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Pioneer State

**

Prologue

**

After time the riots, like most, died down. The protesters slightly mollified and embarrassed by the attack on the school. Many governmental agencies shunned the act, and the surviving attackers were put on trial.

For a short period of time Aden and Dex found themselves the center of celebrity for Fur Rights. Dex was deeply embarrassed and kept demurring on Television, but once in a while, he would spit out a phrase that would raise eyebrows.

"They are people, just like us, maybe, just maybe, better...."

"Did you ever think what you would do if things were revered?"

"Perhaps they aren't as strange as you think, just misunderstood, have you tried getting into their mind-set?"

Sure the Furs had landed just after World War I. The event had caused a lot of controversy. They landed primarily in the United States. Europe had their own share, as did, ironically, Great Brittan, however most of the rest of the world was left alone.

The furs of the day were quiet as to why they had chosen Earth. Their ships, once evacuated there sent back into space, never to be seen again. These new strangers were here to stay. But there were some big problems.

At least in America, racism was still rampant, but at that point once the Furs landed, both parties of black and white bonded over a hatred of the furs. World War II happened, and along with the Jews, there was a new target. The civil rights movements of the fifties and sixties were very different, with hatred turned to the furs.

There were a lot of supporters of the furs, activists who saw them as a way to save the human race from destruction, people who looked upon them as returning gods, and those that just venerated them. The one thing the elder furs did that infuriated people the most was with hold information and technology as to where they had come from, saying only that they were "Refugees." No technology was shared, and once the eldest died off, there were no more secrets.

In time, things calmed down, or so it seemed. Back then as well as now.

While Aden and Dex continued at school, their notoriety waned, and both were grateful of that. The riots calmed, the unions came to an agreement, and soon, all was back to normal.

Well, as normal as anything else.

**

"Ow!" I glared back at the bull, who sat behind me in my math class. "What now brown cow?"

He just glared at me with his smirk.

"Well? Are you?"

"Am I what?" I snorted. I tossed my stubby mane over my shoulder. I'd started to let it grow out a little since the incident.

"Are you two going or not!?"

I huffed hugely, trying to concentrate on my homework.

"Mr. O'Brien, is there a problem?"

The stern looking human teacher glared down at his over-long nose at me. I sighed. I hated math, but it was required, even this, Algebra.

"No, Mr. Griegs."

He nodded once and sat back down.

After a few problems were done I turned a little.

"Maybe, we don't know yet."

Bruce nodded, and I felt the soft blow from his nostrils.

It was different. This life was so different from the one a year or so ago, when Dex had fought off the attackers, and had saved most of the school. He still sported a slight scar on his left temple from the blow, but he'd really blossomed in the last year.

I had to hide a grin at that or else let my fellow students that I was thinking of "him" again. My kiss to him had set a bit of a stir about in the school. Dex's parent's had been livid, until they found out the Senator (Smith) they supported was a firm supporter of Gay and Fur rights. Their estimation went up a notch in the party's eyes.

Dex took it in stride, and ignored the extra attention. It was all I could do not to preen. My dad was very pleased with himself for some reason.

Dad. Ole Luc. He had changed so much in the last year. Any bit of fat he had, was now gone. I now saw the very confident stallion of my father when I came home, a hug for me, one for Dex. Idealistic. Almost. I knew he was still lonely but we both (Dex and I) gave him support. One night we found him crying over Mom's, Emily's, photo. It was all we could do to wrench the poor photograph out of his hands and get him to go to bed.

Now? Well graduation is only a couple of days away. By Friday we'll be finished.

I turned my head to glance at Dex. I was shocked at how much he hand changed. No more the retiring sprinter jock. His time spent with me and Dad in the gym had payed off. He had a second growth spurt as well. He was tall, long haired, and blond. A lot of the girls swooned over him. I sure did. Those muscular shoulders and pecs were perfect. Even more perfect were his thighs. Tight from his running days, and his time on the football team. He'd put on a lot of bulk, and could probably take me down if he really tried. I knew he held back during our "times" together.

He refused to be a first or second string player on the team, instead he concentrated on running clever plays to keep the team on their toes during practice. He did a fantastic job of it. His strong frame would streak down the field only to deftly dodge someone set to take him down at the last second with a twirl. He'd also taunt the other players with his quick wit, setting them on edge. This worked so well, Coach Wilke had given him carte blanch to do "what he needed to do" to taunt the players. We had the best offense and defense thanks to him.

I started. He had caught me staring, again. He gave me a wink, and a stern look, with a cocky smile at the same time. I could feel myself harden a little. My Adonis was there and willing, but we'd have plenty of time for fun later. For now...our assignment. My eye kept straying though.

**

The herd was ever on my mind. I kept thinking about them all. Jake, Andrew, Tracy, Melissa, and Mark, the mule. He'd joined up after the event. He was very good natured, and very much a joker. He got all of us at least once a week in his pranks. He was a lot of fun.

I had no idea where this was going. I tapped the pencil to my lips in thought, the classwork forgotten for the time being.

Where are we going with this? What steps do we have next? We need to figure out where we are going, and I mean we in the plural sense. The juniors and others have herds of their own now, and once I talked to them, they seem stable. So what now?"

A cleared throat and a glare from the teacher brought my mind back to my work. I sighed looking at the complex problem before me.

**

Poor Aden and Dex. So Equine. I sighed to myself as I quickly finished the assignment. Math was so easy, it didn't require abstract thought, only the patient application of logic. I loved it. And John.

We had our own herd now. He was very strong, very tough, but very fair. He also wasn't from this school. He'd met a few of the other Bovines here through me, and we'd had "chats" with several of them. Soon they came around and were following John. We both knew what this would hold in the coming months. Changes for when we entered college. I had a football scholarship as did Aden.

Dex was going to go to State as well, but with his own money. No free ride for him, not that organizations weren't lining up to sign him on. No, he wanted to make his own way.

For a moment I felt my heart soften for him.

He'd have made a perfect bovine leader. Too bad his heart is set on equine.

I shook my head at the thought. Back to work bull!

**

It would only be a few more days before graduations, and the next chapter in all of their lives. The looked forward to it with unease and anticipation as to what the future might hold.