The Long Fall

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

04/14/98:

"Oriana!" My sister called as I walked through the side door
of my House. "Where have you been?" She asked, standing up
from her chair and walking over to me.

I smiled. "I've been around, sorry for being away so long."

"You need to come back more often," she said with a smile,
"people are starting to think that this is my place."

"Oh? Do you want it?" I asked.

She seemed to be taken aback. "Really Oriana! What would are
parent's say?"

I smirked. "Does it matter?"

Rose paused, thinking it over. "I'll consider it." she said
with a smile. Her eyes then flickered, focusing behind me.

"Hello again," Fox said over my shoulder.

She smiled then looked back towards me. "So, why are the
pair of you here? It can't be on business."

I shook my head, walking past her to sit on the couch. "Yes
and no, we've both spent some time at the Temple."

"How long have you been back?"

"Two days," Fox said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He
had been sunburned once again. He sat down on the couch as
well, but on the side away from me. He had been acting
uncomfortable around me for the past few weeks, I can't even
guess as to why.

Rose smiled at us. "You two are a pair. You seem to be a
couple but you act as if you can barely stand being around
each other."

"Oh, it's not that bad." Fox replied.

She scoffed. "Look at your selves! Sharing the couch yet
each trying to stay as far away from the other as you can."

I turned and looked at Fox just he turned to look at me.
Rose was right now that I though about it. I was keeping
away from him just as much as he was from me.

"Maybe you should get it over with and just get married."
She added with a grin.

Fox just shook his head, blushing on his cheeks.

I rolled my eyes, blushing about as bad he was.

Rose smirked.

"Has anything interesting happen while I was away?" I asked,
trying to change the topic before it got any more
uncomfortable.

She frowned. "Some of the fence out front got burned up a
few nights ago."

I sighed standing up. "How bad?" I asked as I walked past
her, heading for the front entrance. It was common knowledge
around the neighborhood of what kind of House I ran. Most
people didn't complain, I keep everything clean and I didn't
allow anyone to stay if they raised a ruckus.

That still didn't prevent the occasional vandal to do
something to the front entrance. Usual spray panting the
wall or paper the trees. Nothing has anything on fire
before.

"It's not that bad," Rose said, keeping a few paces behind
me. "A few feet needs to be replaced. One of the clients
have even volunteered to fix it on his off day."

"That's very nice of him," I answered her, "but I don't want
anyone spending some much time out front. Somebody could
recognize them, or worse. I'm don't want to risk that."

"I could do it," Fox said, walking next to Rose. "It may
take a few days, but I could spare the time."

Rose scoffed, "You don't exactly blend in, even around
here."

I smiled at her. "You would be surprised how easy it is for
him to blend in."

She flicked her ears, but didn't say anything else. We
reached the end of the main hallway that ran though the
house and I opened the inside door of the entryway. Stepping
through I opened the second door and went outside.

The front entrance never get much traffic, most people
prefer the side door, or the back way in. Only the locals
use the front door, even then it was still a rare event.

Taking a few steps down the path I spotted the damage. About
six feet of fencing had been burt, all down the middle of
the boards. Walking over to it I looked at it closely, then
bending over I looked at the other side.

If I had to guess I would say someone threw gas or alcohol
on the front of the fence and set it ablaze. Most of the
damage was centered, every board burt through. The top and
the bottom rails had been only slightly scorched.

"About a days work to fix," I commented as I stood back up.

"I thought as much," Rose replied.

Turing I started back for the front entrance. "If Fox want's
to fix it he can."

She chuckled a bit, getting to the door just before I did.
"If he can do it without anyone noticing I'll owe you a
Favor."

I smiled, wondering when we had started acting like kids
again. "Fine then, and I will own you one of people do."

Fox laughed from he had been waiting, leaning up against one
of the walls of the entryway. "If you two aren't sisters."
He said with a smile.

I stopped and tweaked his nose. "We are though, I can assure
you of that."

