted among the tree branches. Then like a bullet the morning's events unfolded themselves anew in his mind. He shot up, breathing hard and scanning all around him for either friend or foe but found nothing, only himself and the trees. He knew instinctively that he had to go, so he got up and staggered along the cliff face till he found a scalable part, and started west, the opposite direction from that which he had seen Ken lead the helicopters.

For hours he walked, his calves beginning to ache from the hard trek, all the while he was scanning the sky for Ken, waiting for him to come as he promised. No Ken. Jake kept walking till nightfall, and since his eyesight was good in the dark, he kept walking even then constantly trying to feel Ken close. At last he collapsed under a tree crying, the tears running down its trunk and into the soil. The helicopters had gotten him somehow and he knew it, and now he was on his own. He looked at his clenched paw and kissed the ring there, holding his mouth against it as he sobbed, hoping that it would have some semblance to the large paw he had kissed before, but to no avail. Fitful and tired from his walk he drifted to sleep under the tree. He and Ken were back together; both were lying under the tree with the sunlight warm on their bodies, and warm in each others arms. Softly Ken kissed him, and then spoke to him.

"Jake, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure Ken, whatever you ask."

"Take off the ring I gave to you, it isn't safe for you to wear it."

"What?! No! I'm never going to take this off! It's what I have left of you!"

"Jake listen to me: keep the ring if you must . . . in fact, please keep it, but don't wear it, for both our sakes. Please do this for me. Jake, I will always love you, never forget that."

With that, Ken held Jake close in a kiss. Jake closed his eyes as he did, but suddenly found himself falling over trying to kiss the air. The sun was out, bright and shining, but there was no Ken, not even a bent blade of grass beside him to mark his passage.

"What! All a dream?" Jake yelled, getting near tears again. He knew tears would do no good and gently calmed himself, sighing them away. Remembering the dream, he decided to honor the request that Ken had made and pulled several strands from his tattered jeans, fashioning them into a makeshift necklace and slipping the ring on it. This he placed about his neck, vowing never to let it part from him as long as he lived, and with that, he started off again, not knowing where he was going, or really caring.

After several days of traveling, he finally came upon a city, and at first he took care to avoid being seen. Soon however, much to his shock, he found that he didn't need to. Everywhere he looked there were people and different kinds of anthropomorphic animals, some crying, some running madly from place to place, and others just sitting on street corners staring into space. There was total chaos where once there was a steady rhythm of order. Streets were trashed, cars abandoned along the roads, buildings with gaping holes in their sides, and to Jake's disgust, even the dead corpse of a person or anthro lying here or there. Suddenly there was a louder commotion than the rest coming from an alleyway, a woman and a child screaming. Jake dashed towards the sound to find a huge morphed bear preparing to take a swipe at the cowering woman, who had put herself between the bear and what appeared to be her child. Jake roared out in defense, grabbing the bear by what remained of his clothes and using the bears own weight to swing him around, smashing his head against the wall. The bear crumbled to the ground unconscious, his tongue sliding out the side of his mouth. Jake rushed over to the woman and child. The woman was obviously still afraid and screamed again, wrapping her arms tighter around the little girl -- but when nothing hit, she looked up to find Jake gazing kindly with his large yellow eyes. Jake saw her uncertainty and tried to settle it.

"Are you . . . alright?" He asked, tentatively reaching out a claw.

The woman stopped for a moment, and looked at him intently, and then without responding, drew away from the child, revealing that the little girl had been clawed deeply across the face. Jake pulled the little girl close to him slowly, examining the wounds intently, while hushing her as tears slipped down her bloody cheeks. Finally the lady spoke up, softly, almost frightened.

"Can . . . can you do something, for my daughter?"

"I . . ." He let out a sigh, and gently placed a paw over the girl's face. "I don't know for sure. I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"He closed his eyes and began to concentrate, letting energy that normally healed him flow out of him and focused it on the claws scars which he saw clearly in his mind. He concentrated more, pressing his hand harder, the stress of his concentration causing it to grow hot. His empathy locked in on the girl and he felt her pain, the searing stripes he knew weren't there were ripping into his own face. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he focused, both from the pain and from compassion. Slowly he released his link, and the pain he felt vanished. He sighed and looked up at the mother as he stopped pressing his paw on the child's face and began to stroke instead.

"I'm sorry, healing is not something I can do . . . I really am sorry."

The mother ignored his words, and knelt down open mouthed taking her child into her arms and pressing her close, rubbing her hand unbelievingly over the now healed wound.

"When I asked if you could do something, I meant to bandage it . . . you . . . you _healed_ her!"

Jake stared, not believing the sight himself, yet there it was plain before him. He ran his fingers over his own face -- no marks. He touched the little girl's face -- nothing but a fading scar. The mother stood up and took her child by the hand.

"Thank you . . . thank you so much." With tears in her eyes, the woman leaned forward and kissed the scaled nose, staring gratefully at him for a moment. Then, slowly she led her child off, every few steps casting an amazed look back at the now silent red dragon. Jake sighed as they disappeared around a corner, wondering what he should do next. Suddenly, there was a rustle behind him, and a large deep voice shouted:

"HEY YOU!! LOOK OUT BEHI-"

The voice was interrupted by a swirl of pain and blackness as something akin to a sledge hammer slammed into the side of his head. Jake was aware of beginning to fall, but didn't even remain conscious long enough to remember hitting the ground. All was darkness and silence.