Enter The Wolf
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E-mail:  SailorCharon@hotmail.com
Web:  http://www.fortunecity.com/underworld/derby/620/

Time for some disclaimers.
Sonic, Sally, Tails, Antoine, Bunny, Rotor, Snively, Robotnik and anybody else who I 
may have forgotten to mention is property of Archie Comics/Sega enterprises.  (Whew!  
one breath!)

Tasha, Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer, Professor Julian Twitch, and just about any other name 
that doesn't sound even remotely familiar is probably property of me, 
SailorCharon/Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer.  Actually, Niņa is myself, so...  Steal her and I'll 
come along and re-arrange something.  Probably your cupboards so you can't find anything.

The plotline is original, only the everything else isn't.  Farg...  Let me tell you that I run 
on a very different plotline than the one everyone else seems to run on.  In the mind of this
author, things have been going on for a good 3 years.  I think Robotnik's obvious upper hand
in ways technological and the Freedom Fighters' small numbers, 3 years is realistic.  If you
don't think so, you can just bite me.  (Snarrlz.)  I dare you...

Now for the warnings:
There is some profanity.  With Tasha especially (The potty-mouth...).  Be warned.  There is
some sex-type stuff, especially with Niņa.  There is also a "lack" of the blue hedgehog.  
HE'S THERE!  Just keep your mind and eyes open, and you'll see where his impact will lie!  
I just get tired of him in the spotlight.  Anyways, this is a story part mostly to introduce 
someone else.  He'll have more next part.  Trust me.  I know what I'm doing.

This is part one of the beginning of a trilogy about the character Niņa Wolfganng 
Geoffer.  It delves into Niņa's mind, of all the weird places to be, and every so often 
there's a quick transitional chapter where Niņa talks about something or another, normally 
relating to the upcoming chapter.

Breif translation notes:
	*The suffixes "-kun" and "-chan" are terms of endearment to just about 
anything.  Male and female respectively.
	*Okami means wolf.
	*Tengu means a little demon-bird thing.  It had the beak of a bird, glowing red 
eyes, the body of a snake, and the wings of a bat.  It likes to stir up trouble...
	*Chuffing is a quiet, snorting noise very similar to a short-cut animal sneeze. 
Animals use it to say: "Sorry I'm treading on your territory.  I'll get off as soon as I can."

At any rate, on with the story.

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	It was only chance that landed Tails in the forest that day.  It was only chance 
that he saw her.  Chance on his part, pure planning on hers.
	He looked at her, curiousity taking the better of him.  It's not every day one 
sees a splotchy brown wolf sitting in the shadows, back to you.  Something about her 
gave him the chills, and made him want to run.  Something about her kept him from 
running, perhaps frozen by fear.  Perhaps it was fascination.
	She spoke before he could.  Her voice was harsh, gravelly.  She sounded old, 
but a measure of youth remained.  "Hello, Kitsune-Kun."
	Tails nearly bolted.  He remained only because his curosity overwhelmed his 
fear.  "Who are you?"  he demanded.  He stood his ground as firmly as a 
twelve-year-old could.
	"Who I am is not of consequence.  What matters is the story I have to tell you. 
 Will you listen?"  He could have sworn he saw her twitch, but not enough to see more 
than her back.
	He looked at her carefully, attempting to make out any defining features.  Her 
lupine tail covered her right shoulder, and her hair was hidden in deep shadows.  He 
took a cautious step backwards and prepared to run.  "I'll listen."
	She nodded.  "I won't waste more time than I have to.  The tale is long, but not 
too long.  Sit down and you'll be that much more comfortable."  Tails didn't make a 
move.  "I figured it'd be that way.  I should have known.  I've been watching long 
enough.  Alright.  I'll just talk."
	She paused to take a breath.  When she spoke next, the gravel and spit was 
gone.  Only youth and delicacy remained.  "Twice upon a time a young fox lived.  Not 
much different from you.  Truth be told, the only difference between this Kitsune and you 
is gender.  This was a girl.
	"She had a great secret.  Nobody else knew whatever it was she knew.  A 
wolf, not too much unlike myself, wanted to know it.  He would stop at nothing to know 
this blackest secret.
	"He approached her upon it many times.  He wished to know her blackest 
secret.  She insisted each time that her secret was not black.  Since she knew, only one, 
it was still grey.  A deep grey, but grey.	"He insisted she prove it.  She accepted, and 
said as long as one person in the village didn't know, her secret was safe.  As long as it 
would never be truly white, she was safe.  Greyness was the only safety she could 
possibly have.  She would give him a week.
	"He spread the word quickly.  Within a week, the whole village knew.  He 
came back to her, and she still smiled.  He insisted to know why she smiled.  The whole 
village knew her secret!
	"In the distance, a baby cried.  She looked at him and told him to guess again. 
 He sulked away, defeated.  He never bothered her again."
	Tails tilted his head.  "I don't get it.  What're you talking about, lady?"
	She spoke again, with her voice once again roughened by age.  "I supposed 
you wouldn't.  Just remember it.  You will understand."
	Slowly, she stood.  Her right arm was metal, glimmering and shining.  So was 
her left leg.  Her right, fleshy foot was marginally larger than her metallic one.  A patch 
was riveted over where her right eye should have been.  Her hair was an eerie, 
seaweed green.  She was heavily scarred, and she was missing an ear.
	What was most terrifying, however, was her left eye.  It was a brilliant green, 
with a scar over it.  The pupil was slitted evilly, and a bloody red.  Tails would have run, 
but she moved quickly.  She lifted him off the ground with her impossibly strong right 
arm.  "I will take you home, Kitsune-kun.  There is nothing to worry about."
	He struggled momentarilly, and promptly discovered it was hopeless.  She 
carried him down the trail, murmuring quietly.  "Give up your brilliant rainbows, your 
black, your white.  I shall give you shades of grey and stories all the night."
	There was more, but Tails ignored the rest.  He fell asleep in her soft hair, and 
woke up at a sharp jolt.  "Tasha, what are you doing?"
	He opened his eyes to discover he was being cradled as one would cradle a 
baby.  A tiger in a black bodysuit stood before him.  The green-haired wolf seemed 
absolutely unintimidated before her, although she had wicked claws and was at least 
seven feet tall.  The tiger sneered, flicking her variegated hair.
	"What are you doing with that *runt*, Niņa?  Look at him!  Where did you find 
him?"  the tiger demanded.  The wolf rolled her eye.
	"Tasha, Tasha.  Dear, sweet, impatient Tasha.  Wait a moment.  This is Tails. 
 Better known among our numbers as Miles Prower."  Niņa said, patiently.  Her voice 
once again seemed young.
	"Niņa, I thought you promised not to take in any more reje-- MILES?  THIS 
LITTLE CREATURE IS MILES?!?  Oh, shoot!  Uhh....  sorry!  I didn't mean it!"  Niņa 
placed her flesh-and-bone hand over Tasha's mouth.  Tasha nodded and a muffled 
"Silencing" emerged from her.
	"I'm taking him home.  Will you come?"  Niņa motioned towards the path.  
Tasha nodded, and Tails didn't move.  He direly wished Tasha wouldn't notice him 
again.
	Niņa kissed his forehead, and he relaxed.  "Relax, young one.  No harm will 
come to you."  Tails nodded.
	"That tiger gives me the creeps."
	"You mean Tasha?  No, don't worry about her.  She's just trying to be tough.  
She's my second-in-command, and is trying to live up to it.  She doesn't want to seem 
weak in comparison."  Niņa smiled in a most disconcerting way.  Tails could see both of 
her oversized canines were  broken.  One had been replaced with silver.  The other was 
still a small gap in her muzzle.   She was still strangely comforting this way, if one 
excluded her metallic limbs and numerous scars.
	The tiger nodded, panicking, and dashed up a tree.  "I'll make sure nothing 
bad comes, 'kay Niņa?"  Niņa nodded, and Tails hugged her neck.
	"Why's she doing that?  Nobody ever comes out this far!"  Tails demanded.
	"Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean it doesn't exist.  The only 
reason you haven't seen them is us.  We keep them away, and we kill whatever isn't 
intimidated."  She smiled gently, but not gently enough to make Tails relax.
	"'Bots come out here?  Oh, man!  Sally's gonna freak!  How do just you two 
stop 'em, though?"
	"It's not just two..."  a voice erupted from a bush.  A scrawny little rabbit in a 
monstrous white labcoat leaped out.  He was beige, and his eyes were the most 
unnatural looking green.  He  vibrated where he stood.  "I help, too!  Although I don't 
help up close. I help behind the scenes.  I'm Professor Julian Twitch."
	Tails was nearly clueless.  He did recognize they were near Knothole, and if 
he could get away he could get home and warn everybody.  He just didn't know what to 
make of all these freaks and weirdos.
	He made a breif, useless struggle against Niņa's powerful arm, and promptly 
gave up.  Niņa gave a glare around, and stepped forward.  "You're overwhelming him.  
Let me get him home, and you can approach later.  Come, Tails.  You must be getting 
tired."
	Twitch seemed to disappear, and he heard nothing more from Tasha.  The rest 
of the trip to Knothole was uneventful.  Tails fell asleep again.

