[Companions Chapters 43-49]

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WARNING! The following text contains explicit adult subject matter. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, then you must stop reading now. The author has taken steps to ensure that this story does not appear in any subject-inappropriate or age-inappropriate forum. This version has been posted with the author's permission to SoFurry.com.

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* _COMPANIONS_

* by Evoquus

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* (c) Copyright 2019, Evoquus, All rights reserved.

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* Feedback is appreciated: evoquus@yahoo.com

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Rating: NC-17 for explicit consensual sex: M/M, M/F, Human-Stallion-Mare-Anthro, Transformation, Tentacles, Pregnancy

Posted to SoFurry

Character recap:

Rovaun is a chestnut Hipponaur stallion, which is just like a regular stallion except for a few enhancements, such as sentience, intelligence, telepathy, precognition, immortality, and a really big dick.

His companion, to whom he is married, is a virtual gay young man named Daniel Racher, whose soul and identity reside in a black Hipponaur mare named Pandora (previously Zhorelle). Being saturated by estrogen and Zhorelle's hateful memories of Rovaun can sometimes make Danny a little bitchy.

Pandora is pregnant with Tattoo, an Anthraun (Human/Hipponaur cross) that Daniel is both the Human sire and Hipponaur dam. She is also pregnant with another Anthraun named Steed, who was the product of her highly sexual virtual female Anthraun persona, also named Pandora, and an Anthraun from outer space named Thaddeus.

Rovaun's girlfriend, Shianna, is a white Hipponaur mare who is carrying an Anthraun named Tantau, whose biological parents are Rovaun and Daniel.

Jeremiah is Parceph's virtual human companion who, like Daniel, is living inside a Hipponaur stallion named Fat Fuck, who in a previous life was Rovaun's delinquent son Bouceph.

Azgard is a large Clydesdale stallion whose companion is an actual (non-virtual) man named Fred, who is a struggling veterinarian who also struggles with size issues.

Parceph is a stallion that has recently become a Sentinel, which is a being that enables travel between parallel worlds. Parceph links this world with Bizarro World where Rovaun is dead and Bouceph is alive. Bizarro Danny is married to an Anthraun from Las Vegas named Josh, who was born with Rovaun's soul. The two of them are quite happy and boring, so this story is not about them... or is it?

Chapter 43. Modern Family

>>> _COMPANIONS_ is filmed before a live studio audience. <<<

[Fade in to typical family living room. Enter Rovaun. Hold for applause.]

Bojack [Standing by front door]: "What are YOU doing here?"

Rovaun: "I live here. This is my home. Please leave."

[(Door bell) Bojack answers. Enter Shianna. Hold for applause.]

Bojack: "What are YOU..."

Shianna: "Shut it!"

[Bojack shuts door.]

Shianna: [Walking over to Rovaun] "Cheers, Family Guy. How's Married With Children?"

Rovaun: "Mostly Happy Days and Good Times, but sometimes we're Perfect Strangers."

Shianna: "Oh, Hon, Family Matters shouldn't always be kept All in the Family."

[Enter teen heartthrobs Tattoo and Tantau wearing school backpacks. Hold for teen screams.]

Rovaun [cheerfully]: "Well, if it isn't My Three Sons."

Tattoo [looking around]: "It isn't. One of us is missing."

[Laughter]

Rovaun: "It's the first day of high school, kids. You don't want to be late."

Tattoo: "Tell that to Steed."

Shianna: "Be nice to your little brother. He's just going through some Growing Pains."

Tantau: "More like Arrested Development."

[Enter Pandora at top of stairs, whose abdomen resembles an 8-foot black weather balloon. She navigates the first step then rolls down the stairs landing in a heap.]

Bojack: "Now THAT's an entrance."

Rovaun: "Good morning, Companion."

Pandora: "Is breakfast ready? Steed's been growling for over an hour."

[Cue rumbling thunder from Pandora's enormous quaking womb.]

[(Door bell) Bojack answers. Enter Fat Fuck.]

Bojack: "What are YOU doing here?"

Fat Fuck: "Ah'm d'liverin' this pew-trid hogslop, ya fookin' twat."

Pandora [excited]: "Ooh! Octopus calzone in cephalopod chum sauce!" [Steed rumbles violently.]

Fat Fuck: 'Ere's yer rrevoltin' brreakfast, ya billowin' cow. Makes a crrock o' haggis look like creme brulee.

[Fat Fuck tosses it on the floor. Pandora sloppily wolfs it down. Shianna gags. Rovaun smiles and sighs at his so-called life.]

Steed [rumbling like an ogre]: "MMMMOOOORRRREEEE!!"

Fat Fuck: "Ah got more, ya grreat whale. 'Ere ya go!"

[Fat Fuck dumps a dozen calzones on Pandora who continues to grunt and gorge. Shianna cringes pitifully at Rovaun.]

Pandora [dribbling chum]: "It's raining octopus calzones, Husband. I'm in Heaven!"

Rovaun [whispering to Shianna]: "I'm in Hell."

[Cut to commercial]

Man: Are your ducts unsightly?...

"My ducts are just peachy, thank you" groaned the black mare, waking from the darkly comedic depths of her nightly anxiety revue. Thankful that her abundant womb had not yet achieved the bulbous proportions of a Friesian-sized Black Widow, she could still do without the recurring reminders that something wasn't quite normal about one of her sons.

By present day standards, none of her sons could be considered normal, because no bipedal equine had yet escaped an animator's two-dimensional drawing board. Whereas the average daily number of three-dimensional mares with human DNA swimming up their fallopian tubes probably rated a thousand times higher than the Department of Agriculture would like to admit, no human-horse hybrids had ever been produced, and that was for good reason: None of those mares were unbonded Hipponaurs, because there were no such things as unbonded Hipponaurs, until one man changed all that.

The world was scheduled in a few days to debut three such hybrid Anthrauns, whose conceptions were far less normal than that of any human, including those involving turkey basters and condoms recovered from septic tanks.

Tantau's odd conception required three participants; Tattoo's went from two to one; but Steed's conception was so anti-normal as to call into question the concept of conception. Pandora created life via entirely virtual pantomimed sex with an off-worlder. Now it was growing vigorously in her non-virtual womb next to Tattoo, who was conceived by far more conventional means: Death by Snu-Snu; specifically, when a jealous mare commits attempted murder by raping a man dozens of times just to spite his lover.

That man, Daniel Racher, now sat firmly in the cockpit of said spiteful mare, taking very seriously his parental obligations as both biological father and mother to Tattoo. His biological relation to Steed was up for debate, but not the fact that Steed had been sharing a womb with Tattoo for nine months, which made Daniel his obligatory mother as well, regardless of anybody's DNA.

The merits of bearing, birthing, and bringing up babies generally needed no justification, but the significant social pressures Daniel faced put him squarely in the spotlight of Hipponaur's future ancestry. Giving birth to the world's first Anthrauns certainly merited a Who's Who mention, but doing so in the body of the mare voted "Most Maleficent Mother" could be considered bad karma if not bad taste. Also, because Daniel was, in essence, a man, he had a lot more to prove than other mares. Mucking this up would shame not only Rovaun, but also half the human race born with a Y-chromosome between their legs.

His strategy for success was to dress for success and forego his virtual manliness to exist entirely as a Hipponaur mare during his kids' third trimester. This, he argued, was for the benefit of his telepathic progeny who would otherwise be spared the chagrin of waking up inside a four-legged zombie while the virtual man was away doing something queer. Rovaun was okay with acting straight for a while, and Shianna actually preferred Daniel as a mare, quite enraptured by her feminine mystique which instantly evaporated whenever she turned into a guy. But for Daniel this decision was easy, simply because it required far less psychic payload for a virtual man to not exist as one. Being a mare with twins was mentally taxing enough, let alone figuring out how to provide his kids their daily regimen of Lucky Charms and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

His husband, Rovaun, was quite happy with his marriage, delighted that his sex life was spiced with so much homo-hetero-interspecies variety that involved a single spouse. Human psychiatrists, no doubt, would take far more seriously a clinical diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder in Daniel, but since he was a Hipponaur now, they could all eat dicks. Besides, his three sexual personas, XY, XX, and XXX, more resembled costumes than they did distinctly separate identities. Just like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe puppets, the same guy did all their voices.

Most of Daniel's dreams could be taken with a few grains or pillars of salt, since they rarely predicted anything more than a random topic of discussion during breakfast. Now as daybreak approached, Daniel as Pandora was concerned not so much about her unsightly ducts as she was about facing a trio of troublesome truths: One, she was not going to get another hour of sleep to quell her brewing headache. Two, she was not nearly as pregnant as she was supposed to be. And three, she was about to be reminded once again of her son's abnormality.

"Tattoo, brace for impact."

"Ready, Mommy."

Pandora took a deep breath and commanded, "Steed, come home now.'

[WHAM]

"Ooph!"

"Ow," complained Tattoo. "Stay on your own side!"

"Sorry."

"Steed, please try to be more careful upon re-entry," wheezed Pandora, recovering from the womb wallop she could never quite prepare for.

"I'll try."

"How is Astromom?"

"Fine."

The cosmic commuting commotion stirred a stagnant stalwart stallion. "Good morning, Companion," stretched Rovaun.

"Good morning, Husband," kissed Pandora, stifling her hideous morning breath. "My dreams don't have to come true, right?"

"Not if you don't want them to."

"Good, because my subconscious doesn't think I'm ever going to birth Steed."

"I am sure that your human subconscious has a lot on his mind... Um... Companion, what is that effluvium wafting from your mouth?"

"Octopus calzone."

"I see," he sighed. "It is imperative that your dreams must never come true."

Pandora munched some peppermint leaves while Rovaun greeted his prenatal family. "Good morning, Tattoo," he nickered to his stepson.

"Mornin', Pops," was the large fetus's reply, which had evolved from single to multi-syllabic responses including contractions and slang.

"And good morning, Steed," he said to his adopted stepson, though to Pandora it sounded more like, "Hellooooo, Newman!"

"Mornin', Pops," replied the younger sibling.

"Don't copy me!"

"Now Tattoo, remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Tattoo considered that for a moment, then told Steed, "Don't flatter me!"

Steed replied with a loud fart that got them both giggling. Flatulence for the win.

"They are... remarkable," smiled Pandora, feeling her dream becoming less relevant.

"Indeed," proudly proclaimed her mate. "Bouceph was not nearly as articulate at this stage. I had feared him to be mentally unsophisticated, but it turned out that his emotional development had been stunted by Zhorelle, whose sole engagement with him was to tell him to shut up."

"I appreciate Astromom looking after Steed while I sleep," sighed Pandora, "but lately he's been coming and going all night. I can only doze a few minutes before he pummels an internal organ."

The only assistance Rovaun could offer was to attentively audit her venting.

"I'm tired, my head's killing me, and for the life of me, whining about it to you doesn't seem to help. They'd better pop out soon, so I can finally get some rest."

"I have bad news for you, Companion."

Pandora suspended her grousing to recall a memory from before Daniel was born: a boisterous colt named Bouceph who was three times as annoying outside her uterus than in. Rovaun had played no role in the raising of his son, which was typical of Hipponaur society that encouraged bonded couples to remain bonded but not couples. Pandora conceded that Zhorelle's version of past events might be as slanted as a one-legged stallion, but that didn't stop the exhausted mare from starting to cry. And then along came the perfect pair to perk her up, not.

"Oh no! Hide me! Please, Husband, if you love me, hide me!"

"Hide you!? Companion, you are wider than I am!"

Shianna and Malaya appeared just as Rovaun turned sideways to block his mate from view, which he utterly failed to do.

"Feeling blue, Pandora?" pouted Shianna.

Pandora was too weary to maintain a pleasant smile, for misery only loved company that was much more miserable.

"Don't worry," declared the buoyant white mare. "It's perfectly normal."

Shianna was a mare of many colors, all of them white - white hot, white knuckler, white power, white trash, her current color being white lie. Photons bouncing off her coat dared not refract.

"It's just prenatal depression," she dismissed. "It'll pass."

"Oh, thank goodness it has a clinical diagnosis," grumbled Pandora.

"You'll get over it once they're born. I can't wait for the weekend!" she whitely sparkled.

"I sure hope you're right."

"I am. If I hadn't dreamed it, I'd call it a one-in-a-million chance of happening, but I showed my dream to Grampa Varyl and he agrees. It's going to be a race to the finish between Tantau and Tattoo to see who comes out first."

"Maybe Steed comes out first," posed Pandora.

Shianna paused to replay the prophetic dream. "Mmmm, I don't know."

"You can't tell?"

Shianna shrugged, "The dream isn't about him."

Malaya nosed into Pandora's belly. "Hello Tattoo. Hello Steed."

"YAY! HI MALAYA!" boomed the twins, squirming excitedly inside Pandora's box.

"AHHGGHH! Husband, please help!!"

"Settle down, children," he commanded, with calm, paternal conviction. His was the voice of God, and his flock reverently obeyed. But the break was short-lived, for Shianna would not be denied her daily dose of Romper Room. She placed her womb next to Pandora's to establish a buzzing Anthraun link that baffled Navajo code talkers. Pandora tolerated it mainly because it did not cause physical discomfort, but it WAS keeping her awake, and soon she had had enough.

"Husband, my dearest lifesaver, I REALLY need just another thirty minutes of uninterrupted sleep. Do you think you could possibly help make that happen?"

Rovaun nodded and gently parted the mares. "She didn't get much sleep last night. Let's give her a break."

"No problem," said Shianna, as she and her shadow sauntered off to the morning pasture to continue their delightful day.

"What did you say to Tattoo?" asked Malaya to her future boyfriend.

"I told him I want to climb a tree on my birthday," translated Tantau.

"And what did he say?"

"He said he's two days older than me, so he'll beat me to the top."

"He may be older, but you're smarter," encouraged Shianna. "You'll find a short cut."

"Yay!" cheered Tantau, kicking her in the liver.

She oophed uncomfortably but laughed it off, so he kicked her again. "Okay, that's enough of that for now, little guy." He kicked her once more, just to make sure it wasn't funny anymore.

"Stop!"

"OK."

"And what did Steed say to you?" redirected Malaya.

"Buzzzzz."

Rovaun escorted his mate to a secluded spot under a large oak where she could return to the morning's agenda of passing out, but the agenda had changed because she had something new to fret about: Steed was not in Shianna's dream. How could it be that Tattoo would be born but not Steed? Surely he would have made a cameo appearance. Yet this didn't bother Shianna at all. Now Pandora's guts began to colic. It seemed that no one else really cared about her half-virtual son. She surmised their indifference to be passive-aggressive disdain for the union that created him, but she couldn't really blame them. She harbored her own contempt for Steed's biological father, whose absence during his young son's entire life was inexcusable.

Tantau and Tattoo were beloved by all, so she wasn't worried about them. It would take a clique to raise all three of her sons, but if Steed were shunned, she'd be devastated. She found herself in dire need of some ancient Oracle she could consult regarding her young son's fate. Good thing she was married to one.

"Husband, have you ever seen Steed in your dreams?"

"No, Companion."

"Not even once??"

"No," he empathized. "But do not draw conclusions from that. Most events in my life were never foretold in my dreams, and I consider that a blessing. Knowing the ending to every movie would be rather dull, don't you think?"

"But he's our son! Doesn't that seem just a little disturbing to you?"

"Not in the least. I have not dreamed of Tattoo or Tantau, either."

Pandora gasped. This revelation was inconceivable. "You keep telling me that we have a long happy life together. How could you not dream of our kids!?"

Rovaun chuckled and nuzzled her neck. "Because, my love, the only thing I EVER dream about is having sex with you. I don't have sex with our kids."

Pandora's jaw flopped to the ground like a landed trout.

"I'm very fond of my dreams," he twinkled, then changed his tone to emphasize the seriousness of his next admission.

"Companion... I was planning to save this for our anniversary but now that the subject has come up, the timing seems right. I wrote you a love poem."

Eventually locating her jaw she managed to utter, "You did?"

Composing himself, the stallion gazed into her eyes and recited:

"I love sex,

And I love you.

Putting both together,

Makes a dream come true."

Awkwardly speechless and inwardly aghast at the very non-timeliness of this exchange, her jaw spluttered, "That's... that's beautiful, Husband. It's both literal and metaphoric."

He nodded that she noticed the nuance, and abashedly accepted the compliment. "I know it isn't Keats, but he's dead."

"That's right, Husband. It won't be Keats that I'll be making love to tonight."

His penis whinnied.

She smiled warmly at her clueless mate who despite being telepathic, was completely incabable of reading her most blatant feelings, thoughts, and fears that she kept hidden deep inside. Also, it utterly infuriated her to have to smile and pretend that Steed's plight was not everyone's top concern.

Her husband's priorities were sorely misplaced, but then so were all of Hipponaur's, which was why they had never subjugated Earth. Each had the ability to foresee the future, but this world-conquering talent was wasted on equines, who shrugged it off like winter coat shed. Rovaun could easily predict the next Super Lotto numbers, provided they squirted from his Powerballs. Unfortunately, Steed was going to squirt out of Pandora, not Rovaun, so he wasn't going to be any help. She was on her own to seek the answers to why Shianna's dream lacked an Anthraun that should have been in it. As it was her wont to put together a puzzle using all the wrong pieces, she found one.

"What if I'm not the one who gives birth to Steed?" she gasped out of the blue. "What if Astromom births him!"

Rovaun suppressed his disappointment that the conversation had veered off of Romance Road and back onto Clutch Pearls Promenade. He sat up to consider the notion, but then downplayed all the timeline branches that a baby Sentinel could sprout. "I am sure he would return to us like he always does."

"I'm not so sure, Husband. He can travel between our wombs because she and I have the same soul. But once he's born, he won't be able to return to my womb. It might take years for him to find a way back."

The stallion impotently sighed, regretting his decision to drop out of Sentinel University to pursue his dream of not knowing anything about Sentinels.

"I don't think we should let him visit her anymore," declared Pandora, "at least not until he's born."

"It is your call, Companion," he nodded, because it sure wasn't his.

Pandora was steadfast. "That's it, then. We're grounding him... Steed, Pops has something important to say to you."

Pops scowled.

"What," she shrugged. "He listens to you."

"Steed," commanded Rovaun getting it over with, "it is very important that you stay with Mommy from now on. It is not safe for you to visit Astromom. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Pops."

"See?" she smiled innocently. "That wasn't so hard."

He glared at her a little longer, then kissed her to remind her that none of the molecular matter he was composed of could hold a grudge. "Get some sleep, Companion. I'll see to it that you are not disturbed."

"I love you," she purred.

Rovaun nickered a "ditto" then instructed the young Anthrauns to be quiet and still, to which they agreed without protest. Becalming his charges with his presence, he laid his head lightly on the mare's abdomen. Her peaceful rhythmic breathing lulled him into a light doze as well, and he found himself falling deeper and deeper into his placid pillow. A bit too deep.

"Pops?"

[WHAM]

The mare's womb kicked him so hard that he nearly flipped over.

"WHAT THE FUCK!!" screamed Pandora.

The stallion winced and rubbed his head. "I believe I feel your pain, Companion,"

"I think you need another talk with your son!" she screeched.

"Steed, I told you to stay put. Why did you go visit Astromom again?"

The young Anthraun had no response for God.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Then I ask you again, why did you go visit Astromom when I explicitly told you not to?"

[crickets]

"Answer your father!" demanded Pandora, then sighed more out of maternal concern than annoyance. "Why doesn't he answer?"

Rovaun huffed in frustration. "Either he doesn't know, or is afraid to answer. Or has been instructed not to answer." Or he couldn't answer.

"But if he truly doesn't know, then he'd just say so... Wouldn't he?... Why wouldn't he?"

"He would," vexed Rovaun. "Which means he's being manipulated."

"You think I'M doing this??"

"Of course not, Companion."

"Then who do you think is manipulating him??"

Without thinking, he blurted out a peeve exactly as old as Steed, "The same person who manipulated his mother."

Pandora shut down. She HAD been manipulated in the worst way, and she had felt nothing but guilt about it.

"I didn't mean that, Companion. I apologize," he said, finally getting it off his chest and now feeling more jackass than Hipponaur.

"For what, being right?" she sniped.

"No of course not."

"Then I see nothing for you to apologize for."

"... Okay."

"I haven't seen him since he left!"

"I never meant to suggest that you had."

"That's the TRUTH!"

"I believe you, Companion, can we please get back to the subject of Steed."

"YOU'RE the one who recklessly swerved the subject right into HIM!"

"Companion..."

"DO YOU THINK THIS DOESN'T PLAGUE ME EVERY DAY!??"

"Danny, please help me!" begged Rovaun.

Pandora loudly gasped and gawped at her husband as if he had just called her a wretched festering cunt. Then her expression softened to docility as a human emerged to kneel down and hug the love of his life. The virtual man with a male point of view had no trouble seeing Rovaun's perspective, which had been perfectly loving, reasonable, and respectful the entire time.

"God damn, she's a wretched festering cunt," sneered Daniel.

"Not often, Companion, but thank you for rescuing me."

Daniel kissed him. "Just flash the bat signal. I gotcha covered." He got up to merge back. "I'm fully recalibrated. Let's get back to Steed."

"Companion, could you remain for a few moments while your thought processes are not clouded by wretched festering emotions?"

Daniel returned to snuggle into his big warm lover's embrace. "Not the wretched ones, anyway."

Rovaun sighed nervously. "It pains me to even suggest this, and I have been wondering about it for quite some time, but... I believe that there might be another explanation for Steed's disappearances while you sleep. Do you think there is the slightest possibility..."

"...That Steed doesn't actually go anywhere," rescued Daniel again.

Rovaun held his breath while they stared at each other, then Daniel showed him mercy by continuing. "That he's a purely virtual projection of mine that is no more alive than a virtual shovel or ice chest full of beer."

"Yes," whinnied Rovaun, so relieved to still have four limbs attached.

Daniel understood his husband's reluctance to have this conversation with Pandora, for he shared the same doubt. If Rovaun had broached the subject with the mare, then she would have cursed him for validating her own wretched neuroses which would have festered beyond, and possibly caused, the next planetary extinction. As with most of mankind, Daniel wished that women could be more like men by discussing problems openly, honestly and logically to reach meaningful solutions, rather than making men navigate PMSed minefields of bleeding wherevers and hen-pecked impracticalities. He also wished their clitorises were a lot bigger.

"Every day, Husband," Daniel confessed, which Pandora could never do. "Every day I consider the unbelievable miracle that is Steed. Occam's razor suggests that he's probably just an elaborate subconscious figment. That's certainly the simplest explanation, but I bet Occam wasn't nine months pregnant when he suggested it."

The virtual man glanced at the feral mare they referred to as "Nanny" when he wasn't occupying her as Pandora. Perceiving he was thinking of her, she returned his glance with an equine sentience. She had learned to take care of herself, the kids, and Shianna's carnal needs without requiring his soul to micromanage everything. Daniel believed that Hipponaurs were living gods, his own existence being undeniable proof of concept. There was nothing that these divine equines were incapable of, including virtual conception. Take that, Occam.

Daniel kissed his mate. "Was that real, or did you just imagine it?"

"It certainly felt real, Companion," he nickered affectionately.

"It felt real to me too, yet that kiss came from a purely virtual projection. Steed is only half virtual. That means when he kisses you good night, it will feel twice as real."

"I see your point, Companion." The stallion wrapped his legs around his favorite man and squeezed him tight. "This is real to me," he nuzzled contentedly. "As real as it needs to be."

Daniel hugged his big equine plushie, allowing himself to fully enjoy the tender moment. Nanny nickered lightly as well. Becoming comfortably somnolent, he mumbled, "Did we resolve the Steed problem?"

"No."

"Dang it," he sighed, sitting up again to think. "Well, obviously Steed and Astromom enjoy each other's company as much as we do. I guess simply declaring him grounded isn't going to be enough."

"Companion, we don't really know anything about Astromom except that she isn't Bizarro Danny. All we do know is that Steed visits her when you allow him to, and he returns when you call him back."

"We know more than that," countered Daniel. "We know that she is me in a parallel world, and that we both care about him. She knows who and what he is and would never hurt him or allow anyone else to hurt him."

"Point of fact, Companion, we do not know that. We only presume it because Steed has cryptically suggested as such. In any case, if she cares for him so much, don't you fear that she might want to keep him?"

Daniel frowned to consider his situation if he switched places with Astromom, then ultimately shook his head. "No way. I wouldn't do that to my other self. Just like I wouldn't do that to Bizarro Danny. And if I did, then I'd be risking never seeing him again. We both know that I'm his mother."

"But what if," said Rovaun gravely, "Astromom is being manipulated?"

Daniel instinctively shook his head again, then stared emotionlessly at the ground as he reconsidered the premise. Abruptly he gasped from halted respiration, then slowly turned to his husband wearing an expression that emptied the stallion's bladder. With eyebrows towering over Joan Crawford's, he rose up and uttered icily, "Excuse me, Husband. I think this calls for something wretchedly festering."

Daniel merged back into the mare, encouraging Rovaun to roll out of the way to give her the space she needed to brutally murder some earthworms.

"FUCK! FUCK! GOD! DAMN! FUCK! COCK! FUCK! MUTHER! CUNT! ASSHOLE! SUCKING! SHIT! FUCKING! ASSHOLE!"

"Easy, Companion. You'll give your headache a migraine."

"LYING! SHITTY! FUCKING! BASTARD! ... I can't believe it!" she snorted and stomped. "All this time! That god damn FUCKER!"

Pandora paused her assault on the planet's biome to gently seethe. "You're right about Steed's manipulation. That fucker IS manipulating him. And he's fucking manipulated ME again, too! Both me and her! - Hell, ALL of us!!... Ohhh-hho, he's going to get what's coming to him!"

"I assume we are talking about 'He who must not be named otherwise I always regret it'."

"Yes," she snarled, stomping a square puzzle piece into a round rabbit hole. "All this time I've been so pissed that he never visited his son. Well, guess what! He's got his son visiting HIM every fucking night!"

"That conclusion is a bit of a leap, Companion."

"We shall know soon enough, Husband... Steed, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Who the FUCK is with Astromom when you visit her!?"

[Unintelligible whimpering]

Pandora sighed and calmed down. "I'm sorry, Steed. I'm not mad at you, but I need you to tell me who is with Astromom when you visit her."

"My real daddy."

"Thank you, son. And do you remember [that fucking cunt's] his name?"

"Thaddeus."

Pandora growled and closed her eyes while deciding between a baseball bat, mace, or flame thrower. Rovaun re-examined his future as Dimwitted Dr. Watson married to Slutty Sherlock Holmes.

She paced a new trench while filling in the blanks with a paint sprayer. "Why did Steed only visit Astromom? Why not Bizarro Danny, who's right next door? Why not visit at least a dozen other possible versions of me? Because we're dealing with only one version of Thad, and he's with HER! He's probably got her thinking that I'm the one robbing HER cradle. God, I'm such an idiot!"

"But why, Companion? Why go to such lengths to surreptitiously see his son? We were all good friends before he left."

"That's a fair question, Husband. Let's see... What does Thad excel at: mind-fucking. What's his vocation: larceny. What's his livelihood: finding escape routes. And what do Sentinels do: teleport and co-opt spatial ulcers. I think Thad is stoning more than one bird when Steed drops by, and he's doing it there because he can't do it here!"

Pandora shook her head and sighed, "All this time I thought he was just being a typical shitty absentee father for not ever visiting his son. Turns out you can scratch typical and absentee."

"Companion, if he is raising Steed unchecked, it is possible that he is grooming him for his own nefarious purposes."

"No, that's not possible, Husband. It's INDISPUTABLE! Just think how convenient it would be for a felon to have his own personal Sentinel to play with on the beach, or in a bank vault, or pretty much anywhere in the multiverse. Hell, he might even be using Steed to prospect for new ulcers." Rabbit hole, meet wormhole.

"This has to stop now, Companion."

"Damn right!" said Pandora, continuing to pace. "Steed has never disappeared when I'm awake. That must mean that my conscious grip on his soul is stronger than theirs. But I've got to be able to sleep!"

"We can sleep in shifts," offered Rovaun. "I can keep him quietly engaged while you sleep."

Pandora considered his proposal, but overruled him. "Let's use that as a backup plan. I want to try something else first." She manifested a virtual Patrick Star doll with a glass button navel. "Do you know what this is, Husband?"

"A voodoo fetish?"

"It's a nanny cam. It's going to keep an eye on Steed from now on."

"I hope you are not planning to put that in your womb."

"Nope, it goes in my brain."

"I have a bad feeling about this," he sighed.

"I created Barbie-Pandora out of thin air. A nanny cam should be a piece of cake. A tiny slice of cake that is always watching Steed, even when I'm asleep. It doesn't even have to record anything, just be aware of him. I hope that's enough."

Rovaun sighed again, "Is there any way at all that I can help?... Please?"

"Yes!" she said, pressing her lips to his. "You can love this wretched festering cunt for a millennium and a fortnight beyond the end of time."

"You make it sound so easy."

Slicing off a bit of brain that would never sleep was about as easy as expected for a living god. Pandora performed the virtual lobotomy in less than a minute, but even more impressive than that, she found something useful for Rovaun to do.

