Here's my start.  It's a sequel to Razor610's story The Kat who cried
Wolf.  I must admit, I wasn't into this at first.  But that Razor610!
Somehow she crammed an idea into my head, and now I have to write it.
Well what do you think?  Please post it in wherever you post these
fanfic things.  


The Canis Quest


A lustrously full moon cast a beautiful silver over a typical MegaKat
City fair...


				WELCOME TO MADCAP FUN
			         AND ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT
				         AT THE ANNUAL
			             MEGAKAT MADCAP FAIR!


	"I love carnivals, don't you, Jake?" said Chance Furlong, while
pouncing on another handful of popcorn.  
	"Sure, Chance," he answered, still pondering as to where his
friend has been making all this food mysteriously disappear all
night.  "Hey Chance, look at that!"  
Up the road was a small yellow tent with objects and icons of the
moon and stars decorating the outside.  Also decorating the outside,
a colorful gypsy wearing a tunic of yellow, blue, and fuchsia, topped
with a ragged blue hat and yellow feather, was attempting to draw
paying customers inside.  "Come one, Come all!" he shouted.  Madame
Esmeralda knows all!  She can see into your past, present and future!
Give it a try!  C'mon, we're leaving this weekend!  Hurry before it's
too late!"  
	"I sure wouldn't want to meet that alley-cat in a dark alley at
night," said Jake.  
	"Aw, come on, Jake, I wanna see when I get a chance at Miss
Deputy Mayor!"  So saying, he pushed him into the tent and paid the
grey- fleeced court jester at the door.  


	They entered a dimly lit room, full of tapestries and rugs.
Small candles lit a table at which sat a beautiful cinnamon-colored
gypsy kat, dressed in reds, gold, white, blue, green, and purple.
She had the most enchanting eyes.  "Enter, Seekers of knowledge."
They came in and sat down.  
	She shuffled her deck of cards.  She dealt out a card.  "You have
the card of the Knight.  You are a great hero, no?"  
	"Yeah, See what I told you?" said Chance to Jake.  "She knows me
like a book."  
	She dealt another card, with a Raven on it.  "The Raven card
stands near to your Knight.  Your heroics, do they have something to
do with the air?  Of flight?"
	"Yes!"
	"You are the Guardian of a Great giant Raven.  A plane!  You were
an Enforcer!"
	"How did you know that!"
	"Chance, she could have read it in a newspaper, like normal
people, and not in some crystal ball," said Jake.  
	"I see darkness surrounding your past.  Destruction.  Vengeance.
You seek revenge, and defiance at someone you knew there?"  
	"This is amazing!"  
	"This is typical; she probably says that to all the Enforcers.
At least those who serve under Feral."  
	"You are a non-believer in the occult?"
	"Well, she finally got one right."
	"I will give you prediction!  Free of charge!  You have only to
ask anything of your past, present, or future."  
	"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm thoroughly briefed on what's happened
to me already, What do you see in my future?"
	She shuffled the deck again and tapped it three times.  She drew
a card.  "You will take a trip."  
	"Isn't that exciting."
	Annoyed, she drew another card.  Her blue spellbinding eyes
narrowed.  "It is a trip full of peril.  A Quest.  You will not
survive it alone."  She drew another card.  "The sign of Lobo!" she
said surprised, as if at her own strength, and in new fascination of
Jake.  "The sign of the Wolf!"
	At this the Swatkats' attention alerted, and Jake's eyes went
wide.  
	She cautiously drew another card.  "A talisman.  You will seek a
piece of jewelry from far away.  It holds much importance for you.
And your family."
	The hair on Jake's neck stood on end.  
	Another card.  Each card seemed to reveal something of more
interest. "Janus, the two-headed god of beginning and endings.  You
will meet an old enemy, and a new enemy that has arisen from that
enemy."  Another card.  "You shall be helped by an enemy.  And you
will not succeed without this help."  Another card.  "Family will
play a very consequential role in your quest."  
	"What else do you see?" inquired Jake anxiously.  
	She put those cards away and obtained a pack of ordinary playing
cards.  Taking half of the this pack she shuffled it into the pack of
Tarot cards.  "You are represented by the Jack of Diamonds." This
card she placed at the center of the table.  She removed more cards
and placed them around the table.  She flipped over the two cards
that were positioned on either side of the Jack of Diamonds.  "The
Jack of Spades.  The black Suit of Spades represents Death and bad
luck.  This must be the aid you will receive from an enemy.
	The Queen of Diamonds.  Curious.  You shall receive further help,
from a girl.  A girl you deem seemingly helpless.  You must keep her
with you.  You will not succeed without her.  She is of royal blood."
She flipped over the card above these three.  "The talisman!  That is
which shall unite you all, and bring the three together in the end.
All the cards seem, huddled around this.  It is crucially important."
She flipped over the two cards above it.  "The King of Spades.  He
also seeks the talisman.  As much, or perhaps more than you.  He is
omnipotently powerful, and he wields the Black Arts.  Beware and
aware of his every move."  She flipped over two cards towards the
bottom of the table.  "The Raven and the Raven Rider may not be able
to protect you this time."  She flipped over the card beside the card
of the Talisman.  "It is Lobo again!  The Great White Wolf, Lord of
Canis lupis, shall be intricately involved in your quest.  He will
aid you whenever he can.  But it is the three cards that is most
important.  Lobo will not be able to aid you during your entire
quest.  It is up to the three.  The three cards.  They are the ones
who shall finish the quest.  Or perish trying to."  She sighed,
exhausted.  
"Did you say, White Wolf?"
	"Your future has become obscured in the mists of time.  You shall
know the answers to your questions soon enough.  I cannot say more.
Good luck, Jake."
	"How did you know my name?" he growled.
	"I-I do not know."
	Reluctantly, the two kats left the room.  Outside it had become
darker, like Jake's future.  The colorful kat said, "I hope you
enjoyed your reading.  See you in the future!"  "Come one Come all!"
he continued calling unceasingly.  
	The woman's words had bothered Jake.  But of course he didn't
dare show it.  It looked as if he had gone on his trip already, the
way he looked so exhausted, tired, and weak.  "Hey Jake, you gonna be
okay?  You look like something the dog dragged in."
	"Yeah," he answered softly.  After a pause, he said, "Who does
she think she is anyway?!"  
	"What are you talking about?  You mean you still don't believe
her?"
	"It's gotta be some trick."
	"'The Raven and the Raven Rider may not be able to protect you
this time.'  Does that mean me and the Turbocat?" asked Chance.  
	"Chance!"
	"This is serious stuff, Buddy.  We have to figure out what this
all means.  You have to tell me what you know."
	"I don't want to talk about it.  Not now.  Not tonight."  


