

A Gift Of Vore
an Over The Hedge fanfic by Alex Reynard


Note: This takes place a week or so after events in "The Barbecue Job"
WARNING: As if you couldn't already tell, this has vore. Oodles of it. But it's all cute 'n happy. Nobody dies. Everybody has a good time. I hope you will too.

~~~~~


	High in a tree with the moon at his back, the white fox watched the odd collection of woodland animals sleeping below. Most were curled up inside a large hollow log. Two others were snuggled up in a stolen human's carseat nearby. The night was cool and cobalt blue. Aside from the low murmurs of neighborhood television sets and far-off cars, the small patch of forest was silent.
	The fox sighed.
	'So many at once. How am I gonna pull this off?'
	He was proud of his duty. He was proud of all the other assignments he'd completed successfully. Most of them were groups too, yes. But eleven was the largest number of Chosen he'd been assigned so far, and he usually worked with _much_ smaller mammals. In this case though, the squirrel was the most petite among them. Not counting the porcupine children, who posed their own set of problems. Pointy ones.
	Still, the very fact that he'd been given this assignment showed how much faith the others had in him. If they weren't absolutely certain he could do this, they never would have asked him. Simple as that. The fox drew confidence from that thought.
	He'd watched this group long enough. He knew plenty about them. They called themselves a family, and their actions showed this was true. That was a big reason they'd been chosen. They hadn't performed many world-saving heroic feats, but that had never been the point anyway. They were animals of all different species who were willing to risk their lives for one another. This level of loyalty and love was what had earned them the reward he'd been assigned to give them.
	'If only delivering the gift was simple,' he mused.
	Curling his tail around his nose, the white fox went to sleep. He would introduce himself to them in the morning.

***

	"Morning..." Verne mumbled absentmindedly. He rolled over, leaves rustling around him, as a sunbeam fell upon his eyelids and interrupted a dream he was having about Stella. About what Stella would look like in green. And with *scales*...
	Sitting up, he blinked reality into focus. "Why is it the good dreams never reach a satisfying conclusion?" he wondered under his breath.
	Around him, the other animals were waking up too. The porcupettes were often the first out of the log and today was no exception. Bucky, Quillo and Spike came awake in a heartbeat and bounced out into the sunshine in an explosion of little boy sounds. Penny and Lou both looked up for a moment and decided they'd earned a few minutes' extra snooze. They closed their eyes and snuggled. Carefully.
	Heather made the cutest little squeak as she yawned and stretched. Ozzie ran a paw along her arm. "Good morning, little one."
	"Mornin' dad," she replied warmly. She'd been using him as a pillow all night long, as she'd done off-and-on ever since she was tiny. His fur was still the perfect softness to help her fall asleep.
	Stella gave a grunt and cast off her dreaming as well. She lifted her bangs out of the way for a look about (she'd been growing them back in for a few weeks now, as Ozzie said he liked them). Noticing the handsome male possum by her side, she grinned and nuzzled his cheek. "I'm still tired from last night," she said slyly.
	"Then I succeeded," Ozzie returned deftly.
	"I'll say you did," Stella agreed, and kissed him.
	Heather couldn't resist looking back and grinning at the two of them as she emerged from the log. Stella and her dad had been carrying on in a naughty fashion for quite some time now, even though they both liked to pretend they were keeping it a secret. In reality, everyone else knew, and they knew that too. Heather couldn't be happier for them. She hadn't seen Dad this happy since they lost Mom. And it was an added bonus that Stella now had one less thing to rant about.
	In RJ's comfy carseat in the shade, the raccoon had been up for quite a while already. He'd kept silent though and simply watched the sun come up, because Hammy was sleeping like an angel curled up on his lap. Not only was the li'l guy adorable, but he made an excellent blanket too. RJ had watched the sunrise turning Hammy's copper fur a hundred different vibrant shades. He wondered what was going on behind the squirrel's broad smile and occasional dream-murmurs. He could hear the others awakening over in the log, but Hammy looked so peaceful, he thought no one'd mind if they slept in a bit longer.
	He reached around to give Hammy's fur the lightest of pets.
	Hammy's eyes shot open instantaneously. "MORNING!!!" He shot up like a bullet, stretched, jogged in place for three seconds, barrelled into RJ for a good morning hug then shouted, "Gotta wee wee!" and was off in a cloud of dust.
	RJ shook his head and chuckled. "Shoulda anticipated that..."

***

	Once everyone was up and alert and had rubbed the little boogery things from their eyes, Ozzie and Heather busied themselves setting up breakfast. Everyone took turns at this, except Hammy. The one time Hammy _had_ arranged breakfast, the results had been indescribable. It'd made milk come out of RJ's nose when they told him about it.
	Soon everyone was eating hearty and discussing what the day's itinerary would be. Verne and RJ, both eating out of little cardboard boxes of cereal (the kind you pour the milk in), waggled their spoons ferociously at each other as they debated which of the three projected sites Verne's scouting team had so far located would serve as their new home. Ever since learning of the humans' plan to expand El Rancho Camelot by wiping out the last little bit of forest smack dab in the middle of it, the foragers had been looking for a new location to settle down. After nearly a month, the choices were down to three. None were ideal. One didn't offer a stable enough water supply. One didn't offer enough cover from land or air predators. The third was just far enough away from the humans to make swiping food from them a pain in the tail. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which site Verne was most in favor of, and which RJ was most against. Everyone listened closely to their friendly-but-still-heated argument, with the exception of Quillo, Bucky, Spike and Hammy, who were currently nibbling away at all four sides of a toaster tart.
	Ozzie gnawed on a sausage link thoughtfully. "Perhaps, in the interest of keeping everyone happy, we should scout around a bit longer. We're bound to stumble onto a solution that makes everybody happy eventually."
	Verne sighed and massaged his temples. "Ozzie, there isn't time left. We've been at it too long as it is. We still don't even know when the humans plan to *start* their campaign of destruction and terror. We could wake up *tomorrow* with bulldozers in our backyard!"
	RJ put a paw on his overdramatic friend's shoulder to reassure him. "Believe me, if that were the case, I would've already heard about it weeks ago. I still keep my ears open. And I think Ozzie might have a point. There's plenty of ground we haven't covered yet."
	"How much ground are we talkin' about here?" Stella asked. "I'm happy to help out when we go scouting, but my feets ache like nobody's business when we get home in the evening! How much farther out are we gonna go before we need to bring sleeping bags with us?"
	"An overnight trip?" Penny said, looking worried. "Oh, gee whiz. I don't think I want the kids to be on their own that long."
	"We could go one at a time," Lou suggested to her. "I scout, you stay; you scout, I stay."
	Penny nodded at that, but still fretted. She knew here boys were smart and able to take care of themselves (and they *were* porcupines after all), but all mothers have worried about their little ones since time immemorial.
	The discussion swiftly became a jumble of several voices all talking at once, with occasional crumbs flying across the circular barbecue tray they used as a table. Heather looked all around, hesitating, before shyly raising her hand. "Um, I have an idea."
	She had to say it a few more times before being heard, but eventually Verne did and stood up, motioning everyone else to quiet down. "What's your idea, Heather?"
	"Well..." She bit her lip, a little nervous. Typically, the adults did the talking at breakfast and it hadn't been until recently that she'd felt comfortable becoming a part of that. "We've had a food surplus for a long time now, right? And, like, even if we do have enough to get through the winter right now, there's no way we could take all that with us when we move. I was thinking maybe we could pay some birds or something to do our scouting for us. We'd tell them what to look for, they could fly around and report back, and we'd give them food."
	Everyone blinked at Heather.
	RJ broke out in a broad grin. "Ozzie, have you been feeding this girl genius pills!?"
	With that, everyone cheered the idea, congratulating Heather and giving her pats on the back. "It's so *simple*!" Verne marvelled. "Why didn't any of us think of it before?" Even he had to admit they had more than enough food for the idea to work.
	"We could've spared my paws a lot of trouble if we'd thought of this a month ago," Stella said.
	Hammy licked strawberry filling off his fingertips. "Did I miss something?"
	"Duhhhh!" Bucky admonished. "Weren't you listening?"
	"Heather said we should have birds look for a new home and we'll pay 'em with food," Quillo explained.
	"I'm still hungry," Spike proclaimed.
	"Do we really know any birds?" Ozzie asked the others. Ground-dwellers didn't usually mingle much with those of the feathered persuasion.
	"I know a few," RJ said. "A few that *wouldn't* peck my eyes out on sight, I mean." He cringed, remembering how many enemies he'd left behind in his past.
	"It doesn't even have to be birds. Just anyone who knows the area well enough," Heather pointed out.
	"Um, maybe I could be of some assistance?"

***

	The voice had come from somewhere behind them.
	When the family looked up and saw a fox standing mere feet from them, they dropped the discussion and were all at battle stations within seconds. Lou and Penny tucked their young ones behind them and rattled their quills at the intruder. Stella's tail was in the air fast as a rocketship. Verne retreated into his shell but kept a keen eye on the intruder. Hammy took up a kung-fu stance he'd seen on late night TV. Ozzie and Heather keeled over backwards. RJ didn't quite know what to do, so he put up his fists and tried to look tough.
	Verne spoke strong and firm, his shell helping to amplify his voice. "Go away immediately, predator. We're not scared of you and we can defend ourselves."
	"In other words," Stella added, "unless you wanna smell like your least favorite fart for the next few months or so, y'all had better back it up."
	"Or we'll *murderize* ya!!" Hammy joined in.
	The fox's ears drooped and he stepped back nervously. "Gosh, I... I'm sorry. I really did mean it about offering to help you."
	There was a sincerity in the fox's voice the other animals couldn't help but respond to. His tone was almost musical. It was a beautiful voice. Even the possums broke character just enough to get a better look at the new arrival.
	With those few words, the fox seemingly cast a calming spell. The family relaxed. Not completely, but enough to show they would hear him out.
	Another thing that had caught their attention was the fact that this fox didn't look like any other fox they'd ever heard of before. He appeared to be a normal red fox in terms of body shape, but his fur was mostly pure white. His ears and paws were maroon with orange tufts surrounding each foot like boot tops. His tummyfur was pale yellow. A stripe of pale orange ran along his spine from neck to tailbase. His tail looked uncannily like a candle flame. On his head was a tall, thin tuft of yellow fur that almost resembled a shark fin. His eyes were gentle yellow too.
	"I really do apologize if I frightened you," the fox said demurely. "I'm not going to harm you, I promise. I just heard you talking and honestly thought I might be of service."
	Heather bravely got to her feet. "Do you know a lot about this area?"
	"Oh, certainly!" the fox said brightly. "Or at least I used to. These human hives just sprung up all of a sudden last winter and sent everything into chaos."
	"Tell me about it," Verne said.
	"But yeah, I've got a great memory. I've been all around here and I know where everything is for miles. At least outside where the humans are."
	"You might be just what we're lookin' for then," Lou said. Penny was having some trouble keeping the kids behind her, as they all wanted to catch a glimpse of the strange new visitor.
	The fox took a hesitant step forward. "I hope so. You see, I was hoping maybe we could make this a mutually beneficial relationship."
	"We've got plenty of food, if that's what you mean," RJ said. "You look like you could use some." The fox did indeed look light enough to be nearly weightless.
	"Oh, that's not really the problem. Not really." The fox looked away for a moment, then changed the subject. "I'm Firefyr, by the way."
	"'Fire fur'?" Stella enunciated. "That makes sense."
	"You can just call me Fyr, if you like."
	Verne emerged from his shell and stood up. He stepped forward, establishing his role as leader of the group. "Not to, um, sound rude, but why exactly are you so eager to help us?" The fox didn't *seem* threatening, but appearances could be deceiving, and it was in Verne's nature to be cautious. Especially when it came to animals much bigger than him with sharp little fangs.
	Firefyr tucked his tail between his legs. "Actually, um... I hope you guys don't mind, but I've been hanging around here in this li'l patch of forest for a few days and... I've kinda been watching you."
	"Aha!" Ozzie sprang up and thrust an accusatory finger at the canine. "He admits it! The cowardly snoop was plotting and devising ways to eat us all!"
	Heather rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Dad."
	Everyone else was looking at him funny too. "Ahem. Well, er. Sorry about that. Nerves," Ozzie stammered.
	"No no, it's perfectly understandable," Firefyr said. "I know I'm a fox and you've got every right to be afraid of me. But I'm not here to hurt you. Quite the opposite! See, I've been on my own for a long time now. Nomadic, you could say. I've been travelling all around the world, but I've been through here before. When I came back and saw what the humans did... I was scared and confused. I came across this little patch of forest and saw you guys. I..." He hesitated.
	"Go on," Verne coaxed.
	The thin fox looked up, his gaze touching on every one of their faces in turn. "I saw how you guys all work together and act like a family. It really moved me. I've felt that before, but not in a long time. I was hoping that, if you'll let me, maybe I could stay with you a while."
	RJ arched a suspicious eyebrow, remembering Tiger.
	"Not for long, really!" the fox was quick to clarify. "Just a week or so. A pitstop. I don't plan to stay here forever, I just thought it'd be nice to rest a while and make some friends. I'll do anything I can to help out. I won't be a burden."
	Verne cupped his chin in thought. He considered the matter, then looked around at the rest of the family. He hoped to glean some of their initial impressions of this fox. He knew he was wary to a fault sometimes and didn't want to make a decision the rest of his family would disapprove of.
	To his surprise, most of them seemed to be quite open to the idea of letting Firefyr stay a while. Their expressions were curious, some even hopeful. He was certainly the first woodland predator they'd encountered who was obviously trying his best to be polite and accommodating. The family had encountered others who were only interested in making them a meal (and all they got for it was a snootful of skunk stink and porcupine quills).