	Until he heard the alarms go off.  He sat up immediately.  Niņa swore loudly 
and bolted forward.  "Not now, not here!  For the sake of The Cause!  Not now!  Not 
here!"
	The village was up in moments.  Niņa put Tails down and put her hands up.  
"I'm unarmed!  Don't worry!  I just brought Tails home."  Tails dashed forward.  Niņa 
swore louder.  "I'm not going to hurt anybody.  I *can't* hurt anybody!  I swear!"
	Tails learned a few words from Niņa that day.
	Suddenly, she was surrounded by several people.  They each had a gun 
aimed at her head.  She rolled her eyes.  "Put down the guns.  It's pretty obvious she's 
not armed, guys."
	She looked up, cheered by the voice.  It had to be...  It was...
	The princess!  She had sworn to protect her.  Would she recognize the tattoo? 
 Perhaps, but probably not.  She hadn't seen the princess for years.  Sally _had_ been 
ten when she last saw her.	The princess had hardly changed since then.  She had 
gotten bigger, and she had developed since then, but had hardly changed.  "Princess 
Sally!  General Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer, at your service!"  Niņa dropped to her knee, 
saluting at her heart.
	Sally didn't know quite what to make of this all.  A weird wolf suddenly 
dropping in?  Acting this strange?  With Tails?  She had to check her out.  "Who are 
you?"
	Niņa slowly closed her eyes.  "I am Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer, General in King 
Acorn's army.  I am one of the surviving few."  She had introduced herself moments 
ago, but was not about to show any signs of impatience to her  She was the princess, 
after all.  She deserved whatever Niņa could give her.  "I am sworn to protect the 
crown," she motioned to the tattoo on her left side, not far under her breast, "and uphold 
the crown's law.  I'm sworn to defend you. I'm glad I've finally found you."
	Sally once again didn't know what to say.  "You know me?  How?"  Niņa 
almost rolled her eye once again.
	"I was your father's General.  I was knighted for my bravery, in combat and in 
peacetime.  I acted, as he said, above and beyond the line of duty.  I simply acted as I 
should.  I am sworn to uphold, defend, and aid the crown in any way possible."
	Sally's eyes narrowed.  "How do I know you can be trusted?"
	Niņa laughed loudly.  "That's the Sally I knew!  Your father would be proud of 
you, girl!  Very proud!  I shall prove myself to you in any way you deem necessary!"
	Sally shook her head slowly and suspiciously.  Tails ran to her side.
	"No, Sally!  She brought me home!  She kept this really big and mean tiger 
from ripping me to shreds and a really weird rabbit from getting too scary!"  Tails 
seemed eager enough to keep Niņa from getting injured.  His word would be enough for 
Sally.	"Tails has spoken on your behalf.  You stay.  For now."
	Niņa smiled, visibly relieved.  "I won't go back on his word, Princess.  I 
assure you, his word is far more reliable than mine.  Mine is years older than his."
	"Are you calling youth more reliable than age?"
	"No, not at all.  His word dates back to this afternoon.  My word will date back 
as far as twenty years ago.  My memory is faulty, and his is less so."
	Sally nodded, smiling.  "Very true, Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer.  Very true."
	Niņa smiled unsettlingly.  A cut cracked and bled on her face.  Sally 
supressed a shudder.  "Call me Niņa, Sally.  Just call me Niņa.  Do you mind if I invite 
over a couple friends?"
	Sally paused.  "Friends?"
	Niņa shrugged.  "My army, if you would be so callous.  Each one of them are 
my friends, although never many remain near me at a time.  It would be too easy to kill 
us all at once if we did that.  Most ofthem are spies right now, avoiding contact with us 
all.  Those that are with me rarely do any spy or recon missions.  They help me when I 
go on the fritz, or I decide to do an overt operation."
	Sally nodded.  It was a hard to decipher nod, but Niņa seemed to understand 
it.  She tilted her head upwards and howled like her ancestors would have.  It was eerie, 
and somehow uplifting.  Sally shivered half in delight, half in fear.	Out of the 
shadows stepped the tall and muscular Tasha.
	"You will not mind an escort of two, I suppose?"  Niņa asked, as Twitch came 
out of the shadows.  Sally was apparently too late to stop her.  She simply nodded her 
approval and Niņa walked into Knothole with her "escort service".
			*	*	*
	Sonic refused to belive any of the stories of the scarred lupine.  "Why did she 
wait this long to show herself?  Why did she even bother waiting?  If she had been 
watching us she would have known we needed help!"  He sat huffily.
	Sally sat, listening.  Unbeknownst to the occupants, the very subject of their 
conversation sat outside the door, listening to every word.  Niņa drank it in, unsure of 
her own fate.
	Rotor stood.  "I think we should give her a chance.  What if she is 
trustworthy?  What if she's been helping us without our knowing it?  What's wrong with 
a 'test run', y'know, give her a chance to betray us before 'passing judgement' so to 
speak."
	Niņa almost breathed a sigh of relief.
	As Rotor sat, so did someone else stand.  She couldn't tell by the tone of 
rustle who it was.  There was a few moments of silence before he or she spoke.
	It took her a moment to realize it was a man she was listening to.  He seemed 
French.  His accent was thick, although not too hard to understand.  She realized the 
source was one of the guards she had known back at the palace.  Antoine?
	"I remember Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer, alzough she looked noszang laihke 
zhat.  She had two beautiful blue ayez, and heair coat was an even brown.  She had 
beautiful red hair, and she was whole as I am.  Nobody could change zhat much in three 
years."  Antoine sat, quietly.  Niņa shifted uncomfortably.  She had better not  get 
comfortable with talk like that going on.
	War had taken away her old good looks.  Her face now was very different from 
her old one.  She had been attractive once, but war and fighting had taken away much of 
it.  Antoine was right to mistrust her.
	Then she heard a slight grinding sound as someone else stood.  A slight 
southern twang graced the next speech.
	Of course it was Bunnie.  "Ah thank we should find out more about huh.  She's 
not so bahd.  Let huh stay 'round a while."  With the same slight grinding she sat.
	No more speakers.  All that was left was to wait.  Sally would not make up her 
mind easily.  She didn't want to make a bad choice, and if they were allies one person 
could make the whole difference.  If they were enemies, they could be doomed.
	Tasha crept up behind Niņa, almost perfectly silently.  She gently whispered 
into Niņa's slightly ragged ear: "You're not supposed to be listening in to this 
conversation, are you?"
	Niņa almost jumped, but restrained herself nicely.  Tasha quietly chuckled to 
herself.  "Tasha, this is your fate, too.  If I go, you go.  They will recognize you,even if 
you do disguise yourself."  Tasha blushed quietly, attempting to avoid looking 
embarrased.  She failed miserably.
	"Leave, Niņa, before they catch you.  You'll find out later.  If they attempt your 
death, you know how to get away, don't you?"  Tasha whispered again.  Niņa nodded 
hesitantly and walked off with her.
	"I hope you're right this time, Tasha.  I don't want you to get into the habits of 
making wrong decisions.  someday you'll replace me, you know."  Niņa had a point 
there, but Tasha wouldn't listen.
	"I won't have to replace you until long after we've won.  Trust me.  I plan on 
you living."  Tasha's mildly mismatched eyes stared deeply into Niņa's single eye.  
The patch riveted where her right eye should be glared at her ominously.  Tasha turned, 
slowly, and Niņa followed not too far behind.  "I hope we remain."
	Twitch observed, unseen, from a distance.  He remained as still as possible, 
hoping to not draw attention to himself.  His warm, green eyes were cold and hard as 
