Chapter 13

Sam hugged Lillyanne.  She had been a great teacher for the past four years but Sam needed to leave.

“Lilly.  I don’t want to go.  I’m going to miss you guys.  Life up here was great and you were so good to me.  I love you guys!  You’re my family!”

“Do not fret my child.  We both had a vision that you needed to leave.  I do not want you to leave either but trust in your visions.”

Lillyanne, the nine-tailed kitsune yokai, held Sam at arms length and gave her a motherly look over, “oh Sam.  You have grown into your womanhood so well.  I am proud of you!  It was difficult at first but you adapted well.  I am surprised you haven’t had a moon cycle yet but you are still young.  Maybe soon.  Oh well.  Good luck, young one!  We will meet again!”

“Ugh, you’re still going on about that?  We don’t even know what I am.  I may never have a “moon cycle”.  Hell, we don’t even know if I can get pregnant!”

“Well there is one way to find out!”

“No! Absolutely not!  That is so sensitive it hurts!  Let’s focus on the whole leaving thing, please?  Besides, I don’t want to be gone forever.”

“Oh shush. I will see you again eventually.  That much I know.  Now go.  Destiny awaits!”

Sam hugged Lillyanne one last time before running off the cliff and flying off to the north east.  Sam just knew she needed to head back to where she first changed.  From there things would work out to move her onto her destiny, whatever that was.  Lillyanne was confident that no matter where her life led her, she would return.  For now, she needed to focus on getting back to the United States.

———————————

Lillyanne comforted a red kitsune yokai with five tails.  The poor girl looked like she had been crying.  She was playing with a diamond ring on her finger, twisting it around her left ring finger.

“Why did you send her off!  We could have trained her! She could have been ready!  Now we will all die miserable deaths before she can get back to us.”

“Shush Anya.  Everything will work out. We will see Sam again, but I don’t know how.  The prophecy said after 900 years she would return but we will meet our doom if she does not return in 10.  It is a complicated prophecy.  I do not understand it but I will trust it.  Sam does not know it.  She just knows she will see us again.”

“We loved each other though!  Why couldn’t I go with her?  I could have shown her so much!  The worlds will hate her!  She would not be hated with me.”

“The prophecy said she must go alone.  She could not be prepared for what is ahead if she had company.  She must be strong enough for what is ahead.”

“She won’t be the same either… a lot will change in 900 years.  She may not even love me anymore.”

“You will have to win back her heart.  I have confidence in you.  I do not think she will forget you though.”

“I hope not.”

———————————

Sam sat on a ridge overlooking the last place she knew Kyle and Lacy lived.  It’s been five years since she left, and a lot has happened.  There was so much she needed to talk with them about!  She jumped off the ridge and glided down over town towards Kyle’s apartment.  She figured she would start off there.  She remembered the way they went on the highway to the convention and backtracked to his apartment.  She smiled when his Hyabusa was still parked in the lot and walked through the buildings to where he last lived.  

She knocked on his door a couple times but didn’t get a response.  Either he was out or he didn’t live here anymore.  The handle didn’t budge either.  She could technically break in easily enough but that was illegal and highly rude even if you knew the person.

The gasp and dropped purse behind her, though, was not a good sign.  Sam turned to see a girl standing there staring.  She wasn’t freaking out, hasn’t screamed yet, and wasn’t running yet.  She seemed to be staring in… awe?  Admiration by chance?  Ok this was getting awkward.

Sam walked over to the girl and stopped a few feet away.  She was still staring with her mouth open and had followed Sam’s movements across the winding walk from Kyle’s apartment.  Sam pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.  This girl was completely dumbfounded.  Time for drastic measures.  Sam tried closing the girl’s mouth with top of her wing only for it to drop back open again.  Then Sam put her wing right in front of the girls face and held it there while she snuck around behind her. Sam moved the wing and suddenly the girl was confused.

“Where did it—“

“SHE is behind you.” The girl squeaked and looked over her shoulder at Sam standing right behind her, “I had to break that stupor somehow.  I know the golden robes are a little different than you humans are used to but you don’t need to stare.”

