i n e v e r m e a n t t o h u r t a n y o n e . . . .

[SpartanAmethyst]

Identifying a world; This timeline is set on modern earth, just like the one we live in today. "Furries" are actual people who live alongside humans and their distant quadroped relatives. Science has discovered that a genetic anomaly is what caused the change of stature and a few other differences, while still maintaining most of their genetic fingerprint. A very much illegal and increasingly popular procedure is known as "gene-splicing"; normally done with embryos, parents can mix incompatible species and attempt to create a viable embryo. It's also becoming more popular with teens and adults seeking different attributes, but it has a near perfect fatality rate. Gene-spliced anything, be it human, Kalon, or other, are heavily frowned upon and most often horribly mistreated by society.

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I'm not sure exactly where my life began.

The first thing I knew was the sterile, oppressive white of what looked to be a laboratory; I immediately wondered how I even knew what a lab was, but the more I tried to remember, the more I felt my head throb. I shook it, trying to clear the increasingly jumbled thoughts in my mind, unaware of how slow and sluggish my movements were until my nose hit the glass. I startled, immediately pressing my paws into the nearly invisible container. As my mind focused and cleared, I finally noticed the aqua hue of the fluid around me; wires attached to my body swayed and stretched with my movements, and despite being suspended in whatever this liquid was, I could breathe fine as if I was out in clean air. Regardless I began to panic, thrashing and slamming at the glass in a desperate bid to free myself. I could just barely feel it starting to crack and give, and it pushed me farther, to force through even harder. I could hear the muffled sounds of scientists yelling to each other, alarms blaring and red lights popping up all across the lab. I pushed and slammed and roared, my voice morphing to a strange, garbled whine, but my efforts were futile. Suddenly I felt dizzy and sleepy, struggling to hold back the dark mist that hovered on the edge of my vision. I wanted to fight; hell, I was almost there, but for once, the darkness was faster than the light.

Time is a strange thing when you're under an anesthetic; it feels like you've been asleep for both many years and at the same time only a few seconds. It's difficult to make sense of anything other than the fog in your mind and the aching of your muscles. When my dark golden eyes finally opened to the world around me, I was met again with the same stark, sterile white, but no tank. I was laying on a thin pad on the floor, covered by a paper-thin blanket that provided absolutely zero warmth to my bare scales. The lab was freezing to me, but nonetheless I forced myself to stand. I was shaky at first, but it wasn't long before I stood at my full height, head raised proudly. With fine-tuned hearing, I could hear murmurs of admiration coming from the other side of a reflective wall, and my attention zeroed in on it, eyes boring into my own reflection; I couldn't see through the wall to whoever was talking. I stalked forward like the predator I was, and as I came to stand in front of the one-way mirror, everything went silent. "Can he hear us?" I heard a female voice fearfully whisper, and my eyes darted to the exact location of the sound. "I'm more scared that he can see us," a male voice responded, and I turned to that voice respectively. Suddenly I felt a nerve twitch behind my eyes, almost like a soft buzzing, and when I tried to focus on it, my vision changed. Now I could register the group of scientists behind the one-way mirror via their heat signatures; there were at least 6 of them, and others milled about in the background. Suddenly one of them raised their hand, and began to wave it slowly back and forth. I tracked his hand with perfect precision.
"He really can see us..."

For the first time in my life, I heard fear in someone's voice. Fear of me.



The first day was the hardest. My body, fresh out of the growth pod, now had to perform all of its functions by itself, without outside assistance. I was in varying degrees of pain all throughout the day and night, but once they were confident that I wasn't going to collapse or my body have some horrible failure and their precious creature die, they began to come in and interact with me. I was always muzzled, often my hands bound and feet shackled. They were so scared of me, and I couldn't understand why; there were two weeks of tests, exercises, blood work... I hated the needles, and I growled in pain and apprehension every time a technician came near. Sometimes I swore the tech was going to faint out of panic, so I quickly learned to steel myself and not react, even if I was scared, too. I listened to the scientists and technicians talk and exchange data; I realized that they were still trying to make sure I was physically and genetically stable. One afternoon I managed to sneak a glance at my open file; I had no name, but I was male, and was the genetic hybrid of two creatures, a kalon and a velociraptor. I had no idea what those creatures actually were, but I tried not to let it trouble me too much. Luckily for both myself and the scientists, though, I passed every test and trial with flying colors. Even when they turned to stress tests, strenuous exercises, agility courses... There wasn't a single one I couldn't handle. I took them as a challenge, something to prove I could not only conquer but dominate; they saw my victories, but they mistook my willingness as obedience. It didn't take long for their buzzing and prodding to irritate me, but I saw no reason to snap. In my mind, this was just how life went, so I played the part and kept quiet.

After the tests came training. I wasn't sure what I was training for, only that it was important. Sessions were long and brutal; I was taught how to hunt, fight, retrieve, protect... Again I did nothing but exceed expectations, but while I was driven almost solely by that sense of success and accomplishment, I began to notice things that bothered me: they never spoke to me, like how you would hold a conversation with another person. Like an equal. They only talked down to me, in a way; not maliciously, but how one would talk to a pet, or a child. It was like they didn't know I was sentient. Granted, I did not have the gift of words, and my shoulders were double jointed so I could use all four legs to sprint and hit my top speed, but surely they realized that I had knowledge, emotion, and thought beyond that of a normal animal? I walked upright, understood requests and commands flawlessly, but yet they still praised me like I was a simple minded dog. For the first time, halfway through my training, I contemplated escape. But it never went farther than that silly notion.

