FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Lucky was rudely awakened by the most annoying and penetrating noise in the world. His alarm clock kept repeating its pesky sound until the fiery red fox finally hit the 'off' button. A task easier said than done, apparently, as he missed the first two swings, catching nothing but the air next to his nightstand.

He rolled over and laid on his back. His bedroom no longer spun and twisted, like it had the other day. However, the distorted vision had made place for a numbing pain behind his eyes. As he slowly say up, the fox remembered what had happened the day before.

His mate had ended their relationship, after being together for seven months. She had told him that she had her doubts about the strength of their friendship, let alone the status of their actual relationship. She had packed her belongings and moved back out, leaving the poor fox alone in his apartment.

Being bisexual, Lucky had always had some difficulties with committing to a female. He tried his best, but somehow, his last mate found his efforts to be insufficient. In an attempt to flee from his sorrow, the fox had resorted to his supply of liquor - a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Usually, the simple solutions are also the wrong ones.

Deep down, he knew that it was about something else as well. This 'something' was the reason why his alarm had even sounded on that early Saturday morning. Lucky wished to take care of a child, but his now former mate was infertile, so they had decided to adopt.

Judging by the moment the vixen had chosen to end her relationship with Lucky, she might just have been afraid of having to take on the role of a mother. Combined with her apparent displeasure concerning their relationship, it probably was the straw that broke the camel's back. Lucky found it unfair, and he was right. There was no worse imaginable moment to end a relationship.

The fox sat on the edge of his bed, supporting his head with both of his hands. He felt the need to throw up, even though he had done plenty of that before he went to bed the other night. Besides, it was not the remnants of the alcohol that made him feel like his stomach had turned itself upside down.

No, Lucky realized that his dream of being a father was shattered - or at least for now. Raising a child on his own was probably not a good idea in the eyes of the orphanage staff. How was he going to explain his situation to the guardian? Would they even allow him to adopt a child?

He slowly shook his head when he got on his paws and walked to the bathroom. The cold water on his face refreshed his body, but not his mind. Digging around in the medicine cabinet, Lucky found a bottle of painkillers. He twisted the lid off the orange plastic cylinder and took out two pills.

The contents of breakfast were not worth mentioning. The fox did not feel like eating much and wanted to constrain the chances of throwing up to a minimum. However, the painkiller required him to eat at least something, so he settled with some toast and a cup of tea.

Half-satisfied, the fox trudged back to his bedroom and threw on some clothes. Loose-fitting jeans, a pair of sneakers, and a black shirt with a big light blue number seven on it, for starters. A collar with a similarly blue digit on it finished the outfit, and Lucky was ready to go. On his way out, he grabbed his car keys and a shoulder bag he had prepared the other day.

In the bag were various papers concerning the adoption agency and the orphanage he had contacted, as well as some boring financial stuff, his passport, and other such administrative mumbo-jumbo. The fox cringed as he closed the front door behind him. He had slammed it shut with more violence than his still-sensitive head had found comfortable.

Once in the elevator, a glance to his watch told him that he was running late. If he wanted to get to his appointment on time, he really needed to hurry, unless he wanted to risk getting a speeding ticket. With firm strides, he left the apartment building and paced toward the parking lot behind it.

There it was, his prized navy blue car. It was a compact economy car with only two seats, but it was just as powerful and fast as it was small. With a perfunctory move, got into his car, threw the shoulder bag on the passenger's seat and fired up the engine.

The engine produced a masculine, roaring noise as he shifted his gearbox and hit the gas pedal. While his car had room for only two people - neither of which should not be very tall - the compact and low design of the frame allowed for great acceleration and maneuverability.

Lucky quickly left his town and went for the motorway. Since it was both early and a Saturday, the lanes were virtually empty. With his engine running in the top gear, he sped toward the city where he hoped to meet his soon-to-be son or daughter.

The fox opened the window on the passenger's side to get some fresh air. He needed to freshen up his head before he got to the orphanage, but did not want to mess up his fur by letting the wind directly hit his face. Despite how much he liked to groom himself, such a task took time he did not currently have.

