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The door is thrown open, forced by four players from our wrestling team. I look up at them blearily, my chest throbbing with an immense pain.

I survived. Whatever the hell that was, I survived it.

Now time to end this dream...

I close my eyes willing myself to awaken, but when I open them again I find myself staring up at the same four wrestlers.

They stare down at me with the same conviction as Felix shoves through them, stumbling towards me, his fur bristling, his eyes wild.

I start to sob again, I don't know what else to do. I shouldn't be alive. None of this should be happening.

I just want this dream to end!

"Sheath!" Felix shouts falling to his knees beside me, "Are you okay?"

A shiver goes through my body as he wraps his arms around me. I stop crying immediately, looking up at him.

He is still here...

"Sheath!" He shakes me, squeezing me tight, "Say something! Are you okay!?"

I stare at him, taking in his features.

Felix, The man of my dreams... He is mine now...

"Sheath!" Felix shouts lifting a paw and touching my face. A shock goes through me with the contact.

This CANNOT be a dream!

I meet his eyes and grab his paw, pulling it down into my lap.

"Yes," I say gently, gathering myself all at once.

"Are you okay?" he spouts, his voice full of relief.

"I presume." I rasp as he uses his other hand to brush my bangs out of my eyes. He is completely focused on my face. His eyes drilling into mine, clouded with worry.

"Oh, thank the gods." He murmurs, "I was sure that they would-" he cuts off, looking down and noticing that my shorts and briefs are missing. "Sheath?" he whimpers, running his fingers through my tattered blouse, "What-"

"Hush Felix, I'm fine." I croon, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at my face.

_ I can't let him think about the fact that I had almost been raped by that horrendous creature, nor can I ponder it myself. I would fall apart again, and Felix's personality being as it is, he would most surely and instantaneously set out to seek vengeance, and that is something neither of us need at the moment._

I smile at him, continuing to speak in a comforting tone, "I saved you remember. It's not like I couldn't keep myself alive after carrying out that impossible feat."

Felix blinks, his expression still grave, "You're bleeding," he frowns, placing his palm on my chest.

I wince, both pained and comforted by his touch, "You have broken ribs," I mutter shoving against his.

He cringes, sucking in a breath, "I don't think so."

"Don't lie to me," I growl, giving him a stern look, "I heard them crack. We need to get you to a hospital."

"Sheath you look a lot worse than I do." He rebukes looking me up and down, his eyes clouding again as he examines my half naked body.

I follow his gaze, realizing for the first time just how terrible I look. I am covered in blood and there are several small puncture wounds in my abdomen. Now that I think about it, I can really feel the gashes on my shoulders from when Black had tugged me back into the room.

I look up at Felix rigidly, determined to keep him from worrying, "I'm fine." I state, struggling to my feet, "Just a couple scratches and bruises."

The wrestlers gasp then, stunned by my lack of shorts and undergarments, or so that was what I had thought.

"Good lords." One of the mutters, "That must hurt."

I turn around to look at them, "What?"

They stare at me, their eyes wide.

Felix gasps.

I spin towards him, my fur bristling, "What!? What is it!?"

One of the wrestlers gags, staggering out of the room and blowing chunks in the hall.

"Your back," Felix stammers, his voice trembling, "Sheath, your back..."

"Huh?" I rasp, reaching to touch my wounded shoulders.

I didn't think the gashes were that bad, I was pretty sure...

I gasp as my fingers touch the torn flesh...

The gashes are a lot bigger than I had anticipated. I whine, feeling the blood spilling down my back, dripping on the floor, smelling it in the air.

"Felix," I whimper.

"You really need to sit down," Felix prods, "you're bleeding a lot."

I hear one of the wrestlers behind me whimpers pathetically and I feel sorry for him, It must be quite a horrific sight, all that blood, my blood.

I look at it on my hands, beginning to feel dizzy, "Felix," I mumble again, my voice slurred. "This really hurts."

"Sheath," Felix yelps, reaching out to me as my legs buckle, "Sheath!"

The last things I see before I black out are his eyes, Green, powerful, and deep. Like luscious forests, sucking me into their endless depths and enveloping me in their warmth. Here, in the arms of my one and truest love, I can finally let go...

And, oh, how I love the feeling...

* * *

I dream then of a beautiful world, much like Animi, The same skyline, the same buildings and spires, but instead of metal and concrete, built of white granite and gold. It is a beautiful world indeed, one that glistens in the light of a silver sun.

