FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

In memory of John Dye

*

Hehhey, and hello!

I've been working on this for a while now, and I was considering whether to post this as a huge one-shot or a miniseries, and I have finally opted for a miniseries...maybe best to post it like that, so that I'll get a bit more feedback, and see what you guys think. I've been having a ton of fun writing, that's for sure, and I am most curious to hear how this goes down...I think it can go either way. *chuckle* Consider this a mid-season replacement for The Hockey Hunk, or something. Just having fun with writing, doing the best I do.

As always, remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to enjoy as well!

*

Lighting struck against the skies, bright, passing, a seizure in the blackness that was briefly replaced by brilliance, before once again, the only sign of light, and perhaps even life itself, were the headlights of the old car driving along the murky slick road.

Oh happy day

Oh happy day

Oh happy daaaa-aaay

Oh happy day

When Jesus waaaashed

Oh when heee waaashed

He wwwassh -

*whoooom*

The radio almost yowled as the big knob was turned and the music disappeared, replaced by the thrum of an engine and the rumble of rain on the car roof.

"Hey, I was listening to that, baby!"

"Carmel, you know I love this old ride but seriously, isn't there anything else on the radio?" the wolf slumped on the passenger's seat moaned as he fiddled with the ancient knob controllers of the old wireless. "Like the contemporary pop channel or something?"

The larger-than-life bear driving the car gave the young wolf a long sideways glance before her eyes moved back to the water and wind-swept black road ahead of them.

"I'm sure that Our Father would've put the contemporary pop channel on the radio if we were meant to listen to it, baby."

The wolf slumped even more dramatically against his seat, bushy tail flapping on the floor, legs spread overtly wide as if for comfort, clad in an old hoodie and worn-out jeans that terminated in brown, dirty sneakers in the end.

"It might have made this ride a bit more fun, though," the wolf commented.

"Since when was this job about fun, baby?" the bear rumbled, giving a little shake of her head. "We're on a mission here, like we always are."

The wolf yawned.

"And just when we passed the 'San Francisco, 50 miles, make sure to wear flowers in your hair' sign we're suddenly driving down this road in the middle of nowhere, in this rain and with no idea where we're going," the wolf opined.

The bear shrugged.

"He wants us here, baby. We're exactly where we're supposed to be at this time, honey, like we always are."

"I don't see why we couldn't be saving lost souls in Castro instead of...wherever we are now," the wolf peered through the windscreen that was only barely kept clear by the wipers, making whiny sounds as if their motors were about to give. They'd probably always sounded like that.

Carmel the bear harrumphed and glanced on the ceiling of the car.

"Oh Father, I know your wisdom is infinite and you work in mysterious ways, but the decision to make Benjamin's form into a sassy gay angel on Earth is still baffling me...." the bear shook her head gently.

"Hey!" the wolf's ears perked up as he elbowed the sizeable bear, "don't discriminate!"

"Oh give me strength..." Carmel moaned.

Benjamin ran his paw through his hair, observing himself on the rear view mirror the whole time, as he re-arranged his badly groomed headfurs.

"He gave us all the strength we need, and he gave us these forms and these...urges..." the wolf commented, "so that we can better serve his work of creation."

Carmel let out a deep chuckle.

"You still sound like the field manual sometimes, did you know that, Benjamin?"

"Oh I know right," the wolf snorted. "Whoever wrote all those run-on sentences..."

"That would be Saint Peter, with editing by Mary herself," Carmel replied. "It's what says on the cover."

"Maybe she is better at the job of being the Mother of God rather than editing the angel field manual?" Benjamin suggested.

"Father likes the gentle touch she provides," Carmel replied with conviction.

"Why to print it in a medieval typeface that makes it difficult to read, I don't know, though."

"It's only what you want to see, baby, while in this form," the bear replied, her voice full of at least a fraction of an infinite wisdom, which was the feeling Benjamin got whenever he spoke with the bear. "And you're lucky it's not in cuneiform, like back when I got my first copy."

"Behehehehee."

"Easy, there, cowboy!" the bear warned.

"I wish..." the wolf chuckled. "Might be fun to be a bull for once."

"Bah."