He rolled his eyes.

"Come on you two," my sister said as she waited by the door
into the house, "lets go get some lunch."

I nodded and walked up to her.

"I guess he is kind of cute," she commented as we started
towards the kitchen.

I shook my head. "Based on what? Have you ever seen another
human?"

"A human? What a silly name," she smiled, "and from how you
act with him he has to be cute to you."

I smiled, "Really he is, but--" I was interrupted by a loud
pop from behind me, followed by the sound of falling glass.

Turning on my heal I looked back at the entryway. I was
worried that someone had shot out the glass around the door.
But it was nothing so serious. The light in the entryway had
exploded, sending the fixture to the floor.

Fox was standing in the center of the small room, looking up
at the ceiling. He looked a bit stunned, but with good
reason, it glass had only missed him by inches.

"Are you all right Fox?" I asked.

He didn't answered me, he just stood there.

"Fox?" I asked, taking a step forward.

Slowly he drew in a ragged breath that was loud enough that
I could hear it from a few feet away. Then he started to
fall forwards.

I jumped towards him, catching him just before he hit the
floor. Keeping him from landing on the broken glass.

Hefting him up and pulled him into the hallway. He felt like
he was burning up, his skin radiating heat.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked crouching down next to his head.

I didn't answer her, instead I was busy checking for his
pulse. Once I did I was surprised to find that his heart
rate seemed to be faster then normal.

Hoping I didn't make things worse, I rolled him onto this
back. His eyes where still open, and he was looking towards
the ceiling. The color of his though where starting to
change, starting to fade as I watched.

Rose saw it too. "What's happening to him?"

His eyes suddenly shifted, focusing on me. Then with a jerk
he sat up, throwing his glasses off. He started almost
gulping, moving his mouth like he was trying to speak. I
noticed the second change then, his hair was starting to get
shorter, almost pulling back into his skull. It also looked
like it was becoming lighter.

He keep trying to speak, grabbing at his throat with his
hands. Suddenly He pulled his legs up close to his body and
kicked them back as he finally made a soft whimpering sound.
Then rolled back over on his stomach, propping himself up in
his hands and knees.

Lifting his head up he looked at me. His eyes were panicked
and scared. The color it self had faded even more, becoming
almost sky blue, but still getting lighter.

Other changes started to happened to him then. What I
noticed first was that his body seemed to be getting larger,
almost swelling out as I watched. I could see his wrist, how
it was puffed out around his watch, a trickle of blood
starting to show where it cut into the skin. His clothing as
well was beginning to reach there limits, the seams of his
shirt had become tight and looked almost ready to explode.

"Shit! Rose, help me strip him! his going to rip out of his
clothing soon." I demanded as I bent down to take the watch
of his wrist.

She didn't questing me she just went right to it, working on
pulling his shirt off. I moved farther down pulling his
pants off. Once they where off I saw even more of a change,
his was starting to grow a tail, it was still small, but was
getting larger.

Moving back to his front I looked him over. The changes were
starting to speed up. All the hair on his body was now shot
and a golden blond color. It was also spreading down his
shoulders. His body was stretching out as well, as his chest
expanded.

Then came a series of sudden snaps though out his body. His
hands started to change from them, his palms getting larger
as his fingers melted into his body. The positing of his
legs had shifting as well, moving to the sides of his body.
His feet had become larger as well, his toes almost gone.

His neck was changing as well, the positing of it moving as
the angle of his head changed making it parallel to the
floor. He looked towards me, his eyes having become almost
translucent. They only had the hint of a blue to them, like
ice.

Rose understood it before I did. "He's becoming a lion." she
whispered.

She was right, I could see that now that she said it. His
body was become the proper shape as the fur spread accost
his skin like fire. He was being remade as an animal.

His face finally started to change, head getting larger,
stretching as the skull reshaped itself. A muzzle was slowly
pushing out, pulling his features while his ears seemed to
slide back as the grew larger.

