Chapter one: The Party.

(this story is a continuation of "Benson & Kevin" by emperorwolf, it is recommended that readers finish that story before starting this one.)

"i might be dead in this story, now, but... i'm there >:3 ... can you guess where?"
-emperorwolf.

-roughly two years after the end of Benson & Kevin Chapter 44-

Kevin Ghast hid in the shadows of the forest, seeking the light of his home, but aware of a threat lurking nearby...

there was an ominous wind...
it made his fur stand on end.

(dammit... he's close, i can feel it...)

the predator tracking him was very close, hiding just outside his vision, waiting for him to go into the light and pounce on him...

he knew it could smell him, hear his breathing, likely even see him in this dense darkness...
it was baiting him, saying "hey, it's safe over there! go that way!" while intending to strike the second he actually did...

suddenly, the lights went out inside his home, filling the surroundings with pitch-black darkness.
he vaguely heard pawsteps approaching him, every single instinct urged him to run, but he stayed completely still, it was useless running, the predator vastly outclassed him in terms of speed.

he felt hot breath on his neck, making his hackles rise as he kept his instinct in check.

"there's no escape for you now... my Delectable prey..." the predator whispered

kevin trembled as the breath moved up to his ear, and then....

"nom!~"

the predator closed its maw around the tip of his ear, nibbling it playfully.

kevin kept quiet, still trembling, dispite the apparent lack of danger.

the fangs started to dig in to his flesh, and he winced
"th-that hurts..."

the predator stopped, giggled, and changed to gentle licks where it had pierced his flesh on his ear, moving then to his arms when it had bitten and scratched him earlier on and licking them as if in apology.

"you are such a crypuppy~" the predator jokingly scolded him.

kevin sighed "well... dealing with your predatory instincts are tough on me, seriously..."

he heard giggling again "well! maybe i like hunting you, babe~"

"please, not 'babe'..." kevin groaned.

the lights in his home came on again, exposing the predator to be none other than Oriado.
but, he already knew that.

"okay, fine kev..." the wolf complained and hugged him "... but i wanna have a cute petname for you... all couples give eachother cute petnames~"

"well then," kevin smiled "i'mma call you Stu."

oriado chuckled "stu?! stu's not a cute petname! why?"

"short for Stupid!"

oriado growled playfully and pinned kevin to the forest floor.

"never! as for you, it's either 'babe' or 'prey-toy', take your pick~"

kevin groaned and sighed "okay, Babe's fine..."

oriado lay a kiss on his cheek "knew that'd work."

"whatever, hon."

oriado chuckled, and consiously wound his tail around kevin's left leg.
"hon as in honey? d'aww... how sweet of you!"

"well, callin' me 'babe' means i'm cute ... right?"

oriado nuzzled kevin's neck "exactly~"

kevin struggled to get up "come on already, we've got to be ready and head to the party in half an hour! get off me already!"

oriado whimpered "how can you say no to this face?"

"easy, like this: No. now get off!" kevin laughed

once inside, they found Bailey playing a video-game in the loungeroom, Collin was in his Domestic form, as he always was, lying next to him on the couch.
"hey dads!"

collin yipped and seemed to smile.

kevin chuckled "enjoying your game, Bailey?"

their son smirked "enjoy yours?"

oriado lay his head on kevin's shoulder "very much, thanks. it's getting easier to control the impulses."

"so... soon you won't have to worry 'bout nomming?" bailey asked hopefully.

collin's ears perked.

oriado smiled "not in the bad way, no."

kevin blushed.
"Ori, not in front of Bailerich!" kevin scolded his husband.

the wolf didn't seem too embarrased "oops, sorry bailey!"

bailey smiled, seemingly unbothered, and saved his game, then turned it off.
collin hopped off the couch and stretched.

kevin sighed "Ori, Bailey, get into good clothes, Collin, go clean your fur and get a nice collar on, we've got a party to attend!"