"Husband, I'm going to try to sleep for a while. If the nanny cam works, then Steed should remain the entire time. Can you monitor us?"

"I can do that, Companion," he nickered gratefully.

The mare settled down into her mate, where she dropped off almost immediately. Remaining vigilant while she snoozed, Rovaun held her close and contemplated a fundamental foundation of philosophy: What is real? Virtual Daniel felt real. He looked real. He smelled real. He had mass. Mass equaled energy. It was what made atomic bombs. But Einstein had no equation for how mass equaled reality, because reality had a point of view. There were those in the "I'll believe it when I see it" camp that only allowed themselves to be convinced of a thing's reality when presented with incontrovertible peer-reviewed evidence. Then there were others that chose for themselves what was real. They shaped their world to fit their own personal credo: "I'll see it when I believe it."

Until now, Rovaun had always presumed he was traveling on El Camino Real. Now he wasn't so sure. He believed in his companion and in his destiny, and now he wondered if it was the strength of that belief that allowed his companion to exist. Likewise, Daniel believed that Steed was real; could that alone explain Steed's existence?

Rovaun's current task was a simple one - let the soul he loved more than anything rest peacefully for a while. Yet now he considered a perilous plan that might awaken his mate, for he still harbored a doubt about one of his sons. While his companion slept and his sons remained local, should he attempt a Turing test? A bird in the hand can squawk pretty darn loud.

"Steed, can you hear me?" he whispered.

"Steed's asleep," whispered Tattoo.

Rovaun sighed and frowned, then tried a localized link with Pandora's abdomen to nudge Steed awake, turning up the gain until he connected. Pandora briefly grunted her displeasure, but then went back to sleep.

"HI DADDY!" shouted Steed, mission accomplished.

"Shhh! Let's not wake Mommy."

"Okay," he whispered.

"How are you?"

"Fine."

"Do you love Mommy?"

"Yes. And I love you. And I love Tattoo. And I love..."

"Shh shh, okay that is wonderful, Steed."

This proved nothing. It was the same conversation they always had. A Turing test required independent thought, a cognizance that neither Rovaun nor Pandora could artificially bias.

"Tattoo, can you find Mommy?"

"She's asleep."

"Okay, let's play a game," he said, trying something that his sleeping companion could not influence. "Steed, think of a number between zero and ten, and use only your fingers to show that number to Tattoo."

"OK."

"Tattoo, what is the number?"

"Four."

"Is that right, Steed?"

"Yes."

"Excellent! Now, Tattoo, you think of a different number and show it to Steed using your fingers."

"Ten," said Steed, catching on quickly.

"Is that right, Tattoo?"

"Yes."

Rovaun closed his eyes and smiled. "Thank you, both," he nickered to the two independent, thoughtful souls inhabiting his companion's womb.

"Who won?" asked Steed.

They both won - Turing test passed - autonomy confirmed. However, the answer called for Daddy diplomacy. "Mommy won."

"Aww, Mommy wasn't even playing!" protested Steed.

"Shh, son. Let's let her sleep. You can go back to sleep too."

"I don't want to go back to sleep! I just woke up! I want to keep playing!" demanded Steed.

"Okay, but play quietly. Do not wake Mommy."

Rovaun left them to play on their own as he returned his attention to shielding his mate from dastardly daytime disturbances.

"Tattoo, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Twenty-three."

For nearly two hours Crimson Prince Charming watched over Sleeping Black Beauty, daring not to awaken her with a kiss and suffer a verbal barrage of F-shaped ninja stars. The kids cooperated as well, eventually joining her in slumber after growing weary of all the finger-pointing. Nature had also chosen to give her a break, diverting all flash floods, wild fires, and stampeding wildebeest to another time and place. But most importantly, no illegal emigration occurred. When Pandora awoke, she sedately opened her eyes and gazed into those of her endearing husband.

"Sleep well?"

"I love you," she yawned and stretched.

"That would be affirmative."

She stood up and shook off two hours of accumulated oak debris, then trotted around to get her blood flowing. "WHOOO! Headache's gone. What a difference! I really needed that."

"I declare the nanny cam experiment an unequivocal success," he smiled.

"That would be affirmative, Husband. And you had doubts," she teased.

"In my defense, Companion, it seems that Occam's Razor has lost its edge."

"Agreed, Husband, but don't forget - Occam's Razor comes with its own loophole big enough for a chorus line of Azgards to tap-dance through: The simplest explanation is likely correct, but not always correct."

"And when it is not the simplest explanation, it must be the most Byzantine."

Pandora laughed and asked a question she already knew the answer to. "Steed are you still here?"

"Yes."

"I'm here too," insisted Tattoo.

"Good! The gang's all here. Let's go somewhere!"

Chapter 44. Making a Dream

Pandora continued to trot around her mate, feeling so good about being alive again. Indulging in a fierce, feral filly fit, she galloped, bucked, and kicked out at imaginary gremlins to her husband's amusement. "Damn, I feel great!"

"I am elated as you, Companion," he chuckled.

"It's still early, Husband, what fun thing should we do today?"

"Breed?"

"Nah, let's do something different - adventurous - maybe even a little dangerous! I know, let's flirt with Destiny by making a dream come true."

Rovaun sighed, "Dangerous, it is."

"Oh come on, pick a good one that hasn't come true yet. One where I'm riding naked on your back at full gallop!"

"I have plenty to choose from, but I do not see one that fits this particular moment. And you just said that you wanted to do something different. If you want to make a dream come true, it will eventually have to involve my penis. Perhaps even yours."

"That's cool, so long as we don't spend this whole beautiful day doing it. I know! What about the time where you and Nanny are side-by-side racing through the forest and I'm nakedly leaping back and forth between you?"

"That certainly qualifies as adventurous and dangerous, but you will also notice that Nanny is not pregnant in that dream, and she is in much better condition."

"Hmm, maybe we do that one in a couple months. Okay, how about when I'm riding you naked on the beach? Nanny's off camera in that one. She could be pregnant and out of shape."

"She could be, but probably isn't, since that dream takes place on your birthday which isn't today. Besides, the nearest beach is at least three days travel from here, and in your condition I seriously doubt that we could go ride on the beach and make it back here in time for Tattoo and Tantau's simultaneous births."

"Aww you're no fun."

The stallion got up and nosed his mare, "I am a LOT of fun."

"Yes you are, you SEXY BEAST!" she proudly declared to all, the rest of her day not to be spoiled. Daniel emerged and mounted his wild stallion.

"Let us make our own dream! Ride, valiant charger, tally-ho!"

Rovaun took off at full gallop with Nanny close behind. Daniel held tightly to his mane as they negotiated natural obstacles in a dense forest. The stallion leapt logs and ducked branches always mindful of his rider's clearance. This was a shared experience that was better than sex, because this single activity seemed to be the very reason that Destiny had placed humans and equines in the same place and time. It was the essence of horsemanship: man and horse as a single being, skillfully maneuvering over challenging terrain in a blessed expression of symbiotic equitation. For Rovaun carrying his companion with him, it was the best time to be alive. He had not dreamed of this moment, but he would do so from now on, for in his heart he was making the most passionate love possible.

"Husband, you are a LOT of fun! Wooooh!"

Rovaun nickered an acknowledgement, which was an uncommon thing for an equine to do at full gallop, but these memorable moments had become infrequent in their lives, and he was pleased to know that all it took to create a new one was just a few hours of rest.

"And you're right, I'm out of shape."

Rovaun slowed to a trot to allow Nanny to catch up, then they walked side-by-side while Daniel continued to virtually ride his mount. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the powerful neck, burying his face in his mane, being so in love. He was the luckiest man in every world and he knew it. It was the perfect moment to ruin.

"You know what? I'll bet Thad shows up pretty soon, now that we've foiled his nefariocity."

Daniel got up and donned a tuxedo, standing astride both of the strolling Hipponaurs beneath him, striking a pose he had seen on the internet.

Rovaun appreciated the previous precious minutes to which he had not devoted a single synaptic blip to Thaddeus. The labyrinthine hypothesis of Steed's disappearance certainly implicated him, but there had to be many more plausible explanations that did not. Rovaun's most recent memory of Thad was nine months ago, when he had saved his companion's life from an eternity in the void. That earned his rival many benefits of many doubts. Though Thad had departed on good terms, he had left without saying good-bye, and had not been heard from since. If Thad really was manipulating a version of his companion in another world, then that was Thad's business, not Rovaun's. But if, by proxy, Thad was also manipulating Steed, then by definition, he was also manipulating his own companion, and that was unacceptable.

Rovaun was not the jealous sort because he had faith in Destiny, which showed him that he and his companion would remain together forever and always, and by always, that didn't necessarily mean every second of every day. Daniel might wander, Daniel might explore, but Daniel would always come back. So Rovaun might cut Thaddeus some slack, but just enough to jerk him with, if it became necessary to remind him precisely who was married to his spouse.

Daniel wasn't really thinking about Thaddeus. It was simply a bad habit of uttering whatever thought briefly flitted in his head, regardless of appropriateness. Such as pondering aloud, while grazing in a quiet meadow, how botfly maggots in a horse's stomach look just like his favorite all-meat pizza toppings. But at this moment, Daniel was not pondering maggots. He was pondering a large, occupied spider web that was heading right for his head, and whether or not anyone else had noticed it.

Not.

"Bueh!" Daniel clawed at the web that plastered many wriggling legs to his face. Once set free, the arthropod sought refuge in the nearest crevice. Daniel spat it out and fell off his mounts. It was not how the video on the internet had ended.

"I'll be having that dream again for the rest of my life," he sighed.

"Sorry, Companion. Have you had enough adventure and danger?"

"For now," he said, standing up and merging back into Pandora. "That was still fun! We should do that more often."

"There are not enough spiders to stop us, Companion."

"I hate spiders."

Leisurely strolling back to the Hipponaur food court, the two of them reunited with Shianna and Malaya.

"I could tell from a hundred yards out that you're feeling better," chirped Shianna.

Pandora approached her favorite white mare and gently nuzzled and kissed the brand she had created in an indentation just above her left shoulder. It was the one part of Shianna's body that no longer belonged to her, but Pandora had been neglecting it.

"Uuhhh... you're feeling A LOT better," Shianna swooned, raking her teeth through the black mane of her mistress. "I've missed you."

Pandora kissed her. "I had a good nap."

"I'll say! You know, I have the perfect remedy for sleeplessness."

The mares nuzzled noses. "I enthusiastically accept your offer."

Shianna giggled and glanced at Pandora's spouse. "Oh look, Rocky approves."

Rovaun stepped behind a bush to hide his approval.

Though Shianna had accepted Nanny as her second when it came to the group's unconventional sexual arrangement, the feral mare was no match for Pandora, who made Shianna's juices spray like a summer shower. It didn't require a Delphian dream to predict that a mutual spritzing was in their near future. "We have some catching up to do," Shianna cooed.

Pandora suddenly winced in pain, for her own body had some catching up to do from the heavy morning workout.

"Are you okay?" asked Shianna.

"It's just a cramp. I should have warmed up before sprinting through the woods. It's already passing."

"When was the last time you saw the vet?"

"You mean Fred and Azgard? I see them when they're around."

"No, when was the last time he examined you?"

"Uh... never."

"WHAT?? I see him twice a week!"

"This is news to me. Did you know this, Husband?"

Rovaun shook his head. "Why have you not mentioned this?"

"Oh, Fred said something about needing confidentiality for some thesis he's writing. He's very interested in Tantau's progress. I just assumed the same thing about you."

"He doesn't seem to care at all about Tattoo or Steed," said Pandora.

"Well I'm going to make him care!" snorted the angry white mare. "Come on, we're going to see him right now!"

Steamed at Fred's perceived negligence, Shianna walked faster than most horses cantered. Trying to keep pace, Pandora cramped up again, but said nothing to make Shianna any angrier. Rovaun was equally subdued, careful not to set off the powder keg of white phosphorous leading the way. As they approached Fred's makeshift outdoor clinic, Shianna slowed to prepare a proper haranguing of the good doctor, but just as she opened her mouth to blast him with invectives, he stuck a thermometer in it.

"Shianna! Pandora! Great timing! You're just the two mares I want to see. Come on in and have a seat. I'll be right with you."

Shianna closed her mouth around the thermometer. Rovaun heaved a sigh of relief.

Fred had procured a larger tent that would accommodate Azgard and himself, as well as a modest amount of supplies and equipment. A wall-sized outer flap propped up with poles provided a shaded waiting room, complete with inoffensive office music playing in the background.

"Where are the Glamour magazines?"

"They're on order."

The vet set up a laptop on a bench for all to see while he connected a portable ultrasound wand to its USB port. "Welcome to Dr. Fred's Modern World of Equine Medicine! Come over here Azgard, let's see what's bothering you."

The gentle Clydesdale approached the bench and allowed Fred to run a goopy wand over his abdomen.

"Azgard's been having a bit of colic. I thought this would be a good opportunity to test this new equipment."

Blurry monochrome images formed on the laptop display that made no sense to anyone except a vet.

"Uh huh, uh huh... good..."

He raised the wand to Azgard's flank and focused on a winding maze of small intestines. A many-limbed creature came into view, clearly lodged in his gut. Shianna suppressed a gasp, but Pandora was unable to.

"I see what your problem is, Clyde. You don't chew your food."

"Is that," gulped the equine arachnophobe, "a tarantula?"

"I don't know. Is it?" Fred scolded his mate.

"Of course not," he snorted.

"Then do you mind telling us all exactly what it is that you ate?"

"You don't have to embarrass me like this!"

"Oh I think I do."

Azgard stared angrily at the strict schoolmarm he was mated to, entertaining second thoughts about their companionship. "Fine," he relented. "It was in that take-out box by the road yesterday. I ate it when you went off to urinate in a gopher hole."

Fred popped his eyebrows. "That moldy box of fried calamari!? That was disgusting!"

"And too delicious for words. I knew that you'd take it away from me so I swallowed it as fast as I could."

"Unbelievable," said Fred shaking his head. "You deserve to colic. That shit will kill you coming right out of the deep fryer, not to mention rotting in the sun like three-day-old road kill."

Azgard shrugged, "Some things are worth dying for."

"Maybe, but not today. The blockage isn't bad. It'll work itself through." Fred wiped the ultrasound gel off of his mate.

"That is good to hear, Dr. Companion. How much do I owe you?"

"Three dozen sloppy kisses, but not until you brush your teeth. Pandora, would you like to be next?"

She got up and took Azgard's place.

"It's about time you paid me a professional visit. I was beginning to think you were seeing another vet. Is there anything I should know about?"

Pandora glanced at Rovaun. "I'm not sure. Maybe. We're wondering about Steed."

"Because of the teleporting?"

"Yes."

"What about Tattoo?"

"Tattoo seems fine."

"Okay, let's take a look." Fred applied fresh gel to the wand and brought the contents of her uterus into full view for all to see."

"OH! MY! GOD!" screamed Fred, causing Pandora to not suppress another gasp. "They are soooo ADORABLE!!!"

Rovaun sighed again.

"Companion, come look," he waved to Azgard. "See, there's Tattoo's head, and Steed's nose is over there, and... what else do we have in here." He moved the wand excitedly around to take inventory. "Looks like two perfectly handsome little Anthrauns to me."

Pandora closed her eyes and smiled. Rovaun, Shianna and Malaya all hugged.

"Yep, everything's there that should be, and nothing's there that shouldn't. Tattoo, can you wave for the camera?"

The little guy waved all four limbs to the delight of the viewing audience.

"That's good. How about you, Steed?"

The littler guy did exactly the same.

"Don't flatter me!"

"Settle down," said Pandora peacefully. She turned to Shianna with a joyful tear in her eye. "You were right, Sugar."

Shianna got up to give Pandora a warm motherly hug, too.

"I can't comment on Steed's gifts as a Sentinel," continued Fred. "That's way above my pay grade - above everyone's pay grade. However, I CAN tell you that his physical development is about a month behind Tattoo's, as expected. The good news is he's developed enough to survive outside the womb when he's born on Saturday. And the BEST news is my fridge is fully stocked with champagne!"

Nearly spitting out her thermometer, Shianna giggled, "Did you hear that, Mommy? We can give birth and get ripped."

The two mares laughed together bringing their bodies close enough for the kids to resume buzzing, which disrupted the sonogram and froze the laptop. Pandora saw it and froze as well. A tentacled creature had joined her sons.

"What the hell?" said Fred, shaking the wand and tapping the unresponsive keyboard. The frugal vet was bothered not so much by the grotesque image on the display as he was by the fact that his questionably acquired, unquestionably unreturnable equipment was already showing signs of failure. With a defeated sigh he rebooted.

"What was that thing on the display?" worried Pandora.

"Probably just a bug," said Fred relogging into his laptop.

"It didn't look like a bug."

Fred chuckled. "No, that thing superimposed over your kids was undigested calamari. I think their linking confused the file system."

Rovaun sighed again.

Fred prepared a couple of syringes. "Pandora, while we're waiting, do you mind if I draw a little fluid from Tattoo's and Steed's amniotic sacs? It's perfectly safe and will provide invaluable data for my research."

"He did it for Tantau," shrugged Shianna. "It's not a big deal."

"Um... Okay... Will it hurt?"

"That depends. Did it?" he winked, then turned to preserve the samples he had just drawn.

"And... we're back. Okay, Shianna, you're the next contestant on Let's Make a Family Feud."

Shianna replaced Pandora, who rejoined her radiating husband. Fred performed the same diagnostic motions as before, revealing a similar image of a young healthy Anthraun for all to ooh and aww over.

"There he is, my amazing little horseman. You're going to make me famous. Hopefully rich and famous."

Pandora and Rovaun looked at each other, not quite sure what to make of that.

"Can you wave for us, Tantau?"

He did the same four-legged dance as his siblings.

"Very good," chuckled Fred. "Did Steed tell you to wave like that?"

"No. Tattoo did."

"Well, you look just great. Are you excited about your birthday coming up?"

"Yes."

"And we're all excited, too! Bye now."

"Bye."

Fred finished up, quite pleased with himself.

"You really like Tantau," noticed Pandora.

"Yes, he's special to me. I mean all of your kids are special, obviously, but I do have a personal interest in Tantau."

Rovaun slowly stood up.

Fred backed off, "No no no, it's nothing sinister. I'm interested in Tantau's biological parents."

"WE are his parents!"

"Indeed!"

"We are the parents of ALL of them."

That was technically inaccurate, but Fred let it pass for the larger point he was trying to make.

"Tantau is the only one of your kids who is one hundred percent biologically related to his two male parents."

Rovaun suddenly understood and loosened up, nodding to Fred, and then to Azgard.

Fred hugged his mate. "We want a family, too."

"That's great, Fred," said Pandora, "But how do you plan to get rich and famous?"

"By being the first to publish how to do it."

"But Rovaun and I were the first to do it."

"That's true, but you don't know how you did it."

"Yes we do. We had a three-way with Shianna."

Fred laughed and shook his head. "And by the most moronic of dumb luck, you two just happened to hit the jackpot."

Shianna, despite being blonde, did not appreciate being compared to luck, moronic or dumb, but Fred redirected before she could hiss. "How many times have you been pregnant?" he asked her.

"Just this once," she said, suddenly realizing his point.

"And how many times did you, Danny and Rovaun have a three-way before you got pregnant?"

"Just once."

"And how many times have you been inseminated by someone other than Bouceph, your bond mate?"

The mare was startled by how very large that number tallied up to be.

"It's okay, you don't have to answer that," he continued. "But I'm pretty sure that you cannot answer this final question, given your extensive sexual history, why are you pregnant with Tantau?"

"Can you?" asked Pandora.

Fred pointed to her. "Yes!"

"Have you been experimenting on Tantau?" asked Rovaun, with an intonation that demanded the correct response.

"No, Rovaun. I drew a little amniotic fluid from Shianna for blood typing. I've also kept close tabs on his development, but that's it."

Shianna nodded.

"What have you learned?"

"What Shianna already knows, that she isn't Tantau's biological parent, but she's carrying him without any intervention from science. He is a bloody miracle, well, not bloody. And, as you all saw today, he's perfectly healthy." Fred patted his mate. "Azgard and I just want what you two have."

"That's really up to Shianna, isn't it?" said Pandora.

Fred laughed and shook his head again. "No. That's what I've discovered. Shianna only works for you and Rovaun... that is, when you were human. She can't help Azgard and me. And, unfortunately, Pandora, now that you are no longer biologically a man, Shianna can't help you anymore either."

"What if I supplied a virtual human sperm cell? Steed was created with a virtual egg."

Fred raised his hands. "I'm not even going to pretend to explain how that works. You're certainly welcome to try. But until then you and your non-virtual body will just have to settle for birthing ordinary Hipponaurs like Bouceph."

If that was an intentional slight, she let it pass because Fred could have been much more offensive. Plus, he had piqued everyone's curiosity, especially her own. "If we all sign a non-disclosure agreement, would you let us in on this secret?"

Fred gave them a Willy Wonka smile and put a finger to his nose, then handed them each an Everlasting Gobstopper if they agreed to keep it a secret. While reconfiguring his laptop, he waxed Socratic.

"Who can tell me why a stallion ejaculates ten billion sperm cells into a mare when she only needs one to procreate?"

Pandora had an unfair advantage, being the only student present that had taken high school biology and passed with a C plus. "Competition. The fastest and healthiest one wins."

"Not necessarily the smartest one," Fred slighted, again. "Also not necessarily the fastest. At the moment of conception, there are often hundreds of sperm cells all trying to penetrate the egg's outer membrane. But usually only one gets through. Why is that?"

"The membrane instantly hardens, keeping the others out."

"Yes, it's called the 'cortical reaction,' but it isn't fool proof. Sometimes more than one sperm cell penetrates the egg. Then what?"

This exceeded the coursework of high school biology 101. Both Pandora and Atlas shrugged.

"Then the egg is flushed down the fallopian tubes," answered Fred. "There's too much genetic information present for it to make sense. Try reading a book-of-the-month that has 100 odd pages and 200 even pages. Forget it. Better luck next month. It's all about patterning. When chromosomes can't align properly, the cell can't divide without major pattern fuck-ups. A viable zygote must have two and only two parents to match the pattern, but, as Tantau's existence proves, they don't have to be of opposite gender."

"This is so fascinating and also so boring," sighed Shianna.

"Then let's put on a not-so-boring video," retorted Fred. "One of your favorite topics." He addressed Rovaun, "Do you mind if I get a small sperm sample?"

Initially fazed by the impromptu personal request, Rovaun nodded and started to drop.

"Good," said Fred, removing Shianna's thermometer and swabbing it onto a glass slide.

Rovaun snorted, halting his descent. Pandora thought that was actually pretty funny.

Fred placed the slide under a microscope that projected onto his laptop. There, everyone saw what Rovaun and Shianna already knew: lots of zippy little Rovauns.

"Now," said Fred, unlatching a small suitcase that hissed when he opened it, "Let's see what happens when we add my sperm to Rovaun's."

"Um... what?"

"You'll see," said Fred, removing a smoking straw. "This is a portable cryo-freezer, another one of my acquisitions."

"You freeze your own sperm?" smirked Shianna.

"Yep. Me and Azgard. I already told you we want to start a family. I'm just being cautious. And it's more convenient to pull out a prepared sample than to, well, you know."

"Yes, how much more fun that must be than to, well, you know."

"Allow me to demonstrate." He warmed the straw in his hands then tapped the contents onto the same glass slide next to Rovaun's issue.

"Voila!"

Everyone stared at the laptop. There was more sperm than before. Two puddles. That was it.

"Nothing's happening."

"Something's happening, but I admit it isn't obvious." Fred pulled out the slide and mixed the two puddles together.

"Now what do you see?"

They watched, and agreed something notable was happening: segregation.

"Your sperm is racist."

Fred looked up at Pandora, "Mine or your husband's?"

"Both," acknowledged Rovaun.

Fred nodded to him. "That's right. I'm bonded to Azgard. My sperm wants nothing to do with yours and vice versa. No offense."

"None taken."

The two microscopic gene pools were soon completely separate again.

"Like oil and water," observed Pandora.

Fred pointed to her again. "A better analogy would be 'similar magnetic poles that repel each other.'" He pulled out two more straws from the cryo-freezer and dabbed them onto a clean slide. "Now let's see what happens when my sperm is placed next to Azgard's."

They watched Mr. Wizard's fascinating and banned-from-public-television show on the laptop: Two frantic gene pools swam to each other and coupled before the music ended. Aside from a few unmatched wallflowers, every sperm cell had two heads."

"What the F-Fertility!"

Fred laughed, "What the F, indeed. What you are all looking at is a slide full of Anthrauns, Azgard's and mine." He smiled at his mate. "An entire metropolis worth. See? Each one has one big head and one little head." He tapped them on the screen. "Big head, little head, big head, little head. The one with the big head is Azgard."

"Actually, Companion, I think the one with the big head is you."

Fred ignored him.

"Are all of them viable!?" worried Pandora.

"No," said Fred calming her fears. These could all be implanted in a womb and nothing would happen. They are still separate cells, but they're wrapped around each other so tightly that they look and act like a single cell, attracted to each other like magnets of opposite poles. And they're twice as energetic as unpaired cells. See how their tails are coordinated? They are REALLY motivated to inseminate an egg."

"Whose egg?"

"And THAT is the sixty-four million dollar question!" grinned Fred, loving this game show gig.

"Do you know?" asked Shianna.

Fred subtly smiled at her and nodded.

"But it isn't me."

"It isn't you," he confirmed. "These sperm cells would not be able to penetrate your ova."

"So who is it?"

"Not until I'm published."

"What can you tell us?" asked Pandora.

"Just that Shianna is one of two mares on this planet that could have conceived Tantau for you."

"Who's the other one?" insisted Rovaun.

"Not until I'm published. But I'll tell you this since you all promised to keep it a secret. Statistically, there is a better than ninety-nine percent probability that for every Hipponaur stallion on this planet, somewhere there is a Hipponaur mare that can conceive and carry an Anthraun like Tantau for him."

"Can you at least tell us what's so special about Shianna's womb?"

"Nothing at all. Any mare could have carried Tantau in her womb AFTER conception. But only Shianna could have conceived him for you two."

"But why? Please?"

Fred sighed. "I shouldn't reveal this, but okay. We're all sworn to secrecy, right?"

Everyone nodded wide-eyed, preparing to behold the secrets of Gay Gaia.

"The reason Shianna conceived Tantau, is because she has the Goldilocks egg."

Five Hipponaurs snorted.

Fred turned to Azgard. "Et tu, Brute?"

"You need to work on a more engaging metaphor."

"In any case, you've seen how Azgard's and my sperm cells enjoin because we're bonded. The same thing happened when you two were bonded, that is when Danny was human. And Shianna is bonded, not to Rovaun, but to a very close male relative, Bouceph. And for THAT reason, she has the Goldilocks egg that made Tantau: Not too hot, and not too cold. Just right."

He could tell the others were still lost. "Look, Rovaun, why doesn't Shianna get pregnant every time you do her? Because you are not Bouceph. Her eggs are hot for Bouceph, not for you... BUT they are WARM! It may surprise you to know that your sperm has been getting past her first line of defense. You've been penetrating her ova all this time, getting farther than any other stallion that has inseminated her after her bonding. A microbe's dick length close to making Hipponaur foals."

Rovaun and Shianna looked at each other in shock. Pandora stared straight ahead.

"And Azgard could do her all day, every day, and I'd never worry about paternity suits because to him, Shianna's eggs are too cold. His sperm can't penetrate her first line of defense because he is not a blood relation to Bouceph." Fred turned to his suddenly enamored mate. "It was a hypothetical!"

Azgard rolled his eyes.

"So where does that leave us? The situation that is just right. Rovaun and Danny, with a two-headed sperm cell come knocking on Shianna's door. 'You may enter,' she says to Rovaun, 'because from a distance you kinda look like Bouceph, but only one of you can come in because then I shall react cortically.' Rovaun enters dragging Danny with him before the cell can react. Then Shianna's DNA says, 'Ew ick! You're not Bouceph!' and runs and hides in a broom closet, which is her second line of defense: similar magnetic poles repelling each other. But that's just fine with Danny and Rovaun because they don't need nor want Shianna's DNA. They just need the nucleotide factory in her egg. So they shed their cellular membranes and nakedly embrace each other in this alphabet soup of nucleobases. The automated mechanism of Shianna's egg, whose sole purpose is to facilitate cell division, says, 'Holy shit, there's a fully viable double-helixed complement of DNA in here, and I don't care who's it is.' Division commences and ten months later, an Anthraun with two dads is born."

Fred took a bow and awaited his applause, perhaps awkwardly longer than anticipated, but was rewarded nonetheless.

"Please tell us who our other Goldilocks is," begged Pandora.

Fred stood up and winked. "Not until I'm published. Office hours are over," he insisted, anxious to get on with his research.

"Thank you, Dr. Fred," she called out to him as he disappeared inside his tent, then wondered aloud to her mate, "Is it possible that Bouceph had another bond mare?"

"Companion, as his mother, you would know that better than anyone."

"My mind has been literally blown by his antics on more than one occasion," she said, "but this, I simply cannot fathom."

