Hero Goat and Grey Wolf: The Black Cat From Another Dimension!
By Misterebony
Based on the Chinese cartoon “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf”
Some names have been changed in translation.

PRELUDE The Prophecy

It was written in the days of the Slow Goat and the Dark Wolf. For hundreds of years, the two would war. One would fight to eat the other. The other would fight to preserve his race. There would be no true peace.

Until...

Outside help arrived. Giving a new way of life. Oh there would be new problems. But peace between the two would be achieved.

If it wasn't, the invasion to follow would destroy all.

This was the prophecy of the False Wolf, the one who would come to bring peace to both sides for all eternity. The time of the prophecy's fulfillment has arrived.

Now all that remains is whether the two sides, the Wolves and the Goats, will make peace due to the False Wolf's efforts... or if all will be swept away by the Invading Force.

Time would soon tell... In the Great Green Valley.

CHAPTER 1 Great Green Valley, A Typical Day

The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The wolves were scheming.

Grey and Redd, two wolves descended from the ancient enemy of Soft Goat the Tricky, sat in a little tree house looking through their telescopes. Grey smiled and chuckled evilly, the wolf having a thin form from lack of rich food, and wearing a multicolored hat on his head that looked like an acorn cap meets a French beanie. He had a scar under his right eye, and dark eyes with grey fur all over, except on the tip of his tail, which was white.

“Ahh, look at them my lovely wife. All those goats, all that meat to eat.” He said, looking to Redd. Redd, who was his bride, was much fancier dressed than he was, wearing a nice looking full body gown wit white wool trim. She also had painted claws and eyelashes, both in pink, light colored eyes and a beauty mark on her right cheek. Her mouth had red lipstick and was small and cute. But under this cute form hid a NASTY temper, and it flared up again as she hit Grey in the face with one of her many frying pans.

“Yes Grey, AND NONE IN OUR BELLIES!” She said, pulling the frying pan away to reveal another big bump on Grey’s face. “Every day you promise me a nice young goat to fill my starving belly, and every day you come home empty handed. Your schemes always fail, even when we have the goat right in our cook pot!” 

“But love… I promise this time is different….”

CLANG! Another hit knocked him out of the tree, sending him falling to the path below. There Grey stayed while Redd looked over the Great Green Grassland.

It was a nice place to live… if you were a goat. In the center of the land was a wide chasm. Under it was a river filled with biterfish, who ate wolves if they ever got close. Over it was a rickety bridge that had fallen into disrepair, since goats never used it anymore except in rare cases. Beyond it lay Goat village, filled with thousands of tasty young goats of all shapes and sizes (Even nice and plump!), but a high fence and barbed wire blocked it, and someone was always in the watchtowers at the gates. Time and time again the wolves tried to get in and steal a goat or two for their dinner, but each time they failed, left to eat veggies and whatever small game they could find in their home of the vast Spooky Wood.

“Which,” Redd said often, “was not my idea for a home. It’s nice and big and all, but too far from those yummy goats.”

Meanwhile, Grey got up finally, shaking his head to wake up, and got out a small vial. He was a practicing inventor, chemist, and magician, though not really much good at any. But the potion he held THIS time was sure to work.

All he had to do was get one of the goats to drink it.

***************

Goat Village was a buzz with activity, as always. But not the kind we humans do, not a lot of hard work and such. No, today was sport day, and the goats were playing at their favorite games.

One such goat, a cute little goat with a blue collar, was named Hero. He was working in the soccer game, his team ahead by one goal and with the ball. He laughed as he dodged some of the other goats, heading upfield.

“Pass it here!” A pretty goat said, wearing a pink bow on her head and having a cute, cuddly appearance. Beauty also secretly had a crush on Hero, and was always eager to show off what she could do. 

“Here!” Hero said, passing the ball just in time… only to have it taken by a big, muscle bound goat with tanned skin. It was Muscle, one of the biggest goats in Great Green Valley… and one of the rudest sometimes. He also was jealous of Hero, as he liked Beauty too… A LOT.

Muscle headed down the field, eager to score a goal. His teammates weren’t a lot of help though, especially since one wearing a yellow and orange bib was asleep at the sideline! This goat, Lazy, was always daydreaming or eating… or sleeping. Muscle always teased him about his wool, especially on his head where it was bunched up like a white poo pile. He groaned now however, passing it to his other teammate.

This other teammate was considerably more helpful. Cute was bigger than even Muscle, and looked big and fat. But she was actually all muscle, the strongest in Great Green Valley, not that she used it much. She was often using her brains more... and her kindness.

“I gotcha now!” Hero called, diving for the ball, but a second too late. Cute had already shot it towards the goal. The goat at the goal dived for it….

… and time ran out JUST as it went in.

“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!” An elderly goat shouted, having not only a thick coat of wool but also a big mustache and thick glasses. “The game is over, and we have another tie this year!”

Hero chuckled as Cute helped him up. “Nice shot. I never would have stopped that one.”

Cute smiled. “Well, you taught me all I know.” The others smiled and cheered… except for Muscle, who was hoping to WIN, not TIE. He hmphed and headed off toward the gate, Beauty not far behind.

“Mad again?” She asked, finally catching up near the main gates of Goat Village. He turned and faced her.

“I’m sick and tired of always having to settle for second or even have to share first. Just once I want to be the best, because THAT is what I am… THE BEST!” He flexed his muscles and showed off his form… but Beauty wasn’t paying attention. Something by the gate had caught her eye.

It was a small vial full of what looked like lemonade. Beauty smiled as she saw it. Lemonade, after all, was one of her favorite drinks. Muscle, angry she wasn’t paying attention, stormed off for home, still angry that Hero had tied him. He did not see Beauty open the vial and take a drink, loving the taste. He did not see her eyes suddenly glaze over, the potion doing its work. And he DID NOT see beauty start to walk out the main gate of Goat Village, heading right for Greybeard Castle.

All he knew was that he was angry at Hero for pretty much beating him, and he wanted to get back at him somehow!

*****************

Grey was wide eyed with delight as he saw WHO took the potion, and that it had worked! His newest creation, the potion was meant to lure goats away, making them believe that there was everything they desired deep in Scary Forest. It would make them go right to one location:

The cooking pot in Greybeard Castle.

“YES! I knew it would work this time!” Grey said, happily jumping up and down, running for home but keeping Beauty in sight. He could just imagine his wife’s look when she got home and saw beauty sitting in the pot with a big smile on her face, ready to cook into stewed goat. And then AFTER the meal…

“Afterward… oh finally we could snuggle like we used to!” He shivered in anticipation. “I can’t wait!”

He followed her all the way to a large stone castle, with what looked like footpaw-shaped windows, bats everywhere, and a huge green pipe by the entrance (Not sure why that was there…), a sight for sore eyes. Goats called it Greybeard Castle. Grey just called it home. Inside, it was spooky, like something out of a horror novel, with the main gate opening to a lavish throne room lit by torches. Grey followed Beauty as she walked into this frightening place, turning into a chamber on the right side. Inside it was a huge cook pot, wood stacked underneath, various spices and vegetables, cook stoves, knives of all sorts, and cages and rope. It was the kitchen. Beauty happily climbed into the pot, still in her trance.

And Redd was right there to see it.

“WHAT THE?!” She said, wide eyed with sheer delight. Wolf chuckled.

“Aww, I wanted to surprise you!” He smiled and patted Beauty’s head. “The lure lemonade works like a charm. She will sit there for about another 20 minutes. By then she will be cooking into goat stew!”

Redd laughed and kissed her husband. “Oh darling darling, you finally did it! Let’s not waste time! I’ll slice the veggies, you make the broth!”

“Of course my sweet…” CLANG! On his head went the frying pan, his smile frozen in place. At first he wondered why his wife had hit him.

And then he looked to the door of the kitchen. She was pointing at a new arrival, which looked ready to fight.

“You let yourself be FOLLOWED?!” Redd shouted angrily. She looked at the large tanned goat. “And by the least edible one of the bunch!” 

“I thought it odd when I saw the gate wide open, so I figured you had to be up to something.”

The two wolves were silent. “Soooo…. I wasn’t followed?” Grey asked.

Muscle smacked his face. “Why would I need to follow? You live here, and I figured here is where you would try to eat Beauty. But not if I can help it!”

Redd smiled and blew on her nails. “How heroic. The brave hero trying to save the lovely goat he likes. But also kinda foolish.” She pulled a switch beside her, and smiled as the floor gave way below Muscle. He stood on air for a second, his feet waving about, before he fell down into the pit. Redd looked over into it. “Now you stay there until we get that muscle turned into fat. I rather my goat meals be sweet and soft, like this little lady here.” She returned to the task at hand, getting a HUGE knife to slice veggies, while Grey poured broth into the pot. Beauty sat there smiling as the preparations continued…

********

Twenty minutes later, Beauty came out of her dream. Her dream of her and Hero married with little goats and always having lots of tangy sweets and yummy cabbage…

Immediately she realized she was in a very HOT situation. Redd looked at her, slicing into another carrot into the tasty smelling broth. “Morning.” She said tauntingly. “Enjoy your nap?”

Beauty screamed so loud that she almost knocked Redd over. She rubbed her aching ears as she saw Beauty struggle and squirm in the broth. “Oh stop this at once!” She said, pointing a knife at her, making the goat go wide eyed, tears in her eyes. “Either you sit still and cook or I chop you up. I am sick and tired of you being prettier than I am. It was soooo lucky YOU were the one who drank that potion, now I can eat you at long last!”

Beauty whimpered. But then she remembered something. “Wait… can I have a last request?” She begged. Redd smiled and chuckled.

“A last request?” She repeated. “Welllllll… all right. What is it?”

Beauty smiled. “Well… You want to be pretty… and I would love it if… just for a few minutes… I worked on making you pretty.”

Now Redd was a hungry wolf. More than anything she loved the idea of eating sheep and goats, her favorite dishes, at every meal. That was why she moved here in the first place! But even more so she loved to be pretty. She always worried she would not be the most beautiful thing in the world, so she constantly tried to improve her looks.

“Hmmmmm… well… I see no harm in taking a few minutes to work on it.” She said, pulling Beauty from the broth. “Besides, not like anyone will save you now, right?” She led the lightly cooked Beauty into her bedroom. Beauty cremes and beauty products lined the shelves of a huge dresser with a big mirror. Vanity was something Redd knew a lot about, and she was eager to always be prettier.

So she sat, and Beauty set to work. She knew she had to stall as long as she could. Surely the goat on duty at the time saw her, and she had to last long enough until help comes…

**********

“HERO!!!! HERO!!!!!!” A young goat said, running to the reward banquet for the soccer game. “It’s Muscle! He left without notification, headed for Scary Wood!”

Hero blinked, and thought it over. Muscle would go to scary wood only for three reasons: To pick on small animals, to try and find a nice surprise for Beauty, or…

“Gather the others! I think Beauty is in trouble, if not Beauty AND Muscle!” He told the young goat, already thinking of a plan.

He told the other goats his plan and they giggled. This would be so embarrassing for the wolves!

**************

Redd looked herself over a few times. Her fur had been combed out and perfumed, and her nails well decorated. She smiled prettily at the mirror, Beauty off to the side, out of time and trying to be brave.

“Well… my my MY!” Redd said. “You really are good at this! I look ten years younger, if not more!”

Beauty gulped. Please ask for more she thought to herself…

“Now that you made me so pretty for dinner, we need to get you back in the pot.”

Beauty went wide-eyed and spoke up. “W-w-wait!” She said, holding up her hands. “What about your… um.. dress?”

Redd looked it over. “What about it?”

“Well no offense, but wool lined material is a little out of style. You need something more… today.”

Redd hmmed… “All right… but don’t wait too much longer, I’m starving!”

*******************

Outside, Grey pulled up another fresh carrot for the carrot cake dessert he was making. He smiled happily as he thought how happy his wife would be. As he thought this, he saw a sight that made him blink…

It was Hero, all tied up and led by some of the other goats. Grey was wide eyed as he saw this, chuckling. 

“Well well! What is this?”

“A trade.” Hero said. “Let Muscle and Beauty go, and you get me.”

Grey smiled and shook his head. “Oh I don’t think so. I know how this works. You get in, we start the trade you knock me down and get away… not happening!”

Hero smiled. “I thought you might say that.” He said, winking an eye. Grey turned around... just as he was smacked with a HUGE frying pan. He spun about for a few times, then fell to the down, out cold. 

“One down, one to go.” Hero said, loosening his rope. “The worst part… if he had actually agreed he would have foiled the whole plan!” He chuckled and went in, the others heading back, their job done.

He headed right for the kitchen, where he almost fell into a pit at the door. He looked down and saw Muscle, trying to get out.