	The fortune teller rushed out of her tent to see them leave.
"Sister, what is wrong?"  She embraced him.
	"I do not know.  That kat who came in here.  I knew his name!  I
gave him a strange prediction, involving gods!  I feel I have at last
acquired the sight of my forefathers.  But it is all so strange and
new to me.  Somehow I know something will come of this.  I am
worried, Brother."
	"You have never gotten this upset over a customer before.  This
must be serious.  Come, relax.  Everything will be all right."


	As it seemed it was not talked of again for awhile.  A few weeks
passed by without incident, as all kats concerned tried to put the
events of the night of the carnival far from their minds.  All except
Jake.  No matter how much he tried it all still bothered him.  But
nothing came of it until the next full moon.  


				During the next full moon...


	There was a white glow at Jake's door, followed by a large wolf
howl.  Startled, Jake ran to the door to see what was the matter.
Shandor, the white wolf, walked into the house wordlessly.  He turned
around to meet Jake face to face, as Chance joined them.  "It is
time," he said calmly.  Strapped to his back, was a pouch, to which
he gestured to with his head.  "A message from your kin."  After Jake
had merely glanced at the first thing he had pulled out, Shandor
said, "Your journey begins, young kat warrior.  You must quest long
and hard without rest, to find that which you seek."  With this, he
disappeared in a cloud of mist, leaving the pouch of documents
behind.  
	"My journey?" repeated Jake to no one.  The words of the fortune
teller resounded back to him.  
Coming to his senses, he and Chance sifted through the ancient
scrolls, yellowed with age.  