Shianna pointed out, "When you think about it, if the Elders' goal was zero population growth, then Bouceph was their ideal candidate to bond with as many Hipponaur mares as possible. But if there were any others, I'm pretty sure I'd know about them. We'd have gathered annually to pre-commiserate his slow grueling demise."

Inside the tent, Fred dabbed tiny droplets of amniotic fluid onto blank squares of specially-treated lab paper, proudly posturing with a sense of accomplishment.

"Excellent," he said, logging the results in a lab notebook. "Tattoo's blood type is identical to Pandora's."

"And Tantau's is the same as Rovaun's," recalled Azgard.

"Yep. It's only two data points, but it suggests that the hybrid blood type only follows the Hipponaur lineage. So all our kids will have your blood type."

"At least I have plenty to donate when they scrape their knees. Does Steed's blood type match Pandora's?"

Fred examined Steed's test sheet then cursed and crumpled it up. "Hold on," he said, re-testing the sample on a fresh sheet. "Um... son of an actual cheap piece of crap tart..." He crumpled that one as well, pulling out another fresh sheet but then paused. "Wait, this isn't right." He returned to Tattoo's proven test sheet and applied Steed's droplets next to his brother's.

"Well? What type is it?"

Fred returned to his microscope, then leaned back in astonishment. "I have no idea."

Outside the doctor's office, the Hipponaurs had departed to ponder the identity of the mysterious alternate Goldilocks, the urgency of which was to scratch the idle itch of curiosity rather than to plan for the next wave of Anthrauns.

"Shianna, do you have an identical twin sister?" asked Pandora, grasping at smoking straws.

"You wish," she smirked.

"I think we all wish that, Goldy," nuzzled Rovaun.

"Stop it, you two. I'm getting a superiority complex."

Off in the woods, three bears gave the passing Hipponaurs a wide berth, wanting nothing at all to do with them, especially the blonde. She was trouble.

Chapter 45. Fred and Azgard Make Plans

"I am not fucking my mother," snorted Azgard.

"Come on, it's for a good cause, and I'm sure she'd agree," said Fred.

"I am NOT fucking my mother!" he re-snorted.

"I don't see that we have a choice, Hon. You don't have a son or brother, so your dad's bond mare is our only Goldilocks. Personally, I'm looking forward to it."

Azgard glared at his companion, then with nostrils flared, projected, "AND YOU ARE NOT FUCKING MY MOTHER!"

Fred wiped off his face unconvinced of his mate's emotional non-sequitur. "Azgard, why does your mom do the things she does? Because she's bored! She's got nothing better to do. I think grand kids would do her a lot of good."

The stallion silently fumed at him, depleted of nasal excretions.

"If she's okay with it, why not? You should be flattered that I think your mom's hot. She's the quintessence of Clydesdale elegance. Maybe you don't dream about fucking her, but I do."

"Oh, well why didn't you say so. I dream about fucking you - balls deep! Why don't we try that first."

"Look, do you want kids or not?" ultimated Fred, who's world lacked forty-eight other shades of black and white.

"Not!"

"AZGARD!?"

"Not if it requires either of us having sexual relations with her."

Fred was taken aback at how much he had underestimated his companion's aversion to incest, which was a shame, because he had really wanted to record it. "All right, all right," he caved. "Maybe we can use AI. From what you tell me, she's probably had the procedure done a dozen times already."

Azgard sighed and settled down. Artificial Insemination was the least icky alternative, and it was either that or nothing. And if he chose nothing, he'd spend the rest of eternity hearing about it.

"I still don't see why you won't let me do it," grumbled Fred. "If my mother were Goldilocks, I'd let you fuck her. You already fucked my girlfriend."

"I did not fuck Sharon," groaned Azgard. "She raped me and you know it."

"Danny and Rovaun didn't have to use AI," he muttered.

"Companion, what is this obsession of yours? I understand you wanting to start a family, but why must it involve your penis inside my mother?"

"I just..." Fred sighed, "This is gonna sound dumb, but I just like the idea of cumming inside her naturally and making her pregnant with my kid. It kinda makes me just as much of a stud as you. AI doesn't have the same appeal."

Suddenly, Azgard was nearly moved.

"No."

"Fine," relented Fred. Then he perked up a little. "Do you really dream about fucking me balls deep?"

"Yes."

"How is that possible?" asked the equine veterinarian, fully aware of their obscenely lopsided dimensions.

"I don't know, but it's really great," said Azgard, kind of wanting to do it now.

Fred began to imagine it, but his more sensible companion returned him to this planet. "We are not physically compatible yet. It may take years for your body to evolve."

"I can wait years," said Fred. "I hope it takes centuries."

"You hope it takes centuries for me to ever enjoy full penetration?"

"That's not what I meant, Hon. Besides, you've always got your mother for that."

Azgard growled.

"Until then I guess it's AI from both of us. Maybe it's for the best. I can prepare a more precise mix to improve the chances of a successful fertilization. It'll be quick and discreet. We just have to do it when she's in estrus. Has she consented?"

"I haven't asked her yet."

"What? Why not??"

"It's not like she has an email address. Besides, I don't know if she'll say yes."

"Why wouldn't she want grand kids?"

"No offense, Companion, but she is not that keen on my choice of mate. She has accepted it because she knows that she can do little else. But she does not owe me any favors."

"It's your job to convince her," demanded Fred, bereft of any more concessions. "We can't do it without her. When is she arriving?"

"She'll be leading the parade on Friday."

"That's cutting it close. All the kids are due on Saturday."

"When she travels through, she usually boards at a ranch just out of town. She might be there now."

"Dammit I'm not ready," scowled Fred. "The samples I prepared aren't any good."

"They looked okay to me."

"And that demonstration was pretty much all they were good for. They weren't going to last much longer frozen or thawed. Please let's just go fuck her at the ranch. In and out and we're done."

"No, no, infinity-raised-to-infinity-squared times no!"

Fred sighed, "Oh all right. Then we're going to need a plan for Friday. Can you at least send her notice that we're coming?"

The Clydesdale stood tall looking down upon his mate, wondering why his companionship felt so unfulfilling. He didn't want a like-minded clone for company, but neither did he desire an antagonist to fight with on a daily basis. Concessions were always necessary in a healthy partnership, but they were supposed to be forest floor mushrooms dwarfed by vast canopies of shared mutual interest. Was this man really the best he could do for an eternal life mate? Azgard closed his eyes and shook his head.

Rovaun and Daniel were perfect for each other, as were Parceph and Jerry - everyone could see that. But Azgard and Fred? Bad enough that their relationship elicited snickers; far worse that it drew pity. The poor man had no idea how tenuous his relationship had become, and now he forced the noble Clydesdale to make a decision that would select one of two destinies.

Fred looked up at the intimidating stallion with nothing else to say but a meek, "please?"

Azgard brought his head down and kissed his mate. "I shall leave at once, Companion."

Harrington's was an upscale breeding and boarding facility that always kept a large comfortable paddock available for visiting royalty. Azgard's mother certainly qualified. Beautiful and proud, she not only acted the part, but demanded to be treated as such. Her temporary owners, of which there had been many, dubbed her "Queen Victoria Regina," though her handlers typically shortened it. Security was tighter here than at other boarding facilities only because there was some, but it wasn't difficult for a Clydesdale with the power of reason to circumvent. Human behavior, of which Azgard was now very familiar, was predictable.

Though a draft horse walking through a supermarket produce aisle would likely raise several alarms, Azgard found that doing so at Harrington's disturbed no one at all, mainly because he looked and acted like he belonged there. The loudest, flightiest, and most dangerous horses received all the attention from the handlers. Nobody cared about the largest horse in the county quietly letting himself into his mother's paddock to peacefully graze beside her.

"What a nice surprise. It is good to see you, Son. How are you?"

"Mom, what are you doing with these humans?"

"Oh, you needn't bother to whisper, Darling, they can't hear us. And what's not to like about them? They treat me like the Matron Epona herself. I find it very flattering."

"Mom, you're being exploited!"

She laughed aloud, attracting more attention than if she hadn't. "It may appear that way, Dear, but I assure you that I am not the one being exploited in this arrangement. The humans think very highly of our breed. You're a handsome example; you should give it a try. Stop all this foolishness with that queer little man you're dating and become something bigger and important in this world."

Her words struck him in a way she could not have anticipated. If his companion was correct and the AI attempt produced a healthy Anthraun, then nothing in this world could be bigger and more important for their entire race.

"At least they seem to be treating you well," he acknowledged.

"I have no complaints. They provide me a large green paddock with a sturdy covered stall, plenty to eat and plenty of grooms to care for me. And then there are all manner of studs that they try to breed me to. Not Hipponaur, of course, so it's easy to delicately spurn their advances if I so choose."

"If you choose?" he snorted.

"I have needs, Son, just as you do. And I tolerate the occasional AI attempts only because I know how much money they spend on it, the poor dears. Nothing comes of it, since I'm fully bonded to..."

As usual, Azgard had to silently complete that sentence.

"And I ALWAYS get my way. It turns out that humans are very easy to train. 'Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult' I always say. The right thing is to dress me up like the Queen of Egypt and parade me in the lead for all to admire. That is the easiest way to elicit my cooperation. But harness me to a dung wagon and I become very difficult. I simply won't move. Oh I'm polite about it, but I have standards that I refuse to compromise. If they start getting rough, all I have to do is lie down until they unhitch me. Other than that I remain pleasantly agreeable."

Azgard detected a faint aroma and rose up to locate its source while his mother continued her prattle.

"I do have one exception in that regard. I love to be festooned in bells and tinsel and pull a lighted sleigh in the snow for the little human children. They delight in it so, with songs and laughter. Their gaiety is so infections. And the twinkling outdoor lights, and the sweet smells of pastry. Oh I could go on and on about it. I dare say that sometimes humans know how to live life better than we do... What is it, Dear?"

A ranch hand walked by eating his lunch from a familiar take-out box. Azgard leaned over the fence and nickered fiercely at him. The young man stopped and held up the box. "You want some calamari?"

Azgard nickered and trembled as if his Primitive had returned. The hand glanced around then quickly fed him a morsel which he eagerly gobbled up. Azgard's mother joined him to see what the commotion was. The man offered her some of his lunch as well, but she turned away in revulsion.

"Come away, Dear. You'll get us all in trouble."

Azgard returned to his normal routine of not living life as well as humans did.

"You truly do have odd tastes."

"Mom, have you ever thought of having another foal?"

She stopped grazing and stared at him. "What a bizarre question."

"I'm serious. Listening to you gush over human children - you're obviously fond of them. Why not have another? And for me, I think I'd enjoy being a big brother, and help them not make the same mistakes I did."

"Azgard, you're a fine boy, despite your... awkwardness. And you haven't yet made any serious mistakes in your life that you cannot soon rectify. I suppose I wouldn't mind having another foal, but to be honest, I simply haven't entertained the thought. The price is too high I'm afraid."

"Because it would involve..."

She froze emotionless until the subject passed.

"What if it didn't?" said Azgard, shaking her out of her faux trance.

She still remained stoic, then blinked and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"What if... 'a donor'... of some sort... was not even in the same time zone during conception."

"Are you telling me that you have ... the sample... in your possession?"

He paused, then lied, "We do."

She perked up enough to elicit a pronoun. "Does he know?"

"No."

"Will he find out?"

"Not from me."

"Hmmm," she smiled, warming up to the idea. "I'll tell you what. If your clever homosexual friend can swap the sample with that of the ferals that they try to AI me with, then I suppose it won't make a difference to me. And it would elate the humans so if I'm in foal. They've almost given up hope. Of course they won't be able to keep your sibling, but I'm not going to be this company's mascot forever. I always move on when the routine becomes stale."

She noticed a flurry of activity at the office: Humans looking and pointing their way.

"Oh dear, now look what you've done. You got us noticed."

"I'd better go."

"It's too late. You have to mount me."

"Mother!"

"Mount me now if you know what's good for you."

"No!"

"Quickly, Dear, they have pitchforks."

Azgard snorted and hopped onto her back.

"This is just for show, Son, you don't have to actually penetrate."

Suddenly a whistle called all of the ranch hands back inside to give The Queen her privacy.

"There, you see? So easy to train. Queen Bee rules the hive."

Azgard was indeed impressed, finding his admiration for his mother growing.

"Son, ...you aren't actually getting aroused back there."

He scrambled off. "No!"

Another ranch hand approached.

"Oh look, it's my personal valet. His name is Shane, isn't that funny? He's so nice to me." She nickered to him, "What have you brought me, today, Hon?"

Azgard frowned, "I thought we were supposed to have some privacy."

"Yes, but Shane and I break all the rules. It's our naughty little secret."

She reached over the fence to greet him.

"Hello, Your Royal Hotness," said the groom, offering her a treat.

Azgard snorted, of course.

"Mmmm, carrots," she lightly nickered to Azgard. "He likes to surprise me. Sometimes he actually does... But not this time."

"And who's my competition?" Shane smirked in envy.

"Mother! You don't actually let him..."

"Hush and be genial," she scolded. "You have a long way to fall off of your own high horse."

She had a point. Azgard smiled and reached over for a carrot, then lightly nickered, "If you touch my mother again, I will kill you unpleasantly."

"You're a friendly fellow," said Shane, petting his face.

"You're right, Mother. They can't hear us."

"Where did you come from? You're quite the princely stud," Shane said, ogling the evidence. Then he fed Azgard the rest of his carrots. "Would you like some company, big guy? Maybe some help lightening a load?"

The Queen put her foot down, hard, sending a temblor throughout the paddock that rattled the fences along with her smitten valet. "Azgard, it is time for you to go."

"Now!?"

"NOW!" She dropped to the ground, braying in agony and furiously biting at her belly.

"Holy shit!" Shane opened the paddock giving Azgard his cue to bolt.

Several hands went after him, but Shane called them back. "No, help me get her up! Someone call the vet! The Queen's colicking big time!"

Azgard galloped toward the main gate which was closing fast, dodging handlers, ropers, plastic grocery bags, and all other counter measures blocking his escape. When he reached it, the opening had narrowed to one foot wide, which was no problem at all. He easily leapt the six-foot barrier and disappeared into the woods. Once Azgard was safely away, his mother recovered miraculously. She stood up on her own and shook off the dust, then glared at her valet.

"Jesus, Queen, you gave me a heart attack!"

She ignored him and walked to the farthest corner to graze in peace.

The vet showed up an hour later, but everyone agreed it was a false alarm.

Shane sighed, "I learned something today, Your Hotness. No more carrots for you."

She farted in his very specific direction. "I learned something today, too, you simian strumpet. No more Queen for you."

Chapter 46. Cellie's Wake-Up Caller

"Cellie, bonding rock. Come alone."

Cellie awoke with neither bang nor whimper, but whisper. This was a voice and request she was not unfamiliar with, but neither was it common place, nor was it a dream, nor was it deja vu. He was genuinely trying to contact her. Rovaun was still asleep, as were the twins within her. Only one person called her by that name, and he was a distance so far away that it could not be measured. She had no trouble agreeing to his request, because he had said nothing about not informing the authorities.

"Husband," she gently nuzzled.

"Hmmm?" said Rovaun opening his eyes. "Good morning, Companion. I was just dreaming about you."

"Yes, I can tell. I think Josh is trying to reach me."

"Josh?" he said, shaking out his dream.

"Yes. He's done it before, but I don't really know how. I think he has divine connections."

Rovaun raised his brows. "Can you show me the message?"

"All eight syllables, Husband."

She replayed it exactly as heard; there were no visuals: "Cellie, bonding rock. Come alone."

"That sounds like Josh whispering," agreed Rovaun. "He sounds concerned, but not panicked or desperate. I think you should go see him, but I am uncomfortable with you going alone."

"You'll be happy to know, so am I. Please come with me."

Together they left for the bonding rock being careful not to wake the others. A hundred yards out they huddled in the woods.

"You stay here and I'll go see him. Give me five minutes. I'll whistle if I'm safe and there's nothing to worry about. I'll whinny if I need you to come running. After five minutes, come running."

"Understood, Companion."

Pandora carefully approached the outcropping of large granite slabs that could have been some ancient civilization's failed attempt at Stonehenge. Reclining on the bonding rock in sexy repose was a semi-nude Anthraun with his zipper half down.

"Hello, Cellie."

Pandora halted, then jeered, "That was quick."

"No time like the present."

"You can put your clothes on, Thad."

"Aww, was that too forward? I gotta work on my game." He sat up and put on his shirt that was previously his pillow. "Can you help zip me up?"

"No. And I know why you're here."

"Is that a fact."

Though she had expected this encounter, she had failed to plan for it. Tactics were lacking, giving Thad the advantage.

"So, you know how much I've missed you. You're looking good, ... and very ... full of life."

"Give me a break."

"How's Tattoo? Looks like he's destined to be a linebacker."

"Cut the crap."

He sighed then stood up to zip up his perfectly fitting jeans, then turned around and put a hoof on the rock to straighten a cuff, and give Pandora a preview of dat azz. She caught herself staring then looked away before Thad noticed. When he turned back to her, he noticed her looking at not his butt.

"You know," he said, "you don't have to automatically assume that everything I say is a lie."

"I think it's safe to automatically assume that it is."

He sat back down and nodded. "You can't be hurt by someone you don't trust. I lost your trust by pushing you the moment we first met. And I agree it will be ten times harder to earn it back. But I'm here to do just that."

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just pushed me into trusting you again?"

"Nope. That would be impossible. You can't fill a hole by digging deeper. No lies and no pushing. I made you that promise nine months ago, and I'll keep it."

"Is that so," she said unimpressed. "And yet here we are, just you and me, coincidentally meeting at the bonding rock."

"Yes, that was a lie."

His instant admission was disorienting, because he could have easily argued to the contrary, so she offered to toss him a line. "Although maybe technically it wasn't a lie because you never actually claimed to be Josh."

"Nope, it was a lie," he said, tossing it back. "A lie is all about intent. It doesn't matter the technical wording, despite what politicians say. I used subterfuge to get you here, alone, so that we could have an open conversation."

"Rovaun is nearby, just so you know."

"Call him if you want to. We can have this conversation in front of him, but I'm afraid he won't let us have it at all."

"What conversation do you think we should have?"

"The one where I admit that leaving you nine months ago was a mistake."

"I'm not interested in that conversation."

"Then I guess we're done here." He picked up his backpack and headed away from camp. "Somebody said something about second chances, once. Maybe I only dreamed it."

"Fuck you."

"You have an equally wonderful life. Bye."

This was neither the conversation she was interested in, nor the conversation she had expected to have. It was incongruent.

"Thad, wait!" she called out to him. "We can have your conversation, but we need to talk about the other matter first."

"I only have one topic of interest," he replied walking on.

"You asked about Tattoo. I'm curious why you haven't asked about Steed. Or is it because you already know."

He stopped abruptly, unwilling to face her. Neither of them knew the next move in this tottering two-step.

"Is... that the other matter?" he wavered, breaking the silence.

"It is," she responded cautiously.

He dropped his head, still unable to face her.

"Is there something you want to tell me?," she asked.

Slowly he shook his head, then continued to walk away, incongruently. Pandora thought she knew why. She'd be upset too if she had suddenly lost all contact with her son. But Thad wasn't going to admit his sin without incontrovertible peer-reviewed evidence, so she presented her son's signed affidavit.

"Steed told us he visits you every night."

Thad stopped again, but this time he turned around. "Can you repeat that?"

"Steed - told - us - he - visits - you - every - night."

Thad shook his head. She didn't have to be this cruel. "Yes, Pandora, I dream about him a lot. I'm sure you do too. Is this matter closed now?"

"Steed is alive," she said, finally reading him correctly.

He stared at her dubiously. "How alive?"

"Very much alive. He'll probably be born this weekend along with Tattoo."

Thad dropped his backpack like a bag of compost, then jogged, then fifty-yard dashed back to her.

"He's alive!?"

"Yes, he's fine," she said trying not to fall for his act.

"How fine? I mean... is he really okay?"

"Yes, but I've got a leash on him now, and we both know that THAT is the reason why you're here."

Thad shook off the sentence that didn't parse and continued with this new conversation that he had not expected to have, ever.

"When you say Steed is fine, are you saying that he's normal?"

This exchange was still incongruent. Pandora was having trouble parsing him as well.

"No, of course he's not normal."

"Pandora, stop doing this to me. Is he fine or not!?"

"Well..."

Thad felt along her left flank. "Is he here?"

She nodded.

He knelt down and delicately assessed his son as if wary not to shatter paper-thin ceramic wings. He listened with his mind, but could not connect. He tried to link but there was too much interference. He couldn't recognize his son, but today was Opposite Day; his son recognized him.

"Hi Daddy!"

Thad gasped like he had just surfaced from twenty thousand fathoms.

"He can talk!" he yelped, the shock wave knocking him backward.

"Yes of course he can talk. He's a minister for overseas development."

"What?"

"Thaaaad, he's a Sentinellll... Helloooo."

"Pandora," he hyperventilated, "will you please just pretend for one second that I don't know what the fuck is going on and tell me WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!"

"Okay, okay," she said a bit shaken. "This is what we know and what your son has confirmed: You've been exploiting Steed as a Sentinel to visit you and Astromom every night to look for undiscovered ulcers, probably since the day you left."

Thad glared at her as his breathing returned to normal.

"Oh my god," she said. "That's ridiculous."

He smiled a mild nod while sitting up.

"I'm sorry, Thad. It made sense at the time. I hadn't slept for days."

He didn't care about any of that. He pressed his ear against her belly and listened to the best drum solo in Varyl's domain. "He has a heartbeat. A strong beautiful heart beat." Thad tenderly kissed her abdomen where it was the loudest. Pandora sensed that he might be making a brand of his own, something only Shianna had been able to do. But this was a familial connection, different, but the same lasting effect. "I have a normal son," he whispered to him.

"Hi Daddy!"

He chuckled brightly, "Hi Steed! How are you?"

"Good. I love you."

The Anthraun squealed at the words he never believed that he would ever be blessed to hear. "I love you too, son," he barely managed to utter before bursting into tears.

Pandora found herself getting caught up in the emotional reunion. "Did you really think he was dead?"

He stood up and nodded, wiping his eyes. "It's my own fault for not keeping in touch." He hugged her and kissed her cheek. "But I'm here now. We have a son, Mommy."

"Yes we do, Daddy," she kissed him likewise.

"So, other than the Sentinel nonsense, he's completely normal?"

"Perfectly, but it isn't nonsense. He really does disappear from my womb. Please tell me the truth. Has Steed been visiting you?"

"No!" His eyebrows furled. "Did he really tell you that?"

She nodded.

"Pandora, I've been here the whole time. I couldn't get home even if I wanted to. Varyl's the only Sentinel that can send me there, and, quite frankly, I don't believe he'd let me make it all the way across the Bridge of Death."

"You've been here?" she unfathomed. Opposite Day strikes again. "But Steed said that he was with you and Astro... another version of me."

"Maybe he was talking about Josh and Danny."

"No, we asked them. Now I don't know what to believe."

"You said that you have him leashed?"

"Yes. Mental surveillance seems to keep him from wandering off."

Thad took a breath and let it out. "Okay, then at least there's a short term solution. But I agree with you, we have to find out where he's going and why. If someone's fucking with our son, they are going to find themselves fucked!"

She watched him pace, suddenly admiring the cad that she thought she knew. He was fuming over the possibility that someone might be causing their son harm. So did Rovaun, but that was expected of him. Not from Thad the Cad. What day is it?

Her uncertainty begot despondency. "Thad, is this all an act? Please tell me the truth."

He looked up at her angrily, but not because he was offended. "No, Pandora, but you're welcome to keep doubting me. I accept it as my penance. Only you can decide when I'm paid up."

She nodded, deciding to believe him for now.

"It's just that I've been given this amazing gift that is rightfully mine and already someone's trying to take him away from me."

She hugged him, feeling better having him as an ally than an adversary, yet an adversary was still out there.

The sound of determined hoof beats approached.

"Oh shit, that's Rovaun," she said, releasing him.

"I have no problem with him," he said. "I'm on his side too. Let's all get to the bottom of this."

"Trust me, the timing is lousy. Stay out of sight and let me get rid of him."

"Ok... Mommy," he winked.

It shook her every time he called her that because she really liked it. Also, Rovaun never directly addressed her that way. It gave her something else to consider when she ran out to meet the cavalry.

"Companion, are you all right?" he called to her.

"Yes, Husband, I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't whistle... I..."

"I can see that you're upset... Is Josh okay?"

"Yes... I mean... no." She sighed to get all of her ducks in a row - ducks that lied.

"Danny and Josh had a fight."

"Is this about Steed and Thaddeus?"

"No, no... It's got nothing to do with them. It's just a domestic thing. They've kind of split up."

"Oh no," he empathized, stepping back. "How serious is it?"

"Well, it's not like they're arguing over who's hogging the blankets. It's bad, but I think it can be resolved."

"I should have a talk with him."

"No, Husband! ... That would only make it worse. Imagine if you and I had a fight, would you really want Josh counseling you?"

Rovaun exhaled, "I see your point."

"It's good that he came to me. He obviously wants to fix this and I know I can help. Both Danny and Josh just need some counseling and recalibration. I need a little time with him to figure out what to do. Maybe with Danny, too. I know he'll listen to me."

Rovaun nuzzled his spouse, "Take all the time you need. And if you feel that some intimate counseling is in order, you have my permission to proceed. You are very good at it."

"I doubt it will come to that but thanks for your vote of confidence."

"I love you, Companion." He kissed her. "Say hello to Josh for me. I wish him the best." He turned to head back.

"And say hello to Tantau and Sugar Mommy for me," she called after him.

Rovaun up-shifted to a trot, suddenly very chipper to say hello.

Pandora returned to Thad who once again was reclining on the bonding rock, still clothed.

"You are an excellent liar," he grinned.

"Shut up. I hate lying to him. I had to shoo him away before he shooed you away at sunset. He's pretty pissed at you."

"What did I ever do to him?"

"Everything you do to me, you do to him tenfold."

"Ugh," he frowned. "My penance account is already overdrawn. I hope he doesn't charge interest."

"Just make a serious, prolonged effort to give more than you take, and your debts will be forgiven."

"Gads," he shook his head, "what's that like? To have someone who cares for you so much."

"It's a burden," she said emphatically, "a burden that I'm happy to bear. But it comes with responsibility. Something that, at least until now, has been beyond your comprehension."

"That's not really fair," he said, hopping off the rock, "but I understand why you might think that." He squatted down and wrapped his arms around her front legs, then hoisted her front half off the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"You're right," he grunted. "You are quite the burden to bear." He exhaled and dropped her, then walked around shaking it off.

"How amusing," she said dryly, though quietly impressed that he had hefted at least five hundred pounds. It was time for a different conversation.

"Why did you leave?"

That knocked him sideways. It required composure to answer. "Because I'm a coward. That shouldn't be too hard to believe, right?"

Pandora said nothing, curious as to what he would confess on his own.

"I'm a liar because I'm a coward. It's how I've lived my life. It's how I survive. And unfortunately, it means that I can't have anyone close because I'll always end up hurting them. I didn't want to hurt you. That's why I left."

Pandora scoffed, "You think THAT didn't hurt me?"

"I think it hurt you a lot less than if I had stayed. We wouldn't be having this conversation if I had stayed back then."

"And what about Steed?"

"I just assumed that Steed would end in tragedy. I've never been allowed to have anything worthwhile for very long. It's a curse that hovers over me, even now. Especially now. Its name is Varyl."

"Varyl!?" choked Pandora. "MY Varyl? Grampa Varyl?"

"That's him. You're lucky to have him as a friend, cuz he's a formidable enemy."

"What does he have against you?"

"It's personal," he sighed. "I hurt someone he cared about. I didn't mean to, but it happened and I can't change that. He'll never forgive me, and he expends a great deal of time and energy reminding me of that. V is for Vendetta... Vindictive... Vengeful."

"Venerable."

"Like I said, you're lucky he's on your side. The irony is that he doesn't even want me here, but he won't let me go. Not that I have anywhere or anyone to go back to."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see an ulterior motive on your part - to get out from under Varyl's hoof."

"There's nothing ulterior about it. That's exactly what my motive is - to have a life! These last nine months I haven't been living, only existing. I've done nothing at all except grow enough balls to come back to you. And now they've tripled in size since discovering Steed is alive and well. So you can either take me back and we all figure out how to make this mutually work, or you can kick me to the curb, where I'll live in the gutter. But I WILL be in our son's life, whether you like it or not."

"You will never get me to believe that Varyl would ever harm Steed."

"In that case," he sighed, "I won't even try. But Steed's best chances for survival are if his biological parents care for him and for each other."

Pandora could tell that this was not a come-on, nor did he present it as such. He was deadly serious.

"I'm not going to beg. And I'm not going to crawl. This is how it is going to be. Take me or leave me, but you'll not be rid of me."

"There's something you're still not telling me," discerned her healthy skepticism.

"There's TONS I'm not telling you. But all of it is buried a world away. That's not here. A new hope is here. You, me, Steed, and whoever else we bring into this world."