Every detail is exquisite, but what is more amazing than the city itself are the creatures who live there. Not unlike me and Felix and all the other creatures' of Animi, but somehow stronger, more beautiful. Many of them wear garments of white linen trimmed in gold, glowing with a vibrancy of health and power. Others wear more intricate garments consisting of highly individual, and from my observation, fashionable, articles of clothing.

I am standing on the uppermost floor of a glorious crystal spire. It is the tallest building in the city. Around me there are twelve golden thrones. In each is seated one of the beautiful creatures. They are all watching me intently.

"Sheath." They speak as one, "He shines of two worlds."

The gathered assembly begins to converse quietly, so quietly that I can only make out a few small snippets of their concourse.

"...Son," They said, "Powerful... One of a kind."

I lean forward, trying to hear more of what they are saying but their voices seem to travel away from my ears no matter how hard I strain them.

What is this? Why am I here?

I perk my ears, trying my hardest to discern more of their words, but it is of no use. Eventually I give up and sit down on the floor of the chamber, watching the creatures' converse heatedly. Every couple of moments one of them would glance at me and smile sympathetically as though to apologize for their rudeness in cutting me out of their conversation.

After some time, one of them, the mightiest looking of them all, clears his throat.

"Quiet," one of them, a funny looking lynx, proclaims, "He rises."

Slowly the gathered creatures all turn to the man as he rises from his throne, presenting his hand to me.

I stare at him, puzzled. He is not like the others. He is not like any creature I have ever seen. His flesh exposed and pink with no fur but on his head. His pale face is outlined by long tracts of silver hair, and his eyes are a beautiful flowing golden color, rippling and changing under their surface. As a matter of fact, His entire body glows, as bright and hot as the sun!

_What is this thing? I don't understand this... _

I am sure that I am giving him the most perplexed look because he frowns, tilting his head. "Is something wrong?" he asks.

Is something wrong!?

I can barely restrain myself from bursting into crazed laughter. There could be nothing more wrong with this situation! I'm standing here, staring up at some fairytale creature and it is reaching out to me as if to shake my hand in a familiar greeting!?

"What is this?" I ask, "Why am I here? Why am I dreaming this?"

"This is Helios," the creature replies in a deep and sonorous voice, "and you are my Son." The creature smiles at me as I stare at him, appalled and dumbfounded.

But I already have a father...

_ _

_ _

* * *

I awaken to the crisp scent of hospital sheets, groaning as I sit up to look around.

The room is simple, the walls white and speckled with tiny yellow flowers, the ceiling painted blue with clouds, and the floor emerald green linoleum. I turn to my left to see Felix's

Backpack in a chair in the corner of the room and to my right there is a nightstand.

On the nightstand there is a folded piece of parchment with my name written on the front in scrolling calligraphy. I am immediately curious as to what it is and who it is from.

Why would someone deliver me a letter in the hospital? It isn't often that I get letters. I stare at it, puzzled. This is increasingly peculiar.

I sit up further and lean, trying to grab the paper, but before I can get within an inch of it my shoulders erupt with a spasm of fiery pain. I slump back onto the bed with a groan.

So much for that.

With a sigh I stare up at the blue ceiling, folding my hands over my belly and leveling my breathing as the pain in my back slowly dulls.

What a fantastic day, I muse, finally the love of my life confesses his undying love for me. Then we're attacked by some giant evil black wolf who almost rapes me, and then we're saved by another giant wolf that was supposedly my brother!

Totally crazy day...

With a finger, I trace the shape of one of the clouds on the ceiling, singing silently to myself.

"Sweetest day of joyous pride, ever filled with romances sweet.

Tell me your toll, what is your price?

Tis only could death become in this night."

I raise my voice, continuing with a brightening flourish,

"Sweetest day, twas ever so fine,

_ tell me the tales you've written in time._

_ Make truly seen the fault of my mind,_

for surely it must be broken.

Tell me your toll, for I know not mine,

the price I must pay for this sweet a time.

These romances sweet that I've not inscribed,

Tis only could death become in this night..."

I smile contentedly, my mind drifting to thoughts of Felix and Choir and all the good times I've had at school thus far. Everything will be different after the events of today. I am, no doubt, still deep in shock from hearing Felix tell me that he loves me. Still waiting to wake up at home, clinging to my favorite plush, unfazed and unwounded.

I smile, nodding to myself, "How wonderful it is that these terrible wounds are unreal," I murmur, "the battle in my first period a mere dream. Yes, and now I will truly awaken and..." I pause, realizing what else I would be losing if this were simply a dream.

Almost involuntarily I begin to cry, tears pouring mutely from the corners of my eyes. If this all is a dream Felix will not be my lover.