Half an hour later, he finally reached the place he had been looking for. The orphanage was quite large and the building looked like the architect had crossbred a hospital with an elementary school. Lucky stopped his car just in front of the gate and stepped out of the vehicle. The gate was closed, but there was an intercom right next to it. He pressed the button and waited for the call to come through.

After about a minute, he was greeted by a female voice.

"Welcome to Sandshire Warren, do you have an appointment?"

The fox shook his head in an attempt to get rid of his headache that still slumbered in his skull.

"Um, yeah. My name's Lucky. I'm here for an adoption."

"I see, your name is on today's visitor list. I'll open the gate for you. Please park your car in one of the free spots directly to the right of the gate."

The fox muttered a 'thanks' and got back in his car. While he waited for the metal fence to slide to the left, he read the inscription in the archway above the gate. It read "Sandshire Warren -Safe haven of all species".

Just as he had parked it in the designated area, someone approached his car. A brown rabbit, obviously a female, judging by her dark green apron. He estimated the rabbit to be in her late thirties or early forties.

"Welcome, sir," she greeted politely, extending her hand. "My name is Maythennion, but everyone around here calls me 'May'."

"I'm Lucky," he replied, accepting May's offered hand.

"You sure are, sir," she said, as she led him into her office. "One doesn't adopt a child every day."

The fox smiled, making a rejecting gesture. "No, no, my name is Lucky."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please, have a seat."

"No problem, it has happened before."

Lucky sat down on one of the comfortable chairs in the office. The rabbit took her seat at the other side of the desk, where she had prepared a file. A few quick keystrokes on her laptop later, the rabbit started asking her guest some questions. Most of them were just a part of the protocol, to ensure that Lucky was who he claimed to be and that his answers were legitimate.

"I see," the rabbit concluded twenty minutes later. "Now, we should try to narrow your search for your future child."

"What do you mean?"

"Most future parents have their preferences concerning age, gender, race or breed. We always ask our clients if they want to adopt a child with special needs, as they have the right to know about that and let that influence their decision."

"Well, since I'm a fox, I guess I'd like to adopt a pup that is at least a canine, preferably a wolf or a fox. I don't particularly care about the breed or gender, but I think it'd be best if the pup can relate to my own species. Oh, and I don't think my, um... home situation would allow me to take care of a child with special needs. I rent an apartment, so I can't make big physical changes to the house. Besides, I have a fulltime job, so it's got to be a child that is able to go to school, because I can't give a disabled pup the care and attention they need and deserve. I'd be fine with any other child, though."

May nodded in approval and closed the lid of her laptop. "Very well, I'll take you to the wing where the canine pups live. Come with me, please. My office is locked, so you can leave your bag here."

Lucky got up from the chair and followed the rabbit to the far side of the building. They passed through a hallway with a series of dorms, before ending up in a communal playroom. In there, he saw pups, kits and cubs of various ages. Almost all of them were between the age of four and eight, but age was the only shared aspect between all the youngsters.

There were foxes like Lucky, but also arctic ones, and a few wolves. Most of the puppies were dogs, but only few orphans shared their breed with another puppy. As the big fox looked around, he tried to find a child that caught his attention, any at all.

He spent the next twenty minutes asking May questions about the various children, usually asking for their name or age. Most of the time, he would briefly interact with the children, just to gauge their reaction and to find out whether he 'clicked' with any of them.

The rabbit was quick to point out that all orphans were obliged to wear a collar, specifically one that bore a tag with their name on it. This not only made it easier for both caregivers and clients to tell the children apart, but it also helped new orphans to quickly learn the names of the others.

Lucky's train of thought was derailed when one of the orphans approached them from the side. The kid appeared to be a little older than his fellow orphans, but that wasn't the only aberrant thing about the child.

It was a black fox with green markings, a very unusual - and maybe even unnatural - coloration. The kid looked like he had spent more than just a week in the orphanage, as he appeared to be the most comfortable with his surroundings. Lastly, his t-shirt was tucked into his jeans, while no other child in the room wore their clothes like that.

'Probably just a pre-teen being rebellious,' Lucky thought.

"Miss May, could you do me a favor?" the young fox asked.

"I'm sorry, kid, but I'm busy right now. This gentleman is looking for a child to adopt, and I'm helping him pick someone."