"So how come I haven't yet been allowed to change my form?" the wolf grumbled, twisting himself on the front seat so that his knees were practically slammed against the gear stick. "You always keep telling me how much fun you had as an adder and as a wolverine..."

"Not to mention as a holy cat in old Egypt..." the bear winked.

Benjamin snorted.

"Some of us aren't as old as Creation itself, dude."

Carmel grumbled.

"That modern tongue of yours..."

"Bet the old Egyptians called each other 'dude' too!" the wolf grinned, "but I suppose they made sure to destroy all the really rude hieroglyphs to preserve the reputation of the pharaohs for the upcoming generations ...for posterity..."

"Or maybe it was just time...time, baby, is the worst enemy of history."

"But you've witnessed all of written history, haven't you, since you're..."

"...'as old as Creation itself'" the bear completed the sentence before the wolf had a chance.

"Tehehhehe."

"But you know I'm not," Carmel continued, eyes fixed on the road, "and you know how those so-called archangels let us hear about it all the time during the departmental meetings...that's not a coffee room you really want to be in when it happens...just because they happened to be on the fields to announce the birth of Christ...harrumph..."

"Can I attend soon?"

"You know the rules, only after 200 years of field training on Earth, among the unhappy souls."

The wolf's ears drooped.

"And I've only done 120 years..." the wolf moaned.

"Don't worry baby," the bear murmured, "the last 100 have been worse for the Creation than the previous centuries altogether...consider your training a true crash course in what these people can do to each other when they forget His love."

"Oh I know," the wolf pouted, "four years on Auschwitz duty isn't easy to forget."

Carmel let out a sigh.

"One of the biggest angel operations in the entire history of creation," the bear mused somberly, "I still have a few case reports to file in."

"Sometimes I wonder why Father bothers at all and doesn't just...say...let the rain start again and never stop..."

"You well know that He also promised not to do that ever again, baby," Carmel mused, "it was a bad idea in the first place, He says."

"Somewhere over the rainbow..." the wolf sung.

"Silly boy..." the bear shook her head fondly.

"I could be a singer," Benjamin mused, "contemporary pop, maybe..."

Carmel flipped a knob on the radio.

Oh when heee waaashed

"OOOOOH WHEN HEEE WWAAASSSSHED..."

Benjamin covered his ears.

"Mercy...mercy...Lord, give me your mercy..."

The radio fell silent just as the car suddenly came into a grinding halt that sent Benjamin jammed uncomfortable against the seatbelts, causing his chest to tighten. The cranking sound of Carmel pulling on the standing break made his ears jump as he turned to look at the bear, resolute and larger than life, as always, sitting behind the wheel.

"What?" Benjamin pouted. "Was my singing that bad?"

"No, baby," Carmel replied, her voice low and deep, just like the car engine still rumbling under the hood, "we're where we need to be now."

Benjamin peered through the windscreen and then even looked out through his own side window, but that brief foray was followed by the wolf looking sternly at the bear.

"But there's absolutely nothing here, dude."

"Oh yes there is, baby," the bear replied, "Mariposa is exactly 160 miles away, and you're going to be there in the morning."

Benjamin grumbled.

"So you do know where we're going!"

"Father always lets us know what we need to know, baby, when we need to know."

"Shame he didn't tell me..."

"Well he did put a backpack on the backseat, and told that you're going to be in Mariposa in the morning."

Benjamin's ears flicked sharply as he glanced onto the dark backseat of the old car, and noticed the large, messy backpack located there. It wasn't there before.

"Ohhh right..." the wolf sounded dramatic.

"Well this is your stop, baby," Carmel's big pawfingers thrummed against the steering wheel while she gave a stern look to the boyish wolf sitting by her, "this is where you have to be now, and that means you're going to step out of this car and make your way to Mariposa."

"Are you serious?!" the wolf exclaimed. "With this much rain I'll soon be walking on water to get there."

"Your mode of transport will be up to you, Benjamin, but it won't be this car, baby."

"God Almighty..."

"No minced oaths in the car, Benjamin!" Carmel glared. "It's just what Father told us to do."

Benjamin sighed as he unlocked the seatbelt and then opened the side door, to step out into the pouring rain that soon matted his head furs and made his old leather jacket glisten. He hurriedly sidestepped to the side door to take out the oversized backpack and slung it on. The little wolf almost seemed to fall backwards as the weight truly settled on him.