	RJ looked a little suspicious though. This all seemed a little too convenient to him. But then again, he thought, his own motives hadn't exactly been rosy-pure when he'd arrived. Was he sensing a con or just feeling guilt over his own?
	Firefyr cleared his throat. "Um, I knew you probably wouldn't be all that open to welcoming a canine into your midst, so I brought along a peace offering."
	"What kind of peace offering?" RJ asked.
	"Hang on a second!" Smiling, the fox suddenly turned tail and darted into the brush.
	As soon as he was gone, Verne turned to the others. "So, what do we think?"
	"I think we should give him a chance," Heather said boldly. "Species alone doesn't determine who someone is. I mean, _hello_! That is so judgmental!"
	"Kid's got a point," Lou agreed. "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."
	"What if that cover's got sharp claws and sharp teeth?" Verne countered.
	Stella frowned. "Hey, me 'n RJ are omnivores too. Are we untrustworthy because of that?"
	Verne held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Okay, okay. You're right, Stella. I'm just saying... He shows up out of nowhere, admits he's been stalking us, none of us have seen him before..."
	"Ooh! Oooh!!"
	"Yes, Hammy?"
	"I think I've seen him before!" the squirrel burst out. "The last few nights I've seen a dark shape in the trees and the bushes behind the rocks but I thought it must have been all in my mind because I accidentally ate Miracle-Gro again."
	Verne winced. "Why, exactly, would you even eat plant food in the first place?"
	Hammy looked apologetic. "Because it was green and I thought it was a big bag of the stuff they put on Christmas cookies."
	It hurt Verne's brain a little to realize that that explanation made perfect sense to him, coming from Hammy.
	RJ reached a decision with himself. "I think we should let Firefyr stay."
	"Oh really?" Verne said, looking surprised.
	"For a few nights, sure. I'll keep an eye on him," the raccoon pledged.
	"Why the sudden charitable attitude?"
	RJ shrugged. "'Cuz... you guys did the same for me," he said quietly.
	Verne smirked. "I can understand that." He turned and addressed the group. "Alright then, what do we think about taking in a guest for a while?"
	"I'm okay with it," Stella said.
	Heather was pleading with the Sad Possum Eyes and Ozzie finally gave in. "I... guess so."
	"I'm sure he'll have all sorts of exciting tales to tell us, what with travelling around so much," said Penny.
	"I think he looks cool," Quillo said.
	"Yeah, let him stay!" Bucky urged.
	"I actually agree too," Verne admitted. "I'm as surprised as you are, but my tail is not tingling. Not even a little bit!" Everyone was appropriately impressed. "Any objections though?"
	Spike put his hand up. "I object to having to go to bed before 'Death Truck' comes on!"
	"Not that kind of objection, Champ," Lou told him.
	"Tivo," RJ reminded.
	Spike smacked his forehead. "Daww! I keep forgetting!"
	"Any _real_ objections?" Verne asked again.
	"To what?"
	Verne leaped out of his shell, literally, and landed in it facing backwards. "Oh! Firefyr, you snuck up on me. We were just..." He blinked. "Hey, you brought us a cake."
	Balanced on the fox's head and shoulders was a recently pilfered pineapple upside down cake in a plastic grocery store container, and not a bit of glaze smudged the top or sides. "It's always polite to bring a gift when you make introductions."
	Hammy's eyes grew wide. "I get one of the cherries!! I call dibs!!"
	The others clustered around the fox, whose four knees were trembling, and helped relieve him of the balanced burden. Firefyr's ears sproinged back into place. "Thanks! So, um, is it okay with everyone if I chill out a bit here?"
	Verne gave him a pat on the shoulder. "That seems to be the consensus."
	Firefyr wagged his tail. "Hooray!" He gave Verne a friendly lick. Verne winced and pretended not to mind.
	RJ caught Hammy lifting the lid to sneak a whiff of the pineapple cake. "Hammy, we just had breakfast."
	The squirrel fidgeted. "Yes, but... It's *cake*!!!"
	RJ chuckled. He called to everyone, "Show of hands; we eat it now?"
	Nine paws went up.
	"Wait, everybody! You'll spoil your appetite for lunch!" Verne cautioned.
	It was too late though. The lid was already off and everyone was grabbing sticky pawfuls.
	RJ popped a maraschino cherry in the turtle's open mouth. "Now Verne, it's not polite to refuse a gift from a new friend."
	Firefyr overheard this and was overjoyed.
	Everything was turning out great so far.

***

	In the following days, Firefyr easily kept his promise not to be a burden. In fact, the energetic canine was so eager to please, the family often had to make up tasks just to keep him busy. His size and stealth made him a valuable asset in RJ's food raids. They were able to pull off a few heists that would have been too problematic to tackle before. But to RJ's surprise, the fox didn't partake of the spoils nearly as much as the other animals. He took a small share, then simply said he was 'saving his appetite for later'. RJ couldn't help but be a little suspicious of that.
	On the other paw, Firefyr charmed the pants off the rest of the family (at least he would have if they'd worn pants in the first place). His joy at getting to share in their little community radiated out of his every molecule.
	Penny was right about him having entertaining tales to tell. The fox had traveled far and wide, making friends wherever he went. He sat with the porcupines one night and held Bucky, Spike and Quillo enthralled with stories of avoiding humans, seeing amazing sights, and befriending his prey instead of harming them. The porcupettes were so into his stories, they actually forgot to turn on the TV at nine for 'Generic Crime Program: New Jersey'. Lou and Penny were astonished.
	Hammy was elated to discover that Firefyr could match both his energy and stamina. Sure, the porcupine kids were fun to play with when they were all sugared up, but eventually the buzz would wear off and the kids would be snoring while the squirrel still wanted to romp and climb and bounce and play. Foxes are flighty little furballs anyway, and Firefyr seemed to be filled with liquid lightning. He could chase Hammy all day if Hammy wanted. There were frequent pouncings and much ignorance of the laws of gravity. And often, when the fox finally caught the little squirrel, happy nuzzlings and nibblings and naughty stuff followed.
	Stella was still a bit wary of anything with a penis after the Tiger incident, but Firefyr knew exactly what button to push to make her melt. After a foraging expedition one afternoon, he'd slinked up behind her, rubbed his head on her fur, and told her he thought she smelled wonderful. She couldn't help it; Stella giggled like a schoolgirl and asked him to say it again and again. Later on that night, they found a secluded spot together and got down to some high-powered canoodling. Ozzie said he didn't mind, so long as they let him watch. A grand time was had by all.
	Heather had always liked big, strong males, and considering Firefyr was close to twice her size, it wasn't surprising she got a little twitterpated. Firefyr was flattered. He told her she was the prettiest possum he'd ever met. Soon enough, they were yiffing like, well, animals. The fox's member was much too big to actually fit inside her, but neither of them minded having to come up with other creative uses for it.
	And eventually, Firefyr even won over RJ. He knew enough not to even try with Verne. But one afternoon of playful roughhousing with the raccoon after lunch, and things simply fell into place. Firefyr licked the handsome 'coon's ear. RJ chuckled and pretended not to like it. A few pounces and giggles later, the two of them gave in to the pleasures of each other's warm, furry bodies.
	

***

	It was a happy week for everybody. And now that Firefyr had gained their trust, it saddened him to know he had no choice now but to break it.
	He'd been over it from every angle. Despite having been able to simply explain to other Chosen animals before what his purpose was, this family was too 'woodsy' for that to work. They'd be suspicious, even terrified, if he told them what he really planned to do to them. They wouldn't listen. Couldn't, really. Their natural instincts were just too strong.
	So, as much as he hated the idea, he had to trick them. Sure, it'd only be for a moment, until they discovered for themselves that there was nothing to fear. But having to deceive any of them for even an instant broke the fox's heart.
	It was his duty though. He kept that in mind.
	Tomorrow he would give them all his gift.

***

	After an enjoyable and talkative family breakfast, the foragers began to go about their day. Firefyr had suggested they take some time off today, seeing as they'd been working so hard on the new home problem (Heather had already begun making contacts in the bird community). Even Verne agreed it was a good idea. "Rest's as important as work to a healthy mind," he said. RJ was pleasantly surprised by this. He tried to imagine the old 'pre-RJ' Verne saying that, and almost couldn't.
	Being given a free pass to goof off wasn't nearly as fun as doing it when you weren't supposed to though. RJ didn't really know what to do with himself.
	Verne had recently taken up woodcarving, using a Swiss army knife they'd found weeks ago by the side of the road. He was currently engrossed in a small but accurate portrait of the log. RJ walked by and peeked over the turtle's shoulder. "Isn't the whole point of woodcarving that it looks like something _else_ afterwards?" he joshed.
	Verne took on the air of an offended artiste. "I'm trying to create a lasting memory of our home, so when we move into the new place we'll always have something to remember it by."
	"Isn't that what digital cameras are for?"
	Verne rolled his eyes. "Photographs can blow away and hard drives can crash." He lifted up his little model, not quite finished but nearly there. "This should last a good, long time."
	RJ paused and smiled quietly. "I can dig it."
	Verne smiled too. He and RJ had reached a comfortable point in their friendship. RJ teased him a lot less now that he understood the turtle's methods better. Similarly, Verne was also less likely to call the raccoon a madman bent on destroying all they held dear.
	Leaving Verne to his work, RJ strolled about aimlessly. Hammy had bolted off after breakfast to work off his sugary cereal energy. RJ heard sounds coming from the lake and saw Penny and Lou swimming together, laughing and smiling, splashing each other playfully. Bucky, Spike and Quillo meanwhile were entrenched in some video game, staring at the screen with dead seriousness. RJ chuckled at the contrast.
	A few more moments of moseying brought RJ to a place where sounds of mating could be heard. It was a sunny clearing just right for such activities. He and Heather, and then Hammy, had enjoyed their first time here.
	RJ poked through the leaves and was a little shocked at what he saw.
	Heather and Ozzie were quite joyfully going at it! The two possums' grey fur rustled in the breeze. Heather's cute squeaks and giggles were like cheerful background music. Ozzie was leaned protectively over his daughter, hugging her tight and kissing between her ears. Stella was nearby, sitting in the grass with a warm smile, watching the scene and leisurely masturbating.
	Heather opened her eyes long enough to register the 'coon standing there. "Hey RJ!"
	RJ cringed a little. "Um... You two both know that inbreeding is a serious problem, right?"
	The possums stopped, giving him annoyed looks.
	"Of *course*," Ozzie said. "That's why we're doing it in the butt."
	"Ohhhhh," said RJ.
	Heather loved her raccoon friend, but he'd spent so much time around humans his remaining traces of their silly morality could be a real buzzkill sometimes. "Geez, why d'you have to go and make things so complicated?"
	"Sorry, guys," RJ said bashfully.
	"You big doofus," Stella said playfully. "Let 'em have their fun. Why don't you come on over here and get some of _this_?" She ran her paws through her fur and jiggled herself seductively.
	RJ blinked away his bashfulness. "Can't argue with that!" He ran over and plopped down beside the sexy skunkette. He laid his head on her tummy and chirred.
	Stella smirked. "Like putty in my paws."
	"Where were we, dad?" Heather asked.
	"I was just showing my little girl how much I love her," he replied, and nuzzled her with his wide nose.
	She giggled and kissed it. "Right!" She backed up into him, curling their tails together, and they started up again.
	A little while later, while RJ had his muzzle in Stella's lap, licking and chewing for all he was worth while Stella moaned and swore in passionate ecstacy, Firefyr happened to notice them. He trotted into the clearing and smiled ear to ear at seeing his friends so happy. "Hi everyone!"
	"Hi Firefyr," they said. (RJ actually said "Hmm Frffrffrrr!")
	"Don't mean to interrupt, but has anyone seen Hammy?" the fox asked.
	Heather took a moment to pause and stretch. Ozzie did too. "Sometimes he hangs out at the big pine tree," the littler possum said. "He was headed there after breakfast."
	The fox nodded. "Thanks!"
	Ozzie made a welcoming gesture with his paw. "Are you sure you don't want to join in? I'm sure we could find some way to accommodate you."
	"I'd love to, I really would! But I've got to see Hammy first. Maybe later!" Firefyr said. He dashed off into the forest, his tail bobbing like a firefly.
	"Darn it, we could've had a three-way," Heather pouted.
	"Someone's cute butt over here's free!" Stella called out, pointing to RJ's fluffy tail.
	A naughty sparkle in her eye, Heather hugged her father behind her and the two of them waddled closer so Heather could occupy herself playing with RJ's nice big woody. RJ made a lot of appreciative noises.
	Stella pantomimed pulling a steam whistle chain. "Everybody climb on board the love train! Whoo whoooo!"

***

	Heather's guess was a good one. Firefyr approached the big pine and saw an orange streak circling the branches like a Christmas tree wreath. "Greetings, Hammy!" he called out.
	The manic little furball perked up. "Oh, Hi!" Unfortunately he'd perked up in mid-jump and went tumbling down the tree, bouncing from branch to branch before bonking on the ground below.
	"Gosh, are you all right!?" Firefyr called out, rushing over.
	He nuzzled the squirrel and Hammy popped up like a turkey timer. "Oh, that was nothin'. We squirrels are built for falling out of trees!"
	"That's a good thing then." Firefyr licked playfully between Hammy's soft ears.
	Hammy giggled. He got to his feet and brushed off some pine needles. "Wanna chase me?" he asked, and was already partway up the trunk before the fox could answer.
	"Actually, I wanted to show you a new game," Firefyr said.
	Hammy was back down in a split second. "A *new* game! Oboyoboyobyoby!! What is it, what is it!?"
	Firefyr grinned. "It's called 'Guess What I Had For Breakfast'."