I was just beginning my second year out of the tube when I heard rumors that the benefactor of the lab would be making an appearance. Listening to two of the scientists, I learned that I was supposed to be his "pet", his closest companion who would be tasked with protecting him from any... unsavory individuals. Put simply, I was going to be his attack dog. The thought annoyed me, if only slightly, but also gave me a little gleam of hope; maybe he'd see my intelligence and treat me right? I spent all morning being groomed and preened, and for the first time ever I had the scientists dress me in actual clothes. They were restrictive and uncomfortable, but I suffered through; this was my moment to make a good first impression. Very last thing, though, was that horrid muzzle I always wore outside of exercises. This would make the wrong impression, wouldn't it? I tried to be difficult, let them know that I didn't need it because I wouldn't do anything, but in the end they forced it on and tightened it until I could barely breathe comfortably. I huffed, but quickly straightened my posture when I heard new voices appear down the hallway. I stood as tall as possible, chest puffed out, tail curled in careful control around my bare raptor feet. My four ears perked forward, eyes sharpened, ready to take on this next challenge.

The man that entered the room was intimidating, with the gaze of a snake and the gel-slicked hair to match. All of the scientists had staged themselves in various places around the lab, and I could see them start to shift uncomfortably; I could smell the tension and apprehension thick in the room, but my eyes never left the man in front of me, flanked by two of his guards. His eyes never left me; I could feel him judging me, searching for flaws, trying to find something wrong, but I was perfect. There was nothing to find; I wanted to tell him he'd be looking for a millennia, but my thought fell unspoken, just as they always would. I was quite disappointed, though, when he didn't look impressed, or react much to me in general. I allowed him to manipulate my head, mess with my tail, but still he only seemed to shrug. The scientists had me perform highlights from a year's worth of testing to showcase my abilities and prowess, but still I felt like he expected something impossibly more. I'd lived for a year under the praise of my peers only to be frowned upon by my boss? I would never think of him as my owner, even as "simple" as they thought me; I had too much pride for that. Eventually the man turned and walked off, going into a back room to speak with the head scientist, a white-haired human man with an overbite and mean eyes. The rest of the scientists cooled me down and prepared me to go back into my indoor "enclosure". They were just getting ready to take me back when the man, who I'm heard called the "Director", and the scientist quickly re-emerged from the back room.

"Tomorrow, training intensifies." He announced. "The Director wants Subject XO73 ready by the end of this year. If he's not, then he wants him scrapped and we'll start over." Wait, scrapped? I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what that meant. Suddenly anger lit in my chest and I hissed, a startling sound that brought images of an angry Velociraptor to mind. It hurt to move my jaw due to the muzzle, but I growled and snarled as loudly as I could, as if cursing at this high and mighty wretch called the "Director". Who did he think he is?! I was a being deserving of just as much respect as he was, NOT some dumb animal for them to train! I took two steps forward, knocking over one of the techs in the process, and suddenly pain lit in my flank. It was one of the cattle prods, electrified, that they always had nearby for if I "went feral". Surprisingly, it didn't hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would, and with one swipe of my clawed hand I slashed a gaping would across the offender's chest. Somewhere, one of the women screamed, and then I smelled the blood. It took me a moment to realize what I'd done: I'd killed one of my caretakers. I was pulled out of my anger for only a brief moment before all hell broke loose. Some scientists ran for the exits in full panic, including the Director and his two guards, while others grabbed more prods in a desperate attempt to get me under control. Pain lit in multiple places across my body and sent me into a rage. I... I don't really remember what happened after that. All I know is that when my head cleared and I no longer saw figurative red, I saw literal red. The lab was covered in blood, and so was I; broken and mangled bodies lay everywhere, and the horror of what I'd done finally set in. I may not know what a Kalon or a Velociraptor was, but I was a monster. In the end, I did have a flaw: blood rage.

Suddenly panic set in my chest as everything came crashing down around me; how would I survive? What did I do now? In the back of my mind I knew the other scientists would send someone to either capture or kill me, and I did not want to be around when they showed up. So, steeling my nerves, I decided I was made for this; with a new sense of purpose I hurriedly ransacked the head scientist's office, located my file, and carefully found my way out of the lab and into the wild dark beyond those horrid white walls.

[ 2,240 words ] [ prompt ]

[SpartanAmethyst]

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I guess of any new life, the first few days are always the hardest.

Once I was out in the open I took off blindly, running in whatever direction had the least resistance. I carried my file as gently as I could, my teeth threatening to rip holes in the only piece of identity I had to my name. Speaking of which, I didn't really have a name. Guess that was a poor reference. As I ran, I began to look at my surroundings a little more closely; in my adult enclosure, the scientists had eventually put a wallpaper on one of the walls that showed a rainforest scene. More often than not I'd stared at it before going to sleep, wondering what the leaves felt like, how it smelled, if it was hot or cold... I'd never know, I supposed. This forest, though, was definitely not a rainforest. The leaves and dead pine branches crunched underneath my feet as I ran, kicking up huge plumes of dying debris in my wake. It smelled earthy and dry; the wind that tickled the leaves was chilly, though, and brought with it the scents of animals I'd never known. I ran for hours, until afternoon turned to evening, and midnight turned to sunrise. The landscape had shifted from flatlands to forested hills, and in the scraggly cliffs of the mountains I managed to find a cave where I felt safe enough to rest my exhausted limbs. Water from melting snow at the mountaintop trickled down near where I laid, so I stretched my neck and drank as much as I could; it was cold and refreshing, and ever so lightly softened the growing hunger pains in my stomach. It was then my eyes turned to the dirty, wrinkled file on the ground in front of me. For the briefest moment I didn't want to open it, to know what lurked in those black and white pages inside the folder, but I had to know. I needed something.

