Elemental Love

Elemental Love_

This is a story I've been working on for years, and which some of you might have seen chapters of before. This is the whole thing, though, from start to beginning. Hope you'll enjoy it, and please let me know if you do.
PLEASE NOTE!!!, that this story contains underaged characters engaging in explicit gay sex. Seriously, your eyes will bleed! You have been warned.

_ Characters and concept are (c) Squirrel 1. Used with permission.  

**Elemental Love
**by Winter

Kyle woke up as soon as the first rays of morning sunlight fell upon his face. Yawning widely, he stretched his muscles to chase away sleep, then sat up. He scratched his back, yawning again, then a wide grin spread across his lips. Today was his birthday, his twelfth birthday! Thinking that he could allow himself the luxury of sleeping in on this day, he sank back into bed and wrapped himself up in his blankets. Just another couple of minutes...

No more than a quarter of an hour had passed when he woke up again, this time sitting up with a start. Someone had tousled his hair and blown into his ear, yet he knew that he was alone in the cabin and the door was locked. He looked around, still feeling drowsy, but he couldn't see anyone. Just as he was beginning to calm down, convinced that he had only been dreaming, someone kissed his cheek. With a yelp of fear, Kyle leapt out of bed, tossing the blankets aside even though that left him as naked as the day he was born. He took a fighting stance, ready to defend himself against the intruder, but except for his battered old teddy bear Cougar, the bedroom was empty.

"H-hello?" he all but whispered, eyes wide open with fright. "Is a-anybody there?"

The only answer was a faint rustling of the air that almost sounded like a boyish giggle. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyle thought he saw the window curtains move, but when he turned to look they were perfectly still. Must've been wrong, he thought to himself. The window was still closed.

Half an hour later he had finished his breakfast, treating himself to two eggs to go with his bacon instead of the usual one; he even made himself a couple of link sausages on the side. He had all but forgotten the morning's events, half managing to persuade himself that it was all just a dream. After all, why would someone break into his cabin, into his bedroom, just to play with his hair and kiss his cheek? If that someone had stabbed him to death in his sleep and stolen everything he owned, it would have made much more sense. There hadn't been any rogues or bandits in these parts of the forest for quite some time, though, so that was unlikely.

After clearing away the dishes Kyle sat down with a mug of apple juice, still as naked as when he had got out of bed, while he wondered what he should do with his day. Semi-consciously, he touched the spot on his cheek where he had thought he had felt soft lips, smiling to himself. Who would have kissed him? He was just a little kid! Well, not so little anymore, now that he was twelve. Some of his friends used to say that he was cute, but none of them had ever kissed him. Kyle looked at his reflection in the metal mug he was drinking from. True, it was a kind of cute face that looked back at him. Large blue eyes, a small nose, slightly freckled cheeks and soft, thin lips. Lips that would have liked it if someone really had sneaked into his bedroom and kissed them. Someone cute, he thought with a slight giggle. Some cute boy.

Kyle knew that he preferred boys to girls in 'that' way, the way that counted, but he had never met anybody he had liked well enough to kiss. He had seen a few boys at the market that he might have fancied, but they had always been gone before he had summoned up the courage to walk up and talk to them. Snapping out of his musings, he finished his drink and went to pick out his clothes for the day. Settling for a pair of grey cotton shorts, white briefs and his favourite shirt, a pink, tight-fitting t-shirt, he grabbed a towel and a bar of soap and went outside to wash himself.

Kyle locked the door behind him and hung the key around his neck, on its thin chain, then walked down to the little creek that ran through the clearing where his cabin stood. The water, he knew, would be next to freezing this early in the morning, but he didn't really mind. A nice, cold bath always got him started, no matter how tired he was. The clearing was empty, except for a couple of shy deer who were grazing just by the edge of the forest. In the trees surrounding him, birds were singing joyfully as they greeted the new day. The summer sun was shining brightly, chasing away the last of the night's mists, and there was not a cloud in sight on the beautiful, blue sky.

"What a perfect day," Kyle said to himself as he put his things down and stepped into the water, gasping as always at the first contact with the chilly water. He giggled. "A perfect birthday."

If there were one thing his mother had taught him that had stuck in Kyle's mind, it was to keep himself clean. After getting soaked he soaped up good, finishing by lathering up his shoulder-length, light blond hair. He watched his reflection in the water and giggled again; he was all but covered in suds, almost looking like a snowman. Taking a deep breath, he dived into the creek, letting the stream carry all the foam away. But as he swam along the bottom, he suddenly felt a hand touch his thigh, running its fingers upwards along his butt crack before it vanished. He swirled around, kicking out but hitting nothing. The water was very clear and lit by the sunlight, yet when he looked around he saw nobody. Not even a fish that could have touched him. Sputtering and coughing, he broke the surface, gasping for a little while before regaining his breath. This time it wasn't a dream! He swam to the shore and got out, then started drying himself off. Weird, he thought. Weird and spooky.

* * * * * *

He had just finished getting dressed and was walking back home, when he spotted a familiar figure walking down the path to the cabin. Sapling, or Sap as everyone called him, was a couple of years older than Kyle; a ragged-looking teenager always wearing the same torn, often filthy clothes. His reddish-brown hair seemed as if it had never seen a comb, or even heard of soap or shampoo. Kyle quickly forgot about the strange things that had happened to him that morning, and waved happily to his friend. The two of them had stuck together ever since Kyle was little more than a toddler, and had often helped each other out after they were both left on their own. He thought of Sap as the big brother he never had. To Kyle's surprise, as Sap got closer he noticed that his friend had washed up pretty well, and his clothes seemed clean, too. Only his hair was its usual ruffled mess.

"Happy birthday, Kyle!" Sap said, almost falling backwards as Kyle leapt into his arms. They hugged briefly before Sap put him down. "Hey, no kissing or I'll slap your rump, birthday or not."

"I wasn't gonna kiss you," Kyle lied. He laughed. "You're such a sissy."

"Me? I'm not the one that tries t'kiss boys, you know." Sap grinned as he dug through his pockets. "Got you a present, buddy."

"Really? What is it?"

"Hey, calm down! Here it is. Happy birthday, kid."

"Don't call me kid anymore," Kyle said, trying to keep his voice low but unable to keep it from breaking into his usual high-pitched boyish soprano. "I'm twelve now."

"Yeah, really old, I know," Sap teased. "Should've gave you a walking stick instead."

Kyle frowned, but kept back the smart remarks or the stuck-out tongue that would normally have followed such a quip from his friend. Instead, he focused his entire attention on the tiny box that Sap had given him. It didn't weigh much, and Kyle half wondered if this was another joke. But when he opened the box, he couldn't keep back a surprised gasp. He lifted out a gold chain necklace, holding a gold medallion. As he examined it closer, he saw that the medallion had an image of a wolf's head engraved into it. Tears of joy formed in his eyes as he crushed the air out of Sap in a mighty hug.

"Thank you so much!" he cried, kissing his friend fully on the lips. "You're the best!"

"Yuck! Hey, cut that out!" Sap did his best to look completely revolted, but Kyle could tell that he wasn't really mad. "Enough with the kissing!"

"Thank you so much, Sap," Kyle said again. "I love it! Where did you get it? Damn, it must have cost a fortune!"

"Not really." They walked up to the cabin and Kyle unlocked the door, letting them in. "I got it at the market. Jewellery is quite easy t'get your hands on these days, after they let the furries in to share the marketplace."

"This is a furry necklace?"

"See any hair on it, stupid?"

"You know what I mean, Sap, don't be an idiot!"

"Well, it's made by furries, if that's what you mean," Sap said, tousling Kyle's hair as they sat down at the kitchen table. Kyle went to pour them both a mug of apple juice. "I got it from a wolf lady, traded it for one of my glass mosaics."

"It's beautiful." Kyle had already hung it around his neck, proudly displaying the medallion on top of his pink shirt. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Sap said with a somewhat embarrassed grin as he received yet another hug. "Say, wanna come with me to the market today? I thought I'd buy you a birthday lunch."

"Yeah, great! I'll get ready right away!"

* * * * * *

An hour and a half later, they had left the forest and were walking along a wide, dirt-covered asphalt road, slowly getting closer to the old ruin town where a common marketplace had been set up. After centuries of mistrust and intolerance, Kyle knew, humans and furries had only just begun to interact freely, and this marketplace was one of the places where they were no longer separated. Everybody traded with everybody, and anyone who caused trouble was banned from the place. Not that there ever was any trouble, except for the occasional raised voice of someone who thought he had been cheated in a trade. A few years back a band of criminal outcasts, both humans and furries, had been wiped out by a gathering of the local farmers and traders, and after that anyone with dishonest intentions had known well enough to stay away. That battle had cost a lot, though, Kyle thought, trying to recall his mother's face.

He was snapped out of his reverie when he felt that his shoes were beginning to get filled with sand again. For the third time since they had started walking, he had to stop and empty them. Feeling slightly irritated at having his thoughts interrupted, and for slowing them down, he walked over to the side of the road and leaned against one of the rusty old signposts. The paint on the sign was almost gone, but he could still see most of the markings on it. What they meant was a knowledge long lost, but both boys believed as most people did, that they were writings of some kind, in a language nobody spoke anymore. Whatever they had meant, they had another meaning now as this particular sign told Kyle and Sap that they still had five miles to go before reaching the marketplace. An hour's walk if they kept their pace up.

"You oughtta get new shoes, kid," Sap teased as Kyle shook the sand out. "Those must be full of holes."

"Look," Kyle protested, "there's not a hole in 'em, I know that for sure. They just keep getting full of dirt anyway."

"I thought I was the one that did that," Sap said, laughing.

"Yeah, that's true." Kyle leaned over and kissed his friend's cheek, earning another set of disgusted faces. "I'm glad you washed up for my sake, though."

"Oh, it's not as if I didn't need a bath, anyway." Sap blushed slightly. "My toes were beginning to grow moss."

"I can believe that."

Giggling, Kyle leapt out of the way as his friend lunged at him. They chased each other round and round for a while, before ending up in a pile on the road, both trying to wrestle the other down. As always, Sap won easily, pinning his younger friend to the ground.

"You give up?"

Kyle shook his head, so Sap started tickling him, until the younger boy was screaming with laughter and had to fight hard in order not to lose control over his bladder. In the end he gave in, and they got to their feet again. To his dismay, Kyle found that his shoes were full of sand again, so he sat down and took them off. Both boys examined them, but found no visible holes. Kyle put them on after emptying them, but as he got to his feet he put his hand on the ground for support, and suddenly he felt someone touch it. When he looked, his hand was covered with dirt, as if he had half buried it in sand. He shook it off, but instead of falling to the ground, the dirt seemed to fall sideways, running down his bare legs in a way that almost felt like a caress, ending up in his shoes again. Kyle was puzzled, as well as a bit scared, while Sap shook his head and stared in disbelief.

"Man, you are a dirt magnet! And I thought I was bad."

Kyle thought he could hear a faint, deep laughter, sounding as if it came from very far away, but since Sap didn't seem to hear it, he said nothing. Was he going crazy? He decided to put his shoes in his backpack and walk the rest of the way barefoot. Every now and then, he felt as if something tickled his toes as he walked, but decided not to say anything about this, either. After a while, he hardly even noticed it.

* * * * * *

The two of them had a great time at the market. Kyle never did tire of watching the crowd go by its business, nor did he ever tire of watching the furries. No matter how many he saw, the animal-folk still felt new and exotic to him. Every now and then he spotted some young furry boy he thought looked cute, but before he could muster enough courage to talk to them, they were gone. Sap, however, had no such problems. Ever so often, he would simply walk up to a girl, either human or furry, and within a minute they'd be talking as if they'd known each other their whole lives. Kyle felt a bit envious with his friend for this gift, but he comforted himself with the fact that there were other talents he possessed that Sap didn't. Such as a brain, he told himself, grinning inwardly.

At midday, they went to have lunch in a crowded tavern. Feeling a little adventurous, Kyle tried a fish dish he had never tasted before, and to his delight it turned out to be delicious. Each bite seemed to just melt on his tongue, as the spicy flavour filled his mouth. As he was finishing the last of his meal, a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. There was nothing there, however, although he could have sworn that he had seen something, By now, he was beginning to get used to the odd things that were happening to him, and felt more annoyed than scared this time.

Twice more he thought he saw something that wasn't there, some kind of movement that only seemed to be visible to him. Sap was too busy flirting with a waitress more than twice his age to see anything, or indeed to notice that his friend was moving his head back and forth, to try and catch the flicker in full sight. But nothing more happened, not until they were just about to leave, when a candle on their table suddenly fell over, landing with the flame hitting the back of Kyle's hand. To his astonishment, he wasn't burned. Even if he did snatch his hand back quickly he should still have been blistered, but his hand hadn't even felt hot. More as if warm fingers had stroked it for a fraction of a second. He stared at the toppled candle, and saw the flame wink at him, then die out. This time he did feel a bit scared, especially when he thought he heard a whispering voice just behind his ear, although he knew nobody was there.

"See you soon, Kyle."

After that, Kyle didn't really feel like spending more time at the market. Pretending that his hand hurt, he let Sap help him pick out some groceries, then paid for them and bid his friend farewell. Leaving Sap to a raccoon girl who was all but clinging to him, Kyle started walking back towards his cabin. This time he had no trouble with sand in his shoes, and the journey was pleasantly free from oddities and surprises.

* * * * * *

By the time he had put his groceries away and made himself a mug of tea, he felt in dire need of a bath. The afternoon sun had made him sweaty, so after he had drained his mug he slipped out of his clothes and hung his new necklace on the back of a chair, smiling once again at the gift. Then he picked up soap and towel, humming a tune his mother had used to sing to make him sleepy at night. He no longer remembered the words, but he liked the melody. Naked as the day he was born, he walked towards the door. This was the luxury of living far away from the nearest settlement, he mused; he could walk around as dressed or undressed as he cared. He enjoyed being naked, feeling the air against his skin. It also made him feel naughty in a way he never dared to be around people. With a happy smile on his lips, he stepped out through the door and stood eye-to-eye with a strange boy.