“Hang on!” He called down, lowering some rope. Muscle groaned as Hero saved him… AGAIN… and walked out without so much as a thank you. 

“Well, I must say, you know your stuff…” Hero heard a voice say. Immediately, he hid behind a big stack of books. He saw the pit close, and in walk Beauty and a simply ravishing wolf lady. It took Hero a minute to realize the wolf clothed in punk leather and well made up was Redd.

Beauty was led on by her, tears in her eyes. She was sure no one had come and her time was up… when she heard a clang behind her. Se turned and saw Redd, eyes spinning before she fell forward with a HUGE bump on her head… and Hero right behind her!

“HERO!” Beauty said, hugging him and giving a kiss. Hero blushed and led Beauty out, not bothering to ask about what had happened. Besides, there was still the awards banquet to finish up!

*************

Grey whimpered as he ate silently, feeling like he failed again. But Redd kept staring at the mirror. 

“You know… this IS a good look for me.” She said, tasting more of the goat-flavored broth. “AND this is reasonably good too.” She said. Grey gulped.

“S-s-s-s-s-so…. Your not mad?” He said. But what happened next made the roof of the castle lift off.

“OF COURSE I AM MAD YOU TWIT! WE LOST A GREAT GOAT DINNER!!!!!!”

CLANG! SLAM! SMASH!

“HOLD STILL!!!!”

“Love, stop, put down that hammer!”

CRASH!

Ahhhhhh… life as usual.

****************

Things began to stir in the south. Rumors to circulate. THEY were coming back. Their king was back.

And if they were right, no one could stop them until all were devoured.

CHAPTER 2: Mistaken Identity.

It was three days after Grey’s bumps healed. Redd was back in her old outfit, and she immediately sent him out to catch a goat. But what was left to try? Grey had tried potions, contraptions, and even time travel! All of which had failed. As Redd wandered in the woods that morning, she was starting to realize she would never taste succulent goat except as broth flavoring. 

Redd could live on that, but oh to sink her teeth into a stewed goat again, just once…

“Not that my idiot husband ever will deliver.” She said angrily. “His schemes always fail. And it doesn’t help that it is usually my ideas that bring in the goats. If he would just stick to the plan for once…” She hmmed as she saw a form in the shadows of Scary Forest. It looked like her husband.

“That lazy bum!” She said angrily, pilling out her trademark throwing frying pan. Many times it had hit Grey on the noggin to remind him what he promised her. Now he needed reminded again! 

She let it fly, until she heard the definitive CLANG! That marked a direct hit. She walked over to scold her husband.

“Now see here you lazy wolf. You need to go and geeee….HUH?!” She said, wide eyed with shock, for the form was NOT her husband.

Laying there, a huge bump on the head, was a big black cat. He was taller than Redd or Grey, and wore only a red vest. On the ground nearby was an odd device Redd had never seen before. It looked like a remote control, but… the buttons were weird. Red poked the feline once, but he did not wake up.

“Oh no, I killed him!” She said worriedly. “Oh dear, what do I do?!” She paced back and forth, then ahhing some. “I know, I’ll rob his belongings and get rid of the body!” She reached into the vest to see what she could find… 

…only to be suddenly grabbed at the wrist.

“You better not be a robber.” The feline said in a deep voice… before being clubbed again with the frying pan.

He eeped a little, but this time he was clearly ready for it. He released Redd and rubbed his new sore. “Outch!” He said. “Enough with that all right? Just put it away.”

Redd held it steady. “Stay back! I am a married woman, and my husband is very strong and brave!” She lied, hoping to scare the feline. But he smiled.

“Relax. I am no rapist or anything like that. But you should look before you throw frying pans at random people. Or were you just hunting?” he chuckled as Redd blushed. “Ha, no need to answer. My name is Edward Broa’d Ebony, but everyone just calls me Ebony or Mr. Ebony.” He reached down and picked up his little device. “And who are you?”

She blinked and swallowed, finally answering. “Redd. Redd Wolf. That is my name.”

He chuckled. “Last dimension I was in the woman named Red was RUNNING from a wolf, not the actual wolf herself.” 

Redd tilted her head. “Dimension?”

Ebony smiled. “Obviously not at that tech level yet. No matter, it is of no consequence. Besides, not like I really need to worry much anymore.”

Redd shook her head. Either this feline was nuts, or he was through a lot. Redd was certain he was nuts. “Ummm… I have to go find my husband.”

Ebony nodded. “Of course. Nice meeting you. But let us hope next time we don’t meet using frying pans.” He went to start off… when a form crashed into him, flying from out of the sky. Well, trying to fly anyway. Grey had a rocketpack strapped to his back, and had run out of fuel. As the smoke cleared, He and Ebony were both out cold. Redd shook her head and sighed.

“O.K., I am now convinced. Men are all idiots.” She said, deciding it best if she take both of them home. As she went, she did not notice the small device fall to the ground…

***************

At Greybeard Castle, Ebony’s and Grey’s wounds were bandaged, and they now sat at the table sipping some tea. Ebony smiled as he drank it.

“Quite good. I noticed you use a lot of fresh herbs for your tea.” He said, making Redd smile.

“Grey picks them. Have to be careful though, sometimes they have NASTY side effects.” She said, giggling. Ebony ahhed some.

“Kinda like some of my potions, at least at first.” He said. Grey blinked.

“YOU make potions? Freeze potions? Mind control potions? Maybe even some size alteration?”

Ebony chuckled. “Obviously an alchemist.” He said to Grey, who blushed in embarrassment. “But yes. All of the above and more. I have potion recipes for just about everything, but my favorite potions are body coolant, and regen.”

Both the wolves blinked in confusion, never hearing of either one. So Ebony explained. 

“Body Coolant is for prey you cook. It makes it pleasurable, even enjoyable, and definitely survivable. I chew up prey still wriggling after being baked in a pie, and they giggle the whole time. But my regeneration potion is even better. It allows the drinker to reform after being eaten. I have two varieties of that. With one the prey reforms in a set place, but with the other the prey reforms back at home. I use the latter for the kids who come and visit.”

Now, Ebony actually meant HUMAN kids. But Redd and Grey only knew one kind of kid: GOAT KID. Immediately their eyes sparkled and their mouths watered.

Redd spoke, dreamily. “Soooo…. You eat a lot of kids?” 

Ebony nodded. “Oh all the time. I keep a few willing ones in my pantry at all times.”

Grey chuckled, remembering how Beauty had willingly jumped in the pot under that trance, and imagining a whole pantry of entranced Beauty Goats, all willing to be supper…

CLANG!

“Please pay attention to our guest!” Redd said angrily, Grey rubbing the top of his head. Ebony chuckled some at the sight.

“No offense, but this is why I myself will probably never marry. I know I would be at the other end of that frying pan wayyyyyy too much. Then again, very few explorers and adventurers marry.”

Redd smiled. “Well, he married me out of luck really. Buuuut…” She looked at him and smiled. “He DOES have his moments. I mean, I love him enough to have had his son.”

Ebony nodded, as in walked a cute little baby wolf, pushing a toy truck. He made vroom vroom sounds as he went, making Ebony chuckle. He turned to watch, the wolf parents watching too.

“You’re big!” He suddenly said to Ebony. He chuckled.

“Your small.” He said, the wolf giggling.

“I’m hungry!”

“I’m Ebony.”

All of them laughed some, laughed like never before. Grey was starting to like this feline. But then he thought of something. “Lil’ Grey, why don’t you show our guest all your toys, all right?”

Ebony smiled as the little Grey wolf led the feline away. Redd looked confused. “What is it dear?”

“Redd, this time I got an idea that HAS to work. I promise, either we get a goat dinner this time, or I will leave and you never have to see me again.”

Redd blinked. “You must be pretty confident to make a promise like that. Keep talking.”

Grey smiled and spoke his dastardly plan to his wife, who giggled at how deliciously malicious it was!

****************

That night in Goat Village the goats were all laughing and teasing about how Grey had failed so many times. Hero smiled some as the latest scheme was mentioned.

“The only time he hasn’t been greedy, and it backfires! Hero that was so nice!” One goat said.

“Yeah, but it is not like we really ever have to worry. They are so dumb they will never catch us!” Said another.

“And if they do, Hero just sets us free again!” beauty chimed in, everyone (Except Muscle) agreeing to that. They raised their glasses of juice to their hero, smiling and cheering, Hero just blushing at all of the attention. Slow Goat quickly quieted everyone down however.

“Hold it everyone. It is true we have outwitted the wolves countless times. But our ancestors warned of this day. Our people would get too careless, and then boom! We are right smack in their stomachs. So I suggest you celebrate but do not forget wolves are a crafty lot.”

“Crafty?” Muscle said with a snort. “LAZY is more crafty than old Grey Wolf and his wife. We can out think those two in our sleep!”

The other goats agreed. All but Hero, who saw wisdom in Slow Goat’s words. But Muscle was right to… I mean, what was left for them to try?

******************

At Greybeard Castle, Ebony was shown Grey’s potion chamber next. He had already had a tour of most of the castle (though he snickered a little as he wandered through Redds chambers…), but this room was a delight for him. For some time the two talked, and it was discovered that Grey had a few potions Ebony did NOT have.

“You actually did this?” He said, holding up a box of fattening candy. “I tried for some time to get this right! Was going to use it on Furhunters. How did you do it?”

Grey smiled. “Thank my wife. She found this talking mirror awhile back, and it told the whole recipe for making the stuff. Only used it once though.”

Ebony smiled as he looked at another potion. “And this is your freeze potion, correct?”

“Yes, but it kinda backfired on us.”

“Well, the key is the execution. Instead of a sprayer, why not a time released device, such as a automatic sprayer.”

Grey made a note of this. “Thanks!”

Ebony then turned to him. “Now… about these goats.. you say your race and theirs were at war for years?”

Grey nodded. “They make a point of humiliating me. I tried to fight back with these potions and gadgets my ancestors used, but every time they humiliated my wife and me. They have done so many terrible things to us it is all we can do to survive.” Ebony hmmed and tapped his foot.

“Well… maybe I can help.”

“Excellent!” Grey quickly said. “There is one particular goat who is the worst of all. His name is Hero Goat. Just the other day he hit my poor wife for no reason!”

“What!?” Ebony said. “Well that is a little TOO much like the hunters!”

“So, will you help us catch and eat him?” Grey said.

“Yes… but I think a little of my regen2 potion is called for.”

Grey blinked. “What? Why?”

“Easy.” Ebony said. “They humiliated you and hurt you. Just outright killing them makes you the bad guy. If you humiliate THEM…”

Grey ahhhed some! “That’s a good idea! Thanks!” He whistled, Lil’ Grey walking in. “Will you show our guest to his room?”

The little wolf giggled and nodded, Ebony heading off. As he left, Redd went in. “So, did he buy it?”

Grey chuckled. “he did. He thinks WE are the good guys!”

The two chuckled. But grey continued. “HOWEVER… he wants us to reform our target. I can see why… if we reform them, we can eat them again another time!”

Redd licked her lips. Never-ending goat buffets! She imagined eating goats over and over, becoming huge and round and soft, the envy of her whole family! That did it, se wrapped her arms around Grey and kissed him passionately.

“MMM! Redd!!!!!” Grey said, but Redd was lost in her daydream, delighted at the thought of FINALLY getting a goat.

And this time, nothing would go wrong!

CHAPTER 3 Stewed Goat

Grey’s plan was simple. First, he had to show Ebony that the goats were mean somehow. He figured the best day was on Sunday, when the goats headed into Scary Forest to examine the flora and fauna. Grey watched as, right on cue, out came the goats in a single file, four in all. Muscle led the way, followed by Hero, then Beauty, and Cute at the rear. Grey giggled as he looked them over, looking in his pocket.

There lay the pictorial recipe for a regen 2 potion using local ingredients. If what Ebony said was true, this would be a feast to remember… but he only wanted one, to test it. And he knew just the one. For now though, he put the recipe in his shoe, the one place he would not drop it.

One he had it secure, He set his plan into motion. He waited until they were in a portion of the woods, then he leapt out at them. 

“PEEK-A-BOO!” He shouted. The goats shouting at first, then running after him.

Just like he wanted.

************

In a tree nearby, a little grass hut was set up. Redd and Ebony watched with binoculars as the goats chased Grey, looking positively terrified.

“He was right!” Ebony said, amazed at how mean the goats seemed. “They really are cruel!”

Redd whimpered. “Imagine what they would do to our son.” She said, crying crocodile tears. “I barely sleep thinking about what those mean little goats would do…”

Ebony gasped as Grey fell over, the goats beating on him some. After a bit of smacking and bashing by the biggest goat, Grey hobbled away, the goats laughing. Ebony was furious at the sight. More than anything he hated all forms of cruelty, and this clearly was it from what he saw. He watched as the blue collared one talked, the others laughing some. He shook his head. 

