Lil book-exclusive art for you up top ^ by me
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    When I woke up, I was warm and comfy and numbly aware of Jay's arms wrapped around me. I blinked my eyes open, taking in the dim sunlight, and sat up, pushing him off me gently before looking around.

    The house was empty, and still. The sunlight was golden, it made everything look warm and inviting. I yawned, and let everything slowly trickle back into my mind. Jay was still sleep, his black head-fur in a mess around his face. I moved it carefully, then untangled myself so I could walk around.

    This was Zach's house. He had lived here for years. I wanted to see what it was like. I wanted to see what he got up to as a kit, because I never got that chance. I eventually discovered that his den used to be what humans called 'upstairs'. The doors were a little tricky to figure out, but I managed.

    I could tell immediately which den had been his. The walls were a soft, pale, turquoise. The bed was made, but obviously it hadn't been touched in years. The floor had some sort of weird fur that I'm pretty sure was called a carpet. It was soft and made my feet feel good.

    I never knew humans could make art. Not like the ones Zach had secured to the wall. Most of them were faded, but I could tell they were pictures of me. In my true form, not this silly illusion I had now. Funny. He wasn't particularly good, but I loved them.

    "He used to have these crazy dreams." A voice said suddenly, making me jump in surprise.

    I turned to see Jack leaning in the doorway. He was dressed in normal human clothes, not the ranger uniform he had on yesterday. He looked causal, but also unkempt. His eyes were glassy me unfocused.

    "Zach?" I asked.

    He nodded. "For a whole year straight, he wouldn't shut up about them. I had to take him to a therapist, but she couldn't explain it either. I think eventually he just started keeping them to himself."

    "He had dreams about me?" I blinked.

    "Is that you?" Jack inquired.

    I nodded, gesturing to the small collection of art. "That's me."

    "I thought so. When I first saw you back at the reserve I could hardly believe it, but I recognized those eyes. Plus you're the spitting image of him." Jack nodded.

    Something got stuck in my throat and I choked up. I blinked away the tears, so I didn't upset him.

    "So...you said Zach had gotten himself in some trouble? What kind?"

    "I told you he got himself stuck in another dimension of sorts." I managed, I wish Zach would speak to me so I would know what to say.

    Jack's eyes widened. "Does this stuff sort of happen to you normally?"

    "Yeah, for us at least."

    "Like what? What's it like on the other side?"

    The other side. What a fun choice of words.

    "We fought the Ghost king, and decipher prophecies, there were four others that were destined to defeat this demon, a tenebris, he's gone now, but we helped them. That's what got Zach stuck in the first place."

    Jack stared off, as if he were trying to imagine all of this. "Dang. Sounds like he's been busy."

    I frowned. "He couldn't have visited you if he waned. He did talk about you a lot."

    Jack's gaze focused and landed on me. "He did?"

    "He kept your name. We don't have second names where I come from, but he insisted on keeping it."

    "Second- oh you mean last names. He did huh? That's...that's..."

    Jack did not finish that sentence. "Who looks after you over there?"

    "Our parents, and our teachers." I explained, remembering Sierra, then remembering how she had betrayed me, I frowned.

    "Your parents?"

    "Yes, our father is the Chief of our tribe. Our mom had gone missing before Zach did, but we found her. They're not going to be very happy I left again." I realized, wondering what sort of punishment I would be getting when I got back.

    "Huh." Jack said. "So does that make him like...royalty?"

    "Yes. I suppose it does."

    "What about your boyfriend?"

    "What's a boyfriend?" I frowned.

    Jack raised an eyebrow. "You- never mind. Your friend. Jay?"

    I felt an immense amount of relief as we changed the topic. "Oh he's a Meðal-claw, or I guess you humans would call them healers."

    "Oh."

    We stood awkwardly in the same room for a while. I didn't like it. I would have preferred to be alone.

    "I think...I think I'm gonna make some coffee, or tea, you want any?" Jack asked.

    "Tea please. Then he have to get to business."

    "Okay." Was his short, curt, reply, before he turned to shuffle down the stairs.