Sitting up, I reached out and snatched it, throwing open the folder and taking a deep breath. I read quickly: I was Subject XO73, the program was named "Project Executive Officer", given part of my identification tag. The "73" came from my place in line... I was the 73rd experiment out of 79, but I was the only one to survive passed a month... I wondered if any others woke in that terrifying test tube, if any other experiments got to breathe air or see their creators, or if they just... died. I'm not entirely sure how long I was in training; I once tried to count the days, but they blurred together when you're awoken and go to sleep at different times each and every day. Maybe if I'd kept a tally, I could figure out exactly how long it took me to essentially "grow up" and how long I was in training. I guess it didn't matter too much now. I continued to read observations and little snippets written by the scientists; about my progress, my prowess, my few and far-between hiccups and mistakes. I read their names and faces flashed in my mind, some of them bloodied and silent. My doing. Some of them had been nice to me, bringing me treats and rewards when I did well, or sneaking in an extra blanket when they changed my bedding. Some of them didn't deserve...

I shook my head to clear away the thoughts; I had plenty of time for self-loathing once I was somewhere safe. My eyes continued to skim over the entries and notes until a word caught my eye; "Indoraptor". Pausing, I read the passage more carefully; it was written by one of my most favorite techs, a young human girl named Giselle Heston. She'd rarely showed fear, but was always ready to work and interact with me, and now I realized she'd been wrong to feel that way. I'd enjoyed her company, though, even if I never showed it. "I know this project is all highly illegal, but it's so cool what they're doing, the things they're accomplishing! I got hired on at the perfect time. They're pulling Subject XO73 today, and just seeing him in all his glory..." I skipped ahead, not wanting to read her praise nor adoration. ".... like he's the Indoraptor from Jurassic World, but real, living flesh..." What was an Indoraptor? It was really close to part of my genetics, the Velociraptor... Indo. That sounded like a good name. Short, easy, and "Indo" sounded coincidentally like the opposite of "XO", so I took it. I was the opposite of what they wanted me to be, at least in my mind, so it seemed rather fitting. I'd decided that I'd refuse to be called by my ID in my new life. I'd had enough reading, enough remembering, and with this new found freedom I was a totally different person, different life... Suddenly I set in to my file, shredding it with my teeth and claws into the tiniest bits I could manage before letting the water wash it away. Staring out into the dark woods, I watched curiously as water droplets began to fall from the sky; if I remembered the term correctly, I believe this was known as Rain? I watched it slowly intensify, soaking the ground beneath the trees and bringing an entirely new scent to my conscious. It lulled me to sleep very quickly, if I'm honest; for the first time since I'd opened my eyes, I felt at peace with the world around me.

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Feel the waves over my head,
I'm in too deep; I'm fading fast,
but running right back.
For my mistakes, scared that
it's too late, so please...

In the dark, I'm losing my way;
I need your light. I know it's hard,
But baby don't fade, it's worth the fight.
Don't say it's the end of the story.
Don't say it's the end of the road.
'Cause as long as you're there to hold me,
I'll always be calling you home.
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Life in the wilds never really got easier, to be honest.

I learned to hunt, tasted meat and berries instead of the nutrient dense kibble they'd forced me to eat. I taught myself to climb trees and jump ravines, to make fires and build shelters that could be torn down at a moment's notice. It was difficult, but I survived; like my ancestors before me, I was cunning, resourceful, and determined. I had a sense of satisfaction at how much I learned without any outside help, save for a few trial-by-errors. Once I even slipped up and thought about how the scientists would have reacted to some of the things I now knew how to do, but the pang of guilt that followed cut like a blade. I didn't make that mistake again. I avoided humans and other sentient creatures at all cost, disappearing deep into the underbrush when they got too close, or vice versa. At one point, I was noticed by a small family when I'd come out of the shadows to drink from a nearby stream; I'd been on all fours, just lowering my head to drink when I heard one of the children scream, followed by the mother's exclamations of shock; again, I could hear their fear dripping from their voices. I bolted for safety, and over the next two days, I saw more and more park rangers patrolling the area. I had to leave.

From here, I became a nomad. I wandered aimlessly, always following the morning sun and only deviating to search for food. I skirted towns and cities, avoiding highways except in the dead of night so I could cross unseen. Days turned to weeks, then to months, and I found that even though I managed to outrun my past, I wasn't able to outrun my loneliness. Well, at least I thought I outran my past.

One evening I'd snuck inside a gas station while the attendant was in the back doing inventory. I'd managed to steal a black trenchcoat from a camper I'd encountered, then a backpack with food in it from another. Now that backpack was empty, and with the coat to hide who I was, I could fill it up again. I ransacked the store as quietly as possible, stuffing whatever I could grab into the faded satchel before my crime was discovered when I heard a familiar name; looking up to a small television, I saw the face of the head scientist. The newswoman was talking about a trial, and something to do with sentencing. I wasn't sure what that meant, but one of the clips they showed was him in an orange jumpsuit, being led away in shackles by two men. I smirked; well well, that was karma, wasn't it? Now he got to be the one bound against his will. Not too long after an image of me flashed across the screen; how'd they get that? Something called a Trailcam? I didn't know what that was, but I did know that fear was the feeling that settled in my chest right after. The words "dangerous" and "creature" kept being shown along with my image, telling people to "stay away" and "don't go out at night". I knew I'd made a mistake, but I really wasn't dangerous on purpose! It's not like a hunted people for sport, or did harm just because I could. I was scared, alone, tired of being treated like a mindless drone instead of- A sudden shout behind me spooked me, and I whipped around with my claws to drive off the attacker. It was instinct that killed the young attendant, and in pure horror again I ran. I really was a monster, a killer, and the hunting party had been sent out to catch me. That night, for the first time in my short life, I cried myself to sleep.