Kyle gasped, his surprise so great that it took him a couple of seconds to gather his wits enough to cover himself with the towel. The two of them stood there in silence, watching each other. The boy was a furry; a bat, about Kyle's own age and built. His short fur was dark brown, almost black in places, and his face looked friendly despite the sharp fangs that were revealed as he smiled, tilting his head slightly. His large ears turned towards Kyle, who relaxed. It was obvious that this boy wasn't any danger. Deep, black eyes focused on Kyle as he also took a good look. After a minute or two, the bat-boy smiled again and took a step closer.

"Hello, Kyle. Happy birthday."

"Thanks," Kyle said automatically, smiling back. "But... who are you? And how do you know it's my birthday? Or my name, for that matter?"

"Me and my friends have been watching you for a while." The boy held up a clawed hand as Kyle shied back. "No, please don't be scared. We don't mean you any harm. We just want to be your friends."

"Who are you?"

Kyle said this with a voice that was little more than a whisper. He looked around. Were there others watching him even now? Yet, at the same time as he was a bit scared he also felt on some deep, instinctive level that he could trust this stranger. Trust him with his life. Relaxing further, he took another good look at his visitor. Now that he thought about it, the bat-boy was kind of cute. On top of his head, the fur was thicker and longer, forming an unruly mop of black hair that shivered in the slight afternoon breeze. He was wearing a pair of brown cotton trousers that almost blended in with his fur, making him look as if he were naked. Kyle felt a certain part of his body begin to react, and he blushed. The bat didn't appear to notice; instead, he held out his hand, and as he did so he revealed the great, leathery wings that stretched from his wrists down to his hips. Kyle's eyes widened, but he took the out-stretched hand.

"My name is Cirris," his guest said, smiling yet again. "You don't have to tell me yours, I feel like I've known you forever."

"R-really?" Kyle stuttered. "I-I mean... nice to meet you, Cirris. But... but why..."

"Why am I here? Why have we been watching you?"

"Yes."

"Well, me and my friends are... well, we're not ordinary furries."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you know about elements, Kyle? Not elements like iron or lead or oxygen, but the true elements of nature?"

"You mean..." Kyle struggled to find the words he was looking for. "You mean like in the ancient tales? Fire, water, air..."

"And earth," Cirris finished. "Yes, that's right. The building blocks that make up everything in nature."

"But... but that's just a myth, isn't it?"

"No." The bat-boy smiled again, a smile that made Kyle's heart flutter. He could feel himself getting more and more attracted to this boy. To Cirris, he reminded himself. "It's not a myth. My father is the Air Elemental. I can control the air, myself."

"Really?"

Cirris's only reply was another smile, this time not one of kindness, but one of pride. He stretched his arms out, spreading his wings, and immediately the breeze grew into a half-storm, causing dust to swirl and the windows of the cabin to rattle. Kyle was again surprised that he wasn't scared, but rather fascinated by this display of power. Then, suddenly, a gust of air blew his towel away, and he stood there butt naked. Cirris giggled happily, his dark eyes drinking in Kyle's nudity. Kyle blushed deeply and tried to snatch back the towel, but it kept floating in the air just out of his reach.

"Do you believe me now?" Cirris laughed, a crystal clear boyish giggle that killed the last of Kyle's embarrassment, forcing him to join in. "Here's your towel back."

"Thanks," Kyle said, casually tossing the piece of cloth aside. "But I don't really need it, right? You've already seen all of me."

"Yes, many times." Cirris closed the distance between them, and Kyle allowed himself to be taken into an embrace by the bat-boy's long, slender arms. "Even this morning, when I kissed you awake."

"That was you?" Kyle's eyes widened. "I didn't see you."

"You can't see the air, me, that is, unless I want you to." Cirris laughed again, then let a rush of air blow his trousers down and off. Kyle looked down, grinning at the sight of the furry boy's genitals. Not really knowing much about furries, Kyle had no idea what to expect. What he saw looked pretty much like himself, though; a small, slender penis that was almost the same dark brown colour as Cirris's fur, and which hung down over a taut sac. Kyle couldn't help licking his lips, as he longed to touch it, to slide the foreskin back and feel the tip. The bat-boy smiled warmly, looking deep into Kyle's eyes. "I want you to see all of me. Kyle, I will answer your question. Me and my friends have been watching you because we've always wanted a friend here on Earth."

"But..." Kyle felt as if he were drowning in those large, dark eyes. He was all hard now, but he didn't care. "But... why me?"

"Because you're cute." Cirris giggled, his hands cupping Kyle's naked butt, enticing a gasp. "And the more we've seen of you, the more we've come to love you."

"Love me?"

"Yes." Cirris leaned closer, and Kyle suddenly knew what was going to happen. He closed his eyes and met the bat-boy's lips in a tender, loving kiss. "We do love you, and we hope you'll love us back."

"Oh my," Kyle said, feeling almost faint with joy. "I... I will... I mean, I'm sure I will."

He looked down, trying to keep from blushing, but as he spotted Cirris's stiff penis brushing against his stomach, he turned a deep, deep red. Suddenly, as if on a given signal, both boys broke into laughter, falling into each other's arms again. Their second kiss was longer, deeper, and it took Kyle's breath away. The last shred of doubt in his mind as to whether or not he would fall in love with Cirris dissipated like dew in the morning sun. When Cirris finally broke the kiss and took a step back, Kyle was a little surprised to see that he, too, looked exasperated.

"Wow," they both said at the same time, collapsing into a fit of giggles. Kyle was the first to find his voice. "That was... that was the best I've ever felt."

"Even better than..." Cirris grinned, grabbed his erection and stroked it a couple of times. "...you know?"

"Yeah," Kyle whispered, blushing. "Don't tell me you've been watching..."

"Lots of times."

"Oh, crap!"

"Please don't be embarrassed." Cirris reached out with his hand, and Kyle took it. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then hold on to me, and don't let go."

Wondering what this was all about, Kyle wrapped his arms around the bat-boy's neck, using the opportunity to steal yet another kiss. After that brief lip-touch, Cirris stretched out his arms, spreading his wings. Kyle took a deep breath, but even though he felt a sudden rush of fear he didn't say anything. After all, he had told Cirris that he trusted him, and he wasn't going to back down on that. With just a few beats of his wings, Cirris lifted them both off the ground and up into the sky. Seconds later they were flying high above the ground at a speed Kyle had never even imagined before. He held on with all his might, thoroughly enjoying both the adrenaline rush of the flight and the closeness of their bodies. He was as hard as he had ever been, and with the way Cirris's muscles rippled with every beat of his wings, rubbing against his most sensitive places, Kyle knew that he would come very soon. They flew above the marketplace, so high that anybody who looked up must have thought they were a bird, then on towards a distant chain of mountains. Kyle was now further away from his home than he had ever been before. As they approached the mountain the air got chillier, and he shuddered.

"Cold?" Cirris asked. Kyle nodded. "Then we'd better turn back. Don't be scared now."

There was no time to answer before Cirris stopped flapping his wings and wrapped them around Kyle instead. He gasped, but the fall he had expected didn't come. Instead, a strong, warm wind caught them from behind, keeping them up just as surely as Cirris's wings had a few seconds before. It felt to Kyle as if they were lying on a soft, warm bed. He grinned widely, whooping with joy as they swooped down to fly just above the treetops. Cirris returned the smile, then shifted positions so that his erection found its way in between Kyle's thighs. Their eyes met, and the love and longing he saw in the bat-boy's large, dark eyes almost made Kyle choke.

This was it, he thought. This was what he had been aching for, for so very long. He kissed Cirris's nose, then nodded. No words were needed. Cirris's eyes lit up, and he grinned happily as he pushed up against Kyle. It took a couple of thrusts before Kyle felt the tip of Cirris's penis touch his anus. He held his breath, clenching his teeth against the discomfort he knew would come. To his surprise, though, Cirris slid into him without even a moment's pain. All he felt was pleasure, greater pleasure than he had thought was possible. Cirris pushed against his prostate with every thrust, and with his own penis grinding into his new friend's stomach fur, Kyle knew that he wouldn't even last a minute.

And true enough, he soon cried out, pressing himself even tighter to Cirris as he came, squirting his few drops of semen onto Cirris's stomach. In response, Cirris started thrusting faster and harder, while he found Kyle's lips in a deep tongue kiss. Just as they started their descent towards the clearing where Kyle's cabin stood, Cirris's grip on him tightened, and Kyle felt the bat's warm seed filling him up. By the time they had landed, both of them were so spent that they collapsed in a heap, panting and groaning and giggling. They kissed again, then Kyle's eyelids started getting too heavy for him to keep open. As he drowsed away, he heard his new-found friend's voice whispering in his ear.

"I'll see you soon, Kyle. Sleep now, one of my friends will be here to see you shortly."

* * * * * *

When Kyle woke up, he could tell from the sun's position that only a few minutes had passed. His first thought was that it must have been a dream; Cirris, the flight, the... love. Surely none of that was real? Surely he had just laid down for a nap on his way to the stream? But as he stood up he noticed the little splatter of drying semen on his stomach, and he could feel something wet run slowly down the back of his thighs. A happy grin spread across his face, and he cried out with joy as he dashed towards the stream. It was true! They really had made love, they really had been flying! He could still smell Cirris's soft fur on his body, could still taste their kisses in his mouth. For a moment, he didn't want to wash up; he wanted to keep the smells forever. But then his strong sense for hygiene set in and he continued down to the stream.

He was only mildly surprised to see another furry boy there, sitting on a small rock just at the waterfront. It was an otter, but instead of the normal dark colours of his kind, his fur was a clear blue, and so were his long hair and his large, deep eyes. As blue as the water, Kyle thought, smiling as he approached. He knew which elemental this boy was. The otter looked up and smiled back at Kyle, making his heart skip a beat.

"Hi Kyle," he said in a voice as high and clear as the surf brushing against a sandy beach. "Happy birthday. Did you sleep well?"

Kyle couldn't answer. His throat had suddenly gone dry. The otter boy was as naked as he was, and as Kyle looked him up and down, he could only find one word that suited this stranger. Beautiful.

"I hope the bat didn't get your tongue." The otter giggled. "I'm Crystal, Kyle, so glad to meet you at last."

"H-hello, Crystal," Kyle stuttered, blushing feverishly as he tried to hide his newly awakened erection. "N-nice to meet you, too."

"Did you have a good time with Cirris?" Kyle only nodded, blushing again as a knowing smile lit up Crystal's face. The otter got to his feet. "I knew you would. He's great. I hope we'll get along just as nicely."

"So do I," Kyle whispered, still not trusting his voice. "I'm sure we will."

"Good."

Crystal moved closer to him, and Kyle couldn't help but stare. The otter didn't seem to care at all that he was totally naked. Swallowing, Kyle clutched the towel tighter to his crotch and tried in vain to look away from the goodies that were on display. Crystal's brightly blue penis was not quite soft, and a pearl of clear liquid glistening at the wrinkled tip of his foreskin. Underneath, a pair of large balls in their blue-furred sac almost called for him to fondle them, but Kyle resisted. He felt certain that Crystal would want what Cirris had wanted, but he couldn't be completely sure. Too shy to do anything, he just stood there shivering as the otter gave him a hug. He closed his eyes, trembling a little, but the edge was taken off his nerves when he felt soft lips touch his cheek.

"Relax," Crystal whispered. "Please don't be scared."

"I'm not," Kyle said, his voice almost breaking. "It's just..."

"I know. You're a little shy around people, aren't you?" Their eyes met, and Kyle nodded before looking away. He knew that he was blushing, but he couldn't help it. The arms around him tightened their grip. "Poor Kyle. You've been alone for too long, haven't you? Well, me and my friends are gonna change that. Unless you want to, you don't have to be alone, ever again."

Kyle gasped, breaking the hug as he backed away. He was just about to snap at the otter-boy, for the cruelty of his joke. Yes, he was alone and no, he didn't really want to be. But to trick him into believing... All it took was one look into Crystal's deep, blue eyes, and Kyle felt his rage leave him as suddenly as it had appeared. There was nothing there but sincerity, and love. Still finding everything hard to believe, Kyle didn't resist when Crystal cleared the gap between them and took him into his arms again.

"I mean it, Kyle, I really mean it, all of it."

It was all Kyle could do to nod, then he buried his face in the nape of Crystal's neck and started crying. For the first time in over a year he let the loneliness get to him, and when the dam burst it stayed open for a long time. Day to day he got along well on his own, with Sap's frequent visits and some other friends helping him to block out the worst of his solitude. But now Crystal's words that he might not need to be alone anymore, ever, had swept away his defences. As with Cirris, he felt that he could trust the otter, and the thought of having company again, all the time, had been enough to make him cry in a way he hadn't cried for years. Not since his mother and father... That thought in turn set off another round of sobs, racking his thin body until he felt as if he were going to be sick. All through his crying, Crystal held him close, patting his back and whispering soothing words into his ears. Finally, Kyle was able to pull himself together. The two of them sat down on the grass.

"I never..." Kyle began, but his voice broke and he had to start over. "I never really thought all this was for real. Cirris... You..."

"I understand," Crystal said. "Maybe we should have come to you sooner, but we wanted to wait until your birthday."

"No, it's okay. I'm so glad you're here, it's just..." He felt new tears coming on, but fought them back. "Not until you said that... that I'd never be alone again... That's when I realised that you were real, that you weren't lying to me."

"I am real, Kyle," Crystal said, giggling and poking the boy's belly to prove his words. "And I was telling you the truth. We all want to be with you, if you'll have us, for as long as you'll have us."