I am shaken by the thought. Losing him now, after being let down so many times before would be a deathly blow to my heart and my pride.

This has to be reality, nothing more, nothing less.

I jump, hurriedly wiping the tears from my face as the door opens and a feline nurse enters the room, tottering over to me and smiling wide. She is an orange tabby and her face is pudgy, grotesquely pudgy. Set in the hideous folds are two pale grey eyes, or at least I think they are grey. It is hard to tell because they are obstructed by an astoundingly hideous pair of floral print glasses.

"Hello," she squeaks in a high pitched voice, pausing and looking at her clipboard, "Sheath, my name is Paddy. I'm going to be your nurse for the duration of your stay."

I blink, looking the orange tabby up and down. Her face isn't the only pudgy thing about her. Her body is bulbous, rounded like a tomato. No, like a watermelon! She is walking in a funny way too.

I look down scrutinizing the lover half of her body. I am confounded by what I see there. The upper half of her body and the lower do not match. Everything from the head to the waist is disfigured by layers and layers of fat, but her legs are tiny!

"Hello," she mews, looking at her clipboard again, "you aren't a psyche patient are you?"

Her words are not heard. I am too busy trying to comprehend how it is that those two minuscule appendages are supporting her obnoxiously large body. Contemplating this conundrum, I am finding it hard to speak.

"Hello?" she hisses.

I look up at her face, struggling to gather my thoughts.

Words Sheath, words!

I shake my head, clearing my throat, "No" I rasp, "sorry, I'm just a bit woozy from the drugs."

"So I hear that you were in a fight." she continues, giving me a malicious look.

I blink, confused "What?"

She hisses at me, her face scrunching up in the most peculiar way and I whimper, stifling a burst of laughter. Her expression is purely comical. She must be trying to bare her fangs at me, but the resulting expression is anything but hostile. She looks more like a severely oriental tigress than anything. The folds of her pudgy façade are crinkling just so, her brow contorted in just the right way. I have to avert my eyes. It is too much for me.

"Can you not focus on the conversation?" She snaps.

I shake my head, looking back at her pudgy whiskered face, "I'm sorry," I choke, dazed, "you're just so..."

"So what!?" the nurse snaps lifting her flabby arms, although you couldn't quite consider it lifting since they only rose a couple of centimeters.

I can retrain myself no longer. I begin to laugh softly, then louder, and louder.

The Chrystalian Cirque presents, the pinnacle of the orient! Paddy! The Portly Tabby!

My back is exploding with agony and I am sure I am ruining my stitches, but I cannot restrain myself. It is just too classic!

"Really?" She snarls.

"I'm sorry..." I giggle, "I really am, but..."

She glowers at me, lowering her arms, "You men are such pervs."

I blink again, snorting indignantly as I am reminded why women irritate me so much. They all have this strange way of immediately assuming that you are attracted to them just because you are a man. They never seem to realize how effeminate I am until I point out to them my preferences.

I glower back at her, my jovial mood extinguished.

"What?" she snaps, obviously at loss of control, flapping her arms uselessly on either side of her ballooning body, "it's true, is it not!? You see a female and you just go wild, the bigger the better."

My eyes widen at her persistence, she obviously got this sort of response often. I have to admit I am beginning to feel a bit sorry for her. She is truly hell-bent on convincing me, who could be no less interested, that she is not to be an object of my desires.

Oh you poor, oversized wench...

"All you men are sluts bent on manipulating the inferior woman" she yowls, her face turning pink under her orange fur, "You may think that that is the way of things, but you get this straight little wolf! I am-"

The door opens again and I am almost disappointed as, interrupted by a silent cough, she cuts off her scathing assault.

I turn to see Felix standing in the doorway and he smiles back at me sheepishly. Oh how I love his smiles. They are truly unique. Lopsided, but not the traditional lopsided, uniquely so, in such a way that it is not only cute, but edgy.

I try to keep myself from swooning as he walks over to my bedside and kisses my brow, brushing my hair out of my face. All the while, Paddy glares at him, her face alight with an almost bottomless rage.

"Hey Sheathy," he Felix purrs, his focus all on me.

I murr softly nuzzling his hand.

Lo! He be Dazzling! Oh! Isn't he Handsome! Yes! He is Wonderful! I smile to myself as I recite in my mind the words of a poem I wrote several years ago, Behold! The paragon of paragons! The king of kings! Hold me, for I swoon, blinded by his glorious charm! Dost mine eyes betray me? But Naught! It is true! The Dawn has come! It had been meant to describe the glory of the creator Solaris, but I found soon after I had finished that I had misconstrued the subject. Felix had been on my mind while I was working and I had managed to place his face in place of the unknown.