steel.  He was hardly recognizable at all.  He noticed how terrified Niņa was, and 
chortled to himself as he quietly bet to himself that she couldn't make it another hour 
without spying on the meeting.  If the meeting lasted that long.  Judging Sally's good 
judgement skills, it would last no longer than five minutes.
				*	*	*
	He was right.  It was another two minutes before the commitee walked out.  
His ears pricked up at the sight of Bunnie.  It had been a while since he had last seen 
another rabbit.  Many of them looked grim, and not a single one of them looked even 
remotely at ease.  His eyes softened into a gentle green glow.  He knew how to react to 
people.  He had done so for twenty years.
	"Hello.  May I be the honoured first to hear your decision on me and my 
friends?"  He made sure that the green was firmly in place before he talked.  He hated it 
when the white got out while he was near people.
	"No.  I will announce my decision before the three of you.  Where are Tasha 
and Niņa?"  Sally made sure her statement had sunken in well.  She did not want to 
have any sort of misunderstanding at all.
	"Just a moment.  I'll retrieve them, I know where they'll be."  He bounced off 
as cheerfully as could be.  He didn't want to leave them waiting.	He had a very 
good idea what the final verdict would be.  He had to bring Niņa and Tasha to hear it.  
How happy they would be!  They had a chance.  One chance, and if he knew Niņa, she 
would make that chance count for something monstrous.  Things always worked out that 
way.  Always.
	He almost dragged Tasha back.  Tasha didn't want to move, but Niņa was 
more than thrilled to be hearing something.  She was already getting bored, and 
Tasha's conversation skills left much to be desired.  Not to be insulting or anything, but 
Tasha did not know how to talk pleasantly.  If there was nothing to talk about, Tasha 
would not talk at all, wheras Niņa liked to idle the time away with chatter about 
something or another.
	Needless to say Niņa was far more relieved than Tasha.  Tasha would have 
been just as happy to sit alone if it weren't that it was her fate she was going to be 
listening to.
	Tasha would have sworn if she were less ladylike.
	Niņa was unnerved when she saw the solemn procession.  She leaned 
towards Twitch and mumbled quietly without moving her mouth much:  "I have a very, 
very bad feeling about this..."
	Twitch simply grinned personably in response.
	"No need to worry, Fair Niņa.  Everything is under control."
	"Did you speak to them, Twitch?  Goddess.  If you did we're done for!"
	Twitch simply "hrummphed" cheerfully in response.  This banter was one that 
had repeated a million times and would probably repeat a million times again.  
"Perhaps they caught a look at your face, Fair Niņa.  That would have made them kick 
us out almost immediately!  Perhaps after they ask us to stay you can take off that 
beautiful mask and get us thrown out in a moment!"
	"Perhaps, Twitch, you can get my foot broken off in your ass!"
	"Point taken.  You are definitely bigger and meaner than a simple rabbit could 
ever be.  I bow to your superior strength and that rocket-powered arm I'm about to 
install..."
	Niņa snickered.  "Acme:  We put rockets...  On everything.  One Acme 
Rocket-Powered Arm, custom-made for Niņa W. Geoffer..."  Even during serious times
she could hardly resist a good joke.  Twitch sniggered quietly with her as they walked
down what could be no worse than death row.
	They finally stood before the Council.  Tasha was very uncomfortable.  She 
hated being before people.  She was always worried they would ask what was beneath 
that black bodysuit of hers.  She hoped that nothing of the sort would happen ever.
	Niņa kneeled before Sally, bowing her head so low that she couldn't even see 
the feet before her.  "I humbly await your judgement, Princess."
	Sally was a tad unnerved by the display before her.  Still, she spoke.  "A 
decision has been reached.  We have decided to let you stay until further notice.  The 
moment, however, we see anything from you even remotely suspicious..."
	A simple nod and a blood-red tear was all it took to convey her gratitude.
	Antoine looked unnerved, almost fearful at the small emotional display Niņa 
had just put on.  "'Ow is it zat you cry blood, madame?"
	Niņa sniffled and wiped her eye on her arm.  "Oh, that...  I got a severe eye 
injury when I was very young.  Ever since then, my tear ducts have been messed up.  I 
was probably about five then.  Oh, it was so long ago."
	Antoine's eyes almost softened, almost trusted her, but he hardened again.  
He would not be taken in by a fact that almost anybody could have known.  The old 
Capatin Geoffer was a relatively stoic woman.  There was no way this hideously scarred
and deformed okami was the old captain of the guard!  Although there were some small
resemblances, this woman was wrong to play the part.
	The rest of the day passed with no event.  Tasha lingered near Rotor, learning 
all she could.  Twitch enjoyed Bunnie's company.
			*	*	*
	Y'know, being this way is tough on a person.  Children scream at my visage, 
asking their mommies what that monster is.  When I cry it only confirms their fears.  
Only the one I've fallen in love with hasn't seen my face.  He knows I exist, though.  He 
knows I exist because I've caused so much damage in his godforsaken life.  If anything, 
I've been just as much a reason of misery as has his misbegotten uncle.  I want to help 
him escape his pain.  Show him the "Power of Love" as it were.
	Niņa, you have to tell yourself:  Love doesn't exist.  Not on the level you're 
thinking at least.
    There is no way you could get into a mutual relationship with the enemy.  Even if he
is brilliant and abused, there is no way you could get him to turn to your side.  Just
shut up and put such images out of your head.  We offer nothing better than his torturous
uncle does.
	Except freedom.  And love.  And caring.  And hope.  And...  Stop kidding 
yourself, Niņa.  Not even your caring mother could love that face anymore.  She would 
point and scream and ask what the hell has happened to her lovely Niņa...  Her lovely 
baby girl...  The sixth out of six, born fifteen years after she thought she was done 
giving birth.
	Niņa, you're twenty.  He's seventeen.  It could never work.  He may not look it 
anymore, he may not act it, but he is.  He's matured by force.  So have you, Niņa.
	You're more beautiful than you realize, you know.  Maybe he could see that.  
Maybe he could understand.  Perhaps this face is going to be the test for him, to see if 
he's really worth your trouble.  Maybe this face holds beauty to the right person so you 
won't have to be in such terrible misery, all alone.
	Yeah, right.  Maybe I can convince myself of that someday.  Maybe I could 
convince him.  Maybe someday he'll look at you and say:  "Wow.  How did I ever miss 
such a wonderful Okami?  How could I have missed the friendliness in that eye she has 
left.  It's almost overpowered by that patch riveted on, but it still exists, even in small 
amounts."  Although I still can't get myself to believe that.  How can someone else 
believe it before I do?
	I suppose I'm just weird.  Time for the nightly "stroll".  Perhaps tonight he'll 
notice me, even if it does mean my death.  Would letting him know how I feel mean I 
would have to die?  By one hand or another, I would be killed.  His, his uncle's, or 
maybe even my Princess's.  If he knew there were spies about, she may kill me to keep 
me from telling more.  I may even take my own life if someone were to know.
	Perhaps that isn't such a bad idea.
			*	*	*
	Niņa leapt over the barbed wire fence.  How good it would feel to get the dull 
indigo bodysuit off.  Blue and purple never really were her colours, and the bodysuit 
made her fur crunch in such uncomfortable ways.
	She ducked into the old, forgotten, air conditioning centre.  She liked to think 