					After a moment...
	"Jake, I think you better look at this."  Chance held delicately
in his paw, a scroll with a brightly painted picture on it.  As Jake
peered closer, he could easily see it was a picture of the two halves
of the Wolf Medallion which would give him awe-inspiring magical
powers if only he knew how to wield them.  
	"This is great, but the words are too faint to read.  Let's keep
looking."  Suddenly, an overpowering urge came over Jake.  Slowly, he
pulled out his half of the Wolf Medallion and held it up to the
scroll.  Almost instantly, the picture of his amulet began to glow
with his real one.  On the picture, it just seemed to be a golden or
mithril light racing along the edges, but then the stones themselves
gave off an azure light, the wolf emblem became more clear and shone
more brilliant than ever.  Jake was finally able to tear himself away
from this spectacle.  Chance, gazing at the occurrence stated, "I
think they know each other."  
	"Let's keep looking," was all Jake's reply.  They bent back into
their work.  
	Jake found something else.  Another picture, a diagram.
"Hmmm..." said Chance thoughtfully, "Look at those symbols at the
top.  They seem to merge into just one big one."  
And thus the powers did combine...


	"I don't get it," said Jake.  Chance at last suggested that they
take a rest to muse on all the information they had thus far.  
	"She said that this would have to do a lot with family and the
amulet, right?  What did Shandor and your grandfather tell you?"
	"They both told me that my brother had the other half of the
amulet."
	"Well, that's great!  Where does your brother live?" said Chance
optimistically.  
	"Not that easy.  My grandfather made sure that each of us kids
were raised in seclusion, so that Bakro or any other of his evil
gargoyle clan could find us.  For that same reason, we and our
parents were told very little, so the knowledge of the stones has
worn thin over time.  My true parents are probably long since dead.
My grandfather lived with me and my family when I was a kitten, he
was trying to tell me what I needed to know, but I was still too
young."  
	"Is there anything you remember learning from him?"
"Our power is a thing of great respect and honor.  The Wolf pack had
many great lessons that were taught in some great temple or somewhere
to its followers.  Their presence and honor existed solely for the
benefit of all living creatures on the planet.  Those who wielded one
stone, were no good without the rest.  Their creed was all about
loyalty to the Pack, charity for all."
	"Sounds like this stuff was pretty big at one time."
	"It was."
	"Wait a minute!  What if we could find the temple?  Maybe we
could find out more about your family!"  
	"Chance, its been lost for centuries.  There isn't a kat living
who knows where it could be."
	"Except, for us."  Chance showed Jake yet another ancient
parchment on which was scrawled a map.  
	"This is the journey we have to travel on, Jake!  C'mon our Quest
begins!"
	"We don't even know what we're looking for-"
	"That's what makes it all the more fun."


	Before they did anything, Jake dumped the remaining contents of
the pouch on the floor.  He gasped, Chance gaped.  "Do you see what I
see?"
	He did.  "Birth certificates.  Of me and my brother.  From my
grandfather."
	He paged after the first one, that was his, he was pretty sure he
didn't need too much information from there.  But the second page
held his interest.  "Christopher James Clawson, Born Sept. 26, 1975.
That's my birthday.  We were twins.  Just as Shandor figured."
Jake's glance fell to the then tiny paw print at the bottom of the
page and compared it to his own.  
	"So what do we do, Jake?  It's your call.  Do we find your
brother, or find the temple?"  
	Jake mused on the question for a few minutes.  "Either way, if
Bakro's clan found out what we know now, they'd destroy them both
immediately.  I think we should try to go to the temple.  We can find
out more information there, maybe about him, or how to use our
stones, all kinds of stuff."  
	"So then, I guess we're off to the distant land of Lantis." He
said studying the map.  "Hey I just thought of something.  That
sounds like Lupus, as in Canis lupus, the scientific name for Wolf."
	"I know."  