Following that train of thought I suddenly recall my dream from earlier. Helios, that is the name of the city of the Celestials, and Solaris, Solaris was said to glow with heavenly light. Light as bright and hot as the sun! And then it hits me, I had a dream that Solaris, the creator of our universe, was my father!

I begin to laugh again, filled with mirth by the idea that I somehow had envisioned myself being of such importance.

Felix looks concerned for a moment, but he visibly dismisses his worries.

That's right, blame it on the painkillers.

I smile at him brightly, "What took you so long?"

He grins again and lifts his shirt revealing his torso, now wrapped in bandages. "I couldn't leave you with anything to worry about so I went and got myself fixed up while you were sleeping." He says.

"That's a good kitty." I murr.

He laughs and winces, "Yeah, but I felt kind of stupid trying to explain how I broke six ribs falling down the stairs at school."

I giggle, "The doctors probably think you've finally lost your mind."

He shakes his head, rolling his eyes, "I wouldn't put it past them, as many times as I've been here with Rugby concussions."

"What can they say about it?" I reply in a singsong voice, "You just like to cuddle, that's all."

He rewards this comment with another charming grin, and I am dazzled!

This is so nice! Talking to him feels so natural!

Undoubtedly, our years of friendship had set the perfect stage for what things now are. We've always been strangely affectionate in our ways of speaking to each other. At least now we won't have to feel weird about it!

I blush as he smiles, stroking my forehead, "Leave it to you to stay on the positive side of things." He purrs.

"I'm one Pawsitive Puppy." I chide, flashing him beaming smile.

Sheath laughs again, nodding, "I guess so, I guess so." He replies heartily.

"Ahem." Mrs. Paddy growls.

I jump, startled by her interjection. I had nearly forgotten that she was here.

Felix stops laughing and turns around. When his gaze reaches paddy he freezes, his eyes widening. I'm not surprised when I see him clench his jaw, his brazen chest heaving with silent laughter.

Let the fun begin!

It takes Felix more than a few moments to compose himself, but eventually he does succeed, addressing paddy in a carefully formal tone, "Well hello there."

Paddy flicks her tail, "This is a lovely reunion and all" she snaps, "but I was having a talk with your pal before you so rudely interrupted me."

In response to her words, Felix gives her a severely withering look which she tries to return, to no avail. I giggle softly at the display and she glares at me. I hide my head under the sheets, laughing harder when I hear her hiss loudly. The poor lady is evidently quite irritated by my cheerful display. Not any surprise to me of course!

"He seems to be very immature." She smolders, clearly referencing to my present antics.

"Well Maam," Felix chokes, his voice shaken by hilarity exceeding my own, "I can't exactly say it's his fault."

I peek out from under the sheets to see Paddy shivering with rage and Felix bowed over in front of her, jerking with silent laughter.

I'm not surprised when she slaps him on the side of his face, hard.

Uh oh... Bad idea Mrs. Paddy...

Felix stops laughing and stands up straight, giving her a cross look.

"Now that wasn't nice at all." He says icily.

"You and your disgusting friend need to stop!" Paddy yowls, flailing her useless arms again, "This is blasphemy! Treason! Wickedness!"

"What are you talking about?" Felix retorts, struggling to keep his voice level.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Paddy sputters venomously. The poor lady is now besieged with rage, her entire body is trembling, quaking and, I daresay, rippling from the emotion.

Felix smirks, shaking his head as he realizes what she is insisting.

Paddy's chubby face turns bright tomato red. "Stop your smiling kit face!" she sputters, "Stop it right now!"

Felix stops shaking his head, leveling his stare, "Listen lady." He murmurs gently.

"Boy, I don't know what you intend to do, looking at me like that." Paddy crackles, the fur on her arms rippling.

"Now Mrs. Paddy," Felix reads from the nametag on her voluminous breast in a tonal voice, "Listen to me carefully."

The pompous she cat scowls at him, beyond reply.

"Sheath is not looking at you how you think he's looking at you maam." He continues, "He actually can't look at you like that when he looks at you."

I grin, this wouldn't be the first time Felix had to explain my attitude towards women to someone.

"You see," he says, "he doesn't feel anything when he looks at you. He can't be excited by you like that. He doesn't have those type of feelings."

Mrs. Paddy growls, "What are you trying to say tom-tom?"

"Mrs., Sheath is special, the only thing that excites him is me. He really likes me you see."

This part is new. He had never acknowledged my affection for him in any of his explanations before today.

I find myself smiling even wider, my mischievous grin turning into a self-indulgent beam.