"Wow..." Kyle smiled, poking back at Crystal. "I didn't even know how much I hated being alone. Please don't leave me, not ever!"

"I will leave in a little while, but only so another of my friends may greet you. Then I'll be back again, and Cirris, too." Crystal smiled, shifting so that his poking finger went low enough to touch the base of Kyle's penis, which started hardening at once. "I promise you, Kyle, we all promise you that you won't be alone, unless you say you want to be alone."

"I don't think I want to say that."

Kyle giggled as Crystal grabbed his erection, and swiftly returned the favour. They started wrestling, and Kyle soon realised that he was stronger than the otter-boy. With a final rush of strength, he pushed Crystal down on his back, then sat on his chest.

"Got you!" he yelled. "Wow, I almost never won before."

"I know. I've seen you play with your friend."

"Sap. He's a great friend. I think you'll all love him just as much as I do."

"I'm sure we will." An impish glint entered Crystal's eyes, and he grinned up at Kyle. "You know, this is a kind of sexy position."

Kyle was just about to ask what he meant, when Crystal reached up and closed his lips around the boy's erect penis. Kyle gasped. This was almost as good as when Cirris had made love to him, and just like then he knew he would soon shoot his load. But before he did, Crystal slid out from underneath him, stood up and took Kyle's hand, helping him to his feet.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Kyle said without even having to think about it. "I do, I do trust you."

"Then come with me for a swim."

Kyle's face was one big grin as he let Crystal lead him by the hand towards the creek. He thought about the fantastic flight with Cirris and wondered what it would be like to swim with a water otter. As they reached the edge of the water, it was as if the creek came up to meet them. A tentacle of water, almost as thick as Kyle's body, reached up from the surface of the creek and wrapped itself around the two of them. Kyle gasped with astonishment, then giggled as the water stroked him all over, covering all but his face in one big caress.

"Don't hold your breath when we go under, Kyle," Crystal said, smiling reassuringly. "It'll be okay, I promise you."

"Okay," Kyle said, feeling a bit scared, but he also felt that he could trust Crystal with his life, if need be. "I'll try."

The tentacle lifted the two boys up, then pulled them into the creek. Kyle found himself floating just above the bottom, safely held in Crystal's arms. The otter-boy looked different now that he was in his own element. His body seemed somehow blurred, as if at any time he would turn into water, himself. Yet his arms remained tightly wrapped around Kyle's waist. They moved fast; nowhere near the speeds at which Kyle had flown a little while ago, but still they made their way rapidly downstream.

He held his breath. No matter how much he trusted Crystal, his body kept screaming at him to keep the precious air inside his lungs until he could surface to take another breath. In the end he started struggling against Crystal's firm grip, panic overtaking him. Crystal refused to let go, instead he whispered into Kyle's ear, trying to soothe him. It was this weird fact, that the otter-boy could actually speak under water, that finally made Kyle release the air from his aching lungs, and breathe in the creek's chilly water. At first he was near panic again, but he soon found that the water really was breathable. It took a little more effort than breathing air, and he felt a strange kind of pressure inside his throat, as if something were constantly tickling him.

"How does it feel?"

"Feels weird," Kyle said, bursting out with laughter as a stream of bubbles escaped his lips when he spoke. "Is this magic?"

"Water magic, you might say." Crystal giggled. "As long as I'm around, I'll help you breathe."

"So it was you who grabbed my butt this morning," Kyle stated, giggling again as a few last bubbles came out of his mouth. "I almost drowned!"

"I would have saved you. It was just my way of saying good morning."

"Crystal, this feels great!"

"This is my world, Kyle. Just wait, and I'll show you the sea. We'll soon be there. I'm glad you like it."

"I love it!" He paused, turning around in Crystal's embrace so that he could lock eyes with the otter-boy. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Kyle. Ever since I first saw you."

"Cirris said that, too."

"That's because it's true." They kept gazing into each other's eyes, while they rode the stream towards the sea. "At first, we just wanted a friend, but we never knew you were so easy to fall in love with."

"Oh." Kyle felt the surrounding water press against him, touching, stroking, cuddling him. "Oh Crystal..."

There was a shift in the water, and suddenly Kyle was the one holding Crystal, feeling the warmth of the otter-boy's naked back against his chest. Crystal squirmed a bit, until Kyle's hard member slipped in between his buttocks. Chirping happily, he pressed back, rubbing against Kyle until the boy was almost ready to come. But Kyle, using an effort of will, backed away. He didn't want this to be over too soon. Instead he reached down with one hand, the other gripping Crystal's torso tightly, and replaced his penis with his fingers. It felt odd, to be touching another boy the way he had so often touched himself. He slipped a finger into the otter-boy's anus, marvelling at how warm and slippery it was, and then, once he had calmed down a little, he pulled the finger out and pressed the tip of his penis against Crystal's tight hole.

"Do it," Crystal whispered. "Please..."

Kyle obeyed, sliding inside with one swift thrust. Both boys groaned loudly, then fell silent as they pressed against each other. Kyle failed to notice when they left the creek and entered a large river, then left the river for the sea. All he knew was that they were suddenly floating above a wondrous landscape; huge red mountains of coral stretched up from the darkness beneath them, only failing by a few metres to reach the beckoning surface. Schools of colourful fish darted in and out of the hollow structures, scattered every now and then by some larger fish taking a swipe at them. Everything was lit by the afternoon sun shining down from above, and every move they made created a sparkling haze around them as the sunlight caught different angles of the water.

It was such a fantastic world that Kyle almost forgot what he was doing, but as his orgasm started to build inside him, his mind returned to what was truly important. He was making love to Crystal. The otter-boy shuddered, and Kyle reached down to grab him just in time to feel him squirt. At the same time, Crystal's anal muscles clamped down on Kyle, squeezing him so hard that he couldn't help crying out. A few seconds later he shot his own load, just as he felt the last dribble of semen leave Crystal. Completely spent, he once more wrapped his arms around Crystal's chest, but then he just couldn't stay awake any longer. He took one last look at the amazing scenery below them, then kissed Crystal's neck before he fell asleep.

* * * * * *

When Kyle woke up again, the sun was beginning to set. He was lying outside his cabin on a soft patch of grass, with his towel wrapped around him for warmth. This time, he didn't doubt that what had happened was real; he could still all but feel the warmth of Crystal's embrace, the sweetness of his kiss and the passion of their love-making. Also, every time he closed his eyes he was back in the sea, floating above the wonderful world of the coral reef. He laughed and whooped with joy as he dashed into the cabin to get himself something to eat, feeling almost drunk on love.

As he fried some slices of pork and boiled a couple of potatoes, he kept thinking to himself, wondering which of the two boys he had met that he loved the most. Because he did love them, no matter how little time he had spent with them. Crystal was the cuter, he decided, but there had been something about Cirris's quiet, almost shy personality that made his heart flutter a bit more than the chirpiness of the otter-boy. But Crystal had been the one to comfort him when he cried... No, that would be unfair, since there had been no need for Cirris to do any comforting. Thinking about the sex didn't help settle the matter either, all that did was make him hard again. Making love to Crystal had been wild, but Cirris's gentleness won him equal points. Kyle giggled to himself as he sat down to eat; it almost sounded as if he were turning it into a game.

After dinner, he hurried to wash the dishes, then went back outside to chop some firewood for the night. He was still naked, and felt no desire to put on clothes. As he worked, he set all other thoughts aside to focus on the rise and fall of the axe, but as soon as he was done he couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. He put some logs in the fireplace, but didn't light them just yet. It wouldn't get cold until way after the sun was down. Kyle stood up after he had arranged the logs just the way he wanted them. He looked over at his bed, which was suddenly looking emptier than ever. Sighing, he sat down and hugged Cougar to his chest, running his fingers through the teddy bear's mangy-looking fur. He already missed both Cirris and Crystal, and he couldn't wait to see them again.

A tap on the door startled him, and he leapt to his feet, hurrying to open. Two elements were left, that much he knew, but which one was he about to meet now? Earth or fire? It didn't really matter, he decided. He felt certain that he they would be just as nice as air and water had been. With a wide smile on his face, he opened the door, but to his surprise there was nobody there. He stepped out, hesitating a little before closing the door behind him.

"H-hello?" he said quietly. "Hello! Is anybody there?"

There was no reply, but Kyle heard a faint, rustling noise coming from just around the corner of the cabin, as if someone were running through the grass on soft, naked feet. Grinning, he dashed over there as quickly as he could, but found nothing. Not even a bent blade of grass to reveal that somebody had been spying on him.

"Over here, Kyle!" The low voice came from just behind him, and he spun around, not really surprised when he saw nobody. "No, over here!"

Kyle spun around again, still not discovering the origin of the voice. He grinned. So whoever it was had decided to play a game with him. He waited a couple of seconds, then made a pirouette, trying his best to look in every direction at once. And sure enough, out of the corner of his eye he spotted movement at the back of the cabin. He didn't really see anyone, but he felt sure that he had seen a faint flicker of a shadow. Still, when he got there he found nothing, not even a trace of whoever had been there. Frustrated, he ran out into the clearing, standing where he could see everything that approached within ten metres.

"I'm here, Kyle!" There was a low giggle as Kyle turned his head this way and that. "No, here! Here I am!"

Kyle yelled out loud as something touched his leg. He jumped out of the way, kicking back reflexively, but his foot found only empty air. Air? Was Cirris the one who was playing tricks on him? No, that couldn't be it, Crystal has said that he would meet the other two first, then they would all get together. He stood back, panting from the sudden fright, but also from the excitement of the game. Then he stepped up to where he had been when he had felt his leg being touched, and crouched down. The grass was bent where his own feet had been, but other than that, there was nothing. A sudden thought made him run his fingers through the grass, then across the ground itself. As he did, a giggle was heard, and Kyle knew that his idea had been the right one. Grinning, he started digging, and only a few seconds later he saw two large, brown eyes in the dirt. One of them winked, so Kyle winked back, laughing.

"Come on out," he said. "I want to see you."

"Okay. Please don't be scared."

Kyle was just about to promise he wouldn't, when the ground erupted in front of him, almost like one of the volcanoes or geysers he had read about. Sand and dirt flew everywhere as a huge figure rose upward, standing almost twice as tall as Kyle, who gasped and fell on his butt, slightly startled. So this was the earth boy; a large, brown-furred bear with long green hair that looked almost like grass growing on top of a hill. If it hadn't been for the warm, friendly smile that lit up the bear's face, he would have seemed terrifying to Kyle. Yet now the boy found himself almost completely devoid of fear. After all, this was supposed to be his next friend, right? He stood up and brushed some dirt off his backside.

"Hello, Kyle. Happy birthday." The bear had a pleasant, deep voice that had a faint echo to it, almost as if he were talking from inside a cave. "Took your time finding me, didn't you?"

"I see you like playing games with me," Kyle said wryly. The bear giggled as he sat down, making their eyes level. "Every bit as much as your brothers."

"Oh, we're not really brothers, although we're the best of friends." Kyle kept staring into the huge bear's eyes; large, deep, brown pools that kind of resembled puddles of muddied water, yet shone with life, with intelligence and with love. Kyle felt himself blush. "We love each other, just as we've grown to love you."

"Wow. Thanks." Unable to resist, Kyle reached out and touched the bear's arm. The coarse-looking fur seemed as if made from clay, but he found that, to the touch, it was velvety soft and warm. "Uhm, what's your name?"

"I'm Sodd. I think you know what my element is, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. Grit." They both laughed. "Dirt. Sand in people's shoes?"

"Yes, that was me. Just a little greeting."

Sodd lay down on the grass, stretching out. For the first time, Kyle realised that his new friend was naked, as his eyes were drawn to that special spot. Brown-furred balls larger than his own fists hung beneath a penis as thick and long as Kyle's entire arm. He swallowed, blushing again. And the thing was still soft...

"Like what you see?" Sodd asked, rolling over to provide a better view of his privates. "I hope Cirris and Crystal haven't worn you out."

"I don't think so," Kyle answered in a hushed tone, making the bear giggle. "But... wow! You're... you're huge!"

Grinning, Sodd reached down and stroked himself. Kyle stared as the bear's member grew thicker and longer as if it would never stop growing. Meanwhile, almost unconsciously, Kyle started playing with himself. He was already fully erect. Unable to stop himself, he reached over and touched the massive tip, just as the bear pulled his foreskin back. Sodd smiled, and groaned a bit at the touch. This encouraged Kyle, who ran his fingers down the shaft until they reached soft pubic fur. At the same time, the bear caressed Kyle's chest and stomach with his large, furry hand, making the boy giggle.

To Kyle's astonishment, every touch left a thin layer of mud on his skin. It felt moist and slightly chilly, but Sodd's body heat kept him warm. As they kept touching and stroking each other, less and less could be seen of Kyle's pale skin. The bear rolled over to lie on his back, pulling Kyle with him until he lay on Sodd's chest. Their faces were now only a few inches apart, and they smiled at each other before Kyle leaned in for a kiss. Even his tongue got coated with mud, but it left no taste in his mouth except for the sweet flavour of the kiss.

When they broke apart, Kyle sat up a little, and when he did that he felt the tip of Sodd's penis touch his lower back. For a second, a tiny wave of fear surged through him. If the bear were to enter him, he would be torn apart. Yet, despite this little sliver of doubt, he found himself feeling quite safe. Cirris and Crystal had been gentle with him, so why shouldn't Sodd be, as well? As if reading Kyle's mind, Sodd grinned reassuringly, then reached up with his paw to tousle Kyle's hair and touch his face. Kyle could feel that every single square inch of him was now covered in mud. He touched his own arm and tried to brush it off, but it was as if the mud had blended into his skin. A sudden thought entered his mind, and he giggled.

"What's so funny?" Sodd asked in his strangely echoing voice. "Care to share?"