	Before the end of the week, the kats were on a plane to the
Ancient country of Lantis.  It varied in many geographic conditions
from lush, dense, forest greenery to deciduous forest to hot sandy
desert.  Using the map, they ambled through the Memanshon Rainforest,
looking for the markers on the map.  
	"How long have we been traveling, buddy?" asked Chance, exhausted
from traveling.  
	Jake looked up from the map for a brief moment to check the time.
"About 2 hours."  
	"Can't we take a break, Jake?  This temple thing has been around
for a thousand years; I think it can wait a little longer for us."  
	Jake tried to explain.  "I don't fully understand this now at all
either, Chance.  That's what this whole quest is about.  Plus, we
have to find out why all this is surfacing just now.  Joined with my
brother, just as my stone is joined with his, so the legends say, the
Power of the Pack shall return to the world, Peace and Prosperity
will reign, and no evil can thrive.  My brother and I may be the only
Stone-wielders left.  It's up to us.  All I know is that Time is of
the essence and we must press on, faster."  
	But Chance, too tired of walking, leaned back against a hard
structure of foliage to catch his breath.  He turned his head to see
Jake continue on a few steps, when he realized what he was leaning
against.  "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"  Chance jumped out of his
socks very much akin in fact to his favorite cartoon character.
"J-Jake!  L-Look!  A F-Face!  C'mon Mister Guy with Mysterious
Powers,  Do something!"  He pointed in the direction of the strange
fearful image.  Jake stood transfixed.  He calmly but with much
wonder walked over to it and pulled against the vines and undergrowth
that had grown around this "something."  Disposing of the vine
camouflage revealed; a statue.  A perfectly rendered stone image of
the beast known as the White Tiger.  It seemed to be portrayed as
roaring at nothing in particular, sitting in cat fashion.  Ordinarily
it might seem friendly, but it was covered with beige dust making it
look ancient and toothy gave it an agonizing feel; of pain and fear.
	"This is odd." said Jake.  Closer investigation revealed that on
the Tiger's breast was a strange insignia.  It looked like two paw
prints one on top of the other.  "But these two aren't of the same
animal."  Jake compared the larger of the two with his own.  His own
paw seemed to be made for the mold of the print and it seemed to just
fit.  


					He pushed.


	The disk fell inward with a thump, then returned to its original
position.  "Are you sure you should have done that?"  There was no
time for an answer, for the entire forest around them started to
shake.  "Good one, Jake, Now you made it angry!"  Any attempt to move
was thwarted with more shaking which made any additional steps
impossible without falling down.  Jake turned around and was met with
a sight of awe.  He nudged Chance to look.  
Out of the ground, was arising a huge Citadel.  Marble columns and
pillars held up the now ascending roof.  A once beautifully tiled
floor soon became unearthed, the cracks of which now filled with
grass and weeds.  The most impressive object however was another
statue, sitting opposite the Tiger, obviously the mate of the same,
of a giant White Wolf, mouth also gaped in mid-howl, with one paw
raised in greeting.  


	"I think we're here."
	Jake approached the structure and remarked upon the image of the
Wolf.  "It's Shandor."  
	"Well then who's this?  His friend here?" said Chance gesturing
toward the other statue.  
	"I don't know.  All I do know is that my destiny, and my ancestry
reside within.  In there, is both my past, my future, and possibly my
present."
"Wow, all this philosophical stuff is making everything seem weird.
Let's just get on with this.  We should have run in to some trouble
by now. You know, a guard, a booby trap, or an ambush." 
	"The Pack had no need for weapons.  They lived strictly for
peace."  
	