Police and FBI Officers canvased the forest for days; they appeared in such numbers that I had to hide until they'd gone and I was able to make a break for it. Once I was sure it was clear, I snuck into the gas station one last time to fill my bag, pointedly ignoring the pool of blood on the floor. I finished cleaning out what I could, and even managed to crack into the money till and take what little was there. I continued to move North and East as far and as fast as I could, and it got colder and colder until one morning I suddenly hit snow passing by a sign that read "Iowa"; what was an Iowa? I kept going into the countryside, too scared of those who were following me to turn around, or even south back to warmer weather. The coat wasn't nearly enough to keep me warm, and it was all I could do to just shiver and hope I'd make it to shelter. As the day wore on the snow fell harder and the wind picked up; I couldn't see much farther than a few feet in front of my face, and I had to lean into the strengthening wind just to gain traction. I honestly expected to collapse at any moment and succumb to an icy tomb, but fate smacked me in the face before that could happen; literally. I wasn't paying attention, and ended up walking face first into the outer wall of a building. I could hear whinnying coming from inside; what kind of animal was that? Regardless, it was an animal, I assumed, and desperate for warmth I crept into the building. Four horses, though I wasn't sure what they were at the time, stared back at me curiously; one in particular reached his head out and sniffed my coat, nudging me ever so gently. I wanted to pet it, to learn what it was, but I stayed perfectly still. I was too afraid of hurting it somehow.

Once it seemed to lose interest in me, I spotted an upper platform filled with large bales of something similar-looking to wheat. I jumped up, nimbly climbing up the latter to hide behind the first row of the bales. I fashioned myself a little cavern by rearranging them and curled up there; it was so warm, and I figured that I could wait here until morning. I'd never survive out in the cold anyways. That night I slept better than I ever had, finally feeling safe and secure, even if only for a single night.

[ 2,089 words ] [ prompt ]

[SpartanAmethyst]

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featuring asterope "dipper" pines and borealis "bora" pines

The next morning, Indo woke to the warmth of a fluffy blanket; he was curled up tightly, well-rested, and felt as safe as ever. He could stay here the rest of his life- wait. He was too comfortable; something wasn't right. He sat up quickly, throwing the cover off and exposing his scales to the chilly air. This blanket hadn't been here last night, and definitely hadn't been in the backpack he stole, so where did it come from? Had someone found his hiding place? What if they'd called the police?! What did he-

Suddenly he heard the barn door beneath him open, followed by soft whispers and the sound of a horse walking. Terrified, Indo peeked over the ledge ever so cautiously, hoping it was just the wind, or anything other than someone walking in, but it was not to be. He froze in panic as he watched another Kalon, a teenage girl, enter the building followed by the same chestnut horse that had so doggedly searched him for treats. He quickly ducked backwards just before she looked up, desperately looking for some form of escape. He couldn't be seen, but the only exits were on the first floor, and she'd definitely spot him before he could get out...

The sound of wood creaking tore him out of his reverie, only to bring in more fear; she was coming up the ladder! His panic tripled when her face popped above the platform, and he did his best to curl up as far as he could into the corner of the hay bales. What caught his attention though, was the fact that she smiled at him. The female didn't looks scared, or shocked, or even angry, and he wasn't quite sure how to respond. "Good morning!" She said, and he noticed how pretty her voice was. "I brought you a blanket last night, I hope it at least kept you warm?" Quickly Indo glanced from her to the grey blanket, then back to her and nodded ever so slightly. She seemed surprised for a moment, then her smile widened. "Good! Here, I figured you'd be hungry, so I brought you some eggs. I get the feeling with chompers like those, you'd like some good protein." As she climbed fully onto the platform, she gave him some distance but held out a tupperware dish of freshly made scrambled eggs. He took it, slow and unsure, until their warmth and scent caught his nose. In seconds, a whole dozen eggs were gone. Giggling, Bora reached out and gently removed a piece of egg from the top of his nose, before the hybrid could even react or realize what she was doing. It was only the slightest touch, but the graze of her fingers made him freeze in his tracks. She went to pull her hand away but he nearly leapt forward, pushing his face into her warm hand, rubbing it almost like a cat. Before long he was lying across the hay bales with his head in her lap, crying almost to the point of hysteria. She gently rubbed his face, neck, and shoulders, trying to calm him. She wasn't completely sure what just happened, but it looked like he needed this. "You're not some mindless animal, are you?" She asked, and he quickly shook his head no. She continued to shower him with affection until he finally quieted. "I'm Bora," she said suddenly, running her fingers through his sunset colored feathers. "Do you have a name?" Looking up at her, he nodded, but had to point to his throat. "You can't speak?" He shook his head no, letting out a small, sad growl. "Have you ever tried?" He seemed to think for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out. I need to get my boy untacked; if you want, you can come down and watch?"

It took a few minutes, but eventually Indo found the bravery to follow her down the ladder and back into the main barn. The horses watched him curiously, now familiar with the silent hybrid, but it was Bora's chestnut stallion who immediately pushed his head into the raptor's bare chest, hoping that he was hiding treats somewhere. Indo was taken by surprise, and with Bora's encouragement, slowly began to stroke and bond with the horse. "Rio is a good boy, very gentle despite his high energy. If you bring him treats, he'll be your best friend for life," she chuckled, and Indo looked up smiling. There was an innocence in the experiment's gaze that made Bora smile; she couldn't imagine him hurting a single person, but looking at his body, those sharpened claws and intense gaze? She could see how frightening he looked. The news said they designed him to be a predator, and seeing him now, that was very true. Regardless, her horses weren't scared, and they were more sensitive to danger than she was. In the back of her mind, the young Kalon knew she was being too trusting and not careful enough, but she really did see just a lost, frightened person underneath that huge, "monstrous" exterior. They spent the afternoon in the barn, Bora teaching the confused hybrid how to groom and care for horses. He was amazingly gentle, and even the most skittish of the three, a bay mare named Ella, warmed up to him quite quickly.