"I just wonder what Sap would think if he saw me now. I always tell him he needs to get cleaned up, and look at me now!"

"Don't you like it? Brown suits you. It's a nice colour, for both fur and skin."

"Yeah, I kind of like it." Kyle lay back down on Sodd's chest, and the bear wrapped his arms around him in a crushing hug. "I like you, too."

"And I love you, Kyle. Every bit as much as the others do, and every bit as much as I love them."

Instead of answering, Kyle pressed his lips against the bear's, and they spent a long while kissing. Without breaking the kiss, Kyle rolled over to lie on his side, still wrapped in Sodd's strong arms. He searched around with his feet until he felt his soles touch the warm, rigid shaft of the bear's huge erection. Then he began stroking it, marvelling at its size. While his toes touched the base, the tip just about reached Kyle's own balls. He could feel a drop of warm, clear liquid smear his mud-covered skin every now and then. In the end, it was Sodd who broke the kiss, laying his head back against the ground with a thud while he let go of Kyle.

"Better stop it, my friend, or it'll be over too soon." Kyle obeyed, again feeling a twinge of uncertainty as to what this giant might have in mind. It was quieted, though, by the warm look in the bear's eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Kyle answered immediately with a smile. "Yes, I trust you."

"Good. Then let's visit my world. Don't hold your breath."

Before Kyle could ask how he could visit the earth, he felt as if Sodd started to melt underneath him. Slowly, the earth bear sank down into the ground, but when Kyle thought he would end up lying on the grass again, he found that he, too, was being pulled under. He thought about how he'd had a mud bath a couple of years ago, together with Sap at a place where hot springs kept the earth soft. This feeling was quite similar. He tried his best to relax as his head went under, but he just couldn't force himself to breathe normally. Instead, just as he had when Crystal took him swimming, Kyle held his breath. This lasted only until he was fully submerged, though. When he found that he could see clearly in every direction, he couldn't help gasping.

The world beneath the ground was far from as silent and placid as Kyle would have thought, if he had known that such a world existed, that is. He could see worms eating their way through the soft earth, fieldmice digging their burrows, even a litter of cute little fox kits hiding in their den, waiting for their mother to bring them food. It was as if the earth had turned see-through, as if it were no thicker than water. And indeed, Sodd, who now felt as solid as he had above ground, let go of Kyle with one arm and started swimming through his domain. Kyle was breathing normally now, although he couldn't figure out how the bear could bring him air where there was none. He didn't trust his voice to work down here, so he kept silent as they slowly swam along.

There was so much to see that Kyle's head started spinning after a while. So many creatures lived underground, and most of them were things that he had never even heard of. Things with many legs and powerful jaws; things that lived and mated and died, things that hunted and that were hunted. Sodd stopped so they could watch a beetle-like insect, as big as Kyle's hand. It stalked a many-legged worm, but before it could strike it found itself stuck in the jaws of something Kyle could only describe as a dragon. A thin, scaly creature with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

There were also things of great beauty to be seen. They moved slower as they sank into the bedrock, but Kyle could still see clearly. Here and there shone precious stones and gems, and he even saw what must have been diamonds, sparkling in the faint light. Sodd pointed to the right, and Kyle gasped again as he saw a rich load of gold. A miner who could dig this deep, he thought, would get rich. The gold seemed to hang in mid-air, or rather, Kyle realised, in mid-rock, like streaks of shiny lustre against a gloomy background. Sodd swam closer and broke loose a small piece of the metal, then handed it to Kyle, who giggled as the cool, heavy nugget pressed his hands flat against his chest. The sound of his laughter was a bit hollow, but the bear's laughter that followed sounded completely unhindered, and his voice had lost its echo when he spoke.

"Let's go to my home."

They swam for a few more minutes, ever downwards through more and more dense rock. There were loads of metal everywhere now; not just gold but also iron, silver, copper and other metals that Kyle didn't recognise. Then he spotted something else ahead of them. At first it was just a faint glow, but as they got closer he saw that it was a cluster of gemstones, surrounding a large cave. When they reached the cave, it felt to Kyle as if they got out of the water after a swim, and he resisted an urge to ask for a towel. Won't do any good, anyway, he thought as he realised that he was still covered in mud.

Sodd's home was a cave larger than the marketplace, and taller than the highest treetops. No torches or lamps lit it; instead the light came from the gems that lined the walls. All the colours of the rainbow shone through the massive cave, lighting up a table with five chairs, a pool of water at the back of the cave and a fireplace to the right. To the left was a bed, larger than any piece of furniture Kyle had ever seen.

"My friends visit me here sometimes," Sodd said with his deep, yet somehow boyish voice. Now that they were out in the air again, the faint echo was back. "Through water, air and fire. You'll have to swim with me, though, whenever we come back here."

"It's beautiful," Kyle whispered. He felt something heavy in his hands, and only then did he fully realise that he was actually holding a gold nugget as large as his fist. He placed it on the table and looked around again. "Everything's beautiful."

"So are you, Kyle." Sodd sat down on a chair and pulled out another. "Look, I made one for you, too."

"Thanks." Kyle climbed up onto the chair, but his eyes barely reached above the tabletop. The two of them laughed at this, then Sodd lifted him up and placed him on the table. "I'm too small for everything here."

"We'll get you some cushions for next time, if you want to come back, that is."

"Of course I do!" Kyle cried out. "I love it here! I... I love... you."

"I love you, too, Kyle. We all do."

"I know that now." Kyle's voice was still no more than a whisper, and he had to fight back tears. "It's good to be loved."

"Speaking of which..." The huge bear stood up, faster than Kyle would have thought of someone so large, then grabbed him off the table and carried him over to the bed. They lay down, and Kyle was once more aware of the massive erection that was pointing right at him. "Don't worry, Kyle. You're in my realm now. The earth means healing and life, and while you're with me, even covered with me, nothing can hurt you. Nothing can feel anything less than good. Will you let me make love to you?"

Kyle nodded. He grabbed his knees and lifted them as high as he could, spreading them wide apart. Sodd grinned happily as he reached down to run his fingers over Kyle's erection, pulling the foreskin back to uncover the sensitive tip of his penis. The fingers then moved to gently caress his balls before reaching his butt hole. Even one finger of that large hand, Kyle knew, should have hurt like hell, but now two of them at once slipped inside him without even the slightest discomfort. No lubrication seemed to be needed, either. Kyle sighed and allowed his head to sink back into the soft bed, closing his eyes as Sodd started rubbing his prostate. It only took a minute or two of this, until a couple of clear drops stained the brown mud on his stomach. Sodd leaned down and licked it up, giggling happily. Again, Kyle marvelled at how young the bear sounded, despite his size and his normally deep, even booming voice. His laughter was clearly that of a young boy.

Kyle had barely even started to recover from his orgasm when the two fingers pulled out of his butt, leaving it awfully empty and longing to be filled again. He opened his eyes, ready to plead for more, when he realised that he wouldn't need to. Sodd smiled warmly at him as he lined up his penis against Kyle's tiny butt, making it look like a bull ready to charge into a mouse hole. That thought made Kyle giggle, and after he had shared the joke they both laughed for a long time, falling into each other's arms. They kissed, than Kyle leaned down and licked the tip of the bear's erection, pulling the skin back to get at the sensitive head. A pearl of pre had formed at the slit, and he tasted it. It was a sweet flavour, and he knew that he could have spent a good, long while tasting more of it, but right now he wanted something else. He lay down on his back again and raised his knees, and this time Sodd slid right into him. As Kyle had expected, there was no pain. Even though he should by rights have been split in two he was instead filled with a delightful warmth, farther up his stomach than what should have been physically possible.

"The earth heals, and shapes," Sodd grunted, his features slightly twisted with pleasure. "You'll never be too big or too small when you're with me, once you have been covered with my mud."

"Magic?"

"Older than magic. The earth is way older than magic."

"Well... magic or not..." Kyle said in between moans. "I want it!"

"As you wish!"

Kyle groaned loudly as Sodd started pulling back, then pushed in with a bit of added force. Every movement of the thick bear member pressed it against his prostate and sent ripples of pleasure up and down his spine. At the same time, Sodd's furry stomach rubbed against Kyle's own erection. Step by step, the bear sped up until he was pounding Kyle so hard and so fast that the boy grabbed on to the blankets to avoid being thrown off the bed. Kyle grunted, gritting his teeth in order to keep himself from coming too soon. He was fighting the inevitable, though, and after no more than a minute or two he felt his every muscle grow tense as his orgasm hit. There was no semen this time, though, only the good feeling. They both lay still for a moment while Kyle recovered, then Sodd sat up, pulling out of the boy's anus.

"Have you had enough yet?" he asked with a hint of teasing in his voice. "I'm good for a while longer."

"Just let me catch my breath," Kyle panted. "I'm good, too."

"That's true." Sodd laughed. "You're very good."

"Oh, stop it!" Kyle laughed as Sodd lay down next to him, making him bounce on the bed. "You'll make me blush."

"It's true, Kyle. You are good."

They lay face to face for a while, occasionally kissing but mostly just staring into each other's eyes. Kyle felt a different kind of love for this boy, this huge earth bear cub, than he had felt for Cirris and Crystal. This was a solid, steady love, strong as if it were made from the same granite walls that surrounded Sodd's home. He ran his fingers through the fur on the bear's chest, until he felt something that he realised had to be a nipple. Smiling to himself, he started pinching and caressing it. Sodd closed his eyes and rolled over to lie on his back, and Kyle moved with him. At first, he was distracted by the sight of the bear's still hard erection, which was lying on his stomach and which touched Kyle's side as he leaned in to caress Sodd's chest. He felt sorely tempted to return to what they had been doing, but he had something else to do first.

Climbing up to lie half on top of his new friend, Kyle pressed his face into the thick chest fur until he felt his lips brush against the stiffened nipple. Without pausing, he started kissing and licking it, enticing some deep rumbles from within the massive rib cage. Meanwhile, his hand found the other nipple and worked it pretty much the same way. Sighing with pleasure, Sodd surprised Kyle by lifting him up and placing him across his wide chest. One bear hand cupped the boy's buttocks, while the other stroked his head and face. Kyle wrapped his lips around Sodd's nipple and sucked for all he was worth, while his tongue worked the tip. Was this how it had felt to lie in his mother's arms? he wondered. All safe and warm and loved and nursed? Then he felt the tip of Sodd's penis prod his lower back, leaving a slimy trail of fluid behind, and he nearly burst out giggling again. No, he decided, this was quite different.

With one more kiss to the nipple, he reluctantly let it go and stood up. Sodd opened his eyes and smiled, clearly knowing what he was up to. Kyle had to stand on his toes in order to get the bear lined up with his butt hole. Then he sat down, feeling himself get filled up again in a way that his rational mind knew was impossible, but which his sensual mind found wonderful. Sodd reached up so they could hold hands, then Kyle started riding up and down, moaning loudly as his prostate was massaged furiously. At the same time, Sodd thrusted gently upwards, gyrating his hips to make their movement almost a rotating one. Again, Kyle knew he would not last long, even though he had just come twice. But Sodd was with him this time, and as Kyle was approaching his climax, he could feel the bear swell inside him. It took one more thrust, then another, and on the third one Kyle had to let go. It was another dry orgasm, but it was still enough to make him see stars. Midway through it, he felt the first jet of bear semen begin to fill him up. He stood still, crouched so that Sodd's penis was about halfway up inside him, waiting for his own orgasm to end, all the while feeling the bear throb and squirt, then he stood up and let it slip out. Warm juices ran down his legs as he turned around and sat down on Sodd's stomach, wrapping his arms around the still shooting erection. Kyle's upper body was soon all but covered in thick white jism, and he opened his mouth to taste some of it. The flavour was strong; part sweet, part salty and part musky, and Kyle immediately decided that he loved it. He leaned back a bit so he could take part of the tip into his mouth, and was rewarded by yet another squirt. He rolled it around on his tongue for a second or so, but then he had to swallow as Sodd served him another helping. It took three more swallows before the bear's orgasm finally began to abate. Kyle sucked out the last few drops and kept them in his mouth as he slipped off of the bear, and came to rest on the bed. He tried his best to stay awake, but soon he began to drift away. The last thing he felt was Sodd's lips and tongue as he received a good night kiss.

* * * * * *

The sun had gone down when Kyle woke up, but two full moons had risen and gave him enough light to see by. He was not very surprised to find himself lying on a spot of particularly soft soil just outside his cabin, but he did laugh out loud when he realised that he was still covered from head to toe with light brown mud. He tried to scrape it off, but it was as if his skin had suddenly turned dark. Not that he really minded; far from it. Anything that would remind him of the wild time he had spent with Sodd. Thinking about the huge bear boy brought on a tingly feeling inside of him, and he reached down to run a finger along his butt crack, half expecting to find an opening large enough to hide a cooking pot in. But all he could feel was his usual, tight little hole. True, it felt just a tiny bit sore and, true, there was a trickle of white semen running from it down his thighs. He held up some of the hot liquid to his face and sniffed it, then touched it with the tip of his tongue. The taste was just as sweet as it had been when he had been all but drenched in it after Sodd's orgasm, and Kyle sucked his finger clean with a slurping noise that made him giggle. He wondered what had happened to the rest of it, recalling how spurt after spurt had almost literally drenched him both inside and out. He pondered for a minute or two whether or not he should go down to the creek and try to wash the mud off, but decided against it; something told him that water wouldn't help one bit. At least not ordinary water, he thought. The memory of Crystal and the love they had shared while looking down on the magnificent coral reef made him feel a stirring in his groin.

"Is there still life in you?" he asked his penis, laughing as it quickly hardened to full attention. "But of course, your day isn't over yet, is it?"