With regard to Thad, Pandora was at a crossroads that no longer crossed. Straight ahead, the Thad-less road she had been on terminated in a sinkhole to oblivion guarded by Varyl. She now had to choose between Thad Thoroughfare on the left and Thad Bypass on the right. An attractive Anthraun had his thumb out to the left. Worlds would split on this decision, so she decided to make the decision easier. She pulled to the side of the road and stepped out, emerging as a tall, gorgeous golden Palomino Anthraun, dressed in black leather zipped from nether to neck.

"There she is," he melted, tenderly embracing her. "Hello Mommy."

"Hello Daddy."

They held each other close, feeling their hearts beat together. Thad reached out to Nanny's abdomen to feel Steed's heartbeat as well. Its rate slowed down to match that of his parents. Within seconds all three were beating in unison.

"Do you feel that?" he said in awe.

"Yes," she blissfully sighed.

"This can only mean one thing."

"I know."

"We're all meant to be as one."

"Exactly."

Inside Nanny's Hipponaur brain her hypothalamus pumped absurd amounts of oxytocin to her pituitary gland, which dumped it into her blood stream as fast as it could keep up. This was a trait that Daniel had inadvertently built into Pandora when he created her specifically for Thad. It seemed like a good idea at the time, since he was under Thad's influence. The upshot was that whenever the two Anthrauns embraced, she became Thad's personal succubus.

Thad kissed her passionately, indulging his fantasy that he might have finally found a decent life, then sighed as he felt his pants slowly unzip, then moaned as a warm hand slid in to caress his testicles, then yelped when it clamped them in a vise.

Q: What do you have when you're gripping two small pine cones?

A: Pinocchio's undivided attention.

"We need to make one thing crystal clear, Lover. Now that these have grown back, they belong to me."

"Yes, dear... Yipe!"

"I'm serious. If you lie to me again, if you hurt me again, I'll be wearing these for horse shoes. Danny has designed me to be your pleasure unit. I accept that fate. But I will not be your pleasure slave. These are MY family jewels. I'll make sure they never turn blue. But they drain only into ME. And finally, you share the burden of responsibility for raising all of the kids that these bouncy baubles produce."

Thad gazed at her in a whole new way, and so did his erection.

"I see that one of your two brains is in agreement. Can we make it unanimous?"

"Yes," he said unequivocally.

She released him and kissed him hard, deciding to turn left on the road to their future. The right decision be damned.

"Strip and resume your position on the bonding rock," she commanded.

"Uh... strip?"

"Take your clothes off," she explained to her slow dancing partner, "and lie back down on the bonding rock. We have nine months of catching up to do."

"Er... okay," he said, suddenly not finding this dominatrix act as sexy as fantasized. He unceremoniously disrobed and laid down. Pandora did the same and climbed on top.

"Let's start where we left off, in Parceph's Hyperspace Tunnel o' Love."

Though not as aroused as he was thirty seconds prior, once he was inside, matters quickly ran their course requiring a diversion before he crashed and burned. Perhaps polite conversation would pull his cock off the accelerator.

"Pleasure unit, huh?" he said, "that's sounds like a fun job."

She smiled as she undulated around him.

"I used to have a pleasure unit before I arrived here."

"I'm not really interested in your previous conquests, Darling," she ho-hummed.

"Oh, no, it's not like that at all. It wasn't flesh and blood, but it was definitely a pleasure unit: The Bronc Buster Mark Five," he boasted.

"Is that some sort of blow-up doll?" she said, feeling truly sorry for him.

"You haven't heard of the Mark Five!?" he perked, finding a topic that interested him almost as much as she did. "It's only the most amazing, technologically-advanced anal stimulator in the universe!... well in Mourne's domain, anyway. But it won't win any beauty contests, so you have nothing to worry about, there."

She stopped undulating and glared at him. "Are you seriously comparing me to a butt plug?"

"No! Not a butt plug. A Bronc Buster Mark Five! You should be honored to be mentioned in the same paragraph! And the darn things cost a fortune, so most people just rent them."

"And now you're comparing me to a cheap hooker. Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because I don't follow baseball."

"I see," she said. His agenda of not cumming quickly conflicted with hers, so she tolerated it for about another fifteen seconds.

"I was borrowing one just before I came here, pretty much my only possession, but I couldn't smuggle it through the ulcer! Some sort of blocking device kept it from coming through, so I had to leave it behind."

"What an awful story."

"But it has a happy ending. Now I have an even better pleasure unit. Real virtual flesh and blood. And no batteries to recharge."

"Then how about you talk about me instead of it?" she said, returning his focus to where it belonged.

"Well, um..." he stammered, "I think I've already mentioned that you are the paragon of perfection."

She leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing the compliment to dribble over her breasts, then slowly rode up and down his shaft, winking its entire length.

"Oh god," he said, returning to red line.

Rhythmically pulsing her muscles, she came down once more and squeezed him like a cow udder, milking him just as effortlessly. He had no defense against this dark art.

"You win the pleasure unit award," he said, red-faced.

Cheekily, she smiled, "Did you enjoy it?"

"Obviously."

"Then I did my part. Your Blue Boys are less blue. What position would you like to try next?"

"Give me a minute to enjoy the afterglow and gaze at your perfect ti... breathtaking visage."

She blinked warmly at him to earn that compliment, then leaned forward to kiss him as if she meant it. "I love you."

"Mmy mmuv mmoo, mmpoo."

She giggled and sat back up feeling him get a little harder inside. "I know that I have you at a disadvantage, Darling, but I'll give you a free pass to take more time to consider your life-long commitment. You can keep your balls and walk away, and my feelings for you will remain fond... mostly."

"I'm fully committed. Wild horses could not drag me away from you, my Venus..."

"Flytrap?", she sneered, squeezing him with kegels that could crack coconuts.

"EEeeeyess!"

"Right answer," she said, relaxing her death grip. "Please sit up and say hello to your daughter, Judy."

"What?? Pandora!" He leaned forward into her abdomen. "Don't you think this is a little soon?"

"Please introduce yourself properly."

"Okay... uh... Hello Judy, I'm your father, Thaddeus."

"Hi."

The tiny voice knocked him backwards again. "Wow," he gasped, eventually managing a smile. "I can't believe it. Now I have a perfectly normal daughter, too." He gazed at the mother in wonder. "Pandora, WE made a son and a daughter - You and me!"

"The first two of a legion, Hon."

"But how? ... How do we do it so... efficiently?"

Pandora leaned forward again to nuzzle Judy's fertile father. "I've been wondering that myself for quite a while... that is, Danny has been wondering... You realize that this is just a really good fursuit, right?"

"It is the best ever! But I think I know what you mean. You and Danny are fundamentally the same person. But to be honest, it seems like you two are diverging."

"I think I have to agree with you," she said. "He and I don't share the same feelings about you. And that's not something that a fursuit can explain, but what might explain it is Destiny."

Thad made his own destiny, but he let her continue.

"At the time when I was created, Danny lamented that he probably wouldn't be able to father any more Anthrauns beyond Tantau and Tattoo. It required him to be human. Then with perfect timing you came along and catalyzed all of this: A hot Anthraun, looking for another hot Anthraun to make a bunch more hot Anthrauns."

"Our kids will break hearts, no doubt about that."

"They will, but don't ever break my heart again. Danny created me to be your ideal breeding match. My sole purpose is to bear your kids, and ONLY your kids, and also to convince you to make that happen. And the thing is, I really, really want to."

"What about Rovaun?"

She sighed, "I don't appear this way to him, and he seems fine with that. He humored me at first, but I could tell he wasn't into it. Danny is his companion, not me. And you are my companion, not him."

"Pandora," he said earnestly, "I am not here to replace Rovaun."

"You're darn right. Rovaun can still sire Hipponaurs with me, and I fully intend to allow him as many as he wishes."

"Then I don't see how this is going to work."

"It will work because you and I both know that Danny and Rovaun call ALL the shots, no exceptions. There will be no palace coup. You and I will ALWAYS play second fiddle and that is how it will always be. They are compassionate individuals and will give us lots of time together. You will help out. You will be part of the family. You will be grateful. And you will not complain about it, ever. Dig it?"

"Deeply."

She smiled and nuzzled him some more. "Then our destiny is beautiful, Companion. We're going to have lots of kids, but don't worry. There's a village of Hipponaurs that will gladly help raise them. And I'm going to insist that Grampa Varyl bless each and every one of them. And you will not rub his nose in it when he does. And because of that, he will soften and say begone to bygones."

"Oh you are evil," he grinned. "I love this plan!"

"Thought you would. Pardon me while I freshen up." She pecked him and climbed off.

"Uh, just so that we are in agreement, we're done making new kids for now, right?"

"For now," she said cheerfully, as she merged with Nanny.

Thad lay with his hands behind his head, basking in the sunshine of the first day of his new destiny. Could Opposite Day get any better?

Pandora re-emerged freshened, and proceeded to freshen him up as well. He protested not as she licked him clean then expertly devoured him, causing him to fertilize her mouth too quickly. She grinned wickedly as she crawled forward to kiss him. He knew what was coming and accepted it so that the early delivery of his second produce might be quickly dismissed.

"Don't you dare swallow," she commanded as she whipped around and stuck her vulva in his face. "Spit!"

"This is not at all depraved," he smirked, after lingually ladling it in.

She turned around again and cuddled with him, sated once more for the moment. "That was almost as depraved as how Tantau was conceived. Close, but not quite."

"What are we going to do with all these kids?" he pleasantly pondered.

"Repopulate the planet."

Thad chuckled, "We're Anthrauns, not spawning sea anemones."

She licked his face. "You sure make me feel like one."

"Gosh I hope not," he snickered. "I prefer one orgasm per kid, not one orgasm per legion."

"I'm working on it," she said, nuzzling him back then sitting up.

Thad's smile evaporated. "Wait... You're not..."

"Uh huh. Another daughter. I'll let you name her."

"Pandora! NO!!"

"Oh my god," she cried. "You're right!"

He raised up. "What is it?"

"Those cheeky little minxes," she giggled. "They cheated you out of an orgasm. Congrats, Daddy. You have identical twins."

Thad grabbed his mane. "Pandora, this is getting way out of hand!"

"We can discuss that after you've named them. But I can tell these two are gonna be trouble. Pick some good ones, Daddy."

"In that case, I'll name them both Pandora."

She laughed. "I'll have to overrule that call. Let's name these renegades Thelma and Louise. Any objection?"

"That sounds good to me," he said, his mind on something else entirely. "Uh, which one is which?"

"Left-to-right, Thelma and Louise."

Thad addressed his twins. "Hello my darling daughters, I am your father Thaddeus. Your name is Thelma..."

"Hi."

"...and your name is Louise."

"Hi."

Pandora scowled at him. "I was referring to MY left-to-right, but that's fine. Now they'll be even more trouble."

She got up once again to relocate her embryos.

"Wait, Pandora, please... Before you let Thelma and Louise join Judy and Steed, can you please just stay here for a bit and not get any more pregnant for a minute?"

She was feeling too good to deny him, so she laid back down and ran her fingers around his navel while pretending to give him her attention.

"This has to stop. It's... irresponsible!"

"Ya think?"

"Yes I think! Despite what you may believe, I know what it means to be a responsible parent, and now that it looks like it might actually happen, I intend to be one. And yes, responsibility is a burden. In the course of a few minutes, that burden has quadrupled. Please! That's enough."

"Don't you want to have lots of kids?"

"Yes. One per year, like normal Catholics. Not all at once. You're already bursting at the seams with just two kids. Now there are five!"

"Once Tattoo and Steed are born, there will be more room for the rest."

"Pandora, I don't think you are grasping my point."

She grasped his point; he reached down and brought her hand up to his chest. She snickered at him, but he wasn't having it. Denying her advances only made him more attractive and challenging. Since day one, he had always been worthy of her. Now she was having to be worthy of him. This was the germinating seed of a life-long companionship, and it made her horny as fuck.

"What if I told you," she mused thoughtfully, "there was a method to my madness."

"It had better address the madness of your method."

"It does. Please hear me out," she said, adopted Dr. Fred's teaching style. "What does every Hipponaur mare want more than anything else?"

"A foal."

"That's right, specifically one that comes with no strings attached to her bond mate."

"So?"

"So Plan A is this: We make as many Anthraun embryos as we feel like, and then freeze them for implantation. Fred already has the cryo-freezer. We ask for surrogate volunteers and unfreeze our kids as needed and implant them into eager willing wombs. According to Fred, any womb will do, and I already know of at least a dozen mares that would gladly carry them to term. Maybe even two at a time, like Steed and Tattoo. And those are just the local mares. Word will get out and more volunteers will come."

"What makes you think there would be that much interest?"

"Because I've seen it with my own eyes. You weren't there when Shianna first discovered she was pregnant with Tantau. She damn near detonated into plumes of happy clouds, and it didn't matter at all that Tantau wasn't her biological son. And I know Fred will assist with the implantations because he wants to be famous."

"Have you considered that the reason Shianna was so happy was because she loved Rovaun, and this guaranteed her a prominent role in his life?"

"Well... perhaps I discounted it some. Okay, so what if it takes a little longer to get volunteers. The embryos can remain frozen for however long it takes."

"Is that all there is to Plan A?"

"Yes. Plan B takes advantage of the fact that our kids are Sentinels. We let them transport themselves into compatible wombs. Once Steed is born, we can better understand where he's been going and why. He can be taught to control it, and so can the others. Steed is pretty smart."

"That plan seems a lot iffy-er."

"It is, that's why it's Plan B."

"Is there a Plan C?"

"Yes. We let Destiny sort it out. Rovaun assures me that he and Danny have a long and happy life together. And now I'm an inextricable part of that life. And I wouldn't be happy if I weren't sharing it with you."

"Hmm," Thad nodded. "You've actually given this some thought."

"A little," she winked, allowing her fingers to travel south again.

"Almost as much thought as Steed teleporting to me and Astromom every night."

"Hold on. Let me grasp your point."

"My point is," he said, bringing her hand back to his chest, "I am the President of the 'Poorly Planned Plots Society.' I resign that position immediately, and I officially dissolve all memberships, including YOURS. I'm taking responsibility for my life and my kids and you. Your behavior is reckless and is endangering us all."

Pandora pouted.

"Maybe you're affected by the fucked up addictive quality of my cum. Hipponaurs are supposed to be immune, but, I don't know, maybe you're not, completely. In which case, that places the burden of responsibility on me to see to it that you are not further harmed. So I think it would be best if you returned to Nanny where you can shed this carnal influence that Danny has imbued you with. Then we can talk about things that still need to be discussed without continuing to make matters a whole lot worse."

"Fine," she sulked, getting up to merge back but then changed her mind. "No, I don't want to. But I'll compromise." She slid back into her one-piece leather skin and zipped it up. It made an effective condom.

"Pandora..."

"Thad, the way I feel about you right now, if I merge into her, we won't be able to discuss anything, because the only thing I'll be thinking about is how much I want to E-merge and be like this around you. It's in my DNA and has nothing to do with your cum..."

Thad sighed and nodded, then got dressed as well, giving her another view of dat azz, which she now had no problem drooling at.

"...your tasty, womb-baking, sex-slaking cum."

He sat back down on the bonding rock and patted the seat next to him, where Pandora sat, still looking fabulous. He kissed her lightly.

"Thank you," he said, adoringly. "How much does Varyl know about Steed?"

"I don't think he knows anything about him. He's been traveling since returning from the void. We've kept Steed on a need-to-know basis."

"Good. That's probably why he's still alive."

"I still don't think we're talking about the same Varyl."

"Then let's both agree that we each know a different side of him."

Pandora shook her head. "He promised Shianna a while ago that he'd be here for Tantau and Tattoo's birth. He's going to find out about Steed then."

Thad pondered a type of plan he was better at devising. "Varyl can't know that I'm Steed's father. Not until after he's been born and blessed. Until then, Steed is vulnerable."

"I don't think you're going to be able to keep that a secret when he sees you cradling your son."

"I know. And I hate to say this, but the best chances for Steed's survival are for me to not be there when he's born."

"No... You have to be there!"

"I can't, my love. Not if Varyl is there. I'll be nearby but Varyl CAN NOT know that I'm the father. Please, I beg you to believe me. I know what I'm talking about. And if Varyl finds out about all of our other kids, it's over - all of it. He won't allow any of them to be born."

"But..."

"I want Steed to be born. I want Judy, Thelma, and Louise to be born. I want the hundreds we make in the future to be born. It kills me that I can't be there for Steed's birth, but better it kill me than Steed."

He nuzzled, "I won't be in hiding for long. Varyl will bless Steed shortly after he's born. Once that happens, Steed is safe. Varyl will be bound by Hipponaur law to nurture and protect him once he's been blessed. That's when it's safe for us to reveal Steed's true parentage. Varyl will be madder than a burning fire ant, but he'll take his anger out on an anthill, not us."

"I believe you," she said, then she gazed at an anthill and nodded. "It'll be all right. There will be plenty of help on hand to assist with the births. Fred will be there with his ultrasound. Jeremiah can lend some virtual hands as well. We'll get everyone born and blessed. Then you can come out whenever you're ready."

He kissed her, "Thanks, Love... Ultrasound... Did you actually see Steed?"

"Uh huh."

"Can you show him to me, PLEASE?"

"I'd be happy too, Hon." She played him the video of their little boy dancing The Charleston next to Tattoo.

"Ah! Haa-haaa!" he cried, hugging her tight. "Look at him go! Oh Mommy, you done good! He's magnificent."

"He is," she smiled. "I'm glad he's ours."

"There's just one more thing, Mommy. We need to keep Steed's sisters a secret for now. I don't think we can even let Fred know about them until we're ready. He might find them if they're next to Steed or Tattoo. Do you think you can move them to your virtual womb?"

"I don't think so, Hon. I'd have to remain in this form continuously, and that would raise all kinds of suspicion. But I've seen how Fred uses the ultrasound wand. I can hide them where he won't be scanning."

Thad nodded and smiled. "You are so devilishly devious! It makes me totally want to empty the family jewel chest... just no more today."

He embraced her and leaned her gently back onto the bonding rock, and proceeded to make love with clothes firmly zipped. Inside her uterus, Pandora still harbored millions of single-celled happy puppies all wagging their tails. She quietly released from her ovaries several microscopic kennels to accommodate them. One-by-one when each found a home, her brain was rewarded with the pop of a tiny confetti-filled balloon of dopamine. Thad believed it was his ministrations that were giving her such obvious pleasure, so he continued to do so, and continued to make matters a whole lot worse.

Pandora returned to camp alone with many things to sort out, mostly in her womb. Of Thad's offspring, Rovaun knew only of Steed, Thad knew of three more, but only Pandora knew of all twenty-one. She should have listened to him when he recommended she merge into Nanny. Perhaps she had made that decision in a parallel world. Unfortunately she was living in this one. She knew she was in trouble, and so were her kids. After replicating more nanny cams to keep them in check, she wondered who was really to blame for all of this. Number one on the FBI's Most Culpable List was an eye-popping female Anthraun. She couldn't deny it. But just below her mug shot was Thad's. None of this would have happened if he hadn't pushed her into existence. But it was Daniel's misguided execution of Mourne that enabled Thad to travel here through an unguarded ulcer. However, Daniel wouldn't have shot Mourne if Garson hadn't hijacked Bouceph's body and threatened the multiverse. But that wouldn't have happened if Bouceph hadn't been such a giant douche. And it was Zhorelle that had made him into that giant douche, and she did it because she hated Rovaun as much as she loved him. And it was Rovaun that had made Zhorelle hate him so. This might all have been Rovaun's fault, except that Daniel might never have met him if the southbound freeway traffic hadn't backed up for miles due to ill-timed roadwork. Therefore, along with the rest of California's citizenry, Pandora concluded that her life's woes were entirely the fault of Caltrans.

When she met up with Rovaun, she couldn't look him in the eye, but she was grateful that he still had a powerful magnetic bond with his companion. Daniel emerged and clung tightly to his rock that never crumbled in his tempestuous sea of untranquility. The stallion held onto his troubled companion and nickered a soft lullaby to his soul. Daniel buried his face into his husband's neck and wept. "I think I fucked up."

The stallion said nothing, for no words were necessary. He was already providing the only therapy Daniel needed - you are my companion - it will be all right.

"Please don't leave me," Daniel cried softly.

"Never, Companion," he said with unshakable conviction. "You cannot possibly screw up so badly that I would ever consider it."

"This one's pretty bad."

"We will get through it together, Companion."

Daniel sighed, hoping it was true. Somehow his stallion would make it come true.

"Companion, if I may postulate, the timing of Josh and Danny's troubles cannot be coincidental. Their Tantau and Tattoo will be born this Saturday as well, though I concede that Steed is a wild card that they were not dealt. In any case, it is a stressful time for all, and it is understandable that it might cause friction in their relationship."

"Is it causing friction in our relationship?" he asked, his mouth full of neck fur.

"None whatsoever. I understand the need for confidentiality in these matters, but you have to find a way to share this burden."

"I'm sharing it right now, Husband."

Rovaun held him tight and lightly nickered his love, working the magic that only he could conjure. Daniel felt his spirits lifting, thanks to his stallion's blessedly contagious self-assurance. Pandora was right about one thing: Rovaun was Daniel's companion, and neither would ever let go. So at least Rovaun would be with him when he decided the fate of twenty embryos.

"I will do anything to help."

"I know you will," Daniel said drying his eyes. "That's why you're so goddamned dependable."

He accepted the back-handed compliment, wondering how life with his companion could be improved if he were not so goddamned dependable.

Daniel looked into his eyes, "You know what I meant right?"

"I do," he said warmly.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. If it's okay with you, I just want to do this for the rest of the day."

"I shall clear my calendar," he nuzzled.

Rovaun believed in his destiny because he dreamed exclusively of a companionship that would endure for millennia. The certainty in his future provided clarity in the present: peccadillos would pass. No matter how dire the afternoon, the evening would be resolved. It enabled him to be that dependable emotional balm for whatever chafed his companion's soul.

Nevertheless, Pandora could not sleep peacefully with the growing burdens she carried, microscopic burdens that weighed on her like mammoths. She took some comfort knowing that, however this catastrophe turned out, her dependable husband would forgive and forget, perhaps with Varyl's help.

The responsibility of giving life had to be at least as great as taking it. This was what she wrestled with twentyfold, but the problem would not be resolved by sleeping on it. As she dozed, the images in her mind became increasingly bizarre and hallucinatory. Lidless eyeballs with lashes of stinging tentacles swayed hypnotically in an invisible tide, while multi-limbed seahorses danced and devoured each other. It was a tableau worthy of Salvador Dali, had Dali taken DMT with his acid.

She allowed herself to let go of her troubles and join the liquid sky-scape, finding comfort in becoming part of the serene ebb and flow of weirdness. Clown-faced lobsters burrowed painlessly into her abdomen, and that was fine because it was all part of the show. More creatures joined them inside her living circus tent, laughing and dancing to the music of gurgling organs.

Then the camera zoomed out to reveal herself watching herself on TV. The dream had become lucid; she knew she was dreaming and none of it was real, nor could it possibly be a dream of Destiny. An annoying man appeared, asking if her ducts were unsightly, and that was when she made a fatal error. She switched the channel to her own reality show, and was instantly sucked back into the deadly real facts of her demise. Surrounded by screaming loved ones, her body convulsed and hemorrhaged in explicit agony. Then the screen went dark the moment she gave explosive birth to writhing tentacles and shredded intestines.

Pandora awoke sobbing at dawn, too exhausted to bolt up and scream. Rovaun immediately held her close to resume the previous evening's therapy.

"Husband, I die giving birth," she cried.

"No Companion, you've dreamed of your death before," he nickered calmly. "It was always a metaphor. You're not going to die. Our future together is long and beautiful."

"Can you please explain this metaphor?" she cried, played him the dream before he was prepared. His reflexes reacted instantly, kicking her away from him as if she were a rabid grizzly.

"GOOD GOD!" he whinnied in terror. "Companion!... What...?" He gathered himself and scrutinized every frame of the one-second horror show. Whimpering and shaking his head, he determined the images to be terrifyingly true. Visuals and sounds were consistent with prophecy, and their clarity suggested the timing was imminent.

"This cannot be. It is inconsistent with our destiny." He got up to scour the camp for anyone who might be psychically manipulating her. Finding nothing, he returned to offer some consolation.

"Companion," he pleaded, "are you sure this is exactly what you dreamed?"

"You know it is, Husband," she cried. "I couldn't make something like that up."

Rovaun nodded solemnly, "I won't lie to you; this does not look good. I cannot discern who you are giving birth to, Tattoo or Steed, or..." He held her close. "But in your dream, I am there, and so is Fred who has unparalleled healing powers. However, if you do not survive, your soul will live on within me. We will remain together."

Pandora lamented, "I really don't want it to come to that."

"No one does."

She recalled something that had not concerned her until now, that Thaddeus had been so delighted to discover that Steed was NORMAL, not just alive. But Steed was not normal - very, very far from normal. And that was likely the real reason why Thad had left nine months ago.

"Husband, I can't say for sure, but I don't think that thing is Tattoo. Tattoo's parents are from this world."

"But we saw Steed and Tattoo on Fred's display, and he confirmed that they were healthy." Rovaun shook his head. "No, this has to be something else." He paced to dig his own trench then stomped the ground. "Companion! If Thaddeus is manipulating Steed, he might be using him to locate undiscovered spatial ulcers, just as you had suggested."

Pandora shook her head.

"Steed is half virtual; he might be able to open them. And when ulcers are opened," he exhaled for dramatic effect, "things can come through."

"What things!?" she asked, deciding to be even more terrified.

"As Fred would say, that question is expensive."

"Do you mean like an insect or a bird?"

"I don't know, Companion. We don't know what worlds the ulcers connect. They might not even be Earth. But if Steed opened one, he could have been exposed to some disease or some creature and then brought it back with him. And if he did, it might be growing in your womb."

"Oh god!!"

"We have to see Fred now and have him thoroughly examine you."

Pandora followed her husband to Fred's clinic neglecting to clue him in on what she already knew. Then it occurred to her that she already knew practically nothing, except that Steed, whatever he was, now had many more playmates with him. Thad had confessed that his kids were not normal, which would not rule out a giant squid donning a feather boa shaped like Pandora's large intestine. Thad was a proven liar who sometimes told the truth. That made it far more difficult to learn the truth than if he told only lies.

When the two of them reached Fred's tent there was no one around. Azgard, Fred, and much of his equipment were gone.

"He must be making a house call," sighed Rovaun. "We have to find out where he went. Perhaps Shianna knows."

"Husband, let me talk to Josh. If Danny had the same dream, then we know that it has nothing to do with Steed."

Rovaun nodded at his clever companion. "Yes, that is an excellent idea. Perhaps you should talk to Danny as well. I will continue to try to locate Fred."

They kissed and went their separate ways with separate agendas.

Pandora trotted up to Thad's hideout near the bonding rock. He came out to greet the mare with open arms anticipating a ravishing Anthraun to fill them, but found himself wanting instead. "What's wrong?" he said, dropping his arms.

"Tell me about your kids that you left behind. The ones that aren't normal."

He put his hand to his chin, then slowly turned to sit down on the rock to compose an answer.

"I don't have any..."

"Don't lie to me!"

"...that are still alive."

She stood there in shock, unable to choose between hatred and sympathy. When she finally decided, she was less than sympathetic. "What did you put in my womb!"

He stood up, looked her in the eyes and said with conviction, "A perfectly normal, healthy Anthraun."

"But he's NOT normal! He goes away!"

"And I agree with you that we need to understand why. But other than that, Steed is a gift that I am happy to accept."

"Tell me what your other kids were like," she demanded.

He sighed, hating to dredge up such awful memories. "They were NOT normal... horrible. The stuff of nightmares. They didn't even look like mammals."

"Did they look like THIS!?"

Thad cried out at the gruesome image in his head, then stumbled backwards onto the rock again.

"Was that... was that a dream?"

"This morning."

"Oh Pandora... no, I don't know what that could be... Give me a heads up next time... Wow!"

She lowered her head, now starting to feel sympathetic. "I'm sorry about that."

"No, no problem," he said, recovering from the trauma. "I can certainly see why you're upset. No, my kids were not... that. I don't want to talk about them anymore, if you don't mind."

She emerged into a more comfortable shape and sat down next to him, allowing him to put an arm around her and tilt his head against hers. "I want to talk about our perfectly normal and healthy kids, that maybe pop off to Disneyland when you're not looking."

"Thad, I die giving birth to that thing."

"No, you don't."

"Rovaun thinks I do and he's already preparing for it."

"Well, it's good to be prepared, but that dream simply makes no sense. Certainly not by tomorrow, come on! Something would have shown up on the ultrasound."

"What if Steed somehow brought it back with him?"

"Okay, what if he did? It still would have shown up on the ultrasound. You've had a leash on him, since, right?"

Pandora sighed and nodded.

"Would you like a simple explanation? I do have an honorary degree in such matters."

"Okay?"

"Baby Blues. It's very common for expectant mothers to go nuts this close to their due date. You've got untold stress carrying twins, one of them jaunting off to who knows where. You're not getting enough sleep. Your hormones are wack, and you've got at least three personalities in your head, none of which are purely Hipponaur. Your dreams don't predict your death. They are simply an expressive outlet for the monumental strain you're under. With all due respect to Rovaun, he's wrong. But it's still a good idea to be prepared for a disaster. This IS the land of earthquakes."