"But I need..." he started, looking for the right words. "Help. I've asked around earlier, but for the last half hour, every caregiver has either been busy or couldn't leave their post."

The rabbit looked at him for a few seconds, then appeared to understand what he meant.

"I'll call out for someone," she replied gently. "Go play in the meantime, okay?"

"Thanks," he said, then walked off. The black fox's green markings appeared to glow a little. Speaking of which, did he have a green tongue, or had Lucky's eyes played a trick on him?

May took a pager from her pocket and pressed a few buttons.

"Sorry about that," she said to the red fox. "I needed to send out a call to another wing."

Lucky felt an odd sensation in his tail, near its base. He looked behind him and saw that the bluish markings on the limb were faintly glowing. Usually, his markings did not glow during the day.

'Wait, didn't that kid's fur glow as well?' the fox thought. 'Could this be a sign?'

He looked at May, but she did not appear to notice the glowing on either fox, or she was too polite to comment on it.

"Shall we return to my office?" the rabbit asked.

Lucky nodded and followed the guardian back to where they came from.

Once back in the office, May sat down at her desk and powered up her laptop again.

"So, now you've met most of the children, did any of them spark your interest?"

"I think so, yeah."

"By the way, last week, during our phone call, you mentioned that you have a mate. Would you please tell me why she is not with you today?"

The fox sighed and looked down. "She... she left me yesterday. I'm sorry. I'd still like to adopt, though. Is that possible?"

"I feel sorry for you, sir. I'm afraid single parents are not eligible for our adoption program."

"But..." he started, but decided not to speak what was really on his mind. The rabbit probably would not understand him. The more Lucky thought about it, the more he felt like that strange black fox should become his son.

"There was one of them that intrigued me," he continued. "The black fox with the green markings."

"Nightfox?" May replied with disbelief.

Lucky cocked his head. "Is there a problem?"

"No, of course not. It's just... the kit had been here for over eight years now, and all this time, nobody even showed interest in him. Most of them were taken aback by his glowing fur. Those that cared to ask us about this 'disfiguration', as they often called it, were afraid that they could not deal with his past."

"It still sounds to me like there's a problem. Could you explain what you just said?"

May's ears flopped as she sighed.

"Nightfox is an artificially created fox. He was designed for military purposes and was originally meant to become a super soldier. However, it appears someone switched up some samples during his actual creation. Instead of creating a super soldier, they implemented genes that resulted in altered fur coloration. Black instead of white, bioluminescent green instead of orange or red."

Lucky remained silent for a moment, thinking about the gene splicing experiment he was subjected to years ago. The results of said genes were similar, but in his case, all it did was create some blue luminescent markings on various places on his body - including his tail.

"So they were afraid of a kit with an usual fur coat. That's all?"

"I'm afraid not. At age three, Nightfox was taken from the facility where he was created. By then, his creators had already carried out several traumatizing experiments on him. Initially, nobody paid attention to this, because the majority of the scientists did not expect him to be fully sentient. They thought he would have the mind of an animal, which would limit ethical questions. His designer was firmly against continuing the experiments, and ultimately decided to expose the project to the press, after which it was shut down. Nightfox was delivered into our custody shortly afterwards."

"I see. Is he still traumatized, or did you help him in any way?" Lucky queried.

"We've tried to, with the help of our own child therapist, but she expects that some of his wounds will not heal without parental love. Even at age twelve, he still doesn't want to sleep without his stuffed fox, or without a pacifier."

"A pacifier?"

May nodded. "You see, the last experiment the scientists carried out greatly damaged his body. Most of said damage was temporary, but his bladder has been defective ever since. After six months, we stopped trying to potty train him, and he has worn diapers at all times ever since. At first, we thought he just longed for attention, but our therapist concluded that Nightfox only desires safety. The stuffed animal and the pacifier are familiar to him, and they make him feel safe. Furthermore, allowing him to use those items has proven to help calm him down. This can be very welcome, since he appears to have a mild form of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder."

"Wow, that's harsh. Sounds like the kid has known nothing but suffering before he came here."