"Damn..."

"Close that door, you don't want the rain to get on the seats!"

"Sometimes I wonder if you're breaking one or several of the Commandments with this car..." the wolf grumbled.

"Remember, Mariposa!" Carmel cheered just as she switched on the gear.

"Mariposa my - "

Benjamin slammed the door shut, and sooner rather than later, the car was driving away at a remarkable speed, and he was quite sure that the red rear lights disappeared with what could have been called...unnatural...swiftness. The wolf now stood alone, dripping backpack weighting down on him, surrounded by only dark road and seemingly endless rain. He was already shivering.

"Well...here we are...just me...the road...you, Father...and...Mariposa..."

The wolf stomped the tarmac with his sneakered paw and rumbled.

"Well, guess this means your highways truly are mysterious..." the wolf snapped his tail.

Light.

Bright, brilliant light was suddenly upon him, and for a brief moment Benjamin thought that Father had truly come for him this time, to show him the way to Mariposa, but the sudden screeching sounds coming from behind him told otherwise. Benjamin just had the time to swirl around to realize that it was a car, and that he had been standing in the middle of the road, and the car, now stationary and its lights still bright, washing the wolf like the rain was before it.

"...mysterious indeed..." Benjamin muttered.

The door on the driver's side opened and a form appeared, barely visible due to the bright lights shining into the wolf's eyes, but he could make out the shades of gold and brown, standing behind the open door.

"HEY! YOU OKAY THERE!?"

Benjamin blinked.

"I think I am!" the wolf replied. "I wasn't run over!"

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD?"

Benjamin snorted.

"Guess I got a bit lost..." he replied.

"I'D SAY!"

"Well I'm awfully sorry!"

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE ANYWAY? DID YOUR CAR BREAK DOWN OR SOMETHING?"

You could say that, the wolf thought, but struck a smile instead.

"Oh just trying to get to Mariposa, actually!" Benjamin called out. "Apparently..."

"YOU KIDDING?"

"Not in this weather..." the wolf chuckled.

"WELL BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING!"

"You don't say!"

"YOU REALLY ALONE HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE?"

"Well not now that you're here!"

"WELL COME ON IN THEN! YOU'LL GET A RIDE!"

"Really?" the wolf questioned.

"IT'S EITHER THAT OR STAY HERE YOU JACKASS!"

"Well thanks!"

"THE DOOR'S OPEN!"

The golden shape disappeared into the car, leaving Benjamin to hobble through the slick road and then to the other side of the car. He pulled the door open, and only then remembered the backpack, so heavy that it made him wobble when he walked.

"What about..."

"To the backseat, there should be some room there," the lion sitting behind the wheel replied, looking at the stranger with a squint.

Benjamin glanced over to the rear of the car and noticed that it was packed full with bags already. The wolf hurried to add his own to the mix, and then crashed onto the front seat. The lion hit the gas pedal even before Benjamin had the time to put on his seatbelt.

"Thank you so much, I don't know what I would have done without you," Benjamin smiled as he finally harnessed himself in and then looked at the lion concentrated to driving through the rainy darkness, "It must've been God's will that you were right here when I needed you!"

The lion's ears flicked sharply against the top of his head.

"Dunno about that..." he grumbled.

"My name is Benjamin, nice to meet you," the wolf flashed a broad smile, happy to be out of the cold and the rain.

"You can call me John," the lion replied. "Incidentally, since my name is John. And I still can't believe that you're going to Mariposa."

"Hello, John, nice to meet you," the wolf continued smiling, "and neither do I, almost, but I understand I have work to do there."

The lion let out a hollow chuckle.

"You might find that a bit difficult, dude," the lion said, "there's not enough work for even the normal population...let alone strangers...and they don't really like strangers either..."

Benjamin winked.

"Oh but I do like strangers...I like everyone...I even like you, and we met one minute ago when you almost mowed me down!"

The lion finally gave him a sideways glance.

"Maybe you are even madder than I thought you were..."

"Benjamin," the wolf smiled. "My name is Benjamin. It means 'the son of the south' in Hebrew. And yours means 'God is gracious'."

