LionkingCMSL's Visit
A Suburban Jungle*Story
by Donald E. Miller, Jr. (aka LionkingCMSL)

Disclaimer: This story is "non-canon" unless John "the Gneech" Robey deems otherwise.
Note: "The Watering Hole" and "Leonard" were used by John "the Gneech" Robey on a news group we both frequented.

Captain LionkingCMSL was sitting in his "private place" on Homestead mulling over the events that placed him there.

The Lion's Den had been taking on cargo, for a short hop to Mars, when Painless Black Wolf, LK's X. O., came up to him with a concerned look on his muzzle. He stood next to LK's seat waiting for the lion to finish checking the cargo manifest on the PawPadd he was holding.
LK fininshed, set the PawPadd down, and said to Painless, wearily, "What's the matter? I know that look."
"We have a crewfur that is in desperate need of some R and R. He is not getting enough rest and has turned down the opportunity to take some shore leave." LK's demeanor started to take on an ominous cast. Most crewfurs backed away when they saw him get that look, but Painless stood firm and continued, "He's been pushing himslf, almost to the point of exhaustion. He has become very irratable and his efficency rating has dropped five points. He also refuses to take it 'easy' and allow others to take some of his work load."
"Is he required for this cargo run?" LK said with a low growl in his voice.
"The run can be made without him with no loss in efficency," Painless said evenly.
LK's tail started to lash and he growled, "Ok. That settles it. That crewfur is to sit this one out. My orders. If he has a problem with that, let me know. What's his name?"
The tall wolf smiled wanly and said, "Captain LionkingCMSL. Have a nice rest LK. Not only do you need it, but you deserve it."
LK's mouth opened and closed twice before he could answer. "Ok. You win. Just be careful," LK said as he got out of his chair.
Painless slid into the chair, almost before LK's tail cleared, and said, "Aye, sir."

With that LK was basically relieved of command for the duration of that cargo run. He was upset at himself for acting without all the information he needed to make a decision, but then he thought that was a symptom of him being overworked.

LK had gone to back to his lodge and checked up on old friends. He also met up with some new furs who had moved to the lodge area. He found out that he was regarded as a hero and had many offers to buy him food and drink. His answer was always the same, he would think about it.

He eventually decided to wander over to "The Watering Hole" and check up on the happenings there. It was only a short walk to the bar from the lodge and LK needed the excersise anyway. While he had tried to stay in shape on board the Lion's Den, it was hard as there was not enough space to do a full run and the artifical gravity was not the same as the "real" stuff. To him anyway.

About halfway to the bar a fog started forming. This was odd as it was late afternoon and very warm. Not fog forming weather. It got to be "pea soup" thick at one point, but then quickly dissipated.

LK sensed something was not quite "right", but didn't know what it could be. Everything looked as it should, but yet it didn't. He put the feeling aside thinking it was because he had been away for too long. He made his way to the bar and opened the door. He got about two feet inside and foze. Nothing was "right". At Homestead's "The Watering Hole" there was always a mix of quad and anthros milling about. Leonard had made provisions for the quads. There was not a quad to be seen, nor was their "area" here. Instead there were more booths. Not only that, he was the only digitigrade fur in the place, unlike on Homestead where there was a mix of planti- and digitigrade furs.

There was one other difference that LK took notice of. On Homestead he was one of the taller furs. Here, he could see, that he would be considered "average" in height. Something he was not used to.
A zebra came up behind him, to enter the bar, and said, "Excuse me Mr. Lion, but could you please move? You're blocking the door."
LK shook himself out of his shock and said, "The name is LionkingCMSL, and of course I'll move. Sorry."
"No problem sir," the zebra said as he slid by LK.

LK then turned is attention back towards the bar and started to walk towards it. He saw a large kangaroo serving drinks.
As he sat down on one of the barstools the 'roo came up to him and asked, "What'll you be having?"
"Iced tea. Is Leonard around?"
"He's in the kitchen. I need go there to get your drink, so who should I say is looking for him."
"LionkingCMSL or just LK."
"Righto."

The 'roo disappeared into the kitchen and after a few moments a lion, that sort of looked like the lion that LK knew as Leonard, appeared talking over his shoulder. "LK? Wally I don't know anyone by that name or LionkingCMSL."
"Well, he knows you."

Leonard came to stand in front of LK with the iced tea in his hand and asked, "You LK?"
"Yes. I assume you are Leonard."
"That's me. How do you know me?"