	"Ooooooooh. How do we play?" Hammy bounced from foot to foot.
	"Simple. I just open my mouth and you lean in and tell me what you smell."
	"Gotcha!" Hammy said. Firefyr sat down and opened his mouth wide. Hammy took hold of his bottom canines, leaned in so close his ears brushed the fox's palate, and gave a big sniff. "Hmmm... Wait, wait... I know this. Corn Flakes? An Eggo? Noooo, something else..."
	Firefyr snaked his tongue out. "You're almost there..."
	Hammy leaned in even farther, thinking only about matching the fox's breath with his vast knowledge of breakfast foodery. "Is that artificial blueberry flavoring?"
	"Actually, Hammy, what I had for breakfast isn't really important. It's what I'm having for lunch."
	"What's that?"
	"Squirrel," Firefyr said pleasantly.
	*SNAP*
	Firefyr sat up, maw closed tight, Hammy's legs and tail wiggling out of them.
	Hammy was thrust deeper into the fox's throat. It was warm and dark in here. "Is this another part of the game?" he asked. His brain worked at the problem for a few seconds, forming a hypothesis. *Ding*; a little bell went off. "Wait a minute... you're trying to eat me, aren't you!"
	"I sure am, Hammy."
	"Well... Stop it."
	"Why?" the fox asked innocently. "You're really tasty!"
	"I am? Gee, thanks!" He shook his head. "No, no, no! I don't want to be eaten!"
	"Why not?" Firefyr asked gently, and not rhetorically.
	"Why NOT!? Cuz you'll crunch me up with your teeth and I'll get digested like a cookie and then I won't get to be with RJ and Heather and Verne and everyone else anymore!!"
	Firefyr was quick to soothe his little friend. "Hammy, don't worry. None of that will happen. Actually, no; you *will* get digested. But everything will turn out fine. You'll see."
	"But how...?"
	"Just relax, little one."
	Firefyr's voice seemed to be coming from inside his head, gentle and calming.
	"Doesn't it feel good though? Warm and soft in there... It feels nice, doesn't it, Hammy?"
	Hammy did relax a little. "It does, now that I think about it..."
	"Don't you just want to slip inside and curl up and take a nap?"
	"Mmmmmaybe..."
	It was working. Hammy's fear was going away, replaced by the gentle comfort of the fox's throat. Firefyr began to swallow him a little more. "I won't hurt you, Hammy. I promise. I love you. Will you trust me?"
	Tiny doubts still squeaked in Hammy's mind, but he was feeling quite sleepy now, hypnotized by the fox's voice and his warm mouth.
	"Will you let me eat you up, Hammy?"
	"...Okay," Hammy said.
	"Good." Firefyr smiled. "You won't regret this. In you go, my tasty squirrel." The fox tipped back his head and let Hammy slide smoothly down his gullet.
	Hammy found himself falling slowly into a little pink room. It was so dark he could barely see his fur, but he didn't mind. It was the most comfy place he'd ever been. It reminded him of curling up in RJ's fur when they slept together under the moonlight.
	"Being eaten's not so bad, now is it?" Firefyr asked.
	"Nope," Hammy replied blissfully.
	Firefyr could feel the little life inside of him. He felt his tummy begin to digest his squirrel friend. It wasn't like a normal digestion though. Instead of painful acid, Hammy simply began to melt. Just like a candle. As he drifted off into a wonderful dream of happy talking Nutter Butters, he transformed into a little puddle of ooze and was absorbed.
	Firefyr patted his tummy. He was boundlessly happy. That had gone even better than he'd expected!
	"One down, ten to go," he said to himself.

***

	The best strategy, Firefyr thought, was to gulp them down one by one as quietly as possible so the others wouldn't get suspicious. He trotted back towards the log with a spring in his step. He could feel Hammy inside him like a little light.
	Halfway to his destination, he encountered the porcupine kids. They'd finished their video game and were now playing pinecone football. "Hey there!" Firefyr said as he approached.
	"What's up!" "Hi Fyr!" "Whatcha doin'?" They clustered around him and hugged his legs, careful not to poke him.
	"I was just looking for you guys," he told them.
	"Really? Wanna play with us?" Bucky suggested.
	"With four we can make teams," said Spike.
	"Actually, I wanted to ask you a question," Firefyr said.
	Three "What?"s in unison.
	"I know you porcupines are just about the best in the forest at defending yourselves, what with those sharp quills of yours-"
	"Yeah, we're walking weapons!" Spike said, flexing his biceps and looking macho.
	Firefyr grinned foxily. "Do you think you could stop me if I all of a sudden wanted to eatcha?"
	"Oh, sure!" Quillo said.
	"No doubt about it," Bucky added.
	"Wanna bet?" the fox asked. He was careful to make sure his body language suggested he was only playing.
	"No way! You can't eat us!" Quillo bragged.
	"I can too," Firefyr insisted. "I'll bet you I can eat the three of you up right now."
	"Okay, try it," Spike goaded.
	"What do we get if you can't?" Bucky asked.
	Firefyr pondered. "I'll let you play Gran Turisimo every day for a week." This meant the three of them would climb on his back and he'd go tearing about the forest at top speed while they all shouted "Faster! Faster!"
	"Sounds good," Bucky said, and his brothers nodded.
	"And if I win," Firefyr said, "I get lunch."
	The porcupines giggled.
	"Okay, I'm going to eat you now! Get ready!" Firefyr warned.
	Still laughing, Quillo, Spike and Bucky did just what their mom and dad had taught them. They rolled up into tight little balls, protecting their faces and tummies. They looked like tiny, spiked coconuts.
	Firefyr circled the wiggly spheres. "Hmmm... Now how shall I do this? You guys are pretty heavily fortified."
	"What's 'fortified' mean?" Spike asked.
	"It means protected," Quillo explained.
	"Durrr!" Bucky added.
	"Then again," Firefyr said, "foxes are renowned for their cleverness. Rightfully so..." He leaned over Bucky, opened his mouth, and simply swallowed him in one gulp.
	The other boys still giggled, not realizing what had happened.
	"You might be surprised..."
	Another gulp and Spike was sent down the red slide. The kids didn't know that Firefyr was able to soften their quills just by touching them with his tongue. They went down smooth as candy.
	Quillo realized he couldn't hear his brothers' voices anymore. He cautiously looked up and realized he was alone. Then he saw Firefyr licking his lips. He was struck with fear, too scared to speak.
	Firefyr picked him up gently in his mouth.
	"Don't..." the little boy squeaked.
	"Ah, but the bet was that I could eat all three of you. I can't stop now, right?" He swallowed and sent Quillo tumbling down to join his brothers.
	The three porcupines huddled in the fox's belly, quivering and unable to comprehend how this had happened.
	"Um, you're gonna let us out, right?" Bucky asked.
	"Oh, of course not!" Firefyr replied. "I said I was going to eat you and I did."
	"I want my mom," Quillo whimpered.
	Firefyr sat down and gently ran his paws over his tummy. "Aw, guys, don't be scared! There's nothing to be frightened of. I'm your friend, I won't hurt you."
	"Then let us out!" Bucky pleaded.
	"Sorry. No can do. But why do you want to come out anyway? Isn't it cozy enough in there? Just relax a minute and look around. It's not so bad, is it?"
	The porcupines found that their fear was going away somehow. They did feel more relaxed.
	"How about you just lie down and get comfortable. Take five. I'll explain everything later. But for now, don't worry. Everything will be okay."
	"Okay, Firefyr..." Quillo said, feeling sleepy now.
	"He's right. It is pretty comfy..." Bucky realized.
	"And it is kinda cool bein' in here," Spike agreed.
	In no time at all, Firefyr could hear three sets of snores coming from inside him. He smiled. He waited until they had melted away completely before getting up. Just like Hammy before them, there was no trace now that Firefyr had eaten anyone at all...

***

	Heather was lying on her back on a human T-shirt she'd snagged off a clothesline. It made a great blanket for lying on the grass and catching some rays. She sighed in contentment, still breathing in the smells of the lovemaking she'd just shared.
	It had taken a while for Dad to get entirely comfortable with the idea of a little family yiffing. He hadn't minded when she'd experimented with the other males. She'd thought it was cool when he hooked up with Stella. She'd tried to gauge his reactions when she and RJ had caught him and the pretty skunk making love the first time. A little embarrassed, but not much. He got over it just as easily when she'd suggested last week that they go on a double date of sorts; she and RJ making love while he and Stella watched, and vice versa.
	And so she had fielded the question of whether or not he was okay with the idea of the two of them making love some time. He twitched a lot at first. But Heather explained patiently that it didn't have to be like a mating thing; the way it had been between him and Mom. It could just be a way for them to show affection, now that she was grown up and ready for that kind of thing. She told him how there were other ways to mate that wouldn't result in a litter. She reminded him that he'd said he wanted her first mating season to be special. Heather had traced a finger in his fur and whispered how he was the best dad in the world, how safe she felt with him, how handsome he was and how much she loved him.
	They had kissed. And then they had done more.
	Today was the first time they'd told Stella about it. Stella was happy for them and said the thought of it got her motor running. They had given her a show. Then RJ had dropped by and added even more to the fun.
	Now Stella had dragged RJ away so the two of them could have some personal time together. Dad had just gotten up to dart back to the log for some snacks. They could lie out here and talk and hug and be happy.
	Heather heard footsteps behind her. "Dad?" She rolled over onto her tummy to look.
	"Not quite," Firefyr replied.
	"Oh, it's you, Fyr. Hi."
	"Sorry I couldn't join in earlier."
	"That's okay. There's always time."
	Firefyr padded over and sniffed her, enjoying her luscious, sun-baked scent. "Mmmmm..."
	She giggled; his wet nose tickled! "Do I smell good?"
	"Delicious!" he confirmed. "Your tail looks so tasty. May I eat it?"
	She giggled, sure that he was speaking figuratively. "Sure, go ahead!"
	Firefyr sniffed at the base and then nibbled gently at the long, plump possum tail. The flavor was exquisite. He could smell everyone she had been with today. Their odors mingled in a potpourri of fur.
	Heather laid her head on her paws and made small sounds of enjoyment as her fox friend attended to her tail. Occasionally he'd bite her toes too, which made her gasp and squirm. "I'm ticklish!"
	"But they're so cute!" he said. "I can't resist!"
	Heather wiggled her toes at him. "Alright, I guess you can, you big naughty fox."
	Firefyr smiled. He licked her pretty feet, going nice and slow. He paid careful attention to her reactions.
	Heather relaxed into the sensation. For such a big guy, Firefyr had an amazingly gentle touch. Heather sighed and closed her eyes, not caring about anything but how the fox was making her feel.
	Once he was sure she wouldn't notice, Firefyr slipped Heather's tail into his mouth along with her feet and began to swallow. Oh so slowly, oh so gently. With luck, she might not realize what was happening until she was all the way inside.
	She couldn't tell what he was doing now, but it sure felt good! Heather's smile was beaming. She shivered when he lapped electrifyingly around her cunny. Oooh, that tongue was talented!
	Firefyr successfully got her legs into his mouth, and then her cute butt, past her hips, on to her tummy...
	Heather might not have noticed at all that she was being swallowed, but some part of her brain wondered exactly how he could be pleasuring her feet at the same time he was licking at her chestfur. Her eyes came open and she saw with shock that she was in his throat up to her armpits! "What the heck are you DOING!?" she shouted.
	He sighed. So close! "I'm eating you," he admitted bashfully.
	She held on to his lower jaw tightly. The top of her head touched his palate. She looked like she was wearing him like a sleeping bag. "W-why!? Firefyr, I thought you loved me! All of us! What's going on!?"
	"Hush, Heather. Everything's fine. It doesn't hurt, does it? It should feel wonderful."
	"Well, yeah..." she had to admit. The fox's hot throat pulsing around her body felt incredibly sexy. "So, you're not really eating me, right? You'll let me out? This is just some kinda kinky sex game?"
	"Um... Not quite."
	"What's that mean? Hey...!" Heather came to a sudden realization. "How the heck are you talking to me when I'm still inside your mouth!?"
	She felt his lips pull up in a smile. "Ah, perceptive! No one else has noticed that yet."
	"Wait; 'no one else'? Who else did you eat!?"
	"Heather, please, relax! Don't worry! You're safe right now, I promise. Everyone is. It might help you to believe that if you realize I'm speaking inside your head right now."
	Heather clapped her paws to her noggin. "Really? Holy cow!" She started to slide down more and quickly grabbed onto the fox's jaws again. "Yipes!"
	Firefyr didn't do anything to make her let go. He didn't even move at all. "That's right, I'm talking to you telepathically."
	"W-what does that mean?" She was confused, but the fox's slowly undulating throat was making her feel too good to be scared anymore.
	"It means I'm a magic fox, Heather. I'll explain everything later, but now I don't have the time. I'm asking you to trust me, Heather, and let go. Let me eat you."
	"I don't want to die..." she said quietly.
	"Who said you would?" he countered.
	Heather looked around at the ring of fox teeth surrounding her vision. She'd been slipping backwards incrementally all this time. If she let go now, she really would slide all the way in.
	Strangely, a part of her wanted that to happen very much! Being swallowed felt like nothing else she'd ever experienced. Firefyr's warm, pink insides welcomed her.
	"You're sure I'll be okay in there?" she asked.
	"Positive," he told her. "You'll be fine. Better than fine. Trust me, and relax..."
	Heather closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright." She let go. She felt herself descending and opened her eyes to see Firefyr's jaws close over her vision, casting everything in red darkness.
	Firefyr murred and licked his lips. "You were very, very tasty, Heather!" he told her.
	"Thanks," she said. She felt her way around inside him. Her whiskers twitched in curiosity.
	"Comfy in there?"