The lion snorted.

"Should've guessed..."

"Guess what?" Benjamin's ears perked.

"Anyone coming to Mariposa must be really big on God."

Benjamin giggled.

"Well I guess I am," the wolf grinned.

"Typical," the lion huffed.

"Why are you going to Mariposa then, John?" the wolf asked.

"I don't have any other place to go," the lion replied after a pause.

"Neither have I," Benjamin smiled. "At least for now."

The lion glanced at the wolf and snorted.

"You don't look like an illegal immigrant to me."

"I'm just looking for my job," the wolf replied truthfully.

"You sound like you have something already arranged," the lion commented.

Benjamin chuckled.

"I wonder that myself. We'll see."

The lion harrumphed.

"You're weird...like really weird."

*

Prod.

Prod.

Prod.

"Wake up."

"Ughm....blargh...."

"Wake up!"

Benjamin opened his eyes, and the light almost blinded him...once again, when he realized that now he was seeing the landscape swept in sunlight instead of the rain, the ochre, burnt land, the road, the romantically blue sky with only moderate clouds, and the glory of God's creation.

The wolf yawned, remembering to cover his muzzle because that's what furs did, and then looked at the lion. He appeared bleary-eyed after what must've been a whole night of driving, the wolf thought, but didn't show signs of falling asleep. His paws grasped the steering wheel casually.

"Good morning!" Benjamin smiled. "Did I sleep for long?"

"A couple of hours, I guess," the lion replied, "you suddenly went quiet after talking non-stop for about an hour..."

"Oh well, sitting in cars always makes me drowsy," the wolf grinned, licking his lips. "But I do feel great now! And looks like it's morning!"

"How'd you know?" the lion proposed.

"So much light!" the wolf smiled. "It's beautiful...I bet the air smells wonderful, too..."

"Not for long before we reach Mercer & Co" the lion replied. "When the wind is not blowing the other way, the stench of rotten eggs is all over town."

"Well that doesn't sound nice," Benjamin wrinkled his nose.

"Welcome to Mariposa, the" the lion shrugged.

"Are we close?" the wolf asked excitedly.

"About fifteen minutes out," John responded curtly. "Depending a bit on where you count the town to start."

"I don't see anything yet," Benjamin glanced about.

"Don't give up hope yet," the lion rumbled.

And true enough, soon enough, Benjamin spotted some industrial metal towers in the distance to the left, and then, at the distance, a small collection of houses, and didn't they just pass a sign that said "WELCOME TO MARIPOSA - A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO BE"? There were even a few fields, now, too, freshly ploughed, hopefully enjoying the night's rain.

"Well here we are, then!" the wolf commented, his tail wagging.

They were now passing houses, which appeared to be farmhouses, homesteads, Benjamin smiled to himself, as the first telephone poles sprung up, making everything seem ever the more urban.

"Mariposa..." the lion mumbled.

"It doesn't look so bad, all told," Benjamin mused.

"You haven't met a single inhabitant yet," the lion replied.

"I have met you," Benjamin smiled.

The lion's paws tightened on the steering wheel.

"I'm not like everyone else around here," John rumbled.

They passed a gas station, a parking lot in front of a supermarket, and a few other buildings with businesses on them, and turning on an intersection, the bell tower of a small church came to view, previously obscured by a few trees. Benjamin's heart leaped with warmth.

"You have a beautiful church here," the wolf smiled. "It looks lovely..."

John seemed to be more concerned with operating the signals than looking at the church. In fact, the wolf noticed that while he had signaled right to turn onto the street, he was now signaling left, and coming to a standstill next to a house only a hundred yards from the church. It was a two-storied one, complete with a white picket fence, a few flowerbeds, and a set old swings near a tall tree that seemed perfect for climbing on. The house looked like a home, and that made Benjamin smile even further.

"Well this is where I stop," the lion said, turning to look at the wolf, "I live here. You only need to walk about 200 yards down the street back to be on the town center. You should go to Annie's Diner to ask for whatever work you are looking for, or whatever..."

"So this beautiful house is your home?" Benjamin peered at the house, past the lion's profile. "It looks like you have a large family..."

"Big enough," the lion rumbled.

