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"It is seriously three-thirty in the morning and I am seriously tired," Laura complained as she, Matt, Chris and Kael finally got back to their dorms. "Unlike the rest of you, I haven't slept, napped, or passed out in hours." The white wolf stretched and yawned, her maw opening wide and revealing sharp teeth and a long tongue.

Matt bounced on his feet a moment, his tail wagging a mile-a-minute. "Well, Jay's meeting us here any moment. I'm not going to bed just yet."

"And by any moment, he means I'm meeting you here now!" Jay announced as he walked into the dorm foyer, having followed the massive moose through the outer door. The cougar - dressed in his customary jeans and white muscle shirt - pushed past the group and pounced on his boyfriend with a huge grin on his face. "I'm so happy you're okay, Matt!"

"I told you we were fine," the husky responded with a sweet smile as he was hugging the cream-colored cat. After a moment he pulled away from Jay. "I want you to meet my friend, Chris. Chris, this is my boyfriend, Jay."

The cougar's gaze roamed up the tall moose's bulky body, having to crane his neck upwards to make eye contact with Chris. Noting the black kilt covering muscular legs, and the green vest over a broad chest, Jay felt a pang of jealousy. His tail twitched erratically once before he brought it under control. "Good to meet you, Chris. Matt's told me a bit about you."

The moose just nodded once in response. "I need to head out, Matt. Darrel was expecting me a couple hours ago. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"You're just going to walk?" the husky asked, his ears dropping a bit. Jay's tail jerked again.

"His place is only a few minutes from here. It was good to finally meet you, Jay. Goodnight Laura and Kael. Goodnight Matt." Chris turned and left the dorms through the same metal and glass doors they had entered from.

The four remaining friends turned back to each other. Jay snaked a paw around Matt's waist, making tiny circles on the husky's stomach.

The white wolf smiled at the pair and nudged the kangaroo with an elbow. "Hey, Kael. Why don't you crash in my room tonight? I have an inflatable mattress and no roomie."

Kael's ears flipped straight up in surprise. "Uh, really, dudette?"

"I doubt you want to sleep in the same room with these guys in the same bed. Why, don't want to sleep in a room with a girl?" Laura teased in her sing-song voice with a wink.

"What? No, I do want to sleep in a room with a girl, er, not with these dudes, but uh, yes. I'll crash at your place." The group laughed at the poor, flustered kangaroo as they headed up the stairs to the fourth floor. Once at their 'box', Kael grabbed some clothes and his bathroom kit, and headed over to Laura's room with a quick goodbye.

Once the husky and cougar were left alone in the bedroom, Jay flopped down on the twin mattress and patted beside him. Tail wagging, Matt sat beside his boyfriend and gave him a quick lick on the cheek.

"Thanks for watching me while I was asleep," Matt whispered, leaning his head on Jay's shoulder.

Jay hugged Matt close again, inhaling his sweet scent and breathing a contented sigh. "I wanted to be there for you the entire time, but Laura and Kael forced me to go home and sleep. And go to work. I'm glad that you're awake, though. What happened?"

"Careful, ribs are still a little sore," Matt protested. Jay loosened his hug, but still held on. "After Lucent and that demon... shattered? I guess I just freaked out and passed out."

"Lucent was the lion's name?"

Matt laid down on the bed and pulled Jay down beside him, draping an arm over the cat's chest and snuggling close. "Yeah. Lucent was the Head of the Council of Magi in Ameranth. Why or how he was on Earth I'll likely never know."

Jay flipped over so that he was facing Matt. At the police station the husky had been given a bright orange set of pants and shirt, as he had only been wearing the impromptu hospital gown "kilt" when the group had made their escape, and as far as Jay could tell, his husky looked ridiculous in the jail getup. 'But what does that matter? He's alive and well.'

Planting his lips on Matt's muzzle, Jay purred as his tongue invaded his boyfriend's mouth. After a few moments, the husky pulled back. His icy eyes were shining in the low dorm lights, but the dog was frowning slightly. Not precisely the reaction Jay was looking forward to.

"What's wrong, Matt?"

Matt ran his paw over Jay's head and rubbed the cougar's ear beside the colored studs. "Nothing's wrong, but I do need to tell you something, I think." When Jay's soft brown eyes widened in fear, the husky hugged him tightly. "It's not bad, I'm not breaking up with you, or anything like that."

"Oh. You have a terrible way of breaking good news," Jay stated as he chuckled nervously, his ears flicking.