“All right… I will catch that one with the blue collar. Wait here.” He said, slowly climbing down. As he left, a bruised and weakened Grey came to the tree, smiling.

“My love, you performed beautifully.” Redd said, helping him up rather roughly, making his bruises hurt even more. The kisses on them didn’t help either.

No matter. Soon he would have a goat dinner!

***************

All the way back to the village, Hero was less than happy. True, they had just beaten Grey again, preventing him from stealing a goat for his supper.

But this time it seemed TOO easy. It was like Grey was not even trying. Moreover, if he didn’t know any better, Hero was certain Grey was HAPPY to get beat up!

“Man oh man that wolf is getting stupider each day!” Muscle said. “Imagine! Just leaping out at us like that. Oh how foolish can you get!”

Beauty giggled. “I agree. He really is losing his touch if that is the best he can come up with. Maybe he should just retire.”

But Hero tapped his foot. “I don’t think he wanted to catch us this time.”

Muscle blinked. “And why do you say that?” 

“Think about it. Everytime he tried something like that in the past, a feint where we get to beat him up, it was always part of some bigger plan. I have to wonder what he is up to this time.”

Muscle laughed. “Stop being such a downer Hero! We won! That’s what matters. Come on, let’s head on home.”

Hero nodded after a bit, following the others at a distance. He never even saw what hit him when a powerful paw smacked him from behind, knocking him out.

All he saw before going unconscious was something big and black, with a red vest. And all he heard was: “Now you will pay for picking on innocent wolves.”

**************

When Hero woke up, he noticed two things right away. First was how warm and comfortable it was all around him, like he was in a nice warm bath. The second thing he noticed was the smell of something delicious.

Then he noticed WHERE he was: Greybeard Castle’s kitchen, right in the cooking pot, the fire roaring under him. Redd and Grey were setting the table, and stirring the pot was… who was THIS?!

“MMMPH!” He tried to speak.. then realized he had been gagged. Grey’s doing likely.

“Relax. This won’t hurt. My body coolant will see to that.” The form said. It was a big black feline, with only a red vest on, dumping more of the oddly soothing broth on his back… that Hero quickly saw had been shaved. “You were out longer than I wanted. Sorry for that.”

Hero blinked. He was sorry for knocking him out? What was going on?!

“That’s the one all right.” Grey said coming over. “He was the one who surprised me, when I was just trying to find food.”

Hero was wide eyed. So that was it! He made Hero and the other goats look like villains! Now here he was, captured and cooking, with no one to save him this time. He was going to die.

“Now, my Regen2 potion was already added.” The feline said. Grey looked angry about it, as did Redd.

“But that means…”

The feline smiled. “We cannot sink to their level. All you wanted was a meal right?”

Grey blushed and gave a nervous chuckle. “Er, yeah! Of course! Um…. Why don’t you see if we have any wine left?” The feline nodded, leaving the two wolves alone with Hero. He felt strangely heavy…

“Well Hero,” Grey said, looking upset, “it looks like providence smiled on you. You are going to wake up from this little dream. But you will remember. Remember that if you try and stop me again we can do this all over again.”

Redd chimed in. “And next time… I’ll personally slice you into thin strips.”

Hero swallowed, fighting to stay awake. Was he cooked? He didn’t know, he felt so awake. All he knew was that this was so soothing yet so scary… he began to lose consciousness, slipping into the warm broth, amidst the laughter of two hungry wolves.

But his torture did not end. He awoke again to find himself on the dining table, his leg being sawed off. He saw Red finishing his other one off, licking the bone of it.

“MMMM! You taste so good! More my love!” She said. The feline chuckled, eating a smaller portion than the gluttonous wolves. But that was not the worst of it. With every bite or slice at his form, with every part of him becoming dinner, Hero felt waves of pleasure. It was like he was being cuddled at the same time he was being eaten. And it did not help matters when Lil’ Grey kept thanking him for being dinner.

It was that felines fault. He just knew it!

“So… (chomp…. Munch chew… gulp…) What happens when we eat him all up?” Redd asked, taking another bite of Hero’s arm.

“He will wake up back home. But I think he will learn his lesson. Best of all, if you ever need to teach him again you can without killing him. My potion is permanent.”

POTION?! What did this cat DO to him!?

“Well… no sense him staying around any longer.” Grey said. “If I remove the head that speeds it up right?”

The feline nodded. “One quick cut should do it.”

Grey nodded, winking at Hero. Then with one quick motion, down came the knife…

**********

Hero shot up, screaming. He quickly looked about… and saw he was in his bedroom, in the middle of the night. 

He blinked some. How did he get back here? He remembered distinctly being captured. He remembered waking p to being in that stew pot, cooking into a tasty meal. But after that he remembered worse. He could feel every time the knife carved meat from him. He felt as his arms went first, then his legs, then his center was sliced like meat chops.

And he remembered something even scarier… it felt GOOD. Wonderful in fact, to be cooked and eaten by those wolves and that cat. And he remembered the felines words before he got knocked out, not to pick on innocent wolves. The more he thought about it, the more it couldn’t have been anything but a really vivid dream. But it felt so real.

He laid down, still smelling the stew he cooked in within that crazy dream. So real…

*************

“UUUUUUUURRRRRRPPPPP!” Redd said, rubbing her fat belly as she laid by Grey. “Oh, so full of goat! Oh love, that had to be the best scheme you ever did!”

Grey, round and chubby himself, just sighed. He had really done it! He had used one of his schemes to trap and eat Hero Goat at long last! Granted, that stupid feline had given him a potion to make him reform so they would just punish him. “Don’t sink to their level” he had said. But then again Grey couldn’t complain. It beat just having broth flavored with goat, and Hero was nice and tender. And now that he could reform, he could use his schemes to catch him again and REALY make him suffer. Old Greybeard himself would be proud!

Redd snuggled Grey and smiled, rubbing his belly. “Love, I think Ebony may be right. If we reform our food, it would mean an endless supply of goat dinners. Better still, we can use the potions he gave us, mixed with new plans we can come up with, to catch them. Who knows? Maybe we can convince one to stay here as our dinner forever!” She giggled some.

But Grey went wide-eyed. Stay here forever? No more need for hunting?

Perish THAT thought! It just wouldn’t be right! He would be too much like the lazy lions or other animals that just let the food walk to them. Besides, that would never happen, a goat saying just eat me always.

Right?

************

In the south, something began to stir. His forces were ready. It had taken years, as pigs are best for waiting.

And they have. Turmoil is still in the north between their old enemies, the wolves and the goats. The old treaties had long since dissolved. It was time.

CHAPTER 4 The Beauty Parlor Scam

“And you say you didn’t feel a thing when you were eaten?” Slow said. Hero had just finished relating the whole dream to Slow Goat, the Elder. He stroked his woolly mustache and thought it over. 

“Elder, I am not making this up!” Hero said. “It all seemed so real, too real to be a dream. Moreover, the idea of enjoying being cooked and eaten like that, of being stewed and…”

“I get the point Hero.” Slow said. “But you must understand this regen or reformation or whatever you call it… it is impossible. Moreover, I see no reason being eaten would be pleasurable. Wolves ate goats for centuries and it was NO pleasure. And this feline… I don’t ever recall ever hearing of one who looked like that… not in my lifetime anyway.”

Hero sighed some. “Your probably right Elder… it’s so crazy it cannot be true. Still…”

“I suggest you not worry about it anymore.” The Elder said, climbing on his snail. “Now go have some fun! That is what youngsters need to do!”

*****************

“Are you sure you cannot stay?” Grey asked Ebony the next morning, Redd standing by him.

“Sorry, but I have to find my dimensional key before it is stolen. I may have lost it during the raid yesterday. I’ll have to search the forest for it.” He sighed. “At least now you have the regen potion, as well as more than a few doses of body coolant. You have potential as an alchemist Grey. Just practice on the delivery of those potions from what I heard.” With those final tips, Ebony left. As he did, Grey lost his smile.

“Hmph.” He said. “Well, now everytime we capture a new goat we have to give them this regen potion stuff?”

CLANG! Grey was slammed by the frying pan held by his giggling wife. “Oh relax dear! Now we could have an ENDLESS supply of goat! And I know just who to catch now. Moreover, I know just how we will do it.” She whispered her plan to her dazed husband who, in all fairness, was too out cold to really hear. But Redd was so excited by the idea of a big fat goat dinner every night she just could not help herself! She went back inside to set her plan into motion, Grey still wondering about all this.

After all, for hundreds of years wolves chase and catch and eat goats. True he did not have much luck in that department, but the idea was it kept him busy. It was a job, and, pain or no, he liked it. What Ebony talked about, having a pantry filled with willing prey to eat whenever he wanted… it seemed to be too easy. For some reason…

“Well I’m off love!” Redd said, dressed up like a pretty goat, wearing the wool from Hero cut and trimmed into a nice outfit. Grey was wide eyed as it showed off her lovely form. “Can’t let you have all the fun after all.” She kissed his cheek and began to skip off… POTION IN HAND.

Grey sighed. Believe it or not… he was starting to miss the OLD Redd already…

*****************

In her house, Beauty labored trying to get her woolly coat just right… but whatever she tried, it just would not come out right. “Ohhhhh….. no, this looks horrible!” She sighed some, sniffling a little. “And I know if I do not look my best Muscle will tease me again. Oh what will I do?” She hmmed and checked her piggy bank… … … empty!

NOW she started to cry. This was a common thing for Beauty, that whenever she did not get her way, or when she was in trouble, or most often when she had been captured, she would cry. Right now she was crying because she could not afford to go to the Goatiegoat Spa and Bathhouse, which was very expensive. She sniffled some and sighed, looking at herself in the mirror again.

Her wool was a little messed up, and it looked like her skin was burnt in a few areas. She also had a bruise from falling down yesterday. She sighed and sniffled, looking out the window, unaware that she was being watched. Across the bridge, in a tree, Redd giggled as she saw Beauty’s bad wool day, among other things.

“Well now!” She said, licking her lips. “This plan will work more than ever now! I just know you will like a little trip to the spa.” She chuckled evilly as she said that, throwing a paper airplane towards the house, the aim was perfect, and soon it landed in Beauty’s bedroom. Beauty hmmed as she saw the airplane on the ground, and picked it up.

On it was a picture of several goats relaxing at various places in a big spa. One was getting a back massage, another a beauty wrap, and other enjoying a trip to a hot spring bath. Underneath the pictures were these words:

“Worried about your wool? Lingering hours over your looks? Suffering to sparkle? Then come on over to the Big Red Spa, where our goal is your beauty! Just follow the signs in Spooky Wood. Special Offer: Your first visit is free!”

Beauty read this and her eyes sparkled. She was worried she would not be able to do this, since the spa in town was sooo… EXPENSIVE! But she was smiling now. She knew a trip like this might be just what the doctor ordered! With a skip to her step she started out, eager to get prettied up again for Hero. She left her home, not telling anyone she was going. She figured someone would be over at the spa. Ah well, she would talk to them there. She skipped about as she got to the fence, heading out of the gate for spooky wood…

**************

Redd smiled as she looked at Grey’s work. His potions had enabled the quick construction of a small red building, large enough to pass for a spa. Grey sighed as he was dressed like a masseuse goat, Redd loving her own outfit.

“Hmmmm…” She said. “I am thinking something besides stewed goat tonight. How about a goat pastry? I can easily do that in a spa, just watch and see.” She giggled some, reformation potion in hand. “But first things first. Have to get it ready. EVERYTHING about it.” She giggled and skipped inside the building, loving how much like a spa it looked. Masseuse tables, large tubs, relaxing music, vibrating chairs, the only out of pace things were a massive oven and a big stew pot, meant to look like a steam room and a hot tub respectively. Redd giggled evilly, especially at the thought of Beauty Goat Pastry baking in that great big oven until perfection, until at last she would open her mouth and…

“Excuse me,” a sweet voice said behind Redd, “are you open for business?”

Redd eeped and turned around, looking right at Beauty who looked nervous and eager at the same time. PERFECT timing! “Oh of COURSE we are open. But it sure has been a slow day for us. we had two other visitors leave awhile ago though. I am Big Red, the owner of this little beauty parlor, and over by the massage tables is Enrique, our best masseuse.”

Grey chuckled a little at his name, trying to look as tough as possible. Beauty was wide eyed at all the beauty supplies, and was not sure where to go first. Redd giggled, her plan working perfectly.

“May I suggest a nice massage to work out that tension?” Redd said. “Enrique is the best in all of Great Green Grasslands. I am sure you will enjoy it.”