of it as her own little hideaway.  It was so close to the only one she ever felt she may 
have loved, besides her family and her king, each for very different reasons than this.	
She peeled off the now slightly smudged bodysuit, hardly holding back a sigh of relief.  
**He's right down the hallway, Niņa.  You can't afford to let him hear you.  Don't breathe 
a sound.  A syllable.  Even a metallic grind is unacceptable.**  She thought as quietly 
as she could.
	She leapt into the long unused air duct.  It was surprising how quickly this 
thing had been built and forgotten.  It was starting to rust out already, probably from the 
acid in the air that made her eye brim red with blood.
	One hundred yards...  Seventy five...  Fifty...  Only twenty-five more before the 
only lit grate in this whole damn building.  She sniffed at the air, an odd mix of acids, 
metal, alcohol and a sweet perfume.  She looked down, hardly aware at all that there 
was almost thirty feet between herself and the floor.
	Right below her sat a young man, with a surprising lack of hair.  He had a long 
nose, and was rather thin and malnourished.  She sighed internally watching this pale 
genius at work.  After a bit, he looked up to the ceiling with his blue eyes, swatting at 
something Niņa couldn't see.  "Oy hate those damn bugs..."
	Niņa almost spoke aloud, wanting to ask him if he needed an exterminator.  
Instead she bit her tongue with her silver fang and continued watching.  **Snively.  
Enid...**  She had to hold her breath to avoid sighing at the sight of him.  She looked at 
the watch built into the back of her metallic hand.  **Almost midnight.  I'm earlier than 
usual.  Wonder what he's working on tonight?  Anything I can steal?**  She mentally 
slapped her own wrist, but ignored it.  If she had to steal from the one she loved, then 
so be it.
	She breifly reminded herself that he was the enemy and continued watching a 
genius at work.  "Oy hate bugs, Oy hate my uncle, and Oy hate spies.  Come down from 
theah, oah things may get a tad...  uhgly..."
	Niņa took a deep, silent breath, realizing suddenly that her metallic arm had 
made a breif sound against her eyepatch as she had put her head in her hand.  She 
almost swore, but had hoped that with some silence on her part he would give it up as a 
figment of his own imagination.
	"Oy've been heah for three yeahs.  I know moy imagination from reality.  
Come down, befoah Oy set off the alahms."
	Niņa couldn't supress her frustration and minor exhaustion any longer.  
"Damn.  You caught me.  Good job.  Now, if you'll give me a moment, I'll take my arm 
off so I can fit down there through this puny little grate.  If I'm in a good mood, I'll wreck 
your lab so it looks like a struggle took place."  She didn't include the second part which 
told someone that if she was in a bad mood she would wreck them so it looked like a 
rather one-sided struggle took place.
	With a couple quick snaps Niņa's right arm came off, and she jumped down 
with it in hand, hardly making a sound.  She snapped her arm back where it belonged 
and looked Snively in the eye.  She was considerably taller than him, but not 
unreasonably so.  She was probably about half a head taller than him, if quite that 
much.
	He looked her up and down.  He looked calm, totally unaffected.  He seemed 
to be unafraid.  "Captain Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer, is it?  Charmed, I'm shuah."  Niņa 
was surprised.
	"You knew my name!  My rank!  You even knew how to listen for me!"  She 
tried not to look shocked beyond belief, but failed miserably.  "How the hell did you 
manage those?"
	Snively smiled.  "Oy have moy ways.  Always know the enemy bettah than 
they know themselves, Oy say."  Niņa almost melted.  She resisted the urge to place 
her wrists before herself and offer to let him take her away.  He had a smile that she 
could hardly resist.
	"Yes, I know what you mean, because I attempt to live by that rule too, Enid 
Cameron."  Snively spun to face her.  He didn't know what to say to something like that. 
 He remained silent, as he had become accustomed to doing.  Niņa didn't smile, didn't 
frown.  She simply looked him deep in the eye.
	He choked back a scream of terror as he looked at her metal patch.  "'Ow the 
'ell did you get that?"  He pointed, his face mildly frightened.
	Niņa touched it with her metal hand, a slight sound was all that it made.  "A...  
bot shot my eye out.  I let my guard down for a moment, and paid for it."  she partly lied. 
 **Don't tell him how you feel.  Don't let him know he can be a weakness rather than a 
strength.**  "I got a little distracted in mid-battle.  Someone screamed."  She mentally 
added to herself that it was his eyes that screamed to her for help.
	He looked at her numerous scars under her fur.  The one that overlapped her 
left eye was unreasonably terrifying.  He noticed the touch of love, life, and friendliness 
that remained.  He smiled internally, wondering if he had finally found someone to talk 
to.  Regarding his luck, he doubted it.  She seemed like she was probably a Freedom 
Fighter.  None of them would regard him as friendly, no matter what.
	"Now you are looking one of the nastiest wolves you'll ever meet in the 
nose."  Niņa snarled cruelly, snapping her arm back on.  "I kept fighting even with the 
loss of an arm, a leg, and an eye.  Each seperate time I became stronger, and now I am 
powerful beyond Robotnik's wildest dreams.  What now?"
	Snively didn't even flinch.  "Oy understand that."  He looked her straight into 
the eye.  "If Oy triggahed the alahm, right now, would yew kill me?"
	Niņa thought that was a strange query, and didn't know quite how to respond.  
"Why do you ask?"  She realized a moment too late that the answer was very obvious.  
He simply wanted no part of what he was doing anymore.  She covered his mouth 
before he could answer.  "Never mind.  I know the answer.  I know why you want to die.  
I've been watching for a long time by now.  I should know you better than that."
	Snively smiled in a rather vicious manner.  "Oy figured."  He leaned upon his 
desk, pressing a button that Niņa couldn't see or hear.  Niņa didn't suspect anything.  
They chatted for a while, every so often Niņa punched a hole in a desk or a wall.  They 
mostly talked small talk, not wanting to provoke the other into action.  Neither was eager 
to die.
	Suddenly Niņa's hackles rose and she growled at the door.  She almost 
leaped to the ceiling, but her lack of depth perception made the thirty-foot jump rather 
impossible on such short notice.
	She was a bit late for caution anyways.  A horde of robots burst through the 
door.  She looked rather unaffected, which Snively didn't expect.  She put up her arms to 
surrender.  She looked Snively in the eye with a soul-piercing glare.  "Good job.  You 
have me right where you want me, don't you?"
	A robot took her arms right behind her back.  She smiled at Snively sadly.  He 
knew immediately that she had something up her sleeve.
	Or, as he rapidly discovered, her lack of sleeve.  Her metallic arm slipped off, 
and her fleshy hand was slim enough to slip out of even the tightest bonds.  She darted 
away from the SWATbots and out his now broken door.  He laughed with sheer 
pleasure, amused beyond words that someone could make a fool out of his uncle's 
robots in such a foolishly simple manner.  As the robots sped out the door, he lifted her 
arm and placed it somewhere only he knew where to find it.
	She would return for it...  eventually.  He would be happy to have her 
company.  She was a rather pleasant conversationalist, even if she were the so-called 
enemy.  He was still unsure which side he was on.  Would he side with the underdog, or 
would he side with he who had never given him even the smallest courtesy?  At least 
Niņa had talked with him, and shared stories.  He did have safety under Robotnik's 
thumb.  Perhaps she would give him something more if she came back.