"It's not really good news, either. It turns out in Ameranth there's someone who looks exactly like you. Facial and fur markings, height, everything. His voice even sounds like yours, well, if you had a slightly different accent, anyway."

The cougar sat back up and stared down at the grey-blue furred dog. "Like that Rhisanth fur from Ameranth and that business lion you saw a few days ago? Perfect body double?"

"Yup, exactly like that. His name is actually Jason, too, which is a bit funny." Matt rolled over so he was laying on his back, tucking his curled tail to the side. He looked up at his cougar and gave him a weak smile. "And we got attacked in Ameranth. He reminded me of you so much, willing to rush out into danger with me, that I, that I kissed him."

"You what?" squeaked Jay. His tail whipped Matt's legs as it lashed about.

Matt massaged just above Jay's tail with a free paw, feeling the tension in the cat's back. "I'm sorry, it just, in my mind, for a moment, he was you, Jay. If it's any consolation, he doesn't kiss as well as you do."

Sighing again, this time in exasperation, Jay leaned down and nuzzled Matt in the neck. "You doofus! You didn't even have to tell me about it, but you did anyway. It's all right, thank you for letting me know."

"You're not angry?"

"How can I be angry with myself? Or with someone that could be me. We don't even know how this body double thing with Ameranth works yet. Anyway, you weren't unfaithful in mind, so that's good enough for me."

Matt clasped Jay in his arms once again and rumbled deep in his chest as he nuzzled Jay right back. "So what if you had an identical twin?"

Jay laughed heartily before eyeing his boyfriend mischievously. "Matt! That's only something you see in porn! And I don't, so it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Porn fantasies aren't as good as the real thing, anyhow," the husky rumbled, licking the cat's ear and getting a taste of the metallic tang of his earrings. Jay shuddered in response, which just encouraged Matt to continue bathing his boyfriend's face with his tongue.

The pair rolled over so that Jay was on his back, and Matt was straddling the cream cougar's waist. Putting a paw around the husky's neck, Jay pulled Matt's black lips against his and kissed him passionately, his agile tongue fighting Matt's broad tongue in their maws. Jay groaned in protest when the husky broke their embrace, but didn't fight him when he pulled off the cougar's muscle shirt. Jay also didn't fight him as he ran his white paws through the light fur on the cat's stomach, or as he kneaded the cat's lean chest.

"Definitely not as good as the real thing," Jay purred, winking at his boyfriend. "I can't take it anymore, though. Take off that crazy prison outfit! All that orange is giving me a headache!"

"No prison fantasies, sexy kitty?"

"What, where I bend you over and have my way with you because you're my prisoner?" The cougar pondered for a moment before groping Matt's butt through the orange linen. "Maybe I was planning on doing that anyway, without the uniform."

"Duly noted!" the husky said with a salute before reaching down and pulling off the vivid shirt, revealing a slightly padded stomach covered in thick, white fur. Jay grabbed the top from Matt's paw and tossed it aside before reaching behind the husky. His paws groped around above Matt's rapidly wagging tail until he found the button, and deftly undid it.

Paws and arms became entangled as both furs tried to undo the other's front button simultaneously, causing a fit of laughter between the two. "Hold on, babe." Jay batted aside Matt's limbs and undid the husky's pant button with a grin. They couldn't pull off his pants, though, without the husky standing up.

The twin bed wasn't very wide, so Matt was careful to keep his feet as close to Jay's hips as he could as he stood over his boyfriend. Jay leered up at the dog, a smile plastered to his muzzle as Matt began to slowly pull the orange linen pants down, dropping them to his ankles and carefully kicking them off the bed. Standing in the buff, Matt cupped his heavy sheath and winked at the cat. The cougar reached up with a paw and began to tickle the underside of the dog's white furry balls, getting rewarded with a moan and a bit of red peeking out from the sheath.

His other paw fumbled for just a moment as Jay undid his own jeans. He jumped a little on the bed when Matt practically leaped down to the floor. Suddenly he found himself being flipped on his stomach by the husky, and felt the tail button being undone and his pants being pulled off him roughly. An aborted comment turned into a yowl when he felt something cold against his tail hole, and that turned into a moan and a purr when he felt Matt's thick tongue push between his furry cheeks.

Jay had to be careful not to shred the sheets or mattress as he pushed back onto the dog's muzzle. "Damn, babe, that feels good. Don't think it means I'm not gonna bend you over and have my way still." Pulled back by the friction against the mattress, Jay felt his sheath release his engorged cock, and moaned loudly again when he felt his boyfriend push into his tight ring again.