It was almost dark before Bora began to close down the barn for the night, bringing the horses back in from the cold right as the first snowflakes slowly began to fall from the sky. Indo helped her put their blankets on and secure them safely in their respective stalls, but the female Kalon quickly noticed that he was starting to shiver. She'd seen earlier that he didn't have any fur, so he had to be absolutely freezing... As he closed Rio's stall door, Bora took a deep breath. "It's pretty chilly out here tonight; why don't you come inside where it's warm?" She asked softly, watching him closely to try and gauge his reaction. He seemed shocked, but there was a sparkle in those intimidating golden eyes that made her smile. She couldn't just leave him out in the cold, shivering and miserable. So she motioned for him to follow and he did so obediently, out of the barn, helped her lock it up, and then into her home. Indo crept in cautiously, as if expecting to be ambushed as soon as he entered the doorway, but to his relief nothing ever happened. Inside, though, things were warm and inviting, the colors soft and blended to perfection. It was such a stark contrast to the lab he'd been raised in, but it was a good contrast; he began to look around, eyes scanning each picture on the wall, every trinket on the shelves, taking in all of the new sights and scents. In the pictures, he saw plenty of Bora and another older Kalon in various unknown places; who was that older Kalon, he wondered? He stopped and stared at one image labelled "Greece", and carefully inspected his face. They shared a lot of similarities, he noted, so maybe a parent or sibling? He wasn't sure.

Bora watched him with intense interest, appreciating how he moved and closely studying his behavior. She followed as he went in to the next room, where a television played the news on repeat; Dipper, her father, must have left it on when he went to work. The screen flashed with a "Breaking Story", drawing both Kalons' attentions, and a picture of Indo flashed across the screen. The news anchor immediately began talking about the "dangerous creature" that "killed over fifteen people", and immediately Indo panicked, desperately searching for a way to turn off the television before Bora saw. If she knew, she'd surely turn him in! The aurora-marked Kalon watched him freak out for only a second before she spoke. "Whoa whoa whoa, you're okay!" Finally he seemed to settle for covering as much of he screen as he could with his body, and Bora laughed. "You look like something out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon," she chuckled, moving closer and gently pulling him away from the TV. "I've already seen the news broadcast, but in just seeing how you behave, I'm sure there's more to the story. If you really had been a mindless killer, you'd have killed my horses, right? So I'm not going to turn you in unless you give me a reason to." Indo quickly shook his head no, and Bora smiled. "See? No reason to worry, then." Suddenly Indo heard his name, and he quickly turned back to the television. One of the scientists who escaped was talking about the program and everything it entailed, and had mentioned that he was partially inspired by the Indoraptor from Jurassic World. Suddenly he chirped, pointing to the word as it appeared on the screen. "Indoraptor?" Bora asked, voice laced with confusion. Quickly he covered the "raptor" part, and pointed excitedly to what was left. "Indo?" She corrected, and he nodded fervently, pointing to himself. "Your name is Indo," she stated, and he gave an approving bark. "Okay, Indo, that works perfect. Glad to finally have a name," she smiled, and his tail wagged softly, almost like a dog. "Now, how about some dinner?"



It was only a few short hours later that Indo awoke to the sound of a car driving into the open carport. In his half-asleep, food-sated state, it took him a moment to realize the chance of danger. When he heard the car door shut loudly, realization set in, and he bolted up from where he'd fallen asleep on her lap. Indo desperately tried to nudge Bora awake, but she was out cold, too. The only light in the dark house came from the television, just barely illuminating the door they'd come in earlier- and where this new person was coming in now. When Bora still didn't stir, he went into full defense mode, laying her fully on the couch and lowering his body protectively over her. He heard the doorknob unlock and begin to turn, and his golden eyes, almost luminescent in the shadows, narrowed aggressively at this new intruder.

The moment the lights flicked on, Bora finally came to, and all hell broke loose.

"Oh my God, Bora!! Bora get away from him!" Dipper yelled, grabbing a bat he kept by the front door for intruders. Seeing the weapon, Indo roared and flared his feathers, attempting to intimidate the new Kalon. It took a moment, but he realized then that this was the Kalon from the pictures in the kitchen, and he was older- not a sibling, definitely a parent. A father worried that his baby girl was being attacked. When that hit him, Indo immediately backed down, assuming a submissive posture and huddling back at the end of the couch. In seconds he'd gone from deadly weapon to scared child, ready to bolt if the other male came any closer with the bat.

"No no Dad stop! This is Indo! Indo is my friend! He doesn't know who you are and thought you were going to attack us! Put the bat down please!" She exclaimed, scrambling up from the couch.

"Bora what is that thing doing in our house?! You do realize the FBI are looking for it, right?!"

"His name is Indo, dad, not "that thing"! And yes, I do know that!! But what are they going to do with him? Kill him? Torture him? I'm not going to let that happen!"

"Bora I love you to death, and I adore that you want to do the right thing, but this is not our fight! You're too young to go to prison, and I sure don't want to be checking in to that hotel! The service is terrible!" He tried to joke, but Dipper's heart was hammering too loud for him to honestly laugh at anything. Quickly Dipper ducked into the kitchen and grabbed the landline, but Bora was hot on his heels. Dipper didn't even have the chance to dial the first number before Bora stopped him.

"If you make that call, you've sentenced him to death. I know you don't want that kind of blood on your hands, dad."

There was a long moment of silence before Dipper took a deep breath. "Bora, he killed a lab full of scientists. He's dangerous!"

"That was self defense! That doesn't make him a monster undeserving of life!"