"And?" Paddy prods, glaring at me.

I hide again, suppressing a chortle.

"Sheath isn't your ordinary wolf guy." Felix says, audibly mulling the new words over as he speaks, "He's really special."

I peek out from under the sheets again just in time to see him smile at me and wink. I wink back, loving his dramatics. In response he blows me a kiss, much to Paddy's Chagrin.

With a self-satisfied chortle I burrow into the sheets. Hiding myself away before she can fling me another indignant look.

"Get to the point already." She snaps. It is evident by the sound of her voice that she is trying to ignore our repeated displays of amusement.

"Mrs. Paddy," Felix addresses her with an air of finality, "Sheath is gay."

Now this I cannot miss!

Eager to see her response to his words, I peek out of the sheets again. Paddy is trembling, her face emblazoned with an expression that could be described as nothing less than that of constipation.

The she cat opens her mouth to make a scathing reply and chokes on her words. It takes her several moments to compose herself and several more to regain a more placid countenance.

"What did you say?" she finally squeaks.

"Sheath likes men maam." Felix replies.

She blinks and turns to me, a dawning look in her eyes "Is this true?"

I nod in my warm cave under the sheets, smiling at her sweetly.

She nods back, her expression changing.

"Hmm..." She murmurs, taking everything in.

Me and Felix exchange a smile as she sits down on my bed, still nodding. The bed protests loudly, creaking and bellowing in distress.

"You seem like a fine young man." She says, turning her craggy face to me, "Why would you be getting in fights anyways?"

"Well," I start, trying to compile a believable story.

What can I say? What will she believe?

"Mrs. Paddy, Sheath and I are together." Felix says, speaking up before I have a chance to think of anything legitimate.

I glare at him vengefully, infuriated that he would have the temerity to take my moment of glory away from me. It isn't often that I get the chance to compile a lie, nor do I often have the desire to do so.

He shrugs and I shake my head, admitting him to go on. It's probably for the best. Given my history for creating the most unbelievably obvious lies in the known universe it is incredibly likely that I would have said something profoundly stupid.

Yes,_I think to myself, _we will be much better off if I don't royally fuck up the situation.

Felix clears his throat and continues theatrically, "We were walking down the hall you see, and then this dumb mutt called me a fag."

Mrs. Paddy growls, "How rude of him to make such a brash and derogatory comment!"

Felix nods, going on. "I was going to have at him myself, but Sheath jumped at him before I could react. He was angry that someone would insult his mate you see."

Mrs. Paddy nods, well engaged in his account.

Felix smiles, taking on a more dramatic tone, "He was winning at first you see, but suddenly the mutt was on top of him and..." he looks at me, his eyes gliding down my body and stopping at the crook of my thigh, "and he hit sheath in his spot."

"You mean his groin right." Paddy intones excitedly.

"Um no..." Felix replies, "Actually there's this spot right in the crook of his left leg you see."

My eyes bulge as I realize what he is alluding to and I growl, my fur bristling.

"When we're in bed together I touch him there and it..."

Paddy stops him, obviously having heard enough to understand, "yes, I see."

I groan, hiding under the sheets again.

Leave it to Felix to make up the most embarrassingly truthful lie possible!

Obviously, the two of us haven't had sex yet, him having only just exhumed himself from the closet, but I just happen to be incredibly sensitive in the area he had just described.

I wonder if anyone told him or if he just made it up? We will have to talk about this later!

I narrow my eyes at him as goes on speedily "Yeah, so because of that Sheath was, uh, distracted, the mutt started tearing at his back because Sheath had clawed at his pretty face."

"Well okay then," Mrs. Paddy replies, moving so that she eclipses the lamp on the nightstand, leaving me in complete darkness, "so what happened to the mutt, was he punished?"

"You could say that." Felix murmurs with a shrug.

"Well I hope you taught him a lesson he won't soon forget." Paddy says, assuming a properly venomous expression for the first time since her arrival.

"I did maam," Felix says with a chuckle, "I did."

Paddy nods, "Well I was just checking in, and I've already stayed far too long. If you two ever need anything just press the red button, and Felix, if you can help it don't go trying to touch sheath in his spot I don't think that would do any good in helping him get better."

Felix nods with a devilish smile, "I can't promise you that maam."

She bursts out laughing, her body jiggling mesmerizingly, "Well if you do get down to anything try not to be too rough."

"I guess I can promise that." Felix chides as she leaves, the door shutting silently behind her, "or not." He coughs when he is sure she is safely out of range.

I roll my eyes at him, wondering how I had managed to fall in love with such a goofball...

_ _