"I've never been fucked by a cat before," Matt whispered in a husky voice as he turned the cougar over again. He leaned in and dragged his tongue up Jay's ebony shaft, passing over the barbs. Matt's own cock was now fully released and drooling on the sheets between the cougar's legs.

Jay pulled on his own dick with a paw, rubbing his slick all over it. "It's definitely different than getting stuffed full of knot."

"God, Jay. Don't joke about that too much, or I'll make that happen instead!" As if to demonstrate his point, Matt's knot was already beginning to inflate at the base of his ample penis.

Gripping the horny husky by his rod, Jay pulled Matt forward so he was straddling the cougar's chest. "As much as I would like that," he started before grabbing the dog with both paws by the hips and pulling Matt into his open maw. Matt whimpered as he felt the heat of Jay's soft muzzle around his hard meat.

While Jay was leisurely licking and sucking on the husky, he also snuck an arm around Matt's waist and pressed a digit against the tail hole, finding it under the curved tail. He massaged the ring until he felt the finger pop inside. Moaning, Matt fell forward so that his paws were holding onto the bed posts, and Jay nearly choked on the sudden influx of cock to his maw. The husky began to rock slowly against the finger, which relieved the cougar's mouth of some of the invasion.

"That feels so good, Jay," Matt gasped as the finger impaled him further. "Never mind about the knot, sexy kitty, I want you in me so bad."

Pulling out of the cougar's mouth, the husky stood up slightly to reach the bookshelves above his bed. He dug around for a moment with a paw, and grinned when he found it. "A bottle of lube!"

"Not much for foreplay, are you babe?"

Dripping some of the wet substance down the black barbed cock, Matt shrugged. "I haven't gotten off in like seventy-two hours or something! Not since we did it at your place. Sorry if I want you now!"

"Oh, don't be sorry at all," Jay gasped, the chill of the liquid shocking him. Matt's paw pads were no longer rough against his slick skin thanks to the lube. Instead they glided over Jay's member with a squishy, wet sound. "Neither have I, and if you're not careful, I might get off right now."

Matt stopped pawing his boyfriend off abruptly, throwing his sexy kitty a smirk. "Can't have that. Not until you've had your way with me, anyhow." After rubbing the lube against his own tail hole, Matt leaned back and felt his boyfriend poking at his entrance. To his credit, Jay didn't thrust into Matt, but instead waited patiently as the husky slowly breached himself.

"Ah," Matt hissed, squinting his eyes as he stopped his descent.

"You okay, babe? Don't rush yourself," Jay questioned with concern, rubbing the husky's stomach in light circles with a flat paw.

He shook his head, "Yeah, barbs. Definitely a new experience." Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself down further. Jay wasn't particularly long, or huge, but to Matt it was just about perfect when he felt his balls resting on the cat's pelvis. Matt leaned down and licked the cougar's nose. "Go on, sexy kitty. Have your way with me."

"You feel incredible, Matt," Jay breathed as the husky slowly lifted himself about halfway and rode down carefully. "How's it feel for you, babe?"

After tweaking one of Jay's nipples in response, Matt whimpered as the cat thrust upward at the new stimulus. "Oh god, do that again Jay." Jay thrust again, using his hips as leverage against the bed. The husky was stuck on his knees, partly squatting and unable to move as the cock pushed into his prostate again and again.

Each lunge elicited a whine from Matt. Seeing his husky lost in such pleasure made the cougar smile, though he was nearly lost in pleasure himself. Matt's tight tunnel was pulling on his cock as much as the barbs pulled on the husky's inner walls. On a whim, he reached out and grabbed the husky by the knot, squeezing hard with his paw.

It was too much for Matt, though. The whimper turned into a core-shaking howl as his crimson cock began to jettison its load all over the cougar's chest and face. The dog's musk permeated Jay's senses, and the rhythmic tightening of Matt's hole brought Jay over the edge as well. Jay grunted - biting down on his lip to prevent himself from yowling as loudly as Matt had - as his jabs became erratic, the overwhelming pleasure of losing his seed inside his boyfriend kept him from stopping.

Matt collapsed on top of his boyfriend and snuggled in gently. After a few minutes, Jay felt his fur becoming crusty after Matt's exuberance, and began to push the husky off of him. Matt just moaned and wrapped his arms around Jay's shoulders.

"Hey babe, can I go get cleaned up before we pass out?"