	As expected, she returned.  She was on her hand and feet, running much like 
a real wolf from back home would.  He hadn't realized until then how close her arms and 
legs were in length.  She darted forward and his doors closed shut in the faces of the 
robots hot on her trail.  Her only escape, the hole in the ceiling to the air duct, was 
closed.  Niņa's hackles rose.  She did not like it.
	"You have some sort of plan, don't you?"  She snarled inwardly, not wanting 
to incense him into any sort of rash action.
	He gave her the grin she couldn't resist.  She would have melted in his hands 
were she not so nervous.  "Oy have your arm."
	She almost rolled her eye as she stood back up.  "I realize that."  She smiled 
at him, almost winningly.  "You can cut the accent.  It may make you sound like a dumb 
lackey, but I know better."
	He grinned at her again.  Her silver fang looked awfully dangerous there, but 
he knew that she wouldn't kill her only way out.  "Very astute."  He said.  His voice was 
slightly deeper than everybody thought it was.  "Ivo seems to think I haven't hit puberty 
yet."
	She went back to all four legs and started pacing around him.  Her hackles 
were up, and he seemed more nervous than he had the right to be.  She let her lip curl 
just enough to show the silver fang.  "My arm.  Now."
	He didn't want to argue.  He was beginning to think that she could rip the wall 
with just one hand.  He didn't want to be the only witness...  and the only casualty.He 
pulled her arm out of its hiding place.  He handed it back to her, and she snapped it on.  
She jumped high into the air and clung to the ceiling with her metallic arm.  Using her 
normal arm she punched into the ceiling.  She hung on with her normal arm then and 
used her metallic arm to create a hole just big enough for herself to climb through.
	She was gone before he could blink again.