Beauty nodded, heading over to Grey. He said nothing, not even sure how TOO sound, just having Beauty lay on her belly while he rubbed his back, making her nice and tender. He put on some soft music, Beauty sighing happily.

“This feels so good… I bet you are really expensive.” She said wistfully. “You’re even better than the spa in town.”

Grey chuckled at that, as Redd handed him some spices and flavored oil to rub into her back. He sprinkled the spices on, then rubbed them in with the oil…

“Mmmm… something smells good…” beauty said, Grey starting to sweat nervously. “Why does it smell so… sweet?”

Grey was about to speak when he was smashed with a frying pan, Redd speaking up. “It’s to enhance your beauty. The oils and cocoa butter, as well as sweet spices, help to bring out your best looks.” Beauty ahhed and nodded, having experienced that herself. “But I think next we should do a facial and body wrap. To clean the skin and wool and make that face look so deliciously sweet.” 

Beauty nodded. She loved those full body wraps, they felt so good! She got up, Greys initial prep work done, and started to walk though she found it hard. “Why is it so hard to move?”

Redd giggled. “Relax. Your body is at ease, and wants to just rest.” She helped Beauty onto a thick gooey mass. It was sweet dough, but Beauty just relaxed thinking it the beauty wrap mixture. She laid on her back as Redd sprinkled cocoa, cinnamon, and sugar on her, and a few drops of the regen potion. Finally she added some honey.

“Oh that smells wonderful.” Beauty said, her eyes closed as this happened. “But why all the sweet things?”

“Natural sweets and sugars, especially honey, are good cleansers. Chocolate also works wonders for the skin.” She got two slices of strawberry and put them on Beauty’s eyes, the spread chocolate over her face. “There. Now we wrap you up.” Redd was salivating as she worked fast, wrapping Beauty in the thick, gooey dough. She was wrapped so tight Beauty could not escape even if she wanted too. And for the moment she did not want to.

“Ma’am,” Beauty asked, moaning as a rolling pin went across the dough. Really it was to smooth it out so it would bake evenly, but Beauty thought it was another massage. “How much is this place? I want to come back sometime.”

Redd froze. Apparently the ruse worked TOO well! Grey saw she was struggling and spoke up. “Why only 10 dollars, Beauty!”

Beauty smiled, then hmmed. How did he know her name? And that accent… Wait…. Wait a minute…. 

“Well that is really cheap! I’ll definitely be back!” She finally said, Redd and Grey breathing a sigh of relief. The prep done, Redd placed the goat pastry on a big baking tray that could slide into the oven, flaming and ready to bake Beauty into a rich treat.

“Well… in you go!” Redd said. Beauty hmmed but got no answer as she went backward, warmth bathing her, and the sound of a metal door shutting followed by a lock filling her ears. The warmth was nice like a summery day, but also was oddly making her tired… and why did it smell like something was baking?

And then it hit her. The accent. Knowing her name. The spices… 

She let out a scream and tried to struggle, but it was no use. She was too tightly wrapped in the thick gooey dough to move. She was baking for dinner. Slowly she started to cry, fearing her end.

***********

“Are you sure no one has seen her today?” Hero said, outside the spa where Beauty usually was. “We were supposed to go fishing.”

“Sorry hero, I haven’t seen her. If she was here she would have come hours ago.” Cute goat said, rubbing her newly cleaned skin. “I don’t see why she would not be here, she loves the spa.”

Beside Hero, Muscle thought some. “Well, maybe she is at home. Let’s go check!” 

Hero nodded, heading out. But it would be a long walk from the spa…

***************

“How…. How is this possible?” beauty said weakly at that very moment. She was baked to perfection, her legs already sliced into sweet buns, at which the two wolves feasted. “I mean.. why does this feel so good?”

Grey hmphed and said nothing, but Redd smiled. “You can think a guest for that. Best of all, soon you will wake up thinking this all a dream.”

And then it happened. Something that rarely happened in non-vore worlds…

“You mean… we can do this again?” Beauty said, much to the shock of Redd AND Grey, who suddenly dropped what they were eating. “I mean… It feels kinda nice… and if what you say is true… that I will come back… Could we do this again?”

Grey was about to speak but Redd screamed for joy! “Oh of COURSE! Just come by the castle and we will cook you up good and proper! And bring that Hero too, he was tasty!”

Beauty blinked, moaning a little as Grey took a big piece, eating it feverishly. “What do you mean?”

Redd chuckled. “Ask him about his dream last night.” She took out a big knife. “In fact, ask him when you wake up.”

Beauty wondered what she meant, when the knife came down, cutting the upper fourth of the pastry off, Beauty losing consciousness in a spell of bliss… Only to shoot up in her own bed. She looked about for a moment, then looked at herself… and went wide-eyed.

Her skin! First of all she was alive, but second of all she looked better than ever! She got right up and looked at the mirror… she looked flawless! Her wool was neat and shiny, her skin lightly tanned, her bruise gone, every flaw vanished. She smiled and glowed, knowing now it could NOT have been just a dream.

That was her thought as Hero rushed in, panting. He blinked some as he saw her, prettier than ever. Both he and Muscle were wide eyed at how beautiful she looked, even more than ever before.

“Hi Hero!” She said, giggling. Hero wondered why the sudden break out in giggles, but Beauty knew. And soon Hero would too.

************

Back at the castle, Redd rubbed her round belly, full of Beauty Goat Pastry. She sighed happily as she applied the rest of the cocoa to her face, relaxing in the throne room. 

“Well, I better go get us some dinner.” Grey said, about to start out, but Redd held up her hand.

“Don’t worry about it my love.” She said softly, her claw motioning him over as she stroked his cheek. “From now on I think the dinners will come to us. I guess the old phrase is true: you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

Grey was wide eyed, the invention he had to catch another goat dropping and shattering. “But… but…”

“Please dear. Why don’t you go relax for awhile.” She sighed, patting her gut, Grey walking away in shock. Relax? All of a sudden years of tradition had just been thrown away. Why had this happened? He missed the thrill of the hunt, the sound of struggling goats…

“And love… please have some sugar cake ready for when Beauty shows up? I want her to feel welcome.” Grey was wide eyed even more, his jaw dropping. What in the world was going on?!

*************

Elsewhere, Ebony was searching for his device, but the commotion of the day made him curious. When he saw no goats attacking from where the village was supposed to be, not to mention finding the odd looking spa, like the vore one back home, he tilted his head.

“Something is very wrong here… Maybe I better do some investigating of those goats…”

CHAPTER 5 A Pair of Discoveries

Hero opened the door to his home, wide-eyed, Beauty right behind. She smiled some at his reaction to what she had told her. It was so similar to his dream in so many ways that it could not be coincidence.

“Are you absolutely sure?” He asked her. “I mean, it was a crazy dream, and that’s all…”

“Hero…” Beauty said, pointing at her face. “You said the whole time I was fishing how pretty I looked. I didn’t do this. That treatment did. Being in that wrap did. That is how I KNOW it really happened.” She then sighed. “And I am going again.”

Hero put his hands on her, wide eyed. “Are you crazy?! You KNOW what they will do to you!”

Beauty nodded. “Yes. And I think it is okay now. I mean… you were, and your back. And I was, then I came back. So let’s go. If nothing else, it keeps those two from bothering the others.”

Hero was about to comment when an alarm bell rang out. Both goats forgot their conversation and ran out of Hero’s house, heading for the main gate. The other goats were there, watching it carefully. It was night, so they had to look sharp.

Especially since the shadowy form they saw could not be seen clearly. It looked like a taller wolf, but they could not be sure. Hero and Beauty swallowed nervously as Slow came over.

“He showed up just a bit ago.” He said. “We are pretty sure it is Grey, but we cannot be certain this time. It could be Redd or one of their relatives.”

“B-b-b-but why w-would they suddenly attack?” beauty said nervously. Had it all really been just a dream?

“They are wolves.” Slow said, turning to the gate. “It is what they do.” The goats watched as Muscle turned on the fence the moment the form grabbed it. A shout of pain came from the form, which dropped in a heap. But when the goats shown a light on him, it was clear this was no wolf.

“What is that?” Cute said. “Some kind of panther?”

“Maybe it’s a big housecat.” Muscle said. “Anything with a belly like that.”

Lazy hmmed some. “What about those vials it has? Are they fruit juices? They look more like soda the way they fizz…”

Slow sighed. “Bring him in, and put him in one of the cages in the lab. We will question him there.”

The goats began to go, but Hero hesitated. He recognized the feline and went white as a sheet. He did not even hear as Slow came up behind him.

“Hero, I said why aren’t you helping?!” He shouted, making Hero jump. He turned to the Elder. “Something wrong my lad? You look like you have seen a ghost!”

Hero swallowed. “It’s… nothing.” He turned to Beauty after the others started off. “Go find Grey and Redd, and see if you can get to the bottom of this. I am certain HE is the feline from my dream!”

Beauty nodded and headed out, going as fast as she could. But she did not get too far from the village before tripping over something. She eeped a little as she landed face first in the forest soil. Rubbing her face, she turned to see what she tripped over.

“Huh?” She said, grabbing the odd looking object. “What is this?”

She began to press some buttons, and let out a scream.

****************

Ebony awoke to find himself in a steel room, surrounded on all sides by bars. All about him were mad looking goats, except one who was asleep in the corner, and the goat with the blue collar he helped capture the other day. He was in the back corner, shivering a little, as if something bad was about to happen.

“Now then, seeing as you are up, we can ask you some questions.” The oldest goat said, stroking his mustache. Ebony knew this had to be the Elder. “Why did you attack our home?”

Ebony blinked. “Attacked? I was there to investigate. I was getting ready to knock on the gate door when I got a shock the moment I touched it. Next thing I know here I am!”

A big muscled goat stepped forward. “Are you helping the wolves? Is that why you were spying on us?”

Ebony blinked. So they WERE enemies. “After some of the things you do to them I could do nothing else but.”

“WHAT WE DO TO THEM?!” the big goat said. “Are you CRAZY?!”

A large but cute goat stepped forward. “He must be. His clothes are so outlandish, and those vials he carries… I matched them up with more enhanced versions of Grey’s potions. He must be helping them.”

The elder sighed. “Who are you?”

Ebony looked at the blue collared goat. “Ask him. He saw me before. He should have convinced you to cease your attacks on the wolves.”

The goat went wide-eyed. Everyone turned in surprise, but then the elder turned back, grassy vines growing on his head. “Wait….a…. minute… by an chance… did you catch and eat Hero?”

Muscle blinked. “Elder? That’s stupid! He’s right there, how could Hero have been eaten if he is standing right there?!”

The elder sighed. “Because he reformed.” He looked at the feline. “Didn’t he?”

Ebony nodded. “Yes.”

Everyone looked at Hero, who began to sweat. He was not sure how they would react to his being caught. But the elder continued.

“Well… this is interesting. Apparently now Wolf is going to reform us after he eats us, so he always has a full pantry. Is there no low he stoops to?”

Ebony blinked. “Your one to talk from what I was told. You constantly attack and beat him… Oh… IDIOT!” He slapped his forehead. “Of course! He lied to me! Lied so I would help him! That explains… oh man how could I be so stupid?!”

Everyone stared in silence, until hero finally spoke. “I think you better tell us the whole story.”

Ebony did so, stating his meeting with the wolves, and the first plan to scare the goats into stopping their senseless hurting of the wolf family. Then his discovery of the spa in Spooky Woods, which made him question the truth.

“I began to see things might be more complex around this dimension. Unfortunately I was wrong: I had it right, but backwards.”

Muscle scratched his head. “Soooooo…. You kidnapped Hero, ate him, and then he reappears in bed like it’s a dream?”

Ebony nodded, and Muscle gave a yuck face. But Slow Goat chuckled.

“Well, it seems our guest here has been on the wrong path from day one. But his intent was still good: this potion of ours seems to make the cooking and eating painless, correct?”

Ebony nodded. 

“Prove it.” The Elder challenged. The others blinked some as Ebony gulped. Was this another trick? Nevertheless, he had no choice. The large round goat opened the cage and pointed at Lazy, still asleep. Carefully, Ebony sprinkled on some of the body coolant. Then he built a fire and placed a stone on it, setting Lazy on top. Muscle went to rescue him but Slow held him back.

“If Lazy starts being hurt then we intervene.” He said, watching as Ebony poured on some regen2 potion. Lazy giggled in his sleep, even as he began to brown and sizzle.

“That is disgusting!” Muscle said, wide-eyed, lips quivering with sickness. But the large goat, Cute, smiled.

“Oh I don’t know.” She said. “Looks kinda fun.”

Hero swallowed and thought to himself. “It happened to me once before. It isn’t fun when it is a surprise to you, though Beauty thinks otherwise… “ And then Hero remembered. Where was Beauty?!