Yawning and blinking away the post-coitus euphoria, Matt gave his boyfriend a sheepish smile. "Right, no tie. Sure thing, Jay. I probably should get cleaned up too."

The pair wiped off with a towel, and Matt led the way out of the room, covered in two more towels. As the door opened, Matt felt something fall against his feet. Looking down, he saw a small piece of paper with what looked to be brightly colored wrapping paper and ribbons taped to the edges. He read it as he picked it up, and shook his head with a chuckle.

"What's it say?"

Matt could barely keep himself from laughing loudly in the desolate dorm corridor. He chucked the object back into the room and said quietly, "It was my neighbor, I guess we woke him up. The card was congratulating me on finally getting laid."

* * * * *

'Oh dude, dude, oh man, here I am, about to sleep in Laura's room, and I'm already emotionally unstable from earlier tonight. Maybe this wasn't a good idea,' Kael's train wreck of thoughts barreled through his mind as he finished setting up the inflatable mattress on the floor against the opposite wall of Laura's dorm room.

The white wolf waltzed into the room, carrying a towel and her toiletries in one paw. Kael looked up, and saw her in an azure nightgown that went all the way to her ankles, but still left her arms and their dyed stripes bare. The kangaroo tried to swallow the knot that seemed to have formed in his throat.

"Screw class tomorrow, I'm sleeping in," she declared as she hung the towel on the bar in her closet. "You all set up?"

"Uh, yeah, dudette. Just finishing making my bed."

Laura flipped on her bedside lamp and turned off the overhead lights, then sat on the edge of her bed. Her clawed feet touched the ground near Kael's thick tail. "So, are you...okay, Kael? I mean, what happened tonight?"

Sighing, the short-furred kangaroo laid on his side on the inflatable mattress so he could see Laura. The mattress depressed with his bulk, and it felt like he was nearly touching the floor despite the air. "Honestly? I'm still processing it. One minute, we're all fighting for our lives in the hospital, the next I have some dude's voice in my head and time had stopped for the rest of you."

"Dias?"

"The one and only, apparently."

Laura leaned forward, letting her long white hair cascade over her muzzle before pulling it back with one paw. "Who is this Dias? Is he really a god from Ameranth?"

"I think the furs on Ameranth believe him to be a god. But the dude doesn't really fit my image of what a god should act like. On the other hand, how many gods have I ever encountered? I'm hardly an expert on the subject," the kangaroo ended with a snort, shaking his head slowly.

"So what if he isn't a real god? He's close enough for our purposes, right?" Kael agreed quietly with the white wolf, getting her to grin. "So what do you do next? You made some sort of deal with him, you said?"

Kael shuddered. "Oh man, it seemed like a good idea at the time. And it probably saved our lives, but I don't know what's next. Should I be preaching the word of Dias or something? Get myself some bathrobes and candles and start Kael's Church; speak it brother!"

Laura giggled, rolling her eyes at her friend. "You're so melodramatic! But honestly, I don't know." The pair sat in what, to Kael, felt like awkward silence. Neither looked at the other, and neither said a word. The kangaroo's breath rasped loudly in his ears. Just as he was about to roll over to face the wall, the white wolf dropped a question.

"So, did you accept because of what happened with your dad?" Her voice was so quiet that if it hadn't been silent in the room, Kael might have missed it.

The 'roo scowled and sighed. "Of course I did! What did you want to hear, Laura? Did you think I'd be over that by now? I doubt I ever will be!" In his anger, Kael realized one of his large toe claws had snagged on the short pile carpet. He vehemently pulled his foot up, ripping out the thread.

Laura put a paw up in front of her muzzle. "Oh, geez, no, Kael! I didn't... it was a stupid question."

"No, it wasn't a stupid question. I'm just being melodramatic." Kael winced inwardly, 'No need to rip her head off. She was around when dad died. Heck, she helped me through it.'

Despite the faux pas, Laura powered through the awkward, "So I guess that means you and Matt both have magic powers. Makes me feel a little left out, being the only one in the original hometown trio that doesn't."

"You know," Kael started, stifling a yawn and sitting up before continuing, "You could just ask Matt to teach you, right? I mean, if there's magic on Earth, and the dude can use it, maybe anyone can with a little help?"

"Kael, you're a genius!" Laura bounced off her bed and hugged the 'roo around the shoulders. "I'll do that!"

"Uh, you're welcome, dudette!" The insides of Kael's tall ears were flushed red as he sputtered his response.

Laura immediately went back to her bed and turned off the light, the small dorm room left in the dark. "Goodnight, Kael!" she chirped in her sing-song voice.