---

-Gentiki: the newly refurbished and renamed Briokomi library-

amelia rushed around, putting out snacks and decorations, as Ian and velian hung streamers and party lights high above.

"hurry! they'll all be arriving any minute now!!" she said, panicking that they weren't finished yet.

amelia ran out to the kitchen in the back, returning with trays full of cakes.

amelia was wearing a sequined black dress, while Ian and velian wore presentable clothing.

velian flew down and tossed angelfire over each table, lighting each candle with the beautiful golden flames.

"good, thankyou velian!"

"you're welcome, mother."

ian floated down and spun in midair, some of his plumage shooting out and morphing into shiny silver cutlery at each sitting place.

they managed to get everything finished, just as there was a knock at the door.

the trio huddled into a line on the floor
"Come in!"

the doors opened, and in walked lily, along with Ciril and Virlan.
"LIL! great to see you, sis!" amelia said in her mother tongue as she and her sister stepped forward to hug each other.
"it's been a while, hasn't it, ammie?"
amelia looked her sister over "where's ben?"
ciril put up his paw "Aunty amelia, dad's on the train coming over from Virada!"
amelia smiled at her nephew "the bullet train?"
he nodded "the new one that crosses the sea!"

ian chuckled "well, he'll not be far away, then."
velian looked up at his father "how far away is he?"
ian's eyes shone for a moment, then answered "hmmm... he's near the terminal, just 'bout to go through, actually!"

---

benson stepped off the train, onto the cold metal of the terminal.
he was dressed in a smart buisiness suit, and was being followed by two badgers in secret-service gear.
he grinned as he looked forward at the gate that bared a thin electric veil, seeing hundreds of busy little Gentikans rushing about.

"thanks, but i can make it from here." he assured the agents, who nodded and vanished into a device on benson's wrist.
he was pleased that the AI were working properly.
he approached the gate, input a little USB, the number 20.00 came up on a screen, and he withdrew the drive.
[THANK YOU FOR PAYING, PLEASE PROCEED]
he stepped beyond the veil, and all the little Gentikans he'd seen were now towering above him.
on this smaller platform, other Homonculi rushed about, going about their buisiness.
he noticed one gentikan who was beckoning him over, an otter in a doctor's coat.
benson slipped in his AAFSE earpieces and stepped out of the sound-proofed padded box onto the collections platform.

he noticed a homonculus-sized leopard standing atop the otter's head.
"hey there Syrus, Carl."

syrus smirked "that's Doctor Revino, little fox!"
carl tugged gently at syrus' head fur "lighten up, Dr moron!" he laughed "you're not even on the clock right now!"

syrus gently patted the tiny leopard that lay on his head "okay, okay, i get the point, stop that~"

benson chuckled "you two never cease to amaze. shall we get going?"

syrus grinned broadly, and offered a paw "okay, hop on."

boarding the webbed paw, benson was lifted away from the terminal.
"anywhere in particular you'd prefer to be put? head's reserved for Carl, though."
benson chuckled "coat pocket?"

syrus deposited the tiny fox in his coat pocket on his chest.

benson reclined in the pocket as hundreds of gentikans could be heard going about their buisiness, as well as Syrus and Carl conversing in Gentikan above him.
he just lay back, and waited for them to arrive.

---

patrick's footpaw clashed against the chest of a bulky tiger, bringing him down.
the crowd cheered.
the announcer stepped in "your MMA champion, as always, Patrick 'The Blade' Khyber!!"
patrick offered a canine paw and helped the tiger to his feet.
"you did well."

the tiger coughed "thanks... that means a lot, comin' from you..."

patrick sighed and was handed a microphone "sorry everyone, but i won't be able to stick around tonight, i've got a party to get to!"

he tossed the microphone and frontflipped out of the arena, the crowd cheering wildly as he exited through the doorway.

he was greeted by his parents in the locker room.
"Well done!" Verona Congratulated him from Aeon's breast pocket.
Aeon nodded "incoporating Feline Agility with Canine Might, very smart of you!"
patrick grabbed his coat and jeans "thanks, i learned from the best!"

after patrick was once again dressed, he and his parents made their way out, boarding the Bullet train.

onboard, they found Kevin, Oriado, Bailey, and collin sitting at a booth.
they joined them.