Then came a last sudden flurry of changes, his whole body
seeming to double in mass as it grew to the proper size. His
face taking on the correct shape as his eyes became slitted.
The tip of his tail puffing out in fur as it seemed to
stretch out.

Letting out a second whimper he fell to the floor.

Something instantly struck me as wrong though. He had no
mane, not even one hair was longer then the rest of him all
through out his head and neck. I creep around him, being as
quite as I could, and I found what I was now expecting.

Rose gave me a quizzical look as I moved back next to her.
               
"He's become a lioness." I explained.

Rose looked towards Fox, then back at me. "Why?"

"I don't know," I said, standing up. "But I'm going to get
some help. You stay here and tell me if anything happens."

"Something happened," she whispered, shaking her head
slowly.

Pushing past those who had gather around to see what had
happened I made my way back to the side door where Fox and I
and entered. Fox had left his backpack inside the entryway
there. One of the things I knew he had brought along as a
small multi-verse radio. A sort of phone like thing that
would work between verses.

Falling to the floor I started to dig through the pack.
Finding the radio I opened the case and read the
instructions that where printed on the case. Following them
I dialed one of the few numbers on Prid that I knew by
heart.

"Hello?" Page asked as she answered the other end.

"Page, I need your help." I said into the phone, sounding
more panicked then I felt.

"What's happened?" She asked from the other end.

I took a short breath, trying to clam myself. "Fox is in
trouble. I'm at my House, get Ken and get here now."

"Oriana," Page said, her voice shaking. "Tell me, what
happened, please."

"He's been transformed, I don't know how."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Ken and I
will be there as fast as we can." Then the line went silent.

Closing the radio I put it back into his backpack. Who had
done this to Fox, and how?

Leaning up against the wall of the entryway I closed my
eyes. Was this some kind of side effect to our switch, and
if so would the same thing happen to me soon?

I was starting to get scared.

I must have sat there for ten minutes, waiting for either
help to arrive or Rose to call me. Help got to me first.
Page almost literally burst in through the door, Ken right
after her. Nether one was disguised in any way.

Standing up I noticed that Naomi was propped on Ken's
shoulders, hugging his neck tightly. She seemed to have
enjoyed her ride.

"Where is he?" Page asked, she seemed to be almost shaking.

I didn't answer, I just took off back into the house.
Running through the hallway to where Fox was still laying.

Page saw him first, pushing past Rose to land by Fox's side.
Gently she reached out to touch his muzzle. "Fox?" she asked
the air.

There was no answer.

Ken was right next to her, setting Naomi down next to Rose,
he reached out to touch Fox's neck. He pulled his hand back
with a jerk. "He's burning with magic."

"What happened?" Page asked, turning to look at me. I gave
her a quick explanation of what had transpired. Ken looked
concerned as I spoke of it.

He looked at the floor of the entryway, then up to the
ceiling. "You said the light exploded?"

I nodded.

Standing up he walked around Fox and into the entryway.
Lifting himself onto his toes he looked closely at the light
fixture.

With a lunge he punched his first through the ceiling next
to the fixture. Searching for a few seconds he grunted then
yanked down, sending part of the ceiling to the floor. He
was holding on the light fixture in his first, but there was
more. Something had been attached to the wires, a large grey
box that had scorch marks on the sides.

Ken pulled it away from the wiring and looked closely at it.
"This is what cause it, I can feel it."

"Can you fix whatever it did?" I asked.

He nodded. "I think so, I recognize the style of magic, if
not the type."

"Oriana," Rose whispered pulling on the side of my pants.

Looking down I saw what she had seen. Fox had woke up,
his... no, again I guess Fox is a her, but her eyes where
open and looking around at all of us.

"Fox?" I asked, bending down a bit.

She shifted, working herself around until she was on all
fours. Bending her head back she looked over her body, then
looked back to us. I could see the confusion in her eyes, I
could also see fear.