			*	*	*

	There's something about going home.  The feeling is so indescribable, so 
intense, I can hardly define it.  There's a sense of accomplishment, a sense of 
disappointment.  A sense of loneliness and a sense of companionship.
  	I'm glad I'm not bitter or it would be much sadder for me.  There are worse 
things to have than metal prosthetics.  I'd like to be able to feel out of them, but 
unfortunately nobody's figured out how to do that yet.  It's still nice to have them.  One 
can be stronger than previously imagined with these bastards, but they also break off 
very easily.
	Makes me wish I was a stronger person inside.  I would have a much easier 
time of my life if I were.
	And if only I were more stealthy and Twitch weren't the one on night duty 
again...  I could have gotten away with it, too.  Nobody had to know.

			*	*	*

	"H-h-halt!  Who goes there!"  Niņa was suddenly acutely aware of the gun 
pointed straight into her eye.  Twitch had an incredible aim.
	"Chill, Twitch.  It's me."  Niņa chuffed.  The gun lowered and a short, beige 
rabbit suddenly appeared right in front of her.  She wished that for once Twitch would 
slow down, just a smidge...
	"What the hell were you doing out at this time of night?  Were you?... -- what 
am I thinking... you were.  You promised you wouldn't go late-night spying on your own! 
What the hell were you thinking?  You could have been killed!"
	"But I wasn't."  Niņa had a point.  Twitch wasn't about to stand for it.
	"You could have been killed.  You could have been seriously injured.  You 
could have been *spotted* for grife's sake Niņa don't you ever think!?!?"  He looked her 
in the eye.  "Of course you don't."
	Niņa kept her aching hand well hidden.  The little shreds of metal she got 
caught in it were starting to hurt, and she wanted to wrap it up before anybody noticed.  
Anyways, she thought she may have broken something.
	Twitch grabbed her metal arm and dragged her in.  "You never think about the 
consequences, do you?  You just think, and act."
	Niņa wasn't about to argue with him.  She wanted to get her metal arm off and 
wrap up her fleshy one.  Unfortuntately, she couldn't wrap up the fleshy one if she used 
her arm as an escape mechanism right now.
	She was right for wanting to use her arm as an escape mechanism, however.  
She was all but dragged before Sally to tell her what was going on.  Twitch shared 
Niņa's near-death incident from that night with her.
	"What were you doing, Niņa?  Are you insane?"  Sally demanded loudly.
	"I was...   uhhh...  doing some late-night spying?"  Niņa couldn't pull off the 
innocent act very well.  It was obvious she was hiding something.
	"Late-night spying."  Sally nodded.  Niņa opened a a compartment in her leg 
and pulled out a couple disks handing them to Sally.  "What's in these?"
	"Some information.  Blueprints, the plans for the next upgrade in security 
alarms.  They've almost got all the bugs worked out."  Niņa said casually.  Her attempt 
to change the subject of conversation was a flying flop.
	Sally glared at Niņa.  "You're not getting away with it that easy.  What 
happened to your hand?"  Sally pointed at the blood dripping from where she kept her 
hand tucked.
	"Ohhh...  that.  Uhh...  I tripped and fell on a rock?"
	Sally pulled out her hand.  "A metallic one?"  She looked at Niņa doubtfully.
	"There was a tin can nearby.  It got a bit ripped up and some got stuck in my 
hand.  I'm going to clean it out and wrap it up..."  Niņa was a terrible liar.  Sally wasn't 
convinced for a moment.
	"A *galvanized steel* tin can.  I'm sure, Niņa.  Go get Dr. Quack to wrap that 
up.  What were you doing, punching through walls?"
	"Uhh...  well...  you see..."  Niņa blushed under her fur.  Sally looked at her 
with an exhausted expression.  "A 'bot had grabbed my metal arm and I had to get 
some more space before I could get it back..."  Partly true.
	"And you punched through a wall."
	"I think I may have broken something..."  Niņa was meek for the first time 
Twitch had ever seen.  Her tail tucked between her legs and she lowered her eyes.  A 
small whimper emitted from her throat.
	Sally glared at her.  "Go get Dr. Quack to take care of that hand.  Twitch, you 
make sure she goes."
	Sally slumped onto her chair after they left.  Never had anybody she had 
known done something so stupid...
	"Need someone to keep an eye on Niņa?"  Tasha emerged from the shadows 
she had been hiding in.
	Sally jumped a bit.  "Yes, but I'm not sure who.  Especially if it's late at night. 
 Everybody here needs their sleep!"  She shook her head with the look most migrane 
sufferers get when someone yells.  "I don't know what to think, say, or do..."
	Tasha crouched low to the floor.  "I could watch her.  I could only do it every 
other night because otherwise I'd start hallucinating, but I could do it."
	"I couldn't ask you to do that, Tasha."  The squirrel princess sat gently.  "Got 
any Aspirin?  I could use some right about now..."
	Tasha pulled a bottle out of a well-hidden pocket in her bodysuit.  "Never 
leave home without it.  I'm offering, Sally.  If I could go every other night, then there 
would be no problems.  We'd know what Niņa's up to, and why she really got little bits 
of galvanized steel into her hand."
	"How much sleep does she need?"
	"Not sure, but recent guesses among our numbers guess around 5 to 6 hours 
a week.  None of us have ever seen her sleep."  Tasha arched her back a bit to stretch 
it.  It popped in a couple places, creating a sound similar to bones breaking.  Sally 
flinched at it, until she realized what it was.
	"You know, that's not really good for your back..."
	"Sally, silly squirrel.  I'm a tiger.  It's good for my back because otherwise it 
gets stiff."  Tasha smiled cutely.  Her blue eyes twinkled mischeviously for a moment, 
before her mind went back to the subject at hand.  "Now about someone watching Niņa.  
I could do it.  If we worked on it, we could train someone else to do it nights I can't."
	Unknown to Sally or Tasha, a perfectly silent and still Twitch sat in the 
window, listening to every word they said.  He almost snickered aloud at Tasha's 
comment about training someone.  If only they knew...
	Sally nodded.  "Get a good night's sleep last night?"  Tasha nodded in 
response.  "Good.  Be prepared to follow her tonight...  *IF* she goes out.  I'll want you 
to tell me as much as you can about what happens."
	Tasha nodded.  "I don't know what it is with Niņa.  She chooses all the stupid 
ways to do things and always comes out on top...  With nary a nick or scratch."  She 
shook her head.  "I think she's relying on luck she doesn't have this time."
	Sally nodded in agreement.  "I know.  I hope she's not doing anything we'll 
regret."
	Tasha nodded.  "Me too.  I count on her living."  She gave Sally a meaningful
nod and jumped out through the window, now devoid of the listening Twitch.
			*	*	*
				Tasha Watches

	Scents in the air.  Wolf mixed with metal and oil.  A faint smell of blood.  Niņa 
is finally up and moving.  She is heading towards Robotropolis.  I'm not surprised, after 
all it is what I'm supposed to be following her to.  Niņa's so predictable now.  I
wonder why?
	I'm not going to follow her on the ground.  Too many dry leaves, twigs, and 
other noisy things.  Worst of all is roots I could trip on.
	I'm glad I got the hood and nail polish.  Right now the only thing about me 
that's not black is my eyes.  I'm still working on that one.  It's a full moon, and if she 
were to look up and see even the smallest smidge of orange or yellow in the trees 
she'd suspect it was me.  Blue's not quite that suspicious, however.  Especially since
it's the sky.
	Jumping from branch to branch silently is harder than walking on a three-inch 
pile of dry leaves silently.  It's possible, but hardly.  Jumping from branch to branch, 
however, insures my invisibility and a bit more ease for quick movement.
	I'm glad we finally showed up in Knothole.  If I had followed in our previous 
encampment, Niņa would have noticed.  I've been wondering for a while now what she 
does.  I'm also glad we got to Knothole because I finally got a chance to meet Rotor!  
He's so nice!  He's sweet, and soft, and smar--Whoah!  Watch it Tasha!  Keep mind on 
following, not on guys.  Almost missed that branch.  That would have been unpleasant.
	Even if it is hard.
	She's stopped, sniffing the air.  She can't smell me, yet.  We're almost to the 
meadow.  It's going to be tougher to follow her across that invisibly.  No cover.  Maybe 
if I...
	She's going around the meadow.  I wonder why?  I'll catch up with her.  I know 
where she's going.  I can sniff around the meadow for a moment first.
	Smell of oil.  Metal.  Electricity.  Removing the sense of sight, I can smell...  
paint.  Dry paint.  Can't make out by scent what colours, but I can guess.  Probably 
camo. greens and matte black for nighttime 'bots.  Infared sensors?  Probably.  I smell 
gunpowder, too.  Something that smells different, but I'm not about to guess.  Sally'll 
want to know this one.
	I have to catch up with her.  She can move surprisingly fast for someone 
without super speed.  I have to keep my mind on following her or I'm going to lose her.  
Badly.  If I lose her, Sally'll be pissed, won't she?
	Fuck!  It's a bare spot!  No trees!  A mini-meadow.  I can either climb up higher 
and attempt the jump or actually hit ground.  And it's rocky, too.  Makes me wish I had 
worn those hard-soled shoes I refused to wear because they might make noise on metal.  I 
hear Niņa's leg tapping on rocks, but she has a hard time covering that up, doesn't 
she?  I'll climb down and risk the visibility.  Damn the Great White Bitch.  Flip off the 
moon quickly and walk across the rocks.  Shouldn't be too hard.
	Why did I say that?  They sharpened themselves just for me, now.  Niņa must 
have a foot like really fuckin' tough shoe leather to fuckin' walk across these fuckin' 
rocks!  Damn...  Now I really have to be careful not to bleed all over everything.
Someday they should make black bandages for spies like me.  I'll talk to Twitch about 
that.
	Only 5 more kilometers to go.  That's...  about 10 miles?  Damn.  I wish I 
hadn't volunteered so readily.  Chances are she'll smell my blood before we get
there.  I'm bleeding pretty well, now.