	"Yeah! It's better than I thought it'd be. Lots better!" The little possum spread herself out on the fox's warm flesh. The feeling was so luxurious! She had no idea being eaten could feel like this!
	He smiled tenderly at his rounded tummy. "I'm happy, Heather. You just enjoy yourself. Soon you'll understand everything."
	"Okay." The sensations inside him reminded Heather of being young and having her parents hold her in their arms. She loved it in here. She couldn't believe she'd been afraid before.
	She felt a change in herself and looked down to see her body was melting. Normally she would have been alarmed, but now she simply accepted it. It felt magical. Very soothing. She dipped her paw into herself. The consistency reminded her of jelly donuts. The feeling spread out over her whole body and soon Heather was just a happy possum puddle. She didn't know what would happen to her now, but she knew she trusted her fox friend.

***

	Ozzie was surprisingly easy.
	As the tall, regal possum came walking back to the clearing carrying two juice boxes and a variety of sweet stuff, he called, "Heather, honey! I'm back!"
	"ROWRBAZZLE!!!"
	Firefyr leapt out of the foliage like a feral beast, drool flashing on his fangs, claws extended to maximum.
	"Gack!" Ozzie said, and promptly dropped dead.
	Firefyr's tail wagged. "Worked like a charm."
	Speed would be best here, he decided. He opened his mouth wide as a steam shovel and simply scooped Ozzie up, feet first.
	The possum miraculously recovered, but by then it was much too late. He was already surrounded by throat and Firefyr's jaws were closing. "What in Heaven's name is-"
	*gulp*
	Firefyr burped. "Sorry about that, Ozzie! Heather'll explain everything."
	Ozzie blinked at the darkness. "What is the meaning of this!? I demand you let me out immediately, you cowardly cur!"
	From all around him came an echoing giggle. "Oh, Daddy! Chill out!"
	"Heather? Sweetheart, where are you!?"
	"You're sitting in me!"
	Ozzie looked down at the warm goo that covered his bottom and paws. "Great Caesar's ghost! You've been digested!!"
	"Yup," said Heather. "And it feels *awesome*! You gotta try it!"
	Ozzie twitched. "I must have hit my head and now I'm dreaming. That's the only explanation."
	Heather giggled again. "Then just lie down and relax, Daddy. Dream with me."
	The fact that there wasn't a single trace of fear in his daughter's voice did help calm Ozzie down. Everything had happened much too quickly to process, so he thought the best thing would be to just do as she said and sort this out after a nap.
	"It is rather pleasant in here..." he noticed.
	Heather cradled him within her liquid self and felt him begin to melt too.

***

	Stella was next on the list.
	Firefyr found her alone in a cool spot under a shady tree. She was lying on her side, apparently daydreaming, humming quietly to herself.
	The fox had expected to find her and RJ together. This might work out better though, he thought. Saving RJ till last would be the best plan, as the raccoon was apt to be the most difficult to bamboozle.
	"Hiya, orangepaws," Stella purred.
	Firefyr hadn't realized he'd been spotted. "Oh! Um, hello, Stella."
	"Were you spyin' on me just now?" she said with a grin.
	"Gosh, no!"
	She feigned disappointment. "Oh shoot."
	Firefyr chuckled and padded over. "So, what happened to RJ?"
	Stella murred and rolled onto her back, exposing her tummy to the sunlight. "I tired him out. He went off somewhere to recuperate." She turned her head to look him in the eye. "*I'm* not tired though..."
	Arching an eyebrow suavely, the fox sidled up to her. "Really now?"
	"Mmm hmm." Stella ran her dainty paws down her chest, brushing her tiny nipples, past her stomach and down her hips. She spread her legs slowly, showing that her sex was still moist and glistening. "I just don't know what's gotten into me today..."
	"Would you mind if I did?" Firefyr quipped.
	Stella lolled over and threw her arms around his neck. She pressed their muzzles together in a lazy, lusty kiss. "How's that for an answer, you big-penised thing you?"
	The fox giggled. "Loud and clear."
	Stella smiled warmly and turned over. She raised her gorgeous, bushy tail invitingly. "Well?"
	Firefyr got an idea. "Actually, let's try something else."
	"What did you have in mind?"
	Firefyr stepped behind her and sat down with his back against the tree trunk. His bright pink maleness emerged from his snow-white sheath. "Come over here and sit on my lap."
	"Oooh!" Stella liked the idea. She stood up and eagerly straddled the fox's hips, facing him. She looked down and nearly drooled. Firefyr was bigger than the other animals in the family in more ways than one. Stella touched her still-slick honeypot to the tip and cooed.
	Firefyr put his paws under her arms. "You're so beautiful," he whispered.
	She thanked him with a kiss just above his nose. Holding his paws in hers, she eased herself down onto him. Slowly. Stella liked 'em big, but this was very nearly too much for her. She was only about two-thirds Firefyr's size, so one can imagine how that related to what was going on down there.
	Stella breathed slowly until Firefyr was snug inside her. She let herself relax, putting her weight on his lap. She hugged him and laid her head on his pillowy chestfur. She felt so full, she wondered if she could even move anymore.
	"Comfortable?" Firefyr asked.
	"_Very_," Stella replied. She shifted on his cock, wiggling it just a teensy bit deeper. "Tell me again how you like my smell," she asked.
	He smiled and nuzzled her headfur. "I've probably told you a dozen times already!"
	"I know," Stella said. "But it makes me happy. You spend so long being ashamed of something, and then find out you don't need to be... It feels nice to be reminded of that."
	Firefyr kissed her forehead. "I like making you happy, Stella. You smell *magnificent*."
	She murred.
	"Your scent is like the finest perfume. I could bury my nose in your pretty fur and leave it there all day."
	She giggled. "Silly fox."
	"It's true!"
	She looked up into his eyes. "Thank you."
	"You're welcome."
	Stella reached around his chest and held him tighter. "Bounce me," she requested.
	Firefyr held her tighter too and gave his hips a little thrust.
	"Ooooooooooh!" Stella squealed. "Harder!"
	Firefyr obeyed.
	Stella felt that massive intruder slam into her like a jackhammer of love. "Again! Harder, dammit!"
	Firefyr chuckled, kissed her, and started up a rhythm.
	Ozzie knew quite well that when Stella was in the throes of passion, she would often lose herself and start cussing like a Tarantino movie. Firefyr had been a bit alarmed by this at first, but now he just blushed and folded his ears back.
	"Sweet hot damn! Fuck me, you fuckin' fox! Oo, shit! Do that thang!"
	Stella had her eyes shut tight. Firefyr nuzzled her lovely face. He kissed her nose, then lightly licked it. She turned her head towards his lips, as if knowing just what he wanted from her.
	The power in the fox's thrusts was indescribable. Stella rubbed and caressed all up and down his sides, going crazy over the huge cock inside her. Her musk grew more intense. Firefyr loved it.
	"That's right! You're doin' fine. God DAMN, that's good!"
	Giggling at her sassy language, Firefyr opened his mouth and gently accepted her muzzle.
	Not content to merely ride, Stella added her own 'oomph' to their thrusts, bouncing hard on her vulpine lover's lap.
	Firefyr ever so gently traced his teeth through her fur, along her face, over her forehead. Over her ears now...
	From inside his mouth, still she kept on. "Fuckety _hell_, you're good! You damn furry-ass fox! Ooo-wee! Harder, harder, harder!"
	The fox obliged, slamming his hips into her like trying to break through concrete.
	Stella loved every second. She screeched like a banshee. "Deeper!" she cried.
	Firefyr banged her harder and began to swallow her shoulders...
	"Deeper!!" she howled again.
	There wasn't much more Firefyr could do down there. He was already giving his all. But his jaws took in Stella's arms, pinning them to her sides.
	She reached up inside and down his throat, her mind not really realizing what was happening but her body craving more and more of the sensation. "DEEPER!!"
	Firefyr was pumping at top speed. Soon he was down to her hips.
	And then Stella surprised them both by crying out with lust, "EAT ME!!!"
	Upon hearing that, Firefyr drove his jaws down over her so far he was almost in danger of swallowing himself. He came inside her like a fire extinguisher.
	Stella knew somewhere in the back of her mind that she was inside a predator's throat, but she couldn't have cared less. As good as it felt, nothing else mattered. She felt the fox's cum splash hot inside her and soon she added her own.
	Gravity did most of the rest of the work as Firefyr lifted his head and let Stella slide down all the way into his stomach. Her little feet tapped on his tongue and her tail tickled his nose. He collapsed against the tree bark, breathing hard.
	"Wow," was all he could say.
	When Stella's pleasure had ebbed enough for her to think again, her current location hit her fully. She sighed. "Oh well. I guess I did ask for it."
	"Stella, that was absolutely incredible," Firefyr told her.
	"Ditto, orangepaws. Now, you aren't planning on keeping me in here, right?"
	He ran a paw over his taut belly, loving how the Stella-shaped bulge felt. "Well..."
	"Oh come on!" She put a sexy, musical tone to her voice. "If you don't let me out, we won't be able to fu-u-uck again!"
	Firefyr grinned knowingly. "Says you."
	"What's that mean?"
	"It means, Stella my delicious skunkie, that if you'll just trust me and stay in there a bit longer, things will turn out better than you could ever imagine."
	"You... want me to just let you digest me?" she asked hesitantly.
	"Exactly."
	Oddly enough, the idea didn't frighten her nearly as much as she would've thought it would. It *did* feel rather delightful in here. "You're sure everything'll turn out okay?"
	"I promise. Trust me. I'd never hurt you. Never ever."
	Stella allowed herself to relax and get comfortable. "Okay then," she decided. "I don't know why. It's not like being eaten ever ends in any way other than the obvious one. But..." She yawned and laid her head on his soft tummyflesh. "...I do trust you."
	"Glad to hear it." He patted his tummy. "Sweet dreams, Stella."
	She murred as she felt herself begin to digest. "Nighty night, you crazy fox..." she said with a smile as she drifted off.

***

	Despite having eaten a squirrel, a skunk, two possums and three porcupines, Firefyr still looked trim as ever. His belly didn't show even the slightest of bulges. He remembered Lou and Penny were down by the river the last time he saw them, so that's where he headed next.
	He found the porcupine couple on the bank, lying side by side. Lou was gazing dreamily into his mate's eyes and decorating her quills with wildflowers.
	"Hello," Firefyr said softly.
	"Good afternoon," Penny said with a little wave. "Say hello, Lou," she said, and elbowed him.
	Lou looked up. "Oh, hey. Didn't see ya there, pal. Too busy being mesmerized by the most gorgeous lady porcupine in all creation."
	"Oh, Lou!" Penny giggled and blushed.
	"So what's up?" Lou asked.
	"Have you seen the kids?" Penny asked. "They were playing their video games a little while ago."
	"Ah, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about," Firefyr said. "I ate them."
	Penny sat up quickly. "That's not a very funny thing to joke about, mister woodland predator!"
	"No, really! I'm not kidding! Listen..." He took a step closer and opened his mouth wide like an alligator. Inside of him, he gently nudged the digested porcupettes awake.
	Nervously, Penny and Lou came closer, sure that the fox had to be playing some kind of prank on them. He *couldn't* have eaten the kids, right?
	"Kids?" Lou called into the echoing fox throat. "You're not in there, right?"
	"Hi, pop!" Bucky replied.
	"Oh golly jeepers!!" Penny exclaimed.
	"Come on in; the belly's fine!" Quillo said, and his brothers giggled.
	Penny grabbed Firefyr's lips and stuck her face right down his throat. "You come out of there right this instant! That's no place to play in!!"
	Lou just stared and scratched his head. "How, exactly...?"
	"Aw, Mom!" Bucky whined. "It's really neat in here!"
	"Seriously, come on in!" Spike suggested.
	"I most certainly will not!"
	"Sorry 'bout this, Penny, but you will," Firefyr said, and with that he gave a mighty gulp.
	Penny was gobbled up right to her hips. Her little brown feet kicked wildly. "OH!! Lou, help me! The fox has gone berserk!!"
	"I'm comin', honeypie!" Lou rushed over and grabbed her by the ankles, pulling as hard as he could.
	"Ouch! Not so hard!"
	"But you said..."
	Inside Firefyr's tummy, the kids were laughing. "Don't worry, Mom! Just let him eat you!" Spike said.
	"Yeah, it's fun!" Quillo concurred.
	"There really is nothing to be afraid of, Penny," Firefyr told her gently.
	"Oh yeah?" Lou grunted. "You're the one who should be afraid! You let go of my wife or you'll get a snout full of quills!"
	Firefyr spoke into his head as well. "Really, Lou, that wouldn't have any effect. This isn't what you think. Just go with it!"
	Penny wasn't struggling quite as much anymore. "It... It does feel sorta interesting," she admitted.
	Lou was distracted for a moment when she said that, and it was just enough time for Firefyr to give a mighty slurp and send Penny's hindquarters down his gullet. She landed in his stomach and he sat down heavily, tongue hanging out.
	"Hi, Mom!" the porcupettes chorused.
	"Well I'll be!" Penny marvelled. "It's actually quite cozy in here!"
	"We tollllddd you!" the kids said.
	Lou could not believe his eyes. He stood there on the riverbank in shock, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the big bulge in the fox's stomach was actually his lovely mate.
	"Dive on in, Lou!" Penny shouted from inside. "You won't believe what it's like in here!"
	Firefyr gave him a smile. "Whaddaya say?"
	Lou was hesitant, understandably. "Gosh, I dunno..." Being eaten was something he, as a porcupine, had never really thought much about. He'd thought his quills were a guarantee he'd never wind up someone's meal. But one thing he knew for sure was that he didn't want to stay un-eaten if it meant being apart from his Penny. "Oh, alright, I guess."