He didn't seem to offer anything further in the way of comments on the topic, which made Benjamin decide that it was time for him to go, follow the lion's instructions, and seek his fortune in this strange little town. Perhaps this was God's way to put him into place, he thought...giving him messages through this quiet lion.

BOOOOOUM.

The church bell rang at the near distance, loud enough here to make Benjamin's ears flicker with surprise. The lion's flattened instead, and the smacked his forehead with his paw.

"Oh fuck!"

Benjamin gave the lion a surprised look. He had not expected such profanity in response to hearing the sound that was obviously a call for prayer and worship, a holy thing.

"What is wrong?" the wolf frowned.

The lion turned on the engine again, hit the gas pedal, and drove onto the driveway of the house before he put on the reverse and returned to the street, now going down it on the different direction.

"I forgot the time...shit...fuck...shit...fuck..."

"What is wrong?"

"I'm supposed to be there," the lion grunted in reply. "Oh shit, they're going to kill me for not being properly dressed...can't be helped now...worse to be late than to be messy...maybe I can explain it because I was travelling...shit...fuck..."

They were upon the church within moments, the car stopped onto what must've been a lucky empty spot, and John was soon climbing out of the car.

"Get your stuff, don't steal anything, don't mind about paying me or anything, you'll probably not thank me tomorrow after you don't find a job, I gotta run now...bye!"

Benjamin couldn't even open his maw to speak before the lion was already out of the car and running towards the steps of the little church, its bells still ringing resonantly to call for worship. The wolf blinked curiously.

"Such hurry..." he shook his head.

Ben stepped out of the car and looked up at the spire-like tower of the house of God, briefly, before he decided that it had been too long since he had observed the way these people worshipped. His own worship was simple, and constant, as easy this thing called breathing these furs did...he did not need a house...for He did not live in a house, but in the hearts of everyone who believed in him, and Benjamin was His. It would be good for his next evaluation, he thought, to be able to give another view on the matter of earthly worship of Him. The wolf smiled as he imagined the impressed look on Carmel's face as he'd explain how things worked in Mariposa.

"Mariposa..." the wolf mumbled to himself as he walked slowly towards the door, his ears perking as he heard music of worship coming from within.

The hymn had just reached its end when he entered, softly, quietly, making no noise as he slowly entered His house on Earth. He found the benches to be full - an experience he often only encountered on weddings and other rituals...but today was simply for worship, and that was good. He did spot a suitably secluded seat near the doors, however, and soon slipped onto the bench, crossed himself, and sat quietly by the wolverine wearing a black suit and a tie, dressed for his best for the occasion. Benjamin looked hard to spot John in the crowd, but he was unsure which bushy mane belonged to the young lion...for he could see small clusters here and there...families, he presumed...just as another lion, whom had been kneeling by the altar adorned by the crucifix, in prayer, stood up in his white robes, and spread his paws wide.

"May His secrets lie deep in your hearts, and may you walk in peace."

"AMEN" the congregation responded in kind.

The majestic lion clasped his paws together as he eyed the gathered crowd with stern eyes, giving the feeling that he could see into your hearts...the way, Benjamin knew, these furs were taught that their Father only could.

"God is here," the lion stated in a quiet voice that nonetheless rumbled deep in the room. "God is here."

"AMEN!"

"His secrets lie so deep, and His face is hidden from us, but He is here, and He wants to hear your prayers."

"AMEN!"

"Do you accept Him here?"

"AMEN!"

"Do you accept His grace upon you, so that your sins may be forgiven to you in His Name and His Blood?"

"AMEN!"

"We cannot hope to understand His secrets..." the lion rumbled as he began to pace in front of the altar, his eyes on the congregation the whole time. "How could we even hope? He has seen our sins...the mortal sins that spawn from our congress with Satan...of the fallen women, the greed of earthly possession, the wrong knowledge, the blasphemy and the covetedness that fills even the most pure of hearts....our hearts are heavy with sin...our hearts, even when we call with JOY and with PRAYER for the Name of Our Lord, even then our heart is filled with the sin...with the darkest sins..."

The lion fell silent.