	We're there, and the bleeding's stopped.  God, it's terrifying.  Fuck, I hope she
doesn't set off any alarms...  That would be so, incredibly, amazingly, gigantaciously
sucky.  Then again, I'm probably the one most likely to set them off.  She's used to
being here.
	She's pausing to sniff the air.  That would be bad if she sniffed me out.  She 
ducks into a building.  I follow carefully.  Once she's inside she pulls off that indigo 
bodysuit Twitch made especially to fit her arm and leg.  It's an air conditioning 
machine-thingie.  I have to be really careful, now, because even the slightest tink will 
set her off.  Even if she only has one ear she can still hear better than most wolves.  I 
think she's trained herself to be that way.  Same with smell and, to an extent, sight.  
Only thing I know is that if I stay really well hidden she can't see me.  Good enough for 
me.
	She's in an air shaft.  That should be easy enough.  I'll sneak across on the 
ceiling.  I'll follow her, and just hope she doesn't turn back.  I'll be far enough away to 
notice and crawl a good distance ahead of her.
	Damn, that's one rusty air shaft.  It may not support my weight on the ceiling.  
Looks like I have to retract the claws and crawl it.  I'll be almost unarmed.
	Damn, it's what I was trained for!  Unarmed combat is my specialty!  I'm 
ready, I'm hyped.  I'm invincible.
	Fuck, I'm terrified.  I wonder where she's going.  I'm ready, I'm hyped, I'm not 
quite invincible, aaand I'm curious...
	Fuck, and I'm a cat.
	Oh, well...  here goes nothin'...
			*	*	*
	Niņa snapped off her arm and jumped down into Snively's semi-secret lab.  After 
landing silently, she snapped it back in.  Both snaps should have alerted him an 
intruder was there, but he seemed completely unaffected.
	"I see you're here..."  he muttered in his unaccented voice.  "I suppose I 
should be happy?"
	Niņa grinned.  "You should be happy because this time I decided I'm not 
gonna kill ya!"  She examined her painted claws carefully.
	Snively smiled ironically.  "And I should be happy for that because?"  He 
wasn't convinced that living was a good thing quite yet.
	Niņa smiled again, this time she seemed much more gentle for it.  "Turn 
around."  She managed to keep the smile up without cracking the fresh cut at the corner 
of her mouth.
	Snively rolled his eyes and did so.  What he saw was a fully-armed assault 
on his sense of sight.  The usually hideously scarred lupine was decked out in a black 
lipstick and wonderful blue and grey eyeshadow.  Her eye was lined thickly with black 
eyeliner, and her waist-length green hair gleamed just a bit.  He choked back the 
half-gurgle-half-wolf-whistle in his throat and gawked.  She was lovely this way.
	She walked forward and wrapped him in a warm embrace.  He choked again, 
and hugged her back.  He wasn't quite sure what else to do.
	She kissed his forehead gently, and then stealthily used the fur on her face to 
wipe off the mark in a snuggle.  "I'd be honoured to call you a good friend, if you'd allow 
me the courtesy.  I've watched you long enough and I think we have a lot in common."
	He looked into her evilly slitted eye.  She looked friendly, and her smile was
definitely a nice one.  He nodded in agreement, and they spent the next while catching
up with each other on years they had never known about the other for.
			*	*	*
	Sally sat, shocked at what she had just heard.  "She said *what*?  And they 
did *what?*  What the hell was she thinking?"
	Tasha shrugged.  "I have no clue?"
	Sally frowned.  "Not good enough.  You willing to keep following her?"
	Tasha nodded.  "Just not tonight.  I need my beauty rest, ya' know..."
	Sally frowned a little harsher.  "This isn't good.  Definitely not good.  Know 
anybody else who spies?"
	Tasha supressed a yawn.  "No, not really.  Sonic could, from what I've seen, 
but he needs more sleep than I do.  I'm trained for dealing with sleep deprivaton."  
Tasha thought to herself that she had to get herself back up to snuff.  She was getting 
soft, and there was no excuse for that.  Well, almost no excuse.
	Sally nodded in agreement.  "Sonic could, if it weren't nighttime.  Rotor could, 
but he couldn't fit in the air shaft.  I'd send Antoine, but--"  Sally's comment was cut 
short by a high-pitched wail from outside.
	"Madame Geoffer!  You are not my Commandair!"  Antoine was getting uppity 
outside.  From the volume of the shreiks it sounded as if he might be right outside the 
window.
	He was a good three blocks away, with a very irate and very pushy Niņa on his case.
Her resounding shout was heard as well as Antoine's was.  "I was your superior in the
palace!  I am your superior here!  I have more training under my belt now than you do!
I am going to whip you back into the shape I had you in back at the palace!  Now 
MOVE-MOVE-MOVE!"
	Another ear-peircing shreik and the bellowing moved further away.  Tasha 
pried herself off the ceiling and sat on the floor in front of Sally again.
	"I hate it when she argues like that."  Tasha sighed.  She rolled her crystalline 
eyes before casting them towards the ground.
	"I don't know.  If she can give Antoine a backbone, I think I could get used to 
it!"  Sally smiled impishly.  A little playfulness never hurt anyone, especially not in 
such serious times.  "Back to buisness.  What happened after she went back into the 
shaft?"
	"She waved goodbye to him and crawled out.  I smelled someone strange 
when we got back to the air conditioning room-chamber-thingie, but the scent was sorta 
old.  I shrugged it off as someone who passed through a week or so ago."  Tasha 
shrugged nonchalontly.  "Then she beat up that meadow full of 'bots I told you about.  
Pretty fireworks.  I wish you could have seen them."
	Sally nodded.  "I'm...  quite sure I would have loved them.  Well, at least we 
know she's not some double-agent.  I'm quite sick of them."  Tasha nodded silently in 
response.  "You're sure she didn't spot you?"  Sally wasn't quite sure why she was 
trusting this tigress yet, but she had the strangest feeling about her.  The only one of 
Niņa's crew that she didn't trust yet was Niņa herself.
	Once again Tasha nodded.  "Perfectly sure.  Only problem is that I don't kow 
whether or not she suspects I followed her.  Normally I hang with Rotor you know..."
	Sally nodded.  "From now on the updates you give me will be written.  Tell 
me, do you write often?"
	Tasha grinned and nodded rapidly.  "I fancy myself a fiction author, but I don't 
show it to many people.  My stuff fuckin' sucks."
	Sally grinned.  "You can hand it to me under the pretense you're handing me 
a manuscript.  It'll work great."
	Tasha nodded.  "Right.  So, next report in two days.  I'm going to hit the gym.  
Pumping some iron sounds like a good idea right now..."
	Sally nodded, too.  "I think I'll join you.  Work out some of this stress."
	The two young women walked to the gym together, chatting about this and 
that.  Niņa was mildly suspicous when she saw Tasha chatting, but quickly shrugged it 
off as Tasha having a lapse in her bitchiness.
			*	*	*
	Once again a conversation with Snively went without event.  Snively enjoyed 
her company, as he had before, and she left without tripping any alarms.  As she 
reached the end of the air duct, however, she smelled something strange.  Something 
more sulphuric than she was used to.  Something very male, too.  With a quiet click and 
high-pitched whine the small laser in her forefinger was activated.  She was prepared