******************

Beauty, at that time, was running from a monster that had just come out of a swirling vortex. She screamed and ran all the way to Goat Village, the beast behind her gaining speed. But when it reached the bridge it stopped, unable to cross. Beauty stared at it some, and laughed. It was small and fat, looking something like a cross between a lizard and a frog. It had a huge beak and a long tongue, which Beauty was thankfully out of reach of. With a giggle she hit some buttons on the device and summoned another vortex, which the creature leapt into and departed. 

“Whew! That was close.” She said, heading off to find Hero. She had not seen the wolves, but she had to tell her about this thing she had found. Already she had barely escaped when a giant robot escaped from it, and then did some chasing of her own when she summoned a LIVING cabbage. It actually leapt right down her throat, tickling her tummy for some time. When she told the others…

No. Best keep it a secret for now. Too many odd things happening right now to worry about it, especially since no one knew of what happened to her and Hero.

Or so she thought.

************

Lazy fingered himself all over, even pinched himself. Ebony had just cooked and eaten him, and yet here he was, healthy as could be! Slow Goat chuckled some.

“Fascinating!” He said. “So it really is TRUE! I didn’t believe it when Hero told me, thought it was just a crazy dream. Now here I see it really works. And you say that one dose is permanent?”

Ebony nodded. “Before my battles with Xerathos alongside Servanus, It used to be that you had to give a dose everytime you ate someone. The potion is really easy to make so that is not a problem. However, I found constantly having to restock my wares a little tedious. So I improved on it. Now one dose makes for limitless reformation, but only when eaten. The acids in the predators bellies trigger the reaction, allowing for reformation to begin.”

Cute nodded, but Hero spoke up. “Why then did I reform back home?”

“Easy. I gave you Regen2. That allows the reconstitution of the body and spirit to occur at the individuals home. Lazy… that is his name right?… was given Regen1, which triggers the regeneration about 5 feet from the place where the person was eaten. The whole details of the process are very complex, even I do not fully understand.”

Muscle hmphed. “Reform or not, I just see this as a new method for Wolf to trick us. All he has to do is give us the potion and BAM! We are his food for life. No thank you!”

Hero nodded. “I agree with Muscle for once. No offense, I mean I kinda find it interesting, but maybe you should just go before anyone else gets hurt.”

Ebony blushed. “Well… see here’s the thing. I would like to go. But I lost my dimensional key somewhere. I was looking for it when I found that spa. Moreover I would have to develop a cure for the potion, and that will take time. But as far as I know only Lazy and Hero had doses.”

Hero chuckled nervously. “Actually… um… someone else did.”

At that moment, Beauty walked into the lab. “Oh, who is this?”

Everyone stared at her, then at Hero. “Beauty…” The elder said, “Did you have any weird dreams?”

*****************

Upstairs in the meetinghouse, The Elder looked to Ebony. “We seem to have a bit of a situation thanks to you. Because of what you gave the wolves, we now have three eternally edible goats, one of which liked it so much she is willing to be food every day for them.”

Ebony blushed. “It was not my intention I assure…”

“I didn’t say this is a BAD situation.” The elder said. “Just a situation. I want to see what happens for a few days. But the wolves DO need a bit of a payback after the stunt they pulled. Now I have just the thing: a shape changing cake that is effective until the consumer gets wet in some way.”

Ebony nodded. “Your plan?”

“Well… do you like mice?”

Ebony went wide-eyed. “Oh no… you mean.. transform and eat them right? But if I give THEM the regen potion…”

“I think it will shock the two into leaving us alone for awhile.” Slow said. “Or my name isn’t Slow Goat Esquire.”

Ebony sighed. Well, it was worth a shot if nothing else.

******************

In her room, Beauty giggled as she wrote down what summoned the living cabbage, wondering If she could do it again. She eeped as she heard a knock on her door, shoving the device into her dresser for now just as the door opened. She turned and saw Muscle, looking upset at her. Did he know about the device she was hiding?!

“Tell me it isn’t true.” He said, and she began to sweat. “You don’t… LIKE it… do you?”

Beauty sighed. He didn’t know! This was about the OTHER problem. “Well, if it will keep the wolves from bothering us…”

“I don’t care about that, it’s just wrong!” he said. “The whole idea of it is just terrible. We should beat up and kick the wolves out, not walk up to them and say ‘eat me!’ at every chance they have.”

Beauty sighed and turned away. “I…”

“It has to stop. The sooner this feline gets a cure together, the better. Then you can remember how horrible it is. Until then…” He walked away. “I have nothing to say to you.”

Beauty listened as he slammed the door. Then she began to cry. Was it really wrong? It felt nice, and she lived through it. Besides, it meant the wolves wouldn’t hurt her friends. She could offer herself to them every now and then, to keep the wolves from chasing and hurting all the others.

No… this wasn’t wrong. So many positives came out of it, and it didn’t hurt anymore. Muscle was wrong. She just knew it!

And yet… what about her OTHER secret? Was that wrong too? Where did this device come from, and what was it for? Based on the trouble the one secret had, she knew now she must NEVER tell the other. Not now. Maybe not ever.

She would wait for now, and keep her secret.

CHAPTER 6 Turnabout

Ebony did not like the idea of doing this. But then again, nor did he like being tricked in the first place! He was hopeful this plan would bring things back to the way they were. If they did not, then…

No, best not to think on that for now. He had a delivery to make. He held the cake in his hands, enough for two. He also had Beauty with him, in order to help convince the wolves of his story.

“You don’t say much.” Ebony said suddenly as they walked. Beauty blinked and shook her head.

“It’s just… I am so confused. I don’t know if this is right or wrong anymore. It feels all right, and it helps to keep the wolves from attacking the others, but now…”

Ebony nodded in understanding. “Some dimensions are like that, this being one of them. You would fit in where I come from, where it happens all the time, more like a game or giving a gift than centered around the whole eating. Here… well, years of war have kinda made that hard to see.”

Beauty nodded. “Well… at least now things will be back to the way they were.”

Ebony sighed and nodded, though he wasn’t so sure…

***************

Grey was beside himself. His inventions were getting covered with dust, and he hadn’t done an attack for a whole day. Meanwhile, Redd was just so cheerful that it was almost sickening. Even now she was humming as she prettied herself up, a lovely smile on her face.

It was like his world had turned upside down. Maybe this was what was meant by too much of a good thing. He really had no need for his scheming and such anymore, now that Redd was planning on having a goat stay. Hence why she was going all out: she was going to try and convince a goat to be a part of the diet forever.

Even as he thought this dreadful idea, there was a knock on the door. He went to it and opened it, raising an eyebrow as he saw Ebony, a large cake in one hand and a tied and gagged Beauty Goat in the other.

“Hi.” Grey said simply. Ebony tilted his head, trying to act naïve about the whole thing.

“You don’t sound too happy. I mean, I just caught a spy in the area…”

“I doubt she was spying.” Grey interrupted. “I got something to tell you…”

CLANG! Grey went wide-eyed as a frying pan hit him on the back of the head. As he fell, it revealed the pretty form of Redd. She was no longer wearing her wool lined dress, but had dressed up in a new silky red dress. She smiled happily at Ebony.

“Oh well done!” She said, pinching beauty’s cheek. “She has caused a lot of trouble. Here, I’ll take her.”

Ebony handed her over, and Redd rushed off with her, leaving Grey with Ebony. The feline helped him up, then looked him over. “You don’t look very happy today.”

Grey sighed. “It’s just that… well… it seems like the whole world has been turned upside down lately. So many years of conflict just… changed.”

Ebony hmmed some. Maybe this would be easier than he or Slow Goat hoped.

************

Beauty was still being hugged by Redd as they entered the kitchen. “I knew you would come today! I just knew it! Lil’ Grey even made a present for you.”

Beauty blinked some, standing there untied as Redd handed her a pretty little sock puppet. It was an attempt to make one that looked like her, but came off just looking like two buttons, a silly looking mouth, and a couple devil-like horns on top. The sight made Beauty giggle.

“Thank you.” She said. “Now… I have something for you.” She reached into a pouch she was wearing, and pulled out a little shortcake covered in chocolate and strawberries. “I remembered you liked sweets from one time I was…”

Redd smiled and took it. “Awww… thank you!” She looked at Beauty. “You know… past is past. I need to talk to you about something.”

Beauty gulped. “Maybe after you have the shortcake. I want to see if you like it.”

*********

Grey nibbled on the cake Ebony had given him. “Well, I will say, it tastes quite nice… almost as good as goat.”

Ebony chuckled. “Well… um… it’s one of my own recipes.” He was about to speak when Grey spoke.

“Look… I wanted to… um… say something…”

Ebony tapped his foot. “You want to tell me that you lied to me? Tricked me even?”

Grey eeped, going wide eyed. “Er… .what do you mean?”

Ebony smiled. “Oh I know all about the Goat Village. See, I was there last night.”

Oh Oh. “y-y-y-y-y---y-yy—you were?”

Ebony nodded, watching him carefully. “I don’t like being lied to Grey. Now you owe me for it.”

Grey was about to ask how when he felt his whole body starting to shift. He let out a single yip of despair as he suddenly began to shrink. But it got worse, as his tail became longer and furless, and his ears rounded. His nose became longer and rounded as well, and he finally stopped at about four inches high. He realized immediately the cake was a transformation cake, and he had just been turned into a mouse!

A scream from the other room signaled to Ebony the same fate had befallen Redd, just as planned. Now she and Grey were running from the big feline, but he was too fast for them, grabbing them both.

“I’ll admit. I prefer kids to mice.” He said, the two eeping and struggling in his grasp. He doused them each with the regen1 potion. “That being said, I like how chewy they are, and how they don’t need a lot to be tasty. Maybe just a couple slices of bread, and some peanut butter.” He carried them to the kitchen and pulled out two slices of wheat bread. Meanwhile, beauty had gone up to thank Lil’ Grey for his present.

And then the whole plan went wrong.

************

In his room, Lil’ Grey waited happily as Beauty came in. “Big sister!” He said. Beauty tilted her head in confusion as Lil’ Grey ran up to her and gave a BIG hug. “Did mommy and daddy ask you? Are you staying?”

Beauty was wide eyed. So that was what Redd was about to ask her! To stay! But the cute little wolf continued. “We can share the room and play together all day. Mom even said she bought you some pretty beauty products… whatever that means. We even made a nice room for you!”

Beauty eeped as Lil’ Grey led her down the hall to a nice looking room, with a big feather bed and a dresser lined with beauty products. But the biggest surprise was a lovely wolf skin jacket, just her size. Beauty’s lips quivered. It was one of the nicest things anyone had done for her.

“So, will you stay big sister?” Lil’ grey asked with big button eyes.

Beauty sobbed and hugged him tight. 

***************

Ebony, meanwhile, just scratched his head. Being in a peanut butter and mouse sandwich was SUPPOSED to have scared Grey and Redd into giving up, and maybe going back to their old ways.

Well… it half worked. Grey was positively spooked. But the cooler headed Redd was just relaxing, even applying the peanut butter to her cheeks! Ebony knew right away that the plan was not going well, and he knew why too.

Redd Wolf was a vore JUST LIKE BEAUTY. He had seen how they looked, and how they acted, and he knew. And that was NOT good in this case.

Still, A plan was a plan and Ebony stuck to it, putting the top slice of bread on the two wolves/mice and lifting them up to his mouth. His mouth opened wide and he showed off his sharp white teeth.

“NO! Stop please, change us back!” Grey shouted, but Redd just placed a hand on his mouth.

“Relax dear. Remember? That potion makes it so we can’t die.” She looked up. “O.K., go ahead. Finish us.” 

Ebony sighed and took a bite. The two made for a nice sweet and sour mix, but at the moment the chewy, nummy sandwich just tasted like failure. He knew right away that the whole plan had gone south. If he only knew just HOW south!

A huge BURP from upstairs told all. Ebony realized they had forgotten another variable: Lil’ Grey and Beauty’s newfound enjoyment. As he finished the sandwich and prepared to face the two wolves, somehow he knew they would not be frightened.

And that was not good in this case.

***********

Sure enough, Redd was simply ecstatic! She shivered with delight, the whole experience made pleasurable thanks to the potion. Worse, now THEY could reform infinitely too!

“No wonder so many like it where you come from!” Redd said, giggling warmly. “It felt so wonderful, better than a full body massage and a trip to the spa and the beauty parlor all in one!” She glanced in the mirror. “And look! Al the wrinkles, every line and shadow, all gone! I look ten years younger thanks to that!”

Lil’ Grey was happy too, as big as a grey ball and licking his lips. Beauty had strayed from the plan and not left right away. Rather, on seeing what the wolves had all set to convince her to stay, she just melted, letting Lil’ Grey eat her up. He lay there, round and fat and happy, but eager to see Beauty again so he could thank her.