"G'night." Kael laid back down on the mattress, feeling the air shift under him again. Sighing one final time, the 'roo closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * * * *

The last time Matt had been in the Council room, it had contained twenty-one black marble seats, elevated above the sea green marble floor. This time the amphitheater had twenty-eight seats. The husky found himself sitting in the center seat of seven, his seat higher than the others in his section, with a burgundy cloth draped over the seat back. Three empty black marble chairs sat on either side.

Instead of having the three extra-high chairs for the leaders of the Order grouped together, the other Orders were now arrayed similarly to Matt's Earthly Order section. To his left were the Dark Order, seven seats with Kazar atop the center one, his black marble chair covered in cloth as dark as the night sky. On his right was the Valiant Order, with Rhisanth seated in the middle on a chair swathed in white. Finally, directly across from the husky was the Azure Order, and the boar - Tarnak, Matt remembered - had taken the center seat of that group, his chair wrapped in sapphire fabric.

All in all, it made Matt very self-conscious. 'How the hell am I a leader on this Council? I still barely know what I'm doing.'

In the center of the room, kneeling on the hard floor, was Terrance, the Dark Order doberman. The dog's ears were flat against his head, and his brown eyes darted rapidly between Rhisanth and Kazar, his head slightly moving back and forth as if he were watching a tennis match.

"Terrance is accused of assaulting the Earthly Order, as well as innocent furs in an inn downtown Easthaven. Will the accuser step forth?" Rhisanth's voice boomed through the round room, his grey mane rippling as he spoke.

Matt coughed slightly, clearing his throat. "I am the accuser. This fur attacked me and Jason of the Valiant Order a few hours ago, and nearly burned down the inn in the process. He was using demons in his attack, as well." His voiced echoed back at him in the room, taking Matt off guard. 'That's going to take some getting used to.'

Clarice, the disheveled ancient tigress of the Dark Order, was once again screeching her displeasure, pointing a sharp claw at the husky. "You! You just joined the Council and already you seek to tear us apart from the inside!"

Rhisanth stood from his seat, "I was witness to the attack, Clarice. I can confirm it indeed occurred."

"I don't believe either of you! You wish to undo us all!"

"Clarice," Kazar hissed, the dark jaguar also standing from his seat. "I can also confirm the attack did occur. Terrance confessed it to me privately, as well."

The tigress sat down, her orange and grey face twisted in agony or shock. She shook her head and muttered to herself discontentedly.

"However, I also object to the attack itself," Kazar continued, his yellow eyes narrowing at Terrance, who just whimpered in turn. "I am perfectly capable of fighting my own fights if need be, and Terrance's attack was neither my plan, nor my idea. I move to strip Terrance of his position and imprison him for five years."

The rest of the Council chatted amongst themselves, but no one moved to stop Kazar's pronouncement.

"You can't do this to me! I did this for the Dark Order, Kazar! I, you can't stop me, I'll be back for you one day!" Terrance shouted as he was dragged from the amphitheater by the Valiant Order rhino.

Kazar chuckled quietly and whispered, "I just did, Terrance." Raising his voice, the dark jaguar addressed the Council as a whole once again, "And back to the issue of Head of the Council. I see the Azure Order has elected Tarnak as their leader."

The boar also stood, his thick, short body not much taller at his height than he was sitting. "Indeed, Kazar, and I think now is the perfect time to bring the leadership of the Council to a vote!" His smile in the dimly lit room looked devious behind his tusks. "Kazar, Rhisanth and I, Tarnak, all stand nominated. Matthew, while technically eligible as the leader of the Earthly Order, is a poor choice due to his constant absence. Do you nominate yourself, Matthew?"

'Uh, hell to the no,' the husky thought. He shook his head.

"Excellent. Then a vote shall be had. In the case of a tie," the boar chuckled to himself, "The nominees who are tied will get a secondary election, and votes will be recast. Voting shall begin now."

The boar waved a short arm, and pieces of paper flew to each member of the Council. Matt pondered for a moment as he stared at his ballot.

'With Terrance gone, that leaves three votes for Kazar, four for Tarnak, and four for Rhisanth. Well, likely, given they all seem to vote down party lines. If I vote for Tarnak or Rhisanth, they become the Council leader. If I abstain, then another vote between Tarnak and Rhisanth will occur, and Kazar will be out of the running. If I vote for Kazar, it's a three-way stalemate until more Council members are inducted.' The husky looked up and noticed the entire Council was staring at him. 'Holy crap! This entire election is up to me!'

