To All Things...

by Tracy Kazaleh & David R. Dorrycott

Snowaters lay quietly on the huge beach towel, she was half listening to Combo-cub's giggles as he raced up and down the beach trying to launch his kite and half watching her movie on the sunglass television. All the while she basked in the deep yellow suns warming energy. Once in a while she moved just enough to bring a straw to her lips, sipping the cold lemonade to replace fluids the late afternoon sun was slowly leaching away. Occasional giggles and half heard words reached her from the high dunes not far behind her, Interpreditor and Compassion catching up on their various adventures she figured. If it was something else, well it wasn't any of her business she had decided long ago.

If she strained, she could just hear Arnequis's delighted barks as the warm tropical waves lifted his paws from the crystal white sands, bearing him up towards the beach where he settled back down, only to race back into the deeper waters. He had been at it for hours, delighted to play in a safe environment for a while.

All in all a peaceful scene.

Until you realized it was all occurring in a space of some 160,000 cubic feet, inside an often repaired cargo pod attached to an ancient star freighter. A freighter which was currently holding station several light days from the star hotel KLIPPER, and several dozen light years from the nearest habitual planet (which is KandyLand.) But then only if you don't mind wearing a re-breather anytime you leave the life dome, or the CO2 will quickly choke you to death.

Sounds of paws crunching sun baked sand caught Snowy's attention. She pulled her sunglasses off, the action automatically pausing her movie. Looking back up the slope she saw the two love birds walking towards her. What caught and held her attention was the collar 'Trep was carrying, the collar that was part of several hours of nightmare concluding in her current situation, trapped in a human body instead of her Snow Leopard/morph birth body. It wasn't hard to figure out what was up. Hours before their argument had been impossible to ignore, held as it was in the cramped quarters of the old tugs living quarters (which was the real reason she had ordered the Star Diamonds SRVR room to run the "Tahiti Heaven" program in the first place, even if it did put a strain on the systems.)

Pushing her glasses up over her head and into her now Anime-long, diamond white hair she eased up on her knees, taking a quick glance to insure neither Combo-Cub or Arnequis were within hearing range.

"So, what's the verdict Compassion" she asked, settling back on her ankles, at the same time leaning backwards against her supporting arms. "Does the walking danger room get to keep his head, or do I order up cement boots?"

Compassion's brown eyes twinkled. "He's coming home with me" she answered. "No more independent wandering around, sticking his nose through strange space-time doors for a while." Throwing one arm around her husbands waist she pulled him closer. "Its about time we spent a few months together, and Arnequis promises us he can send us home to-night from here. If he uses that strange portal you warned us about."

Snowy wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Umm, yes. That thing is a problem. I wish we could get rid of it, but 'Lith tells me we would have to replace the entire pod. Not time-cheap."

Intrepid leaned over the diminutive female, raising one eyelid as he hesitantly reached out for her glasses.

"May I?" he asked, indicating the glasses and their paused movie.

Snowaters answered the question by bending her head down a little, bringing the frames within easy reach. Deftly plucking them from her head he slipped them on, handing the collar to his wife. Then wandered a few yards away to leave the women in relative privacy.

"Still that is good news" Snowy continued, watching 'Trep as she spoke. "What's with the collar?"

"Well, its caused an awful lot of problems since he got it from Mache Coyote." She stopped, looked sheepish a moment before continuing. "We've talked it over and decided that he shouldn't keep it." She blinked suddenly, holding the object out to Snowy. "Since your the one most offended by this thing, and we've noticed magic doesn't seem to want to work here we think you should keep it."

Snowaters almost bolted away from the collar, only just keeping her composure. "Uh.. " she managed, "Compassion. That collar is more powerful than any force I have the power to bring against it. I'm not even sure it will stay if it doesn't want too." She reached over, grabbing her drink and taking a long pull through the straw. More to make time to think than from thirst.

Regaining her shattered composure she sat the drink back down, reaching out to take the thrice cursed leather strap from Compassion. Turning it in her hands she half whispered, half cursed. "I'll bet its like that magic sword I read about, poor fellow was cursed to keep it near him forever. It kept him from dieing but not ageing. It took the actions of a powerful mage to help him." She looked up at the other, a sour smile on her face. "I'll be honest, its my bet it'll spend a few days, weeks, maybe a month. Then one morning I'll wake up and it will be gone." She glanced at 'Trep, who's bark of surprise caught her attention a moment. "And the same morning you'll wake up and find it back on his neck. If it can be held, I'll lay odds only Machae Coyote knows how."

"You could wear it" Compassion offered.

“I don't have a flea problem" Snowy muttered, mentally counting how long until the next scene. "Besides Compassion, do you really think I could handle its effects any better than Intrepid?" Absently slipping the object onto one arm she paused, taking a deep breath. "Come on, I think I understand. Your worried because you think I'm upset about this body. Well, your right. At first I was, and sometimes I still am. I'm shorter, now there is a rub" she giggled. "Wasn't I short enough to start with?"