	Jake and Chance took a moment to take in the surroundings before
going in.  Everything was a once beautiful marble stone, now dirty,
old and brown from neglect.  
	"Jake, What happened to these kats?  How could a civilization
that was once so powerful and successful fail?"  
	"That's what we're going to find out."  Inside the main hall,
were many arched doorways; only half still had doors.  
	"So which door do we choose, Monty Hall?"  
	"There must be something awfully important to be stored in the
more heavily fortified doors."  Upon closer investigation, he
discovered a square indentation on each door.  Pulling out his
amulet, he could see that it filled exactly one-half of the mark.
"It's a key," he reasoned.  "Unfortunately, we don't have the other
half to open it with."  Even as he said these words, Chance was
examining the door as well for any cracks or openings.  Finally,
WHACK!
CRASH!
	"Door's open,"  said Chance as he kicked it hard.  
	"Uhh, thanks.  I guess the magic has weakened so that only one
half is needed."  Inside, was a marvelous sight.  The shines were so
great they were almost blinded.  Blinking until they got used to the
light, they looked around.  All around them on crystal shelves were
precious gems shaped to the exact likeness and color of an element.
For example, there was a Fire Stone, a Lightning Stone, a Water
Stone, and the like.  Beside each, was an exact duplicate of the
stone, only much smaller and in clear crystal.  On the domed ceiling,
there seemed to be a skylight that could be opened and closed.  
	Picking up the Fire Stone, Jake concentrated on its power.  In
his other paw, smoke slowly began to form.  Soon, he was carrying a
small flaming fireball, just as a rubber ball.  "Huh, Cool."
Putting it back down again, the fireball promptly disappeared without
a trace.  
	Chance, not wanting to be outdone, choose the Lightning stone,
and attempted the same thing.  Nothing happened.  Jake took it from
him, and turning his eyes skyward, the skylight irised open.  The
clouds grew dark instantly and wild sparks of electricity danced on
the sky for him.  "Lucky," sulked Chance.  "How come you get to have
all the fun?"  Jake put it down as Chance found one that really
interested him.  Picking up an Arrow Stone he said, "What do you
suppose this does?"
"Easy, What does an Arrow do?  It tells you where you're going."
They
re-entered the main hall.   


Whoosh...


	"Now I know you heard that, Jake."
	"Heard what?  What are you worrying about?"
A small strange figure scampered past them, unnoticed...


	They opened another door.  "Chance, do you see what I see?"
	"How can this be?"  The door opened to the outside, however, it
was the wrong outside.  Instead of dense tropical rainforest, they
saw what should be miles away from their location.  It was the
deciduous forest to be found practically on the other edge of the
country.  


Upon opening another door, they found, "Perfect, A Library!"  The
place seemed unusually tidy, except for mounds of dust and some old
books.  The two jumped into the books, trying to find the one that
would tell them what they wanted to know.  
	"What exactly are we looking for again?"
	"We'll know when we find it," was all Jake's reply.  


	"Jake, I think you should see this."  Chance brought over a book
with nothing but pictures and few captions from cover to cover.  They
were all of the exact same medallion Jake wore, except each of them
was of a different animal than a wolf.  There was one of an Elephant,
Fish, and Dolphins, Birds, Dragons, Unicorns, Phoenixes, and other
creatures.  Seemingly representative of every single living creature
at that time.  Each page had two pairs of medallion halves.  "What
about yours?"  
	Jake closed the book.  He placed his medallion on top.  The book
started to glow, and then shake.  Jake removed his medallion from the
book.  By itself, the book opened and flipped through the pages.
There, in the very center of the book, opened two pages.  On one
page, was the medallion of White Tiger on the top, and below it, a
golden Lion.  On the top of the other page was the representation of
the White Wolf, and below it, the Deer.  On the following pages were
markings of the White Dragon, The Unicorn, The Phoenix, The Roc, The
Tortoise, The Dolphin, The Peacock, and The Griffin, and the like.  
	"Does this mean there may be more out there?  With different
animals?"  
	"Could be, it seems."
	They put the book into their pack and continued searching for
signs of Jake's lineage.  