"so, how're the jobs goin'?" kevin asked.

"between MMA and Technical Support... pretty good. i get paid a crudload, too."

"how much?" oriado asked

"6350.00 a week."

collin barked and Bailey chuckled "yeah col, that is a lot!"

verona cocked her head "you understood him?"

bailey nodded to the small feline "of course... couldn't you?"

she shook her head.

kevin patted his son on the back "i can't either, it's the wolf in you that understands him." he pointed to oriado "he understands him, too."

bailey looked at oriado, then at collin "is that true, Col?"

it is. only a wolf can understand another wolf such as myself.

"why? i understand all the noises and gestures you make... why can't others?"

it's not that simple. it's not just my sounds and movement... you hear what i intend to say, what i am thinking as i 'speak' my way... you hear it because you are part wolf.

bailey scoffed "who decided that?"

collin whimpered and whined
the same person who made it possible for any of us to be here, a stranger who--
"Collin!" oriado growled "he doesn't need to know that!"

... i am sorry. i will be silent. please, do not punish me, my Master.

oriado chuckled "you've really taken to this Domestic thing, haven't you?"

collin seemed to smile
i find it entertaining

---

a happy uproar went out as everyone finally arrived at the library.
the homonculi were placed upon a table of their own for safety reasons.

however, ciril was holding his father, talking with him on the second floor, away from the party itself.

"how's your year with your mother been, son?"

"okay... but... i've missed you, dad..."

benson patted his son's thumb "and i, you... all three of you," he lay his head against it "every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week," he was brought to ciril's chest in a hug "of every month of the year... not a moment goes by that i don't miss having you all with me... i mean that from the bottom of my heart."

ciril shed a tear "we feel the same way about you... me... Virlan, and mum, too..."

benson smiled "by the way, Happy Birthday Ciril."

ciril hugged the tiny fox harder "thanks, dad."

benson was constricted, but ignored it.
"i'll... give... you boys... your gift... later... with... every... one... else..."

Ciril gasped and lessened the pressure "sorry dad!"

benson caught his breath "no... no trouble..." he wheezed "i don't blame you..." he smiled "you only get to turn five years old once in your life."
virlan popped out from behind his twin brother, surprising both of them.
"yeah, that's right, i guess..." virlan smiled "and it's great you made it all the way here from Virada!"

"can't miss my only two sons' birthady, can i?"

"-no!"
"-no!"

"well then," benson laughed "when's cake time?"

---

-meanwhile-

off in a distant forest, somewhere on ildelessus...

a young child with short black hair streaked with white meditated inside an ancient subterrainean temple, and in front of him was a long-white-haired man, wearing a black trenchcoat, white jeans, one red, and one blue boot.

"keep focussing, you need to draw out the ocean of power that sits stagnant inside of you, and make it rage with thousand-foot tides!"

the child strained "y-yes master!"

his features took a canine form, white streaked, black fur spread across his now doglike body.
"Embrace your base instinct, give in to your purest, animalistic side!"

the child thought his bones would snap from the intensity.

"Do it, Zenef!"

a gold hardlight began to encase him like a coccoon, but it cracked and exploded away, returning him to human form at the same time.
"aah!" he shouted as he was forced to stop, catching his breath "i'm sorry, master..."

the man groaned.
"go rest. we will try again later, my apprentice."

zenef went to a cold, stone room that acted as his sleeping quarters.
shedding a single tear, he went to sleep.