"How do you know that?" Dipper asked suspiciously, resolve slowly crumbling.

"On the news; you're not the only one who watches, dad. One of the scientists came forward and said that he only reacted aggressively when hit with electric cattle prongs. And that was something they'd trained into him, to fight through attacks. He's not a monster, just scared and alone in a world he doesn't fully understand."

The soft chirp of a raptor sounded from the doorway, and both Kalons turned to see Indo standing there nervously. For the first time, Dipper got to see Indo in his full glory; almost six and a half feet tall, pure muscle, vivid green/teal scales that shone ever so slightly in the kitchen lights. Dipper cautiously watched him step forward, glance at Bora, then take a deep breath and offer his hand out to the older male. Something he'd seen the scientists do on multiple occasions. Dipper looked shocked, glancing from Indo's hand, to his face, then to Bora and back again. "See dad? He's just like us, only he had a different beginning."

Finally Dipper sighed and smiled, shaking his head and hanging up the phone. "You're going to get us into so much trouble, you know that?" He looked up to the tall hybrid. "Alright Indo, you can stay. Just... lay low and behave, alright?" He shook his hand firmly, wincing when Indo gripped a little too hard. You could nearly feel the excitement bubbling off of the hybrid, his tail twitching subconsciously, almost like a cat. For the first time, he had an actual home, and it brought him so much happiness he felt like he would just melt. He purred softly when Bora took his hand and led him back to the couch, encouraging him to lay his head back in her lap and allow his whole body to relax. Dipper rejoined them a few minutes later after fixing himself a small dinner, glancing at the clock that lingered close to midnight before turning his attention to the others. He watched his daughter play with Indo's feathers, the hybrid closing his eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep. It was amazing to see how different he really was from the murderous creature the news made him out to be, but the unfiltered images from that lab still haunted the older Kalon. He didn't want to be that way, but there was always potential.... Suddenly Bora glanced over to him and smiled, and instinct made Dipper smile back. He would trust her judgement and just hope for the best, he supposed, because he was along for the ride now. "I'll go through my clothes tomorrow; I should have some things that will fit him, and he can have them. Anything else he needs, the thrift store should have; we'll go this weekend and he can stay here. Just... promise me you'll be careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt, in any sense of the word."

"I won't, dad. But I can't just leave him out to fend for himself knowing that I could have done something." There was a brief pause. "And, dad?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."



Under the safety of this new home, Indo flourished.

Everyday he would go out and help Bora with the horses, doing the heavier lifting that she wasn't always strong enough to do. He woke with the sun to work, pull his own weight, and even more whenever and wherever he could. Dipper was increasingly impressed with him, and even found himself becoming attached to the hybrid. Communication was a bit difficult, but with Bora's help he began to understand certain vocalizations; they made it work, and it drew the family closer together. Dipper could see the writing on the wall with the two, though: stolen glances, constant touching, hugging, laughing... He could see his daughter falling for Indo, and he wondered if she realized it, too. If Indo even recognized what love was, or if he understood what she felt. Could he even feel love? Part of Dipper's mind was still on guard, cautious and paranoid for his little girl's safety, but he couldn't deny that he was sentient. The older kalon was constantly correcting himself, and luckily, Indo did nothing but prove himself more and more each passing day.

Eventually snow turned to slush, then to rain, then to wildflowers. Spring hit Iowa in full force, and Bora had to return to her homeschooling. This provided a great opportunity, though; Indo would sit with her and she would teach him everything she knew, and by the end of a month he was at her same grade in terms of knowledge. Some of the scientists must have been teaching him the basics, but it was still astounding at how quickly he picked up on things. Eventually he began to read ahead in her text books, and began to tutor her when she had trouble. That was something that both her and Dipper laughed about constantly. Once he'd finished with her textbooks, he moved on to Dipper's collection of astronomy and engineering books, and he tore through them in record time. He was almost insatiable, Bora found; any time they weren't working on the farm, repairing the buildings, or cuddling, he was reading or watching documentaries on the television. One day, Bora was working on a research paper when she heard two short chirps from the living room; that had become his signal for her, like calling her name. She stood and stretched, opting to take a break from the frustrating report, and went out to see what Indo needed. He was sitting on the very edge of the couch, totally engrossed in the television. Golden eyes wide, he turned to look at the young Kalon, and pointed to the television. It was a reality show, but what she was sure he'd been interested in was a woman using sign language to speak. He quickly held up his hands, as if asking.

"Sign language! I didn't even think about that! Indo you're a genius!!" She exclaimed, tackling him over onto the couch. He barked happily in response, his arms instinctively wrapping around her as they fell onto the soft cushions. There was a brief moment of shock when Bora realized the way they'd landed, and she was very glad that her dark fur hid the blush that was forming. He was so close... Subconsciously she leaned forward and softly kissed him, just a brief touch, before pulling away; immediately she was embarrassed by her behavior. "Ah, sorry, I know you don't understand- I shouldn't have done that," she said, attempting to get up, but Indo wouldn't let her. She looked at him curiously, just in time for him to press his nose to her forehead. He may not have understood fully, but he wasn't ignorant; he felt something too, and in minutes their impromptu cuddle session turned into a wonderful afternoon nap.

The following day, Dipper agreed to the idea, and even joined in with them; though he didn't really need to learn American Sign Language, he figured it would be a good skill to have, and then he could have a conversation with Indo and get to know him a little better. They found a good online course and Dipper purchased it; they did lessons every day after dinner, but Indo and Bora took it one step further and used some of their fun time to learn quicker. Indo excelled, as he always did, and Bora found it hard to keep up with farm work, school work, and learning sign language all at once. Indo was there to help when he could, and with his and Dipper's encouragement she made it through and graduated a month earlier than expected. Life was perfect, except for one thing: Indo situation still continued to bother her unnecessarily. None of this was his fault, yet he was the one treated like a monster. So, she began to do little bits of research, sneaking off to the library to talk anonymously online, anything she could to try and figure out a way to get Indo out of the bind he was in. Sure, he was happy here, but he might as well be a caged bird. He would never get to interact with others, travel, see the world and all it had to offer. What kind of life was it if he couldn't even go out and experience it?