"Come with me," he said, escorting her to their son. He placed her hand on Nanny's belly and said, "Let's find out just how normal our son is... Steed, give Mommy a high five." She felt a firm slap at her hand through her uterine wall, then heard him giggling.

"There, ya see? Did that feel like a slimy tentacle?"

Pandora smiled and shook her head. "Occam's Razor for the win," she chuckled.

"That's my girl. Now let's sit down again, cuz I got something else I need to talk about."

He composed himself once more to put on his most handsome face, then waited for her to notice it.

"I don't want you to be my pleasure unit."

"Thad," she sighed, "we discussed this."

"I'm not talking about a palace coup, I just think you deserve more than that. I want to be YOUR pleasure unit once in a while."

"You ARE."

"No I'm not. You've been faking it all this time."

"I have not!" she said indignantly, then lowered her eyes and admitted, "I haven't... ever."

"Not ONCE?? Oh, Pandora..."

"It's not my purpose."

"Listen to you. You're not a fembot!! How do you think that makes ME feel?"

"I'm sorry."

"Look, I want to be able to make love to you without always making another kid. Does that sound reasonable to you?"

"Yes," she sighed.

"Do you think you could take a virtual pill to turn off your virtual ovaries?"

"I don't know, maybe."

"Good, because I've been training all night and I think I can finally show you a good time."

"Thad, I'm afraid of what might happen."

"You're afraid you might enjoy it?"

"YES!"

"Then I'm going to fix this bug in your programming."

"No."

"YES!"

He picked her up and leaned her back against a nearly vertical granite slab. She struggled imperceptibly as he held his body close to hers and undressed them both.

"Are you going to rape me now?" she charged.

"I don't think that's what you want," he said, his respiration increasing. He had a plan that required two mares to participate. He glanced around to see Nanny behind him paying close attention. So far, so good.

"I'm not going to rape you. But I AM going to breed you. That's what you want isn't it?"

"No. We can't make any more kids."

"Then turn off your goddamned ovaries. This isn't about making kids. It's about fucking and seeding just for the fun of it, like normal heathens."

"I can't."

"Yes you can, and you will! DO IT!"

He lifted her off the ground and held her against the rock, then she gasped when he mercilessly thrust half his length into her. The mare behind him grunted. Plan A was working.

"If we are going to live the rest of our lives together, we have to be able to do this. You know it and I know it. And it starts right now!"

He thrust upward and deep and held, evoking another gasp and grunt, then backed off and thrust once more and held. Pandora wrapped arms and legs around him like a koala in a storm. It gave her some leverage to prevent him from achieving his goal, and he acknowledged the tell.

"That's it, Lover. Make me work for it."

He backed off and thrust again, holding his breath, pushing and straining to reach her cervix. She squeezed her limbs to lift off just enough to prevent it, but she could feel her muscles weakening. There was an audible splat behind him.

This was a sexual battle that Pandora was designed to win, because the loser always came first. But Thad had spent several hours planning an attack from behind - the Hipponaur behind him - who until now had been the neglected "mare behind the curtain." He raised his tail for her to watch as he flexed his powerful glutes to thrust and hold. He fucked her as a feral stallion fucked a mare in heat, taking her, thrusting briefly, reaching for her cervix, and then holding deep while he bred her. The stud usually finished before the mare got hers. But this Anthraun stud had emptied his balls the night before, making sure Pandora would win the race, and lose.

He flicked his tail in Nanny's face to fan his scent. She dropped her nose down to get a better whiff, and gave his balls a lick as he thrust once more. It sent a sexual shock through his spine that set his balls rumbling, which he fought off by driving even harder.

"No..."

"YES!"

He was winning. Nanny was micturating. Pandora was losing.

"Let it happen," he whispered, "No pushing, no linking, no cheating. Let's be honest for once."

"No..."

"YES!"

He bit into her shoulder and held one final thrust. She let go and slid down that last inch that lost her the battle. With her full weight borne by the base of his cock, he ground her to a finish. The pulsing around his root sync'ed with the wet squicking of mare clitoris behind him. Soon a thick flow of eggnog drizzled through Nanny's tale: mare-gasm by proxy achieved. It was the best orgasm he never had.

"Now you've done it," she said dreadfully, as he carefully slid her down to the ground. They sat side-by-side leaning against the new bonding rock, with Thad feeling quite pleased with himself. Nanny dropped to the ground and indulged herself with some rolling in the dust, grunting contentedly.

Thad grinned at her antics as his respiration recovered. "I guess I don't have to ask."

Staring sullenly at the ground, Pandora was not amused by any of it. He reached his arm around her but she flinched it away. Unoffended, he returned it to his lap, knowing that he had just given her a whole lot more to think about. It had to be done and he wasn't sorry. He was just happy to sit next to his sexy companion and watch his son roll around inside a mare.

"Are you having fun in there, Steed?" he called out, but couldn't hear a reply. It was more about cheering up his mate, anyway.

"You got your wish," she said coolly. "I'm not your pleasure unit anymore."

"Good," he said cheerfully, hoping that it was good.

"I don't think you realize what you've done. You fucking rewired my brain! AGAIN!"

"I did not push you," he insisted.

"It doesn't matter. The result is the same."

"The result seems to have turned you into a bitch."

She glared at him open-mouthed, long enough for him to look away.

"That's EXACTLY what you've done!"

"Pandora, this is nuts. I just wanted..."

"And stop calling me NUTS!" She saw Nanny rolling around and imagined that a straitjacket would complete the self-portrait.

"Okay, I'll stop saying that, but I just did you a big favor. Believe it or not I like you a lot better this way. You're not a fembot anymore. Now you are a REAL self-aware conscious being demanding your rights. That's GOOD!"

"But don't you SEE!" she cried. "You have made me the dominant personality in her! Danny has been demoted. Which means Rovaun has been demoted. And I can't DO that to him!" She whaled on his chest in despair. He caught her hands and embraced her, allowing her to sink into him and weep.

"I didn't mean to do that, I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"The damage is done."

"Oh stop it. You and Danny are not separate individuals like Steed and Tattoo. There is a huge amount of overlap. You both have the same memories, the same feelings, the same opinions, and despite being opposite genders, you both love horsecock. You're like a big hot fudge sundae with a dusting of sprinkles on the left side and some nuts on the right. I prefer sprinkles; Rovaun prefers nuts. And maybe now there are a little more sprinkles than nuts. So what. Everything else is the same. Rovaun and I can face each other at the table and share you for dessert."

"There you go calling me nuts again."

"No, I called Danny nuts, and thank you for making my point."

She sniffled.

"Rovaun and Danny are still companions; you and I are still companions. I'm one hundred percent okay with letting Danny have Rovaun whenever he wants, and since I outrank Rovaun, he'll be fine with that, too. This is win-win-win no matter how anyone looks at it. Did we make any more kids today?"

"Not today," she lied, since it was only technically true.

"Good. Tomorrow is an important day and you're obviously stressed about it, which is normal. Do you believe all the kids are normal and healthy?"

She nodded.

"Do you believe they will be born normal and healthy tomorrow?"

She sighed and nodded again.

"Then there is nothing to be stressed about."

"It's not that easy."

"I can make it that easy."

"No!"

"Come on, let me help. It will be a low-level push that you can block if you want to. It's just a confidence-builder. Trust me."

She mulled over the irresponsible idea of willingly getting mind-fucked again, but decided to risk it. "I really would like to be able to stop worrying about it."

"Then here we go." He hugged her close and started the nudge. She sensed her mind's cynical defenses fading. "Can you feel that?" he asked calmly.

"Yes."

"That's as strong as it's going to get. Are you still in control?"

"I think so."

"Then let's begin... Everything's fine..." he said smoothly.

"It's all good," she replied.

"The kids are all healthy and normal..."

"Of course they're healthy and normal. Why wouldn't they be?"

"They will be born tomorrow on schedule without any problems..."

"Shianna and Varyl certainly think so." She took a deep breath and let all her anxieties out.

"Rovaun loves Danny, I love you, we'll all get along just fine. Everything's fine." He ended the session.

Pandora opened her eyes. "That works really well," she nuzzled.

"It works the best when I'm telling you what you already know. And now that you've experienced it, any time you feel a need to relax, you can mentally return to this session, and everything will be fine once again."

"I noticed you gave yourself a little plug at the end."

"Just telling you what you already know, Hon."

She brought her nose to his crotch. "Is that why it's made me really horny again?"

"Because that's what's fine and normal," he chuckled, gently lifting her head up. "Here's an idea. Why don't you take Danny back to his husband and deal with your horniness using nuts instead of sprinkles?"

"Why didn't I think of that?" she winked.

He kissed her as a caring spouse would, not with flaming passion, but with sincerity that communicated security and stability. This was going to work, because for him there was no Plan B.

When Pandora returned to Rovaun, Daniel leapt into his husband's embrace and kissed him, not as a caring spouse, but with the flaming passion of a reunited lover.

"Com...mmm...mmpan...yumm..."

Daniel laid his chin on his lover's chest and smiled brightly up at him. "I'm nuts..."

Rovaun wasn't sure how to respond to that assertion.

"...And you prefer nuts to sprinkles."

"You certainly sound nuts, Companion. And if you ARE nuts, then I most definitely prefer nuts."

Daniel chuckled and let his husband know, "Everything's fine."

"Did you discover if Bizarro Danny experienced the same dream this morning?"

"Oh, that... I'm done worry about that. Josh and Danny are back together. Everything's fine."

"That is good news," he nickered.

"Yep... and if that awful dream is my destiny, so be it. Live life while you're alive."

"As I said, Companion, we will remain together, regardless. And I have to say that I think this is a much healthier attitude."

"Me too. Let's fuck."

"I can think of no reason not to."

"And when we're finally done fucking, guess what we're going to do next."

"Welcome home, Companion."

Chapter 47. Fred and Azgard Make Haste

Nearly an hour behind schedule, Fred drove a rental truck to the Founder's Day Parade staging area desperately searching for his mate. In the back seat was an AI syringe with a carefully-prepared sample, equal parts Azgard, equal parts Fred. Getting the proportions just right was critical to a successful Anthraun insemination. If any unpaired straggler made it to the Goldilocks egg first, the cortical reaction would make the whole venture a bust until next time. And there would be no next time if this time failed.

"Where the hell are you," he muttered. "'You can't miss it,' he says. 'Look for horses.' No shit. There are horses everywhere!"

He pulled to a stop to look around, and was quickly greeted by Security tapping on his window.

"Sir this area is for authorized participants only."

"It's okay, I'm a vet," he said, rolling down his window. He pointed to the magnetic placard on the door that he had ordered custom-made off of Etsy. Security was unimpressed.

"It says you're a futility specialist."

"Fertility... wait, does it really say that? DAMMIT!"

"Is there a fertility emergency, Dr. McHenry?"

"NO! ... Uh, that's just what I specialize in."

"Then I'm going to have to ask you to move your vehicle, sir. Parking lot is that way."

"Okay fine," he said, rolling up the window and driving on.

He turned a corner and found his mate, haltered and tied to a large, expensive, company-branded horse trailer. Fred leapt out of his truck to rescue him.

"Where have you been, Companion!"

"Azgard, why are you tied up?"

"I'm not tied up, I'm incognito. Don't you recognize the most basic of slip knots?"

"Yes I do, Clever Clyde. And THIS is not a slip knot!" Fred yanked hard on the loose end of the lead rope, closing a loop that secured it to the trailer.

Azgard sighed, "You are right, Companion. Now it is no longer a slip knot."

"Oh shit!" said Fred, frantically working it loose. "Where's your mother?"

"I think we are too late, Companion. She is already in the lead position. The parade starts in less than a minute."

"Goddammit," he cursed, still working on the knot.

Security tapped him on the shoulder.

"Sir, I need to see your credentials, NOW."

"It's okay, I'm a vet."

Azgard broke out of his halter and fell to the ground, squealing and biting himself. Security reacted quickly into his comm, "We have an equine medical emergency at Trailer One. Vet is on scene."

"Roger that."

"I need to get my kit," said Fred to Security, whom he concluded was a moonlighting cop. "I'll be right back!" Fred ran to the truck to get his AI syringe, but didn't get very far. "WHERE THE HELL IS MY TRUCK!"

He spun around 360 degrees; it was nowhere in sight. He ran back to Security. "Someone stole my truck!"

Security called into his comm, "We have a situation at Trailer One, Equine medical emergency, missing vehicle, and possible code 8."

Command replied, "Need you at crowd control, front of the parade."

"Get up!" whispered Fred to Azgard, who quickly complied. Fred put a hand under the Clydesdale's chin and slowly led him around in circles. "He'll be fine. He just needs to walk it through."

Security gave him a look, then replied into his comm, "Roger that. Cancel emergency at Trailer One."

Fred gave him an eager thumbs up which did not improve his credibility.

"Sir, I recommend you halter that horse," said Security as he headed to the parade's front lines.

Fred led Azgard to the other side of the trailer, where fewer eyes were upon them.

"It's over, Companion."

"No! We're not going to get another chance for a year!"

"A year of a Hipponaur's lifetime is not so long to wait. You will live just as long and see for yourself."

"But you said she might leave on her own when she tires of it."

"I don't see any options, Companion."

The desperate wannabe rich and famous Anthraun daddy came up with one. "Bukkake Bay!"

"Companion... that is HIGHLY inappropriate!!"

"Bukkake Bay! Play it! It never fails!"

"Look around, Companion! People can see us!"

"No time to worry about that. Besides the parade has started, they'll be more interested in that. Plus I specialize in difficult fertility cases. I can't do this without your help. Go!"

Fred unzipped and crawled underneath the tremendous stallion, while Azgard linked his favorite home video to emulate the action. Fred placed his face at Azgard's sheath while masturbating furiously into his left hand. A Clydesdale-sized phallus emerged and flared instantly, pressing into his face as it lengthened. Licking feverishly at the acrid inner skin of the equine trombone, Fred felt his face being swallowed alive as he indulged in his favorite fetish. Within seconds, he was soaked with semen, as was the palm of his left hand.

No time for sperm density analysis, he wiped his face with two fingers and guestimated a fifty-fifty ratio which he swirled into his palm. After zipping up he crawled out from under the stallion to meet four camera phones pointed at him.

"Dammit I'm a DOCTOR, not a porn star!"

Fred held tight to the zygotes in his palm as he made his way through the crowds. His paparazzi remained behind, competing to be the first to upload "Bukkake Bay Area Backroads." Security still had him on their radar and closed in.

"Azgard, you need to create a diversion, then somehow stop this parade."

The stallion reared up snorting furiously, then ran through the crowd sending people scattering.

"Loose horse on parade route!" bombarded command central to several patrols, sending all hands to intercept.

Fred followed his mate through the parted crowds to the front.

The stallion caught up to his mother, and paced alongside her as they ushered the Grand Marshal in a Cadillac convertible behind them.

"Azgard, what are you doing!"

"Change of plans, Mom. We have to do the AI now."

"Preposterous!"

His mother's rider tried to shoo him away with the company's banner, but Azgard ignored her. "I have to stop the parade for a minute. It won't take long."

Azgard took the lead in the parade where security had instructions to shoot to kill.

"Oh Christ! Azgard STOP!" shouted Fred when he saw their weapons pointed at him.

The stallion froze, halting everything behind him in a confused traffic jam of restless horses and out-of-step marching bands. The ratcheting of shotguns caused a few people to panic. Azgard had to act before it got worse, so he took a graceful bow and waited for the applause. The context looked like he was surrendering. Nothing happened but nervous murmuring for a few seconds until Fred got it started.

"WOOHH - WOOOOOHH," he applauded and whistled. Azgard stood up and bowed again, and the crowd slowly joined in, believing it was all just for show.

"Stand down," came over all comm links; firearms lowered. Azgard's job was only half done. The parade was paused, but his mother was exposed behind him with no way for Fred to reach her. So he started spinning in place, performing a riderless reining pattern that whipped the crowd into a cheering lather. Hordes formed around him to witness and record the amazing spectacle of a talented Clydesdale at liberty.

"Atta-boy Azgard," grinned Fred as he slinked toward his mother.

The stallion bowed again to more sustained applause, then gracefully reared up on two hind legs and held the stance for an easy world record, then slowly turned on two feet to the deafening cheers and bustle of the crowds, who fought each other to capture it all on video. Security was overwhelmed with spectators running through the parade to get a better view.

"Azgard, stop showboating!" demanded his mother. "Everyone is looking at you instead of me."

"My companion is right behind you, Mom. He has the AI specimen for you."

"Nonsense!"

"Pardon me, Mom," said Fred. "This will only take a second. Sorry, there's no J-Lube. Somebody stole it." Fred rolled up his sleeve and worked his left arm into her vagina.

"OOOH!!" She reared and kicked the air in protest, causing her rider to drop her banner. "Azgard! This is DISGRACEFUL!"

"Sorry, Mom. It couldn't be helped."

Security noticed the commotion with The Queen and moved in.

Azgard trumpeted loudly to divert them back to his one-horse Cirque du Soleil show, then while still standing on two hind feet, he slowly lifted his right hoof off the ground. Security lost all communication as the decibels from the roaring crowd rivaled a Spinal Tap performance.

"Where the hell is your cervix!" fretted Fred, nearly up to his shoulder and rapidly running out of reach.

"Hurry up!" she demanded. "I'm out of patience!"

A security guard grabbed hold of his free arm. The Queen kicked him into the Grand Marshal's windshield.

"The next one is for you!"

"Yes Ma'am!" he said, working his shoulder joint inside but still could not reach her cervix with a closed fist. Three more guards came upon him giving him no choice but to release his semen outside her uterus. When he opened his hand, his finger tips brushed the cervical lip he'd been reaching for. Pushing off a guard he gained enough thrust to get his middle finger inside before the other two clobbered him and dropped him to the ground.

"It's okay. I'm a futility specialist!"

Azgard carefully lowered himself to the ground, allowing his cheering fans to rush forward and pet him. Then he dutifully followed his apprehended companion back to the staging area. Security cuffed Fred's hands behind his back and sat him down on the ground by Trailer One, where Azgard was haltered and tied again. Three guards in his vicinity drank coffee and conversed, otherwise ignoring him.

"Overall I'd say that went well," whispered Fred to Azgard, quite oblivious of the number of years he would likely spend in prison. "She's about to enter estrus, right?"

"How should I know?"

Fred shot him a look. "Because she's your mother!"

"And do you always know when YOUR mother is in estrus, Companion?"

"I do, actually," he whispered angrily. "Never! Because she's menopausal!"

"Then it's a good thing you didn't artificially inseminated HER up to your shoulder!"

"What was I supposed to..." He noticed three guards staring at him. Glaring back at them, he blurted, "I'm talking to my lawyer!"

A sheriff's SUV hitched to a single-load horse trailer pulled up alongside them. The sheriff got out and had a few words with the security guards, who then nodded and departed, thankful to be relieved of the responsibility of protecting the world from Dr. McPervy. The sheriff grinned and swaggered over to the perp.

"Doc-tor Mc-Hen-ry...," said spider to fly.

"Hello Mark," fly nervously replied. "Call me Fred?"

"It's so good to see you again, Fred. You can call me 'Sheriff Matthews, SIR!'"

"Congratulations on your promotion, Sheriff Mathews, SIR!" said Fred, trying his best to sound sincere. "How's Bridgett?"

"So thoughtful of you to ask. I lost that beautiful mare to equine encephalitis six months ago. Long, slow horrible death. Thank you so much for dredging that up. Sure could have used a sympathetic friend back then."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Sheriff Mathews, SIR."

The sheriff sighed, "You don't really have to call me that. 'Sheriff Matthews' will suffice. It's just that you never called me anything because you never called me at all."

"I was busy... with Azgard's training."

"I can see that. Quite a performance," he said, letting everyone know the excuse was bullshit. He walked up to Azgard with a smirk and stared him in the eye.

Azgard glared back and muttered in 1930's Chicago gangsterese, "What are you lookin' at, copper?"

"I'm lookin' at you, Mugsy," he replied, not missing a beat.

Azgard flinched. "I think he can hear me, Companion."

"Oh... fucking hell."

"'Companion,'" remarked the sheriff. "That pretty much says it all."

"I'm not saying anything until I get a lawyer," asserted Fred.

"No problem. Me and Azgard G. Robinson can chew the fat."

"Don't say anything, Azgard!"

The stallion clammed up.

Sheriff shrugged. "It's time to take care of business, anyway... So let's see here..." He flipped through a notebook. "My goodness, so many felonies." Then he switched to his Smartphone. "...And so many hits on YouTube!... Wait, what's this." He gawked at the video, then LOLed. "Bukkake Bay! Now that is a Zeta classic! Though I'd have pegged Azgard as more sorrel than bay, but these things are subjective. I think this is my favorite remake... Hold on, I need to archive it before they pull it down." He focused on tapping his phone a dozen times, then seemed pleased with the results. "You are going to be famous, Dr. Fred McHenry!

Fred dropped his head, which he would have face-palmed if his palms weren't cuffed behind him.

"Are you a registered sex offender, Fred McHenry?" he asked, filling out his paperwork.

"No."

"We'll have to remedy that, won't we."

Fred sighed.

"Do you have Azgard's paperwork?"

Fred sighed again.

The sheriff put down his notepad. "You are really swimming in it today. All right, let's get you booked." The sheriff lifted him to his feet.

"Wait, Mark... Sheriff Matthews, SIR! Couldn't we just go to the biker bar and make out like old times?"

The sheriff smirked at him, then licked some Hipponaur spunk off his face and winked at Azgard. "No."

Azgard nickered in amusement.

"That place has changed ownership... not too long after we frequented it, actually. It's too liberal for my tastes, now. What a shame. Not that I blame you for ruining such a great dive," he paused and sighed. "But I do."

"Sorry," was all Fred could muster.

"You see, Fred, I've been doing my homework to earn this Junior Detective Badge I found in my Frosted Flakes this morning. Do you remember Templeton? Cuz he sure remembers you. And he was very disappointed that you turned down his offer of employment at his horse fucking farm."

"Breeding facility."

"Like I said. Anyways, I took the liberty of searching your truck..."

"You found my truck?"

"You can see it right there in the parking lot."

Fred invisibly face-palmed again.

"By the way, I think you can fix that typo with a Sharpie. Anyways, I found your AI syringe and other equipment, which, unless you really do specialize in futility, you shouldn't leave in the hot sun like that, but I digress. It appears that you consider yourself a free agent, and you attempted an unauthorized AI session with the company mascot, is that correct?"

"Do I have to answer?"

"Not to me, but you will answer to someone."

"I want my lawyer."

"According to the guards, he's standing next to you taking a dump. So here's what I think. Somehow, your legal counsel, here, discovered that the owners of Queen Victoria Regina were having trouble successfully breeding her, and you and he decided to take it upon yourselves to offer your assistance. So the state will argue that this was either an obscenely lascivious enticement of every minor present, or it was an opportunity to perform a valuable public service. It depends on how you choose to be booked."

"I have a choice?"

"We all have choices. You can choose to be booked as a serial sex offender, or..."

Fred gaped vacantly at him.

"Think..." said the mirrored sunglasses. "Hard."

Fred was still clueless, so Azgard gave him a hint by untying himself and walking into the horse trailer. Sheriff cracked a smile.

"Come to think of it," said Fred finally catching on, "I think we ARE booked for the rest of the day... and night... in fact, all weekend."

The sheriff helped him to his feet, but left him cuffed just for fun.

"Pony rides," continued Fred, "then dinner and a movie... My treat, of course."

The sheriff waved to security as they drove off.

"And afterwards, Azgard always needs a thorough cleansing. I could sure use the help. He's so big. And dirty. So very, very big and dirty."

The sheriff hit the siren, lights, and accelerator.

Chapter 48. Birth Day

"Tattoo, please find Mommy," groaned Daniel, utterly sapped of energy. The virtual man was experiencing the best hangover of his virtual life - every muscle ached for all the right reasons. His young son assisted him into his equine body, which rolled over and happily sighed, refreshingly spent from several hours of all manner of semen swapping with his forever husband. Everything's fine.

"Don't worry, be happy," smiled Pandora.

"Companion, philosophically, you are becoming more and more Hipponaur every day."

"Me and Bobby McFerrin."

"Never let go of your humanity. It arouses in me a desire that is rarely quenched except during exquisite moments like this."

"You mean it was good for you, too?" giggled Pandora with a stomach full of semen that Daniel had transferred to her. "You are too good to waste, Husband. I'm stuffed - yet again."

"Nevertheless, I think we should get something else to eat before hitting the hay. Though your virtual essence is temporarily satisfying and filling..."

"I know, I know, insert Chinese food cliche here."

They met Shianna and Malaya grazing in the meadow at dusk. Malaya wasn't so much grazing as she was snatching grass and jittering with anticip...

"You two look exhausted," sympathized Shianna.

"We are," said Pandora. "I, for one, am going to sleep well tonight."

"As shall I."

Shianna rose up. "I thought you couldn't sleep. What's going on!?"

"We just spent most of the afternoon really enjoying each other's company."

"Why wasn't I invited?" she pouted.

Rovaun consoled her, "This was personal time just for my companion and myself. No creepy girls allowed."

Pandora chimed in, "We threw ourselves a bachelor party the night before having to become responsible parents."

"I don't get it. You two are married. How is having sex irresponsible?"

Pandora felt she was stating the obvious, "Because now we'll have kids and be too tired to ever have sex again."

Shianna snorted, "Says who?"

"It's a natural law of human biology to make sure that responsible parents never exceed their allotted marketing demographic."

"Sucks to be human," Shianna shrugged. "I don't plan on turning off my libido just because somebody's nursing down there."

"And neither should you, Companion," nuzzled Biggus Dickus.

"Besides," said Shianna, "the kids have been getting poked and soaked by 'Hi Pops' every night. They know what's going on."

Pandora chuckled, feeling more optimistic than ever. "Is everything set for tomorrow?"

Shianna ran through her itinerary. "Contractions begin around sunrise. Dr. Fred is expecting us at his clinic. Parceph, Jeremiah and Varyl will be there. And within an hour...," she beamed, not needing to finish.

Malaya took roll call, "Are you ready for your birthday tomorrow, Tantau?"

"Yes."

"And you, Tattoo?"

"Yes."

"And you, Steed?"

"Yes."

"Squeeee I'm so excited!"

"Get a good night's rest everyone. Tomorrow we make history."

That night Rovaun and Pandora laid down comfortably and kissed each other good night.

"Everything's fine," purred Pandora.

"There is nothing to worry about," replied her mate.

"See you in the morning, Pops."

"Bright and early, Mommy."

Though Rovaun nodded off immediately, Pandora lay awake, somewhat struck by the incongruence of the term he had just used for her. It was Thad's term for her, not his, but she brushed it aside. There was nothing to worry about. Steed and Tattoo would be born tomorrow. The other twenty embryos would not be. And that was fine. Everything's fine. Except that it wasn't fine. How could it possibly be fine? The right turn was fine, but she took the other one. Now she was heading for Complete Mutherfucking Disasterville. She didn't want to think about it, and now was not the time to think about it. So she took Thad's advice and returned to her guided relaxation session. Everything's fine. The Kids are Alright. Born in the USA. Everybody Loves Raymond. Everything's fine. She felt herself drifting off, and that was fine too. And at almost the exact moment that she fell asleep, nothing happened.

At dawn, Rovaun was roused by the sound of a mare in obvious discomfort. "Companion, your contractions have begun. Let me help you up. We need to head over to Dr. Fred's clinic." Though the feral mare was conscious, she was running on autopilot and not articulately responsive.

"Companion?" he said getting up and looking around for a virtual man, who was nowhere to be seen. It was not standard procedure for Daniel to be out of sight of Nanny, which put Rovaun in the precarious position of having to call him back, no matter what crisis he was tending to.

"Tattoo, please find Mommy," he commanded.

"Mommy's asleep."

Rovaun found that response worrisome. "Steed, where's Mommy."

"Tattoo's right. Mommy's asleep."

"What day is it?" he asked, testing him again.

"Tattoo's birthday."

"Is it your birthday, too?"

"No."

Neither conversation was heading in the right direction, forcing Rovaun to change tactics. "COMPANION WAKE UP!" he shouted, kicking the mare where the most pain would cause the least damage. Nanny squealed angrily and got up to escape her attacker, who then tackled her back to the ground. She brayed in terror as if brought down by wolves, leaving him to conclude that the kids were mistaken; Mommy was not here.

Rovaun focused a powerful link to call her soul back from whatever realm it had vanished. With a clap, Pandora instantly achieved sentience and then declared, "Owww!"

"Companion!"

"Husband, what are you doing?" she groaned. "Fuck... everything hurts!"

Rovaun dropped his head in thankful grace, then asked her, "Where have you been?"

"I don't know... unconscious?" she said, painfully rolling over to stand up.

"I have never known you to sleep so soundly."

"So you woke me up with a cricket bat," she grunted, falling back down.

"Unfortunately. I apologize."

"I love you, too," she sighed, re-attempting ambulation. "And... OWWW... again!"

"Your contractions have started."