LK started to answer when the bar's door opened. Leonard looked up and his muzzle got a disgusted look on it and his tail started to lash. LK turned around to see what would upset the other lion and saw a tiger and tigress holding paws, snuggling and "purring" at each other. LK wondered why that would get Leonard upset. The Leonard he knew was pretty level headed and not much bothered him.

"Look at them. I can't see what Conrad has that I don't, other than Tiffany. At least us lions won't roam like tigers do."
LK answered, "Well I happen to know a tiger couple that are mated for life. They are very happy with each other and I can't see either one 'roaming'." LK thought to himself, with a smile, "If Albert ever did stray, Altaica would have his tail as a bulkhead ornament." The thought of those two brought him back to his problem, and he asked Leonard, "Do you have a way to contact Outpost One?"
"Outpost One?" was Leonard's confused reply.
"Never mind."
"Ok. Whatever." Leonard then noticed that some of the other bar patrons' drinks were in need of refilling. "Excuse me," he said as he left to refill those drinks.

LK was sipping his iced tea when a thought occured to him, how was he going to pay for it. He had ordered it out of habit and Leonard had not asked for payment, yet. He was sure that the HASS credit chits, which he had, would not be accepted, nor would any other means he could think of.

His thoughts were interrupted by a, "Well, hello handsome." He turned to his right to see a lioness standing beside him. "You're new here."
"Yes. You could say that."
"What's your name?" the lioness purred.
LK's "wild" side was frantic. It sensed something very amiss with this lioness. LK's "civil" side also knew something was up, but he only said, "LionkingCMSL."
"LionkingCLMS? What an odd name."
"No. It's Lionking-C-M-S-L. If you prefer, you can call me LK."
"LK. I like that. What are you doing later?"
Both LK's wild and civil side had the same thought, "What is this lioness up to?" Fortunately, for LK, he didn't have to answer as Leonard was there.
"Leona! What are you doing? Are you crazy? Is that your problem? Do you want to drive away all my new customers?"
"I was just trying to be friendly," Leona said in a huff as she stalked away.
"Sorry about that. Leona is always trying to one up Tiff."
"No problem."

Leonard left again. This time to bus some tables and LK returned to contemplating his problem. A movement, in the corner of his eye, caught his attention. He turned to see a wolf in a leather jacket approach.

The wolf eyed LK up and down and said, "Well, I never saw anyone wear a robe in public before. Name's Drezzer."
"I'm LionkingCMSL or just LK. As far as the robe is concerned, I would prefer not to wear anything, but for decourm's sake I wear either a robe or kimono."
Drezzer looked at LK again. "You a model? I 'ave a friend that needs some new faces for a shoot and it looks like you'll do." Drezzer then reached into a pocket and pulled out a business card and offered it to LK.
"No. I'm not a model," LK said as he took the card and looked at it, "But I'll keep this in mind." LK was serious. If he was "stuck" here for any length of time he would need some money.

After his conversation with Drezzer LK picked up his drink and moved to a booth, something he should have done earlier. He was just too "open" sitting at the bar, something that he wasn't comfortable with. He picked a booth where he could watch the door. He was hoping beyond hope that a fur he knew would come in, but as yet none had.

He sat there sipping at his iced tea and watching the door when he saw a cheetah and young tigress walk in. They both waved at the tiger couple that came in earlier and LK could see the family resemblance between the tigresses. The cheetah-tigress couple sat down at the bar and Wally came over to take their order.
"Hello Comfort. Hi Dover. What'll you have?"
"Hi Wally. Just a cola," the tigress said.
When the cheetah answered, it startled LK. "Set Greeting = Hello (Wally). Let Drink = Beer."
LK had heard many different languages, being in space, but never one that was based on computer code. He had thought that maybe Dover was pulling a fast one on Wally, but Dover's conversation with Comfort revealed that Dover had spoken normally, for him.

LK had just gotten over his shock of Dover's speech patterns when he noticed a panda and polar bear enter the bar deep in discussion. LK's senstive ears picked up the low conversation between them.
"Arden, you mean to tell me that no one really knows about alternate realities?" the panda asked.
The polar bear replied, "Not quite, Yin. It's just that a majority of people in most universes have no proof of other realities. Lots of people believe they're out there to some point, they simply have no proof of the fact. Kind of like life on another planet. Sure, it could exist, but until you personally shake an alien's hand, you're not going to believe it." He paused for a second at the look Yin gave him. "Ok, let me rephrase that. Most other people wouldn't believe it."