	"Yaaay!!" the kids cheered.
	"Dad's comin' in too!" Bucky said happily.
	"What, um, should I do?" Lou asked Firefyr. "I've never been eaten before. Heh."
	The fox chuckled. He put his paws on Lou's shoulders. "Just relax. Don't be afraid. That's all you need to do..."
	Lou shivered as he felt hot breath on his face. His view ahead was a long, dark pink tunnel. He gulped, but let it happen. Firefyr pulled him close and slid him inside just as slick as you please.
	Penny was there to welcome him with a hug. "Glad you could join us!"
	Lou was pleasantly surprised. "Sayyy... this *is* kinda pleasant."
	"Now we're all together!" Quillo said.
	"Um, where exactly are you kids?" Lou asked.
	"We got digested," Spike said matter-of-factly.
	"Yeah, no big deal," Bucky added.
	The thought of digestion was a little unsettling and Lou and Penny held each other close for comfort.
	"There's nothing to worry about," Firefyr reassured. "It'll start in a few moments. You'll enjoy it, I promise."
	The porcupines tried their best to be brave. There was just enough light to see the shine off each other's eyes, and that's where they looked. "Oh Lou, this is so strange... I feel like I ought to be trying to get out of here, but I just don't *want* to!"
	"I don't understand it either, huggymuffin. But as long as we're together, we'll be A-OK."
	They rested their muzzles on each other's shoulders.
	Soon, they felt themselves begin to melt. Penny cooed at the pleasant sensation. "That feels different," Lou commented.
	In only a few moments, they had melted down halfway. They shuddered in pleasure and shared kisses. Feeling themselves melt together was one of the most romantic things they'd ever felt. It was like they were becoming one another.
	"I love you, Penny."
	"Love you too, Lou."
	Then they were just a warm pool of porcupine amour. They fell into a deep dream along with their little ones and joined the others, fast asleep.
	Firefyr absorbed the two easily. He'd had many, many fursons in his tummy over the years, but having a whole family inside felt best.

***

	Two more to go, Firefyr thought. And there they were.
	Over by the log, Verne was putting the finishing touches on his carving while RJ's tail bobbed about in the entrance to the log. Rustling sounds indicated RJ was hunting for a snack.
	"It's almost lunchtime. Can't you wait a few minutes?" Verne scolded without looking up.
	RJ emerged with a bag of Cheeze Whatsits. "Stella kinda drained me. I've got a bi-i-i-ig appetite."
	Verne chuckled. He didn't usually ask to be a part of the others' sexual shenanigans. Not because he was a prude, but because he just didn't see them in that light. They were mammals, he was a reptile. All that fur kinda turned him off. Still, if it made them happy, then he was happy too.
	Firefyr trotted out into the open. "Hey, guys!" he said in greeting. Penny and Lou were completely digested by now, leaving no trace of a tummybulge behind.
	"Hey, tiger," RJ said. He paused, and sniffed the air. He grinned. "You sly thing! Stella got you in her clutches too?"
	The fox nodded. "She's got more energy than Hammy, I swear!"
	Verne paused. "Speaking of Hammy, have either of you two seen him anywhere? He's usually the first one here at mealtime."
	RJ thought. "Can't say that I have. Heather said she thought he might be the pine tree... Hey, wait. Firefyr, didn't you say you had something to talk about with him?"
	Firefyr cast his gaze elsewhere. "Mmmmaybe," he said, playfully evasive.
	"Come to think of it..." Verne stood up, setting his miniature log aside. "RJ, you're the first furson I've seen all day since breakfast."
	"That is kinda weird," RJ agreed. "You know, Heather and Ozzie weren't in the clearing when I passed by there. The kids should have been making *some* kinda noise by now too."
	Verne and RJ turned to the fox, who was sporting a naughty-little-boy-type grin.
	"Do YOU know where everyone else is, Firefyr?" Verne asked firmly.
	"I might," Firefyr said.
	"Is this like some kinda surprise I don't know about?" RJ asked.
	Firefyr's grin spread. "You could say that."
	Verne was getting annoyed. "Look, if this is like a surprise party or something, that's okay. But if not, tell me. It's almost lunchtime."
	'Indeed it is,' Firefyr thought. He loped over to Verne and put a paw on his shell. "Would you like me to show you where everyone else went?"
	"Yes!"
	The fox giggled. "Good." It was part of the rules. He had to get some kind of permission before he digested any of his assignments, even if he often used a bit of foxish trickery to get it.
	As RJ watched in astonishment, Firefyr leaned over Verne's shell and casually sucked him straight out of it like a vacuum cleaner.
	The fox licked his lips. "Different," he assessed.
	"WHAT just happened!?" Verne said, the sound muffled a bit by fox meat.
	RJ backed away slowly, stuttering. "Did you...? Did I just see...?"
	Firefyr nodded. "Yup." He looked at Verne's shell. "You'll certainly need this," he said to his belly. Stretching his mouth impossibly wide, he worked his maw over the hard shell and sent it down to its owner in one gulp.
	RJ was having a real hard time convincing himself he wasn't losing his mind.
	Firefyr popped his lower jaw back into place. "Boa constrictors ain't got nothin' on me," he remarked.
	RJ finally snapped. "YOU ATE VERNE!!!"
	Firefyr nodded, taking a step towards the delectably plump raccoon. "Uh huh. And everyone else. They all went in my tummy, safe and sound."
	For every step Firefyr took towards him, RJ stepped back. He was completely unable to tear his eyes away. Life had just taken a hard turn into Surrealville and this fox was acting like nothing was out of the ordinary!
	Firefyr deftly steered him until RJ was backed up neatly against a tree. "And now I'd very much like to eat you too, if that's okay."
	RJ felt the bark at his back and began to panic. He wondered if he could crab-walk straight up the trunk. "That's really, really NOT okay with me!"
	Smiling understandingly, Firefyr padded up and touched noses with RJ. "Why?"
	"BECAUSE I'M KIND OF AGAINST BEING EATEN!!" RJ exploded, almost yodeling with hysteria.
	His voice as calm and gentle as a wave at the beach, Firefyr said, "You're really afraid of it, aren't you?"
	"Of _course_ I am!" RJ said. "Who wouldn't be?"
	They were eye to eye, Firefyr looking deep into RJ's beautiful blues. "But with you, it's more than just fear. I remember you telling me about Vincent, about your nightmares. But natural predation is exactly that; natural. It's just the circle of life. Many other animals accept it and learn to deal with the idea that *most* of us will end up becoming someone else's food one of these days."
	"Can you blame me for not wanting that day to be today?" RJ said. He was beginning to calm now. Firefyr's voice was drawing all his attention to it.
	"Of course not. I understand, RJ. For a long time, you were alone. Your life was all you had. Of course the thought of losing it meant everything to you. Other animals know that, even if they're eaten, their family and friends will still be there to remember them. That makes it easier to accept. You believed that if you died, no one would even know."
	"...Or care," RJ added quietly.
	"But that's not true now, is it? A lot of animals care about you, RJ."
	RJ broke out of the trance he'd been in. "They *did*, you mean! You just said you _ate_ them!"
	"True," Firefyr admitted. "But think about this. I also said they were safe and sound. Now, I grant you, normally that'd be impossible to believe. But you just saw me swallow a big ol' turtle shell a second ago. Isn't that impossible too?"
	RJ opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say to that.
	"Or, if you still need more proof..." Firefyr stepped close enough to touch noses again, and instantly RJ heard a voice in his mind say, "...how about this?"
	The poor raccoon sputtered in incomprehension. "How can you possibly..."
	"Magic, RJ," Firefyr said with his mouth firmly closed. "I'm more than just a fox. I was sent here to give you and your family a very special gift. Something amazing. Something you've earned. Yes, I ate the others, but in the end they all agreed to it. One way or another." Verne was nicely digested by now and he hoped the others were filling him in on what had happened to them.
	"So, are you asking me to let you eat me too?"
	Firefyr nodded. "Yes, RJ. That's exactly what I'm asking. And if you do, you'll never have to be afraid of being eaten ever again."
	RJ snorted. "Well of course not. I'll be dead."
	Firefyr smirked and shook his head. "Why does everybody think that?"
	"You mean..."
	"I'm magic, remember?"
	RJ took a deep breath, not having any idea what to do now.
	Firefyr leaned close and nuzzled his raccoon friend's cheekfur. "RJ, I love you. You're my friend. I promise that if you trust me, I won't hurt you. I know this will be one of the hardest things you'll ever do, but if you do face your fear, you'll be glad you did."
	"...What happens then?"
	"It's a surprise," Firefyr said foxily. "The best surprise ever."
	RJ gulped. He thought about his nightmares. Images of sharp teeth and cavernous throats. All the long years he'd spent treasuring his selfishness. Too cowardly to admit he was lonely. All the enemies he made. All the nights he'd bolt awake gasping for breath, or unable to fall asleep at all.
	He hadn't had any nightmares once he accepted Verne's offer to become part of the family. He finally felt safe now.
	Firefyr was patient and let RJ come to his decision in his own time. Although he knew what that decision would be. It was inevitable. One of his many gifts was that of persuasion. He never forced anyone to accept the gift. In fact, he would've let Verne out if the turtle had really protested (He'd been strangely quiet once he ended up inside though). He would have let *any* of them out if they'd asked him to. But no one ever did. Because when he told them they'd be safe inside him, he was telling the truth. That honesty radiated past his prey's survival instincts and calmed them. It spoke directly to their souls, telling them there was nothing to fear.
	RJ had spent years getting better and better at being suspicious of others. He was very good at telling when someone was lying. Firefyr wasn't. "So... If you do eat me...?" RJ asked softly.
	Firefyr gave him a warm smile. "You'll go inside me and it'll feel great. I'll digest you. Then you'll be with the others. Once you're all together, I can tell you everything."
	"Why not tell us beforehand?"
	"You wouldn't believe me," the fox said sadly. "I have to show you a little bit for you to believe. Plus, there are rules I have to follow. It's paramount that no one but the Chosen may know about the gift. If I told you everything before I got you in my tummy, you might tell someone else. And *they* might tell someone else. You see? That could cause problems. We have to be careful about who we choose. Most of the world simply isn't ready yet."
	"I didn't understand a lot of that, but I guess I understood enough," RJ said.
	"Are you ready?" Firefyr asked gently.
	RJ gritted his teeth. "Yeah, I'm ready," he said quickly, before he could worry about it any more.
	"That's great!" Firefyr said and licked the raccoon's cheek.
	"C'mon, that tickles!" he laughed.
	"Just close your eyes and relax your body," Firefyr instructed.
	RJ took a deep breath. He was still tense, and couldn't get rid of all of it no matter how much he tried. His knees were shaking and his paws were trembling.
	Firefyr noticed and felt sorry for him. RJ was being incredibly brave in the face of his worst fear. "I'm going to eat you now. Don't be scared," he whispered.
	"I'm trying," RJ said.
	RJ felt warm breath on his nose, then sensed darkness creeping up over his vision. He kept his eyes shut tight and stood stiff as a board. His tail fidgeted. Firefyr's tongue touched the bottom of his chin. He felt the tips of two teeth just barely graze the fur above his forehead.
	Firefyr's voice was inside RJ's head. "You're doing fine."
	RJ nodded a little. He shuddered when he felt the fox's throat take hold of his ears. His head began to slip inside. For just a second he thought he might panic and run away screaming, but it passed.
	"You taste good," Firefyr said.
	"Thanks, I guess," RJ muttered.
	"Are you enjoying this at all so far?"
	RJ hesitated. "I'm still scared, but yeah, it doesn't feel as bad as I'd thought. It's not all drooly in here."
	"Most furs don't like that. I can change myself a little to be more accommodating."
	RJ felt the fox's lips slide down his shoulders. The quivering raccoon clutched at his fur. His tail was flitting about with a mind of his own. And he also noticed...
	Firefyr giggled. "Someone's got a boner!" he teased.
	"Heh heh..." said RJ.
	"It's nothing out of the ordinary," Firefyr assured. "A lot of furs find the sensation of being swallowed exciting. Stella sure did! She actually *asked* me to eat her! And when something feels both good and scary at the same time, that tension can be very arousing too."
	"I, uh, hadn't thought of that."
	Firefyr continued on down RJ's chest to his stomach. "And, it's not like I haven't had it in my mouth before."
	RJ actually laughed. "True, true."
	"See! You are enjoying this!" Firefyr said encouragingly.
	"I guess I am. Wow. I'm surprised myself. Who woulda thunkit?"
	"Here comes the best part," Firefyr said. His foxy tongue reached out to taste RJ's plump erection.
	"Yee-ipes!" RJ exclaimed.
	"You liked that?"
	"Oh yeah!"
	Firefyr paused to take his time with this part. He whipped RJ up into a lusty haze. The raccoon was still trembling, but now out of excitement. "C'mon, tell me you like being eaten," he said playfully.
	RJ murred, loving the feel of his cock being teased. "I do! I like being eaten!"
	"You do? Oh, so you want me to continue?"
	"Yes! Yes!"
	"Tell me you want me to swallow you," Firefyr said with a giggle. His tongue lashed back and forth against RJ's yummy penis.
	"Swallow me! Do it! I'm not afraid anymore!" RJ cried out. Letting go of his fear felt just as wonderful as Firefyr's tongue.
	"Beg me! Beg me to eat you all up, RJ!"
	RJ chuckled. "Oh please, please, please, Firefyr! Eat me! Gobble me up like a Twinkie!!"
	Firefyr cracked up too. He gave his all for RJ's pleasure and soon was rewarded with the incomparable flavor of raccoon cum on his tongue.
	RJ came and lost himself in the sensation.
	Firefyr gave a mighty gulp and pulled RJ all the rest of the way in. He tickled his friend's toes with his tongue as they passed by. He felt RJ land in his belly with a gentle plop.