to use it offensively for the first time.
	She crawled out, bracing herself for anybody.  She looked around and saw 
nothing.  She still smelled the maleness in the air, mingled with sulphur and a very 
vulpine musk.  She smelled fire and leather, and her ear picked up the gentle creak of a 
stiff back.  There was a rustling sound she didn't recognize, and so she was even more 
on her guard.
	She closed her eye in an attempt to locate where the other was by smell, 
when suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder followed by a strange stretching 
sensation.  Her eye flew open and she span around.  She aimed her hand at the eyes of 
the black vulpine who had been behind her.
	"Who are you?"  she demanded immediately.  He grinned, and a set of pitch 
black wings opened with a dramatic rustle.
	"I am Shadow Tendrils.  I know, the name isn't the greatest in the world, but it 
does suit the purpose of a name well.  You are Niņa Wolfganng Geoffer, and you will be 
in my service."
	Niņa discharged the blinding lazer beam into the ember-red eyes before her 
and ran out the door like a bat out of hell.
	At least that's what she had intended to do.  Instead he made a pushing 
motion with one hand and she flew backwards just as the lazer discharged harmlessly 
at the ceiling.  She skidded a few feet across the ground on her back and lay there 
pained.
	It took her only a split second to realize that she felt no pain in her back from 
the fall.  It was in the back area, but not the back itself.  It was a broader area, more 
tough yet more touch sensitive.  She diecided not to react to it.  There was a bigger 
problem than that.  She stood up into an attacking crouch.  If he tried anything funny she 
could lunge at him and try to tear out his throat with her teeth.
	He grinned again.  "Let me talk.  I am a demon, and I've been watching you.  
Before you bother interrupting, let me explain.  I've been watching you, and recently
you've gotten really good at the 'perfect beauty through ugliness' thing.  I think I 
could use someone like you around.
	"I need another succubus in my ranks.  So many of them have gone and run 
off with some mortal,  others have failed me. I need someone reliable.  Someone who
can tempt and allure and retain a social life.  You'd be perfect for it, you know?
	"So, here's the deal.  You do the temptation thing.  That's all.  If you don't,
things will be painful.  If you do, things won't be so bad.  I can be really mean,
really vicious, so I urge you to take the kinder route and do the temptation thing.
	"So, what do you say?  Are you in or out?"
	Niņa glared at him.  "What did you do to my back?"
	The black fox grinned at her again.  "I gave you your succubus wings.  Looks 
like you have to listen to me now, doesn't it?  Then again, you could always be 
stubborn and I'll just take you to Hell with me in a few weeks..."
	Niņa snarled.  "Looks like a lose-lose situation..."
	He smiled.  "Depends on how you look at it.  Good luck, dear, you'll need it.  
Especially with a mindset like yours..."
	With another quick wave of his hand, he was gone.  Niņa looked at her back 
and gasped in horror at what she saw.
	A pair of bat-like wings, brown at the bony parts to match her fur and green in 
the webbing to match her hair was attached to her back.  She thought to extend them, 
and they did.  She thought to flap them, and they did.  She did not want to go home like 
this, but she saw little option.
	She stepped outside and flapped her wings around awkwardly.  After a few 
minutes of trying, she figured out how to get some wind beneath them and flew off.  Not 
only did she now have strong wings, but the knowlege of how to use them filled her 
mind, too.  She cursed quietly to herself.
	She flew back to Knothole, trying to think of a reason the wings had sprouted 
on her back.  She discovered no better story to tell them than the truth.  A demon named 
Shadow Tendrils had given her wings and a set of orders.
	She crept into her own hut and curled up on the cot.  She planned to get the 
three hours of sleep she needed per week right then and there.  She'd wake up to find 
out the whole demonic incident was just a nightmare and Snively had tricked her and 
gotten her knocked unconsious somehow.
	Somehow the image of Snively double-crossing her was more terrifying than 
the idea of having become a demon.  She shuddered quietly, took off her arm and leg, 
and curled up to sleep.
			*	*	*
	Niņa opened her eyes into a black landscape.  Before her sat a black fox with 
large, black, almost angellic wings.  She was naked, which wasn't that odd, but she 
didn't feel comfortable this time.  The black fox's ember red eyes glowed at her.  "Hello 
again, Niņa.  I'm here to give you more specific directions."
	She snarled and leaped at his throat.  He made a quick motion with his 
forepaw and she flew to the ground, leaving him unharmed.  He smiled at her with a grin 
that made an insurance salesman look honest.  She growled again, her hackles up.  
"What do you want?"  She wanted to insult him, but couldn't think of anything bad 
enough to suit him.
	He smiled at her again with a look on his face that reminded her of the look on 
a shark's face before closing in on its prey.  "As I have said, my name is Shadow 
Tendrils.  I am a demon, and my status is fairly high, unfit for your uncouth ear.  
Unfortunately, I have lost a few too many succubi because they've been concentrating 
on certain people and...  some have failed in their missions.  I decided it would be a 
good idea to recruit a mortal or two to do the job of tempting and seducing mortals in 
their sleep.  You seemed like a natural choice."
	She snarled again, and pointed her laser-finger at him.  "You can go to hell!"  
She shot at him and it went straight through him and his throne.
	"This is a dream, dear.  It would do you good to remember this when you wake 
up..."  He suddenly stood from his throne, revealing his eight tails and his lack of 
clothing.  Before she could twitch he was at her, gripping her hair and pulling her 
backwards.  "I own you."
	She spit in his eye.
	He snarled and threw her into a wall.  "To make your job a little easier, you 
have the gift to make people sleep deeper.  Frequently, however, it will cause them to 
sleepwalk.  You can communicate telepathically with the sleeping, and if you do your job 
well your soul will be spared.  You're lucky you're quite cute or I would have destroyed 
you already."
	He strode up to the bruised lupine.  She glared at him with a look of dire 
hatred.  She stood slowly, deliberately.  She looked him straight in the eye, grinned, and 
kicked him where it hurt the most with her metal leg.  "It would do you good to remember 
that NO-ONE owns this Okami!  NO-ONE, BASTARD!"  she shreiked, crying red tears of hatred.
	Once again he grabbed her by the hair and pulled down arching her back to a 
painful extreme.  "Wrong, dear Niņa.  I will be glad when the day comes..."  The eyes 
before her faded to black, and she awoke in her own bed, wings and all.
	She looked at her wings, snarling quietly.  "Damn demons."  She stood slowly, 
snapping her arm and leg back on.  She cracked her back, and rubbed at her sore scalp. 
"Damn demons." she quietly re-stated.  She pulled on some of her more covering rags 
and stepped outside to face her fate.

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Next episode:  Enter The Pink One!  Sorry, no spoilers or teasers!

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