The more she went out, though, the more risks she was taking at being found out. And it didn't take long for the FBI to pick up the trail. One night while Dipper was at work, two agents showed up at their front door. Luckily Indo had been upstairs, taking a shower, and Bora denied a search. She managed to talk her way out of it and they left, but not before stating that they would be back with a warrant. Terrified, the young Kalon struggled to hold back tears, but she knew what she had to do: she ran upstairs and quickly packed a backpack full of clothes for the two of them, some essentials, and all of the cash from allowances and babysitting that she'd been saving up for years. When Indo emerged from the shower, Bora hurriedly helped him dry off, ignoring his confused chirps until he grabbed her wrists and made her stop. He didn't vocalize, didn't sign, just stared straight into her emerald eyes expectantly. Suddenly she broke down in tears, and the hybrid quickly released her arms and pulled her close. They sank to the floor next to her bed, the poor young Kalon stuttering and sniffling the entire time she tried to tell him what happened. Indo felt anger in his chest, and slowly his ears pinned, eyes narrowing dangerously. The snarl that came from his chest scared even Bora, though she would never admit to it. Suddenly, he leapt up, dressing himself as quickly as possible. No way in hell he'd let anyone threaten his family; he didn't care who they were, you don't mess with his pack.

Pack. He liked the sound of that.

It was only a short time later that Dipper returned home, and the duo approached him with a dangerously calm resolve. Bora told him everything that happened, about the agents that could come back at anytime and search the house, find Indo and take him away. She could see the worry and heartbreak in his eyes, but there was also trust and pride. Bora was making the ultimate sacrifice for Indo; she was willing to give up her life to give him a chance to live, even if it means she would go to jail for the rest of hers. He couldn't have asked for a better daughter. Dipper only nodded in the end, embracing his daughter and hugging her tightly, kissing her forehead as if it would be the last time. Then he turned to Indo, ocean blue eyes focused and stern. "You keep her safe, do you understand?" Indo nodded confidently, golden eyes sharp, reminiscent of the predator he was. "Actually, no, both of you, stay safe, and don't do anything stupid."

Giving a small, raptor-like chuckle, Indo quickly signed "Aren't we already doing something stupid?"

"Don't remind me," Dipper chuckled, then looked down as Indo offered his hand. The older Kalon shook his head and reached out to embrace the massive hybrid, who returned the hug, slightly shocked; Dipper was only ever touchy with Bora, but after nearly a year, he felt more and more like this is where he truly belonged. Within ten minutes, Bora and Indo were climbing into her little blue truck and, headlights off, drove away into the darkness.

The next morning at the crack of dawn, Dipper was out tending to the horses when a black SUV pulled casually into the driveway. Two FBI agents, the same two Bora had spoken with, stepped out and introduced themselves. They presented a warrant to search the property, but Dipper only smiled warmly. "There's no need, you're welcome to search the property as much as you want. They left in the middle of the night, before I got home. I have no idea where they went." He went back to measuring out feed to the horses, and the agents proceeded to search the house and outlying buildings.

Inside, on the table sat a single white envelope addressed to Agent Colter.

Agent Colter-

I took you seriously when you said you would come back, but I can't risk our next meeting.
I know when you read this, you'll roll your eyes, call me a child; I won't try to make you
believe me. But Indo is not who you think he is. He's an amazing person with feelings,
emotions, thoughts; despite what he's done, it's not that black and white. I wish you had
the chance to know. We're long gone now; you can try to find us if you want, but you won't.
Not until he's given the chance to live, to be free like the rest of us. Hopefully then I can
greet you as a friend rather than an enemy.

I wish you luck.

[ 4,313 words ] [ prompt ]

[SpartanAmethyst]

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

True to her word, the FBI searched for months but were unable to find the duo in the vast wildernesses. During their disappearance, Dipper went to work trying to help them any way he could; he ended up creating a petition to at least allow Indo to have a court hearing, in hopes of being granted his basic rights as a living creature, and protection from the man who was so doggedly hunting him. It was slow going at first, and he received a lot of backlash from people who thought Indo was a murderous beast who needed to be put down. By the first month, he'd been pushed, threatened, and spit on, but also defended, befriended, and followed by people who mattered. At month five, Bora turned on her cell phone, knowing that the FBI would have her location within minutes. A message from her father said they'd gotten four million signatures, which was absolutely amazing, and a supreme court judge had agreed to hear the case at his daughter's urging. Knowing the Agents would be on their way, Indo and Bora found a place to rest while they waited. It was dark by the time three dark SUV's pulled into the nearby campground parking lot, but the only one that stepped out was Agent Colter. Her weapons were holstered, and though she looked slightly annoyed, her eyes and voice were soft. Bora sat comfortably on Indo's lap, his arms and tail wrapped around her protectively as he watched her scroll through her Facebook and catch up with the world. As she approached they got up slowly, the hybrid holding Bora's hand as they stepped forward to meet her.

"I will admit, you are quite an amazing creature," she said. "Come, we're taking you back to the farm, but we fly to Washington D.C. Monday morning. The court date is already set, and a lawyer has stepped up to handle your case pro bono. I'll be staying with you over the weekend as a psuedo "house arrest", so you don't have have to spend the weekend in jail." She offered her hand, and Indo shook it gratefully before signing 'Thank you'. She looked over at Bora in shock; "Did he just use sign language?"