“I’m so sorry.  You were more of a shock than I was ready for today.  I’m also not used to seeing anyone, alien or not, in such shiny golden robes.”  The girl finally turned to open the door to her own apartment which had been right next to where she stopped, “care to join me?  I’d love to talk more.  It’s not that often you get to meet an alien.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m waiting on a friend to come home anyways.  I have no idea when that is, but I’m hoping it’s tonight.  So how long have you lived here?”

“Oh close to a year. My lease is almost up.  Good thing too.  They’re going to raise my rent another 50$ and I can’t afford that.  I’ll need to move out.”

Sam looked around the apartment and realized it was the complete opposite of Kyle’s.  Sparse decorations, a futon, Walmart end tables, and a card table in the kitchen with some folding chairs.  No wonder she was leaving for the increase.

“Won’t it cost more to move than to just pay the increase?”

“I’m already tight on bills.  I’m trying to live alone but it’s hard.  I want to make my father proud but I can’t find a job with my degree.  No one wants to hire a graphic artist.  No website companies or anything. Right now I work for a call center and try to make a little extra cash with commissions.  I don’t draw sex though so no one wants to pay much.”

“Can you do photo editing?  Like highlights, artificial lens flare, etc.?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t pay very well.”

“Well I happen to know someone who might work with you.  He’s actually the one I’m waiting for.  I haven’t seen him in five years but last I checked he was a freelance photographer and a damn good one at that.  He could probably use your skills to help.  We can ask.  Anyways, you want a pizza?  I’m hungry and haven’t had one in equally as long.”

“A job you say?  That would be nice. Even side work would be amazing and I could build a portfolio.  I couldn’t pay you back for the pizza though.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. My treat.  Besides, I imagine you won’t be eating nearly as much as me.”

“I’m a starving artist. I think you underestimate just how much we can eat when food is offered. Buffets are our friends.”

“Hah! Fair enough.  What kind of pizza is your favorite?”

“I like ham and pineapple.”

“I’m already getting one of those, a combination, and a pepperoni.  Pick something else.”

“Umm, but I really like ham and pineapple.”

“Oh fine.  You have a phone and the number for a pizza place nearby?”

“Oh! Yeah, here’s my phone.  It’s a burner phone so I don’t have many minutes.  Here is my address.  And this is the number for the local little caesars.”

“Oh no. Not little squeezers.  Gimme a good pizza place.  I’m eating good today!”

“Oh!  Well there is this place nearby.  Giuseppe’s ristorante.  They have the best pizza in the area but they’re real expensive.  25$ for a plain pizza.  I hear they’re fantastic though.”

Sam dialed the number while the girl started to sweat, “hi, yeah I’d like an order for delivery!  Yep.  Two ham and pineapple, one pepperoni, one combination.  All large.  Oooh yeah I’ll take some garlic knots and a bottle of coke too!  135$?  Tell the delivery boy that if he gets it here fast he gets a huge tip.”

Sam handed the phone back to the girl, “you know, I don’t remember catching your name.  I’m Sam, by the way.”

Sam held out her hand, “Anna.  Pleasure to meet you!  You wouldn’t happen to be the same Sam I heard about. The alien from the convention five years ago?”

“Yep! That would be me!  I’ve been touring the world.  Ok well I toured the world for a year.  I spent four years in the Himalayas with some “monks” learning to fight and control some abilities.”

“Why the air quotes for monks?”

“Well because they weren’t quite monks.  But I can’t say who they were.  Vow of secrecy and such.  Anyways, where’s that pizza.  I’m hungry!”

Sam heard a pair of people walking up the sidewalk and listened in to what was going on.  It sounded like Kyle, if maybe slightly more mature, and some girl.  Kyle opened the door to his apartment and the girl followed him in.  Shortly later Sam heard her screaming at him about the furry paraphernalia on the walls and the door slamming as she stormed off.  Sam’s ears drooped a bit and she felt sorry for Kyle.

“What’s going on?  What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh sorry. My friend Kyle got back.  He apparently had a girl with him. If they were dating they aren’t any more.  Let me go talk to him.  Maybe I’ll invite him over for pizza.  We can talk about job opportunities.”

Anna squeaked again as Sam headed out the door, “I’ll be right back either way.  Actually, here,” Sam pulled out two hundred dollar bills and handed them to Anna, “for the pizza guy.  I’ll hear him so I’ll know if you gave it to him.  No funny business!”