"Is that what that is? I've recently had worse."

"Again, I apologize."

"I'll accept your apology, but only with tongue."

The stallion met her demands in between contractions when his tongue was less likely to be bitten off.

"I just hope I can get some sleep someday," she said, feeling another contraction coming on.

"Weren't you asleep just now?"

"If you say so. I don't remember anything except dropping off last night. But I'm still really tired like... something that is really tired."

"You can sleep in an hour after the beasts are released."

"Are you ready to be released Tattoo?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Are you ready for your birthday?"

"YES!"

"How about you, Steed?"

"YES!"

"Is there any law that says I can't fall asleep while birthing baby beasts?"

"Only the law of averages."

The sound of bitching grew louder as they approached Dr. Fred's clinic. Malaya clung to her father, Hurroll, almost as tightly as Jeremiah, trembling inside Fat Fuck, clung to Parceph. Rovaun and Pandora were late to their own party, Fred, Azgard and Varyl were no-shows, and Whitesnake was spitting venom and striking at irresponsible veterinarians all around her.

"Well it's about fucking time!" Shianna shouted as they neared. "Where the hell is Fred! Is he with you?"

"You told us he would be here," said Rovaun calmly.

"Well he's not, OBVIOUSLY!"

"Calm down, Shiann..."

"GODDAMMIT! Everyone stop telling me to calm down. You're not about to drop a kid in a couple minutes. Someone go hogtie Fred and drag him back here... preferably over a gravel road!"

Pandora stepped forward and calmly laid down on a large blanket that someone had thoughtfully spread out for them. Shianna saw her twice as pregnant as herself and suddenly had the bitter taste of crow in her mouth.

"Oh god, I'm sorry," she said, lying down next to her. "This is supposed to be OUR day. Fred promised me he'd be here to make sure it went smoothly."

"Have your contractions begun, too?" asked Pandora, wincing as her own kicked in again.

"Yes. This part sucks. If Fred doesn't get here soon, I hope he can set his own bones."

"Does your dream show him assisting?"

"Well... sort of. I mean he cuts their cords and then they run around a lot..." She replayed the dream in her head. "Oh hell... It isn't Fred. It's Jeremiah."

Fat Fuck's eyes popped out. "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Whitey? I don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' babies."

"Go on, Companion," said Parceph nudging him forward and suppressing his profound amusement.

Out of kicking range, Jeremiah emerged and asked meekly, "Ma'am, uh, what is it y'all expect me to do?"

"Nothing," said Shianna.

"Gotcha covered," he said, regaining his confidence. "Heck, being a vet ain't so tough."

"Ohhnngghh, here comes a big one," gritted Shianna, followed by lots of words that adolescents look up online.

Pandora was too tired to care about Shianna's contractions, not to mention her own. She took faith in Shianna's dream letting Destiny guide her kids to safety, and returned to her coma of blessed nothingness. Inside the mares' wombs, the kids buzzed with each other.

"I think we're supposed to get born now," said Tantau. "It's getting really cramped in here."

"Yeah, in here too... Are you ready to get born, Steed?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm not supposed to."

"Says who?"

"Nanny."

"But... she didn't tell me that!"

"What's going on?" asked Tantau.

"Nanny told Steed he's not supposed to get born!"

"Why would she tell him and not us?"

"It could be a trap!"

"You two are supposed to get born, not me," said Steed.

"I changed my mind! I like it in here."

"Me too!"

The Anthrauns turned around and braced against the opening uteruses that were pushing them out. Shianna cursed in pain. Pandora grunted.

"Tantau, what the fuck are you doing!?" screamed Shianna.

"Tattoo says it's a trap."

"Tantau, get your ass out here, NOW!... And Pandora, why aren't you helping?"

The black mare bestially groaned and grunted.

"What the fuck," cursed Shianna. "Nanny!?... Errrggh! Daniel Fucking Racher, get your craven ass back into this fucking mare and push out your goddamn kids NOW!"

Rovaun took charge. "Steed, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to come out now?"

"No."

"Neither do your brothers. Why don't you want to come out?"

"I'm not supposed to."

Rovaun paused to ponder that, then changed his strategy. "That's a funny game you played on your brothers. Can I tell you a secret?"

"Yes." All buzzing halted to allow for proper eavesdropping.

"Now that you fooled them, you can be the first Anthraun born in this world. And that means you can also be the first to climb to the top of this beautiful tree."

Both mares' bellies rumbled violently as the competitive brothers clawed their way to the outside world. The winner by a nose dive was Tattoo, hitting the ground a tenth of a second before Tantau. Steed was content to remain behind.

"I win!" declared Tattoo, standing up in victory.

"It was a tie," frowned Tantau.

"As an impartial referee in this contest," stepped up Jeremiah with virtual scissors, "that, there was about the closest horse race I reckon I'll ever see." He snipped and tied Tattoo's cord... "But, Tattoo did cross the finish line first." ...And snipped and tied Tantau's.

"I WIN!" danced Tattoo in circles.

"However," continued the ref, "I think Tattoo might have gotten an unfair boost in the butt by Steed on his way out. So, I declare this race a tie. You BOTH win!"

Tantau liked that more than Tattoo.

"Now shake hands like good sports,... and hug each other like brothers and the best friends you'll always be."

Parceph smiled proudly at his companion.

"...And for the next contest, let's see who can get to the creek the fastest and wash up."

The little Anthrauns gawked at each other, then raced to the creek, giggling and splashing around. Malaya rushed to join them.

"Hee-hee, cute little pups," admired Jeremiah. "You want some, Flycatcher?"

"I'm thinking about it now," he smiled. "Good work, Companion."

Rovaun knelt down next to his mate, who was in the same feral state as this morning. A full force link shook her out of it. "You can wake up now, Companion."

Pandora's sentience returned. "What happened?"

"You were asleep the whole time!?" asked Shianna, incredulously.

"I was really tired. What did I miss?"

"Oh nothing," chuckled Shianna, in a more favorable mood. "Our kids are a dream come true. And your husband saved the day. He's the reason for the one-in-a-million chance of tandem births."

"Oh, Husband look at them!" beamed Pandora. "Where's Steed?"

"You can't tell?" laughed her mate.

"Oh," she said looking down. "There's so much more room in there now and the contractions have stopped... Steed, are you okay?"

"Yes."

Rovaun shrugged. "I see no reason not to let him stay in there another month, do you?"

"I guess not, as long as he stops slam dancing."

Jeremiah held up two afterbirths still connected to umbilicals like meat balloons from an outtake of "It." "Whadaya want me to do with these?"

"I don't know," said Shianna. "Have them bronzed?"

"I'll save 'em for Fred," he decided.

"I'd like to strangle him with them," said Shianna.

Feeling a little better, Pandora spread the love into Shianna's shoulder to cheer her up. It always worked, but this time it also caused them both to lactate.

"Oooohh I want to suck on you so bad," moaned Shianna.

"My stomach's grumbling for sweet sugar, too."

They pulled back and gazed lustfully at each other, then sighed and cursed the timing.

"KIDS!" they called, "come here and eat your breakfast before your mommies do!"

The young Anthrauns curtailed their water sports to run back and get milk, each latching on to his birth mother. The mares continued to nuzzle while the kids suckled and giggled and poked at each other. Rovaun looked over his family and declared his life an indubitable triumph, then went over to Parceph and Jeremiah to thank them and discuss other matters.

In the distance, a small rider bounced on a large horse that galloped toward them. "Am I late? Did I miss anything??"

"Well, well, look who showed up just in time to send us a bill."

"Oh damn I missed it. Sorry," said Fred, sliding off Azgard and landing on his ass, then he gazed at the kids in awe. "Oh my god, they're beautiful."

Tattoo and Tantau smirked at the silly man while still enjoying their breakfast.

"Where's Steed?"

"He decided to wait another month," said Pandora.

"Really!" said Fred, very surprised to hear that, then shrugged. "Well, all right. Which one is Tantau?"

"Shh, kids, don't tell him," said Shianna. "He's the expert. Let's see if he can figure it out."

Fred stood up and grinned, "I accept your challenge, m'lady." He paced with a finger to his lips. "The obvious clue is that Tantau would be suckling from Shianna. But perhaps that is why she thinks I will guess incorrectly."

"I'm not asking you to guess. Tell us, smart guy."

"Very well," said Fred, performing a close-up examination of the kids' physical traits. He looked in their eyes and ears, examined their hands and hooves, and tickled their bellies making them giggle and dribble. When he was done he stood up with the happiest grin. "I figured out all I need to know!"

"So? Which is which?" asked Shianna.

"I have absolutely no idea," he said, hugging his mate. "Azgard, there is no notable difference between them. They sure look like brothers, yet only one of them has a biological mother. This is FANTASTIC!"

"I'm happy for you, Companion."

"Be happy for US!"

"Okay?"

"Maybe these'll help," said Jeremiah, handing him the meat balloons.

Fred gasped in horror then glee when he realized what he was holding. "Thanks, Jerry!" he said trotting them to his tent.

Tattoo looked at Tantau and crossed his eyes, causing Tantau to snort milk out his nose. Then they both got up and ran back to the creek to splash around some more. Malaya jumped in and swam around a log that was floating in a shaded pool. Tantau climbed onto her back and rode with her as she swam. Tattoo climbed up on the bobbing log and precariously balanced while walking its length.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing," said Pandora proudly.

"They are amazing," agreed Shianna. "Wanna make more?"

Pandora bit her lip. "I'm working on it."

"What's the matter, Hon?"

"Oh... so many things can go wrong in a day, let alone a month."

"You need an attitude adjustment, my dear. And it is right over there having fun in the pond. All the things that went wrong in the last ten months are no match for what went right today."

Pandora nodded and smiled, never having been so entertained by kids at play. Tattoo screeched as the log tipped sending him splashing into the pool. Tantau swam to it to take his place, but then changed his mind when he saw Malaya getting out. Pandora took a breath and held it.

Fred emerged from his tent and proceeded to unload the equipment that Azgard was still packing in trash bags slung over his back.

"So where were you all this time," scolded Shianna.

"Uh... we had a little run-in with the police."

"A dirty cop," grinned Azgard.

Fred raised an eyebrow to him. "Not one word."

"We'll talk later," Shianna whispered to Azgard.

Tantau climbed back onto Malaya as she pulled herself and her rider out of the water. She told him to hold tight, then shook herself off to his screaming delight. Up next was his first riding lesson. She trotted in short circles and could feel that Tantau had a natural seat, so she challenged him by running faster, barrel racing around trees. Tantau yippeed with laughter and held on. The log bobbed calmly as ripples on the pool faded away - ripples that pounded like ocean surf in Pandora's ears. Shianna made small talk that failed to register at all.

Tantau slid off and hugged his mount, then the two of them took a torturously meandering route as they casually returned to the water's edge.

"Look down!" implored Pandora with her mind, and it seemed that Tantau had heard her. He reached down and picked up a pine cone, then tossed it into the pond, watching it bob on the surface next to the log. The fresh ripples obscured the view of what was occurring underneath. Malaya scanned around for Tattoo, then looked in the wrong direction, up in the trees. Suddenly remembering the reason for being born, Tantau started his own arboreal ascent. Pandora ran out of oxygen. Her lungs exploded gasping aloud "ROVAUN!" The stallion swung around to the pool just as Tattoo broke the surface.

"Look what I found!" he said, treading water. Then he held up a shiny piece of translucent quartz crystal.

Tantau jumped down from the tree to gaze at it. "Cool! Are there more?" Tantau joined his brother with a splash, and the two divers descended the depths to plunder more sunken treasure. Rovaun turned to his worrywart, "Yes?"

Pandora plopped her head down. "I survived their births. How I do I survive their lives!?"

"You haven't heard a word I've said," preached Shianna.

Just then another visitor arrived, a regal black stallion who normally raised Pandora's spirits, but now raised only conflict within her.

"Please forgive this old fool's tardiness," said Varyl. "I'm making travel plans for another extended absence and completely forgot what day it is."

Malaya brought the kids up to greet him. "This is your Grampa Varyl," she whispered to them. "Be respectful." The kids didn't need her instruction. The grand stallion naturally commanded it.

"Welcome, Grampa Varyl," bowed Rovaun reverently. "Allow me to present to you my sons, Tattoo and Tantau."

Varyl knelt down to their level to warmly regard them. "Rovaun, you and Pandora must be so proud," he said, smiling at the twins. "Tattoo, do you remember me?"

Tattoo scrunched his face then shrugged. "No?"

"Good!" chuckled Varyl. The rest tittered as well, except Jeremiah.

"Whyzat funny?"

"You weren't there, Companion. Hush."

"And you, Tantau," said Varyl, "Destiny has chosen you and Malaya to change our nation for the better, and I think that was a very good choice indeed."

Tantau took a breath and smiled, having no idea what Grampa was talking about, but still remained respectful.

"You two are the very first of your kind born to this world, and that makes you both very special. It is my great privilege and profound joy to bestow upon you my heartfelt blessing. You are an honorable addition to our Hipponaur family. We pledge to love, nurture and care for you. And you are free to make your own destinies..." he smiled at Malaya, "...with anyone you so choose."

Varyl stood up and kissed each of them on the forehead, then each picked a front leg of Grampa's to hug and wrap their limbs around.

"Oh my," chuckled Grampa. "It appears I've developed a case of clinging Anthraunitis. I do hope there is no cure."

"Look what I found," said Tattoo, holding up his crystal. "Mine's bigger," said Tantau.

"Let me see those," said Grampa in gentle fascinating. "Could it be?" he wondered aloud. "Did you really find these all by yourselves?"

They nodded, now realizing how cool Grampa Varyl was.

He leaned down and whispered, "These... are MAGIC rocks." The kids' eyes grew wide with excitement. "If you hold them up to the light, you can see the magic inside of them."

"I can see it!" gaped Tattoo.

"Mine has more magic," said Tantau.

"Ah," said Varyl, "but the magic only works for the first person who found it." Tattoo clutched his tightly. "Yes, that's right Tattoo. Hold onto it tight, and it will protect you, and someday it will grant you your most important wish."

"Let's go look for more," said Tantau.

Varyl had an answer for that, too. "You can look for more, but only the first one is magic. Because it wanted YOU to find it first. And everyone only needs one magic rock."

Pandora gazed at her one magic rock. The proudest of stallions laid down next to her and returned the compliment.

"Why don't we go look for other magical things in the forest," said Varyl leading a nature hike with the grandkids. "Pine cones are magic. They have tiny seeds that grow into these immense trees... All butterflies are magic... Those mushrooms are magic..."

Malaya was about to join the nature walk when Pandora called her over to worry about something. "Malaya, I know that you dream of a destiny with Tantau. Is there anyone else that you ever dream about?"

"Sure," she said cheerfully. "Tattoo's in the same dream."

That news surprised Rovaun and Pandora.

"Husband, do you remember her dream in detail?"

"Only vaguely. Varyl erased it from us, but he can't prevent Malaya from dreaming about it again."

"Malaya, do you think you could show us where Tattoo is in your dream?"

"Sure."

She replayed an idyllic moment on a sunny beach, populated with every flavor of Human, Hipponaur and Anthraun. Pandora recognized it as a fuzzy memory from Daniel. The camera panned with a handsome young adult Tantau riding his cantering filly along the shoreline. Malaya slowed the playback to a freeze frame and zoomed into a blurry figure on a surfboard offshore, then changed the focus to infinity to reveal him. And there he was, expertly riding the biggest filly of all.

"Husband," gasped his mother. "It IS him. He's wearing it around his neck!"

Malaya broke the link and admitted, "I have other dreams about them, but they're kind of private."

"You keep on dreaming, young lady," chuckled Pandora. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," she said, trotting off to catch up with the others.

"See?" smirked Shianna.

"There you have it, Companion. Our kids make it to early adulthood, at the very least. I see no reason to believe otherwise."

Pandora nodded, no longer worried that Tantau and Tattoo would have anything but an amazing and adventurous life. And she mentioned to no one that someone was missing.

Fred brought out a bench and set it up next to Pandora while she remained lying on her side next to Shianna. "Do you mind if I take a look at Steed and monitor your progress? Most twins are born within an hour of each other."

"Um...no... I guess not. The contractions have stopped."

"Don't worry. I'll be here when they start up again," he said, quite sure of himself while setting up his laptop.

"Steed seemed to think that he was not going to be born today," indicated Rovaun.

"He told you that?" said Pandora in surprise. Rovaun nodded.

"I'll take Steed's word for it when I see his veterinary diploma from an accredited institution," served Fred.

"Where's yours?" volleyed Shianna.

"Look, do you want me here or not?" he chafed, always feeling unappreciated by his non-paying clients.

"I apologize. Please continue, Dr. Fred McHenry, DVM, LLC, QED."

He applied a wired patch to Pandora's abdomen to monitor several electrical signals, then made faces at the laptop's traces as they scanned across the display.

"Hmm..." he said. "Steed just might be right. Your contractions have completely stopped. Damned strange... but not unheard of. Guinness Book of Records has a mother giving birth to twins nearly three months apart."

"So I have to keep him in me for another three months to get into the record books? Swell."

"Companion, you're already in the record books."

Varyl returned to them while the kids played within view. "I love it when I love my job," he said brightly. "Congratulations Rovaun, Pandora and you too, Shianna. You have made it a beautiful day, indeed."

"Grampa," said Pandora, "I have some questions about dreams and destinies. Do all Hipponaur dreams foretell the future?"

"No, of course not," he replied, jovially. "We often dream of whatever crazy things we wish, just like humans. However, a dream of Destiny has a psychic timbre that is distinct. It has an aura of truth and detail that is memorable and consistent, and often repetitious. Rovaun dreamed of you, and Malaya dreamed of your son. They knew in their very souls that their futures together were meant to be. And shame on me for trying to prevent it, since I certainly should have known better!"

"You were only doing what you thought best."

"The irony is," he chuckled, "if I hadn't tried to prevent it, then it probably never would have happened in the first place. So I'll happily claim any undeserved credit that I'm due."

Rovaun nodded and smiled. "He's right, Companion. If Mourne's Prophecy had never been implanted, then you and I would probably still be back at your old barn, together, but childless."

"That sounds so boring, now."

"It does, at that."

"Grampa, did you know that Tattoo would keep that crystal with him throughout his life?"

The stallion cocked his head to think, but then shook it. "No, I don't see how I would know that."

"He's wearing it in Malaya's dream."

The stallion rose up in amusement. "Is he now!" he laughed. "Then I must be doing something right."

"And what about if you dream of something... unpleasant?"

Varyl settled down for a more serious philosophical discussion. "The answer to all questions is: it depends. But it depends not on the incident so much as it depends on one's own belief system. It is my personal belief that a vision is always a gift. When the vision is unpleasant, I choose to deal with it quickly and get it over with so that it doesn't ruin the rest of my day. For example, Mourne dreamed of himself in the void. That was about as unpleasant a vision of his future that he could imagine. But then he saw the wisdom of Destiny's revelation. By taking charge as a Sentinel and throwing himself into the void, he understood that all of his souls could find him there. He didn't avoid the void; he embraced it. I admit it was a gambit, but it paid off with dividends."

"He still could have chosen not to enter the void."

"That is true, but you must consider his position as Grand Central Sentinel. Having dreamed of the void, how could he do his job effectively if he feared falling into it every time his services were needed? The world we all know might never exist."

"My mind. It blows."

"Then let's look at it another way, Pandora. Suppose that in a dream, Destiny revealed to you that you would trip over that rock. There are two distinct paths that you could choose for your life. One path leads directly to that rock. You walk right up to it, trip over it, and move on. The other path leads in the opposite direction. As determined as you are to never trip over that rock, you walk away from it, farther and farther, mile after mile, day after day, until eventually that very same rock is right in front of you again. And what have you accomplished?"

"Nothing."

"Ha-ha, hardly. That is not why Destiny showed you the rock."

"OK,... I had a very long walk."

"And probably many exciting, fulfilling, and meaningful adventures along the way," he glinted.

"The moral of the story is, 'Life is a long walk, not a short trip?'"

"Again, that would depend on your belief system," said Varyl. "I would choose the short trip first and then blaze a new trail that no longer obligated the rock to be a road hazard."

"One final question," she paused. "What about when you dream of your own death?"

Varyl sighed. "That is a difficult vision to bear," he conceded. "But what is death, but merely a transition. It does not have to be the final question, Pandora. If a human were a caterpillar with no knowledge of his destiny, and for some unknown reason he suddenly stopped eating and started spinning himself a cocoon, do you suppose that he's thinking to himself, 'It's time for me to become a butterfly?'"

Pandora shook her head. "No, he's thinking, 'My life is over. Time to build my coffin.'"

Varyl nodded. "Without belief, death seems to be the end. But it is not, fortunately for the caterpillar... and us."

Pandora appreciated his philosophical candor, but wasn't sure that it helped. Fred took advantage of the conversational break to run his wand over her abdomen some more. A brief flicker of Steed's head appeared on the display.

"Pandora," said Varyl, delightedly. "Are you still in foal?"

She nodded uneasily.

"Why Rovaun, you virile stud! Congratulations! I had no idea..."

The forecast of sunshine turned overcast with gloom, as everyone realized what was about to happen next. Rovaun averted eye contact, which was Varyl's first clue. The laptop displayed the second.

"Wait a minute," said Varyl, scrutinizing the display. "That... That's another Anthraun!"

He scanned the crowd who all looked away in shame, confessing their complicity, and so raising his hackles. He seethed at Rovaun, "When I married you to your whore, Tattoo was the only bastard living in her! Do you mind telling me how she can now be pregnant with another Anthraun of which YOU cannot possibly be the sire!!!"

Rovaun looked down, utterly ashamed and unable to speak.

"How do you expect me to sweep this under a rock! You are obligated to keep your indiscretions DISCREET! But THIS!! This is in your face, my face, EVERYONE's face. DAMN YOU!"

"Varyl..."

"And it's not just shame and dishonor that you bring upon yourselves. You've dragged ME down into your seedy mud pit with you. I agreed to marry you because I trusted that you would not betray me like this! So unless Pandora was RAPED, or somehow Daniel Racher fucked himself again from beyond the grave, this is unpardonable SCANDAL!"

The stallion paced furiously, eyeing everyone present. "Who is the sire!"

No one had the nerve to gulp.

"Who - is - the - SIRE!"

Varyl stared at Fred. Jeremiah merged into Fat Fuck to make him less of a suspect.

"Someone had better tell me who the sire is or else I might - get - ANGRY!!!"

The angry stallion growled when no one volunteered to cough up a name. He pressed his head rudely into Pandora's abdomen and demanded, "Who is your sire!"

The image on the display convulsed as Steed screamed, "Thaddeus!"

Varyl froze for several seconds. Pandora closed her eyes and whimpered. Fred awkwardly pretended nothing was going on and continued to move his wand around while staring at the ground. The rest waited for the day to end.

Varyl unfroze and closed his eyes to whimper along with Pandora. The weather changed from gloom to catastrophic aftermath.

Varyl slowly stood up and asked emotionlessly of Pandora. "Is this true."

She nodded, unable to speak.

"What is its blood type," he asked of Fred in the same manner.

"I... I can't identify it... sir."

Varyl sighed and closed his eyes again shaking his head. Pandora and Rovaun traded terrified looks.

"Is Thaddeus here now," he asked, as if it didn't matter.

Pandora looked away from Rovaun and nodded. Rovaun glowered at the ground.

Varyl nodded and slowly gathered himself with a deep mournful sigh. "Please forgive my outburst, Pandora, and the regrettable things I said. It was never your fault. You were raped."

Having aged a millennium in the previous minute, he hobbled away, dragging his right hind hoof that had become arthritic with anguish. "I shall cancel my travel plans and remain local," he wheezed. "I'll assist in its birth when the time comes."

Shianna waited until he was out of earshot. "What the hell did THAT mean!" she loudly whispered, feeling offended for Pandora, and then for herself. "And what's so important about Steed's birth that his travel plans suddenly don't matter at all?"

Pandora broke down in tears. Rovaun had to choose between consolation and castigation, settling somewhere in between. "Companion, why didn't you tell me that Thad was here?"

"I couldn't," she cried. "And I didn't know how. I've been seeing him all this time, not Josh."

Rovaun deeply inhaled the cool morning air then slowly exhaled carbon-melting plasma.

"Husband, it's not what you think."

"Companion," he said firmly, "it IS what I think. And it IS what Varyl thinks. The only thing it IS NOT, is what YOU think! I don't blame you. But we need answers... Fred, can you try to identify Steed's blood type. That seems to be one of them."

"I'll do what I can," he said solemnly.

"And I need to find out what Varyl knows about Thaddeus. Companion, I must ask you never to see him again!"

"Husband," she pleaded, "he's Steed's father."

Rovaun quietly cursed him, then conceded, "Do not see him again without a chaperone... without ME."

She quietly nodded. "Husband, please consider that you might be wrong about him... just consider it, for me."

Rovaun departed making eye contact but no promises, yet that was enough to guarantee it.

Fred waited for him to be out of sight before asking, "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Pandora looked around at the others who had nothing but the deepest concern for her, and she felt it a betrayal to ask of them, "Could I have some privacy, please?"

No one questioned her motives as they all politely acceded.

"Take all the time you need, Hon," said Shianna getting up. "I've got the kids."

"Thank you, Sugar."

Fred waited for the others to leave, then said, "I'm all ears."

"Let's see what the blood test says, first," she said, unwilling to divulge anything else.

"All right," said Fred, preparing another syringe. "I need to draw blood directly from Steed this time. It won't be a lot, but he'll feel it."

Pandora nodded nervously as Fred maneuvered the needle into place while trying to maintain a clear image from the ultrasound.

"I could really use a third hand right now," he said under his breath.

"Steed, you need to keep very still, okay?" said Pandora, feeling another bout of colic coming on. The Anthraun didn't respond, which didn't help.

Fred's muscles strained to keep both the wand and needle steady. Sweat formed on his brows and stung his eyes as the wavering image of a straight white line approached the fetus. Pandora held her breath. The Anthraun twitched when the needle poked him, then two tentacles pulled it away.

"WHA...!" Fred dropped everything and fell backward. The image turned to static when the needle came out and scratched him on the arm, forming a rash that burned from within.

"Oh shit Shit SHIT!" He dowsed his arm in alcohol and prayed that it wasn't too late. Then rushed into the tent for more powerful disinfectants.

Pandora saw it all and closed her eyes. "Everything's fine... Everything's fine... Everything's fine... Everything's fine..."

Inside the tent, Fred echoed her sentiments in the third person. "Everything's fine. You're fully bonded now. Nothing can hurt you. You're Hipponaur, now..." he chanted, scrubbing Betadine into his wound. "Christ, Pandora's a Hipponaur, but she's anything but fine. Fuck!"

He calmed down when he felt the burning subside, but then the Terror Meter peaked again when he realized that progressive necrotization could not be monitored with his arm stained a rusty orange. Amputation was the only certain safeguard, but Fred logically concluded that he would rather die. He paused and flexed his fingers, deciding that there were no lingering ill effects, then gathered his wits and more ultrasound gel.

"Pandora, I think I have a right to know what I've just been exposed to," he quavered, picking up the dirty syringe and angrily tossing it in a biohazard container.

"Fred, I honestly don't know," she cried.

"Then we're in this shitstorm together," he said, liberally applying more gel. "Maybe it was just an illusion. The wand didn't have enough gel so that caused the distortion."

Pandora nodded. "That must be it. Everything's fine."

Steed reappeared on the display, looking fine.

"Are you okay, Steed?"

"Yes."

"Good," she said with relief.

"How's your arm?" she asked Fred.

"It's fine."

[Just calm down,] she told herself. [Stop freaking out about every stupid little thing.]

Fred thoroughly wanded every square centimeter of Steed's body, and then the rest of Pandora's uterus. No tentacles in sight. He took a deep breath and let it out. "That's looking a lot better. It must've been the gel."

Pandora agreed. Everything's fine.

Using the wand, he pushed excess gel off to the side and inadvertently captured an image not meant for him. "What the hell is this!?" he said, not sounding very fine. "It looks like... what the... It looks like some sort of egg mass! Pandora, did you know about this?"

She whimpered and nodded. Everything's shit.

"Tell me what it is!"

"They're Thad's," she cried.

"What do you mean, 'They're Thad's'? What is he, some sort of ovipositing xenomorph!?"

"No..."

"Wait... are you telling me these are all Anthrauns!!?"

"Yes," she sobbed.

"They can't BE!"

"They are."

"No, Pandora, they can't - BE! They have ZERO chance of survival!"

"You can freeze them," she said desperately.

"No, I can't! They're already barnacled - OUTSIDE your womb. And there are dozens of them. Three strikes, Pandora. No one can save them!"

"You can try!" she begged.

"Pandora," he sympathized, "I'm sorry. It's hopeless. Does Rovaun know... No, of course he doesn't. You have to tell him."

"I can't!"

"Well someone has to tell him what a menace Thaddeus is to you and this community. Obviously Varyl already knows."

"Thad doesn't know about them, either."

Fred opened his mouth but nothing could respond to the crazy coming out of hers.

"I'm sorry," she said to all her unborn.

"If you don't tell him, I will," he said, adamantly.