Only now did he spot the gold nugget lying beside him, and he felt something akin to fear as he picked it up. Was he rich now? Would this draw potential robbers and thieves his way? No. The decision came to him easily; this was a souvenir, a memento of the earth realm and of Sodd, and would never be more. He would hide it, keep it safe and only bring it out when he wanted to reminisce. Maybe show it to Sap. He imagined the older boy's eyes widening at the sight, and grinned. There would be awe on his friend's face, Kyle knew, and amazement. But no greed. Sap, like Kyle, had never had much money, and had never really needed it. Whatever they lacked, they could get by trading.

Inside the cabin it was almost fully dark, so Kyle wandered over to the fireplace and lit it, stowing his treasure away in a hidden drawer inside his wardrobe. He then sat down in front of the fire, watching the dancing flames, but soon his impatience started to grow. Nothing happened, and kept on happening. Surely he couldn't be mistaken? The fourth element was fire, wasn't it? He scooted a little closer to the fire, and now he thought he could see movement inside the flames. Here and there he spotted what might have been an eye or a smile, or a large fuzzy ear. He opened his mouth to say something, then fell back with a yelp as a hand shot out of the fire and made a grab for him. Short of breath and with his heart pounding in his chest, Kyle got to his feet.

"I should have known," he muttered begrudgingly. "You all love playing games, don't you?"

The only reply was a boyish giggle, but at the same time the fire began to change. The flames no longer danced about at random, but instead they started to twirl, gathering to slowly form a solid figure. Kyle wasn't surprised to see yet another furry step out of the fireplace. The fire boy was a rabbit, smaller than any of the others but with a sweet-looking face and a twitching nose that Kyle found irresistibly cute. His fur was the colour of flames, a sort of reddish-yellow-orange that shifted constantly, as if it were really made out of fire. Maybe it was, Kyle thought to himself. It wasn't easy to know, given the magical nature of these creatures. These boys, he corrected his own thoughts. These cute and sexy boys. The rabbit smiled shyly and held out his hand. Kyle shook it.

"Hello, Kyle." His voice was a clear boy soprano. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks." Kyle found himself blushing slightly as he realised that his new friend was, like himself, completely naked. "Hello to you, too. What's your name?"

"I'm Drake." He smiled again. "And you're cute."

"So are you." The two boys stood eyeing each other shyly. Not really sure of what to say, Kyle forced his voice to work. "So, what's your element?"

The fire bunny clasped his hands to his mouth and let out a high-pitched half-shriek, half-giggle. Kyle followed suit and they were soon laughing heartily. Drake took one more step forward, and Kyle opened his arms for him. With a happy squeal, the rabbit boy hugged him tightly, and after a little while he looked up at Kyle and opened his mouth. Kyle eagerly accepted the invitation and kissed his new friend. They both moaned as their tongues touched and began to twirl around each other. Their bodies pressed tightly together, and they were soon both fully hard. Before Kyle started getting too close to coming, though, he broke the kiss and took Drake's hand. He took a step towards his bed, but the bunny held him back.

"Let's get you clean first. You look lovely brown, but I'm more used to seein' your own skin." Kyle nodded, wondering if perhaps they should go down to the creek. Drake stayed where he was, though, and clenched Kyle's hand. "Please don't be scared."

"I won't." Kyle laughed. "You all say the same things."

"That must be 'cause they're good things. We're smart!"

Both boys giggled, then Kyle's laughter changed into a gasp of amazement as something began to happen. Drake's hand felt hotter and hotter, but it was a good heat that didn't burn him. Just like that candle, he thought as he recalled what must have been Drake's little prank earlier that day. Soon, flames started creeping up his arm, still not hurting him even though he could feel their tremendous heat. In less than a minute he was covered in fire without burning. Drake smiled at him, and reached up with his free hand to start brushing off the now dried mud. Once all of it was gone, the flames died down. Kyle felt cold, even though he knew that the cabin was nicely warm inside. Drake must have noticed this, because he now dragged Kyle towards the bed with an eager smile and yet another of his clear giggles.

"I'll keep you warm, don't worry." The fire bunny started to sit down on the bed, but changed his mind. Instead, he pinched Kyle's buttocks, making the boy cry out. "Tag! You're it!"

Kyle stood as frozen while Drake dashed out of the cabin, laughing loudly. His erection wilted slightly as sex suddenly seemed a lot less imminent. Grinning to himself, he lay those thoughts aside and gave chase. The boys played outside for what seemed to Kyle to be at least an hour. They chased each other this way and that, and wrestled whenever one caught the other. Kyle was the larger of the two, but Drake was very agile and could suddenly turn the boy's moves against him. Each won about half their matches. Every now and then, Drake would pause to give Kyle a hug, or just to get close enough to steal a quick kiss. But when Kyle tried to instigate something more serious the bunny boy just giggled and danced away from him. It was both frustrating and fun for Kyle.

After a while, though, their game came to a halt when Drake suddenly let himself lose a wrestling match, and instead kissed Kyle's lips. Kyle reacted instantly, and returned the kiss, this time with his tongue playing at the bunny's lips, begging to gain entrance. Drake complied, then hugged him tightly while they kissed. Heat began to emanate from his body, and soon flames rose up to engulf Kyle. Having learned by now to expect anything from his new friends, Kyle was not scared, nor surprised by the fact that the flames did not burn him. Before long, they were engulfed in what must have looked like a spring bonfire from the outside, but which felt like lying on a pile of soft, warm cushions. Drake broke the kiss and winked.

"Wanna see my world?"

Kyle nodded, and the fire burst to a blinding intensity, shutting all else out but a seemingly endless inferno. Things moved in there, Kyle realised after a while. Little flickers of flames, like candlelights floating in the air, everywhere. He walked towards one of these, and found himself peering into a room he had never seen before. A woman sat in front of him, holding a small boy. Kyle felt a pang of longing inside him at the sight. Another flicker swept past him, and as he turned he saw for a fraction of a second someone wringing his hands at him, surrounded by what looked like a blizzard. He turned back to the mother and child, but they were gone. From behind, he could hear a soft whisper.

"It takes a lot of focus to find a certain one." Drake looked different in here, less solid and more as if he were truly made of fire. "There are so many of them, and they flutter by so fast."

"What are they?"

"Fires. Every fire that burns can be seen from here, and as you've seen I can look out of them."

"Cool," Kyle muttered, then changed his mind. "Or maybe I should say hot?"

"That sounds better," Drake laughed. "Let me show you something."

He held out his hand, and one of the tiny flickers floated up to him. Drake tugged at it and made it grow to a window. Inside, Kyle could see a furry body on a bed. It was a female, he noticed with a blush, and she was naked. Her low moans could be heard clearly, and a few seconds later Kyle understood what was going on. Sap sat up between her legs, smacking his lips loudly. Kyle blushed even more.

"Looks like your friend is having fun," Drake said, watching as Sap started sucking on the girl's breasts. "By candlelight, luckily for us."

"I don't believe it!" Kyle exclaimed with a laugh, looking away as the show grew more erotic. "I thought he was lying with all those stories!"

"Each to his own." Drake giggled. "You've left the light on a couple of times, too, when you've..."

"Yeah, I know." Kyle tried his best not to blush, but knew he failed. "You guys love to watch, don't you?"

"Mhm. You're cute when you come."

"I'm gonna get you!"

Drake shrieked with laughter, and at once the fiery world around them changed back to the darkened glade outside Kyle's hut. They chased each other up and down once more, yelling 'tag!' every time they caught one another. Their touches grew more and more bold, and soon only a grip around a half-stiffened penis or an intimate butt grope counted as tag. As before, they wound up pretty much even when it came to wrestling.

In the end, though, it was the long day that won out. Kyle yawned widely; the tiny naps he had been taking were not enough to completely renew his energy, and it was now running out. Drake seemed to understand, and called off the playing by taking Kyle's hand and leading him into the cabin. They sat down on Kyle's bed, and Drake picked up Cougar the teddy bear and gave it a hug.

"He'll keep you company tonight, Kyle. I'll see you again tomorrow." He suddenly winked coyly. "Unless you wanna have some fun before bedtime."

Kyle smiled, and pulled his latest friend into a tight hug, kissing one of his large ears. Drake shuddered, then started running his hands over Kyle's back, all the way down between his buttocks. Before long, they were lying on their sides facing each other, grinding their erections together while kissing deeply. Drake was, down there as well, the smallest of the four elemental boys, and Kyle couldn't help asking the question that was on his mind when they broke the kiss.

"How old are you?"

"Twelve, just like you. We all are, that's why everything will work out just fine." Kyle did not understand this, but decided not to ask. "Guess I'm just a late bloomer."

"But still cute." They both giggled. "Turn around. No, with your head the other way."

Drake obeyed, and Kyle found himself facing the rabbit's stiff erection. He admired it for a couple of seconds, running a finger along its length, but when he felt a warm, wet mouth around his own member he hurried to swallow it. Minutes ticked by as the two boys slurped happily on each other, while they let their fingers fondle sacs or jab at butt holes. Kyle felt his orgasm approach, and he got slightly scared. Surely another one would finish him off? He fought it back, knowing from playing on his own that it would feel better that way, but when he felt a drop of scorching hot seed shoot out from Drake's tip and hit the roof of his mouth, he lost control. Moaning around the fire bunny, he let himself go while another two tiny spurts landed on his tongue. It was sweet and tasty, and so hot it ought to have burned a hole right through his head. He rolled the precious drops around inside his mouth while his own orgasm ended, then swallowed. It warmed him like wine, or like the brandy he and Sap had drunk a couple of weeks earlier, but without the strong taste of alcohol and, hopefully, without making him sick the next day.

He was all spent now, and was too tired to do more than smile as Drake got out of bed, then tucked him in and placed Cougar on his pillow. He hugged the teddy bear, then closed his eyes while he felt a warm kiss on his forehead. Drake was different, he decided. They all were, one way or the other. The love he felt for the fire bunny was of the kind he would have felt for a kid brother. They had played and had a lot of fun together, and the sex had been more like a bonus. Kyle giggled sleepily, then allowed himself to drowse away.

* * * * * *

This time, Kyle got a good, long rest. The sun peered up over the treetops skirting the glade, but he slept on. It was close to noon before he stirred, opened his eyes, then sat up and yawned. He hugged Cougar, remembering how Drake the fire bunny had placed the teddy bear at his side as he tucked him in. It had been a good feeling. He still had a slight taste of Drake's semen in his mouth, and he licked his lips. The thought of yesterday made him so happy he felt almost dizzy. He had learned so much, had done so much, and it had all been so good. He had four new friends, friends who loved him, and whom he loved back, each in a different way. Cirris the air bat was a quiet, yet strong love. Crystal the water otter was playful passion. Sodd the earth bear was a comforting, protective love, and with Drake the fire bunny it was mostly the same, but the other way around. With him, Kyle had felt like the older one, the protective one. The big brother, as opposite to being the kid brother of Sodd. It was maddening! Yesterday morning, he had been mostly alone, but now his new friends had told him that he never had to be alone again. Never, ever.

Maddening!

He danced around the cabin with Cougar in his arms, then screamed as he saw just how high the sun had risen in the sky. It had been years since he slept in that long! And then only because he had been ill. He slammed open the door to the cabin and dashed out, still naked and still clutching his teddy bear. There was nobody there. Had it been a dream, after all? Or had they got tired waiting for him? Despair sunk into his mind, but when he turned back towards the cabin he blinked back the beginnings of tears and instead he grinned. Letters of fire glowed on his front door: 'Didn't have the heart to wake you up, so I asked Drake to leave you a message. Call me when you've had a bite to eat. Love, Cirris.'.

"Love you, too," Kyle muttered happily, wiping at his eyes. "Love you all."

He ate a hurried meal, not sure what to call it when he broke his fast at noontime. Nothing fancy, just a couple of sausages and fried eggs, and an apple for afters. He wondered if he should get dressed. The elemental boys had all seen him naked, so there was really no need for modesty. Besides, it was fun being naked. Naughty fun. Still, he had no idea what they were going to do, or where they were going to go. So he grabbed his shorts and the pink shirt, then soap and a towel as he headed down to the creek. As he touched the by now quite warmed-up water he smiled to himself, wondering whether Crystal was down there, watching him now. He washed quickly, then got up and started to dry himself off. A sudden, wicked thought entered his mind, and he grinned as he walked up to the edge of the creek and relieved himself into it. There was a splashing noise as his pee was carried away by the water, but no unnatural reaction. In a way, he was mildly disappointed.

Once he was done, he got dressed and returned to the cabin. He hung the towel up to dry, then kissed Cougar goodbye and locked the door behind him. The clearing was empty. He stepped away from the cabin and wondered just how he was going to call for Cirris. Then he smiled to himself. The air would hear any sound, wouldn't it?

"Cirris," he said lowly. Nothing happened. He tried again, slightly louder, but still nothing. "Cirris!!"

"No need to yell, my friend."

"Ah!" Startled, Kyle jumped, then turned around to see the air bat's friendly smile beam at him. He grinned back, even though he tried to look annoyed. "Don't do that!"

"Did you sleep well? I hope we didn't wear you out yesterday." Kyle shook his head and took a step forward. The two boys fell into each other's arms and kissed deeply. "We have much to do today."

"We do?"

"Yes. I will explain it all while we fly."

"We're gonna fly again?" Kyle's eyes lit up when the bat boy nodded, and he bounced up and down, giggling. "Great!"

"Just hold on to me."

"Gladly."

"Might as well leave these." A gust of air took Kyle's clothes clean off his body, and blew them in underneath the door to the cabin. He was left wearing nothing but the cabin door key, which hung on a thin chain around his neck. "They're back in your drawers. You won't need them."

"You like doing that, don't you?"

"Yup." Cirris giggled at Kyle's sudden blush. "To me, it feels just like when I touch you with my hands."

"Wow."

"Are you ready?"