	Jake's eyes opened wide, when he reached for the thickest book of
the Library.  It's title, only barely legible, read "The Life, Ways
and History of the Wolf Pack."  He called his friend's attention and
started to skim some of the pages.  "We know all that already, get to
the good part."  
	"Look at this.  'The stones gave us a form of immortality, in
this way our forms would remain unchanged until the end of time.'
Immortality!"
	"But were did the stones come from?"  
	Jake flipped back towards the beginning of the book.   'In the
beginning all animals were one in the same, and being part of the
purer creatures in creation they were all white.  But soon the
animals took on personalities of their own and their very shapes
changed into the forms that they are today."  
	"Go on."  
	He flipped forward a bit.  "'One day, A Lady Tiger, A White
Tiger, and therefore the oldest of her breed, was being threatened by
an unruly Golden Dragon, of which there were many in those days.
Strange indeed that Golden Dragons are normally the least unruly.
The Dragon surrounded her in a ring of fire, and it seemed as though
she might be done for were it not as the Dragon poised for the fatal
strike and kill, a marvelous, noble, White Wolf appeared from air,
and selflessly flung himself at the Dragon.  Holding his jaws on the
jugular vain caught the dragon off guard.  Then something unusual
happened; there was a flash of fire and smoke and a blaze of light,
but it came not from the Dragon.  The Dragon began to shrink, it's
claws disappeared, and the mighty Dragon was slain by being
transformed into a Golden Snake.  Ever after the Dragons promised to
remain faithful to the Lady Tiger.  
The Wolf inquired her to tell him of what had just occurred.  And she
showed him the many wonders of her talents, for being of the race of
the White Tiger, her blood was traced thick with magic, and it was
especially so with females.  "Come, Let me reward you for your
selfless bravery."  She led the White Wolf down to a deep cave not
far away as she explained why the Dragon sought her.  In a chest far
beneath the Earth, She showed him two green stones with no marking or
inscription on them.  She gestured for him to place his paw on one of
them as she did the same.  Instantly the stones glowed, as well as
the two animals.  "The Power of the White Tiger is yours to command,
Wolf.  Pass this magic on to all White Wolves."  
"But what of these stones, o Tiger?  By looking at the stones now,
They each had the imprint of the animal, and had an inscription of a
Gold Snake or Dragon blazing the edges.  
"These bits of jade and other magic gems forged at the center of the
Earth are entities or reserves of our power. Let the symbol of the
Dragon remain on the stones, as a reminder and tribute to what has
brought us together.  And also, of what may happen when one is able
to overcome adversity.  These stones shall join together to reach
their full potential, just as we are bonded in friendship, do we grow
stronger still, Noble Wolf.  They will augment our power, and as long
as we wear them about our necks our wisdom and power will not fade.
Our descendants may require the uses of them or their shadows to call
forth their power.  These gems were forged by my kindred to preserve
our immortality for all time.  Their power was created to insure
peace in the world."  
"Then let us share this gift with the other beasts of the world.
Then the legend of our friendship shall last, and peace shall reign."
And so the White Wolf and the White Tiger created a Tribe of Peace
with every creature in the world.'"  


	"So that's the story?"
	"So it would seem.  That explains how and why we turn into
animals to use our powers' full strength.  It still doesn't tell us,
however, how Bakro's clan found us, or how the Wolf Pack ended, or
even how to use my powers."  
CRASH!
	"Jake."
	"It sounded like it came from the Jewel hoard," said Jake as they
ran to it.  There, a horrific nightmare met their gaze.  
The Jewels were smashed and thrown all about.  All of the colorful
stones were either broken apart or crystal clear, as their power,
their colour, was sapped right out of them.  And there in the center,
was a small gargoyle swallowing some of the stones, plopping the
Lightning Stone and the Fire Stone down his throat.  He also wore a
chain about his neck with a tiny greenish-blue bead hanging from it.
It was glowing faintly.
	They were speechless and stricken dumb.  "What are you doing?"
cried Jake at last.  
	"Why, I'm swallowing the powers of your ancestors."  
	"Who are you?"
	At this question he laughed.  "You should know me, or at least,
you knew something that was once me."  
	"Who are you?" he asked again.  
	"I am he who was brother to the gargoyle whom by your hand and by
your ally's hand was slain.  I am Okrab, the only brother to Bakro, a
great hero among our clan."
	"What do you want here?  How did you get in?"
	"The answers to both those questions are the same, You.  You
opened the Door right for me, I have followed you ever since you
arrived here.  I seek only to gain as much of your ancestors' great
omnipotent power as I can that I might defeat you, your family, and
the Wolf who slew my kinsman.  I AM OKRAB!!!!"  This last phrase he
spoke with great power and it seemed to thunder within the very
building.  The gargoyle stood up and drew himself to his full height,
but through concentrating on the powers he had just absorbed, he
seemed to grow taller.  Soon the tiny gargoyle was bigger, stronger,
meaner, fiercer, than a hundred Bakros.  He belched out flame, then
spun into a whirlwind out the door past them.  
	"He's heading for the Library, after him!"  They chased the
smoking whirlwind down the hall.  
At a podium, there were many old scrolls which the gargoyle was
ransacking, obviously looking for something in particular.  He was
panting and drooling by now, still adjusting to his newfound powers.
"At last, found it!" he exclaimed holding a roll aloft.  
	"O no, you don't!" yelled Jake as he removed his amulet and held
it threateningly.  "Drop it now!"
	"Really now, young wolfling, young kat warrior, We both know that
even if you knew how to work the magic of your forefathers, it would
be no use to you without the other half, which I intend to claim!"  
"Not if Chance has anything to do about it."  
"You insult me, Kat.  Do you truly think I will fall for that trick?"  
"Actually that's exactly what I had in mind."  With that the kat
pounced on the gargoyle, causing him to topple over a strategically
crouching Chance.  Jake grabbed the scroll and wouldn't let go.  They
struggled briefly.  
RIP!
	The parchment tore in two.  "Another time kats."  With that he
spread his bat-wings and escaped with his half of the parchment,
however not forgotten.  
	"It's caving in!  Jake we have to go!  NOW!" warned Chance.  
	"But, everything, the Library, the Jewels, the history of the
Wolf Pack, we can't leave all this behind!"  
	"If we don't leave now, we'll be seeing it for a lot longer than
you were hoping for.  Now C'mon!"  Chance jogged out to the Hall.
Jake grabbed his pouch and a book or two lying around and ran also,
just in time before a large, tall, bookcase would have landed on his
head.  Running by the Jewel Hoard, a single splash of colour caught
his eye.  Ignoring the risks, he dashed in and grabbed whatever it
was then dashed out again.  