After deliberating for just a moment longer, Matt put a mark on his paper. He felt wind move through the room, rustling his fur as all of the ballots whisked across the amphitheater to Tarnak's paw.

The boar choked on his own spit, sputtering and coughing, after reading the ballots. "It seems we have a stalemate. Each nominee has precisely four votes." Rhisanth just nodded, deep in thought. Kazar's smug grin could have been seen from the other side of the city, it was so blatant. "In that case, we shall hold another vote the next time the Council convenes. In the meantime, our original mandate to increase the population of the Council is maintained."

As the Council filtered out of the circular marble room, either through the stone double doors in the back, or a select few teleporting themselves away, Rhisanth and Kazar approached Matt on his chair. The husky jumped down to greet them.

"Young Matthew, you surprised me today," the elderly lion stated, stroking his grey mane with one paw. He didn't seem angry, however, as he was smiling serenely.

Kazar snickered and wheezed, "I admit, this was the exact outcome I was looking for, but I wasn't sure you would take the opportunity, pup."

"It's not unlike a minority government back in my country. You guys better make it work while you have the chance. And besides Tarnak, I don't think I made any enemies with the move."

This time Rhisanth laughed, the boisterous noise echoing through the now empty room. "Yes, well, I don't believe he likes you much regardless. You play politics well, Matthew. I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle the next few months."

"Yeah, well, assuming I survive the next few months. We've got magic on Earth now, as you already know. And now my friend Kael has made some sort of pact with Dias."

The dark jaguar's eyes widened and cupped his ears at the husky. "Dias has an avatar on Earth? That is news."

"He hasn't overstepped his abilities, has he?" Rhisanth asked, frowning slightly as he leaned in towards Matt.

"He has, apparently. Dias took over his body and nearly got my friends killed, from what they told me."

"I pray that he does not do so again, then. Dias will not likely relinquish a shell so easily next time. It was likely that your friend Kael was so unaccustomed to magic to be all but useless to the deity," the lion said somberly, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

Matt's tail drooped. "But he's a good god, right?"

"Oh Matthew, such naiveté. Some furs would like you to think that, but the gods are conniving, powerful creatures. I certainly don't trust them further than I could throw them." The dark jaguar was chuckling again. "But in any case, we must secure Earth from the demonic invasion, correct? With two such events behind you, more are surely to come. And if Ameranth and Earth are to become one, I'd rather only have to deal with the natives, not a full blown demonic war."

"Even with Kael and myself, how exactly can I do that?" The husky paced back and forth, growling low as he spoke. "I still can't figure out how to travel to Ameranth on my own, and Kael's powers are clearly going to be unreliable if he has to deal with both demons and Dias."

Rhisanth placed a light paw on the dog's shoulder. "Actually, Matthew, you can control when you come to Ameranth and when you go back. Magic exists on both worlds now, you just need to feel for it."

"And," Kazar added, "With magic on Earth, you can do precisely what we are: build your Order, initiate new members. It sounds as if your friends are already involved. Teach them. Truly create your own Order of magi. Ultimately, you're the only one who can protect Earth."

"Huh, I never thought of it that way!" Matt exclaimed with a big smile, his tongue lolling and his tail wagging. "I should do that first thing tomorrow. Who knows when the next attack will be? Speaking of which, do you know how we can tell that?" Rhisanth and Kazar both shook their heads, and Matt sighed. "That's anticlimactic. I should've figured though."

"We'll look into it on our side, young Matthew," Rhisanth added. "You just worry about your furs and your world for now."

* * * * *

The next afternoon the group convened in a nearby park as Matt had something to discuss. Matt and Jay had made it first, and Laura and Kael found the two sitting under a tree leaning against each other. The sight made Laura grin and her tail wag. Kael, on the other hand, had bags under his eyes and was dragging his thick tail through the grass.

Chris arrived a few minutes after, the tall moose in his kilt and vest. He was pensive, and only offered a small smile to Matt when the husky greeted him.

To Laura's surprise, Axel showed up right after Chris did. The german shepherd cop was wearing civilian clothes: a white t-shirt with a necklace tucked under the collar, jeans, and a leather jacket slung over his shoulder. He gave Laura a wink as he sat down beside her. "Hey there, pretty lady. You look like you're not happy to see me!"

Kael shot the cop a glare when he thought Axel wasn't looking, but the white wolf smiled and shook her head. "No, not at all! Just figured you'd be working."