-Zenef's Dream-

zenef found himself in a dark corridor, dim navy blue lighting above him illuminating hundreds of doors.
he'd been here in this dream every night since his master had found him, a helpless orphan on the streets of ildelessus... and every night, he was drawn to only one of the infinite doorways, the only red one among blue.
every night, he tried to reach it, and every night he awoke just as he attempted to open it.

everything was going exactly as any other time... until...

click

the door opened...
he hesitantly stepped inside, and found himself in a dark factory, green lighting coming down from high above.
"what in the name of...?"

on either side of him were tubes, big enough to fit a person inside.

he saw a silhouetted figure standing in shadow at the far end of the hall.
"who are--?"
the figure bolted, and zenef chased after it.
"stop! wait!!" he begged the shadowy figure, but it did not stop.

he kept chasing it, until it lead him to a gigantic, horrible, formless monster.
he skid to a stop and shrank back in fear.

the creature roared, and lunged for him...

---

zenef snapped awake in fright.
it had been a nightmare, a horrible nightmare...
"that... felt so..." he looked at his hands "... so real..."

there were many things that scared Zenef: spiders, snakes, giants, monsters...
but the thing he feared most, was the dark.
many terrible things can hide in the dark, that was why he was so terrified of it, because it took away his sense of security.

he heard a shuffling sound nearby...
it sounded different to his master...

a pair of bloodred eyes glowed a few inches from his face...
he went to scream...

do not scream. i am not here to harm you
came a horribly distorted voice.

he kept his mouth shut.

do you know what you saw?

"n-no..."

you must not mention this to anyone... ever...

the shadowy thing vanished.

zenef was breathing hard and hyperventilating.
he calmed himself.
"what was that... any of that?"

---

back at the library, everyone crowded around a single table as amelia brought in a big cake
everyone started to sing 'happy birthday' to Ciril, Virlan and Velian.

it was admittedly a bit odd that the twins and their cousin shared the same birthday, but they didn't mind.
it gave them an excuse to see each other more often.

each five-year old was pleased, and while the others ate cake, velian led his cousins and tiny uncle to the attic.

once there, the Ancat drew a magic circle on the floor, and had the twins stand inside it.
benson beamed at his sons as he stood in the exact centre of the circle.
"ready for your gifts boys?"

they nodded, and were instructed to remove their shirts.

their father's eyes began to glow, and the glyph on the floor responded in kind.
green sigils began sliding off the ground up onto virlan's body, and blue ones onto Ciril.
they whimpered in fear, but their father comforted them.
"don't worry, you're not in danger, just relax..."

they breathed deep, and the sigils settled onto their left collarbones.
they lifted off the floor momentarily, before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

groggy, ciril looked around for his father
"dad... Dad, where are you?"

a muffled response came from beneath his chest.

"oh!" he propped himself up off his tiny vulpine father "sorry dad! are you alright?!"

expecting his father to be hurt, he was surprised to hear him laughing joyously
"oh, i'm fine! never better!!"

"but... i landed--"

"it's fine! you're lighter than you think! especially now!"

he shot his father a confused look.

benson pointed at the sigil "makes you... you'll love this... able to exchange the weights of objects!"

Ciril beamed "Thanks a ton dad!!"

virlan hopped up and looked at his father "what'd i get?"

benson chuckled "Virlan, you got something good..."

he brought his head closer "yeah?"

benson grinned "easier to show, okay, cup your paws, picture a kind of bubble around me."

he did so, and a green light encased their father and lifted him into the air.

"forcefield! awesome! thanks dad!"

the shielded fox chuckled "you're welcome, Virlan."

velian clapped "cool!"

benson sighed "ah, yes, can't forget my favourite nephew, can i?"

he was let out of the shield and given his upper clothing.

"okay, i know it's not as amazing as powers, but, how's 30 bucks sound?"

the Ancat smiled "good enough, thanks uncle Ben!"

benson smiled "now, let's go get some cake!"

(next chapter: school life.)