"Not just before he came here, unfortunately," the rabbit said, partly to herself. "In the first few years, he had hope whenever someone came looking for a canine orphan. Now, eight years later, that hope has dwindled. Every time I look into his purple eyes, I see resignation, as if he knows he'll spend the next six years in here as well. Don't get me wrong, we take good care of all children, but we cannot substitute the parental love he desperately needs."

"Then why wouldn't you let me adopt him? I know I'm a single parent, but I think I like the kid."

"Like I said, it's against our protocols," the rabbit started, but Lucky cut her off.

"I don't care about that. You just said he needs to be loved and nobody has ever cared to even consider adopting him. I'm offering to do just that, and you're going to turn me down because of protocols?" The fox said, trying to keep his composure. "I understand that you screen the people that want to adopt a child, but is there anything wrong with me, besides being single?"

The rabbit looked at the screen of her laptop and scanned the information she had on Lucky.

"I... I think not, although you specified that you do not want to adopt a child with special needs."

"When I said that, I referred to mental handicaps, or a wheelchair-bound child. Like I explained before, I'm unable to meet such needs. This, however, is something I'll be able to deal with. Would you please let me talk to him? I want to be sure he's the one. You know, if he doesn't want to become my son, I'll just look for someone else, right?"

May nodded slowly and picked up the receiver from the phone on her desk. She tapped a few buttons and waited for the call to be answered.

"Hi. Could you pick up Nightfox from the Canine Wing and take him to my office, please?"

A short silence.

"No, everything is alright. Just bring him in, then continue with your usual morning tasks," the rabbit reassured.

They quietly waited for May's colleague to show up. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and the rabbit allowed entrance. The heavy oak wood door creaked open, revealing the young black fox, lead by a big female Bernese Mountain Dog that appeared to be just a couple of years older than May.

"Thanks, Lindya. I'll take it from here," the rabbit said, and her colleague left the office again, closing the door behind her.

"Take a seat, kiddo," she continued.

Nightfox hesitated. He had only been in the Headmistress's office once before, after he had deliberately scared a couple of younger pups in the middle of the night, using his bioluminescent fur to pretend he was a ghost. The rabbit had sharply reprimanded him, and even though he knew she was a kind person, he was still anxious about what was going to happen.

With his tail tucked between his legs, he slowly walked over to the a chair, next to Lucky. The young fox had never made it this close to being adopted, but in his head, there was no difference. Each and every potential adoptive parent had turned him down in the past years.

The red fox observed the pre-teen and could not help but notice the military dog tag as it dangled from Nightfox's collar. On one side, it was engraved with 'Nightfox-3/20', while the other side was heavily scratched.

It appeared like someone had tried to erase whatever inscription that side of the tag bore. The red fox could not make anything out, except for the remnants of two words - 'Property' and 'Government'. Piecing the puzzle together, Lucky assumed that the black fox did not want to be reminded of the time when he had been property of the state.

"I'm sorry for my curiosity, kid, but do you have a name?"

Nightfox stared at his paws, avoiding eye contact.

"It's okay, kiddo, you can tell him," May tried to comfort him.

"They call me 'Nightfox'," he said with a quiet voice, still looking away. "I-It's a nickname... I got it when I was, y'know, made."

"And nobody ever named you?"

He shook his head.

"So... do you like living here?"

The young fox shrugged. "It's better than where I used to live. I just hate it that every friend I make eventually gets adopted. I-I mean, it's nice for them an' all, but..."

His voice trailed off.

"You feel like they've abandoned you, right?"

Nightfox nodded.

"How about being adopted yourself? Would you like that, or would you rather live here until you turn eighteen?"

"Dunno. When I'm eighteen, where do I go?" the black fox replied with drooping ears. "I've got no family, and I rarely ever talk to the kids I used to play with."

"Look, I'm going to be straightforward with you. I'm here because I want to adopt a kid, and I think it should be you. However, if you'd rather stay here, I'll look for someone else. I want this to be your choice as much as mine."

The young fox did not respond verbally, but his eyes and wagging tail said more than enough.

"Should I take that as a 'yes', kiddo?" May asked rhetorically.

Nightfox nodded, but slowed down, until he appeared to freeze. A small voice inside his head warned him, a voice that reminded him of a similar event, a couple of years ago. He was in the playroom, and someone was willing to adopt him, until they found out about his 'little problem'.