Kyle nodded and opened his mouth to say that he was, but before a sound had escaped his lips they were up and away, with him wrapped tight in the bat boy's arms, carried by a strong wind. By the time he had regained his breath, they were more than half a mile up. The air around them was getting cold, but the second Kyle shivered he felt Cirris's lips touch his neck. A warmth spread from the kiss until he felt as if he were snuggling his friend beneath a thick blanket. He hummed with delight and rubbed his nose against the bat boy's cheek.

"Thank you."

"No problem. I don't really feel the cold, so I didn't realise..."

"It's okay. You're warm." Kyle let a hand slip in between them to rub at their growing erections. "Mmm, very warm."

"Not yet," Cirris giggled. "Soon."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"It's true." Cirris tightened his grip and increased his speed, now shooting straight upwards. "I have no idea where we will go. It's all up to you."

"Me?" Kyle gasped as he looked down. They were so high now that even the mountains looked small. He could clearly see the rounded edges of the world. "B-but I don't..."

Then there was blackness all around him. Even through the warmth provided by Cirris, Kyle thought he could sense the immense cold that surrounded them, that tried in vain to engulf them. Space. Kyle knew some of the old stories, of how humankind had once travelled to the stars and back. But that had been long, long ago, in an age lost to memory but kept in legend. Below them, the Earth was now a huge disc, which while mostly dark still displayed some of the most beautiful blues and greens Kyle had ever seen. Above and to all sides were more stars than he had ever seen, or even imagined, all shining so brightly they took his breath away.

"So many," he whispered. "So beautiful."

"They are," Cirris whispered back. "Many, and beautiful."

Just then, Kyle turned his head and saw the Big Moon. Its dirt-yellow brilliance, unhindered by atmosphere, gave him a sense of perspective, and he realised for the first time just how high up he really was. His head spun as he glanced back down at the Earth below, and vertigo hit him like a slap in the face. He doubled over and had to fight back being sick.

"Kyle, what's wrong?"

"I'll fall!" Kyle gasped. "Fall..."

"No, love. I've got you." Cirris tightened his grip on the frightened boy. "I will never let you fall."

Kyle wrapped his arms around the furry neck and held on with all his strength, while he gasped for air. His entire body shivered, and he was more frightened than he had ever been before. Then he felt a rush of warm air being forced in between his lips and down into his lungs. Slowly, his shudders abated, and he was able to lighten his vice-like grip around Cirris's neck. He nuzzled the bat-boy's cheek and sobbed quietly for a couple of minutes, before he finally regained control over himself.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes closed and his cheeks burning red with shame. "I really freaked out, huh?"

"It was my fault. I should have known that you weren't used to flying this high."

"I'm not used to flying at all." They both giggled. "It was just too much for me."

"I wanted to surprise you." This time Cirris was the one who seemed ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, Kyle. Please forgive me."

"No problem. If you'll forgive me for choking you."

"You can't choke air, silly boy." Cirris shook his head. "But I think my neck creaked."

"What happens now?"

"Now, we wait for Drake."

"He can fly in space, too?"

"Just wait, and watch. But be prepared to get surprised, this time."

Kyle relaxed in the bat-boy's arms and looked around. The sense of vertigo was gone now, and he could fully appreciate the beauty of the Earth below and the moon above. He wondered if he would get to see Little Moon as well, maybe even get a closer look at that mysterious thing. According to the stories he knew, the smaller of Earth's satellites had been made by humans, during the height of the age of technology. He had no idea if it were true or not, but the thought was as thrilling as it was impossible. A light at the horizon made him think he really would get to see it, but it was the sun, rising up above the edge of the world. Cirris pointed at it.

"Look."

"You can't look at the sun!" Kyle said, his voice breaking. "We'll go blind!"

"Not this time. Trust me. Or rather, trust him."

"Huh? Who?"

"Look."

Fighting against instinct, Kyle opened his eyes and turned hesitantly towards the warming rays. It was true. The sunlight didn't hurt him. Instead of what should have been a blinding glare, the sun looked like a friendly, round face. Then he saw two eyes open on its disc, and one of them winked at him. Kyle laughed. He would know those eyes anywhere. A tentacle of flame seemed to reach out from the sun towards them, but Kyle was not afraid. Drake would never do anything to hurt him. Fire engulfed their little bubble of air, and suddenly a voice whispered into his ear.

"Are you ready, guys? Brace yourself, Kyle, this will be the fastest you've ever gone."

"Braced," Kyle giggled and grabbed ahold of Cirris's waist. "And ready."

The lithe shape of Drake the fire bunny stepped into the bubble and kissed Kyle's cheek, then there was only time for a quick gasp of air before the arm of fire flung them towards the Earth. Kyle's first reaction was to let out a shrill cry, but it soon changed into a whoop of joy as they hurtled downwards. They were above the sea, with no land in sight, and while Kyle was still pondering the vastness of the ocean they struck its surface with a deafening splash. The surrounding flames vanished, and were replaced by a roaring vortex of water a mile wide that spun them around and around. Before Kyle got too dizzy, though, the bubble stopped spinning and started sinking slowly beneath the waves. He smiled to himself, wondering if Crystal would join them inside. Just then, someone grabbed his buttocks, and he yelped loudly. Turning around, he stared into the deep blue eyes of the water otter, who hugged him and kissed him on the lips. Kyle returned the kiss, but as they parted he noticed that the furry boys took great care not to touch each other. He was just about to ask when the bubble came to a stop, and he almost fell over. They had reached the seabed.

Around them it was pitch black, darker even than space, since there weren't any stars. If Drake hadn't started emitting a soft, flickering glow, kind of like a candle, they wouldn't have been able to see anything. Now, Kyle could see a completely alien landscape. Strange spiky rock formations jutted up from the ocean floor, twisting and spiralling towards a surface they couldn't possibly reach. Fish and something that looked like prawns darted in and out among the formations, pale and eyeless creatures that looked far too fragile to survive at these depths. Every now and then, one would come closer and examine the glowing bubble with feelers and tentacles, but none got close enough to touch them.

As Kyle stared at the creatures, fascinated, a deep rumble was heard from below them. Kyle almost started getting scared, but he quickly realised that the last of his new friends was about to make his entrance. The pale creatures vanished with such speed that he barely even saw them move before they were gone. Then the rumbling noise intensified, and a crack opened up in the seabed. Red, glowing lava welled up, causing the water around them to shimmer. The bubble sank towards the fissure, slowly making its way from a sea of water to a lake of liquid metal and rock. Cirris took a deep breath, then exhaled, and the bubble expanded to more than twice its size. Kyle grinned widely as Sodd the earth bear appeared, swimming through the magma towards them. The gentle giant entered the bubble and squashed Kyle into a mighty hug. He, too, kept his distance from the others.

"Now what?" Kyle asked once he had checked himself for crush injuries. "Do we stay here?"

"Now it's up to you, my dear friend," Sodd said in his slightly echoing voice. "You will lead us on."

"Me? But..."

"We have charged up our powers for you to use," Crystal chirped. "The bubble in vacuum, the solar flare, the maelstrom and the volcano."

"Focus, love," Cirris whispered into Kyle's ear. "Focus on us, on all five of us."

"Imagine a place where we can all be together," Drake interjected. "Where water won't douse fire, where the wind doesn't wear down the mountain."

"Where the elements come into balance," Sodd said, touching Kyle's shoulder. "And where one sweet human boy can touch the heart of the universe."

"The... heart?" Kyle stared around at the others, then shook his head. "I don't understand. I can't do anything, I'm just a boy."

"You can do it, Kyle," Cirris said, leaning in close to meet Kyle's gaze. His eyes showed a kind of near-desperate longing, yet they remained caring and kind. "Just open your heart. Let love guide you."

"Your love for us," Sodd said. "And ours, for you."

"But... but why me?"

"Because you're cute," Drake giggled. "And because we sensed it in you."

"Sensed what!?" Kyle yelled. "I don't understand!"

"Love," Cirris whispered. "The love in your heart. So strong and yet so innocent. So... pure."

"O-okay."

Kyle closed his eyes and scrunched up his face, trying his best to focus. Minutes ticked by, yet nothing seemed to happen. When he opened them again, it was to see four expectant, longing faces looking back at him. It hadn't worked. Again he squeezed his eyelids shut, but the more he strained his mind, the harder it got to focus. In the end, he gave up the attempt. He felt hot tears run down his cheeks, and he heard a soft sob from one of the others. Drake, he thought, judging by the high tone. Feeling ashamed of himself for failing whatever it was the others were hoping for, he took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out. With it flowed the strain, the stress and the disappointment he had felt, leaving his mind nearly blank.

He tried to think about love. What did it really mean? What was love, apart from the desire to be close to someone else, or to keep them close. An image of his mother appeared. Soft skin and a clean, slightly earthy smell. A quiet voice that used to sing him to sleep at night, a warm bosom to press against whenever he felt sad or hurt or alone. Next came his father. Strong arms and a loud, deep voice that told stories as he sat peacefully in a firm lap, that taught him the things a man needed to know. A friendly face that always seemed to smile when he saw it. Then he thought of Sap, his precious Sapling, the big brother he had always wanted, and who had looked after him ever since...

Fresh tears flowed, but instead of feeling embarrassed he embraced these emotions. Allowed himself to cry with all his heart. New shapes began to dance before his inner eye. Four new friends, four new loves. Four new parts of him without whom he could never be whole again. His heart thumped loudly inside his chest, swelling with love for them. For all of them.

And this time, something did happen.

* * * * * *

It was as if a fire had lit inside Kyle, and it was spreading rapidly outwards. A dazzling white light seeped in through his tightly clenched eyelids, but he didn't dare open them to see what was going on. The others all placed their hands on him, encouraging his efforts. The heat inside him grew ever more intense, and he found that it was fluctuating. A rapid, pounding pulse that formed a rhythm with the blinding light. Then there was a loud hissing noise, almost like an angry snake, that grew deafening before it suddenly stopped. The light was gone, too, and now Kyle finally dared to open his eyes.

He was lying on what looked like a vast, misty moor. White clouds of fog were everywhere. The sky above was a clear midday blue, but he could see no sunlight. A noise from behind made him turn around. Drake was slowly getting up from the ground, swaying a little as he stood. Next to him, Cirris and Crystal both stirred, but they didn't get up. Sodd was lying a bit away. The bear seemed to be unconscious, but as Kyle looked closer he shook his head and sat up.

"Did it work? Where are we?"

"Not at the bottom of the sea, that's for sure," Drake said. The bunny boy walked over to Kyle and took his hand, helping him to his feet. "How are you feeling?"

"Weird," Kyle answered. "What did I just do?"

"A manifestation," Cirris muttered as he, too, stood up on shaky feet. He turned around and stretched out his hand to point over the moor. "This is you, Kyle. All of it. Your love."

"This place?"

"Yes. This is the aether. The outside of everything. The only place where the elements come in balance."

"We can't reach it on our own," Crystal said, stepping up to Kyle and kissing his cheek. "Only true, pure love has the power to make this place."

"And so you needed me." Kyle felt a sting of bitterness in his voice. Had he been used? Was that all he was to the elementals, just a means for transportation? "Just to get you here, wherever here is."

"No," Sodd said softly. "We don't need this place. If we had failed to get here, it wouldn't have mattered much. Nothing would have changed, yet we would still have you."

"You're what really matters," Drake said. "This is just a bonus."

"So what's so special about this... did you call it aether?"

"Yes," Cirris said, his voice still pretty much a whisper. "The aether. And it is a very special place. Because here, we can finally touch each other. Be with each other."

"Can we really?" Drake asked, looking nervous. His voice trembled slightly. "Did it really work?"

"Only one way to find out."

Crystal walked up to the fire bunny, and paused. The other two looked on with eager anticipation. Even Kyle felt it, though he wasn't entirely sure what would happen. He understood that fire and water didn't go well together, and that they were about to test it. Test if he had succeeded in bringing them together. The water otter took his friend's hand. At first, nothing happened, but then there was a soft, sibilant noise. Steam began to rise from where they touched, as Crystal's hand boiled and Drake's started going out. No! Kyle cried inside his mind. It couldn't have failed! He suddenly ached for the two boys, and for the others, whose disappointment was almost tangible. For a second, he felt that heat again, inside his chest, and to his astonishment and delight, the heat reached out to the point where the boys' hands touched. The hissing ceased. All four boys turned to stare at him, their eyes wide, grins spreading across their faces. Then they fell into each other's arms, hugging and kissing and laughing and screaming with joy. Kyle joined in, happy tears running down his cheeks.

* * * * * *

After a few minutes, the euphoria began to die down. Kyle took his eyes off the frolicking furries for a moment, and had his first good look at the aether. At first glance it was the misty moor, a place that stirred inside him a memory that he couldn't quite grasp. He knew that he had seen it before, but it must have been a long time ago. His parents had been there, too. Had they been on a journey? Or on a holiday? As he looked closer, though, he could see evidence that this place was not an ordinary field. Here and there, the air was kind of shimmering, and the light seemed... odd. As if it had no source. No sun. Not even candles or torches. And the rocks that lay strewn around looked, as he inspected a couple of them closer, a bit fuzzy at the edges. As if, he thought, they hadn't quite decided to be rocks yet. This seemed like an odd thought, but strangely logical somehow. Not that logic mattered much, he mused, now that he was in a place outside of everything, a place that he knew from his childhood, with four elemental furry boys who claimed to be in love with him. No, who were in love with him. There was a big difference. All of whom he loved in return. And he had thought that yesterday had been crazy...

He picked up one of the rocks and ran his fingers over it. It felt just like a real one, and the more he looked at it, the less fuzzy it became. Kyle shook his head and gave up trying to understand. He was at a place called the aether, and had helped his new friends so they could touch each other. What more did he need to know? Using all of his strength, he threw the stone over a low hill and out of sight, then he froze. It made no sound at all. A cold shiver ran down Kyle's spine. It was as if the stone had either ceased to be real when he could no longer see it, or else...