"We break against his Law so often, that we become blind to His Word...we become tainted with unholy spirit and with darkness that takes its hold on us...we stop abiding by his Law...we commit crimes in His eyes, and we commit crimes in our HEARTS...our impure souls tainted by the mortal sin...the ultimate betrayal of our Father's trust in his very Creation..."

Another pause.

"LOOK AT YOURSELVES! LOOK AT YOUR HEARTS!"

A gasp fell through the audience, and Benjamin shivered.

"Look at your tiny little hearts and see how it is brimming with sin...against his Word, his Commandments, his Gospel...oh Lord...."

"OH LORD!"

The lion knelt by his altar.

"Oh Lord," the lion rumbled, head hung down, "you look down upon us, and we know that you see everything in our hearts, in our minds, and in our behavior. You see our sins, and you find the crime in each and every one of us, the impure thoughts and feelings that plague us, like the plague you sent upon Egypt for their lack of faith in You, for their crimes against Israel, for falling from the path of the only true love in your whole Creation, your love, your hands, in your Name and your Blood, Father, look upon us, and hear our prayer, hear our wish to confess to you...that Father, we have sinned against you and your will...we come with heavy hearts, and we ask you to hear our confession....on our knees...."

There was a general shuffle when everyone in the room got up and promptly got down on their knees, by the benches, a commotion that soon fell into complete silence, as Benjamin too knelt.

"Father, I have sinned.

"FATHER, I HAVE SINNED!" the congregation echoed.

"Oh Father, I have sinned..."

"FATHER, I HAVE SINNED!"

"Oh Father, we have sinned..."

"FATHER, WE HAVE SINNED!"

The lion was up. The furs were back to their seats. The lion was pacing again, sweeping the congregation.

"Look into your hearts...look deep into your hearts, and decide whether you can accept His forgiveness for your sin...look into your heart, look into every impure thought in your mind and your body, and remember His Son's words...remember...if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you...remember His Words...for you will go to Hell, if you let these sins take you over, if you let yourself fall for these feelings, these crimes against His Law...remember that if you cannot accept His forgiveness in His Name and His Blood, your soul is already in Hell...your eternal soul has already been taken by Satan himself and filled with impureness...."

Benjamin's ears flicked as he heard a sob. He looked carefully to his right and could see the wolverine sitting there, tense, paws firmly clasped together, so hard that it looked it could hurt...and tears were flowing from his eyes.

The lion faced the altar.

"Oh Lord, we are miracles of your Creation, but we have sinned, we have fallen from the path you set for us, but we ask for your forgiveness in our prayers, we ask for Satan to leave our hearts, we ask in your Name and your Blood to be cleaned of our sins, and we pray for our places by your side, like your Son is to come and to judge those who will appear in front of you for their final judgment. We ask with heavy hearts, full of sin, to be cleansed of this pain, and to find only your light, and your love, and your compassion, in our Love for our brothers, and our neighbors. Let us find your Love, Lord, and let us love our neighbors like we can only love ourselves, and help us to steer away from the path of sin, and to fill our hearts with your Love, and your plan. Amen "

"AMEN!"

"I call AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

The lion was up again, facing the crowd, breathing hard.

"Do you feel His love?" the lion growled. "Do you feel His love washing the sins away from your hearts? Do you feel it?"

The lion slammed his fist against his chest.

"Look into your hearts and feel His love fill your hearts! AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

The lion raised his paws.

"Oh Lord, you hear our prayers to be forgive for our sins, and we have confessed to our sins, and in your Name and your Blood, I now give you your forgiveness, in His Name and His Blood, I give you His love, and your sins will be forgiven, for the final judgment is Our Lord's, and we have shown in our confession our love for Our Lord, and in His Name and his Blood, your sins are forgiven. Amen!"

"AMEN!"

"Amen!"

"AMEN!"

The lion hung his head and clasped his paws.

"Let us all pray in our hearts for the glory of His Name and His Blood."

Another hush fell through the church, as everyone concentrated in prayer.

Benjamin glanced at the wolverine by him, and saw that the man's eyes were still glistening with tears, staring down to his knees now as his lips moved in silent words of praise.

*

Thank you for reading my story! Hope you enjoyed the read, and I'm most curious to hear what you thought about this!

I'll post next chapter once it's done :P