"Wait, d-did you tell him about, y'know... does he know I..." he stammered.

"About what? Your glowing fur? Your need for diapers? I know about that, but it doesn't bother me."

"Really?" the black fox said with great excitement.

"You bet. Now, would you like to become my son?"

"Um, I think so, yeah."

"Good," May interjected cheerfully, sliding a pen and two sheets of paper towards the red fox. "Then I suggest that you sign these for me."

Lucky gratefully accepted the pen, but hesitated before he signed.

"However," he said, "I think you should receive a new name before I take you with me."

The black fox cocked his head. "Why is that?"

"Well, first of all, 'Nighfox' is the nickname your designers gave you. Whenever someone calls you by that name, they remind you of a past I would like you to forget. If you're coming with me, you'll start a new life, and I'd like you to think about where you're going, rather than where you came from."

"B-but... what should my name be?"

"I was thinking of 'Arévik'. My grandfather from the East had that name. It means 'like the sun'."

'Nightfox' pondered for a few seconds. "Why that name?"

"I think it fits your glowing fur, but mostly, it's because I want the bad times for you to be over. The night has passed, kid, and I hope your new life with me will be the dawn of a brand new day, with a brand new face. What'd you say? Are you in?"

Again, the black fox did not reply with words. Instead, he got up from his seat and leapt over to Lucky, extending his arms. The older fox understood the gesture and embraced the kid.

"You smell... like cinnamon," the black fox mumbled.

Lucky smiled as they let go of each other. "I've heard people say that before."

"I kinda like it, I guess. So, um, don't you need to sign those papers now?"

"Sure thing, Arévik," he replied, then quickly jotted down his signature in the designated spots.

"Do I, like, get to come with you now?" the young fox asked.

"Does he?" Lucky redirected the question towards May.

"That depends on you. Does your home situation allow immediate adoption?"

"More or less. Since my mate has moved out, space won't be a problem. It wasn't a problem before, but by now it's _certainly_not."

"Good. Let's go to your dorm, Nightfox, so we can pick up your personal belongings."

"Okay," the black fox replied, then hesitated. "Um, my name is no longer 'Nightfox' now, is it?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the rabbit replied. "You're right."

"That means you won't be needing this anymore," Lucky interjected, unsnapping Arévik's collar with a swift move.

"Hey!" the pup exclaimed.

"Don't worry, kid. We'll get you a new one, with a proper tag."

With a heedless move, the red fox dropped the collar on May's desk. Arévik took his paw, and together, they followed the rabbit back to the Canine Wing. Once in the dorm, May helped the pup to gather the few items he possessed. It was not very much, and it all fit together in a backpack.

All in all, said pack contained the young fox's purple pacifier, a spare onesie and Jake, his stuffed fox. That collection of items made Lucky think the bag was packed for a three-year-old, rather than for a pre-teen. However, he had agreed to take care of Arévik and to take for granted whatever disabilities the kid had. He was not going to break that promise.

May instructed the black fox to put on a hoodie to cover up his onesie, while she took a package of diapers from his closet.

"You can take these from us, so you'll at least have enough for the first few days. I'll add it to the bill, is that okay?"

"Sure," Lucky confirmed. "I was expecting a shopping spree anyway, so I saved up in advance. It won't be a problem.

None of them spoke as the rabbit led the foxes out of the orphanage. Lucky carried the diapers under one arm , while Arévik wore the backpack, trying not to think of 'his' package of diapers being visible to the outside world. The red fox noticed the bashfulness of his new son, and tried to cheer him up.

"Don't be embarrassed, kid. I'm not going to make fun of you because you need diapers, or because you like to sleep with a pacifier and a stuffed animal. You're my pup now, and I'll do whatever I can to protect you from harm. You can trust me, okay?"

The black fox nodded slowly, making Lucky smile. With his free hand, he dug his car keys out of his shoulder bag and used the remote to unlock his car. The small vehicle did not have a large trunk, but it was sufficient to store the items they carried.

With Arévik next to him, the red fox once again powered up the engine of his car and shifted his gearbox. A mate out, a son in. Ideally he had both, but as he looked at the smile on the face of the black fox beside him, his instincts told him that he would do just fine.