Ebony shook his head. “So much for the plan.” He said out loud. Grey hmphed.

“I say things worked out real well for you.” He said accusingly. “I bet this is what you wanted all along, to make us all happy little foodies, hm?”

He looked to Redd, expecting a hit with a frying pan, even longing for it. But she just giggled. “Um… Redd… love.. aren’t you mad at what I just said?”

“Why would I be mad dear? It’s a genius idea!” She hugged a stunned Grey. “Why would I be mad at the idea of an endless goat buffet, not to mention perhaps returning the favor every once in awhile for such kindness! Oh love, you are the smartest wolf I ever met!” She kissed him lovingly and skipped off to her room to pretty up, Grey just stunned. It FELT nice. But he suddenly began to cry. That kiss signaled the end of his work, his need to make inventions, to plot, to do anything he was trained to do.

Ebony stood there, realizing things might just have gotten worse.

*************

Rumors were spreading in the south. Turmoil had continued up north. There was still no peace.

After 1000 years, the army had rebuilt itself. What should be theirs would be again.

The slow march began. The march for revenge and conquest. One by one countries in the way fled or were devoured. But the prize awaited at Great Green Valley.

Oink.

CHAPTER 7 Conspiracy

Ebony sat there in the meetinghouse of Great Green Valley, hands on his head, shaking it slowly. Two days had passed, and there had been no attacks on the village by Grey. Ebony knew Redd and prevented it, contented as Beauty would go and feed them every now and then, still thinking on whether or not to be food forever. As he sat there trying to figure out what to do, Hero sat by him and patted his back.

“Well, look on the bright side!” He said. “At least we can’t get hurt.”

Ebony looked a Hero. “If you saw Grey’s face you would see that is kind of the problem. He looked like his whole world had ended. Just like the goats have been brought up to prevent the wolves from entering, so to did Grey train all his life to one day catch a goat on his own. I have stolen that from him. His whole set of goals is gone thanks to me. Now all he does is mope.”

Hero sighed. “All things considered that is not a bad thing…”

“And then there is Beauty.”

Hero paused. “Yeah I know. Her going to see the wolves so often… what did Lil’ Grey do? What did the wolves do?”

Ebony sighed. “All I know is that the situation has gone from bad to worse, and either the goats and wolves adapt to the changes, or things are about to get VERY ugly.”

**************

That night, under a full moon, a shadowy figure stole out of Goat Village. He had arranged a meeting with some allies in order to prevent what was coming. Now to meet with them. He had the place all set, a clearing in Spooky Wood where the village was still in sight.

As he arrived, another cloaked figure showed up, followed by several larger figures.

“You came.” The voice said. The cloaked form removed his hood, revealing the woolly face.

“So did you.” He said simply. “And you brought the crew.”

The other form lowered his hood, revealing the face of Grey Wolf. “Everyone who agrees with us. This whole reformation and eat-all-you-want thing… it SOUNDS nice, but it destroys everything we grew up training for. And what does that leave us all? Fat, Lazy, and VULNERABLE. We are fighters, something I know you agree with Muscle.”

The woolly face entered the light, showing it to be Muscle Goat. “I do agree, especially since it means an end of everything I hold dear. My own beauty has been changed thanks to all this, as has your wife.”

The wolves all nodded. “You have a plan?”

Muscle nodded. “The key to this whole thing is Ebony. We need to find out how to make a cure, than use it. Once done, we get Ebony out of here, quick as can be, one way or another.”

A wolf spoke up. “But that will not be easy. Unless I miss my guess, he is deep in goat territory.” The others nodded, but grey smiled.

“Hence why we have an insider. He will show us how to get in. And then… we do our worst.”

The wolves all nodded and cheered. Muscle laughing. Oh Ebony would pay for making Beauty move out! And then… after the wolves raid the village, the Goats will counterattack on the castle and destroy everything.

Everyone gets what they want… especially him.

*************

By the light of the moon, the group of wolves and one goat snuck closer and closer to the borders of Goat Village. One by one they followed Muscle as they were led towards a bush. Here Muscle had created a tunnel leading right under the house where Ebony was. 

“This way.” He whispered, the group of wolves following behind with clubs, swords, and a couple of guns. Muscle smiled evilly as they neared where the tunnel came out. Slowly he peeked out of it.

“Coast is clear.” He told the others. “Now remember our deal Grey. No harming the goats, just general mischief and the capture of that feline.

Grey nodded, as did the wolves. “We understand.” He watched Muscle go up, then turned to the wolves. “Except my fingers were crossed. Don’t count does it boys!”

They laughed and nodded, heading up. One by one they came out, cousins and friends of Grey and Redd, eager to return things back to the warring ways of old. The days of honorable trickery and counter offensive, the days of sneaking and snatching. The days of WAR. 

“SCATTER!” Grey said, Muscle wide eyed as they spread out, licking their lips.

“Hey, we had a deal! Just Ebony and that was it!”

The wolf replied by clonking Muscle on the head. “Rule number one: NEVER trust a wolf.” He said chuckling, stuffing him into a bag. Then he looked about to see where he could find Ebony.

He didn’t have to look far, as he heard footsteps behind him. He smiled some and turned, facing him. “I knew it was you.”

Ebony sighed. “So it came to this?” he said. “I knew from the stories that you were a trickster. But I had no idea you were so cruel.”

Grey chuckled. “I’m a WOLF! I was raised this way, and I will not let some feline from another dimension tell me to change however indirectly it may be. Besides, this is my heritage! Our race was brought up to be some of the best tricksters and inventors around. This whole thing has messed that up!”

Ebony sighed. “Unless I missed my guess, you brought that on yourself.”

Grey growled. “I had no idea it would come to losing my whole livelihood! As the head of the family it is my job to go and catch food for the wife and kids. Now that the food just walks up to us, where does that leave me, or any wolf male?! HMMM?!?!?! Well I’ll tell you. It leaves us as nothing more than onlookers, no longer needed or maybe even wanted.”

Ebony sighed. “So your afraid you will lose your place as head of the household?”

Grey growled some. “It’s more than that! Our battles have kept wolf and goat strong! We have been attacked around here several times, but we always manage to repel it because we are strong!”

Ebony ahhed! “Grey… I THINK you may have just given me an idea… but first, call off this stupid attack!”

“No more ideas! I’ve had it with you.” He drew a sword. “Now I mean to punish you for what you did!”

Ebony sighed, nodding once. A loud clang followed, as Grey was hit in the back of the head with a frying pan.

“Ahhh…” He said amidst the pain. “I missed that…” THUMP.

Redd stood there, with Beauty beside her. She looked at Ebony and smiled.

“Looks like you were right to worry when your husband suddenly left. They are attacking all over the village.”

Redd chuckled. “Normally I would be proud he came up with it. Still am somewhat. It shows he hasn’t lost his touch.” She sighed some. “Now though, what would follow would leave us more vulnerable than before.”

Ebony sighed. “Relax. Your little tip off did its work.”

Beauty blinked. “What did you do?”

Redd smiled. “If my guess is right, he gave ALL the goats the regen potion.”

Ebony blushed. “Actually…. Hero and Slow did. I just happened to find out about it from Hero. Seems Muscle here is the only one against the idea.”

Redd was wide eyed with delight. “You mean… every single goat in the village, young and old…”

Ebony finished for her. “Are now fully reformable.”

*************

Even knowing you were reformable did not change how scary the attack was. And when it was over, the wolves had bagged ten of the goats, including Lazy, for a celebratory feast. Still, Slow Goat chuckled as, one by one, each of the captured goats reformed back in their homes, effectively ending the attack.

Ebony then spoke to the duo. “First of all Hero, I’d like to know HOW you stole my potions, and second of all, that was quick thinking. I mean, given how many wolves there were and the speed of the attack, at least one was going to be captured.”

He nodded. “We fought them off pretty well though. In a way, it was kinda… fun!”

Cute agreed, rubbing her fists some. “It was more like a game this time, or a sport.”

Redd hmmed some. “A sport… you know… that isn’t a bad idea!”

Ebony smiled, looking at the unconscious forms of Grey and Muscle. “You can thank them for it. After all… they inspired it.”

Everyone giggled at that.

***************

Ebony watched as Grey and the other wolves, and even Muscle, read the paper that Redd and Beauty had drafted, outlining the new rules. Hero stood nearby, waiting for a reaction.

“Well?” he finally asked. Grey looked up and hmmmed.

“So…. In essence, it is just like before, just now we can reform afterwards?”

Ebony nodded. “Yes. The two ladies even suggested having set days for willing surrenders, and even gatherings without any eating each other. This way, no one worries TOO much about being caught, yet still has to be, just like before.”

Beauty giggled and whispered to Hero. “Good thing I plan on visiting Redd every now and then.” Hero chuckled some. Grey hmmed and nodded, looking to the others.

“Well… it does make it so the men folk still have their old job. And I can still do my trickery without worry.” He smiled and nodded. “All right, done!” He signed his name at the bottom, as did the other wolves and goats in attendance.

Only Muscle abstained. “Just one thing perfectly clear…” he said. “I still won’t like it.”

Beauty giggled. “Well, at least now you don’t have to.”

Muscle shrugged. “Eh, fair enough.” He said, finally signing. “But understand this does not mean peace.”

Grey nodded, looking at Hero with a sinister smile. Everyone should have expected it. But it still shocked everyone as Grey suddenly leapt at and grabbed Hero, running for the castle. “UNDERSTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooddddd….” He shouted laughing.

Everyone blinked, then Muscle spoke up. “Well come on! Let’s go get him!”

Immediately those in the room ran after Grey, all but Ebony and Slow, who just stared in dismay, a huge sweat drop on their heads.

“Not quite how this was supposed to happen.” Ebony said.

“Close enough.” Slow admitted. “Besides, Grey was right on one thing… there always seems to be invaders at some point.”

************

Well, Grey did NOT get to keep Hero, but he kept him long enough for the goat flavored broth. Redd smiled some as Grey served it up, then finally asked him.

“You were worried I would not need you anymore?”

Grey nodded. “Not like I ever caught them, and just when I start to I don’t need to. I couldn’t stand the idea of you not needing me around. I just wanted so much to be the one who took care of you.”

Redd smiled some, smacking him on the head with a frying pan. “You idiot.” She said with a smile. “I may get mad at you but I ALWAYS need you. Even though we married solely by chance… I still like you.”

Grey lay there on the floor, with a big bump on the head and a smile on his face. Eh, he could live with that. Just as long as he was needed.

CHAPTER 8 The Prophecy of the False Goat

Well, for the next week things were generally back to normal. Grey would try his elaborate schemes, and Hero and the others would thwart them. Though one time Grey WAS finally able to catch a goat on his own, who was, ironically, Muscle. The meal that night was tough but VERY filling.

Ebony, however, was finishing up the regen cure. With it nearing its end, he could focus again on finding the dimensional key and going home. Besides, nothing he could do until the plants fully dried out. 

But as he was leaving the lab at Greybeard Castle where he was invited to work, Grey came in with a worried look on his face. “What is it?” Ebony asked, not seeing a look on Grey like that for some time, if ever.

“I think you better come see this.”

Ebony blinked as he followed Grey, and was shocked as, up in the castle library, there stood Slow Goat and Hero Goat. Ebony saw they were looking at a big book.

“Ebony,” the elder began, “it seems your coming was no accident.”

Ebony tilted his head. “How can that be?”

“There is a prophecy. An old one made by a wolf even older than Greybeard himself. A prophecy from the days of peace.”

Redd blinked. “Days of peace. You mean there was peace between goats and wolves?”

Hero nodded. “I read the legend. It said that long ago the goats were so many that they threatened to eat everything in the world. The wolves offered to take only those who would be willing, and eat them. Amazingly, about a forth of the population agreed, and thus was born the Days of Peace.

“In those days, there was no reformation, but there was plenty of eating. Goats ate the fresh grass the Wolves would work so hard to grow, and then they in turn ate the goats. The cycle went round like this for years, until the wolves got greedy, taking more and more, until the goats began to fight back.

“It was a hopeless fight, the wolves outnumbering the peaceful goats and still removing their wool and eating them at will. But then there came a prophecy. A prophecy by an old wolf known as Sky Wolf.”

Grey nodded. “I know him. It was during his time that the Dark Pig Army invaded the land. The wolves beat them back only because there were more wolves than pigs in the army. But Sky Goat said next time we alone would not be enough. Unless peace is made between goats and wolves, the pigs would conquer and devour us all.

“The key to it was the coming of one who would turn the whole way of living for a thousand years upside down. The False Wolf. No one knew what it meant, and for a long time we just considered it a fairy tale. But then I found it again as I was looking through old books. I showed Slow as soon as I found it… after being shocked a few times by their defenses.”