Sam stepped out and went to knock on Kyle’s door.  She heard a crash and knew he was doing something drastic so she opened the door anyways.  He was just throwing one of his prized pictures at the door she had just opened and caught the frame neatly.  He was so surprised to see her that he froze in place.  Sam placed the frame neatly on the coffee table as she walked in and went over to smack Kyle upside the head.

“The hell is wrong with you!  Throwing your prized possessions around the apartment?!  These are one of a kind pieces?!  This is your life!  Your pride!  Stuck up women shouldn’t change how you feel about yourself!  At the least sell them, don’t destroy them!”

“Ow Ow Ow!  I’m sorry!  Jeez Sam, it’s good to see you too! Fuck.”

“Next time don’t throw a 500$ picture at my head!  Now come here so I can hug you! Fuck, it’s been a long time you dork!”

Kyle laughed and embraced Sam.  Something felt a little different from the last time they hugged five years ago, “hey Sam.  Not to be a pervert, but, did they get bigger?”

“Oh hah hah.  Yeah they did.  They’ve been slowly growing for five years.  Not much, maybe a cup size, but I went from A to B.”  Sam paused and listened for a second, “ah hah! Pizza is here!  Come on.  I have someone I want you to meet.  Potential assistant.  Anyways, I’m hungry and she has my food.  Come on! You can clean up your mess later!”

Sam dragged Kyle over to Anna’s apartment and in through the still open door as Anna was placing the pizzas on the card table.  The poor girl turned around and was startled to see two people in her apartment that weren’t there a second ago.

“Sorry, I heard the pizza guy and I’m starving!  Anyways, this is Kyle.  Kyle, meet Anna.  She is a graphic artist.  I thought that if you still did the photography she could help you out with edits and such!”

“Is that so?  That’s why you dragged me over here?  Trying to get me an employee?  Well you’re in luck.  I’ve actually expanded so much I have to turn away clients because I don’t have time to edit all of the photographs.  Anna was it?  You have a portfolio?”

“Oh!  Yeah let me get that!”

Sam headed to the boxes, ripping the lid off the pepperoni and grabbing two slices to set on it.  She walked away with the rest of the pizza instead of the two slices.

“Don’t judge me. I’m hungry!”

Kyle held up his hands, “not saying a word!  I’ve seen you eat.  I’m not surprised you have four pizzas.”

“Yeah well I’m going to share.  Grab some!  This is pretty good!”

“Is this Giuseppe’s?  Nice! I love their pizza!  Oooh combination!”

Kyle sat on the floor in the living room with his own box lid and a few slices of combination pizza.  Anna came back with a thick binder and set it down in front of Kyle before getting herself an entire box of ham and pineapple, setting it on the floor in front of her.  She took a bite and moaned happily before noticing Sam had her own, mostly empty, box of pizza in front of her.

“You only grabbed a few slices?”

Sam grabbed one of the few slices left and shoved half of it in her mouth in one shot, biting and chewing it quickly, “nope.  I eat fast.  And a lot.  But this meal will probably last me two or three days.  I just need to build up my reserves after flying from Tibet.  It’s a long flight.”

“Tibet? As in next to the Himalayas Tibet?” Anna was very curious it seemed.

“Yep!  I actually found this temple from atop Mount Everest.  And before you ask, no, I did not climb it. I can actually fly that high.”

“Wow! That is amazing!”  Anna was bug eyed in awe.

Kyle just chuckled with a whistle, “that’s pretty high. What’s the weather like up there for you?”

“Windy. Very windy.  Not as cold as I thought it’d be though.  Didn’t even bother me in a T-shirt and skirt.”

“Wait what?  How did you not freeze to death?  That’s one of, if not the, coldest places on the planet!  Humans freeze in minutes up there!”  Anna was getting more animated.

“You have to remember.  I’m not human.  I can sit in a bath of boiling water and walk around naked at the North Pole.  Honestly it’s kindof freaky.”

“What else can you do?”  This query was from Kyle.

“A lot of things I will not discuss with humans.  Friends or not.  There are things you guys just don’t need to know any aliens can do.”

“Ummm. That sounds rather ominous.  Something you learned up in the mountains?”

“Mostly.  Some of it scares me.  It’s powerful stuff and I’d rather not discuss it even if I was told I could.”