"No, you can't! You've got some sort of doctor-patient confidentiality code of ethics."

"Yes I can. You are clearly a danger to yourself and to others, especially all the ones growing outside your uterus. Rovaun will help you get through this. But he can't do it if he doesn't know."

"He'll kill Thad!"

"No - He - Won't. My god, get a grip! That's not the Rovaun I know, and it's not the Rovaun you're married to."

"OK... OK, I'll tell him," she relented, getting up. "But I have to tell Thad first. He deserves to know... and be warned of what's coming."

"Then I'll go with you."

"No! You've helped me enough! I can do this myself. Go tell Rovaun if you must." She galloped off, leaving the futility specialist to ponder the ethics of his profession.

However, once again, her path forward was impassable, obstructed this time by two debating stallion-shaped highway patrol officers. The right path for her to take was straight ahead, politely pulling up to them and handing over her keys. Instead, she took the not right path, where she could bounce her ideas off the ether which rarely offered a critique.

One thing was certain: there would be no frozen embryos. Fred wasn't even going to try to help her. His advice: kill your darlings. Fred's freezing tubes were already reserved for his own special snowflakes, which he planned to liberally sprinkle all over San Francisco. Nope, Plan A was dead. It was time to consider the iffy-er Plan B, and as luck would have it, the perfect hostess for a "Touring" Test crossed her path.

"Shianna! I need your help for a minute," she called out as she met up with the mare and kids.

"Hi Hon! How'd it go with Fred?"

"Fine, but there's something else I need to determine," she said, catching her breath. "You know how Steed's been visiting Astromom. I need to find out if he can visit a mare other than myself."

The bizarre request left Shianna speechless for a millisecond. "Are you asking me to let Steed teleport into my uterus?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

Shianna looked around for another responsible unbiased opinion for guidance, which she wasn't going to get from Malaya and the twins who were all too eager to see it happen. "Well... I guess so..." she said, outnumbered everyone to one. "Will it hurt?"

"It might knock the wind out of you for a second, so take your time to prepare. When you're ready you can summon Steed yourself."

"Um,... OK," she said, anxiously. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Steed? This is Sugar Mommy. Can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Can you try to visit me like you visit Astromom?" she said, looking dubiously at Pandora and wondering if this might be a joke.

"OK," he said, slugging her with the punch line.

"Ohhh Oooooph!" she staggered, gasping to reclaim the air ejected from her lungs. "Holy mother of... OW!"

"Hi Sugar Mommy!"

"Um... Hi Steed," she chuckled nervously, recovering from the shock. Two rowdy young Anthrauns poked at her belly, causing Steed to join in the giggling fun and poke back at them in mock battle.

"This is amazing," she laughed, trotting around. "He really is in there! ... Are you having fun, Steed?"

"Wheee!" he shrieked as she jumped and galloped and spun around.

"Not too far, Hon, I need to keep an eye on him or else he might escape."

"Escape?" she said, seriously. "Escape to where?"

"I'm not sure anymore," worried Pandora.

Shianna returned to console her. "Oh, Hon, no wonder you've had such a difficult time. Has it been like this for long?"

"Almost every night," she sighed.

"How do you feel now?"

Pandora sighed and smiled, "Empty."

Shianna chuckled in agreement. "I know what you mean. I've been so used to carrying Tantau with me everywhere. I can't believe I already miss it. You can have Steed back if you want."

Pandora nodded, "OK, Steed, you can come home now. [WHAM] Unh!!"

Shianna nuzzled her. "If you need help with him, I don't mind sharing the burden."

"I've got it under control now," she nuzzled back. "I just needed this mystery solved, and I may well take you up on your offer, later. I still have some things to do and I want to tell Rovaun about this. Are you all right with the kids?"

"We're fine. Do whatever you need to do."

"Thanks Sugar!" Pandora hugged her and kissed her kids then turned not right again and galloped away.

"You're Welcome," Shianna called after her, then sighed, "Rovaun isn't in that direction."

"Steed likes to play games," said Tattoo, hugging her front leg.

"I can tell he likes to play 'Whack-a-Mom'," she smiled at him. "What else does he play?"

"Make-believe," he said, innocently. "And now he's playing it with you. He says Astromom's really good at it."

"I see," she said, apprehensively.

"He made you believe, too," grinned Tattoo.

"Uh... huh."

"I can play too. Watch." With arms flailing, Tattoo raised up and ran after his squealing brother. "I'm a monster! Rraaaaah!"

"I don't understand why you are being so obstinate!" prodded Rovaun.

Varyl shook his head, still limping, and now limping away faster.

"I know that there is history between you and Thaddeus," he persisted.

"It has nothing to do with that!" bristled Varyl. "The information you seek will cause more cross-contamination. I'm having enough trouble containing it as it is."

"Please, Varyl! At least tell me if Steed and my companion are in danger."

"Everyone is in danger!"

Rovaun had had enough of this, so he ran in front of him to block his path. Undeterred by the rock in his way, Varyl chose a new path with fewer rocks, but it soon became evident that this rock would be on every path he took. Varyl bulldozed through him, but again was faced with a stallion determined to always be in his way. In a huff, he spun around to inflict serious damage with a hind hoof to the knee, but then held back to reconsider his motives and priorities. This stallion was not his enemy.

"All right, Rovaun," he sighed. "You have a right to know of the pestilence that your companion is incubating."

Rovaun objected to that characterization but allowed Varyl to continue, now that he was talking.

"Thaddeus is an outlander. He arrived years ago through an unprotected ulcer. Though he appears to be Anthraun, his DNA is foreign. Therefore Steed's DNA is foreign."

"When you say foreign..."

"...I mean alien, unknown, and lethal. And it gets even better. In addition to having toxic blood, Thaddeus' semen contains an infectious, highly addictive pathogen. This pathogen wants to reproduce, and it alters the behavior of its hosts to do so.

Rovaun recalled the moment he first met Thad, and how inexplicably quick he was to supplicate to the Anthraun's essence. "I, too, have been exposed to this pathogen, and so has Shianna, but we do not suffer any notable addiction."

"Hipponaurs are not entirely immune from exposure, but the effects wear off quickly. Those with less Hipponaur heritage are more susceptible, and in Mourne's domain they must be segregated. From the moment Thaddeus first set foot there, he used his persuasive ability to grift his way through an unsuspecting populace, acquiring many dangerous enemies as a result. But it was the pathogen that destroyed the most lives."

"He warned us of his condition," acknowledged Rovaun, "and he did show concern when it appeared to spread. There was no malice or intent to harm anyone. Isn't it possible that he was simply unaware of it at the time?"

"I agree it is possible," conceded Varyl, but no less annoyed. "It is not his fault that he is what he is. He has the right to exist, but he does not have the right to harm others, regardless of intent. These are the two axioms of civilized society: LIVE and LET LIVE, and he generally abides by them, provided they are not in conflict. When they ARE in conflict, as far as he's concerned, it's live and let die."

Rovaun had difficulty correlating that assertion with the fact that Thaddeus had risked his own life to save his companion's, and also played a small part in saving Mourne from the void. He was now forced to reread this transcript through Varyl's biased bifocals.

"Despite all of it," said Rovaun, "you cannot deny that it is still personal between the two of you."

"Yes it's personal!" Varyl spouted in exasperation. "I don't want him in my domain. I don't want him in ANYONE's domain. But at least in Mourne's domain there are laws and procedures to quarantine him. I can't force him to go back there, but neither will I deny him his existence here, because he has broken no laws here... And also, because... I don't do that anymore," he said regretfully.

Rovaun offered his sympathy. The past had already been forgiven, but accursedly never forgotten.

"Furthermore, I recognized that a peaceful coexistence in a clique of Hipponaurs might have been his best chance to have a livable life, if only he hadn't already screwed it up!" Varyl growled.

"By infecting my companion."

"Rovaun," he said gravely, "Pandora is pregnant, which is far worse. Thaddeus' DNA produces offspring that are horribly deformed and none survive outside the womb. I doubt that he knows how very large that number is. The mothers that carry them to term also do not survive due to prolonged exposure to the toxin in their fetus' bloodstream. Early prenatal termination is the only option to save them. This is the legacy that he left behind in Mourne's domain."

"But there is hope," said the ever-optimistic stallion. "Steed is not deformed. He does not fit this pattern."

"And as a result, do you not see the moral dilemma I now face?"

"No, frankly, I do not. If Steed is normal, then there is every reason to believe that he and Pandora will survive his birth."

"And then what?"

Rovaun stared incomprehensively at the Elder who had blessed the destinies of his own two sons not an hour ago, yet had no imagination to see a future for a third.

"And then... we RAISE him," Rovaun enlightened.

"That is an honorable quest," nodded Varyl, "and from you I would expect nothing less. But you might be failing to consider an inconvenient truth. With all of the destruction that Thaddeus has left in his wake, the only saving grace is that, until now, there has been only one of him. Are you really prepared to raise Typhoid Steed? Keep in mind that his brothers are only half Hipponaur. And if Steed possesses the same mental ability to influence others, his first temper tantrum could be a very tragic one."

Rovaun hesitated, but found another reason for hope. "Yes! Tantau and Tattoo both thrive. Malaya's dream proves it."

Varyl had no counter argument to faith. "If you truly believe that Malaya dreams of their destiny, then by all means, let Destiny be your guide, my son."

Thaddeus recognized the hoof beats that approached. Her visit, though somewhat delayed was not unexpected. Anticipating her distraught demeanor, he stepped out of the shadows to meet her.

"It's okay, Pandora, I know Steed hasn't been born yet, and I know Varyl knows all about it. Calm down. There's no need to panic."

The puffing mare glared wordlessly at him, just long enough to instill doubt. Then a sexy naked Anthraun jumped him, pinned him down, and kissed him with all the passion that Juliet saved up for Romeo when Shakespeare was in the privvy.

"Everything's fine," she said, removing her tongue from his gullet.

"No argument here," he wheezed. "It seems your brain rewiring was temporary. Have you returned to pleasure unit mode?"

"Ha! You wish!" she said sitting up. "No, you're still riding shotgun in the Companion seat. I just happen to be in a very good mood. Tattoo and Tantau are perfect, and I just proved that Plan B is going to work."

"Plan B..."

"Steed is a full Sentinel. He transported effortlessly into Shianna. And just as I suspected, she was happy to help carry him."

"Astonishing," said Thad, not immediately pondering a jewel heist.

"So I think we should celebrate, she said, unbuckling his pants. "Just like yesterday. That was pretty good." She reached in to fondle his balls. "Besides, I made these guys a promise."

Thad was not about to debate the pros and cons of an exquisite fuck. In one fluid motion, he lifted her off the ground and held her against the bonding wall, then resumed the feral stallion thrusts that fed her Frankenstein. She offered no resistance this time riding him down to his root, and soon his flare was cupping the opening of her cervix. He backed off to prevent it from triggering him, just in time for Rovaunus Interruptus to come around the bend.

"Companion!"

"Ignore him, Thad," she commanded. He tried to do so, but still found himself intimidated by her husband, who was furiously panting less than ten feet away. His arousal dipped just enough to allow him to keep going without ending too soon, and he silently thanked Rovaun for that. But when Nanny started to leak, he regained a new level of confidence, and decided to show the stallion how to make his wife see the cosmos.

"Companion, stop this at once!"

"Wait your turn, Husband," hushed Pandora on a mission.

Thad smirked, wondering if she had actually intended that to be as ambiguous as it was humiliating.

Rovaun snorted at his spouse's insolence, but had more important things to consider. Varyl had opened his eyes to things that Varyl, himself, was blind to. Disregarding the impertinent fornicators, Rovaun attempted to re-establish a link with Steed, but Pandora was blocking all telepathic communication. So while waiting for his opportunity, he passively observed Thad's technique, noting that it was innovative and effective, and adoptable. The Anthraun was good for something. And he did have a nice ass.

"Your balls are full, right?" she semi-whispered.

"Not for long."

"Full disclosure, Lover," she nodded. "I'm ovulating again... a LOT."

"I know," he panted, "and I'm glad Rovaun's here to witness and bless the moment of your seeding. I also look forward to Grampa Varyl giving pony rides to my kids, five at a time."

Confirming the adage, "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac," Thad wasted no time taking advantage of his, raising his tail so Rovaun could give him a big wet kiss. Thad bred his wife right in front of him, and there was little Rovaun could do but accept his deprecated destiny as beta male provider for some other guy's kids. From now on, Rovaun would be rubbing his nose in sloppy seconds while Thad finally got the R-E-S-P-E-C-T he deserved.

"What you want. Baby I got it..." he sang, twisting the lyrics to announce the arrival of the third cumming.

"SOCkitTOme SOCkitTOme SOCkitTOme SOCkitTOme..." she replied in kind.

Emission granted. With his flare cupping Pandora's cervix, he maneuvered Urethra Franklin firmly inside, and let the fat lady sing.

Feeling her womb fill up, Pandora clutched him and tore open her ovaries, sending an unending string of pearls down her fallopian tubes to splash into the fecund fountain below.

Pop... pop... poppity-pop... went the party balloons in her head as each egg found a mate. The string cascaded to an avalanche that popped her brain like microwave kettle corn. Thad held her tight as she convulsed in his arms, but there was nothing he could do for the mare behind him whose eyes rolled up, seizing in sexual euphoria.

Rovaun's opportunity was now. While Pandora was preoccupied, he linked successfully with Steed, causing her to vanish and splatter Thad with his own fertilizer.

"Hi Daddy," said Steed happily, while the mare that bore him slowly returned to her feral senses.

"Hello," said Rovaun. "From now on, your name is Occam. Can you remember that?"

"My name is Occam?"

"Yes. It is very important that you know who you really are. You are not Steed. You are Occam."

"OK. I can remember that."

Thad strutted over to them. "That must have been one cumtastic orgasm," he smirked proudly. "Is she okay?"

"Everything's fine," said Rovaun. "She just needs a little time to recover."

Still feeling cocky, Thad scooped the toxic goo from his chest and offered it to Rovaun. "It's too good to waste, I recall Danny saying."

Inexplicably, Rovaun remembered how good it tasted, and now it was all he could think about. He softly nickered and took a step forward to accept this most generous gift. Thad drew a funky mustache on the smitten stallion, then smeared the rest of it in his own armpits, groin, and ass crack. Rovaun flourished a flehmen while Thad relaxed comfortably on the bonding rock presenting it all for him. "Remember how you've always wanted to give me a tongue bath?"

Rovaun remembered, and now he was humbled and so very grateful that his entire life's purpose was about to be realized. Both of them wondered if this day could possibly get any better.

"Mmmm... that's good, big guy. Very good... Oh, you missed a spot... there it is ... Oooh, I don't think I put any there, but okay... Ya know, Rovaun? I think this is going to work out just fine."

"I hope so, too," said Rovaun, now eyeing the Anthraun's erection.

"There's more in there for you," teased Thad. "You know you want it. And fortunately for you, there's a recent job opening for pleasure unit. Would you like to apply?"

"More than I can say," nickered the mesmerized stallion.

"You're hired. Take your time, and enjoy yourself." Thad closed his eyes in anticipation of a gloriously deep throating.

"Perhaps later," said the stallion standing tall.

Thad opened one eye.

"This pathogen you harbor has remarkable qualities. I can see why my companion has so taken to it."

"Pathogen!" scowled Thad, getting up. "You've been talking to Varyl!"

"Yes," said Rovaun calmly. "He has told me all I need to know about you."

"If all you need to know consists of lies, then you got it straight from that horse's ass."

"I think you misunderstand me. Varyl's problems with you are HIS problems, not mine, nor my companion's."

"Varyl's problems always become my problems," he countered, awkwardly putting on his pants.

"I am serious, Thad. You have caused none of us any harm. Provided you behave yourself, you are welcome to stay. My companion obviously enjoys your company and I have no problem with that. Just now, you may have had some unethical fun with me, but it was harmless role play. You convinced me to enjoy it, which I did. I look forward to doing it again."

"Stop playing me," said the professional player, "and just tell me what you're not telling me."

"All right. You must restrict your sexual activities to bonded Hipponaurs and virtual beings like my companion and Jeremiah. If you do that, then I think we can all coexist amicably. But your propagation is forbidden, I'm afraid."

Thad stood up to him. "Listen, you. I don't need your permission to coexist here, and I certainly don't need your permission to propagate! You're on thinner ice than you know... Pandora, get out here!"

The feral mare snorted and pinned her ears at him, his disagreeable demeanor being as contagious as his jizz.

"Pandora!... What have you done to her!" accused Thad.

"Perhaps you should ask Occam."

Thad sighed, "Why'd you have to change his name."

"It was necessary. You will understand when you link with him."

Thad looked at him in dismay, "You can link with him?"

"Yes, and now you can too."

Thad knelt down cautiously, gaining new respect for the stallion who knew too much. And what he knew was correct; the connection to Occam was trivial.

"Hi."

"Hi Steed," he said bewildered.

"I'm Occam now."

"Oh right, I forgot," he chuckled nervously. "Occam, do you know where Mommy is?"

"She's asleep."

"I see. How are you?"

"Lonely. I miss Tattoo."

"I know. He was born today. We all thought you would be born too."

"Nanny told me not to."

"Nanny said that?" Thad looked to Rovaun, who merely sighed and nodded.

"Yes."

Thad stood up and analyzed the mare. "Nanny?" She looked at him briefly then shook her mane and resumed her posture of contented boredom.

"Since when did Nanny start talking?" asked Thad.

"She has developed a feral mare's autonomy. She can communicate on a basic instinctual level as any equine does."

"You know why she didn't birth him, don't you."

"Yes. And so does Occam."

"Occam," said Thad ominously, kneeling down again. "Why did Nanny tell you not to be born?"

"Because she would die."

"NO!" he shouted, slapping the mare, who startled and jumped away, snorting at the unprovoked assault.

"Steed is NORMAL! His mother is not septic! It's all different now! It HAS to be!!"

"Thaddeus..."

"This is Varyl's doing. You two are collaborating. Varyl will never let me have a son." The Anthraun paced angrily, trying to piece together his shattered dreams. "Pandora! WAKE UP!" The mare jumped and trotted further away from him to warily graze in peace.

"Thaddeus, listen to me! It has nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with Varyl. You never had a son. Occam is my companion!"

The Anthraun ignored him as he continued to pace, plot, and pull out his hair. Rovaun was speaking nonsense and lies. Varyl's lies. But what to do about it? He couldn't push Varyl. Perhaps he could push Rovaun, but push him to do what? Steed was his son. Steed was real. Steed was normal and healthy. Steed was a SENTINEL! That was the answer: Steed could save himself.

Thad approached the mare who continued to evade him. He stood upright and calmed himself. "I just want to scratch your belly, Darlin', that's all." Remembering how very itchy her belly was, she returned to him, eternally grateful for the relief.

"Steed, can you hear me?" he said desperately.

"I'm Occam now."

"Occam, can you try to visit Astromom?"

"Huh?"

"Your other mommy that you used to visit every night."

"Huh?"

"You're a Sentinel," he cried in frustration. "Who have you been visiting at night when Mommy's asleep?"

"What's a Sentinel?"

"Goddammit," he cursed to himself. "Did you visit Shianna today?"

"No?"

"Oh Christ," he sobbed into the mare's belly. "Pandora, please wake up."

Rovaun took pity. "I'm sorry, Thaddeus. I only came to this realization myself a few minutes ago. Occam has been unconscious most of his life. He is a purely virtual being, just like my companion, and just like your Pandora, but neither of them are aware of it, and only one of the three can be conscious at a time because consciousness requires a soul. Nanny may be gestating multiple virtual Anthrauns right now, but they are all phantoms. There is only one soul dwelling in this body, and it is currently in her womb."

"That's not true," he cried, beaten down by a hateful Destiny. "Judy, can you hear me?... Thelma?... Louise?... Anybody?"

"I can hear you," said Occam.

"Occam, who else is in there with you?"

"No one. Tattoo was born today."

"What about your sisters?"

"Sisters?"

"I TALKED to them! I talked to all of them at the same time!"

"No, Thaddeus, you talked to a ventriloquist's dummy. When Pandora is awake, she subconsciously speaks for them, and they say and do exactly what she expects her perfect children to say and do. Occam has no knowledge of them because he is always asleep whenever Pandora is awake."

"So, what you're really saying is, your companion is completely fucking insane!"

"Pandora... is troubled," he sighed. "She suffers from lack of sleep due to anxiety about the well-being of Steed - not Occam. His nightly disappearance was the result of her brain turning off all the lights so that she could get a full night's rest. She convinced everyone, particularly herself, that Steed was a Sentinel because that provided the most palatable explanation for his disappearance.

"Now she has overridden the safeguards in her brain. The light is always on in Steed's room, and she has added a nanny cam to keep that light on. And if she also believes that she is carrying more of your offspring, then she has likely done the same for them. Her brain is now constantly lit up, and yes, it is taking a toll on her rationality and judgment."

"I just want to have a normal kid," he whined.

"That is not your destiny in Varyl's domain. If you want a normal kid, go back to where you came from. But none of these virtual entities can be allowed to be born. Even this soulless mare knows instinctively that doing so would end her own life. Unfortunately I fear it will be much more difficult to convince my companion of this than you."

"And you still haven't convinced me!" he balked.

"A Turing test will prove it. That's why I changed his name. Occam can pass it. Steed cannot."

"That still won't convince me."

"There is no harm in trying... Occam, do you want to play the finger game?"

"Yes!" he said enthusiastically.

"Thad, you'll have to play this game with him. Without saying anything, show him a number of fingers from zero to ten."

Thad sighed and then displayed a left middle finger and a right one.

"How many fingers is he showing, Occam?"

"I don't know. I can't see them."

"Thad, show your fingers to Nanny."

He did so. The mare got a good look and licked them.

"How about now, Occam?"

"I still can't see them."

Thad dropped his hands. "Congratulations, Rovaun, you just proved that he's real."

"No, I proved that his current level of consciousness can pass a Turing test, but we're not finished yet... Occam, let's play a funny game on Mommy when she wakes up. I want you to pretend that you have super X-ray vision. When Thaddeus has his hands behind his back, he will always be showing six fingers. Do you understand?"

"Yes," he giggled.

"Good. His hands are behind his back right now. How many fingers can you see?"

"SIX!"

"Perfect!"

"Hee-hee-hee"

"I'm going to wake up Mommy, now. You need to go to sleep, then we will wake you up when it is time to play the game."

"Okay," he giggled excitedly.

"This isn't proving a goddamned thing!"

Rovaun conceded, "I may not be able to prove conclusively that your son has no soul of his own - until it's too late. I hope this evidence is compelling enough."

He attempted to wake Pandora with a link, but Occam was still in control, too eager to play his game. "Thad, I need your assistance to convince Occam that he is very sleepy."

Thad shook his head in disgust for being used and abused this way, but soon Occam turned off and Pandora turned on.

"What happened? Did I pass out?" asked the startled mare.

"Yes," said Rovaun. "Steed got frightened and called you back."

"Oh," she said, regaining her wits. She quickly assessed her body, present company, and surroundings and decided that everything's fine. "Steed, are you okay?"

"Yes."

Rovaun raised an eyebrow to Thad, who returned it with a scowl.

Thad knelt down again to re-establish a link, but could not connect.

"What are you doing?" Pandora asked suspiciously.

"I'm trying to link with my son."

"Hi Daddy!" said Steed. [We don't need no stinkin' linkin'.]

"Hi Steed," replied Thad, returning his mother's suspicious glare. "Did you have fun visiting Shianna today?"

"Yes. We went fast. I played with my brothers."

Thad bit his lip as his eyes began welling.

"How did you do that?"

"I'm a Sentinel."

"Then you must... you must be able to see how many fingers I'm showing you right now."

"Three," he said correctly.

Thad hid his hands from Pandora. "And how about now?"

"I can't see them. They're behind your back."

"Oh no..." Thad sunk to the ground.

"What's wrong?" asked Pandora.

"You crazy bitch," he muttered.

"Easy, Thad," cautioned Rovaun.

"You goddamned crazy BITCH!" he cursed, getting to his feet. "How could you DO this to me!" He returned to pacing and pulling out strands of mane.

"Thad! What is the matter with you!" Pandora looked to Rovaun, who stood firmly by her side.

Thad got right in her face. "You made me believe I had a SON! You fucking LUNATIC!"

"You DO have a son!" she said angrily, "And the only fucking lunatic around here is YOU."

"Is that so," he steamed. "Then let me remedy that!"

He looked her straight in the eye and with full force pushed her nightmare indelibly into her frontal lobes. Pandora screamed and galloped away in a panic, dodging bloody tentacles from every direction.

"What did you do! WHAT DID YOU DO!!" shouted Rovaun, chasing after her.

"I reminded her of her beautiful destiny."

Chapter 49. Beautiful Destiny

"Companion, STOP!" bellowed the slavering red tentacled beast that pursued her. But she dared not stop, for it would then be upon her. The creatures were everywhere, large and small, dangling from trees, leaping from bushes, sunbathing on rocks. They clung to her legs and slowly crept up. More fell from the sky and latched onto her back. She kicked and bucked to knock them off, stomping them to dust, but more always followed, and the largest was relentless in its pursuit. She could not fight them all, so she turned to fight the one that was the most threatening. As it plotted her destruction, she blindly backed away, feet stumbling on uneven terrain, edging closer to a sheer ravine. If she lost her footing, it would all be over, but maybe that would save her from a fate far worse.

"Companion, WAKE UP!" it growled, as it slowed. "You are dreaming. This is not real. Wake up!"

She heard the words and considered them, for that would truly be a blessing. "This is a dream..."

"Yes, Companion," it said, as its blustery tentacles lowered and settled, becoming placid mane and tail.

"Husband!"

He cautiously approached, then paused when a small gust of wind raised his tentacles again. Pandora wanted this dream to end, and had barely enough mental capacity to force his image back to sanity. He was still surrounded by other creatures, but they held off their attack while their commander was in charge. He held his position, allowing her to enter his protective bubble. Nothing could harm her there.

"I can still see them," she said anxiously.

"Close your eyes," he said, calmly hugging her. "There is nothing there. You can make them go away."

He was wrong. Closing her eyes made them more vivid and aggressive. Her eyes shot open again, and the creatures halted their advance, daring her to close them again, playing a demonic children's game of Red Light, Green Light.

"They're still here, Husband."

"And I am still here, Companion. Hold on to me, and they will eventually go away. The fact that we are together now proves that you are able to fight off the effects."

"Effects... of what?"

"You are suffering a hallucination that Thaddeus embedded in your psyche."

"Thaddeus? Why would he do that?"

"Because he is dangerously impulsive. And now I understand why Varyl fears him so."

"But... that doesn't make any sense. What happened while I was asleep?"

"One thing at a time, Companion. We can discuss that after you have recovered from this trauma."

"Why? Because it will make things worse?? Is that it?" she feared.

"No, Companion," he calmed her. "Nothing could be worse than what you just experienced."

"But I want to know!"

"Good," he said confidently. "The faster you recover, the sooner we can discuss it."

She studied the loitering creatures that gradually grew disinterested in their mission of terror, and returned to hibernating as harmless tufts of grass and weeds.

"They're going away now," she said cautiously. Rovaun released her and smiled at her, but she looked at him uneasily. "I can still see one in your ear."

He shook his head, causing it to slither inside.

"I don't see it anymore," she grimaced.

Rovaun nuzzled her, but the serenity gave way to chaos when an Anthraun contritely approach.

"Get away from here!" he snarled.

"Pandora," said Thad with head bowed, "What I did to you was unforgivable."

"That is correct," confirmed Rovaun. "You are no longer welcome here."

"Please, Rovaun, allow me to fix this."

The stallion snorted snot in his face, "You must think me the greatest fool alive to ever allow you near my companion again!"

"Rovaun," he said coolly, "I can't undo the fact that I did it, but I can undo the damage, while there's still time."

"The damage is DONE! It is OVER for you. And now you will LEAVE! Go home and never come back!"

"I can help her..."

"Help her? HELP HER!? You torched this barn fire and then volunteer for the bucket brigade?? YOU DID THIS TO HER! You cannot possibly help her anymore! We gave you every opportunity to coexist here, and THIS is how you treat us!?"

"With all due respect Rovaun, you didn't lose your son today."

"NEITHER DID YOU!" raged Rovaun. "GET OUT!"

Thaddeus nodded and backed away. "This isn't over."

"Is that a THREAT!"

"Not a threat. Just a heads up." With head down, he walked away, cursing his curses that could always destroy yet never create.

"Husband, what did he mean by losing a son? This is about Steed," she trembled.

"Yes, Companion," he said, carefully escorting her back to camp.

"What's wrong with him?... Steed are you okay?"

"Yes."

"It's the tentacles... I saw the tentacles!" she said, working herself into another panic.

"It wasn't real, Companion. Calm yourself."

"No, I saw it on the sonogram. Fred saw it too. It's in there with Steed!"

"Shh, Companion..."

"DAMN IT! Stop patronizing me!" she stomped angrily. "I'm telling you I saw it! And Fred saw it! And this was before Thad... raped me again. It was right after you went to talk to Varyl."

Rovaun paused to consider the implication. "Can Fred verify this?"