Slow finished the tale. “We collaborated on this, and we believe the False Goat has come. And that is you, Ebony.”

Ebony blinked. “Me? No, there was already a prophecy about me, me and my human friend Servanus, a prophecy we fulfilled. Xerathos is dead and the Hunters scattered to the winds, all thanks to what we did a couple years ago. Now I am just a simple explorer and potion maker.”

Grey spoke up. “But think about it! Since you came my whole way of life has been crazy! And I know I am not alone.”

Hero nodded. “Beauty is a fine example. She now loves being eaten, something that for years she dreaded, crying worse than ever when she was about to be food. Then again she cries a lot. And I know Redd has also become the same way. It has to be you!”

Slow hmphed. “Hold on. If Ebony is the False Wolf, that means the invading army to follow is not too far away. Granted, we have peace now, but…”

Grey nodded. “I think I know what you are getting at. Our fighters together are nowhere near the strength of our old ancestors. We have to reinforce ourselves.”

Ebony sighed some. “If only I could find my Dimensional Key we could get reinforcements like I did when we fought Xerathos. But I looked all over that forest.”

Hero hmmed some. “Someone may have picked it up. I’ll ask around in the village.”

Grey nodded. “I’ll talk to Redd and our family members. Someone may have found it.”

Ebony sighed. “I hope so. In the meantime, We should prepare for what is to come.”

*****************

Redd was wide eyed as she saw the device that Beauty had in her hands. “Yeah, this is definitely like the thing Ebony had when I found him. But what is it?”

Beauty giggled. “Watch this.” She pressed the combination she grew to love, and a vortex opened not a few feet from the duo, a giggly little cabbage with hands and feet hopping out and spying Beauty. She licked her lips and grabbed it up, nomming on it, while Redd giggled at the sight.

“Looks like you finally turned into a predator!” Redd said, taking the device. “I wonder if there is a setting here with lots of willing prey, like what Ebony was talking about.”

Beauty wasn’t paying attention as Redd pushed a few random buttons, opening another portal. But this time it would not be something going out… except, all of a sudden, a large scaly arm. Neither Redd nor beauty had time to even scream before they were pulled into the portal, it closing behind them… just as the door to Beauty’s room opened.

Grey and Hero walked in, looking about. “I know she said she was visiting Beauty today, said it was something special.”

Hero hmmed, tapping his chin. “Well, she isn’t here now. I wonder where she is?”

Grey thought on this. “Well, at least Redd would have known what it looked like. He showed us the device.”

Hero nodded. “Hence why I hoped she would be her… hey… what’s that?” Hero looked in the corner, where something small and green was shivering. Grey took a look and went wide-eyed with surprise.

“You are not going to believe this… but it’s a cabbage!”

Hero blinked as he saw the little living cabbage, looking like it had seen a ghost. And what it had to tell them was not good news.

**************

“WHAT?!” Ebony shouted, his eyes wide and his face angry. The cabbage had just told about what had happened. It almost didn’t, as Lazy had tried to pounce it several times.

“I’m sorry.” The cabbage said in a small, squeaky voice. “But the big arm pulled them through and boom! They were gone. I was so scared I hid, praying it would not get me either.”

Lazy spoke up, drooling. “But…. You are a cabbage… mmmmmmm… your SUPPOSED…. To be….”

“Yes I know.” The cabbage said proudly. “We like it too. Which was why when the portal opened and we saw your Beauty goat, oh we were ecstatic. FINALLY, someone would eat us up again like the old days, someone sweet and pretty. So we happily waited for the portal to open, and when it did one of us jumped through to be a snack for her. As she nibbled on me I knew it was the right choice: you goats are really nice to be gobbled up by.”

Muscle chuckled. “You haven’t been a part of Slow’s cooking.” He then looked at Lazy. “OR had the pleasure of our glutton over here. That’s all he does is eat and sleep. Hence why he is usually caught, even with our new ability to reform.”

The cabbage shook at that word. “Oh no thanks. I rather not reform. We don’t live very long anyway, and so we prefer to die feeding cute animals than by wilting…”

“ENOUGH!” Ebony suddenly said, everyone turning to him. “Look, I know you are all fascinated by the arrival of a talking cabbage, which I confess is nothing new for me, but this is serious! If what you said is true then Redd and Beauty may never return. The dimensional Key does not lead to just a few dimensions, it leads to THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS, some of which very dangerous!”

The group shivered and gulped, but Ebony continued. “Without a key like that, we cannot follow her. Which means they are lost until they find the right combination back, and that I am stuck here with no way to get reinforcements.” He sighed and sat. “Don’t take that wrong, I like it here, nice and peaceful. But if that army is larger than I am thinking, we are in serious trouble.”

Muscle sighed. “Maybe we can send for help from the others? The elephants, the bison, even the tigers?”

Slow shook his head. “I already sent messages when Grey told me about the legend. I got a reply already from the tigers just a few minutes ago. I was hoping not to share it, since it is more bad news.

“See… the tigers were wiped out.”

************

The tiger leader and his cubs were led in chains to a large, muddy tent surrounded by over ten thousand little pig warriors, each with spears, swords, bows, and a few guns. The large pig general opened the tent, reveling a sickening sight.

There, on a huge set of tank treads, was a massively fat pig, three tiger tails sticking out of its maw. It was as wide and round as a bus, and had four stubby legs. All around were a dozen pigs in chef hats, all licking their lips at the sight of the tiger leader and his kids.

“Be brave.” He told them. “Many of our people got away in time, heading north. They will sound the alarm for Great Green Grassland…”

“SILENCE! *snort* Your in the presence of Swinus Maximus, descendent of the first Swinus, lord of all pigs.” The great pig rolled forward, motioning his chefs to pick up the cubs. “Leave the leader for me to talk to, put the cubs in a cake. It will be the last meal before the valley.”

The tiger went wide-eyed. “You mean…”

“Yes. Long ago my people were prevented from conquering Great Green Valley, a land rich with food for us pigs, vegetable and meat alike thanks to the goats that live there. But those stupid wolves stopped us. For 1000 years we were prevented from returning, our own race having grown soft. But no more!

“Now we will have our revenge. I will personally devour the goat and wolf leaders, and sacrifice the others to my stomach. Then, we will invade every country in the world, eating and eating until not one creature has escaped. All will be enslaved to work our farms until fat enough to be eaten. All will bow before us!”

The tiger struggled in the chef’s grasp, even as his little cubs struggled to get free. “You monster!”

The swine snorted and laughed. “Thank you.” He smiled as, much to the leaders shock, the survivors who fled were led in. The tiger bowed his head in defeat. 

“Finish it then…” He said, but the swine laughed. 

“Hardly. I am in the mood for only cubs. They are too young to work the truffle farms anyway.” He looked to the chefs. “Put all the cubs in the fattening cages, and set the others to work. And gather the invading force. Tomorrow, we march on Great Green Grassland, by way of Spooky Wood!”

The sound of pigs cheering an snorting, and tiger cubs growling and begging for mercy filled the night. But not all the cubs were put in the cages. Five of them, including the children of the leader, were able to escape, running from the tent. They were not caught this time, but they saw the full extent of the piggie’s reach.

Every race. Bison. Elephant. Cows. Even frogs were not spared. Dozens on dozens of survivors caged or working under the order of vicious taskmasters. Even bunnies had not escaped, as the tigers saw a pie being carried to the tent, three sets of little bunny ears sticking out. The tigers sobbed but kept running, knowing they had to warn Great Green Valley.

They were the last hope.

CHAPTER 9 The Bane of Pigs

In what once were empty rooms of Greybeard castle now were refugees from various lands, who confirmed the bad news Slow Goat had given: All of the other races had either been captured, eaten, or were now hiding in fear. The latest arrival, a group of starving tiger cubs, received a big goat dinner (Even Muscle couldn’t say no to them.) as they told the terrible tale.

“They said they were coming here tomorrow!” The one said.

“There are thousands of them!” Said another. 

“We’ll all be eaten!” Said a third. And no one denied it. Ebony looked over the survivors who had made it here. They were a ragtag bunch, hardly a fighting force. But they were all that there was. Unless…

“Grey… Hero… I need to talk to you both.” He said, the two walking over, worried looks on their faces. “Based on what the tigers told us, we have no way of winning. There are just too many.”

Grey went wide-eyed, his jaw dropping. “But… what will we do then?”

Ebony waved his paws. “Clam down. I have an idea. It will take all three of us. Grey, we need you to get to that lab, get some freeze potion made. Have Slow and Cute help you. Hero, you will come with me. We have a rescue mission.”

Grey blinked. “Why is it so vital I make the freeze potion?”

Ebony smiled. “Because you have enough growth and shrinking potion, and more than a few doses of others we can use. If you think there are others we can use…”

Grey ahhed! “I see! Because of my alchemy skills!”

“Exactly. The defense of Greybeard Castle depends on you.” He shook Grey’s hand. “Understand this. Hero will reform back here… but for myself I do not know.”

Both stared for a moment. “What?”

Ebony sighed. “More than likely I will be taken prisoner. But if the plan works it will be a small price to pay. We should be able to free the others in time to help with the fight. But Grey, if we fail, it all rests on you.”

Grey looked over at Lil’ Grey, who was snuggling with one of the sleeping tiger cubs. He thought of Redd, lost in the dimensions. Lil’ Grey was all he had left of her. He had to protect him. Finally, he nodded and saluted, heading for the potion chambers, Slow and Cute going with him… eventually.

“Ebony…” Hero said as they turned to leave. “What is the plan really?”

Ebony sighed. “While you surrender and offer to give advice, I will free the others. Likely as not they will eat you. I know pigs, they are worse than wolves when it comes to meat. Grey is the backup if we fail. The bunch in there are not fighters, but with the potions, the odds might just be even.

“I won’t lie to you Hero. This is a dangerous mission, and if they kill us and not eat us, we will be finished. But we have to free those prisoners. Are you with me?”

Hero thought for only a second. He really did not even need that long. He nodded, and stood firm. 

“Then let’s go.” He said, the duo heading out secretly, while Slow, Grey, and Cute worked on preparing for the worst.

*******************

Hero walked toward the camp. It was clear they had reached the outskirts of Spooky Woods southern border fairly recently, the pig army looking like they were still setting things up. With a heavy sigh, he strode boldly towards the camp. Immediately spotlights shone on him. Good. They would not see Ebony.

“I wish to see your leader!” He called out. The pigs oinking and snorting inside the camp. Finally, a large one dressed in armor, with huge tusks, stepped forward.

“Are you the leader?” Hero asked.

“NO!” he squealed. “And how dare you not recognize the difference between us! Leaders in the Dark Pig army are able to eat tasty meals like you, while generals like me afford the finest. And I am THEE general. The leader of the invading force. My name is General Porkander, Supreme Commander. And who are you little fool, to wander into the lair of the Dark Pig Army?”

“My name is Hero.” Hero said. “And I came to offer advice. The goats have treated me rudely, and the wolves seek only power. I mean to pay them back for what they did to me.”

The general stroked his hairy chin. “Is that so?” He chuckled. “Well, I like traitors. Come, I will take you to our illustrious leader. Such trickery is smiled on in our army.”

Hero gulped as he was led in. That might not be good. Still, he was already seeing things were not as bad as thought.

They were WORSE. The army numbered about 12,000, though most of them were his size or smaller with some larger brutes with big clubs and swords. Most were unarmored and lightly armed. So how had they won all those victories?

He had no time to think about it as he was led into a massive hut. The smell of roasting meat and the sounds of messy eating indicated that the leader was a true glutton. And there he was before him, a massive ball of fat, with a huge grin on his messy face as he operated mechanical devices designed to lift food to him so he could eat it.

“WHO IS THIS PORKANDER?!” He bellowed. “You KNOW I hate to be interrupted during fourth dinner! And it was special too, roasted bunnies!”

Gulp. “If you please, your greatness…” Hero began, “I am hero Goat. I came to offer advice to aid in your invasion.”

The great pig bellowed a laugh too terrible it would make the greatest of heroes cringe. “You?! Help us?! Honestly, what kind of fool do you take me for?”

Uh oh. “It’s true. I am treated very poorly there and…”

“Save your lies.” He said. “I know your intent was to learn about my strength and then escape after winning our trust. Sorry, but I have no intentions of letting you do so. Here you will be fattened and eaten.”

Hero blinked and smiled inwardly. THAT he could do. It meant he would get back in time for the invasion. But he had to act scared, so he tried to run.

As he hoped, two chefs grabbed him, snorting happily. But then one started sniffing him. He looked to the other and then the other sniffed.

