Title: Dear Journal -- Thanks, Buddy
Author: Sage SK

Comments: Yet another journal entry, this time coming from the pen of Chance Furlong. Yes,
"Mutation City" was another sniffling moment for me... somewhere near the end. Regardless of
what I say, it's still one of my favorite episodes. This entry is written sometime after the mission.
My thanks go to the readers at FF.N for the wonderful reviews on the first journal entry and for
the encouragement to write another one. Thanks muchly! ;D

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     I'm not one to usually write my thoughts and feelings into a sheet of paper, but I figure it's
the only way to let it out without bothering my partner again with the same thing he's heard for
the past four hours. 
     
     It's almost 2:00 a.m., and I haven't slept a wink. My thoughts have been rambling for
goodness knows how long. 

     This night's incident made me realize how my actions can almost lead to negative
consequences. 

     Reasons for this aren't what I could have done to avoid it. It's the fact that what I did
scared me so much that I almost didn't have the strength to pull myself out of... whatever it was
that was holding me down. 

     But, I wasn't the only one. I had help. Had it not been for Razor, I would have remained
half a frog for the rest of my life. 

     I don't know how long Viper had this planned out. How long he had planned to turn our
city into his infamous realm of swamp and horrific mutations that could've finished off with the
rest of katkind. Whatever it was, I sure wasn't prepared for it. 

     Earlier today, I almost drowned during our routine obstacle course. Jake pulled me out
minutes later once he realized I wasn't yanking his tail. That's where he discovered my inability to
swim, the pathological fear I've kept hidden for so long. I wasn't ready to face him, but I did
anyway. I don't know what it was that got me so upset at him. Maybe it was the fear that I would
have been the laughing stock between the two of us. Maybe it was the fear that I *would* have
drowned if Jake hadn't pulled me out. 
     
     But, all Jake did was go into his worry mode and ask why I never told him about this...
fear. He even offered to teach me to swim. I have to snort at that one. Me, a grown kat in his
twenties, being taught how to swim by his younger friend. I can't say it's stupid. I really appreciate
Jake's concern, but at the same time it wasn't something I could see myself doing. Maybe I just
believed that I could do it myself once my time came. 

     My time didn't come during our rush to MegaKat BioChemicals. After my jetski* was
literally eaten by the creep that caught me midway, I was thrown back into muck. This one was a
lot deeper than the pool in our obstacle course. Even semi-conscious, I felt myself sinking. 

     The next thing I felt was Razor beside me, pressing his oxygen mask against my mouth to
give me air... and his mini Octopus Missile to get rid of the little critter that was gnawing at my
back at the moment. I could have swam at that moment, but to be sincere, I was indeed starting to
freak out. I guess I managed to calm down a bit after we got out. 
     
     Then, once we reached MegaKat BioChem, I started to feel the change... a feeling of
anger, a feeling of... destruction. I don't know where my mind went, but I was screaming. I found
myself attacking my partner with no remorse. Deep inside, it was like I was a zombie. I could see
what was happening, but I couldn't stop the... creature inside me. I was a monster. I was
deliberately trying to hurt my partner and there was no stopping me. And, had Razor not used
another missile to stop me, I could've done worse.  Heaven knows what I would have done had
Razor not reacted the way he did. 

     My time finally came once I inhaled the anti-mutagens that turned me back to normal. I
heard the explosion. But, I could care less of what had happened to me. The only thought that ran
through my head was if Razor was still around... and if he could forgive me after all that
happened. If he could forgive me for my feeble attempts of hurting him when my mind was gone. 

     My heart stopped when I saw him sinking, unconscious. I suppose that's where the "sink
or swim" metaphor came into place. No sooner did I spy my friend sinking slowly towards the
bottom than I swam after him to get him to the surface. 

     I didn't even stop to think about that part. My only concern was if Razor was still
breathing. I was desperate. I needed to wake him up... I needed to see him alive. I wasn't ready to
lose him that way. 

     Kats, was I relieved to see him open his eyes. I could have laughed when the first words to
come out of his mouth were, "I thought you didn't know how to swim."

     And, it's true that I didn't know how it felt to be a giant mutant frog either, but that's in the
past. 

     I figure with everything that happened today, I might as well give it a rest. Jake forgave
me. I overcame my fear. However, the fear of losing my best friend still remains. I'm not going to
lose Jake... I'll be sure of that. 
     
     Until then, only one thought crosses my mind as I finish this entry. 

     Thanks, Jake. Thanks a lot.

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*- I'm not too sure what the Boys called their jetskis in that episode... that is, if they had a name
for it. I tried looking for the name in various websites, but no luck thus far. If anybody can give
me the name, I'll give you a cookie! ;) 

Inspirational Music: 

Loreena McKennitt (The Mask and the Mirror)

Track 7 -- "Ce He Mise Le Ulaingt (Who am I to Bear it?)/The Two Trees"
Track 8 -- "Prospero's Speech"