Or else there had been nothing for it to land on, beyond the hill.

This thought brought back the feeling of vertigo, and for a second his stomach made a heave as if to empty itself. Then Drake slammed into him from behind and brought him crashing down onto very real grass. Grunting, Kyle spun around and pinned the bunny down, then proceeded to tickle him. While Drake shrieked with shrill laughter, Kyle sat down on top of him. When he let up on the tickling, he hurried to lean down and kiss his friend before another fight broke out. Humming with pleasure, the bunny all but melted beneath him, returning the kiss. After a little while they broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. Kyle was just about to lose himself in Drake's radiant love, when he realised that their moaning hadn't ceased. He looked up, and grinned as he realised that they weren't the ones who could be heard. Drake pushed him off, and they sat up, both of them chuckling softly.

"They've been longing for this since forever," the bunny whispered. "We've never been able to touch like this before."

"What about you?" Kyle whispered back. "Why aren't you over there?"

"I thought I'd get you for myself while they're busy."

The two of them sat for a little while, watching the scene in front of them. Sodd was lying on his back, with Cirris in his arms. The two of them were kissing deeply, their eyes closed and their bodies pressed tightly together. Meanwhile, Crystal was sitting atop the bear's massive erection, impaling himself to the hilt. He was the source of most of the moaning. Kyle recalled the fantastic feeling of being so magically filled by the bear, and he could feel his own penis coming to life. This did not pass unnoticed, he realised as Drake's small hand reached around him and started masturbating him. Sighing with pleasure, Kyle leaned back and allowed himself to be seduced.

As soon as he was fully hard, the hand vanished, only to be replaced seconds later by the bunny's red hot mouth. Kyle groaned, but before he could get into it, Drake moved lower. He licked the shaft a couple of times, up and down, then went to work on Kyle's tight sac. The boy gasped as he felt first one, then the other of his testicles get licked, then sucked. He was getting closer to his climax, but Drake tricked him yet again.

"Oh my," Kyle whispered as he realised where the bunny's agile tongue was going next. "Oh my."

The hot, wet touch against his anus was enough to set Kyle off. After just a couple of licks, he cried out and made a mess on his stomach. Through his orgasmic bliss, he could hear laughter coming from down between his legs. Even while giggling, Drake kept up his assault, rimming Kyle deeper and deeper until he felt the wonderful tongue slide through his ring. The sensation was overwhelming, and he beat his fists against the grass, biting his lip. He felt a tear of joy trickle down his cheek as his body was driven towards a new peak.

"Ngh..." he moaned as Drake began stroking his length as well, the pleasure now almost painful. "Oh, fuck!"

There was another bout of giggles, then suddenly the tongue slipped out of him and vanished. He opened his eyes and saw the fire bunny standing on his knees, still masturbating him slowly. Drake wiggled his hips, making his little erection sway from side to side. It was clear what he wanted. Kyle nodded, grinning.

"Hang on," Drake said as he positioned himself. "Rabbit style is wild style."

Kyle swallowed, then gasped as Drake entered him to the hilt with one push. There was no pain, but the sudden pressure took him by surprise. Almost immediately, the bunny started thrusting in and out, short and hard strokes that reached just far enough to brush Kyle's prostate on every 'in'. Each time, a shudder went through the boy. Shudders that turned into a continuous trembling as Drake sped up. Soon the bunny was going faster than Kyle would have believed possible. Through all the pleasure he was receiving, he could hear the rhythmical slap, slap, slap as Drake's hips pounded rapidly into his buttocks.

"Gettin' close," the bunny whimpered. "Close."

Kyle grabbed his rock hard penis and started stroking it furiously. He wanted the two of them to come at the same time, and he just barely made it. As he squirted, he felt as if molten lava flowed into his hole. Drake's semen burned him, but as always with these furries there was no real pain, no real harm. Just a scorching heat that spread through his body, heightening his own peak as his last dribbles ran down over his fingers. The bunny collapsed on top of him, panting hard. Kyle hugged him, and kissed him all over his furry face. Soon, Drake had caught his breath enough to reciprocate.

Just then, a whimpering groan could be heard, and Kyle broke the kiss. The two of them looked over just as Crystal came, shooting his load over Sodd's belly. A couple of seconds later, Cirris squealed out his orgasm as well. The bat boy was pumping in and out of Sodd's mouth, and the bear hummed with delight as he swallowed his treat. Drake hopped to his feet and pulled Kyle up after him.

"Come on, let's help them!"

As Kyle got to his feet, Drake started giggling. It took the boy a couple of seconds to realise what the fun was. Turning half around, he caught sight of his own butt, and he, too, laughed. Hiss buttocks were a bright red, as if he had been a naughty boy who had been spanked. Drake made a couple of thrust in the air, and they fell over giggling. But there was no time to fool around, and they hurried over to the others. The two of them kneeled next to the earth bear, right where Crystal was still riding him, and started rubbing every visible part of his huge erection. Kyle could hear a low rumble, which felt as if it came both from Sodd and from deep within the ground. After a minute or two, Cirris joined them, and Kyle gave up his position to the bat. He had an idea that he wanted to try.

"Yeah," Cirris said, grinning, as he realised what Kyle was up to. "Go for it!"

Smiling back, Kyle proceeded to climb in between Sodd's thighs. The bear must have felt him, because he spread his legs wide. And now a fantastic sight lay before his eyes. Looking up, he could see Crystal riding up and down on a pole as long and thick as his leg. It looked impossible, but he knew it wasn't. He could remember what a great feeling it was, to be filled like that. The memory made his hole twitch, but he willed it to be patient. There would be more fun for it soon enough, of that Kyle felt sure. Instead he leaned in and nuzzled the bear's sac. Each ball within was bigger than Kyle's fist, in fact almost, he realised now that he was close to them, as big as his head. He pushed his face against them, kissing and caressing them as the rumbling grew even louder.

But Kyle wasn't about to stop there. He lay down on his stomach, and crawled in underneath that brown-furred scrotum. A slight smell of musk met his nostrils, and it seemed to go straight to his head. Feeling almost dizzy, he began rubbing Sodd's hole, giggling as he heard a sharp intake of breath. Remembering how good it had felt when Drake had rimmed him, Kyle leaned in, sticking his tongue out. The first contact made the bear boy's entire body spasm, and as Kyle started licking he could feel the ground tremble beneath him. It tasted nice, he decided after a couple of licks. There was a hint of musk, but otherwise it wasn't very different from licking skin. While he ran his tongue around the rim, Kyle slid a couple of fingers into the bear, enticing another sudden gasp. He wanted to do everything for his largest friend, everything he possibly could, but how could he reach Sodd's prostate with just his tiny fingers?

Unless...

He recalled what Sodd had said about earth being the element of life and healing. Surely his new idea couldn't hurt the bear? To play it safely, he stood up and reached for the place just where Crystal was still riding up and down. A clear, sticky liquid was running down the bear's member, and Kyle scooped some up and rubbed it all over his hand. Drake and Cirris both nodded to him, and feeling encouraged he returned down below. He gave the hole another few licks, then slowly began to insert his whole hand. There was some resistance, as the rumbling ground shook slightly, but then the muscle gave way. Kyle sank in to his elbow, and he heard Sodd moan in a good way. It took him a couple of tries to find the prostate, but when he did the reaction was immediate.

Sodd tightened around him, his whole body trembling as he reached his peak. Crystal, too, let out a loud groan as he was filled. After a couple of spasms, the otter boy nimbly slid off that massive erection and joined his friends in hugging it. Semen flew everywhere, as if from a fountain, and some of it even dripped down on Kyle. He opened his mouth and caught some of it, licking his lips as he swallowed. It tasted even better this time. His fingers kept stroking and caressing the bear's prostate all through his orgasm, but once it was over he pulled his arm back out. He wasn't surprised to find it completely clean. My magical friends, he thought, grinning to himself as he got up, just in time to see Crystal spill his load. A couple of drops that vanished in the puddles of white that were all over them.

By now, the five of them were all but spent, and the four smaller ones snuggled up against their large friend. Kyle found himself leaning his back against Sodd's side, which was still heaving with the bear's ragged breath. Drake cuddled beneath Kyle's arm, while Crystal leaned his head on his other shoulder. That left out Cirris. Kyle looked up at the bat boy, who smiled back at him warmly. There was a swirling of the air, then Kyle found his lap filled with the dark-furred, warm body. Cirris gave him a couple of lazy kisses, then they all began to drift off into sleep.

* * * * * *

Kyle never made it all the way into a deep slumber. He kept hovering in a half-awake state, where he could hear and feel the things around him, but was unable to form real thoughts. In that dream-like state he could sense the four furries; their warm bodies, their rhythmical breathing and the steady thumps of their hearts. But he could also see them. Not with his eyes, which were closed, but with some other sense that he didn't know he had. He saw them, not as boys, but as the elementals they were. Beings of a shimmering light that was so bright and so beautiful that he was almost scared. Then this mind-vision shifted, and he could see himself lying there among them. At first he thought he looked so sad and alone, surrounded by such beauty, but then, to his astonishment, he saw that his own body also emitted a soft glow. It was like nothing compared to how his friends shone, but it was still there.

With his mind, he reached out and touched that light. It flickered in front of him, then began to spread. Out and around, to engulf everything in this mystical place. The feeling was much like how he had felt when he had... well, whatever he had done to make his furry friends able to touch one another. He played with his light for a little while, until he noticed that one of the brighter forms was stirring. At the same time, he felt the purely physical sensation of hands rubbing his naked chest, and he gasped in surprise. For a second, he had all but forgotten that he had a body, that he was a living, breathing boy. Hesitating slightly, he opened his eyelids and gazed into Cirris's warm, dark eyes. The bat, too, was all boy again, but Kyle remembered the shapeless light that was, in some strange way, also Cirris. They kissed lightly and played with each other in a way that was more sensual than sexual.

"I know what you saw," Cirris said after a while. "The lights."

"They're who you really are."

"Please don't be scared."

"Stop saying that!" Kyle laughed and punched the air bat's arm. "I'm not scared of you."

"Good." Cirris smile was a bit uncertain at first, but brightened. He leaned back and spread his arms, letting Kyle get a good look of his naked body. "This is me, too. Just as much as the light, or the air, for that matter."

"How?"

"Dunno. I'm still a kid, you know." They both giggled, then hugged. "Seriously, I have no idea how everything works. I just know who I am. And who my friends are."

"You're so beautiful. So very beautiful."

"So are you, Kyle. In a different way, but still beautiful. Your light is... I can't really describe it. It makes me want you even more."

"Wow..." Kyle felt his cheeks burn. He could feel something hard poke his stomach, and a smile formed on his lips. "You want me, huh? Like yesterday, up in the air?"

Cirris nodded, his ears flicking back and forth as if he could just barely control himself. Kyle eased himself away from the three sleeping ones, then lay down on his back, spreading his legs apart. With a rush of wind, Cirris was upon him, kissing him passionately. This was a different experience than before, the small part of Kyle's mind that wasn't blown away told him. It was as if the air all around him was caressing every inch of his body. No, he corrected this thought, not as if. That was exactly how it was. Even the air inside his lungs seemed to bring him pleasure, to touch him from within. Then he felt pressure against his anus, and sighed happily as Cirris slid into him that way, too. As usual there was no pain, just the purest of pleasure.

"That feels so good," he muttered as they kissed again. "So good..."

"It'll get better," Cirris murmured back. "Just wait."

Not sure what would happen next, Kyle focused on the feeling coming from within his butt, and from his penis as it was pressed against their bellies. As he felt the first twitches of his impending orgasm, he could also feel a wind building up around them. No, not a wind, a storm. Faster and faster, harder and harder, now a hurricane, the wind swirled around the two of them, not even touching the others though they lay mere feet away. The rush against Kyle's skin was matched by the bat boy's thrusts reaching a furious pace. The wind howled in Kyle's ears, or was it maybe Cirris's own voice? He couldn't tell, because just then both the wind and the boys peaked. Kyle whimpered as he came, squirting his drops onto their bellies just as he felt Cirris's seed inside him. After their orgasms, the wind quickly died down, and now Kyle could hear cheers and applause. The other three sat up, grinning widely, and he blushed as he waved at them.

"Wow," Drake giggled. "Tornado fuck. I want one, too!"

"In a minute," Cirris answered as his arms were filled with the fire bunny. "Just let my heart slow down a bit."

Only now did Kyle realise that something was missing. The bat boy's impressive wings were gone. None of the others seemed to give this a thought, though, and as Kyle thought back he remembered several times when he had hugged Cirris, even though he shouldn't have been able to. He shook his head. Maybe the wings, like all other things about these boys, were magical. Maybe they just came and went whenever Cirris did or didn't need them. His thoughts were interrupted as a wet kiss was planted on his cheek. Crystal's warmest smile met him as he turned around. Kyle allowed himself to be led over to a patch of soft grass, where the two of them lay down.

"My turn," the otter boy whispered. "My turn to borrow you."

Kyle tried to answer, but couldn't find his voice. Instead, he nodded, and parted his lips to let Crystal's tongue in. Immediately, his mouth filled with a flavour that was both fresh water and sea at once, and still that unmistakable taste that was the otter boy himself. They rolled around a couple of times, hands everywhere and lips glued together, crotches pressed tightly against one another. When they finally settled down, Kyle spread his legs and raised them, but Crystal stopped him.

"I like it better this way."