Moving slowly she stood up, it was still a conscious effort to maintain her balance in sand with her still new center of gravity, and brushed her skin off. She laughed, running her hands down her flanks. "Other than being cold all the time this body isn't that bad. It's easier to keep clean, besides I'm almost a thousand years old. Maybe its time for a new body."

Compassion lowered her eyes, momentarily staring at the aged leather thing hanging forgotten from Snowys arm. "All right, if that's the way you feel about it" she decided, "But its awful dangerous. What if 'Trep got into another of those Blue Funks of his and did something stupid, like saying "I wish I had never been born."

Snowy shivered, and not from the cold. "We never would have had this conversation" she answered. "Look, you two have helped 'lith and I investigate every event involving that collar and not once has it activated when anything like that was said. Goddess, we jumped to five different realities just to make sure." She reached out, running her fingers down the other woman's arm, remembering the feel of her own fur. "I don't believe its capable of anything like that. I wouldn't worry."

"But look what it did to you" Compassion exclaimed.

"It wasn't just the collar, you understand the data tapes Kalith got from Tani enough to know that. It was a three fold event. Enough power ripped from the Klipper's systems to reduce this ship to yellow hot slag, that strange alien thing, and the collars overload." She dropped her hand from the others arm, "'Lith's been working on it since we boarded, all it says is <Current Data Inconclusive.>

"You know" 'Pasha answered, looking out towards the Hippogriff playing in the late afternoon sea, "I've been thinking-- Arnequis is usually a very competent magic-user. I was quite surprised to learn that his spell to change you back to your natural form didn't work."

Snowaters giggled again. "Well, there's always a first time for failure. Just my luck it would have to happen to me." She sighed, spreading her arms wide a moment, the forgotten collar sliding along her tanned skin.

'Pasha looked down at the relaxing woman thoughtfully. "Unless..." she started.

"Unless what?" Snowy asked, closing her eyes as she stretched.

"Unless the way you are now really IS your natural form." 'Pasha finished.

Opening her eyes wide the Star Diamonds owner staggered and almost fell. "What?! Are you out of your mind? You know I'm supposed to be a Snow Leopard." Poking her chest hard with one thumb she took a deep breath "Not this --- this ridiculous, hairless thing!"

"Are you sure?" 'Pasha asked, her voice conveying the seriousness of her thoughts.

Snowy shuddered, fighting hysteria "YES, I'm sure" she fairly screamed. She stood a moment, her body shaking as she fought for control. "At least, I'm pretty sure... Of COURSE I'm sure! ... I think..." Her voice betrayed the doubt that had started building within her.

"I'm not trying to upset you" 'Pasha almost whispered. "But I think you should know that our friend Herald Cloudmage believed he was a human for the longest time. Then ultimately discovered that he was in fact, a Unicorn. A creature literally thousands of years old. But his active memory only goes back fifteen or sixteen years."

Snowaters looked up into Compassion's eyes, her own half filled with tears. "What's this got to do with me? I remember my childhood."

Shaking her head in confusion 'Pasha reached out to touch Snowaters hand. "Yes. But, who knows what may have happened before that? You may have lived a whole other life as a human woman, then got transformed, mutated-- or even reincarnated! --into Snowaters the Snow Leopard. That would explain why Arnequis's spell appeared to fail-- it didn't fail at all! If he had said "Turn back into a Snow Leopard" and you remained like this, that would have been a failure. But that's not what he said! "Regain your natural form..."

Letting her hand fall away Snowy turned away from the other, hugging herself as if a chill breeze had passed over her. "I don't think I want to hear any more..." she muttered.

'Pasha stepped forward, putting both hands on the tiny woman's back. "I understand" she said in an apologetic voice. "I'm sorry... I guess I've upset you after all, though I didn't mean too. It was just a thought anyway."

"So what will you do now?"

Digging one foot into the warm afternoon sands Snowy shrugged. "I've got to go back and get Aries & Kela...and Atlas Aerospace. It'll be difficult explaining all this but I'll manage" she answered. "There are legends, half truths, stories I remember. I'll have to see...." Smiling suddenly she motioned towards 'Trep, "Anyway. From 'lith a DI report is about as close as your going to get to an 'I don't know.'"

Compassion turned to look at her mate at Snowy's wave, almost as if on cue he ripped off the glasses.

"Just what is this movie?" he demanded, handing the glasses to Snowaters.

"Its an old Terra Prime movie from the 20th century, Common Era" she answered.

"OK then, that explains the flat screen, but what was it about?" he asked.

"Oh, an old Spenburgian thing about wet navy convoys in the North Atlantic. During the early years of that centuries second world war. An epic as I remember. Quite an ummmmmm Blockbuster I think it was termed."

'Trep stared at the ground, lightly kicking sand towards the two women.

"What's wrong honey" Compassion asked, seeing Snowaters desperately trying not to laugh as "Trep's face screwed up.

"Oh, nothing really" he answered vaguely, turning away towards the arriving Combo-Cub. "I've just never heard of a movie called DANCES WITH WOLFPACKS." he finished in his off-handed way.

All characters, ships, devices, realities copyright their respective owners.

This ends the Snowaters / Intrepid / Compassion Story.

for now......