"Ah, well, I was, but I got the rest of my shift covered after Matt called me." Axel laid down his jacket and stretched out on the grass on his side, his arm resting on the leather. "Speakin' of, what's the scoop?"

"You're all here!" Matt exclaimed as he stood up. Jay's paw lingered on his boyfriend's thigh for just a moment, but the husky pulled away and began to pace a little. "I've been doing some thinking," he started, then grinned at Kael, "And don't even start on the dangerous habit thing!"

The kangaroo shrugged but grinned back, his brown eyes glittering in the midday sun. "I wasn't, dude!"

"You were thinking it! Anyhow, Kael and I have magical powers, but the rest of you don't, and with the demons coming, we need to be ready."

Laura raised a paw, "So teach us how to use magic, Matt!"

The husky did a double take and his tail stopped in mid-wag. "How'd you figure out what I was going to say?"

"Kael and I discussed it last night," she said shyly, the insides of her ivory ears flushing with red.

"I want you to teach me magic, too, Matt," Chris added, nodding slowly. "I can stay in town, Darrel's offered to put me up until classes start again. After seeing what happened in the hospital last night, I can't just stand by and let you throw yourself into danger without help. I can't promise I'll get it right away, but I won't give up." The husky smiled and gave Chris a thumb's up, totally missing the death stare that Jay was sending the massive moose from behind his boyfriend.

The kangaroo cleared his throat, "I, uh, guess I'll work on working with Dias' powers."

"Is that a good idea, Kael?" Laura asked, her paw on his back in an attempt to bolster her friend's spirits.

"I have to, dudette. The smart thing here is diversification of abilities, right? I have an opportunity here that I need to follow through, no matter how terrified I am of... of losing my mind." The kangaroo slumped backwards and laid out on the cool grass, staring into the blue sky. Not a single cloud could be seen.

Jay spoke up next, "Yeah, learning magic would be good, but what about weapons or martial training? Chris has boxing, Matt and Kael have the bo."

"I was looking into that this morning, actually," Laura interjected. "Heard of kendo? Japanese sword fighting of a sort. The university holds classes on it all year round, like the other martial arts."

"What about your whip, Laura?" Kael said, still gazing upwards and not making eye contact with the white wolf. Matt and Chris smirked at each other.

Shrugging, Laura explained, "It makes for a terrible weapon in reality, the hospital was enough to show me that if I didn't already believe it. It's really just noisy, and useful for, uh, inflicting pain." Jay quirked an eyebrow at the female and cocked his head to the side.

"So where do I fit in, then?" Axel said, his brown ears twitching. "I've got plenty of martial trainin' from my job, and heck, I've even got firearms trainin' and a pistol. But if I can learn to use these powers and bring them back to the police, maybe we can protect the populace without you guys havin' to be everywhere all the time."

Matt's ears pulled back slightly. "To be honest, Axel, I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of a magically trained police force." The shepherd started to voice an objection, but Matt raised a white paw to stop him. "I trust you, though, Axel, and if you think it's a good idea, I'll go with it."

"Why not start now, dude?" The kangaroo had stood up, brushing the grass off his backside as best he could. "I'll watch, I want to see how the basics work anyway. I'll talk to the big man or something like that later."

The group all agreed, and the husky looked pleased but a little bewildered. Kael sat against the tree, taking Jay's spot as the cougar got up himself and padded over to the rest of the group. The park wasn't abandoned, but furs were certainly giving the group a wide berth, usually opting to take the dirt path that wound through the trees rather than the asphalt track that passed right by them.

Matt brushed a paw through his blue hair, and quickly fixed the spikes he had just messed up. "So I guess I'll start with the basics. What Rhisanth taught me, anyway." He began to pace again. "So almost all magic is done using a focus. It's anything around you that you can use to help you focus your thoughts to manifest your idea. I often used a blue gem - a sapphire - to create water bubbles. It was round, and said to be the gem of the rain, so it made sense, at least in my mind. It's really as simple as some imagination and something to spark or channel that imagination, but the trick is it's also deeply personal."

'He actually sounds like he knows what he's doing,' Laura thought, her black lips pulled back in a toothy grin.

The husky shoved a paw into the pocket of his russet cargo shorts and pulled out some coins. "Since you've already seen me do this yesterday, you probably already have this idea in your head." Stopping at each fur in the group, he handed them each a penny. "These pennies are copper, forged in flame. I want you to imagine that fire appearing above your paws. You might have to think hard, or dig deep. There isn't a lot of magic here yet, so it takes a lot of energy."