LK looked at the couple and smiled to himself. He half said aloud, "If that polar bear only knew. I got Painless, with his other half, the Tyrant. Add in Wolfen Starhelm from another dimension and him trying to get back to it with his 'Trans-Dimensional Drive' equipped Mjollnir. The visit of those students from DeMontfort U. and Altaica's visit there. And now my visit here. I'm sure I could convince some furs about alternate realities." LK then remembered the more personal crossings of time and space of him and "Don". LK was sure he could tell that polar bear and panda a few things about alternate realities and how real they were.

Arden had excused himself from Yin and now was returning when his handheld computer's alarm went off. He quickly slid into an empty booth and said to the computer, quietly, "What's the problem?"
"The lion that is sitting two booths from you is not from this continuum."
"What do you mean 'is not from this continuum'?"
"What word threw you? He doesn't belong here."
"Ok. Ok. I'll look into it."

LK's senstive ears had picked up the entire conversation between Arden and his computer, so he was not surprised when the polar bear slid into his booth.
"Hello. My name is Arden. You are?"
"LionkingCMSL, but you can call me LK. No use trying to make small talk. I heard the alarm and your conversation. So what can I do for you?"
Arden looked whiter than a polar bear should. "You heard? I thought I was very quiet and discreet."
"I have very sensitve hearing. Comes from many seasons living as a quad. Before you ask, I can morph between what you see here and a fully quad lion. My question still stands."
Arden had many questions for this newcomer, but thought it would be best to answer the lion's question, but with a question of his own, "Why are you here?"
LK got a faraway look in his eyes and he said quietly, "I seem to be here by outside forces, not of my own free will. I would like to return to where I came from, but I don't know how." LK smiled a small smile, and finished with, "I also seem to have another problem."
"And that is?"
LK held up his nearly empty iced tea and said, "I ordered this before I realized I couldn't pay for it using the credit chits I have on paw."
"Well, I'll take care of that problem first." With that Arden slid out of the booth and went to the bar. He flagged down Leonard and pointed towards LK. Leonard nodded and Arden paid for LK's drink. He returned to the booth. but did not sit down. "If you'll finish your drink, I'll be able to take care of your other problem."
LK drained the last of his iced tea, got out of the booth and said, "Ok. I'm ready."
Arden then looked at Yin and said, "I'll be right back, so don't go anywhere."
"Ok, Arden. I won't."

With that they both left the bar.
Arden led LK to a narrow alley that was out of sight. He then pulled out his pocket computer and said to it, "Ok. Do you have a fix on where our lion friend belongs?"
"He may be your friend, but is not mine. And, yes, I have."
Arden gave the computer a mean look, but only said, "Good. Transport us there now."

There was a POOF! and LK's eyes blurred for a moment. When he cold see clearly again, he looked around and saw nothing had changed. Tail lashing he said, "Nothing happened! We're still at the same place."
"Au contraire friend lion. Follow me."
The two of them walked to the street and LK was amazed. The familar sight of both quads and anthros met his eyes. In fact more than a few of the furs called out greetings to LK.

Arden told him, sotto voice, "You were in an almost perfect alternate reality. This is where you belong. Now, I have to get back to Yin. Bye."
"Bye," was the only thing LK could think to say.

Arden walked back into the alley and after a few seconds LK heard a POOF! He didn't go back into the alley for he knew that Arden was gone.

LK then walked into "The Watering Hole" that he knew. He was so grateful to be back where he belonged, that he did something very uncharacteristic for him. He bought the house a round of drinks.

The End

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*The Suburban Jungle, "The Watering Hole", all characters and artwork related to it © 1999-2001 John "the Gneech" Robey
Painless Black Wolf and the Tyrant © 1999-2001 Painless Black Wolf (that's his real name)
Outpost One © 2000-2001 Peter Turpin (aka SciFox)
Arden the polar bear © 2000-2001 Hikaru Katayamma
Wolfen Starhelm and the Mjollnir © 2000-2001 Peter J. Vaughn (aka Wolfen Starhelm)
DeMontfort U. © 1997-2001 Vince Suzukawa/Classwork Comics (I had mentioned "The Watering Hole" in one of my TCM fan-fics, so it was only fair that include a reference to TCM here.)
All other characters, the Lion's Den and artwork © 2000-2001 Donald E. Miller, Jr. (aka LionkingCMSL)

All characters used with permission.

A big "Thank You" goes out to Hikaru Katayamma for helping me get Arden right. :=3
Of course a HUGE "Thank You" goes out to John "the Gneech" Robey for making this possible with his doing "The Suburban Jungle" for all of us "Jungloids". :=3