I was absolutely relived. Being in Zach's room brought some good memories but talking with this man brought up a lot of bad ones.

I found Jay sitting on the cough, looking very lost, and very awake.

"I hate this place, and I'm hungry." He announced upon my arrival.

"I can make you kids some food." Jack offered. "You want eggs?"

"If it's edible I want it." Jay insisted, banging his shins on a low table. "Ow! What-? Who would leave this giant slab lying around?"

"It's a table silly." I offered, taking his hand and leading him around it until we got back to the kitchen.

Jack glanced up from what he was doing. "Oh sorry about that I completely forgot- wait here a second." 

He left whatever he was doing with the eggs on his weird black ledge, and came back a few seconds later with a small thin stick thing. It was white and red.

"Here, it was my grandfather's. He accidentally left it here before he moved across the country, which is amazingly irresponsible for a blind guy. He's passed away now, and I obviously have no use for it. So by all means take it." Jack offered, holding it out to Jay for a moment before I spared Jack of eminent embarrassment by handing it to Jay for him.

    "What is it?" Jay inquired, frowing as he felt it up.

    Jack facepawed...but with his hand. "Oh sorry about that again. It's a cane, blind humans use it to get around. You can extend it, if folds up, and it'll help you see what's in front of you."

    Jay looked like he had his doubts when he tugged on it and it started to grow. Then all of a sudden he was up from the table and hitting against everything in the house.

    "Usually Ice-claw senses are enough." He bragged. "But I guess since you humans have such a limited range of sense, it would sense for you to depend of inventions such as these."

    Zara.

    I stiffened, suddenly feeling chills. Zach! He was back, he didn't sound good.

    I'm still recovering. One of the item on the list is animal fur, particularly a cat's. Try that for today, black cat fur.

    "Do you know where we can get cat fur?" I asked, as Jack gave us two dishes of something white and squishy, it took me a moment to recognize the egg.

    It was salty but I liked it.

    "There's the pet shelter, Zach used to work there actually. I can take you." He offered.

    Thirty minutes later Jay and I were standing in front of a small but homey looking building. I pushed through the doors, these ones were weird and made out of glass. An old woman glanced up at the two of us as we walked in.

    "We're looking for some-"

    She held up a finger. "Don't say a word dearie, Andrew's in the back, he can help you."

    I wondered briefly how she knew what I wanted, but didn't question it. I turned to Jay, who's nose had crackled up sourly.

"I'm gonna stay out here, you be quick." He ordered, finding himself a chair to sit down in.

I patted his shoulder, then went through the door that I assumed was the 'back'. It swung open easily.

Then all of a sudden the memories hit me.

I had been back here before. In the very beginning. In one of theses cages. Our adventure had come full circle.

I was leaning down to look at some of the cats when I heard a startled and confused human grunting noise. I glanced up to see there was an older lankier looking boy who had just dropped a hairbrush in surprise. We stared at each other for a moment.

"Za- wait, who are you? What are you doing back here?" He questioned, blinking violently.

"Are you Andrew?" I asked, assuming, then leaned down to pick up his hairbrush.

It was full of fur. It smelled like cat fur.

"...yes." He frowned deeply as I started to pull the fur off the brush. "How do you...? Why...?"

He stiffened suddenly. "Forrest!"

"What?" A voice from the back shouted back, slightly muffled.

Andrew eyed me warily. "I don't know what's going on, but I know you probably caused it and I'm not enjoying this."

Another boy appeared, shorter than Andrew. His hair was weird. They stared at me for a moment and I decided whatever was going on, I didn't like it. Besides, I got what I came for.

"Here's your brush." I handed it back to Andrew.

"Thanks." He said slowly, so it was more like: thaaaaaaaaanks.

With a ball of cat fur in my hand, I backed out. They stared at me a little more. I figured it was probably because I looked like Zach, and they hadn't seen him in a while. Though as soon as I closed to door, there was some distorted screeching from the other side.

"You got it?" Jay asked, when I grabbed his hand with my fur-free one.

"Yep, let's go." Progress here we come.