“WHAT IS IT?!” The leader pig said.

“Great Porkus Maximus.” The chef replied. “This goat smells of feline. And not tiger either. Could he be one of the ones you spoke of?”

The giant pig hmmed some. “Could be.” He looked at Hero. “Tell me little goat, and tell me truthfully. Are you a reformer?”

Hero went wide-eyed. But before he said anything, the pig laughed. “Seems you are right my chefs! This goat was HOPING we would eat him, so he would reform back at the village he lives! Well, sorry little goat, we can’t let THAT happen, can we?”

Hero started to shiver. But the pig continued. “You see little goat, I know of the Regen potions. I myself saw them as a piglet in another dimension. Yes, I said another dimension, like where your feline friend is from. He is so foolish to use it just to reform after eating and make it like a game. I mean to use it for my own purposes. You see, it is easy to enforce a people when you can eat them as punishment, in very… PAINFUL ways.

“Knowing your kind has already gotten it makes me happy, for it means we now have the PERFECT slaves! Our other slaves, while they have it, are just icing on the cake to come. See, we seek to claim what should rightfully be ours: Great Green Valley. Once we have it, we will free our prisoners, except the wolves and the goats.”

Hero gulped. “You will?”

“Yes. We have their ticket to freedom already.” He motioned outside, and Hero was wide eyed with pure horror. For outside was a guillotine, newly made. Hero knew what freedom meant, and he could not let it happen.

Please Ebony be successful!

******************

Ebony slowly undid the last of the locks, smiling as weak but relieved faces greeted him. “Run all of you to Greybeard Castle. You have to help defend it.”

One of them, a tiger, looked. “My children… are they…?”

Ebony nodded. “They are safe, with many other refugees. But they won’t be if we fail. We can’t stand here, you have to go to the castle and prepare for our stand.”

The tiger nodded. “Thank you. But beware. That pig has a deadly weapon. It was how he beat all of us.”

Ebony blinked. A weapon?

*******************

Hero stared as the pig showed him a massive wind machine. “Marvelous isn’t it?” Porkus Maximus said. “Inspired by tales of how a wolf ate several of our ancestors: by blowing their houses down. Well, now WE do the blowing. This air cannon is powerful enough to destroy even the biggest brick or stone home. Then we charge in with superior numbers and make the enemy surrender.” He smiled. “In the dimension I came from, things like this seemed… cruel. But then I came here and learned of the terrible treatment of my porky kin.

“I knew then I would help them get their revenge, and in the end I get what I want to: an endless supply of food slaves for my gluttonous enjoyment. And seeing as Goat is my favorite meat, I intend to make YOU my personal servant.”

Hero eeped as the pork on tank treds lifted him up with one of the machines mechanical claws. “And if you refuse, I will make this thing squeeze until you burst apart.”

Hero swallowed and nodded. The pig set him down and smiled. “Excellent! Chefs, cabbage cake for our new servent! But keep him under lock and key, I want him big and fat for the voctory dinner tomorrow night!”

The chefs nodded, starting to lead him away. Hero knew it was now or never, so, with a quick motion, he bit the arm of one of the chefs. It was enough of a distraction to get free of the other, and he ran for it. He knew that if he had any hope of making it through tonight, he had to be eaten. Doing so would allow him to reform back home.

He hoped Ebony had succeeded at least, because now the plan had gone awry, He ran as fast as he could for the kitchens, hoping to be cooked in some way. But then a pair of paws grabbed him and started to run.

“Well, I thought I told you to have them eat you?” Ebony said, but Hero looked with fear.

“He knows about the Regen potions! He was going to kill everyone!”

“Well, he won’t now. They are all heading fo the hills, as you should be.”

Hero blinked. “What about you?”

“Forget me, I’ll buy you some time. This cat still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Now run!”

Hero was about to speak when he saw Ebony charge into the chasing pig chefs, chomping on a few of them. He ro hoped that the pigs themselves did not not take the regen potion or Ebony would be captured sooner than ever and… 

No, best not to think on it. He had to run. Run as fast as he could. The invasion was coming, and he was running out of time.

CHAPTER 10 The Battle for Great Green Valley

Hero arrived about three in the morning, worn out and exhausted. The wolves met him outside, fully loaded down with potions and arrows and various explosives. They led Hero inside where he told about what had happened to Grey and the others.

“Still… I think it may be for nothing.” Hero said. “They have a huge wind machine meant ot blow the castle down. That was how they won in the other countries. And now Ebony is gone to, likely…”

Grey put a hand on Hero’s shoulder. “Then let’s make them pay for it. If Ebony is gone, then let’s make sure those pigs are gone too!”

Hero slowly nodded, standing up. “All right… how do we stop that machine.”

Grey chuckled. “Leave that to me. If thereis one thing I can do, its break stuff!”

“But even without it we are well outnumbered.” Lazy said worriedly, looking silly in his armor. “What will we do?”

Muscle chimed in. “We fight. And we hold. If Ebony succeeded, we will have reinforcements to take them out.”

Hero sighed. He hoped so.

***************

Dawn of the next day saw the sun rising to Greybeard Castle fully laden with defenses, traps, and defenders. Goat and Wolf alike stood side by side in this fight, various refugees prepared to reclaim their homes. They were ready for anything.

And then they saw something that made their hearts sink.

The pig leader rolled in, grinning hapily, a beaten and battered Ebony in the grips of the machine. Behind him were the soldiers of the Dark Pig Army, led by General Porkander, who was rolling the wind machine in made to look mockingly like a big bad wolf. The leader raised a megaphone to his mouth and spoke.

“Residents of Great Green Valley! We have come to claim what should be ours: This world! Surrender and you will not be killed like dogs. Fail and this feline is the first to go. You have thirty seconds to decide!”

Ebony shouted out. “Don’t listen! He’s bluffing!” He then let out a scream as his arms were squeezed by the machine’s grips. Grey looked carefully. He had to surrender to save hm…

Wait a second… the look in those eyes… Grey looked for a second, then smiled.

“Ebony would want us to fight.” He told the others, raising a pill to his mouth. Slowly he began to grow, leaping out of the window. He landed on the gorund, standing at ten feet tall. “So we FIGHT!”

The pig hmphed, but then got a shock as Grey sprayed a water gun at the captured Ebony. To his surprise, the feline suddenly poofed into thin air, leaving only one single hair. Grey laughed loud and hard, the others gasping in disbelief. Even Porkus Maximus was stunned.

“WHAT THE…?” He managed to say. But Grey just laughed. He walked up to the wind machine and, with one swift kick, sent it flying. It hurt his foot a little, but at least it was no longer a factor in the fight. “I hate stereotypes. I don’t blow houses down, I blow them UP!”

By now the fighters in the castle were laughing, and the pig king was furious. At long last he squealed out: “GET THEM!!!” His army charging forward. But they barely got five seconds closer when several vials of red potion were thrown from the bushes.

The resulting explosions sent a good number of piggies flying. And when the dust cleared, there was Ebony, more of the explosives in hand.

“I knew it!” Grey said, quickly lifting him up. “That thing he caught, it was your clone wasn’t it?”

Ebony nodded, throwing more explosives. “Yup. When I was getting surrounded, I dipped my hair into a cloning potion, and let that clone be what was caught. Only one I had though.”

“Relax, we have the edge now!” He called out to the castle. “FIRE AT WILL!”

Instantly, sprays of many types of potions filled the air, flying at the pig army. Grey had done well with the help of the others, Some sprays freezing the pigs, others shrinking them, other sprays putting mass amounts to sleep. All were easy targets for the explosive that came afterward. For a brief moment, it looked like the wolves and sheep would beat them back.

But there were just too many. They were reaching the castle gates, and starting to beat their way in. Ebony lept off of Grey and smacked many of them away, but soon the stampeding herd of pigs forced the door open. 

“NOW!” Ebony shouted, and all the pigs turned around. And there, standing ready, were the survivors. With weapons in hand they charged the pigs, eager for revenge, eager to turn the tide…

And not a one noticing the pit traps Grey had dug months ago to catch goats. Everyone froze at that point.

“Well that wasn’t part of the plan.” Hero said from his spot in the castle. The pigs were laughing, surrounding the pit and in essense recapturing the prisoners. It started to look hopeless. Everyone was about to surrender when all of a sudden, a black voretex appeared.

And from it emerged Beauty, Redd, AND A HUNDRED LONG TOUNGED LIZARDS!

“Yeeeeee HAH!” Redd shouted, riding one. “Charge them boys! It’s suppertime!”

The pigs went wide eyed, let out a series of massive squeals, and ran for it. The leader was about to run too, but Grey prevented that, grabbing hold of the tank treds and holding tight.

“HERO!” He shouted, and the sheep finished the job, hitting the pig leader with a spray of icy potion. In seconds, the pig was frozen solid. As quick as the battle had begin, it was over, the pigs heading south and never looking back.

Oh not a lot made it though, as the lizards, pakkuns they were called, rolled back full and happy. They cooed and nuzzled Red and Beauty, who were greeted with hugs and cheers.

“LOVER!” Grey said, kissing his wife. She immediately hit him with a frying pan, and he smiled. “It is you… thank heaven…” he said weakly, Redd giggling.

“Stop making a scene.” She said at first. “Ah what the heck, come here.” Grey turned red as the sunset as she planted one on his lips. Beauty was raised up by the goats on their shoulders, Hero cheering.

“You guys saved us!” He said. Ebony stood up, nodding in agreement.

“But one thing puzzles me… How did you get back? There was a one in one million chance if that!” 

Redd blushed. “Thank our little friends here. After Beauty and I were grabbed by this enormous lizard, we found ourselves in a massive city. There were animals of all sort, even ones without fur!”

Ebony chuckled. “Fairton?”

Beauty nodded. “How did you know?”

Ebony laughed. “Never mind, I’ll tell you another day. Go on!”

Redd continued. “Well, that lizard popped us in a pot and cooked us, but when we reformed by him he asked how we could do that. I told hi about you and he knew who you were. He told us which dimension was ours and helped us key in the code. So we opened a portal to check on you. But we saw the pigs were coming, and heading right for where Grey had dug those pit traps.”

Everyone looked at Grey, who blushed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Redd continued. “We saw them miss the traps, and the others hit them, effectively lowering the odds. Without thinking, we told every little lizard the man had there was a big pork dinner beyond the portal. They charged out of their gates and followed us, and the rest you saw.”

Ebony nodded, smiling. “Well the lizard you spoke up had to be Enrique, the local pet shop owner. The Pakkuns are his best seller. So I expect he will want them all back. Regardless, your arrival saved us.”

“Not all the pigs are accounted for by far though.” Hero said, looking about. “A lot got away, with General Porkander. They’ll be back someday.”

Grey nodded. “Well let them come. Next time we will eat them all! And speaking of which…” He looked at the frozen fat pig, then at his wife. “Dear, would you like a big pork luau to celebrate your return? After all, I thought I lost you forever!”

Redd smiled and took his paw. “That sounds like a wonderful idea love.” 

Everyone went deaf as the king pig squealed in fright. It would be the last sound he wold make… for now.

CHAPTER 11 All’s Well…

After  abit of final effort, the last of the barbed wire fence surrounding Goat Village came down, everyone cheering. The smell of roasted pork was in the air, and the wolves ate at it gingerly, though they brought A LOT of tasty vegetables for their new allies. The survivors from the other nations all joined in the fun, thankful that so few of their number had been taken, and so many of the pigs were now a memory.

At the head table, however, Grey was sneaking. He slowly crept under the table, looking for the right goat, a nice young sweet one to give his wife to welcome her back. He listened as Hero stood up, raising a glass of berry juice.

“A toast!” He said, everyone raising their glasses (Even Grey, who had his with him under the table). “To Redd and Beauty, who turned the tide and saved Great Green Valley. To Ebony, who made it so we can have peace at long last. And to Grey, who proved he can be a hero!”

Everyone cheered… then a goat screamed, a little goat kid, perfect sized for some goat cake. Grye laughed and ran for the gate, everyone staring… until Grey suddenly started to shrink. Grey wound up dropping the goat he had and looking at himself, once again the size of a mouse.

“What the?!” He said, then looking up at Ebony, who held an empty vial. “WHY YOU…!”

Everyone laughed. Ah well, some things never changed! And as Grey continued to shout at the feline, it still was clear that things were going to be, in a way, back to normal. All was well that ended well.

EPILOUGE

Several days later, Ebony would leave the dimension, cataloging it as dimension 0530, the Pleasant Dimension. And it was after that day. Of course, the adventures did not end there, nor would life ever really be just calm and peaceful.

Especially with the crazy things Grey continued to make!

THE END

(Brace yourself everyone! I plan on doing a few more quickie tales in this setting sometime soon. Be watchful for them!)