	Once outside, they saw the beautiful temple once more slide away
into oblivion for another thousand years.  The Tiger statue outside
was sliding into the Earth as well, and there was nothing that could
be done to stop it.  


	"An enemy shall arise from an enemy of the past.  Greater and
more powerful than ever.  What do you think about my fortune tellers
now?"
"Now I wish we never went there that night."  They were quiet in
their thoughts for a moment.  "What was that thing you grabbed back
there?" 
"I didn't even check."  Opening his pack, he reached into the bottom,
and pulled out one beautiful and brightly colored jewel, amongst a
few shards of other jewels one could just barely see a trace of color
left.  The last Jewel Power of the Wolf Pack, was one that could not
be taken by evil claws.  It was that, of the Heart Stone.  It seemed
to have a smooth surface on either side that when polished you could
see yourself, like a mirror.  The Heart Stone then started to glow,
which caused the small shards to glow as well.  Then the shards all
disappeared, seemingly into the center of the Heart Stone itself.  
"What just happened?" asked Chance.
	Jake said nothing.
	"What do you think this one could do?"
	"I have no idea.  But for some reason, I know I'm supposed to
have it."
	They were silent for a time again.   "So what do we do now?"
asked Chance.  
	"What else?  Now, we find my brother."  


	After a few days of many hours of calling detectives, paging
through phone books, and calling several dozen C. Clawsons, the two
believed they were at long last standing on the street in front of
the home of Jake's long lost twin brother.  A pat on the back finally
gave Jake the courage to approach the door, and raise his fist to
it...
When Chance suddenly noticed a blinking in their truck.  Downcast and
terribly angry at having missed his chance, he left the stoop and
joined Chance at the truck.  
	"Ah, I think you'd better let me answer this one, Buddy."
Punching the com-button, he said, "Yes Miss Briggs."
	"T-bone there's something really weird going on here."
	"Weird? For us?" asked Jake.
	"It's Hard Drive."
	"Hard Drive?  We haven't seen him for a while."
	"What's he attacking, Miss Briggs?"
	"Well that's just it, he's being attacked."  The boys exchanged
surprised expressions.  "Reports were sketchy, but by the sound of
it, it sounds like Bakro has returned worse than ever.  They say he's
attacking with practically every Element, Fire, Wind, Water, Earth,
Lightning, you know."
	"We'll be right on it, Miss Briggs.  Swatkats out."  Quickly they
jumped into the truck.  
	"What could Okrab possibly want with Hard Drive?"  Jake asked as
they drove off.  