“Sounds fair.  I don’t think I could look at you the same if you told me you could melt my face off or something.”

“Honestly I don’t even know everything I’m capable of.  I haven’t met someone I was pissed off at enough to try some of this stuff on.  Most of it is just MMA in a sense but powered by my Qi.  I need a target to test my strength on.  Then there was a few other things they wouldn’t let me try because of what they are.  Again I need a target.  One day though.  From what I hear I’ll have plenty of opportunities.  Life off world is pretty harsh.”

“I find that hard to believe. Why would we send off all of these aliens here instead of give them asylum if the outside… universe is so harsh?”

“Something about dangerous citizens.  They didn’t want humans randomly attacking others because they thought they were aliens. It was safer for all to ship them away.  The outside is a dog eat dog world.  Only the strong or protected survive.  I intend to be one of the strong.  From what I’m told, I’m already one of the strong.”

“Well that’s good to hear.  Wait, are you grabbing another pizza?”

“Yeah?  I bought three for a reason.  I’m hungry!  Oh!  You guys should see some of the photos and videos I took while I was traveling.  From all over the world!”

Sam went through her camera and video camera with them and explained everything she could over the next few hours.  Kyle was holding it as Sam stepped away to get more pizza and they got to the last video on the player.  It showed a sexy, and very naked red kitsune on a bed posing for the camera.  She stroked herself a bit and taunted the camera before a door slid open and Sam walked in.  Sam commented that she had started without her before removing her own robes and joining her on the bed.

By this point Sam came back, saw the video, and jumped across the two, grabbing the camera in mid jump to land on the floor across from them.  She quickly spammed the stop button with her ears and face a bright orange through her fur.

“I didn’t know she recorded that!  Oh god that is so embarrassing!  Anya you minx!”

“Anya?”

“Ah, yeah. Ahem. My love interest back at the temple.  She helped me… bloom, so to speak.”  Sam packed away the camera to keep Kyle away from it for now, “we were together for three years before a vision told me I needed to return.  Neither of us were happy about it but the grandmaster told me to heed my vision.  So here I am!”

“Why didn’t you bring her?  I’d have loved to meet her!”

“Oh I bet!  But the vision was very specific. I had to go alone.  Alone sucks I hope you know.  I hate being alone.  It was nice being amongst people who could help me understand all of this.”  Sam waved at her body, “at least partially.  Even they didn’t know what I was.  The Feds don’t know either.  I’m some freak.”

Kyle drooped but perked up at a thought, “you aren’t a freak!  You haven’t even seen another that looks like you.  How could you have anything to compare to?  At least you have us for now!  Oh hey, you want to come to the convention tomorrow?  The both of you?”

“The convention is tomorrow? That’s awesome!  I can’t believe it’s been almost exactly five years!”

Anna was confused though, “what convention?”

“Ah!  It’s the local furry convention!”  Anna gave Sam a blank face, “people who dress up in animal costumes and aren’t aliens?  The convention I was at five years ago?”

“Oooh, those people!  They’re called furries?  I’d seen some a few times.  I never thought to approach them.  So thats what that convention was and there is another tomorrow?”

Kyle filled in the rest of the details, “Yeah! All weekend!  And actually, I was pretty impressed with your work!  If you’d like to be my assistant you can join me for the convention and start working there!  I’ll bring my laptop and you can use that to edit photos that come in.  Most won’t need much work but I need to take quick photos so some will probably need lighting adjustments and maybe some blur reduction.”

“I can do that!  I can totally do that!  So when do we leave?”

“You can join him on his motorcycle at 8am tomorrow morning to get there. I will follow in the air.”

“Think you can keep up?”

“I could probably get there before you.  I fly 130mph and don’t need to observe roadways or traffic.”

“Touché.”

Sam and Kyle headed over to his apartment for the evening to relax and catch up.  When Kyle went to bed, he let Sam use his computer to load the videos and photos over so he could view them and maybe share them later with an audience possibly at next year’s convention.  What Sam didn’t know was Kyle’s computer was set to download everything automatically from attached media because of Kyle’s profession. It just made things easier to process; attach, go make dinner, come back and edit.

After Sam transferred everything over she intended and went over to the couch to lay down for a nap.  Tomorrow was going to be interesting.