	They were both panting. "Now see? Wasn't that fun?" Firefyr asked.
	"Okay, okay," RJ conceded. "You were right."
	"I'm always right, my striped li'l morsel! Everyone likes being my food."
	RJ stretched and yawned. He felt sleepy all of a sudden. This place was like a very squishy sleeping bag. "So what now?"
	"Now you just relax and let me digest you. Everyone's waiting for you to join them."
	RJ yawned again. "Okay. Roger that." He curled up in a ring with his tail in his paws. He thought about how nice it'd be to never have to be afraid of this again.
	

***

	Firefyr beamed with pride. His mission was a complete success! He felt RJ begin to happily melt within him. The raccoon began to dream as he dissolved. As soon as he was absorbed, Firefyr felt his spirit join the others. He could feel them all inside him now. Eleven souls. One family. All of them in the very safest place they could be. He could feel his body changing them. He was finally giving them his gift.
	Nothing in all the world felt better.
	Practically glowing now, Firefyr pranced about, ridiculously pleased with himself. This had certainly been a challenge, but it was also one of the funnest assignments he'd ever had!
	But then he happened to glance over at the log, and RJ's little room. And the TV. And all their food.
	"Yikes," he said. "Oh well."
	He loosened his jaw.
	The log wasn't the very biggest thing he'd ever swallowed, but it was certainly up there near the top...





***

TWO DAYS LATER

	Firefyr plopped to the ground, exhausted. He flattened himself out on his back in the cool, cool grass, stretched and rubbed his throbbing paws. It had all been a lot of work, but it would soon be well worth it. A lot of walking and searching, and then a lot of selective undigesting. Now all that was left inside him were his friends.
	All through the fox's long journey, they had dreamed. He could feel each one of them inside him, perfectly safe. They were together in the dream, unaware of anything but watching their happiest fantasies all coming true. Firefyr did not pry. He could have looked into their dream but chose not to. He could feel the joy emanating from it though, and was sorely tempted.
	Firefyr scampered about, making last-minute adjustments. He wanted everything to be perfect for them. His tail wagged.
	His friends had waited long enough, he decided. Firefyr found a good, empty spot in the grass and squatted down.
	A little brown log dropped onto the grass.
	Firefyr moved a few inches over and deposited another one. And another.
	Soon there were eleven little droppings all lined up in two rows. 'Just like cocoons,' he thought.
	"Okay guys," he said, "time to wake up!"
	An outside observer would have thought this white-furred fox was completely mad, lining up his poops and talking to them. But then one of the logs twitched. And another. Slowly, just like waking up after a long hibernation...
	Verne noticed the smell first. "Say, did someone have an 'accident' in the log last night or what?" he asked.
	Firefyr put a paw over his mouth to stifle giggles. This part always cracked him up. He waited for one of them to realize what had happened.
	"What's going on...?" Ozzie wondered.
	"I don't remember being small and brown..." Hammy said.
	A pause.
	"OH GROSS!!!" almost everyone yelled in unison.
	"Firefyr, did you just Shit Us Out!?" RJ demanded.
	The fox shrugged. "Well, yeah. How else was I supposed to let you out of me?"
	"I'm a talking turd..." Bucky marvelled.
	"COOL!!!" the porcupine kids all shouted.
	"It most certainly is NOT cool!" Penny scolded them. "It's disgusting!"
	"Same thing," Quillo argued.
	Stella 'tsk tsked' "I never thought I'd actually smell *worse*..."
	"This, is the most embarrassing moment, of my life," said Heather.
	"What about that time you got the Coke bottle stuck on your nose?" Ozzie remembered.
	"Okay; second most embarrassing."
	"Um, Firefyr," Verne piped up, "I really appreciate the fact that we're all still alive..." General consensus of agreement from the others. "But could you, maybe, possibly, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?!"
	The fox giggled. "Why don't *you*?"
	"What?"
	"You don't wanna be a turd anymore? Then, change."
	RJ snarled, "How, exactly are we supposed to-"
	A blur of motion, a whizzing sound, and suddenly Hammy was back to his normal, squirrely self. His fur was bright and shiny in the sunlight, perfectly clean. "I did it!"
	The others were quite startled. "Hammy! How did you..." Verne said.
	"I just concentrated real hard, and 'ta da'!" Hammy said.
	Firefyr gave the squirrel a pat on the head. "Excellent! I didn't even have to give you any hints."
	"So all we have to do is just *want* to not be poops anymore?" Heather asked. She concentrated on her former self too, and in a heartbeat she was a possum again. "Neato!"
	"Does that answer your question?" said Firefyr.
	Soon the forest was full of little whizzing sounds as everyone wished themselves back to normal. To their delight, not only were they completely clean of any traces of poo, but they all felt like a million bucks. Their fur felt freshly groomed. They were well-rested and alert. They felt better and healthier than they had in longer than they could remember.
	There were still three small fox droppings in the grass though, and Penny and Lou were giving them a stern talking to.
	"You kids listen to your mother!" Lou warned.
	"You change back this instant! I'm not going to have fecal matter for children, nosiree bob!"
	"Awww, but we LIKE this!" the kids protested.
	"Yeah!" said Spike. "Put us on a stick so we can gross out someone!"
	"I've had just about enough of this poop foolishness!" Penny said, giving them the 'I mean business' tone. "You change back right now or no more TV for a week!"
	"Darn it," said Bucky.
	Three little 'pop's and the porcupettes were flesh and quill again.
	"You coulda put us in a bag and left us on somebody's doorstep," Quillo lamented.
	"That would've been awesome!" Bucky agreed, slapping him a high five.
	Penny and Lou sighed and wondered why kids were so weird.
	RJ patted his fur all over, pleasantly amazed that he was still himself. 'Firefyr was right,' he thought. 'I faced my fear and everything turned out okay.' He grinned. He'd been afraid of being eaten for so long not just because he feared pain or the loss of his life, but also because he'd never been able to believe there was something *after*. The world seemed so hard and brutal and pointless. How could there be anything more to it? He was almost lightheaded with how happy he was to be proven wrong.
	RJ pounced on Firefyr in a big, grateful hug. "C'mere you big chowhound!"
	Soon enough, everyone was crowded around Firefyr, all of them talking at once and bursting with joy.
	Firefyr had tears in his eyes. He looked into his friend's faces and their happiness filled him with pride. This was the best part of the job. Sure, the eating part was fun too. But giving his friends this kind of feeling was the absolute best.
	Firefyr nuzzled and kissed everyone. "I'm so glad everything worked out so well," he said.
	"Us too," Ozzie said. "Who could have imagined I'd be eaten by a fox and would be thanking him for it later!"
	"I knew it was a good idea to let you stay with us!" Heather gushed. She buried her nose in his soft, soft fur.
	"But there's more to this, isn't there?" RJ said. "You told me I wouldn't have to be afraid of being eaten _ever_ again."
	The others quieted at hearing this. Most animals' lives are *defined* by escaping predators and surviving at all costs. The very thought that things could be different was so radical, hardly anyone ever dared to dream it.
	"I think it's finally explanation time," Firefyr said. He sat down in the grass and nodded for them to do the same.
	The family gathered round him in a semicircle. They all sat close to each other; many hugs were exchanged. The happiness and excitement of the group was nearly tangible, like an electric current connecting them all. They'd all enjoyed being fox food, but they also wanted to know *why* Firefyr had eaten them and what was really going on.
	"Is it storytime?" Hammy asked.
	"It certainly is," Firefyr said.
	"Oh goody goody gumdrops!" The little squirrel vaulted from his position and was sitting on Firefyr's lap in a heartbeat. "Tell me a story," he said, looking extra cute.
	Everyone giggled. Firefyr nuzzled Hammy's cheek.
	Firefyr was about to start, but Verne raised his hand.
	"Verne?" the fox acknowledged.
	"Yes, um, has anyone else noticed we're someplace else now?"
	The others began to look around too. There were various murmurs. The patch of forest they found themselves in currently looked so much like the one that had been their home before they hadn't even noticed the change. Though when they paid closer attention, it became obvious. For one thing, the placement of the trees was completely off. This was a different place. But similar enough to feel familiar.
	"That's just part of the surprise," Firefyr said. "I'll get to it, I promise. Any other questions before we start?"
	Stella spoke up. "Since Hammy's got yours, you mind if I sit on Ozzie's lap?" Stella skootched over and plopped herself on top of her love possum. "Ooh, the most comfortable seat in the house!"
	Ozzie chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "You can sit on me any time you want, my dear."
	Stella murred and snuggled him. "Proceed!" she told Firefyr.
	"Yes, well... Where to start..." He cleared his throat. "First off, I guess, I'm not really a fox."
	"You sure look like one," Spike said.
	"True, but that's the point. I'm a fox *spirit*"
	Everyone 'oooh'ed.
	Something in the fox's tone and posture changed, and just like that he became a storyteller. "Behind the scenes of this world are a group of nature spirits who watch over all living things and make sure everything runs smoothly. We're here mostly to keep nature in balance. Predators and prey all have their purpose. Everyone is necessary. Life and death are equally important.
	"We keep mostly to ourselves, changing destiny only when we absolutely have to. For billions of years, all we really did was custodial work. Shift one group of animals here, manage an extinction there... Our jobs were easy.
	"But then humans came along.
	"We ourselves don't know the entire plan of evolution. There *is* a guiding force behind it, but our job is to take care of nature, not to understand it all. We do know this much though; something went wrong when humans came into being."
	"No shit," Stella said.
	RJ snorted laughter.
	"What I mean is," Firefyr said, "that their progression wasn't finished yet. Primates were this grand, high-minded experiment. With every step, they grew more... I don't want to say more intelligent... *Different*, I guess. They're no brighter than any of us, but they think in a unique way. Their brains can analyze things in ways other animals can't. I think the fact that we make burrows and they build casinos says it all, doesn't it?"
	Several chuckles.
	"Anyway, humans have always thought of themselves as the pinnacle of the animal kingdom. They're not. All they are is lucky. Like I said, we spirits could see what mortals couldn't, and we knew that humans were actually just another step towards what was *really* being planned. They're not the ultimate. They're not even the penultimate. But they're clever, these hairless jerks. Just clever enough to kill off all the other homonids, develop technology and then bring their own evolution to a grinding halt so that no other bipedal successors can *ever* come after them. They not only killed their ancestors, they killed their children too."
	"This is a scary story," Hammy said, trembling.
	Firefyr petted him gently. "I know. But that's how it is. For the first time in history, a species was actually thwarting the will of the universe! Humans truly believe they own this planet. Most of them do everything they can to pretend they're not really animals, that they're completely removed from all instinct. Ha! That's their whole problem! They've got these great big brains, but they hadn't evolved long enough to be able to USE them wisely! Remember how other species were supposed to come after them? Humans were just a prototype to work out all the bugs. Unfortunately, they decided that that wasn't good enough for them.
	"They're crazy, all of them, and it's not their fault. Their brains are so scrambled now, they do nothing but give them contradictory signals. Their instincts clash with their intellect and they can't *function*. Humans think that perfect safety and serenity are possible if they just use enough technology or religion. They're not. Animals all know this. We know life is short and scary, but still important. Humans lie to themselves. They think they can force their will on nature and conquer chaos, and they can't. And it drives them insane."
	"But what does all this have to do with you eating us?" Heather wondered.
	Firefyr chuckled self-consciously. "Heh. Sorry. I was ranting a little, wasn't I? But I'm getting to that, really! Anyway...
	"Humans are self-destructive. They hate nature because it reminds them they're still just monkeys, and they don't want to be monkeys. So they punish nature. And themselves in the process. They kill. They pollute. They wipe out whole species, just because they can.
	"For us spirits, this makes our jobs suddenly very, *very* difficult.
	"Now we have to work all the time, fixing the messes their tantrums leave. They upset the balance cataclysmically almost every day. About a hundred and seventy years ago, we got sick of it. The humans were inventing more and more new technology to make it even easier for them to hurt nature. All the spirits in the world held a meeting. They talked about it for a long time and decided that if the powers that run the universe weren't going to do anything about these humans they'd created, we lowly nature spirits would have to.
	"The humans had moved so far away from us, we couldn't even speak to them anymore. We didn't have any power over them. But what we *did* have was power over the rest of the planet's creatures.
	"What the conclave decided was so audacious, a few spirits willed themselves out of existence rather than agree to it. But most of them did agree. Eventually, the decision was unanimous."
	"What did they decide?" Spike asked.
	"To make me," Firefyr said, trying to sound modest.
	Puzzled looks and whispers.
	"The other spirits had never needed to make another one before, so they just kind of winged it. Magic is real. Just as real as physics. Your world is made of physics; my world is made of magic. The other spirits had to create a being of magic who could exist in the physical world. I think they did a good job. But of course, I'm biased." He grinned.
	"Even though I've been around longer than all your ages put together and then doubled, I'm still just a kid, really. But I was born knowing the whole story of history before me, and all the instructions I needed to do my job. I was honored to learn why I was made."
	Firefyr paused, just to look at his friends. To admire their bravery. To try and appreciate for a moment what fearing death must be like. "I exist, so that I can make others like me."
	Verne pondered that for a second, and then stared in disbelief at Firefyr. "You mean, WE...?"
	The fox smiled. "Yup. You guys are demigods now!"
	"Wicked sweet," said Bucky.
	"I don't *feel* any different," Heather said, examining her fur.
	"What does that mean for us?" said RJ.
	"Are we supposed to make more of us too?" Lou asked.
	Firefyr held up his paws. "I got a little ahead of myself. Sorry. Let me go back."