Minutes later...
Minutes later, the Swatkats arrived on the scene.  Indeed, Okrab
seemed to be pummeling Hard Drive into the dirt despite his
impressive electric show.  "I can't believe we're helping our enemy,"
said T-bone.  Something clicked in Razor's brain, that felt as though
he had been thwacked in the skull by a baseball bat.  Even so, he
knew that this occasion required immediate attention, and that would
have to be put off til later.  
	The Swatkats began assaulting the gargoyle with the best they
had, but it barely seemed to sting him.  "Ah, local law enforcement.
Do you not realize that I am immortal?"  With a giant fireball, he
instantly melted the Swatkats' weapons, making them helpless.  
	"I've got an idea.  We'll lure him to the Megakat Construction
site."   
	T-bone grabbed Hard Drive and they were off.  
	"Running away?  That's very unsporting of you."  The plan worked,
the gargoyle started following them.  
	"You've got a big mouth, Let me Shut It for you!"  Razor climbed
into a wrecking ball machine, and walloped him straight in his
stomach, knocking him into a nearby building.  
	"Feral's gonna have a field day with this," said T-bone.  A gray
clawed hand reached out of the rubble.  "No way!  He wasn't kiddin!
He takes a lickin' and keeps on ticking!"
	"He is practically immortal.  He has strong magic, so he's built
up plenty of strong magic shields around himself.  It can take only
magic to defeat him.  Right now we can only slow him down."  
	"Hey Ugly!  Yeah you Stone-face!  Didn't I see you in the
Hunchback of Notre Dame?" Hard Drive ran off.  
	"Fool!  I shall deal with you first!"
	"What's he doing?" asked T-bone.
	"How would I know?"
	Hard Drive stopped and turned to face his enemy.  "Now you
perish, unless you grant me the boon I have come for!"
	"Let me think.  No."  Electricity flowed from his fingers into a
nearby cement mixer above them.  It turned on, and glopped gallons of
oatmeal-like gunk on the air-borne gargoyle.  Covered with the stuff,
he was temporarily immobilized.  The Swatkats moved over to help.  
	"What gives? How come you're helping us?"
	"I don't help anyone.  I was helping me."
	"What does he want with you?"
	"I don't have to answer any of questions.  I didn't do anything."
	"And it's perfectly normal for someone going around in a
surge-suit.  Mask him, Razor?"
	"Definitely."  
	"You know how our masks are designed to keep kats from seeing
what's inside them.  Well this one is a little different.  It keeps
you from seeing what's outside."  With that, he pulled out a large
mask without eye holes, draped it over him, tied off the bottom, and
the two punched his lights out.  


When he awoke, he found himself to be tied up in a wooden chair, in
near total darkness.  A bright light was shining on him so he
couldn't anything around him.  He couldn't use the power of his suit,
because he tied with insulative cables.  "So this is what it's down
to, then?  The Swatkats are getting more like the lousy Enforcers
every day."  
	"No, we just got this 200 watt bulb by accident one day, and
didn't want to see it go to waste.  Besides, this is fun," said
T-bone turning off that light and turning on the normal ones.  He
noticed that they had replaced their glove-o-trixes, and each one was
at the ready, at him.
	"So I suppose you're going to question me now.  Fat chance.  I
don't squeal.  I don't have nothin to say to you."
	"Well we use a slightly different form of questioning.  Look up."
Just above Callisto's Hard Drive's head was a very large bucket of
water.  "We can have fireworks of our own.  Now why was he after
you?"  
	"He wanted something of mine.  But no one's getting that but me,"
he said as he silently began clawing at the cables.  
	"What is it?"
	"If I didn't give it to him, what makes you think I'm going to
tell you about it?  I don't care how much I get short-circuited, I'm
not telling.  Besides, I have to be going soon."  
	"How do you figure that, Sparky?"
	At that instant, he cut away that last of the ropes, and was just
about to fire at the two of them when Razor shot a new mini missile
at him.  He surge suit instantly turned off and became useless.
"Mini scrambler missiles.  Made 'em just for you."  Hard Drive
pounced on Razor, claws bared.  They struggled briefly when suddenly
two clinks were heard.  They froze, then slowly turned their heads
toward the sound.  What met their eyes was a great shock.  


They saw a pair of Wolf Amulets.




TO BE CONTINUED...