Page reached towards her, but Fox pulled back. Her ears
laying back a bit into the fur of her head.

"It's ok Fox." I said.

She just looked at me, confusing in her eyes. She didn't
understand me.

Almost as if by magic Naomi was by Fox's side, hugging her
around the neck and pressing her muzzle into the fur. "Why
is she here!" I said, reaching for her.

"Hello daddy," she said, still nuzzling Fox's neck. Fox
seemed to understand, her ears realizing and raising
slightly.

Page grabbed my arm, holding me back from the pair. "Leave
her there for now, Fox seems to be able to hear her."

I sighed, pulling my arm out of her grip. I already saw
that.

A look of concentration crossed over the young skunks
muzzle. She then turned to look at us. "She says her name is
Rhea."

"What?" I asked, leaning forward.

She smiled. "Rhea says daddy is in her mind. She's part of
his body."

"Can Fox understand us?" Ken asked.

Naomi shook her head. "He says no, and Rhea doesn't know how
to."

"He's translator is shut down," I said.

"Or removed," Ken commented.

Naomi leaned back, breaking contact with Fox. "She wants to
go and run, and Fox wants to go home."

"I think that would be a good idea," Ken said as he walked
around Fox.

"What's this about Rhea though?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "It may be that the change included a
mind as well, I'm not sure. But Rhea seems to be dominate
for right now."

I sighed, "Then we had better get her back to Prid." I
turned to my sister. "Rose, could you get a collar and a
leash, something that will fit her?"

She nodded and took of into the House.

Page spoke up, "If his translator's gone, how do we talk to
him?" She was collecting Fox's clothing as she spoke,
stuffing them into his backpack. I had no idea when she had
gone to get it.

"His native language." Ken answered.

I sighed, "do you know it?"

He shook his head. "I don't know of anyone alive who does."

Rose came back then, she had with her just what I had asked
for. Though I had no idea where she had found one so fast.
The collar wasn't very thick, but it was large enough to fit
around Fox's neck. She even let me put it on her, something
I was thankful for. Then clipping the leash on I prayed that
she was willing to go were I lead, if not this would be
useless to control her.

"Page you lead, Ken follow us and keep Naomi with you."

Page nodded and started down the hall. I tapped Fox with my
foot then pointed to Page. She seemed to get the idea and
started to follow.

We went slowly through the house, out the side door and onto
the street. People got out of our way without question, none
of them wanting to get involved with us.

Page pulled out her control and started to open the fold.
She was stopped when Burke grabbed her arm.

The man was just suddenly there, without a noise he was
among us. Fox started to growl the instant that he appeared.

"Don't take Rhea through yet." He said.

"Why not?" I asked, stepping closer to him.

"Because you'll kill her," He explained, letting go of
Page's arm.

"How would we do that?" I asked.

He shook his head. "How do you think Naomi talked to her? It
was telepathic communication! The change removed his ability
as a natural."

I swore, he was right! We had almost killed her while trying
to help.

Burke held his hand out to me, in it rested a pair of temp
implants. "Put these on her, she'll be safe."

I reached for them, taking them from his hand. I trusted him
enough to believe that they would work. He had never
actually harmed Fox before, I didn't believe he would start
now.

Placing the implants over Fox's ears I stood back up. Burke
was holding out a small blue circle. "This is Fox's
language, you'll need it to talk to her."

I plucked it from his fingers and put it into my pocket. It
could wait until later, when we had more time. Fox was
starting to get jumpy, her ears half way to being laid flat.

Stepping back from us Burke was gone just as fast as he had
appeared. Page let out a slow breath, then looked at me.
"Should I?" She asked.

I nodded.

She hit a few buttons on the control and opened the fold
home. As we each step through I said a quick prayer to
Thryn, hoping for this to end soon.

-----

This story is (c) 1998 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This
story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission
of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.