Bora nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "He said thank you." Colter only nodded, unsure of how to react, and led them back to the vehicles.



In no time, court was upon them. They'd been allowed to go out and find a suit for Indo under Colter's supervision, and spent all weekend practicing for what they could assume was going to be a long, hard battle. The hybrid shifted uncomfortable under the restrictive clothing, the ebony suit reminding him of the day he first met the Director. His mind began to wander, but as if sensing his nerves, Bora reached over and grabbed his clawed hand. He gripped hers tightly as they shuffled out of the vehicle and onto the courthouse steps; there were so many people watching, but with Bora on his left and Agent Colter on his right, he felt scared; some regarded him with wonder and admiration, others jeered and yelled hateful words at his passing. He gripped Bora's hand tighter, nervous and apprehensive of all of these strange people, and their even stranger behavior. Inside the courtroom, the atmosphere was even thicker with tension, and if it weren't for Bora anchoring him, he probably would have bolted. After the judge arrived and court was in session, the prosecutor immediately went on the attack; family members of some scientists were pulled in, evidence was shown of the lab and the gas station. The more that was shown, the more fearful and sad Indo became, and Bora tried her best to comfort him; what they didn't know was that the raw emotion he displayed here would be pivotal to their case.

Once the prosecutor was done, it was time for the defense; the lawyer stepped up and quickly began to paint a very different picture, shifting the perception into a totally different light. Bora was called up, and she testified to his behavior and his demeanor. Dipper was called, and he did the same. Eventually Indo was pulled up to the stand, and he sat nervously as he was put under oath, though he had to speak in sign language. This took the entire court room by surprise, while Bora beamed with confidence. He answered all of the questions flawlessly, recounting each event with picture perfect memory; the hybrid expressed remorse for those he killed, his desire to rectify what he'd done, and his hopes for the coming days. The defense lawyer even stopped to question the sign language interpreter about his abilities. She looked at the judge, asking permission to speak, and he nodded in response, amazed at the intelligence Indo showed. The interpreter seemed impressed that he was so fluent, and stated that she thought he'd been signing for years. The defense then turned to Bora and asked how long they'd been studying. Her answer: One online class, then four month of practicing off written notes and his memory. It was easy to see the shocked look on the jury's face, and it gave Indo hope. He looked over and smiled at them nervously, but was quickly ripped back when the prosecutor stood. He tried his best to downplay everything, cause doubt, minimize his abilities, but it was too late. Indo went back to Bora with a racing heart and hope on his mind. At the last moment the defense brought in one more witness, and who walked through that door nearly made Indo cry.

"Ms. Heston, please take the stand."

For nearly half an hour, both the defense and the prosecutor grilled her ruthlessly, asking question after question, each trying to one-up the other. It was brutal, but she always answered honestly, and in the end it painted Indo in the exact opposite way than what the media wanted. After a long trial and an even longer deliberation, the jury ruled the lab as self-defense, some even mentioning the term "provocation". He was granted all of his rights as a person, and was provided a court order to obtain all of the documents he would need, like a birth certificate and identification card. The only issue was with the gas station attendant, which was what the jury had the real trouble deciding on. In the end, since he had no immediate family for Indo to pay restitution, he was required 100 hours of community service, and to stay out of trouble. Other than that, he earned his fresh start.

Outside of the courtroom, Bora and Indo hugged and celebrated his new freedom, the hybrid giving small barks of joy and nuzzling her lime green hair. They could finally go and do things together, like the beach, the movies, eat at restaurants; they could experience life together. It was nothing short of a miracle. As he met the judge off of the bench, Bora watched in amusement as Indo tugged at the suit he wore in between signing; he would not be happy about having to wear clothes more often.

"So, the girl who tamed the beast, hm?" Bora turned to see the scientist had approached her. The young Kalon nodded and smiled back. "I just want to thank you so much for helping him; he... he really is one hell of an amazing person. You're going to have a guardian for life there, I know it."

"I'm glad I could help," Bora responded. "I'm a lucky girl to have him, for sure." Suddenly there came an excited chirp as Indo rushed back over, pulling the young scientist into a hug. He was giving tiny trills and whines, almost like a husky would talk, before releasing her and feverishly shining. One confused glance made Bora laugh out loud. "He's saing thank you for coming back to help him, and that he's very glad that you... made it."

Heston smiled. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy. Next, I'm helping the FBI to go after him full force and stop what he's doing. I'm glad I got the chance to see you again; keep in touch, I'd love to come visit sometime." Heston turned to leave, but something stopped her. "Oh, and if you're ever in need of a place to go, my sister rides at a stable out in Colorado. They specialize in hybrids and unique creatures; maybe she could hire you both? Let me know and I'll hook you up," she winked, then left. Once they were alone, Indo gently took Bora's hands and pulled her close, cuddling into her hair. They spend a long moment like that, just standing in the quiet bustle of the courtroom. For the first time in his life, he felt truly and completely free.

I don't have to run anymore.

[ 1,486 words ] [ extra ]

[SpartanAmethyst]

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who helped me bring this story to life,
who helped me proofread, critique, stay motivated, and finalize all of the details that shaped
Indo into the character I wanted. Thank you Karmel for hosting this amazing competition and giving
me the chance to share my inspiration, as well as all of the artist who added their special talents
into creating such a wonderful creature! <3

Both art pieces are my own, but I do have some other credits:
[forest decor] [pixel gifs]
All .gif images and banners were found on various sites, and belong to their rightful owners.
All of the music is copyrighted to their respective artist, these really kept me going!

I want to wish good luck to all of my fellow competitors, I know s/he'll have a good home
no matter who's lucky enough to add this baby to their family!