	The fox tried to find his place. "Okay, um, yeah. The other spirits decided that, in order to get the humans to settle down, the animal kingdom needed to wake up and stop fighting itself. Natural predation is necessary, of course. But that doesn't mean we *all* have to be enemies.
	"The spirit who proposed the idea, Adrianna, said that she believed the humans were having a deeper effect. All animals were changing because of them. Humans were so different from them, the animals were beginning to see that and understand how alike they really were. She believed that, if given the chance, predators and prey would choose to be friends if they no longer needed to kill each other to survive.
	"A lot of other spirits laughed at her. They asked if she fully understood the concept of 'natural enemies'.
	"She pointed out that animals of different species made friendships all the time.
	"'Just individuals', the others said. Not whole species.
	"There is a hierarchy in the spirit world, and one of the most wise and respected spirits suggested that, if Adrianna could find one single instance of a prey animal _voluntarily_ agreeing to be eaten by a predator out of nothing more than love, then they would consider her idea."
	Firefyr smiled. "Adrianna did.
	"Within _minutes_ of being asked.
	"They were a fox and a mouse. He caught her, they talked, became friends, and she agreed to let him eat her because she loved him and didn't want him to starve. He agreed, but wished there was some way that he could do so without her having to die.
	"That was where the idea of creating me came from.
	"That fox and mouse were my first assignment. I stopped them just a few seconds before he would have killed her. I offered them both my gift, and they accepted.
	"Since then, I have travelled everywhere on earth, finding other predators and prey who wish things were different. The other spirits seek them out, I give them help. They also change me when they send me to different places, by the way. I'm not always a fox. But I'm almost always a species that's both predator and prey. Common ground is important in negotiations. I prefer to be a fox though, when I can." He looked himself over and gave his tail a flick. "I just think my tail looks best in this form."
	"It is quite aesthetically pleasing," Ozzie agreed.
	"And fluffy!" Heather added.
	"Thanks guys," Firefyr giggled. "So, um... What the council looks for are animals who are brave, compassionate and open to cooperation outside their species. A lot of them are mice, actually. I think the lower on the food chain you go, the more you wish things could be different."
	"Understandable," RJ said.
	"I helped a brilliant mouse detective from England, plus some of his friends. His biographer, and a toymaker and his daughter; who was my _real_ assignment. She went on to do *incredible* things. I helped a family of Russian immigrant mice at the turn of the century. Their little boy's best friend was actually a cat! Unheard of for that time. Not too long ago I helped another mouse family of five. The mother was one of the bravest mice I've ever known; she went to astonishing lengths to protect her children, including facing an owl to ask his advice. After that, one of my favorite assignments was a group of rodent crimefighters in a big city north of here. Two chipmunks, two mice, a fly, a bat and a squirrel. They were *perfect* candidates; their greatest goal was to help out anyone in trouble, regardless of species. They were practically doing our work for us!" Firefyr smiled in fond remembrance. "I had some fun times with those guys."
	"Gosh, are we really that special too?" Penny asked.
	"Of course!" Firefyr assured her. "We spirits have made a lot of progress so far; interspecies cooperation is *booming* worldwide. It's even become the norm in some places! But you guys, what *you* have, is still rare..."
	The foragers looked at one another, and reflected as if for the first time on how different they all were. So many different species. Everyone working together, employing each individual's strengths and compensating for their weak points. They were a mosaic, disparate pieces coming together to form a strong and beautiful whole.
	They hadn't even chosen to become a family. It had simply happened. A handful of animals, living in the same part of the forest, passing by each other every day. At first it was just a 'hello' when they met. Then small acts of cooperation and kindness. As everyone drew closer, it was Verne who first began to see the possibilities of working together towards a common goal. He had asked his friends to meet at a random location; a big log that was roughly equidistant from everyone's homes. He told them how they all had a better chance at living a happier life, and all they had to do was trust each other. His idea was agreed upon unanimously. Of their original group, one had been lost; Heather's mom. Four had been born; Heather herself and the porcupine kids. One had asked to join later after watching them from afar and aching to feel the bond they shared. That was Stella. One had tried to con them all and ended up becoming one of them. That was RJ.
	None of them had ever asked to leave.
	"You're special," Firefyr told them. "All of you. And so I've given you a gift that you've definitely earned. From now on, none of you ever have to be afraid again. You're invulnerable. Nothing can hurt you. Ever. Really!"
	The family just gawked at him for a moment. The idea was fantastical, impossible, unbelievable. Even if they *had* recently been eaten, digested and turned into poops and then back, it was still a shock to believe it could happen again!
	"Want a demonstration?" Firefyr asked.
	Many nods.
	"Any volunteers?"
	"OOH! Pick me, pick me!" Hammy waved his hand wildly.
	Firefyr touched noses with him. "Alright then, Hammy. You're it." He asked everyone else to gather around a little closer so they could see clearer.
	"Hammy? Do you trust me?" Firefyr looked deep into the little squirrel's eyes to impress upon him that this was serious.
	Hammy nodded. "Of course I do. You're my friend."
	Firefyr kissed him in the head. "Your loyalty is something you should always be proud of, you know that?"
	The little squirrel chittered happily.
	"Okay, so, is everybody watching?" The foragers all said they were. Firefyr looked at Hammy again. "Remember, you're invulnerable. You ready?"
	"For what?" Hammy asked, just a teeny bit nervous.
	"For this," Firefyr said, and neatly bit off Hammy's cock and balls.
	Everyone jumped or gasped or shouted or expressed shock in one way or another.
	"That there just ain't right," said Lou.
	"You ate his *stuff*!!" Heather exclaimed.
	RJ winced and covered his.
	"Great googaly moogaly!" said Ozzie.
 	Hammy stared at the little hole where his private parts used to be. It wasn't bleeding, and it didn't actually hurt at all. In fact, it had felt pretty nifty when it happened. But... "Hey, I need those!" he protested.
	Firefyr chewed and swallowed. "That was a really nice snack, Hammy! Thank you."
	"You're welcome, but..." He gestured at his weinerless situation. "Eh? Eh?"
	"Oh, that! Well, just fix it then."
	Hammy caught on. "Oh! You mean like when I was your doodoo?"
	Firefyr nodded. "Exactly."
	The little eunuch squirrel stared fixedly at his crotch and concentrated intently. In a fraction of a second, he was whole again. "Wowsers!"
	"Holy heck! Can we ALL do that!?" Stella burst out.
	"Of course!" Firefyr said. "For the rest of your lives, you'll be able to will yourselves healed from _anything_ that happens to you. Any accident or attack, it doesn't matter. It won't even hurt! You won't even get sick anymore. You're practically immortal!"
	"Wait... 'practically'?" said Verne, ever the cautious one.
	"Well, yeah. You'll still age. You'll all die someday, just as everyone does. Just as everyone *should*. We all have to die so that others can live, and we have to die so we can learn from our lives afterwards."
	Verne nodded.. "That's actually kind of reassuring."
	"You guys will all live long, happy lives," Firefyr promised. "And for as long as you live, you're indestructible. You can be eaten, squashed, chopped, minced, diced and liquefied and it'll *never* be permanent! It's kinda like playing a video game with cheat codes on."
	Bucky, Quillo and Spike all looked at each other, communicating silently, awed by the possibilities this could lead to. Spike reached up and popped one of his eyeballs out. "I'm a zombie!!"
	His siblings laughed themselves silly. "Oh man, this is the coolest thing, like EVER!!" Bucky said.
	Penny and Lou rolled their eyes. Boys will be boys.
	RJ looked at Hammy's squirrelhood. "So, what'd it feel like?" he asked.
	Hammy grinned devilishly. Quick as a wink, he scarfed RJ's too. "Like that."
	RJ jumped up in the air. "WHOA!" He looked down and Mr. Happy was missing! "Hey! Wow. Um. Actually, that was pretty excellent! Thanks, Hammy."
	"You're welcome! You tasted great!"
	RJ chuckled and, concentrating, grew back his penis in a flash. It was stiff as a rock. "I think it liked that," he noted.
	Heather came up to Firefyr and blushed a little. "Does this mean you could, um, eat me again?"
	The fox kissed her pretty nose. "Anytime you like."
	"Yesss! Oh, that'll be awesome to do it again and not be scared this time!"
	Stella gave her a playful shove. "Calm down, girl! If he's eatin' anyone again, it's gonna be ME!" She stroked the fox's whiskers seductively.
	"You know, I *can* eat both of you at the same time," Firefyr told them.
	Heather and Stella's eyes lit up. "OooooOOOooo!!"
	"Say, Ozzie!" Firefyr called out.
	"Yes?" he said.
	"If you really want to, you- and by that I mean *all* of you- can swallow each other whenever you like."
	Stella got a crazed look in her eyes. She lunged at Ozzie. "Open up and let me in!"
	Ozzie giggled nervously. "Um, right now?"
	"Why not? I'm sure I'll love bein' in *your* hot tummy just as much," she purred.
	"Actually, Stella, maybe you should stay undigested for the moment," Firefyr told her. He'd seen a few other animals take to vore this enthusiastically before, but not many. Most had to get used to it for a while before they loved it as much as she did now.
	"Why's that?" Stella asked.
	"Because I have another surprise for everyone," he told her.
	"More surprises!?" Hammy perked up.
	Firefyr stood on his hind legs to get everyone's attention. "Hey! Guys! There's more!"
	The family quieted down and listened.
	"Verne noticed we're somewhere else now and I told him I'd explain why. Actually, there's something I'd like to show you first." He stood up and padded towards a shrubbery. "It's just on the other side," he said, and disappeared through with a bound.
	The others followed, more than a few of them remembering the first time they'd passed though the hedge and glimpsed the humans' world.
	When they saw Firefyr's surprise, there were gasps.
	"Just like home, huh?" The fox said, tail wagging happily.
	"It's the log!" Ozzie exclaimed.
	"And all my stuff!!" RJ pointed out.
	"Our TV!!" the porcupine kids cheered.
	"THE FOOD!!!" Hammy exploded.
	The family emerged from the shrubs and approached what would be their new home, with so much of their old home already here. It was a spot of forest just like where they'd lived before. Enough shade, plenty of nuts, they could hear water somewhere nearby, RJ even spotted a discarded fast food cup under one of the trees and knew exactly what that meant. More humans to loot from!
	"It's... *perfect*!" Verne said in amazement.
	"Thanks," Firefyr said, ambling up beside him. "I thought you might like it."
	"I'll say! Where exactly are we?"
	"About two day's walk from where we were. This is the near the opposite end of the humans' housing development."
	Verne got nervous. "But what if they try to bulldoze this place too!?"
	Firefyr dismissed the notion with a wave of his paw. "They can't. The spirits know all and they assured me the humans consider this protected land under their laws. It's a state park. They can't touch it."
	Verne shook his head. "Wow. That's really great. It'll be a relief not to have to think about them all the time. I almost feel like I'm dreaming."
	"Oh, almost forgot..." Firefyr stopped and coughed. He reached into his throat and pulled out a small wood carving. "I believe this is yours?"
	Verne took his tiny log in both hands. He looked at it and was silent. He got misty-eyed. He sat his carving down and gave Firefyr a sudden, euphoric hug. "How can we ever thank you?"
	The fox hugged him back. "Aw, you don't need to. Just being friends is more than enough for me."
	As the other animals noticed Verne hugging Firefyr, they realized they'd rarely seen the turtle this happy. For once, he had absolutely nothing to worry about.
	"There is one more thing I gotta tell you about," Firefyr said to all of them. He jumped nimbly up on top of the log so they could all see him. "I've given you a gift, and while it doesn't come with any strings attached, it does come with a request."
	"Anything," RJ said, and everyone agreed.
	Firefyr was happy, but not surprised, at this reaction. "I don't want you to think the spirit world has given you this new life just so they can make you work for it. It's not like that. You're not obligated. You can refuse if you want to, and we won't take the gift away."
	"What is it you need us to do?" Verne asked.
	"I told you about how we've given this gift to certain animals all over the world so that they can learn to stop being enemies before the humans blow us all up. That's working. It's working even better than we expected it to. So now we're trying something new.
	"You guys certainly don't need to work on interspecies harmony: you're already there. Of course, we'd love it if you'd make new friends here too. Heather, that idea you had about asking the birds for help is a perfect example. That's a bigger gap, mammals and avians. Of course, you guys don't seem to mind reptiles," he said with a wink.
	"Naw, they're pretty cool," RJ said, giving Verne a friendly noogie. The turtle made a 'cut it out' gesture, but was smiling.
	Firefyr sighed. "So... that leaves a bigger challenge. The humans themselves."
	Verne did a double take. "Wait- What!? Do you actually want us to make friends with those... those... Forest-destroyers!?"
	"Not exactly," Firefyr said.
	The fox laid down on the log, tail twitching. "Most humans will never change. They're stubborn to extremes. Most of them will never regard animals as anything more than 'natural resources'. They honestly think they're the only ones on the planet who can feel emotions, who can love, who have souls."
	"Humans suck," Spike snarled.
	"Now now, dear," Penny corrected. "Not all. Just most of them."
	Firefyr couldn't resist a grin at that. "There is hope though. Human children. They are amazingly adaptive. Whenever human society changes for the better, the young are the ones behind it."
	"But if we even try to approach them, their parents will kill us!" Ozzie pointed out.
	Firefyr nodded, a dark smile on his muzzle. "Then let them."
	A silent, collective 'huh'?
	"Death is something the humans share with nature, no matter how hard they try to deny it. When a small child sees an animal die, they're much more likely to feel something. A touch of sympathy."
	"I think I'm starting to get it," RJ said. "We're invulnerable, so it won't hurt us if we get run over by a car or something. But if a kid sees that happen, maybe they'll try not to run over any of us when they grow up."