Each fur dispersed and began to stare at their coins. Chris wandered by himself near a park bench and perched his bottom on the back of it, his hooves against the wood to keep him stable. Jay and Laura stayed nearby, but Axel sat down by Kael near the tree. Walking between the groups, Matt supervised, but considering the task, there wasn't much talking going on.

The heat of the mid-summer sun wasn't oppressive, but the thick-furred husky preferred the shade of the leafy green deciduous trees. After watching his friends stare at the coins in silence for a few minutes, Matt was beginning to doubt the magic was even there anymore, until he stopped and concentrated briefly. He found it waiting for him, just as before.

Suddenly Laura shrieked, a gout of flame scorched her nose and caused her to drop the penny. The fire disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Holding her sensitive snout, she jumped up and down in excitement. "I did id Madd! De madic, I foud id!"

"Awesome, Laura!" The husky hugged his friend. "Anyone else having any luck?"

It turned out that Axel had actually manifested something earlier, but hadn't said anything because he couldn't get fire to show up. Instead, the german shepherd had managed to give himself a static shock three times. His tawny fur was standing on end as if he had just stepped through a body dryer, and his tail and ears wouldn't stop convulsing. "When you called me in this afternoon, I didn't expect I was goin' to Taser myself."

A few moments later, it was Chris' turn to bellow. His deep voice resonated through the park as he dropped his penny on the ground. "It was hot," he said blushingly when he noticed the group staring at him.

Matt walked over to Chris and patted him on the arm. "Well, you two have clearly done something with magic, but not really what I asked for." The moose's muzzle turned down into a frown. "But that's okay, like I said, it's pretty personal. Also, one thing I didn't mention is that oftentimes furs will have affinities with certain types of magic. Either to elements - like mine is water and ice, or a friend in Ameranth's is wind - or types of magic - enhancing physical abilities like strength, endurance, or speed, or defensive abilities. Maybe you guys aren't that good with fire? How about you, Jay?"

The cougar had been dead silent the entire time. He was still staring at the penny, but his face was contorted in frustration. Nothing was happening. No fire, no heat, no smoke. Nothing.

Matt hugged his boyfriend and whispered in his ear, "Maybe you just have no affinity for fire at all." Louder, he addressed the group, "Let's try something else." The husky pulled out a whistle from his pocket and held it above his head. "We're going to try and make the wind whistle through the trees."

Closing his eyes, Matt concentrated on feeling the air around him and pulling it through the branches and leaves of the tall birch trees. The wind picked up slightly, and a low whistling sound could be heard as the branches swayed.

"Your turn!" he said brightly as he handed Jay his whistle. Laura and Axel pulled out their own, but Chris had to wait for someone to be finished with theirs. The moose watched silently, absently rubbing the bandage around his upper arm lightly.

A couple minutes passed in silent concentration before the wind picked up a second time. Both Laura and Axel smiled as the trees rustled in response to their efforts. The two canines gave each other a high five.

Jay, on the other hand, hadn't been able to do a thing. The cougar closed his eyes and fervently wished that the wind would move, or make noise, or anything. When his prayers still weren't answered, he growled and threw the whistle across the lawn. He stalked off, tail lashing wildly.

Matt began to follow but turned to the group. "Just, uh, keep practicing, I guess," he ordered before running to catch up with his angry boyfriend.

Chris bent over and picked up the fallen whistle, holding the tiny thing in big paws. After thinking about it for a moment, he stared down the object until a soft whistling noise could be heard. Through his antlers. Kael, Laura and Axel broke down into fits of laughter at the result, and Chris just smiled and shrugged. "Figured it'd be just like school. I'll get it eventually. Will just take time and practice."

* * * * *

'Why can't I use magic? At all? I don't even know what the hell I'm looking for.' Jay screamed at the world silently. 'I just want to help Matt! If I can't use magic, I'll be a liability, not a help!'

"Jaaaay! Jay!" The husky caught up to the cougar, panting slightly with the effort. "Hey, sexy kitty, it'll be all right. I didn't always get things on the first go either."

Jay whirled around, his muzzle pulled back in a snarl and his ears pulled back against his head. "Bullshit, Matt! Laura, Axel, and even that moron moose Chris managed to do something, even if it wasn't right. I felt nothing. Nothing! Not a damn thing, Matt."

Moving in close, Matt wrapped an arm around his boyfriend to comfort him, but Jay just threw the arm off his shoulder with a snarl. The husky watched helplessly as Jay walked away, silently.