"Yes! He even went searching for you ... Oh god, he saw them all!" She suddenly remembered the pebbles that triggered this Alpine landslide.

"What did he see, Companion?"

"Husband," she wept, "I'm carrying twenty embryos in addition to Steed. Thad is the father of all of them."

Rovaun stared at her tearfully. There was nothing he could think of to say.

She ruefully chuckled through her own tears and said it for him. "I think Varyl's gonna be mad again," she sniffled. "I'm sorry you married such a whore."

"No, Companion," he said holding her. "That is not what I was thinking at all."

"It's what I'd be thinking," she said, dourly.

"I'm thinking how incredible it is that you can still manage to function with this mountain of stress that you're buried under."

"I wonder that too, sometimes," she sighed.

"Companion," he said seriously, "There is no easy way to say this. I have come across new evidence that indicates that Steed is not real."

"Husband, we've been over this! Go ask Shianna if Steed is real. She was carrying him an hour ago."

"I know," he sighed. Logically convincing her was impossible. She had too much invested in her fantasy to just forget about it. Rovaun needed help, and he knew who could provide it: the master of the craft of induced selective amnesia.

"We need to go see Varyl," he determined.

"What? NO!"

"Companion, Varyl can help you."

"No, he CAN'T! He'll kill them all!" she screamed, lathering into a panic again.

"Listen, Companion," he argued, trying another tack, "Steed has been traumatized just like Tattoo had been when Bouceph linked with him. Varyl helped him forget. It will be all right."

"No, Husband. He had to completely wipe Tattoo's mind. He was only two weeks old. Steed is nine months!"

"Companion, please trust me on this."

"Steed, are you traumatized?" she asked, traumatically.

"No."

"There, you see, Husband? He's fine."

"Companion..." he said, dropping his head in surrender.

"Why are you so insistent to see Varyl," she said backing away from him.

"Companion, please. It's for your own good."

"My good!? What about Steed's good!" She backed away further preparing to bolt.

"It is not about Steed. It is about your physical and mental health."

"MY health... So what is it? You want me to just abort them all? Is that it!?"

He looked down and said nothing, because that was exactly what he wanted her to do.

"I can't believe this! Not from you! You're supposed to be supporting me!"

"I AM supporting you, Companion."

"No you're not! You want me to kill all my kids because they aren't yours!"

"That is not true."

"I'm not blind. I can tell how you really feel about Steed. And now that you've banished Thad, you don't want to be stuck with his kids!"

"Danny, please help me!" pleaded Rovaun.

Pandora gasped wide-eyed at him. "HOW - DARE - YOU!" she hissed.

"Please..."

"Do you honestly believe that Danny would take your side over mine?"

"No, Companion."

"Do you think he doesn't love Steed as much as I do?"

Rovaun dropped to the ground and groveled at her feet. "Please tell me what you want me to do."

"I want you to... HELP me!" she exclaimed, as obvious as it was useless.

It was clear to Rovaun that she had no idea what to do either. Asking her for specifics only humiliated her further and risked another hasty departure. So taking a cue from Josh, he brought her down inoffensively by initiating an empathetic link. The mare suddenly found herself bathed in a warm glow of love that came from no particular direction, but it had the intended effect.

"You're manipulating me," she said, guardedly.

"I love you, Companion," he said, looking up at her.

She was lost at sea. Waves crashed over her as she clung to a slimy, barnacled rock that barely kept her head above a rising tide. She desperately looked around her barren seascape hoping to see or hear anything that would instantly provide the questions for which she could then seek the answers to. Why was there no one to help her? No ship on the horizon. No life raft. No bobbing water-logged debris she could leap onto and float away from her prison of isolation. She was trapped, unable to escape this damned, unyielding, weather-beaten rock. But it was HER rock - it was the sole reason that she had not already drowned in her sea of psychopathy. Her magic rock that loved her.

She dropped down next to him, and they held each other. "I love you, too, Husband. Please don't ask me to harm my kids," she begged.

"You have my word, Companion."

She believed him, for he could never lie to her. "Thank you," she sighed warmly.

"Try to rest, now," he said. "These are not only your kids, Companion. They are OUR kids. I shall watch over all of you. We will be fine. Our destiny is beautiful."

He said the magic word. It was all she needed to hear. She closed her eyes to take his advice, but rest would not come easily. She could still see the multi-limbed afterimages projected onto her eyelids. They weren't real, but they lingered to remind her that she was not at peace. She understood what Thad had done to her: absolutely nothing. It would be so easy to blame him for all her troubles. That's what Varyl did. Thad was the irresponsible one; she was just the victim. No one with any integrity could ever blame the victim, even if victimhood was prominently headlined on their resume.

Then there was Rovaun, who, despite his promise, didn't believe in Steed anymore. Rovaun and Occam's Razor were usually right, but not always right. When it came down to a life and death decision, what if he wasn't right? She understood the stakes that bothered him so much. When a Hipponaur gave life to a virtual being, as Parceph once did for Jeremiah, he gave ALL of his life, the ultimate sacrifice of love. Would she be willing to give all of her life for Steed? She honestly didn't know what she'd be giving life to. It was this doubt that plagued her with tendrils.

As she drowsed, she could no longer determine the boundary of her consciousness, for the images permeated both sides. Creatures swayed benignly in an ethereal tide, and she felt herself floating away with them. Her limbs turned sinuous, growing boneless fingers and toes that were indistinguishable. She lived in the discordant serenity of an upside down nightmare that turned bizarre into banal, and monstrous into mundane. She had become mundane, and had finally found peace with it.

But Destiny grew bored and changed the channel again, pulling the final thread of her unraveling sanity. Having already given her a glimpse of the penultimate second of her existence, it revealed to her the final one: Amidst the horrified gathering of her screaming loved ones, her death would splatter them with a violent eruption of viscera and tentacles. And this was going to happen... right now.

She flailed wildly, kicking and hollering at the creatures that devoured her from outside and within. Knocking over Rovaun, she got up to run, but he whipped a tentacle around her legs, pulling her back to the ground.

Thaddeus appeared immediately to offer assistance. "Will you please allow me to help her, now?"

"Get Varyl!" commanded Rovaun. "Get Fred! Get Jeremiah! Get EVERYBODY here NOW!"

"I have a better idea, Rovaun. How about if I help her and YOU get everybody else!"

"GO NOW! DAMN YOU!!"

Thad departed to carry out his wish, for it was better than doing nothing, but he didn't have far to go. Pandora's cries were echoing through the canyon. Help was already on its way.

"Companion, WAKE UP! It's a dream! WAKE UP!" His words were useless; he could not reason with a Hipponaur that had no mind left to reason with. He attempted another empathetic link, which now had an unintended effect.

Grinning a thousand fangs, the creature told her how much it desired her, snaking venemous tentacles into her ears and nostrils. Then its mouth covered hers in a suffocating kiss that oviposited more eggs down her thoat.

Varyl was the first on the scene, followed by Fred and Azgard, Parceph and Jeremiah, Shianna and Malaya and the kids. Thaddeus could find no one else to alert, so he jumped in front of the line to once again offer his assistance.

"Thank you for calling the others," Rovaun told him, "but your services are no longer needed."

Varyl interceded. "Rovaun, if we are to save Pandora, we'll need to trust each other. I choose to trust Thaddeus to do the right thing for once. His talents surpass mine in this regard. It is, of course, your call."

It WAS his call. And he knew that the person most qualified to disarm a bomb was the terrorist who built it. Ultimately, Rovaun made the only decision he could. "Fix her!" he commanded to Thad.

Thad rushed to Pandora and sat down, cradling her head in his lap and pressing his forehead to hers. He didn't really know how to fix her, for he had no ability to pull out what he had pushed in. The best he could do was push in pretty thoughts to dilute the ugly ones that inundated her. The brackish brine she was drowning in now tasted faintly of honey.

"Open your eyes, Pandora. Join your family. It's a beautiful day."

The mare couldn't hear this other creature that was trying to manipulate her, but she remembered her sexual dalliances with it. It had deceived her then but she could see its true nature now. She felt it reach around and extend a long tentacle into her vagina, vibrating against her clitoris as a degrading reminder of how much she had enjoyed it. Deeper and deeper it probed, until it found the mouth of an innocent Anthraun. It formed a noxious nipple, encouraging the foal to suckle, and feed, and turn. Pandora had no will left to fight the thing or its purpose. With her son now lost, she surrendered to the blackness.

"I think she's going into labor," said Fred frantically opening his kit, "but she's much bigger now. I don't know what's going on."

Adjacent to Thaddeus, Varyl knelt down directly in front of Pandora. "Concentrate, Thaddeus. Only you can save her."

Thaddeus winced in Varyl's presence. The Sentinel was always up to something whenever Thaddeus had dealings with him, and now he sat there breathing on him. The only reason Varyl would ask him to save her was if he wanted her dead and needed someone to blame. Now Thaddeus had to make sure that didn't happen.

Pandora's bloating body jumped and rumbled with movement from within. Things were hatching.

Fred fumbled uselessly with ultrasound attachments that he kept swapping to keep pace with Pandora's altering dimensions.

"Somebody DO SOMETHING!" cried Shianna.

"Thad, you've got to bring her out of it!" cried Rovaun.

"I'm doing that," he hummed, maintaining his concentration.

Varyl sat quietly over Pandora, working his own agenda and successfully intimidating Thaddeus.

"Fred, can you tranquilize her?" urged Rovaun.

Fred dropped his equipment to desperately dig around in his kit. He pulled out the syringe he was searching for, but in his haste broke the needle off. "Shit!"

"I'm shutting her down, NOW!" Rovaun moved to her belly, and initiated a powerful link with Occam.

"No, Rovaun!" shouted Varyl. But the link was established, and Occam awakened. A bristled tentacle pierced through Pandora's rib cage and wrapped around Rovaun's neck. The stallion whinnied and pulled back, snapping the appendage that flopped and squirmed on the ground. Pandora's body jolted and rattled as the enraged alien roto-tilled an escape route from the mare that refused to birth him. Blood and flesh spurted from the wound cracking ribs expanding from within. The mission parameters had changed.

"Give us some space, Rovaun," said Varyl, withholding judgment. Rovaun backed away to tearfully pray for mercy.

"Thaddeus, you'll have to convince her to birth him," said Varyl. "We can no longer save both."

"I am not birthing Steed," he snarled, switching tactics. "Come out, Pandora. YOU are a real Anthraun. Only you are real. Emerge, Pandora, NOW! Steed is FALSE. Pandora is REAL! Only Pandora is real! Pandora is dominant! YOU are Pandora! You are dominant! Come out! You've GOT to come OUT!"

Something came out. Its legs poked through the wound in her chest and levered the rest of it to freedom. It ran across her body and scrambled to the ground toward a young mare. The terrified kids hopped onto Malaya's back as she screamed and leapt away from the arachnoid menace. A Clydesdale's hoof stomped it into the dirt just as Nanny coughed out two more to take their revenge.

"Pandora-Pandora-Pandora-Pandora," mantra'd Thad, flicking the things off his arm for Azgard to deal with.

Subdermal lifeforms navigated their release from every square inch of their dying host, forming pustuled escape hatches that fruited and burst. The largest by far located her birth canal and poked out a long stiff tentacle that probed the ground for an anchor to latch on to.

The equine pufferfish tossed violently as all of her offspring hatched and emerged, forming an outer skin of wriggling legs. Bellowing her final breath to the heavens, she exploded in a bloody cloud of teeming horror.

The mare collapsed to silence, leaving only a fading echo of her passing. In the far distance, eerie howls of a Hipponaur's death knell could be heard, re-broadcasting the tragic announcement on the wind, an instinct as ancient as the race itself. Those within her presence, however, were too shocked to utter anything at all. Shianna whimpered softly for her lover. Thaddeus rocked and sobbed into his dead companion's forehead. Rovaun held silent, awaiting the arrival of his companion's immortal soul.

The creatures had all vanished, save for the partial birthing of a large lifeless tentacle that terminated with a skewered blob of gore. The blood they were spattered with was all too real.

"Well done, Thaddeus," muttered Varyl. "Go easy on Thad," he told the others as he rose up. "That was his entire family that he just lost today."

"Fuck you to hell," said Thaddeus under his breath, taking Varyl's insult exactly as intended.

Varyl sighed at the steaming gutted carcass, assessing the damage. "Pull it out," he indicated to Fred.

Reluctantly, the vet grabbed hold of the tentacle and pulled the bulk from the rest of the body, dragging most of Nanny's innards with it. He set it down wondering how doing so made the bloody mess any easier to clean up.

"Swat it," said Jeremiah.

"What??"

"Ain't ya never delivered a baby before?? Ya gotta SWAT it!" he said, spanking the bulk where its butt might be.

The tentacle twitched, then the bloody blob on the end opened its fist and clawed at the muck that covered its face. Fred and Jeremiah assisted peeling off layers of carnage to reveal a humanoid underneath. Once its mouth was clear, Daniel Racher coughed his first breath.

"Companion!" whinnied Rovaun rushing to his aid.

"Husband!" he responded, sitting up to receive him.

The two hugged emotionally while Jeremiah took inventory and Fred scraped away the parts that didn't try to sting him.

"One head, two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, no tail, no grabbers... Congratulations, Rovaun, it's a dude," said Jeremiah proudly. "Though his junk's a little funky."

Jeremiah produced a virtual bucket of warm water and towels to assist with the cleanup, then wrapped a warm blanket around the shivering dude who was still recovering from shock. Tired of feeling virtually useless, Fred went to his tent to retrieve something non-virtually useful.

"What do you remember, Daniel?" asked Varyl.

"I remember dying!" he replied, quite matter-of-factly.

Tantau and Tattoo jumped off of Malaya and ran to hug him. "No Mommy, don't die!"

"I'm not dying anymore," he said, hugging them tight.

"Perceptive little bastards," whispered Jeremiah to Parceph, who smiled and nodded in agreement.

Daniel kissed them both, astounded that they didn't seem to care at all about the dead Hipponaur lying right next to them.

"I apologize for being so inquisitive," said Varyl, "but this event is so extraordinary that it must be properly archived. Could you tell us what else you remember before you experienced your metamorphosis?"

Daniel understood the urgency of his request. Now that he was human again, his memory was fallible.

"I was in Hell," he sighed. "There's no other way to describe it."

Thad held onto Nanny's head, convincing himself that it was really Varyl that had sent Daniel to Hell.

"I remember spiders and tentacles and staring eyeballs that never blinked. I couldn't hide from them. And there was so much screaming and howling that I couldn't shut out. I think it would have driven anyone mad."

Daniel looked down and admitted, "I guess I only have myself to blame for that."

"No, Companion," Rovaun nickered softly.

"And then there were the voices," he recalled. "Voices telling me things that made no sense, things that conflicted just to torment me. I'm a human, I'm an Anthraun, I'm an alien, Pandora is real, Steed is fake, everything's fine. Except everything's entirely fucked. The only thing that made sense was that this was Hell. I was in Hell, and the only way to exist in Hell was to become a part of it. So I let Hell become a part of me. And that's how I would exist from now on."

Varyl remained attentive, while Thad turned his head and grimaced in shame.

"But then there was another voice," said Daniel, remembering his salvation. "It wasn't screaming or manipulating me. It didn't shout at me and tell me what was real or what was fake or who I was or who I wasn't. It cut through all that chatter because its message was so simple. And it told me exactly what I needed to hear..."

Daniel looked tearfully up at his mate. "It said, 'I love you Companion, forever and always.'"

Rovaun's eyes overflowed.

"It was YOU, Husband," cried Daniel, hugging him close. "You pulled me out of Hell... it was you..."

Varyl felt his eyes beginning to rinse as well, and was truly humbled by the power of love that these two beings shared. "Well done, Rovaun," he nodded. "Very well done!"

"Yay, Pops!" said the kids hugging his front legs.

Jeremiah started the slow clap, which grew to a rousing round of coordinated hoof stomping.

Thaddeus joined in the applause as an honest acknowledgement that despite Pandora being the dominant personality, Rovaun had pulled off a legitimate upset. (Though he probably could have birthed Pandora had Varyl not been breathing down his neck.)

"Look, Husband, even Thad is hailing you. Maybe all's well that ends well... again?"

"I'll consider it," he said, tossing Thad a look that was more like tossing him a barbed wire dildo and telling him to get busy.

Daniel gazed adoringly at his two sons and regretted having to explain what had happened to their sibling. "I'm sorry about your brother, Steed," he said to them sadly.

Tattoo and Tantau looked at each other in confusion.

"But... YOU'RE Steed," said Tattoo. "You were playing make-believe."

Daniel and Rovaun glanced at each other in shared befuddlement.

"Yeah," said Tantau. "I always had Malaya to keep me company. So you pretended to be Steed to keep Tattoo company."

"But you don't need to pretend anymore," said Tattoo, giving him another hug.

Daniel turned to his mate and shrugged. Rovaun nodded to him, "Your soul, Companion. It's an unmistakable fingerprint. They always knew it was you."

"It sure was scary at the end," laughed Tattoo raising up his arms. "Let's get Malaya!"

"Yeah!"

The two little monsters ran after Malaya with their tentacles waving. Squeaking in terror, she ran away just enough to allow them to catch and tickle her.

"Husband, do you think it's possible that subconsciously the real reason I made Steed was for Tattoo?"

"Sure, why not?" Rovaun smiled. "Tattoo had a rough start. Steed apparently helped him."

Thad looked up while still cradling Nanny. If Steed had truly helped Tattoo, then maybe some immeasurable amount of good came of this.

Daniel carefully stood up to test his wobbly legs, and then noticed that he was not entirely human. "What the hell..." he said, thoroughly toweling off his genitals. Where his penis was normally attached, he now sported a large leathery sheath. Rovaun stared at it with eyebrows raised. Daniel looked up at him with the widest of smiles.

"Husband! You gave me a horsedick!"

"That was certainly not my intention, Companion," he worried.

"Are you kidding?" grinned Daniel. "This is GREAT!" He palpated the soft tissue around his pelvis to estimate its size. "It feels huge!" he grinned. "Ya know, Husband, I bet you made it as big as yours, you old size queen."

"Let's see it drop," said Jeremiah.

"Decorum, Companion," admonished Parceph, more embarrassed for himself than for his mate.

"Let's see yours drop."

"Drop it," Parceph snorted.

Jeremiah glanced over his shoulder at his uninhabited, uninhibited Hipponaur body, which was fully dropped as usual. "Fat Fuck, stop that," he commanded, then looked forward again. "He don't listen."

Daniel bent over to try to figure out how his new penis worked, but it remained bashfully hidden. "That's definitely a cock head," he concluded, poking a finger deep inside. "Ooh-hoo, it's sensitive too!... But I can't make it come out."

"If it truly is an equine phallus," informed his mate that had one, "then you cannot pull it out. Its natural state is to be retracted."

"Sorta like when yer in public, ya natur'ly suck in yer gut so's everyone don't see yer beer belly."

"OK, so how do I get it into an unnatural state?"

"You can either relax and let gravity do it, or become aroused."

"In that case," smirked Daniel, "let's you and me go someplace private and see how relaxed you can make me." But then he changed his mind and decided that privacy could go fuck itself. He was already publicly naked and so was Rovaun, so what could be more natural for him than to shove his tongue into his stallion's interdental gap. And besides, Jeremiah really wanted to see a new horsedick today. Then with impeccable timing, Dr. Cockblocker showed up with a neatly folded pile of clothes.

"You can borrow these," said Fred, not willing to wait an hour for the smooch-fest to finish.

"Uh..." thanks, Fred," said Daniel, wiping off Rovaun's slobber. He stopped to put on a dress shirt that almost fit, thinking if he humored the vet then maybe he'd go away.

"These are my good office clothes," Fred continued. "They're the only ones I have."

"I really appreciate this, Fred."

"They're expensive."

"I'll give them back," Daniel said sarcastically, lifting one leg to slide into his trousers. "Hey look, Azgard, I'm finally getting into Fred's pants."

Fred rolled his eyes, but then did a double-take when he caught sight of Daniel's sheath. "Whoa..." he said, forgetting to close his mouth.

"Enjoying the view?" snickered Daniel. "Maybe you'd like to run a slimy ultrasound wand all over it."

"Shaddup," said Fred snapping out of his trance.

Azgard chuckled, "You've kind of deserved that for a while, Companion."

"Shaddup."

Daniel finished dressing and tucked in his shirt. "Whadaya think, Jerry? Could I pass as a vet?"

"Hmm, no," he contemplated. "But you could pass as Fred."

Azgard did his best to contain his amusement while consoling his fuming companion, who didn't want to face the fact that with all of his medical expertise, he had no effect on the outcome of the day's extraordinary events. He walked away sullenly, hoping to make them all feel like assholes, which sort of worked.

"Hey, come on, Fred. We're just having some fun with ya."

Fred returned with the blanket that had helped bring life into the world that morning. Then he spread it over the deceased mare. Thaddeus took that as his cue to let her go.

"Oh, man," said Daniel not feeling so romantic anymore. "I do feel really bad about her."

"You are alive, Companion. The previous ten months of your life are over, but the previous ten months of all of our lives are over. We move on."

"Listen to Rovaun," said Varyl. "When a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, the world celebrates the butterfly; it does not mourn the cocoon."

"But I liked my cocoon," he said, still feeling responsible for her passing.

"I liked her, too," sniffled Shianna, coming up to hug him. "I'll miss her, but I'll always remember her. And you made her who she was. I loved her, but now she's gone. I still love you. And I am still your Goldilocks."

Daniel smiled at Rovaun. "She's right, Husband. Now we can make more Tantaus."

"That is," she said with a caveat, "as long as I feel that my burden in this arrangement is appreciated."

Daniel showed his appreciation by nuzzling and licking a particular spot above her left shoulder. The mare looked pitifully at Rovaun, then coddled, "bless your heart."

"Isn't this the spot?" wondered Daniel, spitting out horse hair. "Why isn't it working?"

"Perhaps you can explain it to him," she said to Rovaun.

The stallion shrugged. "It is STILL just as much a mystery to me."

"Sperm donors," she huffed, walking away to rescue Malaya.

Varyl discussed burial arrangements with Fred and Jeremiah, who were better at wielding shovels than the rest of them. Jeremiah offered to wield a virtual backhoe, which was just fine with Fred.

"I know she wasn't born in Bizarro World," said Daniel to Varyl, "but I'd like to bury her next to Rovaun,... if that doesn't violate some cosmic law."

Varyl nodded. "Rovaun's plot is in my domain. And I agree that that would be an appropriate resting place for your cocoon... Oh, that reminds me..." The wisest stallion warmly approached Daniel, and embraced him. "It is my joy and privilege to give my third blessing today to this remarkable man, Daniel Racher, whom I declare to be an honorary Hipponaur, with full rights, recognition, and protection of our Nation. May you and Rovaun have a long fulfilling life together, and continue to brighten this world with more of your delightful children."

"Thank you, Grampa," hugged Daniel.

Rovaun nodded respectfully, so very proud of his mate.

Varyl glanced at Thaddeus just long enough to remind him that this day would never come for him, then he returned to Parceph for a private chat.

"Happy Birthday, Companion," said Rovaun, hugging him.

"When do I get to try out the birthday present you gave me?" said Daniel, feeling very blessed.

"How about right now, Companion. Come along."

Daniel followed Rovaun over to Varyl, who after a few words nodded and performed a short ritualistic dance. "The funeral ceremony will begin in an hour," said Varyl. "Your attendance under the circumstances is optional. Take all the time you desire. You may enter through my right."

"Yes!!!" said Daniel about to fulfill his destiny. Following Rovaun into the Sentinel's transport tube, he tunefully nyah-nyah'd, "I know where we're go-ing!"

Once they were safely through the portal, Varyl quickly disconnected to prevent his prisoner from escaping. Thaddeus was in his face anyway. "I'm attending her funeral," he insisted.

"No."

"Why not! Pandora was more than just a cocoon to me. Obviously I cared more for her than ANYONE! It sure looks like I'm the only one mourning her death. I deserve to be there!"

"The galling arrogance of your demand is transcended only by my jubilance in denying it. Get lost, loser."

Thad's jaw muscles flexed with fury, but there was nothing he could do about it. Varyl would always win. Over the past several years, the Anthraun had been blamed for a great deal of sorrow, suffering and death, but none of it could be construed as cold-blooded murder. If ever he decided to expand his resume, he knew who his first victim would be.

Rovaun and Daniel emerged from under the Sentinel's cloak to a sunny California shoreline popular with ungulate windsurfers. It was exactly what Fort Lauderdale was not: respectable. Though there were plenty of Anthrauns, Humans and Hipponaurs enjoying themselves, the only fluids they exchanged were rated SPF 15 or higher.

"This is not a clothing optional beach," berated the Sentinel.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" asked Daniel.

"I am referring to your friend."

"Oh him," said Daniel. "It's okay, he's with me."

If the Sentinel could have been any less impressed by them, his poker face revealed it.

"Varyl sent us," said Daniel, showing all his cards.

"Ah yes," nodded the Sentinel. "The NUDIST colony. How lucky for you."

"Sooo... You'll let us go to the beach?"

"No."

"But Varyl sent us himself!" protested Daniel.

"You are not in Varyl's domain. I do not answer to him."

Daniel couldn't believe the ridiculous bureaucracy in this world, until he remembered the password. "Do you answer to Mourne?"

"SHH! Keep your voice down!" he said nervously.

"Well I happen to be his Wraith," Daniel said smugly.

"What impudent nonsense!"

"Today is my birthday," said Daniel confidently removing his clothes, "and it is my foretold destiny that I and my companion shall ride naked together on the shoreline, and I will have the time of my life. And not only that, my companion gave me a horsedick for my birthday, and we are going to christen it on your beach."

Bewildered by this excessively preputial human, the Sentinel still denied him. "Fornication is not allowed on the beach!"

"We won't be fornicating. We are happily married."

"I have had quite enough of you two. You will depart now while you can still do so, safely!"

"Send us to Mourne."

"QUIET!... I shall do no such thing."

"Either send us to him so that I may file a formal complaint, or let us celebrate my birthday in our birthday suits."

The Sentinel found himself in a difficult position. "Stand by," he snorted, making a telepathic phone call. "I apologize for the disturbance your Eminence... Waddell Beach... There is a man here who claims to be the Wraith... Yes... A Hipponaur stallion... Yes..." The Sentinel raised his eyebrows, then responded, "I cannot tell, it appears to be sheathed... Yes... Yes, but... I understand... Will do... I apologize again for disturbing you."

The Sentinel hung up and glared at them. "Enjoy your stay."

"Did you hear that, Husband?" said Daniel ecstatically. "God knows about my horsedick!"

"Pretty soon everyone will, Companion."

Daniel mounted his stallion and headed for the beach. "Do you mind watching my clothes?" he called out to the Sentinel as they disappeared over a dune.

"Very much so."

The streakers stormed the beach, causing more than a few wipeouts as heads turned and anarchists cheered. Riding his stallion at full gallop, Daniel waved at his fans who recorded the two of them splashing through the surf. He stretched his arms out like wings to emulate an iconic scene from The Black Stallion, imagining that this was what it felt like to fly. Daniel was living his dream. Daniel's dreams were still real.

They reached a rock wall at the far end of the beach where they found themselves secluded from the rest of the world. Daniel hopped off while Rovaun dropped to the ground and pleased himself with a hearty roll in the sand to soak up the sweat. Daniel leaned up against him, and together they caught their breath and reflected upon the most intense day of their lives.

"Does it get any better than this?" blissfully sighed Daniel.

"For at least a millennium and a fortnight, Companion. Then it is all downhill."

Daniel squinted at the early afternoon sun, and nodded, "I can live with that."

"Me too," nuzzled his mate.

"And I vow to never again be a wretched festering cunt," he burped, pretending to sound blitzed.

"Never say never, Companion. We all have an occasional bad day."

"Maybe, but this sure isn't one of them. And I fucking died in it!"

Rovaun licked him. "You have never tasted more alive... or sandy."

Suddenly Daniel felt something else come alive. "I think the time is nigh, Husband."

He laid down on the sand with his eyes closed against the April sun, hands clasped comfortably behind his head. Being thoroughly relaxed in this position, gravity could play no part in bringing out the object of everyone's curiosity. Also he wasn't going to make it that easy for his mate, though arousing his penis never required much effort on Rovaun's part.

He sensed the tickling of nose hairs on his balls, and the hot puffs from nostrils that amplified their scent, then a warm tongue that sensually cradled them. His cock was compelled from its refuge as its charmer nickered and licked. Daniel grinned through closed eyes, feeling it tumesce to inhuman proportions, then he felt his lover back off to prepare a surprise. Would it be a lopsided sixty-nine? Or perhaps the stallion would attempt to sit down on the monster without crushing Daniel's pelvis. Whatever it was, he was taking his time, making Daniel arch and squirm in erotic frustration.

"You're such a tease, Husband. Please continue."

The stallion did not continue. Daniel opened his eyes to see what he was up to, but he wasn't up to anything; he just stared and trembled in terror. Daniel sat up, then he, too, stared and trembled at the glistening rippling nightmare creeping out of his sheath.

"RRRAAAaahhhhhhhh!!!!"

[To be continued...]

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