	Firefyr beamed. "You got it. That's it exactly. Heather, Ozzie, it's just like when you play dead to distract them. Sometimes they cry. Sometimes they feel something, especially if they think they've caused it. Every tiny ounce of shame or guilt we can make them feel is good. It'll make them think the next time they try to drive us out. Maybe they'll be less likely to think of us as pests or vermin if we show them that, when they kill us, we bleed just like they do.
	"It won't work on everyone," he told them firmly. "In fact, it probably won't work on *most* of them. But it'll work sometimes. Even once is worth it, if we can make just one more human look at animals with love instead of contempt. We spirits accept that humans are a part of nature too. We don't want to destroy them. We don't want to fight a war with them. Why fight your enemies when you can convert them to friends?"
	That hit RJ especially deep. He thought back to when the family had first accepted him, after the whole affair with Vincent and the Verm-Tech guy. He knew they didn't have to. He knew they had plenty of reasons to hate him after what he'd done to them. Instead they forgave him. They didn't have to, but they did.
	He had another thought. "Does this mean we, uh, have to stop stealing from them?" RJ asked.
	"Oh, no. Quite the opposite," Firefyr said, surprising everyone. "They stole our homes to build theirs. They *kill* us so they can live in comfort. We have every right to remind them of that. In fact, if you guys want to steal from them *more*, now that there's no consequences for you if you're caught, go ahead. Let them know we're still here; that they can't erase us. Let them know animals are not just a nuisance. We have as much right to live as they do."
	"Yeah!!" Hammy shouted.
	Verne sighed. "I guess we won't be doing much foraging anymore, now will we?" he asked nobody in particular.
	Lou patted him on the shell. "Hey, I still like the occasional bark breakfast. Just not *every*day."
	Verne had to agree. He'd never tell anyone, but he'd grown rather fond of Oreos. Especially the minty kind.
	Firefyr stood up again. "I also want you to know that we spirits won't force you to do anything. We won't even tell you how to do it if you agree to help us."
	"We already agreed," RJ reminded him.
	"Oh, right." He grinned sheepishly. "But, yeah, you guys know best how to work together. You don't have to chart up some big plan and drudge on it every day. Do what comes naturally. When you find an opportunity, use it. Even though we do want your help, most of all we want you to have fun with what we've given you. Every animal deserves a break from being afraid."
	Something occurred to Hammy. He stepped forward and asked, "Um, Firefyr, are you gonna stay here with us from now on?"
	The fox hopped lightly down from the log and gave his squirrel friend a nuzzle. Hammy was smart; Firefyr knew he knew the answer to his question already. "No, Hammy. I'll be given another assignment soon, and then I'll be off to who knows where."
	"Oh," Hammy said quietly. He hugged the fox tight. "You'll send postcards, won't you!?" he burst out, and started crying like a firehose.
	Firefyr kept a straight face as he comforted the distraught rodent. "I'll do better than that. I promise I'll visit. Whenever I can."
	"Really!?" Hammy shouted, his expression going from heartbreak to jubilation in a nanosecond.
	"Really really," Firefyr pledged.
	"So when will you be leaving?" Heather asked.
	"Oh gosh, I dunno," Firefyr said casually. "My fellow spirits work on a different timetable than me. To them, eons are nothin'. I always have a *ton* of time off between assignments. I can probably stick around, oh... say, another week or so?" he said with a grin.
	"Alright!" Heather joined Hammy in hugging Firefyr. It was infectious. Soon everyone was hugging somebody else. It was just that kind of moment.
	"Besides, I have to stick around at least long enough to help you guys all get used to your gift," Firefyr said. "I wouldn't make you guys invulnerable and then leave before I could tell you how to have the most fun with it!"
	"You mean like Hammy biting my schwanz off?" said RJ.
	"Oh, that's just the tip of the iceberg!" Firefyr said. "No pun intended."
	RJ groaned.





***

A WEEK OR SO LATER

	Heather was nearly done.
	The family had found all sorts of neat stuff just laying around when they'd made their first trip to explore this new part of El Rancho Camelot. Though when they'd first peeked out from the hedge on this side, they all got disoriented for a second. The houses were so similar it was like they'd never moved an inch! Even the SUVs were mostly the same!
	The big difference was, these humans hadn't had *nearly* as much exposure to wild animals, and so hadn't learned to take proper precautions. The neighborhood's lack of lockable garbage lids made RJ's heart go pitter-pat.
	In one yard they'd made an interesting discovery: a miniature barbecue. Just the right size for tabletop grilling. Or for stealing.
	Heather was lying on it now, the flaming coals keeping her warm 'n toasty. Earlier, RJ had skinned and cleaned her and Penny whipped up a delightful stuffing from her innards. Heather's tummy was full of the stuff. She gave it a pat.
	"How are you coming along, sweetie?" Ozzie asked.
	"Just fine, Dad! It feels great! Like sunbathing, but much hotter!" When she'd been skinned, RJ kept the fur on her face, since without it she looked pretty creepy. Now she just looked delicious.
	RJ, wearing a mini paper chef's hat, poked her gently with his spatula. "Just a tad longer, my little dandelion," he told her.
	"I don't mind," she said. She rolled over on her stomach and sighed happily. "I could lie here all day..."
	The sun had set, the log was festooned with paper streamers, balloons bobbed in the breeze. Tonight was Firefyr's going away party. The other spirits didn't have another assignment for him yet, but there were other friends he wanted to visit while he was in the area. The foragers understood. Knowing how much they wished he could stay, they knew the other animals he'd helped would feel the same way too.
	RJ had organized the party, natch. A miniature boombox played upbeat rock music. There was a veritable avalanche of food all around them, with Heather as the evening's main course. They'd all taken turns on the barbecue by now. Heather liked it best, so she had volunteered to be tonight's dinner.
	Over the course of the past week, Firefyr had helped them all embrace their new selves and learn not to worry about things they'd feared all their lives. They'd gone out to a busy road late one night for practice getting hit by cars, for instance. This was Hammy's greatest fear. All squirrels fear cars, and curse their damned inability to tell how fast they're going. Hammy was too scared to simply walk out onto the pavement, so he asked RJ and Ozzie to just toss him in the path of an oncoming semi. They agreed. Hammy went splat. After his friends dashed in to scrape him up, Hammy popped back to normal and said he wanted to do it again.
	Fire was something else they learned not to fear. They rigged up a bonfire (Verne made sure everyone followed strict safety guidelines from Smokey The Bear), and one by one they all stepped into it. The smell of burning fur was not pleasant, but the sensation was. That was when the subject of cooking came up. Various recipes were discussed. They drew straws and Verne got the short one. The porcupine kids helped look up a savory turtle soup recipe on the laptop they'd stolen a few days previous, and Verne ended up stewed in his own shell. He enjoyed it much more than he let on. The others agreed he was highly delectable.
	By now they'd all been eaten lots more times. Stella couldn't keep herself out of a stomach for long. Ozzie ended up with a bulging, murring belly at least once a day. It appeared there was no limit to how much they could stretch the laws of physics and also their skins. Just to see if he could do it, RJ dared Hammy to try to swallow him. What followed was an epic struggle and a truly bizarre sight. Eventually though, Hammy ended up immobile on the grass with a massively distended tummy and RJ ended up as squirrel droppings (momentarily, of course). Firefyr even let the others try swallowing him if they wanted. Heather was elated when she succeeded, even though she was big as a medicine ball afterwards.
	Firefyr also taught them how to get used to rip-and-tear type eating. After all, the humans hadn't wiped out *all* their natural predators, and had brought in a few new ones as well in the form of vicious critter-chomping guard dogs. Firefyr had instructed them that if being chewed to bits was inevitable, to simply close their eyes, go limp and wait for it to be over. The hardest part was in remembering that it wouldn't hurt and it wouldn't kill them. He'd 'attacked' each of them in turn, and they all did well. RJ went to bed that night thinking that if Vincent ever found him now, how surprised the bear would be when he simply said, 'Okay, you win. Go ahead and eat me.' Knowing Vincent, he'd probably think it was some kind of trick and not eat him just out of spite.
	They were all ready to begin the work the spirit world had asked of them. They had scouted around the neighborhood, looking for houses with children or other humans that might be sympathetic. They discovered where the real jerks were too. One beer-reeking bald man had thrown a brick at poor Ozzie. The possum was partially decapitated, but otherwise fine. Outraged at such a barbaric display of cruelty, Ozzie popped the sunroof on the man's Humvee and they all took turns relieving themselves through it.
	Tonight though, the humans might as well have not existed. Tonight was strictly for partying. The porcupine kids were mutilating themselves for amusement, something they still found as hilarious as the first time. Stella was trying the punch. It was actually just a large bowl filled with whatever fruit-flavored liquid RJ could get his paws on. Stella cringed a bit at first, but then went back for a second cup. Verne had already finished his carving of the log and had started on a series of portraits of everyone in the family. RJ was trying to drag him away from finishing Hammy's ears and come join in the festivities. The real Hammy was asking Firefyr, for the umpteenth time, to chomp off his naughty bits. It gave him no end of enjoyment. The fox rolled his eyes and relented. Hammy did have a rather unique flavor. Lou and Penny were setting out the paper plates and telling the kids to settle down. Ozzie was talking with Heather and making sure she broiled evenly.
	RJ inspected the grill every few minutes, poking around the coals with the spatula and trying to do everything he'd seen humans do with these things. Finally he deemed Heather cooked to perfection. "CHOW TIME!!!" he bellowed.
	He and Ozzie helped Heather down off the grill onto a lovely platter decorated with lettuce leaves and various fresh-picked berries. RJ doused her with sweet and sour sauce. She shivered in delight at how cool it felt on her hot skin.
	After a bit of work levelling it, a nearby tree stump made an excellent dinner table for the family. Heather reclined in the center now, enjoying all the nice comments she was getting about how well done she looked and how scrumptious she smelled.
	Just as RJ was about to start carving, Verne stood up. "Before we eat, everybody, I'd like to say something."
	The porcupine kids groaned. "But I'm hungry _now_," Bucky said under his breath.
	Lou elbowed him.
	Verne turned to their vulpine guest of honor. "Firefyr, what you've done for us... it's impossible for us to thank you enough. You've given us something we'd never even dreamed of *wanting*, it was so incredible. You've given us more than just new bodies, you've given us all lives without fear. And that's something."
	Sounds of agreement and clinking of silverware from all around the table.
	Firefyr smiled modestly.
	"In fact, there's so little to worry about now, I don't know what to do with myself anymore!" Verne said, getting a hearty chuckle from everyone.
	RJ stood up. "I propose a toast!"
	"White or wheat?" Quillo shouted.
	"Butter or jelly!?" Hammy hollered.
	RJ winced. "I should have seen that coming."
	Heather giggled. "Hurry up and finish, RJ, so everyone can eat me!"
	"Alright, alright." The raccoon lifted his glass. "To Firefyr. To every one of his spirit friends. To us. And to family." He gave Firefyr a warm smile. "You'll always be welcome here, bud."
	Everyone else clinked their glasses. "Cheers!"
	Firefyr was actually blushing now. "Geez, thanks everyone. I'm so happy I met all of you. I'm so happy knowing you'll all be safe from now on. Thank you for this party and for being such good friends."
	Various "You're welcome"s were said.
	"I'm getting cold here!" Heather reminded everyone.
	RJ lifted his carving utensils. "Right. No one likes cold possum. Unless it's on sandwiches the next day, and then it goes great with a little mustard."
	"How exactly do you know that?" Ozzie asked, looking a little disturbed.
	"Just kiddin'," RJ said. "Although we'll find out if I'm right tomorrow at lunchtime, now won't we?"
	"Assuming there's any leftovers at all," Heather pointed out.
	"That's true." RJ made the first cut, taking a nice big slice off the pretty possum's rump. Heather cooed at the sensation of the knife slipping through her like silk.
	As they all held out their plates, RJ passed bits of Heather around. "I call boobies!" Hammy said.
	"Aw, I wanted a booby," RJ said.
	"I have two, you know," Heather said.
	"I want *that*," Stella said, licking her lips and pointing her fork right at Heather's honeypot.
	"You naughty skunk you!" Ozzie mock-scolded her. "I'll have a drumstick if you don't mind, RJ."
	"Foreleg or hindleg?" RJ asked. "By the way, Firefyr, what'll you have?"
	He considered it. "Well, I am kind partial to her tail."
	Heather thought about the first time he'd eaten her and giggled.
	Verne took a flank steak and looked thoughtfully at it for a bit. "You know, I have absolutely no idea if possum is kosher or not..."



	The End
	for now...




*****
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'd like to thank everyone who gave me nice comments on "The Barbecue Job", and especially Alfador, who assumed I meant something vorish by that title in the first place. This ending was inspired by his comment.

Firefyr's line "Why fight your enemies when you can convert them to friends?" is paraphrased from a page of Richard Katellis' "Kit n Kay Boodle"; arguably the most thoughtfully adorable (and one of the most well-drawn) webcomics in existence. The sentiment just fit so well, I had to snatch it.

I'd had the idea for a story like this for years and years. I'd lie in bed thinking up stories of a magical fox who travelled around eating up furs and giving them special vore powers. I hope you all caught the indescribably blatant references to The Great Mouse Detective, An American Tail, The Secret Of NIMH and Chip N Dale's Rescue Rangers. I'd written stories in my mind about Firefyr visiting all of them (I can't tell you what a pain in the ass it was trying to come up with a name for him), and I finally settled on Over The Hedge just because I thought it'd make a fun sequel to my other story. I hope you liked it and I hope it helps convince you that vore doesn't always have to be violent or bloody. Sometimes it can be cute too!

"A Gift Of Vore" Started 01/20/07, finished 02/24/07, editing completed 02/28/07