He got up and sat on Kyle's lower belly, his butt pressing against the boy's hardness. How can there still be life in it, he thought as his penis pulsed. Crystal grabbed it and pulled the foreskin back, then lowered himself onto it. With a sigh of pleasure, Kyle pushed upwards until he was settled in as deep as he would go. Grinning, Crystal began to ride him, slowly at first but soon faster and faster. Kyle grabbed on to the water otter's hips, and followed his movements as best he could. After a couple of minutes, Crystal stopped moving up and down, and instead began gyrating his hips while his fingers found Kyle's nipples. The boy gasped, then groaned as he felt yet another orgasm coming on. Crystal beat him to it, though, and sent a couple of salty drops onto Kyle's lips and tongue. The taste set him off, and he came deep into the otter boy's butt. As he lay there panting, Kyle suddenly felt something new. A trickle of warm water landed on his chest, then moved up to his face. No, it wasn't water, he realised. The taste was... He opened his eyes and saw that the grinning otter was peeing on him. Sputtering, he tried to get away, but to no avail.

"Getting back at you for this morning," Crystal giggled. "When you peed into the river."

Acknowledging defeat, Kyle sank back to the ground and waited for it to be over. Involuntarily, he licked his lips as the beam hit them. The taste wasn't too bad. Salty and a bit tangy, but not bad. He opened his mouth and let it fill up a bit, then he spat it up at Crystal. Soon they were rolling around in a wrestling match, laughing and growling at each other. In the end Kyle was pinned down, but the smile didn't leave his face.

"That was disgusting!"

"Really?" Crystal tilted his head and grinned. "You looked like you were enjoying it."

"All right, maybe a little. But it was still disgusting."

"Well, stop peeing into rivers, then."

"And where would I go, then?" Kyle giggled at a sudden thought. "On the ground? If Sodd decided to get revenge like you did, I'd drown."

"No. You never have to fear when you're with us."

"I know. But I'd still drown."

They laughed, then settled down to lie next to each other, sides pressed tightly together. Kyle raised his head and looked back at the others, just as Cirris's tornado reached its peak around him and Drake. Obviously, whatever naughtiness the two of them had been up to, had just finished. The only one who was alone now was Sodd, who sat watching the two couples.

Kyle got to his feet, still a little shaky after his many orgasms, and walked over to the bear. Sodd patted his thigh, and Kyle accepted the invitation. It was kind of comforting to sit on the tall bear boy's lap, while being held by his strong arms. A kind of feeling that Kyle hadn't felt in a long time. He almost purred with delight as he leaned against Sodd's chest.

"I've had a wonderful time." He yawned. "Wonderful, but tiring. I think I'm good for one more go, though."

"Are you sure?" the bear asked in his echoing voice. "I don't want to wear you out."

"Maybe I'll need some of that healing earth magic, but I'll manage." He stood up and turned around, now at perfect height for a kiss. "I really want to be with all of you. I love you."

"I know, Kyle. And it's good to know." Large hands cupped Kyle's buttocks and lifted him up, pulling him closer. "Your love has worked wonders today."

"I don't even understand half of it," Kyle said in between kisses. "Could I have done this without you? I mean, I never thought I had any magic."

"The magic is love, Kyle. Without that, nothing could have happened. But without our magic, it wouldn't have worked either. You have some of us in you now, just as we have some of you. We'll never need to fear touching each other again."

"Wow." Kyle fell silent for a few seconds, then he giggled. "I still don't understand, but I do know I want some of you in me again. Maybe even a lot of you."

"So naughty," Sodd muttered, but he grinned widely. "Such a naughty boy."

Before long, Kyle was once more enjoying the feeling of being impossibly filled. He was sitting on top of Sodd, riding the bear while letting out little squeals and screams of joy. With every down movement, he felt that rigid pole going deeper and deeper into him, until it must have been lodged somewhere inside his rib cage. Yet there was no more pain than from Drake's little stick. Just a kind of pleasure that Kyle thought he would never be able to describe, not in a thousand years. His prostate was sending wave after wave all through his body, and kept him hovering on the brink of climax. He had already come twice, he thought, but it was difficult to tell. His orgasms were dry now. At the edge of his field of vision, whenever he managed to open his eyes, he could see the other three. They were sitting a bit away, watching him and Sodd. The earth bear held on to Kyle's hips, and his large hands would have seemed surprisingly gentle if Kyle hadn't already known what a sweet person Sodd was. The pace of his thrusts increased, and his groans were beginning to sound strained.

"Getting close..."

Kyle braced himself, determined not to step off this time. He was soon rewarded as a blast of semen filled him up. Then another, and another, until he soon lost count. His belly began to stretch, a sight that was as comical as the feeling was grand. After a little while Kyle didn't know whether to laugh or scream with pleasure. Soon the bear's climax ebbed out, and he withdrew, bringing with him what felt to Kyle like gallons of seed. Feeling empty and drained, he collapsed on top of his huge friend, panting heavily.

* * * * * *

Hours seemed to pass before anyone began to stir. Kyle thought he might have fallen asleep for a while, but there was no way he could know. Every time he closed his eyes he returned to seeing his friends as beings of light. It took an effort of will to finally sit up. When he did, he was immediately met with a kiss from Sodd.

"That was a lot of fun."

"Yeah," Kyle whispered, not trusting his voice. "Are we going home now?"

"I think so. Do you want to leave?"

"Yeah. I need to sleep."

"Did we wear you out?" Crystal asked with a giggle. "Maybe you need a vacation?"

"No," Cirris said, nuzzling Kyle's cheek. "He just needs some rest. Maybe we should take it a bit easy in the future."

"A bit, maybe, but not much," Kyle replied, smiling. "I loved everything, and I wanna do it again. Though maybe not all of you in one day."

"We'll take turns," Drake said, raising his hand. "I want first dibs!"

"We can do more than just sex, guys. I wanna know more about your worlds. And I want you all to meet Sap. He's gonna freak when he hears I've got myself four boyfriends."

"That could be fun," Drake giggled. "Too bad he likes girls."

The five of them moved closer together, and Cirris began to form his bubble of air. Kyle took one last look at the moor that was also the aether, then put his hand on the bat boy's shoulder.

"Hang on, I wanna fix something."

"What?"

"This place. We can come back here, right? Even though we don't really need to?" The others looked at each other, then nodded. "All right. Then I want it to be complete. There's air and earth already, and the trees can burn. So all we need is..."

Kyle frowned in concentration, while his friends watched him curiously. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he tried to focus the light that was inside him. At first it didn't seem to work, but after a few seconds' delay he heard a faint noise in the distance. A small fissure opened up in the ground, and from whatever lay out of sight a small stream of water ran to fill it. Before long a tiny brook had formed, and Kyle turned to his friends. Crystal beamed back at him, looking almost teary-eyed with happiness. Now, Kyle thought as the bubble encased them and took to the air, this place was finally complete.

* * * * * *

Epilogue

* * * * * *

Kyle sat up in his bed as the first rays of sunlight reached his face. Cougar the teddy bear was firmly trapped in his arms, and he nuzzled the stuffed toy while his mind slowly woke up. Remnants of some wonderful dream fluttered before his eyes for a little while, then vanished. No matter. He rarely remembered his dreams, anyway. Instead, a wide grin spread on his face. Today was his birthday!

Now, what to do with such a special day?

First things first, he decided; a bath. He gently eased his way out of bed, careful not to wake the two sleeping boys who lay piled around and half on top of him. They weren't morning people, he knew, and he wanted to let them sleep in. Once he was up, he turned around and looked at them. Drake had taken over the duty of hugging Cougar, and Cirris had shifted to spoon the fire bunny. Kyle smiled warmly at the sight.

What a wild year it had been, he thought as he picked out his clothes for the day. Wild, amazing, funny and the best time of his life. It seemed as if he had been everywhere, done everything. Travelling was no problem when you could fly, ride the waves, swim through the earth or just hop from flame to flame. Which did he like best? Difficult to say, just as it was nigh impossible to decide which elemental furry boy he preferred. He loved them all. Flying was great, of course, but he also highly enjoyed body surfing with Crystal. Travelling through the earth was slow, but exciting, and going by flames was by far the quickest.

He shook his head. Why trying to decide, when he could have them all? Truly a wild year. After a quick breakfast, Kyle left the cabin, not bothering to lock it, and headed for the stream. He was still munching on a cheese sandwich, feeling thoroughly happy as sunlight kept his naked body warm. As he laid down his stuff, taking a seat on the soft grass right next to the stream, he paused and gave the ground a caress. A distant rumbling told him that his greeting was answered. Sodd was visiting his mother, somewhere up north, but he was still only as far away as the ground.

A small bird landed just a couple of feet away, eyeing him curiously, and he smiled as he tossed it a crumb from his sandwich. The bird chirped, then took the crumb and flew up to sit on Kyle's head as it ate. This was no surprise to the boy. After his experience in the aether, he seemed to have this effect on animals. They trusted him, even sought him out for getting petted or scratched. Or fed, he mused as the bird finished its meal, then took off. Cirris had said something about the unifying character of the aether, while Crystal had insisted that it was because Kyle was so cute. He couldn't decide which to believe, but the latter at least he could understand. No matter. It was a fun side effect, and besides, he loved animals.

Finishing his sandwich, he stood up and stretched. A boyish giggle escaped his lips before he could stop it. Damn, he was thirteen now! Almost a man. He reached down and scratched the tiny patch of golden pubic hair that had sprouted around the base of his penis during the last year. To him, it was just one of those things that happened to boys, but the furries had been fascinated, and could barely stop touching it. Kyle shook his head. Sometimes they were so silly. He stepped down to the water and dipped his toe. It was freezing.

"I could use some hot water," he muttered, not entirely happy with the way he had let himself become spoiled. Still, why freeze when you didn't have to? "Please?"

"Anytime." A ripple formed on the surface of the water, and soon Crystal the water otter emerged, grinning happily. "Happy birthday, Kyle."

"Thanks."

Crystal slipped an arm around Kyle's waist and led him into the stream. The water was nicely warm, and the otter boy immediately wrapped himself around Kyle's body, swirling around him like a wild current. Within seconds, he was as clean as he had ever been. Crystal stepped back to admire his work, but Kyle pouted at him.

"You take all the fun out of washing up."

"Hey, it gets the job done. Leaves more time to play."

"Yeah, but I like the smell of the soap."

"Okay, let's do it your way."

They sat down where the water was shallow, and Crystal washed him all over again, this time slowly, and using the soap. It was a sensual feeling, and Kyle closed his eyes, almost purring with delight. Afterwards, Kyle returned the favour, something that the otter had never experienced before. It turned out to be a ticklish affair with lots of laughter and splashing. Once they had rinsed off, Crystal kept smelling his fur.

"You're right, it is kind of nice. Can't believe I never let you do this before. Hey!" The otter boy spun around, frowning as Kyle, grinning happily, released a stream of his own into the water. "Don't do that!"

Snarling, Crystal pounced, sending them rolling around and around in the shallow water, screaming and laughing and wrestling until it ended with Kyle pinning his friend down. Crystal tried to keep a disgusted face as the boy finished his business all over both of them, but failed. Instead, he retaliated, setting them both off with fits of giggles. This time, they opted for a quick, water elemental-style wash-up, before they slumped down side by side on the grass, letting the sun dry them off. Every now and then, one or the other would steal a light kiss or a quick grope, but mostly they just enjoyed each other's company.

A few weeks after they had met, Kyle recalled as he lay there hovering on the brink of sleep, that first wild sexuality had begun to settle down into a more romantic kind of love. True, he still did the naughty with his four boyfriends, almost every day, but that desperate need was mostly gone. Back then they couldn't have relaxed like this without at least some sucking. That thought made him giggle again, and Crystal joined in once he had shared his thought.

"But the sex is fun, too," the otter boy half whispered as he let his fingers trace circles on Kyle's stomach. "Lots of fun..."

"Yeah, but I'm glad it's not all there is to us."

"It never was." They shared a kiss, which soon turned more passionate. "It was always about you Kyle. About love."

"I know," Kyle gasped as the roaming fingers went lower. "I know."

Before long, the clearing was filled with moans and happy laughter as the two boys brought each other off. Afterwards, Kyle decided to skip getting dressed, and the two of them returned to the cabin. Outside it, Drake and Cirris were waiting, each greeting Kyle with a 'happy birthday'. After a round of hugs and kisses, Drake returned inside to fix them breakfast, while Cirris pointed towards the place where a path entered the clearing. Kyle grinned happily and waved at the approaching Sap, who just shook his head at the sight of all the nudity. The older boy was used to it by now, though. Kyle bounced up to meet him, ignoring all the half-protests as he kissed his friend welcome.

* * * * * *

Later that day, as the sun was setting in the west, Kyle sat alone outside the cabin. The others, including Sap and Sodd, who had returned in time for their feast, were sleeping off all the food and sweets inside. The dark red sunset seemed to make everything glow, and it matched Kyle's mood. He felt as if he were glowing with happiness. The day had been great, with games and presents and with so much fun his cheeks still ached from all the smiling. A year ago, he had also felt great, but in reality he had been a scared and lonely little boy. Now he was on his way to manhood, and he was never truly alone anymore.

Over at the edge of the forest, a sudden movement caught his eye, and he grinned as he saw a small fox peering at him expectantly. It slowly made its way up to him, until he could scratch it behind the ears, giggling at the way its hind leg twitched along.

He played with the little fox for a while, until his jaws locked in a wide yawn. The fox tilted its head, but stayed with him, still looking expectant. All right, Kyle decided, I guess we could share a piece of birthday cake. He patted his stuffed belly and thought that it would have to be a small piece. Once the fox had dashed away with its treat, Kyle licked the icing off his fingers. A perfect ending to a perfect birthday. He went back inside the cabin and looked at his sleeping friends. Sodd was lying on a soft mattress on the floor, while the others were sprawled out on Kyle's bed. He eased his way into the pile, and settled down between Sap and Cirris, with Drake half draped on top of him. Somewhere among all the arms and legs, he found Cougar, and he gave the teddy bear a quick hug and kiss before closing his eyes. His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was the same as every night, ever since his last birthday.

I'm the happiest boy in the world.